improve himself more near to his primitive temper than now he is But God who had decreed he should ever remain under this malediction appointed also the means to retain him therein DISCOURSE XLII GENESIS 3. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel THE third and last particular remains to be treated of I will put enmity between thee and the woman c. This no doubt intendeth in some things more directly the spiritual Serpent than the brute yet for the general it may and ought as well as the rest to be expounded of the brute Serpent as a Glass wherein to behold the malice and destiny of the other the Devil It containeth two parts The Enmity and the Event and Managing thereof For the Enmity how it is verified concerning the brute Serpent experience telleth It is some part of the happiness of the creature to be the Favourite of Man who is the Lord thereof what honour could betide it greater than this But between the Serpent and Man is the most deadly enmity and the strongest antipathy that is amongst the Beasts of the field such an one as discovereth it self both in the natural and sensitive faculties of them both For the first Their humours are poison each to other the gall of a Serpent is Man's deadly poison and so is the spittle of a Man affirmed to poison the Serpent For the sensitive antipathy it appears in that the one doth so much abhor the sight of presence of the other Man's nature is at nothing so much astonished as at the sight of a Serpent and like enough the Serpent is in like manner affected at the sight of Man and that more especially as the Naturalists affirm of a naked man than otherwise As though his instinct even remembred the time of his malediction when he and naked man stood before God to receive this sentence of everlasting enmity And whereas the words of the Text do in special point out the Woman in this sentence of enmity the Naturalists do observe that is greater and more vehement with that sex than with the male of mankind Insomuch that Rupertus affirmeth That if but the naked foot of a Woman doth never so little press the head of a Serpent before he can sting her both the head and body presently dieth which no cudgel or other weapon will cause but that some life and motion will still remain behind Hoc saith he ita esse ipsorum qui per industriam exploraverunt fidâ relatione comperimus Lib. 3. de Trin. c. 20. You know my Author who affirms that he had this from the faithful report of such as had purposely bestow'd their pains to find out the truth thereof The remaining words of my Text do express the Managing and Event of this enmity which is far more dangerous and unlucky on the Serpent's part than on Man's for Man is able to reach the Serpent's head where his life chiefly resideth and where a blow is deadly but as for the Serpent he shall not be able to prevail against Man otherwise than privily and unawares and that but in the lowest part namely when he shall pass him unseen to sting him by the heel And that this is the nature of a Serpent it appeareth in the words of Dan's blessing Gen. 49. 17. Dan shall be a Serpent by the way an Adder in the path that biteth the horse-heels so that his rider shall fall backward And to make an end of this discourse also it is a thing to be observed in the nature of a Serpent that assoon as he perceiveth man ready to throw or strike at him he will presently roul his body for a buckler to save his head even as though he had some impression of that doctrine which God here read him in my Text Ipse conteret tibi caput He shall bruise thy Head Beware thy head AND thus hitherto I have considered these words as they are the curse of the brute Serpent Now I am to go over with them again to shew how they are propounded unto us by God as a Glass wherein to behold the Devil's malediction the Serpent being made now the discovery of his vileness which once he abused for a mask to hide it from the woman As therefore the Serpent is the most accursed of all the cattel and beasts of the field so is the Devil the most accursed Spirit amongst all orders and degrees of Spirits namely of the highest of Angels become the abjectest of Spirits more base and accursed than the most cursed damned Soul having little or nothing left him of that good which was sutable to a spiritual condition and this is the state of the Devil for the general answerable to that of the Serpent Now for the particulars The first is Vpon thy breast shalt thou go How doth this befit the Devil The Devil hath no bodily breast to go upon But as I shewed in the Serpent that this groveling signified the abasement of his whole nature from its primitive excellency so in the Devil it signifies his stooping down and falling from his most sublime and glorious condition A wonderful stoop this was when that which had been advanced as high as heaven was made to fall down as low yea lower than the earth it self This is the Devil 's going upon his breast this the groveling of that once so highly reared posture according to that description of Iude ver 6. who calls them the Angels that kept not their first estate but left their own habitation agreeable to that of S. Peter 2 Ep. 2. 4. God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell The second particular is The dust of the earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life The food wherewith Spirits are fed is analogical spiritual and not corporal we must therefore here seek out that which in them hath the fittest resemblance with corporal food The life of Angels consists in the continual contemplation of the excellent Greatness wonderful Goodness and glorious Beauty of the Essence of God both as it is in it self and as it is communicated unto his creatures This is that which our Saviour intimates Matth. 18. 10. Their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven The food of Angels whereby this their Intellectual life and vegetation is strengthened and continued is that unspeakable joy and delight which accompanies their contemplation of God and which they find in the beholding of whatsoever else hath any conformity and sutableness with him his Power his Wisdom his Glory his Goodness according to that in the Gospel There is joy in heaven and in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that repenteth This is that Manna which feeds the blessed Angels and which makes them unweariable and unsatiable in their contemplation and imitation of
unacquainted with the Schemes of Prophetick style for these alone are competent judges in these matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let such as these judge between the Author's method and the Novel way of interpreting wherein the Learned Hugo Grotius is the Choragus and leads the Dance a Dance which has made those of the Court of Rome no little sport For me here to make a judgment upon these two so distant Methods of Interpretation if it were fit yet it is needless both of them being brought into view and impartially compared and the Author's Method undeniably evinced to be the better and fully vindicated from the little pretensions of the contrary party and all this perform'd by one not only of the same University but of the same Colledge too which renders the performance more decorous and graceful it being as well a becoming testimony of a fair and worthy respect to the Author's memory as a seasonable service to the Truth it self This is a little of the much that might be observ'd touching the Author 's Intellectual Accomplishments His Moral Endowments did testifie his great Piety as the other his great Parts and Learning By his Moral Endowments I mean his Humility and Charity his Moderation Peaceable-Spiritedness Long-suffering and Patience his Meekness towards those that oppos'd themselves his Benignity Largeness and Openness of Spirit his Zeal for God and things Holy Iust and Good his Freedom from Ambition Envy and Love of the World his Sympathies and Pious Solicitudes for the Breaches in Christendom and not to instance in all those Vertues that shined forth in him and render'd him an Exemplary and Usefull Christian I shall name only one more and it 's that which is the signal Character of the Best Souls such as approch nearest to an Heroick State of Goodness and the greatest resemblance of the Divinity his Communicativeness and readiness to do good and that particularly by a free imparting unto all ingenuous lovers of Knowledge of his best Treasures and his Unweariedness herein an argument that he sensibly knew that Noble pleasure which useth to accompany the exercise of such Beneficence And which is the Crown of all all these were actuated and inspirited by Faith the Root of every Grace that is truly Christian and accordingly the necessity of such a Living and Operative Faith the Author has with great seriousness treated in several of his Discourses And here indeed were a large and pleasant Field to traverse a rich argument to discourse upon But there being in the following History of the Author's Life a very particular account of these and other his Endowments which must needs make his Memory precious to all persons of Piety and Learning I would not by an unnecessary lengthening of this Preface detain the Reader too long from the satisfaction he may there receive Thus much in brief touching The Author 2. Concerning his Writings besides what has been intimated by the way in the foregoiâ—g Advertisements these things are fit to be observ'd 1. That there were Three Treatises of his published in his life-time The First was his Clavis Commentationes Apocalypticae the largest and withal the most elaborate of any of his Writings This was his First-born his might and the excellency of his strength as Iacob spake of his First-born It was extorted from him by the loving violence of some great Friends otherwise he would have deferr'd the publishing of it till he had perfected his Specimina upon the last Chapters of the Apocalyps into a just Commentary agreeably to that large method of Interpreting wherein he had proceeded to the end of Chap. 14. The other Two short Tracts viz. about the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anciently given to the H. Table and about Churches in the Apostles times were not published neither without his modest reluctancy he was overruled herein by his Superiors whose Command for the former was accompanied with this high Elogium as some of the Author's friends have related it That this little Piece should silence all other Tracts about that argument there being enough therein said they to satisfie all reasonable men and there having been more than enough already published but to less purpose The English of the many Quotations in these Two Tracts not translated by the Author I have set not in the body of the line immediately after any of the Quotations but in another Column To have done so in the rest of his Works would have swell'd the whole into a greater bulk But I chose to do thus in these Two Tracts because they were published in his life-time and without any Translation immediately following the several Testimonies out of others And yet I am apt to think that if he had lived to prepare for the publick view some other Tracts or Discourses he would have render'd them into English and I the rather think so because he has done thus in some Discourses perfected by him though not published not long before his death These were his Discourse upon Eccles. 5. 1. intitled The Reverence of God's House and that upon S. Matth. 6. 9. about the Sanctification of God's Name These were revised by him and seem to have received his last care besides some other Tracts as his Paraphrase and Exposition of S. Peter's Prophecy and that Latin Tract De Numeris Danielis 2. That his other Discourses and Treatises whether formerly printed or now added were Opera Posthuma and yet too good to have been buried in obscurity and consequently lost to the World for according to that twice-mentioned sentence in Siracides ch 20. 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although had they been revised by the Author in order to printing they would doubtless have received some polishing lustre and farther enrichments from his last hand How advantageous such a Revisal of them would have been may appear from those fore-mentioned Discourses of his the former draughts whereof as they were deliver'd in the Colledge-Chappel were upon his review and going over them again much enlarged and made more full This Advertisement was fit to be here mentioned and that in justice to the Author's memory And therefore it is a very reasonable request to entreat the Reader to peruse them with that Candour and Fairness which is deem'd by all ingenuous persons but a due respect to the Posthumous Works of Worthy men In the confidence of such a Favor Civility have the Posthuma of many Learned men been presented to the world particularly some Posthumous Pieces of the eminently learned Bishop Andrews by the then Bishops of London and Ely the Three last Books of the Iudicious Mr. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity by the late Bishop of Worcester and to name but one more of the many that might be mentioned the Profound Dr. Iackson's Tenth and Eleventh Books of Commentaries upon the Creed by the unexpressible industry of the Reverend Mr. Oley Upon the like confidence of a fair respect to be afforded to the Posthuma
acknowledgments for such peculiar knowledge of the Mysterious and Prophetick Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use the words of that Hymn in the Alexandrian Liturgy for the Interpretation of Prophecy is a Grace and Favour as well as Prophecy it self Accordingly those two persons one under the Old Testament the other in the New that were favour'd above all others with the discoveries of the greatest Mysteries were such as were peculiarly dear to God Daniel was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and more fully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of desires or greatly beloved and Iohn was the Disciple whom Iesus loved so he is styled five times in Scripture that leaned on his breast at Supper and lay in his bosome and to this his bosome-Disciple did our Lord impart the deepest Mysteries of Prophecy as also of Evangelical Truth whence he was worthily styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Divine a Title more fitly applied to him than of old to Orpheus Linus and Musaeus or any the Divinest Writer among either the Philosophers or Poets of the Gentiles III. His serious diligence in the use of such means as were most proper and instrumental to the attaining of that Knowledge he prayed for Where the most seemingly-earnest Prayer is not attended with as earnest Endeavours it is but a lazy insignificant wish and in some a piece of vain Enthusiasm But our Saviours advice is not barely to ask but to seek and such was that of Solomon not only to lift up the voice for Wisdom and Understanding but to seek her as Silver and search for her as for hid Treasures And of these counsels Mr. Mede was a careful observer who failed not to accompany his Prayers with his best Endeavours And as he was not slight and sudden in any thing but proceeded with the greatest care and caution imaginable in any important argument his Thoughts were fixed upon so was he more especially serious and thoughtful in his endeavours to interpret the Apocalyps and any other Prophetical Scriptures a work to which he was peculiarly design'd and fitted by God and moved to it by some interiour invitation and gracious Instinct of his Spirit as the Author himself does somewhere acknowledge in his Epistles where he also looks upon any abilities he had for interpreting such Scriptures as that particular Talent God had intrusted to him to improve to the best advantage in his service and therefore as became a good and faithful Servant desirous to approve himself to his Master in Heaven whatsoever his hand did find to do herein he did it with all his might And that he might wholly give himself to these studies according to that of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and attend upon them without distraction he prudently made choice of his most still and vacant hours wherein he might be most free from the noise and tumult of other cares and distractive but less pertinent business for he would tell his Friends that he could do nothing in these things but in silence and security of not being distracted by company and business S. Iohn received his Apocalyps in his Solitude at Patmos and our Author found those seasons to be the most favourable and advantageous for gaining any abilities to reveal this Apocalyps when he could be most retired and recollected in his Cell or Study where he might gather in and intend all the Powers of his Mind and possess his whole Soul the Soul never acting so strongly as when its whole force is thus united in such Recollections One Instance and a very remarkable one of his great Diligence and Faithfulness in this Work he mentions in a Letter of his to Dr. T. where acquainting him with the leisurely and deliberate progress he made in his Exposition of Apocal. chap. 14. he adds I am by nature cunctabundus in all things but in this let no man blame me if I take more pause than ordinary and he gives this Reason for it Altius enim hoc animo meo insedit saith he That rashly to be the Author of a false interpretation of Scripture is to take Gods name in vain in an high degree Words worthy to be written to use Ieremy's expression with a pen of iron or with the point of a diamond upon the table of the heart in the most legible and lasting characters Words arguing the Authors most serious and pious spirit full of reverence for the Word of God and most sadly to be considered by the over-confident and superficial Expositors of the Divine Oracles and Mysteries Thus much in general The particular Means whereby he attain'd so great an insight and skill in the Apocalyps and other abstruse Prophecies of Scripture were such as these 1. His accurate and judicious comparing of Scripture with Scripture and observing the proper and genuine use of the like Words and Phrases in several passages of Scripture as they are either in the Original Languages or in the ancient Versions thereof especially the Chaldee Greek and Syriack For he found by good experience that some Scriptures do excellently illustrate others where the like Expressions are to be found and consequently that the Word of God is a Lamp unto our feet and a Light unto our path not only as to the guiding of our life and practice but also as to the directing our progress in the safest and clearest method of interpreting it self and that such comparing of places is as needful for our conduct in the more solitary and dark passages of Scripture as that burning Pillar of fire was to the Israelites in their journeying through a wast and desolate Wilderness which God gave them to be both a guide of the unknown journey and an harmless Sun by night as the Author of the Book of Wisdom does elegantly express it in chap. 18. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Particularly he observ'd that the Style of the New Testament doth frequently imitate the Construction and Propriety of the Hebrew in the Old as also the Greek of the LXX and that the use of many Words in the New Testament was not Vulgar but Hellenistical and agreeable to the use and importance of them in the Greek Bible As for example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apocal. 14. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 16. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15. 54. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 9. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apocal. 13. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9. 5. Several other examples might be mentioned but it is a Truth so generally acknowledged by those that are but competently acquainted with Sacred Philology that it would be a needless task to produce the very many Instances which might be brought in confirmation thereof 2. His exact skill in History and the Customes both of the Iews and other Nations was a singular aid and advantage to him for explaining the obscurer passages in the Apocalyps and Prophets 'T is
