Priest Christ Jesus entred after his death and there appeareth for us the curing of all bodily diseases by the word of Christ the healing of all spirituall maladies by his word preached Now if other miracles were significant and enunciative how much more this of tongues Verily he hath little sight of celestiall mysteries who cannot discerne divine eloquence in these tongues diversitie of languages in the cleaving of them and knowledge and zeale in the fire As S. John Baptist was so all the dispensers of Gods mysteries ought to z Bernard in verb. Christi Ille erat lucerna ardens lucens lucere vanum est ardere parum lucere ardere perfectum bee burning and shining lamps shining in knowledge burning in zeale There are three reasons assigned by learned Commentators why the Spirit manifested himselfe in the likenesse of fierie tongues 1. To shew his affinitie with the Word such as is between fire and light the Word is the true light that enlighteneth everie one that commeth into the world and here the Spirit descended in the likenesse of fire 2. To shew that as by the tongue wee taste all corporall meats drinks and medicinall potions so by the Spirit wee have a taste of all spirituall things 3. To teach us that as by the tongue wee speake so by the Spirit wee are enabled to utter magnalia Dei the wonderfull works of God and the mysteries of his kingdome It is not yee that a Matt. 10.20 speake saith our Saviour but the Spirit which speaketh in you which Spirit spake by the month of the Prophets that have beene since the world began Our mouthes and tongues are but like organ-pipes the breath which maketh them sound out Gods praises is the Spirit And those that have their spirituall senses exercised can distinguish betweene the sound of the golden bels of Aaron and of the tinckling b 1 Cor. 13.1 Cymball S. Paul speaketh of for sacred eloquence consisteth not in the enticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and power The fire by which these tongues were enlightened was not earthly but heavenly and therefore it is said As of fire Christ three severall times powred out his spirit upon his Apostles first c Vers 1.16 Matthew the tenth at their election and first mission the second is d Vers 22. John the twentieth when he breathed on them and said Receive yee the holy Ghost and thirdly in this place At the first they received the spirit of wisdome and knowledge at the second the spirit of power and authority at the third the spirit of zeale and courage As many proprieties as the naturall Philosophers observe in fire so many vertues the Divines will have us note in the Spirit given to the faithfull they are specially eight Illuminandi of enlightening 2. Inflammandi of heating 3. Purgandi of purifying 4. Absumendi of consuming 5. Liquefaciendi of melting 6. Penetrandi of piercing 7. Elevandi of lifting up or causing to ascend 8. Convertendi of turning For darknesse is dispelled cold expelled hardnesse mollified metall purified combustible matter consumed the pores of solid bodies penetrated smoake raised up and all fuell turned into flame or coale by fire 1. Of enlightening this Leo applyeth to the Spirit 2. Of enflaming this Gregory worketh upon 3. Of purifying this Nazianzen noteth 4. Of consuming this Chrysostome reckons upon 5. Of melting this Calvin buildeth upon 6. Of penetrating this S. Paul e 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things pointeth to 7. Of elevating this Dionysius toucheth upon 8. Of converting and this Origen and many of our later writers run upon 1. Fire enlighteneth the aire the Spirit the heart 2. Fire heateth the body the Spirit the soule 3. Fire purgeth out drosse the Spirit our sinnes 4. Fire consumeth the stubble the Spirit our lusts 5. Fire melteth metals the Spirit the hardest heart 6. Fire pierceth into the bones the Spirit into the inmost thoughts 7. Fire elevateth water and fumes the Spirit carrieth up our meditations with our penitent teares also to heaven 8. Fire turneth all things into its owne nature the Spirit converteth all sorts of men and of carnall maketh them spirituall These operations of the Spirit God grant wee may feele in our soules so shall we be worthy partakers of Christ his body and by him be sanctified in body and soule here and glorified in both hereafter To whom c. CHRIST HIS LASTING MONUMENT A Sermon preached on Maundy Thursday THE LXVI SERMON 1 CORINTH 11.26 As often as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he come WHen our Saviour was lifted up from the earth to draw all to him and his armes were stretched out at full length to compasse in and embrace all true beleevers after he had bowed his head as it were to take leave of the world and so given up the ghost a souldier with a a John 19.34 speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out water and bloud Which was done to fulfill two prophecies the one of b Exod. 12.46 Moses A bone of him shall not be broken the other of c Zech. 12.10 Zechary They shall looke on him whom they pierced as also to institute two d Chrysost Cyrillus Theophilact in hunc locum Damascenus lib. 4. de fid c. 10. Aug. l. 2. de Symb. c. 6. tract 9. in Johan Sacraments the one in the water the other in the bloud that ran from him the one to wash away the filth of originall sinne the other to purge the guilt of all actuall The hole in Christs side is the source and spring of both these Wells of salvation in the Church which are continually filled with that which then issued out of our Lords side For albeit he dyed but once actu yet he dyeth continually virtute and although his bloud was shed but once really on the crosse yet it is shed figuratively and mystically both at the font and at the Lords board when the dispenser of the sacred mysteries powreth water on the childe or wine into the chalice and by consecrating the bread apart from the wine severeth the bloud of Christ from his body In relation to which lively representation of his sufferings the Apostle affirmeth that as oft as we eate of that bread and drinke of that cup wee shew the Lords death till he come In the Tabernacle there was sanctum sanctum sanctorum a holy place a place most holy so in the Church Calendar there is a holy time all the time of Lent and the most holy this weeke wherein our blessed Saviour made sixe steps to the Crosse and having in sixe dayes accomplished the workes of mans redemption as his Father in the like number of dayes had finished the workes of creation the seventh day kept his e Bernard in dic Pasch Feria sexta redemit hominem ipso
are his How should hee not know them whom he fore-knew before the world began and wrote their names in the booke of life Apoc. 13.8 Phil. 4.3 With my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life Exod 28.21 A glorious type whereof was the engraving the names of the twelve Tribes in twelve precious stones with the point of a Diamond never to be razed out To seduce any of the Elect our Saviours a Mat. 24.24 And they shall shew great signes and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. If supposeth it to be impossible for this were to plucke Christs sheep out of his hand b Joh. 10.28 29 They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them 〈◊〉 is greater than all and no man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers hand which none can do All the Elect are those blessed ones on Christs right hand to whom he shall say at the day of Judgement c Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world was laid they are the Church of the first borne which are written d Heb. 12.23 in heaven Now although all that yeeld their assent to supernaturall verities revealed in Scripture may not presume that their names are written in the booke of life for Simon Magus beleeved yet was he in e Act. 18.13 23 the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity nay the f Jam. 2.19 Divels themselves as St. James teacheth us beleeve who are g Jude 6. reserved in chaines of darknesse unto the judgement of the great day yet they who beleeve in God embrace the promises of the Gospell with the condition of denying of ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and living godly righteously and soberly in this present world and lay fast hold on Christ have no doubt attained that faith which Saint Paul stileth h Tit. 1.1 the faith of Gods Elect and Saint i Act 13.48 15.9 Luke maketh an effect of predestination to eternall life for such a k Rom. 3.28 Joh. 1.12 faith purifieth the heart justifieth before God putteth us into the state of adoption worketh by love and is accompanied with repentance unto life which gifts are never bestowed upon any reprobate if we will beleeve the ancient l Greg. l. 28. in Job c. 6. Extra Ecclesiae mensuras omnes reprobi etiamsi intra fidei limitem esse videantur Aug. cont Pel. l. 1. c 4 de unit eccl c. 23. Hoc donum propâ—ium est eorum qui regnabunt cum Christo Plin. nat hist l. 21. c. 8. Postquam dâ— ficere cuncti flores mâ—defactus aqua reviviscit hybernas coron is facit Fathers The seed of this faith being sown in good ground taketh deepe root downeward in humility and groweth upward in hope and spreadeth abroad by charity and bringeth forth fruits of good workes in great abundance it resembleth the true Amaranthus which after all the flowers are blowne away or drop downe at the fall of the leafe being watered at the root reviveth and serveth to make winter garlands even so a firme and well grounded beliefe after the flowers of open profession of Christ are blown away by the violent blasts of persecution and temptation being moistened with the dew of grace from heaven and the water of penitent teares reviveth againe and flourisheth and furnisheth the Church Christs Spouse as it were with winter garlands unlooked and unhoped for The third pillar The love of God is not more constant than his decrees are certaine nor his decrees more certaine than his promises are faithfull Therefore in the third place I erect for a third pillar to support the doctrine delivered out of this Scripture the promise of perseverance which I need not hew nor square for the building it fitteth of it selfe For it implieth contradiction that they who are endued with the grace of perseverance should utterly fall away from grace Constancy is not constancy if it vary perseverance is not perseverance if it faile And therfore S. m Aug. de bono persev c. 6. Hoc donum suppliciter emereri potest sed cum datum est contumaciter amittti non potest promodo enim potest amitti per quod fit ut non amittatur etiam quod possit amitti Austin acutely determines that this gift may be obtained by humble praier but after what it is given it cannot bee lest by proud contumacy for how should that gift it selfe bee lost which keepeth all other graces from being lost which otherwise might bee lost When I name the gift of perseverance in the state of grace I understand with that holy Father such a gift * Aug. de correp grâ—t c. 12. Non solâ— n ut sine isto dono persevâ—rantes essâ— non possunt verum etiam ut per hoc donuÌ„ non nisi perseverantes sint Gratia qua subventum est infirmitati voluntatis humanae ut indeclinabiliter insuperabiliter ageretur quam vis infirma non deficeret nec adversitate aliqua vinceretur sed quod bonum est invictissimè vellet hoc differere invictissimè nollet not onely without which wee cannot persevere but with which we cannot but persevere Such an heavenly grace whereby the infirmity of mans will is supported in such sort that it is led by the spirit unfailably and unconquerably so that though it be weake yet it never faileth nor is overcome by any temptation but cleaveth most stedfastly to that which is good and cannot by any power bee drawne to forsake it This gift of the faithfull is shadowed out by those similitudes whereto the godly and righteous man in Scripture is compared viz. of a a Psal 1.3 tree planted by the river side whose leafe shall not wither Of the hill of Sion which may not be removed but standeth fast for ever Psal 125.1 Of a b Mat. 7.24 house built upon a rocke Quae Obvia ventorum furiis expostaque ponto Vim cunctam atque minas perfert coelique marisque Ipsa immota manens Upon which though the raine descended and the flouds came and the windes blew and beat on it yet it fell not for it was founded upon a rocke but it is fully plainly and most evidently expressed promised in those words of c Jer. 32.40 Jeremy I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good and I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Which Text of the Prophet is by the d Heb. 5.10 Apostle applied to the faithfull under the Gospel and thus expounded by S. Austin e Aug. l. de bono persev c. 2. Timorem dabo in cor ut non recedant quid est aliud quam talis ac tantus
