his workes which we haue sauour of so great Mysteries for he was an Egyptian and from the Egyptian Priests had the Platonists their more than heathenish Theologie But when the tenne Tribes were carried into Assyria and after them the Iewes into Babylon this mysterie was spread much more by the dispersed of the twelue Tribes whereof there were some dwehing in all Nations vnder heauen as you may gather by comparing St. Lukes words Acts 2. with the entrance to the Epistles of St. Iames and 1 Peter It could not bee but that by these the world should haue some notice of a Messias to come especially after the Bible was translated into Greeke Surely the Sybils wrote so plainely hereof that not onely the Fathers alledge them against the Heathens to proue the comming of Christ but the Latine Poets also relate what they finde in them though they mis-apply it witnesse that Verse Iam noua progenies Coelo demittitur alto Yea they so misapplyed it Baron apparat ad Annal. that sundry did affect a Kingdome in the Common-weale of Rome onely working vpon the common opinion that was in the hearts of men that a great King about that time should be borne into the world Thus farre wee finde in histories that there was an indefinite report of a Messias to come whom the world therefore had an indefinite desire to see But this will not yet satisfie our Prophet and indeede his words are a prophecie rather of that which should be vpon the comming of Christ than a report of that which should be before And not he only but other Prophets testifie that Christ should bee no sooner reuealed vnto but hee should be receiued by the world that the Nations should flocke to him as if they had formerly longed for him The Nations I say in opposition to the Iewes Luke 1. Mat 8. not but that many of the Iewes did looke for him and entertaine him but few in comparison of the Gentiles themselues therefore he was rather the expectation of the Gentiles The Gentiles entertained what the Iewes refused as appeares Acts 13. Rom. 11. and it was foretold Deut. 32. Matth. 8. The propagation of the Gospell amongst the Gentiles was strangely sudden the Psalme compares it vnto the dew Psal 110. The fruit of thy wombe is like the morning dew Malachie to the rising of the Sunne And you know Cap. 60.49.11 that both of them as it were in an instant couer the face of the earth Esay's similies are of a Woman that is deliuered before she is in trauell and of the flocking of Doues vnto their house Zachary tels vs that they should come so fast that the City could not containe them Christ that the kingdome of heauen should suffer violence In Apol. Tertullian reckons vp the Nations which in his daies beleeued and shewes that Christianity had out-spread the Romane Empire Which was the more to be maruelled because the conquest was made by so meane men and that not ouer the bodies Iustin Martyr Dial. cum Tryphon but ouer the soules of them with whom they dealt They subdued the soules of the greatest Potentates and brought them vnder Christ and made the simple pesants that followed the plow to sing hymnes and psalmes vnto his praise And no maruell for the Apostles were inabled to speake to euery Nation in their owne language and their tongues were tipt with the fire of Heauen which suddenly illightned their vnderstandings to whom they preached and filled their hearts with a deuout zeale by this efficacie Christ became the desire of all Nations And vntill wee come thus farre we haue not the full meaning of our Prophet though I haue brought you hereto by many degrees all comprehended vnder common desire A common desire there could not bee except God had purposed that Christ should be a common good neyther could it be that this common good should take place except there were a propension thereunto in men And this propension is euident in the miserie of mans state without Christ more euident in the feeling that man hath thereof the euidence increased when men discouered but an indefinite hearkning after him but it is made compleate when they distinctly discerne him and their affections desire ardently to be partakers of him There is one point more which I may not omit and that is the strange construction of the words in my Text they are desiderium venient the desire they shall come a nowne singular and a verbe plurall There is a mysterie in it As the Articles of our Faith are beyond the strength of nature so doth the holy Ghost often times in vttering them vary from the prescript of Grammar rules I will shew it you in the two first Articles of our Creed The first is of the Trinity of Persons wherein there is an Vnitie of Nature to note this in the beginning of the Bible you haue a plurall nowne ioyned with a verbe singular Elohâ—m bara The second Article is this is Christs incarnation wherein though there bee but one Person yet are there two Natures and to note these two Natures in one Person doth the holy Ghost vse this phrase desiderium venient A significant phrase and puts vs in minde that eyther nature in Christ will not satisfie our desire if hee come only as God his maiestie will be too great for vs to endure if onely as man his infirmity will bee too weake for to relieue vs he that comes must bee both God and man Againe though the natures that come bee two yet is our desire but one because it apprehends them both in one person and it is the vnitie of the person whereupon our desire doth finally rest it selfe But I will conclude This Text doth checke our cold zeale and should make vs blush when we try our selues by it or by them that in the Primitiue times did iustifie the Truth of it their early flocking to pray and to heare their long perseuerance at it and often returnes to it shewed that they delighted to sit vnder the tree of life and that the fruit thereof was sweet vnto their soule they were euen loue-sick with the spouse and their thirstie soules did with King Dauids Cant. 2. Psal 42. like the chased hart breathe as it were and bray after the water brookes Euen in our Fathers daies vpon the reuiuing of Gods truth amongst vs some of this heauenly fire burned in the hearts of our people but it is long since quenched and our liues manifest the difference betweene factus Tertull. and natus Christianus when a man first becomes a Christian hee is at the best and then if euer his soule will poure out those passionate speeches In the way of thy iudgements O Lord haue I watted for thee Esay 26. the desire of my soule is to thy Name and the remembrance of thee with my soule haue I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me
King Dauid did so witnesse this Title wherein he sets forth himselfe Cadentem Resurgentem first taking a grieuous Fall and then recouering himselfe by Grace First Let vs see his Fall that is noted in these words Hee went in to Bathsheba Few words but they summe vp a large Storie you may reade it 2. Sam. 11. That Chapter is a full Commentarie vpon this short Text and if we scanne it we shall finde that King Dauids Fall was Complicatissimum Peccatum a sinne of many roots There are three Heads wherunto all sinne is reduced 1. Impuritie 2. Iniquitie 3. Impietie and they met all in this Fall of Dauid first Impuritie for the first degree of his sinne was Incontinencie hee defiled his Soule with vnchast lust and his Body with an vnlawfull Copulation a foule sinne so to abuse a Member of Christ 2. Cor. 6. and to polute a Temple of the Holy Ghost To couer this Sinne hee fell into another he fell into Iniquitie It is Iniquitie for a man to take his Neighbours Wife but for a man that hath many to take his Neighbours Wife that is contented with one for a King to take his Subiects Wife a Master the Wife of his Seruant a Master and a King liuing at home lying at case to take a Wife of that Subiect and Seruant who is aduenturing his Life spending his Bloud in the defence and for the Honour of his Maister and Soueraigne Certainely this is haynous Iniquitie But what an Accession is there made vnto it if it bee couered with a treacherous Murder of that person to whom such wrong is done and Dauid so couered his Iniquitie First he assayed the Murder of Vriahs Soule by making him drunke when that would not doe what he intended then doth he plot the Murder of his Bodie he maketh him carrie Belerophons letters treacheorous letters against his owne life yea Letters that added treason vpon treason for they made Ioab the Generall to betray the life of Vriah his resolute souldier and for his sake the liues of many others fearefull Iniquitie But we haue not yet sounded the bottome of this Fall these two Roots of bitternesse haue a third wrapt about them Impuritie and Iniquitie are accompanied with Impietie So we learne from the mouth of the Prophet God was despised in his Commandement and the Enemies of God were occasioned thereby to Blaspheme for the reproach of an ill life redounds vpon the God whom we serue who is by Infidels supposed to be an Abetter of such Courses 1. Sam. 4.4 2. Sam. 11.11 But there is a speciall reason of Impietie in this Fall You must obserue that the Arke of the Lord was often carried forth in the Warres of Israel and God so present as he was now gaue them Victorie in Battell if the Israelite was foyled the Enemies grew insolent not onely against those whom they foyled but also against the Lord whom they thought to bee foyled by their Gods in them Thereupon they did magnifie their Idols and villisie the Lord of Hosts This may you obserue in the Philistines 1. Sam. 4. and in the storie of Balthasar Dan. 4. So that the treacherous aduantage that was giuen to the Enemie must needs open their mouthes to Blasphemie and so make King Dauid guiltie of Impietie Impietie against God that so often so many waies had deserued better of King Dauid Put all these together and you will confesse that Saint Chrysostome sayth truly that this was Flendum Naufragium a woefull wracke of so goodly a Vessell The more shamefull are the Talmudists that would free the King in this fact from Sin flatly against King Dauids owne Confession and the Prophet Nathans challenge yea so farre was this from being no Sinne that all his other Sinnes are as none in comparison of this You may gather it from the Testimonie of the Holy Ghost 1. Kings 1â— Dauid turned not aside from any thing that God commanded him all the dayes of his life sauing onely in the matter of Vriah the Hittite You haue heard of a foule Fall wherein many enormous Sinnes goe chained together There is one thing more in the Storie which I may not omit and that is How Dauid fell into this Sinne. Surely by ease and Prosperitie whiâ—â— he was persecuted by Saul while he fought the Battells of the Lord hee walked vprightly towards God and Men no sooner had God giuen him rest but you see what comes of it The Naturalists obserue well that the Northwind is more healthfull though the South bee more pleasant the South with his warmth raiseth vapors which breed putrefaction and cause diseases the North with his cold drieth those Vapours vp purging the bloud and quickning the Spirits Aduersitie is vnpleasant but it keepeth vs watchfull against Sinne and carefull to doe our duties whereas Prosperitie doth flatteringly lull vs a sleepe that the enuious Man may haue opportunitie to sow tares and choake the good Seede of Gods Grace In pace amaritudo amarissima Esay 38.17 it neuer goeth worse with men spiritually then when they finde themselues corporally best at ease Iesurun waxed fat and kicked Deu. 32 1â— he for sooke God which made him and light lie esteemed the Rocke of his Saluation How wicked the Sodomites were we reade Gen. 18. but Eze. Chap. 16. tells vs the cause therof was fulnesse of Bread and Idlenesse Tunc cum maesta fuit defensa est Ilion armis Militibus grauidum laeta recepit Equum Most surprizes of Citties haue fallen out vpon the secure riot of the beseiged our soules are neuer freed from the seige of the Compassing Lyon but he neuer gets so great an Aduantage against vs as when hee maketh the least shew of an Assault Solomon in greatest glory was in his greatest danger the woefull euent proued it too true It was a wise pollicie of Epaminondas then to bee Sentinel when the Cittizens were at their Bacchanalls and when wee haue the world at will it is good prouidence then to looke most to our waies And why King Dauids Fall is a good Reason It may seeme strange that a man such as Dauid was so indowed so blessed that he was a Man after Gods owne Heart and the Penman of the Holy Ghost that such a man so good a man should take so great so dangerous a Fall But the best men are men and their falls doe testifie of what Tree they are Branches by nature they spring from old Adam he is their Roote all though by Grace they are grafted into Christ yet during this life all the sowre iuice deriued from the former stocke is not cleane dried vp in them it yeilds forth many shootes those loaden with many Clusters of bitter Fruite And what doth this preach vnto vs but that Admonition of Saint Paule Let him that stands take heede least he fall 1 Cor. 10.11 for if the greatest Worthies haue beene Spectacles of humaine frailtie who may presume
the Text wee sound another merit and that is meritum dignationis the interest therein vouchsafed vs. Were there none but meritum dignitatis there were ground enough of our loue but this meritum dignationis the interest that we haue doth quicken vs to take notice of the worth that is in the thing Euery man naturally loueth that which is his owne and if the thing bee good it doth him the more good to looke vpon it Let a man walke in a faire Meadow it pleaseth him but it will please him much more if it bee his owne his eye will be more curious in prying into euery part and euery thing will please him the better so it is in a Corne field in an Orchard in a House if they bee good the more they are ours the more contentedly doe they affect vs for this word meum is suauissima amor is illecebra it is as good as an amatorie potion Then marke put tuus to Dominus and if so bee the Lord be louely how much more louely should hee bee in our eyes if hee bee our Lord and doth appropriate that infinite good that hee hath vnto vs hee holdeth of none but of himselfe and who would not ioy to bee owner of that good which is independent Hee is whatsoeuer heart can desire and who can but reioyce in hauing him in hauing of whom wee can want nothing Put tuus to Deus and see how it doth improue the motiue of loue there also Had wee nothing to doe with so tender hearted a Father so sweet natured a Sonne so gracious a Comforter as is the holy Spirit we could not but loue them if we did know them But when wee doe heare that these bowels of the Father doe yearne vpon vs that wee are the Spouse whom the Sonne of God doth wooe and that the holy Ghost vouchsafeth to make his Temple of vs how can wee bee but loue-sicke how can our Hearts choose but melt and our Affections gaspe and bray like the Hart after those Persons which haue in them so strong so manifold persuasions to loue But alas wee that in regard of our carnall loue are easily transported by any seeming good are altogether senslesse when wee are sollicited by our spirituall good so senslesse that God is passionate in his Prophets when hee doth taxe our more then bruitishnesse herein Isay 1. Hearken O heauen heare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against mee the oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ier. 3. Can a mayd forget her ornaments or a bride her attire yet hath my people forgotten me dayes without number Wee doe loue our corporall benefactors at least while they are doing vs good but our spirituall benefactor wee forget euen while hee is doing vs good for when is hee not doing it wee cannot looke vpon our soules our bodies our state but wee see the perpetuall influence of his goodnesse and yet Tuus worketh little here and though God vouchsafe vs a great interest yet are wee little moued therewith Wee can loue a man in whom there are so many defects to allay the regard of his goodnesse and from whom we may receiue as much wrong as fauour how much more should we loue God in whom there is no defect and from whom thou canst receiue nothing but good I haue shewed you the reason of loue which is included in the name it followeth that I now come on to the dutie that is required and that is Loue. Wherein we are first to obserue that God speaketh not vnto vs as vnto seruants but as vnto friends hee would not haue vs in his seruice expresse a spirit of seruitude in feare but of adoption in loue hee would not bee feared as a Lord but loued as a Father O derint dum metuant is a Tyrants voyce God will haue all his seruants ingenuous hee will haue our seruice as naturall as is our allegiance Wherein the King of Heauen giueth a good patterne to all Kings and Gouernours in earth Though God hath qualified vs many wayes to doe him seruice yet doth hee in this word diliges Loue shew what hee doth principally respect and his eyes are vpon nothing so much as our Loue not on our wit our wealth our honour c. yea all other things are valued according to our Loue and without Loue they are nothing worth And why Loue is that which setteth all a worke for he that loueth will keepe Gods commandements hee will doe no euill But wee may not forget that seeing this Loue hath for its obiect him that is so farre aboue vs wee must not seuer it from Reuerence which must qualisie the loue which we owe to our Superiors in expressing our affection wee must not forget our distance yea and our feare in regard of our flesh may bee seruile to awe it and keepe it downe though it must bee also filiall in regard of the spirit to keepe it in heart I should now if the time would giue leaue shew you how those things that are required in loue must be applyed vnto this obiect The first propertie of Loue is Vnion and we should endeauor to become one with the Lord to bee transformed into him and as neere as a Creature can partake of his Creator partake of the diuine nature Wee should desire Vnion also with God with God the Father by Adoption with God the Sonne by a spirituall Wedlocke with God the holy Ghost by entertaining him as his Temple wee should so grow one with all three persons From this Vnion our Loue should come on to a Communion Communion in that infinite good which you heard is in the Lord for though Vnion bee a great aduancement of our Nature yet doth our comfort stand in the Communion neither did God euer intend the Vnion but for the Communion As wee must haue Communion with the Lord so with God also as Children wee must communicate in the inheritance of our Father as a Spouse in the honour and state of a Bride-groome as the Temple in the ornaments and endowments thereof Yea in this Communion there must appeare Beneuolentia Benesicentia there must appeare an intercourse of good will and good deeds betweene the Lord God and vs otherwise wee doe not loue as wee should This is not all the seate of Loue must be exercised also the Heart for the loue of God must bee free God doth not respect forced Loue. The Minde God will bee knowne before hee is loued and hee will haue them that loue him to meditate vpon him hee will not regard an vndiscreete Loue. Thy Soule must bee exercised if thou dost not long after him earnestly and take sweet content in him thou dost not loue Finally thy Courage must bee employed thou must bee as resolute to compasse this spirituall Vnion and Communion as carnall wooers are
