that feat Corpus autem aptasti mihi Make him a bodie to doe it in and He will doe it Give Him an ortus est let Him be but borne He will make them meet streight Iustice and all For all the world sees if order could be taken that He that the Sonne of GOD the Word and Truth eternall would say Lo I come would take our nature upon Him and in it lay downe His soule an offering for sinne there were good hope of contenting Iustice and that the Meeting would goe forward Deus sanguine in suo Ephes. 5.2 GOD with his blood What sinne in the world would not that serve for What Iustice in heaven or earth would not that satisfie If ye speake of an expiation a ransome an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRISTS owne word a perfect commutation there it is This had Matt. 16.26 Iustice will meet embrace kisse Mercie shake hands joyne now friends Iob 33. â—â— Inveni enim in quo repropitter I have found that now wherewith I hold my selfe fully content and pleased This way ye shall make them meet or els let it alone for ever VER XI Truth shall budde out of the earth and Righteousnesse shall looke downe from Heaven ANd this is it the Christian Religion setts before us how the Sonne of the most High GOD of heaven and earth took on Him our Nature that in our nature 1 The Birth Vâ—ritas oâ—ta est de terrâ— for our nature He might make to GOD even stando in terminis justitiae suae as the Schoolemen speake standing on the termes of his most exact strict justice a compleate full every way sufficient satisfaction And this lo makes the meeting This honour hath the Christian Religion above all other this glorie doth dwell in our land that these foure by CHRISTS Birth in it are brought not onely to obviaverunt sibi but even to osculatae sunt And if this be the glorie be not they the shame of Christian profession that cherish in their bosomes and entertaine with stipends such as are come to this phrensie I will call it to say what needs any satisfaction what care we whither Iustice meet or no that is in effect what needs CHRIST Cannot GOD forgive offenses to Him made of His free goodnesse of His meere mercie without putting his SONNE to all this paine Fond men If He would quit His Iustice or waive His truth He could But His justice and truth are to Him as essentiall as intrinsecally essentiall as His Mercie of aequall regard every way as deere to Him Iustice otherwise remaines vnsatisfied and satisfied it must be either on Him or on us For with beasts or prayers it will not be And it will hold of till it be If Iustice be not so mett with it will meet with them And they had better meet a shee-beare robbed of her whelpes Prov 7.12 then meet Iustice out of CHRISTS presence To us they meet this day at the Child-house For these great Lights could not thus meet but they must portend some great matter as it might be some great Birth toward The Astrologers make us beleeve that in the Horoscope of CHRISTS Nativitie there was a great Trigon of I wote not what Starrs met together Whither a Trigon or no this Tetragon I am sure there was these were all then in coniunction all in the ascendent all above the horizon at once At Orta est the Birth of Veritas the truth de 〈◊〉 from the earth The Occasion of drawing these foure together Christ the Truth Veritas prima Veritas will fitt CHRIST well who of himselfe said * Ioh. 14.6 Ego sum veritas I am the truth So is He Not that of the former Verse which is but veritas secunda the truth spoken or vttered forth He the veritas prima the first truth within That depends upon this Then are the words vttered true when there is an adaequation betweene them and the mind So the first Truth He is And Veritas secunda too The first and last both For now by His comming He is the adaeaeqation of the Word and the Work the Promise and the Performance That way He is truth too The truth of all Types 2. Cor. 1.2 the truth of all Prophecies For in Him are all the promises Yea and Amen Yea in the first truth Amen in the last That actuall verifying is the truth when all is done and that He is by His birth Christ de terrá And as the truth fits His Nature so doth earth Man Of whom GOD a Gen. 3 19 Earth thou art To whom the Prophet thrise over b Ier. â—2 29 Earth heare the Word of the LORD By whom the Wise man c Eccles. 10.9 Quid superbis Why should earth be proud d Esay 45.8 Germinet terra Salvatorem Let this earth bring forth a SAVIOVR be the terra promissionis the Blessed Virgin who was in this the Land of promise So was this very place applied by Irenaeus in his time Iren lib 3. cap 5. Lact. l. 4. cap. 12. who touched the Apostles times So by Lactantius So by Saint Hierom and Saint Augustine Those foure meet in this sense as doe the foure in the Text Quid est veritas de terrâ orta est CHRISTVS de faeminâ natus Quid est Veritas Filius Dei Quid terra Caro nostra What the truth CHRIST What the earth Our flesh In those words they find this Feast all Christs â—rta est double 1 De Coelo For Orta est it is double Therefore de terrâ is well added Another Ortus he had de coelo to wit His heavenly Divine Nature which as the day sprung from on high and He in regard of it called Oriens by Zacharie in the New Testament But this heer is de terrâ Luc. 1.78 a 2 De terra for the word properly signifies the shooting forth of a sprigg out of the ground and He in regard of this Ortus called the Branch by Zacharie in the Old Zec. 3.8 b Orta de 2. And there is more in Orta For it is Rabbi Moses note that is properly when iâ— springeth forth of it selfe as the field flowers doe without any seed cast in by the hand of man so saith he should the MESSIAS come Take His nature not onely in but de of the earth Not bring it with Him from heaven the error of the brainesick Anabaptist Gal. 4.4 Esa. 11.1 but take it of the earth be the womans Seed made of a woman out of the loines of DAVID Virga de radice Iesse the Roote of Iesse Nothing more plaine â— Orta est 3. And yet more from orta est For that the truth while it is yet vnaccomplisht but in promise onely it is but as the Seed vnder ground hid and covered with earth as if no such thing were assoone as ever it is actually accomplished as
have made comparison with thirtie yeares of trouble But this is not as we would have it We would have it out of all comparison This that hath been said is strange to them I know and more then they reckoned of But I would have you in these times of peace and truth so farre beyond them as that you might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 snafflle them in this So 1. Pet. 2.15 that they durst not once offer to enter into this theme with us or once to mention it more So it should be I am sure so the Gospel deserves to have it 2. The Quantitie Be rich in good works You have the substance of that you must do to do good Now heer is the quantitie Be rich in good workes that seeing you are rich indeed you would not be poore men but rich in good works Good works Saint Paul saith not good words Good with the goodnesse of the hand not with the goodnesse of the tongue and tongue onely as many now are well therefore resembled to the tree that Plinie speaketh of the leaves of it as broad as any targett but the fruict is no bigger then a bean to talke targetts and to do beanes It were better reversed 2. Tim. 3.16 if we were as Saint Paul saith perfect in all good workes then perfect in certaine curious and queint termes and sett phrases wherein a great part of many men's religions do now adayes consist plaine speech and sound dealing plaine speech and good works best And rich in them The Rich man in the Gospell would as he said build his barnes bigger to put in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all his goods he had no good out of his barne Yes yes some in good workes too Saint Paul hath heere within the compasse of this Text two Rich men his desire is they may both meet together in every rich man Rich 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the world that now is so ye are Rich in the world that shal be after this be that too Rich in cofer so ye are Rich in conscience be so too Your consciences you shall cary with you your cofers you shall not Thus you are valued in the Queene's bookes what are you in GOD 's bookes So much worth in this land of the dying how much worth in the land of the living Saint Paul's advise is that you strive for both which you shal be if ye be rich in good workes The true riches are the riches of His glorious enheritance They be the true riches which except a man can assure himselfe of Eph. 1.18 after the lease of his life is out he shal be in a mervailous poor case as was the Rich man Luke 16.24 and begg of Lazarus there that begged of him heer Those riches must be thought of mary then you must be rich in good workes Not to give something to sombody at some time Why Who doth not so That is not to be rich To give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sparingly a peece of bread or a draught of drink and that onely that belongeth to him whom GOD hath sparingly blessed to the brother of low estate it is not your worke Exod. 35. In the Law to the building of the Tabernacle the poore gave Goate's haire and Badger's skinns that was for them and that was accepted the rich they gave purple gold and Iewells to the Tabernacle they were rich in good works And in the Gospell to whom much is given Luke 12.48 of him proportionally much shal be required That is in a word as you are sessed in the Queene's bookes so are you in GOD 's bookes each one according to his abilitie And GOD will looke that according to that sessement they should be done Col. 1.10 2. Cor. 9.8 that you should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abound in good works as you do in wealth that you should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go before and sit highest and have a precedence in works as you have in your places And in a word that you should be Lords Knights Aldermen Masters Wardens and of the Livery in good works as you be in your severall Wards and Companies And indeed to say the truth to commit so many sinnes as no Auditor can number them and to affoord so few good workes as a child may tell them to receive such profitts as great compt-bookes will not hoâ—d them and to yeeld so small store of good workes as a little paper not so broad as my hand may conteine them To lash out at a banquet you know what and to cast to a Captive's redemption all the world knowes what To cast your pride with pounds and your good works with pense what coâ—aerence is there in these This is not to be rich But that is a part of the charge too I pray you remember it Remember to be rich not onely to do good but to be rich in doing good That will make you in case well to die as now GOD be thanked you are well to live 2. The Qualitie Ready to distribute And with the quantitie take the qualitie too I pray you for the quantitie richly for the qualitie readily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with compulsion not willingly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with grudging not cheerefully these are the faults contrary to this vertue GOD must have it done with a facilitie with a readinesse easily And good reason easily for easily you may We that want cannot without difficultie we would and we cannot we have a heart without a hand though we be willing nothing is done why we are not hable You are well hable GOD be thanked if you be well willing there is no â—ore to do it is done This readinesse is a necessary vertue in our dayes where yer â—enefitt come nay many times yer a debt so much ingenuitie is spent so many Roâ—'s such a Vade redi go and come such a time such a dauncing on the threshold such â— failing of the eyes yer it can be seene such a cleaving to the fingers Pro. 3.28 yet it will come of such instillation by now a dropp and then a dropp as to a liberall nature when it commeth it is like to breadfull of gravell for hunger a man must needs have it and out for needs must a man had as leef be without â—t O beloved marr not all you do before GOD and man for want of this one thing You love a faire seed time all of you Hilaris datio serena satio cheerfull giving is like a faire seed-time As you for your seed to burie it wish a seasonable time so and no lesse GOD desireth for His that His seed may not be sowen with an overcast mind but with gladnesse of heart and cheerfulnesse of countenance Even as He doth himselfe who what He bestoweth bestoweth so as He taketh as much yea more delight in giving then we in receiving So do and then this Charge is at an end Be
do 〈◊〉 Manibus praprijs with thine owne hands if 〈◊〉 canst spare it not by other menâ— hands which may die so one after thee or els 〈◊〉 thy trust Lucerna in manibus non a tergo hang not thy light at thy backe to shine after thy death but carry it in thy hand be Executor of thine owne will And doe it Secreté in secret without a trumpet The seed must be buried or harrowed under the earth els it neither rootes nor multiplies which though perdi videtur it seeme to be lost yet unlesse it be thus sowed and buried reverà perditur it will be lost indeed And the more thou sowest the more thou shalt reape for he that sowes sparingly shall reape sparingly Pars II. And now in the second place marke the Caution Nolite oblivisci To do good and to distribute forget not Offer the sacrifice of praise daily and if daily it is likely enough to be remembred because it is never forgotten never omitted in the Church whether thou art put as to the Schoole of Memory This is but a lipp-labour or at the most but an heart-labour it costs nothing but breath but to give Almes to do good and to distribute that costs more it will put thee to the charge of bread and water and clothes and the like which is chargeable and burdensome Any thing but our purses No that must not be left out neither To do good and to distribute to robbe thine owne backe and thy belly to feed the hungry and cloth the naked Nolite oblivisci forgett not to add this Sacrifice of Almes to that other of devotion and praise And surely I may call this the Chapter of Remembrances or the Remembrancer's Chapter In the second Verse Memento hospitalitatis forget not to be hospitable Abraham entertained Angels yea the Sonne of GOD the Lord of Angels by his hospitalitie In the third Verse Memento vinctorum afflictorum laborantium Remember those that are in bonds and afflicted being your selves in bonds and adversitie together with them for as CHRISTVS pascitur in ijs so incarceratur as CHRIST is fedd in the poore so he is imprisoned with them that are in bonds and exiled with his exiled members and condemned to the Mynes with those that are chained in the Mynes and it is an impossibilitie to banish the Head from his members in whom he lives and they in him In the eighth Verse Memento Praepositorum Remember your Governors that have the Rule over you you owe much to them that have sowen in you the Word of GOD whose faith is a light or example to you So heer To do good and to distribute forget not The rest are particulars Hospitalitie to strangers Visitation to prisoners Comfort to the persecuted and Sustentation to our spirituall Governours but this is generall and extends to all strangers prisoners persecuted Governors and all other men in need in generall though with a precipuè chiefly to the hâ—â—shold of faith For every man is our neighbour to whom charity is to be extended bâ—t they are more neerely oâ—r neighbours to whom we stand bound by a douâ—â—â— obligation and fraternitie of Nature and Grace Why then is our Apostle so solititous that we forgett not this doing good and distributing A man would thinke the precept need not be so strictly urged and inculcated and that in the negative which binds Semper ad semper and therefore never to be forgotten The Moralist gives a good Rule Homo in homine calamitoso misericors meminit sui That man that is mercifull to a man in misery and calamitie remembers himselfe he might have been in miserie and need as well as his afflicted neighbour if GOD had so disposed Is it such a matter to be so much and so often inculcated Can a man forgett himselfe or can any man thinke that that which falls to another man might not fall upon him Aequall in Nature and Grace may also be aequall in miserie if GOD will Yes surely there is need for he that beheld his face in the glasse Iames 1.24 he went away statim oblitus est straightway he forgetteth his owne shape his owne spotts and deformities amends none of them never thinks on them more till he comes to the glasse againe be the glasse never so true never so pure even as pure as the Word of GOD it selfe yet so often as he comes so often he forgetts therefore nothing is more needfull then this not forgetting And the truth is most men are like to the young man that said to our SAVIOVR CHRIST All these things the commandements of GOD custodivi ab adolescentiae Matt. 13.20 have I kept from my youth but yet he had not so strictly kept GOD 's commandements but that withall custodivit bona omnia à pauperibus he had more strictly kept all his goods from the poore and because he had great substance and loved it greatly he had need to be remembred with Nolite oblivisci Forgett not to do good and distribute for he was Custos pecuniae potius quam praecepti he was a keeper but a keeper of money and no keeper but a breaker of the commandements The Rich man and all his followers Luke 16. have need of this Forgett not He saw Lazarus full of sores from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot and the very sight of him was conflatorium pietatis the very bellowes and Anvile of compassion and he lay at his gate he could neither go in nor out but he must looke upon him yet obliviscitur quod vidit he forgott him that he saw and could not choose but see him Nay he saw the doggs more mercifull in licking his sores then himselfe was in curing or feeding him and therefore non accipit guttam aquae he received not one dropp of water to coole his tongue He was a great but a most miserable professor and therefore his tongue was most tormented because therein consisted all his Religion And the reason is because Non dedit micam panis he would not give him so much as he gave his doggs not one crumme of bread There be some that say Matt. 25.37.44 Quando Te vidimus esurientem nudum c When did we see thee hungry or naked peradventure they never saw him in his owne person in capite as a particular man the Head but they could not but see him in membris in his members the poore Vident pauperem but CHRISTVM in paupere non vident they saw the poore man but CHRIST they saw not in the poore man Heer is great need of this Nolite oblivisci Forgett not to put them in mind that they flatter not themselves with this ambiguitie Te Te totum they see not the man IESVS the Head alone but they cannot choose but see whole CHRIST that is CHRIST the Head and the poore His members There is one and I would there were but one that received a talent and
like daunger when the Angells caught him and by strong hand plucked him out of Sodom One delivered from the water the other from the fire And it may truly be sayd in asmuch as all Gods promises as well touching temporall as eternall deliverances 1. Cor. 1.20 and as well corporall as spirituall be in Christ yea and Amen Yea in the giving forth Amen in the performing that even our temporall delivery from the daungers that daily compasse us about even from this last so great and so fearefull as the like was never imagined before all have their ground from this Great apprehension are fruits of this Seede heere this blessed Seede for whose sake and for whose truthes sake that we though unworthily professe we were by Him caught hold of and so plucked out of it Rom. 9.29 And but for which Seed facti essemus sicut Sodoma We had been even as Sodome and perished in the fire and the powder there layed had even blowen us up all Heb. 8.9 And may not I add to this apprehendit ut liberaret the other in the 8. Chapter following apprehendit ut manu duceret to this of taking us by the hand to deliver us that of taking us by the hand to guide us and so out of one word present Him to you not only as our Deliverer but as our Guide too Our Deliverer to ridd us from him that hath power of death Our Guide to Him that hath power of life To leade us even by the way of truth to the path of life by the stations of well doing to the mansions in His Fathers house Ioh. 14.2 Ioh. 14.3 Seeing He hath signified it is His pleasure not to let goe our hands but to hold us still till He have brought us that where He is we may also be This also is incident to apprehendit but because it is out of the compasse of the text I touch it only and passe it The reasons of this apprehendit And can we now passe by this but we must aske the question that Saint Iohn Baptists Mother sometime asked on the like occasion * Luk. 1.43 Vnde mihi hoc saith she Vnde nobis hoc may we say Not quòd mater Domini but quòd Dominus ipse venit ad nos Whence commeth this unto us that the Lord himselfe thus came unto us and tooke us letting the Angells go Angells are better then the best of vs and reason would ever the better should be taken how then were we taken that were not the better Sure not without good ground say the Fathers who haue adventured to search out the Theologie of this point such reasons as might serve for inducements to Him that is pronus ad miserendum naturally enclined to pitie why upon us He would rather have compassion And diverse such I find I will touch onely one or two of them First Mans case was more to be pitied then theirs because man was tempted by another had a tempter The Angells had none None tempted them None but themselves Et levius est alienâ mente peccâsse quam propriâ saith Augustine The offense is the lesse if it grow from another then if it breed in ourselves And the lesse the offense the more pardonable Againe of the Angells when some fell other some stood and so they all did not perish But in the first man all men fell and so euery mothers child had died and no flesh been saved For all were in Adam and so in and with Aadam all had come to nought Then commeth the Psalmists question Nunquid in vanum c. Psal. 87.47 What hast thou made all men for nought That cannot be So great wisedome cannot do so great a worke in vaine But in vaine it had been if God had not shewed mercie And therefore was Mans case rather of the twaine matter of commiseration This is Leo. And thus have they traveiled and these have they found why He did apprehend us rather then them It may be not amisse But we will content our selves for our vnde nobis hoc whence commeth this to us with the answer of the Scriptures Whence Luk. 1.78 Esa. 9.7 but from the tender mercies of our God wherby this day hath visited us Zelus Domini saith Esay The zeale of the Lord of Hosts shall bring it to passe Propter nimiam charitatem saith the Apostle Eph. 2.4 Ioh. 3.16 Luk. 10.21 Sic Deus dilexit saith He He himselfe And we taught by him say Even so Lord for so it was thy good pleasure thus to do All this while are we about taking the Seed the Seed in generall But now III. The Choise Why Abrahams Seed why Abrahams seed Since it is Angells in the first part why not Men in the second but Seed Or if Seed to expresse our nature why not the Seed of the woman but the Seed of Abraham It may be thought because he wrote to the Hebrews he rather used this terme of Abrahams seed because so they were and so loved to be stiled and he would please them But I find the ancient Fathers go further and out of it raise matter both of comfort and of direction and that for us too 1. Of comfort first with reference to our Saviour who taking on Him Abrahams seed 1. For our comfort must withall take on Him the signature of Abrahams Seed and be as he was circumcised There is a great matter dependeth even on that For being circumcised He became a debtor Gal. 5.3 to keepe the whole Law of God which bond we had broken and forfeited and incurred the curse annexed and were ready to be apprehended and committed for it That so He keeping the Law might recover backe the chirographum contra nos Col. 2.14 the hand-writing that was against us and so set us free of the debt This Bond did not relate to the Seed of the woman it pertained properly to the seed of Abraham therefore that terme fitted us better Without faile two distinct benefits they are 1 Factus homo and 2 Factus sub lege and so doth Saint Paul recount them Made man that is the Seed of the woman and Gal 4.4 made under the Law that is the Seed of Abraham To little purpose He should have taken the one if He had not also undertaken the other and as the Seed of Abraham entred bond for us and taken our debt upon Him This first 2. And besides this there is yet another referring it to the Nation or People whom He took upon him It is sure they were of all other people the most untoward both of the hardest hearts and of the stiffest necks and as the Heathen man noteth them of the worst natures God himselfe telleth them so It was for no vertue of theirs Deut. 9.6 or for any pure naturalls in them that He tooke them to Him for they were that way the worst of the whole earth And so then