vivificabo impossibile est enim quod Deus semel vivificavit ab eodem ipso vel ab alio occidi I will make alive and I will kill but I will kill and I will make alive for it is impossible that what God once quickneth hee meaneth by spirituall grace should ever be killed or destroyed either by himselfe or any other Saint Cyprian secondeth Origen who will have e Cyp. de simpl prelat Nemo aestimet bonos de Ecclesia posse discedere triticum non rapit ventus nec arborem solidâ radice fundatam procella subvertit no man entertaine any such thought as if good men and true beleevers ever revolted finally from the Church Let no man conceive saith hee that good men can depart from the Church the winde blowes not away the wheat neither doth the storme overthrow a tree sound at root they are like empty chaffe which are scattered away with a whirlewind and weake and rotten trees which are blown down in a tempest Saint Chrysostome joyneth upon the same issue commenting upon the words of Saint Paul by whom also wee have accesse by faith unto this grace wherein we stand thus He saith well the grace wherein wee stand the phrase is worth the noting for such indeed is the nature of Gods grace f Chrys homil in ep ad Rom. c. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is stable and constant it hath no end it knowes no period but proceeds alwaies from lesser to greater matters Those whom grace maketh to stand and grow continually cannot fall totally nor finally Saint Ambrose accordeth with Saint Chrysostome in his observation upon the second Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 3.3 The words of Saint Paul are Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart St. a Amo Comment in 2. Cor. 3.3 Nunc legem veterem pulsat â—uae pâ—imum data in lapideis tabulis abolita est fractis tabulis sub Mâ—nte à Mose nunc autem lex in animo scribitur hoc est in corde non per calamum sed per spiritum quia fides aeterna res est à spiritu scribitu ut maneâ—t Ambrose his note upon this place is Here hee toucheth upon or striketh at the old Law which first being given in tables of stone is abolished the tables being broken under the Mount by Moses but now the Law is written in the mind not with a quill or pen but by the spirit because faith is an eternall thing it is written by the spirit that it may abide or still continue Saint Austin and Saint Gregory cleerly conclude on our side by excluding all from the number of Christs Disciples and Sonnes of God and Saints whose revolt and apostacy proveth their hypocrisie Saint b Aug de correp grat â— 9. Qui non habent perseveâ— antiam cut non veâ—è Discipuli Christi ita nec verè Filii Dei fueâ—unt etiam quando esse videbantur ita vocabantur Austin speaketh definitively Those who have not the gift of perseverance as they are not truly Christs Disciples so neither were they ever truly the Sonnes of God no not when they seemed to be so And Saint c Greg. moral in Job l. 34. c 13. Aurum quod pravis diaboli persuasioâ—ibus sterni sicut lutum potuerit aurum ante oculos Dei nunquam fuit qui seduci quandoque non reversuri possunt qua iâ—habitam sanctitaté ante oculos hominum videantur amittere sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habucrunt Gregory is as peremptory It may saith he peradventure trouble a weake Christian that this Leviathan hath such power that hee can trample gold under his feet like dirt that is subject unto himselfe men shining in the brightnesse of holinesse by defiling them with vices but wee have an answer ready at hand that the gold which by wicked perswasions of the Divell can be laid under his feet like dirt was never gold in the sight of God and they who may be so seduced that they never returne againe may seeme to lose the habit of sanctity before the eyes of men but before the eyes of God they never were endued with any such habit You see with a little blowing what a cleere light the smoaking flaxe in my Text giveth to this Theologicall verity viz. that regenerating grace and justifying faith cannot be utterly lost or totally extinct Feele I beseech you now what warmth it yeeldeth to our cold affections and sometimes benummed consciences and first to our cold affections Is the oyntment of the Spirit so precious that the least drop of it saveth the life of the soule Is the least seed of the Word incorruptible Is the smallest sparke of true charity unquenchable Cannot justifying faith be ever lost nor the state of grace forfeited Why then doe we not strive for this state why doe we not with the rich Merchant in the Gospel sell all that wee have to gaine this pearle of faith When we have got it why doe we not more highly value it in our selves and others Other pearles and precious stones adorne but the body or cover some imperfection in it this beautifieth the soule and covereth all the skarres and deformities therein Other Jewels be they never so rich are but presents for earthly Princes but with this pearle the King of Heaven is taken and it is the price of that Kingdome Other pearles have their estimation from men but men have their estimation from this pearle Other Jewels when they are got may bee lost and that very easily but this Jewell of faith if it bee true and not counterfeit after it is once gotten can never be lost All the thoughts of worldly men are employed all their cares taken up all their time bestowed all their meanes spent in purchasing or some way procuring unto themselves a fortune as they terme it as a beneficiall office or an estate of land of inheritance or lease for terme of yeeres or lives all which are yet subject to a thousand casualties Why do they not rather looke after and labour for the state of grace which is past all hazzard being assured to us by the hand-writing of God and the seale of his Spirit An estate not for terme of yeers but for eternity an estate not of land upon earth but of an inheritance immortall undefiled reserved in heaven an estate which cannot be spoiled or wasted by hostile invasion nor wrung from us by power nor won by law nor morgaged for debt nor impaired by publike calamity nor endangered by change of Princes nor voided by death it selfe S. a Chrysost in c. 5. ad Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome his eloquence exspatiateth in this field A man saith he hath received rule glory and power here but enjoyeth it not perpetually
in Lambeth Chappell A.D. 1622. March 23. THE TENTH SERMON JOHN 20.22 And when hee had said this hee breathed on them and saith unto them receive yee the holy Ghost Most Reverend Right Honourable Right Reverend Right Worshipfull c. A Diamond is not cut but by the point of a Diamond nor the sunne-beame discerned but by the light of the beame nor the understanding faculty of the soule apprehended but by the faculty of understanding nor can the receiving of the holy Ghost bee conceived or delivered without receiving in some a Aug tract 16. in Joh. Adsit ipse spiritus ut sic eloqui possimus degree that holiest Spirit b Ciâ— de mat Qui eloquentiam laudat debet illam ipsam adhibere quam lâ—â—dat Hee that will blazon the armes of the Queen of affections Eloquence must borrow her own pencill and colours nor may any undertake to expound this text and declare the power of this gift here mentioned but by the gift of this power Wherefore as in the interpretation of other inspired Scriptures wee are humbly to intreat the assistance of the Inspirer so more especially in the explication and application of this which is not onely effectivè à spiritu but also objectivè de spiritu not onely indited and penned as all other by the spirit but also of the spirit This of all other is a most mysterious text which being rightly understood and pressed home will not only remove the weaker fence betweene us and the Greeke Church touching the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Sonne but also beat downe and demolish the strong and high partition wall betweene the reformed and the Romane Church built upon S. Peters supremacy For if Christ therefore used the Ceremony of breathing upon his Apostles with this forme of words Receive yee the Holy Ghost as it were of set purpose visibly to represent the proceeding of the holy Spirit from himselfe why should not the Greeke Church acknowledge with us the eternall emanation of the holy Ghost from the Sonne as well as the Father and acknowledging it joyne with us in the fellowship of the same spirit Our difference and contestation with the Church of Rome in point of S. Peters primacy is far greater I confesse For the head of all controversies between us and them is the controversie concerning the head of the Church Yet even this how involved soever they make it may be resolved by this text alone For if Christ sent all his Apostles as his Father sent him if he breathed indifferently upon all if he gave his spirit and with it full power of remittting and retaining sinnes to them all then is there no ground here for S. Peters jurisdiction over the rest much lesse the Popes and if none here none elsewhere as the sequell will shew For howsoever Cajetan and Hart and some few Papists by jingling Saint Peters c Mat. 16.19 Keyes and distinguishing of a key 1 Of knowledge 2 Of power and this 1 Of order 2 Of jurisdiction and that 1 In foro exteriori the outward court 2 Foro interiori the inward court of conscience goe about to confound the harmony of the Evangelists who set all the same tune but to a different key yet this is confessed on all sides by the Fathers Hilary Jerome Austine Anselme and by the Schoole-men Lumbard Aquinas Allensis and Scotus alledged by Cardinall d Bellar. de Rom. pont l. 1. c. 12. Bellarmine that what Christ promised to Peter e Mat. 16. he performed and made good to him here but here the whole f Hieronymus adver Lucifer Cuncti claves accipiunt super omnes ex aequô ecclesiae fortitudo solidatur bunch of keyes is offered to all the Apostles and all of them receive them all are joyned with S. Peter as well in the mission as my Father sent mee so I send you as in the Commission Lastly as this text containes a soveraigne Antidote against the infection of later heresies so also against the poyson of the more ancient and farther spread impieties of Arrius and Macedonius whereof the one denyed the divinity and eternity of the Sonne the other of the holy Ghost both whose damnable assertions are confuted by consequence from this text For if Christ by breathing giveth the holy Ghost and by giving the holy Ghost power of remitting sinne then must Christ needs bee God for who but God can give or send a divine person The holy Ghost also from hence is proved to be God for who can g Mar. 2.7 or Esay 43.25 forgive sinnes but God alone So much is our faith indebted to this Scripture yet our calling is much more for what can bee spoken more honourably of the sacred function of Bishops and Priests than that the investiture and admittance into it is the receiving of the holy Ghost * Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura regula caeterorum The first action in every kind of this nature is a president to all the rest as all the furniture of the Ceremoniall law was made according to the first patterne in the Mount such is this consecration in my text the originall and patterne of all other wherein these particulars invite your religious attention 1 The person consecrating Christ the chiefe Bishop of our soules 2 The persons consecrated The Apostles the prime Pastours of the Church 3 The holy action it selfe set forth 1 With a mysterious rite he breathed on them 2 A sanctified forme of words receive ye the holy Ghost 1 First for the person consecrating All Bishops are consecrated by him originally to whom they are consecrated all Priests are ordained by him to whom they are ordained Priests the power which they are to employ for him they receive from him to whom h Matth. 28.18 all power is given both in heaven and in earth By vertue of which deed of gift he maketh i Matth. 10.2 choice of his ministers and hee sendeth them with authority k Jâ—h 20.21 as my Father sent me so I send you And hee furnisheth them with gifts saying receive yee the holy Ghost and enableth them with a double power of order to l Matth. 28.19 Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 11.24 This do in the remembrance of me preach and administer both the sacraments and of jurisdiction also Matth. 18.18 Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall bee bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And that this sacred order is to continue in the Church and this spirituall power in this order even till Christ resigneth up his keyes and kingdome to God his Father S. Paul assureth us Eph. 4.10.11.12 Hee that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things and he gave some
