and to rise from the dead the third day and that remission of sins should be preached in his Name among the Nations But where is this publication of remission of sins by Christ written for in those formall words we shall hardly finde it Let us take here the Angels key and we shall for they tell us that peace on earth is this good-will towards men Now do not the Prophets speak of some peace on earth which Messiah should bring with him when he comes yes surely well then let us look for this publication of remission of sins under that name and we shall finde it Isay 9. 6. Vnto us a Childe is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellor the mighty God the Father of eternity the Prince of peace that is of peace not between men and men but between God and men and of the increase of his government and peace shall be no end Isay 52. 7. How beautifull upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Zion Thy God reigneth which place S. Paul Rom. 10. 15. interprets of the publication of the Gospel of Christ. Esay 53. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him that is he suffered for the remission of our sins Is. 57. 19. quoted by S. Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 2. Peace to him that is afarre off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him Ezek. 34. 24 25. I the Lord will be their God and my servant David King Messiah a Prince among them And I will make a Covenant of peace with them So Chap. 37. 26. Hag. 2. 9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater then of the former saith the Lord of Hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of Hosts Zech. 9. 10. Shout ô daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King commeth unto thee and he shall speak peace unto the Heathen and his Dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the end of the earth Thus much of the Use to be made of the Angels expression in this heavenly Carol Now I shall propound to your consideration another and that taken from the argument it self namely that if Almighty God our heavenly Father be so graciously disposed to us-ward as to be reconciled unto us by forgiving us our trespasses then ought we semblably to be reconciled to our brethren and forgive them their trespasses when they have wronged or offended us Leo Serm. 6. de Nativit Natalis Domini natalis est pacis ergo singuli fideles offerant Patri pacificorum concordiam filiorum The Illation is good we have the authority of the Apostle S. Iohn to back it 1 Ioh. 4. 10. God saith he so loved us that he sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins What follows Beloved saith he if God so loved us we ought to love end another So I say if God be so gracious to forgive and be reconciled to us we ought as it were to eccho this his loving kindnesse and to forgive and be reconciled one to another This congruity and semblablenesse of our actions and affections one towards another with Gods favour and mercy towards us is the Rule and Reason not only of this but of many other duties he requires at our hands Thus the Jews were every seventh year to manumise their servants as an act of congruity and thankfulnesse to God who had delivered them when they were servants out of the land of Egypt and house of bondage They were bidden to use a stranger kindly because themselves had been strangers and God when they were oppressed had been compassionate and kinde towards them and redeemed them from their thraldome Likewise we reade in the Gospel Luk. 8. 36. Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull And Matth. 5. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercy In a word God hath revealed he will shew mercy to none but such as appear before him with this congruity Iames 2. 13. He shall have judgement without mercy that sheweth no mercy and therefore the tenor of our sentence at the last judgement runs Come ye blessed and be partakers of mercy because ye have shewed it But Goe ye cursed without all mercy into Hell fire because ye have shewed no mercy Thus we see how God requires this congruity in generall and as for the particular of reconcilement and forgiving our brother it is written in capitall letters and urged in such sort as it might not unfitly be termed the Livery of Christianity In so much that if we consider it duly it cannot but breed astonishment that the evidence and necessity should be so apparent and the practice among those who look for the benefit of Christ and call upon his Name so little regarded when as I dare boldly pronounce there is no remission of sins to be looked for at the hands of God without it An invincible argument whereof is That our Saviour himself in the prayer he hath taught his Church hath put in a barre against asking it but upon this condition Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us If we ask not with this disposition there is no promise that any such prayer shall be heard nay our Saviour tels us in plain terms it shall not If saith he you forgive not men their trespasses no more will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses How then can any man whose heart is fraught with malice and meditates revenge against his brother hear this and not tremble Is it not a fearfull thing for a man to carry in his own bosome not only an evidence that his sins are unpardoned but a barre too that he cannot ask the forgivenesse of them Let no man deceive himself Etsi enim multis bonis conscientiis abundemus saith S. Chrysostome reconciliatione tamen contemptâ nullum possumus promereri solatium As the fifth Commandement is called by the Apostle the first Commandement of promise so is this petition for forgivenesse of sins the only petition with condition and such a condition too as our Saviour dwels upon and enforces when he had delivered this form of prayer to his Disciples For he passes by all the rest of the petitions and singles out this alone to comment upon as that wherein the chiefest moment lay and without which all our prayer would be uneffectuall and to no purpose A further confirmation of which we have in that parable of Servus nequam Matth. 18. whom his Lord being moved with compassion when he besought him forgave a debt of ten thousand Talents But he finding one of his fellow-servants which ought him an hundred pence though he fell at his feet and besought him yet would not hear him but cast him into prison
there to his son is good with fasting and with alms and righteousnesse A little with righteousnesse is better then much with unrighteousnesse It is better to give alms then to lay up gold 9. For alms doth deliver from death and shall purge away all sin Those that exercise alms and righteousnesse shall be filled with life Here in the Greek copy alms and righteousnesse are exegetically put the one to expound the other but in the Hebrew there is but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for them both that being the word in that language for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence in the Syriack Translation of the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustitia and so in the Arabick Hence Mat. 6. 1. for Take heed that you do not your alms before men as we reade it the vulgar Latine and some Greek Copies have Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Namely as the word charity with us though in the larger sense it signifies our whole duty both to God and man is restrained to signifie our liberality to the poor so is the word Righteousnesse in the Orientall Languages If Righteousnesse therefore signifie Beneficence and Bounty then is the righteous according to this notion the bountifull man or as we speak the charitable And that it is so taken in my Text both the generall scope of the Psalm and the connexion with the words before and after is proof sufficient for before goes this A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with judgement Surely he shall not be moved for ever Then come the words of my Text The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance After it follows this He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousnesse remaineth for ever which S. Paul alledgeth 2 Cor. 9. to promote their collection for the poor Saints at Jerusalem For illustration of this and our further information it will not be amisse I hope to commend to your observation some other places of Scripture where the word righteous is thus taken as namely Psal. 37. 