and the Morning came light and darkness succeeded one another so the day came no making else But of this 't is punctually said that it was made something in it or in the making more than ordinary Made 1. that is made famous by something done upon it death and hell and all the terrours of darkness this day put to flight for ever by Christs only Resurrection Made 2. that is appointed and ordained for something So Deus fecit Dominum Christum God is said to have made our Saviour Lord and Christ Acts ii 36. and of Christ that fecit nos Reges Sacerdotes that he made us that is ordained us Kings and Priests as God had him both Lord and Christ and upon this day both so that 't is no wonder if the day too be said to be made made or ordained and appointed to be remembred Made 3. to be celebrated too to be kept aniversary as a solemn day of joy and gladness of Praises and Thanksgivings Thus facere diem Sabbati Deut. v. 15. Pascha facere St. Mat. xxvi 18. is to keep the Sabbath and the Passeover what is there in Latine to make the Sabbath and the Passeover in our English is to keep them to make up or make out the day in Gods Worship and Service When God is said to make a day 't is for himself and we can make none but to him mar days we do when we spend them upon any thing or any else they are never made but when on him The greater sin theirs then that unmake the days that are thus made that both unsaint the Saints and unhallow the days and prophane both that make them for all but him all business but his as if the holiness of the Holiday were the only offence of it that which made the day or for which the day was made the only reason to them to unmake it 3. But however it pleases some to mar what God has made yet made days there have been many are and shall be Themselves are not yet so impudent to deny us all not the Lords days yet which yet are but so many little models of this great day But of made days all are not alike some high days some not so high though the one and the other made and constituted for Gods service Of made days this is the highest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The day so we told you out of Ignatius so we now tell you out of St. Augustine Principatum tenet 't is the prime As the blessed Virgin among women so this blessed day among the days says he The most holy Feast of Easter the good Emperour Constantine calls it four times in one Epistle to all the Churches Solenne nostrae religionis festum a little after the solemn Feast of our Religion by which we hold our hopes of immortality the very day of all our Religion and our hope Illa videtur dies clarior illuxisse sings Lactantius The fairest day that ever shone The Sun which so many hours withdrew its light and hid its face in sable darkness went down sooner into night at our Saviours Passion and to day rose so much sooner restored those hours to lengthen or encreased it beams to enlighten this glorious Day in the opinion or else Rhetorick of Chrysologus Eusebius and St. Augustine If so it was The Day indeed none like it ever since but if not There were two Suns rose to day to enlighten it the Sun of Heaven and the Son of God who is also stiled the Sun in the strictest spelling The Sun of righteousness needs must it be a glorious day indeed which is gilded with so much light so many glorious Rays All days were night before nothing but dark clouds and shadows under the Law of Moses nothing but a long unevitable night under the Law of nature nothing but a disconsolate night of sorrow under the power of sin and darkness this was the first bright day that dispell'd all darkness quite A kind of spring of day or glimmering twilight there was abroad from the first preaching of the Gospel but men could scarce see any thing not the Disciples themselves their eyes were ever and anon held not fully opened till the grave it self was this day opened and gave forth Christ to open the Scriptures to them by the evidence of the Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the day when all this was done when this marvelous light shone forth to enlighten all the world The day of all the days before or since 4. And now 4. it may well be so when the Lord made it All his works are wonderful all perfect and complete deserve Articles and Notes to be set upon them But when he sets the Note himself and gives the Article then to be sure 't is somewhat more than ordinary somewhat he would have us to observe above the rest And when he entitles himself to it or challenges it unto himself day it self is not more clear than that such a day must be observed Things that are exceding eminent and full of greatness wonder or perfection are commonly attributed unto God This day is such at least because 't is said God made it a peculiar work and Ordinance of his more than the common Ordinance of day and night and if God made it what is man that he should mar it or the son of man that he should unmake it Or how dares man or Son of man make little of that which God made so great So great as to call it his so great as to make it the mother of one and fifty daughters of all the Lords days in the year besides This is the Lords doing indeed None could alter the Sabbath into the Lords day but he None put down that and set up another abolish the Seventh and set up the First but the Lord of all and may do all what he pleases in heaven and earth Lord it every where how he will Herein he shews he is the Lord and this day the Lady of the year from whence so many little weekly Easter days take both their rise and name All the former days God made the Lord made this the Lord Christ the ground and Author of this day Christs rising raising this to that height it is Now God or Christ is not only said to do or make that which they do immediately by themselves but that also which they do by those to whom they have committed such authority So Christ tells us St. Luke x. 16. He that heareth you heareth me he that heareth his Apostles his Church his Ministers heareth him himself their commands are his their orders his so long as they are not contrary to his word And thus we may evidently without much labour deduce the day to be his making From the Apostles times it came Palicarpus that Angel as is conceived of the Church of Smyrna Rev. ii 8. kept Easter saith Ireneaeus with St. Iohn and with the
by the mouth of the Holy Spirit of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God himself now quitted of injustice and want of bowels of compassion You have a witness of it undeniable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my eyes have seen it Salvation clear even to the sense and to the certain'st the sight The eye may see it 2. Viderunt oculi he might have added contractaverunt manus me◠and his hands handled it but if the eye see it we need not sue to the hand for certainty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these eyes No longer now the eyes of Prophesie those are grown dim and almost out Isaiah indeed could say is born is given so certain was he of it but never viderunt oculi for all that be never liv'd to see it one degree this above the infallibility of Prophesie Time was when this Salutare tuum was inveloped in clouds It was so till this day came a mystery kept secret since the world began lockt up in Heaven so close that mine eyes have wasted away with looking for thy saving health O Lord sighs David and the Church answers him with Vtinam disrumperes coelos Break the Heavens O Lord and come down O utinam O would thou wouldst But now as we have heard so have we seen thy salvation Nor need we any extraordinary piercing eye to see it so plain and manifest is the object that eyes almost sunk into their holes eyes over which the curtains of a long night are well nigh drawn eyes veiled with the mists of age eyes well near worn out with looking and expectation the dimmest aged'st sight may see it Mine eyes old Father Simeons Nor need the Manichee strain his eye-sight to discern it He need not as is usual when we look on curious pieces close one eye that the visual spirits being contracted we may see those things which else by reason of their curious subtilty scape the seeing 'T is no such aiery phantasm but that we may with open face and eyes behold it he may see it with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both his eyes without straining without that trouble But if our senses should play false with us yet my eyes the eyes of a Prophet a holy man inspir'd and detain'd a prisoner in the flesh on purpose for this spectacle cannot possibly deceive us Especially if you add but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he did not perceive it only as a far off Balaams sight or had a glance or glimmering of it only but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saw it plain so plain as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know it too Saw it in his arms and lookt near it nay into it by the quick lively eye of a firm faith for with both eyes he saw it the eyes of his body and the eyes of his soul the Saviour with the one Salvation with the other the child with those the God with these And what greater evidence then that of sight what greater certainty then that of faith If all this be yet too little if viderunt be to seek and oculi fail and mei be deceived yet parasti cannot but list it above the weakness of probability put all out of question It was not only seen but prepared to be seen It came not as the world thinks of other salvations by chance but was prepared Parasti Thou hast prepared it prepared by him that prepared the world Higher yet parasti thou hast prepared done it long since the preparation began not now had a higher beginning a beginning before the face of all people before the face of any people before the face of the waters before the face of the world appeared Chosen us in him says St. Paul then chosen and prepared him for us before the foundation of the world Ephes. i. 4. But this parasti is not the blessing of this day Parasti ab aterno so to the Patriarchs too but in conspectu before our faces made manifest in these last times manifested in the flesh that 's the blessing we this day commemorate A body thou hast prepared me that prepared then lo I come he will be born presently Christmas out of hand Parasti now compleat this day he was first made ready and drest in swadling-clothes And prepared So it came not at mans entreaty or desert Nay when he thought not of it When Adam was running away to hide himself then the promise of the womans seed stept in between and when Religion and Devotion lay at the last gasp ready to bid the world adieu then comes he himself who had been so long preparing and fulfilled the promise This a degree of certainty higher then our imaginations can follow it that relies wholly on Gods own parasti without mans uncertain preparation Yet something ado there was to bring this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this salvation to be seen A long preparation there was of Patriarchs Moses and the Prophets of Promises Types and Figures and Prophesies for the space of four thousand years This long train led the triumph then comes the Saviour then Salvation Sure and certain it must needs be to which there are so many agreeing witnesses This then so variously typified so many ways shadowed so often promised so clearly prophesied so constantly so fully testified so long expected so earnestly desired This is the Salvation prepared for us Whoever looks for any other may look his eyes out shall never see it This Name the only Name by which we shall be saved the Name of Iesus Yet notwithstanding all that 's said or can be said 't is but parasti still 'T is not Posuisti prepared for all not put set up for all as if all should be saved No posui te in casum set for the fall of many those that will not turn their eyes up hither that care not for viderunt neglect this sight slight this salvation But however this dismal success often comes about Parasti it is that cannot be lost and in conspectu omnium populorum for all it is prepared for all in general none excluded this parasti he that put parasti into this good Fathers mouth put in omnium populorum too Not only the certainty but the universality of this salvation that 's the third part of the Text and thither are we come Before the face of all people Prepared that 's a favour and for the people that 's an ample one and one step to an universal People are men a great company of men and for men and a multitude of men it is prepared nusquam Angelos not for Angels in no wise for them not one of them No they are still the Sons of darkness no day-spring from on high to visit them For men and not for the better or more honourable part of men alone but for the people too the meanest sinfulest men in more favour with God then the Apostate Angels And not to some few of those people neither
to digest as well as tast there in the mouth is a kind of first digestion made Ruminate we then and meditate upon Christ when we have tasted him Let it be our business to spend much of our time and days henceforth in meditation of him that 's the way indeed to be filled with his Spirit while we thus digest him and chew upon him in our spirits Nor is 3. fire improper any way to bring to that holy Table The fire of charity is to kindle our devotion there to warm our affections and desires to it There 4. our tongues are to be warm'd into praises that they may run a nimble descant upon his benefits and move apace to the glory of his Name Thus are our tongues to be imployed and thus is the fire to be kindled in us that we may speak with our tongues This is the way to be filled with the Holy Spirit this blessed Sacrament the means to it Come thou therefore O blessed Spirit into our hearts and tongues lighten our understanding with thy heavenly light warm our affections with thy holy fire purge away all our dross burn up all our chaff renew our spirits separate our sins and evils from us unite us in thy love subdue us to thy self teach our hearts to think our tongues to speak our hands to act our feet to move only to thy will settle thy self in us hence forward and dwell with us so teach us with all our tongues and powers to praise thee here upon earth that we may one day praise thee with them in Heaven for evermore A SERMON UPON Trinity Sunday REV. IV. 8. And they rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come I Need not stretch the Text to reach the Time The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy Holy Holy in it is plain enough to teach the Trinity An Anthem sung here by the Angels and Saints in heaven done so here also by four of the chief Apostles and the Bishops of Iudea signified by the four beasts and twenty four Elders taken up after generally by the Saints on earth commended to us by the Church to day as our Epistle sent from heaven with a pattern in it for our Hymns and Praises to the blessed Trinity Lord God Almighty For 't is a part I must tell you of one of St. Iohn's Visions presenting to us what is done in heaven what Good would have done on earth and what should there be done ere long throughout it beginning at Hierusalem Glory and honour and thanks should be given unto God for the wonders he was doing for his servants for the deliverance he was working for his Church for the judgments he was bringing on their enemies as glory had been of old given him by his Saints and Prophets was now given him by his Apostles and Bishops so it should be given still by the whole Christian Church for ever as he himself was and is and is to come so was his praise and is and is to come we therefore all to learn to bear our parts in that heavenly Anthem against the time we come thither to bear them company Example you see we have here set before us to do it by and a form to do it in better we cannot wish the four Beasts or Cherubims Angels Saints and the Apostles there 's our Pattern for they rest not day and night saying it and Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts which was and is and is to come there 's the form we best do it in In each Part we shall observe a kind of Trinity or three Parts in each In the Pattern 1. the Persons 2. their earnestness and 3. their continuance 1. The persons praising God and saying it They the four beasts or living creatures as the words tell us just before 2. Their earnestness in it They rest not saying they cannot rest for saying it cannot rest without the saying it unless they say it say it over and over Holy Holy Holy cannot rest but doing it that 's their rest they take their praising God ◠Their continuance at it day and night it is and without rest and pause is it they are continually doing it saying and doing all to his honour and glory In the Form of Praise we have a sort of Trinity too three things observable 1. The glory or honour given Holy Holy Holy 2. The Persons to whom it is Lord God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost yet all three in one one single Lord one only God one alone Almighty and no more so there 's the Vnity in Trinity into the bargain And 3. here are the benefits intimated we praise him for He was our Creator He is our Redeemer He will be our Glorifier So you see Trinities enough in the Text to make it Trinity Sunday in it to fill all the Trinity Sundays after it The sum is that we are all to bear our parts in this holy Doxology to give glory and honour and power to the blessed Trinity with the four beasts and four and twenty Elders from time to time for evermore and that which may here serve well to perswade us to it is the Company and with them we will begin And they c. But who are they The beginning of the verse tells us the four beasts or as it may more genuinely and handsomly be translated the four living creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what or who are they That 's the question and a hard one too it seems by the variety of opinions probably to be answered rather by conjecture than resolution We shall take the likeliest of them and pass the rest 1. Some by the four living Creatures this they would have the four Cardinal vertues understood by the Lion fortitude by the Calf or Oxe justice by the Eagle temperance and by the Man prudence And then the sense will be that God is most signally prais'd and glorified by a vertuous life no way like that to praise him To do righteousness to walk wisely to live soberly to stand stoutly to God and goodness that 's the true way to give glory to the whole Trinity 2. Others by the four living Creatures apprehend the four chief faculties of our souls to be insinuated with which we are to praise him The irascible intimated by the Lion the concupiscible by the Oxe the rational by the face of man and the Spirit by the Eagle And here the Lesson is that we are to do it to praise God with all our powers set our affections and desires upon it be moved and angry at every thing that comes in to hinder it search all the means our reason can find out to perfect praise and raise up our Spirits upon Eagles wings to perform it to the highest pitch 3. Some by these four conceive the whole world consisting of the four Elements represented to us as praising God The fire by the Lion whose nature is hot
day by the course of Holy Church to wish you to look up and lift up your heads to see the Son of man your Redeemer in his second coming coming in a Cloud of Glory That we knowing it is the same Son of man who was once born in a Stable and cradled in a Manger that shall one day come to be the Iudge of Heaven and Earth we might so celebrate his first coming in flesh that when all flesh shall stand before him we might lift up our heads with joy and comfort For many there are which shall hang down theirs such who have not thought aright of his coming into the world or not worthily entertain'd it or not walked with him in it along the stage of his humility or never rightly pondered the terrors of this second coming in the day of Judgment which he himself here Preaches to his Disciples that they might take heed to themselves lest at any time their hearts should be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness the Disease that usually infects all our Christmasses and cares of this life the Disease that infects all our days and so that day come upon them unawares but that watch they should and pray always that they might be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man ver 34. They had but three days before accompanied him to Ierusalem in his progress of meekness and now in one of his returns he begins to tell them of another kind of coming to it in judgment and fury His Disciples who by the sight of such strong and goodly buildings could not conjecture they should end unless the world fell with them ask him presently upon it when those things should come to pass and when should be the end of the world Their Master that he might at once both satisfie and blind their curiosity mingles the signs of the particular destruction of Ierusalem and of the general ruine of the world together that he might the better keep them awake to attend both his general and particular coming and make both them and us at the approach of particular judgments upon Cities or Nations always mindful and prepared for the general judgment of the last day which he here calls the coming of the Son of Man and tells us how to entertain it So that in the Text as the verses so the parts are two 1. Christs coming Then shall they see the Son c. ver 27. 2. The Christians comfort When these things c. ver 28. In Christs coming 1. The time when Then after the signs forementioned then shall they see 2. The generality of it They all that can see shall see his coming 3. The evidence of his coming so plain he may be seen seen by the eye of Faith 4. The certainty They shall see him to be sure 5. The form in which he comes as the Son of man 6. The end to which he comes He comes with power with the power of a Judge for quick and dead 7. The manner of his coming In a Cloud with power and great glory In the Christians comfort 1. Where it begins When these things begin to come to pass then that begins too Then look up 2. To whom it belongs You Disciples do you look up 3. What kind of comfort 't is A looking up a lifting up the head when all heads else droop with fear and grief 4. Whence this comfort arises from what ground it springs for your redemption draweth nigh I go on with all in oâ—der as they lie so that if you remember the words you cannot forget the order and method Then shall c. At Christs coming there we begin but when is that the Heavens shall tell you the Earth shall tell you the Sea shall tell you Men shall tell you The Heavens by signs and wonders by storms and tempests the lights of Heaven shall lose themselves in darkness and forsake their Spheres and their constantest powers shall be shaken out of their course and harmony The Earth shall quake for fear and change its place The Waves shall fright themselves with their own roarings and mens hearts shall fail for fear neither knowing how to stand nor to avoid this dreadful coming When these with all the host of heaven and earth startled out of their natural seats and postures shall have prepar'd and usher'd him the way then shall he come He comes not till all things else have done their motion and have gone their last Nor is it fitting so great a coming should be without an universal preparation where every creature forgetting its own nature begins at last to study his There is nothing that can stand when God comes Heaven it self is at a loss and remembers not its perpetual motion when it but apprehends his approach Every thing is a wonder to it self when he appears If nature it self be thus terrified which groans not for it self but 〈◊〉 what shall we be with all our sins about us how can 〈◊〉 abide his coming Yet then shall he appear when we know not how to appear Heaven and Earth will change their faces Men and Angels will hide theirs only he it is that dares be seen Sins or imperfections make all the creatures cover themselves with some disguises or endeavour it only he who is all purity all perfection comes then to shew himself Yet when this Then shall be when that day and hour shall come no man knows no not the Son of man himself S. Mark xiii 32. as man He that could tell you that come he would and could tell you the immediate signs that would fore-run it knew not then the time when those signs should be or knew it not to tell you That we might always be waiting for his coming Had it been fit for us to know no doubt he would have told us but so far unnecessary it seems to be acquainted with that secret time that he gives us signs which rather puzzle then instruct us signs which we sometimes think fulfilled already signs which have often been the forerunners of particular ruines and fates of Countries and Kingdoms signs which at the same time we fear past already yet think they are not that so by this hard dialect of tokens in heaven and earth we might behold our presumptuous curiosity deluded into a perperual watching for this last coming There were in the Apostles times and there are still in ours men who lov'd to scare the people with Prophesies and Dreams of the end of the world as if this then already were at hand such as would define the year and day as if they had lately dropt out of Gods Council Chamber but we beseech you says S. Paul that you be not troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand 2 Thess. ii 2. Let no man deceive you ver 3. they do but deceive you they vent
