to take away all hurtfull things and grant them all availing ones to their salvation but especially this most availing of all the rest to send them true Prophets good and holy Priests such as may teach them as well by the exemplarity of their lives as by the veritie and soliditie of their Doctrine for as the Text commands us to beware of others so the Prayer by consequence must beg for these On the eighth Sunday after Pentecost The Antiphon Luk. 16. v. 3. WHat shall I doe for that my Lord taketh from me the Bailiff-ship To dig I am not able to beg I am ashamed I know what I will do that when I shall be removed from the Bailiff-ship they may receive me into their houses Vers Let my Prayer O Lord c. Resp Even as Incense c. The Prayer GRant us O Lord we beseech thee propitiously the spirit of thinking alwayes and of doing what is right that as we cannot be without thee so we may live unto thee The Illustration O Beloved what an excellent Prayer is this How deep how sweet how alone able to save us if said with the same spirit that taught it and if performed as well as â—aid For if we neither think nor do amisse how can we ever sin and consequently how fail of being saved Again if we onely subsist by the preservation of Almighty God as is most true how can we presume to live unto our selves and not unto him As therefore our beeing is purely and onely by him so ought our living to be purely and onely to him not as it is God help us to our selves as if we had been our own makers or could for the least minute preserve our selves how daring so ever our comportment is as though we were our own and not God Almighties creatures Idolizing dayly to our selves sinning hourely and provoking God to undo his own handy work by damning not annihilating of us were not his mercy above our malice which malice onely can attempt our annihilation I need say no more of the excellency of this Prayer for whilest I strive to amplifie it by other words I do contract it rather then inlarge it which is more patheticall and significant in the short method it observes then any ampliation even by the tongues or pens of Angels can make it and shewes us That as God is but one simple essence in himself yet contains within him all the variety that is possible in infinite millions of creatures or worlds indeed so he can if he please contract into one word the sense and meaning of all the languages of the world and truly much is contracted in this Prayer above I shall therefore say no more in commends of it but onely shew how rarely well it suites with the Epistle and Gospell following how as it were eminentially it contains them both the former in begging first the spirit of alwayes thinking and doing right that so we may be and live to God as the Epistle adviâ—eth which you see quits us of all obligation to our selves and ties us up to the duty of a spirituall life and of a corporall death both which are petitioned in the Prayer the latter in shewing us how to prevent the danger of such like cheats to our Lord and Master which the Gospell mentions by prepossessing our thoughts with a right addresse of them to our masters pleasure and profit and consequently by preventing our actions towards him to be unjust when we acknowledge we cannot be at all but such creatures as he makes us and thence we can have no hope to be preserved by him in a wicked being which he never gave us nor can we expect he should preserve us in it so the Prayer concludes begging we may live onely to him who onely is the authour of our being The Epistle Rom. 8. v. 12. c. 12 Therefore Brethren we are debtours not to the flesh to live according to the flesh 13 For if you live according to the flesh you shall die but if by the spirit you mortifie the deeds of the flesh you shall live 14 For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God 15 For you have not received the spirit of servitude again in fear but you have received the spirit of adoption of sonnes wherein we cry Abba Father 16 For the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God 17 And if sonnes heirs also heirs truly of God and coheirs of Christ The Explication 12. THis therefore is S. Paul's inference or conclusion upon the premises wherein he had said we were by Baptisme regenerate born again not of flesh and bloud but of Christ in whom the Baptized must live as he did in spirit not in flesh and so consequently are no longer debtours to flesh but to spirit and must no longer live to the flesh but to the spirit 13. By the spirit is here understood Christ and his grace not our own soules for though our bodies live by our souls yet our soules must live by Christ who is their life and we must by conformity to his will mortifie both our own bodies and soules too if we will live spiritually in and by him we must dye to concupiscence and inordinate desires for till then they are not mortified but live in us and we by them live fleshly not spiritually 14. To be led by the Spirit signifies that Christ should act in us not onely we in our selves and then we are true Sons of God when we are led by him by his holy Spirit who is our life as he was S. Paul's when the Apostle said Gal. 2.20 he lived now not he but Christ in him But here S. Austin playes prettily upon the word acting We must saith he act our selves and yet let our action be from him rather then from us for then we act well when he makes us act when our action is radicated in him and squared to his holy will So here to be led argues the impulse of his holy Spirit and the voluntary cooperation of our action too for then saith S. Austin we are led by his Spirit when we do as we ought to do 15. The spirit of servitude or servile fear was that which God led the Jewes withal fear of temporal punishments but we are led by a better spirit that of love and so must serve God for love of him rather then for fear of hell and as his adopted children rather then servants so much nobler is our condition then that of the Jewes And this spirit of adoption is no lesse then the holy Ghost himself communicated unto us as v. 6. was said on Sunday within the Octaves of Nativity For as God gave his own Deity to Christ when he made Christ the Son of God so the holy Ghost gives us himself to make us also the Sons of God by adoption in virtue of our Saviours Passion whence we have the priviledge
corporall eyes to the latter that their time is now come also of awaking from the sleep of infidelity and of their other enormious sins being the Redeemer of all mankinde was actually come though even the Jewes also after Christs Birth were fast enough asleep in their infidelity most of them and so were capable of this speech to them even in that sense too 12. By the night is here meant the time before Christs comming made dark as night with infidelity By the day the time after our Saviours Birth rendered bright as day with the light of the Gospel the works of darkness are Sin because they shut out the light of grace from our Souls the Armour of Light are acts of Vertue works of Grace and in these words Saint Paul minds us that our life is here a spiritual warfare since we know Armour is necessary for Warriours though the Greek Text imports by Armour of Light a kind of habit proper to the day and this is not inconsistent with the other sense above for Armour is a kind of habit too 13. This Verse seemes to begin with prosecuting the last sense in the former as if it were indecent to appear in the day without our Armour of Light as above but if it be taken as independent thereof it imports not for the sense is full in it self Aâ— in the day of Grace as in the day of the illuminating Gospel let us walk honestly that is modestly converse religiously and shew our selves to be children of Light by our works shining to the edification of our neighbour and glory of God Not any more in Banquettings and Drunkenness feastings and excesses of Wines These you know are works of the Flesh not of the Spirit or the Grace of God by Chamber-works the Apostle means here plainly Fornication by Impudicities more petulant and wanton actions of Lust even in publick such as indeed may be well called carnall impudencies Not