living God because God dwelleth remaineth in our souls our souls in our bodies our bodies in the Church the Church in the world There are many other reasons of this appellation but the Apostle dwelleth most upon this of dwelling Where God dwelleth there is his Temple but he dwelleth in our hearts by faith we are therefore his Temple If exception bee made to this reason that dwelling proveth a House but not a Temple l Cal. in hunc locum De homine si dicatur hic habitat non erit protinus templum sed domus prophana sed in Deo hoc speciale est quod quemcunque locum suâ dignatur praesentiâ eum sanctificat Calvin answereth acutely that if wee speake of the habitation of a man wee cannot from thence conclude that the place where he abideth is a Temple but God hath this priviledge that his presence maketh the place wheresoever hee resideth necessarily a Temple Whereas the King lyeth there is the Court and where God abideth there is the Church It might bee sayd as truly of the stable where Christ lay as of the place where God appeared to Jacob This is the house of God and the gate of heaven Here I cannot but breake out into admiration with Solomon and say m 1 Kin. 8.27 The heaven of heavens cannot containe thee O Lord and wilt thou dwell in my house in the narrow roome of my heart Isocrates answered well for a Philosopher to that great question What is the greatest thing in the least n Isoc ad Dem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The minde said hee in mans body But Saint Paul teacheth us to give a better answer to wit God in mans soule And how fitly hee tearmeth here believers the Temple of God will appeare most evidently by paralleling the inward and outward Temple of God the Church and the soule 1 First Churches are places exempt from legall tenures and services and redeemed from common uses in like manner the minde of the faithfull and devout Christian is after a sort sequestred from the world and wholly dedicated to God 2 Secondly Temples are hallowed places not by censing or crossing or burning tapers or healing it over with ashes and drawing the characters of the Greeke and Hebrew Alphabet after the manner of popish consecration but by the o Joh. 17.17 Word and Prayer by which the faithfull are also consecrated Sanctifie them O Lord with thy truth thy Word is truth 3 Thirdly Temples are places of refuge and safety and where more safety than in the houshold of faith God spared the City for the Temples sake and hee spareth the whole world for the Elects sake 4 Fourthly the Temple continually sounded with vocall and instrumentall musicke there was continuall joy singing and praising God and doth not the Apostle teach us that there is p Eph. 5.19 joy in the holy Ghost and continuall melody in the hearts of beleevers 5. Fiftly in the Temple God was to bee q Phil 3.3 worshipped and Christ teacheth that the true r John 4.24 worshippers of God worship him in spirit and in truth and Saint Paul commandeth us to ſ 1 Cor. 6.20 worship and glorifie God in our body and spirit which are his 6. Sixtly doe not our feet in some sort resemble the foundation our legges the pillars our sides the walls our mouth the doore our eyes the windowes our head the roofe of a Temple Is not our body an embleme of the body of the Church and our soule of the queere or chancell wherein God is or should be worshipped day and night The Temple of God is not lime sand stone or timber saith t Lact. divin instit l. 5. c. 8. Templum Dei non sunt ligna lapides sed homo qui Dei figuram gestat quod Templum non auro gemmarum donis sed virtutum muneribus ornatur Lactantius but man bearing the image of God and this Temple is not adorned with gold or silver but with divine vertues and graces If this be a true definition of a Temple and description of the Ornaments thereof they are certainly much to be blamed who make no reckoning of the spirituall Temple of God in comparison of the materiall who spare for no cost in imbellishing their Churches and take little care for beautifying their soules Hoc oportet facere illud non omittere they doe well in doing the one but very ill in not doing the other It will little make for the glory of their Church to paint their rood-lofts to engrave their pillars to carve their timber to gild their altars to set forth their crosses with jewells and precious stones if they want that precious pearle which the rich Merchant man sold all that hee had to buy to have golden miters golden vessels Mat. 13.46 golden shrines golden bells golden snuffers and snuffe-dishes if as Boniface of Mentz long agoe complained Their Priests are but wooden or leaden Saint u Amb. Auro non placent quae auro non emuntur Jnven sat 11. Fictilis nullo violatus Jupiter auro Ambrose saith expresly That those things please not God in or with gold which can bee bought with no gold In which words hee doth not simply condemne the use of gold or silver in the service of God no more than Saint x 1 Pet. 3.3 Peter doth in the attire of godly Matrons Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the haire and wearing of gold or of putting on of apparrell but let it be in the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price but he Lactantius both speak comparatively and their meaning is that the chief adorning of Churches is not with the beauty of colours but of holinesse not with the lustre of pearles and precious stones but with the shining of good workes not with candles and tapers but with the light of the Word not with sweet perfumes but with a savour of life unto life It will bee to little purpose to sticke up waxe lights in great abundance in their Churches after they have put out the pure light of Gods Word or hid it as it were under a bushell in an unknowne tongue Rhenamus reporteth that hee saw at Mentz two Cranes standing in silver into the belly whereof the Priests by a device put fire and frankincense so artificially that all the smoake and sweet perfume came out at the Cranes beakes A perfect embleme of the peoples devotion in the Romish Church the Priests put a little fire into them they have little warmth of themselves or sense of true zeale and as those Cranes sent out sweet perfumes out at their beaks having no smelling at all thereof themselves so these breath out the sweet incense of zealous praiers and thanksgiving whereof they have no sense or understanding at all because they pray in an unknowne tongue And so from the
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
eare-pleasing Madrigals and Fancies but the strong and loud voice of Cryers to call all men into the Court and summon them to the barre of Christs judgement hee that promiseth his Apostles and their successors to give them a b Luk. 21.15 I will give you a mouth c. mouth hath given mee at this time both the mouth and the Motto the Motto of the embleme viz. the words of my text Zelus domus tuae devoravit me In the uttering whereof if ever now I need to pray that the Lord would c Esay 6.7 touch my tongue with a coale from his altar with a coale that I may speake warmely of zeale with a coale from the altar that I may discourse holily of his Temple Saint d Homil. 3. Utinam daretur mihi de superno altare non carbo unus sed globus igneus offeratur qui multam inveteratam rubiginem possit excoquere Bernard made the like prayer upon the like occasion O saith hee that there were given unto mee from the altar above not one coale but rather a fiery globe a heape of coales to scorch the abuses of the time and burne out the inveterate rust of vitious customes By the light of these coales you may behold in this Scripture 1 In David as the type Christ 2 In Christ as the mirrour of perfection zeale 3 In zeale as a fire 1 The flame 2 The fuel The flame vehement consuming or devouring devoravit The fuel sacred me mee No divine vertues or graces like to Christs affection No affection in him like to his zeale No zeale like to that which hee bare or rather wherewith hee was transported to his Fathers house which even eat him up and may deservedly take up this golden moment of our most pretious time May it please you therefore Right c. to suffer your religious eares to bee bored at this present with these sacred nayles or points which I humbly pray the holy Spirit to fasten in your hearts 1 The vertue or affection it selfe zeale 2 The object of this affection thy house 3 The effect of this object hath eaten up 4 The subject of this effect mee 1 In figure David 2 In truth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and who is sufficient for these things or able worthily to treat of 1 An affection most ardent zeale 2 A place most sacred thine house 3 An effect most powerfull hath eaten up 4 A person most divine mee Zeale is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burne or hizze as water cast on metall melted and it signifieth a hot or burning desire an ardent affection and sometimes it is taken 1 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or emulation which is a commendable desire of attaining unto anothers vertue or fame 2 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 envie which is a vitious affection repining at anothers fame or fortune 3 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jealousie which is an irkesome passion arising from love wronged at least in opinion And no other fire wee finde on natures forge or the Philosophers hearth but on Gods altar there burneth another manner of fire fed with pure fuell which like a waxe light or taper yeeldeth both a cleare flame and a sweet fume and this is holy zeale All things that are cast into the fire make a smell but the burning of sweet odors onely makes a perfume so the hot and fervent 1 Desire of 2 Intention in 3 Affection to the best things onely is zeale Fire is the noblest of all the elements and seated next to the heavens so zeale sparkling in the soule is the chiefe and most heavenly of all spirituall affections Some define it to bee the fervour intention excellency or improvement of them all Heat 1 In e Rom. 12.11 Ferâ—ent in spirit devotion if it exceed becommeth zeale 2 In f Col. 4.13 affection if it be improved groweth to be zeale 3 In g 1 Cor. 14.12 desire of spirituall gifts if it bee ardent is zeale 4 In h 1 Cor. 7.11 indignation or revenge of our selves if it bee vehement is called by the Apostle zeale Fervent devotion ardent love earnest desire vehement indignation all are zeale or rather are all zeale for there is a 1 Zeale of good things which maketh us zealous of Gods gifts 2 Zeale in good things which maketh us zealous in Gods service 3 Zeale for good things which maketh us zealous for Gods glory And answerable to the three operations of fire which are to heat to burne to consume 1 The first heateth us by kindling a desire of grace 2 The second burneth by enflaming our hearts with the love of God 3 The third consumeth by drying up the heart absuming the spirits with griefe and hazzarding our persons and estates in removing scandals and reforming abuses and profanations of God his name house or worship as also revenging wrongs done to his houshold and servants In summe zeale is a divine grace grounded upon the knowledge of Gods word which according to the direction of spirituall wisedome quickeneth and enflameth all the desires and affections of the soule in the right worship of the true God and vehemently and constantly stirreth them up to the preserving advancing and vindicating his honour by all lawfull meanes within the compasse of our calling Rectum sui est judex obliqui If you set a streight line or rule to a crooked figure or body it will discover all the obliquities in it Hang up an artificiall patterne by an unskilfull draught and it will shew all the disproportions and deformities in it Wherefore Aristotle giveth this for a certaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or character of a true definition to notifie and discover all the errors that are or may be devised about the nature of the thing defined which are in this present subject wee treat of sundry and manifold For as when there is publicke notice given of a ring found with a rich stone set in it every one almost that ever was owner of a ring like unto it especially if his owne bee lost challengeth it for his so all in whose temper affections or actions any naturall or spirituall divine or diabolicall heavenly earthly or hellish fire gloweth challengeth the pretious coale or carbuncle of zeale to bee theirs The Cholericke and furious the quarrelsome and contentious the malicious and envious the jealous and suspicious the Idolatrous and superstitious the indiscreet and preposterous the proud selfe-admirer the sacrilegious Church-robber the presumptuous and exorbitant zealot nay the seditious boutefieu and incendiary all pretend to zeale But all these claimers and many more besides are disproved and disclaimed by the true definition of zeale which is first a grace and that distinct from other not more graces or a compound of love and anger as some teach or of love and indignation as others for the graces of the spirit and vertues of the minde are incoincident As
