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
worse than perdition to bee saved for ever in these flames to bee ever scorched and never consumed that is to bee ever dying and never dye Here as Saint g Aug. de civit Dei l 13. c. 11. Ibi non erunt homines ante mortem neque post mortem sed semper in morte atque per hoc nunquam viventes nunquam mortui sed sine fine morientes Austine acutely observeth wee can never bee sayd properly dying but either alive or dead for to the moment of giving up the ghost wee are alive and after that dead whereas on the contrary the damned in hell can never bee said to bee alive or dead but continually dying not dead because they have most quicke sense of paine not alive because they are in the pangs of the second death O miserable life where life is continually dying O more miserable death where death is eternally living Yea but shall all be salted with this fire the fire of hell God forbid Doth Christ say of this salt not of the earth but of hell that it is good ver 50. is this the meaning of his exhortation have salt in you that is procure the salt of hell fire to keep you alive in the torments of eternall death to preserve you to everlasting perdition By no meanes h In hunc locum Maldonat therefore and Barradius and all that are for this first interpretation are justly to bee blamed because they had an eye to the antecedents but not to the consequents of my text On the other side those who adhere to the second interpretation are not free from just exception because they had an eye to the consequents and not to the antecedents For wee ought to give such an interpretation of these words as may hold good correspondence both with the antecedents and consequents and either give light to both or receive it from them The elect to whom these latter restraine the word All have nothing to doe with the unquenchable fire of hell mentioned ver 48. neither have the reprobate to whom the former interpreters appropriate these words any thing to doe with the good salt ver 50. yet both have to doe with some kinde of salting and with some kinde of fire For every one shall bee salted one way or other either here with the fire of the spirit seasoning our nature and preserving it from corruption or hereafter with the fire of hell There is no meanes to escape the never dying worme of an evill conscience but by having salt in us nor to prevent the unquenchable fire of hell but by fire from heaven I meane heart-burning sorrow for our sinnes Dolor est medicina doloris That we may not bee hereafter salted with the fire of hell wee must be here salted with a threefold fire of 1 The word 2 The spirit 3 Affliction or persecution First with the fire of the word the word is a fire i Jer. 23.29 Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord It hath the three properties of fire 1 To give light 2 To burne 3 To search First it giveth light therefore Psal 119. it is called a lanthorn to our steps and a light to our paths Secondly it burneth 1 In the eare 2 In the mouth 3 In the heart First in the eare k 1 Sam. 3.11 Whosoever heareth my words saith God his eares shall tingle Secondly it burneth in the mouth l Jerem. 5.14 I will make my words fire in the mouth Thirdly it burneth in the heart m Luk. 24.32 Did not our heart burne within us when hee opened to us the scriptures Lastly it searcheth pierceth and tryeth like fire The n Heb. 4.12 word of God is mighty in operation and sharper than a two-edged sword c. Secondly with the fire of the spirit the spirit is a fire o Act. 1.5 You shall be baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire Water will wash out filthy spots and blots on the skinne onely but fire is more powerfull it will burne out rotten flesh and corrupt matter under the skinne This fire of the holy Ghost enlightneth the understanding with knowledge enflameth the will and affections with the love of God and zeale for his glory and purgeth out all our drossie corruptions Thirdly with the fire of persecution and affliction Persecution is called a p 1 Pet. 4.12 fiery tryall and all kinde of afflictions and temptations wherewith Gods Saints are tryed in Saint Austines judgement are the fire whereof Saint Paul speaketh q 1 Cor. 3.15 He shall be saved as it were through fire And of a truth whatsoever the meaning of that text bee certaine it is that the purest vessels of Gods sanctuary first in the Heathen next in the Arrian and last of all in the Antichristian persecution have beene purified and made glorious like gold tryed in the fire There is no torment can bee devised by man or divell whereof experiments have not beene made on the bodies of Christs martyrs yet the greater part of them especially in these later times have beene offered to God by fire as the Holocausts under the law Bloody persecutors of Gods Saints set on fire with hell of all torments most employed the fiery because they are most dreadfull to the eye of the beholders most painefull to the body of the sufferers and they leave nothing of the burned martyr save ashes which sometimes the adversaries maâ—ice outlasting the flames of fire cast into the river And many of Gods servants in this land as well as in other parts in the memory of our fathers have been salted with this fire call you it whether you please either the fire of martyrdome or martyrdome of fire And howsoever this fire in the dayes of Queen Mary was quenched especially by the blood of the slaine for the testimony of Jesus Christ as the fire in the city of the r Liv. decad 3. l. 8 Bruson facet exempl l. 1. Astapani as Livie observeth when no water could lave it our was extinguished with the blood of the citizens yet wee know not but that it may bee kindled againe unlesse wee blow out the coales of wrath against us with the breath of our prayers or dead them with our teares Admit that that fire should never bee kindled againe yet God hath many other fires to salt us withall burning feavers fiery serpents thunder and lightning heart-burning griefes and sorrowes losse of dearest friends wracke of our estates infamy disgrace vexations oppressions indignation at the prosperity of the wicked terrors of conscience and spirituall derelictions And God grant that either by the fire of the Word or of the Spirit or seasonable afflictions our fleshly corruptions may bee so burned out in this life that wee bee not salted hereafter with the fire of hell which burneth but lighteth not scorcheth but yet consumeth not worketh without end both upon soule and body yet maketh an end of neither O that
cluster of the grapes of the vine of Engaddi 1 Presse the first grape and it will yeeld this liquor That Christians may not communicate with Idolaters nor consort with prophane persons For. 2 Presse the next grape and it will yeeld this juice That holinesse to God is the Imprese of the regenerate Yee 3 Presse the third it yeeldeth this That there are Saints upon earth viz. in truth and sincerity though not in perfection Are. 4 Presse the fourth it yeeldeth this That the whole company of true believers make but one Holy Catholike Church Temple not Temples The Temple 5. Presse the fift it yeeldeth this That reverence is due to the servants of God that sanctity is in them and safety with them Of God The Temple of God carrieth with it all three and to whom indeed is due more reverence in whom shineth more sanctity with whom is found more safety than Gods secret ones who as stones coupled together and built upon the corner stone Christ Jesus rise up towards heaven and become a holy temple of God 6. Presse the last and it yeeldeth this That the God whom we Christians serve is the onely true living God and source and fountaine of all life which hee conveigheth to us in a threefold channell 1 The broader of nature 2 The narrower of grace 3 The overflowing and everspringing of glory For The reason standeth thus Separate your selves from wicked and profane persons For yee are a Temple Secondly keep your selves from dead and dumb Idols For yee are the Temple of the living God Doctr. 1 First this For perforce draweth us from all familiar company and intimate conversation with men of a leud dissolute or profane carriage c Ephes 5.11 Have no fellowship with them saith the Apostle elsewhere d Act. 2.40 Save your selves from them saith Saint Peter Come out from among them and be you e 2. Cor. 6.17 18. separate and I will be a Father unto you and you shall bee my Sonnes and Daughters It was an abomination by the Law to touch any dead thing f Lev. 22.4 Whosoever toucheth any thing that is uncleane by the dead c. and are not they that live in pleasure and sensuality g 1 Tim. 5.6 dead while they are alive but she that liveth in pleasure is dead whilest shee liveth Shee is no loyall wife that delighteth in company disliked by her husband though but upon suspition How can the sonne but incurre his fathers displeasure who entertaineth such guests with all love and kindnesse whom his father hateth and forbiddeth them his house Those who are of worth seek to preserve their credit and good name as a precious oyntment which is soone corrupted by the impure ayre of nasty society For such a man is deservedly esteemed to bee with whom hee ranketh himselfe but corrupting the soule is farre worse than tainting a good name and who is there almost that commeth faire off from foule company hee cannot but learne evill by them or h Epictet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer evill of them Man in Paradise might be like the plants of Paradise of which Athanasius reporteth that they imparted an aromaticall savour to the trees neere adjoyning but since man was cast out the corruption of his nature maketh him resemble rather the wan and withered vine in the Poet which tooke away the fresh colour and sap from the neighbour vine i Juven sat 1. Dedit haec contagio labem c. Uvaque livorem conspectâ ducit ab uvâ. It is true Bonum est sui diffusivum Goodnesse is of a communicative nature but since our fall wee are not so capable of receiving good as evill The example of an evill man sooner corrupteth a good man than a good example converteth an evill man The weake and watery eye is not strengthened by looking on a quicke or strong eye but on the contrary many a strong and dry eye by looking on a watery eye waters it selfe The sound man by lying with the sicke loseth his health yet the sicke man by lying with the whole man gaineth not his health the exchange is not mutuall If you mingle bright and rusty metall together the rusty will not become bright by it but on the contrary the bright rusty so saith k Senec. ep 7. Rubiginosus comes etiam candido suam affricuit rubiginem Seneca a rusty companion rubbeth some of his rust upon a man of faire conditions yet the man of faire conditions imparteth none of his candor to the rusty The diseases of the minde are more taking than the diseases of the body let us therefore take heed how wee come within the breath of a man who is of a rotten heart and corrupt conscience If Joseph living in Pharaohs Court learned to sweare by the life of Pharaoh and the people of God being mingled with the heathen learned their workes beware how you touch pitch lest you bee defiled and bird-lime lest you bee entangled Socrates was wont to say to Alcibiades sometime the paragon of beauty both of body and minde when hee met him among Gallants like himselfe I feare not thee but thy company and Saint l Aug. confes l. 2. c. 9. Eamus faciamus pudet non esse impudentem Austine in his Confessions with teares complaineth of the hellish torrent of evill company wherewith hee was carried away oftentimes and fell into many a dangerous gulph I had not the power to stay my selfe saith hee when they called Eamus faciamus Let us goe let us doe some noble exploit or brave pranke of youth nay they so farre wrought upon mee that I was ashamed of my shamefaced modesty and blushed that I was not past blushing You that are Gods chosen make choice of your company let all your delight bee with holy David m Psal 16.3 in such as excell in vertue and have holinesse to the Lord engraven in their breasts For yee are Temples therefore bee yee separate from profane persons Doctr. 2 Yee are the Temples of the living God meddle not therefore with dumb and dead Idols If Idolatry bee the spirits adultery and Gods wrath against Idolaters is jealousie and his jealousie burneth like fire downe to the bottome of hell I shall not need by arguments to deterre any understanding Christian from comming within the verge of so dangerous an impiety the guilt whereof lyeth not onely upon those whose soules and bodies have been agents in Idols services but also all those who by any speeches acts signes or outward gestures give any allowance or countenance thereunto n Amb. ep 31. Pollui se putabat si aram vidisset Constantine the Emperour thought himself defiled if he had but seen an heathenish altar o Psal 16.4 David if he had but made mention of an Idoll their offerings of bloud I will not offer nor take their names into my mouth Saint Paul permitted not the Corinthians to taste of any dainties
Sacrament of our Lords body and bloud wee shall feele the effects of both in us viz. more light in our understanding more warmth in our affections more fervour in our devotions more comfort in our afflictions more strength in temptations more growth in grace more settled peace of conscience and unspeakable joy in the holy Ghost To whom with the Father and the Sonne bee ascribed c. THE SYMBOLE OF THE SPIRIT THE LXIV SERMON ACTS 2.2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting SAint Luke in the precedent verse giveth us the name in this the ground of the solemne feast we are now come to celebrate with such religious rites as our Church hath prescribed according to the presidents of the first and best ages The name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the feast of the fiftieth day from Easter the ground thereof the miraculous apparition and if I may so speake the Epiphany of the holy Spirit in the sound of a mighty rushing wind the light of fiery cloven tongues shining on the heads of the Apostles who stayed at Jerusalem according to our Lords command in expectation of the promise of the holy Ghost which was fulfilled then in their eyes and now in our eares and I hope also in our hearts After God the Father had manifested himselfe by the worlds creation and the workes of nature and God the Sonne by his incarnation and the workes of grace it was most convenient that in the third place the third person should manifest himselfe as he did this day by visible descension and workes of wonder Before in the third of Matthew at the Epiphany of our Saviour the Spirit appeared in the likenesse of a dove but here as yee heare in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues to teach us that we ought to be like doves without gall in prosecution of injury done to our selves but like Seraphins all fire in vindicating Gods honour This morall interpretation Saint a Greg. tert pas Omnes quos implet columbae simplicitate mansuetos igne zeli ardentes exhibet Et ib. Intus arsit ignibus amoris foras accensus est zelo severitatis causam populi apud Deum lachrymis causam Dei apud populum gladiis allegabat c. Gregory makes of these mysticall apparitions All whom the spirit fills he maketh meeke by the simplicity of doves and yet burning with the fire of zeale Just of this temper was Moses who took somewhat of the dove from the spirit and somewhat of the fire For being warme within with the fire of love and kindling without with the zeale of severity he pleaded the cause of the people before God with teares but the cause of God before the people with swords Sed sufficit diei suum opus sufficient for the day will be the worke thereof sufficient for this audience will be the interpretation of the sound the mysticall exposition of the wind which filled the house where the Apostles sate will fill up this time And lest my meditations upon this wind should passe away like wind I will fasten upon two points of speciall observation 1. The object vehement the sound of a mighty rushing wind 2. The effect correspondent filled the whole house Each part is accompanied with circumstances 1. With the circumstance of 1. The manner suddenly 2. The sourse or terminus à quo from heaven 2. With the circumstance of 1. The place the house where 2. The persons they 3. Their posture were sitting 1. Hearken suddenly there came on the sudden 2. To what a sound 3. From whence from heaven 4. What manner of sound as of a mighty rushing wind 5. Where filling the roome where they were sitting That suddenly when they were all quiet there should come a sound or noise and that from heaven and that such a vehement sound as of a mighty rushing wind and that it should fill the whole roome where they were and no place else seemes to mee a kind of sequence of miracles Every word in this Text is like a cocke which being turned yeeldeth abundance of the water of life of which we shall taste hereafter I observe first in generall that the Spirit presented himselfe both to the eyes and to the eares of the Apostles to the eares in a noise like a trumpet to proclaime him to the eyes in the shape of tongues like lights to shew him Next I observe that as there were two sacred signes of Christs body 1. Bread 2. Wine so there are two symboles and if I may so speake sacraments of the Spirit 1. Wind 2. Fire Behold the correspondency between them the spirit is of a nobler and more celestiall nature than a body in like manner the elements of wind and fire come neerer the nature of heaven than bread and wine which are of a more materiall and earthly nature And as the elements sort with the mysteries they represent so also with our senses to which they are presented For the grosser and more materiall elements bread and wine are exhibited to our grosser and more carnall senses the taste and touch but the subtiler and lesse materiall wind and fire to our subtiler and more spirituall senses the eyes and eares Of the holy formes of bread and wine their significancie and efficacy I have heretofore discoursed at large at this present by the assistance of the holy Spirit I will spend my breath upon the sacred wind in my Text and hereafter when God shall touch my tongue with a fiery coale from his Altar explicate the mystery of the fiery cloven tongues After the nature and number of the symboles their order in the third place commeth to be considered first the Apostles heare a sound and then they see the fiery cloven tongues And answerable hereunto in the fourth verse we reade that they were filled with the holy Ghost and then they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance For b Mat. 12.34 out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh With the c Rom. 10.10 heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and then with the tongue he confesseth unto salvation My d Psal 45.1 heart saith David is enditing a good matter and my tongue is the pen of a ready writer first the heart enditeth and then the tongue writeth They who stay not at Jerusalem till they are endued with power from above and receive the promise of the Father but presently will open their mouthes and try to loosen the strings of their fiery tongues I meane they who continue not in the schooles of the Prophets till they have learned the languages and arts and have used the ordinary meanes to obtaine the gifts and graces of the holy Spirit and yet will open their mouthes in the Pulpit and exercise the gift of their tongues doe but fill the eares of their auditors with a
