speaking so here is no express precept for Doing The Holy Ghost saw there would be Doing enough business enough in Court for as silence and halfe silence whispering may have a loud voice so even undoing may be a busie Doing and therefore here 's onely a Rule to regulate our Doings too Sic facite So do ye And lastly as there is speaking enough even in silence and Doing enough even in undoing in Court So the Court is alwayes under judgement enough Every discontented person that hath miss'd his preferment though he have not merited it every drunkard that is over-heat though not with his own wine every conjecturing person that is not within the distance to know the ends or the ways of great Actions will Judge the highest Counsels and Executions of those Councels The Court is under judgement enough and they take liberty enough and therefore here is a rule to regulate our liberty A law of liberty So speak ye and c. But though for the more benefit of the present congregation we fix the first point of this Circle that is the principal purpose of the Holy Ghost upon the Court yet our Text is an Amphitheater An Amphitheater consists of two Theaters Our Text hath two parts in which all men all may fit and see themselves acted first in the obligation that is laid upon us upon us all Sic loquimini sic facite And then in the Reason of this Holy diligence and religious cautelousness Quia judicandi Because you are all to be judged by c. which two general parts the Obligation and the Reason flowing into many sub-divided branches I shall I think do better service both to your understandings and to your memory and to your Affections and Consciences to present them as they shall arise anon in their order then to pour them out all at once now Part I. Loquimini First then in our first part we look to our Rule in the first Duty our speaking Sic loquimini So speak ye The Comique Poet gives us a good Caution Si servus semper consuescat silentio fiet nequam That servant that says nothing thinks ill As our Nullifidians Men that put all upon works and no faith and our Solisidians Men that put all upon faith and no works are both in the wrong So there is a danger in Multi loquio and another in Nulli loquio He that speaks over-freely to me may be a Man of dangerous conversation And the silent and reserv'd Man that makes no play but observes and says nothing may be more dangerous then he As the Romane Emperor professed to stand more in fear of one pale man and lean man then of twenty that studyed and pursued their pleasures and lov'd their ease because such would be glad to keep things in the state they then were but the other sort affected changes so for the most part he that will speak lies as open to me as I to him speech is the Balance of conversation Therefore as God is not Merx but pretium Gold is not ware but the price of all ware So speaking is not Doing but yet fair speaking prepares an acceptation before and puts a value after upon the best actions God hath made other Creatures Gregalia sociable besides man Sheep and Deer and Pigeons will flock and herd and troup and meet together but when they are met they are not able to tell one another why they meet Man onely can speak silence makes it but a Herding That that makes Conversation is speech Qui datum deserit respuit datorem says Tertullian He that uses not a benefit reproaches his Benefactor To declare Gods goodness that hath enabled us to speak we are bound to speak speech is the Glue the Cyment the soul of Conversation and of Religion too Now your conversation is in heaven and therefore loquimini Deo first speak to him that is in heaven speak to God Some of the Platonique Philosophers thought it a profanation of God to speak to God They thought that when our Thoughts were made Prayers and that the Heart flow'd into the Tongue and that we had invested and apparel'd our Meditations with words this was a kinde of Painting and Dressing and a superfluous diligence that rather tasted of humane affections then such a sincere service as was fit for the presence of God Onely the first conceptions the first ebullitions and emanations of the soul in the heart they thought to be a fit sacrifice to God and all verball prayer to be too homely for him But God himself who is all spirit hath yet put on bodily lineaments Head and Hands and Feet yea and Garments too in many places of Scripture to appear that is to manifest himself to us And when we appear to God though our Devotion be all spiritual as he is all spirit yet let us put on lineaments and apparel upon our Devotions and digest the Meditations of the heart into words of the mouth God came to us in verbo In the word for Christ is The word that was made flesh Let us that are Christians go to God so too That the words of our mouth as well as the Meditations of our heart may be acceptable to him Surely God loves the service of Prayer or he would never have built a house for Prayer And therefore we justly call Publique prayer the Liturgy Service Love that place and love that service in that place Prayer They will needs make us believe that S. Francis preached to Birds and Beasts and Stones but they will not go about to make us believe that those Birds and Beasts and Stones joyned with S. Francis in Prayer God can speak to all things that 's the office of Preaching to speak to others But of all onely Man can speak to God and that 's the office of Prayer It is a blessed conversation to spend time in Discourse in Communication with God God went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham Gen. 18. ult When we leave praying God leaves us But God left not Abraham as long as he had any thing to say to God And we have always something to say unto him He loves to hear us tell him even those things which he knew before his Benefits in our Thankfulness And our sins in our Confessions And our necessities in our Petitions And therefore having so many Occasions to speak to God and to speak of God David ingeminates that and his ingemination implies a wonder O that men would And it is strange if Men will not O that men would says he more then once or twice O that men would praise the Lord and tell the wondrous works that he hath done for the sons of Men for David determines not his precept in that Be thankful unto him for a Tnankfulness may pass in private Psal 100.4 But Be Thankful unto him and speak good of his name Glorifie him in speaking to him in speaking of him in