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
state upon which premisses the Oratour inferreth this conclusion y Cic. pro Muren Cedat stylus gladio umbra soli sitque illa virtus in civitate prima per quam fit ipsa civitas omnium princeps Let therefore the pen give place to the sword arts to armes the shade to the sunne and let that vertue have the preheminency in the State by which the State it selfe getteth the precedency of all other let that rule in the city by which the city hath obtained the rule of the whole world The great Philosopher Aristotle seemeth to subscribe to this conclusion for in martialling morall vertues in their order hee giveth magnanimity the first place and hee yeeldeth this reason for it the more difficult and dreadfull the subject the more excellent the vertue which regulates the affection about it now death is the chiefe of all feares magnanimity therefore which conquereth this feare is the Prince of all vertues As the strength of a blade is tryed by the hardnesse of the matter which it cutteth bee it wood stone or metall so the excellency of vertue is seene in the difficulty of the object about which it is conversant and what so difficult as willingly to hazzard our life contemne death If reason can work this in a morall man shall not religion much more in a Christian If fame a garland of flowers and a small donative can produce noble thoughts resolutions in heathen shall not immortall glory and an incorruptible garland and hope of an immarcessible crowne breed more generous resolutions in those who have given their names to the Lord of Hosts to fight his battels especially considering that valour and courage as it is more honourable so it is safer than base feare For it strikes a terrour in the hearts of the enemies and often times winnes a victory without striking a blow And as our courage maketh the enemies fearefull so our timorousnesse maketh them valorous our trembling at danger bringeth more danger upon us by making us unable to resist For this cowardly affection worketh not onely upon the soule but upon the body also and as it dejecteth and dis-armeth the one so it dis-ableth and weakeneth the other But the strongest motive to fortitude and most effectuall incentive to courage and surest ground of confidence is that which now followeth in the last place The Lord thy God is with thee whither soever thou goest The Lord whose command is universall God whose power is invincible The Lord thy God whose mercies are incomprehensible is with thee whither soever thou goest If the Lord thy God bee with thee his wisedome is with thee to direct thee his power to protect thee his strength to support thee his goodnesse to maintaine thee his bounty to reward thee his word to encourage thee and if thou dye under his banner his Angels presently to carry thee into heaven Where the Israelites lamentably deplore their ill successe in war they attribute it to Gods absence z Psal 44 9. 60.10 Thou goest not forth say they with our armies And to the end that they might be more assured of Gods presence with them in their battels they carryed the Arke of God with them and were wont to aske counsell of him before hand touching the successe of their warre and in ancienter times the Priests gave answer from God by the Ephod but in the latter if we may believe a Joseph antiq Judaic Josephus they ghessed at the event by the glaring or duskinesse of the Diamond on the Priests breast-plate For if it shined brightly and cleerely it foreshewed certaine victory but if it changed the colour or lost any thing of the lustre it portended ill successe The Lacedaemonians being overtaken by the Persian horse and overwhelmed with great flights of arrowes did notwithstanding quietly sit still without making any resistance at all or defence till the sacrifices for victory were happily ended yea though many were sore hurt and some slaine out right before any good signe appeared in the entrailes but as soone as their Generall Pausanias had found good tokens of victory and perswaded his souldiers of the divine approbation of their warre they arose and with excellent courage first received the charge of the Barbarians and after charged them afresh and slew Mardonius the Persian Generall and many thousands of the rest and got the day If the conjecturall hope of the aide and assistance of a fained deity put such courage and resolution into the Lacedaemonians shall not faith in the true God and confidence in his helpe breede better blood and infuse nobler spirits into the hearts of Gods warriours and Christian souldiers God can save his and overcome the enemy as well with small forces as with great but all the forces in the world without him have no force at all Therefore though Captaines have many employments yet they must looke especially to hoc unum necessarium this one thing most needfull That they have God on their side that they make him sure for them You will say I know How may this bee done How may hee bee wrought and made thorough for us Hee sheweth at the 7. 8. verses Observe to doe according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee turne not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou maist prosper whithersoever thou goest This booke of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou maist observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good successe First the Lords Josuah's must looke strictly to their life and conversation so much the rather by how much in battell they are nearer death which points to them in every sword and speare and giveth them a summons at the report of every Cannon and discharging of every Piece Secondly they must looke to their companies and troupes and see that there bee never an Achan among them never a sacrilegious prophane or abominable person whose horrible crimes if they bee not discovered and punished may prove the losse of many a battell and the ruine of a whole army The Barbarians hands saith Saint b Barbari nostris vitiis fortes sunt Jerome are made strong against us by our grievous transgressions our infirmities are our enemies greatest strength our distractions their security our crying sinnes their thundering ordnance c Sal. l. 4. de provid Salvianus acknowledgeth that it was just with God to strengthen the armies of the Gothes and Vandals though they were heretickes against the right beleeving Romanes because those barbarous nations observed most strict discipline and lived more chastly and temperately than the Romane souldiers Lastly when you put on your corporall armour forget not to put on the spirituall laid out for you by the Apostle and gilt by his divine eloquence I meane d
mistaking of any other man should not take off the edge of our desires to gaine an invaluable jewell but whet our diligence the more to observe more accurately the notes of difference betweene the true and counterfeit stone upon which I shall touch anon after I have convinced our Romish sceptickes by evidence from the nature of faith the profession of Gods Saints the testimony of the Spirit and undeniable signes and effects that all that are called by the word effectually have this white stone in my text given unto them whereby they are assured of their present estate of grace and future of glory Doct. 1 The faith of Gods e Tit. 1.1 Elect is not a bare assent to supernaturall verities revealed in Scripture which may bee in a Reprobate and is in the f Jam. 2.19 Devils themselves Thou beleevest there is one God thou doest well the Devils also beleeve and tremble but a divine grace whereby being fully assured of Gods favour to us wee trust him with our soules and wholly rely on him for salvation through the merits of his sonne The sure promises of the Gospell are like a strong cable let downe to a man in a deepe pit or dungeon on which hee doth not onely lay hand by faith but hangeth and resteth himselfe upon it and thereby is drawne out of darkenesse to see and possesse the inheritance of the Saints in light To beleeve the communion of Saints is not onely to bee perswaded that there is a communion of Saints in the world remission of sinnes in the Church resurrection of the flesh at the last day and life everlasting in heaven but to bee assured by faith that wee have an interest in this communion benefit by this remission and shall partake the glory of this resurrection and the happinesse of life everlasting They who had beene stung by fiery serpents and were healed by looking upon the brazen serpent did not onely beleeve that it had cured many but that it would cure them Here the Logicians rule holdeth Medicina curat Socratem non hominem physicke is not given to mans nature to cure the species but to every man in individuo to heale his person and to every sicke soule that applieth unto it selfe the promises of the Gospell Christ saith g Mat. 9.22.29 Bee it unto thee as thou beleevest thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace Hereupon Saint h Fides dicit aeternabona reposita sunt spes dicit mihi teposita sunt charitas dicit ego curro post ea Bernard bringeth in the three divine graces Faith Hope and Charity singing as it were a catch and taking the word one from another Faith beginneth saying everlasting treasures are layd up in heaven Hope followeth saying they are layd up for mee Charity concludeth I will seeke after them And verily no man by a generall Romish credulity but by a speciall faith in Christ can say with Job My redeemer with David My salvation with the Spouse My beloved with the blessed Virgin My Saviour with Thomas My Lord and my God much lesse can hee warrant these possessives with a scio i Job 19.25.26.27 I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall see him stand up at the last day upon