that his very bones might be told and lots should be cast for his garment Is not this Jesus whose doctrine I preach unto you This is the Master whom David invites us to hear speaking in the person of God To day if you hear his voice harden not your hearts as your Fore-fathers have done in the desart where I was made angry against those who durst distrust my power and censure all my workes for the space of forty yeares Their infidelity shall not go unpunished I will make them know that I can revenge my self in my wrath I sweare they shall not enter into the place of rest which I had prepared for them Behold dreadfull words and you will doe well to be warned by their loss lest you be excluded also from that place of repose which is offered to you As it availed them little to give ear to the relation of those who returned from the land of Promise and informed them of the true state of it because they would not believe what was said so it is not enough to heare the Gospel preached it must be received humbly to the end you may obtaine by faith the fruition of that repose which is spoken of in the passage I alledged It cannot be that repose which God assumed after he had made the world that being no other thing then a cessation from work nor is it likewise the repose of the Sabbath whose institution was before the birth of David In summe it is not that repose which our Fathers tasted in the Land whereinto they were led by Ioshua for that long since is past therefore it must needs be that the Psalmist speaks of another repose more holy a Sabbath more excellent which appertains to the people of God and in which the Just do eternally repose from all their labours as formerly our Lord did repose the seventh day from all his works Moyses could not bring us into that place where this divine Sabbath is celebrated Jesus Christ entred there the first to open it to those who should receive his doctrine This is the Priest deserving adoration who to purifie heaven and earth and to reconcile man to God has not not made use of the bloud of goats and bulls but of his owne which he has shed to the last drop upon the Altar of the Cross The high Priest of the Law was obliged to offer Sacrifices for his own sins as well as those of the People Jesus Christ is the Sovereign high Priest pure holy unpolluted uncapable of any spot consequently needs not offer any victime for himself he hath not received his Priest-hood by way of a carnall birth and succession as the Priests according to Aaron did but hee has been established eternal Priest according to the order of Melchisedec as we learn by those words of the Psalmist which you confess are to be understood of the Messias Our Lord hath sworne thou art an eternal Priest according to the order of Melchisedec If the Levitical Priest-hood which the people received together with the Law guided to perfection that is to say gave true Justice what need was there that another Priest should come according to the order of Melchisedec and if the Priest-hood be transferred it then follows that the Law is also changed because these two things are inseparably linked together Now that there has been a translation of the Priest-hood 't is not to be doubted since he of whom that passage I alledged speaks was of the Tribe of Iuda and not of Levi out of which Moyses ordained that the Priests should be chosen Observe also that the Leviticall Priest-hood was not established by oath as is that which I treat and this circumstance shewes the sanctity and immutability of that thing unto which God has pleased to unite it There were to be many Priests according to the order of Aaron because they were mortal But the Priest-hood of Jesus Christ is eternall as well as himself he has alwaies power to guide those to eternall salvation who believe in him He is alwaies in the functions of his Priesthood that is to say in continual oblation of himself to God and in prayer without intermission for hee that sayes Eternal Priest sayes also Eternal Oblation The Levitical Priests stood during the exercise of their Functions Jesus Christ having once offered the Hoast of his body is seated at the right hand of God according to the words of the Psalmist The Lord said to my Lord Take thy place till I have put thy enemies under my feet Be not you of that number my deare Brethren you that are descended from Abraham the Father of the Faithfull you whose Ancestours have been so holy you to whom those promises were made and for whom Jesus Christ principally came doe not permit strangers to carry away the benediction due to lawful children and having hitherto born the heavy yoke of Moyses doe not fear now to submit your selvs to that of Jesus Christ which is so light and pleasing And in this you will even obey Moyses by whom as you know God promised That after many ages hee would raise a Prophet of your Nation to whom hee would have you attend as to himself The Apostle spake much after this manner his discourse raised great Disputes amongst his Auditours some blaming what others approved some believing others continuing obstinate S. Paul finding hee could gaine little upon them hee told them freely I know well that ye will fulfill the prophesie of Esay to whom God spake in these tearms Goe to the Children of Israel and tell them You shall hear with your ears but shall not understand with your mindes you shall see with the eyes of the body but not with those of the soule for the heart of this people is suffocated with fat they have heard with their ears against their wills being incensed have shut their eyes for feare they should see by their eyes take in by their eares consent by their hearts and wills and so work their conversion and their cure The incredulous Jewes were extreamly offended at these words and more which he added viz. That the news of salvation should be carried to the Gentiles who would imbrace it This discourse gave occasion of much dispute to the Audience who not being able to come to an agreement every one returned home possessed with different thoughts and opinions Hitherto we have proceeded securely following the steps of Saint Luke who ends here his story and leaves the Apostle in the Confusion of Rome where he saies he remained two years and during that time preached the Doctrine of Jesus Christ without any let Receiving with freedome all those who came to see him Hence what concerns the rest of his life we know little yet I will endeavour to ground what I shall adde more of this Subject either upon certaine traditions or from his owne Epistles In the second Epistle which he writes to Tymothy his dear
