Meeting marvelous in our eyes Will yee stay a little and take a view of the Parties Foure they are These foure 1 Mercie and 2 Truth 3 Righteousnesse and 4 Peace Which quaternion at the first sight divides it selfe into two and two Mercie and Peace they two Paire well they be collectaneae as Bernard saith of them in one place bedfellowes But Mercy and Truth Righteousnesse and Peace sleepe together collactaneae as in another place sucked one milke one breast both And as these two so the other two truth and righteousnesse seeme to be of one complexion and disposition and commonly take part togither Of these Mercie seemes to favor us and Peace no enemie to us nor to any seeing we must speake of them as of persons mild and gentle persons Rom. 13.4 both For Righteousnesse I know not well what to say Gestat gladium and I feare non frustrà Nor of Truth who is vera and severa severe too otherwhile These I doubt are not like affected The reason of my doubt Of one of them Righteousnesse it is told heer for great newes that She but looked downe hitherwards from heaven Before then She would not have done that A great signe it is of heart burning when one will not doe so much as looke at another not endure his sight We cannot promise our selves much of her No nor of Truth One was so bold in a place to say Omnis homo mendax Rom. 3.4 and feared no challenge for it By that it seemes all stands not well with her neyther So then two for us two against us Their order Mercie first Peace last For their order Mercie is first and Peace last With both ends we shall do well enough GOD send us to do but so with the midst Yet this is not amisse that they which favor us lesse are in the midst hemmed in on both sides closed about with those that wish us well and they between us and them On the one side Mercie before On the other Peace behind Their sorting Mercie and Truth Another that in this double meeting Mercie sorts not her selfe goes not to Righteousnesse nor Righteousnesse to her but to Peace A kind of crosse meeting as it were there is the better hope of accord Mercie and Righteousnesse have no Symbolizing qualitie at all no hope of them but Truth with Mercie hath There is Truth as well in the Promise of Mercie as in the threat of Iustice. Righteousnesse and Peace Heb. 7.2.6.20 And it stands yet better between the other two Righteousnesse and Peace Melchisedek which is by interpretation King of Righteousnesse the same is King of Salem that is of peace He that is after the order of Melchisedek King of both like enough to sett accord between them two both of them his lieges This for the view of the Parties These meet heer The Occasion but what is obviaverunt without osculatae sunt Better let them stand in sunder still and never meet There seemes to be two Meetings implyed One obviaverunt without and another with osculatae sunt Before they mett heer they were parted the one from the other For they that meet come from diverse coasts Before this meeting they have been in diverse quarters one from the other and not come together thus a good while Their distance in place grew from their distance in affection estranged one from the other That they mett not I will not say but that they mett not thus ever before Els what remarkable thing were there in this Meeting or worth the composing of a Psalme if it had been familiar with them thus to meet every other nay any other day How came they then asunder that it should be a marveile to see them meet Of their severing Not from themselves Since naturally they are not strangers all foure in the bosome of GOD from all eternitie Attributes all foure of His undivided essence So not divided of themselves Not of themselves then That they were divided it was about us the quarrell ours that made them part company Thus I gather it If at CHRISTS birth they mett at Adams fall they parted If when Truth was borne on earth they came together But from Adams fall when Truth perished from the earth they fell in sunder That was when the first lye was told and beleeved and that was nequaquam moriemini by Adam and thereby GOD much wronged So that Adams cause it was and so Gen. 3.4 ours that first divided heaven yea the very Attributes in GOD we see and so in a sort GOD Himselfe So they parted first Col. 1.20 It could not be sayd by the Apostle that CHRIST pacified all things in heaven and in earth if there had not in heaven been somewhat to be taken up For all this yet I deny not but they might and did meet once before But So their first meeting was in opposition it was an obviaverunt without an osculatae sunt Never both these till now Out of CHRIST and before His birth they mett in opposition In CHRIST and at his birth did these foure Lights come to meet and to be in conjunction now They mett before obviaverunt but instead of osculatae it was altercatae sunt While Mercie and Peace would have Adams and our case relieved Righteousnesse and Truth would by no meanes endure it The plea is drawen up and reported at large by Bernard in his first Sermon upon the Annunciation Mercie began for out of her readinesse to doe good she is heer Mercies Plea she is ever formost Her inclination is or rather she herselfe is an inclination to pitie such as are in miserie and if she can to releive them yea though they deserve it not For which is the comfort of the miserable sinner she lookes not to the partie what he is or what he hath done or deserved but what he suffers in how woefull and wretched a case he is And her plea is Nunquid in vanum Psal. 89.47.30 ◠What hath GOD made all men for nought What profit is in their blood It will make GODS enimies rejoice Thither it will come if GOD cast them cleane of What then Will He cast them of for ever Psal. 74.18 will He be no more entreated Hath GOD forgotten to be gratious With these and such like pij susurri as he calls them did she enter into GODS bowels and make them yerne Psal. 77.7 8. and melt into compassion And certainly if there were none to stand against us there were hope Mercie had prevailed But Truth must be heard too and she layes in just matter of exception Pleades Truth 's Reply Ioh. 1 1. Deus erat Verbum What is God but His Word and His word was as to ADAM morte morieris So to his Sonnes anima quae peccaverit The soule that sinneth Gen. 2.17 that soule shall dye GOD may not falsifie His word His word is the truth
chiefly admire A religious heart high wisedome heroicall courage Clemencie like that of GOD without measure or end In him that playes the King it is quite otherwise No Royall qualitie is required at all No Princely vertue needs he never cares for them But gesture and gate the carriage of his countenance to say his part to pronounce and to act it well that is all that is cared for by him or that is looked for at his hands And even so it fares heer Contrition of spirit a broken heart unfeigned humilitie Psal. 51.6 truth in the inward parts these are most requisite in the true fast It skills not a whit for any of these in the stage-fast So he can sett his countenance well have the clowds in his forehead his eyes somewhat hollow certaine wrinckles in his cheeke carrie his head like a bull-rush and looke like lovin all is well As for any inward accomplishment he never takes thought for any Vultum onely is it He goes no further Onely to be like to be sicut as one though indeed none But why doe they take all these paines to disfigure themselves That doe they 2 Not like them in ther Vt their end Vt videantur that they might be seene of men and seeme to men appeare to them in the likenesse of such as fast indeed The levin of hypocrisie in their lookes is from the love of a Videantur in their hearts Vaine-glorie the ground of hypocrisie ever And heere now they match againe The Hypocrites end is as the Players end Both to be seene You never see the play beginne till the Spectators be come so many as they can gett Not no more shall you see this fast acted vnlesse there be some to eye and to note it He will not fast on the ground there must be a Stage sett up for him where I dare say they wish the scaffolds full to see them the more the better Both match in videantur and it must be ab hominibus of men Angells eyes GOD 's eyes will not serve the Hypocrite's turne Other eyes then there must be entreated to gaze on them or ye gett no fast Why is there any harme in mens eyes that they may not see nor we may not be seene of them Verè oculi hominum saith Bernard basilisci sunt bonorum operum Now truly there is in mens eyes venome like that of the Cockatrice to infect our well-doing with a well-weening of our selves O now I am seene O ego quantus Sum mundo censore O what a holy mortified man am I taken for It troubled Almes before this it â—roubled Prayer and now fasting It troubles all In all this is the point this is the Vt to be seene of men Not that it is vnlawfull to be seene well-doing You will easily putt a difference betweene to be seene to doe well and to doe well to be seene betweene facere videri and facere ut videare Doe and be seene may be casuall never thought on by us Doe to be seene that is the Vt and that Vt is it the very end we doe it for and otherwise we should not doe it It happens otherwhile many good people do well and are seene so doing as it falls out but beside their purpose quite But none save this masked crew sacrifice themselves and their fasts to the eyes of men and doe what they doe for no other end but that Matt. 4.1 Luk. 5.16 You shall easily discerne them You shall not gett one of them to doe as CHRIST did gett him aside out of the way into the wildernesse fast there No CHRIST was not so well advised to doe it there in a desert desolate place where there was no body to meet him or see him at it They be all for the eye these a perspective fast or not at all Nothing out of sight never by their good will where no body to looke on Iejunium oculare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this The Heathen man said well Ergo iste in tenebris non servaret hominem Such a one would not be entreated to save a mans life in the darke if he might Not but by torch-light For all is lost he is cleane vndone if no body see or looke vpon him Luk. 4.1 Well if it were the SPIRIT of GOD ledd CHRIST into the wildernesse to fast there like an Heremite you may well know what Spirit it is that setts one up a stage there to fast like an Hypocrite To be seene then is their Vt the very butt they aime at And wherefore to be seene In the play that they may have a plaudite So plaine as they even crave it in their last words So in this eye-serving fast seene they must be And why must they be sâ—ene To be given out for Such a one is a great Faster And why that Matt. 5.16 That men seeing that good worke of theirs might glorifie GOD No indeed but them the earthly child not the heavenly FATHER And marke it when you will There is no animal so ambitious no Chamaeleon so pants after aire as doth the hypocrite after popular praise For it he fasts and so hungry and thirsty he is after it as you shall heare him even begg for it Honora me coram populo hoc saith one of them It is SAVL O grace me 1. Sam. 15.30 for the love of GOD seeme to honor me in the peoples eyes Iud. 9.2 Loquimini in auribus populi hujus saith another It is ABIMELECH O give it out in the peoples eares I am thus and thus Marke the Peoples eyes and the Peoples eares for hypocrisie is ever popular for their for mens applause all in all Nay then will ye heare them expostulate for it and that even with GOD himselfe Wherefore say they Esay 58.3 in the LVIII of Esay fast we thou seest it not So they would be sâ—enâ— And why doe we pinch and punish our selves and thou regardest it not So they must be regarded or they will not take it well To be short the putting forth of the finger as Esay there calls it or as the Poët Digito monstrari Ver. 9. to be pointed at and dicier Hic est and said Looke ye there he goes To have it whispered That is He To be magnified up and downe the Peoples mouth that is even the consummatum est of all this Stage-devotion Which very point makes the fast loose and indeed makes it to be no fast at all They extermine their countenances so long that they extermine fast and all This very Vt videantur makes that it seems to be but is indeed none For in the true fast it is as DAVID saith of his I sorrowed and my soule fasted Psal. 69.10 It is an humbling of the soule Els if it go no further then the body it is a fast without a soule But these though their stomachs be empty yet their soules doe feed and feast all the while
to teach them now or frame their manners they were now to be put in heart The Spirit of truth or holinesse would have done them small pleasure It was comfort they wanted a Comforter to them was worth all Many good blessings come to us by the Holy Ghost's comming and the Spirit in any forme of truth or holinesse or what ye will by all meanes worthy to be received even all His gifts but a gift in season goes beyond all carrieth away the name from all the rest Every gift then in his time When troubled with erroneous opinions then the Spirit of truth when assaulted with tentations then the Spirit of holinesse but when appressed with feare or sorrow then is the time of the Holy Ghost the Comforter Sorrow doth chill and make the spirits congele therefore he appeareth in fire to give them warmth and in a tongue the instrument of comfort by ministring a word in due season and cloven that it might meet with dismayes of all sorts and comfort them against all And so did it and that apparantly For immediatly upon the receiving it they were thought to be full of new wine That was but an error but so comforted they were as before being exceeding fearfull they grew exceeding full of courage and Spirit so as Act 5.41 even when they were scourged piteously ibant gaudentes they went away not patiently induring but even sensibly rejoycing not as men evill entreated but as persons dignified having gott a new dignitie to be compted worthy to suffer for CHRIST 's Name 6 Another Comforter A Comforter then and two things are added 1 Alium and 2 qui manebit in aeternum Another Comforter and 3 that shall abide with them for ever Both which are verified of Him even in regard of CHRIST but much more in regard of other earthly fleshly worldly comforts and Comforters whatsoever Another which word presupposes one besides so that two there be 3One they have already and now another they shall have which is no evill newes For thus in stead of a single they find a double comfort But both they needed This setts us on worke to find the first and we shall not need to seek farr for Him Speake to them of a Comforter and they understood it not but of CHRIST all their comfort in Him lose Him and lose all Indeed CHRIST was one was and is still 1. Ioh. 2.1 And the very terme of Paracletus is given Him by S. Iohn and though it there be turned an Advocate upon good reason yet the word is the same in both CHRIST had been their Comforter while He was their Bridegroom and they the children of the Bride-chamber Mat. 9.15 But expedient it was He should go for expedient it was they had one in heaven and expedient withall they had one in earth and so another in His stead For the first even now absent He is our Comforter still that way we named right now that is our Advocate to appeare for us before GOD there to answer the slanderous allegations of him that is the accuser of us and our brethren Apoc. 12 10. And a comfort it is and a great Comfort to have a good Advocate there in our absence For then we be sure our cause shall take no harme 2· Ioh. 5.45 But secondly If as an Advocate He cannot defend us because the accusation oft falleth out to be true if MOSES accuse us too yet a second comfort there is that as a 〈◊〉 Priest for ever He is entered into the holy places made without hands Heb. 7.17.9.11 there by His â—â—â—ercession to make atonement for them as Sinners whose innocencie as an Advocate He cannot defend And to both these He addeth a third at the beginning of this Chapter That His leaving them is but to take up a place for them to be seised of it in their names whom He will certainely come againe and receive to it there to be for ever with Him Verse 2. And in the meane time He will take order we shall have supplie of another in absence of His body the supply of His Spirit That if we looke up we have a Comforter in heaven even Himselfe and if we looke downe we have a Comforter on earth His Spirit and so are at an anchor in both For as He doth in heaven for us So doth the Spirit on earth in us frame our petitions and make intercession for us with sighes that cannot be expressed And Rom. 8.25.26 Rom. 8.16 as CHRIST is our Witnesse in heaven so is the Spirit heere on earth witnessing with our Spirits that we pertaine to the adoption and are the children of GOD. Evermore in the midst of the sorrowes that are in our hearts with his comforts refreshing our soules Yet not filling them with false comforts but as Christ's Advocate heere on earth soliciting us daily and calling upon us to looke to His Commandements and keepe them wherein standeth much of our comfort even in the testimonie of a good conscience And thus these two this one and this other this second and that first yield plentifull supplie to all our wants A second note of difference is in the tenure they shall have of this other 7 To abide foâ— ever that He shall stay with them still which of Christ they had not For this is the gâ—iefe when we have one that is our comfort that we cannot hold Him and this their feare that when they have another still they shall be changing and never at any certainty Christ as man they could not keepe Given He was by the Father but given for terme of yeares that terme expired He was to returne Therefore his abode is Chap. 1. ver 14. expressed by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the setting up of a Tent or Tabernacle to be taken downe againe and removed within a short time No dwelling of continuance But the HOLY GHOST shall continue with us still and therefore He is allowed a Temple which is permanent and never to be taken downe We have in Him 1. Cor. 3.16.6.19 a state of perpetuitie to our endlesse comfort Howbeit it may well be thought Alium and manebit in aeternum are not put so much for Christ to make a difference from Him as for these same other terrenae consolatiunculae petie poore comforts and solaces of the world which GOD hath given us and we may use but we must looke after Paracletum alium another and another manner Comforter when all is done For of these it may be we shall feele some comfort while we be in health and meetly good estate and in case not much to need it But let us come into their cases heere the heart troubled the minde oppressed the Spirit wounded and then what earthly thing will there be can minister any sound comfort to us It will not be we must needs seeke for this Paracletum alium heere at any hand What speake I of the
all the helpes Language could affoord and his Languages learning enough for the best of them to expresse His Iudgement in the meane time so commanding over both as that neither of them was suffered idly or curiously to start from or fall short of their intended scope So that we may better say of him Paterc Hist. lib. 2. then 't was sometimes said of Claudius Drusus He was of as many and as great vertues as mortall nature could recieve or industrie make perfect And since we are both taught and see it by experience that wise men also dye Psal. 49.10 and perish togither as well as the ignorant and foolish and though they leave their riches yet cannot dispose their wisdome to others 't is fit we should be conversant in the writings of wise and religious men that we may in part learne that in their workes which the dying Authors had not power to bequeath unto us These workes then comming from so Grave Learned and Religious an Authour have but two things to do in their publishing to the world The one is to teach the world what a treasure they have of them And the other to tell this Church what a Iewell she lost when she lost their Author The worke is a Body of Sermons To them he had been most bred and in them he most excelled And he was not a greater Preacher in his age then he was both great and frequent in his younger and stronger time As for the body of the worke it selfe were it not that we like not to disparage any mans indeavours by comparing we would say the Christian world hath not many such Bodies of Sermons as we here present under Your Majesties favor to the view and use of this Church And if another Nation had them they would as highly value them And heere we humbly begge leave to tell Your Maiestie that these Sermons are in this like their Author mixed of Religion and wisedome Iâ— is an excellent thing for a man to speake wisely and eloquently both at once but where these perfections meet not there saith Saint Augustine Dicat sapienter quod non potest eloquenter Let the Preacher of all men speak that wisely which he cannot utter eloquently And if Saint Augustine in his time found that fit out of all doubt 't is necessarie now that men of our profession set themselves to preach with more wisedome then eloquence VVith Christian and religious Wisedome Dâ— doct Christ. 4. Chap. 28. which alone knowes how to preserve truth and peace togither For as all other Churches in the world are most happy when these meete so is this too But too many among the people choose rather to have their humor fedd then their soules edified And carry partiall eares even to the house of that God who is no accepter of persons To settle therefore the peace of the one and to abate the humor of the other nothing certainly under God Act. 10.34 would be of greater efficacie then Conciones sapientes wise and discreete Sermons which yet may be as zealous and devout as any other For he that is zealous according to knowledge is not lesse zealous for his knowledge sake And true wisedome which is not true if it be not Christian carries no water about it to quench zeale but onely to sprinkle it that it may burn within compasse and not fire that house which it intended but to warme VVe have neither purpose nor Commission to step aside heer and complaine of the Times All times have somewhat amisse in them els Preachers should have the lesse worke And if these times have more then many others which our Forefathers have seene we must needs be sorry there is so much worke for Preachers and more if they which live by the Gospell of peace should make any For after the building up of the Faith of Christ their chiefe worke should be to beate down those strong Holdes which any sinnes have built up in the hearts of men to pollute or defame Christianitie And true Preachers indeed are as Saint Hierome speakes in Thren 1. Maxillae Ecclesiae the Iawbones of the Church which by preaching beate downe the carnall life of man Now all hatred contention vaâ—iance all sedition and disobedience to Lawfull Authoritie is as 't is reckoned by the Apostle among the workes of the flesh And therefore since all Preachers are the Iawes of the Church and the sinnes of the people are Gal. 5.10 as it were to be grownd inter Maxillas betweene these Iawes before the People themselves can be made fit to nourish the Church or the Church them How can this be done especially done as it ought if the Iawes be weake or fallen and cannot doe their office But our hope is that God will so blesse Your Majestie in Your government Your people in their loyalty the Preachers in their wisedome added to zeale and diligence that the hearts and hands of all sorts of men shall be joyned togither to preserve God's worship in truth Your Maiestie's throne in honour the Church in religious devotion and all Your People in obedience and union the onely meanes to make both Your Maiestie and Your People happy in this life and blessed in that which is to come And we humbly desire men of all sorts to thinke seriously of this that if the Publike suffer either in Church or State no mans private pleasure or profitt can stand firme unto him No mans And Cicero had reason enough to laugh at the folly of those men Quiamissâ Repub Lib. 1. Ep. 15 Piscinas suas fore salvas sperare videntur which in his time seemd to conceive such a windy hope that their fish-ponds and places of pleasure should be safe when the Common-wealth was lost These Sermons when they were preached gave great contentment to the religious and judicious eares of Your Royall Father of ever blessed memorie the most hable Prince that ever this Kingdome had to judge of Church-worke And therefore we hope that the printing of them shall be as acceptable to your Majestie as the preaching of them was both to your selfe and him We conceive if your liking had not continued to them Your Majestie would not have commaunded us the printing of them And we assure our selves since the Lines are the same the Presse which hath made them legible hath made no blot upon your gratious favours Wee have beene only Servants as we are many waies bound to be to Your Majestie 's Commaund in making them ready for the Presse but Authors of nothing in them And we heartily pray that the publishing of them may be Honour to Your Majestie Good to the Church and meanes of Comfort and salvation to them which read them And in these and all other praiers for Your Majesties long life and happy Government we humbly beseech You to conceive of us as wee are and shall ever be Your MAIESTIE'S most loyall and humbly devoted Subjects and
