was baptized and did pray the heaven was opened And the H. Ghost came downe upon him in a bodily shape like a Dove c. p. 674. IX Ioh 20.22 He breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Ghost p. 686. X. Luk. 4.18.19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He hath annointed me that I should preach c. p. 698. XI Act. 2. v. 17. to the 22. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Ioel And it shall be in the last daies saith God I will poure out of my Spirit upon all flesh c. p. 710. XII Act. 10. v. 34.35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no accepter of persons c. p. 723. XIII 1. Ioh. 5.6 This is that Iesus Christ that came by water and blood c. And it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse c. p. 755. XIV Iam. 1. v. 16.17 Every good thing and every perfect Gift is from above c. p. 745. XV. 1. Cor. 12. v. 4.5.6.7 Now there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit c. p. 755. Sermons preached upon the V. of August I. 2. Sam. 18.32 And Cushi answered The enemies of my Lord the King c be as that young man is p. 773. II. 1. Sam. 16. v. 8.9 Then said Abisai to David God hath closed thine enemie into thine hand this day c. p. 784. III. 1. Chr. 16.22 Touch not mine Annointed p. 795 IV. Psal. 89 v. 20.21.22.23 I have found David my servant c. p 815. V. Ps. 21. v. 1. to the 4. The King shall reioyce in thy strength ô Lord c. p. 830. VI. Esth. 2. v. 21.22 In those daies when Mardochei sate in the King's gate two of the King's Eunuchs Bigthan and Teresh were wroth c. p. 844. VII 1. Sam. 24. v. 5.6.7.8 And the men of David said unto him See the day is come whereof the Lord said unto thee c. p. 859. VIII Gen. 49. v. 5.6.7 Simeon and Levi brethren in evill c. p. 870. Sermons preached upon the V. of November I. Psal. 18. v. 23.24 This is the Lords doing c. This is the day which the Lord hath made c. p. 889. II. Psal. 126. v. 1.2.3.4 When the Lord brought againe the captivitie of Sion we were like them that dreame c. p. 901. III. Luk 9 v. 54.55.56 And when his Disciples Iames and Iohn saw it they said Lord wilt thou that we command that fire come downe c. p. 911 IV. Lament 3.22 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed c. p. 923. V. Prov. 8.15 By me Kings reigne p. 933. VI. Prov. 24. v. 21.22.23 My Sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change p. 945. VII Psal. 145.9 His mercies are over all his works p. 959. VIII Esai 37.3 The children are come to the birth ther is not strength to bring forth p. 971. IX Luk. 1. v. 74.75 That we being delivered c. might serve him without feare c. p. 983. X. Esth 9.31 To confirme those daiâ—s of Purim according to their seasons c. p. 997. Sermons upon severall occasions I. At the Spital 1. Tim 6. v. 17.18.19 Charge them that are rich c. p. 1. II. Of the worshipping of imaginations upon the II. Commandement p. 25. III. Ier. 4.2 Thou shalt sweare The Lord liveth in truth in iudgement in righteousnesse p. 34. IV. Ioh. 20.23 Whose-soever sinnes ye remitt they are remitted c. p. 49. V. Ier. 23.6 This is the Name whereby they shall call upon him The Lord our righteousnesse p. 67. VI. Matt. 22.21 Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's p. 87. VII Num. 10. V. 1.2 Of the right of calling Assemblies p. 99. VIII On the Coroâ—ation day Iudges 17.6 In those daies there was no King in Israel c. p. 115. IX Iam. 1.22 And be ye doers of the Word and not hearers onely c. p. 129. X. At the opening of the Parliament Psal. 82.1 God standeth in the Congregation of Princes c. p. 143. XI Psal. 106. v. 29.30 Thus they provoked him to anger c and the Plague was great among them c. p. 159. A Sermon preached at the Funerall of Lancelot late Bishop of Winchester by the Bishop of Elie. SERMONS OF The Nativitie PREACHED VPON Christmasse Day Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber A SERMON Preached before the KINGS MAIESTY AT WHITE-HALL on Tuesday the XXV of December A.D. MDCV. being CHRIST-MASSE day HEBR. CHAP. II. VER XVI For He in no wise tooke the Angells But the Seede of ABRAHAM He tooke AND even because this day He tooke not the Angells Nature vpon Him but took our Nature in the seede of Abraham therefore hold wee this Day as a high Feast therefore meet we thus every yeare in a holy Assembly even for a solemne memorial that He hath as this day bestowed vpon vs a dignity which vpon the Angells He bestowed not That He as in the Chapter before the Apostle setteth him forth that is the brightnesse of His Fathers glorie Heb. 1. â— the very Character of his substance the Heire of all things by whom He made the world He when both needed it His taking vpon him their nature and both stood before him Men and Angells the Angells He tooke not but Men he tooke was made man was not made an Angell that is did more for them then he did for the Angells of Heaven Elsewhere the Apostle doth deliver this very point positively and that not without some vehemency Without all question Great is the mysterie of Godlines God is manifested in the flesh 1. Tim 3.16 Which is in effect the fame that is here said but that heere it is delivered by way of comparison For this speech is evidently a comparison If he had thus set it downe Our naturâ— He tooke that had beene positive But setting it downe thus Ours He tooke the Angells He tooke not it is certainely comparative 1. Now the Masters of speech tell vs that there is power in the Positive if it be giuen forth with an earnest asseveration But nothing to that that is in the Comparative It is nothing so full to say I will never forget you as thus to say it Can a mother forget the child of her owne wombe Esa. 49.15 well if she can yet will not I forget you Nothing so forcible to say thus I will hold my word with you Luk. 19.17 as thus Heaven and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe The Comparative expressing is without all question more significant And this heer is such Theirs the Angels nusquam at no hand He tooke but ours he did 2. Now the comparison is as is the thing in nature wherunto it is made If the thing be ordinarie the comparison is according But then is it full of force when it is with no meane or base
remaineth for them to receive none but the second And that then is it And that bound they are to receive For though by speciall priviledge some are aspersi Spiritu quos aqua mystica non tetigit Sprinkled with the HOLY GHOST before they had 〈◊〉 Sprinkling of water of which number was Cornelius and these in the Text though while they were at the Sermon the HOLY GHOST came upon them yet to the Sacrament they came though we see That was to them and is to us all the Seale of GOD 's acceptation That first was theirs but the chiefe and last is this of ours For this is indeed the true receiving when one is received to the Table to eat and drinke to take his repast there yea ad accipiendum in quo acceptus est to take and to take into Him Heb. 10.10 Ephes. 1.7 that body by the oblation whereof we are all sanctified and that blood in which we have all remission of sinnes In that ended they in this let us end And this accepting we desire of GOD and desiring it in an acceptable time He will heare us and this is that acceptable time For if the yeare of Pentecost the fiftieth yeare were the acceptable yeare as Luk. 4.21 then the day of Pentecost the fiftieth day this day is the acceptable day for the same reason Truely acceptable as the Day whereon the Holy Ghost was first received and whereon we may receive Him now againe Whereon acceptus est is fullfilled both waies we of Him received to grace and He of us His flesh and blood and with them his Spirit He receiveth us to grace and we receive of Him grace and with it the influence of His Holy Spirit which shall still follow us and never leave us till we be accepti indeed that is received up to Him in his kingdome of glorie Whither blessed are they that shall be received A SERMON Preached before the KINGS MAIESTIE AT VVHITE-HALL On the IV. of Iune A. D. MDCXX being WHIT-SVNDAY I. IOHN CHAP. V. VER VI. Hic est qui venit per aquam sanguinem IESVS CHRISTVS non in aqua solum sed in aqua sanguine Et Spiritus est qui testificatur quoniam SPIRITVS est veritas This is that IESVS CHRIST that came by water blood not by water onely but by water blood And it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse for the Spirit is truth THIS is IESVS CHRIST and it is the Spirit So the verse you see linketh CHRIST and the Spirit togither is a passage from the one to the other Linketh them and so consequently linketh this Feast of the Spirit present with those of CHRIST that are gone before and under one sheweth the convenience of having the Spirit an article in our Creed and of having this day a feast in our Calendar For though CHRIST have done all that He had to doe all is not done that is to doe till the Spirit come too We have nothing to shew we want our teste a speciall part of out evidence is lacking that when all is done iâ— thâ—s be not nothiâ—g is done CHRIST without water water without bloud His water and bloud and He without the Spirit availe us nothing The Spirit we are to have and this day we have it and for the having it this day we keep a Feast As those hitherto for Christ complementum legis so this for the Holy Ghost complementum Evangelij which was not complete donec complerentur dies Pentecostes till the dayes of Pentecost were fulfilled till this day was come and gone Saint Iohn is every where all for love Heer in this Chapter I know not how he it hitt upon faith Which with him is rare so the more to be made of Specially in this age wherein it is growen the vertue of chiefe request And indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an excellent vertue is faith if it be faith For as there is saith Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a knowledge falsly so called 1. Tim. 6.20 so is there a faith for faith is it selfe but a land of knowledge How shall we then make faith of our faith Of it selfe it is but a bare act faith a thing indifferent the vertue and the value of it is from the objâ—ct it beleeveth in if that be right all is right And that is right if it have for his object not IESVS CHRIST barely but as Saint Iohn speaketh That IESVS CHRIST That IESVS CHRIST is somwhat a strange speech as if there were another Is there so Yes II. Cor. XI.V. ye have alium IESVM and Gal. I.VII. aliud Evangelium Not that but another IESVS Not this but another Gospell And as not that but another IESVS So CHRIST himselfe tells us you shall have not that but another CHRIST Another nay many other yet there is but one true Mat. XXIV XXIV Lo heer is CHRIST lo there He is Go into the desert there you shall have Him Get you to such a conventicle and there you shall not misse of Him Go but to one Citie I could name you shall have Christs enough and scarce a true one among them all Well then what shall we do to sever the precious from the vile That IESVS CHRIST Ier. 15.19 from others sett the Hic est ille upon the right CHRIST This saith Saint Iohn These two wayes 1 That IESVS CHRIST that comes in water and blood jointly not in either alone Hic est Ille If but in one he is another IESVS 2 That Iesus that hath the Spirit to bear Him witnesse is the true this Witnesse if he want Hic non est Ille Vnder one we shall learne CHRIST aright For as one may learn a false CHRIST so may he the true CHRIST falsly You have not so learned CHRIST saith the Apostle Ephes. 4.20 that is not amisse you have not meaning some other had And as learne CHRIST aright so learne to doe the Spirit his right not to shoot him of but know he is to have a chiefe Holy-day in our Fasti as He hath a part and a principall part in the Teste of whosoever shall bee saved The Summe The Summe is three Items we have 1. That we take not Pseudo-Christum pro Christo the false CHRIST for the true that is one that comes in His name but is not He. 2. Neither when we have the true one that we take not Semi-Christum pro Christo a moity or part of CHRIST for the whole 3. When we have the whole that we take Him not without His Teste and that is the Spirit For as good not take Him at all The Division Three parts I would lay forth 1 There is CHRIST 's part 2 There is the Spirit 's part 3 There is the Sacrament's part CHRIST 's part His double comming in 1 water and 2 bloud In it these 1 That Christ was so to come 2 That Christ did so come 3 Not onely did but doth so
