better because the more likely the later the worse because the lesse certaine That time more then a moment But when we speake of the present we shutt it not up in ipso nunc in a day or two or three Fruicts require a time to bring them forth who ever heard of fruicts brought forth on a sodaine Saw ever any man such a thing It is Esai Shall the tree bring Esa. 66.8 or the fruict be brought forth at once A gourd or a mushrome may shoot up in a night So cannot fruict It askes time I take it to be an error and that of dangerous consequence teaching repentance to thinke it a matter of no more moment then to be be dispatched in a moment Commonly our repentance is too soone done Application to Lent Apoc. 2.21 Ion. 3.4 GOD knew it well and therfore He allowes a time for it Ecce dedi ei tempus saith He to the Church of Thyatira He gave a time to repent to bring forth these fruicts What time might that be He never gave certaine time but to Ninive and that was fourty dayes You know where we are now and what that meanes We are not against allowance of time so it be not to slippe the collar to be still uncertaine Act. 24.25 But I like not his saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea when I finde a convenient time then He that sayd it never found it had it then never found it after But if we meane as we say would do it at a convenient time we cannot find so convenient a time as this Take it first as the time of the Fast that time may seem to claym a property in it Levit. 16.29 They goe alwaies togither In the Law their solemne repentance was ever at the time of their generall Fast. In the Prophetts Ioel tells us the best turning to GOD that is Ioel. 2.12 repentance is cum jejunio They that had not the Lawe at Ninive Nature it selfe taught them to doe it fasting Ion. 3.5 when they tooke this fruict to tast nothing In the Gospell Iohn Baptist the Preacher of repentance came neither eating nor drinking And our SAVIOVR though He did both yet this fast He kept Chap. 11.18 Ioh. 13.15 though not for any need He had of it Himselfe but as in other for Exemplum dedi vobis to give us an example and to point us that had need what time to doe it in Which hath ever since from yeare to yeare been religiously observed both as a time of publique penance and as time of Generall abstinence in the Church of CHRIST Convenient for the time of Fast. Psal. 1. â— And convenient for the time of the yeare For if it will be the tree in the I. Psalm to bring forth fruict in due season this way it fits our turne that season is at this season It is now tempus proferendi when can we better say Proferte fructus igitur You can never bring forth â—t a better time The season is now come and bringing forth will shortly be in season of which the Poet saith Nuâ—c omnis ager nunc omniâ— parturit arbos when the trees will fall in traevaile and they and the earth both make proffer toward and give pledges in their budds and blossomes of fruict that is comming and will follow in duâ— time We are made these offers choose which we will If we will keepe time with the heavens Now the heavens returne againe to their first degree It is turning time in heaven Chap. 6.26 If with the foules of heaven and then CHRIST bidds us looke to they know their times just and just at this time make their returne the poor swallowes and all And so let us that the prophet Ieremie upbrayd us not with them So Ier. 8.7 whither we will goe by heaven and the foules of heaven or by earth and the fâ—uicts of the earth they all invite us to the dispensation of this season Yea if we will give our soules leave to keepe time with our bodies the time we take physique for one may be if we wil allowed in like sort for the other The opening of the yeare for both Equall need is of both if any odds on the soule 's side Nay it hath so fallen out that Repentance Fasting and the very Season of the yeare for the most part hitt togither That of Ninive the most famous by the springing up of Iona's gourd we may ghesse what time it was we know what time it is when gourds spring And for our SAVIOVR CHRIST's if we will take up His time it is supposed He layd His also much about this time For when the people were baptized then was CHRIST also with them as Saint Luke saith Luc 3.21.4.1 And immediately after His Baptisme He was carried away into the wildernesse and there began His fourty dayes fast Exemplum dedi vobis A paterne for us both for our fast and for our time of it It is true the solemne fast in the Law was in Tisri which answers our September But then take this withall when it was so in Tisri Tisri was with them their first moneth So they also began their repentance with the beginning of the yeare And take this besides that in that first moneth the trumpetts first blast of all was to assemble them to their Kipher their great Repentance day That was their first worke of all Now I shall tell you how it was Between the Fast and the Sabboth it is well knowen there was neer allyance insomuch as the Fast is called a Sabboth and both are said to be sanctified Sanctifie a fast as well as Sanctifie the Sabboth Ioel. 2.15 Their Sabboth was the seaventh day their Fast was the seaventh moneth And it may well be thought by whom and when the Sabboth was removed from the seaventh day to the first by the same persons and at the same time was the Fast removed from the seaventh moneth to the first from Tisri to Nisan the first moneth of all Now Nisan is also called Abib of the first bringing forth fruicts in it Now in Nisan was the time when their Paschall Lambe was slaine and eaten The same is also the time of the killing of ours of Saint Iohn Baptist's Lambe Ioh. 1.29 1. Cor. 5.7 the Lambe of GOD when CHRIST our Passover was offered Offered for us in Sacrifice Offered to us in Sacrament to whom Saint Iohn Baptist will point us to take speciall notice of Him and of His time both And we now at this time to sett those sowre hearbes and see them come up Exod. 12.8 wherewith the Passover is to be eaten which are nothing els but these fruicts of repentance Now to sett them that then we may gather them to serve us for saulse to the Paschall Lambe Thus every way we may say with the Apostle Ecce c. 2. Cor 6.2 Behold this is the due season Behold
asketh S. Philip I pray thee Of whom speaketh the Prophet this Act 8 3â— of himselfe or some other A question verie materiall and to great good purpose and to be asked by us in all Propheciâ—s For knowing who the Partie is we shall not wander in the Propheâ—'s meaning Now if the Eunuch had been reading this of Zâ—â—hâ—rie as then he was that of Esai and had asked the same question of S. Philip he would have made the same answere And as he out of those words tooke occasion so may we out of these take the like to preach IESVS unto them For neither of himselfe nor of any other but of IESVS speaketh the Prophet this and the testimonie of IESVS is the Spirit of this Prophecie Apoâ— 1â— â—â— That so it is the Holy Ghost is our warrant who in S. Iohn's Gospell reporting the Passion and the last act of the Passion this opening of the side and piercing the heart of our Saviour CHRIST saith plainly that in the piercing the very words of the Prophecie were fulfilled Respicient in me quem transfixerunt Ioh. 19.37 Which terme of piercing we shall the more clearely conceive if with the ancient Writers we sort it with the beginning of Psalme 22 the Psalme of the Passion For in the verie front or inscription of this Psalme our Saviour CHRIST is compared Cervo matutino to the morning Hart that is a Hart rowsed early in the morning as from his very birth he was by Herod hunted and chased all his life long and this day brought to his end and as the poore Deere stricken and pierced thorough side heart and all which is it we are here willed to behold There is no part of the whole course of our Saviour CHRIST 's life or death but it is well worthy our looking on and from each part in it there goeth vertue to do us good But of all other parts and above them all this last part of his piercing is here commended unto our view Indeed how could the Prophet commend it more then in avowing it to be an act of grace as in the fore-part of this Verse he doth Effundam super eos spiritum Gratiae respicient c as if he should say If there be any grace in us we will thinke it worth the looking on Neither doth the Prophet onely but the Apostle also call us unto it Heb. 12.2 and willeth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to looke unto and regard IESVS the Author and Finisher of our faith Then specially and in that act when for the Ioy of our Salvation set before Him He endured the Crosse and despised the shame that is in this spectacle when He was pierced Which surely is continually all our life long to be done by us and at all times some time to be spared unto it But if at other times most requisite at this time this very day which we hold holy to the memorie of his Passion and the piercing of His precious side That though on other dayes we employ our eyes otherwise this day at least we fixe them on this object Respiciâ—ntes in Eum. This day I say which is dedicated to none other end â— Ioh. 3.14 but even to lift up the Sonne of man as Moses did the serpent in the wildernesse that we may looke upon Him and live When every Scripture that is read soundeth nothing but this unto us when by the office of preaching IESVS CHRIST is lively described in our sight and as the Apostle speaketh is visibly crucified among us Gal. 3.1 when in the memoriall of the holy Sacrament His death is shewed forth untill He come 1. Coâ—â—1 26. and the mysterie of this His piercing so many waies so effectually represented before us This Prophecie therfore if at any time at this time to take place Respicient in Me c. The Division The principall words are but two and set downe unto us in two points 1 The sight it selfe that is the thing to be seene 2 and the sight of it that is the act of seeing or looking Quem transfixerunt is the Object or spectacle propounded Respicient in Eum is the Act or duety enjoined Of which the Obiect though in place latter in nature is the former and first to be handled for that there must be a thing first set up before we can set our eyes to looke upon it OF the Object generally first Certaine it is I. The sight or obiect generally 1. CHRIST that CHRIST is here meant Saint Iohn hath put us out of doubt for that point And Zacharie here could have set downe His name and said Respice in Christum for Daniel before had named his name Dan. 9 26. Occidetur MESSIAS and Zacharie being after him in time might have easily repeated it But it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to Him rather to use a circumlocution and suppressing His name of CHRIST to expresse Him by the stile or terme Quem transfixerunt Which being done by choise must needes have a reason of the doing and so it hath First the better to specifie and particularize the Person of CHRIST by the kind and most peculiar circumstance of his death Esay had said Morietur Dye He shall and lay downe His soule an offering for sinne Esa. 53.10 2. Die but what Death a naturall or a violent Daniel tells us Dan 9.26 Occîdetur He shall die not a naturall but a violent death 3 But many are slaine after many sorts and divers kinds there be of violent deaths The Psalmist the more particularly to set it downe describeth it thus Psal. 22.10 They pierced my hands and my feet which is onely proper to the death of the Crosse. 4 Die and be slaine and be crucified But sundry els were crucified and therefore the Prophet heere to make up all addeth that he should not onely be crucifixus but transfixus not onely have his hands and his feet but even his heart pierced too Which very note severs Him from all the rest with as great a particularitie as may be for that though many besides at other times and some at the same time with Him were crucified yet the side and the heart of none was opened but His and His onely 2. Secondly as to specifie CHRIST himselfe in person and to sever him from the rest so in CHRIST himselfe and in his Person 2. CHRIST pierced to sever from the rest of his doings and sufferings what that is that chiefly concerneth us and we specially are to looke to and that is this daies worke CHRIST PIERCED S. Paul doth best expresse this I esteemed saith he to know nothing among you save IESVS CHRIST and Him crucified That is the perfection of our knowledge is CHRIST 1. Cor. 2. â— The perfection of our knowledge in or touching CHRIST is the knowledge of Christ's piercing This is the chiefe Sight Nay as it shall after appeare in this sight
the first thing they doe they aske her why she wept so Both of them begin with that question And in this is love For if when CHRIST stood at Lazarus's grâ—ve's side and wept 〈◊〉 11 3â— the Iewes said See how He loved him may not we say the very â—â—me when Marie stood at Christ's grave and wept See how she loved Him Whose â—resence she wished for His misse she 〈◊〉 for whom she dearely loved while she 〈…〉 Amor amarè flens Love running downe the checâ—es The fourth in these And as she wept she stouped and looked in ever and anon That is she did so weepâ— as she did seeke withall Weeping without seeking is but to small purpose But her weeping hindred not her seeking Her sorrow dulled not her diligence And diligence is a character of love comes from the same roote 〈…〉 Amor diligentiam diligens To seeke is one thing not to giver over seeking is another For I aske why should she now looke in Peter and Iohn had looked there before nay beene in 〈…〉 makes no matter she will not trust Peter's eyes nor Iohn's neithe◠〈◊〉 she her selfe had before this 〈…〉 looked in too No force she will not 〈…〉 will suspect her owne eyes she will rather thinke she looked not well befoâ—e thâ—â— leave of her looking It is not enough for love to looke in once Thus we use this is our manner when we seeke a thing seriously where we have sought already there to seeke againe thinking we did it not well but if we now looke againe better we shall surely finde it then Amor quaerens ubi quaesivit Love that never thinkes it hath looked enough These five And by these five we may take measure of our love and of the true multum of it Vt profit nobis ejus stare ejus plâ—rare quaerere saith Origen that her standing her weeâ—ing and seeking we may take some good by them I doubt ouâ—s will fall short Stay by Him alive that we can juxta mensam but juxâ—a monumentum who takes up his standing there And our love it is drie-eyed it cannot weept it is stiff ioynted it cannot stoupe to seeke If it doe and we hit not on Him at first away we goe with Peter and Iohn we stay it not out with Marie Magdalen A signe our love is little and light and our seeking sutable and so it is without successe We finde not Christ no mervaile but seeke Him as she sought Him and we shall speede as she sped VER 12. And saw two Angells in white sitting the one at the head the other at the feete where the bodie of Iesus had lien For what came of this Thus staying by it and thus looking in againe and again though she saw not Christ at first she sees His Angells For so it pleased Christ to come by degrees His Angells before Him And it is no vulgar honour this to see but an Angels what would one of us give to see but the like sight We are now at the Angell's Part. Their appearing in this verse There are foure poiâ—ts in it 1 Their place 2 Their habit 3 Their site 4 and their order 1 Place in the 〈…〉 2 Habit in white 3 siâ—e they were sitting 4 and their order in sitting one at the head the other at the feete The Place In the grave she saw them and Angells in a grave is a strange sight a sight never seen before not till Christ's body had beene there never till this day this the first newes of Angells in that place For a grave is no place for Angells one would thinke for wormes rather Blessed Angells not but in a blessed place But since CHRIST lay there that place is blessed There was a voice heard from heaven Rev. 14 13â— Psal. 116.15 Blessed be the dead Precious the death Glorious the memorie now of them that 〈◊〉 in the Lord. And even this that the Angells disdained not now to come thitheâ— and to sit there is an â—â—spicium of a great change to ensue in the state of that plâ—ce Quid gloriosiâ—s Angelo quid vilius vermiculo saith Augustine Qui fuis 〈◊〉 locus est Angelâ—rum That which was the place for wormes is become a place for Angells 〈◊〉 Habit In white So were there diverse of them diverse times this day 〈…〉 white all in that colour It seemes to be their Easter day colour for at 〈…〉 they all doe their service in it Their Easter day colour for it is the 〈…〉 Resurrection The state whereof when Christ would represent vpon the 〈…〉 His raiment was all white no Fuller in the earth could come neer it And 〈…〉 it shal be when rising againe we shall walke in white robes and follow the Lambe whither soever He goeth Revel 7.9 Heâ—â—en mourned on Good-fryday the Eclipse made all then in blacke Easter day â—â—eioiceth Heaven and Angells all in white Salomon tells us it is the 〈…〉 And that is the state of ioy Eccles. 9 8. and this the day of the first ioyfull 〈◊〉 of it with ioy ever celebrated even in albis eight daies togither by them thâ—â— found CHRIST In white and sitting As the colour of ioy so the situation of rest So we sâ—y sit downe and rest And so is the grave made by this morning's worke a place of rest Rest not from our labours onely so doe the beasts rest when they â—he But as it is in the XVI Psalme a Psalme of the resurrection a rest in hope Psal. 16.9 hope of rising againe the members in the vertue of their head who this day is risen So to enter into the rest which yet remaineth for the people of GOD Heb. 4.9 even the Sabbath eternall Sitting and in this order sitting at the head one at the feete another where His bodie had lien 1. Which order may well referre to CHRIST Himselfe whose body was the true Arke indeed In which it pleased the GOD head to dwell bodily Col. 2.9 and is thereâ—ore heere between two Angells Exod. 25.19 as was the Arke the type of it between the two Cherubims 2. May also referr to Marie Magdalen She had annointed His head she had annointed His feete at these two places sit the two Angells Mat. 26 7. Ioh. 11.3 as it were to acknowledge so much for her sake 3. In mysterie they referr it thus Because Caput Christi Deus 1. Cor 11.3 Gen. 3.15 the God-head is the head of CHRIST and His feete which the Serpent did bruise His manhood that either of these hath his Angell That to Christ man no lesse then to Christ God the Angells doe now their service In principio erat verbum His God-head there an Angell Verbum caro factum His man-hood there another Heb. 1.6 And let all the Angells of God worship Him in both Even in His man-hood at His cradle the head of it a queer of Angells at His grave the feete of it Angells
els we forfeit our estate in the promise If we be to be releeved it is by the word Mea that they be His. And some alteration there is plainely in them by Him and His comming It is not said for nought and that by way of opposition that the Law came by Moses but grace came by Him and grace for grace that is not onely grace active which we receive Ioh. 1.17.16 which releeveth us in the keeping them but grace passive too which we finde with Him which releeves in abating the rigor when we are called to accompt about them You shall finde an alteration in this very point The Apostles would not presse the Gentiles to be circumcised being circumcised Saint Paul testifieth they become debters Gal. 5.3 Act. 15.10 to keepe the whole Law A yoke saith Saint Peter that neither they the Apostles nor their fathers were hable to beare it was so heavy This as they came by Moses But after CHRIST with His grace came and His grace with Him when they came to be His Mandata Ejus saith Saint Iohn gravia non sunt they are not heavy And himselfe that best knew the peize of it saith plainely of His yoke that it is easy 1. Ioh. 5.3 and it were hard to gaine say Him This qualifying then groweth two waies 1. One that the Law at the very giving it by Angels was saith Saint Paul ordinata in manu Mediatoris Gal. 3.19 ordeined to be in the Mediator's hand that is CHRIST whose hands are not so heavy as Mose's were 2. The other that Pater omne judicium dedit Filio saith himselfe His Father hath made Him Iudge of the keeping or not keeping them All judiciall power and proceeding concerning them is committed over to Him By the first that they are ordained to be in His hand He may take them into His hands when He will and having them in His hands order them and ease them as pleaseth Him Lex in manu Mediatoris is it we must hold by If a bruise in the reed Moses would breake it quite If the flex smoake â—nd flame not out he would quench it streight So will not He His hand will not breake the one nor his foot tread on the other To Marie Magdalen He ordained that fecit quod potuit should serve and He would require no more Credo Domine adjuva incredulitatem meam I beleeve LORD helpe my unbeliefe a beliefe mixed with unbeliefe would never have endured Mose's assay In manu Mediatoris it did well enough Thus He ordeineth He that neither doth them nor prepareth himselfe Non fecit neque praeparavit Luk. 12. he shall be punished But if he prepare stirr up himselfe have a care a respect unto them that it seemeth in manu Mediatoris will be taken 2. Cor. 8.12 That if there be saith the Apostle prompta voluntas a ready will a man shall be accepted according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not For the Mediator is man Heb. 4.15 5.2 and hath had experience of man's infirmities He knoweth our metall and our mold and what our condition will beare He knoweth there is that conflict in us we cannot doe what we would And indeed why should concupiscence to evill be reputed sinne on the worse part and a like desire concupivi desiderare mandata tua not be as well reckoned Psal. 119 4â— for as much on the better part though it be not full out according to the purification of the Sanctuarie Thus as in His hands ordained Then againe as in His Court to be judged For the Court may alter the matter much as with us heere it doth Sedens in felio justitiae as to some in His tribunall seat and strict justice there sitting sentence will proceed otherwise then Si adeamus â—bronum gratiae if we have accesse to Him in his throne of grace Heb. 4. vlt. Iam. 2.13 where we may obteine mercie and finde grace And S. Iames brings us good tydings that Super-exaltat c the throne of grace is the Higher Couâ—t and so an Appeale lieth thither to whom he will admit To cruell men saith He there shall be judgement without mercie which sheweth judgement with mercie shall be to some other to whom He will vouchsafe it And thus it must stand upon Mea and manu Mediatoris and the throne of grace or els even those heere the Apostles it will go wrong with them they will hardly be releeved in their claime of a Comforter For within twentie foure houres and lesse it came indeed to an If their love They loved Him not so well but they loved their owne safety better fell away and fledd away and denied Him even he that said he loved Him best Matt. 26.33.69 And what kept they His Commandements Sinned they not In multis omnes faith Saint Iames in many things Iam. 3.2 all and if they should say otherwise saith Saint Iohn that they had no sinne not they were somwhat proud and there were no humilitie 1. Ioh. 1.8 but they were very liers and there were no truth in them So that keeping the Commandements and having of sinne must stand together or els they kept them not But this they kept and so may we too they were troubled their hearts were troubled for not keeping them and at the throne of grace that was accepted and the not keeping not reckoned a breach of the Commandement if we be troubled for it Againe as well saith Saint Augustine Amongst His Commandements this is one which we must not faile duely to keepe and that is the Commandement of daily praying Dimitte nobis forgive us our not keeping which helpes all the rest We keepe Lord helpe our not keeping Mar. 9.24 as well as I beleeve Lord helpe my unbeliefe A true endeavour with an humble repentance for so he resolves and then Omnia mandata facta deputantur quando quod non fit ignoscitur All are accounted as kept when what is not is pardoned out of His mercie and so the rest rewarded out of His bounty that alloweth a daye 's wages for an houre 's worke Matt. 20.6 as to them that came at the eleventh houre to the vineyard that is at five of the clocke after noon This will it be with us in hope Thus was it with them For the Covenant held and the Prayer went forward and the Comforter came notwithstanding II. The Covenant Now to CHRIST 's part Rogabo Patrâ—m dabit that CHRIST will pray and His Father give And there is nothing more effectually sheweth they were short in their Condition then these two words 1 Rogabo and 2 Dabit The Father shall give It is his free gift not due debt upon desert of the former And Dabit Roganti give it to Christ's prayer rather for Rogation weeke's sake with Him then for any worke of Supererogation with them But it commeth from GOD 's bounty and Christ's
works Psalme 91.13 Psalme 110.1 with Super Aspidem et Basiliscum to tread upon them to make His enemies His footstoole and so a Super Over them too And now we have set Mercie in her Chariot of triumph In which if ever she sate IIII. The Super of our Duety she sate in the Super omnia of this Day Let us now come to the last Super the Super of â—â—ety remaining upon the head of all God's works for His mercie over them all but â—mong them all and above them all upon our heads if it were but for the sovereigne Mercie of this Day what we are in Super to GOD for it The Super upon all GOD 's works followes in the words next ensuing From his works a Verse 10. Confiteantur Are His mercies over all his works Why then b Verse 21. O all ye works of the Lord all flesh Psal. 150.6 every thing that hath breath but chiefly his chiefe worke the sonns of men d Psal. 117.1 the nations and the kindreds of the earth come all to confession all ow this to confesse at least Confesse what Nothing but mercie and the Super of the Mercie Nothing but that it is as it is do but as God doth exalt it place it where He setts it Let the deep say it is over me and the drie land say it is over me and so of the rest every one so many works so many confessions There is a further Super upon His Saints they owe more to Him then His ordinarie works His works but to confesse His Saints to confesse and blesse both From his Sainâ—s Verse 10. Psal. 65.1 They are double works needle-worke on both sides more becomes them Te decet hymnus in Sion Both to confesse it is above all and to blesse and praise it above all For if it be above all it followes more praise is to come to Him for it then for all If Mercie above all the praise of His mercie above the praises of all There is a further Super yet upon us that have found and felt the Super of it From Vt. the Non taliter say I above works and Saints both All are bound but we that are heer suâ—er omnes more then all we We that should have been Martyrs of Satan's crueltie it stands us in hand to be Confessors of God's Mercie as to which we owe even our selves our selves and our safetie safetie of soules and bodies every one of us Then let the King Queen and Prince let all the three Estates let the whole Land delivered by it from a Chaos of confusion let our soules which he hath held in life let our bodies which He hath kept together from flying in pieces let all think on it think how to thank him for it say and sing and celebrate it above all We above all for it above all For if ever Mercie were over worke of His if ever Worke of His under it directly it was so over us and we so under it this Day If ever of any it might be avowed or to any applied If ever any might rightly and truely upon good and just cause say or sing this verse we of this land may do both It will fitt out mouthes best best become us For such a Worke did He shew on us this Day as if Mercie have a Super omnia of other this may claime a Super omnia of it of Mercie it selfe His Mercie is not so high â—bove the rest of His works as this Daye 's Worke high above the works of it That supreme to all this supreme to it Mercie in it even above it selfe We then that have had such a Super in this Super we of all others nay more then 〈◊〉 others to have it yet more specially recommended A bare confession will not sâ—rve but the highest confession of all to take the Oath of the Supremaciâ— of it We if â—ver any to say it and sweare it if it had not been in sovereigne manner over some of His works that is our selves we had beene full low yet this infra infimâ—s beneath under all his workes not now above ground to speake and to heare of this theme Let it then claime the supremacie in our Confiteantur and in our Benedicant both â—bove works Saints and all And that not mentally or verbally alone in heart â—o to hold and in tongue so to report it but which is worth all really in worke so to eâ—presse it I meane as our thanks for His mercie above all our thanks so our works of Mercie above all our works But be they so His are so are ours I would to God â— could say they were but sure they are not His mercie above all his works With 〈◊〉 in this point it is cleane contrarie all our works above our mercie The least the last the lowest part of our workes are our workes of mercie the fewest in number the poorest in value the slightest in regard Indeed infra omnia with us they But sure GOD in thus setting it above all his workes sheweth He would have it with us so too That which is Super omnia Ejus to be Super omnia nostra as above all His so above all ours likewise And CHRIST our SAVIOVR would have it so His Estote Luc. 6.36 is Estote misericordes and how not barely Estote but Estote sicut Pater vester coelestis Mercifull as He. And how is He So as with Him it is above all To imitate Him then in this let it be highest with us as with Him it is highest Sure we are not right till it be with us so too As in GOD 's so in ours above ours above them all That so it may have the Supremacie in Confiteantur in Benedicant in praise â—nd thankes in words and workes and all To sett of the Super of this day then and to conclude If the generalitie of His works confesse Him for theirs and the specialitie of his Saints blesse Him for theirs what are we to doe how to confesse how to blesse for the singular Mercie of this Day and let all others goe Psal. 71.8 Sure our mouthes to be filled with praise as the Sea and our voice in sounding it out as the noise of his waves and we to cover the heavens with praise as with clouds for it But we are not able to praise Thee ô Lord or to extoll thy Name for one of a thousand Nay not for one of the many millions of the great Mercies which thou hast shewed upon us and upon our children How often hast thou ridd us from Plague freed us from Famine saved us from the Sword from our enemies compassing us round from the Fleet that came to make us no more a people Even before this Day we now hold before it and since it have not Thy compassions withdrawen themselves from us But this Day this Day above all daies have they shewed it Super omnia
XCVI SERMONS BY THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND REVEREND FATHER JN GOD LANCELOT ANDREWES late Lord Bishop of Winchester Published by His MAJESTIES speciall Command ANCHORA SPEI LONDON ⧠Printed by George Miller for Richard Badger MDCXXIX TO HIS MOST SACRED MAIESTIE CHARLES By the grace of GOD KING of Great Britaine France and Jreland DEFENDER OF THE FAITH c. Most Gracious and Dread SOVERAIGNE WE here present to Your most Sacred Majestie a booke of Sermons We need not tell whose they are the Sermons are able to speake their Author When the Author dyed Your Majesty thought it not fit his sermons should dye with him And though they could not live with all that elegancie which they had upon his tongue yet You were graciously pleased to thinke a paper-life better then none Vpon this Your Majesty gave us a strict charge that we should overlooke the Papers as well Sermons as other Tractates of that Reverend and Worthie Prelate and print all that we found perfect There came to our hands a world of Sermon notes but these came perfect Had they not come perfect we should not have ventured to add any limme unto them lest mixing a penn farre inferiour we should have disfigured such compleat bodies Your Majesties first care was for the Presse that the worke might be publicke Your second was for the worke it selfe that it might come forth worthy the Author which could not be if it came not forth as he left it In pursuance of these two we have brought the worke to light and we have done it with care and fidelitie for as the Sermons were preached so are they published When he preached them they had the generall approbation of the Court and they made him famous for making them Now they are printed we hope they will have aâ— generall liking of the Church and inlarge and indeare his name to them that knew not him We know there is a great prejudice attends the after printing of dead mens workes For the living may make the dead speake as they will and as the dead would not speake did they live And many worthy Authors in all professions have had such unsutable peeces stitched to their former workes as make them speake contrarie to themselves and to their knowne Iudgement while they lived As if they had seene some vision after death to crosse or recall their Iudgement in their life We would be loath to suffer under the suspition of this And therefore in a full obedience to Your Maiesties Commanâ— as we have printed all that we could finde perfect and worthy his Name so have we not added or detracted in the least to alter or divert his sense That so the worke may not only be his but as himselfe made it And the honour Your Maiesties that so carefully Commaunded it And the faithfulnesse ours in our obedience to Your Maiestie and our love to his memorie And now will Your Majesty graciously be pleased to give us leave to commend this worke to Your Protection which would have needed none had not Your Majesty commanded it to be publike For publike view is as great a search as many eyes can make And many eyes can see what two cannot be they never so good And among many eyes some will ever looke asquint upon worth and maligne that which they cannot equall And if ever any mans patience and temper could prevent this evill Eye we hope his may And yet even whil'st we hope the best we humbly begge your Majesty's protection against the worst Eph. 5.16 because the day's are evill VVe have but two things to present to Your Majestie They are the Person to your memorie And this his worke to your eye For the person we can add nothing to him To name him is enough to all that knew him and to read him will be enough to them that knew him not And though Vertue have but ' its due when 't is commended yet we conceive not how praise may make vertue better then it is especially when â—he person in whom it was is dead to all encouragement or comfort by it And yet though vertue cannot thus be bettered Pateâ—c Lib. 2. Hist. it may be righted thus For Vivorum ut magna admiratio ita censura difficilis T is easie to admire the living and we doe it but 't is hard to censure them any way Both because there will be no preferring one before another without offence And because as we know not what may come upon them before death so the censure may be so good as they will ner'e deserve or so bad as though they doe deserve they will not beare T was Bibulus-his case The admiration of men had carried him up to heaven Ciceâ—â— ad Aâ—tic Ep. 19. Bibulus hominum admiratione in Coelo est nec quare scio no lower place would serve him Yet when it came to a wiseman's censure he professed he knew no ground for that admiration and lesse worth in him for such a height But when men have payd all their rights of nature to death and are gone into their silence then where admiration ceaseth censure beginns Now if the censure be heavy as it is too oft upon the best yet then it should be sparing for humanitie's sake For that humanity which forbids the rifling of a grave bidds forbear him that is shut up in it and cannot answere But if the censure be good you may be bold with the grave And you cannot prayse any so safely as the dead for you cannot humor them into danger nor melt away your selfe into flattery The Person therefore whose workes these are was from his youth a man of extraordinarie worth and note A man as if he had been made up of Learning and Vertue Both of them so eminent in him as 't is hard to judge which had precedency and greater interest His Vertue which we must still judge the more worthy in any man was comparable to that which was wont to be found in the Primitive Bishops of the Church And had He lived among those ancient Fathers his Vertue would have shined even amongst those vertuous men And for his Learning that was as well if not better knowne abroad then respected at home And take him in his Latitude we which knew him well knew not any kinde of Learning to which he was a stranger but in his profession admirable None stronger then he where he wrestled with an Adversary And that Bellarmine felt who was as well able to shift for himselfe as any that stood for the Roman party None more exact more judicious then he where he was to instruct and informe others And that as they knew which often heard him preach so they may learne which will reade this which he hath left behinde him And yet this fulnesse of his Materiall Learning left roome enough in the temper of his braine for almost all Languages learned and moderne to seat themselves So that his Learning had