Dutie also if thy Neighbour then thou must Loue. But though all doe not so yet he to whom God speaketh in this Law must and that is Israel the members of the Church must not faile in this dutie Thou must loue thy Neighbour These particulars I hold worthy of obseruation in this text I will therefore enlarge them I pray God it may be done to our edification First then of the person He is called our Neighbour the word signifieth one that dwelleth by vs or is ioyned with vs but there is more in the word then is vulgarly conceiued I will distinctly shew you the extent thereof There is a double Neighbourhood First an humane Secondly a Diuine the humane is that which we apprehend by the light of reason the Diuine is that which we know not but by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost Such Neighbourhood there must bee because God hath ioyned vs in nature as we depend vpon Iehoua and in grace as wee are in couenant with the Lord our God Of the humane the first degree for it hath more degrees then one is that which first offereth it selfe to the common vnderstanding and that is Neighbourhood in place whether that place be the same Towne or Parish or Countrey or Allegiance all these haue a Neighbourhood betweene themselues and haue some bonds by which they are knit together because men are naturally sociable creatures and as the word Reang imports like sheepe of the same Pasture Adde hereunto that societie is inforced Quia non omnis fert omnia tellus this linketh Ilanders with the Continent by Leagues and Commerce The second degree is neerenesse in Bloud this Neighbourhood is betweene those that are of the same kindred And indeed this was the first Neighbourhood that euer was in the World for seuerall Families dwelt by themselues you may gather it out of Genesis the tenth where the roots of all Nations are set downe as likewise in other Historicall Bookes For what is an Ismaelite but one of the ofspring of Ismael an Edomite but one of the Posteritie of Edom that is Esau and an Israelite one that commeth from Israel that is Iacob Yea Affinitie in the first Age was not ordinarily contracted but betweene those of the same bloud when by remotenesse from the stocke it grew cold they warmed it againe by the helpe of Wedlocke But after that Nimrods arose those mightie Hunters that contented not themselues with their owne Dominions such as were the Gouernours of those foure famous Monarchies they subdued other Nations to themselues as likewise did they intermingle with other Nations whose multitudes could not be contained within their owne Territories here hence arose that mixt neighbourhood which we see in all the world a neighbourhood that seemeth rather of place then in bloud But howsoeuer they of the same bloud are distracted in place yet is there a naturall neighbourhood betweene them still The Lawes of men haue set bounds vnto Consanguinitie and beyond the tenth Degree they acknowledge none except it be in the succession of Monarchie or absolute Principalities wherein some Lawyers hold there is no limitation of Degrees But howsoeuer Policie alloweth limitation of Consanguinitie the Scripture doth not for Acts 17. Saint Paul teacheth the Athenians that of one Bloud God made all Mankind so that all men are the sonnes of Adam and they are all kinne The Apostle goeth a step farther in that place and out of a heathen Poet proueth that wee are all the ofspring of God and indeed in Adam wee were all made after Gods Image and so must needs haue Alliance betweene vs. It is true that when we looke vpon the seuerall generations in the world and the petie Dominions whole Nations seeme to be strangers one to another the Northerne to the Southerne the Easterne to the Westerne they of Europe to those of Asia both vnto them of Africa all three to them of the New world but if we acknowledge the root from whence we all spring Adam and God which is the Lord of all we must needs confesse that no man can be a stranger to vs because euery man is our bloud and communicateth with vs in the Image of God And if wee conceiue any man vnworthy to be accounted of our cognation let vs know that Rex coeli honoratur vel contemnitur in imagine sua not the dead Images of the Church of Rome but this liuing Image of the nature of Man The world is but like a great house wherein the family though but one must lodge disperst because so great or if you will a large Signiorie vnder which there are many Tenants but all of the same Homage and holding of the same Lord so that man can no more be a stranger vnto man then one tenant of the same Lordship can bee vnto another or one person may bee vnto another in the same family Thus farre our neighbourhood reacheth by the light of Reason for you may perceiue by the very text which I alleaged out of the Acts that for this third degree of neighbourhood there is an euidence in Reason which another Poet also confirmeth Hom. Odyss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All both strangers and poore are belonging vnto God Were there no other light but this of Reason we see that neighbourhood reacheth very farre But the Holy Ghost that by the Scripture hath inspired into vs a clerer light hath taught vs another kind of neighbourhood which I called Diuine and this is the neighbourhood of the Church and is betweene all them that belong thereunto For these persons haue all one Father in Heauen one Sauiour that died for them all one Comforter that dwelleth in them all they partake of the same Sacraments they are taught the same Gospel they are called to the same Kingdome there is not the least of these prerogatiues but communion therein is enough to make a neighbourhood And this neighbourhood also hath seuerall degrees The first is that which is betweene men on Earth whereof some are all alreadie of the mysticall Bodie they are incorporated into the Church are made members of Christ are quickened by the Spirit are profest children of the Kingdome of Heauen these wheresoeuer they liue they must needs be neighbours because they can liue no where out of the bodie the bodie I say of the Catholique Church Whose extent may bee ouer the face of the whole Earth but wheresoeuer it is it is but one as wee professe in the Creed one holy Catholique Church Though of men there be very many which are not in this Church and therefore may seeme not partakers of this Diuine Neighbourhood yet indeed they must not be excluded from it for what they are not they may be the commission of the Gospel sendeth the Ministers vnto all Goe teach all Nations and God would haue all men saued neither is there any respect of persons with God Iewes Gentiles Males Females bond free all are capable of the Gospel Whereupon
that is consorts with Angels and wee were by times or by turnes to intend no lesse our Heauenly then our worldly vocation the things of a better no lesse then the things of this present life To take off our thoughts and desires our care and endeuour from this world and bestow them vpon the world to come from the earth place them vpon heauen is that that which the holy Ghost meaneth by Sanctifying of our persons And verily before the Fall no more was required thereunto then such a change of our employment but after the Fall more is made necessarie for sin cleaueth vnto our nature we are conceiued and borne therein Psal 51. Not only those that are without the Church whom Saint Paul describeth Rom. 1. but also those that are within the Church whom hee describeth in the third of that Epistle And this sinne doth defile vs read Esay the first Chapter and Ezech. 16 there you shall see how lothsome how vgly we are by reason of our sinne Esay 64. v. 6. All our righteousnesse as the Prophet speaketh is like a menstruous cloth Neither doth sinne only defile vs but by vs it defileth all other creatures Concupiscence is a contagious thing Contactu omnia foedo inquinat what it toucheth it staineth Titus 15. Vnto the impure saith the Apostle nothing is pure nothing is pure to a sinfull man because his mind and conscience is defiled So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are synonyma Acts 10. the common thing or things vnseparated the things of this life that are not hallowed are all impure Wherefore to sanctifie now is not only to change our imployment but also to clense our selues from sinne and before we doe dedicate our selues vnto God wee must remoue not only our imployment from the world but also our corruption from our persons Corruption not only that which is inherent in vs but also that which by our meanes is adherent vnto our goods and to other creatures whereof we make any offering to God This which in grosse I haue said concerning Sanctification is distinctly taught in the rest of my text and the rest of my text is a faire Commentarie vpon this word for therein you shall see first the separation of sinne from them in the washing of their Garments Secondly the seperation of their employment from the world in not comming to their Wiues and last of all that which is the vp-shot of all their preparation to meete God Let vs looke into these points orderly First into the ceremoniall obseruance The Israelites were to wash their clothes God fitted his Law in the old Testament vnto the nonage of his Church so the time before Christs Incarnation is called by the Apostle Gal. 4. 1 Cor. 10. and all things came to his people in types and figures much of their Law was ceremonial But those ceremonies of Gods institution were as the fathers call them Sacramenta they were mysticall things they had an out-side and an in-side an out-side corporall an in-side spirituall wherein they differed from Heathenish and Pharisaicall ceremonies for example to instance in the ceremonie which we haue in hand The Heathen the Pharises had their washing Touching that of the Heathen we read in the prophane Authors and in the Gospell we read of that of the Pharises both of them had Lauacrum but not Mysterium the out-side but not the in-side of the washing their thoughts reached no farther then the Carnall worke ascribing to the Carnall worke a supernaturall power which the Poet taxeth in the Heathen Ah nimium faciles qui tristia Crimina coedis Tolli fluminea posse putatis aquâ And our Sauiour Christ taxeth it in the Pharisies who thought when they had washed their hands they were quit from their briberie Neither is the Romish sprinkling of Holy water much better whether wee looke to the consecration of it or the confidence that is put in it In the the consecration the Priest doth pray without a promise and as for the people they rest vpon Opus operatum the doing of a worke that hath no warrant and so trust in a lye Ceremonies of significancie the Church may institute but ceremonies of efficacie it cannot institute God onely who is the fountaine of grace can institute those Conduits by which hee will conuey them to vs. But to leaue these carnall ceremonies and come to the mysticall Saint Austin giueth this good rule to guide vs in vnderstanding them Epist 49. Quest vet Humana Consuetudo verbis Diuina potentia etiam rebus loquitur It is vsuall with men to expresse their meaning in words God hath moreouer another language sutable to his power hee speaketh by things by corporall things to let the Israelites vnderstand spirituall and their ceremonies were Symbola pietatis sensible Images as it were of their morall duetie But least we mistake we must obserue three differences betweene the cutside and inside of the ceremonies First the corporall part of it was to be considered not according vnto its owne nature but according to its reference not according to that which it was in it selfe but according vnto that whereunto it was ordained of God so Sacrifices were to be considered not as beasts or birds c. but as Types of Christ that was to die for the sinne of the world but the spirituall part of the ceremonie was to bee considered and esteemed according to its owne and absolute nature A second thing is that the Type containeth good or euill in regard onely of the Commandement which requireth the doing or the forbearing therof whereas otherwise the thing in it selfe is indifferent but the inward part of that ceremonie is commanded or forbidden because in its owne nature it is good or euill Thirdly man can onely performe the Corporall or outward part of the ceremonie the inward and spirituall can be done onely by the speciall grace of God and we may not ascribe vnto the Creature that which is in the power and gift onely of the Creatour These rules being considered in generall must also discreetly bee distinguished according to the maine parts of Religion which are two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wherein God doth exhibite ought vnto vs and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wherein wee doe present some thing vnto God The ceremonie wherewith we haue now to doe is of the later sort for washing our clothes is a part of mans sernice which he doth to God-ward In all the Purifications of Moses Law washing of Clothes was alwayes one as you may find in the Booke of Leuiticus where those Lawes are set together and the Iewes from this precept gather the practice of baptizing them whom they receiue into their Couenant and Church Neither was this an Introductorie Law of Moses but a declaratorie for we read of it in the story of Iacob when he did purge his family Gene. 35. one of the ceremonies practised was the shifting of Garments which
