SERMON I. PREACHED AT S ^t. PAVLS, upon Christmas day. 1622.

THE whole journey of a Christian is in these words; and therefore we were better set out early, then ride too fast; bet­ter enter presently into the parts, then be forced to passe tho­row them too hastily. First then wee consider the Collation and Reference of the Text, and then the Illation, and Infe­rence thereof. For, the Text looks back to all that was said from the twelfth verse. For, the first word of the text, [For] which is a particle of connexion, as well as of argumentation, is a seale of all that was said from that place. And then, the Text looks forward to the 23 ver. where all these blessings are sealed to us, with that Condition, If ye continue setled in the Gospell. This is the Colla­tion, the Reference of the text; for the Illation, and Inference, the first clause thereof, [For, it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulnesse dwell] presents a double Instru­ction; First, that we are not bound to accept matters of Religion, meerely without all reason, and probable inducements; And secondly, with what modesty we are to pro­ceed, and in what bounds we are to limit that inquisition, that search of Reason in matters of that nature. When the Apostle presents to us here, the great mystery of our reconci­liation to God, he, in whose power it was not to infuse faith into every reader of his Epi­stle, proceeds by reason. He tels us, V. 13. That the Father hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare Son, the Son of his love. That were well, if we were sure of it; If our consci­ences did not accuse us, and suggest to us our owne unworthinesse, and thereby an im­possibility of being so translated. Why no, sayes the Apostle, V. 14. there is no such impossibi­lity now, For, Now we have Redemption, and forgivenesse of sinnes. Who should procure us that? If a man sin against God, who shall plead for him? What man is able to mediate, 1 Sam. 2.25. and stand in the gap between God and man? You say true, sayes the Apostle, no man is able to doe it; and therefore, He that is the Image of the invisible God, V. 15. he by whom all things were created, and by whom all things consist, he hath done it. Hath God reconciled me to God; And reconciled me by way of satisfaction? (for, that I know his justice requires) What could God pay for me? What could God suffer? God himselfe could not; V. 18. and therefore God hath taken a body that could. And as he is the Head of that body, he is pas­sible, so he may suffer; And, as he is the first born of the dead, he did suffer; so that he was [Page 2]defective in nothing; not in Power, as God, not in passibility, as man; for, Complacuit; It pleased the Father, that in him, All fulnesse (a full capacity to all purposes) should dwell. Thus farre we are to trace the reason of our redemption, intimated in that first word, For. And then, we are to limit and determine our reason in the next, Quia complacuit, because it was his will, his pleasure to proceed so, and no otherwise. Christ himselfe goes no far­ther then so, Mat. 11.25. in a case of much strangenesse, That God had hid his mysteries from the wise, and revealed them unto babes; This was a strange course, but Ita est, quia, Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. I would faine be able to prove to my selfe that my re­demption is accomplished; and therefore I search the Scriptures; and I grow sure that Christ hath redeemed the world; and I search the Scriptures again, to finde what marks are upon them, that are of the participation of that Redemption, and I grow to a religi­ous, and modest assurance, that those marks are upon me. I finde reasons to prove to me, that God does love my soule; but why God should love men better then his own Son, or why God should love me better then other men, I must end in the reason of the text, Quia complacuit, and in the reason of Christ himself, Ita est, quia, It is so, O Father, because thy good pleasure was it should be so.

To passe then from the Collation and Reference, Divisio. by which, the text hath his Cohae­rence with the precedent, and subsequent passages, and the Illation and Inference, by which you have seene the generall doctrine, That reason is not to be excluded in religi­on, but yet to be tenderly and modestly pressed, we have here the Person that redeemed us, and his Qualification for that great office, (That all fulnesse should dwell in him.) And then we have the Pacification, and the Meanes thereof, (Peace was made through the bloud of his Crosse) And then, the Effect, the application of all this, to them, for whom it was wrought, (That all things in earth and heaven, might be reconciled to God by him.) In the qualification of the person, we finde plenitudinem, fulnesse, and omnem plenitudinem, all fulnesse; and omnem plenitudinem inhabitantem, all fulnesse dwelling, permanent. And yet, even this dwelling fulnesse, even in this person Christ Jesus, by no title of merit in himselfe, but onely quia complacuit, because it pleased the Father it should be so. In the pacification, (which is our second part) (Peace was made, by the bloud of his Crosse) we shall see first, quod bellum, what the warre was, and then quae pax, what the peace is, and lastly quis modus, how this peace was made, which was strange; per sanguinem, by bloud; to save bloud, and yet by bloud. And per sanguinem ejus, by his bloud, his, who was victo­riously to triumph in this peace; and per sanguinem Crucis ejus, by the bloud of his Crosse, that is his death; the bloud of his Circumcision, the bloud of his Agony, the bloud of his scourging was not enough; It must be, and so it was the bloud of his Crosse; And these peeces constitute our second part, the Pacification: And then in the third, the Ap­plication, (That all things might be reconciled to God,) we shall see first, what this Re­conciliation is, and then how it extends to all things on earth, (which we might thinke were not capable of it;) and all things in heaven, (which we might think stood in no need of it.) And in these three parts, The person and his qualification, The thing it selfe, The Pacification, The effect of this, The Reconciliation, the Application, wee shall deter­mine all.

First, 1. Part. Plenitudo. In the person that redeemes us we finde fulnesse. And there had need be so; for, he found our measure full of sin towards God, and Gods measure full of anger towards us; for our parts, as when a River swels, at first it will finde out all the channels, or low­er parts of the bank, and enter there, but after a while it covers, and overflowes the whole field, and all is water without distinction; so, though we be naturally channels of concu­piscencies, (for there sin begins, and as water runs naturally in the veines and bowels of the earth, Gen. 6.5. so run concupiscencies naturally in our bowels) yet, when every imagination of the thoughts of our heart, is onely evill continually; Then, (as it did there) it induces a flood, a deluge, our concupiscence swells above all channels, and actually overflowes all; It hath found an issue at the eare, we delight in the defamation of others; and an issue at the eye, Psal. 50.18. Psal. 12.4. If we see a thiefe, we run with him; we concurre in the plots of supplanting and de­stroying other men; It hath found an issue in the tongue, Our lips are our owne, who is Lord over us? We speak freely; seditious speeches against superiours, obscene and scur­rile speeches against one another, prophane and blasphemous speeches against God him­selfe, are growne to be good jests, and marks of wit, and arguments of spirit. It findes an issue at our hands, they give way to oppression, by giving bribes; and an issue at our [Page 3]feet, They are swift to shed bloud; and so by custome, sin overflowes all, Omnia pontus, all our wayes are sea, all our works are sin. This is our fulnesse, originall sin filled us, actu­all sin presses down the measure, and habituall sins heap it up. And then Gods measure of anger was full too; from the beginning he was a jealous God, and that should have made us carefull of our behaviour, that a jealous eye watched over us. But because wee see in the world, that jealous persons are oftnest deceived, because that distemper disor­ders them, so as that they see nothing clearely, and it puts the greater desire in the other, to deceive, because it is some kinde of Victory, and Triumph to deceive a jealous, and watchfull person, therefore we have hoped to goe beyond God too, and his jealousie. But he is jealous of his honour, jealous of his jealousie, he will not have his jealousie de­spised, nor forgotten, for therefore he visits upon the children, to the third and fourth ge­neration; when therefore the spirit of jealousie was come upon him, Numb. 5.14. and that he had prepared that water of bitternesse, which was to rot our bowels, that is, when God had bent all his bowes, drawne forth, and whetted all his swords, when he was justly provo­ked, to execute all the Judgements denounced in all the Prophets, upon all mankinde, when mans measure was full of sin, and Gods measure full of wrath, then was the ful­nesse of time, and yet then Complacuit, It pleased the Father, that there should be another fulnesse to overflow all these, in Christ Jesus.

But what fulnesse is that? Omnis plenitudo, all fulnesse. And this was onely in Christ. Omnis pleni­tudo. 2 Reg. 2.9. Acts 6.5. Acts 9.36. Elias had a great portion of the spirit: but, but a portion. Elizaeus sees that that portion will not serve him, and therefore he asks a double portion of that spirit; but still but por­tions. Stephen is full of faith; a blessed fulnesse, where there is no corner for Infidelity, nor for doubt, for scruple, nor irresolution. Dorcas is full of good works; a fulnesse above faith; for there must be faith, before there can be good works; so that they are above faith, as the tree is above the roote, and as the fruit is above the tree. The Virgin Mary is full of Grace; and Grace is a fulnesse above both; above faith and works too, for that is the meanes to preserve both; That we fall not from our faith, Eccles. 10.1. and that dead flyes corrupt not our ointment, that worldly mixtures doe not vitiate our best works, and the memory of past sins, dead sins, doe not beget new sins in us, is the operation of Grace. The seaven Deacons were full of the Holy Ghost, and of Wisedome; Acts 6.3. full of Religion towards God, and full of such wisedome as might advance it towards men; full of zeale, and full of knowledge; full of truth, and full of discretion too. And these were plenitu­dines, fulnesses, but they were not all, Omnis plenitudo, all fulnesse. I shall bee as full as St. Paul, in heaven; I shall have as full a vessell, but not so full a Cellar; I shall be as full, but I shall not have so much to fill. Christ onely hath an infinite content, and capacity, an infinite roome and receipt, and then an infinite fulnesse; omnem capacitatem, and omnem plenitudinem; He would receive as much as could be infused, and there was as much in­fused, as he could receive.

But what shall we say? Deus adimplendus; was Christ God before, and are these ac­cessory, supplementary, additionall fulnesses to be put to him? A fulnesse to be added to God? To make him a competent person to redeeme man, something was to be added to Christ, though he were God; wherein we see to our inexpressible confusion of face, and consternation of spirit, the incomprehensiblenesse of mans sin, that even to God himselfe, there was required something else then God, before we could be redeemed; there was a fulnesse to be added to God, for this work, to make it omnem plenitudinem, for Christ was God before; there was that fulnesse; but God was not Christ before; there lacked that fulnesse. Not disputing therefore, what other wayes God might have taken for our re­demption, but giving him all possible thanks for that way which his goodnesse hath cho­sen, by the way of satisfying his justice, (for, howsoever I would be glad to be discharged of my debts any way, yet certainly, I should think my selfe more beholden to that man, who would be content to pay my debt for me, then to him that should entreat my cre­ditor to forgive me my debt) for this work, to make Christ able to pay this debt, there was something to be added to him. First, he must pay it in such money as was lent; in the nature and flesh of man; for man had sinned, and man must pay. And then it was lent in such money as was coyned even with the Image of God; man was made according to his Image: That Image being defaced, in a new Mint, in the wombe of the Blessed Vir­gin, there was new money coyned; The Image of the invisible God, the second person in the Trinity, was imprinted into the humane nature. And then, that there might bee [Page 4] omnis plenitudo, all fulnesse, as God, for the paiment of this debt, sent downe the Bullion, and the stamp, that is, God to be conceived in man, and as he provided the Mint, the womb of the Blessed Virgin, so hath he provided an Exchequer, where this mony is issu­ed; that is his Church, where his merits should be applied to the discharge of particular consciences. Coloss. 2.9. So that here is one fulnesse, that in this person dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily. Here is another fulnesse, that this person fulfilled all righteousnesse, and satisfied the Justice of God by his suffering; Thren. 1.12. non est dolor sicut, there was no sorrow like unto his sorrow; It was so full that it exceeded all others. And then there is a third ful­nesse, the Church, Eph. 1.23. (which is his body, the fulnesse of him, that filleth all in all) perfit God, there is the fulnesse of his dignity; perfit man, there is the fulnesse of his passibility; and a perfit Church, there is the fulnesse of the distribution of his mercies, and merits to us. And this is omnis plenitudo, all fulnesse; which yet is farther extended in the next word, Inhabitavit, It pleased the Father, that all fulnesse should dwell in him.

The Holy Ghost appeared in the Dove, Inhabitavit. Remigius. but he did not dwell in it. The Holy Ghost hath dwelt in holy men, but not thus; So, as that ancient Bishop expresses it, Habitavit in Salomone per sapientiam, He dwelt in Salomon, in the spirit of wisedome; in Ioseph, in the spirit of chastity; in Moses, in the spirit of meeknesse; but in Christo, in plenitudine, in Christ, in all fulnesse. Now this fulnesse is not fully expressed in the Hypostaticall union of the two natures; God and Man in the person of Christ. For, (concerning the divine Nature) here was not a dram of glory in this union. This was a strange fulnesse, for it was a fulnesse of emptinesse; It was all Humiliation, all exinanition, all evacuation of him­selfe, by his obedience to the death of the Crosse. But when it was done, Ne evacuaretur Crux Christi, 1 Cor. 1.17. (as the Apostle speaks in another case) lest the Crosse of Christ should be evacuated, and made of none effect, he came to make this fulnesse perfit, by instituting and establishing a Church; Esay 1. ult. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, saies the Prophet, of Christ. There is a fulnesse in generall, for his qualification; The Spirit of the Lord; but what kinde of spirit? It followes, the spirit of wisedome and understanding, the Spirit of Counsell, and Power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord; we see, the spirit that must rest upon Christ, is the Spirit in those beames, in those functions, in those operations, [...] as conduce to government, that is, Wisedome, and Counsell, and Power. So that this is Christs fulnesse, that he is in a continuall administration of his Church; in which he flowes over upon us his Ministers; Joh. 1.16. (for, of his fulnesse have all we received, and grace for grace: that is, power by his grace, to derive grace upon the Congregation;) And so, of his fulnesse, all the Congregation receives too; and receives in that full mea­sure, That they are filled with all the fulnesse of God; Eph. 3.19. that is, all the fulnesse that was in both his natures, united in one person, when the fulnesse of the Deity dwelt in him bodily, all the merits of that person, are derived upon us, in his Word, Sacraments, in his Church; which Church being to continue to the end, it is most properly said habitavit, in him, (in him, as head of the Church) all fulnesse, all meanes of salvation, dwell, and are to be had permanently, constantly, infallibly.

Now how came Christ by all this fulnesse, Complacuit. this superlative fulnesse in himselfe, this derivative fulnesse upon us? That his merits should be able to build, and furnish such a house, to raise and rectifie such a Church, acceptable to God, in which all fulnesse should dwell to the worlds end? It was onely because complacuit, it pleased God (for this per­sonall name of the Father (It pleased the Father) is but added suppletorily by our Transla­tors, and is not in the Originall) It pleased God to give him wherewithall, to enable him so farre, for, this complacuit, is, (as we say in the Schoole,) vox beneplaciti, it expresses onely the good will and love of God, without contemplation or foresight of any good­nesse in man; Catharin. nam hac posita plenitudine exorta sunt merita: First, we are to consider this fulnesse to have been in Christ, and then, from this fulnesse arose his merits; we can consider no merit in Christ himselfe before, whereby he should merit this fulnesse; for, this fulnesse was in him, before he merited any thing; and but for this fulnesse, he had not so merited. August. Ille homo, ut in unitatem filii Dei assumeretur, unde meruit? How did that man, (sayes St. Augustine speaking of Christ, as of the son of man) how did that man me­rit to be united in one person, with the eternall Son of God? Quid egit ante? Quid cre­didit? What had he done? nay, what had he beleeved? Had he eyther faith, or works, before that union of both natures? If then in Christ Jesus himselfe, there were no praevisa merita, That Gods fore-sight, that he would use this fulnesse well, did not work in [Page 5]God, as a cause to give him this fulnesse, but because hee had it of the free gift of God, therefore he did use it well, and meritoriously, shall any of us be so frivolous, in so impor­tant a matter, as to think that God gave us our measure of grace, or our measure of Sancti­fication, because he fore-saw that we would heap up that measure, and employ that ta­lent profitably? What canst thou imagine, he could fore-see in thee? A propensnesse, a disposition to goodnesse, when his grace should come? Eyther there is no such pro­pensnesse, no such disposition in thee, or, if there be, even that propensnesse and dispo­sition to the good use of grace, is grace, it is an effect of former grace, and his grace wrought, before he saw any such propensnesse, any such disposition; Grace was first, and his grace is his, it is none of thine. To end this point, and this part, non est discipulus supra magistrum; The fulnesse of Christ himselfe was rooted in the complacuit, It pleased the Father; (nothing else wrought in the nature of a Cause) and therefore that measure of that fulnesse, which is derived upon us, from him, (our vocation, our justification, our sanctification) are much more so; we have them, quia complacuit, because it hath pleased him freely to give them; God himselfe could see nothing in us, till he of his owne good­nesse, put it into us. And so we have gone as farre, as our first part carries us, in those two branches, and the fruits which we have gathered from thence; First, those generall do­ctrines, that reason is not to be excluded in matters of religion; and then, that reason in all those cases, is to be limited, with the quia complacuit, meerly in the good pleasure of God. In which first part, you have also had, the qualification of the person, that came this day, to establish Redemption for us, that in Him there was fulnesse, (infinite capaci­ty, and infinite infusion,) and all fulnesse, defective in nothing, (impassible and yet passible, perfit God, and perfit man) and this fulnesse dwelling in Him, in Him as he is Head of the Church, that is, visible, sensible meanes of salvation to every soule in his Church; And so we passe to our second part, from this Qualification of the person, (It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell) to the Pacification it selfe, for which it pleased the Father to doe all this, that Peace might be made through the bloud of his Crosse.