it selfe twice acceptable by our accepting which He will accetably take at our hands Let us honour this day with our receiving which He hath honored by His first giving Yeelding Him evermore but this day the day of it cheefly our vnfained heartie thankesgiving for this so good newes for this so great a Gift both of them this day vouchsafed us in Him and for Him who was Himselfe the gift our SAVIOVR CHRIST the LORD To whom with the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST three Persons one immortall ever living invisible onely wise GOD be all Honour Glory Blessing Praise and Thanksgiving this day and for ever A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Wednesday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXI being CHRIST-MASSE day IOAN CHAP. I. VER XIIII And the VVORD was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we saw the Glorie thereof as the Glorie of the Onely-begotten SONNE of the FATHER full of Grace and Truth THERE is in the Old Testament in the X. of Ezekiel and in the New in the IIII of the Revelation a Vision of foure sundry shapes Ezek. 10.14 Apoc. 4.6.7 A man a lyon an oxe and an Eagle It hath been vsually received to applie these foure to the foure Evangelists and of them the Eagle to Saint Iohn The nature of the Eagle is by GOD himselfe Iob. 39.30.33 described Iob 39. by two properties 1 elevari ad ardua no foule vnder heaven to wreth so high 2 and vbicunque fuerit cadaver statim adest None so soone or so sodainly downe vpon the bodie Mat. 24.28 as he Both these do lively expresse themselues in Saint Iohn and no where more lively then in this Gospell Wherin as an Eagle in the clouds Gen. 1.1 Verse 1. he first mounteth wonderfully high beyond MOSES and his In principio with an higher In principio then it beyond Genesis and the worlds Creation That the Word was then wiâ—h GOD and was GOD. This may well be termed the Eagles flight so exceeding high as the cleerest eye hath much adoe to follow him Yet so farr as they can follow him the very Philosophers have been driven to admire the penning of this Gospell But after this Luk 17.37 as an Eagle againe vbi corpus ibi Aquila downe he commeth directly from the height of heaven and lights vpon the body of His flesh the mysterie of His incarnation and tells us that He that in the beginning was apud Deum and Deus He in the fullnesse of time was apud homines and Homo He dwelt not long aloft he knew it was not to purpose Verbum DEVS is farr above our reach Verbum caro that concernes us No time but it concernes us but this time above others This Feast is held this Assembly met for no other end but to celebrate the contents of the Text that the Word being made flesh this day came to dwell among us The Division Two parts there be in the Text sensibly 1 parted by a Parenthesis 2 That without the Parenthesis is that he would have us beleeve Verbum caro c. 3 That within is the Affidavit Vidimus c. In the former three things are affirmed of the Word 1 Factus è nobis 2 habitavit in nobis 3 plenum pro nobis 1 That the Word was made flesh of us 2 dwelt with us 3 was full for us Then followeth the Affidavit of these That S. Iohn and other more besides saw and so spake no more then they knew nor testifie no more then they had seen 1. Ioh 1.2 The best Proofe that can be They saw though not the Word himselfe yet His glory We saw His glory And that glory such as would suit with none but Him and so every Way sufficient to demonstrate Him the only Sonne of God And after all this one more there is without which His making Dwelling and Seeing were to little purpose That is that as He came not obscurely but was seen so He came not empty but full of grace and truth This fullnesse was not for Himselfe but for us Verse 16. Et de plenitudine Eius omnes accepimus There is not any thing that concerneth this Mysterie but is within this Text. His two Natures The word and flesh 1 Word Divine 2 Flesh Humane The Vnion of them in factum est union into a Person in Habitavit Habitare est Personae 3 Then His office also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not onely habetavit but castrametavit in nobis not onely tooke a house but pitched a pavilion in us Not onely factus Incola made our Neighbour but made a Champion for us to undertake our quarrell and to fight a combate 4 And last the Benefit Made that He might Dwell and Dwell that He might impart to us and we derive from Him that whereof He was full and we were empty we had need and He had store grace and truth All reducible to these three 1 Quod Verbum Caro 3 Quid Verbu Carni 3 Quid Caâ—o Verbo 1 That the Word became flesh the Mysterie 2 What the Word did for flesh the Benefit 3 And what flesh is to doe to the Word againe the Duety We are in a deepe point and a dangerous It will not be amisse I. Quòd Verbum Caro. Verbum The Word to pause a little on the three termes Verbum Caro and factum est The Word 1 There be that take this Name to be given Him as who should say He of whom so many excellent words are spoken all along this Booke so many words of promise and prophesie and all of Him So the Word Obiectivè 2 Others for that He discloseth to us all Gods counsaile even as the Word openeth the minde of man by whom as His word we know whatsoever we know of the Fathers mind So the Word Effectivè 3 A third for that He commeth not only as IESVS to save us but as the Word to teach us We as to honor Him so learne His word as the way to our Salvation So the Word Praeceptive 4 These are all well and true all but all short We may have use of them The Word and The onely begotten of the Father but there is a further matter then all these This Word as we finde in the Affidavit is the Only begotten of the Father These two are one and the same but need to be set in two termes that what is wanting is the one may be supplied by the other So high is the Divine nature above our reach as no one terme is hable to expresse it It is well if diverse will doe it In this they agree As the Sonne is to the Father so is the Word To shew His proceeding to the Minde The Sonne Proles Parentis the Word Proles mentis They proceed both the Sonne from the Father the Word from the minde and so note out unto us a Party proceeding a second Person from the
first from Him that begetteth the Sonne from him that speaketh the Word Against Sabellius The Sonne referreth to a living nature The Word addeth further an intellectuall nature Generare est viâ—entiâ—m Loqui intelligentium That there is in Him not only the Nature and Life but the Wisedome of the Father Both Proâ—eed The word sheweth the Manner The Sonne the truth of His proceeding With us the Sonne is not begott but by flesh by propagation The word therfore requisite to shew His proceeding was after no carnall manner but as the word from the minde A better terme could not be devised For there is not in all the World a more pure simple inconcrete procreation then that whereby the minde conceiveth the word within it by dixit incorde For in it selfe and of it selfe doth the minde produce it without help of any mixture of ought without any passion stirring or agitation at all Such was the issue of the Word eternall But then lest we might imagine GODS Word to be to Him no other then ours is to us not of our substance He makes amends for that and tells us He is the Only begotten and so of the substance of His Father very God of very God as all begotten Sonnes be The Word to shew His proceeding pure and meerly spirituall the Sonne to shew that for all that it is true and substantiall Truly consubstantiall with the Father as the Sonne but in all cleane and pure manner conceived as the Word The Sonne though He be consubstantiall yet the person of His Father may have a being long before Him The Word makes amends for that For the minds conceiving and the minde cannot be severed a moment if one be eternall both are So then as the Sonne He is consubstantiall as the Word He is coëternall But he beginnes with the Word His care being first to tell us of the purenesse of His generation before of His generation it selfe but after by little and little unfoldeth himselfe and tells He is so the Word as the SONNâ— also Indeed it was best beginning with the Word That terme the Heathen Wise men the Philosophers would never stumble at but brooke it well enough As indeed they did not with approbation only but with high admiration read and magnifie the beginning of this Gospell Witnesse Tertul. in Apol. Euseb. in praepar August de Civit. 10. and Theodoret. It was conforme to their reason Quòd Deus ab aeterno intelligit and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conceiving of the mind and the minde must needs be coëternall the minde never without it Mic. 5 2. as the Prophet sayth Egressus Ejus à Diebus aeternitatis This for the Word of much more that might be sayd of it Became flesh 1. Caro. As the Word and the Onely Begotten referre to one so doth Caro and in nobis Flesh and in us that is such flesh as is in us Humane flesh 1. To expresse the Vnion fully a better word could not be chosen It is a part for the whole and the worser part for the whole of purpose For in this case our nature is best set out by the worser part For this we know if the worse be taken the better will not be left behinde If He abhorre not the flesh of the Spirit there will be no question More forcible it is to say He was made flesh then He was made man though both be true He vouchsafed to become man nothing so much as to become flesh the very lowest and basest part of man Besides from the Flesh as from Eve came the beginning of transgression longing after the forbidden fruit refused the Word quite so of all other least likely to be taken The Word not refusing it the rest have good hope But there is a kinde of necessitie to use the terme flesh If he had sayd man man may be taken for a Person He tooke no Person but our Nature He tooke flesh is no Person but Nature only and so bâ—st expresseth it And if soule it might have been taken as if He tooke not the flesh but mediante animâ but So He did not but as immediately and as soone the flesh as the soule in one instant both Yet one more It will not be amisse to tell you The word that is Hebrew for flesh the same is also Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Piel for good tydings as we call it the Gospell Sure not without the Holy Ghost so dispensing it There could be no other meaning but that some Incarnation or Making flesh should be generally good newes for the whole world To let us know this good tydings is come to passe he tells us the VVord is now become flesh 2. Verbum caro The Word became flâ—sh Thus why flesh now why the Word flesh Caro Verbum was our bane flesh would be the Word nay wiser then the Word and know what was evill better then it If caro Verbum our bane then Verbum caro our remedy Surely if the Word would become flesh it were so most kindly The Word was pars laesa the party that was most offended If He would undertake it if He against whom the offense was would be Author of the reconciliation there were none to that It were so most proper But in another respect He were fitt too He had sayd above All things were made by Him verse 3. Colos. 1.16.17 a kinde of meetnesse there were ut per quem facta omnia per eundem refecta He that first made them should restore them He that built repayre So is best ever And indeed Sic oportet implere omnem iustitiam that were the way to fulfill all iustice If the Word would take flesh Ioh. 5 16. he might make full amends for the fleshes fault in reiecting the word So is iustice that flesh for flesh and not the flesh of oxen and sheepe but even that flesh that sinneth our flesh should suffer for it and so suffering make satisfaction to Iustice. Why then factum est caro the Word is made Flesh This makes up all For 3. 1. Factum est caro Was made factum est ergo est He is made flesh therefore is flesh Fieri terminatur ad esse the end of making is being And per modum naturae so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke word this being is naturall Et nativitas est via ad naturam and nativitie is the way to nature So to be borne as this day He was Venit per carnem sanat per verbum Luk. 3.6 that all flesh may see the Salvation of GOD. Made it was against Manicheus holding that he had noe true body as if factum had been fictum or making were mocking Made it was but how made Not convertendo the Word converted into flesh as Cherinthus or flesh converted into the word Verbum caro facta est as Valentinus for the Deitie cannot be changed into
Incarnate He was in the Virgins wombe His taking flesh could not be seen but this draweth after it a vidimus dwelt and was seen visibly And this leadeth us to a third conversatus est Factum and factum familiare that he withdrew not himselfe into some solitarie place but was verbum prope nos neer us neer neighbors to us Rom. 10.8 Phil. 2.7 Habitu inventus ut homo In his habit and in his habitation found as a man One might aske him as they at Ver. XXXVIII ubi habitas Sir where dwell you and He invited them to come and see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwelt as in a Tent. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not every dwelling but a dwelling in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tent that is but for a time Not a house to stand for ever but a tent to be taken downe againe Which as it sheweth His Tabernacle of the nature of ours mortall so withall that He came but of an errand to sojourne till He had done it A worke He had for which He was sent that being done He layd his Tabernacle of againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pitched his tent as a Soldier And even that worke it selfe is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is a word militar Souldiers dwell in tents As if He were now factus caro incola miles as if some battaile were toward And indeed from the beginning the very third of Genesis there was warre proclaimed Gen. 3.15 Rom. 7.23 betweene the womans seede and the Serpents An enemie we had strong and mightie had and have still not one but many a whole campe of them They had prevailed and let us away captive under the Lawe of sinne Dux nobis opus est A Champion we stood in need of to rescue us And heer we have one now even Dux Messias as Daniel calleth Him He as this day came into the campe Dan. 9.25 set up His pavilion among us The Tabernacle of GOD was with men He might not stay eight dayes in the campe but He must take Sacramentum militare So He did And the ceremonie of it was to be stroken and to bleed some small quantitie So he was at his Circumcision And after He performed the battaile at his Passion Where though it cost Him His life yet the victorie fell on His side Captivitie was led captive and we were delivered Ephes. 4.8 His Tent was but a fore-runner to His combate This for His dwelling Now the Affidavit As the word Habitavit pointeth us to this first day of the feast and His Tent The Affidavit Vidimus We Saw to the middle day when He vndertook our quarrell So vidimus now is proper to the last day the day of Manifestation or Epâ—phanie He dwelt and not invisibly or obscurely but so as He might be and was seene Even this very first day vidimus might the Shepheards say we saw His Angels and heard them sing and then went to Bethlem and saw Himselfe Vidimus might the VVise men say we saw His starre in the East Mat 2.2 Act. 26.26 and we are come to see Himselfe This they might say and truly for these things were not done in oâ—scuro But as we said This clause is the Affidavit it is inferred as a Proofe You tell us of His making and His dwelling Quomodo constat How shall it appeare Vidimus is the best proofe that can be He saw it Ioh. 19.35 was an eye-witnesse of what he testified Anâ— it is not vidi but vidimus more eyes then one Not he alone Vidimus not vidi Wâ— saw others more saw it besides him In the mouth a â—at 17. 1. Ioh 1 3. of two or three witnesses Peter Iames and He vidimus were in the holy mount together and saw Him transfigured Nay a whole b Act. 1.9 Hebr. 12.1 cloud of witnesses CXX saw him taken up into heaven out of their sight in the mount of Olives Well might He say vidimus And that not per transennam at a blush passing by but had a full sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saw it inâ—entively looked well upon Him at leysure did it throughly for a good time together It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word whence a theater is derived As men with good heed behold things tâ—ere so did we intentiâ—ely all the acts and scenes of His life But I ask what saw they The flesh peradventure The Word they could not see Saw His glory He is GOD and GOD hath no man ever seene True that they could not yet His glorie they might and did Ver. 18. Which glorie was an infallible demonstration of His presence there Through the veile of His flesh such beames He cast Heb. 10.30 as behind those clouds they might know there was a Sunne as that way onely could He be made visible to the eyes of flesh which otherwise could not behold Him But it may be it was some wrong this but such as was seene in MOSES 5. Quasi unigenti Dei or in STEPHENS countenance He answers that and tells us It was not quasi Servi like a Servant nay nor quasi Filij like any adopted Sonnes but this glorie was every way such as well might it beseeme the Word or Onely Sonne but could agree to no creature though never so glorious To none but Him and so being proprium quarto modo might be a medius terminus in a demonstration And if you ask what that glorie might be With a word What this glâ—rie was to say to the winde and storme a Mar. 4.39 Obmutesce and to diseases b Mat. 8.3 Volo mundare And to Death it selfe c Luke 7.14 Tibi dico Surge His Miracles they shewed His glorie is expressely said in the next Chap. v. II. The Starre at His birth the eclÃpse at His death the glorie of His changing in the mount but above all His glorious Ascension and receiving up inâ—o heaven All which they saw as being in the theatre all the while from the Epitasis to the very Catastrophe Therfore he â—ells us heer and againe in his Epistle he writes nothing but what he saw and beheld and even his hands had handled of the VVord of Life 1. Ioh. 1.3 We may beleeve him He and his Contestes suffered many things for the truth of their witnesse and the whole world since hath beleeved this their Affidavit Now are we past the Parenthesis But what is all that a vidimus Nothing but a maske to be seene Came He onely to make a glorious shew to them all The Consequence Full of grace and truth No but as He came not obscure but was seene so He came not emptie but full and was felt of them that saw him not Vidimus is not all a Verse after there is accepimus To see His glorie they receive of his fullnesse They and we Full
of Grace and Truth both Many are the perfections whereof He is full Two onely heere chosen out as two streames 1 Grace and 2 Truth With them He commeth with the fullnesse of them Not of one of them but of both Grace referreth to the Sonne Truth to the VVord Grace is to adopt us Iam. 1.18 Truth to beget us anew for of His owne will He hath begotten us by the word of Truth And these do very fitly follow after glorie Glorie of it selfe terrifies and makes stand aloofe Grace invites And His glorie is such as is full of grace His Mercie as great as His Maiestie full out A blessed thing it is when these two meet and they that are in glorie are full of grace too It is not so with every one that is in glorie But though there be Grace vnlesse there be Truth too all is nothing For Grace because it is plausible and pleaseth the people it is affected there is a taking on grace in face and phrase but when all is done it wanteth sound truth That is right grace that hath truth ioyned to it Verbum gratiae and verbum charitatis both and it is both Yea verbum caro His word is not wind it hath flesh on it His Truth is as it were the flesh of His Grace Thus may be the consequence But of these two choise is made as of those our nature stood most in need of Out of grace we were and without grace as Sinners and in errors wandring up an downe as even the best of our nature did at his comming into the flesh This is the state He found us in when He came among us Eph. 1.6 Ver. 16. Against the first gratificavit nos in Dilecto He brought us in grace againe through His Beloved SONNE Gratiam pro gratiâ he saith after streight for the grace His Sonne had with Him He received us to grace Against the later He brought us Truth to set us in the right way Via Veritas Vita Veritas betweene both Via veritas or veritas viae the true way Vitae veritas or veritas vitae Ioh. 14.6 the true life that is Life eternall We cannot be without either This for our need But within a verse after I finde these two set in opposition to the Lawe Ver. 17. and the Lawe to them as if S. Iohn pointed us whereto we should refer them The Lawe full of rigour many threats and curses in it CHRIST bringeth the word of Grace opposeth to that The Lawe full of emptie shadowes and Ceremonies which Truth is set against Corpus autem CHRISTVS CHRIST the very body to Lex habens vmbram So Colos. 2.17 Heb. 10.1 requisite to quit us of the Lawe The Lawe the Word that marred flesh The bringing of these two together is a great matter and together they must be Grace take it from Truth and it is fallax but a vizour but a meere illusion Truth sever it from grace and it is ingrata but an unpleasing thing Grace and Truth kept in sunder and never met before but when the Word and flesh met then did they meet and kisse each other sayth the Prophet Pâ—al 85.10 and doth with a whole psalme celebrate this meeting They must meet and Grace be first as here We shall never endure the severitie of His Truth Grace first then Truth unlesse Grace come before and allay it But when Grace hath brought us to Him Truth will hold us with Him By Grace we shall accomplish what Truth requireth at our hands that so receiving Grace and walking in Truth we may come to the third the reward of both Glorie Full of both Luke 1 2â— Act. 7.55 Ioh. 3.34 Full of them and the word would not be passed Wee finde others full of grace as his Blessed Mother and as S. Stephen Theirs reacheth not to us None of them have more then serves for themselves For the Spirit is given them but by measure but pleâ—â—â—â—ndo vasis in them the fulnesse of a Vessell if ye take any thing out to poure into another it is the lesse for it But His is plenitudo fontis the fulnesse of a fountaine which is never drawne drie qui implet abyssum non minoratur fills a great poole and it selfe never the lesse Of which fulnesse they all received and He never the emptier We shall not need to goe to any other store-house or helpe to supply or fill up CHRIST with any other as if he were but halfe full He is full full of both Our care is to be to make ourselves fit Vessells and there is all Thus farre Quòd Verbum factum caro Now Quid Verbum carni the Benefite II. Quid Verbum Carni The Bâ—nefit and that which the Benefite ever draweth with it the Duety Quid Caro Verbo 1. Factus caro benefaciet carni being made flesh He will be a Benefactor to it No man ever hated his flâ—sh and no more can He us who are flesh of His flesh or rather He of ours Ephes. 5.29 He seeth us daily in Himselfe He cannot looke upon His flesh but He must thinke upon us And GOD the Father cannot now hate the flesh which the Word is made which is now taken into one person with His onely Sonne and united to the Deitie it selfe If He love the Word He must love it too for the Word is become it either love both or hate both But love it certainly for as this day When He brought His Sonne clothed with it into the World He gave expresse commandement Heb. 1.6 all His Angells should worship Him so clothed and our flesh in Him A new dignity which is this day accrued to our Nature to be adored of the blessed Angells Our Nature questionlesse is set in high favour with GOD GOD send our persons so too and all shall be well Besides good hope we now have that He being now flesh All flesh may come to Him to present Him with their requests Time was when they fled from Him Ps. 65.2 but ad factum carnem jam veniet omnis caro For since He dwelt amongst us all may resort unto Him Yea even Sinners and of them it is sayd Hic recipit peccatores Luc. 15.2.2 comedit cum eis He receiveth them receiveth them even to His Table A second hope that seeing He hath made our flesh His Tabernacle He will not suffer this of ours the same with that of His to fall downe quite and come to nothing the same He dwelleth in himselfe not to perish utterly but repaire it againe Psal. 16.9 and raise it out of the dust So that insuper Caro nostra requiescet in spe our very body may rest in hope to be restored againe and made like to His glorious bodie Phil. 3.21 A third that where it was flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of God it is reversed flesh aâ—d bloud shall