come dayly to us 4 As He comes to us in both so we to come to Him for both and ever to take heed of the error of either alone of turning non solum into solum Then the Spirit 's part 1 Of His witnesse 2 Of the truth of it 1. Of His witnesse 1 That a witnesse there is to be 2 That a witnesse there is 3 Nay not one but three 4 Of which the Spirit is one and the chiefe witnesse His witnesse to 1 Iesus to 2 Christ that came 3 to the water to the 4 bloud He came in This of His witnesse Then of the Truth of it and withall how to discerne the Spirit that is the Truth And last the reversall to this That as not these without the Spirit So not the Spirit without these that is not without the Sacraments which are the monuments and pledges of these And so that we indeavour that the Spirit on this day the day of the Spirit may come to us and give His witnesse that CHRIST is come to us and come to us in them in them both to our comfort both heer and aeternally THus it is written and thus it behoved that he that was to come I. Christ's Part 1. That He was to come in water and bloud Mat. 1 21. Esa. 27.9 Iesus the Saviour of the world when He came should come in water and blood His name was so called Iesus saith the Angell to shew He should save His people from their sinnes To save us from them by taking them away For Hic est omnis fructus saith Esai and it is a ground with us All the fruict we have is the taking away of our sin Take that away the rest will follow of it selfe that indeed is all in all To take away sinne two things are to be taken away For in sinne are these two 1 Reatus and 2 Macula as all Divines agree the guilt and the soyle or spot The guilt to which Punishment is due The spoâ—t whereby we grow loathsome in GOD 's eyes and even in mens too For even before them Shame and Reproach follow sinn Take these two away and sinne is gone And there is no people under heaven but have sense of these two and no religion is or ever was but laboured to remove them both To take away soyle water is most fit To take away guilt blood No punishment for any guilt goes further then blood Therefore had the heathen their lustratious for the soyle which were ever by water donec me flumine vivo Abluero and their expiations for the guilt by shedding of blood ever sanguine plaâ—âstis without which they held no remission of sinnes The Iewes they likewise had their sprinkling water for the uncleannesse Nuâ— 8.7 Exod. 12 22. had their slaine sacrifice the blood whereof done on their posts the destroyer passed by them the guilt by it being fiâ—st taken away But the Prophet tells us No water no not snow-water Ier. 2.22 and put to it nitre and Borith and fullers sope never so much can enter into the soule to take away the steins of it And the Apostle he tells us It was impossible Heb 10.4 the bloud of bulls or goates should satisfie for the sinnes of men The water had not the vertue to get out those spotts nor the bloud the value to make satisfaction to GOD for mans trespasse Donec venit qui venturus erat Till He came that was to come Shilo with a bloud Gen. 49.10 and a water which because it was the bloud and water of the Sonne of GOD and so of GOD by his divine power infused into both gave the water such a piercing force and gave the bloud so inestimable high a value as was hable to worke both to put an end to that which neither the washings nor offerings of Nature or of the Law could ridd us of Thus in water and bloud was He to come that was to take sinne away Thus was He to come and thus did He come did come diverse wayes In bloud 2. That He did so come the bloud of His Circumcision In water the water of His Baptisme Began so and so ended In water the water of His strong crying and teares whereby He made supplication to GOD for us in bloud the bloud of His passion the bloud of Gethsemane Mat. 26.36 Ioh. 19.13.17 His bloudy sweat the bloud of Gabbatha of the scourges and thornes the bloud of Golgotha of His hands and feet digged Thus came He. Yet is it none of these Saint Iohn pointeth to these were at severall times but he points to his comming in both together at once This place of the Epistle referrs to that place of the Gospell where at once with one blow his side being opened there came forth blood and water both Bloud Sanguis Testamenti saith Zach. 9. the Blood of His Testament Ioh. 19.34 Zach. 9.11 Zach. 1â— 1 whereby He set His guilty prisoners free Water saith the same Zacharie c. 13. fons Domui Israel a founteine which he opened to the House of Israel for sinne and for uncleanesse The one blood the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ransome or price of the taking away the guilt the other water the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laver of our new birth from our originall corruption Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta saith Augustine These are not two of the Sacraments so there might be more but the twin-Sacraments of the Church So but two of that kind two famous memorialls left us in Baptisme of the water in the Cup of the New Testament of the blood He then came in 3. That he comes so still Thus did CHRIST come did and doth still For the word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referring to the time past but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which respecteth even the present also Came not once but still and ever commeth so The water still runnes for He opened a founteine never to be drawen dry Heb. 13.20 And His massa sanguinis is not spent neither For it is sanguis aeterni foederis and so aeternus of the everlasting Covenant and so it selfe lasting for ever And that this His comming to us he meanes the order sheweth For when it came from Him it came in another order bloud came first and then water see the Gospell But heere in the Epistle when He comes to us water is first and then bloud Bloud and water the order quo ad se Water and bloud quoad nos Ever to us Ioh. 19.34 in water first But what meanes this not in water onely but in water and bloud To say in water and bloud was plaine enough one would thinke Our rule is in Logique Non sufficit alterum oportet utrumque fieri in Copulativis Our rule in Divinitie What God hath joyned no man presume to sever Yet when He had sayd in water and blood He comes over with them againe with his non in
Gâ—n 1.2 Lâ—vit 19.11 With the Holy Ghost the true Vnction and the truth of all unctions whatsoever The Spirit and water agree the Spirit moved on the face of the waters The Spirit and bloud agree The Spirit of life is in the bloud the vessells of it the arteries runne along with the texture of the veines all the body over To His comming this Spirit agreeth also When He came as Iesus To His comming the Spirit conceived Him When He came as CHRIST the Spirit annointed Him When He came in water at His Baptisme the Spirit was there came down in the shape of a Dove rested abode on Him When He came in blood at His Passion there too Ioh 1.32 It was the aeternall Spirit of GOD by which He offered Himselfe without spott unto God Heb. 9.4 So the most fit that can be to beare witnesse to all Praeseas interfuit vidit audevit was present heard and saw was acquainted with all that passed none can speake to the point so well as He. The Spirit is a witnesse is true every way But why is it said The Spirit the câ—â—efe witnâ—ssâ— It is the Spirit that beareth witnâ—sse seeing they both water and bloud beare it too it is water it is blood that beare witnesse also They indeed are witnesâ—es but it is the Spirit He it is that is the principall witnesse and principally to be regarded before the rest Heere he comes in last but He is indeed first and so as first is placed at the eight verse where they are orderly reckoned up And good reason He is one of the three both above in heaven and beneath in â—arth third there above first heer beneath a witnesse in both Courts admitted ad jus testis in both for his speciall creditt in both the medius terminus as it were between heaven and earth between God and man Besides it is sayd It is He He it is that bâ—areth witnesse For it is neither of the other will doe us any good without him the whole weight lieth upon him Not the water without the Spirit it is but nudum egenum clementum â—al 4.9 Ioh. 6. â—3 Not the bloud without the Spirit no more then the flâ—sh without the Spirit non prodest quicquam as said He whose the flâ—sh and bloud was CHRIST himselfe Will you see a proof without it CHRIST came to Simon Magus in water Act. 18 1â— Mat. 26. he was baptized CHRIST came to Iudas in bloud he was a communicant but Spirit there came none to testifie they were both never the better The better nay the worse Simon perished in the gall of bitternesse Iudas bibit mortem de fonte vitae Act 8 2â— from the cup of blessing drank downe his owne bane All for want of Et spiritus est So is it 1. Cor. 10 1â— with the word and with eny meanes els Ioh. 4.14 Ioh. 6.17 But let the testimonie of the Spirit come the water becomes a well springing up to aeternitie the flesh and blood meat that perisheth not but endureth to life everlasting And even in nature we see this Water if it be not aqua viva have not a spiâ—it to move it and make it runâ—e it stands and putrifies and bloud if no spirit in it it congeales and growes corrupt and foule as the bloud of a dead man The spirit helpeth this and upon good reason doth it For CHRIST being conceived by the Spirit it was most meet all of Christ should be conceived the same way That which conceived him should impregnate His water should animate His bloud should give the vivificat the life and vigor to them both It is the Spirit then that giveth the witnesse Now in a Witnesse above all it is required he be true the Spirit is so trâ—e as he is the Truth it selfe 2 The truth of His witnesse Ioh. 14.6 The Spirit the truth Why CHRIST saith of Himselfe I am the truth All the better for Verum vero cònsonat one truth will well sort with will uphold will make proofe one of another as these two doe prove either other reciprocally The Spirit CHRIST 's proofe CHRIST the Spirit 's CHRIST the Spirit 's Every spirit that confesseth not CHRIST is not the true spirit The Spirit CHRIST'S 1. Ioh. 4.3 CHRIST if He have not the Teste of the Spirit is not the true CHRIST Alwaies the Truth is the best witnesse And if He be the Truth on His teste you may beare your selfe Not so on water or bloud without Him they may well deceive us and be falsa and fallacia as wanting the Truth if He if the Spirit be wanting That truth to be knowen It will then much concâ—rne us to be sure the Spirit on whose testimonie we are thus wholy to relye that that spirit be the truth And it is the maine point of all to be hable to discerne the Spirit that is the truth because as there is a Spirit of truth so is there a Spirit of error abroad in the world 1. Ioh. 4.6 2. Câ—r 11.4 yea many such Spirits and the Apostle who tells us of altum IESVM in the same verse tells us of alium Spiritum too We be then to trie which spirit is the truth that so the spirit on whose witnesâ—e we rest our selves be the truth How take we notice of the Spirit How knew they the Angel was come downe into the poole of Bethesda but by the stirring and moving of the water By His spirituall motions Ioh. 5.8 So by stirring up in us spirituall motions holy purposes and desires is the Spirit 's comming knowen Specially if they doe not vanish againe For if they doe then was it some other flatuous matter which will quiver in the veines unskilfull people call it the life-bloud but the Spirit it was not The Spirit 's motion the pulse is not for a while and then ceaseth but is perpetuall holds as long as life holds though intermittent sometime for some little space Yet hold we it not safe to lay overmuch weight upon good motions which may come of diverse causes By newnesse of life and of which good motions there are as many in hell as in heaven The surest way is to lay it on that our SAVIOVR and His Apostles so often lay it Ioh 6.63 2. Cor. 3.6 that is on Spiritus vivificat The life is ever the best indicant signe of the Spirit Novum supervenisse Spiritum nova vitae ratio demonstrat that a new Spirit is come a new course of life is the best demonstration The notes of that life Ioh. â— 8 2 Tim. 4.1 1. Cor. 1â— 11 1 Breath Now life is best knowen by vitall actions Three the Scripture counteth 1 Spiritus ubi vult spirat by breath 2 Spiritus manifestè loquitur by speech 3 Omnia haec operatur unus idemque Spiritus by the worke these three 1 The neerest and most proper note