must not onely cease for to hate him but beginne to Loue him also Secondly Christ founded both these partes in our Redemption for Hee dyed and rose againe Saint Paul telleth vs there is a morall in that mysterie it lessoneth vs to dye vnto sinne and to rise vnto righteousnesse finally the Sacrament of Baptisme which in the Scripture is called the Baptisme of repentance Symbolically preacheth both vnto vnto vs the dipping into the water and the taking out of the water what doth it figure but the drowning of sin and the recouering of a sinner The vse that wee must make hereof is that we must not onely desire to be rid of the vncleane spirit but also to be possest of the holy Ghost if wee doe not change one for the other we are not changed so fully as we ought to bee and we must feare his doome out of whom the vncleane spirit was cast in the Gospell whom because the holy Ghost succeeded not the foule spirit repossest the person with seuen worse then himselfe Matth. 12. and made the latter end of that man worse then his beginning And thus much of the nature of Repentance which is the first worke Gods worke which changeth vs from bad to good not onely cleansing sinne but also giuing grace I come now to the second worke which is mans worke in handling whereof we must consider the Order and the Nature of it A word of the order Gods worke goeth before mans man could neuer doe good if God did not first make him good as truely as the dew doth first fall from heauen before there can bee fatnesse in the earth Psal 1. euen so must Gods grace change man before any alteration will appeare in the conuersation of man the tree must be planted by the Riuers of waters Ephes 2.10 before it can bring forth her fruites and we must bee Gods workmanship created vnto good workes before we can walke in them Wee must not therefore take such pleasure in beholding the Tree bee it neuer so richly loaden with fruites as to forget the roote which yeeldeth the iuice without which the Tree could beare no fruit we must so regard mans worke that wee giue the precedencie alwayes to Gods and acknowledge this to bee the off spring of that but enough of the Order I come now to the Worke which is bearing of fruites That which is here called fruites Acts 26. is called workes whereby we gather that good workes are fruites and indeed onely good workes deserue this name for if Saint Austins definition bee true Fructus est quo quis cum gaudio fruitur That is fruit which a man may with comfort enioy how should sinne be reputed fruites Who can take any content in it Not the sinner himselfe for though it be sweete in his mouth as Iob speaketh yet when it commeth downe into his maw Iob 20. it turneth into gall of Aspes Deut 22. well doth Moses compare it to the fruites of Sodome and Gomorrah for as the Booke of Wisedome describeth that fruit faire on the out side but the in-side nothing else but cinders euen so the appearance of sinne is pleasant but the substance of it is very vnsauorie If onely our lustes should be iudges howsoeuer at first they taste it as fruit yet euen they also loath it if they bee long vsed to it but if they swallow it and find no offence in it as too often they doe yet when it commeth to our conscience and thither sooner or later it must come Saint Pauls question will then come seasonably Tom. 6.21 What fruit had yee then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed Sinnes then may not passe for fruits fruits properly so called this title belongeth only to good workes they are fruits indeed they may say as the Vine in the Iudgess They cheare God and Men Chap. 9. God taketh delight in them they are to him a sacrifice of a sweet smell yea hee taketh as much content in them as if he did feed vpon them we learne it in the fiftieth Psalme Thinkest thou saith God that I will eat Buls flesh and drinke the bloud of Goats Offer vnto God praise and call vpon his Name in denying the former he acknowledgeth the later to be his food not that God is the better for ought we doe but so is hee pleased for to honour our workes as the Angels that came to Abraham did partake of his meâ—te not to refresh themselues but to doe him honour As God accepts them for fruits so are they fruits vnto men also vnto others and vnto our selues but with this difference that whereas God was not the better for them men are other men by our good workes are either brought to goodnesse or confirmed therein and as for our selues wee grow thereby in grace and fauour with God and feele more comfortable ioy in our owne soules therefore well may good workes beare the name of fruits And I the very name of fruits distinguishing good workes from bad containeth a good motiue to doe well and forbeare sinne for Who would labour for nought and spend his strength in vaine being not to haue so much as his labour for his paine for he must write vpon his wages not only vanitie but also vexation of spirit And againe Who would bee wearie of well doing that knoweth his labour is not in vaine but that in good time he shall eate the fruit of his labours O well is hee and happie shall he be But wee must marke that our worke is called fruit and not flowers not but that the flower goeth before the fruit but it is the hope of the fruit that maketh the flower to bee esteemed and God counteth that flower little worth that neuer commeth to be fruit we see this in the parable of the seed where that ground only goeth for good in which the feed giueth not ouer vntill it be fit for the Barne and hee that puiteth his hand to the Plough saith Christ in the Gospel Luke 9 6â— and looketh backe is not fit for the Kingdome of Heauen I obserue this the rather because here we may see many faire flowers which in their youth shew good effects of their Gouernours care and paines who no sooner are set at libertie as too often they are before the flowers become fruit but they wither and faile neither Church nor Common-wealth nor themselues are the better for their breeding whom I would haue to carrie this Lesson with them That Goodnesse is not a flower it is fruit and they must aswell ripen as blossome otherwise it will appeare that God in them hath done his worke but they come short of their owne Neither is Goodnesse only called Fruit in the singular number but the word is plurall our worke is many workes wee must beare Fruits we must as the Apostle speaketh be fruitfull in all good workes Col 1.10 The soule of a man is but one but
commeth from Edom and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Thankesgiuing in the Reuelation But I draw to an end The conclusion of all my Text is this If at any time wee bee distressed and not relieued the fault is not in God it is in vs for our Deuotion is tired ouer-soone wee are all modicae fidei men of little faith and though the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weake and the weaknesse of the flesh preuaileth more then the willingnesse of the Spirit Wherefore we must all pray vnto God to giue vs the Spirit of Grace and Prayer ANd Lord we beseech thee helpe our vnbeliefe and increase our faith yea Lord pray thou that our faith faile not and the more thou doest exercise our patience the more earnest let vs be for thy deliuerance deliuerance from our corporall deliuerance from our spirituall foes that well ouercomming our Militancie here on earth we may bee Triumphant with the Saints in Heauen where wee shall turne our Prayers into Prayses and sing day and night honour prayse strength and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and to the Lambe for euermore AMEN SVNDRIE SERMONS DE TEMPORE PREACHED VPON SEVErall Occasions by the Right Reuerend Father in God ARTHVR LAKE D. of Diuinitie Lord Bishop of Bathe and Welles LONDON Printed by R. Young for N. BVTTER 1629. יהוה EIGHT SERMONS ON THE NINTH CHAPTER Of the Prophecie of ISAIAH ISAIAH 9. VERS 6 7. For vnto vs a Childe is borne vnto vs a Sonne is giuen and the gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders and his Name shall bee called The wonderfull Counsellour The mighty God The euerlasting Father The Prince of Peace Of the increase of his Gouernment and Peace there shall bee no end vpon the Throne of Dauid and vpon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with Iudgement and Iustice from henceforth euen for euer The zeale of the Lord of Hosts shall performe this THis is the first Lesson appointed for this Morning Prayer and appointed fitly For the Argument well fits the Time We are now met to praise God for the Morning of the Church Zacharie Luke 1. doth so call the Birth of Christ saying The day spring that is the Morning from on high hath visited vs Yea Christ himselfe Reuel the last vers 16 doth call himselfe The bright Morning starre And verily his Birth was the most blessed Morning that euer the Church saw whether you respect the Night that went before or the Day that followed after it was the blessedest Morning that euer the Church saw The Night was long and darke a Night of want of warre so wee reade in the last of the former and the first verse of this chapter But the Day that followed was a cleare and lasting Day a Day of haruest a triumph Day so we are taught in the foure verses that goe immediately before my Text. A great alteration Who could worke it who could turne that night into this day what Sunne shone forth in so great strength In such a case man was like to moue such a doubt therefore the holy Ghost hath resolued it and his resolution of that doubt is my Text. Loe here is one that can vndertake that work who he is How excellent he is we are taught here and that in regard of his Person and of his State For of his Person here are the Natures wherein it subsisteth here is the People to whom it belongs It subsists in two Natures 1. The Nature of Man Hee is a Childe 2. The Nature of God Hee is the Sonne The Person subsisting in these two Natures belongeth vnto whom To Vs was hee borne he was giuen to Vs saith the Prophet Esay and Esay was a Iew. Christ then belongeth to the Iewes though the Iewes must not bee vnderstood according to the flesh but the spirit To these Iewes was he vouchsafed by taking and giuing Natus he tooke his nature from them and Datus what he tooke he with aduantage bestowed vpon them But of what degree was he amongst them here commeth in his State He was a King The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders The Gouernement that was Royall for verse 7. it is called The Throne The Kingdome of Dauid He shall sit vpon that and that is the Gouernment that shall bee layd vpon his shoulders And happy are the People that haue such a King You will confesse it if you consider his Excellencie The Excellencie both of his Person and of his State Of his Person that appeares in his endowments Of his State that appeares in his managing thereof The Endowments of his Person are Royall Reade his Titles He shall bee called and what he is called that he certainely is Hee shall be called by those names that expresse such vertues as most beseeme a King our King For a King ouer and aboue the Vertues which are common to him with his Subiects must haue more than ordinary Wisedome and Power And see this King is called for his Wisedome The wonderfull Counsellour for his Power The mighty God But mistake not his Kingdome it is not of this World He that is our King is The Father of Eternity that is Of the World to come And as his Kingdome is not of this World so is not the condition of his People worldly it is Peace and Peace is not the portion of this world but of that which is to come Our King is the Prince of this Peace You see how the Person is endowed and thereby how excellent the Person is There is an Excellencie in his State also it appeares in the Effect in the Cause The Effect for of this Kingdome there are no bounds and the felicitie of the Subiects is also boundlesse so saith the Text Of the increase of his Gouernment and Peace there shall be no end Such an Effect must haue an answerable Cause it hath Iustice and Iudgement are the Pollicie of this State with these as a wonderfull Counsellour he doth order as a mighty God he doth support his State And he doth it vncessantly From henceforth and for euer As the Effect so the Cause this is eternall therefore that These Truthes concerning Christs Person and State are not onely affirmed in the body of the Text but also assured in the close thereof Much you haue heard and yet no more than shall bee He that hath promised can doe it such is his Power Hee is the Lord of Hosts Nay hee cannot but doe it such is his Loue for his Loue is Zeale So concludes the Prophet The zeale of the Lord of Hosts shall performe this You haue heard the summe of this whole Text and therein see a most exquisite picture of our Sauiour Christ certainely it is the fullest the liueliest that euer the holy Ghost in so few words exprest in any part of the Old Testament For here Christ is not only drawne from top to toe but drawn also with those varieties that befell him from eternity to eternitie
was stung by the Serpent so in Paradise was hee cured by the seed of the Woman The Patriarchs in their order Heb. 11. not onely knew but felt the vertue of this Childe this Sonne St. Paul comprehends it in a short Rule Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Hee was a Lambe slaine not onely borne from the beginning of world Neither onely did the efficacie of his person worke but in a sort his presence also was vouchsafed vnto the world It is an ancient opinion of many of the Fathers and not a few of the worthiest late Diuines approue it that all apparitions of God in the Old Testament were of the second Person In the eighth of the Prouerbs himselfe saith that his delight was to be amongst the Sonnes of men Yea and to say nothing of other shapes how often did hee appeare in the shape of a man which apparition the Fathers call Praeludium incarnationis It was a faire intimation of that which in time hee should bee for euer after hee had once taken vpon him the nature of man which death it selfe should neuer seuer from him O Lord that wouldest not only become Man but also bee Gods gift to Man thou which wert before all time wouldest be bestowed in time bestowed vpon Iewes bestowed vpon Gentiles and make them both one Israel of God Notwithstanding there was nothing in them to demerit thee much in them to prouoke thee yet hast thou out of thine own goodnesse so tendered Man as to satisfie thy Iustice that it might bee no hinderance vnto thy Mercy but that thy Mercy might remedy both our Woe and Sinne We beseech thee that wee may all be new borne by vertue of thy Sonnes birth and giue our selues to Thee as he is giuen to Vs that so we may be in the number of those which with the Prophet may say Tovs a Childe is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen Which grace he vouchsafe vs that is giuen vnto vs To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be giuen all honour and glory now and for euer Amen THE THIRD SERMON The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders THe Doctrine of this Scripture containes the Truth and Excellencie of Christs Person and State Of the truth of Christs Person I haue already spoken and shewed you both the Natures wherein it subsisteth and the People to which it belongs The Natures wherein it subsists are two The Nature of God and of Man which haue a most streight vnion in one Person and yet without the least diminution of eyther nature This Person belongs vnto the Iewes not according to the flesh but according to the spirit euen to the whole Israel of God which consists of beleeuing naturall both Iewes and Gentiles To this People doth Christ belong But of what degree is hee amongst them For euery companie that consists of many persons if they bee incorporate hath men of sundry degrees by the Ordinance of God and the common rules of discretion there are superiours there are inferiours some which command some which are commanded Of which ranke is our Sauiour Christ Of the highest it appeares in his State The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders Although then the Scripture affirm that Christ appeared in the forme of a seruant and himself said That he came not to be ministred vnto but to minister et must we not mistake his Ministery was not of the foote but of the head it was not an obeying but a commanding Ministeric The Head ministers and so doth the Foote in our body naturall but they minister not both alike The head ministreth to the foote by way of commanding the foote ministreth to the head by way of obeying Christs Ministery was of the former not of the later kinde his Foes and his Friends in the Gospell both salute him by the name of Rabbi or Rabboni which is by interpretation Master And our Sauiour Christ telleth his Disciples in St. Iohn You call me Master and Lord and you say well for so I am And elsewhere he calleth himselfe The Heire of the Vineyard The Lord of the Sabaoth The Name of Christ or Messias is a most cleare proofe hereof for none were anointed but to be superiours and the Acts which Christ did exercise beare witnesse hereunto which were all of them eyther Propheticall when hee taught or Priestly when hee sacrificed or Kingly when hee wrought Miracles These bee the things which were done by him and the Gospell relates no other kinde of acts or at least none in comparison And all these are commanding acts they are acts of a Superiour exercised in the dayes of his flesh in the dayes of his greatest humiliation So that the forme of a Seruant and the ministring of Christ shew that he had not the attendance for worldly respect that was due to such a Superiour hee had not so much as a house to hide his head in much lesse had hee any Princely pompe But they deny him not to haue been a Superiour they deny him not that which was giuen him in my Text and my Text giueth him the State of a Superiour To come then vnto it There are two things to bee obserued in the words 1. Of what sort the Gouernment was 2. and Wherewith Christ did sustaine it The Gouernment was of the best sort it was Regall it appeares in the next Verse where Christ is said To sit vpon the Throne of Dauid And this Gouernment he sustaines by his owne carefull Power for it is layd vpon his shoulders These two Points we must at this time looke into briefly and in their order I beginne with the Gouernment If wee looke backe to the Story of Genesis we shall finde that when God promised Isaac which was a Type of Christ he changed both his Fathers and his Mothers name shee was called Sarai but God new named her Sarah which is a Princesse and Abram was new named Abraham a Father of many Nations And me thinks when I reade these words here in the Prophet and those that follow wherein Christ is described I see the application of those names to this Person I see the Principality I see the Posterity I see in Christ the truth of Sarah and of Abrahams name And surely the word which here signifieth Gouernment hath great affinity with the name of Sarah But of Gouernments some are subordinate some are absolute Some so command as the Centurion in the Gospell I am a man set vnder authority though I haue diuers vnder mee and I say to one come and hee commeth and to another go and he goeth But some so command as Salomon speaketh of a King against whom there is no rising vp whose Lawes must not bee disputed on earth and his Commandements bee obeyed by all that are his Subiects Christs Gouernment is not of the subordinate but the absolute sort it appeares by the Throne by the Kingdome vpon which he sitteth places of absolute power especially if
