deum est ipse Deus Bernard Basilâ—n Psal 46. there is enough in God to make him louely and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and louely are reciprocall that which is louely is good and that which is good is louely whereupon is grounded that Maxime in Philosophie Bonum est quod omnia appetunt Reason hath no better marke to guesse at that which is good then the propension of all men for to attaine it Now looke vpon the Name the Lord God and see whether you doe not find that good in it which doth challenge Loue. Begin with Dominus ou heard that he was goodnesse it selfe if a man doe loue that which is good how can he but loue goodnesse Nay if wee loue the streames with what loue must we embrace the Fountaine If we Loue that good which is dependent how much more that which is independent Seeing there is a possibilitie for vs to bee defrauded of that which is dependent but of that which is independent we cannot be defrauded Yet see the common folly of men Iere. 2.13 they forsake the fountaine of liuing waters and digge vnto them Cisterns that can hold no water If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deserue Loue how much more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You heard before that what God is he is it to the full Creatures haue but drops or beames and who would leaue the Fountaine to rest contented with a drop And when he might enioy the whole body of the Sunne to solace himselfe in a single beame And yet such folly there is in the world and he that thinketh Gods gifts louely though they are but single in a Creature how little is hee affected with the louelinesse of his Creator Wee cannot denie that good is the obiect of our Loue therefore where there is the greatest good thither wee should bend the greatest of our Loue dost thou loue Wisedome Colos 2.3 All the treasures of wisdedome are hid in him dost thou loue Holinesse It is to him that the Angels sing Holy holy holy Esay 6.3 Psal 24.1 Psal 16.11 doest thou loue Wealth The earth is the Lords and all that therein is doest thou loue Pleasure In his presence is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore Finally doest thou loue Power and Honour He is the Lord of hosts he is the King of glorie euen a King of Kings and Lord of Lords Adde hereunto that what he is whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is it Onely he is it Eternally both which are strong Motiues vnto Loue for we vse to loue that which is not common as that which is common by reason of the familiarnesse of it groweth vile in our eyes now such good as is in God is no where else to be found As we loue those good things which are not common so we loue them the more the more they are lasting because our desire would neuer bee defrauded of that wherein it taketh content this good is more lasting then our desire the good of euerie Creature is as mutable as the Creature is yea more because it differeth from the nature of the Creature but this good being all one with the nature of God it is as lasting as is his nature It is no maruell then that euerie Creature eluding our desire which is carried vnto good doth as it were with a reall voice put vs off when we dote vpon it and by experience say to vs Non ego sum bonum tuum it is not I that am thy good which is to be sought after and after all our painefull enquirie wee are driuen to Saint Austins resolution Fecisti nos Domine propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum dones requiescat in te so great is the capacitie of mans desire that nothing can fill it but onely the Lord and his soule must needs remaine empire that doth not make the Lord the obiect of his Loue. You see that there is much worth in the Lord and great cause why hee should be beloued there wanteth not worth also in God in euery of the three persons in Trinity Had we eyes to looke vpon them ad intra as they are in the blessed Trinitie we might easily perceiue it but there is no proportion betweene our eyes and that light therefore we will forbeare to behold the dazeling brightnes Only of this we may be sure that euery person is most louely because euery of them loueth the other the Scripture speaketh it plainly the Father loueth the Sonne the Sonne loueth the Father and the holy Ghost is the loue of them both Now what they loue is lonely indeed because their iudgement is most vpright and their desire most Holy But wee will not sound that bottomlesse depth let vs looke vpon these persons as they manifest themselues ad extra and see how louely they are Hee that is a Father in the Trinitie doth manifest himselfe as a Father to the Sonnes of men the Scripture doth often remember his tender bowels he shutteth them not vp no not against them that are Prodigals a Father and a Mother on earth may forsake may forget their Children but our Father in Heauen cannot forget hee will not forsake his And is not such a Father louely God the Sonne doth manifest himselfe to the world as a Sonne hee vseth all his credit with his Father to worke not onely the remission of mans sins which he expiated with his bloud but also the aduancement of their Persons whom hee vouchsafeth to bee his Spouse by taking man so neere vnto himselfe hee bringeth him neere to God also and maketh them Children that were Seruants intitles them to Heauen that deserue to burne as firebrands in hell And is not such a Sonne louely The holy Ghost doth manifest himselfe as the holy Ghost quickning man and sanctifying him testifying by these effects that hee is a Spirit of life to him euen of such a life as maketh him a sacred Person hee maketh him a liuing Temple a fit habitation for himselfe that he may bee an Oracle of God within him and kindle the fire vpon the Altar of his Heart wherewith onely hee can offer acceptable Sacrifices vnto God And is not this holy Spirit louely All three Persons are most louely if the consideration goe no farther then that which I haue exprest But how great an accesse will bee made vnto their louelines if you draw through euery one of them that ground of louelines which before wee found in the name Lord for the Father is Lord the Sonne Lord and the holy Ghost Lord as we are truely taught in Athanasius his Creed euery one of them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good of himselfe and all-good and by this accesse we must in our meditations improue their louelines But I haue dwelt long enough vpon meritum dignitatis the desert of loue that is included in their owne worth I told you that in