That He sent when He sent His Sonne a fuller then whom He could not send nor Time could not receive Therefore with the sending Him when that was Time was at the top that was the Quando venit then it was plenitudo temporis indeed And well might that time be called the fullnesse of time For when He was sent into the world in whom the fullnesse of the God-head dwelt bodily Col. 2.9 Ioh 3.34 Ioh. 1.14 Ioh. 1.16 In whom the Spirit was not by measure In whom was the fullnesse of grace and truth Of whose fullnesse we all receive When He was sent that was thus full then was time at the full And well also might it be called the fullnesse of time in another regard For till then all was but in promise in shadowes and figures and prophecies only which fill not God knowes But when the Performance of those promises the body of those shadowes the substance of those figures the fulfilling or filling full of all those prophecies came then came the fulnesse of time truly so called Till then it came not then it came And well might it be called the fullnesse of time in a third respect For then the Heire that is the World was come to his full age and so that the fittest time for Him to be sent For to that compareth the Apostle their estate then that the former times under Moses and the Prophets were as the Nonage of the world sub Paedagogo in the III. Chapter Ver. XXIIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at their A. B. C. or rudiments as in the very last words before these Their estate then as of Children in their minority little differing from servants For all this while nondum venit the fullnesse of time was not yet come But a time ther was as for man so for mankind to come to his full yeeres That time came with Christs comming and Christs comming with it and never till then was the fulnesse of time but then it was And let this be enough for this point more there is not in the text But if any shall further aske why then at that age of the world the world was at his full age iust then and neither sooner nor later I know many heads have been full of devises to satisfie mens curiosity in that point But I hold it safest to rest with the Apostle in the second verse on GODS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let that content us Then was the time for that was Tempus praefinitum à Patre the time appointed of the Father For even among men though the Father being dead the Law setteth a time for the Sonne to come to his heritage yet the Father living no time can be prefixed but only when it liketh Him to appoynt and the Father heer liveth Acts 1.7 and therefore let his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stay us The times and seasons He hath put in His owne power it is not for us to know them This is for us to know that with His appoyntment we must come to a full point So doth the Apostle and so let us and not busie our selves much with it time is but the measure or caske that where-with it is filled doth more concerne us To that therefore let us come 2. GOD sent The degrees are seven as I sayd To take them as they rise Misit Deus God sent That standeth first and at it let our first stay be That will fall out to make the first degree For even this that GOD sent at all Ipsum mittere Dei this very sending it selfe is a degree It is so and so we would reckon of it if we knew the Sender and who He is the Maiestie of His presence how great it is and how glorious how farr surpassing all we can see on earth For Him for such an one as He to condescend but to send is sure a degree For enough it had beene and more then enough for Him to be sent to and not to send Himselfe To have sit still and been content that we might send to Him and have our message and petition admitted and not He send to us That had beene as much as we could looke for and well if we might have beene vouchsafed but that But it was He that sent not we to Him first nay not we to Him at all but He to us He to us And what were we that He to us Vs as else-where He termeth us meere Aliens from Him Ephes. 2.12 and His Houshold Not that only but Vs in case of men whom the Law had passed upon So is our estate described in the end of the Text. For Him to send to Vs so great as He to such as we to thinke vs tanti so much worth as to make any mission or motion or to disease any about vs This may well be the first Be it then so that to us or for us or concerning us GOD would trouble Himselfe to make any sending A fullnesse there is in this Full He was a fullnesse there was in Him even the fullnesse of compassion in His bowels over our estate els such a Sender would never once have sent 2. His Sonne GOD sent Sent and sent His SONNE That I make no question will beare a second Others He might have sent and whosoever it had beene He had sent it might well have served our turnes If sent by the hand of any His Servants any Patriarch Prophet any ordinary messenger it had beene enough So hitherto had beene His Sending So and no otherwise ever till now Then if to send by any may seeme sufficient to send His SONNE must needs seeme full For ever the more excellent the Person sent the more honourable the sending the greater He the fuller it Now greater there is not then His SONNE His first His only begotten SONNE Col. 2.9 in whom the fullnesse of the God-head dwelt In sending Him He sent the greatest the best the fullest thing He had To heape the measure up yet more with the cause of His sending in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was voluntarie He sent Him not for need but for meere love to us and nothing els There was no absolute necessitie that He should have sent Him He might have done what He intended by the meanes and ministery of some besides GOD could have enabled a Creature a Creature enabled by GOD and the power of His might could soone have trod downe Sathan under our feet But if it had beene any other He had sent His love and regard to us had not shewed so full It had beene Ostendit DEVS charitatem but not Ecce quantam charitatem ostendit DEVS 1. Ioh. 3.1 Whomsoever He had sent besides His love had not been full at least not so full as it should have been if He had sent His SONNE That therefore it might be full and so appeare to us for full Misit Deus Filium suum Enough it was in compassion
that was the Gentiles case before this orta est But when the partition wall was broken downe and the two met in one then also in a sense Mercie and Truth met togither So these two And so the other two likewise For Righteousnesse she was where the Law was for that the rule of righteousnesse where the Covenant of the Old Testament was doe this and live the very voice of Iustice But Peace was where CHRIST was in the Gospell Ipse est Pax nostra for He is our Peace Peace and Peace-maker both Qui fecit utrunque unum that hath made the Lawe and the Gospell the Old Testament and the New to be bound togither now both in one volume II. Of this meeting in Christianitie Thus we have done with CHRIST I would now apply this meeting to our selves another while For I aske did this hold did these meet only in CHRIST Doe they not in Christianity likewise Yes there too With CHRIST came Christianitie looke what in His birth now in the new birth of every one that shall be the better by it even the same meeting of the very same vertues all Mercie and Truth first to meet Truth of confession confession of our sinnes which if with figge-leaves we seeke to cover 1. Ioh. 1.8 and confesse not there is no truth in us And some truth there is to be at least this truth or no meeting with Mercie But when this truth commeth forth mercy meeteth it streight Will ye see the meeting Peccavi said DAVID there is truth 2. Sam. 12.13 Transtulit Dominus peccatum saith Nathan there is mercie Mercie and Truth met togither Homo in terris per veritatem stimulatus peccásse se confitebatur Deus in coelis per misericordiam flexus confitentis miserebatur Truth pricked man to confesse his sinnes and Mercy moved God to pitie him confessing and send Mercy to meet Truth Will ye goe on to the other Verse It holds there too this For where a true confession is by man made Veritas de terrâ orta est Truth is budded out of the earth And so it must yer Righteousnesse will give us a good looke from Heaven But will assoone as it is for when this truth springs freely from the earth to our owne condemnation immediatly upon it Righteousnesse shewes her selfe from Heaven to our justification Will ye see this too Luc. 18.14 Lord be mercifull to me a sinner there is Truth from the earth descendit domum suam justificatus there is Righteousnesse from Heaven But will ye marke Here are two truths and in either Verse one This later is the truth of Veritas orta est of CHRISTS Religion And in this treaty it was an article of Inprimis mercy not to meet any but them that professe the truth of CHRISTS birth from the earth Both these were borne togither By and by upon the birth of CHRIST the Truth the other birth also of Christian truth did flourish and spread it selfe all over the earth The whole world before given over and even growne over with Idolatry quite covered with the mist of error and ignorance began then to entertaine the Christian profession and by it to worship God in spirit and truth the true Religion which is never true if it have not this meeting And this meeting it cannot have if it have not the meanes of it ortus veritatis de terrâ The same say we likewise for the Righteousnesse which looked downe and shewed her selfe It was not that of the Lawe which never came past the top of Mount Sinai but a new righteousnesse cast in a new mould a heavenly one which never saw the earth nor the earth it before before this birth which is the righteousnesse of CHRIST reveiled in His Gospell when that Truth sprang this Righteousnesse looked downe upon it Now as this of Mercie and Truth enter us so truth not truth alone but truth with truth's paire with righteousnesse carrie us forward to God Truth is not enough not the truth of Religion never so knowne never so professed not without Righteousnesse Truth is but the light to guide us Righteousnesse is the way to bring us thither A light is to see by A way is to goe in So is righteousnesse It followes streight ponet gressus in viâ Verse 13. Righteoâ—snesse shall set us in the way of His steppes Steppes that is the course of life For scienti by knowledge of the truth and not facienti by the practise of righteousnesse peccatum est illi saith S. Iames Iam 4 17. Luc. 12.44 and plagaemultae saith S. Iames his Master Sinne in that man that severs these two is lesse pardonable and more punishable then in any other And then turne Righteousnesse to Peace and they will not meet barely but more then meet Kisse in signe there is betweene them more then ordinarie affection Fac justitiam habebis pacem Saint Augustine stands much on this Psal. 34.14 Eschew evill and doe good saith he there is Righteousnesse and then seeke Peace and ye shall not be long in seeking it She will come forth her selfe to meet Righteousnesse and kisse her And this he assâ—res us as a certeine signe to know on the one side true righteousnesse for that tends to peace not to questions and brabbles wherof there never will be end So on the other side true peace that kisses righteousnesse comes not togither like Samsons foxes by the tailes by indirect meanes but cleerly and fairly Such meanes Iud. 15.14 as all the world will confesse to be right and good Now marke the order how they stand Mercie leads to Truth and the knowledge of it and Truth to Righteousnesse and the practice of it and Righteousnesse to Peace and the waies of it Guides our feet first into the way of Peace And Luc. 1.79 such a way shall there alwaies be do all the Controversie Writers what they can a faire way agreed upon of all sides questioned by none in which who so orders his steppes aright may see the salvation of our God Even the way heer chalked out before us To shew mercy and speake truth do righteousnesse and follow peace And by this rule proceeding in the points whereto we are come already even those truthes wherein we are otherwise minded would in due time be reveiled unto us This is Zacharies peace and this of his well followed in the end will bring us Simeâ—ns peace Nunc dimittis in pace to be dismissed to depart hence in peace Luc. 2.29 and Pax in novissimo Peace at the latter end is worth all Peace in the end is a blessed end and the beginning of a Peace which never shall have end Mercy our beginning and Peace our end This for the meeting as in CHRIST so in Christianitie or the course of a Christian mans life Now a word for the continuance of this meeting For I aske againe Met they to part By no meanes but