of sinnes is peculiarly attributed to the Spirit and by a metonymie termed the Holy Ghost Barradius bringeth us an answer out of the schooles that z Barrad in harmon Evang. remission of sinnes is a worke of Gods goodnesse and mercy now workes of goodnesse are peculiarly attributed to the holy Spirit who proceedeth as they determine from the will of the Father and the Sonne whose object is goodnesse as workes of wisedome are attributed to the Sonne because hee is the word proceeding by way of generation from the understanding of his Father This reason may goe for currant in their way neither have I any purpose at this time to crosse it but to haste to the period of this discourse in which that I may better discover the path of truth in stead of many little lights which others have brought I will set up one great taper made of the sweetest of their waxe The Holy Ghost is sometimes taken for the person of the Comforter which sealeth Gods chosen to salvation sometimes for the gifts effects or operations of the Holy Ghost as it were the prints of his scale left in the soule these are principally three 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall power or authority 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue or ghostly ability to worke wonders and speake with divers languages 1 Is common to all them that are sanctified 2 Is peculiar to Christs Ministers 3 Restrayned to the Apostles themselves and some few others of their immediate successors z Joh. 3.5 Exceâ—t a man be borne of the water and of the spirit 1 Regenerating grace is termed the holyGhost 2 Spirituall order or ministeriall power is called the Spirit or holy Ghost in this place and Luk. 4.18 Esay 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the Gospell c. 3 Miraculous vertue is called the holy Ghost Act. 2.4 And they were filled with the holy Ghost and spake with divers tongues 1 The Spirit of grace and regeneration the Apostles received at their first calling 2 The Spirit of ecclesiasticall government they received at this time c. 3 The Spirit of powerfull and extraordinary operation they received in the day of Pentecost 1 In their mindes by infallible inspiration 2 In their tongues by multiplicity of languages 3 In their hands by miraculous cures Receive then the Holy Ghost is 1 A ghostly function to ordaine Pastors and sanctifie congregations to God 2 Spirituall gifts to execute and discharge that function 3 Spirituall power or jurisdiction to countenance and support both your function and gifts Thus have I opened the treasury of this Scripture out of which I now offer to your religious thoughts and affections these ensuing observations And first in generall I commend to the fervour of your zeale and devotion the excessive heat of Christs love which absumed and spent him all for us flesh and spirit His flesh he offereth us in the Sacrament of his Supper his spirit hee conferreth in the sacred rite of consecration His body hee gave by those words Take eate this is my body his spirit hee gave by these Receive ye the holy Ghost a gift unestimable a treasure unvaluable for it was this spirit which quickned us when wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes it is this spirit which fetcheth us againe when wee swoune in despaire it is this spirit that refresheth and cooleth us in the extreme heat of all persecutions afflictions sorrowes and diseases to it we owe 1 Light in our mindes 2 Warmth in our desires 3 Temper in our affections 4 Grace in our wils 5 Peace in our consciences 6 Joy in our hearts and unspeakeable comfort in life and death This is the winde which bloweth a Cant. 4.16 Blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits upon the Spouse her garden that the spices thereof might flow out This is the breath which formeth the words in the cloven tongues this is the breath which bloweth and openeth all the flowers of Paradise This is the blast which diffuseth the savour of life through the whole Church This is the gale which carryeth us through all the troublesome waves of this world and bringeth us safe to the haven where we would be And as the Spouse of Christ which is his mysticall body is infinitely indebted to her head for this gift of the spirit whereby holy congregations are furnished with Pastors and they with gifts and the ministery of the Gospell continually propagated so wee above all nations in the world at this day are most bound to extoll and magnifie his goodnesse towards us herein among whom in a manner alone this holy seed of the Church remaineth unmixed and uncorrupt not onely as propagated but propagating also not children onely but Fathers Apostolicall doctrine other reformed Churches maintaine but doe they retaine also Apostolicall discipline laying of hands they have on Ministers and Pastors but consecration of Archbishops and Bishops they have not And because they want consecrated Bishops to ordaine Pastors their very ordination is not according to ancient order Because they want spirituall Fathers in Christ to beget children in their ministery their Ministers by the adversary are accounted no better than filii populi whereas will they nill they even in regard of our Hierarchy the most frontlesse Papists must confesse the children begot by our reverend Fathers in the ministery of the Gospell to be as legitimate as their owne For albeit they put the hereticke upon us as the Arrians did upon the Catholike Fathers calling them Athanasians c. yet this no way disableth either the consecration of our Bishops nor the ordination of our Priests not onely because we have proved the dogge lyeth at their doores and that they are a kinde of mungrils of divers sorts of heretickes but because it is the doctrine of their Church b See Croy in his third conformity Whitaker in fine resp ad demonstrat Sanderi Rivet procem de haeref q. 1. Cath. orthod that the character of order is indeleble and therefore Archbishop Cranmer and other of our Bishops ordained by them if they had afterwards as Papists most falsly suppose fallen into heresie could not lose their faculty of consecration and ordination The consecration of Catholicke Bishops by Arrians and baptisme of faithfull Christians children by Donatists though heretickes is made good as well by the decrees of ancient as later Councels determining that Sacraments administred even by heretickes so they observe the rite and forme of words prescribed in holy scripture bee of force and validity Praysed therefore for ever bee the good will of him that dwelt in the bush that the Rod of Aaron still flourisheth among us and planteth and propagateth it selfe like that Indian fig-tree so much admired by all Travellers from the utmost branch whereof issueth a gummy juyce which hangeth
most comfortable for g Gal. 6.14 God forbid saith hee that I should rejoice in any thing save in the crosse of Christ whereby the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world These points I shall cleare to your understanding and presse upon your devout affections Gods grace assisting your patience encouraging and the time permitting me I determined to know nothing among you c. No people under the cope of heaven were more desirous of knowledge or capable of a greater measure thereof than the Corinthians that were Pupilla Graeciae the apple of Greece the eye of the world and none more furnished with divine and humane knowledge than my Apostle whose portion especially of acquired learning was like to Benjamins of whose tribe hee was h Gen. 43.34 five times greater than his brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eras Adag Yet this every way accomplisht Doctor of the Gentiles so inriched with all knowledge at Corinth the prime City of Greece the Royall Exchange if I may so speake of all arts and sciences whither men of ordinary ranke and quality might not easily have accesse among these who heard of Saint Paul that hee had beene i 2 Cor. 12.2 rapt up into the third heaven and expected that hee should utter unto them what hee saw and heard there hee will bee knowne to know nothing save Jesus Christ and him crucified All that hee tooke up at Gamaliels feet hee layed downe at Christs hee buried his jewels of Egypt which cost him so deare under the wood of the crosse as Jacob did Labans idolls k Gen. 35.4 under the oake at Sichem Hee not onely under-valueth them in respect but maketh no reckoning of them I esteeme nothing of any nor will bee esteemed for any knowledge save of Jesus Christ and him crucified The coherence Which words are spoken by the Apostle here by way of apology to certaine of the Corinthians who prepossessed with the false Apostles making great shew of learning and eloquence could not away with the Apostles plainer and simpler kinde of teaching without ostentation of art or mixture of secular learning To these hee addresseth himselfe after this manner ver 1. And I brethren when I came unto you came not with excellency of words or wisedome declaring unto you the testimony of God For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith might not stand in the wisedome of man but in the power of God In effect he confesseth that his words were not so pickt The sense his phrase so choice his composition so smooth his sentences so fluent his cadences so sweet his language so polite his stile so flourishing or his lines so strong as were those of the false Apostles who with their puffed up eloquence and word wisedome sought to bring into contempt the simplicity of the Gospell I seeke not saith hee in effect to approve my doctrine unto you by Tropes of Rhetorike or Syllogismes of Logicke or Axiomes of Philosophy but by the evidence of the Spirit I professe no science among you but the science of the crosse and surely the plainest and simplest method and manner of teaching best fitteth it Were it decent and agreeable thinke you to treat of God his emptying himselfe in swelling words to speake of Christ his abasing himselfe in a lofty stile to discourse sweetly upon gall and vinegar to beset nailes and thornes with flowers of Rhetoricke and to bring our Saviour in pompe of words and vaine-glorious pageants of art to his crosse Let them make ostentation of their learning and eloquence who preach themselves I that am a Minister of Christ and called to preach him make conscience to adde any thing of mine owne that may detract from him or any way obscure the doctrine of the Gospell Doct. 1 The Ministers of the word may esteeme of secular learning in it's ranke but they must not as if they were making merchandise thereof expose it to sale in their sermons they must not seek to value themselves chiefly by it or make any shew or ostentation thereof to the obscuring or any way disparaging the doctrine of the Gospell There are many simples goe to the making of a soveraigne Electuary which yet cannot bee discerned in it when it is made wee see not the honey-suckles and other sweet flowers which Kine feede upon in the spring l Virg Geor. 4. Attamen occultum referunt in lacte saporem yet wee have the taste of them in the