could words of comfort come better then in the full discourse of the day of Judgment nor can comfort ever be more welcome then in the midst of those affrightments Christ never spoke out of season but here he seems to have even studied it When these things begin to come to pass before they are at their full height even then look up Worldly comforts come not so early The heat and fury of the Disease must be abated e're they yield us any refreshment They are only heavenly comforts that come so timely to prevent our miseries or to take them at the beginning Nor is it yet only when the day begins to dawn wherein the Son of man comes forth to Judgment that we should first begin to take courage to approach but whilst the foregoing signs of that day are now first coming on Those terrors that affright others should not startle us even whilst the lightnings run upon the ground whilst the Earth trembles the Sea roars the Winds blow and Heaven it self knows not how to look the Righteous is as bold as a Lion he stands in the midst of security and peace This is the state we are to labour for so to put our trust in the most High that no changes or chances of this mortal life may either remove or shake it or make us to miscarry Every calamity should teach us to look up but these should teach us also to lift up our heads Whilst common fears and troubles march about us our Christian patience will teach us cheerfulness but when these things begin to come to pass these which are the ushers to our glory these should rejoyce and cheer us up that our reward is now a coming to us Vs I say for this comfort is not general to all that shall see the Son of man coming in glory but his Disciples only such as have followed him on earth to meet him in heaven Lift up your heads to his servants he speaks such as hear his words and attend his steps and do his precepts Others indeed must hold down theirs the ungodly shall not be able to look up in judgment The covetous man has look'd so always downward that he is not now able to look up The Drunkard has so drown'd his eye-sight in his cups so over-burthened his brain that he can neither lift up his head nor his eyes at this day The voluptuous man has dim'd his eyes with pleasures that he cannot look about and the ambitious man has so lost his hopes of being high and glorious and is become so low and base in the eyes of God that he is asham'd to lift up his head These only that are the true Disciples of their Master whose eyes are us'd to heaven who have so often lift up their eyes thither to pray and praise him they only can look up when these things come to pass Nothing can affright the humble eye nothing can amaze the eye that ever dwells in heaven nothing can trouble the eye that waits upon her God as the eye of a Maiden upon the hand of her Mistriss The humble devout and faithful eye may look up chearfully whilst all things else dare not be seen for shame O blessed God how fully doest thou reward thy servants that wilt thus have them distinguish'd from others by their looks in troubles who hast so order'd all things for them that nothing shall affright them nothing make them to hold down their heads This is a kind of comfort by it self above ordinary that grief or amazement should not appear so much as in our eyes or looks though so many terrors stand round about us I will lift up my eyes unto the Hills and I will lift up mine eyes to thee O thou that dwellest in the heavens are the voice of one that looks up for help and in the midst of these dreadful messengers of Judgment it will not be amiss for us even so to lift up our eyes to beg assistance and deliverance But that is not all our comfort though it be a great one that we can yet have audience in Heaven amidst these fears we have besides the refreshment of inward joy whereby we rejoyce at our approaching glory The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance Psal. lviii 9. even when the day of vengeance comes and the righteous shall rejoyce in their beds Psal. cxlix 5. whilst they are now rising up and lifting up their heads out of their graves to come to Judgment Nor must it seem strange to see the righteous with chearful looks whilst all other faces gather blackness It is not the others misery that they rejoyce at but at their Saviours Glory and their own happiness For their Redemption draweth nigh that 's the ground of all their joy And would you not have men rejoyce who are redeem'd from misery and corruption from the slavery of sin and the power of death would you not have poor Prisoners rejoyce at the approach of their delivery you cannot blame'um if at such news with Paul and Silas they sing in prison sing aloud for joy so loud that the doors dance open for joy though the Keepers awake and even sink for fear Your redemption draweth nigh They are words will make the scattered ashes gather themselves together into bones and flesh words that will make the soul leave Heaven with joy to lift up the head of her dear beloved body out of the Land where all things are forgotten Yea the insensible creatures that groan now under the bondage of corruption will at these words turn their tunes when they see at hand the days of the liberty of the Sons of God Death and destruction are things terrible but when the fear of them is once overpois'd by the near approach of a redemption to eternal life and glory O' Death then where is thy sting O Grave then where is thy victory They shrink in their heads and pull in their stings and cannot hurt us while we with joy and gladness lift up our heads What are all the signs and forerunners of the day of Judgment that they should trouble us when we know the day of Judgment is our day of redemption our day of glory What are the darkness of Sun and Moon the falling of the Stars the very totterings of Heaven it self to us who even thereby expect new heavens where there is neither need of Sun nor Moon nor Star to give us light for the glory of God shall lighten it and the Lamb this Son of man that is coming in his cloud is the light of it Rev. xxi 23. What are the quakings of the Earth and roarings of the Sea to them who neither need Land nor Sea in their journey to heaven What are Wars and rumors of Wars Famines and Plagues and Pestilences and false Brethren what are persecutions and delivering up to Rulers to death and torments what are those perplexities and fears that rob men of their hearts and courages for looking
us stand up to it and stand for it to the last A Souldier will venture all to save his colours rather wrap himself up in them and dye so than part with them For Christ for his Word for his Sacraments for his Cross for our Gospel and Religion we should do as much But I am asham'd the age has shewed us too many cowards that have not only run away from this Standard but betray'd it too the more unworthy certainly that they should ever reap fruit or benefit twig or branch from the root of Iesse The very Gentiles in the next words will sufficiently shame them For to it to this Ensign do all the Gentiles seek III. Shail it is I confess in the future tense here reach'd no further in the Prophets time but now it does the Prophesie is fulfill'd it so came to pass And it quickly came so after the Ensign was set up the Cross reared and the Resurrection had display'd it For I if I be lifted up from the earth says he himself will draw all men to me St. Iohn xii 32. Parthians and Medes and Elamites the dwellers in Mesopotamia and Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia Egypt and Lybia Rome and Cyrene as well as the dwellers in Iudea Cretes and Arabians as well as Israelites Proselites as well as Iews he will draw all in to him The vast multitudes that came daily in from all quarters of the world so many Churches of the Gentiles so suddenly rais'd and planted are a sufficient evidence to this great truth And the term the Iews at this day give the Christians of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word in the Text for Gentiles confirms as much by their own confession So true was both Isaiah's Prophesie here and Father Iacob's so long before that to him should the gathering of the people be Gen. xlix 10. But that which is an evidence as great as any if not above all is St. Paul applies the Text as fulfilled then Rom. xv 12. And there is this only to be added for our particular that we still go on and continue seeking him IV. But there is Rest and Glory here added to the success of this great design His rest shall be glorious Now by his Rest we in the first place understand the Church the place where the Psalmist tells us his honour dwells Psal. xxvi 3. the place of which himself says no less than This shall be my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have delight therein Psal. cxxxii 14. And glorious it is the Apostle tells us a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle Ephes. v. 27. glorious all over so glorious that the Prophet says the Gentiles shall come to its Light and Kings to the brightness of its rising Isa. lx 3. they shall bring Gold and Incense from Shebah the flocks of Kedar and the rams of Nebaioth shall come with acceptance to his Altar ver 7. the glory of Lebanon shall come unto it ver 13. They shall call the walls of it salvation and the gates praise ver 18. The Lord is an everlasting light unto it and God is its glory ver 19. So that we may well cry out with David Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God thy Church thy Congregation O thou root of Iesse thou Son of David which thou hast gathered and thy Churches or holy Temples too which are rais'd to thee exceed in glory the beauty of Holiness thy holy mysteries thy blessed self art there And indeed in the holy Mysteries of the Blessed Sacrament is his second place of Rest. There it is that the feeds his flock and rests at noon Cant. i. 7. And he is glorious there glorious in his Mercies illustrious in his Benefits wonderful in his being there No such wonder in the world as his being under these consecrated Elements his feeding our souls with them his discovering himself from under them by the comforts he affords us by them His Cratch to day was a third place of his Rest glorious it was because 1. the God of Glory rested there because 2. the glorious Angels displaid their Wings and gave forth their light and sung about it St. Luke ii 13 14. because 3. Kings themselves came from far to visite it and laid all their glories down there at his feet There his rest was glorious too Nay 4. his Sepulchre the place of his rest in Death was as glorious is as glorious still as any of the other And I must tell you the Latin reads it Sepulchrum ejus Gloriosum From thence it is he rose in glory by that it was he gain'd the glorious victory over Death and Hell from thence he came forth a glorious Conqueror Thither have devout Christians flock'd in incredible numbers There have Miracles been often wrought there have Kings hung up their Crowns there have millions paid their homage And thence have we all receiv'd both Grace and Glory from his Sepulchre where he lay down in Death and rose again to Life There is one Rest still behind and it is not only glorious but it self is glory His rest himself calls it Heb. iii. 11. yet a rest into which he would have us enter too Heb. iv 9 11. And in Heaven it is no rest to this no rest indeed any where but there and perfect glory no where else And now to wind up all together This rest and glory or glorious rest which ends the Text and 't is the best end we can either make or wish springs from the root at the beginning The Church it self and all the rest and glory the Churches ever had or have or shall enjoy grows all from that Our Holy Temples our Holy Sacraments our Holy Days this day the first of all the rest all the benefits of his Death Resurrection and Ascension into Glory nay our greatest glory in Heaven it self comes from this little Branch of Iesse this humble Root and the way to all is by him and his humility And the time suits well and the day hits fair for all In that day says the Text all this you have heard shall be and that day now is this To day the Root sprang forth the Branch appeared To day the Ensign was displaid to all the people From this day the Gentiles began their search This day he began to call in his Church and the Shepherds were the first To day he first was laid to mortal rest To day the glory of his Star appeared to wait upon his Cradle To day we also may enter into his rest one or other of them One of his places of rest we told you was in the Church or holy place let us seek him there Another Rest of his we mentioned to be in the Blessed Sacrament let us seek him there His Ensign is there set up let us go in to him and offer our lives and fortunes at his feet proffer to fight his Battels and obey his Commands strive we
as the Apostle adviseth us Heb. iv 11. to enter into his rest Root we and build our selves upon him Root we our selves upon him by humility build we upon him by faith grow we up with him rooted and grounded in love and sprouting out in all good works rest we our selves upon him and make him our only stay and glory So when this Root shall appear the second time and blow up his Trumpet as he here set up his Ensign and our dead roots spring afresh out of their dust we also may appear with him with Palms and Branches in our hands to celebrate the praises of this Root and Branch of Iesse and enter joyfully into his rest into the rest of everlasting glory THE SECOND SERMON ON Christmas-Day St. LUKE â—i 7. And she brought forth her First-born Son and wrapped him in Swadling-clothes and laid him in a Manger because there was no room for them in the Inn. I Shall not need to tell you who this She or who this Him The day rises with it in its wings This day wrote it with the first Ray of the morning Sun upon the posts of the world The Angels sung it in their Choirs the morning Stars together in their courses The Virgin Mother the Eternal Son The most blessed among women the fairest of the Sons of men The Woman clothed with the Sun The Sun compassed with a Woman She the Gate of Heaven He the King of Glory that came forth She the Mother of the everlasting God He God without a Mother God blessed for evermore Great persons as ever met upon a day Yet as great as the persons and as great as the day the great lesson of them both is to be little to think and make little of our selves seeing the infinite greatness is this day become so little Eternity a Child the Rays of Glory wrapt in rags Heaven crowded into the corner of a Stable and he that is every where want a room I may at other times have spoke great and glorious things both of the Persons and the Day but I am determin'd to day to know nothing but Iesus Christ in Rags but Iesus Christ in a Manger And I hope I shall have your company along your thoughts will be my thoughts and my thoughts yours and both Christ's all upon his humility and our own This is our first-born which we are this day to bring forth for it is a day of bringing forth this we are to wrap up in our memories this to lay up in our hearts this the Blessed Mother this the Blessed Babe this the condition and place and time we find them in the taxing time the Beasts Manger the Swadling clouts all this day preach to us The day indeed is a high day the Persons high Estates but the case we find them in and the esteem too the day is lately in is low enough to teach us humility and lowliness at the lowest With this the day is great and the Persons great and the Text great too and time perhaps you think it is that it bring forth Come then let 's see what God hath sent us in it A Mother and a Child Swadling Clouts to wrap it and a Manger for a Cradle to lay it in and all other room or place denied it quite These are the plain and evident parcels of the Text in number five But the whole business is between two persons the Mother and the Child and it hath two consideratiens besides the letter a moral lesson and a Mystery The one sufficiently brought forth and laid before us a plain lesson of humility from all points and persons The other wrapped up and involv'd in the Swadling-clothes and Manger and want of Inn-room nay in the tender Mother her care and travel For each may have its mystery and the Text no injury nay hath its mystery and the Text injury if it be not so considered That 's the way that not one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one tittle of the Law or Gospel may fall to the ground or scrap or fragment may be lost We shall do so then Read you first that great Lecture of Humility which Christ this day taught us by his Birth and all the circumstances of it here so punctually exprest and then shew you a mystery in every circumstance For so great a business as this fell not out by chance nor the circumstances at hap-hazard but a reason of all there is to be given why Christ was born why of such a Mother at such a time under such a name in such a place why so wrapt and laid and no fit room allow'd him And when we have done so we will see whether he shall now meet better usage with us than in the Inn he did to day and learn you by his happy Mother how to wrap and where to lay him I begin to run over the words first as so many points of his humility And seven degrees it rises by seven particulars in them we take it from 1. His being brought forth or born 2. His Mother She. 3. His wrapping up 4. His clothes he was wrapt in 5. His laying in the Manger 6. The no respect he meets with in the Inn no room there for him And lastly the time when this was done In the days of the taxing then was this blessed Mothers time accomplished in the words just before and then she brought forth her First-born Son Thus the Et the And couples all and gives us the time of the Story that we may know where and how to find it in the Roman Records by the year of the Taxes The first step of his Humiliation was to be born and brought forth by a Woman the only begotten Son of the Immortal God to become the First-born of a mortal Woman The First-born of every Creature to become the First-born of so silly a Creature Lord what is man that thou shouldst become the Son of a woman But if thou wouldst needs become a Man why by the way of a Woman why didst thou not fit thy self of a Body some other way Thou couldst have framed thy self a humane Body of some purer matter than the purest of corrupted natures but such is thy humility that thou didst not abhor the Virgins Womb wouldst be brought forth as other men that we might not think of our selves above other men how great or good soever thou makest us But 2. if he would be born of a Woman could he not have chosen an othergates than she than a poor Carpenters Wife some great Queen or Lady had been fitter far to have made as it were the Queen of Heaven and Mother to the Heir of all the World But Respexit humilitatem ancillae it was the lowliness of this his holy Hand-maid that he lookt to it was for her humility he chose to be born of her before any other That we may know 1. whom it is that the eternal Wisdom will vouchsafe to dwell with even the humble
exceeding glory Wonder we 1. stand we and wonder or cast our selves upon the earth upon our faces in amazement at it that God should do all this for us thus remember thus visit thus crown such things as we That 2. he should pass by the Angels to crown us leave them in their sins and misery and lift us out of ours That 3. he should not take their nature at the least and honour those that stood among them but take up ours and wear it into heaven and seat it there And there is a visit he is now coming to day to make us as much to be wondred at as any that he should feed us with his Body and yet that be in Heaven that he should cheer us with his Blood and yet that shed so long ago that he should set his Throne and keep his Table and presence upon the Earth and yet Heaven his Throne and Earth his Foot-stool that he should here pose all our understandings with his mysterious work and so many ages of Christians after so many years of study and assistance of the Spirit not yet be able to understand it What is man or the Son of man O Blessed Iesu that thou shouldst thus also visit and confound him with the wonders of thy mercy and goodness Here also is glory and honour too to be admitted to his Table no where so great to be made one with him as the meat is with the body no glory like it Here is the crown of plenty fulness of pardon grace and heavenly Benediction Here 's the crown of glory nothing but rays and beauties Iustres and glories to be seen in Christ and darted from him into pious souls Come take your crowns come compass your selves with those eternal circlings Take now the cup of salvation and remember God for so remembring you call upon the name of the Lord and give glory to your God If you cannot speak out fully as who can speak in such amazements as these thoughts may seriously work in us cast your selves down in silence and utter out your souls in these or the like broken speeches What is man Lord what is man What am I How poor a thing am I How good art thou What hast thou done unto him How great things What glory what honour what crown hast thou reserved for me What shall I say How shall I sufficiently admire What shall I do again unto thee What shalt thou do Why 1. if God is so mindful of us men Let us be mindful of him again remember he is always with us and do all things as if we remembred that so he were 2. Is he so mindful of us Let us be mindful of our selves and remember what we are that we may be humbled at it 3. Does he remember us Let us then again remember him with our prayers and services 2. Has he visited us Let us in thankfulness visit him again visit him in his Temple visit him at his Table visit him in his poor members the sick the imprisoned 3. Has he made us lower then the Angels Let us make our selves lower and lower still in our own sights Is it yet but a little lower then the Angels Let us raise up thoughts and pieties and devotions to be equal with them 4. Has he crown'd us with glory Let us crown his Altars then with offerings and his name with praise let us be often in corona in the congregation of them that praise him among such as keep Holy-day Let us crown his Courts with beauty crown our selves with good works they should be our glory and our crown And for the worship that he crowns us with too let us worship and give him honour so remember so visit so crown him again so shall he as he has already so shall still remember us last and bring us to his own palace there to visit him face to face where he shall make us equal to the Angels we are now below and crown us with an incorruptible crown of glory through Christ c. THE NINTH SERMON ON Christmas-Day S. LUKE ii 30 31 32. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel SAlvation cannot but be a welcome then at any time I know no day amiss But in Die salutis at such a time as this on Christmas-day especially Then it first came down to bless this lower world But salvation so nigh as to be seen is more much more if we our selves have any interest in it if it be for the Gentiles too that we also may come in Far more if it be such salvation that our friends also may be saved with us none perish if it be omnium populorum to 'um all in whatsoever Nation Add yet if it be salvation by light not in the night no obscure deliverance we like that better and if it be to be saved not by running away but gloriously Salvation with Glory that 's better still Nay if it be all salvation on a day of salvation not afar off but within ken not heard of but seen to us and ours an universal salvation a gladsome a lightsome a notable a glorious salvation as it is without contradiction Verbum Evangelii good Gospel joyful tidings so it must needs be verbum diei too the happiest news in the most happy time These make the Text near enough the day and yet 't is nearer What say you if this salvation prove to be a Saviour and that Saviour Christ and that Christ new born the first time that viderunt oculi could be said of him no time so proper as Christmas to speak of Christ the Saviour born and sent into the world He it is that is here stiled salutare tuum Christ that blessed sight that restores Simeons decaying eyes to their youthful lustre that happy burthen that makes Simeon grasp heaven before he enter it Indeed the good old man begins not his Christmas till Candlemas 'T was not Christmas-day with him he did not see his Saviour till he was presented in the Temple The Feast of Purification was his Christmas This the Shepherds the worlds and ours This day first he was seen visibly to the world Being then to speak of salvation which is a Saviour or a Saviour who is salvation 1. First of the Salvation it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Then of its certainty and manifestation so plain and evident that the eye may see it Salvation to be seen More 2. prepared to be seen 3. Of the universality before the face of all people 4. Of the Benefits They are two 1. A light 2. A glory with the twofold parties 1. The Gentiles 2. The Iews Of each both severally and joyntly When we have done with the salvation then of the other sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saviour himself that 's the prime meaning of salutare here 1. Of his natures
' um For our viderunt must not end when the Eucharist is past when we depart this sacred place I will take the cup of salvation says the Psalmist there it is do that here But I will rejoyce in thy salvation do so both here and at home Et exultabo and let me see you do so Let not your joy be stifled in your narrow bosoms but break out into expression into your lips into your hands Not in idle sports excess of diet or vain pomp of apparel not that joy the joy of the world but the joy of the Holy Ghost It is salvation that you have heard and seen and are yet to see to day what 's our duty now If it be salvation let us work it out with fear and trembling It is salvation to be seen some eminent work let us then confess we have seen strange things to day A most certain sure salvation it is let not a sacrilegious doubtful thought cast a mist upon it It is prepared let us accept it prepared for all let us thank God for so fair a compass and not uncharitably exclude our selves or others God has enlarg'd the bowels of his mercy let us not streighten ' um It is a light let us arise and walk after it It is a glory let us admire and adore it Was our Saviour seen so should we be every day in the Congregation was he prepared to day let us be always shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Does he enlighten us O let us never extinguish or hide that light till this light be swallowed up by the light of the Lamb till this day-spring from on high prove mid-day till Gentium and Israelis be friendly united in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no darkness to distinguish them no difference between light and glory till the beginning and end of the Text meet together in the circle of eternity till viderunt oculi meet with gloriam till our eyes may behold that light which is inaccessible that light and glory which know no other limits but infinite nor measure but eternity To which he bring us who this day put off his glory to put on salvation that by his salvation we might at length lift up our heads in glory whither he is again ascended and now sits together with his Father and the Holy Ghost To which three Persons and one God be given all praise and power and thanks and honour and salvation and glory for ever and ever Amen A SERMON ON St. Stephens Day ACTS vii 55 56. But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God And said Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God YEsterdays Child is to day you see become a man He that yesterday could neither stand nor go knew not the right hand from the left lay helpless as it were in the bosom of his Mother is to day presented to us standing at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father he whom earth yesterday entertained so poorly and obscurely heaven here this day openly glories in Now the horn of our salvation is raised up indeed the Church thus shewing us plainly to day what yesterday we could not see for the rags and stable that it was not a meer silly creature a poor child or man only that came to visit us but the Lord of Glory so making him some recompence as we may say to day for the poor case she shew'd him in yesterday But that 's not the business Yesterday was Christs Birth-day to day St. Stephens for Natalitia Martyrum the Birth-days of the Martys were their death-days call'd they then first said to be born when they were born to execution A day plac'd here so near to Christs that we might see as clear as day how dear and near the Martyrs are to him they lie even in his bosom the first visit he makes after his own death was to them to encourage them to theirs The first appearance of him in heaven after his return up was to take one of them thither And yet this is not all Christs Birth and the Martyrs Death are set so near to intimate how near death and persecution are to Christs Disciples how close they often follow the Faith of Christ so thereby to arm us against the fear of any thing that shall betide us even Death it self seeing it places us so near him seeing there are so fine visions in it and before it so fair glories after it as St. Stephen's here will tell you And if I add that Death is a good memento at a Feast a good way to keep us within our bounds in the days of mirth and jollity of what sort soever it may pass for somewhat like a reason why St. Stephen's death is thus serv'd in so soon at the first course as the second dish of our Christmas-Feast Nor is it for all that any disturbance to Christmas Joys The glorious prospect of St. Stephens Martyrdom which gives us here the opening of Heaven and the appearance then of Gods glory and of Christ in glory may go instead of those costly Masques of imagin'd Heavens and designed Gods and Goddesses which have been often presented in former times to solemnize the Feast We may see in that infinitely far more ravishing and pleasing sights than these which all the rarity of invention and vast charges could ever shew us Here 's enough in the Text to make us dance and leap for joy as if we would leap into the arms of him in Heaven who stands there as it were ready to receive us as he was to day presented to St. Stephen I may now I hope both to season and exalt our Christmas-Feast bring in St. Stephens story that part of it especially which I have chosen so full of Christ so full of glad and joyful sights and objects that it must needs add instead of diminishing our joy and gladness And yet if I season it a little now and then with the mention of Death it will do no hurt I must do so that you may not forget St. Stephens Martyrdom in the midst of the contemplation of the glory that preceded it That must not be for the day is appointed to remember it And though we shall not designedly come so far to decipher it having no more then the praeludium of his death before us we will not so far forget it but that we will take it into the division of the Text in which we shall consider these four particulars 1. His accommodation to his Death His being full of the Holy Ghost that fitted and disposed him to it 2. His preparation for it He looked up stedfastly into Heaven so that he prepared himself for it 3. His confirmation to it He saw the glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God that