it selfe twice acceptable by our accepting which He will accetably take at our hands Let us honour this day with our receiving which He hath honored by His first giving Yeelding Him evermore but this day the day of it cheefly our vnfained heartie thankesgiving for this so good newes for this so great a Gift both of them this day vouchsafed us in Him and for Him who was Himselfe the gift our SAVIOVR CHRIST the LORD To whom with the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST three Persons one immortall ever living invisible onely wise GOD be all Honour Glory Blessing Praise and Thanksgiving this day and for ever A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Wednesday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXI being CHRIST-MASSE day IOAN CHAP. I. VER XIIII And the VVORD was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we saw the Glorie thereof as the Glorie of the Onely-begotten SONNE of the FATHER full of Grace and Truth THERE is in the Old Testament in the X. of Ezekiel and in the New in the IIII of the Revelation a Vision of foure sundry shapes Ezek. 10.14 Apoc. 4.6.7 A man a lyon an oxe and an Eagle It hath been vsually received to applie these foure to the foure Evangelists and of them the Eagle to Saint Iohn The nature of the Eagle is by GOD himselfe Iob. 39.30.33 described Iob 39. by two properties 1 elevari ad ardua no foule vnder heaven to wreth so high 2 and vbicunque fuerit cadaver statim adest None so soone or so sodainly downe vpon the bodie Mat. 24.28 as he Both these do lively expresse themselues in Saint Iohn and no where more lively then in this Gospell Wherin as an Eagle in the clouds Gen. 1.1 Verse 1. he first mounteth wonderfully high beyond MOSES and his In principio with an higher In principio then it beyond Genesis and the worlds Creation That the Word was then wiâ—h GOD and was GOD. This may well be termed the Eagles flight so exceeding high as the cleerest eye hath much adoe to follow him Yet so farr as they can follow him the very Philosophers have been driven to admire the penning of this Gospell But after this Luk 17.37 as an Eagle againe vbi corpus ibi Aquila downe he commeth directly from the height of heaven and lights vpon the body of His flesh the mysterie of His incarnation and tells us that He that in the beginning was apud Deum and Deus He in the fullnesse of time was apud homines and Homo He dwelt not long aloft he knew it was not to purpose Verbum DEVS is farr above our reach Verbum caro that concernes us No time but it concernes us but this time above others This Feast is held this Assembly met for no other end but to celebrate the contents of the Text that the Word being made flesh this day came to dwell among us The Division Two parts there be in the Text sensibly 1 parted by a Parenthesis 2 That without the Parenthesis is that he would have us beleeve Verbum caro c. 3 That within is the Affidavit Vidimus c. In the former three things are affirmed of the Word 1 Factus è nobis 2 habitavit in nobis 3 plenum pro nobis 1 That the Word was made flesh of us 2 dwelt with us 3 was full for us Then followeth the Affidavit of these That S. Iohn and other more besides saw and so spake no more then they knew nor testifie no more then they had seen 1. Ioh 1.2 The best Proofe that can be They saw though not the Word himselfe yet His glory We saw His glory And that glory such as would suit with none but Him and so every Way sufficient to demonstrate Him the only Sonne of God And after all this one more there is without which His making Dwelling and Seeing were to little purpose That is that as He came not obscurely but was seen so He came not empty but full of grace and truth This fullnesse was not for Himselfe but for us Verse 16. Et de plenitudine Eius omnes accepimus There is not any thing that concerneth this Mysterie but is within this Text. His two Natures The word and flesh 1 Word Divine 2 Flesh Humane The Vnion of them in factum est union into a Person in Habitavit Habitare est Personae 3 Then His office also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not onely habetavit but castrametavit in nobis not onely tooke a house but pitched a pavilion in us Not onely factus Incola made our Neighbour but made a Champion for us to undertake our quarrell and to fight a combate 4 And last the Benefit Made that He might Dwell and Dwell that He might impart to us and we derive from Him that whereof He was full and we were empty we had need and He had store grace and truth All reducible to these three 1 Quod Verbum Caro 3 Quid Verbu Carni 3 Quid Caâ—o Verbo 1 That the Word became flesh the Mysterie 2 What the Word did for flesh the Benefit 3 And what flesh is to doe to the Word againe the Duety We are in a deepe point and a dangerous It will not be amisse I. Quòd Verbum Caro. Verbum The Word to pause a little on the three termes Verbum Caro and factum est The Word 1 There be that take this Name to be given Him as who should say He of whom so many excellent words are spoken all along this Booke so many words of promise and prophesie and all of Him So the Word Obiectivè 2 Others for that He discloseth to us all Gods counsaile even as the Word openeth the minde of man by whom as His word we know whatsoever we know of the Fathers mind So the Word Effectivè 3 A third for that He commeth not only as IESVS to save us but as the Word to teach us We as to honor Him so learne His word as the way to our Salvation So the Word Praeceptive 4 These are all well and true all but all short We may have use of them The Word and The onely begotten of the Father but there is a further matter then all these This Word as we finde in the Affidavit is the Only begotten of the Father These two are one and the same but need to be set in two termes that what is wanting is the one may be supplied by the other So high is the Divine nature above our reach as no one terme is hable to expresse it It is well if diverse will doe it In this they agree As the Sonne is to the Father so is the Word To shew His proceeding to the Minde The Sonne Proles Parentis the Word Proles mentis They proceed both the Sonne from the Father the Word from the minde and so note out unto us a Party proceeding a second Person from the
first from Him that begetteth the Sonne from him that speaketh the Word Against Sabellius The Sonne referreth to a living nature The Word addeth further an intellectuall nature Generare est viâ—entiâ—m Loqui intelligentium That there is in Him not only the Nature and Life but the Wisedome of the Father Both Proâ—eed The word sheweth the Manner The Sonne the truth of His proceeding With us the Sonne is not begott but by flesh by propagation The word therfore requisite to shew His proceeding was after no carnall manner but as the word from the minde A better terme could not be devised For there is not in all the World a more pure simple inconcrete procreation then that whereby the minde conceiveth the word within it by dixit incorde For in it selfe and of it selfe doth the minde produce it without help of any mixture of ought without any passion stirring or agitation at all Such was the issue of the Word eternall But then lest we might imagine GODS Word to be to Him no other then ours is to us not of our substance He makes amends for that and tells us He is the Only begotten and so of the substance of His Father very God of very God as all begotten Sonnes be The Word to shew His proceeding pure and meerly spirituall the Sonne to shew that for all that it is true and substantiall Truly consubstantiall with the Father as the Sonne but in all cleane and pure manner conceived as the Word The Sonne though He be consubstantiall yet the person of His Father may have a being long before Him The Word makes amends for that For the minds conceiving and the minde cannot be severed a moment if one be eternall both are So then as the Sonne He is consubstantiall as the Word He is coëternall But he beginnes with the Word His care being first to tell us of the purenesse of His generation before of His generation it selfe but after by little and little unfoldeth himselfe and tells He is so the Word as the SONNâ— also Indeed it was best beginning with the Word That terme the Heathen Wise men the Philosophers would never stumble at but brooke it well enough As indeed they did not with approbation only but with high admiration read and magnifie the beginning of this Gospell Witnesse Tertul. in Apol. Euseb. in praepar August de Civit. 10. and Theodoret. It was conforme to their reason Quòd Deus ab aeterno intelligit and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conceiving of the mind and the minde must needs be coëternall the minde never without it Mic. 5 2. as the Prophet sayth Egressus Ejus à Diebus aeternitatis This for the Word of much more that might be sayd of it Became flesh 1. Caro. As the Word and the Onely Begotten referre to one so doth Caro and in nobis Flesh and in us that is such flesh as is in us Humane flesh 1. To expresse the Vnion fully a better word could not be chosen It is a part for the whole and the worser part for the whole of purpose For in this case our nature is best set out by the worser part For this we know if the worse be taken the better will not be left behinde If He abhorre not the flesh of the Spirit there will be no question More forcible it is to say He was made flesh then He was made man though both be true He vouchsafed to become man nothing so much as to become flesh the very lowest and basest part of man Besides from the Flesh as from Eve came the beginning of transgression longing after the forbidden fruit refused the Word quite so of all other least likely to be taken The Word not refusing it the rest have good hope But there is a kinde of necessitie to use the terme flesh If he had sayd man man may be taken for a Person He tooke no Person but our Nature He tooke flesh is no Person but Nature only and so bâ—st expresseth it And if soule it might have been taken as if He tooke not the flesh but mediante animâ but So He did not but as immediately and as soone the flesh as the soule in one instant both Yet one more It will not be amisse to tell you The word that is Hebrew for flesh the same is also Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Piel for good tydings as we call it the Gospell Sure not without the Holy Ghost so dispensing it There could be no other meaning but that some Incarnation or Making flesh should be generally good newes for the whole world To let us know this good tydings is come to passe he tells us the VVord is now become flesh 2. Verbum caro The Word became flâ—sh Thus why flesh now why the Word flesh Caro Verbum was our bane flesh would be the Word nay wiser then the Word and know what was evill better then it If caro Verbum our bane then Verbum caro our remedy Surely if the Word would become flesh it were so most kindly The Word was pars laesa the party that was most offended If He would undertake it if He against whom the offense was would be Author of the reconciliation there were none to that It were so most proper But in another respect He were fitt too He had sayd above All things were made by Him verse 3. Colos. 1.16.17 a kinde of meetnesse there were ut per quem facta omnia per eundem refecta He that first made them should restore them He that built repayre So is best ever And indeed Sic oportet implere omnem iustitiam that were the way to fulfill all iustice If the Word would take flesh Ioh. 5 16. he might make full amends for the fleshes fault in reiecting the word So is iustice that flesh for flesh and not the flesh of oxen and sheepe but even that flesh that sinneth our flesh should suffer for it and so suffering make satisfaction to Iustice. Why then factum est caro the Word is made Flesh This makes up all For 3. 1. Factum est caro Was made factum est ergo est He is made flesh therefore is flesh Fieri terminatur ad esse the end of making is being And per modum naturae so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke word this being is naturall Et nativitas est via ad naturam and nativitie is the way to nature So to be borne as this day He was Venit per carnem sanat per verbum Luk. 3.6 that all flesh may see the Salvation of GOD. Made it was against Manicheus holding that he had noe true body as if factum had been fictum or making were mocking Made it was but how made Not convertendo the Word converted into flesh as Cherinthus or flesh converted into the word Verbum caro facta est as Valentinus for the Deitie cannot be changed into
of Grace and Truth both Many are the perfections whereof He is full Two onely heere chosen out as two streames 1 Grace and 2 Truth With them He commeth with the fullnesse of them Not of one of them but of both Grace referreth to the Sonne Truth to the VVord Grace is to adopt us Iam. 1.18 Truth to beget us anew for of His owne will He hath begotten us by the word of Truth And these do very fitly follow after glorie Glorie of it selfe terrifies and makes stand aloofe Grace invites And His glorie is such as is full of grace His Mercie as great as His Maiestie full out A blessed thing it is when these two meet and they that are in glorie are full of grace too It is not so with every one that is in glorie But though there be Grace vnlesse there be Truth too all is nothing For Grace because it is plausible and pleaseth the people it is affected there is a taking on grace in face and phrase but when all is done it wanteth sound truth That is right grace that hath truth ioyned to it Verbum gratiae and verbum charitatis both and it is both Yea verbum caro His word is not wind it hath flesh on it His Truth is as it were the flesh of His Grace Thus may be the consequence But of these two choise is made as of those our nature stood most in need of Out of grace we were and without grace as Sinners and in errors wandring up an downe as even the best of our nature did at his comming into the flesh This is the state He found us in when He came among us Eph. 1.6 Ver. 16. Against the first gratificavit nos in Dilecto He brought us in grace againe through His Beloved SONNE Gratiam pro gratiâ he saith after streight for the grace His Sonne had with Him He received us to grace Against the later He brought us Truth to set us in the right way Via Veritas Vita Veritas betweene both Via veritas or veritas viae the true way Vitae veritas or veritas vitae Ioh. 14.6 the true life that is Life eternall We cannot be without either This for our need But within a verse after I finde these two set in opposition to the Lawe Ver. 17. and the Lawe to them as if S. Iohn pointed us whereto we should refer them The Lawe full of rigour many threats and curses in it CHRIST bringeth the word of Grace opposeth to that The Lawe full of emptie shadowes and Ceremonies which Truth is set against Corpus autem CHRISTVS CHRIST the very body to Lex habens vmbram So Colos. 2.17 Heb. 10.1 requisite to quit us of the Lawe The Lawe the Word that marred flesh The bringing of these two together is a great matter and together they must be Grace take it from Truth and it is fallax but a vizour but a meere illusion Truth sever it from grace and it is ingrata but an unpleasing thing Grace and Truth kept in sunder and never met before but when the Word and flesh met then did they meet and kisse each other sayth the Prophet Pâ—al 85.10 and doth with a whole psalme celebrate this meeting They must meet and Grace be first as here We shall never endure the severitie of His Truth Grace first then Truth unlesse Grace come before and allay it But when Grace hath brought us to Him Truth will hold us with Him By Grace we shall accomplish what Truth requireth at our hands that so receiving Grace and walking in Truth we may come to the third the reward of both Glorie Full of both Luke 1 2â— Act. 7.55 Ioh. 3.34 Full of them and the word would not be passed Wee finde others full of grace as his Blessed Mother and as S. Stephen Theirs reacheth not to us None of them have more then serves for themselves For the Spirit is given them but by measure but pleâ—â—â—â—ndo vasis in them the fulnesse of a Vessell if ye take any thing out to poure into another it is the lesse for it But His is plenitudo fontis the fulnesse of a fountaine which is never drawne drie qui implet abyssum non minoratur fills a great poole and it selfe never the lesse Of which fulnesse they all received and He never the emptier We shall not need to goe to any other store-house or helpe to supply or fill up CHRIST with any other as if he were but halfe full He is full full of both Our care is to be to make ourselves fit Vessells and there is all Thus farre Quòd Verbum factum caro Now Quid Verbum carni the Benefite II. Quid Verbum Carni The Bâ—nefit and that which the Benefite ever draweth with it the Duety Quid Caro Verbo 1. Factus caro benefaciet carni being made flesh He will be a Benefactor to it No man ever hated his flâ—sh and no more can He us who are flesh of His flesh or rather He of ours Ephes. 5.29 He seeth us daily in Himselfe He cannot looke upon His flesh but He must thinke upon us And GOD the Father cannot now hate the flesh which the Word is made which is now taken into one person with His onely Sonne and united to the Deitie it selfe If He love the Word He must love it too for the Word is become it either love both or hate both But love it certainly for as this day When He brought His Sonne clothed with it into the World He gave expresse commandement Heb. 1.6 all His Angells should worship Him so clothed and our flesh in Him A new dignity which is this day accrued to our Nature to be adored of the blessed Angells Our Nature questionlesse is set in high favour with GOD GOD send our persons so too and all shall be well Besides good hope we now have that He being now flesh All flesh may come to Him to present Him with their requests Time was when they fled from Him Ps. 65.2 but ad factum carnem jam veniet omnis caro For since He dwelt amongst us all may resort unto Him Yea even Sinners and of them it is sayd Hic recipit peccatores Luc. 15.2.2 comedit cum eis He receiveth them receiveth them even to His Table A second hope that seeing He hath made our flesh His Tabernacle He will not suffer this of ours the same with that of His to fall downe quite and come to nothing the same He dwelleth in himselfe not to perish utterly but repaire it againe Psal. 16.9 and raise it out of the dust So that insuper Caro nostra requiescet in spe our very body may rest in hope to be restored againe and made like to His glorious bodie Phil. 3.21 A third that where it was flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of God it is reversed flesh aâ—d bloud shall
Immanuel Of which three yee may reduce the first two conceived and borne to His Nature And to make two to two of the later make two more Vocabit and Nomen His Name and His Vocation For in His Name is His Vocation To bring GOD to us to make GOD with us Him to be with us that we may be with Him for ever Nobiscum Deus the way Nos cum Deo the end which is and so may be the end of the text and of the day and of us all Nothing more worth our sight then this Birth Nor more worth our hearing then this Name Ecce spreads it selfe over the whole Text may be repeated at every point of it But I. Ecce Virgo-concipiet 1 Ecce Virgo it first points to Ecce Virgo There we may make a stay there is a block in our way by the Iewes In no one place doth that of the Apostles speech appeare that at the reading of the prophecies of CHRIST the veile is layd over their hearts no where 2. Cor. 3.15 how true the Proverb is that Malice will even blind a man as heer in this This Verse so dazles them as feigne would they turne another way and not see that they doe They see no virgin heer Esai's word Alma say they is but a young woman and not a Virgin properly But they say against their owne knowledge in so saying For first Beside the nature of the word the very energie gives as much For it is of Alam and that is to cover and so properly is one that is yet covered and never yet knowen opposed to them that have been uncovered and knowen after the Hebrew phrase And beside the use of the word for a virgin in other places Rebecca then a virgin called by this name Gen. 24 And Miriam then but six yeare old called by it Gen. 24 43 55.57 likewise Exo. 2. Exod. 2.8 And beside their owne taking of the word they themselves the more auncient of them so in their Targum Cant. 3.2 this very word Alamoth Can. 2. they glosse and paraphrase it by Betuloâ—h the proper word for virgins where it stands this day to be seen Besides all this See whither their malice carryeth them by denying this even to overturne Prophecie and Prophet and all For he calls us to see a signe and that with an Ecce And what is that If it be but a young woman to conceive and no virgin where is the signe what is become of the Ecce It is no signe or wonder unlesse it be beside the course of Nature And is it any whit beside the course of Nature for a young woman to be with child Therefore take away Virgo and away with the Ecce downe with the signe Thus rather then to beare wittnesse to the truth stickt they not to expose the Word of GOD and so GOD Himselfe to scorne Make the Prophet or as Saint Matthew well saith GOD by the Prophet to speake idly Mat. 1.22 give them a signe that is no signe tell them of a mervaile not to be mervailed at Mat. 1.22 Reiect them then and read confidently as Saint Matthew doth Behold a Virgin With him rest hardly on the skill and integritie of all the Seventy that more then a hundred yeares before it came to passe turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke that is a Virgin who could skill of their owne tongue better then any Kimchi or Albo or any Rabbin of them all This for Ecce Virgo 2. 2. Ecce concipiet And looke what worke we had with the Iew about Ecce Virgo the like shall we have with the Gentile about Virgo concipiet To conceive this conceiving to ioyne these two a Virgin and yet conceive or beare or conceive and beare and yet be a Virgin For before the birth yea before the conceiving come the Virginitie is gone True in Nature But this is a signe and so above Nature And in Reason so but this is nisi credideritis non intelligetis to be beleeved otherwise not to be understood as a little before was sayd For what GOD can doe Faith can beleeve reason cannot comprehend But this it can that we doe GOD no great favour as well saith Saint Augustine Si Deum fatemur c. If we confesse GOD can doe some-what which we confesse our reason cannot reach Luc. 1.34 The Blessed Virgin her selfe while she stood upon a reason upon quia non cognosco virum asked How it might be But rested in the Angells resolution and so let us Which was of two sorts Luc. 1.35 First That the HOLY GHOST should be Agent in it and the Power of the most High bring it to passe That which of it selfe seemeth not credible put the Author to it put to Ex Spiritu Sancto and it will seeme not incredible Specially and that is the second If we set another by it as unlikely as it and done though As this Ecce of the Virgin 's the Angell exemplifies by another Ecce of Zacharie's in a manner as hard which yet fell out at the same time For Elizabeth being barren first by nature then by age and so wanting power to conceive she was then gone six monethes with child Luc. 1.36 Now the want of power to conceive is no lesse materiall to hinder the conception every way then want of the soile no lesse then the want of seed He that could supply that could also this He that doe it without one doe it without the other They were Cousines the Blessed Virgin and shee And their Signes were so too One of them made credible by the other Act. 26.8 But I aske Saint Paul's question Why should it be thought a thing incredible this to the Gentiles If as their Religion taught them they admitted of Minerva's birth or Pirrha's progenie they need not make strange at this If they say the GOD of Nature is not bound to the rules of Nature we say the same And yet even in Nature we see it made not altogether incredible The light passing through a body the body yet remayning whole And it is put therefore into the Verse to patterne this Luce penetratur c. The light commeth through the glasse yet the glasse is not perished No more then the light of heaven passing through breaketh the glasse No more did the GOD of heaven by His passage violate any whit the Virginitie of His Mother if we will allow GOD the maker of the light to do as much as the light He hath made But I hold ever best to let every thing rest upon his owne base or bottome Naturall upon reason Supernaturall upon faith And this is Supernaturall In which tota ratio facti est in potentiâ facientis the power of the doer is the reason of the thing done GOD is the doer cujus dicere est facere to whom it is as easy to do it as to say it Luc. 1.37 As
