sute our Text better I think than any of the former to wit that Prophesying here should be taken for praising God in Hymns and Psalms For so it is fitly coupled with praying Praying and Praising being the parts of the Christian Liturgie Besides our Apostle also in the fourteenth Chapter of this Epistle joyns them both together I will pray saith he with the spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing that is prophesie with understanding also For because Prophets of old did Three things first foretel things to come secondly notifie the will of God unto the People and thirdly utter themselves in Musical wise and as I may so speak in a Poetical strain and composure hence it comes to pass that to prophesie in Scripture signifies the doing of any of these Three things and amongst the rest to praise God in Verse or Musical composure This to be so as I say I shall prove unto you out of two places of Scripture and first out of the first of Chronicles Chap. 25. where the word Prophesie is three several times thus used I will alledge the words of the Text at large because I cannot well abbreviate them Thus therefore it speaks Vers. 1. Moreover David and the Captains of the Host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Ieduthun who should prophesie with Harps with Psalteries and with Cymbals and the number of the men of Office according to their service was 2. Of the sons of Asaph Zaccur and Ioseph and Nethaniah and Asarelah the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph which prophesied according the order of the King 3. Of Ieduthun the sons of Ieduthun Gedaliah and Zeri and Ieshaiah Hashabiah and Mattithiah and Schimei six under the hands of their father Ieduthun who prophesied with a Harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord. Lo here to prophesie and to give thanks or confess and to praise the Lord with spiritual songs made all one Nor needs such a Notion seem strange when as even among the Latins the word Vaâ—es signifieth both him that foretels things to come and a Poet for that the Gentiles Oracles were given likewise in Verse And S. Paul to Titus calls the Cretian Poet Epimenides a Prophet as one saith he of their own Prophets said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Arabians whose language comes the nearest both in words and notions to the Hebrew call a chief Poet of theirs Princeps omnium Poetarum saith Erpenius quos unquam vidit mundus Muttenabbi that is Prophetizans or the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now then if Asaph Ieduthun and Heman prophesied when they praised God in such Psalms as are entituled unto their several Quires and as we find them in the Psalm-Book for know that all the Psalms entituled To the sons of Korah belonged to the Quire of Heman who descended from Korah why may not we when we sing the same Psalms be said to prophesie likewise namely As he that useth a prayer composed by another prayeth and that according to the spirit of him that composed it so he that praiseth God with these spiritual and prophetical composures may be said to prophesie according to that spirit which speaketh in them And that Almighty God is well pleased with such Service as this may appear by that one story of King Iehoshaphat in the second of Chronicles who when he marched forth against that great confederate Army of the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir the Text tells us that having consulted with his people he appointed Singers unto the Lord that should praise the Beauty of holiness as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever that is they should sing the one hundred and sixth Psalm or one hundred and thirty sixth Psalm which begin in this manner and were both of them not unfit for such an occasion And when they began to sing and praise saith the Text the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir which were come against Iudah and they were smitten A second place where such kind of Prophets and Prophesying as we speak of are mentioned is that in the first of Samuel in the story of Saul's election where we read that when he came to a certain place called The Hill of God he met a company of Prophets coming down from the Highplace or Oratory there with a Psaltery and a Tabret and a Pipe and a Harp before them and they prophesied and he with them Their Instruments argue what kind of Prophecy this was namely Praising of God with spiritual songs and melody In what manner is not so easie to define or specifie but with an extemporary rapture I easily believe And if we may conjecture by other examples One of them should seem to have been the Praecentor and to utter the Verse or Ditty the rest to have answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the extremes or last words of the Verse For after this manner we are told by Philo Iudaeus that the Esseni who were of the Iewish Nation were wont to sing their Hymns in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or worshipping-places And after the self-same manner Eusebius tells us did the Primitive Christians having in all likelihood learnt it from the Iews whose manner it was The same is witnessed by the Author Constitutionum Aposiolicarum in his second Book and fifty seventh Chapter where describing the manner of the Christian Service after the reading of the Lessons of the Old Testament saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let another sing the Psalms of David and the people succinere or answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the extremes of the verses Some footsteps of which Custom remain still with us though perhaps in somewhat a different way when in those short Versicles of Liturgie being Sentences taken out of the Psalms the Priest sayes or sings the first half and the People answer the latter quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As for example in that taken out of Psalm 51. 15. the Priest sayes O Lord open thou our lips the People or Chorus answers And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise But whatsoever the ancient manner of answering was thus much we are sure of That the Iews in their Divine Lauds were wont to praise God after this manner in Antiphons or Responsories as to let pass other Testimonies and the use of their Synagogues to this day derived from their Ancestors we may learn by two special Arguments One from the Seraphims singing Esay 6. 3. where it is said that the Seraphims cryed one unto another saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory Note They cried one unto another Secondly from the use of the Hebrew verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the proper and
Discourses the First is added in this Edition all but the Second of them were made by him in his younger days and all of them but the Last are elaborate and argue his great reading and study The Last which is plainer than the rest was added because the latter part thereof especially is a fit Supplement to Discourse 39. and withal because the whole is a pregnant proof of his freedom from Vaingloriousness and Affectation a Disease to which Young men are most subject and that he knew as to discourse learnedly before capable Hearers and to prepare strong meat for those of full age so likewise to become weak to those that were weak in imitation of the Great Apostle of the Gentiles and when he was to speak before a Country-Auditory to express himself in a very plain and familiar way Which ability and readiness of condescending to the meanest capacity was a Vertue and Perfection in him worthy of praise and imitation rather than an unseemly debasement and lessening of himself The Great S. Augustine was pleas'd to humble himself to a yet lower condescension he would speak sometimes broken and barbarous Latine before some sort of Hearers so it were better understood by them as Ossum for Os c. upon the mentioning of which instance he adds Melius est ut nos reprehendant Grammatici quam ut non intelligant populi In general His Style is every where grave and proper and fitly expressive of his sense an argument that he was Master of his Notions and did fully comprehend them Nor is it easie to find many Writers that in treating upon Prophetical and Obscure Scriptures of any other Abstruse arguments have either illustrated them with that clearness that easie and punctual accommodation of them to their proper Events or represented their Notions so handsomely and advantageously as he hath done To be short In his Discourses and Sermons there is nothing that is light humorous and trifling no little pieces of Wit or slight Phancy no high-flown nor affected Modes of expression no needless Quotations of the meaner and less-significant Sentences out of Authors with which some such especially who are less acquainted with the inward sense and relish of Better things endeavour to make their Discourses look very fine and as they think wondrous learned hoping thereby to gratifie some weak and Childish minds and by them to be had in admiration whose Applause yet is in the esteem of Wise men a Disparagement No His great care was to make his Discourses rather substantial and solid sit to entertain such as are of a more Manly and serious spirit than gawdy and quaint and pleasing only to those that are but Children and not grown to be Men in Understanding as being well assured that to men of judgment as Petronius hath well observ'd Nihil esset magnificum quod pueris placeret His Generous Soul could not stoop so low as to humor these such a Pedantick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Affectation being in his account a certain sign of a Poorness and Narrowness of spirit a Littleness of Mind when it can thus vacare rebus tam exiguis his interesse ut suis. In a word what is related in the Life of Padre Paolo that Oracle of Venice the famous Author of the History of the Council