obedience and without murmuring or replies glorifie the doctrine of Jesus Christ and let Infidels see it belongs onely to the Gospel to produce such servants Masters do not abuse the patience of your slaves nor continually torment them let not their ears be alwaies filled with threats and reproachfull language and much less use the staffe or whip Know you have all one Master who is in heaven who from thence sees in what manner you treat them and who makes no distinction of persons in his justice give unto them those things which are necessary have a due regard of them in their health and sickness and remember that he who neglects them is worse then an Infidel for even then he renounces his faith In baptism they are made your brothers they are called to the same inheritance and that little distinction betwixt you and them in the world will quickly vanish Virgins be carefull that you be as chast in your mindes as in your bodies Study onely to please our Lord who is your Spouse and who ought to be all things to you Shun all occasions that may withdraw you never so little from him Nourish your selves with praier and consider your bodies as an enemy of whom you must be alwaies in distrust Widdows if you have children let your care be employed in governing yonr families You are deprived of a great support in the loss of your husbands but God is called the husband of Widdows and if you put your trust in him you will not be forsaken prayer ought to be your daily and nightly entertainment and let the modesty of your attire be such as by it one may judge of the inclinations of your heart and the purity of your Widdowhood All that savours either of curiosity affectation or vanity is very ill beseeming your condition You ought to be retired and to love solitude In fine if you plunge your selves in delights what exteriour profession soever you make of piety devotion seeming to lead the life of the new man yet 't is certain you are dead in the eies of God Whilest the Apostle thus discoursed the night advanced nor were his auditors at all weary to heare so admirable instructions A young man called Euthicus heard him from a window a great while but at last surprised with sleep hee fell down dead from the third story This fearfull accident interrupted the Apostle but it was an occasion to conclude his Sermon with a miracle For he went down from the room and layed himselfe upon the dead body and by that sovereigne imbrace restored him to life Then presently he went up again and after he had eaten distributed the holy bread he spake to the faithfull untill the break of day and then took his leave His Companions went to a town called Asson near to Troad and thither he came to them by land as he had agreed There they re-imbarqued together and the first town they put into was Mytilen The next day they cast anchor before the Island of Chyo the third day before Samos the fourth in the harbor of Milletum He would not go to Ephesus fearing he might there be stayed and so hindred from keeping the feast of Pentecost at Hierusalem as he had designed notwithstanding he could not pass so near this great City where he had gained such glorious Conquests without informing himself of the condition of that Church since his departure For which cause hee sent unto the Priests who governed there to come and speak with him St. Irenaeus sayes that hee convocated the Bishops and Priests of the next adjacent places The text of St. Luke speaks nothing of it but if we will consider the forme of Ecclesiasticall Government in that time there is no doubt but by that word Elders or Priests the Bishop of Ephesus who was the chief of them was comprised This news was very welcome to them and after he had imbraced them all he spake in this manner Deare Brethren being so neare I could not pass by without giving my self the comfort of seeing you and withall to assure you the holy affection I bear you is alwayes residing firme in my heart You may remember in what manner I lived since the first day I came into Asia I had nothing in my thoughts but the service of my Master and the health of your Souls I have humbly delivered a Gospel of humility The persecutions which the Jews raised against me I have opposed onely with my praiers and tears nor did they at all abate my courage At all hours on all occasions in all places both in publique and private I have preached to them as well as to the Gentiles the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and the necessity of pennance In summe my conscience does not accuse me to have omitted any thing that might tend to your salvation At this time leaving my self to the conduct of the holy Ghost I am going to Hierusalem not knowing what in particular might befall me although in generall the Spirit of God assures me by prophetick revelations thorow all the Cities where I am to pass that I shall suffer many afflictions But I fear neither chains nor prisons nor other punishments which attend mee For I think I can endure all by the assistance of him that strengthens me and I do not regard the preservation of my life in comparison with the performance of my duty My sole ayme is faithfully to end my cariere and perform the charge which I have received of our Lord Jesus Christ to declare unto men the happy tidings of his grace I know you will see me no more and this being the last time I shall speak to you makes me beg with the more instance that you will imprint in your memories those things which I am now about to impart unto you God has raised you to the dignity of Bishops and Priests and do not think he has done it for the love of you It is for the good of his Church which you are to governe with diligence full of fidelity I will not lay before you many considerations to let you see the importance of this your duty and the horror of your punishments which will follow your negligence It is enough that I tell you this Church whereof the holy Ghost has made you Pastors to the end you govern it is the Spouse of Jesus Christ and he has shed his bloud for her You must know it is not enough to speak to the faâ—thfull you must cry out you must urge them you must conjure them you must reprove them and be not affraid to be thought imporâ—une There are soules which are presently gained and others that are not purchased but by violence and must be healed by sharp remedies have great attention therefore zeal in your conduct that you may gain every one to God Regard neither condition wit riches nor the like which may make you desist or condescend to any thing that is base