into Heaven cannot now but look askew upon the earth To look up into Heaven is 2. to despise and trample upon all things under it He is not likely to be a Martyr that looks downward that values any thing below Nay he dies his natural death but unwillingly and untowardly whose eyes or heart or sences are taken up with the things about him Even to die chearfully though in a bed of Roses one must not have his mind upon them He so looks upon all worldly interests as dust and chaff who looks up stedfastly into heaven eyes all things by the by who eyes that well The covetous worldling the voluptuous Gallant the gaudy Butterflies of fashion will never make you Martyrs they are wholly fixt in the contemplation of their gold their Mistresses their Pleasures or their Fashions He scorns to look at these whose eyes are upon Heaven Yet to scorn there but especially to fit us against a tempest or a storm of stones there is a third looking up to Heaven in Prayer and Supplication It is not by our own strength or power that we can wade through streams of Blood or sing in flames we had need of assistance from above and he that looks up to Heaven seems so to beg it It was no doubt the spirit of Devotion that so fixt his sight he saw what was like to fall below he provides against it from above looks to that great Corner-stone to arm him against those which were now ready to shower upon his head It is impossible without our prayers and some aid thence to endure one petty pebble But to make it a compleat Martyrdom we must not look up only for our own interests for we are 4. to look up for our very enemies and beg Heavens pardon for them He that dies not in Charity dies not a Christian but he that dies not heart and hand and eyes and all compleat in it cannot die a Martyr Here we find S. Stephen lifting up his eyes to set himself to prayer 't is but two verses or three after that we hear his prayer Lord lay not this sin to their charge This was one thing it seems he lookt up so stedfastly to Heaven for A good lesson and fit for the occasion so to pass by the injuries of our greatest enemies as if we did not see them as if we had something else to look after then such petty contrasts as if we despis'd all worldly enmities as well as affections minded nothing but heaven and him that St. Stephen saw standing there All these ways we are to day to learn to look up to Heaven as 1. to our hop'd for Country as 2. from things that hinder us too long from coming to it as 3. for aid and help to bring us thither as 4. for mercy and pardon thence to our selves and enemies that we may all one day meet together there The posture it self is natural 'T is natural for men in misery to look up to Heaven nay the very insensible creature when it complains the Cow when it lows the Dog when he howls casts up its head according to its proportion after its fashion as if it naturally crav'd some comfort thence 'T is the general practice of Saints and holy persons Lift up your eyes says the Prophet Isa. xl 26. I will lift up my eyes says Holy David Psal. cxxi 1. And distrest Susanna lifts up her eyes and looks up towards Heaven ver 35. Nay Christ himself sighing or praying or sometimes working miracles looks up to Heaven who yet carried Heaven about him to teach us in all distresses to look up thither in all our actions to fetch assistance thence If we had those thoughts of Heaven we should I know how little of the eye the earth should have Vbi amor ibi oculus where the love is there 's the eye We may easiy guess what we love best by our looks if Heaven be it our eyes are there if any thing else our eyes are there 'T is easie then to tell you St. Stephens longings where his thoughts are fixt when we are told he so stedfastly lookt up to heaven And indeed it is not so much the looking up to Heaven as the stedfast and attentive doing it that fits us to die for Christ. 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a kind of stretching or straining the eye-sight to look inquisitively into the object To look carelesly or perfunctorily into Heaven it self to do it in a fit to be godly and pious now and then or by starts and girds will not serve turn to mind seriously what we are about that 's the only piety will carry it Plus vaâ—â—t hora fervens quam mensis tepens One hour one half hour spent with a warm attention at our prayers is worth a month a year an age of our cold Devotions 'T is good to be zealous says St. Paul somewhat hot and vehement in a good matter And it had need be a stedfast and attentive Devotion that can hold out with this But. To stand praying or looking up to Heaven when our enemies are gnashing their teath upon us and come running head-long on us to have no regard to their rushing fury nor interrupt our prayers nor omit any ceremony of them neither for all their savage malice now pressing fiercely on us but look up stedfastly still not quich aside this looks surely like a Martyr The little Boy that held Alexander the candle whilst he was sacrificing to his Gods so long that the wick burnt into his finger and yet neither cried nor shrunk at it lest he should disturb his Lords Devotions will find few fellows among Christians to pattern him in the exercise of their strictest pieties Let but a leaf stir a wind breathe a fly buzz the very light but dwindle any thing move or shake and our poor Religion alas is put off the hinge 't is well if it be not at an end too What would it do if danger and death were at our heels as here it was Oh this attentive stedfast fastning the soul upon the business of heaven were a rare piety if we could compass it This glorious Martyr has shew'd us an example the lesson is that we should practise it But all this is no wonder seeing he was full of the Holy Ghost That Almighty Spirit is able to blow away all diversions able to turn the shower of stones into the softness and drift of Snow able to make all the torments of Death fall light and easie If we can get our souls filled once with that we need fear nothing nothing will distract our thoughts or draw our eyes from Heaven Then it will be no wonder neither to see next the Glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God I call'd this point St. Stephens confirmation or his encouragement to his death He that once comes to have a sight of God and Christ of Gods Glory and Christ at the right hand of
absolutely 1. In comparison with the estate of things both under the old Law and under the Gentile infidelity that the Gospel is a state where both all those old legalities are abolished and heathen errors done away 2. In it self that the Gospel is a new state of affairs and things where all things are become new Old things those must be first and they may all be reduced to these two heads God's way of dealing with the Iews and his way of dealing with the Gentiles With the Iews first where both the old way of his Service and the old way of his Providence those two grand things that include all the rest are to be examined how they pass His service consisted 1. in Sacrifices and they are done no more blood of Bulls or Lambs or Goats they could not make the comers thereunto perfect Heb. x. 1. so they are gone His service 2. consisted in outward washings Heb. ix 10. but they could wash no further than the flesh cleanse no more then the outward man Not the putting away the filth of the flesh says S. Peter 1 S. Pet. iii. 21. that 's nothing for that 's but a vanity to stand on vain and to so little purpose no wonder if that way of serving God be vanish'd too His service 3. was much then in meats and drinks Heb. ix 10. this they might eat and that they might not but all to perish with the using Why are you any longer subject to those ordinances about them says St. Paul Col. ii 20 22. For meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them says he again 1 Cor. vi 14. so they pass too His service 4. stood much in Holy-days new Moons and Sabbaths Col. ii 16. but they were but shadows of things to come the Body is of Christ ver 17. 't was time they should be packing when the reality of things were come His service 5. was especially notified by Circumcision but Circumcision is nothing 1 Cor. vii 19. that is passed away indeed to purpose the greatest passing to pass into nothing His service 6. was confin'd to the Temple of Ierusalem to that only Altar there but it was but a figure for the time then present says St. Paul Heb. ix 9. and you see how the present time is past there was no way into the holiest ver 8. whilst that was standing 't was but necessary that also should pass away neque in hoc neque in illo the time was coming that they should neither worship in this nor that nor that at Gerizim nor that at Ierusalem S. Iohn iv No there should not be left so much as one stone upon another says Christ St. Mat. xxiv 2. that 's passing away indeed His service lastly was in a manner all type and shadow Heb. x. 1. Not so much as the image of things themselves And the shadows must needs away when the Day-spring begins to visit us and the Sun arises Away shadows get you behind us we see our Sun of Righteousness up and risen on us and 't is fit we should turn our backs upon our shadows and worship and adore him The Persians did so superstitiously to the Sun in Heaven we must do it devoutly to the spiritual and eternal Sun of Glory For how much are we bound to Christ to God in Christ that he has freed us from those imperfect yet costly Sacrifices those troublesom abstinences those unprofitable washings those strict severities of new Moons and Sabbaths that painful Rite of Circumcision those long Journeys to Ierusalem to worship those empty shadows and given us full perfect liberty of meats and drinks and all things else the doing whereof is no real profit and brought home his Temples and Service to our doors our happiness into our bosoms Though all those old things be pass'd away let not his goodness in passing them away ever pass out of our memories nor a day pass without praises to him for it nor the relation of it pass out of our lips without all thankfulness and humility And there will be more reason for it if we reflect now upon the course of his old providence altered towards us In the old way of his providence and dispensations with the Iews He first led them only with temporal promises fed them only with such hopes Deut. xxxviii no other to be found the whole old Bible over We must not now look for the same dealing we Afflictions are made our glory 2 Cor. xii 9. and we blessed by them St. Mat. v. 11. our hopes higher our promisses better Heb. viii 2. So let the other pass no matter He awed them secondly with temporal punishments they could not sin but they were presently punished for it sometime a Plague another while the Sword then wild Beasts and Serpents now Dearth and Famine sometimes a fire from heaven another time a gaping of the earth and swallowing all seldom but some exemplary or sudden death or some strange visitations were the method God used to bring the rest into order and obedience Such things are rare among us whom God terrifies with the threats of future judgments that we might have the longer time for our repentance and amendment his providence is now much fuller of patience and long suffering to bring us to it his anger and fierceness is passed away He comforted them thirdly by only obscure and dark Prophesies so dark that he often that spoke them did not perfectly understand them All those Prophesies are now plain to us and those shadowy expressions lightned and cleared by Christ. He opened his Disciples understandings St. Luk. xxiv 45. that they might understand them and from them we have all those former Praedictions clear as the midday Sun Those obscure things or the obscurity of those things are also passed away Fourthly The old way then was Do this and live a sad Covenant of Works which yet we were not able to perform That is done away in Christ and the Covenant of Faith come in the room Iustus ex fide to live by that an easier way for us Fifthly Gods way then with them was by Rites and Ceremonies old things which neither we nor our old fathers were able to bear if we believe St. Peter Acts xv 10. these to be sure a good providence for us that they were among the things that were done away 2 Cor. iii. 7 11. Lastly The very subject as we may say of his Providence is altered too In the days of old it was commonly none but the rich and honourable very few else that were imployed in the great services of the Law insomuch as it was a Proverb Spiritus Sanctus non requiescit super animan pauperis The holy Spirit never lights upon the poor mans soul. But now the contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poor are preach'd to and the poor preach too and Blessed are the poor The way of Gods dispensation is strangely changed that old
St. Paul seems to find a kind of delight and sweetness in the very repeating it he so often uses it begins and ends his Epistles with it garnishes them all through with it scarce uses the very name of Christ without it as if it even sweetned that at least made it sweeter and made the Oyl and Chrism with which Christ himself was anointed run more merrily and freely to the very skirts of his clothing So that now is there any one sad let him take Iesus into his heart and he will take heart presently and his joy will return upon him Is any one fallen into a sin let him call heartily upon this Name and it will raise him up Is any one troubled with hardness of heart or dulness of spirit or dejection of mind or drowsiness in doing well in the meditation of this Name Iesus a Saviour all vanish and flie away Who was ever in such fear that it could not strengthen who in any danger that it could not deliver who in so great anxiety that it did not quiet who in any despair that it could not comfort and revive That we are not sensible of it is our own dulness and experience If we would but seriously meditate upon it we should quickly find it otherwise Nothing would please us where this Name were not No discourse would please us where it was not sometimes to be heard No writings delight us if this Name were left out All the sweetest Rhetorick and neatest eloquence would be dull without it our very prayers would seem imperfect which ended not in this very Name Our days would look dark and heavy which were not lightned with the Name of the Son of Righteousness Our nights but sad and dolesom which we entred not with this sweet Name when we lay down without commending our selves to God in it Our very years would have been a thousand times more unhappy than even those which we have seen of late would be nothing but trouble discontent and misery did they not begin in this Name were they not yearly usher'd in under the protection of it Were not this His Name was called Iesus proclaimed to day to begin it with we might call the year what we would but good we could not call it This setting forth Iesus a Saviour in the front is that which saves us all the year through from all the unlucky and unfortunate days that men call in it All the ill Aspects of Heaven of all the Stars and Planets grow vain and idle upon it and our days run sweetly and pleasantly under it The Psalmist seems thus to prophesie and foretel it Psal. lxv 12. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness and thy clouds drop fatness This day crowns the year this Name crowns the day all our dwellings would be but a sad wilderness all the year without it but they rejoyce and laugh and sing Hills and Vallies too being thus blest in the entrance of the year with this happy Name I end this point though so sweet that I part with it unwillingly with a stave or two of devout Bernards Jubile or Hymn upon it Nil canitur suâ—vins auditur nil jucundius Nil cogitatur dulcius quam Iesus Dei filius c. Iesu dulcedo cordium Fons vivâ—s lumen mentium Excedens omne gaudium omne deâ—iderium Nec lingua valet dicere nec litera exprimere Expertus potest oredere quod siâ— Iesum diligere There is nothing sweeter to be sung of nothing more delightful to be heard nothing more pleasant to be thought of than this Iesus Iesus the delight of hearts the light of minds above all joy above all we can desire the tongue cannot tell words cannot express only he that feels it can believe what sweetness is in Iesus A long song he makes of it It would not be amiss that we also made some short ones some ejaculations and raptures now and then upon it Give us but a taste and relish of the sweetness of thy blessed Name O Iesus and we shall also sing of it all the day long and praise thy Name for ever and ever and sing with the same Father Iesu Decus Angelicum in aure dulce canâ—icum in ore mel mirâ—ficâ—m in csrde nectar coelicum O Jesu thou joy and glory of Men and Angels thy Name is Musick in our ears honey in our mouths heavenly nectar to our hearts all sweetness all pleasure to us throughout wonderful sweet VI. Nay wonderful in all for 't is a Name of wonder and admiration Wonderful is one of the names the Prophet calls him by Isa. ix 6. And Cabalistical wits have pickt wonders out of it from every letter in all three languages In the Hebrew there are four letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from the signification of these letters rise the mystery Iod signifies a hand Schin a tooth Vau a nail or hook and Ain an eye the hand is the instrument of power the teeth one of the instruments of voices and words the nail an instrument in his passion and the eye an instrument or great discoverer of mercy and pity By all these he is our Iesus by his power he overthrew our enemies which would have slain us by his word he revives our souls when they were slain and dead by his Passion he redeemed us from our sins and for his own mercy sake he did all these In the Greek there are six letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which according to the old device of vailing names in numbers amount to the number of 888. the first letter is 10. the second 8. the third 200. the fourth 70. the fifth 400. and the last 300. which put all together make up that number and by reason that eight is the number they say of the Resurrection that falling out the eighth day the day after the Sabbath which is the seventh include this Mystery That in Iesus is our rest and Resurrection to eternal quiet The name of Antichrist is covered in the Revelation under the number of 666. Now the six days are days of labour pain and trouble the seventh is but a short day of rest whilst we are here 't is only the eighth day that follows after all which must close up all in everlasting glory free from all labour pain and troubâ—â— and this is found in no other name than in the Name of Iesus nor given us in any other And that it may not pass for a meer fancy the Cuman Sybills verses thus foretold his Name many years before Tunc ad mortales veniet mortalibus ipsis In terris similis natus patris omnipotentis Corpore vestitus vocales quatuor autem Fert non vocalesque duas binum geniorum Sed quae fit numeri totius summa docebo Namque octo monades totidem decades super ista Atque hecatontadas octo infidis significabit Hominibus nomen Tâ—â— vero mente teneto There shall come says she into the
whoever shall take him shall take us too We will not part no not in death we will live and die and sleep and rise again together He that will have him shall have us whether he will or no He is in our arms there we will keep him Yet in lieu of parting with him we will part with our selves and offer our selves for him if that will do it yes and that will do it Duo minuta habeo Domine corpus animam says the devout Father I have two mites O Lord I have two mites to offer to give thee for thy Son to offer thee for him my soul and my body Them thou shalt have willingly I am content to part with them so I may keep him and they will content him Offer them up then a living reasonable sacrifice for it will be an acceptable service too an acceptable blessing of him Yet as we offer up our selves we must now lastly offer up Christ too He gave him to us to be an offering for us to sanctifie all our offerings for a blessing to us to bless all our blessings And for the imperfection of all our righteousness offerings and sacrifices prayers and praises and blessings to make them accepted which in themselves and their weak performances no way deserve he was given us to offer His perfection will make amends for our imperfections his purity for our impurities his strength for our weakness and for them when we have done all we can to be accepted we must offer him or have all rejected We must when we begin to bless turn our selves with old Iacob to this Caput lectuli this beds-head whereon only the soul can rest or leaning upon the top of this Staff as the Apostle renders it the only staff wherein old Israel trusts the only staff whereon we rely for mercy and acceptance This is the name of the Angel in whom only we are to bless in whom only we are blest in whom either God blesses us or we him This is the sum he the chief of all our oblations all our blessings by oblation and the blessing both of our resolutions and endeavours all without whom we can do neither the one nor other neither resolve good nor practice it He therefore is to be offered with all thankfulness to God by us his merits only to be pleaded by us and the form of all our blessing thus to run Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy holy Son the Child Iesus give the praise It was not our own arm that helped us to him 't is not our own arms that can hold him 't is not our own strength that can keep him 't is not our own hands that can present any offering worthy of the least acceptance To God only therefore be the praise to Chrìst only the merit of all our blessings Thus are we lastly to pray too that God would accept us and our blessing Bless him with our petitions 1. That he would please to pardon all our sins or pass by all our weaknesses in this days in every days performance our neglects our coldnesses our drinesses our wearinesses and all the issues of our infirmities any ways That 2. he would accept our offerings and be pleased with us in his Son accept us in his beloved That 3. he would grant us the benefit of that holy Sacrament which we have this day received all the benefits of his Death and Passion the full remission of all our sins and the fulness of all his graces signified and conveyed by those dreadful mysteries That 4. he would particularly arm us every one of us against their particular corruptions with strength and grace proportionable to every one and effectual to us all For proper and particular petitions rising from the sense of our several necessities are this day proper to be askt and as easie to be obtained whilst it is his own day in which he invited us to him and will deny us nothing that we shall earnestly faithfully and devoutly ask him For this also to pray to petition is benedicere and it is a way of blessing God to offer up our prayers thereby acknowledging and confessing his power and goodness which is no less in other words than to praise and bless him He that offers praise honours him and he that presents prayers professes and proclaims him Almighty Father gracious and good and glorious God at the very first dash God blessed for evermore Light up now your Candles at this evening Service for the glory of your morning Sacrifice 't is Candlemas Become we all burning and shining lights to do honour to this day and the blessed armful of it Let your souls shine bright with grace your hands with good works Let God see it and let man see it so bless we God Walk we as Children of the light as so many walking lights and offer we our selves up like so many holy Candles to the Father of light But be sure we light all our lights at this babes eyes that lies so enfolded in our arms and neither use nor acknowledge any other light for better than darkness that proceeds from any other but this eternal light upon whom all our best thoughts and words and works must humbly now attend like so many petty sparks or rays or glimmerings darted from and perpetually reflecting thankfully to that glorious light from this day beginning our blessing God the only lightsome kind of life till we come to the land of light there to offer up continual praises sing endless Benedicite's and Allelujahs no longer according to the Laws or Customs upon earth but after the manner of Heaven and in the Choire of Angels with holy Simeon and Anna and Mary and Ioseph all the Saints in light and glory everlasting Amen Amen He of his mercy bring us thither who is the light to conduct us thither he lead us by the hand who this day came to lie in our arms he make all our offerings accepted who was at this Feast presented for us he bless all our blessings who this day so blessed us with his presence that we might bless him again and he one day in our several due times receive our spirits into his hands our souls into his arms our bodies into his rest who this day was taken corporally into Simeons arms has this day vouchsafed to be spiritually taken into ours Iesus the holy Child the eternal Son of God the Father To whom with the holy Spirit be all honour and praise and glory and blessing from henceforth for evermore Amen A SERMON ON THE First Sunday in Lent 2 COR. vi 2. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation ANd truly such a time is worth beholding For the business of it here being of no less concernment than Gods reconciling us to himself ver 18 19. of the former Chapter the committing the word and office of this reconciliation to his Ministers ver 20. of the