21. The wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth Again Psal. 25. 26. I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous for saken nor his seed begging their bread He is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed Here the righteous is the mercifull and bountifull to whom namely this blessing that his seed shall not want is proper and peculiar The same use is Prov. 10. 2. Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing but righteousnesse delivereth from death The same is repeated again cap. 11. 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Where righteousnesse to be taken for alms is apparent out of Tobit 12. where it is so applied and rendred namely Alms doth deliver from death I could adde also another place Prov. 21. 28. but these shall be sufficient Hence appears their error who conceive of the nature of Alms as of an arbitrary thing which they may do if they will or not do without sin as that which carries no obligation with it but is left freely to every mans discretion And this makes some contend so much to have the Priests maintenance granted to be eleemosynary that so they might be at liberty to give something or nothing as they listed But if that were so yet if Alms be Iustitia in the Hebrew tongue and the language which our Saviour spake If our Saviour call'd them Iustitia when he mentioned them who dare affirm then that Iustitia implies no obligation or that a man may leave it undone without sinne So much for the subject The Righteous The next is the Praedicate shall be in everlasting remembrance In remembrance I said with God and men with God in the life to come and this life Let us consider the first The world to come It is certain that at the day of Judgement we shall receive our doom according to our works of charity and mercy and that of all the works that a Christian man hath done these alone have that peculiar priviledge to bee then brought in expresse remembrance before God Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me c. For asmuch as ye have done thus unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Matth. 25. What doth my Text say The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance God remembers our good deeds when he rewards them as he doth our prayers when he hears them If to remember then be to reward an everlasting reward is an everlasting remembrance 'T is remarkable that this priviledge which the works of Bounty and Mercy shall have at the day of Judgement was not unknown to the Jews themselves for so we read in the Chaldee Paraphrast upon Ecclesiastes Futurum est ut Dominus mundi dicat omnibus justis ante se constitutis Vade gusta cum gaudio panem tuum ut statutum est pro pane quem dedisti pauperibus obscuris qui esuriebant bibe corde bono vinum quod repositum est tibi in horto Eden id est Paradiso pro vino quod miseuisti pauperibus obscuris qui sitiebant quia ecce modò accepta sunt opera tua bona coram Domino The reason of this prelation of works of mercy at that great day is because all we can expect at the hands of our heavenly Father is meerly of his mercy and bounty we can hope for nothing but mercy without mercy we are undone according to that of Nehemiah in his last Chap. Remember me ô Lord concerning this and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Now in those that are to be partakers of mercy the divine wisdome requires this congruity that they may be such as have been ready to shew mercy unto others judging them altogether unworthy of mercy at his hands who have afforded no mercy to their brethren for so the Scripture tels us that they shall have judgement without mercy that have shewn no mercy The tenour of our Petition for forgivenesse of sins in the Lords Prayer runs with this condition As we forgive them that trespasse against us And who can reade without trembling the Parable of the unmercifull servant in the Gospel to whom his Lord revoked the Debt he meant to have forgiven him because he shewed no mercy to his fellow-servant who owed him a far lesse Debt Shouldst thou not saith he have shewed compassion to thy fellow-servant as I shewed compassion unto thee
unto the service and worship of God neither to be used by others nor they to carry themselves in their fashion of life as other persons for that which in other things sacred is their use in persons sacred is their conversation demeanour or carriage of themselves but all to be sanctified with a select appropriate or uncommon usage that as they are Gods by peculiar relation and have his Name called upon them so to be separate as far as they are capable from common use and imployed as instruments and circumstances of his worship and service which is the highest and most singular honour that any creature is capable of Nay as I have said before even this is to the honour of God that as himself is that singular incommunicable and absolutely Holy One and his service and worship therefore incommunicable so should that also which hath his Name thereon or is consecrated to his service be in some proportion incommunicably used and not promiscuously and commonly as other things are They are the words of Maymonides the Jew but such as will not misbecome a Christian to make use of concerning that Law Levit. V. 15. If a soule commit a trespasse and sin through ignorance in the holy things of the LORD then he shall bring unto the Lord for his trespasse a Ram c. Behold saith hee how great weight there is in the Law touching sacrilegious transgression And what though they be wood and stone and dust and ashes when the Name of the Lord of all the world is called upon things they are sanctified i. made holy And who so useth them to common use he transgresseth therein and though he doe it through ignorance he must needs bring his atonement Yea it is a thing worthy to be taken speciall notice of that that so presumptuous and most dreadfully vindicated sin of Korah Dathan Abiram and their company in offering incense unto the Lord being not called thereunto did not discharge their Censers of this discriminative respect due unto things Sacred For thus the Lord said unto Moses after that fire from heaven had consumed them for their impiety Speak unto Eleazar the Son of Aaron the Priest that he take up the Censers out of the burning and scatter thou the fire yonder for they are hallowed The Censers of these Sinners against their own souls let them make of them broad plates for a covering of the Altar for they offered them before the Lord therefore they are hallowed or holy Num. 16. 