Shepheards Stay and ye shall see a troope of GODS Angells Heare yee one say layd in the cratch below abide and yee shall heare many sing Glorie on high in honor of Him that lyeth in it Vidisti vilia saith Saint Ambrose audi mirifica Were the things meane you have seene Wonderfull shall they be ye now shall heare and see both Vilescit praesepe ecce Angelicis cantibus honoratur Is the Cratch meane Meane as it is it is honoured with the musique of Angells it hath the whole Queer of Heaven to sing about it This also will prove a signe if it be well looked into a counter-signe to the other That of His humilitie this of His glorie Surely seeing the other three Evangelists omitted this signe one would wonder why S. Luke did not so too In discretion small credit there was in it better have concealed it one would thinke a great deale better But Saint Luke knew what he did He would never have mentioned the signe but that sure he was when he had laid Him so low he was able to up with Him againe and sing away all the disgrace of the signe with a strange Carroll and as strange a Queer sent from Heaven to sing it 1. The Queere 1. Who To the Queer then Who were they Where the first I pitch on is the word Heavenly For thence they came and thither they went againe 15. Ver. Quid praesepi coelo What hath Heaven or heavenly Personages to do here with the Cratch It should seeme some coelestiall thing there is in it as low as it seemes it reacheth high as high as Heaven heavenly things and heavenly Personages both About it here comes divers from Heaven For it there goes Glorie up to Heaven So that the signe is also Esay 7.11 signum de coelo sursum from on high by reason of the Queer as well as a signe from the earth beneath in respect of the Cratch here 2. In what habit How appeare they These Personages were Angells It is said expresly 15. ver Yet are they here said to be Souldiers What shall we have warre then for they are in the habit of warre True of warre but it is warre not that now is or hereafter should be but of warr that had been before even to the day of this Birth but now to cease witnesse Pax in terris There had been no Peace with heaven but plaine hostilitie Ephes. 2.3 Gen. 3.24 between earth and it No goodwill toward men but filij irae children of wrath all Ever since the Cherubin first drew upon Adam and with a shaken sword kept the entry of Paradise Ever since in armes till this very day Their habit shewes what was before Their song what now should be By vertue of CHRISTS nativitie Peace to earth from Heaven Good-will to men from GOD. So now upon His Birth they were to disarme but before they put their armor of yet being in it they would have a Paean and sing of the new world that was now to ensue A signe this and a strange one this coniunction species praeliantium and voces cantantium the habit of warre and the song of peace Souldiers make a camp come to fight These make a Queer come to sing They are not in the habit of Queer-men yet they sing They are in the habit of men of warre yet sing of peace 3. What number What number A multitude there was of them First for the more authoritie that in the mouthes of many this truth might be established many to witnesse it 2 Then for the better musique if a full Queer many to sound it out It was a matter of great weight so diverse to testifie it It was a matter of high praise diverse therefore to celebrate and set it forth When we heare of a multitude we feare a confusion But you will observe this multitude was multitudo Militiae No confused rout No but acies ordinata a well ordered armie There is order in an armie There is order in a Queer There is order among Angells coördinate among themselves subordinate to their head and leader So a multitude without confusion And yet there is a further matter in this same multitude For that there were not some few of them but a great many that was a signe it was no petie SAVIOVR that was borne Iude 13.15 Gen. 18.2 To have Angells come by one and by two as at the birth of SAMSON or ISAAC and others But the grand SAVIOVR of all by his troops of them the LORD of hosts Himselfe as attended by the whole Armie Heb. 1.6 For at His Birth was fulfilled that the Apostle speaks of Heb. 1.6 When He brings His only begotten SONNE into the world He saith Let all the Angells of GOD worship Him Let the whole Host of Heaven do Him honor As honor Him heer they do For Psal. 50.23 they that offer Him praise honor Him and praise they offer Him the next word is laudanâ—ium And even now they do it Even heer is this honor done Even to Him in his cratch is it done And Heaven it selfe for a while left emptie that it may be done All which is but a signe to shew what a shew He could have made if He had listed Mat. 26.53 that he might have had the Legions he speakes of at his Death that had them in such a multitude to day at his Birth A signe He was not weake what ever he seemed that had these militarie forces if He would to take armes for Him That He was not to be despised how ever He appeared that had these consorts of Angells to sing about His cratch and to praise GOD for Him What did they Praised GOD. For Angells to praise GOD is no new thing 4. What they did Iob. 38.7 From the beginning it was their occupation so to do Iob. 38.7 But to praise Him for a child in a cratch that lo is new A new thing A new song and if you will a new signe too For never the like seen before Before in Iob their praise was for the creating they had that only then to praise Him for now for the restoring of all things For the birth of the world then for the new birth of it now by the birth of Him by whom the world at first was made and now ne perderet quod condidit made againe created anew and many a new creature in it To Him sitting in the throne sing they their Sanctus Esai 6. For to CHRIST was the Sanctus soong Esay 6 3. Ioh. 12.11 saith Saint Iohn directly in his 12. 41. Now to Him heer lying in the manger which is great odds But indeed to both in imis puero in excelsis Deo For He was both And His being both was an Ecce signum if ever there were any upon earth And lastly all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that instantly No pause between betweene Amen 5.
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
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
the same Spirit I told you after this first there is no more visible comming to be looked for but that after His accustomed vsuall manner invisibly He ceaseth not to come still nor will not to the world's end Even in this booke after this time heere three severall times in the fourth tenth and ninteenth Chapters and at three severall places Ierusalem Coesarea Ephesus The â—ame Spirit came upon the faithfull people and yet nothing heard nor seene onely discerned after by the impression it left behind it And this comming is still vsuall with Him and this we may hope for hope for and have if we labour and diâ—pose our selves for it And wee may direct ourselves how to doe this by those three places I even now alâ—eadged 1 In the fourth Chapter 31. Verse As they prayed the Spirit came upon them 2 In the tenth Verse 44. While PETER yet spake the Spirit fell upon them 3 In the nineteenth Chapter Verse 6. As they received the Sacrameâ—t the Spirit was sent on them In which three are plainely set downe to us these three meanes to procure the Spirit 's comming 1 Prayer 2 The Word 3 The Sacraments I know well it was the Sacrament of Baptisme in the place last alleadged but that is all one In one Verse doth the Apostle name them both as of aequall power both for the purpose 1. Cor. 12.13 Vnâ— Spiritu baptizati estis and before he ends the verse vno Spiritu poti Baptized in the Spirit There is theirs at Ephesus but made drinke of the same Spirit that is this of ours heere For ex similibus sumus alimur Ours heere I say where we doe drinke of the Spirit if aright we receive it in which respect he calleth it the Spirituall drinke 1. Cor. 10.3 because we doe even drinke the spirit with it And even in this very Chapter before the end it is noted by Saint Luke as a speciall meanes whereby they invited the Spirit to them againe and againe Their continuing in the Temple with one accord and breaking of bread Of one accord we spake at the first as an effâ—ctuall disposition thereto And this Sacrament of breaking of Bread is the Sacrament of accord as that which representeth unto us perfect unitie in the many graines kneaded into one lâ—afe 1. Cor. 10.17 and the many grapes pressed into one Cupp and what it representeth lively it worketh as effectually Howsoever it be if these three 1 Prayer 2 The Word 3 The Sacraments be every one of them as an arterie to conveigh the Spirit into us well may we hope if we vse them all three we shall be in a good way to speede of our desires For many times we misse when we use this one or that one alone where it may well be GOD hath appointed to give it us by neither but by the third It is not for us to limit or appoint Him how or by what way He shall come unto us and visit us but to offer up our obedience in vsing them all and vsing them all He will not fayle but come unto us either as a winde to allay in us some vnnaturall heate of some distempered desire in us to evill or as a fire to kindle in us some luke-warme or some key-cold affection in us to good Come unto us either as the Spirit of truth lighting us with some new knowledge or as the Spirit of Holinesse reviving in us some vertue or grace or as the Comforter ministring to us some inward contentment or ioy in the HOLY GHOST or in one or other certainely He will come For a compleate obedience on our part in the use of all his prescribed meanes never did goe away emptie from Him or without a blessing Never did nor never shall Never but not on this day of all dayes the day wherein Dona dedit hominibus He gave gifts unto men It is Dies donorum His giving day His day of Donatives Some gift He will give either from the Winde inward or from the tongue outward some gift He will give There be nine of them set downe 1 Cor. 12.8 Gal. 5.22 Nine manifestations of the Spirit 1. Cor. 12. some of them nine There be nine more set downe nine fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. some of them nine Some gift He will give Onely let us dispose our selves by the use not of this one or that one or two but of all the meanes to receive it by Inwardly by vnitie and patient waiting His leysure as these heere Outwardly by frequenting those holy duties and offices all which we see succeeded with those there in the three places remembred And in these the blessed Spirit so dispose us and in them so blesse us as we may not onely by outward celebration but by inward participation feele and fâ—â—de in our selves that we have kept to Him this day a true feast of the comming of His Spirit of the sending downe the Holy Ghost Which Almightie GOD graunt c. A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT GREENVVICH on the XXIV of May A. D. MDCVIII being WHIT-SVNDAY ACTS CHAP. II. VER IV. Et repleti sunt omnes SPIRITV SANCTO coeperunt loqui varijs linguis prout SPIRITVS SANCTVS dabat eloqui illis And they were all filled with the HOLY GHOST and began to speake with other tongues as the SPIRIT gave them utterance THis day hold we holy to the HOLI GHOST by whom all holy dayes persons and things are made holy And with good reason hold we it He that maketh all holy dayes it is meet should be allowed one himselfe And if we yeeld this honour to this and that Saint much more to the Saint-maker to Him that is the onely true Canonizer of all the Saints in the Calendar 2. This honour were we bound to yeeld Him if there were nothing besides but seldome shall ye find a feast wherein with His honour there is not joyned the remembrance of some memorable benefit then vouchsafed us as â—eer this feast is not to the HOLY GHOST simply but to the sending or comming of the HOLY GHOST to the HOLY GHOST sent 3. Sent not as in former times qualified or by measure but even in plenitudine in plenteous manner fully It is sayd They were filled with the HOLY GHOST 4. Filled not to hold but to sett over For so many tongues so many pipes to derive it to others that by preaching they might impart the Spirit they received preaching being nothing els as the Fathers observe Num. 11.25 out of the Num. XI but the taking of the spirit of the Preacher and putting it on the hearer or to expresse it by the type of fire the lighting of one torch by another that so it might passe from man to man till all were lightned For this Holy Spirit thus sent plenteously sent sent to them and by them to all and to us are we heer mett to render our thanks to GOD even to imitate