in Contention not striving for vain-glory and popular applause whence followes the forbidden Emulation which is an envie at our neighbours greater good or esteem than our own See therefore here three of the capitall Sins so represented unto us as by all means to be avoided Gluttony Lechery Envy all being acts and deeds of darkness not fit to appear in the day light of the Gospel which now shines bright among us 14. By putting on Christ is here meant being dressed up in such Vertues as may make us appear Christians men clad in the Livery the Sanctity of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ and so abundant the Apostle in this phrase bids our Vertues be that they may hang as full Garments all over us for this difference there is betwixt carrying and putting on of cloathes that when carryed they are cumbersome and not adorning when put on they are light and becoming So to carry Vertue onely wrapt up in the speculation of it is no way graceful but to unfold it by the practice thereof this becomes a good Christian and this is truly to put on Christ not onely to study and speculate but to practice Vertue The Application 1. THe two first Verses of this Epistle are wholly and clearly describing the effects of the Incarnation and do exhort to a due Christian comportment at such a season That is now to prepare our selves for our Deification since therefore God became man that man might become God I have said ye are Gods and all sons of the Highest Psal 82. v. 6. 2. The third Verse tells us how unsuitable all Sin must needs be at this season though indeed it cannot be allowable at any time but especially how unseasonable these three deadly Sins now are which here the Apostle specifies and under them forbids us all the rest Gluttony Lechery Envy For nothing sooner starves a Soul to death than a gluttonous pampering of the Body nothing more odious to our God incarnate than to pollute that humane nature which Jesus could not endure to take upon him but in the sacred womb of his unpolluted Virgin Mother Nothing so unseasonable at this season of love as for a Christian to envy Christ in his neighbour just now when he coming to save us commands us to love each other as he loves us all 3. The last Verse gives us an armour of Proof against all danger of sin whatsoever for as Jesus by taking our sins upon himself did redeem us so we by putting on his Vertues may deserve to be saved that is to say we may be capable of Salvation for other desert we have not of our selves than a meer capacity of Heaven through the merits of our Saviours death and passion applyed to us cooperating towards that which we cannot operate our own Salvations since it is the onely participation of his merits that makes us fit to receive his rewards for those we call our meritorious actions such as Saint Augustine required saying He that made thee without thee will not save thee without thee Yet the same Doctor lest we should presume too much upon our selves says also When God rewards mans works he crowns his own Gifts for even our cooperation whereby we merit is the speciall Gift of God Which we Petition in the Prayer above most aptly set to the Tune of this Epistle The Gospel LUKE 21. ver 25. c. 25. ANd there shall be signes in the Sun and the Moon and the Stars and upon the Earth distresse of Nations for the confusion of the sound of the Sea and Waves 26. Men withering for fear and expectation what shall come upon the whole world for the powers of Heaven shall be moved 27. And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty 28. But when these things shall begin to come to passe look up and lift up your heads for your redemption is at hand 29. And he spake to them a similitude see the figtree and all trees 30. When they now bud forth fruit out of themselves you know that Summer is nigh 31. So you also when you shall these see things come to passe know that the Kingdom of God is nigh 32. Amen I say to you that this generation shall not pass till all be done 33. Heaven and Earth shall pass but my Words shall not pass The Explication 25. THese Signes appearing in the Sun Moon and Stars argue they shall not perish but remain set to another Series or order of being than they were before such Signes in them shall portend the dismall day of Judgement And indeed how can there be other than a sad distress on earth amongst all the Nations thereof upon the confusion of sound that will then be in the boiling Sea and Waves which by the general conflagration fire falling from Heaven shall be far more agitated than ever by any storm or tempest these commonly happening but in some part of the Sea whereas this disturbance shall arise from the very bottom of the channell
to us cooperating with the same what our sins retarded that is to say our own redemption was by our own sins retarded for 4000. years together the Indulgence of his propitiation may accelerate It was indeed a huge indulgence in Almighty God to make his sacred Son a propitiation for our sins and more to hasten him away for this purpose since fourty thousand years had been too short a time to have expected so much mercy as is now accelerated by the indulgence of his propitiation which would not give him leave to stay above 4000. years away And by this close of the Prayer we virtually include the whole Epistle and Gospell of the day while we beg the help of Gods Grace to accelerate unto us the benefit of the Indulgent propitiation that Christ his Birth-Day brings to every pious Christian which benefit lest our sins retard see how the Church prepares both Priest and People to a due regard against them by the counsell given to both in the Epistle and by exhorting both to be Baptistick Saints in the Gospel of the Day to be preparers of the way of Christ Angels of Men running this holy Advent before his face to sanctifie our own and our neighbours wayes unto the Crib where Christ on Christmas Day is mystically born again as often as Christians celebrate the Feast of his Nativity so saith Saint Leo in his nineth Sermon upon that Feast and the like is of all others We doe not so much recall the past as we behold the present Feast of our Saviours Birth so often as it comes about by Annuall revolution The Epistle 1 COR 4. ver 1. c. 1. SO let man esteem of us as the Ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the Mysteries of God 2. Here now is required among the dispensers that a man be found faithfull 3. But to me it is a thing of least account to be judged of you or of Mans day but I judge not my self neither 4. For I am not guilty in Conscience of any thing but I am not justified herein but he that judgeth me is our Lord. 5. Therefore judge not before the time untill our Lord doe come who also will lighten the hidden things of darkness and will manifest the counsels of the hearts and then the praise shall be to every Man of God The Explication 1. THe Apostle seemes here to bid Man esteem of him and his Associates in the Apostolate as if they were not men but Ministers of Christ for as much as they did the Offices of God by being dispensers of his Mysteries and indeed that is most true for though to be a Steward or master of a Family under any temporall Lord and to dispence and dispose of his Lords Monies and Goods be not to execute an office above man in regard all the goods and monies in the Stewards hands are temporall things and the properties of nothing above a humane creature yet to be Steward of the House of God and to have the dispensing of such goods as are Spirituall and cannot be the properties of any temporall Lord certainly this renders a man though not in nature more than Man yet by Office hugely more than an Angel for though we read of them that they are Heb. 1.14 Ministring Spirits in the House or Church of God both triumphant militant and patient yet we never read that they were stiled the dispensing spirits of Gods hidden Mysteries which yet as the Apostles were so must their suuccessours the Priests of holy Church be too and consequently are not in the execution of that Spirituall Office to be looked on or esteemed as men but as Ministers of a higher nature as persons indeed more