does he thank Lud. de Dieu for suggesting to him an easier explication of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apocal. 4. 6. and for acquainting him with his notion about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherub signifying an Oxe from the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherab which is Aravit whereby his observation upon the 4 Animalia in Apocal. 4. 7. was confirmed And with the like affection he acknowledges Mr. Haydock's ingenious conjecture about the form of the Seven-sealed Book Apocal. 5. as also his being better informed about the Number of the Beast 666 by Mr. Potter's Discourse concerning it with which Discovery he was so highly pleas'd that not without some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he affirm'd it to be one of the happiest Tracts that had come into the world and such as could not be read without much admiration In short He did not take himself to be Infallible and therefore was not Unalterable where the change was for the better and the change is ever such where we part with a plausible Mistake or with a specious Probability for solid Truth and clear Demonstration but he was always ready to hear another's Reason and to yield himself a willing Captive to the Evidence of Truth For to be overcome by Truth and Reason makes the conquered a gainer and puts him into a better state than he was in before nor will he fail if he know his own happiness to make one in that joyous acclamation Great is Truth and mighty above all things She is the Strength Power and Majesty of all ages Blessed be the God of Truth Or else men come to be prejudic'd by an undue affection to their Idola specus as the L. Verulam calls them their peculiar Conceits some Notions and Speculations of their own by which they either are or would be known being fondly persuaded that things are so as they imagine them or vehemently desirous that they should be so and therefore it is no wonder if being thus prepossess'd they have lost their taste and wrong'd their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they cannot readily discern between Good and Evil but as the Prophet Esay speaks put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter and are easily brought to fansie that to be True and Right which they passionately will to be such in order to some corrupt design and interest eagerly pursued by them or to the gratifying of those several Lusts wherewith they are led away as the Apostle speaks and are therefore unable to come to the knowledge of the Truth And if they that are thus affected do sometimes for a pretence consult the Holy Scriptures they come so fully possess'd that this or that Opinion and Practice of theirs is True and Right or so strongly resolved to find it so that even the Divine Oracles seem to them to return such an Answer as they promised themselves they should receive and most impetuously lusted after And so it fares with them herein as in another case it did with the Romans who having taken Veii a famous City in Hetruria went into Iuno's Temple and there with great ceremony and affectionateness asking Iuno Velletne cum illis Romam ire to some the Image seem'd annuere to others etiam id ipsum affirmare Upon which story in Livy there is this observation of Machiavel in his Discurs de Repub. Cum tanta veneratione interrogassent visum est ipsis tale responsum audivisse quale se audituros prius pollicebantur The application is obvious But against this other Instance of Pride expressing itself in an over-dear regard that such men have to their own Sentiments and oftentimes for some self-ends and undue advantage to themselves against this I say Mr. Mede was secured by that Universal Alexipharmacum his truly-Christian Humility as also by that Generosum honestum which dwelt and ruled in him the noble Integrity of his spirit that which the Scripture calls the Good and Honest Heart a Principle not less yea more necessary to the right discerning of Divine Truth than the Subtile Head And from this Principle he thus expresseth himself in some of his Diatribae That we should be more willing to take a Sense from Scripture than bring one to it Agreeable to which is that Maxime of his worthy to be written in letters of Gold it was mentioned once before but cannot be too often inculcated that Maxime which he said was deeply impress'd upon his own Soul That rashly to be the Author of a false Interpretation of Scripture is to take Gods name in vain in an high degree How then shall they escape and where shall they appear who being resolved to walk after their own lusts pervert and distort the Scriptures as of old the Prophets complain'd of some that did violence to the Law and wrest them to their own destruction which were designed by God to make men wise unto Salvation There are others that are prejudiced through a servile regard to those Idola fori as the forenamed Lord styles Popular Opinions and Vulgar Perswasions the Opinions of the Many or of such a Party among the Many whose Persons first and consequently their Perswasions they have in admiration for generally these two go together They that do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in S. Iude's language go on also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the respecting of Persons introducing also the respecting of Opinions And herein they shew themselves a kind of Servum pecus receiving for Doctrines the Traditions or Customary Notions of such men without any serious consideration which yet is no other than a blind implicit stupid and irrational respect to persons and Opinions as not being founded upon Knowledge and Iudgment But withall they do hereby oftentimes design to serve their own ends by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all this being done as S. Iude observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for advantage sake And against such Prejudices as these what could better secure the Author than his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use S. Peter's expression his clear and sincere Mind his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Largeness of Heart his Vast Understanding his Free and Ingenuous Spirit those Intellectual and Moral Endowments of his whereof I have already given a brief account in the Second Head of Advertisements 3. As free he was from all Self-seeking Flattery and covetous Ambition as from Partiality and Prejudice each of which has a very inauspicious influence upon any growth in Knowledge and Understanding Accordingly he does more than once observe in his Epistles That Mundus ama◠decipi magis quam doceri and that by constant observation he had found That no man loved any Speculations but such as he thought would advance his profitable Ends or advantage his Side and Faction But for his own part he thus opens his heart in one of his Epistles to a Friend and plainly professeth That he had not made the
Impure Souls are not admitted to any inward converse with God most Pure and Holy That Wickedness is destructive of Principles is also Aristotle's observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immorality or a Vicious life unfits men for the noblest Speculations so that they can neither know Divine nor Moral Truths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they ought to know and as they might have known had they had a true resentment of Morality and an inward esteem of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are just pure and lovely and of good report And though such men may sometimes hit upon some Philosophical Notions yet even in the discovering the Mysteries of Nature they had done far better and had excell'd themselves had they been more purged from brutish Sensuality and all filthiness of flesh and spirit I will only add this That for a most clear and undeniable proof of this Assertion That Morality and a Good life affords the greatest advantages to a more excellent knowledge of not only Divine but Philosophical Truths we have in this Age the unparallel'd Works of some eminently-learned and nobly-accomplish'd Writers who really are Virtuosi according to the ancient Latine importance of the word and not merely in the Italian sense which applies only to the Wits and such as are any way Ingenious be they or be they not morally Vertuous But that which I chiefly intended under this last Particular was to acquaint the Reader how deeply sensible Mr. Mede was of the indispensable necessity of a Purified Mind and Holy Life in order to the fuller and clearer discerning of Divine Mysteries This was his firm belief and it obliged him to endeavours worthy of it To which purpose I shall here produce a very observable passage out of a Letter of his to an ancient Friend in Lincolnshire who having received and with great satisfaction read some Papers from Mr. Mede containing his first Essays upon part of the Apocalyps and thereupon writing to him with all serious importunity That he would earnestly pray for and endeavour after a great measure of Holiness to the mortification of Sin more and more that thereby he might be prepared to receive a greater measure of Divine Illumination and be as a Vessel of honour chosen by God to bear and convey his Truth to others with much more of the like import concluding with this request You see how bold I am with you but let love bury that Exorbitancy c. To this his Christian advice Mr. Mede return'd this excellent Answer Sir I thank you heartily for your good Admonitions and am so far from interpreting your Love Exorbitancy that I confess my self to have much need of this and more and therefore desire you to second this your Love with Prayer to God for me that he would vouchsafe me that his Sanctifying Spirit and that measure of Grace which may make me capable of such things as he shall be pleased to reveal and hath in some sort praised be his Name already revealed unto me in the contemplation whereof I find more true Contentment than the greatest Dignities which Ambition so hunteth after could ever have afforded me I have considered what S. Paul saith The Natural and Carnal man is altogether uncapable of the things of God's Spirit neither can he know them c. and what our Saviour saith If any man will do his Father's will he shall then know of the doctrine whether it be of God and I give thanks to Almighty God who hath made the Light of these his wonderful Mysteries to kindle that Warmth in my Heart which I felt not till I began to see them and which have made me that which they found me not This passage out of Mr. Mede's original Letter I thought very worthy to be made publick and inserted here upon so fit an occasion both for that excel-cellent and genuine relish of an humble and serious Piety in every line thereof as also because it is an illustrious Attestation to the forementioned Truth That an Holy Heart and Life is a necessary Qualification to the right discerning of Divine Mysteries agreeable whereunto is that in the Greek Version of Prov. 1. 7. which yet is rather a Paraphrase than a bare Translation there being more in the Greek than in the Original Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AND now I have passed over the Three long Stages of this Preface In the last Head of Advertisements I have acquainted the Reader by what Methods and Helps the Author arrived at so great a measure of skill in the Scripture particularly in the more abstruse and mysterious parts thereof And thus may others also attain to a considerable Knowledge and purchase this goodly Pearl this Treasure hid in the field of Prophetical Scriptures if they are willing to be at the same cost and bid to the worth of it and not ignorantly nor sordidly undervalue it For Wisdom and particularly this kind of Wisdom and Knowledge is not to be had at a cheaper rate it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Pearl of great price and worthy of all that we have to bestow to purchase it They that look as little into the Apocalyps as some do into the Apocrypha and mind the Book of Daniel no more than they do the Apocryphal Story of Bell and the Dragon and therefore exercise not their good parts nor bestow that serious diligence about the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture as they use to do about other kind of difficulties whether in Philosophy or other parts of Learning it 's no wonder they complain the Iewel is too dear when they have no mind to give the full price for it and that all Labour after such knowledge is either excessively hard or useless whenas yet through their delicateness and love of their own ease or for some other reason they never made any due trial But in other things Difficulty is no argument it rather whets and animates men of brave spirits and that all Excellent things are hard is so confess'd a Truth that it has pass'd into a vulgar Proverb The first and least therefore that is to be done by such as are of another spirit and are minded to search these as well as the other Scriptures is by a frequent attentive reading of the Prophetical Visions to fix the main passages thereof in their minds otherwise both the style and matter the great things of the Prophets as Hosea speaks of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great things of the Law will be always counted as a strange thing This being done they must if they would succeed in their search apply themselves to those Five Means and Instruments of Knowledge as Mr. Mede did and prosper'd and by his Writings hath lessen'd the difficulty of these Studies and made the way plainer for others than he found it for himself And as the study of the Prophetick Scriptures would by an heedful attending to those
