parts which are the two Commandements of Loue. Then ioyntly we will see how these contents can be so fully inlarged as to take vp those parts the two Commandements all the Law and the Prophets and those two parts so contracted as not to exceed these contents all the Law and the Prophets not to exceed the two Commandements for the Text saith they doe all hang vpon the Commandements These be the particulars which I shall now God willing inlarge and apply briefly and in their order The first is the parts of the Bible When I speake of the Bible I meane the old Testament there was no more extant when Christ conuersed here on earth the rest was added after his Ascension Now you shall find all the Bookes of the old Testament concluded sometimes vnder one name that is either the Law or the Law of Moses or the Prophets and as Saint Peter speaketh the sure word of the Prophets Sometimes the Bookes are diuided Christ diuideth them two wayes Once into three parts the Law the Prophets the Psalmes often into two Luke 24. in the Parable of Diues and Lazarus Luke 16. They haue Moses and the Prophets and in his commendations of Saint Iohn the Baptist The Law and the Prophets prophesied vntill Iohn which is also found Luke 24. Where it is said that Christ taught the two Disciples that were going to Emmaus out of the Law and the Prophets and this diuision so familiar to Christ is vsed in this place I am not ignorant that there are many other diuisions collected by the learned out of Iewish and Christian Writers but I will not trouble you with them I haue shewed you those that are in the new Testament and of them I will open this vnto you The first branch is the Law By a Law is vnderstood that obligation vnto dutie which is laid by those that haue autoritie vpon reasonable creatures Of Lawes there are two sorts that which is called the Law of Nature and that which is called positiue Law The Law of Nature was concreated with a reasonable Soule and was to be in her the nursery of all kind of vertues or honestie of life it is that which is commonly knowne by the name of the Morall Law And the things that are prescribed therein are Praecepta quia bona they are commanded because they are good good in their owne Nature they are properly called Vertues Therefore is this Law immutable vndispensable it binds all Nations and in all Ages It is true that sinne hath much impaired our knowledge of and obedience to it yet there remayneth enough in the ruines of our Nature to make euen Infidels vnexcusable at the Day of Iudgement as Saint Paul teacheth Rom 2. The second kind of Law is called Positiue this is made vpon such things as are in their owne nature indifferent the vse whereof notwithstanding is fit to be ordered by the wisdome of the Law-giuer as is most expedient for the State Now a State doth vndergoe a double consideration of a Church and of a Common Weale therefore the Lawes are of two sorts those that concerne the Church are called Ecclesiasticall and those are called Ciuill which concerne the Common Weale These Lawes containe Bona quia praecepta being in their owne Nature indifferent they are made vnto those that are subiect to the Iurisdiction not indifferent in their vse by reason that that is limited by a Law So that although if there were no Law a thing indifferent might be done or left vndone might be done this way or that way yet the libertie is taken away when a restraint is laid vpon vs by those that haue Authoritie Notwithstanding this kind of Law whether Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill is mutable is dispensable yet so that none can change it none can dispense with it but hee that maketh it according to the rule of the Law Eius est destruere cuius est construere none can abrogate but he that doth enact except he haue some lawfull superiour What you haue heard of Law is most true of Moses Law with which we haue now to doe for that is the most exact Sampler of all Lawes I meane Lawes of publike Gouernments of States for wee haue nothing to doe now with the Lawes of Arts Sciences and of Tradesmens Corporations In Moses Law then you shall find first the Law of Nature that is in the Decalogue or the ten Commandements the exactest Morall Law that euer was penned for neuer did any so strictly as that doth search into man and commend the perfection of vertue vnto him yea command his conformitie vnto it As for Positiue Lawes Moses hath deliuered both sorts The Ecclesiasticall or those that frame the Israelites to an outward deuotion beseeming that Church in the religious worship of God commonly called the Ceremoniall Law Besides which he hath also deliuered Ciuill Lawes such as were fit to order the Common Weale of the Israelites commonly called his Politique Lawes Though we may not denie that there bee in him some Ceremoniall Lawes that haue reference to the Ciuill Policie or the second Table of the Decalogue and some Politique Lawes that haue reference to the first Table and worship of God Neither may we forget touching Positiue Lawes that they are all attendant vpon the Law of Nature the Ecclesiasticall or Ceremoniall vpon the first Table the Politique or Ciuill attend vpon the Second And let this suffice concerning the first Branch The Law The second Branch is the Prophets The originall of a Prophet amongst the Israelites you shall find in Moses to haue beene this Deut. 17. When God had deliuered the Law by his owne mouth the people were so affrighted with the Maiestie of his presence that they desired they might not heare God speake any more thereupon God promised that he would rayse vnto them a Prophet of their Brethren whom they should heare His Office was to supply the defects and defaults of the Priest For the Priests lips were to preserue knowledge and the people were to aske the Law at his mouth moreouer in the difficulties and distresses of the Church they were to consult God by the Vrim and Thummin and deliuer his Oracles But the Priests did quickly degenerate they intended principally the beneficiall part of their seruice which were Sacrifices as for the doctrinall they cared not much for that Wherefore God raysed vp Prophets and by them refresht the peoples memories concerning his Lawes and though they had some thing answerable to the Vrim and Thummin that is they did deliuer diuine Oracles yet if you marke them well those Oracles doe containe little besides the gracious promises that are made vnto them that obserue the Law and serue to encourage them to doe well or the Iudgements that are threatned to the transgressors of the Law and serue to deterre them from doing euill Although wee may not denie that the corporall blessings and curses were shadowes of spirituall and the
these good precedents they that are honoured to bee Gods messengers must learne that it beseemes Referendaries to keepe themselues to their instructions and deliuer so much as and no more then they haue receiued in charge But to speak a litle more distinctly to this point The message did consist of two branches First That which God required Secondly That which God offred Moses that did deliueral Gods Cōmandements deliuered both these branches he informed them of their dutie aswell as of Gods mercy and of Gods mercy no lesse then of their dutie And indeed both are requisite to be taught our dutie that wee doe not presume Gods mercie that we doe not despaire omit either and you may me the doctrine of Gods Couenant There is also committed vnto vs the Law and the Gospel the one to humble the other to comfort men we ought to conioyne both and you must be content to heare of your dutie aswell as of Gods mercie We preach them both to our people the Papists charge vs with taking from the doctrine of the Couenant but the bookes of our Confession the Articles and Catechismes and the booke of our Deuotion our publike Lyturgie and finally the Homilies which are appointed to be read vnto the people refute this slander But wee iustly charge them with adding to the doctrine of the Couenant the bookes Apochryphall and their vngrounded Traditions and wee remember them of that saying of Salomon Pro◠30 v. 6. adde not to Gods Word lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a liar And what wee haue censured in them are nothing else but the forgeries of mens braines which may not bee reputed the Oracles of God Therefore though we call vpon you dutifully to heare and receiue aswell what God requires as what hee promiseth yet as necessarily to saluation wee doe not wee should not call vpon you to heare more then he requires or to beleeue more then he promiseth But enough of Moses Fidelitie Let vs now see his Wisdome As hee dischargeth himselfe fully so doth hee discharge himselfe clearely also For he laid all that God commanded him before the faces of the Elders Nec incautis nec nescientibus ingeritur Lex Here first we meete with a strange phrase for can words bee laid before mens faces you would expect that the Text should haue said Moses spake that which God commanded in the eares of the people and here wee find their eares turned into eyes When the Holy Ghost meaneth euidence of speech it vseth to expresse it in such significant tearmes Saint Paul telling the Galathians of his perspicuous preaching the Gospell vnto them 〈◊〉 3. v 1. saith that Iesus Christ was described in their sight and crucified before them Although the Holy Ghost doe speake to some in Parables Mat 13. that in hearing they may heare and not vnderstand which he doth in punishment of their contempt of euident truth which hath beene laid before them Mat. 6. because as the Prouerbe is Pearles are not to bee cast vnto swine nor holy things vnto dogs yet to those that heare with a reuerent and an obedient eare Mat. 13. ◠11. Datum est nosse mysteria regnicoelorum the Parables are vnfolded the mysteries of the Kingdome of heauen are laid before their face To open this point a little better We must distinguish the Couenant of God from the Illustrations and Amplifications thereof The Couenant it selfe both Old and New is plainly deliuered whether you respect that which God requires or that which Godoffers aswel in this chapter as in other parts of the Bible But there are many Illustrations and Amplifications of either of these Typicall Mysticall darke and hard to be vnderstood which the people cannot vnderstand without an Interpreter ea which the Interpreter himselfe cannot vnderstand without manifold helpe helpe of Deuotion that Gods Spirit may inlighten him and helpe of Meditation painfully scanning and comparing the branches of the Text with other places finally helpe of Varietie of humane literature which giueth great light sometimes to the phrase sometimes to the matter in hand But aboue al in matters necessarie to saluation we follow Catholike Tradition This we say And yet the wrangling Romanists beare the World in hand that wee say there is no difficultie in the Scriptures and that for their guide wee referre the people only to their priuate Spirit which are grosse vntruths We encourage the people to read the Scripture and tell them that though there bee some depths therein wherein an Elephant may swimme yet there are some such shallowes wherein a Lambe may wade The simplest may meete there with all parts of their Catechisme the ten Commandements the Articles of their Creed the Lords Prayer the Sacraments These points containe the substance of the Couenant and they are plainly deliuered there And more then these are not necessarie to saluation Some may haue more some lesse vnderstanding of these according to their breeding yet all should vnderstand these And for this purpose did Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and the Fathers of the Primitiue Church commend vnto the people the reading of the Scriptures But we aduise them to leaue vnto the learned at least to learne of them to vnderstand those things that are vailed and soberly to edifie their pietie with these things which they shall find there vnuailed or laid before their faces I haue done with the deliuerie of the Message I come now to the Answere that is made thereunto And here we are to take notice first Who maketh it the whole Congregation The people answered But doe not you remember that the Message was deliuered to the Elders why then doe the People answere Surely because the Elders receiued it to deliuer it to the people and therefore not only the Elders but the people also were to make an answere Some are of opinion that the Elders were the representatiue bodie of all the people and that their consent was the consent of all and that all were bound by that which they did as in Parliaments the chosen Knights and Burgesses in Synods the chosen Proctors of the Clergie haue such obliging voices Which conceit the Romanists wrest so farre as therupon to make the tenents of the Elders of the Church the ground of the peoples faith to which purpose they also abuse the maxime of Cyprian Ecclesia est in Episcopo The Church subsisteth in the Bishop vbi non sunt Sacerdotes Ecclesia non est The same premises serue aswell to conclude for the Lyturgie in an vnknowne tongue and for their priuate Masse For if the people may beleeue because their Bishops beleeue they may aswell as indeed they doe serue God in the Priest and in the Priest they may communicate without any their priuitie to what hee doth or any their cooperation with him from which they are necessarily excluded by priuate Masses and vnknowne Prayers But the reason why the people are said to
they may haue learned from that old m Cacu◠apud Liuium lib. 1. Italian Thiefe who was wont to draw all the faire Oxen he could lay hands on though it were obtorto collo auersis vestigijs vnto his owne Den. But to preuent all such practises in this particular I hold it not amisse to acquaint thee somewhat more particularly with his resolutions touching matter of Religion and how hee stood affected to the controuersies of our times It is true that of his owne disposition whether framed so by nature or by grace or both he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a most peaceable and milde temper apter to reconcile differences then to make them and to interprete the sayings euen of the Aduersaries where they were ambiguous in the better part in regard whereof if there be yet any hope left of sowing vp those innumerable rents which Faction hath wrought in the seamelesse coat of Christ and of drawing the distracted parts of his Church to some tolerable vnitie J thinke he had beene such a man as is hardly found amongst many to bee imployed in that seruice Howbeit as Saint Iames sayes of the wisdome which is from aboue that it is k Iames 3.17 first pure and then peaceable so J may be bold to say that this mans desire of peace came euer in the second place and that his first care was to maintaine the puritie of Religion as it is now taught in the Church of England For proofe whereof though I might thinke it enough to referre thee to these and other of his Sermons wherein he hath as his matter led him confuted and cut the throat of most of the errours currant at this day in the Church of Rome yet because it may be excepted that a mans opinions are in some sort as the Lawyers say of ones Will ambulatorie while he liues and that no man is bound to stand to any Religion but what he dies in I will rather impart to thee a late profession of his made in his last Will and Testament which is the most authentike Record of a mans minde and such as when hee is once dead l Gal 3.15 no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto as the Apostle speakes Jn this last Testament of his amongst other pious recommendations of his soule to God he hath these words I Desire to end my life in that faith which is now established in the Church of England whereof I am a member and haue beene by Gods blessing well nigh thirtie yeares a Preacher and my soules vnfained desire is that it may euer flourish and fructifie in this Kingdome and in all his Maiesties Dominions and from thence be propagated to other Countries which sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death whether Jnfidels or Heretickes Amen Behold here not only a sound but a zealous Professor of the Religion established and I would to God euery man of learning and conscience whether of the one or other side would but make the like declaration of himselfe in his last Will perhaps it would be as good a Legacie as any hee could bequeath to Gods Church For by it would it appeare what euery man thinkes of the summe of Religion truly and indeed when all worldly hopes feares preiudices dependances and engagements being set aside he hath none but God and his owne conscience to satisfie And then I doubt not but as an eminent Prelate of the Church of Rome said of the doctrine of Iustification by faith only that it was a good Supper-doctrine though not so good to breake fast on so it would bee acknowledged of our reformed Religion in generall that although it be not so plausible and pleasant a religion to liue in as some other may be yet it is the only comfortable Religion to die in as being that which settles a man vpon the true rocke and giues a sure footing to his faith when all the superstitious deuises of mans braine doe like sand faile and moulder away But to returne to this Reuerend Prelate of whom we are speaking being fallen vpon the mention of his last Will and Testament it may haply bee expected that I should here relate what Legacies he gaue therein to the Church what summes of money he bequeathed ad pios vsus c. for that is the pompe of Willes in these dayes But for that J haue said enough alreadie He that gaue all whilst he liued euen his very Bookes a great part of which I thinke to the value of foure hundred pounds worth bee disposed to the Librarie of New Colledge in Oxford by a Deed of Gift diuers yeares before his death reseruing the vse of them only for his life time could not haue much left to bestow at his death Only a name hee hath left behind him and that more precious then any ointment a name that filleth the Church for the present with the sweet sauour thereof and I trust that euen Posteritie also shall be refreshed by it For r Wisd 4 1 2. the memoriall of vertue as he saith is immortall because it is approued both with God and Men. When it is present men take example at it and when it is gone they desire it it weareth a Crowne and triumpheth for euer hauing gotten the victorie and striuing for euerlasting rewards As touching the manner of his death though any man might guesse at it that hath beene acquainted thus farre with the passages of his life for seldome doe a mans life and his end varie yet it will not bee amisse to acquaint thee with thus much that hauing some few houres before his departure made a zealous and deuout confession both of his faith and sinnes to the Bishop of Elie there present from whom also he receiued absolution according to the order of our Church and being assisted to the last gaspe with the comfortable and heauenly prayers of that diuine Prelate after he had taken particular leaue of all about him and giuen them respectiuely both his counsell and benediction he speedily yeilded vp his soule to God There passed not many moneths before that Reuerend Bishop whom J last mentioned followed him to his graue with whom as he had liued many yeares in a most entire league of friendship not vnlike that which Saint Chrysostome describes to haue beene betwixt himselfe and Saint Basil Lib. 1. de Sacerdotio so J doubt not but they are now vnited and incorporated together in a farre more firme and vndiuided societie euen that of the first-borne which are written in Heauen Heb. 12.23 and as they were heere geminum sidus a paire of Lights of our Church comparable euen to those Primitiue ones whose lustre and influence remaines with this day so they haue by this time receiued the reward of such as turne many to righteousnesse euen to be Stars in the Firmament for euer and euer Dan. 12.3 Now although an k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Epitaph be a good mans due after
his departure J should haue thought it needlesse to set any vpon him who as yet liues so freshly in the mouthes and hearts of all that knew him did I not find himselfe had meditated somewhat that way in his life time not for the perpetuating of his Name for he doth not so much as name himselfe in it but only for the expressing of his firme hope in the Resurrection and his charitable desire of their good that should suruiue him for whose sake he wrote this and desired it should be grauen only vpon a stone where he should lie without any further cost or ambition Viator consiste paucis te volo Me Vide. EXuviae hîc reponuntur hominis sed Christiani Quibus nihil vilius propter peceatum hominis Nihil pretiosius propter spem Christiani Non eas deseruit anima sed hîc deposuit Custos bonae fidei Spiritus Sanctus Qui cauet ne quis in vacuum veniat Dum legatione pro ijs apud Redemptorem Defungitur Anima cui reduci cum Christo Eas reddet gloriosas gloriosè induendas Et cum beatâ beandas in aeternum Libentèr mortalis sum qui sim futurus immortalis Ne tantuli in me contemplando te poeniteat Laboris non dimittêris sine praemio Voueo haec historia Mei prophetia sit Tui Perge Jf all this be not enough to continue the memorie of so worthy a Prelate behold another Monument of his owne making too A Monument of his wit shall I say and of his Learning or rather of his Pietie and Deuotion Surely if thou take the paines to reade attentiuely the Sermons here published to thy view thou shalt find in them a more then ordinarie expression of both For howsoeuer they are not set forth according to the ordinary fashion of these times wherein ornaments of speech varietie of illustrations allegations allusions and the like are affected and vsed euen to an excesse you must not expect too much of them from a man that neuer tooke more time for the preuiding of any sermon then some part of the weeke preceding that day whereon he was to preach and then also betooke not himselfe to the helpe of his pen but out of his strength of memorie and naturall readinesse of speech in both which he excelled deliuered those things which he had first exactly digested in his mind afterward dictated to his Amanuensis in such sort as they are here published yet J dare be bold to say that to an attentiue and iudicious Reader they will appeare to containe not only matter of excellent obseruation for the increase of knowledge and pietie in our Christian profession but also an exact Idea of the true forme of a Sermon so farre as concernes the essentiall parts of of it composed according to those rules of art which all men acknowledge to be of most vse in Ecclesiastical Oratorie For whereas speech is fitly compared by the ancients to a picture Plutarch de audiâ—ndis poetiâ— alibi in the framing whereof the chiefe thing that requires the Artisans skill is to draw his lines in their iust number and proportion so as may expresse all the parts of the thing described and the postures of them which when it is done it is no hard matter to adde the colours thereunto it followes that the principall point of art likewise in making of a Speech or Sermon is the delineation of the parts of it and the apt connecting of them together or opposing them one to the other whereupon the seuerall exornation of them with words and sentences does either k Verbaque praeuisam rem non muita sequetur Horat de art Pâ—â—â— of it selfe follow or is without any great difficultie put too Now in that was our Author alwayes so elaborate and exact that J thinke there was no point or circumstance in any Text that euer he handled so closely concealed which he did not both fetch out and propose and handle in such order and method as might best giue illustration to the whole Wherein what singular vse he made both of his Logicke and skill in the Tongues which are the two Spectacles that I may not say eyes that enable a man to looke exactly and distinctly into a Text I thinke there is no man of iudgement that doth not easily discouer In this respect then as I said before he hath left vnto yonger men a patterne of preaching And for the rest though his fashion were not to lay on much colour yet that which he did lay on will appeare to him that markes it to be very proper His illustrations so naturall his allegations so pregnant his words where the emphasis and weight of the sentence lies so choice and significant that if hee had vttered plura farre more in lines hee could hardly haue said plus more in substance and effect to any point that he hath handled But J had rather thou shouldest discouer these things Christian Reader by thy owne iudgement and obseruation then by my aduertisement therefore J wil detaine thee no longer at this time from the reading of so vsefull and precious a worke Only thus much J will promise thee for thine encouragement before thou begin that if thou take the paines to goe thorough with attention these or other Sermons of this Authour that are genuine and I hope no other will be published First thou shalt gaine thereby an exact knowledge of the meaning of the Text he handles and of euery particular word and phrase in it Secondly thou shalt meet with as great varietie of choice obseruations both theologicall and morall aptly deduced and methodically laid downe as thou art like to find any where in so few leaues againe lastly if thou bee indued as J hope thou art with the same spirit of grace and regeneration that the Author was thou shalt find thine affections kinaled and stirred vp thereby to a reall practice of Pietie and good Workes more then by a great many more flourishing Discourses then these at first sight seeme to be And these things when thou hast found by thine owne experience J doubt not but thou wilt bee moued together with me and all others that haue receiued beneht by the godly example and pious labours of this holy and learned man to glorifie that great God and Father of Lights who out of his abundant mercie hath done and doth daily raise such excellent Instruments as he was for the aduancement of his owne glorie in the propagation of his Gospel and aedification of his Church Soli Deo Gloria A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS Jn the first and second Alphabet 7. SErmons vpon the first Psalme pag. 1. c. 20. Sermons vpon Psaline 51. p. 53. c. 9. Sermons vpon Matthew 22. Verses 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 But when the Pharisees had heard that hee had put the Sadduces to silence c. pag. 243. c. A Sermon for the conclusion of the former Argument Marke 12.32
this World passeth away and All these things must be dissolued and how should the little World euer come to a stand when the Great World makes away so that wee must prouide for another place Wee must nay euery man doth will he nill he he doth for his Life is but a Way he is euery day euery houre euery moment onward somewhat toward Heauen or Hell But the Way notes not only a Course but a setled Course There are many startings aside both of Good and Bad the best many times slep aside into by-paths but that is not Via eorum the Iust mans way for he commeth to himselfe againe and with greater alacritie returnes to his Religious Course And the wicked out of fashion or fancie doe oftentimes trie the right way but that is not Via eorum it is not the wicked mans way for he quickly distastes it and takes againe his former Roade therefore the Scripture doth not by the Way vnderstand that which we doe by sits but that which wee doe constantly and wherein wee perseuere So then it is Common to all men to go a Way and hold a setled Course but yet the Course which all take is not the same the Text will tell you that though a Way bee Common yet not the same Way Here are two mentioned The Righteous mans Way which I told you is a righteous way and the Way of the wicked which I told you is a wicked Way The Scripture doth mention a Straight and a Crooked a Narrow and a Broad Way the way of the Eagle and the way of the Serpent a way vpward and a way downeward a way to Life and a way to Death the way of God and the way of the Diuell the Straight Narrow Eagles Way the way vpward to Life which is Gods way that is the way of the Righteous or the righteous Way the Crooked Broad Serpentine Way the way downeward to Death which is the way of the Diuell that is the Way of the wicked or the wicked Way I neede say no more of these Wayes that heretofore haue said so much of the difference betweene Good and Bad men It shal suffice to haue added thus much vpon occasion of this word Way and the â—arietie thereof specified in this Verse Let vs come on then to the Iudiciall Prouidence that worketh vpon these Wayes And here I told you there is also some thing Common and some thing Proper both these Wayes are wrought vpon by the prouident Wisdome and Power of God he Discernes them hee Rewards them both were there no other proofe the triuiall Verse confirmes it Entèr Praesentèr Deus est vbique Potentèr His Eyes behold all the wayes of Men and his Eye lids trie them all that which is applyed to Baltazzar Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin Dan 5. concernes euery one more or lesse Dauid hath made the 139. Psalme in describing this Generall Eye and Hand of God and the Sonne of Syrach hath excellently exprest it Chap. 23. and we shall really denie God and be plaine Manichees if we did exempt any thing from him and not subiect all things to his Iudiciall Power T is true that some things he permits vnto the Creatures but it is neither an ignorant nor an negligent Permission he knowes whereabout they goe and holds the bridle in his owne hand most maiestically doth God in Esay let Zenacharib vnderstand as much Chap. 37 in an answer that he giues vnto that insolent Message I know thine abode and thy going out and thy comming in and thy rage against me because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come vp into mine eares therefore will I put my hooke in thy Nose and my bridle in thy Lips and turne thee backe the way by which thou camest But I need not enlarge this point of Gods Generall Iudiciall Prouidence for it will be farther confirmed by the particular branches thereof If these particulars be true the Generall cannot bee denied because the Generall is included in the Particular Though then it bee Common to both Wayes that they come vnder Gods Iudiciall Prouidence yet come they not vnder it both alike it workes vpon either after a speciall manner first vpon the way of the Iust Nouit Deus The Lord knoweth that Way The Knowledge of God here meant being not Generall but Speciall we must enquire what manner of Knowledge this is I cannot better informe you then by paralleling Gods speciall Knowledge of Man with Mans speciall Knowledge of God for Hee which knowes God is also knowne of him 1. Cor. 8. Et qui ignorat ignorabitur 1. Cor. 14.38 Now the speciall Knowledge that Man must haue of God stands in two points in Distinguendo Colendo he must first learne to distinguish God from all others and that Contra and and Supra he must oppose him to all that seemes but is not God hee must not thinke him like vnto Idols that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not hands and handle not c. For hee must beleeue that God is priuie to the Wayes of men and disposeth all things at his Pleasure As we must thus oppose God to those which seeme but are not Gods so must we preferre him also before all to whom that name is communicable bee they Angels or Men for though there bee some thing like in both yet doth God infinitely exceed in that wherein he is like This is the first branch of our knowledge which stands in Deo Distinguendo in distinguishing God from all others The second branch stands in Deo Colendo in our Carriage towards God and that also consists of two branches Contemplation and Dilection our Eye must euer bee on him our Heart must euer be towards him Psal 27 4. One thing haue I desired of the Lord saith King Dauid and that will I still require that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the faire Beautie of the Lord and to visit his holy Temple and how busie is the Eye of the Spouse in the Canticles in viewing her Beloued from top to toe As the Beautie of God drawes the Eye of Man continually to behold it so being beheld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man cannot behold it but he must fall in loue with it It was wittily replyed by an Ancient Father Saint Basil as it is thought vnto Iulian the Apostata when hee wrote vpon an Apologie of Christian Religion presented vnto him 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainly it is impossible for him that knowes God as a Christian ought not to thinke hee is bound to loue him in the highest degree with all his Mind with all his Soule with all his Heart with all his Strength as the Law speakes This being the speciall Knowledge that we must haue of God we must obserue that Gods speciall Knowledge of Vs is answerable hereunto He Knowes His first Distinguendo as in the departure out of Aegypt