of Trent and for his scarcely-parallel'd Accomplishments both Intellectual and Moral the Glory and Wonder of that Age Il miracolo di questo secolo as the learned and excellent Vincentius Pinellus of Padua did love to style him may with equal truth be said of Mr. Mede and his Writings viz. That here was an happy conjunction of those Excellencies which rarely meet in one and the same Subject Scienza humilita prudenza e mansuetudine ritir atezza officiosita seriosita e dolcezza brevita e chiarezza soavita e sodezza Knowledge and Humility Prudence and Meekness Retiredness and Officiousness Seriousness and Pleasantness Brevity and Clearness Sweetness and Solidity I might add a word concerning some other Tracts of his and particularly such as besides his Clavis Apocalyptica refer to the Apocalyps and make the three last Chapters in Book V. But concerning these there is an Advertisement there prefixed And for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Remains upon the Apocalyps this in short may suffice to be intimated That they were only an Additional Supplement to the first Draught of his Synchronisms privately communicated to some Friends and were not written after but before his Clavis Commentationes Apocalypticae which were his Last labours upon that mysterious Book and by these his Last Thoughts upon the Apocalyps should be farther cleared and rectified whatsoever may seem in those former Papers less perfect and satisfying Concerning other Tracts of his there are particular Advertisements inserted where thore was need in their proper places And thus much concerning the Author and his Writings I proceed to the last Head of Advertisements III. Advertisements touching the Methods and Helps whereby the Author arrived at such an eminent degree of skill in the more abstruse parts of Knowledge And because it is and ever was the General sense of all Wise and Vertuous persons in the World That the Divine Presence and Assistence is absolutely necessary and therefore to be implor'd in all weighty undertakings that which deserves first to be numbred amongst those Helps to knowledge is I. His humble and fervent Prayer to Almighty God the Father of lights to guide him into all Truth and to give him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good understanding in all things This was S. Iames his advice If any man lack Wisdom let him ask of God and it shall be given him This was that memorable counsel that a venerable unknown person gave to Iustin Martyr in his Solitude after he had pass'd through the several Philosophies then in being the Stoick Peripatetick Pythagorean and Platonick as a preparation to his receiving the best Philosophy that is the Christian That he would study the Writings of the Holy Prophets and for his better success therein saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he should first and above all things pray unto God that the Gates of light might be opened unto him and in the following of this counsel this great Philosopher became an eminent Christian faithful unto death This was Daniel's practice Daniel whose Prophecy is much-what of the like colour and complexion with S. Iohn's Apocalyps he sets himself and engages the Three Children his companions to do the like to desire mercies of the God of Heaven concerning that Secret of Nebuchadnezzar's Vision of the Four Kingdoms represented by the Image of Four differing mettals And to mention only one Example more but such a one as is most pertinent on this occasion S. Iohn is said to have wept much that none was found that could open the Apocalyptick Book sealed with
before they knew of it as to Mr. Boys Mr. Fuller c. And I can never forget with what a Gusto that Brave Sir William Boswell was wont to relate this among the infinite more observable Passages in the Happy Reign of Q. Elizabeth That she gave a strict Charge and Command to both the Chancellors of both Her Vniversities to bring Her a Iust True and Imparâ—ial List of all the Eminent and Hopeful Students that were Graduates in each Vniversity to set down punctually their Names their Colledges their Standings their Faculties wherein they did eminere or were likely so to do Therein Her Majesty was exactly obeyed the Chancellors durst not do otherwise and the use She made of it was That if She had an Ambassador to send abroad then She of Her self would nominate such a Man of such an House to be his Chaplain and another of another House to be his Secretary c. When She had any places to dispose of fit for Persons of an Academical Education She would Her self consign such Persons as She judged to be pares Negoâ—iis Sir William had gotten the very individual Papers wherein these Names were listed and marked with the Queen 's own hand which he carefully laid up among his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now as Sir William pursued this could not be long concealed from the young Students and then it is easie to be imagined or rather it is not to be imagined how this Consideration that their Sovereign's Eye was upon them and so Propitious upon the Deserving among them how this I say would switch and spur on their Industries I end these Additionals to Mr. Mede's Character with that plain ordinary Vote wherein yet I believe I shall have very many joyn with me Sic mihi contingat vivere sicque mori God grant we may all in some proportion live as humbly as faithfully as fruitfully and Christianly and then die as peaceably and comfortably as he did Amen THE END If any one should scruple my Fidelity in relating some speeches of Mr. Mede's because spoken so many years since he may please to satisfie himself with this That it was my Custom presently when I went from Mr. Mede's Chamber to set down in writing what I conceived observable which writings I have yet by me and consulted with them in these my Narratives DIATRIBAE THE FIRST BOOK OF THE WORKS OF The Pious and Profoundly-Learned Ioseph Mede B.D. SOMETIME Fellow of CHRIST'S Colledge in CAMBRIDGE Containing as many DISCOURSES On Several Texts of SCRIPTURE as there are Sundays in the Year Corrected and Enlarged according to the Author 's own Manuscripts August de Doctr. Christ. l. 2. c. 6. in Psal. 140. Praefat. Spiritus Sanctus magnificè ac salubriter ità Scripturas modificavit ut locis apertioribus fami occurreret obscurioribus autem fastidium detergeret Si nusquam aperta esset Scriptura non te pasceret Si nusquam occulta non te exerceret THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST BOOK DISCOURSE 1. â— Page 1 S. Matthew 6. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thus therefore pray ye Our Father c. DISC. II. pag. 4 S. Matthew 6. 9. S. Luke 11. 2. Sanctificetur Nomentuum Sanctified or Hallowed be thy Name DISC. III. pag. 19 Acts 17. 4. There associated themselves to Paul and Silas of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude DISC. IV. pag. 23 2 Peter 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels which sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ... but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Iudgment c. so we translate it To which of S. Peter answers that of S. Iude as almost that whole Epistle doth to this vers 6. And the Angels which kept not their first estate or principality but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the Iudgment of the great Day DISC. V. pag. 25 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God DISC. VI. pag. 28 S. Iohn 10. 20. He hath a Devil and is mad DISC. VII pag. 31 Proverbs 21. 16. The man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the Congregation of the Dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in coetu Gigantum DISC. VIII pag. 34 Genesis 49. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Iudab nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill SHILOH come and unto him shall the gathering of the People be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DISC. IX pag. 36 Psalm 8. 2. Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings thou hast ordained strength â— because of thine Enemies that thou mightest quell the Enemy and the Avenger DISC. X. pag. 40 Zachariah 4. 10. These Seven are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth DISC. XI pag. 44 S. Mark 11. 17. Is it not written My House shall be called a House of Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all the Nations DISC. XII pag. 46 S. Iohn 4. 23. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him DISC. XIII pag. 49. S. Luke 24. 45. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures 46. And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day DISC. XIV pag. 52. Exodus 4. 25. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the fore-skin of her son and cast it at his feet and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sponsus sanguinum tu mihi es DISC. XV. pag. 55. Ezekiel 20. 20. Hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you to acknowledge that I Iehovah am your God DISC. XVI pag. 58. 1 Cor. 11. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head DISC. XVII pag. 62. Titus 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost DISC. XVIII pag. 65. Ioshua 24. 26. And Ioshua took a great stone and set it up there viz. in Sichem under the Oak which was in the Sanctuary of the Lord Alii by the Sanctuary Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DISC. XIX pag. 70. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially they that labour in the Word and Doctrine DISC. XX. pag. 74. Acts 2. 5. And there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sojourning at Ierusalem Iews devout men out of every Nation under Heaven DISC. XXI pag. 77. 1. Cor. 9. 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DISC. XXII pag. 80. Psalm 112. 6. The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance DISC. XXIII pag. 84. S. Matthew 10. 41.