a free and chearful exercise of Christian Charity it is absolutely necessary that he retrench and cut off all needless expences either about Apparel or Diet Building or Sports and Recreations c. Otherwise Frequent or Expensive Treatments Pride and Curiosity about Attire and Dressings will soon make Charity bare and cold make it look pale and meagre and at last quite starve it Where much is laid out upon Back or Belly there will be but little spared for Beneficence Where a man through his Voluptuousness and Sensuality finds himself too dear for himself so that it becomes difficult to maintain his deliciousness it will be thought too grievous to maintain good works for necessary uses as the Apostle speaks Tit. 3. Such a one will be greedily scraping for himself that he may have to consume upon his Lusts rather than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to distribute proportionably to his estate to him that needeth Where so much is solemnly offer'd in Sacrifice as especially at great Feasts to that false God the Belly and the best and fattest is offer'd up and withall the sweetest for large Drink-offerings to that mortal and perishing God there will be but little reserv'd for the Sacrifices of communicating and doing good with which the Eternal and only true God is well pleased But Christian Religion as it designs to cherish and advance every thing that is worthy lovely and useful for the good of man is excellently prepar'd and accommodated to secure the Grace of Charity by obliging to Modesty and Humility sober Frugality and Temperance and in order thereunto to the subjugating of all inordinate Affections to the resolute denying of the clamorous cravings and impetuous desires of the Sensitives Powers the subduing whereof is a great instance of Spiritual Valour inward Health and Strength as on the contrary it is a great Imperfection and Weakness and withal a dishonourable thing for one that owns the name of Christian not to have power over his Sensual appetites but to have impatient desires vehement affections for such or such delicacies and as vehement delights in them to be over-curious and studious for pleasing his Appetites to be enslaved to his Palate enslaved to Wine and serving various pleasures as the Apostle describes the temper of some unworthy Christians Besides it argues a man not to have had so true a Gust of the powers of the world to come nor to be as he ought affected with the Hope of those pure and permanent Felicities in the Future Life which Christianity over and above the present ease and pleasure that accompanies Humility and Temperance here hath more fully brought to light and set before us For were these cordially believed they would work in men a generous disregard of those Sensual enjoyments which too many such is the courseness of their Temper count their Felicity making themselves hereby like the Beasts that perish who if this were Felicity enjoy as much or more of it than Man himself To conclude If men are not so much under the Power of Religion as to deny the solicitations of their inordinate Appetites and bring in subjection the Flesh with the Passions and Lusts thereof to the Spirit they do but Parrot-like and as they are taught talk of Self-denial and Mortifications and being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of Pleasures rather than Lovers of God and their Neighbour they plainly and in reality deny the Power of Godliness though they may have the Form of it Whereas if they were under the power and energy of Religion they would find themselves throughly furnished and chearfully dispos'd to every good work So true a Friend is Frâ—gal Temperance so hurtful an Enemy is a Delicious Soft and Luxurious as well as the Covetous humour to that Divine Amiable and universally-Beneficial Grace of Charity 40. And now having spoken of his Charity or Love towards men it aptly falls into this place that we should observe something of his Love towards God wherein yet we need not be so large as in the former Instances for what we have already observ'd of his Character doth abundantly prove it His Meekness Patience Christian Prudence and Moderation and those Two bright Graces of the Greatest magnitude his Humility and Charity are pregnant evidences and real demonstrations of the Love of God dwelling in him Where these Fruits of the Spirit grow and flourish it 's a sure sign that such a Christian is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rooted in Love To be Meek and Patient Humble and Lowly in spirit to have an Heart full of Charity and melted into all compassionate endeavours for the good of others even of Enemies these are higher and harder things than to talk of Religion to say Lord Lord to shew much love with their mouth to abound in the external observances of Religion for so did the Pharisees who therefore by their outward specious profession gain'd a great reputation of Sanctity from the world but yet of them our Saviour Christ pronounces freely and smartly I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you a startling and grievous word to the Pharisees then and the like it would be to the Pharisaick Christians to be told so now In brief He testified his Love to God in that which is the most eminent and genuine expression of it viz. an Entire Sincere Uniform and Constant Obedience to his Commandments For this is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments or according to those two main Characteristicks of the Pure and Vndefiled Religion in S. Iames in Vnspottedness from the world and Charity to the poor and desolate What 's less than this is but Lip-devotion religious Courtship insignificant and empty Complements And whereas he observ'd that too many seem'd to make conscience of the Duties of the First Table but had little or no care of the Duties of the Second he had respect unto both For said he None can be truly Religious towards God that is not truly Honest in his conversation towards his Neighbour Thus he believ'd and thus he practis'd 41. But to superadd some other particular Instances of his Love to God He farther shew'd the Tenderness of this Affection by the Zeal he had for the Honour of God and by the dear regard he express'd to every thing wherein he thought the Divine Interest was concern'd He could in no wise brook the bestowing Religious Worship upon Creatures and therefore with a just severity he would equal the practices of the present Roman Church in their Saint-worship and Image-worship with those of the Israelites in following the ways of Ahab and Ieroboam and constantly asserted That the Great Apostasie or Antichristianism did as to one main part thereof consist in Spiritual Fornication or Idolatry Nor need any Protestant be disturb'd at the word Antichristian or Antichrist so frequently used by our Author when he has to do with the Roman
faculty or Melancholia and Mania which they describe and distinguish thus Both of them to be when the Understanding is so disturbed that men imagine speak and do things which are most absurd and contrary to all reason sense and use of men but their difference to be in this that Melancholia is attended with fear sadness silence retiredness and the like Symptoms Mania with rage raving and fury and actions sutable which is most properly styled Madness Now when I say that those Daemoniacks in the Gospel were such as we call Mad-men understand me to mean not of Deliration ex vi morbi or of simple dotage but of those two last kinds Melancholici and Maniaci whereunto add morbus Comilialis or falling sickness and whatsoever is properly called Lunacy Such as these I say the Iews believed and so may we to be troubled and acted with evil Spirits as it is said of Saul's Melancholy that an evil Spirit from the Lord troubled him and therefore passing by all other Causes or Symptoms they thought sit to give them their Name from this calling them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An occasion of the more frequent use of which expression in our Saviour's time and the ages immediately before him than formerly had been may seem to have been given by the Sect of the Saddâ—cees which after the time of Hyrcanus had much prevailed and affirmed as S. Luke tells us that there was no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit To affront and cry down whose error it is like enough the Pharisees and the rest of the right-believing Iews who followed them affected to draw their expressions wheresoever they could from Angels and Spirits as presently they did in the Acts when S. Paul awakened their faction in the Council saying I am a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee c. We find no evil say they in this man but if a Spirit or an Angel hath spoken unto him let us not fight against God Having thus sufficiently stated and explicated my Assertion now you shall hear what grounds I have for the same First therefore I prove it out of the Gospel it self and that in the first place from this Scripture which I have chosen for my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath a Devil and is mad Where I suppose the latter words to be an explication of the former Secondly I prove it out of Matth. 17. 14 15. where it is said There came to our Saviour a certain man kneeling down to him and saying Lord have mercy on my son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he is Lunatick and sore vexed for oft-times he falleth into the fire and oft into the water That this Lunatick was a Daemoniack it is evident both out of the 18. verse of this Chapter where it is said Our Saviour rebuked the Devil and he departed out of him and the child was cured from that very hour as also out of the 9. of the Gospel of S. Luke V. 39. where it is said of the self-same person Lo a spirit taketh him and he suddenly crieth out and it teareth him that he foameth again and bruising him hardly departeth from him By comparing of these places you may gather what kind of men they were which the Scripture calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daemoniacks Now I come to other Testimonies And first take notice that the Gentiles also had the like apprehension of their Mad-men whence they called them Larvati and Cerriti where Larvati is as much as Larvis id est Daemonibus acti so Festus Larvati saith he furiosi mente moti quasi Larvis exterriti And for Cerriti they were so called quasi Cereriti hoc est à Cerere percussi And therefore you may remember that when Menaechmus in Plautus feigns himself mad and talks accordingly the Physician who was sent for to cure him asks the old man who came to fetch him whether he were Larvatus or Cerritus If the Gentiles thought thus of their Mad-men should we think it strange the Iews should I could tell you here that the Turks conceit of their Mad-men is not unlike this but that they suppose the Spirit that works in them to be a good rather than an evil one But I let this pass My next Testimony shall be out of Iustin Martyr who in his second Apology ad Antoninum to prove at least to a Gentile that the Souls of men have existence and sense after death brings for an Argument their Necromancy and their callings up the spirits of the deceased together with other the like and in the last place this of Daemoniacks where by his description of them we may easily gather what kind of people they were which were so taken to be They also saith he which are seised upon by the Spirits of the deceased for such were these Daemonia taken to be and are cast and tumbled upon the ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which all call Daemoniacks and Mad-men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were all one as men then conceived Note here that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were taken to be the Souls of men deceased and that not among the Gentiles only but as may seem among the Iews also For Iosephus in his seventh Book De Bello Iudaico Chap. 25. mentioning these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon occasion of a certain Herb supposed to be good for them saith expresly by way of Parenthesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these Daemonia are the Spirits or Souls of the worst sort of men deceased which are gotten into the bodies of the living I tell not this with a meaning to avouch it for true but only that you might understand how Iustin Martyr's argument proceeds to prove that Souls have existence after Death from the Daemoniacks My last proof is taken from those Energumeni which are all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so often mentioned in the Church-Liturgies in the ancient Canons and in other Ecclesiastical writings many Ages after our Saviour's being on earth and that not as any rare and unaccustomed thing but as ordinary and usual They were wont to send them out of the Church when the Liturgy began as they did the Poenitentes Auditores and Catechumeni which might not be partakers of the Holy Mysteries If those were not such as we now-a-days conceive of no otherwise than as Mad-men surely the world must be supposed to be very well rid of Devils over it hath been which for my part I believe not Nay that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possessed with the Devil or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daemoniacks were such as I speak of Balsamon and Zonaras both in their Scholia upon the Canons of the Church will I think inform us For to reconcile two Canons concerning these Energumeni or possessed which seem contradictory one called of the Apostles in
and out before the Glory of the Holy One But neither S. Hierome who translated it out of the Chaldee nor the ancient Hebrew Copy set forth by Paulus Fagius and in likelihood translated out of the same Chaldee Original hath any such matter but read as I first quoted And therefore it seâ—ms to be an addition or liberty of the greek Translator who thought their Ministery to consist in presenting the Prayers of the Saints and so translated accordingly This Tradition is farther testified by Ionathan ben Vziel the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast Gen. 11. 7. where the Lord's words spoken in the plural number 〈…〉 go down and let us confound their language are paraphrased in this 〈…〉 spake unto the Seven Angels which stand before him Go to now let us go 〈…〉 Whether rightly or fitly in this place it matters not the Testimony is 〈◊〉 for the Iewish Tradition of Seven Arch-angels that stand before the Throne of God This Tradition Iunius saith is Magical and not a little triumphs therein aâ— an undoubted Argument to evince the Book of Tobit not to be Canonical But whâ—tâ—oever the Book of Tobit be I hope to shew this Tradition to have firm ground and footing in Scripture and not so rashly to be rejected The chief and most clear place is this I have now read which gives us to understand that these Seven Angels were represented by that Candlestick of Seven Lemps which continually burned in the Temple before the Veil over against the Mercy-seat which was the Throne of God For in the beginning of the Chapter the Prophet being shewed this Seven lamped Candlestick in a Vision and two Olive-branches on each side ministring oyl to the Lamps thereof the Angel asketh him ver 5. if he knew what these meant The Prophet answers No my Lord. Then the Angel discoursing a little by way of Preface tells him what they were These Seven saith he that is the Seven Lamps are the seven Eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth that is those Seven Vigils or prime Ministers of his Providence the Seven Arch-angels As for the two Olive-trees on each-side These are saith he the two anointed ones which stand before the Lord of the whole earth v. 14. that is Zorobabel and Iesua the Prince and Priest of that time which should be God's two Instruments on earth whereby his Church signified by the Candlestick should be re-established and his Temple builded and that not by force or strength as he saith in his Preface v. 6. but by the Spirit of God working with them as the Olive-trees here conveyed oyl to the Candlestick not after a natural and usual but a supernatural and secret manner This interpretation of the latter hath the suffrage of the best Expositors both Iews and Christians and so I shall need say no more of it but betake my self to make good the first concerning the words I chose for my Text That those Seven Eyes of God signified by the Seven Lamps are Seven Angels That this is so I prove out of two places of the Apocalyps derived from hence where as well the Seven Lamps before the Throne as the Lamb 's Seven Eyes are said to be the Seven Spirits of God I saw saith S. Iohn Ch. 4. 5. Seven Lamps before the Throne which are the Seven Spirits of God And again Ch. 5. 6. I saw in the midst of the Throne and of the four Beasts as we translate it and of the four and twenty Elders a Lamb as if he had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth Here first we have Zacharie's very words Seven eyes sent forth into all the earth secondly that these Seven eyes are the Seven Spirits of God thirdly that these Seven Spirits were represented by the Seven Lamps burning before the Throne If this be not sufficient to make my interpretation of Zacharie's good I know not what can be For who can now but think that the Iews derived their Tradition of these Seven Angels from this place of Zachary and the Apocalyps from them both And that indeed the Iews supposed some such thing meant by the Seven Lamps in the Temple appears by the report of Iosephus though depraved and fashioned unto the capacity of the Gentiles For he tells us both in his Antiquities Lib. 3. cap. 7. and in his De Bello Iudaico Lib. 6. cap. 6. Gr. 〈◊〉 that the Seven Lamps signified the seven Planets and the most holy place within the veil Antiq. l. 3. cap. 5. the Heaven of God or Heaven of Glory and that therefore the Lamps stood slope-wise as it were to express the obliquity of the Zodiack Now it is true that the Iewish Astrologians favouring of Gentilisme make these Seven Angels the Prefects of the Seven Planets which they seem to have learned in part from the Greek Philosophy which conceit howsoever it be vain and groundless yet may be as a Key to understand the meaning of this of Iosephus And one thing more If the visible things of God may be learned as S. Paul says from the Creation of the world why may not the Invisible and Intelligible World be learned from the Fabrick of the Visible the one it may be being the Pattern of the other But to let this pass and return again to the Apocalyps Where concerning the places alledged there may be two things objected First That the Seven Spirits there mentioned are and may be expounded of the Holy Ghost thus represented in respect of those seven-fold that is manifold Graces he communicates unto the Church I answer that many indeed have so taken it but besides the uncoâ—thness of expressing one Spirit by seven there is a reason in the Text why they cannot be so taken namely because not only the Seven Lamps are said to be those Seven Spirits of God but the Seven eyes and Seven Horns of the Lamb also to be the same Now it will be very hard and harsh to make the Holy Ghost the Horns and Eyes of Christ as he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world that is as he is Man Above Angels indeed the Man Iesus is exalted and that too for the suffering of death that is as the Lamb but not above the Holy Ghost This made not only Drusius but even Beza himself in his Notes upon this place to affirm it could not be meant of the Holy Ghost but of Seven created Spirits A second scruple is How if they be created Spirits Iohn could pray for Grace and Peace from them Grace be unto you saith he and peace from him which is which was and is to come and from the seven spirits which are before his Throne and from Iesus Christ the faithful witness c. Would he pray for Grace and Peace from Angels I answer Why not For first He praies not to them but unto God unto whom such