the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for my selfe And k Psal 45.11.12 I know that thou favourest me thou upholdest mee in my integrity and fettest me before thy face for ever And l Rom. 8.28 Wee know that all things worke for the best to them that love God We know that when m 2 Cor. 5.1 our earthly tabernacle is dissolved wee shall have an eternall in the heavens n 1 Joh. 2.5 Wee know that wee are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Opinion and science a conjecturall hope and an assured beliefe as much differ as a shaken reed and a well growne oake which no winde can stirre To know any thing saith o L. 1 posterior c. 2. Scire est causam rei cognoscere quod illius causa sit quod res illa aliter se habere non posset Aristotle is to know the cause and that this cause is the cause of such an effect and that the thing it selfe cannot bee otherwise than wee conceive of it in which regard the Greeke Etymologist deriveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because opinion waggeth and inclineth the mind by probabilities on both sides but science fasteneth it and maketh it stand unmoveable With these texts of scripture attributing knowledge of salvation to all beleevers our Trent Merchants are manifestly gravelled and sticke in the mud yet they endevour to boye up their sunke vessell by a distinction of a double knowledge 1 By common faith 2 By speciall revelation They yeeld that some who have been admitted to Gods privie Councell by speciall revelation have been assured of their crowne of glory but they will by no meanes grant that beleevers can attain to this certainty by their common faith yet such is the clearnesse of the texts above alledged for the point in question that they easily like the beames of the sunne breake through this popish mist For Job speaketh not of any speciall secret revealed unto him but of the common article of all our faith concerning the resurrection of the flesh I know that my Redeemer liveth and hee shall stand up and I shall see him with these eyes And what David speaketh of his knowledge of Gods favour and stedfast beliefe of his future happinesse p Ad Monim l. 1. â—ustus ex fide vivens fiducialiter dicit credo videre bona domini in terra viventium Fulgentius applyeth to every beleever The just man living by faith speaketh confidently I beleeve that I shall see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living And S. John ascribeth this knowledge not to any singular revelation but to charity the common effect of faith We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren whereupon S. q Tract 5. in ep Joh. Nemo interroget hominem redeat ad cor suum si ibi invenerit charitatem securus sit quia transiit à morte ad vitam Austin giveth this sage advice Let no man enquire of man let him have recourse to his owne heart if he find there charity let him rest assured that he is passed from death to life And S. Paul joyneth all the faithfull with him saying We know that all things worke for the best to them that love God and There is layd up a crown of righteousnesse which the righteous Judge shall give mee at that day and not to mee onely but to all them also that love his appearing In like manner Saint r Ep. ex regist l. 6. Hac fulti certitudine de ejusdem redemptoris nostri misericordiá nihil ambigere
stone I will give him a white stone and in it a new name written or engraven When the Pharisees appeached the woman taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the foule act of adultery it is there said that our Saviour stooping downe wrote on the ground but what he wrote the Evangelist writeth not Saint n In Evang. Terram terra accusat Ambrose ghesseth that he wrote Earth accuseth earth St. Austine these words He that among you is free from sinne let him cast the first stone Others are of opinion that he wrote in the dust some private sinnes of the accusers whose opinion hath thus farre footing in Scripture that God whose mercy is over all his workes writeth the sinnes of men in dust but his gifts and favours with a Diamond in precious gemmes as we may see on o Exod. 28.20 Aarons breastplate and here in a solid white stone White stones such as this in my text were in great use among the Romans and served 1 To declare the victour or conquerour in proving masteries 2 To acquit the accused in courts of justice 3 To deliver suffrages in the election of Magistrates Upon all these uses the allegory in my text toucheth For this white stone is given in token of victory Vincenti dabo and before I demonstrated it to bee an evidence of our justification and now I shall shew it to bee an assurance of our election to a kingdome in heaven As in the civill so much more in the divine use the act signified or done by it is altogether irrevocable Hee to whom the white stone was given in the theater or wheresoever the silver games were kept or prizes plaid was ever held Victor and carried that title to his grave Hee upon whom the Judges passed their sentence by casting white stones into an urne or pitcher was for ever acquitted of the crime laid to his charge Hee who gave his voice to any man by writing his name in a white stone neither did nor could after varie and shall wee thinke that hee to whom Christ giveth his white stone shall ever lose the benefit thereof The names of the twelve tribes engraven upon the twelve pretious stones on Aarons breast-plate continued for many hundreds of yeers as you may read in Josephus and may be in them still for ought we know yet if they could be razed out certainly their names cannot be blotted out o Luk. 10 20. which are written in heaven The calling and gifts of God are without p Rom. 11.29 repentance especially this of adoption in Saint q Aâ—â—h de Isac vit beat Num Deus pater ipsequi contulit potest sua dona rescindereâ— quâ—s adoptione suscepit eos à paterni affectus gratiâ relegare Ambrose his judgement What saith hee can God the Father reverse his owne grants can hee cast him out of his fatherly grace whom hee hath once adopted by no meanes For though a servant may cease to bee a servant if his Master cashiere him and a tenant to bee a tenant if hee have forfeited his estate yet a sonne cannot cease to bee a sonne hee that is borne cannot but bee borne and if hee bee borne of God hee cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though hee may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cannot doe though he may suffer sin that is he cannot practise it as a man doth his trade or profession in a settled course without checke of conscience or reluctancy because the seed of God remaineth in him which fighteth against the poyson instilled by Satan and will in the end conquer it because it is r 1 Pet. 1.23 incorruptible seed When a childe of God is at the worst and hath received the greatest foyle in temptation hee remaineth still the child of God Å¿ Abbat praelect de verit grat Diatrib cont Tompson quoad sigillum though not quoad signum according to the seale though not according to the signe lose he may the signe in himselfe but God cannot lose his seale You will say peradventure this assertion openeth a window to presumption and carnall liberty nay rather it shutteth the leaves against it and fasteneth them with surest bolts and barres For lay this for a ground that he that hath received the Spirit of regeneration and grace of adoption cannot sinne desperately nor give absolute way to any corruption the conclusion to bee built upon it will bee this which necessarily checketh and choaketh all presumptuous thoughts That whosoever defileth his mouth with oathes or lies his hand with bribes his body with uncleannesse his conscience with any knowne sinne finding in himselfe no checke with it no struggling against it no smiting of the heart after it no earnest desire and in the end effectuall working out of it was never a true convert the sunne of righteousnesse never rose on him because hee yet lyeth frozen in the dregs of his naturall corruption t Cant. 2 5. Stay me with flaggons and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of love the doctrine of the perpetuity of the regenerates estate is a cup of the strongest wine in those flaggons which must bee given to none but such as amore languent such as have beene contracted to Christ and have received from him many jewels of grace and infallible tokens of speciall affection though at the present by some fearefull provocation they have so farre incurred his displeasure that hee will not looke upon their teares nor hearken to their sighes or groanes nor once turne his countenance towards them which they infinitely value above their life To these we are to minister this cordiall That Christ his contract with the soul is indissoluble that the Covenant of his peace is immovable that the seed of regeneration is immortall that whom God loveth he loveth to the end that they may have lost the sense but they cannot the essence of true faith that their new name is still written upon the white stone though such a mist be cast before their eyes that they cannot reade it now but after a great defluxe of penitent teares Christ will annoint them with the eye-salve of his Spirit and then they shall clearely see and reade it for hee that receiveth it knoweth it And so I fall into the third point the knowledge of this perpetuity Hee knoweth it who receiveth it As the eye seeth either 1. Per radium rectum a streight line drawne from the eye to the object Or 2. Per radium reflexum a beame reflected from the object to the eye so the soul hath a double knowledge direct of the object and reflexe of her owne acts As when I looke in a glasse I looke upon my selfe looking in it when I touch my pulse I feele my feeling of it in like manner the soule by reflexive knowledge apprehendeth her owne apprehension judgeth of her owne judgement and beleeveth her owne faith and beliefe How can there be any assurance by faith if