the fall feare is inseparable from sinne and the very best abhorre Gods presence being priuie to their losse of his resemblance Adam is the first patterne and after Adam we reade of manie others So that Highly fauoured or freely beloued must stand between Haile and The Lord is with thee otherwise they will neuer come together Esay could not giue his Woe is mee for I am a man of polluted lips Esay 6. and dwell in the middest of a people of polluted lips mine eyes haue seene the Lord of glory till that the Seraphin was sent with a coale from the Altar and touched his lips in token that his sinne was remoued and hee become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 10. neither could Daniel indure the presence of the Angell till he was heartened by this message that hee was Vir desideriorum one in whom God did take delight and the best of vs will say as St. Peter Goe from mee Lord for I am a sinfull man Luke 5.8 except the Lord himselfe be pleased to hearten vs and say to vs as Christ to St. Peter Feare not or as God to Moses and Noah Thou hast found grace in mine eyes As we must obserue the Order of the words so must wee also the Distance of these persons the distance betweene the Lord and his Handmaiden and then the combination will seeme strange Strange it is that persons so distant should come together but most happy it is that they doe because the perfection of the one can yeeld so good supply to the imperfection of the other Gods Maiesty honoureth the basenesse of his Handmaiden his might strengtheneth her weaknesse Non sumita vel diuinae ignarus magnitudinis vel humanae fragilitatis vt non magnum putem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nazianzene and the Psalmist Blessed is hee whom thou choosest to come neare thee he shall dwell in thy courts and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house euen of thy holy Temple Psal 65. But the Angell saith not Thou art with the Lord but The Lord is with thee it were much better you would thinke for vs to be with him than for him to bee with vs for man to ascend to heauen than for God to come downe to the earth True it is that it maketh more for our happinesse to ascend to God but it doth more argue Gods loue that he descendeth to vs to ascend is our aduancement but to descend is a debasement of God yea the Psalmist saith That God doth humble himselfe whensoeuer being so high hee vouchsafeth from heauen but to behold the things on earth Adde hereunto that the Lord must needes come to vs before wee can come to him because his comming to vs is the giuing of that ability by which wee doe afterward ascend to him so that the Angell being to giue the Virgin a proofe of Gods loue towards her could giue her no better than these words containe Hom. 3. super missus est Angelus The Lord is with thee But Deus vbi◠aqualiter totus est per suam simplicem essentiam as St. Bernard speaketh and speaketh fully and truly of the presence of God Were there no other text of Scripture that did testifie the immensity of Gods essence as there are many Iob 11. Esay 66. Psal 139. Dominus tecum is strong enough to refute Vorstius his erroneous conceit mistaking certaine passages of Scripture and thereupon limiting Gods essentiall presence within the circle of heauen and admitting onely an efficiency to proceed from him so low as the earth But this Dominus tecum will not indure that for you must vnderstand that whereas the name Lord is common to all three persons in the Trinity as we learne in Athanasius Creed the Fathers vsually vnderstand here the second person which was to be incarnate in the Virgins wombe her wombe was to bee the Temple of the liuing God Quem totus mundus capere non poterat acceptura erat quasi in angustum cubiculum vterisui so that the Lord was necessarily to be euen in his Essence with her that was in his essence to come from her otherwise she could not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of our Lord as Elizabeth doth call her Luke 1. The Lord is with thee they are words mysticall and import a maine Article of Faith euen the conception of our Sauiour Christ which could not be without the presence of his Essence And yet the presence of the Essence alone sufficeth not to the conception because the Essence is euery where that presence is necessary there must be acknowledged also an Efficiency proceeding therefrom euen such an efficiency as is arbitrary for God worketh according as it pleaseth him In the case of the conception the efficiency is singular and the Virgins wombe is the only place where God did euer manifest it and so wee must acknowledge it But the Virgin did conceiue Christ not onely Corpore but etiam Corde the first was Singular but the second is Common for St. Paul telleth vs that we may also conceiue Christ though not in our wombe yet in our soule My little children of whom I trauell againe till Iesus Christ be formed in you Gal. 4.19 and St. Peter telleth vs of the seed of this conception The immortall seed of the Word of God 