37 38. Now that by this discriminative usance or sanctification of things sacred the Name of God is honoured and sanctified according to the tenour of our petition is apparent not onely from reason which tels us that the honour and respect had unto ought that belongs unto another because it is his redounds unto the owner and Master but from Scripture which tels us that by the contrary use of them his name is prophaned Hear himself Lev. XXII 2. Speak unto Aaron saith he and his Sons that they separate themselves from the Holy things of the children of Israel and that they prophane not my Holy Name in the things which they hallow unto me Also in the Chapter next before v. 6. The Priest that should not discriminate himself according to those singular observations or differing rules there prescribed is said To prophane the Name of his God Again Ezek. XXII 26. When the Priests prophaned Gods holy things by putting no difference between the Holy and Prophane I saith the Lord am prophaned amongst them Likewise Chap. XLIII ver 7. together with other abominations there mentioned the Lord saith that his Holy Name had been polluted or prophaned by the carkasses of their Kings that is of Manasse and Amon buried in the Kings Garden hard by the walls of the Temple for so by the Hebrews and others that place is understood See 2 Kings XXI ver 18 26. by the pollution of the Temple the Lord esteemed his own Name prophaned Take in also if you will that of Malachi Cha. 1. where the Lord says of those who despised and dishonoured his Table or Altar by offering thereon for sacrifice the lame the blinde and sick which the Law had made unclean and polluted that they had prophaned his Holy Name But if the Name of God be prophaned by the disesteem and misusage of the things it is called upon then surely it is sanctified when the same are worthily and discriminatively used that is as becommeth the relation they have to him I have already specified the severall kinds of Sacred things which are thus to be sanctified yet lest something contained under some of them might not be taken notice of by so generall an intimation it will not be amisse a little more fully and particularly to explicate them then I have yet done Remember therefore that I ranged all sacred things under four heads 1. Of Persons Sacred such as were the Priests and Levites in the Old Testament and now in the New the Christian Clergy or Clerus so called from the beginning of Christian Antiquity either because they are the Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Portion which the Church dedicateth unto him out of her self namely as the Levites were an offering of the Children of Israel which they offered unto him out of their Tribes or because their inheritance and livelihood is the Lords portion I preferre the first yet either of both will give their Order the title of Holinesse as doth also more especially their descent which they derive from the Apostles that is from those for whom their Lord and Master prayed unto his Father saying Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanctifie them unto or for thy Truth thy Word is Truth that is Separate them unto the Ministery of thy Truth the word of thy Gospel which is the truth and verification of the promises of God It follows As thou hast sent me into the world so have I also sent them into the world this is the key which unlocks the meaning of that before and after And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they might be sanctified for thy Truth that is And for as much as they cannot be consecrated to such an Office without some sacrifice to atone and purifie them therefore for their consecration to this holy function of ministration of the new Covenant I offer my self a Sacrifice unto thee for them in lieu of those legall and typicall ones wherewith Aaron and his sons first and then the whole Tribe of Levi were consecrated unto thy service in the old An Ellipsis of the first Substantive in Scripture is frequent So here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth for the Ministery of Truth Now that the Christian Church for of the Jewish I shall need say nothing hath always taken it for granted that those of her Clergy ought according to the
whence it is probable that S. Peter in the foregoing passage of Angels referred also those chains of darknesse to reserving and not to delivering that is not that the evill Angels were now already delivered to chains of darknesse but reserved for them at the day of Judgement And thus much for clearing of the words of these two parallel Texts now what hath been anciently the current opinion of this point And first for the Jews it is apparent to have been a tradition of theirs that all the space between the earth and the firmament is full of troops of Evill spirits and their Chieftains having their residence in the air which I make no doubt S. Paul had respect to when he cals Satan the Prince of the power of the air Drusius quotes two Authors one the Book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Munus novum another one of the Commentators upon Pirke Aboth who speak in this manner Debet homo scire intelligere à terra usque ad firmamentum omnia plena esse turmis praefectis infra plurimas esse Creaturas laedentes accusantes omnesque stare volare in aere neque à terra usque ad firmamentum locum esse vacuum sed omnia plena esse praepositis quorum alii ad pacem alii ad bellum alii ad bonum alii ad mulam ad vitam ad mortem incitant By praepositi I suppose he means such among the Spirits as are set as Wardens over severall charges for the managing of the affairs of mankinde subject to their powers This was the opinion of the Iews which they seem to have learned by tradition from their ancient Prophets For in the Old Testament we finde no such thing written and yet we see S. Paul seems to approve it Now for the Doctors of the Christian Church S. Hierome upon the sixth of the Ephesians tels us that their opinion was the same T is the opinion of all the Doctors saith he that Devils have their mansion and residence in the space between the heaven and the earth And that the Fathers of the first 300 or 400 years nor did nor could hold the evill Angels to have been cast into Hell upon their sin is evident by a singular Tenet of theirs For Iustn Martyr one of the most ancient hath this saying that Satan before the coming of Christ never durst blaspheme God and that saith he because till then he knew not he should be damned The same is approved by Irenaeus in his fifth Book and twentysixt Chapter Praeclarè saith he dixit Iustinus quod ante Domini adventum Satanas nunquam ausus est blasphemare Deum quippe nondum sciens suam damnationem Post adventum autem Domini ex sermonibus Christi Apostolorum ejus discens manifestè quoniam ignis aeternus ei praeparatus sit per hujusmodi homines he means those Heretiques who blasphemed the God of the Law blasphemat eum Deum qui judicium importat Eusebius 4. Hist. Cap. 17. cites the same out of both with approbation So doth Oecumenius upon the last Chap. of the first of S. Peter Epiphanius against Heresie 39. gives the same as his own assertion almost in the same words with Iustin and Irenaeus though not naming them Ante Christi adventum saith he nunquam ausus est Diabolus in Dominum suum blasphemum aliquod verbum loqui aut contra elationem cogitare expectavit enim Christi adventum put avitque se misericordiam aliquam assecuturum esse I will not enquire how true this Tenet of theirs is but onely gather this that they could not think the Devils were cast into Hell before the comming of Christ. For then how could they but have known they should be damned if the execution had already been done upon them Saint Augustine as may seem intending to reconcile these places of Peter and Iude with the rest of Scripture is alledged to affirm that the Devils suffering some hell-like torment in their aiery Mansion the Air may in that respect in an improper sense be called Hell But that the Devils were locally or actually in Hell or should be before the day of Judgement it is plain he held not and that will appear by these two passages in his Book de Civitate Dei First where he saith Daemones in hoc quidem aere habitant quia de Coeli superioris sublimitate dejecti merito irregressibilis transgressionis in hoc sibi congruo velut carcere praedamnati sunt Lib. 8. Cap. 22. The other where he expounds that of the Devils Mat. 8. Art thou come to torment us before the time that is saith he ante tempus Iudicii quo aeternâ damnatione puniendi sunt cum omnibus etiam hominibus qui eorum societate detinentur Lib. eodem Cap. 23. in fine The Divines of later times the Schoolmen and others to reconcile the supposed Contrariety in Scripture divide the matter holding some Devils to be in the Air as Saint Paul and the History of Scripture tels us some to be already in Hell as they thought Saint Peter and S. Iude affirm'd which opinion seems to be occasioned by a Quaere of Saint Hieroms upon the sixth of the Ephesians though he speaks but obscurely and defines nothing But what ground of Scripture or reason can be given why all the Devils which sinned should not be in the same condition especially Satan the worst and chief of them should not be in the worst estate but enjoy the greatest liberty It follows therefore that these places of Saint Peter and Saint Iude are to be construed according to the sense I have given of them namely that the evill Spirits which sinned being adjudged to hellish torments were cast out of Heaven into this lower Region there to be reserved as in a prison for chains of darknesse at the Day of Judgement 1 COR. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God A Man would think at first sight that this Scripture did exceedingly warrant our use of the word Minister in stead of that of Priest and leave no plea for them who had rather speak otherwise Howsoever I intend at this time to shew the contrary and even out of this text that we have very much swarved herein from the Apostles language and abuse that word to such a sense as they never intended nor is any where found in Scripture I fayour neither superstition nor superstitious men yet truth is truth and needfull to be known especially when ignorance thereof breedeth errour and uncharitablenesse My discourse therefore shall be of the use of the words Priest and Minister wherein shall appear how truly we are all Ministers in the Apostles sense and yet how abusively and improperly so called in the ordinary prevailing use of that word I will begin thus All Ecclesiasticall persons or Clergy men may be considered in a
pray unto God for a blessing from an instrument which he is wont to give us by an instrument Secondly it may be said that the words Grace and Peace need not to be taken in that speciall and strict sense but in the large and generall wherein Grace sounds favour at large and Peace all manner of prosperity In which sense no man will deny but the blessed Angels have an interest in the dispensation of the favours and blessings of God to his Church and so God may be prayed to to give them as he is wont by their ministery Grace and Peace from him which is which was and is to come as the Author and Giver and from the seven Spirits as the Instruments and from Iesus Christ as the Mediator There is yet one place more in the Apocalypse to confirm this tradition chap. 8. 2. I saw saith Saint Iohn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seven Angels which stood before God Is not this as plain as Tobit Why should then the one be accounted Magicall and not the other I adde moreover that these Angels are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principes primarii or chief Princes mentioned in the 10. of Daniel Michael one of the Princes saith the Angel there came to help me Now Michael we know is one of the Archangels And why therefore may not these chief Princes be those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof Saint Paul speaks in his adjuration to Timothy I charge thee saith he before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the Elect Angels not the good Angels at large but those Angeli eximii the seven Archangels which stand before the Throne of God And it may not without reason be conjectured that those seven chief Princes fained in the Persian Monarchie took their beginning from hence And that Daniel who in respect of his account for wisedom and of his power under Darius the Mede had a main stroke in the moulding and framing the government of that State caused the Persian Court to resemble that of heaven ordaining seven chief Princes to stand before the King Of which we finde twice mention in Scripture as in the book of Esther where they are recorded by name and styled The seven Princes of Media and Persia who saw the Kings face and sate first in the kingdom And in the Commission granted to Ezra by Artaxerxes Ezra 7. 14. they are called The Kings seven Counsellors Forasmuch as thou art sent by the King and his seven Counsellors c. And it may be the Church of Jerusalem when they chose seven Deacons to minister unto their Bishop had an eye the same way Hitherto of the number of these Archangels now a word or two of their office And that is first to be the universall Inspectors of the whole world and the Rulers and Princes of the whole Angelical hoast which appears in that they are called Principes primarii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their universall jurisdiction is meant by the words sent forth into the whole earth whereas the rest are limited to certain places Secondly to have the peculiar Charge and Guardianship of the Church and affairs thereof whilst the rest of the world with their Polities Kingdoms and Governments is committed to the care of subordinate Angels who according to their severall charges may seem to carry those names of Thrones Principalities Powers and Dominions That the charge of the Church quà talis belongs thus peculiarly and immediately to the seven Archangels may appear by S. Iohns saluting the Churches with a Benediction of Grace and Peace from their ministery and the typing of them by the seven Eyes and Horns of the Lamb as Powers which the Father since he exalted Him to be Head of his Church hath annexed to his Jurisdiction Hence it comes to passe that we finde these Angels peculiarly both before and in the Gospel to have been employed about the Church affairs In the Old Testament the Angel Gabriel one of the seven revealed to Daniel the time of the restauration of the Jewish State and comming of Messiah And the Angel Michael one of the chief Princes was his assistant when he strengthened Darius the Mede who founded the Monarchy which should restore them and is in speciall termed Dan. 12. the Prince that stood for Daniels people In the Gospel we finde the same Angel Gabriel imployed both to Zachary and the Blessed Virgin with the Euangelicall Tidings and that Zachary might take notice that he was one of the seven he sayes unto him I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God Likewise in the Churches combate with the Dragon Apoc. 12. Michael and his Angels are said to be her Champions and in her quarrel to have cast the Dragon and his Angels down to the Earth And in this Prophesie of Zachary it is said that these seven eyes of the Lord took care of one stone which Zorobabel laid for the foundation of the Temple and therefore the work could not be disappointed but should certainly at length be finished So as by this time we may guesse the meaning of that which Hanani the Seer told King Asa 2 Chron. 16. 9. The Eyes of the Lord that is these seven Eyes run to and fro through the whole Earth to shew themselves strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect towards him S. MARK 11. 17. Is it not written My House shall be called a House of Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all the Nations THey are the words of our Blessed Saviour when he cast the Buyers and Sellers and Money-changers out of the Temple and forbad to carry any vessels thorow it Concerning which story it is worth observation that our Saviour whilest he was upon earth never exercised any Kingly or coactive Jurisdiction but in vindicating his Fathers house from prophanation and this he did two severall times once at the first Passeover after he began his Prophesie whereof you may read Iohn 2. And now again at his last Passeover when he came to give his soul a sacrifice for sin This is that which Saint Mark relates in this place as do also two other of the Euangelists Saint Matthew and Saint Luke The vindication of Gods House from Prophanation how little account soever we are wont to make thereof was with our blessed Saviour the Alpha and Omega the first and last of his care Vbi incipit ibi desinit The consideration of which how momentous it is I leave to your selves to judge Thus much by way of Preface Now for understanding of the words I have chosen I will divide my discourse into a Question and an Observation The Question is In what part of the Temple this Market was kept A thing not commonly enquired after by Expositors much lesse defined The Observation That this fact of our Saviour more particularly concerns us of the Gentiles then we take notice of For the first in