the Books written after the Captivity he is styled Deus coeli the God of Heaven as in Ezra Nehemiah Daniel in which Books together with the last of Chronicles the title of Deus Sabaoth The Lord of Hosts is not to be found but the title of Deus Coeli The God of Heaven only which as may seem was taken up for some reason in stead of the other But to return to what we have in hand It was the Angelical Host as ye hear who sang this Song of joy and praise unto the most High God And wherefore For any restitution or addition of Happiness to themselves No but for Peace on Earth and Good-will towards men He that was now born took not upon him the Nature of Angels but of men He came not into the world to save Angels but for the salvation of men Nor was the state of Angels to receive advancement in glory by his coming but the state of men and that too in such a sort as might seem to impeach the dignity and dim the lustre of those excellent creatures when an inferiour Nature the nature of Man was now to be advanced unto a throne of Divine majesty and to become Head and King not only of men but of the Heavenly Host it self O ye blessed Angels what did these tidings concern you That ruined mankind should be restored again and taken into favour whereas those of your own Host which fell likewise remained still in that gulf of perdition whereinto their sin had plunged them without hope of mercy or like promise of Deliverance What did it add to your eminent Dignity the most excellent of the creatures of God that the Nature of man should be advanced above yours that at the Name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth The Observation therefore which this Act of the Angels first presents unto us is The ingenuous goodness and sweet disposition of those immaculate and blessed Spirits in whose bosomes Envy the Image of the Devil and deadly poison of Charity hath no place at all For if any inclination to this cankered passion had been in these Heavenly creatures never such an occasion was offered nor greater could be to stir it up as now But Heaven admits of no such passion nor could such a torment consist with the blissful condition of those who dwell therein It is the smoke of that bottomless pit a native of Hell the character and cognisance of those Apostate Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation and are reserved for chains of everlasting darkness These indeed grieve no less at the Happinâ—ss of men than the Angels joy witness the name of their Prince Satan which signifies the Fiend or malicious one who out of Envy overthrew mankind in the beginning out of Envy he and all his fellow-fiends are so restless and indefatigable to seduce him still The Use of this Observation will not be far to seek if we remember the admonition our Saviour hath given us in the Prayer left unto his Church which is To make the Angels the pattern of our imitation in doing the will of our heavenly Father for so he teacheth us to pray Let thy will be done in earth as it is done in heaven that is Grant us O Lord to do thy will here as thy holy Angels do it there And as we should imitate them in all things else so in this affection towards the happiness and prosperity of others And good reason I think if we mean at all to approve our selves unto God our Father why we should endeavour rather to be like unto them than unto Devils But in nothing can we be more like them than in this to rejoyce for the good and not repine at the happiness of our Brethren Hoc enim Angelicum est This is the Character of the Angelical nature and consequently of those who one day shall have fellowship with them To be contrarily affected Diabolicum est is the badge and brand of Devils and Fiends and those who wear their Livery reason good they should keep them company Let every one therefore examine his own heart concerning this point that he may learn upon what terms he stands with God and what he may promise himself of the Blessedness to come Do the gifts of God doth his favour or blessing vouchsafed to thy brother when thou â—eest or hearest of them torment and crucifie thy soul dost thou make their happiness thy misery is thine eye evil to thy Brother because God's is good If this be so without doubt thy heart is not right before God nor doth his Spirit but the spirit of Devils and Fiends reign therein But if the contrary appear in any reasonable measure with a desire to encrease it for we must not look to attain the perfection of Angels in this life but in some measure and degree only if thou canst rejoyce at anothers good though it concerns not thy self the Spirit of God rests upon thee For emulations and envyings saith the Apostle Gal. 5. 19. c. are the fruits of the flesh but the fruits of the Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kindness and goodness So he calls the opposite vertues to those former vices But as any good that betides our brother ought to affect us with some degree of joy and not with grief and envy so chiefly and most of all his Spiritual good and that which concerns his Salvation ought so to do This was that the holy Angels praised God for in my Text on the behalf of men That unto them a Saviour was born who should save them from their sins and reconcile them unto God Which sweet disposition of those good and blessed spirits our Saviour himself further witnesseth when he saith Luke 15. 7 10. There is joy in heaven namely among the holy Angels for one sinner that repenteth But is there any man will you say such a son of Belial as he will not do this will not imitate the holy Angels in this Iudge ye There is an evil disease which commonly attends upon Sects and Differences in opinion That as men are curiously inquisitive into the lives and actions of the adverse party so are they willing to find them faulty and rejoyce at their falls and slips hear and relate them with delight namely because they suppose it makes much for their own side that the contrary should by such means be scandalized and the Patrons and followers thereof disreputed But should that be the matter of our grief whereat the Angels joy or that the matter of our joy whereat the Angels grieve How is this to do our Father's will on earth as the Angels do in heaven Nay if this be not to put on the robes of darkness and to shake hands with hellish Fiends I know not what is O my Soul come not thou into their secret unto
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he had respect unto the recompence of Reward And I confess it seems an unreasonable thing to me that that which is made the End though but in part of the Action should not be at all looked unto by the Agent whenas Finis is principium Actionis and that that which God hath promised unto us as an encouragement to make us work with the more alacrity should not be thought on nor looked to in our working Do not they who would perswade this go the way to discourage men from good works by removing out of their sight the Encouragement which God hath given them But they object the obedience of God's Children ought to be filial that is free and not mercenary as that of Hirelings I answer Obedience which is only for Reward without all respect or motive of Love and Duty is the Obedience of an Hireling not that which acknowledgeth the tie of Obedience abâ—olute and the Reward no otherwise due than of his Fathers free love and bounty as every true child of God doth and ought to do They object again that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 5. Charity seeks not her own now say they the works of God's children must proceed from love and charity I answer What though Charity seeks not her own may not yet a charitable man so much as look or hope for his own or have an eye to what is promised him But this place is altogether misapplied and abused For that property of Charity now mentioned as some also of the rest in that Chapter concerns only our Charity towards men and not our Charity towards God the meaning thereof being That a Charitable man will sooner lose his own than by seeking or contending for it break the band of Charity And this may suffice for my third Observation Now I come to the fourth and my last Use of this Text which I told you in the beginning followed thereupon namely That if Almighty God remember them who have done good deeds unto his House and the Offices thereof much more ought we who are partakers of the comfort and benefit of such Bounty to remember and honour them with a thankful celebration of their Names DISCOURSE XXXV DEUTERONOMIE 33. 8. And of Levi he said Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy Holy One. THIS Verse is part of that Blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death and These words are part of the Blessing of Levi a Blessing which much exceeds those that went before it and is far above all that come after it For as S. Paul proves Melchisedec to be greater than Abraham because he blessed Abraham and worthier than Levi because he tithed Levi in the loins of Abraham So may we say of this Blessing that it is the greatest of all because it is the Blessing of him who by his Office was to bless all the rest and the worthiest of all because by it the party blessed is enabled to bless the rest of his Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Always that by which another is that thing it self is more than the other In the Words themselves we will consider first The subject blessed and then The quality of the Blessing it self The Subject blessed is expressed both by name and by description by name Levi by description God's Holy One. The Blessing it self is contained in words few but for substance plentiful Vrim and Thummim nay more than so Thy Thummim and Thy Vrim that we might know whence this Blessing comes how that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Divine thing the gift of God who is the Author and Giver of all good things And of Levi he said Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy Holy One. To begin first with the subject Levi. What Levi was is so well known that it were needless to say much to make it better known Only this that Levi was the Tribe which God had especially bequeathed to himself and set apart for the ministery of the Altar Concerning whose Name though Observations drawn from Names are like an House raised upon the Sand yet because of old and among the Patriarchs Names were given by the spirit of Prophecy it will not be altogether unworthy our speculation to remember why this Name Levi was imposed which we shall see as truly verified in that Function to which God did advance his posterity as it was by his Mother fitly given to himself upon the good hope she conceived at his birth For Levi signifies a Conjoyner an Vniter or maker of Vnion For thus said Leah when she bare him Now at this time will my husband be joyned to me because I have born a third son And she called his name Levi. She called him Levi but for ought we read in regard of her self she sound him no Levi as she hoped but she prophesied of that sacred Office whereby all the sons of Levi became Conjoyners became makers of Vnion not between Iacob and Leah but between God and Man between Christ and his Spouse between the spiritual Iacob and his deformed Leah For as truly as ever Leah spake might the Church then and may the Church now affirm when she hath born these sons unto her husband Now I know my heavenly husband my Lord my God will be joyned to me because I have born him these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these sons of Vnion these Ministers of reconciliation Plato could say A Priest was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A friend-maker between God and men Nay his whole Office is nothing but the Service of peace and that not only between God and man but between man and his brother For how can he love God who loves not his brother or how can he be at peace with God who is at variance with his brother Needs must he therefore that is Minister of the one be Minister of the other also and he that is so nay he alone that is so is a right Levite and a true son of Vnion How unworthy then of this holy Name how unworthy to succeed in the holy Order of Levi are those who are Ministers of division who by their lives doctrine example or any other way divide God and his Church and the Church within it self who neither have peace with God themselves nor will suffer others to have it who neither agree themselves with others nor suffer others to agree among themselves Beati pacifici Blessed are the Peace-makers especially in the sons of Peace This Christ prayed for in his Apostles Ioh. 17. 11. saying Holy Father keep them through thy name that they may be one as we are one Christ is so one that he makes all one who are one in him so should every son of Levi be one In sum the Ministers of God are called Angels and therefore should sing a song like unto that song of Angels Glory be
unruly and obvious to be surprised for such things we are wont to keep and so much therefore is implied in that they are to be kept else they needed no keeping This is therefore the condition of our Hearts 1. They are untrusty The heart is deceitful above all things Ier. 17. 9. Therefore it stands in hand to watch it to suspect it and deal with it as we would with a notable Iugler or with an untrusty and pilfering servant to have a jealous and a watchful eye over it For if our eye be never so little off it will presently break out into some unlawful liberty or other 2. It is an unruly thing if it be once lost a man cannot recover it again without much time and labour For it is like unto a wild horse if the bridle be once let go he will be gone and not gotten again in haste yea it may be we shall be forced to spend as much time in recovering him as would have served to have dispatched our whole journey So if the bridle of watchfulness be once let go and our Hearts get loose they will not easily be regained it will ask us no small time to temper and tune them again for the service of God Lastly our hearts are continually liable to surprise we walk in the midst of snares encompassed with dangers on every side What is that almost which will not entice and allure so fickle a thing as the Heart from God We can be secure of it at no time neither sleeping nor waking in no place neither house not street neither bed nor board not in our Closet no not in the Church and Pulpit THUS much shall suffice to have been briefly observed by way of implication from the Act Keep Now I come to the Object it self The Heart Keep thy Heart By Heart we must understand the inward thoughts motions and afâ—ections of the Soul and Spirit whereof the Heart is the Chamber But not a natural man's Heart for that is not worth a keeping but such a Heart as lives to God-ward a good and gracious heart which consists in two properties in Purity and Loyâ—lty This is the state and temper we must keep our Hearts in I will speak of them in order And first of Purity and Cleanness We must keep our Hearts in Purity and Cleanness For Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God and none but such shall ever see him It behoves us therefore to know what this Cleanness is the having or not having whereof concerns us so nearly Know then A clean or pure Heart is that which loaths sin and loves righteousness For the better understanding whereof we must further know That an absolute cleanness and pureness of the heart and soul from sin is not attainable in this life Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Yet is there a cleanness of heart which must be had and without which we shall never see God as you heard before Such was that which David prays for Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And 2 Tim. 2. 22. true Christians are described to be such as call upon the Lord out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment saith the Apostle is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned And himself 2 Tim. 1. 3. thanks God whom he served from his forefathers with a pure conscience But if this Purity of the heart were no other than a total freedom thereof from all unclean thoughts and sinful motions and desires in such sort as a man should never be troubled and defiled with them alas who then should see God who should be saved That Claenness therefore that measure of Purity which God requires to be in the heart of every one who shall see him and with whom he will vouchsafe to dwell is as I told you the loathing of sin and the love of righteousness that is an accepted Cleanness through Faith when the hate of impurity and love of cleanness in the heart is accepted with God for cleanness and pureness it self Though not a cleanness of all our affections yet at least and what can God require less an affection to all cleanness For God accepts the will for the deed If we love if we desire if we delight heartily in that which is clean and pure in the eyes of God if we hate and abhor if we loath in our selves all sinful impurities and pollutions both of flesh and spirit howsoever we find in our selves a great want of the one and our hearts much and often vexed and troubled with the other yet is this affection of our hearts accepted with God for a pure and cleansed heart indeed And where this disposition is the heart cannot chuse but grow cleaner and cleaner even with real and formal cleanness For a man cannot but cherish that which he loveth and rid himself as much as may be of what he loatheth So he that loveth and affecteth cleanness of heart will cherish and make much of every good motion which the Spirit of God shall put into it and if he indeed loath and abhor unclean and sinful thoughts will do his best to stifle them and remove them far from him This Cleanness and Purity of Heart is that which the Scripture slyleth Holiness even that Holiness without which S. Paul tells us Heb. 12. 14. no man shall see the Lord. For in the Law the legal cleansing washing and purging of that which any way belonged to God or was prepared for his presence and service is called sanctifying or hallowing Exod. 19. 10. When the Lord was to come down upon Mount Sinai Go unto the People saith he to Moses and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their clothes 2 Chron. 29. 5. Hezekiah saith to the Levites Sanctifie now your selves and sanctifie the house of the Lord God of your fathers and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place And accordingly in the 16. ver the Priests go in to cleanse it which cleansing in the next verse is called their sanctifying it In Deut. 23. 14. where a law is given for cleanness and neatness in the Camp the reason is rendred in these words For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee therefore shall thy Camp be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee The same expression S. Paul applies to spiritual cleansing 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us saith he cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Here with S. Paul also Holiness is Cleansing and Cleansing is Holiness So Eph. 5. 26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it c. As therefore under the Law that