than Angelicall since they have an Office and Power above Angels namely to forgive Sins and to dispence or dispose of Gods severall Graces by the conduit of holy Sacraments Pipes made on purpose by our Saviour Jesus Christ to convey unto our barren Souls the fertilizing waters of heavenly grace and these pipes are so put into the hands of Priests as they can turn the cock at pleasure give or retain this holy grace as they judge fit to administer a Sacrament or suspend a Sinner from the benefit thereof But we must further note the Apostle here as he speaks in generall to all Christians and bids them esteem Priests above men by reason of their office so he speaks particularly to the Corinthians in order to their main contention which was to make a difference betwixt the Dispensers of these Mysteries as if Baptism for example received from one were of more value than if they were baptized by another or as if the Ministers of Baptism were the Authors of grace and so they who received it at a more holy mans hands received more than if the conferror thereof were lesse holy to both these effects the Apostle speaks correcting the Corinthians errour in them both that is for thinking the Administrator of a Sacrament to be the Author of grace therein conferred or that grace was more abundantly conferred according as the Administrators thereof were more or lesse holy 2 This alludes to the vanity of the Corinthians who were men so curious that they judged of their Preachers as they found them more wise more grave more eloquent in their Sermons or Catechisms than others and particularly they adhered much to Apollo because they held him more eloquent than S. Paul whereas the same Apostle here tells them they must not regard in the Dispensers of Gods word the Rhetorick language or eloquence of the preachers but above all their fidelity or being faithfull that is to have them tell the true sence and meaning of Christ Jesus to have them give rather sound than flourishing doctrine least while they put too much force in words they lose the vigour of the Spirit which is and ought to be the life of a Sermon and least they seek by the Ostentation of their languages rather their own than the glory of God or preach themselves not Christ Whereas S. Paul tells them here fidelity is the principall part of a preacher that is to preach the Word of God and not the word of man to preach spirit rather than language to move the soul to Acts of love rather than the ear to delight of Eloquence 3. This Verse prosecutes the sense of the former telling them plainly he did not regard their fond judgements that esteemed men by their glib tongues rather than by their vertuous spirits for it is indeed Unction a speciall gift of the Holy Ghost that renders a Preacher most profitable to souls and so most accomplisht in his preaching whence the Apostle knowing what he said was pure spirit told them he did not regard their censures of him as if he were defective in his duty of preaching and what he sayes to them in this kinde he affirmes the like in respe of all men by his following words wherein he makes no account of
times ease them of these Plagues the Flyes caused amongst them though in the Greek Beelzebub signifies the god of Muck or Dung and yet that is not inconsistent with the sense as above because where Dung is there are alwayes Flyes and so the Devil is by this name called both God of Flyes and of Dung too since the ordure of Sin is far more nasty then that of any dung can be 16. This Verse will in effect be explicated on the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost where the Doctor of the Law tempting our Saviour asked him c. so here needs no more to be said of it then that it was an impertinent demand to ask a sign of his Deity after such a Miracle as this 17. Here he shews them he knew their mindes by confounding them in what they thought although they spake it not with the applying this Simile unto them that follows which is as clear as that Civil Wars destroy a Kingdom and Faction in particular Families ruines both parties of the Faction for that is understood by house upon house family against family 8. For if I undertake to cast out a devil in the devils name or power and so by your consequence am my self a devil do you not see it were to make a faction against the devil who had Seated himself there from whence I cast him out and so I should rather make a new then end the old strife therefore to end the matter I must use another power 19. By the former Verse he had shewed them his power was from another source then from the devil and consequently if they will yet hold that Doctrine and say that one Devil is cast out by another he leaves them as men so desperate that are past all cure of reason and so to be left unto the guide of that Devil who had so strangely blinded them Thus the close of this Verse argues he concluded of them whom he found so maliciously so perversly obstinate in an Error Or if we take it literally that he casting out devils in the devils name if their children would undertake to cast out the devil in another name since he that was God knew they did it not in Gods Name he leaves them to be guided by their children that is he calls them fools who would have children for their guides and especially children of Infidelity for such were all theirs 20. By the finger of God he in this place understands the Spirit or power of God for so S. Matthew speaks relating the same story cap. 12. v. 28. by the Kingdom of God he means the grace which doth here begin to reign and shall perfectly rule in Glory when it hath brought those to Heaven whom it governed upon Earth And certainly Grace deserves the Title of the Kingdom of God when it is manifestly made appear to be destructive to the Kingdom of the Devil as by overcoming Sin it is and as here actually it was by casting out the devil from that place where he had seated himself for though God be the principal yet Grace is the instrumental agent in all Sanctity and works that are above Nature 21 22. These two Verses argue from Similitude very strongly and yet so clearly that they need no other Exposition then their own words literally understood onely that we note the Devil was meant by the strong man his Court was this World all wholly in his possession by the sin of Adam and that as fully as a fortified Town is in that Governors hands against whom none dares lay a Siege but leave all in peace in and about the Town not that the children of Adam were in peace by being the Devils Captives but that no power was such as durst undertake to force them out of Captivity until that happened which Christ aymed at namely that God came who alone is able to lead Captivity captive to overthrow the Devil and all his works 23. By this Verse our Saviour told the Pharisees they were his enemies because they took the Devils part against him or which was all one because they did not take his part against the Devil for as in a Town besieged all that will not if call'd upon fight to keep out the Enemy scaling the Walls are held as much friends to the Enemy as if they did actually fight for them so they now that Christ came to take this City of the World these Pharisees who would not being called upon by him fight for him were esteemed as if they did actually fight against him since as God he was their lawful Commander and might command them to fight for him by believing in him as one that had power to quell the Devil 24. By the unclean Spirit is here meant the Devil so called because he is not onely defiled by the malice of his own rebellious Sin but is like a Sow ever wallowing in the mire of all sinful actions as if his whole delight were to rowl in the filthy soul sink of sin Christ here alludes to the former casting out this unclean Spirit from the Jews when God chose that stiff necked people to be his Favorites above all the Nations of the earth and in the persons of his holy Patriarchs and Prophets declared he had cast the Devil out of all the Jews who departing from them wandereth up and down among the Gentiles not unfitly called places without water first as to God affording no drop of penitential