that mysterie not manifested in any wise Blow a trumpet in Sion if any good come to us But whisht 2. Sam. 1.20 let is not be heard in Gath nor in Ascalon if any evill fall vpon us Not so much as Naomi we see Ruth 1.20 but when she was fallen into poverty shee could not endure to be called by that name No her name was Mara as if she had been some other partie So loth shee was to have her misâ—rie made manifest Humilitie intrinsecall is not so much it is the manifesting our humilitie that poseth us That DAVID should have been humble in heart before GOD and his Arke that Mical could have borne well enough This was the griefe 2. Sam. 6.20 that DAVID must make it manifest vncover himselfe weare an Ephod and thereby as shee thought mightily disgrace and make himselfe vile in the eyes of his seruants That was it she took so ill Not to be so much as to be manifest That same manifesting marred all And why would NICODEMVS come to CHRIST Iohn 19.39 but not but by Candle-light but that to be seene manifestly to come was with him a farr greater matter then to come By all which it appeareth that in case of abasement to seeme is more then to be dicide then esse in And so heer nosci more then nasci And I make no question but we may reckon these two as two distinct degrees 1 He abhorred not to become flesh 2 He abhorred not to have it manifestly knowne It was not done this in a corner Acts 6.26 Luk. 2.4 in an out-corner of Galilee but in the Citie of DAVID His poore clouts manifested by a Starre His shamefull death published by a great Eclipse Yea that it might be manifest indeed as it followeth after in the Verse He would have it preached over all the world But when we have done and said all that ever we can if we had all Mysteries and no love The Apostle tells us it is nothing We can have no Mysterie 1. Cor. 13 1. except Love be manifest So is it Two severall times doth the Apostle tell us 1 Tit. II. apparuit Gratia 2 Tit III. apparuit Amor erga homines At the opening of this mysterie Tit. 2.11.3.4 there appeared the 1 Grace of GOD and the 2 Love of GOD toward mankind Velatio Deitatis revelatio charitatis As manifest as GOD was in the flesh so manifest was His Love vnto flesh And then because great Love a great Mysterie Dilexit goeth never alone but with Sic so CHRIST Ecce quantam charitatem so Saint Iohn Sure Ioh. 3.16 1. Ioh. 3.1 how great and apparant Humilitie so great and apparant Love And His Humilitie was too apparant So we have GOD manifested in the flesh DEVS charitas for if ever He were Love 1. Ioh. 4.8 or shewed it in this He was it and shewed it both GOD that is Love was manifested in the flesh To make an end one question more To what end Cui bono The End of this manifestation who is the better for all this GOD that is manifested or the flesh wherein He is manifested Not GOD To Him there groweth nothing out of this manifestation It is for the good of the flesh that GOD was manifested in the flesh 1. For the good present for we let go that of the Psalmist now Thou that hearest the prayer to Thee shall all flesh come Psal. 65.2 and much better and more properly say Thou that art manifested in the flesh to Thee shall all flesh come With boldnesse entering into the holy place by the new and living way prepared for us Hebr. 10.19.20 through the veile that is His flesh 2. And for the good to come For we are put in hope that the end of this manifesting GOD in the flesh will be the manifesting of the flesh in Him even as He is And that which is the end of the Verse be the end of all The receiving us vp into His glorie To this haven arriveth this Mysterie of the Manifestation of it The end of this Second part is but the beginning of the third For How this Mysterie concerneth vs. 1 By the Operation of it in us hearing that it is so great of so great availe rising by it that it is quaestus multo vberrimus a trade so beneficial it makes us seek how to incorporate our selves as in the * Ephes. 3.6.9 III. of the Ephesians he speaketh how to have our part and fellowship in this Trade or Mysterie And that may we do saith he in the same place * Ephes. 3.7 si operetur in nobis that is if it prove to us as it is in it selfe a Mysterie I know it were a thing very easy for a speculative Divine to lead you along and let you see that this Mysterie is the Substance of all the Ceremonies and the fulfilling of all Prophecies That all MOSES veiles and all the Prophets visions are recapitulate in it But it is a point of speculation We heare those points too often and love them too well Points of practise are lesse pleasing but more profitable for us namely how we may get into the partnership of this Mysterie There is this difference betweene a Caeremonie and a Mysterie A Caeremonie represents and signifies but works nothing A Mysterie doth both Beside that it signifieth it hath his operation and work it doth els Mysterie is it none You may see it by the Mysterie of iniquitie 2. Thess. 2.7 That doth operari was at work in the Apostles time And it is no way to be admitted but that the Mysterie of Godlinesse should haue like operative force If you ask what it is to work It is to do as all other Agents Vt assimulet sibi passum to make that it workes on like it selfe to bring forth in it the very same qualitie This the rather for that this day being a Birth day and the Mysterie of it a Birth or generation in that we know the naturall and most proper work is Sui simile procreare to beget and bring forth the very like to it selfe And what should the Mysterie of godlinesse beget in us but godlinesse What the Mysterie of godlinesse in this Chapter but the Exercise of godlinesse in the next Verse 7. To shew we must make Saint Basils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it For his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Saint Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I take to be all one Within the Mystery 2. Pet. 3.11 First Within after the manner of a Mysterie by entering into our selves and saying with Saint Peter Seeing then GOD hath so dealt with us what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse How ought we to esteeme Him that so esteemed us How to esteeme our selves whom He hath so esteemed How without soile Iam. 1.27 or spot to keepe that flesh wherein GOD hath manifested
for flesh and bloud alreadie doth It is that 1. Cor. 15.50 Saint Iohn is about to inferre the former verse out of this Ver. 12. vz. to them gave He power to be made the Sonnes of God For Ex quo hoc verum est Filium Dei filium hominis fieri potuisse non est incredibile c. Since sure it is that the Sonne of God is made the sonne of man it is not incredible but that the sonnes of men may be made the Sonnes of God Not incredible nay Securitas nobis data est a kind of bond is entred security given Seeing this Verse is true so is the last Dedit potestatem He gave power and well might Why for the Word is made flesh and therefore flesh may have reciprocall hope to be regenerate by the Word and adopted through grace and so exalted to the glorious dignitie of the Sonnes of God And because Grace and Truth do this we shall faile of neither of them He is full and not for himselfe He needs them not He hath them for us and hath sufficient Neither shall be wanting if we be not wanting to our selves His grace shall prevent us and His truth follow us all the dayes of our life Psal. 23.6 So we see quid Verbum carni what He hath done for us Now our Duety reciprocall III. Quid Caro Verbo Our duety Quid caro verbo what we for Him againe If the Word become flesh we to take order that flesh of ours that the Word hath taken we take it not 1. Cor. 6.16 and make it una caro with you know whom or may read 1. Cor. 6. God forbid Knowe ye not the WORD is become flesh That flesh is then so to be preserved that as he saith we sawe the Glorie so may we we saw His flesh as the flesh of the only begotten Sonne of God Kept with such care and in such cleannesse as it might beseeme His flesh to be kept And as much may be sayd for habitavit the house would be somewhat handsome as handsome as we could that is to receive Him We blame them that this day received Him in a stable take heed we doe not worse our selves But the Fathers presse a further matter yet out of verbum caro factum that we also are after our manner verbum carnem facere to incarnate the Word We have a Word we This for the Comparative But then fearing it might be we would not conceive high enough of this SONNE or weigh Him as He is worthy He goeth to it Positivè and as it were setts up His Armes consisting of eight severall Coats or proclaimeth His stile of as many severall Titles Which we may reduce to foure severall combinations 1 Sonne and Heire 2 the Brightnesse and Character 3 Maker and Supporter of all things 4 That purgeth our sinns and that is sett downe in the throne And these againe may be abbridged to these two 1 what He is in Himselfe 2 and what to us 1 In Himselfe all the rest 2. To us 1 made Heire 2 purgeth our sinns 3 and so clenseth our Nature that being so clensed He may exalt it For it is for us and not for Himselfe He taketh up the place mentioned at the right hand on high Then our duetie Bona si sua nôrint If we can skill of our owne good to finde our estate greatly dignified by it and to honour this day the beginning of this dignitie to us wherein GOD gave His SONNE to speake vivâ voce unto us to purge our sinnes and to exalt us to His throne on high I. The comparative part and difference GOD in times past spake to the Fathers and His speech was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of many severall parcells to severall persons at severall times some at one time some at another And as the time grew so grew their knowledge peece and peece of the great mysterie 1. In the Matter this day manifested God in times past c. in many parts spake concerning His Person First one peece Man He should be a Gen. 3.15 of the Womans seed That should bruize the Serpents head and there was all Gen. 3. Then another peece Of what Nation He should be b Gen. 22.18 of the seed of ABRAHAM Gen. 22. Then another yet Of what Tribe c Gen. 49.9 10.11 c. of the Tribe of IVDA Gen. 49. Then againe a fourth peece of what Family d Psal. 132 11.1◠c. of the house of DAVID Psal. 132. So likewise GOD in times past spake of His Offices To MOSES one peece He should be e Deut. 18.18 a Prophet Deuteron 18. TO DAVID another He should be f Psal. 110·4 a Priest Psal. 110. TO IEREMIE a third He should be g Ier. 23.5.6 a King and his Name IEHOVA justitia nostra Iere. 23. And not to hold you long in this GOD in times past in sundrie parts spake concerning this Dayes worke That came by peeces too One parcell to h Esay 9.6 Esai of His Birth Esa. 9. To i Mic. 5.2 Mica the Place of it Mic. 5. To k Dan 9.25.26 c. Daniel the Time of it by weekes Dan. 9. So you see it was by peeces and by many peeces they had it Well said the l 1. Cor. 13.9 Apostle that Prophecying is in part One may now in a few houres come to as much as came to them in many hundred yeares This for the Matter 2. In the Manner Now for the Manner It was multiformis GOD c. many manner waies One manner by dreames in the night Iob 33. Another manner by visions And those againe of two manners Iob 33 15· 1 Either presented to the outward sense as Esay VI. 2 Or in an extasie Esay 6.1 Dan. 10.7 c. 1. Reg 19 12. represented to the inward as Dan. X. Another yet by Vrim in the brest of your Priest And yet another by a small still voice in the eares of the Prophet I. Reg. 19. And sometime by an Angel speaking in him Zach. I. But most what by His SPIRIT Zach. 1.9 And to trouble you no more very sure it is that as for the Matter in many broken peeces so for the Manner in many diuerse fashions spake He to them But then if in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you understand Tropos figures Then were they yet many more The Paschall Lamb a Exod. 12.4 ◠c. Exod. 12. the Scape-goat b Levit. 16.10 Levit. 16. The Red Cow c Num. 19 1 2 c. Num 19. and I know not how many even a world of them Many they were and tropes they were shadowed out darkly rather then cleerly expressed Theirs was but candle-light to our day-light but Vespertina cognitio in comparison of ours whom the Day hath visited sprung from on high This for the Matter and Manner Now for the Men. Luk. 1.78 GOD in
them Cleane we are from the first as washed from the originall vncleannesse of our Nature and that by the Laver of regeneration And whole we are as purged within T it 3 5. from the actuall sinnes of our persons and that by the cup of the New Testament 1. Cor. 10.16 which we blesse in His Name And the blood of IESVS CHRIST purgeth us from our sinnes 1. Ioh 1.7 By both He purgeth us from both And this for His purging And is set downe Of which we are not to conceive 3 And sitteth at the right hand c. as of a thing meerely touching Him that His labour being done He took his rest and there is all But that this His sitting downe is a taking possession of that His deare made purchase And that not in His owne name He had it before He was in glorie and in the selfe same glorie with His Father before ever the world was This Haeres factus pertaineth to us as done for us not for Himselfe who needed it not nor could have any vse of it These two between them comprehend all even all we can wish 1 to be purged of the one 2 and to be seised of the other They follow well For to what end purged He us To leave us there No but for some further matter which though it be last in execution was first in intention Having so cleansed us not content with that it was His purpose further to bring us to glorie that is to no lesse matter then to fit on His throne with Him purchased by Him for no other end And these two Purging and Sitting downe in the throne as the Alpha and Omega the first and the last of that He doth for us And so in them is all well represented Purging our sinnes the first Sitting in the throne the last To purge our sinnes He began this day the first day the day of His Birth wherein He purified and sanctified by His holy Nativitie the originall vncleannesse of ours And Sit in the throne was His last work on the last day of His Ascension Then tooke He possession in our names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle as forerunner for us C. 6. Ver. ult The degrees of this Exaltation be these 1 First A throne it is and that is not every seate but a speciall and cheife and honorable seate 2 And secondly of thrones there be some inferiour as the thrones of Iustice This is the highest for it is a throne of Maiestie 3 Thirdly It is in excelsis and that maketh up all For the thrones heer below even of Maiestie sooner or later they that sitt in them must come downe from them But the throne on high Thy seat ô GOD is for ever and ever Not fading and transitory Psal. 45.7 as ours heer 4 Fourthly in this throne Set He is And Sitting is the site or position of rest that is rest in glory Heer where most glorie least rest 5 And fiftly on the right hand which is on the throne the best and next place to GOD Himselfe And by this Verse 13. are we above the Angells for to which of them as the Apostle after deduceth said He at any time Sitt on my right hand No but stand before me as ministring spiritts all Verse 14. Or when they rest it is on the other hand the right hand is kept for us and possessed already by one in our Nature who in this seat will not sit alone Sed consedere nos secum fecit in coelestibus Eph. 2.6 Even now we sit there in Him and shall there sit with Him in the end So He promiseth in expresse terms Apoc 3.21 that we shall sit with Him in His throne as He doth in His Fathers And so not in the throne will He be above us but onely that He in the middest and we on His right hand III. Our duty to Christ. Our duety then is for His excellencie to honor Him for His Power to feare Him for His love shewed reciprocally to love Him againe for His hope promised truly to serve Him GOD for His part would have His servants the Prophetts will used but how ever they in times past were regarded by them this He makes full accompt of if He send His Sonne we will not faile but reverence Him Specially such a SONNE of such glorie Mat. 21.37 such power and above all of such love towards us to provoke ours againe And againe of such ability to reward with eternall glorie as He will even buy our service at Who gives more and pay us for it to the full with no lesse wages then a throne of glorie 1. As a Prophet speaking This in generall More particular In three termes He is sett out to us heer in the text 1 Speaking 2 Purging and 3 Sitting as a Prophet He speakes as a Priest purges as a King sits Speaking our duty is to heare Him to lay up His sayings in our heart Two markes His word hath heer 1 fecit and 2 sustinet made and makes continue Let it have the same in us In the Sermon time something is begunn to be made in us but it continueth not which sheweth it is not verbum virtutis to us Againe let it not be as a Brightnesse only to be seen by us but as a Character too to leave a marke behinde it to be seen on us and then it is right Now hodie si vocem To day if yee will heare His voice yee can heare none but vagitum infantis Psal. 95.8 such a voice as useth to come from a new borne babe And even so He speaks to us if we can understand For even this Verbum to be infans and Tonans to be vagiens He to send forth such a voice it speaketh humilitie I am sure and great love that so would humble it self it we have eares to heare it When He that was the brightnesse of His Fathers glorie should be so eclipsed He that sitts on the throne thus be throwen in a manger 2. As a Priest purging Prophetts spake but purged not Purging was ever the Priests office It is true the word He speakes hath a mundifying vertue Iam mundi estis Now are ye cleane It clenseth then But not that only nor principally For the medicine which purgeth ex proprietate His flesh and bloud goe to it By which will we are sanctified even by the offering of the bodie of IESVS C. 10.10 That blood of IESVS CHRIST cleanseth us from all Sinne 1. Ioh. 1.7 These the true ingredients into this medicine But better yet if both goe togither And this day they first came togither the Word and Flesh therefore of all daies this day they would not be parted For will you sever the flesh from the Word that day on which GOD joyned them GOD forbid There is a correspondencie between the Word and His brightnesse and between the Sacrament and His Character
The Word giveth a light and His brightnesse sheweth in it ad horam and not much longer The parts of the Sacrament they are permanent and sticke by us they are a remembrance of the Characters made in His skinne and flesh And if yee seeke to be ridd of your sinnes this was broken for you and this was shed for you for that very end for the remission of sinns And so yee receive His Person even Semetipsum And in Semetipso in His Person it was He purged our sinns And so that a sure way Lastly for Sitting that is His kingdome 3. As a King Sitting c. that is kept for dies novissimorum novissimus the last day indeed That is yet in hope only The same flesh that cleansed our sinnes the same now sitteth on the throne and so hath both vertues for the present a power to purge for the future a power likewise to exalt The same blood is the blood of sacrifice for remission of sinns and the blood of the New Testament for the passing to us the bequest which is the right of His Purchase for which He was made Heire And the very Angells who this day adored Him in our flesh and it in Him therby shewed plainely not the purging onely but the exalting of it also Luk. 2.13.14 by this Dayes worke And that to day wherein they sang alowd in the skie we have cause to make much of and to rejoyce in it the Day of the greatest Glorie to GOD peace to the earth and goodwill towards men that ever rose upon the world GOD grant that we may so hold this first feast with Christian joy as we may hold that last with like joy and be found as cheerefull in it A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Saturday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXIII being CHRIST-MASSE day IOHN CHAP. VIII VER LVI ABRAHAM Pater vester exultavit ut videret Diem meum vidit gavisus est Your Father ABRAHAM rejoyced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad HEER is Ioy Ioy at a sight at the sight of a Day and that day CHRISTS It is CHRIST that calleth it heer diem meum His day And no day so properly His as His Birth Day So the Text comes full upon the Day But to deduce it poynt by poynt First CHRIST hath a Day proper to Him which in expresse termes He calleth heere diem meum my day Secondly This Day to be seen is a day of Ioy. Double ioy 1 Exultavit and 2 Gavisus est both in the Text. And thirdly which is somewhat strange It was so to the Patriarch ABRAHAM Him we finde heer doing that which we now are about Seeing and rejoycing at the sight of CHRISTS Day taking notice of it and taking Ioy in it Lastly all this nothing displeasing to our SAVIOVR CHRIST for it is spoken by Him to the praise of Abraham that did it and to the dislike of the Iewes that did it not To them is this speech CHRIST tells them of Abrahams doing it and blames them for not doing the like And what are we now disposing ourselves to do but even the very same that is in the Text heer to rejoyce to see CHRISTS Day And a threefold warrant we have in this Verse to do as we do 1. The Patriarch's doing it 2. CHRISTS allowance of the doing of it 3. And His dislike of the Iewes for not doing it We have ABRAHAM for our example we do but as he did In his time CHRIST's Day was a Day of Ioy and a Day of Ioy is a Feast and so holden by Him we see Which falls out much to our content For the same Feasts the same Religion So we find by this that he and we are of one Religion One in substance which is CHRIST One in circumstance which is His Day CHRIST himselfe Abrahams Ioy Nay His Day Abrahams Ioy too The same meum that is CHRIST the same Diem that is Christmasse Then which is another degree Abrahams Example approved of by CHRIST and that after somewhat a strange manner For it is not heer if you mark it Exultavit vt videret Me But vt videret Diem meum He makes His Day the object of all this exultation and Ioy. His Day I say and not Himselfe commends him that he reioyced at the sight not of Himselfe but of it Verily this speech of His is much to the honour of His Day and the very solemnity of the Feast and all the Ioy and gladnesse thereon may well be thought to have been founded upon this speech of His. Alwaies if Exultavit vt videret were a praise to Him We may be sure Exultavit cum videret can be no dispraise to us Add thirdly Abrahams example approved by CHRIST Not so approved as he leaves it at liberty They that will may do the like But that He reproves them that do it not For He blames the Iewes heer for not doing herein as Abraham Your Father Abraham did it you do it not Which is against them that have a spleene at this Feast that think they can Ioy in Him well enough and set His Day by Nay and abrogate it quite and in so doing they Ioy in Him all the better Nay love Him love His feast Ioy not in it nor in Him neither You shall see how they are mistaken Therefore they do so they tell us lest observing dayes and times they should seeme to Iudaïze It falls out quite contrary For Gal. 4 10 who are they whom CHRIST heer blameth are they not Iewes And wherefore blameth He them for not doing as Abraham And what did Abraham Reioyce on his Day So upon the point it will fall out that not to rejoyce on His Day that is indeed to Iudaïze and they little better than these Iewes that follow them in it Nay heer is another thing yet will grieve them more Iewes they shall be But none of Abrahams Children No more than these were Observe it well It is the Occasion of this speech the very issue CHRIST takes with them Pater noster Abraham was still in their mouthes in the 33 39.53 Verses If saith CHRIST you were His Children mark that If ye would patrissare desire what He desired and Ioy what He Ioyed in Now My Day he so highly esteemed as glad he was that He might see it And you that would so faine father your selves upon Him are so farr from that as what He desired absent ye despise present what He would have been the better to see ye are the worse that ye see it Now then how are these Abrahams Children that have nothing of Abraham in them Before at the 40. Verse Ye seeke to kill me for telling the truth This did not Abraham and ye do it Heer now againe He rejoyced in my day And ye do it not Do that he did not do not that He did How can these be Abraham's sonnes Verily as it is in
Repentance Ephrata and Faith Ephrata Et sic de caeteris if they be true Els be they but vites frondâ—sae leaves and nothing els Simulachra virtutum and not vertues indeed Of Zabulon Hos. 10.1 not of Iuda and so not the right Fruictfull them and of what fruict That is in the very name it selfe 3. In good works Beth-lehem of Bethlehem Not the fruict of the lipps a few good words but the precious fruict of the earth as Saint Iames calleth it lehem good bread that fruict Such fruict Iam. 5.7 as Saint Paul carried to the poore Saints at Ierusâ—lem Almes and offerings that is the right fruict Cum signavero fructum hunc it hath the Seale on it for right Such Rom. 15.28 as the Philippians sent him Phil. 4 18.10 for supply of his want whereby he knew they were alive againe at the roote in that they thus fructified yeelded this fruict of a Sweet odour and wherewith GOD was highly pleased as there he tells them Psal. 132.6 It was not sure without mysterie that the Temple was first heard of at Ephrata at this fruictfull place No more was it that which the Fathers observe of the trees that were used about it Not a post of the Temple not a Spar nay not so much as a pin but was made of the wood of a fruit-bearing tree No barren wood at all in it No more was it 2. Sam 18.25 that the very Altar of the Temple was founded upon a threshing floore Areuna's where good come was threshed All to shew it would be plenteous in feeding and clothing and such other pertaining to this of Ephrata Which how ever they be with us Matt 25.35.36 42 43. will be the first and principall point of enquiry at the day of Doome even about feeding and clothing and other workes of mercie By both ioyned Bethlehem parvula Ephrata Now if we could bring these two together make a coniunction of them in Gemini it were worth all For I know not how but if there be in us ought of Ephrata if we happen to be any thing fruitfull but in any degreâ— away goes parvula streight Streight we cease to be little We begin to talke of Merit and Worth and I wote not what Indeed if we be all barren and bare it may be then and scarce then neither but peradventure then we grow not high-minded But so we fall still upon one extreme or other if fertile then proud if humble then barren We cannot get to be humble yet not fruitlesse or to be fruitfull yet keepe our humilitie still Not Ephrata Psal 87.4 and parvula together But that is the true Bethlehem and there was He borne And thus far I hope we have beene led right and are in our way His manner of feeding By the Sacrament Beth-lehem Gen 3 6 Ioh 6 48. But leading is not all Heer is qui pascet too and we may not passe it For to that He leads us also Dux qui pascet We followed a false Guide at first that led us to the forbidden fruit the end whereof was morte morâ—emini This now will lead us to a food of the nature of the Tree of life even the bread of life by eating whereof we shall have life in our selves even life immortall That is His food He leads us to And if we would forget this both the Person and the Place the Person qui pascet that shall feed and the Place Bethlehem the house of bread would serve to put us in remembrance of it Even of the breaking of bread which the Church as this day ever hath and still vseth as the Child-house feast We spake of Transeamus usque Bethlehem going thither that may we even locally doe and never goe out of this Roome inasmuch as heer is to be had the true bread of life Ioh â— 51. that came downe fâ—om heaven Which is His flâ—sh this day borne which He gave for the life of the world Ioh 6.32 41.31 called by Him so the true bread the bread of heaven the bread of life And where that bread is there is Bethlehem ever Even strictè loquendo it may be said and said truly the Church in this sense is very Bethlehem no lesse then the Towne it selfe For that the Towne it selfe never had the name rightly all the while there was but bread made there bread panis hominum the bread of men Not till this Bread was borne there Psal. 78.25 which is Panis Angelorum as the Psalme calleth it and man did eate Angells food Then and never till then was it bethlehem and that is in the Church as truly as ever in it And accordingly the Church takes order we shall never faile of it There shall ever be this day a Bethlehem to go to a house wherein there is bread and this bread And shall there be Bethlehem and so neer us and shall we not go to it Or shall we goe to it to the House of bread this bread and come away without it Shall we forsake our Guide leading us to a place so much for our benefit Luk. 17.37 Vbi Domine was the Apostles question and His answer Vbi corpus ibi aquilae where the bodie is there the eagles will be Let it appeare we are so For here is the Bodie Els doe we our duty to Him but by halves For as our duty to Dux is to be led So our duty to qui pascet is to be fed by Him To end And thus ducendo pascit and pascendo ducit leading He feeds us and feeding He leads us till He bring us whither Even to A principio backe againe to where we were at the beginning and at the beginning we were in Paradise That our beginning shall be our end Thither He will bring us Nay to a better estate then so to that wherevnto even from Paradise we should have been translated to the State of aeternitie to the ioyes and ioyfull dayes there even to glorie ioy and blisse aeternall To which He bring us even our blessed Guide that this day was in Bethlehem borne to that end IESVS CHRIST the Righteous A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Wednesday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXVI being CHRIST-MASSE day PSAL. LXXXV VER X.XI. Misericordia Veritas obviaverunt sibi Iustitia Pax osculatae sunt Veritas de terra orta est Iustitia de coelo prospexit Mercie and Truth shall meet Righteousnesse and Peace shall kisse one another Truth shall budde out of the earth and Righteousnesse shall looke downe from Heaven I Have here read you two Verses out of this Psalme which is one of the Psalmes selected of old by the Primitive Church and so still reteined by ours as part of our Office or Service of this day As being proper and pertinent to the matter of the Feast and so to the Feast it selfe For the meeting here specified
was to be at the birth of the MESSIAS So saith Rabbi MOSES and other of the Iewes Was at the birth of our SAVIOVR So say the Fathers with uniforme consent and co nomine have made this a CHRIST-MASSE day Psalme As his manner is the Psalmist in it under one compriseth the type and the truth both By those things which befell the people of the Iewes the Church typicall shadowing out of those things which were to befall the Antitype of it CHRIST and His Church For primâ propria intentione it cannot be denied but the Psalme was first sett according to the letter upon the turning back of the captivitie of Babel But the Prophet knew well that was not their worst captivitie nor should be their best delivery There was another yet behind concerned them more if they understood their owne state aright which was reserved to the MESSIAS to free them from To that he points Even that Rom. 7.23 the Apostle complaines of Rom. 7. wherein the soule is led away captive under sinn and Sathan the very true Babell indeed as which bringeth with it everlasting confusion From which CHRIST the true Zorobabel is to sett us free us and them both There is a Meeting heer A meeting at a Birth A birth The Summe that did them in Heaven Righteousnesse by name good to behold The Meeting in obviaverunt The Birth in orta est The pleasure to behold it in prospexit de coelo Prospexit is to see with delight as when we looke into some pleasant prospect A meeting qualified for the manner For they do not meet and passe by but meet and Salute as friends with an osculatae sunt a signe of love begun or renewed This meeting is of foure Foure which of them selves propriè loquendo are nothing but Attributes or Properties of the Divine Nature But are heer by the Psalmist brought in and represented to us as so many Personages Personages I say inasmuch as they have heer personall acts ascribed to them For to meete to kisse to looke downe are all of them acts personall And looke how the Psalmist presents them so we treat of them in the same termes the Text doth At a Birth at Orta est these foure meet heer At orta est Veritas the birth of Truth de terrâ from the earth For two Ortus there were and this not His antesaecularis ortus de coelo His Birth before all worlds from heaven but His ortus de terrá His temporall birth from the earth Lastly the birth of this Birth as I may say the effect it wrought Of which more there are in the neighboring verses Heer in these besides the meeting occasioned by it there is but one That such a spectacle it was as it drew Righteousnesse it selfe from heaven to looke at it Time was when Righteousnesse would not have done so much not have vouchsafed a looke hitherward Therefore respexit nos Iustitia is good newes That then and ever since She hath beheld the earth and the dwellers in it with a farre more favorable regard then before And all for this Births sake And when was all this When He that saith of Himselfe I am the Truth Ioh. 14.16 when He was borne upon earth For orta est Veritas and natus est CHRISTVS will fall out to be one Birth What day soever that was this meeting was upon it And that was this day of all the dayes of the yeare The Meeting and the Day of this meeting heer all one and the Birth of CHRIST the cause of both So being this dayes worke this day to be dealt with most properly Onward we have heere foure Honors of this Day Every one of the foure giving it a blessing 1 It is the day of ortus Veritatis Truths birth 2 And the same the day of occursus Misericordiae the Meeting heer mentioned 3 And of osculum Pacis the Kisse heer expressed 4 And of prospectus Iustitiae Righteousnesse's gratious respect of us These from each of them in severall And generally the day of reconciling them all Holding us to these we are to speake of the 1 Meeting the 2 Parties 3 the Birth The Division and the 4 Effect heer specified to come of it Of this Meeting in CHRIST Then in Christianitie not to be broken of by us but to be renewed and specially this day HEer is a Meeting And that is no great matter if it be no more I. 1. The Meeting Not casuall How many meet we as we passe to and fro dayly and how little do we regard it But that meeting is casuall Somewhat more there is in Sett Meetings It was not by hap not obviaverunt But of purpose simply but obviaverunt sibi Sibi sheweth they had an entent they came forth on both sides Not to meet any fift person but to meet one another But not every Sett meeting is memorable This is I find a Psalme heer made And that memorable in remembrance of it And lightly Songs be not made but de rarò contingentibus not of ordinary but of some speciall great Meetings The greatnesse of a Meeting groweth three waies 1 By the Parties Who 2 The Occasion Whereon and 3 the End Whereto they meet All three are in this The Parties in the first Verse the Occasion and End in the second The Occasion a birth an occasion oft of making great Persons meet And the End that comes of it that Righteousnesse who is to be our Iudge and to give the last sentence upon us beholds us with an aspect that promises favor 3 The Parties The Occasion and the End we shall touch anon Now of the Parties If the Parties great the Meeting great The conjunction of the Great Lights in heaven The enterview of great States on earth ever bodes some great matter Who are the Parties heer Foure as high as excellent Attributes as there be any in the God-head Or to keepe the style of the Text foure as great States as any in the Court of Heaven The Manner of their meeting These meet and in what manner Great States meet otherwhile in a pitched field Not so heer This is an obviaverunt with an osculatae sunt they run not one at another as enimies they run one to another and Kisse as loving friends And that which makes it memorable indeed is that these Parties in this manner thus meet who if all were well known were more like to turne taile then to meet one to run from another Nay one to run at another to encounter rather then run one to another to embrace and kisse Not meet at all at least not meet thus standing in such termes as they did Not Mercie Peace or Truth and Righteousnesse Mercie and Peace if they two had mett or Truth and Righteousnesse they two it had not been straunge But for those that seeme to be in opposition to doe it that is it that makes this