for flesh and bloud alreadie doth It is that 1. Cor. 15.50 Saint Iohn is about to inferre the former verse out of this Ver. 12. vz. to them gave He power to be made the Sonnes of God For Ex quo hoc verum est Filium Dei filium hominis fieri potuisse non est incredibile c. Since sure it is that the Sonne of God is made the sonne of man it is not incredible but that the sonnes of men may be made the Sonnes of God Not incredible nay Securitas nobis data est a kind of bond is entred security given Seeing this Verse is true so is the last Dedit potestatem He gave power and well might Why for the Word is made flesh and therefore flesh may have reciprocall hope to be regenerate by the Word and adopted through grace and so exalted to the glorious dignitie of the Sonnes of God And because Grace and Truth do this we shall faile of neither of them He is full and not for himselfe He needs them not He hath them for us and hath sufficient Neither shall be wanting if we be not wanting to our selves His grace shall prevent us and His truth follow us all the dayes of our life Psal. 23.6 So we see quid Verbum carni what He hath done for us Now our Duety reciprocall III. Quid Caro Verbo Our duety Quid caro verbo what we for Him againe If the Word become flesh we to take order that flesh of ours that the Word hath taken we take it not 1. Cor. 6.16 and make it una caro with you know whom or may read 1. Cor. 6. God forbid Knowe ye not the WORD is become flesh That flesh is then so to be preserved that as he saith we sawe the Glorie so may we we saw His flesh as the flesh of the only begotten Sonne of God Kept with such care and in such cleannesse as it might beseeme His flesh to be kept And as much may be sayd for habitavit the house would be somewhat handsome as handsome as we could that is to receive Him We blame them that this day received Him in a stable take heed we doe not worse our selves But the Fathers presse a further matter yet out of verbum caro factum that we also are after our manner verbum carnem facere to incarnate the Word We have a Word we This for the Comparative But then fearing it might be we would not conceive high enough of this SONNE or weigh Him as He is worthy He goeth to it Positivè and as it were setts up His Armes consisting of eight severall Coats or proclaimeth His stile of as many severall Titles Which we may reduce to foure severall combinations 1 Sonne and Heire 2 the Brightnesse and Character 3 Maker and Supporter of all things 4 That purgeth our sinns and that is sett downe in the throne And these againe may be abbridged to these two 1 what He is in Himselfe 2 and what to us 1 In Himselfe all the rest 2. To us 1 made Heire 2 purgeth our sinns 3 and so clenseth our Nature that being so clensed He may exalt it For it is for us and not for Himselfe He taketh up the place mentioned at the right hand on high Then our duetie Bona si sua nôrint If we can skill of our owne good to finde our estate greatly dignified by it and to honour this day the beginning of this dignitie to us wherein GOD gave His SONNE to speake vivâ voce unto us to purge our sinnes and to exalt us to His throne on high I. The comparative part and difference GOD in times past spake to the Fathers and His speech was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of many severall parcells to severall persons at severall times some at one time some at another And as the time grew so grew their knowledge peece and peece of the great mysterie 1. In the Matter this day manifested God in times past c. in many parts spake concerning His Person First one peece Man He should be a Gen. 3.15 of the Womans seed That should bruize the Serpents head and there was all Gen. 3. Then another peece Of what Nation He should be b Gen. 22.18 of the seed of ABRAHAM Gen. 22. Then another yet Of what Tribe c Gen. 49.9 10.11 c. of the Tribe of IVDA Gen. 49. Then againe a fourth peece of what Family d Psal. 132 11.1◠c. of the house of DAVID Psal. 132. So likewise GOD in times past spake of His Offices To MOSES one peece He should be e Deut. 18.18 a Prophet Deuteron 18. TO DAVID another He should be f Psal. 110·4 a Priest Psal. 110. TO IEREMIE a third He should be g Ier. 23.5.6 a King and his Name IEHOVA justitia nostra Iere. 23. And not to hold you long in this GOD in times past in sundrie parts spake concerning this Dayes worke That came by peeces too One parcell to h Esay 9.6 Esai of His Birth Esa. 9. To i Mic. 5.2 Mica the Place of it Mic. 5. To k Dan 9.25.26 c. Daniel the Time of it by weekes Dan. 9. So you see it was by peeces and by many peeces they had it Well said the l 1. Cor. 13.9 Apostle that Prophecying is in part One may now in a few houres come to as much as came to them in many hundred yeares This for the Matter 2. In the Manner Now for the Manner It was multiformis GOD c. many manner waies One manner by dreames in the night Iob 33. Another manner by visions And those againe of two manners Iob 33 15· 1 Either presented to the outward sense as Esay VI. 2 Or in an extasie Esay 6.1 Dan. 10.7 c. 1. Reg 19 12. represented to the inward as Dan. X. Another yet by Vrim in the brest of your Priest And yet another by a small still voice in the eares of the Prophet I. Reg. 19. And sometime by an Angel speaking in him Zach. I. But most what by His SPIRIT Zach. 1.9 And to trouble you no more very sure it is that as for the Matter in many broken peeces so for the Manner in many diuerse fashions spake He to them But then if in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you understand Tropos figures Then were they yet many more The Paschall Lamb a Exod. 12.4 ◠c. Exod. 12. the Scape-goat b Levit. 16.10 Levit. 16. The Red Cow c Num. 19 1 2 c. Num 19. and I know not how many even a world of them Many they were and tropes they were shadowed out darkly rather then cleerly expressed Theirs was but candle-light to our day-light but Vespertina cognitio in comparison of ours whom the Day hath visited sprung from on high This for the Matter and Manner Now for the Men. Luk. 1.78 GOD in
Meeting marvelous in our eyes Will yee stay a little and take a view of the Parties Foure they are These foure 1 Mercie and 2 Truth 3 Righteousnesse and 4 Peace Which quaternion at the first sight divides it selfe into two and two Mercie and Peace they two Paire well they be collectaneae as Bernard saith of them in one place bedfellowes But Mercy and Truth Righteousnesse and Peace sleepe together collactaneae as in another place sucked one milke one breast both And as these two so the other two truth and righteousnesse seeme to be of one complexion and disposition and commonly take part togither Of these Mercie seemes to favor us and Peace no enemie to us nor to any seeing we must speake of them as of persons mild and gentle persons Rom. 13.4 both For Righteousnesse I know not well what to say Gestat gladium and I feare non frustrà Nor of Truth who is vera and severa severe too otherwhile These I doubt are not like affected The reason of my doubt Of one of them Righteousnesse it is told heer for great newes that She but looked downe hitherwards from heaven Before then She would not have done that A great signe it is of heart burning when one will not doe so much as looke at another not endure his sight We cannot promise our selves much of her No nor of Truth One was so bold in a place to say Omnis homo mendax Rom. 3.4 and feared no challenge for it By that it seemes all stands not well with her neyther So then two for us two against us Their order Mercie first Peace last For their order Mercie is first and Peace last With both ends we shall do well enough GOD send us to do but so with the midst Yet this is not amisse that they which favor us lesse are in the midst hemmed in on both sides closed about with those that wish us well and they between us and them On the one side Mercie before On the other Peace behind Their sorting Mercie and Truth Another that in this double meeting Mercie sorts not her selfe goes not to Righteousnesse nor Righteousnesse to her but to Peace A kind of crosse meeting as it were there is the better hope of accord Mercie and Righteousnesse have no Symbolizing qualitie at all no hope of them but Truth with Mercie hath There is Truth as well in the Promise of Mercie as in the threat of Iustice. Righteousnesse and Peace Heb. 7.2.6.20 And it stands yet better between the other two Righteousnesse and Peace Melchisedek which is by interpretation King of Righteousnesse the same is King of Salem that is of peace He that is after the order of Melchisedek King of both like enough to sett accord between them two both of them his lieges This for the view of the Parties These meet heer The Occasion but what is obviaverunt without osculatae sunt Better let them stand in sunder still and never meet There seemes to be two Meetings implyed One obviaverunt without and another with osculatae sunt Before they mett heer they were parted the one from the other For they that meet come from diverse coasts Before this meeting they have been in diverse quarters one from the other and not come together thus a good while Their distance in place grew from their distance in affection estranged one from the other That they mett not I will not say but that they mett not thus ever before Els what remarkable thing were there in this Meeting or worth the composing of a Psalme if it had been familiar with them thus to meet every other nay any other day How came they then asunder that it should be a marveile to see them meet Of their severing Not from themselves Since naturally they are not strangers all foure in the bosome of GOD from all eternitie Attributes all foure of His undivided essence So not divided of themselves Not of themselves then That they were divided it was about us the quarrell ours that made them part company Thus I gather it If at CHRISTS birth they mett at Adams fall they parted If when Truth was borne on earth they came together But from Adams fall when Truth perished from the earth they fell in sunder That was when the first lye was told and beleeved and that was nequaquam moriemini by Adam and thereby GOD much wronged So that Adams cause it was and so Gen. 3.4 ours that first divided heaven yea the very Attributes in GOD we see and so in a sort GOD Himselfe So they parted first Col. 1.20 It could not be sayd by the Apostle that CHRIST pacified all things in heaven and in earth if there had not in heaven been somewhat to be taken up For all this yet I deny not but they might and did meet once before But So their first meeting was in opposition it was an obviaverunt without an osculatae sunt Never both these till now Out of CHRIST and before His birth they mett in opposition In CHRIST and at his birth did these foure Lights come to meet and to be in conjunction now They mett before obviaverunt but instead of osculatae it was altercatae sunt While Mercie and Peace would have Adams and our case relieved Righteousnesse and Truth would by no meanes endure it The plea is drawen up and reported at large by Bernard in his first Sermon upon the Annunciation Mercie began for out of her readinesse to doe good she is heer Mercies Plea she is ever formost Her inclination is or rather she herselfe is an inclination to pitie such as are in miserie and if she can to releive them yea though they deserve it not For which is the comfort of the miserable sinner she lookes not to the partie what he is or what he hath done or deserved but what he suffers in how woefull and wretched a case he is And her plea is Nunquid in vanum Psal. 89.47.30 ◠What hath GOD made all men for nought What profit is in their blood It will make GODS enimies rejoice Thither it will come if GOD cast them cleane of What then Will He cast them of for ever Psal. 74.18 will He be no more entreated Hath GOD forgotten to be gratious With these and such like pij susurri as he calls them did she enter into GODS bowels and make them yerne Psal. 77.7 8. and melt into compassion And certainly if there were none to stand against us there were hope Mercie had prevailed But Truth must be heard too and she layes in just matter of exception Pleades Truth 's Reply Ioh. 1 1. Deus erat Verbum What is God but His Word and His word was as to ADAM morte morieris So to his Sonnes anima quae peccaverit The soule that sinneth Gen. 2.17 that soule shall dye GOD may not falsifie His word His word is the truth
this day then doth it spring forth as it were is to be seene above ground then Orta est de terrâ in very deed 4. The Effect Of the effect now Births are and have been diverse times the ending of great dissentions As was this heer For by this Birth took end the two great Howses An vnion of them by it First by this Truth is gained Truth will meet now That truth will come to this truth On Truth she is gained tanquam minus dignum ad magis dignum as the Abstract to the Arcâ—etype And Truth being now borne of our Nature it will never we may be sure be against our Nature being come of the earth it will be true to his owne countrie being made man will be for man now all He can By this meanes one of the opposites is drawne away from the other Got to be on our side It is three to one now Righteousnesse is left all alone and there is good hope she will not stand out long For lo heer is good newes first that respexit de coelo she yet lookes downe from heaven now On Righteousnesse So as this birth in earth you see workes in heaven and by name upon Righteousnesse there For though there were none in heaven but it wrought upon them yet the Psalme mentions none but Righteousnesse For of all she the least likely and if she be wrought on the rest there is no doubt of How can there they are all woon to us already With Righteousnesse it works two waies First downe she lookes Whither it was 1 She lâ—â—kes dâ—wne that she miâ—sed Truth to see what was become of her and not finding her in heaven cast heâ— eye to the earth But there when she beheld Verbum caro factum the Word â—â—esh Ioh 1.14 the Truth freshly sprung there where it had been a strange plant long time before Aspexit and Respixit she looked and looked againe at it For a Sight it was to move to drâ—w the eye yea a fight for Heaven to be a Spectator of for the Angells to come downe and looke at for Righteoâ—snesse it selfe to do so too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Angells word in Saint Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint's word heer both meane one thing 1 Pet. 1 12. The Greeke word is to look as we say wishly as it as if we would looke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even through it the Hebrew word that is as if Righteousnesse did beat out a window So desirous was she to behoâ—d this Sight And no mervaile for what could Righteousnesse desire to see and satisfie her selfe with that in Him was not to be seene A cleane birth a holy life an innocent death a Spirit and a mouth without guile a Soule and a bodie without Sinne. In Him she beheâ—d tâ—em all Them and whatsoever els might yeeld her full satisfaction Lay judgement to the rule and righteousnesse in the ballance nothing oblique will be found in Him nothing but streight for the rule nothing minus habens but full weight for the ballaâ—ce Thus when Truth from the earth then Righteousnesse from heaven Then but not before Before Righteousnesse had no prospect no window open this way She turned away her face shut her eyes clapt to the casement would not abide so much as to looke hithâ—r at us a sort of forlorne sinners not vouchsafe us once the cast of her eye The case is now altered Vpon this sight she is not oneâ—y content in some sort to condescend to do it but she breaks a window through to do it And then and ever since this Orta est she looks upon the earth with a good aspect and a good aspect in these caelestiall lights is never without some good influence withall Bâ—t then within a verse after not onely downe she looks but downe she comes 2 Downe she comes Verse 13. Such a power attractive is there in this Birth And comming she doth two things 1 To meet Meets first for upon the view of this birth they all ran first and Kissed the Sonne 2 To kisse And that done Truth ran to Mercie and embraced her and Righteousnesse to Peace and kissed her They that had so long been parted and stood out in difference now meet and are made friends Howsoever before removed in ortu veritatis obviaverunt sibi howsoever before estranged now osculatae sunt And at that birth of His well met they all in whom they meet all The Truth He is and per viscera Misericordiae He came through the tender mercies of our GOD Luk. 1 7 8. 1. Cor. 1.30 Ephes. 2.14 and He is made to us Righteousnesse and He is our Peace All meet in Him for indeed all He is that no mervaile they all foure meet where He is that is all foure And at this meeting Righteousnesse she was not so of-ward before but she is now as forward as forward as any of the rest Mark these three Let ts not Pâ—ace prevent her as Mercie did Truth but as Mercie to Truth first so she first to Peace as forward as Mercie every way 2 Nay more forward then Mercie for Mercie doth but meet Truth and there is all but she as more affectionate not only meets Peace but kisses her And indeed Righteousnesse was to doe more even to kisse that it might be a pledge of forgetting all former unâ—indnesse that we may be sure she is perfectly reconciled now 3 And one more yet to shew her the most forward of them all out of the last Verse At this meeting she followes not drawes not behind Verse 13. she will not goe with them She is before leaves them to come after and beare the traine She as David is before the Arke puts S. Iohn Baptist from his office for the time Righteousnesse is his forerunner Righteousnesse shall goe bâ—fore tread the way before Him the formost now of all the companie By all which ye may know what a looke it was she looked with from Heaven Thus ye see CHRIST by His comming hath pacified the things in Heaven A peece of Hosanna is pax in coelis There cannot be pax in terris till there it be Colos. 1.20 first But no sooner there it is but it is peace in earth streight which accordingly was this day proclaimed by the Angells Luc. 2.14 So by the vertue of this birth heaven is at peace with it selfe and heaven with earth is now at peace So is earth too with it selfe and a fulfilling of the Text by this meeting is there too The Iewes they represent truth to them it belongeth properly For Truth was where were Eloquia Dei Rom. 9.4 the Oracles of GOD and they were with the Iew. The Gentiles they claime by Mercie that is their vertue Where was Mercie but where was miserie and where was miserie Luc. 1.79 but with them that lay in darknesse in the shadow of death And