Tears to expiate their sins next as to the Devil being people he could not rest in because he had not content in the easie conquest he made of them who were not worthy to be esteemed the Favorites of God And therefore the Devil out of pride esteemed them even unworthy to be his accursed lacqueys and so could not rest in such a conquest but returned again to that earth which had at least some wholesome water to compact it into a body of people worthy to be called a Nation which the Gentiles were unworthy of while God angry with the Jews said by the mouth of David I will provoke them in a people which is no Nation meaning the Gentiles that destroyed Jerusalem The Devil therefore cast out of the Jews into the Gentiles when God made the Jews his chosen people sayes with himself he will return again into his house whence he departed for indeed he was master of all mens Souls till God snatched the Jews out of his hands 25. The besome that had swept this house was the Law of Moses which did indeed purifie the house of clay the body of the Jews but brought no Grace into their Souls So hither the Devil returns again when he set all those people a murmuring in their way from Egypt to the land of Promise 26 27. And remembring he was before cast out when he had taken but single possession he now comes armed in with many guurds brings seven devils more along with him that is to say all the devils in
For as the Act of separated souls is necessarily unalterable like those of Angels so the last Act they had when they were united to their bodies remains eternally and is not unproperly said to be the same Act continued for all eternity and therefore free for ever because at first freely produced when the soul was in state of a viatour and out of that issued into the better state of an impatriated spirit nay though Purgatory intervene yet that remora alters not the nature or freedome of the Act because soules there retain their love to God wherewith they dyed however they suffer for former infirmities of their life past The Application 1. WHat may be to our special and present use in this Gospel is to observe that Holy Church culls it out as the most proper to the now flowing Feast of Pentecost though spoken by our Saviour to his Disciples before his Passion as appears ver 29. above but with intention they should then make memory and use thereof when they had received the holy Ghost as consequently we must do at the celebrating this Festivity The main scope of this Gospel is exhorting us to believe and love and telling us the sign of true love is to keep the word of God and that the effect of this love will be to draw down into our soules the Holy Trinity Father Son and holy Ghost as delighting to live in the hearts of those who love the Son of God and shew their love by keeping his holy word 2. But here is a special stile observable in this Gospel very profitable to be reflected on which is that our Saviour seems here only to relate or speak as v. 25. 26. and to leave it to the Holy Ghost to suggest and teach the true meaning of what he said as if it were a speech too profound for his Disciples to dive into without the help of the holy Ghost If then our B. Lord the wisdome of his eternal Father and consequently the best spokes-man in the world would not what ere he could speak so plain to his Apostles themselves as to be understood by them before the coming of the holy Ghost to explicate his meaning how absurdly shall it be done in those that are ignorant Lay-men to dare to understand or interpret holy writ 3. Hence we must infer that we are bound in the first place to believe the holy Ghost to be coequal God with the Father and the Son who sent him since none but God can be of Gods counsel and tell men the meaning of Gods holy word Again we must infer that it is the love of God who now must teach â—s the meaning of Gods holy word and that they are our Wills our Hearts which now must be instructed more then our understandings for these the wisdome of God our Saviour taught by the sight of Faith those the love of God the holy Ghost now teacheth by the fire of charity so that however Faith Rectifies yet it is charity must saintifie the soul how ever Christ Redeemed us yet he was pleased to send the holy Ghost to save us by his sayntifying grace and alas what had it availed us once to have been by God the Father Created once to have been by God the Son Redeemed if we were not more then once by God the holy Ghost sayntified as oft indeed as by sin we are made uncapable of the benefits of our Creation or Redemption Come therefore Holy Ghost come teaching come inamouring come comforting come sayntifying come saving Spirit into the open hearts thou hast of Christians ready to receive thee ready to be inkindled with the flames of thy most holy Love And Praying to day as above most fitly to the sense of this Holy Text. On Trinity Sunday THis Sunday is both the Octave of Pentecost and also the First Sunday after it therefore this week we have the Epistles Gospels and Prayers of two Sundayes for our entertainment and these both if I mistake not the most delightfull of any in the whole year The Antiphon Matth. 28. v. 19. THee God the Father unbegotten thee onely begotten Son thee Holy Ghost Comforter thee holy and undivided Trinity with all our heart and mouth we Confesse we Praise thee we Blesse thee to thee be Glory world without end Vers Blessed art thou O Lord in the firmament of heaven Resp Both praise-worthy and glorious for ever The Prayer ALmighty Everlasting God who hast granted to thy servants in confession of the true Faith to acknowledge the glory of the Eternal Trinity and in the power of Majesty to adore unity we beseech thee heartily that in the firmnesse of the same Faith we may ever be defended from all adversity The Illustration NOw the mysteries of our Redemption are compleat by the contribution of all the Three divine persons of the Blessed Trinity thereunto as of the Father sending his only Son to dye for us of the Son coming and actually dying for our sins and of the holy Ghost descending and sanctifying us with his holy grace to make us sin no more it is most necessary we should close up the said mysteries with a peculiar feast of the same Blessed Trinity and so put a glorious crown upon the work of our Redemption while we begin to work out our salvation from the first root thereof which is our Faith in the most Blessed and undivided Trinity a mystery so unheard of before Christ had taught it to the world that even to this day it is the hardest thing which can be told to men and the thing which the blessed Angels that behold it do not comprehend how the Divine Nature can be personally Trine which neverthelesse is essentially but One. In admiration whereof St. Paul in this dayes Epistle breaks out into a Triple Trinity of his expressing this Triunity saying O depth of the Riches of the wisdome and of the knowledge of God! Loe the first Who ever knew the sense of our Lord or who was ever of his Counsel or who gave first unto him and it shall be restored again Loe the second For of God by God and in God are all things Loe the last of his Triple expressions alluding all of them to the Blessed Trinity as by the Expositours of this Epistle we shall find and consequently must acknowledge it to be included in the Prayer above As also the Gospel is expressing how our B. Lord sent his mission of Apostles with commission to Baptize and teach all the world the mystery of this Blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost So we have this day the best of harmonies in the mystical musick of this book while we find all three parts of holy Churches service to day so neatly woven into one the Epistle Gospel and Prayer all singing forth the praises of the most Blessed and undivided Trinity Father Son and holy Ghost three Divine Persons and one onely God Hitherto the mysteries of our Redemption were all upon