death we sate in before St. Luke i. 78 79. His is the only time the time of the Gospel the only time of salvation Here it began and hence now it goes on 2. for ever for St. Iohn calls it Evangelium aeternum Rev. xiv 6. the everlasting Gospel the salvation not to end even with the world to the end of it sure to continue Moses his Law had but its time and vanished and whilst it had could not pretend so far as to make it day cloud and shadows and darkness all the while The times of the Gospel are the only lightsome day and a long one too it seems for our Sun has promised still to shine upon us and be with us ever to the end of the world St. Mat. xxviii 20. But some more remarkable points of this time there are we must confess that of the Apostles was 2. the very especial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intended here the Now in the Text When the time of acceptation was at the fullest when whole families together Acts xvi 34. and xviii 8. thousands at a clap Acts ii 41. whole Towns and Countries came thronging in so fast as if this very now were now or never when Handkerchiefs and Aprons and the very shadow of an Apostle carried a kind of salvation with them Acts v. 15. and xix 12. when there was not only a large way opened for all sinners to come in but all ways and means made to bring them in when there were fiery tongues both to inflame the hearts of the believers and to devour the gain-sayers when there was a Divine Rhetorick always ready to perswade Miracles to confirm Prophesie to convince miraculous gifts and benefits to allure strange punishments to awe sinners into the obedience of Christ and the paths of salvation when the time of that great deliverance too from the destruction of Ierusalem and the enemies of the Cross of Christ so often reflected on through Saint Paul's Epistles was now nigh at hand and the fast adhering to Christ the only way to be accepted and taken into the number of such as should be saved from it Yet 3. this Now is not so narrow but it will take in our times too 'T is true those of the Apostles were furnished with greater means and power yet ours God be thanked want not sufficient We have the Word and Sacraments and Ministers and inward Motions daily calls and ready assistances of the Spirit It may be too somewhat more than they a long track of experimental truths and long sifted and banded reasons and an uninterrupted Tradition and a continued train of holy and devout examples a vast disseminating the Christian Principles and the perpetual protection of them we have to make them more easie to be accepted and tell us that 't is Now still the day of salvation And yet 4. even both in our times and the Apostles there has been a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some signal and peculiar time cull'd out of the rest and set apart for this Reconciliation the great affair that sets the Ecce upon it If I tell you but of St. Augustin's Tota Catholica Ecclesia or St. Leo's Institutio Apostolica or St. Ieromes Secundum traditionem Apostolorum or St. Ambrose's Quadragesimam nobis Dominus suo jejunio consecravit for this holy time we are in the time of Lent that they all call it Apostolical at the least and St. Ambrose fetches it from our Lord and consecrates it from Christ himself and that it was always purposely designed for the time of reconciling sinners and all the offices belonging to it I shall need say no more to prove this Now in the Text is not ill applied when applied to this very time Most reasonable it is 1. that some such there should be design'd some time or days determined for a business of so great weight we are not like else to have it done we would be apt enough to put it off from time to time and so for ever Were there not some set days I dare confidently affirm God would have but little worship paid him thousands would never so much as think of Heaven or God And if it be reasonable some time be set us there is 2. no time fitter than where we are 't is the very time of the year when all things begin to turn their course when Heaven and Earth begin to smooth their wrinkled brows and withered cheeks and look as if they were reconciled 'T is the spring and first-fruits of the year which upon that title is due to God and fittest to be dedicate to his Service and the business of our souls 3. 'T is the time when the blood begins to warm and the contest is now in rising between the Flesh and Spirit which now taken up at first and quell'd may be the easier reconciled to peace and the body subdued into obedience to the soul and so Gods grace not received in vain 4. The spring in which it is 't is tempus placitum the pleasant time o' th' year fittest then to fit with the tempus placitum in the Text fit to be employed to set our selves to please God in to make it perfectly such And sure we cannot be displeased that the Church 5. has thought so too chosen it as the fittest Surely it is or should be the more acceptable for that And if this time besides has all times in it that Solomon himself could think of Eccles. iii. 1. It must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too every way acceptable and all of them it has 1. There is says he a time to be born c. and so goes on this is both a time to be born in and a time to die in Lent a time to die unto the world and to be born and live to Christ. 2. 'T is a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted to plant vertue and to pluck up vice 3. 'T is a time to kill and a time to heal to kill and mortifie our earthly members and to heal the sores and ulcers that sin hath made by a diet of fasting and abstinence 4. 'T is a time to break down and a time to build to break down the Walls of Babilon the fortresses of sin and Satan and to build up the Walls of the New Ierusalem within us 5. 'T is a time to weep and a time to laugh to weep and bewail the years we have spent in vanities and yet rejoyce that we have yet time left to escape from them 6. 'T is a time to mourn and a time to dance to manifest our repentance by some outward expressions and thereby dispose our selves every day more and more for Easter Joys 7. 'T is a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together to remove every stone of offence and as lively stones to be built up as St. Peter speaks into a spiritual house 8. 'T is a
consider the practise of those first Christian Saints and Martyrs those daily pains and cares their days and nights were spent in we would think our Race to heaven another-gates business Christianity another manner of thing than we make it now a days or are willing to conceive it Were there no other word than this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text this run to express it we might understand it to be a work of labour and if we take it with that reference it has to the Olympick Races there are many things in the performance that will sufficiently shew it What a deal of pains and care did they take first to fit and prepare themselves And then with what might and main did they pursue their course How often have such Racers been taken up at the Goal so tired and spent that they have had much ado to recover their life or spirits Ah! did we but half so much for heaven there were no doubt of it Running take we it how we will is a violent exercise that for the time imploys all the parts and powers 'T is that the Apostle would have here that all the faculties and powers of our souls and bodies should be taken up in the business of heaven Our heads study it our hearts bend wholly to it our affections strive violently after it our hands labour for it our feet run the ways of Gods Commandments to come to it our eyes run down with water for it and our bodies with sweat about it 'T will cost somewhat more to come to heaven than a few good words at the last than a Lord forgive me and have mercy upon me when we are going out of the World or than a hot fit or two of Piety when we are in it or a cold and careless walking and stragling up and down in it throughout even all our lives Nay more 't is not running over whole Breviaries of Prayers 'T is not running over good Books only neither reading and studying of good things but running as we read that all that run may read in our running the Characters of heaven Would men but lay this to heart that it is no such easie or perfunctory business to get thither their courses would be better their lives holier themselves heavenlier than they are nor would so many put off the work to the last cast make a meer death-bed business of it as if they then were fit enough to run Gods ways when they cannot stir a hand or foot whereby 't is more then to be fear'd they deceive themselves and being then in no possibility to run they go they know not whither II. And yet for all the pains and running we talk of if now secondly it have not an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rule and steer it if it be not a so running such a one as is right set to obtain we had as good sit still This so to run is 1. To run lawfully 2. To run carefully 3. To run speedily 4. To run willingly 5. To run stoutly 6. To run patiently 7. To run constantly and to the end To run 1. lawfully according to the Laws and Rules prescribed to obtain it 2. Carefully the way to obtain it 3. Speedily with the speed requisite to obtain it 4. Willingly with spirit to obtain it 5. Stoutly to endure any thing to obtain it 6. Patiently to expect to obtain it 7. Constantly not giving out till we obtain it 1. Lawfully according to the Laws and Rules of the Race we are to run we are not crowned else says our Apostle 2 Tim. ii 5. Now the Laws of the Christian Race are Gods Commandments according to which we are diligently to direct our steps Yet three Laws there are more particular and proper to it the Law of Faith the Law of Hope and the Law of Charity These the three more peculiar Rules of it We must run in a full belief of Gods Promises in Christ that in him they are yea and in him Amen that God will not let one tittle of them fall to the ground Looking unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith Heb. xii 2. of our course too We must secondly run in hope that through his grace we also even we though the most unworthy shall obtain laying hold upon the hope so set before us Heb. vi 18. And thirdly in Charity must be our course though we strive for the mastery it must not be in strife or envy but in love and charity in unity and peace in love unfeigned our selves 2 Cor. vi 6. and provoking one another to it Heb. x. 24. no other strifes or provocation but who shall go before one another in love so keeping the bond of peace which once broken our clothes and garments which were tied up to us with it as with a girdle fall all down about us and hinder us both in our Race and of our Crown Those who have broke this bond and rent the Churches Robes and their own souls by their unhappy separations will after all their labour with those in the Psalm sleep their sleep and find nothing nothing but that they have hindered both others and themselves of the Crown of glory Run we lawfully and orderly then that first And 2. run we carefully too neither to the right hand nor to the left neither looking after sensual pleasures or worldly profits or sinful lusts not turning aside after those golden balls which the Devil the Flesh and world are always casting in the way to hinder us but straight on our course carefully shunning all temptations stumbling-blocks and stones of offence which are likely to trip up our heels and throw us in our race what carefulness says St. Paul 2 Cor. vii 11. has your godly sorrow wrought will earnest desire of a heavenly Crown say I work in you if you would think upon it It would make you 3. gather up all your strength set to all your force put to all your speed you would think you could not come soon enough to so glorious a Goal Let us go speedily and pray before the Lord say they in Zachary viii 21. Make haste and come down says our Saviour to Zacheus St. Luke xix 6. as if he that meant to see Christ here at his own house or hereafter in his must make what haste he can Running is our speediest motion and the more haste to Heaven the better speed though to earthly things the proverb says it is not and the reason may be indeed because our swiftest motion is to be towards Heaven to be reserv'd for that Yet willingly 4. must it be we must do it without Whip or Spur they are for unreasonable Beasts and not for men in running We are not to look that God should force and drive us to his work he loves no such workmen A ready mind is Gods Sacrifice he accepts no other If I do it willingly says our Apostle ver 17. I have a reward no reward else to
understand well is to do thereafter Psal. cxi 10. So to understand Gods blessings right well is to use them right well And when under blessings we live accordingly take them thankfully use them soberly employ them charitably then and not till then we understand them Yet lastly I must add that till we think we have no understanding till we confess we are what God says we are in the words just before a Nation that has none a Nation that when time was undid it self with its own wisdom whilst we would needs teach God to govern his Church and rule the world and in a manner force him either to make the world anew again out of nothing or make the Church into it till we grow sensible how wisely we reformed all till we had reformed God out of all and all into Atheism and confusion and that we are no wiser still then to tread in the same steps that will do it again there will be little hope we understand Gods dealings or our own Yet this understanding our not understanding God here particularly points them to for having immediately before said this people they were a Nation that had not any understanding he presently adds O that they were wise and understood it even this very thing in particular that they do not understand as wise as they seem or think themselves The next point may make them wiser if however now at last they will consider their latter end What may be the end both of their follies and their wisdoms here and what is like to be the end of them hereafter what in this world and what in the other for Novissima reaches both the issues of this life and the issues of the next Et novissima providerent III. Several latter ends there are of both sorts to be considered but how things may notwithstanding the fair face they carry end yet here e're long that consider first And that I shall tell you without stirring out of the Chapter for God tells us it there himself 1. He will set on fire the foundations of the mountains verse 22. if we be no wiser than we have been yet The highest mountains of our honours the greatest mountains of our strengths nay the sirmest foundations we can build on shall fall all into ashes and scatter into smoke and air Or 2. burning heat and bitter destruction shall devour us ver 24. even our zeal and bitterness against one another shall raise such flames as shall consume us all together High and low rich and poor one with another Or 3. he will send the teeth of beasts upon us with the poison of the Serpents of the dust ver 24. again set the beasts of the people again to tear and worry us nay even the most contemptible persons the vermine of the dust they shall devour us They shall creep like Serpents into our Families poison them with errors poison with sin poison them with lusts multiply too there like dust and destroy us e're we dream on 't Or if we escape that the sword 4. without and the terror within shall destroy the young man and the Virgin the suckling and the man of gray hairs ver 25. nor young nor old escape the second bout Or 5. He will scatter us into corners ver 26. but they shall not hide and shelter us as before our very remembrance he shall make to cease we shall come no more out ver 26. Not so much as an ear or leg as the Prophet speaks Amos iii. 12. taken out of the Lions mouth to remember us by But a populus non populus a people that we count as nothing shall possess our room ver 21. any thing every thing that will but serve to root us out Some of these nay all these lastly and more shall come upon us heaps of mischiefs ver 23. and all the arrows of the Almighty till they be spent as in the same verse if we be no wiser than we have been hitherto if we understand no better how to use either our bad days or our good ones And if after not only so many fair warnings but so many fair enjoyments we carelesly throw away our selves into our former miseries we shall also die like fools and who can be such to pity us That all these have not befallen us before this time that God has not torn up our foundations nor given us over to our own wraths nor to the peoples that he has not scattered us nor brought some ill end or other upon us long e're this 't is not for our righteousness I am sure but ne hostes dicerent ver 27. lest some should justifie their own dealings or ne populus diceret lest some others condemn Gods as if he had delivered them only to destroy them But what e're they say Ego retribuam eis in tempore their foot shall slide in due time says God juxta est dies perditionis the day of their calamity is at hand ver 35. But if we escape all these there are four other latter ends that must be thought on Death and Judgment Hell and Heaven the quatuor novissima that everybody can tell but few consider yet the two first of them we cannot avoid and one of the other we must come to And 1. suppose our prosperity and splendor should go with us to the Grave and we can carry them no further yet after we have lived like Gods to come to die like men to be shaken with Agues or burnt with Fevers or torn with Cholicks or swoln with Gouts or groan away in pain or go out in stench every body glad when we are gone and at our going to be stript of all our gallantry with a stulte cujus haec Thou fool whose are all these things thou must leave behind to be sent away with so scornful a farewel into rottenness and putrefaction and so be blown into dust and vanish into oblivion like the meanest men or perhaps which is far more terrible to be pluckt away in the heat and violence of a sin and none to deliver is is but a sad end of all our jollities and glories Yet hence 2. to be drawn to the last Tribunal that 's the next stage we come to there to have our follies fully laid open to the eyes of all the world not a night-folly hid where we must give an account of every hour and minute spent every word and thought as well as work after all our blustering here to be dragged thither to a reckoning for every farthing even to the last mite and receive accordingly how bad so e're it be This will set us to consider sure what we shall answer at that day how to give up our accounts with joy and come off with glory For we end not yet there is still a latter end beyond both these two for fail and 't is yet within your choice which you will come to Novissima coeli or Novissima inferni The highest Heaven or
him only before to tell her so to tell her he would be with her by and by himself This makes it Annunciation day the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary as the Church calls it and the Annunciation to her as we may call it too The Annunciation or announcing and proclaiming of Christ unto her that he was this day to be Incarnate of her to take that flesh to day upon him in the womb which he was some nine months hence on Christmass-day to bring with him into the world And 2. the Annunciation or announcing that is proclaiming of her blessed among above women by it by being thus highly favoured by her Lords thus coming to her A day upon these grounds fit to be remembred and announced or proclaimed unto the World Indeed Dominus tecum is the chief business the Lord Christs being with her that which the Church especially commemorates in the day Her being blessed and all our being blessed highly favoured or favoured at all either mens or womens being so all our hail all our health and peace and joy all the Angels visits to us or kind words all our Conferences with heaven all our titles and honours in heaven and earth that are worth the naming come only from it For Dominus tecum cannot come without them He cannot come to us but we must be so must be highly favoured in it and blessed by it So the Incarnation of Christ and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin his being incarnate of her and her blessedness by him and all our blessednesses in him with her make it as well our Lords as our Ladies day More his because his being Lord made her a Lady else a poor Carpenters Wife God knows all her worthiness and honour as all ours is from him and we to take heed to day or any day of parting them or so remembring her as to forget him or so blessing her as to take away any of our blessing him any of his worship to give to her Let her blessedness the respect we give her be inter mulieres among women still such as is fit and proportionate to weak creatures not due and proper only to the Creator that Dominus tecum Christ in her be the business that we take pattern by the Angel to give her no more than is her due yet to be sure to give her that though and that particularly upon the day And yet the day being a day of Lent seems somewhat strange 'T is surely no fasting work no business or occasion of sadness this What does it then or how shall we do it then in Lent a time of fast and sorrow Fast and feast too how can we do it A Feast it is to day a great one Christs Incarnation a day of joy if ever any and Lent a time of sorrow and repentance a great one the greatest Fast of any How shall we reconcile them Why thus The news of Joy never comes so seasonable as in the midst of sorrow news of one coming to save us from our sins can never come more welcome to us than even then when we are sighing and groaning under them never can Angel come more acceptably than at such time with such a message as All Hail thou art highly favoured blessed art thou 'T is the time that Angels use to come when we are fasting So to Daniel Dan. ix 3 21. So to Cornelius Acts x. 30. the time when we best hear a voice from heaven and best understand it with St. Peter Acts x. 13 15 16 20. the time when God himself vouchsafes to spread our Table as he did there of all kinds of beasts and fowls to St. Peter all heavenly food and mysteries 'T is the very time for gratia plena to be fill'd when we are empty the only time for Dominus tecum for our Lords being with us when we have most room to entertain him So nor the Church nor we in following it are any whit out of order Dominus tecum Christ is the main business both of our Fasts and Feasts and 't is the greatest order to attend his business in the day and way we meet it be it what it will Though perhaps it seem stranger too to hear of an Angel coming into a Virgins Chamber at midnight as is conjectured and there saluting her But no fear of those Sons of God if they come in unto the daughters of men Angels are Virgins may be with Virgins in the privatest Closets are always with them there to carry up their Prayers and to bring down blessings No strange thing then to hear of an Angel with any of them whom God highly favours with whom himself is too no wonder to hear of an Angel or Ave to any such The only wonder indeed to us will be to hear of an Ave Mary Indeed I cannot my self but wonder at it as they use it now to see it turn'd into a Prayer 'T was never made for Prayer or Praise a meer Salutation the Angels here to the blessed Virgin never intended it I dare say for other either to praise her with or pray unto her And I shall not consider it as such I am only for the Angels Ave not the Popish Ave Marie I can see no such in the Text. Nor should I scarce I confess have chosen such a Theam to day though the Gospel reach it me but that I see 't is time to do it when our Lord is wounded through our Ladies sides both our Lord and the mother of our Lord most vilely spoken of by a new generation of wicked men who because the Romanists make little less of her than a Goddess they make not so much of her as a good woman because they bless her too much these unbless her quite at least will not suffer her to be blessed as she should To avoid both these extremes we need no other pattern but the Angels who here salutes and blesses her indeed yet so only salutes and blesses her so speaks of and to her as to a woman here though much above the best of them one highly favoured 't is true yet but favoured still all her grace and blessedness and glory still no other meer favour and no more and Dominus tecum the Lords being with her the ground and source and sum of all Virgin and Day both blessed thence The better to give all their due Angel and Lord and Lady and you the better understanding of the Text the scope and matter and full meaning of it we shall consider in the words these two Particulars The Angels Visitation and the Angels Salutation I. His Visitation or coming to her in these words And the Angel came in unto her II. His Salutation to her or saluting her in these Hail thou that art highly favoured The Lord is with thee Blessed c. In the Visitation we have 1. The Visitor 2. The Visited 3. The Visiting The Angel the Visitor He. The blessed Virgin this the Visited Her And
business Look not sad but chearful now to day I hope you have lookt sadly enough already in your Chambers upon your sins you may here put on another face Yet if you be somewhat perplext and troubled at your sins or afraid of your own unworthiness or your souls and bodies bowed down as low as can be in humility I shall say you are the fitter to receive your joys and to be made partakers of the Angels company which as the Apostle tells us are present in holy places and if ever there there more especially at so great a mystery as this which they themselves bow down themselves to look into and wing about us say the Fathers to assist the celebration all the while You will be the fitter too to receive the joyful news that this day brings us of Christs rising being only so cast down and prepared in all humility to receive it Yet learn we something from the Angels too as well as from the Women for behold says the Text as if it meant we should look upon them too and learn by their standing constancy and resolution by their clothing in shining garments purity and innocence and all good works whereby we are so to shine as to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven by their correcting the good womens errour to correct our own and not let our Brother either perish or go astray for want of good and timely admonition a prime work of charity which this business so requires by their advice no longer to seek the living among the dead no more to seek Christ for earthly profits or respects and by their so readily publishing the news of Christs rising to be this day ever telling it every day thinking of it and so living as if we believed a Resurrection So shall it come to pass that however we come we shall not depart perplexed but in peace not in fear but in hope not in sorrow but in joy and shall one day behold him risen whom we now only hear is and meet him with all his Angels in shining garments in the robes of eternal glory He who this day rose raise now our thoughts with these apprehensions raise our thoughts to the height of these heavenly mysteries make us this day partakers through them of his Resurrection by Grace and in his due time also of his Resurrection to Glory THE SECOND SERMON UPON Easter Day St. MAT. xxvii 52 53. And the Graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose And came out of the Graves after his Resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many ANd this is the third day since the first of these was done since the Graves were opened and the first day that all the rest that the bodies of Saints arose came forth went into the holy City and appeared the blessed day of our Saviours Resurrection So we have both Passion and Resurrection in the Text and not amiss the one to usher in the other the Passion the Resurrection both comfortable when together to see the Passion end so glorious the darkness of so sad an Evening open it self at last after a little respite into so lustrous a Morning the most lustrous that Sun ever shone in the most joyous thus to meet the Grave and the holy City Christ and his Saints together This Day the very stones cry out and send forth the deceased Saints as so many Tongues to speak the glory of their Redeemer And if the graves open their mouths can we hold our peace If the dead bodies of the Saints appear to day in the holy City to celebrate the Day shall not we appear with our living bodies in the holy Mount to do as much The Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee says Hezekiah Isa. xxxviii 18. And the Dead praise not thee O Lord says David Psal. cxv 17. Yet here they do They thought then they could not we see now they do and shall not the living do so to The living the living he shall praise thee says Hezekiah and But we will praise the Lord says David that 's agreed on both hands that the living shall the Father to the Children make known the truth of this days great wonder declare it one to another from Generation to Generation keep the Day in remembrance throughout all Generations Indeed if we be not more senseless than the Day more silent than the grave the house of silence we cannot hold to Day up and arise we will and into the holy places to set forth the wonders of the day They that go down as the Psalmist speaks into the silence and into the Land where all things are forgotten who are either dead in trespasses and sins or are resolved to forget all that their Fathers have seen or done or has been done for them who are in the dark the darkness of ignorance or error departed from the Church out of the marvelous light into the Land of darkness they shew not of these wonders among the dead in their own Congregations nor tell of the loving kindness faithfulness and righteousness of this Day in that great destruction they have made But we will I hope we that are among the living stones in the Communion of holy Church will praise the Lord do as much as the Graves and now risen bodies wherever we appear For upon this Day hang all our hopes We were hopeless till it came hopeless when it was come till we knew it and no great hope of us if we forget it now it is This Day Christ rose out of the Grave If he had not risen had had no Resurrection there had been no hope of ours If nor hope nor Resurrection we had been of all men most miserable and if we do not thankfully remember both we are but miserable unthankful wretches no sooner the Day forgotten and such days put down but all our happiness put down with them we of all the Nations under heaven presently most miserable miserable times quickly after this happy Day with the rest of its attendants was unhappily voted to be forgotten So much does it concern our happiness with the Saints in the Text to solemnize it in the City if the City intend either to be holy or happy so much to make much both of all Texts and times that may bring it to our remembrance all days and words Texts and Testimonies either of Christs Resurrection or our own This Text then among the rest Wherein we have both a Testimony and Evidence of Christs Resurrection and a Pledge and Symbol of our own Two general Points which we shall consider in the words Or more particularly thus A Testimony of the truth of Christs Resurrection and an Evidence of the power of it A Pledge of the certainty of our Resurrection and a Symbol of the manner of it both of our Resurrection to grace and our Resurrection to glory The Testimony of the truth of Christs Resurrection 1. in the bodies of