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there came our miserie by Adam's not keeping his first estate but Scattering from GOD. 3 But then comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about and makes all well againe by bringing us where we were at the first There was a former Capitulation The articles were broken Then came this Recapitulation heere anew An account was cast but it was mis-cast and so it is heer cast new over againe But when all is done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is it we must hold by The fist is gone All perished by being Scattered from All must be recovered by being gathered to againe Our Separation our ruine Our Reparation our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our gathering againe And not ours alone but Salus mundi of all in heaven all in earth By this we may see by the way 1 what case all were in 2 what case all are in still that he loose and vngathered and whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath not recollected againe We see what and how gathered Now quò the next point is whereto 4 Into one Into one Every thing that is gathered is so But there is more ones then one One heap as of stones One flock as of sheepe One pile as of the materialls of a building All are good but to take the word in the native sense the gathering heer is either to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Summe as many numbers Or to go neerer to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Head as many members and that is it the Apostle pursueth to the Chapters end Both these Summe and Head are in the body of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they both serve and suit well The body the Head is as it were the Summe of all all 1 sense 2 motion 3 speech 4 vnderstanding all recapitulate into the Head This of Head or Summe fitteth it best For to speake properly many heaps flocks piles there may be Head there can be but one De ratione capitis est unum esse And so of a Summe but one true summe were there never so many so diverse waies cast So then into one that is not enough It is not co-adunation will serve It is recapitulation and in that word there is caput It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in that word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a reducing all to one as that one be the Head A headlesse gathering the Apostle cannot skill of And indeed say there were an entire body and every member in his right place and all streictly knit together yet if the head should had to be away as good the members all in sunder for all were to no purpose So a Head or nothing This gathering then you see is to the chiefe Member to the Member that weares the Crowne Thither upward the true gathering goes There is a Vnion downwards Iud. 15.4 as of Samson's foxes that were together by the tailes That is not the right but by the head The oxen that plough are joyned together by the head The foxes that are tied by the tailes they set all on fire The Vnitie of the head GOD send us That is the true Vnitie And yet are we not where we should We may gather upward too and make a head and not the right head That to a head is not enough if it fall out to be a wrong head suppose Romelie's sonne Humano capiti c. do but paint saith the Poet any body Esay 7.9 with a wrong head it will but move laughter and scorne The right the owne head it would be A strange head will not suite nor doe us any stead The right head then And which is the right head He adds Recapitulati in CHRISTO It is CHRIST There lo is the right head now To that let all gather And now we are arrived at CHRIST we are where we should our gathering is at the best All in heaven All in earth gathered together together againe Againe into one One Summe whereof CHRIST is the Foot One body whereof CHRIST is the Head Gather then and be gathered to Him Gather then and be gathered with Him Luk. 1â— 23 He that gathereth not with Him scattereth And so were all scattered without CHRIST till He came with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and got them againe together The seasons were all empty The things all on heapes Gen. 3.24 Things in heaven from things in earth Angells with drawne swords at men Things on earth Iud. 13.22 from things in heaven Men at but the sight of an Angell ready to fall downe dead The members from the head the head from the members The members one from another Neither vnion with the head nor among themselves Peccata vestra Ier. 5.25 it was sinne that divided betweene GOD and them and divided once and divided ever divided in semper divisibilia till they were quite past all division No longer divided now but even scattered The case of the world then Scattered in point of Religion Gods scattered all over as many Gods as Cities All the hosts of heaven Ieâ— 2.28 all the beasts and creeping things of the earth Scattered in point of moralitie or morall Philosophie I know not how many scattered opinions Augustine reckons de Summo Bono the chiefe point of all The Iewes scattered from the Gentiles and the Gentiles from the Iewes A maine Wall betweene Ephes 2.14 The Gentiles scattered from themselves grossely all in fractions they Nothing of a body Never a head And yet many heads but never a right one among them all No not the Iâ—wes themselves For the Tabernacle of DAVID was then downe and the ruines of it scattered into many Sects as the Prophet AMOS complaines Amos 9.11 And Saint IAMES alledgeth it out of him Act 15.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 1.2 Gen. 11.8 Act. XV. In a word the whole world then was but a masse of errours a Chaos of confusion Tohu and Bohu empty and void of all saving grace or truth Well likened to them that were scattered at the tower of Babel where no man vnderstood another Exod. 5.12 Or to the people that were scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble to pick up Strawes All then wandering hither and thither and seeking death in the error of their life By all which you see Wisd. 1.12 what need there was of this gathering this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now then if for the divisions of Reuben Iud. 5·15 there were great thoughts of heart as it is in Debora's song for but one Tribe scattered from the rest shall there be no thought or course taken for these such so generall so many not divisions but plaine dispersions scatterings all abroad Great pitie that all these should lie thus loose and vngathered as if they were not worth the taking up Io. 6.12 He that in Ioan. VI. took order for the broken meat for the fragments willed them to be gathered
and even to that doth the Apostle apply the Genui of this verse And this is the first begetting Heb. 1.5 or speaking Now as the word yet within us in our thought when time comes that we will utter it doth take to it selfe an aierie body our breath by the vocall instruments being framed into a voice and becoÌ„meth audible to the outward sense And this we call the second begetting or speaking Right so the aeternall WORD of GOD by DOMINVS dixit by the very breath of GOD the Holy Spirit which hath His name of Spiro to breath corpus autem aptasti mihi had a body framed Him and with that body was brought forth Heb. 10.5 and came into the world And so these words Genui te this very day the second time verified of Him Genui and Dixit genui sayd and by saying begott Him For how soone the Angells voice sounded in the blessed Virgins eare instantly was He incarnate in the wombe of His Mother Of both which words Dixit and Genui we can spare neither There is good use of both Of Genui to shew the truth of the identitie of His nature and substance with His FATHER that begatt Him and with His â—â—â—her that bare Him For to begett is when one living thing bringeth forth another living thing of the same nature and kind it selfe is But I know not how the terme of begetting the very mention of that word carryeth our conceit to a matter of carnalitie therefore is the word Dixit well set before it to shew this Genui was not by any fleshly way to abstract it from any mixture of carnall uncleanesse That the manner of it was onely as the word is purely and spiritually conceived in the mind The one word Genui noting the truth The other word Dixit the no way carnall but pure and inconcrete manner of His generation And so I have gone over the five termes of this Law or if you please the five points of his Text. The hardest is yet behind For it will not sinke into our heads how this should be called a Law It seemes nothing lesse rather a Dialogue between a Father and his Sonne But a law sure it cannot be A law tunnes in the Imperative this is meerly Narrative declares some-what injoynes nothing gives not any thing in charge as lawes use to doe Sed non potest solvi Scriptura GOD must be true in all His sayings Ioh. 10.35 Ro. 3.4 CHRIST may not preach false doctrine A law He hath called it and we may not give it any other name There be that thinke this verse is but the preaamble and that the body of the law doth follow and reacheth to the end of the Psalme But the better sort are of mind that even this verse taken by it selfe conteynes in it a law full and whole Let us see then whether we can find it so We picth't upon the Apostle's division of the law into Lex fidei and Lex factorum If both these be found in it we may well allow it for a law We will begin with Lex fidei what we are to beleeve of Him Of Him that is of these three 1 Of His Person 2 His Natures 3 and His Offices And then come to Lex factorum 1 First what He doth for us the benefit of this law 2. And then what we are to do for Him againe our dutie out of this law The former of which the benefit is the Gospell of this law The latter the dutie is the law of this Gospell Of His person first That He is of Himselfe a person subsisting Plaine 1. Lex fidei 1 Of His Person by the two persons that are in the Text Ego and Tu the first and second person in Grammar and the same the first and second person in Trinitie Heer is Ego genui the person of the Father and Filius meus tu the person of the Sonne Heer is one begetts And sure it is nemo generat Seipsum none begetts himselfe but he whom he begetts is a person actually distinguished from him that begetts him But of these two persons this you will marke That the first that is named is Filius meus tu He stands first in the verse before Genui te We heare of Filius before ever we heare of Genui For that is the Person we hold by By nature Ioh. 14.6 Genui te should go before Filius meus but quoad Nos Filius meus is before Genui To shew there is no comming to the FATHER but by Him no interest in the Father but from and thorough Him This for His person And in His person we beleeve two Natures sett downe heer in the two words 2. Of His Naturâ—s Hodiè and Genui If you do observe there is some what a strange conjunction of these two words One is present Hodiè the other is perfectly past Genui In proprietie of speech it would be a present act for a present time or it would be an act past with an adverbe of the time past and not joyne a time in being Hodiè with an action ended and done Genui The ioyning of these two togither the verifying them both of one and the same person must needs seeme strange And indeed could not be made good but that in that one partie there are two distinct Natures To either of which in a different respect both may agree and be true both Some little difference there wil be about the sorting of the two words which to referr to which But that will easily be accorded for they will both meet in the end There be that because Hodiè the present is yet in Fieri and so not come to be perfect understand by it His temporall generation as man which is the lesse perfect as subiect to the manifold imperfections of our humane nature and condition And then by Genui which is in factum esse and so done and perfect understand His aeternall generation as the SONNE of GOD in whom are absolutely all the perfections of the Deitie There be other and they fly a higher pitch and are of a contrary mind For whatsoever is past is in time say they and so Genui is temporall and that Hodié that doth best expresse His aeternall generation For thaâ— nothing is so properly affirmed of aeternitie it selfe as is Hodiè Why For there all is Hodiè there is neither Heri nor Cras no yesterday not to morrow All is To day there Nothing past nothing to come all present Present as it were in one instant or center so in the Hodiè of Aeternitie Past and to come argue time But if it be aeternall it is neither All there is Present To day then setts forth aeternitie best say they which is still present and in being But Genui that being past cannot be His aeternall at any hand but must needs stand for His temporall But whether of these it be Genui His aeternall as perfect and
Hodiè as not yet perfect His temporall Or vice versa Hodiè represent aeternitie best and Genui time as being spent and gone Between them both one way or other they will shew His begettings You may weave Hodiè with Genui or Genui with Hodiè and between them both they will make up the two Natures of Him that was the Hodiè genitus of this day Concerning whom we beleeve as first that He is one entire person and subsists by Himselfe So second that He consists of two distinct Natures aeternall and temporall The one as perfect GOD the other as perfect man 3. Of his Offices Now for His offices Them we have likewise in the two words Praedicabo and Legem Praedicabo By that it is plaine He doth preach And that seemes strange for the last newes we heard of Him in the verse before was that He was sett a King in Sion And the word legem imports as much For lawes with us are the King's lawes A King to preach Let that alone for the Priests That is their Office they shall teach Iacob His iudgements Deut. 33 11. and preach to Israel His law But preach He wil as he saith So Filius meus will prove a Priest as it seemes A Priest indeed And which is yet more strange by vertue of these very words Filius meus tu No words one would thinke to prove Him a Priest by and we should hardly beleeve it but that in Heb. 5.4 the Apostle deduceth His Priest-hood from these very words No man saith he taketh unto him this honour that is the honour of the Priest-hood but he that was called of GOD as was Aaron And then he adds No more did CHRIST He tooke not this honour upon Him to be our high Priest but He that sayd to Him Filius meus tu hodiè genui te He gave it Him So that by vertue of these words CHRIST was consecrate a Priest as by vertue of the other Posui te Regem He was sett a King in Sion And the place Sion suites well with both For Mount Sion had two topps On the one was the Temple built on the other was the Kings Palace situate The one for Praedicabo the other for Legem In the one as King he makes a law in the other as Priest preacheth it First Posui Regem and then Praedicabo Legem And indeed the Kings that were His types were mixt of both Melchisedek him the Apostle stands on at large in Heb. 7. And if this Psalme be David's as questionlesse it is for his it is avowed to be Acts 4.25 why then he preach't too And for Salomon it is too evident we have his booke of the Preacher The like may be sayd of Ezekias and the rest by whom this King heer was in any sort represented And by vertue thereof they all had a greater care of publishing this law heer then of any of their owne lawes as on the contrarie Ahab and his race had more care of the keeping the statutes of Omri Mic. 6.16 then they had of the lawes of GOD. We beleeve then for His Offices that He is both King and Priest Hath a Kingdome to rule Hath a Dioecese to preach in His Kingdome the Heathen to the uttermost parts of the earth His Dioecese as large His Auditorie all States even the highest Kings and Iudges for Praedicabo legem concernes them all And this for lex fidei what it binds us to beleeve of Him 2. Lex factorum 1 What he doth for us The benefit Now for Lex factorum First what shall be done to them that live by and under this law They speake of lawes of grace This is indeed a law of grace nay it is The Law of grace not only as it is opposite to the law of nature but even because it offereth grace the greatest grace that ever was For what greater grace or favour can be done to any then to have these words Filius meus tu sayd unto him This law doth it for Ioh. 1.12 to them that receive it it giveth power to be made the Sonnes of GOD. The words seeme to be spoken to one person onely but as lawes of grace use to be are to receive ampliation and to be extended to the most benefit Dixit ad me Said He it to Him and said he it to Him alone and said he is to no other but to Him No For he gave it Him in charge to preach it and to preach it is to say it to others Therefore it is Dixit ad me vt ad alios per me it was so said to Him as that by Him it might be said to others Praedicabo makes it plaine Praedicabo When CHRIST doth preach He is not to be vnderstood to preach to himselfe no man doth so at any time but to others more or lesse that may be or should be the better for his preaching For what needed it be preached if it concerne none but Him if none to have benefit but He if they that heare it preached shall receive no benefit by it So say we of Legem This law was not made for CHRIST it needed not for Him any law He was Filius meus tu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 needed no law to make Him that which by nature He was The law was for others which by this law were to be made that which by nature they were not that is the Sonnes of GOD. Take the very words You see His Text is not in the first person Filius tuus ego His Text is Filius meus tu And who is that Tu It cannot be CHRIST himselfe by common intendment The Father saith to Him Thou art my Sonne But to whom is it that CHRIST saith Thou art my Sonne For Filius meus tu is His Text that He must preach on He may not goe from the words or change the tenor of His Text. Who is then that Sonne To whom applieth He his Text To some other certainely The Apostle saith He was sett and sent that He might bring many Sonnes unto GOD Heb. 2.10 to whom GOD also might say Filius meus tu And Himselfe likewise saith of Himselfe in the Prophet Behold heere am I and the children which GOD hath given me Esay 8.18 And who be those Children Those whom He shall regenerate The Birth 1. Pet. 1.23 Iam. 1.18 and beget anew by His Praedicabo Legem the immortall Seed For of His owne good will begat He us by the Word of truth that We might be the first fruits of His creatures These are the children that are heere meant Of whom it shall be said quòd per Filium filij that in and by this Sonne they shall be His Sonnes all And what was said to CHRIST shall be said to them and every of them Filius meus tu Of Sion saith the LXXXVII Psalme It shall be said He was borne in her And that Psal 87.4 is true for so He
he when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. of those Gallants whom I had heard before so boldly mainteine There was no GOD to seek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then every one of them on their knees and full devoutly praying the yee might hold till they gott over Moses saw it with his eyes Pharao who was at high termes Exo. 5.2 Who is the LORD you talke of and answered himselfe he knew none such nor nothing would doe for him When Cum occîderet came he tooke notice there was a LORD higher then he that that LORD was righteous and he a wretched sinner that sought for grace at His hands Marke but the shutting up of dixit insipiens their owne Psalme Psal 53.1 When saith David they have in heart sought to perswade themselves Non est seeke none None there is and thereupon corrupted themselves and became most loathsome in their lives Psal. 53.3 eate up their tenants as they would do so many morsells of bread made a mock of such holy men as sett themselves seriously to seeke GOD When all is done and occîderet come trepidabunt timore ubi non erat timor they shall beginne to be afrayd where they held before no feare needed And heer shal be the last verse of their Psalme quis dabit è Sion salutem to wish for the salvation of Sion which they have so oft derided They shall seeke and then they shall seeke Till then possibly you shall but lose your labour if you tell them of seeking of GOD and how good it is They are saith Ieremie like the Dromedarie of the wildernesse a beast of exceeding swiftnesse Ier. 2.24 the female specially Over hill and dale she gâ—eth saith the Prophet and snuffeth up the aire at her pleasure and who can over-take her They that seeke her will not weary themselves till her moneth And in her moneth when shee is bagged then they will finde her and deale with her well enough The case is like Age sicknesse death are farre of Youth health and strength possesse them there is no comming to them then The moneth cum occîderet is not yet come But come that once as once it will to all you shall since quaerebant will have his place Fiat It is therefore GOD's owne resolution Thus He resolveth I will goe saith He and returne to my place till they acknowledge their faults Hos. 5.15 and seeke me And when will that be He addeth In novissimo quaerent me diligenter An end will come and when that commeth they will seeke me diligently even the best of them And even so we are faigne to resolve For our lott is GODS lott and when He sought to them we goe to our place and there stand till their moneth Ioh. 5.4 Expectantes aquae motum waiting till the destroying Angell come and stirre the water and then quaerent Eum wil be worth the seeking after Then according to Saint Paul's disjunctive we 2. Co. 5.18 that all other times mente excedimus Deo at that time sobrij sumus vobis Divinitie which in our ruffe is sophisme and schoole points and at the best a kind of extasie about GOD is and shal be then the words of truth and sobernesse For GOD and His seeking will have their time Before if it may be but if not before then at the farthest First or last all shall confesse by seeking GOD is to be sought Some before He kill and happy are they But when He killeth all Hypocrites Heathens Atheists and all And I would pray you in a word but to note in seeking then how many things they confesse For there be I take it foure potentiall Confessions in it That such a one there is to be sought A Power above us whose being and sovereignety all first or last shall seeke That somewhat there is to be found some good to be done in seeking as Esay saith Non frustra dixit He hath not in vaine sayd to the seed af Iacob seeke ye me Esa. 45.19 For were it to no purpose they would not then do it but as at other times they did so let it alone then too That whatsoever that good is hit upon it or stumble on it we shall not It will not be had in parergo but seeke it we must For without seeking it will not be had If it would they might sit still and let it dropp into their lapps That seeking at this time when He slayeth them they shew what that good is they seeke Even that the Psalmist saith seeke the LORD and your soule shall live that Psal. 69.32 whatsoever become of their body at least their soule may live that we lose not both that He kill not both and cast both into hell fire And this even when we come within the hemisphaere of the other life the sence we then have of somewhat that should have been sought before the mis-giving of our hearts they shall come to a reckoning for not seeking sooner And this that not one of us would dye suddenly by our good-wills but have a time to seeke GOD before we loose our selves This that we desire to dye seeking howsoever we live all shew certeinly it is a Fiat a thing to be done a good thing to seeke GOD even the enimies of it being Iudges of it So then quaerebant Eum is as it should be But I add 1 If it be quaerebant seeking indeed 2 And if it be quaerebant Eum and not aliud in Eo Seeking not Him but somewhat els by Him If it be seeking indeed For they to whom the Prophet Esai sayd * Esa. 21.12 Cant. 3.1 Si quaeritis 1. It must be Quaerebant seeking indeed quaerite If ye seeke why then doe it sought so as it seemeth their seeking deserved not the name of seeking So loosely so slightly so slenderly they did it as if that they sought were as good lost as found So sought the party that sayd In lectulo quaesivi quem diligit anima that lay in bed and sought So he that asked our SAVIOVR Ioh. 18.30 quid est veritas a very good question and when he had asked it another thing tooke him in the head and up he rose and went his way before CHRIST could tell him what it was Such is our seeking for the most part Some idle question cast Some table talke moved Some quid est veritas and goe our way All by the way in transcursu and never as if it were about some matter of speciall moment sit about it and seeke it out indeed 1. They turned them saith the Text as if before they sought without so much as turning them about 2. They rose up as though before they sat still and sought 3. They did it early and did not tarry till Cum occîderet the sunne were sett and no light to seeke by but their feete stumbled in the darke mountaines 4. They enquired So that before if you had ought to say to