faire havens in heaven let us perfectly learne our way and all points of the Compasse and carefully steere by the Card of Gods Word and keepe in the streight and middle way of Gods commandements neither declining to the right hand nor to the left 6. Sixtly doth Satan play the crafty Merchant and cheate us with counterfeit stones for jewels with shewes of vertues for true graces let us also imitate the wisedome of Merchants who will bee perfect Lapidaries before they deale in pearles and pretious stones let us study the difference between true and seeming graces and pray continually to God that we may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that wee may bee able to discerne things that differ and try Spirits whether they are of God or no. 7. Lastly doth Satan play the temporizer and time all his suggestions let us also in a pious sense be time-servers let us performe all holy duties in the fittest season let us omit no opportunity of doing good let us take advantage of all occasions to glorifie God and helpe on our eternall salvation If wee heare a bell toll let us meditate on our end and pray for the sicke lying at Gods mercy if wee see an execution let us meditate on our frailty and reflecting upon our owne as grievous sinnes though not comming within the walke of mans justice have compassion on our brother if wee see Lazarus lying in the street let us meditate upon the sores of our conscience and our poverty in spirituall graces and extend our charity to him finally sith wee know at what time Satan most assaulteth us let us be best provided at those times especially at the houre of our death let us follow the advice of Seneca though a Heathen r Sen. ep 2. Quotidiè aliquid adversus mortem auxilii compara cum multa percurreris unum excerpe quod illo die concoquas lay up store for that day every day gather one flower of Paradise at least that even when the fatall houre is come and the stench of death and rottennesse is in our nostrils we may have a posie by us in which wee may smell a savour of life unto life which God grant c. SERMONS PREACHED AT SAINT PAULSCROSSE OR IN THE CHURCH THE BELOVED DISCIPLE THE XXX SERMON JOH 21. 20. The Disciple whom Jesus loved which also leaned on his breast at Supper IF wee must abstaine from all appearance of evill in our civill conversation much more certainly in our religious devotion For God is most jealous of his honour which is all he hath from us for all we hold of him Praef. Apolog. fest eccles and the streight rule of religion will in no wise bend to any obliquity on either side either by attributing any true worship to a false or any false worship to the true God From both which aspersions hee that seeth not the Liturgy established by law in the Church of England to bee most cleare and free either is short-sighted or looketh on her through a foule paire of spectacles and thereby ignorantly imagineth that dust to bee in her sacred Canons and Constitutions which indeed is not in them but sticketh in his glassie eyes let him but rub his spectacles and he shall see all faire and without any the least deformity or filth of superstition as well in the Service appointed for the Lords day as for the Saints feasts For though wee adorne our Calendar with the names of some eminent Saints and make honourable mention of them in our Liturgy as the ancient Church did of her Martyrs a Austin de civ Dei l. 22. c. 10. non tamen invocamus yet wee call not upon them wee lift not up our hands wee bow not our knees wee present not our offerings wee direct not our prayers wee intend not any part of religious worship to them sed uni Deo martyrum nostrum but to their God and ours as Saint Austine answereth for the practice of the Church in his time Which may serve as a buckler to beare off all those poysonous darts of calumny which those of the concision cast at that part of our Church-service wherein upon the yeerly returne of the Feast of the blessed Virgin the Archangell Apostles Evangelists Protomartyr Innocents and All-holy-ones wee remember the Saints of God but in no wise make Gods of Saints sanctificamus Deum non deificamus Sanctos wee blesse God for them wee worship not them for God Although our devotion glanceth by their names yet it pitcheth and is fixed upon the Angel of the covenant and sanctum sanctorum the holy of all holy ones our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ On the blessed Virgins anniversary wee honour him in his Mother on Saint John Baptists wee honour him in his forerunner on Saint Michaels we honour him in his Archangel the Captaine of his celestiall squadron on the Apostles wee honour him in his Ambassadours on the Evangelists wee honour him in his Chroniclers on Saint Stevens wee honour him in his Martyr on S. John the Divine his day wee honour him in his beloved Disciple who also leaned on his breast at Supper 1 The Disciple 2 The Disciple beloved 3 Beloved of Jesus 4 In Jesus bosome All Christians are not Disciples this is the Disciple all the Disciples were not beloved this is the beloved Disciple all that are beloved are not beloved of Jesus this is he whom Jesus loved lastly all whom Jesus loved were not so familiar with him or neare unto him that they leaned on his breast this was his bosome friend and as the text saith at supper leaned on his breast Every word is here a beame and every beame is reflected and every reflection is an intention of the heat of Christs affection to Saint John Divis 1 A Disciple there is the beame 2 Ille the or that Disciple there is the reflection 1 Beloved there is the beame 2 Beloved of Jesus there is the reflection 1 Leaning there is the beame 2 Leaning on his breast there is the reflection It is a great honour to bee a Disciple but a greater to bee the Disciple a great honour to bee beloved a greater to bee beloved of Jesus a great honour to leane on such a personage a greater to leane on his breast Thus I might with an exact division cut the bread of life but I choose rather after the manner of our Saviour to breake it and that into three pieces onely viz. John his 1 Calling in Christ 2 Favour with Christ 3 Nearenesse unto Christ 1 His calling in Christ The Disciple 2 His grace and favour with Christ whom Jesus loved 3 His nearenesse unto Christ who also leaned on his breast The Disciple The Spouse in the Canticles setting out her husband in his proper colours saith b Cant. 5.10 My beloved is white and ruddy that is of admirable and perfect beauty or white in the purity of his conversation and
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
it be unlawfull to make an image of God what suppose you is it to make a god of an Image by adoring it in Gods stead Was not Phoedra an adulteresse when shee lay with Hipolytus because shee protested that shee embraced Theseus in him whom he so neere resembled Were the Jewes that worshipped the Calfe or they that worshipped the brasen Serpent or the image of Baal free from idolatry They dare not say it because the Spirit of God condemneth them for Idolaters yet they might plead for themselves as Papists doe that they worshipped God in the Calfe and Christ to come in the Serpent and him that dwelleth in a light that cunnot bee approached unto in the image of Baal or the Sunne For they were not such Calves as to fixe their devotion on a Calfe of their owne making they were not so deceived by the old Serpent as to attribute divine power to a Serpent of brasse their eyes were not so dazled with the beames of the Sunne that they mistooke the Sunne for God No the words of q Exod. 32.5 Aaron To morrow is a feast Jehovae to the Lord and those of God himselfe Thou r Hos 2.16 shalt call me no more Baal for I will take away the names of Baalim out of their mouth make it a cleare case that they made but a stale of the Image who bowed downe before it intending the honour to God himselfe as Å¿ Joseph antiq Jud. Jeroboam instituit ut in vitulis Deus coleretur Josephus testifieth of Jeroboam Jeroboam saith hee appointed that God should bee worshipped in those Calves which he set up in Dan and Bethel And what shall we say if Papists are indebted to the Heathen for this answer who set this varnish upon their idolatrous practice as you may see in t Lact. divin institut l. 2. c. 2. Non simulacra colimus sed eos ad quorum imaginem sunt facta Lactantius u Tyr. ser 38. Dicunt se maximum Deum in simulacris colere Tyrius and * Clem. constit Apostol lib. 1. cap. 6 7. Aiunt nos ad honorem invisibilis Dei visibilâ—s Imagines adoramus Clemens Romanus Saint Paul also testifieth as much of the Heathen in generall Rom. 1.23 They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and to foure footed beasts and to creeping things And of the Athenians in particular Acts 17.23 Whom therefore yee ignorantly worship him declare I unto you The greatest God as Tyrius speaketh the invisible God as Clemens the incorruptible God as the Apostle the God whom Paul preached the Lord Jehovah is the true God that made heaven and earth yet the Jewes and Gentiles who worshipped him by an image or according to their own imaginations in Scripture stand charged with Idolatry and for ought appeares to the contrary as deeply as if their devotion had pitched and settled upon the image of the Calfe the Serpent the Sunne the starre Rempham the similitudes of men birds or creeping things and not glaunced by them to their Maker Yee heare that the Papists plea take it at the best is no better than the idolatrous Jewes plea the Priests of Baals plea the Gentiles plea and what if the learnedest of their owne side debarre them of this plea also what if their great Doctors teach that the image is to be worshipped for it selfe and not only in relation to the prototypon as they speake what if they curse all those who make any scruple of the veneration of Images Certainly Cardinall x Lib. 2. de Imag Sanc. c. 21. Imagines Christi Sanctorum venerandae sunt non solum per accidens impropriè sed etiam per se propriè ita ut ipsae terminent venerationem ut in se considerantur non solùm ut vicem gerunt exemplaris Bellarmine his words are plaine enough The Images of Christ and Saints are to be worshipped not only by accident and improperly but also by or for themselves and properly in such sort that they bounded termined the worship as they are considered in themselvs and not only as they stand for the samplar that is the person or thing they represent This his assertion he there endeavoureth to prove out of the second Councell of Nice and the late Conventicle at Trent which who so readeth cannot but see that speech of the Prophet David verified in the Patrons thereof They that make Images are like unto them and so are all they that put their trust in them To which text Clemens Alexandrinus as it seemeth to mee had an eye in that his pleasant allusion whereby hee representeth the folly of Idolaters As saith hee the naturall birds were beguiled by the counterfeit and flew to the Pigeons that were drawne in the Painters shop so naturall stockes flye to artificiall senslesse men to senslesse Idols How wardeth the Cardinall off this blow after this manner Wee have no recourse unto nor performe any religious service to any Idoll though wee both teach and practice Image-worship Why what is the difference between an Image and an Idoll An Image saith he is the representation of something which really subsisteth as of God Angel or man but an Idoll is the semblance of a thing feigned or imaginary that hath no beeing at all but in the fancy of the deviser God in the Law forbiddeth us to worship the later sorts of similitudes not the former Let us try this new coined distinction by the touch-stone of Gods Word How is it written y Exod. 20.4 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe Pesell that is any thing that is carved or graven as not only the interlineary Vatablus Tremelius z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sculptile and the Septuagint but the vulgar Latine also corrected by Sixtus a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sculpsit dolavit Buxtorf Epit. rad and revised by Clemens render the Hebrew Admit that the word Pesel signifieth not an Image as Justin Martyr translateth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but an Idoll say these first words of the commandement meet with the worshippers of Idols not of Images yet certainly the clause following nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth reacheth home to all Images For all Images are likenesses of something in heaven earth or under the earth The Idoll of Baal was the likenesse of something in heaven the Calfe of something on earth Dagon of something in the waters under the earth For the first was the representation and similitude of the Sunne the second of a Beast the third of a Fish yet the Scripture calleth these images Idols and their worshippers Idolaters therefore the Papists are in the same damnation with them and contradict themselves in terminis in saying they worship Images not Idols For every Image worshipped is an Idoll True say