Ezek. 18.20 falsifie the truth that may not be And then steppes up Righteousnesse and seconds her Righteousnesse seconding her Psal. 145.17 that GOD as He is true in His word so is He righteous in all His workes So to reddere suum cuique to render each his owne to every one that is his due and so to the sinner stipendium peccati the wages of sinne that is death God forbid Rom. 6.23 the Iudge of the world should iudge unjustly that were as before to make Truth false so heere to do Right wrong Nay it went further and they made it their owne cases What shall become of me said Righteousnesse What use of Iustice if GOD will doe no justice if He spare sinners And what use of me sayth Mercie if He spare them not Hard hold there was inasmuch as Perij nisi homo moriatur sayd Righteousnesse I dye if he dye not And Perij nisi Misecicordiam consequatur sayd Mercie if he dye I dye too To this it came and in those termes brake up the meeting and away they went one from the other Truth went into exile as a stranger upon earth The first meeting broken up Terras Astraea reliquit she confined her selfe in Heaven where so aliened she was as she would not so much as looke downe hither upon us Mercie she staid below still ubi enim Misericordia esset sayth Hugo well si cum misero non esset Where should Mercie be if with miserie she should not be As for Peace she went betweene both to see if she could make them meet againe in better termes For without such a meeting no good to be done for us For meet they must and that in other termes or it will goe wrong with us Our Salvation lies a bleeding all this while The Plea hangs and we stand as the prisoner at the barre and know not what shall become of us For though two be for us there are two against us as strong and more stiffe then they So that much depends upon this second Meeting upon the composing or taking up this difference For these must be at peace betweene themselves before they at peace with us or we with GOD. And this is sure we shall never meet in heaven if they meet no more And many meanes were made for this meeting many times but it would not be Where stayed it It was not long of Mercie she would be easily entreated to give a new meeting no question of her Oft did she looke up to heaven but Righteousnesse would not looke downe Not look not that Small hope she would be got to meet that would not look that way-ward Indeed all the question is of her It is Truth and she that holds of but specially She. Vpon the Birth you see heer is no mention of any in particular but of Her as much to say as the rest might be dealt with she only it was that stood out And yet she must be got to meet or els no meeting No meeting till Iustice satisfied All the hope is that she doth not refuse simply never to meet more but stands vpon satisfaction Els Righteousnesse should not be righteous Being satisfied then she will remaining vnsatisfied so she will not meet All stands then on her satisfying how to devise to give her satisfaction to her mind that so she may be content once more not to meet and argue as yer-while but to meet and kisse meet in a ioynt concurrence to save us and set us free And indeed Hoc opus there lies all how to set a song of these foure parts in good harmonie how to make these meet at a love-day how to satisfie Iustice upon whom all the stay is Not in any but the Christian Religion And this say I no Religion in the world doth or can doe but the Christian. No Queer sing this Psalme but ours None make Iustice meet but it Consequently None quiet the conscience soundly but it Consequently no Religion but it Withall religions els at odds they be and so as they are faigne to leave them so For meanes in the world have they none how to make them meet Not hable for their lives to tender Iustice a Satisfaction that will make her come in The words next before are that glorie may dwell in our land Verse 9. This glorie doth dwell in our land indeed And great cause have we all highly to blesse GOD Psal. 16.6 that hath made our lott to fall in so faire a ground That we were not borne to enherit a lie that we were borne to keepe this Feast of this Meeting For bid any of them all but shew you the way how to satisfie Iustice soundly and to make her come to this meeting how GODS Word may be true and His worke just and the Sinner find mercie and be saved for all that They cannot The Christian onely can doe it and none els All beside for lack of this passe by the wounded man and let him lie still and bleed to death Luk. 10.31.32 Bid the Turke All he can say is Mahomets prayer shall be upon you Mahomets prayer what is that Say he were that he was not a just man a true Prophet What can his prayers doe but move Mercie But GODS Iustice how is that answered Who shall satisfie that Not prayers Iustice is not moved with them heares them not goes on to sentence for all them He can goe no further he cannot make justice meet Bid the Heathen he sayes better yet then the Turke They saw that without shedding of blood there was no satisfying Iustice Heb 9.22 and so no remission of sinne To satisfie her sacrifices they had of beasts But it is impossible as the Apostle well notes that the blood of bulls or goats should satisfie for our sinnes Heb. 10.4 A man Sinne and a beast dye Iustice will none of that What then will ye goe as farr as some did the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Mic. 6.7 Nor that neither For if it were the first borne the first borne was borne in Sinne and Sinne for Sinne can never satisfie This Meeting will not be there Bid the Iew he can but tell you of his Lamb neither And while time was that was not amisse while it stood in reference to Saint Iohn Baptists Lamb Ioh 1.29 the LAMB of GOD this day yeaned as having the operation the working in the vertue of that That being now past there is no more in the Iewe's then in the Gentiles sacrifice Beasts both both short of satisfying So for all that these can doe or say no meeting will there be had Onely the Christian Religion that shewes the true way There is One there thus speaketh to Iustice Sacrifice and sinne-offerings thou wouldest not have then said I Lo I come He of whom it was written in the volume of the booke Psal. 40.6 c. that He should do
as they be togither now so to continue still The continuance of this meeting We had much adoe to get them togither thus Now we have them so let us keepe them so in any wise For as this meeting made Christianitie first So there is nothing marres it but the breaking it of againe No greater bane to it then the parting of these Let me tell you this Saint Augustine is very earnest upon this point of the keeping of righteousnesse and peace upon this Psalme and this Verse and of truth and mercie togither in the next upon misericors and verax against them that would lay hold on mercie and let go truth O saith he that will not be they mett together they will not part now Either without either will not be had And so of the two others There be that would have Peace and passe by Righteousnesse Tu fortè unam habere vis altâ—ram non vis sayth he you would gladly have one Peace and for Righteousnesse you could be contented to spare it Aske any would you have Peace With all my heart he will answere There is no having one without the other Osculantur hae amant hae why they kisse they love togither Si amicam pacis non amaveris non amabit to paâ—e if ye love not â—er friend that is Righteousnesse she will none of your love Take that from Saint Augustine Set this downe then Christianitie is a meeting One cannot meet Two there must be and they may But it is not a meeting of two but of two with two so no lesse then foure As CHRIST Himselfe was not one nature So neither doth Christianitie consist of any one vertue Not under foure There is a quaternion in CHRIST His 1 Essence and His 2 Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hypostasis in divinis His 3 Flesh and His 4 reasonable Soule in humanis Answerable to these foure are these heer these foure to His foure And as it is a meeting so a crosse meeting of foure Vertues that seeme to be in a kind of opposition as hath been noted No matter for that They will make the better refraction the coole of one allay the heat the moist of one temper the drought of the other The soft vertues need to be quickned the more forward to be kept from Altum sapere So are the elements of which our bodie So are the foure winds of which our breath doth consist which gives us life And these in the Text have an analogie or correspondence Psal. 93.1 Esa. 66.12 Psal. 46.4 with the elements observed by the Auncients 1 Truth as the earth which is not moved at any time 2 Quasi fluvius Pax saith Esay Peace as a water-streame the quills whereof make glad the Citie of GOD. 3 Mercie we breath and live by no lesse then we doe by aire Esa. 66.16 and 4 Righteousnesse she ventura est judicare saeculum per ignem in that element You may happen find one of these in Scripture stood much upon and of the other three nothing sayd there but all left out Conceive of it as a figure Synecdoche they call it As ye have heer man called earth yet is he not earth alone but all the other three elements as well No more is Christianitie any one but by Synecdoche but in very deed a meeting of them all foure Ioh. 17.3 It deceived the Gnostique this place This is aeternall life to know thee Knowledge saith he is it As if it were all and so he bad care for nothing els but to knowe and knowing live as they list The Encratite he was as farr gone the other way He lived streightly and his tenet was non est curandum quid quisque credat Id curandum modò quod quisque faciat So that ye hold a streight course of life it skills not what ye hold in points of faith No meeting with these Single vertues all Yes it skills For both these were wrong both goe for Heretiques Christianitie is a meeting and to this meeting there goe Pia dogmata as well as Bona opera Righteousnesse aswell as truth Err not this error then to single any out as it were in disgrace of the rest Say not one will serve the turne what should we do with the rest of the foure Take not a figure and make of it a plaine speech Seeke not to be saved by Synecdoche Each of these is a quarter of Christianity you shall never while you live make it serve for the whole The truth is sever them and farewell all take any one from the rest and it is as much as the whole is worth For as Bernard well observed non sunt virtutes si separentur upon their separation they cease to be vertues For how loose a thing is Mercie if it be quite devoid of Iustice We call it foolish pitie And how harsh a thing Iustice if it be utterly without all temper of mercie Summa injuria then that is Iniustice at the highest Mercie take truth away what hold is there of it who will trust it Truth take Mercie from it it is Severitie rather then veritie then Righteousnesse without Peace certeinly wrong is much better better then perpetuall brabbling And Peace without Righteousnesse better a sword far This if you sunder them But temper these togither and how blessed a mixture Sett a song of all foure and how heavenly a melodie Enterteine them then all foure 1 Hope in mercie 2 Faith in truth 3 Feare of righteousnesse 4 Love of peace O quam praeclara concordia O how loving a knot how by all meanes to be maintained how great pitie to part it The Time of this meeting A little of the Time now when this meeting would be No time amisse no day in the yeare but upon entreaty they will be got to meet Yet if any one day have a prerogative more then another of all the daies in the yeare on this day most kindly the day we hold holy to the memorie of this meeting the day of orta est the occasion of it In remembrance of the first meeting then they are apt and willing to meet upon it againe forward ever to meet the day they first mett of themselves But CHRIST this day being borne this day to meet of course One special end that He was borne was that at His birth this meeting might be If to day then they should not meet that were in a sort to evacuate CHRISTS birth if there should be a Veritas orta without an obviaverunt sibi So that if we procure it not we had as good keepe no Feast at all What is then the proper worke of this day but still to renew this meeting on it For CHRISTS birth we cannot entertaine but all these we must too Necessarie attendants upon it every one They be the vertues of His Nativitie these At His birth CHRIST bethought Himselfe of all the vertues which He would have to attend
then they wish when they say Glorie be in the highest that high and lowe Heaven and Earth Men and Angells would do their parts to make His praise glorious glorious at the highest On earth sound it out farre and wide all the world over to the ends of the earth Psal. 150.4.5 and lift up our voices and help them with instruments of all kinds and make them to be heard up to the very Heavens that so it may be in altissimis indeed Yea that all creatures in both ravished with the consideration of the great favour and good will of GOD in this daies Birth testified would take occasion to fill their mouthes with the praise of His goodnesse in resolving His wisdome in contriving His mercie in promising His truth in pâ—rforming the worke of this Day the blessed Birth of his Sonne For the worke of the Day to make the day of the worke a glorious day causing it to be attended with a number of daies according to the number of the moneths of the yeare as no Feast els Glorious in all places as well at home with Carolls as in the Church with Anthemes Glorious in all Ages even this day this yeare as on the very day on which He was borne Glorious in habit in fare But specially as we see the Angells here doe with the service of GOD the most solemne service the highest the most melodious Hymnes we have and namely with this heere of the Queere of Heaven In a word all the waies â—e can all the waies God can have any glory from us to let Him have it and have it even at the height in altissimis And good reason we should so wish CHRIST lost His glorie by being thus in the cratch We tooke some from Him to wish Him some for it againe That was ignominia in infimis to wish Him gloria in altissimis in liev of it Againe we get glorie by it our Nature so For the glorie we get by GOD heer below to returne some glorie to GOD there on high This is votum gloriae this wish we when we wish gloria in altissimis The next is votum pacis they wish Peace may be upon earth 2. Peace in Earth 1 Even Augustus his peace first that is the first commeth to our minds when we heare that word the shutting of IANVS for that also was a blessed fruict of this Birth Esay fore-told it There should then be a bridge from Ashur to Egypt Esa 19.23 and from Canaan to them both that is from every nation to other to traffique and to trade togither That but not only that but the taking downe also of the partition wall Eph. 2.14 which formerly MOSES had set up between the Iew and the Gentile the making of them both one in the body of his flesh Saint Pauls peace And yet further For both these are peace upon earth of earth with earth Augustus can the world can give that peace though many times they will not But he speakes in a Place of the peace which the world cannot give that is peace with heaven That there should not be ESAIS bridge only Gen. 28.10 but IACOBS ladder set up from Bethel to heaven a peace-able entercourse with that place by the Angells descending and ascending between us and them And further yet peace at home with our selves and with our owne consciences Psal. 116.7 Turne againe â—o thy rest ô my Soule for in finding Him we shall find rest to our Soules And last to answere Gloria in altissimis Pax in novissimis peace at the parting which is worth all Simeons peâ—ce a good Nunc dimittis in pace Ver. 29. a departing hence in peace And all by meanes of viderunt oculi the sight of the Salvation of this Day All these are in voto pacis The third is there may be in GOD a good-will toward men And 3. Good wil toward men good-will is a kind of Peace but somewhat more with an extent or prorogation a kind of peace peculiar to men which the other parts of the earth are not capable of So a further matter to men then bare peace Even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thinke well to beare good-will to be well pleased with men And what greater wish can there be then In quo complacitum est CHRIST hath no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is His high glorie Mat. 3.17 that for His and this His births sake which we now celebrate that which is verified of His Person is verified of both His Natures of Him not only as SONNE of GOD but even as SONNE of man too And what is verified of Him as SONNE of man may be verified also of the Sonnes of men of all Mankind This wish is at the highest and more cannot be wished then that this favour to day begunne may still and ever continue to us all So have you now the three parts of the Angells wish Summa votorum Glorie be to GOD. c. What is now to be done Three things more To see the 1 Connexion copulative I. The Connexion copulative Glory Peace 2 the Sequence 3 and the Division 1 The Connexion copulative a blessed couple Glorie and Peace 2 The Sequence but first glorie and then Peace 3 The Division which to which 1 One to GOD 2 The other to earth 3 The third to man Glorie and Peace are coupled togither with an and And in earth peace That Glorie would not be soong alone but Peace togither with it We will not we may not skip the Copulative that couples togither high and low heaven and earth and in them GOD and Man But that which I respect specially Glorie and peace must be soong togither If we sing Glorie without Peace we sing but to halves No Glorie on high will be admitted without Peace upon earth No gift on His altar which is a speciall part of His glorie but lay downe your gift and there leave it Mat. 5.24.55 and first goe your way and make peace on earth and that done come againe and you shall then be accepted to give glorie to heaven and not before And ô that we would go and doe the like have like regard of His glorie that He hath of our peace But this knott of Gloria et Pax is against those that are still ever wrangling with one thing or other and all for the Glorie of GOD forsooth as if these two could not ioyne GOD could not have His glorie if the Church were at peace as if no remedie the Angells Et must out 2. The Sequence Glorie before Peace Glorie and Peace but Glorie first and then Peace There is much in the order Glorie to be first els you change the Cleff the clef is in Glorie that the key of the Song That is to be first and before all Peace to give place to her Glorie is the elder Sister And no Pax in terris vnlesse it be first
leads us to another Starr Esay 11.1 2 Pet. 1.19 Psal. 110.3 even the Root and Generation of DAVID the bright morning Starr He of whom * Zach. 6.12 Zacharie saith in the Old Testament Ecce Vir Oriens nomen Ejus Yea Oriens ab alto saith * Luk. 1 78. Zacharie in the New Visits those of the East whence the day springeth takes them that are neerest Him and His rising works upon the place first that beares His name The Wisedome of GOD the beginning of all His waies is found by wise men Pro. 8.22 of all other because they be Wise most fit to find Him The Division Two verses I have read In the former after the Matter of the Feast first remembred When IESVS was borne accompanied with the two circumstances of Place and Time The Place where Bethlehem Iuda The Time when the dayes of Herod the King There is a memorable accident that then happened set downe A Venerunt A Comming or arriuall at Hierusalem And they that so came were a companie of Magi from the East And this lo hath the Ecce on the head of it Ecce venerunt Magi ab Oriente Behold there came c. As the speciall point in the Text and so we to make it In the later is set downe their Errand Both the 1 Occasion and the 2 End best expressed by themselves out of their owne dicentes 1. The Occasion Vidimus stellam They had seene His starre 2. The End Venimus adorare They are come to worship Him Viderunt Venerunt Adorârunt That they may come to their finis vltimus they must have a medius finis That is to woâ—ship they must finde Him where He is So they aske Vbi est Not whether He be borne but Where He is borne For borne He is they are sure by the same token they have seene His Starre His Starre is up that is risen therefore He is risen too So the Starre in heaven kindled another Starre in earth S. Peter calls it the Day-starre which riseth in the heart that is faith which shined and manifested it selfe 2. Pet. 1.19 by their labor in comming diligence in inquiring duty in worshipping CHRISTS birth made manifest to them by the starr in heaven Their faith the starr in their hearts made manifest to CHRIST and to all by the travaile of it which shewed it manifestly That upon the matter there falls a three-fold Manifestation you may call them three starrs if you please 1 The starr in heaven 2 the day starr in their hearts 3 and CHRIST Himselfe the bright morning starr whom both the other guide us to the Starr of this morning which makes the Day the greatest Day in the yeare The summe of all riseth to this That GOD hath opened a door of faith to the Gentiles And among them to Wise men and Great men as well as to the simpler sort Act. 14.27 But with this condition that they say with them venite adoremus And so come and seeke and find and worship Him that is doe as these did WHen IESVS was borne That when is now The Matter His Birth is the ground of the Feast and the cause of our Venimus our comming togither Where this we note first It is the verie first time the first was borne in the Bible was borne never till now Heere the tide turnes the sense changes from shall be to was A blessed change and the day is blessed on which it happened Before He was borne it was so sure He should be borne as ESAY sayd Puer natus est nobis But for all that there is some oddes between ESAI's natus est Esa. 9.6 and Saint MATTHEVVE ' s. That was but virtually as good as borne This actually borne indeed IESVS CHRIST yesterday and to day and the same for ever The same yet not altogither after the same manner There is as much betweene IESVS CHRIST Hebr. 13.8 yesterday not come and IESVS CHRIST to day cum natus esset as is betweene a state in reversion and one in being The Fathers aptly resemble their case that were the ante-nati before CHRIST and ours that came after to the two men Numb 13. that carried the great cluster of grapes upon a staffe betweene them Both carried but Num. 13.24 he that came behind saw that he carried So did not he that went before The post-natti sure are of the surer hand And so for cum natus esset the day and time to hold a Feast for When IESVS was borne Weighty circumstances are ever matter of moment in a storie specially The Circumstances Three there are in the first Verse 1 The Place 2 the Time 3 the Persons 4 I adde a fourth out of the Sâ—cond Verse the Occasion The place Vbi Bethlehem Iuda The time Quando the dayes of Herod the King The Persons Quibus Wise men from the East The Occasion whereupon A new Starre appearing Every one of the foure having a severall Prophesie running of it and every Prophesie a filling of it in these words The Place He was borne in Bethlehem Iuda Mica 5.2 And thou Bethlehem Iuda saith the Prophet Mica out of thee shall He come And now come He is The Time the dayes of Herod the King The Scepter shall not quite depart from Iuda till SILO come sayd old Father Iacob in his prophecie SILO then is now come Gen. 49.10 For the Scepâ—er is in Herods hand His Father an Edomite His mother an Ismaelite Iuda cleane gon The Persons Psal. 72 10. Esa. 60.6 Magi ab oriente Kings from the East The Kings of Arabia and Saba shall come and bring gifts saith David And Esai specifies them Gold mirrhe incense These Kings are come Heer they are they and their Gifts both Numb 24.17 The Occasion whereupon A starr risen A starr shall rise of IACOB saith Balaam no very good man yet a true Prophet in this and his prophesie true and for such recorded in the Books of Moses This Starr is this morning up to be seen Prophesies of all foure and all foure accomplished 1. CHRISTS Vbi Of the Place of Bethlehem out of MICA it hath formerly beene treated I but touch it and passe it now It was the place where DAVID himselfe was borne And what place more meete for the Sonne of DAVID to be borne in It was the place where was heard the first newes of the Temple And where could the Lord of the Temple more fittly be heard of Ioh. 6·51 It is interpreted Domus panis the House of Bread What place more proper for Him who is the living bread that came downe from heaven Mica 5.2 to give life to the world It was the least and the lowest of all the thousands of Iuda What litle and low is in things naturall that lowlinesse and humilitie is in spirituall This naturall birth-place of His sheweth His spirituall Humilitie is His place Humilitie as I may
may remâ—mber it And when we have remembred these Remember CHRIST too that gave the Memeâ—to that He calleth himselfe Alpha and Omega Apâ—â— â—â— not only Alpha for his happy beginning but Omega for His thrife happy ending For that He left us not nor gave over the worke of our redemption till He had brougâ—t it to Consummatum est And that on our part Summa Religionis est imitari quem colis The highest act of Religion is for the Christian to conforme himselfe not to Lot's Wife but to CHRIST whose name he weareth And though Verus amor non sumit vires despe True love indeed receiveth no manner strength from hope but though it hope for nothing loveth neverthelesse yet to quicken our love which oft is but faint and for a full Memento Remember the Reward Remember how CHRIST will remember us for it which shall not be the wages of an hireling or lease-wise for time and terme of yeares but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eternity it selfe never to expire end or determine but to last and endure for ever and ever But this reward saith Ezekiel is for those whose foreheads are marked with Tau Ezek. 94. which as Omega in Greek is the last letter in the Hebrew Alphabet and the marâ—e of consummatum est among them They onely shall escape the wrath to come And this crowne is laid up for them not of whom it may be said Gal. 5.7 Currebatis benè Ye did runne well but for those that can say with Saint Paul Cursum consummavi I have finished my course well 2. Tim. 4.7 And thanks be to GOD we have not hitherto wanted this salt but remembred Lot's wife well So that this exhortation because we have prevented and done that which it calleth for changeth his nature and becommeth a commendation as all others do A commendation I say yet not so much of the people whose onely faelicitie is to serve and be subiect to one that is constant for otherwise we know how wavering a thing the multitude is as of the Prince whose constant standing giveth strength to many a weake knee otherwise And Blessed be GOD and the Father of our LORD IESVS CHRIST that we stand in the presence of such a Prince who hath ever accompted of Perseverance not onely as of Regina virtutum the Queen of vertues but as of virtus Reginarum the vertue of a Queen Who like Zorobabel first by Princely magnanimitie layd the Corner-stone in a troublesome time and since by Heroicall constancie through many both alluring proffers and threatning dangers hath brought forth the head-stone also with the Prophett's acclamation Grace grace unto it Grace for so happy a beginning and Grace for so thrice happy an ending No terrors no enticement no care of her safety hath removed her from her stedfastnesse but with a fixed eye with streight stepps with a resolute mind hath entred her selfe and brought us into Zoar. It is a little one but therein our soules shall live and we are in safety all the Cities of the Plaine being in combustion round about us Of whom it shal be remembred to her high praise not onely that of the Heathen Illaque virgo viri 2. Chro. 13.5 but that of David that all her dayes she served GOD with a covenant of Salt and with her Israël from the first day untill now And of this be we perswaded that He which begann this good worke in her will performe it unto the day of IESVS CHRIST to her everlasting praise comfort and ioy and in her to the comfort ioy and happinesse of us all Yet it is not needlesse but right requisite that we which are the LORD 's Remembrancers put you in mind that as Perseverance is the Queen of vertues quia ea sola coronatur so is it also quia Satanas ei soli insidiatur for that all Satan's malice and all his practises are against it The more carefull need we to be to carry in our eye this example Which GOD graunt we may and that our hearts may seriously regard and our memories carefully keepe it Vt haec columna fulciat nos et hic sal condiat nos that this Piller may prop our weaknesse and this salt season our sacrifice that it may be remembred and accepted and rewarded in the day of the LORD Which c. A SERMON Preached in the COVRT AT RICHMONDE on Tuesday being the V. of March A.D. MDXCVI LVKE CHAP. XVI VER XXV Fili recordare c. Sonne remember that thou in they life time receivedst thy pleasures or good things and likewise LAZARVS paines Now therefore is be comforted and thou art tormented THIS Scripture hath the name given it in the very first words Recordare Fili Sonne remember It is a Remembrance There be many Sermons of remembrance heere on earth this is one from heaven from the mouth of Abraham Not now on earth but in heaven and from thence beholding not in a glasse or darke speech but intuitive 1 Cor. 13.2 that which he telleth us and He that saw it bare witnesse and His witnesse is true Ioh. 19.35 Which may somewhat move attention Or if that will not lett me add further That it is such a remembrance that it toucheth our estate in everlasting life That is the well or evill hearing of this Recordare is as much as our aeternall life is worth For we finde both in it That our Comfort or Torment aeternall Comfort in Abraham's bosome Torment in the fire of hell depend upon it and therefore as much as we regard them we are to regard it This Remembrance is directed to a Sonne of Abraham's not so much for him as for the rest For it is to be feared that both the sonnes of Abraham and the daughters of Sara forget this point overmuch and many of them with this partie heere to whom it is spoken never remember it till it be too late To Abraham's sonnes then all and every one But specially such of his sonnes as presently are in the state that this Sonne heere sometime was of whom it is said He had received good things in his life By vertue whereof I find this Recordare will reach home to us for that we are within the compasse of this Recepisti For truly the summe of our Receipt hath been great No Nation 's so great And our Recordare little I will not say how little but sure too little for that we have received Now albeit it be all our case for we all have received yet not all our case alike but of some more then other For some have received in farr more plentifull manner then other some and they therefore more deepely interessed in it And looke who among us have received most them it most concerneth and they of all other most need to looke to it If you aske why they more then others For that besides the duty to whom a great Recepisti is given of them a great
None pertaine to it but they that take benefit by it and none take benefit by it no more then by the brazen Serpent but they that fixe their eye on it Behold Consider and Regard it the profit the benefit is lost without Regard If we do not as this was a day of GOD 's fierce wrath against him The perill if not onely for regarding us so there is another day comming and it will quickly be heer a day of like fierce wrath against us for not regarding him Psal. 90.11 And who regardeth the power of his wrath He that doth will surely Regard this In that day there is not the most carelesse of us all but shall cry as they did in the Gospell Domine non ad Te pertinet si perimus Mar. 4 38. Pertaines it not to Thee Carest thou not that we perish Then would we be glad to pertaine to him and his Passion Pertaines it to us then and pertaines it not now Sure now it must if then it shall Then to give end to this Complaint let us grant him his request The Request Have some Râ—gard and Regard his Passion Let the Rarenesse of it The Neerenesse to us Let Pitie or Dutie Feare or Remorse Love or Bounty Any of them or all of them Let the justnesse of his Complaint Let his affectionate manner of Complaining of this and only this Let the shame of the Creature 's regard Let our Profit or our Perill Let something prevaile with us to have it in some regard Some regard Verily as his sufferings his Love 1. Our best Regaâ—d our good by them are so should our regard be a Non sicut too That is a regard of these and of nothing in comparison of these It should be so For with the benefit ever the regard should arise But GOD helpe us poore sinners and be mercifull unto us Our regard is a Non sicut indeed but it is backward and in a contrary sense That is no where to shallow so short or so soone done It should be otherwise it should have our deepest consideration this and our highest regard 2. At least sâ—me Reâ—â—rd But if that cannot be had our nature is so heavy and flesh bloud so dull of apprehension in Spirituall things yet at least wise some regard Some I say The more the better But in any wise some And not as here No regard none at all Some waies to shew we make accompt of it to with-draw our selves to void our minds of other matters to set this before us to thinke upon it to thanke him for it to regard him and stay and see whether he will regard us or no. Sure he will and we shall feele our hearts pricked with sorrow by consideration of the cause in us our Sinne And againe warme within us by consideration of the cause in him Act. 2.37 Luc. 24.32 his Love till by some motion of Grace he answere us and shew that our regard is accepted of Him And this as at all other times for no day is amisse 3. This Day specially but at all times some time to be taken for this dutie so specially on this Day this Day which we hold holy to the memorie of his Passion this day to do it to make this Day the Day of GOD 's wrath and CHRIST 's suffering a Day to us of serious consideration and regard of them both It is kindly to consider Opus diei in die suo The worke of the Day in the Day it was wrought and this Day it was wrought This Day therfore whatsoever businesse be to lay them aside a little whatsoever our haste yet to stay a little and to spend a few thoughts in calling to minde and taking to regard what this Day the SONNE of GOD did and suffered for us and all for this end that what he was then we might not be and what he is now we might be for ever Which Almightie GOD grant we may doe more or lesse even every one of us according to the severall measures of His Grace in us A SERMON PREACHED before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT Greenwich on the XXIX of March A.D. MDCV. being GOOD-FRIDAY HEBR. CHAP. XII VER II. Aspicientes in Authorem fidei Consummatorem IESVM qui proposito Sibi gaudio sustinuit Crucem confusione contempta atque in dextera Sedis DEI sedet Looking unto IESVS the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the Throne of GOD. SAint Luke though he recount at large our SAVIOVR CHRIST 's whole storie yet in plaine and expresse termes he calleth the Passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Theorie or Sight Luc. 23.48 which Sight is it the Apostle heer calleth us to looke unto Of our blessed SAVIOVR 's whole life or death there is no part but is a Theorie of it selfe well worthy our looking on for from each part thereof there goeth vertue to do us good From each part but of all from the last part or act of His Passion Therefore hath the HOLY GHOST honored this last part only with this name and none but this This is the theorie ever most commended to our view To be looked on he is at all times and in all acts but then and in that act specially When for the ioy set before Him He endured the Crosse and despised the shame Then saith the Apostle looke unto him Saint Paul being elsewhere carefull to shew the Corinthians and with them us CHRIST and as to shew them CHRIST So to shew them in CHRIST what that is that specially concerneth them to know or look unto thus he saith That though he knew many very many things besides yet he esteemed not to know anything 1. Cor. 2.2 but IESVS CHRIST Hunc crucifixum Him and Him crucified Meaning respective as they terme it that the perfection of our knowledge is CHRIST and the perfection of our knowledge in or touching CHRIST is the knowledge of His Crosse and Passion That the chiefe Theorie Nay in this all so that see this and see all The view whereof though it be not restreined to any one time but all the yeare long yea all our life long ought to be frequent with us and blessed are the houres that are so spent yet if at any time more then other certainly this time this day may most justly challenge it For this day was this Scripture fulfilled and this day are our eares filled full with Scriptures about it So that though on other daies we employ our eyes otherwise yet that this day at least we would as exceeding fitly the Apostle wishâ—th us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast our eyes from other sights and fixe them on this object Ioh. 12 32. it being the day dedicate to the lifting up of the SONNE of MAN on high that He may draw every eye unto