milke The Prince of the Romane Oratours illustrateth the like observation by a similitude drawne from those that walke in the sunne m Cic. de orat l. 1 who though they walke not to that end to bee sunne-burnt yet if they walke long they will bee so in like manner though a man study not the arts to this end to gaine an opinion of learning or skill in them nay though hee conceale art which is a high point of art with all possible art yet by that which hee performeth in his pleading of causes it will appeare how hee hath profited in them I determine to know nothing c. The Apostle seemeth to bee very flat upon the negative and by a kinde of Ostracisme to banish all eminency of secular learning out of the schoole of Christ yet as Saint n Chrysin hunc â—â—cum Chrysostome well notes hee doth not absolutely condemne humane learning and eloquence wherein himselfe excelled for that had beene to slurre his owne perfections but the edge of his Apostolicall reprehension falleth upon the abuse ostentation or over-prising it to the prejudice of the knowledge of Christ crucified I know the ground I now tread upon is slippery and therefore I must carefully looke to my feete lest they slide on either side To derogate from the all-sufficiency of Scripture is sacriledge and blasphemy and on the other side to detract from the worth and credite of arts and sciences is anabaptisticall frenzie the truth in the middle may bee laid downe in this Aphorisme Scripture is of it selfe abundantly sufficient for us but we are not sufficient for it without the help of the arts or as we terme them liberall sciences Wee cannot sufficiently either conceive our selves or declare to our hearers the works of God without naturall Philosophy nor the law of God without morall nor the attributes of God without the Metaphysickes nor the dimensions of the Arke and Temple without the Mathematickes nor the songs of Sion without Musicke and Poetry Wee cannot interpret the text of Scripture without Grammar analyze it without Logicke presse and apply it without Rhetoricke Wherefore let Brownists and Separatists scoffe at University learning as the Foxe in the Greeke Epigram disparageth the faire and ripe grapes on a high tree because they were out of
scorching heat would consume them in such sort that they could never come to maturity This Apologue shall serve for my Apologie if I presse you at this time with all the interest I have in your love nay with all the power that I have as a Minister of Christ Jesus to contribute something to the necessity of your brethren You know well the grapes I told you of which send to you as the grapes in Babel did to the vines in Judea to impart unto them some of your sap and to shade them under your well spread boughes or else they will undoubtedly wither and perish I beseech you in the bowells of Christ Jesus come not behind but rather goe before others in pious bounty and Christian charity So the good will of him that dwelt in the bush make you all like the tree in the first Psalme planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth his fruit in due season and his leafe shall not wither and whatsoever he doth it shall prosper THE STEWARDS ACCOUNT A Sermon preached in the Abbey Church at WESTMINSTER THE XXI SERMON LUKE 16.2 Give an account of thy stewardship for thou maist be no longer Steward Right Reverend right Honourable right Worshipfull c. THat I may give a better account of the mysteries of saving truth and you of the blessings of this life whereof God hath made us Stewards in different kindes I have chosen for the subject of my serious meditations and the object of your religious consideration this parcell of sacred Scripture which admonisheth us all to looke to our severall accounts to examine and cleare them that wee may have them ready and perfect when our Lord and Master shall call for them from every of us by name and in particular saying Give an account of thy stewardship The words are part of a Parable which resembleth the tents of Solomon vile and blacke without but full of precious things within For on the out-side we reade nothing but a narration of an unjust Steward or crafty Merchant who being called to an account and justly fearing to bee turned out of his place upon it in time provideth against the worst and taketh a course to make himselfe whole by cheating his Master but in the in-side there are many beautifull Images of divine doctrines drawne by the pensill of the holy Ghost which I purpose to set before you after I have opened the vaile of the letter by shewing you 1. What are the goods for which the Steward is to reckon 2. Who is the Steward charged with these goods 3. What manner of account he is to give Touching the first the learned Interpreters of this mysterious Parable are at strife and if I may so speake in law about the goods left in the hands of this unfaithfull Steward Some put temporall blessings only and worldly wealth in his account Others by goods understand the Word and Sacraments principally wherewith the Ministers of the Gospel are trusted But Bonaventure lighting one candle by another expoundeth this Parable by the other Parable of the five talents and taketh the goods here committed to the Steward to bee those five talents delivered to every man to trade and negotiate withall for God his Master and thus hee telleth them 1. Naturae 2. fortunae 3. potentiae 4. scientiae 5. gratiae the first of nature the second of wealth the third of power the fourth of knowledge the fifth of grace By nature hee understandeth all the naturall faculties of the minde and organs and instruments of the body By wealth riches and possessions By power offices and authority By knowledge all arts and sciences By grace all the gifts of the spirit and supernaturall infused habits such as are faith hope and charity c. whereunto if hee had added a most precious Jewell which if it be once lost can never be recovered viz. our time hee had given a true and perfect Inventary of all the goods for which the unfaithfull Steward in my Text is called to an account Touching the second about whom there is as great contestation and variety of opinions as about the goods themselves Gaudentius maketh a Steward of the Divell who justly deserveth the name of an unjust servant for wasting his lords substance that is spoyling his creatures and robbing him of his chiefest treasure the soules of men But if the Divell bee the Steward who is the accuser of this Steward doubtlesse he can be no other than the Divell whose stile is the a Revel 12.10 The accuser of the brethren is cast down which accuseth them before the Lord day and night Accuser of the brethren The Divell therefore is not the Steward here meant whom God never set over his family nor trusted him with any of his goods since he became a Divell Tertullian conceiveth the people of the Jewes to whom the Tables and Pots of Manna and Oracles of God were committed to be the Steward 's called to an account in my Text for the abuse of these holy things If wee follow this Interpretation neither the Parable nor the Text any way concerneth us Christians therefore Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysostome Saint Augustine Beda Euthymius and Theophylact enlarge the Stewards Patent and put all rich men in the world in it who are advised to make friends with the unrighteous Mammon they have in their hands that when they faile their friends may receive them into everlasting habitations Lastly Saint Jerome and others put in hard for the Ministers of the Gospel to whom they assigne the first place in the Patent as being Stewards in the most eminent kinde and so stiled both by our b Luke 12.42 Who then is the faithfull wise Steward whom his lord shall make ruler over his houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season Saviour and his c Tit. 1.7 A Bishop must be blamelesse as the Steward of God 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as Stewards of the mysteries of God Apostle To reconcile these opinions and make a perfect concord of seeming discords I understand by the great husband or rich man in the Parable Almighty God whose house is the whole world all things in it his wealth Men indued with reason and understanding are his Stewards whom he hath set over this great houshold to governe the rest of his creatures and employ the riches of his goodnesse to the advancement of his glory These are all accountable unto him the Jewes peculiarly for such things as hee bequeathed to his children by the Old Testament the Christians for such things as he hath bequeathed to them by the New the unregenerate are to reckon with him for the gifts of nature the regenerate for the graces of the spirit the rich for his wealth the noble for his honour the mighty for his power the learned for his knowledge every man for that hee receiveth of the riches of his mercy in spirituall temporall or corporall
blessed Virgin the babe a Luke 1.41 sprang in the wombe of Elizabeth so I doubt not but that at the reading of this text in your eares the fruits of your devotion which are your religious thoughts and zealous affections leap and spring for joy in the wombe of your soule for now is the accepted time the time of grace now is the day of salvation the day of our Lords Incarnation As the golden tongued Father spake of a Martyr Martyrem dixisse laudâsse est to name a man a Martyr is to commend him sufficiently so it may be said of this text to rehearse it is to apply it I need not fit it to the time for the time falleth upon this time and the day upon this day now if ever is this Now in season If any time in all the yeere be more acceptable than other it is the holy time we now celebrate now is the accepted time on Gods part by accepting us to favour now is the day of salvation by exhibiting to us a Saviour in our flesh let us make it so on our parts also by accepting the grace offered unto us and by laying hands on our Saviour by faith and embracing him by love and by joy dilating our hearts to entertain him with all his glorious attendants a troupe of heavenly Souldiers singing b Luke 2.14 Glory be to God on high on earth peace and good will towards men c Esay 49.13 Sing O heavens and be joyfull O earth and breake forth into shouting O ye mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will have mercy upon the afflicted Keepe this holy day above others because chosen by God to manifest himselfe in the flesh bid by an Angell and by him furnished both with a lesson and with an Anthem also Well might the Angell as on this day sing glory in excelsis Deo c. for on this day the Son of God out of his good will towards men became man and thereby set peace on earth and brought infinite glory to God in the highest heavens Well may this be called by the Apostle d Gal. 4.4 The fulnesse of time or a time of fulnesse which filled heaven with glory the earth with blessings of peace and men with graces flowing from Gods good will The heavens which till this time were as clasped boxes now not able longer to containe in them the soveraigne balsamum of wounded mankind burst open and he whose name is e Cant. 1.3 an ointment poured forth was plentifully shed upon the earth to revive the decayed spirits and heale the festered sores of wounded mankind Lift up then your heavie lookes and heavier hearts yee that are in the midst of danger and in the sight nay within the claspes of eternall death you have a Saviour borne to rescue you Cheare up your drouping and fainting spirits all ye that feele the smart and anguish of a bruised conscience and broken heart to you Christ is borne to annoint your wounds bruises and sores Exult and triumph ye gally slaves of Satan and captives of Hell fast bound with the chaine of your sinnes to you a Redeemer is borne to ransome you from spirituall thraldome Two reasons are assigned why festivities are religiously to be kept 1. The speciall benefits of God conferred upon his Church at such times which by the anniversary celebration of the dayes are refreshed in our memories and visibly declared to all succeeding ages 2 The expresse command of God which adjoyned to the former reason maketh the exercises of devotion performed at