are not bound to have some care of others as well as of themselves if it be but to edifie and lead them on by their exemplarity of life therefore every lay-man ought more or lesse to zeal his neighbours soul and to contribute towards the saving of it in some sort or other though with intermission of his own devotions if the neighbour require his charitable assistance at that time when he would else be at his prayers 3. To conclude least even in the conversion of others souls pride or vain glory run away with ours we are still to keep the lamp of charity light at home burning within our hearts for fear it be as S. Paul said a vain labour to us though we gain all the soules in the world to heaven if we loose our own for want of regulating all our actions by the rule of love and charity to God first whereby we are secured and to our neighbour next that we may help him too Whence it is holy Church concludes her prayer to day petitioning that even in the best of Temporall goods which is the searching after other mens fooles a work of Time though a fruit of Eternitie we may be protected by the God of Love and may be ruled and guided by his charity which will carry us securely through all the allurements of Temporalitie into a safe and blissefull Eternitie Say now the prayer above and see how home it is unto this Application On the fourth Sunday after Pentecost The Antiphon Luk. 5. v. 5. MAster we labouring all night have taken nothing but in thy word we will cast our net Vers Let my prayer O Lord c. Resp Even as Incense c. The Prayer GRant us O Lord we beseech thee that by thy order our course in this world may be peaceably directed and that thy Church may injoy a quiet devotion The Illustration TWo things beloved we aske in this prayer a peaceable flowing of the course of this world and an unperturbed devotion in the Church O that we all had our desires in this or rather that we did all truely desire and pray for it doubtlesse we should then have it since holy Church we see unfeinedly petitions it while by this dayes service she exhorts us to do the like And truly one main reason why we apply not our selves to a still devotion in the Church is because we are neither at peace with one another in the world nor are content to let things flow in that channell which God hath ordered them to glide in but are ever striving to have all things go as we our selves desire For what Christian lives that hath not some grudge or other with his neighbour to say nothing of all the Christian Princes now at warres among themselves leaving the Turk and other Infidels to incroach upon them to perturb the quiet devotion of the Church and laugh us all to scorn besides But it remains to shew how this prayer exhausts the Epistle and Gospel of the Masse to day The Epistle tells us what order Almighty God hath set the world in and this prayer beggs the same course may flow peaceably according as God hath ordered it that is to say neither one man should jarre with another nor those other creatures which God hath subjected to man should repine at their subjection And I would to God man kept his course as peaceably as all other creatures under him do theirs I would to God he did as resignedly undergo those little sufferings he is here subjected unto as they deserve to be undergone in hope of the huge reward they are to have if patiently and peaceably endured see how to day we pray that we may do this What prayer then more suitable to this Epistle The Gospel tells us how sweetly Jesus Christ founded his Church to day upon the persons of the Apostles whom he calls to be the pillars thereof It tells us with what devotion S. Peter followed the first call of our Saviour it shews what miracles accompanied the Apostles being called to this ministery it declares with what peaceable piety they followed our Saviour and left all they had in the world to dedicate themselves to his devotion What else doth the prayer to day close withall then a petition that the same miraculous Institution of the Church may be continued by a like miraculous preservation of it in the self same quiet and peace of piety as it was instituted with for it is indeed a miracle to see it so preserved nor is the goodnesse of God lesse seen in this then in the other and thereby shews that this is not a prayer of one day but ought to continue and be the incessant prayer of holy Church unto the worlds end that so it may appear to be the same sweet Spouse of Christ in the end which it was in the beginning of the foundation thereof and for this purpose holy Church we see makes it her annuall prayer so must we make it our annuall practise to pray in this conformity to the preaching and prayer of our holy mother The Epistle Rom. 8. v. 18. c. 18 For I think that the passions of this time are not condigne to the glory to come that shall be revealed in us 19 For the expectation of the creature expecteth the revelation of the Sonnes of God 20 For the creature is made subject unto vanity not willing but for him that made it subject in hope 21 Because the creature also it self shal be delivered from the servitude of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God 22 For we know that every creature groaneth and travelleth even till now 23 And not onely it but we also having the first fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves expecting the adoption of the sons of God the redemption of our body The Explication 18. HEnce hereticks take their rise to deny merit of good works but in vain for the Apostle onely means that humane actions as humane are not proportionable to the glory to that reward we purchase by them and in that sense onely denies our sufferings to be able to merit heaven But this notwithstanding our humane actions as they are elevated by the grace of God in vertue whereof they became good and meritorious and are by that means dipt in the passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ so they are in some manner proportionable to the reward they purchase in as much as they are so the effects of grace and not of nature and consequently may merit to be rewarded with eternall blisse or glory because grace is as it were the seed of glory and so what grace produceth is capable of glory Thus finite actions become capable of infinite reward thus one hours martyrdome is capable of eternall glory the like of other good works 19. This verse shews the greatnesse of the longing that creatures have after heaven when it seems to make the creature expectation it self whilest
Ghost is made manifest who is the Authour of all supernatural gifts The profit whereunto these gifts are given is rather to the Church then to him that receives them for gratuite graces ever avail the Church but not so him who receives them as miracles may be wrought by a sinner who doth not profit by them perhaps at all yet the Church doth 8. By the word of wisdome is understood the power to explicate deep mysteries of Faith as of the B. Trinity Incarnation praedestination or the like By the word of knowledge or science is understood the power to direct mens actions or manners that they be rational at least Thus S. Augustine lib. 12. Trinit cap. 14. 