us He and we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is so grafted one into the other that he is part of us and we of Him So that as Saint Bernard well observeth Christus etsi solus resurrexit tamen non totus That Christ though He be risen onely yet He is not risen wholly or all till we be risen too He is but risen in part and that He may rise all we must rise from death also This then we know first That death is not a fall like that of Pharao into the sea that sunk downe like a lump of leade into the bottome Exod. 15.10 and never came up more but a fall like that of Iona's Ion. 1.17.2.10 Matt. 12.40.25 41. Esay 26.19 into the Sea who was received by a fish and after cast up againe It is our Saviour Christ's owne Simile A fall not like that of the Angells into the bottomelesse pitt there to stay for ever but like to that of men into their bedds when they make accompt to stand up againe A fall not as of a log or stone to the ground which where it falleth there it lyeth still but as of a wheate corne into the ground which is quickned and springeth up againe 1. Cor. 15.36 The very word which the Apostle vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implieth the two later 1 either of a fall into a bed in our chamber where though we lye to see to little better then dead for a time yet in the morning we awake and stand up notwithstanding 2 Or of a fall into a bed in our garden where though the seede patrifie and come to nothing yet we looke to see it shoote forth anew in the spring Which spring is as Tertullian well calleth it the very resurrection of the yeare and Christ's resurrection falleth well with it And it is saith he no way consonant to reason that man for whom all things spring and rise againe should not have his Spring and rising too But he shall have them we doubt not by this daies worke He that this day did rise and rising was seene of Marie Magdalen in the likenesse of a gardiner Ioh 20.15 this gardiner will looke to it that man shall have his spring He will saith the Prophet drop upon us a dew like the dew of herbs and the earth shall yeeld foorth her dead And so as CHRIST is risen from the dead Esay 26.19 even so shall we â— That Christ now dieth not Luk. 7.11.14 8.54 Ioh. 11.43 Our second Particular is That as He is risen so now he dieth not Which is no idle addition but hath his force and Emphasis For one thing it is to rise from the dead and another not to die any more The Widowe's Sonne of Naïm the Ruler's daughter of the Synagogue Lazarus all these rose againe from death yet they died afterward But Christ rising from the dead dyeth no more These two are sensibly different Lazaru's resurrection and Christ's and this second is sure a higher degree then the former If we rise as they did that we returne to this same mortall life of ours againe this very mortalitie of ours will be to us as the prisoners chaine he escapes away withall by it we shall be pulled back again though we should rise a thousand times We must therfore so rise as Christ that our resurrection be not reditus but transitus not a returning back to the same life Ioh. 5.24 but a passing over to a new Transivit de morte ad vitam saith he The very feast it selfe puts us in minde of as much It is Pascha that is the Passeover not a comming back to the same land of Aegypt Deut. 17.16 but a passing over to a better the land of Promise whither Christ our Passeover is passed before us and shall in his good time give us passage after Him 1. Cor. 5.7 The Apostle expresseth it best where he saith that Christ by His rising hath abolished death 2. Tim 1.10 and brought to light life and immortalitie not life alone but lifâ— and immortalitie which is this our second particular Risen and Risen to die no more because risen to life to life immmortall 〈◊〉 the third is yet beyond both these more worth the knowing 3. That from hence forth death hath no more dominion over Him more worthy 〈◊〉 accâ—mpâ— death hath no dominion over him Where as we before sayd one thing it was to rise againe another to dye no more so say we now it is one thing not to dyes another not to be under the dominion of death For death and deaths doâ—â—nion are two different things Death it selfe is nothing els but the very separation of the life from the body death's dominion a thing of farre larger extent By which word of dominion the Apostle would have us to conceive of death as of some great Lord having some large Signiorie Ver. 14.17.21 Even as three severall times in the Chapter before he saith Regnavit mors death reigned as if death were some mighty Monarch having some great dominions under him And so it is For looke how many dangers how many diseases sorrowes calamities miseries there be of this mortall life how many paynes perills snares of death so many severall provinces are there of this dominion In all which or some of them while we live we still are under the jurisdiction and arrest of death all the dayes of our life And say that we scape them all and none of them happen to us yet live we still under feare of them and that is deathe's dominion too Iob. 1â— 14. For He is as Iob calleth Him Rex pavoris King of feare And when we are out of this life too unlesse we pertayne to CHRIST and His resurrection we are not out of his dominion neyther For Hell it selfe is secunda mors so termed by Saint Iohn the second death Apoc 20.14.21.8 or second part of death's dominion Now who is there that would desire to rise againe to this life yea though it were immortall to be still under this dominion of death heer still subject still liable to the aches and paynes to the greefs and gripings to all the manifold miseries of this vale of the shaddow of death But then the other the second region of death the second part of his dominion who can endure once to be there There they seeke and wish for death and death flyeth from them Verily Rising is not enough rising not to dye againe is not enough except we may be quit of this dominion and rid of that which we either feele or feare all our life long Therefore doth the Apostle add and so it was needfull he should death hath no dominion over Him No dominion over Him No for He dominion over it For lest any might surmise He might breake through some wall or gett out at some window and so steale a resurrection or casually come to it He tells
Matt. 25.21 Tâ—ansi in gaudium Domini Passe over into the ioy of the LORD the ioyes of heaven Ioyes not mingled with any sourâ— levin as this world's ioy is but pure and entire nor transient as that of this world and ever flitting and forsaking us then soonest when we tâ—inke we have best hold of them but permanent and abiding still A Passe over that will never be passed over but last and continue a Feast to all eternitie Of that this heere is a pledge if we neglect it not as if it were not worth the taking And He that at this time gave us this pledge in His good time aâ—so bring us to the Passe-over whereof this is the pledge even to the never passing but everlasting ioyes and happinesse of His heavenly kingdome through the offering of His blessed SONNE the very PASCHAL LAMB To whom with c. A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL on the XVIII of April A.D. MDCXIII being EASTER DAY COL CHAP. III. Igitur si con-surrexistis c. VER 1. If ye then be risen with CHRIST seeke those things which are above whâ—re CHRIST sitteth at the right hand of GOD. 2. Sâ—t your affeâ—â—ions or minds on things which are above and not on things which are oâ— the earth 〈…〉 of tâ—e â—â—urcâ— hath so disposed of her 〈…〉 gâ—eâ—t Fâ—astâ— as lightly the 〈…〉 wâ—at wâ—s done on the day 〈…〉 aâ—d the 〈◊〉 what is to be done 〈…〉 saith the 〈…〉 vos and you are 〈…〉 sâ—itâ— the Episâ—le 2. Thâ—t which is in the Gâ—sâ—ell is CHRIST'S Aâ—t whâ—t He did That wâ—ich in tâ—e Epâ—sâ—le our Agendum what we to doe 3. Or rather both ours 1 what He did matter of faith 2 what we to doe matter of duety our Aâ—â—â—dum upon His Act. Tâ—e Common sort looke to Eastâ—r day no further then Easâ—â—r-day fare and Easter-day day appareile and other use they have none of it The true Christian enquireth further what is the Agendum of the feast what is the proper Act of Easter-day The Church hath hers we have ours Nothing more proper to a Christian then to keep time with CHRIST to rise with Him this day who this day did rise That so it may be Easter-day with us as it was with Him the same that was the day of His be also the day of our rising The Summâ— Thus then it lieth CHRIST is risen And if CHRIST then We. If we so be then we seeke and that we cannot unlesse we set our minds To set our minds then On what On things above Which above Not on earth so is the Text but where Christ is And why there Because where He is there are the things we seeke for and heer cannot finde There He is sitting So at rest And at the right hand so in glorie God's right hand and so for ever These we seeke rest in eternall glorie These CHRIST hath found and so shall we if we make this our Agendum begin this day to set our minds to search after them Because it is to the Colossians the Colossus or capitall point of all is To rise with CHRIST That is the mayne point And if you would doe a right Eastâ—r-daâ—es worke doe that It is the way to entitle us to the true holding of the Feast That so we may these two Opera Paschalia are commended to us Things above 1 to make them our search 2 to fixe our minds on them These two we read quaerite sapiâ—e in the Imperative we may in the Indicative as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is quaeritis as well as quaerite and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sapitis as well as sapite If ye reade them imperative thus This ye are to doe to seeke to set your minds then be they in praecepto and per modum Officij by way of precept and in nature of a duety If you read them indicative thus If you be risen then you doe seeke and set your minds then they be in elencho and per modum signi by way of triall and in nature of a signe Both well and a good use of both The Division The Parts lye thus Two things are supposed Two other inferred And a third Two we are referred to or given hope of The two supâ—posed these â— Christ is risen 2 and We with Christ If ye be risen with Christ. The Two inferred these If risen then 1 to seeke 2 then to set our minds above on things there where Christ is The two he referreth to or giveth hope of Rest with Him in glorie 1 Rest to sitt 2 Glorie at the right hand And GOD maketh up all the perfect number of seven For aeternall is the rest and aeternall the Glorie that is at His right hand Hebr. 1. These we heard of at His Birth in the Epistle then This we heare of againe at His Rising Act. 1.11 or second Birth from the grave in the Epistle now This we shall heare of againe at His Ascension too This is remembred in all as the fruit of all at every Feast set before us as our hope and all we seeke To sit with CHRIST at the right hand of GOD. I. The two suppositions IF Ye be risen This seemeth prima sacâ—e to be but a single Supposition but being well looked into resolves into two risings 1 CHRIST'S and 2 Ours 3 He 1. Christ's rising and 4 we with Him Of which the first Christ's doth immutabiliter suâ—ponere His needs no If. It is not If Christ be but If we with Christ. For Christ is certainly Three hundred yeares the World opposed it thirteen hundred ever since the World hath supposed it And so let us and so passe to our owne and begin every yeare to lay our grounds anew every Easter to be teaching our rudiments over againe There is an If that supposeth but mobiliter may be or not be thereafter as we seeke and our minds be set But yet if ye marke it is not His supposed by it selfe and ours inferred upon His but ours supposed likewise His and ours both supposed under one under one and the same If. And as they are close lincked that one supposition serveth for them so are they woven togither that one Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holdeth them under one Si and one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both The Apostle hath framed a new word heer for the purpose con-surrexistis The resurrection we have heard of The con-surrection we are now to heare and take notice of To set our Suppose right I aske two questions 1 the one of these If you 2 the other of these If you be risen Si vos if you Why 2. Our Rising 1. Si Vos If you doth the Resurrection pertaine but to some certaine vos Is it not Si omnes concernes it not all As Christ died so is He risen for all and shall not all rise with Him What do we then do with Si vos Yes all rise with
not In signe He would not we see Himselfe saith Solvite And Solvite He must have sayd He must have sayd it or they could not have done it It had passed all their cunning and strength to have undone this knott ever but that He gave way to it 4. Gave way to it I say that we take not this Solvite otherwise then He meant it It is not of the nature of a charge this nor we so to conceive it Very expedient it is that we know the nature of Solvite Templum Solvite Templum is no Commaundement be sure in no sense 2 Solvite Templum No commaundement Rom. 2.17 He commaunds not any Temple not that they themselves meant to be destroyed It were Sacrilege that and no better And Sacrilege the Apostle rankes with Idolatrie as being full out as evill if not worse then it But indeed worse for what Idolatrie but pollutes Sacrilege pulls quite downe And easier it is to new hallow a Temple polluted then to build one anew out of an heape of stones And if but to spoyle a Church be sacrilege as it is graunted yet that leaves somewhat at least the walls and the roofe so it be not lead To leave nothing but downe with it is the cry of Edom the worst cry the worst sacrilege of all Psal. 137.7 and never given in charge by GOD to any we may be sure 1. Reg. 8.18 2. Chron. 6.8 For GOD himselfe said to David with his owne mouth Whereas it was in thine heart to build me an House thou didst well that thou wast so minded Didst well well done to thinke of building then à sensu contrario Evill done to thinke of dissolving And that which is evill CHRIST will never enjoigne But what is to be thought of Solvite Templum I would have you to judge by these two they be both in the Text. 1. To whom this is spoken 2. And what is meant by it 1 To whom Solvite Templum is layd 1. To whom this is spoken Distingue Tempora is a good Rule So is Distingue Personas Distinguish the persons then give every one his owne it will make you love Solvite Templum the worse as long as you know it Solvite To whom is this spoken who be they The Pharisees To them is this speech directed That is made their worke work for a Pharisee to dissolve Churches And so it was For as whote and holy as they seemed Matt. 23.5.14.17 with their broad phylacteries long prayers our SAVIOVR saith they loved the gold of the Temple better then the Temple So doe their posterity to this day To the Pharisees then with them to their marrowes that would faigne heare Solvite given in charge The other person is CHRIST CHRIST 's word and worke both is excitabo Excitator Templorum He a Raiser of them a Rayser of them when they be downe we see heere They will not let them stand when they be up CHRIST he setts them up for His part When you will have them downe you must bespeake some Pharisee And they will doe it leviter rogati For as His speech to them is Solvite excitabo So theirs to Him may seeme to be Excita solvemus Set up as many as He will they will downe with them first with Templum hoc then with Templum illud and so one after another if they may have their will they lacke but one to give the Solvite to them and to set them on worke Distingue personas then And they to whom Solvite is said are but bad persons certainly and fit for a bad businesse â— What is meant by Solvite Templum 2. Will ye marke againe what is meant heere by it by destroying the Temple what but even the killing of CHRIST Now the suiting and sorting of these two thus hath but an evill aspect neither but this worse then the former though And I wish but this one point well printed in all mens minds Solvite Templum quid vult dicere Solvite Templum id est Occidite CHRISTVM that he that goes about to dissolve the Church it is all one as if he went about to make away CHRIST One of these is implied under the other Enough I thinke to take of the edge of any that are glad to heare and ready to catch Solvite Templum out of CHRIST 's mouth but quite besiâ—â—s His meaning For His meaning was And it was one speciall end of CHRIST 's comparing His body to the Temple to shew He would have us so to make account of the Temple and so to vse it as we would His owne very bodie And to be as far from destroying one as we would be from the other This may suffice to let you know the nature of Solvite Templum once for all that you be not mistaken in it 3 Solvite Templum hoc Not by way of commandement 3. Of Solvite Templum I say But now to come to Solvite Templum hoc to the Temple of His bodie Concerning it that it should enter into any mans heart to thinke CHRIST would open His mouth to command or to counseile His owne making away that is the committing the most horrible soule murther that ever was GOD forbid It was a sinne out of measure sinfull tâ—at if ever any were And give me any Religion rather then that that draweth GOD into the societie of sinne makes Him or makes CHRIST either Author or Adviser Commander or Counseilor of ought that is evill Eny I say rather then that But by way of praediction 1. How then if no command what is it All that can be made of it say the Antient Fathers is but either a prediction in the style of the Prophets Come downe Babel Esay 47.1 that is Babel shall be brought downe So Solvite ye shall destroy to warne them what He saw they were now casting about and whither their malice would carry them in the end Act. 7.52 even to be the destroyers and muderers of the SONNE of GOD. 2. Either this Or at most but a permission which in all tongues By way of permission is ever made in this mood in the Imperative So we vse to say Goe to doe and ye will or doe whâ—t ye will with my bodie when we meane but sufferance for all that and no command at all For all the world this Solvite to them as Pac citò to Iudas after Ioh. 13.27 Quod facis that which you are resolved to doe and have taken earnest upon it Fac Dâ—e it and Fac citò Doe it out of the way which yet it is well knowen was nothing but a permission and not a iote more 2. But should such so foule an evill as that be permitted though No nor that neither simply It is not a bare permission but one qualified Permitted for a greater good and that with two limitations Will ye marke them 1. For first He would not suffer
His part His resurrection by His owne And first to Excitabo Hitherto we are not come but now we come to the Signe for the Signe is in Excitabo Et Excitabo And I will raise it up Which is spoken as it were by way of triumph over all they could or should doe to Him Goe to dissolve it destroy it downe with it when you have done your worst it shall be in vaine Excitabo illud my power shall triumph ouer your malice I will raise it I will up with it againe Excitabo how opposed to Solvite But to loose and to raise these two are not opposite Rather to loose and to set together againe Raysing is opposed to falling and resurrection to ruine properly But it comes all to one Vpon the dissolving of any frame streight downe it dropps This goodly Temple of our bodie on the decking and trimming whereof so much is daily wasted loose the soule from it but a moment and downe it falls and there it lies like a log we all know In opposition to this fall it is said He will raise But He will doe both as it was loosed yet it fell so will He set it together yet He raise it againe Excitabo illud Three points there are in it 1 The Act â— And the Person in Excitabo and â— the Thing it selfe in illud 1. The act The word He useth for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in proprietie is a raising from sleepe Excitabo the act As from sleepe And sâ—eepe we know is farr from destruction It is to shew us first what a strange metamorphosis He would make in Death turne it but into a requiescet a requiescet in spe and there is all So made He His owne so will He make ours Psal. 16.9 This day CHRIST is risen again the first fruits of them that sleepe 1. Cor. 15.20 Dan. 12.2 and the rest that sleepe in the dust when their time comes shall doe the like 2. To shew secondly they should misse of their purpose quite They reckoned indeed to destroy Him they were deceived they made him but ready for a night's rest or two They made full account Death had devoured and digested him too they were deceived it was not so Ion. 2.10 Death had but swallowed Him downe as the Whale did Ionas upon the third day to cast him up againe 3. To shew thirdly not onely that this He would doe but wit what ease He would doe it With no more difficulty then one is waked up after a nights rest with no more adoe then a knot that is but loose and untyed is tyed againe But besides the Act Excitabo the person He himselfe we are to looke to the Person in Excitabo It is not destroy you and some other shall raise it but I even I my selfe and none but my selfe will doe it Nec alienâ virtute sed propriá and by none others beside but by mine owne proper vertue and power An argument of His Divine nature For none ever did none ever could doe that Raised some were but not any by himselfe or by his owne power but by a power imparted to some Prophet by GOD for that time and turne CHRIST by none imparted from any other but by His owne from Himselfe And let it not stumble any that elswhere the Father is said to raise and exalt Him That is all one Both will stand well The same power the Father doth it by by the same doth it He. There is but one power of both Of both or of either of them it is alike truly verified This for the Person Now for the thing Illud Templum hoc before and illud heer Illud The same Temple In substance Hoc and Illud are not two but one and the same Not Solvite hoc suscitabo aliud downe with this and I will up with another in the stead No but idem illud the very same again The very same you destroy that and no other will I reare up againe With us with the world it is not so when we fall to dissolve a frame of Governement suppose of the Church it is not Solvite hoc excitabo illud no but excitabo aliud We raise not the same but another quite another nothing like it a new one never heard of before But let them keepe their aliud and give us illud againe Illud we love It is CHRIST'S excitabo that and if we follow CHRIST in His raising the same againe or not at all But though illud be the same againe in substance Not the same In qualitie yet not in qualitie the same for all that but so farr different as in that respect it may seeme aliud another quite At least well may it be now called illud as it were with an Emphasis as qualified far beyond that it was before when it was but Templum hoc And to say truth if it be but the same just and no whit better as good save His labour and let the first stand For it is but His labour for His traveyle if nothing woone by it But if though the same yet not in the same but in a farr better estate then before Cedar for Mulberry marble for bricke as the Prophet speakes then Esai 9.10 ye say somwhat and then we will be content to have it taken downe And such was the estate of this Temple after the raising And such was it to be For the glorie of the second House was much greater then of the first Agge 2.10 Which encrease or bettering is implied in the word excitabo It is I told you a Rising up after sleepe Now in the morning after sleepe the bodie riseth more fresh and full of vigour then it was over night when it lay downe The Apostle speakes it more plainly Templum hoc saith he at the loosing it was in weakenesse dishonour mortalitie 1. Cor. 15.42.43 Templum illud at the raising it is in power and honour to immortalitie And sure one speciall reason of the dissolving this Temple was that as then it was Solvite might be said of it It was dissoluble But being now raised againe it is fâ—ster wrought indissoluble now No Solvite to be said not to be loosed ever any more This for Excitabo illud Now the last point of the Time The Signe is in that too IV. The Time Three daies And when this Within what time Within three daies Which words seemed to affect them most All their exception lay to them He looked not like one that would build Churches But let that passe were He never so likely He takes too small a time for sâ— great a worke as they thought But if we agree once of His power to raise from death the time will slide we shall never sticke at it much but agree of that quickly He that can raise from the dead ten thousand Churches will be built one after another before one be
raised thence To Him that is hable to do that fourty sixe houres are as good as fourty sixe yeares all one Nay even fourty sixe minutes but that it was held fitt He should lye longer in His grave then so that there might be the surer certeinty of His death Otherwise yeares daies or minutes to Him are all alike The Signe is in both but to say truth in Excitabo rather then in the three daies For to the power of Excitabo Nullum tempus occurrit Why three But why three daies iust Neither more nor lesse Because elswhere He saith No other time but Iona's that should serve Him No other then Mose's time fourtie daies in His fasting No other then IONA's time three in His rising Content to keepe time with His Prophetts before him Far from the humour of some that must varie no remedie If Ionas three they must foure or three and a halfe at least If Moses fourtie they must be a day under or â—ver have a number have a tricke by themselves beyond others still Els all is nothing worth Far from them I say and to make us farr from them by His example to keepe us to that which others before us have well and orderly kept b Excitavit the doing Now to the excitavit of this Excitabo Thus He said it should be Et fuit sic and so it was He would raise it dixit And He did raise it factum est His dissolution lasted no longer then His limitation before hand set That was not post tres but in tribus not after but within the compasse of three daies And He came within His time For this is but the third day and this day by breake of day was this Temple up againe a Our duty upon these To reiâ—ice This then being the day not onely of Excitabo but of Excitavit illud of the setting it up accordingly we this day to celebrate the Encaenia or new dedicating of this Temple A dedication was ever a Feast of Ioy and that great Ioy. Every Towne had their Wake in memorie of the dedicating of their Church That we then hold it as a Feast of ioy that we be glad on it as glad nay more glad to see it up againe this day thâ—n the third day since we were sorry to see it downe in the dust To Solvite downe with it Edom's cry belongs Ieremie's Lamentation to Excitabo this dayes worke Zacharie's ioyfull shout or acclamation Gratiam Gratiae grace upon grace and ioy upon ioy Zach. 4.7 and thanks upon thankes Grace Ioy and thankes with an Emphasis for it is now illud with an Emphasis indeed For our good Rom. 3.2 By Solvite But our ioy will quickly quaile if we no good by it I aske then what is all this to us And I answere with the Apostle Multum per omnem modum 1. For first this Solvite of His is a Solvite to us a loosing us not onely from our sinns the câ—rds of our sinnes heer Prov. 5 22. Iud. 6. as Salomon calls them but the chaines the everlasting chaines of darkenesse and of hell there due to them and to us for them By excitabo 2. Then this excitabo is not to end in Him What we beleeve He did for that Temple of His Bodie naturall the same we faithfully trust He will do for another Temple the Temple of His Bodie mysticall For it is mysticall as much as for His naturall for whose sake He gave Hiâ— naturall Bodie thus to be dissolved Of which mysticall Bodie we are parts and the whole cannot be without his parts Every of us membâ—rs of this Bodie for his part Every one living stones of this spirituall Temple Dissipentur illa restaurabit denuò saith Origen scattered we may be He will gather us againe loosed He will knitt us fall downe and die He will set us togither and set us up againe After two daies He will revive us and in the third day raise us Hos. 6.2 And we shall live in His sight saith the prophet Hosea of us all And this is to us all matter of great Ioy. For to this Solvite in the end we must all come Statutum est hominibus Heb 9.27 There is an Act passed for the dissolution of these our earthly tabernacles Loosed they shal be Spirit from flesh Flesh from bone each bone from other No avoyding it All our care to be this how to come to a good excitabo b Our morall duty Good I say for excitabo we shall never need to take thought for we shall come to that whither we care for it or no. But to a good Excitabo such a one as He as CHRIST as this Temple is come to that is to a joyfull resurrection as we call it That is worth our care For in the end that wil be worth all That shall we come to if we can take order that while we be heer To make our bodies Tâ—mples before we goe hence our bodies we get them Templified as I may say procure they be framed after the similitude of a Temple this Temple in the Text For if it be Solvite Templum at the dissolution a Temple a Temple it will rise againe there is no doubt of that Our bodies as we use the matter many of us are farr from Temples rather Prostibula then Templa brothel-houses brokers shopps wine-caskes or I wote not what rather then Temples Or if Temples Temples the wrong way of Ceres Bacchus Venus or to keepe the scripture phrase of Camos Ashtaroth Baalpeor and not Domus Patris mei as this heer He speakes of But if this be the fruict of our life and we have no other but this to fill and farce our bodies to make them shrines of pride and to mainteyne them in this excesse to make a money-change of all besides Common wealth Church and all I know not well what to say to it I doubt at their rising they will rather make blockes for hell fire then be made Pillars in the Temple of GOD Apoc. 3.12 Heb. 9.11 in the holy places made without hands Otherwise if they prove to Temples heer let no man doubt then let them be loosed when or how they will He that raised this Temple so they be Temples will raise them likewise and that to the same glorious estate Himselfe was raised to A course then must be taken that while we are heer we doe Solvere Templa haec The morall solvite of them dissolve these Temples of Camos and Ashtaroth and upon the dissolution of them we raise them up very Temples to the true and living GOD That we downe with Bethaven this house or shop of vanitie as by nature they are and up with Bethel God's house as by grace they may be For a Solvite and an excitabo we are to passe heer in this life and this The morall Excitabo Apoc. 20.6 this excitabo is the first
Specially such a one so conditioned as heere is set downe 5 For keeping it for us in heaven in this verse Verse 5. 6 For keeping us for it on Earth the next verse For these all but above all for the meanes of all the rising of CHRIST this dayes worke the dew of this new birth the gate of this hope the pledge of this Inheritance For these owe we this Benedictus to GOD. And this day are we to pay it every one of us It is a Sinne of omission not to doe it he that doth not is a debtour To GOD the Father the Qui and to CHRIST our LORD the Per quem by whom and by whose rising lose this life when we will we have hope of a better betide our Inheritance on Earth what shall we have another kept for us in heaven Thus every one naturally ariseth out of other BLessed be GOD. Yea blessed and thanked and praised Benedictus Magnificat I. The Act Benedictus Blessed be God Inhilate and all All But heere blessed suits best that the best and most proper returne for a blessing That we Inherite is the Blessing Chap. III. verse 9. The hope is a blessed hope Tit. II. 13. But the Inheritance is the State of blessednesse it selfe Therefore Benedictus benè dicitur Benedictus is said well Said well 2. The Partie GOD. Rom 9.5 of GOD who is above all blessed for ever well also of a Father Benedictus a fit terme for him And GOD in the Tenour of this whole Text is brought in as a Father a father begetting begetting us first by nature begetting us againe in it by grace But thereby hangs a Scruple For what are we Blesse GOD we may that we should take upon us to blesse GOD Saint Peter saies it heere Saint Paul seemes to gaine-say it Without all question saith he the lesse is blessed by the greater And is He lesse or we greater Heb. 7.7 that we should offer to blesse Him And if not as GOD not as a Father the next word For shall the Child presume to blesse his Father It becomes him not He us then and not we Him Yes He us and we Him too We have so many Texts for it I make no doubt but there is blessing both waies Of the many I remember that one of Saint Paul's Ephes. 1. Benedictus Deus qui benedixit nos Blessed be GOD for blessing us Ephes 1.3 As if they were reciprocall these One the Echo the reflexion of the other Aequall they are not It were fond to imagine the Father gives the child no other blessing but the childe can give him as good againe No aliter nos Deum aliter Deus nos Otherwise GOD blesseth us and the Parent who represents GOD in begetting our bodies and the Priest who represents Him in begetting againe our soules Otherwise we them GOD'S is reall ours but verball His cum effectu ever Ours if it be but cum affectu that is all His Operative ours but Optative What then he that wisheth heartily would doe more then wish if his power were according Even that then in want of power to shew a good will I know not how but we take it well ever GOD doth I am sure as appeareth by the goates haire of the Old Testament and by the Widowe's mites in the New And this is Saint Peter's but expressing a good minde onely And without all question thus the Greater may be blessed even of the lesse Not tanquam potestatem habens but tanquam vota faciens So we may say Benedictus Deus And let us then say it What say we then when we say Benedictus It is a word compound How we may blesse GOD. Take it in sunder and Dicere is to say somewhat to Speake and that we can and bene is speaking to speake well and that we ought To Speake is Confession To speake well is Praise And Praise becommeth Him and us to give it Him Put together in one word and then Benedicere to blesse in the phrase of ours and of all tongues els is not so much omnia bona dicere to speake all good of Him as omnia bona vovere to wish all good to Him And that becomes Him too not onely Laus but Votum specially where Votum is totum where we have little els left us but it And what good can we wish Him that He hath not Bonorum nostrorum non eget saith the Psalmist nor Benedictionum neither We can add nothing to Him Psal. 16.2 by our Benedictus Say we it say we it not He is blessed alike True to Him we cannot wish not to His person But to His Name we can In His Name And He is blessed when His Name is blessed We can wish His name more blessedly vsed and not in cursing and cursed othes as daily we heare it And to His Word we can We can wish it more devoutly heard and not In His Word as a few streines of wit as our manner is In His Person as united to his Church Yea even to His person we can There is a way to doe that inasmuch as He and His Church are now growne into one make but one person what is said or done to it is said or done to Himselfe Blesse it and He is blessed In a word then to blesse GOD is to wish His Name may be glorious to wish His Word may be prosperous to wish His Church may be happie By wearing of which Name and by hearing of which Word and by being in and of which Church we receive the blessing heere upon earth that shall make us for ever blessed in heaven This we say if we marke what we say when we say Blessed be GOD. GOD and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Style of the New Testament 1. Cor. 1.3 Ephes. 1.3 GOD and the Father of our LORD IESVS CHRIST This is stylo novo the style of the New Testament ye read it not in the Old No nor in Zacharie's neither Betweene that of Zacharie's and this of Saint Peter's it fell out this The Sunne was yet under the Horizon when Zacharie made his But now up and of a good height And thereupon this taken up by Saint Peter heere by Saint Paul 1. Cor. 1. Ephes. 1. and upon great reason 1. To fever Him from all false Gods 1. Blessed be GOD Say that and no more and never a Iew Turke or Pagan but will say as much Blessed be GOD we Blessed be GOD they It is never the worse for that But yet seeing the world then was still is full of many Gods and many Lords 1. Cor. 8. It would be knowne 1. Cor. 8.5 which GOD. For we would not bestow our Benedictus upon any but the true GOD neither they nor we I dare say Which is then the true GOD Pater Domini nostri Iesu Christi and He that is not so is a false fained God is an Idoll Put them to
of these so ioyfull tydings to them and in and by them to the wholâ— world Ioh. 12.3 When time was she brake her boxe of pretious ointment and the sent of it filled the whole house The breaking of this boxe now of the tydings of CHRIST 2. Cor. 2.16 and His rising with the sweete savour of life unto life hath filled and still filleth the whole world from one end to the other The Summe The Summe of the Text is A dispatch of Marie Magdalen by CHRIST to deliver a message to His Disciples It is in effect as if he should have said You know I am risen now you are well for your part There be others that know not so much and because they know it not sit in sorrow heavy and halfe dead at home It would comfort them much revive them put life into them againe to know what you know Now you are well thinke upon them that are not Remember what was your owne case but even now You cannot doe a better deed then carry comfort to the comfortlesse I would they knew of it I wish them well They be my brethren how-ever they forgat themselves when time was But this is not all that they might know of it but they must know of it with all speede For that she may the sooner goe tell them she must not touch For if you marke it It is not vade dic but Sed vade dic It is not barely Goe and tell them It is Touch me not But goe and tell them That is instead of touching she must be gone in all hast to tell them As if he should say Goe to let us have no touching now Get you to them the first thing you doe and tell them of it It will doe them more good to be told of this then it will doe you to stay heere and touch me never so oft This so great hast of the carrying it is much for the credit of the message Much for it I cannot but note it That CHRIST thought the notice of it so necessarie the bearing of it so every way important as we see He is carefull no time be taken from it but with all possible speed with the very first they acquainted with it So carefull as He would not take so much or rather so little time from it as wherin Marie Magdalen might have had but a touch at Him but takes her of and sends her away in all hast As if some matter had lien in it if they should not have heard of His rising before the Sun-rising Much for the honour of the Feast on which it was done That He would for ever have a Feast celebrated in memotie of this Day whereon these tydings came to the world first Most of all for His owne honour Who sheweth himselfe so desirous that they that are in heavinesse may receive comfort as He thinketh no hast too much no hast enough till they heare of it till they heare of His loving kindnesse betimes in the morning Psal. 143.8 To take the Text in sunder The parts be two The Divisâ—â— 1 A Commission to carry a message 2 And the Message it selfe 1 The Commission Vade ad fratres meos dic eis 2 The Message Ascendo ad Patrem meum c. In the Commission againe there are two 1 the Parties first â— and then the Charge 1 the Paâ—â—ies Fratres meos â— The Charge Vade dic eis In the Message two likewise 1 First that He is upon ascending â— Then the Party to whom That Party to whom is but one yet represented heer under two names 1 Father and 2 GOD. And that which to us is the capitall point of all and which we to lay hold of specially His Father but ours withall and His GOD but ours as well as His. The last and best part of the message For in it lyeth the joy that commeth to us this morning On which foure 1 My Father and 2 your Father and 3 my God and 4 your God as it were so many wheeles is His ascendo drawen Vpon the same is ours likewise to be and is therefore the Consummatum est of the Text and of the Feast and of this yea I dare add of the whole Gospell And let not this move you a whit that His Father and our Father His God and our God who are the end to which we ascend are made the chariot by which we ascend This is no strange thing in Divinitie Ad CHRISTVM non itur nisi per CHRISTVM saith Saint Augustine and so neither ad DEVM nisi per DEVM With us nothing is more certaine then that the end of our way which we come unto is also the way it selfe whereby we come thither One and the same ad quem and per quem ascenditur We shall make foure stands 1 One at fratres meos the Parties 2 Another at Diceis the Commission 3 The third at Ascendo the Motion 4 And the last at My Father your Father My God and your God the Terminus ad quem which giveth the perfection to all our motions and so to this the last end of all our motions For after ascendo we shall move no more but rest for ever VAde ad fratres meos Goe to my brethren Our first stand is to be at fratres meos I. Fratres 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 my brethren the Parties He sent to Who be they They she went to To whom went she To His Disciples in the next verse They then the Parties He meant They Ver. 〈…〉 His brethren A strange terme to begin with considering how they had dealt with Him scarse like brethren not long before We shall therein doe the worke of the Sabboth which is to tell of His loving kindnesse betimes in the morning and this morning Psal. 59 〈…〉 more then ever any Yet then we goe any further let us touch a little at this terme He gives them It is no noli me tangere this It is a word to be touched and taken hold of It was so when time was by Benhadad's servants this very word 1. King 〈…〉 Is Benhadad alive saith the King of Israël Frater meus est He is my brother which they presently caught hold of yea thy brother Benhadad is yet living So they And so we Fratres meos Let us not let this word fall to the ground but say with Bernard Salvum sit verbum Domini mei GOD save this word blessed be the lipps that spoke it Yea thy brethren Good LORD if so thou wilt vouchsafe to call them Out of it first I note heer is nothing that favours of any displeasure of remembring any old grudge Not so much as an harsh terme in all the message no mention they had fled from Him forsooke Him forswore Him full un-brotherly He hath forgotten it all all is out of His minde Casts not them of as they did Him but sends to them and by the name of