these solemnities duties of obedience It cannot be denied that in this latter consideration those feasts which are set downe in the booke of God have some prerogative above those that are found wrtiten onely in the Calendar of the Church But in the former respect no day may challenge a precedencie of this no not the Sabbath it selfe which the more to honour him whose birth we now celebrate resigned both his name place and rites to the f Athanas hom de semenie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lords day and if we impartially compare them the worke wrought on this day was farre more difficult and the benefit received upon it greater than that to the memory whereof the Sabbath was at the first dedicated It was a greater miracle that God should be made a creature than that he should make all creatures and the redemption of the world so farre exceeds the creation as the means by which it was wrought were more difficult and the time larger the one was finished in sixe dayes by the commandement of God the other not in lesse than foure and thirty yeeres by the obedience of Christ the one was but a word with God the breath of his mouth gave life to all creatures the other cost him much labour sweat and bloud and what comparison is there betweene an earthly and an heavenly Paradise Nay if wee will judge by the event the benefit of our creation had beene none without our redemption For by it we received an immortall spirit with excellent faculties as it were sharpe and strong weapons wherewith wee mortally wounded our selves and had everlastingly laid weltring in our own blood had not our Saviour healed our wounds by his wounds and death and raised us up againe by the power of his resurrection To which point Saint Austine speaking feelingly saith Si natus non fuisset bonum fuisset si homo natus non fuisset If hee had not beene borne it had beene good for man never to have beene borne if this accepted time had not come all men had beene rejected if this day of salvation had not appeared wee had all perished in the night of eternall perdition Behold now is the accepted time In this Scripture as in a Dyall wee may observe 1 The Index 2 The Circles Certaine Behold Different 1 The larger 2 The narrower The accepted time The day of salvation To man in generall it is an accepted time to every beleever in particular it is a day of salvation Lynx cum cessat intueri cessat recordari Because we are like the Lynx which mindeth nothing no longer than her eye is upon it the Spirit every where calleth upon us to looke or behold Behold not alwayes or at any time but now not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not time simply but season the flower of time not barely accepted but according to the originall well accepted or most acceptable not the day of helpe or grace but a day of salvation As in the bodies which consist of similar parts the forme of the whole and the forme of every part is all one for example the whole ocean is but water and yet every drop thereof is water the whole land is but earth and yet every clod thereof is earth the
of your superiours a crowne of thornes to his head every neglect of charity to his members new nailes to wound his hands and feet every blasphemous word a new spitting on his face every oath a speare to pierce his heart But what moved him to become our surety and sacrifice No reason can be given but his will Oblatus est quia voluit He was offered because hee would hee would because hee loved us and to the end hee might the better undergoe his office because it became us to have such an high Priest that had feeling of our wants and infirmities he became man The man The Hebrewes have foure severall words for a man Adam Enosh Ish Geber Adam signifying red earth Enosh a man of sorrow Ish a man of a noble spirit Geber a strong man wee have found a man here in all these senses Adam earth as wee Enosh a man of sorrowes Ish a man of a noble spirit to encounter all the powers of darkenesse Geber a strong man stronger than hee in the q Mat. 12.29 Gospell which first possessed the house Behold the man saith Pilat but a man of sorrow saith Esay nay a worme and no man saith David nay lesse resisting than a worme for a worme if it bee trod upon will turne againe but this man went like a lambe to the slaughter or if hee may rightly be termed a worme certainely a silke-worme spinning us a precious web of righteousnesse out of his owne bowels yet this worme and no man is Ish one of noble spirit and Geber a valiant man yea such an one as is Gods fellow My fellow For in him the Godhead dwelleth bodily and in him all the Saints are compleat he is the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the engraven forme of his person ipse paterni Pectoris effigies lumenque a lumine vero Semper cum patre semper de patre semper in patre semper apud patrem semper quod pater saith Fulgentius ex ipso cum ipso hoc quod ipse saith Saint Austine who being in the forme of God thought it not r Phil. 2.6 robberie to bee equall with God and therefore God calleth him here his fellow Such a one i◠became him to be that was to encounter principalities to come upon the strong man whereby is meant the Divell and binde him and spoile his goods to grapple with the great King of feare Death to say to hell and the grave Effata to swallow up the swallower of all things to destroy destruction and to lead captivitie captive and to returne with glory from thence unde negant quenquam redire Againe my fellow yet a man creator matris creatus ex matre saith Saint Austine ipsum sanguinem quem pro matre obtulit ante de sanguine matris accepit saith Emissenus Hee that was the brightnesse of his Father and such a brightnesse as no man could behold and live hath now a traverse drawne over his glorie the word is made flesh sepositâ non depositâ majestate saith Emissenus naturam suscipiendo nostram non amittendo suam saith Saint Austine ad terrena descendit coelestia non deseruit hic affuit inde non defuit and so be became Emmanuel God with us perfect God and perfect man man to receive supplications from man God to deliver them to God man to suffer for man God to satisfie God Apparuit medius saith Saint Austine inter mortales peccatores immortalem justum mortalis justus mortalis cum hominibus justus cum Deo ne vel in utroque similis longè esset à Deo aut in utroque dissimilis longè esset ab hominibus To conclude this point Gods fellow to offer an infinite sacrifice for all mankinde and a man that he might be himselfe the sacrifice killed by the sword which is now awaked to smite him 1 Smite the Shepheard Hachharogneh hacke him hew him butcher him Now are the reines let loose to all the powers of darkenesse now is the sword flying about the Shepheards eares now have they power to hurrie him from Annas to Caiaphas from Caiaphas to Pilat from Pilat to Herod from Herod againe to Pilat and so to Calvarie and in every passage appears a sword that might cleave asunder a heart of Adamant yet the Lord of hostes saith still 2 Smite him Now hath Judas power to betray him the Priests to convent him the standers by to buffet him the officers to whip him the people to deride him Pilat to condemne him and in every act appeares a sword that might cleave in sunder a heart of rocke yet the Lord of hostes saith still 3 Smite him Now the thornes have power to goare him the whip to lash him the nailes to fasten him the speare to pierce him the Crosse to extend him the grave to swallow him and in every one appeares a sword that might cleave in sunder a heart of steele yet the Lord of hostes saith still 4 Smite him Let no part bee free from torment not his head from pricking nor his face from spitting nor his flesh from whipping nor his pallat from vinegar nor his hands and feet from piercing nor his heart from the speare yet still the Lord of hostes saith 5 Smite him The torment of his body was but the body of his torment the soule of his torment was his soules torment Now his soule is troubled saith John nay exceeding sorrowfull saith Marke nay heavie unto death saith Matthew all the streames of bloud that issued from him on the Crosse were nothing to his drops in the garden those were forced with outward violence these were drained out with inward sorrow Sure saith one he was neare some fornace that melted him Here was a blow that if he had not beene Gods fellow would have strucke him downe to hell yet the Lord of hostes saith 6 Smite him The sense of paine is not so grievous as the want of comfort Here all comfort is with-held the people deride him and preferre a murderer before him of his owne people and servants one betrayeth him another denies him all forsake him all this is nothing in comparison For friends are but earthly comforts but that his Father from heaven should forsake him here is the sword that cleaveth his heart and maketh up the full measure of the blow In the very heat of his passion hee tooke no notice of any other torment but this onely that his God had forsaken him It is wonderfull that never any Martyr brake forth into the like speech notwithstanding all their exquisite torments but the reason is assigned by St. Austine Martyres non eripuit nunquid deseruit By this time I know you expect the fulnesse of the blow vox faucibus haeret it is death the ignominious death of the Crosse Vexed he was before his death tortured in his death wounded after his death hic salus patitur fortitudo infirmatur vita moritur Now the Angels stand amazed at the
faithfull and thy faith to be sound and thy patience to bee invincible and thy workes and the last to be more than the first The faire and magnificent Colledges lately founded and Churches sumptuously repaired and Libraries rarely furnished and Schooles richly endowed and Students in the Universities liberally maintained and the poore in Hospitals charitably relieved are standing testimonies and living evidences thereof Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee that thou sufferest the woman that sitteth upon seven hils the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth Jezabel of Rome which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse and Mistresse of all Prophets and Prophetesses by Priests and Jesuites to teach and deceive my servants to make them commit spirituall fornication and freely communicate with Idolaters and I gave her space to repent sixty yeers at least that she might not complain that I began with violent extreme courses and launced her wounds whilest they were greene but all this while she hath not repented of her Superstitions and abominable Idolatries therefore I will lay it heavie upon her I will send plague after plague and heape sorrow upon sorrow and adde affliction to affliction and if all will not serve I will poure out the dregges of my red wine on her and quench the fire of my wrath with her stained bloud I will kill her children with death and all the Churches shall know that I am hee that searcheth deep into the wounds of the heart and reines and discover filthinesse corruption in the inward parts and I will give unto every one according to his workes but unto you I say and to the rest in great Britaine as many as have not this doctrine of the Romish Jezabel and which have not knowne the depths of Sathan her mysteries of iniquity I will put upon you no other burden of Lawes or Canons but that which you have already Hold fast till I come to judgement In this Letter observe we 1. The superscription mysterious Ver. 18. 2. The contents various presenting to our religious thoughts 1. A sweet insinuation Ver. 19. 2. A sharpe reprehension Ver. 20 21. 3. A fearfull commination Ver. 22 23. 