Him to send this day tongues into heaven there to laud and magnifie Him who as this day sent these tongues into earth Now of this benefitt so farre as the two types in the former verses * At Pentecost A. D. 1606. hath formerly been treated and we are now to supplie what was then left in remainder This fourth verse then is nothing els but a Commentarie of the former what in them was sett forth in figure is heer expressed in plaine termes The Summe The types were of two sorts according to the two chiefe senses 1 Audible to the eare in the sound of wind 2 Visible to the eye in the shew of tongues These two are expounded in the two moities of this Verse The former the Commentarie of the wind in these words They were filled with the Holy Ghost The latter the glosse of the tongues in these And they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance For the first The place was filled with a wind from heaven The Diuision The filling of the place was a signe of the filling the persons in the place the wind was a signe of the Spirit the wind from heaven of the Holy Spirit which Spirit filled the Persons no lesse then did the Wind the roome they satt in Two points there be in it 1 One of the Gift it selfe in Spiritu sancto 2 The other of the measure of the gift in Replâ—ti sunt For the latter foure things were in the type 1 Tongues 2 cloven 3 sitting 4 of fire all foure heer expressed and suited 1 Tongues they began to sâ—eake 2 Cloven with other tongues 3 Sitting as the Spirit gave them 4 Fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utterance it is turned it is more These are the Heads But for that there is no speaking of the Spirit without the Spirit no hearing neither to the end that speaking and hearing of Him He may helpe our infirmities c THe truth answering the type per omnia as there were in that two 1 the Wind I. The Commentarie of the Wind. Of both Parts jointly Spirit and Speech both and 2 Tongues so are there heer two 1 the Spirit 2 and speech Spirit because speech without spirit is but a dead sound like the a 1 Cor. 13 1â— tinckling of a cymball Speech because spirit without Speech is but as the spirit that CHRIST cast forth b Luke 11.14 Et illud erat mutum a dumbe spirit none the better for it Which made the HOLY GHOST come in spirit and speech not in spirit onely but in spirit and speech But in spirit first and then speech So is the order But Spirit first in order The Holy Ghost begins within à centro and worketh outward alters the mind before it change the speech giveth another heart before another tongue works on the spirit before on the phrase or utterance ever so It is preposterous and all out of order to have the tongues come before the wind where they do it commonly falls out in such all their religion is in common phrases and termes well gott by heart and nothing els This for their joyning and for their order I. Of the parts severally 1. The Gâ—ft 1. It was a Spirit A spirit not an humâ—r Now of either apart Of the Spirit first which they were filled with After of their filling that is 1 first of the Gift it selfe 2 then of the Measure That they were filled with is sett downe in two words 1 Spiritu and 2 Sancto First that it was a spirit then that that spirit was holy A spirit for men may be filled and not with the spirit Holy for there is a spiritu without sancto We must needs put the difference Spirit and Holy are two diverse things With the spirit for men may be filled and not with the Spirit That which enforceth this note is a speech at the XIII verse there they sticke not some this that was the Spirit indeed to reproach with the terme of new wine These men are full say they full they grant but with wine a liquor though full of spirit yet no spirit though It was false as it fell out yet this it worketh that if the Spirit may be taken for a humor why not a humor for the Spirit likewise And not the humor of the vine onely but the Philosopher in his Problemes tells us that looke whatsoever operation wine hath the same have some humors in our bodies with a little fermenting The Prophet ESAI seemeth to say the same in two places Esa. 29.9.51.52 that men may be drunk and not with wine their owne humor will do it as well I wish it were not true this that humors were not sometimes mistaken and mistermed the Spirit A hott humor flowing from the gall taken for this fire heer and termed though untruly the spirit of zeale Another windie humor proceeding from the spleene supposed to be this Wind heer and they that filled with it if no bodie will give it them taking to themselves the style of the godly brethren I wish it were not needfull to make this observation But you shall easily know it for an humor Non continetur termino suo It owne limits will not hold it They are ever mending Churches States Superiors mending all save themselves alieno non suo is the note to distinguish an humor 2. The Holy Spirit Not our owne spirit With the spirit yet not every spirit I told you there was a spiritu without sancto and I meane not the wicked spirit away with him we will not once mention him but two other 1 There is a spirit in a man saith a Iob 31.8 ELIHV that is our owne spirit and many there be b Ezek. 13.13 qui fequuntur spiritum suum that follow their owne ghost in stead of the HOLY GHOST for even that ghost taketh upon it to inspire c Mat. 16.2 and flesh and blood we know hath their revelations 2 Not the World's spirit The other is that the Apostle calleth d 1 Cor. 2.12 spiritum mundi the world's spirit or worldly spirit e Eccles. 3.11 qui posuit mundum in corde suo saith Salomon hath sett up and shrin'd the world in his heart thence rise all his reasons by them he frames and measures Religion Vp shall the golden calves to uphold the present estate downe shall CHRIST f Iohn 11.48 ne veniant Romani that the Romans come not and carrie us all away Either of these is peradventure Sacer spiritus as the Poet called auri sacra fames but neither is sanctus g 2. Pet 1. ult S. PETER opposeth the first of private resolution to the HOLY GHOST h 1. Cor. 1 12· S. Paul the second of worldly wisdome to the Spirit of GOD. The wind before had foure qualities two of them 1 suddennesse and 2 vehemencie are passed by Every winde every spirit hath them
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
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
come as He should 1. On the Hoâ—y Ghost's part He should come as GOD. The stay of CHRIST would have been a let of the manifestation of His God-head To manifest His Godhead being to shew great Signes and work great Wonders if CHRIST had still remained and not gone His way they would not well have been distinguished and great odds have been ascribed to CHRIST So the Holy Ghost have wanted that honour and estimation due to Him an impeachment it would have been to his Divinitie But CHRIST ascending all such imaginations cease From mittam Eum a little empeachment it would have been 2. On Christ'â— to CHRIST 's aequalitie with His Father For He not going to send Him but staying still heer the sending of the Spirit would have been ascribed to the Father alone as His sole act This would have been the most that the Father for His sake had sent Him but he as GOD had had no honour of the sending Being ascended aâ—d glorified mittam will streight be conceived Quem mittet Pater et quem mittam a Patre that with the Father He sends Him equally and we alike beholden to them both Iâ—h 14 26 15.2â— A third is in vobis on their part also As their case was to be it was so meet 3. On theirs â—s their case was to be even in regard of them They were to be sent abroad into all coasts to be scattered all over the earth to preach the Gospell and not to stay together still in one place His corporall presence would have stood tâ—em in small stead He could have beene resident but in one place to have comforted some one of them S. Iames at Ierusalem as for Iohn at Ephesus or Thomas in India or Peter at Babylon as good for them in heaven as in earth all one The Spirit that was to succeed was much more fitt for men dispersed He could be and was present with them all and with every one by himselfe as filling the compasse of the whole world This as their case was to be But the Fathers rather pitch upon their estate as presently it was Vobis that is vobis sic dispositis for you that is you so disposed as I find 4. On theâ—rs as thâ—â—â— case was tâ—en 1. For â—is bodily presence you are So it is ad homines to them affected in such sort as then they were Whereby he giveth us to understand some are in that case as it is expedient CHRIST withdraw Himselfe from them And is there any vobis can any man be in that case it should be good for CHRIST to depart from him It seemeth so We see oftentime the case so standeth even in regard of this life that from some it is good their meate be taken and yet is meat the stay of their life that from some it is good their bloud be taken yet bloud is nature's treasure and that holdeth us in life that from some light be taken in some disease of the eyes yet is light the comfort of this life All this we conceive Expedit ut cibus ut sanguis ut lux abeat and all this better then expedit ut Christus abeat we may spare them all better then Him Yet CHRIST it is that telleth it us and telleth it us for a matter of great truth these were and whose case is better then these But if these some there are in that case it may be said to them truly It is expedient I be gone And what case may that be Even that case that maketh the mother many times withdraw her selfe from her yong child whom yet she loveth full tenderly when the child groweth foolishly fond of her which grew to be their case just Christ's flesh and His fleshly presence that and none but that So strangely fond they grew of that as they could not endure He should goe out of their sight Nothing but his carnall presence would quiet them Iob. 11.21 We know who sayd If thou hadst beene heer Lord as if absent He had not beene as hable to doe it by his Spirit as present by his bodie And a tabernacle they would needs build Him Matt. 17.4 to keepe him on earth still and ever and anon they were still dreaming of an earthly kingdome and of the chiefe Seates there as if their consummation should have beene in the flesh These phansies indeed errors they fell into about the flesh they had need have it taken from them The Spirit was gone quite they had more need to have Him sent This was at no hand to be cherished in them they were not to be held as children still but to grow to mans estate to perfect age and strength and so consequently to be weined from the corporall presence of His flesh nor to hang all by sense to which it is too true they were too much addicted The corporall therefore to be removed that the spirituall might take place the visible that the invisible and they not in sight or sense as hitherto but in spirit and truth henceforth to cleave unto him To say with the Apostle If we have knowen Christ after the flesh 2. Cor. 5.16 yet now henceforth we know Him so no more This was for them And we should have beene no better as now we are the flesh will but hinder the spirit even the best 1 For His spirituall presence This for His bodily presence But the Fathers goe yet further and enquire whither this also be not true in His spirituall presence and resolve that even in regard of that it is no lesse true To some Vobis it is expedient that even after that manner also CHRIST goe from them And who are they As growen saint Cant. 3.1 1. One Vobis when men grow faint in seeking and carelesse in keeping Him as in Cant. 3. ly in bed and seeke Him Gone He was and meet He should so be to teach them to rise and seeke to watch and keepe Him better As over-weenâ—ng Psal. 30.7 Matt. 26.33 2. Another Vobis when men grow high conceited and overweening of themselves and their owne strength and say with David non movebor as if they had CHRIST pinned to them and with Peter Et si omnes non ego It is more then time CHRIST be gone from such to teach them to see and know themselves better But if CHRIST leave us if He withdraw His spirituall presence we fall into sinne and that cannot be expedient for any Good that I have beene in trouble for before I was troubled Psal. 119.67 I went wrong but not good for any to fall into sinne Yes indeed Audeo dicere saith Saint Augustine I dare avow it Expedit superbo ut incidat in peccatum there are the very termes it is expedient they fall into some notorious sinne as David as Peter did that their faces may be filled with shame and they â— Cor. 12.7 by that confusion learne to walke with more
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
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.