proofe is the vnreformedliues of the Professors therof It caÌ„not then be denied but that though in the eye of flesh bloud when we sin wee satisfie our lusts vpon the creatures mandoth iniurie vnto man as Dauid to Vriah to Bathsheba yet the offence redounds vnto God and God is a party Against whom we Sinne whensoeuer we sinne Tibi peccaui I haue sinned against thee must be put in the Confession of euery sinner Besides this Confession that is common to all sinners here is added another Confession which is proper vnto Kings Tibi Soli peccaui against thee only haue I sinned could no man say but he that is a Soueraigne But to open these words more fully we must obserue that some vnderstand them Absolutely some Comparatiuely and of those that vnderstand them Absolutely some vnderstand them onely de Facto some de Iure some consider only what was done some what ought to be done these different senses agree all well with the Text and because the knowledge of them is vsefull I will touch at them all First at the sense which conceiueth in these words that which was vsually done Great Men especially Kings are beset with flatterers that will rather blanch sinne then set it forth in its owne colour pleade for it rather then against it they turne Princes vices into vertues and adore their imperfections as if they were heauenly perfections and so if they begin to bee bad they neuer leaue vntill they haue made them starke naught to glorie in their shame 〈◊〉 10. â—4 which they see others magnifie But God hath no respect of persons he soweth no such Pillowes vnder the elbowes of Kings neither will hee couer their ruines with such distempered morter when their subiects doe sooth them 〈◊〉 3.5 he will speake home and be a swift witnesse against them when all others hold their peace hee feareth not the faces of the mighty neither will he spare to strike the greatest Monarch Iob toucheth this more then once and the Author of the Booke of Wisedome doth euidently amplifie it neuer a Booke Historicall in the Bible that hath not some examples of it And this may be the first thing that King Dauid meaneth in these words he might haue slept and died in his sinne for ought was sayd or done vnto him by men but hee found one that rowsed him that searched his wounds to the quicke and that was onely God when the Prophet when the Priest the Councellors of State all were silent none made any Remonstrance to the King of his sinne God put forth His voice 〈…〉 yea that a mighty voyce that shiuered both the soule and body of King Dauid and made him acknowledge the difference betweene his Soueraigne in Heauen and his Subiects on Earth saying Against thee onely haue I sinned As these words are true de facto note what is vsually don so are they true de Iure also note what lawfully may be done In sinning there is a double difference betweene a Subiect a Soueraigne the one is ratione Praecepit Commandments Lawes the other is ratione Paenae mulcts and Chastisements The subiect hath two obligations vpon him the Law of God and of the King hee is bound to yeeld his Obedience to them both neither can hee dispence with his Obedience vnto either of them the King is absolutely bound only to Gods Law ouer his owne Lawes hee hath power although hee should vse them as Directions for the good of his people yet when there is iust cause he may dispence not only with himselfe but with others also in this respect do the Lawiers affirme that a Monarch is Solutus Legibus that a King in regard of his own Lawes cannot deale vniustly because in foro Soli hee onely is to iudge when it is expedient for him to dispence with his Lawes So then when a Subiect offendeth he offendeth against the Law of his Soueraigne and of God but when a King offendeth against the Lawes of a Soueraigne he cannot offend hee offendeth onely against the Lawes of God And so in that sense it is true Tibi Soli peccaui Besides the Precepts of Lawes there are Sanctions these containe the Penalties which they incurre that breake the Lawes as manifold as the Lawes are so manifold are the Sanctions And here commeth in a second difference betweene a Subiect and a Soueraigne A Subiect is liable to both Sanctions to the Sanction of his Soueraignes Lawes the Sanction of Gods Lawes if he offend he is punishable by both But a Soueraigne is subiect but vnto one Law so but vnto one Sanction that Sanction which is annext vnto the Law of God to the Sanction of his owne Law he is not subiect Nature abhors progressum in infinitum as in Philosophie so in Policy therefore subordination of Persons that ariseth by degrees must rest when it commeth to the Soueraigne all within his Territories are subiect to his chastisement but hee to the chastisement of none In Apolog. Dauid Cap. â— tutus est Imperij potestate saith Saint Ambrose it is the principall of his Roiall prerogatiues and vpon this point doe most of the Fathers insist that haue occasion to speake of these words euen from the verie dayes of the Apostles haue they made these words a Sanctuarie vnto Kings and a sacred plea for their exemption from the censure of any vnder God This Doctrine is the rather to be vrged in this Age because the two extreames that impugne the truth Papists on one side and Schismaticks on the other are both vsurpers vpon the Crowne and Scepters of Kings both will giue them Lawes both will correct the errors of their Liues and Gouerment one by the Pope the other by the People But both their vsurpations are condemned in this Text Tibi Solipeccaui Against thee only haue I sinned confuteth them both and subiects that will not passe for Rebells must be contented to take not to giue Lawes to suffer from not to inflict Punishments vpon their Soueraignes Yet though this be the duty of Subiects Princes are not lawlesse neither is this a Doctrine of Impunity for though it bee peccaui Soli Tibi yet it is Peccaui and Tibi God is their Lawginer and will call them to an account for breaking of his law Et potentes potenter Wisd 6. the greater they are the greater shall their punishment bee Lactant. Lib. â— de Iustitia c. 24 though they bee exempted from the power of man they are reserued vnto a greater power the power of God This may stop all mutinous mouthes and hold in all treacherous hands that declame against the vnbridled power of Soueraignes and thinke it long before Iustice is done vpon them But enough of the absolute sense of these words Some obserue besides this a Comparatiue sense King Dauid offended God and Men though the offence were great against both yet was the former infinitely
other was but a shadow Which must the rather be noted because the Holy Ghost doth often times taxe the Iewes for either wholy diuorcing the Morals from the Ceremonialls or for that they were at least preposterously zealous preferring the Ceremonials before the Morals but our rule must bee to obserue whatsoeuer God commands but so that we value euery thing according to the rate which God sets vpon it we are freed from the Ceremoniall Law of Moses yet are we not left altogether without Ceremonies for we haue Sacraments in participating whereof we must obserue Saint Ambrose his rule We must not neglect the visible Signes wherewith God sustaynes our Faith yet must we pierce farther into the inuisible grace and that must be the principall comfort of our Soules So likewise in prayer we must fall low with our bodies but much lower with our Hearts lift vp our eyes but soare higher with our Affections in a word Hoc oportet facere illud non omittere neglect not Ceremonies but intend Moralities chiefly in all the seruice of God But whereas I told you that the sense of these words is double Ceremoniall and Morall before I can informe you in the Morall I must first resolue you what is the Ceremoniall sense And here wee find not all agreed some finde the Ceremonie in the booke of Exodus some in Leuiticus C. 12.22 some in Numbers In Exodus we read that the Children of Israel were commanded to sprinkle their dore-posts with the blood of the Paschall Lambe that so when the punishing Angel came to destroy the first borne of Egypt he might passe by them Chrysostome apprehends that King Dauid in these words prayeth against Gods wrath and desireth by such a sprinkling to bee sheltered from that And indeed though God forgaue Dauids sinne yet did hee by Nathan foretell That the sword should neuer depart from his House 2. Sam. 12.10 therefore well might he deprecate plagues But though wee find mention of Hysope in that Law yet none of sprinckling the person but the dore-postes nor finally any mention of purifying but of preseruing Therefore other of the Fathers find this Ceremony in Leuiticus 14.4 in the Law of clensing the Leper And surely the words of my Text speaking rather de malo culpae then poenae as appeareth by those Phrases I shall bee cleane I shall be whiter then snow may haue good cognation with that Ceremony the rather because the Fathers not vnfitly make Leprosie a liuely representation of the nature of sin But in that Ceremony though Hysop were vsed for clensing of the Leper yet the clensing of the Leper there was declaratory rather then operatory wherupon S. Hierome doth parallel it with the absolution of the Priest who doth not remit sin but declare that it is remitted of God As the Priest saith he did not make the Leper cleane but vpon examination pronounce him to be cleane But my Text speaketh not of a Declaratorie onely but an operatorie Purification Ciâ—â—l 〈◊〉 wherfore we must seeke farther into the booke of Numbers in the 19. thereof wee shall sinde a Ceremonie that exactly sitteth my Text sitteth it in the phrase as they that are skild in the Originall doe know and sitteth it in the matter as you may perceiue if you reade the Chapter there God commandeth the burning of a red Cow slaine by the Priest Vâ—â— 6. with which was to be burnt Scarlet Cedar wood and Hysop and of the ashes which came hereof and running water was to be made a holy water wherewith hee was to be purisied that touched the dead Vâ—â— 18. a clean person taking Hysop dipping it in the water and sprinkling it vpon the vncleane C. 9.13 Saint Paule to the Hebrewes moralizing that Ceremonie speaketh thus if the bloud of bulls and goates and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the vnclean sanctified to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the Eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Out of which words we may learne to giue a true Commentary vnto this Text and obserue a good correspondency betweene the Ceremoniall and the Morall part thereof Which that we may the better do obserue that the whole Text is a Petition wherein wee must obserue first seuerally what King Dauid beggeth and of whom then ioyntly how confident hee is of the successe of his Petition which he maketh to that person That which he beggeth is Purge Wash the person to whom he directeth this Petition is God for to him he praieth but he would haue him doe this through Christ for Christ is meant by Hysop If God grant this request as he doubteth not but that hee will grant it for it is Prophetica or atio he prophesieth in praying he then vndoubtedly assures himselfe of a double effect that shall be wrought vpon him Innocencie I shall be cleane and Beautie incomparable Beautie I shall bee whiter then Snow Let vs looke into these particulars and carrie along the Ceremoniall with the Morall First then see what he beggeth purge wash but these words presuppose some thing that is not here exprest and that is from what he would be purged and cleansed Read the 19. of Numbers there you shall see the Ceremonie it was from the impuritie that was contracted from touching the dead and this impurity did exclude them from accesse vnto the Tabernacle Saint Paul Heb. 9. teacheth vs the Moral of this Ceremonie Vers 14. and that the touching of the dead did figure our intermedling with dead workes that is sinnes for they that are infected with them are sayd Ephesians 2.5 to bee dead in them and our Sauiour meaneth as much by the Prouerbe Let the dead burie their dead Mat. 8.22 And indeed Sinnes are fitly termed dead workes Iâ—b 1. for they had their originall from him that hath the power of death that is the Diuel Heb. 2.14 and they are in vs the sting of death so venoming our vnderstanding 1. Cor. 15.16 and our wil that they bereaue vs of the Life of God to whom we liue only by the true knowing of him and louing him as we ought finally Rom. 9.23 the wages of Sinne is death and death in sinne bringeth vpon vs death for sinne the spirituall death in this world an euerlasting in the world to come As hee that hath to doe with sinne hath to doe with Death so hee that hath the contagion of Death cleauing to him is vnfit for the House of the liuing God for that is the House of the liuing for God by Couenant is not the God of the Dead but of the Liuing Mat. 22.32 they that are planted in the House of the Lord saith the Psalmist shall flourish in the courts of our God Marke then in what case a sinner is Psal 92.13 Iob. 2.4 in the state
that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and there was a booke of remembrance written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought vpon his name And that the bad pathes of men are also recorded Vers 4. wee read Deut 3. where God hauing reckoned vp diuers enormous sinnes speaketh passionately thus Is not this laid vp in store with mee and sealed vp amongst my treasures he alludeth to the manner of Kings whose Records were kept in their Treasure-houses as you may gather out of Ezra Cap. 5.17 where the Roles are said to bee kept where the treasures were laid vp in Babylon The vse of this note is made by the Wise man Cap. 1. Beware of murmuring which is vnprofitable refraine from backbiting we may adde from all manner of sin for there is no word so secret that shall goe for nought yea inquisition shall be made into the very thoughts of the vngodly God keepeth an exact Record of all These two acts of Gods Prouidence refute two Athiesticall Positions The first is their Tush Iob. 22.13.14 God seeth not is there vnderstanding in the Highest Eliphaz in Iob expresseth it most elegantly How doth God know can hee iudge through the darke clouds thicke clouds are a couering to him that hee seeth not hee walketh in the circuit of Heauen so would they put out but cannot that al-seeing Eye which they blaspheme The second Position refuted is Tush God careth not suppose that he seeth yet he careth not for the things below he leaueth euery man to shift for himselfe and they think that the memory of their liues doth not out-liue their breath they feare no reckoning so they blaspheme Gods all-recording Hand we shall doe well by acknowledgement of these two branches of Gods Prouidence to auoid these two rockes whereat many old I feare me new Atheists also doe dayly suffer shipwracke Hauing thus farre opened vnto you what is implyed in my Text I come now to open that which is exprest therein I told you it is Indulgence and touching it I obserued first the suit that is made for it wherin you may see that Dauid doth make the branches of his petition answerable to the branches of Gods Prouidence The first branch thereof is God seeth all and answerably to that doth King Dauid pray that God would hide his face and no maruell for God is a God of pure eyes Cap. 1.13 as Habakuk speaketh and can abide no iniquity therefore in whomsoeuer there is the conscience of sinne there must needs arise feare and shame when such a party is presented before God feare for his eyes are as flames of fire and sinners are but as dry stubble Moses in a penitentiall representation of the calamity of the Israelites in the Wildernesse Psal 90.8 Cap. 16.17.18 layeth this for the ground of it Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance and in Ieremy thus speaketh the God of Israel Mine eyes are vpon all their wayes they are not hid from my face neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes what followeth I will recompence their iniquity and their sinne double because they haue defiled my land c. reade the like Amos Cap. 8. Vers 7. The Lord hath sworne by the excellencie of Iacob c. And the Imprecation against Iudas is fearefull Psal 109.14 Let the iniquitie of his fathers bee remembred of the Lord c. As feare so also shame ariseth wee learne it of the same Prophet Ieremy by whom the Lord saith thus vnto Israel Cap. 2.22 Vers 26. Thy sinne is marked before mee c. hee addeth As the thiefe is ashamed when hee is found so is the house of Israel ashamed And indeed shame is an inseparable companion of the conscience of sin when it is arraigned before a Iudge wee see how Malefactors hang downe their heads and Children blush when they are taken in a fault seeing then there is such feare such shame that ariseth from our guiltinesse appearing before Gods eyes we cannot wonder that K. Dauid in his first desire doth deprecate the first act of Gods Prouidence and would haue him hide is face that so hee might stand boldly and cheerefully before God His second desire respects the second act of Gods Prouidence Deus notat omnia God keepeth a Record of all Dauid therefore desireth that God would raze his booke To open this desire wee must obserue that in the Scripture there is mention made of foure bookes which keepe the Records of finne The first is Gods Memory that is the most exact booke all things with all their circumstances are precisely set downe therein it is the expresse Image of his Omnisciencie of that booke I haue said enough before Lest the truth of that booke should be questioned God hath prouided three other bookes that are without exception which will iustifie his Record against the most wrangling sinner The first is our owne Conscience which shall accuse or excuse in the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ It is of this booke that Ieremy speaketh Rom. 2.16 The sinne of Iuda is written with a pen of iron Cap. 17.1 and with the point of a diamond it is grauen vpon the table of their heart by the Heart meaning the Conscience 1 〈◊〉 3.20 21. as Saint Iohn doth where withall he aduertiseth vs that this record in our bosome beareth witnesse to the record that is in Heauen If saith he our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things but God is not contented with one witnesse he hath a second and him without exception also that is our Bodies and Soules they euerie one retaine the staine of sinne when the act is past and gone and from this staine euery part and power receiues a new name our throates are called open sepulchres 〈◊〉 2.13 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 ◠〈◊〉 30.3 〈◊〉 18. our lips poysonous Aspes our eyes are said to bee full of adulterie our hands bloudie our feete mischieuous our vnderstanding darknesse our Will peruersnesse finally our affections nothing else but impuritie A sinfull man is a spirituall Lazar and the leprosie wherwith he shall appeare will vndeniably proue what a life he hath led To these two God adds yet a third witnesse and that is a third Record The creatures which we abuse in sinning shall beare witnesse when wee are challenged for our sinne Cap. 17.1 The hornes of the altar saith Ieremit shall beare ingrauen the sinne of Israel The stones shall erie out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answere it Cap. 2.11 Cap. 5.3 saith Habakkuk your Gold and siluer is cankered saith Saint Iames and the rust of them shall witnesse against you nothing that we abuse be it meate drinke apparell goods or lands but retaines a stampe of our abuse it is
there is neuer a particle that I haue insisted vpon that is not fit to augment the grieuousnesse of the iudgement the iudgement which casteth a sinner out of the presence of God I should here take leaue of this point but that I cannot leaue out a good note of Cassiodores Cuius faciem timet eius faciem inuocat a strange thing two verses before he prayed Hide thy face c. and here he prayeth Cast me not out from thy presence hath the King forgot doth he contradict himselfe by no meanes marke his words and see a difference in the things wherof he speaketh Russinus the same difference which before I obserued out of Ruffinus when hee prayeth Hide thy face he limited his petition to his sinnes but here hee commeth to speake of his person and conceiueth a contrarie prayer Hide not thy face from me we must euer pray that our selues may be still in Gods gracious eye and we must pray also that his reuengefull eye be neuer on our sinnes I haue done describing the first punishment which is the Reiection I come now to the second which is the Depriuation And here wee must obserue first whereof we are depriued of the holy spirit and what is that that which maketh all Saints All Saints day this very day is a sacred memoriall of the gift If I said no more you might reasonably conceiue it but it is sit I speake more happily you will vnderstand the day better The Holy spirit as I told you is Gods Liuerie his Cognizance Iohn 14.16 none haue it but they that are his Christ tels vs so I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter euen the spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you But to what end there are two principall vses of the Holy spirits inhabitation he is vnto vs the Oracle of God leading vnto all truth without whom we cannot perceiue the things of God yea they will be foolishnesse vnto vs but if we haue him 1 Ioh. cap. â— 1. Cor. 2. wee haue an vnction that will teach vs all things yea we can search the deepe things of God King Dauid had him in a double sort an Ordinarie vnuailing his eyes that hee might see the wonderfull things of Gods Law an Extraordinarie illightning him to fore-tell secrets of the Kingdome of Christ which were then yet to come The Chaldee Paraphrase and many of the Fathers vnderstand the holy spirit in this later sense for the Spirit of prophesie That is true which they say but it is not enough King Dauid had also the spirit of adoption and he doth not forget that in his prayer against depriuation Yea he must be thought principally to ayme at that for by the other gift wee may serue God on earth but without this we shall neuer goe to Heauen for so saith Christ Mat. 7.24 Many shall say in the last day haue we not prophecied in thy Name but they shall be answered depart from me you workers of iniquitie I know you not Therefore no doubt but King Dauid had an eye to that oracle which wrought in him a sauing faith and did as wee must feare to be depriued of that As the Holy spirit is an heauenly oracle in our Heads so in our Hearts it is an heauenly fire God who instituted sacrifices to be offered by the Church would haue them offered with no other fire but that which should be sent by him from Heauen yea the vsing of strange fire was capitall as appeares by the storie of Nadab and Abthu That type doth informe vs of a greater truth it teacheth vs wherewith spirituall sacrifices must be offered vnto God The first sacrifice spirituall must be a patterne to all the rest Christ by his eternall Spirit offered himselfe vnto God wherewith his propitiatorie therewith must our Eucharisticals be offered Saint Iude speaketh it plainely we must pray in the Holy Ghost The gift you see what it is but you doe not yet fully see what is the worth of it that I gathered out of tuus it is not onely a holy spirit but also the spirit of Gods holinesse or Gods holy spirit Our soule in vs is a spirit and we loue it so well that Sathan said not vntruely skinne for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life the Angels are yet better spirits 2 Pet cap. 2. higher in dignitie then Men their titles as Saint Peter affirmes confirme it Psal 103. and the Psalmist saith that they exceede in Power and we haue reason to respect them because they pitch their Tents about vs Psal 91. yea God hath giuen a charge vnto them ouer vs to carrie vs in their hands that we dash not our feete against a stone But there is a spirit beyond both these euen the spirit of spirits without whom the former cannot bee and from whom they receiue whatsoeuer good they haue hee is the fountaine of being and wel-being to them both If wee loue our owne soules and the safegard of Angels be deare vnto vs how should we loue Gods holy spirit that is so farre beyond them in infinitenesse of power and excellencie of being yea without whom they cannot be nor stirre without his command The phrase doth not onely import that the Spirit is Gods but also that it is the spirit of that which is most desireable in God that is his Holinesse which doth much improue the gift when the liuerie that it giueth vs and whereby he would haue vs knowne to be his doth make vs partakers of this Diuine attribute wherein to resemble him should bee the highest ambition of a reasonable soule But I will not wade farther in vnfolding the gift what hath beene said is able to make vs sensible of their losse that are depriued thereof especially when I shall haue added thereunto the Manner of losing which I called a depriuation The word is rendered vulgarly take not away But this taking away hath two remarkable things in it it is a taking backe of that which was giuen and a leauing vs not so much as any relique of the gift In regard of the first some render it Ne recipiaâ— take not home againe in regard of the other Ne spolies strip mee not altogether so the Arabicke I will touch a little at both of them First at the Taking backe Hee that loseth what good he had is much more sensible of the losse then if hee neuer had it hee that was borne sickly and hath a long time languished in a disease is not so much pained as hee that being healthy and strong is shaken with a feauer or tortured with some ache Pouerty and disgrace are more bitter heart-breakes to them that haue liued in plenty and honour then they can bee to him who was neuer of better condition then a begger or
breaking vp the fallow ground of our hearts Ier. 4.3 Hosea 10.12 that they may bee sowen Now you know that they that breake vp their grounds vse the Plough and the Harrow the Plough turneth vp the ground in great clods that is the first breaking of it then commeth the Harrow and turneth those clods into dust that is the second breaking of it and so these two breakings represent corporally what you must spiritually obserue in a broken and contrite heart The very same may fitly bee represented by the second resemblance that is taken from Masonry the Scripture doth often tell vs that sinners haue stony hearts and therefore they must be broken that they may be made fleshy hearts as tender and soft as flesh Now you know that when a Mason or Plaisterer will worke a rough stone into all kinde of shapes at his pleasure he first breaketh him being calcined or otherwise prepared all to pieces and then those pieces he poundeth into dust then that dust with liquor he can worke into a soft substance which will receiue any shape according to the fancy of the Plaisterer Euen so must the Heart and Spirit of a man be hammered by Gods Word Ierem. 23.9 broken and broken againe that so it may be made plyable vnto the wil of God These be faire resemblances and I might insist vpon them and by them illustrate the humiliation of a sinner but I choose rather the resemblance that offereth it selfe in my Text and that is contained in the word Sacrifices In the Temple or Tabernacle there were two Altars one of burnt sacrifice another of Incense the sacrifice of either will fit our purpose That of incense Exod. 30. where God telleth expresly of what spices the perfume should be made he addeth these wordes thou shalt beate some of it very small and put it before the testimony in the Tabernacle of the congregation where I will meete with thee The resemblance is very fit But it is fitter if we take it from the other Altar and indeed it is fit we take it thence for though my text be true of all morall seruice God requireth it God delighteth in it as might bee shewed at large if the time would permit and it were to my purpose yet now haue I to doe with no more then concerneth King Dauids case the reconciliation of a Penitent so much morall worship as answereth to burnt offering and sacrifice whereof you heard in the verse going before now they did belong to the Altar of burnt offerings wherefore there will wee seâ—ke and wee shall find our resemblance For the sacrifices were first cut in pieces that was their breaking secondly being so broken they were burnt into ashes that was a contrition of them a contrition and a breaking which doth most liuely represent the breaking and contrition required in Repentance Looke backe vpon them The Priest that did cut the sacrifice in pieces did as the Iewish Rituals obserue not mangle but ioynt the parts and what should wee doe in our Repentance but orderly take asunder and in our meditations view apart the seuerall powers that are in our soule and not mingle the vnderstanding and the will but seeing each hath his owne defects we must feelingly consider the seuerall defects that are in each power And this is the breaking of the Heart and the Spirit But the parts of the Sacrifice were not onely broken but they were brought to the fire and there they were burnt to ashes and it is not enough for vs in grosse to obserue the defects of the seuerall powers that are in our soule we shall find them intricate and a very Labyrinth wee must hunt out euery lurking sinne and euery particle must beare a part in this humiliation the fire of spirituall affliction must pierce euen vnto the least iot of that which doth partake of corruption otherwise our Heart and Spirit are not as they ought broken and contrite Saint Ambrose conceiueth that these words are meant of Christ And indeed he that doth but read the 53. of Esay which is often alleadged by the Apostles especially Saint Peter shall finde that Christ had a broken and contrite Heart and Spirit indeed the Euangelists doe expresse it in significant words Luke 22 44. Math. 26.38 Mark 14.33 hee was in an agony his soule was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on euery side encompassed with heauinesse euen vnto death he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be euen astonished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to droope to become euen heartlesse the Sacrament what is it but a representation of the humiliation of our Sauiour Christ not in conscience of his owne sinne but for expiation of our pride was Christ pleased to be humbled not onely in body but in soule also And to him must we be conformed for he is the best patterne of a broken and contrite Spirit But marke in these words broken and contrite that euery kind of concussion is not a poenitentiall humiliation Iam 2.19 for the Diuels they feare and tremble when they remember in what case they stand Act. 24.25 and so did Felix tremble when Saint Paul preached of the iudgement to come and how was Pharaoh shaken when he was vnder the plagues of Egypt Daniel 5. Baltazar quiuered and his knees smote together when he saw the hand-writing but their hearts and spirits were made of tough mettall not one of them brake or was contrite but after Gods hand was off they continued whole and wholly the same persons And so if wee doe and it is too common for vs to doe so crie we out neuer so much I haue sinned and God be mercifull vnto me in our danger be it what it may be wee are not humbled as the morall seruice of God requireth As we wound our soules so must we be contented to search those wounds and least they fester Ier. 23.9 Habak 3 16. search them to the bottome we must be contented as throughly to grieue for sinne as to take delight therein But a little farther to wade into this point There are two kinds of Griefe that the Schooles speake of Appretiativus and Intensivus they apply it somwhat vntowardly but here wee may make a good vse of it for our spirituall humiliation must testistifie first at what rate wee doe set the fauour of God and hauing no better thing to wreck our displeasure vpon for the losse therof then our Heart and Spirit we vse them so roughly and choose them for the subiect of humiliation Secondly the breaking and contrition of heart and spirit doe shew that our sorrow is as intensiue as it is appretiatiue as the thing is most deare vnto vs which we afflict so there can be no deeper wounds giuen then those wherwith we afflict it But sorrow is not enough vnto humiliation there are two other things that must goe therewith and are very clearly insinuated in this manner of breaking and contriting our Heart The first is