rest of the Apostles Euseb. l. 5. c. 26. The great difference about the time of keeping Easter between the Eastern and the Western Churches was grounded upon the different keeping of it by the two great Apostles St. Peter and St. Iohn St. Iohn keeping it after one reckoning St Peter after another St. Iohn keeping it after the Jewish reckoning upon the fourteenth of the month Abib St. Peter much after the accompt as now it stands upon the Sunday following but all the controversie was about the time not about the keeping it none denied or questioned that but Aerius none left it at liberty but the Cathari both registred for Hereticks about it So confident were they 't was from the Lord. And that from him at least by the Apostles Constantine in Eusebius is direct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which day says he ever since the first day of his Passion we have kept untill this present We have received it of our Saviour says he a little after And again which our Saviour deliver'd to us Thus Dominus fecit then indeed And that so it was either from his own command or from his Apostles the whole practise of the Church is ground enough in all Ages still observing it even in the hottest times of persecution some in Caves and some in Woods and some on Shipboard and some in Barns and Stables and some in Goales keeping it as they could says Eusebius so scrupulous were they of omitting that day upon any hand that the Lord had made them and the great contentions about the time of keeping it shews as plain they thought it more than an humane institution they might else have easily ended all the Controversie and laid down the day But they had not then so learned Christ had not learned the trick of lightly esteeming days and places and things and persons and offices dedicated to Gods service which God had made or were made to him 5. Especially made upon such an occasion as this day was This day What day is this The day wherein the Stone that was disallowed by Men was approved of God and exalted to the head of the corner Wherein the chief corner stone of Sion was laid and Sion begun to be built upon it when we had ground given to build upon and stones to build with by Christs Resurrection that 's the ground and occasion of the day And a good one too For had he not risen we had had no ground to build upon we had perish'd in our sins been swept all away like so many houses builded upon the sand We had had neither place for faith nor ground for hope nor room for preaching our preaching vain your faith also vain all vaine all come to nothing His being delivered for our offences had been nothing if he had not been raised again for our Iustification as it is Rom. iv 25. 'T is to this day we owe our Justification 't is from this day we are made just and holy from this Stones being made the head stone of the corner we made lively stones built up into a spiritual house or building as St. Peter speaks 1 Pet. ii 5. From his becoming this day the chief corner stone it is in that we now have confidence as St. Iohn speaks and creep not into corners to hide our faces that we dare boldly look up to heaven and come unto him and that we call not to the Hills to hide us or to the Mountains to cover us from the presence of God or the face of man or devil Our faith and hope our souls and spirits are all raised by this days raising we are all made by this days being made we had else better never have been made for we had been marr'd and undon for ever 6. But by this day it seems we are not for this rejoycing and gladness that now follows close upon it shews what a kind of day it is for what 't is made even to be glad and to rejoyce in a Feast or Festival God is no enemy to the Churches Feasts whoever be calls to us to blow up the Trumper for Feasts as well as bid us to proclaim a Fast. Indeed he more properly makes the Feast and we the Fast for he only gives the occasion of the one and we of the other he benefits and we sins Deus nobis haec otia fecit So no wonder that the day that he has made be a good day a day of good things such as we may well rejoyce in a Festival Yea and a set one too His making you heard was an appointing or instituting it Though God would sometimes have free-will Offerings he will not always trust to them If he leave all to the wills of men the fires will oft go out upon his Altars his house stand thin enough of people and his Priests grow lean for all the fall of his Sacrifices if he come once to the mercy or courtesie of men They would quickly starve him and his Religion out of doors But set Feasts he always had set Services and offerings would not leave himself or his Worship to mans devotion for he knew what was in man He made this day made it a Feast a day of joy and gladness Let us now therefore to our Office to rejoyce and be glad in it that 's the second General thither now are we come Three Points we told you we would consider in it Exultemus laetemur and in eâ Three parts in our Office rejoycing gladness and the right ordering both Outward expression inward gladness and right placing them Both words I confess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint eâ—ultemus laetemur in the Latine have something outward in them yet exultemus is more for the outward laetemur somewhat more within a joy of the heart with some dilatation only of it Laetitia quasi latitia a stretching out the heart and sending forth the Spirits exultatio of saltatio a kind of skipping or leaping for joy the Spirits got into all the parts and powers ready to leap out of them for joy Being thus both involv'd one in the other I shall not trouble my self to distinguish them but only tell you hence that first The joy that God requires in the things that he has made or any time makes for us is not only inward it must out into outward acts Out into the mouth to sing forth his praise in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs Eph. v. 19. Out into the hands to send portions to the poor for whom nothing is prepared Nehem. viii 10. Out into the feet to go up to the House of God with the Posture as well as the voice of joy and gladness to go up with haste to worship with reverence to stand up chearfully at the Hymns and Songs of Praise Our very bones as David speaks to rejoyce too the very clatter'd bones to clatter together and rejoyce all the parts and powers of
the body to make some expression in their way and order But not the powers of the body alone but all the powers of the soul too Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name Psal. ciii 1. Our souls magnifie the Lord our Spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour our memory recollect and call to mind his benefits and what he has done for us our hearts evaporate into holy flames and ardent affections and desires after him our wills henceforward to give up themselves wholly to him as to their only hope and joy 'T is no perfect joy where any of them is wanting 'T is but dissembled joy where all is outward 'T is but imperfect gladness where all is within It must be both God this day raised the body the body therefore must raise it self and rise up to praise him He this day gave us hope he would not leave our souls in hell fit therefore it is the soul should leave all to praise him that sits in heaven He is not worthy of the day or the benefit of the day worthy to be raised again who will not this day rise to praise not worthy to rise at the Resurrection of the just who will not rise to day in the Congregation of the righteous to testifie his joy and gladness in the Resurrection of his Saviour and his own He is worthy to lie down in darkness in the Land of darknes who loves not this day who stands not up this day to sing praises to him that made it And now I shall give you reason for it out of the last words In eâ in it In it and for it As short as they are they contain arguments and occasions as well as time and opportunity to rejoyce in Rejoyce first in it because this day it is a particular day of gladness and rejoycing Let us do what the day requires 'T is a day of joy designed for it let us therefore rejoyce in it Rejoyce 2. because the Lord made it All the works of the Lord are matters of joy to the spiritual man even sad Days too much more glad days such as this Rejoyce 3. because the Lords people have ever made it such God has always made them to rejoyce in it to contend and strive who should do it best or nearest to the point Be glad 4. for the occasion of it the Resurrection of our Lord and Master and the hopes thereby given us of our own all benefits of Christ were this day sealed unto us all his promises made good all so hang upon this day that without it we of all men says the Apostle had been most miserable none so fool'd so wretched so undone so miserable as we Rejoyce 5. because God bids us 't is an easie and pleasant Precept If we will not be glad when he commands us certainly we will do nothing that he commands us especially when he gives us so great occasion of joy when he commands it Rejoyce 6. because the very Jewish people do it here They had but little cause of joy compared to ours they saw but a glimmering of this joy at most saw the Resurrection but afar off and yet you hear they cry out We will rejoyce and be glad in it And is it not a shame that we Christians who see it clearly and pretend to believe it fully should not as much exceed them in our joy as in our sight in our gladness as in our faith Clearly so it is Rejoyce 7. because it is a good thing to rejoyce to rejoyce in Gods mercies and favours to us in Christs Crown and glory in his day and way The very Angels themselves put on this day the white garments of joy and gladness we find them in them St. Luke xxiv 4. Rejoyce lastly to day because this day is the first of all our Lords days ever since We count them feasts and days of joy and we meet together upon them to rejoyce in to give God praise and thanks and glory 'T is a piece of worse than non-sence to say we are to do it upon these days and not on this from which only and no other they had their rise and being All that we commemorate or rejoyce in on every Sunday is more eminently and first in this this the great yearly anniversary of that weekly Festival the time as near as the Paschal circle can bring it to the time that the Resurrection fell upon For these and for this day so made to mind us of all these let us now take up the resolution of these pious souls We will rejoyce and be glad in it in the day and on the day and for the day that 's the very work and business of the day opus diei in die suo the proper work of the day in the day it self And here is now a way particularly before us to rejoyce in Laetari is taken sometimes for laetè epulari To rejoyce is to eat and drink before the Lord in his House or Temple so Deut. xiv 26. And thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God and thou shalt rejoyce thou and thy houshold Here now we are before him the Table spread and our banquet ready let us eat drink and be merry and rejoyce before him only rejoyce in fear and be glad with reverence This is the day which the Lord made and all Christians observed for the celebration of this holy Banquet and Communion Never let the day pass without it excommunicated them that did not one day or other of or about Easter receive the blessed Sacrament the greatest expression of our Communion with God and Christ and all his Saints and our rejoycing in it You may see this people in the Psalm within one verse blessing him that cometh in the name of the Lord blessing the Minister that comes with it wishing him and all the rest that be of the House of the Lord good luck with their business Gods assistance in his Office and Administration And in the next verse calling out aloud God is the Lord which hath shewed us light Bind the Sacrifice with cords even to the horns of the Altar God has shewed us light and made us a day let us now bind the Sacrifice the living Sacrifice of our souls and bodies with all the cords of holy vows and resolutions even to the horns of the Altar and there sacrifice and offer up our selves even unto our blouds if God call to it all our fat and entrails the inwards of our souls our hearts and all our inward spirits the fat of our estates our good works and best actions the best we have the best we can do all we have or are even at the Altar of our God with joy and gladness glad that we have any thing to serve him with any thing that he will accept that we have yet day and time to serve him that he has not cut us off in the midst of our days but
in raiment white garments as the Angel does ver 3. or a long white garment as St. Marks Angel Chap. xvi 5. That 's neither a fashion nor a colour to be afraid of for any that seek Iesus which was crucified or hope to see the face and enjoy the company of Holy Angels though some now a days are much scar'd with such a garment when the Angels or Messengers of the Churches appear in it But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear it not 'T is but an innocent Robe no more hurt in it than in the Angels that wore it 'T is the Robe of Innocence and the Resurrection No reason to fear it Fear not ye not this bright appearance No nor 2. that black one neither of the ghastly countenances of the amazed Souldiers They alass are run and gone There was no looking for them upon him they had crucified They indeed had reason to be afraid that the earth that trembled under them should gape and swallow them that the grave they kept being now miraculously opened might presently devour them that he whom they had crucified now coming forth with power and splendour might send them down immediately into eternal darkness for their villany Nay the very innocent brightness and whites in which the Angel then appear'd might easily strike into them a sad reflection and terror of their own guilt and confound them with it and I am afraid when the Angels long white Garment does so still 't is to such guilty Souls and Consciences as these Souldiers that it does so such who either betrayed their Lord to death or were set to keep him there Such I confess may fear even the Garments of Innocence that others wear But they that seek Christ crucified may be as bold as Lions Non timent Mauri jacula nec arcus nec venenatis gravidas sagittis Christe pharetras Thy Discirage ples O B. Iesu now thou art risen will fear nothing nor Darts nor Spears nor Bows nor Arrows nor any force or terror any face or power of man whatever And ye good innocent souls ye good women fear not ye your own innocence will guard you these Souldiers shall do you no hurt their shaking hands cannot wield their weapons nor dare they stand by it they are running away with all speed to save themselves So 2. Fear not them Nor fear 3. the quaking earth that seems ready either to sink them or sinks under them 't is now even setling upon its foundation The Lord of the whole earth has now once again set his foot upon it and it is quiet and the meek such as seek Christ they shall now inherit it But though the earth were mov'd and though the hills were carried into the midst of the Sea yet God is our hope the Lord is our strength and we will not therefore fear says David Psal. xlvi 1 2. No though the waters thereof rage and swell and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same do earth what it can to fright us God is a present help in trouble Why then should ye be afraid Fear not No not lastly the very grave it self that King of Terrors That is now no longer so to you Though Tyrants should now tear your bodies into a thousand pieces grind your bones to power scatter your ashes in the air and disperse your dissolved atomes through all the winds no matter this Angel and his company are set to wait upon your dust and will one day come again and gather it together into Heaven Nothing can keep us thence nothing separate us nor life nor death says the Apostle Rom. viii 38. Fear nothing then at all Not ye however For ye seek Iesus which was crucified that 's an irrefragable argument why you should not fear And such give me leave to make it before I handle it as an encouragement of our endeavours an encouragement 1. against our fears before I consider it as an encouragement to our work And indeed Ye who dare seek Iesus that was crucified amidst Swords and Spears and Graves of what can you be afraid He that dreads not death needs fear nothing He that slights the torments of the Cross and despises the shame of it He that loves his Lord better than his life that dares own a crucified Saviour and a profession that is like to produce him nothing but scorn and danger and ruine He cannot fear Illum si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum ferient ruinae The World it self though it should fall upon him cannot astonish him Nothing so undaunted as a good Christian as he that truly seeks Iesus that was crucified And there 's good reason for it He that does so is about a work that will justifie it self He needs not fear that He whom he seeks is Iesus one who came to save him from his sins he needs not fear them This Iesus being crucified has by his dying conquer'd death O death where is thy sting He needs not fear that And though die we must yet the Grave will not always hold us no more than it did him He is not here nor shall we be always here not always lie in dust and darkness no need to fear that Nay he is risen again and we by that so far from fear that we know we shall one day rise also For the Chambers of Death ever since the time that Christ lay in them lie open for a return are but places of retreat frome noise and trouble places for the Pilgrims of the earth to visit only to see where the Lord lay Thus is every Comma in the Text an Argument against all fears that shall at any time stop our course in seeking Jesus that was crucified And having thus out of the words vanquisht your fears I am now next to encourage your endeavours For I know ye seek Iesus c. I know it says the Angel That is I would not only not have you be afraid of what you are about as if you were doing ill but I commend you for it for 't is well that you seek Iesus which was crucified you need not be afraid you do well to do it Yea but how dost thou know it Thou fair Son of light that they seek him Alas 't is easie to be known by men and womens outward deportment whom they seek Let us but examine how these women sought and we shall see 1. The come here to his Sepulchre they not only follow'd him to his grave a day or two ago the common office we pay to a departed friend but to day they come again to renew their duties and repeat their tears Nor do they do it slightly or of course They 2. do it early very early St. Mar. xvi 2. as if they were not could not be well till they had done it So early that it was scarce light nay while it was yet dark says St. Iohn they thought they could not be too soon with him they loved They 3. came on with courage
all taken away and all of you undone for ever But now he is not here you may hope better and dread no longer and I shall quickly put you out of all fear indeed for I shall tell you now He is risen as he said IV. And now indeed O blessed Angel thou saist something Away all my fears He is risen Why then 1. He is above the malice of his enemies and of all that hate him They and the Souldiers that crucified him may be dismaid and look all like dead men for fear but I shall never be dismaid hereafter seeing death has no more dominion over him For 2. if he be risen we shall rise one day too If our head be risen the body ere long will rise also He is the first fruits 1 Cor. xv the whole lump of course will follow after So certain that the Apostle tells us that in him we are all already made alive ver 22. and with indignation asks how some among them durst be so bold to say there was no resurrection of the dead seeing Christ is risen ver 12. But is he not rather raised than risen 3. that they durst say so Was it by his own power or anothers By his own sure for all the Evangelists say unanimously he is risen Indeed 't is said Acts iv 10. that God rais'd him from the dead It was so for he was God himself he and his Father one St. Ioh. x. 30. so God rais'd him and yet he rais'd himself was not rais'd as the Widows Son or Iairus Daughter or his Friend Lazarus but so as none other ever were or shall be rais'd and risen and yet so risen as not rais'd by any but himself that 's a third note upon He is risen And 4. risen so as to die no more All they did but he not He convers'd a while with his Disciples upon earth so by degrees to raise them too but after forty days he ascended into heaven Risen surely to purpose risen above all heavens risen into glory And if thus risen we have good cause 1. to raise our thoughts up after him entertain higher thoughts of him than before though then we knew him after the flesh yet now with the Apostle henceforth to know him so no more Good cause 2. If He be risen to raise up our affections after him set our affections as the Apostle infers it upon things above Col. iii. 1 2. and no longer upon things beneath set them wholly upon him Nay and 3. Raise our selves upon him build all our thoughts and hopes upon him build no longer upon Sand and Earth but upon that Rock that is now risen higher than we in whom we need fear no storms or tempests we cannot miscarry And in the mean time lastly Now he is risen let us rise and meet him rise in hast with Mary yet not to go to the grave to weep as they thought of her but to cast our selves at his feet and cry Lord If thou hadst been here if I had found thee in the grave my brother and I and all my brethren had died indeed been irrecoverably ruin'd and undone And yet for all that Come now and see where the Lord lay Be your own eyes your witnesses that He is risen And 't is but just that in so doubtful a condition of affairs and a change so unheard of you should seek an evidence not to be contradicted Come then and see it The place will shew it and your eyes shall behold it Indeed that he is risen as he said to a tittle to a day assoon as ever it could be imagined day is an argument that not being here he is truly risen Yet 't is fit that we should be certain he is not there For 't is fit that we should be able to give a reason of the faith that is in us says St. Peter We can neither believe unreasonable things our selves nor imagine others should believe them We are not to take our Religion upon trust from an Angel Si Angelus de Coelo says St. Paul Not from an Angel coming from Heaven it self Some Angel it seems thence may speaking to an absolute possibility preach some other doctrine then what we have received but believe him not says the Apostle if he do Gal. i. 8. But suppose an Angel thence can speak no other yet there is an Angel that is from below from the pit of darkness that can transform himself into an Angel of light We had therefore need take heed to our own eyes too as well as to our ears The best way to fix them is to look first into the grave of Iesus that was crucified see what we can find there to make good what the Angel tells us be he who he will Try the spirits says St. Ioh. i. 4 1. Whether they be of God before we trust them See whether things are as they are presented 'T is but dark day yet we may be deceived if we look not narrowly into the business even to the very inmost corners and cranies of the grave Come see then what is there Nothing but the linnen cloths that wrapt him in says S. Ioh. xx 6 7. and two Angels says St. Luke xxiv 4. Well this was enough indeed to prove he was not there But how proves it that he was risen had not some body stoln him thence The grave was clos'd the stone was seal'd the guard was set and who durst come to do it His Disciples why they were stoln away themselves for very fear And it is not probable they would venture for him through a guard of Souldiers when he was dead that ran from him when he was alive The Iews Why they set a watch to keep him there The Souldiers why who should hire them or Why should they take money to deny it if they were hired to it Besides it was against the Iews interests to give so fair a ground to the report of his Resurrection and his Disciples had so little subtilty to maintain so forlorn an interest as theirs that it looks not like a piece of their contrivance and so poor a purse God knows they had that they could not see so largely as to reach it Nay and the linnen cloths left all behind are a kind of witnesses against it 'T is not probable they would have stoln the dead body and left them when they came to steal and the laying them so in order by themselves requires more leisure than a theives hast So being clearly gone and clearly none to own the theft and none to prove it and nothing to evince it 't is plain he must be risen as he said We have now then no more to do then see the place where c. And where he lay we call the grave A good place sometimes to go into the house of mourning better to go into than the house of mirth says Solomon who had tried both best to recal our wandring thoughts to prepare both for a comfortable death