there would be speaking enough in Courts for though there may be a great sin in silence a great prevarication in not speaking in a good cause or for an oppress'd person yet the lowest voice in a Court wispering it self speaks aloud and reaches far and therefore hear is only a rule to regulate our speach Sic loquimini so speak ye And then as here is no express precept for speaking so here is no express precept for doing The holy Ghost saw there would be doing enough business enough in Court for as silence and half-silence whispering may have a loud voice so even undoing may be a busie doing and therefore here is only a rule to regulate our doing to Sic facite So do ye And lastly as there is speaking enough even in silence and doing enough even in undoing in Court so the Court is alwaies under Judgment enough Every discontented person that hath miss'd his preferment though he have not merited it every drunkard that is over-heat though not with his own wine every conjecturing person that is not within the distance to know the ends or the waies of great actions will Judg the highest counsels and execution of those counsels The Court is under Judgment enough and they take liberty enough and therefore here is a rule to regulate our liberty a law of liberty so speak ye and c. But though for the more benefit of the present Congregation we fix the first point of this Circle that is the principal purpose of the holy Ghost upon the Court yet our text is an Amphitheater an Amphitheater consists of two Theaters our text hath two parts in which all men all may sit and see themselves acted first in the obligation that is laid upon us upon us all Sic loquimini Sic facite and then in the reason of this holy diligence and religious cautelousness quia Judicandi because you are all to be Judged by c. which two general parts the obligation and the reason flowing into many sub-divided branches I shall I think do better service both to your understanding and to your memory and to your affections and consciences to present them as they shall arise anon in their order then to pour them out all at once now First then in our first part we look to our rule in the first duty First part Loquimini our speaking Sic loquimini so speak ye The Comick Poet gives us a good caution Si servus semper consuescat silentio fiat nequam that servant that saies nothing thinks ill As our nullifidians men that put all upon works and no faith and our solifidians men that put all upon faith no works are both in the wrong so there is a danger in multiloquio another in nulliloquio he that speaks over-freely to me may be a man of dangerous conversation and the silent and reserv'd man that makes no play but observes and saies nothing may be more dangerous then he As the Roman Emperor professed to stand more in fear of one pale man and lean man then of twenty that studied and pursued their pleasures and lov'd there ease because such would be glad to keep things in the state they then were but the other sort affected changes so for the most part he that will speak lies as open to me as I to him speech is the balance of conversation Therefore as gold is not merx but pretium Gold is not ware but the price of all ware so speaking is not doing but yet fair speaking prepares an acceptation before and puts a value after upon the best actions God hath made other creatutes Gregalia sociable besides man sheep and deer and pigeons will flock and heard and troop and meet together but when they are met they are not able to tell one another why they met Man only can speak silence makes it but a hearding that that makes conversation is speech Qui datum deserit respuit datorem saies Tertullian He that uses not a benefit reproaches his benefactor To declare Gods goodness that hath enabled us to speak we are bound to speak speech is the glue the ciment the soul of conversation and of religion too Now your conversation is in heaven and therefore loquimini Deo Deo first speak to him that is in heaven speak to God Some of the Platonick Philosophers thought it a prophanation of God to speak to God they thought that when our thoughts were made prayers and that the heart slow'd into the tongue and that we had invested and apparall'd our meditations with words this was a kind of painting and dressing and a superfluous diligence that rather tasted of humane affections then such a sincere service as was fit for the presence of God only the first conception the first ebullitions and emanations of the Soul in the heart they thought to be a fit sacrifice to God and all verball prayer to be too homely for him But God himself who is all spirit hath yet put on bodily lineaments head and hands and feet yea and garments too in many places of scripture to appear that is to manifest himself to us and when we appear