hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God hee gave credit unto it as all must doe who look for the inheritance * 1 Pet. 1.4 incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them a 1 Pet. 1.3 for all those are begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ not with corruptible seed but with incorruptible and after they are begotten they are born again of water and the Spirit b 1 Pet. 2.2 as new born babes they desire the sincere milk of the word that they may grow therby and as they grow c 2 Cor. 4.16 the old man decayeth in them and the inward man is renewed daily Inregard of which great alteration and change wrought in them by the Spirit of regeneration was it that the holy Father when hee was solicited by the Mistresse of his affections in former times claiming ancient familiarity with him put her off saying Ego nunc non sum ego I am not the man thou takest me for thou art indeed thou remaining still in thy unregenerate estate but I am not I. And unlesse wee all feele and observe in us d Rom. 12.2 a transformation by the renewing of our minde that wee may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God we cannot challenge to our selves this new name whereunto the Saints of God have yet a second right by the e Rom. 8.15 Spirit of adoption Adoption as f Sum 1. p. â— 93. Art 4. Adopâ—o filiorum Dâ—i est per conformitaâ—em ad â—maginem filâ—â— natur lis â—nperfâ—â—tè pudeâ— pâ—â— gâ—â—tiam perfâ—câ—e per glorâ—â—m Aquinas defineth it is by conformity to the image of the naturall sonne of God imperfectly by grace here and perfectly by glory hereafter But this great Schoole-man it seemeth was no great Lawyer nor dived deepe into the nature of Adoption which he here counfoundeth partly with sanctification which is our conformity in part to Christ by grace and partly with glorification which is our perfect conformity to him when our sanctification is consummate in heaven In precise truth adoption is not by our conformity to the image of Christ but our conformity to the image of Christ is by the spirit of adoption Adoption saith g Sen. controv Ad pâ—â— est â—â—siâ—tâ— quae benefiâ—â— naturae juris imitatur Seneca is a most sacred thing containing in it an imitation of nature civilly giving them sonnes whom nature hath left childlesse and it may be briefly defined a legall supply of a naturall defect whereby they who can beget no children yet make heires to propagate their names to posterity ut sic abolita seculis nomina per successores novos fulgeant According to which definition God cannot be properly said to adopt any children though he give them the titles of sons and make them coheirs with Christ for adoptio est fortunae remedium is provided as a remedy and comfort of those who are destitute of children and want heires God wanteth none neither doth hee adopt for his contentment but for our solace and comfort In civill adoption the son begotten is not adopted the adopted is not begotten Nulla viro soboles imitatur adoptio prolem But in the divine adoption it is otherwise For God adopteth no sonne by grace whom hee regenerateth not by his Spirit Moreover in civill adoption the ground is either consanguinity or affinity which moved Julius to adopt Octavius or if neither eminencie of vertue and similitude of disposition which induced Nerva to adopt Trajan But in the divine h Pliâ— panâ—gyr Nulla adoptati cum adoptato cognatio nullâ—â—â—cessitudo nisi quod uterque optimâ—s â—rat dignâ—sâ— alter â—ligi alter eligere adoption on the contrary God adopteth not us because of any kindred or alliance in us to him antecedently but he sent his sonne to take our nature upon him and become kinne to us that for his sake hee might have some occasion to adopt us Men adopt those in whom they see worth but God first loveth and giveth worth that he may more worthily adopt and they whom he so adopteth by the grace which he conferreth upon them procure to themselves a third right to this title of sonnes by imitation of their father This imitation consisteth in walking after the Spirit as he is a Spirit in following after holinesse as he is most holy in loving mercy as his mercy is over all his workes in purifying our hearts and hands as he is purity it selfe in doing good to those that deserve ill of us as he causeth his i Mat. 5.45 sunne to rise upon the good and the bad and his raine to fall upon the just and the unjust lastly to aspire to perfection as he is perfection it selfe In the holy language of Scripture rather expression of vertue than impression of feature maketh a sonne all that through faith prevaile with God are accounted of the seed of Israel and all beleevers the sonnes of Abraham and because the unbeleeving Jewes did not the workes of Abraham Christ denyeth them to be his children k John 8.39 If yee were the children of Abraham yee would doe the workes of Abraham Whereupon l Serm. 125. in Evang. Qui genitotis opeâ—â—â—n facit aâ—â—aâ— genus Chrysologus inferreth He that doth not the workes of his Progenitors in effect disclaimeth his linage Constantine the great tooke not such joy in his sonne Constantius because he favoured him in his countenance as because he m Nazarius in panogyr Praestantissimum Principem hoc maximè juvit quod in primoribus annis ductae sunt lineae quibus virtutumsuarum effigies posset includi saw in his tender yeeres an assay and as it were the first draught of his owne vertues On the contrary the Roman Censors tooke such a distast at the sonne of Africanus for his debauched life that they tooke a ring off his finger in which the image of his father was ingraven because he so much degenerated from his fathers excellent vertues they would not suffer him to weare his fathers picture in a ring whose image he bare not in his minde neither will God suffer any to beare his name and be accounted his sonnes who beare not his image who resemble not his attributes in their vertues his simplicity in their sincerity his immutability in their constancy his purity in their chastity his goodnesse in their charity his holinesse in their piety his justice in their integrity Regeneration is wrought in the heart knowne to God onely adoption is an act sped in the court of heaven which none knoweth on earth but he that receiveth an exemplification of it by the Spirit but imitation of our heavenly Father by a heavenly conversation proclaimeth us to all the world to be his sonnes The title thus cleared the next point is the perpetuity thereof represented unto us by the engraving the new name in the white
word of God as it is written which here I must change and say Hearken unto the word of God as it writeth For to the Angel of Thyatira the second Person which is the Word of God thus writeth Write It is a great honour to receive a letter from a noble Personage how much more from the Sonne of God St. d Eâ— 40. Quid est aliud Scripture sacra n â—i quaedam epistola Omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam Gregorie excellently amplifieth upon this point in his epistle to Theodorus the Physician If your excellencie saith he were from the Court and should receive a letter from the Emperour you would never be quiet till you had opened it you would never suffer your eyes to sleepe nor your eye lids to slumber nor the temples of your head to take any rest till you had read it over againe and againe Behold the Emperour of heaven the Lord of men and Angels hath sent you a letter for the good of your soule and will you neglect to peruse it Peruse it my son studie it I pray thee meditate upon it day and night Where letters passe one from another there is a kinde of correspondencie and societie and such honour have all Gods Saints they have fellowship with the Father and the Sonne O let us not sleighten such a societie whereby we hold intelligence with heaven let us with all reverence receive and with all diligence peruse and with all carefulnesse answer letters and messages sent from the Sonne of God by returning sighes and prayers backe to heaven and making our selves in the Apostles phrase commendatorie letters written not with inke but with the Spirit Thus saith the Son of God Not by spirituall regeneration as all the children of promise are the sonnes of God but by eternall generation not by grace of adoption but by nature Who hath eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brasse Eyes like a flame of fire piercing through the thickest darknesse feete like brasse to support his Chuch and stamp to pouder whatsoever riseth up against it like fine brasse pure and no way defiled by walking through the midst of the golden candlestickes Wheresoever he walkes he maketh it holy ground Quicquid calcaverit hic rosa fiet There are three sorts of members in holy Scripture attributed to our head Christ Jesus 1 Naturall 2 Mysticall 3 Metaphoricall Naturall hee hath as perfect man Mysticall as head of the Church Metaphoricall as God By these members wee may divide all the learned Commentatours expositions They who follow the naturall or literall construction of the words apply this description to the members of Christs glorified body in Heaven which shine like flaming fire or metall glowing in a furnace But Lyra and Carthusian have an eye to Christ his mysticall eyes viz. Bishops and Pastours who are the over-seers of Christ his flocke resembling fire in the heat of their zeale and light of their knowledge whereby they direct the feet of Christ that is in their understanding his inferiour members on earth likened to fine brasse to set forth the purity of their conversation and described burning in a furnace to expresse their fiery tryall by martyrdome Alcasar by the feet of fine brasse understandeth the Preachers of the Word whom Christ sendeth into all parts to carry the Gospel Those feet which e Esay 52.7 Rom. 10.15 How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace Esay calleth beautifull Saint John here compareth to the finest brasse which f Beda in Apoc Pedes sunt Christiani in fine seculi qui similes erunt orichalcho quod est aes per ignem plura medicamina perductum ad auri colorem sic illi per acerbissimas persecutiones exercebuntur perducentur ad plenam charitatis fulgorem Beda and Haimo will have to bee copper rendring the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the most resplendent brasse such as was digged out of Mount Libanus but Orichalchum that is copper and thus they worke it to their purpose As brasse the matter of copper by the force of fire and strong waters and powders receiveth the tincture of gold so say they the Christians that shall stand last upon the earth termed in that respect Christs feet shall by many exercises of their patience and fiery tryalls of their faith be purified and refined and changed into precious metall and become golden members of a golden head I doe not utterly reject this interpretation of the mysticall eyes and feet of Christ nor the former of the naturall members of his glorified body because they carry a faire shew and goodly lustre with them yet I more encline to the third opinion which referreth them to the attributes of God For me thinkes I see in the fiery eyes the perfection of Christ his knowledge to which nothing can bee darke or obscure as also his vigilant zeale over his Church and the fiercenesse of his wrath against the enemies thereof Bullenger conceiveth our Saviour to be pourtrayed by the Spirit with eyes like a flame of fire because hee enlighteneth the eyes of the godly but Meyerus because he suddenly consumeth the wicked both the knowne properties of fire for in flaming fire there is both cleare light and intensive heat The light is an embleme of his piercing sight the heat of his burning wrath Where the eye is lightsome and the object exposed to it the eye must needs apprehend it but the Sonne of Gods eyes are most lightsome nay rather light it selfe in which there is no darknesse and g Heb. 4 13. all things lye open and naked before him yea the h Apoc. 2.23 heart and the reines which he searcheth In Courts of humane justice thoughts and intentions and first motions to evill beare no actions because they come not within the walke of mans justice but it will not be so at Christs Tribunall where the secrets of all hearts shall be opened Let no man then hope by power or fraud or bribes to smother the truth or bleare the eyes of the Judge of all flesh For his eyes like flames of fire dispell all darknesse and carry a bright light before them Let not the adulterer watch for the twi-light and when hee hath met with his wanton Dalila carry her into the inmost roomes and locke doore upon doore and then take his fill of love saying The shadow of the night and the privacy of the roome shall conceale mee For though none else be by and all the lights be put out yet he is seen and the Sonne of God is by him with eyes like a flaming fire Let not the Projector pretend the publike good when he intends nothing but to robbe the rich and cheate the poore Let not the cunning Papist under colour of decent ornaments of the Church bring in Images and Idols under colour of commemoration of the deceased bring in invocation of Saints departed under colour
the Temple of Christs body and setting it up was there any noise or sound heard John 2.21 This privacy of his first entry into the world pleaseth not the carnall Jew whose thoughts are all upon a temporall Monarch that should buy out Croesus his wealth and obscure Solomon in all his royalty and extend his dominion as farre as the Sunne casteth his beames No Messiah will please him but such a one as comes in with great state and pompe yet was Christ his quiet seizing upon his Kingdome most correspondent to the prediction of the Prophet Psal 72.6 He shall come downe like raine into a fleece of wooll or upon the mowne grasse that is not heard and most agreeable to his title and kingdome For what more consentaneous to reason than that the Prince of peace should enter upon his Kingdome of grace in a quiet and silent manner Had hee come into the world like the two Scipio's which were termed fulmina belli with thundering and lightening or like the Roman Emperours or the grand Signiours in the most pompous manner with greatest ostentation of wealth and pride of worldly honour more feared hee might have been but lesse loved there had been more state in his comming but lesse merit for us and consequently lesse true comfort in it The note that we are to take from it is That Christs Kingdome is not of this World And the use we are to make of it is Not to looke for great estates large revenues or high preferments here but to be content with a competency of meanes not without a liberall allowance sometimes of afflictions crosses and troubles For delicate members and such as must be continually wrapt in soft raiment that can endure no hardnesse sort not well with a head crowned with thornes By the Law The feathers of such fowles as had been sacrificed were cast in locum cinerum into the place of ashes What are all the pompes and vanities of this world but like beautifull feathers Projiciamus ergo in locum cinerum Let us therefore strip us of them and by true mortification cast them into the place of ashes especially in this time of sorrow and penance when sackcloth is or should be in fashion for apparrell and ashes for couches Upon which when God seeth us he will have compassion on us and give us beauty for ashes and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse 2 Cor. 5.7 Coloss 3.3 4. As we are Christians we walke by faith and not by sight our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory Secondly we have here the picture of meeknesse in the pattern of all perfection Matth. 21.5 Christ Jesus drawne to the life for our imitation What the Prophet Zachary fore-told concerning the disposition and gracious temper of the Messias to come saying Tell the daughter of Sion behold the King commeth unto thee meeke Zach. 9.9 c. the same the Evangelist confirmeth through the whole Gospel by the speeches and silence actions and passions life and death of the Lord of life To begin with his speeches if ever that Eulogue of the Greeke Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the like of the Latine Vernas afflat ab ore rosas were verified if ever the tongue of any dropped honey and his breath were as sweet and savoury as Roses in the Spring it was certainly our Redeemers who is that hee spake and speaketh alwayes that he is the Word of God The Father is as the mouth the holy Spirit the breath and Christ the word Heare I beseech you verba Verbi the words of the Word of life Come unto mee all that are heavie laden and I will ease you Sonne be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance The sonne of man came not to destroy but to save Goe in peace thy sinnes bee forgiven thee And Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world was laid c. Yea but these speeches hee uttered to penitent sinners or such as sued to him for favour and mercy how did hee demeane himselfe towards those uncivill and inhumane Samaritans who denied him lodging Against whom James and John the sonnes of thunder were so incensed that they would have called downe fire from heaven to destroy them by the example of Elias Doth he curse them doth he upbraid ingratitude and inhospitality unto them nay rather he rebuketh his Disciples whom zeale and love transported too farre and by telling them they knew not of what spirit they were Luke 9.55 he shewed apparently what spirit he was who when the Scribes and Pharisees laid Sorcery and Necromancy to his charge saying Say we not well thou art a Samaritane and hast a Divell he delivered them not to the Divell as they deserved for this their blasphemous slander nor sharply reproveth them John 8.49 but mildly answereth I have not a Divell but I honour my Father and yee have dishonoured mee Perhaps he pitied their ignorance or had respect to the dignity and place of the Scribes and Pharisees who bare the greatest sway among the people may some say But what was there in his owne Disciple Judas that he should grace that damned caitiffe that traiterous servant that sonne of perdition with the title of Friend when he came to play the most unfriendly and ungratefull part that ever was acted even to betray his Lord and Master Friend wherefore art thou come Matth. 26.50 doest thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse I have spoken of the speeches of our Saviour let me not passe in silence his meek silence when he was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lambe before the shearers so opened hee not his mouth When hee was falsly slandered in the Judgement seat shamefully handled in the Hall most contumeliously reviled and cruelly tortured upon the crosse When the Judge of all flesh was condemned the beauty of Heaven spit upon the King of glory crowned with thornes the Maker of the world made a spectacle of misery to the whole world When his Disciples forsooke him his owne Nation accused him the Judge condemned him the servants buffeted him the souldiers deluded him the people exclaimed against him the Scribes and Pharisees scoffed at him the executioners tormented him in all parts of his body When the Starres were confounded with shame the Elements troubled Cypr. de bon pat Cùm confunderentur sidera elementa turbentur contremiscat terra nox diem claudat sol ne Judaeorum facinus aspicere cogatur radios subtrahat ille non loquitur nec movetur nec Majestatem suam sub ipsá saltem morte profitetur O qualis quanta est Christi patientia qui adoratur in coelis nondum vindicatur in
in Lambeth Chappell A.D. 1622. March 23. THE TENTH SERMON JOHN 20.22 And when hee had said this hee breathed on them and saith unto them receive yee the holy Ghost Most Reverend Right Honourable Right Reverend Right Worshipfull c. A Diamond is not cut but by the point of a Diamond nor the sunne-beame discerned but by the light of the beame nor the understanding faculty of the soule apprehended but by the faculty of understanding nor can the receiving of the holy Ghost bee conceived or delivered without receiving in some a Aug tract 16. in Joh. Adsit ipse spiritus ut sic eloqui possimus degree that holiest Spirit b Ciâ— de mat Qui eloquentiam laudat debet illam ipsam adhibere quam lâ—â—dat Hee that will blazon the armes of the Queen of affections Eloquence must borrow her own pencill and colours nor may any undertake to expound this text and declare the power of this gift here mentioned but by the gift of this power Wherefore as in the interpretation of other inspired Scriptures wee are humbly to intreat the assistance of the Inspirer so more especially in the explication and application of this which is not onely effectivè à spiritu but also objectivè de spiritu not onely indited and penned as all other by the spirit but also of the spirit This of all other is a most mysterious text which being rightly understood and pressed home will not only remove the weaker fence betweene us and the Greeke Church touching the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Sonne but also beat downe and demolish the strong and high partition wall betweene the reformed and the Romane Church built upon S. Peters supremacy For if Christ therefore used the Ceremony of breathing upon his Apostles with this forme of words Receive yee the Holy Ghost as it were of set purpose visibly to represent the proceeding of the holy Spirit from himselfe why should not the Greeke Church acknowledge with us the eternall emanation of the holy Ghost from the Sonne as well as the Father and acknowledging it joyne with us in the fellowship of the same spirit Our difference and contestation with the Church of Rome in point of S. Peters primacy is far greater I confesse For the head of all controversies between us and them is the controversie concerning the head of the Church Yet even this how involved soever they make it may be resolved by this text alone For if Christ sent all his Apostles as his Father sent him if he breathed indifferently upon all if he gave his spirit and with it full power of remittting and retaining sinnes to them all then is there no ground here for S. Peters jurisdiction over the rest much lesse the Popes and if none here none elsewhere as the sequell will shew For howsoever Cajetan and Hart and some few Papists by jingling Saint Peters c Mat. 16.19 Keyes and distinguishing of a key 1 Of knowledge 2 Of power and this 1 Of order 2 Of jurisdiction and that 1 In foro exteriori the outward court 2 Foro interiori the inward court of conscience goe about to confound the harmony of the Evangelists who set all the same tune but to a different key yet this is confessed on all sides by the Fathers Hilary Jerome Austine Anselme and by the Schoole-men Lumbard Aquinas Allensis and Scotus alledged by Cardinall d Bellar. de Rom. pont l. 1. c. 12. Bellarmine that what Christ promised to Peter e Mat. 16. he performed and made good to him here but here the whole f Hieronymus adver Lucifer Cuncti claves accipiunt super omnes ex aequô ecclesiae fortitudo solidatur bunch of keyes is offered to all the Apostles and all of them receive them all are joyned with S. Peter as well in the mission as my Father sent mee so I send you as in the Commission Lastly as this text containes a soveraigne Antidote against the infection of later heresies so also against the poyson of the more ancient and farther spread impieties of Arrius and Macedonius whereof the one denyed the divinity and eternity of the Sonne the other of the holy Ghost both whose damnable assertions are confuted by consequence from this text For if Christ by breathing giveth the holy Ghost and by giving the holy Ghost power of remitting sinne then must Christ needs bee God for who but God can give or send a divine person The holy Ghost also from hence is proved to be God for who can g Mar. 2.7 or Esay 43.25 forgive sinnes but God alone So much is our faith indebted to this Scripture yet our calling is much more for what can bee spoken more honourably of the sacred function of Bishops and Priests than that the investiture and admittance into it is the receiving of the holy Ghost * Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura regula caeterorum The first action in every kind of this nature is a president to all the rest as all the furniture of the Ceremoniall law was made according to the first patterne in the Mount such is this consecration in my text the originall and patterne of all other wherein these particulars invite your religious attention 1 The person consecrating Christ the chiefe Bishop of our soules 2 The persons consecrated The Apostles the prime Pastours of the Church 3 The holy action it selfe set forth 1 With a mysterious rite he breathed on them 2 A sanctified forme of words receive ye the holy Ghost 1 First for the person consecrating All Bishops are consecrated by him originally to whom they are consecrated all Priests are ordained by him to whom they are ordained Priests the power which they are to employ for him they receive from him to whom h Matth. 28.18 all power is given both in heaven and in earth By vertue of which deed of gift he maketh i Matth. 10.2 choice of his ministers and hee sendeth them with authority k Jâ—h 20.21 as my Father sent me so I send you And hee furnisheth them with gifts saying receive yee the holy Ghost and enableth them with a double power of order to l Matth. 28.19 Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 11.24 This do in the remembrance of me preach and administer both the sacraments and of jurisdiction also Matth. 18.18 Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall bee bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And that this sacred order is to continue in the Church and this spirituall power in this order even till Christ resigneth up his keyes and kingdome to God his Father S. Paul assureth us Eph. 4.10.11.12 Hee that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things and he gave some
his body 2 Because Christ was not baptized for himselfe but for us to wash away that filth and corruption which wee draw from the loines of our parents As the cause of his baptisme was in us so the effect was for us hee was baptized corporally in his naturall body that wee might bee baptized spiritually in his mysticall As for himselfe his immaculate conception preserved him from originall corruption and therefore the remedy of baptisme to him in respect of himselfe was needlesse on whom the disease neither had nor could fasten but as for us he had bin before circumcised so for us was he now baptized who believe and are baptized in his name So c Joh. 17.19 For their sakes I sanctifie myselfe that they might be truly sanctified neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me throught their word himselfe testifieth As our superfluities were pared off with his knife in circumcision so our spots were washed away with water in baptisme by his baptisme of water wee are cleansed from originall and by his baptisme of blood in the garden and on the crosse from all our actuall sinne When hee went downe into the river hee carried our old man with him and drowned him there in Jordan To which point Saint d Amb. in Luk. Unus mersit sed lavit omnes unus descendit ut ascenderemus omnes unus omnium peccata suscepit ut in illo omnium peccata morerentur Ambrose speaketh as fully as elegantly One dived into the water but he washed all one descended that wee might all ascend one tooke upon him the sinnes of all that hee might destroy the sinnes of all in himselfe 3 Because Christs baptisme was the perfect sampler and patterne of ours For as Christ was washed with water so is a Christian As when Christ was baptized the e Mat. 3.16.17 three persons in the Trinity manifested themselves the Father by a voice from heaven the Sonne by the water the holy Ghost by the dove so likewise in our baptisme the three persons are expresly mentioned In the name of the Father c. Lastly as at Christs baptisme the heavens were opened and the holy Spirit descended on our Saviour in the similitude of a dove so at the christening of the children of the faithfull who are innocent like doves the heavens are opened and the grace of the holy Spirit descendeth upon them and after this their new birth by Water and the Spirit God acknowledgeth them for his Sonnes Thus farre you heare a perfect concord betweene Christs baptisme and ours but in one circumstance which I am now to touch upon there seemeth a discord for Christ was baptized in his perfect age wee in our infancy or nonage In those dayes saith my f Luk. 3.1 Evangelist about the beginning of Johns baptisme which was in the fifteenth yeere of the reigne of Tiberius Caesar vers 23. when Jesus himselfe began to bee about thirty yeeres of age At which circumstance of time the Anabaptists greedily catch as men that are in danger of drowning lay hold on flagges and rotten stakes by the bank side that are not able to support them For though Christ were not baptized till hee came to his perfect age it doth not thence ensue that wee ought 〈…〉 our baptisme so long or that if we were christened in our infancy wee ought to bee baptized againe in our perfect age when wee can give a good account of the hope that is in us after the manner of the Anabaptists For neither was Christ rebaptized neither is Christs case and ours alike Not therefore to lay much stresse upon Aquinas his resolution that Christ was baptized in his perfect age to shew that baptisme maketh a man perfect which is in effect to say that this delay of baptisme in Christ was of a mysticall signification not for our necessary imitation I answer that Christ his example in this case ought to bee no president for us and that for many reasons 1 Our Saviour in his infancy received circumcision which then was in stead of baptisme it being the authenticall seale of Gods covenant and it was not requisite that two broad seales if I may so call them of the King of heaven should bee put to the same deed at the same time both being entire Neither was it convenient that the figure and the verity the type and the antitype the sacrament of the old and of the new should meet at the same period but that there should be a good distance of time between them 2 Christ needed not baptisme at all for himselfe being conceived and borne without sinne and therefore there could be no danger in deferring his baptisme in that regard but wee are conceived and borne in sinne and have no remedy to heale the leprous contagion of our birrh but by being washed in this Jordan which Christ sanctified by his baptisme Wherefore it is no way safe for us to put off this sacrament the onely cure of this malady lest God take us out of this world whilst our filthy scurfe and sores are upon us 3 Christ desired not to bee baptized of John to bee cleansed thereby but either as I shewed before to sanctifie baptisme it selfe or to receive a testimony from the Father and from John and to declare himselfe to the world in which regard hee deferred his baptisme till the time was come when hee should take off the vaile from his face and suffer the rayes of divine majesty to breake forth 4 Our Font is alwayes open or ready to bee opened and the Minister attends to receive the children of the faithfull and dip them in that sacred Laver but in Christs infancy there was neither Baptist nor baptisme Before our Saviour was thirty yeeres of age either Saint John had not his Commission to baptize or at least began not to execute it but as soone as hee tooke upon him that holy office and unsealed the sacred Font and multitudes came to him from all parts In those dayes came Jesus from Galilee and was baptized of John in Jordan Having spoken of the substance Christs baptisme let us now poize the circumstances which are all weighty and beare downe the scale of Christs humility to the ground 1 That Christ in his perfect age should take if I may so speake the festraw into his hand and bee entred in his Primer and receive the token of the first admittance into his owne schoole 2 That he should not expect John to come and tender his service to him but should take a long journey to meet with the Baptist 3 That hee should daigne to let him lay his hands on his head who was not worthy to g Mat. 3.11 untye his shooe that the fountaine of all christianity in whose name wee are all baptized should receive his christendome as wee speake from another and bee baptized in the open and common river Jordan Each of these considerations
addeth a degree of descent to our Saviours humility and consequently a degree of ascent to his glory For there is nothing more glorious than for highest majesty to humble himselfe in the lowest and lowliest manner The h Plin. in Panegyr Curiad summum fastigium nihil superest is uno modo crescere potest si se submiserit tree that is at the highest pitch can no otherwise grow than downeward 1 If Christ would bee baptized why not in his infancy why in his perfect age would hee stoope to the childrens Font or to speake more properly the spirituall Lazars bath in those dayes when hee was about thirty yeeres of age 2 If in that age hee would be baptized to grace and countenance Johns baptisme why yet did hee not send for John to come to him why did hee take a voyage to John why did hee seeke after and runne to his forerunner Jesus came from Galilee 3 If hee would take such a journey to be baptized having no need of baptisme for himselfe to fulfill all righteousnesse for us why would hee not bee baptized by an i Luk. 2.21 His name was called Jesus which was so named of the Angell before hee was conceived in the wombe Angell who first named him Jesus but by John his servant Was baptized of John 4 If hee would bee baptized by a man the rather to prove his manhood or countenance the ministery of man why gave hee not order for some Font of gold to bee made for him in a princely palace why would hee uncloath himselfe in the open ayre and goe downe into the common river Jordan to bee washed there as an ordinary man Why all this but to exalt his glory by humility and to teach us to stoope low when wee enter in at the gate of Christs schoole In those dayes c. Perfection it selfe in his full age taketh the remedy of our imperfections Jesus receiveth baptisme The way it selfe taketh along and tedious journey Jesus came from Nazareth to Galilee The k Leo ser de Epiph Descendere in se fontem foelix unda miratur fountain of all purity is washed And was baptized The Lord and author of baptisme receiveth his owne badge and cognizance from his servant Of John The boundlesse ocean descendeth into the river In Jordan Well might saith Barradius the heavens bee opened that the Angels might behold this wonderfull sight A strange and wonderfull baptisme indeed in which he that was washed was purer than the Font it selfe in which the person is not sanctified by the Sacrament but the Sacrament by the person A strange and wonderfull baptisme in which he is baptized with water who baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire A strange and wonderfull baptisme in which the person baptized is the Sonne of God and the two witnesses the Father and the holy Spirit A strange and wonderfull baptisme in which not the Church doore but heaven gates were opened and in stead of a Sermon from the mouth of a mortall man there was heard a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Observe I beseech you in this and other straines of the sweet harmony of the Evangelists how the Bases and Trebles answer one the other how where they depresse our Saviour most in his humanity there they raise him highest in his divinity In the passages of one and the selfe same story where you finde most pregnant proofes of his infirmity and humility as man there you have also most evident demonstration of his majesty and glory as God What greater humility than to lye for many moneths in the dark prison of the Virgins wombe and to bee borne of a poore handmaid this sheweth him to bee a true man yet what greater glory than to bee conceived of the holy Ghost and to have a regiment of heavenly Souldiers to guard him as it were into the world and a quire of Angels to sing at his birth this demonstrateth him to bee God What greater argument of his humility than to bee borne in an Inne lodged in a Stable and laid in a Manger this sheweth him to bee virum dolorum a man in distresse and great necessity yet what greater glory than to bee manifested by a starre and presented by the Heathen Sages with Gold Frankincense and Myrrhe this demonstrateth him to bee God What greater humility than to bee carried up and downe from place to place by Satan and to bee tempted by that foule fiend this sheweth him to bee a man yet what greater glory than to be attended on and ministred unto by l Mat. 4.11 Then the Divell leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred unto him Angels in the desart this demonstrateth him to bee God What greater humility than to suffer himselfe to bee taken by the high Priests servants armed with swords and staves against him as if hee had beene a Malefactor this sheweth him to bee a man and that of little or no reputation among the Rulers yet what greater glory than with the breath of his mouth to cast downe those that assaulted him and make them fall m John 18.6 As soone as hee had said unto them I am he they went backward and fell to the ground backeward to the ground in such sort that hee might have trampled them under his feete this demonstrateth him to bee God What greater humility than to bee nailed to the crosse and to dye in torments this sheweth him to bee a mortall man yet what greater glory than at his death to eclipse the sunne and obscure the heavens and move the earth and cleave the rockes and rend the vaile of the Temple from the toppe to the bottome and open graves this demonstrateth him to be God In like manner here in my text what greater testimony of humility than to descend into the river and suffer himselfe to bee baptized by John yet what greater glory than at his baptisme to have the heavens opened and the holy Ghost in a visible shape to descend upon him and God the Father from heaven to acknowledge him for his Sonne this demonstrateth him to bee God But to bound my selfe within the eclipticke line of my text where it followeth Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee Nazareth was a little towne or village in Galilee where our Saviour dwelt with his parents for many yeeres and from his aboad there tooke the appellation of Nazarene This his countrey with his person was highly exalted upon the crosse the Trophee of his victory over the world as appeareth by that inscription Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jewes n Hieron de nom Hebr. Drusius ad voces N. T. comment Steph. interp nom Heb. Nazareth signifieth florem or virgultum ejus a flower or a twigge derived from o Buxlorf epit rad Natsar surculus sic dictus quod custodiâ curâ egeat ne à vento dejiciatur aut frangatur Natsar
holy place the Temple I come to the Holy of holies the owner of this holy place the Doctr. 6 Living God The Apostle so stileth God here in my Text to terrifie the Corinthians from provoking him either to jealousie by their Idolatry or to anger by their impure conversation with the Gentiles whose gods were dead and senselesse stockes not able to apprehend much lesse revenge any wrong offered unto them by their worshippers and therefore they might bee bold with them as the Philosopher was with Hercules putting him to his thirteenth labour in seething his dinner and Martial with Priapus in threatning to throw him in the fire if hee looked not well to his trees and * Eras apoph l. 5. Jovi Olympio detraxit magni ponderis amiculum dicens aestare grave hyeme frigidum Aesculapii auream barbam detraxit quod negaret decorum patrem Apollinem imberbem ipsum barbatum conspici Dyonisius with Aesculapius in cutting off his golden beard alledging for it that it was not fit the sonne should have a beard seeing the Father had none but let Christians take heed of the least provocation of the living God x Heb. 12.29 for hee is a consuming fire A childe may play at the hole of a dead cockatrice and a silly woman may strike a dead lion but who dares handle a live serpent or play with the paw of a ramping and roaring lion how much more fearfull by infinite degrees a thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God who with the breath of his mouth is able to blow downe the whole frame of nature and destroy all creatures from the face of the earth There is spirit and life in this attribute living which comprehendeth in it all that wee can comprehend and all that wee cannot comprehend of the Deity For the life of God is his beeing and his beeing is his nature and his nature is all things When wee call upon the living God wee call upon the true God the everlasting God the Father of spirits the Author of life the Almighty All-sufficient All-working God and what is not comprised in all these The more excellent the nature is of any thing the more excellent is the life thereof as is the life of beasts than of trees of men than of beasts of Angels than of men What then may wee conceive of the life of God himselfe from whence hee hath his name in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and because it is his chiefest attribute hee most frequently sweareth by it in holy Scripture As I live saith the Lord. This attribute living is applyed to God in a threefold regard 1. To distinguish him from the false gods of the Gentiles which were dead and senselesse stockes bearing for the most part the image of a dead man deified after death 2. To represent unto us the sprightly and actuous nature of God which is alwayes in action and ever moving in it selfe 3. To direct us to the Fountaine of life from whom all life is derived into the creature by a threefold streame of 1 Nature 2 Grace 3 Glory 1 First the true God is stiled the living God in opposition to the heathen Idols which were without life sense or motion they had eyes and saw not eares and heard not hands and handled not whereas the true God hath no eyes yet seeth no eares yet heareth no hands yet worketh all things The heathen Idols were carried upon mens shoulders or camels backs as the Prophet y Esa 46.1.2.3 Esay excellently describeth the manner of their procession but contrariwise the true God beareth his children and supporteth them from the wombe even to their old age and gray haires Mothers and nurses carry children but for a short space God beareth his children all the dayes of their life The heathen gods as Saint z L. 1. de civit Dei Neque enim homines a simulachtis sed simulachra ab hominibus servabantur quomodo vero colebantur ut patriam custodirent cives quae suos non valuere custodire custodes Austine observeth in the siege of Troy saved not them that worshipped them but were saved by them from fire and spoyle whereupon hee inferreth What folly was it to worship such gods for the preservation of the city and countrey which were not able to keepe their owne keepers but the true God preserveth them that serve him and hideth them under the shadow of his wings 2 God is called the living God because hee is all life hee understandeth and willeth decreeth and executeth beginneth and endeth observeth and ordereth appointeth and effecteth all things hee whirleth about the heavens raiseth stormes and tempests thundering and lightning in the aire hee moveth upon the waters and shaketh the pillars of the earth hee turneth about the whole frame of nature and setteth all creatures on work in a word as Trismegistus excellently expresseth this truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He potentiateth all acts and actuateth all powers 3 Living because hee giveth life to all that enjoy it and preserveth also it in them to the period thereof set by himselfe All other living creatures as they have but one soule so they have but one life man to whom divers Philosophers assigne three soules hath a threefold kinde of life 1 Vegetative 2 Sensible 3 Reasonable But over and above every faithfull man hath an estate of three lives in Gods promises 1 The life of nature which implyeth the former three at our entrance into the world 2 The life of grace at our entrance into the Church 3 The life of glory at our entrance into Heaven Nature is the perfection of every creature grace the perfection of nature glory the perfection of grace The life of nature is given to us to seek the life of grace which bringeth us to the life of glory That God is the author of the life of nature nature her selfe teacheth a Act. 17.28 In him wee live c. as some of your Poets have sayd In ipso vivimus In him wee live move and have our being That hee is the author of the life of grace Saint John whose name signifieth grace testifieth b Joh. 1.2 In ipso vita erat In him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shined in darkenesse and the darknesse comprehended it not Lastly that hee is the author of the life of glory Christ who is the way the truth and the life declareth sâ—ying c Joâ— 11.25 I am the resurrection and the life whosoever believeth in mee though hee were dead yet shall hee live There remaineth nothing to the illustration of this point but the removing of an objection which somewhat cloudeth the truth For thus a man may argue If God as the Prophet speaketh is the Well of life in which there are the three springs abovenamed one above the other then is life conveighed to all creatures according
sed spe debemus indubitatâ praesumere Gregory impropriateth not this assurance to himselfe or some few to whom God extraordinarily revealeth their state hereafter but extendeth it to all making it a common duty not a speciall gift saying Being supported with this certainty wee ought nothing to doubt of the mercy of our Redeemer but bee confident thereof out of an assured hope By the coherence of the text in the eighth to the Romans we may infallibly gather that all that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and have received the first fruits thereof and the testimony within themselves are the Sonnes of God know that all things worke together for their good Have wee not all received the spirit of adoption doe we not come to God as children to a most loving father doe wee not daily in confidence of his love cry Abba Father If so then the Apostle addeth farther that the Spirit testifieth to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God And lest any hereticall doubt cast in might trouble the spring of everlasting comfort as if we were indeed made sonnes for the present but might forfeit our adoption and thereby lose our inheritance the Apostle cleareth all in the words following v. 17. If sonnes then heires heires of God and joynt heires with Christ God adopteth no sonne whom he intendeth not to make his heire neither can any that is borne of him cease to be his sonne because the ſ 1 Pet. 1.23 Being borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed of which he is borne is incorruptible and this seed still remaineth in him 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seed remaineth in him There are three means of assurance among men 1 Earnests 2 Seales 3 Witnesses In bargaines earnests in deeds seales in trialls witnesses First to secure summes of money or bargaines we take earnests of men or some pledge behold this security given us by God even the t 2 Cor. 1.22 earnest of his Spirit in our hearts On which words St. u Chrysost in secund ad Cor. hom l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome thus plainely glosseth He saith not the Spirit but the earnest of the Spirit that thou mayst be every way confident for if he meant not to give thee the whole he would never have given this earnest in present For this had beene to lose his earnest and cast it away in vaine Secondly to confirme all grants licences bonds leases testaments and conveyances seales are required behold this confirmation also Ephes 1.13 In whom ye are sealed by that holy Spirit of promise and 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Whether we speake of the seale sealing or the seale sealed we have both For we are sealed by the Spirit of grace as by the seale sealing and by the grace of the Spirit as the seale sealed that is printed upon us In reference to which place Daniel x Chamierus de fid l. 10. c. 13. Sigillorum varii sunt gradus alia simpliciter ad rei pertinent certitudinem indefinité sic Reges sigillis suis muniunt diplomata sic contrahentes sigillis schedam suam muniunt sed alia spectant personae certitudinem quae obsignari dicitur id est signo peculiari insigniri ut eo sciat se in numerum eorum ascriptum ad quos tale aliquod jus pertinet ut cum Rex Equitibus suis torques concedit ut procerto habeat se Equites esse Chamierus rightly noteth that there are seales put to things for their confirmation and certaine signes or badges answerable to seales given to persons at their investiture as a collar of S's and a blew ribbon with a George to the knights of the Garter c. We have both these seales sigillum rei by the Sacrament and sigillum personae by the Spirit which sealeth us to the day of our redemption Thirdly to prove any matter of fact in Courts of justice witnesses are produced behold this proofe of our right and title to a kingdome in heaven proofe I say by witnesses beyond exception the holy Spirit and our renewed consciences The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our Spirit that wee are the children of God Rom. 8.16 On which words St. Chrysostome thus enlargeth himselfe y Chrysost in epist ad Rom. c. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man or an Angel or an Archangel had promised thee this honour to be the Sonne of God thou mightest peradventure have made some doubt of it but now when God himselfe giveth thee this title commanding thee to call him Abba Father who dare question thy title If the King himselfe pricke a Sheriffe or send him the Garter or the Seale what subject dare gainesay it Lastly as the Planets are knowne by their influence and the Diamond by his lustre and the Balsamum by his medicinall vertue and the soule by her vitall operations so the gift here promised is most sensibly knowne by the effects 1 Exceeding love 2 Secure peace 3 Unspeakable joy 4 Invincible courage He that is not certain that he hath or ever shall receive any benefit by another or comfort in him loveth but a little He that was condemned to die and cannot tell whether he hath a pardon for his life or no can be at no peace he that heareth glad tidings but giveth little credit to them rejoyceth but faintly he who hath no assurance of a better life will be advised how he parteth with this But the Saints of God and Martyrs of Jesus Christ are exceedingly enflamed with the love of their Redeemer in comparison whereof they esteeme all things as dung they enjoy peace that passeth all understanding they are ravished with spirituall joy they so little passe for this present life that they are ready not onely to be bound but to dye for the Lord Jesu they rejoyce in their sufferings they sing in the middest of the flames they lie as contentedly upon the racke as upon a bed of doune they prove masteries with all sorts of evill they weary both tortures and tormentors and in all are more than Conquerours therefore they know assuredly how they stand in the Court of heaven they feele within them what Christ hath done for them they have received already the first fruits of heavenly joyes and doubt not of the whole crop they haue received the earnest and doubt not of their full pay they have received the seales and doubt not of the deeds of their salvation they have received the testimonie of the Spirit and doubt not of their adoption they have received the white stone in my text and doubt not of their absolution from death and election to a kingdome in heaven What doe their dying speeches that ought to live in perpetuall memory import lesse First St. y 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. Pauls I am now ready to be