1. Pet. 1.23 And indeed we could not be called Christians were it not that we partake of Christ 2. Cor. 13.5 Know you not saith St. Paul that Iesus Christ is in you except you bee reprobates So that The Lord is with thee may be spoken to euery one of vs though not in regard of Christs Incarnation in our bodies yet of his Vnion vnto our soules Yea therefore was hee conceiued by the Virgin corporally that spiritually he might be conceiued of euery one of vs and so become indeed Immanuel The Lord with vs. And what shall we say to these things surely with an ancient Father Gratia Dei non potuit gratiùs cōmendari quà m vt ipse vnicùs Dei Filius in se incommunicabiliter manens indueret hominem spem dilectionis suae daret hominibus homine medi◠this is the most sweete comfort wherewith God anciently vsed to sustaine his children each in particular Gen. 26. Iosh cap. 1. cap. 3. and the whole Church in generall Esay 41. Reuel 1. yea Christ left this comfort for his farewell to his Disciples Lo I am with you to the worlds end Matth. 28. And no maruell for as when God is angry he departs from vs so when out of fauour he commeth to vs it is the prognostication of some good that is then towards vs so followeth it in my Text next to Dominus tecum commeth Benedicta The presence of the Arke brought a blessing vpon Obed-Edoms house how much more must a blessing follow wheresoeuer the truth of the type commeth I meane the Lord himselfe the Spouse in the Canticles confesseth that when her beloued
what these two Commandements enioyned vs is by Christ fulfilled for vs. Saint Pauls wordes sound that way Rom. 8. That which was impossible for the Law by reason of the weaknesse of our flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemed sin in the flesh Math. 5.17 Rom 10.4 Gal. 3 2â— that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs and Christ saith I came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it and he is the end of the Law and the Law a Pedagogue to Christ But Hilarie hath a good Rule Sensus dictorum sumendus est ex causis dicendorum Christs words are an Answere and therefore must bee vnderstood sutably to the Question Now the Question was touching that which was enioyned vs therefore the Answere is not to bee thought to extend farther And doubtlesse the Questionist thought nothing of the Gospell for how should hee thinke vpon that whereof he had no knowledge Wherefore in contracting of those parts wee must include no more then that dutie which is enioyned vs by the Law as it is contradistinct to the Gospell and all that is contained herein Yea Saint Austin was conceited that not only God did worke the Law and the Prophets out of this ground but that the very Heathen also wrought all their allowable Moralitie and Policie out of it Neither is there any point of this kinde in Christian Religion which may not bee fetched out of Heathen Writers Not that any one of them hath all the Rules but that there is no Rule which may not bee found in some one of them I except alwayes the Rules of the Gospell Whereupon it followeth that Reason it selfe acknowledgeth the truth of all those Rules I will not be so confident as to affirme that the Heathens did euer acknowledge all that I haue opened on these two Commandements a glimpse they had of most of it the writings of Plato Seneca others doe testifie as much the fragments of the twelue Tables which are the foundation of the Ciuill Law and the bodie thereof testifie how farre Reason hath gone But I hasten to an end You haue heard a Lesson which is recommended vnto vs in Christs Answere I told you it is a briefe of the Bible the whole is no more in effect then Loue God aboue all things and thy Neighbour as thy selfe a short lesson you would thinke but it is a very hard one whether you respect the proper worke of Loue or the workes which it commands The reason is partly in our Ignorance which doth not easily learne our dutie and partly in our Concupiscence which hinders vs from doing that which we know from these two impediments no meere man euer was free De perfect Iustit ad Coelest 1. Cor 13. since the fall of Adam neither is it likely any man shall bee vntill the end of the World Wherefore Saint Austin is of opinion that our intire obedience is reserued for our state in Heauen When that which is perfect is come then shall that which is imperfect be done away Saint Paul speaketh it of Charitie which shall not be abolished in Heauen but consummated where wee shall loue God though not quantum diligibilis in se yet quantum ab homine and our Neighbour as our selfe But Saint Austin giueth a good Rule why these Commandements were giuen I am ante praecipitur quia non recte curritur si quo currendum nescitur quomodo autem sciretur si nullis praeceptis ostenderetur Therefore wee must vnderstand the Commandements aright wee are wayfaring men and these Lawes trace out the way which we must goe to Heauen Wee I meane as many as are faithfull For to vs is the Law giuen and some steps must we make herein euery day that wee may bee the forwarder to our iournies end So all our worke should proceed from it and the Loue of God should order our life especially with that we should be principally affected and coldly with other things in comparison of that 1. Cor. 7. v. 31. Vse the world as if we vsed it not If a man bee perplext in his deliberation how hee should carrie himselfe because the profound disputes of Moralitie exceed his capacitie let him hearken to the good counsell of an ancient Father Noli per multa tre nec discendi terreat te ramorum diffusio radicem tene de magnitudine arboris noli cogitare A man may rid himselfe of much trouble in resoluing his conscience what to doe if hee season his Heart well with the Loue of God and of his