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
Col. 1612. Solinus Paris 1577. Sozomen Basil 1570. Stapletonus Paris 1606. Stella Antw. 1618. R. Stephanus Paris 1532. J. Stobeus Franc. 1581. Strabo Paris 1587. Strigelius Lips 1591. Suetonius Paris 1610. Symmachus ex Bin. Col. 1618. Synesius Paris 1612. T. TAcitus Lugd. Bat. 1621. Talmud ex Wemse Lond. 1623. Taxa Camerae Apost Paris 1597. Terentius Basil 1538. Tertullianus Antw. 1584. Theocritus Paris 1586. Theodoretus Paris 1608. Theognis Paris 1608. Theophylactus Basil 1525. A. Thuanus Paris 1604. J. de Turre Gremata Venet. 1578. Tostatus Abulensis Venet. 1596. Tyrius Basil 1549. V. VAlerius Maximus Venet. 1573. G. Vasques Venet. 1600. Vega Madrid 1602. Fl. Vegetius Paris 1535. Velleius Paterculus Antw. 1607. Vincentius Bellov Venet. 1591. Vincent Lerinensis Col. 1622. Victor Pictaboniensis Bib. pat T. 6. Col. 1622. Vigilius Tig. 1573. P. Virgilius Basil 1586. L. Vives Tig. 1563. Fl. Vopiscus Paris 1544. W. J. WEmes Lond. 1623. Wesselus Groningens Basil 1524. Guil. Witakerus Gen. 1610. Geo. Wicelius Lips 1537. Jo. Wiclefus MS. J. Wolphius Tig. 1578. Jo. Woverus Antw. 1605. X. XEnophon Basil 1545. Jo. Xiphilinus Fran. 1590. Y. L. YStella Romae 1601. Z. J. ZAbarella Col. 1598. H. Zanchius Han. 1609. S. Zeno Bib. pat T. 3. Col. 1622. Zonaras Basil 1557. THE BRUISED REED A Sermon preached before his Grace and the rest of his Majesties Commissioners in causes Ecclesiasticall Decemb. 4. An. Dom. 1617. at Lambeth THE FIRST SERMON MATTH 12. 20. ex ESA. 42. 3. A bruised reed shall hee not breake and smoaking flaxe shall hee not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory or as we reade in Esay hee shall bring forth judgement unto truth Most REVEREND c. I Would not presume to found a bruised Reed or winde a crack't Pipe in this place destinated and appointed for the silver Trumpets of Sion nor blow my smoaking Flaxe here where the cleerest Lights of the Sanctuary usually shine if the Text of Scripture even now read in your eares encouraged mee not thereunto teaching the strongest and tallest Cedars of Lebanon by the example of the Highest not to fall upon and breake the bruised Reed and likewise the brightest burning Lampes of the Church not to do ut and quench the smoaking or as the Hebrew beares it the dimly burning Flaxe of their brethrens obscurer parts and labours A bruised Reed c. Whether by bruised Reed with S. Gregory we understand the broken Scepter of the Jewish Kingdome and by smoaking Flaxe the Aaronicall Priesthood destitute of the light of Faith and now ready to goe out and expire or by Arundinem conquassatam the shaken Reed as S. Hierome reades the words wee conceive the wavering faith of the Jewes to bee meant and by the smoaking Flaxe the momentary fervour of the Gentiles which is Tertullians exposition seconded by Rhemigius or we take the bruised Reeds in Saint Hilaries construction for the maimed bodies of such as were brought to Christ and smoaking Flaxe for their troubled mindes and distressed consciences or we be carried with the maine current of later Interpreters who are all strongly for all penitent sinners oppressed with the heavie burden of their sinnes and stricken with the horrour of Gods judgements in whom there remaines any sparke of grace to be shadowed under the Metaphors of the bruised Reed and smoaking Flaxe Vox diversa sonat doctorum est vox tamen una The descant is somewhat different the ground is the same all warbling the sweet note of our Redeemers most gracious and mercifull disposition who was so meek in his speeches that hee never strained his voice to exclaime bitterly and inveigh vehemently against any Ver. 19. He shall not cry nor lift up his voice and so milde and altogether innocent in his actions that he never brake so much as a bruised Reed nor trode out a smothering Week or smoaking Flaxe To cleere then the meaning of this Scripture from all mists of obscurity arising from variety of Interpretations give mee leave as it were to melt many small waxe lights into a great Taper by a generall Paraphrase upon the words Hee that is Jesus the second person in Trinity our Mediatour and Saviour as S. Matthew by applying this Prophecy unto him consequently expoundeth it Shall or will not breake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is destroy or cast away a bruised Reed or Cane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an afflicted and contrite sinner be he Prince or Priest in Saint Gregories sense Jew or Gentile