giving sentences or making decrees The Judges among the Romanes when they acquitted any man cast in a white stone into an urne or pot according to that of the Poet Mos erat antiquis niveis atrisque lapillis His damnare reos illis absolvere culpâ And likewise the Citizens of Rome in choosing their Magistrates wrote his name to whom they gave their voice in a white stone By allusion to which two customes I conceive the Spirit in this place promiseth to every one that shall overcome the lusts of the flesh by the Spirit the assaults of the Devill by faith and the persecutions and troubles of the world by his constancy calculum absolutorium suffragatorium an infallible token of his absolution from death and election to a crowne of life an assurance of present justification and future glorification Thus I take the Quid nominis to bee cleare the greatest controversie is about the Quid rei what that gift or grace is what that signe or token what that proofe or testimony whereby our present estate of grace and future of glory are secured unto us Some ghesse not farre off the truth That it is testimonium renovatae conscientiae the testimony of a renewed conscience For as the eye in a glasse by reflection seeth it selfe looking so the conscience by a reflection upon it selfe knoweth that it knoweth God and beleeveth that it beleeveth in Christ and feeleth that it hath a new feeling sense and life The eye of faith in the regenerate seeth himselfe sealed to the day of redemption and observeth the print of the seale in himselfe and the image of the heavenly which it beareth I shall speake nothing to disparage this testimony of conscience which affordeth to every true beleever singular contentment in life and comfort in death The nearer the voice is the briefer and more certainely wee heare it and therefore wee cannot but distinctly take that deposition for us which conscience speaketh in the eare of the heart And yet wee have a nearer and surer voice to settle our heart in the knowledge of our spirituall estate the testimony of Gods Spirit which is nearer and more inward to our soules than our soules to our bodies and the witnesse thereof may be as great or a greater joy to us than if God had sent an Angell to us as hee did to Daniel to shew unto us that wee were beloved of him or an Archangel as hee did to the Virgin k Luke 1.28 Mary to salute us Haile thou that art highly favoured of God If any demand as shee did not out of any doubt but out of a desire of farther information quomodo that is how doth the Spirit testifie to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God To speake nothing of elevations of Spirit and raptures and speciall revelations which are not now so frequent and so certaine as in former ages I answer The Spirit testifieth this unto us two manner of wayes by Motions or Words Effects or Deeds By words so are the expresse words of Saint l Prolog card vert 1. Dicuntur tibi verba quaedam arcana intrinsecus ut dubitare non possis quin juxta te fit Cyprian As when lightning breaketh the cloud and the suddaine splendour thereof doth not so much enlighten as dazle the eyes so sometimes thou art touched with I know not what motion and feelest thy selfe to bee touched and yet seest not him that toucheth thee there are inwardly spoken unto thee certaine secret words so as thou canst not doubt that hee is neare thee even within thee who doth solicite thee yet doth hee not let thee see him as hee is These secret words Saint m Serm. 1. in annunc Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet Spiritus sanctus dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua Bernard uttereth This is the testimony or record which the Spirit beareth unto thee Thy sinnes are forgiven thee I take it the meaning of the words of these Fathers is not that the holy Ghost doth sound these formall words in our bodily eares but that as God once n 1 Kin. 19.12 spake in a still small voice so in it still hee speaketh to the faithfull by the Spirit verbis mentalibus by mentall words or notions by which hee continually inciteth us to good restraines us from evill forewarneth us of danger and comforteth us in trouble And whilest wee listen to these notions or rather motions of the spirit within us wee heare this testimony often and distinctly But when wee give eare to the motions of the evill Spirit and entertaine him and delight in his society and thereby grieve and despite the Spirit of grace hee being thus grieved by us speaketh no more words of comfort in us but withdrawes his gracious presence and leaveth us in horrour of conscience and darknesse of minde In this time of spirituall desertion wee thinke wee have lost this white stone though indeed wee have not lost it but it is hid from us for a while for afterwards wee shall finde it having first felt the Spirit moving upon the waters of our penitent teares and in our powring out our soules before God assisting us with sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed then after we renewing our covenant with him our sins are blowne away like a thicke mist and light from heaven breaketh in againe upon us and with this light assurance and with assurance peace and with peace joy in the holy Ghost Yea but a weake Christian may yet demand How may I bee assured that my stone is not a counterfeit that my gold is not alchymy that my pearle is not glasse that my Edenis not a fooles Paradise that this testimony in my soule is not a suggestion of Sathan to tempt mee to presumption and thereby drowne mee in perdition The Spirit of God commanding mee to o 1 Joh. 4.1 Beleeve not every spirit but try the spirit whether they are of God Try the Spirits whether they are of God or no implyeth that there are Spirits which are not of God how then may I certainly know that this motion within mee is from the good and not rather from the evill Spirit By this if it accord with the word and the testimony of thine own conscience but if it vary from either thou hast just cause to suspect it If any Spirit shall tell thee that thou art lockt in the armes of Gods mercy and canst not fall from him though thou huggest some vice in thy bosome and lettest loose the reines to some evill concupiscence give that Spirit the lye because it accordeth not with the word of God testifying expressely that p Eph. 5.5 no whoremonger nor uncleane person nor covetous man which it an Idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdome of God and of Christ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously
in Chron. ad an c. 1. Calvisius his hote discordant from our purpose viz. that the yeere of our Lords birth was Annus Sabbathicus a yeere made of seven multiplyed or a yeere of Jubile For even by this very circumstance wee may bee put in minde that he who was borne in a temporall Sabbathicke yeere on earth procureth for us an everlasting Sabbath in heaven 3 Of the day of the yeere From the age in which our Lord was incarnate wee have already proceeded to the yeere now from the yeere wee will come to the day on which God hath set many glorious markes 1 First St. Matthew telleth us of a n Mat. 2.2 new starre that appeared to the heathen Sages which guided them in their way to Bethlehem 2 Secondly St. o Quest vet N.T. Hodâ—eâ—no die natus est Christus octavo Calend. Jan. ab illo die crescunt dies ecce à nativitate Christi dies crescit illo oriente dies proficit Austine and St. p Ambros Serm. 8. de temp Ambrose and q Prudent in hyâ—n ad Cal. Jan. Quid est quod Arctum circulum Sol jam recurrens deserit Christusne terris nascitur qui lucis augit â—ramitem Prudemius note that the day of our Lords birth fell precisely upon the winter solstice and from that day the dayes begin to lengthen 3 Thirdly this day in the vineyard of r Magdeburg ex Martino Vinca Engaddi quae balsamum ferebat horem fructum liquorem simul fudit Engaddi the Balsamum tree both blossomed and bare fruit and liquor also dropped from it Thus we see what golden characters God hath fixed upon the age yeere and day of our Lords birth in which we may read the benefits of his incarnation which are these First rest this seemeth to be figured by the Sabbathicke yeere Secondly peace this was shadowed by the temporall peace concluded through all the world by Augustus Thirdly libertie from spirituall thraldome this was represented by the law of manumission of servants Fourthly Knowledge this was shewed by the new starre Fiftly encrease of grace this was signified by the lengthening of the dayes from Christs birth Sixtly spirituall joy this was expressed by the oyle which sprang out of the earth Seventhly health and life this the Balsamum was an embleme of This peace this libertie this knowledge this grace this joy this health God offereth to us in this accepted time and day of salvation Behold now c. The Jewes had their now and that was from the day of our Lords birth to the time of the destruction of the Temple before which a voyce was heard at midnight saying Å¿ Joseph de bello Jud. l 7. Migremus hinc Let us goe hence The Gentiles now or day of grace began after Peters t Acts 10.11 vision and shall continue untill the fulnesse of all Nations be come in Our Countrie 's now for their conversion from Paganisme began when Joseph of Arimathea or Simon Zelotes or Saint Paul or some other of the Apostles planted the Gospell in this Island for our reversion to the puritie of the ancient doctrine and discipline was from the happie reformation in King Henry the eighth his time and Kings Edward the sixts and shall last till God for our sinnes remove our golden Candlesticke All your now who heare me this day is from the day of your new birth in baptisme till the day of your death Application Behold now is your accepted time now is your day of salvation make good use of these golden moments upon which dependeth your eternall happinesse or miserie Yet by a few sighes you may drive away the fearefull storme that hangeth over you yet with a few teares you may quench the fire of hell in your consciences yet by stretching out your armes to God and laying hold on Christ by faith you may be kept from falling into the brimstone lake While yee have the light of this day of grace t Phil. 2.12 Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling before the night of death commeth when u John 9.4 no man can worke If you reject this accepted time and let slip this day of salvation there remaineth nothing for you but a time of rejection x Mat. 7.23 Away from mee I know you not and a day of damnation y Mat. 25.41 Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire To apply this now yet once more Behold now in these feasts of Christmas is tempus acceptum an accepted time or a time of acceptation a time when wee accept and entertaine one another a time of giving and accepting testimonies of love a time of receiving the holy Sacrament a time when God receiveth us into favour biddeth us to his owne table Behold now is the day of salvation the day in which our Saviour was borne and the y Titus 2.11 grace of God bringing salvation appeared unto all men This day our Saviour will come into thy house and if with humble devotion godly sorrow a lively faith and sincere love thou entertaine him what himselfe spake to Zacheus the Spirit will speake unto thee z Luke 19.9 This day is salvation come to thy house Which God the Father grant for the merits of his Sonne through the powerfull operation of the holy Spirit To whom c. THE SPOUSE HER PRECIOUS BORDERS A rehearsall Sermon preached Anno 1618. THE XXXII SERMON CANT 1.11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver Right Honourable c. AS the riches of Gods goodnesse are set forth to the eye of the body by the diversity of creatures in the booke of nature so are the treasures of his wisedome exposed to the eye of the mind by the varietie of senses in the booke of Scripture Which in this respect is by reverend antiquitie compared to the scrole in a Ezek. 2.10 Vid. Hier. in c. 2. Ezekielis Ezekiels vision spread before him which was written Intus à tergo within and without without in the letter within in the Spirit without in the history within in the mystery without in the typicall ceremonies within in the morall duties without in the Legall resemblance within in the Evangelicall reference without in verborum foliis within in radice rationis as St. Jerome elegantly expresseth it The former sense resembleth the golden b Exod 16.33 And Moses said to Aaron take a pot and put an Omer full of Manna therein c. pot the latter the hidden c Rev. 2.17 Manna it selfe that is as the shell or mother of pearle this as the Margarite contained within it both together as d Nazianz ad Nemes Literalem comparat corpori spiritualem animae Verbum Dei geminam habet naturam divinam invisibilem humanam visibilem ita Verbum Dei scriptum habet sensum externum internum Nazianzen observeth make this singular correspondency betweene the incarnate and the inspired
of a Dove The borders were joyned together and in their Sermons there was good coherence for whereas there are two parts of Divinity 1. The first de Dei beneficiis erga homines 2. The second de officiis hominis erga Deum The former were handled in the two former Sermons and the later in the two later The benefits of God are either 1. Spirituall as Redemption of which the first discoursed 2. Or Temporall as the wealth of the world of which the second The duties of man to God are either 1. Proper to certaine men in regard of their speciall place or calling as Magistrates or Ministers of which the third 2. Common to all Christians as to offer sacrifices of righteousnesse to God of which the fourth The first as a Herald proclaimed hostility Awake O sword c. The second as a Steward of a Court gave the charge Charge the rich c. The third as a Judge pronounced a dreadfull sentence In the day thou eatest thou shalt dye the death The fourth as a Prophet gave holy counsell and heavenly advice Offer c. That we may be free from and out of the danger of the blow of the first and the charge of the second and sentence of the third wee must follow the advice of the fourth All foure may bee likened to foure builders The first fitted and laid the corner stone The second built a house whose foundation was laid in humility Charge the rich that they be not high minded The walls raised up in hope to lay hold on eternall life The roofe was covered with charity that they bee rich in good workes The third beautified it with a garden of pleasure and hee fenced it with the Discipline of the Church as it were with a strong wall The fourth built an Altar to offer sacrifice The first made according to the last Translation borders of gold his speciall grace was in the order and composition The second according to Junius his version Lineas aureas golden lines his grace was in frequent sentences and golden lines The third according to the Seventies interpretation made Similitudines aureas golden similitudes comparing our Church to Paradise The fourth as Brightman rendreth the words made turtures aureas golden turtles gilding over if I may so speak our spirituall offrings with a ricâ— discourse of his owne Pliny * Lib. 37. nat hist c. 2 In Opale est Carbunculi tenuiâ—r ignis Ameâ—hysti fulgens purpura Smaragdi virens mâ—re c. writeth of the Opall stone that it represented the colours of divers precious stones by name the Ruby or Carbuncle the Amethyst the Emrald and the Margarite or Pearle In like manner I have represented unto you in this Rehearsall the beautifull colours of divers precious stones in the first the colour of the Ruby for he discoursed of the bloudy passion of Christ In the second the purple colour of the Amethyst for hee treated of riches and purple robes and the equipage of honour In the third the green colour of the Emrald for hee described the green and flourishing garden of Eden In the fourth the cleare or white colour of the Chrystall or Pearle for hee illustrated unto us the sacrifices of righteousnesse which are called white in opposition to the red and bloudy sacrifices of the Law The Opall representeth the colours of the above-named precious stones incredibili mysturâ lucentes shining by an incredible misture a glimpse whereof you may have in this briefe concatenation of them all God hath given us his Sonne the man that is his fellow to be sacrificed for us as the first taught and with him hath given us all things richly to enjoy as the second shâ—wed not only all things for necessity and profit but even for lawfull delight and contentment placing us as it were in Paradise as the third declared Let us therefore offer unto him the sacrifice of righteousnesse as the fourth exhorted Yee whom God hath enriched with store of learning open your treasures and say to the Spouse of Christ out of these we will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver Yee of Gods people whom hee hath blessed with worldly wealth open your treasures and say to the Spouse of Christ out of these wee will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver and then bee yee assured God will open the treasures of his bounty and the three persons in Trinity will say We will make you borders of gold with studs of silver and not onely borders for your breasts and chaines for your neckes but also eare-rings for your eares and bracelets for your hands and frontlets for your faces and a crown for your heads wee will enrich you with invaluable jewels of grace here and an incorruptible crowne of glory hereafter So be it heavenly Father for the merits of thy Sonne by the powerfull operation of the Holy Spirit To whom c. THE ANGEL OF THYATIRA ENDITED A Sermon preached at the Crosse Anno 1614. THE XXXIII SERMON REVEL 2.18 19 20. And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet like fine brasse 19. I know thy workes and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy workes and the last to be more than the first 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed unto Idols Right Honourable c. Apoc. 1.12 IF the seven golden Candlestickes which Saint John saw were illustrious types and glorious emblemes of all succeeding Christian Churches as many learned Commentatours upon this mysterious prophesie conceive and the seven Letters written to the seven Churches of Asia immediatly represented by them as well appertaine to us in the autumne for whom as to those prime-roses that appeared in the spring of Christian piety and religion to whom they were directed wee may without scruple seize on this indorsed to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira breake open the seales and peruse the contents thereof which seem better to sort with the present state of our Church than of any that at this day beares the name of Christian Wherefore I make bold to unfold it and altering a word only in the superscription thus I reade and expound it in your eares and pray God to seale it up in your hearts To the Angel that is Guardian Centinell or chiefe Watchman of the Church of England thus writeth the Sonne of God by eternall generation who hath eyes like a flame of fire to enlighten the darkest corners of the heart and discover the most hidden thoughts and his feet like fine brasse most pure that can tread upon none but holy ground I know thy workes to be many and thy love to be entire and thy service to be
call us by thy spirit and wee shall heare thee and hearing thee turne from our wicked wayes and turning live a new life of grace here and an eternall life of glory hereafter in heaven with thee O Father the infuser O Son the purchaser O holy Spirit the preserver of this life Amen Cui c. THE BEST RETURNE THE LV. SERMON EZEK 18.23 Not that hee should returne from his wayes and live Or if hee returne from his evill wayes shall hee not live Right Honourable c. SAint a Possid in vit Austine lying on his death-bed caused divers verses of the penitentiall Psalmes to bee written on the walls of his chamber on which he still cast his eyes and commented upon them with the fluent Rhetoricke of his tears But I could wish of all texts of Scripture that this of the Prophet Ezekiel were still before all their eyes who mourn for their sins in private For nothing can raise the dejected soule but the lifting up of Gods countenance upon her nothing can dry her tears but the beams of his favour breaking out of the darke clouds of his wrath and shining upon her nothing can bring peace to an affrighted and troubled conscience but a free pardon of all sinnes whereby shee hath incurred the sentence of death which the Prophet tendereth in the words of the text Which are as the very heart of this chapter and every word thereof may serve as a principall veine to conveigh life-blood to all the languishing or benummed and deaded members of Christ his mysticall body Returne and live These words are spirit and life able to raise a sinner from the grave and set him on his feet to tread firmly upon the ground of Gods mercy as also to put strength and vigour into his feeble and heavie limbes 1. to creep then to walke and last of all to runne in the pathes of Gods commandements The explication whereof to our understanding and application to our wils and affections were the limits of my last Lords-dayes journey By the light which was then given you yee might easily discerne our lusts which are sudden motions from Gods desires which are eternall purposes and distinguish betweene a sinner who is not purged from all dregges of corruption and a wicked person who Moab-like is settled upon his lees between a common infirmity and a dangerous sickenesse betweene sin in the act and wickednesse in the habit Questionlesse there is more reason to pitty him that falleth or slippeth than him that leapeth into the sink of sinne and daily walloweth in the mire of sensuall pleasures Yet such is the mercy and goodnesse of almighty God that hee desireth not that the wicked such as make a trade of sinne and have a stiffe necke a hard heart a seared conscience that the wretchedst miscreants that breathe should either dye in their sinnes here or for their sinnes hereafter The former of the two is the death of life the latter wee may significantly tearme the life of death which exerciseth the damned with most unsufferable pangs and torments for evermore Here when wee part life dyeth but in hell death liveth and the terrours and pangs thereof are renewed and encreased daily the former death is given to the vessells of wrath for their earnest the latter is paid them for their wages This death is properly the wages of sinne which God cannot in justice with-hold from the servants of sinne and vassals of Satan For God whose infinite wisdom comprehends not only the necessity of all effects in their determined but also the possibility in their supposed causes foreseeing from all eternity what an intelligent nature endued with free-will left to himselfe would doe how hee would fall and wound himselfe by his fall and knowing how hee could so dispose of his fall and cure his wound that his the Creators glory might bee no whit impaired but rather encreased by not powerfully hindering it decreed to create this creature for his glory which he appointed to shew upon him by three meanes 1. By way of generall bounty in placing the first parents of mankinde in Paradise and in them giving all sufficient meanes to bring them to eternall happinesse an end infinitely elevated above the pitch of their owne nature and after the abuse of their free-will and losse of that happy estate in which they were created and bringing themselves into thraldome to sinne and Satan 2. By way of speciall mercy graciously freeing freely justifying justly glorifying some a Rom. 9.23 in and by Christ viz. the vessels of mercy prepared unto glory 3. By way of justice in utterly leaving or uneffectually calling and upon abuse or refusall of some measure of grace offered to them deservedly hardening and upon their finall incredulity and impenitency necessarily condemning and in the end eternally punishing others to wit the vessels of wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made up or fitted to destruction This fabricke of celestiall doctrine strongly built upon evident texts of Scriptures may serve for a fortresse to defend this text and the principall doctrines contained in it against all the batteries of Heretickes and Atheists made against it viz. 1. That God approveth not the death of the wicked in his sinne but on the contrary liketh and commandeth and taketh pleasure in his conversion 2. That he decreeth not or desireth the death of any wicked for it selfe as it is the misery and destruction of his creature but as a manifestation of his justice For he b Lam. 3.33 punisheth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his heart or willingly hee made not death nor delighteth in the c Wisd 1.13 Fulgent ad Mon. Mortem morienti non fecit qui mortem mortuo justè retribuit destruction of the living Thy destruction is from thy selfe d Hos 13.9 O Israel but in mee is thy helpe The wicked after his hardnesse and impenitent heart treasureth up unto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God who rendreth to every man according to his workes Upon which texts the Fathers inferre that not onely the execution but the very decree of damnation of the reprobate passeth upon their sinne foreseene Saint e Ep. ad Sixt. Vasa irae homines sunt propter naturae bonu n creati propter vitia sâ—pplicio destinati si vasa sint perfecta in perditionem sibi hoc imputent Austine The vessels of wrath are wicked men created for the good of nature but destinated to punishment for their sinnes And againe If they are fitted to destruction let them thanke themselves Saint f Prosper ad object 3. Gal. Qui à sanctitate vitae per immunditiem labuntur non ex eo necessitatem pereundi habuerunt quia praedestinati non sunt sed quia tales futuri ex voluntariâ praevaricatione praesciti sunt Prosper They that fall away from holinesse through uncleanness lye not under a necessity of
her husband on the sudden loseth him which I call God to witnesse saith x Orig. in Cant. Conspicit Sponsa Sponsum qui conspectus statim abscessit frequenter hoc in toto carmine facit quod nisi quis patiatur non potest intelligere saepe Deus est testis Sponsum mihi adventate conspexi mecum esse subitò recedentem invenire non potui Origen I my selfe have sensible experience in my meditations upon this book And who of us in his private devotions findeth not the like Sometimes in our divine conceptions contemplations and prayers we are as it were on float sometimes on the sudden at an ebbe sometimes wee are carried with full saile sometimes we sticke as it were in the haven The use we are to make hereof is when we heare the gales of the Spirit rise to hoise up our sailes to listen to the sound when we first heare it because it will be soon blown over to cherish the sparkes of grace because if they be not cherished they will soone dye There came a sound Death entred in at the windowes that is the eyes saith Origen but life at the eares z Gal. 1.8 For the just shall live by faith and faith commeth by hearing The sound is not without the wind for the Spirit ordinarily accompanieth the preaching of the Word neither is the wind without the sound Away then with Anabaptisticall Enthustiasts try the spirits whether they be of God or no by the Word of God To the y Esay 8.20 Law and to the testimony saith the Prophet Esay If they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them And if we saith the Apostle or an Angel from heaven preach unto you any other Gospel than what ye have received that is saith St. * Aug. contr lit Petil. l. 3. c. 6. Praeterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus Evangelicis accepistis Anathema sit Austine than what is contained in the Propheticall and Apostolicall writings let him be accursed From heaven This circumstance affordeth us a threefold doctrine 1. That the Spirit hath a dependance on the Son and proceedeth from him for the Spirit descended not till after the Son ascended who both commanded his Disciples to stay at Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father which yee have a Act. 1.4 heard saith he from mee and promised after his departure to send the b John 15.26 When the comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father Act. 1.5 Yee shall be baptized with the holy Ghost not many dayes hence spirit and accordingly sent him ten dayes after his ascension with the sound of a mighty wind in the likenesse of fiery cloven tongues 2. That the Gospel is of divine authority As the Law came from heaven so the Gospel and so long as we preach Gods word ye still heare sonum de coelo a sound from heaven Thus c Lactan. instit l. 3. c. 30. Ecce vox de coelo veritatem docens sole ipso clarius lumen ostendens Lactantius concludes in the end of his third booke of divine institutions How long shall we stay saith he till Socrates will know any thing or Anaxagoras find light in darknesse or Democritus draw up the truth from the bottome of a deep Well or Empedocles enlarge the narrow pathes of his senses or Arcesilas and Carneades according to their sceptick doctrine see feele or perceive any thing Behold a voice from heaven teaching us the truth and discovering unto us a light brighter than the sunne 3. That the doctrine of the Gospel is not earthly but of a heavenly nature that it teacheth us to frame our lives to a heavenly conversation that it mortifieth our fleshly lusts stifleth ambitious desires raiseth our mind from the earth and maketh us heavenly in our thoughts heavenly in our affections heavenly in our hopes and desires For albeit there are excellent morall and politicke precepts in it directing us to manage our earthly affaires yet the maine scope and principall end thereof is to bring the Kingdome of heaven unto us by grace and us into it by glory This a meer sound cannot doe therefore it is added As of a rushing mighty wind This blast or wind is a sacred symbole of the Spirit and there is such a manifold resemblance between them that the same word in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine spiritus signifieth both what so like as wind to the Spirit 1. As the wind bloweth where it d John 3.8 listeth so the Spirit inspireth whom he pleaseth 2. As wee feele the wind and heare it yet see it not so wee heare of the Spirit in the word and feele him in our hearts yet see him not 3. As breath commeth from the heat of our bowells so the third person as the Schooles determine proceedeth from the heat of love in the Father and the Son 4. As the wind purgeth the floore and cleanseth the aire so the Spirit purifieth the heart 5. As in a hot summers day nothing so refresheth a traveller as a coole blast of wind so in the heat of persecutions and heart burning sorrow of afflictions nothing so refresheth the soule as the comfort of the Spirit who is therefore stiled Paracletus the Comforter 6. As the wind in an instant blowes downe the strongest towers and highest trees so the Spirit overthrowes the strongest holds of Sathan and humbleth the haughtiest spirit 7. As the wind blowing upon a garden carrieth a sweet smell to all parts whither it goeth so the Spirit bloweth upon and openeth the flowers of Paradise and diffuseth the savour of life unto life through the whole Church 8. As the wind driveth the ship through the waves of the sea carrieth it to land so the gales of Gods Spirit carrie us through the troublesome waves of this world and bring us into the haven where wee would bee Cui cum Patre Filio sit laus c. THE MYSTERIE OF THE FIERY CLOVEN TONGUES THE LXV SERMON ACTS 2.3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them AMong the golden rules of a Cael. Rodig lib. antiq lect Nunquam de Deo sine lumine loquendum Pythagoras so much admired by antiquity this was one that we ought not to speake of God without light the meaning of which precept was not that we ought not to pray to God or speake of him in the night or the darke but that the nature of God is dark to us and that we may not presume to speak thereof without some divine light from heaven Nothing may be confidently or safely spoken of him which hath not been spoken by him In which regard b Salv. de gubern lib. 1. Tanta est Majestatis sacrae tam tremenda reverentia ut non solùm illa quae
for it But I never yet read or heard of any that sinned with a high hand but his owne heart smote him with feare For where sinne is of a deepe die not washed out with penitent teares there is guilt where guilt is there must needs be an expectation of condigne punishment and where this expectation is continuall feare The sinners conscience tells him that his fact is unjust and God is just and therefore in justice will give injustice his just reward either in this life or in that which is to come As Antipho through a disease in his eye thought that he had his owne Image alwayes before him so he that hath charged his conscience with any abominable or very foule and bloudy crime seeth alwayes before him the ougly image of his sinne and hideous shape of his deserved punishment Hae sunt impiis assiduae domesticaeque furiae m Cic pro Rose Amer. these are the ghosts that haunt wicked men these are the furies that follow them with torches and scorch them with flashes of hell fire these suffer them not non modo sine cura quiescere sed ne spirare quidem sine metu these make them flie when no man pursueth them cry when no man smiteth-them quake when no man threatneth them languish in a cold sweat when no fit is upon them n Juvenal sat 17. frigidamens est Criminibus tacitâ sudant praecordia culpâ When o Cic. ib. Sua quemque fraus suus terror maxime vexar suum quemque scâ—lus agitat suae malâ— cogitationes consâ—ientiaeque animi terrent they are alone and quiet out of all other noise they heare their sinne cry for vengeance At which huy and cry they are so startled that though many be sometimes free from the cause of their feare yet they are never free from feare of danger Every shadow they take for a man every man for a spie every spie for an accuser As in a fever the greater the fit is the more vehement the shaking so the more horrid the sinne is the more horrible the dread The sinne of the Jewes in giving consent to the saving of a murderer and the murther of the Saviour is beyond comparison and therefore their feare beyond measure As a child that hath committed some great fault and expecteth to bee fleaed for it cryeth to his master What shall I doe Or a passenger suddenly benighted when he perceiveth that he is riding downe a steepe rocke cryeth to all within hearing Oh what shall I doe Or a patient that is in a desperate case feeleth unsufferable paine and apprehendeth no meanes of ease cryeth to his physician What shall I doe Or a seafaring man in a storme in the night when he heareth the water roare and feareth every moment to be swallowed up in the sea cryeth to the Pilot What shall we doe In this perplexitie in this fright in this agonie are the Jewes in my text and from hence is this speech of distracted men What shall we doe This their feare ought to strike a terrour in us all who have our part in their guilt for we by our sinnes have and doe provoke the Father grieve the Spirit and even crucifie againe the Sonne how can wee then but feare when we heare Gods threats against sinne when we see daily his judgements upon sinne when wee remember our Saviours sufferings to satisfie Gods justice for sinne How dare we draw iniquity with cords and sinne with cart-ropes How dare we kicke against the pricks How dare we make a covenant with death and league with hell How dare wee hatch the cockatrice egge How dare wee lie at the mouth of the Lions den Let no man say in his heart when he plotteth wickednesse or committeth filthinesse in the darke no eye seeth mee and therefore what need I feare for hee that hath eyes like a flame of fire pierceth the thickest darknesse and discovereth every hidden roome in thy house and corner in thy heart hee seeth thee in secret and will reward thee openly if thou by smiting thine owne heart prevent not his blowes as the Jewes did in my text saying What shall we doe This interrogation riseth from three springs or heads 1 Feare of punishment 2 Sorrow for sinne 3 Hope of pardon A man in feare driven to an exigent being now at his wits end saith with himselfe What shall I doe likewise a man overwhelmed with cares and ready to be drowned in sorrow as hee is sinking cries Oh! what shall I doe or what will become of mee The fruit of sin is sweete in the mouth but bitter in the stomacke like poison given in a sugred cup it goeth downe sweetly but it kindleth a fire in the bowels it tickleth the heart in the beginning but it prickes it in the end it is pleasure in doing it is sorrow when it is done Saint Bernard speaketh feelingly Sinne after it is perpetrated leaves in the soule a sad farewell amara foeda vestigia where the divell hath set his foote there remaines after he is gone a foule print and a stinking sent Though the sinner use all meanes to dead the flesh of his heart though he make it as hard as flint or the nether milstone yet conscience writeth in it as with the point of a Diamond this sentence of the eternall Judge of quick and dead p Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soule that sinneth They that stabbed Caesar afterwards turned the point of the same dagger upon themselves so it is certaine that no man by sin grieveth Gods Spirit but he woundeth himselfe with sorrow If the sprayning a veine or dis-locating a bone or putting a member out of joynt or distempering the bloud be a pain to the body how much more is the distorting the will the disordering the affections the quenching the light of reason by sinne a torment to the soule There is no man that hath not lost his senses but hath sense of great losses what losse comparable to the losse of Gods favour and love the comforts of the spirit and the treasures of his grace Though a sinner should gaine the whole world by his sinne yet would hee be a loser for at the present he hazzardeth and without mature repentance he loseth his owne soule To speake nothing of losse of time by idlenesse of wit by drunkennesse of strength by incontinencie of health by intemperancie of estate by prodigality of credit and reputation by lewdnesse and dishonestie besides the guilt of sinne and losse by it there is great folly in it which vexeth the mind and discontenteth the spirit of a man his thoughts perpetually accusing him in this manner This thou mightest have done and here thou befooledst thy selfe and thou hast brought trouble and shame upon thee thou mayst thanke thy selfe for all the mischiefes that have befalne thee Yea but ye may object Are sinne and sorrow such individuall companions is there no sorrow but for sinne
of Martyrs spilt upon the ground is like spirituall seed from whence spring up new Martyrs and the graines of corne which fall one by one and die in the earth rise up again in great numbers Persecution serveth the Church in such stead as pruning doth the Vine whereby her branches shoot forth farther and beare more fruit Therefore S. Hierome excellently compareth the militant Church burning still in some part in the heat of persecution and yet flourishing to the bush in Exodus Exod 3.2 out of which Gods glory shined to Moses which burned yet consumed not 3. Wee are to distinguish between corporall and spirituall destruction Though the cane be crushed to peeces yet the aire in the hollow of it is not hurt though the tree be hewen the beame of the Sun shining upon it is not cut or parted in sunder Feare not them saith our Saviour Matth. 10.28 which can kill the body but are not able to kill the soule Could the Philosopher say tundis vasculum Anaxarchi non Anaxarchum Thou beatest the vessel or strikest the coffin of Anaxarchus not Anaxarchus himselfe O Tyrant Shall not a Christian with better reason say to his tormentors Yee breake the boxe ye spill not any of the oyntment ye violate the casket ye touch not the jewell neither have yee so much power as utterly and perpetually to destroy the casket viz. my body for though it be beat to dust and ground to powder yet shall it be set together againe and raised up at the last day Philip. 3.21 and made conformable to Christs glorious body by the power of God whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe 4. And lastly it is not here said simply the bruised reed shall not be broken but shall not be broken by him He shall not breake the bruised reed He shall not breake for hee came not to destroy but to save Luk 9.56 Esay 53.4 Mat. 27.30 And they took a reed and smote him on the head not to burthen but to ease not to lay load upon us but to carry all our sorrowes not to breake the bruised reed but rather to have reeds broken upon him wherewith he was smote a Plin. nat hist l. 11. Icti à scorbionibus nunquam postea à crabronibus vespis apibusve feriuntur Pliny observeth that those that are strucken by Scorpions are ever after priviledged from the stings of Waspes or Bees The beasts that were torne or hurt by any accident might not bee sacrificed or eaten It is more than enough to bee once or singly miserable whereupon he in the Greeke Poet passionately pleades against further molestation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Gods sake disease not a diseased man presse not a dying man with more weight Which because the enemies of David had the hard hearts to doe he most bitterly cursed them Poure out thine indignation upon them Psal 69.24 25 26. and let thy wrathfull anger take hold of them let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and talke to the griefe of those whom thou hast wounded O how grievously doth S. Cyprian complaine against the inhumane cruelty of the persecutors of Christians in his time who laid stripes upon stripes Cypr. epist ad Mart. In servis Dei non torquebantur membra sed vulnera and inflicted wounds upon sores and tortured not so much the members of Gods servants as their bleeding wounds Verily for this cause alone God commanded that the name of * Exod. 17.14 Amaleck should be blotted out from under heaven because they met Israel by the way when they were faint and smote the feeble among them For not to comfort the afflicted not to help a man that is hurt not to seeke to hold life in one that is swouning is inhumanity but contrarily to afflict the afflicted to hurt the wounded to trouble the grieved in spirit Cic. pro Celio sua sponte cadentem maturiùs extinguere vulnere to strike the breath out of a mans body who is giving up the ghost to breake a reed already bruised to insult upon a condemned man to vexe him that is broken in heart and adde sorrow to sorrow Oh this is cruelty upon cruelty farre be it from any Christian to practise it and yet further from his thoughts to cast any such aspersion upon the Father of mercy How should the God of all consolation drive any poore soule to desperation hee that will not breake a bruised reed will he despise a broken heart He that will not quench the smoaking flaxe will he quench his Spirit and tread out the sparkes of his grace in our soules No no his Father sealed to him another commission Esay 61.1 to preach good tidings to the meeke Luk. 4.18 to binde up the broken hearted to set at liberty them that are bruised to give unto them that mourne in Sion beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse And accordingly hee sent by his Prophet a comfortable message to the daughter of Sion Matth. ex Zach. Tell her behold the King commeth unto thee meeke and riding upon an Asse a bruised reed he shall not breake hee did not breake and smoaking flaxe hee shall not quench hee did not quench Was not Peter a bruised reed when hee fell upon the rocke of offence and thrice denied his Master and went out and wept bitterly Was not Paul like smoaking flaxe in the worst sense when he breathed out threats against the Church and sought by all violent meanes to smother the new light of the Gospel yet we all see what a burning and shining lampe Christ hath made of this smoaking flaxe what a noble cane to write the everlasting mercies of God to all posterity he hath made of the other a bruised reed But what speake I of bruised reeds not broken the Jewes that crucified the Lord of life the Roman souldier that pierced his side were liker sharp pointed darts than bruised reeds yet some of these were saved from breaking Such is the vertue of the bloud of our Redeemer that it cleansed their hands that were imbrued in the effusion thereof if they afterward touch it by faith so infinite is the value of his death that it was a satisfaction even for them who were authors of it and saved some of the murtherers of their Saviour as St. a Cypr. epist Vivificatur Christi sanguine etiam qui effudit sanguinem Christi Cyprian most comfortably deduceth out of the second of the Acts They are quickned by Christs bloud who spilt it Well therefore might St. b Bern. Quid tam ad mortem quod non Christi morte sanetur Bernard demand What is so deadly which Christs death cannot heale Comfort then O comfort the fainting spirits and strengthen the feeble knees revive the spirit of the humble
vivificabo impossibile est enim quod Deus semel vivificavit ab eodem ipso vel ab alio occidi I will make alive and I will kill but I will kill and I will make alive for it is impossible that what God once quickneth hee meaneth by spirituall grace should ever be killed or destroyed either by himselfe or any other Saint Cyprian secondeth Origen who will have e Cyp. de simpl prelat Nemo aestimet bonos de Ecclesia posse discedere triticum non rapit ventus nec arborem solidâ radice fundatam procella subvertit no man entertaine any such thought as if good men and true beleevers ever revolted finally from the Church Let no man conceive saith hee that good men can depart from the Church the winde blowes not away the wheat neither doth the storme overthrow a tree sound at root they are like empty chaffe which are scattered away with a whirlewind and weake and rotten trees which are blown down in a tempest Saint Chrysostome joyneth upon the same issue commenting upon the words of Saint Paul by whom also wee have accesse by faith unto this grace wherein we stand thus He saith well the grace wherein wee stand the phrase is worth the noting for such indeed is the nature of Gods grace f Chrys homil in ep ad Rom. c. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is stable and constant it hath no end it knowes no period but proceeds alwaies from lesser to greater matters Those whom grace maketh to stand and grow continually cannot fall totally nor finally Saint Ambrose accordeth with Saint Chrysostome in his observation upon the second Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 3.3 The words of Saint Paul are Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart St. a Amo Comment in 2. Cor. 3.3 Nunc legem veterem pulsat â—uae pâ—imum data in lapideis tabulis abolita est fractis tabulis sub Mâ—nte à Mose nunc autem lex in animo scribitur hoc est in corde non per calamum sed per spiritum quia fides aeterna res est à spiritu scribitu ut maneâ—t Ambrose his note upon this place is Here hee toucheth upon or striketh at the old Law which first being given in tables of stone is abolished the tables being broken under the Mount by Moses but now the Law is written in the mind not with a quill or pen but by the spirit because faith is an eternall thing it is written by the spirit that it may abide or still continue Saint Austin and Saint Gregory cleerly conclude on our side by excluding all from the number of Christs Disciples and Sonnes of God and Saints whose revolt and apostacy proveth their hypocrisie Saint b Aug de correp grat â— 9. Qui non habent perseveâ— antiam cut non veâ—è Discipuli Christi ita nec verè Filii Dei fueâ—unt etiam quando esse videbantur ita vocabantur Austin speaketh definitively Those who have not the gift of perseverance as they are not truly Christs Disciples so neither were they ever truly the Sonnes of God no not when they seemed to be so And Saint c Greg. moral in Job l. 34. c 13. Aurum quod pravis diaboli persuasioâ—ibus sterni sicut lutum potuerit aurum ante oculos Dei nunquam fuit qui seduci quandoque non reversuri possunt qua iâ—habitam sanctitaté ante oculos hominum videantur amittere sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habucrunt Gregory is as peremptory It may saith he peradventure trouble a weake Christian that this Leviathan hath such power that hee can trample gold under his feet like dirt that is subject unto himselfe men shining in the brightnesse of holinesse by defiling them with vices but wee have an answer ready at hand that the gold which by wicked perswasions of the Divell can be laid under his feet like dirt was never gold in the sight of God and they who may be so seduced that they never returne againe may seeme to lose the habit of sanctity before the eyes of men but before the eyes of God they never were endued with any such habit You see with a little blowing what a cleere light the smoaking flaxe in my Text giveth to this Theologicall verity viz. that regenerating grace and justifying faith cannot be utterly lost or totally extinct Feele I beseech you now what warmth it yeeldeth to our cold affections and sometimes benummed consciences and first to our cold affections Is the oyntment of the Spirit so precious that the least drop of it saveth the life of the soule Is the least seed of the Word incorruptible Is the smallest sparke of true charity unquenchable Cannot justifying faith be ever lost nor the state of grace forfeited Why then doe we not strive for this state why doe we not with the rich Merchant in the Gospel sell all that wee have to gaine this pearle of faith When we have got it why doe we not more highly value it in our selves and others Other pearles and precious stones adorne but the body or cover some imperfection in it this beautifieth the soule and covereth all the skarres and deformities therein Other Jewels be they never so rich are but presents for earthly Princes but with this pearle the King of Heaven is taken and it is the price of that Kingdome Other pearles have their estimation from men but men have their estimation from this pearle Other Jewels when they are got may bee lost and that very easily but this Jewell of faith if it bee true and not counterfeit after it is once gotten can never be lost All the thoughts of worldly men are employed all their cares taken up all their time bestowed all their meanes spent in purchasing or some way procuring unto themselves a fortune as they terme it as a beneficiall office or an estate of land of inheritance or lease for terme of yeeres or lives all which are yet subject to a thousand casualties Why do they not rather looke after and labour for the state of grace which is past all hazzard being assured to us by the hand-writing of God and the seale of his Spirit An estate not for terme of yeers but for eternity an estate not of land upon earth but of an inheritance immortall undefiled reserved in heaven an estate which cannot be spoiled or wasted by hostile invasion nor wrung from us by power nor won by law nor morgaged for debt nor impaired by publike calamity nor endangered by change of Princes nor voided by death it selfe S. a Chrysost in c. 5. ad Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome his eloquence exspatiateth in this field A man saith he hath received rule glory and power here but enjoyeth it not perpetually
after a more effectuall manner even because hee cannot utter his prayer by speech his very dumbnesse pleads for him so the sorrow of a penitent sinner which faine would expresse it selfe by teares but cannot which rendeth the heart continually and maketh it evaporate into secret sighes best expresseth it selfe to him of whom the Prophet speaketh Psal 38.9 Lord thou knowest all my desires and my groaning is not hid from thee 6. If he sink so low that the pit is ready to shut her mouth over him and he being now even swallowed up in the gulfe of despaire breathe out his last sigh and roares most fearfully to the great dis-heartening of all that come about him saying I have no touch of remorse no sense of joy no apprehension of faith no comfort of hope My wounds stinke and are putrefied and all the balme of Gilead cannot now cure mee The Spirit is utterly extinct in me and therefore my case desperate In this extreme fit of despaire give him this cordiall out of the words of my Text Hast thou never felt any remorse of conscience in all thy life Wast thou never pricked in heart at the Sermon of some Peter Wert thou never ravished with joy when the generall pardon of all thy sinnes hath been exemplified to thee in the application of the promises of the Gospel and sealed to thee by the Sacrament Hast thou never had any sensible token of Gods love I know thou hast thou acknowledgest as much in confessing amongst other thy sins thine intolerable ingratitude towards the Lord that bought thee then bee yet of good comfort the flaxe yet smoaketh the fire is not clean out thou hast lost the sense but not the essence of faith Thou art cast out of Gods favour in thy apprehension not in truth Thou art but in a swoune thy soule is in thee Thou discernest no signe or motion of life in thee but others may Thy conscience will beare thee record that sometimes thou didst truly beleeve and true faith cannot be lost Gods covenant of grace is immoveable his affection is unchangeable he whom God loveth he loveth to the end and hee whom God loveth to the end must needs bee saved in the end and so I end And thus have I blowne the smoaking flaxe in my Text and you see what light it affordeth to our understanding and warmth to our consciences what remaineth but that I pray to God to kindle in us this light and inflame this heate more and more to revive the spirit of the humble to cheare up the drouping lookes and cure the wounded consciences and heale the broken hearts of them that mourne for their sinnes that is to beare up the bruised and bowed reed that it be not broken and revive and kindle againe the dying lampe that it bee not quite extinguished So be it O Father of mercy for the passion of thy Sonne through the Spirit of grace To whom three persons and one God bee ascribed all honour glory praise and thanks-giving now and for ever Amen THE STILL VOICE A Sermon preached before the high Commission in his Graces Chappell at Lambeth Novemb. 20. 1619. THE THIRD SERMON MATTH 12.19 Hee shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man heare his voice in the streets Most REVEREND c. IN these words we have set before us in the person of our Saviour an Idea and perfect image of meeknesse the characters whereof are three 1. Calmenesse in affection He will not strive 2. Softnesse and lownesse in speech Hee will not cry c. 3. Innocency in action He will not breake c. 1. Impatience is contentious He will not strive 2. Contention is clamorous He will not cry 3. Clamour is querulous No man shall heare his voice in the street If it be objected that he did strive and that with such vehemency that he sweat bloud and that hee did cry and that very loud for as wee reade Hebr. 5.7 he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and that his voice was heard in the streets when he stood up in the last day the great day of the Feast John 7.37 and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke wee need not flye to Anselme and Carthusians allegory for the matter who thus glosse upon the words of my Text His voice shall not be heard in the streets that is in the broad way that leadeth to destruction Such Delian divers may spare their paines for the objections are but shallow and admit of a very facile solution without any forced trope Hee will not strive viz. in revenge but in love he will not cry in anger but in zeale neither shall his voice be heard in the street viz. vox querelae but doctrinae no voice of complaint but of instruction or comfort So that the three members in this sentence are like the three strings in a Dulcimer all Unisons Wherefore in the handling of this Text I will strike them all together Seneca in his books of clemency Cambden hist Reg. Eliz. Seneca l. 1. de clem Conditum imò constrictum apud te ferrum sit summa parsimonia etiam vilissimi sanguinis humili loco positis litigare in rixam procurrere liberius est leves inter pares ictus sunt regi quoque vociferatio verborumque intemperantia non ex Majestate est which Queene Elizabeth so highly esteemed that shee gave them the next place to the holy Scriptures reades a divine Lecture to a Prince in these words Let thy sword not onely be put up in the sheath but also tyed fast in it bee sparing of the meanest and basest bloud It is for men of lower condition to fall into quarrels and strifes equals may exchange blowes one with another without much danger it standeth not with the Majesty of a Prince to engage himselfe in any quarrell or fight because he hath no equall to contend with him so far ought it to be from a Prince to brawle or wrangle that the straining of his voice is unbefitting him upon any occasion whatsoever What the wise Philosopher prescribeth to a good Prince the Prophet Esay describeth in our King Messias who was so milde in his disposition that hee was never stirred to passion so gentle in his speech that he never strained his voice in choler so innocent in his actions that he never put forth his strength to hurt any We reade in the booke of a 1. Kin. 19.11 12. Kings that there was a mighty wind but God was not in the wind and after the wind an earth-quake but God was not in the earth-quake and after the earth-quake a fire but God was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice in which God was There God was in the still voice but here the Evangelist out of the Prophet informeth us that there was a small still voice in