In this Part, St. Chrysostome hath made our steps, our branches. It is much, sayes he, 2 Part. that God would admit any peace; magis, per sanguinem, more, that for peace he should require effusion of bloud; magis, quod per ejus, more, that it must be His bloud, his that was injured, his that was to triumph; Et adhuc magis, quod per sanguinem Crucis ejus; That it must be by the bloud of his Crosse, his heart bloud, his death; and yet this was the case; He made Peace through the bloud of his Crosse. There was then a warre before, and a heavy warre; for, the Lord of hosts was our enemy; and what can all our musters come to, Bellum ante. if the Lord of Hosts, of all Hosts have raised his forces against us? There was a heavy war denounced in the Inimicitias ponam, when God raised a warre betweene the Devill, Gen. 3.15. and us. For, if we could consider God to stand neutrall in that warre, and meddle with neither side, yet we were in a desperate case, to be put to fight against Powers and Principalities, against the Devill. How much more, when God, the Lord of Hosts, is the Lord even of that Host too? when God presses the Devill, and makes the Devill his Soldier, to fight his battles, and directs his arrowes, and his bullets, and makes his approaches, and his attempts effectuall upon us. That which is fallen upon the Jews now, Basil. for their sinne against Christ, that there is not in all the world, a Soldier of their race, not a Jew in the world that beares armes, is true of all mankinde for their sin against God; there is not a Soldier amongst them, able to hurt his spirituall enemy or defend himselfe. It is a strange warre, where there are not two sides; and yet that is our case; for, God uses the Devill against us, and the Devill uses us against one another; nay, he uses every one of us, against our selves; so that God, and the Devill, and we, are all in one Army, and all for our destruction; we have a warre, and yet there is but one Army, and we onely are the Countrey that is fed upon, and wasted; From God to the Devill we have not one friend, and yet, as though we lacked enemies, we fight with one another in inhumane Duels; Vbi morimur homicidae, Ad milites Templa: Ser. 1. [...] (as St. Bernard expresses it powerfully and elegantly) that in those Duels and Combats, he that is murdered dyes a murderer, because he would have beene one; Occisor laethaliter peccat, occisus aeternaliter perit; He that comes alive out of the field comes a dead man, because he comes a deadly sinner, and he that remaines dead in the field, is gone into an everlasting death. So that by this inhumane effusion of one anothers bloud, we maintaine a warre against God himselfe, and we provoke him to that which he expresses in Esay, My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Inebriabitur sanguine, Esay 34.5. The [Page 6]sword of the Lord shall be made drunk with bloud; Their land shall be soaked with bloud, and their dust made fat with fatnesse. The same quarrell, which God hath against particular men, and particular Nations, for particular sinnes, God hath against all Man­kinde, for Adams sin. And there is the warre. But what is the peace, and how are we included in that? That is our second and next disquisition, That peace might be made.

A man must not presently think himselfe included in this peace, Pax. because he feeles no effects of this warre. If God draw none of his swords of warre, or famine, or pestilence, upon thee, (no outward warre,) If God raise not a rebellion in thy selfe, nor fight against thee with thine owne affections, in colluctations betweene the flesh, and the spirit; The warre may last, Gellius. for all this. Induciarum tempore, bellum manet, licet pugna cesset; Though there be no blow striken, the warre remaines in the time of Truce. But thy case is not so good; here is no Truce, no cessation, but a continuall preparation to a fiercer warre. All this while that thou enjoyest this imaginary security, the Enemy digges insensibly un­der ground, all this while he undermines thee, and will blow thee up at last more irreco­verably, then if he had battered thee with outward calamities all that time. So any State may be abused with a false peace present, or with a fruitlesse expectation of a future peace. But in this text, there is true peace, and peace already made; present peace, and and safe peace. Bernard. Pax non promissa, sed missa, (sayes St. Bernard, in his musicall and harmo­nious cadences,) not promised, but already sent; non dilata, sed data, not treated, but con­cluded; Non prophetata, sed praesentata, not prophesied, but actually established. There is the presentnesse thereof; And then, made by him, who lacked nothing for the making of a safe peace; Esay 9.6. For, after his Names of Counsellor, and of the Mighty God; he is called, for the consummation of all, princeps pacis; A Counsellor, There is his wisdome, A mighty God, There is his Power: and this Counsellor, This Mighty God, this wise, and this pow­erfull Prince, hath undertaken to make our peace; But how, that is next, per sanguinem, Peace being made by bloud.

Is effusion of bloud the way of peace? Per sangui­nem. effusion of bloud may make them from whom bloud is so abundantly drawne, glad of peace, because they are thereby reduced to a weaknesse. But in our warres, such a weaknesse puts us farther off from peace, and puts more fiercenesse in the Enemy. But here, mercy and truth are met together; God would be true to his owne Justice, (bloud was forfeited, and he would have bloud) and God would be mercifull to us, he would make us the stronger by drawing bloud, and by drawing our best bloud, Gen. 34. the bloud of Christ Jesus. Simeon and Levi, when they medita­ted their revenge for the rape committed upon their sister, when they pretended peace, yet they required a little bloud: They would have the Sichemites circumcised: but when they had opened a veyne, they made them bleed to death; when they were under the sorenesse of Circumcision, they slew them all. Gods justice required bloud, but that bloud is not spilt, but poured from that head to our hearts, into the veines, and wounds of our owne soules: There was bloud shed, but no bloud lost. Before the Law was thorowly established, when Moses came downe from God, and deprehended the people, in that Idolatry to the Calfe, before he would present himselfe as a Mediator betweene God and them, Exod. 32.28. & 32. for that sinne, he prepares a sacrifice of bloud, in the execution of three thousand of those Idolaters, and after that he came to his vehement prayer, in their be­halfe. And in the strength of the Law, Heb. 9 22. all things were purged with bloud, and without bloud there is no remission. Whether we place the reason of this in Gods Justice, which required bloud, or whether we place it in the conveniency, that bloud being ordinarily re­ceived to be sedes animae, the seat and residence of the soule; The soule, for which, that expiation was to be, could not be better represented, nor purified, then in the state, and seat of the soule, in bloud; or whether we shut up our selves in an humble sobriety, to in­quire into the reasons of Gods actions, thus we see it was, no peace, no remission, but in bloud. Nor is that so strange, as that which followes in the next place, per sanguinem ejus, by his bloud.

Before, Per sangui­nem ejus. Psal. 50.10. under the Law, it was in sanguine hircorum, & vitulorum; In the bloud of Goats, and Bullocks; here it is in sanguine ejus, in his bloud. Not his, as he claims all the beasts of the forrest, all the cattle upon a thousand hils, and all the fowles of the moun­taines to be his; not his, as he sayes of Gold and Silver, The Silver is mine, and the Gold is mine; Hag. 2.8. not his, as he is Lord, and proprietary of all, by Creation; so all bloud is his; no nor his, as the bloud of all the Martyrs was his bloud, (which is a neare relation and con­sanguinity) [Page 7]but his so, as it was the precious bloud of his body, the seat of his soule, the matter of his spirits, the knot of his life, This bloud he shed for me; and I have bloud to shed for him too, though he call me not to the tryall, nor to the glory of Martyrdome. Sanguis animae meae voluntas mea, The bloud of my soule is my will; Bern. Scindatur vena ferro compunctionis, open a veine with that knife, remorce, compunction, ut si non sensus, certe consensus peccati effluat, That though thou canst not bleed out all motions to sinne, thou maist all consent thereunto. Noli esse nimium justus; noli sapere plus quam oportet; St. Ber­nard makes this use of those Counsels, Be not righteous overmuch, nor be not overwise, Ecces. 7.16. Cui putas venae parcendum, si justitia & sapientia egent minutione, what veine maist thou spare, if thou must open those two veines, righteousnesse, and wisedome? If they may be superfluously abundant, if thou must bleed out some of thy Righteousnesse, and some of thy wisedome, cui venae parcendum, at what veine must thou not bleed? Tostat. in Le­vit. fo. 45. D. Now in all sacri­fices, where bloud was to be offerd, the fat was to be offerd to. If thou wilt sacrifice the bloud of thy soule, (as St. Bernard cals the will) sacrifice the fat too; If thou give over thy purpose of continuing in thy sin, give over the memory of it, and give over all that thou possessest unjustly, and corruptly got by that sinne; else thou keepest the fat from God, though thou give him the bloud. If God had given over at his second daies work, we had had no sunne, no seasons; If at his fift, we had had no beeing; If at the sixt, no Sabbath; but by proceeding to the seventh, we are all, and we have all. Naaman, 2 Reg. 5.14. who was out of the covenant, yet, by washing in Jordan seven times, was cured of his lepro­sie; seaven times did it even in him, but lesse did not. Tostat. in Le­vit. 4. q. 16. The Priest in the Law used a seven-fold sprinkling of bloud upon the Altar; and we observe a seven-fold shedding of bloud in Christ; In his Circumcision, and in his Agony, in his fulfilling of that Prophesie; gen as vellicantibus, I gave my cheeks to them, that plucked off the haire, and in his scourging; Esay 50.6. in his crowning, and in his nayling, and lastly, in the piercing of his side. These seven channels hath the bloud of thy Saviour found. Poure out the bloud of thy soule, sacri­fice thy stubborne and rebellious will seaven times too; seaven times, that is, every day; and seaven times every day; for so often a just man falleth; And then, Prov. 24.16. how low must that man lie at last, if he fall so often, and never rise upon any fall? and therefore raise thy self as often, and as soone as thou fallest. Iericho would not fall, Jos. 6. but by being compassed sea­ven dayes, and seaven times in one day. Compasse thy selfe, comprehend thy selfe, sea­ven times, many times, and thou shalt have thy losse of bloud supplied with better bloud, with a true sense of that peace, which he hath already made, and made by bloud, and by his owne bloud, and by the bloud of his Crosse, which is the last branch of this second part.

Greater love hath no man, then to lay downe his life for his friend, yet he that said so, Crux. Joh. 15.13. did more then so, more then lay downe his life, (for he exposed it to violences, and tor­ments) and all that for his enemies. But doth not the necessity diminish the love? where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator: Heb. 9.16. was there then a necessity in Christs dying? simply a necessity of coaction there was not; such as is in the death of other men, naturall, or violent by the hand of Justice. There was nothing more arbitrary, more voluntary, more spontaneous then all that Christ did for man. And if you could consider a time, before the contract between the Father, and him, had passed, for the redemption of man by his death, we might say, that then there was no necessity upon Christ, that he must dye; But because that contract was from all eternity, Luc. 24.26. suppo­sing that contract, that this peace was to be made by his death, there entred the oportuit pati, That Christ ought to suffer all these things, and to enter into his glory. And so, as for his death, so for the manner of his death, (by the Crosse) it was not of absolute neces­sity, and yet it was not by casualty neither, not because he was to suffer in that Nation, which did ordinarily punish such Malefactors, (such as he was accused to be) seditious persons, with that manner of death, but all this proceeded ex pacto, thus the contract led it, to this he was obedient, obedient unto death, and unto the death of the Crosse. Phil. 2.8. By bloud, and not onely by comming into this world, and assuming our nature, (which hu­miliation was an act of infinite value) and not by the bloud of his Circumcision or Ago­ny, but bloud to death, and by no gentler, nor nobler death, then the death of the Crosse, was this peace to be made by him. Though then one drop of his bloud had beene enough to have redeemed infinite worlds, if it had beene so contracted, and so applyed, yet he gave us, a morning showre of his bloud in his Circumcision, and an evening showre [Page 8]at his passion, and a showre after Sunset, in the piercing of his side. And though any death had beene an incomprehensible ransome, for the Lord of life to have given, for the chil­dren of death, yet he refused not the death of the Crosse; The Crosse, to which a bitter curse was nayled by Moses, Deut. 21 23. from the beginning, he that is hanged, is, (not onely accursed of God, as our Translation hath it,) but he is the curse of God, (as it is in the Originall) not accursed, but a curse; not a simple curse, but the curse of God. And by the Crosse, which besides the Infamy, was so painfull a death, as that many men languished many dayes upon it, before they dyed: And by his bloud of this torture, and this shame, this painfull, and this ignominious death, was this peace made. In our great work of crucify­ing our selves to the world too, it is not enough to bleed the drops of a Circumcision, that is, to cut off some excessive, and notorious practice of sin; nor to bleed the drops of an Agony, to enter into a conflict and colluctation of the flesh and the spirit, whether we were not better trust in Gods mercy, for our continuance in that sin, then lose all that plea­sure and profit, which that sin brings us; nor enough to bleed the drops of scourging, to be lashed with viperous, and venemous tongues by contumelies, and slanders; nor to bleed the drops of Thornes, to have Thornes and scruples enter into our consciences, with spirituall afflictions; but we must be content to bleed the streames of naylings to those Crosses, to continue in them all our lives, if God see that necessary for our con­firmation; and, if men will pierce and wound us after our deaths in our good name, yea, if they will slander our Resurrection, (as they did Christs) if they will say, that it is im­possible God should have mercy upon such a man, impossible that a man of so bad life, and so sad and comfortlesse a death, should have a joyfull Resurrection, here is our com­fort, as that piercing of Christs side was after the Consummatum est, after his passion en­ded, and therefore put him to no paine, as that slander of his Resurrection, was after that glorious triumph; He was risen and had shewed himselfe before, and therefore it di­minished not his power: so all these posthume wounds, and slanders after my death, after my God and my Soule shall have passed that Dialogue, Veni Domine Iesu, and euge bone serve, That I shall have said upon my death-bed, Come Lord Jesu, come quick­ly, and he shall have said, Well done good and faithfull servant, enter into thy Masters joy, when I shall have said to him, In manus tuas Domine, Into thy hands O Lord I com­mend my spirit, And he to me, Hodie mecum eris in paradiso, This day, this minute thou shalt be, now thou art with me in Paradise, when this shall be my state, God shall heare their slanders and maledictions, and write them all downe, but not in my booke, but in theirs, and there they shall meet them at Judgement, amongst their owne sinnes, to their everlasting confusion, and finde me in possession of that peace, made by bloud, made by his bloud, made by the bloud of his Crosse, which were all the peeces laid out for this second part, with which we have done; and passe from the qualification of the person, (It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell) which was our first part, and the Pacification, and the way thereof, (by the bloud of his Crosse to make peace) which was our second, to the Reconciliation it selfe, and the Application thereof to all to whom that Reconciliation appertaines, That all things, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven, might be reconciled unto him.

All this was done; 3. Part. He, in whom it pleased the Father, that this fulnesse should dwell, had made this peace by the bloud of his Crosse, and yet, after all this, the Apostle comes upon that Ambassage, 2 Cor. 5.20. We pray ye, in Christs stead, that ye be reconciled to God; So that this Reconciliation in the Text, is a subsequent thing to this peace. The generall peace is made by Christs death, as a generall pardon is given at the Kings comming; The Application of this peace is in the Church, as the suing out of the pardon, is in the Office. Ioab made Absaloms peace with his Father; Bring the young man againe, sayes David to Ioab; 2 Sam. 14.22.2.28.24.16. but yet he was not reconciled to him, so as that he saw his face in two yeare. God hath sounded a Retreat to the Battle, As I live, saith the Lord, I would not the death of a sinner; He hath said to the destroyer, It is enough, stay now thy hand; He is pacified in Christ; and he hath bound the enemy in chaines. Now let us labour for our Reconci­liation; for all things are reconciled to him, in Christ, that is, offered a way of reconcili­ation. All things in heaven and earth, sayes the Apostle. And that is so large, as that Origen needed not to have extended it to Hell too, Origen. and conceive out of this place, a pos­sibility, that the Devils themselves shall come to a Reconciliation with God. But to all in Heaven and Earth it appertaines. Consider we how.

First then, there is a reconciliation of them in heaven to God, In coelis. and then of them on earth to God, and then of them in heaven, and them in earth, to one another, by the blood of his Crosse. If we consider them in heaven, to be those who are gone up to hea­ven from this world by death, they had the same reconciliation as we; Animae. either by reach­ing the hand of faith forward, to lay hold upon Christ before he came, (which was the case of all under the Law;) or by reaching back that hand, to lay hold upon all that hee had done and suffered, when he was come, (which is the case of those that are dead be­fore us in the profession of the Gospell.) All that are in heaven, and were upon earth, are reconciled one way, by application of Christ in the Church; so that, though they be now in heaven, yet they had their reconciliation here upon earth. But if we consider those who are in heaven, and have been so from the first minute of their creation, An­gels, why have they, or how have they any reconciliation? How needed they any, and then, how is this of Christ applyed unto them? They needed a confirmation; for the Angels were created in blessednesse, but not in perfect blessednesse; They might fall, they did fall. To those that fell, can appertaine no reconciliation; no more then to those that die in their sins; for Quod homini mors, Angelis casus; August. The fall of the Angels wrought upon them, as the death of a man does upon him; They are both equally inca­pable of change to better. But to those Angels that stood, their standing being of grace, and their confirmation being not one transient act in God done at once, but a continuall succession, and emanation of daily grace, belongs this reconciliation by Christ, because all matter of grace, and where any deficiency is to be supplyed, whether by way of re­paration, as in man, or by way of confirmation, as in Angels, proceeds from the Crosse, from the Merits of Christ. They are so reconciled then, as that they are extra lapsus pe­riculum, out of the danger of falling; but yet this stability, this infallibility is not yet in­delibly imprinted in their natures; yet the Angels might fall, if this reconciler did not sustain them; for, if those words reperit in Angelis iniquitatem, that God found folly, Job 4.18.(weaknesse, infirmity) in his Angels, be to be understood of the good Angels, that stand confirmed, (as procul dubio de diabolo intelligi non potest, Calvin. without all doubt they cannot be understood of the ill Angels) the best service of the best Angels, devested of that succes­sive grace, that supports them, if God should exacta rigorous account of it, could not be acceptable in the sight of God; So the Angels have a pacification, and a reconciliation, lest they should fall.