or unworthy But be you irreprehensible Labourers faithfull Stewards sincere Embassadors of our Lord for it is by you that he declares his will to men and it is at your hands hee will demand their soules Think of feeding your Flock and not how to cloath your selves with their wooll and drink of their milk There is nothing more shamefull to a Bishop or Priest then covetousness and the desire of sordid gain that justly takes away all credit from them and much weakens the force of their preaching We brought nothing with us into the world and must go out of it naked Therefore â—â—udy not to hoord up any thing but be content with moderate food and clothing seeking only to get riches of piety which is a great treasure and sufficient to satisfie a heart that is truely Christian They who desire to be rich do easily fall into the snares of the Divel and open a gap in their soules to temptation and to all sorts of bad desires and disquiets For covetousness of money is the root of all evils Yet for this we must not condemn rich men but put them often in minde that they be not proud nor put their trust too much in riches which many accidents may ravish from â—hem but rather to confide in the living God whose enjoyment can only render us truly happy You must also avoid another extremity which is the neglect of your own families for how shall he that cannot govern his own house govern well the Church Your family must be like a Church by the exemplar life of all those that are in it and your children born before your ordination must preach in silence to all the faithfull under your charge by their modesty and by the sanctity of their lives After you have been heard speak men will cast their eies upon the manner of your life and if your actions do not correspond with your words your preaching will be unprofitable Be you your selves sober to persuade sobriety chast to teach others continency patient when you suffer injuries to learn others how to bear them and modest to invite others to modesty Let your humility confound the proud and the contempt you have of riches reprove the covetous and make them ashamed use hospitality to the end you may encourage your Brethren that are able to practise it Love the poore and be ye first in their assistance that by your example others may respect help them Keep a watchfull guard upon your anger that your hands which are consecrated to bless the people never strike any body Above all avoid temporall affairs for you are Souldiers of a militia that requires you intirely and you serve a Master whom only you must study to please The sanctification and conduct of souls which he has redeemed the establishment of his kingdome by preaching his word are so glorious imployments that you ought to contemne all others though presented to you by the greatest Prince of the earth When either the glory of our Lord or charity requires you to undertake any affair be not negligent but presently quit your own repose and quiet Without such like occasions attend to cultivate the field which is appointed for you For Christians are the fields of God planted and watered by him and to him it belongs to give the encrease It suffices for your part that you omit nothing to make the Gospel flourish Be watchfull for after my departure ravenous wolves will fall upon your flocke and devoure them without pity and many false doctours shall rise amongst you who will seduce a great number of the faithfull by their false doctrine They will come with the name of our Lord in their mouthes their lookes will be modest their words Saint-like their actions wary their lives severe and they will teach nothing that is not delightfull But indeed they will be wolves in the skinnes of sheep They will be men that are lovers of themselves fraught with inordinate desires puffed up with pride obstinate in what they hold jealous of their opinions and unsatiable in praise honor and respect They will be called Masters give rules to all and concerning all things have the first place and be considered as men that had nothing of earth in them These blinde guides will lead many others so all fall into the ditch you shall see them come into houses and inquire into the greatest secrets of families not to reform the disorders but to soment them so to make benefit of their indulgence They will abuse men by their false Maxims they will make use of the simplicity of women whom they will lead by flocks aud make them believe they will free them from the burthen of their sinnes they will entertain them with a thousand vain superfluous things which shall render them alwaies more curious but never more learned in the doctrine of piety which they ought chiefly to know In fine they will oppose truth which is never favourable to them and will rise up against you without any respect to the power which Jesus Christ has given you as Jannes and Mambres did against Moyses You are not the work of men but the work of Jesus Christ that Sovereign Priest who has made you Priests to the end you continue the functions of his royall Priesthood He who is the head of Men and Angels will have you receive from him the influences of his graces to communicate them to his members you are the head of his mystical body which cannot subsist without you you are the eye to enlighten it the tongue to instruct it and the bosome to harbor it untill our Lord J. Christ be there formed Labor faithfully in a work that is so admirable be not weary to behold after a long time you have not much advanced resolve to sustain in your selves continual throws that you may beget soules to our Lord. Whilest a woman feels the pains of her childe-bearing she cries out aloud but no sooner is she delivered when she forgets all her dolours rejoices because she has brought a man into the world What then will be your joy when you shall have given children to God and how can all those agonies those disquiets those persecutions which you are to suffer before seem troublesom to you For my self I do neither glory that I am an Israelite or that I am skilful in the law nor that I have been elevated up to heaven nor that I am an Apostle nor in any other quality of my person But all my glory is that I have suffered incredible persecutions for Jesus Christ The most glorious badges of my Apostleship is to see me in nakedness to see me in want of food of drink in misery in prisons in chaines in affronts and scorns for the salvation of those to whom God has destinated the light of his Gospel It is now time that I leave you yet awake a while and call to minde the verities which I have declared unto you