God alloweth for good The lawfulnesse of the Desire is the first Righteousnesse required in our offering But it is not enough that the Desire be lawfull it must haue no inherent nor adherent vnrighteousnesse 1 〈◊〉 14. Inherent our Deuotion must not bee blind we must pray with our vnderstanding it must not be lame we must pray with ardent affection Finally it must not be diseased it must not be tainted with any corruption of hypocrisie vaine glorie c. no vnrighteousnesse must adhere to it if any doe our Deuotion will not deserue to be called a Sacrifice of Righteousnesse When we examine Deuotion by these strict conditions wee shall find that there is no such Sacrifice to be found but that onely one which was offered by our Sauiour Iesus Christ in him was most absolute the Righteousnesse both of the offerer and of the offering and therefore of the offering because of the offerer for one person was both and the stile of the person in the Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3.14 〈◊〉 110 4. the iust one and He is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec which is by interpretation King of Righteousnesse therefore doe the Fathers vnderstand Christ in this phrase But by participation of Christs grace our deuotion may also passe for a Sacrifice of Righteousnesse In the last vision of Ezekiel the Priesthood is entailed vpon the posterity of Zadok wherein there is a Mysterie Ezek 44. for Zadok signifieth Righteous and he was a type of Christ so that not Christ onely but his Ofspring which we are may offer a Sacrifice of Righteousnesse Esay 8. And indeed our persons and our gifts are both righteous if wee be truely incorporated into Christ But wee must obserue a great difference for Christs Sacrifice differeth from ours euen as it is onely iust for his Righteousnes is perfect ours is but imperfect wee cannot exceed the measure of our Regeneration and therefore wee may not ascribe vnto it more worth then it hath in it Notwithstanding wee must endeauour to haue it such as it is wee must endeauour that our deuotion may be a Sacrifice of Righteousnes that our deuotion may be solid That is not enough although the Sonne of Syrac doth comfort vs euen in that respect when he telleth vs Chap. 3◠that the Sacrifice of the Righteous maketh the Altar fat But here is besides the solidnes a fulnes also required in the Deuotion I gather it out of the varietie here specified Burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings The Arabicke conioyneth these two words as if they noted but one thing but they are distinguished in the Originall and in other translations and there is a good reason they should bee distinguished For they note all kind of Sacrifices for all are reduced to two heads they were either Animata or Inanimata they consisted of liuing creatures such as were birds and beasts and they come vnder the name of Gnolah or else they consisted of things without life such as were floure oyle c. they come vnder the name of Kalil here rendred whole burnt offerings these being the heads of either kind may well comprehend all the rest Secondly not onely all kinds of Sacrifices are noted by these words but by consequence all sorts of persons for Gnolah the burnt offering was offered for the whole Body of the people whereunto Kalil that is the whole burnt offering was to be added for the Priest so that whereas the whole Kingdome did consist but of Priests and people all persons are comprehended vnder these words Thirdly these Sacrifices were offered euery day early and late In the morning there was a Gnolah a burnt offering and a Kalil a whole burnt offering ioyned with it and as much at the Euening no day was excused from either of them Fourthly both of these were wholly consumed no part reserued from God contrary to the condition of other Sacrifices whereof alwayes the Priests sometimes the people also had a share as in the Votiue and Eucharisticall Sacrifice These thing were ceremonially to bee obserued But in these there is a Morality enwrapt and the Morality is as manifold as was the Ceremonie that fourefold and so is this First of all things that we haue liuing or dead wee must make a present vnto God Secondly in so doing the Priest must not post ouer Deuotion to the people nor the people to the the Priest both must make their presents Thirdly euerie day must be a day of Deuotion if not publikely in the communion of Saints although that it might be publike was the true intent of the first founding of Cathedrall and Collegiat Churches yea and of Monasteries also yet priuately Priests and people should day by day offer spirituall Sacrifices vnto God Fourthly when we performe our Deuotion we must take heede of Sacriledge As we must offer of all kinds so all parts of them to God Acts 5. we must not bee vnwilling to forgoe any thing if it may aduance the glorie of God Ananias and Saphira their example most terrifie vs and it must make both Priest and people willing to keep◠themselues close to the tenor of the Law and to Loue the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soule and with all their strength c. You haue heard that the Deuotion must be solta and full if it be such then it will find Acceptance with God Acceptance for it will please the Legall phrase is it will yeeld a sauour of sweete smell or a sauour of rest whereof the Mortll is pleasing or delight and delight is the highestimprouement of Loue. For Loue doth first draw the eye to behold a thing Secondly it draweth on the Will to approue it Thirdly it may open the hand to doe good vnto it but farther it cannot goe then to take content in it So that this delight or pleasing she weth more then an ordinarie Affection But Affections are as is the person in whom they arise No person greater then God therefore no delight can be like vnto his But this is a Paradox God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-sufficient hee needeth nothing and what then can worke his delight yea it is a wonder that he should stoope to so base a solace that hath so incomprehensible pleasures in his owne nature Wonder not at it for it is Condescensio paterna as Parents vse to grace the small endeauours of their Children so doth God the Deuotion of his seruants Non ex d gnitate rei sed ex dignatione sua not that the seruice descrueth it but he vouchsafeth to respect it so that we may defraud our seruice of the honour but wee cannot defraud God of the comfort for Gods comfort doth not depend on our seruice it is inseperable from his Essence but the honour of our seruice depends of Gods fauourable aspect which I called Gods Acceptance But how doth this Acceptance appeare If you looke
to the Legall Sacrifice God did testifie it to the corporall Sion and Ierusalem by fire from heauen which consumed the Sacrifice but vnto the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem 1. Chron 7. he doth testifie it by the sensible comfort which by his Spirit he doth infuse into their soules while they are Militant and hee will testifie it more plentifully by the light of his countenance which shall shine vpon them when in the Church Triumphant they shall stand before his Throne Marke here a Correction of that which was said before you heard that Sacrifices and burnt offerings were neither required nor accepted here you find the contrarie And yet not the contrarie for there they bee refused in Casu in a Case wherein no sacrifice was allowed and they be also refused opposite if the Morall be not ioyned with the Ceremonial but here wee haue no such case no such opposition God did accept them vnder the Law as exercises of faith and he will accept the truth of them for euer for that is most agreeable vnto his nature a spirituall seruice to God which is a Spirit And let this suffice for King Dauids first vndertaking I come now to the second his vndertaking for the Kingdome The Kingdome is vnderstood in this word they it referreth to Sion and Ierusalem mentioned in the former verse they that haue the benefit are they that shal make the acknowledgement Before it was Ego the King spake in his owne person I will shew forth thy praise I will teach the wicked c. Now it is Illi my Kingdome Priest and people both shall be as religions as my selfe And indeed the Kingdome as well as the King ought to be thankfull vnto God when God is good to both Dauid vndertaketh for his Kingdome that it shall be very thankfull for they shall offer Bullocks A Bullocke is a faire Embleme of a spirituall Sacrihce for it fignifieth an heyfer that is come to the age of beng fruitfull or it commeth of Parah and yet it hath not borne the yoake nor beene put to any drudgery And such should euery one bee that serueth God he should be fruitfull and not seruile abounding in good workes but not be the slaue of sinne There are two other things to be obserued in this word first it was the fairest of Offirings Secondly it was the fittest for the Offerers Amongst the Sacrifices the fairer were the Beasts and of the beasts the fairest was the Bullocke God commanded no Sacrifice thet was greater then that S. Paul out of Hosea doth moralize this Sacrifice Heb. 13. Hos 19. calling it the Calues of our lippes for by Calues are these Bullocks meant We may adde that seing Bullockes were the greatest of Sacrifices we must thinke that nothing we haue is too good for God and we must make our Offerings of the best The Bullocke was not onely the fairest Offering but the fittetst for these Offerers you shall read Leutt. 3. that whether it were the whole Congregation or the Priest that had offended either of them was to reconcile himselfe to God by the oblation of a Bullocke and seeing they are meant in this place such a Sacrifice doth best beseeme them but that the propitiatorie is turned into a gratulatorie But to whom shall they be thankfull surely to him that doth deserue it to God they shall offer vpon his Altar he that fulfilleth the Desire hath iuterest in the Promise they shall confesse that it is He that doth good to Sion that it is He that butldeth the wals of Ierusalem Secondly note that he saieth not that they will offer vnto him but vpon his Altar the Altar that was erected by his appointment For though it be true that where the Altar was there was God yet it followeth not that where God is there is his Altar God is pleased to confine not onely the substance but the circumstance of our seruice also Deut. 12.33 hee would not bee worshipped euery where The Ceremoniall Altar is gon but the Morall thereof abideth where Christ is thither must we bend our seruice he is the Altar that halloweth our Sacrifice on him and by him must we present it vnto God Againe the Altar doth note that it is not enough for vs priuately to recount Gods blessings we must divulge them publikely though the Heathen had their priuate Altars yet God had none but in a publike place therfore the setuice must needs be publike that is done vpon the Altar Adde the Bullocke and the Altar together and then you shall find that this was Operaria gratitudo the hand should testifie the thankfulnesse of the heart and the Kingdome would be thankfull not in word onely but indeed also And indeed God doth good to Sion and buildeth vp the wals of Ierusalem that they may offer him such Sacrifice To conclude this poynt as Dauid in his owne Vow made Gods praise the vpshot of his promise so doth hee in the Vow of the People And indeed the Church must not desire prosperity otherwise then that God may haue the glory of it God made all things for himselfe and we must subordinate all things vnto him otherwise we substitute the Creature in stead of the Creator and cannot excuse our selues from Idolatry from which Dauid doth free his Kingdome in saying They shall offer at Gods Altar You haue heard of Gods acceptance and the Kingdomes thankfulnesse that these things shall bee performed Dauid vndertakâ—th for both he vndertaketh to each of them for the other for marke how resolutely he speaketh Thou shalt be pleased They shall offer Vox fidei fiduciae hee beleeueth it assuredly and therefore doth confidently affirme it Neither can their be any doubt but if our seruice be the sacrifice of righteousnesse God will accept it for he will neuer refuse what himselfe commanded And it can as little be doubted that the Kingdome will bee thankfull if God doe it that good for it is a speciall effect of Grace to make vs so thankfull so that we may not doubt of either I haue sufficiently opened the Promise vnto you one thing remaineth the circumstance of time when this Promise shall take place it is exprest in this word Then which is set before either of the vndertakings Then shalt thou be pleased Theu shall they offer c. except God fulfill the Desire there is no hope of the Promise but the performance of the Promise will not be farre behind if the Desire bee fulfilled Touching the Ceremonie wee find it in the Dedication of the Temple when many thousands of Bullocks were offered 1. King 8. and God appearing vnto Solomon told him how well he was pleased therewith And touching the morall though in figuratiue termes yet it is fairely set downe Ezek. 20. and Malac 3. you haue it in a short sentence Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Math. 18.20 and the beauties of holinesse And Christ is as briefe
haue vsed those You must not be of seruile minds and doe your duetie for reward his Disciples hearing this desired him to expound himselfe more fully Whereupon he addeth that men must not exspect the reward of wel-doing in this world but stay for it vntill the world to come To these words Tzadock a chiefe Disciple of his tooke exception and said He neuer heard of any such thing as the world to come And thereupon hee with another fellow Disciple of his called Baithos turned Apostataes and repaired to the Schismaticall Tempell built vpon mount Gerizzim and became principall Rabbins of the Samaritans And amongst them did Tzadock first broach his Heresie and taught them that there was no Resurrection of the dead because no immortalitie of the Soule and Spirit and so consequently no Iudgement for to come Therfore in this life was euerie man to make his fortune as well as hee could without any scruple of Conscience and satisfie his lust whatsoeuer it were If a man desire a fuller relation of their impietie let him but read the second Chapter of the Booke of Wisedome where you haue a Sadducee painted out to the full you haue his liuely picture But that which I specially marke vnto you is that the Samaritans and the Iewes were at deadly feude Ish. 4. ver 9. they had no commerce one with an other And here we find the Heresie of the Samaritans to haue corrupted the Iewâ—s and that euen in Ierusalem there were many Sadduces I say too little the Sadduces were chiefe Gouernours in Ierusalem reade it Acts 5. where you shall find that the chiefe Priests to represse the Apostles preaching the Resurrection from the dead were assisted with those of the Sect of the Sadduces Flauius Iosephus goeth farther and obserueth that the Sect of the Sadduces was most fauoured by those that were rich And indeed it is most likely because they that haue a worldly state whereon to rest are commonly so addicted thereunto that they could well bee contented there were no other life So earthly so sensuall are their thoughts their hearts that they hardly beleeue and doe desire but coldly the things of a better life Yea they thinke all men senslesse and starke mad that make little accompt of things below that they may more fully enioy those things which are aboue It is a lamentable thing to see a Church degenerate so farre as not onely to endure but to giue countenance vnto a Sect that did raze the verie foundation of Pietie But it was not their fault onely though Christendome hath none knowne by the Name of Sadduces yet Sadduces it hath too many too many that not onely liue as if there were no Resurrection but also where they may be bold are not ashamed to maintaine so impious a conceite and perswade men out of Conscience to liue lewdly who before did it onely out of Impotencie of affections Magistrates are too patient to negligent in finding them out in rewarding them as they deserue I goe on in my Text you haue seene what these Sadduces were now see how Christ putteth them to silence The word is markable it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he bridled their mouthes which is a phrase borrowed from fierce and stomackfull Horses which are impatient of the ryder yet are they held in by a strong bit and so subiected to the will of the Rider perforce not out of their owne tractablenesse Men are resembled in the Scripture to such horses Be not like horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding Pet. 32. but must be held in with bit and bridle least they runne vpon vs wherein you may perceiue that the bridle doth not alter the disposition of the horse but onely stay him from doing what otherwise hee would Euen so did our Sauiour Christ silence the Sadduces though they were ill affected to him and men as you heard of great authoritie among the Iewes yet did Christ so clearely dissolue their sophismes and resolue their doubt with that Authoritie that they became tongue-tide had not a word to returne vpon him Which is strange whether you consider and compare the meane out-side wherein Christ appeared with the great countenance of the Sadduces or the out facing of Heresie with the modestie of truth But though Christ stopped their Mouthes yet did hee not alter their Hearts for though they could not defend Sadducisme yet did they continue Sadduces as appeares Acts Chap. 5. and Chap. 23. The reason wherof is because they moued their question not out of a desire to know the truth but with a purpose to scoffe at Christ When men seeke with such minds vnto God God is pleased to bring the scorne vpon them but hee leaueth them in their grosse ignorance Adde hereunto that when men haue resolued to make the satisfying of some corrupt lust the vpshot of their endeauours they accept or refuse all things in reference thereunto and stop their Eares and Hearts so that they heare with a deafe Eare and with a dull Heart entertaine whatsoeuer maketh against them Hence is it that the Ministers paines taken with those who make their â—elly their God or commit Idolatrie with their Gold or incline to any erronious conceite or sinful affection is coÌ„monly so fruitlesse Christs was who will wonder that ours is The Vse we must make hereof is this Neuer to moue question in religion but out of the loue of truth bringing with vs a desire to yeeld when it is reuealed vnto vs. Secondly we must take heed how we set our Affections vpon any thing for if that become once our last end a Black-more will assoone change his skin and a Leopard his spots as we will be remoued from it And let this suffice for the Occasion giuen No sooner was it giuen by Christs foyling the Sadduces but it was taken by the Pharisees for vpon the hearing of it Conuenerunt in vnâ—m they fell to consultation But here must I briefely shew you what these Pharisees were Iâ—b cap. 1. 2. We find in the Booke of Maccabees that when Antiochus Epiphanes had taken Ierusalem and as the Prophet Daniel foretold had put downe the seruice of God and interdicted the obseruance of the Law many Religious Iewes chose rather to feare God then the King And when manie Apostate Iewes made couenant with the Gentiles and vncircumcised themselues the Religious held on the Circumcision and obserued the Law strictly they are there called by the Name Aâ—ideans from the Hebrew Chasidim 1. Mac. 2. v. 42. which signifieth men of pious or Religious hearts in time they changed their name into Chacamim that is wise men and became the oracles of the people and were consulted in doubts of Religion Religion by this time was come out of their hearts into their heads They changed their names a third time and were called Pharisees they went still from better to worse For a Pharisee is he that is separated from other men you
profit or pleasure how doth the couetous man toyle himselfe out of the Loue of money the ambitious out of the Loue of honour the faulconer the Huntsman out of Loue of their sports Guesse by them how cheerefully wee would bee doing good if wee were prepossessed with Loue for Loue sweetens all paines yea guesse by Lust what Loue can doe that goeth vpon much surer grounds Loue doth not onely facilitate our doing but our suffering also out of loue to their wiues and children what hunger what thirst what wounds doe Souldiers endure But beyond all goe the sufferings of the Martyrs of whose wonderfull patience and constancie therein you can giue no other reason but Loue They loued not their liues vnto death Gal. 5. because they did loue to keepe Gods commandements I begin now to vnderstand S. Paul against Loue there is no Law for though there were no Law yet he that loueth would readily obey hee needs no other obligation 1. Ioh. 5. â— to whom to doe his dutie is a very pleasure I now begin to vnderstand Saint Iohn The commandements of God are not grieuous for griese and loue cannot stand together it is rather a griefe not to doe that which our soule doth loue You see then that God could not prouide an easier commandement for vs then Thou shalt loue And could he haue prouided a happier No verily for though amor bee sui praemium it carrieth contentednesse in the very nature of it yet as if that would not satisfie all the requisites vnto felicitie are distinctly ascribed vnto it Whereof the first is freedome of Spirit hee in whom Charitie is hath exchanged the spirit of bondage for the spirit of Adoption then which there cannot bee a more ingenuous a more free spirit So that whereas no obedience pleaseth God but that which is voluntarie it is Charitie that maketh vs such seruants as God requireth A second requisite vnto felicitie is store or plenty of prouision and what better purueyer can we haue then Charitie Looke how farre it extendeth so farre it enritcheth for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke how many friends so many supplies wee haue of our wants and if all men were true friends Hom. 5. adps â—ul Astiâ—ch no man could want that which another man hath The last requisite is securitie and there it no guard to the guard of Loue for by Charitie it commeth to passe as Chrysostome wittily obserueth that one man is as many men as he hath friends whether you respect acquisitionem bonorum or depulsionem malorum so many paire of eyes to watch for him so many paire of hands to defend him so many paire of feete to trauell for him so many heads to aduise tongues to speake hearts to encourage and what better munition would a man desire God commends Charitie when he vouchsafed to heare Iob for his friends and in the 41 Psalme shewes that nothing is more detestable then treachery in friendship Would time permit me I should shew you that there is nothing like vnto Charitie that doth proue a man to be a man and turne a man into a God Some guesse that Homo hath his name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to note that hee is a sociable Creature but it is out of question that Ratio and Oratio were giuen him for this purpose that men might haue communion one with another Take Charitie out of his tongue what is it but an vnruly euill as Saint Iames calleth it full of deadly poyson a world of wickednesse a firebrand of hell that is able to set the world on fire Take Charitie out of the reason of a man then that will proue true which God told Noah The frame of the thoughts of the heart of man are onely euil and that of Ieremie The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked So that you may seeke a man and not find him in a man if Charitie be away But season him with Charitie and then shall you see the excellencie of a man his tongue will be a tree of life and the issues of life will come out of his heart as Salomon teacheth in his Prouerbs I told you that Charitie doth also turne a man into a God for God is Charitie and hee that dwelleth in Charitie dwelleth in God and God in him Therefore Christ commending Charitie giueth this reason that wee may be like vnto our Father in Heauen It is not without cause then that Saint Iames calleth it the royall Law of liberty and Saint Paul the supereminent way Other gifts saith Saint Austin are giuen by the Spirit but without Charitie they become vnprofitable Vbi Charitas est quid potest obesse Vbi non est quid potest prodesse In God it was Charitie that set the rest of his Attributes on worke when he made when hee redeemed the world and our abilities will all bee idle except they bee set on worke by Loue and if Loue stirre all will come plentifully from man as they doe from God Finally as Charitas is omnium hominum so omnium horarum locorum nunquam nusquam excluditur Which cannot be said of any other affection there is no man that may not loue and that at all times and in all places Wherefore God hath laid this fundamentall Law Dilige then which there is no more excellent gift and it is the immediate ground of Pietie the roote of all morall vertues and Theologicall also as hereafter you shall heare and heare that hoc vnum necessarium LEt vs now beseech the God of Loue so to sweeten our nature with his holy spirit of Loue that being rooted and grounded in this fundament all Law all our workes may be done in Loue. AMEN The third Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. With all thy Heart and with all thy Soule and with all thy Mind OVt of those first words of this Verse Thou shalt Loue you haue beene taught What it is to Loue and who it is that is bound to obserue this vertue We must now come on and see in the next place what is the seate of Loue and in my Text we find that it is pointed out in three words the Heart Cap. 12. Cap. 10. the Soule the Mind Moses Deuter. 6. and out of him S. Marke and Saint Luke adde a fourth which is Strength The words may be taken confusedly or distinctly Confusedly and so they will teach vs onely in grosse the seate of Loue. Distinctly and so they will shew vs that these parts which are the seate of Loue are ordinate and subordinate Ordinate ad intra as Loue must be within vs and ordinate ad extra as Loue must bee employed without vs. Subordinate for one of the parts is imperatiue or definitiue the other are Imperatae definitae And out of altogether wee shall learne that Charitie is a Catholike and transcendent vertue I purpose to handle these words both wayes as they are taken confusedly and as they