and joyful Resurrection But Christs grave 2. or Sepulchre has more in it than any else There sit Angels to instruct and comfort us there lie cloths to bind up our wounds there lies a napkin to wrap up our aking heads there is the fine linnen of the Saints to make us bright white garments for the Resurrection You may now descend into the grave with confidence it will not hurt you Christs body lying in it has taken away the stench and filth and horrour of it 'T is but an easie quiet bed to sleep on now and they that die in Christ do but sleep in him says St. Paul 1 Thes. ix 14. and rest there from their labours says St. Iohn Revel xiv 13. Come then and see the place and take the dimensions of your own graves thence Learn there how to lie down in death and learn there also how to rise again to die with Christ and to rise with him T is the principal Moral of the Text and the whole business of the day In other words to die to sin and live to righteousness that when we must lie down our selves we may lie down in peace and rise in glory I have thus run through all the Parts of the Text. And now I hope I may say with the Angel I know ye also seek Iesus that was crucified and are come hither to that purpose But I must not say with the Angel He is not here He is here in his Word Here in his Sacraments Here in his poor members Ye see him go before you when ye see those poor ghosts walk you hear him when you hear his Word or read or preacht You even feel him in the blessed Sacraments when you receive them worthily The eyes and ears and hands of your bodies do not cannot but your souls may find see and him in them all Some of you I know are come hither even to seek his body too to pour out your souls upon it and at you holy Sepulchre revive the remembrance of the crucified Iesus yet take heed you there seek him as you ought Not the living among the dead I hope Not the dead elements only or them so as if they were corporally himself No He is risen and gone quite off the earth as to his corporal presence All now is spirit though Spirit and Truth too truly there though not corporally He is risen and our thoughts must rise up after him and think higher of him now then so and yet beleive truly he is there So that I may speak the last words of the Text with greater advantage then they are here Come see the place where the Lord lies And come see the place too where he lay go into the grave though not seek him there Go into the grave and weep there that our sins they were that brought him thither Go into the grave and die there die with him that died for us breath out your souls in love for him who out of love died so for us Go into his grave and bury all our sins and vanities in that holy dust â— Go we into the grave and dwell there for ever rather than come out and sin again and be content if he see it fit to lie down there for him who there lay down for us Fill your daily meditations but now especially with his death and passion his agony and bloudy sweat his stripes and wounds and griefs and pains But dwell not always among the Tombes You come to seek him seek him then 1. where you may find him and that is says the Apostle at the right hand of God He is risen and gone thither And seek him 2. so as you may be sure find him Not to run out of the story seek him as these pious women did 1. Get early up about it hence forward watch and pray a little better he that seeks hâ—m early shall be sure to find him Seek him 2. couragiously be not afraid of a guard of Souldiers be not frighted at a grave nor fear though the earth it self shake and totter under you Go on with courage do your work be not afraid of a crucified Lord nor of any office not to be crucified for his service Seek him 3. with your holy balms and spices the sweet odours of holy purposes and the perfume of strong Resolutions the bitter Aloes of Repentance the Myrrhe of a patient and constant Faith the Oil of Charity the spicie perfumes of Prayers and Praises bring not so much as the scent of earth or of an unrepented sin about you seek him so as men may know you seek him know by your eyes and know by your hands and know by your knees and feet and all your postures and demeanors that you seek Iesus that was crucified let there be nothing vain or light or loose about you nothing but what becomes his Faith and Religion whom you seek nothing but what will adorn the Gospel of Christ. You that thus seek Iesus which was crucified shall not want an Angel at every turn to meet you to stand by support and comfort you in all your fears and sorrows nor to encourage your endeavours nor to assist you in your good works nor to preserve you from errors nor to inform you in truths nor to advance your hopes nor to confirm your faiths nor to do any thing you would desire You shall be sure to find him too whom your souls seek and He who this day rose from his own Sepulchre shall also raise up you from the death of sin first to the life of righteousness and from the life of righteousness one day to the life of glory when the Angel shall no longer guide us into the grave but out of it out of our Graves and Sepulchres into Heaven where we shall meet whole Choires of Angels to welcome and conduct us into the place where the Lord is where we shall behold even with the eyes of our bodies Iesus that was crucified sitting at the right hand of God and sit down there with him together in the glory of the Father To which He bring us who this day rose again to raise us thither Iesus which was crucified To whom though crucified to whom for that he was crucified and this day rose again to lift us up out of the graves of sins and miseries and griefs be all honour and power praise and glory both by Angels and Men this day henceforward and for ever Amen THE FIFTH SERMON UPON Easter Day 1 COR. xv 19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable ANd if this Day had not been we had been so Miserable indeed and without hope of being other If Christ had not risen there had been no Resurrection and if no Resurrection no hope but here then most miserable we Christians to be sure who were sure to find nothing but hard usage here tribulation in this World and could expect no other or no better
11. to the Mount of God get us often up to his holy places to expect this holy wind and spirit 2. That there we wrap our faces in our Mantles as he did his in his v. 13. cover them with all reverence and humility to receive him That 3. we go out with him too and stand in the entry of our Caves every one in his place ready to worship and adore him when he comes That 4. we there listen carfully to the sound he makes as he passes by attentively to hear his voice and know his will and do his pleasure That 5. we take the wings of the morning as holy David speaks our earliest devotions and prayers to convey us to his presence that he may blow and breath upon us and we daily find and feel him purifying quickning and refreshing us and every day more and more drawing nearer to us or us nearer to himself And then no matter whether we know whence he comes or whither he goes so he thus take us with him when he comes and carry us thither with him when he goes where he eternally with the Father and the Son resides in glory Even so O blessed and Eternal Spirit blow upon us and this day keep thy Festival among us for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father and thy self be all our wonder and admiration all Worship and Adoratition all our praise and glory from this day for ever Amen THE SECOND SERMON UPON Whitsunday St. JOHN xvi 13. Howbeit when He the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth AND of such a Spirit never had the world more need than now never more need of one to guide us into all truth then at this time wherein we are pestered and surrounded all with Error with all sorts of Error never more need that the Spirit of Truth should come to guide us than now when there are so many spirits up and abroad that men know not which to follow Come Holy Ghost-Eternal God never fitter to be sung than now For by the face of our Hemisphere we may seem either to have lost him quite or with those in St. Peter we may ask Where is the Promise of his coming When he is come indeed he will guide us into all truth yea but when is that When comes he Why this day he came this day was this Scripture fulfilled this day this Promise made good The Spirit of Truth came down from Heaven upon the Apostles this day so that from this day forward they spake all tongues and truths who before were both ignorant of the one and could not bear many of the other Well but the Apostles are dead and all the Disciples that could pretend to those gifts and prerogatives are dead and we neither speak with tongues by the spirit nor understand all truths any of us nor can yet hear of any that do Is his Promise then utterly come to an end for evermore Certainly either come he is not or lead us he does not or into Truth he does not or into but a little and that but very few of us or we at this end of the world have no part or portion in his coming something or other there is some reason or other to be given why this Wind this Spirit does not blow upon us That he is come this day of Pentecost plainly tells us that he is come not to go again Christs own promise that he should abide with us for ever St. Iohn xiv 16. does assure us that to us too it is he comes though not visibly as this day yet invisibly every day which is as much for truth though not for tongues St. Peter tells us in his Sermon this day out of the Prophet Ioel that the Spirit is to be poured upon all flesh Acts ii 17. so upon ours too and the Spirit for his part is always ready ever and anon calling us to come Rev. xxii 17. So that the fault will lie upon our selves not the Spirit that he guides us not into all truth The truth is men are not disposed as they should be He that looks into their ways and pursuits after truth may see it without Spectacles Other spirits are set up new lights advanc'd private spirits preferr'd all the people are become leaders every man thinks himself of age to answer for himself and to guide himself so that there is either no body to be guided all the Lords people being Kings and Priests and Prophets or else no body will be but according to their own fancies prejudices interests and humors This is the true posture the very face of Religion now adays and the true reason that this Spirit of Truth ceases to guide them into truth For He leads none but those that will be led and they will not He is only sent to guide not to hale them on or drive them forward To you Disciples such as are willing to be taught not to them that will be all Masters To those that could not bear all truths then not to those that would not then nor to those that will not now who make Christs promise of none effect to themselves by their own perversness Time was and this day it was when He found men better disposed for his coming found them together at their Prayers not as now together by the ears of one accord not in Sects and Factions waiting all for the Promise of his coming not preventing it as Saul did Samuels with a foolish Sacrifice only as himself confesses lest the people should forsake him 1 Sam. xiii 11. and as is usual now not to stay the coming of the Spirit of Truth but to set up one of their own no matter of what to keep the people from scattering and forsaking them any spirit so it can keep them to them They were to wait for the Promise of the Father Acts i. 4. which was the Spirit of Truth They did and had it Do we so and so we shall too Our case still is the same with theirs They could not bear all truths together no more can we They stood in need of daily teaching we do more They wanted a guide we cannot go without him Truth is still as necessary to be known as then it was To this purpose was the Holy Spirit promised to this purpose sent to this purpose serv'd and serve he does still the necessity being the same like to be the same for ever only fit we our selves to receive him when he comes and howbeit things look strangely and this promise seems almost impossible now the Spirit of Truth will come and when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide them c. The words are Christs Promise of sending the Holy Spirit now the fifth time repeated to raise up the spirits of the drooping Disciples now ready to faint and die away upon the discourse of their Lords departure He was now shortly to bid adieu to the world and them
So that now we have gain'd the knowledge not only of his temporal but his eternal coming to his eternal Procession which though it be not the coming promised or intended here yet coming here upon the Context and Coherence relating so evidently to sending gives us but a just occasion both to remember to whom we owe this benefit the Father and the Son the greatness of it in that it is no less than infinite the Spirit of God God himself And 't is but fit here and every where to take notice of it that as the whence is above so the whither is beneath very much beneath him But we reserve that to a fitter place when we come to the persons that are guided by him 'T is best now to suspend a while the search of the nature to enquire into the time and manner of his coming But the time is next When he is come 3. Yea but when is that Sane novum supervenisse spiritum nova desideria demonstrant says St. Bernard you may know he is come by the desires he works in you when those begin to be spiritual hearty sincere and true to God then is the Spirit of truth come into you if you begin to long and breath and gasp after heaven 't is a sign some heavenly breath of the Spirit at least is slipt into you 2. When this Spirit that pants and beats after God within breaths out at the lips too ere it be long in prayers to God and praises of him in good communication all bitterness and malice and evil speaking and vanity too being laid aside as becommeth Saints This is a good sign too a true sign too if it be not meerly godly Phrases taken up to make a shew or to deceive if it proceed from the heart and inward Spirit 3. But the surest sign of it is in the hand in the works if they be such as are the genuine fruits of the Spirit Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Gal. v. 23. These are the Spirits perpetual attendants when he comes Boast men may of the Spirit but if they have no love if they be not the Sons of peace if patience and long-suffering be no vertue with them if gentleness appear not in their carriage if goodness and bounty to the poor abound not in them as well as faith if they be not meek and humble and sober and temperate temperate in diet in apparel in language in passion and affections and all things else boast they while they will of the Spirit and the Spirit of truth that they have it work and move by it are guided by it it will prove but the Spirit of error or the Spirit of giddiness or the Spirit of slumber they do but dream it or but their own Spirit at the best for such a one we read of and of Prophets that went according to it Ezek. xiii 3. foolish Prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing ignorant Prophets who know nothing yet pretend they know more than all the Learned all the Fathers that are gone crafty Foxes only they are says the Prophet ver 4. cunning to spoil and ravine that seduce the people saying peace when there is no peace ver 8. they build and dawb with untempered morter ver 10. build up Babel the house of confusion and plaister up all the Scriptures Texts that are against them with incoherent Comments wild distinctions and interpretations that stick together like untempered mortar they make the righteous sad and strengthen the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life ver 22. and yet they there pretended the Spirit that he was come to them and God had sent them when indeed it was no other Spirit from the Lord than such a one as came from him upon Saul when the good Spirit was departed from him The Spirit of truth wants no such covering no such morter makes not the righteous sad makes no body sad by any oppression joy is the fruit of it strengthens not the wicked in his wickedness it is all for justice and righteous dealing And where it comes upon any it as Samuel foretold it 1 Sam. x. 6. and Saul found it 1 Sam. x. 9. gives him another heart turns him into another man The new man St. Paul calls it created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. iv 2. Indeed there was another kind of coming of his this Day He came to day not only into the hearts but upon the heads of the Apostles sate there and thence disperst his heavenly light into rays and flames came down in wind and fire and tongues in wind to shew that it was the Holy Spirit the very breath of heaven that came in fire to signifie the light of truth it brought and in tongues to express it to the world But it was his Inauguration day the first solemnity of his appearance that so both the Disciples and the World might know that come he was whom Christ had promised and be convinced by a visible apparition who else would not have been convicted by any inward evidence which had been without it But thus he appeared but only once In the effect of Tongues indeed but not in the appearance of them he twice afterwards fell upon some Disciples upon the Centurion and his Company the first fruits of the Gentiles Acts x. 46. and upon those Disciples at Ephesus who knew nothing but Iohn's Baptism that so they might sensibly find the difference of Iohn's Baptism and Christs Acts xix 6. They both assoon as they were baptized spake with tongues says the Text the one so honour'd to teach this truth that in all Nations whoever doth righteousness shall be accepted the Gentiles now in Christ as well accepted as the Iews the other so highly favoured that imperfect Christians might be encouraged to go on and not be dismaied to see so many glorious Professors so exceedingly transcend them These comings were miraculous only to found Christianity and settle an Article of Faith the Article of the Holy Ghost never distinctly known to the world till Christianity arose Christ himself was fain to confirm his Divinity by signs and miracles and the God-head of the Holy Ghost can be perswaded by no less But this once done he was to lead us by an ordinary tract no longer now by sight but faith that salvation might be through faith 1 Pet. i. 5. and the blessing upon them who have not seen and yet have believed St. Iohn xx 29. This I must needs say seems the prime and proxime meaning of the words but not the full When he is come points chiefly and nearest at this his first and nearest coming but not only at it Else are we in an ill case now if no spirit to come to us no guide to lead us no truth to settle us It must extend beyond that his visible coming to the ways of his coming unto us
he will make good what Christ has promised and what he comes to be the guide into the way of truth We need not either mistrust or fear it For though Christ himself must go away and leave us because it is expedient that he should yet this Spirit will stand by us howsoever Howbeit he will He is a mighty wind and will quickly disperse and blow away the mists of ignorance and error He is a fire and will easily purge the dross and burn up the chaff that mixes with the truth and hides or sullies it nothing can stand before him nothing shall He comes to us with a Howbeit a non obstante be it how it will though we be blind and ignorant and foolish and full of infirmities and sins so we be willing he will come and guide us Yet if now we will so be guided to close up all We must lastly submit our selves wholly to his way and guiding to the truth and to all of it To his way and order 1. no teaching him how he should teach us Them that be meek shall he guide in judgment and such as be gentle them shall he learn his way Psal. xxv 8. No teaching without humility we must be willing to be guided or he will not guide us Men will not now thence come so many errors and mistakes To truth too 2. we must submit If it be truth no quarrelling against it No seeking shelters and distinctions to defend us from it though we have been long in error and count it a dishonour to revoke it revoke it we must be it what it will or we endanger the loss of the whole truth the Spirit will not lead us And to all 3. too We must not plead our interest or any thing against it be it never so troublesome never so disadvantageous never so displeasing we must resolve to embrace it because 't is truth With this submission too we are now to come to the holy mysteries submit our hearts and judgments and affections here not to presume to pry too much into the way and manner of Christs and the Spirits being there but to submit our reasons to our faith and open our hearts to Christ as well as our mouths to the outward elements and keep under our affections by holy and godly doing that so the Spirit of truth may come into them all And so doing the Spirit will come and he will guide us guide us into all necessary and saving truths guide us to Christ guide us to God guide us here and guide us hence guide us in earth and guide us to heaven THE FOURTH SERMON UPON Whitsunday ACTS ii 1 2 3 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance THE words are the History for the day The day the anniversary for the words This day the Text fulfilled in the ears of some of every Nation under Heaven ver 5. remembred and celebrated by the tongues and voices of the Christian Church throughout the Earth The things done here the reason of the day and the day the memorial of them Here you may see why we keep this Feast why 't is so solemn why 't is one of the dies albi why so white a day a Sunday white with the light of that holy fire that this day came down from Heaven and sate like rays of light upon the Apostles those whitest and purest sons of light the Holy Ghost the third Person of the blessed Trinity descending miraculously in it upon the Disciples as it were a sudden rushing mighty wind filling all the corners both of the place and of their souls and so seating himself in the form of fiery cloven tongues upon each of that holy company and thereby giving them new hearts and words to speak the wonders of the most High A business we are this day to be their Disciples in to use our tongues to the same purpose that we may testifie our selves to be led by the same Spirit breath by the same breath move by the same wind our hearts warm'd by the same fire our words fram'd by the same tongues that this day appear'd so miraculously upon them We have done so in the unity of the Church several times before in the year for Christ the second Person of the Godhead do we so now also for the third the benefits and glory which this day came from him which they this day did after a strange miraculous way receive we may this day also receive in an efficacious way though not externally and visibly yet internally and invisibly from the same Spirit For this Feast is his and our â—â—eech this day principally of him and our praises for him Now the best way to keep the Feast so as to be partakers of the honour and benefits of it is to place our selves in the same fashion set our selves in the same posture dispose our selves after the same order with them here both for the receiving of him and after we have received him For 't is part of the Epistle not the Gospel that I have read you and the business of the Epistle is commonly Doctrine and Instruction as the matter of the Gospel is usually history So we then to be instructed by it how to demean our selves for the receiving of the Holy Spirit how to know how and where and when it is he comes how to distinguish him and his coming from other spirits what to do also when we have received him and when more especially to do the one or expect the other by the pattern and example in the Text. This will prove the best the only celebration of the Feast the most glorious manifestation this day on our parts for the more glorious manifestation this day on Gods the manifestation of our thankfulness for the manifestation of Gods goodness Thus without either nicety or much Art I shall divide you the Text into these Particulars 1. The Disposition of them that the Spirit comes and lights upon them that are all with one accord in one place that are there quietly sitting and expecting Christ there especially upon the solemn days upon the day of Pentecost a solemn Festival 2. The way and manner and order of the Holy Spirits coming suddenly from Heaven like a sound thence like the sound of a rushing mighty wind filling all the house in the appearance of cloven fiery tongues sitting upon each on whom he comes 3. The effect and issue immediately upon it They are filled all filled filled with Ghost and Spirit the Holy Ghost or Spirit begin to speak speak strangely strange tongues
too yet in measure and order too no other then the Spirit gives them utterance 4. And lastly though first it be in the Text yet because it is but the circumstance and time of the story and not the main business or second of it and fittest to close up all in good time and order The Time when all this was done when these things came to pass when the Apostles were so dispos'd when the Holy Ghost thus descended when this strange issue fell out When the day of Pentecost was fully come in very good time the promis'd time Christs time Gods own time such as he had prefigur'd them in in the Law too at the fifty days Feast after the Passover a solemn day and somewhat more as you shall hear anon Thus we best join the History and the Moral the Doctrine and Use of Pentecost or Whitsunday nay the very Holy Spirit of the day and our souls to day together that we may not be like men that only come to hear news a story and away but such as hear the Word and profit by it Which that we may Come O mighty wind and blow upon us Descend O holy Fire and warm our hearts give me a tongue O blessed Spirit out of this days number and utterance give thy servants capacious spirits and remembrance that thy Word may rush in upon them as a sound from Heaven and fill the houses of all our souls with joy and gladness with holy fire of Piety and Devotion that we may with one accord one heart and mind speak forth thy praise and glory The first Point in the order I have set you is the disposition of them that the Holy Spirit will come and light upon 1. They are of one accord 2. in one place 3. sitting quietly and expecting there and that 4. also upon the solemn day when the day of Pentecost any solemn day or occasion is presented them They are first of one accord whom this Spirit vouchsafes to descend into This unity draws the Spirit to them that keeps it with them the house of unity is the only Temple of the Spirit of Unity That soul which breaks the bond of unity and divides it self from the Church of Christ from the company of the Apostles and their Successors the still Fathers of it cannot hold this holy wind cannot enclose this holy fire they are broken and crackt crack only of the Spirit but are really broken from that body in which only the Spirit moves Take and divide a member from the body be it the principal that in which most spirit was the heart or the head and once divided the Spirit vanishes from it will not sit nor dwell in it just so is it it in Christs Body the Church If one of the chiefest members of it one erst while of the devoutest and most religious in it once grow so proud of his own wisdom or gifts so singular in his conceits as to separate himself from his fellows from that body whereof Christ is the head he goes away like a member from the natural body and leaves the Spirit behind him that retires from him for it is one Spirit and cannot be divided from the body though it work diversly in it If this being of one accord of one mind be the temper for the receipt of the Holy Spirit as here you see it is and in reason it can be no otherwise it being the Spirit of love and unity What spirit are they of Whose Religion is Faction whose chief pretended Piety is Schism whose business is to differ from all the World Nothing can be more evident than that men are now adays much at a loss for the Spirit however every one claim to it seeing there is no accord but discord not diversities only but contrarieties but contradictions amongst them that most pretend the Spirit Indeed were this they any less a They than the Apostles themselves and the whole number of the then Disciples or had there been but the least division among them either about the manner of staying or expecting Christs Promise or which is less about the place to stay in It may be these men might have had a shadow for their separations but Apostles they were and in one place they were too altogether agreed in all were all in unity were all in uniformity not their minds only but their bodies too together Men thought it nothing a while since to withdraw themselves from the Houses of God as if no matter at all for the place they could for all that be of the same faith but too woful experience has prov'd it now that with the one place the one faith is vanisht with the ceremony the substance gone too with the uniformity of Worship the unanimity of our minds and the uniformity of our faith too blown into the air How shall we do O blessed Spirit in so many crackt vessels to retain thee Needs must the Spirit expire out of that body which has so many breaches and divisions in it so many divided houses so many broken Churches so many rotten Congregations I know if it be only necessity divides us and drives us into several dens and caves as it did the Primitive Christians in the days of those fiery persecutions that the Holy Spirit will ransack all the cranies and search out all the privatest corners be they above ground or under it but it is because the mind of all those several places is but one and in that respect they are no more than so many several cells of the one Catholick Church but where choice and not necessity wilfulness and not force singularity and not purity of Truth or Conscience makes the division and draws Disciples into Chambers Parlors Barns or Mills Woods or Desarts go not says Christ out after them say they what they will of Christ or Spirit there believe it not St. Matth. xxix 26. Two in a field and yet one taken and the other left two at the mill and one taken and the other left ver 40. So at the most I fear great hazard that any if they be no better no more orderly gather'd when the Master comes Or were they yet perhaps in several places sitting as they are here that is quietly and in true peace and faith expecting the promise of their Lord something might be said to excuse their separations but not only actually to break the unity of the Spirit and the bond of Peace but to breath out nothing but war contention and dispute to be so far from sitting down and either suffering for Christ or humbly expecting his time of assistance and deliverance out of their perplexities and discomforts as to take the matter into their own hands and prevent the coming of the Spirit of Peace by rising and raising spirits of war and confusion they must give me leave to tell them they know not what spirit they are of a heady guiddy furious spirit zeal I bear them witness with St. Paul