too Gal. 4.6 〈◊〉 from them and not by way of generation That is Christ's proper 6. Breath-wise 〈◊〉 termed the Onely begotten and so none but He but by way of Emitte 〈◊〉 Emission sending it forth Psa. 104.30 that is out of the very body of the word Spirit 〈◊〉 or breathing One breathing yet from both even as the breath which 〈◊〉 the name and resemblance of it is one yet from both the nostthrills in the 〈◊〉 naturall All these are expressed or implied in our Baptisme And now lastly to returne 〈◊〉 to our purpose proceeds from them to come to us is breathed from them to 〈◊〉 Sent by them to be given us Per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost which is given us given to receive and so to be received of us Rom. 5.5 〈…〉 openeth the way and maketh the passage over to the second question si 〈◊〉 Have ye received And so as we see the two parts follow well and kindly 〈…〉 the other For this now is the last thing to be heard of Him that it is not 〈…〉 to heare of Him but that we are to receive Him also and to give account 〈◊〉 Paul that we have so done â—hen we have now cleered the first question at our Baptisme and have heard 〈◊〉 such a one there is 2. And that He is GOD. 3. GOD in unitie of name 4. Yet 〈…〉 distinct and distinct as a person by Himselfe 5. A person by Himselfe yet 〈◊〉 Himselfe but proceeding 6. Proceeding from both Persons that stand before 〈◊〉 the Father and the Sonne 7. And that breath-wise And so we have done 〈…〉 But yet we have not done though For the other question must be 〈…〉 no remedie it imports us For as good not heare of Him at all as heare 〈…〉 Him 〈◊〉 then I come Si recepistis Have ye received the Holy Ghost II. The second part Wherein 〈…〉 points 1. That we are lyable to this question and to the affirmative part 〈…〉 and so are bound to receive Him For so si presuppsoeth 2. If 〈…〉 how to know it 3. If we have not how to compasse it 〈…〉 〈…〉 we may esteeme by this that S. 〈…〉 his 〈…〉 at the first as the most needfull point Two thing◠〈…〉 we must Secondly that it must be 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 any Spirit or receive at all May we not out of our selves 〈…〉 our â—urnes No For holy we must be if ever we sâ—â—ll rest 〈…〉 for Heb. â—â— â—4 without hâ—linesse none shall over see GOD. But holy we cannot be 〈…〉 or acquisite There is none such in all morall Philosophie 〈…〉 sâ—ith by illumination so have we our holinesse by inspiratiâ—◠〈…〉 both 〈◊〉 without 〈…〉 Philosophers came and so Christians may but that will not serve 〈…〉 furtheâ— Our habits acquisite will lift us no further then they did the 〈…〉 no further then the place where they grow that is earth and nature 〈…〉 câ—â—not worke beyond their kind nothing can nor rise higher then their spring 〈◊〉 therefore Si habituâ—â—â— acquisistis but si Spiritum recepistis we must go by Of recâ—iâ—ing the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 then why recepistis Spiritum Sanctum the Holy Ghost No receiving will serve but of him The reason is 〈◊〉 nothing heer below that we seek but to heaven we aspire Then is to heaven we shall somthing from heaven must thither exalt us If Partakers of the divine nature 2. Pet. 1.4 we hope to be as great and pretious promises we have that we shal be that can be no otherwise then by receiving one in whom the divine nature is He being received imparts it to us and so makes us Consortes divinae naturae and that is the Holy Ghost For as an absoluâ—e â—ecessity there is that we receive the Spirit els can we not live the life of 〈◊〉 so no lesse absolute that we receive the holy Spirit els can we not live the life of 〈◊〉 and so â—onsequently never come to the life of glorie Recepistis Spiritum gives the life â—â—turall Recepistis Spiritum Sanctum gives the life spirituall 1. Cor. 1â— 45 1. There holdeth a correspondence between the naturall and the spirituall The same way the 〈◊〉 as made in the beginning by the Spirit mooving upon the waters of the dâ—ep the very same was the world new made the Christian world or Church by the sâ—me Spirit mooving on the waters of baptisme 2. And 〈◊〉 how in the first ADAM we come to this present life by sending the breath of life into our bodies So in the second come we to our hold in the other life by sending the Holy Ghost into our soules 3. By that Spirit which CHRIST was conceived by by the same Spirit the Christian also must be Not to be avoided absolutely necessarie all these it cannot be otherwise Another 〈◊〉 of His â—â—ceiving For a 2. Luke 11.24 the house will not stand emptie long One Spirit of other holy or unholy will enter and take 〈◊〉 up We see the greatest part of the 〈…〉 are entered upon and held some by the b Esa. 29.10 spirit of slumber that passe their â—ime â—s it were in a sleepe without any sense of GOD or religion at all Others by the c Esa. 19.14 spirit of giddinesse that reele to and fro and every yeare are of a new 〈◊〉 Others by d 1. Tim. 4.1 the spirit of error given over to beleeve lies through strong illusâ—â—â— And they that seeme to know the truth some with the e Luke 11.24 uncleane spirit some 〈…〉 f Iam. 4.5 or some such for they are many that a kind of necessitie there is to 〈…〉 and receive the good Spirit that some or other evill spirit from GOD 〈…〉 From which GOD deliver us A third 〈…〉 â—e receive Him for that with Him we shall receive what ever we 〈…〉 need 〈…〉 for our soule 's good And heer fall in all His Ofâ—iâ—es By Him g Tit. â— 6 we are regenerate at the first in our baptisme By Him after Heb. â— 2 conâ—â—rmed in the imposition of hands By Him after 1. Tim. 5 1â— renewed to repentance when we fall 〈◊〉 by a second imposition of hands By Him 〈…〉 taught all our life long that we 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 forget 〈…〉 stirred up in what we are dull 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 infirmities comforted in our heavinesse in a 〈…〉 day of 〈…〉 and â— râ—â—sed up againe in the last day Go all 〈…〉 our Baptisme to our very Resurrection and we cannot misse Him 〈…〉 we must 〈…〉 other side Si non recepistis without Him received receive what we will 〈…〉 good Receive the Word it is but r 2. Cor. 3.6 a killing letter receive 〈…〉 IOHN 's Baptisme but a s Gal. 4 9. barren element receive His flesh t Ioh. 6.63 it profiteth 〈…〉 CHRIST it will not do for u Rom. 8.9 Qui non
it may be called dwelling but sure never so did before as since these gifts came from Him Did not dwell they call it visiting then went and came and that was all But since he came to settle himselfe to take his residence not to visit any longer 1. Dwâ—â—â— nâ—t visit but even to dwell among them Nor among men before but among some men He was cooped up as it were 2. Amonâ— men at large Psal 76.1 Gen. 9 27. Ephâ—s 4.10 Notus in Iudae â Deus and there was all Since the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in Iaphet into Shem's tents All nations his neighbours all interessed in Him and His Gifts alike Saint Paul upon this verse He ascended Vt impleâ—et omnia Impleret His omnia ours Filled with His gifts He full all that is all the compasse of the earth full of His fullnesse It is for love even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for His love of men that makes him desire thus to dwell with us This is evident by this captivitas soluta and these dona distributa by this Captivitie led that is by His fighting for it by these gifts given that is by His bidding for it that all this He doth and all this He gave and all for no other end but this So as quid requirit Dominus on his part quid retribuam Domino on ours all is but this ut habitet nobiscum Deus that the true Arke of His Presence His Holy Spirit may finde a place of rest with us What shall we doe then shall we not yield to Him thus much or rather Our duty thus little If He have a minde to dwell in us shall we refuse Him It will be for our benefit we shall finde a good neighbour of Him 1. Châ—o 6.41 Shall we not then say as they did to the Arke Arise O Lord into thy resting place But first two things would be done 1 The Place would be meet 2 And the usage or entertainment according For the Place Never looke about for a soile where To prepare Him a place The place are we our selves He must dwell in us if ever He dwell among us In us I say not beside us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word and so it signifieth Sic inter nos ut in nobis And if so then Locus and Locatum would be suitable A Dove He is He will not come but ad tecta candida to no foule or sooty place Ointment He is powred He will not be but into a cleane and sweet not into a stinking or loathsome phiall To hold us to the word GOD He is and Holy is His title So would His place be an holy place and for GOD a Temple You know who saith Templum Dei estis vos 1. Cor. 3.16 Know ye â—ot ye are the Temples of GOD if He dwell in you To enterteine Him But it is not the place though never so commodious makes one so willâ—â—g to dwell as doth the good usage or respect of those in the middst of whom it is Heâ—â—e will I dwell for I have a delight saith He. It would be such as to delight Him if it might be Ver. 16. but such as at no hand to grieve Him For then He is gone againe Migremus hinc streight and we force Him to it For who would dwell where he cannot dwell but with continuall griefe And what is there will sooner grieve Him and make Him to quit us then discâ—rd or dis-union Among divided men or minds He will not dwell Not but where unitie and love is In vaine we talke of the Spirit without these Aaron's ointment and the dew of Hermon both types of Him ye know what Psalme they belong to It beginns with habitare fratres in unum It is in this Psalme before ver 9 â— wâ—â—â—e men are of one mind in an house Psal. 133.1 there He delights to be This very day they that received Him were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord in one place That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Adverb of the Feast And the Apostle in his comment on this verse No better way saith he to preserve the unitie of the Spirit or the Spirit of unitie choose you whither then in the bond of peace To say truth who would be hired to dwell in Mesech Ephes. 4.3 Psal. 120.5 where nothing is but continuall jarrs and quarrells Such places such men are even as torrida Zona not habitable by the Spirit by this Spiâ—it But for the other spirit the spirit of division they are Vt habitet daemon inter eos a fâ—t place for the Devill to dwell among such Thinke of this seriously and sett it downe that at Salem is His Tabernacle Psal. 76.2 and Salem is peace and so the Fathers read it In â—ace fâ—ctus est locus Ejus Make Him that place and He will say Heer is my rest heer will 〈◊〉 for I have a delight therein We said even now to dwell among us He must dwell in us And in us He will dwell if the fruicts of His Spirit be found in us And of His fruicts the very first is Love And the fruict is as the tree is For He himselfe is Love the essentiall Love and Love-knott of the undivided Trinitie By the Sacrament Now to worke love the undoubted both signe and meanes of His dwelling what better way or how sooner wrought then by the Sacrament of love at the Feast of lâ—ve upon the Feast-day of Love when Love descended with both his hands full of giftâ— for very love to take up His dwelling with us You shall observe there ever was and will be a neer alliance betweene His doâ—a dedit hominibus and His dona reliquit hominibus The Gifts He sent and the Gifts He left us He left us the gifts of His body and blood His body broken and full of the characters of love all over His blood shedd every drop whereof is a great drop of Love To those which were sent these which were left love joy peace have a speciall con-naturall reference to breed and to maintaine each other His body the sâ—irit of strength His blood the spirit of comfort Both the Spirit of Love This Spirit we said we are to procure that it may abide with us and be in uâ— And what is more intrinsecall in us abideth surer groweth faster to us then what we eat and drinke Then if we could get a spirituall meat or get to driâ—â—â— of the Spirit 1. Cor. 10.3.4 1. Cor. 12.13 there were no way to that And behold heer they be For heer is 〈◊〉 meat that is breeding the Spirit and heer we are all made drinke of one Sâ—iâ—it thâ—t there may be but one spirit in us And we are all made one bread and one bâ—â—y knead togither and pressed togither into one as the Symboles are the bread and the wine So many as are partakers of one bread