he can If he should they might truly say indeed Lord we have done no such matter nor did we think our selves bound unto it we relied wholly upon our faith in thy merits and thought we had been freed from such services What doe they think Christ will change the form of his sentence at that great day No certainly If the sentence for Blisse will not fit them and be truly said of them the other will and must for there is no more Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For when I was hungry ye gave me no meat c. This must be their doome unlesse they suppose the righteous Judge will lie for them And it is here further to be observed that the works named in the sentence of Judgement are works of the second Table works of mercy and charity Feeding the hungry clothing the naked visiting the sick all Almesdeeds which men are now a-days so much afraid of as if they looked toward Popery and had a tang of meriting For now a-days these costly works of all others are most suspicious but will it be so at the day of Judgement True it is they merit not the reward which shall be given them but what then Are we so proud we will doe no works unlesse we may merit Is it not sufficient that God will reward them for Christs sake though they have no worth in themselves The third and last motive to works of righteousnesse is because they are the only sign and note whereby we know our faith is true and saving and not counterfeit For 1 Iohn 1. 8. If we say we have fellowship with Christ and walk in darknesse we lie and doe not the truth Chap. 2. ver 3. Hereby we know that we know him viz. to be our Advocate with his Father and the propitiation for our sins if we keep his Commandements And Chap. 3. 7. Little children let no man deceive you He that doeth righteousnesse is righteous even as Christ is righteous The same almost you may finde again Chap. 2. 29. For if every one that beleeveth in Christ truly and savingly beleeves that salvation is to be attained by obedience to God in him and not otherwise and therefore embraceth and layeth hold upon him for that end How can such an ones faith be fruitlesse how can he be without works who therefore lays hold on Christ that his works and obedience may be accepted as righteous before God for his sake and so rewardable It is as possible for the Sun to be without his light or the fire to want heat as such a faith to be without works Our Saviour therefore himself makes this a most sure and never failing note to build our assurance of salvation upon Luke 6. 46. where the mention of the words of my Text gives the occasion Why call ye me Lord saith he and doe not the things which I say 47. Whosoever commeth to me and heareth my sayings and doth them I will shew you to whom he is like 48. He is like a man which built an house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock And when the floud arose the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded upon arock 49. But he that heareth and doth not is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately it fell and the ruine of that house was great Whom these three motives or reasons will not perswade to good works let not my soul ô Lord be joyned with theirs nor my doome be as theirs must be A second observation out of these words and near a-kin to the former is That it is not enough for a Christian to live harmlesly and abstain from ill but he must do that which is good For our Saviour excludes not here those onely who do against the will of his Father but those who do not his Fathers will It is doing good which he requireth and the not doing evill only This is an error which taketh hold of a great part of men even of those who would seem to be religious He is a reformed man and acquits himself well who abstains from fornication adultery who is no theef no couzener or defrauder of other men who will not lie or swear or such like But as for doing any works of piety or charity they think they are not required of them But they are much deceived For God requires some duties at our hands which he may reward not out of any merit but out of his mercifull promise in Christ. But not doing ill is no service rewardable A servant who expects wages must not onely do his Master no harm but some work that is good and profitable otherwise the best Christian would be he that should live altogether idlely For none doth lesse harm then he that doth nothing at all But Mat. 25. 30. He that encreased not his Masters Talent though he had not mis-spent it is adjudged an unprofitable servant and cast into utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of treth So also Mat. 3. The tree that beareth no good fruit is hewn down though it bore none that was evill The axe is laid to the root of the tree every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Mat. 21. 19. The sig-tree is cursed for having no fruit not for having evill fruit And the sentence of condemnation as you heard before is to passe at that great day for not having done good works not for doing ill ones Goe ye cursed for when I was hungry ye fed me not c. Thus having let you see how necessary it is for a Christian to joyn good works with his faith in Christ I will now come to shew you how you must do them hoping I have already perswaded you that they must needs be done First therefore we must doe them out of faith in Christ that is relying upon him onely for the acceptance and rewarding of them for in him alone God is well pleased with us and with what wee doe and therefore without faith and reliance upon him it is impossible to please God We must not think there is any worth in our works for which any such reward as God hath promised is due For alas our best works are full of imperfections and far short of what the Law requires Our reward therefore is not of merit but of the mercifull promise of God in Christ which the Apostle means when he says We are saved by grace and not by works That is it is the grace and favour of God in Christ which makes our selves acceptable and our works rewardable and not any desert in them or us Having laid this foundation the next thing required is sincerity of heart in doing them we must doe them out of the fear of God and conscience of his Commandements
the use of the things themselves Vrim is Light and Illumination Thummim Integrity and Perfection By Vrim the Jews were ascertained of the counsell and will of God By Thummim of his favour and good will towards them All this agrees to Christ both in himself and in regard of us In himself his brest is full of Vrim full of Light and Understanding in him dwell all the treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge as S. Paul saith He is the Wisdome of the Father by which the world it self was made His heart is also endowed with Thummim with all kind of Perfections He was conceived without Originall sin lived without Actuall sin fulfilled the whole Law of God which is the Law of Thummim the Law of all Perfection Thus to Christ himself agrees both Vrim and Thummim and so it doth also in regard of us for he is an Vrim and Thummim both to us and for us To us he is Vrim a light which enlightneth every one which commeth unto the world He is the light which shone in darknesse but the darknesse could not comprehend it He was that light by which the people as it is said in Matthew 4. which sate in darknesse saw great light And of this Light Iohn came to bear witnesse that all might beleeve in him Ioh. 1. In summe Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patris the Word and Oracle of his Father by whom we know and learn the Fathers will for so S. Iohn saith cap. 1. No man hath seen God at any time but the Son who is in the bosome of the Father he hath revealed him unto us Neither is Christ only an Vrim but also a Thummim to us For as by Thummim the Jews were ascertained of Gods favour toward them in accepting their Sacrifice so by Christ comming in the flesh is revealed the unspeakable mercy of God to mankind in that he would accept his Sacrifice once offered for the expiation of the sins of the whole world This is that Good-will toward men which the Angels sung of assoon as he was born Glory be to God