and giue the world a good testimonie that we are the subiects of the Prince of peace I will set God before mine eyes and I will try how mine eyes can behold God and if I finde that mine eye delights to behold him that his countenance puts gladnesse into my heart when I doe behold him I am sure we are at Peace For were wee not eyther I haue no eyes and doe not see him or when I doe I shall be confounded with the sight of him I will open mine eares and I will heare God in his Word and if when I heare him the Law of his mouth is sweeter vnto mee than hony and the hony combe I know we are at peace were we not I must needs be like Adam heare and fly And if in the dayes of my mortality I can attaine this Peace of Perfection I doubt not but in the dayes of my immortality I shall attaine vnto that higher peace the peace of Retribution all teares shall be wiped from mine eyes all sickenesse from my body all blindnesse from my vnderstanding all vntowardlinesse from my will This ciuill discord of the flesh and the spirit and that greater betweene my conscience and God how much more these lesser discords that are between me and other men shall fully cease and be abolished for euer the Prince of Peace shall consummate my peace And so haue you those two titles of Christ which shew that we must vnderstand spiritually those two former titles which you heard before doe royally belong vnto him I should now farther shew you that the Scripture giues Christ many names because one or few cannot fully expresse him or at least we cannot fully sound the depth of that name when it is giuen vnto him The name of Iesus is a rich name and so is the name of Christ the vsuall names by which our Sauiour was called but the riches of those names are vnfoulded vnto vs in these particular titles and wee must take these as Commentaries vpon those for as it is in the eleuenth of this Prophecie The spirit which rested vpon Christ was manifold how manifold the holy Ghost doth there describe in abstracto but here to like purpose he speaketh of Christ in concreto The time will not suffer me to parallel these and the like places this is our Rule That as our nature delights in variety so there is a variety in Christ to giue full content vnto our nature and wee must not lightly passe by any one of his titles seeing euery one of them promiseth so much good vnto vs. O Lord that being my Lord art pleased to be my Father such a Father as that I neede not feare that I shall euer be an Orphan and hast prouided me an inheritance that shal be as lasting as my selfe that when all other fayle mee shall bee enioyed by mee an inheritance most comfortable because therein consists my Perfection and thy Retribution the Retribution of glory wherewith thou dost crowne the Perfection of grace grant that I neuer want that piety which I owe vnto my Father that charity which I owe vnto my Brethren Let my heart goe where my best treasure is and let that peace which passeth all vnderstanding haue the vpper hand in me Let me feele it let me practise it so in heart that I may haue the fulnesse of both sense and practice of it in the Kingdome of Heauen Amen THE SIXTH SERMON Of the increase of his Gouernment and Peace there shall bee no end vpon the Throne of Dauid and vpon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it c. IN Christ whom the Prophet describeth here vnto vs I obserued a double excellencie one of his Person and another of his State The first I haue already handled I come now to the second the excellencie of the State Which stands in a boundlesse growth of the Kingdome and a constant policie of the King that is the effect wherof this is the cause But more particularly in the effect obserue that there is a growth the Prophet calleth it an increase a growth of the gouernment and a growth of the peace both partake of the same increase And the increase of both is boundlesse there is no end of it no bounds of place it ouerspreadeth all no bounds of time it endureth for euer the word beareth both Of this effect or boundlesse growth of the Kingdome the cause is the constant policie of the King Which consisteth in the exercise of his two roy all indowments of his wisedome Hee shall order and to order is nothing else but to employ that wisedome which Christ hath as a wonderfull Counsellour of his power He shall support and to support what is it but to employ his power the power that he hath as he is a mighty God hee employeth them both his wisedome his power But they may bee employed eyther well or ill according as the rule is by which they proceed Christ employeth them well his rule is good it is iudgement and iustice he cals all to an account and measures to all as they are found vpon their triall This is the policie And herein he is constant he continueth it without ceasing from henceforth euen for euer So that of the euerlasting effect there is an euerlasting cause You see what is the summe or substance of this second excellencie but that you may see it better let vs runne ouer the parts briefly and in their order And first we are to obserue how answerable the excellencie of the state is to the excellencie of the person one goeth not without the other Christus naturalis will haue Christum mysticum conformable vnto him the body to the head Where he vouchsafeth an vnion of persons he vouchsafeth a communion also in the dignity of the persons It appeares in the name he is called Christ which is annoynted with oyle of gladnesse and we are called Christians we partake of the same oyle His name is but an oyntment poured out as it is in the Canticles Cap. 1.3 poured out like that precious oyle vpon Aarons head which ranne downe to the skirts of his garment Cap. 60. All Christs garments and the Church in Esay is compared to a garment smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia as it is Psalme 45. This is taught by diuers Similies Of the wiues communicating in her husbands honour and wealth The branches partaking of the fatnesse and sweetnesse of the roote The members deriuing of sense and motion from the head So that our King is not like the bramble that receiueth all good and yeelds none to the state but hee is like the Fig-tree the Vine the Oliue they that pertaine to him are all the better for him they are conformable to him if he haue an excellencie they shall haue one also A good patterne for mortall Kings and Gouernours who should herein imitate the King of Heauen that as when a man seeth an excellent work he ghesseth that the
the Iewes and vs we haue enuious eyes and ambitious hearts we would not only be great but greatest we would not willingly that any should bee in better case than our selues Gods promise then goeth very farre which hee maketh to the Iewes and in them to vs when hee saith that they shall not onely haue great glory but also great in comparison in comparison to that which was very glorious So that if fertilior seges est c. and wee couet after the best gifts 1 Cor. 12. the very phrase did put them and doth put vs in minde how deeply they were wee are bound to God for the honour that hee did them in Christ 1 Reg. 8. and doth to vs. we should both ioy more therein than euer the Israelites did at the dedication of Salomons Temple But wee must not mistake and vnderstand the comparison made betweene the Old and the New Testament in an anabaptisticall sense as if they in the Old Testament had only corporall glorie and they in the New Testament spirituall the glory of both is spirituall But theirs of the Old Testament was veiled with ceremonies ours in the New Testament is vnueiled they had Christ but they saw him not but through sacrifices and darke rites but we with open face doe behold the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. therefore the Apostle teacheth Ephes 2. that of two we are made but one new man and Rom. 11. we are grafted into that â—liue from whence they sprang Secondly we must distinguish the meanes as they are offered of God and as they are receiued of men the glory of the New Testament is greater in regard of the meanes offered of God Blessed are the eyes that see that which you see saith our Sauiour Christ to his Apostles Luke 10.24 and the eares that heare that which you heare for I tell you many Kings Prophets and righteous men haue desired to see those things which you see and haue not seene them and to heare those things which you heare and haue not heard them But in regard of entertainement of the meanes the glory of the Patriarches faith vnder the Old Testament may well bee thought to haue equalled if not to haue gone beyond the glory of most of their faiths that liue vnder the New And why the darker their meanes were the stronger was their faith that built vpon them and our faith though in worke equall is in worth vnequall because our meanes are clearer clearer than was afforded any of those Worthies which are chronicled Heb. 11. Whereupon will follow a third thing which is that seeing in heauen men shall fare not according to the meanes which God affordes them but according to their vse of the meanes we may not so aduance the glory of the New Testament aboue that of the Old as to thinke that in the life to come all that liue vnder the New Testament shall haue precedencie of all those that liued vnder the Old Well it will bee with many if not most of vs if wee may haue a place in Abrahams bosome and sit down with him and with Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God I haue done with the points of my Text as they were to be opened seuerally I haue shewed you what Christ can doe what he will doe it remaines that in very few words I shew you what instructions they will yeelde vs if we ioyne them both together Obserue then that the Prophet doth first set downe Christs power and then his will in so doing the holy Ghost doth helpe the infirmities of men Were we such as wee should bee wee would neuer question Gods promise through doubt of his power But the best of Gods children haue taken exception to Gods promises and exprest their distrust God promised Abraham a childe in his old age Gen. 18. Sarah laugheth at that and obiects her dead wombe and Abrahams decrepit bodie God promised Moses that the children of Israel should eate flesh a moneth together in the wildernesse Num. 11. Moses thus reasons against God The people amongst whom I am are sixe hundred thousand footemen shall all the flocks and the heards be slaine to suffice them c. You will not wonder to heare a Prince of Samaria dis-beleeue the vnexpected plenty promised by Elizeus 2 King 7. nor Ahaz distrusting the despaired deliuerance of Ierusalem from the armies of the King of Israel and Syria Esay 7. It is not strange to see flesh and bloud so backeward in beleeuing God seeing they which are a good part spirit are not so forward as they should bee It is not then without cause that the holy Ghost prefixeth Christs power before his will lest the ignorance of the power should make vs thinke that the Prophet doth lauish in expressing his will Wherefore the holy Ghost taking vs for no better than we are encourageth vs to hope well of Christs promise out of the consideration of his sufficiencie And this is the reason why the first Article in the Creede is prefixt before all the rest it preuents the scruples that would rise in our distrustfull nature A second instruction that the coupling of Christs power and his will will yeelde is that Christ doth giue his gifts not according to the narrownesse of our desires but the width of his owne power St. Paul Ephes 3. telleth vs that Christ is able to doe exceeding abundantly aboue all that wee aske or thinke and here the Prophet telleth vs that he is willing to deale so The Iewes would haue had a Temple glorious but they did not wish it more glorious than that of Salomon Christ will haue the glory of the later house greater than that of the former Abrahams wish was Oh that Ismael might liue in thy sight God heard him and promised to multiply Ismael exceedingly but he added a promise of an Isaac too Gen. 17. in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed and whose off-spring should multiply as the sand of the sea and the starres in the firmament which are innumerable Salomon begged onely wisedome 1 King 3.11 God gaue him that in the highest degree but ouer and aboue and that in no low degree he heaped vpon him honour and wealth How many came to Christ for the helpe of their bodies and beyond their desire went away cured in their soules If wee in our prayers make the like triall of Christ wee shall finde no worse successe I will conclude all with two good remembrances taught vs by King Dauid The first is grounded vpon the consideration of Christs power When wee cloathe the naked feede the hungry doe any good deede giue any thing to any good vse we must with that religious King confesse 2 Chro. 29. Omnia exmanu tua accepta offerimus tibi Wee haue nothing which wee haue not receiued and we could not haue offered it to him except he had first bestowed it on vs for the siluer is his
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was all ouercast with a heauinesse to death finally how it affected his body it made it sweat great drops of blood Put these together and you haue a faire commentary vpon that one word wherewith S. Luke doth expresse Christs sense calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Agonie or a sharpe conflict And indeed wee must confesse that there was much extraordinary in Christs Crosse and that it was such a draught as none could take but he And by this wee must obserue in the Cup and Christs sense thereof first that God would haue copiosam redemptionem not onely in regard of the person suffering which was both God and Man and therefore could to a little suffering adde an infinite worth but also in regard of the sufferings themselues which God would haue to be as great as the person of Christ was capable of And he would not haue it seeme strange vnto vs if we be put to a fiery tryall seeing God was pleased so farre to exercise the patience of his owne deare Sonne after his example we must be contented to take not only Calicem but Calicem hune to drinke not only of a Cup but of a very bitter Cup also as many in the primitiue Church and later ages haue done Secondly in the liuelinesse of Christs sense wee are taught quanti steterit salus nostra with how great heauinesse and horror Christ vndertooke and went through the redemption of our soules the more he felt of that the more are wee indebted to his loue and should detest our sinne yea wee must learne of Christs sorrow to sorrow our selues for our selues and by his heauinesse how to bee heauie when we haue offended God But enough of the Crosse Let vs come now to the wish of Nature It is exprest in two words transeat aufer let it passe take it away The words import that the Cup was making towards him and indeed the word houre sheweth that this was the time of taking it now death the reward of sinne temporall death fast clasped with eternall came to require due satisfaction to bee made to God Christ doth not denie that this is iust therefore let it goe on but yet transeat let it goe besides me let not me be the partie on whom it seizeth But how can that bee seeing Christ stood out as the surety of mankinde the execution must come out vpon him that hath vndertaken the debt if then God let his iudgements ire goe forth certainely they will not transire passe by the person of Christ for they are right arming Thunderbolts as the Wiseman calleth them Therefore Christ addeth a second word aufer though of themselues they would seize on me yet be thou pleased to take them from me let thy hand stay them which will not stay themselues But to leaue the words and come to the things that are obseruable in the Wish It is an inborne principle of nature for euery liuing thing