Ezek. 18.20 falsifie the truth that may not be And then steppes up Righteousnesse and seconds her Righteousnesse seconding her Psal. 145.17 that GOD as He is true in His word so is He righteous in all His workes So to reddere suum cuique to render each his owne to every one that is his due and so to the sinner stipendium peccati the wages of sinne that is death God forbid Rom. 6.23 the Iudge of the world should iudge unjustly that were as before to make Truth false so heere to do Right wrong Nay it went further and they made it their owne cases What shall become of me said Righteousnesse What use of Iustice if GOD will doe no justice if He spare sinners And what use of me sayth Mercie if He spare them not Hard hold there was inasmuch as Perij nisi homo moriatur sayd Righteousnesse I dye if he dye not And Perij nisi Misecicordiam consequatur sayd Mercie if he dye I dye too To this it came and in those termes brake up the meeting and away they went one from the other Truth went into exile as a stranger upon earth The first meeting broken up Terras Astraea reliquit she confined her selfe in Heaven where so aliened she was as she would not so much as looke downe hither upon us Mercie she staid below still ubi enim Misericordia esset sayth Hugo well si cum misero non esset Where should Mercie be if with miserie she should not be As for Peace she went betweene both to see if she could make them meet againe in better termes For without such a meeting no good to be done for us For meet they must and that in other termes or it will goe wrong with us Our Salvation lies a bleeding all this while The Plea hangs and we stand as the prisoner at the barre and know not what shall become of us For though two be for us there are two against us as strong and more stiffe then they So that much depends upon this second Meeting upon the composing or taking up this difference For these must be at peace betweene themselves before they at peace with us or we with GOD. And this is sure we shall never meet in heaven if they meet no more And many meanes were made for this meeting many times but it would not be Where stayed it It was not long of Mercie she would be easily entreated to give a new meeting no question of her Oft did she looke up to heaven but Righteousnesse would not looke downe Not look not that Small hope she would be got to meet that would not look that way-ward Indeed all the question is of her It is Truth and she that holds of but specially She. Vpon the Birth you see heer is no mention of any in particular but of Her as much to say as the rest might be dealt with she only it was that stood out And yet she must be got to meet or els no meeting No meeting till Iustice satisfied All the hope is that she doth not refuse simply never to meet more but stands vpon satisfaction Els Righteousnesse should not be righteous Being satisfied then she will remaining vnsatisfied so she will not meet All stands then on her satisfying how to devise to give her satisfaction to her mind that so she may be content once more not to meet and argue as yer-while but to meet and kisse meet in a ioynt concurrence to save us and set us free And indeed Hoc opus there lies all how to set a song of these foure parts in good harmonie how to make these meet at a love-day how to satisfie Iustice upon whom all the stay is Not in any but the Christian Religion And this say I no Religion in the world doth or can doe but the Christian. No Queer sing this Psalme but ours None make Iustice meet but it Consequently None quiet the conscience soundly but it Consequently no Religion but it Withall religions els at odds they be and so as they are faigne to leave them so For meanes in the world have they none how to make them meet Not hable for their lives to tender Iustice a Satisfaction that will make her come in The words next before are that glorie may dwell in our land Verse 9. This glorie doth dwell in our land indeed And great cause have we all highly to blesse GOD Psal. 16.6 that hath made our lott to fall in so faire a ground That we were not borne to enherit a lie that we were borne to keepe this Feast of this Meeting For bid any of them all but shew you the way how to satisfie Iustice soundly and to make her come to this meeting how GODS Word may be true and His worke just and the Sinner find mercie and be saved for all that They cannot The Christian onely can doe it and none els All beside for lack of this passe by the wounded man and let him lie still and bleed to death Luk. 10.31.32 Bid the Turke All he can say is Mahomets prayer shall be upon you Mahomets prayer what is that Say he were that he was not a just man a true Prophet What can his prayers doe but move Mercie But GODS Iustice how is that answered Who shall satisfie that Not prayers Iustice is not moved with them heares them not goes on to sentence for all them He can goe no further he cannot make justice meet Bid the Heathen he sayes better yet then the Turke They saw that without shedding of blood there was no satisfying Iustice Heb 9.22 and so no remission of sinne To satisfie her sacrifices they had of beasts But it is impossible as the Apostle well notes that the blood of bulls or goats should satisfie for our sinnes Heb. 10.4 A man Sinne and a beast dye Iustice will none of that What then will ye goe as farr as some did the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Mic. 6.7 Nor that neither For if it were the first borne the first borne was borne in Sinne and Sinne for Sinne can never satisfie This Meeting will not be there Bid the Iew he can but tell you of his Lamb neither And while time was that was not amisse while it stood in reference to Saint Iohn Baptists Lamb Ioh 1.29 the LAMB of GOD this day yeaned as having the operation the working in the vertue of that That being now past there is no more in the Iewe's then in the Gentiles sacrifice Beasts both both short of satisfying So for all that these can doe or say no meeting will there be had Onely the Christian Religion that shewes the true way There is One there thus speaketh to Iustice Sacrifice and sinne-offerings thou wouldest not have then said I Lo I come He of whom it was written in the volume of the booke Psal. 40.6 c. that He should do
that feat Corpus autem aptasti mihi Make him a bodie to doe it in and He will doe it Give Him an ortus est let Him be but borne He will make them meet streight Iustice and all For all the world sees if order could be taken that He that the Sonne of GOD the Word and Truth eternall would say Lo I come would take our nature upon Him and in it lay downe His soule an offering for sinne there were good hope of contenting Iustice and that the Meeting would goe forward Deus sanguine in suo Ephes. 5.2 GOD with his blood What sinne in the world would not that serve for What Iustice in heaven or earth would not that satisfie If ye speake of an expiation a ransome an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRISTS owne word a perfect commutation there it is This had Matt. 16.26 Iustice will meet embrace kisse Mercie shake hands joyne now friends Iob 33. â—â— Inveni enim in quo repropitter I have found that now wherewith I hold my selfe fully content and pleased This way ye shall make them meet or els let it alone for ever VER XI Truth shall budde out of the earth and Righteousnesse shall looke downe from Heaven ANd this is it the Christian Religion setts before us how the Sonne of the most High GOD of heaven and earth took on Him our Nature that in our nature 1 The Birth Vâ—ritas oâ—ta est de terrâ— for our nature He might make to GOD even stando in terminis justitiae suae as the Schoolemen speake standing on the termes of his most exact strict justice a compleate full every way sufficient satisfaction And this lo makes the meeting This honour hath the Christian Religion above all other this glorie doth dwell in our land that these foure by CHRISTS Birth in it are brought not onely to obviaverunt sibi but even to osculatae sunt And if this be the glorie be not they the shame of Christian profession that cherish in their bosomes and entertaine with stipends such as are come to this phrensie I will call it to say what needs any satisfaction what care we whither Iustice meet or no that is in effect what needs CHRIST Cannot GOD forgive offenses to Him made of His free goodnesse of His meere mercie without putting his SONNE to all this paine Fond men If He would quit His Iustice or waive His truth He could But His justice and truth are to Him as essentiall as intrinsecally essentiall as His Mercie of aequall regard every way as deere to Him Iustice otherwise remaines vnsatisfied and satisfied it must be either on Him or on us For with beasts or prayers it will not be And it will hold of till it be If Iustice be not so mett with it will meet with them And they had better meet a shee-beare robbed of her whelpes Prov 7.12 then meet Iustice out of CHRISTS presence To us they meet this day at the Child-house For these great Lights could not thus meet but they must portend some great matter as it might be some great Birth toward The Astrologers make us beleeve that in the Horoscope of CHRISTS Nativitie there was a great Trigon of I wote not what Starrs met together Whither a Trigon or no this Tetragon I am sure there was these were all then in coniunction all in the ascendent all above the horizon at once At Orta est the Birth of Veritas the truth de 〈◊〉 from the earth The Occasion of drawing these foure together Christ the Truth Veritas prima Veritas will fitt CHRIST well who of himselfe said * Ioh. 14.6 Ego sum veritas I am the truth So is He Not that of the former Verse which is but veritas secunda the truth spoken or vttered forth He the veritas prima the first truth within That depends upon this Then are the words vttered true when there is an adaequation betweene them and the mind So the first Truth He is And Veritas secunda too The first and last both For now by His comming He is the adaeaeqation of the Word and the Work the Promise and the Performance That way He is truth too The truth of all Types 2. Cor. 1.2 the truth of all Prophecies For in Him are all the promises Yea and Amen Yea in the first truth Amen in the last That actuall verifying is the truth when all is done and that He is by His birth Christ de terrá And as the truth fits His Nature so doth earth Man Of whom GOD a Gen. 3 19 Earth thou art To whom the Prophet thrise over b Ier. â—2 29 Earth heare the Word of the LORD By whom the Wise man c Eccles. 10.9 Quid superbis Why should earth be proud d Esay 45.8 Germinet terra Salvatorem Let this earth bring forth a SAVIOVR be the terra promissionis the Blessed Virgin who was in this the Land of promise So was this very place applied by Irenaeus in his time Iren lib 3. cap 5. Lact. l. 4. cap. 12. who touched the Apostles times So by Lactantius So by Saint Hierom and Saint Augustine Those foure meet in this sense as doe the foure in the Text Quid est veritas de terrâ orta est CHRISTVS de faeminâ natus Quid est Veritas Filius Dei Quid terra Caro nostra What the truth CHRIST What the earth Our flesh In those words they find this Feast all Christs â—rta est double 1 De Coelo For Orta est it is double Therefore de terrâ is well added Another Ortus he had de coelo to wit His heavenly Divine Nature which as the day sprung from on high and He in regard of it called Oriens by Zacharie in the New Testament But this heer is de terrâ Luc. 1.78 a 2 De terra for the word properly signifies the shooting forth of a sprigg out of the ground and He in regard of this Ortus called the Branch by Zacharie in the Old Zec. 3.8 b Orta de 2. And there is more in Orta For it is Rabbi Moses note that is properly when iâ— springeth forth of it selfe as the field flowers doe without any seed cast in by the hand of man so saith he should the MESSIAS come Take His nature not onely in but de of the earth Not bring it with Him from heaven the error of the brainesick Anabaptist Gal. 4.4 Esa. 11.1 but take it of the earth be the womans Seed made of a woman out of the loines of DAVID Virga de radice Iesse the Roote of Iesse Nothing more plaine â— Orta est 3. And yet more from orta est For that the truth while it is yet vnaccomplisht but in promise onely it is but as the Seed vnder ground hid and covered with earth as if no such thing were assoone as ever it is actually accomplished as
this day then doth it spring forth as it were is to be seene above ground then Orta est de terrâ in very deed 4. The Effect Of the effect now Births are and have been diverse times the ending of great dissentions As was this heer For by this Birth took end the two great Howses An vnion of them by it First by this Truth is gained Truth will meet now That truth will come to this truth On Truth she is gained tanquam minus dignum ad magis dignum as the Abstract to the Arcâ—etype And Truth being now borne of our Nature it will never we may be sure be against our Nature being come of the earth it will be true to his owne countrie being made man will be for man now all He can By this meanes one of the opposites is drawne away from the other Got to be on our side It is three to one now Righteousnesse is left all alone and there is good hope she will not stand out long For lo heer is good newes first that respexit de coelo she yet lookes downe from heaven now On Righteousnesse So as this birth in earth you see workes in heaven and by name upon Righteousnesse there For though there were none in heaven but it wrought upon them yet the Psalme mentions none but Righteousnesse For of all she the least likely and if she be wrought on the rest there is no doubt of How can there they are all woon to us already With Righteousnesse it works two waies First downe she lookes Whither it was 1 She lâ—â—kes dâ—wne that she miâ—sed Truth to see what was become of her and not finding her in heaven cast heâ— eye to the earth But there when she beheld Verbum caro factum the Word â—â—esh Ioh 1.14 the Truth freshly sprung there where it had been a strange plant long time before Aspexit and Respixit she looked and looked againe at it For a Sight it was to move to drâ—w the eye yea a fight for Heaven to be a Spectator of for the Angells to come downe and looke at for Righteoâ—snesse it selfe to do so too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Angells word in Saint Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint's word heer both meane one thing 1 Pet. 1 12. The Greeke word is to look as we say wishly as it as if we would looke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even through it the Hebrew word that is as if Righteousnesse did beat out a window So desirous was she to behoâ—d this Sight And no mervaile for what could Righteousnesse desire to see and satisfie her selfe with that in Him was not to be seene A cleane birth a holy life an innocent death a Spirit and a mouth without guile a Soule and a bodie without Sinne. In Him she beheâ—d tâ—em all Them and whatsoever els might yeeld her full satisfaction Lay judgement to the rule and righteousnesse in the ballance nothing oblique will be found in Him nothing but streight for the rule nothing minus habens but full weight for the ballaâ—ce Thus when Truth from the earth then Righteousnesse from heaven Then but not before Before Righteousnesse had no prospect no window open this way She turned away her face shut her eyes clapt to the casement would not abide so much as to looke hithâ—r at us a sort of forlorne sinners not vouchsafe us once the cast of her eye The case is now altered Vpon this sight she is not oneâ—y content in some sort to condescend to do it but she breaks a window through to do it And then and ever since this Orta est she looks upon the earth with a good aspect and a good aspect in these caelestiall lights is never without some good influence withall Bâ—t then within a verse after not onely downe she looks but downe she comes 2 Downe she comes Verse 13. Such a power attractive is there in this Birth And comming she doth two things 1 To meet Meets first for upon the view of this birth they all ran first and Kissed the Sonne 2 To kisse And that done Truth ran to Mercie and embraced her and Righteousnesse to Peace and kissed her They that had so long been parted and stood out in difference now meet and are made friends Howsoever before removed in ortu veritatis obviaverunt sibi howsoever before estranged now osculatae sunt And at that birth of His well met they all in whom they meet all The Truth He is and per viscera Misericordiae He came through the tender mercies of our GOD Luk. 1 7 8. 1. Cor. 1.30 Ephes. 2.14 and He is made to us Righteousnesse and He is our Peace All meet in Him for indeed all He is that no mervaile they all foure meet where He is that is all foure And at this meeting Righteousnesse she was not so of-ward before but she is now as forward as forward as any of the rest Mark these three Let ts not Pâ—ace prevent her as Mercie did Truth but as Mercie to Truth first so she first to Peace as forward as Mercie every way 2 Nay more forward then Mercie for Mercie doth but meet Truth and there is all but she as more affectionate not only meets Peace but kisses her And indeed Righteousnesse was to doe more even to kisse that it might be a pledge of forgetting all former unâ—indnesse that we may be sure she is perfectly reconciled now 3 And one more yet to shew her the most forward of them all out of the last Verse At this meeting she followes not drawes not behind Verse 13. she will not goe with them She is before leaves them to come after and beare the traine She as David is before the Arke puts S. Iohn Baptist from his office for the time Righteousnesse is his forerunner Righteousnesse shall goe bâ—fore tread the way before Him the formost now of all the companie By all which ye may know what a looke it was she looked with from Heaven Thus ye see CHRIST by His comming hath pacified the things in Heaven A peece of Hosanna is pax in coelis There cannot be pax in terris till there it be Colos. 1.20 first But no sooner there it is but it is peace in earth streight which accordingly was this day proclaimed by the Angells Luc. 2.14 So by the vertue of this birth heaven is at peace with it selfe and heaven with earth is now at peace So is earth too with it selfe and a fulfilling of the Text by this meeting is there too The Iewes they represent truth to them it belongeth properly For Truth was where were Eloquia Dei Rom. 9.4 the Oracles of GOD and they were with the Iew. The Gentiles they claime by Mercie that is their vertue Where was Mercie but where was miserie and where was miserie Luc. 1.79 but with them that lay in darknesse in the shadow of death And
and even to that doth the Apostle apply the Genui of this verse And this is the first begetting Heb. 1.5 or speaking Now as the word yet within us in our thought when time comes that we will utter it doth take to it selfe an aierie body our breath by the vocall instruments being framed into a voice and becoÌ„meth audible to the outward sense And this we call the second begetting or speaking Right so the aeternall WORD of GOD by DOMINVS dixit by the very breath of GOD the Holy Spirit which hath His name of Spiro to breath corpus autem aptasti mihi had a body framed Him and with that body was brought forth Heb. 10.5 and came into the world And so these words Genui te this very day the second time verified of Him Genui and Dixit genui sayd and by saying begott Him For how soone the Angells voice sounded in the blessed Virgins eare instantly was He incarnate in the wombe of His Mother Of both which words Dixit and Genui we can spare neither There is good use of both Of Genui to shew the truth of the identitie of His nature and substance with His FATHER that begatt Him and with His â—â—â—her that bare Him For to begett is when one living thing bringeth forth another living thing of the same nature and kind it selfe is But I know not how the terme of begetting the very mention of that word carryeth our conceit to a matter of carnalitie therefore is the word Dixit well set before it to shew this Genui was not by any fleshly way to abstract it from any mixture of carnall uncleanesse That the manner of it was onely as the word is purely and spiritually conceived in the mind The one word Genui noting the truth The other word Dixit the no way carnall but pure and inconcrete manner of His generation And so I have gone over the five termes of this Law or if you please the five points of his Text. The hardest is yet behind For it will not sinke into our heads how this should be called a Law It seemes nothing lesse rather a Dialogue between a Father and his Sonne But a law sure it cannot be A law tunnes in the Imperative this is meerly Narrative declares some-what injoynes nothing gives not any thing in charge as lawes use to doe Sed non potest solvi Scriptura GOD must be true in all His sayings Ioh. 10.35 Ro. 3.4 CHRIST may not preach false doctrine A law He hath called it and we may not give it any other name There be that thinke this verse is but the preaamble and that the body of the law doth follow and reacheth to the end of the Psalme But the better sort are of mind that even this verse taken by it selfe conteynes in it a law full and whole Let us see then whether we can find it so We picth't upon the Apostle's division of the law into Lex fidei and Lex factorum If both these be found in it we may well allow it for a law We will begin with Lex fidei what we are to beleeve of Him Of Him that is of these three 1 Of His Person 2 His Natures 3 and His Offices And then come to Lex factorum 1 First what He doth for us the benefit of this law 2. And then what we are to do for Him againe our dutie out of this law The former of which the benefit is the Gospell of this law The latter the dutie is the law of this Gospell Of His person first That He is of Himselfe a person subsisting Plaine 1. Lex fidei 1 Of His Person by the two persons that are in the Text Ego and Tu the first and second person in Grammar and the same the first and second person in Trinitie Heer is Ego genui the person of the Father and Filius meus tu the person of the Sonne Heer is one begetts And sure it is nemo generat Seipsum none begetts himselfe but he whom he begetts is a person actually distinguished from him that begetts him But of these two persons this you will marke That the first that is named is Filius meus tu He stands first in the verse before Genui te We heare of Filius before ever we heare of Genui For that is the Person we hold by By nature Ioh. 14.6 Genui te should go before Filius meus but quoad Nos Filius meus is before Genui To shew there is no comming to the FATHER but by Him no interest in the Father but from and thorough Him This for His person And in His person we beleeve two Natures sett downe heer in the two words 2. Of His Naturâ—s Hodiè and Genui If you do observe there is some what a strange conjunction of these two words One is present Hodiè the other is perfectly past Genui In proprietie of speech it would be a present act for a present time or it would be an act past with an adverbe of the time past and not joyne a time in being Hodiè with an action ended and done Genui The ioyning of these two togither the verifying them both of one and the same person must needs seeme strange And indeed could not be made good but that in that one partie there are two distinct Natures To either of which in a different respect both may agree and be true both Some little difference there wil be about the sorting of the two words which to referr to which But that will easily be accorded for they will both meet in the end There be that because Hodiè the present is yet in Fieri and so not come to be perfect understand by it His temporall generation as man which is the lesse perfect as subiect to the manifold imperfections of our humane nature and condition And then by Genui which is in factum esse and so done and perfect understand His aeternall generation as the SONNE of GOD in whom are absolutely all the perfections of the Deitie There be other and they fly a higher pitch and are of a contrary mind For whatsoever is past is in time say they and so Genui is temporall and that Hodié that doth best expresse His aeternall generation For thaâ— nothing is so properly affirmed of aeternitie it selfe as is Hodiè Why For there all is Hodiè there is neither Heri nor Cras no yesterday not to morrow All is To day there Nothing past nothing to come all present Present as it were in one instant or center so in the Hodiè of Aeternitie Past and to come argue time But if it be aeternall it is neither All there is Present To day then setts forth aeternitie best say they which is still present and in being But Genui that being past cannot be His aeternall at any hand but must needs stand for His temporall But whether of these it be Genui His aeternall as perfect and