life of God but sent from his bosome his word of truth light into darknesse who in the fulnesse of time offered by the light of his countenance to bring us againe to Gods inaccessible brightnesse and by the vaile of his flesh not only to shelter us from the scorching flames of his Fathers fury as the pillar of cloud did the Israelites from the heate of the Sun but also by soliciting our peace to demolish that partition wall which wee had raised against our selves and to reunite us againe inseparably to him from whom wee had rent and dissevered our selves crying in the midst of you as you heare Come unto mee c. The voice of God and not of man or rather of the eternall wisedome which was God and man In these words which I terme Châ—â—sts Proclamation of grace and peace to all soule-sicke sinners wee may note 1. An invitation Come unto mee 2. The reward of our obedience I will ease you In the first part note wee 1. The party inviting Christ 2. The thing he adviseth to Come 3. The object to whom Mee 4. The parties that are envited singled out by their qualities all that are weary and heavie laden In the second part note wee 1. The party promising I. 2. The reward it selfe ease and rest will ease you Here then you see 1. Love inviting Come 2. Truth directing To mee 3. Necessity inciting All that are weary 4. Reward alluring And I will ease you 1. Love inviteth that we feare not to come 2. Truth directeth that we erre not in comming 3. Necessity inciteth that we slacke not to come 4. Reward sustaineth that wee faint not in comming Doctr. 1 Come Venite fides exigitur studium desideratur saith Saint Ambrose Christ his proselytes life must not bee as his confidence in Esay chapt 30. in ease and quietnesse Ver. 15. for then Moab-like he will soone settle on his lees and have his taste remaining in him Jerem. 48.11 The Caldean Sagda as Solinus reporteth by the spirit inclosed in it riseth from the bottome of Euphrates and so closely sticketh to the boards of the ships that passe that river that without slivering of some part of the barke it cannot be severed so sinne by the power of the evill spirit arising from the bottomlesse pit of perdition adhereth so fast to us that till our brittle Barkes of flesh be slivered off this Sagda of sinne can never be removed but like Dejanira's poysoned shirt Qua trahitur trahit illa cutem And therefore this sore travell God hath allotted to all the sonnes of Adam from the first time they become new borne babes in Christ till they breath out their languishing soules into the hands of their Redeemer to wrestle with their inbred corruptions and to seeke to shake off the sinne which hangeth on so fast that howsoever it cannot be altogether dis-severed before wee are dissolved yet it may not be a Remora to our ships much lesse get such strength as to over-rule us Howbeit because the flesh is weake where the spirit is most ready and the spirit it selfe is not so ready as it should be because the faculties thereof through the malignity of sinne are much imbezelled God spareth not by frequent Scriptures to stirre us up to goe on and traverse the way of his commandements some to rowze us up from sleep as Awake thou that sleepest Ephes 5.14 and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Some to incite us to goe on forward when wee are raised Hebr. 12.14 as Follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see God Some to encourage us that wee faint not as Bee not weary of well doing for in due time yee shall reape if yee faint not Once indeed it was said to the Israelites Galat. 6.9 Stand still and behold the salvation of God but now Come behold and stand not still if you desire the salvation of God Now no more sit still as it was once said to the daughter of Babel but arise and depart for here is no resting place Jacob saw Angels ascending and descending but none standing or sitting on the ladder There are many rounds in our Jacobs ladder whereby wee climbe to the Mount of God Non debemus pigri remanere non debemus superbi cadere saith Saint Austine Paul that honourable vessell of God though hee laid so fast hold on Christ by faith and was so knit to him by love that hee challengeth all powers in heaven and earth to trie if they were able to separate him from the love of his Redeemer Rom. 8. Ver. 35. yet reckoning with himselfe as if hee had not comprehended him of whom hee was comprehended hee forgat that which was behinde and followed hard to the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ So true is that of Saint Bernard Ubi incipis nolle fieri melior ibi desinis esse bonus Use 1 Here then let us tracke out by the footsteps of our spirits motion how forward wee are in the way of the Lord. If the longing desire of our heart bee unsatisfied till wee enjoy againe our happy communion with God if when God saith Seeke yee my face thy soule answer Thy face Lord will I seeke if when Christ soundeth his Venite thy heart springing for joy resound Davids Ecce Loe I come and thy spirit so out-strip the slow motions of thy sluggish flesh that with the Spouse in the Canticles thou desire to bee drawne after him then bee thou assured that this is the finger of God For no man can come to Christ but hee whom the Father draweth But contrariwise if when the World saith Come wee hearken to it and for Hippomanes golden balls wee refuse to follow Christ if when the Divell saith Come wee listen to his lure and for his omnia tibi dabo bow to his will if when the flesh saith Come wee trudge to it and for lascivious lulling in Dalila's lap wee renounce him who calleth us to bee his Nazarites these unsanctified affections blab out our inward corruptions and wee shew our selves to bee the worlds darlings the Divels pesants and the fleshes slaves not Christs sheep For if it bee true Omnis qui didicit venit quisquis non venit profectò non didicit as Saint Austine rightly inferreth Doctr. 2 Unto mee Now followeth the happy terminus ad quem of our spirituall motions Satius est claudicare in viâ quà m currere extra viam halting Jacob will sooner limpe to his journies end than swift-footed Napthali posting speedily out of the way Therefore lest when God calleth us wee should with Samuel runne to Eli or linger our comming for feare of mistaking the Way himselfe chalketh us out the path of salvation saying Come to mee Foure sorts of men seeme to come to Christ yet come not as they should The first begin to come but they fall short in their way and these are
for but what he loveth A man may beleeve the truth and be a false man he may hope for good things and yet be exceeding bad himselfe but he cannot love the best things but he must needs be good he cannot affect grace if hee have not received some measure thereof he cannot highly esteeme of God and not be high in Gods esteeme As the love of the world maketh a man worldly and the love of the flesh fleshly so the love of the Spirit makes the children of God spirituall and the love of God partaker of the divine g 2 Pet. 1.4 nature for God is love Now saith Saint Paul that is in this life abideth h 1 Cor. 13.13 faith hope and charity but after this life of these three charity onely remaineth For when we have received the end of our faith which is the salvation of our soules and taken possession of the inheritance which we have so long expected by hope faith shall be swallowed up in vision and hope in fruition but then love shall be in greatest perfection Our trust is that we shall not alwayes walk by faith and our hope is that we shall one day hope no more we beleeve the end of faith and hope for the end of hope but love no end of our love but contrariwise desire that it may bee like the soveraigne object thereof that is eternall and infinite To leap over this large field at once and comprise all in one sentence concerning this vertue of which never enough can be said Love brought God from heaven to earth love bringeth men from earth to heaven In which regard it may not be unfitly compared to the ladder at the foot whereof i Gen. 28.12 Jacob slept sweetly and in his dreame saw Angels climbing up by it to heaven For upon it the religious soule of a devout Christian resteth and reposeth her selfe and by it in her thoughts and desires she ascendeth up to heaven as it were by foure steps or rounds which are the foure degrees of divine love 1. To love God for our selves 2. To love God for himselfe 3. To love God above all things 4. To love nothing but God or in a reference to him First to love God for our selves or our owne respect whereunto wee are induced by the consideration of his benefits and blessings bestowed upon us and continued unto us The second is to love God for himselfe whereunto wee are moved by the contemplation of the divine essence and his most amiable nature The third is to love God above all things whereunto we are enclined by observation of the difference between God and all things else The fourth is to love nothing but God that is to settle our affections and repose our desires and place our felicity wholly and solely in him To which highest round or step of divine love and top of Christian perfection we aspire by fixing our thoughts upon the all-sufficiency of God who hath in him infinite delights and contentments to satisfie all the appetites of the soule whereof the Kingly Prophet David was fully perswaded when lifting up his heart to God and his eyes to heaven he calleth God himselfe to witnesse that he desired no other happinesse than what he enjoyed in him saying Whom have I in heaven but thee These words may admit â—f a double construction 1 Either that David maketh God his sole refuge and trust 2 Or that he maketh him his chiefe joy and whole hearts delight For the first sense viz. Whom have I in heaven but thee for my refuge and strength of my confidence we are to know that in heaven and in earth there are other besides God in heaven the elect Angels and the spirits of k Heb. 12.23 just men made perfect in earth there are men and the creatures yet a religious soule reposeth no confidence in any of these First not in the creature in generall for it is l Rom. 8.20 subject to vanity not in riches for m 1 Tim. 6.17 they are uncertaine Charge the rich in this world that they trust not in uncertaine riches not in n Jer. 9.23 wisedome or strength or power nor in the favour of o Psal 146.3 Princes nor any childe of man for there is no helpe in them I will yet ascend higher even to heaven and to the Angels and soules there For whatsoever power or strength or helpe may be in them we may not put our trust in them 1 Not in the soules of Saints departed for they p Esay 63.16 take no notice of our affaires here neither have we any order to addresse our selves to them Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not q 2 Kin. 22.20 Good Josiah seeth not the evill which befell his subjects after his death 2 Not in Angels for though they excell in strength and are ministring r Heb. 1.14 Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation yet we have no charge to worship them or relie upon them for our salvation Nay wee are charged to the contrary both from God and from themselves from God Å¿ Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and t Col. 2.18 Let no man beguile you in voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels and from themselves also u Apoc. 19.10 22.9 And I fell downe at the feet of the Angel that shewed me these things and he said unto me See thou doe it not I am thy fellow servant worship God For the second sense viz. Whom have I in heaven but thee for my chiefe joy and sole hearts delight we are to know that the faithfull soule is wedded to God and like a loyall Spouse casteth no part of her conjugall affection upon any but him Love she may whom he loveth and what he commandeth her to love for him and in him but not as him if she doth so shee becommeth Adultera Christo as St. Cyprian speaketh and may not be admitted to sing in Davids quire or at least not to bear a part in this Antheme Whom have I in heaven but thee O Lord No more than the life of the body can bee maintained without naturall heat and moisture can the life of grace be preserved in the soule without continuall supply of the moisture of penitent teares and a great measure of the heat of divine love wherewith we are to consume those spirituall sacrifices of prayer and praises which we are now and at all times to offer lifting up pure hands and hearts unto God To kindle this sacred fire I have brought you a live coale from the Altar of incense Davids heart sending up sweetest perfumes of most fragrant and savourie meditations This coale the best Interpreters ancient and later conspiring in their expositions blow after this manner St. u Hier. in hunc locum Neque in coelo neque in terrâ alium praeter