to desire his preseruation and abhor destruction but this principle should be more liuing in the Sonnes of men who know that God made not death Wisd 1. and that it is the wages of sinne Rom. 5. Ambros Theophylact. in bunc locum because it is vnnaturall because it is penall it may bee feared it must bee deprecated we put off nature if our nature bee not so affected Especially if it be Calix iste such a Cup as Christs an extraordinary Cup wee may not only deprecate it but ingeminate our deprecation as Christ three times prayed the same words and St. Paul did the like against the buffettings of Sathan But we must marke that though all things were foreseene by Christ and resolued vpon yet it pleased God that hee should permit euery power of his soule to doe and suffer what was naturall vnto it Chrysostome and thereby declare vnto the world that he was a true Man Sermone 1. de Sancto Andrea Yea St. Ambrose and St. Bernard obserue that it was much more glorious for Christ to doe so than to haue done the contrarie that not only the passion of his bodie but the affection of his heart also might make for vs that whom his death quickned them his trembling might confirme his heauinesse glad his drooping cheere and his disquiet set at rest Theophylact obserueth that Christs Wish is a good warning to vs that wee doe not cast our selues into temptation 〈◊〉 de passione Christi St. Cyprian giueth the reason Quis non timeat si timet ille quem omnia timent he prefaceth his words with a passionate Meditation and they are foolishly hardy that presume of more than is exprest in the Wish of Christ And the Wish is not onely Admonitory but Consolatorie also It is no small comfort that it is lawful for vs to expresse our Wishes though they be contrary to Gods will yea his knowne will for so was Christs The more rigid is their Diuinity that are so zealous for Grace that they abolish Nature and will haue a Christian man forget to be a man But though this Wish may be common to Christ and vs yet is there as great difference betweene it as it riseth in vs and as it rose in him It rose in him neuer but according to the prescript of reason his reason was neuer preuented by his affection sicut quando voluit factus est homo as he was not incarnate but when hee was willing so onely when hee was willing did his affections stirre within him Nihil coactum in Christo Damascen lib. 3 Orthod sid cap. 20. the obiects could not worke his affections but when he saw it fit therefore shall you reade in the Gospell that Christ troubled himselfe when he groaned in spirit Iohn 11. But as for our affections they out-step our discretion and wee are transported with them before we are aduised which maketh vs retract them with our after wits Secondly Christs affections when they stirred neuer passed those bounds which were set them by reason but ours will not so be bridled seldome are we moued but we eyther ouer reach or come short of that which wee ought to doe Therefore our affections and Christs are fitly resembled to two Vials of cleane water whereof the one hath a muddy residence the other hath no residence at all stirre the water that is in the Viall without residence and though you trouble it yet you shall not see any foulenesse in it but no sooner is that Viall that had the residence stirred but the mudde mingleth with the water euen so our affections are tainted with concupiscence from which conception by the Holy Ghost did free our Sauiour Christ You haue heard the Wish of Nature and heard how it is bent against the Crosse But there is one point which may not be omitted Christs modesty in expressing this for it is but a conditionall Wish Christ limiteth it with If If it possible let this Cup passe Things are
the Lord and wee must with him answer for our selues I will take the cup of saluation and praise the name of the Lord vnto this end is this Sacrament called the Eucharist Thus Christ conscerateth the Elements But why what good came to the elements by consecration surely much good for they are made the body and the bloud of Christ so saith Iesus This is my body this is my blood The interpretation of these words is much controuerted and it is much disputed What change of the Elements the wordes of Christ did make for that Christ changed the bread when he consecrated it wee make no doubt Whereas then there are three things in bread and wine 1. the name 2. the vse and 3. the substance wee confesse a change in the two first but deny it in the third First wee confesse a change in the name directed by St. Austines rule Ad Bonisaâ— ep 23. Because of a similitude Sacraments commonly beare the names of the things themselues the Sacrament of Christs body is after a sort the body of Christ and the Sacrament of Christ blood is after a sort the blood of Christ Of St. Aducrsus Iudaeos Austins opinion in our case was Tertullian Christ saith hee calleth bread his body And Cyprian the signifying elements and the thing signified De â—nctione Chrismatis are caded by the same name Our Sauiour saith Theodoret changed the names and called the signe by the name of his body Ambrose Chrysostome Ambros de Sacraments l. 5. c. 4. Chrysost ad 〈◊〉 sarios â—â—â—nachos and others might bee alledged to this purpose Secondly wee acknowledge a change in the vse of the Elements for there must be some ground for which the signes may beare the names of the things themselues and that is The vertue the power the operation of the flesh and bloud of Christ beeing mystically vnited to the signes doe in a wonderfull sort manifest these things by the signes through the operation of the Holy Ghost This we learne of St. Cyprian De â—nctione Chrismatis to the Element once sanctified not now their own nature giueth the effect but the diuine vertue worketh in them more mightily the truth is present with the signe and the spirit with the Sacrament De Sacramentis l. 4. c. 4. so that the worthinesse of the grace appeareth by the efficiency of the thing Ambrose also If there be so great strength in the word of the Lord Iesus that all things beganne to be when they were not how much more shall it bee of force that the mysticall Elements should bee the same they were before and yet be changed into another thing Theodoret. The signes which are seene Christ hath honoured with the names of his body and blood not changing the nature but adding grace vnto nature Thus farre wee goe in acknowledging a change of the Elements by consecration farther we goe not wee acknowledge no change in the substance of the nature of the Elements De Sacramentis l. 4. c. 3. and herein we are guided by the Fathers also Ambrose Thou camst to the Altar and sawest the Sacraments thereon and wondredst at the very ereature De Coena Domini and yet it is a solemne and a knowne creature Cyprian After consecration the Element is deliuered from the name of bread and reputed worthy to bee called the body of the Lord notwithstanding the nature of the bread still remaines Ad Coesarios Monacbos Chrysostome The substantiall bread and cup sanctified with a solemne blessing is profitable for the life and safegard of the whole man To proue this the Fathers vse to parallel the Sacrament and the Person of Christ De ieiunio 7. mensis in their disputes against Eutyches Gelasius As the bread and wine after consecration are changed and altered into the body and blood of Christ Dialogo secundo so is the humane nature of Christ changed into his diuine Theodoret hath the same parallel and so hath St. Austine as hee is cited de Consecratione distinctione secunda Hoc est quod dico Now a generall Councell not onely particular Fathers haue resolued that both natures continue in Christs person vnaltered so doe their properties so doe their actions only this honour the diuine doth to the humane nature that as it hath associated it into one person so doth it manifest her properties by it and performe her actions Euen so is it in the Sacrament the heauenly the earthly thing are both vnited to make one Sacrament but each keepeth vnaltered its owne nature properties and actions onely the heauenly doth worke by the earthly and doth not ordinarily without it manifest its operation If in the person of Christ there was no alteration of the diuine nature though the Scripture say the word was made flesh much lesse may we dreame of any alteration in the earthly part of the Sacrament though it be said the bread is the body and the wine is the blood of Christ Out of this distinction of changing of the Elements you may perceiue that Christs consecration was effectuall though not effectuall to Transubstantiation For in a sacramentall argument both substances must remaine and by reason of the mysticall vnion Disparats may be affirmed the one of the other without absurditie Whether the sacramentall vnion doe require moreouer a Consubstantiation may also here be disputed for some vrge it out of these words But their answer is briefly this The earthly and the heauenly thing may bee conioyned really though not locally And as they may be conioyned so they may bee receiued seeing the proper Exhibiter of the heauenly is the Holy Spirit and the Receiuer is our faith Our faith may ascend to Christ in heauen and the Spirit beeing infinite may vnite vs vnto Christ though we be as low as the earth Whereas then the words may haue their truth without any recourse to a miracle or contradicting any other Article of faith or forcing strange senses vpon other passages of Scripture we content our selues with this mysticall relatiue vnion and forbeare all other vnnecessary speculations Although we must needs confesse that the words make more for Consubstantiation than they make for Transubstantiation We confesse then that in the Sacrament there is the body and blood of Christ and that three manner of waies though we admit neyther of the two false waies Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation First in regard of the signe for it was not chosen for it selfe but with reference to Christ Secondly in regard of the resemblance it doth most fitly set forth the efficacy that is in Christ the strengthning the cheering efficacie you heard before out of the 104th Psalme that those properties are in bread and wine Strength is eyther increased or recouered and cheerefulnesse followeth eyther vpon the recouered or increased strength wee are Babes and must grow in Christ we are Souldiers and lose blood in his quarrell we must finde that which
which can neuer proue good either to the conquerour or the conquered Well then seeing Teaching is Gods method of conuerting you see whereof you must take care the Word of God must dwell richly in you especially you must arme your selues with the sword of the Spirit Colos 4. Ephes 6. 2. Tim. 4. Tit. 2. which is the Word of God that you may bee able to instruct the ignorant and refute those that are contrary minded And this care doth St. Paul commend earnestly to Timothie and Titus And you know that it was a very bitter reproofe which Christ vsed vnto Nicodemus Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things Ier. 3. If you will be Pastors according to Gods owne hrart you must feede his people with knowledge and vnderstanding And let this suffice concerning the manner of bringing men to Christ In the next place wee are to see what must be done to them that entertained the Gospell First they must consecrate them vnto God Baptizate Baptize them This is not the first Institution of Baptisme for not onely Iohn the Baptist but the Apostles also baptized as it is in St. Iohn chap. 4. And howsoeuer there is a question Whether the Baptisme of Iohn the Baptist and of Christs Apostles be the same for Christ baptized none in his person and of the same efficacy yet there is no question but that the Baptisme is the same and of the same efficacy which the Apostles administred both before and after Christs Passion So that Christ in this place extended the Baptisme vnto the Gentiles but doth not of new institute it To baptise is properly to dip into the water in that fashion were they wont to baptise except in case of infirmitie wherein the Church allowed springling in stead of dipping But nicitie hath almost worne out the old forme at least in many places And yet the old forme doth most liuely represent that which St. Paul maketh the life of Baptisme that is our conformitie to Christ Know you not saith he Rom. 6. that so many of vs as were baptised into Iesus Christ were baptised into his death therefore we are buryed with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead to the glorie of the Father so wee should walke in newnesse of life And indeed to baptize is not only to dippe into the water The word dibaphum which signifieth Scarlet as it were twice dipt and dyed retaine◠the steps of that signification which is immergere but it is tingere also to dip as it were into a dye-fatte so that a person dipped in commeth out of another hue than hee went into the water though not physically yet morally Go to saith Gregorie Nyssen thou that art baptized thou art become another man it doth not appeare in the lineaments of thy body it must appeare in the lineaments of thy manners thou must be dead vnto the sinne whereunto thou diddest liue and liue vnto God vnto whom thou wert dead thou must haue put off the Old and put on the new Man Mortification and Viuification Remission of sinnes Adoption to be Gods sonnes Iustification and Sanctification are the Blessings that wee reape by being put into that Bath of Regeneration Which is also the very gate of saluation and maketh vs capable of all other sacred Rites of the Church which they call Sacramenta or Sacramentalia Sacraments or things that haue cognation therewith And indeed it is called Sacramentum initiationis the Sacrament of initiation or our Admission into the Church All Religions haue some ceremonious Forme whereby they admit Professors into their societie Austin cont Crescon Gramaticum l. 3. c. 25. the Iewes had Circumcision the Gentiles had seuerall kindes of Purifyings though herein the Gentiles were but the Apes of the Iewes the same God that annext Circumcision to the old Testament was pleased that Baptisme should bee annext to the new and by that toadmit all the world into one body of the Catholicke Church But let vs come to the Forme They were to baptize in the name of the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost And here we meet with the first and greatest fundamentall Principle in Religion which is Vnitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie In Nomine in the Name noteth the Vnitie of the Godhead against Arius for were there more Gods than one the holy Ghost would say in Nominibus and not in Nomine Secondly in the phrase in Nomine Note that where no one Name is specified all the Names of God are comprehended for all note but one and the selfe same nature the riches whereof we cannot comprehend but vnder diuers names which helpe our weake vnderstanding but doe not diuide it The mention of the Father Sonne and the Holy Ghost refutes Sabellius and shewes that though the Nature of God is but One yet in that One there are three Persons whereof no one is the other neyther is one euer called by the name of the other when they are considered in relation one to the other but in relation to vs they communicate in the Name Father and Spirit is their common attribute because God is a Spirit Saint Basil hath a short but a good note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must obserue the Forme of Baptisme which is deliuered in the Gospel and we must beleeue in them into whom we were baptised and we must glorifie as many as we beleeue in the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And indeed without the true knowledge and acknowledgement of the Trinitie we cannot reape the comfortable fruite of our Baptisme for wee owe it vnto all three persons though to none but to them three St. Ierome saith right Vna diuinitas vna largitio the Deitie in all three is One and therefore all three bestow the same gift vpon vs we haue the same Author of our Regeneration as we had of our Creation all three persons concurred to worke it and all three to put vs in possession of it Which that wee may the better perceiue Lib. 6. cent Donatist learne of St. Austine that this Forme of Baptisme doth containe the whole Creede for the Creede is is diuided into three parts euery part doth expresse one of the three persons and the benefit which the Church reapeth from that person for so in the Catechisme we teach children to summe vp the Creede when we aske them what they learne therein they answer vs they learne three things first to beleeue in God the Father that made them and all the world secondly to beleeue in God the Sonne that redeemed them and all mankind thirdly to beleeue in God the holy Ghost that sanctifieth them and all the Elect of God Marke then St. Austins conclusion Symbolum igitur profitetur quis eo ipso quod baptizatur the receiuing of Baptisme is a Profession of the Christian Faith And this is a principall reason why the Sacrament of Baptisme was as St.