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
Aprilis aerae Christianae An. Dom. 1615. Johan 21.15 16 17. 15. Quum ergo prandissent dicit Simoni Petro Jesus Simon fili Jonae diligis me plùs quà m hi dicit ei Certè Domine tu nosti quòd amem te dicit ei Pasce agnos meos 16. Dicit ei rursum secundo Simon fili Jonae diligis me ait illi Certè Domine tu nosti quod amem te dicit ei Pasce oves meas 17. Dicit ei tertio Simon fili Jonae amas me tristitiâ fuit affectus Petrus quod tertio dixisset ipsi amas me dixitque ei Domine tu omnia nosti tu nosti quòd amem te dicit ei Jesus Pasce oves meas Sermons preached at Paris in the house of the right Honourable Sir Thomas Edmonds Lord Embassadour resident in France lying in the Fauxburge of St. Germans in the yeeres of our Lord 1610 1611 1612. The checke of Conscience page 609. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee in those things whereof yee are now ashamed for the end of those things is death The Vine of Sodome page 620. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee then in those things c. The Grapes of Gomorrah page 629. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee in those things c. The hiew of a Sinner page 638. Rom. 6.21 Whereof yee are now ashamed The wages of Sinne. page 645. Rom. 6.21 For the end of those things is death The gall of Aspes page 661. Rom. 6.21 For the end of those things is death Ferula Paterna page 672. Revel 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten I. The nurture of Children page 681. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Chasten The lot of the Godly page 693. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten As many The oyle of Thyme page 702. Revel 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten As I love The sweet Spring of the waters of Marah page 710. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten I love The Patterne of Obedience page 719. Phil. 2.8 Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse The reward of Patience page 725. Philip. 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him Lowlinesse exalted page 735. Philip. 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him A Summons to Repentance page 747. Ezek. 18.23 Have I any desire at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord God The best Returne page 757. Ezek. 18.23 Not that he should returne from his wayes and live or If he returne from his evill wayes shall he not live The danger of Relapse page 765. Ezek. 18.24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall hee live all his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye The deformity of Halting page 776. 1 Kings 18.21 And Elijah came to all the people and said How long halt yee between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered not a word Old and new Idolatry paralleled page 784. 1 Kings 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him One God one true Religion page 794. 1 Kings 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Bloudy Edome page 802. Psal 137.7 8. 7. Remember O Lord the children of Edome in the day of Jerusalem who said Raze it raze it even to the foundation thereof 8. O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall hee be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Sermons preached in Lambeth Parish Church The watchfull Sentinell page 814. A Sermon preached the fifth of November Psal 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Abraham his Purchase page 825. A Sermon preached at the consecration of the Church-yard inclosed within the new wall at Lambeth Acts 7.19 And were carried over into Sechem and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a summe of mony of the sons of Emor of Sechem The Feast of Pentecost page 834. A Sermon preached on Whitsunday Acts 2.1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all together with one accord in one place The Symbole of the Spirit page 842. Acts 2.2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting The Mysterie of the fiery cloven Tongues page 850. Acts 2.3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them Christ his lasting Monument page 856. A Sermon preached on Maundy Thursday 1 Corinth 11.26 As often as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup ye doe shew the Lords death till he come The signe at the Heart page 864. A Sermon preached on the first Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 And when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Christian Brotherhood page 876. A Sermon preached on the second Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 And they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren c. The perplexed soules Quaere page 883. A Sermon preached on the third Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 What shall wee doe The last offer of Peace page 891. A Sermon preached at a publike Fast Luke 19.41 42. 41. And when he was come neere he beheld the City and wept over it 42. Saying If thou hadst knowne even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes A Catalogue of the Authors cited in this Work with their severall Editions A. ABen Ezra Basil 1620. G. Abbot Lond. 1620. R. Abbot Lond. 1606. Aelianus Lugd. 1577. Aeneas Sylviue Col. 1535. Aesopus Venet. 1606. Agapetus Bib. pat T. 6. p. 1. Col. 1622. C. Agrippa Paris 1567. G. Alanus Antw. 1576. Albertus Mag. Basil 1506. Alcazar Lugd. 1618. P. de Alliaco Mogunt 1574. J. Almainus Paris 1512. Fr. Alvarez Lugd. 1608. Ambrosius Mediol Basil 1555. Ambrosius Ansbert Bib. par T. 9. p. 2. Col. 1622. Andradius Col. 1564. Amphilochius Bib. pat T. 4. Col. 1622. Anselmus Col. 1573. Antiphon Orat. Paris 1609. Anthologia Grec Epig. Franc. 1600. Apuleius Venet. 1504. Apollinarius Bib. pat T. 4. Col. 1622 Th. Aquinas Venet. 1594. Arboreus Paris 1540. Aretas Bib. pat T. 6. Col. 1622. B. Aretius Bern. 1604. Th. Argentinensis Gen. 1585. Gr. Ariminensis Venet. 1503. Aristophanes Francof 1597. Aristoteles Lugd. 1590. R. Armacanus Francof 1614. Arnobius Rom. 1562. Arnoldus Bib. pat T. 6. Col. 1622. Articuli Eccles Angl. Lond. 1628. Athanasius Alexandrinus Par. 1581. Avendanus Madrid 1593. Augustinus Hypponensis Par. 1586. P.
ceaseth to offer up prayers to God with strong cries till hee be eased of them Are wee such bruised reeds We often in stead of denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts have with Peter denied our Master but doe wee weep bitterly with him and as hee whensoever hee heard the Cocke crow after the deniall of his Master fell on weeping afresh so doe the wounds of our consciences bleed afresh at the sight of every object and hearing of every sound which puts us in mind of our crimson sinnes We have polluted our beds with David but doe wee cleanse them as he did doe wee make our couches to swimme with teares of repentance Wee have intertained with Mary Magdalen many soule sinnes like so many uncleane spirits but have wee broken a boxe of precious oyntment upon Christs head or kneeled downe and washed his feet with our teares If wee have done so then are we bruised reeds indeed and shall not be broken but if otherwayes wee be not bruised in heart for our sinnes and breake them off by mature repentance wee shall bee either broken for them by sore chastisements in this world or which is worst of all like unfruitfull and rotten trees be reserved to be fuell for Hell fire But because the bruised reed was the measure of my former discourse I will now fall to blow the smoaking flaxe which Christ will not quench To quench the light especially the light of the spirit in our hearts seemeth to bee a worke of darknesse how then may it bee ascribed to the Father of lights or what meaneth the Prophet to deny that Christ will doe that which is so repugnant to his nature that if he would he could not doe it Religiously learned antiquity hath long ago assoyled this doubt teaching us that God quencheth as he hardneth Non infundendo malitiam sed subducendo gratiam not by pouring on any thing like water to quench the flame but by taking away that oyly moisture which nourisheth it Our daily experience sheweth us that a lampe or candle may bee extinguished three manner of wayes at least 1. By a violent puffe of winde 2. By the ill condition of the weeke indisposed to burne 3. By want of waxe or defect of oyle to feed it Even so the light of the Spirit may be quenched in us by three meanes either by a violent temptation of the evill spirit as it were a puffe of wind or by the inbred corruption of our nature repelling grace which fitly resembleth the indisposition of the week to take fire or keep in it the flame or lastly by subtraction of divine grace which is the oyle or sweet waxe that maintaineth this light By the first meanes the Divell by the second man himselfe by the third God quencheth the light of the spirit in them who love darknesse more than light but such are not those who in my Text are compared to smoaking flaxe For though they have small light of knowledge to shine to others yet they have heat of devotion burning in themselves Hil. In haec verba igniculum fidei concipientes quadam dilectione cum carne juxta fumantes quos Christus non extinxit sed incendit in iis ignem perfectae charitatis they are such saith St. Hilary Who conceiving in themselves a small sparke of faith because they are in part still flesh burne not cleerly but as it were smoakily whom Christ will not quench but kindle in them the fire of perfect charity St. * Greg. in Evan. Dom. Quod sacerdotes lineis uterentur vestibus Gregory by smoaking flaxe understandeth the Aaronicall Priesthood now dimly burning and ready to go out he thinketh the flaxe to have some reference to the Priests linnen garments made of it Tertullian paraphraseth the smoaking flaxe Momentaneum gentium fervorem The momentary fervour of the Gentiles in whom the light of nature by sinfull filthinesse being extinct exhaleth most pestiferous fumes of noysome lusts St. a Chrysost in Matth. ca. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome and St. Austin through the smoake discerne the Scribes and Pharisees and other enemies of Christ their envie and malice which soultred within them but brake not out into an open flame Whom Christ quenched not that is destroyed not though he could have as easily done it as breake a reed already bruised or tread out a stinking snuffe cast upon the ground But these expositions in the judgement of later Divines seem either constrained and forced or at the lest too much restrained and narrow They therfore extend the meaning of them to all weak Christians either newly converted or relapsed b Pintus In quibus tamen relucet aliquid bonae spei c Junius Scintilla aliqua pietatis veluti moribunda d Aquinas Tepidi ad opus bonum habentes tamen aliquid gratiae e Arboreus Extinctioni vicini f Guilliandus Qui sceleribus gravissimis seu fumo quodam oculos bonorum offendunt veluti foetore corruptae famae mores piorum infestant Breathing out bitter fumes for their sinnes offending the godly with the ill savour of their lives luke-warm to good workes neere extinction in whom yet remaines some light of faith and hope though very obscure some warmth of charity some sparke of grace Comfort then O comfort the fainting spirits and cheare up the drouping conscience say to the bruised reed that is now unfit to make a pipe to sound or a cane to write the praises of God thou shalt not be broken and to the smoaking flaxe which gives but a very dimme light and with the fume offendeth the eyes of the godly and with the stench their noses thou shalt not bee quenched Nothing is so easie as to breake a reed already bruised the least weight doth it nothing so facile as to quench smoaking flaxe the least touch doth it yet so milde was our Saviour that he never brake the one nor quenched the other The flaxe or weeke smoaketh either before it is fully kindled or after it is blowne out If we consider it in the first condition the morall or spirituall meaning of the Text is that Christ cherisheth the weake endeavours and small beginnings of grace in his children For we must know that in our first conversion the measure of grace is but small in us and mixt with much corruption which if Christ should quench there would be found never a cleere burning lampe in his Church but hee most graciously preserveth it and augmenteth it because it is a sparke from heaven kindled by his owne spirit and it much illustrateth his glory to keep it from going out notwithstanding the indisposition of the weeke to burne and continuall blasts of temptation ready to blow it out I said in my haste quoth David I am cast out of thy sight there is smoake in the flaxe Psal 31.22 yet was not the flaxe quenched for he addeth yet thou heardest the voice of my prayer
and hee layeth all the blame either upon bad servants or theevish neighbours or racking Land-lords or hard times or some losses by sea or land but never looketh into his owne heart where the true cause lyes be it covetousnesse or distrust of Gods providence or a quarrelling disposition or pride or idlenesse or luxurie or sacriledge Another is still whining that hee cannot get or keepe his health and he imputeth this either to his crazie constitution by nature or ill ayre or over much labour and study whereas indeed the cause is his ill diet his sitting up all night at Revels his powring in strong wines and spending the greatest part of the day in Tavernes his intemperancy or incontinency All other sinnes are without the body but hee that g 1 Cor. 6.18 committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body First against the honour of his body for thereby he maketh the members of Christ the members of an harlot next the strength health and life of the body which nothing more enfeebleth empaireth and endangereth than greedily drinking stolne waters and coveting after strange flesh A third is troubled in minde and hee feeleth no comfort in his conscience the good spirit hath left him and the evill spirit haunteth him and scorcheth his soule with the flashes of Hell fire and hee ascribeth this to some melancholy bloud or worldly discontent or the indiscretion of some Boanerges sonnes of thunder who preach nothing but damnation to their hearers whereas the true cause is in himselfe hee grieveth the spirit of grace hee turneth it into wantonnesse and quencheth the light of it in himselfe and therefore God withdraweth this holy Comforter from him for a time When h Just hist l. 1. Zopyrus qui sibi labia nares praecidi curasset queritur crudelitatem Regis Zopyrus had cut his owne lips and nose he gave it out that the Babylonians had so barbarously used him such is the condition of most men they disfigure their soules dismember their bodies by monstrous sinnes and yet lay the whole blame upon others i Mat. 10.36 The enemies of a man saith our Saviour are those of his owne house So it is so it is saith S. k Bern med c. 13. Accusat me conscientia testis est memoria ratio judex voluptas carcer timor tortor oblectamentum tormentum inde enim punimur unde oblectamur Bernard in mine owne house in my proper family nay within my selfe I have my accuser my judge my witnesse my tormentor My conscience is the accuser my memory the witnesse my reason the judge my feare the torturer my sinfull delights my torments l Camerar med hist cent 1. c. 20. Plancus Plautius hiding himselfe in the time of the proscription was found out onely by the smell of his sweet oyles wherewith hee used luxuriously to anoint himselfe m Eras adag Sorex ut dicitur suo indicio Sylla hearing some displeasing newes was so enflamed with anger that streining himselfe to utter his passion he brake a veine and spitting bloud died Remember the words of dying Caesar when hee felt their daggers at his heart whom he had saved from the sword Mene servare ut sint qui me perdant O that I should save men to doe mee such a mischiefe O that wee should harbour those snakes in our bosomes which if wee long keepe them there will sting us to death A strange thing it is and much to bee lamented that the soule should prescribe remedies against the maladies of the bodie and yet procure nourishment for her owne diseases What are the vitious affections we feed and cherish within us but so many pernitious infections of the minde What is anger but a fit of a frenzie feare but a shâ—king feaver ambition but a winde collicke malice but an apostem faction but a convulsion envie but a consumption security but a dead palsie lust but an impure itch immoderate joy but a pleasing trance of the soule These are the greatest causes of our woe not onely because they disturbe the peace of our conscience and set us upon scandalous and dangerous actions but also because they draw upon us heavie and manifold judgements From which if we desire to be freed that they prove not our utter destruction let us First confesse our sinnes with David to be the fuell of Gods wrath and the fountaine of all our miseries n Psal 51.4 Against thee thee onely have wee sinned and done this and that and the third and many more evils in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and cleere when thou art judged and with o Salv. l. 4. de provid Sive miseâ—ae nostrae sint sive infirmitates sive eversiones c. testimoniâ— sunt mali servi boni domini quomodo mali servi quia patimur ex parte quod meremur quomodo boni domini quia ostendit quid mereamur sed non irrogat quae meremur Salvianus Whatsoever our miseries are or afflictions or persecutions or overthrowes or losses or diseases they are testimonies of an evil servant and a good master How of an evill servant Because in them we suffer in part what wee deserve How testimonies of a good master Because by them he sheweth us what wee deserve and yet layeth not upon us so much as we deserve Secondly let us compose our selves to endure that with patience which we have brought upon our selves Tute in hoc tristi tibi omne exedendum est Thirdly let us forsake our beloved sinnes and then God will take away his plagues from us let us be better our selves and all things shall goe better with us let repentance be our practise and a speedy reformation our instruction so Gods judgements shall not bee our destruction Now O Father of mercy and tender compassion in the bowels of Jesus Christ who hast shewed us what wee deserve by our sinnes and yet hast not rewarded us according to our iniquities take away our stony hearts from us and give us hearts of flesh that thy threats may make a deepe impression in us and that wee may speedily remove the evill of our sinnes out of thy sight that thou maist remove the evill of punishment from us so our sinne shall not be our destruction but thy mercy our salvation through Jesus Christ To whom c. THE CHARACTERS OF HEAVENLY WISEDOME A Sermon preached before his Grace and divers other Lords and Judges spirituall and temporall in Lambeth THE EIGHTH SERMON PSAL. 2.10 Be wise now therefore O yee Kings be instructed yee Judges of the earth Most Reverend Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. THe mirrour of humane eloquence apologizing for his undertaking the defence of Murena against Cato the elder pertinently demandeth a Cic. pro Muren A quo tandem Marce Cato aequius est defendi Consulem quam a Consule who so fit a patron of a Consull as a consull himselfe The like may be said in