on high peace on earth and good-will towards men Yea glory be to God on high for this peace on earth and for this good will towards men Thus we see Christ an Vrim and Thummim to us now let us see how he is the same for us and that is when his wisdome and righteousnesse is made ours by imputation So his Vrim becomes our Vrim his Thummim our Thummim that is his wisdome is made ours his righteousnesse and favour with God made ours for this is my welbeloved Son said a voice from heaven in whom I am well pleased In brief S. Paul comprehends both these together where he saith Christ Iesus is made unto us Wisdome Sanctification and Redemption And so Lord let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one And thus much for the speciall consideration of this Vrim and Thummim both personally and typically Now I come unto the generall meaning thereof as it concerns not the High Priest only but the whole Tribe of Levi for this is the blessing of that whole Tribe And in this large respect the meaning cannot be proper for so it belongs unto the High Priest to have Vrim and Thummim nor typicall because the Priests only and not the under Levites were types of Christ but the sense must be analogicall signifying some endowments common to all Levites which resemble the Vrim and Thummim upon the brest of the High Priest Now what these are the words themselves import namely Light of understanding knowledge this is their Vrim and Integrity of life this is their Thummim The first makes them Doctores the second Ductores populi He that wants either of these two wants the true ornament of Priesthood the right character of a Levit. For though these endowments may well beseem all the Tribes of Israel yet Moses specially prays for them in Levi because by him they were to come to all the rest and the want of them in him could not but redound to all the rest It a populus sicut sacerdos the Priest cannot erre but he causeth others to erre also the Priest cannot sin but he causeth others to sin also And this is it that Malachi saith from the Lord unto the Priests of his time Ye are gone out of the way and have caused many to fall by the Law But the Levites of old saith the same Prophet The Law of Truth was in their mouth and iniquity was not found in their lips they walked with God in peace and equity and turned many from iniquity Here you see when the Levites erre the people erre also when the Levites walk in equity the people are turned from iniquity The Ministers of Christ must be Lux mundi the light of the world Vos estis lux mundi ye are the light of the world ye are the worlds Vrim saith Christ unto his Apostles for the lips of the Priest should preserve knowledge and they should learn the Law at hâ—s mouth This light of knowledge this teaching knowledge is the Vrim of every Levite and therefore Christ when he inspired his Apostles with knowledge of heavenly mysteries he sent a new Vrim from above even fiery tongues tongues of Vrim from heaven He sent no fiery heads but fiery tongues for it is not sufficient for a Levite to have his head full of Vrim unlesse his tongue be a candle to shew it unto others There came indeed no Thummim from heaven as there came an Vrim for though the Apostles were secured from errors they were not freed from sin And yet we who are Levites must have such a Thummim as may be gotten upon earth for S. Paul bid Titus in all things to shew himself an example of good works and this is a Thummim of Integrity But besides this Thummim the Ministers of the Gospel have received from God more especially another Thummim like unto that which was proper to the High Priest namely the power of binding and loosing which is as it were a power of Oracle to declare unto the people the remission of their sins by the acceptance of Christs Sacrifice And this directly answers to Thummim in the first sense ACTS 5. 3 4 5. 3. But Peter said Ananias Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost and to purloin of the price of the Land 4. Whiles it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thy power why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God 5. And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up c. IN the 110. Psalm where our Saviour is Prophetically described in the person of a King advanced to the Throne of Divine Majesty glorious and victorious The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool
c. amongst other Kingly Attributes and Graces it is said if it be translated as it should be That his people in the day of his power should offer him free-will offerings that is bring him Presents at the day of his Inauguration or investment as a sign of their Homage For so was the manner of the East to do unto their Kings and therefore when Saul was anointed King by Samuel it is said of those sons of Belial which despised and acknowledged him not that they brought him no presents But of Messiahs people it is said Thy people in the day of thy power that is the day when thou shalt enter upon thy power or the day of thy Investment shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people of free presents or shall bring thee free-will Offerings It is an Ellipticall speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rightly expressed in the Translation of our Service Book This we see fulfilled in the story of the fore-going Chapter when after our Saviours ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of God which was the day of his power or inauguration in his Kingdome assoon as this Investment was published by sending of the Holy Ghost presently such as beleeved in him that is submitted themselves to his power and acknowledged him to be their King dedicated their goods and possessions to his service selling their lands and houses and laying down the money at the Apostles feet namely to be distributed as were the sacred Offerings of the Law partly to the maintenance and furnishing of the Apostles for the work whereabout they were sent and partly for the relief of the poor beleevers which belonged to Christs provision According to this example one Ananias with Sapphira his wife consecrated also a possession of theirs unto God and sold the same to that purpose but having so done covetousnesse tickling them they purloyned from the price and brought but a part of the summe and laid it down at the Apostles feet Then said Peter according to the words of the Text why hath Satan filled thine heart that is made thee so daring the like phrase we have Fsth. 7. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is he whose heart hath filled him we read it That durst presume to do so and again Eccles. 8. 11. The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evill In the former the Septuagint hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emboldened in the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is filled to lie unto the Holy Ghost and to purloin from the price of the field c. Which words contain two things Ananias his sin and his punishment therefore His sin in the third and fourth verses His punishment in the fifth Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost Concerning his sin it appears by the relation I have already made it was Sacriledge namely the purloining of what was become holy and consecrate unto God not by actuall performance but by vow and inward purpose of the heart for as it is well observed by Ainsworth on Levit. 7. 