There was wont to be a ceremonie of giving ashes this day to put us in mind of this convertâ—ris I feare with the ceremonie the substance is gone too If that conversion into ashes be well thought on it will helpe forward our turning This returning to our heart the sad and serious bethinking us there of Nature's conversion into dust of sinne 's into ashes for ashes ever presuppose fire that the wheele turns apace and if we turne not the rather these turnings may overtake us GOD 's Spirit assisting may so worke with us as we shall thinke Ioel's counseile good that if we have not been so happy as to keepe the way yet we be not so unhappy as not to turne againe from a way the issues whereof surely will not be good And would GOD these would serve to worke it If they will not then must Conversus sum in aerumnâ dum configitur spina some thorne in our sides Psal 32.4 some bodily or worldly griefe must come and procure it But that is not to turne but to be turned And there is great odds between these two As one thing it is to take up the crosse another to have it layd upon us To be turned I call when by some crosse of body or mind as it were with a ring in our nose we are brought about whither we will or no to looke how we have gone astray To turne I call when the world ministreth unto us no cause of heavinesse all is ex sententiâ yet even then the grace of GOD moving us we set our selves about and representing those former conversions before us we worke it out having from without no heavy accident to force us to it We condemne not Conversus sum in aerumnâ Many are so turned and GOD is gracious and reiects them not But we commend this later when without wrench or skrew we turne of our selves And that man who being under no arrest no bridle in his iawes shall in the dayes of his peace resolve of a time to turne in and take it that man hath great cause to rejoice and to rejoice before GOD. And thus much for Convertite or if it may not be had for Convertimini Turne and turne to Me and He that saith it is GOD. Why 2. To Me that is GOD. Ier. 4 â— whither should we turne from sinne but to GOD Yes we may be sure it is not for nothing GOD setteth downe this In Ieremie it is more plaine If ye returne returne to Me saith the LORD Which had been needlesse if we could turne to nothing els wâ—re it not possible to find diverse turnings leaving one by-way to take another from this extreme turne to that and neuer to GOD at all They that have been fleshly given if they cease to be so they turne but if they become as worldly now as they were fleshly before they turne not to GOD. They that from the dottage of superstition runne into the phrensie of prophanesse They that from abhorring Idols fall to commit sacriledge howsoever they turne to GOD they turne not Rom. 2.22 And this is even the motus diurnus the common turning of the world as Moses expresseth it to add drunkennesse to thirst from too little to too much from one extreme to runne into another Deut. 29.19 Would GOD it were not needfull for me to make this note But the true turne is ad Me So from sinne as to GOD. Els in very deed we turne from this sinne to that sinne but not from sinne Or to speake more properly we tuâ—ne sinne we turne not from sinne if we give over one evill way to take another To Me then and with the heart And this also is needfull For I know not how 3. Wâ—th the heart but by some our conversion is conceived to be a turning of the braine only by doting to much on the word resipiscere as a matter meerly mentall Where before thus and thus we thought such and such positions we held now we are of another mind then before and there is our turning This of Ioël's is a matter of the heart sure This Nay to say truth where is conversion mentioned but it is in a manner attended with in corde And so requireth not only an alteration of the mind but of the will a change not of certaine notions only in the head but of the affections of the heart too Els it is vertigo capitis but not conversio cordis Neither doth this in corde stand only against the braine but is commonly in opposition to the whole outward man Els the heart may be fixed like a Pole and the body like a sphaere turn round about it Nay heart and all must turne Not the face for shame or the feete for feare but the heart for very hatred of sinne also Hypocrisie is a sinne being to turne from sinne we are to turne from it also and not have our body in the right way and our heart still wandring in the by-pathes of sinne But if we forbeare the act which the eye of man beholdeth to make a conscience of the thoughts too for unto them also the eye of GOD pierceth Thus it should be Els Conversion it may be but heart it hath none 4. With the whole heart With the heart and with the whole heart As not to divide the heart from the body So neither to divide the heart in it selfe The divell to hinder us from true turning turnes himselfe like Proteus into all shapes First turne not at all you are well enough If you will needs turne turne whither you will but not to GOD. If to GOD leave your heart behind you and turne and spare not If with the heart be it in corde but not in toto with some ends or fractions with some few broken affections but not entirely In modico saith Agrippa somewhat Act. 26.28.29 there is a peece of the heart In modico in toto saith S. PAVL somewhat and altogether there is the whole heart For which cause as if some converted with the brimme or upper part only doth the Psalme call for it de profundis Psal. 130.1 and the Prophet from the bottome of the heart To rent the heart in this part is a fault which is a vertue in the next For it makes us have two hearts hovering as it were and in motu trepidationis and feigne we would let goe sinne but not all that belongs to it And turne we would from our evill way but not from that which will bring us backe to it againe the Occasion the Object the Companie from which except we turne too we are in continuall danger to leave our way againe and to turne backe to our former folly the second ever worse then the first When the heart is thus parcelled out it is easily seene See you one would play with fire and not be burned touch pitch and not be defiled with it love perill and not perish in it
some of us We have ABRAHAM to our father So they We have CHRIST to our SAVIOVR so we and make a short cutt and stepp to CHRIST streight and lay hold on Him by faith without any more adoe Thrust by Saint IOHN BAPTIST him and his repentance both Indeed so some goe but with more hast then good speed that vainely imagine to come to remission of sinnes per saltum over repentance head But it will not be Esai's qui crediderit ne festinet is good counsell in this sense Not to cast away all with making too much hast but take Saint IOHN in their way To him it is said Thou shalt goe before His face to prepare his way And but by that way he prepares Luc. 1.76 CHRIST will not be come to If he prepare one way and you goe another you will never come at CHRIST Therefore he wonders Quis ostendit who had shewed them any other way Saint IOHN knew it not CHRIST knew it not and I cannoâ— tell what to say but they that goe it I pray GOD it deceive them not But for this of no other way CHRIST Himselfe is more peremptorie then S. Iohn See you any Heare you of any that perish Nisi c. unlesse you repent Luc. 13. â— 5 and scape that way so shall you too that is flatt There is no iron no adamant bindes so hard as CHRIST 's Nisi If any but CHRIST had sayd it we might have sought some evasion Now when it is He that tells us there are but two wayes 1 Repent or 2 Perish choose you whither Repent heer for a time or Perish there under GOD 's wrath for ever Not to repent and not to perish is not possible Which Dilemma of CHRIST 's no way to be avoided makes of the twaine to choose this fruit of Repentance rather then to fall into the Wrath to come To flye to the one to flye from the other which otherwise we are of our selves but coldly affected to For though it be somewhat bitter this fruit yet sure we are if it were tenne times more the bitter paines of ira ventura are farre beyond it Now the Physique of the bodie and soule stand upon one Maxime both Melior est modica amaritudo in faucibus quà m aeternum tormentum in visceribus Better the bitter Electuarie then a burning Ague Better a short distaste in the mouth then a perpetuall torment in the bowells Better Repent NINIVE for fourtie Ion. 3.4 then no NINIVE at fourtie dayes end Shall we conclude then with the Psalmist Psal 34.32 What man is he that would deliver his Soule from the wrath to come And they all began at once to say That would I Yea even they that shall not escape it will yet say That would I. Why by the bringing or not bringing forth of this fruit all goes depends the comming or not comming of this wrath Comming if you doe not Not comming if you doe bring them forth Proferte fructus igitur And now we have been at the root downe-ward to come up ward to 1 the tree 2 the fruits 3 the worth of the fruites three points yet behind which will aske more time then is left Nay more then hath been alreadie spent and so the worke of some other time A word or two of Proferte and I have done First take it not this Proferte by way of advise 1. Proferte a Precept Mar. 1.21 Chap. 8.9 or as the wish of a well-willing friend No Saint IOHN delivers it quasi autoritatem habens as a Precept or Injunction the word will warrant it To say Do this belongs to authoritie the Centurion will tell you so and requireth obedience Do this and He doth it Then beside authority to enjoine us there is reason to conclude us It is not made a Proposition barely Doe It is beside a binding Conclusion Bring forth therefore 2. Proferte igitur a Conclusion whereto we in reason to conforme our selves and conclude we will so bring them Last besides both these it bindes the harder by the penaltie annexed to it 3. Proferte an injunction with a penaltie As you will avoid the wrath to come And falling into it you fall from the fruition of Heaven to the damnation of hell Which is poena poenarum the penalty of all penalties most penall This is the three-fold cord that bindes it about Let some or all of them prevaile with us to bring them forth But oft it falls out when we are agreed of the thing we are not so for the time 4. The Time now Proferte in the Present Tense Will we at all bring them forth If we will we will take some time to doe it in Some time yes that we all agree to At what time then It is not proponite or promittite purpose or promise to doe it hereafter to bring them forth but Proferte What Tense is proferte The Present Do it then in present It requires an act instantly to be done bring them forth out of hand This is a small note but it is no small matter to gett this small note borne well away to get our Repentance into the Present Tense Nay then it fitts neerer For to tell you the trueth as it is The word is not â—ring forth In the 〈…〉 at this time now then it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Present But it is not It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Aerist a â—ense the Latine hath not nor our Tongue nâ—ither It signifies rather Have done bringing forth rather then Bring forth presently And I would to GOD we had even done so had done bringing them forth for then all feare were past Ventura is to come but come it will and when we know not Both are yet to come for ought I see wrath and our fruict If the fruict come before the wrath come it is well But if the wrath come before the fruict come where are we then We are past recoverie But what speakes he to us of having done We have scarse yet begoon scarse sett the roote that should beare this fruict Well yet this shewes us it is time we were about it seeing Saint Iohn saith it is more then time we had done bringing them forth But well to take no advantage of that tense we wil be content with the present if we may obteine that And so would he have it now For now saith he is the axe layd to the root Now then or not at all Nay not now this is not a time we have appointed other businesse which we cannot put off Well one question more will make an end if not at this time at what time If not now when But then this must be set downe now before we stirr hence And so set downe as if it be not now it be as neer now as may be for feare ventura come not too soon and take tree and all This is sure the sooner the
not on His too I finde that neither vnder the Law He liked of their motion what should the Temple doe with Cedar neither vnder the Gospell of theirs what should CHRIST 's head doe with Nardus But that to his praise he is recorded in the Old Testament that said 1. Chron. 17. â— Shall I dwell in my seeled house and the Arke of GOD remaine vnder Gotes-skinns And she in the New that thought not her best ointment too good for CHRIST 's head Surely they in Aegypt had their service of GOD it may be in a barne or in some corner of a house Yet when Moses moved a costly Tabernacle no man was found that once said Our fathers served GOD well enough without one Vtquid perditio haec After that many Iudges and Prophets and righteous men were well when they might worship before the Arke yet when Salomon moved a stately Temple never any was found that would grudge and say Why the Arke is enough I pray GOD we serve God no worse then they that knew nothing but a Tent Vtquid perditio haec Only in the dayes of the Gospell which of all other least should there stepps up Iudas and dareth to say that against CHRIST 's Church that no man durst evâ—r either against Mose's Tent or Salomon's Temple And if CHRIST had taken it well or passed it in silence or said Sinite illum suffer Iuda's motion to taâ—e place we might have had some shew But seeing He saith Molestus est to Iudas Sinite illam Suffer Marie to go forward and not that only but Bonum opus too why should any after Iudas be thought worthy the answering Surely as the Gospell in this duty hath and so ought to exceed the Law So in the Gospell we heere and our Country above all other I will but say with Chrysostome Appende Christum ô homo doe but construe these two words In Me aright Peize and prize Who it is Et sufficit It is CHRIST IESVS Who hath not spared to annoint us with His own blood and our soules with all the comforts and graces of His Holy Spirit If toward us neither blood nor life were too deer on His part shall on ours any Nardus be too deere or any cost too much that is on Him bestowed Perhaps our particular will more move us It is CHRIST that created for us Nard and all other delights whatsoever either for vse and necessitie we have or for fruition and pleasure we enjoy It is He that hath enriched us that we be hable to bestow it by this long prosperitie plenty and peace as no other Kingdome vnder heaven Is there any good mind can thinke that this is an indignitie that He is not worthy hath not deserved and double deserved this and ten times more at our hands An extraordinarie conceipt is entred into the world by a new found glosse to make whatsoever we like not or list not to doe our selves exrtraordinarie and so some deeme of this as extraordinarie and whereof no example is to be made No ancient Writer is of that minde Luk. 11.37 but that for us it was written and that Vade tu fac similiter may be written upon her box But be it so Why may not I wish on our parts Let us be extraordinarie For GOD hath not dealt ordinarily with us of this land He hath not beene to us a wildernesse or a barren land but hath even our enemies being Iudges been extraordinarie in His goodnesse toward us all And sure in us ordinarie common thankfullnesse is not enough Shall I sett my selfe to recount His benefits An easy matter to find entrance but when then should I make an end In one I will abbridge them all We spake of ointment Verily CHRIST hath annointed over us and given us a most Gracious Soveraigne by whose happy and blessed reigne we long have and longer may we He grant enioyed both the inward and outward annointing the inward the holy and heavenly comfort of GOD 's truth Psal. 45.7 and true oyle of gladnesse the outward of earthly plenty and delight which Nard or any rich confection may affoord and in a word whatsoever happinesse can fall to any Nation vnder heaven From the holy oyle of whose annointing as the dew of Hermon on Sion Psal. 133.2 and as Aaron's ointment upon the skirts of his clothing there daily droppeth upon this whole Realme pure Nard or if any thing els be more precious whether in these earthly or in those heavenly blessings I speake no more then we all feele This is that one I spake of and in this one is all Even the Lord 's Annointed Whom I make no question but the Lora hath and will more and more blesse for that Her Highnesse hath said as Himselfe said Sinite illam And blessed be GOD that hath putt into her heart so to say to like well of Vtquid perditio but to have it so applied I doubt not but this Heroicall vertue among many others shall make her Scepter long to flourish shall make her remembrance to be in blessing to all posteritie and shall be among other her reioycing in the day of the Lord and an everlasting crowne of glory upon Her head This is that ointment I spake of that it selfe alone may make us all confesse we have received from Christ extraordinarie mercie and are therefor to returne more then ordinarie duty Psal. 147.20 Non taliter fecit omni Nay non taliter fecit ulli populo He hath not dealt so with every Nay not so with any people as with us and therefore not any people to deale so thankfully with Him againe This if it were extraordinarie Howbeit if Antiquitie may be admitted Iudge this as a good worke is to be ordinarie with us Since every thing done in this kinde to Christ's Church only upon a thankfull regard is with them reckoned a dramme of Marie Magdalen's ointment At least if we will not come so farre as operata est we doe yet thus farre favour it as to yield to Sinite illam Seeing Marie Magdalen that gave it paid for it and it never came out of our purse And now this question being thus dilated it is every mans duty saith Theophylact to set downe cujus partis sit whose part he will take whose mind he wil be of Whither with Iudas Perditio est or with CHRIST Bonum opus est whither Potuit vendi or Sinite illam But I trust we will stand to CHRIST'S judgement and rather take part with Him for Marie Magdalen then with Iudas against her that we may be with Marie Magdalen that are of her mind which at the houre of death we all shall desire The entrance I make III. The Dâ—ctâ—â—nâ— 1. That Good wâ—rkâ—s are malâ—gnâ—d From this unhappy conjunction of Marie's good worke and Iuda's evill speech this first consideration offereth it selfe nothing pleasant but wholesome and requisite to be called to mind of all that
in a manner appropriate this speech to our Saviour CHRIST And that this very day the day of his Passion truly termed here the day of GOD 's wrath And wheresoever they treat of the Passion ever this verse commeth in And to say the truth to take the words strictly as they lie they cannot agree or be verified of any but of him and him onely For though some other not unfitly may be allowed to say the same words it must be in a qualified sense for in full and perfect propriety of speech He and none but He None can say neither Ieremie nor any other Si fuerit dolor sicut dolor meus as CHRIST can No day of wrath like to his day no sorrow to be compared to his all are short of it nor his to any it exceedeth them all And yet according to the letter it cannot be denied but they be set downe by Ieremy in the person of his owne people being then come to great miserie and of the holy Citie then laid waste and desolatâ— by the Chaldees Hos. 11.1 What then Ex Aegypto vocavi Filium meum Out of Aegypt have I called my Sonne was literally spoken of this people too yet is by the Evangelist applied to our Saviour CHRIST Matt. 2 1â— Psal. 22.1 Matt. 27.46 My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me at the first uttered by David yet the same words our SAVIOVR taketh himselfe and that more truly and properly then ever David could and of those of David's and of these of Ieremie's there is one and the same reason 1. Cor. 10.11 Of all which the ground is that correspondence which is betweene CHRIST and the Patriarchs Prophets and People before CHRIST of whom the Apostle's rule is Omnia in figurâ contingebant illis That they were themselves Types and their sufferings forerunning figures of the great suffering of the SONNE OF GOD. Which maketh Isâ—ak's offering and Ioseph's selling and Israel's calling from Aegypt and that complaint of David's and this of Ieremie's appliable to him That he may take them to himselfe and the Church ascribe them to him and that in more fitnesse of termes and more fulnesse of truth then they were at the first spoken by David or Ieremy or any of them all And this rule and the stepps of the Fathers proceeding by this rule are to me a warrant to expound and apply this Verse as they have done before to the present occasion of this time which requireth some such Scripture to be considered by us as doth belong to his Passion who this Day powred out his most precious Blood as the onely sufficient Price of the deare purchase of all our Redemptions Be it then to us as to them it was and as most properly it is The speech of the SONNE of GOD as this day hanging on the Crosse to a sort of carelesse people that goe up and downe without any manner of regard of these his sorrowes and sufferings so worthy of all regard Have ye no regard ô all ye that passe by the way Consider and behold if ever there were sorrow like to my sorrow which was done unto me wherewith the LORD afflicted me in the day of the fiercenesse of his wrath Here is a Complaint and here is a Request A complaint that we have not A Request The Parts that we would have the Paines and Passions of our Saviour CHRIST in some Regard For first he complaineth and not without cause Have ye no regard And then as willing to forget their former neglect so they will yet doe it he falleth to entreat O consider and behold And what is that we should consider The Sorrow which he suffereth and in it two things The Quality and the Cause 1. The Quality Si fuerit sicut If ever the like were and that either in respect of Dolor or Dolor meus The Sorrow suffered or the Person suffering 2. The Cause that is GOD that in His wrath in his fierce wrath doth all this to him Which cause will not leave us till it have led us to another cause in our selves and to another yet in him All which serve to ripen us to Regard These two then specially we are moved to regard 1. Regard is the maine point But because therefore we regard but faintly because either we consider not or not aright we are called to consider seriously of them As if he should say Regard you not If you did consider you would if you considered as you should you would regard as you ought Certainly the Passion if it were throughly considered would be duly regarded Consider then So the Points are two 1 The Qualitie and the 2 Cause of his suffering And the Duties two 1 To Consider 2 and Regard So to consider that we regard them and him for them Have ye no Regard c. TO cease this Complaint and to grant this Request we are to regard and that we may regard we are to consider the paines of his Passion Which The Parties to whom O all ye that passe by the way Consider that we may reckon no easie common matter of light moment to doe or not to doe as we list First a generall stay is made of all passengers this day For as it were from his Crosse doth our SAVIOVR addresse this His speech to them that goe to and fro the day of His Passion without so much as entertaining a thought or vouchsafing a looke that way O vos qui transitis O you that passe by the way stay and Consider To them frameth He His speech that passe by To them and to them all O vos omnes qui transitis O all ye that passe by the way stay and Consider Which very stay of his sheweth it to be some important matter in that it is of all For as for some to be staied and those the greater some there may be reason the most part of those that go thus to and fro may well intend it they have little els to doe But to except none not some speciall Person is hard What know we their haste Their occasions may be such and so urgent as they cannot stay Well what haste what businesse soever passe not by stay though As much to say as Be they never so great your occasions they are not they cannot be so great as this How urgent soever this is more and more to be intended The regard of this is worthy the staying of a iourney It is worth the considering of those that have never so great affaires in hand So materiall is this sight in his account Which serveth to shew the exigence of this dutie But as for this point it needeth not be stood upon to us here at this time we are not going by we need not be staied we have staied all other our affaires to come hither and here we are all present before GOD to have it set before us that we may consider it Thither then let us come