in pursuit of their Loue De vera virgiaitate it is Saint Basils Similie And why not seeing for the most part they are the worse for their louing and wee are sure for ours to bee the better But I must leaue the enlarging of these things to your owne priuate Meditations You may remember I told you that though the Person onely is here exprest yet things are also included so farre as they haue reference to this person we must respect euerie Creature as it is Gods and grieue at the abuse of the meanest of them But our speciall regard must be vnto those things that worke or witnesse this spirituall Loue. Worke it as Gods word and his Sacraments these things wee must haue in a singular regard by reason of the heauenly power which they haue to worke Loue the more we vse them the more it will appeare wee desire to Loue. As these things worke Loue so there are other things that testifie it our praysing of God our praying vnto God our readinesse to please God though we suffer for it the more wee are exercised in these things the more it will appeare we are in Loue. But though God kindle Loue in vs by his Creatures yet must we not loue him for them for that were Amor Concupiscentiae but wee must by them be led to loue him and that is Amor amicitiae Mea tibi oblata non prosunt saith Saint Bernard sine me nec tua mihi sine te though we come to know God by his Creatures yet must our Loue immediately fixe on him As those things which haue reference are included so are those things excluded which haue no reference and whatsoeuer things which doe not lead to him draw from him of all which this must bee kept as a a rule Pereant qui quae inter deum nos dissidium volunt wee must haue nothing to do with whatsoeuer will separate betweene God and vs. You haue heard what the Person is Confess l. 8. and what it is to Loue him When Saint Austin put these two together hee fell into that humble admiration O Lord who am I That thou shouldest command me to Loue thee And verily a man may well wonder Hath not God Angels Archangels Cherubins Seraphins to loue him And what grace is it then for him to stoope so low as man Yea and whereas the best abilitie of man is too base to bee employed in his seruice hee doth this honour as to stoope to the meanest of our abilities hee commands our Dust and Ashes this wormes meate our vilde selues to Loue him that is to be as it were consorts with him for amor nescit inaequalitatem therefore God doth as it were deifie that which hee doth so farre honour â—sal 8.4 When Dauid looked vpon the interest which God hath giuen vs in his Creatures when he put all things in subiection vnder our feete the beasts of the field the fishes of the sea c. he breaketh out into Quid est homo Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him Or the Sonne of man that thou so regardest him What an admiration then should arise in vs when we see what an interest God hath giuen vs in himselfe Especially seeing he hath no neede of vs and all the gaine is ours can wee forbeare with amazednesse and wonderment to vtter the same words O Lord what is man Nay out of the sense of euerie mans owne interest to say Lord what a man am I that thou shouldest be so mindfull of mee And what a Sonne of man am I that thou shouldest so regard me Dauid when he describeth the temporall blessednesse which he wisheth to Israel Psal 144. concludeth Happie is that people that is in such a case but he addeth to our purpose yea Happie are the people whose God is the Lord The prerogatiue that Man hath aboue other creatures yea that the Christian hath aboue all other Nations should make vs set it at a higher rate then commonly we doe A word of the day and so I end This is All Saints Day and it is Loue that doth characterize a Saint for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in Psal 44 Nyssen de Anima Resurrect yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we haue in Earth a Communion of Saints in Faith Hope and Charitie but in Heauen there is no Communion but only in Charitie Faith and Hope are done away Nay in Earth our Communion with God standeth properly in Charitie for there can bee no mutualnesse betweene God and Vs but only in that and to bee mutuall is a propertie of Charitie as I told you at the entrance of this Sermon Wee beleeue in God but God doth not beleeue in vs wee hope in God God doth not hope in vs but if Man loue God God loueth him againe and therefore Loue is the proper vertue of Saints it is that which both in Earth and Heauen doth knit vs vnto God Psâ—l 18. What shall we say then to these thing seeing Charitie beginneth a Saint on Earth and consummateth him in Heauen I will vow with King Dauid I will loue thee my Lord my strength c. And that I may performe this Vow I will pray with Saint Austin Lord so inspire my heart that I may seeke thee seeking may find thee and finding may loue thee ANd grant O Lord thy Grace vnto vs all so to exercise our selues in this Loue that we may haue the honour to bee thy friends both in Earth and Heauen AMEN The fifth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 39. Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour THere are two Persons exprest in my Text on whom wee must bestow our Loue. First The Lord our God and Secondly our Neighbour I spake last of the former of these persons It followeth that I now speake of the later so farre as I am occasioned by these words Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour Wherein it will appeare that Loue is not only due to God but also to his seruants as many as can returne Loue for Loue that is all Rationall Creatures so farre as God hath conioyned vs we must not seuer our selues for euerie creature loues his like Amitie is inseperable from societie at least it should be For my fuller vnfolding and your better vnderstanding of these wordes I will therein distinctly consider first â—o whom then what is due The Person is called a Neighbour that which is due to him is Loue. But farther in the person we must see first that in him there is found the ground of that Loue I will discouer it when I haue opened the Name Secondly that euery man hath his interest in this ground the text pointeth out this when in a reference to euery man it calleth the person Thy Neighbour As this must be obserued in the person so in the Dutie we must obserue that we that haue the interest must performe the Dutie this interest belongeth to euery man and so doth the
that you loue Rom. 13. Chrysost Col. 3. v. 14. 1. Cor. 16.14 which is a debt that semper soluitur nunquam persoluitur Aboue all things let vs seeke after Charitte and let all our things be done in Loue. Yea let vs fall in loue with Loue that so wee may grow therein vntill wee come where it shall be so consummate as that all our life shall be spent in Loue in louing God with all our heart with all our minde with all our soule with all our strength and louing our Neighbour as our selfe THE CONCLVSION OF THE FORMER ARGVMENT DELIVERED IN a Sermon on the twelfth of Saint Marke Verses 32 33 34. And the Scribe said vnto him Well Master thou hast said the truth for there is one God and there is none other but hee And to loue him with all the heart and withall the vnderstanding and with all the soule and with all the strengh and to loue his Neighbour as himselfe is more then all whole burns offerings and Sacrifices And when Iesus saw that hee answered discreetly hee said vnto him thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God And no man after that durst aske him any question OVr Sauiour Christ in the conference which hee had with the Pharisee about the great Commandement Matthew 22. had to doe with a Question and a Questionist The question was good the Questionist was a Tempter therefore he fully yea abundantly resolued the question but he put the Questionist cleane besides his purpose and marred the plâ—t of the Pharisees For they thought either to disgrace or endanger him disgrace him if he were silent or if he did answere to endanger him to those that were of a contrarie opinion But Christ handles the matter so that they sped of neither of these ends for he answeres that they might not disgrace him for ignorance but answers so that he cleane defeats their malice This being but insinuated in Saint Matthew is fully opened by Saint Marke therefore at length to put an end to the Doctrine of the great Commandement whereupon I haue dwelt long I haue chosen these words as the fittest close of that Argument I purpose God willing briefly and plainly to vnfold them vnto you Therein then wee are to obserue Christs discretion in answering and the confusion of his aduersaries by his answere The first point is gathered out of the whole bodie of Christs speech the second out of the euent thereof More distinctly The discretion appeares in that Christ answeres not only secundum veritatem truly but also ad hominem hee fitteth his answere to the Questionist Answeres out of his owne Principles so that he cannot denie it and discouers his sinne that he may be stung with it Touching the confusion of the aduersaries that is double as they were of two sorts For one moued the question the rest plotted it both are confounded but not both alike The confusion of the Questionist is comfortable two wayes comfortable First in regard of his ingenuitie for hee doth acknowledge openly what Christ answeres yea and iustifieth it soundly though with the disgrace of his companions Secondly in regard of the clemencie with which our Sauiour entertaines it First he tooke notice of it he saw that hee answered discreetly Secondly hee encouraged it for hee told the Questionist that hee was not farre from the Kingdome of God Thus was the Questionist confounded His Complices also were confounded but their confusion was damnable for they had no more to say they asked him no more questions not because they were euer a whit the better for our Sauiours answere but because they durst not Their malice was ouer-awed they durst not play the Serpents any longer and set vpon Christ with craft and temptation but from this day forward they turned Lions and put him to a cruell death This is the summe of this Scripture the particulars whereof I will runne ouer againe I pray God it may proue for our instruction and edification First then of Christs Discretion it is gathered out of the bodie of his answere which containes not only a truth but truth fitted to the Questionist fitted two wayes First because it workes vpon his owne Principles for Christ keepeth himselfe to the words of the Law and maketh Moses giue the Scribe an answere Now the Scribe was a Doctor of the Law and Moses authoritie was sacred with him Adde hereunto Christs answere was the Scribes owne Tenent as appeares Luke the tenth Where Christ mouing the question another Scribe answereth the very same words of the Law So that he could not denie Christs answere except hee would contradict himselfe The like discretion in working vpon the Aduersaries Principles doth Christ vse in his dispute with the Sadducees about the Resurrection They are said to haue receiued only the siue Bookes of Moses and out of those Bookes doth Christ make good that Article of Faith Saint Paul imitates Christ arguing against both Iew and Gentile Against the Iewes in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where you may perceiue that he taketh most of his grounds out of the Law Against the Gentiles in the Acts Chap. 14 17. where he seeketh no farther then the Creation and the Prouidence to conuict them of Idolatrie The Fathers in the Primitiue Church tooke the verie same course as appeares by Iustin Martyrs Apologies to the Roman Emperours and his Dialogue with Trypho the Iew. The like might be shewed out of Origen Irenie Tertullian Eusebius and others whether they deale with Infidels or Heretickes they presse them still with their owne principles And so must wee for so shall we conclude most euidently against them and if any way this is most likely to preuaile with them A second branch of Christs Discretion is this that his Answere stings the conscience of the Questionist it layeth his sinne open before his eyes For he was a Tempter and to tempt is a worke of Satan which hath his name from hatred So that Christs answere doth vnmaske the Questionist and shew that although the title of a Pharisee and a Scribe the one for Holinesse the other for Knowledge seeme to make neere approches vnto God yet in that he is a Tempter he will be found farre from him if he be measured by the great Commandement the tenour whereof is nothing but Loue. And such a manner of teaching which closely conueys a good admonition to the heart when it seemes onely to informe the head is verie discreet and hath many worthy precedents But enough of Christ Discretion let vs come now to the Confusion of his aduersaries and first to the comfortable confusion of the Scribe which moued the question wherein wee are first to see his ingenuitie double ingenuitie For first he acknowledgeth that Christ had answered right Well Master thou hast said the truth He acknowledgeth it I say which is not onely to know but to confesse openly what a man doth know Yea he confesseth it before his fellowes at
such obiects may worke feare in a naturall man but what need these Israeltes to feare They came armed against it they came prepared with Puritie with Modestie and should such men feare It is certaine they did feare and there was good reason for it for what proportion betweene mans Abilitie and the Maiestie of God when man is at the best And the Israelites ceremoniall preparation could not so suddenly become morall that will aske more time then three dayes The more they had of the old man the more they were subiect vnto this Passion and it might well rise in them though the obiect which they discerned were aloofe off as indeed it was for their Tents were in some good distance from the Hill and though they were so farre cut of danger yet were they not out of feare the dread of these Harbingers of God seised vpon them Adde hereunto that the spirit of the Old Testament as Saint Paul telleth vs is the spirit of bondage and feare and so this passion had good correspondencie with that Couenant Neither vpon them only but vpon Moses also did these dreadfull Harbingers worke for so must you vnderstand those words in the text Moses spake Saint Paul will tell you what he said Verse 19. Heb. 12. I exceedingly feare and quake so terrible was the sight in his eyes The Rhemists come in here vnseasonably with the doctrine of their Traditions and they will haue Saint Paul by tradition know that Moses spake those words As if he might not know it aswell by Reuelation for the spirit of Prophecie looketh aswell backward as forward Else how did Moses pen the Booke of Genesis that speaketh of things done so many hundred yeares before But what gaine they if we doe acknowledge he had it by tradition Doe wee denie all traditions Wee acknowledge traditions of many Histories as that of Iannes and Iambres Of Ceremonies as that of concluding the Passeouer with blessed Bread and Wine whence Christ tooke an occasion to improue them to an higher vse and institute the Eucharist Our question is about Articles of faith and I hope this is none and therefore they may keepe the note in store vntill they meet with a more pregnant place But let vs leaue those Wranglers and come to Moses Happily you wonder why hee should quake A man that came so neere God and was so deare vnto him God talked with him face to face as familiarly as a man talketh with his friend I but then these Harbingers did not appeare no Thunder no Lightning then no burning Hill no loud sounding of the Trumpet when these appeare they will make Moses himselfe to quake And why shall I say because there are some relikes of sinne euen in the best of Gods Saints during this life and being not perfect in loue they must needs bee subiect vnto feare If I should say so 1. Iohn ◠I should say something but not all that is to bee said For our Sauiour Christ that was without all sinne when he appeared in our nature at the as it were Mount Sinai Certainly at the Tribunall of God where he had presented if not to the eyes of his bodie yet of his soule those dreadfull attendants vpon the Throne of Iudgement the sight cast him into an agonie and made him sweat water and bloud it made his humane nature to droope as himselfe confesseth and bee heauie vnto death And doe wee wonder that the seruant feareth where we see the sonne in such a case Let not the holy Ones of God thinke to bee priuiledged from that whereunto the Holy of Holies was pleased to bee subiect Let vs all rather confesse that that indeed is dreadfull which is dreadfull to such a person and let vs all feare that which Christ himselfe feared But why goe I so high as Christ If they should not haue feared the Mountaine would haue risen in Iudgement against them for that trembled Verse 18. Psal 18. it trembled exceedingly In the Psalme it is said that the Earth shooke and trembled the foundations also of the Hils were moued and were shaken alluding vnto this storie another Psalme saith that The Mountaines skipped like Rams Psal 114. and the little Hils like young sheepe and mouing the question What ailed yee O yee Mountaines that yee skipped like Rams and yee little Hils like Lambes The answere is made Tremble thou Earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Iacob And shall not wee feare him nor tremble at his presence when the senselesse creatures shew themselues awfully sensible of his accesse vnto them surely our senselesnesse must needs bee without all excuse Yet some such there haue beene Such were the Scribes and Pharisees who when the Sunne lost his light the Rockes cleft the Graues were opened and the Earth quaked were so little touched that their heart could serue them to contriue a forgerie wherewith to countenance that villanie wherewith they brought Christ to his painfull and shamefull death This was a spirit of slumber indeed and neuer did a greater spirituall Lethargie seize vpon the sonnes of men God euer keepe vs from such senselesnesse and giue vnto vs the spirit of feare whensoeuer his dreadfull Harbingers present themselues before vs yea let vs often represent them vnto our selues that this feare may be seasonably present with vs. But let our feare be such as was that of Israel and of Moses a hopefull feare For there is a feare that deterres from God and there is a feare that doth only humble vs before God Ge◠4 The first is the Reprobates feare and maketh men like vnto Caine Renegadoes and Vagabonds forsake God and goe they know not whether But the godly mans feare maketh him tremble and yet keepe on his way though he goe quaking yet he goeth to God And indeed after God hath made vs sensible of our weaknesse and his greatnesse he vseth to support and strengthen his children he makes them experience the truth of that answere which Christ gaue to Saint Paul Psay 6 My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 2. Cor. 12. vers 9. So did he hearten Esay with a cole from the Altar Daniel with a touch Deut. 15. Moses with an answere a kind answere and by Moses he bid the Israelites not feare And what wonder if he support his children in these tremblings seeing he supported the Hill for other wise the hil being al on fire trembling in the fire must needs haue bin consumed but it held out Yea and so did Moses Aaron when they entred into the cloud trod vpon that fierie hil no lesse securely then the three children did in the fierie Furnace whereinto they were cast by the appointment of Nebuchadnezzar 〈◊〉 3 And so shall the righteous at the day of iudgement when all the world is on fire and a lowder Trumpet shal sound then this at mount Sinai
to loose all those that will make vse of the flight amongst which these Iewes were none For who hath forewarned you saith Saint Iohn vnto them Before I come to the question I must a little describe the persons they were Sadduces and Pharisees There are but two extremities of Religion into which men run Superstition and Atheisme these fell the one that is the Pharisees into the one extremitie and the other that is the Saduces into the other extremitie Now sinnes are of two sorts some whose nature is in opposition to the flying from the wrath to come and some which are such as they doe not exclude the same A Drunkard an Adulterer a Murderer are grieuous sinners and in danger of the wrath to come but the Principles are not corrupted vpon which the forewarner must worke when hee perswadeth then to flie they doe beleeue the iudgement to come and in cold bloud will easily belieue that there is euill in their liues therefore vpon such good counsell may worke and wee see daily that many such are reclaimed But there are many whose sinnes are opposite vnto this counsell of flying either because they thinke there is no wrath to come as the Saducee or that they are out of danger of it as the Pharisee vpon such it is hard working Now come to the question Who hath forewarned you I am not ignorant that sundrie Writers ancient and later suppose that this is Quaestio admirantis and make Saint Iohn Baptist who receiued all others quietly when these persons came to stand amazed and wondring Is it possible hath Gods grace preuailed with Saduces with Pharisees and will they also bee Christs Disciples Is Saul among the Prophets Can hee that thought there was no Hell be brought to flie from Hell and hee that thought himselfe righteous prouide against the Iudgement day Surely such examples are rare not that God doth not yeil◠some to shew nothing is impossible to his grace but he yeildeth but few because men should take heed of such sinnes and wee see by experience how Pharisaisme in Papists and in Atheists Saducisme frustrate the labours of many painfull Forewarners the corrupt Principles of their conscience hinder their preuayling Who forewarne them to flie from the wrath to come But I take the Question rather to bee Negatiue and that as Christ often so Saint Iohn here doth detect their hypocrisie and telleth them that they aimed little at that which was intended by Baptisme The Kingdome of God happily in their sense they could bee content to enter into by the Baptisme of Saint Iohn for their Messias was to bee a worldly King or if so be they thought vpon wrath which they desired to escape it was wrath present not wrath to come the wrath of men not the wrath of God they would shake off the yoke of the Romanes they feared not the paines of Hell when they perceiued that Saint Iohns Baptisme sorted not with their desire it is obserued that they despised it to their destruction and when Christ asked them Whether it were of heauen or of men they durst not answere him from Heauen least Christ should come vpon them with Why did you not then belieue it Adde hereunto that it is not likely Saint Iohn would haue reproched them with these words generation of Vipers had there not bin hypocrisie in them I conclude then that the Question containeth a negation and that S. Iohn herein doth set forth the second euill of these Iewes They wanted meanes of forewarning which might apply to them the Remedie which God hath appointed against the wrath to come Matth. 21. v 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 31. p. 501. Nazianzen obserueth well It is not the Nation but the disposition that maketh a Pharisee euery Countrie may haue Pharisees and Saduces for it is not the name of a Nation but a conuersation and therefore this question may concerne vs and we must inquire into our selues whether wee haue either a Pharisees or a Saduces disposition And indeed wee shall find too many of both Heretickes Atheists vpon whom Forewarners cannot worke and if we be better disposed wee must acknowledge Gods great mercie that as hee hath appointed wrath so hee hath appointed a Remedie wee must learne both of our Forewarners and so learne both that we be the better for them and scape the vengeance that is to come The summe of all is sinnes and punishments are not inseparable God hath set a space betweene them and appointed a Remedie to the one for the auoyding of the other for the knowledge hereof hee referres vs to our spirituall Pastors and we must take heed we haue neither Saduces nor Pharisees eares which may make vs vncapable of their forewarnings O Lord that hast appointed Forwarners to thy Church so blesse their paines that they may fixe our thoughts on and resolue our reason of that wrath which is to come not only the sight of it but also the flight from it Let vs not despise the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering nor with hard and impenitent hearts treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Eccles 18. but knowing that thy goodnesse leadeth vs to repentance let vs so thinke vpon the wrath that shall be at the end that we may flie from sinne to grace and so bee thought worthy to escape this euill and stand in the last day with comfort before the Sonne of man stand for euer to giue glorie vnto thee the Father of mercie through Iesus Christ our only meanes to obtaine this mercie in the Communion of the holy spirit who only teacheth vs to make the right vse of this mercie Amen The third Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. Bring forth therefore fruites worthy of Repentance SAint Iohn Baptist hath in his Sermon hitherto shewed the Iewes of their bad case in regard both of sinne and woe If he had here ended he should rather haue seemed to bee a minister of Moses then an harbinger of Christ and although happily he might haue awakned the worme of Conscience to bite them with the terrours of the Law yet should hee not haue answered his fathers prophecie by giuing light to them that sit darknesse Luke 1. and in the shaddow of death and guiding their feete into the way of peace wherefore to shew that hee came indeed in the spirit of Elias and meant to turne the hearts of the fathers towards their children Malachi 4.6 and the children towards their fathers before the Lord came and smote the earth with cursing as he vnpartially gaue the Iewes to vnderstand the euill of their case so doth he carefully endeauour to set them in a better course The ground and scope of his words is in effect this Euerie Iew is to haue a double being in the Couenant an hereditarie a possessorie in that he is the of spring of Abraham he hath a title to the promises but possession of that whereunto
but vnto Abraham they are not to bee his children by Generation but by Regeneration Which the rather must be admitted because the Apostle telleth vs Rom. 9. Iohn 1. They that are children of Abraham are children of God and then Saint Iohn will tell vs that the children of God are not borne of flesh and bloud but of the will of God Adde hereunto that they are first members of Christ then Abrahams seed and Christ hath no Natiue but Adoptiue members Finally Gregorie Nyssen doth wittily meditare vpon those words of God to Abraham Looke to Heauen and behold the Starres so shall thy seed bee Orat. 1. de Paschate Haec sydera dico quae de spiritu nobis orta sunt Coelum Ecclesiam repâ—â—te fecêrum I meane those Starres which haue their originall from the holy Spirit and haue suddenly turned the Church into a Firmament The children here ment are not naturall but spirituall and this cognation excels the other as much as the soule excels the bodie Certainly Christ did so esteeme his kindred Et tanto maior Fidei Virtutu cognatio quanto anima praestantior corpore when hee moued that question Who is my Mother and who is my Brother And God meant no other when he promised King Dauid of his sonne I will be his father and he shall be my sonne he meaneth that God would take him for his sonne though he bee not so by nature But this leadeth vs vnto a second Proposition and Saint Ambrose doth preferre the meaning thereof before the former The former seemeth to say that God will worke a Miracle rather then Abraham should want children but the second Proposition importeth a Mysterie in the words the promise is mysticall that supplyeth children vnto Abraham Quia mihi plus pâ—odest mysteriâ—â— quam mâ—â—aculu in praenuntio Christinihil magu quà m aedificationem Ecclesiae debeâ— agnoscere quae non rupeis saxis sed conuersionibus nostrorum surrex tanimorum I am more benefited by the Mysterie then the Miracle therefore in the speech of Christs Harbenger I obserue specially the building vp of the Church which was not erected of stones materiall but of conuerted soules Wherefore the Fathers for the most part vnderstand the word stones figuratiuely for the Gentiles and obserue a resemblance betweene the Gentiles and stones a double resemblance the one in regard of senslesnesse another in regard of worthlesnesse The Senslesnesse is double Actiue and Passiue Actiue in that they worshipped stones and then you know what the Psalmist saith They that make them are like vnto them so are all they that put their trust in them Quiamâ—sso sensu rationâ—s lapâ—dâ—â—us putant incsse alicunis rationem dâ—uinitatis it si in naturd lapidum non vsu corporis sed mentis habitu vertuntur Reuel 3. Their passiue senslesnesse is that whereby they are incapable of the mysteries of Heauen hauing stonie hearts like vnto stonie ground whereon whatsoeuer seed is cast is cast away Besides their senslesnesse there is in them also a worthlesnesse wherein they resemble stones a double worthlesnesse a Passine for they are without ornament an Actiue for they are without fruit they are as the Church of Laodicea blind wretched naked miserable and what fruit should they beare that drinke not in the dew of Heauen You see good resemblance betweene stones and the Gentiles You must also note that the power here meant is not absolute but limited Though Gods Power bee equall to his Will yet is not his Will alwayes as large as his Power therefore are there many things which the Scripture saith God cannot doe meaning not absolutely but vpon supposition Marke 6. The Angell could doe nothing whiles Lot was in Sodome Ier. 44. Christ could worke no Miracles because of the Iewes vnbeliefe God himselfe could no longer forbeare the Iewes because of their wickednesse the meaning is that the contrarie was decreed and God would not alter his Decree Now vpon this distinction ariseth the question seeing the Gentiles may bee figured by stones whether here they be figured by them Why not There were before Iohn at this time Publicans and Souldiers which for the most part were Gentiles and why might not Saint Iohn point at them Sure I am that when Zacheus a Publican receiued Christ Luke 19. Christ himselfe doth witnes This also is a sonne of Abraham Matth 8. and when the Centurion exprest his humble faith in Christ Christ assigned him a place at Abrahams Table 1. Pet. 2.5 and it is worth the marking that Saint Peter calleth Conuerts to Christ liuing stones and what is that but a Periphrasis of a sonne of Abraham made of a stone There are two things in a stone Insensiblenesse and firmenesse that must be remoued this must continue that the parts of the building may be sutable Gentium natura habendo institutionem â—abere potest cessationem Tertâ—ll adâ—ersus Hermog liâ— de Amma cap 21. Cum vniuersorum Deiss vid. sset se vnum populumer Iudaeis Gentibus aggregaturum ys per fidem salutem praebiturum vtrumque in Patriarcha Abraham prius descripsit Theod. in Rom. 4. and we built vpon the Rocke Christ may grow vp into a holy Temple in the Lord. The Gentiles then may here be meant and there is no impediment in Gods Couenant but that they may become children of Abraham Yea it is so farre from being against Gods Couenant that it is contained in it Abrahams name is a Prophesie of the Gentiles Conuersion it is contained in the Promise that is made of Abrahams seed when the God of all flesh saw that he purposed to make our Church of Iewes and Gentiles and that he would saue them by Faith hee prefigured both in Abraham And the Apostles text is cleere for it The Fathers make Thamars children a type hereof wherein the Gentile seemeth to haue a prioritie and to bee in the Couenant before the Iewes for Abraham was a type of the Gentiles being iustified and receiuing the promises in vncircumcision before hee was a type of the Iewes and had the promises renewed after that he was circumcised But as of Thamars children that which first put out the hand was not first borne so fell it out betweene the Gentiles and the Iewes finally Galatinus proueth out of the Rabbins that the Gentiles aswell as the Iewes were to be saued by Christ To conclude the Apostles Rule must bee held Rom. 9.6 It cannot be that the Word of God should be of none effect But why doth the Baptist make mention of Gods Power only and only say that God can doe this Chrysostomes opinion is that hee would feare them only and not driue them to despaire others say that taking Gods will for a thing cleare hee did put them in minde that hee could performe his will when he would But the time is past wherefore I will now conclude Saint Cyril Saint Chrysostome both say