to God though our devotion be all spiritual as he is all spirit yet let us put on lineaments and apparrel upon our devotions and digest the meditations of the heart into words of the mouth God came to us in verbo in the word for Christ is the word that was make flesh let us that are Christians goe to God so too that the words of our mouth as well as the meditations of our heart may be acceptable to him Surely God loves the service of prayer or he would never have built a house for prayer and therefore we justly call publique prayer the liturgy service love that place and love that service in that place prayer They will needs make us believe that St. Francis preached to birds and beasts and stones but they will not go about to make us believe that those birds and beasts and stones joyn'd with St. Francis in prayer God can speak to all things that 's the office of preaching to speak to others but of all only man can speak to God and that 's the office of prayer It is a blessed conversation to spend time in discourse in communication with God Gen. 18. ult God went his way assoon as he had left communing with Abraham When we leave praying God leaves us but God left not Abraham as long as he had any thing to say to God and we have alwayes something to say unto him he loves to hear us tel him even those things which he knew before His benefits in our thankfulness and our sins in our confessions and our necessities in our petitions And therefore having so many occasions to speak to God and to speak of God David ingeminates that and his ingemination implies a wonder O that men would and it is strange if men will not O that men would
them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voyce and can play well on an Instrument for they hear thy words but they doe them not AS there lies alwayes upon Gods Minister a vae si non Wo be unto me if I preach not the Gospel if I apply not the comfortable promises of the Gospel to all that grone under the burden of their sins so there is Onus visionis which we finde mentioned in the Prophets it was a pain a burden to them to be put to the denunciation of Gods heavy judgements upon the people but yet those judgements they must denounce as well as propose those mercies wo be unto us if we bind not up the broken hearted but wo be unto us too if we break not that heart that is stubborn wo be unto us if we settle not establish not the timorous and trembling the scattered and fluid and distracted soul that cannot yet attain intirely and intensely and confidently and constantly to fix it self upon the Merits and Mercies of Christ Jesus but wo be unto us much more if we do not shake and shiver and throw down the refractory and rebellious soul whose incredulity will not admit the History and whose security in presumptuous sins will not admit the working and application of those Merits and Mercies which are proposed to him To this purpose therefore God makes his Ministers speculatores I have set thee for their watchman saies God to this Prophet that so they might see and discern the highest sins of the highest persons in the highest places they are not onely to look down towards the streets lanes and alleys and cellears and reprehend the abuses and excesses of persons of lower quality there all their service lies not below staires nor onely to look into the chamber and reprehend the wantonnesses and licentiousnesse of both sexes there nor onely unto the house top and tarras and reprehend the ambitious machinations and practises to get thither but still they are speculatores men placed upon a watch-tower to look higher then all this to look upon sins of a higher nature then these to note and reprehend those sins which are done so much more immediately towards God as they are done upon colour and pretence of Religion and upon that station upon the Execution of that Commission is our Prophet in this Text Thou art unto them a very lovely song c. for they shall heare thy words but they do them not Through this whole chapter he presents matter of that nature either of too confident or too diffident a behaviour towards God In the tenth verse he reprehends their diffidence and distrust in God This they say sayes the Prophet If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how should we live How should you live sayes the Prophet thus you should live by hearing what the Lord of Life hath said As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked In the 25 verse he reprehends their confidence they say Abraham was one and he inherited this land we are many this land is given us for our inheritance but say unto them sayes God to the Prophet there You lift up your eyes to Idols and you shed blood and shall you possess the land Ye defile one anothers wife and ye stand upon the sword and shall ye possess the land We were but one and are many 't is true God hath testified his love in multiplying Inhabitants and in uniting Kingdomes but if there be a lifting up of eyes towards Idols a declination towards an Idolatrous Religion if there be a defiling of one anothers wife and then standing upon the sword that it must be matter of displeasure or of quarrel if one will not betray his wife or sister to the lust of the greatest person shall we possess the land shall we have a continuance of Gods blessing upon us we shall not And as he thus represents their over-confident behaviour towards God God is bound by his promise and therefore we may be secure And their over-diffident behaviour God hath begun to shew his anger upon us therefore there is no recovery he reprehends also that distemper which ordinarily accompanies this