accessary to the death of the Lord of life And not only those that committed high treason against the sacred person of the Lords Annointed and imbrued their hands and stained their consciences with that bloud which cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1.7 but also Nero and Domitian and Trajan and Antoninus and Severus and Maximinus and Decius and Valerianus and Dioclesianus and Maxentius and all other Emperours that employed their swords and Simon Magus and Cerinthus and Arrius and Nestorius and Manes and all other obstinate arch-Heretickes who employed their pens against him none have hitherto escaped the heavie judgement of God who have bid battell to the Christian Faith and have wilfully and of set malice given the Spouse of Christ the least wound or skarre either by a gash with their sword or a scratch with their pen. Bee wise now therefore O yee Kings Psal 2.10 11 12. bee instructed yee Judges of the earth Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling Kisse the Sonne lest hee bee angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Some Interpreters by Judgement understand the spirituall government of Christ which is managed in his Church with excellent wisedome and judgement and by Victory the prevalent power of grace in the faithfull wherby they are victorious in all temptations in such sort that though Sathan labour with all his might to blow out a poore sparke yet hee shall not be able to quench it and that the smallest degree of faith like a grain of mustard seed is stronger than the gates of hell and is able to remove mountaines of doubts and oppositions cast up by Sathan and our rebellious hearts between God and us And from hence they inforce the Apostles exhortation to all the souldiers of Christ to be strong in the Lord Ephes 6.10 and in the power of his might not to looke who are their enemies but who is our Captaine not what they threaten but what hee promiseth who hath taken upon him as to conquer for us so to conquer in us These are sweet and comfortable notes but as I conceive without the rule of this Text for questionlesse the Donec or Untill is not superfluous or to no purpose but hath reference to some future time when Christs mild proceedings shall be at a period and he shall take another course with his enemies such as I have before described in the particular judgement of the Jewish Nation and the generall judgement of the whole World But if Judgement and Victory bee taken in their sense there needed no untill to bee added For Christ even from the beginning of his preaching when he strived not nor cryed nor brake the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe sent forth judgment unto victory according unto their interpretation that is wisely governed his Church and gave victory to the faithfull in their conflicts with sinne and Sathan That therefore the members of this sentence bee not co-incident and that the donec or untill may have his full force I conceive agreeably to the exposition of the ancient and the prime of the later Interpreters that in this clause Till hee bring forth judgement unto victory the Prophet determineth the limits of the time of grace Whosoever commeth In between the first and second comming of Christ shall be received into favour but after the gates of mercy shall bee locked up Yet our gracious Ahasuerus reacheth out his golden Scepter to all that have a hand of faith to lay hold on it but then he shall take his Iron mace or rod in his hand to bruise his enemies and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell I must sing therefore with holy David of Mercy and Judgement mercy in this life and judgement in the life to come mercy during the day of grace but judgement at the day of the Worlds doom For although sometimes God meets with the Reprobate in this life yet that judgement which they feele here may bee accounted mercy in comparison of that which shall be executed upon them hereafter without all mitigation of favour release of torments or limitation of time Now the vials drop on them but then they shall bee poured all out upon them Wherefore let us all like the bruised reed fall downe to the earth and humble our selves under the mighty hand of God Let us like smoaking flaxe send forth bitter fumes of sighes for our sinnes assuring our selves that now whilst the day of grace lasteth hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe but if we neglect this time of grace and deferre our repentance till he send forth judgement unto victory we shall smoake for it Cogitemus fratres de tempore in tempore ne pereamus cum tempore Let us thinke of time in time lest we perish with time Let us imagine that we now saw the Angel standing upon the sea Apoc. 10 5 6. and upon the earth and lifting up his hand to heaven and swearing by him that liveth for ever who created heaven and the earth and the sea and the things that are therein that there should be time no longer Jonas 2.8 O let us not forsake our owne mercy but to day if wee will heare his voice harden not our hearts but mollifie them by laying them asoake in teares Let us breake off our sinnes suddenly by repentance and our iniquities by almes-deeds Now is the seed-time let us now therefore sow the seeds of faith hope mercy meeknesse temperance patience and all other divine Vertues and we shall reape a plentifull harvest in heaven Cypr. ad Dom. Hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur hic saluti aeternae cultu Dei fructu fidei providetur Galat. 6.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting Which God of his infinite mercy grant that we may all do in heaven through the merits of his Sonne by the grace of the holy Spirit to whom c. THE TRAITORS GUERDON A Sermon preached on the Gowries conspiracy before his Grace and divers Lords and persons of eminent quality at Croydon August 5. Anno Dom. 1618. THE FIFTH SERMON PSAL. 63. VER 9 10 11. 9. But those that seeke my soule to destroy it shall goe into the lower parts of the earth 10. They shall make him run out like water by the hands of the sword they shall be a portion for Foxes 11. But the King shall rejoyce in God every one that sweareth by him shall glory but the mouth of them that speake lyes shall be stopped Most REVEREND Right Honr. Right Wor sh c. WEe are at this present assembled with religious Rites and sacred Ceremonies to celebrate the unfortunately fortunate Nones of August which are noted in red letters in the Romane Calendar as
Lords Annointed His heart gives in and he withdraweth himselfe for a while and thereby giveth his Majestie time to breathe and meanes to cause the study window to be opened at which entred some light of comfort m Cic. pro Sylla Sed urget eadem fortuna quae caepit his Majestie must yet beare a worse brunt For like as a Toad being eased of his swelling for a time by eating of a planten leafe if he meet with a Spider afterwards receiveth new poyson and swelleth more than before even so Alexander meeting with the Earle Gowry his brother who was the Spider that spun all the web of this treason which within a few houres was swept downe and himselfe in it with the besome of destruction receiveth new poyson from him and now is so bigge with malice and treason that he is ready to breake In therefore he comes againe to the study with two rapiers and first binding himselfe by oath to bereave his Majestie of his life he offereth to binde his royall hands But the King putting on the resolution of the Oratour n Cic. in Catil Si moriendum est in libertate moriamur If we must die let us die as free men looseneth his hands and fastning upon the Traitors hand and sword grappleth with him and by maine force drew him to the window a little before opened whence by speech and signes he made knowne to his faithfull servants at that instant passing under the window how things stood with him and how neer he was to utter ruine by trecherous villany As soon as they heard his Majesties voyce they made all possible speed to rescue their master yet before they could force the way through so many doores lockes and barres betweene them and their immured Soveraigne the light of all Israel had in all likelihood beene extinguished but that one of the Kings servants by the secret conduct of divine providence lighted upon the false doore opening to the staire case which hee had no sooner got up but he seeth the King on the ground and the Traitor grappling with him whom after hee had loosened from the King with many wounds he tumbled downe the staires to receive his fatall blow from two other of his Majesties servants who by this time had found the blind way leading to the turnepecke And thus was the first act of this bloudie tragedy ended by the exit or going out of the first Actor Alexander Ruthwen first out of that stage and soone after of this world The next act though more bloudie yet was by so much the lesse dreadfull because the King by his servants velut o Eras adag homerica nube tectus was saved out of murthers way Now his Majesties honourable attendance must prove their valour and testifie their loyaltie by as many mouthes as they received wounds in that hot skirmish wherein their Antagonists had the advantage of all things save the cause double they were in number better appointed of weapons and more acquainted with the place For the Earle Gowry like the man possessed in the Gospel which p Luke 11.26 walked through drie places and took to him seven spirits worse than himselfe armed himself and took seven of his servants with him more hardy and desperate than himself and finding his brother newly slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so enraged with furie and revenge that he sweareth at his entrie into the chamber that not a man of them should scape calling them by his q Cic. parad Exâ—lem me suo nomine vocat owne name Traitors Here malice and love fury and courage trechery and loyalty villanie and pietie trie it out at the point of the sword and the combat is soon ended by the death of the Arch-Traitor Upon whose fall the hearts of the rest faile and they are now easily driven out of the room and fresh aid commeth to the King by the rest of his train who by this time had broken down all the doores and made a passage into the study where now they finde the King safe and the Earle Gowry lying dead at his feet Whereupon they all fell upon their knees and praised the mighty God of Jacob who giveth salvation to Kings and then had delivered his servant James from the perill of the sword then were the words of my text verified The King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation Then if ever our King joyed in thy strength and in thy salvation excessively rejoyced And not long after the words following ver 3. were fulfilled in him Thou preventedst him with blessings of goodnesse and thou didst set a Crowne of pure gold upon his head viz. the Crowne of England which shortly after fell unto him and hath ever since flourished upon his head and so Lord may it still till he changeth this his corruptible crowne with an incorruptible and his mortall state with an immortall purchased for him and all of us by the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be rendred all glorie honour praise and thanks-giving now and for ever Amen PANDORA'S BOXE OR THE CAUSE OF ALL EVILS AND MISERY A Sermon preached before the high Commission in his Graces Chappell at Lambeth THE SEVENTH SERMON HOS 13.9 Hesiod erg l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thy helpe Most Reverend Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. I Should tremble to rehearse this text in your eares if there were not comfort in it as well as terrour joy as sorrow helpe as calamity salvation as destruction But you may easily discerne in it a double glasse set before us in the one we may see our hurt in the other our helpe in the one Israel fallen in the other raised up in the one Adam and all his posteritie wounded by a grievous fall from the Tree of knowledge and weltring in their owne blood in the other healed and washed by Christs bloud in the one destruction from within Thou hast destroyed thy selfe O Israel in the other salvation from above but in me is thy helpe In the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath destroyed thee or one hath destroyed thee or thy destruction O Israel or O Israel thy utter ruine and desolation An abrupt and imperfect sentence to be made up with something that goeth before or to be gathered from that which followeth after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but or for in me is thy helpe There were never pictures held in greater admiration than those of a Plin. l. 35. c. 10. Timanthes and they for this especially that they exhibited more to the understanding than to the eye intimating more than was expressed and presenting alwayes somewhat to the conceit which could not by colours be represented to the sight And for the like reason those straines of Rhetorike most take the wise and
and hee layeth all the blame either upon bad servants or theevish neighbours or racking Land-lords or hard times or some losses by sea or land but never looketh into his owne heart where the true cause lyes be it covetousnesse or distrust of Gods providence or a quarrelling disposition or pride or idlenesse or luxurie or sacriledge Another is still whining that hee cannot get or keepe his health and he imputeth this either to his crazie constitution by nature or ill ayre or over much labour and study whereas indeed the cause is his ill diet his sitting up all night at Revels his powring in strong wines and spending the greatest part of the day in Tavernes his intemperancy or incontinency All other sinnes are without the body but hee that g 1 Cor. 6.18 committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body First against the honour of his body for thereby he maketh the members of Christ the members of an harlot next the strength health and life of the body which nothing more enfeebleth empaireth and endangereth than greedily drinking stolne waters and coveting after strange flesh A third is troubled in minde and hee feeleth no comfort in his conscience the good spirit hath left him and the evill spirit haunteth him and scorcheth his soule with the flashes of Hell fire and hee ascribeth this to some melancholy bloud or worldly discontent or the indiscretion of some Boanerges sonnes of thunder who preach nothing but damnation to their hearers whereas the true cause is in himselfe hee grieveth the spirit of grace hee turneth it into wantonnesse and quencheth the light of it in himselfe and therefore God withdraweth this holy Comforter from him for a time When h Just hist l. 1. Zopyrus qui sibi labia nares praecidi curasset queritur crudelitatem Regis Zopyrus had cut his owne lips and nose he gave it out that the Babylonians had so barbarously used him such is the condition of most men they disfigure their soules dismember their bodies by monstrous sinnes and yet lay the whole blame upon others i Mat. 10.36 The enemies of a man saith our Saviour are those of his owne house So it is so it is saith S. k Bern med c. 13. Accusat me conscientia testis est memoria ratio judex voluptas carcer timor tortor oblectamentum tormentum inde enim punimur unde oblectamur Bernard in mine owne house in my proper family nay within my selfe I have my accuser my judge my witnesse my tormentor My conscience is the accuser my memory the witnesse my reason the judge my feare the torturer my sinfull delights my torments l Camerar med hist cent 1. c. 20. Plancus Plautius hiding himselfe in the time of the proscription was found out onely by the smell of his sweet oyles wherewith hee used luxuriously to anoint himselfe m Eras adag Sorex ut dicitur suo indicio Sylla hearing some displeasing newes was so enflamed with anger that streining himselfe to utter his passion he brake a veine and spitting bloud died Remember the words of dying Caesar when hee felt their daggers at his heart whom he had saved from the sword Mene servare ut sint qui me perdant O that I should save men to doe mee such a mischiefe O that wee should harbour those snakes in our bosomes which if wee long keepe them there will sting us to death A strange thing it is and much to bee lamented that the soule should prescribe remedies against the maladies of the bodie and yet procure nourishment for her owne diseases What are the vitious affections we feed and cherish within us but so many pernitious infections of the minde What is anger but a fit of a frenzie feare but a shâ—king feaver ambition but a winde collicke malice but an apostem faction but a convulsion envie but a consumption security but a dead palsie lust but an impure itch immoderate joy but a pleasing trance of the soule These are the greatest causes of our woe not onely because they disturbe the peace of our conscience and set us upon scandalous and dangerous actions but also because they draw upon us heavie and manifold judgements From which if we desire to be freed that they prove not our utter destruction let us First confesse our sinnes with David to be the fuell of Gods wrath and the fountaine of all our miseries n Psal 51.4 Against thee thee onely have wee sinned and done this and that and the third and many more evils in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and cleere when thou art judged and with o Salv. l. 4. de provid Sive miseâ—ae nostrae sint sive infirmitates sive eversiones c. testimoniâ— sunt mali servi boni domini quomodo mali servi quia patimur ex parte quod meremur quomodo boni domini quia ostendit quid mereamur sed non irrogat quae meremur Salvianus Whatsoever our miseries are or afflictions or persecutions or overthrowes or losses or diseases they are testimonies of an evil servant and a good master How of an evill servant Because in them we suffer in part what wee deserve How testimonies of a good master Because by them he sheweth us what wee deserve and yet layeth not upon us so much as we deserve Secondly let us compose our selves to endure that with patience which we have brought upon our selves Tute in hoc tristi tibi omne exedendum est Thirdly let us forsake our beloved sinnes and then God will take away his plagues from us let us be better our selves and all things shall goe better with us let repentance be our practise and a speedy reformation our instruction so Gods judgements shall not bee our destruction Now O Father of mercy and tender compassion in the bowels of Jesus Christ who hast shewed us what wee deserve by our sinnes and yet hast not rewarded us according to our iniquities take away our stony hearts from us and give us hearts of flesh that thy threats may make a deepe impression in us and that wee may speedily remove the evill of our sinnes out of thy sight that thou maist remove the evill of punishment from us so our sinne shall not be our destruction but thy mercy our salvation through Jesus Christ To whom c. THE CHARACTERS OF HEAVENLY WISEDOME A Sermon preached before his Grace and divers other Lords and Judges spirituall and temporall in Lambeth THE EIGHTH SERMON PSAL. 2.10 Be wise now therefore O yee Kings be instructed yee Judges of the earth Most Reverend Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. THe mirrour of humane eloquence apologizing for his undertaking the defence of Murena against Cato the elder pertinently demandeth a Cic. pro Muren A quo tandem Marce Cato aequius est defendi Consulem quam a Consule who so fit a patron of a Consull as a consull himselfe The like may be said in
not to make satisfaction so long as he held the sterne right and guided it by the compasse in like maner though our actions and good intentions miscarrie in the event we are not to be blamed if we steered our course by the compasse of Gods word though the barke be cast away as St. Pauls was the lives of all in it shall be safe and our temporall losses shall alway turne to our spirituall and eternall advantage Yea but God is in heaven we are upon earth how may we come to have speech with him or open our case to him or receive answer from him The Jewes had two meanes to receive answer from him either by the mouth of the Prophets when the spirit was on them or from the Priests when they had put on the breast-plate of judgement we have no such meanes now to enquire the will of God neither are visions nor dreames by which men in former times understood the pleasure of God now either frequent or undoubted oracles of truth yet have we still meanes to advise with God both by prayer and consulting the holy Scriptures Of the former St. James speaketh Å¿ Jam. 1.5 If any man lacke wisedome that is counsell and direction in his affaires let his aske it of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shal be given him But let him aske in faith nothing wavering c. Of the second the Prophet David t Psal 119.24 Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellers in the Hebrew men of my counsell Having now composed the presse what remains but to clap it to the sheets and labour by a word of exhortation to print some of these rules in your harts Be wise now c. Be wise 1. In the choice of your wisdome 2. Be instructed in the means of your instruction make choice of the wisdome that commeth from above from the Father of lights not that which commeth from beneath from the Prince of darkness receive instruction from the spirit not from the flesh from God not from the world so shall you be wise unto salvation and instructed to eternal life Be your selves clients and sutors to God before your clients and sutors have accesse unto you ask counsel of him before you give counsell to them and content not your selves with the waters of the brooke or rivelet but have recourse to the u Cic. de orat l. 2. Tardâ— est ingeniâ— rivulos consectari fontes rerum non videre fountain Now the fountaine of all law is the wisedome of God as the wisest of the heathen Law-givers in effect acknowledged it Zamolxis ascribing the lawes he delivered to the people to Vesta Zoroaster to Hormasis Trismegistus to Mercurie Lycurgus to Apollo Solon to Minerva Numa to the Nymph Aegeria Minos to Jupiter If time be well spent in searching records of Courts and evidences of conveyances and titles of lands how much better in searching the holy Scriptures which are the records of heaven the deeds of Almighty God and evidences of our salvation Who would not search where he may be sure to find treasure In Scriptures you may be sure to finde it wherein all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hid the treasures of naturall Philosophy in Genesis of morall Philosophy in Exodus Deuteronomie and Ecclesiastes of the Politickes in the Judicials of Moses and the Proverbes of Solomon of Poetry in the Psalmes of History in the bookes of Chronicles Judges and Kings of the Mathematickes in the dimensions of the Arke and Temple of the Metaphysickes in the bookes of the Prophets and the Apocalyps Doe you desire that the tree of your knowledge in the Law should spread farre and neere and that all men should shade themselves under your boughes Water the root of the tree which beareth up your lawes and sendeth sap and life to all the branches thereof and that is true religion for x Psal 111.10 the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome and a good understanding and care have all they that follow after it First to look to the maine chance and provide for their eternall estate in another world next to learne certainly that they are in state of grace here thirdly to observe where they are weakest and there to strengthen themselves against the assaults of the enemie fourthly to make use of the historie of the world and comment upon the speciall workes of Gods providence lastly to entertaine God his Prophets and Apostles for their learned counsell to direct them in all their suits in the Court of heaven and managing all their weightiest affaires on earth so shall they be sure to attain that which David so earnestly sought of God by prayer saying y Psal 73.24 Guide me by thy counsell and after that receive me to thy glory To whom c. THE JUDGES CHARGE A Sermon preached at the Readers Feast in LINCOLNES Inne THE NINTH SERMON PSAL. 2.10 Be instructed or learned yee Judges of the earth Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. AT the siege of Tarentum a Aelian de Var. hist l. 5. when the Citizens were driven by extremitie of famine to the point of yeelding themselves into the hands of the Romans they were strangely relieved by the charity of their neighbours at Rhegium who every tenth day fasted themselves and sent in their provision for that day to the Tarentines In memory of which reliefe they kept ever after a feast which they called Jejunium oâ— Festum jejunii the Fasts feast or a feast grounded on a fast Such is the Feast bid at this time in this place gained by a long prescription out of the Lent Fast It may rightly be called Festum Jejunii the Feast of the Fast a Feast of the Law beside if not contrarie to the Law of Feasts appointed by the Church Wherein yet I conceive according to the right meaning of the first founders of this exercise and Feast the Ecclesiasticall cannons of the Church and locall statutes of these houses doe not harshly clash one against the other but rather like strings tuned alike and dexterously touched make a perfect chord and strike full unisons both intending Festum Jejunii the one a spirituall the other a scholasticall the one an Evangelicall the other a Legall Feast in the time of Fast For the Church appointeth more frequent exercises of pietie and devotion Prayers Lectures and Sermons which are the soules dainties at this time than any other season of the yeere And agreeable hereunto in the Universities which are the Nurseries of Religion and Arts and in these noble Seminaries of justice and knowledge in the lawes the most solemne and profitable exercises for the proficiencie of students whether readings disputations or determinations have beene time out of minde and are yet performed in the Lent wherein the eye of the soule is the more apt and single for the contemplation of divine and humane knowledge by how much it is
of sinnes is peculiarly attributed to the Spirit and by a metonymie termed the Holy Ghost Barradius bringeth us an answer out of the schooles that z Barrad in harmon Evang. remission of sinnes is a worke of Gods goodnesse and mercy now workes of goodnesse are peculiarly attributed to the holy Spirit who proceedeth as they determine from the will of the Father and the Sonne whose object is goodnesse as workes of wisedome are attributed to the Sonne because hee is the word proceeding by way of generation from the understanding of his Father This reason may goe for currant in their way neither have I any purpose at this time to crosse it but to haste to the period of this discourse in which that I may better discover the path of truth in stead of many little lights which others have brought I will set up one great taper made of the sweetest of their waxe The Holy Ghost is sometimes taken for the person of the Comforter which sealeth Gods chosen to salvation sometimes for the gifts effects or operations of the Holy Ghost as it were the prints of his scale left in the soule these are principally three 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall power or authority 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue or ghostly ability to worke wonders and speake with divers languages 1 Is common to all them that are sanctified 2 Is peculiar to Christs Ministers 3 Restrayned to the Apostles themselves and some few others of their immediate successors z Joh. 3.5 Exceâ—t a man be borne of the water and of the spirit 1 Regenerating grace is termed the holyGhost 2 Spirituall order or ministeriall power is called the Spirit or holy Ghost in this place and Luk. 4.18 Esay 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the Gospell c. 3 Miraculous vertue is called the holy Ghost Act. 2.4 And they were filled with the holy Ghost and spake with divers tongues 1 The Spirit of grace and regeneration the Apostles received at their first calling 2 The Spirit of ecclesiasticall government they received at this time c. 3 The Spirit of powerfull and extraordinary operation they received in the day of Pentecost 1 In their mindes by infallible inspiration 2 In their tongues by multiplicity of languages 3 In their hands by miraculous cures Receive then the Holy Ghost is 1 A ghostly function to ordaine Pastors and sanctifie congregations to God 2 Spirituall gifts to execute and discharge that function 3 Spirituall power or jurisdiction to countenance and support both your function and gifts Thus have I opened the treasury of this Scripture out of which I now offer to your religious thoughts and affections these ensuing observations And first in generall I commend to the fervour of your zeale and devotion the excessive heat of Christs love which absumed and spent him all for us flesh and spirit His flesh he offereth us in the Sacrament of his Supper his spirit hee conferreth in the sacred rite of consecration His body hee gave by those words Take eate this is my body his spirit hee gave by these Receive ye the holy Ghost a gift unestimable a treasure unvaluable for it was this spirit which quickned us when wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes it is this spirit which fetcheth us againe when wee swoune in despaire it is this spirit that refresheth and cooleth us in the extreme heat of all persecutions afflictions sorrowes and diseases to it we owe 1 Light in our mindes 2 Warmth in our desires 3 Temper in our affections 4 Grace in our wils 5 Peace in our consciences 6 Joy in our hearts and unspeakeable comfort in life and death This is the winde which bloweth a Cant. 4.16 Blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits upon the Spouse her garden that the spices thereof might flow out This is the breath which formeth the words in the cloven tongues this is the breath which bloweth and openeth all the flowers of Paradise This is the blast which diffuseth the savour of life through the whole Church This is the gale which carryeth us through all the troublesome waves of this world and bringeth us safe to the haven where we would be And as the Spouse of Christ which is his mysticall body is infinitely indebted to her head for this gift of the spirit whereby holy congregations are furnished with Pastors and they with gifts and the ministery of the Gospell continually propagated so wee above all nations in the world at this day are most bound to extoll and magnifie his goodnesse towards us herein among whom in a manner alone this holy seed of the Church remaineth unmixed and uncorrupt not onely as propagated but propagating also not children onely but Fathers Apostolicall doctrine other reformed Churches maintaine but doe they retaine also Apostolicall discipline laying of hands they have on Ministers and Pastors but consecration of Archbishops and Bishops they have not And because they want consecrated Bishops to ordaine Pastors their very ordination is not according to ancient order Because they want spirituall Fathers in Christ to beget children in their ministery their Ministers by the adversary are accounted no better than filii populi whereas will they nill they even in regard of our Hierarchy the most frontlesse Papists must confesse the children begot by our reverend Fathers in the ministery of the Gospell to be as legitimate as their owne For albeit they put the hereticke upon us as the Arrians did upon the Catholike Fathers calling them Athanasians c. yet this no way disableth either the consecration of our Bishops nor the ordination of our Priests not onely because we have proved the dogge lyeth at their doores and that they are a kinde of mungrils of divers sorts of heretickes but because it is the doctrine of their Church b See Croy in his third conformity Whitaker in fine resp ad demonstrat Sanderi Rivet procem de haeref q. 1. Cath. orthod that the character of order is indeleble and therefore Archbishop Cranmer and other of our Bishops ordained by them if they had afterwards as Papists most falsly suppose fallen into heresie could not lose their faculty of consecration and ordination The consecration of Catholicke Bishops by Arrians and baptisme of faithfull Christians children by Donatists though heretickes is made good as well by the decrees of ancient as later Councels determining that Sacraments administred even by heretickes so they observe the rite and forme of words prescribed in holy scripture bee of force and validity Praysed therefore for ever bee the good will of him that dwelt in the bush that the Rod of Aaron still flourisheth among us and planteth and propagateth it selfe like that Indian fig-tree so much admired by all Travellers from the utmost branch whereof issueth a gummy juyce which hangeth
but rather m Suet. in Tit. Titus Vespasian who suffered no man by his good will to goe sad from him and in this regard was stiled Amor delicrae humani generis the love and darling of mankinde The laity shew in their name what they are durum genus and how ill they stand affected to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stone and hardly entreat our tribe all have experience who have or ever had pastorall charges Wee cannot pray them so fast into heaven as they will sweare us out of our maintenance on earth And what reliefe wee have at secular tribunals the world seeth and if wee must yet expect harder measure from your officers and servants I know not to what more fitly to compare the inferiour of our Clergy who spend themselves upon their parochiall cures and are flieced by them whom they feed and by whom they should bee fedde through vexatious suits in law than to the poore hare in the Epigram which to save her selfe from the hounds leaped into the sea and was devoured by a sea-dogge n Auson epig. In me omnis terrae pelagique ruina est 4 The spirit of humility Matth. 20.28 The Sonne of man came not to bee ministred unto but to minister The head of the Church vouchsafeth o Joh. 13.14 to wash his disciples feet professing therein ver 15. that hee gave them an example that they should doe as hee had done to them Winde blowne into a bladder filleth it and into flesh maketh it swell but the breath of God inspired into the soule produceth the contrary effect it abateth and taketh downe all swelling of pride Take not Austine the Monke for your patterne from whose proud behaviour towards them the Brittish Monkes truely concluded that hee was not sent unto them from Christ but Saint Austine the Father whose modest speech in a contention betweene him and Jerome gained him more respect from all men than ever the Bishops of Rome got by their swelling buls and direfull fulminations According to the present custome of the Church saith he the title of a p August epist ad Hieron Bishop is above that of a Priest yet Priest Jerome is a better man than Bishop Austine As the q Bruson facet exempl Athenians wisely answered Pompey requiring from them divine honour We will so farre account thee a God as thou acknowledgest thy selfe a man for humility of minde in eminency of fortune is a divine perfection so the lesse you account your selfe a Prelate the more all men will preferre and most highly honour you When Christ consecrated his Apostles Bishops he breathed on them to represent after a sort visibly by an outward symbole the eternall and invisible procession of the holy Ghost from his person In regard of which divine signification of that his insufflation no man may presume to imitate that rite though they may and do use the words Receive the holy Ghost All that may bee done to supply the defect of that ceremony is in stead of breathing upon you to breath out prayers to almighty God for you that you right reverend Fathers may give and for you my Lord Elect that you may receive the holy Ghost for us that wee may worthily administer and for you that you may worthily participate the blessed body and blood of our Saviour and for us all that wee may bee nourished by his flesh and quickened by his spirit and live in him and hee in us and dwell in him and he in us So be it c. THE FAITHFULL SHEPHEARD A Sermon preached at the Consecration of three Bishops the Lords Elect of Oxford Bristoll and Chester in his Graces Chappell at Lambeth May 9. 1619. THE ELEVENTH SERMON 1 PET. 5.2.3.4 Feede the flocke of God which is among you taking the over-sight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock And when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare you shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not away Most Reverend Right Honourable Right Reverend right Worshipfull c. ARchilochus a Arist Rhet. c. 2. sharpning his quill and dipping it in gall against Lycambes that his satyricall invectives might bee more poignant putteth the pen in Archilochus his Fathers hand and by an elegant prosopopeia maketh him upbraid his sonne with those errors and vices which it was not fit that any but his father should in such sort rip up And b Orat. pro M. Coelio Tully being to read a lecture of gravity and modesty to Clodia which became not his yeares or condition raiseth up as it were from the grave her old grandfather Appius Caecus and out of his mouth delivereth a sage and fatherly admonition to her In like manner right Reverend receiving the charge from you to give the charge unto you at this present and being over-ruled by authority to speak something of the eminent authority sacred dignity into which ye are now to be invested I have brought upon this holy stage the first of your ranke and auncientest of your Apostolicall order to admonish you with authority both of your generall calling as Pastours set over Christs flocke and your speciall as Bishops set over the Pastors themselves That in the former words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feed this in the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bishoping or taking the over-sight of them Both they are to performe 1 Not by constraint 2 Not for lucre 3 Not with pride 1 Not by constâ—ant constraint standeth not with the dignity of the Apostles successors 2 Not for filthy lucre filthy lucre sorts not with Gods Priests 3 Not in or with Lord-like pride Lord-like pride complyeth not with the humility of Christs Ministers As Tully the aged wrote to Cato the auncient of old age so in the words of my text Peter the Elder writeth to Elders of the calling life and reward of Elders in the Church of God 1 Their function is feeding and overlooking Christs flocke enjoyned ver 2. 2 Their life is to be a patterne of all vertue drawne ver 3. 3 Their reward is a Crowne of glory set before them ver 4. 1 Their function sacred answerable to their calling which is divine 2 Their life exemplary answerable to their function which is sacred 3 Their reward exceeding great answerable to the eminency of the one and excellency of the other May it please you therefore to observe out of the words 1 For your instruction what your function is 2 For correction what your life should be 3 For comfort what your reward shall be As the costly c Exod. 28.14 ornaments of Aaron were fastened to the Ephod with golden chaines of writhen worke so all the parts and points of the Apostles exhortation are artificially joyned and tyed together with excellent coherence as it were with chaines of gold This chaine thus I draw through them all
walkest a turne in a pleasant garden so the eye of our minde is cleared and our spirituall senses much revived by walking in the garden of holy Scriptures and smelling to the flowers of Paradise but if wee run about in the smoake that is busie our selves about earthly affaires we shall shed many a teare and be in danger of quite losing our sight I will conclude and briefely represent all the principall points of the Apostles exhortation to your view in one type of the law In the Arke of the covenant there was the rod of a Exod. 24.25 Aaron that budded and about it a crown of gold By the rod of Aaron you easily apprehend the Priests office or pastorall charge the buds of this rod or parts of this charge are two feeding and overseeing which ought to bee performed not by constraint but willingly as the buddes were not drawne out of Aarons rod but put forth of their owne accord And herein wee are not to respect our owne good but the good of our flocke wee must doe nothing for filthy lucre but of a free minde to benefit others as the rod of Aaron bare not blossomes or fruit to or for it selfe but to and for others By the fruits of Aarons rod you may understand the good life of a faithfull Pastor who is to be an example to his flock this fruit enclineth him to true humility opposite to Lord-like pride as the fruit of a tree weigheth the branches downe to the earth Lastly by the Crowne above the rod and round about the Arke is represented the reward of a faithfull Shepheard and vigilant Bishop You have the embleme of your office the word or Motto shall be Germinet virga Aaronis Let the rod of Aaron blossome in your mouths by preaching the word and budde in your hands by the exercise of ecclesiasticall discipline and beare fruit in your lives by being ensamples to your flocke and the crowne above the rod and about the Arke shall bee yours as it is promised ver 4. And when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare you shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not away Which God the Father grant for the price of his Sonnes blood to whom with the holy Spirit be all honour glory praise and thanks-giving now and for ever Amen THE TREE OF SAVING KNOVVLEDGE OR Schola Crucis Schola Lucis A Sermon preached in Lent March 16. before the King at White-hall THE TWELFTH SERMON 1 COR. 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified IF any here present bee of so dainty eares and delicate a palate that wholesome meat will not downe with them unlesse it bee curiously dressed by art and exquisitely dished and set forth with variety of costly sawces I desire them to consider that there may bee intemperancy in the eare as well as the taste and that to feede such a luxurious humour in them were a kind of breach of the holy Fast wee now keep Where beautifull pictures and sacred imagery are most in use I should say abuse I meane in the Church of Rome during the whole time of Lent sad a P. Moul. cont Coeffet p. 2. curtaines and darke vailes are drawn before them and in like maner our divine Apelles's if they have any rare and eminent piece for stuffe as well as workmanship by them they may doe well to vaile or shadow them at this season that art may sympathize with religion and humane learning as it were put on blacks when divine puts on sacke cloth For my selfe I need make no other Apology to you than the Apostle doth to the Corinthians in my text The words which I handle are a warrant for the plaine handling thereof for what is I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified but in effect to say I b Chrys in Gen. orat 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purposed not to make any banquet I bid you to no feast I have provided you but one dish of meate the Lambe of God and it but ordinarily dressed broached upon the Crosse that is Jesus Christ and him crucified Too exact division hath the same inconvenience with c â—â—uinct instit orat l. 4. Id viti um habet nimia quod nulla divisio confuso simile est quicquid in pâ—lverem usque secatur deinde cum fecerunt multas partiâ—ulas in eandem incidant obscuritatem contra quam inventa partitio est The division want of division for it breedeth confusion which it should prevent and troubleth the memory which it should helpe and ease As to handle severall parts without premising a convenient partition is to teare asunder and not to carve up so on the contrary over-curiously to divide upon division and sub-divide sub-divisions is to crumble not breake the bread of life or as Fabius speaketh frusta facere non membra that is to mince and not as the Apostle requireth rightly to divide the word of truth May it please you therefore to goe along with me through the few parts of this facile and passabâ—le division 1 The profession of the Apostle I determined to know 2 The object of his profession positively Jesus Christ privatively nothing but him 3 The condition of the object And him crucified As the d Zab lib. de tribâ—â— prâ—â—agnitis Logicians in the subjects of all sciences distinguish rem consideratam modum considerandi the matter considerable which they call the materiall object and the manner of considering it which they call the formall as in Physick the res considerata or material object is corpus humanum mans body the modus considerandi or formall object is quá sanabile as curable in Musick the res considerata is numerus number the modus considerandi is quá sonorus as it is found in sounds and serveth to harmony So here the res considerata the thing or rather person to bee considered is Jesus Christ the modus considerandi manner of considering him is quà crucifixus as crucified The best nurture is in the schoole of the crosse but then this crosse must bee the crosse of Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus must bee knowne and lastly this knowledge must bee desired or resolved to bee got 1 Nothing is more to bee desired than knowledge I desire or have determined to know 2 No knowledge more to be desired than of Jesus Christ Nothing but Jesus Christ 3 Nothing of Jesus Christ is more to bee desired to bee knowne than that hee was crucified And him crucified Of all things knowledge is most to be set by for e Joh. 17.3 this is life eternall to know thee to be very God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Of all knowledge this of Christ is most excellent f Phil. 3 8. for I account saith the Apostle all things as dung in comparison of the knowledge of Christ Of all Christian knowledge this of the crosse is
Table and you strike one string of any one of them the strings in the other that carry the same note though untouched give some sound at the same instant in like manner all the Fridayes throughout the yeere especially those that fall in Lent ought to sound out some of the Notes of the dolefull song that was pricked on that day not with a penne but with a speare the burden whereof was Christ crucified Doct. 5 Crucified In this word the Apostle briefly casteth up the totall of Christs sufferings the particulars whereof were his 1 Feares and sorrowes 2 Indignities and disgraces 3 Tortures and torments His agony and bloody sweat his betraying and taking his arraigning and condemning his stripping and whipping his mocking and spitting on his pricking and nailing to the crosse The crosse had foure parts 1 An arrectorium which was the maine tree fastened in the earth and standing upright towards heaven 2 Scabellum a planke to which the feete were nayled 3 Lignum transversum a crosse piece of wood whereto the hands were nayled 4 Verticem the top or place above the head where the inscription was put To the dimensions of which parts the m Eph. 3.18 Apostle seemeth to allude in his sacred Mathematickes that saith hee you may bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height The bredth seemeth to have reference to the lignum transversum the length to the arrectorium the depth to the scabellum and height to the vertex of the crosse Those who are conversant in Jewish antiquities observe that crucifying succeeded in place of strangling among them wherein the speciall providence of God is to bee marked that although the Romanes changed the forme of the death yet they changed not the Tree hee that was crucified as well as hee that was strangled hanged upon a tree and thereby became n Deut. 21.23 accursed by the law A circumstance whereof the Apostle maketh a most comfortable use saying o Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree The consequents of sinne are three 1 Shame 2 Paine 3 Curse All these Christ suffered on the crosse for us 1 Pain in his being nailed racked and pierced 2 Shame in being placed betweene two theeves and that naked on their solemne feast day on which there was a concourse of innumerable people at Hierusalem 3 The curse in hanging upon the tree being fastened thereto with nailes which is properly crucifixion or crucifying In summe to bee crucified is to bee put to a most painefull ignominious and accursed death first to bee stript starke naked stretched upon a gibbet or crosse there to have foure nayles driven into the most tender and sinewy parts of the body then to bee set up and exposed to open shame to bee a spectacle of misery to the world to Angels and to men and so to hang upon his owne wounds with continuall increase of torments till either extremity of famine hath exhausted the vitall spirits or extremity of paine hath rended and evaporated the substance of the heart into sighes and groanes All this the Sonne of God suffered for us and yet this is not all For wee must not thinke that Christs hands and feete were onely crucified which yet alone were fastened to the crosse his eyes were after a sort crucified when hee beheld the Disciple whom hee loved together with his deerest Mother weeping out her eyes under him his eares were crucified when he heard those blasphemous words others hee hath saved himselfe hee cannot save if hee be the Sonne of God let him come downe from the crosse his smell was crucified with the stench of Golgotha his taste with gall and vinegar and last of all and most of all his heart was crucified with foure considerations that entred deeper into his soule than the nayles and speare into his body These were 1 The obstinacy and impenitency of the Jewes 2 The utter destruction of Hierusalem and the Temple 3 The guilt of the sinnes of the whole world 4 The full wrath of his Father For Christ charged himselfe with the sinnes of all the Elect and therefore his Father layd a most heavie burden of punishment upon him so heavie that in bearing it he sweat blood so heavie that hee complaines in piteous manner p Mat. 26.38 my soule is heavy unto death yea and seemes to buckle under it crying out q Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee All this Christ suffered for us and yet this is not all for r Cyprian de patientia qui adoratur in coelis nondum vindicatur in terra hee that is adored in heaven is not yet fully revenged upon earth Revenged said I nay hee is still wronged hee continually suffereth in his members and after a sort in himselfe by the contemners of the Gospell mis-believers and scandalous livers Because the crosse is the trophee of Christs victory over sinne death and hell Satan hath a deadly spite at it and as hee hath done heretofore so hee doth at this day employ all his agents to demolish and deface it namely by 1 Jewes 2 Gentiles 3 Papists 4 Separatists or Non-conformitants all foure enemies to the crosse of Christ 1 The Jewes make it a stumbling blocke 2 The Gentiles a laughing stocke 3 The Papists an Idoll 4 The Separatists a scarre-crow 1 To the Jewes it is an offence 2 To the Gentiles foolishnesse 3 To the Papists superstition 4 To the Separatists and Precifians an abomination As it was the manner of the Spartanes in the worship of Diana to whip naughty boyes before her altars so I hold it an act of piety and charity to scourge these foure sorts of men before the crosse of Christ in my text and first the Jew who maketh a stumbling blocke of the crosse Use 1. cont Jud. O unbelieving Jew why dost thou stumble at that which is the chiefe stay of an humble and faithfull soule is it because the crosse of Christ casteth an aspersion of innocent blood spilt by thy ancestors Repent for their sinne and thine owne and by faith dippe thine hand in this his blood it hath this wonderfull vertue that it cleanseth even those hands that were imbrued in it He is quickned saith Saint Cyprian by the blood of Christ even who a little before spilt Christs blood Is it because thy glorious fancy of the temporall throne of thy so long expected Messiah cannot stand with the ignominious crosse of Christ reprove this thy folly and convince this thine errour out of the mouth of thine owne Prophets which have beene since the world began Ought not Å¿ Dan 9.26 Messiah to bee slayne after sixty two weekes ought not Christ to suffer such things and so to enter into his glory what is written of him and how readest thou in