can be no fit obiect for compassion which is the next point of the Text. Touching which compassion we are here taught that it is a restoring of a Penitent in the spirit of meekenesse Meekenesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arl. Eth. lib. 4. cap. 5. and a meeke man is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle doth not forbid Anger but commendeth indulgence there is a rod and a spirit of meekenesse that for the impenitent but for the penitent this And certainly without meekenesse there is little good to be done with Penitents for generosus est hominis animus magis ducitur quà m trahitur especially in reformation of the inward man where not so much coaction as perswasion preuaileth therefore if any thing will win the wayward it is meeknesse so thought St AMBROSH Tolle hominem a contentione audacia et habebis eum subiectum by meeknesse the prince of this world is soonest ouerthrowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is likely to recouer a patient soonest that handleth him gentlest Now if it be so in reclayming of a sinner that meekenesse is so requisite how requisite is it in dealing with a penitent sinner If St BERNARDS practise be commendable in iudging of sinne either to excuse the fact or say the temptation was verie strong how tenderly must we respect the humiliation of a sinner And take heed of a pharisaicall pride which satiateth its owne vncharitablenesse vnder pretext of censure and proceedeth contrarie to GODS rule vltra rather then citra condignum with the most when it should be with the least St PAVL did remember and so should we all that we are the seruants of that GOD which desireth not the death of a sinner Members of that SAVIOVR which will not breake a bruised reed nor quench smoaking flaxe Finally Temples of that Holy Ghost which is tearmed in my Text the Spirit of Meekenesse And indeed this vertue is a graffe not of nature but of grace and it argueth the Spirit dwelleth in vs when such fruit springeth from vs. Yea our whole soule must become meekenesse and this vertue must take vp euerie power thereof For such phrases are emphaticall and note not onely the originall but the extent of a vertue it doth argue that the whole inward man should be seasoned with it and concurre to the acting of it But the Spirit of Meekenesse must not be seuered from restoring for compassion should not cherish sinne but rectifie a sinner otherwise it is curdelis misericordia it is as if you should take a man that with a fall hath broken a ioynt and lay him downe vpon a soft bed but not take care to set his ioynts this were to leaue him in perpetuall torture or at least a maymed creature the righteous must smite but their stripes must be a precious balme the Church must censure but it must be for correction not destruction a sinner must be restored to that from which he is fallen It is an error long since condemned in the Nonatians who thought that the Church had no power to restore belieuing Penitents to restore them to that state wherein they were before their fall the very words vsed in my Text refuteth them which comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying compleate and perfect and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuper sheweth that it signifieth a perfect restitution vnto that which the person was before The fall did disgrace and disable so the restoring must recouer inwardly and outwardly inwardly in the peace of conscience and new strength to resist sinne outwardly in the Communion of Saints and the participation of sacred things and charitable society in the course of life In regard of all these the person must be as if he had neuer fallen Finally this restoring in the Spirit of Meekenesse must be without respect of persons and without exception of faults so saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he be a man that hath fallen Happily we can be contented to shew meekenesse to our kinred our friends not to strangers with whom we haue no such acquaintance But we must exclude none that may be ouertaken and any may be ouertaken that is a man Saint AVSTIN and other of the Fathers worke vpon the name man and shew that implyeth frailtie according to the Prouerbe Gen. 6.9 Humanum est errare and indeed the Scripture is cleare for it the frame of the imaginations of the heart of man is euill and that from his youth continually As we may exclude no person so must we except against no sinne If a man be ouertaken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any kind of sinne our bowels must not be straighter then Christs merits what his blood hath cleansed the Church may not hold vnpardonable therefore ouer great austerie was well condemned in the Councell of Nice which left power in the Bishops vpon iust cause to mittigate the penance which was enioyned by Canons with great seueritie to the terror of the wicked You haue heard what compassion must be shewed the Text moreouer teacheth who must shew it and vpon what ground Touching the partie that must shew it St HIEROME hath a good rule on this Text Homo potest se in voraginem perditionis conijcere non potest sine auxilio se eripere we may cause our owne ruine of our selues but vnto our restitution we need the helpes of others of others amongst whom we must acknowledge an Agent and the Instruments the chiefe Agent is GOD he onely blotteth out all our offences as himselfe speaketh in ESAY and it is He that healeth all our infirmities Ps 103. yet he is pleased to vse means or instruments and they are of two sorts medium impetrationis and medium operationis that is the Church offended this is the Minister In publike scandals GOD ouer and aboue the teares and sighes of the penitent will haue the whole Church to mediate and deprecate his wrath and he will haue the Minister spondere veniam to promise pardon and absolue in his name so that this Text implyeth a power which GOD hath giuen both the Pastor and People inabling each in his order to forgiue sinnes according as we are taught Math. 18. But marke here the words whereby these persons are described least they be proud and suppose their compassion to be arbitrarie which they may shew or withhold at their pleasure they are taught the contrarie by their names which testifie that it is necessarie for them to shew compassion The first name is Brethren Esay 58.7 this name implyeth an argument of compassion for a man may not turne away his eyes from his owne flesh this is true if he were but a naturall man but the spirituall cognation is greater and therefore bindeth more strongly by how much we owe more regard to our supernaturall then to our naturall Father Adde hereunto that their is no shew no pretence of
sinners euen such sinners of whom I am chiefe Now then J beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is slow to anger and of great mercie and forgiueth iniquitie and sinne Be mercifull J beseech thee to the impietie of thy seruant according to thy great mercie let the vngodlinesse of my heart of my mouth be blotted out of thy remembrance let it not bring vpon me the vengeance J deserue but create in me a new heart and touch my tongue with a cole from thine Altar that J which am vnworthy by reason of my scandalous crying sinne to meditate on or make mention of thy glorious Maiestie thy diuine Wisedome may haue a heart alwayes enditing good things and my blasphemous tongue may be turned into an instrument of thy glorie So shall my soule be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when J shall prayse thee with ioyfull lips and J shall sing forth thy wonderous mercie all the dayes of my life Heare me ô Father of mercie for giue me amend me and establish in me this holy purpose of my repentant heart to thy glorie and the comfort of enormous sinners for Jesus Christs sake by the powerfull operation of thy Holy Spirit Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWS IN WELLES A SCHISMATIQVE DOING PENANCE WHO HAD FOR MANY YEERES ESTRANGED HIMSELFE FROM THE COMMVNION OF OVR CHVRCH 1 CORINT 3.18 18 Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise A Particular visible Church is built vpon two foundations Vnion and Communion a louing vnion of the faithfull and an holy communion in sacred things Both these must be preserued or else that Church will come to naught Now there were amongst the Corinthians that did vndermine these foundations some rent the vnion and the communion was corrupted by other-some St Paul wrot this Epistle to amend them both And marke what a distinct course he taketh He first setleth the vnion before he offereth to purge the communion And there is good reason why for though the louing vnion of the faithfull be vnprofitable if it be without a holy communion in sacred things yet is a holy communion in sacred things impossible if you take away the louing vnion of the faithfull Therefore lest St Paul should lose his labour in redressing of the communion he first taketh care of repayring the vnion The first thing then that in the Church of Corinth he reformes is Schisme and he spends well-nigh foure Chapters in reforming thereof in throughly searching into the disease and applying thereto a soueraigne remedy The words that now I haue read vnto you belong to the remedy and you shall find them to be a principall branch thereof Let vs come more closely to them Of medicinall remedies some are preseruatiue some are restoratiue The preseruatiue are for the sound the restoratiue are for the sicke You shall find them both in my Text and you shall find that they are Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue remedy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidence or the preuention of Schisme you haue it in these words Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance or the recouering of a Schismatique it followeth in these words If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise But more distinctly In the preseruatiue we are to behold our naturall weakenesse and therefore to learne spirituall carefulnesse St Paul supposeth that we are prone to deceiue our selues and therefore aduiseth that no man should doe himselfe that wrong Let no man deceiue himselfe In the restoratiue we must behold first the distemper of a Schismatique and then the cure fitting to such a distemper The distemper is a carnall selfe-conceit a selfe-conceit for the man thinkes himselfe wise but the selfe-conceipt is but carnall as appeares by the limitation or extenuation rather that is added to his wisedome he is onely wise in this world Such is his distemper Whereof the first cure is an exalting humilitie The first branch is humilitie He must become a foole but he need not be disheartened there followeth an exaltation thereupon He becomes a foole that he may be wise These are the remedies And they are as I told you Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any That which hath befalne this man may be the case of the best of vs all These are the particulars which GOD-willing I shall now enlarge and apply vnto this present occasion I pray GOD we may so doe it as that we all not this Penitent onely may be the better for it The first remedy is the preseruatiue and therein the first thing that I pointed out is our naturall weaknesse This St Paul supposeth we may gather it out of that which he aduiseth for in vaine were his aduise if there were not a truth in that which he supposeth but farre be it from vs to thinke that the Holy Ghost doth require any thing in vaine let it stand then for an vndoubted truth that we are prone by nature to deceiue our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Verbe is deriued which is vsed by the Apostle signifieth a leauing of the right way which putteth vs in mind that in this world we are but way-faring men When we are admitted into the Church we are set in the path which will lead vs to our euerlasting home but when we are in it we may goe out of it It appeares too plainly in Adam and Eue and it is not to be expected that the children should be better then the parents especially seeing our restitution commeth short of that measure of grace which they had in their Creation It being true that we may the question is How it comes to passe that we doe goe out of the way and leaue the straight path wherein we are set the Scripture obserues two meanes the one without vs the other within vs that is the world this is concupiscence the world allures concupiscence inclines Adde hereunto a third that is the diuel he blancheth the world that it may allure more strongly and worketh concupiscence by perswasion that it may yeeld more readily and these betweene them consummate the deceipt whereby we are led out of the way But betweene these we must obserue a great difference that which worketh the deceipt from without is but an occasion that which worketh it from within is the true cause thereof the world the diuel Suadere possunt cogere non possunt they may sollicit powerfully but they cannot inforce vs vnwillingly to goe out of the way Physicall actions may be constrayned morall cannot I may haue
is not onely the presence of GOD but GOD is there as the Father of CHRIST And indeed the Cloud rested vpon the Mercie Seat which couered the Arke of the Couenant wherein were included the Two Tables conteyning the Articles thereof And this plainly testifieth the grace of GOD in CHRIST for CHRIST is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Propitiatorie the Apostle calleth him so and if GOD doe not looke into the Articles of the Couenant but through him he is the Mediatour betweene GOD and vs that is the sauing grace of God Adde hereunto that as that Couenant is resolued into two parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GODS stipulation and our restipulation so the principall parts of the Temple were Oraculum Altare the Oracle and the Altar at both which GOD shewed himselfe to be the Father of CHRIST The properties of a Father are vigilant prouidencie ouer and tender indulgence toward his child and what is the Oracle wherein GODS will from time to time was made knowne to the Church but an euidence of his fatherly care of it And what was â—he Altar whereat the people did daily present and GOD accept their deuotion but a full proofe how GODS bowels were compassionate towards them So that both these parts speake nothing but grace grace GODS grace in IESVS CHRIST The other parts of the Temple were but accessories to these and therefore must follow the condition of the principall they signifie grace Ezek 43. and are also holy Omnes fines Templi in circuitu Sanctum Sanctorum the very out-skirts were reuerent and bare ingrauen Iehoua shamma Cap. 48. The Lord is in this place as appeareth in the storie that goeth before my Text for these Merchants whom CHRIST expelled were at most but in Atrio populi the second Court nay it is most likely that they went no farther then Atrium gentium the outmost Court of all and yet CHRIST calleth that His Fathers House so did it please GOD to hallow those remoter parts to put vs in mind how much more the nearer to his presence were to be reuerent in our eyes But how could that or any part of the Temple be CHRISTS Fathers House seeing by the Iewes owne confession it wanted both the Arke and the Cloud Types the one of the Father the other of CHRIST Surely though GOD after the Babylonian Captiuitie would not supply the Iewes any more with those Types to set a sharper edge vpon their longing after the truth as he would no more suffer them to be a free Monarchy that they might wish for the Sonne of Dauid their heauenly and eternall King yet because the Oracles which were giuen from the Cloud continued in the Scriptures and their sacrifices were accepted in reference to the former Propitiatorie GOD still acknowledged the Temple for his House and CHRIST doth so esteeme it and our Churches also vpon the same ground for that where two or three are gathered together in Christs Name he is amongst them GOD speaketh to vs in his Word and we haue leaue to speake to him in our Prayers our Churches I say vpon this ground are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 places of state and grace we may well call them Christs Fathers House we may not vnder-value them nor any thing that belongs vnto them Church and Church-yard both are holy and we must vse them holily But hath GOD care of Churches of Temples made with hands built of timber and of stone of gold and of siluer Or are not these things rather written for vs to rayse our thoughts to higher things These were but Types they haue a truth they were Ecclesiasteria places or sites of Churches not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Isidor Peluciota doth well distinguish That which is truly a Temple or a Church is Rationabilis domus as Chrysostome speaketh Christ is the Temple as himselfe teacheth not farre from my Text. But CHRISTS person is either naturall or mysticall himselfe or his Church also himselfe is immediately and the Church mediately the truth of this Type We must first behold this truth in CHRIST for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Originall Sampler whereof we are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exemplifications therefore though we must be answerable vnto him yet equall vnto him we cannot be CHRIST then is a liuing Temple his name Christ importeth as much Cap. 9. you may gather it out of the Prophet Daniel when he was conceiued by the Holy Ghost then was the Holy of Holyes anointed But St Paul to the Hebrewes hath taught vs Cap. 9. that whereas there are two natures in CHRIST the Godhead and the Manhood he is a Temple in regard of his Manhood Cont. Eunâ—one yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nyssene speaketh both parts thereof concurre to make this Temple But more distinctly let vs see the correspondencie betweene this spirituall and the materiall Temple The materiall Temple was a place of GODS presence and is not the Manhood of CHRIST Yes verily for the Godhead dwelleth bodily therein and they were personally ioyned together The materiall Temple was furnished with the Oracle and the Altar The Manhood of CHRIST is destitute of neither Not of the Oracle for CHRIST was Sapientia Verbum Dei the Wisedome and the Word of GOD throughly acquainted with his secrets which he cleerely reuealed to his Church and neuer had she so full Hebr. 13. so exact an Oracle Neither was he lesse an Altar then an Oracle Habemus Altare we haue an Altar saith St Paul speaking of CHRIST yea he was Vtrumque Altare the Altar of Incense for from his sacred brest ascended deuout Prayers more pleasing to GOD then the sweetest odors and what Holocaust was euer so propitiatorie as the Sacrifice of his Body which he offered vnto GOD to expiate the sinnes of the world Well might his enemies fasten his Body to the Crosse as a place of execution but he on himselfe offered himselfe a Sacrifice of Propitation Neither could his oblation haue beene so acceptable Hebr. 9. Math. 23. if by his eternall Spirit he had not offered himselfe to GOD for the Altar must be greater then the guift because the guift is sanctified by the Altar Although we doe not dislike the Fathers giuing of this honorable title in a qualified sense to the Crosse yet doth it most properly belong to CHRISTS Person You see then there was nothing remarkable in the materiall Temple which was not in the Spirituall I meane our Sauiour CHRIST As these things were in him so by him they are all in vs De Inc. l. 3. c. â— as many as haue Vnion with his person haue Communion in his grace and by that Temples dwelling in vs we our selues become Temples as Cassian well collects We must then see how well herein we answer CHRIST and we shall find that we answer him in all points His whole manhood made vp the Temple and so doth ours 2 Cor. 3. Know you not