it had been ere this well-nigh extinguished But experience tells us the contrary that this Fancy is not only still living but begins as it were to recover and get strength afresh In which regard my Discourse at this time will not be unseasonable if taking my rise from these words of our Saviour I acquaint you upon what grounds and example this practice of the Christian Church hath been established and how frivolous and weak the Reasons are which some of late do bring against it To begin therefore You see by the Text I have now read that our Blessed Saviour delivered a set Form of Prayer unto his Disciples and in so doing hath commended the use of a set Form of Prayer unto his Church Thus therefore saith he pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven c. Is not this a set Form of Prayer and did not our Saviour deliver it to be used by his Disciples They tell us No. For Thus say they in this place is not thus to be understood but for in this manner to this effect or sense or after this pattern not in these words and syllables To this I answer It is true that this form of Prayer is a Pattern for us to make other Prayers by but that this only should be the meaning of our Saviour's Thus and not the rehearsal of the words themselves I utterly deny and I prove it out of the eleventh Chapter of S. Luke where the same Prayer is again delivered in these words O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven that is do it in haec verba For what other phrase of Scripture is there to express such a meaning if this be not Besides in this of S. Luke the occasion would be considered It came to pass saith he as Iesus was praying in a certain place that when he ceased one of his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as Iohn also taught his Disciples From whence it may not improbably be gathered that this was the custom of the Doctors of Israel to deliver some certain Form of Prayer unto their Disciples to use as it were a badge and Symbolum of their Discipleship at least Iohn Baptist had done so unto his Disciples and thereupon our Saviour's Disciples besought him that he also would give them in like manner some Form of his making that they might also pray with their Master's spirit as Iohn's Disciples did with theirs For that either our Saviour's or Iohn's Disciples knew not how to pray till now were ridiculous to imagine they being both of them Iews who had their certain set hours of prayer which they constantly observed as the third sixth and ninth It was therefore a Form of Prayer of their Master's making which both Iohn is said to have given his Disciples and our Saviour's Disciples besought him to give them For the fuller understanding whereof I must tell you something more and the rather because it is not commonly taken notice of and that is That this delivery of the Lord's Prayer in S. Luke is not the same with that related by S. Matthew but another at another time and upon another occasion That of S. Matthew in that famous Sermon of Christ upon the Mount whereof it is a part that of S. Luke upon a special motion of the Disciples at a time when himself had done praying That of S. Matthew in the second that of S. Luke in the third year after his Baptism Consider the Text of both and you shall find it impossible to bring them into one and the same Whence it follows that the Disciples when it was first uttered understood not that their Master intended it for a Form of Prayer unto them but for a pattern or example only or it may be to instruct them in special in what manner to ask forgiveness of sins For if they had thought he had given them a Form of Prayer then they would never have asked him for one now Wherefore our Saviour this second time utters himself more expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven Thus their inadvertency becomes our confirmation For as Ioseph said to Pharaoh The dream is doubled unto Pharaoh because the thing is established by God so may we say here the delivery of this Prayer was doubled unto the Disciples that they and we might thereby know the more certainly that our Saviour intended and commended it for a set Form of Prayer unto his Church Thus much of that set Form of Prayer which our Saviour gave unto his Disciples as a precedent and warrant to his Church to give the like Forms to her Disciples or members a thing which from her infancy she used to do But because her practice is called in question as not warranted by Scripture let us see what was the practice of the Church of the Old Testament than whose example and use we can have no better rule to follow in the New First therefore we find two set Forms of Prayer or Invocation appointed by God himself in the Law of Moses One the Form wherewith the Priests were to bless the people Num. 6. 23 24 25 26. On this wise saith he shall Aaron and his sons bless the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Is not this a set Form of Prayer For what is to bless but to pray over or invocate God for another The second is the Form of profession and prayer to be used by him who had paid his Tithes every third year Deut. 26. 13. O Lord God I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house and also have given them unto the Levite and unto the stranger and fatherless and unto the widow according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandments nor have I forgotten them 14. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning neither have I taken away thereof for an unclean use c. 15. Look down from thy holy habitation from heaven and bless thy people Israel and the Land which thou hast given us as thou swarest to our Fathers a Land that floweth with milk and honey But what need we seek thus for scattered Forms when we have a whole Book of them together The Book of Psalms was the Iewish Liturgy or the chief part of the Vocal service wherewith they worshipped God in the Temple This is evident by the Titles of the Psalms themselves which shew them to have been commended to the several Quires in the same To Asaph To the sons of Korah To Ieduthun and almost forty of them To the Magister Symphoniae the Prefect or Master of the Musick in general The like we are to conceive of those which have no Titles as for example of
the 105 and 96 Psalms which though they have no such Inscription in the Psalm-book yet we find 1 Chron. 16. 7. that they were delivered by David into the hands of Asaph and his Brethren for forms to thank the Lord. This a man would think were sufficient to take away all scruple in this point especially when we our selves and all the Reformed Churches use to sing the same Psalms not only as set Forms but set in Metre that is after a humane composure Are not the Psalms set Forms of Confession of Prayer and of Praising God And in case there had been no Prayers amongst them yet what reason could be given why it should not be as lawful to pray unto God in a set Form as to praise him in such a one What therefore do they say to this Why they tell us that the Psalms are not sung in the Church unto God but so rehearsed for instruction of the people only namely as the Chapters and Lessons are there read and no otherwise But if either we do ought or may sing the Psalms in the Church with the same end and purpose that the Church of the Old Testament did and it were absurd to say we might not this Exception will not subsist For what is more certain than that the Church of Israel used the Psalms for Forms of praising and invocating God What mean else those Forms Cantemus Domino Psallite Domino Let us sing unto the Lord and Sing ye unto the Lord and the like so frequent in them But there are more direct and express testimonies In 1 Chron. 25. 3. it is expresly said of Ieduthun and his sons that their office was to prophesie with a Harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord. In the second of Chron. 30. 21. we read that the Levites and the Priests praised the Lord day by day singing with loud Instruments unto the Lord. And as ye heard even now out of 1 Chron. 16. David at the time when he brought up the Ark unto Ierusalem then first delivered the 105 and 96 Psalms into the hands of Asaph and his sons to confess or give thanks unto the Lord. And lastly to leave no place for farther doubt we read Ezra 3. 10 11. that the Levites the sons of Asaph were set with Cymbals to praise the Lord after the ordinance of David King of Israel and that they sung together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever For this reason the four and twenty Courses or Quires into which the Singers of the Temple were divided by King David to serve in their turns consisted each of them of twelve according to the number of the Tribes of Israel that so every Tribe might have a mouth and voice to praise and to give thanks unto God for him in the Temple Thus we have seen what warrant topray and call upon God in a set Form hath from the practice of the Church of God in the Old Testament And if Reason may have place in the publick service of God where one is the mouth of many there is none so proper and convenient For how can the Minister be said properly to be the mouth of the Congregation in prayer unto God when the Congregation is not first made acquainted and privy to what he is to tender unto God in their names Which in a voluntary and extemporary form of Prayer they are not nor well can be I am sure neither so properly nor conveniently as in a set Form which both they and the whole Church have agreed upon and offer unto God at the same time though in several places in the self-same form and words And this may be a second Reason I mean from Uniformity For how can the Church being a Mystical Body better testifie her unity before God than in her uniformity in calling upon him especially your Saviour telling us that if but two or three shall agree together on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done unto them of his Father which is in heaven So prevailable with Almighty God is the power of Consent in Prayer LET us now in the last place see what Reasons they bring who contend altogether for voluntary Prayer and would have no set Forms used First they say It is the ordinance of God that the Church should be edified by the gifts of her Ministers as well in Praying as Preaching Ergo their Prayers should be extemporary or voluntary because in reading a set Form of Prayer this gift cannot be shewn To this I answer First That there is not in this point the same reason for Prayer and for Preaching for in Prayer I mean publick the Minister is the mouth of the Church unto God and therefore it were convenient they should know what he puts up to God in their names but in Preaching he is not so Secondly Why should not the Pastors and Ministers of the Church edifie the Church by their gift of Prayer as well in composing a set Form of Prayer for her use by general agreement as in uttering a voluntary or extemporary Prayer in a particular Congregation Thirdly Are not the members of the Church to be edified as well by the spirit of the Church as the Church or some part thereof by the spirit of a member But how can the Church edifie her members by her gift of Prayer otherwise than by a set Form agreed upon by her consent Fourthly Ostentation of gifts is one thing but Edification by them another Ostentation of the gift of Prayer is indeed best shewn in a voluntary or extemporary Prayer but the Church may be edified as well by a set Form Yea such a Form in the publick service of God is more edificative than a voluntary And that both because the Congregation is first made acquainted therewith and secondly because they are better secured from being ingaged in ought that might be unfit to speak unto God either for matter or manner or such as they would not have given their consent to if they had been aware of it For now that extraordinary assistance of the Holy Ghost which was in the Primitive and Apostolical times is long since ceased and all men to whom that office belongeth to speak to God for others are not at all times discreet and well advised when they speak to him at will and extempore but subject to miscarriage Lastly I answer That the Church is to be edified by the gift of her Ministers in voluntary Prayer loco tempore in fit place and upon fit occasions not in all places and upon all occasions And thus much to this Objection But they object secondly That the Spirit ought to be free and unlimited and that therefore a Book or set Form of Prayer which limits the Spirit in praying is not to be tolerated or used To this I answer It is false that the acting of the Spirit in