Thus things in heaven are reconciled to God by Christ; and things on earth too. In terra. First the creature, as S. Paul speakes; that is, other creatures then men. For, at the ge­nerall resurrection, (which is rooted in the resurrection of Christ, and so hath relation to him) the creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, Rom. 8.21. into the glorious liberty of the children of God; for which, the whole creation groanes, and travailes in paine yet. This deliverance then from this bondage, the whole creature hath by Christ, and that is their reconciliation. And then are we reconciled by the blood of his Crosse, when having crucified our selves by a true repentance, we receive the seale of reconcilia­tion, in his blood in the Sacrament. But the most proper, and most litterall sense of these words, is, that all things in heaven and earth, be reconciled to God, (that is, to his glo­ry, to a fitter disposition to glorifie him) by being reconciled to another, in Christ; that in him, as head of the Church, they in heaven, and we upon earth, be united together as one body in the Communion of Saints. For, this text hath a conformity, and a harmony with that to the Ephesians, and in sense, as well as in words, is the same, Ephes. 1.10. That God might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him; where the word which we translate (to gather) doth properly signifie reca­pitulare, to bring all things to their first head, to Gods first purpose; which was, that Angels, and men, united in Christ Jesus, might glorifie him eternally in the Kingdome of heaven. Then are things in heaven restored and reconciled, (sayes S. Augustine) Cum quod ex Angelis lapsum est, ex hominibus redditur, when good men have repaired the ru­ine of the bad Angels, and filled their places. And then are things on earth restored, and reconciled, Cum praedestinati à corruptionis vetustate renovantur, when Gods elect children are delivered from the corruptions of this world, to which, even they are subject here. Gregor. Cum hu­miliati homines redeunt, unde Apostatae superbiendo ceciderunt, when men by humility are exalted, to those places from which Angels fell by pride, then are all things in heaven and earth reconciled in Christ.

The blood of the sacrifices was brought by the high priest, Tostat. in Le­vit. 16. in sanctum sanctorum, into the place of greatest holinesse; but it was brought but once, in festo expiationis, in the feast of expiation; but, in the other parts of the Temple, it was sprinkled every day. The blood of the Crosse of Christ Jesus hath had his effect in sancto sanctorum, even in the highest heavens, in supplying their places that fell, in confirming them that stood, and in uniting us and them, in himselfe, as Head of all. In the other parts of the Temple it is to be sprinkled daily. Here, in the militant Church upon earth, there is still a recon­ciliation to be made; not only toward one another, in the band of charity, but in our selves. In our selves we may finde things in heaven, and things on earth to reconcile. There is a heavenly zeale, but if it be not reconciled to discretion, there is a heavenly pu­rity, but if it be not reconciled to the bearing of one anothers infirmities, there is a hea­venly liberty, but if it be not reconciled to a care, for the prevention of scandall, All things in our heaven, and our earth are not reconciled in Christ. In a word, till the flesh and the spirit be reconciled, this reconciliation is not accomplished. For, neither spirit, nor flesh must be destroyed in us; a spirituall man is not all spirit, he is a man still. But then is flesh and spirit reconciled in Christ, when in all the faculties of the soule, and all the organs of the body we glorifie him in this world; for then, in the next world wee shall be glorified by him, and with him, in soule, and in body too, where we shall bee thoroughly reconciled to one another, no suits, no controversies; and thoroughly to the Angels; Mat. 22.30. Luc. 20.36. when we shall not only be sieut Angeli, as the Angels in some one property, but aequales Angelis, equall to the Angels in all, for, Non erunt duae societates Angelorum & hominum, Men and Angels shall not make two companies, sed omnium beatitudo erit, uni adhaerere Deo, August. this shall be the blessednesse of them both, to be united in one head, Christ Jesus.

And these reconcilings are reconcilings enow; for these are all that are in heaven and earth. If you will reconcile things in heaven, and earth, with things in hell, that is a reconciling out of this Text. If you will mingle the service of God, and the service of this world, there is no reconciling of God and Mammon in this Text. If you will min­gle a true religion, and a false religion, there is no reconciling of God and Belial in this Text. For the adhering of persons born within the Church of Rome, to the Church of Rome, our law sayes nothing to them if they come; But for reconciling to the Church of Rome, by persons born within the Allegeance of the King, or for perswading of men to be so reconciled, our law hath called by an infamous and Capitall name of Treason, and yet every Tavern, and Ordinary is full of such Traitors. Every place from jest to earnest is filled with them; from the very stage to the death-bed; At a Comedy they will perswade you, as you sit, as you laugh, And in your sicknesse they will perswade you, as you lye, as you dye. And not only in the bed of sicknesse, but in the bed of wan­tonnesse they perswade too; and there may be examples of women, that have thought it a fit way to gain a soul, by prostituting themselves, and by entertaining unlawfull love, with a purpose to convert a servant, which is somewhat a strange Topique, to draw ar­guments of religion from. Let me see a Dominican and a Jesuit reconciled, in doctrinall papistry, for freewill and predestination, Let me see a French papist and an Italian papist reconciled in State-papistry, for the Popes jurisdiction, Let me see the Jesuits, and the secular priests reconciled in England, and when they are reconciled to one another, let them presse reconciliation to their Church. To end all, Those men have their bodies from the earth, and they have their soules from heaven; and so all things in earth and heaven are reconciled: but they have their Doctrine from the Devill; and for things in hell, there is no peace made, and with things in hell, there is no reconciliation to be had by the blood of his Crosse, except we will tread that blood under our feet, and make a mock of Christ Jesus, and crucifie the Lord of Life againe.

SERMON II. Preached at Pauls, upon Christmas Day, in the Evening. 1624.

SAint Bernard spent his consideration upon three remarkable conjunctions, this Day. First, a Conjunction of God, and Man in one person, Christ Jesus; Then a conjunction of the incompatible Titles, Maid and Mother, in one blessed woman, the blessed Virgin Mary: And thirdly a conjunction of Faith, and the Reason of man, that so beleeves, and comprehends those two conjunctions. Let us accompany these three with another strange conjunction, in the first word of this Text, Propterea, Therefore; for that joynes the anger of God, and his mercy together. God chides and rebukes the King Achaz by the Prophet, he is angry with him, and Therefore, sayes the Text, because he is angry he will give him a signe, a seale of mercy, Therefore the Lord shall give you a signe, Behold, a Virgin, &c. This There­fore, shall therefore be a first part of this Exercise, That God takes any occasion to shew mercy; And a second shall be, The particular way of his mercy, declared here, Divisie. The Lord shall give you a signe; And then a third and last, what this signe was, Behold, a Vir­gin, &c.

In these three parts, we shall walk by these steps; Having made our entrance into the first, with that generall consideration, that Gods mercy is alwaies in season, upon that station, upon that height we shall look into the particular occasions of Gods mercy here, what this King Achaz had done to alien God, and to avert his mercy, and in those two branches we shall determine that part. In the second, we shall also first make this generall entrance, That God persists in his own waies, goes forward with his own pur­poses, And then what his way, and his purpose here was, he would give them a signe: and farther we shall not extend that second part. In the third we have more steps to make; First, what this sign is in generall, it is, that there is a Redeemer given. And then how, thus; First, Virgo concipiet, a Virgin shall conceive, she shall be a Virgin then; And Virgo pariet, a Virgin shall bring forth, she shall be a Virgin then; And Pariet filium, she shall beare a Son, and therefore he is of her substance, not only man, but man of her; And this Virgin shall call this Son Immanuel, God with us, that is, God and Man in one person. Though the Angel at the Conception tell Ioseph, That he shall call his name Je­sus, Mat. 1.21. and tell Mary her selfe, that she shall call his name Jesus, Luc. 1.31. yet the blessed Virgin her selfe shall have a further reach, a clearer illustration, She shall call his name Immanuel, God with us: Others were called Iesus, Iosuah was so, divers others were so; but, in the Scriptures there was never any but Christ called Immanuel. Though Iesus signifie a Sa­viour, Ioseph was able to call this childe Iesus, upon a more peculiar reason, and way of salvation then others who had that name, because they had saved the people from pre­sent calamities, and imminent dangers; for, the Angel told Ioseph, that he should there­fore be called Iesus, because he should save the people from their sins; and so, no Iosuah, no other Iesus was a Iesus. But the blessed Virgin saw more then this; not only that he should be such a Iesus as should save them from their sins, but she saw the manner how, that he should be Immanuel, God with us, God and man in one person; That so, being Man, he might suffer, and being God, that should give an infinite value to his sufferings, according to the contract passed between the Father and him; and so he should be Iesus, a Saviour, a Saviour from sin, and this by this way and meanes. And then that all this should be established, and declared by an infallible signe, with this Ecce, Behold; That [Page 12]whosoever can call upon God by that name Immanuel, that is, confesse Christ to bee come in the flesh, that Man shall have an Ecce, a light, a sign, a token, an assurance that this Immanuel, this Jesus, this Saviour belongs unto him, and he shall be able to say, Ecce, Behold, mine eyes have seen thy salvation.

We begin with that which is elder then our beginning, 1 Part. Psal. 101.1. and shall over-live our end, The mercy of God. I will sing of thy mercy and judgement, sayes David; when we fixe our selves upon the meditation and modulation of the mercy of God, even his judge­ments cannot put us out of tune, but we shall sing, and be chearefull, even in them. As God made grasse for beasts, before he made beasts, and beasts for man, before he made man: As in that first generation, the Creation, so in the regeneration, our re-creating, he begins with that which was necessary for that which followes, Mercy before Judge­ment. Nay, to say that mercy was first, is but to post-date mercy; to preferre mercy but so, is to diminish mercy; The names of first or last derogate from it, for first and last are but ragges of time, and his mercy hath no relation to time, no limitation in time, it is not first, nor last, but eternall, everlasting; Let the Devill make me so far desperate as to conceive a time whē there was no mercy, and he hath made me so far an Atheist, as to conceive a time when there was no God; if I despoile him of his mercy, any one mi­nute, and say, now God hath no mercy, for that minute I discontinue his very Godhead, and his beeing. Later Grammarians have wrung the name of mercy out of misery; Mi­sericordia praesumit miseriam, say these, there could be no subsequent mercy, if there were no precedent misery; But the true roote of the word mercy, through all the Prophets, is Racham, and Racham is diligere, to love; as long as there hath been love (and God is love) there hath been mercy: And mercy considered externally, and in the practise and in the effect, began not at the helping of man, when man was fallen and become misera­ble, but at the making of man, when man was nothing. So then, here we consider not mercy as it is radically in God, and an essentiall attribute of his, but productively in us, as it is an action, a working upon us, and that more especially, as God takes all occasi­ons to exercise that action, and to shed that mercy upon us: for particular mercies are feathers of his wings, and that prayer, Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee, is our birdlime; particular mercies are that cloud of Quailes which hovered over the host of Israel, and that prayer, Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us, is our net to catch, our Gomer to fill of those Quailes. The aire is not so full of Moats, of Atomes, as the Church is of Mercies; and as we can suck in no part of aire, but we take in those Moats, those Atomes; so here in the Congregation we cannot suck in a word from the preach­er, we cannot speak, we cannot sigh a prayer to God, but that that whole breath and aire is made of mercy. But we call not upon you from this Text, to consider Gods ordi­nary mercy, that which he exhibites to all in the ministery of his Church; nor his mi­raculous mercy, his extraordinary deliverances of States and Churches; but we call up­on particular Consciences, by occasion of this Text, to call to minde Gods occasionall mercies to them; such mercies as a regenerate man will call mercies, though a naturall man would call them accidents, or occurrences, or contingencies; A man wakes at mid-night full of unclean thoughts, and he heares a passing Bell; this is an occasionall mer­cy, if he call that his own knell, and consider how unfit he was to be called out of the world then, how unready to receive that voice, Foole, this night they shall fetch away thy soule. The adulterer, whose eye waites for the twy-light, goes forth, and casts his eyes upon forbidden houses, and would enter, and sees a Lord have mercy upon us upon the doore; this is an occasionall mercy, if this bring him to know that they who lie sick of the plague within, passe through a furnace, but by Gods grace, to heaven; and hee without, carries his own furnace to hell, his lustfull loines to everlasting perdition. What an occasionall mercy had Balaam, when his Asse Catechized him? What an occasionall mercy had one Theefe, when the other catechized him so, Art not thou afraid being un­der the same condemnation? What an occasionall mercy had all they that saw that, when the Devil himself fought for the name of Jesus, and wounded the sons of Sceva for exor­cising in the name of Jesus, Act. 19.14. with that indignation, with that increpation, Iesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are ye? If I should declare what God hath done (done occasional­ly) for my soule, where he instructed me for feare of falling, where he raised me when I was fallen, perchance you would rather fixe your thoughts upon my illnesse, and won­der at that, then at Gods goodnesse, and glorifie him in that; rather wonder at my sins, [Page 13]then at his mercies, rather consider how ill a man I was, then how good a God he is. If I should inquire upon what occasion God elected me, and writ my name in the book of Life, I should sooner be afraid that it were not so, then finde a reason why it should be so. God made Sun and Moon to distinguish seasons, and day, and night, and we cannot have the fruits of the earth but in their seasons: But God hath made no decree to distin­guish the seasons of his mercies; In paradise, the fruits were ripe, the first minute, and in heaven it is alwaies Autumne, his mercies are ever in their maturity. We ask panem quetidianum, our daily bread, and God never sayes you should have come yesterday, he never sayes you must againe to morrow, but to day if you will heare his voice, to day he will heare you. If some King of the earth have so large an extent of Dominion, in North, and South, as that he hath Winter and Summer together in his Dominions, so large an extent East and West, as that he hath day and night together in his Dominions, much more hath God mercy and judgement together: He brought light out of dark­nesse, not out of a lesser light; he can bring thy Summer out of Winter, though thou have no Spring; though in the wayes of fortune, or understanding, or conscience, thou have been benighted till now, wintred and frozen, clouded and eclypsed, damped and benummed, smothered and stupified till now, now God comes to thee, not as in the dawning of the day, not as in the bud of the spring, but as the Sun at noon to illustrate all shadowes, as the sheaves in harvest, to fill all penuries, all occasions invite his mercies, and all times are his seasons.

If it were not thus in generall, it would never have been so in this particular, in our case, Achaz case. in the Text, in King Achaz; If God did not seeke occasion to doe good to all, he would never have found occasion to doe good to King Achaz. Subjects are to look upon the faults of Princes, with the spectacles of obedience, and reverence, to their place, and persons; little and dark spectacles, and so their faults, and errors are to appeare little, and excusable to them; Gods perspective glasse, his spectacle is the whole world; he looks not upon the Sun, in his spheare onely, but as he works upon the whole earth: And he looks upon Kings, not onely what harme they doe at home, but what harme they occa­sion abroad; & through that spectacle, the faults of Princes, in Gods eye, are multiplyed, farre above those of private men. Achaz had such faults, and yet God sought occasion of Mercy. Iotham, his Father, is called a good King, and yet all Idolatry was not remo­ved in his time, and he was a good King, for all that. Achaz is called ill, both because himselfe sacrificed Idolatrously, (And the King was a commanding person) And be­cause he made the Priest Vriah to doe so, (And the Priest was an exemplar person) And because he made his Son commit the abominations of the heathen; (And the acti­ons of the Kings Son pierce far in leading others.) Achaz had these faults, and yet God fought occasion of mercy. If the evening skie be red, Mat. 16.2. you promise your selves a faire day, sayes Christ; you would not doe so if the evening were black and cloudy: when you see the fields white with corne, you say harvest is ready; Joh. 4.35. Esay 1.19. you would not doe so if they were white with frost. If ye consent, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the Land, sayes God in the Prophet; shall ye doe so if you refuse, and rebell? Achaz did, and yet God sought occasion of mercy. There arise diseases for which there is no probatum est, in all the bookes of Physitians; There is scarce any sin of which we have not had expe­riments of Gods mercies; He concludes with no sin, excludes no occasion, precludes no person: And so we have done with our first part, Gods generall disposition, for the Rule, declared in Achaz case for the example.

Our second part consists of a Rule, and an Example too: 2 Part. The Rule, That God goes forward in his own wayes, proceeds, as he begun, in mercy; The Example, what his proceeding, what his subsequent mercy to Achaz was. One of the most convenient Hie­roglyphicks of God, is a Circle; and a Circle is endlesse; whom God loves, hee loves to the end: and not onely to their own end, to their death, but to his end, and his end is, that he might love them still. His hailestones, and his thunder-bolts, and his showres of bloud (emblemes and instruments of his Judgements) fall downe in a direct line, and affect and strike some one person, or place: His Sun, and Moone, and Starres, (Emblemes and Instruments of his Blessings) move circularly, and communicate them­selves to all. His Church is his chariot; in that, he moves more gloriously, then in the Sun; as much more, as his begotten Son exceeds his created Sun, and his Son of glory, and of his right hand, the Sun of the firmament; and this Church, his chariot, moves in [Page 14]that communicable motion, circularly; It began in the East, it came to us, and is passing now, shining out now, in the farthest West. As the Sun does not set to any Nation, but withdraw it selfe, and returne againe; God, in the exercise of his mercy, does not set to thy soule, though he benight it with an affliction. Remember that our Saviour Christ himselfe, in many actions and passions of our humane nature, and infirmities, smothered that Divinity, and suffered it not to worke, but yet it was alwayes in him, and wrought most powerfully in the deepest danger; when he was absolutely dead, it raised him again: If Christ slumbred the God-head in himselfe, The mercy of God may be slumbred, it may be hidden from his servants, but it cannot be taken away, and in the greatest neces­sities, it shall break out. The Blessed Virgin was overshadowed, but it was with the Holy Ghost that overshadowed her: Thine understanding, thy conscience may be so too, and yet it may be the work of the Holy Ghost, who moves in thy darknesse, and will bring light even out of that, knowledge out of thine ignorance, clearnesse out of thy scruples, and consolation out of thy Dejection of Spirit. God is thy portion, sayes David; David does not speak so narrowly, so penuriously, as to say, God hath given thee thy portion, and thou must look for no more; but, God is thy portion, and as long as he is God, he hath more to give, and as long as thou art his, thou hast more to receive. Thou canst not have so good a Title, to a subsequent blessing, as a former blessing; where thou art an ancient tenant, thou wilt look to be preferred before a stranger; and that is thy title to Gods future mercies, if thou have been formerly accustomed to them. The Sun is not weary with sixe thousand yeares shining; God cannot be weary of doing good; And therefore never say, God hath given me these and these temporall things, and I have scat­tered them wastfully, surely he will give me no more; These and these spirituall graces, and I have neglected them, abused them, surely he will give me no more; For, for things created, we have instruments to measure them; we know the compasse of a Meridian, and the depth of a Diameter of the Earth, and we know this, even of the uppermost spheare in the heavens: But when we come to the Throne of God himselfe, the Orbe of the Saints, and Angels that see his face, and the vertues, and powers that flow from thence, we have no balance to weigh them, no instruments to measure them, no hearts to conceive them: So, for temporall things, we know the most that man can have; for we know all the world; but for Gods mercy, and his spirituall graces, as that language in which God spake, the Hebrew, hath no superlative, so, that which he promises, in all that he hath spoken, his mercy hath no superlative; he shewes no mercy, which you can call his Greatest Mercy, his Mercy is never at the highest; whatsoever he hath done for thy soule, or for any other, in applying himselfe to it, he can exceed that. Onely he can raise a Tower, whose top shall reach to heaven: The Basis of the highest building is but the Earth; But though thou be but a Tabernacle of Earth, God shall raise thee peece by peece, into a spirituall building; And after one Story of Creation, and another of Voca­tion, and another of Sanctification, he shall bring thee up, to meet thy selfe, in the bosome of thy God, where thou wast at first, in an eternall election: God is a circle himselfe, and he will make thee one; Goe not thou about to square eyther circle, to bring that which is equall in it selfe, to Angles, and Corners, into dark and sad suspicions of God, or of thy selfe, that God can give, or that thou canst receive no more Mercy, then thou hast had already.