from the eternity that was before the world beganne for it looketh as farre backe as his eternall Generation vnto the eternity that shall be after this world shall cease to be for it looketh as farre forward as his Glorification Yea whereas Christus is either Naturalis or Mysticus considered alone in himselfe or ioyntly with his Church lo here are both both are clearely reuealed vnto vs. So that what is there that you would desire to see in Christ that you may not see in this Text See it no doubt you doe but yet not so fully as I wish Wherefore let me point more distinctly at the meaning of my Text and follow mee I beseech you with a religious eye and a diligent view thereof The whole Text doth breake it selfe into two parts a Doctrine and a Warrant thereof The Doctrine openeth the Person and the State of Christ and of both these it deliuereth the substance and the eminencie I begin at the substance of the Person Wherein first wee are to see the Natures wherein this Person subsisteth The nature of Man noted by the Childe The nature of God noted by the Sonne Though the later Iewes in hatred of Christ whom they will not haue to bee their Messias mis-apply these words to Ezechias who was indeed a Type of Christ Esay 32. yet not the Truth it selfe notwithstanding the ancienter Iewes not only the Christian Fathers refer them to the Messias as may bee gathered out of the Septuagint and Caldee Paraphrase The Child then and the Sonne are plaine but they are solemne words The holy Ghost is not curious in paraphrasing them or setting limitations to them such as happely might make his meaning more apparant and let vs know what Child what Sonne he meaneth because these words were more frequent in the mouthes of the Iewes by them did they ordinarily note their Messias from the fall of Adam were they vsed to these Phrases In Paradise Christ was called The seed of the Woman which is but the Periphrasis of a Child Iacob speakes of Shilo which should come from Iuda and come when the Scepter and Law-giuer were both gone Acts 15. This appeares to be meant of Christ who as St. Iames obserues out of Amos came to repaire the Tabernacle of Dauid which was quite fallen downe Touching the Sonne most liuely is the Prophecie made to King Dauid 2 Sam. 7. concerning this seed of whom God said He shall be my Sonne and I will be his Father St. Paul Heb. 1. applies this vnto Christ it must bee vnderstood of him as likewise that place Psal 2. Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee St. Luke Chap. 3. fetcheth his Pedigree from Adam from God The Gospell calleth him The Sonne of Dauid and the Sonne of the Highest I need adde no more places This you must obserue that by the Child by the Sonne the Old Testament the New Testament warrant vs to vnderstand Christ who was vsually called The Child The Sonne These are solemne words As they are solemne so are they necessary also the Child was not enough neyther was the Sonne enough in our case Supposing Gods decree wee must haue a Person apt and able The Child was apt but hee was not able the Sonne able but not apt Put them both together and then you haue ability and aptnesse to worke the Redemption of man There is aptnesse in the Child to obey to suffer to vndergoe whatsoeuer cannot beseeme the Sonne But that he may do and suffer meritoriously acceptably the Child must be inabled by the Sonne from the Sonne must the Child receiue both strength and worth Therefore wee haue both a Child and a Sonne and if not both none no Sauiour for neyther could alone suffice As the words are solemne and necessary so are they strange It is strange the Sonne of such infinitencsse the Child of such finitenesse the Sonne of such glory the Child of such meanenesse the Sonne of such power the Child of such weakenesse should come so neere together as to make one Person a deified Man And because strange therefore many haue stumbled at them some at the Sonne some at the Child seuerally considered some at them both considered ioyntly The Arrians they set vpon the Sonne the Godhead of Christ and would haue him a creatitious God or at the best but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against them the first Councell of Nice was assembled and defined that Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same substance with his Father God of God as it is in the Creed light of light very God of very God begotten of his Father before all worlds When they were quelled the Apollinarists set vpon the Child and pared away the best part of the Manhood of Christ They granted Christs Godhead and so much of his Manhood as concerned a Body but a reasonable soule they would not grant him they thought that his Godhead supplyed that The Vnderstanding and the Will of Man is not requisite say they seeing both are found in God Against them was assembled the Councell of Constantinople which defined that Christ was not only perfect God but perfect Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting as it is in Athanasius Creed And miserable were our case if their definition were not true Damascene his Rule might strike a terrour into vs Quod non est assumptum non est curatum And what shall become of man if the better part of man nay that which onely maketh a man for Forma dat nomen esse be not saued by Christ When these Heresies were stopped which set vpon the parts of Christs Person seuerally then began those which set vpon them ioyntly Nestorius hee acknowledged the truth of the Godhead and fulnesse of the Manhood but he brooked not that Vnion of these two in one person without which Christ could be no Redeemer A friendly and louing association and cohabitation he would haue of two Persons The Child of Marie and The Sonne of God but hee would not endure that both should be accounted but one Person or that the Virgin Marie should bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Mother of God expresly crossing the saying of the Angel That holy thing that shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God Yea razing the comfort of many passages of Scripture which by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Fathers call it not reall but verball whereof there is no other foundation but this personall Vnion doe attribute to the Child in Concreto that which springeth from the Sonne and to the Son in Concreto that which springeth from the Child As for example No man saith Christ ascendeth into Heauen but hee which descendeth from Heauen euen the Sonne of Man which is in Heauen Take away the personall Vnion this speech cannot be true For the sonne of Man was not in Heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
liue amongst Beasts and vpon his acknowledgement of the Lord of Heauen and Earth was restored againe maketh this cleare Canutus a King of this Land when flatterers magnified his power and did almost deifie him to confute them caused his chaire to bee set by the Sea shore at the time of the floud and sitting in his Maiestie commanded the waues that they should not approach his Throne but when the tyde kept his course and wet his garments Lo saith hee what a mighty King I am by Sea and Land whose command euery waue dareth resist Though then they are mighty yet there is much weakenesse ioyned with their might Not so Christ It appeares in the Epithite that is added vnto El which is Gibbor importing that he is a God of preuailing might In Daniel he is called El Elim The Mighty of mighties whereupon Moses magnifying his might saith Who is like vnto thee Exod. 15. O Lord amongst the gods Which words abbreuiated the Maccabees in their wars against their enemies did bear in their standard and therehence as the learned obserue did take their name of Maccabees Certainely this Epithite is a lust ground of that which King Dauid perswades Psalme 29. Ascribe vnto the Lord O yee mighty ascribe vnto the Lord glory and strength But there are two Eminences in Christs might by which hee is aduanced aboue all Creatures The first is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty of himselfe The second is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Creatures haue their power from him and therefore their power depends vpon him so that he can at his pleasure intend or remit theirs but his owne continueth euer the same Secondly they can doe but euery one so much as is permitted him and neuer was there any creature to whom God imparted all his power I speake not of the degree but the parts thereof some things he committeth to Angels which Men cannot doe and some things to Men which Angels cannot doe the earth hath not the power of the heauens nor the heauens of the earth but God is the fountaine of all power there is nothing done by any of these which without these he cannot doe Ier. 23. Nothing is hard vnto him and the Angel Luke 1. Nothing is impossible vnto God therefore hee hath wrought the same effects without these creatures What he doth by his Angels ordinarily he extraordinarily hath done by himselfe and what doth hee by Man which without Man hee hath not done And as for the Sunne and the Starres he hath illightned the ayre without them and without the earth hath he prouided both bread and flesh yea at his pleasure he hath stript all those of their power in an instant in a word He doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth he cannot will that which he cannot doe nothing resisteth his will but all things readily do serue him If this title be carried through the Gospell euery point of the Gospel will witnesse the truth thereof in Christ it will witnesse that hee hath a preuailing power and that he is therefore worthily called a mighty God When God promised him hee promised him in these words I haue layd helpe vpon one that is mighty Psalme 89. When God exhibits him Luke 1. Zacharie proclaimes him thus God hath raised vp a mighty saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Christ himselfe Mat. 28. All power is giuen to mee both in heauen earth to say nothing of like titles that are remembred in the Reuelation But I chuse rather to obserue vnto you out of both Christs Regall titles how well they fit vs what comfort they doe yeeld vnto vs. Our enemie the Diuell is compared to a Serpent to a roaring Lion hee is full of craft and of great strength and so are his instruments the wicked subtill and violent but wee are silly and we are feeble If we compare our selues to them how can we but feare to be deceiued to bee opprest See how God hath prouided for vs see how hee hath furnished Christ whom hee sendeth vnto vs Hee is a Counsellour and it was a Counsellour that wee needed that â—ight discouer vnto vs the Serpents policie in his end and Sophistrie in his meanes wherewith he setteth vpon vs He pretends that we shall be like vnto Gods when he meaneth to make vs Diuels and by setting an edge on our desire of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill he would depriue vs of the Tree of life but Christ is at hand to discouer his purposes and to giue vs timely caueats that we bee not abused by them Secondly he still compasseth the world seeking Whom he may deuour and is mighty to destroy And certainely none should escape him were it not that we haue on our side a mighty God the seed of the Woman that shewed himselfe so much mightier than the seed of the Serpent by how much breaking of the head is more than bruising of the heele Wee haue a Dauid for that Goliah and a stronger man that hath entred that strong mans house bound him rifled him and diuided his spoyle So that if now it be doubtingly asked Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawfull captiue bee deliuered we may answer with the Prophet Esay 49. Thus saith the Lord Euen the Captiues of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall bee deliuered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and will faue thy children and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Iacob Wherefore seeing Christ is become our Counsellour let vs not leane vnto our owne wisedome but be counselled by him It is the second degree of wisedome when wee cannot aduise our selues to bee aduised by others if we faile herein the Philosopher himselfe will censure vs for fooles And remember withall that of the Sonne of Syracke Bee in peace with many neuerthelesse haue but one Counsellour of a thousand cap. 6. hee giues the reason at large cap. 37. And well may we rely vpon the iudgement of this Counsellour who much better than Elizeus can detect vnto vs the plots of the King of Aram of all our Enemies that we may prouide against them yea he can take them all in their owne wilinesse and infatuate their Counsels as he did Achitophels Reade Esay 19. 8. So did Christ deale with the old Serpent and with the broode of the Serpent in all ages our age our country hath had proofe thereof As this must encourage vs to rely vpon his Counsell so must the other title encourage vs to rely vpon his power his preuailing power We walk in the middest of our enemies and they vse the vttermost of their strength to ruine vs yet though we are in the middest of the valley of the shadow of death let vs feare none euill
Temple then building by Zorobabel Some haue thought that the Temple which was standing when Christ was incarnate was not the Temple built by Zorobabel but another which Herod built But we must take heede of that opinion for it hath two euils in it 1. Flauius Iosephus it giueth the holy Ghost the lye in this place 2. and it cherisheth the Iewes vaine expâ—ctation of their Messias It is true that Herod enlarged that Temple and added many buildings to it but he did not demolish the old neither indeed could he and this prophecie continue true for God promised that Christ should come euen into this Temple that now was building And seeing that Temple with all the additions of Herod hath many hundied yeares since according to Christs prophecie beene so destroyed that there remaineth not one stone vpon another the Iewes doe more than vainely yet looke for a Messias especially seeing God hath manifested to the world that it was not only totally but sinally also destroyed The Iewes had good proofe hereof in the daies of Iulian the Apostata when Euseb hist l. 4. Chrys orat 2. in Iudaeos notwithstanding that wicked Emperour encouraged and furthered them to re-edifie it fearefull tempests from heauen destroyed in the night what they did in the day God then making good against Iacob what in Malachie hee spake against Esau Thus saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 1. they shall build but I will cast downe they shall call them the border of wickednesse the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for euer But I will leaue them to God whom God hath left to the world as a spectacle of stupiditie and a bridle to hold vs in from like contempt It is plaine the place here meant was Zorobabels Temple vpon that place was the glory conferred Malachie cap. 3. said it should bee so hee said that the Lord should come into his Temple and he should sit downe there and refine the sonnes of Leui and rectifie the diuine worship The Gospel teacheth vs that it was so for hee was not onely presented in that Temple when he was a babe and when hee was twelue yeares old a disputant there with the doctors but also when he was solemnely inaugurated he first purged the Temple of buyers and sellers then he reformed the doctrine and the discipline at seuerall times when he resorted thither at solemne feasts there he made his sermons and wrought his miracles so that he might truly say to the high Priests when he was arraigned before them I sate daily with you teaching in the Temple Mat. 26. I will adde one text more which may serue in stead of all when his parents that had lost 〈◊〉 found him in the Temple they expostulated with him in these words Sonne why hast thou serued vs thus Luke 2. thy father and I haue sought wee sorrowing Christ replyes vnto them Why sought yee me did you not know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee render it Wist yee not that I must goe about my fathers businesse but the words may well beare another sense also Wist yee not that it was sit for mee to bee in my fathers house for so he calleth the Temple elsewhere and so speaketh St. Paul Heb. 13. Iohn 2. Christ as a sonne was ouer his owne house Some referre hither that speech of Christ touching the paying of tribute Mat. 17.26 The sonnes are free because that money is thought to haue beene originally a taxation for the Temple and by the Romanes conuerted to other vses when they collected it But enough of the place only take this note out of the coniunction of the place and the gift That Christs comming to be the glorie of the Temple giueth vs to vnderstand that his Kingdome was not temporall but spirituall he came not to raise an earthly Monarchie but to gather a people vnto God The next point that I obserued is the amplification both of the place and the gift of the place in regard of the meannes which is noted in the word this house The Iewes had two Temples one built by Salomon a glorious one this built by Zorobabel a poore one The Iewes wept when they saw the foundations of it and God testifieth that it was as nothing in their eyes and this nothing as it were moued Herod to make those additions before specified that it might become like something Marke Christ came not vnto Salomons Temple but vnto Zorobabels so that the Temple which had most of earthly cost had nothing in it but the type of Christ and that Temple that had least of earthly glory had most of heauenly it had the truth Christ came thither in person God regardeth not outward pompe neyther doth he tye his presence thereunto as if he would not be where there is no worldly state nay commonly where there is least of the world Heb. 11. God is there most and they haue greatest familiarity with him who haue worst entertainement in the world Did not our Sauiour Christ giue vs an excellent representation hereof in his own person Col. 2.9 Phil. 2.7 2 Cor 4.7 the Godhead dwelt bodily in him but that body bare the shape of a seruant the Apostles carried about the world heauenly treasures but they carried them in earthen vessels An ancient Father obserues wittily that when the Church was so poore that it had but wooden chalices it had golden Priests wee may adde People too and when the ornaments of the Church became golden then the Priests and People became wooden Gods Word was heard more reuerently hee was serued more deuoutly when the Church met in caues in woods in deserts than euer he was in townes and cities and these most stately fabricks This must be obserued in the question of the visibility of the Church or rather conspicuity The Aduocates of Rome seeme to triumph much against the reformed Churches as if the obscurity wherein sometimes they lay hidden Cont. Auxent did preiudice the truth which they profest they forget St. Hilaries admonition Male nos cepit parietum amor c. We are ill aduised to measure faith by multitude of professors Epist 48. or by goodly temples where the profession is made St. Austine will tell vs Ecclesia aliquando obscuratur aliquando obnubilatur multitudine scandalorum The glory of the Church is subiect to Eclypses it was so in the Old Testament as appeares by Elia's complaint 1 Reg. 19. They haue slaine all thy Prophets and throwne downe thine altars Cont. Lucifer and I am left alone It hath beene no better vnder the New Testament witnesse St. Hierome Ingemuit totus mundus se Arianum factum miratus est Arianisme so got the vpper hand that the Orthodoxe faith scarce durst be known in the whole Catholick Church In the Old Testament God promised by Zephanie cap. 3. I will leaue in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in
a ground in the entrance to their decrees But when we come to enquire where the Lord saith so here we differ we differ about the Register of Gods Word wee acknowledge none but Verbum scriptum the written Word they adde vnto it Verbum non scriptum vnwritten Traditions but when we presse them with where is that to be found here they iarre between themselues To omit smaller differences this is a maine one that they cannot tell in whom the infallibilitie of relating these traditions is placed as likewise of interpreting the written Word The Councell of Constance and Basil placed it in the generall Councell to whom they gaue power euen ouer the Pope to ouer-rule him and giue Lawes vnto him and to this doth the French Church sticke though otherwise it hold the Romish faith But the Italian faction and specially Iesuites place it in the Pope and giue him authority ouer the Councell to controule it to giue Lawes vnto it and without it to make Lawes that shall binde the whole Catholicke Church and besides the Pope they hold that there is infallibilitie in none no not in a generall Councell Some place it ioyntly in both in a generall Councell that hath its approbation from the Pope wherein he presides by himselfe or his delegates and whose Canons he confirmes But while the Aduocates of the Pope strongly ouerthrow the reasons brought for the Councels infallibilitie and the Aduocates of the Councels ouerthrow the reasons brought for the infallibility of the Pope we may fairely collect from both that the infallibilitie is in neyther and if in neyther then not in both For as a cipher added to a cipher maketh but a cipher it maketh no significant figure so if the Pope may erre as the one side holdes and the Councell as the other side holds the fallibilitie of eyther added to the fallibilitie of the other cannot amount to the summe of an infallibilitie But we hold that which they confesse that the Word written in the Canonicall bookes is vndoubtedly signed with Thus saith the Lord of Hostes as for the Apocryphall Scriptures not onely the Fathers but their owne men haue branded them for Bastards before euer wee challenged them therefore doe not wee recommend them to the people further than they agree with the Bookes Canonicall Neither doe we burden the peoples consciences with their Vnwritten Word whereupon themselues are not yet resolued eyther Where or What it is Wherefore Thus saith the Lord must limit the Pastors message and the Peoples faith must not desire any thing beyond it for it is a sure foundation The best of men speake but in veritate mentis without simulation or dissimulation without equiuocation or mentall reseruation but God speaketh in certitudine veritatis no myst of errour can ouercast his wisdome or his holinesse his Word is tried to the vttermost Psalme 12 Heb. 12. as siluer tried seuen times in the fire there is stablenesse in his promise immutablenesse in his counsaile What should change him within him nothing can for he is the Lord neyther can he be changed by any thing that is without him for he is the Lord of Hosts therefore he speaketh thus in the Prophet Mal. 1. Ego Deus non mutor immutability is reciprocall with Gods nature Iames 1 With God there is no variablenesse or shadow of change God is not as man that hee should lye neither as the sonne of man that he should repent Hath he said it Numb 23. and shall he not doe it Yea he spake the word and it was done hee commanded and it stood fast The Lord breaketh the counsell of the Heathen and bringeth to naught the deuices of the people Psalme 33. but the counsell of the Lord shall stand for euer and the thoughts of his heart throughout all ages What neede we then feare Iulians scoffe who derided the Christians for that they had nothing to say for their faith but Thus saith the Lord. Orat. 3. Nazianzene replieth well vnto him you that allow Ipse dixit in the schollars of Pythagoras and though Suidas thinke that God was meant by Ipse yet Cicero saith Ipse erat Pythagoras may not except against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beleeue in the followers of Christ It is more lawfull to captiuate our iudgement vnto the authority of God than of man and if they might doe it in the principles of Philosophy which are examinable by reason much more may we doe it in the Articles of Faith vnto the secrets whereof no approach can bee made by the wit of man Wherefore Thus saith the Lord may well passe for an indemonstrable principle of our Faith and an irrefragable rule of life If there were no more in the signature but Thus saith the Lord this were enough to secure the Faith of a Christian man But Thus saith the Lord of Hosts is enough to stoppe the mouth of an Atheist let Iulian himselfe teach them hee derided Thus saith the Lord but hee had a wofull experience of the Lord of Hosts for being mortally wounded by Christs hand as himselfe confessed he breathed forth his impure soule with those words Vicisti Galilaec O Galilaean thou hast ouer-mastered mee Secondly if Thus saith the Lord of Hosts bee the signature we are hence to learne that the function of the Ministry is not onely for promulgation to instruct you in Gods will and in so doing to open vnto you the riches of our knowledge but it is for application also we thereby binde or loose the soules of men and remit or retaine their sinnes which the world little thinketh vpon For whereas there are two things considerable in a Minister his Sufficiency and his Authority the people listen much to his Sufficiency but take little heed to his Authority and therefore come they to Church rather to iudge than to be iudged forgetting that many may bee as skilfull but none can be as powerfull in this kinde as is a Minister A Iudge or Iustice of Peace may haue lesse Law in him than a priuate man but he hath much more power and they that appeare before him regard his acts according to his power so should it be in the Church But men feare the Magistrates that are vnder earthly Kings because the paines which they inflict are corporeall our hands our feete feele their manicles and their fetters And did our soules as truly feele as indeede they should the Pastors binding and loosing of them wee would make more account of these officers of God than we doe And it were good we did so for they so binde as that they can loose againe but if we neglect them when our Lord and Master commeth he will command all contemners so to be bound hand and foote that they shall neuer be loosed againe Wherefore let the power of the Keyes work more vpon your soules and consciences than vsually it doth I speake in regard of your religious submission to them If any
but wanteth We must ascend then yet farther and whither but vnto God from the Grace of Inherence to his Grace of Acceptance to that reconciliation which we haue with him springing from his owne free good will towards vs. And this breeds indeed gaudium Christiani hominis and it is this that is meant when the Angell saith to the Virgin that she is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he telleth her what is the true motiue of Ioy the free loue the high fauour of God which are comprehended within the word Grace And indeed excellent are the properties of this Motiue wherein it excelleth all the other First it is that which onely can make all the promises of God credible vnto vs the Adoption the Inheritance of a childe of God the Incarnation the Mediation of the Son of God can they finde any credibility in any of the other motiues the sensuall the rationall the pharisaicall well may they breed distrust but faith of these things they can neuer make yea they are all clogged with manifold exceptions to be taken thereat but if wee come to So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son c. Iohn 3.16 in Gods Ioue free loue we finde ground for our faith and rest for our soules As this Motiue doth make all Gods promises credible so it maketh them communicable vnto all for other blessings of God are dispensed in varietie some haue one some another some haue riches and no honour some haue honour and no riches some haue wisedome which haue neither of these two some haue extraordinary vertue whose wisedome is but ordinary But the free loue of God is common vnto all to all the children of God they that are vnequall in graces of Inherence are in grace of Acceptance all equall the grace of Adoption the grace of Reconciliation is measured with as liberall a hand to the poorest Publican in earth as to the most glorious Saint in heauen though not in actiue yet in passiue righteousnesse all are matches Whereupon followeth a third property this motiue to ioy is most parable or easie to be had the poorest may keepe as great a gaudy day here as the richest and the simplest as the wisest he that is lowest as he that is highest for we neede none of those things wherein it pleaseth God to aduance others before vs to the keeping of this gaudy day which consideration should make this motiue most welcome to vs all in that it containes a prouision that may be had at all times And as to be had at all times so it faileth at no time for which is the fourth property it is as stable as parable as it is easily had so is it best kept All other motiues haue their waxings and their wanings their ebbes and their flouds onely Gods free loue is that that stayeth by vs and recouereth againe his other gifts when they faile in vs. Look vpon King Dauid look vpon St. Peter and see what instability there is euen in that which is most likely to be stable the grace of Inherence and when that faileth how commeth it to passe that they failed not also we can finde no other ground but Gods free loue expressed in his promise vnto Dauid My mercy I will neuer take from thee Psal 89.33 and Christs prayer for St. Peter his prayer that St. Peters faith might not faile Luke 22.32 this is that that fetched them againe when they were gone and reuiued them when they were euen dead How often doth errour ouercast the best mens knowledge how cold doth charity grow euen in the best and yet wee see how they recouer both their light and heate whereof there can be no other reason but that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as God doth loue Gods loue is only that which worketh this cure Whereupon followeth the last property and most naturall to my Text that this motiue is most comfortable A motiue that hath all these properties must needes be most apt to breed ioy What fooles then are wee in the choice of the obiect of our Ioy if forsaking this we pitch vpon any of the other of which you haue heard how vnapt they are to breed Ioy nay how apt they are to breed sorrow so that what Salomon said wee may say vnto all their Ioy Thou art mad what dost thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles 2.2 saith Nazianzene speaking of all corporall pleasures sufficient vnto the disquieting of the body is the concupiscence thereof Yea the imborne concupiscence is sufficient to disquiet both body and soule we neede not haue recourse vnto these obiects as fewell to kindle that fire nor pamper that beast which is so headstrong against reason and piety and doth so often dispossesse them of the soueraignty they should haue ouer vs Certainly in the vpshot we shall finde that the more wee haue to doe with thâ—se obiects the lesse true Ioy shall wee finde And if wee may not ioy in any of â—hese obiects whereof not one is able to reconcile vs vnto God nor assure vs of his loue the onely sure motiue vnto Ioy how much lesse may wee ioy in that which setteth vs at oddes with God and argueth that there is no commerce betweene vs I meane concupiscence and the sinfull fruits thereof It is true that this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sinne may take place with vs Sathan doth cloath it with a seeming Ioy euen the most vexing affections thereof as appeares in the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and did it not promise Ioy men would not be so transported by it but certainly this is plainly risus Sardonius men laugh and dye the Scripture elegantly compares it to the crackling of thornes in the fire whereof you see a blaze and heare a noyse but vpon a suddaine they are turned to ashes euen so wicked men as Iob speaketh spend their time indeed in a seeming pleasure but in a moment goe downe to hell Wherefore to shut vp this point let vs be so farre from affecting our owne corruption that we doe not so much as foster that which is but the incourager thereof the incourager though for a time to tickle vs yet to sting vs in the close let grace bee vnto vs the onely motiue vnto Ioy euen the free grace wherewith God vouch safeth to accept vs as it onely can be so let it be onely the ground of true Ioy whensoeuer Ioy is desired by vs. The Angell did bid the Virgin ioy because of that But how could she be sure of it the Angell addeth that she had a very good pledge of it The Lord is with thee Marke how the Angell placeth his words first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If he should haue said Haile the Lord is with thee the one would neuer haue followed well vpon the other for though before the fall Gods presence was comfortable vnto man yet since