grant at the suite and for the merit of Jesus Christ and him crucified to whom with the Father and blessed Spirit bee rendered all glory praise and thanksgiving now and for ever Amen THE TREE OF LIFE SPRINGING OUT OF THE GRAVE OR Primitiae Sepulchri A Spitall Sermon preached on Munday in Easter weeke April 22. THE THIRTEENTH SERMON 1 COR. 15.20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept Right Honourable c. Plin. in panegyr Aegyptus gloriata est se nihil imbribus coeloque debere Siquidem proprio semper amne perfusa tantis segetibus induebatur ut cum feracissimis terris quasi nunquam cessura certaret PLiny the younger writeth of Egypt that she was wont to boast how shee owed nothing to the clouds or any forreine streames for her fertility being abundantly watered by the sole inundation of her owne river Nylus A like or greater priviledge it must bee confessed this renowned City hath for a long time enjoyed in that she hath not beene indebted to any wandering clouds nor needeth shee to fetch the water of life from any forreine river or neighbour spring being richly stored by the overflowing industry and learning of her most able and painefull Preachers within her selfe filling not onely the lesser cisternes of private congregations but the greater also of these most celebrious and solemne assemblies And for mine owne part so let the life blasts of the spirit refresh me in the sweat of my holy labours and the dew of heavenly benediction fall upon your religious eares as I never sought this place nor am come hither to make ostentation of any so much as conceived gifts in mee nor to broach any new opinions of mine or any other nor to set before you any forbidden fruit though never so sweet and to a well conditioned stomacke wholesome nor to smooth or levell the uneven wayes of any who plow in the Lords field with an oxe and an asse much lesse to gaine vulgar applause or spring an hidden veyne of unknowne contribution by traducing the publicke proceedings in the State or Church but onely in obedience to the call of lawfull authority to build you in your most holy faith and elevate your devotion to the due celebration of this high feast of our Lords resurrection and by crying as loud as I am able to awake those that sleepe in sinfull security that they may stand up from the dead and Christ may give them and us all light of knowledge joy and comfort Which that I may bee enabled to performe I humbly entreat the concurrence of your patience with your prayers to God for his assistance in opening the scripture now read in your eares But now Christ is risen c. This is no sterill or barren text you heare of fruits in it and although the harvest thereof hath beene reaped by many Labourers before mee yet there remaine good gleanings for mee also and those that shall leaze after me even till the Angels shall thrust their sickle into the large field of the ripe world and reape the reapers themselves The fruit is of two sorts 1 Christs prerogative 2 The deceased Saints priviledge who in their degree participate with him Hee is above them yet with them hee is the first-fruits and they are the rest of the heape and a Rom. 11.16 if the first fruits bee holy the whole heape is holy The ground which beareth this fruit Occasio scopus is the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead which the Apostle like a provident husbandman first fenceth and maketh sure and after breaketh and layeth it downe Hee fenceth it from the beginning of this chapter to the 35. verse by invincible arguments confirming the truth of the resurrection afterwards to the end of the chapter he layeth it downe by apt and lively similitudes declaring the manner thereof And this hee doth with much vehemency and contention of arguments his zeale being kindled through blasts of contradiction by some in the Church of Corinth who directly denyed the former verse 12. and obliquely carped at the latter verse 35. Neither did these alone at Corinth as much as in them lay subvert this maine article of our faith b 2 Tim. 2.18 but Hymeneus and Philetus with others at Ephesus perverted the sense of it saying that the resurrection was past already Obser 1 Whence I first observe against Bellarmine Parsons and other Papists that the Divell tyed not himselfe as they have surmized to any rule of method ex occas in laying his batteries against the articles of the Creed in order For the resurrection of the flesh is the last article save one yet hereticall impiety as you have heard first ventured on it Howbeit the Cardinal that he might more conveniently tye all whom hee supposeth Heretickes in one chaine and thrust us into the lowest place c Bellar. orat habit in Gymnas Roâ— anno 1576. Hâ—manigeneris ostis eâ—itotus alioqui perversus ordinis perturbator esse soleat tamen non sine aliquo ordine catholicae ecclesiae veritatem oppugnate volâ—â—t c. beareth his Reader in hand that the enemy of mankinde albeit in other things hee bee a disturber of order yet in impeaching the Apostles creed hath kept a kind of order 1 For within 200. yeeres after Christ hee assaulted the first article concerning God the Father almighty maker of heaven and earth by the Simonians Menandrians Basilidians Valentinians Marcionites Manichees and severall kinde of Gnostickes 2 After 200. yeeres hee set upon the second article concerning the divine nature of Christ by the Praxeans Noetians Sabellians and Samosetanians 3 In the next age he opposed the divine person of our Saviour by the Photineans Arrians and Eunomians 4 From 400. to 800. he impugned the third fourth fifth sixth and seventh concerning the incarnation passion resurrection ascension of our Lord and his comming to judgement by the Nestorians Theodorians Eutychians Acephali Sergians and Paulians 5 From the yeere 800. to 1000. hee bid battell to the eighth article concerning the holy Ghost by the schisme and heresie of the Graecians 6 Lastly from the 1000. yeere to this present age hee hath oppugned the ninth and tenth articles concerning the catholicke Church and remission of sinnes by the Berengarians Petrobrusians Waldenses Albigenses Wicklefists Hussites Lutherans Zuinglians Confessionists Hugonites and Anabaptists Refut Were these calculations exact and observations true the Cardinall deserved to bee made Master of ceremonies amongst heretickes for so well ranking them But upon examination of particulars it will appeare that his skill in history is no better than his divinity To begin where hee endeth First hee most falsly and wrongfully chargeth the worthy standard-bearers of the reformed religion before Luther with the impeaching the ninth and tenth articles of the creede They impeach neither of them nor any other nay they will sooner part with the best limbe of
cursed persons To cleare the meaning of our Saviour it will bee requisite briefly to declare first how man is capable of blessednesse at all secondly how farre in this life truly termed by St. Austin the region of death Blessednesse is a soveraigne attribute of God and as p Nyss hom de â—â—at Nyssen teacheth primarily and absolutely and eternally belongeth to him onely Creatures are blessed but in part derivatively and at the most from the terme of their creation Beauty first shineth in the living face and countenance that which is resembled in the image or picture is but a secondary or relative beauty in like manner saith hee the primary blessednesse is in God or to speake more properly is God himselfe the blessednesse which is in man made after Gods image is but a secondary blessednesse For as the image is such is his beauty and blessednesse but the image of God in man since his fall is much soiled and defaced and consequently his blessednesse is very imperfect and obscure Yet they that rubbe off the dust of earthly cares and dirt of sinne and by spirituall exercises brighten the graces of God in their soule as they are truly though not perfectly beautifull within so they may be truly though not absolutely stiled blessed even in this life 1. First because they are assured of Gods love and they see his countenance shine upon them which putteth more q Psal 4.7 gladnesse into their heart than is or can be in the heart of them whose corne and wine is increased For if it bee deservedly accounted the greatest happinesse of a subject to bee in continuall grace with his Prince what is it to bee a Favourite of the King of kings 2. Secondly because they have an r 1 Pet. 1.4 inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens for them A great heire though hee may sometimes pinch for maintenance and bee driven to hard exigents yet hee still solaceth himselfe with this hope it will bee better with mee and I shall one day come to my lands and such comfort have all Gods Saints in their greatest perplexities and extremities 3. Thirdly because they enjoy the peace of a good conscience which Solomon calleth a continuall feast And Saint Paul a cause of t 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience Rom. 8.28 triumph and joy 4. Fourthly because all things work together for their good and tend to their eternall happinesse The joyes of the wicked are grievous their pleasures are paine unto them but on the contrary the sorrowes of the righteous are joyous and the paines which they endure for Christ are pleasures unto them The gaines of the worldly are indeed losses unto them because they help on their damnation whereas the losses of the godly are gaine and advantage unto them because they further their salvation 5. Fifthly because they enjoy God wherein consisteth the happinesse of a man in some measure and degree even in this life For it cannot be denied but that devout Christians even whilest the soule resides in the body have a comfortable fruition of the Deity whose favour is better than life by faith in the heart by knowledge in the understanding by charity in the will by desire in the affections by sight in the creatures by hearing in the Word by taste in the Sacraments by feeling in the inward motions and operations of Gods Spirit which fill them with exceeding and unspeakable joy and comfort Saint u Apoc. 21. John setting forth the blessednesse of the triumphant Church and depainting the joyes of Heaven in golden colours describeth a City situate in Heaven whose temple is God and light the Lambe and walls Salvation and courts praise and streets gold and foundations gemmes and gates pearles twelve in number in a relation to the Lambes twelve Apostles Answerable to the gates in price though not in number are the steps up to them which our Saviour who is the way directeth us unto they are eight in number made of so many whole pearles that is divine Vertues 1. The first step is humility poore in spirit upon which when we stand we may easily get upon the next godly sorrow mourning for sinne none so apt to mourne for their sinnes and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God in sackcloth and ashes as the poore in spirit 2. When we are upon this step we readily get up upon the next which is tender compassion and meeknesse none so compassionate and meeke towards others when they slip into the mire of sinne as those who continually bewaile their fowle falls and wash their defiled soules with their teares 3. When we are upon this third step we may soone get up the fourth which is hungering and thirsting for righteousnesse for those who are most sensible of their owne wants and continually bewaile their corruptions and are compassionately affected towards others when they are overtaken with any temptation must needs hunger and thirst for righteousnesse both in themselves and others 4. When we are upon this fourth step we may soone climbe up to the other three Mercy the fifth Purity the sixth and Peace the seventh for they who eagerly pursue righteousnesse shall certainly meet with these three her companions Lastly they who have attained unto righteousnesse and are enamoured with her three companions Mercy Purity and Peace will suffer any thing for their sake and so ascend up the highest step of Christian perfection which is constant patience and zealous striving for the truth even unto bloud which is not only saved but cleansed also by being spilt for Christs sake The lowest greece or staire and the first step to Heaven is poverty in spirit that is as the Fathers generally interpret Humility which is the ground-colour of the soules beautifull images the graces of the spirit The ground-colours are darke and obscure yet except they be first laid the wooll or stuffe will not receive much lesse retaine the brighter and more beautifull Such is lowlinesse of minde of no great lustre and appearance in itselfe yet without it no grace or vertue will long keep colour and its beauty and therefore Christ first layes it saying Blessed are the Poore in spirit These poore in spirit are not to bee understood poore in spirituall graces such cannot come neere the price of the Kingdome of Heaven and therefore the spirit adviseth them under the type of the Church of * Apoc. 3.18 Laodicea to buy of him gold tryed in the fire that they may bee rich c. nor are they necessarily poore in state much lesse such as are poore in state onely for bare poverty yea though it bee voluntary is but a weake plea and giveth a man but a poore title to a Kingdome in Heaven Wee heare indeed in the Gospel of Lazarus the x Luke 16.22 Beggar in Heaven but wee finde him there in the bosome of rich Abraham to
lodging and a table in the wildernesse Wherefore let us cast the burthen of our care upon the providence of our heavenly Father who feedeth the young ravens that call upon him and undoubtedly will never suffer his children to starve There is nothing more choaketh the seed of faith and dampeth the light of the spirit and troubleth the peace of conscience than worldly cares especially when they are immoderate inordinate and distrustfull immoderate in the measure inordinate in the meanes and distrustfull in the cause when we say in our hearts What shall we eate and what shall we drinke or wherewithall shall we be cloathed We have but a little oyle in our cruse and a little meale in our pot and when that is spent what shall become of us The cure of these worldly cares is threefold by 1 Diversion 2 Devotion 3 Deposition of them 1 By diversion when we withdraw our mind from these carking cares and vexing thoughts to other more pleasant cogitations of Gods former mercies to us and the present blessings we enjoy As Painters when their eyes be dazled through long poring upon over-bright objects recover them againe by looking upon greene glasse or some darker colours which congregate radios visuales the sight beames or as husbandmen when their ground is overflown with much water make ditches and water furrowes to carry it away so if our mindes be overflowne with the cares of this world there is no better meanes to draine them than by making another passage for them and diverting them to the contemplation of a better subject as David did his m Psal 119.23.24 Princes did sit and speake against mee but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes Thy Testimonies are my delight and Counsellors 2 By devotion and prayer to Almighty God as Hanna did n 1 Sam. 1.15 I am a woman of a sorrowfull heart I have drunke neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soule before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial for out of the abundance of my complaint and griefe have I spoken hitherto Then Eli answered and said Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him And shee said Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight So the woman went her way and did eate and her countenance was no more sad 3 By deposition when being at a stand in our deliberations and having used all meanes to little purpose to relieve our necessities we in the end lay downe our burthen of cares and wholly rely upon Gods promises o Psal 37.3 5. Trust in the Lord and doe good and verily thou shalt be fed Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and hee shall bring it to passe And p Psal 34.9.10 O feare the Lord yee his Saints for there is no want to them that feare him And q Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee r 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all our care upon him who careth for us assuring our selves that he who prepared Zoar to save Lot in the burning of Sodome and Goshen to preserve the Israelites from the plagues of Egypt and Pella to rescue his Disciples in the siege of Jerusalem hee who provided a fountaine of water to refresh Hagar in extremity of thirst and a cake of dough to satisfie Elias in extremity of hunger and the shadow of a gourd to coole Jonas in extremity of heat and an Angell from heaven to comfort our Saviour in the extremity of his agony will never leave us utterly destitute in our greatest perplexities The woman in my text was faine to fly into the wildernesse from savage men to savage beasts unprovided of a place to lie in or any manner of food to sustaine life yet God on the sudden prepared for her both lodging and diet So did he for the Israelites brought to a like exigent Å¿ Psal 107.4.5.6 They wandered in the wildernesse in a solitary way they found no Citie to dwell in hungry and thirsty their soules fainted in them then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and hee delivered them out of their distresse t Mat. 6.32 Take no thought therefore saith our Saviour for your life what you shall eate and what you shall drinke or wherewithall you shall be cloathed for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things He that cloatheth the lillies and feedeth the fowles of heaven will he leave his children unprovided of things necessary No if ordinary meanes faile he will lay an unusuall imposition upon all creatures to relieve his chosen The aire shall serve-in Manna for corne the hard rocke shall gush out with streames of water the dry cruse shall spring with oyle the Lions jawes shall drop with hony the fowles of heaven shall bring in meat in their bills and the fish of the sea bring money in their mouthes to supply their severall wants and defray their necessary charges Therefore trouble not your selves overmuch with the cares of this life but when you have done your utmost endevours ease your selves by relying upon Gods providence and be confident that he who feedeth you with the bread of life will not faile to give you your daily bread hee that offereth you the cup of salvation full of the price of your redemption and the grace of sanctification will not suffer you to die for thirst he that cloatheth your soules with the robes of his righteousnesse and deckes them with the jewels of his grace will undoubtedly provide a covering for your bodies 3 If the Church be truely represented by a woman flying into the wildernesse and there continuing for a long season certainely outward pomp and temporall felicity and perpetuall visibility are no certaine notes of her but rather of the malignant Church For so is the Whore of Babylon described u Apoc. 17.3.4 A woman set upon a scarlet coloured beast arrayed in purple decked with gold and pretious stones and pearles having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations And ver 15. The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and nations and multitudes and tongues The darke foyle setteth off the Diamond and the Church when she is most obscure outwardly is most glorious within Albeit temporall felicity giveth her some lustre and furnisheth her with meanes to encourage Proselytes and erect stately monuments of piety and charity yet withall it ministreth matter of luxury and pride it breedeth faction and schisme it withdraweth the mind from celestiall contemplation it abateth her longing desire after the second comming of Christ on the contrary the Crosse is like a file that brighteneth all her spirituall graces quickeneth her zeale putteth her noblest vertues to the test wisedome by dangers faith by conflicts courage by terrours patience by torments and perseverance by perpetuall assaults Witnesse the prime age wherein she warmed her zeale at the embers
teares from their eyes These are they that came out of great tribulation Great tribulation in the judgement of Marlorat is a periphrasis of the last persecution of the Church by Antichrist which shall be the hottest service the souldiers of Christ shall ever be put to As the last endevour of nature before death putteth the patient to most paine and the last assault of Pharaoh put the Israelites to the greatest extremity so the last persecution of the Church by Antichrist shall exceed all the former i Mat. 24.29 For then the sunne that is the knowledge of the truth or the light of Gods countenance shall be darkned and the moon that is the beauty of the Church shal be obscured turned into bloud that is deformed by bloudy persecutions and the stars shall fall from heaven that is the greatest lights of the Church shall fall from it and there shal be such perplexity and distresse of nations as never was before then as k Aug. ep 80. Tunc Ecclesia non apparebit impiis ultra modum persequentibus St. Augustine inferreth the Church shall have no outward appearance wicked men raging and cruelly persecuting her above measure But I see no reason why we should restraine tribulation to persecution or persecution to that of Antichrist For every great affliction and heavie crosse which the faithfull beare in this world be it losse of goods or of friends banishment imprisonment infamy torture of body or vexation of mind is great tribulation through which any elect child of God may enter into heaven Albeit we yeeld Martyrs a precedency amongst Saints yet they alone enter not into their masters joy Let their garlands have a red rose added unto it and their crowne a rubie above the rest yet assuredly all other that are l Apoc. 2.10 faithfull unto death shall receive the crowne of life all that fight a good fight and keepe the faith after they have finished their course shall receive a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give at that day to all that love his appearing The article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not demonstrative pointing to any singular persecution but intensive intimating that many and very great tribulations abide the faithfull servants of God and they must through them enter into the kingdome of heaven their life is nothing else but a m Hieron ep ad Heliodor Etras frateâ— erras si unquam putas Christianum persecutionem non pati tunc maximè oppugnatis si te oppâ—gnati nescis race of patience through many tribulations and a battell of faith against all kind of temptations A Christian is never without an enemy to persecute him inwardly or outwardly even this is a temptation of the Divell to thinke that wee are at any time free from all temptation For either wee are in warre with the World Flesh and the Divell or God will fight against us either we are afflicted for our sinnes or afflicted with our sinnes and if God for a long time spare us even this afflicteth us that we are not afflicted For sith God afflicteth them whom he affecteth we have just cause to feare because wee are not under his rod we are out of his care and that therefore he chasteneth us not here because he reserveth us to eternall torments If any demand why God carrieth a more severe hand over his children than over the wicked that deserve lesse favour I answer by propounding them the like questions Why doth a father when hee seeth two boyes fighting in the street correct his sonne and not the other Why doth the Schoolemaster take a stricter account of the Scholar hee best affecteth than of others whom hee suffereth often to play the trewants Why doth the husbandman let unfruitfull and unsavory trees grow out at length without any cutting or pruning but pruneth the fragrant roses and pricketh the fruitfull vines till they bleed Why doth the Physician when hee seeth his patient desperate give order to them that are about him to deny him nothing that he hath a mind unto but if he hath any hope of recovery of any patient of his he keepeth him in diet forbiddeth him such things as he most desireth and prescribeth for him many meats drinkes and potions which goe against his stomacke Lastly why doth a Captaine set the best Souldiers in the forefront of a battell and appointeth them to enter at a breach with apparent hazzard of their lives To the first question they will answer that a wise father taketh up his son sharply and correcteth him for his misdemeanour and not the other because he hath a speciall care of his sonnes behaviour and not of the other thus let them thinke of the Father of Spirits his dealing with his children who chasteneth those faults in them which he seemeth to winke at in others because he beareth a singular affection to his owne and hath a speciall care of their nurture To the second they will answer that a good schoolemaster taketh a more strict account of his best scholar and more often plyeth him with the rod or feruler than any other because he most desireth his profit let them thinke so of our heavenly Teacher that hee holds a stricter hand over those in Christs schoole who outstrip others that they may more profit by him To the third they will answer that an understanding husbandman letteth other trees grow to their full length without cutting or pruning them because they are good for nothing but for fire wood but he pruneth the roses to make them more savoury and the vines to make them more fruitfull let them thus conceive of themselves that they are like vines that runne into luxuriant stemmes and roses apt to grow wilde therefore God the Father who o John 5.1 is an husbandman pruneth them to make them more savourie in their prayers and meditations and more fruitfull in good workes To the fourth they will answer that the Physician doth according to his art to cure the body and God doth the like in wisedome to cure the soule they whom he ordereth not setting them in a course of physick but letteth them doe what they will and have what they call for are in a desperate case To the last they will answer that the experienced Captaine setteth the most valiant souldiers in places of greatest danger that they may get the greater honour so doth God set the most valiant Christian upon the most dangerous service that thereby he may gaine greater honour and a more massie crowne of glory Moreover sinne taketh us oftentimes after the nature of a falling sicknesse out of which our heavenly Father awaketh us by the stroake of his rod. Whereby also hee beateth downe the pride of our flesh and keepeth us alwayes in awe and constraineth us to cry aloud unto him in our prayers he maketh us sensible of our sinnes
the race of a Christian life yet perseverance alone obtaineth the garland Suppose a ship to be fraught with rich merchandise to have held a prosperous course all the way and escaped both rockes and Pyrats yet if it bee cast away in the haven the owner is nothing the better for it but loseth his goods fraight and hope also For this cause it is that in all the promises in these letters of the hidden Manna the white Stone the water of Life the tree of Life the crowne of Life c. the onely condition that is exprest is perseverance To him that overcommeth I will give c. for without it faith is not faith but a wavering opinion hope is not hope but a golden dreame zeale is not zeale but a sudden heat joy but a flash love but a passion temperance but a physicke diet for a time valour but a bravado patience but weake armour notable to hold out All therefore who expect to eat of the hidden Manna and receive the white stone with the new name must get unto themselves and put on the whole armour of God and be daily trained in Christs schoole and when they are called to joyne battell out of an exasperated hatred against the enemies of their soule with great confidence and courage fight against Satan and his temptations the world and all the sinfull allurements in it the flesh and the noysome lusts thereof strenuously valiantly and constantly never putting off their armour till they put off their bodies nor quitting the field till they enter into the celestiall Canaan whereof the terrestriall was a type and what title the Jewes had to the one wee have to the other not by purchase but by promise yet as the recovery of that Land cost the Jewes so the recovery of this costeth the Saints of God much sweat and blood too sometimes but neither that sweat nor that blood is the price of the Land of Promise but the m Joh. 7.29 blood of the immaculate Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world In which regard the Prophet n Hos 10.12 Hosea having exhorted the people to sow in righteousnesse varieth the phrase and saith not yee shall reape in righteousnesse but yee shall reape in mercy Why not reape in righteousnesse as well as sow in righteousnesse because mans righteousnesse is not answerable to Gods and therefore hee must plead for his reward at the throne of mercy not at the barre of justice For though the wages of sinne is death yet eternall life is the gift of God by Jesus Christ to whom bee ascribed c. THE HIDDEN MANNA THE XXVI SERMON APOC. 2.17 I will give to eat of the hidden Manna Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. IN the Old Testament we heare Sic ait Jehovah So saith the Lord God the Father in the Gospell Thus spake Jesus but in this booke for the most part Thus writeth the Spirit as in this verse Wherein you are to observe 1 Literam Spiritus The letter of the Spirit 2 Spiritum Literae The Spirit of the letter Or to use rather the Allegory in the text fixe the eye of your coonsideration upon 1 The golden Pot the elegant and figurative expression 2 The hidden Manna the abstruse and spirituall meaning To him that overcommeth Hee who biddeth us stand upon the highest staire consequently commandeth us to runne up all the rest so hee that would have us to overcome implicitely comandeth us 1. To have our names enrolled in our Captaines booke 2. To bee trained in military exercise 3 To follow our Generall into the field 4. To endure hardnesse and inure our selves to difficult labour 5. When battell is joyned to stand to our tacklings and acquit our selves like men never giving over till wee have 1. repelled next chased lastly discomfited and utterly destroyed our ghostly enemies and when wee are in the hottest brunt and most dreadfull conflict of all by faith to looke upon Christ holding out a crowne from heaven unto us and after wee have overcome in some great temptation and seeme to be at rest to looke upon the labell of this crowne and there wee shall finde it written Vincenti dabo To him that overcommeth indefinitely not in one but in all assaults of temptation not in one but in all spirituall conflicts till hee have overcome the last enemy which is death There are many too many in the militant Church who drinke wine in bowles and sing to the pipe and violl and never listen to Christs alarum others there are who hearing the alarum desire to be entertained in his service and give their names unto him but are not like Timothy trained up in Martiall discipline a third sort like of training well where there is little danger but when they are to put themselves into the field like the children of Ephraim turne backe in the day of battell lastly many like the ancient Gauls begin furiously but end cowardly in the first assault they are more than men in the second lesse than women None of these shall taste of the hidden Manna nor handle the white stone nor read the new name but they who by a timely resolution give their names to Christ by private mortification fasting watching and prayer are trained for this service by faith grapple with their ghostly enemies and by constancy hold out to the end For as Hannibal spake sometime to his souldiers Qui hostem vicerit mihi erit Carthaginensis hee that conquereth his enemy what countrey man soever hee bee hee shall bee unto mee a Carthaginian that is I will hold him for such and give him the priviledge of such an one so Christ speaketh here to all that serve in his warres Hee that overcommeth his enemie of what countrey or nation soever hee bee I will make him free of the celestiall Jerusalem I will naturalize him in my kingdome in heaven In other kingdomes there are severall orders of a Discourse l. origin des ordores milit p. 49. Knights as of Malta of the Garter of the Golden Fleece of Saint John of Jerusalem of Saint Saviour of Saint James of the holy Ghost and divers others but in the kingdome of Christ wee finde but one onely sort viz. the order of Saint Vincents In all other orders some have beene found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 white-livered souldiers or carpet-Knights that either never drew sword nor saw battell or basely fled from their colours but of this order never any either fled from his colours or returned from battell without the spoiles of his ghostly enemies Hee therefore that will bee of this order must bee of good strength and courage well armed continually exercised in Martiall discipline vigilant to take all advantages inured to endure all hardnesse to strength hee must adde skill to skill valour to valour industry to industry patience to patience constancy and to all humility not to challenge the rewards here proposed as due to his service
owne the pearles of the Gospell To heare one who hath the tongue of the learned discourse of the worke of grace enlightning the minde regenerating the heart rectifying the will moderating the desires quieting the affections and filling the soule with unspeakable joy is a great delight to us yet nothing to that we take when we feele grace working upon our soules and producing all these divine effects within us When wee read in holy Scriptures what are the priviledges of the sonnes of God wee see the hidden Manna but when the p Rom. 8.16.17 Spirit testifieth to our spirit that wee are the sons of God and if sonnes then heires heires of God and joint heires with Christ then we eat The hidden Manna Some take the hidden Manna in my text for the mysteries of the Gospel others for the secret vertues of the Sacraments q Primasius in Apoc. Christus factus est homo ut panem Angelorum comederet homo Primasius for Christ himselfe who as he saith was made man that man might eate Manna the food of Angels Pererius for incomparable sweetnesse in the contemplation of heavenly things Cornelius à Lapide for spirituall comforts after temptations all in generall speake to good purpose But if you demand of me in particular what is this hidden Manna I must answer as Cato did when one asked him what he carried so fast lockt up in a chest It is lockt up saith he that thou shouldest not looke into it nor know I cannot tell you what it is because it is hidden onely this is open and manifest in the Scriptures that in the Word the Sacraments Prayer and Meditation the Elect of God find hidden Manna that spirituall sweetnesse which may be compared unto or rather preferred before the relish of Manna to the corporall taste And what St. Cyprian speaketh of the worke of grace in our conversion Sentitur priusquam dicitur it is felt before it can be uttered may be applied to this hidden Manna gustatur priusquam dicitur no tongue can speake of it worthily that hath not tasted it as r Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste 〈◊〉 they are sweeter than hony to my mouth David did who preferreth it before the hony and the hony-combe And St. Å¿ Aug. confes l. 9. c. 1. O quam suave mihi repentè fuit carere mundi suavitatibus quas amittere metus fuit am dimittere gaudium crat tu enim proâ—â—s intraâ—as omni voluptate dulcior Austine O what pleasure tooke I in abandoning all worldly pleasure for thou O Lord enteredst into me for them sweeter than any pleasure And St. Jerome who calleth God to witnesse that sometimes he found heaven upon earth and in his spirituall elevations and raptures thought that hee communed with quieres of Angels And St. t St. Eph. Domine recede à me parumper quia vasis infirmitas ferre non potest Ephraim who was so over-filled with joy in the Holy Ghost that he made a strange prayer O Lord for a little while depart from me and restraine the influence of spirituall joy lest the vessell breake And St. u Mihi hae pruna rosae videntur Citat Cornelius à lap Comment Tiburtius whose inward joyes and spirituall raptures so drowned his bodily tortures that when he trod upon live coales he cryed out saying These live coales seeme to me no other than red roses The scholars of Pythagoras beleeved that the celestiall bodies by their regular motions caused an harmonicall sound and made admirable musicke though neither he nor any other ever heard it and shall not we beleeve that there is hidden Manna though we never tasted it if not upon the report of these Saints who spake of their owne sense and experience yet upon the credit of him who both promiseth to give this hidden Manna and is it himselfe x John 6.51 I am the living bread which came downe from heaven Christ and his word retaine not only the name of Manna but the chiefe qualities and properties thereof First Manna rained from the skies Christ and his word came from heaven Secondly Manna had a most sweet yet a new and strange taste so hath the word it is sweeter than hony to the spirituall tast though the carnall man like better of the flesh pots of Egypt than of it Thirdly Manna relished according to the stomackes of them that ate it and answered all appetites so the word of God is milke to children and strong meat to men Fourthly Manna erat cibus reficiens nunquam deficiens the children of Israel fed on Manna in the wildernesse till they entred into the earthly Canaan in like manner the Word and Sacraments are our spirituall food till we arrive at the celestiall Canaan Fiftly Manna was eaten by it selfe without any other meat or sauce added to it the word of God must not be mingled with human traditions and inventions They who goe about to sweeten it with such spices marre the tast of it and may more justly be taxed than that King of Persia was by Antalcidas who by pouring oyntment upon a garland of roses corrupted the naturall smell and fragrancie thereof by the adulterors sophistication of art Sixtly some portion of the Manna was laid up in the Arke and kept in a golden pot for after-times and part of the mysteries of holy Scripture are reserved for us till we come to heaven and in regard of such truthes as are not ordinarily revealed in this life some conceive the word to be here termed Hidden Manna Howbeit we need not restraine the words to those abstruse mysteries the declaration whereof shall be a part of our celestiall happinesse for the whole doctrine of the Gospell may in a true sense be called hidden Manna because it containeth in it Sapientiam Dei in mysterio the wisedome of God x 1 Cor. 2.7 hidden in a mysterie For albeit the sound of the word is gone into all the world yet the harmonie in it is not observed by all The chapters and verses of the Scripture are generally knowne but not all the contents He that saw the outside of Solomons tents could not ghesse at the royaltie of that Prince but he that entred in and took a particular view and inventory of his pretious furniture rich hangings massie plate full coffers orient jewels and glittering apparell might make a good estimate thereof A blind man from his birth though he may heare of the Sun and discourse of his golden raies from the mouth of others yet can he not possibly conceive what delight the seeing eye taketh in beholding that glorious brouch of heaven and Prince of the starres When we heare the last will of a rich man read unto us which we beleeve little concerneth us though it be never so well penned or copied out it little affecteth us but if we have certaine notice that by it some great legacie in lands or money is
unto our spirits that wee are the sonnes of God Pretious metals are digged out of the bowels of the earth and pearles are found in the bottome of the sea and truely seldome shall we fall upon this treasure of spirituall joy and pearle of the Gospell but in the depth of godly sorrow and bottome and lowest point of our humiliation before God 1. The first taste wee have of the hidden Manna of the Spirit is in the beginning of our conversion and nonage of our spirituall life when after unutterable remorse sorrow and feare arising from the apprehension of the corruption and guilt of our naturall estate and a dreadfull expectation of wrath laid up for us against the day of wrath and everlasting weeping howling and gnashing of teeth with the damned in hell wee on the suddaine see a glympse of Gods countenance shining on us and by faith though yet weake hope for a perfect reconciliation to him 2. A second taste wee have when wee sensibly perceive the Spirit of grace working upon our heart thawing it as it were and melting it into godly sorrow and after enflaming it with an everlasting love of him who by his infinite torments and unconceivable sorrowes hath purchased unto us eternall joyes 3. A third taste wee have of it when after a long fight with our naturall corruptions wee meet with the Divels Lievtenant the sinne that reigneth in us which the Scripture calleth the plague of the heart that vice to which either the temper of our body or our age or condition of life enclineth us unto our bosome abomination to which for a long time wee have enthralled our selves and having perfectly discovered it by employing the whole armour of God against it in the end wee get the victory of it 4. A fourth taste wee have after some heavie crosse or long sicknesse when God delivereth us above hope and sanctifieth our affliction unto us and by his Spirit calleth to our remembrance all his goodnesse to us from our childhood and anointeth our eyes with eye-salve that wee may see the manifold fruits of the crosse and finde in our selves with David that it was good for us thus to bee afflicted 5. A fift taste wee have at some extafie in our life or a trance at our death when wee are rapt up as it were into the third heaven with St. Paul and see those things that eye never saw and heare words that cannot be uttered Thus have I opened unto you five springs of the waters of comfort in which after you have stript your selves of wordly cares and earthly delights you may bathe your soules in the bottome whereof you may see the white stone which Christ promiseth to him that overcommeth saying To him that overcommeth I will give to eate of the hidden Manna To whom c. THE WHITE STONE THE XXVII SERMON APOC. 2.17 And I will give him a white stone Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. IT was the manner of the Thracians to reckon up all the happy dayes of their life and marke them in a booke or table with a white stone whereunto the Poet alluding saith a Pers satyr Hunc Macrine diem numera meliore lapillo May it please God by his Spirit to imprint those mysteries in your hearts which are engraven upon this stone I doubt not but this day in which I am to describe unto you the nature of it will prove so happy that it shall deserve to bee scored up with the like stone For this white stone is a certaine token and pledge of present remission of sinnes and future admission into Christs kingdome Whereof through divine assistance by your wonted patience I will speake at large after I have refreshed the characters in your memory of my former observations upon this Scripture which setteth before all that overcome in the threefold christian warre 1 Forraine against Sathan Recapitulat 2 Civill against the world 3 Servile against fleshly lusts three boones or speciall gifts 1 Hidden Manna a type of spirituall consolation 2 A white stone the embleme of justification 3 A new name the imprese of glorification There is 1 Sweetnesse in the hidden Manna 2 Comfort in the white stone 3 Glory in the new name The sweetnesse of the hidden Manna wee tasted 1 In the mysticall meaning of the Word 2 In the secret power of the Sacrament 3 In the unutterable comfort of the Spirit And now I am to deliver unto you in the next place the white stone In the handling whereof I will levell at those three scientificall questions mentioned by b Aristot analyt post l. 2. c. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notand quod sit referti ad an sit ubi de accidente quaeritur quia accidentis esse est messe Aristotle in his bookes of demonstration Divis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An sit aut quod sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propter quod sit First whether there be any such white stone Secondly what it is Thirdly to what end it is given and what use wee are to make of it for our instruction correction or comfort First of the An sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether there be any such stone or no. There hath beene for many ages a great question De lapide Philosophico of the Philosophers stone to which they ascribe a rare vertue to turne baser metals into gold but there is no question at all among the sincere professours of the Gospell De lapide theologico of the divine stone in my text which yet is far more worth and of greater vertue than that For that if we have any faith in Alchymy after much labour and infinite cost will turne base metall into gold but this will undoubtedly turne penitent teares into pearle and drops of blood shed for the testimony of the Gospell into rubies and hematites to beset our crowne of glory With this stone as a speciall love-token Christ assureth his dearest spouse that c Rom. 8.28 all things shall turn to her good and worke together for her endlesse happinesse Hee that hath this white stone shall by the eye of faith see it suddenly turne all temporall losses into spirituall advantages all crosses into blessings all afflictions into comforts What though some heretickes or profane persons have no beliefe of this white stone no more than they have of that d Mat. 13.46 pearle of great price which the Merchant sold all that hee had to buy What though some have beene abused by counterfeit stones like to this shall wee not therefore regard this or seeke after it This were all one as if an expert Gold-smith should refuse to look after pure gold because some ignorant Merchant hath beene cheated with sophisticated alchymie stuffe for gold or if a skilfull Jeweller should offer nothing for an orient Diamond because an unskilfull Lapidary hath beene corisened with a Cornish or Bristow stone in stead of it The
and godly in this present world Againe if any Spirit tell thee that thou art rich in spirituall graces and lackest nothing when thine owne Spirit testifieth within thee that thou art blinde and naked and miserable and poore beleeve not that Spirit For the Spirit of God is a contest with our spirit q Rom. 8.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the sonnes of God and when they both sweetly accord we may without presumption conclude with Saint r Tract 22. in Joh Veritas pollicetur qui credit habet vitam aeternam ego audivi verba Domini credidit infidelis cum essem factus sum fidelis sicut ipse monuit transii de morte ad vitam in judicium non venio non praesumptione meâ sed promissione ipsius Austine The truth promiseth whosoever beleeveth in mee hath eternall life I have heard the words of the Lord I have beleeved whereas I was before an Infidell I am now made faithfull and according to his promise have passed from death to life and shall come into no condemnation It is no presumption to ground assured confidence upon Christs promise Hereunto let us adde the testimony of the effects of saving grace As the testimony of the Spirit confirmeth the testimony of the Word so the effects of saving grace confirme both unto us These Saint Bernard reckoneth to bee Hatred of sinne Contempt of the world Desire of heaven Hatred of our unregenerate estate past contempt of present vanities desire of future felicity And doubtlesse if our hatred of sinne bee universall our contempt of worldly vanities constant and our desire of heavenly joyes fervent wee may build upon them a strong perswasion that we are in the favour of God because we hate all evill that we are espoused to Christ because wee are divorced from the world and that heaven belongeth unto us because wee long for it Howbeit these seeme to bee rather characters of christian perfection than common workes of an effectuall vocation Though wee arrive not to so high a degree of Angelicall rather than humane perfection yet through Gods mercy wee may bee assured of our election by other more easie and common workes of the Spirit in us I meane true faith sincere love of goodnesse in our selves and others hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse striving against our fleshly corruptions godly sorrow filiall feare comfortable patience and continuall growth in grace and godlinesse Tully writeth of l Cic. Verr. 5. Syracuse That there is no day through the whole yeere so stormy and tempestuous in which they have not some glympse of the sunne neither undoubtedly after the travels of our new birth are past is there any day so overcast with the clouds of temptation in the soule of a Christian in which the Sunne of righteousnesse doth not shine upon him and some of these graces appeare in him For if hee decay in one grace hee may increase in another if hee finde not in himselfe sensible growing in any grace hee may feele in himselfe an unfained desire of such growth and godly sorrow for want of it and though hee conquer not all sinne yet hee alloweth not himselfe in any sinne and though he may have lost the sense yet not the essence of faith and though hee bee not assured in his owne apprehension of remission of sinnes yet hee may bee sure of his adhesion to God and relying upon him for the forgivenesse of them with a resolution like that of Job Though he kill me yet will I put my trust in him And this is the summe and effect of what our Christian casuists answere to the second question Quid sit what is the white stone whereby as a certaine pledge grace and glory are secured unto us The third question yet remains Propter quid sit to what end this white stone is given In the maine point of difference betweene the reformed and the Romane Church concerning assurance of salvation that wee bee not mis-led wee must distinguish of a double certainty The one of the subject or of The person The other of the object or of The thing it selfe The certainty of the one never varieth because it dependeth upon Gods election the certainty of the other often varieth because it dependeth upon the vivacity of our faith Even as the apple in the eye of many creatures waxeth and waineth with the Moone and as t Solin Poly-hist c. 56. Uniones quoties excipiunt matutini aeris semen fit clarius margaritum quoties vespertini fit obscurius Solinus writeth that the Margarite is clearer or duskier according to the temper of the aire and face of the skie in which the shell-fish openeth it selfe so this latter assurance waxeth and waineth with our faith and is more evident or more obscure as our conscience is more or lesse purged from dead workes If our faith be lively our assurance is strong if our faith faile our assurance flagges and in some fearfull temptation is so farre lost that wee are brought to the very brinke of despaire partly to chasten us for our former presumption partly to abate our spirituall pride and humble us before God and in our owne spirits but especially to improve the value of this jewell of assurance and stirre us up to more diligence in using all possible meanes to regaine it and keep it more carefully after we have recovered it By the causes of Gods taking away of this white stone from us or at the least hiding it out of our sight for a while wee may ghesse at the reasons why hee imparteth it unto us 1. First to endeare his love unto us and enflame ours to him For how can wee but infinitely and eternally love him who hath assured us of infinite joyes eternall salvation an indefeizable inheritance everlasting habitations and an incorruptible crowne 2. Secondly to incourage us to finish our christian race through many afflictions and persecutions for the Gospels sake which we could never do if this crowne of glory were not hung out from heaven and manifestly exhibited to the eye of our faith with assurance to winne it by our patience 3. Thirdly but especially to kindle in us a most ardent desire and continuall longing to arrive at our heavenly countrey where wee shall possesse that inheritance of a kingdome which is as surely conveighed unto us by the Word and Sacraments as if Almighty God should presently cause a speciall deed to bee made or patent to bee drawne for it and set his hand and seale to it in our sight To knit up all that hath beene delivered that it may take up lesse roome in your memory and bee more easily borne away let mee entreat you to set before your eyes the custome of the Romanes in the entertainment of any great personage whom after they had feasted with rare dainties served in covered dishes at the end of the banquet they gave unto him an Apophoreton or