were the very Corner-stone of both the Testaments No Act then more fit for this Feast the Feast of the Passe-over then that Act which is it selfe the passage over from the Old Testament to the New No way better to expresse our thankes for this Corner-stone then by the holy Eucharist which it selfe is the Corner-stone of the Law and the Gospell And there is in it a perfect representation of the substance of this verse and Text set before our eyes Wherein two poor Elements of no great value in themselves but that they might well be refused are exalted by GOD to the estate of a Divine Mysterie even of the highest Mysterie in the Church of CHRIST And a kinde of resurrection there is in them and therefore fit for the day of the Resurrection as ever in CHRIST 's Church 1. Cor. 15.43 Easter-day hath pleaded a speciall propertie in them Sowen as it were in weaknesse dishonor and after they be consecrated rising againe in honour power And that a great honour and power not onely to represent but to exhibite that it representeth nor to set before us or remember us of but even to serve us for a Corner-stone First uniting us to CHRIST the Head whereby we grow into one frame of Building into one body mysticall with Him And againe uniting us also as living stones or lively members omnes in id ipsum one to another and altogither in one by mutuall love and charitie Qui comedit de hoc Pane bibit de hoc Calice manet in Me Ego in illo Ioâ— 6.56 He that eateth of this Bread and drinketh of this Cup abideth in Me and I in him There is our Corner with Him And againe 1. Cor. 10.17 Vnum corpus omnes sumus qui de uno Pane participamus All we that partake of one Bread or Cup growe all into one Body mysticall There is our Corner either with other By 〈…〉 eâ—pressing our thankes for it and by the same possessing our 〈◊〉 of it Sealâ—ng up both waies our duty to GOD for making CHRIST the 〈…〉 and chiefest and for making His Annointed this day 〈◊〉 undâ—r Him either in their severâ—ll degrâ—es our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Chiefe or Head Corner-stone For which togither with all other His benefittâ— but specially as the time calleth to us for these two CHRIST'S rising and Our Soveraigne's raysing to his Royall place render we as we are bound to GOD the FATHER c. A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL on the XII of April A. D. MDCXII being EASTER DAY I. COR. CHAP. V. Expurgate vetus fermentum c. VER 7. Purge out therefore the old levin that yee may be a new lumpe as yee are vnlevined For CHRIST our Passe-over is Sacrificed for us 8. Therefore let us keepe the Feast not with old levin neither with the levin of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the vnlevined bread of Sinceritie and truth THERE be two things give themselves forth upon the very first view of this Text. 1 First heere is newes that we Christians we also have our Passe-over 2 Then that in memorie of it we are to keepe a Feast Pascha Iudeorum the Iewes Passe-over we find in Iohn Chap. II. XI Pascha nostrum our Passe-over never till now And indeed to finde a Passe-over in Saint Paule's Epistles and his Epistle not to the Hâ—brewes but to the Corinthians their Passe-over as well as his For him to call not his Countriemen the Iewes at Ierusalem but the Gentiles at Corinth to keepe such a Feast is newes indeed But Pascha nostrum the words be plaine One we have Itaque and therefore let us bold a feast for it 〈…〉 Celebreâ—mus may this Feast of our EASTER seeme 〈…〉 a 〈◊〉 but an 〈◊〉 for the making it a feast 〈…〉 it will all 〈…〉 feasts this of Easter if there were 〈…〉 but the Contrâ—â—ersie that was about the time of keeping it in the 〈◊〉 prime of the Primitive Church even immediately after the Apostles it were enough to shew it was then generally agreed of all Such a feast was to be kept And the alledging on either side one Saint Iohn's manner of keeping the other Saint Peter's prove plainely it is Apostolicall this feast and that the Apostles themselves kept it Itaque celebremus therefore let us keepe it The Division The word Itaque in the later Verse is ever a note of a Conclusion And where a Conclusion is there is an Argument And so is the Text. It standeth of an 1 Antecedent and a 2 Consequent 1 The Antecedent in these words CHRIST our Passe-over c. 2 The Consequent in these Itaque Celebremus c. Supplie but this Maxime of reason and law If we have one we are to hold one The Text will make up a compleat Argument But one we have therefore we are to hold it Habendum tenendum as our Tenures runne In the Antecedent there rise these five points 1. The maine word Passe-over what is ment by it Pascha 2. That we have one in the word nostrum 3. Who it is expresly CHRIST 4. CHRIST how or when not every way nor at every time considered but as and when He was offered up Immolatus offered up as a Sacrifice 5. And lastly the word of our interest Propter nos For us that so we might passe over our sinnes and be passed over by the punishment due to them In the Consequent there arise two points 1. There is an Itaque to conclude us to keepe this feast 2. And there is a Non and a Sed to direct us how to keepe it The former binds us to Celebremus to celebrate a feast or to Epulemur to make a feast Both are read and both well for both are due The later by Non in fermento sed in azymis not so but thus teacheth us how to hold it How to keepe a Passe-over but as a Passe-over should be kept How was that not with levin but with sweet bread And then he takes of the veile from MOSE 's face that vnder the legall types of Levin and Sweet bread these Evangelicall dueties are expressed unto us By levin is meant Malice and lewdnesse and so we may not By sweet bread is meant Sinceritie and Truth and so we are with them to celebrate our feast So in the Antecedent there is the 1 Benefit and the 2 Meanes that is CHRIST 's part In the Consequent 1 the Feast and the â— Duty that is Ours Indeed to the word Passe-over ye may reduce them all 1. The Benefit for it is a Passe-over even the passing over of the Destroyer 2. The Meanes that is CHRIST by the Sacramentall figure called the Passe-over as the meanes of it 3. The Feast whither that we solemnize or that we are invited to either is a Passe-over 4. And last our Duety for that is also a kinde of Passe-over from Vetus fermentum to Nova conspersio So â— the
conclusion To the next point 2. Direction how to keepe it Absolutely we are to keepe this feast but not to keepe it Quovis modo No matter how prepared vnprepared in any garment in any sort No this Non and this Sed Not on that manner but this shew plainely every manner will not serve What then is the Manner Not in old levin With the Passe-over he began and he holds him to it still that if it be a Passe-over reason would it should be kept like a Passe-over even in the same manner Now the Passe-over was not a loose lawlesse thing to hold it in any fashion it skilled not how No it had his lawes Even that Haec est lex Paschalis ye shall read it Exod. 12.43 This is the law of keeping it Indeed diverse lawes it had in type that concerne us in truth Among the rest this for one in the Text. The Lamb would not be eaten with every kind of bread 1 Noâ— in sâ—rmenâ—o Not with the oâ—d Leâ—in Every past was not for this feast not levined in any wise Such an antipatâ—ie there was betweene levin and it as it might not I will not say come to the board but not be endured in the house all the feast long though it were neither tasted nor touched If it were not throw'n out if any never so little of it remained in any corner Eâ—od 12.19 the law was broken the feast illegitimate To maâ—e it up then a perfect Pâ—â—se-oâ—â—â— heere is another yet which I called our Passe-over-duety the not sâ—aying still in our old levin but passing over as it were to a new paste a necessâ—rie câ—ndition for the right holding this fâ—ast For sweet bread was so proper to the Paâ—â—â—-â—ver as Luk. 22. ye shall finde they be but two diverse namâ—â— Luk 22 7. of one and the same thing Omnia in figuram illis saith the Apostle With them all was in type 1. Cor. 10 11. What is the Spirit of this letter what meant by lâ—vin The Apostle tells us the old levin of Egypt is our former vitious course of life sowred with the levin of the old Adam and Nova â—oâ—spersio is newnesse of life The time of offâ—ring the 〈◊〉 is the time of casting out this Meet if we would have our sinnes passe from us we should passe from them also and throwe their levin out And well is Sinne resembled to levin Levin wiâ—l grow â—oysome if it be kepâ— lonâ— and sinne if it have lyen long in us or we in it turnes to a certaine sowâ—nesse that wâ— our selves feele an unpleasant favour or upbrayding of it in our soules Oâ—r SAVIOVR felt it so I am sure the Vinâ—gar He took shewed the relish of it By which upbraiding we finde we need an Expurgate for it as it were a corrupt humor in our soules that needed to be purged out Generally all old levin whatsoever namely two sâ—rts of it 1 〈◊〉 and 2 〈◊〉 turned Naughtinesse and Malice The words in their owne nature as they properly signifie 1 One noteth a loose licentious lewdnesse lightly ending in Lust. 2 The other an vnquiet working wickednesse that will take paines to doe a shrewd turne commonly the effect of Mâ—lice The sinnes of lust are well set out in old corrupt levin for so they end most what in corruption and rottenesse The sinnes of â—alice likewise For as levâ—n it makes men swell one against another as if thâ—y would burst and sowre are the fruits of it and vnpleasant as any lâ—vin in the world These two to be cast out as those that have a speciall antipathie with this feast and Offering For no agreement betweene a foule life and the feast of an vndâ—filed Lamb. Nor no fellowship betweene sowre malice and the feast of Sweet bâ—â—ad And these two are specially named because they were the faults wherewith the Corinthians specially were levined to whom he writes Incest at the first Verse as we know Corinth heard evill for loosnesse There is Nâ—quitia And againe swâ—lling one against another at the second there is Malice As to ridd our selves of this levin so to furnish our selves as with new past with the two levin-lesse vertues Sinceritie and Truth Sinceritie that is cleanesâ—e of life Sed. c. a word thought to be taken from honie which is then mel sincerum when it is sine cerâ vnmingled without wax or any baggage in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke word is properly of vncounterfeit wares such as we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth and shew them in the sunne as need not the false light of a close shop to vtter them But Truth that runnes through all flat against all kind of levin if it have any manner levin true it is not and so out it must 1. The levin of Doctrine Matt. 16.6 Of levin in the Gospell I finde three sorts interpreted to our hands that we cannot mistake CHRIST willed His Disciples to beware of the levin of the Pharisees and Sadducees It is after said He meant it of their doctrine that was full of corrupâ— levin 12. 1. The Pharisees of the levin of superstition consisting in phylacteries phrases and observances and little els 2. The Sadducees of a levin that smelt strong of prophanesse in their libertie of prophesying calling in question Angells and Spirits and the Resurrection it selfe 3. And a third levin CHRIST names the lâ—vin of Herod Mar. 8.15 ware that too Many times it is the bane of true Religion when GOD 's truth and worship must be moulded up with Ieroboam's and with Herod's ends squared to them just as is fittest to doe their turnes that Ieroboam may be safe No superfluous Caveat many times this marreth all Let all be abandoned Pharisee's Sadducce's Herod's and the truth take place 2. The levin of life Luk. 12.1 Now as in that place the Pharisee's levin is doctrine so in another I finde that CHRIST expounds it hypocrisie and that is meerly opposite to truth in meaning speaking and dealing The Pharisee was a great dealer with this lâ—vin He had it on his face Matt. 6.16 Matt. 23.7 to make him looke soure men might take notice when they fasted He had it on his tongue Rabbi O you teach the truth you respect no mans person when they sought to cut his throat He had it in his whole course all for shew to seeme that they were not 27. Gabbatha without and Golgotha within But yet even they though they vsed it they taught it not for a doctrine nor avowed not the lawfull vse of it that one might speake the one halfe without and the other halfe within as our Pharisees now doe Men ye shall never have any sincere truth from them Search them they have still a peece of levin in their bosome speake so and deale so as if they would take the sentence by the end and turne it cleane against the Apostle to purge out all his
sweet bread all sinceritie and truth and hold their Passe-over in levin or not at all Antichrist's goat may be so eaten The lamb CHRIST cannot To the lamb's nature that is sincere nothing so contrarie as this 3. The leviâ— â—f comâ—anie â—â—rrupt in lasâ— to meane speake or deale vn-sincerely You see a levin of Doctrine and Life that is the levin of the Gospell A third there is the lâ—vin of the Epistle and that is of Corrupt companie and that is in very deed the lâ—vin of this Text. For when the Apostle would have this levin heere purged what meanes he To have the incestuous Corinthian removed and cast out of the fâ—llowship of the faithfull by the Censures of the Church True but those not in every mans power But this is To avoid and shunne them and their companie so we may and so we are bound to cast them out There is very great danger in persons so levined great scandal even to the well disposed but farre great danger to the most that will soone take this lâ—vin Our nature is apt to take it it is easily fermented that way As much good leviâ— as will serve three pecks so much evill will doe more then serve three bushells and never leave till it have sowred them all That except this be looked to all the rest will be to small purpose In Reliâ—ion Now when Saint Paul speakes of persons thus levined he meanes not onely such as are lewd of life tainted that way but even such also as are unsound in matter of Religion and have a soure savour that way Heere to the Corinthians he would have the incestuous person cast out Gal. 5 3.â— c. 9. with his levined life But to the Galathians after he presseth the same point against another kinde such as levined the Gospell with MOSE 's câ—râ—moâ—ies 12. and so corrupted the truth in Religion and them he would have cut of both Coâ—inthian and Galathian levin both must out And marke upon the same reason both and in the very same words That a little levin doth not a little hurt but otherwhile Gal. 5.9 maâ—reth the whole batch of brâ—ad Evill doctrine is against Truth Evill life against walking in the truth Evill companie will bring us to both Therefore away with them but away with this especially If they will not purge out their levin purge them out And that especially against this Feast in the nature whereof there is a contrarietie to all levin Now then this is our Conclusion Come we must and Itaque celebremus This is our Caution Thus we must come Non in fermento sed azymis If we say it skills not whither we come Itaque meets with us If we say it skills not how we come Non in fermento meets with us too It is with us heere as with â—he Prophet Hos. 7.1 when we would heale one the other breaketh forth If we presse Non in fâ—rmento we lose Itaque epulemur they come not at all No Feast If we vrge Itaque epulemur they come how levined and unlevined all clap them downe together We need a Quomodo intrasti huc to keepe some backe And yet we need a Compelle intrare Matt. 22.12 â—uk 1â— 23. to bring others in But the manner but the caution remember that The maine conclusion is that we come The other we must not leave undâ—ne But this peremptorily we are bound to doe The Apostle binds us to doe it The time to doe it now For if this follow CHRIST is offered Therâ—forâ— we are to come to His fâ—ast This wiâ—l follow as strongly CHRIST is now offered therefore let us now come Goe by degrees The Christian Passe-over our Passe-over a time it must have sometime it is to be kept We would doe it at that time when it were best for us to doe it When bâ—st for us to doe it but at the time He did it Himselfe And that did He even at this fâ—aâ—t now Now then at this fâ—ast it is most kindly to doe it most like to please Him and to prosper with us And indeâ—d if at any time we will doe it Quando Pascha 〈◊〉 in Paâ—cha what time is the Pasâ—e-over so proper as at the fâ—ast of the Paâ—â—e-â—vâ—r 〈…〉 quando tempus imâ—olandâ— When the time of His receiving as at the time of His ofâ—â—ring Therfore they both the feast the lamâ— have onâ— nâ—me to shew the neer coniunction that should be betweene them When the daâ— câ—mmeth to remember what was done on the day and so what we to doe on that day Pasâ—â—a quod celâ—bramus to put us in minde of Pascha quod epulamur For tell me will the saâ—rifiâ—e commâ—moâ—ative or the sacrament communicative ever fall more fit then when that was offâ—red which we are to commemorate and to comâ—unicate withall Is not the fittest time of doing it the time when it was done of Hoc facite then when Hoc factum est So that without any more adoe the seâ—son it selfe pleadeth for this effectually And now is the time of Exâ—uâ—gaâ—e for our â—odies thâ— corrupt humours that levin it now we cast them out Anâ— why not now likewise tâ—ose that ly sâ—urâ— in our soules And even Nature's Paâ—â—e-oâ—â—r the genâ—rall Pâ—â—e-ovâ—â— is even at thiâ— time both in heaven and earth Above in heavâ—n where the 〈◊〉 haâ—ing 〈◊〉 over all the sigâ—es is come about and renewes his course at the first signe in the 〈◊〉 And beneâ—th in earth from the sharp time of winter and fâ—rmentiâ—g time of the eâ—rth to the râ—newing sweet time the time of the Sâ—â—ing wherein thâ—re is 〈…〉 in nâ—ture it selfe And why should not the Passâ—-over of grace be now likâ—wiâ—e in sâ—ason and have due concurrence with nature Sure all agree wâ—ll if we but agree our selves Anâ— if we agree for our parts to doe the daye 's duty CHRIST will not be behind with His tâ—e day's benefit But during our time and in the hower of death be our true Passâ—-ovâ—r shielding us from all deadly mis-happs while we heere live and giving us a sure and safe passage at our end even a passage to the last and great Paâ—se-over of all the truth of that whâ—reof theirâ— was the shaddow and ours the image now For we have not yâ—t done with our Laâ—b nor the work of this Paâ—se-ovâ—r is not yet fully accomplished There is a further matter yet behind for as this feast looâ—eth back as a mâ—â—oriall of that is alreadie past and done for us so doth it forward and is to us a plâ—dge of another and a better yet to come The fâ—ast of the marriagâ— of the Lamb heer Apoc 19.7 that is our Paâ—se-over where whosoever shall be a guest the Angells pronounce hâ—m happie and blâ—ssed for ever 9. That is the last and great Feast indeed when all Destroyers and all destructions shall cease and come to an â—nd for evermore and we heare that joyfull voice