Neighbour I meane not that he should refuse other helpes if hee may haue them but the more hee hath of this the lesse he will need other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that makes vs obey out of feare this out of goodnesse The Papists abuse this Text for they say this is one of the directories of the Church whereby shee may supply her Traditions but it warrants no supply of the Morall Law much lesse of Articles of Faith though if it be reasonably vsed it may extend to positiue Lawes Lastly seeing all hang on these two Commandements none can crie nesciebam I knew not what to doe But I draw to an end In the Hebrew Bibles the first Characters of these two Commandements are extraordinary great whether by the appointment of Esdras when he digested the Bible or by the Authours of the Mazoreth when they set downe the various lections I will not dispute of this wee may bee sure that whosoeuer was the Authour hee meant we should take notice of these as most remarkable Commandements Not such notice as the Iewes take who write them in schedules and weare and reade them as Amulets to keepe from them all euill which superstition diuers Christians did imitate in Saint Hieromes dayes hanging about their neckes little Gospels In Matth. c â—â— But that Father saith well that caskets and closets may hold our Bibles and be neuer the better for them they are the better for Scripture who lay it vp in their hearts and this God meant the Iewes should dâ—e when he bade them bind his Lawes as frontlets about their heads Deut. 6. and bracelets about their armes hee would haue them in all their wayes thinke vpon them and be euer exercising themselues in them and not to vse the ceremonie only forgetting the substance And I pray God these Commandements may be such frontlets on our eyes as God meant and not such as the Iewes vsed Charitie is the end of the Law the fulfilling of the Law 1 Tim 1.5 Rom 13.10 Col. 3.14 as Saint Paul speakes in imitation of Christ the bond of perfection the way of life yea the superexcellent way all these commendations the Scripture giueth it But beyond all commendations goeth that which Christ giueth it in my text Vpon it hang all the Law and the Prophets Wherefore owe nothing to any but this
these good precedents they that are honoured to bee Gods messengers must learne that it beseemes Referendaries to keepe themselues to their instructions and deliuer so much as and no more then they haue receiued in charge But to speak a litle more distinctly to this point The message did consist of two branches First That which God required Secondly That which God offred Moses that did deliueral Gods Cōmandements deliuered both these branches he informed them of their dutie aswell as of Gods mercy and of Gods mercy no lesse then of their dutie And indeed both are requisite to be taught our dutie that wee doe not presume Gods mercie that we doe not despaire omit either and you may me the doctrine of Gods Couenant There is also committed vnto vs the Law and the Gospel the one to humble the other to comfort men we ought to conioyne both and you must be content to heare of your dutie aswell as of Gods mercie We preach them both to our people the Papists charge vs with taking from the doctrine of the Couenant but the bookes of our Confession the Articles and Catechismes and the booke of our Deuotion our publike Lyturgie and finally the Homilies which are appointed to be read vnto the people refute this slander But wee iustly charge them with adding to the doctrine of the Couenant the bookes Apochryphall and their vngrounded Traditions and wee remember them of that saying of Salomon Pro◠30 v. 6. adde not to Gods Word lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a liar And what wee haue censured in them are nothing else but the forgeries of mens braines which may not bee reputed the Oracles of God Therefore though we call vpon you dutifully to heare and receiue aswell what God requires as what hee promiseth yet as necessarily to saluation wee doe not wee should not call vpon you to heare more then he requires or to beleeue more then he promiseth But enough of Moses Fidelitie Let vs now see his Wisdome As hee dischargeth himselfe fully so doth hee discharge himselfe clearely also For he laid all that God commanded him before the faces of the Elders Nec incautis nec nescientibus ingeritur Lex Here first we meete with a strange phrase for can words bee laid before mens faces you would expect that the Text should haue said Moses spake that which God commanded in the eares of the people and here wee find their eares turned into eyes When the Holy Ghost meaneth euidence of speech it vseth to expresse it in such significant tearmes Saint Paul telling the Galathians of his perspicuous preaching the Gospell vnto them 〈◊〉 3. v 1. saith that Iesus Christ was described in their sight and crucified before them Although the Holy Ghost doe speake to some in Parables Mat 13. that in hearing they may heare and not vnderstand which he doth in punishment of their contempt of euident truth which hath beene laid before them Mat. 6. because as the Prouerbe is Pearles are not to bee cast vnto swine nor holy things vnto dogs yet to those that heare with a reuerent and an obedient eare Mat. 13. ◠11. Datum est nosse mysteria regnicoelorum the Parables are vnfolded the mysteries of the Kingdome of heauen are laid before their face To open this point a little better We must distinguish the Couenant of God from the Illustrations and Amplifications thereof The Couenant it selfe both Old and New is plainly deliuered whether you respect that which God requires or that which Godoffers aswel in this chapter as in other parts of the Bible But there are many Illustrations and Amplifications