one Christian may not be limited or regulated by the spirit of another especially the spirit of a particular man in the publick worship by the Spirit of the Church whereof he is a member For doth not the Apostle tell us 1 Cor. 14. 29 30. that even that extraordinary Spirit of prophecy usual in his time might be limited by the spirit of another Prophet Let the Prophets saith he speak two or three and let the other judge If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace Is not this a limiting He gives a reason v. 32. For the spirits of the Prophets saith he are subject to the Prophets Besides are not the spirits of the people as well limited and determined by a voluntary Prayer when they joyn therein with their Minister as they are by a set Form True the spirit of the Minister is then free but theirs is not so but tied and led by the spirit of the Minister as much as if he used a set Form But to elude this they tell us that the Question is not of limiting the spirit of the people but of the Minister only For as for the people no more is required of them but to joyn with their Minister and to testifie it by saying Amen but the spirit of the Minister ought to be left free and not to be limited But where is this written that the one may not be limited as well as the other We heard the Apostle say even now The spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets If in prophesying why not in praying And what shew of Reason can be given why the spirit of a particular Minister in the publick worship of the Church may not yea ought not to be limited and regulated by the spirit of the Church Representative as well as the spirit of a whole Congregation by the spirit of a particular Minister For every particular Minister is as much subordinate to the spirit of the Church Representative as the spirit of the Congregation is to his So much for this Objection There remaineth yet a third which may be answered in two or three words No set Form of Prayer say they can serve for all occasions What then yet why may it not be used for all such occasions as it serves for If any sudden and unexpected occasion happen for which the Church cannot provide the spirit of her Ministers is free Who will forbid them to supply in such a case that by a voluntary and arbitrary form which the Church could not provide for in a set Form And this is what I intended to say of this Argument DISCOURSE II. MATTHEW 6. 9. LUKE 11. 2. Sanctificetur Nomen tuum Sanctified or Hallowed be thy Name ALthough I make no question but that which we so often repeat unto Almighty God in our daily prayers is for the general meaning thereof by the most of us in some competent measure understood yet because by a morefull and distinct explication the knowledge of some may be improved and the meditations of others occasioned to a further search I hope I shall not do amiss nor be thought to have chosen a Theme either needless or not so fit for this Auditory If I shall enquire What that is we pray for in this first Petition of the Prayer our Lord hath taught us when we desire that God's Name may be sanctified For perhaps we shall find more contained therein than is commonly taken notice of The words are few and therefore shall need no other Analyse than what their very number presents unto us viz. God's Name and the sanctifying thereof Sanctificetur Nomen tuum I will begin first with the last in order but first in nature Nomen tuum God's Name By which according to the style of Holy Scripture we are to understand in this place First of all God himself or His sacred Deity to wit abstractly expressed according to the style of eminency and dignity that is Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine Majesty as we are wont for the King to say His Majesty or the King's Majesty and of other persons of honour and eminency their Highness their Honour his Excellency and the like so of God His Name and sometimes with the self-same meaning His Glory as Ier. 2. 11. Hath any nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods but my people have changed their Glory that is their God for that which is good for nought So Psalm 106. 20. of the Calf made in the wilderness They changed their Glory into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth grass And S. Paul Rom. 1. 23. They changed the Glory that is the Majesty of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man c. Such is the notion but much more frequent of God's Name In a word Nomen Dei in this kind of use is nothing else but Divinum Numen Whence it is that in Scripture to call upon the Name of God to blaspheme the Name of God to love his Name to swear by his Name to build a Temple to his Name for his Name to dwell there and in the New Testament to believe in the Name of the Lord Iesus to call upon the Name of the Lord Iesus these I say and the like expressions have no other meaning than to do these things to the Divine Majesty to the Lord Iesus whose is that Name above every name whereat every knee must bow Accordingly here Sanctisicetur Nomen tuum Hallowed be thy Name is as much as to say Sanctificetur Numen tuum Sanctified be thy Divine Majesty Secondly Under the Name of God here to be sanctified or hallowed understand besides the Majesty of his Godhead that also super quod invocatum est Nomen ejus whereupon his Name is called or that which is called by his Name as we in our Bibles commonly express this phrase of Scripture that is all whatsoever is God's or God is the Lord and owner of by a peculiar right such as are Things sacred whether they be Persons or whether Things by distinction so called or Times or Places which have upon them a relation of peculiarness towards God For such as these are said in Scripture to have the Name of God called upon them or to be called by his Name that is to be His. Thus we read in Scripture of an House which had the Name of God upon it or which was called by his Name that is God's House 1 Kings 8. 43. Ier. 7. 10 c. Of a City upon which the Name of God was called or named to wit the Holy City Ierusalem the City of the great King the Lord of hosts Ier. 25. 29. Dan. 9. 18. Of an Ark upon which the Name of God the Lord was called 1 Chron. 13. 6. 2 Sam. 6. 2. that is the Lord's Ark or the Ark of his Covenant as it is elsewhere named Of a People upon which the Name of the Lord was
and out before the Glory of the Holy One But neither S. Hierome who translated it out of the Chaldee nor the ancient Hebrew Copy set forth by Paulus Fagius and in likelihood translated out of the same Chaldee Original hath any such matter but read as I first quoted And therefore it seâ—ms to be an addition or liberty of the greek Translator who thought their Ministery to consist in presenting the Prayers of the Saints and so translated accordingly This Tradition is farther testified by Ionathan ben Vziel the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast Gen. 11. 7. where the Lord's words spoken in the plural number 〈…〉 go down and let us confound their language are paraphrased in this 〈…〉 spake unto the Seven Angels which stand before him Go to now let us go 〈…〉 Whether rightly or fitly in this place it matters not the Testimony is 〈◊〉 for the Iewish Tradition of Seven Arch-angels that stand before the Throne of God This Tradition Iunius saith is Magical and not a little triumphs therein aâ— an undoubted Argument to evince the Book of Tobit not to be Canonical But whâ—tâ—oever the Book of Tobit be I hope to shew this Tradition to have firm ground and footing in Scripture and not so rashly to be rejected The chief and most clear place is this I have now read which gives us to understand that these Seven Angels were represented by that Candlestick of Seven Lemps which continually burned in the Temple before the Veil over against the Mercy-seat which was the Throne of God For in the beginning of the Chapter the Prophet being shewed this Seven lamped Candlestick in a Vision and two Olive-branches on each side ministring oyl to the Lamps thereof the Angel asketh him ver 5. if he knew what these meant The Prophet answers No my Lord. Then the Angel discoursing a little by way of Preface tells him what they were These Seven saith he that is the Seven Lamps are the seven Eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth that is those Seven Vigils or prime Ministers of his Providence the Seven Arch-angels As for the two Olive-trees on each-side These are saith he the two anointed ones which stand before the Lord of the whole earth v. 14. that is Zorobabel and Iesua the Prince and Priest of that time which should be God's two Instruments on earth whereby his Church signified by the Candlestick should be re-established and his Temple builded and that not by force or strength as he saith in his Preface v. 6. but by the Spirit of God working with them as the Olive-trees here conveyed oyl to the Candlestick not after a natural and usual but a supernatural and secret manner This interpretation of the latter hath the suffrage of the best Expositors both Iews and Christians and so I shall need say no more of it but betake my self to make good the first concerning the words I chose for my Text That those Seven Eyes of God signified by the Seven Lamps are Seven Angels That this is so I prove out of two places of the Apocalyps derived from hence where as well the Seven Lamps before the Throne as the Lamb 's Seven Eyes are said to be the Seven Spirits of God I saw saith S. Iohn Ch. 4. 5. Seven Lamps before the Throne which are the Seven Spirits of God And again Ch. 5. 6. I saw in the midst of the Throne and of the four Beasts as we translate it and of the four and twenty Elders a Lamb as if he had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth Here first we have Zacharie's very words Seven eyes sent forth into all the earth secondly that these Seven eyes are the Seven Spirits of God thirdly that these Seven Spirits were represented by the Seven Lamps burning before the Throne If this be not sufficient to make my interpretation of Zacharie's good I know not what can be For who can now but think that the Iews derived their Tradition of these Seven Angels from this place of Zachary and the Apocalyps from them both And that indeed the Iews supposed some such thing meant by the Seven Lamps in the Temple appears by the report of Iosephus though depraved and fashioned unto the capacity of the Gentiles For he tells us both in his Antiquities Lib. 3. cap. 7. and in his De Bello Iudaico Lib. 6. cap. 6. Gr. 