te quaesivi Jerome thus I have sought none in heaven or earth beside thee x Calvin Praeter Deum nihil in coelo vel in terrâ appeto Calvin I desire nothing in heaven or earth but thee y Cajetan Te solum in coelo in terrâ volui Cajetan Thee alone I affect in heaven and in earth z Marlor Nihil tecum amo Marlorat I love nothing with thee And most effectually * Mollerus Te pro prae omnibus thesauris aestimo Mollerus I esteeme thee in stead of and above all treasures as if he should say in more words Others lay up treasures upon earth but heaven is my treasurie and God is my riches he is my lot as I am his purchase he is the onely supporter of my crowne and crown of my joy joy of my heart upon him I set my whole delight in him I repose all my confidence to him I addresse all my petitions from him I expect all my happinesse all my hope is in his promises all my comfort in his word all my wealth in his bounty all my joy in the light of his countenance all my contentment in his love above him without him besides him I love nothing but all things in him and for him Lord let me live out of the world with thee but let me not live in the world without thee For I make no reckoning of any thing in the world in comparison of thee nor of all the world without thee take away all things from me so thou givest me thy selfe for if thou takest away thy selfe thou takest away all things O let me therefore quickly enjoy thee in heaven for even whilest I am upon earth my heaven is in thee Here I cannot hold on my Paraphrase but must needs breake off with that passionate exclamation of St. a Poelicissimam animam quae Deo sic à Deo meretur affici ut per unitatem spiritus in Deo nihil amet nisi Deum Bernard O thrice happy soule which by God and his grace art so affected with God and his love that in God in whom all things are to be had thou desirest nothing but God himselfe By this bright blaze of the words you may easily discerne the parts which are two 1 A higher straine of notes ascending Quis mihi c. 2 A lower of notes descending tecum non optavi c. Or if you like better to change the terms of musick which is the rhetorick of sounds into the termes of rhetoricke which is the musicke of words this sentence consisteth of 1 A passionate interrogation Whom have I in c. 2 A confident asseveration And I desire none c. In both I observe 1 The convenience of the order Whom have I in heaven and then I desire c. 2 The proprietie of the phrases have and desire have in heaven desire on earth nothing to be desired but to be had in heaven nothing to be had but to be desired on earth 3 The varietie of the Prepositions praeter and cum I have nothing but thee I desire nothing with thee for the reason assigned by b Paulin. in Bib. Patr. to 5. p. 1. Omnium conditor cui nihil eorum quae fecit valet aequari non dignatur cum his quae condidit aequari Paulinus God who made none of his creatures in any degree equall to himselfe will have none made of like unto himselfe Whereupon it ensueth that there is fulnesse of delight and contentment in God and that there is no solid delight and contentment for the immortall soule of man but in him and consequently that we are to set our heart and settle our love and ground our repose and repose our felicity wholly and solely in him with c Aug. confes l. 10. Cum quo solo de quo solo in quo solo anima intellectualis verè beata est whom onely and in whom onely and through whom onely the understanding soule of man findeth and everlastingly enjoyeth true blessednesse Of which use of the doctrine and doctrine of the notes and notes of my Text whilest I treat briefly I humbly entreat Almighty God to assist mee with his Spirit and you to support mee with your patience First of the order As God first created the heaven and all the host thereof and after the earth and earthly creatures so in our desires we ought first to aime at heaven and heavenly objects and after wee have fixed our thoughts and settled our affections upon them to have an eye to the earth and take order for the things of this life God hath placed the heaven above the earth and shall we by our inordinate desires set the earth above the heaven advancing things temporall above those that are eternall this were to overthrow the order of nature and breake the golden rule laid down by our Saviour d Mat. 6.33 Seeke yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be ministred unto you First lift up your eyes and your hearts to heaven and say with David Whom have I in heaven but thee and then tell us what or whom you desire or desire not upon earth Have I in heaven or desire on earth The Translaters might have retained the verbe have in both members but in regard of the deceivablenesse and uncertainty of earthly goods and possessions they change the verbe have in the first member into desire in the second have in heaven and desire on earth not desire in heaven and have on earth for in precise truth there is nothing which a religious soule can desire but shee hath it in heaven and on the contrary nothing to be had that is firmely possessed and enjoyed which she desireth on earth Heaven is the place of having the earth of desiring or craving When an old man being asked of his age answered in the Latine phrase Octoginta annos habeo that is I have or reckon upon fourscore yeeres a Philosopher standing by tooke him up saying Imò tot annos non habes what saist thou I have or reckon upon fourescore yeeres just so many yeeres thou hast not for in numbring the dayes and yeeres of our life whose parts are never all come till they are all gone we usually count upon those yeeres onely that are fully past which we therefore have not because they are past and gone even as he that taketh a lease for terme of yeeres after he hath worne them out hath no more terme in his lease or estate in his living no more may any man be said to have those yeeres good which hee hath spent in the lease of his life Much lesse may he be said to have those that are to come because they are not yet and hee is altogether uncertaine whether they are to come or no. For all that hee knoweth this day the lease of his life may expire this houre his last glasse
Thou shalt plant vineyards and dresse them but shalt neither drinke of the wine nor gather the grapes for the worme shall eate them Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts but thou shalt not annoint thy selfe with the oyle for thine olive shall cast his fruit Hereunto if we adde the infinite armies of plagues and judgements mustered in this chapter against Gods enemies we cannot but subscribe to the Prophets conclusion Non est pax impio there is no l Esay 48.22 57.21 peace to the wicked saith my God there is no fruit of sinne for it is the vine of m Deut. 32.32 33. Sodome and of the fields of Gomorrah the grapes thereof are the grapes of gall their clusters are bitter Their wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruell venome of Aspes Would yee know all the miseries that sinne hath brought into the world reckon then all that are or ever were in the world For they are all concomitants effects or punishments of sinne Sinne cast the Angels from Heaven into Hell thrust man out of Paradise drowned the old world burnt Sodome and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone ruinated the greatest Monarchies destroyed the ancientest Cities and hath rooted up the most flourishing Churches and shall wee looke for better fruit of it But this interrogatory of the Apostle What fruit had yee seemeth to mee rather to aime at the particular endammagement and detriments of sinne which every soule that committeth it sustaineth within it selfe whereof many have been already recounted yet the greater part is behind among whom this is not the least that it blindeth the eyes of the mind and infatuateth the sinner Whereupon Saint Austines observation is If a theefe or fellon should presently upon his fact lose the sight of his eyes every body would say that it was the judgement of God upon him Oculum cordis amisit ei pepercisse putatur Deus behold God hath taken away the sight of his soules eyes and doest thou thinke that hee spareth him or letteth him goe n Cic. de Arusp respons Oculorum caecitas ad mentem translata est unpunished What greater losse to a noble mind than of libertie which is forfeited by sinne Sinne enthralleth our soule to our body and our body and soule to the Divell If captivitie of the body be so grievous a calamity what may wee judge of the captivitie of the soule If wee so disdaine to be slaves to men how much more should wee to bee vassals to beastly lusts To speake nothing of peace of conscience which crying sinnes disturbe and divine motions which worldly cares choake and heavenly comforts which earthly pleasures deprive us of and sanctifying graces which impure thoughts and sinfull desires diminish to leave the consideration of shame and death for matter of ensuing discourses by that which hath been already delivered all that are not besotted by sin and blind-folded by Sathan may see great reason for this question of the Apostle What fruit had yee A question which the proudest and most scornfull sinners who have them in derision that make conscience of unlawfull gaine shall propound unto themselves one day and checke their owne folly therewith as we reade in the booke of o Wisd 5.8 Wisedome What hath pride availed us or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought us Then shall they change their mindes when they cannot their estates and sigh for griefe of heart and say within themselves looking up to Heaven and seeing the felicity of the righteous crowned with eternall glory Ibid. Ver. 4 5 6 7. This is hee whom wee sometimes had in derision and in a parable of reproach Wee fooles thought his life madnesse and his end without honour But now how is hee accounted among the children of God and what a portion hath hee among the Saints Therefore wee