behaviour towards God that is an Expostulation and a Disputing with God and a censuring of his actions in the 20 ver they come to say The way of the Lord is not equal that is we know not how to deal with him we know not where to find him he promises Mercies and layes Afflictions upon us he threatens judgements upon the wicked and yet the wicked prosper most of all The ways of the Lord are equal But to this also God says by the Prophet I will judge every one of you after his own ways The ways of the Lord are unsearchable look ye to your own ways for according to them shall God judge you And then after these several reprehensions this watchman raises himself to the highest pinacle of all to discover the greatest sin of all treason within doors contemning of God in his own house and in his presence that is a coming to Church to hear the word of God preached a pretence of cheerfulness and alacrity in the outward service of God yea a true sense and feeling of a delight in hearing of the word and yet for all this an unprofitable barrenness and upon the whole matter a despiteful and a contumelious neglecting of Gods purpose and intention in his Ordinance for Our voice is unto them but as a song to an instrument they hear our words but they do them not Though then some Expositors take these words to be an increpation upon the people that they esteemed Gods ablest Ministers indued with the best parts to be but as musique as a jest as a song as an entertainment that they under-valued and disesteemed the whole service of God in the function of the Ministery and thought it either nothing or but matter of State and Government as a civil ordinance for civil order and no more yet I take this increpation to reach to a sin of another nature that the people should attribute reverence enough attention enough credit enough to the preacher and to his preachings but yet when all that is done nothing is done they should hear willingly but they do nothing of that which they had heard First then God for his own glory promises here Divisio that his Prophet his Minister shall be Tuba as is said in the beginning of this Chapter a Trumpet to awaken with terror But then he shall become Carmen musicum a musical and harmonious charmer to settle and compose the soul again in a reposed confidence and in a delight in God he shall be musicum carmen musick harmony to the soul in his matter he shall preach harmonious peace to the conscience and he shall be musicum carmen musick and harmony in his manner he
by the King to wait upon my L. of Doncaster in his Embassage to Germany First Sermon as we went out June 16. 1619. SERMON XX. Rom. 13.11 For now is our Salvation nearer then when we believed THere is not a more comprehensive a more embracing word in all Religion then the first word of this Text Now for the word before that For is but a word of connexion and rather appertains to that which was said before the Text then to the Text it self The Text begins with that important and considerable particle Now Now is salvation nearer c. This present word Now denotes an Advent a new coming or a new operation otherwise then it was before And therefore doth the Church appropriate this Scripture to the celebration of the Advent before the Feast of the Birth of our Saviour It is an extensive word Now for though we dispute whether this Now that is whether an instant be any part of time or no yet in truth it is all time for whatsoever is past was and whatsoever is future shall be an instant and did and shall fall within this Now. We consider in the Church four Advents or Comings of Christ of every one of which we may say Now now it is otherwise then before For first there is verbum in carne the word came in the flesh in the Incarnation and then there is caro in verbo he that is made flesh comes in the word that is Christ comes in the preaching thereof and he comes again in carne saluta when at our dissolution and transmigration at our death he comes by his spirit and testifies to our spirit that we die the Children of God And lastly he comes in carne reddita when he shall come at the Resurrection to redeliver our bodies to our souls and to deliver everlasting glory to both The Ancients for the most part understand the word of our Text of Christs first coming in the flesh to us in this world the latter Exposition understand them rather of his coming in glory But the Apostle could not properly use this present word Now with relation to that which is not now that is to future glory otherwise then as that future glory hath a preparation and an inchoation in present grace for so even the future glory of heaven hath a Now now the elect Children of God have by his powerfull grace a present possession of glory So then it will not be impertinent to suffer this flowing and extensive word Now to spread it self into all three for the whole duty of Christianity consists in these three things first in pietate erga Deum in religion towards God in which the Apostle had enlarged himself from the beginning to the twelfth chapter of his Epistle And secondly in charitate erga proximum in our mutual duties of society towards our Equals and Inferiors and of Subjection towards our Superiours in which that twelfth chapter and this to the eitghth verse is especially conversant And then thirdly in sanctimonia propria in the works of sanctification and holiness in our selves And this Text the Apostle presents as a forcible reason to induce us to that to those works of sanctification because Now our salvation is nearer us then when we believed Take then this now the first way of the coming Christ in person