where divers candles or torches in a roome concurre to enlighten the place the light of them remaineth impermixt as the Optickes demonstrate by their severall shadowes so all the divine graces conjoyne their lustre and vertue to adorne and beautifie the inward man yet their nature remaines distinct as their speciall effects make it evident to a single and sharp-sighted eye God was in the bush that burned and consumed not yet God was not the bush The holy Ghost was in the fiery cloven tongues yet the holy Ghost was not the tongues The spirits runne along in the arteries with the purer and refined blood yet the spirits are not the blood The fire insinuateth it selfe into all the parts of melted metall and to the eye nothing appeareth but a torrent of fire yet the fire is not the metall in like manner zeale shineth and flameth in devotion love godly jealousie indignation and other sanctified desires and affections it enflameth them as fire doth metall it stirreth and quickeneth them as the spirits doe the blood yet zeale is not those passions neither are all or any of them zeale howsoever the schooles rather out of zeale of knowledge than knowledge of zeale have determined the contrary 2 Secondly zeale is defined to bee not a morall vertue but a divine gift or grace of the Spirit the Spirit of God is the efficient cause and the Spirit of man is the subject which the Apostle intimates in that phrase i Rom. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being fervent or zealous in Spirit This fire like that of the Vestals is kindled from heaven by the beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse not from any kitchen on earth much lesse from hell They therefore qui irae suae stimulum zelum putant they who imagine the flashes of naturall choler are flames of spirituall zeale toto coelo errant are as farre from the marke as heaven is distant from the earth No naturall or morall temper much lesse any unnaturall and vitious distemper can commend us or our best actions to God and men as zeale doth The fire of zeale like the fire that consumed Solomons sacrifice commeth downe from heaven and true zealots are not those Salamanders or Pyrausts that alwayes live in the fire of hatred and contention but Seraphims burning with the spirituall fire of divine love who as Saint Bernard well noteth kept their ranke and station in heaven when the other Angels of Lucifers band that have their names from light fell from theirs Lucifer cecidit Seraphim stant to teach us that zeale is a more excellent grace than knowledge even in Angels that excell in both Howbeit though zeale as farre surpasse knowledge as the sunne-beame doth a glow-worme yet zeale must not be without knowledge Wherefore God commandeth the Priest when hee k Exod. 30.8 lighteth the lamps to burne incense though the fire bee quicke and the incense sweet yet God accepteth not of the burning it to him in the darke The Jewes had a zeale as the l Rom. 10.2 Apostle acknowledgeth and the Apostle himselfe before his conversion yet because it wanted knowledge it did them and the Church of God great hurt No man can bee ignorant of the direfull effects of blind zeale when an unskilfull Phaeton takes upon him to drive the chariot of the sunne hee sets the whole world in a combustion What a mettled horse is without a bridle or a hot-spurred rider without an eye or a ship in a high winde and swelling saile without a rudder that is zeale without knowledge which is like the eye in the rider to choose the way or like the bridle in the hand to moderate the pace or like the rudder in the ship to steere safely the course thereof Saint m Inser 22. in Cant. Bernard hits full on this point Discretion without zeale is slow paced and zeale without discretion is heady let therefore zeale spurre on discretion and discretion reyne zeale fervor discretionem erigat discretio fervorem regat Discretion must guide zeale as it is guided by spirituall wisedome not worldly policy and therefore Thirdly I adde in the definition of zeale that it quickeneth and enflameth all our holy desires and affections according to the direction of spirituall wisdome For wisdome must prescribe zeale when and where and how far and in what order to proceede in reforming all abuses in Church and State and performing all duties of religious piety and eminent charity What Isocrates spake sometime of valour or strength is as true of zeale viz. n Isoc ad Dem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that zeale and resolution with wisedome doth much good but without it doth much mischiefe to our selves and others like granadoes and other fire-works which if they be not well looked to and ordered when they breake do more hurt to them that cast them than to the enemie Yet that we be not deceived in mistaking worldly policy for wisdome I adde spirituall to difference it from carnall morall or civill wisedome for they are too great coolers they will never let zeale exceed the middle temper of that * Vibius Statesman in Tiberius Court who was noted to bee a wise and grave Counseller of a faire carriage and untainted reputation but hee would o Juven sat 4. Ille igitur nunquam direxit brachia contra torrentem never strike a stroake against the streame hee would never owne any mans quarrell hee would bee sure to save one Such is the worldly wise man hee will move no stone though never so needfull to bee removed if hee apprehend the least feare that any part of the wall will fall upon himselfe The p Cic. de orat l. 1. Tempus omne post consulatum objecimus iis fluctibus qui per nos à communi peste depulsi in nosmetipsos redundarunt Romane Consul and incomparable Oratour shall bee no president for him who imployed all his force and strength to keepe off those waves from the great vessel of the State which rebounded backe againe and had neere drowned the cocke-boate of his private fortune Hee will never ingage himselfe so farre in any hot service no not though Gods honour and the safety of the Church lye at stake but that he will be sure to come off without hazzard of his life or estate Hee hath his conscience in that awe that it shall not clamour against him for not stickling in any businesse that may peradventure reflect upon his state honour or security In a word peradventure he may bee brought with much adoe to doe something for God but never to suffer any thing for him This luke-warme Laodicean disposition the lesse offensive it is to men the more odious it is to God who is a jealous God and affecteth none but those that are zealous for his glory he loveth none but those that will bee content to expose themselves to the hatred of all men for his names sake Hee q
the Indians and in some countryes themselves as among the Americans yet for all this their throwing themselves into or causing others to passe through the fire to their Moloch or Saturne or Abaddon they are not to bee accounted zealously affected in religion because what they doe in this kinde is not done by Gods commandement nor intended to his honour but in obedience and to the honour of an Idoll or Devill whom they worship in stead of the true God 3 The Jesuite or Jesuited Romanist is a kinde of zealot for hee will compasse sea and land to make a proselyte hee will sticke at nothing for the advantage of the catholike cause no not the sticking or stabbing of Kings and Princes his zeale is so hot that it will kindle a fire to blow up whole Parliaments for an Holocaust to the Romane Moloch yet is hee not zealous because hee is hot and fervent not for Christ but for Antichrist and hee useth not sanctified but execrable and damnable meanes to promote the catholike cause as he termeth it and enlarge the territories of the Man of sinne The last condition of true zeale is that it keepe within the walke of mens speciall calling which they who confound for the most part bring confusion upon themselves as did King Uzziah who would bee thought out of zeale to burne incense unto the Lord but because hee tooke upon him to doe that which i 2 Chron. 26.18 appertained not to him but to the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron that were consecrated thereunto his incense stanke in the nostrils of God ver 19. and himselfe also for a leprosie rose up in his forehead before the Priests in the house of the Lord from beside the incense altar and Azariah the chiefe Priest thrust him out of the Temple ver 20. yea himselfe hasted also to goe out because the Lord had smitten him Nothing is more necessary or usefull than fire if it bee kept within the furnace oven or tunnell of the chimney yea or within the barrell of the piece and from thence orderly issue out but nothing so dangerous if it bee not contained within the hearth or breake out of it selfe and flye abroad so nothing is more commendable or profitable than well guided nothing more incommodious and perillous than exorbitant zeale when the Prince medleth with the censer or the Priest with the scepter when private men take the sword out of the Magistrates hand or the Magistrate mis-applyeth the publike sword of justice to revenge his private wrongs Thus have I at length defined zeale and confined it within the limits of every mans lawfull and speciall calling Which limits shall be the bounds of my speech and your attention at this present The best k Plin. nat hist l. 12. c. ult Optimum quod est odoratissimum è semine ac maximum ponderosissimum moâ—dens in gustu est fervensque in ore balsamum and most soveraigne is that which is biting in the taste and burning in the mouth such have beene the observations upon this text biting in the taste and hot in the mouth God grant that like true balsamum they may prove a savour of life unto life to all that have heard me this day I am come with our Saviours Commission to put fire among you and what is my desire but that forthwith it be kindled to purge out all your drosse to purifie the sons of Levi like l Mal. 3.2 silver to burne up all hay and stubble built upon the foundation of our most holy faith and lastly to consume all our spirituall sacrifices But non opis est nostrae non opus est nostrum alas it is not my breath will doe it it must bee the blast of Gods holy Spirit that can first kindle and after keepe this sacred fire in the hearth of our hearts To him therefore who descended in the m Act. 2.3 similitude of fiery cloven tongues let us lift up our hearts hands and voices beseeching him to tind and preserve this spirituall fire in our 1 Hearts 2 Eares 3 Tongues 4 Hands that wee may bee zealously affected to Godward in meditating on him in hearing from him in praying to him in doing and suffering for him To knit up all in a word His grace make us sincerely entirely discreetly and constantly zealous 1 Of his gifts 2 In his service 3 For his honour to whom bee ascribed all honour glory c. THE SEASONING OF ALL SPIRITUALL SACRIFICES OR The Salters Text. A Sermon preached before the Company of the Salters at S. Maries Church in Bread-street THE FIFTEENTH SERMON MARKE 9.49 For every one shall bee salted with fire and every sacrifice shall bee salted with salt Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. THat I may not entertaine your religious attention with a cold or unseasonable discourse I have made choice of a text wherein I finde both fire and salt fire to heat it and salt to season it And if any parcell of Scripture may be appropriated to any of the Worshipfull Societies or Companies of this Honourable City certainly you may challenge a peculiar interest in this For here is both salt and salting from whence you take your name both of men sacrifices The best of all creatures on earth are men and the best of all gifts of men are sacrifices both are made savory and acceptable to God by seasoning they with fire these with salt In relation to the former me thinks as Christ said to Andrew and Peter a Matth. 4.19 Follow me I will make you fishers of men so I heare the holy spirit say to mee Observe this text well and apply it and I will make thee a salter of men for every man must bee salted with fire and as it followeth Every sacrifice must bee salted with salt b Lev. 2.13 Every oblaâ—ion of the meat offering shalt thou season with salt neither shalt thou suffer the covenant of thy God to bee lacking from thy meat offering With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt saith Moses from God Every sacrifice shall bee salted with salt saith Christ from Moses whose drift in this place is somewhat obscure because the sense is covered under the vaile of an Allegory which wee cannot draw without looking up higher into the chapter and touching upon the precedent verses Wherein our Lord threatneth unquenchable fire and an immortall worme to all that for want of the fire of zeale grow cold in religion and for lacke of the salt of grace putrefie in their sins If saith he that person or thing that causes thee to offend either in want of courage for God or of zeale and Christian resolution against thy bosome sinnes and naturall corruptions bee as deare to thee as thine eye or as necessary as thy right hand part with them thou must if it be an eye plucke it out if an hand cut it off and cast it away from thee better
to keepe or warily to looke to because flowers or tender plants need care lest they bee blowne downe with a winde or otherwise wronged Upon which grounds Saint p Ber. de concept Christ Voluit concipiflos in flore intra florem id est intra Nazareth ut fieret ipse flos florens id est Nazarenus Bernard thus pleasantly descanteth The sweet flower of Jesse would bee conceived in the wombe of the blessed virgin a most sweet and unblasted flower planted in Nazareth the flower of Galilee that he might budde and become a Nazarene that is a flourishing flower I will adde no more at this time of Nazareth but that as it was said of Archelaus that q Eras Adag Non Euripides ex Archelai sed Archelaus ex Euripidis amicitiâ nomen assequutus est Euripides was not famous for his acquaintance with Archelaus but Archelaus for his acquaintance with Euripides so for ought I ever read Christ was not ennobled by Nazareth but Nazareth honoured nay rather eternized by Christs dwelling in it This Nazareth is situate in Galilee where our Lord first preached the Gospell of the Kingdome and declared the power of his Deity by many signes and wonders and because his Countrey-men shewed least respect to his person and gave least credit to his doctrine it fell out by the just judgement of God in the conquest of Palaestine by the Romanes that the Galileans first smarted for their unbeliefe the whole countrey being spoiled and laid waste by Vespasian From Galilee we returne with our Saviour to Judaea where hee met John and was Baptized of him At the first mention of our Lords baptisme this objection offereth it selfe to every mans conceit The whole need not the Physitian but they that are sicke the cleane need not to be washed but they that are foule the innocent neede not to aske or receive pardon but the guilty why then should the health and salvation of all mankind take this purge why should the immaculate lambe bee washed in the Font why did hee desire the seale of remission of sinnes who knew no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth 1 S. r Amb. in Luk. 2. Baptizatus est Dominus non mundati volens sed mundare aquas ut ablutae per carnem Christi quae peccatum non novit baptismatis jus haberent Ambrose answereth that our Lord was baptized not that hee might bee cleansed by the water but as was touched before intending thereby to cleanse and sanctifie the water that being washed by Christs flesh it might thereby bee elevated to bee an instrument of the holy Ghost in the spirituall washing of the soule 2 Saint ſ Aug. de bapt Christ Ne homines gravarentur ad baptismum Domini venire cum Dominus ipse non gravaretur ad baptismum servi venire Austine addeth that our Saviour vouchsafed to bee baptized to draw all men to Christian baptisme for why should any refuse to come to the Lords baptisme when the Lord himselfe daigned to come to the baptisme of his servant 3 Saint Jerome assigneth a third reason of Christs receiving baptisme from John viz. that hee might ratifie and give authority to Saint Johns baptisme 4 t Calvin haerm evang Ut certiùs sibi persuadeant fideles se in Christi corp inseri consepeliri cum eo in baptismo ut in novitate vitae resurgant Calvin yeeldeth a fourth reason that the faithfull might bee more assured that they are engraffed into Christ and are buried together with him in baptisme that they may rise up againe with him in newnesse of life But our Saviours reason must stand for all thus it becommeth to fulfill all righteousnesse the righteousnesse of the law hee had fulfilled in that behalfe in being circumcised the eighth day and now hee began to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Gospell The ceremoniall law was in force in Christs infancy which required circumcision and now the Gospell began to bee in force after Johns baptisme circumcision went out and baptisme came in with John therefore it was now requisite that Christ should bee baptized But why should hee bee baptized of John Of John It had beene an office beseeming the first of the Angelicall Hierarchy to lay hands on the head of the Church True but Jesus now came in humility and as hee was in the forme of a servant so hee vouchsafed to bee baptized of a servant The Lord commeth to doe honour to his servant the sunne to bee enlightned by a starre the fountaine to bee washed in his owne streame the roote to receive sappe and moisture from the branch God to receive the Sacrament from man This doth not more set forth our Lords humility than adde to Johns glory And questionlesse a speciall reason that moved our Saviour to receive baptisme from Saint John was to countenance Johns ministry and to give authority to his fellow-labourer and if I may so speake under-workman For John brought stones to Jesus and cut them for the building and Jesus layd them in the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem neare himselfe the corner stone John rough-hewed the Jewes with the axe of Gods judgements threatned against them u Mat. 3.10 The axe is layd to the root of the tree c. to cut them downe and cast them into hell-fire unlesse they repented Christ smoothed and polished them with the doctrine of the Gospell that they might bee like * Psal 144.12 the polished corners of the Temple or like the x Lam. 4.7 Nazarites whose polishing was of Saphire John washed the sores of wounded consciences with water as the Jailer did y Act. 16.33 Paul and Silas stripes of body Christ healed them with the ointment of the spirit John cleansed the inward roomes of the soule by the water of baptisme and penitent teares Christ strawed the swept roomes with the flowers of Paradise John began Christ finished John baptized with water Christ with the holy Ghost and with fire Jesus and John resemble the Cherubins in the Arke casting a gracious looke one upon the other Alter in alterius jacientes lumina vultum Jesus like the sunne casteth light upon John and John like a Chrystall glasse reflects it upon him Jesus saith of z Joh. 5.35 John he was a burning and shining lampe John a Joh. 1.34 saith of Jesus This is the Sonne of God Jesus testifieth of John that hee was Elias John of Jesus that hee was the Messias Jesus pointeth to John saying b Mat. 11.9 Behold a Prophet yea and more than a Prophet John to Jesus saying c Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Jesus commeth to honour John in desiring his baptisme John by putting him back at the first honoureth him the more saying I d Mat. 3.14 have neede to bee baptized of thee and commest thou to me John saith of Jesus e Mat. 3.11 I am not