There was wont to be a ceremonie of giving ashes this day to put us in mind of this convertâ—ris I feare with the ceremonie the substance is gone too If that conversion into ashes be well thought on it will helpe forward our turning This returning to our heart the sad and serious bethinking us there of Nature's conversion into dust of sinne 's into ashes for ashes ever presuppose fire that the wheele turns apace and if we turne not the rather these turnings may overtake us GOD 's Spirit assisting may so worke with us as we shall thinke Ioel's counseile good that if we have not been so happy as to keepe the way yet we be not so unhappy as not to turne againe from a way the issues whereof surely will not be good And would GOD these would serve to worke it If they will not then must Conversus sum in aerumnâ dum configitur spina some thorne in our sides Psal 32.4 some bodily or worldly griefe must come and procure it But that is not to turne but to be turned And there is great odds between these two As one thing it is to take up the crosse another to have it layd upon us To be turned I call when by some crosse of body or mind as it were with a ring in our nose we are brought about whither we will or no to looke how we have gone astray To turne I call when the world ministreth unto us no cause of heavinesse all is ex sententiâ yet even then the grace of GOD moving us we set our selves about and representing those former conversions before us we worke it out having from without no heavy accident to force us to it We condemne not Conversus sum in aerumnâ Many are so turned and GOD is gracious and reiects them not But we commend this later when without wrench or skrew we turne of our selves And that man who being under no arrest no bridle in his iawes shall in the dayes of his peace resolve of a time to turne in and take it that man hath great cause to rejoice and to rejoice before GOD. And thus much for Convertite or if it may not be had for Convertimini Turne and turne to Me and He that saith it is GOD. Why 2. To Me that is GOD. Ier. 4 â— whither should we turne from sinne but to GOD Yes we may be sure it is not for nothing GOD setteth downe this In Ieremie it is more plaine If ye returne returne to Me saith the LORD Which had been needlesse if we could turne to nothing els wâ—re it not possible to find diverse turnings leaving one by-way to take another from this extreme turne to that and neuer to GOD at all They that have been fleshly given if they cease to be so they turne but if they become as worldly now as they were fleshly before they turne not to GOD. They that from the dottage of superstition runne into the phrensie of prophanesse They that from abhorring Idols fall to commit sacriledge howsoever they turne to GOD they turne not Rom. 2.22 And this is even the motus diurnus the common turning of the world as Moses expresseth it to add drunkennesse to thirst from too little to too much from one extreme to runne into another Deut. 29.19 Would GOD it were not needfull for me to make this note But the true turne is ad Me So from sinne as to GOD. Els in very deed we turne from this sinne to that sinne but not from sinne Or to speake more properly we tuâ—ne sinne we turne not from sinne if we give over one evill way to take another To Me then and with the heart And this also is needfull For I know not how 3. Wâ—th the heart but by some our conversion is conceived to be a turning of the braine only by doting to much on the word resipiscere as a matter meerly mentall Where before thus and thus we thought such and such positions we held now we are of another mind then before and there is our turning This of Ioël's is a matter of the heart sure This Nay to say truth where is conversion mentioned but it is in a manner attended with in corde And so requireth not only an alteration of the mind but of the will a change not of certaine notions only in the head but of the affections of the heart too Els it is vertigo capitis but not conversio cordis Neither doth this in corde stand only against the braine but is commonly in opposition to the whole outward man Els the heart may be fixed like a Pole and the body like a sphaere turn round about it Nay heart and all must turne Not the face for shame or the feete for feare but the heart for very hatred of sinne also Hypocrisie is a sinne being to turne from sinne we are to turne from it also and not have our body in the right way and our heart still wandring in the by-pathes of sinne But if we forbeare the act which the eye of man beholdeth to make a conscience of the thoughts too for unto them also the eye of GOD pierceth Thus it should be Els Conversion it may be but heart it hath none 4. With the whole heart With the heart and with the whole heart As not to divide the heart from the body So neither to divide the heart in it selfe The divell to hinder us from true turning turnes himselfe like Proteus into all shapes First turne not at all you are well enough If you will needs turne turne whither you will but not to GOD. If to GOD leave your heart behind you and turne and spare not If with the heart be it in corde but not in toto with some ends or fractions with some few broken affections but not entirely In modico saith Agrippa somewhat Act. 26.28.29 there is a peece of the heart In modico in toto saith S. PAVL somewhat and altogether there is the whole heart For which cause as if some converted with the brimme or upper part only doth the Psalme call for it de profundis Psal. 130.1 and the Prophet from the bottome of the heart To rent the heart in this part is a fault which is a vertue in the next For it makes us have two hearts hovering as it were and in motu trepidationis and feigne we would let goe sinne but not all that belongs to it And turne we would from our evill way but not from that which will bring us backe to it againe the Occasion the Object the Companie from which except we turne too we are in continuall danger to leave our way againe and to turne backe to our former folly the second ever worse then the first When the heart is thus parcelled out it is easily seene See you one would play with fire and not be burned touch pitch and not be defiled with it love perill and not perish in it
with us to make us eat like c Gen 25.30 Esau. Fasting no lesse busy to make us fast like the d Luc. 18.12 Pharisee And looke what in this in the rest Both Almes and Prayer too are subiect to it Therefore in and through all whither we give Almes pray or fast to have an eye to him in all Praying Fasting giving Almes he leaves us not gives us not over till he have corrupted the manner perverted the end till one way or other he have sett them awry His first assay is Ne bonum we do not that which is good we fast not at all His second is Ne bonum benè we do it not as we should by putting to it a wrong sicut an undue manner or a wrong Vt an undue end that so we may do what GOD commaunds us for the devills end Sure it is not enough to be exercised in doing good we must looke to both the Sicut the manner how we do it and to the Vt the end why we doe it or he may happ goe beyond us and both spoile them and spoile us of our reward for them But then againe take heed ye be not caught heer and for doubt ye may doe it amisse be brought not to do it at all but let all alone That is another of his tricks For his method or manner of proceeding in this point is well worth our observing Revel 2.24 Nôsse haec Salus est It is one of the Profunda Satanae as the Revelation calls them the deepe fetches or policies of Sathan For would any man thinke he would use this text these very words of our SAVIOVR Be not like hypocrites to draw men from fasting He doth For finding heer fasting and hypocrites thus close togither and so that hypocrites use to fast he perswades some and such as weene themselves no fooles to think they cannot fast but they must ipso facto prove hypocrites Sets up this for a scarr-crow to raise up a vaine feare in them and so to chase them from it Will ye fast Gods Lord take heed what you do doe it not why Ne sitis sicut hypocritae for and you doe you wil be taken for an hypocâ—ite And marke the double taking of Ne sitis Ne sitis Be not like saith CHRIST Ne sitis Lest you be like saith He. Now the belly is apt and easy enough to apprehend any feare in this kind any opposition or exposition any thing that makes for it Nay heereby he prevailes with them not only to give over fasting themselves but drawes them further to grow jelous lest every one that fasts be not tainted that way and lest every one that preaches for it be not justly to be suspected as that way given as having in him some sparkes of a Pharisee Thus doth he And will you see how compendious a way he deviseth to rid us clean of all hypocrisie Thus to keepe no Lent not to fast at all and so he will warrant us we shal be sure to be cleer from being any hypocrites So to avoyd hypocrisie he voids fasting quite But what is this but to cast out devills by the power of Beelzebub Matt. 12.24 one devill with another To cast out hypocrisie by gluttonie To cast out superstition with the prophanesse of Esau Who rather then offend his belly Heb. 12.16 cared not what became of his birth-right To being in Ne jejunetis Fast not under colour of Ne sitis hypocritae not being like hypocrites To cast out Ne sitis hypocritae Be no hypocrites with sitis Epicuri Die not in debt to your bellies The devill 's only way to ridd hypocrisie by engrossing Epicurisme But alas what will this availe us what is gotten by this Small ease will it be GOD knowes for any not to be condemned as an hypocrite Seeing he that fell to eat and drinke with good fellowes in the XXIIII Chapter after had his portion given him with hypocrites Matt. 24.51 as good a trencher-man as he had been all his life time So that both come into one room both lye togither and fry togither in one place of torments And thither it is he would bring us he cares not whither way This is his first assay and much hurt he hath done this way I know not how but fasting is layd aside In a manner cleane gone Few or none keepe it How is it gone What is pretended or given out for it but for feare of doing that which persons do that are superstitiously given feare of being like them For no feare of hypocrisie now Sicut hypocritae is now gone But by this one praecedent this one ne sitis sicut he can make more As now in place of Be not like hypocrites is come a feare of Be not like Papists we shal be like Papists if we do And not to fast is made a supersedeas to all Poperie as if that alone were enough to make us truely reformed This is all our feare now Psal. 14 5. But ibi trepidaverunt timore ubi non erat timor There were they afrayd where no feare was This is but a scarr-crow neither 1 First set down this we must do something that hypocrites and superstitious persons doe or we must give over Almes too and Prayer as well as fasting for they have a like Ne sitis upon them You shall find Hypocritae in at all three 2 Then the second we may doe what hypocrites doe and yet not doe it as they doe it And it is the sicut the manner not the thing it selfe that CHRIST heer excepts to So that feare is at an end 3 Lastly these words being directed by CHRIST and by Him spoken to His Disciples by the grace of GOD all be not hypocrites or superstitious that fast For CHRIST 's disciples were neither We may fast then like CHRIST 's disciples we may be of their nuâ—ber And indeed the trueth is CHRIST 's disciples are onely truly seiseâ— of it Hypocrites doe but encroch upon it or rather on the outside of it as doth the woolfe upon the sheeps clothing But neither is the sheep to leave or lay downe his 〈◊〉 nor the Chrâ—stiaâ— man his fast because otherwhile the woolfe is found in the oâ—e or the hypocrite at the other In three short words CHRIST teacheth us a way to answere both His ne sitis sicut will make both fly away as chaffe before the fann and Cum jejunatis never be stirred but ly still Doe the Hypocrites fast to be seen do they And doe the Papists fast with opinion of merit Why Be not like Hypocrites but yet fast Nor be not like Papists no more then like hypocrites yet fast though CHRIST 's ne sitis will serve for these and for as many as the devill can devise Fast not like them fast like CHRIST 's disciples and all is well And this for his first way of turning CHRIST 's Cum jejunatis into Ne jejunetis upon feare
consuetudinem Ecclesiae Dei Such a custome we have and so 1. Cor. 11.16 the Church of GOD hath used it to take these words of CHRIST in the nature of an Edict for pacification ever at this time That whatsoever become of it all the yeare beside this time should be kept a time of peace we should seeke it and offer it seeke it of GOD and offer it each to other There hath not these sixteen hundred yeares this day passed without a Peace-offering And the Law of a Peace-offering is he that offers it must take his part of it eat of it or it doth him no good This day therefore the Church never failes but setts forth her Peace-offering the Body whose hands were heer shewed and the Side whence issued Sanguis crucis the blood that pacifieth all things in earth heaven that we Col. 1.20 in and by it may this day renew the Covenant of our peace Then can it not be but a great grief to a Christian heart to see many this day give Christ's peace the hearing and there is all heare it and then turne their backs on it every man go his way and forsake his peace insteed of seeking it shunn it and of pursuing turne away from it We have not so learned CHRIST Saint Paul hath not so taught us His Rule it is Is CHRIST our Passover offered for us as Ephe. 4.20 1. Cor. 5.7.8 now He was Epulemur itaque That is his Conclusion Let us then keep a Feast a Feast of sweet bread without any sowre levin that is of Peace without any malice So to doe and even then this day when we have the peace-offering in our hands then to remember and alwaies but then specially to ioine with Christ in His wish to put into our hearts and the hearts of all that professe His name their 's specially that are of all others most likely to effect it that CHRIST may have His wish and there may be peace through the Christian world That we may once all partake togither of one peace-offering and with one mouth and one mind glorifie GOD the Father of our LORD IESVS CHRIST A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL On the VIII of Aprill A.D. MDCX. being EASTER DAY IOB CHAP. XIX Quis mihi tribuat ut scribantur c. VER 23. Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were written even in a booke 24. And graven with an iron penne in leade or in stone for ever 25. For J am sure that my Redeemer liveth and He shall stand the last on the earth or and I shall rise againe in the last day from the earth 26. And though * Or And I shall be compassed again with my skinne after my skinne wormes destroy this body J shall see GOD in my flesh 27. Whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and none other for me though my reines are consumed within me Or and this hope is layed up in my bosome THIS day calleth us to say somewhat of CHRIST 's Resurrection To finde CHRIST 's Resurrection in the New Testament is no masterie Out of many places you have thence heard of it heeretofore many times and many times may heerafter out of many places â—o If it be but for varietie it will doe well not to dwell still on the New but otherwhiles to see if we can finde it in the Old It will give us good satisfaction to see IESVS CHRIST to day and yesterday the same yesterday to them to day to us Heb. 13. â— To read Resurget in IOB He shall rise as we reade Resurrexit in IOHN He is risen To see their Creed and ours differ but in tense shall rise and is risen Shall and is but the REDEEMER all one in both Much adoe is made by our Antiquaries if an old stone be digged up with any dimme letters on it In this Text I finde mention of a stone to be graven so that I shall present you this day with an Antiquitie an old stone digged up in the land of Hus as old as Iob's time and that as old as MOSE'S with a faire inscription the Characters of it yet legible to prove the faith of this Feast so ancient that it began not with the Christians the Patriarchs had it as many hundred yeares before CHRIST as we are after This Text is a monument of it And it will be never the worse welcome to us that are Gentiles that is commeth from one that is a Gentile as IOB was and not of IACOB 's line It is the stronger for that MOSES and IOB the Iew and Gentile beleeved it Psal. 90.5 MOSES put it in his ordinarie prayer the ninetieth Psalme as it were his Pater â—oster and IOB heere in his Creed Saint Hierom saith of IOB Nullum tam apertè post CHRISTVM quà m iste hîc ante CHRISTVM de Resurrectione loquitur CHRISTI suâ No man ever since CHRIST did so cleerely speake of CHRIST 's Resurrection and his owne as IOB did heere before CHRIST That his Redeemer liveth and shall rise againe Which is as much to say as Ioh. 11.25 He is the Resurrection and the life Saint Iohn could say no more It is his hope He is by it regenerate to a livelyhope Saint Peter could say no more 1. Pet. 1.3 Enters into such particulars this flesh and these eyes Saint Paul could doe no more 1. Cor. 15.53 There is not in all the Old nay there is not in all the New a more pregnant direct place There is then in this monument of antiquitie a direct prophesie or if you will a plaine Creed of the substance of this Feast of his Redeemer's rising and of his hope to rise by Him the one positivè the other illativè There is a patheticall Poëme sett before it and there is a close or farewell by way of Epiphonema after it no lesse patheticall The Summe and Division The two first verses we may well call the Parasceue or preparation to the Feast of Passeover which serve to stirre up our regard as to a Mysterie or matter of great moment worthie not onely to be written or enrolled in a booke but to be cutt in stone a monument to be made of it ad perpetuam rei memoriam Oh that c. Then followeth in the third His Redeemer and his rising his passing over from death to life I know c. and out of it in the last by way of inference his owne Et quòd ego c. set downe with words so cleere and so full of caution as in the Epistle to the Corinthians it is not fuller expressed Vpon these two there be two Acts heere sett downe 1 Scio and 2 Spero He beginnes with Scio for the truth and ends with Haec mihi spes for the comfort or vse of this knowledge Graven that it may be knowne knowne that it may be our hope His it was
conclusion To the next point 2. Direction how to keepe it Absolutely we are to keepe this feast but not to keepe it Quovis modo No matter how prepared vnprepared in any garment in any sort No this Non and this Sed Not on that manner but this shew plainely every manner will not serve What then is the Manner Not in old levin With the Passe-over he began and he holds him to it still that if it be a Passe-over reason would it should be kept like a Passe-over even in the same manner Now the Passe-over was not a loose lawlesse thing to hold it in any fashion it skilled not how No it had his lawes Even that Haec est lex Paschalis ye shall read it Exod. 12.43 This is the law of keeping it Indeed diverse lawes it had in type that concerne us in truth Among the rest this for one in the Text. The Lamb would not be eaten with every kind of bread 1 Noâ— in sâ—rmenâ—o Not with the oâ—d Leâ—in Every past was not for this feast not levined in any wise Such an antipatâ—ie there was betweene levin and it as it might not I will not say come to the board but not be endured in the house all the feast long though it were neither tasted nor touched If it were not throw'n out if any never so little of it remained in any corner Eâ—od 12.19 the law was broken the feast illegitimate To maâ—e it up then a perfect Pâ—â—se-oâ—â—â— heere is another yet which I called our Passe-over-duety the not sâ—aying still in our old levin but passing over as it were to a new paste a necessâ—rie câ—ndition for the right holding this fâ—ast For sweet bread was so proper to the Paâ—â—â—-â—ver as Luk. 22. ye shall finde they be but two diverse namâ—â— Luk 22 7. of one and the same thing Omnia in figuram illis saith the Apostle With them all was in type 1. Cor. 10 11. What is the Spirit of this letter what meant by lâ—vin The Apostle tells us the old levin of Egypt is our former vitious course of life sowred with the levin of the old Adam and Nova â—oâ—spersio is newnesse of life The time of offâ—ring the 〈◊〉 is the time of casting out this Meet if we would have our sinnes passe from us we should passe from them also and throwe their levin out And well is Sinne resembled to levin Levin wiâ—l grow â—oysome if it be kepâ— lonâ— and sinne if it have lyen long in us or we in it turnes to a certaine sowâ—nesse that wâ— our selves feele an unpleasant favour or upbrayding of it in our soules Oâ—r SAVIOVR felt it so I am sure the Vinâ—gar He took shewed the relish of it By which upbraiding we finde we need an Expurgate for it as it were a corrupt humor in our soules that needed to be purged out Generally all old levin whatsoever namely two sâ—rts of it 1 〈◊〉 and 2 〈◊〉 turned Naughtinesse and Malice The words in their owne nature as they properly signifie 1 One noteth a loose licentious lewdnesse lightly ending in Lust. 2 The other an vnquiet working wickednesse that will take paines to doe a shrewd turne commonly the effect of Mâ—lice The sinnes of lust are well set out in old corrupt levin for so they end most what in corruption and rottenesse The sinnes of â—alice likewise For as levâ—n it makes men swell one against another as if thâ—y would burst and sowre are the fruits of it and vnpleasant as any lâ—vin in the world These two to be cast out as those that have a speciall antipathie with this feast and Offering For no agreement betweene a foule life and the feast of an vndâ—filed Lamb. Nor no fellowship betweene sowre malice and the feast of Sweet bâ—â—ad And these two are specially named because they were the faults wherewith the Corinthians specially were levined to whom he writes Incest at the first Verse as we know Corinth heard evill for loosnesse There is Nâ—quitia And againe swâ—lling one against another at the second there is Malice As to ridd our selves of this levin so to furnish our selves as with new past with the two levin-lesse vertues Sinceritie and Truth Sinceritie that is cleanesâ—e of life Sed. c. a word thought to be taken from honie which is then mel sincerum when it is sine cerâ vnmingled without wax or any baggage in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke word is properly of vncounterfeit wares such as we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth and shew them in the sunne as need not the false light of a close shop to vtter them But Truth that runnes through all flat against all kind of levin if it have any manner levin true it is not and so out it must 1. The levin of Doctrine Matt. 16.6 Of levin in the Gospell I finde three sorts interpreted to our hands that we cannot mistake CHRIST willed His Disciples to beware of the levin of the Pharisees and Sadducees It is after said He meant it of their doctrine that was full of corrupâ— levin 12. 1. The Pharisees of the levin of superstition consisting in phylacteries phrases and observances and little els 2. The Sadducees of a levin that smelt strong of prophanesse in their libertie of prophesying calling in question Angells and Spirits and the Resurrection it selfe 3. And a third levin CHRIST names the lâ—vin of Herod Mar. 8.15 ware that too Many times it is the bane of true Religion when GOD 's truth and worship must be moulded up with Ieroboam's and with Herod's ends squared to them just as is fittest to doe their turnes that Ieroboam may be safe No superfluous Caveat many times this marreth all Let all be abandoned Pharisee's Sadducce's Herod's and the truth take place 2. The levin of life Luk. 12.1 Now as in that place the Pharisee's levin is doctrine so in another I finde that CHRIST expounds it hypocrisie and that is meerly opposite to truth in meaning speaking and dealing The Pharisee was a great dealer with this lâ—vin He had it on his face Matt. 6.16 Matt. 23.7 to make him looke soure men might take notice when they fasted He had it on his tongue Rabbi O you teach the truth you respect no mans person when they sought to cut his throat He had it in his whole course all for shew to seeme that they were not 27. Gabbatha without and Golgotha within But yet even they though they vsed it they taught it not for a doctrine nor avowed not the lawfull vse of it that one might speake the one halfe without and the other halfe within as our Pharisees now doe Men ye shall never have any sincere truth from them Search them they have still a peece of levin in their bosome speake so and deale so as if they would take the sentence by the end and turne it cleane against the Apostle to purge out all his