when there is no benefit by it but if it chance to be once beneficial to our selves then we love it Here is the trial of a Loyal heart to God to prefer vertue before vice then when in humane reason vertue shall be the loser vice the gainer This note discovered Iehu who destroyed the worship of Baal with a great shew of zeal but when it came to Ieroboam's Calves he dispensed with them lest it might prove dangerous to his Kingdom if the Israelites should go worship at Ierusalem 4. To conclude A Loyal heart is that which the Scripture calls in the old Testament A perfect heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not perfect in respect of degrees for such a perfection is not attainable in this life but perfect in respect of parts Cor integrum a heart wherein no part is wholly wanting howsoever weak and a great deal short of due proportion 1 Kings 11. 4. when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other Gods and his heart was not perfect with his God as was the Heart of David his Father not because he served not the Lord at all but that he served him not only and intirely Ioshua 24. 14. Now therefore saith he fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in perfectness and truth and put away the Gods which your Fathers served which was as much as to say Serve the Lord wholly and quite renounce all service to others 2 Kings 20. 3. Hezekiah prayes in his sickness Lord I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight He saith not he had done perfect Actions or performed perfect service for who can do such but yet that he walked with a perfect heart that is with a loyal heart before God So 1 Kings 15. 14. it is said That though Asa failed in his Reformation and the high places were not removed nevertheless his heart was perfect that is loyal with the Lord all his dayes THUS much shall suffice to have spoken of the Act Keep and of the Heart the Object of our keeping which are the two first things I considered in this Admonition The Third remains which is the Manner or Means how our heart is to be kept viz. with all diligence or above all keeping saith the Text that is with the best the surest the chiefest kind of keeping which is not only now and then to look unto it but to set a continual guard about it Nature hath placed the Heart in the most fenced part of the body having the Breast as a natural Corslet to defend it If the Heart be in fear or danger all the bloud and spirits in the body will forsake the outward parts and run to preserve and succour it If Nature be so provident for that which is but the Fountain of a natural life what care should the spiritual man have to keep his heart and soul guarded and fortified against all annoiances spiritual The life we lose if this be wounded or poisoned is inestimable the other of Nature is of no great value Yea but perhaps a natural man's heart is liable to more natural dangers than the heart of a man that lives to God-ward is to spiritual annoiances I answer The contrary is true For the Heart we speak of whence the Issues of the life of grace proceed is like a City every moment liable both to inward commotion and outward assault Within the fountain of original Impurity is continually more or less bubbling with rebellion Without the World and the Devil continually either assault it or lye in Ambuscado to surprise it The world batters it with three great and dangerous Engines of Pleasures Riches and Honours wherewith she endeavoureth to lay it waste and rob it of all heavenly treasure The Devil watcheth every opportunity to hurl in his fiery darts to cast all into a combustion and thereby farther to invenome and enrage the already-too-much impoisoned vitiousness and impetuousness of our corrupt nature How needful a thing is it therefore to follow this precept of Solomon to keep our hearts with all diligence or above all keeping to keep them with a continual guard to keep a continual watch and ward left the enemies surprise them Watch and pray saith our Saviour Matt. 26. 41. that ye enter not into temptation Watch in all things saith S. Paul to Timothy 2 Tim. 4. 5. Be sober be vigilant saith S. Peter 1 Pet. 5. 8. because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour If the heart be to be kept with all diligence or above the keeping of any thing else then is this Watch we hear commanded and this Guard of Prayer and this is a strong Guard to be chiefly and above all applied unto it But for a more particular direction of this guarding of the Heart we must be careful to observe this order following 1. As those who keep a City attempted or besieged by an Enemy have special care of the Gates and Posterns whereat the Enemie may get in So must we in this Guard of the Heart watch especially over the Gates and Windows of the Soul the Senses and above all the Eye and the Ear whereat the Devil is wont to convey the most of those pollutions wherewith the Heart is wasted First concerning the Eye David's example may warn the holiest men to the world's end to keep a watchful jealousie over it What a number of Cut-throats did one idle glance upon Bathsheba let in who made that Royal Heart whose uprightness God so much approved to become a sty of uncleanness and robbed it of those heavenly ornaments wherewith it was so plentifully adorned For the Ear take heed of obscene and wanton talk which by those Doors or Windows entring like Balls of Wild-fire inflame the Heart with lust We must beware also of the slanderer's mouth and backbiters tongue whose lying reports and malicious tales if they get in would sow in thine heart the seeds of heart-burning spight and mental murther which in that sinful soil will fructifie very rankly And think them no small sins which make thee guilty of innocent bloud for thine heart and tongue may kill thy brother as well as thy hand 2. As those who keep and defend a City make much of such as are faithful trusty and serviceable and if any such come will entertain and welcom them with much kindness but a Traitor or one of the enemie's party they presently cut short as soon as they discover him So must we make exceedingly much of all good motions put into our hearts by God's Spirit howsoever occasioned whether by the Word of God mindfulness of death good Admonition some special cross or extraordinary mercy any way at any time These are our Hearts friends we must cherish encrease and improve them to the
to commit it in God's Temple How impudently contumelious was this Sin therefore which was committed in God's very presence-chamber All these Aggravations are common to both our Parents which all laid together make their Sin as great as ever any was saving the sin against the Holy Ghost for so the best Divines do think But Eve adds one Aggravation more to her weight in that she was not content to sin her self alone but she allured and drew her husband also into the like horrible transgression with her whereby she was not only guilty of her own personal sin but of her husband 's also And this added so much unto her former sum that S. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 14. speaks of her as if she had been the only transgressour Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression So great and horrible a thing it is in the Eye of God to be cause or mover of another's sin Wo be unto them who by any means are the cause of another's fall And justly might God say to Eve for this respect though there had been no more What is this that thou hast done NOW I come to the Woman's excuse The Serpent beguiled me In which words are three things considerable The Author The Serpent The Action Guile The Object Me. Concerning the Author The Serpent two things are inquirable First What the Serpent was indeed Secondly What Eve supposed him to be For the first I think none so unreasonable as to believe it was the unreasonable and brute Serpent For whence should he learn or how should he understand God's commandment to our first Parents and how is it possible a Serpent should speak and not only so but speak the language which Eve understood For though some there be who think that Beasts and Birds have some speech-like utterings of themselves yet none that a Beast should speak the language of Men. It remains therefore that according unto the Scriptures it was that old deceiver the Devil and Satan who abused brute Serpent either by entring into him or taking his shape upon him The last of which I rather incline unto supposing it as you shall hear presently to be the Law of Spirits when they have intercourse and commerce with men to take some visible shape upon them as the Devil here the Serpent's whence he becomes styled in Scripture The old Serpent Now for the Second question What Eve took him to be whether the Serpent or Satan If we say she thought him to be the brute Serpent how will this stand with the perfection of Man's knowledg in his integrity to think a Serpent could speak like a reasonable creature Who would not judge her a silly woman now that should think so and yet the wisest of us all is far short of Eve in regard of her knowledg then Again If we say she knew him to be the Devil I will not ask why she would converse at all with a wicked spirit who she knew had fallen from his Maker but I would know how we should construe the meaning of the Holy Ghost in the beginning of this Chapter where he saith The Serpent was the subtillest of all the beasts of the field which God had made and so implies the woman's opinion of the Serpent's wisdom was the occasion why she was so beguiled otherwise to what end are those words spoken unless to shew that Satan chose the Serpent's shape that through the opinion and colour of his well-known wisdom and sagacity he might beguile the Woman For the assoiling of which difficulty I offer these Propositions following First I will suppose There is a Law in the commerce of Spirits and Men that a Spirit must present himself under the shape of some visible thing For as in natural and bodily things there is no entercourse of action and passion unless the things have some proportion each to other and unless they communicate in some Common Matter So it seems God hath ordained a Law that invisible things should converse with things visible in a shape as they are visible which is so true that the conversing presence of a Spirit is called a Vision or Apparition And Experience with the Scriptures will shew us that not only evil Angels but good yea God himself converseth in this manner with men And all this I suppose Eve knew Secondly I suppose further That as Spirits are to converse with men under some visible shape so is there a Law given them that it must be under the shape of some such thing as may less or more resemble their condition For as in nature we see every several thing hath a several and sutable Phisiognomy or figure as a badge of their inward nature whereby it is known as by a habit of distinction so it seems to be in the shapes and apparitions of Spirits And as in a well-governed Commonwealth every sort and condition of men is known by some differing habit agreeable to his quality so it seems it should be in God's great Commonwealth concerning the shapes which Spirits take upon them And he that gave the Law that a man should not wear the habit of a woman nor a woman the habit of a man because that as he had made them diverse so would he have them so known by their habits so it seems he will not suffer a good and a bad Spirit a noble and ignoble one to appear unto men after the same fashion And this also I suppose Eve knew Now from these grounds it will follow That good Angels can take upon them no other shape but the shape of Man because their glorious excellency is resembled only in the most excellent of all visible creatures the shape of an inferiour creature would be unsutable no other shape becoming those who are called the sons of God but his only who was created after God's own image And yet not his neither according as now he is but according as he was before his fall in his glorious beauty of his Integrity Age and deformity are the fruits of Sin and the Angel in the Gospel appears like a young man his countenance like lightning and his raiment white as snow as it were resembling the beauty of glorified bodies in immutability sublimity and purity Hence also it follows on the contrary That the Devil could not appear in humane shape whilest Man was in his integrity because he was a Spirit fallen from his first glorious perfection and therefore must appear in such shape which might argue his imperfection and abasement which was the shape of a Beast otherwise no reason can be given why he should not rather have appeared unto Eve in the shape of a Woman than of a Serpent for so he might have gained an opinion with her both of more excellency and knowledg But since the fall of man the case is altered now we know he can take upon him the shape of Man and no wonder since one falling star
bread that he giveth us meat to eat and cloaths to put on and yet which of you all will not use the means to get these things because else you cannot look that God should give you his blessing Do you not know when you are sick of a bodily disease that if you be healed God must heal you God must restore you to your former health and yet which of you all will not seek unto the Physician and use all means that can be gotten Do you not know when you are in danger that God must deliver you and yet would you not laugh at him that in such a case should sit still and say God help me and never stir his finger to help himself Are you thus wise in these outward things and will you not be as wise in things spiritual It is needful you should use the means to obtain God's blessing in things concerning your Body and is it needless in things concerning the good of your Soul It is true indeed that of your selves you are not able to turn from your evil ways unto the Lord your God but you are able I hope to use the means whereby God's Spirit works the conversion of the heart This Sun the Lord makes to shine both upon the evil and the good this Rain he showres down upon the just and unjust What though thou canst not believe of thy self yet thou canst use the means of believing What though thou canst not of thy self will or do the thing which is good yet mayest thou use the means whereby God gives the grace of willing and doing good Wouldest thou then have God to enable thee with the grace and power of his Spirit use the means wherein the Spirit of God is lively and mighty in operation sharper than any two-edged sword and entreth through even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit Meditate continually in the Law of God be diligent to hear the Word both read and preached attend to Exhortation to Instruction and as Ioab said unto his army going against the Aramites Be strong and let us be valiant for our people and for the cities of our God and let the Lord do that which is good in his eyes so say thou unto thine own Soul I will firmly resolve and with all the power I have endeavour to use the means appointed by our God and let the Lord do that which is good in his eyes Nay then fear not thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord he will give thee a new heart and put a new spirit within thee he will take away thy heart of stone and give thee an heart of flesh that thou mayest walk in his statutes and keep his Commandments and thou shalt be one of his people and he will be thy God Observe in the second place That a true and unfeigned Faith in Christ which is the knowing him here mentioned brings forth obedience to his Commandments Christ we must know is not only a Priest to reconcile us but also a King to be obeyed by us These two as they are inseparable in him a Priest but a Kingly Priest a King but a Priestly King so must the acknowledgment of them be in his servants Whosoever therefore receives him as a Priest for atonement of his sin must also submit unto him with loyal obedience as a King We can never truly acknowledge him the one but we must also yield him the other For Christ will not be divided by us we must if we will have him take him whole otherwise we have no share in him at all This is that Faith we say justifies and no other but such a Faith as this which adheres unto Christ Iesus both as a Priest and as our Lord and King And therefore do our Adversaries most unworthily and wrongfully charge us That we condemn Good works or hold a man may be in Christ or in the state of grace though his life be never so wicked because we hold as S. Paul does we are justified by Faith and not by the works of the Law Gal. 2. 16. Observe thirdly That the Act of Faith which justifies is the Receiving or Knowing of Christ not as some erroneously conceive an Assurance or Knowing we know him For Assurance of being justified is no way a Cause or Instrument but a Consequent of Iustification A man must be first justified before he can know or be assured he is justified For this Assurance or Certification you may see in my Text comes in the third place not in the first wherein you may observe these three things to have this order 1. Knowing or owning Christ which is Faith 2. Keeping his Commandments which is the Fruit and evidence of a true Faith then in the third place comes Assurance For by this we are sure we do know him if we keep his Commandments The Object must be before it can be known the Sun must be risen before she can be seen So hath every one his interest in Christ before he can know he hath it Nay he may have it long before before he knows he hath it For it is not only a consequent but a separable consequent neither presently gotten and often interrupted For though it be necessary the Sun should be risen before she can be seen yet she may be long up before we see her and often clouded after she hath shined This I observe for the comfort of those who are troubled in mind and tempted to despair because they see not the light of God's countenance shining in their hearts My fourth Observation and the chief in the Text is this That he that walks in the ways of God and makes conscience to keep his Commandments may hereby inâ—allibly know he knows Christ that his Faith is a true Faith and that he shall be saved everlastingly This is the main and principal Scope of the Text and so plainly therein expressed that it needs no other confirmation But the Reason is plain For Good works are the fruits of Faith and a Godly conversation is the work of God's holy Spirit Whomsoever Christ accepts as a Servant he gives the token of his Spirit the Grace which enlivens and quickens the Heart and Will to his Service in a new and reformed conversation Even as the heat of the Fire warmeth whatsoever comes near unto it so the Spirit of Christ kindles this Grace in every Heart that Faith links unto him the Fruit whereof is that infallible Livery whereby every one that wears it may know himself to be his Servant A Tree is known by its fruit the workman is known by his work whosoever them shews these works and brings forth these fruits hath an infallible argument that the Spirit of God the earnest of his Salvation dwells in his heart that his Faith is a true and saving Faith that his believing is no presumption no false conceit no delusion of the Devil but the true and certain motion of God's own