of either of these Typicall Mysticall darke and hard to be vnderstood which the people cannot vnderstand without an Interpreter ea which the Interpreter himselfe cannot vnderstand without manifold helpe helpe of Deuotion that Gods Spirit may inlighten him and helpe of Meditation painfully scanning and comparing the branches of the Text with other places finally helpe of Varietie of humane literature which giueth great light sometimes to the phrase sometimes to the matter in hand But aboue al in matters necessarie to saluation we follow Catholike Tradition This we say And yet the wrangling Romanists beare the World in hand that wee say there is no difficultie in the Scriptures and that for their guide wee referre the people only to their priuate Spirit which are grosse vntruths We encourage the people to read the Scripture and tell them that though there bee some depths therein wherein an Elephant may swimme yet there are some such shallowes wherein a Lambe may wade The simplest may meete there with all parts of their Catechisme the ten Commandements the Articles of their Creed the Lords Prayer the Sacraments These points containe the substance of the Couenant and they are plainly deliuered there And more then these are not necessarie to saluation Some may haue more some lesse vnderstanding of these according to their breeding yet all should vnderstand these And for this purpose did Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and the Fathers of the Primitiue Church commend vnto the people the reading of the Scriptures But we aduise them to leaue vnto the learned at least to learne of them to vnderstand those things that are vailed and soberly to edifie their pietie with these things which they shall find there vnuailed or laid before their faces I haue done with the deliuerie of the Message I come now to the Answere that is made thereunto And here we are to take notice first Who maketh it the whole Congregation The people answered But doe not you remember that the Message was deliuered to the Elders why then doe the People answere Surely because the Elders receiued it to deliuer it to the people and therefore not only the Elders but the people also were to make an answere Some are of opinion that the Elders were the representatiue bodie of all the people and that their consent was the consent of all and that all were bound by that which they did as in Parliaments the chosen Knights and Burgesses in Synods the chosen Proctors of the Clergie haue such obliging voices Which conceit the Romanists wrest so farre as therupon to make the tenents of the Elders of the Church the ground of the peoples faith to which purpose they also abuse the maxime of Cyprian Ecclesia est in Episcopo The Church subsisteth in the Bishop vbi non sunt Sacerdotes Ecclesia non est The same premises serue aswell to conclude for the Lyturgie in an vnknowne tongue and for their priuate Masse For if the people may beleeue because their Bishops beleeue they may aswell as indeed they doe serue God in the Priest and in the Priest they may communicate without any their priuitie to what hee doth or any their cooperation with him from which they are necessarily excluded by priuate Masses and vnknowne Prayers But the reason why the people are said to
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
will I seeke thee early O yee heauens aboue drop downe the dew and yee clouds raine righteousnesse let the earth open let instice and saluation grow forth let them both grow forth together But the longer we liue commonly the worse we are aetas parentum peior auis and our children will be worse than wee are as wee are worse than were our fathers The Scripture witnesseth that Christs desire is vnto vs his delight is to bee with the sonnes of men yea he spreads his loue as a banner ouer his Church to make himselfe more desirable to her And how kinde hearted was he who being to eate the Paschall Lambe a type of his bitter passion and that immediately before his death could say Desiderio desideraui I haue earnestly desired to eate this passcouer with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this indeed argued vnspeakeable loue of Christ to man And should it not bee answered with the like affection of man towards Christ it should yea and indeed it would be if we did know what want we haue of him if we did feele the burden of our sinne if wee did see how little wee haue of heauenly grace This sense this sight would set an edge vpon our dull appetite and Christ which is here stiled the desire of all Nations would be to euery one of vs our desire But let vs take heede who when we may haue him doe not desire him lest the time come when wee shall desire him but may not haue him Christ may remoue our Candlesticke and his Kingdome and then the Iewes doome may be ours and wee may desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and shall not see it This God forbid and that he may forbid it HEe poure the grace of his holy Spirit into our soules that may so illighten our mindes and warme our hearts that discerning clearly and ardently affecting that soueraigne good which God is pleased should be common to vs all we may not only during this feast but euer congratulating our happinesse sing Hosanna blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest THE THIRD SERMON And I will fill this house with glory THE description of Christs presence in that temple which was built by Zorobabel Iosua and others doth set before vs first his Person then his Workes Of his Person I spake last it followeth that I now come on to his Workes They are two Bounty and Security The Bounty is set forth first absolutely then comparatiuely Of the comparison hereafter if God will my purpose is now God assisting me to