have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnesse hath not shined upon us We have wearied our selves in the wayes of wickednesse and have gone through many dangerous pathes and the way of the Lord wee have not knowne Howbeit two sorts of men in the opinion of the world seeme to make great gaine of sinne the covetous and the ambitious the former is indebted to his extortion oppression and usury for his wealth the other to his glozing dissembling undermining perfidious and treacherous dealing for his honour and advancement in the Court of Princes The spirit of the former hath been conjured downe heretofore by proving that whosoever gathereth wealth or mony by unjust and indirect meanes putteth it into a broken bagge and that his mony shall perish with him unlesse hee breake off his sinne by repentance and make friends of unrighteous Mammon I come to the Politicians who correct or rather pervert that sentence of Saint Paul Godlinesse is great gaine thus a shew of godlinesse is great gaine of whom I would demand what shew of reason they have for this their politicke aphorisme If they beleeve there is a God that judgeth the earth they cannot but thinke that hee will take most grievous vengeance on such as goe about to roote out the feare of God out of mens hearts and make Religion a masque and God himselfe an Image the sacred Story a fable Hell a bug-beare and the joyes of Heaven pleasant phantasies If men hold them in greatest detestation who faulter and double with them shall not God much more hate the hypocrite who doubleth with his Maker maketh shew of honouring and serving him when hee indeed neither honoureth nor serveth him at all Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas counterfeit sanctity is double iniquity and accordingly it shall receive double punishment When our Saviour threateneth the most hainous transgressours that they shall have their p Mat. 24.51 portion with hypocrites hee implyeth that the condition of none in Hell is lesse tolerable than of the hypocrite The q Psal 14.1 foole hath said in his heart there is no God and even in that hee shewed himselfe the more foole in that hee said it in his heart supposing that none should heare it there whereas God heareth the word in the heart before it bee uttered in the tongue and what though other know it not sith hee whom hee wrongeth who is best able to revenge it knoweth it But to wound the Politician with his owne sword If a shew and appearance of Religion is not onely profitable but necessary in politicke respects shall not Religion it selfe be much more Can there bee a like vertue or power in the shadow or image as in the body it selfe If the grapes painted by Zeuxis allured the Birds to pecke at them would not the Birds sooner have flowne at them had they been true grapes All the wit of these sublimated spirits wherewith they entangle the honest simplicity of others cannot wind them out of these dilemmaes If it bee a bad thing to bee good why doe they seem so If
scelus exprobrare viderentur lib. c. 23. Homines malunt exempla quam verba c. Lactantius to imitate the vices of Princes and Nobles is a Court-complement nay a part of the service and obsequiousnesse due to their persons all men in Jupiters time castaway the feare of God lest they should seeme to upbraid ungodlinesse to their King Wherefore no marvell sith Ahab was starke lame on his right leg that the Israelites here after the manner of Clisophus followed him limping looking sometimes to Gods Altar sometimes to Baals O the subtiltie of the enemie of our soules how many fetches and turnings hath that wily Serpent to get in his head if he get it not one way by Atheisme nor the contrarie by Superstition yet hee hath a third way to slide in by indifferencie Whom he cannot bring to coldnesse in the true religion or hot eagernesse in the false he laboureth with a soft fire to make luke-warme as he did the people of Israel to whom hee suggested these or the like thoughts Alas what shall we doe we are even at our wits end our weake and weather beaten bark is betwixt two rocks stand still wee cannot the wind is so strong If wee steere one way wee make shipwrack of our lives and goods if the other of faith and a good conscience to this streight we are driven either we must forsake our religion or trench upon our allegeance God and the King stand in competition Neither as the matter now standeth is it possible to serve much lesse please both if wee cleave stedfastly to God wee shall be cloven in peeces and hewen asunder by Ahab if we cleave not to him wee forsake our owne mercie and the rocke of our salvation if wee burne incense to Baal we shall frie our selves in hell fire if we sacrifice unto God Ahab will mingle our owne bloud with our sacrifices Wee must needs indanger either our soules or our bodies our estate or our conscience Why is there no meanes to save both Wee hope there is by dividing our selves betweene God and Baal God shall have the one and Baal the other our heart wee will keepe for God but Baal shall have our hands and knees at his service though wee visit Baals groves Baal shall never come into our thoughts even then when we offer incense unto Baal we will offer the incense of our prayers on the Altar of our heart to the God of our fathers By this meanes wee are sure to hold faire quarter with Ahab and we hope also to keepe in with God to whom we give the better part Yea but this is no better than halting betweene both Be it so is it not better to halt thinke you than to lose both legs And what shame is it for us thus to halt sith the Prince and chiefe Priests doe no otherwise They are our guides and if they mislead us let them beare the blame As the people thus reasoned with themselves and after much swagging on both sides in the end came to fix and resolve upon this middle way out commeth the Prophet Elijah and fearing no colours presenteth himselfe first to Ahab and afterward to the people by Ahab hee is entertained with this discourteous salutation Art thou hee that troubleth Israel How darest thou appeare in my presence The Prophet as well appointed with patience to beare as the King armed with rage to strike encountreth the King on this wise It is not I that trouble Israel but thou and thy fathers house in that yee have forsaken the commandements of the Lord and have followed Baal Wee see here by the freedome of the Prophets reproofe that though the servants of God may be in bonds yet the word of God is not bound nay it bindeth Ahab and all his servants to their good behaviour they cannot stirre hand or foot against the Prophet They are so farre from silencing him that in Gods name hee commands them saying Send and gather unto me all Israel unto Mount Carmel and the Prophets of Baal foure hundred and fifty and the Prophets that eat at Jezebels table The King taketh the word from Elijah and gives it to the people and a Parliament is on the sudden assembled wherein Elijah is the speaker his speech is an invective against unsettled neutrality and dissembling in matter of religion unsettlednesse is taxed in the word halt indifferency in the words betweene two opinions dissembling and temporizing in the words following if the Lord be God follow him How long halt yee betweene two opinions The Prophet here useth no flourish at all no prolusion after the manner of Fencers but presently hee fals to blowes and that so smart that he stunned his adversaries for so we read they answered him never a word c Cic. Catil 2. Quousque tandem abutêre Catilina patientiâ nostrâ Phil. 2. Quâ—niam meo fâ—o fieri dicam P.C. Muret. orat Ergo hoc miseris Gallis c. How long halt yee An abrupt Exordium becommeth a man that is in a vehement passion such an one now surprized Elijah the Baalites profaning Gods name polluting his Altars slaying his Prophets heat him above his ordinary constitution In such a case as this was to have been luke-warm had been little better than key-cold When God is highly dishonoured the true religion wronged grosse idolatry patronized not to bee moved is an argument either of insincerity or cowardice Patientia digna omni impatientiâ Such patience is insufferable such silence is a crying sinne such temper a distemper Wherefore no marvell if Elijahs spirit in which there was alwayes an intensive heat now flamed and his words were no other than so many sparks of fire How long halt yee betweene two opinions Not why but how not doe ye now but how long will ye not lose or misse your way or goe awry but halt not in a wrong path but betweene two wayes How aggravateth the unseemelinesse of their gate by their manner long by the continuance halt by the deformity betweene two opinions by the uncertainty Is it not a most shamefull thing to halt after an unseemely manner for a long time betweene two wayes not certaine which to take or leave Out of the manner of Elijahs reproofe observe the duty of a faithfull Minister of God when just cause is given to bee round with his hearers and to reprove them plainly calling halting halting if they do not so they halt in their duty and the vengeance of God is like to overtake them denounced by the Prophet Jeremie d Jer. 23.31 32 Behold I will come against the Prophets that have sweet tongues and say He saith Behold I am against them that prophesie false dreames saith the Lord and doe tell them and cause my people to erre by their lyes and by their lightnesse yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit this people at all But because this note sorteth not well with this time
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
contra religionem nostram dicuntur horrete sed etiam quae pro religione ipsi dicimus cum grandi metu dicere debeamus Salvianus professeth that hee wrote in defence of the true religion in feare and trembling To the end therefore that the Apostles who were appointed to be Pastores pastorum Pastors of pastors and Doctors of Divinity through the whole world might not speake of him who dwelleth in a light which none can approach unto without light the holy Ghost on this day cast his beames upon them shining in the fiery cloven tongues The tongues appeared cloven saith Saint c Bernard serm de Pent. Sunt dispertitae linguae propter multiplices cogitationes sed earum multiplicitas uno lumine veritatis uno charitatis fervore fit tanquam ignis Bernard to represent the multiplicity of thoughts yet the multiplicity of them shined in one light of truth and one fervour of charity as it were one fire There appeared new lightnings saith d Câ—rysol serm de Pent. Nova lucis fulgura coruscâ—runt micantium splendor linguaruÌ„ igneae ut scirent quod loquerentur linguae ut loquerentur quod scirent Chrysologus in the aire and the lustre of shining tongues shining to give them light that they might know what they spake and tongues to give them eloquence whereby they might utter what they knew This apparition as it was very strange so to outward appearance also most dreadfull for it was an apparition of a spirit and that in fire and this fire cast it selfe into the shape of tongues and these tongues were cloven Of all sights apparitions of spirits most affright us of all apparitions of spirits those in fire most dazle our eyes and never fire before seene in these shapes sitting upon the heads of any Yet was it a most comfortable apparition because it was the manifestation of the Comforter himselfe The Spirit was no evill spirit but the holy Ghost the fire was no