in the flesh into this world and then the Apostle of directs himself principally to the Jews converted to the faith of Christ and he tels them That their salvation is nearer them now now they had seen him come then when they did only believe that he would come Take the words the second way of his coming in grace into our hearts and so the Apostle directs himself to all Christians now now that you have bin bred in the Christian Church now that you are grown from Grace to grace from faith to faith now that God by his spirit strengthens and confirms you now is your salvation nearer then when ye believed that is when you began to believe either by the faith of your Parents or the faith of the Church or the faith of your Sureties at your Baptism or when you began to have some notions and impressions and apprehensions of faith in your self when you came to some degrees of understanding and discretion Take the word of Christs coming to us at the hour of death or of his coming to us at the day of Judgment for those two are all one to our present purpose because God never reverses any particular judgement given at a mans death at the day of the general Judgment take the word so this is the Apostles argument you have believed and you have lived accordingly and that faith and that good life hath brought salvation nearer you that is given you a fair and modest infallibility of salvation in the nature of reversion but now now that you are come to the approches of death which shall make your reversion a possession Now is salvation nearer you then when you believed Summarily the Text is a reason why we ought to proceed in good and holy wayes and it works in all the three acceptations of the word for whether salvation be said to be near us because we are Christians and so have advantage of the Jews or near us because we have made some proficiency in holiness sanctimony or near us because we are near our end and thereby near a possession of our endless joy and glory Still from all these acceptations of the word arise religious provocations to perseverance in holiness of life and therefore we shall pursue the words in all three acceptations In all three acceptations we must consider three termes in the Text First Quid salus what this Salvation is that is intended here Part. 1. and then Quid prope what this Distance this nearness is and lastly Quid credere what Belief this is So then taking the words first the first way as spoken by the Apostles to the Jews newly converted to the Christian Faith salvation is the outward means of salvation which are more and more manifest to the Christians then they were to the Jews And then the second Term Nearness salvation is nearer is in this That salvation to the Christian is in things present or past in things already done and of which we are experimentally sure but to the Jews it was of future things of which howsoever they might assure themselves that they would be yet they had no assurance when And therefore in the third place their Believing was but a confident expectation and faithfull assenting to their Prophets quando credidistis when you believed that is when you did only believe and saw nothing First then the first Terme in the first acceptation Salvation Salus is the outward means of salvation Outward and visible means of knowing God God hath given to all Nations in the book of Creatures from the first leaf of that book the firmament above to
the soul it is the only means to recover thee But yet wert thou not better to make this grace thy diet then thy physick Wert thou not better to nourish thy soul with this grace all the way then to hope to purge thy soul with it at last This as a Diet the Apostle prescribes thee Whether you eat or drink do all to the glory of God He intends it farther there Whatsoever you do and farther then that in another place Whatsoever ye do in deed 1 Cor. 10.31 Col. 3.17 or in word do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Since there is no action so little but God may be glorified in it there is no action so little but the Devil may have his end in it too and may overthrow thee by a tentation which thou thinkest thy self strong enough to leap over And therefore if you have not given over all love of true weights and true measures weigh and measure your particular and indifferent actions before you do them and you shall see at least grains of iniquity in them and then this advantage will you have by this preconsideration and weighing your actions before hand that when you know there is sin in that action and know that nothing can counterpoise nor weigh down sin but onely the Blood of Christ Jesus you may know too that the Blood of Christ Jesus cannot be had before hand God gives no such non-obstantes no such priviledges no leave to sin no pardon for sin before it be committed And therefore if this premeditation of this action bring thee to see that there is sin in it it must necessarily put a tenderness a horror an aversion in thee from doing that to which being thus done with this preconsideration and presumption the Blood of thy Saviour doth not appertain To all your other Wares the baser and courser they are the greater weight and measure you are content to give to the basest of all to sin you give the lightest weight and scantest measure and you supply all with the excuses of the custom of the time that the necessity of your trade forces you to it else you should be poor and poorly thought of Beloved God never puts his children to a perplexity to a necessity of doing any sin how little soever though for the avoiding of a sin as manifold as Adams It is not a