This then is the course of Gods mercy, Signum. He proceeds as he begun, which was the first branch of this second part; It is alwayes in motion, and alwayes moving towards All, alwaies perpendicular, right over every one of us, and alwayes circular, alwayes commu­nicable to all; And then the particular beame of this Mercy, shed upon Achaz here in our Text, is, Dabit signum, The Lord shall give you a signe. It is a great Degree of Mercy, that he affords us signes. A naturall man is not made of Reason alone, but of Reason, and Sense: A Regenerate man is not made of Faith alone, but of Faith and Reason; and Signes, externall things, assist us all.

In the Creation, it was part of the office of the Sunne and Moone, to be significative; he created them for signes, as well as for seasons: hee directed the Jews to Christ, by signes, by sacrifices, and Sacraments, and ceremonies; and he entertaines us with Christ, by the same meanes to; we know where to finde Christ; In his House, in his Church; And we know at what signe he dwels; where the Word is rightly Preached, and the Sa­craments duly administred. Calvin. It is truly, and wisely said, Sic habenda fides verbo Dei, ut [Page 15]subsidia minimè contemnamus; We must so farre satisfie our selves, with the word of God, as that we despise not those other subsidiary helps, which God in his Church hath af­forded us: which is true (as of Sacraments especially) so of other Sacramentall, and Ri­tuall, and Ceremoniall things, which assist the working of the Sacraments, though they infuse no power into the Sacraments. For, therefore does the Prophet say, V. 13. when Achaz refused a signe, Is it a small thing to weary (or disobey) men, but that you will weary (diso­bey) God himselfe? He disobeyes God, in the way of contumacy, who refuses his signes, his outward assistances, his ceremonies which are induced by his authority, derived from him, upon men, in his Church, and so made a part, or a help, of his ordinary service, as Sacraments, and Sacramentall things are.

There are signes of another sort, not fixed by Gods Ordinance, but signes which par­ticular men, have sometimes desired at Gods hand, for a farther manifestation of Gods will, in which, it is not, otherwise, already fully manifested, and revealed. For, to seeke such signes, in things which are sufficiently declared by God, or to seeke them, with a re­solution, That I will leave a duty undone, except I receive a signe, this is to tempt God, and to seeke a way to excuse my selfe, for not doing that, which I was bound to doe, by the strength of an old commandement, and ought not to look for a new signe. But the greatest fault in this kinde, is, that if God, of his abundant goodnesse, doe give me a signe, for my clearer directions, and I resist that signe, I dispute against that signe, I turne it ano­ther way, upon nature, upon fortune, upon mistaking, that so I may goe mine owne way, and not be bound, by beleeving that signe to be from God, to goe that way, to which God by that signe calls me. And this was Achaz case; God spoke unto him, and said, V. 11. Aske a signe (that he would deliver him, from the enemy, that besieged Jerusalem) and he said, I will not aske a signe, nor tempt God; For, though St. Augustine, and some with him, ascribe this refusall of Achaz, to a religious modesty, yet St. Hierome, and with him, the greatest party, justly impute this, for a fault to Achaz: both because the signe was offe­red him from God, and not sought by himselfe, (which is the case that is most subject to errour) And because the Prophet, who understood Gods minde, and the Kings minde to, takes knowledge of it, as of a great fault, In this, thou hast contemned, and wearyed, not Man but God. For, though there be but a few cases, in which we may put God to give a signe, (for Christ calls the Pharisees an evill, and an adulterous generation, therefore, Mat. 12.39. Exod. 4. be­cause they sought a signe) yet God gave Moses a signe, of a Rod changed into a Serpent, and a signe of good flesh changed into leprous, and leprous into good, unasked: And af­ter, Abraham askes a signe, whereby shall I know, that I shall inherit the land? Gen. 15.8. Jud. 6.36. and God gave him a signe. So Gideon, in a modest timorousnesse askes a signe, and presses God to a second signe: First, he would have all the dew upon the fleece, and then, none of the dew upon the fleece. God does give signes, and when he does so, he gives also ir­radiations, illustrations of the understanding, that they may be discerned to be his signes; and when they are so, it is but a pretended modesty, to say, we will not tempt God to ask a sign, we will not trouble God to tell us whether this be a sign or no, but against all significations from God, goe on, as though all were but naturall accidents.

God gives signes rectè petentibus, to them that aske them upon due grounds, (so to Abraham, so to Gideon) And it is too long for this time, to put cases, when a man may or may not put God to a signe; He gives signes also Non petentibus, without being asked, to illustrate the case, and to confirme the person, and so he did to Moses. Both these are high expressions of his mercy; for what binds God, to begin with man, and give him a signe before he aske; or to waite upon man, and give it him, when he askes? But the high­est of all, is, to persever in his mercy so far, as to give a signe, though upon the offer thereof, it be refused; And that is Achaz case: Aske ye, says God, And, I will not, says Achaz, and then, It is not Quamvis, for all that, though thou refuse, but it is Propterea, Therefore, because thou refusest, The Lord himselfe shall give thee a signe. His fault is car­ried thus high: Because he had treasure to pay an army, because he had contracted with the Assyrians to assist him with men, therefore he refuses the assistance offerd by the Pro­phet from God, and would faine goe his owne wayes, and yet would have a religious pretext, He will not tempt God. Nay his fault is carried thus much higher, That which we read, Non tentabo, I will not tempt, is in the Originall, Nasas; and Nasas is non Extollam, non glorificabo, I will not glorifie God so much, that is, I will not be beholden to God for this victory, I will not take him into the league for this action, I will do it of my selfe: [Page 16]And yet, (and then, who shall doubt of the largenesse of Gods mercy?) God proceeds in his purpose: Aske a signe, will ye not? Therefore the Lord shall give you a signe: Because you will doe nothing for your selfe, the Lord shall doe all; which is so transcendent a mercy, as that, howsoever God afforded it to Achaz here, we can promise it to no man hereafter.

We are come to our third part, 3. Part. which is more peculiar to this Day: It is, first, what the signe is in generall, And then, some more particular circumstances, Behold a Virgin shall conceive, &c. In generall then, the signe that God gives Achaz and his company, is, That there shall bee a Messias, a Redeemer given. Now, how is this future thing, (There shall be a Messias) a signe of their present deliverance from that siege? First, In the notion of the Prophet, it was not a future thing; for, as in Gods owne sight, so in their sight, Esay 3.6. to whom he opens himselfe, future things are present. So this Prophet says, Puer datus, filius natus, unto us a child is borne, unto us a Son is given: He was not given, he was not borne in six hundred yeares after that; but such is the clearenesse of a Prophets sight, such is the infallibility of Gods declared purpose. So then, if the Prophet could have made the King beleeve, with such an assurednesse, as if he had seene it done, that God would give a deliverance, to all mankinde, by a Messias, that had beene signe enough, evidence enough to have argued thereupon, That God who had done so much a greater worke, would also give him a deliverance from that enemy, that pressed him then: If I can fixe my selfe, with the strength of faith, upon that which God hath done for man; I cannot doubt of his mercy, in any distresse: If I lacke a signe, I seeke no other but this, That God was made man for me; which the Church and Church-writers, have well expressed by the word Incarnation, for that acknowledges, and denotes, that God was made my flesh: It were not so strange, that he who is spirit, should be made my spirit, my soule, but he was made my flesh: Therefore have the Fathers delighted themselves, in the variation of that word; so far, as that Hilarie cals it Corporationem, That God assumed my Body; And Damascen cals it Inhumanationem, That God became this man, soule and body; And Irenaeus cals it Adunationem, and Nysen Contemperationem, A mingling, says one, an uniting, saies the other, of two, of God and man, in one person. Shall I aske, what needs all this? what needed God to have put himselfe to this? I may say with S. Augustine, Alio modo poterat Deus nos liberare, sed si aliter faceret, similiter vestrae stul­titiae displiceret: What other way soever God had taken for our salvation, our curiosity would no more have beene satisfied in that way, than in this: But God having chosen the way of Redemption, which was the way of Justice, God could do no otherwise: Si homo non vicisset inimicum hominis, non justè victus esset inimicus, saies Irenaeus; As, if a man should get a battaile by the power of the Devill, without fighting, this were not a just victory; so, if God, in mans behalfe, had conquered the devill, without man, without dying, it had not beene a just conquest. I must not aske why God tooke this way, to In­carnate his Son; And shall I aske how this was done? I doe not aske how Rheubarb, or how Aloes came by this, or this vertue, to purge this, or this humour in my body: In talibus rebus, tota ratio facti, est potentia facientis: Even in naturall things, all the reason of all that is done, August. is the power, and the will of him, who infused that vertue into that crea­ture. And therefore much more, when we come to these supernaturall points, such as this birth of Christ, we embrace S. Basils modesty, and abstinence, Nativitas ista silentio honoretur, This mysterie is not so well celebrated, with our words, and discourse, as with a holy silence, and meditation: Immo potius ne cogitationibus permittatur, Nay, (saies that Father) there may be danger in giving our selves leave, to thinke or study too much of it. Ne dixer is quando, saies he, praeteri hanc interrogationem: Aske not thy selfe overcuriously, when this mystery was accomplished; be not over-vehement, over-peremptory, (so far, as to the perplexing of thine owne reason and understanding, or so far, as to the despising of the reasons of other men) in calculating the time, the day or houre of this nativity: Praeteri hanc interrogationem, passe over this question, in good time, and with convenient satisfaction, Quando, when Christ was borne; But noli inquirere Quomodo, (saies S. Basil still) never come to that question, how it was done, cum ad hoc nihil sit quod responderi pos­sit, for God hath given us no faculties to comprehend it, no way to answer it. That's enough, which we have in S. Iohn, Every spirit, that confesses, that Iesus is come in the flesh, is of God: 1 Ioh. 4.2. for, since it was a comming of Iesus, Iesus was before; so he was God; and since he came in the flesh, hee is now made man; And, that God and Man, are so met, is a [Page 17]signe to mee, that God, and I, shall never bee parted.

This is the signe in generall; That God hath had such a care of all men, Virgo. is a signe to me, That he hath a care of me: But then there are signes of this signe; Divers; All these; A Virgin shall conceive, A Virgin shall bring forth, Bring forth a Son, And (whatsoever have been prophesied before) she shall call his name Immanuel.

First, a Virgin shall be a mother, which is a very particular signe, and was seene but once. That which Gellius, and Plinie say, that a Virgin had a child, almost 200. yeares before Christ, that which Genebrard saies, that the like fell out in France, in his time, are not within our faith, and they are without our reason; our faith stoopes not downe to them, and our Reason reaches not up to them; of this Virgin in our text, If that be true, which Aquinas cites out of the Roman story, that in the times of Constantine and Irene, upon a dead body found in a sepulchre, there was found this inscription, in a plate of gold, Christus nascetur ex Virgine, & ego credo in eum, Christ shall be borne of a Virgin, and I beleeve in that Christ, with this addition, in that inscription, O Sol, sub Irenae, & Con­stantini temporibus, iterum me videbis, Though I be now buried from the sight of the sun, yet in Constantines time, the sun shall see me againe; If this be true, yet our ground is not upon such testimonie; If God had not said it, I would never have beleeved it. And there­fore I must have leave to doubt of that which some of the Roman Casuists have delive­red, That a Virgin may continue a virgin upon earth, and receive the particular dignity of a Virgin in Heaven, and yet have a child, by the insinuation and practise of the Devill; so that there shall be a father, and a mother, and yet both they Virgins. That this Mo­ther, in our text, was a Virgin, is a peculiar, a singular signe, given, as such, by God; never done but then; and it is a singular testimony, how acceptable to God, that state of virgi­nity is; Hee does not dishonour physick, that magnifies health; nor does hee dishonour marriage, that praises Virginity; let them embrace that state, that can; and certainly, many more might doe it, then do, if they would try whether they could, or no; and if they would follow S. Cyprians way, Virgo non tantum esse, sed & intelligi esse debet, & credi: It is not enough for a virgin to bee a virgin in her owne knowledge, but she must governe her selfe so, as that others may see, that she is one, and see, that shee hath a desire, and a disposition, to continue so still; Ita, ut nemo, cum virginem viderit, dubitet an sit virgo, saies that Father, She must appeare in such garments, in such language, and in such moti­ons, (for, as a wife may weare other clothes, so she may speake other words, then a virgin may do) as they that see her, may not question, nor dispute, whether she be a maid or no. The word in the Text, is derived à latendo, from retiring, from privatenesse: And Tertul­lian, who makes the note, notes withall, that Ipsa concupiscentia non latendi, non est pudica, The very concupiscence of conversation, and visits, is not chaste: Studium placendi, pub­licatione sui, periclitatur, saies the same Author: Curious dressings are for publique eyes; and the Virgin that desires to publish her selfe, is weary of that state: It is usefully ad­ded by him, Dum percutitur oculis alienis, frons duratur, & pudor teritur, the eyes of others, that strike upon her, (if she be willing to stand out that battery) dry up that blood, that should blush, and weare out that chastity, which should be preserved. So precious is vir­ginity in Gods eye, as that hee lookes upon that, with a more jealous eye, than upon other states.

This blessed Mother of God, in our text, was a Virgin: when? Virgo concipiet, Contepit. saies our Text, A Virgin shall conceive, when she conceived, she was a Virgin. There are three Heresies; all noted by S. Augustine that impeach the virginity of this most blessed Wo­man: The Cerinthians said she conceived by ordinary generation; Iovinian said, she was delivered by ordinary meanes; And Helvidius said, she had children after: All against all the world besides themselves, and against one another. For the first, that is enough which S. Basil sayes, that if the word Virgin in our text signified no more but adolescen­tulam, a yong woman (as they pretend) it had been an impertinent, an absurd thing for the Prophet to have made that a sign, and a wonder, that a yong woman should have a childe. This is enough, but that is abundantly enough, that S. Matthew, who spoke with the same spirit that Esay did, sayes in a word, which can admit no mis-interpretati­on, That that was fulfilled which Esay had said, A Virgin shall conceive; Mat. 1.23. S. Matthews word without question, is a Virgin, and not a yong woman, and S. Matthew took Esaies word to be so too; and S. Matthew (at least he that spake in S. Matthew) did not, could not mistake, and mistake himself, for it was one and the same Holy Ghost that spake [Page 18]both. Ps. 21. Christ sayes therefore of himself, vermis sum, I am a worm, but sayes S. Ambrose, vermis de Manna, a worm out of a pure substance, a holy Man, from a blessed Virgin; Virgo concepit, she was a Virgin then, then when she had conceived.

She was so to, In partu. In partu, then when she was delivered; Iovinian denied that: A bet­ter then he (Tertullian) denied it: Virgo quantum à viro, non quantum à partu, says he, she was such a Virgin as knew no man, not such a Virgin as needed no midwife: Virgo concepit, sayes he, in partu nupsit, a Virgin in her conception, but a wife in the deliverance of her Son. Let that be wrapped up amongst Tertullians errors, he had many; The text cleares it, A virgin shall conceive, a virgin shall beare a Son: The Apostles Creed cleares it, sayes S. August: when it sayes, Born of the Virgin Mary; and S. Ambrose cleares it, when hee says, with such indignation, De via iniquitat is produntur dicere, virgo cōcepit, sed non virgo generavit, It is said, that there are some men so impious, as to deny that she remained a Virgin at the birth of her Son: S. Ambrose wondred there should be, scarce beleeved it to be any other then a rumour, or a slander, that there could be any so impious, as to deny that: Cramerus. And yet there have beene some so impious, as to charge Calvin, with that impiety, with denying her to be a Virgin then; It is true, he makes it not a matter of faith, to de­fend her perpetuall virginity; but that's not this case, of her Virginity in her Deliverance: And even of that, (of her perpetuall virginity) he saies thus, Nemo unquam quaestionem mo­vebit, nisi curiofus, nemo pertinaciter insistet, nisi contentiosus rixator; He is over-curious, that will make any doubt of it; but no man will persist in the denyall of it, but a contentious wrangler; And in that very point, S. Basil saies fully as much, as Calvin. But, at his birth, and after his birth, there is evidence enough in this text, A Virgin shall conceive, A Vir­gin shall bring forth, A Virgin shall call him Immanuel, In all those future, and subsequent Acts, still it is the same person, and in the same condition.