according to Tertullians interpretation afflicted in body or in minde agreeable to S. Hilaries exposition And smoaking flaxe he shall or will not quench that is hee will not dishearten or discourage any Puny or Novice in his Schoole but on the contrary he will cherish the smallest seeds of grace and weake beginnings in new converts neither will he take away his Spirit from any relapsed and languishing Christian exhaling bitter and darke fumes of sighes for his sinnes if there remaine any light of faith in him though never so obscure any heat of true zeale and devotion though very weake and scarce sensible Behold here then store and aboundance of the Balme of Gilead dropping from this sweet Cane in my Text. A Reed what so weak and that bruised what so unprofitable yet shall not be broken And Flaxe or the weeke of a lampe or candle what so vile and that smoaking what so loathsome yet shall not be quenched By this cursory interpretation and illustration of the words you may easily distinguish in them 1. Two members of this Propheticall sentence A bruised c. A smoaking c. 2. Two subjects answerable to the two members Reed Flaxe 3. Two attributes proper to these subjects Bruising Smoaking 4. Two acts sutable to these attributes Breake Quench both removed from and denied of Christ he shall not breake he shall not quench Of these by the concurrence of Gods assistance with your patience now and hereafter according to the order of the words in the originall A reed bruised he shall not breake A reed Although the reed in my Text may seeme hollow and consequently empty of matter fit for our use yet if you please to look narrowly into it you shall finde it like that precious staffe which Brutus offered to Apollo in the hollow whereof much massie gold was inclosed Cujus intus solidum autum corneo velabatur cortice Liv. Dec. Pri. l. 2. To open this horne or cane that wee may finde the treasure hid in it may it please you to take notice of a foure-fold Reed described in holy Scriptures 1. Mysticall 2. Artificiall 3. Naturall 4. Morall Of the Mysticall you have heard already out of the Fathers The Artificiall reed is a golden instrument to mete withall mentioned Ezek. 40.5 Apoc. 21.15 I need not speake of the Naturall reed And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the City it is so well knowne to be a watery plant or tree wherewith nature
it the more vertue we shall finde in it and use to be made of it I have already counted many particulars in my former discourses upon these words and the supply of the rest together with the summe of the whole shall be my taske for the remainder of the time I will begin with the occasion which was a deepe wound of griefe which the Angel of Laodicea might seeme to have received from that keene and cutting reproofe Because thou art neither hot nor cold I will spew thee out of my mouth Now that he might not take on too farre by reason of so grievous and heavie a message the Spirit verifieth his name Paracletus and healeth and suppleth the wound with these comfortable words As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Gather not too much upon my former sharp reproofes and threats against thine owne soule there is yet place for thy zealous repentance despaire not of my favour nor wrong my love in thy over-weening conceit I would not have so rebuked thee if I had not loved thee Are those that are in Gods place to rebuke sinne and chasten offenders so carefull not to drive them to desperate courses will they daigne as God here doth to yeeld a reason of their proceedings and mitigate their sharpe censures with favourable expositions take away all scruples out of mens minds which their speeches and actions might otherwise leave in them Yee see the occasion and by it the scope of the Spirit and connexion of the words which carry this sense I rebuke with conviction and chasten with instruction all those whom I love not onely at large as I doe all mankind but in a speciall manner as I doe those whom I intend to make heires and co-heires with my only begotten Son Here wee have a speciall action of Gods carefull providence over his children Now the actions of God may be considered in a double respect either as they come from the Soveraigne of all power above us or as he is the patterne of all goodnesse to us as they are actions of soveraignty they require of us obedience and an awfull and a trembling regard of them as they are examples of goodnesse we are to seeke to imitate them and expresse them in