little request to you to beware of little sins It is not a little request and therefore I make it in the words of the greatest to the greatest for they are all one Head and Body of Christ to his Church Cant. 2.15 Capite vulpeculas Take us the little Foxes for they devour the Vines It is not a cropping not a pilling nor a retarding of the growth of the Vines but Demoliuntur as little as those Foxes are they devour the Vines they root them out Thy Soul is not so easily devoured by that Lion 1 Pet. 5.8 Apoc. 5.5 that seeks whom he may devour for still he is put to seek and does not always finde And thou shalt hear his roaring that is thou shalt discern a great sin and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will come in to thy succor as soon as thou callest But take heed that thy Soul be not eaten up with vermin by those little sins which thou thinkst thou canst forbear and give over when thou wilt God punished the Egyptians most by little things Hailstones and Frogs and Grashoppers and Pharaohs Sorcerers Exod. 8.16 which did greater failed in the least in Lice It is true there is Physick for this Christ Jesus that receives thy greatest sins into his Blood can receive these Vermin too into his Bowels even at last but yet still make his Grace rather thy Diet by a daily consideration before hand then thy Physick at last It is ill to take two Physicks at once bodily and ghostly Physick too upon thy Death-bed The Apothecary and the Physician do well together the Apothecary and the Priest not so well Consult with him before at least consult with thine own Conscience in those little actions which either their own nature or the custom of the time or thy course of life thy calling and the example of others in thy calling made thee think indifferent For though it may seem a degree of flattery to preach against little sins in such a City as this where greater sins do abound yet because these be the materials and elements of greater sins and it is impossible to say where a Bowl will lie that is let fall down a Hill though it be let never so gently out of the hand and there is no pureness of heart till even these Cobwebs and Crums be swept away He that affects that pureness will consider well that of St. Augustine Psal 24.4 Interest inter rectum corde mundum corde a right heart and a clean heart is not all one He may have a right heart that keeps in the right way in the profession of the right Religion but he onely keeps his heart pure that watches all his steps even in that right way St. Augustine considers that question of David Psal 24.3 Quis ascendet and quis stabit Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place And he applies the answer Innocens manibus mundo corde He that hath clean hands and a pure heart Thus That he that hath clean hands clean from blood clean from bribery and oppression clean from fornication and such notorious sins Ascendet in montem He shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord he shall be admitted to all the benefits that the Christian Church can give him but onely he that hath a pure heart a care to glorifie God in a holy watchfulness upon all his particular actions to the exclusion of lesser sins stabit shall stand safe confident unshaken in his holy place even in the judgment of God clean hands justifie him to men a pure heart to God And therefore this pureness of heart is here wrapped up in the richest mantle in the noblest affection that the nature of man hath that is love For this is not onely a contentment an acquiescence a satisfaction a delight in this pureness of heart but love is a holy impatience in being without it or being in a jealousie that we are without it and it is a holy fervor and vehemency in the pursuit of it and a preferring it before any other thing that can be compared to it That 's love and therefore it deserves to be insisted upon now when in our order proposed at first from the thing it self that is required pureness and the seat and center of that pureness the heart and the way of this fixation of this pureness in the heart detestation of former habits of sins and prevention of future sins in a watchful consideration of all our actions before we do them We are come to that affection
wrapped up in a decree of his coming And therefore we are not carried upon the consideration of any decree or if any means of salvation higher or precedent to the comming of Christ for that were to antidate eternity it self So then this coming in the Text is the execution of that coming in the decree which is involv'd in St. Johns In principio and it is the performance of it coming which was enwrapped in the promise in Moses In principio 10.24 it is his actual coming in our flesh that coming of which Christ said in St. Luke many Prophets and Kings 13.17 and in St. Matth. many Prophets and righteous men desired to see these things which you see and have not seen them the prophets who in their very name were videntes seen saw not this comining thus Joh. 8.56 your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day saith Christ and he saw it and was glad All times and all Generations before time was were Christs day but yet he cals this coming in the flesh especially his day because this day was a holy Equinoctial and made the day of the Jews and the day of the Gentiles equal and Testamenta copulat saies St. Chrisostome it binds up the two Testaments into one Bible for if the Partriarks had not desired to see this day and had not seen it in the strength of faith they and we had not been of one communion We have a most sure word of the Prophet 2 Pet. 1.19 saies the Apostle