open so much of the Text as sets forth Christs Bounty absolutely it is comprehended in these words I will fill this house with glory Wherein obserue what is conferred and on whom The gift is glory the receiuer the house both are amplified the house by the meannesse this house the gift by the greatnesse I will fill it with glory Out of both is made manifest the exceeding grace of Christ who honoured that so much that had so little to make it honourable That God who is pleased that we all should bee his houses may so honour vs let vs listen attentiuely that wee may entertaine affectionately the honour which he vouchsafeth to vs. Come wee then to the particulars the first is the thing conferred Glorie Glorie if it be true glory is a resplendencie of some Good solid and eminent The foundation of glory must bee that which is good for where there is no true good there can be no glory shame there may bee according to that of the Apostle Rom. 6. What fruit had yee then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed and St. Iude The wicked fome out their owne shame But of good things some are transitorie and vaine some heauenly and eternall not the former but the later kinde is the foundation of Glory Caboth Calal The Hebrew mother of tongues which speaketh of things most properly by one word noteth waightinesse and glory as likewise with them one word signifieth things vile and light The Apostle seemes to allude hereunto 2 Cor. 5. Our momentanie affliction doth worke vnto vs an exceeding eternall waight of glory Waight of glory that is waighty glory glory that hath some substance or solidnesse in it whereunto he opposeth light afflictions though they seeme grieuous yet doe they consist of no enduring substance nubecula sunt they quickely passe and vanish away Esay 40. And indeed of such shadowes or dreames rather are all worldly things made All flesh is grasse withering grasse the glory thereof is as a flower Psal 93. a fading flower The sonnes of men are vanity the sons of noble men are but a lye if they were put in the scales together they would weigh lighter than vanitie it selfe But of faith hope and charitie the Apostle speaketh better Heb. 3. Heb. 11. 2 Cor. 8. 1 Cor. 13. he giues them the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of substance and he telleth vs that wee are made partakers of Christ if wee hold fast the substance finally the Wise man tels vs that righteousnesse is full of immortality So that in those lasting not these fleeting things must we seek the foundation of true glorie The Apostles rule is we may not glory in the flesh not in the flesh as it is the good creature of God Ier. 9. I meane in the mortall state thereof the strong man may not glory in his strength the wise man in his wisedome the rich man in his riches how much lesse may we glory in the lusts of the flesh sinfull lusts which are the workmanship of the diuell No such boasting can be good 1 Cor. 5. as St. Paul tels the Corinthians in his censure of the incestuous person Psal 53. and Dauid checketh Doeg in those words why boastest thou thy selfe thou Tyrant that thou canst doe mischiefe But yet if we looke vpon the face of the world we shall finde that not onely transitory things but also wicked lusts are the foundation of most mens glory and wee may renew the Apostles words mourning words There bee many which walke Phil. 3. of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame which minde earthly things But our glory must haue a better foundation it must be a solid good Neyther is it enough vnto glory that the Good be solid it must be also eminent An ordinary good may bee laudible it cannot bee honourable it may make a man accepted but not admired no man is thought worthy of glory that is not more than an ordinary man For glory is an attendant vpon heroicall vertue and that is vertue in the highest degree such as was the chastitie of Ioseph the patience of Iob the fortitude of Iosua the pictie of Dauid and the wisedome of Salomon A man must partake of the diuine nature and draw as neare as
may be to Gods image before he can deserue to be glorious The last thing required vnto glory is that the solid and eminent Good be also resplendent A worthy man must be as a well-drawn Picture set in bono lâ—mine neyther will bee regarded except they bee placed there where their worth may be discerned For in regard of glorie Idem est non esse non apparere A hidden treasure and wisedoine concealed are both alike saith Salomon Ecclus 41.14 they lose their praise and glory the Kinsmen of Christ out of this principle set vpon him There is no man that doth any thing in secret and himselfe seeketh to be knowne openly The Greekes call honestie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it calleth all men to it The Hebrewes call it tab because it is beautifull and pleasant and maketh all in loue with it most languages call worthy personages Lights because the lustre of their vertue is the pleasing obiect of euery mans eye Wherefore our Sauiour biddeth vs Matth. 5. Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in heauen I haue hitherto opened vnto you the nature of Glorie I haue shewed you what and how many things are requisite thereunto But where shall we finde it what is the first or rather proper subiect of it Surely God cap. 33. wee learne it in Exodus Moses desired to see Gods glory God made his goodnesse to passe before him as if his goodnesse and glory were synonyma's certainely they are inseparable His goodnesse is solid it is his very nature who is called Iohoua and is that which he is Secondly his goodnesse is eminent for whatsoeuer is good is predicated of him in abstracto wisedome truth righteousnesse holinesse Iames 1 Psal 8.19.104.45 c. and abstract names note absolute perfections Finally his goodnesse is most resplendent therefore St. Iames calleth him the father of lights Dauid hath made many Psalmes in acknowledgement hereof For this cause doth the Scripture often times vse the name of Glory when it meaneth God The Iewes in the Old Testament are blamed by the Prophets for neglecting for forsaking their glory that is God And St. Peter in the New Testament 2 Pet. 1.17 speaking of the testimonie which God the Father gaue vnto our Sauiour Christ in the Mount saith Hee heard a voyce from the magnificent Glory Glory then is originally in God but by deriuation it is communicated from him vnto others Angels Princes Luke 2. 