15. distinguisheth between wisdome and science or knowledge 9. By Faith here is not understood that act of Theological vertue which is common to all Christians but an act of particular confidence in God whereby it is believed he will by vertue of that our confidence work a miracle being asked so to do by such a Faith as is able to remove mountains Others understand by Faith here a deep understanding inabling to contemplate and explicate the mysteries of Faith 10. By miracles here are understood those which are extraordinary and are exercised not onely upon the body but even on the soules of men such as was that of S. Peter upon Ananias and Saphyra commanding them to dye By discretion of spirits is meant when God gives one man the grace to see into the very thoughts and intentions of others to know when an action is done by a good or evil spirit by God or the devil a gift to be begged by ghostly Fathers and conducing to their conduct of soules These gifts S. Hilarion was noted to have By interpretation of languages is understood a special gift frequent in the primitive Church whereby men illuminated for that end did give the true sense of Scripture and of those who being ignorant yet had the gift of Tongues and to spake more then themselves well understood but were by Interpretâ—rs expounded 11. Namely as that Spirit as the holy Ghost pleaseth The Application 1. St. Paul in this Epistle first puts the Corinthians and â—n them all other Christians in mind of the horrid Nothing that they were before their conversion from Gentilisme to Christianity And his aym in this is that as nothing was more abominable to the Gentiles then the name of Jesus Christ so nothing ought to be more reverential to Christians then that most sacred and most saving name insomuch as S. Paul concludes it is an Apostacy from God a relapse to Gentilisme not onely to use irreverence to the name of Jesus but to conceive we have any other life or being then what is purchac'd in that sweetest name 2. Notwithstanding true it is we have life often given us by the holy Ghost the special giver indeed of holy grace which is the â—ife and being of a Christian and hence it is S. Paul had no sooner inamoured the Corinthians on the Name of Jesus then he falls instantly upon the gifts of the holy Ghost sent from his heavenly Father and from his sacred Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to multiply on us the mercies of Almighty God as if to have been once redeemed by Christ had not satisfied his infinite goodnesse without he had also made this Redemption copious by sending his holy Spirit to re-redeem us by his graces from the relapses into sinne that render our first redemption fruitlesse unlesse it had been more copious yet by the multiplyed mercies of the holy Ghost applying the Passion of our Saviour to us by some new gift of grace bestowed upon us as often as we take religious breath into our bodies by calling on the Name of Jesus with an aweful reverence thereunto as befits all Christians to do and for this purpose it is S. Paul falls into the enumeration of the gratuite gifts of God the graces that are meerly gratis given not such as are usual and absolutely necessary for our sayntification or justification but such as rather serve to shew the multiplication of Gods holy Power and Mercies over us 3. Blessed God! how art thou perpetually out-doing thine own goodnesse by thy continual effusion of thy self upon our iniquity how art thou giving daily more and more manifestation and consequently much more admiration to the blessed Angels and Saints in heaven by multiplying thy mercies on us sinners here in earth whom all those happy spirits may give a thousand thousand times for lost when they see how we run after nothing but the sordid gain and pleasure of the world the sweets that poyson the contents that damne our soules and yet by the multiplication of thy mercies we are sweetly forc'd maugre the impulse of devil flesh and bloud to let go all our hold on the possessed shadowes of this world and to run after the promised substances of the next But how my God are we forc't to this by the manifestation of thy Power in the multiplication of thy mercies according as was said before in the Illustration Say now beloved the Prayer above and see if it be not excellently well adapted to this holy Text and to this application of the same unto our best improvement The Gospel Luke 18. v. 9. 9 And he said also to certain that trusted in themselves as just and despised others this parable 10 Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee and the other a Publicane 11 The Pharisee standing prayed thus with himself God I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men extortioners unjust advouterers as also this Publicane 12 I fast twice in a week I give Tythes of all that I possesse 13 And the Publicane standing afar off would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven but he knocked his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner 14 I say to you this man went down to his house justified more then he because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted The Explication 9. 10. By a Pharisee is understood a proud by a Publicane an humble man in this place 11. By the word standing the pride of the Pharisee is insinuated With himself 't is true for he prayed neither with nor to God for his prayer is rather a vaunting of his own then a seeking of Gods glory And his insolence is great whilest he sayes he is not as other men as who should say all besides himself are sinners had he said as some other men there had been lesse arrogancy yet too much and out of this arrogancy he passeth a rash Judgement upon the Publicane whom he points out for a notorious sinner and insinuates himself to be just 12. By twice a Sabbath is understood twice a week as naming the principal day for the whole week By Tythes of all he possesseth he meanes not onely
ebrieties commessations and such like as I have foretold that they who do such things shall not obtaine the Kingdome of Heaven 22 But the fruit of the spirit is Charitie Joy Peace Patience Benignitie Goodnesse Longanimitie 23 Mildnesse Faith Modestie Continence Chastitie against such there is no Law 24 And they that be Christs have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences The Explication 16. THe summe of all he aimes at in this Epistle is to advise the Galatians to walk in the spirit after the dictamen of grace and not of nature after the instinct of the holy Ghost and not of their own corrupted judgements and by this meanâ— he tells them they shall avoid the accomplishment of fleshly desires how ever they may be tempted therewith 17. Hence the Manicheans and some Philosophers held there were two souls in man one spirituall the other carnall this of God that of the devil But the Catholick doctrine is otherwise that by one onely rationall soul in man are performed the operations of vegetative sensitive and reasonable souls Hence we see the reason why some good men sinne because they do not what they would what their spirit desires but what their flesh prevaileth for by a greater desire And indeed man is made up of these two contraries to show his life is a perpetuall warfare upon earth between the flesh and the spirit 18 This verse hath diverse senses but the genuine is if we be so led by the spirit of God as we doe what the same spirit dictates then we are not under the Law subject unto it or guiltie of the breach thereof Not that the Law ceaseth to oblige us but that we forbear to offend the Law and so are as it were rather above then under it whilest we walke under the Law of the spirit and in so doing rather trample it under us then break the Law which is onely made against transgressours not against the Just for against those there is no law saith the Apostle by and by against those who walk according to the dictamen of the Spirit 19. By the flesh we are here to understand the concupiscence thereof which leads to the vices afterwards enumerated namely fornication which is properly simple carnal knowledge between man and woman without other circumstances of adultery rape incest or the like Uncleannesse is properly that mollities or softnesse rather easinesse indeed to carnal delight which causeth single pollution without commixture of two bodies Impudicity is properly immodest kisses or touches between two persons Leâ—hery is properly any unlawful carnal delight which is extraordinary and so mortal This may be called also Lasciviousnesse which for the excesse transcends and passerh over all the special kinds of lust that are above named or can be indeed imagined and this excesse may be committed even between man and wife by undue knowledge of one another or by intemperance even in the due wayes of their mutual knowledge 20. By this verse enumerating acts of the soul amongst the works of the flesh we are taught that concupiscence resides as well in the soul as in the body of man and was left as a perpetual punishment of Adams sin in bâ—th parts of humane nature thereby to shew the whole masse of pure man was corrupted not onely every individual of mankind but every essential part of man as well his form as his matter his soul as his body from which Christ was free being God as well as Man and this punishment may not be unproperly called concupiscence which is indeed