in us it is so by the power of CHRIST 's death and thither to be referred properly And whatsoever good is revived or brought againe anew from us it is all from the vertue of CHRIST 's rising againe All do rise all are raised thence The same power that did create at first the same it is that makes a new creature The same power that raised Lazarus the brother from his grave of stone the same raised Marie Magdalene the sister from her grave of Sinne. From one and the same power both Which keepeth this methode Worketh first to the raising of the soule from the death of sinne and after in the due time to the raising of the body from the dust of death Els what hath the Apostle said all this while Now this power is inhaerent in the Spirit as the proper subject of it even the aeternall Spirit whereby CHRIST offered himselfe first unto GOD and after raised himselfe from the dead Now as in the texture of the naturall body ever there goes the Spirit with the blood ever with a veine the vessell of the one there runnes along an arterie the vessell of the other So is it in CHRIST His blood and his Spirit alwaies goe together In the Spirit is the power in the power virtually every good work it produceth which it was ordeined for If we get the Spirit we cannot faile of the power And the Spirit that ever goes with the blood which never is without it This carries us now to the blood The very shedding whereof upon the Crosse primùm ante omnia was the nature of a price A price first of our ransome from death due to our sinne through that His satisfaction A price againe of the purchase He made for us through the value of His merit which by His Testament is by Him passed over to us Now then His blood after it had by the very powring it out wrought these two effects it ranne not wast but divided into two streames T it 3.5 1. One into the Laver of the new birth our Baptisme applied to us outwardly to take away the spotts of our sinne Luk. 22.20 2. The other into the Cup of the New Testament in His blood which inwardly administred serveth as to purge and cleanse the conscience from dead workes Chap. 9.14 that so live works may grow up in the place So to endue us with the Spirit that shall enhable us with the power to bring them forth Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta these are not two of the Sacraments but the two twin-Sacraments of the Church saith S. Augustine And with us there are two Rules 1. One Quicquid sacrificio offertur Sacramento confertur what the Sacrifice offereth that the Sacrament obteineth 2. The other Quicquid Testamento legatur Sacramento dispensatur What the Testament bequeatheth that is dispensed in the holy Mysteries To draw to an end If this power be in the Spirit and the blood be the vehiculum of the Spirit How may we partake this blood It shall be offered you streight in the Cup of blessing which we blesse in His name For is not the Cup of blessing which we blesse the Communion of the blood of CHRIST saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 10.16 Is there any doubt of that In which blood of CHRIST is the Spirit of Christ. In which Spirit is all Spirituall power and namely this power that frameth us fit to the workes of the Spirit Which Spirit we are all made there to drinke of And what time shall we doe this What time is best What time better then that day in which it first shewed forth the force and power it had in making peace in bringing back CHRIST that brought peace back with Him that made the Testament that sealed it with his blood that died upon it that it might stand firme for ever All which were as upon this day This day then somewhat would be done somewhat more then ordinarie more then every day Let every day befor every good worke to doe His will But this day to doe something more then so something that may be well pleasing in His sight So it will be kindly So we shall keepe the degrees in the Text So we shall give proofe that we have our part and fellowship in CHRIST in CHRIST 's resurrection in the vertue of CHRIST 's resurrection Grace rising in us workes of grace rising from it That so there may be a resurrection of vertue and good workes at CHRIST 's resurrection That as there is a reviving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the earth when all and every herbs and flowers and brought againe from the dead So among men good workes may come up too that we be not found fruitlesse at our bringing backe from the dead in the great Resurrection But have our parts as heere now in the blood so there then in the Testament and the Legacies thereof which are glorie joy and blisse for ever and ever Printed for RICHARD BADGER SERMONS OF THE SENDING OF the Holy Ghost PREACHED VPON VVhit-Sunday A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT GREENVVICH on the VIII of June A. D. MDCVI being WHIT-SVNDAY Acts CHAP. II. VER I. II. III. IV. And when the Day of Pentecost was come or when the fifty daies were fulfilled they were all with one accord in one place And there came sodeinly from heaven the sound of a mighty Winde and it filled the place where they sate And there appeared tongues cloven as they had beene of fire and sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance WE are this day beside our weekly due of the Sabboth to renew and to celebrate the yearely memorie of the sending downe the Holy Ghost One of the Magnalia Dei as they be termed after in the XI Verse One of the great and wonderfull Benefitts of GOD Indeed Ver 11. a Benefit so great and so wonderfull as there were not tongues enough upon earth to celebrate it withall but there were faine to be more sent from heaven to help to sound it out throughly Even a new supply of tongues from heaven For all the tongues in earth were not sufficient to magnifye GOD for his goodnesse in sending downe to men the gift of the HOLY GHOST This we may make a severall benefit by it selfe from those of CHRIST 's And so the Apostle seemeth to doe Gal. 4.4.4.6 Gal. 4. First GOD sent His Sonne in one verse and then after GOD sent the Spirit of His Sonne in another Or we may hold our continuation still and make this the last of CHRIST 's Benefitts For Ascendit in altum is not the last there is one still remaining which is Dona dedit hominibus Psal. 68.18 And that is this daye 's peculiar wherein were given to men many and manyfold both graces and gifts and all in one gift
like proffer Matt. 8.34 He 〈…〉 â—â—tergesites too that can spare Him and His Seale both Men are I know not 〈…〉 loth and as it were afraid thinke it a disgrace to them many and that would 〈…〉 of Spirit that any Seale or marke of holinesse should be set or seen 〈…〉 Content with a Labell without any Seale to it all their life long And of 〈…〉 Labell Christians we have meetly good store As the Spirit of GOD they like 〈…〉 enough to have their breath and life and moving from Him yea arts and 〈…〉 if He will But as the Holy Spirit not once to be acquainted with Him 〈…〉 is this plaine but their speech Cause the Holy One to cease from us Es. 30.11 But yet I 〈…〉 say not at all For if He will come and Seale them some quarter of an 〈◊〉 before they dy for that they will not stand with Him But they desire to weare 〈◊〉 Signature of the flesh or of the world of pride or of lust as long as they are able to 〈◊〉 on their leggs Animales all their life and Spiritum habentes Iud. 19. at the hower of 〈◊〉 death Clinici Christiani beddered Christians as the Primitive Church called 〈◊〉 when the flesh leaves them let the Spirit take them and Seale them Then the 〈◊〉 and ye will but not before But this is an indignitie and cannot be well 〈◊〉 He will not endure thus to be trifled with and shifted of when He would and 〈◊〉 He Seale us not when we would we have our mends in our owne hands â—â—condly Say we be willing He come Is it not our part against He comes to 〈◊〉 our selves and be readie wrought to receive the figure of His Seale Then if 〈◊〉 He finde us so indurate in malice and desire of revenge or sinnes of that sort 〈◊〉 good offer Him a flint to Seale which will take no print Or on the other 〈◊〉 us so dissolved as it were and even molten in the sinnes of the flesh that as 〈◊〉 offer him a dish of water to Seale that will hold no figure Both come to one 〈◊〉 to suffer Him to doe it and â— not to be in case to receive it 1 Not disposed 〈◊〉 2 indisposed for it And can He choose but reckon this as a second gravamen 〈◊〉 His way and leave us as He found us 〈◊〉 two before we be Two more when we be Sealed For â— After it when we have well 〈◊〉 received it then doth it behoove us carefully to keepe the Signature 〈◊〉 facing or bruising If we doe not but carrie it so loosely as if we cared 〈◊〉 became of it and where we are Signati to be close and fast suffer every 〈◊〉 â—ccasion to break us up have our soules ly so open as all manner of thoughts 〈◊〉 and repasse through them Is not this a third When one shall see a 〈…〉 â—ountrie-man how sollicitous he is if it be but a bond of no great value to 〈…〉 Seale faire and whole But if it be of higher nature as a Patent then to have 〈◊〉 and leaves and wooll and all care used it take not the least hurt And on the 〈…〉 on our parts how light reckoning we make of the Holy Ghost's Seale 〈…〉 that care do not so much for it as He for his Bond of five nobles the matter 〈…〉 such consequence This contempt must it not amount to a greevance Yes 〈…〉 a grave gravamen a greevous one For this is even Margaritas porcis right 〈…〉 fâ—rther If having received this Seale upon us we so farre forget our selves 〈…〉 â—â—â—ught to let His amulus the fiend the evill Spirit whom He can by no 〈…〉 even to Super-sigâ—lare set his marke over it Seale upon Seale put his 〈…〉 his image and Superscription above and upon the HOLY GHOST 's 〈…〉 disgrade as He can never brooke it And shall we once conceive 〈…〉 use go as this He will do what mâ—re greeved use to do say presently 〈…〉 awâ—y heâ—re is 〈◊〉 place to 〈◊〉 so leave us with our new image 〈…〉 〈…〉 so a 〈◊〉 matter 〈◊〉 all yâ—r For He no sooner gone but in His place 〈…〉 so Sence on us and not alone neither 〈◊〉 compâ—nie wiâ—h Him 〈…〉 then himselfe and the end of that man worse then his bâ—ginâ—ing 〈…〉 Luk â—â— â—6 These they be then these foure Not to offer thesâ— is 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 so evill as we do yet that we remember Nolite doe it not 〈…〉 not to doe it If we fall into any of the former foure 2 neglect 〈…〉 He commeth â— dispose not ourselves as we should against He brutz or marr our Seale Yea 4 admit a Sealing upon it of the 〈…〉 GOD the flesh upon the Spirit Prophane upon Holy yet let not 〈…〉 At least not our whole will not our full consents Let it but happen per 〈◊〉 as we say either surprised with the violence or weried with the 〈…〉 the tentation or circumvented with the sleights of the Serpent but ever câ—me â—â—luntatem if it may be or els as in the Schooles they call it vellëitatem de 〈◊〉 coâ—â—istando A great matter depends on this For wilfully to do it that is indeed to greeve Heb. 10.29 if it be not more even to worke despite to the Spirit of Grace Application to the 〈◊〉 Now to draw to an end This request never comes so fit as on this Day For there is in the Text a day of redeeming And there is by like analogie a Day of Sealing As that CHRIST 's So this the HOLY GHOST 's Day Now if the sealing-Sealing-Day be the Holy Ghost's then reciprocè the Holy Ghost's Day that is the Day of Sealing And this is the Holy Ghost's Day And not onely for that originally so it was But for thâ—t it is to be entended ever He will doe His owne chiefe worke upon His owne â—hiefe Feast and opus Dici the daye 's worke upon the Day it selfe So that now we â—re come about to our first greevance Not to refuse Him not at any time but not â—t His owne Time not then when He sits in His Office and offers to set His Seale on us Application to the Sacrament And that He now doth For when we turne our selves every way we finde not in the Office of the Church what this Seale should be but the Sacrament or what the priâ—et of it but the grace there received a meanes to make us and a pledge or earnest to assure us 2. Cor 5.5 that we are His. The outward Seale should be a thing visible to be shewed And the Sacrament is the onely visible part of Religion and nothing subject to that sense but it This I finde that the Schoole-men when they numbred Seven those seven were the Seven Seales So for Seales they have beene ever reputed But what doubt we One of them is by the Apostle 〈◊〉 4.12 named a Seale in expresse termes The seale of righteousnesse
them all but not so much as sindged any one of them Let them shew this fire Act. 2.4 ever blew up any True it gave them courage they needed it they were to undertake the whole world but within the bounds of modestie still we ought to obey GOD rather then man Not in saucie and traytorous termes of old hatts or rotten figgs Act. 3.29 Esa. 59.11 Non est vox columbae haec rugitus ursi rather In a word this was none of Elia's fire and you remember they that harped upon that string who said to them You know not what Spirit you are of Not Luc. 9.54.55 Gen. 8.7 what shape appeared at your baptisme Not Noah's raven that delights in dead carcases but his dove That shape came downe upon CHRIST the same comes downe upon all that are baptized with His baptisme and are inspired with the same Spirit that He was This for the apparition Now to the Voice Accedat verbum ad elementum 4. The voice The Dove was but a dumb shew and shews what is done to us The Voice that speakes plainly and declares what is done for us in our baptisme The Dove what the Spirit makes us The Voice for whom the Father takes us We saw CHRIST 's humilitie before in yielding to be baptized This heavenly oracle heer pronounced of Him is in a sort a reward for His former humilitie There He was among a rabble of sinners even in the midst of them One that had seene Him so would have taken Him for none other This Dove and this Voice from heaven testifying so great things of Him no sinner no servant but the very Sonne of GOD His Love His Ioy the In quo for whom we all fare the better this so honourable an elogie makes full amends for that He lost nothing by His humilitie No more did the Baptist by his Noâ— sum dignus neither That hand which he held not worthy to touch His shooe was dignified to touch His head and to powre water on it Thus they both of them fulfilled righteousnesse and both of them had a glorious reward for it But first marke Till the Spirit is come the Voice comes not all depends 1. First the Hoâ—y Ghosâ—'s comming then the voice on this daye 's worke the Holy Ghost's comming He is the medius terminus between Christ in Iordan and the Father in heaven He it is that makes the Father speake Tu that is Tu super quem Spiritus Tues filius Thou that is Thou on whom the Spirit in this shape comes downe Thou art my Sonne that to goe before So was it in Genesis The Spirit moved upon the face of the waters and then Et dixit Deus but no dixit Deus before the Spirit be there first Gen 1 3 4. Then 2. This 〈◊〉 not for â—hrist but for us Ioh 12.30 that non propter Me vox ista as Christ els-where saith This voice came not for Him but for us Spoken to Him indeed but to Him not in His owne but susteining our persons It were fond to imagine otherwise that this Voice or any of the rest He needed for Himselfe Either to have heaven opened to Him it was no time shut Or the HOLY GHOST come downe to Him as GOD the Holy Ghost proceeded from Him as man He proceeded from the Holy Ghost they never parted company Least of all the Voice Tues Filius who knew not that It was said and fung long before in the Psalme Thou art my Sonne So all were for us Voice and all Indeed His whole baptisme is not so much His as ours Psal. 2.7 The meaning is Thou Christ in their persons art this Thou art and for thy sake The meaning of Thou art my Sonne Galaâ— 3.27 all that are in Thee all that by baptisme have put Thee on all and every of them are to Me as Thou thy selfe art Filij dilecti complacentes Will ye see what is in them In Filij first 1. Enemies we were Rom. V. Now are we no enimies but in league with Him Rom. 5.10 in the new league or Covenant never to be altered Heb. 8.9 as the former was â— So may we be and yet strangers still Nay 2 no strangers but naturalized now and of the Common-wealth of Israël Eph. 2.12.19 Eph 2.19 3 And that may we be too and yet forreigners though and no citizens without the Franchise Yes 3 now enfranchised also and citizens with the Saints 4 Well though of the Citie not of the familie though Yes 4 Domestici DEI Eph. 2.19 of His very Houshold now â— Of His Houshold so we may and yet be but servants there Iohn 8.35 Gal 5.7 Nay â— no servants now but Sonnes by vertue of this Tu es Filius So many degrees do we passe yer we come to this Filius Go forward now 6 All sonnes are not beloved Gen. 9.25 Cham was not Sonnes and beloved Sonnes a new degree a sixt 7 And yet againe all we love we take not pleasure in Even beloved Sonnes offend sometime C. 15.20 and so please not The Father in the XV. Chapter after loved his wild riotous sonne but too well yet small pleasure tooke he in him or his courses But Complacitum est the seventh that makes up all a sonne a beloved Sonne his Father's delight and joy there is no degree higher And such are we by baptisme made to GOD in CHRIST through the renewing of the Holy Ghost The Change of the style from serâ—us Exod. 20 2. Filij This is a new Tenour now the old style is altered The Voice that came last from heaven before ran thus Ego sum DOMINVS and that inferrs Tu es Servus that is the best can be made of it But heer now it is Tu es Filius and that necessarily inferrs Ego sum Pater For haec vox Patrem sonat this is a Fathâ—r's voice to his Child A great Change Even from the state of servants as by creation and generation we were Gal 5.5 2. Cor. 5.17 Rom. 5.2 and so still under the law into the state of Sonnes as now we are being new creatures in CHRIST regenerate and translated into the state of Grace wherein we stand The rise from a sinner to an heire And not onely a great Change but a great Rise also At the first we were but washed from our sinnes there was all but heer from a baptized sinner to an adopted Sonne is a great ascent He came not downe so low but we go up as high for it For Gal 5.7 Rom 8 17. if Sonnes then Heires saith the Apostle so goes the tenure in heaven Heires and joint-heires of heaven with CHRIST that is for the possession and fruition of it full every way as himselfe and this He brings us to before He leaves us We speake much of adoption would you know when it was where and by what words Rom. 8.15 Gal. 5.5
that such a thing there should come to passe an effusion of the Spiâ—it and that a strange one And this they would find it to be this Prophesie of the Spirit powred this day fulfilled in their eares Of which Text the speciall points be two 1 Of the Spirit 's powring The Division 2 Of the end whereto The first I reduce to these foure 1 The Thing 2 the Act 3 the Partie by whom â— the Parties upon whom 1 De Spiritu meo is the thing 2 Effundam the act 3 Dicit Dominus the partie by whom 4 Super omnem carnem the parties upon whom it is powred Then the end whereto And in that foure more The last end of all in the last word of all salvabitur That is the very end and a blessed end if by any meanes we may attaine to it Then are there three other conducting to this Two maine ones and one accessorie but yet as necessarie as the other 2 Close to it in the end there is 〈◊〉 on the Name of the LORD He that calleth on the Name of the LORD shal be saved 3 And farthest from it at the beginning there is prophetabunt to call upon us to that end And my servants shall prophesie 4 And between both these there is a Meâ—â—randum of the Great Day of the LORD Which is not from the matter neither nor more then needs For then at that day we shall stand most in need of saving if we perish then we perish for ever And the mention and memorie of that Day will make us not despise prophecying nor forget invocation but be both more attentive in hearing of prophesie and more devout in calling on the Name of the LORD So it may well go for a third conducting meanes to our salvation Now to bring this to the Day This it is said shal be in the last daies Which with Saint Peter heer and with Saint Paul Heb. 1.1 yea and with the Rabbins themselves are the dayes of the Messiah So of our Messiah CHRIST to us and of none other Of whose dayes this is the very last For having done his errand He was to goe up againe and to send His Spirit downe to doe His another â—hile which is the worke of this day As his first then the taking of our flesh so his 〈◊〉 the giving of His Spirit the giving it abundantly which is the effundam heere It remaineth that we pray to Him who thus of His Spirit powred forth this day 〈◊〉 would vouchsafe on the same day to powre of it on us heer that we may so 〈…〉 Feast the memorie of it and so heare the words of this prophesie as may be to His 〈◊〉 â—cceptance and our owne saving in the great Day the Day of the LORD I. Of the Spirit 's powring De Spiritâ— OF the thing powred first De Spiritu meo the Spirit of GOD. First of Him to give Him the honour of His owne Day The Spirit is of himself Author of life and heer is brought in as Author of prophesie They both are in the Nicene Creed 1 the Lord and Giver of life 2 and who spake by the Prophets Life and speech have but one instrument the spirit or breath both Of it these foure 1. Prophesie can come from no nature but rationall The Spirit then is natura rationalis And determinate it is distinct plainly heer two wayes 1 The Spirit from Him whose the Spirit is Him that sayes de Spiritu meo 2 That which is powred from Him that powreth it Fusus à Fusore Being then natura rationalis determinata He is a Person for a person is so defined 2. Secondly effusion is a plaine proceeding of that which is powred as spiration is so too in the very body of the word Spirit So a Person proceeding 3. Thirdly being a Person and yet being powred out He behoves to be GOD. No Person Angell or Spirit can be powred out can be so participate Not at all but not upon all flesh not dilated so farre GOD onely can be that So the Person the Proceeding the Deitie of the Holy Ghost all in these words And not a word of all this mine but thus deduced by Saint Ambrose and before him by Dydimus Alexandrinus Saint Hierom's Master 4. But fourthly you will marke It is not my Spirit but of my Spirit The whole Spirit flesh could not hold not all flesh And parts it hath none 1. Vnderstand then of my Spirit that is of the gifts and graces of the Spirit Beames of this light streames of this powring Other where others heer the gift of pâ—ophâ—sie and tongues Luk. 4.18 The text of the last yeare 2. Which de Spiritu is also said to keep the difference between CHRIST and us Vpon Him the Spirit was The Spirit of GOD upon Me last yeare Vpon us not the Spirit but de Spiritu of my Spirit onely this year 2. The Act Effundam The next is the Act effundam In it foure more 1 The qualitie in that it is compared to a thing liquid fusil powred out This seemes not proper Powring is as it had been water He came in fire It would have been kindled rather then powred True but Saint Peter in proper termes makes his answer referr to their slaunder and that was that it was nothing but new wine a liquor Their objection being in a thing liquid his answer behoved to be accordingly And well it might so CHRIST had so expressed it Cap. 1. â— both lately in His promise Ye shal be baptized with the Holy Ghost within few dayes And formerly under the termes of waters of life Ioh. VII where Saint Iohn's exposition is Ioh. 7.39 This He spake of the Spirit Not then given but to be given streight upon CHRIST 's glorifying which is now this very day The Holy Ghost then is not all fire And this qualitie falls well with the two graces of 1 prophesie and 2 invocation heer given 1 Prophesie Moses the great Prophet likened it to the dew falling upon the herbs Deut 32.2 or the raine powred on the grasse Deut. XXXII And that likening is so usuall as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moreh the word in Hebrew for raine is so for a Preacher too that it poseth the Translators which way to turne it and even in that very Chapter of Ioël whence this Text is taken â— And invocation is so too a powring out of prayer and of the very heart in prayer Ver. 23. 3 And the third of the later Day may be taken in too Then there shal be a powring forth also of all the phialls of the wrath of GOD. 2. The qualitie then first the quantitie no lesse For powring is a signe of plentie â—â—â—ndum not aspergam the first prerogative of this day For the Spirit had beene â—iven before this time but never with such a largesse Sprinkled but not poured Never till now in that bounty that now This was reserved for Christ. For
of the Spirit is spiration or breathing In breathing there is a double act 1 there is a Systole a drawing in of the ayre and that is cold agreeth with CHRIST in water there comes a coole breath ever from the water 2 And there is a Diastole a sending forth of the breath and that we know is warme and agreeth with CHRIST in bloud For bloud is it that sendeth a warme vapor into all the limmes Agreeable to these two have you the two Spirits which upon the matter are but the two acts of one and the same Spirit 1 Inspired the Spirit of feare Esa. 11.2 The feare of GOD. 2 Out-breathed the Spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4.12 Faith in CHRIST Feare comes in water so saith Salomon the Feare of GOD is fons vitae the welspring of life Pro. 14.27 that is water Faith comes in bloud per fidem in sanguinem Ipsius Rom. 3.25 through faith in His bloud So is every one that is borne of the Spirit And to blow out faith still and never draw in feare is suspicious is not safe The true spiration the breathing aright consisting of these two is a signe of the right Spirit 2. Speech Ioh. 3.8 The next signe in the same verse too And you heare the noyse of it For so the Apostle saith the Spirit speakes evidently that is His noise and speech is evidently to be distinguished from those of other spirits His comming in tongues this day sheweth no lesse Which signe of speech doth best and most properly sort heer with a witnesse For a witnesse what he hath to testifie speakes it out vocally What noise then is heard from us What breath we What speakes the Spirit manifestly from our mouthes If cursing and bitternesse and many a foule oath If this noyse be heard from us If we breath minas caedes bluster out threatning and sâ—aying that noyse If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rotten corrupt Act. 9.1 Eâ—hes 4 29. Maâ— 14. â—0 obscaene communication come out of our mouthes we are of Galilee and our very speech bewrayeth us This is not the breath of the Spirit this He speakes not evidently He speakes it not It is not the tongue of heauen this Not sicut dedit Spiritus eloqui no utterance of the Spirit 's giving Act. 2.4 Some of Christ's water would doe well to wash these out of our mouthes The speech sounding of the Spirit is a signe of the true Spirit 3. Action 1. Cor. 1â— â—â— The lâ—st but the surest of all omnia haec operatur Spiritus And the woâ—ke is as cleerly to be distinguished as the speech Each Spirit hath his proper woâ—ke and is knowen by it No man ever saw the workes of the Devill come from the Sâ—iâ—it of GOD. Be not deceived the workes of uncleanesse come from no Spirit Mat. 12.43 Iam. 4.5 1. Cor. 2.12 but thâ— uncleane spirit The workes of Cain from the spirit of envie The workes of Demas from the spirit of the world All the grosse errors of our life from the spirit of error But this this is the Spirit of Truth And the breath the speech the operations of him beare witnesse that He is so Now if He will depose that the water and bloud CHRIST came in He came in for us and we our parts in them in them and in them both and so deposing if we feele His breath heare His speech sâ—e His workes according we may receive his witnesse then For His witnesse is true Now that upon this day the day of the Spirit the Spirit may come and beare this witnesse to Christ's water and bloud there is to be water and bloud for the Spirit to beare witnesse to So was there ever as this day in the Church of Châ—ist Water a solemne Baptisme in memorie of the first three thousand this day Act. 2.41 baptized by Saint Peter And bloud never a more frequent â—ucâ—aâ—ist then at Pentâ—câ—st Act. 20.16 in honour of this Spirit to which Saint Paul made such hast with his almes and offerings Wiâ—nesse the great workes done by Pentâ—costall oblations which very oblations remaine in some Churches to this day So are we now come to the Râ—versall to the last non solum and heer it is III. The Râ—vâ—â—sall Not in the Spirit alone but in water and bloud reciprocè As not these wiâ—hout the Spirit so neither the Spirit without these that is without the Sacâ—amâ—nt wherein thâ—se be So have we a perfect circle now Neither in water without bloud nor in bloud without water nor in them alone without the Spirit nor in the Spirit alone without them This day Christ comes to us in bloud in the Sacrament of it so But as we said before either is in other Bloud is not ministred but there is an ingredient of the purifying vertue of water withall in it So he comes in water too Yea comes in water first so lye they in the Text water to goe before with us So did it at the very institution it selfe of this Sacrament The pitcher of water Mar 14 13. and he that carried it was not in vaine given for a signe went not before them that were sent to make ready for it for nothing It had a meaning that water and it had an use Their feet were washâ—d with it and their feet being clean they were clean every whit Many make ready for it Ioh. 13.10 that see neither water nor pitcher It were well they did their feete would be washed so would their hands Psal. 26.6 in innocencie that are to goe to His Altar In innocencie that is in a steadfast purpose of keeping our selves cleane So to come For to come and not with that purpose better not come at all To finde a feeling of this purpose before and to marke well the successe and effect that doth follow after For if it faile us continually Christ did not come For when He comes though it be in bloud yet He comes with water at the same time Ever in both never in one alone His bloud is not onely drinke to nourish but medicine to purge To nourish the new man which is faint and weake GOD wote but to take downe the old which is ranke Heb. 9.14 in most It is the proper effect of His bloud it doth cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serve the living GOD. Which if we finde it doth Christ is come to us as He is to come And the Spirit is come and puts His Teste And if we have His Teste we may goe our way in peace we have kept a right Feast to Him and to the memorie of His comming Even so come LORD IESVS and come O Blessed Spirit and beare witnesse to our spirit Zach. 13.1 Mar. 14.24 that CHRIST 's water and His bloud we have our part in both both in the fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleanesse and in the bloud of the New Testament the Legacie whereof
you speake of Donum Dei aeternum and the perfections there 2 Perfectum 1. Cor. 13.10 Before I was aware I have told you what is perfect The glorie the joyes the crowne of heaven For when that perfect is come all this unperfect shall be done away But Saint Iames seemes not to speake of that he speakes in the present and of the present what now is what perfect in this life And this lo brings us to Donum Diei the gift of the Holy Ghost For to be partakers of the Divine nature is all the perfection we can heere attaine No higher heere Now to be made partakers of the Spirit is to be made partakers of the Divine nature 2. Pet. 1.4 That is this daies worke Partakers of the Spirit we are by receiving grace which is nothing els but the breath of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of grace Grace into the entire substance of the soule dividing it selfe into two streames 1 One goes to the understanding the gift of faith 2 The other to the will the gift of charitie Col. 3.14 the very bond of perfection The tongues to teach us knowledge the fire to kindle our affections The state of grace is the perfection of this life to grow still from grace to grace to profit in it As to goe on still forward is the perfection of a travailer to draw still neerer and neerer to his journeye's end Luk. 13.32 To worke to day and to morrow as CHRIST said and the third day to be perfect perfectly perfect Now as we are to follow the bâ—st gifts it is Saint Paul's counsaile the bâ—st 1 Cor 12.31 Omne Datum as well as Omne Daâ—um the most perfect so are we to take notice too of the good though not all out so perfect as Saint Iames adviseth us knowing this that be it giving or be it gift be it good or be it perfect he putts an Omne to both comes over twise 1 Every good 2 Every perfect both we receive both are given us Sett downe that There was among the Heathen one that went for wise that said To become rich he would pray and sacrifice to Hercules but to be vertuous or wise he would do neither neither to Hercules nor to any GOD of them all he would be beholden for that to noâ—e but himselfe Looke in this cleft he took to himselfe the more left GOD the lesse This was a grosse errour so grosse I will not bid you take heed of it But there be 〈…〉 that will not stand with GOD for the greater but for the lesse that they may be bold with and take those to themselves This is an errour too Erre not this No datum hath his omne as well as donum the good no lesse then the perfect given both one as well as the other Saint Paul putts us to it with Quid habes that is nihil habes Whâ—â— have you 1. Cor 4 7. that is you have nothing but you have received it but it hath beene given you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are relatives one inferres the other Away then with this second error He that made the Elepâ—ant made the Aâ—t He that the Eagle the Flie He that the most glorious Angel in heaven the poorest Worme that creeps on the earth So He that shall give us the kingdome of â—â—aven He it is that gives us every pâ—ece of bread and meat and putts us to acknowleâ—ge it In one and the samâ— prayer making us to sue fâ—r regnum tuum and for 〈…〉 Be not deceived to thinke otherwise And hear you you are to begin with datum Not to despise the day of small things It is the Prophet's counsaile 〈◊〉 4. â—0 〈◊〉 22.12 to learne to see GOD in them Caesar's image not onely in his come of gold but even upon the poore penny See GOD in small or you shall never see Him in great in good or never in perfect This for the subject There is a clâ—fâ— all are not of one sort some lesse some greater Greater or lesse both are given Not lesse had and great given but given both And every one of both kinds of the one kind aâ— well as of the other We have talked long of good * Psâ—l 4 6. Who will shew us any good 2. The 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 there be many that will say nay there is not any but will say That will Saint Iames heer And first to shew us turnes our eye to the right place whence it coâ—â—s That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from above There are two in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 2 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above From. that is from some where els not from our selves From without and not out of us from within Aliunde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that aliund is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above not from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those lower parts upon the earth Erre not then either of these two wayes 1. First not to reflect upon our selves The III and IV. Errors to looke like swanns into our owne bosomes It growes not there out of your selves It is the gift of GOD saith Saint Paul The very giving gives as much Of our owne we haue it not Eph 2. â— 2. If we looke forth let it not be about us either on the right hand or on the left on any place heer below Looke up turne your eye thither It is an influence it is no vapour an inspiration no exhalation thence it comes hence it rises not our spirit lusts after envie Luke 24 38. and worse matter Iames. IV. V. Why should thoughts arise in your hearts saith CHRIST If they arise they are not good if they be good then they come downe from above Saint Iohn Baptist is direct Iohn 3.27 A man can receive nothing unlesse it be given him and given him from above And of all other not the gift of this Day The Dove the tongues came from on high both From our selves is one errour from any other beneath heer is another Erre not then the place is desursum without and above us Next the manner how that it descends for even that word wants not his force 2 How they come Deâ—cendenâ— Descending is a voluntarie motion it includes the will and the purpose of him that so descends It is no casualtie it falls not downe by chance It comes downe because it so will a will it hath Et ubi vult spirat it blowes not but where it will Iohn 3. â— and it distributes to every one the Spirit but prout vult as it pleaseth Himselfe not otherwise And this you may observe the Scripture maketh choise ever of words sounding this way He gives it he casts it not about at all adventure He opens his hand it runns not through his singers Sinum habet facilem non perforatum His bosome is open