Pariet, Filium. & pariet filium, She shall bring forth a Son; If a Son, then of the substance of his Mother; that the Anabaptists deny; But had it not beene so, Christ had not beene true Man, and then, man were yet unredeemed. He is her Son, but not her ward; his Father cannot dye: Her Son, but yet he asked her no leave, to stay at Jerusalem, nor to dispute with the Doctors, nor to goe about his Fathers worke: His setling of Religion, his go­verning the Church, his dispensing of his graces, is not by warrant from her: They that call upon the Bishop of Rome, in that voyce, Impera Regibus, command Kings and Emperors, admit of that voyce, Imperafilio, to her, that she should command her Sonno. The naturall obedience of children to Parents, holds not in such civill things, as are pub­lique; A woman may be a Queen-Dowager, and yet a subject; The blessed Virgin Mary may be in a high ranke, Luk. 1.28. and yet no Soveraigne; Blessed art thou amongst women, saies the Angell to her; Amongst women, above women; but not above any person of the Tri­nity, that she should command her Son. Luther was awake, and risen, but he was not rea­die; Hee had seene light, and looked toward it, but yet saw not so clearely by it, then, when he said, That the blessed Virgin was of a middle condition, betweene Christ, and man; that man hath his conception, and his quickning (by the infusion of the soule) in originall sin; that Christ had it in neither, no sin in his conception, none in his inanima­tion, in the infusion of his soule; But, saies Luther, howsoever it were at the conception, certainly at the inanimation, at the quickning, she was preserved from originall sin. Now, what needs this? may I not say, that I had rather be redeemed by Christ Jesus then bee innocent? rather be beholden to Christs death, for my salvation, then to Adams standing in his innocencie. Epiphanius said enough, Par detrimentum afferunt religioni, they hurt Religion as much, that ascribe too little, to the blessed Virgin, as they who ascribe too much; much is due to her, and this amongst the rest, That she had so cleare notions, above all others, what kind of person, her Son was, that as Adam gave names, according to natures, so the Prophet here leaves it to her, to name her Son, according to his office, She shall call his name Immanuel.

Wee told you at first, Immanuel. that both Ioseph and Mary, were told by the Angel, that his name was to be Jesus, and we told you also, that others, besides him, had beene called by that name of Jesus: but, as, though others were called Jesus, (for Iosuah is called so, Heb. 4.8. If Iesus had given them rest; that is, If Iosuah had &c. And the son of Iosedech is called so, throughout the Prophet Aggai) yet there is observed a difference in the pointing, and founding of those names, from this our Jesus: so though other women were called Mary, as well as the blessed Virgin, yet the Euangelists, evermore make a difference, betweene [Page 19]her name, and the other Maries; for Her they call Mariam, and the rest Maria. Now this Jesus, in this person, is a reall, an actuall Saviour, he that hath already really, and actually accomplished our salvation; But the blessed Virgin had a clearer illustration, then all that; for she onely knew, or she knew best, the capacity, in which he could be a Saviour, that is, as he is Immanuel, God with us; for she, and she onely knew, that he was the Sonne of God, and not of naturall generation by man. How much is enwrapped in this name Immanuel, and how little time to unfold it? I am afraid none at all; A minute will serve to repeate that which S. Bernard saies, and a day, a life will not serve to comprehend it; (for to comprehend is not to know a thing, as far as I can know it, but to know it as far, as that thing can be knowne; and so onely God, can comprehend God.) Immanuel est verbuminfans, saies the Father; He is the ancient of daies, and yet in minority; he is the Word it selfe, and yet speechlesse; he that is All, that all the Prophets spoke of, cannot speake: He addes more, He is Puer sapiens, but a child, and yet wiser then the elders, wiser in the Cradle, then they in the Chaire: Hee is more, Deus lactens, God, at whose breasts all creatures suck, sucking at his Mothers breast, and such a Mother, as is a maid. Immanuel is God with us; it is not we with God: God seeks us, comes to us, before wee to him: And it is God with us, in that notion, in that termination, El, which is Deus for­tis, The powerfull God; not onely i [...] infirmity, as when hee died in our nature, but as he is Deus fortis, able and ready to assist, and deliver us, in all encumbrances; so he is with us; And with us, usque ad consummationem, till the end of the world, in his Word, and in the Sacraments: for, though I may not say, as some have said, That by the word of Conse­cration, Cornelius. in the administration of the Sacrament, Christ is so infallibly produced, as that, if Christ had never been incarnate before, yet, at the pronouncing of those words of con­secration, he must necessarily be incarnate then, yet I may say, that God is as effectually present, with every worthy receiver, as that hee is not more effectually present with the Saints in Heaven.

And this is that, which is intimated in that word, which we seposed at first, Ecce. for the last of all, Ecce, Behold; Behold, a Virgin shall conceive &c. God does not furnish a roome, and leave it darke; he sets up lights in it; his first care was, that his benefits should be seene; he made light first, and then creatures, to be seene by that light: He sheds himselfe from my mouth, upon the whole auditory here; he powres himselfe from my hand, to all the Communicants at the table; I can say to you all here, The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you, and remaine with you all; I can say to them all there, The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was given for you, preserve you to everlasting life: I can bring it so neare; but onely the worthy hearer, and the worthy receiver, can call this Lord, this Jesus, this Christ, Immanuel, God with us; onely that Virgin soule, devirginated in the blood of Adam, but restored in the blood of the Lambe, hath this Ecce, this testimony, this assu­rance, that God is with him; they that have this Ecce, this testimony, in a rectified con­science, are Godfathers to this child Jesus, and may call him Immanuel, God with us; for, as no man can deceive God, so God can deceive no man; God cannot live in the darke himselfe, neither can he leave those, who are his, in the darke: If he be with thee, he will make thee see, that he is with thee; and never goe out of thy sight, till he have brought thee, where thou canst never goe out of his.

SERMON III. Preached upon Christmas day, at S. Pauls, 1625.

WEE are met here to celebrate the generation of Christ Jesus; Esay 53.8. but Generatio­nem ejus quis enarrabit, sayes the Prophet, who shall declare his generation, his age? For, for his essentiall generation, be which he is the Son of God, the Angels, who are almost 6000. yeares elder then we, are no nearer to that ge­neration of his, then if they had been made but yesterday: Eternity hath no such distinctions, no limits, no periods, no seasons, no moneths, no yeares, no dayes; Methusalem, who was so long lived, was no elder in respect of eternity, then Davids son by Berseba, that dyed the first week. The first Fiat in the Creation of Adam, and the last note of the blowing of the Trumpets to judgement, (though there be between these (as it is ordinarily received) 2000. yeares of nature, between the Creation, and the giving of the Law by Moses, and 2000. yeares of the Law between that, and the comming of Christ, and 2000. yeares of Grace and Gospell between Christ first, and his second comming) yet this Creation and this Judgement are not a minute asunder in respect of eternity, which hath no minutes. Whence then arises all our vexation and labour, all our anxieties and anguishes, all our suits and pleadings, for long leases, for many lives, for many yeares purchase in this world, when, if we be in our way to the eternall King of the eternall kingdome, Christ Jesus, all we are not yet, all the world shall never be a minute old; Generationem ejus quis enarrabit, what tongue can declare, what heart can conceive his generation which was so long before any heart or tongue was made? But we come not now to consider that eternall generation, not Christ meerly as the Son of God, but the Son of Mary too: And that generation the Holy Ghost hath told us, was in the fulnesse of time: When the fulnesse of time was come, God sent forth, &c.

In which words, Divisio. we have these three considerations; First, the time of Christs com­ming, and that was the fulnesse of time; And then, the maner of his comming, which is expressed in two degrees of humiliation, one, that he was made of a woman, the other, that he was made under the Law; And then, the third part is the purpose of his com­ming, which also was twofold; for first, he came to redeem them who were under the Law, All; And secondly he came, that we (we the elect of God in him) might receive adopti­on; When the fulnesse of time was come, &c.

For the full consideration of this fulnesse of time, [...]. we shall first consider this fulnesse in respect of the Jews, and then in respect of all Nations, and lastly in respect of our selves: The Jews might have seen the fulnesse of time, the Gentiles did (in some measure) see it, and we must (if we will have any benefit by it) see it too. It is an observation of S. Cyril, That none of the Saints of God, nor such as were noted to be exemplarily religious, and sanctified men did ever celebrate with any festivall solemnity, their own birth-day. Pharaoh celebrated his own Nativity, [...] 40.22. but who would make Pharaoh his example? and besides, he polluted that festivall with the bloud of one of his servants. Herod celebrated his Nativity, but who would think it an honor to be like Herod? and besides, he pollu­ted that festivall with the blood of Iohn Baptist. But the just contemplation of the mise­ries and calamities of this life, into which our birth-day is the doore, and the entrance, is so far from giving any just occasion of a festivall, as it hath often transported the best di­sposed Saints and servants of God to a distemper, to a malediction, and cursing of their birth-day. [...] Cursed be the day wherein I was born, and let not that day wherein my mother bare [Page 21]me be blessed. Let the day perish wherein I was born, let that day be darknesse, Job 3. and let not God regard it from above. How much misery is presaged to us, when we come so generally weeping into the world, that, perchance, in the whole body of history we reade but of one childe, Zoroaster, that laughed at his birth: What miserable revolutions and changes, what downfals, what break-necks, and precipitations may we justly think our selves or­dained to, if we consider, that in our comming into this world out of our mothers womb, we doe not make account that a childe comes right, except it come with the head forward, and thereby prefigure that headlong falling into calamities which it must suffer after? Though therefore the dayes of the Martyrs, which are for our example celebra­ted in the Christian Church, be ordinarily called natalitia Martyrum, the birth-day of the Martyrs, yet that is not intended of their birth in this world, but of their birth in the next; when, by death their soules were new delivered of their prisons here, and they newly born into the kingdome of heaven; that day, upon that reason, the day of their death was called their birth-day, and celebrated in the Church by that name. Onely to Christ Jesus, the fulnesse of time was at his birth; not because he also had not a painfull life to passe through, but because the work of our redemption was an intire work, and all that Christ said, or did, or suffered, concurred to our salvation, as well his mothers swathing him in little clouts, as Iosephs shrowding him in a funerall sheete; as well his cold lying in the Manger, as his cold dying upon the Crosse; as well the puer natus, as the consummatum est; as well his birth, as his death is said to have been the fulnesse of time.

First we consider it to have been so to the Jews; for this was that fulnesse, Indeic. in which all the prophecies concerning the Messias, were exactly fulfilled; Dan. 2. Hagg. 2. Mich. 5. Esay 7. That he must come whilest the Monarchy of Rome flourished; And before the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed; That he must be born in Bethlem; That he must be born of a Virgin; His person, his actions, his passion so distinctly prophecyed, so exactly accomplished, as no word being left unfulfilled, this must necessarily be a fulnesse of time. So fully was the time of the Messias comming, come, that though some of the Jews say now, that there is no certain time revealed in the Scriptures when the Messias shall come, and others of them say, that there was a time determined, and revealed, and that this time was the time, but by reason of their great sins he did not come at his time, yet when they exa­mine their own supputations, they are so convinced with that evidence, that this was that fulnesse of time, that now they expresse a kinde of conditionall acknowledgement of it, by this barbarous and inhumane custome of theirs, that they alwayes keep in readi­nesse the blood of some Christian, with which they anoint the body of any that dyes a­mongst them, with these words, if Jesus Christ were the Messias, then may the blood of this Christian availe thee to salvation: So that by their doubt, and their implyed con­sent, in this action, this was the fulnesse of time, when Christ Jesus did come, that the Mes­sias should come.

It was so to the Jews, and it was so to the Gentiles too; Gontibus. It filled those wise men which dwelt so far in the East, that they followed the star from thence to Jerusalem. Herod was so full of it, that he filled the Countrey with streames of innocent bloud, and lest he should spare that one innocent childe, killed all. The two Emperours of Rome, Ve­spasian and Domitian were so full of it, that in jealousie of a Messias to come then, from that race, they took speciall care for the destruction of all, of the posterity of David. All the whole people were so full of it, that divers false-Messiahs, Barcocab, and Moses of Crete, and others rose up, and drew, and deceived the people, as if they had been the Messiah, because that was ordinarily knowne, and received to be the time of his com­ming. And the Devill himself was so full of it, as that in his Oracles he gave that an­swer, That an Hebrew childe should be God over all gods, and brought the Emperour to erect an Altar, to this Messiah Christ Jesus, though he knew not what he did. This was the fulnesse that filled Jew and Gentile, Kings and Philosophers, strangers and in­habitants, counterfaits and devils to the expectation of a Messiah; and when comes this fulnesse of time to us, that we feele this Messiah born in our selves?

In this fulnesse, in this comming of our Saviour into us, Nobis. we should finde a threefold fullnesse in our selves; we should finde a fulnesse of nature (because not only of spiritu­all, but of naturall and temporall things, all the right which we have in this world, is in, and for, and by Christ, for so we end all our prayers of all sorts, with that clause, per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, Grant this O Lord, for our Lord and Saviour Christ Ie­sus [Page 22]sake.) And we should finde a fulnesse of grace, a daily sense of improvement growth in grace, a filling of all former vacuities, a supplying of all emptinesses in our soules, till we came to Stephens fulnesse, Acts 6.3. ver. 5. & 8. Full of the holy Ghost and wisdome, and full of the holy Ghost and Faith, and full of faith and power: And so we should come to finde a fulnesse of glo­ry, that is an apprehension and inchoation of heaven in this life; for the glory of the next world, is not in the measure of that glory, but in the measure of my capacity; it is not that I shall have as much as any soule hath, but that I shall have as much as my soul can receive; it is not in an equality with the rest, but in a fulnesse in my self; And so, as I shall have a fulnesse of nature, that is, such an ability and such a use of naturall faculties, and such a portion of the naturall things of this world as shall serve to fill up Gods pur­pose in me: And as I shall have a fulnesse of grace, that is, such a measure of grace as shall make me discern a tentation, and resist a tentation, or at least repent it, if I have not effectually resisted it, so even here, I shall have a fulnesse of glory, that is, as much of that glory as a way-faring soul is capable of in this world; All these fulnesses I shall have, if I can finde and feele in my selfe this birth of Christ. His eternall birth in heaven is un­expressible, where he was born without a mother; His birth on earth is unexpressible too, where he was born without a father; but thou shalt feele the joy of his third birth in thy soul, most inexpressible this day, where he is born this day (if thou wilt) without father or mother; that is, without any former, or any other reason then his own meere goodnesse that should beget that love in him towards thee, and without any matter or merit in thee which should enable thee to conceive him. He had a heavenly birth, by which he was the eternall Son of God, and without that he had not been a person able to redeem thee; He had a humane birth, by which he was the Son of Mary, and with­out that he had not been sensible in himself of thine infirmities, and necessities; but, this day (if thou wilt) he hath a spirituall birth in thy soul, without which, both his divine, and his humane birth are utterly unprofitable to thee, and thou art no better then if there had never been Son of God in heaven, nor Son of Mary upon earth. Even the Stork in the aire knoweth her appointed time, Jer. 8. and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their comming, but my people knoweth not the judgements of the Lord. For, if you doe know your time, you know that now is your fulnesse of time; This is your particular Christmas-day; when, if you be but as carefull to cleanse your soules, as you are your houses, if you will but follow that counsell of S. Augustine, Quicquid non vis inveniri in domo tua, non inveniat Deus in anima tua, That uncleannesse which you would be loth your neighbour should finde in your houses, let not God nor his Angels finde in your soules, Christ Jesus is certainly born. and will as certainly grow up in your soules.

We passe from this, 2 Part. to our second part, The manner of his comming; where we pro­posed two degrees of Christs humiliation, That he was made of a woman, and made under the Law. In the first alone, are two degrees too, that he takes the name of the Son of a woman, and wanes the glorious name of the Son of God; And then, that he takes the name of the son of a woman, Mulieris non Dei. and wanes the miraculous name of the son of a Virgin. For the first; Christ ever refers himself to his Father; As he sayes, The Father which sent me, Joh. 12. gave me a commandement what I should say, and what I should speak, so, for all that which he did or suffered, Joh. 4. Joh. 16. he sayes, My meate is to doe his will that sent me, and to finish his work: And so, though he say, I am come out from the Father, and am come into the world; yet, be where he will, still, Ego & pater unum sumus, He and his Father were all one. But devesting that glory, or slumbring it in his flesh, till the Father glorifie him againe with that glory, which he had with him from the beginning, in his Ascension, he hum­bles himselfe here to that addition, The Son of a woman, made of a woman.

Christ waned the glorious Name of Son of God, Non Virgi­nis. and the miraculous Name of Son of a Virgin to; which is not omitted to draw into doubt, the perpetuall Virginity of the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of Christ; she is not called a woman, as though she were not a Maid; when it is said, Joseph knew her not, donec peperit, till she brought forth her Son, this did not imply his knowledge of her after, no more, then when God sayes to Christ, donec ponam, sit at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstoole, that im­ports, that Christ should remove from his right hand after: For, here is a perpetuall donec in both places; for evermore the ancient Expositors have understood that place of Ezekiel, Ezek. 44.2. to be intended of the perpetuall Virginitie of Mary, This gate shall be shut, and shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it. Solomon hath an exclamation, Is there any [Page 23]thing whereof a man may say, Behold this is new? and he answers himselfe immediately before, There is no new thing under the Sun. But behold here is a greater then Solomon, and he sayes now in action, by being borne of a Virgin, as he had said, long before, in Prophesie, The Lord hath created a new thing upon earth, a woman shall compasse a man. Jer. 31. If this had been spoken of such a woman, as were no Maid, this had been no new thing: As it was, it was without example, and without naturall reason; si ratio reddi posset, (sayes St. Bernard) non esset mirabile, si exempla haberemus, non esset singulare; If there were rea­son for it, it were no miracle, if there were precedents for it, it were not singular; and God intended both, that it should be a miracle, and that it should be done but once; we see in Nature, trees do bud out, and there is an emission, and emanation of flowers, and fruits, without any help of man, or any act done by him, to that tree; we reade in Genesis, That the earth had produced all plants and herbs, before eyther any raine fell upon it, or any man tilled it. And these are good helps, and illustrations to us, after we have belee­ved that a Virgin brought forth a Son; but nothing deduced out of nature, could prove this at first, to any man, except he beleeved it before. And therefore blessed be God, that hath given us that strength, which the Egyptian Mid-wives said the women of Isra­el had, that they brought forth children, without the help of Mid-wives: That we can humbly beleeve these mysteries of our religion, by faith, without the hand, and help of Reason; Si nondum mens idonea, abstrusa investigare, sine haesitatione credantur, sayes St. Au­gustine, In things which are not subject to any faculty of ours, to be discerned by reason, there is a present exercise of our faith. As we know it to be true, that the bush, in which God spake to Moses, was full of fire, and did burne, but not consume, because God hath said so, in his booke, but yet we doe not know, how that was done: so we know, (by the same evidence) that the Mother of our Saviour, was a Virgin; but for the manner of this Mystery, we rest upon Epiphanius Rule, Quaecunque dicit Deus, credamus quòd sint; quo­modo, Soli Deo cognitum: whatsoever God, in his word, sayes, was done, let us beleeve it to be done; how it was done, as we know that God knowes, so we are content not to inquire more then it hath been his pleasure to communicate to us.