〈◊〉 that the Seven Lamps signified the seven Planets and the most holy place within the veil Antiq. l. 3. cap. 5. the Heaven of God or Heaven of Glory and that therefore the Lamps stood slope-wise as it were to express the obliquity of the Zodiack Now it is true that the Iewish Astrologians favouring of Gentilisme make these Seven Angels the Prefects of the Seven Planets which they seem to have learned in part from the Greek Philosophy which conceit howsoever it be vain and groundless yet may be as a Key to understand the meaning of this of Iosephus And one thing more If the visible things of God may be learned as S. Paul says from the Creation of the world why may not the Invisible and Intelligible World be learned from the Fabrick of the Visible the one it may be being the Pattern of the other But to let this pass and return again to the Apocalyps Where concerning the places alledged there may be two things objected First That the Seven Spirits there mentioned are and may be expounded of the Holy Ghost thus represented in respect of those seven-fold that is manifold Graces he communicates unto the Church I answer that many indeed have so taken it but besides the uncoâ—thness of expressing one Spirit by seven there is a reason in the Text why they cannot be so taken namely because not only the Seven Lamps are said to be those Seven Spirits of God but the Seven eyes and Seven Horns of the Lamb also to be the same Now it will be very hard and harsh to make the Holy Ghost the Horns and Eyes of Christ as he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world that is as he is Man Above Angels indeed the Man Iesus is exalted and that too for the suffering of death that is as the Lamb but not above the Holy Ghost This made not only Drusius but even Beza himself in his Notes upon this place to affirm it could not be meant of the Holy Ghost but of Seven created Spirits A second scruple is How if they be created Spirits Iohn could pray for Grace and Peace from them Grace be unto you saith he and peace from him which is which was and is to come and from the seven spirits which are before his Throne and from Iesus Christ the faithful witness c. Would he pray for Grace and Peace from Angels I answer Why not For first He praies not to them but unto God unto whom such
votes are tendered Secondly He praies for Grace and Peace from them not as Authors but as the Instruments of God in the dispensation thereof Are they not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation And if it be no Idolatry to pray unto God to give Grace and Peace from the outward Ministery of his Word no more is it to pray unto him for it from the invisible Ministery For certainly it is lawful to pray unto God for a blessing from an Instrument which he is wont to give us by an Instrument Secondly It may be said it being a Salutation that the words Grace and Peace need not be taken in that special and strict sense but in the large and general wherein Grace sounds favour at large and Peace all manner of prosperity In which sense no man will deny but the blessed Angels have an interest in the dispensation of the favours and blessings of God to his Church and so God may be prayed to to give them as he is wont by their Ministery Grace and Peace from him which is which was and is to come as the Author and Giver and from the Seven Spirits as the Instruments and from Iesus Christ as the Mediator There is yet one place more in the Apocalyps to confirm this Tradition Chap. 8. 2. I saw saith S. Iohn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seven Angels which stood before God Is not this as plain as Tobit Why should then the one be accounted Magical rather than the other I add moreover that these Angels are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principes primarii or chief Princes mentioned in the 10. of Daniel 13. Michael one of the chief Princes saith the Angel there came to help me Now Michael we know is one of the Arch-angels and why therefore may not these chief Princes be those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof S. Paul speaks in his adjuration to Timothy I charge thee saith he before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the Elect Angels not the good Angels at large but those Angeli eximii the Seven Arch-angels which stand before the Throne of God And it may not without reason be conjectured that those Seven chief Princes famed in the Persian Monarchie took their beginning from hence namely that Daniel who in respect of his account for wisdom and of his power under Darius the Mede had a main stroke in the moulding and framing the Government of that State caused the Persian Court to resemble that of Heaven ordaining Seven chief Princes to stand before the King Of which we find twice mention in Scripture as in the Book of Esther where they are recorded by name and styled the seven Princes of Media and Persia who saw the King's face and sate first in the kingdom and in the Commission granted to Ezra by Artaxerxes Ezra 7. 14. they are called the King's seven Counsellors Forasmuch as thou art sent by the King and his seven Counsellors c. And it may be the Church of Ierusalem when they chose Seven Deacons to minister unto their Bishop had an eye the same way HITHERTO of the Number of these Arch-angels now a word or two of their Office And that is First to be the universal Inspectors of the whole world and the Rulers and Princes of the whole Angelical host which appears in that they are called Principes primarii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chief Princes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Archangels i. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chief of the Angels their universal jurisdiction is meant by the words sent forth into the whole world whereas the rest are limited to certain places Secondly to have the peculiar Charge and Guardianship of the Church and affairs thereof whilst the rest of the world with their Polities Kingdoms and Governments is committed to the care of subordinate Angels who according to their several charges may seem to carry those names of Thrones Principalities Powers and Dominions That the charge of the Church quà talis belongs thus peculiarly and immediately to the Seven Arch-angels may appear by S. Iohn's saluting the Churches with a Benediction of Grace and Peace from their ministery and the typing of them by the Seven Eyes and Horns of the Lamb as Powers which the Father since he exalted Him to be Head of his Church hath annexed to his Iurisdiction Hence it comes to pass that we find these Angels peculiarly both before and in the Gospel to have been employed about the Church-affairs In the Old Testament the Angiel Gabriel one of the Seven revealed to Daniel the time of the restauration of the Iewish State and coming of Messiah and the Angel Michael one of the chief Princes was his assistant when he strengthened Darius the Mede who founded the Monarchy which should restore them and is in special termed Dan. 12. 1. the Prince that stood for Daniel 's people In the Gospel we find the same Angel Gabriel imployed both to Zachary and the Blessed Virgin with the Evangelical Tidings and that Zachary might take notice that he was one of the Seven he says unto him I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God Likewise in the Churches combate with the Dragon Apocal. 12. 7 c. Michael and his Angels are said to be her Champions and in her quarrel to have cast the Dragon and his Angels down to the Earth And in this Prophecy of Zachary it is said that these Seven eyes of the Lord took care of one stone which Zorobabel laid for the foundation of the Temple and therefore the work could not be disappointed but should certainly at length be finished So as by this time we may guess the meaning of that which Hanani the Seer told King Asa 2 Chron. 16. 9. The Eyes of the Lord that is these Seven Eyes run to and fro through the whole Earth to shew themselves strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect towards him DISCOURSE XI S. MARK 11. 17. Is it not written My House shall be called a House of Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all the Nations THEY are the words of our Blessed Saviour when he cast the Buyers and Sellers and Money-changers out of the Temple and forbad to carry any vessels through it Concerning which story it is worth observâ—â—â—on that our Saviour whilst he was upon earth never exercised any Kingly or coactive Iurisdiction but in vindicating his Father's House from prophanation And this he did two several times Once at the first Passeover after he began his Prophesie whereof you may read Iohn 2. 14 c. and now again at his last Passeover when he came to give his soul a sacrifice for sin This is that which S. Mark relates in this place as do also two other of the Evangelists S. Matthew and S. Luke The vindication of God's House from Prophanation how little account soever we are wont to
Acts 2. 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They continued in breaking of Bread and in Prayers As for bodily expressions by gestures and postures as standing kneeling bowing and the like our Blessed Saviour himself lift up his sacred eyes to heaven when he prayed for Lazarus fell on his face when he prayed in his agony S. Paul as himself saith bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ He and S. Peter and the rest of the Believers do the like more than once in the Acts of the Apostles What was Imposition of hands but an external gesture in an act of invocation for conferring a blessing and that perhaps sometimes without any vocal expression joyned therewith Besides I cannot conceive any reason why in this point of Evangelical worship Gesture should be more scrupled at than Voice Is not confessing praising praying and glorifying God by Voice an external and bodily worship as well as that of Gesture why should then the one derogate from the worship of the Father in Spirit and Truth and not the other To conclude There was never any society of men in the world that worshipped the Father in such a manner as this interpretation would imply and therefore cannot this be our Saviour's meaning but some other Let us see if we can find out what it is There may be two senses given of these words both of them agreeable to Reason and the analogy of Scripture let us take our choice The one is That to worship God in Spirit and Truth is to worship him not with Types and shadows of things to come as in the Old Testament but according to the verity of the things exhibited in Christ according to that The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ. Whence the Mystery of the Gospel is elsewhere by our Saviour in this Evangelist termed Truth as Chap. 17. ver 17. and the Doctrine thereof by S. Paul the word of Truth See Ephes. Chap. 1. ver 13. Rom. 15. 