consuming but only an enlightening flame the tongues proclaimed not warre but spake peace to the Apostles neither did the cleaving of them in sunder betoken the spirit of contradiction or division amongst them but the diversitie of languages wherewith they were furnished neither did the fire sitting on them singe their haire but rather crowne their heads with gifts and graces befitting the teachers of the whole world Let the seeming and outward terrour then of the signes serve to stirre up your attention to listen to what the tongues speake unto you and yee shall finde the fire of the spirit at your hearts to enlighten your thoughts and enflame your affections and purge out the drosse of your naturall corruptions Lo here 1. An apparition of tongues 2. Tongues of fire 3. Fire sitting 1. Tongues cloven and floating in the aire a strange sight 2. Tongues as of fire a strange matter 3. Fire sitting a strange posture Of which before I can freely discourse I must loosen three knots which I finde tyed upon the words of my text 1. By Grammarians 2. By Philosophers 3. By Divines The first is how doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sedit in the singular number agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or linguae in the plurall The second whether was the miracle in the tongues of the Apostles or in the eares of the hearers For either way it might come to passe that men of severall languages might heare them speake in their severall tongues the wonderfull works of God The third how was the holy Ghost united to these tongues hypostatically or sacramentally The first knot is thus untyed either that there is an errour in our copies vitio scriptoris writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for α or that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to bee construed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignis not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it sate that is the fire upon each of them The second is thus dissolved the miracle was in the tongues of the Apostles for e Mark 16.17 Christ promised that they should speake with new tongues not that their hearers should heare with new eares Yee saith f Act. 1.5 Christ shall be baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire not many dayes hence and accordingly the Apostles saw fierie cloven togues not cloven eares and the fire g 1 Cor. 14.2 sate upon them it licked not the eares of their auditours Moreover it is evident out of the Epistle to the Corinthians that many who were endued with the gift of tongues might and did use it in the assembly of the faithfull when they that heard them understood them not which could not be if the miraculous gift had beene in their eares and not in their teachers tongues The third knot is thus loosened the holy Ghost was united to these tongues neither hypostatically nor sacramentally but symbolically only If hee had beene united to them hypostatically the Apostles might and ought to adore the Spirit in them and the fire might as truely have beene said the holy Ghost as the man Christ to be God Neither were the wind and fire Sacraments because no seales of the covenant no conduits of saving grace of no permanent or perpetuall use S. i Tract 99. in Johan Non magis ad unitatem personae spiritui sancto hic ignis fuit conjunctus ut ex illo Deo una persona constaret quam columba Matth. 3. ista enim facta sunt de creaturâ serviente non de ipsâ dominante naturà Austine thus resolveth This fire cut out as it were into severall portions like tongues was no otherwise united to the holy Ghost than the Dove Matth. 3. neither of which was so assumed as that of it and God one person consisted the Spirit in these apparitions useth the creature but united not himselfe unto it personally or substantially And there appeared In the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were seene for it was no delusion of sense but a true and reall apparition the Apostles with their eyes beheld them and with their tongues testified the truth of this apparition of tongues False religions such as the Pagan and Popish make use of false apparitions and lying wonders whereby they bleare the eyes and seduce the soules of the simple but the true religion as it disalloweth all sophisticall arguments and false shewes of reason so also it disavoweth all false apparitions and deceivable signes The witch at Endor raised up a man or rather a spirit in the likenesse of Samuel who never was seene after that day he communed with Saul but those whom our Saviour raised lived many dayes if not yeeres after Conjurers and Inchanters set before their guests daintie dishes in shew and appearance but their greater hunger after them is an evident demonstration that the Divell all the while fed their fancies with Idaeas and resemblances and not their stomacks with solid meats but our Lord when hee k
Priest Christ Jesus entred after his death and there appeareth for us the curing of all bodily diseases by the word of Christ the healing of all spirituall maladies by his word preached Now if other miracles were significant and enunciative how much more this of tongues Verily he hath little sight of celestiall mysteries who cannot discerne divine eloquence in these tongues diversitie of languages in the cleaving of them and knowledge and zeale in the fire As S. John Baptist was so all the dispensers of Gods mysteries ought to z Bernard in verb. Christi Ille erat lucerna ardens lucens lucere vanum est ardere parum lucere ardere perfectum bee burning and shining lamps shining in knowledge burning in zeale There are three reasons assigned by learned Commentators why the Spirit manifested himselfe in the likenesse of fierie tongues 1. To shew his affinitie with the Word such as is between fire and light the Word is the true light that enlighteneth everie one that commeth into the world and here the Spirit descended in the likenesse of fire 2. To shew that as by the tongue wee taste all corporall meats drinks and medicinall potions so by the Spirit wee have a taste of all spirituall things 3. To teach us that as by the tongue wee speake so by the Spirit wee are enabled to utter magnalia Dei the wonderfull works of God and the mysteries of his kingdome It is not yee that a Matt. 10.20 speake saith our Saviour but the Spirit which speaketh in you which Spirit spake by the month of the Prophets that have beene since the world began Our mouthes and tongues are but like organ-pipes the breath which maketh them sound out Gods praises is the Spirit And those that have their spirituall senses exercised can distinguish betweene the sound of the golden bels of Aaron and of the tinckling b 1 Cor. 13.1 Cymball S. Paul speaketh of for sacred eloquence consisteth not in the enticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and power The fire by which these tongues were enlightened was not earthly but heavenly and therefore it is said As of fire Christ three severall times powred out his spirit upon his Apostles first c Vers 1.16 Matthew the tenth at their election and first mission the second is d Vers 22. John the twentieth when he breathed on them and said Receive yee the holy Ghost and thirdly in this place At the first they received the spirit of wisdome and knowledge at the second the spirit of power and authority at the third the spirit of zeale and courage As many proprieties as the naturall Philosophers observe in fire so many vertues the Divines will have us note in the Spirit given to the faithfull they are specially eight Illuminandi of enlightening 2. Inflammandi of heating 3. Purgandi of purifying 4. Absumendi of consuming 5. Liquefaciendi of melting 6. Penetrandi of piercing 7. Elevandi of lifting up or causing to ascend 8. Convertendi of turning For darknesse is dispelled cold expelled hardnesse mollified metall purified combustible matter consumed the pores of solid bodies penetrated smoake raised up and all fuell turned into flame or coale by fire 1. Of enlightening this Leo applyeth to the Spirit 2. Of enflaming this Gregory worketh upon 3. Of purifying this Nazianzen noteth 4. Of consuming this Chrysostome reckons upon 5. Of melting this Calvin buildeth upon 6. Of penetrating this S. Paul e 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things pointeth to 7. Of elevating this Dionysius toucheth upon 8. Of converting and this Origen and many of our later writers run upon 1. Fire enlighteneth the aire the Spirit the heart 2. Fire heateth the body the Spirit the soule 3. Fire purgeth out drosse the Spirit our sinnes 4. Fire consumeth the stubble the Spirit our lusts 5. Fire melteth metals the Spirit the hardest heart 6. Fire pierceth into the bones the Spirit into the inmost thoughts 7. Fire elevateth water and fumes the Spirit carrieth up our meditations with our penitent teares also to heaven 8. Fire turneth all things into its owne nature the Spirit converteth all sorts of men and of carnall maketh them spirituall These operations of the Spirit God grant wee may feele in our soules so shall we be worthy partakers of Christ his body and by him be sanctified in body and soule here and glorified in both hereafter To whom c. CHRIST HIS LASTING MONUMENT A Sermon preached on Maundy Thursday THE LXVI SERMON 1 CORINTH 11.26 As often as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he come WHen our Saviour was lifted up from the earth to draw all to him and his armes were stretched out at full length to compasse in and embrace all true beleevers after he had bowed his head as it were to take leave of the world and so given up the ghost a souldier with a a John 19.34 speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out water and bloud Which was done to fulfill two prophecies the one of b Exod. 12.46 Moses A bone of him shall not be broken the other of c Zech. 12.10 Zechary They shall looke on him whom they pierced as also to institute two d Chrysost Cyrillus Theophilact in hunc locum Damascenus lib. 4. de fid c. 10. Aug. l. 2. de Symb. c. 6. tract 9. in Johan Sacraments the one in the water the other in the bloud that ran from him the one to wash away the filth of originall sinne the other to purge the guilt of all actuall The hole in Christs side is the source and spring of both these Wells of salvation in the Church which are continually filled with that which then issued out of our Lords side For albeit he dyed but once actu yet he dyeth continually virtute and although his bloud was shed but once really on the crosse yet it is shed figuratively and mystically both at the font and at the Lords board when the dispenser of the sacred mysteries powreth water on the childe or wine into the chalice and by consecrating the bread apart from the wine severeth the bloud of Christ from his body In relation to which lively representation of his sufferings the Apostle affirmeth that as oft as we eate of that bread and drinke of that cup wee shew the Lords death till he come In the Tabernacle there was sanctum sanctum sanctorum a holy place a place most holy so in the Church Calendar there is a holy time all the time of Lent and the most holy this weeke wherein our blessed Saviour made sixe steps to the Crosse and having in sixe dayes accomplished the workes of mans redemption as his Father in the like number of dayes had finished the workes of creation the seventh day kept his e Bernard in dic Pasch Feria sexta redemit hominem ipso