of Galatians hee endevoureth to prove according to the true characters and points in the Hebrew is novum nomen a new name never given to any but our Saviour of this name above all other names it is most certain that no man knoweth the vertue thereof but he that is partaker of it In which interpretation the Jesuites affection seemeth to me to have over-swayed his judgement For as Aristoxenus the Musician out of an admiration of his own profession defined the soule to be an n Cic. Tusc 1. harmony so this expositour out of a love to his own society resolveth this new name can be no other than a denominative from Jesus But he should have considered that this new name here promised to the Angel of Pergamus is 1500. yeeres elder than Ignatius their Patriarch and is not promised to him onely but to all Christian conquerours in alleges whereas the name Jesuite before Layola in this age so christened his disloyall off-spring was never heard of in the world Neither lyeth there hid such a mystery in the name Jesuite that no man knoweth it saving hee that receiveth it it is knowne well enough not onely to Romanists of other orders but also to those of the reformed Church who yet never received the badge of their profession nor any marke of the o Apoc. 14 9. beast Victorinus and some others with more probability ghesse the new name to be here meant Christianus of which they understand those words of p Esa 62.2 Esay they shall bee called by my new name Aretas giveth the same interpretation of the white stone and the new name by both which the conquerour in proving masteries was made knowne to the people Carthusian distinguishing of the essentiall and accidentall rewards in heaven and calling the former auream the latter aureolam conceiveth this white stone to bee aureolam a gemme added to the Saints crowne of glory in it the name of Beatus engraven which no man can know but he that receiveth it because q 1 Cor. 2.9 eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him r Illyr in Apoc Scribam cum haeredem vitae aeternae Illyricus and Osiander relating the custome of the Romanes in the election of their chiefe Magistrates to write his name to whom they gave their voice in a white stone thus comment upon the words of my text Him that overcommeth I will entertaine with hidden Manna and I will declare him heire apparent to a crowne in heaven I will elect him to a kingdome ſ Comment in 2. Apoc. Pareus expoundeth novum nomen nomen dignitate praestans a name of honour and renowne t Junius annot in Apoc. Induendo novum hominem quem nemo novit nisi spiritus hominis qui in ipso est cujus laus non est ex hominibus sed ex Deo Junius glosseth it signum indicium novitatis vitae a signe and token of newnesse of life Lastly Victor Pictabionensis Sardus Beda Bulenger Melo Primasius Rupertus Pererius and other expositours generally concurre upon Filius Dei the new name say they written in the white stone is the sunne of God Which their opinion they illustrate by other texts of Scripture as namely Rom. 8.15.16 and 1 Joh. 3.1 and they backe it with this reason The new name here is such a one as no man knoweth saving hee that receiveth it and what can that name bee but the title of the sonnes of God which no man knoweth saving hee that receiveth the Spirit of adoption whereby hee cryeth u Rom. 8.16 Abba Father which Spirit testifieth to his spirit that hee is the childe of God All other expositions may after a sort bee reduced to this for this is a blessed name according to Carthusians interpretation for the children of God are the children of the resurrection and they are most happy It is the name of Christian conquerors according to Victorinus and Aretas his glosse for * 1 Joh. 5.4 every one that is borne of God overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcommeth the world even our faith This is also a symbol and token of newnesse of life for all the regenerate sonnes of God x Eph. 4.24 have put on the new man This name indeed is a glorious name in Pareus his sense for if it were an honour to David to bee sonne-in-law to an earthly King how much more honourable is it to be the adopted sonne of the King of heaven Lastly this name importeth according to Illyricus and Osianders joint explication haeredem vitae aeternae heire of eternall life for if y Rom. 8.17 sonnes then heires And thus as you heare the strings are tuned and all interpretations accorded now I set to the lessons or doctrinall points which are foure 1 The title of sonnes novum nomen 2 The assurance of this title inscriptum calculo 3 The knowledge of this assurance novit qui recipit 4 The propriety of this knowledge nemo novit nisi qui recipit The Roman Generals after their conquests of great countries and cities had new names given unto them as to Publius Scipio was given the sirname of Africanus to Lucius Scipio of Asiaticus to Metellus of Numidicus to Pompey of Hierosolymarius in like manner our celestiall Emperour promiseth to all that overcome their spirituall enemies a new name and eminent title of honour even that which Alexander the conquerour of the whole world most triumphed in when the Egyptian Priest saluted him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sonne of God But why is this called a new name Either because it is unknown to the world and worldly men or in opposition to our old name which was sonnes of Adam That is the name of our nature this of grace that of our shame and misery this of our glory and happinesse that is a name from the earth earthly this is a name from the Lord of heaven heavenly And it appertaineth to all the Saints of God in a threefold respect 1 Of Regeneration 2 Adoption 3 Imitation Regeneration maketh them sonnes of God Adoption heires with Christ Imitation like both When the Astronomer that calculated the nativity of Reginaldus Polus was derided of all because the disposition of the man was knowne to all to be contrary to those characters which he gave of him Poole facetely excused the matter saying Such an one I was by my first nativity as hee hath described me but since that I was born again This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or second birth though Nicodemus at the first deemed a riddle because it could not enter into his head how a man could re-enter his Mothers wombe and be borne the second time yet after our Saviour ingeminated this doctrine unto him z Joh. 3.5 Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit
there be no assurance of faith it selfe Saint u Ep. 112 c 3. Fides ipsa mente uâ—que videtur quamvis hoc fide credatur quod non videtur Austine is most expresse for this reflexive act of faith Faith it selfe saith hee is seene in the minde though wee believe those things by faith which wee cannot see and again * De trin l. 13. c. 2. Fides est in intimis nostris mentibus nec eam quisquam hominum videt in alio sed in semet-ipso Faith is in the inward parts of the soule neither can any man see it in another but in himselfe hee may Could there bee any doubt of this I would evict it out of the expresse words of our Saviour Joh. 14.20 In that day you shall know that I am in the Father and you in mee and I in you And of Saint Paul x 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith or no. Know yee not your selves that Christ is in you except you bee reprobates And y 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed And z 1 Cor. 2.12 Wee have not received the Spirit of the World but the Spirit of God that wee might know the things that are freely given us of God Hang up a taper or a carbuncle in a darke roome and you shall perceive that first it discovereth it selfe by its owne light and then all things in the roome This taper or carbuncle is faith in the soule which as it manifesteth all other graces so most clearly also it selfe The heat by the incident beame of the sunne is but weake the greatest is by the reflected so is it in the act of faith there is but small warmth of comfort from the direct act whereby wee beleeve the singular priviledges of all true beleevers the greatest comfort is by the reflexive viz. that wee are true beleevers and share in those comforts Without this reflexive knowledge there can bee a Rom. 14.5 no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full perswasion in our mindes much lesse b Eph. 3.12 In whom wee have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him accesse with confidence Which yet the auncient Fathers not onely teach plainly out of the Apostle but also shew manifestly how it may be obtained S. c Moral q. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil putteth this case of conscience How may the soule assuredly bee perswaded that God hath forgiven unto her her sinnes And hee resolveth it thus When shee findeth in her selfe the like disposition and affection to his that said I hate iniquity and all false wayes I utterly abhorre Saint d Amb. Serm. 2. de serm Ambrose thus He that cleaveth to that leaven is made himselfe leaven and thereby sure of his owne salvation and secure of gaining others to the faith Saint e Leo Serm. 2. de pasch Leo thus If they finde any of the fruits of charity in their conscience let them not doubt but that God is in them But wee need not borrow torch light where the sunne shineth so bright in holy scriptures f 1 Joh. 5.10 Hee that beleeveth in the sonne of God hath the testimony in himselfe And the g Rom. 8.16 Spirit testifieth to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God the Spirit of God warranteth the major In whomsoever the markes of Gods children set downe in scripture are conspicuous they are the sonnes of God our Spirit testifieth the minor that these marks are in us Now because this assumption can be proved no otherwise than by experience and our owne inward sense my fourth observation hence directly ensueth That no man knoweth the new name save he that receiveth it which is the last point now to be touched and note to be quavered on in my close viz. the propriety of this knowledge None knoweth save he that receiveth it For no man knoweth the things of a man save the h 1 Cor. 2.11 spirit of man that is in him If this white stone were visible to the eye of the body and it were given to us in presence of others it could not be but that some should see and know it besides him that receiveth it But this white stone is conspicuous only to the eye of faith which is the i Heb. 11.1 evidence of things not seene and it is given by the Spirit which is invisible and received also by the inward faculties of our soule which are likewise invisible Were this knowledge onely conjecturall and gathered from outward signes and tokens others might have notice thereof as well as our selves but the Spirit saith here No man knoweth save he that receiveth it It must be therefore a speciall act of speciall faith whereby we are assured of our adoption by faith and of faith by the Spirit k In Apoc. Sint duo quorum uterque laudat mel sed alterus lingua loquitur quod fauces ignorant alterius quod delectatio gustus cum docuerit Ansbertus giveth good aime to the meaning of this text Suppose two saith he commending hony of whom the first discourseth out of his reading the tongue of the second hath tasted that he speaketh of such saith he is the knowledge of him who hath received the white stone Others may know it in specie but he in individuo others contemplatively but he experimentally l in Apoc. Tantae excellentiae est nomen istud ut nemo sciat quid valeat quantum boni comprehendat nisi qui adoptatus est Sardus commeth nearer the marke This name saith he is of such excellency that no man knoweth it that is the value and worth of it but he who is adopted by God m Rupert in Apoc. Cui nemo scit nisi qui accipit quia nominis ejus scientiam non alterius extrinsecus documentum sed proprium interius efficit experimentum ideo nemo scit nisi quem spiritus regenerando filium Dei effecerit ipsâ regeneratione scientem ejus rei doctumque suo tactu effecerit Rupertus hitteth it Why saith he doth no man know this name saving he that receiveth it Because this name cannot be knowne by any outward document but by an inward experiment not by externall evidence but by inward sense therefore no man knoweth it saving he whom the Spirit by regeneration maketh the sonne of God and by the same act maketh him know it There is a great difference betweene a contemplative and an experimentall knowledge of the priviledges of Gods children A blind man from his birth may heare the theory of the Sun read unto him but he can never conceive rightly of the beauty of that glorious lamp of heaven or take the hundreth part of that delight which we doe who see it The discourse of the Jewish Rabbins concerning the delicacy of this Manna in my text is sweet but nothing to the taste of it The meditations of Divines upon the joyes of
whole stone is but a diamond and yet every carrect thereof in it is diamond the whole wedge is but gold and yet every plate every smallest foyle or raye is gold and as the soule of man is tota in toto tota in qualibet parte corporis is whole in the whole and whole in every part of the body so there is season in the whole text and in every part thereof for there is season and that instant in now there is season and that welcome in accepted time lastly there is season and that most welcome in the day of salvation In the g Esay 49 8. accepted time I will heare thee in the day of salvation I will helpe thee This I will heare thee is as it were the noyse of heavenly musicke afarre off Behold the accepted time this soundeth like musick at our gate but now is the day of salvation this is like musicke at our eares Behold the accepted time the day starre beginneth to appeare Behold the day of salvation the sunne is risen Behold now is that time now is that day the sunne is directly over our heads it is now high noone Behold is as a larum bell of attention now is as a finger of indication or application to a season 1 Indefinite a time of acceptation 2 Definite or singular a day of salvation That for information this for our consolation Behold is as a star or hand in the margent pointing to some excellent matter In the Scripture wee finde foure sorts of Ecce's 1 An Ecce of demonstration as h Joh. 19.5 Behold the man 2 An Ecce of admiration as i Mat. 2.9 Behold the starre 3 An Ecce of affection as k Joh. 1.47 Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guilt 4 An Ecce of excitation or attention as l 1 Cor. 15.51.52 Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all sleepe but wee shall all bee changed in a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the last trumpe The Rabbins write of Davids harp that it sounded of it selfe by the winde onely blowing on it without the touch of any string it were to be wished that our heart strings were like his harp strings and would give a sweet sound by the winde onely of the Spirit blowing on them without any touch of an Ecce of excitation or increpation but so it is that though our soule be full of divine graces like Argo's eyes yet Mercury with his enchanted rod the world with fascinating pleasures or the Syren of our flesh with her effeminate songs closeth them all and wee need an Ecce like the m Act. 12.7 Angels stroke on Peters side to awake us out of our dead sleepe A strange thing it is that our eyes should bee open and wee runne with all speed sometimes before day out of doores to see a May-game or a Masque or a Pageant or a Morrice-dance and yet wee should need to have an Ecce to stirre us up and plucke open as it were our eye-lids to behold the light of heaven and the glory of the celestiall Paradise Wee listen willingly to wanton musick and lascivious songs but must be pulled by the eare to listen to the sacred songs of Sion Beloved did you fasten your attention did you thoroughly consider of what you cannot but heare again againe unlesse with the deafe adder you stopped your eares something would sticke by you all our sermons all our admonitions all our reprehensions all our consolations should not bee like letters written in sand or the tracke of a ship in the sea or of a bird in the ayre or of a serpent upon a stone whereof there remaines no print at all Saint Hierome speaking of an Imperiall law restraining the luxury of the Clergy The law saith he is good but this is not good that the manners of the Clergy were so dissolute that they needed such a coercive law Bonum cauterium sed vae nobis quod indigeamus tali cauterio so it may bee said of these Ecce's or Beholds in Scripture that they are good and of singular use but it is great pitty that wee should need them it is a signe that our spirituall man is very drowsie if not in a dead sleepe that the Spirit calleth so often and so loud upon us sometimes 1 To awake our faith as n Esay 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall hee with childe and shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Emanuel 2 To awake our hope as o Apoc. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with mee to give every man as his workes shall bee 3 To awake our love as p 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what love God hath shewen unto in that wee should bee called the sonnes of God 4 To awake our feare as q Apoc. 1.7 Behold hee commeth with the clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall vaile before him 5 To awake our joy as r Luk. 2.10.11 Behold I bring you tidings of exceeding great joy which shall be to all people that to you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. 6 To awake our thankfulnesse as Å¿ Psal 134.1 Behold now praise the Lord all ye servants of the Lord which by night stand in the house of the Lord. 7 To awake our compassion as t Lam. 1.12 Behold if there were ever sorrow like unto my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath 8 To awake our diligence and industry in eager and speedy pursuing the meanes of our salvation as here in my text Behold now is the accepted Time Other things are with more ease described than understood but time is easily understood not described or defined so easily there is no rusticke so rude who understandeth not what you meane when you speake of time yet never any Philosopher to this day hath exactly defined or described it Aristotle maketh an essay in his Physickes determining time to be Numerum motus secundum prius posterius The number of motion or motion numbred according to the former or latter parts thereof but he faileth in this his definition For questionlesse time is as well the measure of rest as of motion we sleepe as well in time as we worke in time And as a ship in the Sea whether the passengers lye in their cabbins or walke on the deckes holdeth on her course so whether we sleepe or wake labour or be at our ease the time of our life goeth on When Josuah commanded the Sun to stand still in the heavens all the motions of the celestiall bodies ceased yet was there then time wherein that noble Generall accomplished his victory The Platonicks definition is truer who say that time is eternity limited but yet no way perfect I grant time is as it were a portion or cantle of
of our religion dare tell the world that wee are all for faith and that wee hold workes to salvation as a parenthesis to a sentence Heaven and earth shall witnesse the injustice of this calumniation and your consciences shall be our compurgatours this day which shall testifie to you both now and on your death-bed that wee have taught you there is no lesse necessitie of good workes than if you should bee saved by them and that though you cannot be saved by them as the meritorious causes of your glory yet that you cannot be saved without them as the necessary effects of that grace which brings glory Indeed we doe not hover over your expiring soules at your death beds as Ravens over a carkasse we doe not beg for a covent nor fright you with Purgatorie nor chaffer with you for that invisible treasure of the Church whereof there is but one key keeper at Rome but we tell you that the making of friends with this Mammon of unrighteousnesse is the way to eternall habitations They say of Cyrus that he was wont to say He layd up treasure for himselfe when hee made his friends rich but we say to you that you lay up treasures for your selves in heaven whilest you make the poore your friends on earth Hee shall never be Gods heire in heaven who lendeth him nothing on earth As the wittie Poet sayd of extreme tall men that they were like Cypresse trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so may I say of a straithanded rich man and these Cypresses are not for the Garden of Paradise None shall be ever planted there but the fruitfull and if the first Paradise had any trees in it onely for pleasure I am sure the second which is in the midst of the new Jerusalem shall have no tree that beares not twelve fruits yea whose very leaves are not beneficiall Doe good therefore O yee rich and shew your wealth to be not in having but in doing good and so doe it that wee may thanke you not your death-bed for it Late beneficence is better than none but so much as early beneficence is better than late He that gives not till he dies shewes that he would not give if he could keepe it That which you give thus you give it by your testament I can scarce say you give it by your will The good mans praise is dispersit dedit he disperses his goods not he left them behinde him and his distribution is seconded with the retribution of God His righteousnesse endureth for ever Psal 112.9 Our Saviour tells us that our good workes are our light Let your light so shine that men may see your good workes Which of you lets his light goe behind him and hath it not rather carried before him that he may see which way it goes and which way himselfe goes by it Doe good therefore in your life that you may have comfort in your death and a crowne of life after death Here the Preacher filled up his border with the gifts of this Citie as it were so many precious stones in stead whereof because I am not appointed to rehearse your deeds but the Preachers Sermon I will fill it up with the praises of the Speaker His sentences were verè lineae aureae according to Junius his translation of my text cum punctis argenteis the latter whereof interlaced his whole discourse It remaineth that as I have done in the former so I worke the embleme of the giver in his gift The Image shall be Marcus Callidius the Motto or words the words of Tullie De claris Oratoribus Orator non unus è multis sed inter multos singularis reconditas exquisitasque sententias mollis perlucens vestiebat oratio Nihil tam tenerum quam illius comprehensio verborum quae ita pura erat ut nihil liquidius ita liberè fluebat ut nusquam adhaeresceret nullum nisi in loco positum tanquam emblemate vermiculato verbum structum videres accedebat ordo rerum plenus artis actio liberalis totumque dicendi genus placidum sanum THE THIRD BORDER OR HORTUS DELICIARUM The third border of gold with studs of silver which the third Speaker offered to the Spouse was wrought upon those texts Gen. 2.15 16 17. And the Lord God tooke the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dresse it and to keepe it And the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eate But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And thus he put it on THis Scripture containeth in it seven particulars of which by Gods assistance in order The third Sermon preached by Dr. Hacket sometimes fellow of new Colledge in Oxon abridged 1 Who tooke The Lord God 2 Whom The man Adam 3 What he did with him He placed him in Paradise 4 To what end To dresse and keepe it 5 God his large permission to the man To eat of all other trees 6 His restraint from the tree of knowledge 7 His punishment if he refraine it not Thou shalt die the death 1. Who tooke The Lord God Jehovah Elohim In Jehovah note the Unitie Elohim the Trinitie of persons Jehovah signifieth that he is of himselfe and giveth to all other to be for he is as Damascene teacheth the beeing of them that be the life of all that live Elohim signifieth which ruleth and disposeth all Of this Almighty Maker and Disposer of all the more wee speake the more we have to speake the more we thinke of him the more wee finde him greater than our thoughts and therefore with silence admiring that majesty which neither tongue of men nor Angels can expresse I passe to the second particular The Man Man consisteth of a body and a soule 2. Whom his body was made of the earth his soule was inspired by God not propagated by generation The soule doth neither beget nor is begotten saith Chrysostome but is infused by God who is said by the Preacher to give the soule a Eccl. 12.7 The Spirit shall returne to God that gave it and in this respect is called by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes The b Heb. 12 9. Father of Spirits Upon which words St. Jerome inferreth Ridendi sunt qui putant animas cum corporibus seri and St. Austine refelleth that opinion by Adams words concerning Eve This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh he saith not soule of my soule In this part of man man is said to be made according to Gods own Image for the c Epiphan haeres 70. Audians heresie which attributed the corporall lineaments of man to God is long agoe exploded and that in a threefold respect 1. In respect of the faculties of the soule 1. Understanding 2. Will. 2. In regard of the qualities of the soule
faithfull and thy faith to be sound and thy patience to bee invincible and thy workes and the last to be more than the first The faire and magnificent Colledges lately founded and Churches sumptuously repaired and Libraries rarely furnished and Schooles richly endowed and Students in the Universities liberally maintained and the poore in Hospitals charitably relieved are standing testimonies and living evidences thereof Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee that thou sufferest the woman that sitteth upon seven hils the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth Jezabel of Rome which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse and Mistresse of all Prophets and Prophetesses by Priests and Jesuites to teach and deceive my servants to make them commit spirituall fornication and freely communicate with Idolaters and I gave her space to repent sixty yeers at least that she might not complain that I began with violent extreme courses and launced her wounds whilest they were greene but all this while she hath not repented of her Superstitions and abominable Idolatries therefore I will lay it heavie upon her I will send plague after plague and heape sorrow upon sorrow and adde affliction to affliction and if all will not serve I will poure out the dregges of my red wine on her and quench the fire of my wrath with her stained bloud I will kill her children with death and all the Churches shall know that I am hee that searcheth deep into the wounds of the heart and reines and discover filthinesse corruption in the inward parts and I will give unto every one according to his workes but unto you I say and to the rest in great Britaine as many as have not this doctrine of the Romish Jezabel and which have not knowne the depths of Sathan her mysteries of iniquity I will put upon you no other burden of Lawes or Canons but that which you have already Hold fast till I come to judgement In this Letter observe we 1. The superscription mysterious Ver. 18. 2. The contents various presenting to our religious thoughts 1. A sweet insinuation Ver. 19. 2. A sharpe reprehension Ver. 20 21. 3. A fearfull commination Ver. 22 23. 4. A comfortable conclusion Ver. 24. In the superscription wee have an admirable description of the glorified body of our Redeemer which shineth more brightly than a flame of fire or the finest metall glowing in the furnace Secondly an eminent title attributed to the Bishop or Super-intendent of the Church in Thyatira The Angel To the Angel in Thyatira saith the Sonne of God who hath eyes like a flame of fire to a Bullengerus in hunc locum Illuminat alios alios igne sempiterno concremat inlighten the godly and burne up the ungodly and feet like brasse to support his Church and bruise the enemies thereof I know thy workes proceeding from thy love and thy love testified by thy service and thy service approved by thy faith and thy faith tryed by thy patience and that the silver springs of thy bounty have more overflowed at the last than at the first Thus farre the sweet insinuation which afterwards falls into a sharpe reprehension like as the sweet river b Solinus c. 20. Hypanis Scythicorum amnium princeps haustu saluberrimus dum in Exampeum fontem inferatur qui amnem suo vitio vertit Hypanis into the bitter fountaine Exampeus Notwithstanding I have an action against thee that thou sufferest the filthy Strumpet Jezebel to corrupt the bodies and soules of my servants by permitting corporall fornication to them and committing spirituall with them whose judgement sleepeth not no not in her bed but even there shall surprise her For behold I will cast her into a bed where she hath cast her selfe in wantonnesse I will cast her in great weaknesse and will make her bed of pleasure a racke to torment her Ubi peccavit punietur where she swilled in her stolne waters that rellished so sweet in her mouth shee shall take downe her bitter potion Ubi oblectamentum ibi tormentum Of which plagues of Jezebel when God shall open the vials mouth at this time I purpose to gather some few observations from the two former branches of this Scripture but to insist wholly upon the third in the explication whereof when I have proved by invincible arguments that Jezebel is not to be tolerated in the application I will demonstrate that the Pseudo-catholike Romane Church otherwise called the Whore of Babylon is Jezebel or worse if worse may bee as God shall assist mee with his Spirit and endue mee with power from above for which I beseech you all to joyn with mee in prayer O most gracious God c. And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write c. The Naturalists observe that the thickest and best hony is that which is squeezed last out of the combe and usually the daintiest dish is served in at the last course and Musicians reserve the sweetest straine for their close and Rhetoricians take speciall care of their peroration The last speech of a dying friend leaves a deep impression in our hearts and art imitating nature holdeth out the last note of the dying sound in the organ or voice which consideration should stirre up our religious thoughts and affections to entertain with greatest alacrity and singular respect the admonitions and prophecies delivered in this booke as being the last words of our Lords last will and testament d Sen. ep 12. Gratissima sunt poma cùm fugiunt deditos vino potatio extrema delectu c. and the last breath as it were of the Spirit of God If that of the Poet be true that the beames of the c Esse Phoebi dulcius solet lumen jamjam cadentis Sunne shine most pleasantly at his setting how pleasant and deare ought the light of this Propheticall booke be unto us which is the last irradiation and glissoning of the Sunne of righteousnesse In it discerne we may 1. Counsels chapt 2.3 2. Predictions of the state of the Church 1. Militant from the 4th to the 21. 2. Triumphant from the 21. to the end The manner of delivery of both to Saint John was by speciall revelation which you will better conceive if you be pleased to take notice of the meanes whereby all knowledge divine and humane is conveighed into the soule As all water ariseth either from Springs below or falleth from the Clouds above so all knowledge is either gathered from the creatures by naturall reason grounded upon experience or immediately descendeth from the Father of lights and is attained unto by supernaturall illumination Supernaturall illumination is either 1. By ordinary inspiration common to all the Pen-men of the holy Ghost who wrote the dictates of the Spirit and were so assisted by him that they could not set downe any thing amisse 2. By extraordinary revelation which may be either 1. Of things past whereof there remaine no records monuments or memorialls to furnish
gente Antei cuiusdam in stagnum quoddam regionis ejus duci vestituque in quâ—rcu suspenso … nare abire in desertum transfiguratique in lupos Pliny writeth of certaine people of the family of Anteus in Arcadia who having put off their clothes and swom over a deep standing poole wander in the wildernesse runne among Wolves and are transformed into their shape and after returne backe and doe great mischiefe in their owne countrey I beleeve not that there is any such family in Arcadia but I am sure wee have a sort of men in England who putting off the habit of English men and Scholars crosse the narrow Seas converse with Romish Wolves and degenerate into their nature and after they returne backe into their owne countrey make havocke of Christs flocke Here I cannot but cry aloud with zealous Bullenger t In Apoc. c. 2. Quae quaeso clementia est crudelissimis lupis blandiri ut oves innocentes Christi sanguine redemptas impunè dilâ—nient quae haec patientia sinere vineam Domini ab immanissimis monstris devastati What clemency call you this to suffer the Lords Vineyard to bee spoiled and laid waste by cruell Monsters What mercy to spare the Wolves which spare not Christs sheep redeemed with his precious bloud who plot treason against their naturall Prince scandalize the State and staine with impure breath the gold and silver vessels of the Sanctuary who turne religion into Statisme or rather into Atheisme Let it bee accounted mercy not to execute the rigour of penall Statutes upon silly seduced sheep certainly it is cruelty to spare the Wolves which worry them If any pricked at the heart at the consideration of these things say with the Jewes in the Acts y Acts 2.37 Quid faciemus What shall wee doe Wee have used all diligence to find out these Romish Wolves and those that come within our reach wee smite at the rest we set our strongest Mastives and fray them out of our coasts I answer If this were sincerely done of all hands if some shepheards were not seen by the Wolves before they spie them and thereby lost their voices according to the Proverb Lupi videre priores I say if the shepheards and the dogges bestirred themselves as they should yet the wise man in Livie will tell them All will be to no great purpose till the woods and thickets be cut down to which they flie there hide themselves Nunquam defuturi sunt lupi donec sylvae exscindantur you shall never be rid of these Romish wolves so long as in all quarters of this Kingdome they have so many places of shelter to lurke in I had almost sayd Sanctuaries of defence I am now come home to the point I first thought upon when I was sommoned to speake to this honourable assembly This Sermon was preached during the Parliament whereof many were present consisting of so many noble and worthy members of the high Court of Parliament and therefore here I will land my discourse after I have given you but one memento out of the Psalmist Remember the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem how they sayd Downe with it downe with it even to the ground or rather Up with it up with it to the trembling ayre Blow up King Queene Prince Parliament Clergie Laitie Nobilitie Gentrie Commons Lawes Statutes Charters Records all in a cloud of fire that there remaine not so much as any cinders of them upon the earth lest perhaps the Phoenix might revive out of her owne ashes But praysed be the God of heaven who discovered and defeated that plot of hell our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare the snare is broken and we are delivered I will close up all with those sweet straines of the hundred forty ninth Psalme O sing unto the Lord a new song let his praise be heard in the great congregation let Israel rejoyce in him that made him and let the children of Sion be joyfull in their King for the Lord hath pleasure in his people and will make the meeke glorious by deliverance let the Saints be joyfull with glory let them rejoyce in their beds let the high Acts of the Lord be in their mouthes and a two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the Romish Jezebel and rebuke her proselites to bind her Priests in chaines and her Chemarims with linkes of iron that they may be avenged of them as it is written Such honour have all his Saints To whom c. JEZEBEL SET OUT IN HER COLOURS A Sermon preached in Saint Pauls Church Novemb. 20. Anno 1614. THE XXXIV SERMON REVEL 2.20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed unto Idols Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. IN this letter indited by the Spirit and penned by St. John I observed heretofore 1 Superscription and therein 1 The party from whom with his eminent quality the Sonne of God c. 2 The partie to whom it was sent with the title of his dignity the Angel of Thyatira 2 The contents which are so manifold and of such importance that if I had the tongue of an Angel I could hardly deliver them all in particular I have heretofore presented you with twelve sorts of fruits answerable to the fruits of the tree of life a Apoc. 22. described all growing upon the two former branches of this Scripture and this of my text and yet I have not gathered the halfe It resembleth that wonderfull tree which Pliny saw at b Lib. 17. c. 16. nat hist Arborem vidimus â—uxta Tiburtes Tulias omni genere pomorum onustam alio ramo nucibus alio baccis aliunde vite ficis pyris punicis malorumque generibus Tiburts which bare all kind of delicious and wholesome fruits Seneca his observation is true that c Sen ep 23. ad Lucil. Levium metallorum fructus in summo est illa opulentissima sunt quorum in alâ—o latet vena assidoè plenius responsura fodienti baser metals are found neere the top but the richer lie deep in the earth affording great store of precious oare Such is the Mine I have discovered in this passage of Scripture into which that you may search deeper with more profit and lesse danger I will beare before you a cleere light made of all the expositions of the best learned Scribes in the house of God who to enrich our faith bring forth out of their treasuries new things and old And to the Angel that is the Bishop or chiefe Pastour as heretofore I proved at large unto you In the Old Testament we reade of the ministery of Angels but here we finde Angels of the ministery to whom the Sonne of God himselfe kindly and familiarly writeth Our usuall forme of sommoning your attention is Hearken unto the
and as the Å¿ Pro. 14.18 But the path of the just is aâ— the shining light that shineth more and more untill the perâ—ect day light of the Sun shineth more and more till it be perfect day as the branches of the true vine bearing fruit in Christ are purged and pruned by the Father that they may bring forth more fruit Å¿ John 15.2 Herein the supernaturall motions of the Spirit resemble all naturall motions which as the Philosopher teacheth us are velociores in fine quam in principio swifter in the end than in the beginning Of all the proper markes of the elect children of God this is the most certaine and therefore St. t Phil. 3.13 14. Paul instanceth in it onely This one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I presse towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And St. u 2 Pet. 3.18 Peter closeth with it as the upshot of all Ye therefore beloved beware lest ye fall from your own stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ It is not so in the spiritual as in the corporall augmentation for the body groweth according to all dimensions but to a certain age but the soule may must grow in spiritual graces till the houre of death and the reason of the difference is because the aetas consistentiae of our body is in this life but of our soul in the life to come Here the body arriveth to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highest pitch of perfection but the soule arriveth not to hers til we come to the heavenly Jerusalem and to the x Heb. 12.23 Church of the first borne and to the spirits of just men made perfect O that our blessed Redeemer had here made an end of his letter and sealed up all the Angels praises with this sweet close what an admirable president should we have had of a perfect Pastour what joy should have beene in the presence of the Angels for the unspotted integrity and absolute perfection of this Angell But because as St. y Ep. ad â—ust Apud Deum nihil tantum suave placet nisi quod habet in se aliquid mordacis veritatis Jerome acutely observeth that there was no use of hony in the sacrifices of the old law because nothing pleaseth God which is onely sweet and hath not in it somewhat of biting truth therefore after the sweet insinuation I know c. there followeth a sharpe reprehension there is a Notwithstanding that standeth in this Angels light and obscureth the lustre of all his former vertues Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee Origen handling those word z Cant. 1.5 Nigra sum sed formosa I am blacke but comely draweth the face and lineaments of Christs Spouse if I may so speake with a blacke coale a Orig. in Cant. hom 1. Quaerimus quomodo nigra sine candore sit pulchra poenitentiam egit a peccatis speciem ei largita est conversio nigra est propter antiqua peccata sed propter poenitentiam habet aliquid quasi Aethiopici decoris How saith he can she be faire that is all blacke I answer she hath repented her of her sinnes and her repentance hath given her beautie but such as may be in a Negro or Blackmoore Philosophie teacheth that there is no pure metall to be found in the Mines of the earth nor unmixed element in the world What speak I of the earth the starres of the skie are not cleane nor the Angels of heaven pure in Gods eyes Job 25.5 Behold even to the moone and it shineth not yea the starres are not pure in his sight how much lesse sinfull man whose conception is lust and birth shame and life frailty and death corruption After St. Austine had blazoned his mothers vertues as Christ doth here the Angels he presently dasheth them all through with a blacke line b Aug. confes l. 9. c. 13. Attamen vae laudibili vitae hominum si remotâ miserecordiâ discutias eum Woe be to the most righteous upon earth if God deale with them in strict justice c Aug. l. 10. c. 28. Contendunt laetitiae meae flendae cum laetandis moeroribus ex qua parte stet victoria nescio hei mihi Domine miserere mei Contendunt moerores mei mali cum gaudiis bonis ex qua parte stet victoria nescio hei mihi Domine miserere mei Ecce vulnera mea non obscondo medicus es aeger sum misericors es miser sum As for me saith that humble Saint I confesse my sinnes to thy glory but my owne shame my sinfull delights contend with my godly sorrowes and on whether side standeth the victorie I know not woe is me Lord have mercy upon me Againe my ungodly sorrowes contend with my holy joyes and on which side standeth the victorie I know not woe is me Lord have mercy on me Behold I hide not my wounds thou art a Physician I am sicke thou art a Surgeon I am thy Patient thou art pitifull I am in miserie If the light be darknesse how great is the darknesse If our righteousnesse be as menstruous clouts Esay 64.6 what are our monstrous sinnes Yet the Prophet saith not that the covers of our sinnes but the robes of our righteousnesse are as filthy rags Whereupon b Origen in ep ad Rom. c. 3. Quis vel super justitia â—uá gloriabitur cum audiat Deum per Prophetam dicentem quia omnis iustitia vestra sicut pannus menstruatae Origen groundeth that question which may gravell all those that build upon the sinking sands of their owne merits Who dare brag of his righteousnesse when he heareth God saying by his Prophet All our righteousnesse is as filthy rags Surely Pope Gregorie was no Papist at least in this point for he prizeth the best endeavours of grace in us at a lower rate than Luther or Calvin they say our purest coyne is allayed with some quantity of baser metall he that it is no better than drosse c Greg. mor. l. 9. c. 11. Omnis humana iustitia injustitia esse convincituâ— si districtâ— judicetur All humane justice saith he examined according to Gods strict justice is injustice Therefore if we say or thinke God hath nothing against us he hath much against us for so saying or thinking For d Psal 19.12 who knoweth how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou us all from our secret faults Had we arrived to the perfection of this Angel in my text and could exhibite letters testimoniall signed by our Saviour such as this Angel of Thyatira might yet were it not safe to capitulate with God notwithstanding all our vertues and graces he hath somewhat against us either for sinnes of omission or sinnes of commission or at least sinnes of permission I
that spit upon him whipped him smote him on the face crowned him with thornes tare him with nailes these were they who in the act of his bitter passion when his soule bereft of all comfort laden with the sinne of all the world and fiercenesse of his Fathers wrath enforced from him that speech than which the world never heard a more lamentable My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee then in stead of comfort they reviled him If thou be the Son of God come downe from the crosse all this notwithstanding though they persecuted him hee loved them though they cryed Away with him he dyed for them at his death prayed for them Father forgive and pleaded for them they know not what they doe and wept for them offering supplications in their behalfe with prayers strong cries Greater love than this can no man shew to lay downe his life for his friend yet thou O blessed Saviour art a patterne of greater love laying downe thy life for this people whilest they were thine enemies but not for this people only the Holy Ghost so speakes O Lord we were thine enemies as well as they and whilest we were thine enemies we were reconciled to God the Father by the precious death of thee his Son For the Scripture setteth forth his love to us that whilest we were yet sinners he dyed for us He for us alone for us all the same spirit which set before him expedit mori did sweeten the brim of that sowre cup with this promise that when hee should make his soule an offering for sin hee should see his seed that as the whole earth was planted so it might be redeemed by one bloud as by one offence condemnation seized upon all so by the justification of one the benefit might redound unto all to the justification of life And this bloud thirsty Caiphas unwittingly intimated saying Expedit unum mori pro populo If one and he then dead could do thus much what can he not do now now that he liveth for ever He trod the wine-presse alone neither is there salvation in any other S. Stephen was stoned S. Paul beheaded Nunquid pro nobis No it cost more than so it is done to their hands there is one who by the oblation of himselfe alone once offered hath made a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world And that whilest it is a world for our Saviour that stood in the gap betwixt Gods wrath us catching the blow in his own body hath by his bloud purchased an eternal redemption every one that beleeveth in him shal not perish but have life everlasting In the number of which beleevers if we be then is the fruit of his meritorious passion extended to us we may challenge our interest therein and in our persons the Prophet speaketh He bare our infirmities and carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes are we healed Which great benefit as it is our bounden duty to remember at all times so this time this day Vivaciorem animi sensum puriorem mentis exigit intuitum recursus temporis textus lectionis as S. Leo speaketh The annuall recourse of the day and this text fitted to it calleth to our minde the worke wrought the means by which it was wrought on this day to him a day of wrath of darknesse of blacknesse heavie vengeance but to us a good day a good Friday a day of deliverance freedome a day of jubilee and triumph For as on this day by the power of his Crosse were we delivered from the sting of sin and tyranny of Satan so that whereas we might for ever have sung that mournfull Elegy O wretched men that we are who shal deliver us from death hell we are now enabled to insult over both O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory Which victory of our Saviour and ours through him so dearly purchased when we call to mind let us consider withall that as the cause of this conflict on his part was his love to us so on our parts it was the hainousness of our sinne not otherwise to be expiated than by his death And as the first ought to raise us up to give annuall daily continuall thankes to him who did and suffered so much for us so the second should withhold us keep us back from sin that since our Saviour dyed for our sin we should dye to sin rather dye than sin This bloud once shed is good to us Expedit nobis if to faith in that bloud we joyn a life beseeming Christianity but if by our crying sins trespasses we crucifie him againe we make even that bloud which of it selfe speaketh for us better things than the bloud of Abel in stead of pardon to cry for vengeance against us Let us therfore looke up to him the author and finisher of our salvation beseeching him who with the bloud of his passion clave rockes stones asunder with the same bloud which is not yet nor ever will be dry to mollifie and soften our hard hearts that seriously considering the hainousnesse of our sins which put him to death and his unexpressible unconceivable love that for us he would dye the death even the death of the Crosse we may in token of our thankfulness endeavour to offer up our soules and bodies as a reasonable sacrifice to him that offered himselfe a sacrifice for us and now sitteth at the right hand of God to this end that where he our Redeemer is there wee his people and dearest purchase may be for ever THE SECOND ROW And in the second row thou shalt set a Carbuncle a Saphir and a Diamond THat the second Speaker that sweet singer of Israel whose ditty was Awake sing ye that sleep in dust made according to my Text a row or Canticum graduum a Psalme of ascents or degrees I cannot but even in a duty of thankfulnesse acknowledge for the help of memory I received from it had not he made a row that is digested disposed his matter in excellent order I should never have bin able to present to you the jewels set in this row which are all as you see most orient Of all red stones the Carbuncle of all blew the Saphir Plin. nat hist l. 37. of all simply the Diamond hath been ever held in highest esteem Maximum in rebus humanis pretium adamas habet non tantum inter gemmas Comment in Esay Carbunculus saith S. Jerome videtur mihi sermo doctrinae qui fugato errore tenebrarum illuminat corda credentium hic est quem unus de Seraphim tulit farcipe comprehensum ad Esayae labra purganda Whether this second Preacher in S. Pauls phrase a Prophet his tongue were not touched with such a coale I referre my selfe to your hearts and consciences Nonne
in his office as for our sakes to assure us of the remission of our sinnes purchased by the bloud which Christ as a Priest offered upon the Crosse How are we assured hereof what security doth he give us The greatest that ever was taken or given the oath of Almighty God If the bare word of God is able to sustaine this whole frame of nature shall not his oath be able to support a weake Christian in the hottest skirmish with Satan and most dreadfull conflict with despaire What though our consciences be so polluted that we abhorre our selves yet let us not languish in despaire for we have a Priest that can cleanse them there is no staine so fowle which the bloud of Christ will not fetch out If we have but so much faith as a graine of mustard seed we may say with q Mors Christi mors meae mortis quia ille mortuus est ut ego vivâ—m quopacto enim non vivat pro quo moritur vita Bernard in his divine rapture The death of Christ is the death of my death because he dyed that I might live for how should he not live for whom life dyed O then in a spirituall dereliction when our heart is as cold as a stone and we are at the very brinke of despaire apprehending the full wrath of God against us for all our sinnes let us not say to the mountaines Cover us and to the hills Fall upon us but flie to the rocke in Horeb Christ Jesus and hide our selves in the holes thereof Foramina petrae sunt vulnera Christi The holes of this rocke are the wounds of our Saviour let us by faith run into the holes of this rocke and feare nothing Yea but even there wee heare the cry of our sins like the cry of Sodome and therefore how can we be safe Listen wee but a while and wee shall heare another cry farre lowder the cry of Christs bloud which speaketh better things for us than the bloud of Abel Yea but how may wee be assured that his bloud speaketh for us and maketh continuall intercession to his Father to be reconciled unto us By his owne promise and his Fathers oath If he should neglect to solicite for them who truly repenting of their sins by faith relye upon him he should breake his owne word and neglect the office to the discharge whereof his Father hath sworne him saying Thou art a Priest for ever How can we ever thinke that hee will refuse us who gave us himselfe Will he spare breath for us who breathed out his soule for us Yea but we sinne continually and he intercedeth perpetually he is a Priest for ever Yea but we are weake and our enemies strong what can a Priest stead us he may purge our sinnes but can he save our persons he may appease the wrath of God but can he rescue us from the violence of man he may stand in the gap between God and us but can he stand in the field for our defence against our enemies That hee can for hee is a Priest after the order of Melchizedek a Kingly Priest a Priest to instruct us and a King to protect us a Priest to reconcile us to God and a King to subdue our enemies unto us a Priest to cloth us with his righteousnesse and a King to arme us with his power a Priest to consecrate us Priests and a King to crowne us Kings To whom King and Priest and to the Father who ordained him not by imposition of hands but by deposition of oath and to the holy Spirit who made the instrument and sealed it three persons and one everliving and everloving God let us as Kings command the utmost service of our bodies and soules and as Priests offer them both intirely for living sacrifices most agreeable and acceptable to him Amen THE ARKE UNDER THE CURTAINES A Sermon preached in Oxford at the Act July 12. Anno 1613. THE XXXVIII SERMON 2 SAM 7.2 The King said unto Nathan the Prophet See now I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Arke of the Lord dwelleth within curtaines Right Worshipfull c. WEe reade of small or no raine that falls at any time on divers parts of Africa and the cause is supposed to bee the sandy nature of the soyle from whence the Sun can draw no vapours or exhalations which ascending from other parts in great abundance resolve themselves into kinde showres refreshing the earth This beloved is the true reason why God powreth not down his benefits in such plentifull manner as he was wont upon us because our hearts like the dry and barren sands of Africa send up no vapours of divine meditations melting into teares no exhalation or breath of praise or thanksgiving backe to heaven Undoubtedly if wee were thankfull to God for his benefits hee would be alwayes beneficiall to us for our thankfulnesse and account himselfe indebted unto us for such acknowledgement of our debt For there is nothing that obtaineth more of him or deserveth better of men than a thankfull agnition of favours received and a present commemoration of benefits past It is the easie taske and imposition which the supreme Lord of all layeth upon all the goods we possesse blessings of this life which we receive from his bountifull hands and if we be not behind with him in this tribute of our lips he will see that all creatures in heaven and earth shall pay their severall tributes unto us the sun of his heat the moon of her light the starres of their influence the clouds of their moisture the sea and rivers of their fish the land of her fruits the mynes of their treasure and all things living of their homage and service But if wee keep backe this duty from him which the poorest may pay as well as the rich out of the treasuries of their owne heart no marvell if hee sometimes make fast the windowes of heaven and locke up the treasures of his bounty to make us cry to him in our wants and necessities who would not sing to him in our wealth and prosperity Upon this or the like consideration good King David as soone as God had given him rest from all his enemies thought presently of preparing a resting place for the Arke Having therefore a holy purpose to consecrate the spoyles he tooke from his enemies to him that gave him victory over them and to build a stately and magnificent Temple to the honour of the God of his salvation and desirous to receive some encouragement from him to set to so noble a worke hee calleth for Nathan the Prophet and breaketh his minde unto him in the words whereof I have made choice for my Text which containe in them 1. A godly resolution 2. A forcible motive The resolution is implyed viz. to build God an house the reason is expressed the consideration of his own royall palace A reason drawn à dissentaneis I dwell in a house of Cedar but