begin we not with that Verily even for that even for our naturall generation we owe Him a Benedictus But what should I say Vnlesse beside our first generavit we be so happy as to have our part in this second regeneravit the former I doubt will hardly prove worth a Benedictus But if this come to it then for both a benedictus indeed Otherwise as our SAVIOVR said to Nicodemus No man vnlesse he be thus borne againe by his first birth be it never so high or noble is a whit the neerer this Inheritance following For all our goodly generavit we so much boast of it would goe wrong with us but for this Well therefore may we all say Benedictus qui regeneravit Againe that is the second time Gal. 6.15 Now Re hath in it 〈◊〉 powers Re is againe the second time So it suits well with Secundùm it is the second For two there be 1 that old creation 2 and the new creature in CHRIST And two birthes We see it daily A child is brought into the world but it is carryed out againe to the Church there to be borne and brought forth anew by the Sacrament of Regeneration Againe that is upon a lesse But Re is not onely againe but againe as it were upon a losse Not a second onely but a second upon the failing of the first So doth Re imply ever Red-emption a buying againe upon a former aliening Re-conciliation upon a former falling out Re-stitution upon a former attainder Re-surrection upon a fall taken formerly Re-generation upon a former degenerating from our first estate Our first would not serve it was corrupt it was defiled it did degenerate Degenerating made us Pilios irae Ephes. 2.3 Pro. 16.14 And ira principis much more ira Dei mors est So children of death death and damnation and there left us and all by meanes of the corruption and soile of our former degenerate generation Never aske then Quid opus est re Re cannot be spared There was more then need of a new a second a re-generation to make us children of grace againe and so of life which He hath given us power to be made by the washing of the new birth the fountaine which He hath opened to the house of Israël for sinne and uncleannesse Tit. 3.5 Zach. 13.1 even for the sinne and uncleannesse of the first Will ye have it plainely Benedictus Deus qui generatos ad mortem regeneravit ad vitam or qui generatos ad timorem mortis regeneravit ad spem vitae That we we that were begotten to the feare of death or to a deadly feare Vs He hath begotten anew to the hope of life or to a lively hope This act of regenerating is determined doubly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is twice repeted 1 To hope first In Spem To Hope then to the Inheritance ye may put them together to the hope of an Inheritance But thus parted they stand because of our two estates to serve them both In Spem To Hope Hope in this life In Spem To Hope Inheritance in that to come Hope while heere in state of grace Inheritance when there in state of glorie But because as we said an Inheritance is no present matter It is to come and to be comen to From begetting we step not streight to entring upon our Inheritance but the state of heires is a state of expectancie and so a fit object for hope Donec till the time come therefore we beginne with that Regeneravit in Spem There needs no great Benedictus for in Spem Hope is no great matter For what is hope What but vigilantis somnium a waking mans dreame And such a hope indeed it may be for such hopes there be many in the world But this is none such To shew it is none such it is severed by two termes 1 Regeneravit and 2 Vivam They are worth the marking both a Spem generation 1. Regeneravit first that it is Spes generata which implies there is another but inflata but blowne into us or we sprinckled or perfumed with it Such there is but not this but this is per viam generationis and Generatio we know terminatur ad substantiam brings forth a Substance So this a substantiall hope called therefore by Saint Paul 1. Thess. 5.8 Heb. 6.19 the Helmet of Hope I. Thess. V. the Anchor of hope Heb. VI. things of substance that will hold that have metall in them b 〈…〉 2. Then marke Vivam And vivam followes well of regeneravit For they that are begotten are so to live to have life Vivam also imports there is a dead or a dying hope but this is not â—uch but a living Nay Viva is more then Vivens lively then living Where Viva is said of ought as of stone or water the meaning is they spring they grow they have life in themselves And such is the Water of our regenaration not from the brookes of Teman in Iob VI. that in Summer will be drie but the water of Iordan Iob. 6.15.16 a running river There CHRIST was himselfe baptized there He began Matt. 3.13 and laid the Sacrament of our New birth to shew what the nature of the hope is it yeelds even viva with life in it And indeed Regeneravit is a good Verbe to joyne with hope There is in hope a kind of regendrìng power It begets men as it were anew And Viva is a good Epithet for it When one droopes give him Hope his spirits will come to him afresh it will make him alive againe that was halfe dead As Iacob when he was put in hope to see Ioseph alive it is said Revixit spiritus Iacob his spirit revived in him he shewed Gen. 45.24 Spes was viva hope was a reviver Never so well seene this as this day in them that went to Emmaus With cold hearts cold and dead God wote till they heard the Scriptures opened to this point and then Did we not said they feele our hearts warme nay whot within us Luk. 24.32 Such a vitall heat they found and felt came from this hope For to say truth what is it to give life to them that have it already dum spiro that are alive that can fetch their breath it is not worthy that to be called Spes viva Spes viva indeed is that which when breath and life and all faile failes not that that then puts life into us dum expiro when life is going away that when this life we must forgoe bidds let it goe when that is gone shewes us hope of another This is Viva indeed Nay this is Vita for the hope of that life immortall is the very life of this life mortall And for such a hope Benedictus Deus Blessed be GOD. And whence hath it this life The next word shewes it vivam 2. Vivam Per Resurrectionem Iesu Christi per Ressurectionem The
debellation of the spirituall Edom and the breaking up of the true Bozra indeed it is wondred Who it should be Note this that no body knew CHRIST at his rising neither Marie Magdalen nor they that went to Emmaus Ioh. 20.14 Luc. 24.16 No more doth the Prophet heere Now there was reason to aske this question for none would ever thinke it to be CHRIST There is great odds it cannot be He. 1. Not He He was put to death and put into his grave and a great stone upon Him not three daies since This Party is alive and alives like His Ghost it cannot be He glides not as Ghosts they say doe but paces the ground very strongly Not He He had his appareile shared amongst the souldiers was left all naked This Party hath gotten him on glorious apparell rich scarlet Not He for if He come He must come in white in the linnen He was lapped in and laid in His grave This Partie comes in quite another colour all in red So the colours suit not To be short not He for He was put to a foile to a foule foile as ever was any they did to Him even what they listed Luc. 22.53 scorned insulted upon Him It was then the houre and power of darknesse This Party whatsoever He is hath gotten the upper hand wonn the field marches stately Conqueror-like His the day sure The first answer That Partie 〈◊〉 Christ. Well yet CHRIST it is His answer gives Him for no other To His answer then The Party it seemes overhead the Prophets asking and is pleased to giâ—e an answer to it himselfe we are much bound to Him for it No man can tell so well as He himselfe who he is Some other might mistake him and mis-enforme us of him Now we are sure we are right No error personae His name indeed he tells not but describes himselfe by two such notes as can agree to none properly but to CHRIST Of none can these two be so affirmed as of Him they may That by these two we know this is CHRIST as plainely as if His name had beene spelled to us 1. Speaking righteousnesse and righteousnesse referrd to speech signifieth truth ever No guile to be found in His mouth and Omnis homo is 1. Pet. 2.22 Psal. 115.11.60.13 you know what 2. Mighty to save and Vana salus hominis vaine is the helpe of man Who ever spake so right as He spake Or who ever was so mighty to save as He And this is his answer to quis est iste That am I. One that speake righteousnesse and am mighty to save Righteous in speaking mighty in saving whose word is truth whose worke is salvation Iust and true of my word and promise Poweâ—full and mighty in performance of both The best description say I that can be of any man by his word and dâ—ed both â— His Natures And see how well they fitt Speaking is most proper that referrs to Him as the Word In the beginning was the Word to His Divine Nature Saving that referrs to His very name IESVS Ioh 1 1. Mat. 1 21. given Him by the Angell as man for that He should save his people from their sinnes from which none had ever power to save but He. There have you His two Natures Speaking referrs to his Office of Priest the Priests lipps to preserve knowledge the Law of righteousnesse to be required at his mouth â— His Offiâ—es Mal. 2 7. Dan. 9.15 Saving and that mightily pertaines to Him as a King is the office as Daniel calls Him of Messias the Captaine-Righteousnesse He spake by His preaching Saving that belongs first to His miraculous suffering It being farre a greater miracle for the Deitie to suffer any the least injurie then to create a new world yea many But secondly which is proper to the Text and time in his mighty subduing and treading downe hell and death Luc. 22.64 and all the power of Sathan Prophetiza nobis they said at His Passion speake who hitt you there and Ave Rex they said too Both in scorne but most true Matt. 27.24 both You may referre these two if you please 3 His Benefits to His two maine Benefits redounding to us from these two Two things there are that undoe us Error and Sinnâ— From His Speaking we receive knowledge of His truth against error From His Saving we receive the power of grace against Sinne and so are saved from Sinne 's sequele Edom and Bozra both This is His description and this is enough A full description of His person in His Natures Offices Benefits in word and in deed He it is and can be none but He. To reflect a little on these two You will observe that His speaking is set downe simply but in His saving 1. Miâ—hty not in speaking He is said to be mighty or as the word is multus ad servandum So marke where the multâ—s is He is not multus ad loquendum one that saith much and paucus ad seâ—vandum and then does little as the manner of the world is Multus is not there at His Speech It is put to servandum There He is much and His Might much Much of might to save That His might is not put in treading downe or destroying No 2. But in saving Esay 55.7 but multus ad ignoscendum in the fiftie five Chapter before and multus ad servandum heere Mighty to shew mercie and to save Yet mighty He is too to destroy and tread downe Els had He not atchieved this victorie in the Text. Mighty to save implieth ever mighty to subdue to subdue them whom He saves us from Yet of the twaine He chooseth rather the terme of saving though both be true because saving is with Him primae intentionis So of the twaine in that would He have his might appeare rather Mighty to destroy He will not have mentioned or come in His style but mighty to save that is His title that the qualitie He takes delight in delights to describe himselfe and to be described by You will yet marke also 3. Yet he teachâ—th too and that fiâ—st as the coupling of these two in the description of CHRIST for not either of these alone will serve but betwene them both they make it up so that they goe together these two ever He saves not any but those He teaches And note the order of them too For that that stands first He doth first first teaches Mighty to save He is but whom to save whom He speakes righteousnesse to and they heare Him and returne not againe to their former follie There is no phansying to our selves we can dispense with one of these never care whither we deale with the former or no whither we heare Him speake at all but take hold of the later and be saved with a good will No you cannot but if you heare Him speake first He saith so and setts them so himselfe
all He was He was for us And now when all is done then now loe he is the LORD IESVS CHRIST Till then a Shepheard wholy and soly The more are we beholden to him Then loe He tells us His name that He is the great Shepheard He that was brought back the blood His His the Testament Truely called the Testament There can no Inventarie be made of this It hath not entred into the heart of man to conceive what things GOD hath prepared for those that have their part in this Testament above all that we can desire or imagine Vpon earth there is no greater thing then a kingdome and no lesse then a kingdome it is His Father's will to dispose unto us But Luk. 12.32 a Kingdome eternall all glorious and blessed farre above these heere All this a good hearing Hitherto we have heard nothing but pleaseth us well II. The thing to be done by us 1 The fitting or doing GOD at peace The Shepheard brought to death that we might not and brought from death that we also might be brought from thence and not brought and left to the wide world but further to receive those good things which are comprised in his Testament This is done done by Him for us Now to that which is to be done to be done by us Not for Him I should not do well to say so but indeed for our selves For so for us in the end it will prove Both what He did and what we doe our selves That which on our part the Apostle wisheth us is that we may be so happy as that GOD would in effect doe the same for us He did for Him that is bring us backe backe from our sinfull course of life to a new given to doe good workes The Resurrection is heere termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bringing backe So that any bringing backe from the worse to the better carieth the Type is a kind of a Resurrection referrs to that of CHRIST who died and rose that sinne might die and that good workes might rise in us Both the time and the Text lay upon us this duty to see if good workes that seeme to be dead and gone we can bring life to them and make them to rise againe The rule of reason is Vnum quodque propter operationem suam every thing is and hath his being for the worke it is to doe And these are the workes which we were borne and came into the world to doe The Apostle speakes it plainely we were created for good works to walke in them Ephes. II.X. And againe That we were redeemed to be a people zealously given to good workes Tit. II. 14. So they come doubly commended to us as the end of our Creation and Redemption both In this Text we see it is GOD 's will it is His good pleasure we doe them if we anything regard either His will or pleasure In this Text the Apostle prayes that we may be made perfect in them So unperfect we are without them unperfect we and our faith both For by workes is our faith made perfect I am II. even as Abraham's faith was And the faith Iam. 2 22. that is without them is not onely unperfect but starke dead so as that faith needs a Resurrection to be brought from the dead againe And whatsoever become of the rest in this Text it is that He hath not left them out nor unremembred in his Testament They are in it and diverse good legacies to us for them Which if we meane to be Legataries we must have a care of For as His blood serveth for the taking away of evill workes So doth His Testament for the bringing againe of good And as it is good Philosophie Vnumquodque propter operationem suam So this is sure it is sound divinitie Vnusquisque recipiet secundùm operationem suam At our comming backe from the dead whence we all shall come we shall be disposed of according to them Receive we shall Matt 16.27 every man according to His workes And when it comes to going they that have done good workes shall goe into everlasting life and they not that have done evill but they that have not done good shall goe you know whither Let no man deceive you the Root of immortalitie the same is the root of Vertue But one and the same root both When all is said that can be Naturally and by very course of kind good workes you see do rise out of CHRIST 's resurrection Make you perfect so we read it which shewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make perfect We are as indeed we are in state of imperfection till we do them Nay if that be all we will never stick for that Cognoscimus imperfectum nostrum we yeeld our selves for such for un-perfect And that is well Psal. 51.4 But we must so find and feele our imperfection Chap. 6.1 that as the Apostle tells us in the VI. Chapter before we strive to be caried forward to perfection all we may Els all our cognoscimus imperfectum will stand us in small stead Why is there any perfection in this life There is Els how should the Apostle's exhortation there or his blessing heere take place I wote well Absolute complete consummate perfection in this life there is none It is agreed of all hands None may be out of it Phil. 3.13 Non puto me comprehendisse saith Saint Paul I compt not my selfe to have atteined No more must we not atteined What then But this I doe saith he and so must we I forget that which is behind and endeavour my selfe and make forward still to that which is before Which is the perfection of Travailers of way-faring men the farther onward on their journey the neerer their journeye's end the more perfect Which is the perfection of this life For this life is a journey Now good workes are as so many stepps onward The Apostle calls them so the stepps fo the faith of our father Abraham Rom. 4.12 who went that way and we to follow him in it And the more of them we doe the more stepps doe we make the further still shall we find our selves to depart from iniquitie the neerer still to approach unto GOD in the land of the living whither to atteine is the totall or Consummatum est of our perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To make fill or even But not to keepe from you the truth as it is The nature of the Apostle's word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rather to make fit then to make perfect Wherein this he seemes to say That to the doing of good workes there is first requisite a fitnesse to doe them before we can do them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are both in the Text. Fitt to do them yer we can doe them We may not thinke to doe them hand over head at the first dash In an unfit and indisposed subject
redd hott that leaveth a marke behind Eccle. 12.11 that will never be gott out Enough I trust to serve them that do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as their owne spirit from them that do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Spirit of GOD giveth them and to stop their mouthes for ever that call it not speaking by the Spirit unlesse never a wise word be spoken So have we the Glosse of the tongues 1 The tongues themselves in coeperunt loqui 2 Cloven in linguis alijs 3 fitting in the Spirit 's sicut 4 Fire in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the truth answering the type in every point shewing us what was in them and what they should be that hold their places able to speake more tongues then one to speake discreetly and to speake learnedly And now to draw to an end Let us returne to our Pentecost-duty The ApplicatioÌ„ to glorifie fâ—oâ— for the HOLY GHOST thus sent these two wayes 1 As the Spirit within â—â—lling â— As the tongues without uttering The tongues they are a peculiar to one kind of men though all now invade them and talke even too much Of them first Where the Apostle expoundeth that of the Psalme Going up on high Eph 4.8.11.12.13 He gave gifts into men he tells us what those Gifts were He gave some Apostles some Prophetts some Evangelists and he stayes not there but tells us that part of that gift were Pastors and Teachers whereof there were none at CHRIST 's Ascension but they were ordained after for the succeding ages Intending as it seemeth a part of our Pentecost all dutie should be not onely to give thankes for them He first sent on the very day but even for those He sent ever since and for those He still sendeth even in these dayes of ours To thank Him for the Apostles thank Him for the ancient Doctors and Fathers thank Him for those we have if we have any so much worth And are these the Gifts which CHRIST sent from on high was S. PAVL well advised Must we keep our Pentecost in thanksgiving for these Are they worth so much now Zach. 11.12 We would be loth to have the Prophet's way taken with us Zach. XI that it should be said to us as there it is If you so reckon of them indeed let us see the wages you 〈◊〉 but them at and when we shall see it is but eight pound a yeare and having once so much never to be capable of more may not then the Prophett's speech there well be taken up A goodly price these high Gifts are valued at by you And may not he justly in 〈◊〉 of Zacharie and such as he is send us a sort of foolish sheepheards and send us this seâ—slessenesse withall that speake they never so fondly so they speake all is well it shall serve our turne as well as the best of them all Sure if this be a part of our duty this day to praise GOD for them it is to be a part of our care too they may be such as we may justly praise GOD for Which whether we shal be likely to effeâ—â— by some courses as of late have been offered that leave I to the weighing of your wise considerations But leaving this which is peculiar but to some let us returne to the HOLY SPIRIT common to all and how to be filled with it A point which importeth every one of us this day especially when first certaine it is we are not to content our selues as BERNARD well saith quibusvis angustijs with every small beginning and there to sticke sâ—ill to think if we have never so small a breath of it and that but once in all our life that that is enough we may sitt us downe securely and take no more thought but relie upon that for that will do it but to aspire still as we may neerer and neerer to this measure heere and know that repleti sunt was not said for nothing Which how to do we may take some light from the text The two types He came in being bodily serve to teach us we are not to seek after meanes meerly spirituall for attaining it but trust as heer He visited these so will He us and that per signa corporea saith Chrysostome For had we been spirit and nothing els GOD could and would immediatly have inspired us that way but consisting of bodies also as we do it hath seemed to His Wisdome most agreeable to make bodily signes the meanes of conveying the graces of His Spirit into us And that now the rather ever since the Holy one Himself and fountaine of all holinesse CHRIST the Sonne of GOD partaketh of both bodie and Spirit 1. Tim. 4 4. is both Word and flesh Thus it is that by the word we are sanctified per linguam verbi patrem saith Chrysostome even by those tongues heer Ioh. XVII XVII But no lesse by His flesh and bodie Heb. X.X. And indeed this best answereth the terme filling which is proper to food et Spiritus est ultimum alimenti the uttermost perfection of nourishment In which respect He instituted Escam spiritualem 1. Cor. 10.3 Ioh 6.63 1. Cor. 12.13 spirituall food to that end so called spirituall not so much for that it is received spiritually as for that being so received it maketh us together with it to receive the Spirit even potare Spiritum it is the Apostle's owne word In a word our Pentecost is to be as these types heer were They were for both senses 1 The eare which is the sense of the word 2 and the eye which is the sense of the Sacrament visibile verbum so it is called Meant thereby that both these should ever go together as this day and as the type was so the truth should be And for our example we have themselves and their practice in this very Chapter who on this feast joined together the Word at the XIV and the breaking of bread at the XLII verse And so let us too and trust that by filling up the measure of both types we shall sett our selves in a good way to partake the fulfilling of His promise which is to be endued with power from above as they were at least in such sort as He knoweth meet for us Which Almightie GOD grant we may A SERMON PREACHED before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT White-Hall on the XXVII of May A. D. M D C X. being VVHIT-SVNDAY IOHN CHAP. XIV VER XV.XVI. Si diligitis Me mandata mea servate Et ego rogabo Patrem alium PARACLETVM dabit vobis ut maneat vobiscum in aeternum Jf ye love Me keepe my Commandements And J will pray the FATHER and He shall give you another COMFORTER that He may abide with you for ever THEY are CHRIST 's words to His Apostles they touch the comming of the Holy Ghost Of whose comming this Text is a promise A promise of a prayer to procure the Comforter sent them Which