us to the shadow of death It is not GOD. No more then He can be tempted no more can he tempt any If we finde any change the apud is with us not Him 〈◊〉 39.6 we change He is unchanged Man walks in a vaine shadow His waies are the truth He cannot denie himselfe Every evill the more perfectly evill it is the more it is from below Either rises 〈◊〉 the steame of our nature corrupted or yet lower ascends as a grosse smoke 〈◊〉 the bottom lesse pitt from the Prince of darkenesse as full of varying and turâ—â—â—g into all shapes and shadowes as GOD is farre from both who is uniforme and constant in all his courses Shall we now cast up all into one summe the errors by them and the verities by themâ—elves and oppose each to each The first error to be all for having never speak of it The veritie that all is giving or gifts to be for it The second error to think great matters onely are given the meaner we have of our selves The veritie Perfect as well as good and good as perfect they be given both The third error to thinke they are from us not elswhere from others The veritie they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they grow not in us we spinn them not out of our selves The fourth error they be from below we gather them heer The veritie they be from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is above not heer beneath The fifth error to think that from thence they fall promiscuè catch who catch may hap-hazard The veritie they fall not by chance they descend by providence and that regularly The sixt error they descend then from the starres or planets The veritie not from them or either of them but from the Father of them The seventh and last errour to think that by turnes He sends one while good otherwhile bad and so varies and changes The veritie He doth neither The lights may varie He is invariable they may change He is vnchangeable constant alwayes and like Himselfe Now our lessons from these 1. And is it thus And are they given Then quid gloriaris The Duetâ— let us have no boasting Are they given why forgett you the Giver Let him be had in memorie He is worthy so to be had 2. Be the giving as well as the gift and the good as the perfect of gift both Then acknowledge it in both take the one as a pledge make the one as a stepp to the other 3. Are they from somwhere els not from our selves Learne then to say and to say with feeling Non nobis Domine quia non à nobis Psal. 115.1 4. Are they from on high Look not down to the ground then as swine to the acâ—rnes they find lying there and never once up to the tree they came from Look up the very frame of our body gives that way It is nature's check to us to have our head beare upward and our heart grovell below 5. Do they descend Ascribe them then to purpose not to time or chance No Table to fortune saith the Prophet â—sa 65.11 Ier 10 2. 6. Are they from the Father of lights Then never go to the children A signis coeli nolite timere Neither feare nor hope for anything from any light of them all 7. Are His gifts without repentance Varies He not Whom He loves Rom. 11.29 Ioh. 13.1 doth He love to the 〈◊〉 Let our service be so too nor wavering O that we changed from Him no more then He from us Not from the light of grace to the shadow of sinne as we do fâ—ll often But above all that which is ex totâ substantiâ that if we find any want of any giving or gift good or perfect this Text gives us light whither to looke to whom to repair for them To the Father of lights And even so let us doe Ad Patrem luminum cum primo lumine Let the light every day so soone as we see it put us in mind to gett us to the Father of lights Ascendat oratio descendet miseratio let our prayer go up to Him that His grace may come â—â—me to us so to lighten us in our wayes and workes that we may in the end 〈◊〉 to dwell with Him in the light which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 light whereof there is â—o even-tide the Sunne whereof never setts nor knowes tropique the onely thing we â—â—sse and wish for in our lights heer primum ante omnia But if we sue for any chiefly for the best the most perfect gift of all which 〈◊〉 day descended and was given This day was and any day may be but chiefly thiâ— â—ay wil be given to any that will desire Luke 11.13 as our Saviour promiseth Luke XI and wilb◠〈◊〉 good as His word Within us there is no Spirit but our owne and that lusts after envie Iam. 4.5 and other things as bad from beneath it cannot be had It is donum coeleste Simon if he would give never so largely for it cannot obtaine it It descended ad oculum this day it was seene to descend and so will Which descents from on high from the Father of lights there in the tongues of light light on us to giue us knowledge a gift proportioned to light and to give us comfort a gift proportioned to light By faith to lighten By grace to stablish our hearts A SERMON Prepared to be Preached on VVHIT-SVNDAY A. D. MDCXXII I. COR. CHAP. XII Divisiones verò gratiarum c. VER 4. Now there are * Or Divisions Diversities of Gifts but the same SPIRIT 5. And there are Diversities of administrations but the same LORD 6. And there are Diversities of operations but GOD is the same which worketh all in all 7. But the manifestation of the SPIRIT is given to every man to profit withall A TEXT readd at this Feast of the Churche's owne choise who I will ever presume best knoweth what Text will best fitt every Feast and so this It beginnes you see and it ends in the Spirit whose proper Feast this is The Spirit is in the first verse and againe the Spirit is in the last first and last heere we finde him And if we will looke well into it we shall in effect finde that which happened this Day though in other termes Heere have you in this Text gifts as it might be the tongues which came from heaven this Day For what were those tongues but gifts And heere have â—ou againe divisions as it might be clefts in the tongues For what is to cleave but to divide And if you lacke fire heere have you in the last verse manifestation which is by light For the use of light is to make manifest So have you the HOLY GHOST in cloven tongues of fire in some more generall termes the gifts the tongâ—es the division the câ—eft the manifestation the fire Those gifts first divided then made manifest and that by
quis GOD wott have we among us Each one to have a calling What is then to be done that CHRIST be not neglected and His call That every one betake himselfe to some calling or other In the Ministerie all All Ministers Ministers either of the Church or of the State and Common-Wealth But all Ministers Those that are not that dispose not themselves so to be to be holden for superfluous creatures Luke 13.8 for inutilia terrae pondera that cumber but the ground and keep it barren with whom the earth is burthened and even groanes under them Psal. 58.4 Deafe Adders they are at CHRIST 's call they stop their eares who calls every one to a Calling to do some service some way According to his gift To be in some calling but withall to have a gift meet for that calling But if not at the first dole the Spirit 's not at the second CHRIST 's no gift there no place heer Can any man devise to speake with more reason then doth the Apostle in the XIV Chapter following 1. Cor. 14.38 If any man be ignorant let him be ignorant that is hold himselfe for such and not take on him the place or worke of the skilfull It is against GOD 's will if he do Have you refused to gayne knowledge then have I refused you for being any Priest of mine Hosea 4.6 It is GOD himselfe in Hosea IV. Have you not used the meanes Have you mis-spent the time when you should have laboured for the gift CHRIST hath no place for you Whom the Spirit furnisheth with gifts for them it is CHRIST provideth places for them and none els 1. And yet not every place for every gift neither But to have a calling proper to his gift In Kind Proper to it for the kind not to be mis-sorted into a place no waies meet his gift lying one way his place another But putt the right gift in the right place In Measure 2. Proper for the kind and proper for the measure also For as there be measures in gifts so there be degrees in places to answer them And one is not to thrust himselfe into a place disproportioned to the portion of his gifts The Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 10.14 is to extend to stretch himselfe to the full of his measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to stretch himselfe beyond it to tender himselfe farre beyond his scantling But if a meane gift a meane calling to content him Durus sermo for there is none so meane in gift that he undervalues his gift for any place yea even of the best worth You may see these two 2. Chro. 26.16 1 the kind and 2 the degree The kind in Vzziah He had no calling to his worke of incense of burning incense not at all What became of him You may reade in his forehead 2. Sam. 6.7 The degree in Vzzah He had a calling was of the Tribe went onely beyond his degree pressed to touch the Arke which was more then a Levite might do and was strucken dead for it by GOD. GOD no lesse angry with him that went beyond the degree of his calling then with Vzziah that had no kind of calling at all None that is in therefore to over-reach or presume above his degree but to keep him within compasse Now the gifts be dealt and the places filld the Spirit 's gifts put into CHRIST 's that is into right places Now fall we to the third to GOD 's division to sett them to â—â—rke Every thing we said hath his being for the worke it is to do Gifts calliâ—â— and all for the worke For if the work follow not the gift is idle you may cast it away the calling is idle you may cast it off A vacation it might be a vocation 〈…〉 The gift is for the calling the gift and calling both are for the 〈◊〉 And will you observe the proceeding heer of the Spirit first The Spirit is neerest 〈◊〉 led to breath Spiro whence it comes is to breath Breath you know is in the 〈◊〉 they be two through and from them both the Spirit proceeds To answer these GOD the Father CHRIST the Lord are two from them both by way of 〈◊〉 comes the Spirit the sacred Breath of them both Noâ— then secondly as the Father doth begett the Sonne and from them both proceeds 〈◊〉 Holy Spirit So the gift to begett the calling of right so it should and 〈…〉 to produce the Worke. And as no man comes to CHRIST but by the Holy Ghost So no man to the calling but by the gift And as no man comes to the Father but by Christ so no man to the work but by the calling â—ow to the worke The very word worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at once condemnes three 3 The Worke. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first Such as are idle bodies doe no worke at all spend their daies in vanitie consume whole yeares in doing just nothing This of workes is GOD 's division who is not himselfe would not have us idle Ioh 5.17 Vsque operatur still He workes still He would have us so to doe Not as Ionas gett us a gourd and sitt under it and see what will become of Ninive Ion 4.6 but stirre not a foot to helpe it Not to lye soaking in the broth as Ezekiel said of the great men in his daies Ezek. 11.3 The Citie is the caldron the wealth is the broth and in the broth they lye soaking and all is well Saint Paul calls them the Lolligoe's of the land His word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The six daies and the seventh to them both alike Holie-day Christians 2 Cor. 11 9â— The Poet said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evâ—ry day is Holyday with idle people Out of this division out of operations they The next sort they will not be idle but it were as good they were Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They will be doing but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all they doe Nothing to any purpose from and beside it quitâ— Opus quo nihil opus some needlesse-worke quae nihil attinet as good let alone leaving undone that they should and are to doe and catching at somewhat els and mightily busying themselves about that and all to no end Anni eorum meditati sunt sicut aranea saith the Psalme Very busy they be Psal 90.10 but it is about weaving â—â—webs no body shall weare them or be the warmer for them to no profit in the â—orld And as these deale with quae nihil attinet So the last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with those Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae nihil ad eos attinet that concerne not them at all That will be doing but it is with that they have nothing to doe There are divisions of workes and they worke oâ—t
did not with David what saith he these motives move him not For all this all this notwithstanding Ne perdas saith he And first marke 1. The first charge Ne perdas he denieth none of his three motives 1 that Saul was his enemie 2 or that the 〈◊〉 served fitly 3 or that the colour was good but granting all these for all our enâ—itie for all this opportunitie for all your colourable offer to save mine honestie for all this Destroy him not Secondly marke it is not negando a bare deniall Non est faciendum but with an imperative with authoritie Ne feceris streightly charging and commanding him not to be so hardie as to doe it Et est efficacior vetandi ratio quam negandi by Ne then by Non The imperative negative is most effectuall And thirdly that this is not the first time once before he had done the like anâ— Iteratio praesupponit deliberationem And indeed there is a mysterie in this same Sinâ— me of Abisai They had had him once before at like advantage in the Cave and will you but observe how it went then it is well worthy your observing Then they were at David to have done it himselfe Destroy him you What was his answer Who I GOD forbidd never move it I will never do it Now then heere at this Abïsai knowing by the former it was in vaine to move him to doe it he offers to be the doer It shall be none of your act Sine me What answer now No nor you See you doe it not Perdas saith Abisai before Non perdam saith David Perdam saith Abisai now Ne perdas saith David So he will neither doe it himselfe nor suffer it to be done The short is Neither waking as at first nor sleeping as now neither by day as in that nor by night as in this neither by himselfe nor by other will David endure to doe it or to have it done But in the one and the other first and last still and ever Ne perdas saith David Saul must not be destroyed 4. Yea so farre was he after this from forethinking this speech or wishing it unsaid that he pleased himselfe in this Ne perdas so that not content to have said it he made a Psalme of it to sing himselfe and all Israel with him and by singing it to sing their dutie in this point into all their mindes and memories A signe the words were good he would bestow a dittie and tune upon them as if he gloried in them Yea to make them the more memorable that they might never be lost he hath framed diverse other Psalmes to the same tune You may turne to the LVIII LIX LXXV You shall finde all their titles to the tune of Ne perdas that so all that then were and all that were to come might know how good a speech he tooke it to be how meet to be said and sung of all ages 5. And what would ye more Not these two only said and sung but in the verse following takes his oath and sweares to it As the LORD liveth saith he GOD 's hand may but mine shall never be upon him and his day may come but not a day sooner for me So that he said no more in this then he meant to sweare to 2. The Reason or II. charge Ne manum mittas But now to come to looke into the reason we shall finde he goeth further then so then Not destroying For being to give a reason of Ne perdas keeping the rule he should now have gone on with it as he begunne and said Quis enim perdidit For who ever destroyed a King He doth not so That as it seemeth would not serve his turne he changeth his verbe now and saith Quis enim manum misit Who hath but putt forth his hand As if he had given too much scope in saying no more but destroy not Indeed it was well spied it must be stopped before it come to destroying If it come to the deed once we are all undone Ne perdas is not enough Much mischiefe may be at least much feare and fright as this day there was and yet no destruction To make sure worke then so farre is he from perdas as he will not allow manum mittas By which denying the latter the former is put past all doubt If the hand be stayed no blow can be given if order be taken for one the other will follow of it selfe You may not destroy for you may not stirre your hand is a good consequent And sure GOD 's care in this point is worthy all observation it descendeth to such minutes heere in this place we have two restraints together 1 Destroy not 2 and which is more lay no hand In another place he goeth yet further Touch not mine Annointed Psal. 105.15 there needs no hand to that the finger will serve And yet further in another place Prov. 30.31 Ne Surgas Rise not out of your place or as the Psalme expressâ—th it lift not up your heele that is stirre not hand nor foot to any such end Psal. 41.9 Men may stirre their foot and not rise and rise and not touch and touch but lâ—y no hands and lay the hands on and not destroy But GOD 's meaning is from â—he first to the last to restreine all To have all so farre from destroying as not to lay your hand nay not touch with your finger nay not so much as rise or stirre the foot bâ—t keepe every joynt quiet from any the least quetching in this matter of Ne perdas To goe about to doe it is as much as to doe it We heare his charge but all this while we see not the Retentive that holds him so 1. The first Reâ—entive Christum Domini that all Abisai's motives could not move him He tells us now what it was CHRISTVS DOMINI In which word is the solution of Abisai's argument thus That his militarie Maxime destroying an enemie which he and many one els in the world take to be universall is not so It admits exceptions divâ—rse but among the rest and above the rest this if the partie be CHRISTVS DOMINI it holds not There is more retentive force in CHRISTVS DOMINI to keepe him alive then there is motive in Inimicus tuus to destroy him This is his answer And it is under one both a solution of Abisai's argument and a new one propounded by David to conclude his part thus The Lord 's Annointed is not to be touched GOD 's own expresse words Touch not mine Annointed But Saul what termes soever he stand in of amitie or enmitie GOD 's Annointed he is Therefore no touching him And I observe this that he maketh choise of CHRISTVS DOMINI for his medius terminus rather then Dominus Rex or any other rather of GOD 's Annointed then of his Liege-Lâ—rd the King Yet there is force in them too but nothing such as in
their wicked counsell and 〈…〉 their hearts Which hearts of theirs the weapons of just defense went through 〈◊〉 â—heir counsell turned to their confusion â—nd now our Benedictus Deus to GOD Blessed be He for this Maledictus 〈◊〉 for the Patriarch's curse that light upon them and theirs And yet our 〈◊〉 too to them their weapons their counsell their furie their soules and their 〈◊〉 And from such blooud-thirstie cursed men GOD ever blesse You. Let me tell you this for a farewell Iacob doth heer two things 1 Delivers us a â—â—cument 2 and denounceth a dreadfull punishment His Document is Ne veniat 〈◊〉 His punishment is Maledictus and Dissipabo And choose they that will not 〈◊〉 veniat with him he will say Maledictus his curse be upon them But as Iacob 〈◊〉 so we to say all all to say after him Ne veniat both passive and active Passive 〈◊〉 be their counsell taken about Iacob's soule or his soule that is to us Iacob even 〈◊〉 Feeder the Pastor and Stone of Israël never come his soule to be the subject or 〈◊〉 treated of in any such counsell Active and never let any true subject's soule 〈◊〉 in any such counsell nor ever any good Christian come in that Church wherein 〈◊〉 Counsell or Counselors are harboured and mainteined or that hold any doctrine 〈◊〉 favours any such consultations But if any will not thus say Iacob's Ne veniat we to be so bold as to say Iacob's Maledictus to him his soule his seed his memorie and all Let all such inherit the curse let it be their legacie Exurgat Deus et dissipentur inimici Let God arise Psal. 68.1.2 and these his enemies be scattered As the stubble before the wind and as the smoke let them vanish and come to nothing Let their lives be for the sword their names be putt out their soules for the curse their houses pulld down and desolate So perish all thine enemies ô LORD Iud. 5.31 c Printed for Richard Badger â—ERMONS OF THE Gun-pouder-Treason PREACHED VPON THE FIFT OF November A â—ERMON â—reached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL on the V. of November A. D. MDCVI PSAL. CXVIII VER XXIII XXIV A DOMINO factum est istud est mirabile in oculis nostris Haec est Dies quam fecit Dominus exultemus laetemur in ea 〈◊〉 is the Lord 's doing and it is mervailous in our eyes 〈◊〉 is the Day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it TO entitle this time to this Text or to shew it pertinent to the present occasion will aske no long processe This Day of ours This fift of November a day of GOD 's making that which was done upon it was the Lord 's doing CHRIST 's own application which is the best may well be applied here This day is this Scripture fulfilled in our eares For Luk. 4.21 if ever there were a Deed done or a Day made by God in our dayes this Day and the Deed of this Day was it If ever He gave cause of mervailing as in the first of reioycing as in the second verse to any Land to us this day He gave both If ever saved prospered 〈…〉 this day He saved prospered and as we say fairely blessed us The day we all know was meant to be the day of all our deaths and we and many were appointed as sheepe to the slaâ—ghter nay worse then so There was a thing doing on it if it had been done we all had beene undone And the very same day we all know the day wherein that appointment was disappointed by God and we all saved that we might not die but live Ver. 17. and declare the praise of the Lord the Lord of whose doing that mervailous Deed was of whose making this joyfull Day is that we celebrate Psal. 111.5 This mercifull and gratious Lord saith David Psal. 111.5 hath so done His mervailous Works that they ought to be had and kept in remembrance Of keeping in remembrance many waies there be Among the rest this is one of making Dayes sett soâ—emne Daies to preserve memorable Acts that they be not eaten out by them but ever revived with the returne of the Yeare and kept still fresh in continuall memorie God himselfe taught us this way In remembrance of the great Deliverie from the destroying Angell Exod. 12.3 c. He himselfe ordained the day of the Passe-over yearly to be kept The Church by Him taught tooke the same way In remembrance of the disappointing of Haman's bloudie lotts Est. 9.26 they likewise appointed the daies of Purim yearely to be kept The like memorable mercie did He vouchsafe us The Destroyer passed over our dwellings this day It is our Passe-over Haman and his Fellowes had sett the dice on us and we by this time had beene all in peeces It is our Purim day We have therefore well done and upon good warrant to tread in the same stepps and by law to provide that this Day should not die nor the memoriall thereof perish from our selves or from our seed but be consecrated to perpetuall memorie by a yearly acknowledgement to be made of it throughout all generations In accomplishment of which order we are all now heere in the presence of God on this day that He first by His Act of doing hath made and we secondly by our act of decreâ—ing have made before Him his holy Angells and men to confesse this His goodnesse and our selves eternally bound to Him for it And being to confesse it with what words of Scripture can we better or fitter do it then those we have read out of this Psalme Sure I could thinke of none fitter but even thus to say A Domino factum c. The Division The treatie whereof may well be comprised in three points 1. The Deed or doing 2. The Day and 3. The Dutie The Deed in these This is the Lord's c. The Day in these This is the day c. The Dutie in the rest Let us c. The other two reduced to the Day which is the center of both The Doing is the cause The Dutie is the consequent from the Day groweth the Dutie To proceed orderly we are to beginne with the Day For though in place it stand after the Deed Yet to us it is first our knowledge is à posteriori The effect ever first where it is the ground of the rest Of the Day then first 1. That such Daies there be and how they come to be such 2. Then of the Doing that maketh them wherein 1 that this of David's was and 2 that ours is no lesse rather more 3. Then of the Dutie how to doe it by rejoycing and being glad for so gaudium erit plenum these two make it full How to take order that we may long and often doe it by saying our Hosanna and Benedictus for gaudium nostrum nemo tollet à nobis Ioh. 16.22
those will make that our joy no man shall take from us â—HIS is the Day This Why are not all daies made by Him I. Of the Day Such daies there be Is there any daies 〈◊〉 made by Him Why then say we This is the day the Lord hath made Divide 〈◊〉 the daies into naturall and civill the naturall some are cleere and some are cloudie 〈◊〉 some are luckie daies and some dismall Be they faire or foule gladd or sadd 〈◊〉 Poet calleth him the Great Diespiter the Father of daies hath made them both 〈◊〉 we then of some one day above his fellow This is the Day c 〈◊〉 difference at all in the dayes or in the moneths themselves by nature they are 〈◊〉 No more in November then another moneth nor in the fifth then in the 〈◊〉 All is in GOD'S making For as in the Creation we see all are the workes 〈◊〉 a plaine difference betweene them for all that in the manner of making Some 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sit Lett there be light a firmament drie land Some with â—aciamus Gen. 1.14.26 〈◊〉 â—ore adoe greater forecast and framing as man that master-peece of His works 〈◊〉 therefore in a different sense it may be said This is the Creature which GOD 〈◊〉 made suppose after a more excellent manner In the very same manner it is 〈◊〉 daies All are His making all aequall in that but that letteth not but He may 〈◊〉 a speciall Faciamus upon some one day more then other and so that day by 〈◊〉 prerogative said To be indeed a Day that GOD hath made 〈◊〉 for GOD'S making it fareth with daies as it doth with yeares Some yeare 〈◊〉 the Psalme GOD crowneth with His goodnesse maketh it more seasonable Psal. 65.11 〈◊〉 fruitfull then other And so for dayes GOD leaveth a more sensible 〈◊〉 of His favour upon some one more then many besides by doing upon it 〈◊〉 mervailous worke And such a day on which GOD vouchsafeth some speciall 〈◊〉 est some great and publique Benefit notable for the time present memorable 〈◊〉 the time to come in that case of that Day as if GOD had said Faciamus diem 〈◊〉 shewed some worke-manship done some speciall cost on it it may with an â—ccent with an emphasis be said This verily is a Day which GOD hath made in comparison of which the rest are as if they were not or at least were not of His â—â—king As for blacke and dismall dayes dayes of sorrow and sadd accidents they are and 〈◊〉 be counted saith Iob for no dayes Nights rather Iob. 3.3.6 as having the shadow of death 〈◊〉 them or if dayes such as his were which Sathan had marrd then which GOD 〈◊〉 made And for common and ordinarie daies wherein as there is no harme so not 〈◊〉 notable good we rather say they are gone forth from GOD in the course of nature 〈◊〉 were with a fiat then made by Him specially with a faciamus So evill dayes no 〈◊〉 or daies marrd and common daies daies but no made daies Only those made 〈◊〉 crowned with some extraordinarie great Favour and thereby gett a dignitie and 〈◊〉 above the rest exempted out of the ordinarie course of the Calendar with 〈◊〉 est Such in the Law was the Day in the Passe over made by GOD Exod. 12.2 the head 〈◊〉 yeare Such in the Gospell of CHRIST 's Resurrection made by GOD Dies 〈◊〉 and to it do all the Fathers applie this verse And we had this day our 〈◊〉 over and we had a Resurrection or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Isaac had But Heb. 11.19 I forbeare to goe 〈◊〉 in the generall By this that hath beene said we may see there be daies of 〈◊〉 it may be safely said This is the day c and in what sense it may be said Such 〈◊〉 then that this of ours one of them that if it be we may so hold it and 〈◊〉 that pertaine to it II. David's day was such David's day heere was one certainely dictante Spiritu and they that are like it to be holden for such so that if oâ—râ— be as this was it is certainely dies à Deo factus Now then to take our rule from the former verse Factum Domini facit diem Domini It is GOD 's deed that maketh it GOD 's day and the greater the Deed the more GOD 's day There must be first Factum est some doing and secondly it must be à Domino He the doer and thirdly that somewhat must be somewhat mervailous and fourthly not in it selfe so but in our eyes These foure goe to it these foure make any day a day of GOD 's making Let us see then these foure First in David's heere and then in our owne and if we finde them all boldly pronounce This is the Day c. In it there was 1 A factum est A deâ—â—â—erancâ— First the factum est in David's what was done sett downe at large in the fore-part of the Psalme It was a deliverance all the Psalme runneth on nothing els Every deliverance is from a danger and by the danger we take measure of the deliverance The greater that the greater the Deliverie from it and the greater the Deliverie the greater the Day From danger and the more likely to be of GOD 's owne manufacture His danger first Verse 10.11.12 what should have been done He was in a great distresse Three severall times with great passion he repeats it that his Enemies 1 came about him 2 compassed him round 3 compassed and kept him in on every side were no swarme of bees so thicke That they gave a terrible lift or thrust at him Verse 13. to overthrow him and verie neere it they were And at last as if he were newly crept out of his grave out of the very jawes of death and despaire he breakes forth and saith I was very neere my death neere it I was Verse 17. but non morâ—ar Die I will not now for this time but live a little longer to declare the workes of the LORD This was his danger and a shrewd one it seemeth it was From this danger he was delivered This the factum est 2. A Domino By GOD not by man But man might do all this and so it be man's day for any thing is said yet Though it were great it maketh it not GOD 's unlesse GOD GOD I say and not man but GOD himselfe were the Doer of it and if He the Doer He denominates the Day This then was not any mans not any Prince's doing but GOD 's alone His might His mercie Verse 8.9 that brought it to passe Not any arme of flesh but GOD 's might not of any merit of His but of His owne meere mercie This was done by His might Thrise he tells us of it It was the right hand of the Lord that brought this mightie thing to passe This was done by His
mercie Verse 15.16 Verse 1.2.3.4 His ever-enduring mercie foure times he tells us it was that did it With that he beginnes and makes it the key of the song Then as we have factum est so we have A Domino The Deed and the Doer both 3. â—t mirabile and Mervailous it was GOD 's doings are many and not all of one sise The Prophet * Zach. 4.10 Zacharie speaketh of a day of small things and even in those small must we learne to see GOD or we shall never see Him in greater Yet so dimme is our fight that unlesse they be great commonly we see Him not nay unlesse it be great Vsque ad miraculum so great that mervailous withall we count it not worth a day nor worthy GOD unlesse it be such Psal. 72.18 But if it be such then it is GOD 's Qui facit mirabilia solus Who only workes great mervailes then man is shutt out and then GOD 's must the Day be A Domino factum mirabile 4. 〈◊〉 nostris even in our eyes And yet this is not enough The truth is all that GOD doth all His workes are â—â—â—â—erfull Magna sed ideo parva quia vsitatae Great wonders all but not wonderfull 〈…〉 to us because they be usuall His miracles are no more mervailous then His ordinarie workes but that we see the one daily and the other not Therefore he addeth In our eyes for a full period His doings all mervailous in themselves but not mervailous in our eyes unlesse they be rare and the like not seene before But then they be 〈◊〉 then we say Exod. â— 1â— Digitus Dei est It is the finger of GOD nay the right hand 〈…〉 brought this mighty thing to passe Then we give the day for God's 〈…〉 adoe Now then we have all that goeth to it 1 A Deliverance wrought 〈…〉 by God 3 a wonderfull deliverance 4 and that even in our eyes These 〈◊〉 David's day a day of God's making â—ll these be found in ours and then ours shal be so too They will Our Day was such all of them 〈◊〉 and that in an higher degree in a greater measure match David's day and 〈◊〉 it in all 1. We were delivered and from a danger that is cleere These foure in ours Factum est 1 A deliverance from a danger a greater danger 〈◊〉 for that makes the odds Boldly I dare say from a greater then 〈◊〉 Thus I shew it and go no further then the Psalme it selfe David called upon GOD in his danger he knew of it therefore We did 〈◊〉 imagined no such thing but that all had been safe and we might have gone 〈◊〉 â—arlia-ment as secure as ever The danger never dreamt of that is the danger 〈◊〉 His was by compassing and hemming in that is above ground and may be 〈◊〉 â—rom a watch-tower Ours was by undermining digging deep under ground 〈◊〉 could discerne One cannot be besett but he may have hope to breake through at some part 〈◊〉 from this no way no means no possibilitie of escaping The danger not 〈◊〉 discried not to be escaped that is the danger 4. His were a swarme of bees He calleth them so they buzze and make a noise 〈◊〉 they come Ours a brood of vipers mordentes in silentio still Ver. 12. not so much as a 〈◊〉 till the deadly blow had been given â— His was but of himselfe alone so he saith I was in trouble They came about me Ver. 11.13 〈◊〉 in thrust sore at me But one person David's alone Ours of a farre greater 〈◊〉 David and his three Estates with him Now though David himselfe were 〈◊〉 by them at ten thousand of themselves and not over-valued neither for he is 〈◊〉 more and all Kings like him no lesse worth yet he and they too 2. Sam. 18.3 must needs 〈◊〉 then He alone Not onely King David had gone but Queen Esther too and 〈◊〉 onely they but Salomon the young Prince and Nathan his Brother Nor these 〈◊〉 not all The Scriptures recount David had Iehosaphat for his Chancellor 2. Sam. 20.24 Adoram 〈◊〉 Treasurer Seraja his Secretarie Sadoc and Abiathar and twenty two more the â—hiefe of the Priests Admo his Iudge Ioab his Generall all had gone 2. Sam. 23. His forty eight â—orthies or Nobles all they too The Principall of all the Tribes in the kingdome All 〈◊〉 too and many more then these no man knoweth how many It is out of quesâ—â—â—n it had exceeded this of David's heer 6. One more His danger he confesseth was from man He goeth no further 〈◊〉 not feare what man doeth unto me This of ours was not meerly mans I denie 〈◊〉 it was the Devill himselfe The instruments not as his a swarme of Bees Ver. 6. but a 〈◊〉 of Locusts out of the infernall pitt Not men No not Heathen men Their 〈◊〉 nay their Tragoedies can shew none neer it Apoc. 9.3 Their Poëts could never feigne 〈◊〉 prodigiously impious Not men No not savage wild men the Hunnes the 〈…〉 Turcilingi noted for inhumanitie never so inhumane Even among those 〈◊〉 people this fact would be accounted barbarous How then Beasts There 〈◊〉 Ephesus beasts in shape of men and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brutishnesse is the worst Philosophie 〈…〉 of our nature This is more then brutish What Tiger 1. Cor. 15.32 though never 〈…〉 would have made the like havock Then if the like neither in the nature 〈…〉 not beasts to be found it is so unnaturall we must not looke to paterne it 〈…〉 we must to hell thence it was certenly even from the Devill He was a 〈…〉 from the beginning and wil be so to the ending In every sinne of bloud Ioh. 8.44 he 〈…〉 but all his clawes in such an one as this wherein so much bloud as 〈…〉 made it raine bloud so many baskets of heads so many peeces of rent 〈…〉 and downe and scattered all over the face of the earth Never such a day 〈…〉 of a fearefull day bloâ—d and fire and the vapour of smoake Ioel 2.30 Mar. 9.29 As he is a 〈…〉 so we see iâ— Marke â—y his renting and teâ—ring the poore possessed child 〈…〉 〈…〉 and in this all his cruâ—lties should have mett together Pharao's and 〈◊〉 â—illing innocent and harmelessâ— children yet they spared the Mother Esau's 〈◊〉 smiting mother children and all Nebuzaradan's not sparing the King nor his Lords Haman's not sparing Hâ—ster nor her Ladies Edom's crueltie not sparing the Sanctuarie nor the walls Psal. 137 7. Iob 1.18.19 〈◊〉 2.9.10 Ier. 31.15 〈◊〉 with them to the ground His owne smiting the foure corners and bringing down the house upon the heads of Iob's children Put to all the crueltâ—â—s in 〈◊〉 Lamentations the not honouring the faces of Nobles Priests Iudges the making so many widowes and orphans the voice in Rama of Rachel comfortlesse 〈◊〉 more cruell to them it spared and left behind then to