only upon him build upon his Gospel for your instruction his grace for your conversion his bloud for your redemption his prayer for your intercession Secondly Cohaerete invicem sticke fast together bee firmly united in Christian charity keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Unities severed or divided make no number letters divided make no syllable syllables divided make no word words divided make no speech members divided make no body stones divided make no wall The Ark of the Church is like the ship in controversie of law in which two owners claimed right of which it was said p Eras Adag Si dividas perdis if you cut it in two parts to satisfie both parties you destroy the whole Thirdly Adhaerete tecto be pinned fast unto and support the roofe What is the roofe but the higher q Rom. 13.1 powers ordained of God As the roofe must beare off stormes from the walls so the walls must beare up the roofe if the roofe decay the walls will soone feele it The Athenians in their greatest dangers were wont r Eras chil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cast out the great ancher which they called the holy ancher the chiefest Pilots and Steresmen in our State discover so great dangers that they command the holy ancher to be cast out and if this ancher fasten not on your golden sands the great vessell in whose bottome lyeth not only the safety of the Prince the honour of the Kingdome but the state of sincere Religion throughout the Christian world is in perill of drowning and if the great vessell miscarry what will become of the skiphs of every ones private estate Yee have heard beloved Christians of the materiall Temple to be erected and kept in repaire by you that are wealthy and the spirituall to bee built repaired and adorned in you all yee have learned how yee as living stones are to be drawne to this building fitted for it and placed in it yet when we have done what we can to build you in your most holy faith and yee have helped furthered the work what yee are able except the Å¿ Psal 127.1 Lord build the house their labour is but in vain that go about to build it Wherefore let us addresse our praiers to God the Master-builder and to Jesus Christ the foundation and chiefe corner-stone to build us upon himselfe by faith and fit us for this building by obedience and couple and joyne us fast by charity that we may continue as solid and firme stones here in the earthly and shine hereafter as precious stones in the heavenly Jerusalem So be it heavenly Father for the merits of thy Sonne by the powerfull operation of the holy Spirit Cui c. PEDUM PASTORALE SEU CONCIO AD CLERUM HABITA OXONIAE OCTAVO CAL. APRILIS AERAE CHRISTIANAE 1615. CONC XXXIX Praecat AETerne Deus longè supra omne quod coelo terrâve nominatur nomen verendum numen qui oculorum tuorum radiis solem ipsum obscurantibus intimos animi recessus reconditos sinus perlustras nos miselli tenebriones è coeno emersi foedissimis insuper flagitiorum sordibus conspurcati vultus tui fulgorem non ferentes ad celsissimae majestatis tuae pedes humillimè provolvimur obnixè orantes per unigeniti tui plagas vulnera obtestantes ut animum nostrum fractum contusum pro caesâ hostiâ lachrymas effusas pro libamine suspiria quae ducimus pro suffitu vota preces zelo accensas pro thymiamate digneris suscipere aureo Angeli tui thuribulo infundere ut odoramentis permisceantur quae sunt preces Sanctorum Quas una cum iis offerimus pro Catholicâ Ecclesiâ in totum terrarum orbem diffusâ propagatâ praesertim florentissimâ illius parte magnae Britaniae Hiberniae pomeriis conclusâ sub umbrâ serenissimi Jacobi letâ germinum propagine revirescente Cujus stirpes duas utramque academiam hanc Oxoniensem illam Cantabrigiensem largo gratiarum imbre irriga Illustra vultus tui luce clarissimum Elismuriae dominum Pernassi nostri totiusque adeò Angliae Cancellarium venerabilem virum D. Godwinum aedis Christi Decanum ejus Procancellarium spectatissimos Doctores Procuratores Collegiorum Aularum praefectos prae caeteris Collegii corporis Christi caput membra bonitatis sinu fove Exurge Aquilo aspira Auster perfla hortum hunc ut fluant aromata ejus ambrosium odorem in omnes insulae partes oras dissipent Vireant peâ—petuò coelesti rore irrigatae aeternâ—m floreant Herâ—um Heroâ—arum corollae qui Edenem hunc vel aedificiis magnificis tanquam proceris arboriâ—â—us conseverunt vel annuis reditibus tanquam rivulis humectarunt vel amplissimis privilegiis tanquam firmissimis moenibus sepiverunt Henricum dico septimum Elizabetham uxorem ejus Humphredum dâ—cem Glocestriae Margaretam Comitissam Richmondiae Johannem Kempium Archiepiscopum Cantuari easem Thomam Kempium Episcopum Lonamensem Richardum Lichfieldium Archidiaconum Middlesextiae Wolsaeum Eboracensem Henricum octavum Reginam Mariam saeculi sui sexasque phoenicem Elizabetham ejusque regni religionisque haeredem dignissimum Jacobum Richardum Foxum Episcopum Wintoniensem Collegii corporis Christi fundatorem Hugonem Oldamium praesulem Exoniensem de eodem phrontisterio optimè meritum dominum Thomam Bodleum militem Vaticanae novae instauratorem instructorem munificentissimum Benignissime Deus qui nos in hoc terreno Paradiso in quo non saecularis tantùm sapientiae veluti arboris scientiae boni mali sed divinae philosophiae seu verae arboris vitae fructus liberè licet decerpere collacasti stomachum irrita ut appetamus salubria mentem coelesti lace perfunde ut percipiamus appetita memoriam confirma ut retineamâ—s percepta os aperi ut tempestivè proferamus retenta postremò cogitationes cordisque motus dirige ut referamus prolata ad gloriae tuae illustrationem Ecclesiae quam Filii sanguine acquisivisti fructum emolumentum Cujus saluti incolumitati ut melius consulatur continuas agat providentia tua excubias super vigiles pastores gregis tui praecipuè quos in sublimi speculâ constituisti Archiepiscopos Episcopos omnes prae reliquis reverendissimum in Christo patrem Georgium Abotium Archiepiscopum Cantuariensem totius Angliae primatem metropolitanum dominum meum multis nominibus colendissimum Ut omnia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complectar floreat perpetuò sceptrum Mosis virga Aaronis gemmet stemmata nobilium generosorum equitum germinent ut patulis eorum ramiis obumbrata plebs foeliciter succrescat omnes in viros in Christo perfectos adolescamus Ita toti in laudes tuas effundemur qui nos è colluvie saeculi selegisti quos immortali verbi semine gigneres denuò sacramentis aleres Filii cruore ablueres Spiritus sancti
doe your eyes melt into penitent teares then are you quickned by the Spirit of grace then have you sense and life in you then have your eyes been annointed with the eye-salve of the spirit then stand ye recti in curiâ But on the contrary Are ye tickled with the remembrance of your former follies can ye thinke of them without remorse can ye speake of them without shame can ye glory in them and your heart not smite you then in vaine doe ye flatter your selves with the name of Professours ye falsly arrogate to your selves the title of Sonnes of God ye know not what regeneration or the new creature meaneth the sunne of righteousnesse never shone upon you but ye are still frozen in the dregges of your sinnes Wherefore examine your owne hearts and consciences take a view of your whole life past runne over in your mindes the vanity of your childhood the lusts of your youth the audacious attempts of your riper yeeres and the covetousnesse frowardnesse worldlinesse and distrustfulnesse of your old age call your selves to an account for your unlawfull gaming and sporting your immoderate drinking your Lords day breaking your lascivious dancing your chambering and wantonnesse and if the remembrance of these your former sinnes be loathsome unto you if the sent of them in the nostrils of your soule be like a stinking fume exhaled from the finke of originall corruption then have your senses been purged then have you smelt the savour of life But on the contrary if the cogitation of these things be delightfull unto you if the traversing these thoughts in your mind blow the coales of your former lusts if the Sodome of your unregenerate estate seem to you as a Paradise of pleasure then certainly yee were never redeemed from the corruption of the world yee never felt the pangs and throes of a new birth your understanding was never enlightened nor your will reformed Hee that can take delight to play at the hole of the Cockatrice or behold the shining colour of the Snake was never stung by them but the truly regenerate Christian who hath bin grievously stung by the fiery Serpent the Divell and by fixing his eyes upon the brazen Serpent Christ Jesus hath bin cured dares not come nigh the Serpents hole much lesse gaze upon his azure head and forked tongue 2. If the experience of the unfruitfulnesse and shamefulnesse of sinne be a speciall meanes to restraine Gods children from it certainly the recounting of their former wayes and the survey of the whole course of their life cannot but be a profitable exercise for them It was the practice of Solomon who beheld all the workes of his hands and the delights of his life and passeth this censure upon them o Eccles 1.2 Vanity of vanities all is but vanity and vexation of spirit It was the practice of David p Psal 51.3 I know mine owne iniquity and my sinne is ever before mee It was the practice of Saint Austine who a little before his death caused the q Possid in vit August Penitentiall Psalmes to be written about his bed which hee looking upon out of a bitter remembrance of his sinnes continually wept giving not over long before he gave up the ghost Mee thinkes I heare you say we have buried those sinnes in oblivion long agoe and we hope God hath done so put not these stinking weeds to our noses but gather us a posie of the sweet flowers of Paradise the promises of God in Christ Jesus in which there is a savour of life and we will smell unto it I had rather do so but the other are more proper and fitter for many of you for those whose senses are overcome with over-sweet oyntments can by no better meanes recover their smell than by strong and unpleasant savours and therefore in the country of Arabia where almost all trees are savoury and frankincense and myrrhe are common fire wood r Plin. nat hist l. 12. c. 17. E Syriâ revehunt Stycacem acri odore ejus in focis abigente suorum fastidium Styrax as Pliny writeth is sold at a deare rate though it bee a wood of an unpleasant smell because experience proveth it to bee a present meanes to recover their smell who before had lost it Beloved brethren we all that have lived in the pleasures of sinne have our senses stuffed and debilitated if not overcome and the best remedy against this malady will be the smelling to Styrax the unsavoury and unpleasing smell of our former corruptions Let the covetous man recall to mind his care in getting his anxiety in keeping his sorrow in losing that which nature hath put under his feet how to increase his heapes he hath not onely taken from others but robbed his owne belly and backe Let the Glutton thinke of the loathsomnesse of his sinne which subjecteth him to divers diseases and maketh him a burthen to himselfe the Drunkard his drowning of his reason distempering of his body and exposing himselfe to the laughter and scorne of all men the Adulterer the corruption of his owne body the transgressing the covenant of God the wronging and provoking his neighbour the staine of his owne reputation the rottennesse of his bones and besides all this the heavie wrath of God for his sinnes and feare of hell fire due to him for them I know no man willingly remembreth that whereof he is ashamed and therefore no exercise of Christianity more tedious and irksome than this because it withdraweth the mind from pleasant and delightfull objects to behold her own deformity yet none more necessary none more profitable And though it begins in sorrow yet it ends in joy for even this is an exceeding delight to the soule to find a change in her selfe and an alteration in her affections it is pleasant unto her that shee now distasteth the forbidden fruit and shee rejoyceth that shee can be heartily sorry for her sinnes And God as ſ Cypr. de card op Cyprian saith sweetly wipeth away these teares from the soule Ut magis ploret gaudeat fletibus that shee may weep the more and take pleasure in her weeping For after we have pricked our hearts with the sting of conscience for our grievous sinnes after they bleed with compunction after we have powred out our soules with sighes and groanes into the bosome of our Redeemer his heart will melt within him and his repentings will roll together hee will bind up our wounds and shew his wounds to his Father then shall we see the frownes of an angry Judge turned into the smiles of a loving Father the crimson colour of our sins into the whitenesse of wooll our mourning weed into a wedding garment our sighes and sobs into exultation of spirit and the fearfull cloud which before overcast our minds into a cleare skie into peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost the true taste and beginning of the joyes of heaven To which the Lord
3.18 eye-salve of the Spirit and yee discover the workes of darknesse and cleerly see the filthinesse of your former unregenerate estate ye are now ashamed For now ye have some sense of the wrath of God ye have some remorse of conscience ye perceive what ye have lost ye see the marke of infamy burnt into your name and credit by the hot iron that hath scared your consciences To proceed from farther explication to a seasonable use and application The Apothecaries draw an oyle out of the Scorpion which overcommeth the poyson of that Serpent and applyed to the part that is stung giveth present ease Let us imitate them and of that which issueth from sin make a soveraigne antidote against it Let us lay open and naked before the eies of our mind the loathsome filthinesse and ougly deformity thereof that being agashed and confounded thereat we may turn away from it with greatest detestation Let us apprehend thoroughly as heretofore the unfruitfulnesse so now the odiousnesse loathsomenesse turpitude and shame of sinne A lewd conceit is an unconceivable pollution a profane or impure speech an unspeakable wrong to God a sudden joy a lasting griefe a tickling of the sense for a moment a perpetuall torment with a scar in the conscience and staine in our good name never to be fetched out The advice which e Epist 11. Aliquis vir bonus nobis eligendus est semper ante oculos habendus ut sic tanquam illo spectante vivamus c. Seneca giveth to Lucilius very sage and good Wheresover thou art and whatsoever thou art about suppose that Cato or Socrates is with thee or some such other reverend or grave personage before whom thou wouldest be ashamed to doe any thing that were unseemly Beloved Christians wee need not feigne to our selves or make in our thoughts an imaginary presence of any mortall man were he never so venerable grave or austere for we are alwayes in the presence of our Judge f Hesiod op dies l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wheresoever we are whatsoever we goe about we have a thousand witnesses thereof within us and the blessed Angels without us and which wee are to take speciall notice of malignant spirits our ghostly enemies observers and noters thereof They who tender their credit and estimation saith the g Arist l. 2. Rhetor. Oracle of reason if they imbarke themselves into any dangerous or questionable action most of all shunne and avoid the company of Poets Stage-players Libellers Registers Notaries Promoters and the like because if any thing should bee done amisse these kind of men were like to blab it out act it upon the stage or make a by-word of it to their utter disgrace Such we have alwaies about us when we are about any wickednesse I meane the accusers of the brethren fiends of Hell who keep a register of all our secret and open sins wherewith they will often upbraid us in our life grievously burthen us with them at our death and which is worst of all rip them up all at the day of judgement and insult upon us for them No women among the Romanes might under a great penalty prostitute their bodies for gaine except they first made open profession thereof before the Aediles and the reason of this law was because they thought the very shame of making open profession of such lewdnesse would deterre and keep back all of that sexe from such infamous courses of life Likewise I reade in the ancient Greek stories of the Milesian women that upon some discontent divers of them laid violent hands upon themselves and could not bee restrained from this desperate practice till a law was made that all they that in such sort made away themselves should bee carried naked with a halter about their neckes before the rest of their sexe after which law none were sound to attempt the like villany Those with whom neither love of life nor feare of death could prevaile shame yet manicled and kept perforce from that unnaturall and execrable crime of felony de se or selfe-homicide Deare Christians were Adam and Eve so ashamed to see the nakednesse of their bodies and the Milesian women to behold the naked carkasses of their sexe how then shall we be confounded with shame when our soules and consciences shall be laid open naked to the eyes of the whole world that all may see all our deformities sores markes botches blanes gashes scarres spots and abominable pollutions and uncleannesses When a godly father amplifying upon that Text of the Apostle We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ pricked the veines of his auditory in this manner How many things are there which we know by our selves but would not for all the world that two or three should know as much besides how then shall we looke how shall wee be covered with shame and confusion when all these things shall be laid out before the eyes of all men At these words observing divers of his hearers to blush and hide their faces he thus growes upon them Nunquid nunc erubescitit What and doe yee now blush are ye now ashamed at the hearing of these things what will ye be when ye see them how will ye blush and hang downe your heads when the bookes of your consciences shall be opened and men and Angels shall see and reade what is written in them Men and brethren what shall we do to avoid the terrour and horrour the shame and confusion of that day Let us now be ashamed of our sins that we may not then be for as Dolor est medicina doloris So Pudor est medicina pudoris O let us not cast more blots upon the booke of our conscience but rather fetch out those which are there with the aqua fortis of our teares let us open our wounds and sores full of corruption to our heavenly Chirurgian by confession of our sinnes that he may heale them let us make uncessant prayers to our Saviour h Psal 32.1 to cover all our imperfections with the robes of his righteousnesse so shall we be truly blessed For blessed are they whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven and whose sinnes are covered from the sight of the world that they shame them not from the sight of their consciences that they confound them not from the eyes of God that they condemne them not God the Father make us all so blessed for the merits of his Sonne through the powerfull operation of the Spirit to whom three persons and one God be ascribed c. Amen THE WAGES OF SINNE THE XLIV SERMON ROM 6.21 For the end of those things is death Right Honourable c. TO every thing there is a season a Eccles 3.1 2 3 4. and a time to every purpose under heaven A time to be borne and a time to dye a time to plant and a time to plucke up that which is planted A time to kill and a time
night and are very earnest at their game but in the midst of it the candle goeth out they perforce give over who no doubt if the light had lasted would have played all night This inch of candle is the time of life allotted to a wicked man who is resolved to spend it all in sinfull pleasures and pastimes and if it would last perpetually he would never leave his play and therefore sith he would sin eternally though by reason that the light of his life goeth out hee cannot he deserveth eternall punishment 4. Though the sins of the reprobate are finite in respect of the time and the agents yet as they are committed against an infinite Majesty the guilt of them is infinite Here it will be objected That if sinnes be infinite in any respect they must needs be all equall because infinity admitteth no degrees nothing can be more or lesse infinite I answer that although b Camp rat 8. Paradox Campian and other Papists charge the reformed Churches with that absurd Paradoxe of the Stoickes That all sinnes are equall and consequently that it is as great a wickednesse to kill a Capon to furnish a luxurious feast as to kill a man yet their heart cannot but smite them for so notorious a calumny for they themselves teach That mortall sinnes as they are committed against God are of infinite guilt and deserve infinite and eternall punishments and yet they hold not that all mortall sinnes are equall their Casuists teaching that parricide is a greater sinne than murder incest than adultery blasphemy than perjury all of them being mortall As for the knot of the former objection it is thus easily untyed That sinnes may be considered either in a genericall notion as they are breaches of the eternall Law offend an infinite Majesty in which respect as they are infinite so they are equall or in a specificall reason as they are of this or that kind clothed with such such circumstances as they are breaches of the first or second Table as they are committed immediately against God or mediately once or often on the sudden or unadvisedly ignorantly or wilfully out of infirmity or presumptuously tending much or little to the hurt or prejudice of our neighbour In all which and divers like respects the guilt of sinne is improved or diminished and one sinne is more hainous and lesse pardonable than another We have said enough to these words for their coherence sense and construction let us now see what they say to us for our further use and instruction There is no physicke but if it worke maketh the patient sicker for the present and for the most part the smarting plaister most speedily cureth the wound These observations are true in corporall physicke and much more in spirituall because the smart of sinne and trouble of conscience for it are not so much signes and symptomes of maladies as the beginning of cures Some say the feare of the plague bringeth it but if we speake of this plague and other judgements of God for sinne it is certaine that the feare of them is the best preservative against them he onely may be secure of the avoiding Hell torments and escaping the pangs of eternall death who feareth them as he ought and he that feareth them not is in a most fearfull case O c Ecclus. 41.1 death how bitter is the remembrance of thee It was spoken of the first death but may with greater reason of the second some tastes whereof I wil give you at this present as well to make you loath the morsels of Sathan as the better to rellish the fruits of the tree of life The first shall be out of Saint Matthew d Mat. 25.10 Clausae sunt fores the doores were shut Conceive ye that to be now which if ye prevent it not certainly shall be that after ye have heard the Archangel sound the last Trump and with him a Quire of heavenly spirits singing an Epithalamium or marriage song ye should see the gates of Heaven opened and the Sonne of man marching out of them with an innumerable company of Angels presently sent abroad to gather the Elect from the foure windes and soone after infinite troupes of them assembled from all parts in goodly order and glorious armour accompanying our Saviour in his triumphant returne into heaven to receive each of them a crowne of glory and you caught up into the clouds pressing hard after them to enter with them into heaven should be presently stayed and the gates shut against you and fastened with everlasting barres O! what a corrasive would this be what a disgrace what an unspeakable griefe to have a glimpse of the celestiall Jerusalem and to be excluded for ever out of it to see those whom ye sometimes scorned reviled and trod under foot admitted into Christs Kingdome before your face and you repelled with a non novivos Away from mee I know you not Have ye enough of this taste or doe ye yet desire a second ye have it in Saint Matthew e Mat. 25.30 Projicite in tenebras exteriores Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Suppose ye were stripped stark naked and then bound hand and foot with iron chaines and throwne into a deep darke loathsome and hideous dungeon full of Adders Vipers Basiliskes and Scorpions hissing croaking biting stinging you in all parts of your body you being not able to stirre a joynt or make any resistance at all Are yee affrighted at this The torment of the damned is farre worse for the stinging of Serpents is nothing to the tormenting with Divels nor the darknesse of a dungeon to the horrour of Hell For though there be fire there yet it yeeldeth no comfortable light but as the flame in the bush had the f Exod. 3.2 light of fire yet not the consuming heat so on the contrary the flames of Hell have the scorching heat but not the comfortable light of fire As ye like this take another taste g Mar. 9.44 Vermis eorum non interit Imagine that whilest ye lye in the darke dungeon bit stung in your outward parts there should be a venemous worme within your bowels gnawing at your very heart and upon remembrance of every hainous sinne giving you a deadly bite what paine and torment might this be yet it is nothing to that which Christ there addeth Ignis eorum non extinguitur Their fire is not quenched There is none such a blocke but apprehendeth what unsufferable paine it is to lye soultering in the fire or boyling in a river of brimstone or frying in the flames of a furnace and crying but for one drop of water to coole the tip of the tongue and not obtaining it If these tastes affect you not take you yet a fourth made of the very gall of Aspes h Apoc. 20.10 They shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone and shall
may be in our apprehension absolutely to yeeld without further disputing to him who hath more than thirty legions of Angels at his command and all the creatures in heaven and earth besides There is no contesting with soveraignty no resisting omnipotency no striving with our Maker The fish that is caught with the hooke the more he jerkes and flings the faster hold the hooke taketh on him the harder a man kickes against the pricks the deeper they enter into his heeles An earthen pitcher the more forcibly it is dashed against an iron pot the sooner it flies in pieces in like manner the more we contend against God and his judgements the more we hurt wound and in the end destroy our selves Wherefore let us not like dogges bite the stone never looking upon him that flingeth it but mark him who aimes at us and hitteth us and lay our hands on our mouth with a Psal 39.9 David saying I held my peace because thou Lord hast done it The Persian Nobles as b Annot. in Tacit. Janus Gruterus reporteth accounted it an exceeding great grace to be scourged by their Prince and though it were painfull to them yet they seemed much to rejoyce at it thanking him that he would take paines with them and minister correction unto them himselfe and shall we not much more praise the divine Majesty that hee vouchsafeth himselfe to chasten us for our good The wounds of a friend are more welcome to us than the plaisters of an enemy and a sicke patient who will not endure a bitter potion offered him by a Physician yet oftentimes taketh it from the hands of his most endeared spouse or a beloved friend and shall not all Gods children sicke of too much prosperity willingly take the bitter yet most wholsome potion of affliction from the hand of the Father of spirits Saint Paul shall close up the doctrine When c 1 Cor. 11.32 we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world and Saint Peter the use d 1 Pet. 4.19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their soules to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour From the person I proceed to his actions rebuke and chasten not condemne and punish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verba virtutem non addunt soft words make smart blowes neverthelesse felt if the stroakes be as many and inflicted with equall force whether ye call it chastening or punishing all is one to the poore patient Indeed were there but a verball difference and not a reall between punishing and chastening this note would little better the musicke but if ye look more narrowly into the words ye shall find in them many and materiall differences In punishing ye shall observe a Judge in chastening a Father in punishment a satisfying of justice in chastisement a testifying of love in punishment a compensation of desert in chastisement a mitigation of favour in punishment a principall respect had to a former offence in chastisement to future amendment A Judge principally regardeth the wrong done to the law and therefore proportioneth his punishment to the quality of the offence but a father whom not love of law and justice but the law of love moveth and after a sort enforceth to do what he doth for his childes good is contented with such correction not as he deserveth for the fault he hath committed but that which he hopeth will serve for his amendment Pro magno peccato parum supplicii satis est patri In briefe this word Castigo I chasten how much soever at the first it affrighteth us yet it affordeth us this comfortable doctrine That God as a father inflicteth with griefe and compassion moderateth with mercy and directeth by providence all the stroakes that are laid upon his children 1. He inflicteth with griefe and compassion O f Hos 6.4 Ephraim what shall I doe unto thee O Judah how shall I entreat thee my bowels erne within mee and my repentings roll together and For the g Jer. 9.10 mountaines will I take up a weeping and wailing and for the habitations of the wildernesse a lamentation because they are burnt up so that none can passe through them neither can men heare the voice of the cattell both the fowle of the heavens and the beast are fled they are gone h Mic. 1.8 9. I will waile and howle I will goe stripped and naked I will make a wailing like the Dragons and mourning as the Owles for her wound is incurable 2. He mitigateth with mercy his childrens payment 1. In respect of time 1. Indefinitely 2. Definitely 2. In respect of the grievousnesse of their stroakes He mitigateth in respect of time indefinitely In a little i Esa 54 7 8. wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee and The God of all k 1 Pet. 5.10 grace who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect establish strengthen settle you Sometimes he prescribeth the definite time as to l Gen. 41.1 Joseph for his imprisonment two yeers to the m Jer. 25.11 They shall serve the King of Babel seventy yeeres Jewes for their captivity seventy yeeres to n Dan. 4.25 Nebuchadnezzar for his humiliation seven yeers to the o Apoc. 2.10 Ye shall have tribulation ten dayes Angel of Smyrna ten dayes And as he mitigateth their sufferings in respect of the time so also in respect of the grievousnesse of their punishment The Lord hath p Psa 118.18 severely chastened mee saith David but he hath not given mee over unto death God he is q 1 Cor. 10.13 faithfull and will not suffer his children to be tempted above their strength 3. He directeth by his providence and fatherly wisedome all the crosses that are laid upon his children to speciall ends for their good namely to cure their dulnesse and stupidity abate their pride tame their wanton flesh exercise their patience enflame their devotion try their love weane their desires from this world and breed in them a longing for the joyes of heaven and fruits of Paradise Prosperity flattereth the soule but trouble and affliction play the parts of true friends they rightly enforme us of the insufficiency of all worldly comforts which leave us in our extremities and can stand us in no stead at our greatest need And therefore S. Bernard very well resembleth them to rotten stakes flags and bull-rushes which men catch at that are in perill of drowning hoping by them to scramble out of the water but alas it falleth out far otherwise these help them not at all nor beare them above water but are drawne downe under water with them This most
serious lesson of the vanity of earthly delights worldly comforts we reade in many Texts of Scriptures heare in divers Sermons see in daily spectacles of men troubled in mind at their death yet we never thoroughly apprehend it till Gods rod hath imprinted it in our bodies and soules then finding by our wofull experience that earthly felicity is nothing but misery masked in gaudy shewes and that all the wealth of the world together with all carnall delights cannot ease a burthened conscience nor abate any whit of our paine we begin to distaste them all we grow out of love with this life and entertaine death in our most serious thoughts Here the eye of faith enlightened by divine revelation seeth beyond death the celestiall Paradise in it a chrystall ſ Apoc. 22.1 2. river of the water of life by it a tree of life which beares twelve sorts of fruits and besides these a heavenly City shining with t Apoc. 21.18 19. streets of gold and foundations of pearle and precious stones the sight wherof leaveth an unspeakable delight in the soule which sweetneth all temporall afflictions and stirreth up in us an unspeakable desire of those solid comforts and substantiall joyes u Ramus in orat Heliogabalus was wont to set before his parasites a banquet painted on cloth or carved in wood or cut in stone and whatsoever hee fed upon in truth they had drawne before them in pictures and images such are the joyes and delights which the Divell the World presenteth unto us false shadowie vaine The true are to be found no where but in heaven where those joyes are in substance which we have here but in shadowes x Aug. confes l. 2. c. 5. Fornicatur anima quae avertitur abs te quaerit extra te ea quae pura liquida non invenit nisi cùm redit ad te pure which we have here polluted full which we have here empty sincere which wee have here mixt perpetually flourishing which we have here continually fading to these substantiall full pure sincere everlasting joyes God bring us for his Son Jesus Christ his sake Cui c. THE NURTURE OF CHILDREN THE XLVII SERMON APOC. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Right Honourable c. THat which Pliny writeth and experience confirmeth concerning hony-combes that the thinner and weaker hony runs out of them at the first but the thickest and best is pressed squeezed out of them at the last we find for the most part in handling Texts of holy Scripture compared by the Prophet a Psal 19.10 David to hony-combs the easier more vulgar observations flow out of them upon the lightest touch but we are to presse each phrase and circumstance before we can get out the thickest hony the choicest and most usefull doctrines of inspired wisedome The more we sucke these combes the more we may the hony proveth the sweeter the combe the moister and which is nothing lesse to be admired the spirituall taste is no way cloyed therewith Wherefore with your good liking and approbation I will presse again and againe these mellifluous combes in our Saviours lips dropping celestiall doctrine sweeter than hony to delight the most distempered taste and sharper than it to cleanse the most putrefied sore I rebuke and chasten there is the sharpnesse and as it were the searching vertue of hony As many as I love there is the sweetnesse Parallel Texts of Scripture like glasses set one against another cast a mutuall light such is this Text and that Deut. 8.5 Thou shalt also consider in thy heart that as a man chasteneth his sonne so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee and Job 5.17 Despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty and Prov. 3.11 12. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither bee weary of his correction for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a father doth the sonne in whom he delighteth and Hebr. 12.7 If yee endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes for what sonne is he whom the father chasteneth not As a Musician often toucheth upon the sweetest note in his song Paven or Galliard so doth the holy Spirit upon this and therefore we ought more especially to listen to it For 1. It convinceth the Papists who over-value crosses and afflictions accounting the bearing of them satisfactions for sinnes For with a like pride whereby they cry up their actions to be meritorious they would improve their passions to be workes satisfactory by satisfactory intending such as make amends unto the justice of God wherein they as much over-reach as they supererogate or rather superarrogate in the former Satisfactions to our brethren for wrongs done unto them by restitution mulct or acknowledgement of our fault with asking forgivenesse for it we both teach and practise but they shall never be able to satisfie us in this point that any thing they can doe or suffer can satisfie God Neither can our actions satisfie his law nor our penall sufferings his justice none can satisfie for sinne but he that was without sinne nothing can recompence an infinite transgression but an infinite submission or to speake more properly the submission and passion of him that was infinite It cost more to redeem sinnes than the world is worth and therefore they must let that alone for him who f Esay 63.3 trod the wine-presse alone Before I noted the difference between chastisement and punishment in the one a compensation of wrong done to the person or law is intended in the other a testifying of love and a care of amendment of the party chastened Who would ever be so unreasonable as to thinke that a few stripes given by a tender-hearted father to the childe whom he most dearly affecteth were a satisfaction for the losse of a Diamond of great price yet our sufferings hold not such a proportion For what are our finite and momentary sufferings to the offence given to an infinite Majesty Nothing can be set in the other scale against it to weigh it downe but the manifold sufferings of an equall and infinite person the eternall Sonne of God Neither will it help our adversaries any whit to say that Christ satisfied for the eternall but not for the temporall punishment of our sinnes For this is all one as to say that our Redeemer laid downe a talent of gold for us yet not a brasse token or payd many millions of pounds yet not a piece The Apostle said hee gave himselfe a g 1 Tim. 2.6 ransome for all will they deny it to be a sufficient one or was there any defect in his good intention They have not rubbed their foreheads so hard as to affirme any such thing Well then let them tell us how that man is perfectly ransomed by another who is still kept in prison till he have discharged part of his ransome himselfe This very conceit that they merit by
their actions or satisfie by their passions taketh away not only all merit but all worth from them both 2. It instructeth the penitent for if afflictions are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discipline and nurture then somewhat is to be learned by them It is good for mee saith h Psal 119.71 David that I was in trouble that I might learne thy statutes Blessed is he saith Saint * Greg. mor. in Job c. 5. v. 17. Gregory who is chastened of the Lord Quia eruditur ad beatitudinem because he is set in the right way to blessednesse The Greekes say in their Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines answer them both in the rime reason Nocumenta documenta that is we gain wit by our losses and the rod imprinteth learning into us What wee learne in particular by it I shall God willing declare at large hereafter this lesson shall suffice for the present That as a loving father never beateth his child without a fault so neither doth God chasten us without a cause our sins are the cords which furnish his whip Lam. 3.39 Man suffereth for his sinne It is true that sinne is not the adaequate or onely cause for which God striketh his children yet is it alwayes causa sine quâ non a cause without which hee never striketh them i Joh. 9.3 Although neither the blind man his sinne nor his fathers were the cause why hee was borne blind more than other men but that through the miraculous cure of his blindnesse all might see the divine power of Christ yet certaine it is that hee and his father for their sinnes deserved it or a greater punishment Likewise Jobs sinnes were not the cause why the arrowes of the Almighty fell thicker upon him than any other but it was to make him a rare mirrour of patience and convince Satan of his false slander and to take occasion of crowning him with greater blessings in this life and everlastingly rewarding him hereafter yet Job denies not that those calamities fell justly upon him k Job 7.20 I have sinned saith he O Lord what shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men 3 It comforteth all that are afflicted there are as many arguments of comfort in it as words of arguments Is any man either impoverished with losses or visited with sicknesse or strucken with soares or oppressed with heavie burdens or pined with famine or grieved with death of friends or affrighted with terrours of conscience let him lay this text of holy writ to his heart and it will presently asswage his paine and in the end if not cure his malady yet make it sufferable yea and comfortable also to him Let him thus question with himselfe Who afflicteth me It is answered God I. How proceedeth hee to afflict After warning and upon conviction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebuke What are afflictions chastisements and chasten Whom doth he thus afflict only some stubborn and obstinate sinners or desperate cast-a-wayes nay but all his children as many Why afflicteth he Because he loveth them I. It is God that smiteth me can I resist his power must I not obey his will Rebuke Hee hath given me warning before and I suffer but what I deserve Quae venit ex merito poena ferenda venit Chasten Hee inflicteth with griefe moderateth with love guideth with fatherly providence what hee ordereth mee to suffer shall I refuse nurture and shew my selfe a bastard and no sonne had I rather hee should leave me to my selfe to follow my owne courses according to the bent of my corrupt nature with a purpose to deprive mee of his glory and dis-inherite me of his kingdome As many Hee disciplineth all his children am I better than all the rest As I love His only motive herein is his love and shal I take that ill which is sent to mee in love shall I bee afraid of and refuse love tokens shall I bee grieved and dismaid because I have now more sensible experience of his care and love than ever before To joyne all together to make of them all a strong bulwarke against impatiency in all sorts of afflictions and tribulations Shall wee either stubbornly refuse or ungraciously despise or take unkindly after all faire meanes by us sleightened the deserved chastisement of our heavenly father which with great moderation and greater griefe he inflicteth upon all his deerest children in love Can we justly repine at any thing offered us upon these tearmes is not this salve of the spirit alone of it selfe able to allay the most swelling tumour of the greatest hearts griefe I rebuke and chasten as many as I love Rebuke and chasten So doth the Translatour render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly and answerably to the main intent of the Spirit but not fully and agreeably to the nature of the letter wee have no one English word capable of the whole contents of the two words in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primarily signifieth to evict or convince to give evidence of any thing or against any person to lay his sinnes open before him in such sort that hee cannot but see them and bee ashamed of them as in these passages l Heb. 11.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m Eph. 5.11 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n Psal 50.21 Bud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is the evidence of things not seene and I will rebuke thee and set thy sinnes in order before thy face and Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse but by the light of truth discover and openly rebuke them Likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word much more pregnant than chasten and if you will have it in one word expressed is I nurture or I discipline for the word implyeth as well instruction as correction Now out of the nature of the phrase which signifieth to rebuke upon conviction or evidently convince by reproofe and the order of the words first rebuke and then chasten All Judges and Ministers of justice are lessoned to bee better instructed and informed in the causes they sentence than usually they are to sift matters to the very bran to weigh all circumstances together before they give judgement For to reprove without cause deserveth reproofe to censure without a fault deserveth censure and to punish without conviction deserveth punishment o Fulgent ad Monimum Ipsa justitia si puniendum reum non invenerit sed fecerit injusta est Punishing justice if it fall not upon a party legally convicted is it selfe injustice and punishable in a Magistrate Now that they who are in authority may not exercise injustice in stead of executing justice 1 They must indifferently heare both parties Philip kept an eare alwayes for the defendant p Orat. de coron in prooem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demosthenes in his famous oration for Ctesiphon putteth the Athenian Judges in mind of this which he calleth
not to bee Gods instruments for their eternall as they have beene for their temporall life Doubtlesse z Pro. 1.8 Solomon who injoineth children to heare their fathers instruction and not to forsake the law of their mother because they shall be as an ornament of grace unto their head and chaines about their necke implieth in the duty of children to receive the duety of parents to give them such instructions and lawes What yeares fitter to lay the ground colour of vertue and true religion * Quint. instit orat l. 1. c. 1 Sapor quo nova imbuis diutissimè durat Horat. ep Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odotem testa diu Naturâ tenacissimi sumus eorum quae rudibus annis imbibimus nec lanarum colores quibus simplex ille candor mutatus est elui possunt Quint. il than those which are the more capable thereof because as yet without any tincture at all when better forming the mould of the heart and affections than when it is softest and who rather to doe it than a father whose workmanship next after God the child is If it have any blemish or deformity of body bee it a scar in the face or stammering in the tongue or wrinesse in the necke or disproportion in any limbe what will not a tender hearted parent doe to take away such a blemish and rectifie such a distortion All children are borne with worser deformities in their soule than these imperfections are in their bodie and yet how few parents take them to heart Scarce one of an hundred attendeth upon Gods ordinance and useth the meanes therein prescribed to cure the naturall blindnesse of ignorance or to purge the dregges of concupiscence in them or to breake them of many ill customes and habites growing upon them If children stammer out good words or pronounce them lispingly their fathers and mothers are offended at it and rebuke them for it but if they speake plainly and distinctly their words though they bee never so rotten and unsavoury they make much of them for it Verba ne Alexandrinis quidem permittenda deliciis risu osculo excipiunt Hence it commeth to passe that they can speake ill before they can well speake and drinke-in many vices with their mothers milke and get such ill customes and habites which afterwards when they would they cannot leave because according to our true Proverbe That will never out of the flesh which is bread in the bone It would touch the quickest veines in the heart of a Christian Parent to heare what a grievous complaint divers children made against their fathers mothers in a Cyp. ser de lap Nos nihil fecimus nec derelicto cibo poculo Dei ad profanas contagiones sponte properavimus perdidit nos aliena perfidia parentes sensimus parricidas illi nobis Deum patrem ecclesiam matrē abnegarunt S. Cyprian his dayes Alas what have we done that wee are thus pitifully tormented The negligence or treachery or misguided zeale of our parents hath brought all this misery upon us wee perish through others default our fathers and mothers have proved our murderers they that gave us our naturall life bereaved us of a better by depriving us of the wholesome nourishment of the Word and giving us a scorpion in stead of fish they plunged us in the mire of all sensuall pleasures when they should have dipped us in the sacred Laver of regeneration they kept us from God our Father and the Church our Mother But I will not longer insist upon this observation because as I conceive the Spirit useth this speech not so much to set an edge upon our religious care diligence as give a backe to our patience only I propose Monica the mother of S. Austin as a pattern to all parents b Aug. confes l. 1. c. 11. Illa magis satagebat ut tu mihi pater esses quam ille conturbata erat propter baptismi dilationem quoniam sempiternam salutem meam chariùs parturiebat Shee endured saith hee greater sorrow and was longer in travell for my second birth than my first and much more rejoiced at it shee continued her fervent prayers day and night with sighes of griefe and teares of love for my conversion Sometimes shee sought to winne mee by sweet allurements sometimes by sharpe threats sometimes by force of argument sometimes by vehemency of passion she dealt with many learned Bishops to conferre with me to convince me of my errors whereof one sent her away with this comfort * Confes l. 2. c. 12. Fieri non potest ut filius tantarum lachrymarum pereat It is not possible that a child should miscarry for whom the mother hath taken so much thought and shed so many teares This care of planting religion in the hearts of children as ground new broken up and watering the roots of grace in them by frequent admonitons and instructions is assigned for the chiefe cause of those extraordinary blessings which God bestowed upon Abraham for so wee read c Gen. 18.17 Shall I hide from Abraham the things that I doe seeing he shall be a mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall bee blessed in him for I know him that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they shall keepe the way of the Lord to doe justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Now because such is the wantonnesse and stubbornnesse of most children that they cannot be taught any thing without fear of the rod the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in some sort appropriated to gentle corrections such as are used by Masters and Fathers in the nurturing and teaching their scholars and children Wherein God taketh a cleane contrary course to the custome of most earthly parents for they commonly beat those children whom they affect not and lay stripes upon them often without cause or mercy but they are most indulgent unto cocker up and never leave embracing and kissing their darlings God contrariwise scourgeth that childe most whom he most delighteth in Why taketh hee any pleasure to see his dearest childrens eyes swolne with weeping their cheekes blubbered with teares their flesh torne with rods Surely no for they that are in such a plight are rather ruefull spectacles of misery than amiable objects of love how then doth he that in love which he loveth not to doe Is not that elegant speech of Saint Austine a riddle Castigat quos amat non tamen amat Castigare Hee chasteneth whom he loves yet he loves not to chasten None at all for a Surgeon launceth the flesh of his dearest friend or brother in love yet he taketh no pleasure in launcing nor would doe it at all but to prevent the festring of the sore The best answer to the former objection will be to assigne the reasons why God in justice and in love cannot