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was all ouercast with a heauinesse to death finally how it affected his body it made it sweat great drops of blood Put these together and you haue a faire commentary vpon that one word wherewith S. Luke doth expresse Christs sense calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Agonie or a sharpe conflict And indeed wee must confesse that there was much extraordinary in Christs Crosse and that it was such a draught as none could take but he And by this wee must obserue in the Cup and Christs sense thereof first that God would haue copiosam redemptionem not onely in regard of the person suffering which was both God and Man and therefore could to a little suffering adde an infinite worth but also in regard of the sufferings themselues which God would haue to be as great as the person of Christ was capable of And he would not haue it seeme strange vnto vs if we be put to a fiery tryall seeing God was pleased so farre to exercise the patience of his owne deare Sonne after his example we must be contented to take not only Calicem but Calicem hune to drinke not only of a Cup but of a very bitter Cup also as many in the primitiue Church and later ages haue done Secondly in the liuelinesse of Christs sense wee are taught quanti steterit salus nostra with how great heauinesse and horror Christ vndertooke and went through the redemption of our soules the more he felt of that the more are wee indebted to his loue and should detest our sinne yea wee must learne of Christs sorrow to sorrow our selues for our selues and by his heauinesse how to bee heauie when we haue offended God But enough of the Crosse Let vs come now to the wish of Nature It is exprest in two words transeat aufer let it passe take it away The words import that the Cup was making towards him and indeed the word houre sheweth that this was the time of taking it now death the reward of sinne temporall death fast clasped with eternall came to require due satisfaction to bee made to God Christ doth not denie that this is iust therefore let it goe on but yet transeat let it goe besides me let not me be the partie on whom it seizeth But how can that bee seeing Christ stood out as the surety of mankinde the execution must come out vpon him that hath vndertaken the debt if then God let his iudgements ire goe forth certainely they will not transire passe by the person of Christ for they are right arming Thunderbolts as the Wiseman calleth them Therefore Christ addeth a second word aufer though of themselues they would seize on me yet be thou pleased to take them from me let thy hand stay them which will not stay themselues But to leaue the words and come to the things that are obseruable in the Wish It is an inborne principle of nature for euery liuing thing to desire his preseruation and abhor destruction but this principle should be more liuing in the Sonnes of men who know that God made not death Wisd 1. and that it is the wages of sinne Rom. 5. Ambros Theophylact. in bunc locum because it is vnnaturall because it is penall it may bee feared it must bee deprecated we put off nature if our nature bee not so affected Especially if it be Calix iste such a Cup as Christs an extraordinary Cup wee may not only deprecate it but ingeminate our deprecation as Christ three times prayed the same words and St. Paul did the like against the buffettings of Sathan But we must marke that though all things were foreseene by Christ and resolued vpon yet it pleased God that hee should permit euery power of his soule to doe and suffer what was naturall vnto it Chrysostome and thereby declare vnto the world that he was a true Man Sermone 1. de Sancto Andrea Yea St. Ambrose and St. Bernard obserue that it was much more glorious for Christ to doe so than to haue done the contrarie that not only the passion of his bodie but the affection of his heart also might make for vs that whom his death quickned them his trembling might confirme his heauinesse glad his drooping cheere and his disquiet set at rest Theophylact obserueth that Christs Wish is a good warning to vs that wee doe not cast our selues into temptation 〈◊〉 de passione Christi St. Cyprian giueth the reason Quis non timeat si timet ille quem omnia timent he prefaceth his words with a passionate Meditation and they are foolishly hardy that presume of more than is exprest in the Wish of Christ And the Wish is not onely Admonitory but Consolatorie also It is no small comfort that it is lawful for vs to expresse our Wishes though they be contrary to Gods will yea his knowne will for so was Christs The more rigid is their Diuinity that are so zealous for Grace that they abolish Nature and will haue a Christian man forget to be a man But though this Wish may be common to Christ and vs yet is there as great difference betweene it as it riseth in vs and as it rose in him It rose in him neuer but according to the prescript of reason his reason was neuer preuented by his affection sicut quando voluit factus est homo as he was not incarnate but when hee was willing so onely when hee was willing did his affections stirre within him Nihil coactum in Christo Damascen lib. 3 Orthod sid cap. 20. the obiects could not worke his affections but when he saw it fit therefore shall you reade in the Gospell that Christ troubled himselfe when he groaned in spirit Iohn 11. But as for our affections they out-step our discretion and wee are transported with them before we are aduised which maketh vs retract them with our after wits Secondly Christs affections when they stirred neuer passed those bounds which were set them by reason but ours will not so be bridled seldome are we moued but we eyther ouer reach or come short of that which wee ought to doe Therefore our affections and Christs are fitly resembled to two Vials of cleane water whereof the one hath a muddy residence the other hath no residence at all stirre the water that is in the Viall without residence and though you trouble it yet you shall not see any foulenesse in it but no sooner is that Viall that had the residence stirred but the mudde mingleth with the water euen so our affections are tainted with concupiscence from which conception by the Holy Ghost did free our Sauiour Christ You haue heard the Wish of Nature and heard how it is bent against the Crosse But there is one point which may not be omitted Christs modesty in expressing this for it is but a conditionall Wish Christ limiteth it with If If it possible let this Cup passe Things are
than about this time I would they did not witnesse the like again â—vs also whose breeding should remember vs of a better course and teach vs that Easter must be transitus sine reditu as in Christ so in Christians Whereupon it followeth that this meditation must make euery day to bee vnto vs an Easter day and if it bee to our soules it will hearten vs to hope well of our bodies also so that euery one of vs may boldly say with St. Bernard Declam de bonis deser Requiesee in spe caro misera My flesh fraile flesh bee still and rest in hope he that came for thy soule will come also for thee and he that reformed that will not forget thee for euer O Lord that art the life and resurrection illighten all our darkenesse that we sleep not in death of sin or for sin let vs all awake vnto righteousnesse and sin no more so shall wee in thy light see light and by the life of grace be brought vnto the life of glorie Which God grant for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake to whom with the Holy Ghost all honour glory might and maiesty be ascribed both now and euer Amen Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Iesus Christ shall giue thee light A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRALL Church of Wells on EASTER DAY MATTH 26. Vers 26 27 28. And as they were eating Iesus tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to the Disciples and said Take eate this is my Bodie And he tooke the Cup and gaue it to them saying Drinke ye all of it For this is my bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Supply out of LVKE 22.19 This doe in remembrance of mee And out of St. Paul 1. COR. 11.25 As often as you doe it you shew forth the Lords death till his comming againe OVR Sauiour Christ being ready to dye and by his death to redeeme his Church the whole Church that began in Adam and was to continue vntill the end of the World immediately before honoured a Sacrament of either Testament the Passeouer that was an annexe of the Old and the Eucharist that was to be the annexe of the New Testament Of the Passeouer St. Matthew speaketh in the words that goe before of the Eucharist in these that I haue read vnto you The Argument then of my Text is the Eucharist the originall thereof And of that fitting the present * The receiuing of the Communion occasion my purpose is to giue you a very plaine and a very short Exposition Wee may resolue then the Originall of the Eucharist into the Author and the Institution The Author is here called Iesus Touching the Institution we are to see 1. When and 2. How he did institute it When while they were eating How partly by practice and partly by precept In the practice wee are taught What Elements were chosen and What was done with them The Elements were two Bread and Wine Christ chose these He tooke Bread he tooke the Cup. In opening what was done with them the Euangelist informes vs of two workes first Iesus his worke and secondly the worke of his Disciples And eyther of their workes is double Iesus worke is first to consecrate and then to distribute the Elements In the Consecration we must see first How Christ did it and secondly Why. How he did it by blessing and thanksgiuing blessing of the Creature thanksgiuing to the Creatour Why that the Elements might be the bread the Body and the wine the Bloud of Christ so saith Iesus after Consecration of the bread this is my Body and of the wine this is my Bloud My is a markable word for it improues the Body and the Bloud in that they are his which is Iesus Secondly about this Body the Text instructeth vs in two other things first How it must be considered then Whereunto it was ordained Though they bee the body and bloud of Iesus Christ that is glorified in Heauen yet must they be considered as he was crucified on earth the body as it was broken vpon the Crosse and there giuen for the Church the bloud as it was shed and let out of his body on the Crosse The body and bloud so considered were ordained to establish a New Couenant therefore are they in the Text called the bloud of the New Testament this was the first end A second is to assure the Church of remission of sinnes the whole Church for the bloud is shed for many and the good that the many were to haue thereby is the remission of their sinnes Besides this first Act of thus consecrating the Elements Christ performes another Act he distributeth that which he consecrateth In the distribution wee haue two things first hee diuideth the Elements he brake the bread and the like is to bee conceiued by Analogie touching the wine for though not actually yet vertually he did diuide that in that he would haue euery one drinke but a part of the whole Hauing thus diuided he deliuereth the parcels of the bread and the wine to bee drunke by parts In this sense saith the Text he gaue the bread he gaue the cup he gaue both and both consecrated Besides this worke of Iesus we haue here a worke of his Disciples of the Disciples for none might doe the worke but they and all of them must doe it That which they must doe is they must take that which Christ giues and what they take they must eate and drink as it was consecrated Eate this which is my body drink this which is my bloud c. And they must eate and drinke it to the same end for which it was consecrated the doing of this is not arbitrary it is enioyned by the commandement of Christ Take Eate I haue shewed you Iesus his Practice which was the first mannerof instituting the Eucharist There is a second and that is by Precept that precept is here but implyed for the act being Sacramentall must continue so long as the Doctrine doth whereunto the Sacrament is annext the Sacrament of the New Testament vntill Christs comming againe for so long must the Gospell continue But the precept that is here onely implyed is in Saint Luke exprest and repeated by St. Paul with some exposition added to it The precept is Doe this in remembrance of mee which words require the Churches imitation and commemoration Imitation Doe this the Pastors the People both must performe their worke they must doe Secondly that which they must doe is this they must strictly obserue the patterne that is giuen in this place Besides their imitation here is enioyned them a commemoration what they doe they must doe in remembrance of Christ St. Paul openeth the phrase They must set forth the Lords death Finally whereas Christ did it now once and hee would haue them doe it againe wee may see a difference between Baptisme and the Eucharist this
to giue so hee may giue as much or as little as hee will for hee may doe what hee will with his owne but hee doth not onely follow his Will but the counsell of his Will as this Apostle teacheth vs Occumenius and the counsell of his Will or his Wisedome doth respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the endowment of the Church As in our body naturall God hath ioyned beauty and commodity in framing the limmes so that euery one hath that proportion as is most comely and vsefull so the Church though vna yet is varia though it be but one body yet hath it diuers members and though the one body be quickned with the same spirit yet in euery member the spirit doth varie his gifts and the Church thereby is the more beautified and benefited so that no man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient of himselfe but hee is thereby vrged to desire the Communion of Saints wherein stands our mutuall comelinesse and comfort Seeing then Christ giues as hee thinkes meete euery man is bound to thanke him for that which hee hath and enuie must not make him murmure for that which hee hath not It is absurd for a man to dislike with the dispensation of Christ it is as if the members of the body should grudge that they haue not the endowments each of the other wherein if God should satisfie them the deformity and discommodity which would follow would quickly make them weary of their desires Though Christ be thus discreet in giuing yet is hee kindly bountifull also for he giues to euery one St. Ambrose hath a good rule In donis officiorum diuer sitas est non Naturae all drinke of the same spirit though they drinke not the same draught As in our naturall body there is no member that liues not by the soule no more is there in the mysticall Bodie any member that liues not by the Spirit Christ will haue euery one haue some token of his loue and will haue euery one stand the Church in some stead The Church I say for the particle All is limited by Vs. There are gifts that are bestowed vpon all the world as wee acknowledge in our daily grace The eyes of all things looke vp vnto thee O Lord and thou giuest them their meate in due season thou openest thy hand and fillest with thy blessing euery liuing thing Psal 145. but the graces here meant are the peculiar of the Church you heard it in the Gospell this day The spirit is such a thing as the world cannot receiue but the Church seeth and knowes him and he shall abide with her for euer for it is onely the Church that can say The Let is fallen to her in a faire ground she hath a goodly heritage But the gifts that as vpon this day descended on the Apostles were visible gifts and they had corporall effects speaking in diuers languages casting out diuells curing of diseases treading vpon serpents c. these gifts we haue not how then haue we the spirit that descended this day Gregory the Great answereth well Thou hast it though it appeare in another sort Thou canst not speake diuers tongues but of what Nation soeuer thou art thou canst speake the language of Canaan and it is as great a miracle that all Nations vnderstand the same heauenly language as that the same person should speake all languages Thou canst not cast out Diuels out of mens bodies but out of their soules thou mayst and cure the diseases of their soule though thou canst not the diseases of their body yea bruise thou mayst the old Serpents head though thou canst not safely tread vpon a Snake In a word thou mayst doe many things inuisibly and spiritually which are not inferiour to those things which the Apostles did visibly and corporally and doubt not but if thou beare the fruit of the Spirit the Spirit of Christ doth rest vpon thee And if wee doe solemnize the memory of Saints how much more should we solemnize the memory of the Sanctifier wee are all bound to keep this day holy to the Lord because this day the Lord gaue that gift which doth concerne vs all Wherefore let vs all say BLessed be the Lord God euen the God of our saluation hee daily loadeth vs with his gifts euen the spirituall gifts of Grace Hee that giues them fill vs with them that as we are called to be so we may be indeed comely and profitable members of the mysticall Body of Christ and liue for euer conformable to our Head Amen THE SECOND SERMON On Trinity Sunday at an Ordination of Ministers EPHES. 4.11 He gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers THE passage of Scripture contained from the 7. to the 17. Verse doth informe vs of the reasons which perswade Christians to agree in Gods truth These reasons are two drawne the one from the meanes whereby the other from the end for which the Church receiues the spirituall gifts of God The meanes is Christ And touching Christ St. Paul teacheth vs in this passage what he doth and what right he hath to doe it That which hee doth is expressed three wayes but all yeeld but one sense 1. He giues grace 2. He bestowes gifts 3. He fils all things that is his gift is a filling grace Grace is a free gift a gift Donum non salarium not an hyre of our labour but an argument of Gods fauour And this gift is free it is grounded vpon no obligation all gifts of men are in part due as the reciprocall between equals for loue challengeth loue or those that are not reciprocall between vnequals be they Honoraria or Eleemosynaria whereof the inferiour oweth the former to his superior in acknowledgement of his eminency and the superiour owes the latter vnto his inferiour out of a fellow-feeling which hee must haue of his wants but Gods gifts can neither bee deserued nor requited neither doth he finde ought worthy his regard in vs neither doth any danger of his moue him to commiserate vs His gift then is absolutely free But this is common to the gifts as well of Creation as of Redemption but the Scripture restraines the word Grace vnto the gifts of Redemption which are not onely non debita but indebita whereof God owes vs no one but he owes vs the contrary that is plagues and therefore hee doth giue not only non dignis to those that are without all merit of good but also indignis to those that are full of the merits of sinne The word then is plainly Euangelicall and signifieth such blessings as accompany the New Testament those blessings are most properly termed Grace This grace hath a power to fill which no other thing hath and it fils sistendo and explendo desiderium it fixeth our wandring desires so that we desire no other obiect and this is able to satisfie to the full and satisfie the whole man Now
doe the next point in the text will confirme that wherein we shall see the heauie hand of God which we vnderlye It is set forth first definitely then indefinitely both clauses make vp an abridgement of the 28. of Deuteronomie a Chapter which was read but euen now vnto you a Chapter which he that will bee penitent cannot reade too often and if he reade it feelingly it will make him penitent indeed I am sure the holy Ghost thought so that doth borrow into the other Canonicall bookes many passages hence to worke this pious affection But you will say what is this to Christians it was spoken of the Israelites Yes it concernes Christians much for in the new Testament our Sauiour Christ in his Sermon Matthew chap. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of the end of the world saith there shall be famine and pestilence and warre the very plagues mentioned in my Text. St. Iohn in the Reuelation cap. 6. commenting vpon that Sermon of Christ doth tell vs of the like plagues which should follow in the world after his time they haue bin in other ages before vs and they are euen now in ours yea they are come vpon vs. Come and see the blacke horse he is gone forth whose Rider hath ballances in his hand and proclaimeth a measure of wheate for a penny and a measure of barley for a penny and vse wine and oyle thriftily Reuel 6.5 the words denounce a famine in phrases respectiue and agreeable to that Countrey which I will not now stand to expound only thus much let me tell you that the vnseasonable weather which hath continued long with vs may make vs feare that God this yeare will breake the staffe of our bread send vs cleannesse of teeth and pinch vs by the belly And this plague is not a little aggrauated by the Circumstance of time Naz. Orat. 26. It is a pitifull thing when we haue seene a fair spring and the fruits of the earth in a good forwardnesse when haruest commeth Deplerata colonis Votaiacens longique perit labor irritus anni to haue a great deale of grasse and little hay a great deale of straw and but a little corne and surely if God send not better weather the Husbandmans hopes and paines will proue but vaine and fruitlesse If any man desire to know the fearefull euill of this first plague famine let him reade in the 28. of Deuteronomie the holy Ghost hath there so described it that his heart must needs bleede that readeth it 2 King 6. Surely a King of Israel a wicked King could not but be moued when hee did but heare that there was a proofe thereof in Samaria and how passionately doth the Prophet Ieremie lament the like proofe in Ierusalem Lam. 4. Let vs in our humiliation pray God that wee bee neuer driuen to experience the like You may call this plague the plague of Luxurie You haue heard the first plague a grieuous plague but not the onely plague for we may say in the Prophets words Esay 9. yet for all that his wrath is not turned backe but Gods hand is stretched out still And that because of another yet which we finde in the Prophet Amos cap. 4. Yet for all that haue yee not turned vnto mee saith the Lord. If the first plague doe not rowse men God hath a second to send the first is a plague of poore men he that hath mony in his purse will say if there bee no victuals in England I haue wherewithall to fetch them from beyond Sea I will not starue God hath a plague in store for such which their purses cannot keepe from them I would therefore haue them come and see the pale Horse and his Rider his name that sate thereon was Death By death St. Iohn meaneth Pestilence hee speaketh in the Dialect of the Septuagint who render the Hebrew Deber by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in Moses Deut. 28. and in my text the reason is because the Pestilence is indeed a mortall disease The Hebrew Deber signifieth a word a word gone out of Gods mouth against all sorts of men In the booke of Wisedome cap. 18. wee reade that when the first borne of Egypt were destroyed they were destroyed by the Almighty word of God that leaped downe from heauen as a mighty man of Warre Certainely it imports that wrath is gone out from God and by Gods commandement the punishing Angell hath the sword put into his hand You may call this Plague the Plague of pride and disdaine For how can God better answer it in his iudgement than by bringing men to such a case that not onely their bodies are filled with a loathsome disease but also that their nearest and dearest friends stand aloofe from their sore Psal 38. and they cannot in reason desire that they should come neare them in so desperate a danger they are in a most disconsolate condition I might out of Histories describe the miserie of this disease out of our owne Chronicles I might shew you Regno Edw. 2. Edw. 3. how desolate it hath made many places in this Land But to what end should I spend time whereas it is not so long since the last great Plague but that the most of this Auditorie may well remember the euill of it and I doubt not but euery one of vs will feare it though hee bee not admonished Only let me aduise you to correct one wicked phrase which is too frequent in mens mouthes whether in iest or in earnest thus they vse to curse others with whom they deale A Plague or The Plague of God bee on him or on his And God hath heard vs though not to satisfie our wicked desire yet to punishout wicked tongues I will say no more of this second Plague the second of those plagues whereby God afflicteth only our persons But Gods iudgements are not confined to our Persons Yet for all this his wrath is not turned backe but his hand is stretched out still And why because yet for all this plague we returne not vnto the Lord therefore God hath another Plague in store whereby he doth afflict our possessions Blasting and Mildew distempers of the Aire proceeding sometimes from too much drought the cause of Blasting sometimes too much moysture the cause of Mildew at leastwise the words in the originall doe point out an excesse in these two qualities God promised to Noah that there should be winter and summer seede time and haruest Gen. 8. but this promise must bee vnderstood of Gods generall prouidence ouer the world and no doubt but in many parts of the world the parts of the yeare haue that seasonable temper But God hath not tyed himselfe to euery particular place as if he may not for sinnes make as he threatneth in the Law their heauen brasse and their earth iron so that neyther the heauen shall drop downe his vsuall fatnesse nor the earth shew forth her vsuall fruitfulnesse
considering that spirituall plagues are much more heauie than corporall and we should in our humiliation ioyne our cryes with those soules vnder the Altar that were slaine for the Word of God and the Testimony which they held saying How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell in the earth Reuel 6.10 The Vse of all this first part of my Text that is the case of Sufferers is this That we know not God to halues God describeth himselfe to be Iust as well as Mercifull Exod. 34. and the sonne of Syrach tells vs Ecclus 5. that God is as mighty to punish as to saue therefore we must not look vpon onely Gods Mercy but vpon his Iustice also which is so palpable in the plagues And yet must wee not so plod vpon Gods Iustice as not to carry our eye from thence to his Mercy for as in the first case exprest in my Text we haue seene the Church suffering from Gods wrath so now in her second case we must behold her as a Suppliant hauing recourse vnto the Throne of grace And here first wee must obserue That though God for sinne be pleased to humble his Church yet doth hee afford her a meanes of reliefe whereby shee may come out of her greatest distresse And why God is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a Destroyer but a Sauiour of his Church he doth not punish her but to recouer her as anon you shall heare more at large But though the Church be subiect to no more calamities than she hath remedy for yet of her manifold distresses the remedy is but one Penitent Deuotion is the onely remedy of all distresses And this Deuotion is here called by two names Prayer and Supplication The words in the Originall are fitted to the argument the first is Tephillah which is such a prayer as a prisoner maketh to him before whom hee is arraigned you may interpret it by those words in Iob cap. 9. I will make supplication to my Iudge And indeed a Penitent must so come to God as if he came to the Barre hee must suppose himselfe to bee an indited person And being such the second word will teach him what his plea must be euen a Psalme of Mercy for so Techinnah signifieth hee must come vnto God with Haue mercy vpon mee O God after thy great mercy Psal 51. and hee must pray with Daniel cap. 9. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs confusion of faces In the Primitiue Church they had stationary dayes Tertullian saith their name is borrowed from warfare and Christians vpon that day putting on the whole armour of God did stand vpon their guardes against powers and principalities Serm. 36. and spirituall wickednesses in heauenly places St. Ambrose more plainly saith stationes vocantur Ieiunia quòd flentes ieiunantes in ijs inimicos repellamus These were the weekly fasting dayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes whereon Christians repaired to the Church and therein quasifactâmanu like an Armie with spirituall weapons of fasting and praying weeping and lamenting of their sinnes they put to flight all their ghostly enemies and remoued all the heauie pressures of the Church We keepe the dayes but haue lost the truevse of them It is much to bee wisht that they were restored againe and that thereon we did as our Fore-fathers were wont plye God in these sinnefull and wofull times especially with Tephillah and Techinnah the Prayers of guilty ones and Supplications for the mercy of God But more fully to rip vp this Deuotion so farre as wee are led by my Text obserue that it consisteth of two acts one inward and another outward The inward is a liuely sense of the Penitents euill case and an expression of his deuotion out of that sense Euery one of them must know the plagues of his owne heart Where first obserue that the plagues inflicted are corporall but the sense required is spirituall And why the originall of sinne is in the soule whereunto the body concurres but as a pliable instrument therefore God would haue the body serue by his smart to awaken the soule make it apprehensiue of Gods displeasure and tremble at his iudgements The word which we doe render plague doth signifie a wound now in the heart there may be a wound of sinne or a wound for sinne The wound of sinne 1. Pet. 2. is that which sinne giueth to the soule St. Peter tels vs that our sinfull lusts fight against the soule and in fighting giue the soule many a stabbe the sonne of Syrach expresseth this excellently All iniquity is as a two-edged sword the wounds whereof cannot bee healed Ecclus 21. And what meane we else when we say that sinne is mortall but that it giueth mortall wounds Besides this wound of sinne there is a wound for sinne you know that when a man in fight hath receiued a wound the Chirurgion must come with his instrument and search that wound scoure it and put the wounded man to a second paine euen so when wee haue wounded our soules with sinne wee must wound them a second time for finne if wee meane to be deuoutly penitent wee must be prickt at the heart we must rent our hearts we must breake our stonie hearts wee must melt our hearts we must poure forth our soules our spirit must be wounded within vs and our heart must be desolate This is that which God commanded the Iewes Leuit. 16.31 when hee bid them afflict their soules in the day of their solemne Fast This is that godly sorrow which St. Paul 2. Cor. 7.10 speaketh of sorrow not to be repented of Animae amaritudo est anima poenitentiae this vexing of our soules is the very soule of repentance As a penitent man hath these two wounds so he must know them but wee come very short of this all this mortall life of ours is nothing else but a masse of plagues full of temptations Iohn 7. and trauelleth with vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit Psal 38. all the sonnes of Adam doe daily suffer from the wrath of God in some thing or other and euerie one of vs may say as Augustus the Emperour sometimes said that he sitteth inter lachrymas suspiria betweene sighings and teares Certainly as the Christian world now standeth wee are encompast with lamentable spectacles both abroad and at home But many men are so hardened that they feele not their owne disease much lesse others yea so farre they are from feeling the ordinary plagues of man that they doe not feele the extraordinary ones wherewith God doth rowze sinnefull men Wherefore we must hold it for one of the gifts of grace wherewith God doth endue his children that they recouer againe the sense of godly sorrow And wee may well conclude that hee that is senslesse is gracelesse and they which haue no sense beare the heauiest plague The word doth carry with it not