cursed persons To cleare the meaning of our Saviour it will bee requisite briefly to declare first how man is capable of blessednesse at all secondly how farre in this life truly termed by St. Austin the region of death Blessednesse is a soveraigne attribute of God and as p Nyss hom de â—â—at Nyssen teacheth primarily and absolutely and eternally belongeth to him onely Creatures are blessed but in part derivatively and at the most from the terme of their creation Beauty first shineth in the living face and countenance that which is resembled in the image or picture is but a secondary or relative beauty in like manner saith hee the primary blessednesse is in God or to speake more properly is God himselfe the blessednesse which is in man made after Gods image is but a secondary blessednesse For as the image is such is his beauty and blessednesse but the image of God in man since his fall is much soiled and defaced and consequently his blessednesse is very imperfect and obscure Yet they that rubbe off the dust of earthly cares and dirt of sinne and by spirituall exercises brighten the graces of God in their soule as they are truly though not perfectly beautifull within so they may be truly though not absolutely stiled blessed even in this life 1. First because they are assured of Gods love and they see his countenance shine upon them which putteth more q Psal 4.7 gladnesse into their heart than is or can be in the heart of them whose corne and wine is increased For if it bee deservedly accounted the greatest happinesse of a subject to bee in continuall grace with his Prince what is it to bee a Favourite of the King of kings 2. Secondly because they have an r 1 Pet. 1.4 inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens for them A great heire though hee may sometimes pinch for maintenance and bee driven to hard exigents yet hee still solaceth himselfe with this hope it will bee better with mee and I shall one day come to my lands and such comfort have all Gods Saints in their greatest perplexities and extremities 3. Thirdly because they enjoy the peace of a good conscience which Solomon calleth a continuall feast And Saint Paul a cause of t 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience Rom. 8.28 triumph and joy 4. Fourthly because all things work together for their good and tend to their eternall happinesse The joyes of the wicked are grievous their pleasures are paine unto them but on the contrary the sorrowes of the righteous are joyous and the paines which they endure for Christ are pleasures unto them The gaines of the worldly are indeed losses unto them because they help on their damnation whereas the losses of the godly are gaine and advantage unto them because they further their salvation 5. Fifthly because they enjoy God wherein consisteth the happinesse of a man in some measure and degree even in this life For it cannot be denied but that devout Christians even whilest the soule resides in the body have a comfortable fruition of the Deity whose favour is better than life by faith in the heart by knowledge in the understanding by charity in the will by desire in the affections by sight in the creatures by hearing in the Word by taste in the Sacraments by feeling in the inward motions and operations of Gods Spirit which fill them with exceeding and unspeakable joy and comfort Saint u Apoc. 21. John setting forth the blessednesse of the triumphant Church and depainting the joyes of Heaven in golden colours describeth a City situate in Heaven whose temple is God and light the Lambe and walls Salvation and courts praise and streets gold and foundations gemmes and gates pearles twelve in number in a relation to the Lambes twelve Apostles Answerable to the gates in price though not in number are the steps up to them which our Saviour who is the way directeth us unto they are eight in number made of so many whole pearles that is divine Vertues 1. The first step is humility poore in spirit upon which when we stand we may easily get upon the next godly sorrow mourning for sinne none so apt to mourne for their sinnes and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God in sackcloth and ashes as the poore in spirit 2. When we are upon this step we readily get up upon the next which is tender compassion and meeknesse none so compassionate and meeke towards others when they slip into the mire of sinne as those who continually bewaile their fowle falls and wash their defiled soules with their teares 3. When we are upon this third step we may soone get up the fourth which is hungering and thirsting for righteousnesse for those who are most sensible of their owne wants and continually bewaile their corruptions and are compassionately affected towards others when they are overtaken with any temptation must needs hunger and thirst for righteousnesse both in themselves and others 4. When we are upon this fourth step we may soone climbe up to the other three Mercy the fifth Purity the sixth and Peace the seventh for they who eagerly pursue righteousnesse shall certainly meet with these three her companions Lastly they who have attained unto righteousnesse and are enamoured with her three companions Mercy Purity and Peace will suffer any thing for their sake and so ascend up the highest step of Christian perfection which is constant patience and zealous striving for the truth even unto bloud which is not only saved but cleansed also by being spilt for Christs sake The lowest greece or staire and the first step to Heaven is poverty in spirit that is as the Fathers generally interpret Humility which is the ground-colour of the soules beautifull images the graces of the spirit The ground-colours are darke and obscure yet except they be first laid the wooll or stuffe will not receive much lesse retaine the brighter and more beautifull Such is lowlinesse of minde of no great lustre and appearance in itselfe yet without it no grace or vertue will long keep colour and its beauty and therefore Christ first layes it saying Blessed are the Poore in spirit These poore in spirit are not to bee understood poore in spirituall graces such cannot come neere the price of the Kingdome of Heaven and therefore the spirit adviseth them under the type of the Church of * Apoc. 3.18 Laodicea to buy of him gold tryed in the fire that they may bee rich c. nor are they necessarily poore in state much lesse such as are poore in state onely for bare poverty yea though it bee voluntary is but a weake plea and giveth a man but a poore title to a Kingdome in Heaven Wee heare indeed in the Gospel of Lazarus the x Luke 16.22 Beggar in Heaven but wee finde him there in the bosome of rich Abraham to
worse may be is the case of Christs Spouse the true Inheritrix of his Crosse which he bequeathed her at his death having indeed little else to leave her for his soule he was to surrender to God his Father his body Joseph of Arimathea begged of Pilat his cloathes the souldiers parted among them onely his crosse and nailes and crowne of thornes remained to dispose of for his dearest Spouse which she continually beareth about with her and in this vision carried with her into the wildernesse whither she fled to save her life And the woman Fled This picture might have beene taken of the Church as she fled from Pharaoh into the wildernesse or as she fled into Egypt from Herod or as she fled into all parts of the earth in the time of the ten first persecutions from heathen Emperors or in the succeeding ages from the Arrian Emperours and last of all from Antichrist and his instruments in all which her trialls and troubles she gained more than she lost For as Justine Martyr rightly observed t Just apolog Id est persecutio Ecclesiae quod vineae putatio persecution is that to the Church which pruning is to the vine whereby it is made more fruitfull with whom Tertullian accordeth thus jearing at the Gentiles who made full account by their barbarous cruelty to exhaust the whole Church and extinguish the name of Christians u Tert. apolog c. ult Nequicquam tamen proficit exquisita quaeque crudelitas vestra illecebra est magis sectae plures esficimur quoties metimur a vobis semen est sanguis Christianorum What gaine you by your exquisite crueltie and studied torments which you inflict upon us they are no scarre-crowes to fright but rather baites and lures to draw men to our profession we ever grow faster and thicker after we are mowed by you the shedding the bloud of Christians is the sowing the seed of the Gospell And St. Leo x I eoserm 1. in nat Petri Pauli Non minuitur persecutionibus Ecclesia Dei sed augetur magis ager Dominicus segete ditiore vestitur dum grana quae singula cadunt multiplicata nascuntur The Church of God is not diminished by persecutions but increased rather the Lords field is cloathed with a richer crop whilest the seed or graines which fall one by one after they are dead in the earth rise up againe in great numbers Moreover whilest in the chief Cities those who are called by God to depose for his truth win many thousands to the Christian faith other servants of Christ to whom he hath vouchsafed meanes to escape by dispersing themselves into all parts of the world propagate the doctrine of the Gospell and plant new Churches Upon this flight of the woman in my text many of the learned Interpreters take occasion to handle that great case of conscience whether it be lawfull to fly in time of persecution or whether all zealous Christians are not bound to stand to their tackling and strive for the truth even to the effusion of their bloud y Aug. l. 22. de civ Dei c. 7. Pullulatura foecunditis cum in sanguine Martyâ—um seretur y Tert. infug in erscâ—ut Tertullian in his booke professedly written of this subject is altogether against flight grounding his judgement upon the words of our Saviour John 10.11 c. I am the good shepheard the good shepheard giveth his life for the sheepe But he that is an hireling and not the shepheard whose owne the sheep are not seeth the Wolfe comming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth the hireling flyeth because he is an hireling c. And Marke 8.35 38. Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels the same shall save it Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of mee and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels But Saint Austin and others allow of flight in some case and they bring very good warrant for it Christs expresse command Matth. 10.23 When they persecute you in this city flee into another And Matth. 24.15 16. When you see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountaines And to the end we should count it no shame to flye in this case they bring noble presidents for it and shew us the footsteps in Scripture of Jacob when he fled from Esau and Moses when hee fled from Pharaoh and Eliah when hee fled from Ahab and Jezabel and David when hee fled from Saul and Joseph and Mary when they fled from Herod They adde also that by this flight of many in time of persecution the Church reapeth a double benefit first hereby many worthy Doctors and eminent Professours reserve themselves for better times next they in their flight scatter the seeds of the Gospel whereby the great Husbandman gathereth a plentifull crop If the Apostles had not been scattered by the persecution of Herod and the primitive Christians by the persecutions of the Heathen Emperours and the true Professours in later times by the persecution of Antichrist many countries in all likelihood had not been sowen with the pure seed of the Word The resolution of this question may be taken from my Text in such a case as the womans was here we may flie that is when there is no safety in staying and God offereth us Eagles wings that is a faire and certaine meanes to escape danger Yea but Christian courage will rise up against this and object Is not Martyrdome a garland of red Roses is not the bloud of Saints the best watering of Gods field can wee shew more love to Christ than to signe the Gospell with our bloud will you perswade Christian souldiers to flye from their colours nay from their crowne God forbid I answer all are not appointed by God to bee Martyrs nor qualified for so noble and eminent service To a Martyr two things are required 1. A speciall calling 2. An extraordinary spirit Even in our Courts of justice a witnes that offereth himself is not accepted he must be brought in by order of law neither will Christ have any depose for him that are not called to it whom he calleth he endueth them with an heroicke spirit and armeth them with faith and patience like armour of proofe into which the fiery darts of the wicked cannot enter Every sincere beleever hath not a spirit of fortitude given him to conquer the violence of fire and dull the edge of the sharpest swords and weary all tortures and torments Moreover God like a provident Husbandman though he send much corne to the Mill to be ground as Ignatius and others that they might be served in as fine manchet at his owne table yet he reserveth alwayes some corne for seed I meane
wretched and miserable and blind and naked Wherefore the Spirit n Ver. 17. counselleth them to buy of him gold tryed in the fire that they may be rich and white raiment that they may be clothed and that the shame of their nakednesse doe not appeare And to annoint their eyes with o Ver. 18. eye-salve that they may see 7. Lastly by the name Thyatira so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to runne mad after and spend ones selfe they may bee put in minde of those in Thyatira who ranne awhoring after Jezebel and spent their estates upon her and committed filthinesse with her Cap. 2. Ver. 20. which because the Angel winked at the Spirit sharply reproveth him And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write I know thy workes c. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee c. These Verses resemble the branches of the p Apoc. 22.2 tree of life which bare twelve maner of fruits 1. The first I gather from them is the dignity of the Ministers of the Gospel to whom the Son of God writeth stiling them Angels To the Angel of Ephesus of Smyrna c. 2. The second the difference of degrees in the Ministry for the Son of God endorseth his letter not to the inferiour Ministers which were many in each of these Churches but to the Angel in the singular number the Bishop or Super-intendent of the place to whom the government of the Church and ordering Ecclesiasticall affaires chiefly if not onely appertained 3. The third is the glorious majesty and divinity of our Saviour who was before stiled the Sonne of man but is here called the Sonne of God and described with eyes like a flame of fire piercing through the thickest darknesse and with feet like fine brasse walking through the midst of all the Churches and yet no way defiled according to the words of the Prophet the q Hos 14.9 waies of the Lord are undefiled 4. The fourth is mildnesse in just reproofe the physician of our soules who hath cured all our wounds with the smart of his prescribeth the weak Angel of Thyatira but one pill and that a gentle one yet see how he rowles it in sugar I know thy workes and thy love c. Of many faults he mentioneth but a few and of those few insisteth but upon one 5. The fifth is the condition of good workes to which foure things are required faith love service and patience they must be done in faith proceed from the love of God with a desire to doe him service thereby and lastly the performers of them must be constant in them and resolve patiently to endure all crosses and oppositions from men or Satan who seek to stay them in their godly proceedings 6. The sixth is growth in grace or proficiency in godlinesse those who were ever good are best at the last I know thy workes that they are more as the last than at the first 7. The seventh is the state and condition of the Church Militant which at the best is like the Moone at the full in which wee may discerne some blacke spots The sweetest r Eras Adag Omnibus malis punicis putridum granum inest Pomegranet hath some rotten graine the fairest beauty hath a freckle or wrinckle the most orient Ruby a cloud and the most reformed Church in the Christian world hath some deformity in her In ſ James 3.1 many things we offend all and many in all they are but a few against whom the Sonne of God hath but a few things Notwithstanding I have a few things 8. The eighth is the duty of a Magistrate who like a good Gardener is to plucke up noysome weeds by the rootes It is not sufficient for him to doe no evill he must not suffer it the Angel is not here blamed for any sin of commission or omission in himselfe but for the bare permission of evill in others I have somewhat against thee because thou sufferest 9. The ninth is a caution to looke to the weaker sexe for often the Divell maketh of them strong instruments to dispread the poyson of heresie t Hieron ad Ctes Simon Magus heresin condidit Helenae meretricis adjutus auxilio Nicolaus Antiochenus omnium immunditiarum repertor choros duxit foemineos Marcion Romam praemisit mulierem quae decipiendos sibi animos praepararet Simon Magus had his Helena Marcion his femall fore-runner Apelles his Philumena Montanus his Maximilla Donatus his Lucillia Elpidius his Agape Priscillian his Galla Arius the Prince his sister Nicolaus Antiochenus his feminine troupes and quires and all Arch-heretickes some strumpets or other to serve them for midwives when they were in travell with monstrous and mishapen heresies Thou sufferest the woman Jezebel Yet to doe the sexe right I willingly acknowledge with Flacius Illyricus that as the Divell hath used bad women in all times as Brokers to utter his deceitfull and dangerous wares so God hath made choice of many good women to be conduits of saving grace and great instruments of his glory Not to goe out of this City of Thyatira for instance we can produce a Lydia for a Jezebel where the Divell now vented poyson by the impure mouth of Jezebel God poured out before the sweet oyntment of the Gospel by the mouth of Lydia whose u Acts 16.14 heart he opened that shee attended to those things which were spoken of Paul 10. The tenth is an observation concerning the nature of Heresie which fretteth like a canker and if it be not looked to corrupteth the sound members of Christ Thou sufferest the woman Jezebel to seduce my servants 11. The eleventh is a consideration of the odious filthinesse of Idolatry which the Scripture termeth the soules naughtinesse and spirituall fornication To commit fornication 12. The last is a wholsome doctrine concerning the contagion of Idolatry which not only infecteth our bodies and soules but our meates and drinkes also and turneth the food of the body into the poyson of the soule to such as familiarly converse and table with Idolaters and feed upon the reliques of Idols sacrifices And to eate things offered unto Idols And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira Glorious things are spoken of you O yee Ministers of the Word and Sacraments Yee are stiled Embassadours of the King of Heaven Stewards of the houshold of faith Interpreters of the Oracles of God Dispensers of the mysteries of salvation Keepers of the Seales of grace Yee are the Salt of the earth the Light of the world the Starres of the skie nay the Angels of Heaven To the Angel The Ministers of the Gospel resemble Angels in many things 1. Angels are x Heb. 1.14 ministring spirits and the Preachers of the Gospel are spirituall Ministers 2. Angels according to the derivation of their name in Greeke are y Matth. 11.10 Malac. 3.1 messengers of God and the Ministers of the Gospel are z 1 John
word of God as it is written which here I must change and say Hearken unto the word of God as it writeth For to the Angel of Thyatira the second Person which is the Word of God thus writeth Write It is a great honour to receive a letter from a noble Personage how much more from the Sonne of God St. d Eâ— 40. Quid est aliud Scripture sacra n â—i quaedam epistola Omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam Gregorie excellently amplifieth upon this point in his epistle to Theodorus the Physician If your excellencie saith he were from the Court and should receive a letter from the Emperour you would never be quiet till you had opened it you would never suffer your eyes to sleepe nor your eye lids to slumber nor the temples of your head to take any rest till you had read it over againe and againe Behold the Emperour of heaven the Lord of men and Angels hath sent you a letter for the good of your soule and will you neglect to peruse it Peruse it my son studie it I pray thee meditate upon it day and night Where letters passe one from another there is a kinde of correspondencie and societie and such honour have all Gods Saints they have fellowship with the Father and the Sonne O let us not sleighten such a societie whereby we hold intelligence with heaven let us with all reverence receive and with all diligence peruse and with all carefulnesse answer letters and messages sent from the Sonne of God by returning sighes and prayers backe to heaven and making our selves in the Apostles phrase commendatorie letters written not with inke but with the Spirit Thus saith the Son of God Not by spirituall regeneration as all the children of promise are the sonnes of God but by eternall generation not by grace of adoption but by nature Who hath eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brasse Eyes like a flame of fire piercing through the thickest darknesse feete like brasse to support his Chuch and stamp to pouder whatsoever riseth up against it like fine brasse pure and no way defiled by walking through the midst of the golden candlestickes Wheresoever he walkes he maketh it holy ground Quicquid calcaverit hic rosa fiet There are three sorts of members in holy Scripture attributed to our head Christ Jesus 1 Naturall 2 Mysticall 3 Metaphoricall Naturall hee hath as perfect man Mysticall as head of the Church Metaphoricall as God By these members wee may divide all the learned Commentatours expositions They who follow the naturall or literall construction of the words apply this description to the members of Christs glorified body in Heaven which shine like flaming fire or metall glowing in a furnace But Lyra and Carthusian have an eye to Christ his mysticall eyes viz. Bishops and Pastours who are the over-seers of Christ his flocke resembling fire in the heat of their zeale and light of their knowledge whereby they direct the feet of Christ that is in their understanding his inferiour members on earth likened to fine brasse to set forth the purity of their conversation and described burning in a furnace to expresse their fiery tryall by martyrdome Alcasar by the feet of fine brasse understandeth the Preachers of the Word whom Christ sendeth into all parts to carry the Gospel Those feet which e Esay 52.7 Rom. 10.15 How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace Esay calleth beautifull Saint John here compareth to the finest brasse which f Beda in Apoc Pedes sunt Christiani in fine seculi qui similes erunt orichalcho quod est aes per ignem plura medicamina perductum ad auri colorem sic illi per acerbissimas persecutiones exercebuntur perducentur ad plenam charitatis fulgorem Beda and Haimo will have to bee copper rendring the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the most resplendent brasse such as was digged out of Mount Libanus but Orichalchum that is copper and thus they worke it to their purpose As brasse the matter of copper by the force of fire and strong waters and powders receiveth the tincture of gold so say they the Christians that shall stand last upon the earth termed in that respect Christs feet shall by many exercises of their patience and fiery tryalls of their faith be purified and refined and changed into precious metall and become golden members of a golden head I doe not utterly reject this interpretation of the mysticall eyes and feet of Christ nor the former of the naturall members of his glorified body because they carry a faire shew and goodly lustre with them yet I more encline to the third opinion which referreth them to the attributes of God For me thinkes I see in the fiery eyes the perfection of Christ his knowledge to which nothing can bee darke or obscure as also his vigilant zeale over his Church and the fiercenesse of his wrath against the enemies thereof Bullenger conceiveth our Saviour to be pourtrayed by the Spirit with eyes like a flame of fire because hee enlighteneth the eyes of the godly but Meyerus because he suddenly consumeth the wicked both the knowne properties of fire for in flaming fire there is both cleare light and intensive heat The light is an embleme of his piercing sight the heat of his burning wrath Where the eye is lightsome and the object exposed to it the eye must needs apprehend it but the Sonne of Gods eyes are most lightsome nay rather light it selfe in which there is no darknesse and g Heb. 4 13. all things lye open and naked before him yea the h Apoc. 2.23 heart and the reines which he searcheth In Courts of humane justice thoughts and intentions and first motions to evill beare no actions because they come not within the walke of mans justice but it will not be so at Christs Tribunall where the secrets of all hearts shall be opened Let no man then hope by power or fraud or bribes to smother the truth or bleare the eyes of the Judge of all flesh For his eyes like flames of fire dispell all darknesse and carry a bright light before them Let not the adulterer watch for the twi-light and when hee hath met with his wanton Dalila carry her into the inmost roomes and locke doore upon doore and then take his fill of love saying The shadow of the night and the privacy of the roome shall conceale mee For though none else be by and all the lights be put out yet he is seen and the Sonne of God is by him with eyes like a flaming fire Let not the Projector pretend the publike good when he intends nothing but to robbe the rich and cheate the poore Let not the cunning Papist under colour of decent ornaments of the Church bring in Images and Idols under colour of commemoration of the deceased bring in invocation of Saints departed under colour
heaven for them not to contest but to obtest not to attempt any thing against them but cedendo vincere to conquer them by yeelding But the Generall of the Romane military forces hath quite altered the ancient discipline by turning prayers into threats supplications into excommunications cries into alarums teares into bullets and words into swords and which is to be bewailed with bloudy teares the Garland of red Roses as Saint Cyprian sweetly termeth the Crowne of Martyrdome is put upon their heads not who dye for the faith but who kill not who shed their owne bloud but who draw the bloud not of Infidels but of Christians not of private persons but publike not of subjects but of Soveraignes The detestable oration of Pius made in the Conclave upon the news of the murder of the French King and the damnable Legend of Jaques Clement should not have moved me to have laid so fowle an aspersion upon any Romish Priests or Jesuites if I had not seen with my eyes at Paris the names of Old corne Garnet executed for the Powder Treason inserted into their Catalogue of Martyrs and heard also of certaine English Priests sharply censured for offering to pray for their soules because thereby they made scruple of their crowne of Martyrdome which according to their doctrine dischargeth all that are called unto it from Purgatory flames and giveth them present entrance into heaven O blessed Jesu are these of thy company didst thou make such a profession before Pontius Pilate didst thou teach thy Disciples to save mens soules by murdering their bodies to plant Religion and found thy Church by blowing up Parliaments are these of thy spirit that call not downe fire from heaven but rather call it up from hell to consume a whole Kingdome with a blaze and offer it up as a Holocaust to the Molock at Rome No d Bosquier in Evang. Domin fish will be caught in a bloudy net if they see but a drop spilt upon it they will swimme another way Therefore let all the fishers of men that cast the net of the Gospel into the sea of the world to take up soules looke henceforward that they bloud not their net with cruell persecutions and slaughter of Gods servants In the building of the materiall Temple there was heard no noise of any iron toole to shew that in stirres and broyles there is no building of Gods house As King-fishers breed in a calme sea so the Church exceedingly multiplyeth in the dayes of peace which long may we enjoy under our Solomon who deserveth as well the title of Preserver of the Peace as Defender of the Faith of the Church For what doth he not to take up quarrels and compose differences in all reformed Churches wherein God hath so blessed his zealous endeavours that as he hath hindred the growth of much cockle sowne by Vorstius and Bertius in the Low-countries so hee hath cleane cut off two heads of controversies lately arising one in the place of the other in France the former concerning the imputation of Christs active obedience the latter concerning his immunity from the Law As for his love to his Nathans and infinite desire of repairing the Temple I cannot speake more than you all conceive What then is the cause that so good a worke goeth on so slowly How commeth it to passe that in so many places of this Land the Spouse of Christ lieth sick of a consumption crying pitifully Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I faint I swoune I dye Whose fault is it that many hundreds of soules for whom Christ shed his precious bloud are like to famish perish for the want of the bread of life and there is none to breake it unto them It seemeth strange to mee that in France and other countries where the poore flocke of Christ Jesus is miserably fleeced and fleaed by the Romish Clergy yet they finde meanes to maintaine a Preacher in every congregation and that in divers places of this Kingdome where neither the wild Bore of the forrest digges at the roote of ouâ— Vine nor the wild Beast of the field browseth upon the branches thereof there should not be sufficient allowance no not for an insufficient Curate Elie's zeale was none of the hottest yet he made no reckoning of his private losse in comparison of the publike when he heard the messenger relate the flâ—ght of Israel and the death of his two sonnes Hophni and Phineas he was mentis compos and fate quietly in his chaire but as soone as mention was made of the taking of the Arke hee presently fell downe backward and gave up the Ghost Deare Christians many living Temples of the Holy Ghost have bin lately surprised by Papists yet no man taketh it to heart The Jewes as Josephus reporteth in the siege of Jerusalem though they were constrained themselves to eate Mice Rats and worse Vermine yet alwaies brought faire and fat beasts to the Temple for sacrifices And Livie testifieth that when the Tribunes complained of want of gold in the treasury to offer to Apollo the Mations of Rome plucked off their chaines bracelets and rings and freely offered them to the Priests to supply that defect in the service of their gods I pray God these Painims and Infidels be not brought in at the day of Judgement to condemne many of our great professours who care not how the Temple falls to decay so their houses stand have no regard how God is served so they bee well attended take no thought though the Arke be under the curtaines so they be under a rich canopy or at least a sure roofe who are so farre from offering to God things before abused to pride and luxury that they abuse to pride and luxury things by their religious ancestors offered unto God who with Zeba and Zalmunna having taken the houses of God into their possession lay out the price of bloud the price of soules upon riotous feasting gorgeous apparrell vaine shewes Hawkes Hounds and worse What sinne may be compared to this that turneth those things to maintaine sinne that should convert many unto righteousnesse How is it possible that they should escape Gods vengeance who nourish pride with sacriledge maintaine luxury with murder not of bodies but of soules whom they and their heires starve by keeping back the Ministers maintenance who should feed them with the bread of life What boldnesse is it nay what presumption what contempt of divine majesty what abominable profanenesse and impiety to breake open the doores of the Tabernacle and rifle the Arke of the Covenant and rob God himselfe No marvell therefore if hee have shewed extraordinary judgements upon such felons as he did upon Achan who payed deare for his Babylonish raiment for it cost him all his goods and his e Judg. 7.25 And all Israel stoned him with stones burned him with fire after they had stoned him with stones life too and the life of his sonnes