Houses and Buildings nay rends the Mountains and breaks in pieces the Rocks before it 1 Kings xix 11. But never did Wind so tear up Foundations by the roots never did so strong Buildings fall before that tumultuous vapour as this rushing mighty Wind that this day came down from Heaven hath cast down before it All the high things of the earth Wisdom and Learning and Might and Majesty have faln as easily as so many Paper Turrets at its breath all have given up themselves and thrown all prostrate at the Word of this Spirit so that the whole World stood wondring and amaz'd to see it self so turn'd about by the meer words of a few simple Fishermen without force or eloquence or craft to see it self so tamely submit its glory to the humility of Christ its greatness to his littleness its majesty to his baseness its wisdom to the foolishness of his Cross its ease pleasure to the pains and patience of it But manus excelsi fecit hoc 't is the hand of the most Highest that has done it such a wind could come from none but God such a Spirit can be none but his none but he could do it and it is marvellous in our eyes his power as marvellous as his mercy both of them above any created ones whatsoever Well may such a Wind as this now fill the house as it follows in the fifth Consideration And yet commonly the wind fills the open air and not the houses Common winds do so indeed but this peculiar Wind fills the house and every corner comes in even when the doors are shut or else opens and shuts them as it pleases a sign 't is more than air or airy spirit 't is he only that searches the hearts and reins that can glide so into these close rooms of ours and 't is our happiness it is so that he thus blows into the house of his own accord and power For give me a Ship says St. Chrysostom with all its tackling sails and anchors spread all in order too and let the wind lie still let there be no gale stirring and all its furniture and men are nothing no more is the soul with all its preparations without the blowing of the Spirit nay no more is all our eloquence all our arguments and perswasions the subtilty of our understanding the richness of our conceipt and notion the sweetness of the voice the rhetorick of words the strength of reason the whole tackling and furniture of the Orator or Preacher unless the Spirit come and fill the sail and stretch the canvas and so drive on the Vessel 'T is this implevit we must hold by 't is his filling our empty house our lank and lither sails that blows comfort to us And 't is the enhancing of the benefit which is the last considerable in this similitude of the wind that it fills the house only where they are sitting It is no ordinary or common favour that God vouchsafes in filling our houses with the Spirit he hath not dealt so with any other Nation with any other people than the Christian people It is the Church only and the souls of Christians in it that this mighty wind as rushing and mighty as it is does content and contain it self in All other houses and places stand empty cannot get this Tenant 'T is the property of this Wind and no other to blow where it lists in this house and no other within doors all within the Church none without at all or the sound of it only passes out to call others in that they may see and wonder at the things that are come to pass this day that Iews and Proselytes Cretes and Arabians Parthians and Medes and all Nations under Heaven may beaâ— witness of the wonder and if they come in in some sort partake of it too of the wind though not of the tongues of some graces of the Spirit though not of the other Only come in they must into the Church of Christ which is his body before their veins be filled with this Spirit before they feel any motion of it Of the Wind I say such a portion of the Spirit as may breath into them the breath of life but tongues of fire are for those only who were sitting there before fitting as Governors of the Church to whom that baptism of fire was promised who were bid to tarry and expect it and when so enabled to go abroad then and use their tongues and blow the flames of divine love and charity through the World I should now proceed to these miraculous tongues the second representment of the Holy Spirit And me thinks I am unwilling to leave them unspoken of to which we ow our speech But your ears are already filled with the wind yet I hope 't is the proper wind of the day and the sound of it shall not vanish as the wind as ordinary winds and sounds nor my words as the soft air So much the rather in that this Point of the wind comes more home to us than that other of the tongues Tongues were for them that believe not says the Apostle but the Wind the rushing mighty Wind from Heaven to cast down all the strong holds of Sin and Satan for them that believe even for us all The fiery tongues concern the Apostles as a miraculous enabling of them to the work of the Apostleship to the preaching and divulging the Gospel of Christ but the breath and blowing of the Spirit concerns all Christians whatsoever under every notion To that our proper tenure is from this Wind nay so much the more because it is the breath of the Spirit not the tongue that makes us Christian the wind like that in Ezekiel quickens our dead bones into the life of Christ and by it we live to our own Salvation by the tongues only to anothers So having gotten our share already in this Wind from Heaven we may the easier bear the deferring of the discourse of the tongues thence And truly if we can now get the Spirit to blow upon these dead elements and quicken them to us into the body and blood of Christ we shall quickly by the vertue of that blood of the Vine speak with new tongues the Spirit will give utterance and we shall sing the praises of the Lord. That should be indeed the whole business of our tongues to day to be as loud as the loudest wind in our Thanksgivings O ye winds of God bless ye the Lord say the three Children in the fire O ye Children of the Lord bless ye the Lord in the Wind say I in this mighty rushing Wind acknowledge his goodness admire his power confess his praise who thus blows the sparks of grace up in us who clenses our souls from all impure airs and vapours who scatters the clouds of sorrow shews us the fairest face of Heaven who cools and refreshes and revives and purges us and wafts us to our heavenly Countrey by this holy
wind who daily does wondrous things in us and for us and by us through the mighty rushings of it and fills and replenishes us with all the benefits and comforts of it whilst he passes by others without so much as a breathing on them Yet the business would be how to catch this wind and serve our uses of it Why in the Word and in the Sacraments and by Prayers we may have it and be filled with it Come then and fill your souls you have heard the Word already treasure it up for there are treasures for the winds and you shall feel it blow move and stir in you The blessed Sacrament is a second way to be filled with this Spirit 't is reacht out and proffer'd to us there we may there take it into our mouths as before into our ears and it will rush down all before it that stands against it down it will into our bowels and fill us with all heavenly fulness And then draw it in and breath it out we may by devout and holy Prayers only remember always the disposition of that soul this Spirit only will abide with peace and unity Thus dispos'd you must be to receive the Spirit thus dispos'd to receive the Sacrament and then the Spirit will discend upon our Sacrifice and the wind of Gods benediction upon our offering and we shall return hence with mighty rushings in us the rushing down of sin the raising up of grace mighty mighty things will be done in us by the power of this Spirit and this Wind and as it came from Heaven so thither will it back again and carry us upon its wings to keep a perpetal Feast an Eternal Whitsunday all in the white Robes of everlasting Glory Blow O blessed Wind upon us this day blow away our chaff and dross and dust out of our performances breath into thy holy mysteries the breath of a life-giving life rush down all our sins before thee purifie and clense and refresh and revive and comfort us by thy saving breath that this wind may bring us good all the good of Heaven and Earth fill both our ears and hearts here with sounds and songs of joy and hereafter with Hallelujahs for evermore THE FIFTH SERMON UPON Whitsunday ACTS ii 1 2 3 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance WHen the day of Pentecost here was fully come ver 1. they were all filled says the Text ver 4. and began to speak Now the day is fully come again we also are full of matter as Elihu told Iob Iob xxxii 18. and we must speak For 't is a day of Tongues a day to speak in and a day to speak of too to speak magnalia in it and of it of the great things of God and the great things of the day the wonderful works of God ver 11. which were this day wrought by the descent of the holy Spirit To this end the Spirit descended to this end the Tongues came to this end both appeared that we might learn to use our Tongues and Spirits to set forth his praise every one according as the Spirit gives him utterance according to the gift and place that God has given him We as the Apostles and Ministers of the Spirit you as Disciples to be taught by us you to ask with those hearers ver 37. Men and brethren what shall we do We as St. Peter ver 38. to tell you what to do We faithfully to preach the Word the remission of sins and the gifts of the holy Ghost ver 38. you gladly to receive it ver 41. We to begin the Anthem you to make the Chorus for the service of this days solemnity both of us to bear our parts to day in praises and thanksgivings for the benefits we receive from this days business We have the last year begun to speak of it out of this Text we begin again to speak of it hence this year shall do as the Spirit shall give us utterance To hold our peace to day were to sin against the Spirit who this day gave us all our tongues to speak And I hope nor we nor you will be silent of his glory no such evil shall befall us For a day of good tidings it is was so when it came first will be so now 't is come again and when ever it comes about was so to the Disciples will be so I hope to us to hear the voice of a Comforter to see his appearance or out hear of it The Text is the Story of it the Relation of the coming of the Comforter the descent of the Holy Ghost In it when time was we observed these four Particulars I. The disposition of them the Spirit comes upon II. The way and manner and order he comes after III. The Effect and Issue that comes upon it And IV. The Time when it came to pass I. The disposition of those the Spirit comes upon is such as makes men to be of one accord that brings them all to one place upon such days as Pentecost on the solemn feasts makes them then and there sit quietly and orderly expecting Christ a unanimous Church-like orderly devout and religious disposition Upon such and such only is it that the holy Spirit comes II. The way manner and order of his coming is as a mighty wind and like as fire Suddenly he came came as a sound as a sound from heaven as a sound of a rushing mighty wind and such a one too as filled all the house Oâ—me 2. as fire as tongues of fire as cloven tongues of fire such fire yet as sace upon them and did no hurt heavenly and coelestial fire Thus he came to day III. The Effect and Issue is filling the filling of all that then were present with ghost and spirit Holy-Ghost and spirit then with words and tongues and speech even according to the measure or pleasure of the Spirit This the issue of the holy Spirits coming fulness and spirit and ability and utterance new hearts and new spirits new languages and sobriety to use them IV. The time the Time of Pentecost when it was fully come when all was ready persons and place and time fully disposed and fit then comes the holy Spirit then came all these things to pass I put this last though it stands first that I might close up all at least in good time and order There wants nothing now O blessed Spirit to go on and finish but that thou shouldst come and order all our thoughts and spirits that we may humbly receive the sound of thy holy
and fiery the earth by the Ox that tills it the air by man that breaths it the water by the Eagle which as other fowl was made out of it Gen. i. 20. All these indeed we find called in by the holy Psalmist to make up the song of praise Psal. cxlviii and by the three Children in the fiery furnace to make up theirs that we may know the Fire and all the Elements Beasts and all Creatures praise him as well as man nay better are readier commonly to do it than he that he is fain even the devoutest he of all of us to cry out to them to come in with their notes to help him out and fill up the Choir 4. Some think Gods title of slow to anger and swift to mercy is by these four here exprest by way of Hieroglyphick by the Oxe slowness by the Lion anger by the Eagle swiftness and by the Man mercy represented to us And without doubt or question in this slowness to wrath and swiftness to have mercy is Gods greatest glory and for them we most willingly give him glory must not cease at any time to give him glory 5. Others suppose it an Hieroglyphick of Christ himself who in his Incarnation appear'd in the form or face of a man in his Passion like a Calf or Oxe for sacrifice in his Resurrection like a Lion the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah in his Ascension like an Eagle and if this pass the meaning is that by Christ Gods glory is most advanced by his Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascension heaven and earth is filled with his glory and for this above all the rest for him and his benefits we are to give God the greatest glory there as it were begins all our praise thence the twenty four Elders first throw down their Crowns and fall down and worship as it were acknowledging him the beginning of all the good we receive both of grace and glory Christ the Author and Original of them all But 6. to come a little near These four living Creatures say others represent the four Evangelists that preach Christs Life and Death Resurrection and Ascension into glory The Lion St. Mark for he begins his Gospel as it were with the voice of a Lion roaring in the Wilderness The Calf or Oxe St. Luke who begins his with the story of a Levitical Priest whose Ministry was about the Sacrifice of Calves and Oxen. The Man St. Matthew who takes his rise from the Genealogy of men The Eagle St. Iohn who at the very first soars up on high that we had need of Eagles wings and eyes to follow and discern him By these four indeed Gods grace and mercy Christs name and glory is spread over the face of all the earth and by this we learn that to preach and teach and publish the things of Christ is to give God praise and glory a singular and notable way to do so 7. Some that suppose they yet hit it nearer conceive God here brought in in the Vision sitting as the Bishop of Ierusalem with all the Bishops of Iudea in council all about him as Acts xv it seems they did and these four living Creatures about the Throne to be those four chief Apostles St. Peter St. Iohn St. Barnabas and St. Paul there present rank'd here higher than the rest St. Peter for his primacy set first and resembled by the Lion for his fiery zeal and fervour St. Paul deciphered by the Oxe in respect of his labours more abundantly than they all St. Barnabas intimated by the Man as being a Son of consolation humanity and mercy by the interpretation of his name St. Iohn pointed at by the Eagle for those sublime and high speculations of the Divinity of Christ above all the rest These were the four great Standard-bearers of the Christian Israel for these four living Creatures were born in the standard of old Israel and here alluded to these the four great Champions and Defenders the Planters and Propagators of the Christian Faith of the blessed Trinity of the glory of God and Christ throughout the world And thus we see to undertake the business of the Gospel to take pains and labour to defend and propagate it with all our might and main is an actual and real glorifying of God and Christ. Yet lastly whatever these may be imagined to represent to us or whomsoever to point out or what council or persons or judicature soever to resemble Angels to be sure they were that thus represented the Vision to St. Iohn and as such if we consider them we may conclude all the business with this Lesson that the business of heaven as well as earth of Angels as well as men is to be imployed in Praises and thanksgivings to the Almighty an imployment therefore well worth our time and pains and study Now put all these together and I cannot give you a fuller description of the way to praise and glorifie him than these have given you For to do it as we should is 1. to live vertuously 2. To employ all the powers and faculties of soul and body to his service 3. To call in all the Creatures to help us to do it and to use them to it 4. To reflect often upon both his mercies and his judgments and acknowledge his goodness in them both 5. To meditate upon the Life the Death the Resurrection the Ascension of Christ with all devotion and humility 6. To preach and publish it what we can 7. To defend and maintain it to our utmost power 8. To reckon it lastly an Angels work a heavenly piece of business thus to spend our days and years in giving glory to the most highest And if heaven and earth and all the creatures else besides sinful man become thus the Trumpets of their Creators glory and in all their several ways and orders ambitiously contrive themselves into the instruments of it what strange creatures must we needs be that either neglect it or forget it Heaven and earth says our morning Hymn are full of the Majesty of thy glory we can be no other than hell then that are empty of it that do not resound it Dragons and all deeps says the Psalmist Psal. cxlviii 7. all but the old Dragon and the bottomless deep the deep of hell all praise him else You see what we bring our selves to by our unthankfulness what a sad condition they are in who give not glory unto God who delight not in magnifying and praising him who are against the Hymns and Anthems to that purpose Thus you see it done in the Text by Saints and Angels in the Heavens by Apostles and Evangelists on the Earth Thus de facto so it was then But 't is as well a Prediction of what should be after that not only the present Age of the Apostles and holy Bishops then but the succeeding Ages also of the Church should acknowledge the glory of the undivided Trinity And it fell out accordingly Not
things beyond the ordinary course of action seem mad though we be sober as the Prophets did sometimes when the Spirit came upon them lay down naked use strange gesture or speak words with Caiphas which at the time we understand not run like mad-men with some Martyrs into flames and fires to blocks and halters upon the sudden powerful and miraculous motion of Gods Spirit or Grace within us These for all that not to be looks for now Yet 't is ever to be noted here that how strange soever the expressions of some holy Saints have been in such excesses though they have not understood themselves yet others have they never spoke non-sense by the Spirit never blasphemy never contradictions to holy Scripture never any thing against Christian Patience and Obedience We have heard of late of the Pattern in the Mount a Church talked of to be form'd according to that Pattern Indeed it seems to have somewhat of St. Peter's Bonnm est of his desire to be with Christ without the Cross to build Tabernacles here for him a new Kingdom upon earth to set up King Iesus a phrase much canted but to this St. Luke gives his dash 'T is a Nesciens quid diceret that neither he nor they know what they say what they would have 'T is meer fear of I know not what a fear where no fear is a meer stupor as St. Mark and a desiring what is not to be desired an expectation of what is not to be expected of nothing but ease and pleasure and glory in Christs service Their present condition and successes make them say and wish they know not what For if we truly examine it we shall find this saying what comes next we heed not what comes from present contentments and successes when all things succeed to our mind then we begin to forget our selves or not to know our selves Worldly felicities commonly so transport us that we know not care not what we say or do our greatness we think shall bear us out We say in our hast too with David we shall never be removed so care not what we say how we behave our selves to God and Man only Bonum est esse hic we set our selves to enjoy our pleasures and build houses for them that shall come after Yet 't is worth the noting that whilst we are thus speaking we speak often against our selves when we do not intend it We call all our great buildings all our great hopes but Tabernacles with St. Peter so as it were presaging their remove that they are of no long continuance and abiding How many have we heard of in their times who have by some sudden word some unexpected expression been the presages of their own ruine and by the slip of some unlucky syllable or two doom'd the period and fore-told the shortness of this Mountain of Glory Of so unhappy speech are we when we begin to talk of any glory or continuance upon the high places of the earth we pitch a word instead of a Tabernacle that takes away all our bonum est esse hic on a sudden even whilst we mean no such matter whilst we know not what we say And as no holy company Moses nor Elias nor Christs own can keep us from all indiscretion in our speech no more then they did St. Peter so neither do they keep us from undoing our selves often with our own language We in a passion say we know not what enough to throw down all our Tabernacles remove all our Bonum est all our goods The more need then with the Psalmist of setting a watch before our lips and a guard before our mouths that we offend not in our tongues that we consider what we say before we say it that we learn to speak before we speak it that we keep our mouths even from good words as the same holy Prophet has it that we do not take up every word that seems good and godly but weigh and ponder it in the ballance of the Sanctuary by Christs Rule and Precept before we utter it And so doing and so speaking we may in all conditions high and low in glory and ignominy in prosperity and adversity in all companies in all places say merrily and cheerfully without danger Master it is good for us to be here and make Tabernacles here for Christ and Moses and Elias to keep them with us we may build in the Mountain or in the Valley without fear of this censure not knowing what we do All will be good unto us all will work for good if we temper our words and speak them soberly and place them rightly and direct them every one to his hic nunc to his proper object and circumstances and Christ will tarry with us and Moses not forsake us and Elias not depart away out of the Mountain from us till we come to the everlasting Hills to eternal Mansions houses not made with hands eternal in the Heavens to dwell with Christ and Moses and Elias and all the Patriarchs and Prophets see them face to face be transfigured and cloth'd in bright shining garments and shine like Stars for ever and ever THE FIRST SERMON UPON All Saints PSAL. cxlix 9. Such honour have all his Saints SO the Text So the day a day dedicated to God in honour of all his Saints Such honour has God allowed them such honour has the holy Church bestow'd upon them Because they are his and as his here they are had in honour because his holy ones Sancti ejus as his Saints or holy ones honour'd with a holy day or if you will God honoured in them on the day For this honour also have all the Saints that all the honour done to them all the honour done by them by the Saints in earth to the Saints in heaven all the vertues of the one all the praises of the other are to the honour and praise and glory of God in all the Congregations of the Saints whether in heaven or earth 'T is not fit therefore any of them should be forgotten from whose memories God receives so much not reasonable to deny them any honour that so redounds to Gods The Psalm gives them it and the Day gives them it God says they shall have this honour and the Church this day pays it and we must pay it if we honour either him or her God or the Church or Father or mother pay it to them all to all to whom 't is due all honour that is due This is a day for us to meet all together to pay it in for them altogether to receive it in We cannot do it to all severally they are too many we may do it to all together We profess a great Article of our faith the Communion of Saints by doing it are therefore surely not too blame for doing it having so good authority so good a ground so good a profession for it For say our new Saints what they will unsaint
commission to call us to it or command it for his service or his Churches and we not to undertake it till we find our selves truly enabled rightly called and uprightly intending in it To joyn now the two Points of the Text together to know our right grounds and settle our obedience right upon them that we may know what we undertake when we undertake to follow Christ and do accordingly not pretend above our strength but keep Advent and St. Andrew both We are 1. to provide by St. Andrews obedience for Christs Advent that he when he at any times comes to us either in his Spirit or in his Word in humility or glory in our lives or at our deaths may find us ready straight to follow him No so acceptable entertainment for him no so fit preparation for him as a ready entire well guided obedience none so fit to receive him as St. Andrew the Soul so fitted and resolved to all obedience Thus we are to make our way for Advent by St. Andrew And to keep St. Andrews Feast to give our selves up to this obedience we must remember Christs Advent to us that we cannot follow till he first come to us acknowledge all our motion is from his Look he first upon us and speak to us and we straightway run but if he come not there is no following to be expected much less hast to do it All is from him to him therefore be all the praise if at any time or wherein at any time we follow him 't is his grace that does it that comes first before we follow And then thirdly to keep time to joyn both Feasts together in our hearts all the days of our life as well as in this day of the year Magnifie we him in his Saints follow we St. Andrew as he did Christ follow him to Christ chearfully without delay to day whilst it is day begin our course let us not think much to part with any thing for him Lay our honours riches souls and bodies at his feet and with pure and unmixt intentions study we wholly his service not our own Let not any be discouraged that perhaps he has nothing worth the leaving nothing but a few old broken nets Be it never so little we have left if we have left our selves nothing but given our selves and all to Christ we have given much he that with these Saints here leaves nothing but a few knotty threds if he has no more to leave has left as much as he that leaves most for he has left all and he that leaves most can do no more It is the mind not the much that God values Remember the poor Widows mites accepted by Christ above far greater gifts for they were all she had and who could give more The poor mans all is as much to him and as much all to God as the rich mans all his tatter'd Nets as much all his living as the others Lands and Seas are his and the poor man can as hardly part with his rags and clouts his leather bottle his mouldy bread and clouted shoes as the rich man with his silks and state and dainties so much perhaps the hardlier in that they are more necessary Yet that I may not seem to leave you upon too hard a task to scare you from following Christ I shall now tell you you may keep all and yet leave your nets You may keep your honours you may preserve your estates you may enjoy your worldly blessings only so keep a hand upon them or upon your selves that they be not nets and snares unto you let them not take your hearts or ensnare your affections or entangle your souls in vanities and sins let them not hold you from following Christ and keep them while you will Cast but off the Networks the catching desires of the flesh and world and so you also may be said to have left your nets And having so weaned your souls from inordinate affections to things below Let Christ be your Business his Life your Pattern his Commands your Law Be ye followers of Christ and let St. Andrew this day lead you after him into all universal obedience ready pure and sincere think not much to leave your Nets for him that left heaven for you you will gain more by following him than all the nets and draughts of the world are worth You may well throw away your Nets having caught him in whom you have caught glory and immortality and eternal life and by following him shall undoubtedly come at last out of this Sea of toil and misery where there is nothing but broken nets and fruitless labours or but wearisom and slippery fruits of them into the Port and Haven of everlasting rest and joys and happiness And that it may be so let us pray with the holy Church in the two Collects for Advent and St. Andrew Almighty God which didst give such grace to thy holy Apostle St. Andrew that he readily obey'd the calling of thy Son Iesus Christ and followed him without delay grant unto us all that we being called by thy holy Word may forthwith give â—ver our selves obediently to fulfil thy holy Commandments that we may cast away the works of darkness and put upon us the armour of light now in the time of this mortal life in the which thy Son Iesus Christ came to visit us with great humility that in the last day when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead we may rise to the life immortal through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost now and ever A SERMON Preached At St. Pauls COL iii. 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body and be ye thankful HOw little or much soever the Colossians needed this advice I am sure we do more than a little and much need there is to press it close For I know not but methinks as much as we talk of peace and write it in the front of our Petitions and Projects I am afraid our hearts are not right to it it rules not there And as much as we pretend our thankfulness to God for bringing us again into one body we see but slender expressions of it And yet we have the same Arguments both for thankfulness and peace to be thankful for our late recovered peace and to be at peace if we would be thought to be thankful as the Colossians had or could be imagined to have here our being called again into one body who were not long since in several ones united now under one head who were of late under many Gods Call and our own Callings Gods present mercies and our late miseries calling to us to perswade both There wants indeed some St. Paul to mind us of it to preach it home that we would be what we pretend that men would be honest once and either say no more