should have been the burnt 〈◊〉 from heaven stayed the blow It was the Lord's doing When treacherie hath his course like water Psal. 58.8 and creepes along like a snaile it is 〈◊〉 eight Psalme then to make it like the untimely birth of a woman never to see 〈◊〉 not as in this arserunt sicut ignis in spinis was but a blaze as in a bush of 〈◊〉 nay if it come so farre it had gone wrong with us but as in that Verse 9. 〈◊〉 intelligerent spinae or ever the thornes gate heate or the powder fire then saith 〈◊〉 Dicit homo Vtique est Deus Men shall say verily there is a God Verse 11. and this was 〈◊〉 doing And not onely that it was bewrayed but that He made them the bewrayers of it 〈…〉 Eccles. 10.20 and even according to the place Eccl. 10. made things with feathers to 〈◊〉 it When as in Psalme 64. their owne tongues or which is all one Psal. 64.8 their 〈…〉 make them to fall all that consider it shall be amazed and then all men 〈◊〉 This hath God done for they shall perceive it plaine it is His worke They shall 〈…〉 in coâ—fession they shall sweare they shall take the Sacrament not to doe it 〈…〉 contrarie to all this it shall come out by themselves Was not this God's 〈◊〉 〈…〉 to shew it was so This which was written was so written as diverse 〈◊〉 and wisedome knew not what to make of it But then commeth God againe 〈…〉 and as in the Proverbs 1â— 10 puts 〈◊〉 a very dâ—â—â—nation Pro. 16.10 a very 〈…〉 King'â— lipps and his 〈◊〉 â—â—issed not the matter made him as Ioseph the revealer of Secretts to read the riddle giving him wisedome to make both exâ—licaâ—ion what they would doe and application where it was they would doe it This was GOD certainely This Pharao would say none could unlesse he were filled â—ith the Spirit of the holâ— GOD. Gen. 41.38 It was A Domiâ—â— factum 3. Lastly as that when 〈…〉 come forth they were not reclaimed not then when they saw the hand of GOD was gone out against them and that it was even GOD they strave wiâ—hâ—ll no but even then from hidden treacherie fell to open rebellion and even 〈◊〉 in it if God shewed not a miracle of His mercie on them perished there 〈◊〉 peâ—ishâ—â— eternally as this I say did that it was factum à Daemone who never 〈◊〉 them till he had brought them thither So that before they came thither 〈◊〉 cast their owne pâ—â—der in their faces poudered them and disfigured them with it and that their quarters stand now in peeces as they meant ours should It is the case of the CIX Psalme Psal. 109.27 â—â— 29 And hereby shall they know that it is Thy hand and that Thou Lord hast doâ—â— it How in that they are thus clothed with their owne shame and even 〈…〉 their owne confusion that they fall as fast as they rise are still confounded and still thy servants rejoyce These five as prints shew it was God's hand It was the Lord Psal. 21.13 that made the Day it was the Day that the Lord made Be thou exalted Lord in thine owne strength It was thy right hand that brought this mightie thing to passe â— Et est mirabile This will not serve the turne His doing makes it not the Day His doing a miracle that makes it and that it is too I take no thought to prove this point by the Law the Prophets the Gospell To put them to it Moses Enquire now of the daies that are past Deut. 4.32 that were before us since the day that God created man upon earth and aske from one â—nd oâ—â—eaven to the other if there came to passe such a thing as this whither any such like thing have been heard and if we cannot iuit it or sett such another by it we â—â—st needs yield it for one By the Prophets Goe to the Isles and behold send to Kedar and take diligent heed Ieâ— 2.10 and see if you can possibly finde the like if not confesse it foâ— mervailoâ—â— Come hither saith David and behold how mervailous God is and what is that that such as are rebellious are not able to exalt themselves We need not goe so farre we have it heere to see We may say to him Come hither By the Gospell for so doe they there acknowledge our Saviour's for miracles Sure we have seene strange things to day Luk. â— 26 Mar 2.12 Matt. 9.33 We never saw it on this fashion The like was never seene in Israel therefore mervailous certainely It is now no miracle no strange thing to have a King delivered every other yeare we see it and therefore wonder not at it But to see King Queene their seed all their Estates delivered that is mirabile that is a new thiâ—g created 〈◊〉 the earth I conclude as that was the Devill 's doing and was 〈◊〉 in our eyes Ier. 31. â—â— so this is God's doing and it is mervailous in our eyes And againe upon all these marks that as this was a day the Devill would have marred â—o this iâ— a dâ—y that the Lord made 4 In 〈…〉 in our eyes â—sal 126.1 〈…〉 â—hen it is yet hath it not as we say his full Christendome unlesse it be so in our eyes For the time it was and that of the Psalme fitts us well When God 〈…〉 the captivitie say we â—he destruction of his people then 〈…〉 No man but stood in a maâ—e as if he knew not â—ell 〈…〉 dreamâ— of it it was so strange In the eyes of others Psal. 126.2 And 〈…〉 No◠〈◊〉 onely for sure I am that which 〈◊〉 there 〈…〉 they inter Gentes of other nations The Lord hath 〈…〉 we are to blâ—me if we answer them not with the Eccho 〈…〉 Lord hath done great things foâ— us Verse 1. for which we have cause to reâ—oyce If strangers thinke it strange and say and write A seculo inauditum 〈…〉 either 〈…〉 their â—yes it were very 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the very 〈◊〉 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 it is so and that of the Apostle â—â—ly be applied to them Behold ye Despisers and wonder and vanish Acts 13.41 for GOD 〈…〉 a Worke in your dayes a Worke which you your selves that were the doers 〈…〉 beleeve when it shal be told that even astonished themselves to see it go 〈…〉 long and so suddainly cast downe Nay I go further to make it a miracle 〈…〉 I doubt not but it was strange newes even in Hell it selfe insomuch as 〈◊〉 place had never hatched the like monster before You see the welcome they 〈◊〉 gave him of Assur Esay XIIII What art thou come Esa. 14.16 that makest the earth to 〈◊〉 and dost shake whole kingdomes And yet it is well knowne all his shaking was 〈◊〉 metaphore He never made it shake actually as these would have done and 〈◊〉 this of greater
worse for the soule therefore simply worse Worse for that would have wasted but to the ground and there left but this should have fetched up foundations and ground and all Worse certainly for that should have consumed but Samaritans onely but this for the good of the Catholique cause Samaritans and Iewes both Yea such as themselves were Disciples and Iames and Iohn too if they had been there for companie Worse for this had the shew of an example Sicut fecit Elias but ours Sicut fecit who Not Sicut fecit Elias No Sicut without example Never the like entered into the heart of any that carried but the shape of a man So still the advantage on our side Now for the deliverie when all is done that which was saved heer was but a poore towne without a name I should much wrong that famous Assembly and flower of the Kingdome if I should offer to compare it with that either in quantitie alas like little Zoar to great Ninive or in qualitie when in ours to say nothing of the rest One there was more worth then ten thousand such as they 2. Sam. 18.3 we have good Scripture for it These heer were rebuked but verbally on earth Ours really rebuked from heaven Really rebuked in their intention by miraculous disappointing the execution And themselves put to a foule rebuke besides GOD first blowing their owne powder in their faces to write their sinne there and after making their bowells their mercilesse bowells to be consumed with fire within the very view of that place which they had meant to consume with fire and all Vs in it CHRIST came to save us There be manifest stepps of His comming Apparant first in that He made them they could not conteine their owne spirits but brought them out by their owne dicimus made them take penn and paper and tell it out themselves and so become the instruments of their own destruction which is the worst of all Againe He came when He gave His Majestie understanding to read the riddle of so soon as the letter is burnt to construe the dialect of these unknowne spirits and pick it out of a period as dark as the cellar was dark where the powder lay There is but one comming in the text He came not to destroy but to save Heer were two in ours both commings of CHRIST 1 He came not to destroy but to save us in mercie 2 He came not to save but destroy them His second comming in judgement To conclude This one notable difference there is on our side They should have been destroyed by miracle and we were saved by miracle The right hand of the LORD brought it to passe which is of all others Psal. 118.16 the most welcome deliverance And shall I then upon all this make a motion Master wilt thou we speake to these whom thou hast delivered that seing thou tookst order the fire should not ascend to consume them they would take order their prayers may ascend up and as the odours of the Saint's phialls burne before Thee still and never consume but be this day ever a sweet smell in Thy presence Their fire they came to put under the earth CHRIST would not have burne another fire He came to put upon earth Luke 12.49 and His desire is that it should burne even that fire whereon the incense of our devotion and the same fire of our praise burne before GOD and be in odorem suavitatis We were appointed Eph. 5.2 â—o be made a sacrifice If Isaac be saved shall nothing be offered in his stead Shall we not thank GOD that he was better to them then Iames and Iohn and to us better then those were that will needs thrust themselves to be of His societie That when this dicimus was said of us too stayed it at dicimus and never lett it come to perâ—icimus miraculously made knowne these unknowne spirits that He turned and rebâ—ked the motion and the spirits that made it that He came once and twice to save 〈◊〉 and destroy them If we shall let us then do it let our soules magnifie the Lord Luke 1.46 and our spirits rejoyce in Goâ— our Saviour that the beginning of the Text and of our case was fire to consume them in the first verse that the end was non perdere sed salvare in the last Such may ever be the end of all attempts to destroy us So may He come still and still as heer He came never to destroy ever to save us And as oft as He to save us so oft we to praise Him And GOD grant that this answer heer of CHRIST may serve for a determination of this case for ever and every Christian be so resolved by it as the like never come in speech more by any dicimus But if as we know not what spirits are abroad that every destroying spirit may be rebuked and every State preserved as this town heer was and as we all were this Day And ever as He doth save still we may praise still and ever magnifie His mercie that endureth for ever Psal. 136.1 Amen A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL on the V. of November A. D. MDCXII LAMENT CHAP. III. VER XXII Misericordiae DOMINI quia non sumus consumpti quia non defecerunt miserationes Ejus It is the Lord 's mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions faile not THE verse is not amisse The booke suits not so well For this joyfull day of our great and famous Deliverance CHRIST 's Luk. 7.32 tibijs cecinimus is more meete then Iohn Baptist's Planximus and David's harp then Ieremie's Lamentations This I know commeth to your mindes at the mention of this melancholique booke But yet if we weigh our case well not what it fell out to be but what it was ment to have beene the very booke will not seeme so out of season For this very day should it not have beene a day of lamentation to the whole land was it not so marked in their â—â—lendar And they had had their wills would they not have given matter of mâ—king a booke of Lamentations over this State and that another manner Book 〈◊〉 more and with longer Chapters then this of Ieremie's By the mercie of GOD it proved otherwise But what shall we so entend the day what it is as we forgett what it was like to have beene No the booke and the verse Iuxta se posita will do well one sett out the other as the black-blacke-worke doth the white The Booke putt us in minde but for GOD 's mercie in what case we might have beene The Verse by GOD 's mercie what we are And even to thanke Him that our lott was to hitt the verse and misse the booke to fall within the one and without the other The truth is I had a desire That Misericordiae Domini might have their day and this day I thought to dedicate chiefly to
so as we begunne we end with Non consumpti There cannot be a more kindly consequence then this our not failing from their not failing we doe not because they doe not If they did we should But quia non consumptae illae non consumpti nos for they are not consumed no more are we And why doe not they faile Because He himselfe doth not He is the same still He failes not His bowells are as He is so they faile not no more then He. And in this Quia non deficiunt is all the comfort we have For since Ieremie's time one would be amazed to consider the huge number of foule enormities that have beene committed and yet the parties that committ them not consumed where there should be mercie to serve for them all One would thinke by this they should have beene drawen drie So they had but for this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It can never be said Now there is all there is now no more left No an inexhaust fountaine there is of them never dry but floweth still fresh and fresh And looke even the next words Ieremie tells us they renew everie morning No morning comes but a fresh supplie of them And even this morning this V. of November we had a good proofe of it Yea they are never perfect the summe is never made up There is still added every day and they shall not be consummate till the consummatum est of the world And but for these bowells that still melt and for these compassions ever-flowing and never failing they our enemies had not failed of their purpose But because these failed not they failed because these consumed not we were not consumed They are not onely plentifull as in the plurall and choise as from the bowells the bowells of a father but perpetuall what talke we of perpetuall they are eternall These three their 1 multiplicitie their 2 specialtie their 3 eternitie these three we hold by III. Our Recognition And now to our Recognition To performe it to the full as it deserveth that I know we cannot Worthily to celebrate and set forth His mercies therein accorâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 their merit what tongue of men or Angells can doe it But shall we not 〈◊〉 â—â—fore doe it as we can We were not consumed shall our thankefullnesse fall 〈…〉 sumption His compassion failed us not shall our recognition faile them â—hall we not finde our tongues as well to praise His mercies as to pray for them Can we poure out petitions in time of need and can we not drop forth a few thankes when we have what we would No let this be the first that we answer Misericorâ—â—â—on consumptae with gratiae inconsumptae that our thankes fall not into an hectique Then that we imitate the three properties of this vertue that saved us and to whom we owe our selves no other then those that he expressed in the Text. 1. That we keepe the number do it plurally Not single thankes for plurall mercies that agrees not Iterate them over and over as much as we may In the weight we shall surely fall short let us make amends with the number Doe it oft and many times in hope that Saepe cadéndo they shall effect that which Vi by any force in them they are not able This for every one to give as many as we may make them many Now as many as we are many As we should have gone altogether as we should have gone so and no otherwise let us together heere all acknowledge his mercies this day shewed us Psal 148.11.12.13 〈◊〉 praise Him all of us for them Praise him King and Queene c. Yea not onely Dicat nunc Israël but Dicat nunc paâ—ies Psal. 118 2. praise him walls and windowes praise him lime and stone praise him roofe and foundation Let them praise the name of the Lord for He said but a word and they stood fast He commanded 1 Non Psal. 148.5.6 and they were not stirred Ieremie speakes to a wall to weepe Chap. 2.18 we â—ay with as good reason to reioyce and give thankes All that should have perished together praise Him together 2. Next that we put him not of with certaine I know not what hollow thankes that have no bowells at all in them But do it De visceribus De intimis fibris from the very bowells from the innermost veines and the smallest threeds of them with him Praise the Lord ô my soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all my bowells all that is within me Psal. 103.1 Psal. 35.10 All my bones shall say c. When the bones the bones that should have beene shivered in sunder when the bowells the bowells that should have beene scattered abroad speake that is the right speaking If every one of us to himselfe wouâ—d but say the very words of this verse onely as they stand It was c. It was c. even this onward were worth the while if it be not for forme but feelingly spoken Dic Dic sed intus dic say it but say it from within let the bowells speake it though our words faile us they doe not And indeed the consumption should have been with fire shall our recognition be frozen no sparke no vigor igneus no fervor at all in it How agree these a fierie destruction and a frozen confession It standeth us upon to be delivered no lesse from cold â—hankes then from a hott fire 3. And that we never faile to doe it No yeare to intermitt it no weeke and I would I might add no day neither Answer Misericordia Ejus manet in aeternum Psal. 136.1 Psal. 89.1.2 with Misericordias Domini cantabo in aeternum and not mercies that never faile with short thankes and soone done specially seeing their not failing lyeth upon our not failing them Now it would do well to seale up all with a Recognition reall that is the praise of mercie with some worke of mercie What was done upon us this day our preserving A worke of mercy it was This worke can no way so lively be expressed as by a worke of like nature nothing so well saith Saint Iames by warme breath as by warme clothes Erga consumendos such as are in danger of it not by fire but by cold and nakednesse Iam 2.16 This as it is a most kindly way to resemble it so withall is it a most effectuall meanes to procure the continuance and not fayling of it Magnes est misericordiae Dei â—rga nos misericordia nostra in fratres of GOD 's mercie to us keeping us from consuâ—ing our mercie toward our poore brethren is the loadstone to keepe them from the like So under one shall we both lett it forth and procure it procure that we so much stand in need of and sett forth that vertue to which we were so much this day beholden Now to GOD to Him and to His mercie the bowells of His mercie and the fresh fountaine of
Text 1 Destruction 2 ruine 3 repente and â—uis scit Let us feare those foure and fearing them persist as we have done hitherto in the feare of God and the King and ever feare to have to do or to deale with them that feare neither So I pray GOD we may and that this may be the fruict even our fruict And His blessing upon that hath beene spoken that we may live and die Timentes Deum Regem ever pure from this mixture and so GOD make Vs all A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL ON THE V. of NOVEMBER Anno Domini MDCXV PSAL. CXLV VER IX Suavis DOMINVS universis Miserationes Ejus super omnia opera Ejus The LORD is good to all and His mercies are over all His workes TEN yeares it is now since our memorable deliverie as upon this day And we heere to celebrate not the Anniversarie onely but the Decennalia of it Now in numbering it is well knowne that at ten we beginne anew at the figure of one we returne againe ever to the first So do we now For this was the first Misericordiae DOMINI super opera Ejus We shall never forget it so many of us as then heard it that it was the first that it was thought and that Authore magno to be the fittest theme of all wherewith to beginne the first solemne thanksgiving of all for the great Mercie of GOD and for the great Worke of that Mercie this Day shewed upon us all To this then the first every way the first may I crave pardon to put to my poore cipher and make it ten this tenth yeare So as it was the first fruits it may be the tenth So they may be as they should be Primitiae Decimae de eodem both out of one and the same It led us at the very first whither first and last we must come to the true Cause of thâ—â— our Deliverie of that and of all other we have had or ever shall have the Super 〈◊〉 of His Mercies That deliverance when it came it came not temerè it had a cause That cause was 〈◊〉 and in GOD His Mercie It was the mercie of God we were not consumed Lamen 3.22 so said â—e then out of Ieremie at the seventh yeare That mercie of His that is super omâ—â—â— So say we now out of David at the tenth For this is King David and that way not unfitt neither As written first by a King applied since by a King in the case of saving a King and a Kingdome Or rather one King but more Kingâ—omes then one It was then spoken to the praise And it is a prayse and it is out of a praise For so is this Psalme intitled David's Prayse For howsoever the prayers and the prayses all in this Booke are for the most part of David's penning yet two there are he hath singled out from the rest and set his owne marke on them as proper to himselfe The LXXXVI Psalme his Tephilla David's owne Prayer And this heere his Tehilla his owne Praise or thanksgiving As if he had made the rest for all in common but reserved these peculiarly for himselfe With Exultabo te DEVS it beginnes He will exalt God Every day and for ever so he vowes in the two first verses For what will He exalt Him For many high perfections in Him For the greatnesse of His Nature which is infinite at the third For the greatnesse of His wonderous workes the fourth for His glorious Majestie the fifth For His mightie Power the sixt For His Goodnesse subdivided into His Iustice and Mercie For His Iustice the seventh And for his Mercie the eighth And heere now in the ninth in this verse and these very words He setts the Super omnia the crowne and garland as it were on Mercie 's head gives it the Sovereigntie â—ver all Exaltabo Te God He will exalt and Exaltabo in Te in GOD He will exalt His mercie above all the rest Vpon the matter then all is as we said but a praise of Mercie And a praise The Summe not positivè that is not so effectuall but by way of comparison held ever the better In a comparison ever three points we looke to 1. With whom it is made With the workes of God 2. How large it is laid Not with some one or more but with them all all commers as they say 3. And in what In the point of Super in that there is so much adoe about the point of Supremacie whither above whither Superiour to other Two things of God there are sett downe 1 His Mercies and 2 His Workes these two compared Compared in the point of Super and Mercie found to carrie it Her 's the Supremacie All His Workes high all great all all excellent But major â—â—rum Misericordia the highest greatest most excellent of them all Mercie that the Super omnia of them all Of these then First of the words as they stand in order The Division Then of Mercie 's Super and that three waies 1 Super above So we read it 2 Super over So the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Super upon So we pray Fiat misericordia super nos Let thy mercie be upon us 1. Super above it may be as a Spire is and not reflect downe and be over 2. Super over it may be and hoover aloft not descend or come downe upon us 3. But Super upon is it when it lights upon us that is Fiat misericordia super nos And of these 1 as well for Mercie 's honour that is over them 2 as for the good of â—he Workes that are under it Then come we to a Super in this Super. Vpon some of God's works more then other 〈◊〉 And so to our selves And so to this day For sure this Scripture if it be well looked unto doth competere agree to no case so as it doth to ours Nor to ours as this day We are His workes once and those Mercies of His heere said to be over all His workes have beene over and upon us Vpon us in LXXXVIII and many other times but above all other most sensibly this day this day of all dayes And that with such a Super in so high a degree in such so great a Mercie so great a Worke of Mercie as great as ever was eny In Saving so gâ—eat a number from so strange and unheard of a crueltie by a Mercie super omnia I may say from a crueltie Super omnia I am sure Then lastly what we are in Super to GOD for this Super. Where 1 of the Super upon the head of all GOD 's Workes for these His Mercies thus over them 2 And of all His Workes and above them all of the Super remaining upon our heads for diverse besides but for this Day and this Worke Super omnia Above all the Daies we ever saw Above all the workes He ever wrought for us And it is
indeed Psal 38.4 that would be looked into by us by reason of another Super Iniquitates nostrae supergressae sunt capita nostra Our sinnes are gone up over above our heads Over head and eares in sinne And another Super yet above them Even the phials of God's wrath hanging over our heads Apoc. 16.1 readie to be powred on us and them were it not that mercie is above them and staies them Were it not that Over whom miserie over them mercie Els were we in danger to be overwhelmed with them every houre We see then the comparison was well laid in Super. Our sinnes over us judgements over them but mercie over all Super omnia Alwaies where there is Super there is Satis Satis superque shewes Super is more then Satis Enough then there is and to spare for them all â— Above the workes of all His workes One more not onely above all ours but if it be above all His works then is it above all the workes of them that be His workes and so not to hold you above the Devill and all his workes For he also is one of them Of GOD'S making as an Angell of his owne marring as a devill Above his works I say and above the works and practises of his limmes and all they can doe or devise against them over whom His mercie is The Sonne of GOD saith S. Iohn in mercie therefore appeared 1. Ioh. 38. Vt solveret opera Diaboli that He might loose â—ndoe quite dissolve the works of the Devill No worke shall he contrive never so deepe under ground never so neere the borders of his own region but GOD 's mercie will bring it to light it and the workers of it His mercie will have a Sâ—per for their Subâ—er There shall be more in Mercie to save then in Sathan to destroy Psal 124 1. More dicat nunc Israël more may this Realme now say A notorious Work of His as ever eny Nay Super omnia as never was eny this day by His mercie brought to light and dissolved quite dissolved We heard it not with our eares our fathers told it 〈◊〉 not our eyes beheld this Super. Psal. 44.1 So we are come to our owne case â—er we were aware That is Super upon 3. Super upon 1 Vpon some more then others of his workes Over all 〈◊〉 yet not over all alike at leastwise not upon all alike upon some more then over 〈◊〉 some Aequaliter est Illi cura de omnibus but not aequalis Aequally a care â—f â—ll but not an aequall care though No His mercie over all in generall is no barre 〈◊〉 upon some there may be a speciall Super and so some have a Super in this Super too For if the reason why mercie is over all His workes be because they be His workes â—hen the more they be His workes the more workmanship He bestowes upon them the more is His mercie over them Whereby it falls out that as there is an unaequalitie of His workes and one worke above another so is there a diverse graduation of his mercie â—nd one mercie above another or rather one and the same mercie as the same Planet in Auge in the top of his Epicycle higher then it selfe at other times To shew this 2 Vpon Man more then other creatures Gen. 1.26 we divide His works as we have warrant into His works of Fiat as the rest of His creatures and the Worke of Faciamus as Man the master-piece of His workes upon whom He did more cost shewed more workmanship then on the rest the very word Faciamus setts him above all 1. GOD 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that He did deliberate enter into consultation as it were about his making and about none els 2. GOD 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Himselfe framed his bodie of the mold Gen. 2.7 as the potter the clay 3. Then that He breathed into him a two-lived soule which made the Psalmist Breake out Domine quid est homo c. Lord what is man Psal. 8.4 thou shouldst so regard him as to passe by the heavens and all the glorious bodies there and passing by them breath an immortall soule put thine owne image upon a piece of clay 4. But last GOD 's setting him Super omnia opera manuum suarum Over all the workes â—f His hands His making him as I may say Count Palatine of the world this shewes plainely His setting by Man more then all of them As he then over them so GOD 's mercie over him Over all His workes but of all His workes over this work Psal. 8.6 Over His chiefe worke chiefly in a higher degree And not without great cause Man is capable of aeternall either felicitie or miserie so are not the rest He sinnes so do not they So his case requires a Super in this Super requires mercy more then all theirs Vpon men then chiefly They the first Super in this Super. But of men though it be true in generall He hath shut up all under sinne that He might have mercie upon all Rom. 11.32 yet even among them a Super too a second Another workmanship He hath yet His workmanship in CHRIST IESV the Apostle calls it Ephes. 2.10 His new creature Gal. 6.15 which His mercie is more directly upon then upon the rest of mankind Servator omnium hominum the Saviour of all men saith the Apostle marie 1. Tim. 4.10 Auâ—em most of all of the faithfull Christian men Of all men above all men upon them They are His Worke wrought on both sides Creation on one side Redemption on the other For now we are at the worke of Redemption And heere now is Mercie right in kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rahame rahama the mercie of the bird of mercie that is the Pelecan's mercie for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Pelecan which hath her name of mercie as the truly mercifull bird For heer now is not the womb to hatch â—hem nor the wings to clocke them but the Pelecan's bill of mercie striking it selfe to the heart drawing blood thence even the very heart-blood to revive her young ones when they were dead in sinne and to make them live anew the life of grace This is Misericordia super omnes misericordias Shall I say it I may truly Mercie in all els abâ—vâ— His workes but in this above Himselfe For when it brought Him down from Heaven to Earth to such a birth in the manger such a life in contradiction of sinners Luk. 2.12 Heb. 1â— 3 Phil. 2.8 such a death on the Crosse it might truely be said then Misericordia etiam triumphat de 〈◊〉 You shall marke therefore at the verie next words when he comes to his thanks â—is Confitcantur Tibi opera Deus but Sancti tui benedicant Tibi Thy workes let them â—ay Confiteor Thy redeemed Thy Saints let them sing Benedictus Thy workes Verse 10. let them
and not over but upon us Wherefore the powers thou hast distributed in our soules the breath of life thou hast breathed into our nosthrills the tongues thou hast put into our mouthes behold all these shall breake forth and confesse and blesse and thanke and praise and magnifie and exalt Thee and Thy mercie for ever Yea every mouth shall acknowledge Thee Every tongue be a trumpet of Thy praise Every eye looke up Every knee bow Every stature stoope to Thee and all hearts shall feare Thee And all that is within us Even our bowells Those our bowells that but for Thee had flowen we know not whether Even our bones those bones that but for it had been shivered bone from bone one from another all shall say Who is like unto Thee ô Lord in Mercie Who is like unto Thee glorious in holinesse fearefull in praise doing wonders wonders of Mercie as this Day upon us all to be held by us and our posteritie in an everlasting remembrance Glorie be to thee ô Lord glorie be to Thee Glorie be to Thee and glorie be to Thy Mercie the Supeâ— omnia the most glorious of all thy great high Perfections Glorie be to Thee and glorie be to it To it in Thee and To Thee for it And that by all thy works in all places and at all times And of all Thy works and above them all by us heer by the â—earts and lungs of us all in this place this day for this Day for the Mercie of this day for the Meâ—cie of it above all mercies and for the Worke of this day above all the works of it And not this day only but all the daies of our life even as long as Thy mercie endureth Psal. 136.1 and that endureth for ever for ever in this world for ever in the world to come Per through the Cisterne and Conduit of all Thy mercies IESVS CHRIST A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE KING'S MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL ON THE V. of NOVEMBER Anno Domini MDCXVI ESAI CHAP. XXXVII VER III. Venerunt filij usque ad partum virtus non est pariendi The children are come to the birth and there is not strength to bring forth I Have taken this piece and no more More I could not you see It will not fitt our turne or this day the fore-end of the verse This is a day of trouble rebuke blasphemie cannot we say We must say This is a day not of trouble but of joy not of rebuke but of praise not of blasphemie but of thanksgiving with us And so may we say too and yet keepe these words for our ground still Nothing letts but that one and the same day may be both a day of Ioy and of Sorrow They that have the day and they that lose the day the day is but one but to the winner a Ioyfull day to the loser not so but a day â—f Sorrow and of blasphemie otherwhile And so was this day a day of Sorrow to 〈◊〉 they might have taken up the whole verse as it stands those I meane that do what they can must be faine to father the children that this day were comming but 〈◊〉 not forth That they came not forth the want of strength to be delivered made it to them a day of Sorrow some say of blasphemie too Not so to us To us a day 〈◊〉 â—raise and thankes that they lost their so looked for and longed for children that thâ—y were not borne who if they had been borne would have been the bane of us all 〈◊〉 then as this â— day So this a verse of joy The Summe The words are in Hebrew of the nature of a Proverbe and used by them as a By-word upon the defeating of eny plott Not every defeating but thâ—n when a plott is cunningly contrived and closely followed and is neere brought to the very point to be done yet not done though but defeated even then then take they up this Proverbe and say Venerunt c. And two waies take they it up thereafter as the designe is If it be bad yet well layed and well seconded and for all that in the end disappointed then utter they it cheerefully Aha the children c but as GOD would c by way of gratulation But if good and for a while come fairely forward but in the end prove to nothing then take they it up with a sigh Alas the children c. It â—annot be denied but good King Ezekiah whos 's the words are spake them heer in some griefe Griefe two waies For 1 first grieved he was to heare how Rabsakeh had raged and raved and spewed out most horrible blasphemies Faigne would he he and his men rather then their lives have been at him for it They were even great with this as it were and the children come to the birth But their strength served them not they durst not give him a word for feare of a further mischiefe if they should provoke him Now there is no more hard and grievous case in the world then when a man shall be forced to heare blaspheming and not be in case to answer it home â— But the King of Ashur his Master was not far of with his forces but at the siege of Libna not past a doozen mile of That Towne not like to hold out long and then have at Ierusalem and they GOD wote but meanely provided to welcome him But a poore remnant to so huge an host So huge as with their very feet they dried up rivers Verse 25. as they went Non erant vires was their case right and this was heere a second griefe For the words though they found as if the Queene or some great Ladie were in child-birth yet no such matter All is spoken by Allegorie and no woman but the State of the Kingdome heer meant And it is no new thing to sett forth States by women The Prophets do it oft Esai's Hephsiba Esay 62.4 Ezek 23.36 Hose 1.6 Esay 47.1 Verse 22. Ezekiel's Ahola and Aholiba Hosee's Loruhamah all shew it Nothing more common with them then the Daughter of Babel for the State of the Chaldaeans the Daughter of Sion for the State of the Iewes And not to women onely but to women with child then specially when there comes eny shrewd plunges upon an Estate Hose 4.12 Filia Sion quasi parturiens Hos. 4.12 Sion is ready to crie out in the Old And in the New the Church then hard bestead is represented by a Woman ready to fall in labour Apoc. 12.2 Apoc. 12.2 And States when they would be delivered of ought would and cannot as it were the throwes of child-birth seeme to be upon them and this Proverbe then not unfitly applied to them Venerunt c. A Woman her time is come and strives to bring forth and cannot not having strength for it this we know is a case of great extremitie we know it by Rachel Gen. 35. by Hophni's wife 1. Sam. 4.