4. A comfortable conclusion Ver. 24. In the superscription wee have an admirable description of the glorified body of our Redeemer which shineth more brightly than a flame of fire or the finest metall glowing in the furnace Secondly an eminent title attributed to the Bishop or Super-intendent of the Church in Thyatira The Angel To the Angel in Thyatira saith the Sonne of God who hath eyes like a flame of fire to a Bullengerus in hunc locum Illuminat alios alios igne sempiterno concremat inlighten the godly and burne up the ungodly and feet like brasse to support his Church and bruise the enemies thereof I know thy workes proceeding from thy love and thy love testified by thy service and thy service approved by thy faith and thy faith tryed by thy patience and that the silver springs of thy bounty have more overflowed at the last than at the first Thus farre the sweet insinuation which afterwards falls into a sharpe reprehension like as the sweet river b Solinus c. 20. Hypanis Scythicorum amnium princeps haustu saluberrimus dum in Exampeum fontem inferatur qui amnem suo vitio vertit Hypanis into the bitter fountaine Exampeus Notwithstanding I have an action against thee that thou sufferest the filthy Strumpet Jezebel to corrupt the bodies and soules of my servants by permitting corporall fornication to them and committing spirituall with them whose judgement sleepeth not no not in her bed but even there shall surprise her For behold I will cast her into a bed where she hath cast her selfe in wantonnesse I will cast her in great weaknesse and will make her bed of pleasure a racke to torment her Ubi peccavit punietur where she swilled in her stolne waters that rellished so sweet in her mouth shee shall take downe her bitter potion Ubi oblectamentum ibi tormentum Of which plagues of Jezebel when God shall open the vials mouth at this time I purpose to gather some few observations from the two former branches of this Scripture but to insist wholly upon the third in the explication whereof when I have proved by invincible arguments that Jezebel is not to be tolerated in the application I will demonstrate that the Pseudo-catholike Romane Church otherwise called the Whore of Babylon is Jezebel or worse if worse may bee as God shall assist mee with his Spirit and endue mee with power from above for which I beseech you all to joyn with mee in prayer O most gracious God c. And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write c. The Naturalists observe that the thickest and best hony is that which is squeezed last out of the combe and usually the daintiest dish is served in at the last course and Musicians reserve the sweetest straine for their close and Rhetoricians take speciall care of their peroration The last speech of a dying friend leaves a deep impression in our hearts and art imitating nature holdeth out the last note of the dying sound in the organ or voice which consideration should stirre up our religious thoughts and affections to entertain with greatest alacrity and singular respect the admonitions and prophecies delivered in this booke as being the last words of our Lords last will and testament d Sen. ep 12. Gratissima sunt poma cùm fugiunt deditos vino potatio extrema delectu c. and the last breath as it were of the Spirit of God If that of the Poet be true that the beames of the c Esse Phoebi dulcius solet lumen jamjam cadentis Sunne shine most pleasantly at his setting how pleasant and deare ought the light of this Propheticall booke be unto us which is the last irradiation and glissoning of the Sunne of righteousnesse In it discerne we may 1. Counsels chapt 2.3 2. Predictions of the state of the Church 1. Militant from the 4th to the 21. 2. Triumphant from the 21. to the end The manner of delivery of both to Saint John was by speciall revelation which you will better conceive if you be pleased to take notice of the meanes whereby all knowledge divine and humane is conveighed into the soule As all water ariseth either from Springs below or falleth from the Clouds above so all knowledge is either gathered from the creatures by naturall reason grounded upon experience or immediately descendeth from the Father of lights and is attained unto by supernaturall illumination Supernaturall illumination is either 1. By ordinary inspiration common to all the Pen-men of the holy Ghost who wrote the dictates of the Spirit and were so assisted by him that they could not set downe any thing amisse 2. By extraordinary revelation which may be either 1. Of things past whereof there remaine no records monuments or memorialls to furnish
life of God but sent from his bosome his word of truth light into darknesse who in the fulnesse of time offered by the light of his countenance to bring us againe to Gods inaccessible brightnesse and by the vaile of his flesh not only to shelter us from the scorching flames of his Fathers fury as the pillar of cloud did the Israelites from the heate of the Sun but also by soliciting our peace to demolish that partition wall which wee had raised against our selves and to reunite us againe inseparably to him from whom wee had rent and dissevered our selves crying in the midst of you as you heare Come unto mee c. The voice of God and not of man or rather of the eternall wisedome which was God and man In these words which I terme Châ—â—sts Proclamation of grace and peace to all soule-sicke sinners wee may note 1. An invitation Come unto mee 2. The reward of our obedience I will ease you In the first part note wee 1. The party inviting Christ 2. The thing he adviseth to Come 3. The object to whom Mee 4. The parties that are envited singled out by their qualities all that are weary and heavie laden In the second part note wee 1. The party promising I. 2. The reward it selfe ease and rest will ease you Here then you see 1. Love inviting Come 2. Truth directing To mee 3. Necessity inciting All that are weary 4. Reward alluring And I will ease you 1. Love inviteth that we feare not to come 2. Truth directeth that we erre not in comming 3. Necessity inciteth that we slacke not to come 4. Reward sustaineth that wee faint not in comming Doctr. 1 Come Venite fides exigitur studium desideratur saith Saint Ambrose Christ his proselytes life must not bee as his confidence in Esay chapt 30. in ease and quietnesse Ver. 15. for then Moab-like he will soone settle on his lees and have his taste remaining in him Jerem. 48.11 The Caldean Sagda as Solinus reporteth by the spirit inclosed in it riseth from the bottome of Euphrates and so closely sticketh to the boards of the ships that passe that river that without slivering of some part of the barke it cannot be severed so sinne by the power of the evill spirit arising from the bottomlesse pit of perdition adhereth so fast to us that till our brittle Barkes of flesh be slivered off this Sagda of sinne can never be removed but like Dejanira's poysoned shirt Qua trahitur trahit illa cutem And therefore this sore travell God hath allotted to all the sonnes of Adam from the first time they become new borne babes in Christ till they breath out their languishing soules into the hands of their Redeemer to wrestle with their inbred corruptions and to seeke to shake off the sinne which hangeth on so fast that howsoever it cannot be altogether dis-severed before wee are dissolved yet it may not be a Remora to our ships much lesse get such strength as to over-rule us Howbeit because the flesh is weake where the spirit is most ready and the spirit it selfe is not so ready as it should be because the faculties thereof through the malignity of sinne are much imbezelled God spareth not by frequent Scriptures to stirre us up to goe on and traverse the way of his commandements some to rowze us up from sleep as Awake thou that sleepest Ephes 5.14 and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Some to incite us to goe on forward when wee are raised Hebr. 12.14 as Follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see God Some to encourage us that wee faint not as Bee not weary of well doing for in due time yee shall reape if yee faint not Once indeed it was said to the Israelites Galat. 6.9 Stand still and behold the salvation of God but now Come behold and stand not still if you desire the salvation of God Now no more sit still as it was once said to the daughter of Babel but arise and depart for here is no resting place Jacob saw Angels ascending and descending but none standing or sitting on the ladder There are many rounds in our Jacobs ladder whereby wee climbe to the Mount of God Non debemus pigri remanere non debemus superbi cadere saith Saint Austine Paul that honourable vessell of God though hee laid so fast hold on Christ by faith and was so knit to him by love that hee challengeth all powers in heaven and earth to trie if they were able to separate him from the love of his Redeemer Rom. 8. Ver. 35. yet reckoning with himselfe as if hee had not comprehended him of whom hee was comprehended hee forgat that which was behinde and followed hard to the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ So true is that of Saint Bernard Ubi incipis nolle fieri melior ibi desinis esse bonus Use 1 Here then let us tracke out by the footsteps of our spirits motion how forward wee are in the way of the Lord. If the longing desire of our heart bee unsatisfied till wee enjoy againe our happy communion with God if when God saith Seeke yee my face thy soule answer Thy face Lord will I seeke if when Christ soundeth his Venite thy heart springing for joy resound Davids Ecce Loe I come and thy spirit so out-strip the slow motions of thy sluggish flesh that with the Spouse in the Canticles thou desire to bee drawne after him then bee thou assured that this is the finger of God For no man can come to Christ but hee whom the Father draweth But contrariwise if when the World saith Come wee hearken to it and for Hippomanes golden balls wee refuse to follow Christ if when the Divell saith Come wee listen to his lure and for his omnia tibi dabo bow to his will if when the flesh saith Come wee trudge to it and for lascivious lulling in Dalila's lap wee renounce him who calleth us to bee his Nazarites these unsanctified affections blab out our inward corruptions and wee shew our selves to bee the worlds darlings the Divels pesants and the fleshes slaves not Christs sheep For if it bee true Omnis qui didicit venit quisquis non venit profectò non didicit as Saint Austine rightly inferreth Doctr. 2 Unto mee Now followeth the happy terminus ad quem of our spirituall motions Satius est claudicare in viâ quà m currere extra viam halting Jacob will sooner limpe to his journies end than swift-footed Napthali posting speedily out of the way Therefore lest when God calleth us wee should with Samuel runne to Eli or linger our comming for feare of mistaking the Way himselfe chalketh us out the path of salvation saying Come to mee Foure sorts of men seeme to come to Christ yet come not as they should The first begin to come but they fall short in their way and these are