the fewel to the fire of all sort of sins burning perpetually in mankind and being by concupiscence perpetually fed so that concupiscence leades not onely to corporal but even to spiritual vices and therefore as well these as others are called works of the flesh and are here numbred by the Apostle among them namely Idolatry which is serving false Gods Witchcraft which is working by help of the devil Enmity which is a permanent and professed breach of friendship Contention which is perverse opposing one another in words or opinions out of a spirit of contradiction Emulation which is a repining at others well doing Anger which is a height of passion seeking revenge and this is mortal or venial according as it is greater or lesser Brawles which is breach of brotherly charity by giving provoking language Dissention which leades to strife or war Sects which are all Heretical opinions or choyce of religions by the conduct of private sense or spirit contrary to the known and common doctrine of holy Church 21. The three first vices mentioned here speak themselves plain enough in their names Commessations are all riots or gluttonous excesses in eating or drinking feasts or banquets hereunto are reduced all excesses of wantonnesse at such feasts as idle songs and light womens company or unchaste talk The close of this verse prohibiting from heaven these who do those works of the flesh above enumerated is to be understood onely when mortal habit is contracted in all or any of these works or when any dies in a mortal act of any of these vices 22. See how contrary the works of the Spirit are to those of the flesh and note that the Apostle speaks not here in the same stile as formerly for he calls corporal deeds works of the flesh but spiritual acts he calls the fruits of the Spirit and why because they are more indeed the fruits of the holy Ghost then of man and therefore are called fruits rather then works though they are the works or acts of our soul yet in regard they are done by the vertue of grace not of nature hence they are imputed to be rather fruits of the holy Ghost then acts of our soul whilest that holy Spirit operates more towards them then our own soules do which since Adams fall are still more propense to evil then to good works Note here are principally understood the acts not the habits of those vertues for an act is properly a fruit of the agent and the chief agent in these being the holy Ghost they though produced by us are called the fruits of the Spirit that is of the Holy Ghost in us And the first of these is called Charity as the prime and principal fruit of the Holy Ghost in us because it is indeed the highest of all other virtues insomuch that it partakes in a manner of the Deity it self since God is called Charity 1 Joh. 4 8. and therefore this is indeed the main and special fruit of the Spirit and all other virtues are not improperly called the fruits of this because it is this gives life to the soul and to all her virtues whatsoever And by this are produced in us these following namely Joy the fruit indeed of a serene conscience guilty of no adulterate affection to creatures but ravisht wholly with the pure love of God Peace the tranquillity of mind upon the serenity of a conscience not troubled with any
horrour of sin or the least affection thereunto which peace of conscience the Apostle magnifies so that he sayes it surpasseth all sense and cannot be sufficiently expressed Philip. 4.7 so great a fruit this is of charity and these are the chief internal fruits Now the external are Patience whereby we bear with the provocations of others that attempt to disturb the tranquillity of our minds by which we neither loose our own nor disquiet others Benignity goes further whilest it not onely bears patiently all external attempts against our internal quiet but even endeavours to sweeten their asperity who are harsh unto us to oblige others who would disoblige us as well as to requite the courtesies we receive from them this consists chiefly in a sweetnesse of language in an evennesse of actions towards all men and is such as very good men may want unlesse they have the special gift thereof and this is the main vertue by which we gain from others the reputation of being Saints Goodnesse rests not satisfied in doing well for all men and in all we do but in declining offence to any either God or men this consists chiefly in ayming to profit our selves or others and is therefore esteemed the fountain of utility Longanimity hath a great share of patience as if it were a continuation thereof yet hath this speciall difference from it thâ—t this reports rather to time then persons and useth the exercise of patience properly upon all diversity or difference of time past present and future for that every minute of our lives ought by this virtue to be a patient expecting the good hour of Gods holy will to be done in us whilest we live by our sanctification when we dye by our salvation 23. Mildnesse is here understood to be diametrically opposite to anger or revenge of injuries and differs by that notion from patience as also by rendring a man tractable and flexible to all that is desired and good to be done Faith is of two considerations first as it is opposite to heresie and so assenteth to whatsoever is proposed by God or holy Church to be believed though never so much above nature and this faith is not so properly called a fruit of charity or of the holy Ghost as it is indeed the root or first principle of religion Secondly as it imports fidelity or veracity in point of promise and as it is opposite to fraud or lying and thus it is properly a fruit of the holy Ghost or of charity or as it is said here by the Apostle of the Spirit and of this Faith S. Paul sayes Charity believes all things 1 Cor. 13. so it consists in a kind of genuine simplicity by considing in the veracity of all men and believing rather then distrusting what they say Modesty imports an equal temper in all words and actions and renders a man well composed for the exteriour of him grateful and acceptable to all men being an effect of his inward rectitude or composition Continency is as it were a militant chastity and consisteth in the act of resistance to temptation so it is rather an imitation or inchoation of chastity then chastity it self which may be perfect when and where there is no opposition or temptations as a man is said to live chaste so long as he sins not carnally but continent whilest he actuaâ—ly resists temptation to carnality though this vertue is a kind of transcendent perfection over all mens actions and thus it is as well a temperance from excesse of meats as from all other vices Hence married people may be said to be continent though not chaste when they forbear all carnal pleasure but that which is the moderate use of the marriage bed Chastity consists in an absolute forbearing all carnal pleasure whatsoever as well that of marriage as not of marriage and is highly commendable as labouring to bring the body to the simplicity or purity of a spirit by declining all corporeal commixtion or impurity And against these fruits or the producers of them there is no law that is they are not forbidden any way nor punishable by any law at all but may freely be practised Which doctrine of the Catholick Church is against that of Sectaries forbidding vowes of chastity as if they were vowes against the law of nature 24. This last verse ends the forementioned war between the flesh and the spirit telling us that those who are truly Christs have by the grace of the Spirit by the help of the holy Ghost not onely overcome the flesh but crucified it too allayed even all the desires and concupiscences thereof by works of penance and mortification which is called a spiritual crucifixion because it imitates the death of our Saviour who dyed that we might live in spirit and never dye to him There are five noted wayes of this crucifying our concupiscences by feare of hell by conformity of our will to Gods holy will by guarding of our senses by prayer and by fasting watching and almes deeds or any other mortifications either of mind or body The Application 1. IT