Day Mat. 26.2 3.4 14. c. Counsell was taken against Him money was taken for Him Plots were laid to take Him So upon that Day He began to be taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Epiphanius He was taken Epiphan Compend fidei cap. 22. As good as taken away Then Vpon the Friday as we all know He was taken and taken away And therefore as for These two dayes sake the rest of these dayes were to be observed so These two Dayes were principally observed above the rest So that whereas before Daniels fast observed a Davids fast did serve viz. to eat nothing at all till Sunne went downe now on the Friday especially at Easter They did fast the fast of Esther Chap. 4.16 Neither to eat nor drinke * De triduano jejunio corum apertè S. Epiphanius compend fidei ca. 22. nisi quod de quorundā in quatriduum prorogato jejunio ibidem refert verba haec sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haec quippe specialis privata observatio erat quam sibi nonnulli è devotione privatâ injunxerunt Verum ut per triduum hoc jejunarent communiter omnes quantum potuerant sancitum ab Ecclesiâ Quod non obscurè Graecorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi supra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ab illo enim tempore novo jejunio indicto Parasceven Sabbatum sanctum integrum jejunii perstiterunt usque ad Galli cantum Vid. Concil in Trullo Can. 90. seu ut alii 89. Anastas Nicaen Quaest 77. fol. 98. Tom. 1. Bibliothec. PP Paris ubi ex constitutione Apostolicâ lib. 5. c. 17. Quem sanē locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecorum laudat ubi infra three dayes night nor day viz. all that time the Bridegroome remained thus taken away And now you see this Fast here was at the height Yet neverthelesse here was not all For besides as on the Sunday He arose that Day therefore giving all Christians the name and observation of a new and Christian Sabbath in solemnizing a new Lords day in memory of our joy for His Resurrection and now more glorious presence every first day of the weeke thorow the whole yeere so in like manner and from like beginning every fourth day that is our Wednesday and every sixth day that is our Friday were likewise by all * Scil. apud Graec. Orientales vol ipsis Pontificiis testibus inviolata adhuc etiam quartae feriae in jejuniis Manet observatio Sic enim Turrianus Qui enim isti dies sunt quibus ablatus fuit Nonnè quartâ feriâ sextâ quartâ enim factum est principium auferendi eum siquidem eo die facta est pactio à Iuda cum Iudaeis de prodendo Domino sextâ verè crucifixus est quibus diebus per omnes Ecclesias totius Orientis semper ab initio jejunatum est usque in hodiernum diem jejunatur sicut illis à sanctis Apostolis traditum est Turrian Apol. pro Pontif. Epist lib. 5. cap. 18. p. 594. Adest Praeceptum generale Apostolici conventus quantum ad praescriptionem temporis jejunii tà m in Quadragesimâ quà m in duabus feriis cujuscunque Hebdomadae quod usque in hodiernum diem tà m mordicùs tenent Orientales Christiani ut nec diem unum praetermittant non dico viri robusti sed etiam puellae adolescentes senes quotquot sunt firmae valetudinis Martinus Peresius de Traditionib De lejun part 3. p. 264. succeeding Generations observed with Fasting and mourning in Commemoration of the Bridegroomes taking away Thence because This week gave the name and order of dayes to all other weekes through the yeare the old order from the Creation in the Iewish Sabbath being now first changed as also because of the solemne fasting and prayer used thorow this whole weeke as lastly because of that great worke of our Redemption perfected therein and This command of our SAVIOUR then principally to be observed both in the changes of joy and sorrow This weeke was called by the Easterne and mother Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scilicet Magna Sancta Hebdomas ap Latin The great weeke The Latines successively calling it by the same name Neither was this a late invention of upstart and new fangled Popery which we may well call new it being as it differeth from ours most truly a Novelty and a Religion of yesterday's birth But this is most Ancient from the first beginning not grounded onely upon the Law of the Church but upon the Command of Christ Himselfe thus commanding That in those dayes when the Bridegroome c. That they so grounded this Fast so expounded this place for the East the Easterne and Mother Church her selfe is a witnes in her own most ancient Ordinall or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Sabba Typicū hoc Graecorum Orientalium ad finem ejusdem ubi de Ratione jejuniorum apud Graecos in Ecclesus receptorum agit inter caetera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haec etiam habet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et mox de feriâ quartâ sextâ per annum identidem observandis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Apostol Constitut Clem. l. 5. c. 17. 