and presenteth their prayers and them and himselfe for them to his Father For that Thummim that is perfections is an empresse becomming none but our Saviours breast all Christians will easily grant and that Urim that is lights are an Embleme of the divine nature Plato professeth saying Lumen est umbra Dei Deus est lumen luminis Light is the shadow of God and God is the light of light it selfe For Christ his third office we need not goe farre to seeke it for the Bells of Aaron sound out the preaching of the word and the Pomegranates set before us the fruits thereof and both his entire Propheticke function If there lie any mysterie hid in the numbers we may conceive the foure rowes of shining stones answerable to the foure Beasts in the Revelation full of eyes either prefigured by foure Evangelists or the foure orders in the Church Hierarchy Apostles Evangelists Doctors and Pastors as for the twelve stones doubtlesse they had some reference to the twelve Apostles for in the 21. chapter of the h Apoc. 21.14 Revelation where these twelve precious stones are mentioned it is said expresly that in the wall there were twelve foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lambe You have heard the mysticall interpretation lend I beseech you an eare to the morall 1. First these glorious vestments and ornaments of Aaron set forth unto us the dignity of the Priests office i 2 Cor. 3.7 8. and if the ministration of the letter were glorious shall not the ministration of the Spirit be much more Yes how dark and vile soever our calling seemeth to the eyes of the world it shall one day appeare most glorious when they that turne many unto k Dan. 12.3 righteousnesse shall shine as starres in the firmament for evermore Here I cannot conceale from you that l In Exo. c. 28. Cappo one of the Popes Botchers taketh measure of Aarons garments to make massing vestments by as before him Durand hath done in his booke intituled rationale divinorum where he saith Noster Pontifex habet pro feminalibus sandalia pro lineâ albam pro balieo cingulum pro podere tunicam pro Ephod stolam pro rationali pallium pro cidari mitram pro lamina crucem just but where is the causible in Latine casula sic dicta quasi parva casa saith hee because it closeth the Priest round as it were with a wall having a hole for him to put out his head like a Lover to let out smoake signifying that the Priest ought to be like a little cottage with a chimney in it heated with the fire of zeale sending up hot fumes of devotion and letting them out with his breath at the LOVER of his mouth But I will not put them to so hard a taske as to parallel each of their vestments with Aarons all that I shall say to them for the present is this That the neerer they prove their vestments to come to Aarons ornaments the more ceremoniall and typicall they prove them and consequently more unfit to be retained now by Christians if the Apostles argument drawne from the m Heb. 10.1 vanishing of the shadow at the presence of the body be of any force therefore let the observation of Cappo passe with a note of plumbea falsitas not aurea veritas wherewith he graceth it 2. My second observation is that God both first beginneth with the breast and appointeth also the most glorious and precious ornaments for it n Exod. 28.4 The garments shall be these thou shalt make a breast-plate an Ephod c. after followeth the mitre to the making whereof blew silke onely and fine twined linnen is required with a plate of gold on it but for the breast-plate cloth of gold wrought about with divers colours plates of gold and foure rankes of the richest jewells in all the treasury of nature are appointed all this as we may piously conceive to signifie that God best esteemeth the breast and heart and not the head My o Pro. 23.26 sonne give mee thy heart Our heavenly Father preferreth enflamed affections above enlightened thoughts he cannot bee received or entertained in our narrow understanding yet will hee p Eph. 3.17 dwell in our hearts by faith if we enlarge them by love Cecidit Lucifer Seraphim stant aeternâ incommutabilitate incommutabili aeternitate the Angels which had their names from light fell like lightening from heaven but the ministring spirits which are by interpretation burning fire hold yet their place and ranke in the Court of God Let ambitious spirits seeke to shine in Aarons mitre or at least to be caracter'd in the Onyx stones on his shoulders my hearts desire was and ever shall be to be engraven in one of the jewells upon the breast-plate to hang with the beloved Disciple upon the bosome of my Saviour 3. Thirdly I observe yet again that the names of the twelve tribes which were before written in the Onyx stones upon the shoulders of Aaron are here engraven againe in the rowes of jewels hanging neere his heart which as it representeth Christ his both supporting and affecting his chosen supporting them on his shoulders affecting them in his heart so it teacheth all the Ministers of the Gospel to beare the names of Gods people committed to their charge not onely upon their shoulders by supporting their infirmity but also upon their hearts Ver. 29. by entirely affecting them above others and above all things Gods glory in the salvation of their soules If q John 21.15 thou love me saith Christ feed my sheep if you desire that Christ should beare you on his heart before his Father beare you the names of his Tribes his chosen on your hearts before him 4. Fourthly you may easily discerne that the stones as they are of sundry kindes and of different value so they are set in divers rowes 1. 2. 3. 4. which illustrateth unto us the divers measures of grace given to beleevers in this life and their different degrees of glory in the life to come All the stones that were placed on Aarons breast-plate were Urim and Thummim that is resplendent and perfect jewells yet all were not equall some were richer and above others in value as those in the second row even so all the elect are deare to our Saviour yet some are dearer than others he entirely affected all the Apostles yet Saint John who r John 21.20 leaned upon his breast was neerer to him than any of the other all the Jewels were set in gold in their embossements yet one was set above another in like maner all the faithfull shall shine as starres in the firmament yet some shall be set in a higher sphere than others for as the Apostle teacheth us there is ſ 1 Cor. 15.41 one glory of the Sunne and another of the Moone and another of the Starres
in themselves in themselves they never were without imperfection nor are since the fall of Adam without impurity and corruption but in him they are perfect without defect pure without pollution permanent and stable without any shadow of change in regard of which their eminent manner of subsistence in him they change their names and appellations and as that which in earthly bodies is matter the Philosophers call forme or * Zab. Phys lib. de coel materia formalis in heaven and parts degrees and beauty light or clarity and qualities influences so that which is accident in the creature is substance in the Creator and that which is called beauty in us is majesty in him life is immortality strength omnipotency wealth all-sufficiency delight felicity affection vertue vertue nature nature all things For a Rom. 11.36 of him and through him and in him are all things as the grand master of Philosophy discerned by the glimmering light of reason saying that it is manifest that the Deity is in all things Arist mor. ad Eud. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all things in it in him the understanding apprehendeth all truth the will all good the affections all vertue and glory the senses all pleasure the desires all contentments and therefore it followeth And I desire nothing in the earth with thee The heart resembleth a perfect triangle but the figure of the world is circular and no more can it satisfie the heart of man than a circle can fill a triangle God onely who is a trinity in unity can fill all the corners of this triangle of his owne making For nothing can delight the spirituall nature of the soule but a pure spirit nothing can content the soveraigne faculty of the understanding but a soveraign object nothing can satisfie the infinite desires of the will but infinitum bonum which must be infinite foure waies 1. In power to remove all things that may be offensive or hurtfull to us 2. In bounty to supply all those good things that may bee delightfull or usefull to us 3. In essence to furnish us with infinite variety of delights 4. In continuance to perpetuate unto us the infinite variety of continuall delights and contentments Now what is there in heaven or in earth thus spirituall in substance soveraigne in place infinite in power goodnesse and essence everlasting in continuance but thou O Lord whom because we have in heaven we desire nothing on earth What should we desire there where wee find nothing to fixe our thoughts or afford us any solid comfort or contentment Who can aime steadily at a moving mark or build firmly upon sinking sand or hold fast a vanishing shadow or rest himself upon the wings of the wind as impossible is it to lay any sure ground of contentment or foundation of happinesse in the unstable vanities and uncertaine comforts of this life How can they fulfill our desires or satisfie our appetites which are not only empty but emptinesse it selfe How can they establish our hearts sith they are altogether unstable themselves How can they yeeld us any true delight or contentment which have no verity in them but are shadowes and painted shewes like the carved dishes Caligula set before his flatterers or the grapes drawn by Zeuxis wherewith he deceived the birds The best of them are no better than the apples of Sodome of which Pliny and Solinus write that they are apples whilest you behold them but ashes when you touch them or like the herb Sardoa in Sardinia upon which if a man feed it so worketh upon his spleen that he never leaveth laughing till he dyeth through immoderate mirth Honours riches pleasures are but glorious titles written in golden characters under them we find nothing but vanity under the title of nobility nothing but a brag of our parents vertue and that is vanity under honour nothing but the opinion of other men and this can be but vanity under glory but breath and wind and this is certainly vanity under pleasure but b Eras Apoph Demos Non emam tanti poenitere repentance folly and is not this vanity under sumptuous buildings rich hangings gorgeous apparrell but ostentation of wealth and outward pomp this is vanity of vanity Nobility in the originall of it is but the infamy of Adam for it knew not Hevah till after his fall grievous prevarication beauty the daughter of corruption apparrell the cover of shame gold silver the dregs of the earth oyles costly ointments the sweat of trees silkes velvets the excrements of wormes and shall our immortall spirit nobly descended from the sacred Trinity match so low with this neather world and take these toyes and trifles for a competent dowry And let this suffice to be spoken to the words for their full explication let us now heare what they speake to us for our further use and instruction 1. They speake to our faith that it be resolved upon God only 2. To our devotion that it be directed to God only 3. To our love that it be entirely fixed on God only 1. True faith saith Whom have I in heaven but thee to relye upon 2. True religion saith Whom have I but thee to call upon 3. True love saith Whom have I but thee to settle upon No Papist can beare a part with David in this song saying Whom have I in heaven but thee O Lord for they have many in heaven to whom they addresse their prayers in generall often solicite them upon speciall occasions as for raine for faire weather in a common plague in danger of child-birth in perills by sea in perills by land for their owne health and recovery and for the safety of their beasts cattell as appeares by the forms of prayers yet extant in their Liturgies Offices Manuels Service books Doubtlesse these monopolies were not granted to Saints in Davids time for he had recourse every-where to God immediately for any thing he stood in need of neither had the ancient Fathers any knowledge of so many new masters of requests in heaven to preferre their petitions to God for they addressed themselves all to one Mediatour betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus who sitteth at the right hand of his Father to take all our petitions to recommend them unto him I can make no other construction of the words of c Lib. 8. cont Cel. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen Wee must religiously worship or invocate none but God and his only begotten Son We must call upon none but God saith d Hieron in Prov. l. 1. c 2. Neminem invocare nisi Deum debemus Jerome e Tertul. apol c. 30. Quaecunque hominis Caesaris vota sunt haec ab alio orare non possum quà m à quo scio me consecuturum quoniam ipse est qui solus praestat ego familus ejus qui eum solum invoco Tertullian goeth farther on our way