as we doe to Nothing morall we sooner cease to be good then we cease to be This defection began in Adam of whom the Psalmist Man being in honor had no vnderstanding Non pernoctauit he did not continue so much as a night but became like the beasts that perish Yea he became Radix Apostatica as Saint Austin cals him a Root of that back-sliding which cleaueth to all his posteritie Take an example or two We read Gen. 4. of the separation of the children of GOD from the daughters of men in the next storie that followeth is their confusion Cap. 20. In Exodus GOD sorbids the making of Images and presently after we find that the Israelites made the Golden-Calfe Ps 7â— Dauid hath made a whole Psalme of this inconstancie of Israel And we Ilanders are too like Israel herein for how quickly doe we shift the fashion of our cloathes of our dyet of our manners Cap. 6. and of our Religion also All our goodnesse is but like a morning cloud as Hosea speaketh and as an early dew doth it passe away in this we are all too like St Peter that we quickly faile St Peter did not onely fall quickly but he fell often also Before the cocke crew he denyed thrice this is the second aggrauation of his Fall Bis ad cundem is a Prouerbe teaching that he deserueth little pittie that stumbleth twice at the same stone St Peter stumbled oftner he added a third vnto two former fals And verily so it is he that sinneth once if he be left vnto himselfe will sinne againe and againe yea of himselfe he will neuer leaue sinning There are two reasons of it the first is Iudicium Dei a iust iudgement of GOD is it that he that once yealdeth to sinne should alwayes bend towards that whereunto he yealded and become prone to doe what he hath done amisse The second is Veneficium peccati theâ—e is a kind of sorcerie in sinne which causeth that he that hath once tasted it will retaine such a smacke that he will desire to tast it againe the proofe is daily to be seene in those that are inordinate liuers in whom to dayes sinne doth but worke a longing to sinne againe to morrow Yea not onely to sin but to sinne worse and worse St Peter did not onely deny CHRIST but his second denyall was worse then his first and the third worse then his second Sinne is said to be the sting of death Now you know that a sting doth enter by a sharpe point and maketh but a little hole at first but the farther it goeth in it cutteth the larger wounds Euen so sinne the oftner it is repeated the more is a man corrupted And no maruell for the Principles of Conscience will grow more stupid and he that sinneth a second time will be more senslesse of that which he doth then he was at first he that blusht at first will by little and little grow impudent and in steed of bewayling will fall to defending of his sault Yea and as the Principles of Conscience grow more senslesse so doth Concupiscence grow more lawlesse and he that at first had but a squemish appetite will by little and little learne to sinne with greedinesse Especially if he be in passion as St Peter was for that betrayeth all the succour which reason would offer if man through hardnesse of heart be not growne vnreasonable There is one thing more which the Fathers handling St Peters fall remember and that is the Cause why so worthy a man as St Peter was tooke so grieuous a Fall they obserue in him first Confidence and secondly Negligence Confidence in himselfe he thought himselfe to be a iollier man then indeed he was and thought he could doe much more then indded he was able to doe We cannot be bold of our strength in ciuill matters whereunto is required onely the generall assistance of GOD so St Iames tels vs Goe to all ye that say to day and to morrow we will goe to such a place or such a place and buy and sell c. whereas you should say if GOD will if we liue c. Much lesse in morall or spirituall things which are not performed without a speciall grace Captus amore de virtum suarum otentia non cogitauit Aug. de Glâ—â— Dei l. 14. c. 19. But St Peter was so farre carryed away with the zeale of his loue that he cast not vp his accounts neither did he inquire into his abilities but thought he was able to doe as much as he would such presumption of his owne strength was GOD pleased to checke with the permission of his fall And we doe commonly stumble soonest when we grow ouer-weening of our owne selues and mind more our perfection then our imperfection A second reason of his fall was St Peters Negligence in seeking vnto GOD which commonly followeth vpon Confidence in our selues CHRIST bid him with the rest watch and pray lest be entred into temptation and withall gaue him a reason which was a secret reproofe of his Confidence the Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weake but St Peter did as little follow the counsell as he did heed the reason For he grew presently drowsie headed and drowsie hearted in steed of watching he fell a sleeping and his deuotion slumbred as well as his eyes And what wonder if he tooke a fall that for want of prouidence might so easily be surprised The best way of standing out in temptation is out of our distrust in our selues to commend our selues to the helpe of GOD. I conclude this point with this religious Caution haec nos protulimus non iustos culpando c. I would not haue any man mistake or thinke that I haue amplyfied St Peters fall out of any purpose to dishonour the blessed memorie of that glorious Light of the CHVRCH the Holy Ghost related it I haue insisted on this Text for a better end First Vt consideremus that we might take notice of the frailtie that cleâ—ueth to our sinfull nature from which the best are not alwayes nor altogether exempted Secondly Vt horreamus that we may tremble whâ—e we see how preualent temptations are when GOD is pleased to leaue a good man vnto himselfe These be the vses that we should make of such examples and suppose that other mens cases may likewise be our owne we may fall as they haue done As we may fall so we should rise againe St Peter did and he is therein proposed as an example vnto vs you shall find it in the second part of my Text. I now come on vnto it There are two carnall Affections that are hinderers of our constancie in the Christian Faith Loue and Feare both of the World but of these two the forwardest to fall and feeblest to rise is Loue Feare renounceth not so farre and it leaueth more hope of amendment And why The loue of the world quencheth the Faith that is in the
so it behoued him to fulfill all righteousnesse whereof this was a Branch to shew that he was the Truth of former Types Cap. 8. We read in Leuiticus how solemnely Aaron was consecrated and seeing CHRIST came to bee what Aaron onely did signifie the high Priest of God it behoued that he also should haue an Inauguration but so much more excellent by how much the Truth exceedes the Type Luke 3. and the Lora the Seruant This correspondency is made the more probable because St. Luke tels vs that when this was done CHRIST was about thirtie yeeres old and of that age was the Priest to be when he entred vpon his charge the Holy Ghost by that Law Numb 4.8 and by this example of CHRIST giuing vs to vnderstand That maturitie of age is a necessary requisite in all that will vndertake a sacred function Marke withall the regular humilitie of our Sauiour though he were the Lord of Glory Hâ—b â— No man saith St Paul taketh the honour of Priesthoed vpon him but he that is called of God as was Aaron therefore Iesus glorified not himselfe but was glorified by him that said vnto him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck hee tooke not vpon him the office of a Mediatour vntill he was thereto ordained checking the sacrilegious pride of those which presume of their abilitie and intrude themselues without Imposition of hands into sacred Functions they cannot be so able they should not be lesse humble then was our Sauiour CHRIST St. Luke addeth that CHRIST was praying when the Holy Ghost descended As GOD doth promise so we must desire his guifts the greatest guifts with the most earnest desire CHRIST would herein bee exemplary vnto vs to testifie the humilitie that beseemes our nature and goe before vs in that which he commandeth he prayeth for that which he looked for from GOD. After this holy patterne haue all Christian Inaugurations and Ordinations beene accompanied with publicke and deuout Prayers And if CHRIST did not receiue the Holy Ghost from his Father but by praying how can they but blush at their vnmannerlinesse that refuse vpon their knees to receiue the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of CHRIST Finally we learne of CHRIST praying that after Baptisme we must not be secure for though all sinnes be forgiuen vs yet is not concupiscence wholy extinguisht neither haue we our full measure of grace we ought therefore to fall to our prayers and so prepare our selues to receiue the Holy Ghost which is our needfull guide and strength in our spirituall warfare But because I shall resume this second Person againe in the end of the Text we will passe on and see in the next place how he was consecrated He was consecrated first in signo visibili with a visible signe which was the likenesse of a Doue De Agone Christiano The word likenesse is not vsed saith St. Augustine ad excludenaam veritatem Columbae to denie that that which appeared was a true Doue but ad Ostendendum quod spiritus nâ—n apparuit in specie substantiae to shew that the Essence of the Spirit is a sarre different thing from that wherein he did vouchsafe to manifest himselfe It was then a true Doue and the end for which it was vsed sheweth there is reason we should thinke it to be so It was to be signum analegicum an apt signe to represent what was signified and the shape without the substance of a Doue could not so well signifie the properties of the Holy Ghost their correspondency is to the qualities that are obserued in a liuing Doue I am not ignorant that many thinke otherwise and that the shape onely was sufficient Some aduocates of Rome make vse of this shape without substance to confirme their Transubstantiation and the subsistence of accidents without the subiect Bread and Wine But I leaue them to feed vpon their fancies and will not contend about that which is no Article of Faith onely this I would haue obserued Iohn 1. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text doth not alwayes note a resemblance but some times a truth and seeing the phrase will beare both opinions as well that which holds that it was onely the shape of a Doue as that which defineth it was a true Doue I chuse rather the latter as most agreeable to the intent of the Holy Ghost and the difference that I put betweene the workes of GOD and the workes of the Diuell As GOD is an Omnipotent Creatour so those things which he exhibits are reall but the Diuell affecting to be thought what he is not maketh shew of that which he doth not his workes are spectra meere illusions Though this were a true Doue yet was it not assumed into one Person with the Holy Ghost as the nature of man was at the Incarnation of CHRIST St. Austin giueth the reason Non venit spiritus sanctus liberare Columbas he came not to redeeme Doues Ergo non est natus dé Columba therefore was not incarnate by a Doue but he came to signifie the properties of CHRIST therefore it was sufficient that by his Almighty power hee created a Doue of nothing and thereby gaue notice of his presence and residence in our Sauiour CHRIST which Doue as it was made of nothing so after the seruice was done was dissolued into nothing againe Wherein amongst other things appeares a difference betweene this Doue and the imposture of Mahomet and superstition of Rome both practised by a Doue whereof the later in a Romane Councill proou'd but an Owle S. Chrysostome giueth another note vpon this Doue In principijs spiritualium rerum c. when GOD first foundeth Religion he vseth sensible visions in commiseration of them which are not capable of incorporall natures but his purpose is that when once such things haue made faith vnto his truth we should continue our faith in his truth though he doe not dayly confirme it vnto vs by such things Which the Romanists should obserue who after so many hundred yeeres plantation of the Christian saith will still haue Miracles a marke of the true Church Finally we must obserue that signes come not Propter se but Propter aliud there is some other thing intended besides that which is presented so was it here the Doue appeared but the Spirit of God was meant thereby the Spirit was the Sacred Oyle wherewith our Sauiour was annointed The holy Spirit though in Person but one yet is hee infinite in the varietie of operations and so may haue answerable vaâ—ietie of resemblances out of which the Scripture maketh choice vpon seuerall occasions of such as come neerest vnto the Argument in hand And to this purpose must we referre signes they serue not onely for illustration but for limitation also they confine our thoughts which otherwise would bee confused and fixe them vpon that which is presently intended The grace then of the Holy Ghost here meant