sweet bread all sinceritie and truth and hold their Passe-over in levin or not at all Antichrist's goat may be so eaten The lamb CHRIST cannot To the lamb's nature that is sincere nothing so contrarie as this 3. The leviâ— â—f comâ—anie â—â—rrupt in lasâ— to meane speake or deale vn-sincerely You see a levin of Doctrine and Life that is the levin of the Gospell A third there is the lâ—vin of the Epistle and that is of Corrupt companie and that is in very deed the lâ—vin of this Text. For when the Apostle would have this levin heere purged what meanes he To have the incestuous Corinthian removed and cast out of the fâ—llowship of the faithfull by the Censures of the Church True but those not in every mans power But this is To avoid and shunne them and their companie so we may and so we are bound to cast them out There is very great danger in persons so levined great scandal even to the well disposed but farre great danger to the most that will soone take this lâ—vin Our nature is apt to take it it is easily fermented that way As much good leviâ— as will serve three pecks so much evill will doe more then serve three bushells and never leave till it have sowred them all That except this be looked to all the rest will be to small purpose In Reliâ—ion Now when Saint Paul speakes of persons thus levined he meanes not onely such as are lewd of life tainted that way but even such also as are unsound in matter of Religion and have a soure savour that way Heere to the Corinthians he would have the incestuous person cast out Gal. 5 3.â— c. 9. with his levined life But to the Galathians after he presseth the same point against another kinde such as levined the Gospell with MOSE 's câ—râ—moâ—ies 12. and so corrupted the truth in Religion and them he would have cut of both Coâ—inthian and Galathian levin both must out And marke upon the same reason both and in the very same words That a little levin doth not a little hurt but otherwhile Gal. 5.9 maâ—reth the whole batch of brâ—ad Evill doctrine is against Truth Evill life against walking in the truth Evill companie will bring us to both Therefore away with them but away with this especially If they will not purge out their levin purge them out And that especially against this Feast in the nature whereof there is a contrarietie to all levin Now then this is our Conclusion Come we must and Itaque celebremus This is our Caution Thus we must come Non in fermento sed azymis If we say it skills not whither we come Itaque meets with us If we say it skills not how we come Non in fermento meets with us too It is with us heere as with â—he Prophet Hos. 7.1 when we would heale one the other breaketh forth If we presse Non in fâ—rmento we lose Itaque epulemur they come not at all No Feast If we vrge Itaque epulemur they come how levined and unlevined all clap them downe together We need a Quomodo intrasti huc to keepe some backe And yet we need a Compelle intrare Matt. 22.12 â—uk 1â— 23. to bring others in But the manner but the caution remember that The maine conclusion is that we come The other we must not leave undâ—ne But this peremptorily we are bound to doe The Apostle binds us to doe it The time to doe it now For if this follow CHRIST is offered Therâ—forâ— we are to come to His fâ—ast This wiâ—l follow as strongly CHRIST is now offered therefore let us now come Goe by degrees The Christian Passe-over our Passe-over a time it must have sometime it is to be kept We would doe it at that time when it were best for us to doe it When bâ—st for us to doe it but at the time He did it Himselfe And that did He even at this fâ—aâ—t now Now then at this fâ—ast it is most kindly to doe it most like to please Him and to prosper with us And indeâ—d if at any time we will doe it Quando Pascha 〈◊〉 in Paâ—cha what time is the Pasâ—e-over so proper as at the fâ—ast of the Paâ—â—e-â—vâ—r 〈…〉 quando tempus imâ—olandâ— When the time of His receiving as at the time of His ofâ—â—ring Therfore they both the feast the lamâ— have onâ— nâ—me to shew the neer coniunction that should be betweene them When the daâ— câ—mmeth to remember what was done on the day and so what we to doe on that day Pasâ—â—a quod celâ—bramus to put us in minde of Pascha quod epulamur For tell me will the saâ—rifiâ—e commâ—moâ—ative or the sacrament communicative ever fall more fit then when that was offâ—red which we are to commemorate and to comâ—unicate withall Is not the fittest time of doing it the time when it was done of Hoc facite then when Hoc factum est So that without any more adoe the seâ—son it selfe pleadeth for this effectually And now is the time of Exâ—uâ—gaâ—e for our â—odies thâ— corrupt humours that levin it now we cast them out Anâ— why not now likewise tâ—ose that ly sâ—urâ— in our soules And even Nature's Paâ—â—e-oâ—â—r the genâ—rall Pâ—â—e-ovâ—â— is even at thiâ— time both in heaven and earth Above in heavâ—n where the 〈◊〉 haâ—ing 〈◊〉 over all the sigâ—es is come about and renewes his course at the first signe in the 〈◊〉 And beneâ—th in earth from the sharp time of winter and fâ—rmentiâ—g time of the eâ—rth to the râ—newing sweet time the time of the Sâ—â—ing wherein thâ—re is 〈…〉 in nâ—ture it selfe And why should not the Passâ—-over of grace be now likâ—wiâ—e in sâ—ason and have due concurrence with nature Sure all agree wâ—ll if we but agree our selves Anâ— if we agree for our parts to doe the daye 's duty CHRIST will not be behind with His tâ—e day's benefit But during our time and in the hower of death be our true Passâ—-ovâ—r shielding us from all deadly mis-happs while we heere live and giving us a sure and safe passage at our end even a passage to the last and great Paâ—se-over of all the truth of that whâ—reof theirâ— was the shaddow and ours the image now For we have not yâ—t done with our Laâ—b nor the work of this Paâ—se-ovâ—r is not yet fully accomplished There is a further matter yet behind for as this feast looâ—eth back as a mâ—â—oriall of that is alreadie past and done for us so doth it forward and is to us a plâ—dge of another and a better yet to come The fâ—ast of the marriagâ— of the Lamb heer Apoc 19.7 that is our Paâ—se-over where whosoever shall be a guest the Angells pronounce hâ—m happie and blâ—ssed for ever 9. That is the last and great Feast indeed when all Destroyers and all destructions shall cease and come to an â—nd for evermore and we heare that joyfull voice
debellation of the spirituall Edom and the breaking up of the true Bozra indeed it is wondred Who it should be Note this that no body knew CHRIST at his rising neither Marie Magdalen nor they that went to Emmaus Ioh. 20.14 Luc. 24.16 No more doth the Prophet heere Now there was reason to aske this question for none would ever thinke it to be CHRIST There is great odds it cannot be He. 1. Not He He was put to death and put into his grave and a great stone upon Him not three daies since This Party is alive and alives like His Ghost it cannot be He glides not as Ghosts they say doe but paces the ground very strongly Not He He had his appareile shared amongst the souldiers was left all naked This Party hath gotten him on glorious apparell rich scarlet Not He for if He come He must come in white in the linnen He was lapped in and laid in His grave This Partie comes in quite another colour all in red So the colours suit not To be short not He for He was put to a foile to a foule foile as ever was any they did to Him even what they listed Luc. 22.53 scorned insulted upon Him It was then the houre and power of darknesse This Party whatsoever He is hath gotten the upper hand wonn the field marches stately Conqueror-like His the day sure The first answer That Partie 〈◊〉 Christ. Well yet CHRIST it is His answer gives Him for no other To His answer then The Party it seemes overhead the Prophets asking and is pleased to giâ—e an answer to it himselfe we are much bound to Him for it No man can tell so well as He himselfe who he is Some other might mistake him and mis-enforme us of him Now we are sure we are right No error personae His name indeed he tells not but describes himselfe by two such notes as can agree to none properly but to CHRIST Of none can these two be so affirmed as of Him they may That by these two we know this is CHRIST as plainely as if His name had beene spelled to us 1. Speaking righteousnesse and righteousnesse referrd to speech signifieth truth ever No guile to be found in His mouth and Omnis homo is 1. Pet. 2.22 Psal. 115.11.60.13 you know what 2. Mighty to save and Vana salus hominis vaine is the helpe of man Who ever spake so right as He spake Or who ever was so mighty to save as He And this is his answer to quis est iste That am I. One that speake righteousnesse and am mighty to save Righteous in speaking mighty in saving whose word is truth whose worke is salvation Iust and true of my word and promise Poweâ—full and mighty in performance of both The best description say I that can be of any man by his word and dâ—ed both â— His Natures And see how well they fitt Speaking is most proper that referrs to Him as the Word In the beginning was the Word to His Divine Nature Saving that referrs to His very name IESVS Ioh 1 1. Mat. 1 21. given Him by the Angell as man for that He should save his people from their sinnes from which none had ever power to save but He. There have you His two Natures Speaking referrs to his Office of Priest the Priests lipps to preserve knowledge the Law of righteousnesse to be required at his mouth â— His Offiâ—es Mal. 2 7. Dan. 9.15 Saving and that mightily pertaines to Him as a King is the office as Daniel calls Him of Messias the Captaine-Righteousnesse He spake by His preaching Saving that belongs first to His miraculous suffering It being farre a greater miracle for the Deitie to suffer any the least injurie then to create a new world yea many But secondly which is proper to the Text and time in his mighty subduing and treading downe hell and death Luc. 22.64 and all the power of Sathan Prophetiza nobis they said at His Passion speake who hitt you there and Ave Rex they said too Both in scorne but most true Matt. 27.24 both You may referre these two if you please 3 His Benefits to His two maine Benefits redounding to us from these two Two things there are that undoe us Error and Sinnâ— From His Speaking we receive knowledge of His truth against error From His Saving we receive the power of grace against Sinne and so are saved from Sinne 's sequele Edom and Bozra both This is His description and this is enough A full description of His person in His Natures Offices Benefits in word and in deed He it is and can be none but He. To reflect a little on these two You will observe that His speaking is set downe simply but in His saving 1. Miâ—hty not in speaking He is said to be mighty or as the word is multus ad servandum So marke where the multâ—s is He is not multus ad loquendum one that saith much and paucus ad seâ—vandum and then does little as the manner of the world is Multus is not there at His Speech It is put to servandum There He is much and His Might much Much of might to save That His might is not put in treading downe or destroying No 2. But in saving Esay 55.7 but multus ad ignoscendum in the fiftie five Chapter before and multus ad servandum heere Mighty to shew mercie and to save Yet mighty He is too to destroy and tread downe Els had He not atchieved this victorie in the Text. Mighty to save implieth ever mighty to subdue to subdue them whom He saves us from Yet of the twaine He chooseth rather the terme of saving though both be true because saving is with Him primae intentionis So of the twaine in that would He have his might appeare rather Mighty to destroy He will not have mentioned or come in His style but mighty to save that is His title that the qualitie He takes delight in delights to describe himselfe and to be described by You will yet marke also 3. Yet he teachâ—th too and that fiâ—st as the coupling of these two in the description of CHRIST for not either of these alone will serve but betwene them both they make it up so that they goe together these two ever He saves not any but those He teaches And note the order of them too For that that stands first He doth first first teaches Mighty to save He is but whom to save whom He speakes righteousnesse to and they heare Him and returne not againe to their former follie There is no phansying to our selves we can dispense with one of these never care whither we deale with the former or no whither we heare Him speake at all but take hold of the later and be saved with a good will No you cannot but if you heare Him speake first He saith so and setts them so himselfe
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
might love him Ioh. 〈…〉 because like us He tooke our nature on Him New-yeares day knowing no sinne He was made sinne for us sealed the bond with the first dropps of His blood wherewith the debt of our sinne light upon Him Candle-masse day He was presented in the Temple Luk 〈…〉 offered as a live oblation for us that so the obedience of His whole life might be ours Good-friday made a slaine sacrifice on the Crosse that we might be redeemed by the benefit of His death Easter-day 〈…〉 opened us the gate of life as the first fruits of them that rise againe Ascension-day opened us the gate of heaven thither as our fore-runner entered to prepare a place for us And this day seales up all by giving us seisin of all he hath done for us by His Spirit sent downe upon earth And after all this come ye in with If ye love me Shall we not out with Si strike out If and make the condition absolute Shall we not to Saint Paul's If 〈…〉 If any man love not the LORD Iesus let Him be Anathema Maranatha All say Let him be so If we love them that love us what singular thing doe we 〈…〉 since the very Publicans doe the like That if our love be but as the Publican's there would be no If made of it for He loved us And not because we loved Him but He love us first Et nulla majora ad amorem provocatio quà m praevenire amando Nimis enim durus est qui amorem etsi nolebat impendere noliâ— rependere No more kindly attractive of love then in loving to prevent For too hard metall is he of that though he like not to love first will not requite it and love againe either first or second 1. Ioh. 3.1 Ioh. 15.13 Specially since His love was not little but such as S. Iohn makes an Ecce quantam charitatem of see how great love How great So as none greater For greater love hath no man then this to give his life for his friends No man greater but he For His was beyond To give his life is but to die any sort of death But morte crucis to die as he died that is more And for such as were his friends is much But cum inimici essemus Rom. 5.10 is a great deale more And yet is it If Put it to the Prophet's question Esai 5.4 quid debuit facere And add to it if ye will quid debuit pati What should He have done and what suffered If He did it not if He suffered not make an If of His love but if He did both out with it But the Publican will be the Publican and the world the world their love is mercenarie sale ware si nihil attuleris no profit no love To take away that If even thither he will follow us and applie himselfe to that And if we will make port-sale of our love and let it goe by who gives more He will out bid all All by the last word In aeternum For whatsoever we may have heere if it were a kingdome it is not for ever But this Comforter that shall abide with us is but a pledge of that blisse and kingdome of His wherein we shall a bide with Him aeternally Let any offer more for our love and carry it Verily Bonum si non amatur non cognoscitur said the Heathen But more true of CHRIST If we love Him not we know Him not If we did but know what He is in Himselfe what to us what He hath already done what He is redie to doe for us still we would take it evill a case should be put and yeild to it without more adoe Why so we doe take it evill an if is made yeild to it we love Him all Yet great reason there was we shall see CHRIST should so putt it being to inferr the second For at that there wil be some sticking which would not be if we were not defective in this former of love If our love were not light His commaundements would not be heavie If love were as it should be nothing is heavy to it Amor erubescit nomen difficultatis Love endures not the name of difficultie but shames to confesse any thing too hard for it De internis affirmare tutum saith the Heathen It is safe affirming of any thing within us where no man can convince us for none is privy to it but our selves How many shall we heare say I have ever affected wished you well borne you good will and never a word true Forasmuch then as there be two loves saith Saint Iohn one in word and tongue 1. Ioh. 4. â—0 and that is feigned and another in deed and truth and that is right and that CHRIST conditioneth not If ye say ye love me but if ye love me indeed We must come to Saint Iame's assay Ostende mihi shew me thy faith Iam. â— 18 and as well shew me thy love by some ostensive signe So did CHRIST to us 1. Ioh. 3.1 Ecce quantum charitatem ostendit Behold how great love not He verbally protested but really shewed and so they to doe the like to shew it Why thus they shew it He is going away and they be very sadd for it which sheweth they love Him and would keepe Him still But that may be a signe they love themselves in that they are to have some good by His stay with them 2. Their keeping His commaundements That may deceive you But will you have a signe infallible Take this His commaundements His word He that keeps it loves Him true in the affirmative He that keeps it not loves Him not true in the negative This then is the second condition If ye love me not keepe me still but Keepe My commaundements Let your heart be troubled not if yee keepe not me but if you keepe not them Not if not me me that is my flesh but not me me that is my word whereof the Commandements are an abstract The word is the better part of me better then my flesh strive to keep that be troubled for not keeping that and then your love is past If true indeed And is this the other part of the condition This somewhat troubleth us for who can doe this keepe the commaundements as good condition with us to flie or 〈◊〉 on the Sea We are even as well able to doe the one as the other So upon the matter all this promise falls out to prove nothing the Condition cannot be kept and so the Covenant void No Holy Ghost or Comforter to be hoped for or had we are but deluded Deluded GOD forbid CHRIST loves us too well to delude us He will never doe it A melius inquirendum would be had to looke a little better into it and not so lightly lose our interest in such a gift as the Holy Ghost It stands us so in hand to get the condition made good
entreaty without which our love and commandement-keeping would not carry it They are not sufficient to weigh it downe pondere meriti it must come rogatu Christi or not at all Then not to leane on them Christ it is and His intercesâ—ion we take to Not you shall love and keepe my Commandements and then my Father shall be bound but and then Christ shall pray and the Father will give if Christ pray and not otherwise But a doubt heere ariseth May we love Christ or keepe His Commandements before we have the Holy Ghost without whom first had it is certaine we can do neither How shall we love Christ 1. Cor. 12. â— 1. Ioh. 4.2 or keepe His Commandements that we may receive they Holy Ghost when unlesse we first receive we can neither love Him nor keepe them nay not so much as say 2. Cor. 3.5 IESVS is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Nay not so much as thinke that or any other thought that is good How saith He then Keepe and I will give when He must give or we cannot keepe This scruple will soone be removed by Habenti dabitur A promise may be made tam habenti quà m non habenti Matt. 13.12 as well to him that hath a thing alredy as to him that hath it not at all To him that hath it already in a lower or lesse may be promised to have it in a more ample measure or more high degree then yet he hath or to him that hath it in one kind that he may have it in some other To all save Christ the 〈◊〉 given in measure Where there is measure there are degrees Ioh. 3.34 where there be degreeâ— of more and lesse the more may well be promised to him that hath the lesse To him that hath it in the degree of warme breath it may well be promised in tongues of fire To him that hath it as the first fruits which is but an handfull it may well be promised as in the whole sheaf which filleth the bosome But that which is more agreeable to this Text heer we consider the Spirit as S. Peter multi fermeâ—â— 1. Pet 4.10 the Spirit in his graceâ— or the graces of the Spirit as of many kinds Of many kinds for our wants and defects are many Not to go out of the Chapter In the very next words He is called the Spirit of truth and that is one kinde of grace to cure us of error In the XXVI verse after the Spirit of holinesse which is His common name which serveth to reduce us from a morall honest life to a holy and wherein the power of Religion doth appeare And heere He is termed the Comforter and that is against heavinesse and trouble of minde To him that hath Him as the Spirit of truth which is one grace he may bâ— promised as the Spirit of Holinesse or comfort which is another It is well knowen many partake Him as the Spirit of truth in knowledge which may well be promised them for sure yet they have him not as the Sanctifying Spirit And both these waies may He be had of some who yet are subject to the Apostle's disease heere heavy and cast downe and no cheerefull-spirit within them So they were not cleane destitute of the Spirit at this promise making but had Him and so well might love Him and in some sort keepe His commandements and yet remaine capable of the promise of a Comforter for all that So that Christ may proceed to His Prayer that His Father would send them the Comforter Where we beginne with matter of faith For 3. CHRIST 's Intâ—rcâ—ssion we have heere the Article offered to us and set downe in the three Persons 1 Ego 2 Ille and 3 Alium 1 I 2 He and 3 Another 1 I will pray the Father that is Christ the Sonne 2 And He shall give it that is the Father His Person is named 3 Alium another third Person besides that is Paracletum the HOLY-GHOST 1 One praying 2 the other prayed to 3 the third prayed for 1 Filius orans 2 Pater donans 3 Spiritus consolans The Sonne praying the Father granting the Spirit comforting A plaine distinction And Christ's prayer setts us to seeke His other nature For heere He intreats as inferior to His Father in state of man But in the twentie sixt verse as aequall to His Father in the nature of GOD joines in giving with like authoritie Rogabo as Man Dabo as GOD. Finding the Father giving heere and the Sonne giving there we have the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from both quem mittet Pater whom the Father shall send in the twentie sixt of this quem ego mittam whom I will send in the twentie sixt of the next Called therefore the Spirit of the Father Mat. 10.20 and againe called the Spirit of the Sonne Gal. 4.6 the Spirit of both as sent and proceeding from both And last the aequalitie of the Holy Ghost For sending and procuring He must send and procure them one aequall to Himselfe as good every way or els they had changed for the worse and so pray Him to let him prayer alone they were better as they were they shall be at a losse CHRIST will pray and if He prâ—y great likely-hood there is He will speed 4. His Father 's giving He that is sued to is easy to entreate He is a Father and He that doth sue is gratious to prevaile He is a Sonne Patera Filio-rogatus great odds the suit is halfe obtained yer begunne Specially His suit being not faint or cold but earnest and instant as it was He sued by word and it was clamore valido Heb. 5.7 with strong crying in an high key lachrymis and he added teares saith the Apostle and they have their voice And yet staid not there but His blood speakes too cries higher and speakes better things then the blood of Abel And the effect of His prayer 12.24 Luk. 23.34 was not onely Pater condona Father forgive them but Pater dona Father give them the Holy Spirit to teach sanctifie and comfort them Chap. XVII XVII This was his prayer and his prayer prevailed as good as His word He was His Father should send He said and His Father did send and the HOLY GHOST came witnesse this day 5 Giving the Comforter And came in that sort He undertooke even in that kind whereof they had most need most welcome to them as their case then stood under the terme of Paracletus a Comforter If we aske Why under that terme To shew the peculiar end for which He was sent agreeable to the want of their private estate to whom He was sent If they had been perplexed He would have prayed for the Spirit of truth If in any pollution of sinne for the sanctifying Spirit But they were as Orphans cast downe and comfortlesse Tristitia implevit cor eorum their hearts full of heavinesse no time