might for from him came their danger from his proclamation â—nder his hand and seale without which Haman could have made no lotterie of himâ—â—â—fe With us in a better manner and so our lott better For from the King came 〈◊〉 escape but no danger from him He as deep in the danger as we Nothing that was evill nothing that perteined to any perill from Him but our safety solely and wholly from Him next to GOD. Another yet For in theirs the King that had been mis-enformed by Haman was set â—ight by the Queen 's more true information and this is a regular common way But â—urs by no information of Esther or of any only by meer inspiration immediatly from GOD by making that come into the King's head which neither did nor would have come into any mans head els the more sure that it came from GOD since so great a salvation was wrought by it For the burning of the paper if he had taken it in the sense â—hat others did or any would have done we had all been burnt indeed as soon as the paâ—er But GOD drew from him a sense beside all sense even as it were by a lot since to all men's seeing it was rather a casuall then a rationall interpretation The drawing of that â—ense was even like the drawing of a lot so that sorte merâ servati sumus and never any more true Purim then this of ours And though men when they escape stand not much on the meanes or the manner it is well they are well Yet it cannot choose but do us much good to see our selves saved by so Royall a meanes and in so miraculous a manner It is a signe quòd respicit nos Deus GOD respects us in the manner of whose â—aving He would shew so divine a miracle But beside the meanes and the manner The Time thirdly the circumstance of time is worth the â—onsidering For in both all came about in a night Haman had made all sure so sure 〈◊〉 he had sett up the gallowes and all and meant to move the King Chap. 5.14 and made no doubt 〈◊〉 to have Mardochei hanged the next morning This was over night And that 〈◊〉 night did GOD take order the King could not sleepe And by that meanes Chap 6 1. was Mâ—rdochei's good service read to him Sure for Saving the King's life he deserved not to lose his owne Now it comes to the drawing A good lott a prize Honor for Marâ—â—chei And this good lott for Mardochei's honor GOD drew even out of Haman's own â—outh he was by the King made to be the proclaimer of it 〈◊〉 staid not there But the day following the King being rightly enformed by the 〈◊〉 Her people were no such people as Haman made them one of them had 〈◊〉 the King's life with this forth came there a good lott for the Iewes Chap. 8.9.10 the former 〈◊〉 called in the Posts sent with all speed to publish another for their 〈…〉 Now comes Haman's lott GOD took him casting lotts upon his people and He cast 〈…〉 him too For when the Queen fell on her knees Chap. 7.3 and begged her owne life of the 〈…〉 was justly displeased with Haman's presumption that durst come so neer him 〈…〉 her life and streight allotted him the same death he had hight Mardochei Chap. 7.9 〈…〉 the same day in the same place and even upon the very same gallowes he had 〈…〉 sett up for him the night before it came to his lott to be fairely hanged himselfe 〈◊〉 This is GOD hable to do to make Haâ—â—n in the lott he cast for the Iewes 〈◊〉 to draw his owne 〈◊〉 and maâ—e the day by him sett for them the fataâ—â— dâ—y of his owne desâ—â—â—ction To do â—â—is and upon so short warning to do it for aâ—â— tâ—is was done in the spaâ—e of 〈◊〉 and twentie houres Wherein we see it verified that Sâ—lomon saith Prâ— 21.1 〈…〉 â—â—â—g's heart is in GOD'S hand and He turnes it as a waâ—â—r course to 〈◊〉 â—hâ—ch way He will have it and other while makes a damm in it and diverts the 〈…〉 quite contrary way cleane backe upon Haman to overflow him and to 〈◊〉 him Thus did he with them And 〈…〉 with us and more also and that in lesse time For ours was neerer 〈…〉 the neerer it came the fairer our lott to escape it 〈◊〉 wiâ—h them the fourteenth of Adar was not yet come the Posts had time 〈…〉 and come before it but with us it stayed till the very day it selfe was come In 〈◊〉 both but ours the night the next night before so was not theirs Ever the Scripture doth presse this point Not till the day Noë entred into the Arke Not â—ill that working Matt. 24.38 Luk. 17.29 that Lot went out of Sodome So ours not till the very night immediatly preceding the dismall day it selfe And then when powder and traine and match and all were in a readinesse Euk. 12.20 then comes me GOD with his Stulte hâc nocte and dashes all They were delivered before the day came The day it selfe came before we were delivered It was hâc nocte indeed literally So we scaped more narrowly our lett more neere the drawing So ours was potiâ—r tempore 4. The issue Psal. 124.7 And potior jure too For though the same issue to both yet in that also have we the better A delivery there is mentioned 124 Psalme Our soule is scaped even as the bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broke and we are delivered And this is worth the drawing But this is but Pur a single lott For if that be all the bird is escaped and that iâ— well for the bird but the fowler save that he is a little deluded he is not hurt and so he can so one set another snare againe This is but Pur. But â—urim is better when the fowle scapes and the fowler scapes not but comes himself to a â—oule end The snare is broken No the snare is whole and they taken in the snare It sproong only and away went the foule but with the spring the knott was knitt anew and Haman and his fellow fowlers caught and strangled in it And this lo is Purim Purim after the Hebrew idiom is the great lott To scape a snare and in the same snare to have not their foot but their neck taken that set it There is no greater The Passe-over is no greater There they scaped and Pharao drowned heere they scaped and Haman hanged Will ye looke back to the King's sentence at the five and twentieth verse This it is Malum quod cogitavit contra vos avertatur in caput ipsius Not Avertatur à capitibus vestris Chap. 7.3 Esther's first petition was no more let my life be given me Turne away my destruction That it is too but that is not it This is it Convertatur in caput ipsius The evill he devised be it
Christians keep sacred and holy by holding solemne Feasts for them least els by revolution of time forgetfulnesse might creep upon us and we prove unthankfull And do we any oâ—her thing in appointing this day then all these did I conclude with the style of the Coâ—ncells Sequentes igitur nos per omnia Sanctorum Patrum vestigia We heerin do but tread in the stepps of our holy Fathers and follow them that were followers therein of God himselfe If it be said all this while we heare no praecept alledged we have nothing but example No more had Esther heer precepâ— had she none Onely God's example she had Picked the foureteenth of Adar out of the fourteenth of Nisan from Pharao that from Haman this It is true Dirigimur praeceptis By praecepts we take our direction 〈◊〉 it is no lesse true Instruintur exemplis We receive instruction in a great part from examples also One serves for our rule the other for our patterne and we as to obey the one so to imitate the other For Perfectio inferiorum assimilatio superiorum The inferiour hath no greater perfection then to become like to them that are his Superiors Superiors I say and that in time no lesse then in place that is such as have in former times laudably gone before us The Bible sheweth this plaine there beside the Bookes of the Law that serve for Precepts to direction God hath caused to be written the Storie of the Bible to yeeld us examples for imitation And those Bookes of Storie are in Hebrew called the former Prophetts to shew before there came any predictions into the world there was a Propheticall force in them to guide God's people by To the 〈◊〉 and to the Testimonie For the practise of the Saints runneth along with the Law under the name of Testimonie their lives having ever borne testimonie to Gâ—d and his truth And as the Hebrewes say a barren Divine shall he be qui nescit 〈◊〉 legem de Prophetis that out of the Saint's practise cannot frame a Law The ground then being layd If this be agreed of that a day that a sett day and that this very day may be appointed We have two points more to touch 1 the 〈◊〉 by which it is to be injoyned and the 2 manner according to which it is to 〈…〉 1. The Authority by which it was enâ—oyned 〈…〉 first For be the ground never so good yet are not we to take up dayes 〈…〉 heads but by order of authoritie they are to be enjoyned us Whose 〈…〉 There be in a Law but three things 1 advise 2 authoritie 3 and Sâ—â—mission 〈…〉 It should seeme at the first Mardocheâ— did onely by a 〈…〉 anno celebrarent honore Verse 20. 〈◊〉 and this before 〈…〉 place That letter of his either not taking place or 〈…〉 enough and they â—eing either layâ—d down or so like to be heer commeth 〈…〉 and this no advise now but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of then 〈◊〉 of a Law 〈◊〉 establish them for ever 〈…〉 nay noâ— both of them do of themselves 〈…〉 commission from it Not 〈…〉 Province of them 〈…〉 XXV Verse and by it 〈◊〉 they to doe all this What Esther did she did in the power of Assuerus 〈◊〉 Assuerus it is well knowen was a Heathen King yet have we heere a Feast â—â—â—ablished by his authoritie So was the King of Ninive a Heathen too Iona. 3.7 yet have we 〈◊〉 enjoyned by his So was the King of Babel a Heathen King yet a Law by him â—ade upon paine of death not to blaspheme the true GOD. So were Cyrus Dan. 3.29 Ezra 5.13.6.12 and Daâ—ius yet the Temple built by their authoritie Things pertâ—ining to Religion all So that there is in the Regall power of all yea even of Heathen Princes to confirme and to â—njoyne what may tend to the worship and service of GOD. Power against the truth or for falshood I know none no Power to destruction 2. Cor. 13.10 1. Tim. 2.2 to aediâ—â—cation all And prayer is to be made without ceasing for Kings that they may applie their power to these to aedifie in the Truth So they will if Mardochei may be in place 〈◊〉 wise them not Haman But if they mis-apply it and not to the end GOD gave it 〈◊〉 for He that gave it them is to take accompt of them for it and He will require 〈◊〉 at tâ—eir hands to Him they be respondent But â—e this heere and ever remembred if by a Heathen Prince's power this was done shall it be denied to a Christen Prince to one in whom Assuerus's power and Esther's Religion both meet to take order for daies or other rites of that nature Well then having both our ground and our authoritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is three severall times repeated in this one verse 1 Once for Mardochei that advised 2 Once for Esther that enjoined and 3 Once for the people that undertook to observe it It is the Iewe's operative word whereby they enact all their statutes Be it then enacted what Vt nulliâ— liceat dies hos absque solennitate transigere Verse 23. That it be lawfull for no man to passe these daiâ—s without solemnizing To a Law there go two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two Caashers two accordings Both twaine are heere 1 According as Esther with Mardochei's advise enjoyned it 2 And according as they that is the people tooke upon them decreed to observe it Which observing is the life of every Law even the publique approbation or giving allowance of it by the constant keeping it The second according is added for the people's commendation that what was prudently advised and lawfully enjoyned was by them as dutifully observed And this they not onely did but bound themselves moreover and their seed so to continue Themselves and that with the highest bond super animas suas which is more then upon themselves and would not have beene putt in the margent but stood in the Text upon theirs and upon their seeds never to let them fall The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the 27. Verse that is to make a Kabala or tradition of it And that is the true tradition indeed when a thing orderly taken up there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is carefully and out conscience kept up there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and delivered over from the Father to the Sonne and from the Sonne to the Nephew to all succeeding Ages none daring to transgresse it on the charge of their soules This Kabala made it a perfect Law Now a word of the manner of the keeping them and so an end 2. The Manner of keeping it They enacted to keepe the Purim daies How to keepe them It will lead us this to the nature of them whither as holy-holy-dayes or no. For at this there be that stick too A feria they will allow them a play-day or ceasing from worke or a festus dies if you
in the booke of life in heaven have done before you in diverse workes of charitie to the maintenance of the Church the benefit of Learning and the reliefe of the Poore of the land This is to do good This I trust you understand This know that GOD hath not given sight to the eye to enjoy but to lighten the members nor wisedome to the honourable man but for us men of simple shallow forecast nor learning to the divine but for the ignorant so neither riches to the wealthy but for those that want reliefe Thinke you Timothee hath his depositum and we ours and you have none it is sure you have We ours in inward graces and treasures of knowledge You yours in outward blessings and treasures of wealth But both are deposita and we both are feoffees of trust I see there is a strange hatred and a bitter gainsaying every where stirred up against unpreaching Prelates as you terme them and Pastors that feed themselves onely and they are well worthy If I might see the same hatred begoon among your selves I would thinke it sincere But that I cannot fee. For that which a slothfull Divine is in things spirituall that is a Rich man for himselfe and no body els in things carnall and they are not pointed at But sure you have your harvest as well as we ours and that a great harvest Lift up your eyes and see the streets round about you the harvest is verily great and the Labourers few Matt. 9 37· Let us pray both that the Lord would thrust out Labourers into both these harvests that the treasures of knowledge being opened they may have the bread of aeternall life and the treasures of well-doing being opened they may have the bread of this life and so they may want neither I will tell you it another as easie a way Saint Augustine making it plaine to his auditorie somewhat backward as it should seeme was faine to tell them thus thus to define doing good Quod non vultis facere hoc bonum est said he that that you will not doe that that I cannot get you to do that is to doe good Shall I say so to you No indeed I will not I hope better things and partly I know them But this I will say that which the Papists with open mouth in all their books to the slander of the Gospell that which they say you doe not nay you will not doe that is to doe good One of them saith that our Religion hath comforted your force attractive so much and made it so strong that nothing can be wroong from you Another he saith that our Religion hath brought an hardnesse into the bowells of our Professors that they pitie little and the cramp or chiragra into their hands that they give lesse Another 〈◊〉 our preaching hath bredd you minds full of Salomon's horsleches that cry â—riâ—g in bring in and nothing els All of them say that your good workes come so from you as if indeed your religion were to be saved by faiâ—h onely Thus through â—ou and through want of your doing good the Gospel of CHRIST is evill spoken of â—mong them that are without They say we call not to you for them that we preach not this point that we leave them out of our Charges Libero animam meam I deliver heere mine owne soule I do now call for them I have done it elsewhere yer now Heere I call for them now I take witnesse I call you to record I call heaven to râ—cord Domine scis quia dixi scis quia locutus sum scis quia clamavi Lord thou knowest I have spoken for them I have called for them I have cried for them I have made them a part of my charge and the most earnest and vehement part of my charge even the charge of doing good Vnto you therfore that be rich be it spoken heare your charge I pray you There is no avoiding you must needs seale this fruit of well-doing you must needs do it For having wealth and wherewithall to do good if you do it not Inprimis talke not of faith for you have no faith in you if you have wherewith to shew it and shew it not Saint Iames saith you have none to shew Nor tell me not of your religion there is no religion in you Iam. 1.27 â— Pure religion is this as to very good purpose was shewed yesterday To visite the fatherlesse widowes and you never learned other religion of us Secondly if you do it not I warne you of it now you shall then find it when you shall never be hable to answer the exacting of this charge in the great Day where the question shall not be of the highnesse or lownesse of your mindes nor of your trust and confidence or any other vertues though they be excellent but of your feeding clothing visiting harbouring succouring and in a word of your well-doing onely This I say to you beare witnesse I say it Now to Them in your just deâ—ense I say for GOD forbidd but while I live I should alway defend this Honourable Citie in all truth to them whom the mist of envie hath so blinded that they can see no good at all done but by themselves I forbidd them the best of them to shew me in Rhemes or in Rome or any popish Citie Christen such a shew as we have seene heer these two daies To day but a handfull of the heape but Yesterday and on Moonday the whole heape even a mightie armie of so many good workes as there were relieved Orphanes the Chariotts of this Citie 2. King 2.12 I doubt not and the horsemen thereof They will say it is but one so they say Be it so yet it is a matchlesse one I will go further with them Spoken be it to GOD 's glorie Non nobis Domine non nobis Psal. 115.1 sed Nomini Tuo dagloriam Not unto us not unto us O Lord but unto Thy Name give the praise for the loving mercie and for thy truthes sake which we professe I will be able to prove that Learning in the foundation of Schooles and encrease of revenues within Colledges and the Poore in foundation of Almes-houses and encrease of perpetuities to them have received greater helpe in this Realme within these forty yeares last past since not the starting up of our Church as they fondly use to speake but since the reforming ours from the error of theirs then it hath I say in any Realme Christen not onely within the selfe same fortie yeares which were enough to stop their mouthes but also then it hath in any fortie yeares upward during all the time of Poperie which I speake partly of mine owne knowledge and partly by sufficient grave information to this behalfe This may be said and said truly And when we have said this what great thing have we said that time for time so many yeares for so many thirtie yeares of light
Heb. 11.9 2 Cor 5 1. as of a tent or booth spread for a day and taken downe at night Even like Ionas's gourd for all the world fresh in the morning and starke withered yer evening But of the life to come as of a ground-worke never to remove it selfe or we from it but to abide therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the prison or the palace for evermore We shall not therefore lose but lay up in store not for others but for our selves Not for a few daies now but for heereafter Not a tent to be taken downe but a foundation never to be removed Of all the words in the Text not one was meet for the teeth of the Rhemists save this onely heere you have a perillous note close in the margent Good workes are a foundation A foundation very true who denies it but whither a foundation in our graces as CHRIST is without us that is the point The ground whereon every building is raised is termed fundamentum The lowest part of the building immediately lying on it is so termed too In the first sense CHRIST is said to be the onely foundation 1. Cor. 3.11 Yet the Apostles because they are the lowest row of stones Eph. 2.20 Col. 1.23 are said to be foundations in the second So among the graces within us faith is properly in the first sense said to be the foundation yet in the second do we not denie Eph. 3.18 but as the Apostle calleth them as the lowest row next to Faith Charitie and the workes of charitie may be called foundations too Albeit the margent might well have beene spared at this place for the note is heere all out of place For being so great Schoolemen as they would seeme they must needs know It is not the drift of the Apostle heere in calling them a foundation to carry our considerations into the matter of justifying but onely to presse his former reason of uncertaintie there by a contrarie weight of certaine stabilitie heere and so their note comes in like Magnificat at Matins Thus reasoneth Saint Paul This world is uncertaine of a sandy nature you may reare upon it but it is so bad a soile as whatsoever you raise will never be well settled and therefore ever tottering and when the raine and the wind and the waves beat against it Mat. 7.26 it commeth downe on your heads Therefore to make choise of a faster soile build upon GOD 's ground not upon the world's ground for Chrys. in locum Hom. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome there all is firme there you may build and be sure fall the raine upon the top of it blow the wind against the side of it rise the waves against the foot of it it stands irremovable Wherein the Apostle saith Chrysostome doth teach a very goodly and excellent art how to make of our fugitive riches a trusty and fast friend how to make Gold of our Quicksilver and of the uncertaintie of riches a sure and certaine ground-worke Assurance and securitie are two things we know that rich men many times buy deare heere they may be had not for thus much or thus long but for as much as you list and as long as aeternitie is long that never shall have end The meaning is that if you lay out or lay on that you have on these earthly things the plott which the world would faine commend unto you with this life or at the furthest with this world they shall be shaken in peeces and come to nought and you possibly in the houre of death but most certainely in the day of judgement shall shake when the world your ground-worke shakes and be in trembling feare and perplexed agonie touching the estate of your soule knowing there is nothing comming to you but the fruit of this world which is ruine or the fruit of the flesh which is corruption But if you shall have grace to make choise of GOD 's plot which He hath heere leveled for you to raise upon O quanto dignum pretio that will be worth all the world in that day the perfect certaintie sound knowledge and pretious assurance you shall then have whereby you shall be assured to be received because you are sure you are CHRIST 's because you are sure you have true faith because you are sure you have framed it up into good workes And so shall they be a foundation to you-ward by making evident the assurance of salvation not naturâ to God-ward in bringing forth the essence of your salvation Looke you how excellent a ground-worke heere is not for a cotage whereon you may raise your frame to so notable a height as standing on it you may lay hand on and lay hold of eternall life O that you would minde once these high things that you would be in this sense high-minded Saint Paul's meaning is to take nothing from you but give you a better to requite it by farre He would have you part with part of your wealth to do good he will lay you up for it treasure in heaven for your owne use He would have you forsake the world's sand and uncertaintie wherein you cannot trust but therefore he markes you out a plott out of the rock whereto you may trust He would not have you high-minded in consideration or comparison of ought on this earth but he would have your mindes truely exalted to reach up heavenly things higher then the earth And last instead of this world the lusts and riches thereof to match that if you will lay hold of it he holdeth out aeternall life and the glorie thereof To take a short prospect into aeternall life Life it selfe first you know is such a thing as were it to be sold would be staple ware if it stood where hold might be laid on it some would thrust their shoulders out of joint but they would reach it It was a great truth out of a great lier's mouth Skinne and all And I meane not aeternall Iob 2.4 but this life and therefore some readings have to lay hold of true life as if in this were little truth Indeed Saint Augustine saith it is nothing but a disease We say of dangerous sicknesses he hath the plague he is in a consumption sure he will die and yet it failes diverse die not whereas saith he of life it selfe it may be said and never failes He lives therefore he will certainly die Well yet this life such as it is yet we love it and loth we are to end it and if it be in hazard by the Law what running riding posâ—â—â—g suing bribing and if all will not serve breaking prison is there for it Or if it be in danger of disease what adoe is there kept what ill-savoured druggs taken what scarifying cutting searing and when all comes to all it is but a few yeares more added and when they are done we are where we should have been
1. To come when they be called and this was denied in the XVI Chapter following Ver. 12. by Core Dathan and their crew Moses sounded his trumpet sent to call them they answer flatly and that not once but once and again Non veniemus they would not come not once stirre for him or his trumpet they A plain contradiction indeed neither is there in all that Chapter any contradiction veri nominis true and properly so to be called but onely that You know what became of them they went quick to hell for it and wo be to them Iude 11. even under the Gospell saith Saint Iude that perish in the same contradiction the contradiction of Core The second duty is To be called yer they come this likewise denied 2. To be calleù yer they come even Moses himselfe that they in his place may not think strange of it in the XX. Chapter of this very book Water waxing scant a company of them grew mutinous and in tumultuous manner without any sound of the trumpet assembled of themselves But these are branded too the water they got is called the water of Meriba Cap. 10.13 and what followed you know None of them that drunk of it came into the Land of Promise GOD swore they should not enter into His rest Now as both these are bad so of the twaine this latter is the worse Called and came not Came uncalled The former that came not being called do but sit still as if they were somwhat thick of hearing But these latter that come being not called either they make themselves a trumpet without ever a Fac tibi Or els they offer to wring Moses's trumpet out of his hands and take it into their owne Take heed of this latter it is said there to be adversus Mosen even against Moses himselfe It is the very next forerunner to it it pricks fast upon it For they that meet against Moses's will when they have once throughly learned that lesson will quickly perhaps grow capable of another even to meet against Moses himselfe as these did Acts 19.40 Periclitamur argui seditionis saith the Town-Clark We have done more then we can well answer We may be indicted of treason for this daye 's worke for comming together without a trumpet and yet it was for Diana that is for a matter of Religion You see then whose the Right is and what the duties be to it and in whose stepps they tread that deny them Sure they have been baptized or made to drink of the same water the water of Meriba that ever shall offer to do the like to draw together without Moses's Call And now to our Saviour CHRIST 's question In the Law how is it written How reade you Our answer is There it is thus written and thus we read That Moses hath the Right of the trumpets that they to go ever with him and his successors and that to them belongeth the power of calling the publique Assemblies Agreeable to the Law of Nature This is the Lâ—w of GOD and that 〈◊〉 jâ—diciall Law peculiar to that people alone â—ot agreeable to the Law of Naturâ— and Nationâ— â—wo Lawes of force through the whole world For even in the little Empire oâ— the â—ody naturall Principium motus the 〈◊〉 of all motion is in and from the head There all the knots or as they call â—hem all thâ— â—onjugations of fine 〈◊〉 â—â—ve their head by which all the body is moved And as the Law of Nature To the Law of Nations by secret instinct by the light of the Creation annexeth the organ to the chiefest part even so doth the Law of Nations by the light of Reason to the cheefest Person And both fall just with the Law heere written where by Erunt Tibi the same â—rgan and power is committed to Moses the principall Person in that Common 〈◊〉 The Law of Nations in this point both before the Law written and since where the Law written was not knowne might easily appeare if time would 〈…〉 their generall order for conventions so to be called and in their generall 〈◊〉 to all conventicles called otherwise 〈◊〉 the Heathen lawes made all such Assemblies unlawfull which the highest aâ—thority did not cause to meet yea though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say Solon's Lawes yea though sub praetextu Religionis say the Romane Lawes Neither did the Christian Emperors thinke good to abate any thing of that Right Nay they took more straight order For besides the exiling of the person which was the Law before they proscribed the place where under pretence of Religion any such meetings should be But I let them passe and stand onely on the written Law the Law of GOD. We have Law then for us That Moses is ever to call the Congregation But though we have Law Mos vincit Legem Custome over-ruleth Law And the Custome or practise may go another way and it is practise that ever best bewrayeth a Power How then hath the practise gone It is a necessarie question this and pertinent to the Text it selfe For there is a Power granted and in vaine is that Power that never commeth into act Came then this Power into act It is a Power to call the Congregation together Were the Congregations called together by it A grant there is That Erunt Tibi So it should be Did it take place was it so Erantne illi Had he it Did he enjoy it Let us looke into that another while what became of this Grant what place it tooke The practise or use of this Power among the Iewes Deut. 4.32 And we shall not offend Moses in so doing It is his advice and desire both that we should enquire into the daies past that were before us and aske even from one end of heaven to the other to see how matters have been caried So that as our SAVIOVR CHRIST sendeth us to the Law by His In Lege quid scriptum est so doth Moses direct us to the vse and practise by his Interroga de diebus antiquis I do aske then These trumpets heere given this power to call together the Congregation how hath it beene used Hath the Congregation been called accordingly in this and no other manner by this and no other Power It hath as shall appeare and I will deale with no Assemblies but onely for matters of Religion By Moses Of Moses first there is no question It is yeelded that he called them and dismissed them Iosua Ios. 1.17 And even so did Iosua after him no lesse then he and they obeyed him in that Power no lesse then Moses And as for that which is objected concerning Moses that he for a time dealt in matters of the Priest's Office it hath no colour in Iosua and those that succeeded him The Covenant and the renewing of the Covenant are matters meerely spirituall yet in that case did Iosua Iosua not Eleazar assemble all the
Merit signifies in Saint Augustine's sense no dignity of work but only a meanes of obtaining For it is impossible that evill merit that is sinne out of the dignity of the work should merit grace and by the same proportion and forme of speech it is as impossible that the dignity of the work should merit a crowne since Saint Augustine in the same place doth say There would be none unto whom GOD the just Iudge redderet coronam should render a crowne unlesse first as a mercifull Father donâsset gratiam He had given His grace And then He adds Dona sua coronat Deus non merita tua GOD crownes not thy merit but His owne gifts His reason is for if they be such that is thine they are evill and if they be evill GOD crownes them not if they be good they are GOD 's gifts and he crownes them not as thy merits but as his owne gifts Cap. 7. But I have troubled you too long with this Schoole-doctrine and pulpit-divinitie of magnifying mans merits before men since their death-bed-divinitie recants it all and then they are all forced learned and ignorant utterly to renounce it and put all their trust in CHRIST 's mercy and merits as their sure Anchor-head Of which I have onely this to say that merit may have some place in their science but their owne consciences unlesse they be seared tells them there is no true merit but CHRIST 's onely I have now done with my Text Applicatio and now I apply my selfe and my Text to the present Text that lies before us Vir nec silendus nec dicendus sine curâ A man whose worth may not be passed over in silence whom all ages with us may celebrate and admite nor to be spoken of without great care and study Of whom I can say nothing but his worth and vertues will farre exceed all mens words Heere I desire neither the tongue of man nor Angells if it were lawfull I should wish no other but his owne tongue and pen Ipse ipse quem loquar loquatur let him speake of himselfe none so fitt as himselfe was of whom I am to speake this day Et jam loquitur And he now speakes He speakes in his learned Workes and Sermons and he speakes in his life and workes of mercy and he speakes in his death And what he taught in his life and works he taught and expressed in his death He is the great Actor and performer I but the poore cryer Vox clamantis He was the Vox clamans he was the loud and great crying Voice I am but the poore Eccho and it is well with me if as an Eccho of his large and learned bookes and workes I onely repeate a few of the last words No man can blame me if I commend him at his death whose whole life was every way commendable Iustus sine mendacio candor apud bonos crimini non est Iust commendation without flattery is no fault in the opinion of the best men And the ancient custome of the Church did celebrate the memories of holy men to the praise of GOD that gave such eminent graces to them and to stirre up others by their example to the Imitation of their vertues I speake my knowledge of him in many things I loved and honored him for above thirtie yeares space I loved him I confesse but yet Iudicio meo non obstat Amor qui ex Iudicio natus est My love doth not blind or outsway my Iudgement because it proceeded from Iudgement Of whom what can I say lesse then that he was vitâ innocentissimus Ingenio florentissimus proposito sanctissimus In his life most innocent in his knowledge and learning most florishing and eminent and in his purpose and life most holy and devout whose carriage was so happy Quem nemo vituperat nisi etiam laudet no man could ever discommend him but will he nill he he must withall commend him And no mans words were ever able to disgrace him Vera necesse est benedicat falsam vita morésque superant They that spake truth of him could not but speake well of him and if they spake falsely of him his life and manners did confute them And if this Text were ever fully applied in any I presume it was in him for he was totus in his sacrificijs he wholly spent himselfe and his studies and estate in these sacrifices in prayer and the praise of GOD and compassion and workes of charitie as if he had minded nothing els all his life long but this to offer himselfe his soule and body a contrite and broken heart a pitifull and compassionate heart and a thankfull and gratefull heart a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to GOD by IESVS CHRIST which is our reasonable service of Him He was borne in this Citie of LONDON of honest and godly Parents who besides his breeding in learning left him a sufficient patrimony and inheritance which is descended to his heire at Rawreth in Essex It is true Senum vita composita the lives of old men many times are orderly and well composed and disposed and stayed whereas in youth many things that are in true judgement not altogether decent are not so indecent in them but that they well enough become their younger yeares In this he was happy Hujus vita composita à pueritiâ His life was well composed and ordered even from his child-hood I may well say of him as the Prophet doth Bonum est portare Iugum Domini ab Adolescentiâ herein was his happinesse that he tooke up and did stoutly beare the yoke of the Lord even from his youth In his tenderest yeares he shewed such readinesse and sharpnesse of witt and capacitie that his teachers and Masters foresaw in him that he would prove Lumen literarum literatorum The burning and shining Candle of all learning and learned men And therefore those two first Masters that had the care of the first elements of his learning Master Ward of Ratcliffe and Mâ—ster Mulcaster of the Merchant-Taylor's Schoole contended for him who should have the honour of his breeding that afrer became the honour of their Schooles and all learning Master Ward first obtained of his parents that he should not be a prentise and at length Master Mulcaster got him to his schoole And from this time perit omne tempus quod studijs non impenditur he accounted all that time lost that he spent not in his studies wherein in learning he outstript all his aequalls and his indefatigable industrie had almost outstript himselfe He studied so hard when others played that if his Parents and Masters had not forced him to play with them also all the play had been marred His late studying by candle and early rising at foure in the morning procured him envie among his aequalls yea with the Vshers also because he called them up too soone Not like to our moderne scholars qui nondum hesternam edormiverunt