Spirit The rising of the Sun is known by the shining beams the Fire is known by its burning the Life of the Body is known by its moving Even so certainly is the presence of God's Spirit known by the shining light of an holy conversation even so certainly the purging Fire of Grace is known by the burning Zeal against sin and a servent desire to keep God's Commandments even so certainly the Life and liveliness of Faith is known by the good motions of the Heart by the bestirring of all the powers both of Soul and Body to do whatsoever God wills us to be doing as soon as we once know he would have us do it He that hath this Evidence hath a bulwark against Despair and may dare the Devil to his face He that hath this hath the Broad Seal of Eternal life and such a man shall live for ever But on the contrary He that walks not in the ways of Obedience to God's Commandments whatsoever conceit he hath of God's favour toward him without all doubt he knows not Christ to be his Redeemer he hath not nor cannot have any Assurance of Salvation for how should a man be assured of that which is not His Hope is Presumption his Faith is nothing but Security his Comfort if he feels any a mere imagination His Hope his Faith his Comfort are all delusions of the Devil For if we say saith our Apostle chap. 1. ver 6. that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we are lyars yea and the Devil the Father of lies is in us Here therefore is a good Caveat for us all Let us not deceive our selves without Holiness no man shall see God Beware of Presumption for Presumption sends more to Hell than Desperation Let us never think we have Faith to be saved by or acknowledge Christ throughly till we may see and know it by keeping his Commandments For hereby we know that we know him c. But you may say Alas this is an hard saying If none have true Faith or know Christ aright but those who keep the Law of God who then can be saved For what man is he who hath such a Faith For there is no man living which sins not and who can say his Heart is clean the best of us all hath need to pray unto God daily and hourly Lord forgive our trespasses 1. I answer It is true that an absolute and perfect Obedience to the Law of God is not attainable in this life For the best that are though not in a current and constant course yet ever and anon offend both in doing what they ought not and omitting what they should do yea some mixture of infirmity and imperfections will cleave unto the face of the fairest action So incompatible is an uninterrupted and unstained purity with this unglorified state of mortality 2. All this is true and cannot be denied For our Apostle himself saith chap. 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us But the same Apostle in chap. 3. 8. of this Epistle saith also That he which commits sin is of the Devil There is therefore some measure of holiness and obedience and that more than ordinary required of those who are the Sons of God That ours may be such we must know the requisites thereof are three To be Cordial Resolved and Vniversal 1. It must be Cordial that is Conscionable and Sincere it must be internal proceeding from the Heart not external only in the appearance of the outward work God looks for fruit and not for leaves therefore the Fig-tree in the Gospel which had nothing but leaves we know was accursed But blessed are they saith David that keep his Testimonies and seek him with their whole heart For true Faith not only restrains the actions of the outward man for that Humane laws and other respects may do but it purifies the Heart also from the reigning allowance of any lust or lewd course of sin There is abhorring as well as abstaining loathing as well as leaving for else a chained Lion though he abstain from devouring hath his Lionish nature still 2. It must be Resolved that is out of a full and setled purpose to conform our selves to the Law of God That howsoever we often fail in the execution yet this Root may still keep life within us For good actions which come only by fits and occasions are no part of true Obedience nor where such a Resolution is are failings and slips more a sign of a disobedient child than the missing of a mark argues he that shot never aimed to hit it but only is a sign either of weakness want of skill or good heed or some impediment 3. It must be Vniversal I say not absolute and perfect for no man can keep the Law of God absolutely and perfectly yet it must be Vniversal that is to one Commandment as well as to another True Obedience knows no exception no reservation nor can any such stand with a true Faith and allegiance to Christ our Lord. First therefore there must no darling no bosome sin no Herodias be cherished such a dead fly as this will marre the whole box of ointment For how should he take himself for a faithful servant of Christ who still holds correspondence with his Arch-enemy the Devil It were treason in an earthly subject to do it how serviceable soever he might otherwise be unto his Prince One breach in the walls of a City exposeth it to the surprise of the Enemy one leak in a Ship neglected will sink it at last into the bottom of the Sea the stab of a Pen-knife to the Heart will as well speed a man as twenty Rapiers run through him If thou hedge thy close as high as the middle region of the Air in all other places and leave but one gap all thy grass will be gone If the Fowler catch the Bird either by the head or the foot or the wing she is sure his own So in the present case If Satan keep possession but by one reigning sin it will be thine everlasting ruine If thou live and die with allowance and delight in any one known sin without resolution to part with it thou art none of Christ's servants thou as yet carriest the Devil's brand he hath thereby markt thee out for his own Secondly An Vniversal obedience submits not only to Prohibitions of not doing evil but puts in practice the Injunctions of doing good Many think they keep the Commandments well so they do nothing which they forbid But the not doing good is a sin as well as the doing of evil Dives fries in Hell not for robbing but for not relieving Lazarus The unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness not for spending but for not bestowing his Master's talent The five foolish Virgins were shut out of doors not for wasting but for not having oil in their Lamps And the wicked shall be
hence it is that the Primitive Fathers which write against the Gentiles do so often upbraid them That their Temples were nothing else but the Sepulchres of dead men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clem. in his Protreptie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were indeed called by the specious and plausible name of Temples but were in truth nothing but Sepulchres that is the very Sepulchres of dead men were called Temples He goeth on speaking to the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be ye therefore at length perswaded to forget and relinquish your Daemon-worship and be ashamed to worship the Sepulchres of dead men To the like purpose Arnobius l. 6. advers Gent. Quid quòd multa ex his Templa quae tholis sunt aureis sublimibus elata fastigiis autorum conscriptionibus comprobatur contegere cineres at que ossa functorum esse corporum sepulturas Nonne patet promptum est aut pro Diis immortalibus mortuos vos colere aut inexpiabilem fieri Numinibus contumeliam quorum Delubra Templa mortuorum superlata sunt bustis Where he tells them that many of their Temples famous for their high and golden roofs were nothing but the Sepulchres of the deceased covering dead bones and ashes and that it was very evident that for the immortal Gods they worship'd men that were dead or that they were guilty of doing an horrible dishonour to the Gods whose Temples were built over the burying-places of dead men I might further add to these Oecumenical doctrines of Daemons that monstrous one of the AEgyptians for which their fellow-Gentiles derided them who worshipped living brute Beasts yea Onions and Garlick and Water it self with Divine worship as supposing some Daemon or other to dwell in them Such were their Cow-god Apis and their Bull-god Mnevis and their Water-god Nilus which it shall be enough to have only named to make the former compleat and that from it and the rest of that kind of abominations we may gather this Conclusion once for all That since the Sovereign and Celestial Gods as you heard before might not be approached nor polluted by these earthly and material things but kept always immovably without change of place or presence their heavenly stations therefore the adoring or worshipping of any visible or material thing for any supposed presence or other relation of a divine power therewith is to be accounted amongst the Doctrines of Daemons CHAP. VI. A Recapitulation or Summary of the Doctrines of Daemons How the Severals thereof are revived and resembled in the Apostate Christian Church That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime in Scripture taken according to the Theology of the Gentiles and not always for an Evil Spirit That it is so to be taken in the Text was the judgment of Epiphanius an observable passage quoted out of him to this purpose AND thus have you seen the Theology of Daemons 1. For their Nature and degree to have been supposed by the Gentiles an inferiour and middle sort of Divine Powers between the Sovereign and Heavenly Gods and mortal men 2. Their Office to be as Mediators and Agents between these Sovereign Gods and men 3. Their Original to be the Deified Souls of worthy men after death and some of an higher degree which had no beginning nor ever were imprisoned in mortal bodies 4. The way to worship them to find and receive benefits from them namely by consecrated Images and Pillars wherein to have and retain their presence at devotions to be given them 5. To adore their Reliques and to Temple them Now therefore judge impartially whether S. Paul's Prophecy be not fulfilled already amongst Christians who foretold that the time should come that they should Apostatize and revive again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrines of Daemons whether the deifying and worshipping of Saints and Angles whether the bowing down to Images whether of men or other things visible breaden Idols and Crosses like new Daemon-Pillars whether the adoring or templing of Reliques whether these make not as lively an image of the Gentiles Theologie of Daemons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as possibly could be expressed and whether these two words comprehend not the whole pith and marrow of Christian Apostasie which was to consist in Spiritual fornication or Idolatry as appears by that name and denomination thereof given by S. Iohn in his Revelation The Whore of Babylon Is not she rightly termed the Babylonish whore which hath revived and replanted the Doctrines of Daemons first founded in the ancient Babel And is not this now fulfilled which S. Iohn foretells us Apoc. 11. That the second and outmost Court of the Temple which is the second state of the Christian Church together with the holy City should be trodden down and overtrampled by the Gentiles that is overwhelmed with the Gentiles Idolatry forty two months But perhaps I am yet too forward in my Application some things in our way must first be cleared For howsoever the resemblance indeed be evident yet First the Text seems not to intend or mean it because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the Scripture never taken in the better or indifferent sense howsoever prophane Authors do so use it but always in an evil sense for the Devil or an Evil Spirit Now the signification of words in Scripture is to be esteemed and taken only according to the Scripture's use though other Writers use them otherwise Secondly For the charge of Idolatry though much of that wherein we have instanced may be granted to be justly suspected for such indeed yet nevertheless that whereupon this Application mainly relieth namely The praying to Saints glorified as Mediators and Agents for us with God should not seem to deserve so foul a name For suppose it were a needless yea and a fruitless Ceremony yet what reason can be given why this should be more tainted with Idolatry than is the like honour given to Saints and holy men whilst they live on earth whom then to desire to mediate and pray to God for us was never accounted so much as an unlawful matter When these two Scruples are answered I will return to continue my former Application To the First therefore for the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture I say That because those which the Gentiles took for Daemons and for Deified Souls of their Worthies were indeed no other than Evil Spirits counterfeiting the Souls of men deceased and masking themselves under the names of such supposed Daemons under that colour to seduce mankind therefore the Scripture useth the name Daemons for that they were indeed and not for what they seemed to be For no blessed Soul or good Angel would admit any honour which did derogate from the honour of the only true God who made them neither do the glorified Saints in heaven or the blessed Angels though Apostate Christians now invocate and worship them accept of this honour hear their prayers or condescend
be the more happy in that day of vengeance and wrath upon our Nation Neither need we wonder that this Desolation should be called the End for our Saviour himself taught them so to speak in his Prophecy concerning it as may appear if we consider that Antithesis in S. Luke chap. 21. 9. Ye shall hear of wars and commotions but the End is not by and by Ver. 20. But when ye shall see Ierusalem encompassed with armies then know that the Desolation thereof is nigh AND thus much I thought to add to my former discourse of Latter Times lest through ignorance thereof we might incline to that little better than blasphemous conceit which Baronius by name and some other of Rome's followers have taken up viz. That the Apostles in such like passages as we have noted were mistaken as believing the End of the World should have been in their own time God of purpose so ordering it to cause in them a greater measure of zeal and contempt of worldly things An opinion I think not well beseeming a Christian. 1. For first whatsoever we imagine the Apostles might here conceive in their private opinions as men yet we must know that the Holy Ghost by whose instinct they wrote the Scriptures is the Spirit of truth and therefore what is there affirmed must be true yea though the Pen-man himself understood it not 2. It was not possible the Apostles should expect the End of the World to be in their own time when they knew so many things were to come to pass before it as could not be fulfilled in a short time As 1. The desolation of Ierusalem and that not till the seventy weeks were expired 2. The Iews to be carried captives over all Nations and Ierusalem to be troden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled 3. That in the mean time the Roman Empire must be ruined and that which hindered taken out of the way 4. That after that was done the Man of sin should be revealed and domineer his time in the Temple and Church of God 5. After all this viz. when the fulness of the Gentiles should come in that Israel should be received again to mercy 6. That Christ should reign in his Church on earth so long till he had put down all rule all authority and power and subjected all his enemies under his feet before he should subdue the last enemy which is death and surrender his kingdom into the hands of his Father 7. That the time should be so long that in the last days should come Scoffers saying Where is the promise of his coming How is it possible they should imagine the Day of Doom to be so near when all these things must first come to pass and not one of them was yet fulfilled And how could the expectation of this Day be made a ground of exhortation and a motive to watchfulness and prayer as though it could suddenly and unawares surprize them which had so many wonderful alterations to forego it and none of them yet come to pass I have spoken hitherto of what was revealed to all the Apostles in general But if we take S. Iohn apart from the rest and consider what was afterward revealed to him in Patmos we shall find in his Apocalyptical Visions besides other times more obscurely intimated an express prophecy of no less than a thousand years which whatever it mean cannot be a small time and must be fulfilled in this world and not in the world to come Notwithstanding all this I make no question but even in the Apostles times many of the believing Gentiles mistaking the Apostles admonitions to the Iews of the End of their State approaching thought the End of whole world and the Day of the Lord had been also near whom therefore S. Paul 2 Thess. 