and carries not up So Spiritum Sanctum is not sâ—iritum suum 2 Nor Spiritum mundi Nor Spiritus mundi is not Spiritus CHRISTI Els doth Saint Paul wrong to oppose them It is too sure such a Spirit there is as the Spirit of the world and that the greatest part of the world live and breath and move by it and that it doth well somtimes but without eny reference to GOD or CHRIST or HOLY GHOST For even the acts they doe of Religion are out of worldly reasons and respects Herods reason Videns quia placeret populo saw the world would that way Demetriuâ—'s reason Acts 12.3.19.27 Periclitatur portio nostra It may prove dangerous to their worldly estate The 〈◊〉 Oh sett forward that point of Divinitie for then all they have is ours Gen. 34.23 See 〈◊〉 noâ— whence this winde blowes from what spirit this breath comes from Spiritus mundi plainely And I know not how but as if CHRIST 's mouth were stopped 〈◊〉 His breath like to â—â—ile him the world beginnes to fare as if they had got a new mouth to draw breath from to governe the Church as if Spiritus Praetorij would do things better then Spiritus Sanctuarij and mans law become the best meanes to teach the feare â—f GOD and to guide Religion by In vaine then is all this act of CHRIST 's He might have kept His breath to himselfe But it will not so be When all is done the Spirit must come from the Word and the Holy Ghost from CHRIST 's mouth that must doe this governe the Church Thither we must for Sanctum even to the Sanctuarie and to no other place And a certaine note it is this to discerne the Holy Spirit of GOD from the Spirit of what you will From CHRIST it comes if it be true He breathes it It cannot but be true if it come from Him for He is the Truth And as the Truth so the Wisedome of GOD that if it savor of falshood or follie it came not from Him Ioh. 14.6 1. Cor. 1.3 He breathed it not But His Breath shall not faile shall ever be hable to serve His Church without all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the private Spirit and without all the additaments of Spiritus mundi And if we gape after them we make this Accipite more then needs And if we doe so I know not what shall become of us But the Holy Ghost may be received more waies then one He hath many Spiramina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in many manners He comes And multiformis gratia He comes with Which way it is received 1. Pet. 4.10 He and they carrie the name of their cause and to receive them is to receive the Spirit There is a gratum faciens the saving grace of the Spirit for one to save himselfe by received by each without respect to others and there is a gratis data what ever become of us serving to save others by without respect to our selves And there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of a holy Calling For it is a grace to be a conduit of grace eny way 2. Cor. 8.4 All these and all from one and the same Spirit That was heere conferred was not the saving grace of inward Sanctimonie they were not breathed on to that end The Church to this day gives this still in her Ordinations but the saving grace the Church cannot give none but GOD can give that Nor the gratis data it is not That came by the tongues both the gift of speaking diverse languages and the gift of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking wisely and to the purpose And we know none is either the holier or the learneder by his Ordination Yet a grace it is For the very Office it selfe is a grace Mihi data est haec gratia saith the Apostle in more plâ—ces then one and speakes of his Office and nothing els Eph. 2.7 c. The Apostleship was a grace yet no saving grace Els should Iudas have beene saved Cleerely then it is the grace of their Calling this whereby they were sacred and made persons publique and their acts authenticall and they enhabled to do somewhat about the remission of sinnes that is not of like availe done by others though perhaps more learned and vertuous then they in that they have not the like mitto vos nor the same Accipite that these have To speake with the least As the act of one that is a publique Notarie is of more validitie then of another that is none though it may be he writes a much fairer hand And this lo was the grace heere by breathing conferred to them of Spiritum a Spirituall of Sanctum an holy Calling and derived from them to us and from us to others to the world's end Bâ—t take heed we sucke no error out of this word holy No more then we doe out of the word annointed When time was it was shewed the annointing was no inward holinesse or hability to governe by but the right of ruling onely So heere it is no internall qualitie infused but the grace onely of their Spirituall and Sacred function Good it were and much to be wished they were holy and learned all But if they be not their Office holds good though He that is a Sinner himselfe may remitt sinnes for all that and save others he may though himselfe be not saved For it was not propter se he received this power to absolve himselfe but as the next word is quorumcunque eny others whosoever Some adoe we have to plâ—cke this out but out it must For an error it is an old worne error of the Donatists and but new dressed over by some fanaticall Spirits in our dâ—yeâ— that teach in corners One that is not himselfe inwardly holy cannot be the meanes of holinesse to another And where they dare too that One that is not in state of grace can have no right to eny possession or place For they of right belong to none but to the true children of GOD that is to none but to themselves Fond ignorant men For hath not the Church long since defined it positively that the baptisme Peter gave was no better then that which Iudas and exemplified it that a seale of iron will give as perfect a stamp as one of gold That as the Carpenters that built the Arke wherein Noe was saved were themselves drowned in the flood That as the water of baptisme that sends the childe to heaven is it selfe cast downe the kennell Semblably is it with these And they that by the Word the Sacraments the Keyes are unto other the conduits of grace to make them fructifie in all good workes may well so be though themselves remaine unfruitfull as doe the pipes of wood or lead that by transmitting the water make the garden to beare both herbes and flowers though themselves never beare eny And lett that content us that what is
draw water Esa. 12.3 then to draw blood from Him But indeed to looke well into the matter they cannot be separate they are mixt either is in other There is a mixure of the bloud in the water there is so of the water in the blood we can minister no water without blood nor blood without water In baptisme we are washed with water That water is not without blood The blood serves instead of nitre He hath washed us from our sinnes in His blood Apoc. 1.5 washed They made their robes white in the blood of the Lamp Apoc. 7.14 No washing no whiting by water without blood And in the Eucharist we are made drinke of the blood of the New Testament but in that blood there is water for the blood of CHRIST purifieth us from our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.7 Now to purifie is a vertue properly belonging to water which yet is in the blood and purifying referrs to spotts not to guilt properly So either is in other Therefore the conceit of separation let it alone for ever To take heed then of dreining CHRIST 's water from his blood or abstracting his blood from his water of bringing in the Restringent sola into either Every one of us for his owne part thus to doe But howsoever men frame phansies to themselves as frame they will doe what we can that our doctrine be looked to we are not to teach IESVS CHRIST but That IESVS CHRIST that thus came in both That our Divinitie then on the one side be not waterish without all heart or comfort presenting CHRIST in water onely to make feâ—re where none is Nor on the other that we frame not our selves a Sanguine Divinitie voyd of fâ—are quite and bring in CHRIST all in blood blood and nothing els with little water or none at all for feare of Ex nimiâ spe desperatio Faith as it justifieth saith Saint Paul there is blood So it purifieth the heart saith Saint Peter Gal. 3.8 Acts 15.9 Rom. 8.20 1. Ioh. 3.3 there is water Hope as it saveth saith Saint Paul blood So it cleanseth saith Saint Iohn water In vaine we flatter our selves if they doe the one and not the other Doe we make grace of none effect that we may not Gal. 2. vlt. Doe we make the Law of none effect by faith that we may not neiâ—her Rom. 3.10 not this day specially the Feast of the Law and Spirit both but rather establish it Apoc. 15.4 Best if it could be sett right the Song of Moses and of the Lamb it is the harmonie of heaven Rom. 15.34 1. Ioh. 2.1 Ioh. 5.14 If we teach Ne peccetis water To teach also blood Si quis autem peccaverit with Saint Iohn If we say Salvus factus es blood to say Noli ampliuâ— peccare water withall with CHRIST himselfe This is that IESVS CHRIST and the true doctrine of Him neither diluta and so evill for the heart nor tentans caput and so fuming up to the head Neither Scammoniate tormenting the conscience nor yet Opiate stupifying it and making it senselesse And so much for CHRIST 's double comming II. The Spirits paâ—t Well when CHRIST is come and thus come may we be gone have we done Done we are yet in the middst of the verse before we make an end of it it must be Whitsontide The Spirit is to come too So a new qui venit that comes in both those and comes in the Spirit besides And a new non solùm not in water and blood onely but in the Spirit withall Not that CHRIST said not truly Consummmatum est that he hath not done all Yes Ioh. 19.30 to doe that was to be done CHRIST was enough needs no supplie The Spirit comes not â— His witnesse to doe comes but to testifie That inter alia is one of his Offices a A witnesse there is to be And a Witnesse is requisite There is no matter of weight with us if it be sped authentically especially a Testament but it is with a Teste And GOD doth none of His great workes but so of which this Comming is one even the greatest of all Neither of his Testaments Acts 14.17 without one As GOD in nature left not himselfe without witnesse saith the Apostle So neither CHRIST in Grace As then in the Old Testament Esay 8.20 Ad Legem testimonium saith Esay 8. So in the New Ad Evangelium testimonium to the Gospell to CHRIST and the testimonie calls Saint Iohn heere CHRIST also to have his Teste We to call for it and if it be called for of us to be hable to shew it A witnesse there needeth then and a witnesse there is One nay three b A witnesse there is nay three Deut. 17.6 In ore duorum that is in every matter nothing without two at least But in this so maine so high a matter God would enlarge the number have it in ore trium have it full no fewer then three three to His part three to ours At the ordering of it in heaven â—hree there were the 1 Father the 2 Word and 3 the Spirit that the whole Trinitie might be aequally interessed in the accomplishment of the worke of our salvation and it passe through all their hands And at the speeding it in earth three more 1 The Spiâ—it and 2 Water and 3 Bloud to answere them that all might goe by a Trinitie that Holy Holy Holy might be thrise repeated The truth heerin answereth to the type For under the Law nothing was held perfectly hallowed till it passed three the 1 cleansing watâ—r first the 2 sprincling of bloud second 3 and last that the holy oyle were upon it too the Holy oyle the Holy Ghost's type but when eny thing annointed with all three then had it his perfect halydome then it was holy indeed And even so passe we through three hands all 1 God's as men Water notes the Creation the heavens are of water and if they the rest God's â—s men 2 Christ's as Christen men Bloud notes the redemption 3 And the Spirit 's as Spirituall men which perteines to all If any be Spirituall he knowes this Gal. 6.1 Iud. 19. and you tâ—at be Spiâ—ituall doe this saith the Apostle For Christians that be animales Sâ—iâ—itum non habentes Saint Iude tells us there is no great reckoning to be made of them To let the other goe The Spiâ—it is a witnesse to IESVS CHRIST c Thâ— Sâ—iâ—it a 〈◊〉 1 〈…〉 that came in water and bloud Witnesse to IESVS CHRIST that came Witnesse to His water and blood He came in In a witnesse it is required He be Tâ—â—â—is idoneus will you see quà m idoneus how apt how every way agreeing The Sâ—irit and Iesus agree Iesus was conceived by the Spirit The Spirit and Christ agree in the word Christ is the Spirit For CHRIST is annointed Annointed with what â— To the waâ—â—r and 〈◊〉 He câ—me in