8. The time therefore is now at hand said our Saviour when the true worshippers shall worship the Father no longer with bloudy Sacrifices and the Rites and Ordinances depending thereon but in and according to the verity of that which these Ordinances figured For all these were Types of Christ in whom being now exhibited the true worshippers shall henceforth worship the Father This sense hath good warrant from the state of the Question between the Iews and Samaritans to which our Saviour here makes answer which was not about worship in general but about the kind of worship in special which was confessed by both sides to be tied to one certain place only that is of worship by Sacrifice and the appendages in a word of the Typical worship proper to the first Covenant of which see a description Heb. 9. This Iosephus expresly testifies Lib. 12. Antiq. cap. 1. speaking of the Iews and Samaritans which dwelt together at Alexandria They lived saith he in perpetual discord one with the other whilst each laboured to maintain their Country customs those of Ierusalem affirming their Temple to be the sacred place whither sacrifices were to be sent the Samaritans on the other side contending they ought to be sent to Mount Garizim For otherwise who knows not that both Iews and Samaritans had other places of worship besides either of these namely their Proseucha's and Synagogues wherein they worshipped God not with internal only but external worship though not with Sacrifice which might be offered but in one place only And this also may seem to have been a Type of Christ as well as the rest namely that he was to be that one and only Mediator of the Church in the Temple of whose sacred body we have access unto the Father and in whom he accepts our service and devotions according to that Destroy this Temple and I will rear it up again in three days He spake saith the Text of the Temple of his Body This sense divers of the Ancients hit upon Eusebius Demon. Evang. Lib. 1. Cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not by Symbols and Types but as our Saviour saith in Spirit and Truth Not that in the New Testament men should worship God without all external services For the New Testament was to have external and visible services as well as the Old but such as should imply the verity of the promises already exhibited not be Types and shadows of them yet to come We know the Holy Ghost is wont to call the figured Face of the Law the Letter and the Verity thereby signified the Spirit As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Spirit and Truth both together they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but once found in holy Writ to wit only in this place and so no light can be borrowed by comparing of the like expression any where else to expound them Besides nothing hinders but they may be here taken one for the exposition of the other namely that to worship the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with to worship him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But howsoever this exposition be fair and plausible yet methinks the reason which our Saviour gives in the words following should argue another meaning God saith he is a Spirit therefore they that worship him must worship in Spirit and Truth But God was a Spirit from the beginning If therefore for this reason he must be worshipped in Spirit and Truth he was so to be worshipped in the Old Testament as well as in the New Let us therefore seek another meaning For the finding whereof let us take notice that the Samaritans at whom our Saviour here aimeth were the off-spring of those Nations which the King of Assyria placed in the Cities of Samaria when he had carried away the Ten Tribes captive These as we may read in the second Book of the Kings at their first coming thither worshipped not the God of Israel but the gods of the Nations from whence they came wherefore he sent Lions amongst them which slew them Which they apprehending either from the information of some Israelite or otherwise to be because they knew not the worship of the God of the Country they informed the King of Assyria thereof desiring that some of the captiv'd Priests might be sent unto them to teach them the manner and rites of his worship which being accordingly done they thenceforth as the Text tells us worshipped the Lord yet feared their own Gods too and so did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Chrysostome speaks mingle things not to be mingled In this medley they continued about three hundred years till toward the end of the Persian Monarchy At what time it chanced that Manasse brother to Iaddo the High Priest of the returned Iews married the daughter of Sanballat then Governour of Samaria for which being expelled from Ierusalem by Nehemiah he fled to Sanballat his Father in Law and after his
example many other of the Iews of the best rank having married strange wives likewise and loth to forgo them betook themselves thither also Sanballat willingly entertains them and makes his son-in-Law Manasse their Priest For whose greater reputation and state when Alexander the Great subdued the Persian Monarchy he obtained leave of him to build a Temple upon Mount Garizim where his son-in-Law exercised the office of High Priest This was exceedingly prejudicious to the Iews and the occasion of a continual Schism whilst those that were discontented or excommunicated at Ierusalem were wont to betake themselves thither Yet by this means the Samaritans having now one of the sons of Aaron to be their Chief Priest and so many other of the Iews both Priests and others mingled amongst them were brought at length to cast off all their false gods and to worship the Lord the God of Israel only Yet so that howsoever they seemed to themselves to be true worshippers and altogether free from Idolatry nevertheless they retained a smack thereof inasmuch as they worshipped the true God under a visible representation to wit of a Dove and circumcised their Children in the name thereof as the Iewish Tradition tells us who therefore always branded their worship with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or spiritual Fornication Iust as their predecessors the Ten Tribes worshipped the same God of Israel under the similitude of a Cals This was the condition of the Samaritan Religion in our Saviour's time and if we weigh the matter well we shall find his words here to the woman very pliable to be construed with reference thereunto You ask saith he of the true place of worship whether Mount Garizim or Ierusalem which is not now greatly material forasmuch as the time is at hand when men shall worship the Father at neither But there is a greater difference between you and us than of Place though you take no notice of it namely even about the Object of worship it self For ye worship what ye know not but we Iews worship what we know How is that Thus Ye worship indeed the Father the God of Israel as we do but you worship him under a corporeal representation wherein you shew you know him not But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth In Spirit that is conceiving of him no otherwise than in Spirit and in Truth that is not under any corporeal or visible shape For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not fancying him as a Body but as indeed he is a Spirit For those who worship him under a corporeal similitude do beli◠him according as the Apostle speaks Rom. 1. 23. of such as changed the glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man Birds or Beasts They changed saith he the truth of God into a lie and served the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juxta Creatorem as or with the Creator who is blessed for ever v. 25. Hence Idols in Scripture are termed Lies as Amos 2. 4. Their Lies have caused them to erre after which their Fathers walked The Vulgar hath Seduxerunt eos Idola ipsorum Their Idols have caused them to erre And Esay 28. 15. We have made Lies our refuge And Ier. 16. 19 20. The Gentiles shall come from the ends of the earth and shall say Surely our Fathers have possessed the Chaldee hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have worshipped a lie vanity wherein there is no profit Shall a man make Gods unto himself and they are no Gods This therefore I take to be the genuine meaning of this place and not that which is commonly supposed against external worship which I think this Demonstration will evince To worship what they know as the Iews are said to do and to worship in Spirit and Truth are taken by our Saviour for one and the same thing else the whole sense will be inconsequent But the Iews worshipped not God without Rites and Ceremonies who yet are supposed to worship him in Spirit and Truth Ergo To worship God without Rites and Ceremonies is not to worship him in Spirit and Truth according to the meaning here intended DISCOURSE XIII S. LUKE 24. 45 46. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day OUR Blessed Saviour after he was risen from the dead told his Disciples not only that his Suffering of death and Rising again the third day was foretold in the Scriptures but also pointed out those Scriptures unto them and opened their understanding that they might understand them that is he expounded or explained them unto them Certain it is therefore that somewhere in the Old Testament these things were foretold should befall Messiah Yea S. Paul 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. will further assure us that they are I delivered unto you saith he first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures Both of them therefore are somewhere foretold in the Scriptures and it becomes not us to be so ignorant as commonly we are which those Scriptures be which foretell them It is a main point of our Faith and that which the Iews most stumble at because their Doctors had not observed any such thing foretold to Messiah The more they were ignorant thereof the more it concerns us to be confirmed therein I thought good therefore to make this the Argument of my Discourse at this time to inform both you and my self where these things are foretold and if I can to point out those very Scriptures which our Saviour here expounded to his Disciples Which that I may the better do I will make the words fore-going my Text to be as the Pole-star in this my search These are the things saith our Saviour which I spake unto you while I was yet with you That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Then follow the words I read Then opened he their understanding c. These two events therefore of Messiah's death and rising again the third day were foretold in these Three parts of Scripture In the Law of Moses or Pentateuch in the Nebiim or Prophets and in the Psalms and in these Three we must search for them And first for the First That Messiah should suffer death This was fore-signified in the Law or Pentateuch First in the story of Abraham where he was commanded to offer his son Isaac the son wherein his seed should be called and to whom the promise was entailed That in it should all the Nations
root nor branch c. he addeth Behold saith the Lord I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of that great and dreadful day of the Lord And he shall turn or restore the heart of the Fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their Fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse If we will not admit the Day here described to be the Day of Iudgment I know scarce any description of that Day in the Old Testament but we may elude For the phrase of turning or as I had rather translate it restoring as the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heart of the Fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their Fathers the meaning is That this Elias should bring the refractory and unbelieving posterity of the Iewish nation to have the same heart and mind their holy Fathers and Progenitors had who feared God and believed his promises that so their Fathers might as it were rejoyce in them and own them for their children that is he should convert them to the faith of that Christ whom their Fathers hoped in and looked for lest continuing obstinate in their unbelief till the great day of Christ's Second coming they might perish among the rest of the enemies of his Kingdom Therefore the son of Syrach in his praise of Elias the Thisbite paraphraseth this place after this manner Who hast ordained saith he an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or type for so it may be turned for the times to come to pacifie the wrath of the Lord's judgment before it break forth into fury and to turn the heart of the Father unto the Son and to restore the tribes of Israel Ecclus. 48. 10. Which explication also the Angel warrenteth Luke 1. 