our lives According to the former consideration these actions of God and words of my Text rebuke and chasten strengthen those that are under the rod but according to the latter they direct those that are to use it the former when they are chastened the latter when they chasten are to take notice of the severall circumstances set down in the Text. More particularly and plainly thus 1. We learne out of the words Gods care of his whom he reclaimes by threats and chastenings from their evill courses 2. The condition of the Church militant which is seldome without rebukes and chastenings 3. The imperfection of inherent righteousnesse and difficulty or rather impossibility of performing the Law now after our fall all Gods deare children are rebuked and chastened by him and therefore are not without blame or fault These are the speciall observations Their use must be to informe our judgement in the true estimate of the things of this life to stirre up our love to God who taketh such care of and paines with us as it were to call us home unto him by threatning of judgements and correcting us with a fatherly and compassionate affection Let us yet resume the words and consider the proceedings of the Almighty and wee shall see in God his actions the Magistrate his direction and charge and in the Magistrate his charge of distributing these tokens of Gods love the duty of all inferiours to receive them with the same affection wherewith they are given The Minister is to reprove the Judge to convince the Father to nurture the Magistrate to punish the Master to discipline those that are under them without partiality with moderation and in love those that are under their authority they may not revile but rebuke not torment but chasten not some in a spleen but all in love by the example of the Spirit in my Text God rebuketh whom he liketh and chasteneth whom he rebuketh and loveth whom he chasteneth Amor ille fraternus saith Saint d Aug. confes lib. 10. c. 4. Respirent in bonis suspirent in malis Austine we may say paternus sive approbet me sive improbet me diligit O that fatherly mind which whether it approve mee or reprove mee still loveth mee is worth all Amor saith the old man in the Poet est optimum salsamentum Love is the best sawce of all it giveth a rellish to those things that are otherwise most distastefull and loathsome It is most true of Gods love for it maketh rebukes gratefull and even chastenings comfortable I rebuke and chasten as many as I love Happy are we if we are of these many for e Job 5.17 blessed is he whom God correcteth Howsoever all chastening seemeth grievous unto us for the present yet it after bringeth the f Heb. 12.11 quiet fruit of righteousnesse to those that are exercised thereby Wherefore it is worth the observation that David prayeth not simply O Lord rebuke mee not neither chasten mee for that had been as much as to say O Lord love mee not for God rebuketh and chasteneth every one whom he loveth but he addeth g Psal 6.1 Rebuke mee not in thine anger neither chasten mee in thine heavie displeasure or as Junius rendereth it out of the Hebrew in aestu irae tuae in the heat of thy wrath I rebuke Was it enough to allay and coole the boyling rage of the young man in the comedy Pater est si non pater esses were thou not my father shall not this word I in my Text and this consideration that Gods hand is in all our afflictions be more forcible to quell the surges of our passions within the shore of Christian patience that they break not forth and fome out our own shame It was the speech of Laban Bethuel though devoid of the knowledge of the true God h Gen. 24.50 This thing is proceeded of the Lord we cannot therefore say neither good nor evill We who are better instructed must alter the words and say This thing is proceeded of the Lord this crosse is sent us from him therefore we cannot but say good of it we must thanke him for it In this losse sicknesse disgrace banishment imprisonment or whatsoever affliction is befallen us the will of our heavenly Father is done upon us and is it not our daily prayer Fiat voluntas tua Thy will be done Looke we to the author and finisher of our salvation hee bowed his will to take upon it his Fathers yoake shall we with a stiffe necke refuse it Father saith he let this cup passe let it passe if it be possible let it passe Ye heare he prayeth thrice against the drinking of it with all
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
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