2 Pet. 2. both are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture But to none doth this title so truely belong as vnto Christ St. Paul Heb. 1. cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The brightnesse of his fathers glory When he was to come into the world Esay saith cap. 40. The glory of the Lord should be reuealed and biddeth Ierusalem bee bright because her glory is risen and in the person of Eliakim speaking of Christ cap. 60. he shall bee a glorious Throne saith he vnto them and they shall hang vpon him all the glory of his fathers house Cap. 6. Behold saith Zacharie the man whose name is the Branch 1 Tim. 3.16 he shall come out of his place he shall build a temple and he shall beare the glory Finally seeing our Sauiour is God manifest in the flesh hee deserues well that praise which is giuen him in the Churches hymne Thou art the King of glory O Christ But whereas Gods glory doth shine vnto vs in the face of Christ we must enquire what manner of glory it is for in God there is a two-fold glory as you may gather out of the fore-cited place of Exod. cap. 33. compared with cap. 34. a glory of his iustice and a glory of his mercy the solemne and publicke manifesting of eyther of them I meane his iustice or his mercie is manifesting of his glory Touching his iustice we haue an excellent place in Esay in a vision God shewed himselfe in the Temple Esay 6.3 enuironed with the Saraphims who cryed Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts heauen and earth are full of thy glory this was the glory of his iustice for verse 9. he denounceth the sentence of induration against the Iewes the like manifestation wee finde in Moses Numb 14. As I liue saith the Lord all the earth shall bee filled with the glory of the Lord but it is the glory of his iustice for immediately hee doth doome all those Israelites that had not hearkned to his voyce saying Surely they shall not see that Land which I sware vnto their fathers to giue them There is another branch of Gods glory I called it the glory of his mercie it was figured partly by the Cloud and partly by the Arke The Cloud was a type of Gods milde appearance for it was seated not betweene Seraphims fiery Angels messengers and instruments of wrath but betweene the Cherubims which had the shape of men louely and meeke men Adde hereunto that it rested vpon the Arke the couering whereof was called the mercie seate Eyther of these was called the glory of the Lord The Cloud often in Moses the Arke in that known storie of the destruction of Elie's sonnes at what time the Arke being taken by the Philistines 1 Sam. 3. Heb. 9. Psal 27. Ier. 14. 17. Elie's daughter called her childe Ichabod the glory is gone For attending vpon these two were the Cherubims called Cherubims of glorie and for containing them the Temple was called the habitation and throne of Gods glory But all these were types the truth of them was Christ Hee was the truth of the Cloud in his flesh did God so appeare that he might be endured by the sight of men and he appeared for those vses whereunto the Cloud was designed for direction and protection you may gather it out of Esay cap. 4. and St. Paul speaketh plainely 1 Cer. 1.24 that Christ came into the world as the wisedome and the power of God As Christ was the truth of the Cloud so was hee of the Mercie-seate St. Paul Rom. 3.25 cals him by the very name of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God accepteth vs in him By him we come with boldnesse to the throne of grace and finde mercy in the time of neede Heb. 4.16 The Angels that attended him were not Seraphims but Cherubims they appeared in the shape of men and whensoeuer they appeared they came to bring comfort Christ then did in his person manifest Gods mercifull glory which is the glorie meant in this Text. Wherefore I will conclude this point with the words of the Euangelist Iohn 1. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and â—â—ll of truth I haue sufficiently opened vnto you that which is conferred wee must now see whereon The text saith it was the house the Prophet meaneth the
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
CHRISTS deed a verie miraculous deed As there was a miracle in this deed so was there in his words for they were commanding and the command was no lesse effectuall then peremtorie dixit factum est all obeyed without disputing Measure these words as you did the deed by the out-side of the person they also proue a great Miracle When CHRIST with such words and deeds had amazed the Iewes and prepared their attention tanquam Dominus carrying himselfe as a King he then goeth on saith St Cyril tanquam Doctor at my Text he puts on the person of a Prophet he seconds his correction with instruction and diswades from that which prouoked his displeasure So then the opening and forbidding of the Iewes sinne are the two points whereinto we must resolue this Scripture The Iewes did confound the Temple with a Market that was their sinne and that was it which CHRIST could not endure But more distinctly The Temple is a place of GODS