entreaty without which our love and commandement-keeping would not carry it They are not sufficient to weigh it downe pondere meriti it must come rogatu Christi or not at all Then not to leane on them Christ it is and His intercesâ—ion we take to Not you shall love and keepe my Commandements and then my Father shall be bound but and then Christ shall pray and the Father will give if Christ pray and not otherwise But a doubt heere ariseth May we love Christ or keepe His Commandements before we have the Holy Ghost without whom first had it is certaine we can do neither How shall we love Christ 1. Cor. 12. â— 1. Ioh. 4.2 or keepe His Commandements that we may receive they Holy Ghost when unlesse we first receive we can neither love Him nor keepe them nay not so much as say 2. Cor. 3.5 IESVS is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Nay not so much as thinke that or any other thought that is good How saith He then Keepe and I will give when He must give or we cannot keepe This scruple will soone be removed by Habenti dabitur A promise may be made tam habenti quà m non habenti Matt. 13.12 as well to him that hath a thing alredy as to him that hath it not at all To him that hath it already in a lower or lesse may be promised to have it in a more ample measure or more high degree then yet he hath or to him that hath it in one kind that he may have it in some other To all save Christ the 〈◊〉 given in measure Where there is measure there are degrees Ioh. 3.34 where there be degreeâ— of more and lesse the more may well be promised to him that hath the lesse To him that hath it in the degree of warme breath it may well be promised in tongues of fire To him that hath it as the first fruits which is but an handfull it may well be promised as in the whole sheaf which filleth the bosome But that which is more agreeable to this Text heer we consider the Spirit as S. Peter multi fermeâ—â— 1. Pet 4.10 the Spirit in his graceâ— or the graces of the Spirit as of many kinds Of many kinds for our wants and defects are many Not to go out of the Chapter In the very next words He is called the Spirit of truth and that is one kinde of grace to cure us of error In the XXVI verse after the Spirit of holinesse which is His common name which serveth to reduce us from a morall honest life to a holy and wherein the power of Religion doth appeare And heere He is termed the Comforter and that is against heavinesse and trouble of minde To him that hath Him as the Spirit of truth which is one grace he may bâ— promised as the Spirit of Holinesse or comfort which is another It is well knowen many partake Him as the Spirit of truth in knowledge which may well be promised them for sure yet they have him not as the Sanctifying Spirit And both these waies may He be had of some who yet are subject to the Apostle's disease heere heavy and cast downe and no cheerefull-spirit within them So they were not cleane destitute of the Spirit at this promise making but had Him and so well might love Him and in some sort keepe His commandements and yet remaine capable of the promise of a Comforter for all that So that Christ may proceed to His Prayer that His Father would send them the Comforter Where we beginne with matter of faith For 3. CHRIST 's Intâ—rcâ—ssion we have heere the Article offered to us and set downe in the three Persons 1 Ego 2 Ille and 3 Alium 1 I 2 He and 3 Another 1 I will pray the Father that is Christ the Sonne 2 And He shall give it that is the Father His Person is named 3 Alium another third Person besides that is Paracletum the HOLY-GHOST 1 One praying 2 the other prayed to 3 the third prayed for 1 Filius orans 2 Pater donans 3 Spiritus consolans The Sonne praying the Father granting the Spirit comforting A plaine distinction And Christ's prayer setts us to seeke His other nature For heere He intreats as inferior to His Father in state of man But in the twentie sixt verse as aequall to His Father in the nature of GOD joines in giving with like authoritie Rogabo as Man Dabo as GOD. Finding the Father giving heere and the Sonne giving there we have the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from both quem mittet Pater whom the Father shall send in the twentie sixt of this quem ego mittam whom I will send in the twentie sixt of the next Called therefore the Spirit of the Father Mat. 10.20 and againe called the Spirit of the Sonne Gal. 4.6 the Spirit of both as sent and proceeding from both And last the aequalitie of the Holy Ghost For sending and procuring He must send and procure them one aequall to Himselfe as good every way or els they had changed for the worse and so pray Him to let him prayer alone they were better as they were they shall be at a losse CHRIST will pray and if He prâ—y great likely-hood there is He will speed 4. His Father 's giving He that is sued to is easy to entreate He is a Father and He that doth sue is gratious to prevaile He is a Sonne Patera Filio-rogatus great odds the suit is halfe obtained yer begunne Specially His suit being not faint or cold but earnest and instant as it was He sued by word and it was clamore valido Heb. 5.7 with strong crying in an high key lachrymis and he added teares saith the Apostle and they have their voice And yet staid not there but His blood speakes too cries higher and speakes better things then the blood of Abel And the effect of His prayer 12.24 Luk. 23.34 was not onely Pater condona Father forgive them but Pater dona Father give them the Holy Spirit to teach sanctifie and comfort them Chap. XVII XVII This was his prayer and his prayer prevailed as good as His word He was His Father should send He said and His Father did send and the HOLY GHOST came witnesse this day 5 Giving the Comforter And came in that sort He undertooke even in that kind whereof they had most need most welcome to them as their case then stood under the terme of Paracletus a Comforter If we aske Why under that terme To shew the peculiar end for which He was sent agreeable to the want of their private estate to whom He was sent If they had been perplexed He would have prayed for the Spirit of truth If in any pollution of sinne for the sanctifying Spirit But they were as Orphans cast downe and comfortlesse Tristitia implevit cor eorum their hearts full of heavinesse no time
supple us And as His Types so his Names the e Io 15.26 Spirit of truth the f Esai 11.2 Spirit of counseile the Spirit of holinesse the Spirit of comfort And according to His severall faculties we to invocate or call for Him by that name that is most for our use or present occasion For all these He looks we should send for Him Our error is as if he were onely for one use or office for comfort alone so in all others we let him alone if never in heavines never looke after him or care once to heare of him But He is for advise and direction also No lesse Paracletus a counselor then Paracletus a comforter He is not sent by CHRIST to comfort onely Ye may see by the very next words the first thing he doth when He commeth is He shall reprove Vers. 8. which is far from comforting But sent He is as well to mediate with us for GOD as with GOD for us GOD 's Paracletus His Sollicitor to call on us for our duety as our Paracletus or Comforter to minister us comfort in time of need Our manner is we love to be left to our selves in our consultations to advise with flesh and blood thence to take our direction all our life and when we must part then send for Him for a little comfort and there is all the use we have of Him But he that will have comfort from Him must also take counseile of him have use of him as well against error and sinfull life as against heavinesse of minde If not heere is your doome where you have had your counseile there seeke your comfort he that hath beene your Counseilour all the time of your life let him be your Comforter at the houre of your death And good reason he will not be Paracletus at halves to stand by at all els and onely to be sent for in our infirmitie Base it is to send for him never but when in extreme need but even otherwise extra casum necessitatis for entertaining of acquaintance and to grow familiar as we use to doe those we delight in The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giveth as much He should be neer us by us one ordinarie not a stranger to call or send for a great way of It is so expedient and he may know us throughly and we him the best and neerest way to finde sure comfort when most we shall need it For be that should minister it soundly indeed had need be familiarly acquainted with the state of our soules that he may be ready and ripe then To goe to a Lawyer 's reading and not heare it serves us not for our worldly doubts nor to heare the Physique lecture for the complaints of our bodyes No we make them Paracletos we call them to us we question with them in particular we have private conference about our estates Onely for our soule 's affayres it is enough to take our directions in open churches and there delivered in grosse private conference we endure not a Paracletus there we need not One we must have to know throughly the estate of our lands or goods One we must have intirely acquainted with the estate of our body In our soules it holdeth not I say no more it were good in did We make him a stranger all our life long He is Paraclitus as they were wont to pronounce him truly Paraclitus one whom we declined and looked over our shoulders at And then in our extremitie sodenly He is Paracletus we seek and send for him we would come a little acquainted with him Mat. 25.12 But take we heed of Nescio vos It is a true answer We take too little a time to breed acquaintance in Neâ—cio vos I feare they finde that so seeke him Paracletus they doe not Paraclitus rather This of Paracletus Now of Mittam the 1 time and the 2 manner 2. His sending 1. The time Mittaâ— both are to the purpose The time that when He sends we make ready for Him The time of the yeâ—re was this time in the Spring the fairest and best part of it The time of the moneth the third day so they deduce from the fifteenth day the day of the Passeover and so fifty dayes it will so fall out by calculation that is the beginning of the moneth The time of the day it was before the third houre that is Act. 2.15 nine of the clock in the morning plainly So it was still prime These teach us it would be in our prime the time of health and strength when we lay the grounds of our comfort not to tarry till the frost and snow of our life till the evill dayes come Eccles. 12. and the yeares approach whereof we shall say we have no pleasure in them He in the spring we in the end of the yeare He in the beginning of the moneth we in the last quarter nay even pridiè calendas He before nine in the morning we not till after nine at night If we will keepe time with him we know what His time is of sending The manner is best and it is in the body of the word As the Spirit of truth â— The manner Per Paraclesiâ— by preaching as the Holy Ghost by prayer the Paracletus we know what he meaneth per Paraclesin by invitation As the Dove to baptisme the Winde to prayer Asperâ—ios attraxi Spiritum Psal. 119.131 the tongue to a sermon the Paracletus to Paraclesis as it were a refreshing so 1. Cor. 10.3.4 friends meete and nourish love and amitie one with another And even humanum dicere after naturall men when our spirits are spent and we wax faint to recover them or never in the naturall man it is done no way more kindly then by nourishment specially such as is apt to bâ—eed them as one kinde is more apt then other There is a spirituall meat and a spirituall drinke saith the Apostle in which kinde there is none so apt to procreate the Spirit in us as that flesh and blood which was it selfe conceived and procreate by the Spirit and therefore full of spirit and life to them that partake it It is sure to invite and allure the Spirit to come there is no more effectuall way none whither Christ will send Him or whither He will come more willingly then to the presence of the most holy Mysteries And namely at this feast concerning which our Saviour CHRIST 's voyce is to sound in our eares Si quis sitiat veniat ad me If any thirst let him come to me and drinke Ioh. 7.39 Which He meant and spake saith Saint Iohn of the spirit which was to be given at that time of especially when He was newly glorified De meo accipiet saith CHRIST of Him and it is no where more truly fulfilled that He shall take of CHRIST 's and give it us then it is done of that Ver. 14.
as the children of perdition should be are lost 〈◊〉 are you And where are they gone to their owne place to Iudas their brother Acts 1.25 〈◊〉 as is most kindly the Sonns to the Father of wickednesse there to be plagued with 〈◊〉 for ever The same way may they all goe and to the same place may they all 〈◊〉 all that shall ever once offer to do the like Thus to the very last syllable of the last verse is this Text found true in you and this Covenant made good to 〈◊〉 All the six points of it all of them in futuro in the Text shall and shall be Comes 〈◊〉 the day and puts them all in praeterito to you changeth shall and shall be into was 〈◊〉 did That thus we read it now His hand did hold you fast His arme did strengthen 〈◊〉 the Enemie was not hable to doe you eny violence no more was the Sonne of wickedâ—essâ— to hurt you But He did smite downe your foes and did plague them that hated you 〈◊〉 the Covenant was fully kept with you and sealed even with the blood of them that 〈◊〉 it And now let all them that tooke eny joy in the first finding and annointing 3 Ioy for your delivering heere 〈…〉 their joy afresh for this second when you were thus in a manner lost and found 〈◊〉 When it was just as in the Gospell Perijt et inventa est Luke 15.6.9 And if he in the 〈◊〉 for his sheep and she for her groat called all their friends together and cryâ—â— Congraetulamini mihi how much greater a Congratulamini belongs to this Where not a groat Mar. â— 20 but He that is the Image and superscription of all our groats yea all our Coyne silver and gold is found againe To find some praises of God for this findiâ—g And what shall this be all No I trust having thus at the hands of GOD found the faithfull mercies of David we will stay a little and looke out some of the faithfull prayers of David to render Him for this for such a finding Let us do so I pray you And we shall not need to go farre not any further then our owne Psalme and but even to the very first words of it The first Verse of the Psalme Cantabo Psal. 145.9 Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo Vpon another no lesse worthy Deliverance I well remember you then tooke up the like Misericordiae Domini super omnia opera Ejus Very fitly that but this agrees rather with us now For it is the beginning of the Psalme whereof the text is a part Made as it were the Anthem for this Sermon Mercie in making this Covenant Will ye see how it agrees There was mercie in making this Covenant there was truth in keeping it See then how aptly he hath sett it My song shal be alwaies of the mercie of the LORD that made it with my mouth will I be shewing His truth that kept it from one generation to another And shall not we sing of His mercie And shall not we set forth his truth Truth in keeping it Sing of His mercie that made this Covenant shew forth His truth that made it good every article and suffered not one word of it to fall to the ground The second verse of the Psalme Ego dixi But if we cannot well sing it for lack of a Queere He hath taken order for that too For the very next the second verse of the Psalme that he begins with Ego dixi I have said that if we cannot sing it we may yet say it And it is but the same over againe I have said Mercie shal be set up for ever Thy truth shalt thou stablish in the heavens What truth It followeth in the third verse this truth of His Covenant to David To sing that and to say this to make our songs on this ground and our sermons on this theame He hath said it to set up His mercie He hath done it to exalt His truth Ever to do this in aeternum In aeternum is the word of the verse if our dulnesse could endure it all the dayes of the yeare To do it in aeterâ—um speciaâ—ly this day Luke 19.19 But of all the dayes in the yeare this day not to faile of it Hodiè salus facta est domui huic Nay regno huic Nay Regnis his This day then not to faile of it For having found this mercie and felt this truth this day shall we not at the least this day thank Him for this day Shall the Sun of this day arise and go down upon us and not see us together to render Him praise for this so loving a mercie for this so faithfull a truth Shall he find hand and arme to succour and to save us and shall not we find mouth and lips to blesse and magnifie Him for it GOD forbid Application to Vâ— Let us then sing that My song shal be alwaies of the mercies of the Lord record it at least Or for default of it say this I have said Mercie shal be set up for ever thy truth shalt thou establish in the heavens Be they never so false upon Earth thou in hâ—aven shalt stablish it By way of preaching Say it per modum Concionis so we have Say it then per modum Orationis so let us do and so an end Even so LORD so let it be Set up this thy mercie for ever for ever stablish the truth of this thy covenant By way of prayer with thy Servant our Soveraigne that it never faile Him as not this day so not at any other time Let thine hand be still upon Him and thine arme about Him for ever between Him and His harmes Violence and hurt never come neer Him The sonnes of wickednesse be ever farr from Him Let them be non proficients all the sort of them that studie or practise this wicked lesson Never lose thou Him or suffer Him to be lost Ever find Him good Lord to succour and save Him and let thy right hand find out His enemies to smite and plague them with the same blowes thou didst smite and wâ—th the same plagues thou didst powre on these of this day The destinie of this day come on them all And for Him let His annointing still be frâ—sh on Him and His crowne still flourish on His head Let Him all the day walke in the light of thy countenaâ—ce and at night 〈…〉 the covering of thy wings This day as once it did and as ever since it hath 〈◊〉 let it long and many yeares rise prosperous and happie to him This day and all daies That he that we all may sing of thy mercie and set forth thy truth all the daies of our life Heare us O LORD and graunt it for thy SONNE' 's sake our SAVIOVR c. A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE IN THE CATHEDRAL CHVRCH at SALJSBVRJE on the V. of
Bread Praiers THere had been two sundrie daies before Sermons concerning the positive outward worship of GOD out of this Text consisting of these foure parts 1. The Apostle's Doctrine 2. Their Societie or fellowship 3. Breaking of Bread 4. Prayers The effect of this last was to acquaint the Auditorie with sundrie Imaginations by diverse erected which many unstable persons do runne after and worship instead of those foure the Apostle's Doctrine c. The order was to beginn with the doctrine first and so after through the rest as they stand THat such imaginations there are I. Ecc. 7. vlt. Salomon complaineth of Ratiocinia plurima whereby men were with-drawen from the simplicitie of their creation And under the Gospell S. Paul likewise of Venti doctrinarum whereby Christian people began to be blowen and caryed about from the stedfastnesse of the truth Eph. 4.14 But especially under the Gospell For that as S. Augustine saith De Civit. 18. Videus Diabolus templa Daemonum deseri in nomen CHRISTI currere genus 〈…〉 Seeing idolâ—â—rous images would downe he bent his 〈◊〉 devise in place of them to erect and sett up divers imaginations that the people instead of the former might bowe downe to these and wâ—â—ship them Since which it hath been and is his daily practise either to broach Heb. 13.9 Apoc. 2.14 Doctrinâ—◠〈◊〉 peregrinas new imaginations never heard of before Or to revive the old and new dresse them And these for that by themselves they will not utter to mingle and to card with the Apostle's doctrinâ— 2. Cor 2.10 c. that at the least yet he may so vent them And this indeed is the disease of our age and the just complaint we make of it That there hath beene good riddance made of images but for imaginations they be daily stamped in great number and instead of the old Images sett up deified and worshipped carrying the names and credit of the Apostle's doctrine government c. Touching these imaginations then to find some heads of them They be 1. Tim. 4.1 in respect of the Devill who inspireth them called Doctrinae daemoniorum Matt 16.9.12 Apoc. 2.13 Act. 20.29 In respect of the instruments by whom he breathes them out doctrinae hominum As the doctrine of the Pharisees The doctrine of the Nicolaitans These men were of two sorts as S. Paul sorteth them 1 Wolves which from without entered into the Church 2 Men arising from among themselves teaching perverse things 1. Imaginations from without the Church 1. Those which from without entered were Philosophers from the Gentiles Pharisees from the Iewes Both which bredd many imaginations in Christian Religion Col. 2.8 Against them both S. Paul giveth a double caveat Not to be seduced by Philosophie meaning as he sheweth the vaine deceit of that profession that is the former 2 Nor with the humane traditions and rudiments of the Pharisees 1. Tim. 6.20 that is the latter To avoid oppositions of science falsly so called Tit. 1.14 there is the first To avoid Iewish fables traditions there is the second Luc. 5. ult For from these two forges came a great part of the imaginations which ensued Each of these Sects esteeming his old wine good and consequently brewing it with the new wine of the GOSPEL Imaginations by Philosophie First by the course of the Ecclesiasticall Historie it appeareth 1. By Philosophie that Simon Magus who of a heathen Philosopher became a Christian and was baptized after through the gall of bitternesse wherein he was fell away againe and proved the first of all haeretiques Act. 8.23 He first and after Valentine and then Basilides devised many strange speculative phansies And indeed whosoever they be that dote about unprofitable curious speculations from this kind they sprung first After these those two maine heresies that so mightily troubled the Church First that of the Manichee who brought a necessitie upon all things by meanes of his duo principia making men secure how they lived because it was ordained what should become of them Secondly the other of the Pelagian who ascribed to mans free-will an abilitie to â—â—epe GOD 's Lawe and thereby made void the grace of CHRIST Both these were but two bastard slips of corrupt Philosophie The former an imagination issuing from the Sect of the StoÌ„iques and their fatall destinie The latter from the Sect of the Peripatetiques and their pure naturalls Imaginations by Iudaisme 2. By Iudaismâ— As the curious speculations came from the Philosophers of the Gentiles So whatsoever superstitious observations were imagined came from the Pharisees and sects of the Iewes As Simon Magus is reckoned the first haeretique So Ebion the Iew is the second And from him sprang the opinion of the necessitie of Iewish observances which was the occasion of the Councell in Acts 15. and the opinion of worshipping Angells as Mediators as Theodoret testifieth upon Col. 2.18 And for those Caeremonies as at the first they desired to reteine those very same that were Iudaicall So when it was withstood by the Apostles they did after but turne them and new vernish them over into others like and with them so clogged the Church as the Iewe's estate was much more tolerable then the Christian's Saint Augustine's complaint Ep. 119. Now from these two sorts of persons proceeded those two severall meanes whereby as it were in two moulds all imaginations have been cast and the truth of GOD 's word ever perverted 1. Matt. 9 17. From the Pharisee That peecing out the new garment with old raggs of traditions that is adding to and eeking out GOD 's truth with mens phansies with the Phylacteries and fringes of the Pharisees Mar. 7 4. who tooke upon them to observe many things beside it 2. From the Philosopher that wresting and tentering of the Scriptures which S. Peter complaineth of with expositions and glosses newly coined to make them speake that 2 Pet. 3.16 they never meant Giving such new and strange senses to places of Scripture as the Church of CHRIST never heard of And what words are there or can there be that being helped out with the Pharisee's addition of a truth unwritten or tuned with the Philosopher's wrest of a devised sense may not be made to give colour to a new imagination Therefore the ancient Fathers thought it meet that they that would take upon them to interprete the Apostle's Doctrine should put in sureties that their senses they gave were no other then the Church in former time hath acknowledged It is true the Apostles indeed spake from the Spirit and every affection of theirs was an oracle but that I take it was their peculiar priviledge But all that are after them speake not by revelation but â—y labouring in the word and learning are not to utter their owne phanâ—â—es and to desire to be beleeved upon their bare word if this be not doâ—inari fidei to be