danger of the Councell but whosoever shall say thou Foole shall bee in danger of hell fire Here say they wee may see that there are two punishments lesse than hell fire and that hee onely is in danger of it who breaketh out into that outrage to raile at his brothet and call him foole not hee who is unadvisedly angry Whereupon they inferre that the last of the three sinnes mentioned by our Saviour is mortall not the two former Their second allegation is out of z Mat. 7.5 Moat out of thy brothers eye Matth. 7. and a Luk. 6.41 Luk. 6. and 1 Cor. 3. and such other texts of Scriptures in which some sinnes are compared to very light things as to b 1 Cor. 3.12 Hay and stubble hay to stubble to a moat to a * Mat. 5.26 The uttermost farthing farthing Surely say they they cannot bee grievous and weighty sinnes which are compared to such light or vile things of no value Their third allegation is out of Saint James c Jam. 1.15 Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Marke say they not every sinne nor sinne in every degree but when it is come to its perfection bringeth forth death whereby hee insinuateth that no sinnes are mortall but those which are consummate brought into act and committed with full consent of the will The fourth is out of d Mat. 12.36 Matth. 12. I say unto you yee shall give an account for every idle word at the day of judgement Hee saith not wee shall bee condemned for every idle word but onely that wee shall bee called to answere for it as wee shall be for all sinnes Sol. 1 To the first allegation wee answere That no doctrine of faith may bee grounded upon a meere parable as the Schooles rightly determine Theologia parabolica non est argumentativa Now that which our Saviour here speaketh of three severall punishments is spoken by allusion to the proceedings in the Civill Courts in Judaea and all that can bee gathered from thence is but this That as there are differences of sinnes so there shall bee differences of punishments hereafter Secondly hell fire is no more properly taken for the torment of the damned than the other two the danger of the Councell and of Judgement which all confesse to bee taken figuratively and analogically Thirdly Maldonate the Jesuite ingenuously confesseth that by Councell and Judgement the eternall death of the soule is understood yet with this difference that a lesse degree of torment in hell is understood by the word Judgement than Councell and a lesse by Councell than by gehenna ignis that is the fire in the valley of Hinnom Sol. 2 To the second allegation wee answere First that though some sinnes in comparison of others may bee said light and to have the like proportion to more grievous sinnes as a moat in the eye hath to a beame a farthing to a pound yet that no sinne committed against God may bee simply tearmed light but like the talent of lead mentioned Zech. 1.5 Whereupon Saint e Super Ezek. l. 2. Omne peccatum grave est Gregory inferreth Every sinne is heavie and ponderous and Saint f Jer. Epitaph Paulae Ita levia peccata deflebat ut gravissimotum scelerum diceres ream Et ep 14. Nescio an possemus leve aliquod peccatum dicere quod in Dei contemptum admittitur Jerome writeth of Paula That shee so bewailed light sinnes that is such as are commonly so esteemed that a man would have thought her guilty of grievous crimes and hee elsewhere yeeldeth a good reason for it Because saith he I know not how wee may say any thing is light whereby the divine Majesty is sleighted Secondly admitting that some sinnes are to bee accounted no bigger than moats yet as a moat it it bee not taken out of the eye hindereth the sight so the least sinne hindereth grace and if it bee not repented of or pardoned for Christs sake is sufficient to damne the soule of the sinner Thirdly neither Christ by the farthing in the fifth of Matthew understandeth sinne nor the Apostle by hay and stubble lesser or veniall sinnes but Christ by farthing understandeth the last payment of debt Saint Paul light and vaine doctrines which are to bee tryed by the fire of the Spirit For in that place the Apostle by fire cannot meane the fire of Purgatory because gold and silver are tryed that is precious doctrines or good workes by the fire Saint Paul there speaketh of whereas Purgatory fire is for mens persons to cleanse and purge them from their lesser sinnes as the Papists teach Sol. 3 To the third allegation we answer That the Apostle is so farre from denying in that place that all sinnes are mortall that on the contrary he there sheweth how all sinnes become mortall and in the end bring the sinner to eternall death What lesser sinne than lust or a desire in the mind yet this as Saint James affirmeth hath strength enough to conceive sinne and sinne when it is finished to bring forth death Sol. 4 To the fourth allegation we answer That the same phrase is used concerning all kindes of sinnes yea those that are greatest and most grievous as we reade in Athanasius Creed All men shall rise againe with their owne bodies and give an account of their owne workes and if their account be not the better that dreadfull sentence shall passe against them Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire Let us lay all these particulars together and the totall arising out of them will be this That though there be a great difference of sinnes whereof some are lighter compared to a fescu or moate others heavier compared to a beame some smaller likened to gnats others greater to g Mat. 23.24 camels some easier to account for resembled to mites or farthings others with more difficulty as talents and in like manner although there are divers degrees of punishments in hell fire as there were divers degrees of civill punishments among the Jewes yet that we are accountable for the least sinnes and that the weakest desire and suddenest motion to evill is concupiscence which if it be not killed in us by grace will conceive sinne and that sinne when it is consummate will bring forth death We need no more fightings the truth hath already gotten the victory by the weapons of her sworne enemies and Goliah is already slaine with his owne sword yet that yee may know how strong the doctrine of our Church is I will bring forth and muster some of her trained band First we have two uncontrollable testimonies out of the booke of Deuteronomy h Deut. 27.26 30.19 Cursed is hee that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them and Behold I have set before you this day life and good death and evill blessing and cursing The former is cited by Saint Paul to prove that all that hoped to be justified by the
praeparare inposterum bona justis quibus non fruerentur injusti malâ—â—mpiis quibus non cruciabuntur justi ista verò temporalia bona mala utrisque voluit esse communia ut nec bona câ—â—â—â—ius appetantur quae mali quoque habere cernuntur nec mala turpiùs evitentur quibus boni plerunque afâ—iciuntur Austine It pleased divine providence to prepare hereafter good things for the righteous wherein the wicked shall not partake with them and evills for the wicked wherewith the righteous shall never bee troubled but as for these temporall good things and evill hee would have them in some sort common to both that neither the blessings of this life should be too greedily desired in which wicked men have a share neither crosses and afflictions too fearfully avoided which we see fall often to the lot of the righteous In summe neither prosperity nor adversity nor affluence of earthly blessings nor afflictions are infallible demonstrations of Gods love nor certaine and inseparable notes of Christs Church Afflictions may be though usually they are not in them that feare God judgements of wrath and temporall blessings may be though usually in most men they are not tokens of Gods love Therefore let us not set our heart and affections upon worldly goods because they are often the portions of the wicked neither yet let us set our hearts wholly against them because they may fall to the lot of the righteous and do when they may further and not hinder their eternall salvation Let us not desire the greatest preferments of this world with Gods hatred nor refuse the greatest crosses with his love Let us not repine at the temporall felicity of the wicked which endeth in eternall misery nor be dismayed at the temporall infelicity of the godly because it endeth in everlasting felicity Let prosperity commend our charity and temperance and adversity our courage and patience Let us doe for Christ in the one and suffer for him in the other and in both estates admire his provident justice and for both sanctified unto us praise his gracious goodnesse Cui c. THE OYLE OF THYME THE XLIX SERMON REV. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Right Honourable c. PLutarch in his Treatise of the a Plut. de anim tranquil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. tranquility of the mind writeth that though Thyme be a most dry and bitter herbe yet that not only the Apothecaries draw an wholsome oyle out of it but also that the Bees extract from thence sweet hony This dry and bitter herb is affliction to the taste of most men yet out of it we have drawne both a wholsome oyle to cure a wounded conscience and hony also to delight the spirituall taste Oyle out of the nature of afflictions which are chastenings and hony out of the cause Gods love As many as I love I rebuke and chasten In this Text the parts answer the number of the words the arguments the parts the comforts the arguments as I have declared heretofore yet they all with much adoe draw our assent to this conclusion That we are not to rise up at nor to faint under Gods correcting hand For the doctrine of enduring affliction is durus sermo quis potest ferre a hard speech who can endure it Albeit we know that God hath the chiefe stroake therein and all his dearest children have part with us yet we grudge at them though we are taught even by God himselfe that they are effects of his love and causes of our good yet we are dismayed at them So bladder-like is the soule of man that being filled with earthly vanities though but wind it groweth great and swelleth in pride but if it be pricked with the least pin or smallest needle of piercing griefe it presently shriveleth to nothing Afflictions are pillulae lucis pills made on purpose to cleare the eye-sight prescribed by a most tender and skilfull Physician gilt over with the names of chastenings and fatherly corrections and sugered with the love of God yet they will not downe nay it is well if it be not so ill with many of us that we returne him bitter words for his bitter pills and storme against him who hereby bringeth to us the quiet fruit of righteousnesse insani adversus antidotum quo fani esse possimus growing mad against the remedy of our madnesse For are we not come to that passe Ut nec morbos nec remedia ferre possimus that we can neither endure our pain nor abide the cure b Rom. 5.3 Tribulation saith the Apostle bringeth patience It should doe so indeed and through the power of grace it doth so in perfect Christians but the contrary is verified in the greater part of men Tribulation bringeth impatience not of it selfe but according to the disposition of the patient as wholsome potions given to generate good bloud in a fowle stomach turne to choler In this case the Physicians prescribe purges Purges are to bee given according to the nature of the humour to be purged and therefore the cure of the malady begins at the knowledge of the cause which in this will be found to be the reliques of originall corruption nourished by the ill dyet of the soule immoderately glutting her selfe with sensuall delights and much increased by false opinions To begin with the sinke of originall sinne sending up noisome fumes and vapours which distemper the inward man Of other things as peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost we easlier speake than conceive them and easlier conceive them what they may be in others than sensibly apprehend them in our selves but wee feele rather than understand and understand better than wee can expresse this hereditary disease and habituall depravation of our whole nature It is that corrupt humour or malignant quality drawne from the loynes of our first parents which tainteth our bloud surpriseth our vitall faculties stoppeth or much hindereth the motions of Gods Spirit and the operations of this grace in us so that wee neither can doe nor suffer the will of God without regret and reluctancy It is the prima materia of all diseases the tinder of naturall lusts easily set on fire with hell it disposeth us to all evill and breedeth in us an aversnesse from all good it is not subject to the c Rom. 7.23 Law of God neither can it be it rebelleth against the law of our mind and enthralleth us to sin and Sathan and even after we are freed from the dominion of sinne so fettereth our feet that we cannot with any expedition run the wayes of Gods commandements Though the prosperous gales of Gods Spirit drive us toward the haven where we would be yet the main tide of our corruption runneth so strong the contrary way that we much float and saile but flowly Saint Peter no doubt after our Saviour acquainted him with the kind of death whereby he was to glorifie God
and all the ingredients of that bitter cup which our Saviour prayed thrice that it o Mat. 26.44 might passe from him We have viewed the root and the branches let us now gather some of the fruit of the tree of the crosse Christs passion may be considered two maner of wayes 1. Either as a story simply 2. Or as Gospel The former consideration cannot but breed in us griefe hatred griefe for Christ his sufferings and hatred of all that had their hand in his bloud the latter will produce contrary affâ—ctions joy for our salvation and love of our Saviour For to consider and meditate upon our Saviours passion as Gospel is to conceive and by a speciall faith to beleeve that his prayers and strong cries are intercessions for us his obedience our merit his sufferings our satisfactions that we are purged by his sweat quit by his taking clothed by his stripping healed by his stripes justified by his accusations absolved by his condemnation ransomed by his bloud and saved by his crosse These unspeakable benefits which ye have conceived by the Word ye are now to receive by the Sacrament if ye come prepared thereunto for they who come prepared to participate of these holy mysteries receive with them and by them though not in them the body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour and thereby shall I say they become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone nay rather he becommeth flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone The spirit which raised him quickneth them and preserveth in them the life of grace and them to the life of glory Howbeit as the sweetest meats turne into p Cal. l. 4. instit c. 14. sec 40. Quemadmodum sacrum hunc panem coenae Domini spiritualem esse cibum videmus suavem delicatum non minus quà m salutiferum piis Dei cultoribus cujus gustu sentiunt Christum esse suam vitam quos ad gratiarum actionem erigit quibus ad mutuam inter se charitatem exhortatio est ita rursus in nocentissimum venenum omnibus vertitur quorum fidem non alit non aliter ac cibus corporalis ubi ventrem offendit vitiosis humoribus occupatum ipse quoque vitiosus corruptus nocet magis quà m nutrit choler in a distempered stomach so this heavenly Manna this food of Angels nay this food which Angels never tasted proves no better than poyson to them whose hearts are not purified by faith nor their consciences purged by true repentance and charity from uncleannesse worldlinesse envie malice ranckour and the like corrupt affections If a Noble man came to visit us how would we cleanse and perfume our houses what care would we take to have all the roomes swept hung and dressed up in the best manner Beloved Christians we are even now to receive and entertaine the Prince of Heaven and the Son of God let us therefore cleanse the inward roomes of our soules by examination of our whole life wash them with the water of our penitent teares dresse them up with divine graces which are the sweetest flowers of Paradise perfume them with most fragrant spices and aromaticall odours which are our servent prayers zealous meditations and elevated affectious tuned to that high straine of the sweet Singer of Israel Lift ye up ye gates and be ye q Psal 24.9 lift up ye everlasting doores and the King of glory shall come in Cui c. THE REWARD OF PATIENCE THE LII SERMON PHILIP 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him Right Honourable c. THe drift of the blessed Apostle in the former part of this chapter to which my Text cohereth is to quench the fire-bals of contention cast among the Philippians by proud and ambitious spirits who preached the Gospel of truth not in truth and sincerity but in faction and through emulation Phil. 1.15 Some indeed preach Christ out of envie and strife This fire kindled more and more by the breath of contradiction and nourished by the ambition of the teachers and factious partaking of the hearers Saint Paul seeketh to lave out partly with his owne teares partly with Christs bloud both which he mingleth in a passionate exhortation at the entrance of this chapter If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercies fulfill yee my joy bee yee like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory Look not every man to his owne things but every man also to the things of others Let the same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God But made himselfe of no reputation c. In this context all other parts are curiously woven one in the other only there is a bracke at the fifth verse which seemes to have no connexion at all with the former for the former were part of a zealous admonition to brotherly love and christian reconciliation add this to voluntary obedience and humiliation in those he perswaded them to goe together as friends in this to give place one to the other in those he earnestly beseecheth them to be of one mind among themselves in this to be of the same mind with Christ Jesus Now peace and obedience love and humility seeme to have no great affinity one with the other for though their natures be not adverse yet they are very divers Howbeit if ye look neerer to the texture of this sacred discourse ye shall find it all closely wrought and that this exhortation to humility to which my Text belongeth hath good coherence with the former and is pertinent to the maine scope of the Apostle which was to re-unite the severed affections and reconcile the different opinions of the faithfull among the Philippians that they might all both agree in the love of the same truth and seeke that truth in love This his holy desire he could not effect nor bring about his godly purpose before he had beat down the partition wall that was betwixt them which because it was erected by pride could be no otherwise demolished than by humility The contentions among the people grew from emulation among the Pastors and that from vaine glory As sparkes are kindled by ascending of the smoake so all quarrels and contentions by ambitious spirits the a Judg. 5.16 divisions of Reuben are haughty thoughts of heart A high conceit of their owne and a low value and under rate of the gifts of others usually keep men from yeelding one to the other upon good termes of Christian charity Wherefore the Apostle like a wise Physician applyeth his spirituall remedy not so much parti laesae to the part where the malady brake forth as to the cause the vanitie of the Preachers and pride of the hearers after this manner Christ