She was then, and she was alwaies a Virgin; but because this Text is of his Humiliation, he leaves that Name that proceeds from miracle, and descends to that lower name of na­ture, Made of a woman. The Spirit of God fore-saw, that the issue betweene the Church, and the Heretiques would not be Virgin or no Virgin, but whether Christ were made of a woman. Some Heretiques did question the first; The Helvidians denied her perpetuall Virginitie: But that Heresie, and some others that opposed her Virginitie, vanished in a short time. But the Manichees, that lasted long, and spred farre in the old times, and the Anabaptists, which abound yet, deny that Christ was made of a woman; They say, that Christ passed through her, as water through a Pipe, but tooke nothing of her substance; and then, if he took not the nature of mankinde, he hath not redeemed man­kinde. And therefore in that Prophesie of Ieremy, that Christ should be borne, and in this Gospel, in our Text, that Christ was borne, the Holy Ghost mainttaines and conti­nues that phrase, Made of a woman: And where he begins to expresse his Divinitie in mi­racles, Joh. 2. at the marriage in Cana, there Christ himselfe calls her, by no other name, Woman, what have I to doe with thee? And when he had drawne all his miracles to a glorious con­summatum est, upon the Crosse, he cals her there, by that name too, Woman, behold thy Son. Joh. 19. Here then was no such curious insisting upon Styles and Titles, and names of Dignities, no unkindnesse, no displeasure taken; if one should leave out a Right Honourable, or Right Worshipfull, or an addition of an Office or Dignity; The powerfulnesse of Christs birth, consists in this, That he is made of God; The miraculousnesse of Christs birth, consisted in this, that he was made of a Virgin, and yet the Prophet and the Apostle, two principall Secretaries of the Holy Ghost, present him with this addition, made of a woman. Christ had one priviledge in his birth, which never any Prince had, or shall have, that is, that he chose what Mother he would have, and might have been borne of what woman he would have chosen. And in this large and universall chovce, though he chose a wo­man full of grace to be his Mother, yet that he might give spirituall comfort to all sorts of women, first to those, who should be unjustly suspected, and insimulated of sin and incontinency, when indeed they were innocent, hee was content to come of a Mother, who should be subject to that suspicion, and whom her husband should think to be with child, before he marryed her, and thereupon purpose to put her away; And then, Mat. 1. to fill [Page 24]those women, who had been guilty of that sinne, with reliefe in their consciences against the wrath of God, and with reparation of their reputation and good name in the world, it was his unsearchable will and pleasure, that in all that Genealogie, and pedigree, which he, and his spirit hath inspired the Euangelists to record of his Ancestors, there is not one woman named, of whom Christ is descended, who is not dangerously noted in the Scriptures, to have had some aspersion of incontinence upon her; as both St. Hie­rome, and St. Ambrose, and St. Chrysostome observes, of Thamar, of Berseba, and of Ruth also.

So then, Christ Jesus who came onely for the reliefe of sinners, is content to be known to have come, not onely of poore parents, but of a sinfull race; and though he exempted his Blessed Mother, more then any, from sin, yet he is now content to be born again of sin­ful Mothers: In that soul, that accuses it self most of sin; In that soul, that cals now to mind, (with remorce, and not with delight) the severall times, and places, and waies, wherein she hath offended God; In that soul that acknowledgeth it self to have bin a sink of unclean­nesse, a Tabernacle, a Synagogue of Satan; In that soul, that hath been as it were possessed with Mary Magdalens seven Devils, yea with him, whose name was Legion, with all De­vils; In that sinful soul would Christ Jesus fain be born, this day, and make that soul, his Mo­ther, that he might be a regeneration to that soul. We cannot afford Christ, such a birth in us, as he had, to be born of a Virgin; for every one of us wel-nigh hath married himself to some particular sin, some beloved sin, that he can hardly divorce himselfe from; nay, no man keepes his faith, to that one sin, that he hath marryed himselfe to, but mingles him­selfe with other sins also. Though Covetousnesse, whom he loves, as the wife of his bo­some, have made him rich, yet he will commit adultery with another sin, with Ambition; and he will part, even with those riches, for Honour: Though Ambition be his wife, his marryed sin, yet he will commit adultery with another sin, with Licentiousnesse, and he will endanger his Honour, to fulfill his Lust; Ambition may be his wife, but Lust is his Concubine. We abandon all spirituall chastity; all virginitie, we marry our particular sinnes, Ezech. 16. and then we divide our loves with other sins too: Thou hast multiplyed thy fornicati­ons, and yet art not satisfied, is a complaint, that reaches us all, in spirituall fornications, and goes very farre, in carnall. And yet, for all this, we are capable of this Conception, Christ may be borne in us, for all this: As God said unto the Prophet, Take thee a wife of fornications, and children of fornications; so is Christ Jesus content to take our soules, though too often mothers of fornications: As long as we are united, and incorporated in his beloved Spouse, the Church, conforme our selves to her, grow up in her, hearken to his word in her, feed upon his Sacraments in her, acknowledge a seale of reconcilia­tion, by the absolution of the Minister in her, so long, (how unclean soever we have bin, if wee abhorre and forsake our uncleannesse now) wee participate of the chastity of that Spouse of his, the Church, and in her, are made capable of this conception of Christ Je­sus, and so, it is as true this houre of us, as it was when the Apostle spoke these words, This is the fulnesse of time, when God sent his Son, &c.

Now you remember, Sub lege. that in this second part, (the manner of Christs comming) we proposed two degrees of humiliation; One which we have handled, in a double respect, as he is made, filius mulieris, non Dei, the son of a woman, and not the Son of God; the other, as he is filius mulieris, non Virginis, The son of a woman, and not called the son of a Virgin.

The second remaines, that he was sub lege, under the law; now, this phrase, to be under the law, is not alwayes so narrowly limited in the Scriptures, as to signifie onely the law of Moses; for, so, onely the Jews were under the law, and so, Christs comming for them, who were under the law, his Death, and Merits should belong onely to the Jews. But St. Augustine observes, that when Christ sent the message of his birth, to the wise men, in the East, by a starre, and to the shepheards, about Bethlem, by an Angel, In pastoribus, Iudaei; in magis, Gentes vocatae; The Jews had their calling in that manifestation to the shepheards, and the Gentiles in that, to the wise men in the East. But besides that Christ did submit himselfe, to all the waight even of the Ceremoniall law of Moses, he was under a heavyer law, then that, under that lex decreti, the contract and covenant with God the Father, under that oportuit pati, This he ought to suffer, before he could enter into glory. So that his being under the law, may be accounted not a part of his Humiliation, as his being made of a woman was, but rather the whole history, and frame of his humi­liation, [Page 25]All that concernes his obedience, even to that law, which the Father had laid up­on him; for, the life and death of Christ, from the Ave Maria, to the consummatum est, from his comming into this World, in his Conception, to his transmigration upon the Crosse, was all under this law, heavier then any law, that any man is under, the law of the contract, and covenant between the Father, and him.

Though therefore we may think, judging by the law of reason, that since Christ came to gather a Church, and to draw the world to him, it would more have advanced that purpose of his, to have been borne at Rome, where the seat of the Empire, and the conflu­ence of all Nations, was, then in Iury, and (if he would offer the Gospel first to the Jews) better to have been borne at Ierusalem, where all the outward, publique, solemne wor­ship of the Jews was, then at obscure Bethlem, and in Bethlem, in some better place then in an Inne, in a Stable, in a Manger; though we may think thus, in the law of reason, yet, non cogitationes meae cogitationes vestrae, sayes God in the Prophet, Esay 55. My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my lawes your lawes, for I am sub lege decreti, under another manner of law, then falls within your reading, under an obedience to that covenant, which hath passed betweene my Father, and me, and by those Degrees, and no other way, was my humili­ation, for your Redemption, to be expressed. Though we may thinke in the law of Rea­son, that his work of propagating the Gospel, would have gone better forward, if he had taken for his Apostles, some Tullies, or Hortensii, or Senecaes, great, and perswading Orators, in stead of his Peter, and Iohn, and Matthew, and those Fishermen, and tent-ma­kers, and toll-gatherers; Though we might think in reason, and in piety too, that when he would humble himselfe to take our salvation into his care, it had beene enough, to have beene under the law of Moses, to live innocently, and righteously, without shedding of his bloud; If he would shed bloud, it might have beene enough to have done so in the Circumcision, and scourging, without dying; If he would die, it might have been enough to have dyed some lesse accursed, and lesse ignominious death, then the death of the Crosse; though we might reasonably enough, and piously enough, think thus, yet, non cogitationes vestrae, cogitationes meae, sayes the Lord, your way is not my way, your law is not my law; for, Christ was sub lege decreti, and thus, as he did, and no other way, it became him to fulfill all righteousnesse, that is, all that Decree of God, which he had accepted, and acknowledged as Righteous. He was so much under Moses law, as he would be: so much under that law, as that he suffered that law, to be wrested against him, and to bee pretended to be broken by him, and to be endited, and condemned by that law. The Jews pressed that law, non sines veneficū vivere, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live, Exod. 22. when they at­tributed all his glorious miracles, to the power of the devil: and the Romans were incensed against him, for treason, and sedition, as though he aliened and withdrew the people from Caesar. But he was under a heavyer law, then Jews or Romanes, the Law of his Father, and his owne eternall Decree, so farre, as that he came to that sense of the waight there­of, Eli, Eli, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? and was never delivered from the burden of this law, till he pleaded the performance of all conditions between his Father, and him, and delivered up all the evidence thereof, in those words, In manus tuas, Into thy hands, O Lord I give my spirit, and so presented both the righteousnesse of his soule, which had fulfilled the law, and the soule it selfe, which was under the law. He dyed in Execution, and so discharged all; And so we have done with our second part, The man­ner of his comming.

We are come now, in our Order, to our third part, The purpose of Christs comming; 3. Part. and in that we consider two objects, that Christ had, and two subjects to work upon, two kindes of work, and two kindes of persons; First, to Redeeme, and then to Adopt; Those are his works, his objects; And then, To redeeme those that were under the law, that is, all, but to Adopt those whom he had chosen, us; And those are the persons, the subjects, that he works upon, by his comming.

First then, (to begin with the persons) those of the first kinde, Sub lege. those that were under the Law: for them, (as we told you before) the law must not be so narrowly restrained here, as to be intended onely of Moses Law, for Christs purpose was not onely upon the Jews; for else, Naaman the Syrian, by whom God fought great battailes, 2 Reg. 5. before he was cured of his leprosie, and who, when he was cured, was so zealous of the worship of the true God, that he would needs carry holy earth, to make Altars of, from the place, where the Prophet dwelt: And else, Iob, who though he were of the land of Hus, hath [Page 26]good testimony of being an upright and just man, and one that feared God; And else, the Widow of Sarepta, 1. Reg. 17. whose meale, and oyle God preserved unwasted, and whose dead sonne, God raised againe, at the prayer of Eliah; All these, and all others, whom the searching Spirit of God, seales to his service, in all the corners of the earth, because they are strangers in the land of Israel, should not be under the Law, and so should have no profit by Christs being made under the Law, if the Law should be understood, onely of the Law of Moses. And therefore to be under the Law, signifies here, thus much, To be a debter to the law of nature, to have a testimony in our hearts and consciences, that there lyes a law upon us, which we have no power in our selves to performe; that to those lawes, To love God with all our powers, and to love our neighbour as our selves, and to doe, as we would be done to, we finde our selves naturally bound, and yet wee finde our selves na­turally unable to performe them, and so to need the assistance of another, which must be Christ Jesus, to performe them for us; And so, all men, Jews and Gentiles are under the Law, because naturally they feele a law upon them, which they breake. And therefore wheresoever our power becomes defective, in the performance of this law, if our will be not defective too, if we come not to say, God hath given us an impossible Law, and therefore it is lost labour, to goe about to performe it, or God hath given us another to performe this Law for us, and therefore nothing is required at our hands; If we abstaine from these quarrels to the law, and these murmurings at our owne infirmity, wee shall finde, that the fulnesse of time is this day come, this day Christ is come to all that are under the Law, that is, to all mankinde; to all, because all are unable to performe that Law, which they all see, by the light of nature to lye upon them.

These then be the persons of the first kinde, Redemit. All, all the world; Dilexit mundum, God so loved the world, that he gave his Son for it, for all the world; And, accordingly, venit salvare mundum, the obedience of the Son, was as large as the love of the Father, Hee came to save all the world, and he did save all the world; God would have all men, and Christ did save all men. It is therefore fearefully (and scarce allowably said) that Christ did contrary to his Fathers will, when he called those to grace, of whom he knew his Fa­thers pleasure to bee, that they should have no grace; It is fearefully and dangerously said, Absurdum non esse, Deum interdum falsa loqui, & falsum loquenti credendum, that it is not absurd to say, (that is, that it may truly be said) that God does sometimes speake untruly, and that we are bound to beleeve God, when he does so: for, if we consider the soveraigne balme of our soules, the blood of Christ Jesus, there is enough for all the world, if we consider the application of this physick, by the Ministers of Christ Jesus in the Church, hee hath given us that spreading Commission, To goe and preach to every creature, we are bid to offer, to apply, to minister this to all the world: Christ hath ex­communicated no Nation, no shire, no house, no man: Hee gives none of his Ministers leave to say to any man, thou art not Redeemed, he gives no wounded nor afflicted con­science leave, to say to it selfe, I am not Redeemed. There may be meat enough brought into the house, for all the house, though some be so weake, as they cannot, (which is the case of the Gentiles) some so stubborne, as they will not eate, (which is the case of the carnall man, though in the Christian Church.)

He came to all, There are the persons, and to Redeeme all, there is his errand; but how to Redeeme? S. Hierome saies, Gentes non Redimuntur, sed emuntur: The Gentiles, saies hee, are not properly Christs, by way of Redeeming, but by an absolute purchase: To which purpose those words are also applied, which the Apostle saies to the Corinthi­ans, 1 Cor. 6.20. Ye are bought with a price, S. Hieroms meaning therein, is, that if we compare the Jews and the Gentiles, though God permitted the Jews, in punishment of their rebel­lions, to bee captivated by the devill in Idolatries, yet the Jews were but as in a mort­gage, for they had beene Gods peculiar people before; But the Gentiles were as the de­vils inheritance, for God had never claimed them, nor owned them for his; and there­fore God sayes to Christ, Ps. 2.8. Postula à me, Aske of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance; as though they were not his yet, or not his by that title, as the Jews were. So that, in S. Hieromes construction, the Jewes, which were Gods people before, were properly Redeemed, the Gentiles, to whom God made no title before, are rather bought, then redeemed. But, Nullum tempus occurrit Regi, against the King of Kings there runnes no prescription; no man can devest his Allegeance to his Prince, and say he will be sub­ject no longer; And therefore, since the Gentiles, were his by his first title of Creation, [Page 27](for, it is he that hath made us, and not we our selves, nor the devill neither) when all we, by our generall revolt, and prevarication, (as we were all collectively in Adams loynes) came to be under that law, morte morieris, Thou shalt dye the death, when Christ came in the fulnesse of time, and delivered us from the sharpest, and heaviest clause of that Law, which is the second death, then he Redeemed us properly, because, (though not by the same title of Covenant, as the Jews were) yet we were his, and sold over to his enemy. These then were the persons, All, (none can say that he did not need him, none can say, that he may not have him) And this was his first worke, to Redeeme, to vindicate them from the usurper, to deliver them from the intruder, to emancipate them from the tyran, to cancell the covenant betweene hell, and them, and restore them so far to their liber­ty, as that they might come to their first Master, if they would; this was Redeeming.

But in his other worke, which is Adoption, and where the persons were more particu­lar, Adoptio. not all, but wee, Christ hath taken us to him, in a straiter and more peculiar title, then Redeeming. For, A servando Servi, men who were, by another mans valour, saved and redeemed from the enemy, or from present death, they became thereby, servants to him that saved and redeemed them: Redemption makes us (who were but subjects before, for all are so, by creation) servants; but it is but servants; but Adoption makes us, who are thus made servants by Redemption, sons [...] for, Adoption is verbum forense, though it be a word which the Holy Ghost takes, yet he takes it from a civill use, and sig­nification, in which, it expresses in divers circumstances, our Adoption into the state of Gods children. First, he that adopted another, must by that law, be a man, who had no children of his owne; And this was Gods case towards us; Hee had no children of his owne, wee were all filii irae, The children of wrath, not one of us could be said to bee the child of God, by nature, if we had not had this Adoption in Christ. Secondly, he, who, Eph. [...]. by that law, might Adopt, must be a Man, who had had, or naturally might have had children; for an Infant under yeares, or a man, who by nature was disabled from having children, could not Adopt another; And this was Gods case towards us too; for God had had children without Adoption; for by our creation in Innocence, we were the sons of God till we died all in one transgression, and lost all right, and all life, and all meanes of regaining it, but by this way of Adoption in Christ Jesus. Againe, no man might adopt an elder man then himselfe; and so, our Father by Adoption, is not onely Antiquus die­rum, The ancient of Daies, but Antiquior diebus ancienter then any Daies, before Time was; he is (as Damascene forces himselfe to expresse it) Super-principale principium, the Beginning, and the first Beginning, and before the first beginning; He is, saies he, aeter­nus, and prae-aeternus, Eternall, and elder then any eternity, that we can take into our ima­gination. So likewise no man might adopt a man of better quality then himselfe, and here, we are so far from comparing, as that we cannot comprehend his greatnesse, and his goodnesse, of whom, and to whom, S. Augustin saies well, Quid mihi es? If I shall goe about to declare thy goodnesse, not to the world in generall, but Quid mihi es, how good thou art to me, Miserere ut loquar, saies he, I must have more of thy goodnesse, to be able to tell thy former goodnesse, Be mercifull unto me againe, that I may bee thereby able to declare how mercifull thou wast to me before, except thou speake in me, I cannot de­clare what thou hast done for me. Lastly, no man might be adopted, into any other degree of kindred, but into the name, and right of a son; he could not be an adopted Bro­ther, nor cosin, nor nephew: And this is especially our dignity; wee have the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. So that, as here is a fulnesse of time in the text, so there is a fulnesse of persons, All, and a fulnesse of the worke belonging to them, Re­deeming, Emancipation, delivering from the chaines of Satan, (we were his by Creation, we sold our selves for nothing, and he redeemed us, without money, that is, Esa. 52. without any cost of ours) but because for all this generall Redemption, we may turne from him, and submit our selves to other services, therefore he hath Adopted us, drawne into his family and into his more especiall care, those who are chosen by him, to be his. Now that Re­demption reached to all, there was enough for all; this dispensation of that Redemption, this Adoption reaches onely to us, all this is done, That wee might receive the Adoption of Sonnes.