erre in their imaginations no lesse and that even against the same places First against Orabo spiritu 1. Cor. 14.15 in the same verse by finding fault with a sett Liturgie which they call stinted prayers and giving themselves to imagine prayers at the same instant whereby it is plaine they so occupie their minds with devising still what to say next their spirit is unfruictfull Mat. 23.14 no lesse then the other's understanding And both these 1 the understanding of the minde 2 and the affection of the spirit are there necessarily required And again that instead of Rosaries and a number of prayers they bring in the Pharise's imagination of long prayers that is a prayer as long as a whole Rosarie And this they take to be a great part of holynesse but indeed it is nothing but the former superstition drawen in backward In which who so markes them shall find they committ both faults that of the Pharisee in taedious length procuring many times nauseam spiritus a dangerous passion and the other of the Heathen in fond repetitions tautologies inconsequences and all the absurdities that may fall into such manner of speech Saint Cyprian faith It was ever in Christ's Church counted an absurd thing which some count their glorie ventilari preces inconditis vocibus The absurditie whereof would better appeare if seeing under prayers heere Psalmes and spirituall songs are conteined both being parts of invocation they would have no stinted Psalmes but conceive their songs too upon the present out of the spirit and so sing them For to say truth ther is no more reason for the one then for the other But GOD's Church hath ever had as a forme of doctrine both of faith in the Creed and of life in the Decalogue so of prayer too Which from Acts 13.2 the Fathers in all ages have called a Liturgie or service of GOD. These are of many imaginations some set up and magnified by some and by others adored and worshipped under the names of the 1 Apostle's Doctrine 2 Governement 3 Sacraments and 4 Prayers Saint Stephen telleth us out of the fift of Amos that if we doe thus make to our selves Tabernacles and figures to worship them our punishment shal be to be carryed away beyond Babylon Acts 7.43 And good reason for these idle phansies are not from Christ's Church from Sion but from Babylon they came and if we delight in them thither shall we be caâ—ryed And sâ—re we are in a good way thitherward for of Babel Saint Augustine faith Civitas illa confusionis indifferent habuit Philosophos interje diversa adversa sentientes In GOD's citie it was never so there was ever correction for Coyners 18. de Civit. Dei But in Babel the Citie of confusion every Philosopher might set up as now every Sect-master may broach any imagination that taketh him in the head without punishment For in Babel it is reckoned but an indifferent matter Sure the Prophets tell us that if Babylon's confusion goe thus before the captivitie of Babylon is not farr behinde From which Almightie GOD deliver us and make us carefull as to continue the Apostle's doctrine c So neither to engrave nor to bow downe and worship any of these imaginations Amen One of the Sermons upon the III. COMMANDEMENT PREACHED IN THE PARISH Church of S t. GILES Cripplegate Iun. XI AN. DOM. MDXCII IEREM CHAP. IV. VER II. Et jurabis vivit DOMINVS in veritate in judicio in justitia And thou shalt sweare the LORD liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse OF this Commandement there are two maine Propositions 1 Thou shalt take the Name of GOD Els it should have beene thou shalt not take it at all 2. Thou shalt take it orderly and not in vaine Of the first thou shalt take it to those ends and uses to which GOD lendeth it Of which one is Thou shalt sweare by it which is limited by two waies First by what The Lord liveth Secondly how In truth iudgement iustice As in the former Commaundements so in this there be two Extremes 1. The one of the Anabaptists which hold all swearing unlawful contrarie to the first Thou shalt sweare 2. The other of the licentious Christian which holds at least in practise A man may sweare how and in what sort he lift By Creatures c Contrarie to The Lord liveth c Falsly rashly lewdly Contrarie to In truth iudgement iustice I. Thou shalt sweare That it is lawfull to sweare it appeareth by the Law Deut. 6.13 By the Prophets Ieremie heere Esai Chap. 45. Ver. 23. more earnestly I have sworne by My Selfe the word is gone out of My mouth and shall not returne That every knee shall bow to Me every tongue shall sweare by Me. David Psal. 63. ult Laudabuntur omnes qui iurant per Eum. By the practise of the Saints not only under Moses but under the Law of Nature Abraham sweareth Gen. 21.24 Isaac sweareth Gen 26.31 Iacob sweareth Gen. 31.33 Now our Saviour Christ came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets in those things wherin they agree with the Law of Nature Therefore not to take away an oath Whereas they object first That it standeth not with Christian profession but was tolerated as an unperfect thing under the Law We answere It cannot be reckoned an imperfection to sweare For that not onely Abraham the patterne of humane perfection both sware himselfe Gen. 21.24 and put his servant to an oath Gen. 24.3 But even the Angels neerer then we to perfection sware both under the Law Dan. 12.7 and under the Gospell Apoc. 10.6 And not onely they but even God himselfe in whom are all perfections Gen. 22.16 and Psal. 110.4 So that it cannot be imagined an imperfection Besides the holy Apostles the most perfect Christians have in urgent causes done the like 2. Corinth 1.23 I call God for a record against mine owne soule and 1. Cor. 15.31 By our reioicing which I have in Christ Iesus our Lord which place cannot be avoided having in the Greeke the word Nη never used but in an oath onely Whereas secondly they object our Saviour's saying I say unto you sweare not at all The Auncient Writers answere that our Saviour Christ in the very same place not reproving the other part Reddes autem Domino iuramenta tua meant not to take all oathes away But must be understood according to the Pharisee's erroneous glosse of this Commandement which he entended to overthrow by opposing to dictum est antiquis Ego autem dico Which was of two sorts 1. For first it seemeth they understood it of periurie alone So that if a man forsware not himselfe he might sweare any oath And so Christ reproveth not onely false but all rash and unadvised swearing 2. Secondly it seemeth they had this conceipt So a man sware not by the great Name of God all was well He might sweare by any creaâ—ure at his pleasure and
so Christ willeth not to sweare at all by any creature Though indeed we hold in Divinitie that Iurare of and by it selfe considered is an act forbidden no lesse then Occîdere And that as it is an absolute countermand Non occîdes and yet the Magistrate by due course of Iustice executing a malefactor is commended So is it likewise Non iurabÃs and yet being as we terme it vestitum debitis circumstantijs Laudabuntur omnes qui iurant per Eum as King David saith Psal. 63 ult Lastly there is also a barr in the word Iurare For God in his Law ever putting it passively that is rather thou shalt be sworne or called to an oath then thou shalt sweare actively our Saviour Christ heere utterly condemneth the active voluntarie swearing of men of their own heads which was indeed never permitted howsoever the Pharisees glossed the matter If the maâ—ter were true and so it were by Iehova So that an oath is lawfull but with this condition limited that the Partie doe therein habere se passivè come to it not of his owne accord but pressed as Saint Augustine well saith vel autoritate deferentÃs vel duritie non credentÃs as to the lifting of a burden as to the entring of a bond Num. 30.3 Thou shalt sweare The Lord liveth I. Limitation The Lord livetâ— or as Moses saith Deut. 6.13 by God's Name Which clause first doth limit by what we are to sweare and doth exclude 1 Swearing by those which are no Godds Ier. 5.7 Either Idolls forbidden in the Law Exod. 23.13 Ios. 23.7 Either to sweare by them alone Amos 8. ult Or to joine God and them togither Zeph 1.5 Or creatures which our Saviour Christ forbiddeth Mat. 5.34 And sure as to sweare by them is derogatorie to our selves seeing thereby we make them our betters for that every one that sweareth sweareth by a greater then himselfe Heb. 6.16 So it is highly injurious to the Maiestie of God seeing to sweare by a creature is to ascribe unto it power to see and know all things and to doe vengance on periurie Which in Divinitie to thinke or say is manifest blasphemie Howbeit yet the Fathers well weighing that speech of Saint Paul 1. Corinth 15. â—1 where he speaketh on this wise By our reioicing which we have in Christ Iesus our Lord c wherin his oath is not immediatly by the Name of God but by a secondarie thing issuing from it have thought it not absolutely necessarie that in every oath the Name of God should be expresly mentioned but sufficient if reductivè It is ruled in Divinitie that such things as presently are reduced to God will beare an oath In which respect to sweare by the Holy Gospell considering our reioicing will beare an oath and that in the Gospell our matter of reioicing is principally conteined hath in the Primitive Church been holden lawfull As in the Councill of Constantinople 6 Act. 13. Especially seeing there is no direct contestation used but rather by way of oppignoration Engaging unto God our Salvation Faith Reioicing part in His Gospell and promises the Contents c if we utter an untruth II. Thâ— Manner or second limitation Secondly the forme and manner of swearing Which is of three sorts 1. Either by contestation as heer The Lord liveth Before God Gal. 1.2 Or God knoweth it is so 2. Cor. 11.11 God is my witnesse 1. Thes. 2.5 .. 2. Or by a more earnest asseveration As sure as God liveth Iud. 8.19 3. Or by detestation and execration as in other places and that againe is of two sorts 1. By imprecation of evill God be my Iudge Gen. 31.53 God behold it and rebuke it 1. Chro. 12.17 God doe so and so unto me 1. Sam. 14.44 I call God a record against my soule 2. Cor. 4.23 2. Or by oppignoration or engaging of some good which we would not lose as Our reioicing in Christ 1. Cor. 15.3 Our Salvation God's help c. Both are oft and may be joined togither if it be thought meete God Ãs my witnesse that thus it is and GOD be my Iudge if thus it be not Wherein as in prayer when all meanes faile we acknowledge that GOD can help as well without as with second causes So we confesse that He can discover our truth and falshood and can punish the same by waies and meanes to Him knowen though no creature in the world beside know the thing or can take hold of us Thou shalt sweare In Truth Iudgement Iustice. The three Enclosures and companions of a Christian oath are In Truth against Falshood the matter In Iudgement against Lightnesse the matter and manner both In Iustice against Vnlawfulnesse the end 1. In truth In truth Ye shall not sweare by my name falsly Levit. 19.12 Which vice forbidden we call periurie Each action we say is to light super debitam materiam The due and owne matter of swearing is a Truth If it fall or light super indebitam materiam as falshood it proveth a sinne At all times are we bound to speake truth to our neighbour Eph. 4.5 But because men are naturally given to have their mouth fraught with vanitie Psal. 144.8 in solemne matters to be sure to bring the truth from us GOD is set before us If then when we confesse the truth we give glorie to GOD Ios. 7.21 So if when GOD being set before us we testifie an untruth it is exceeding contumelious to him it is to make him one that knoweth not all things or that can be deceived or that if he know cannot doe any harme or which is worst which will willingly be used to bolster out our lyes Peierare est dicere deo Descende de Coelo assere mecum mendacium hoc 1Of Promise In an oath of Promise we are to sweare in Truth He that sweareth an oath and by it bindeth his soule with a bond shall not violate his word but doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Num. 30.3 Reades autem Domino Iuramenta Matt â— 33 Yea by the very light of nature Pharao willeth Ioseph goe and bury thy Father seeing he made thee sweare to do so Against which oath men are two waies faulty 1. If at the swearing they purpose not as David saith Ps. 119.106 I have sworne and am utterly purposed Such is the nature of an oath 2. If they then purpose but after a dammage being likely to ensue they disappoint their former oath Psa. 15.15 Touching which we see that when Iosua and the Israëlites had sworne to the men of Gibeon though that oath cost them foure great and faire Cities which should otherwise have come to their possession they would not breake though As contrariewise Zedekias having given his oath of Allegiance to the King of Babylon 2. Chro. 36.9 when he regarded it not but rose against him notwithstanding GOD sendeth him word he shall never prosper for so doing Ezek. 17.12 And to say truth there is
not cannot be excluded To endure Him that is not it The point is how we stand affected to His standing Whither we be willing with it whither it be the desire of our hearts that he should and the joy that he doth stand and will stand there Put case he stood not VVould we earnestly intreat him to vouchsafe us His presence to take up his standing among us If He made as if He would be gone as Luc. 24.29 would we be instant with Mane nobiscum Domine Stay with us still good Lord MOSES said If Thou go not with us carry us not hence would we say If thou Lord stay not with us Exod. 33.15 what do we here If GOD be gone migremus hinc let us be gone too And never hope for good of that Assembly where He is not Now fourthly if we be willing and glad 4 To procure the means that God may be willing to stand if we take comfort in His standing hereby shall we be tried if we use all meanes as will procure Him to stay in our Assembly the more willinglâ— as will make his standing pleasant and not grow tedious to Him And such things there are Those be foure And these they are One speciall thing that gives him content 1 To be of one minde is a Place where there is Concord and Vnitie a Psal. 76.2 At Salem that is where peace is In pace factus est locus Ejus So read the Fathers there is His Tabernacle And that Tabernacle is the Tabernacle of the Congregation His feet and our feet and both stand willingly in the gates there The reason b Psal 122.3 For it is at unitie within it selfe There loves he to stand and there His Spirit where c Act 2. â— they were all with one accord in one place d Psal. 68.6 Qui facit unanimes habitare in domo if he 〈…〉 that are in 〈…〉 if brethren to dwell togither in 〈…〉 how pleasing 〈…〉 to Him 〈…〉 It passes Aaron's 〈…〉 is nothing â—o the the delight of it 〈…〉 deed if we considâ—r 〈◊〉 well it is the vertue this of 〈…〉 that is most proper â—ay essâ—â—â—iall then to a Congregation withoâ—◠〈◊〉 gregation it 〈…〉 no Congregation The Con is gone a 〈◊〉 rather â—noâ—gh â—o make Him to be gone that For if there a Heb. 1â— 15 spring vp a 〈…〉 If the b 〈◊〉 9.23 evill spirit get in that was sent vpon Abiâ—â—lech and the men of Sichem c 〈◊〉 5 1â—.16 If the divisions of Reuben do make great thoughts 〈…〉 there God stands vpon thornes But where d 〈◊〉 â—â— 14 the hearts of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—gregation are bowed as the heart of one man there stands God and 〈…〉 delights to stand To use no cunning but plaiâ—dealing Psal. 51.6 â—nother He takes pleasure to stand among them that are good and 〈◊〉 of heart Where He finds truth in the inward parts Where without art or artificiall glosing or cunning carrying of things vnder hand men go plainly to worke everie one in the sinceritie and singlenesse of an honest vpright meaning And the more plainesse ever the more pleasure God takes there to stand Truth as it is the mightiest so is it the wisest thing when all is done They that love it not but to cover and color and carrie all by cunning Psal. 15.1 they shall never stand in God's Tabernacle Neither they in his nor he in theirs To looke to Idipsum One more There is a word and it is a great word in this Booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In idipsum that is to looke to the thing it selfe the verie point the principall matter of all to haue our eye on that and not of it vpon alia omnia any thing but it So say I againe upon the thing it selfe not vpon some persons or personall respects Neither to by-matters Nor to personall respects God accepts no person nor loves them that do The verie first thing that in the verie next Verse he finds fault with and charges them with is this when men are for or against a thing be it what it will be and neither for it selfe but onely because it proceeds from such or such persons Neither of these is in medio Idipsum that is the center that the middle That place is God's place To go to the point drive all to that as also to go to the matter reall without declining from it this way or that to the right hand or to the left for any personall regard To do thâ—◠〈◊〉 do cheerefully And last of all that which pleaseth him best of all And that is where He finds 〈…〉 willing mind his heart is vpon such And where his heart is ever his feet stand at ease Calcat rosas he treads vpon roses there In the Song of 〈◊〉 it is thought there is sett downe a patterne of the Vertues or 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Assembly In that Song there are two Halleluja's two Benediciâ—â—'s for it 〈◊〉 at the verie beginning Halleluja Praise the 〈…〉 for the 〈◊〉 that camâ— of Iud. â— 2 and offered themselves so willingly 〈…〉 verse afâ—â—r My heart is upon the Governors 〈…〉 that offered 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 willingly Halleluja Praise the Lord. 〈…〉 Halleâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the people Blessed be God for both Then have you againe after those two verses togither In the one Meroz cursed for their back wardnesse And Iael for her forwardnesse Iud. 5.23.24 blessed and blessed againe For this indeed is the marrow of the Sacrifice the fatt of the offering and without this all is poore and leane b And redily This is sure GOD loves not to dwell in Mesech that is interpreted * Psal. 120.5 Mat. 25.21 prolongatus est And His Sonne calling one Serve nequam piger shewes He loves piger as evill as he does nequam And His Spirit cannot skill of these same tarda molimina In a word none of them to be wearied with standing I know not how long And see The very next word of all the next that followes these immediatly is How long So he beginns His complaint the first word of the next Verse which shewes he loves it not Not that he can be weary It is an infirmitie that and so is griefe and so is repentance and they cannot fall into GOD They are attributed to him though And GOD is said as to a Gen. 6.6 repent and b Eph. 4 30. to be grieved so to be stark c Ier. 6.11 wearie In no other sense but this That if he be not wearie no thankes to us For if it were possible if the divine Nature were or could be subject to it if GOD could be weary if his feet were not of brasse Apoc. 1.5 we would put him to it we do even what in us lieth to tire him out right to make him crie vsque quo How long But 1 where there is accord without Reuben's divisions 2
humilitie The messenger of Sathan that was sent the Apostle to buffet him was of this nature and to no other end sent but to prevent this maladie In a word CHRIST must withdraw no remedie that we may grow humble and being humble the HOLY GHOST may come for He commeth to none Esay 57.15 1. Pet. 5.5 rests on none giveth grace to none but the humble So we see CHRIST may be and is even according to His spirituall presence withdrawne from some persons and for their good Christus abit ut Paracletus veniat and that many waies meet it is Psal. 108.6 it so should be This makes us say Go LORD Sett up thy selfe above the heavens and thy glory over all the earth III. Of Mitâ—am Eum â— Eum the Person If He goe not the HOLY GHOST will not come But if CHRIST goe will He come shall we not be left to the wide world without both will the Comforter come He will for CHRIST will not faile but send Him If He take His body from our eyes He will send His Spirit into our hearts But sent He shall be heere is mittam Eum And so He did CHRIST sent Him and He came and in memorie of this Veniet mittam hold we this Day He did to them but will He also to us He will And shall we see fiery tongues That is not Christ's promise to send fierie tongues but Illum Him the Comforter And comfort it is we seeke It is not the tongues or fire we care for or will doe us good We conceive I trust after two manners He came as this day 1 One visible in tongues of fire that sat upon their heads 2 The other invisible by inward graces whereby He possessed their hearts The former was but for ceremonie at first the other is it the reall matter Illum Him And Him this day as well as that this day and ever He will not faile to send Alwaies we are to thinke His promise and his prayer were not for these onely but for all that should beleeve on Him by their word to the world's end Now this last point these two 1 mittam 2 Illum we are specially to looke to 1 Illum that â— Spâ—ritus sanctuâ— CHRIST is gone once for all We have no hold now but of this promise I will send Him That we take heed we forgoe not Him and lose our part in the promise too A great part of the world is sure in this case Christ is gone and the Comforter is not sent Not this for I speake not of the world's comfort the rich man's Luk. 16. qui habebat hîc consolationem who had his comfort heere in good fare and braverie â—uc 16.25 and all manner delights of the flesh flesh-comforts but this heere is Paracletus qui est Spiritus And because all Religions promise a Spirituall comfort it is said further Paracletus qui est Spiritus veritatis No Spirit of error but the Spirit of truth 2. 〈◊〉 And because all Christians though counterfeite claime an interest in Spiritus veritatis yet further it is added Paracletus qui est Spiritus sanctus He is no uncleane Spirit but one sanctifying and leading us into an holy and cleane life This is the true Comforter and none other that Christ promiseth to send Christ will send Him But that we mistake him not not unlesse we call for Him and be ready to entertaine Him For cletus is in Paracletus Of which let me tell you these three things It is the chiefe word of the Text and chiefe thing of the Feast It is translated Comforter that translation is but ad homines for their turne to whom he speakes for as their case was they needed that office of His most But the true force of the word Paracletus is Advocatus not the Nowne but the Participle one called to sent for invited to come upon what occasion or for what end soever it be For what end soever it be the person sent for is Paracletus properly pro eâ— vice for that time and turne Advocatus But because the spirit of the world ruleth in this world the worldly affaires come thickest our affections in that kinde so many and oft it is come to passe that the Lawyer hath carried away the name of Advocatus from the rest and they growen to be the Paracleti of this world called for even from the Prince to the Peazant and consulted with none so often The Physitian he hath his time and turne of advocation to be a Paracletus too but nothing so oft as for Barnabas which is interpreted the sonne of consolation never Act. 4 3â— till both Zenas the Lawyer and Luke the Physitian have given us over never called for but when it is too late But first from mittam Paracletum this we have Mittam Christ will send 1. Our dueâ—y to câ—ll for Him for Comfort but Paracletum if you send for Him Veniet come He will but not come unlesse called nor sent but sent for If we call him veniet He will come if we send for Him He will send Him That is our duty but what is our practise We misse in this first we call not for Him We finde no time for Him He is faine to call for us to ring a bell for us to send about to get us and then are we Advocati not He. When we send for Him He is Paracletus when He for us then we are and not He if we be that if we be Advocati and not rather avocati every trifling occasion being enough to call us away Thus we stumble at the very threshold and doe we yet mervaile if CHRIST send him not nor He come Men are sent for for some end and diverse are the ends thereafter as our need is 2. For counseile We send not for them onely when we are in heavÃnesse to comfort us but when we are in doubt to resolve us which is the second signification and so Paracletus is turned advocate or counselor 1. Ioh. 2.1 And the Holy Ghost looketh to be sent for for both for counseile as well as for consolation for both he is good for both Yea many are his uses and therefore he thinketh much to be sent for but for one as if He were good for nothing els If we be in doubt He is hable to resolve us if perplexed to advise and to guide if we know not how to frame our petition for us If we know not to teach if we forget to remember us And not onely one use as we phansie if we be out of heart to comfort us And because his uses be many his types are so a Io. 3.5 Water sometimes sometimes b Act. 2.3 fire One while c Io 3.8 winde one while d Io. 2.20 ointment and according to our severall wants we to send to him for fire to warme for winde to coole for water to clense us for oyle to