supple us And as His Types so his Names the e Io 15.26 Spirit of truth the f Esai 11.2 Spirit of counseile the Spirit of holinesse the Spirit of comfort And according to His severall faculties we to invocate or call for Him by that name that is most for our use or present occasion For all these He looks we should send for Him Our error is as if he were onely for one use or office for comfort alone so in all others we let him alone if never in heavines never looke after him or care once to heare of him But He is for advise and direction also No lesse Paracletus a counselor then Paracletus a comforter He is not sent by CHRIST to comfort onely Ye may see by the very next words the first thing he doth when He commeth is He shall reprove Vers. 8. which is far from comforting But sent He is as well to mediate with us for GOD as with GOD for us GOD 's Paracletus His Sollicitor to call on us for our duety as our Paracletus or Comforter to minister us comfort in time of need Our manner is we love to be left to our selves in our consultations to advise with flesh and blood thence to take our direction all our life and when we must part then send for Him for a little comfort and there is all the use we have of Him But he that will have comfort from Him must also take counseile of him have use of him as well against error and sinfull life as against heavinesse of minde If not heere is your doome where you have had your counseile there seeke your comfort he that hath beene your Counseilour all the time of your life let him be your Comforter at the houre of your death And good reason he will not be Paracletus at halves to stand by at all els and onely to be sent for in our infirmitie Base it is to send for him never but when in extreme need but even otherwise extra casum necessitatis for entertaining of acquaintance and to grow familiar as we use to doe those we delight in The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giveth as much He should be neer us by us one ordinarie not a stranger to call or send for a great way of It is so expedient and he may know us throughly and we him the best and neerest way to finde sure comfort when most we shall need it For be that should minister it soundly indeed had need be familiarly acquainted with the state of our soules that he may be ready and ripe then To goe to a Lawyer 's reading and not heare it serves us not for our worldly doubts nor to heare the Physique lecture for the complaints of our bodyes No we make them Paracletos we call them to us we question with them in particular we have private conference about our estates Onely for our soule 's affayres it is enough to take our directions in open churches and there delivered in grosse private conference we endure not a Paracletus there we need not One we must have to know throughly the estate of our lands or goods One we must have intirely acquainted with the estate of our body In our soules it holdeth not I say no more it were good in did We make him a stranger all our life long He is Paraclitus as they were wont to pronounce him truly Paraclitus one whom we declined and looked over our shoulders at And then in our extremitie sodenly He is Paracletus we seek and send for him we would come a little acquainted with him Mat. 25.12 But take we heed of Nescio vos It is a true answer We take too little a time to breed acquaintance in Neâ—cio vos I feare they finde that so seeke him Paracletus they doe not Paraclitus rather This of Paracletus Now of Mittam the 1 time and the 2 manner 2. His sending 1. The time Mittaâ— both are to the purpose The time that when He sends we make ready for Him The time of the yeâ—re was this time in the Spring the fairest and best part of it The time of the moneth the third day so they deduce from the fifteenth day the day of the Passeover and so fifty dayes it will so fall out by calculation that is the beginning of the moneth The time of the day it was before the third houre that is Act. 2.15 nine of the clock in the morning plainly So it was still prime These teach us it would be in our prime the time of health and strength when we lay the grounds of our comfort not to tarry till the frost and snow of our life till the evill dayes come Eccles. 12. and the yeares approach whereof we shall say we have no pleasure in them He in the spring we in the end of the yeare He in the beginning of the moneth we in the last quarter nay even pridiè calendas He before nine in the morning we not till after nine at night If we will keepe time with him we know what His time is of sending The manner is best and it is in the body of the word As the Spirit of truth â— The manner Per Paraclesiâ— by preaching as the Holy Ghost by prayer the Paracletus we know what he meaneth per Paraclesin by invitation As the Dove to baptisme the Winde to prayer Asperâ—ios attraxi Spiritum Psal. 119.131 the tongue to a sermon the Paracletus to Paraclesis as it were a refreshing so 1. Cor. 10.3.4 friends meete and nourish love and amitie one with another And even humanum dicere after naturall men when our spirits are spent and we wax faint to recover them or never in the naturall man it is done no way more kindly then by nourishment specially such as is apt to bâ—eed them as one kinde is more apt then other There is a spirituall meat and a spirituall drinke saith the Apostle in which kinde there is none so apt to procreate the Spirit in us as that flesh and blood which was it selfe conceived and procreate by the Spirit and therefore full of spirit and life to them that partake it It is sure to invite and allure the Spirit to come there is no more effectuall way none whither Christ will send Him or whither He will come more willingly then to the presence of the most holy Mysteries And namely at this feast concerning which our Saviour CHRIST 's voyce is to sound in our eares Si quis sitiat veniat ad me If any thirst let him come to me and drinke Ioh. 7.39 Which He meant and spake saith Saint Iohn of the spirit which was to be given at that time of especially when He was newly glorified De meo accipiet saith CHRIST of Him and it is no where more truly fulfilled that He shall take of CHRIST 's and give it us then it is done of that Ver. 14.
Nay then a worse matter now ye shall see them grow godly on a sodeine and wax very zealous as the fashion is Nay then now we shall have a Queene of a contrarie Religion we shall now be all Iewes One that cares neither for Mithra nor Oromasdes One by all likely-hood brought in to be the utter ruine of the Ancient Religion established in Persia yer she came there This was it they tell us and like enough so to be As ever ye shall observe marriage-matters are made occasions oft to serve to many purposes For Assuerus may not marrie but where Bigthan and Tharez appoint Els they will be wroth and fall on seeking If eny be in the Text this was it And was not this trow you a goodly occasion and a substantiall to make them quit their allegiance forget their oath cast behind them all his favours betray their trust truth and all lose all these For all these must they lose before they could seeke that they sought But why found they it not It was not so easy for them to find at first by reason that for eny to come there in the King's presence with a weapon nay but having his hands out to be seene not having them hidd held close under their garments it was death Cyrus put to death two of his kin for it That so they might well seeke and so I leave them seeking that I pray to GOD they may never finde But the true cause was GOD was angrie with this anger of theirs that their seeking succeeded not II. His deliverie And now are we come to the Catastrophe or turning about of all For by this time innotuit res Mardochaeo Mardochai came to the knowledge of it forth it came Nay if it come forth 1. The meanes of it By notice given 2 By Marâ—ochai the King shall do well enough To discover the treason is to deliver the King This was by Mardochai what was he No Persian to begin with but a stranger by birth and by Religion and a captive besides One that had better reason to have sought it then they He had as great causes as any are by them alledged that favour such seekings For this King held him and all GOD 's people with him to use Esther's owne termes in bitter captivitie as a Tyrant And this worse he was at least as evill as an haeretick for he was an Idolater One would thinke it had been a worke meeter for him this He to seeke and they to keepe him from finding that he sought they him not he them And how came he to it It skills not how but as he sate in the gate 3 As he sate in in the gate he came to it This is all he stirrd not but sat still And sate not in any lurking corner bâ—t even in the broad gate and there came he to it or it to him This was GOD'S bâ—ing sure Their anger boyled so signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and boyled over it should seeme â—nd brake out into some words Els how should Mardochai take notice of it They would never tâ—ust him with it ye may be sure being a stranger A Iew with their displeasure at the match with a Iew never but some bigg words came from Bigthâ—n that by Mardochai were overheard What in the gate in presence of a stranger The Targum the most auncient exposition we have saith GOD so tooke away their witts as they forbore not to take of it he sitting by but did it in a forrein strange language Knew him a Iew thought he could speake no language but his own or a little broken Persian perhapps not the tongue they had their conference in Which it fell out Mardochai understood as well as they And thus all came out GOD would so have it who so assorted them to make a way as to His mercie for the safeguard of the King so to His iustice to bring that upon their owne heads they sought to have brought upon the King 's And Mardochai when he had it once he kept it not Made it knowne not to him he next mett with but discreetly where he knew he well might to the Queen She was by bloud and bringing up faithfull to him and so did she shew her selfe for what he brake with her she told the King not in her owne but in Mardochaie's name The fashion is otherwise with some to tell it in their owne names and never speake a word of Mardochai from whom in truth it came Well the issue was what she told the King seemed to him no idle phansie of some vaine man but such as was meet to ground an enquiry upon So they were apprehended and committed and so to the Law we leave them Well by this meanes the danger is over and the King safe thankes be to GOD. And many wayes doth GOD give iust cause to mankind to admire His high providence in bringing to light such attempts as this against his Annointed such varietie so diverse strange meanes He hath to effect it by as heer in this I note foure unto you 2. The strangeness oâ— the meaâ—â—s 1. The partie first Mardochai that by him That this health should come to the King of Persia neither by Mede nor Persian not by any of his own people but by a stranger who was none of his lieges borne out of his allegiance a Iew a meer alien that this should come forth by him and by no other meanes But so is GOD wonderfull in His waies and will by an honest stranger sometimes save that a badd subject would destroy That in default of his owne GOD would have him saved by a stranger rather then not at all 2. Observe againe that to this stranger it came no otherwise but as he satt in the gate We may not passe that it stands in the front of the Text as the speciall means of all That it thus came and no other way as he satt still still and went not up and downe searching In the gate a publique place not eny privie corner or lobby he not diving into their bosomes but onely there sitting it should thus happen he should over-heare them talking togither in a strange tongue though to him not strange by a meer casualty one would thinke all this Indeed by a high and wonderfull disposition of GOD'S heavenly providence this that even as he there sate it should be brought to him thus And very oft doth GOD bewray bad enterprises by such one would thinke them meere casuall events But in maximè fortuitis there is minimum fortuiti quae fortuna fieri videntur fato fiunt It seemes chance that is indeed destinie And never let them looke for other all the Bigthans of them One shal be by a wall or at a window under the house eaves neer one cranny or other GOD will so dispose somebody shall be with in the hearing when they full little thinke For GOD will have it out certeinly Rather then
in the booke of life in heaven have done before you in diverse workes of charitie to the maintenance of the Church the benefit of Learning and the reliefe of the Poore of the land This is to do good This I trust you understand This know that GOD hath not given sight to the eye to enjoy but to lighten the members nor wisedome to the honourable man but for us men of simple shallow forecast nor learning to the divine but for the ignorant so neither riches to the wealthy but for those that want reliefe Thinke you Timothee hath his depositum and we ours and you have none it is sure you have We ours in inward graces and treasures of knowledge You yours in outward blessings and treasures of wealth But both are deposita and we both are feoffees of trust I see there is a strange hatred and a bitter gainsaying every where stirred up against unpreaching Prelates as you terme them and Pastors that feed themselves onely and they are well worthy If I might see the same hatred begoon among your selves I would thinke it sincere But that I cannot fee. For that which a slothfull Divine is in things spirituall that is a Rich man for himselfe and no body els in things carnall and they are not pointed at But sure you have your harvest as well as we ours and that a great harvest Lift up your eyes and see the streets round about you the harvest is verily great and the Labourers few Matt. 9 37· Let us pray both that the Lord would thrust out Labourers into both these harvests that the treasures of knowledge being opened they may have the bread of aeternall life and the treasures of well-doing being opened they may have the bread of this life and so they may want neither I will tell you it another as easie a way Saint Augustine making it plaine to his auditorie somewhat backward as it should seeme was faine to tell them thus thus to define doing good Quod non vultis facere hoc bonum est said he that that you will not doe that that I cannot get you to do that is to doe good Shall I say so to you No indeed I will not I hope better things and partly I know them But this I will say that which the Papists with open mouth in all their books to the slander of the Gospell that which they say you doe not nay you will not doe that is to doe good One of them saith that our Religion hath comforted your force attractive so much and made it so strong that nothing can be wroong from you Another he saith that our Religion hath brought an hardnesse into the bowells of our Professors that they pitie little and the cramp or chiragra into their hands that they give lesse Another 〈◊〉 our preaching hath bredd you minds full of Salomon's horsleches that cry â—riâ—g in bring in and nothing els All of them say that your good workes come so from you as if indeed your religion were to be saved by faiâ—h onely Thus through â—ou and through want of your doing good the Gospel of CHRIST is evill spoken of â—mong them that are without They say we call not to you for them that we preach not this point that we leave them out of our Charges Libero animam meam I deliver heere mine owne soule I do now call for them I have done it elsewhere yer now Heere I call for them now I take witnesse I call you to record I call heaven to râ—cord Domine scis quia dixi scis quia locutus sum scis quia clamavi Lord thou knowest I have spoken for them I have called for them I have cried for them I have made them a part of my charge and the most earnest and vehement part of my charge even the charge of doing good Vnto you therfore that be rich be it spoken heare your charge I pray you There is no avoiding you must needs seale this fruit of well-doing you must needs do it For having wealth and wherewithall to do good if you do it not Inprimis talke not of faith for you have no faith in you if you have wherewith to shew it and shew it not Saint Iames saith you have none to shew Nor tell me not of your religion there is no religion in you Iam. 1.27 â— Pure religion is this as to very good purpose was shewed yesterday To visite the fatherlesse widowes and you never learned other religion of us Secondly if you do it not I warne you of it now you shall then find it when you shall never be hable to answer the exacting of this charge in the great Day where the question shall not be of the highnesse or lownesse of your mindes nor of your trust and confidence or any other vertues though they be excellent but of your feeding clothing visiting harbouring succouring and in a word of your well-doing onely This I say to you beare witnesse I say it Now to Them in your just deâ—ense I say for GOD forbidd but while I live I should alway defend this Honourable Citie in all truth to them whom the mist of envie hath so blinded that they can see no good at all done but by themselves I forbidd them the best of them to shew me in Rhemes or in Rome or any popish Citie Christen such a shew as we have seene heer these two daies To day but a handfull of the heape but Yesterday and on Moonday the whole heape even a mightie armie of so many good workes as there were relieved Orphanes the Chariotts of this Citie 2. King 2.12 I doubt not and the horsemen thereof They will say it is but one so they say Be it so yet it is a matchlesse one I will go further with them Spoken be it to GOD 's glorie Non nobis Domine non nobis Psal. 115.1 sed Nomini Tuo dagloriam Not unto us not unto us O Lord but unto Thy Name give the praise for the loving mercie and for thy truthes sake which we professe I will be able to prove that Learning in the foundation of Schooles and encrease of revenues within Colledges and the Poore in foundation of Almes-houses and encrease of perpetuities to them have received greater helpe in this Realme within these forty yeares last past since not the starting up of our Church as they fondly use to speake but since the reforming ours from the error of theirs then it hath I say in any Realme Christen not onely within the selfe same fortie yeares which were enough to stop their mouthes but also then it hath in any fortie yeares upward during all the time of Poperie which I speake partly of mine owne knowledge and partly by sufficient grave information to this behalfe This may be said and said truly And when we have said this what great thing have we said that time for time so many yeares for so many thirtie yeares of light