19. drawing it as from the Apostles so by them from the command of Christ Himselfe in this place Locus illustris est admodum S. Epiphanii Compend fidei cap. 22. verba haec sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et mox Rationem jejuniorum in Ecclesiâ omnium pulcherrimè subjungit his verbis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et mox etiam subnectir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide locum Et in Aërii Haeres 75. cap. 6. his verbis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphanius also within foure hundred yeares after our blessed SAVIOUR plainly telleth us that all Christians through the whole world did observe These dayes Fast and grounded it upon this Command of our Saviour in this very place For the Latine and Westerne Church a Tertullianus jam Montani partes agens adversus Psychicos Orthodoxos scil lib. de jejunio cap. 2. v. h. Certè in Evangelio illos dies jejuniis determinatos putant in quibus ablatus est sponsus hos esse jam solos legitimos jejuniorum Christianorum abolitis legalibus Propheticis vetustatibus Vid. eundem cap. 14. Tertullian within two hundred yeares after the Bridegroome as also b S. Augustin Epist 86. ad Casulan Presbyter propè ad finem Epistolae verbis his Cur autem quartâ sexta feriâ maximè jejunet Ecclesia illa Ratio reddi videtur quòd considerato Evangelio ipsâ quartâ Sabbati quam vulgò quartam feriam vocant consilium reperiuntur ad occidendum Dominum fecisse Iudaei c. Vide locum S. Augustine in his 86. Epistle to Casulanus Both of them shewing That these Fasts are plainely grounded upon this Command of our Saviour and that all Christians
the Iewes will not heare who will not know that they do evill as also 2 to beware of their folly and disobedience by their fall and punishment Both are here set downe in the Text 1. Their wilfull errour 2. Their shamefull punishment In the Errour we consider 1. The Persons They are meere fooles 2. Their Number they are many 1 Because a whole Nation many Nations many Generations 2 Many Fooles because many wayes fooles fooles in entring fooles in hearing fooles in praying fooles in sacrificing and offering every way any way fooles 3. The Reason of this folly Faciunt malum They do that which is evill 4. The Ground of this reason 1 Privative their Ignorance their wilfull ignorance Nesciunt They know not they will not know nor consider that they doe evill 2 Positive their ill performance They doe but Dare sacrificium they doe not offer they will not they doe but Give Sacrifice This is their errour their folly And to this their sin their punishment as Iustice requires is answerable 1 They will be fooles and therefore they shall be fooles they will not heare GODS Prophet and therefore GOD bids his Prophet Esay 6.9 Esay 6.9.10 Go tell this people Heare ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavie and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and bee healed As they will not heare the Son of God so they shall not heare the Son of God Therefore saith our Saviour speake I unto them in Parables because they seeing see not and hearing they heare not nor understand Mat. 13.13 Mat. 13.13 Mark 4.12 Mark 4.12 c. Luke 8.10 Iohn 12.40 2 As they did reject the Word of God by his Apostles so God by his Apostles did reject them Paul and Barnabas Acts 13.46.28.27.28 Acts 28.27 28. to the Iewes at Antioch it was necessary that the word of God should first have beene spoken unto you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turne unto the Gentiles and Acts 28. the Apostle Saint Paul repeating the Prophet Esay's words to other Iewes at Rome tels them plainly the cause Therefore be this knowne unto you that will know nothing else that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and they will heare it Mark they will heare it God grant we may Take thou heed how thou entrest take heed how thou hearest c. As for them they are fooles I have nothing to do with them only take thou heed 3 As they will not know GOD so GOD will not know them he turneth his back upon them though he speak of them yet he will not so much as once speake to them he speaketh to another only of them Luke 12.20 as of the Rich man Luke 12. that he is a Foole Luke 16.19 or of the other Luke the 16. that he was a Glutton or as of the Pharisees that they were Vipers Mat. 3.7 Mat. 3.7 4 As they loved darknesse rather than light so they shall have darknesse for light Aegyptian darknesse here everlasting endlesse utter darknesse hereafter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 22.13 1 They wil not know what to do as they shold do 2 Though they do know yet they know not to do it 3 They do evill because they know not what it is