But who are this Wee? why, they are the elect of God. But who are they, Nos. who are these elect? Qui timidè rogat, docet negare: If a man aske me with a diffidence, Can I be the adopted son of God, that have rebelled against him, in all my affections, that have [Page 28]troden upon his Commandements, in all mine actions, that have divorced my selfe from him, in preferring the love of his creatures before himselfe, that have murmured at his corrections, and thought them too much, that have undervalued his benefits, and thought them too little, that have abandoned, and prostituted my body, his Temple, to all uncleannesse, and my spirit to indevotion, and contempt of his Ordinances; can I be the adopted son of God, that have done this? Ne timidè roges, aske me not this, with a diffidence and distrust in Gods mercy, as if thou thoughtst with Cain thy iniquities were greater then could be forgiven; But aske me with that holy confidence, which belongs to a true convert, Am not I, who, though I am never without sinne, yet am never with­out hearty remorce and repentance for my sinnes; though the weaknesse of my flesh sometimes betray mee, the strength of his Spirit still recovers me; though my body be under the paw of that lion, that seekes whom hee may devoure, yet the lion of Judah raises againe and upholds my soule; though I wound my Saviour with many sinnes, yet all these, bee they never so many, I strive against, I lament, confesse, and forsake as farre as I am able. Am not I the child of God, and his adopted son in this state? Roga fidenter, aske me with a holy confidence in thine and my God, & doces affirmare, thy very question gives me mine answer to thee, thou teachest me to say, thou art; God himselfe teaches me to say so, by his Apostle, The foundation of God is sure, and this is the Seale, God knoweth who are his, and let them that call upon his name, depart from all iniquity: He that departs so far, as to repent former sinnes, and shut up the wayes, which he knows in his conscience, doe lead him into tentations, he is of this quorum, one of us, one of them, who are adopted by Christ, to be the sonnes of God. I am of this quorum, if I preach the Gospell sincerely, and live thereafter, (for hee preaches twice a day, that followes his owne doctrine, and does as he saies) And you are of this quorum, if you preach over the Sermons which you heare, to your owne soules in your meditation, to your fami­lies in your relation, to the world in your conversation. If you come to this place, to meet the Spirit of God, and not to meet one another, If you have sate in this place, with a delight in the Word of God, and not in the words of any speaker, If you goe out of this place, in such a disposition, as that, if you should meet the last Trumpets at the gates, and Christ Jesus in the clouds, you would not intreat him to goe back, and stay another yeare: To enwrap all in one, if you have a religious and sober assurance, that you are his, and walke according to your beleefe, you are his, and, as the fulnesse of time, so the ful­nesse of grace is come upon you, and you are not onely within the first commission, of those who were under the Law, and so Redeemed, but of this quorum who are selected out of them, the adopted sons of that God, who never disinherits those that forsake not him.

SERMON IV. Preached at S. Pauls upon Christmas day. 1626.

THe whole life of Christ was a continuall Passion; others die Martyrs, but Christ was born a Martyr. He found a Golgatha, (where he was crucified) even in Bethlem, where he was born; For, to his tendernesse then, the strawes were almost as sharp as the thornes after; and the Manger as un­easie at first, as his Crosse at last. His birth and his death were but one continuall act, and his Christmas-day and his Good Friday, are but the evening and morning of one and the same day. And as even his birth, is his death, so every action and passage that manifests Christ to us, is his birth; for, Epiphany is manifestation; And therefore, though the Church doe now call Twelf-day Epiphany, because upon that day Christ was manifested to the Gentiles, in those Wise men who came then to worship him, yet the Ancient Church called this day, (the day of Christs birth) the Epiphany, because this day Christ was manifested to the world, by being born this day. Every manifestation of Christ to the world, to the Church, to a particular soule, is an Epipha­ny, a Christmas-day. Now there is no where a more evident manifestation of Christ, then in that which induced this text, Lord now lettest thou thy servant, &c.

It had been revealed to Simeon (whose words these are) that he should see Christ be­fore he dyed; And actually, and really, substantially, essentially, bodily, presentially, personally he does see him; so it is Simeons Epiphany, Simeons Christmas-day. So al­so this day, in which we commemorate and celebrate the generall Epiphany, the mani­festation of Christ to the whole world in his birth, all we, we, who besides our interest in the universall Epiphany and manifestation implyed in the very day, have this day re­ceived the Body and Blood of Christ in his holy and blessed Sacrament, have had ano­ther Epiphany, another Christmas-day, another manifestation and application of Christ to our selves; And as the Church prepares our devotion before Christmas-day, with foure Sundayes in Advent, which brings Christ nearer and nearer unto us, and remem­bers us that he is comming, and then continues that remembrance again, with the cele­bration of other festivals with it, and after it, as S. Stephen, S. Iohn, and the rest that fol­low; so for this birth of Christ, in your particular soules, for this Epiphany, this Christ­mas-day, this manifestation of Christ which you have had in the most blessed Sacra­ment this day, as you were prepared before by that which was said before, so it belongs to the through celebration of the day, and to the dignity of that mysterious act, and to the blessednesse of worthy, and the danger of unworthy Receivers, to presse that evi­dence in your behalf, and to enable you by a farther examination of your selves, to depart in peace, because your eyes have seen his salvation.

To be able to conclude to you selves, that because you have had a Christmas-day, a manifestation of Christs birth in your soules, by the Sacrament, you shall have a whole Good-Friday, a crucifying, and a consummatum est, a measure of corrections, and joy in those corrections, tentations, and the issue with the tentation; And that you shall have a Resurrection, and an Ascension, an inchoation, and an unremoveable possession of hea­ven it self in this world. Make good your Christmas day, that Christ by a worthy re­ceiving of the Sacrament, be born in you, and he that dyed for you, will live with you all the yeare, and all the yeares of your lives, and inspire into you, and receive from you at the last gasp, this blessed acclamation, Lord now lettest thou thy servant, &c.

The end of all digestions, Divisio. and concoctions is assimilation, that that meate may become our body. The end of all consideration of all the actions of such leading and exemplar men, as Simeon was, is assimilation too; That we may be like that man. Therefore we shall make it a first part, to take a picture, to give a character of this man, to consider how Simeon was qualified and prepared, matured and disposed to that confidence, that he could desire to depart in peace, intimated in that first word, Now; now, that all that I look for is accomplished; And farther expressed in the first word of the other clause, For, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation; Now, now the time is fulfilled; For, for mine eyes have seen. And then enters the second part, what is the greatest happinesse that can be well wished in this world, by a man well prepared, is, that he may depart in peace; Lord now lettest thou, &c. And all the way, in every step that we make, in his light, (in Simeons light) we shall see light; we shall consider, that that preparation, and dispositi­on, and acquiescence, which Simeon had in his Epiphany, in his visible seeing of Christ then, is offered to us in this Epiphany, in this manifestation and application of Christ in the Sacrament; And that therefore every penitent, and devout, and reverent, and wor­thy receiver, hath had in that holy action his Now, there are all things accomplished to him, and his For, for his eyes have seen his salvation; and so may be content, nay glad to depart in peace.

In the first part then, 1 Part. in which we collect some marks, and qualities in Simeon which prepared him to a quiet death, qualities appliable to us in that capacity, as we are [...]tred for the Sacrament, Praesentatio. (for in that way only, we shall walk throughout this exercise) wee consider first, the action it self, what was done at this time. At this time our Saviour Christ, according to the Law, by which all the first born were to be presented to God in the Temple, at a certain time after their birth, was presented to God in the Temple, and there acknowledged to be his; And then, bought of him again by his parents, at a certain price prescribed in the Law. A Lord could not exhibite his Son to his Tenants, and say, this is your Land-lord; nor a King his Son to his Subjects, and say, this is your Prince; but first he was to be tendred to God; his they were all; He that is not Gods first, is not truly his Kings, nor his own. And then God does not sell him back againe to his parents, at a racked, at an improved price; He sels a Lord, or a King back againe to the world, as cheap as a Yeoman, he takes one and the same price for all; God made all Mankinde of one blood, and with one blood, the blood of his Son, he bought all Mankinde again: At one price, and upon the same conditions, he hath delivered over all into this world; Tantummodo crede, and then fac hoc, & vives, is the price of all; Be­leeve, and live well: More he asks not, lesse he takes not for any man, upon any pre­tence of any unconditioned decree.

At the time of this presentation, there were to be offered a paire of Turtles, or a paire of Pigeons. Columbae. The Sacrifice was indifferent; Turtles that live solitarily, and Pigeons, that live sociably, were all one to God. God in Christ may be had in an active, and so­ciable life, denoted in the Pigeon, and in the solitary and contemplative life, denoted in the Turtle; Let not Westminster despise the Church, nor the Church the Exchange, nor the Exchange and trade despise Armes; God in Christ may be had in every lawfull calling. And then, the Pigeon was an embleme of fecundity, and fruitfulnesse in marri­age; And the Turtle may be an Embleme of chaste widowhood; for, I thinke we finde no Bigamy in the Turtle. But in these Sacrifices we finde no Embleme of a natu­rall, or of a vowed barrennesse: Nothing that countenances a vowed virginity, to the dishonour or undervaluing of marriage. Thus was our Saviour presented to God; And in this especially was that fulfilled, Agg. 2.9. The glory of the later house shall be greater then the glory of the former; The later Temple exceeded the former in this, that the Lord, the God of this house, was in the house bodily, as one of the congregation; And the little body of a sucking childe, was a Chappell in that Temple, infinitely more glorious then the Temple it selfe. How was the joy of Noah at the return of the Dove into the Ark, mul­tiplied upon Simeon at the bringing of this Dove into the Temple? At how cheape a price was Christ tumbled up and down in this world? It does almost take off our pious scorn of the low price, at which Iudas sold him, to consider that his Father sold him to the world for nothing; and then, when he had him again, by this new title of primo­geniture and presentation, he sold him to the world again, if not for a Turtle, or for a Pi­geon, yet at most for 5. shekels, which at most is but 10. shillings.

And yet you have had him cheaper then that, to day in the Sacrament: whom hath Christ cost 5. shekels there? As Christ was presented to God in the Temple, so is hee presented to God in the Sacrament; not sucking, but bleeding. And God gives him back again to thee. And at what price? upon this exchange; Take his first born, Christ Jesus, and give him thine. Who is thine? Cor primogenitum, sayes S. August: The heart is the first part of the body that lives; Give him that; And then, as it is in nature, it shall be in grace too, the last part that dyes; for it shall never dye; Joh, 6.50. If a man eat the bread that commeth down from heaven, he shall not die, sayes Christ. If a man in exchange of his heart receive Christ Jesus himselfe, he can no more die then Christ Jesus himselfe can die. That which Eschines said to Socrates, admits a faire accommodation here; He saw every body give Socrates some present, and he said, Because I have nothing else to give, I will give thee my selfe. Do so, sayes Socrates, and I will give thee back again to thy self, better then when I received thee. If thou have truly given thy selfe to him in the Sacrament, God hath given thee thy selfe back, so much mended, as that thou hast received thy self and him too; Thy selfe, in a holy liberty, to walk in the world in a calling, and himself, in giving a blessing upon all the works of thy calling, and imprinting in thee a holy desire to do all those works to his glory. And so having thus far made this profit of these circumstances in the action it self, appliable to us as receivers of the Sacra­ment, that as the childe Jesus was first presented to God in the Temple, so for your chil­dren, (the children of your bodies, and the children of your mindes, and the children of your hands, all your actions, and intentions) that you direct them first upon God, and God in the Temple, that is, God manifested in the Church, before you assigne them, or determine them upon any other worldly courses, and then, that as God returned Christ as all other children, at a certain price, so God delivers man upon certain, and upon the same conditions: He comes not into the world, nor he comes not to the Sacrament, as to a Lottery, where perchance he may draw Salvation, but it is ten to one he misses, but upon these few and easie conditions, Beleeve, & Love, he may be sure: And then also, that the Sacrifice, Pigeons, or Turtles was indifferent, so it were offered to God, for any honest calling, is acceptable to God, if Gods glory be intended in it; That of marriage and of widowhood we have some typicall intimations in the Law, in the Pigeon, and in the Turtle, but of a vow of virginity, begun in the parents for their temporall ends, and forced upon their children, for those ends, we have no shadow at all; That Christ who was sold after by Iudas for a little money, was sold in this presentation by his Father, for lesse, and yet for lesse then that to us, this day in the Sacrament. Having made these uses of these circumstances in the action it selfe, we passeion now, to the consideration of some such qualities, and dispositions of this person, Simeon, as may be appliable to us in our having received the Sacrament.

First then, we receive it, though not literally, and expresly in the story, Senex. yet by con­venient implication there, and by generall tradition from all, that Simeon was now come to a great age, a very old Man. For so S. August. argues, That God raised up two wit­nesses for Christ in the Temple; one of each Sex; and both of much reverence for age; Anna, whose age is expressed, and Simeon, who is recommended in the same respect, saies that Father, for age too. And Nicephorus, and others with him, make him very old; as it is likely he was, if he were, as Pet: Galatinus makes him, the son of Rabbi Hil­lel, Hillel the master of Gamaliel, the master of S. Paul. So then we accept him; A person in a reverend age. Even in nature Age was the center of reverence; the channell, the val­ley, to which all reverence flowed; temporall jurisdiction, and spirituall jurisdiction, the Magistracy, and the Priesthood were appropriated to the eldest; almost in all vulgar lan­guages, the name of a Lord, or magistrate, hath no other derivation then so, an Elder; Senior noster, is a word that passes freely, through the authors of the middle age, for our Lord, or our King; and the same derivation hath the name of Priest, in a holy language, Presbyter an Elder. So evermore in the course of the Scripture all counsell, and all go­vernment is placed in the Elders; and all the service of God is expressed so, even in hea­ven too, by the foure and twenty Elders. Apoc. 4.9. Thy Creator will be remembred in the dayes of thy youth; but God hath had longer experience of that man, and longer conversation with that man, who is come to a holy age. That wise King, who could carry nothing to a higher pitch in any comparison, then to a Crowne, saies, Age is a crowne of glory, Prov. 16.31. when it is found in the wayes of the righteous; but in the waies of righteousnesse, no blessing is a [Page 32]blessing; and in the waies of righteousnesse, wealth may be a crowne of our labours, and health may be a crowne of our temperance, but age is the crowne of glory, of reverence; [...]hat crowne, the crowne of reverence, the Lord the righteous Judge hath reserved to that day, the day of our age, because our age is the seale of our constancy, and perseve­rance. In this blessed age, Simeon was thus dignified, admitted to this Epiphany, this ma­nifestation of Christ. And, to be admitted to thy Epiphany, and manifestation of Christ in the Sacrament, thou must put off the yong man, and put on the old. God, to whose Table thou art called, is represented as Antiquus Dierum, the ancient of Daies; and his Guests must be of mortified affections; He must be crucified to the world, that will receive him, that was crucified for the world; the lusts of youth, the voluptuousnesse of youth, the revengefulnesse of youth, must have a holy damp, and a religious stupidity shed upon them, that come thither. Nay, it is not enough to bee suddenly old, to have sad, and mortified thoughts then; no, nor to be suddenly dead, to renounce the world then, that houre, that morning, but quatriduani sitis, you should have been dead three daies, as Lazarus; you should have passed an Examination, an accusation, a condemna­tion of your selves, divers daies before ye came to that Table. God was most glorified in the raising of Lazarus, when he was long dead, and putrified; God is most glorified in giving a resurrection to him, that hath been longest dead; that is, longest in the Con­templation of his owne sinfull and spirituall putrefaction. For, he that stinks most in his owne, by true contrition, is the best perfume to Gods nostrils, and a conscience troubled in it selfe, is Odor quietis, as Noahs sacrifice was, a savor of rest to God.