Bread Praiers THere had been two sundrie daies before Sermons concerning the positive outward worship of GOD out of this Text consisting of these foure parts 1. The Apostle's Doctrine 2. Their Societie or fellowship 3. Breaking of Bread 4. Prayers The effect of this last was to acquaint the Auditorie with sundrie Imaginations by diverse erected which many unstable persons do runne after and worship instead of those foure the Apostle's Doctrine c. The order was to beginn with the doctrine first and so after through the rest as they stand THat such imaginations there are I. Ecc. 7. vlt. Salomon complaineth of Ratiocinia plurima whereby men were with-drawen from the simplicitie of their creation And under the Gospell S. Paul likewise of Venti doctrinarum whereby Christian people began to be blowen and caryed about from the stedfastnesse of the truth Eph. 4.14 But especially under the Gospell For that as S. Augustine saith De Civit. 18. Videus Diabolus templa Daemonum deseri in nomen CHRISTI currere genus 〈…〉 Seeing idolâ—â—rous images would downe he bent his 〈◊〉 devise in place of them to erect and sett up divers imaginations that the people instead of the former might bowe downe to these and wâ—â—ship them Since which it hath been and is his daily practise either to broach Heb. 13.9 Apoc. 2.14 Doctrinâ—◠〈◊〉 peregrinas new imaginations never heard of before Or to revive the old and new dresse them And these for that by themselves they will not utter to mingle and to card with the Apostle's doctrinâ— 2. Cor 2.10 c. that at the least yet he may so vent them And this indeed is the disease of our age and the just complaint we make of it That there hath beene good riddance made of images but for imaginations they be daily stamped in great number and instead of the old Images sett up deified and worshipped carrying the names and credit of the Apostle's doctrine government c. Touching these imaginations then to find some heads of them They be 1. Tim. 4.1 in respect of the Devill who inspireth them called Doctrinae daemoniorum Matt 16.9.12 Apoc. 2.13 Act. 20.29 In respect of the instruments by whom he breathes them out doctrinae hominum As the doctrine of the Pharisees The doctrine of the Nicolaitans These men were of two sorts as S. Paul sorteth them 1 Wolves which from without entered into the Church 2 Men arising from among themselves teaching perverse things 1. Imaginations from without the Church 1. Those which from without entered were Philosophers from the Gentiles Pharisees from the Iewes Both which bredd many imaginations in Christian Religion Col. 2.8 Against them both S. Paul giveth a double caveat Not to be seduced by Philosophie meaning as he sheweth the vaine deceit of that profession that is the former 2 Nor with the humane traditions and rudiments of the Pharisees 1. Tim. 6.20 that is the latter To avoid oppositions of science falsly so called Tit. 1.14 there is the first To avoid Iewish fables traditions there is the second Luc. 5. ult For from these two forges came a great part of the imaginations which ensued Each of these Sects esteeming his old wine good and consequently brewing it with the new wine of the GOSPEL Imaginations by Philosophie First by the course of the Ecclesiasticall Historie it appeareth 1. By Philosophie that Simon Magus who of a heathen Philosopher became a Christian and was baptized after through the gall of bitternesse wherein he was fell away againe and proved the first of all haeretiques Act. 8.23 He first and after Valentine and then Basilides devised many strange speculative phansies And indeed whosoever they be that dote about unprofitable curious speculations from this kind they sprung first After these those two maine heresies that so mightily troubled the Church First that of the Manichee who brought a necessitie upon all things by meanes of his duo principia making men secure how they lived because it was ordained what should become of them Secondly the other of the Pelagian who ascribed to mans free-will an abilitie to â—â—epe GOD 's Lawe and thereby made void the grace of CHRIST Both these were but two bastard slips of corrupt Philosophie The former an imagination issuing from the Sect of the StoÌ„iques and their fatall destinie The latter from the Sect of the Peripatetiques and their pure naturalls Imaginations by Iudaisme 2. By Iudaismâ— As the curious speculations came from the Philosophers of the Gentiles So whatsoever superstitious observations were imagined came from the Pharisees and sects of the Iewes As Simon Magus is reckoned the first haeretique So Ebion the Iew is the second And from him sprang the opinion of the necessitie of Iewish observances which was the occasion of the Councell in Acts 15. and the opinion of worshipping Angells as Mediators as Theodoret testifieth upon Col. 2.18 And for those Caeremonies as at the first they desired to reteine those very same that were Iudaicall So when it was withstood by the Apostles they did after but turne them and new vernish them over into others like and with them so clogged the Church as the Iewe's estate was much more tolerable then the Christian's Saint Augustine's complaint Ep. 119. Now from these two sorts of persons proceeded those two severall meanes whereby as it were in two moulds all imaginations have been cast and the truth of GOD 's word ever perverted 1. Matt. 9 17. From the Pharisee That peecing out the new garment with old raggs of traditions that is adding to and eeking out GOD 's truth with mens phansies with the Phylacteries and fringes of the Pharisees Mar. 7 4. who tooke upon them to observe many things beside it 2. From the Philosopher that wresting and tentering of the Scriptures which S. Peter complaineth of with expositions and glosses newly coined to make them speake that 2 Pet. 3.16 they never meant Giving such new and strange senses to places of Scripture as the Church of CHRIST never heard of And what words are there or can there be that being helped out with the Pharisee's addition of a truth unwritten or tuned with the Philosopher's wrest of a devised sense may not be made to give colour to a new imagination Therefore the ancient Fathers thought it meet that they that would take upon them to interprete the Apostle's Doctrine should put in sureties that their senses they gave were no other then the Church in former time hath acknowledged It is true the Apostles indeed spake from the Spirit and every affection of theirs was an oracle but that I take it was their peculiar priviledge But all that are after them speake not by revelation but â—y labouring in the word and learning are not to utter their owne phanâ—â—es and to desire to be beleeved upon their bare word if this be not doâ—inari fidei to be
so Christ willeth not to sweare at all by any creature Though indeed we hold in Divinitie that Iurare of and by it selfe considered is an act forbidden no lesse then Occîdere And that as it is an absolute countermand Non occîdes and yet the Magistrate by due course of Iustice executing a malefactor is commended So is it likewise Non iurabÃs and yet being as we terme it vestitum debitis circumstantijs Laudabuntur omnes qui iurant per Eum as King David saith Psal. 63 ult Lastly there is also a barr in the word Iurare For God in his Law ever putting it passively that is rather thou shalt be sworne or called to an oath then thou shalt sweare actively our Saviour Christ heere utterly condemneth the active voluntarie swearing of men of their own heads which was indeed never permitted howsoever the Pharisees glossed the matter If the maâ—ter were true and so it were by Iehova So that an oath is lawfull but with this condition limited that the Partie doe therein habere se passivè come to it not of his owne accord but pressed as Saint Augustine well saith vel autoritate deferentÃs vel duritie non credentÃs as to the lifting of a burden as to the entring of a bond Num. 30.3 Thou shalt sweare The Lord liveth I. Limitation The Lord livetâ— or as Moses saith Deut. 6.13 by God's Name Which clause first doth limit by what we are to sweare and doth exclude 1 Swearing by those which are no Godds Ier. 5.7 Either Idolls forbidden in the Law Exod. 23.13 Ios. 23.7 Either to sweare by them alone Amos 8. ult Or to joine God and them togither Zeph 1.5 Or creatures which our Saviour Christ forbiddeth Mat. 5.34 And sure as to sweare by them is derogatorie to our selves seeing thereby we make them our betters for that every one that sweareth sweareth by a greater then himselfe Heb. 6.16 So it is highly injurious to the Maiestie of God seeing to sweare by a creature is to ascribe unto it power to see and know all things and to doe vengance on periurie Which in Divinitie to thinke or say is manifest blasphemie Howbeit yet the Fathers well weighing that speech of Saint Paul 1. Corinth 15. â—1 where he speaketh on this wise By our reioicing which we have in Christ Iesus our Lord c wherin his oath is not immediatly by the Name of God but by a secondarie thing issuing from it have thought it not absolutely necessarie that in every oath the Name of God should be expresly mentioned but sufficient if reductivè It is ruled in Divinitie that such things as presently are reduced to God will beare an oath In which respect to sweare by the Holy Gospell considering our reioicing will beare an oath and that in the Gospell our matter of reioicing is principally conteined hath in the Primitive Church been holden lawfull As in the Councill of Constantinople 6 Act. 13. Especially seeing there is no direct contestation used but rather by way of oppignoration Engaging unto God our Salvation Faith Reioicing part in His Gospell and promises the Contents c if we utter an untruth II. Thâ— Manner or second limitation Secondly the forme and manner of swearing Which is of three sorts 1. Either by contestation as heer The Lord liveth Before God Gal. 1.2 Or God knoweth it is so 2. Cor. 11.11 God is my witnesse 1. Thes. 2.5 .. 2. Or by a more earnest asseveration As sure as God liveth Iud. 8.19 3. Or by detestation and execration as in other places and that againe is of two sorts 1. By imprecation of evill God be my Iudge Gen. 31.53 God behold it and rebuke it 1. Chro. 12.17 God doe so and so unto me 1. Sam. 14.44 I call God a record against my soule 2. Cor. 4.23 2. Or by oppignoration or engaging of some good which we would not lose as Our reioicing in Christ 1. Cor. 15.3 Our Salvation God's help c. Both are oft and may be joined togither if it be thought meete God Ãs my witnesse that thus it is and GOD be my Iudge if thus it be not Wherein as in prayer when all meanes faile we acknowledge that GOD can help as well without as with second causes So we confesse that He can discover our truth and falshood and can punish the same by waies and meanes to Him knowen though no creature in the world beside know the thing or can take hold of us Thou shalt sweare In Truth Iudgement Iustice. The three Enclosures and companions of a Christian oath are In Truth against Falshood the matter In Iudgement against Lightnesse the matter and manner both In Iustice against Vnlawfulnesse the end 1. In truth In truth Ye shall not sweare by my name falsly Levit. 19.12 Which vice forbidden we call periurie Each action we say is to light super debitam materiam The due and owne matter of swearing is a Truth If it fall or light super indebitam materiam as falshood it proveth a sinne At all times are we bound to speake truth to our neighbour Eph. 4.5 But because men are naturally given to have their mouth fraught with vanitie Psal. 144.8 in solemne matters to be sure to bring the truth from us GOD is set before us If then when we confesse the truth we give glorie to GOD Ios. 7.21 So if when GOD being set before us we testifie an untruth it is exceeding contumelious to him it is to make him one that knoweth not all things or that can be deceived or that if he know cannot doe any harme or which is worst which will willingly be used to bolster out our lyes Peierare est dicere deo Descende de Coelo assere mecum mendacium hoc 1Of Promise In an oath of Promise we are to sweare in Truth He that sweareth an oath and by it bindeth his soule with a bond shall not violate his word but doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Num. 30.3 Reades autem Domino Iuramenta Matt â— 33 Yea by the very light of nature Pharao willeth Ioseph goe and bury thy Father seeing he made thee sweare to do so Against which oath men are two waies faulty 1. If at the swearing they purpose not as David saith Ps. 119.106 I have sworne and am utterly purposed Such is the nature of an oath 2. If they then purpose but after a dammage being likely to ensue they disappoint their former oath Psa. 15.15 Touching which we see that when Iosua and the Israëlites had sworne to the men of Gibeon though that oath cost them foure great and faire Cities which should otherwise have come to their possession they would not breake though As contrariewise Zedekias having given his oath of Allegiance to the King of Babylon 2. Chro. 36.9 when he regarded it not but rose against him notwithstanding GOD sendeth him word he shall never prosper for so doing Ezek. 17.12 And to say truth there is
Chrysostome Ad Hebr. Hom. Hoc est exemplar illius c. And Thomas Aquinas giving the reason of the diverse Names given to this Sacrament saith that it hath a triple signification 1. Respectu praeteriti one in respect of the Time past inasmuch as it is commemorative of the LORD 's Passion which is called a true sacrifice and according to this it is called a sacrifice 2. Respectu praesentis in respect of the present that is of the Vnitie of the Church unto which men are gathered by this Sacrament and according to this it is named a Communion or Synaxis because by it we communicate with CHRIST and are partakers of his Flesh and Deity 3. Respectu futuri in respect of that which is to come inasmuch as this Sacrament is prefigurative of the fruition of GOD which shal be in heaven and accordingly it is called viaticum because it heer furnisheth us in the way that leades us thither Againe it is called the Eucharist that is bona gratiae the good grace because â—ternall life is the grace of God Rom. VI. or els because it really conteines CHRIST who is full of grace It is also called Metalepsis or Assumptio because by it we assume the Deite of the Sonne All this Part. III. Q. LXXIII Artic. IIII. In corpore And in his Answer ad III m. he addeth That this Sacrament is called a Sacrifice inasmuch as it doth â—epresent the Passion of Christ it is likewise called Hostia an Host inasmuch as it conteyneth Christ himself who is Hostia salutaris Ephes. V. Heer is a Representative or Commemorative and Participated Sacrifice of the Passion oâ— Christ the True sacrifice that is past and heer is an Eucharisticall sacrifice but for any Extâ—â—nall Proper sacrifice especially as sacrifice doth signifie the Action of sacrificing heer is not one word And theâ—fore this is a new conceipt of later men since Thoâ—aâ— his time unknowne â—o him and a meer Novellisme And the Cure is as bad as the Diseaâ—e Though Thomas gives no other reasons why it is called a sacrifice yet say they Thomas denieth it not For that is plainly to confesse that this is but a patch added to Antiquitie And yet when he saith it is a Representative or Commemorative Sacrifice respectu praeteriti in respect of that which is past that is the Passion of Christ which was the true Sacrifice he doth deny by consequent that it is the true sacrifice it selfe which is past And if Christ be sacrificed daily in the Eucharist according to the Action of sacrifice and it be one and the same sacrifice offered by Christ on the Crosse and the Priest at the Altar then can it not be a Representation of that sacrifice which is past because it is one and the same sacrifice and Action present Therefore Saint Paul proceeds in the XV. Verse by him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to GOD continually that is the fruit of our lipps giving thanks to his Name Let us offer up to GOD Christians then have an offering and let us offer up to GOD continually this is the ground of the daily Sacrifice of Christians that answereth to the daily sacrifice of the Iewes And this Sacrifice of praise and thanks may well be understood the Eucharist in which we chiefly praise and thank GOD for tâ—is his chief and great blessing of our Redemption And this and all other Sacrifices of the Church externall or spirituall must be offred up and accepted per Ipsum in by and through Christ. S Paul saith not Ipsum offeramus Let us offer him that is Christ but let us offer and sacrifice per Ipsum by him in whom onely we and our sacrifices are accepted And Rom. XII.I. Offerte corpora Offer your bodies living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service It is not Corpora sine Ammis not bodies without soules For in them without soules there is no life no holinesse no accepting and this is mans reasonable service all els is without reason And Saint Peter the first Pope as they reckon him who I am assured had infallibility saith I. Pet. II.V. Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to GOD Per Iesum Christum by Iesus Christ. And Saint Iames Chap. I. Ver. XVIII tells us that to this end GOD begat us by his word of truth that we might be primitiae creaturarum not offer to GOD the first fruits of our fields or cattle but that we might offer up our selves as first fruits to GOD. So all the Offerings of the Church are the Church it self and Christ the Head offered corpus naturaâ—e his naturall Body his soule and flesh for a sacrifice for the ransome and price of our sinn thereby purchasing eternall redemption Heb. X.XII. and by this one offering he perfected for ever them that are sanctified Verse XIII Neither doth Christ there that is in heaven where he now appeares in the presence of GOD offer often or any more for us but this once there is appearing but no offring And the Apostle gives the reason of it For then he must have often suffered since the foundation of the world Heb. IX 24.25.26 He appeares in heaven as our High Priest and makes intercession for us but he offers his naturall body no more but once because he suffers but once No offering of Christ by Saint Paul's rule without the suffering of Christ the Priest cannot offer Christ's naturall bodie without the suffering of Christ's naturall bodie So likewise the Church which is Christ's mysticall bodie offers not Christ's naturall bodie it hath no power to offer the naturall bodie which is proper to Christ onely Pono animam nemo tollit not the Church nor they that are not the Church And there is no such thing in Scripture nor I presume can easily be shewed out of any of the probable and undoubted Fathers but the Church offers corpus mysticum Christ's mysticall bodie that is it self to GOD in her daily Sacrifice First all sacrifice is proper due only to God Be men never so venerable never so worshipfull yea adorandi to be adored also yet no man ever offered sacrifice to any unlesse he knew him or thought him or feigned him to be a God Saint Aug de Civ Dei l 10. c 4. Et cont Faust. l. 20.21 True Angels would never accept Sacrifice wicked Angels only sought it because they also affected to be deified In which respect never any Priest at the Altar even super corpus Martyris over the bodie or sepulcher of any Martyr prayed thus Offero tibi Sacrificium Petre Paule Cypriane I offer sacrifice to Thee ô Saint Peter Saint Paul or Saint Cyprian All celebrities towards them whether praises to GOD for their victories or Exhortations to their imitation are onely Ornamenta memoriarum the Ornaments of their memories not Sâ—cra noâ—
Merit signifies in Saint Augustine's sense no dignity of work but only a meanes of obtaining For it is impossible that evill merit that is sinne out of the dignity of the work should merit grace and by the same proportion and forme of speech it is as impossible that the dignity of the work should merit a crowne since Saint Augustine in the same place doth say There would be none unto whom GOD the just Iudge redderet coronam should render a crowne unlesse first as a mercifull Father donâsset gratiam He had given His grace And then He adds Dona sua coronat Deus non merita tua GOD crownes not thy merit but His owne gifts His reason is for if they be such that is thine they are evill and if they be evill GOD crownes them not if they be good they are GOD 's gifts and he crownes them not as thy merits but as his owne gifts Cap. 7. But I have troubled you too long with this Schoole-doctrine and pulpit-divinitie of magnifying mans merits before men since their death-bed-divinitie recants it all and then they are all forced learned and ignorant utterly to renounce it and put all their trust in CHRIST 's mercy and merits as their sure Anchor-head Of which I have onely this to say that merit may have some place in their science but their owne consciences unlesse they be seared tells them there is no true merit but CHRIST 's onely I have now done with my Text Applicatio and now I apply my selfe and my Text to the present Text that lies before us Vir nec silendus nec dicendus sine curâ A man whose worth may not be passed over in silence whom all ages with us may celebrate and admite nor to be spoken of without great care and study Of whom I can say nothing but his worth and vertues will farre exceed all mens words Heere I desire neither the tongue of man nor Angells if it were lawfull I should wish no other but his owne tongue and pen Ipse ipse quem loquar loquatur let him speake of himselfe none so fitt as himselfe was of whom I am to speake this day Et jam loquitur And he now speakes He speakes in his learned Workes and Sermons and he speakes in his life and workes of mercy and he speakes in his death And what he taught in his life and works he taught and expressed in his death He is the great Actor and performer I but the poore cryer Vox clamantis He was the Vox clamans he was the loud and great crying Voice I am but the poore Eccho and it is well with me if as an Eccho of his large and learned bookes and workes I onely repeate a few of the last words No man can blame me if I commend him at his death whose whole life was every way commendable Iustus sine mendacio candor apud bonos crimini non est Iust commendation without flattery is no fault in the opinion of the best men And the ancient custome of the Church did celebrate the memories of holy men to the praise of GOD that gave such eminent graces to them and to stirre up others by their example to the Imitation of their vertues I speake my knowledge of him in many things I loved and honored him for above thirtie yeares space I loved him I confesse but yet Iudicio meo non obstat Amor qui ex Iudicio natus est My love doth not blind or outsway my Iudgement because it proceeded from Iudgement Of whom what can I say lesse then that he was vitâ innocentissimus Ingenio florentissimus proposito sanctissimus In his life most innocent in his knowledge and learning most florishing and eminent and in his purpose and life most holy and devout whose carriage was so happy Quem nemo vituperat nisi etiam laudet no man could ever discommend him but will he nill he he must withall commend him And no mans words were ever able to disgrace him Vera necesse est benedicat falsam vita morésque superant They that spake truth of him could not but speake well of him and if they spake falsely of him his life and manners did confute them And if this Text were ever fully applied in any I presume it was in him for he was totus in his sacrificijs he wholly spent himselfe and his studies and estate in these sacrifices in prayer and the praise of GOD and compassion and workes of charitie as if he had minded nothing els all his life long but this to offer himselfe his soule and body a contrite and broken heart a pitifull and compassionate heart and a thankfull and gratefull heart a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to GOD by IESVS CHRIST which is our reasonable service of Him He was borne in this Citie of LONDON of honest and godly Parents who besides his breeding in learning left him a sufficient patrimony and inheritance which is descended to his heire at Rawreth in Essex It is true Senum vita composita the lives of old men many times are orderly and well composed and disposed and stayed whereas in youth many things that are in true judgement not altogether decent are not so indecent in them but that they well enough become their younger yeares In this he was happy Hujus vita composita à pueritiâ His life was well composed and ordered even from his child-hood I may well say of him as the Prophet doth Bonum est portare Iugum Domini ab Adolescentiâ herein was his happinesse that he tooke up and did stoutly beare the yoke of the Lord even from his youth In his tenderest yeares he shewed such readinesse and sharpnesse of witt and capacitie that his teachers and Masters foresaw in him that he would prove Lumen literarum literatorum The burning and shining Candle of all learning and learned men And therefore those two first Masters that had the care of the first elements of his learning Master Ward of Ratcliffe and Mâ—ster Mulcaster of the Merchant-Taylor's Schoole contended for him who should have the honour of his breeding that afrer became the honour of their Schooles and all learning Master Ward first obtained of his parents that he should not be a prentise and at length Master Mulcaster got him to his schoole And from this time perit omne tempus quod studijs non impenditur he accounted all that time lost that he spent not in his studies wherein in learning he outstript all his aequalls and his indefatigable industrie had almost outstript himselfe He studied so hard when others played that if his Parents and Masters had not forced him to play with them also all the play had been marred His late studying by candle and early rising at foure in the morning procured him envie among his aequalls yea with the Vshers also because he called them up too soone Not like to our moderne scholars qui nondum hesternam edormiverunt
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
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