to doe it namely how fearefull a thing it is how their wilfull ignorance draweth on wofull vengeance their evil of sin is accompanied with the evil of punishment their evill doing with evill suffering 5 For one more punishment is there in this Text that though their name be forgotten their memory as their bodies rotten yet it shall alwayes be remembred as by God to reward them so by us to beware by them it must never be forgotten that they have done evill This must stand like Lots Wives Pillar or Sodomes ashes to teach us that come after that we should not be as they were fooles that we must not do as they did evill Ierusalems destruction and the Iewes dispersion over the face of the earth amongst us Gentiles must warne all the Gentiles must teach thee how thou must enter into the House of God how thou must heare the Word of God how thou must call on the Name of God In the Name of God beloved let that voice of the Holy Ghost in the 95. Psalme Psal 95.7 Heb. 3.7 be written upon the doore-posts of our hearts never to be forgotten To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts Vers 7 8 9 as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the Wildernesse when your Fathers tempted me and proved me and saw my workes And as in my Text so there 10. their folly is recorded Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation and said It is a people that doe erre in their hearts they have not knowne my wayes 11. And their punishment Wherefore I sware in my wrath they should not enter into my rest This story the Apostle alluding to 1 Cor. 10.11 1 Cor. 10. tels us It was written for our admonition And more plainely in the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 3. repeating this Psalme where this story is written applyeth it to the Christian Church whence this Psalme in the Church of God hath beene used by the Church of God in all ages Psal 25. for an Introit Psalme to put us in mind 1 how we should enter into the House of God in the 6. Vers O come let us c. 2 How we should offer Vers 1. O come let us sing unto the Lord Let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and shew our selves glad in him with Psalmes for the Lord our God is a great God c. 3 How we should heare and come neere to heare Vers 7 8. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts c. The Text agreeth with the Psalme Both of them teaching us our duty First by Precept for entring hearing and offering Secondly by the contrary Errour that they do erre in their hearts and are but fooles that do otherwise Thirdly by the fearefull punishment that followeth their folly Heb. 3.18 They shall not enter into his rest they shall bee as they will be fooles GOD will not know them that will not know him They shall not enter into GODS joy and rest who are so carelesse to enter into GODS House so carelesse of their behaviour in Gods House And indeed both the Manner and Order The Division to be used in Gods divine service and worship is here set downe 1 The Manner 1 how we must enter 2 how we must heare 3 how we must offer and 4 how wee must come
by the ministration of this Word but three yeeres ond an halfe so long at the most he preached but by his Priestly Office he continueth a Priest for ever and being our Mediatour and everlasting Advocate sits at the right-hand of the Father by prayer still making intercession for us 1 Iohn 2.1 1 Iohn 2.1 2. Thus highly is this Duty exalted so highly preferred not onely by his Apostles on earth and Saints in Heaven but also by Christ himselfe that with him it is set downe at the right-hand of God the Father Give me leave a little Beloved I see I cannot touch the last string the third point this their pious resolution Yet by your patience I must note one more preheminence of prayer in this word here in my Text and therewith as briefly as I may conclude for all our Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is worth our observing that though here it may seeme indifferently referred to these two prayer and the ministration of the word yet elsewhere almost ever most constantly it is appropriate to prayer as most peculiar to it and the duty by it made most truly and properly * Propriè Sacerdotum est invocate Dominū Quibus dicitur Sic benedicite filiis Israel invocantes nomen meum super illos S. Hieron in Commentar in Epist prim ad Corinth cap. 1. ours For besides the forecited places Acts 1. vers 14. Acts 2. vers 42. 