sonne when it is ripe which he permitted to grow in the father without applying any such remedy outwardly unto it yet this is most certaine that he never visiteth the sinne of the father upon the children if the children tread not in the wicked steps of their father Thus much the words that follow in the second Commandement imply unto the n Exod. 20.5 third and fourth generation of them that hate mee He often sheweth mercy to the sonne for the fathers sake but never executeth justice upon any but for their owne sinnes The sinne of the sonne growes the more unpardonable because he would not take example by his father but abused the long-suffering of God which should have called him to repentance The Latine Proverb Aemilius fecit plectitur Rutilius Aemilius committeth the trespasse and Rutilius was merced for it hath no place in Gods proceedings neither is there any ground of the Poets commination o Hor. l. 3. od 6. lib. 1. od 28. Negligis immeritis nocituram postmodo te natis fraudem committer◠fo rs debita jura vicesque superbae te maneant ipsum Delicta majorum immeritus lues Romane For God is so far from inflicting punishment upon one for the sins of another that he inflicteth no punishment upon any for his own sinne or sins be they never so many and grievous if he turne from his wicked wayes and cry for mercy in time for God desireth not the death of a sinner but of sinne he would not that we should dye in our sinnes but our sinnes in us If we spare not our sinnes but slay them with the sword of the Spirit God will spare us This is the effect of the Prophets answer the summe of this chapter and the contents of this verse in which more particularly we are to observe 1. The person I. 2. The action or affection desire 3. The object death 4. The subject the wicked 1. The person soveraigne God 2. The action or affection amiable delight 3. The object dreadfull deprivation of life 4. The subject guilty the wicked The words are uttered by a figurative interrogation in which there is more evidence and efficacy more life and convincing force For it is as if he had said Know ye not that I have no such desire or thinke ye that I have any desire or dare it enter into your thoughts that I take any pleasure at all in the death of a sinner When the interrogation is figurative the rule is that if the question be affirmative the answer to it must be negative but if the question be negative the answer must be affirmative For example Who is like unto the Lord the meaning is none is like unto the Lord. Whom have I in heaven but thee that is I have none in heaven but thee On the other side when the question is negative the answer must be affirmative as Are not the Angels ministring spirits that is the Angels are ministring spirits and Shall the Son of man find faith that is the Son of man shall not find faith Here then apply the rule and shape a negative answer to the first member being affirmative thus I have no desire that a sinner should dye and an affirmative answer to the negative member thus I have a desire that the wicked should returne and live and ye have the true meaning and naturall exposition of this verse Have I any desire that the wicked should dye 1. God is not said properly to have any thing 2. if he may be said to have any thing yet not desires 3. if he may be said to have a desire of any thing yet not of death 4. if he desire the death of any yet not of the wicked in his sinne Have I As the habits of the body are not the body so neither the habits of the soule are the soule it selfe Now whatsoever is in God is God for he is a simple act and his qualities or attributes are not re ipsâ distinct from his essence and therefore he cannot be said properly to have any thing but to be all things Any desire Desires as Plato defineth them are vela animi the sailes of the mind which move it no other wayes than the saile doth a ship Desire of honour is the saile which moveth the ambitious of pleasure is the saile which moveth the voluptuous of gaine is the saile which moveth the covetous Others define them spurres of the soule to prick us on forwards to such things as are most agreeable to our naturall inclination and deliberate purposes Hence it appeares that properly there can be no desires in God because desire is of something we want but God wanteth nothing Desires are meanes to stirre us up but God is immoveable as he is immutable If then he be said to desire any thing the speech is borrowed and to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in such sort as may agree with the nature of God and it importeth no more than God liketh or approveth such things That the wicked should dye A sinner may be said to dye two manner of wayes either as a sinner or as a man as a sinner he dyeth when his sinne dyeth in him and he liveth as a man he dyeth either when his body is severed from his soule which is the first death or when both body and soule are for ever severed from God which is the second death God desireth the death of a sinner in the first sense but no way in the latter he desireth that sinne should dye in us but neither that we should dye the first death in sin nor dye the second death for sinne He is the author of life p Job 7.20 preserver of mankind He is the q 1 Tim. 4.10 Saviour of all especially them that beleeve Hee would not that any should r 2 Pet. 3.9 perish but all should come to repentance If he should desire the death of a sinner as he should gain-say his owne word so he should desire against his owne nature For beeing is the nature of God Sum qui sum I am that I am but death is the not beeing of the creature No more than light can be the cause of darknesse can God who is life be the cause of death If he should desire the death of a sinner he should destroy his principall attributes of wisedome goodnesse and mercy Of wisdome for what wisedome can it be to marre his chiefest worke Of goodnesse for how can it stand with goodnesse to desire that which is in it selfe evill Of mercy for how can it stand with mercy to desire or take pleasure in the misery of his creature Doth he desire the death of man who gave man warning of it at the first and meanes to escape it if he would and after that by his voluntary transgression he was liable to the censure of death provided him a Redeemer to ransome him from death calleth all men by the Gospel to
to the cast of a Die for a matter of naught a toy a trifle a jussle a taking of the wall an affront a word Doe wee make so small reckoning of that which cost our Saviour his dearest hearts bloud 2. If Judges all those who sit upon life and death did enter into a serious consideration thereof they would not so easily as sometimes they doe cast away a thing that is so precious much lesse receive the price of bloud For if it be accounted and that deservedly a sinne of a deep die to buy and sell things dedicated to the service of God what punishment doe they deserve who buy and sell the living image of God It is reported of Augustus that he never pronounced a capitall sentence without fetching a deep sigh and of Titus the Emperour that hee willingly accepted of the Priests office that hee might never have his hand dipped in bloud and of Nero that when he was to set his hand to a capitall sentence he wished that he could not write Utinam literas nescirem therefore let those Judges think what answer they will make at Christs Tribunall who are so farre from Christian compassion and hearts griefe and sorrow when they are forced to cut off a member of Christ by the sword of justice that they sport themselves and breake jests and most inhumanely insult upon the poore prisoner whose necke lyeth at the stake If any sinne against our neighbour leave a deep staine in our conscience it is the bloudy sinne of cruelty Other sinnes may be hushed in the conscience and rocked asleep with a song of Gods mercy but this is reckoned in holy Scripture among those ſ Gen. 4.10 crying sins that never will be quiet till they have awaked Gods revenging justice This is a crimson sinne and I pray God it cleave not to their consciences who wear the scarlet robe If there be any such Judges I leave them to their Judge and briefly come to you Right Honourable c. with the short exhortation of the Apostle Put you on the t Colos 3.12 bowells of mercy and compassion and if ever the life of your brethren be in your hands make speciall reckoning of it in no wise rashly cast it away let it not goe out of your hands unlesse the law and justice violently wrest and extort it from you Assure your selves that it is a farre more honourable thing and will gaine you greater love and favour with God and reputation with men to u Cicer. pro Quint. de Aquil Mavult commemorare se cùm perdere potuerat pepercisse quà m cùm parcere potuerat perdidisse save a man whom yee might have cast away than to cast him away under any pretence whom yee might have saved 4. If a malefactour arraigned at the barre of justice should perceive by any speech gesture signe or token an inclination in the Judge to mercy how would he worke upon this advantage what suit what meanes would he make for his life how would he importune all his friends to intreat for him how would he fall down upon his knees beseech the Judge for the mercies of God to be good unto him Hoe all ye that have guilty consciences and are privie to your selves of many capitall crimes though peradventure no other can appeach you behold the Judge of all flesh makes an overture of mercy he bewrayeth more than a propension or inclination he discovereth a desire to save you why doe ye not make meanes unto him why do ye not appeale from the barre of his justice to his throne of grace why doe ye not flye from him as he is a terrible Judge to him as he is a mercifull Father Though by nature ye are the sonnes of wrath yet by grace ye are the adopted sonnes of the Father of mercy and God of all consolation who stretcheth out his armes all the day long unto us Let us turne to him yea though it be at the last houre of our death and he will turne to us let us repent us of our sinnes and he will repent him of his judgements let us retract our errours and he will reverse his sentence let us wash away our sinnes with our teares and he will blot out our sentence with his Sonnes bloud When * Dan. 5.5 Belshazzar saw the hand-writing against him on the wall his heart mis-gave him all his joynts trembled and his knees smote one against the other Beloved Christians there is a x Colos 2.14 hand-writing of ordinances against us all and if we see or minde it not it writeth more terrible things against us What shall wee doe to be rid of this feare Is there any means under heaven to take out the writing of God against us Yes beloved teares of repentance with faith in Christs blood maketh that aqua fortis that will fetch out even the hand-writing of God against us The Prophet recordeth it for a miraculous accident that the sun went back many degrees in the Dyall of y Esa 38.8 Ahaz Beloved our fervent prayers and penitent tears will work a greater miracle than this they will bring back again the z Mal. 4.2 Sun of righteousnesse after he is set in our soules God cannot sin Angels cannot repent onely man that sinneth is capable of repentance and shall wee not embrace that vertue which is onely ours Other vertues are remedies against speciall maladies of the soule as humility against pride hope against despaire courage against feare chastity against lust meeknesse against wrath faith against diffidence charity against covetousnesse but repentance is a soveraigne remedy against all the maladies of the minde Other vertues have their seasons as patience in adversity temperance in prosperity almes-deeds when our brothers necessity calleth upon our charity fasting when wee afflict our soules in time of plague or any other judgement of God but repentance is alwayes in season either for our grosser sinnes or for failing in our best actions if for no other cause yet wee are to repent for the insincerity and imperfection of our repentance I will end this my exhortation as the Prophet doth this chapter * Ezek. 18.30.31 Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not bee your ruine Cast away all your transgressions whereby yee have transgressed and make you new hearts and new spirits for why will yee die O ye house of Israel saith the Lord God wherefore turne your selves and live yee O Lord who desirest not that wee should die in our sinnes but our sinnes in us mortifie our fleshly members by the power of thy Sonnes death and renew us in the spirit of our mindes by the vertue of his resurrection that wee may die daily to the world but live to heaven die to sinne but live to righteousnesse die to our selves but live to thee Thou by the Prophet professest thy desire of our conversion say but the word and wee shall bee converted
perishing because they were not predestinated but therefore were not predestinated because they were foreknowne that they would be such by voluntary prevarication g Fulgent l. 1. ad Mon. Iniquos quos praescivit Deus hanc vitam in peccato terminaturos decrevit supplicio interminabili puniendos illos ad supplicium praedestinavit quos à se praescivit vitio malae voluntatis discessuros peccata hominum Deus praescivit quib sententiā praedestinatione dictavit Fulgentius Those unjust men whom God foresaw that they would end their life in sin hee decreed to punish in endlesse torments And againe hee predestinated them to punishment who he foresaw would depart from him by the fault of their evill will And againe God foresaw the sinnes of men against which hee pronounced a sentence in his decree of predestination And the Fathers in the Synode held at h Valent. can 2. Nec ipsos malos ideò perire quia boni esse non potuerunt sed quia boni esse noluerunt suoque vitio in massâ damnationis vel merito originali vel etiam actuali permanserunt Valentia The wicked perish not because they could not but because they would not bee good remaining in the masse of corruption by their owne fault originall or also actuall As likewise in the i Concil Arelat 3. Lucidi habetur confessio his verbis Profiteor aeternales flammas factis capitalibus praeparatas Synod at Arles 3. That hee no way desireth nor decreeth nor so much as permitteth the death of any of his Elect though before their calling to the knowledge of the truth and sometimes after also they so grievously transgresse his holy lawes that they may bee numbred at least for the time among the wicked For how farre soever they goe in the wayes of wickednesse they will turne at the last and if a sinner turne from his wayes even at the brinke of destruction and gate of hell hee shall live for Have I any desire at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that hee should Returne There are many turnings in the life of a Christian The first turning or conversion is by a sanctified phrase called regeneration whereby wee are mortified in the flesh but renewed in the spirit of our minde wee cast off the old man and put on the new All after conversions are but so many particular acts of repentance and returnes from those courses which wee ordinarily fall into and follow if Gods preventing grace stop not the motions of our corrupt nature This first conversion is as it were a generall purgation of all the peccant humors of our soul is of that force that it changeth and altereth our temper and complexion After this all other aversions from sinne and returnes to God are but like speciall purgations prescribed by the Physitian of our soules to bee taken upon speciall occasion for the curing of some particular malady In the first non agimus sed agimur wee worke not but are wrought upon being as the reformed Divines speake meer passive in the other acti agimus being wrought upon wee worke like the wheeles in the vision of Ezekiel being moved by the spirit we move to God-ward At our first conversion the Scripture compareth us to dead men that are not able to stirre any joint but in all later conversions after God hat breathed into us the spirit of regeneration to sicke or weake men lying upon their bed that are able to turne themselves with some helpe This distinction of conversions is not new coyned by us but beareth the stampe of ancient truth and is current in the Scriptures in which wheresoever the faithfull speake thus to God Turne us and wee shall bee turned they aime at the first conversion but where God thus speaketh to his people Turne yee unto mee or turne from your wicked wayes we are to understand such texts of later conversions From his wayes Not from the wayes of God and pathes of righteousnesse but his owne wayes that is such courses as hee hath taken beside and against the direction of Gods Spirit More particularly thus Have I not a desire that the ambitious should leave his inordinate pursuit of honour the covetous of gaine the voluptuous of pleasure and all of vanity and that they should turne to mee with their whole heart with a perfect hatred of their former wickednesse and full and constant purpose of amendment and so Live That is escape eternall death the due wages of sinne and attaine everlasting life the undue reward of righteousnesse If the feare of hellish torments cannot make a separation betweene us and our beloved sinnes nor hope of heavenly joyes winne us unto God it will bee to small purpose to goe about to scare any with temporall plagues threatened in Gods law against sinne or pricke them with the sting of conscience or confound them with shame or amplifie upon the losses of spirituall graces which can never bee recovered but by speedy and hearty repentance The Spye of nature in his booke of the length and shortnesse of life demonstrateth naturall heat and radicall moisture to bee the sole preservers and maintainers of life and the store of both in due proportion to bee the cause of longer life As life is compared in Scripture so it is resembled in sculpture to a light or lampe burning the fire which kindleth the flame of this lampe is naturall heat and the oyle which feedeth it is radicall moisture without flame there is no light without oyle to maintaine it no flame in like manner if either naturall heat or radicall moisture faile life cannot last and as in a lampe if by reason of the thicknesse of the weeke the flame be too great it oversoon sucketh up the oyle if the oyle be poured in in too great abundance it choaketh the light so in us if naturall heat or radicall moisture exceed measure or proportion the lampe of our life burneth dimly and in a short space is extinguished Answerable to the naturall life in the body is the spirituall life of grace in the soule for as that is preserved calido humido by heat and moisture so is this also by the heat of love or zeale of devotion and the moisture of penitent teares Teares are the oyle which feed this flame for when wee pricke deepe the tenderest veines in our heart with remembrance of our manifold and grievous transgressions whereby wee have dishonoured God our Father displeased Christ our Redeemer and grieved the Spirit of grace our Comforter when wee take kindly to heart how that the better God hath beene unto us the worse wee have proved unto him the more grace hath abounded the more sinne hath super abounded when our hearts melt with these considerations and our eyes resolve into showres of teares then we perceive that as salt water cast into fire increaseth the heat so the salt water of our teares inflameth our devotion
the Prophet should have made an end of his exhortation This Sermon the Prophet Ezechiel now maketh unto us all here present f Ezek. 33.11 18.30.31 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he turne from his wayes and live turne ye turne ye from your evill wayes for why will yee die Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not bee your destruction Cast away all your transgressions whereby yee have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye perish Shake off the shackles of your sinnes and quit the companie of the prisoners of death and gally-slaves of Satan put in sureties for your good behaviour hereafter turne to the Lord your God with all your heart and live yea live gloriously live happily live eternally which the Father of mercy grant for the merits of his Sonne through the grace of the Spirit To whom three persons and one God be ascribed all honour glorie praise and thankes now and for ever Amen THE DANGER OF RELAPSE THE LVI SERMON EZEK 18.24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall hee live All his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not bee mentioned in his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sin that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye Right Honourable c. SAint Jerome maketh a profitable use of the a Gen. 28.12 And hee dreamed behold a ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it Angels ascending and descending upon the ladder which Jacob saw in a dreame reaching from the earth to heaven The ladder hee will have to bee the whole frame of a godly life set upwards towards heaven whereupon the children of God who continually aspire to their inheritance that is above arise from the ground of humility and climbe by divine vertues as it were so many rounds one above another till Christ take them by the hand of their faith and receive them into heaven They are stiled Angels in regard of their b Phil. 3.20 heavenly conversation these Jacob saw continually ascending and descending upon that ladder viz. ascending by the motions of the spirit but descending through the weight of the flesh rising by the strength of grace but falling through the infirmity of nature and hereby saith that learned Father c Hieron ep 11. Videbat scalam per quam ascendebant Angeli descendebant ut nec peccator desperet salutem nec justus de suâ virtute securus sit wee are lessoned not to despaire of grace because Jacob saw Angels ascending as they fell so they rose nor yet presume of their owne strength for hee saw Angels descending also as they rose so they fell Presumption and desperation are two dangerous maladies not more opposite one to the other than to the health of the soule presumption overpriseth Gods mercy and undervalueth our sinnes and on the contrarie desperation overpriseth our sinnes and undervalueth Gods mercy both are most injurious to God the one derogateth from his mercy the other from his justice both band against hearty and speedy repentance the one opposing it as needlesse the other as bootlesse presumption saith thou maist repent at leasure gather the buds of sinfull pleasures before they wither repentance is not yet seasonable desperation saith the root of faith is withered it is now too late to repent The learned dispute whether of these two be the more pernicious and dangerous the answer is easie presumption is the more epidemicall desperation the more mortall disease Presumption like the Adder stingeth more but desperation like the Basiliske stings more deadly many meet with Adders which are almost found in all parts of the world but few with Basiliskes Presumption is more dangerous extensivè for it carrieth more to hell but desperation intensivè for those whom it seizeth upon it carrieth more forcibly and altogether irrecoverably thither and finall desperation never bringeth men to presumption but presumption bringeth men often to finall desperation To meete with these most pernicious evils God hath given us both the Law and the Gospel the Law to keepe us under in feare that wee rise not proudly and presumptuously against him and the Gospel to raise us up in hope that the weight of our sinnes sinke us not in despaire the threats of the one serve to draw and asswage the tumour of pride the promises of the other to heale the sores of wounded consciences and the Scripture as Saint Basil rightly calleth it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common Apothecaries shop or physicke schoole wherein are remedies for all the diseases of the soule In these verses as in two boxes there are soveraigne recipes against both the maladies above named against the former to wit desperation vers 23. against the later viz. presumption v. 24. And it is not unworthy your observation that as in the beginning of the Spring when Serpents breed and peepe d Adrianus Chamierus in ep dedicat Eccles Gal. Pastor Sicut ineunte vere cùm primùm è terrae cuniculis prodeunt serpentes ad nocendum parati fraxinum adversus venenatos eorum morsus praesens remedium laturam educit out of their holes the Ash puts forth which is a present remedie against their stings and teeth so the holy Ghost in Scripture for the most part delivereth an antidote in or hard by those texts from whence libertines and carnall men sucke the poyson of presumption The texts are these God hath raised up an horne of salvation for us that we beeing delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare f Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded grace did much more abound g Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus * Gal. 5.13 We are called to liberty Now see an antidote in the verses following Lest any man should suck poyson from these words in the first text Serve him without feare it is added in the next words in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Lest any man should abuse the second the Apostle within a verse putteth in a caveat What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound e Luk. 1.69 72 74. God forbid how shall wee that are dead to sin live any longer therein vers 1 2. Lest any should gather too farre upon that generall speech of the Apostle There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus h Luk. 1.75 there followes a restriction in the same verse who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Lest any should stumble at those words of the same Apostle Ye are called to libertie he reacheth them a
hand and giveth them a stay in the next clause onely use not liberty for an occasion unto the flesh Lest any presumptuous sinner should lay hold on the hornes of the Altar and claspe about that gracious promise i Tit. 2.11 The grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared he beateth off their fingers in the next verse teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts wee should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world In like manner lest any should * 2 Pet. 3.16 wrest the former verse of this Prophet as they doe the other Scriptures to the building forts of presumption but to the apparent ruine of their owne soules the Prophet forcibly withstandeth them in the words of my text But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse c. The life of a Christian is not unfitly compared to a long and dangerous sea voyage the sea is this present world the barkes are our bodies the sailers our soules the pylot our faith the card Gods Word the rudder constancie the anker hope the maine mast the crosse of Christ the strong cables our violent affections the sailes our desires and the holy Spirit the good winde which filleth the sailes and driveth the barke and marriners to the faire k Act. 27.8 haven which is heaven Now in our way which lyeth through many temptations and tribulations there are two dangerous rockes the one on the right hand the other on the left the rock on the right hand to be avoided is presumption the rock on the left threatning shipwracke is despaire betweene which we are to steere our ship by feare on the one side and hope on the other To hold us in a solicitous feare that we touch not upon presumption let us have alwayes in the eye of our minde 1 The glorious and most omnipotent majesty of God 2 His all-seeing providence 3 His impartiall justice 4 His severe threatnings against sinne 5 The dreadfull punishments hee inflicteth upon sinners 6 The heinousnesse of the sin of presumption which turneth Gods grace into wantonnesse 7 The difficulty of recovery after relapses 8 The uncertainty of Gods offer of grace after the frequent refusall thereof To keepe us in hope that wee dash not upon the rocke of despaire on the contrary side let us set before our troubled and affrighted consciences these grounds of comfort 1 The infinitenesse of Gods mercy 2 The price and value of Christs blood 3 The efficacy of his intercession 4 The vertue of the Sacraments 5 The universality and certainty of Gods promises to the penitent 6 The joy of God and Angels for the conversion of a sinner 7 The communion of Saints who all pray for the comfort of afflicted consciences and the ease of all that are heavie laden with their sinnes 8 The examples of mercy shewed to most grievous sinners Upon these grounds the contrite penitent may build strong forts of comfort after this manner My sins though they be more in number than the heires of my head yet they are finite whereas Gods mercy is every way infinite if my debt bee as a thousand my Saviours merits are as infinite millions And not onely Gods mercy but his justice also pleads for my pardon for it is against justice that the same debt should be twice paid to require a full ransome from my Redeemer and expect it from my selfe I l â— Joh. 1.9 confesse my sinnes and therefore I know he is faithfull and just to forgive mee my sinnes and cleanse mee from all my unrighteousnesse One drop of the blood of the Sonne of God was a sufficient price for the ransome of many worlds and shall not such store of it spinning from his temples dropping from his hands gushing out of his side and trickling from all parts of his body both in the garden and in the High Priests Hall satisfie for one poore soule that preferreth his love even before heaven it selfe All my sinnes are either originall or actuall the guilt of originall is taken away in baptisme and as often as I have received the blessed Sacrament a generall pardon was tendred unto mee for all my other sinnes and the seale delivered into my hands What though God will not heare the prayers of such a sinner as I am yet he will heare the prayers of Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for my sinnes I acknowledge to my hearts griefe and sorrow that neither faith nor hope nor any other divine vertue beareth any sensible fruit in mee for the present yet the seed of my regeneration remaineth in mee And as the blind man knew that his sight began to be restored to him even by the defect he found in it when he thought he m Mark 8.24 saw men walke like trees so even by this I know that I am not utterly destitute of grace because I feele and unfainedly bewaile the want of it If there were no heavenly treasure in mee Satan would not so often and so furiously assault mee for theeves besiege not much lesse breake open those houses where they are perswaded nothing is to be found The greater my sorrow is for my sinne and my spirituall desertion the greater is my hope for the spirit maketh intercession for the sonnes of God n Rom. 8.26 with groaning which cannot be expressed None were cured by the brazen Serpent which before had not beene stung by the fiery neither doth Christ promise ease unto any but to those that feele themselves heavie burdened But to confine my meditations to the letter of my text Before ye heard Repent you of your sinnes and you shall surely live God pawneth his life for it therefore despaire not how grievous soever your sinnes be But now I am to tell you plainly if you repent you of your repentance and turne from righteousnesse to sinne and end your dayes in that state you shall surely die eternally therefore presume not how compleate soever your former righteousnesse seeme to have beene In these two verses are implyed a double conversion 1 From evill to good 2 From good to evill To turne from evill is good from good is evill the former is repentance upon which I spent my last discourse the later is relapse or apostacie against which I am now to bend all my forces But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity c. in the transgression which he hath transgressed and in the sinne which he hath sinned in them hee shall surely die The contents of this verse are like the Prophet Jeremies figges of which wee read that the bad were exceeding bad for in the antecedent or fore-part we have apostacie that totall and in the hinder part or consequent death and that finall The words divide themselves into first a supposition When or if the righteous forsake secondly an inference his former righteousnesse shall not be remembred c. The supposition is dangerous the
double with God and are of a changeable religion to have no faithfulnesse or honestie By how much the graces and perfections of the mind exceed those of the body by so much the imperfections and deformities of the one surpasse the other what may wee then judge of wavering inconstancie which is compared to a spirituall palsey or an halting in the mind Halt yee Though the metaphor of halting used in my text might signifie either a slacknesse or slownesse in the way of godlinesse or a maime in some member or article of their faith yet according to the scope of the place and consent of the best Expositors I interpret it unsettled wavering and inconstancie For he that halteth is like a man of a giddie braine in a cock-boat or wherrie who turneth the boat sometimes this way sometimes that way not knowing where to set sure footing The opposite vertue to this vice is a stedfast standing in the true faith whereto S. Paul exhorteth the Corinthians i Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. And the Colossians If yee continue in the faith k Chap. 1.23 grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospell and for it he heartily prayeth For this cause I bow l Ephes 3.14 16 17 18 19. my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ that hee would grant you according to the riches of his glorie to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that yee being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth length depth height to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnes of God The Pythagorians who delighted to represent morall truths by mathematicall figures described a good man by a cube whence grew the proverb Homo undique quadratus A perfect square man everie way The reason of this embleme is taken from the uniformitie stabilitie of this figure which consisteth of six sides exactly equall on which soever it falleth it lies stedfast As the needle in the mariners compasse while it waggleth to fro till it be settled fixed to the North-point giveth no direction no more doth our faith till it be settled unmoveably pointeth directly to the true religion which is the only Cynosure to guide our brittle barks to the faire havens where we would be Between two opinions It is bad to halt but worse as I shewed before to halt betweene two opinions which may be done two manner of wayes 1. Either by leaving both keeping a kind of middle way betwixt them 2. Or by often crossing from one to the other and sometimes going or rather limping in the one and sometimes in the other The former is their hainous sinne who in diversitie of religions are of none the latter of them who are of all The former S. m Confess l. 6. c. 1. Cum maâ—â— indicassem non me quidem jâ—â— esse Maniâ—â—aeâ—m sed nec Catholicum Christianum Austine confesseth with teares to have beene his piteous case when being reclaimed from the heresie of the Manichees and yet not fully perswaded of the truth of the Catholique cause he was for the time neither Catholique nor Manichee Which estate of his soule he fitly compareth to their bodily malady who after a long and grievous disease at the criticall houres as they call them feele suddenly a release of paine yet no increase of strength or amendment at which time they are in greater danger than when they had their extreme fits on them because if they mend not speedily they end For there can be no stay in this middle estate betweene sicknesse and health The wise Law-giver of Athens Solon outlawed and banished all those who in civill contentions joyned not themselves to one part How just this Law may be in Common wealths on earth I dispute not this I am sure of that our heavenly Law-giver will banish all such out of his Kingdome who in the Church civill warres with Heretiques joyne not themselves to one part I meane the Catholique and Orthodox The Praetor of the Samnites spake to good purpose in their Senate when the matter was debated whether they should take part with the Romans against other Greekes or carrie themselves as neuters n Media via neque amicos patit neque iniâ—icos tolliâ— This middle way saith hee which some would have us take as the safest for us because thereby we shall provoke neither partie as bolding faire quarter with both is the unsafest way of all for it will neither procure us friends nor take away our enemies Of the same minde was the great Statesman Aristenus who after hee had weighed reasons on all sides o Romanos aut socios habere aut hostes oportere mediam viam nullam esse Liv. Dec. 4. l. 1. Macedonum legati Aetolis sâ—â—ò ac nequiâ—quâ—m cum Doâ—inum Romanum habebitis socium Philippum quaeretis resolved that the Romans so peremptorily demanding aid of them as they did they must of necessitie either enter into confederacie strict league with them or be at deadly fewd that middle way there was none Apply you this to the Roman faith and it is a theologicall veritie upon necessitie wee must either hold communion with the Roman Church or professedly impugne her and her errours God cursed q â—udg 5.23 Meros for not taking part with the Israelites against their and Gods enemies and Christ in the Gospel openly professeth r Matt 12.30 He that is not with me is against me Media ergo via nulla est The second kinde of halting betweene two opinions may be observed in those who are sometimes of one and sometimes of another Men of this temper though they seeme to be neerer health than others yet indeed they are in more danger as the Angell of Å¿ Apoc. 3.16 Laodicea his censure maketh it a cleare case For though they may seem to be more religious than they who professe no religion yet sith it is impossible that truth falshood should stand together all their religion will be found to be nothing else but dissimulation and so worse than professed irreligion Here that speech of Philip concerning his two sons u Plut. Apoph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hecaterus and Amphoterus may have place Hecaterus is Amphoterus and Amphoterus is Udeterus that is hee whose name is Either of the two is worth Both but he whose name is Both is neither The Nazarean Heretiques saith S. Austine while they will be both z Aug. de haer Ad quod vult Deum 2 Kings 17. 29 30 33. Jewes and Christians prove neither one nor the other Doth
zealous Austine say so only doth not the holy Spirit confirme it that they who embrace or maintaine more religions are indeed of none How read we The people of divers nations saith the text whom the King of Assur planted in Samaria feared the Lord but served other gods Now let us hear the censure of the holy Ghost which followes To this day they doe after the old manner they neither feare God nor doe after their ordinances nor after the Law nor after the commandement which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob Feare no other gods nor bow to them nor sacrifice to them Hence we may strongly infer that Ambodexters as they are called are Ambosinisters Omnifidians are Nullifidians and that there is no greater enemie to true religion than worldly policie which under pretence of deliberation hindreth sound resolution under pretence of discretion extinguisheth true zeale under colour of moderation slackeneth or stoppeth all earnest contention for our most holy faith yet without contention no victorie without victorie no crowne How should they ever hope to bee incorporated into Christ whom hee threateneth to spue out of his mouth But I hope better things of all here present though I thus speake and things that accompanie salvation through the sincere and powerfull preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ among you Cui c. OLD AND NEW IDOLATRY PARALLELED THE LVIII SERMON 1 KINGS 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Right Honourable c. THe summe and substance of the speech made by the Prophet Elijah before King Ahab the Nobles and Commons of Israel assembled on Mount Carmel is a quicke and sprightly reproofe of wavering unsettlednesse fearfull lukewarmnesse and temporizing hypocrisie in matter of Religion which we are stedfastly to resolve upon openly to professe and zealously to maintain even with striving unto bloud which is gloriously dyed by death for the truth with the tincture of Martyrdome How long halt yee between two opinions c. This reprehensory exhortation or exhortatory reprehension was occasioned by the mammering in which the people were at this time the causes whereof I lately enquired into to the end that as the fall of the Jewes became the rise of the Gentiles so the halting of the Israelites between the right way and the wrong might prove our speedy running in the race of godlinesse to the goale of perfection for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The cause which I then declared unto you of their halting between two opinions was this Ahab instigated especially by his wife Jezebel partly by his example but much more by furiously brandishing before them the sword reking with the hot bloud of the slaughtered Prophets and servants of the true God drove them to Baals groves where they prostrated themselves before that abominable Idoll and offered the flames of their Holocausts to the bright beames of the Sunne This their bowing to Baal and burning incense to the host of Heaven so incensed the God of Heaven that he barred up the windowes of Heaven and punished their not thirsting after the water of life with such a drouth that not men only and beasts but the earth also every where chopped gasped for some moisture to refresh her dried bowels which for the space of wel-nigh three yeers had no other irrigation than the effusion of Saints bloud The people thus miserably perplexed as being persecuted on the one side by the Prince and plagued on the other side by God himselfe in the end faint and yeeld to the worship both of God Baal The crafty Serpent of Paradise resembleth the Serpent called Amphisbaena which hath two heads moveth contrary wayes at the same time For when hee could not make them hot in Idolatry by feare he cooleth them in the service of God and bringeth them to a luke-warme temper in the true Religion At this the Prophet Elijah is exceedingly moved and put out of all patience his fiery spirit carrieth him first to Ahab whom he thus charmeth It is not I but thou and thy fathers house that have troubled Israel because yee have followed Baalim after up to Mount Carmel where meeting with a Parliament of all Israel hee thus abruptly and boldly setteth upon them How long halt yee between two opinions Every word hath his spirit and accent How long and halt ye and between two opinions It is a foule imperfection to halt and yet more shamefull long to halt most of all between two waies and misse them both To be inconstant in civill affaires which are in their own nature inconstant is weaknesse but in Religion which is alwayes constant and one and the selfe same to be unsettled is as I proved to you heretofore the greatest folly in the world For he who is not assured of one Religion is sure to be saved by none Yet as massie bodies have some quaverings and trepidations before they fixe and settle themselves so the most resolved and established Christian hath a time before hee rest unmoveable in the foundations of the true Religion but he is not long in this motion of trepidation he is not altogether liable to this reproofe of Elijah How long halt yee between two opinions Halting between two opinions may be as I then exemplified unto you two maner of waies either by limping in a middle way betwixt both or by often crossing waies and going sometimes in one way sometimes in another Against these two strong holds of Sathan the Prophet Elijah setteth a dilemma as it were an iron ramme with two hornes with the one hee battereth down the one and with the other the other If the Lord be God then are ye not to stay or halt as ye do between two religions but speedily and resolutely to follow him and embrace his true worship but if yee can harbour such a thought as that Baal should be God then go after him Either Jehovah is God or Baal is he as ye all agree whether of the two be it is certaine neither of them liketh of halting followers If God be the Soveraigne of the whole world why bow ye the knee to Baal if Baal be hee why make yee supplications to God why enquire yee of his Prophets What Lord soever be God he is to be followed if the Lord be he follow him but if Baal then follow him I hold it needlesse to make any curious enquiry into the names or rites of this Idoll that which way suffice for the understanding of this and other Texts of Scripture I find that Baal was the abomination of the Sidonians a people of Phoenicia who as a Ex Rainold de Rom. Eccles Idolatr l. 2. Sanchoniacho an ancient writer of that country and Herodian a later Romane Historian affirme worshipped the Sunne invocating him Beel or Baal-Samen that is in their language Lord of Heaven Though this Idoll were but one yet in regard of the divers Images set up
any court for ought I know against the dead wee know not where to bestow them wee could doe no lesse in Christian charity and providence than procure the bounds of our Golgotha to be enlarged For though other houses and tenements stand void with us the grave shall never want guests nor the Church-yard and vaults under ground tenants against their will All men and women are flowers and all flowers will fall and when they are ready to fall we shall have slips I feare but too many to plant this parcell of ground which wee have gained in by the gift of the father of this Sichem But hereof hereafter when I shall have opened my Text and the sepulchre in it and who were interred there and how they came thither If in any Text almost of the whole Scripture surely in this the coherence needeth to be handled For at the first sight this relation of the buriall of the Patriarchs seemeth to have no affinity at all with Saint Stephens apologie for himselfe against the Jewes who charged him with blasphemy against Moses and against the Law Now as in a shooting match a stander by can hardly discerne the flight of an arrow unlesse he marke the Archers aime and observe the flight-shaft as soon as it is delivered out of the bow so unlesse ye marke Saint Stephens aime and observe how he entereth into this story of the Old Testament ye can hardly discerne how direct it is to his maine scope and purpose But so it is that as he that shooteth farre draweth his arrow backward up to the head and as hee that leapeth forward fetcheth his feeze a great way backe so doth Saint Stephen here seem to give ground and recoile a great way backward but it is to come on with more force and powerfully to confound the Jewes who began not now to persecute the Saints of God and Witnesses of Jesus Christ but in all ages had done the like Fabius Maximus as b Liv. dec 3. l. 2. Livie writeth kept aloofe off from the Carthaginian army upon a high hill till hee saw that Hannibal had foiled Minutius in the plaine but then hee falleth upon him and routs all his troupes whereupon Hannibal uttered that memorable speech I ever feared that the cloud which hovered so long upon the hills would in the end powre downe and give us a sad showre Saint Stephen like Fabius for a great while keepeth aloof off from the Jewes and his discourse resembleth a darke cloud hovering on the top of a hill which on the sudden in the end rained downe upon them and caused a bitter storme for killing first all the servants sent to them by the Master of the Vineyard and last of all his Sonne The Jewes bragged much of their fathers Saint Stephen by epitomizing the story of the Old Testament sheweth unto them that they ought rather to be ashamed of them in whose wicked steps notwithstanding they trod and were now as their fathers ever had bin a stiffe-necked people of uncircumcised eares and hearts resisting the spirit of God and cruelly persecuting those to death who shewed before of the comming of the just One of whom saith he ye have been now the betrayers and murderers who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it The accusers of Saint Stephen articled against him that hee had uttered blasphemy against the Law of Moses and against the Temple because hee taught that the ceremonies of the Law were fulfilled in Christ and that the shadow ought to vanish the body being come in place Saint Stephen answereth for himselfe that the doctrine of the Gospel was ancienter than the Law or the Temple and that all the furniture of the Temple and Arke were made according to the patterne in the Mount and had a reference to heavenly and spirituall things revealed in the Gospel that God was now to be worshipped in spirit and truth by faith in Christ now come as hee had been by the fathers before the Law in Christ to come who by faith gave charge that their bones should be carried out of Egypt and buried in the land of Canaan beleeving that God would certainly performe his promise made unto their posterity first of the reall possession of the earthly after that of the heavenly inheritance by the seed of Abraham in whom all Nations are blessed Christ Jesus that should be born in that land What they gave in charge was accordingly performed as ye heare in the words of my Text So Jacob went into Egypt and dyed he and our fathers and were carried over into Sichem and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought c. Ye see the coherence but ye cannot yet discerne the truth of the relation because there is a mist on the words which hath caused many to misse their way and it cannot bee otherwise dispelled than by cleering this whole relation of Saint Stephen and comparing it with the narration of Moses 1. It is evident out of Genes 23.16 20. that Abraham for foure hundreds shekels of silver bought the field of Ephron the Hittite which was in Machpelah and therein a cave to bury the dead 2. It is evident out of Genes 33.19 that Jacob bought a parcell of a field where he had spread his tent at the hand of the children of Hamor Sechems father for a hundred peeces of mony 3. It is evident likewise out of Genes 50.13 that Jacobs sons carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field in Machpelah which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying place of Ephron the Hittite before Mamre 4. It is evident out of Jos 24.32 that the children of Israel brought the bones of Joseph out of Egypt and buried them in Sechem in a parcell of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Sechem for a hundred peeces of silver and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph Now the points of difficulty are three 1. Whether all the Patriarchs were buried in Sechem or only Joseph For in the booke of Josuah there is mention made of none buried there but Joseph yet Saint Stephen here speaketh in the plurall number Our fathers dyed and were carried over into Sechem And Saint Jerome who lived in those parts writeth that in his time the sepulchre of the twelve Patriarchs was to be seen in Sechem 2. Whether Abraham or Jacob bought this field wherein they were buried For both bought ground for buriall but not at the same rate nor in the same place nor from the same Landlords For Abraham paid for his purchase foure hundred peeces of silver Jacob an hundred Abrahams lay in the country of Heth Jacobs of Sechem Abraham bought it of Ephron the Hittite Jacob of Hamor the Sechemite If the Patriarchs were laid in a sepulchre at Sechem it could not be that which Abraham bought for that was not in the tenure
complexa gremio jam reliquà naturà abdicatos tum maximé ut mater operiens nomen prorogat tiâ—ulis c. Pliny calleth the earth our tender mother which receiveth us into her bosome when wee are excluded as it were out of the world and covereth our nakednesse and shame and guardeth us from beasts and fowles that they offer no indignity to our carkasses Now because it is to small purpose to bestow the dead in roomes under ground if they may not keep them Abraham wisely provided for this for hee laid downe a valuable consideration for the field where the cave was Were laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a summe of money As Abraham here bought a field out-right and thereby assured the possession thereof to his posterity so by his example the Synagogue under the Law and the Catholike Church under the Gospel especially in dayes of peace secured certaine places for the buriall of the dead either purchased for money or received by deed of gift and after they were possessed of them sequestred them from all other and appropiated them to this use onely by which sequestration and appropriation all such parcells of ground became holy in such sort that none might otherwise use or imploy them than for the buriall of the dead without sacriledge or profanation As the holy oyle ran from Aarons head to his body and the skirts of his garments so holinesse stayeth not in the Chancell as the head but descendeth to the whole body of the Church and the Church-yard as the skirt thereof Mistake mee not brethren I say not that one clod of earth is holier than another or any one place or day absolutely but relatively only For as it is superstition to attribute formall or inherent holinesse to times places parcells of ground fruits of the earth vessell or vestments so it is profanenesse to deny them some kind of relative sanctity which the holy Ghost attributeth unto them in Scripture where wee reade expresly of holy ground holy daies holy oyle and the like To cleare the point wee are to distinguish of holinesse yet more particularly which belongeth 1. To God the Father Sonne and Spirit by essence 2. To Angels and men by participation of the divine nature or grace 3. To the Word and Oracles of God by inspiration 4. To types figures sacraments rites and ceremonies by divine institution 5. To places lands and fruits of the earth as also sacred utensils by use and dedication as 1. Temples with their furniture consecrated to the service of God 2. Tithes and glebe lands to the maintenance of the Priests 3. Church-yards to the buriall of the dead Others come off shorter and dichotomize holy things which say they are 1. Sanctified because they are holy as God his name and attributes c. 2. Holy because they are sanctified 1. Either by God to man as the Word and Sacraments 2. Or by man to God as Priests Temples Altars Tables c. Of this last kind of holy things by dedication some are dedicated to him 1. Immediately as all things used in his service 2. Mediately as all such things without which his service cannot be conveniently done and here come in Church-yards without which some religious workes of charity cannot be done with such conveniency or decency as they ought The Church is as Gods house and the yard is as the court before his doore how then dare any defile it or alienate it or imploy it to any secular use for profit or pleasure To conclude all Church-yards by the Ancients are termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dormitories or dortories wherein they lye that sleep in Jesus Now it is most uncivill to presse into or any way abuse the bed-chamber of the living and much more of the dead What are graves in this dormitory but sacred vestries wherein we lay up our old garments for a time and after take them out and resume them new dressed and trimmed and gloriously adorned and made shining and Å¿ Mar. 9.3 exceeding white as snow so as no Fuller on earth can white them These shining raiments God bestow upon us all at the last day for the merits of the death and buriall of our Lord and Saviour Cui c. THE FEAST OF PENTECOST A Sermon preached on Whitsunday THE LXIII SERMON ATCS 2.1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all together with one accord in one place SAint a Hom. in die ascens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome comparing the works of redemption with the works of creation observeth that as the Father finished the former so the Sonne the later in six dayes especially in memorie whereof his dearest Spouse the Catholique Church hath appointed six solemnities to be kept by all Christians with greatest fervour of devotion and highest elevation of religious affections These are Christ his 1. Virgin birth 2. Illustrious Epiphanie 3. Ignominious death 4. His powerfull resurrection 5. His glorious ascension 6. His gracious sending downe of the holy Ghost The day of 1. His incarnation by which he entred into the world 2. His manifestation on which he entred upon his office of Mediatour 3. His passion on which he expiated our sinnes 4. His resuscitation by which he conquered death the grave 5. His triumphant returne into heaven on which hee tooke seizin and possession of that kingdome for us 6. His visible mission of the holy Ghost in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues on which he sealed all his former benefits to us and us to the day of redemption This last festivall in order of time was yet the first and chiefest in order of dignity For on Christs birth day hee was made partaker of our nature but on this wee were made partakers after a sort of his in the Epiphany one starre onely stood over the house where hee lay on this twelve fiery tongues like so many celestiall lights appeared in the roome where the Apostles were assembled on the day of his passion he rendred his humane spirit to God his father on this hee sent downe his divine spirit upon us on the resurrection his spirit quickened his naturall body on this it quickened his mysticall the Catholique Church on the ascension he tooke a pledge from us viz. our flesh and carried it into heaven on this hee sent us his pledge viz. his spirit in the likenesse of fiery tongues with the sound of a mighty rushing wind After which the Spouse as Gorrhan conceiveth panted saying b Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices therof may flow out let my Beloved come into his garden eat his pleasant fruits The wind she gasped for what was it but the spirit and what are the fragrant spices shee wishes may flow but the graces of the holy Ghost which David calleth gifts for men in the eighteenth verse of the 68. Psalme the former part whereof may furnish the feast we