16. out of Maâ—mony in his Treatise of offering the Sacrifice Chap. 14. Sect. 4 5. c. In vows and voluntaries it is not necessary that a man pronounce ought with his lips but if he shall be fully determined in his heart though he hath uttered nothing with his lips he is indebted And this is no private Opinion of mine the Fathers so determine it S. Augustine that Ananias was condemned of Sacridedge Quod Deum in pollicitatione fefellisset Serm. 25. de verb. Ap. And in another Sermon Ananiam dâ—traxisse de pecunia quam voverat Deo Serm. 10. de diversis S. Chrysostome in his 12. Homily upon this place Pecuniae illae saith he deinceps crant sacrae Igitur qui voluerat suum vendere distribuere postea de illis acceperit sacrilegus fuerat Again Vides quod hoc crimen imputatur eo quod pecunias suas accepit quas consecraverat or as the Greek sacras fecerat S. Ierome in his 8. Epistle Ananias Sapphira dispensateres timidi imò corde duplici ideò condemnati quia post votum obtulerunt quasi sua non ejus cui semel ea voverant partemque sibi alienae substantiae reservaverunt praesentem meruere vindictam non crudelitate sententiae sed correctionis exemplo Caesarius brother to Gregory Nazianzen in his fourth Dialogue expresseth the sin of Ananias thus Semel Deo dicatum aurum saith he sacrilegio vulneratus alienaverat interrogatus negaverat He alienated the money dedicated unto God being wounded with Sacriledge and when he was asked thereabout denied it Lastly Oecumenius in whom we have the currant interpretation of the Greek Fathers thus expounds the words of S. Peter to Ananias Neque enim invitos vos trahimus sed cum ultroneè vobis placuerit offerre Deo victimam rursus vos ipsos ad proprium usum insumere Sacrilegium indubiè est And then addes Ideo Sacrilegorum poena sunt percussi Quanam morte Also Asterius Bishop of Marpurg in Germany who lived near the time of Iulian in his Hom. in Avaritiam cals Ananias and Sapphira 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I quote these Fathers the more fully because many of our late Commentators omit the main sin and dwell upon the circumstances only as hypocrisie vain-glory covetousnesse and the like But we must distinguish between Ananias his fact and the manner and circumstance thereof The fact was Sacriledge In the manner of doing other sins attended as handmaids It will be plain if we ask but these two questions First what Ananias did The Text wil make answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He purloined of the holy mony This was his fact Ask secondly how and in what manner he purloined The story will tell us dissemblingly and hypocritically making an appearance to the contrary This then was but the manner and circumstance of his fact and so the species of the fact not to be placed therein Now this Sacriledge or Sacrilegious act committed by Ananias is in the words of the Text partly expressed partly aggravated from the inexcusablenesse thereof In the expression is spent the third verse the aggravation is in the fourth The crime or fact of Ananias is expressed two ways First by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purloining of the sacred price Secondly by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by lying unto or deceiving the Holy Ghost For both these I suppose to mean one and the same thing namely the same fact of Ananias two ways expressed The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I translate by stealing or purloining for so the word signifies our English which renders it Keeping back of the price doth not sufficiently expresse the propriety thereof in this place In another place it doth Tit. 2. 10. where it renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purloining Exhort servants saith the Apostle to be
obedient unto their Masters and to please them well in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not purloining but shewing all good fidelity The Vulgar in both places useth Fraudare defrauding In a word the true signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is surripere suffurari aut clam subducta in commodum nostrum convertere whence Beza turns it by Intervertere Intervertit ex pretio and in Titus Intervertentes In the same sense it is used by the Septuagint in two severall places both pointing at the sin of Sacriledge One is in Achans story Iosh. 7. 1. where what we reade Achan took of the accursed thing the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he purloined the accursed thing that is the thing that was consecrated to God as all the silver and gold was ch 6. ver 19. for which cause when God relates to Ioshua Israels sin as the reason of their flying before their enemies he makes a distinction between Achans Sacriledge and his theft and dissembling ver 11. of the 7. Chap. saying For they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also stollen and dissembled also and they have put it even among their own stuffe The other is in 2 Mac. 4. 32. Menelaus his Sacriledge who stole the sacred Vessels is expressed by it Menelaus saith the Author supposing he had got a convenient time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stole certain vessels of gold out of the Temple and gave some to Andronicus and some he sold into Tyrus and the Cities round about The second expression of Ananias his Sacriledge is by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deceiving or lying to the Holy Ghost or as it is repeated immediately after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lying unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is fallo frustro mentior To deceive cozen lie as also the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which peculiarly signifies Sacrilegious transgression as Lev. 5. 15. and in the story of Achan is in all those places as elsewhere rendred in Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lie and the substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lie and in Oaths and promises Non servo frango not to keep or to break them So Ananias his sin was a lying unto or breaking of promise with God for having vowed or promised unto him in his heart the whole price of the field he brought him but part thereof Both expressions point out the same fact which in regard of the matter was stealing or purloining in regard of the Vow and Consecration a breach of promise or lying unto God So that when Peter says in the third verse Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost and to purloin of the price of the land The latter is the explication of the former and is as if it had been said Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost in purloining the price of the land But what will some man say means this speciall expression of the Deity in the Person of the Holy Ghost why is Ananias said to have lied to the Holy Ghost rather then to have lied unto God only For lying unto God would bear the sense I speak of should not then lying unto the Holy Ghost seem to have something else or something more in it I answer Ananias his lie or breach of promise is applied thus in speciall to the Holy Ghost in respect of the prerogative of that Person as to stir and sanctifie so to take notice of the motions of the heart forasmuch therefore as Ananias his Vow and Promise which he broke was not such as men could witnesse or take notice of but such as his own heart or conscience only was privy to hence it is said to have been done under the privity of the Holy Ghost and he in the breach thereof to have lied unto him because that which none but the inward man knoweth of and is yet but in the purpose of the heart is under his privity There is a plain place Rom. 9. to this purpose I say the truth in Christ saith the Apostle I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost that is the Holy Ghost who is privy to my conscience bearing me witnesse or my conscience which the Holy Ghost is privy to Some other places of Scripture I could name which may receive light from this notion but I am loth to meddle with them But for their interpretation who expound this lying unto the Holy Ghost of Ananias his hypocrisie I cannot well see how it can stand For Ananias dissembled not with the Holy Ghost but with men the Holy Ghost knew his heart well enough And the hypocrite properly lies unto men who guesse only by the outside and not unto God who knows the heart Others expound lying unto the Holy Ghost as if it were lying to try whether the Holy Ghost in the Apostles could discover him or not But this is an harsh and forc'd sense As for that in the 9. verse whereon it is grounded viz. How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord The word Tempt or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is mistaken the notion thereof in Scripture being otherwhile to provoke God by some presumptuous fact to anger as it were to try whether he will punish or not to dare God There is an evident place for this sense Numb 14. 