2. beseeches to be better informed because that Day should not come until the Apostasie came first and the Man of sin were revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expresly or In express words CHAP. XVI The Fourth Particular viz. The Warrant or Proof of this Prophecy When the Spirit speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Spirit foretold the Great Apostasy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresly in Dan 11. vers 36 37 38 39. A View of these Verses in the Hebraw Text with an exact Translation of them both in Latin and English The chief Difficulties in these Verses explained and incidentally other places of Scripture The different opinions of Iunius and Graserus about Vers. 38. The Author's Translation free from the inconveniences of both A particular Explication of Mahoz and Mahuzim That hereby are meant Fortresses Bulwarks as also Protectors Guardians Defenders c. How fitly this Title is appliable to Angels and Saints accounted to be such by those that worshipt them NOW I come to the Fourth particular of this Prophecy The Warrant or Proof thereof The Spirit hath foretold it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in express words in some place or other of Divine Writ The Spirit told Peter Acts 10. 19. Behold three men seek thee The Spirit said Separate Barnabas and Saul Acts 13. 2. The Spirit forbade S. Paul to preach in Asia The Spirit said that the Iews should bind S. Paul at Ierusalem Acts 21. 11. But in all these the Spirit spake not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for these things were nowhere written and therefore what it spake it spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only by secret Instinct or Inspiration But that which the Spirit speaks in the Written word that it speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim expresly If therefore concerning this Apostasie of Christian believers to be in the Latter times the Spirit speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then is it to be found somewhere in the Old Testament for there alone the Spirit could be said to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or verbatim in the Apostles time Having therefore so good a hint given us let us see if we can find where the Spirit speaketh of this matter so expresly There are three main things in this our Apostle's Prediction whereof I find the Spirit to have spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in express words and that in the Prophecy of Daniel 1. Of these Last or Letter times 2. Of the new worship of Daemons in them 3. Of a Prohibition of marriage to accompany them As for the first of these the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latter times Daniel as you have heard before expresly names them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A time times and half a time being those Last times of the Last Kingdom wherein the Hornish Tyrant should make war with the Saints and prevail against them For the second A worship of new-Daemons or Demi-gods with the profession of the name of Christ you will perhaps think it strange if I should shew it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if I do it was
4. That I may therefore gather all this Controversie into a short summe I find your Tenet to stand charged with three not tolerable Inconveniences of interpretation The one in the first Vision where you interpret In the days of those Kingdoms to be After the days of them where the matter spoken of will no ways bear it though the Preposition would The second in the second Vision where you will be forced to interpret until the time came the Saints possessed the Kingdom until some 200 years before that time A third is That you are forced for making good your Exposition of the Kingdoms to deprive the Church of those principal passages of Scripture whereon she hath always grounded her faith of the Second coming of Christ. If I found mine charged with any one such I should begin to misdoubt the truth thereof I might add a fourth That besides all these you forsake that Exposition and Application of these Kingdoms which the Church hath universally followed from her infancy And who can easily be perswaded that the Doctors of the Church immediately following the Apostles and while some of the Apostles disciples were yet living should be ignorant of the meaning of so main a Prophecy whereupon depended the demonstration of the verity of Christ's coming and that too whilst those disputes were still hot between the Iews and Christians The Fathers are to be considered here not in respect of greater learning or infallibility of Spirit than ours but as Testes Custodes doctrinae primitus acceptae because it cannot be presumed they could be ignorant of it being so near or would change it being so pious and good Now the inducements which should perswade an Opinion burthened with such inconveniences had need be very powerful But when I examine every thing I find the main and only pillar which you suppose will bear up your building against all assaults whatsoever to be but a weak one namely That nothing was revealed to Daniel which was contained in S. Iohn's sealed Book because none could open that Book but Christ and he opened it not till his Revelation shewed to Iohn That there is a flaw in this illation is apparent because there are two main and principal matters of the argument of that Book which cannot be denied to have been revealed before namely of Antichristâ— persecution and of the Second coming of Christ to judgment the first whereof was revealed to S. Paul though out of another Book the other is plentifully revealed throughout the New Testament before S. Iohn saw his Visions I answered therefore before and answer still That the Subject matter of the Apocalyptical Book is not that which was never in no sort revealed before but never in that order form and particularity of Fates Acts and Circumstances wherein it was revealed then The subject of that Prophetical history is the Roman Empire together with the Church or Kingdom of Christ contained therein the one is equally the subject thereof as well as the other Now it is not denied but the Church or Kingdom of Christ was revealed before both for the Being Quality Fate and Prevailing not to the Apostles only but to Daniel also why not then the Roman Empire In the same sense wherein that which concerned the one was revealed before or remained sealed till now in that sense was that revealed or sealed till now which concerned the other Here you brought a Catalogue of divers particulars concerning the Fourth Monarchy revealed to Daniel but to what purpose I cannot devise unless you could prove there were no other particulars of Succession Fates and Acts which were still to remain sealed until the Lamb should reveal them to S. Iohn For I affirmed not that no particulars of the Roman Kingdom were revealed to Daniel but that not those which were now first revealed to S. Iohn As namely none of the Acts and Fates of this Fourth Kingdom were particularized to Daniel but those of the latter end of it only when the Horn was to rule the rest which concerned the former part of his time were represented to him only in general in imagine confusa the more ample and large decyphering thereof being deferred till Christ himself should come and unfold all unto S. Iohn when also Daniel's most particular part was yet to be revealed much more particularly in the Metropolis quality of Blasphemy degrees and manner of destruction That which I have said of the Roman Empire partly revealed and partly sealed must be accommodated also to the history of the Church or Kingdom of Christ the other part of the subject of this Apocalyptical Book which though it were in some degree revealed before yet never in such order and specification of Fates and Circumstances as now The consideration of the one will easily clear the scruple you make concerning the other And for conclusion you must remember that I yield you all this time your sense of the sealing and unsealing the Apocalyptical Book which you know some interpret to a far other purpose I have a little time and paper enough left I will look over your Papers and answer such particulars more as I think need answering 1. I know not what it is you contend for about the Two States of Christ's Kingdom If you grant the Kingdom of Christ at his Second coming shall be of a different state from that of his First you grant as much as serves my turn and the Kingdom is neither more nor less eternal because some State thereof is not eternal An infant when it comes to be adultus is the same numero still but the stature is not the same but diverse 2. You affirm the duration of the Fourth Kingdom holds proportion with the legs because the three former do with their parts If they do tell me how your Third Kingdom of Alexander and his progeny which lasted but 18 years holds proportion with the belly of the Image I think it will be but a girt belly The Persian Monarchy represented by breast and arms lasted about 200 years that is ten or eleven times as long as your Third Kingdom did If this proportion holds in this Image the breast and arms must be ten or eleven times as long as the belly And if you read belly and thighs the proportion will be a great deal worse For I suppose you make your Fourth Kingdom 280 years long the same proportion therefore which 280 hath to 18 your legs must have to the belly and thighs that is quindecupla 3. Whatsoever time of Messiah's appearing Almighty God pointed out by Daniel's 70 weeks yet I believe not that any Iew before the Event could infallibly design the time without some latitude because they could not know infallibly where to pitch the head of their account until the Event discovered it yet in some latitude they might I think we have as good skill in that computation as the Iews could have and yet you see we yet vary about it
some brand or stamp upon them which points at the Sin for which they are inflicted you may call it a Sin-mark If the passages and ground of the continuance of this German War be well considered would not a man think they spake that of the Apostle Thou that hatest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge But I dare go no further it may be I have said too much already For I well know the way that I go pleaseth neither party the one loves not the Pope should be Antichrist nor the other to hear that these things should not be Popery Thus you see I have at length brought both ends together and end where I began Pardon me this one Letter and I will trouble you no more with this Theme your Reply to my short Answer to your Quere occasioned it I forget not my best respect unto your self nor my prayers to the Almighty for blessing to you and yours Thus I rest Christ's Coll. Iuly 15. 1635. Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede I sent by Mr. B. 4. or 5. Exercises upon passages of Scripture such as I had in separate papers and fit to be communicated For those that were in Books joyned with other things I could not and some that were apart for some Reasons I would not expose to danger of censure I hope those which I sent are safely arrived with you EPISTLE LIX Dr. Twisse's Ninth Letter to Mr. Mede thanking him for his pains in the foregoing Letter and desiring his resolution of a Doubt concerning the 7 Lamps signifying the 7 Angels in Zach. 4. Right dear and Right worthy Sir I AM somewhat of a more chearful spirit than when I wrote my last I have gotten more liberty of spirit to consider your large Discourse savouring of great Learning no less Iudgment and a distinctive Apprehension of things of good importance and that not in my judgment only but in the judgment of others though all require serious and further consideration And for mine own particular I cannot but reflect upon my self how deeply I am beholden unto you for intrusting me in so liberal a manner with these your Speculations We can never offend in putting difference between the Holy and Prophane neither can we offend in presenting our selves too reverently at the Lord's Table Never was the Mercy-seat so well known in the days of the Old Testament as in these days of the New We now behold the glory of the Lord with open face and accordingly our Saviour tells us the Lord requires the true worshippers should worship him in spirit and in truth in distinction from worshipping him either at Ierusalem or in the Mount the woman spake of And in this kind of worship we cannot exceed But as for outward Gestures I doubt I shall prove but a Novice as long as I breath and we affect not to make ostentation of our Devotion in the face of the world the rather because thereby we draw upon our selves the censure of Hypocrisie and sometimes if a man lifts up his Eyes he is censured for a P. and I confess there is no outward Gesture of Devotion which may not be as handsomly performed by as carnal an heart as breaths I am confident you are far from studia partium so should we be all and be ambitious of nothing but of the love and favour of God and of our conformity unto him in truth and holiness I heartily thank you for all and particularly for these Pieces which now I return I hope they will arrive safely in your hands What I wrote the last time I have almost utterly forgotten saving the clearing of one Objection concerning the Seven Angels standing before the Throne represented by the Seven Lamps which I much desired it arising from the Text it self the Lamps being maintained by the Oile which drops from the Two Olive-trees which are interpreted to be Zorobabel and Ieshua But I have troubled you so much that I fear the aspersion of immodesty in troubling you any further I cannot sufficiently express my thankfulness for that I have already received I desire ever to be found Newbury Iuly 27. 1635. Yours in the best respect Will. Twisse EPISTLE LX. Dr. Twisse's Tenth Letter to Mr. Mede desiring him to reveal unto him those Pluscula in Zach. chapters 9 10 11. which fit not so well Zachary's time as Ieremy's as also to resolve a Doubt about the 7. Lamps in Zach. 4. with some reflexions upon Mr. Mede's large Letter about Temples and Altars and the Christian Sacrifice Worthy Sir DO you not miss your Letter ad Ludovicum de Dieu And do you not find it strange it is not returned with the rest I assure you I took no notice of it till Wednesday last two days after the last week's Letter I wrote unto you In every particular it was welcome unto me as all yours always are But your Variae lectiones concerning the Old Testament and the pregnant evidences thereof which you alledge do astonish me and above all your adventure to vindicate unto Ieremy his own Prophecy which so long hath gone under the name of Zachary I never was acquainted with any better way of reconciliation than that which Beza mentions of the likeness of abbreviations of each name which might cause a mistake by the Transcribers O that you would reveal unto me those Pluscula which in those three Chapters of Zachary 9 10 11. do more agree as you observe to the time of Ieremy than to the time of Zachary Why may you not have a peculiar way also to reconcile the Genealogie in the LXX with that in the Hebrew where Kainan is found in the one which is not in the other Thus I make bold to put you to new trouble but I presume it is no more trouble to you than the writing like as that other whereabout I moved you How the Seven Lamps are maintained by the oyl derived from the two Olive-Trees if by the Seven Lamps are meant the Seven Angels that stand before the Throne of God Yet have I not done with your large Letter concerning Temples and Altars Since the writing of my last while I was reading that large Letter of yours to some Divines who were much taken with admiration at the Learning contained therein in an Argument wherein we had been so little versed I say in the reading of it I observed one thing which in all my former readings I took no notice of and that is in these words This is a point of great moment and consequent worthy to be looked into by all the Learned of the Reformed Religion lest while we have deservedly abolished the prodigious and blasphemous Sacrifice of the Papists wherein Christ is again hypostatically offered to his Father we have not but very implicitely and obscurely reduced that ancient Commemorative Sacrifice of Christians wherein that one Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross was continually by that sacred Rite represented and inculcated to his Father his Father