Inauguration though it did not then make him but declare him to bee the King the Priest the Prophet of his Church But a little farther to enlarge this point distinguish Signum and Signatum In regard of the Signe the Holy Ghost came now vpon Iesus that he might point him out to St. Iohn Baptist for had not the Doue pitcht vpon IESVS the voyce from Heauen might haue beene misapplied but the signe put it out of all question who was meant If you looke to the thing signified then doeth St. Ierome giue a most comfortable note The Holy Ghost lighted vpon Iesus that he might inure himselfe more familiarly then before to dwell with the sonnes of men and make them new creatures for as St. Austin thinketh CHRIST did now vouchsafe to prefigure his Church wherein those that are baptized receiue the Holy Ghost and CHRIST receiued the Spirit aboue measure that of his fulnesse wee might all receiue grace for grace which S. Iohn seemeth to confirme when he saith that he descended and stayed vpon him in the signe vntill the word was spoken but in the grace vntill the worlds end Vntill the Worlds end shall CHRIST be those Oliue trees in Zacharie which feed the lights that burne in the house of GOD for he was anointed not onely Prae but Pro consortibus suis not onely aboue but also for his Church And although in the members of the Church grace may ebbe and flow yet in CHRIST is it alwayes constant and at the full Finally note the improouement of CHRISTS honour it was great when the Heauens opened and the Angels ascended and descended vpon him but when the Heauens opened and the Holy Ghost descended vpon him then was his honour much more great I haue done with the Visible signe and come now to the Audible Word The signe had beene but a dumbe shew without the Word for those signes that are sacred doe not signifie Natura sua by their owne nature but Diuino Instituto by diuine Institution and who knows it but hee that commands it and by his Word informes vs of his purpose Therefore GOD neuer appoints any Visible signe but hee addeth an audible word as appeares in Sacrifices and Sacraments which had precepts and promises annext shewing their vse and effects This light added to those shadowes did guide men to see their reference and correspondency the neglect whereof caused the carnall Iew and causeth the superstitious Papist to maime the mysteries of Religion and feed vpon beggerly rudiments and emptie ceremonies If wee will bee truely and fully religious wee must ioyne both and let both worke in their order our thorough edification But marke that the signe was from Heauen and so is the word from Heauen also and GOD is Author of both of the Vision and of the Reuelation no man may presume to be farther of GODS counsell then he is admitted or to fasten commentaries vpon his Texts without his instruction I should tire you and my selfe if I should shew you how Iewes and Christians haue lost themselues in such presumptuous contemplations But I rather chuse to impart vnto you the correspondency of the Gospel to the Law At the giuing of the Law there was Vox de coelo a voyce heard from Heauen so is there also at the deliuery of the Gospel that did containe a breife of the Law and this of the Gospel But there was moreouer this difference betweene the voyces the first was the voyce of Sinai the second the voyce of Sion De Baptismo Christs the first was a dreadfull but the second was a still voyce St. Cyprian concerning this second voyce mooueth this question Was there euer heard such a voyce before Whereunto the answere is ready certainely neuer so sweet so gracious a voyce you will confesse it when I haue shewed you whose and of whom the voyce was It was the voyce of GOD the FATHER Hoc non ego dico saith St. In c. 3. Lucae Ambrose when thou hearest these words This is my welbeloued Sonne c. know that it is not I who speake them to thee neither hath any man spoken them no nor GOD by an Angel or an Archangel Sed ab ipso Patre vox caelo demissa significauâ—t it is the FATHER himselfe that by a voyce doth notifie this vnto thee The Father I say for suppose by the Ministry of an Angel the voyce were framed yet certainely it was vttered in the Person of the FATHER Matth. 11. the Text doeth plainely intimate it in the words My Sonne But our Sauiour CHRIST doeth elsewhere confirme it with an vndeniable reason No man knoweth the Sonne but the Father and to St. Peter affirming Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Matth. 16. hee replieth Flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in Heauen Many testimonies went before concerning CHRIST of the Wisemen of the Shepheards of the Angels but none euer came neere this if we receiue the testimony of men of creatures the Testimony of GOD of the Creator is much greater What shall I say then to these things but onely exhort you in the Apostles words Heb. 12. See that you refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from Heauen especially when he vttereth so comfortable and gracious words as are those Thou art my Sonne Some difference there is betweene the Euangelists in relating the words some making GOD to speake vnto Christ some to the Hearers concerning CHRIST but the reconciliation is easie for euen when GOD bends his words to CHRIST his meaning is not to informe CHRIST of that which he already knoweth but to instruct vs in that which it is fit for vs to know as CHRIST elsewhere and in another case obserues This voyce came not because of mee but for your sakes so S. Austin doth well reconcile the Euangelists Iohn 12. But let vs come to the contents of the voyce Decensensu Euangâ—â—â—â— Iâ—b 2. cap. 4. That which the FATHER speaketh is concerning his Sonne he tells vs What hee is to Him what he doeth for vs first what he is to Him Filius and Dilectus his Sonne D. Baptis Christ â— and his Beloued Duo grata vocabula saith St. Cyprian two most contenting words specially if you adde the article to either of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Sonne is more then an ordinary Sonne and this Beloued is more then ordinarily beloued Tertullian de Trinit Looke vpon the words a sunder first the Sonne Christ was the Sonne of God two wayes considered Principalitas nominis Filij est in Spiritu Domini qui descendit the chiefe reason why Christ was called the Senne of God is because hee is God of God Light of Light begotten of his Father before all worlds but Sequela Nominis istius est in
was the Embleme of the acceptable yeere Luke 4. it testified that GOD was now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that men had now communion with him againe But here are two rules that must bee obserued first that these wordes in whom I am well pleased must bee vnderstood exclusiuely Act. 3. CHRIST is the onely Mediatour neither is there any other Name vnder Heauen giuen by which we may be saued but onely the Name of IESVS so that he which hath the Sonne hath life 1 Iohn 3. and hee which hath not the Sonne hath not life CHRIST will yeeld this glory to none other Secondly that GOD is immediatly well pleased with CHRIST but mediatly with vs If we doe not so vnderstand the words wee haue but little comfort in them wherefore we must bee assured that we are made accepted in Gods beloued that the Church is now called Hephzibah My delight is in her saith the LORD By the Sonne Esay 62.4 wee haue all accesse vnto the Father through the Holy Ghost Finally all this is to be vnderstood of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hic this Person which seemeth so meane appeares in the forme of a Seruant yet hee is Filius meus my Sonne my beloued in whom I am well pleased GOD is not ashamed of his SONNE humbling himselfe in our nature neither doth he loue him the lesse And why his obedience was voluntary it was to doe his FATHERS will it was to doe vs good much lesse should we be ashamed for whose sake he became so humble yea God forbid that we should reioyce but in the Crosse of Christ if Hic and Meus sort so well in GODS iudgment they must agree much more in ours But to draw to an end In this Text there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a true Epiphanie And indeed the Church reades my Text but out of St. Luke vpon the Epiphanie day on which the Tradition holds that he was Baptized and this great manifestation of GOD was made vnto the world wherein all things are Augusta maiestati Christi congrua very solemne very heauenly no where is the Mystery of the Trinitie which is the first foundation of true Religion nor the comfortable actions thereof which is the foundation of Christian Religion so ioyntly so vndeniably reuealed The Mystery of the Trinitie is incomprehensible vnutterable Ego nescio saith St. Hilarie I professe my ignorance of it yet will I comfort my selfe the Angels know it not the world cannot comprehend it the Apostles neuer reuealed it cesset ergo dolor querelarum let not men murmurre or complaine that this secret is hidden from them let it suffice them to know that there is a Trinitie in Vnitie let them neuer inquire how it is for they will inquire in vaine Naztanzene giueth the reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 While I would contemplate the Vnitie my thoughts are daâ—led by the Trinitie and while I goe about to distinguish the Trinitie I am presently cast vpon the Vnitie the one doeth call my thoughts vpon the other And what wonder that a man should bee so puzled For Quo intellectu Deum capiat homo 3. Austin qui intellectum suum quo vult capere nondum capit How should he bee able to comprehend the Trinitie that comprehends not yet his reasonable Soule the onely helpe which hee hath wherewith to comprehend it and is indeede the best resemblance of it That which I haue said concerning the Trinitie is a good rule of sobrietie to hold in curious wits that will prie too farre into these diuine Mysteries And yet Epiphanius doeth well checke the incredulitie of Sabellius Non credis tres personas diuinae Essentiae doest thou not beleeue the Trinitie in Vnitie Comitare Iohanem ad Iordanem attend Iohn Baptist to the riuer Iordan there thou shalt finde them all three And indeed here the Trinitie is brought in some sort within the compasse of our conceipt for it is not set foorth as it is In se but ad Nos not simply as the foundation of true Religion but as the foundation of Christian Religion as euery Person contributes towardes our Saluation When such an Obiect is presented the word of attention is pressed seasonably and reasonably it is prest to the eye and prest to the eare these reasonable senses are summoned with reuerence and confidence to behold to attend these sacred Mysteries To behold them as they are deliuered in the Historie for euen the Historie it selfe being rare is able to allure our reasonable senses Did it nothing otherwise concerne him who would not willingly yea greedily heare the voyce of GOD the FATHER see the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Doue and see the SONNE of GOD so humbling himselfe in the nature of man How much more should we desire it when there is not onely Miraculum but Mysterium in it euen one of the greatest Mysteries of godlinesse The Heauens are opened that is a Miracle but they are opened for Vs the Holy Ghost descends in a Doue but the Doue is but an Embleme of the holinesse that must be in Vs that is the Mysterie the SONNE of GOD here appeares to bee the Sonne of Man that is a Miracle but he appeares to Sanctifie the waters for the regeneration of man that is a Mysterie when the Miracles present these Mysteries doe they not deserue a Loe deserue that the eye the eare both should be taken vp by which thou mayest be made partaker of them O but thou wilt say I would trauell farther then Iordan to see such a sight might my eye see the Heauens opened might my eare heare GOD speake from Heauen might I bee so happy as to come to such an Inauguration of my Sauiour my eye should not be satisfied with seeing nor my eare with hearing Heare what S. Ambrose answereth to such an obiection EisdeÌ„ sacramentis res iam agitur quibus tunc gesta est nisi quod gratia pleniore the life of that Mysterie continueth stil though it be not cloathed with the same Miracle then was the Trinitie seene with carnall eyes whom now we contemplate with the eyes of Faith Dominicâ— 6. post Pentecost Yea St. Ambrose is bold to say that greater grace is offered vnto vs then to them that were present at the Baptisme of CHRIST for vnto them as being incredulous GOD perswaded Faith by corporall signes but in vs that are the faithfull hee worketh grace spiritually And it is greater grace so to behold GOD as the faithfull doe then as doe those that are vnfaithfull so that the Loe doeth no lesse concerne vs then it did them Yea it concernes vs much more our eyes should dayly be lifted vp Heauen and behold how the grace of Sanctification descends from thence into vs and to behold how the benefit of Adoption is dayly offered vs our eares should be opened vnto Heauen The Holy Ghost commeth to vs but who seeth him GOD professeth that he accepteth
preserued by that Kings daughter and bred as if hee had beene her sonne There was a mysterie in it God typed out in his person the condition of his people whose deliuerer he was then designed to be Hee was vnexpectedly to set them free when in their owne eyes their case was most desperate Neither was his person only typicall his qualities also were heroicall Acts 7.22 first his Intellectuall skilfull in all the learning of the Egyptians to say nothing of his fortie yeares contemplation in Midian of which Philo Iudaeus there are foure morall vertues which they call Cardinall he had them all in a high degree Prudence God gaue him the spirit of Policie Numb 11. as it appeares by the storie of the seuentie Elders to whom God gaue part of his Spirit when they were made his assistants in the gouernment Iustice the apologie which he maketh vpon the rebellion of Korah Dathan and Abiram witnesseth that I haue not taken one Asse from them Numb 10. neither haue I hurt one of them the Holy Ghost giueth him this testimonie Heb 3.2 that hee was faithfull in all Gods house Temperance how little was hee transported with the loue of profit Heb. 11. or pleasure that thought the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasure of sinne for a season Fortitude no man can doubt of that who considereth that being a single man in shew a meane man hee should aduenture to goe to so mightie a King in so vnpleasing an errand not fearing the Kings wrath when hee had exasperated him nor desisting from vrging what hee had in charge though hee were threatned by him certainly God that sent him on that message indued him with an extraordinarie courage Besides these Morall he was renowmed for his Theologicall vertues his Faith and his Hope Saint Paul hath chronicled Heb. 11. and ranged him with the most famous Worthies And in Charitie hee did exceed them all hee is not only commended for the meekest man that liued Numb 12 3. but so indulgent were his bowels towards his vngracious charge that hee desired rather to be blotted out of Gods Booke of Life Exod 32 v. 3â— then they should be punisht as they deserued Finally no Nationall Gouernour of the Israelites besides Moses did euer communicate as a type in the threefold honour of Christ Moses was a Prophet Deut. 34. and there neuer liued such a Prophet as Moses was for his Bookes containe the foundation of all prophesie therefore doe the Fathers call him Oceanum Theologiae the great Sea of Diuinitie He was a Priest yea Sacerdos Sacerdotum Nazian hee did not only act the function but also consecrated Aaron and his sonnes therevnto Finally hee was a King a mightie King not only ruling the twelue Tribes but also conquering their enemies the Amalekites the Midianites the Ammonites the Bashanites but aboue all the Egyptians and also he sacred his successor Iosuah giuing him part of his glorie I haue insisted the longer in this delineation of Moses perfections to the end that you might perceiue that though God Almightie can compasse his will by the weakest of meanes yet he vseth to endow men proportionably to that wherein he meaneth to employ them he doth performe waightie workes by worthy men such a one was Abraham the Father of faithfull men Dauid the Father of faithfull Kings and our Moses called to be the Law giuer of Israel This Person so eminent a person went betweene the parties to the Couenant The Parties are two each called by two names The first is called the Lord God Lord that is the name of his nature Iehouah hee is of none and all things are of him God that is the name of the persons subsisting in the nature or in whom the nature doth subsist Elohim signifieth all three so that we haue here Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie euen the true God and such a one is he that is the first partie to the Couenant Neither is it enough to conceiue of God in grosse wee must so as it were resolue him We must behold God the Father that becommeth our Father God the Sonne that maketh vs sonnes and God the Holy Ghost that vouchsafeth vs to be his Temple all three persons act their part in the Couenant Notwithstanding all three concurre yet must wee take speciall notice of the second Person Verbum Dei as the Chalde Paraphrase calleth him here Esay 63 v 9. Mal 31. Acts 7. and throughout this Chapter The Angell of Gods presence the Angell of the Couenant that is Christ he was the Angell that conuersed with Israel in the Wildernesse And indeed it was hee that in this Couenant became the Bridegroome of the Church for the day of the Couenant was a wedding day as anon I shall shew you more at large The true knowledge of this first partie maketh much to the Dignitie the Commoditie the Constancie of the Couenant Dignitie for with whom can wee contract more honourably then with our Lord God The higher he is aboue vs the more honour in the contract is done vnto vs. And this Partie maketh the Contract as Profitable as it is honorable 〈◊〉 2. Ezâ—k 16. not only because he can doe vs good that is the Lord God but also because he will doe it because his contract maketh vp a marriage knot Finally a Couenant made with such a partie is a Couenant of salt Iames 1.17 an vncorruptible Couenant there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change with him and therefore in regard of him we need not feare any diuorce The second Partie is also set forth by two names the house of Iacob the children of Israel which yeild vs a Ciuill and a Mysticall Obseruation The Ciuill is in the first name therefore are they called the house of Iacob because they were his ofspring Reade Genesis the tenth and you shall finde that all Nations in the beginning of the World did this honour to their first Ancestours they were called by their name after this patterne were the Edomites Moabites Ammonites Ismaelites distinguished by the stocke from whence euery one sprang Conquests and Colonies haue long since altered this fashion neither can wee now tell the true originall of any Nation vnder the Sunne except that of the vagrant Iewes who by Gods special prouidence remaine yet vnconfounded with other Nations The mysticall obseruation is in the second name the same people are also called children of Israel Israel was a second name giuen to Iacob signifying that hee had preuailed with God and his Enemies should not preuaile against him Now because that blessing was to be not only Personall but Nationall his posteritie communicated in his second name and Iacob confirmed it vnto them in the benediction which he gaue to the twelue Patriarches In these two names then we are