lately celebrated with a fit antheme Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivitie captive the later may supply this present thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation for on this day Christ received gifts for his Church the gifts of faith hope and charitie the gift of prayer and supplication the gift of healing and miracles the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues and the interpretation thereof Verily so many and so great are the benefits which the anniversary returne of this day presenteth to us that as if all the tongues upon the earth had not beene sufficient to utter them a supply of new tongues was sent from heaven to declare them in all languages The new Testament was drawne before and signed with Christs bloud on good Friday but c Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby yee are sealed to the day of redemption sealed first on this day by the holy spirit of God Christ made his last Will upon the crosse and thereby bequeathed unto us many faire legacies but this Will was not d 1 Cor. 12.4 5 8. There are differences of administrations but the same Lord and diversitie of gifts but the same spirit For to one is given by the same spirit the word of wisdome unto another the word of knowledge by the same spirit administred till this day for the e And 2 Cor. 3.8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious ministration is of the spirit Yea but had not the Apostles the spirit before this day did not our Lord breathe on them John 20.22 the day he rose at evening being the first day of the weeke saying Receive yee the holy Ghost The learned answer that they had indeed the spirit before but not in such a measure the holy Ghost was given before according to some ghostly power and invisible grace but was never sent before in a visible manner before they received him in breath now in fire before hee was f Calv. in Act Anteà respersi erant nunc plenè imbuti sprinkled but now powred on them before they received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before authority to discharge their function but now power to worke wonders before they had the smell now the substance g Aug. hom de Pent. Nunc ipsa substantia sacri defluxit unguenti cujus fragrantia totius orbis latitudo impleretur iterum adfuit hoc die fidelibus non per gratiam visitationis operationis sed per praesentiam majestatis of the celestiall oyntment was shed on them they heard of him before but now they saw and felt him 1. In their minds by infallible direction 2. In their tongues by the multiplicity of languages 3. In their hands by miraculous cures S. Austine truly observeth that before the Apostles on this day were indued with power from above they never strove for the Christian faith unto bloud when Satan winnowed them at Christs passion they all flew away like chaffe And though S. Peters faith failed not because it was supported by our Lords prayer Luke 22.32 yet his courage failed him in such sort that he was foyled by a silly damsell but after the holy Ghost descended upon him and the rest of the Apostles in the sound of a mightie rushing wind and in the likenesse of fierie cloven tongues they were filled with grace and enflamed with zeale and they mightily opposed all the enemies of the truth and made an open and noble profession thereof before the greatest Potentates of the world and sealed it with their bloud all of them save S. John who had that priviledge that hee should stay till Christ came glorifying the Lord of life by their valiant suffering of death for his names sake In regard of which manifold and powerfull effâ—cts of sending the spirit on this day which were no lesse seene in the flames of the Martyrs than in the fiery tongues that lighted on the Apostles the Church of Christ even from the beginning celebrated this festivity in most solemne manner and not so onely but within 300. yeares after Christs death the Fathers in the Councels of h Concil Elib c. 43. Cuncti diem Pentecostes celebrent qui non fecerit quasi novam heresem induxerit pumatur Eliberis mounted a canon thundring out the paine of heresie to all such as religiously kept it not If the Jewes celebrated an high feast in memory of the Law on this day first proclaimed on mount Sinai ought not we much more to solemnize it in memory of the Gospel now promulgated on mount Sion by new tongues sent from heaven If we dediâ—â—â— peculiar festivals to God the Father the Creatour and God the Sonne the Redeemer why should not God the holy Ghost the Sanctifier have a peculiar interest in our devotion S. i Serm. in die Pent. Si celebramus sanctorum solennia quanto magis ejus à quo habuerunt ut sancti essent quotquot fuerunt sancti si veneramur sanctificatos quanto magis sanctificatorem Bernard addeth another twist to this cord If we deservedly honour Saints with festivals how much more ought wee to honour him who maketh them Saints especially having so good a ground for it as is laid downe in this chapter and verse And when the day of Pentecost was come As a prologue to an act or an eeve to an holy day or the Parascheve to the Passeover or the beautifull gate to the Temple so is this preface to the ensuing narration it presenteth to our religious thoughts a three-fold concurrence 1. Of time 2. Of place 3. Of affections Upon one and the selfe same day when all the Apostles were met in one place and were of one minde the spirit of unity and love descendeth upon them Complementum legis Christus Evangelii spiritus As the descending of the Sonne was the complement of the Law so the sending of the spirit is the complement of the Gospel and as God sent his Sonne in the fulnesse of time so he sent the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fulnesse of the fiftieth day When the Apostles number was full and their desire and expectations full then the spirit came downe and filled their hearts with joy and their tongues with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnifica Dei facta the wonderfull works of God vers 11. That your thoughts rove not at uncertainties may it please you to pitch them upon foure circumstances 1. The time when 2. The persons who They. 3. The affection or disposition were with one accord 4. The place in one place 1. The time was solemne the day of Pentecost 2. The persons eminent the Apostles 3. Their disposition agreeable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The place convenient in an
setteth them r Aug. serm de Pent. Tanquam duodecim radii solis seu totidem lampades veritatis totum mundum illuminantes forth twelve beames of the sunne of righteousnesse or twelve great torches of the truth enlightening the whole world They were as the twelve Patriarks of the new Testament to be consecrated as oecumenicall Pastours throughout all the earth they were as the ſ Exod. 15.27 twelve Wels of water in Elim from whence the chrystall streames of the water of life were to be derived into all parts they were as the twelve t Apoc. 12.1 starres in the crowne of the woman which was cloathed with the sunne and the moone under her feet and as the twelve u Apoc. 21.14 pretious stones in the foundation of the celestiall Jerusalem The present assembly in this upper roome was no other than a sacred Synod and in truth there can be no Synod where the Apostles or their successours are not present and Presidents For all assemblies how great soever of Lay-persons called together about ordering ecclesiasticall affaires without Bishops and Pastours are like to Polyphemus his vast body without an eye Monstrum horrendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum But when the Apostles and their successours Bishops and Prelates and Doctours of the Church are assembled and all are of one accord and bend their endevours one way to settle peace and define truth Christ will make good his promise to be in the * Matt. 18.20 When two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them And middest of them and by his spirit to lead them into x John 16.13 When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth all truth With one accord All the ancient and later Interpreters accord in their note upon the word accord that Animorum unio concordia est optima dispositio ad recipiendum Spiritum sanctum that Unitie and concord is the best disposition of the minde preparation for the receiving of the holy Ghost The bones in Ezekiel were y Ezek. 37.7 8. joyned one to another and tyed with sinewes before the wind blew upon them and revived them so the members of Christ must bee joyned in love and coupled with the sinewes of charitable affections one towards another before the holy Spirit will enlive them Marke saith S. z Serm. de Temp. Membrum amputatum non sequitur spiritus cùm in corpore erat vivebat precisum amittit spiritum Austine in the naturall body how if a member bee cut off the soule presently leaveth it while it was united to the rest of the members it lived but as soone as ever it was severed it became a dead peece of flesh so it is in the mysticall body of Christ those who sever themselves by schisme or faction from the body and their fellow-members deprive themselves of the influence of the holy Spirit Peruse the records of the Church and you shall finde for the most part that faction hath bred heresie When discontented Church-men of eminent parts sided against their Bishops and Superiours Gods spirit left them and they became authours of damnable heresies This was Novatus his case after hee made a faction against Cyprian Donatus after hee made a faction against Meltiades Aerius after hee made a schisme against Eustatius and doe we not see it daily in our Separatists who no sooner leave our Church but the spirit of God quite leaveth them and they fall from Brownisme to Anabaptisme from Anabaptisme to Familisme and into what not The Church and Common-wealth like the * Plin. l. 2. nat hist c. 105. Lapis Tyrrhenus grandis innatat comminutus mergitur Lapis Tyrrhenus while they are whole swimme in all waters but if they be broken into factions or crumbled into sects schismes they will soone sinke if not drowne And so I passe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from their unanimitie of affection to their concurrence in place In one place The last circumstance is the place which was an upper chamber in Jerusalem The Apostles and Disciples stayed at Jerusalem after the ascension of our Lord partly in obedience to his a Acts 1.4 command which was not to depart out of Jerusalem till they were indued with power from above partly to fulfill the prophecie the b Esay 2.3 Law shall goe out of Sion and the word of God out of Jerusalem They kept all together out of love and for more safetie and they tooke an upper chamber that they might bee more private and retired or because in regard of the great confluence of people at this feast they could not hire the whole house or as Bernardinus conceiveth to teach us that the spirit of c Com. in Act. Ut discamus quod datur spiritus iis qui se ab imis attollunt rerū sublimium contemplatione ut cibo se oblectant God is given to such as raise up themselves from the earth and give themselves to the contemplation of high and heavenly mysteries Now to descend from this higher chamber and to come neare to you by some application of this text It will be to little purpose to heare of the Apostles preparation this day if wee prepare not our selves accordingly to discourse of their entertainment and receiving the holy Spirit if wee receive him not into our hearts It is a mockerie as Fulgentius hath it Ejus diem celebrare cujus lucem oderimus To keepe the day of the Spirit if wee hate his light If wee desire to celebrate the feast of the Spirit and by his grace worthily receive the Sacrament of Christ his flesh wee must imitate the Apostles and Disciples in each circumstance 1. Rely upon Gods promises by a lively faith of sending the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts and patiently expect the accomplishment of it many dayes as they did 2. Ascend into an upper chamber that is remove our selves as farre as wee can from the earth and set our affections upon those things that are above 3. Meet in one place that is the Church to frequent the house of God and when we are bid not to make excuses but to present our selves at the Lords boord 4. Not onely meet in one place but as the Apostles did with one accord to reconcile all differences among our selves and to purge out all gall of malice and in an holy sympathy of devotion to joyne sighs with sighs and hearts with hearts and hands with hands and lifting up all together with one accord sing Come holy Ghost so as this day is Pentecost in like manner this place shall be as the upper roome where they were assembled and we as the Apostles and Disciples and the Word which hath now beene preached unto us as the sound of that mightie rushing wind which filled that roome and after wee have worthily celebrated the feast of the Spirit and administred the
Sacrament of our Lords body and bloud wee shall feele the effects of both in us viz. more light in our understanding more warmth in our affections more fervour in our devotions more comfort in our afflictions more strength in temptations more growth in grace more settled peace of conscience and unspeakable joy in the holy Ghost To whom with the Father and the Sonne bee ascribed c. THE SYMBOLE OF THE SPIRIT THE LXIV SERMON ACTS 2.2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting SAint Luke in the precedent verse giveth us the name in this the ground of the solemne feast we are now come to celebrate with such religious rites as our Church hath prescribed according to the presidents of the first and best ages The name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the feast of the fiftieth day from Easter the ground thereof the miraculous apparition and if I may so speake the Epiphany of the holy Spirit in the sound of a mighty rushing wind the light of fiery cloven tongues shining on the heads of the Apostles who stayed at Jerusalem according to our Lords command in expectation of the promise of the holy Ghost which was fulfilled then in their eyes and now in our eares and I hope also in our hearts After God the Father had manifested himselfe by the worlds creation and the workes of nature and God the Sonne by his incarnation and the workes of grace it was most convenient that in the third place the third person should manifest himselfe as he did this day by visible descension and workes of wonder Before in the third of Matthew at the Epiphany of our Saviour the Spirit appeared in the likenesse of a dove but here as yee heare in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues to teach us that we ought to be like doves without gall in prosecution of injury done to our selves but like Seraphins all fire in vindicating Gods honour This morall interpretation Saint a Greg. tert pas Omnes quos implet columbae simplicitate mansuetos igne zeli ardentes exhibet Et ib. Intus arsit ignibus amoris foras accensus est zelo severitatis causam populi apud Deum lachrymis causam Dei apud populum gladiis allegabat c. Gregory makes of these mysticall apparitions All whom the spirit fills he maketh meeke by the simplicity of doves and yet burning with the fire of zeale Just of this temper was Moses who took somewhat of the dove from the spirit and somewhat of the fire For being warme within with the fire of love and kindling without with the zeale of severity he pleaded the cause of the people before God with teares but the cause of God before the people with swords Sed sufficit diei suum opus sufficient for the day will be the worke thereof sufficient for this audience will be the interpretation of the sound the mysticall exposition of the wind which filled the house where the Apostles sate will fill up this time And lest my meditations upon this wind should passe away like wind I will fasten upon two points of speciall observation 1. The object vehement the sound of a mighty rushing wind 2. The effect correspondent filled the whole house Each part is accompanied with circumstances 1. With the circumstance of 1. The manner suddenly 2. The sourse or terminus à quo from heaven 2. With the circumstance of 1. The place the house where 2. The persons they 3. Their posture were sitting 1. Hearken suddenly there came on the sudden 2. To what a sound 3. From whence from heaven 4. What manner of sound as of a mighty rushing wind 5. Where filling the roome where they were sitting That suddenly when they were all quiet there should come a sound or noise and that from heaven and that such a vehement sound as of a mighty rushing wind and that it should fill the whole roome where they were and no place else seemes to mee a kind of sequence of miracles Every word in this Text is like a cocke which being turned yeeldeth abundance of the water of life of which we shall taste hereafter I observe first in generall that the Spirit presented himselfe both to the eyes and to the eares of the Apostles to the eares in a noise like a trumpet to proclaime him to the eyes in the shape of tongues like lights to shew him Next I observe that as there were two sacred signes of Christs body 1. Bread 2. Wine so there are two symboles and if I may so speake sacraments of the Spirit 1. Wind 2. Fire Behold the correspondency between them the spirit is of a nobler and more celestiall nature than a body in like manner the elements of wind and fire come neerer the nature of heaven than bread and wine which are of a more materiall and earthly nature And as the elements sort with the mysteries they represent so also with our senses to which they are presented For the grosser and more materiall elements bread and wine are exhibited to our grosser and more carnall senses the taste and touch but the subtiler and lesse materiall wind and fire to our subtiler and more spirituall senses the eyes and eares Of the holy formes of bread and wine their significancie and efficacy I have heretofore discoursed at large at this present by the assistance of the holy Spirit I will spend my breath upon the sacred wind in my Text and hereafter when God shall touch my tongue with a fiery coale from his Altar explicate the mystery of the fiery cloven tongues After the nature and number of the symboles their order in the third place commeth to be considered first the Apostles heare a sound and then they see the fiery cloven tongues And answerable hereunto in the fourth verse we reade that they were filled with the holy Ghost and then they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance For b Mat. 12.34 out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh With the c Rom. 10.10 heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and then with the tongue he confesseth unto salvation My d Psal 45.1 heart saith David is enditing a good matter and my tongue is the pen of a ready writer first the heart enditeth and then the tongue writeth They who stay not at Jerusalem till they are endued with power from above and receive the promise of the Father but presently will open their mouthes and try to loosen the strings of their fiery tongues I meane they who continue not in the schooles of the Prophets till they have learned the languages and arts and have used the ordinary meanes to obtaine the gifts and graces of the holy Spirit and yet will open their mouthes in the Pulpit and exercise the gift of their tongues doe but fill the eares of their auditors with a
be imagined either in fire or tongues the meaning therefore is no more than it abode or rested on them Thus have I peeled the barke let us now sucke the juice we have viewed the engraving on the outside of the cup let us now drinke the celestiall liquor and rellish the spirituall meaning couched under the letter The later Commentatours for the most part like Apothecaries boyes gather the broad leaves and white flowers that are found on the top of the water but the ancient like skilfull Indians dive deep to the bottome and from thence take up pearles 1. They observe that God useth signes to strike our senses thereby to stirre us up that we may give more heed to that which he then fore-warneth us of or at the present worketh in us Of signes in Scripture wee find three sorts 1. Irae of Gods anger as extraordinary earth-quakes fire and brimstone falling from heaven and other prodigious events 2. Potentiae of his power or rather omnipotency as miracles 3. Gratiae of grace and favour and these were 1. Significantia tantum such as signified or prefigured grace only as types 2. Obsignantia such as seale unto us and actually exhibit grace as sacraments The first sort are praeter naturam the second contra naturam the third supra naturam The signes here were transeunt only as the burning p Exod. 3.2 bush the q Mat. 3.16 dove in the likenesse whereof the spirit descended and therefore could not be sacraments in the proper acception of the word yet are they to be reduced to the third kind of signes signa gratiae Strange accidents for the most part fore-shew strange events and as many signes are miraculous so many miracles are significant In Sicilie the sea water began to sweeten a little before the deposing the cruell tyrant r Plin. nat hist l. 2. c. 97. Eo die quo pulsus est Dionysius regno mare dulcescebat in portu Dionysius in like manner Domitian dreamed that he saw a head of gold rise up upon the nape of his necke which fore-shewed that a better head of that Monarchy should succeed him Before the civill war between Caesar Pompey there were seen two ſ Plin. l. 2. nat hist c. 83. In agro Mutinensi duo montes inter se concurrebant crepitu maximo assultantes mountaines running one at the other in the field of Mutina and to shew that Caesar should have the better at the beginning of the warre there grew in the Capitoll on the sudden a laurell tree at the foot of his statue Before the destruction of Jerusalem there was seen a starre in the skie like t Joseph de bel Jud. l. 7. c. 12. Supra civitatem stetit sydus simile gladio per annum perseveravit a drawne sword perpendicularly hanging over the City And not to build upon the sandy foundation of humane Histories the sacred Story affordeth the like Before the true bread descended from heaven Manna rained from heaven upon the Israelites The water issuing out of the rocke that was strucke fore-shewed the fountaine for sinne and uncleannesse which was opened when the side of Christ the true rocke was struck and pierced by the speare of the souldier the drowning of Pharaoh and all his host in the red sea the destruction of the Divell and all our ghostly enemies in the bloud of our Redeemer the going backe of the Sunne in the diall of Ahaz the setting backe the finger in the diall of Hezekiahs life the appearing of a new starre to the Sages the rising of a new light in the world to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of the people Israel the eclipse of the Sunne at Christs death the obscuration of the divine majesty in the Sonne of God for a time the great draught of fish which Saint Peter tooke after Christs resurrection the happy successe of him and the rest of the Apostles who were fishers of men and caught many thousands at one draught in the net of the Gospel There fell scales from S. Pauls eyes before God drew from the eyes of his understanding the filme of ignorance and blind zeale and here before the Apostles were filled with the holy Ghost and spake with divers tongues the roome where they aboad was filled with a mighty rushing wind and there appeared in the aire fiery cloven tongues But what did the suddennesse of it betoken Suddenly The Fathers read three lectures upon this circumstance teaching that the motions and operations of the Spirit are 1. Speedy 2. Free 3. Come and gone in an instant The first is read us by St. Ambrose Spiritus nescit tarda molimina the Spirit is quicke in operation As the lightening passeth in an instant from East to West because it findeth no resistance so the worke of grace in the heart is suddenly done especially for the reason given by St. Austine Because no hard heart can repell or refuse it for the first worke of grace is to take away the stone out of the heart which being taken away it presently receiveth the Spirits impressions Who more averse from the Christian faith than St. Paul yet in an instant by a vision from heaven he is changed from persecuting Saul to preaching Paul At one Sermon of St. Peter many thousand soules were gained And in Dioclesians time after the edict set up in the market place for the utter extirpation of the Christian Religion the whole world on the sudden turned Christian When God knocketh by effectuall grace the iron gates of the hardest heart flie open on the sudden The second lesson is read by St. Gregorie That grace is free and not procured by any merit of ours Here was no matter of this winde nor naturall cause of this sound no more can there be assigned any meritorious cause in us of supernaturall grace Who can cause the sunne to rise or the wind to blow or the deaw to fall much lesse can any procure by his merits either the beames of the sunne of righteousnesse to shine or the gales of the spirit to blow or the deaw of grace to fall upon him Therefore the Synod at Diospolis condemnes them for Heretickes who affirmed Gratiam Dei secundum merita hominum dari that the grace of God is given according to mans merits And the Synod at Arausica pronounced an Anathema against such as teach that man beginneth and God perfects Whosoever say they teach that to him that asketh seeketh knocketh c. u Concil Arausic c. 6. Si quis sine gratiâ Dei credentibus volentibus pulsantibus c. grace is given and not that by the infusion and inspiration of the holy Spirit this is wrought in us that we beleeve aske or knocke gain-sayeth the Apostle demanding what hast thou that thou hast not received The third lesson is Origens That good motions are as suddenly gone as they come The Spouse in the Canticles on the sudden findeth
cognation or affinity 3. by nation or country 4. by love affection 1. common to all men the sons of Adam our father 2. speciall to all Christians the sons of the same mother the Church 1. Nature made Jacob and Esau brethren 2. Affinity our Lord and James brethren 3. Nation or country Peter and the Jewes brethren 4. Affection and obligation 1. Spirituall all Christians 2. Carnall and common all men brethren Thus the significations of brother in Scripture like the circles made by a stone cast into the water not only multiply but much enlarge themselves the first is a narrow circle about the stone the next fetcheth a bigger compasse the third a greater more capacious than it the fourth so large that it toucheth the bankes of the river in like manner the first signification of brethren is confined to one house nay to one bed and wombe the second extendeth it selfe to all of one family or linage the third to the whole nation or country the fourth and last to the utmost bounds of the earth No name so frequently occurreth in Scripture as this of brethren no love more often enforced than brotherly We need not goe farre for emblemes thereof b Plut. de amor fratr Plutarch hath found many in our body for wee have two eyes two eares two nostrills two hands two feet which are as hee termeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brethren and twinne members formed out of like matter being of one shape one bignesse and serving to one and the selfe same use Nature her selfe kindleth the fire of brotherly love in our hearts and God by the blasts of his Spirit and the breath of his Ministers bloweth it continually yet in many it waxeth cold and in some it seemeth to bee quite extinguished Saint Paul prayed that the Philippians c Phil. 1.9 love might abound more and more Hee exhorteth the Hebrewes Let brotherly d Heb. 13.1 love continue but we need now-adaies to cast our exhortation into a new mold and say Let brotherly love begin in you For were it begun so many quarrells so many factions so many sects so many broiles so many law-suites would not be begun as we see every day set on foot Did we looke upon the badge of our livery which is mutuall e John 13.35 By this all men shall know that ye are my disciples if ye love one anther love we would cry shame of our selves for that which we see and heare every day such out-cries such railing such cursing such threatning such banding opprobrious speeches such challenges into the field and spilling the bloud of those for whom Christ shed his most precious bloud Is it not strange that they should fall foule one upon another who have bin both washed in the same laver of regeneration that they should thirst after one anothers bloud who drinke of the same cup of benediction that they should lift their hands up one against another for whom Christ spread his hands upon the crosse Let there be no f Gen. 13.8 falling out between mee and thee saith Abraham to Lot for wee are brethren Let mee presse you further touch you neerer to the quick Let there be no strife among you for you are members one of another nay which is more Yee are all members of Christ Jesus What members of Christ and spurne one at another members of Christ and buffet one another members of Christ and supplant one another members of Christ and devoure one another members of Christ and destroy one another It is true as Plutarch observeth that the neerer the tye is the fouler the breach As bodies that are but glewed together if they be severed or rent asunder they may be glewed as fast as ever they were but corpora continua as flesh and sinewes if any cut or rupture be made in them they cannot bee so joyned together againe but a scarre will remaine so those who are onely glewed together by some civill respects may fall out and fall in againe without any great impeachment to their reputation or former friendship but they who are tied together by nerves and sinewes of naturall or spirituall obligation and made one flesh or spirit together if there fall any breach between them it cannot be so fairely made up but that like the putting a new peece of cloth into an old garment the going about to piece or reconcile them maketh the rent worse When g Cic. famil ep l. 9. Noli pati litigâ—re fratres judiciis turpiâ—us conflictari Tully understood of a suit in law commenced between Quintus and M. Fabius hee earnestly wrote to Papirius to take up the matter g Cic. famil ep l. 9. Noli pati litigâ—re fratres judiciis turpiâ—us conflictari Suffer not saith hee brethren to implead one another For though suits about title of lands seem to be the fairest of any yet even these are foule among brethren wherefore my beloved brethren let us 1. Prevent all occasions of difference let there be no tindar of malice in our hearts ready to take fire upon the flying of the least sparke into it let us so root and ground our selves in love that no small offence may stirre us let us endeavour by all friendly offices so to endeare our selves to our brethren and so fasten all naturall and civill ties by religious obligations that we alwaies keep the h Ephes 4.3 unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 2. If it cannot be but that offences will come and distract us if the Divell or his agents cast a fire-brand among us let us all runne presently to quench it let us imitate wise Mariners who as soone as they spie a leake spring in the ship stop it with all speed before it grow wider and endanger the drowning of the vessell 3. After the breach is made up and the wound closed and healed let us not rub upon the old sore according to the rule of i Coel. Rodig antiq lect l. 16. 19. Pythagoras Ignem gladio ne fodias let us not rake into the ashes or embers of the fire of contention lately put out As we pray that God may cast our sinnes so let us cast our brothers trespasses against us into the k Micah 7.19 bottome of the sea The Athenians as l Plut. lib. de fraterno amoâ—e Plutarch writeth tooke one day from the moneth of May and razed it out of all their Calenders because on that day Neptune and Minerva fell out one with another even so let us Christians much more bury those daies in perpetuall oblivion strike them out of our Almanacks in which any bloudy fray or bitter contention hath fallen among us For our Father is the God of peace our Saviour is the Prince of peace our Comforter is the Spirit of peace and love God who is m John 4.8 love and of his love hath begot us loveth nothing more
Prophet Elias did savory meat from the impure bill of a Raven 2 We absolutely deny that Heretiques either first made this signe or introduced it into baptisme For though it be most confidently affirmed by Cartwright Parker and other Authors of schisme amongst us that the signe of the Crosse was first devised or cryed up by the Heretiques above named yet Irenaeus whom they alledge for it saith no such thing he speaketh not a word in the places quoted by them of the signe of the Crosse but of the name of the Crosse nor of Christs Crosse but of Valentinus his God Aeons Crosse All that he hath in his declaration against those Heretiques touching this point is that Valentinus the Heretique called one of his fantasticall Aeons by two names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is bound or definition and Crosse Now if we may not use the signe of the Crosse because that Heretique called his feigned God Crosse by the like reason we may not make definitions in Logicke nor keepe bounds in our fields because he called his Aeon Horon that is bound or definition Had the Valentinians used the signe of the Crosse as they did the name yet that is no sufficient proofe that they devised this signe or brought it first into the Church It is certaine that this signe was by many Aeons that is ages ancienter than Valentinus his Aeons or his heresie We find some print of it in t Dial. cum Tryph. Jud. Justine Martyr his Dialogue against Tryphon Nazianzen and other Fathers note an expression of it in Josuah's fight with Amaleck Sozomen sheweth solid characters thereof in the Temple of Serapis in the ruines whereof amongst other Hieroglyphickes the Crosse was taken up at the sight whereof many of the Egyptians were astonished and partly induced thereby to embrace the Christian faith The first is therefore a limping objection and the second halteth downe-right It was this Papists have horribly abused the signe of the Crosse ergo we may not use it To argue in such sort from the abuse to the taking away of all use of a thing is an abuse of arguing and a meere non sequitur as u Rhet. l. 1. c. 1. Aristotle teacheth for there is nothing in the world that may not be abused save vertue What creature of God hath not beene abused by Gentiles to Idolatrie What ordinance of God is not at this day abused by Papists to superstition be it the Church or Communion Table the Pulpit nay the Scriptures and Sacraments themselves The Papists abuse lights in the Church must wee therefore sit at Evensong in the darke They abuse Frankincense offering it to their Images may not wee therefore use it in a dampish roome They abuse Godfathers and Godmothers to make a new affinity hindering marriage in such parties will they therefore christen their children without witnessâ—s Excreate sodes Papists abuse spittle mingling it with chrisme and putting it in the mouth of the childe when they baptize it will they therefore never spit It is not the Valentinians first use or the Papists abuse or any thing in the Crosse it selfe savouring of superstition but a crosse humour in themselves which stirreth them up to cavill at and alwayes quarrell with the warrantable and decent rites and commendable constitutions of their Mother the Church of England to whose censure I leave them and come to our selves Use 5 Suffer I beseech you a little affliction of the eare it is a time of penance You have heard of Jesus Christ and him crucified many wayes Contra prof vit in the garden before his death on the crosse at his death and since his death also by the persecutors of the Church and scandalous livers in the Church and foure professed enemies of his crosse 1 Jewes 2 Gentiles 3 Separatists 4 Papists And shall wee fill up the number and adde more affliction and vexation to him by our unkindnesse and ingratitude and neglect of his word and prophane abuse of his sacraments shall wee that are Gospellers by our reproachfull lives put Christ to open shame and crucifie the Lord of life again shall wee whom hee hath bought so deerely loved so entirely provided for so plentifully and preserved so miraculously returne him evill for good nay so much evill for so much good hee hath fed us with the finest wheat flower and the purest juice of the grape shall wee in requitall offer him gall and vinegar by our gluttony and drunkennesse feasting and revelling even this holy time set apart for the commemoration of Christs passion and our most serious meditation thereupon shall wee spit upon Christ by our blasphemous oathes and scoffes at his word and ministers shall wee put a worse indignity and disgrace upon his members than the Jewes or Romanes did by making them the members of an harlot shall wee strip Christ starke naked by our sacriledge sell him by simony racke him by oppression teare him in pieces by sects in the Church and factions in the state u Hom. Id. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc Ithacus velit magno mercentur Achivi It is that our enemies would spare for no gold to buy it at any rate that whilest the shepheards are at strife they might send in their wolves to make havocke of the flocke * Eras adâ—g Pastores odia exercent lupus intrat ovile If any here present at the hearing of these things shall bee pricked in heart x Act. 2.37 as the Jewes were at * Saint Peters Sermon upon this subject and shall demand of mee as they did of him and the rest of the Apostles quid faciemus what shall wee doe I answer in his words y ver 38. repent and be baptised every one of you not in the first which is already past but in the second baptisme which is of teares z Psal 4.4 stand in awe and sin no more commune with your owne heart in your chamber and bee still crucifie the world and the pompes the flesh and the lusts thereof breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse and your iniquities by almes to the poore humble your soules by watching and praying fasting and mourning Prostrate your selves before Jesus Christ and him crucified and after you have bathed your eyes in brinish teares and anointed them with the eye-salve of the spirit looke up with unspeakable comfort on your Saviour hanging on the crosse stretching out his armes to embrace you bowing downe his head as it were to kisse you behold in his pierced hands and feet and side holes to hide you from the wrath of God behold nayles to fasten the hand-writing against you being cancelled to his crosse behold vinegar to search and cleanse all your wounds behold water and blood and hyssope to purge your consciences and lastly a spunge to wipe out all your debts out of his Fathers tables Which the Father of mercy and God of all consolation
bequeathed unto us then we hearken to it with thirsty eares and as curiously observe every line and sillable therein as Jewellers doe every carrat in a Diamond Such is the difference betweene the carnall and the spirituall mans apprehension and affection in the reading and hearing of the written word the letters and points are not hidden to any that can reade but the treasures of wisedome and knowledge laid up in it the power and efficacy of it the price and value of it is hidden to all those y Acts 16.14 whose heart God openeth not as he did the heart of Lidia And if the Manna of the word be thus hidden how much more the Manna of the Spirit I meane the inward comforts and joyes of the z 1 Pet. 3.4 bidden man of the heart a Plutarch de tranquil animae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diogenes the Philosopher bid every day holy in a good mans calendar turne Diogenes his good man into a regenerate Christian and his Philosophy will prove good Divinity For to a sanctified soule every day is holy on which he keepeth a great feast the b Pro. 15.15 feast of a good conscience at which the principal service is the hidden Manna in my text In the fields of c Solinus polyhist Campus Ennensis semper in floribus est omni vernus die Enna in Sicily there is a continuall spring and flowers all the yeere so are there in the mind of a faithfull Christian it is spring there all the yeere and though he hath not alwayes the sense and smelling because sometimes his spirituall nostrils are stuffed with earthly cares and worldly comforts yet he hath alwaies within him the sent of the flowers of Paradise I grant there is a time to rejoyce and a time also to weepe and I acknowledge that the devoutest man upon earth who is most ravished with divine contemplation yet doth not alwayes actually rejoyce that is apprehend or expresse his joy yet as St. d Pros de vit contemplat l. 1. Non potest defraudari delectationibus cui Christus est gaudium quia bono delectatur aeterno Prosper soundly argueth He can never be without joy and comfort whose joy is Christ because the fuell of this sacred flame is eternall Though the earth be sometimes as now it is beyond the seas full of darknesse and cruell habitations yet there is still e Psal 97.11 Light is sowne for the righteous gladness for the upright in heart light in Goshen in the conscience of a righteous man Light is as it were the joy of the skie and joy is the light of the minde now as lights so joyes are of two sorts 1 Purer and finer 2 Impurer and grosser The purer lights burne clearer last longer and leave a sweeter savour behinde them the grosser and impurer burne dimly spend fast running into gutters and goe out with an ill favour You may observe the like difference betweene carnall and spirituall joyes carnall delights that are fed with impure matter such as are the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the eye 1. Burne dimly they yeeld no cleere light of comfort to the minde they are mixed joyes and insincere Medio de fonte leporum surgit amarum aliquid 2. They spend fast and are quickly over Seneca rightly observeth f Voluptas cum accenditur extinguitur Ita quibus delectatur vulgus tennem habent ac perfusoriam voluptatem quodeunque invectitium gaudium est fundamento caret Sen. ep 23. In praecipiti est voluptas ad dolorem vergit nisi modum teneat That pleasure is quenched in the kindling of it much like dry thorns under a pot which make a blaze sodainly are turned into ashes In which regard the Romans set up the image of Angerona the goddesse of anguish and sorrow in the Temple of Volupia the Goddesse of pleasure to shew that pain treadeth upon the heele of pleasure and anguish of mirth 3. They goe out with a stinke they leave behinde them amara foeda vestigia as Saint Bernard speaketh a bitter fume and noysome stench in our consciences and a foule print upon our name But spirituall joyes on the contrary 1. Burne clearely send forth a bright flame for these joyes are sincere exceeding unspeakable and glorious 2. They last long for they are as Saint Austine calleth them * Sen. ep 23. Hoc ad quod te conor perducere solidum est quod plus pateat introrsus c. fortes delitiae solida gaudia during delights and solid joyes 3. They leave a sweet savour behind them a good report in the world and a sweet contentment in the soule For they are Solomons g Pro. 16.24 Dulcedo animae Davids h Psal 45.7 Oleum laetitiae Saint Pauls i 2 Cor. 2.16 Odor suavitatis and S. Johns Manna reconditum sweet to the soule and health to the bones the oyle of gladnesse the savour of life the hidden Manna O felix paucis nota voluptas The world is all set upon a merry pinne though God knowes there is little cause we are all for pleasure but it is a paine to a righteous soule to thinke what pleasure it is griefe to name what joy In Pontus there is a flower called Rodo-dendrum of which the honey that is made is rank poyson such is the sensuall delight that is taken in the use or rather the abuse of worldly pleasures it distempereth the taste and poysoneth the soule Not to forsake the Metaphor in my text all inordinate pleasures immoderate joyes and impure delights are like the Manna that was gathered on the Sabbath day which corrupted suddenly and became full of wormes but pure and spirituall joyes are like that Manna which Moses by Gods appointment laid up in a golden pot which corrupted not but preserved it selfe from putrefaction and the gold also from rust the lid or cover of which pot I will endevour to open a little wider that you may have yet a fuller sight and quicker taste of the hidden Manna There are three kindes of the hidden Manna 1 Of the Word 2 Of the Sacrament 3 Of the Spirit 1 The Manna of the Word is that delight which is taken by the hearers in the opening the mysteries of holy Scripture and applying the sweet comforts of the Gospell to the conscience and this k Ep. ad Hier. Damasus conceived to be the greatest happinesse in the world 2. The Manna of the Sacrament is that comfort which the worthy receivers feele in themselves after the sanctified use of the elements by growth in grace and increase of spirituall strength and of this Saint l Ep. l. 2. Cyprian was as it were in travell till hee was delivered of it in his Epistle to Cornelius 3. The Manna of the Spirit is that unspeakable joy wherewith the heart is filled and even leapeth and danceth within us when wee heare the Spirit testifying
bring us for his Son Jesus Christ his sake Cui c. THE VINE OF SODOME THE XLI SERMON ROM 6.21 What fruit had yee then in those things c. Right Honourable c. ALL the advised thoughts and purposes of men that are not elevated above the levell of earthly desires to a higher marke than the top of worldly happinesse fall and fasten themselves upon such things as most neerly concerne either life it selfe and the commodities or necessities of life or their credit and reputation among those with whom they live These three life estate estimation are their portion in this life and therefore the maintenance of them their chiefe care The world hath nothing besides these to allure and draw on the love of her darlings for the pleasures that are spring out of these and are either their fruits or their blossomes honour is the pleasure of the ambitious wealth of the covetous and the pride of life of all As for those sensuall delights which now I know not how have engrossed the name of pleasures to themselves they receive their birth from youth the spring of our age their nourishment and maintenance from wealth and prosperity So that the former limits within which I have confined the aime and desires of the naturall man stand sure and immoveable Of all things in this life or rather of this life nothing is so deare and precious as life it selfe for without it neither honour nor riches nor pleasures can bring forth any fruit because they can have no root life oftentimes surviveth them they never survive it Howbeit because a miserable and painfull life is a kind of sensible death and to live and not to be reputed of is in effect to be reputed not to be infamy and obscurity being the death of our name and oblivion the buriall of our best parts hence it commeth to passe that the restlesse desires and endeavours of men for riches and honour especially if they be pricked on forward by covetousnesse and ambition are not much lesse eager and violent than is the striving and strugling for life it selfe The pursuit of these is the highest flight of the naturall man but the regenerate Christian who is of a nobler breed soareth farre higher in his desires and affections the life he pursueth is immortality the riches hee esteemeth of are celestiall graces the honour he aspireth unto is a crowne of glory Now the meanes to attaine the ends of both viz. temporall happinesse and happy eternity the glory of the Kingdomes of the earth and a Kingdome of glory in heaven is one and the selfe same the religious service of the onely true God in whose gift they are for a 1 Tim. 6.6 c. 4.8 godlinesse is great gaine and hath the promises of this life and the life to come therefore by the law of contraries ungodly and sinfull courses must needs bee incommodious and to our greatest losse as having the curses of this life and the life to come Whereby as by many other things else we may perceive the folly and blindnesse of the naturall man who taketh a wrong course to compasse his ends for his way lyeth in the straight pathes of Gods Commandements but he taketh by-pathes laid out by Sathan and treadeth endlesse mazes As the b Eras Apoph Athenians against whom Diogenes whet his cynick tooth in the feasts of Aesculapius even when they sacrificed to health banqueted riotously against health so the worldly wise man by inordinately desiring and craftily pursuing and immoderately affecting the blessings of this life loseth them and his life too for these his desires and pursuits are sinnes and by sinne all the promises and covenants of God which are the onely deeds by which wee hold our estate in the blessings of this life are forfeited Good God how doth the god of this world delude the children of the world whom he perswadeth that the ready way to purchase all the comforts and contentments of this life is to fall downe and worship him and to sell themselves with Ahab to worke wickednesse against God whereas sinne unrepented of not onely depriveth them of all hope of a better life hereafter but of all the joy of a good life here For it consumeth their substance it blasteth all the fruits of their labours it disableth and wasteth their body miserably troubleth their consciences staineth their name and shorteneth the dayes of their life I feare there are too many in the world who have no mind of because no knowledge of spirituall riches and celestiall joyes yet there is no man in his right senses who regardeth not either his estate or his credit or his life here The ambitious man little esteemeth worldly gaine because Chamelion-like hee feedeth upon the ayre and breath of mens commendations Againe the covetous man setteth light by praises and honour because he like the worme feedeth upon the earth The voluptuous man careth not much for honour or wealth because like the Beetle hee feedeth upon the doung of unsavoury pleasures yet there is none of all three but tender their life and therefore none who can be unsensible of the Apostles incision in my Text. Doth any desire the commodities of this life let them flye sin for sin bringeth no fruit at all What fruit c. Doe any desire glory and honour they must eschue sinne for sinne bringeth shame Whereof yee are now ashamed Doe any desire continuance of life they must abhorre sinne for sinne bringeth death the end of these things is death Sinne is altogether sterill and unfruitfull and therefore to be set at nought it is shamefull and therefore to bee loathed it is deadly and therefore to be fled from as from a Serpent Here we have three peculiar adjuncts of sinne sinne is unfruitfull for the time past shamefull for the present and deadly for the time to come the first adjunct the unfruitfulnesse of it is so fruitfull of observations that this houre may be fruitfully spent in gathering them What fruit had yee It was the usuall demand of one of the wisest among the c Cic. in Verr. Romane Judges Cassius surnamed the Severe in all cases of doubt in matter of fact about the person of the delinquent Cui bono who gained by the bargaine on whose side lay the advantage assuring himselfe that no man of understanding would put himselfe into any dishonest or dangerous action without hope of reaping some fruit by it as also that there can be no enterprise so beset with difficulties and dangers which some men for apparent hope of great gaine and profit would not goe thorow with no arguments conclude so necessarily in the opinion of the greater part of men as those that are drawne ab d Demost Olynth 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utili This topick place the Divell made choice of above all other Haec omnia tibi dabo in tempting our Saviour and though this his sharpest dart could not enter into