put in mind thereof by those monuments set before him wherein we testified our own mindfulness thereof to his sacred Majesty that so he would for his sake according to the Tenour of the New Covenant in his Bloud be favourable and propitious to us miserable sinners In which words upon better and more serious consideration I observe you acknowledge 1. A Commemorative Sacrifice of Christians continually performed in ancient times 2. This hath been miserably corrupted by the Papists and transformed by the Papists into that Service which is called their Mass in distinction from their Mattins 3. That Protestants have justly abolished this prodigious and blasphemous Sacrifice of theirs 4. But they have not done well in that they have not reduced that ancient Commemorative Sacrifice of Christians save implicitly and obscurely Now in two things I am to seek for the understanding of your meaning 1. How we have reduced it in that implicite and obscure manner you speak of 2. How you would have it reduced in conformity to the Ancients and wherein this Conformity doth consist I remember what you alledged out of Clemens of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were to be performed in times prescribed by Analogie to the courses of Devotion commanded in the Old Testament Now this I guess you deliver not so much in respect unto the Sabbath-Service as unto the daily Sacrifice of a Lamb every morning I imagine you would have the celebration of that Service which we call the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be daily but I presume not in a private manner but in the way of a Communion but unless it be twice a-day it is not congruous to the daily Sacrifice which was of a Lamb every evening as of a Lamb every morning And then again I find amongst the Ancients no small difference For a time it was celebrated in the evening only at least in some places and that with some difference for some celebrated it after they had eaten some fasted all the day before that they might come jâ—juni thereunto Now I would hear your judgement both of the practice of the Ancients in this particular wherewith I am not so well acquainted Our Saviour saith Do this in remembrance of me this prescribes nothing concerning the frequency of it S. Paul adds This do as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me Where also we find no certain time prescribed Act. 2. 42. We read that they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers here likewise is no signification that this breaking of bread which I understand of the celebration of that Sacrament was performed daily And whereas vers 46. it is said that they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread at home did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart I have conceived it to be spoken of refreshing natural not Sacramental and Spiritual And Act. 20. 7. their meetings for breaking of bread seem to have been restrained to the First day of the week that being the day of their assembling themselves as it seems by 1 Cor. 16. 2. And Iustin Martyr makes relation of their Christian meetings when the Sunday comes 2. I would gladly know how far you think fit that custom of the Ancients you speak of whatsoever it be should be reduced and that clearly not implicitly and obscurely For I assure you I am much to seek in the meaning of this yet I have read in some sort Mornay upon the Mass and Bishop Morton too and somewhat in Baronius concerning this And I am in doubt whether the Papists themselves were it not for their Doctrine of Transubstantiation would not be as much to seek herein as we are That which you touch concerning the German War and the Causes of it and the Sin-mark I willingly profess doth make me melancholick for I cannot but sympathize with them Yet although as I understood when I was in the Palatinate none was more free from such Sacrilegious courses than the Palatine not only Bishopricks but even Monasteries continuing there of his Ancestors foundation yet have they suffered as much as any both first and last if not much more In the close of that large Letter of yours you signifie that you reserve one thing lest it might undergoe censure which otherwise you would communicate Good Sir you have no cause to distrust my censure I hear by Mr. B. it is concerning Cornelius whom you take to have been no Proselyte in any degree the contrary whereunto supposed in our Divinity-Schools was one of the first things I was acquainted with upon my coming to Oxford and since I find confessed by Schindler on the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet I pray let me see your Discourse thereon and let me know how you salve it for I am confident you are no Arminian The Text acknowledgeth him to be not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one of good report amongst all the Iews and Act. 11. they that opposed Peter's going to him and his are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I heartily desire to know the most and worst that can be said against any Tenet of mine I shall be no loser by Truth Veritas magna est praevalebit against all opposition For that is from God Error and Falshood is from the Creature You may see by this I make you a great if not the greatest part of my study especially considering my infirmity at this time which requires I should rather be lying upon my Bed than either going or sitting up Your Answer to these particulars Zachary in two places the Prophecy of the fourth Chapter and that other of the 9 10 11. The sight of Cornelius and your explicating the Practice of the ancient Churches in their continual celebrating of that Commemorative Sacrifice in distinction from that which we do implicitly and obscurely will be a great refreshing to my spirit and consequently may prove some ease to my bodily infirmity also And I hope I shall trouble you no more unless it be to excite you to go on upon the Revelation The Lord give a blessing to all your studies and in good time perfect them to the consolation of his Church in these sorrowful days of Christendom Newbury 3. Aug. 1635. Your loving friend in the surest bond W. Twisse Post-script It is time to return that of yours ad Ludov. de Dieu which herewith I do Mr. B. knows him well and he desires to be heartily remembred unto you with many thanks for your kind and free entertainment of him EPISTLE LXI Mr. Mede's Answer about the seven Lamps in the Temple signifying the seven Archangels as also about the Pluscula in Zach. 9. 10 11. with an intimation of his purpose to perfect his Discourse on Dan. 12. 11 12. THE seven-lamped Candlestick in the Temple before the Veil signified the
35 Schism the evil and danger of it 876 Scripture The Holy Scripture is not to be kept in an unknown tongue 190. whether the silence of Scripture be an argument sufficient to conclude against matter of fact 840. an account of some Idioms or Forms of speech in Scripture 161 and 347 349 380 285 and 352 Sea what it signifies in the Prophetick style 462 The Sealing of the 144000 in Apocal. 7. what it means 584 Seed of the Woman meant of Christ's person and Christ mystical 236 Serpent why the Devil took this shape 223 289. the Curse was pronounced upon both the Serpent and the Devil 229. what kind of Serpent was accursed 230. how God could in Iustice punish the brute Serpent 229 230 his Curse was To go upon his Breast and not only on his Belly 231 232. as also To feed on dust 233 234. Enmity between Man and the Serpent 234. The Serpents Seed meant of the Devil and wicked men 236. The Serpents Head or Headship is Principatus mortis 237 Set Forms See Prayer Seven eyes of the Lord are the seven Archangels 41 43 Seven Heads of the Beast signifie both 7 Hiâ—s and 7 Successions of different sorts of Governours 524 Seven Seals in Apocal. 6. what is meant thereby 441 917 c. Seven Trumpets See Trumpets Seven Vials See Vials Seventy Weeks See Daniels Weeks Seventy years See Years Shechinah or Gods special presence in a place is where the Angels keep their station 343 c. Sheep set at Christs right hand 841 Shiloh the name of Messiah 34 it signifies a Peace-maker 35 Silence in holy offices was a point of Religion 458 Simeon Metaphrastes his fabulous Legends 682 c. his design therein 683 c. Sin compared in Scripture to an Heavy Burthen in respect of the Weight of Punishment and of Loathsomness 151. the reason of Sins Loathsomness 152. Conformity between the Sin and Punishment in 4 particulars 144. the hainousness of a Sin to be estimated from the hearts election 350. Commission of one Sin makes way for another 135. what it is to forsake Sin 207. Rules to know whether our purpose to forsake Sin be real 152 153 Sin-offering what 287 Sincerity of Heart what it is how it may be known and attain'd 217 218 Sitting at Gods right hand what it signifies 638 639. that it is a priviledge appropriate to Christ. ibid. Some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word doth not always in Scripture imply a small number 648 c. Socinian Tenets censured 869 883 Son of man whence Christ is so called 764 788 Spirit sometimes in Scripture signifies Doctrine 626 Spirit and truth See Worship in spirit and truth Spirits Good or Evil how they appear and converse with men 223 224 Spiritual blessings were veiled in Earthly Promises under the Law 249 250 Stealing is either by Force or by Fraud both forbidden in the 8 Commandment 132. See more in Theft Sun Moon and Stars what they are according to the Prophetick style in the Political world 449 450 466 615 Synagogues how they differ'd from Proseucha's 66. their antiquity 839 Synchronisms what 491. their usefulness 431 581 T. TAbernack of meetingâ— so call'd from God's meeting there with men 343. Feast of Tabernacles wherein it was a Figure of Christ 266. how it was neglected to be kept from Iosua's time to Nehemiah's 268. what this Omission may seem to imply 268 Table sometimes in Scripture put for Epulum or the Meat it self 386. Table of the Lord in 1 Cor. 10. why so called 375. the name Table not used in any Ecclesiastical Writer before 200 years after Christ 860. Table and Altar how they differ 389 Holy Table Name and Thing 844 Temple what the Gentiles Notion of a Temple was 335 336. why the primitive Christians for the most part abstain'd from the name Temple 336 337 Temple at Ierusalem it s 3 Courts in our Saviours time 44 45. it was the Third or Gentiles Court that was prophaned by the Iews and vndicated by our Saviour 45 46. This Temple is called in Scripture Gods Throne 438 439 917. In what respects it was a Type of Christ. 48 407 263 Temples of the Heathen why they are said by the ancient Fathers to be nothing else but the Sepulchres of dead men 633 Ten Horns signifie in Dan. and the Apocal. Ten Kingdoms into which the Roman Empire was shivered 661. that they belong to the Seventh or Vppermost Head of the Beast 499 737 Ten Kings See Ten Horns Teraphim what they were and how they answered to Vrim and Thummim 183 Terumah or Heave-offering defined 288 the Terumoth or Heave-offerings were either First-fruits or Tithes or Frâ—e-will-offerings 290 Theft in no case lawful 133. the trial of it in doubtful cases was in the Iewish Polity by the parties Oath Hence Perjury and Theft are forbidden together in Scripture 133 Three Kings whom the Little Horn should depress to advance himself 779 Throne to be taken up to Gods Throne what 494 Thummim See Vrim Thunder See Bath Kol Time Times and half a Time what 497 656 744. Times of the Gentiles 753. Times put for Things done in time 737 Tithes How the question of the due of Tithes is to be stated 120 Tituls why Houses and Churches were so called 5 327 328 Tobit's prophesie of the Iews Captivity and Restauration explain'd 579 Transubstantiation promoted by lying Miracles 688 Trees what they signifie in the Prophetick style 460 Trespass-offering how it differed from the Sin-offering 287 Tribes why the 12 Tribes are in Apocal 7. reckoned in a different order than elsewhere in Scripture 455 c. Tribute See Rent Trumpets Seven Trumpets their meaning 595 Turks why described in Apocal. 9. by the army of Horsemen 473 Twelve why each of the 24 Courses or Quires of Singers in the Temple consisted of Twelve 3 Typical speeches often true in the Type and Antitype 285. when what is attributed to the Type belongs to the thing typified 468 V. VEspers See Even-song Vials Seven Vials their meaning 585 923. the agreement between the 7 Vials and 7 Trumpets 585 Vintage what it means in the Propherick style 521 c. Visions Apocalyptick whether represented in the Seven-sealed Book to be seen or to be read by S. Iohn 787 An Vnrepentant Sinner is an Insidel 153 Vnworthy receiving See Sacraments Vows The 3 Vows common to all Monks viz. Vow of Chastity Poverty and Abstaining from meats the Fourth Vew viz. of Obedience not common to all nor so old 689 Vrim and Thummim what they signifie 183. they were a Divine Oracle ibid. the Matter thereof and the Manner of enquiring thereby 184 185. How Vrim and Thummim did typisie something in Christ. 185 186 W. WAldenses See Albigenses White To walk in white To be clothed with white raiment what meant thereby in the Apocalyps 909 Whore and Whoredom meant according to the Prophetick style of Idolatry 645 646. Whoe of Babylon in Apocal. 17. why this Vision only of all
the Sea there are Islands to be met with which are commodious for habitation fruitful and well watered and accommodated with convenient harbors and ports for those who are distrestat Sea to repair to for their safety so is it in the world which is a very troubled Sea tempestuous and tossed by reason of sin God hath here providâ—d Synagogues or Holy Churches as we call them wherein the Truth is diligently taught and whither they repair who are lovers of the Truth and desire in good earnest to be saved and to escape the judgment and wrath of God * Clâ—m Alex. in Opere Quis fit ille dives qui salvetur apud Euseb. Hist Eccl. lib. 3. â— 17. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also in this Century undoubtedly were extant those Fabricks in the Cemeteries of S. Peter in the Vaticane and of S. Paul in via Ostâ—nsi which could be no other thaâ— some Christian Oratories whereof Gains speaks in â—usib and calls Throphaea Apostolorum lib. 2. cap. 24. Ab Anno 200. ad 300. a All the day long shall the zeal of Faith speak to this point bewailing that a Christian should come from Idols into the CHURCH that he should come into the HOUSE OF GOD from the shop of his enemy that he should lift up to God the Father those hands which were the mothers and makers of Idols and adore God with those very hands which namely in respect of the Idols made by them are adored without the Church viz. in the Heathens Temples in opposition to God and that he should presume to reach forth those hands to receive the Body of our Lord which are imploy'd in making Bodies that is Images for the Demons That according to the Gentiles Theology Images were as Bodies to be informed with Demons as with Souls see the Treatise of the Apostasie of the latter Times chap. 5. in Book III. b The house of our Dove that is of our Dove-like Religion or the Catholick flock of Christ figured by the Dove c In short The Dove is wont to point out Christ. d Plain without such a multiplicity of doors and curtains e In high and open places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hier. * Luke 1. 78. * Lib. 2. c. 57. al. 61. a Let the House be long and built Eastward * Apol. c. 16. * De Spect. â— 25. ad Vxoâ— l. 2. c. 9. De coâ—on miâ—t cap. 3. De velandiâ— virginiâ—us c. 3 13. b Coming to the Water to be baptized not only there but also somewhat asore in the CHURCH under the hand of the Bishop or Priest we take witneâ—s that we renounce the Devil and his Pomp and Angels and afterwards we are drenched thrice in the Water c The Temples of God shall be as common and ordinary Houses Churches shall be utterly demolished every where the Scriptures shall be despised d The Sacred Edifices of Churches shall become heaps and as a desolate lodge in an Orchard there shall be no more Communion of the precious Body and Bloud of Christ Liturgy shall be extinguished Singing of Psalms shall cease Reading of the Scriptures shall no more be heard * Ex Psal. 79. 2. caelesis similibus â—uâ—ta LXX IIebr in â—cervâ—â— seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desolationes Cap. 49. e The Christians being in possession of a certain publick place and challenging it for theirs and on the other side the Taverners alledging that it belong'd of right to them the Emperor's Rescript in favour of the Christians was this That it was better that God should be worshipt there after what way soever than that it should be delivered and given up to the Taverners a 1. Weeping the first degree of Penance was without the Porch of the Oratorie where the mournful sinners stood and beg'd of all the Faithful as they went in to pray for them 2. Hearing the second degree was within the Porch in the place called Narthex the place where these penitent Sinners being now under the Ferula or censure of the Church might stand near to the Catechumens and hear the Scripture read and expounded but were to go out before them 3. Prostration or Lying along on the Church-pavement These Prostrate ones were admitted somewhat further into the Church and went out with the Catechumens 4. Standing or Staying with the people or Congregation These Consistentes did not go out with the Catechumenes but after they and the other Penitents were gone out stay'd and joyn'd in prayer with the Faithful 5. Participation of the Sacraments b How that by becoming all things to all men he had in a short time gained a great number of Converts through the assistance of the Divine Spirit and that hereupon he had a strong desire to set upon the building of a Temple or Place for Sacred assemblies wherein he was the more encouraged by the general forwardness he observed among the Converts to contribute both their moneys and their best assistances to so good a work This is that Temple which is to be seen even at this day This is that Temple the erection whereof this Great person being resolved to undertake without any delay he laid the foundation thereof and therewithal of his Sacerdotal i.e. Episcopal Prefecture in the most conspicuous place of all the City c Whereas all other Houses whether Publick or private were overthrown by that Earthquake this Gregorian Temple alone stood firm without any the least hurt He was made Bishop Anno 249. lived until 260. d The Lord's House e The Church f Thinkest thou O Matron which art rich and wealthy in the Church of Christ that thou dost celebrate or commemorate the Lord's Sacrifice that is that thou dost participate the Lord's Supper worthily as thou oughtest who dost not at all respect but art regardless of the Corban who comest into the Lord's House without a Sacrifice or Offering nay who takest part of the poor mans Sacrifice feedest on what he brought for his Offering and bringest none thy self Script â—n 253. a What then remains but that the Church should yield to the Capitol and that the Priests withdrawing themselves and taking away the Altar of our Lord Images and Idol-Gods together with their Altars should succeed and take possession of the Sacrary or place proper to the sacred and venerable Bench of our Clergy b The Altar of our Lord and the place for the sacred and venerable Bench of the Clergy c Idol-Gods and Images together with the Altars of the Devil d might enter into the House of God e The Emperour C. P. L. Galienus to Dionysius Pinnas Demetrius and the rest of the Bishops Greeting What I have been pleased graciously to do for the Christians I have caused to be published throughout the world viz. That all men should quit the Worshipping-places for the Christians use And therefore you may make use of the Copy of my Letters to the end ye may be secured from any future attempts to disturb you