onely knowledge but acknowledgement Knowledge without acknowledgement is of little regard with God auailes vs but little he knoweth his wounds as a penitent that by searching sindeth what cuill he hath done and though to his owne confusion yet layeth it open before the tender eyes of God and so qui addit scientiae addit dolori Eccles 1. the penitents knowledge is the fountaine of his forrow Saint Austin wittily wresteth those words of the Preacher to this purpose Marke moreouer the word his owne for men are most willing to know and make knowne other mens wounds but vt nemo in sese tentat descendere nemo Men loue not to bee knowne to themselues yet many a man hath inward plagues which none knowes but God and himselfe But it is an absurd thing to passe ouer our owne wounds and inquire into other mens It is much to be wisht therefore that we would translate this scrutinie and spend it vpon our selues take pity vpon our owne selues Nazianz Orat. 26. and let the sense of our owne ill deseruings open a passage to the relieuing bowels of our most mercifull Father who relieueth none but those which know the euill which they haue done and suffer Esay 26. When wee come according to the Ordinance of the Church to make confession either at the entrance to common Prayer or the Eucharist euery man should haue premeditated his owne sinnes and acknowledge them vnto God in the secret of his heart and craue pardon for them But though a man must haue this passion in regard of his owne case yet must he not be without compassion toward the ill case of others If it be but a priuate mans case we must be compassionate towards him because he is a member of the same body We know the Parable of the man that went from Ierusalem to Ierico and fell amongst Theeues who stript him and wounded him the Priest and the Leuite are taxed for want of compassion towards him as the Samaritane is commended for hauing it And if we must shew compassion towards priuate mens cases how much more towards the publicke It is a grieuous complaint that God maketh against the great men of Israel Amos 6. who stretch themselues vpon Iuorie beds eate the Lambes of the flocke c. but were not grieued for the affliction of Ioseph if the whole feele the distresses of euery part of our body should any part be so senslesse as not to suffer for the whole especially seeing if the whole perish euery part perisheth whereas the whole may subsist though this or that part doe perish and fall away The miserable estate of Christendome especially the Orthodoxe Church and our own generall calamities importune mee to recommend this compassion vnto you and beseech you to include it in this dayes Humiliation and to let the one be as long liued as the other to let neither of them decay much lesse dye till God returne to his Church and this State in his wonted mercy and with his wonted blessing You haue heard the first inward act of a Penitent There is another act here specified which is outward Penitent Deuotion must be accompanied with conuenient ceremonies here are two mentioned one of the hands they must be stretcht out this is a naturall ceremony for marke a childe when he hath offended his parents as hee falleth vpon his knees so he lifteth vp his hands so doth a seruant to his master a subiect to his Soueraigne and the conquered to the Conquerour and it importeth as much as Do victas in tua vincla manus Sir I am at your mercy The word Supplicium hath its name hence because it humbleth the weaker vnder the hand of the stronger the inferiour to the superiour and maketh him supplicare submit vnto him From hence it is translated vnto Praier and made a ceremony thereof both in the Old Testament let the lifting vp of my hands bee as an euening Sacrifice Psal 141. and in the New Testament I will that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands 1. Tim. 2. This is the first meaning of this ceremony when it is applyed to penitency As God stretcheth out his hand to strike so the Penitent stretcheth out his hand for mercy Though I am not ignorant that it may also signifie the correspondency of the inward to the outward man that as the heart lifteth it selfe vp to God so must the body also by the hands This is excellently set forth in the Psalme I stretch forth my hands to thee my heart thirsteth for thee as a thirsty Land Psal 143. and in this sense Moses in the warre against Amalecke Salomon in this Dedicatory and others may bee thought in their prayers to haue stretcht forth their hands vnto God The former sense doth not exclude this The second ceremony is of the Eye that is mysticall the Eye must look towards the Temple of Salomon that is the place where God put his Name and where the cloud representing God resided betweene the Cherubins vpon the Mercy seate This brings it home to that which before I told you was to be done by the Suppliant who hath recourse to the Throne of Grace and as Tephillah the prayer made vnto the Iudge did require a ceremony of submissiue stretching out of the hand so Techinnah the prayer of Mercy requires a cast of our eye vpon the Mercy seate the ceremonies fit well the Deuotion The riches of Gods nature are infinite but wee vse to single out such of Gods Attributes as are most fit for our Deuotion to behold not excluding the rest but desiring that the rest may not hinder but further rather that Attribute vpon which wee lay hold Salomons Temple is long since ruined there is now no typicall Mercy seate whereunto wee should looke according to the example of Daniel and others But the truth abideth for euer God that was in Christ reconciling the world doth accept our prayers if wee offer them though Iesus Christ where Christ then is thither must we bend our eyes euen to the right hand of God whereat he sitteth to make intercession for vs. Out of both ceremonies ioyntly gather that the place whither we direct our Deuotion sheweth from whom the plagues come and that is from God and he sendeth them for sinne the confession thereof is plain in the acts of the Deuotion the plagues come not by chance neither are they sent without a cause The Heathen did acknowledge the Author and therefore pacified God with their solemne Supplications Christians knew him and propitiated him much better as appeares by the ancient Letanies To say nothing of the Law and the Prophets which are plentifull in teaching that all plagues come from God As God sendeth them so he sendeth plagues for sinnes being offended with our crying sinnes he poureth vpon the world grieuous plagues Maledicta terra propter te the first Curse was for mans sinne The Law runnes in the same tenour
haue not been carefull to bring them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to the knowledge of Christ and participation of the Gospel Much trauelling to the Indies East and West but wherefore some go to possesse themselues of the Lands of the Infidels but most by commerce if by commerce to grow richer by their goods But where is the Prince or State that pitieth their soules and without any worldly respect endeauours the gaining of them vnto God some shew we make but it is but a poore one for it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an accessorie to our worldly desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not it is not our primarie intention wheras Christs method is Mat. 6.33 first seeke ye the kingdome of God and then all other things shall be added vnto you you shall fare the better for it in your worldly estate If the Apostles and Apostolicke men had affected our saluation no more we might haue continued till this day such as somtimes we were barbarous subiects of the Prince of darknesse Those of the Church of Rome boast of their better zeale for the Kingdome of Christ but their owne Histories shew that Ambition and Couetousnesse haue beene the most predominant Affections that haue swayed their endeauours and they haue with detestable cruelty made their way to those worldly ends in stead of sauing soules haue destroyed millions of persons We should take another course for their conuersion yea the same that was taken for ours and if wee doe it is to be hoped God will continue vs his people and adde daily to his Church such as shal be saued For Popish Recusants let me speake a word their case is mixt consisting partly in ignorance of the truth and partly in the seed of disloyaltie Wee haue made many good Lawes if not to roote out at least to keepe downe so much of their corruption as is dangerous to the State it were to bee wisht that greater care were taken for informing their consciences and indeed there should our Lawes beginne with them vnder a reasonable paine to vrge them to conference for why should we doubt but that God would blesse the honest endeauours of the Ministers of the truth who permits the Seducers to steale away so many hearts from God and the King Of this we may be sure that eyther God will worke that which we wish the recouery of those which are seduced or at least their obstinacie will bee without all excuse and the punishment thereof by sharpe Lawes will be no more than is iust in the sight both of God and man The neglect of this care of infidels and recusants is no small cause of that great distresse which at this day is fallen vpon the reformed Churches and God thereby calleth vpon vs to amend these defects Let vs vse our punishment well and let Gods chastisement prouoke vs to a better life though it seeme grieuous to vnderlie Gods heauy hand yet it is much more grieuous to be neuer a whit the better for the plagues for it is a second refusing of grace the same God that doth at first recommend vnto vs pietie by sweetning it with temporall blessings when that course speedeth not tryeth whether wee will bethinke our selues if we smart for our vntowardlinesse and certainly his case is desperate who is the worse for his stripes as you may reade in Gods complaint passionately exprest by Esay Cap. 1. Cap. 5. Cap. 4. by Amos and Ieremie hath illustrated it by an excellent simile of reprobate siluer which is molten in vaine because the drosse cannot bee separated from it Amend then wee must That is not enough we must be constant in our amendment we must feare God all the dayes of our life that is true Repentance when a man so turneth to God that he doth not returne againe like a dogge to his vomit or a sow to wallow in the myre Relapses are dangerous as Saint Peter teacheth 2 Pet. 2.21 and our Sauiour Christ tels the recouered lame man in the Gospel Iohn 5. Behold thou art made whole goe thy way sinne no more lest a worse thing happen vnto thee I will hearken saith the Psalmist Psal 85. what the Lord will say vnto me for he will speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they returne not again vnto their folly We should all remember Lots wife who for looking backe was turned into a pillar of salt Animae in vitia relabentis accusatricem a visible inditement of relapsing soules Most men are to God-ward like Planets sometimes in coniunction with him sometimes in a more or lesse aspect too often in plaine opposition but let vs take heed we be not in the number of those wandring stars of whom St. Iude speaketh to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer To begin well and not to go on is as if a man should put a soueraigne plaister to a dangerous wound and after a while teare it off againe thinke you that man would bee the better for his salue or the worse rather you heard before our sinnes are wounds and although repentance be a soueraigne salue yet proueth it not such vnto vs except it be lasting There is a good reason giuen by St. Bernard Cecidimus in lutum lapides our sias are like vnto fals into the myre wherein there are stones the mud doth soile vs and the stones bruise vs we may soone wash away the myre but we cannot so soone recouer our bruise euen so the guilt of our sin is sooner remitted than the corruption can be purged Therefore Repentance taketh time to restore our spirituall health and doth not compasse it but with much fasting watching praying almesdeeds c. and is watchfull ouer vs that second wounds make not the first more dangerous in a word being deliuered from our enemies and the hands of all that hate vs we endeauour to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Here are added two motiues vnto this constant amendment taken from the place wherein they liue It is true that wheresoeuer they liued they were to feare God all the dayes of their life because God is euery where a knower of the the heart a rewarder of men according to their workes But the place of their aboad put no small obligation vpon them first because it was an eminent place eminent corporally a good Land a Land flowing with milke and honey eminent mystically for it was the seate of the Church and a type of heauen and who should bee fruitfull in good workes rather than they that dwell in a fruitfull Land and holinesse beseemeth Gods house for euer But to sin in the Land of Immanuel in the Land of vprightnesse is no small improuement of sin and hee that is barren of good works in a fruitfull Land shall haue the earth that brings forth her increase rise vp in iudgement against him Our Countrey hath both
spirituall which a Pastor hath from Christ with the temporall which he deriueth from Princes the confusion hath shed much Christian blood and we must take notice of this that we neuer be engaged in the like vniust quarrell But enough of the Historie There is a mysticall meaning which the holy Ghost aymeth at in mentioning the Staffe and that is the Analogie betweene the care that is taken for irrationall sheepe and that which must bee taken for the rationall God that trusteth Princes and Pastors with the gouernment of his people will haue them to set before their eyes a Iacob feeding Labans sheepe or a faithfull Shepheards care and thereof doth he put them in minde in this phrase But I forget my principall Note I told you that the Staffe is the Hieroglyphick of power and indeed power is here meant Virga potentiae as it is called in the tenth Psalme it is a Rod of power the titles that are giuen vnto Pastors they all sound superioritie Episcopus Oeconomus Bishop Steward Leader Architect Ghostly father This cannot bee denied vnto the Pastor of whom this Text speaketh who as you haue heard is not Seruus but Dominus is Lord of the house and therefore rules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with soueraigntie and with power Touching the Seruants there may bee some question because to them is committed onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are onely Ministers But their Ministrie must not be mistaken for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe administer indeede but it is the power of Christ that they administer so saith Christ himselfe As my father sent me so send I you A Steward is a seruant in a house but such a seruant as vnder the master commands the whole familie wee are Stewards the Keyes are committed vnto vs we are to rule not to be ruled by the people But this Power brancheth it selfe into two parts for there is baculus directionis and baculus correctionis the Pastors power is first to teach the people their dutie they must receiue his words as the words of God and Gods words are commanding words and they are binding Lawes it is not left vnto the peoples choyce whether they will or will not obey them they proceede from the staffe of direction that directs in foro Poli not Soli the consciences of Christian people As the Power is of direction so is it of correction also not ciuill T is true that the Bishop of Rome hath patcht such a power to his pastorall Staffe but we can claime none such from Christ our Censuâ—es are spirituall we binde or loose mens soules we remit or retaine their sinâ—es open or shut the Kingdome of Heauen vnto them But though the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall yet are they mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds 2 Cor. 10. and to reuenge all disobedience Iustly therefore is this branch of Power to be awed that is contained in the Staffe the staffe that is the embleme of the power of Correction I will obserue no more vpon the first part of the furniture the Pastors Authoritie that is noted by the Staues I come on to his Abilities which are gathered out of the properties of the same Staues whereof one is the Staffe of Beautie the other of Bands I might tyre out both my selfe and you if I would scan the seuerall coniectures of the learned commenting on these words some by them distinguishing the Sheepe eyther into the Families of Noah and Abraham or into the Nations of Iewes and Gentiles some distinguishing the Shepheards into good and bad some the furniture of the good Shepheards which they will haue some to bee the Law of Nature and the written Law some restraine it onely to the written word and finde in these words the sweetnesse of the Gospel and the seuerity of the Law The grounds and mistakes of these seuerall opinions I list not to discusse the truest Commentarie is that which wee finde in this Chapter At the tenth verse then we reade that when the Shepheard brake his staffe of beauty he disanuld with that fact his Couenant that he had made with all people And what was that but the Couenant of Grace At the fourteenth verse where he breaketh the staffe of bands he addes that by that fact hee did dissolue the brotherhood between Israel and Iuda And what is that but the band of Charitie Whereupon it fairely followes that these words doe note the properties of the Shepheard the properties of the Euangelicall Shepheard who must be well seene in the Gospell and keep Christians at one Veritie and Charitie are meant the one by the beauty the other by the bands of the Staues And indeede these are the two grounds of a blessed Church Veritate nihil pulchrius nihil fortius Vnitate there is nothing that allures more than the Gospel or that holds faster than Charitie the losse of eyther of these will much distresse a Church For it will thereupon be either deformed or distracted deformed with heresie if it want the truth and distracted with Schisme if it want charitie it will become Tohu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bohu without shape and voyde returne to its former Chaos Christ the great Shepheard was Melchisedech King of Righteousnesse and King of Salem also that is King of Peace hee not onely beautified his Church with Righteousnesse but fortified it with Charitie also And whatsoeuer Pastor vnder him doth not herein resemble him he is too like the Idoll shepheard mentioned at the end of this Chapter and hath eyther his arme dryed vp or his right eye darkened he wants a staffe of beauty or of bands and so will be the cause through defect of his Abilities that the Church be eyther despised by Schisme or with Heresie disfigured But let vsâ—ake these Abilities asunder and looke into them seuerally First into the staffe of beauty The word in the Originall signifieth Pulchritudinem Suauitatem Fairenesse and Sweetnesse whereof the later is a consequent vpon the former for the fairest persons if they degenerate not are most commonly the sweetest natures Certainely it was so in our Sauiour Christ who was the fairest of the Sonnes of men and grace was poured in his lips and so the Gospell that commeth from him beareth both the characters of his nature fairenesse and sweetnesse Touching fairenesse Cyrillus Alexandrinus on this text giueth this Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doctrine of the Gospell is eminently beautifull but hee addes well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee must not mistake it is no corporall but a spirituall beauty for the Kings Daughter is all glorious within But the corporall may teach vs what to obserue in the spirituall Corporall beautie consists of figura and forma proportion and complexion euery member of a body must haue his iust lineaments and his proper die and then the body is beautifull Something answerable hereunto there is in spirituall beautie in the beautie
their loue is so intense and their care so prouident of and for each other and their children The third principle is Wedlocke is not onely such a couenant as springeth from reason and policie but also it is pactum Dei it is founded in Religion man and woman were at first matcht by GOD himselfe and he matcht them as his children bearing his Image finally Mal. 2.15 he matcht them that they might bring forth an holy seed such as might be of his Church and as the Parents consorts with Angels so much did Religion adde vnto Wedlocke before the fall But after the fall Christian Religion added much more whence ariseth a fourth principle by Regeneration euen our bodyes are made members of Christ and so become Temples of the Holy Ghost and therefore there is great reason we should keepe these vessels of ours in honor and in their coniunction haue a due regard of this their heauenly condition In these euident principles we may behold how farre GOD hath improued our bodyes which otherwise were made but of dust and for sinne deserued to become dust againe but we must cloath our flesh and blood with the fore-specified aduancements of it and by them measure the sinfulnesse of fornication And then you shall find first that it debaseth the bodyes of men and rangeth them with beasts for wherein is his body better then a beasts whose sensuall acts are not guided by reason Secondly It abolisheth the greatest ciuill proprietie that is in a state for wedlocke layeth the foundation of a state and giueth the first beginning to societie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thirdly it robbeth the fruit of our bodyes as much as lyeth in vs of the best birth-right which is to be the holy off spring of holy Parents which is the pledge of GODS couenant and the childrens hope that they haue a right thereto neither are we excused from this guilt though GOD in mercie doe otherwise prouide better for our children Finally It renteth vs from the body of Christ and dispossesseth vs of the Holy Ghost if not defacto at least merito it is more of GODS mercie then our desert if it proue not so seeing Christ abhorres all impuritie and the Holy Ghost will not abide the desiling of his Sanctuarie Rom. 1.24 Well therefore may fornication be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dishonoring lust then which no other heapeth so many indignities vpon our bodyes and by consequence vpon vs. In regard hereof it is that St PAVL saith All other sinnes are without our bodyes but he that commits fornication sinneth against his owne body Fornication strippeth it of all the fore-named prerogatiues directly which no other sinne doth neither is their any carnall sinne more opposite to Reason Policie Religion This must you the Penitent marke and from this take the first measure of your sinne But my Text doth not onely speake of fornication in generall but of a degree thereof and that degree is Incest Though no coniunction is lawfull without marriage yet may not all persons be ioyned together in marriage Leuit. 18. GOD hath set downe certaine degrees both of Consanguinitie and Affinitie betweene which there may be no matches MOSES giueth the reason because there is a reuerence due vnto these persons and we passe the bownes of religious modestie if we match with them And indeed had not GOD imprinted this reuerence the necessarie cohabitation of Parents and Children Brethren and Sisters would yeeld too much opportunitie and be too strong an incentiue vnto this vnlawfull coniunction especially if you adde thereunto the authoritie which Parents haue naturally ouer their Children De Ciuit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 16. Saint AVSTIN yeeldeth another reason Habita est rectissima ratio charitatis we naturally loue our kin But GOD would haue charitie spread farther which would be kept within verie narrow boundes if we were not by this restraint put to make matches with more remote persons and forbidden to multiply the ground of loue in one the selfe same But amongst all these degrees which GOD hath forbidden they are principall which are in the right line the prohibition of them is the most ancient the most strict the most vniuersall First the most ancient for it began immediately vpon the Creation of the woman for hauing made a woman to ioyne with the man GOD gaue this rule Therefore shall a man forsake father and mother and be ioyned vnto his wife Gen. 2. It is true that we commonly vnderstand that Text of the neere coniunction of man and wife and that sense will well agree with it but the Caldy paraphrase addeth to our purpose that a man must forsake his fathers and his mothers bed St AVSTIN and others haue so vnderstood it as if it did forbid matches in the right line and I thinke the word therefore doth import as much for therefore did GOD create a woman to ioyne her to the man because he would not haue them couple which are procreated one from another Secondly It is the most strict prohibition for though GOD forbid as well the collaterall degrees as those that are in the right line yet hath he dispenced with the collaterall in two cases one of necessitie when there were none but ADAMS children brothers and sisters must needs match and then did GOD dispence with the first collaterall degree of consanguinitie The second case is a mysterie if a brother dyed without issue the next of kin was to rayse vp seed vnto the deceased brother and this was a dispensation in the first degree of Affinitie Such dispensations in collaterall degrees GOD hath granted but dispensations with persons in the right line he neuer granted any therefore I called it the most strict prohibition Thirdly It is the most vniuersall prohibition for that of collaterall degrees in GODS Law reacheth but vnto the second the Ciuill Law goeth a degree farther then GODS Law the Canon Law now reacheth to the fourth degree it hath forbidden to the seuenth and further no Law that is extant euer went in forbidding collaterall degrees But in forbidding those in the right line Diuine and Humane Ciuill and Canon Laws forbid them without any stint no degree be it neuer so remote can make the coniunction of such persons lawfull therefore they say truly that if ADAM did reuine againe he could ioyne with none of mankind except EVE reuiued againe no more could EVE except ADAM reuiued Whatsoeuer you haue heard of Consanguinitie is true also of Affinitie because by wedlocke man and wife become one flesh and so their parents their children their brethren their sisters are as neere to the one as to the other Affinitie maketh them as neere as if they were of one blood Take one rule more which commeth neere this Penitents case by analogie it is all one for a sonne to take his fathers wife as the Corinthian did and for a father to take his wiues daughter which you the