and to that we do well that we take heed but how far As unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts But now since this coming 1 Joh. 1.2 This light hath appeared and we have seen it and bear witness and shew it unto you Simon had an assurance in the Prophets and more immediatly then so in the vision but herein was his assurance and his peace established Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Luk. 2.19 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation The kingdom of Heaven was but a reversion to them and it is no more to us but to them it was a reversion as after a Grandfather and father two lives two comings of Christ before they would come to their state Christ must come first in the flesh and he must come again to Judgment To us and in our case one of these lives is spent Christ is come in the flesh and therefore as the earth is warmer an hour after the sun sets then it was an hour before the sun rose so let our faith and zeal be warmer now after Christ departing out of this world then theirs was before his coming into it and let us so rejoyce at this Ecce venit Rex tuus that our King our Missias is already come as that we may cherefully say veni Domine Jesu come Lord Jesu come quickly and be glad if at the going out of these dores we might meet him coming in the clouds In Mundum Thus far then he hath proceeded already venit He came and venit in mundum He came into the world it is not in mundam into so clean a woman as had no sin at all none contracted from her Parents no original sin for so Christ had placed his favours and his honors ill if he had favoured her most who had no need of him to dye for all the world and not for his mother or to dye for her when she needed not that hell is a strange imagination she was not without sin for then why should she have died for even a natural death in all that come by natural generation is of sin But certainly as she was a vessel reserved to receive Christ Jesus so she was preserved according to the best capacity of that nature from great and infections sins Mary Magdalen was a holy vessel after Christ had thrown the Divel out of her the Virgin Mary was much more so into whom no reigning power of the Devil ever entred in such an acceptation then Christ came per mundam in mundum by a clean woman into an unclean world And he came in a purpose as we do piously believe to manifest himself in the Christian Religion to all the nations of the world and therefore laetentur Insulae saies David The Lord reigneth let the Island rejoyce the Island who by reason of their situation provision and trading have most means of conveying Christ Jesus over the world He hath caâ—ried us up to heaven set us at the right hand of God shal not we endeavour to carry him to those nations who have not yet heard of his name shall we still brag that we have brought our clothes and our hatchets and our knives and bread to this and this value and estimation amongst those poor ignorant Souls and shall we never glory that we have brought the name and Religion of Christ Jesus in estimation amongst them shall we stay till other nations have planted a fals Christ among them and then either continue in our sloth or take more pains in rooting out a false Christ then would have planted the true Christ is come into the world we will do little if we will not ferry him over and propagate his name as well as our own to other Nations At least be sure that he is so far come into the world as that he become into thee Thou art but a little world a world but of a few spanns in length 〈◊〉 and yet Christ was sooner carried from east to west from Jerusalem to these parts then thou canst carry him over the faculties of thy Soul and Body He hath been in a pilgrimage towards thee long coming towards thee perchance 50 perchance 60 years and how far is he got into thee yet Is he yet come to thine eye Have they made Jobs Covenant that they will not look upon a Maid yet he is not come into thine ear still thou hast an itching ear delighting in the libellous defamation of other men Is he come to thine ear Art thou rectified in that sense yet voluptousness in thy tast or inordinateness in thy other senses keep him out in those He is come into thy mouth to thy tongue but he is come thither as a diseased person is taken into a spittle to have his blood drawn to have his flesh cauterized to have his bones sawd Christ Jesus is in thy mouth but in such exrecations in such blasphemies as would he Earthquaks to us if we were earth but we are all stones and rock obdurate in a senselesnes of those wounds which are inflicted upon our God He may be come to the skirts to the borders to an outward show in thine actions and yet not be come into the land into thy heart He entred into thee at baptism He hath crept farther and farther into thee in catechisms and other infusions of his doctrine into thee He