17. in his message to Zachary concerning his son He shall go saith he before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just this is in stead of reducing the hearts of the children to their Fathers to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. For the better understanding of this first Reason we must know That the old Prophets for the most part spake of the coming of Christ indefinitely and in general without that distinction of First and Second coming which we have more clearly learned in the Gospel For this reason those Prophets except Daniel who distinguisheth those comings and the Gospel out of him speak of the things which should be at the coming of Christ indefinitely and all together which we who are now more fully informed by the revelation of his Gospel of this distinction of a Twofold coming must apply each of them to its proper time Those things which befit the state of his First coming unto it and such things as befit the state of his Second coming unto his Second and that which befits both alike as this of an Harbinger or Messenger may be applied to both My Second Reason for the proof hereof is from our Saviour's own words in the Gospel Matth. 17. 10 11. where his disciples immediately upon his Transfiguration asking him saying Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come Our Saviour answers Elias truly shall first come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall restore all things These words our Saviour spake when Iohn Baptist was now beheaded and yet speaks as of a thing future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elias shall come and shall restore all things How can this be spoken of Iohn Baptist unless he be to come again Besides I cannot see how this Restoring of all things can be verified of the ministry of Iohn Baptist at the First coming of Christ which continued but a very short time and did no such thing as these words seem to imply for the Restoring of all things belongs not to the First but to the Second coming of Christ if we will believe S. Peter in his first Sermon in the Temple after Christ's ascension Acts 3. 19 c. where he thus speaks unto the Iews Repent saith he and be converted for the blotting out of your sins that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord And that be may send Iesus Christ which before was preached unto you Whom the heavens must receive until the times of the Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began The word is the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the time or Restoring all things be not till the Second coming of Christ how could Iohn Baptist restore all things at his First If the Master come not to restore all things till then surely his Harbinger who is to prepare his way for restoring all things is not be lookt for till then These are the Reasons which have induced me to think that the opinion which the Church hath held as far as I know from her Infancy of an Elias which should be the Harbinger of Christ's Second coming hath some matter of truth in it But that this Elias should be Elias the Thisbite who was taken up into Heaven I confess I believe not no more than that he should be slain by Antichrist as some fable For that which the Prophet saith Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet proves no more that it should be Elijah in person than that which is said of Messiah And David my servant shall rule over them proves Christ should be David in person It is much more like if it be one that comes again it should be Iohn Baptist himself who was the Harbinger of the First coming That as Christ himself the Master hath two comings so should his Harbinger have And as it shall be the same Christ which comes the second time that came the first so should his Harbinger be the same And to this both the words of the Angel to Zachary the father of the Baptist and the words of our Saviour in the place before quoted would not be unpliable The Second coming of Christ is the time of the Resurrection and in that respect it would not be unsuitable for the Harbinger thereof to be one risen from the dead But as for Elias the Thisbite's coming I find no ground at all but the contrary Howsoever though I compare probabilities I will not determine any thing lest some perhaps should say that while I reject old fables I coin new ones I rather conclude with that Iewish Proverb Cùm Elias venerit solvet nodos When that Elias comes he shall dislolve hard questions AND thus much of the circumstance of Time when our Saviour first began his solemn prophecy or preaching of the Gospel namely not till his Harbinger Iohn had done and finished his preparation Now I come to the Second circumstance namely of the Place which was Galilee Iesus came into Galilee c. A circumstance curiously noted
unruly and obvious to be surprised for such things we are wont to keep and so much therefore is implied in that they are to be kept else they needed no keeping This is therefore the condition of our Hearts 1. They are untrusty The heart is deceitful above all things Ier. 17. 9. Therefore it stands in hand to watch it to suspect it and deal with it as we would with a notable Iugler or with an untrusty and pilfering servant to have a jealous and a watchful eye over it For if our eye be never so little off it will presently break out into some unlawful liberty or other 2. It is an unruly thing if it be once lost a man cannot recover it again without much time and labour For it is like unto a wild horse if the bridle be once let go he will be gone and not gotten again in haste yea it may be we shall be forced to spend as much time in recovering him as would have served to have dispatched our whole journey So if the bridle of watchfulness be once let go and our Hearts get loose they will not easily be regained it will ask us no small time to temper and tune them again for the service of God Lastly our hearts are continually liable to surprise we walk in the midst of snares encompassed with dangers on every side What is that almost which will not entice and allure so fickle a thing as the Heart from God We can be secure of it at no time neither sleeping nor waking in no place neither house not street neither bed nor board not in our Closet no not in the Church and Pulpit THUS much shall suffice to have been briefly observed by way of implication from the Act Keep Now I come to the Object it self The Heart Keep thy Heart By Heart we must understand the inward thoughts motions and afâ—ections of the Soul and Spirit whereof the Heart is the Chamber But not a natural man's Heart for that is not worth a keeping but such a Heart as lives to God-ward a good and gracious heart which consists in two properties in Purity and Loyâ—lty This is the state and temper we must keep our Hearts in I will speak of them in order And first of Purity and Cleanness We must keep our Hearts in Purity and Cleanness For Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God and none but such shall ever see him It behoves us therefore to know what this Cleanness is the having or not having whereof concerns us so nearly Know then A clean or pure Heart is that which loaths sin and loves righteousness For the better understanding whereof we must further know That an absolute cleanness and pureness of the heart and soul from sin is not attainable in this life Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Yet is there a cleanness of heart which must be had and without which we shall never see God as you heard before Such was that which David prays for Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And 2 Tim. 2. 22. true Christians are described to be such as call upon the Lord out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment saith the Apostle is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned And himself 2 Tim. 1. 3. thanks God whom he served from his forefathers with a pure conscience But if this Purity of the heart were no other than a total freedom thereof from all unclean thoughts and sinful motions and desires in such sort as a man should never be troubled and defiled with them alas who then should see God who should be saved That Claenness therefore that measure of Purity which God requires to be in the heart of every one who shall see him and with whom he will vouchsafe to dwell is as I told you the loathing of sin and the love of righteousness that is an accepted Cleanness through Faith when the hate of impurity and love of cleanness in the heart is accepted with God for cleanness and pureness it self Though not a cleanness of all our affections yet at least and what can God require less an affection to all cleanness For God accepts the will for the deed If we love if we desire if we delight heartily in that which is clean and pure in the eyes of God if we hate and abhor if we loath in our selves all sinful impurities and pollutions both of flesh and spirit howsoever we find in our selves a great want of the one and our hearts much and often vexed and troubled with the other yet is this affection of our hearts accepted with God for a pure and cleansed heart indeed And where this disposition is the heart cannot chuse but grow cleaner and cleaner even with real and formal cleanness For a man cannot but cherish that which he loveth and rid himself as much as may be of what he loatheth So he that loveth and affecteth cleanness of heart will cherish and make much of every good motion which the Spirit of God shall put into it and if he indeed loath and abhor unclean and sinful thoughts will do his best to stifle them and remove them far from him This Cleanness and Purity of Heart is that which the Scripture slyleth Holiness even that Holiness without which S. Paul tells us Heb. 12. 14. no man shall see the Lord. For in the Law the legal cleansing washing and purging of that which any way belonged to God or was prepared for his presence and service is called sanctifying or hallowing Exod. 19. 10. When the Lord was to come down upon Mount Sinai Go unto the People saith he to Moses and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their clothes 2 Chron. 29. 5. Hezekiah saith to the Levites Sanctifie now your selves and sanctifie the house of the Lord God of your fathers and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place And accordingly in the 16. ver the Priests go in to cleanse it which cleansing in the next verse is called their sanctifying it In Deut. 23. 14. where a law is given for cleanness and neatness in the Camp the reason is rendred in these words For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee therefore shall thy Camp be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee The same expression S. Paul applies to spiritual cleansing 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us saith he cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Here with S. Paul also Holiness is Cleansing and Cleansing is Holiness So Eph. 5. 26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it c. As therefore under the Law that