you may find all for ever You study to make all as sure as you can Gods Promise is the best assurance and here it is Do what he here commands and you shall not fear what man can do unto you The Lord of Hosts is on your side Else I cannot but tell you All may fail you The wine and delicates you eat and drink the houses and stately Palaces you Lord it in the Lands and Possessions the Riches State and Pomp you have to this day triumphed in your Wives and Children all you think so everlastingly to enjoy by rising up so much to defend them may in a moment vanish and your high flown thoughts die before you You have no assurance from heaven so to settle your estates and fortunes no Dicit Dominus for that This is only Gods way for thriving by Obedience Nay and the Religion you so much seem to contend for against Innovations by the greatest Innovations in Church and State tumults riots and prophanest usages that also will for ever fail you You want men to stand before God for ever and instead of them find men to stand before you Micah's Levites do what seems good in your sight not in Gods so stand before you as to hinder you from standing before God stand in your sight and blind you from seeing the right way to heaven Thus you will want your old honours profits liberties Religion all But if you will return and hear and hearken and submit to your ancient Fathers your King and Church your Magistrates and Clergy observe and keep and do your ancient Laws and Customs I dare warrant you what God promises to the Rechabites he shall perform to you Your City shall flourish your places be renowned your Liberties encrease your persons rise up in honour your estates prosper your affairs succeed your children be famous your Posterity happy your Religion display the glories of her first primitive purity and all go on successfully for ever And when this Ever shall have swallowed up the days of time you shall stand still immovable immortal glorious before him in whose sight is the fulness of joy where you shall one day meet your Children and stand all together Kings and Subjects Priests and People Fathers and Children before your heavenly Father see him face to face in the beatifical vision for ever and ever To which He bring us through his eternal Son who was obedient unto death to teach us obedience of life unto life Iesus Christ to which Two Persons with the Holy Ghost be all Praise and Glory Obedience and Worship for evermore Amen FINIS A Table of the Texts of Scripture handled in the fore-going SERMONS A Sermon on the First Sunday in Advent Folio 1 St. MAT. xxi 9. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried saying Hosannah to the Son of David Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest A Sermon on the Second Sunday in Advent 13 St. MARK i. 3. Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight A Sermon on the Third Sunday in Advent 23 St. LUKE xxi 27 28. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a Cloud with Power and great glory And when these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh A Sermon on the Fourth Sunday in Advent 33 PHIL. iv 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand The First Sermon on Christmas-Day 45 ISA. xi 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Iesse which shall stand for an Ensign of the People to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious The Second Sermon on Christmas-Day 53 St. LUKE xi 7. And she brought forth her First-born Son and wrapped him in Swadling-clothes and laid him in a Manger because there was no room for them in the Inn. The Third Sermon on Christmas-Day 63 St. JOHN i. 16. And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace The Fourth Sermon on Christmas-Day 73 1 TIM i. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief The Fifth Sermon on Christmas-Day 85 PSAL. xlv 3. Thou art fairer then the Children of men full of grace are thy lips because God hath blessed thee for ever The Sixth Sermon on Christmas-Day Folio 97 St. LUKE i. 68 69. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David The Seventh Sermon on Christmas-Day 109 2 COR. viii 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich The Eighth Sermon on Christmas-Day 119 PSAL. viii 4 5. What is man that thou art mindful of him And the Son of man that thou visitest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship The Ninth Sermon on Christmas-Day 129 St. LUKE ii 30 31 32. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel A Sermon on St. Stephens Day 143 ACTS vii 55 56. But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God And said Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God A Sermon on Innocents Day 151 St. MAT. ii 16. Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise men was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the Children that were in Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the Wise men The First Sermon on the Circumcision 163 2 COR. v. 17. Old things are past away behold all things are become new The Second Sermon on the Circumcision 172 St. LUKE ii 21. His Name was called Iesus The First Sermon on the Epiphany 182 St. MAT. ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their Treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe The Second Sermon on the Epiphany 192 St. MAT. ii 10. When they saw the Star they rejoyced with exceeding great joy The Third Sermon on the Epiphany Folio 202 St. MAT. ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their Treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe A Sermon upon St. Paul's Day
Preached at St. Pauls 213 NEHEM xiii 14. Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the Offices thereof The First Sermon on the Day of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin 226 St. LUKE ii 27 28. And when the Parents brought in the Child Iesus to do for him after the custom of the Law Then took he him up in his arms and blessed God The Second Sermon on the Day of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin 239 St. LUKE ii 28. Then took he him up in his arms and blessed God A Sermon on the First Sunday in Lent 250 2 COR. vi 2. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation A Sermon on the Second Sunday in Lent 263 1 COR. ix 27. But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a castaway A Sermon on the Third Sunday in Lent 276 ROM viii 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed For the end of those things is death A Sermon on the Fourth Sunday in Lent 286 1 COR. ix 24. So run that you may obtain A Sermon on the Fifth Sunday in Lent 296 1 COR. ix 25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things Now they do it to obtain a corruptible Crown but we an incorruptible A Sermon on the Sixth Sunday in Lent 305 DEUT. xxxii 29. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end A Sermon on the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary 317 St. LUKE i. 28. And the Angel came in unto her and said Hail thou that art highly favoured The Lord is with thee Blessed art thâ—â— among women A Sermon on Palm Sunday Folio 329 S. MAT. xxi 8. And a very great multitude spread their Garments in the way others cut down branches from the Trees and strewed them in the way A Sermon upon Good Friday 339 1 COR. ii 2. For I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified The First Sermon upon Easter Day 349 St. LUKE xxiv 4 5 6. And it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout behold two men stood by them in shining Garments And as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth they said unto them Why seek ye the living among the dead He is not here but is risen The Second Sermon upon Easter Day 359 St. MAT. xxvii 52 53. And the Graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose And came out of the Graves after his Resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many The Third Sermon upon Easter Day 369 PSAL. cxviii 24. This is the Day which the Lord hath made We will rejoyce and be glad in it The Fourth Sermon upon Easter Day 379 St. MAT. xxviii 5 6. And the Angel answered and said unto the women Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Iesus which was crucified He is not here for he is risen as he said Come see the place where the Lord lay The Fifth Sermon upon Easter Day 392 1 COR. xv 19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable A Sermon upon Ascension Day 408 PSAL. xxiv 3 4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand up in his holy place Even he that hath clean hands and a pure heart and hath not lift up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour The First Sermon upon Whitsunday 416 St JOHN iii. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit The Second Sermon upon Whitsunday 427 St. JOHN xvi 13. Howbeit when He the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth The Third Sermon upon Whitsunday Folio 443 St. JOHN xvi 13. Howbeit when He the Spirit of Truth is come He will guide you into all truth The Fourth Sermon upon Whitsunday 453 ACTS ii 1 2 3 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance The Fifth Sermon upon Whitsunday 463 ACTS ii 1 2 3 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance A Sermon upon Trinity Sunday 473 REV. iv 8. And they rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come The First Sermon upon the Calling of St. Peter 481 St. LUKE v. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord. The Second Sermon upon the Calling of St. Peter 491 St. LUKE v. 5. Master we have toyled all the night and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net A Sermon upon the Transfiguration 504 St. LUKE ix 33. And it came to pass as they departed from him Peter said unto Iesus Master it is good for us to be here and let us make three Tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias not knowing what he said The First Sermon upon All Saints 516 PSAL. cxlix 9. Such honour have all his Saints The Second Sermon upon All Saints Folio 526 HEB. xii 1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race which is set before us A Sermon upon St. Andrews Day 542 St. MAT. iv 20. And they straightway left their Nets and followed him A Sermon Preached at St. Pauls 554 COL iii. 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body and be ye thankful A Sermon Preached at St. Pauls Cross. Sir Richard Gurney being then Lord Mayor 566 JER xxxv 18 19. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Because you have obeyed the commandment of Ionadab your Father and kept all his Precepts and done according unto all that he hath commanded you Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Ionadab the Son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever FINIS * 2. * Grace is poured into thy lipâ— * therefore * So the Psal. begins and so the Sermon * For †A little * And hast crowned I. General â— That a false hope in Christ there is What is required to a true hope in Christ. The several kinds of false hope compared with true ones Mat. 9. 13. Psal. 119. 81. Rom. 15. 4. Isa. 28. 16. 1 Pet. 3 15. 1 Pet. 1. 21. Gal. 5. 5. Psal. 42. 5. Heb. 6. 19. Heb. 10. 23. Heb. 3. 6. Heb. 6. 11. 1 Thes. 1. 3. 2 Thes. 3. 5. 2. That hope in Christ in this life only is a false hope also and what it is 1 Cor. 15. 12 2 Tim. 2. 18. 3. The Effect of false Hopes Misery 1. Loss Losâ— of all good Heb. 11. 35. 2. Pain or sense of evil John 8. 24 4. The persons which are most miserable of all 1 Cor. 4. 9 10 c. S. Joh. 15. 19. II. General The Christians hope is not in Christ for this life only That the Châ—istian of all men is not miserable 2 Cor. 12. 10. Acts 16. 15. 2 Chron. 35. 10. St. Mat. ix 9. S. Mat. 4. 18. Acts 9. 3. Acts 10. 44. St. Luke 17. 34. St. Mat. 24. 41. Jon. 2. 1. Prov. 1. 3. Isa. 6. 2. * This. 1 Cor. 13. 1. The Cloud Isa. 44. 22 Why not a Star Why Nubem in the Singular Nubem not Nubeculam Taâ—tam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nubem martyrum Testium How Testium Why Testium What required to Testium Habentes our Company Habentes nobis Nubem impositam Circumpositam a 〈◊〉 The spectators Not Suppositam Not Superpositam Not Praepositam Application Haâ—bentes Heabentes nobis Habentes circumpositam Impediments of running 1 Pondus 1 Quid Pâ—câ—a tum 2 Quare pondus 3 Quotuples The removal Both together Aâ— jecto ponderâ— Deponentes pondus 2 Pondus Divâ—liarum Abjecto 〈◊〉 The first remove Abjecto pondere Abjecto pondere divâ—â—taâ—um Deposito Râ—po sitâ— 3 Depositis nonoribus Omni pondere non â—nere II. Impediment Peccatum circumstans Gal. 4. Acts 22. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Curramus Certamen Cereamen justitiae Fidei Martyrii Certamen propositum Propositum nobis Per Paâ—ientiam Quid. Per patientiam curramus Quâ—modo curâ—endum Hâ—b 10. 2â— Propositum nobis Thâ— Crown Ideoque
the matter and speak home Is this doing any other than only one particular way of praising glorifying and magnifying of the Name and are not all the Scriptures expressions so for doing that and for declaring it and is this any more How ordinary are the phrases of exalting and blessing and praising and sanctifying of his Name and making of it to be glorious of a glory due to his Name Psal. xxix 2. of the honour of his Name to be sung forth Psal lxvi 2. And sure the Scripture knows how to speak And though the Name of Iesus be not I confess directly and immediately meant in those places but the Name of God yet thus much we have certain thence that 1. the honour done to his Name be it by words or any expression else for all our outward expressions have the same ground and reason are duties of the Text And that 2. the Name of Iesus being now the Name of God it can be no superstition to do the same to that Now the Jews I must tell you never mentioned the Name of God without an adoration and a Benedictus when ever they mentioned it they bowed themselves and added always Blessed for ever or blessed for evermore as you have St. Paul Rom. i. 25. 2 Cor. i. 3. Ephes. i. 3. 1 Pet. i. 3. 2 Cor. xi 21. 1 Tim. vi 15. nay doing no less to the Name of Christ Rom. ix 5. mentioning him there with the same words after it So that it is but reasonable to suppose the Christians should do as much to the Name of Iesus thereby to possess themselves that he was God and to possess others against those rising Heresies that were then starting up to rob him of the honour of his God-head And I cannot but fear that such as obstinately deny this worship to it do as inwardly grudge at that Article of Faith that believes him to be God and are little better in their hearts than old Arians or new Socinians or well looking towards them But I add no more only remember you that we daily cry out in the Te Deum We worship thy Name ever world without end and if we do not why do we say so But say that or not say good of it however I hope we will and as David's phrase is speak good of his Name omnia bona dicere say all the good speak of all the good we receive by it Say good of it and make others 3. say good of it not give others occasion to speak ill of it to blaspheme that holy Name by which we are called not blaspheme it our selves neither by our words nor by our actions not blaspheme it by Oaths and Curses not blaspheme it by our evil lives not use it irreverently not speak of it slightly not cause others to say Lo these are your Christians these your professors to worship Iesus men that cannot so much as speak well of his Name which they pretend to be saved by Carry our selves we will I hope as men that have a portion in Jesus a share in salvation Praise his Name 4. and give thanks to it that sure no body will deny him praise and thanks for what he has done by it And 5. love his Name we must too love to think of it love to be speaking of it 'T is reported of the holy Ignatius that the Name of Iesus was so frequently in his mouth that it was even found written in his heart when he was dead found written there in golden Characters And 't is affirmed by good Authors Oh that this sweet Name were written in our hearts too while we are living that it were daily meditated upon and heartily lov'd by us as it should We would then 6. call upon it oftner than we do be ever calling on it We have a promise to be heard for whatever we ask in it St. Iohn xiv 13 14. And we have an authentick example Christs first Martyr so to do Acts vii 59. Be we not afraid then of the tongues of foolish men but open we the morning and shut in the evening with it begin and end our days with it in our months Nay lastly begin and end all our works and actions with it do all in the name of the Lord Iesus Col. iii. 17. whatsoever we do in word or deed says the Apostle there we can neither begin nor end better How sweet is the Name of Iesus or a Saviour at the on-set of our work to save and keep us from all miscarriage in it How sweet is it again when we have done if we can say Iesus again that we have sav'd by it been saved in it and shall one day be saved through it that Iesus runs through all with us So then remember we to begin and end all in Iesus the New Testament the Covenant of our Salvation begins and ends so The generation of Iesus so it begins and come Lord Iesus so it ends May we all end so too and when we are going hence commend our spirits with St. Stephen into his hands and when he comes may he receive them to sing Praises and Allelujahs to his blessed Name amidst the Saints and Angels in his glorious Kingdom for ever THE FIRST SERMON ON THE EPIPHANY St. MAT. ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe A Day this of the luckiest Aspect a Text this of the happiest success that ever Travellers met with Never had Journey better success never pains more happily bestowed than in the Text and on the Day Christ the end of all our travel the full reward of all our pains was here this Day found by the Wise men after a twelve days Journey And what wise man would not think himself well paid for all his labour were it not so many days but years not so many years but ages so that after all he might bless his eyes with this happy sight Well may these fortunate Travellers in thankfulness fall down and worship and offer presents Wise men could do no other and we if we be wise will do no less For ordinary and common blessings we bend our knees and present our offerings to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ but for the Lord Iesus Christ himself 't is not bending but falling down not offering of all praises only but praises and offerings of all our selves and all we have which can any way look like a thankfulness correspondent to so great a benefit This is a mercy not to be forgotten this Day especially so falling out affordeth us by its double holiness as our Lords Day and our Lord Epiphany an invincible occasion to remember and praise him in it Double holiness said I trebble I may say and more Three Epiphanies the Church reckons upon this Day Christ three sundry and divers ways
manifested to the world 1. The first to the Wise men Strangers and Gentiles by a Star 2. The second to the Iews by a voice from Heaven and the Holy Ghost descending thence in form of a Dove upon him at his Baptism 3. The third to his own Country-men of Galilee at the Marriage at Cana by his first Miracle All three commemorated upon this Day the first in the Gospel the other two in the two second Lessons for the Day Of these we have pitched upon the first as most concerning us who once were Gentiles as well as they who this Day by the conduct of a Star were brought into the house and into the presence of their new-born King and Saviour We then as men concerned in these first fore-runners of our Faith the first fruits of us sinners of the Gentiles are to take notice of their good behaviour as well as their good fortune as well how they carried themselves to Christ when they had found him as how they found him as well how they carried themselves towards Christ as how they were brought to him Four points we have of it They came They saw They worshipped They offered This is the sum of this Days solemnity of the Wise mens Religion and should be of ours Such service was done then such service is due still to Christ the Saviour So four parts we have of the Text. 1. The Wise mens coming And when they were come into the house 2. Their seeing They saw the Child with Mary his Mother 3. Their worship They fell down and worshipped 4. Their offering When they had opened their treasures they presented to him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe Their coming their seeing their worshiping their offering are the parts of the Text and shall be of my comment and discourse I enter first upon their Intrantes and When they were come into the house Their coming that first where we are to consider 1. The parties who 2. Their coming what 3. Their place whither Who they were the first verse expresses Wise men from the East Wise men and come so far to see a Child in his Mothers arms certainly either the Child is some extraordinary great personage whose birth also much concerns them or they have lost their wits to take so long and troublesom a Journey to so little purpose A great personage indeed and this the wisest act that ever yet they did in all their lives The King of the Iews they stile him the Messiah they meant one indeed that should be born King of the Iews but should be made King of the Gentiles too In him shall the Gentiles trust saith the Prophet rule over them as well as those he should protect and save them too from their enemies out of the hands of all that hate them And to get interest in him betimes to get to be among the first of those that submit to him and bring him presents was the wisest piece of all the wisdom of either East or West Wise men the Scripture calls them Wise men this act proves them had they never done any thing wise before and Wise men they shall ever be in holy Language whatsoever the world esteem or style them who at any time think no pains or cost too much to come to Christ to come and worship him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek names them A word which latter ages have always or most commonly taken in the worser sense for men addicted to unlawful Arts as we sometimes in our own tongue also call such Wise men whom we deem little better than Wizards The word had not that acception from the first 't was time and some mens ill practices that corrupted it but be it what it will this we may learn by it that 1. God qui suaviter disponit omnia the sweet disposer of all things does often draw a testimony to his truth even from the mouth of falshood makes even the Devils to confess it That 2. he sometimes calls men to himself by the violence of their own principles be they true or false makes some Star or other sometimes guide those great doaters on Astrology beyond what is right as here to Christs Cradle so at other times to his Chair to learn of him and become Disciples makes them sometimes burn their Books to study his Makes the Heretick sometimes to confute himself by his own wandring principles into the truth again makes the perverse and obstinate man weary himself at last into Christian meekness and moderation by the wearisomness of his own perverseness Thus the wisest may be caught in his own net e're he is aware if God please to do him so much good and wound into a truth or a piece of piety which he so much struggled to avoid Nay 3. by these Wise mens coming such kind of wise-men from the East you may see there is no sin so enormous of so orient a dye no practice or trade of it so strong though taken up at the East or Sun-rise of our days which Grace cannot overcome no sinner so great from the East to the West but the Grace of Christ can either draw or win or catch or force to him Antiquity delivers these Wise men for Kings or some great personages to us Magi both in Persia and Arabia was a name of honour and the men Princes at the least So that as before we told you sinners great sinners might by their example come to Christ God often brought them So we now must tell you that persons of honour the greatest persons must not think much of a little pains or a few days Journey upon Christs errand or to do him service nay but to pay their worship to him He that shall consider our days and our addresses now to God and his Son Christ and compare them with what these Wise men did here will say we are the Heathen these the Christians we meer Arabians strangers from the Covenant of Grace men born and bred in the Wilderness of Arabia where there is nothing but perpetual drought no heavenly shower of grace ever comes these only Believers We the great persons that Christ himself must wait upon if he will be seen these the humble servants that will undertake any thing to see him And here it seems if we now secondly examine their coming they thought much of no pains or care to find him out They came into the house Many a weary step had they trod many a fruitless question had they askt many an unprofitable search had they made to find him and behold yet they will not give over Twelve days it had cost them to come to Ierusalem through the Arabian Desarts over the Arabian Mountains both Arabia Deserta Petraea the difficulty of the way through Sands and Rocks the danger of the passages being infamous for Robbers the cold and hardness of a deep Winter season the hazzard and inconvenience of so long so hard so unseasonable so dangerous