to the cast of a Die for a matter of naught a toy a trifle a jussle a taking of the wall an affront a word Doe wee make so small reckoning of that which cost our Saviour his dearest hearts bloud 2. If Judges all those who sit upon life and death did enter into a serious consideration thereof they would not so easily as sometimes they doe cast away a thing that is so precious much lesse receive the price of bloud For if it be accounted and that deservedly a sinne of a deep die to buy and sell things dedicated to the service of God what punishment doe they deserve who buy and sell the living image of God It is reported of Augustus that he never pronounced a capitall sentence without fetching a deep sigh and of Titus the Emperour that hee willingly accepted of the Priests office that hee might never have his hand dipped in bloud and of Nero that when he was to set his hand to a capitall sentence he wished that he could not write Utinam literas nescirem therefore let those Judges think what answer they will make at Christs Tribunall who are so farre from Christian compassion and hearts griefe and sorrow when they are forced to cut off a member of Christ by the sword of justice that they sport themselves and breake jests and most inhumanely insult upon the poore prisoner whose necke lyeth at the stake If any sinne against our neighbour leave a deep staine in our conscience it is the bloudy sinne of cruelty Other sinnes may be hushed in the conscience and rocked asleep with a song of Gods mercy but this is reckoned in holy Scripture among those ſ Gen. 4.10 crying sins that never will be quiet till they have awaked Gods revenging justice This is a crimson sinne and I pray God it cleave not to their consciences who wear the scarlet robe If there be any such Judges I leave them to their Judge and briefly come to you Right Honourable c. with the short exhortation of the Apostle Put you on the t Colos 3.12 bowells of mercy and compassion and if ever the life of your brethren be in your hands make speciall reckoning of it in no wise rashly cast it away let it not goe out of your hands unlesse the law and justice violently wrest and extort it from you Assure your selves that it is a farre more honourable thing and will gaine you greater love and favour with God and reputation with men to u Cicer. pro Quint. de Aquil Mavult commemorare se cùm perdere potuerat pepercisse quà m cùm parcere potuerat perdidisse save a man whom yee might have cast away than to cast him away under any pretence whom yee might have saved 4. If a malefactour arraigned at the barre of justice should perceive by any speech gesture signe or token an inclination in the Judge to mercy how would he worke upon this advantage what suit what meanes would he make for his life how would he importune all his friends to intreat for him how would he fall down upon his knees beseech the Judge for the mercies of God to be good unto him Hoe all ye that have guilty consciences and are privie to your selves of many capitall crimes though peradventure no other can appeach you behold the Judge of all flesh makes an overture of mercy he bewrayeth more than a propension or inclination he discovereth a desire to save you why doe ye not make meanes unto him why do ye not appeale from the barre of his justice to his throne of grace why doe ye not flye from him as he is a terrible Judge to him as he is a mercifull Father Though by nature ye are the sonnes of wrath yet by grace ye are the adopted sonnes of the Father of mercy and God of all consolation who stretcheth out his armes all the day long unto us Let us turne to him yea though it be at the last houre of our death and he will turne to us let us repent us of our sinnes and he will repent him of his judgements let us retract our errours and he will reverse his sentence let us wash away our sinnes with our teares and he will blot out our sentence with his Sonnes bloud When * Dan. 5.5 Belshazzar saw the hand-writing against him on the wall his heart mis-gave him all his joynts trembled and his knees smote one against the other Beloved Christians there is a x Colos 2.14 hand-writing of ordinances against us all and if we see or minde it not it writeth more terrible things against us What shall wee doe to be rid of this feare Is there any means under heaven to take out the writing of God against us Yes beloved teares of repentance with faith in Christs blood maketh that aqua fortis that will fetch out even the hand-writing of God against us The Prophet recordeth it for a miraculous accident that the sun went back many degrees in the Dyall of y Esa 38.8 Ahaz Beloved our fervent prayers and penitent tears will work a greater miracle than this they will bring back again the z Mal. 4.2 Sun of righteousnesse after he is set in our soules God cannot sin Angels cannot repent onely man that sinneth is capable of repentance and shall wee not embrace that vertue which is onely ours Other vertues are remedies against speciall maladies of the soule as humility against pride hope against despaire courage against feare chastity against lust meeknesse against wrath faith against diffidence charity against covetousnesse but repentance is a soveraigne remedy against all the maladies of the minde Other vertues have their seasons as patience in adversity temperance in prosperity almes-deeds when our brothers necessity calleth upon our charity fasting when wee afflict our soules in time of plague or any other judgement of God but repentance is alwayes in season either for our grosser sinnes or for failing in our best actions if for no other cause yet wee are to repent for the insincerity and imperfection of our repentance I will end this my exhortation as the Prophet doth this chapter * Ezek. 18.30.31 Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not bee your ruine Cast away all your transgressions whereby yee have transgressed and make you new hearts and new spirits for why will yee die O ye house of Israel saith the Lord God wherefore turne your selves and live yee O Lord who desirest not that wee should die in our sinnes but our sinnes in us mortifie our fleshly members by the power of thy Sonnes death and renew us in the spirit of our mindes by the vertue of his resurrection that wee may die daily to the world but live to heaven die to sinne but live to righteousnesse die to our selves but live to thee Thou by the Prophet professest thy desire of our conversion say but the word and wee shall bee converted
lately celebrated with a fit antheme Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivitie captive the later may supply this present thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation for on this day Christ received gifts for his Church the gifts of faith hope and charitie the gift of prayer and supplication the gift of healing and miracles the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues and the interpretation thereof Verily so many and so great are the benefits which the anniversary returne of this day presenteth to us that as if all the tongues upon the earth had not beene sufficient to utter them a supply of new tongues was sent from heaven to declare them in all languages The new Testament was drawne before and signed with Christs bloud on good Friday but c Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby yee are sealed to the day of redemption sealed first on this day by the holy spirit of God Christ made his last Will upon the crosse and thereby bequeathed unto us many faire legacies but this Will was not d 1 Cor. 12.4 5 8. There are differences of administrations but the same Lord and diversitie of gifts but the same spirit For to one is given by the same spirit the word of wisdome unto another the word of knowledge by the same spirit administred till this day for the e And 2 Cor. 3.8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious ministration is of the spirit Yea but had not the Apostles the spirit before this day did not our Lord breathe on them John 20.22 the day he rose at evening being the first day of the weeke saying Receive yee the holy Ghost The learned answer that they had indeed the spirit before but not in such a measure the holy Ghost was given before according to some ghostly power and invisible grace but was never sent before in a visible manner before they received him in breath now in fire before hee was f Calv. in Act Anteà respersi erant nunc plenè imbuti sprinkled but now powred on them before they received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before authority to discharge their function but now power to worke wonders before they had the smell now the substance g Aug. hom de Pent. Nunc ipsa substantia sacri defluxit unguenti cujus fragrantia totius orbis latitudo impleretur iterum adfuit hoc die fidelibus non per gratiam visitationis operationis sed per praesentiam majestatis of the celestiall oyntment was shed on them they heard of him before but now they saw and felt him 1. In their minds by infallible direction 2. In their tongues by the multiplicity of languages 3. In their hands by miraculous cures S. Austine truly observeth that before the Apostles on this day were indued with power from above they never strove for the Christian faith unto bloud when Satan winnowed them at Christs passion they all flew away like chaffe And though S. Peters faith failed not because it was supported by our Lords prayer Luke 22.32 yet his courage failed him in such sort that he was foyled by a silly damsell but after the holy Ghost descended upon him and the rest of the Apostles in the sound of a mightie rushing wind and in the likenesse of fierie cloven tongues they were filled with grace and enflamed with zeale and they mightily opposed all the enemies of the truth and made an open and noble profession thereof before the greatest Potentates of the world and sealed it with their bloud all of them save S. John who had that priviledge that hee should stay till Christ came glorifying the Lord of life by their valiant suffering of death for his names sake In regard of which manifold and powerfull effâ—cts of sending the spirit on this day which were no lesse seene in the flames of the Martyrs than in the fiery tongues that lighted on the Apostles the Church of Christ even from the beginning celebrated this festivity in most solemne manner and not so onely but within 300. yeares after Christs death the Fathers in the Councels of h Concil Elib c. 43. Cuncti diem Pentecostes celebrent qui non fecerit quasi novam heresem induxerit pumatur Eliberis mounted a canon thundring out the paine of heresie to all such as religiously kept it not If the Jewes celebrated an high feast in memory of the Law on this day first proclaimed on mount Sinai ought not we much more to solemnize it in memory of the Gospel now promulgated on mount Sion by new tongues sent from heaven If we dediâ—â—â— peculiar festivals to God the Father the Creatour and God the Sonne the Redeemer why should not God the holy Ghost the Sanctifier have a peculiar interest in our devotion S. i Serm. in die Pent. Si celebramus sanctorum solennia quanto magis ejus à quo habuerunt ut sancti essent quotquot fuerunt sancti si veneramur sanctificatos quanto magis sanctificatorem Bernard addeth another twist to this cord If we deservedly honour Saints with festivals how much more ought wee to honour him who maketh them Saints especially having so good a ground for it as is laid downe in this chapter and verse And when the day of Pentecost was come As a prologue to an act or an eeve to an holy day or the Parascheve to the Passeover or the beautifull gate to the Temple so is this preface to the ensuing narration it presenteth to our religious thoughts a three-fold concurrence 1. Of time 2. Of place 3. Of affections Upon one and the selfe same day when all the Apostles were met in one place and were of one minde the spirit of unity and love descendeth upon them Complementum legis Christus Evangelii spiritus As the descending of the Sonne was the complement of the Law so the sending of the spirit is the complement of the Gospel and as God sent his Sonne in the fulnesse of time so he sent the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fulnesse of the fiftieth day When the Apostles number was full and their desire and expectations full then the spirit came downe and filled their hearts with joy and their tongues with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnifica Dei facta the wonderfull works of God vers 11. That your thoughts rove not at uncertainties may it please you to pitch them upon foure circumstances 1. The time when 2. The persons who They. 3. The affection or disposition were with one accord 4. The place in one place 1. The time was solemne the day of Pentecost 2. The persons eminent the Apostles 3. Their disposition agreeable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The place convenient in an