place was not fit to entertain the presence of God nor any thing duly prepared to approach or come near him which was not thus externally cleansed and sanctified Such is the case of the inward cleansing of the heart unless it be sanctified with purity and cleanness God will never dwell in it nor suffer ought from it as acceptable to come near him Wherefore it is not without good reason we pray in our Liturgie O Lord make clean our hearts within us And take not thy holy Spirit from us For God's Spirit will not dwell in a sty it is a clean Spirit and will have a clean habitation That which S. Paul speaks of the whole man 2 Cor. 6. 16 17. Ye are the Temple of the living God wherefore touch no unclean thing and I will receive you is principally true of the heart and spirit The rest of the Body is but as the Court of the Temple but the Seat of his presence in the spiritual man as the Holy place is the Heart even as it is also the Seat of life in the natural primum vivens ultimum moriens the first that lives and the last that dies But by what means should a man get and keep such a Heart as this How is this Holiness and Cleanness of heart to be come by I answer The General means on our part to obtain this and all other Graces of God is faithful and devout Prayer But this being common to all Graces is not proper to be spoken of in this place Let us therefore see a means more special and peculiar for obtaining this Cleanness and Purity of heart such a one as though it may have some use for other Graces yet I think is more proper unto this than unto any other whatsoever and that is For a man always to possess his heart with the apprehension of God's presence and to walk before him as in his eye Wheresoever thou art there is an Eye that sees thee an Ear that hears thee and a Hand that registreth thy most secret thoughts For the ways of man saith Solomon Prov. 5. 21. are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings How much ashamed would we be that any one we loved and honoured should surprise us in our corporal uncleanness to see and behold any nasty pollution either of our bodies or chambers How would a man blush and be confounded to be taken and seen in the manner as we speak But every unclean thought wicked desire and motion of our heart is more open and revealed to the eyes of God than the works themselves if we should put them in execution could be visible to the eyes of men Yea and these thoughts and desires wherewith our hearts are besmeared are as foul ugly and loathsom in his sight as the works themselves would appear shameful in the eyes of men if we should commit them openly in the street and in the fight of the Sun Nay suppose that men could see our hearts as well as they may our out-works would we not be as much ashamed they should behold the foulness of the one as see the shamefulness of the other Consider it What if such a Patron such a Friend such a one to whom I desire to approve my self should know what I now ruminate in my heart what unchast pollution what other abhorred desire and thought it now wallows and delights in should I not blush and be ashamed What horrible Atheism doth this argue That the presence of man yea sometimes of a little child should hinder us from that wickedness which God's presence cannot If we did throughly and indeed believe this Ubiquity of God's Eye and let it make a firm impression in our minds how would it quash the first rising of evil thoughts in our hearts The eye of man draws from us a care of our outward behaviour why then should not the All-seeing Eye of God if we loved him if we honoured him if we desired at all to approve our selves unto him draw from us a care of the inward behaviour of the Heart since he sees thy Heart better than man sees thy Face and understands thy Thoughts better than any man thy Works and Words Little children when in the midst of their disorders they spie once their Father's eye they are hushed presently So should it be with us when through forgetfulness of this All-seeing Eye of our Heavenly Father continually overlooking us our Hearts begin to break loose and to sport themselves in vain and idle thoughts and desires then should we consider that all this while God looked upon us and beheld our misbehaviour then should we cry him mercy with Iacob at Bethel Surely God was here and I was not aware And thus I come to the second requisite of that gracious Temper a good Heart must be kept unto which is Loyalty unto God We must keep a loyal heart The Loyalty of the heart to God consisteth in an universal purpose of obedience and resolution against all sin without Reservation and Exception Sceptra non ferunt socium Kings can endure no copartners Nor can a purpose of obedience mingled with Exceptions and Reservations stand with a true faith and allegiance to Christ our Lord. In anima in qua peccatum regnaverit non potest Dei regnare regnum saith S. Ierome In the Soul where sin reigns and has got dominion God's Kingdom can never be set up nor established For how can he be a faithful servant of Christ who still holdeth correspondence with and is a Pensioner to his Arch-enemy the Devil Even such an one is he who hath any sin which he holds so dear that he hath no purpose nor will to part with it What will it profit thee to keep thy Heart at all unless thou keepest it loyal Will God accept a piece of thy Heart No he will have a whole Heart and a whole Soul or none Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and whole mind otherwise thou keepest not thy heart to God but betrayest it unto the Devil For one breach in the walls of a City exposeth it to the surprise of an enemy one leak in a Sâ—â—p neglected will sink it at last unto the bottom of the Sea 1. If thou wilt therefore have a Loyal heart know that such a heart cherisheth no darling sin no Herodias no boâ—om-sin such a dead fly as this will mar the whole box of oyntment 2. A Sound and Loyal heart is not that which boggles and scruples at small sins but makes no conscience of greater like the I harisees straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel nor the contrary whose conscience is only for the greater matters of the Law Mercy and Iudgment without any regard of Mint or Anise A Loyal heart is like unto the Eye troubled with the least mote 3. A Loyal heart as it hates all sins so at all times Sometimes the unsound heart will hate sin
though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. and that in Esay the last To this man will I look to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit He that killeth an ox namely otherwise is as if he slew a man he that Sacrificeth a lamb unless he comes with this disposition as if he cut off a dog's neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered bloud he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idol And surely he that blesseth an Idol is so far from renewing a Covenant with the Lord his God that he breaks it So did they who without conscience of Repentance presumed to come before him with a Sacrifice not procure atonement but aggravate their breach According to one of these three senses are all passages in the Old Testament disparaging and rejecting Sacrifices literally to be understood namely when men preferred them before the greater things of the Law valued them out of their degree as an antecedent duty or placed their efficacy in the naked Rite as if ought accrued to God thereby God would no longer own them for any ordinance of his nor indeed in that disguise put upon them were they I will except only one Passage out of the number which I suppose to have a singular meaning to wit that of David in the 51. Psalm v. 16 17. which the ancient translations thus express Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem utique sed holocaustis non oblectaberis vel holocaustum non acceptabis Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus c. If thou wouldst have had a Sacrifice I would have offered it but thou wilt accept no burnt-offering c. For this seems to be meant of that special case of Adulterie and Murther which David here deploreth for which Sins the Lord had provided no Sacrifice in his Law Wherefore David in this his Penitential confession tells him That if he had appointed any Sacrifice for expiation of this kind of sin he would have given it him but he had ordained none save only a broken spirit and a contrite heart which thou O God saith he wilt not despise but accept that alone for a Sacrifice in this case without which Sacrifice in no case is accepted Now out of this Discourse we are sufficiently furnished for the understanding of this Caution of Solomon in my Text Be more ready to obey than to offer the Sacrifice of fools or as the words in the Original import Be more approaching God with a purpose and resolution of obedience to his Commandments than with the Sacrifice of fools that is Have a care rather to approach the Divine Majesty with an offering of an obediential disposition than with the bare and naked Rite But the sense is still the same namely The House of God at Ierusalem was an House of sacrifice which they who came thither to worship offered unto the Divine Majesty to make way for their prayers and supplications unto him or to find favour in his sight Solomon therefore gives them here a caveat not to place their Religion either only or chiefly in the external Rite but in their readiness to hear and keep the Commandments of God without which that Rite alone would avail them nothing but be no better than the sacrifice of fools who when they do evil think they do well For without this readiness to obey this purpose of heart to live according to his Commandments God accepts of no Sacrifice from those who approach him nor will pardon their transgressions when they come before him He therefore that makes no conscience of sinning against God and yet thinks to be expiate by Sacrifice is an ignorant fool how wise and religious soever he may think himself to be or appear unto men by the multitude or greatness of his Sacrifices The reason Because the Lord requires Obedience antecedently and absolutely but Sacrifice consequently only and then too not primariò or chiefly and for it self but secondarily only as a testimony of Coutrition and a ready desire and purpose in the offerer to continue in his favour by Obedience This is Solomon's the Preacher's meaning Wherein behold as in a glass the condition of all external Service of God in general as that which he accepteth no otherwise than secondarily namely as issuing from a Heart respectively affected with that devotion it importeth For God as he is a living God so he requires a living worship But as the Body without the Soul is but a carkass so is all external and bodily worship wherein the pulse of the Heart's devotion beats not But if this be so you will say it were better to use no external worship at all of course as we do the worship of the Body in the gestures of bowing kneeling standing and the like than to incur this danger of serving God with a dead and hypocritical service because it is not like the Heart will be always duly affected when the outward worship shall be required I answer Where there is a true and real intent to honour God with outward and bodily worship there the act is not Hypocrisie though accompanied with many defects and imperfections Here therefore that Rule of our Saviour touching the greater and lesser things of the Law must have place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things that is the greater things of the Law we ought to do and not to leave the other though the lesser undone For otherwise if this reasoning were admitted a man might upon the same ground absent himself from coming to Church upon the days and times appointed or come thither but now and then alledging the indisposition of his Heart to joyn with the Church in her publick worship at other times or if he came thither act a mute and when others sing and praise God be altogether silent and not open his mouth nor say Amen when others do For all these are external services and the service of the voice and gesture are in this respect all one there is no difference But who would not think this to be very absurd We should rather upon every such occasion rouse and stir up our Affections with fit and seasonable meditations that what the order and decency of ◠Church-assembly requires to be done of every member outwardly we may likewise do devoutly and acceptably These things we ought to do and not leave the other undone But you will say What if I cannot bring my Heart unto that religious fear and devotion which the outward worship I should perform requireth I could say that some of the outward worship which a man performs in a Church-assembly he does not as a singular man but as a member of the Congregation But howsoever I answer Let the worship of thy Body in such a case be at least a confession and acknowledgment before God of that love fear and esteem of his Divine Majesty thou oughtest to have but hast not For though to come