both to our faith and to our manners and from our most wise and most holy GOD nothing could proceed that was not most righteous and most true Out of this Principle doth MALACHI worke the reparation of a breach which the Iewes had made vpon the seuenth Commandement The breach was Polygamie or multiplying of wiues whereof the reparation is a reducing of them to the first institution of marriage and this is done in those words that now I haue read vnto you Herein we haue first a Text of the Law And did he not make one Then a Sermon of the Prophet made thereon yet had he the residue of Spirit And wherefore one Because c. But more distinctly In the Text of the Law we will consider First the matter that is contained in it then the manner how the Prophet doth vrge it The matter sets before vs a Worke and a Workmaster The worke is the making of one the Workmaster was he both clauses are darke because the words are short To cleere them we must supply out of Genesis and there we find that this one was one Adam and the he that made him was the Lord God GOD made one out of one male he made one female by creation and by coniunction he made that female to be one againe with that male out of which he tooke her This is the matter The manner of the Prophets arguing the Text is powerfull that which in Genesis is a plaine narration is here turned into a question and in such questions the Holy Ghost doth report himselfe vnto the Consciences of those that heare whether to their knowledge he speake not truth So must you vnderstand those words did he not make one Hauing proposed his Text the Prophet maketh a short but a full Sermon hereupon for it consists of a doctrine and an exhortation The doctrine openeth the reason of GODS worke and the Prophet argues in effect thus GOD made but one was it because he could make no more or because he would make no more Certainly not because he could not for he had aboundance of Spirit then it was because he would not And indeed all GODS workes ad extra as the Schooles call them the workes of Creation Prouidence Redemption are all arbitrarie they come from his Will but such a Will as is not blind it is guided by his Wisedome and his Will prescribes nothing whereof his Wisedome cannot yeeld a reason and sometimes he is pleased to shew that reason to vs who otherwise are bound to rest satisfied with the signification of his holy Will Therefore the Prophet goeth on in his arguing wherefore one What is the reason of this Will of GOD And he answereth by the direction of GODS Spirit that it was expedient it should be so two wayes expedient First Expedient in Nature God sought for seed he would haue men multiply and increase which could not be except he had made one and if he had made more then one it could not well haue beene Secondly It was expedient in Grace also for though GOD would haue men multiply yet would he not haue them multiply otherwise then beseemed the children of GOD he sought a holy seed For these ends was GOD pleased thus to order his workes and vpon this doctrine of the ends doth the Prophet ground an exhortation it consists of two parts because in the case of mariage we owe a double respect one to our selues another to our mate The respect we owe to our selues is that we must watch ouer our better part take heed to our Spirit The respect we owe to our mate is we must not violate the faith plighted to her let no man deale treacherously with his wife especially if she be the wife of his youth that is he married her when he was young the longer they haue beene marryed together the more back-ward should they be from dealing falsely one with the other You see the particulars of the Text and of the Sermon that we may better vnderstand them and their fitnesse for this occasion I will open them a little more fully I pray GOD I may doe it profitably also Come we then to the Text of the Law to the matter contained therein I will not trouble you with the diuers translations and varietie of interpretations suitable thereunto leaue that to the Schooles our CHVRCH hath made a choyce and that choyce agrees well with the Originall we will rest contented with that and according to it frame our obseruations I told you that the words set before vs a Worke and a Workemaster yet neither doth plainly appeare they are onely pointed at here but exprest Gen 1. whence I supplyed the name of ADAM and the name of GOD whereof the first is the Worke and the second the Workmaster so that then the words will sound thus God made one Adam Let vs take these parts asunder The name of ADAM is not to be vnderstood vulgarly but as the Holy Ghost vseth it and so it comprehends both sexes so we read Gen. 1. GOD created ADAM male and female made he them in the 5 of Genesis more plainly God made man male and female and called them Adam so that the name ADAM being but one is commonly two the male and the female As they are one in name so are they in nature also we read Gen. 2. that GOD made the female out of the rib of the male for he would haue her to be like him De Paradiso Cap. 10. and he confest her to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Nec illud otiose saith St AMBROSH it is worth our marking that GOD did not make the woman of the same Earth whereof he made man but he made EVE of the rib of ADAM to giue vs to vnderstand that there is but one body in them both and that one body the onely Fountaine of all mankind Plat. Do Conuiuio Leo. Heb. The Platonists Androgunos is but a corruption of this truth As man was by creation made two but of like substance and so continued still one both in name and nature so by a second work they were made yet more one that is by marriage Gen. 2. for that maketh two one flesh two I say the Septuagint adde that word vnto MOSES his Text and CHRIST approues it in the Gospel Math. 19◠1 Cor. 6. Eph. 5. St PAVL therein followeth CHRIST and the words of marriage are the man shall cleaue to his wife therefore doth the Apostle call the wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the husband 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7. Lesse then one there could not be and be a naturall propagation and more then one there should not be and that propagation be orderly But this onenesse is principall or accessorie the principall is onenesse of coniugall power and coniugall affection Coniugall power for though in other things the man is superiour to the woman the husband to his wife Rom. 7.1
depart He then that deales treacherously with his wife by taking another while she liues is guiltie not onely of sinne against her but also against GOD and he should be so guiltie though he were diuorced diuorce may goe so farre as to part their companie for a time but it dissolues not the bond of Matrimonie no though both sides be willing to haue it dissolued they may renounce their owne right they cannot renounce Gods without his consent the Obligation which he layeth vpon them cannot be cancelled he that marrieth a second wife euen after diuorce deales treacherously for marriage implyes indiuiduam vitae consuetudinem so strait a tye that whom God hath conioyued Math. 19. 1 Cor. 7. no man can put asunder and diuorce was granted onely for the hardnesse of the Iewes hearts therefore they that are diuorced must be reconciled againe or remaine vnmarried to any other And if it be Adulterie vpon diuorce to marrie againe how much more is it Adulterie to marrie without a diuorce And this is your case which are the Penitent I know you had a faire pretence your wife was lewd she ran from you she was seuen yeeres absent you heard she was dead faire pretences and they doe you this good that they keepe off from you the stroake of seuerer Iustice But though they diminish your fault they doe not altogether excuse it the death of your wife was not hastily to be belieued you should haue legally proued it before you ventred vpon a second match And as for her forsaking you it was a foule fault but you ought not to haue recompenced euill with euill and become an Adulterer because she was an Adulteresse if you will partake of her sinne you must partake of her punishment at least in part The full punishment of Adulterie is verie great temporall eternall in this life MOSES Law did cut off Adulterers by death Leu. 20. and if the Adulterer be a Polygamist our Law also excepting in some cases inflicteth death vpon him 1 Cor. 5. The Apostles Canon doth excommunicate him Neither is an Adulterer onely punishable in this world his case is much worse in the world to come for the Apostle threatens it with eternall death except they repent 1 Cor. 6. Hebr. 13. God himselfe will iudge Adulterers and they shall neuer enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Make you then good vse of this your Ecclesiasticall penance that so you may preuent GODS eternall vengeance There is one clause more in this second branch of the Exhortation whereat I will touch and so end The person against whom the Iowe offended is here called the wife of his youth he marryed her in his younger yeeres and now in his elder set his affection vpon some other It is thought that the Iewes returning from Captiuitie brought with them their wiues poore in state worne and withered in their bodyes with carking and caring and that thereupon to relieue their wants and satisfie their lusts with richer and fairer women they fell to these second matches And indeed pouertie and deformitie are shrewd temptations to worldly and carnall men but this phrase teacheth that the woman whom a man loueth in youth he must loue her in age the longer they haue beene wedded the more must be their loue and it is a greater fault to play false with an old wife then with a young bride Men must euer keepe in mind the promise they made at their marriage I take thee to my wedded wife to haue and to hold for better for worse for richer for poorer in sicknesse and in health till death vs doe part But I end and SOLOMON shall make my conclusion Prou. 2. Drinke waters out of thine owne cisterne and running waters out of thine owne well Let the fountaines be dispersed abroad and riuers of waters in the streetes Let them be onely thine owne and not strangers with thee Let the fountaine be blessed and reioyce with the wife of thy youth Let her be as the louing Hind and pleasant Roe Let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou rauisht alwayes with her loue And why wilt thou my sonne be rauisht with a strange woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger For the wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his doings Let vs all walke in the Spirit and not in the Flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof So shall God blesse vs and our posteritie here on Earth and after this life we shall be reckoned in the number of those Virgines which follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT St CVTBERTS IN WELLES WHEN CERTAINE PERSONS DID PENANCE FOR BEING AT CONVENTICLES WHERE A WOMAN PREACHED 1 TIMOTH 2. VERSE 11 c. 11 Let the woman learne in silence with all subiection 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to vsurpe authoritie ouer the man but to be in silence 13 For Adam was first formed then Eue. 14 And Adam was not deceiued but the woman being deceiued was in the transgression THIS Epistle is a Booke of Ecclesiasticall Canons therein St PAVL doth instruct TIMOTHIE Bishop of Ephesus how he should guid his censures in regard as well of the discipline as the doctrine of the CHVRCH Amongst others in this Chapter we haue two Canons which serue to correct the mis-beuauiour of Christian women Their mis-behauiour was twofold They did glorie in the monument of their shame and they aduanced themselues aboue the condition of their sex The monument of shame is Apparell for there was no need thereof while we were cloathed with Innocencie but when the conscience of our sinne made vs loathsome in our eyes then did we betake our selues vnto this couert to hide our vile selues from our counfounded senses we put on cloathes Vpon this ground St PAVL tels women I may adde men also for we liue in an age wherein it is hard to say whether in cloathes men grow more womannish or women more mannish but here St PAVL tels women that if they will be gaye and fine indeed they must attire themselues according to that fashion whereinto God at first put them not according to that which sinne hath forced vpon them they must adorne themselues not with the burnished and embelished elements or rather excrements of this lower world but with the graces and vertues that come from Heauen so shall they haue a conuersation well suited with their profession and make themselues louely in the eyes as well of God as men This is the summe of the first Canon the Canon that corrects womens glorying in the monument of shame which is their Apparell To this St PAVL adds a second which corrects their aduancing themselues aboue their sexe and it is contained in those words which now I haue read vnto you The better to vnderstand this Canon we must resolue it into a Rule and the Reason which the Apostle giues for the same In the
euidence of the tongue were enough but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports that there is an inward sense of the outward euidence And indeed St Cyprian telleth vs concerning the inward sense that confession is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conscientiae St Austin that it doth pondus animi profâ—rre St Ambrose He that confesseth ingemit cuâ—pae dolore speakes with sighes and groanes that cannot be exprest And indeed this inward sense must be the first step of Confession and we must be resolued of that truth which is deliuered by Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a principall thing in Confession to be touched at the heart But then ex abundantia cordis os loquitur and therefore St Austin saith that to confesse is ex occulto et tenebroso procedere alluding to Lazarus his comming out of the graue and to shew that indeed we detest sinne a true penitent will vtter it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. so did Manasses so did the prodigall child and so doth King Dauid in this place If any man be spare of speech in this kind Tertullian will tell him that dissimulatio est consilium contumaciae it is to be doubted that he is not so out of charitie but he may be reconciled againe to his sinne whereas Confessio error is is professio deserendi and he that outwardly and inwardly doth confesse obligeth himselfe to forsake sinne both to GOD and man Obligeth himselfe I say for the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is iudiciall and the obligation is the stronger by how much the stipulation is more solemne and if the arraignment passe before GOD and men there is no trauersing of such an Indictment the Indictment which our selues put in and our selues doe signe to be Billa vera But as Confession signifieth a giuing in of euidence or rather the finding of the Bill of Indictment so we must particularly see against whom the Bill is found King Dauid finds it against himselfe he layeth the blame where it was deserued and confesseth against himselfe It was condemned long since for an Heresie in vnchast Martion to hold peccata non voluntate sed necessitate patrari with that maxime he thought to excuse his incontinencie For the ground of this pretended necessitie men haue sought to opposite places some to Heauen and some to Hell the opinion is ancient that setcheth it from either Adam was the Author of the first he layd his sinne to GOD The woman that thou gauest me gaue me of the fruit and I did eat And no lesse ancient is that that fetcheth it from Hell Eue layd the blame vpon the Diuel The Serpent said she beguiled me and I did eat These Masters haue had many Schollars I would they had not still But to the first the sonne of Syrach spake in his dayes Say not the Lord hath caused me to erre for he hath no need of sinfull men he is a GOD of pure eyes and cannot behold wickednesse And to the second St Austin Non est hoc tollere sed geminare peccatum the excuse is worse then the fault for as strong as the Diuel is suadere potest cogere non potest he may verie powerfully commend it vnto vs but it is neuer entertained but by our good will So that we may spare much vnnecessarie paines of climing into Heauen to know what GOD hath decreed or descending into Hell to inquire after the Diuels power we must stay at home and there sind the right partie for man as Soloman speakes peruerteth his owne waies and euerie man saith St Iames when he is tempted is baited and led aside by his owne lusts so that the rhetoricall translatio criminis whether it be de compendio or per circuitum as St Austin speakes on this Text must haue no place in Confession herein quo quis humilior eo laudabilior the lesse excuse the more grace And if men in Confession may not deriue their blame to others how much lesse may they vaunt of that which they doe amisse And yet how many are there which not onely some out their owne filthinesse but also glorie in their shame Isay 3. The shew of whose countenance witnesseth against them who discouer their sinne as Sodom did Cap. 6. and desire not to hide it of whom GOD complaines in Ieremie Were they ashamed when they committed abhomination They were not ashamed neither could they blush Too too many there are that set themselues down in the seat of the scorner and thinke that it is their highest commendation not onely to haue sinews of Iron in their necke but plates of Brasse on their fore-head to be not onely incorrigible but impudent also whose sinnes that are indeed the workes of darknesse are become so shamelesse as to walke abroad at noone day Witnesse the blasphemies the impurities the violences that are so frequent obiects of euerie mans eyes and eares But this is not to confesse against our selues for to confesse against our selues is to be humbled not to be exalted it taketh downe our pride and doth not hearten our shamelessenesse This is the first branch of that euidence which we giue in and it was the first thing noted by imposing of hands vpon the Sacrifice But there was another meant also which was the pointing out of the meanes and person by whom we are relieued and that is GOD in CHRIST which is taught in the second part of the euidence the confessing to the Lord. To confesse to the Lord is not to informe him of that which he doth not know but rather as St Austin speakes Affectum nostrum patefacimus in te Domine confitendo tibi miserias nosiras we adde nothing to GODS knowledge Chrysâ— 5. but rather reueale our assection to GOD-ward Confessio fraudis nostrae est laudis Dei which the verie word Iadah in Hebrew notes including in it both But the affection that we reueale in our Confession is double it is affectus timoris and confidentiae which looke to the two Artributes of GOD that temper his prouidence in gouerning the world I meane Iustice and Mercie for confessio peccatorum est testimonium conscientiae timentis Deum as St Chrysostome no man can doe it but he doth acknowledge and tremble at the lustice of GOD. Yet not the Iustice onely doth affect him but the Mercie also for confessio poenitentis ad laudem pertinet ignoscentis because as we tremble when we consider GOD is iust so considering that he is mercifull we hope in him also Thus to seare thus to hope is to giue glorie vnto GOD and to giue him glorie is to confesse vnto him You expect haply that importuned by the Romish Commentaries on this place I should fall vpon the controuersie of Auricular confession but I know that the Pulpit especially in the time of Lent is rather for Ghostly counsell then for disputes and therefore I forbeare onely giuing this note that our Church doth not condemne it as simply euill and
neuer to speake what he doth not meane nor to doe what he would not be done vnto I would it were so but GOD knoweth it is farre other wise euen with those that beare the name of Christians as if so be they were altogether ignorant that the Doue is included in the name of a Christian none are more fraudulent none are more cruell as they are euen amongst vs that are Orthodox in opinion It were too much if these things were onely in practise how intollerable is it when they are become Doctrinall and the Deuill hath so farre insinuated himselfe into mens heads and hearts as that a generation should rise vp who should teach such cases of Conscience as resolue men artificially to lye and meritoriously to shed blood making men put off not onely Christianity but euen humanity also The Christian world especially the Orthodox part thereof is in a desperate Paroxisme by this meanes if GOD bee not pleased to put to his helping hand certainely if euer the Deuill and Satan both names opposite to the Doue are now let loose the Serpent if euer hath now made way for for the Lion the bands of humane society were neuer so crackt if they be not quite dissolued and yet is sociablenesse a speciall property of the Doue but a property growne strange amongst Christians who by their degenerating malice haue brought the Church to bee a Doue indeed that is a bird subiect to oppression so the Hebrew word signifieth to such oppression that a man might well wish for the wings of a Doue to flye away into some Wildernesse where he might not see these vnnaturall Barbarismes or if that may not bee at least a man hath iust cause to wish for Gemitum Columbae the mourning of a Doue to bewaile the miseries of GODS Church And indeed the Spirit figured by the Doue is hee that worketh in the hearts of Christians sighes and groanes that cannot be exprest And I pray GOD he may worke such sighes and groanes in vs Psal 68. that though the Church now lye amongst the pot sheards and deformed shee may recouer againe the winges of a Doue couered with siluer and all her feathers bee as yealow gold Though these be profitable obseruations which you haue heard of the correspondency of the Holy Spirit to the Doue yet may I not forget a note which goeth farther and as I suppose is most naturall to the Text Columba docuit saith St. Austin Christum baptizaturum in Spiritu sancto the Doue did signifie that CHRIST would baptize with the Holy Ghost and that hee would communicate this power to none hee would transferre the ministry to men but reserue the efficacy of Baptisme to himselfe both while hee was on earth and as he now reigneth in Heauen For certainely the Sacring doeth note this his possession and dispensation of the Holy Ghost it is his Spirit and hee onely giueth it he sanctifieth the waters of Baptisme vnto their sacred vse and by his Spirit added vnto them doeth regenerate those that are members of his Church Hauing thus farre opened vnto you the visible signe what it was and what it meant I must now shew you Vnde whence this Doue came and that wee are taught in these words the Heauens were opened vnto him Much dispute there is how the Heauens were opened many thinke it superfluous to haue the Doue descend from an higher Stage then the Aire they hold it not likely the firmament should bee diuided to giue way vnto him but they little thinke of GODS power and the Maiestie that beseemeth this Sacring I make no doubt but that as GOD could so hee did make all creatures doe seruice vnto CHRIST hee that made the Sunne to stand to honour Iosuah and to honour Ezechias made it goe backe many degrees would hee not make those glorious bodies part a sunder to giue paslage to this Sacring Doue I suppose he would Especially seeing all acknowledge that it was a Doue newly created by the Omnipotent power of GOD and the Text saith not that Heauen but that the Heauens were opened vnto him Yet must wee not transferre the motion of the Doue to the Spirit who being euery where changeth not his place But GOD by that motion would giue vs to vnderstand that the grace of the Holy Ghost commeth downe from Heauen according to that of St. Iames euery good and perfect guift commeth from aboue euen from the Father of light with whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change not so much as of place himselfe vnchangeable breatheth where hee will Besides the phrase of opening the Heauens sheweth vs that onely by CHRIST Paradise aboue is opened and the commerce renued betweene Heauen and earth and as many as are baptized into CHRIST are really freed from that curse which was Symbolically sigured by our shutting out of Paradise below and the shutting vp thereof by placing the Cherubims at the entrance with a flaming branded sword Last of all the Text saith that the Heauens were opened to Christ but Chrysostome expounds it well Illi sed propter nos to him but for vs all the benefit that CHRIST reaped by his mediation and Inauguration was but to bee a well-head from whence Grace should streame into vs he had the honour we haue the good You haue heard whence the Doue commeth â—ib 3. Cap. 19. Cap. 11. Cap. 41. Caâ— 16. Numb 11. now shall you heare where it pitcht it lighted vpon Iesus Irenie obserues well this is the fulfilling of sundry Prophesies recorded in Isay The Spirit of the Lord shall rest vpon him I will put my Spirit vpon him the Spirit of the Lord is vpon me But obserue that it so came vpon him that it manifested it selfe by him so is the phrase elsewhere declared in the story of Gedeon Sampson Saul and others for after this Inauguration neuer any man spake as CHRIST spake and hee did those workes that neuer any man did But wee must not mistake the Holy Ghost did not now descend vpon Iesus as if he had him not before hee that was conceiued by the Holy Ghost could not be without him no not for a moment euen as he was the Sonne of Man Yea and of Grace of Sanctification it is out of all question that from the moment of his conception hee neuer increased therein Some question there is touching the Grace of Edification which in the Schooles is called Gratis data Some hold that he had the fulnesse thereof also when he was conceiued Cap. â— but the words of St. Luke makes it probable that though the man hood of CHRIST were so neere linckt vnto the well-head of the Spirit which is his God-head as by personall vnion yet the God-head did communicate the Grace of Edification vnto the man-hood by degrees as it was fit for him to manifest it and we may without impietie hold that some accession of such kinde of grace was made to the man-hood at his
Inauguration though it did not then make him but declare him to bee the King the Priest the Prophet of his Church But a little farther to enlarge this point distinguish Signum and Signatum In regard of the Signe the Holy Ghost came now vpon Iesus that he might point him out to St. Iohn Baptist for had not the Doue pitcht vpon IESVS the voyce from Heauen might haue beene misapplied but the signe put it out of all question who was meant If you looke to the thing signified then doeth St. Ierome giue a most comfortable note The Holy Ghost lighted vpon Iesus that he might inure himselfe more familiarly then before to dwell with the sonnes of men and make them new creatures for as St. Austin thinketh CHRIST did now vouchsafe to prefigure his Church wherein those that are baptized receiue the Holy Ghost and CHRIST receiued the Spirit aboue measure that of his fulnesse wee might all receiue grace for grace which S. Iohn seemeth to confirme when he saith that he descended and stayed vpon him in the signe vntill the word was spoken but in the grace vntill the worlds end Vntill the Worlds end shall CHRIST be those Oliue trees in Zacharie which feed the lights that burne in the house of GOD for he was anointed not onely Prae but Pro consortibus suis not onely aboue but also for his Church And although in the members of the Church grace may ebbe and flow yet in CHRIST is it alwayes constant and at the full Finally note the improouement of CHRISTS honour it was great when the Heauens opened and the Angels ascended and descended vpon him but when the Heauens opened and the Holy Ghost descended vpon him then was his honour much more great I haue done with the Visible signe and come now to the Audible Word The signe had beene but a dumbe shew without the Word for those signes that are sacred doe not signifie Natura sua by their owne nature but Diuino Instituto by diuine Institution and who knows it but hee that commands it and by his Word informes vs of his purpose Therefore GOD neuer appoints any Visible signe but hee addeth an audible word as appeares in Sacrifices and Sacraments which had precepts and promises annext shewing their vse and effects This light added to those shadowes did guide men to see their reference and correspondency the neglect whereof caused the carnall Iew and causeth the superstitious Papist to maime the mysteries of Religion and feed vpon beggerly rudiments and emptie ceremonies If wee will bee truely and fully religious wee must ioyne both and let both worke in their order our thorough edification But marke that the signe was from Heauen and so is the word from Heauen also and GOD is Author of both of the Vision and of the Reuelation no man may presume to be farther of GODS counsell then he is admitted or to fasten commentaries vpon his Texts without his instruction I should tire you and my selfe if I should shew you how Iewes and Christians haue lost themselues in such presumptuous contemplations But I rather chuse to impart vnto you the correspondency of the Gospel to the Law At the giuing of the Law there was Vox de coelo a voyce heard from Heauen so is there also at the deliuery of the Gospel that did containe a breife of the Law and this of the Gospel But there was moreouer this difference betweene the voyces the first was the voyce of Sinai the second the voyce of Sion De Baptismo Christs the first was a dreadfull but the second was a still voyce St. Cyprian concerning this second voyce mooueth this question Was there euer heard such a voyce before Whereunto the answere is ready certainely neuer so sweet so gracious a voyce you will confesse it when I haue shewed you whose and of whom the voyce was It was the voyce of GOD the FATHER Hoc non ego dico saith St. In c. 3. Lucae Ambrose when thou hearest these words This is my welbeloued Sonne c. know that it is not I who speake them to thee neither hath any man spoken them no nor GOD by an Angel or an Archangel Sed ab ipso Patre vox caelo demissa significauâ—t it is the FATHER himselfe that by a voyce doth notifie this vnto thee The Father I say for suppose by the Ministry of an Angel the voyce were framed yet certainely it was vttered in the Person of the FATHER Matth. 11. the Text doeth plainely intimate it in the words My Sonne But our Sauiour CHRIST doeth elsewhere confirme it with an vndeniable reason No man knoweth the Sonne but the Father and to St. Peter affirming Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Matth. 16. hee replieth Flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in Heauen Many testimonies went before concerning CHRIST of the Wisemen of the Shepheards of the Angels but none euer came neere this if we receiue the testimony of men of creatures the Testimony of GOD of the Creator is much greater What shall I say then to these things but onely exhort you in the Apostles words Heb. 12. See that you refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from Heauen especially when he vttereth so comfortable and gracious words as are those Thou art my Sonne Some difference there is betweene the Euangelists in relating the words some making GOD to speake vnto Christ some to the Hearers concerning CHRIST but the reconciliation is easie for euen when GOD bends his words to CHRIST his meaning is not to informe CHRIST of that which he already knoweth but to instruct vs in that which it is fit for vs to know as CHRIST elsewhere and in another case obserues This voyce came not because of mee but for your sakes so S. Austin doth well reconcile the Euangelists Iohn 12. But let vs come to the contents of the voyce Decensensu Euangâ—â—â—â— Iâ—b 2. cap. 4. That which the FATHER speaketh is concerning his Sonne he tells vs What hee is to Him what he doeth for vs first what he is to Him Filius and Dilectus his Sonne D. Baptis Christ â— and his Beloued Duo grata vocabula saith St. Cyprian two most contenting words specially if you adde the article to either of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Sonne is more then an ordinary Sonne and this Beloued is more then ordinarily beloued Tertullian de Trinit Looke vpon the words a sunder first the Sonne Christ was the Sonne of God two wayes considered Principalitas nominis Filij est in Spiritu Domini qui descendit the chiefe reason why Christ was called the Senne of God is because hee is God of God Light of Light begotten of his Father before all worlds but Sequela Nominis istius est in