of the Spirit is spiration or breathing In breathing there is a double act 1 there is a Systole a drawing in of the ayre and that is cold agreeth with CHRIST in water there comes a coole breath ever from the water 2 And there is a Diastole a sending forth of the breath and that we know is warme and agreeth with CHRIST in bloud For bloud is it that sendeth a warme vapor into all the limmes Agreeable to these two have you the two Spirits which upon the matter are but the two acts of one and the same Spirit 1 Inspired the Spirit of feare Esa. 11.2 The feare of GOD. 2 Out-breathed the Spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4.12 Faith in CHRIST Feare comes in water so saith Salomon the Feare of GOD is fons vitae the welspring of life Pro. 14.27 that is water Faith comes in bloud per fidem in sanguinem Ipsius Rom. 3.25 through faith in His bloud So is every one that is borne of the Spirit And to blow out faith still and never draw in feare is suspicious is not safe The true spiration the breathing aright consisting of these two is a signe of the right Spirit 2. Speech Ioh. 3.8 The next signe in the same verse too And you heare the noyse of it For so the Apostle saith the Spirit speakes evidently that is His noise and speech is evidently to be distinguished from those of other spirits His comming in tongues this day sheweth no lesse Which signe of speech doth best and most properly sort heer with a witnesse For a witnesse what he hath to testifie speakes it out vocally What noise then is heard from us What breath we What speakes the Spirit manifestly from our mouthes If cursing and bitternesse and many a foule oath If this noyse be heard from us If we breath minas caedes bluster out threatning and sâ—aying that noyse If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rotten corrupt Act. 9.1 Eâ—hes 4 29. Maâ— 14. â—0 obscaene communication come out of our mouthes we are of Galilee and our very speech bewrayeth us This is not the breath of the Spirit this He speakes not evidently He speakes it not It is not the tongue of heauen this Not sicut dedit Spiritus eloqui no utterance of the Spirit 's giving Act. 2.4 Some of Christ's water would doe well to wash these out of our mouthes The speech sounding of the Spirit is a signe of the true Spirit 3. Action 1. Cor. 1â— â—â— The lâ—st but the surest of all omnia haec operatur Spiritus And the woâ—ke is as cleerly to be distinguished as the speech Each Spirit hath his proper woâ—ke and is knowen by it No man ever saw the workes of the Devill come from the Sâ—iâ—it of GOD. Be not deceived the workes of uncleanesse come from no Spirit Mat. 12.43 Iam. 4.5 1. Cor. 2.12 but thâ— uncleane spirit The workes of Cain from the spirit of envie The workes of Demas from the spirit of the world All the grosse errors of our life from the spirit of error But this this is the Spirit of Truth And the breath the speech the operations of him beare witnesse that He is so Now if He will depose that the water and bloud CHRIST came in He came in for us and we our parts in them in them and in them both and so deposing if we feele His breath heare His speech sâ—e His workes according we may receive his witnesse then For His witnesse is true Now that upon this day the day of the Spirit the Spirit may come and beare this witnesse to Christ's water and bloud there is to be water and bloud for the Spirit to beare witnesse to So was there ever as this day in the Church of Châ—ist Water a solemne Baptisme in memorie of the first three thousand this day Act. 2.41 baptized by Saint Peter And bloud never a more frequent â—ucâ—aâ—ist then at Pentâ—câ—st Act. 20.16 in honour of this Spirit to which Saint Paul made such hast with his almes and offerings Wiâ—nesse the great workes done by Pentâ—costall oblations which very oblations remaine in some Churches to this day So are we now come to the Râ—versall to the last non solum and heer it is III. The Râ—vâ—â—sall Not in the Spirit alone but in water and bloud reciprocè As not these wiâ—hout the Spirit so neither the Spirit without these that is without the Sacâ—amâ—nt wherein thâ—se be So have we a perfect circle now Neither in water without bloud nor in bloud without water nor in them alone without the Spirit nor in the Spirit alone without them This day Christ comes to us in bloud in the Sacrament of it so But as we said before either is in other Bloud is not ministred but there is an ingredient of the purifying vertue of water withall in it So he comes in water too Yea comes in water first so lye they in the Text water to goe before with us So did it at the very institution it selfe of this Sacrament The pitcher of water Mar 14 13. and he that carried it was not in vaine given for a signe went not before them that were sent to make ready for it for nothing It had a meaning that water and it had an use Their feet were washâ—d with it and their feet being clean they were clean every whit Many make ready for it Ioh. 13.10 that see neither water nor pitcher It were well they did their feete would be washed so would their hands Psal. 26.6 in innocencie that are to goe to His Altar In innocencie that is in a steadfast purpose of keeping our selves cleane So to come For to come and not with that purpose better not come at all To finde a feeling of this purpose before and to marke well the successe and effect that doth follow after For if it faile us continually Christ did not come For when He comes though it be in bloud yet He comes with water at the same time Ever in both never in one alone His bloud is not onely drinke to nourish but medicine to purge To nourish the new man which is faint and weake GOD wote but to take downe the old which is ranke Heb. 9.14 in most It is the proper effect of His bloud it doth cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serve the living GOD. Which if we finde it doth Christ is come to us as He is to come And the Spirit is come and puts His Teste And if we have His Teste we may goe our way in peace we have kept a right Feast to Him and to the memorie of His comming Even so come LORD IESVS and come O Blessed Spirit and beare witnesse to our spirit Zach. 13.1 Mar. 14.24 that CHRIST 's water and His bloud we have our part in both both in the fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleanesse and in the bloud of the New Testament the Legacie whereof
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
nothing more forcible to move us heerin then to consider GOD 's owne practise Who having sworne for our benefitt Psal. 110.4 though by many our unkindnesses and hard usages provoked yet as Himselfe saith will not breake His Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of His lipps Psal. 89.35 Which is it that keepeth us all from perishing even the immutable truth of GOD 's Oath that we the rather may take it to imitation In an oath of Proofe the charge ought to be 2 Of Proofe Rom. 9.1 that we speake nothing but that which is true in the Name of the Lord 1. Reg. 22.16 That we say the truth and lye not our consciences bearing us witnesse in the Holy Ghost which if we doe not being charged by a Iudge we beare our own iniquitie Leviticus 5.1 Against which oath men are two waies faulty 1 If either they swear to that which they know to be false as if a man finde and denie it swearing falsly Levit. 6.3 2 Or if they presume to sweare directly in a matter wherein themselves are doubtfull or have no sure ground of As If a man sweare and the thing be hid from him Leviticus 5.4 The breach of these two sorts of oathes in regard of the truth is called periurie and both in old time and now we greatly complaine of it in two places 1. The one they call Iuramenta Officinarum When men in their shopps so they may utter to their gaine care not how untruly they abuse the Name of GOD. Men which as the Wise man saith reckon our life as a market wherein they must be getting on every side though it be by evill meanes Sap. 15.12 Or as the Apostle saith 1. Tim. 6.15 That doe in practise seeme to hold that gaine is godlinesse for all the world as the prophane man in the Comedie Iuramentum rei servandae non perdendae conditum that Oathes were made to thrive by Full little knew those men that whatsoever is gotten by false swearing must by GOD 's Law both be restored in the whole Summe and add an overplus beside Els no atonement can be made for them Leviticus 6.5 And if that atonement be not made that GOD by His Prophet hath denounced that their game shall not prosper For he will send the flying booke into their house a Curse appropriate to those that both sweare and steal that is steale by swearing which shall consume both the goods and the very stone timber and all of the house it selfe Zac. 5.4 2. The other they call Iuramenta Tribunalium much more fearefull and heynous then the former when a man or rather as Saint Augustine calleth him detestanda bellua no man but a detestable beast shall so farr presume as in the Iudgement it selfe which is GOD 's 2. Chro. 19.8 before the Magistrates which are GODDS Psal. 82.6 to prophane the oath of GOD Eccles. 8.2 Even as it were to come into GOD'S owne place and there to offer him villanie to his face A crime so grievous as no Nation were it never so barbarous but have thought it severely to be punished Some with losse of tongue Some of fingers Some of eares and some of life it selfe And howsoever they escape man the Prophet saith the very Booke of the Law which they have touched in testifying an untruth shall have wings given it and shall pursue them and cut them of on this side and on that side till they and their name be rooted from the earth It is a fearfull thing to fall into GOD'S hands on this wise and of no one sinne more dreadfull examples For it is indeed facere Deum mendacij consortem We hold it worse in Divinitie to lay upon GOD that evill which we call malum culpae then the other which we terme malum poenae which hath beene inflicted on many an innocent good man Consequently a lesse evill to crucifie Christ by any bodily paine then to draw him into the societie of Sinne which every perjured person doth as much as in him lieth Yea we say that the Name of GOD being fearefull to the devills themselves and bringing them to tremble that that Partie that treadeth that most glorious and fearefull Name under his feet is in worse estate not onely then the wickedest of all men the Murderers of Christ but even then the devill himselfe And all this that we conceive aright of In veritate 2. In Iudgement In Iudicio For thus far the Pharisees themselves come to thinke periurie condemned But our righteousnesse is to exceed theirs Mat. 5 20. and therefore we must seek yet farther This Clause we say standeth against a double vanitie 1 as well in matter if for a vaine light trifling matter we swear 2 as in manner also if with a vaine light unadvised mind or affection For both the matter is to be weightie grave and judiciall and we are with due advise and judgement to come to the action Against which Iudiciall swearing we complaine of two evill kinds 1. The one Iuramenta Platearum such as going through the streets a man shall every day heare yea even out of the mouthes of children light undiscreet frivolous oathes 2. The other Iuramenta Popinarum much worse yet then they When men in Tabling-houses at their game blaspheme the Name of GOD most grievously Not content to sweare by him whole dismember him and pluck him in peeces that they may have oaths enough And that person of the Holy Trinitie to whom and to his name for taking our flesh upon him and performing our redemption even by GOD 's own charge a speciall regard is due and that action of his which among the rest is most venerable of all others which is his Death Passion and shedding his Blood For the Matter The very words of the Commaundement teach us 1 For the Matter it is to be weightie which speake of GOD'S Name as a thing to be lifted up with strength as if it were heavy and we use not to remove things heavy but upon good occasion The nature of an Oath is as of a bond which none that is wise will easily enter it is to be drawen from or pressed out of a man upon necessarie cause Yea it is no further good then it is necessarie For so is our rule Necessarium extra terminos necessitatis non est bonum As purging blood-letting which are no longer good then needfull The Name of GOD is as a strong Castell which men flye not to but when they have need These shew that for every frivolous matter and of no importance we are not vainly to take up GOD'S Name GOD'S Name is said to be holy Psal. 111.9 and holy things may not be putt to common and vulgar uses Numbers 18. ult And in plaine words Leviticus 22.32 Ye shall not pollute my Name Polluting by GOD'S owne word being nothing els but to make common Acts â—0 15 Therefore they to be condemned that no man urging them upon