46. Ephes 6. vers 18. c. we have it also Rom. 12. vers 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Continuing instant in prayer And againe Col. 4. vers 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Continue in prayer The Syriack most ancient Interpreter doth constantly also retaine in all those places one and the same word viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man signifying to be true firme constant and continuall whence the closure of their and all our prayers Amen as teaching us in our prayers to persevere with many such and that such devotion which is constant is only true Three properties of our prayers in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Vulgar Latine reade it Instantes others Perdurantes some Assidui and sometime Perseverantes noting at the least three properties of our prayers that we may truly performe what is here in this word and duty injoyned 1 Property Assiduum esse First that prayer should not only be the worke of one day only the Lords day but even the daily worke of every day That not onely in private which is the act of private faith but in publike which is the act and exercise of common and generall love as the meanes also for uniting mens mindes in common there should be publike prayers of all and GOD the GOD of all be prayed to and praised of all Exod. 29.38 That as every morning and evening there was a publike Sacrifice offered up unto GOD under the Law and on their Sabbath a double one so also there might not be lesse done by us who owe as much and have received more more grace more ample promises more full performance more heavenly benefits even Christ himselfe and with him what heart or tongue can wish That daily and duly we should offer up this Sacrifice if not thrice each day as did David and Daniel yet twice at least as did GODS people then To make it the Key of the morning the Lock of the evening to enter on everything with it and not passe out without it To rise with it to lye downe and sleepe by it That seeing we can doe nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Heathen speake without Gods speciall helpe we may by prayer call at all times for it and not only aske of him our daily bread but the blessing of it grace upon us and upon our actions there and the Crowne of glory hereafter Secondly that we should as doe it continually 2 Property Perseverare every day twice each day so then not so chop it up or make hunting Masse but persevere abide and continue at it at least continue sometime in it Sic enim amat exorari Deus For thus will God be entreated of us namely Luke 18.3 c. 11.5 c. as did the Widow importune the unjust Iudge the friend in the Gospell his friend Mat. 15.22 the woman of Canaan our blessed Lord and Saviour Or as beggars doe with us at our owne doores forcing that oft-times from us which else perhaps wee would not so readily bestow upon them We know the Proverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beggars as they will take no nay so though obtaining they will not lightly be so satisfied as ready to aske againe as if they had never received Such and so long continued requests shew a true and longing desire whereas a fearefull or faint Petition carries its deniall with it Of all other vertues and good actions perseverance is the Crowne but in prayer it is the beginning foundation and perfection of them all This we must minde continually that we may be able to continue in GODS grace and favour yea even when publikely in the Church we can no longer than in private to do it shutting our doore upon us Mat. 6.6 and when wee may or can no longer with our voice yet then to doe it with our heart Exod. 14.15 1 Sam. 1.13 as Moses and Hannah did Sursum corda even then to lift up our hearts Thus alwayes to doe it for our selves for our people for all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.8 saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. In every place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On every occasion Epes 6.18 Ephes 6.18 Yea even in our sleepe if I may so say not ceasing from this work when we cease from al things else And good reason for it S. Hieron Ep. 22. ad Eustoch c. 16. Quonquam Apostolus orare nos semper jubeat sanctis etiam ipse sit somnus oratio c. For even the sleepe of the Saints according to S. Hierome should be nought else but prayer And truly such for the most part are our night-thoughts on our bed as are our more frequent studies on the day time Yea saith the same Father and as his counsell to Eustochium so was it the practice of many then Noctibus bis terque surgendum Cedat somnus ut succedat oratio It being a duty of this Text and word And The third I but briefly note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Property Perdurare Perdurare No perseverance in prayer if no suffering The word here hath a speciall Emphasis this way comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strength as imploying our utmost force and strength namely As to continue and persevere in our Prayers so to put to all our vigour to continue as did David Daniel and all holy men mourning and afflicting our selves in our Prayers that obtaining Grace and Mercy from God we may be comforted