is no marvel if after so deep a root as our Faith took last Sunday we see to day the same Faith rise with a mighty stemm a stock of Hope topt with a gallant Head of charity and become a dainty Tree laden with several fruits of all sorts of vertues whatsoeuer for the many numbred here in this Epistle are an epitome of all the rest and indeed however Charity be the best and highest of all vertues yet she must have the staffe of Hope to rest upon and the root of Faith to suck the triple breast of the single Deity the milky mystery of the B. Trinity or else she is not ripe enough to gather and be served in as fruit sit for the heavenly Table 2. But that we may know when she is ripe indeed see here how she is set against her opposite the flesh which is a love to sense but not to soules to creatures but not to the Creatour so the Apostle playes at once the husbandman the painter and the Philosopher whilest he to day gives charity to us full â—ipe and with her best life colour made by the shadow of the flesh that sets her off as foyles do beauties and as two contraries set forth one another see them both in their several effects in the Explication of the Text above 3. But because fruits do wither where the grounds are dry and have not sapp to feed the Roots therefore S. Paul doth close up his Epistle to day with the Aqueduct of life giving waters to all Christian vertues our Saviour and his sacred Passion for when he sayes Those that are of Christ have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscence he must needs conclude that Christ first overcame this flesh by his Spirit and that it is by the application of his Passion we are inabled also to do the like and that without the application of this
Note the phrase of the Apostle how deep it is the spirit of your mind as who should say that mind which led them before baptisme to the desires of errour and which since baptisme had relapsed a little that old way was rather a corporal or at least but an animal mind and deserved not the honour to be stiled spiritual as not being led by any other motive then sense but now they are Christians he tells them their mind must be spiritual and follow the motives of grace and vertue So while he bids them be renewed in the spirit of their mind he insinuates as if though their actions even now have life from the old soul yet they should be performed by a spiritual and not by a corporal impulse 24. By putting on is here understood continue and keep on by the new man is meant the supernatural not the natural man or the internal not the external for as the last we cannot loose so the first we can hardly keep and therefore the Apostle exhorts us to live alwaies putting on that man lest at any time he fall off from us By saying this new man is created to God the Apostle meanes to the image or likenesse of God namely supernatural for even as Adam the first of men was not so properly said to be made like to God in respect of the natural creature he appeared to be as in regard of his invisible and supernatural being that is in grace sanctitie and truth so in us the new man imports the supernatural which according to God was created in us when by holy Baptisme we were regenerated whence we are truly created spiritual men by grace as often as from sinners we become Saints from unjust just from vicious holy from false true children of Almighty God 25. And that we may be preserved which is continually created and by new acts of grace become more and more Saints in this verse the Apostle bids us cast away all falshood all deceit all lying as members of the old man and not fit to be about the new one For since Christians have that happinesse to be members one of another as far forth as they make up the mystical body of Christ their Head therefore the Apostle tells them they ought to be as exact in telling truth to one another as the members of our natural body are exact each in the true performance of their duties the hand removing not laying danger in the heads way nor in the way of any other members of the body the feet bearing up and not letting fall the bulk of the walking body intrusted to them whilest the man is walking and this natural fidelitie in our natural members the Apostle exhibits unto us as an example of our veracity and truth to one another who are spiritual members each to other and consequently bound to be as faithful to our neighbour as sincere to him when he relyes upon us as our feet to the whole body whose weight relies on them and who walks in confidence they will not let the body fall whence it followes that a lie to our neighbour is as great a breach of trust as if we tripped up his heeles whilest he walks confident of our bidding him relie upon our supporting of him when yet by lying we deceive his trust 26. The Apostle doth not here command anger but supposing it just he bids us take heed it become not unjust or proceed not to sinne as who should say if you be justly provoked to anger against any evil in others take heed it proceed not to sin in your-selves Just anger is that which Saints have against sin not against sinners which parents have against children offending which Princes have against breaches of the Law when they punish the offenders for their faults without sin in themselves such as holy David meant was fit to have against Idolaters and persecutours of the just And indeed there is a kind of innate necessity in man to anger namely that which makes him use violence for the removing obstacles in his way to any heroical noble and just atchievement This anger the Apostle bids us so use as we take heed not to abuse it by letting it rise to the malice of a sin in us And when the sun is forbid to fall upon our anger he exhorts us to forbear continuing in it not that he allowes a continued act of anger all day provided we cease to be angry at night but that rather it should passe as fast as the sun doth over our heads that rather if we were angry towards sun-setting we should be sure to be quieted ere it were set that is immediately Note the Apostle here by anger meanes not the habit but the act thereof nor yet the moderate act of it neither when he bids the sun should not fall upon our anger for he means an excesse of anger a fury or wrath lest thereby as bees do when they sting we weaken our own vertues by acting revenge upon our neighbour and so endanger to sleep in sin which is understood by the sun setting on our anger and thereby hazzard the losse of our own soul that may in sleep depart without repentance which cannot probably happen in the day time and consequently diurnal anger is not so dangerous as nocturnal 27. And that this is the Apostles true meaning in the verse above these following words testifie For it is to give place or way to the devil to leave our selves at his mercy as it were at his advantage when we sleep in sin or when indeed we do waking continue in any sinful act with deliberation though it is also true that nothing layes us so much exposed to the devil as anger for it is a vice which takes away reason above all others insomuch as we usually say men act not like men but like beasts when they are furious and though a sudden fury may excuse sometimes from sin yet a continued one doth ever aggravate it and thereby gives more and more place to the devil which wrath or fury the Apostle here dehorteth from 28. He that when he was a Gentile did steal now that he is a Christian let him not steal because perfection is now required at his hands and to this perfection he must approach by degrees first casting off his old vices nay rather then steal for want of meanes to live himself let him labour about any good imployment that he may be able to give unto those who are in want and by so doing prevent in them the danger of stealing too So that Christian perfection stops not at moving every one to do good in himself but proceeds to prevent evil in others and so to prevent it as even by our handy labours to take away the cause that may tempt others to ill rather then for want of our labour expose them to the danger of evil doing By labouring that which is good is understood using honest labour and that for