scelus exprobrare viderentur lib. c. 23. Homines malunt exempla quam verba c. Lactantius to imitate the vices of Princes and Nobles is a Court-complement nay a part of the service and obsequiousnesse due to their persons all men in Jupiters time castaway the feare of God lest they should seeme to upbraid ungodlinesse to their King Wherefore no marvell sith Ahab was starke lame on his right leg that the Israelites here after the manner of Clisophus followed him limping looking sometimes to Gods Altar sometimes to Baals O the subtiltie of the enemie of our soules how many fetches and turnings hath that wily Serpent to get in his head if he get it not one way by Atheisme nor the contrarie by Superstition yet hee hath a third way to slide in by indifferencie Whom he cannot bring to coldnesse in the true religion or hot eagernesse in the false he laboureth with a soft fire to make luke-warme as he did the people of Israel to whom hee suggested these or the like thoughts Alas what shall we doe we are even at our wits end our weake and weather beaten bark is betwixt two rocks stand still wee cannot the wind is so strong If wee steere one way wee make shipwrack of our lives and goods if the other of faith and a good conscience to this streight we are driven either we must forsake our religion or trench upon our allegeance God and the King stand in competition Neither as the matter now standeth is it possible to serve much lesse please both if wee cleave stedfastly to God wee shall be cloven in peeces and hewen asunder by Ahab if we cleave not to him wee forsake our owne mercie and the rocke of our salvation if wee burne incense to Baal we shall frie our selves in hell fire if we sacrifice unto God Ahab will mingle our owne bloud with our sacrifices Wee must needs indanger either our soules or our bodies our estate or our conscience Why is there no meanes to save both Wee hope there is by dividing our selves betweene God and Baal God shall have the one and Baal the other our heart wee will keepe for God but Baal shall have our hands and knees at his service though wee visit Baals groves Baal shall never come into our thoughts even then when we offer incense unto Baal we will offer the incense of our prayers on the Altar of our heart to the God of our fathers By this meanes wee are sure to hold faire quarter with Ahab and we hope also to keepe in with God to whom we give the better part Yea but this is no better than halting betweene both Be it so is it not better to halt thinke you than to lose both legs And what shame is it for us thus to halt sith the Prince and chiefe Priests doe no otherwise They are our guides and if they mislead us let them beare the blame As the people thus reasoned with themselves and after much swagging on both sides in the end came to fix and resolve upon this middle way out commeth the Prophet Elijah and fearing no colours presenteth himselfe first to Ahab and afterward to the people by Ahab hee is entertained with this discourteous salutation Art thou hee that troubleth Israel How darest thou appeare in my presence The Prophet as well appointed with patience to beare as the King armed with rage to strike encountreth the King on this wise It is not I that trouble Israel but thou and thy fathers house in that yee have forsaken the commandements of the Lord and have followed Baal Wee see here by the freedome of the Prophets reproofe that though the servants of God may be in bonds yet the word of God is not bound nay it bindeth Ahab and all his servants to their good behaviour they cannot stirre hand or foot against the Prophet They are so farre from silencing him that in Gods name hee commands them saying Send and gather unto me all Israel unto Mount Carmel and the Prophets of Baal foure hundred and fifty and the Prophets that eat at Jezebels table The King taketh the word from Elijah and gives it to the people and a Parliament is on the sudden assembled wherein Elijah is the speaker his speech is an invective against unsettled neutrality and dissembling in matter of religion unsettlednesse is taxed in the word halt indifferency in the words betweene two opinions dissembling and temporizing in the words following if the Lord be God follow him How long halt yee betweene two opinions The Prophet here useth no flourish at all no prolusion after the manner of Fencers but presently hee fals to blowes and that so smart that he stunned his adversaries for so we read they answered him never a word c Cic. Catil 2. Quousque tandem abutêre Catilina patientiâ nostrâ Phil. 2. Quâ—niam meo fâ—o fieri dicam P.C. Muret. orat Ergo hoc miseris Gallis c. How long halt yee An abrupt Exordium becommeth a man that is in a vehement passion such an one now surprized Elijah the Baalites profaning Gods name polluting his Altars slaying his Prophets heat him above his ordinary constitution In such a case as this was to have been luke-warm had been little better than key-cold When God is highly dishonoured the true religion wronged grosse idolatry patronized not to bee moved is an argument either of insincerity or cowardice Patientia digna omni impatientiâ Such patience is insufferable such silence is a crying sinne such temper a distemper Wherefore no marvell if Elijahs spirit in which there was alwayes an intensive heat now flamed and his words were no other than so many sparks of fire How long halt yee betweene two opinions Not why but how not doe ye now but how long will ye not lose or misse your way or goe awry but halt not in a wrong path but betweene two wayes How aggravateth the unseemelinesse of their gate by their manner long by the continuance halt by the deformity betweene two opinions by the uncertainty Is it not a most shamefull thing to halt after an unseemely manner for a long time betweene two wayes not certaine which to take or leave Out of the manner of Elijahs reproofe observe the duty of a faithfull Minister of God when just cause is given to bee round with his hearers and to reprove them plainly calling halting halting if they do not so they halt in their duty and the vengeance of God is like to overtake them denounced by the Prophet Jeremie d Jer. 23.31 32 Behold I will come against the Prophets that have sweet tongues and say He saith Behold I am against them that prophesie false dreames saith the Lord and doe tell them and cause my people to erre by their lyes and by their lightnesse yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit this people at all But because this note sorteth not well with this time
and this queere I leave it and insist rather upon those that follow the first whereof is the consideration of the time or rather duration of this infirmity in the people How long They that are sound in their limbes may by a small straine or blow upon their legs halt for a while but sure long to halt is a signe of some dangerous spraine or rupture now this people as it should seeme halted in this manner at least three yeeres The strongest and soundest Christian sometimes halteth in his minde betweene two opinions nay which is worse betweene religion and superstition faith and diffidence hope and despaire but hee halts not long Christ by his word and spirit cureth him As in our bodies so in our soules we have some distempers doubts suddenly arise in our minds as sparks out of the fire which yet are quenched in their very ascending and appeare not at all after the breath of Gods spirit hath kindled a flame of truth in our understanding Heresies and morall vices are like quagmires wee may slightly passe over them without any great danger but the longer we stand upon them the deeper wee sinke and if wee bee not drowned over head and eares in them yet we scape not without much mire and dirt Hereof e Confess lib. 3. c. 11. Novem ferme anni sunt quibus ego in illo limo profundi tenebris falsitatis cum saepius surgere conarer gravius alliderer volutatus sum S. Augustine had lamentable experience during the space of many yeeres in which he stucke fast in the heresie of the Manichees Had I but saith he slipt onely into the errour of the Manichees and soone got out of it my case had beene lesse fearefull and dangerous but God knowes that for almost nine yeares I wallowed in that mud the more I strived to get out the faster I stucke in Beloved if wee have not beene so happy as to keepe out of the walke of the ungodly yet let us bee sure not to stand in the way of sinners much lesse sit in the seat of the scornefull if wee are not so pure and cleane as we desire at least let us not with Moab settle upon the lees of our corruption if wee ever have halted as Jacob did yet let us not long halt with the Israelites whom here Elijah reproveth saying How long Halt yee It may be and is very likely that many of the Israelites ran to Baals groves and altars and yet they were liable to this reproofe of Elijah For though we run never so fast in a wrong way we doe no better than halt before God Better halt saith S. Austine in the way than run out of the way This people did neither they neither ran out of the way nor limped in the way but halted betweene two wayes and missed both Betweene two opinions Had they beene in the right way yet halting in it the night might have overtaken them before they came to the period of their journey but now being put out of their way and moving so slowly as they did though the Sun should haue stood still as it did in the valley of Ajalon they were sure never to arrive in any time to the place where they would be Yet had they beene in any way perhaps in a long time it would have brought them though not home yet to some baiting place but now being betweene two waies their case was most desperate yet this is the case of those whom the world admireth for men of a deep reach discreet carriage they are forsooth none of your Simon Zelotes Ahab shall never accuse them as hee doth here Elijah for troubling Israel with their religion they keepe it close enough whatsoever they beleeve in private if at least they beleeve any thing they in publike wil be sure to take the note from the Srate either fully consort with it or as least strike so soft a stroake that they will make no jarre in the musick Besides other demonstrations of the folly of these men their very inconstancy and unsettlednesse convinceth them of it for mutability and often changing even in civill affaires that are most subject to change is an argument of weaknesse but inconstancie in religion which is alwayes constant in the same is a note of extreme folly Whence it is that the spirit of God taxeth this vice under that name as Oh yee foolish Galatians who hath bewitchâ—d you Are yee so foolish f Chap. 3.1 3 4. having begun in the Spirit are yee now made perfect in the flesh Have yee suffered so many things in vaine And g Ephes 4.14 Be not like children tossed to and fro and carried about with everie wind of doctrine If religion be not only the foundation of Kingdomes and Common-wealths but also of everie mans private estate what greater folly or rather madnesse can there be than to build all the h Matth. 7.26 securitie of our present and hope of our future well-fare upon a sandie foundation He that heareth my words and doth them not is likened to a foolish man which buildeth his house upon the sand All the covenants betweene God and us of all that we hold from his bountie are with a condition of our service and fealtie which sith a man unsettled in religion neither doth nor ever can performe hee can have no assurance of any thing that hee possesseth no content in prosperitie no comfort in adversitie no right to the blessings of this life no hope of the blessednesse of the life to come what religion soever gaine heaven he is sure to lose it Whether the Lord be God or Baal be God neither of them will entertaine such halting servitours Were he not worthy to be begged for a foole that after much cautiousnesse and reservednesse would make his bargaine so that he were sure to sit downe with the losse such matches maketh the worldly-wise man howsoever the world goe whether the true or the false religion prevaile in the State while hee continueth resolved of neither hee is sure to lose the pearle which the rich merchant sold all that he had to buy What shall I speak of inward wars and conflicts in his conscience Now he hath strong inducements to embrace the Gospel shortly after meeting with a cunning Jesuit he is perswaded by him that he is an Enfant perdue out of all hope of salvation if he be not reconciled to the Roman Church the next day falling aboord with the brethren of the separation he beginneth to thinke the Brownists the onely pure and refined Christians for all other Christians if we beleeve them build upon the foundation hay and stubble but they gold silver and precious stones When he is out of these skirmishes and at leisure to commune with his owne heart his conscience chargeth him with Atheisme indifferencie in religion and hollow-hearted neutralitie Adde we hereunto the judgement of all understanding men who esteeme such as
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
contra religionem nostram dicuntur horrete sed etiam quae pro religione ipsi dicimus cum grandi metu dicere debeamus Salvianus professeth that hee wrote in defence of the true religion in feare and trembling To the end therefore that the Apostles who were appointed to be Pastores pastorum Pastors of pastors and Doctors of Divinity through the whole world might not speake of him who dwelleth in a light which none can approach unto without light the holy Ghost on this day cast his beames upon them shining in the fiery cloven tongues The tongues appeared cloven saith Saint c Bernard serm de Pent. Sunt dispertitae linguae propter multiplices cogitationes sed earum multiplicitas uno lumine veritatis uno charitatis fervore fit tanquam ignis Bernard to represent the multiplicity of thoughts yet the multiplicity of them shined in one light of truth and one fervour of charity as it were one fire There appeared new lightnings saith d Câ—rysol serm de Pent. Nova lucis fulgura coruscâ—runt micantium splendor linguaruÌ„ igneae ut scirent quod loquerentur linguae ut loquerentur quod scirent Chrysologus in the aire and the lustre of shining tongues shining to give them light that they might know what they spake and tongues to give them eloquence whereby they might utter what they knew This apparition as it was very strange so to outward appearance also most dreadfull for it was an apparition of a spirit and that in fire and this fire cast it selfe into the shape of tongues and these tongues were cloven Of all sights apparitions of spirits most affright us of all apparitions of spirits those in fire most dazle our eyes and never fire before seene in these shapes sitting upon the heads of any Yet was it a most comfortable apparition because it was the manifestation of the Comforter himselfe The Spirit was no evill spirit but the holy Ghost the fire was no consuming but only an enlightening flame the tongues proclaimed not warre but spake peace to the Apostles neither did the cleaving of them in sunder betoken the spirit of contradiction or division amongst them but the diversitie of languages wherewith they were furnished neither did the fire sitting on them singe their haire but rather crowne their heads with gifts and graces befitting the teachers of the whole world Let the seeming and outward terrour then of the signes serve to stirre up your attention to listen to what the tongues speake unto you and yee shall finde the fire of the spirit at your hearts to enlighten your thoughts and enflame your affections and purge out the drosse of your naturall corruptions Lo here 1. An apparition of tongues 2. Tongues of fire 3. Fire sitting 1. Tongues cloven and floating in the aire a strange sight 2. Tongues as of fire a strange matter 3. Fire sitting a strange posture Of which before I can freely discourse I must loosen three knots which I finde tyed upon the words of my text 1. By Grammarians 2. By Philosophers 3. By Divines The first is how doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sedit in the singular number agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or linguae in the plurall The second whether was the miracle in the tongues of the Apostles or in the eares of the hearers For either way it might come to passe that men of severall languages might heare them speake in their severall tongues the wonderfull works of God The third how was the holy Ghost united to these tongues hypostatically or sacramentally The first knot is thus untyed either that there is an errour in our copies vitio scriptoris writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for α or that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to bee construed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignis not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it sate that is the fire upon each of them The second is thus dissolved the miracle was in the tongues of the Apostles for e Mark 16.17 Christ promised that they should speake with new tongues not that their hearers should heare with new eares Yee saith f Act. 1.5 Christ shall be baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire not many dayes hence and accordingly the Apostles saw fierie cloven togues not cloven eares and the fire g 1 Cor. 14.2 sate upon them it licked not the eares of their auditours Moreover it is evident out of the Epistle to the Corinthians that many who were endued with the gift of tongues might and did use it in the assembly of the faithfull when they that heard them understood them not which could not be if the miraculous gift had beene in their eares and not in their teachers tongues The third knot is thus loosened the holy Ghost was united to these tongues neither hypostatically nor sacramentally but symbolically only If hee had beene united to them hypostatically the Apostles might and ought to adore the Spirit in them and the fire might as truely have beene said the holy Ghost as the man Christ to be God Neither were the wind and fire Sacraments because no seales of the covenant no conduits of saving grace of no permanent or perpetuall use S. i Tract 99. in Johan Non magis ad unitatem personae spiritui sancto hic ignis fuit conjunctus ut ex illo Deo una persona constaret quam columba Matth. 3. ista enim facta sunt de creaturâ serviente non de ipsâ dominante naturà Austine thus resolveth This fire cut out as it were into severall portions like tongues was no otherwise united to the holy Ghost than the Dove Matth. 3. neither of which was so assumed as that of it and God one person consisted the Spirit in these apparitions useth the creature but united not himselfe unto it personally or substantially And there appeared In the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were seene for it was no delusion of sense but a true and reall apparition the Apostles with their eyes beheld them and with their tongues testified the truth of this apparition of tongues False religions such as the Pagan and Popish make use of false apparitions and lying wonders whereby they bleare the eyes and seduce the soules of the simple but the true religion as it disalloweth all sophisticall arguments and false shewes of reason so also it disavoweth all false apparitions and deceivable signes The witch at Endor raised up a man or rather a spirit in the likenesse of Samuel who never was seene after that day he communed with Saul but those whom our Saviour raised lived many dayes if not yeeres after Conjurers and Inchanters set before their guests daintie dishes in shew and appearance but their greater hunger after them is an evident demonstration that the Divell all the while fed their fancies with Idaeas and resemblances and not their stomacks with solid meats but our Lord when hee k