22. Those men saith the Lord which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wildernesse and have tempted mee now these ten times and have not hearkened to my voice 23. Surely they shall not see the land which I sware to their Fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it And thus much of the bare description of Ananias his sin Come we now to the aggravation thereof While it remained was it not thine and after it was sold was it not in thy power That is before it was sold was it not thine and being sold was not the money paid thee was not the price in thine hand Thou hast therefore no excuse for what thou hast done For there were two cases which might have excused Ananias for bringing but part of the price If either he had not been Dominus in solidum the full Proprietary of what was sold or had not received the whole price it was sold for For as for the first it is a rule in Law Quoties Dominium transfertur ad aâ—ium tale transfertur quale apud eum fuit qui tradit A man can sell no more then is his So that if Ananias had been owner but in part he had power to dispose but in part Secondly though he were Dominus in solidum the full Proprietary of the field and so had right enough to sell it yet had not the whole price been received and in his power and possession he might still have been excused for bringing but part thereof But Ananias could
he saith ye are strangers and sojourners with me the meaning is that as the Gentiles who became Proselytes had no inheritance in the land but dwelt therein as sojourners so was all Israel in the sight of God who would have none accounted Proprietaries of that land but himself having acquired it by his own powerfull conquest from the Canaanite For although in the same land some part were yet in a more speciall manner the Lords land yet comparatively secundum quid the whole land was sacred and His As all Israel was a peculiar and holy people though the Tribe of Levi were in a more speciall sort the holy Tribe Now if that which was but in a more generall sense holy and the Lords might not be alienated what shall we say of that which is holy and His in the most speciall manner of all I speak all this while of that which is dedicate unto God absolutely and not with limitation or for term of time only for such Dedications I suppose there may be Now if any shall ask me whether this assertion That things dedicate to God are unalienable admits not of some limitations I answer It may be and that in two cases If either it can be proved that the donation made unto God were a nullity or shewed that God hath relinquished the right which once he had But here the water begins to grow too deep for my wading yet I hope I may say thus much That whosoever he be that shall plead either of these two cases to acquit himself of Sacriledge had need be sure in a point of such moment that his evidence be good and such as he can shew good warrant for out of Gods own book To go upon bare conjectures will not be safe And for direction and caution in this case I will adde further That not every sinfulnesse of the person who is the Donor nor every default or blemish in the consecration makes the act it self void It appears in the story of Corah Dathan and Abiram in that oblation of Incense made by the two hundred and fifty Princes of the Congregation whose service though it were so displeasing unto the Lord that he sent fire from heaven to consume them yet when all was done he gave this commandment to Moses Speak saith he unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest that he take up the censers out of the burning and scatter thou the fire yonder for they are hallowed The censers of those sinners against their souls Let them make of them broad plates for a covering of the Altar For they offered them before the Lord therefore they are hallowed Num. 16 37 38. Mark here though they were offered by sinfull men and in a sinfull manner and were not to be used any more for censers yet must they be applied to some other holy use because they were become sacred by having been offered unto the Lord. So Rabbi Solomo Iarchi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unlawfull for common use because they had made them vessels of Ministery My last observation is raised from the judgement which befell Ananias That it must needs be a hainous sin which God so severely punished namely with death For there is no example to be found again in the whole New Testament of so severe a punishment inflicted by the mouth of the Apostles for any sin whatsoever But this was the first consecration of goods that ever was made unto Christ our Lord after he was invested to sit at the right hand of God And this transgression of Ananias and Sapphira the first Sacriledge that ever was committed against him wherefore it was requisite that by the severity of the punishment thereof he should now manifest unto men what account he made and how hainous he esteemed that sin that it might be for an example to the worlds end unto all that should afterward beleeve in his name to beware thereof So saith S. Hierome Ananias Sapphira quia post votum obtulerunt quasi sua non ejus cui semel eavoverant praesentem manere vindictam non crudelitate Sententiae sed correction is exemplo For the first in every kinde is the measure of that which follows though Sacriledge be not since punished by God as often as it is committed by such a visible death yet was it his purpose that by this first punishment we should take notice how great that sin was and how displeasing in his sight which was a punishment by the greatest visible judgement that could be The like severe example to this and for the like end was that upon him who at first profaned the Sabbath day in the Wildernesse by gathering sticks Num. 15. 32 c. who by the sentence of God himself was put to death and stoned by the whole Congregation That the Jews hereby might know that howsoever the like were not ordinarily afterward to be inflicted for the like sin yet that the gravity thereof in the eyes of God was still the same which that first severity intimated Furthermore it is worthy to be noted that we finde three examples of such a kinde of coactive jurisdiction if I may so term it exercised either by our Saviour when he was here on earth or by his Apostles and all three for the profanation of that which was sacred The first two by our Saviour himself against those that profaned his Temple by buying and selling therein as a common place For which at the first Passeover after his beginning to Preach the Gospel he made him a whip and whipped such profaners out of it saying Make not my Fathers house a house of Merchandise Ioh. 2. 13. Another time which was at his last Passeover He overthrew the Tables of the Money-changers and the seats of them that sold doves and would not suffer any to carry a Vessel through the Temple telling them that his house was made for an house of prayer but they had made it a den of Theeves Mat. 21. 12. Mark 11. 15. Luk. 19 45. The third example is this which the Apostle Peter exercised upon Ananias and Sapphira for Sacriledge Whereby it should appear that how small account soever we are now adays wont to make of these two sins yet in Gods esteem they are other manner of ones then we take them for Another argument of the hainousnesse of the sin of Sacriledge is that there was no sacrifice appointed in the Law to make atonement for the same if it were committed willingly and wittingly but onely if it were ignorantly done For so we have it Levit. 5. 15. If a soul commit a trespasse and sin through ignorance in the holy things of the Lord he shall bring for his trespasse unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flock And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing and adde the fifth part thereunto And the Priest shall make an atonement for him and it shall be forgiven him Thus if