hath pierced into thee deeper by the powerful threatnings of his Judgments in the mouths of his messengers He hath made some survey over thee in bringing thee to call thy self to an account of some sinful actions and yet Christ is not come into thee either thou makest some new discoveries and fallest into some new ways of sin and art loth that Christ should come thither yet that he should trouble thy conscience in that sin till thou hadst made some convenient profit of it thou hast studied and must gain thou hast bought and must sell and therefore art loth to be troubled yet or else thou hast some land in thee which thou thy self hast never discover'd some waies of sin which thou hast never apprehended nor considered to be sin and thither Christ is not come yet He is not come into thee with that comfort which belongs to his coming in this Text except he had overshadowed thee all and be in thee intirely Person We have done with his coming we come next to the person in which we consider first that he was capable of this great employment to reconcile God to man as he was a mixt person of God and man and then that he had a Commission for this service as he was Christus anointed seald to that office and then that he did actually execute this commission as he was Jesus Now when we consider his capacity fitness to save the would this capacity fitness must have relation to that way which God had chosen which was by Justice For God could have saved the world by his word as well as he had made it so Adetur venia now had bin as easie to him as a fiat lux at the beginning a general pardon a light of grace as easie as the spreading of the light of nature but God having purposed to himself the way of Justice then could none be capable of that Imployment but a mixt person for God could not dye nor man could not satisfie by death both these were required in the way of Justice a satisfaction that by death Now as this unexpressible mixture union of God man made him capable of this imployment Christi so he had a particular Commission for it imployed in the same name too for every capable person is not alwaies imployed this was his unctâ—on as he is Christus anointed severd sealed for that purpose for that office Now whether this unction that is this power to â—atisfie Gods Justice for all the sins of all mankind were ex ratione sua formali intrinsica that is whether the merit of Christ were therefore infinite in it self because an infinite Godhead resided in his person or whether this power and ability by one act to satisfie for all sins arose ex pacto acceptatione by the contract they had past between the Father and Him that it was so because it was covenanted between them that it should be so this hath divided the School into that great opposition which is well known by the name of Thomist and Scotish The safest way is to place it in pacto in the contract in the covenant for if we place it absolutely in the person and cause the infiniteness of the merit from that then any act of that person the very incarnation it self had been enough to save us but his unction his Commission was to proceed thus thus and no otherwise then be did in the work of our Redemption His unction was his qualification He was anointed with the oyle of gladness above his fellows else the season of his enduring the cross Ps 45.7 could nor have been joy He was anointed liberally by that woman when he himself was sold for 30 peeces of silver Mar. 14.3 beyond the value of 300 peeces in oyntment upon him He was honorably embalmed by Joseph and Nicodemus who brought an 100 pound weight of Myrrhe and Aloes to bury him every way anointed more then others by others All his garment smell of Myrrhe Job 19. and Aloes and Cassia as it is in the Canticles even in the garments of Religion the Ceremonies of the Church there is a sweet savour of life Oleum effusum nomen ejus even in the outward profession of the name of Christ there is a savour of life an assistance to salvation for even in taking upon us this name Christ we acknowledg both that he was able to reconcile and sent purposely to reconcile God and man But then the strength of our consolation lies in the other name Jesus as he was Jesus actually he executed that Commission to which as he was Christ he was fitted and anointed Now this is a name which though the Greeks have translated it into soter yet the great Master of Latine language Cicero professes that there is no word which expresses it and that great Minter of Latine words Tertullian doth so often call by the name of salutificator for Jesus is so not only a bringer an applier a worker of our salvation but he is the author of the very decree of our salvation as well as of the execution of that Decree there was no salvation before him there was no salvation intended in the book of Life but in him yea no Grammarian can clear it whether this name Jesus signifie salvatorem or salutem the Instrument that saves us or the salvation that is afforded us for it is not only his person but it is his very righteousness that saves us It was therefore upon that ground that this name was given him Matth. 1.21 thou shalt call his name Jesus saies the Angel at his conception why for he shall save his people from their sins not only that he shall be able to do it nor only that he shall be sent to do it so far he is but Christus a mixt person and an anointed person but he shall actually do it and so he is Jesus Names of children are not alwaies answered in their manners and in the effects Non omnes Joannes qui vocantur Joannes saies St. Chrisost every nominal John is not a real John Absolons name was Patris pax his Fathers peace but he was his Fathers affliction but the name of Jesus had the effect He was called a Saviour and he was one 1.21 It may seem strange that when St. Matthew saies That Mary was to bring forth a child and call his name Jesus He saies also that this was done that the Prophecy of Esai might be fulfilled who said That a virgin shall bring forth a child who shal be called Emanuel to fulfil a prophecy of being called Emanuel he must be called Jesus Indeed to be Jesus is a fulfilling of his being Emanuel Emanuel is God with us a mixt person God and man but Jesus is a Saviour the performer of that salvation which only he who was God and man could accomplish He was Emanuel as soon as he was conceived but