Joh. 6.10 11 12 13. multiplyed the loaves and fishes hee gave this sensible and undeniable proofe of the truth of this miracle both by saturitie in the stomacks of the people and by substantiall remnants thereof in the baskets When they were filled saith the Evangelist hee said to his disciples Gather the fragments that remaine that nothing be lost Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above to them that had eaten Cloven tongues The holy Ghost which now first appeared in the likenesse of tongues moved the tongues of all the Prophets that have spoken since the world began For the l 2 Pet. 1.21 prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Of all the parts of the body God especially requireth two the heart the tongue the heart whereby m Rom. 10.10 man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and the tongue whereby he maketh confession unto salvation the heart to love God the tongue to praise him Out of which consideration the Heathen as Plutarch observeth dedicated the Peach-tree to the Deitie because the fruit thereof resembleth the heart of man and the leafe his tongue And to teach us that the principall use of our tongue is to sound out the praises of our maker the Hebrew calleth the tongue Cobod that is glory as My heart was glad n Psal 16.9 30.13 57.9 Buxtorph Epit radic and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my tongue also Hebrew my glory also rejoyceth They who glorifie not God with their tongue may be truly said to have no tongue in the Hebrew language and verily they deserve no tongues who make them not silver trumpets to sound out the glory of God And if such forfeit their tongues how much more doe they who whet them against God and his truth whose mouths are full of cursing and bitternesse direfull imprecations and blasphemous oathes These have fierie tongues but not kindled from heaven but rather as S. o Chap. 3.6 James speaketh set on fire of hell and their tongues also are cloven by schisme faction and contention not as these in my text for a mysticall signification Cloven Some by cloven understand linguas bifidas two-forked tongues and they will have them to be an embleme of discretion and serpentine wisdome others linguas dissectas slit tongues like the tongues of such birds as are taught to speake and these conceive them to have beene an embleme of eloquence For such kinde of tongues p Hieroglyph l. 33. Pierius affirmeth that the Heathen offered in sacrifice to Mercurie their god of eloquence and they made them after a sort fierie by casting them into the fire ad expurgandas perperam dictorum labes to purge out the drosse of vain discourses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tongues parted at the top but joyned at the roote and they represented saith q In Act. Quia in proximo debebant dividi in omnes terras Gorrhan the dispersion of the Apostles which after ensued into all countries These tongues were not of fire but As it were of fire The matter of which these tongues consisted was not grosse and earthly but aeriall or rather heavenly like the fire which r Exod. 3.2 Moses saw in the bush for as that so this had the light but not the burning heat of fire It is not said of fires in the plurall but of fire in the singular number because as the silver trumpets were made all of one piece so these twelve tongues were made of one fierie matter to illustrate the diversitie of gifts proceeding from the same spirit And it sate Sitting in the proper sense is a bodily gesture and agreeth not to tongues or fire yet because it is a gesture of permanencie or continuance the word is generally used in the originall for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ſ Chrys in Act. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to abide or reside and so it may expresse unto us the continuance of these gifts of the Spirit in the Apostles and may put us in minde of our dutie which is to sit to our preaching and continue in the labours of the ministrie Give t 1 Tim. 4.13 14 15. attendance saith the Apostle to reading to exhortation to doctrine Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the presbyterie Meditate upon these things give thy selfe wholly to them that thy profiting may appeare to all Upon each of them Whether these tongues entred into the mouths of the Apostles as Amphilochius writeth of S. Basil or rested upon their heads as S. Cyril imagined whence some derive the custome of u Lorinus in Act. c. 2. imposition of hands upon the heads of those who are consecrated Bishops or ordained Priests it is not evident out of the text but this is certaine and evident that it sate upon each of them It sate not upon Peter onely but upon the rest as well as him S. Chrysostome saith upon the * Chrys in act c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hundred and twentie that were assembled in that upper roome those who say least affirme that it rested upon all the Apostles For howsoever the Papists take all occasions to advance S. Peter above the rest of the Apostles that the Roman See might be advanced through him as Hortensius the Oratour extolled eloquence to the skies that hee might bee lifted up thither with her yet the Scripture giveth him no preheminence here or elsewhere for Christ delivereth the keyes of heaven with the power of binding and loosing into all x Matt. 18.18 Whatsoever ye binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever yee loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven of their hands he breathes vpon them all John 20.21 22. and sendeth them with as full commission as his Father sent him All their names shine in the y Apoc. 21.14 foundation and gates of the heavenly Jerusalem and here in my text fierie cloven tongues sate upon each of them And there appeared unto them c. As in the Sacrament of Christs body so in these symbols of the spirit we are to consider two things 1. The signes or outward elements 2. The thing signified by them Of the signes yee have heard heretofore hold out I beseech you your religious attention to the remainder of the time and yee shall heare in briefe of the thing signified by them Miracles for the most part in holy Scripture are significant the cloudie pillar signified the obscure knowledge of Christ under the Law the pillar of fire the brighter knowledge of him in the Gospell the renting of the veile at the death of our Saviour the opening of the way to the Sanctum Sanctorum into which our high
heart whether the reproofe were just or no and finding it just confesseth his sinne and seeketh for pardon and forgivenesse The Jewes here when they were charged by S. Peter with the murder of the sonne of God say not Quid hic sed quid nos not what hath this man to meddle with us but who can give us good counsell not what shall we say but what shall wee doe for words are too light a recompence for deeds 1. A word of the duty of faithfull teachers that with the cocke by clapping my wings upon my breast I may awake my selfe as well as others The salvation of the hearers much dependeth upon the gifts of the Preacher and the gifts of the Preacher much depend upon his sincere intention not to gaine profit or u Salvianus de gubernat Dei lib. 1. Utilia magis quam plausibilia sectari nec lenocinia quaerere sed remedia applause to himselfe but soules to God not to tickle their eares but to pricke their hearts Such a Preacher * Bern. in Cant. Illius doctoris vocem libentiùs audio non qui sibi plausum sed qui mihi planctum movet S. Bernard ever wished to heare at whose Sermon the people hemmed not but sighed clapped not their hands as at a play but knocked their breasts as at a funerall According to which patterne x Hieron Nepot Te docente in ecclesiâ non clamor populi sed gemitus suscipiatur lachrymae auditorum tuae laudes sint S. Jerome endevoureth to frame Nepotian his scholar When thou teachest in the Church saith hee let there bee heard no shouts of admiration but sobs of contrition let the fluencie of thy eloquence be seene in the cheekes of thy hearers This is not done by ostentation of art but by evidence of the spirit A painted fire heateth not nor doe the gestures and motions of an artificiall man destitute of soule and life any whit move our affections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are the graces of sanctification shining in the countenance gesture life of the Preacher and not the beauty and ornaments of speech which insinuate into the heart and multiply themselves there without which though wee speake with the tongues of men and Angels wee are but like sounding brasse or tinckling cymbals except the Lord touch the heart and the tongue of the Preacher with a coale from his Altar all the lustre of rhetoricall arguments and blaze of words will yeeld no more warmth to the conscience than a glow-worme Yee have heard briefly of the duty of Pastours reserve I pray you one eare to listen to your owne duty as hearers 2. It was the manner of the Jewes to bore thorow the eares of those servants that meant not to leave them till death and if yee desire to be in the lists of Gods servants yee must have your eares bored and the pearles of the Gospel hanging at them All shepherds set a marke upon their sheepe and so doth the good Shepherd that gave his life for his sheepe and this marke is in the eare y Joh. 10.3 27. My sheepe heare my voyce There is no doctrine in the word wee heare of more often than of hearing the word and keeping it We heare that we ought to heare the Father z Esay 1.1 Heare O heaven and hearken O earth for the Lord hath spoken we heare that we ought to heare the Son * Mat. 13.43 Mat. 17.5 He that hath eares to heare let him heare and This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare yee him we heare that wee ought to heare the Spirit a Apoc. 2.7 Let him that hath an eare to heare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches All the venturers in the great ship called Argonavis bound for Colchis to fetch the golden fleece when they were assaulted by the Syrens endevouring to enchant them with their songs found no such help in any thing against them as in Orpheus his pipe wee are all venturers for a golden crowne in heaven and as the Grecians so wee are way-laid by Syrens evill spirits and their incantations from which we cannot be safe but by listening to the Preachers of the Gospel who when they pipe unto us out of the word our hearts dance for joy In that golden chaine of the Apostle the first linke is hung at the eare Faith commeth by b Rom. 10.14 17. hearing and hearing by the word of God How shall they call on him on whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher Doe we think that God will heare us in our prayers if wee heare not him speaking to us in his Word The Prophet c Zach. 7.13 Zacharie assureth us hee will not When I cried they would not heare so they cried and I would not heare them saith the Lord of hosts If yee desire with S. Paul to heare in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the d 2 Cor. 12.4 words that cannot be uttered ye must on earth be attentive hearers to the words uttered by our Peters and Pauls None was cured with more difficulty as it seemeth than the man that had a deafe and dumb spirit such are our obstinate Recusants and Seperatists who have not an eare to heare what God speaketh to them by the Ministers of the Word Religion is not unfitly compared to the Weasell e Adrian Jun. emblem Mustella concipit aure parit ore which as Adrianus Junius writeth conceiveth at the eare and brings forth her young ones at her mouth for the seed of Gods word is cast in at the eare and there having conceived divine thoughts and meditations she bringeth forth the fruit of devotion at her mouth praises and thanksgivings godly admonitions exhortations reprehensions and consolations Marke your Jaylers they often suffer their prisoners to have their hands and feet free neither are they in any feare that they will make an escape so long as the prison doores and gates are sure lockt and fast barred so dealeth Satan with those whom hee holdeth in captivity hee letteth them sometimes have their hands at liberty to reach out an almes to the poore and sometimes their feet to goe to Church to heare prayers but he will be sure to keepe the eares which are the gates and doores of their soule fast which he locks up with these or the like suggestions Christ saith that his house is Domus orationis not orationum an house of prayer not of sermons Few there are but know enough the greatest defect is in the practice of religious duties What can they heare which they have not often heard before which no sooner entreth in at one eare but runneth out at the other Give mee leave a little to lift these Adders from the ground whereby they stop the right eare and plucke their taile from the head whereby they stop
sound and their zealous fiery cloven tongues serve but to put fire and make a rent in the Church of God The organ pipes must bee filled with wind before the instrument give any sound our mouthes lips and tongues are the instruments and organs of God and before they are filled with the wind in my Text they cannot sound out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his wonderous workes whereof this is one as followeth And suddenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every circumstance like graines in gold scales addeth to the weight e Oecumen in Act. c. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumenicus conceiveth that this sound came on the sudden to scare the Apostles and out of feare or amazement to draw them together And indeed this sudden noise in this upper roome the Apostles sitting still and there being no wind abroad stirring seemeth not lesse strange than the sudden calme after Christ rebuked the f Mat. 8.26 wind and the sea Windes are not raised to the height on the sudden but grow more and more blustering by degrees this became blustering on the sudden and which is more strange it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appareo without any cause appearing To heare a thunder clap in summer when we see a blacke cloud overcasting the whole skie or a report where we know there is a canon mounted no way amazeth us but to heare thundering in a cleere sun-shine when there is no cloud to be seen in all the skie or the report like that of a canon where there is no peece of ordnance or a sudden light in a darke roome without lamp candle torch or fire somewhat affrighteth and amazeth us so it was here a noise is heard as of a mighty rushing wind yet no wind or if a wind a wind created of nothing without any cause or prejacent matter There is a great controversie among the Philosophers about the causes of winds Some as Democritus imagined that many atomes that is such small bodies and motes as wee see in the beames of the Sunne meeting together and striving for place stirred the aire and thereby made winds others as Agrippa that the evill spirits ruling in the aire as they raise tempests so also they cause winds Aristotle endeavoureth to demonstrate that the rising up of dry exhalations from the earth generateth the winds which so long rage as the matter continueth after that faileth the wind lies The Divines resolve with g Psal 135.7 David that God draweth them out of his hidden treasures To which our Saviour seemeth to have reference The h John 3.8 wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but knowest not whence it commeth that is originally There came a sound Some will have this sound to bee an eccho or a sound at second hand because so it will bee a fitter embleme of the Apostles preaching to the people and ours to you For first the sound of the Gospel comes from God to us and then it rebounds from us to you but the word in the originall is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eccho but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sound besides the eccho comes by reverberation from below but this sound came from above From heaven Lorinus and other Commentatours are of opinion that heaven here as in many other Texts of Scripture is put for the aire as God is said to i Gen. 7.11 open the windowes of heaven and to raine fire and k Gen. 19.24 brimstone from heaven But I see no reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here may not signifie the efficient cause and heaven bee taken properly For though the sense of hearing judged it that the sound began but in the aire yet it was there made without any apparent cause and why may not this sound be as well from heaven properly as we reade of a voice from heaven saying l Mat. 3.17 This is my well beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and another voice from heaven saying m John 12.28 I have both glorified it my name and will glorifie it againe and yet a third voice from heaven saying Blessed are the n Rev. 14 13. dead which dye in the Lord But what manner of sound was this As of a rushing mighty wind or rather a rushing blast For in the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruentis flatus not venti As our breath differeth from our spirit and breathing parts so the spirit which the Apostles received was not the holy Ghost himselfe the third person but some extraordinary gifts and graces of the spirit Though Peter Lumbard the great Master of the sentences seemed to encline to that opinion that the Apostles received the very person of the holy Ghost yet this conceit of his is pricked through with an obelisque and à magistro hic non tenetur by the later Schoolmen who rightly distinguish between the substance of the spirit and the gifts The infinite substance neither is nor can bee imparted to any creature but the finite graces whereof they were only capable The Law the Gospel both came to the eares of men by a sound the one from Sinai the other from Sion that was delivered in thundering lightening with darknesse and an earth-quake this in a sound of a gale of wind and in the likenesse of shining tongues the Apostles sitting still the place being filled but not shooke with the blast As in lessons skilfully pricked the musicall notes answer to the matter of the ditty so the manner of the publishing of the Law and Gospel was correspondent to the matter contained in them that was proclaimed in a dreadfull manner this in a comfortable For the o Rom. 4.15 Law worketh wrath but the Gospel peace the Law feare the Gospel hope the Law an obscure the Gospel a more cleere and evident knowledge according to that sacred aphorisme of Saint Ambrose Umbra in Lege imago in Evangelio veritas in coelo there was a shadow in the Law an image in the Gospel the truth it selfe in heaven Moses himselfe quaked at the giving of the Law but we reade not that the Apostles were terrified but exceedingly comforted at the receiving of the Gospel as the roome was filled with the blast so their hearts with joy And it filled the place where they were sitting The Apostles expected the fulfilling of Christs promise and it is very likely that they were praying on their knees yet they might be truly said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our translators render sitting For the word in the originall importeth only a settled abode as it is taken in the verse following There appeared cloven tongues like fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it sate upon each of them Sitting as the word is taken in our language is a kind of posture of mans body which cannot