gratious presence Of his presence for it is his House But that presence is gratious for he is there as the Father of CHRIST Sancta Sanctè they must looke to their feet that come into this House and put off their shooes that tread vpon that holy ground The Market is an House of Merchandize men assemble there for worldly commerce Terrena sapiunt dum terrena tractant as are the things so will their minds be those earthly therefore these Seing then these places be so different and our carriage must suit the place we cannot confound them without sinne and this sinne CHRIST forbids Make not my Fathers House an house of merchandize I haue vnfolded and digested the contents of this Scripture we must now looke into them more throughly I pray GOD we may doe it fruitfully also To begin then with the Temple It is here called Gods House But we may not grosly conceiue of this phrase or dreame that he is included in a place The properties of a place are to be definitiue and preseruatiue it limits and sustaines whatsoeuer thing is in it whereupon the Schooles make a question whether it may agree to any Spirit at all But it is out of all question That to GOD the Father of Spirits it can no way agree It could not before the Creation for then there was nothing but GOD neither can it since for he impaired not his owne when he gaue being to the Creatures His Essence then continueth vnlimited higher then the Heauens deeper then Hell longer then the Earth wider then the Sea as Zophar the Naamathite speaketh in the 11 of Iob GOD hath no bounds of himselfe but himselfe As his Essence continues vnlimited so doth it independent his name is Shaddai All-sufficient therefore doth the Scripture adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his perfections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely-wise Onely-immortall Onely-Lord c. and the Fathers compound his Attributes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mightie of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient of himselfe what GOD is none is besides neither is he beholding to any besides himselfe for whatsoeuer he is Seeing then the condition of GODS nature doth exclude a place how may he be said to be in a house Philo Iudaeus answereth truly though briefly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for his owne but for his Creatures good yea there is a necessitie that wheresoeuer a Creature is there the Creator must be also for all things liue moue and haue their being not onely by him but in him Act. 17. as the Apostle speaketh So that Vorstius his limitation of GODS Essence to Heauen doth imply a denyall not onely of the Redemption for the Sonne of GOD could not be incarnate on earth if that were true but also of the Creation for if GODS Essence be not present with euerie creature then the creature subsisteth in it selfe and looke in what it subsisteth from that it had his being and so the Creature will proue a Creator which is a plaine contradiction Let it then stand for a fundamentall truth That GODS Essence is euerie-where and we are euer not onely vnder his eye but also in his hand therefore it is as impossible for vs to subsist without him as to hide our selues from him If we did meditate on such a presence it would breed in vs shame and feare shame to be guiltie before such a witnesse and feare to be obnoxious to such a Iudge But more think on GOD then make vse of this generall presence and no wonder seeing they neglect a greater shall I say certainly a better I meane GODS gratious presence in the Temple Let vs now come to that from a place to this place the place of GODS residence amongst his people Though then GOD be euerie-where yet where the Church is there is in a speciall sort his place which in my Text is called his house Now the Church is partly triumphant and partly militant therefore hath GOD an House in Heauen Cap. 14 of which CHRIST speaketh in St Iohn and an House on earth which Salomon speaketh of in his dedicatorie Prayer 1 Kings 8. we haue to doe with this latter yet may we not forget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is good correspondencie betweene the House in Heauen and the House on Earth as Nazianzene gathereth out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Cap. 8. and the Apostle out of Moses Hereupon is grounded the frequent communion of names Heauen is called a Sanctuarie and the Sanctuarie is called Heauen as if that were Caelestle solum Earth in Heauen and this terrestre Caelum Heauen on Earth which I note the rather because this correspondencie maketh much for the increase of that reuerence which is due to the place The place of GODS presence in the Temple was full of gratious Maiestie Of Maiestie for it was called Hekal which signifieth a Kingly Palace And indeed GOD represented himselfe there as King for he was present in the Cloud that conducted the Israelites out of Aegypt Exod. 23 and of the Angel that appeared therein GOD said Nomen meum est in eo therefore where that rested GOD was said there to put his Name and it rested betweene the Cherubins as vpon a Throne of State to say nothing of the Cherubs that were figured on the walles enuironing that Throne seruing to set forth the Maiestie thereof But this is much more cleere in the Visions of Esay Ezechiel Daniel and St Iohn all which put life into these dead Types and set forth the liuing GOD attended with infinite numbers of holy liuing Spirits whose awfull behauiour preach humilitie to vs vile sinfull wretches and teach how we should come into the presence of our glorious GOD we should all be affected as Iacob was in his vision and breake out into his words How dreadfull is this place Gen. 28. But as the place is full of Maiestie so is that Maiestie gratious for there