This assistance we have to the exaltation of our devotion, from that circumstance, that Simeon was an old man; Sacerdos. we have another from another, that he was a Priest, and in that notion and capacity, the better fitted for this Epiphany, this Christmas, this Manifesta­tion of Christ. We have not this neither in the letter of the story; no, nor so constantly in Tradition, that he was a Priest, as that he was an old man: But it is rooted in Antiquity too; In Athanasius, in St. Cyrill, in Epiphanius, in others, who argue, and inferre it fairly and conveniently, out of some Priestly acts, which Simeon seemes to have done in the Temple, (as the taking of Christ in his armes, which belongs to the Priest, and the bles­sing of God, which is the Thanks-giving to God, in the behalfe of the congregation, and then the blessing of the people, in the behalfe of God, which are acts peculiar to the Priest.) Accepting him in that quality, a Priest, we consider, that as the King takes it worse in his houshold servants, then in his Subjects at large, if they goe not his wayes, so they who dwell in Gods house, whose livelihood growes out of the revenue of his Church, and whose service lies within the walls of his Church, are most inexcusable, if they have not a continuall Epiphany, a continuall Manifestation of Christ: All men should looke towards God, but the Priest should never looke off from God. And, at the Sacrament every man is a Priest. I had rather that were not said, (which yet a very Reverend Divine sayes) That this Simeon might be aliquis plebeius homo, Calvin. some ordinary common man, that was in the Temple at that time, when Christ was brought. He, who is of another sub-division, Chemnicius. (though in the reformed Church too) collects piously, that God chose extraordinary men, to give testimony of his Sonne; Nicodemus a great Ma­gistrate, Gamaliel a great Doctor, Iairus a Ruler in the Synagogue, and this Simeon, in probability, pregnant enough, a Priest. But was that any great Addition to him, if hee were so? For holinesse, certainly it was; But for outward dignity, and respect, it was so too, Josephus. amongst them. In omni Natione, certum aliquod Nobilitatis argumentum. Every Na­tion hath some particular way of ennobling, and some particular evidence, and declara­tion of Nobility: Armes for a great part, is that in Spaine; and Merchandize in some States in Italy; and learning in France, where besides the very many preferments by the Church, in which, some other Nation may be equall to them, there are more prefer­ments, by other wayes of learning, especially of Judicature, then in any other Nation. All Nations, sayes Iosephus, had some peculiar way, and amongst the Jews, sayes he, Priest­hood was that way; A Priest was, even for civill priviledges, a Gentleman. Therefore hath the Apostle, not knighted, nor ennobled, but crowned every good soule, with that style, Regale Sacerdotium, That they are a Royall Priesthood; To be Royall without Priest­hood, seemed not to him Dignity enough. Consider then, that to come to the Com­munion Table, is to take Orders; Every man should come to that Altar, as holy as the Priest, Erasmus. for there he is a Priest: And, Sacer dotem nemo agit, qui libenter aliud est, quam Sa­cerdos: [Page 33]No man is truly a Priest, which is any thing else besides a Priest; that is, that entangles himselfe in any other businesse, so, as that that hinders his function in his Priesthood. No man comes to the Sacrament well, that is sorry hee is there; that is, whom the penalty of the law, or observation of neighbours, or any colla­terall respect brings thither. There thou art a Priest, though thou beest but a lay-man at home; And then, no man that hath taken Orders, can deprive himselfe, or devest his Orders, when he will: Thou art bound to continue in the same holinesse after, in which thou presentest thy selfe at that Table. As the sailes of a ship when they are spread and swolne, and the way that the ship makes, shewes me the winde, where it is, though the winde it selfe be an invisible thing; so thy actions to morrow, and the life that thou lead­est all the yeare, will shew mee, with what minde thou camest to the Sacrament, to day, though onely God, and not I, can see thy minde. Live in remembrance, that thou wast a Priest to day; (for no man hath received Christ, that hath not sacrificed himself.) And live, as though thou wert a Priest still; and then I say, with Sidonius Apollinaris, Malo Sacerdotalem virum, quam Sacerdotem, I had rather have one man that lives as a Priest should doe, then a hundred Priests that live not so. A worthy Receiver shall rise in Judgement against an unworthy Giver: Christ shall be the Sacrifice still, and thou the Priest, that camest but to receive, because thou hast sacrificed thy selfe; and he the Iudas, that pretended to be the Priest, because he hath betrald Christ to himselfe, and as much as lay in him, evacuated the Sacrament, and made it of none effect to thee.

It is farther added for his honour, and for his competency, and fitnesse for this Epi­phany, Iustus. V 25. to see his Saviour, that he was Iustus, a just, and righteous man. This is a legall Righteousnesse; a Righteousnesse, in which St. Paul sayes, he was unreproachable; that is, in the sight of all the world. And this Righteousnesse, even this outward righteous­nesse, he must bring with him that comes to this Epiphany, to this Manifestation, and Application of his Saviour, to him, in the Sacrament: It must stand well betweene him, and all the world. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, sayes Christ, Mat. 5.23. (if thou bring thy selfe to the Altar, sayes our case) and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, (it was ill done, not to remember it before; but if thou remember it then) Goe thy way, sayes Christ, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come, and offer thy gift; that is, offer thy selfe for that sacrifice: Better come a month after, with a cleare, then kneele it out then with a perplexed conscience. It is, If thy brother have ought against thee; how little soever: If thou have but scandalized him, though thou have not injured him, yet venture not upon this holy action, till thou have satisfied him. Thou maist be good; good so, as that thou hast intended no ill to him: He may be good too; good so, as that he wishes no ill to thee. And yet some negligence and remisnesse in thee, may have struck upon a weaknesse and a tendernesse in him, so as that he may be come, to think uncharitably of thee; and though this uncharitablenesse be his fault, and not thine, yet the negligence that occasioned it, was thine: Satisfie him; and that rectifies both; it redeemes thy negligence, it recovers his weaknesse. Till that be done, neither of you are fit for this holy action; God neither accepts that man, that is negligent of his actions, and cares not what others think, nor him that is over-easie to be scandalized, and mis-interpret actions, otherwise indifferent: For, to them who study not this righteous­nesse, to stand upright in the good opinions of good men, as God saies, Why takest thou my word into thy mouth, so Christ shall say, to the shaking of that conscience, why ta­kest thou my Body, and Bloud into thy hand?

This must be done; He must be just, righteous in the eyes of men; Timoratus. though more seeme to be implyed in his other character, that he was Timoratus, which we translate Devout: In the former, his object was man, though godly men; here it is God himselfe: Man must be respected, but God especially. And this devotion is well placed in feare; for Basis verbi est timor sanctus, sayes St. Augustine; and it is excellently said, if this bee his meaning, That whatsoever I promise my selfe out of the word of God, yet the Basis up­on which that promise stands, is my feare of God: If my feare of God fall, the word of God, so farre as it is a promise to me, falls to. Tertullian intends the same thing, when he sayes, fundamentum salutis timor; Though I have a holy confidence of my salvation, yet the foundation of this confidence is a modest, and a tender, and a reverentiall feare, that I am not diligent enough in the performance of those conditions which are required to the establishing of it; for this Eulabeia, which St. Hierome translates Timoratum, and [Page 34]we translate Devout, is a middle disposition betweene a Pharisaicall superstition, and a negligent irreverence, and profanation of Gods Ordinance. I come not with this Eula­beia, with Simeons disposition, to my Epiphany, to my receiving of my Saviour; if I think that Bread, my God, and superstitiously adore it, for that is Pharisaicall, and carnall; neither doe I bring that disposition thither, if I think God no otherwise present there, then in his own other Ordinances, and so refuse such postures, and actions of reverence, as are required to testifie outwardly mine inward devotion; for these may well consist together, I am sure I receive him effectually, when I looke upon his Mercy; I am af­fraid I doe not receive him worthily, when I look upon mine owne unworthinesse.

We cannot pursue this Anatomy of good old Simeon, this Just, and Devout Priest, so farre, as to shew you all his parts, and the use of them all, in particular. His example, and the characters that are upon him, are our Alphabet. I shall onely have time to name the rest of those characters; you must spell them, and put them into their syllables; you must forme them, and put them into their words; you must compose them, and put them into their Syntaxis, and sentences; that is, you must pursue the imitation, that when I have told you what he was, you may present your selves to God, such as he was. He was one that had the Holy Ghost upon him, Spiritus Sancius. saies that Story. The testimony given before, that he was Iustus, & Timoratus, righteous, and fearing God, was evidence enough, that the Holy Ghost was upon him. This addition is a testimony of a more particular pre­sence, and operation of the Holy Ghost, in some certaine way; and the way is agreed by all, to be, In dono Prophetiae, the Holy Ghost was upon him, in the spirit of Prophesie, so, as that he made him, at that time, a Prophet. Thou art a Prophet upon thy selfe, when thou commest to the Communion; Thou art able to foretell, and to pronounce upon thy selfe, what thou shalt be for ever; Vpon thy disposition then, thou maist conclude thine eternall state; Rom. 2.9. then thou knowest which part of St. Pauls distribution falls upon thee; whether that tribulations and anguish upon every soule of man, that doth evill; Or that, But glory, and honour, and peace to every man, that worketh good. Thou art this Prophet; silence not this Prophet; doe not chide thy conscience for chiding thee; Stone not this Prophet; doe not petrifie, and harden thy conscience against these holy suggestions: Say not with Ahab to the Prophet, Hast thou found me out, O mine ene­my? when an unrepented sinne comes to thy memory then, be not thou sorry that thou remembrest it then, nor doe not say, I would this sin had not troubled me now, I would I had not remembred it till to morrow; For, in that action, first, in Thesi, for the Rule, thou art a Preacher to thy selfe, 1 Cor. 11.20. and thou hast thy. Text in St. Paul, He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe; And then in Hypothesi, for the application to the particular case, thou art a Prophet to thy selfe; Thou that know­est in thy selfe, what thou doest then, canst say to thy selfe, what thou shalt suffer after, if thou doe ill.

There are more Elements in the making up of this man; many more. He waited, saies his story; Expectavit. He gave God his leisure. Simeon had informed himselfe, out of Daniel, and the other Prophets, that the time of the Messias comming was neare: As Daniel had in­formed himselfe out of Ieremy, and the other Prophets, that the time of the Deliverance from Babylon, was neare: Both waited patiently, and yet both prayed for the accelera­ting of that, which they waited for; Daniel for the Deliverance, Simeon for the Epipha­ny. Those consist well enough, patiently to attend Gods time, and yet earnestly to soli­cite the hastning of that time; for that time is Gods time, to which, our prayers have brought God; as that price was Gods price for Sodome, to which Abrahams solicitation brought God, Esay 45.9. and not the first fifty. That Prophet that sayes, Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker, that is, that presses God before his time, saies also, for all that, Oh that thou wouldest rent the heavens, Esay 64.1. and come downe. When thou commest to this seale of thy peace, the Sacrament, pray that God will give thee that light, that may direct and establish thee, in necessary and fundamentall things; that is, the light of faith to see, that the Body and Bloud of Christ, is applied to thee, in that action; But for the manner, how the Body and Bloud of Christ is there, wait his leisure, if he have not yet manifested that to thee: Grieve not at that, wonder not at that, presse not for that; for hee hath not manifested that, not the way, not the manner of his presence in the Sacrament, to the Church. A per­emptory prejudice upon other mens opinions, that no opinion but thine can be true, in the doctrine of the Sacrament, and an un charitable condemning of other men, or other [Page 35]Churches that may be of another perswasion then thou art, in the matter of the Sacra­ment, may frustrate and disappoint thee of all that benefit, which thou mightst have, by an humble receiving thereof, if thou wouldest excercise thy faith onely, here, and leave thy passion at home, and referre thy reason, and disputation to the Schoole.

He waited, saies the story; And he waited for the consolation of Israel. Israel. It is not an appropriating of hopes, or possessions of those hopes, to himselfe; but a charitable de­sire, of a communication of this consolation, upon all the Israel of God. Therefore is the Sacrament a Communion; Therefore is the Church, which is built of us, 1. Pet. 2.5. Gregor. Built of lively stones: And in such buildings, as stones doe, Vnusquisque portat alterum, & por­tatur ab altero: Every stone is supported by another, and supports another. As thou wouldest be well interpreted by others, interpret others well; and, as when thou com­mest to heaven, the joy, and the glory of every soule, shall bee thy glory, and thy joy; so when thou commest to the porch of the Triumphant Church, the doore of heaven, the Communion table, desire that that joy, which thou feelest in thy soule then, may then be communicated to every communicant there.

To this purpose, to testifie his devotion to the communion of Saints, Templum. Simeon came into the Temple, saies the story; to doe a holy worke, in a holy place. When we say, that God is no accepter of persons, we doe not meane, but that they which are within his Covenant, and they that have preserved the seales of his grace, are more acceptable to him, then they which are not, or have not. When we say, that God is not tied to places, we must not meane, but that God is otherwise present, and workes otherwise, in places consecrated to his service, then in every prophane place. When I pray in my chamber, I build a Temple there, that houre; And, that minute, when I cast out a prayer, in the street, I build a Temple there; And when my soule prayes without any voyce, my very body is then a Temple: And God, who knowes what I am doing in these actions, ere­cting these Temples, he comes to them and prospers, and blesses my devotions; and shall not I come to his Temple, where he is alwaies resident? My chamber were no Temple, my body were no Temple, except God came to it; but whether I come hither, or no, this will be Gods Temple: I may lose by my absence; He gaines nothing by my com­ming. He that hath a cause to be heard, will not goe to Smithfield, nor he that hath cat­taile to buy or sell, to Westminster; He that hath bargaines to make, or newes to tell, should not come to doe that at Church; nor he that hath prayers to make, walke in the fields for his devotions. If I have a great friend, though in cases of necessity, as sicknesse, or other restraints, hee will vouchsafe to visit me, yet I must make my fuits to him at home, at his owne house. In cases of necessity, Christ in the Sacrament, vouchsafes to come home to me; And the Court is where the King is; his blessings are with his Or­dinances, wheresoever: But the place to which he hath invited me, is his house. Hee that made the great Supper in the Gospel, called in new guests; but he sent out no meat to them, who had been invited, and might have come, and came not. Chamber-pray­ers, single, or with your family, Chamber-Sermons, Sermons read over there, and Chamber-Sacraments, administred in necessity there, are blessed assistants, and supple­ments; they are as the almes at the gate, but the feast is within; they are as a cock of water without, but the Cistern is within; habenti dabitur; he that hath a handfull of devotion at home, shall have his devotion multiplyed to a Gomer here; for when he is become a part of the Congregation, he is joynt-tenant with them, and the devotion of all the Congregation, and the blessings upon all the Congregation, are his blessings, and his devotions.

He came to a holy place, and he came by a holy motion, by the Spirit, In Spiritu. saies his Evi­dence, without holinesse, no man shall see God; not so well, without holinesse of the place; but not there neither, if he trust onely to the holinesse of the place, and bring no holinesse with him. Betweene that fearefull occasion of comming to Church, which S. Augustine confesses and laments, That they came to make wanton bargaines with their eyes, and met there, because they could meet no whereelse; and that more fearfull occa­sion of comming, when they came onely to elude the Law, and proceeding in their trea­cherous and traiterous religion in their heart, and yet communicating with us, draw God himselfe into their conspiracies, and to mocke us, make a mocke of God, and his reli­gion too: betweene these two, this licencious comming, and this treacherous comming, there are many commings to Church, commings for company, for observation, for mu­sique: [Page 36]And all these indispositions are ill at prayers; there they are unwholesome, but at the Sacrament, deadly: He that brings any collaterall respect to prayers, looses the be­nefit of the prayers of the Congregation; and he that brings that to a Sermon, looses the blessing of Gods ordinance in that Sermon; hee heares but the Logique, or the Reto­rique, or the Ethique, or the poetry of the Sermon, but the Sermon of the Sermon he heares not; but he that brings this disposition to the Sacrament, ends not in the losse of a benefit, but he acquires, and procures his owne damnation.

All that we consider in Simeon, Viderunt oculi. and apply from Simeon, to a worthy receiver of the Sacrament, is how he was fitted to depart in peace. All those peeces, which we have na­med, conduce to that: but all those are collected into that one, which remaines yet, Vi­derunt oculi, that his eyes had seene that salvation; for that was the accomplishment and fulfilling of Gods Word, According to thy word; All that God had said, should be done, was done; for, as it is said, v. 26. It was revealed unto him, by the holy Ghost, that hee should not see death, before he had seene the Lords Christ, and now his eyes had seene that Salvation. Abraham saw this before; but, but with the eye of faith; and yet rejoy­ced to see it so, he was glad even of that. Simeon saw it before this time; then, when he was illustrated with that Revelation, he saw it; but, but with the eye of hope; of such hope Abraham had no such ground; no particular hope, no promise, that hee should see the Messiah in his time; Simeon had, and yet he waited, he attended Gods leasure; But hope defer'd maketh the heart sick, Prov. 13.12. (saies Solomon) but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. His desire was come; he saw his salvation. Perchance not so, as S. Cyprian seemes to take it, That till this time Simeon was blinde, and upon this presentation of Christ in the Temple, came to his sight againe, and so saw this Salvation: for, I thinke, no one Author, but S. Cyprian, saies so, that Simeon was blinde till now, and now restored to sight; And I may ease S. Cyprian too, of that singularity; for it is enough, and abundantly evident, that that book in which that is said (which is, Altercatio Iasonis & papisci de Mes­sia) cannot possibly be S. Cyprians. But with his bodily eyes, open to other objects before, he saw the Lords Salvation, and his Salvation; the Lords, as it came from the Lord, and his, as it was appliable to him. He saw it, according to his word; that is, so far, as God had promised, he should see it. He saw not, how, that God, which was in this Child, & which was this child, was the Son of God; The manner of that eternall Generation he saw not. He saw not how this Son of God became man in a Virgins womb, whom no man knew; The manner of this Incarnation he saw not: for this eternall Generation, and this miracu­lous Incarnation, fell not within that Secundùm verbum, according to thy Word; God had promised Simeon nothing concerning those mysteries: But Christum Domini, the Lords Salvation, and his Salvation, that is, the person who was all that (which was all, that was within the word, and the promise) Simeon saw, and saw with bodily eyes. Be­loved, in the blessed, and glorious, and mysterious Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, thou seest Christum Domini, the Lords Salvation, and thy Salvation, and that, thus far with bodily eyes; That Bread which thou seest after the Consecration, is not the same bread, which was presented before; not that it is Transubstantiated to ano­ther substance, for it is bread still, (which is the hereticall Riddle of the Roman Church, and satans sophistry, to dishonour miracles, by the assiduity and frequency, and multi­plicity of them) but that it is severed, and appropriated by God, in that Ordinance to another use; It is other Bread, so, as a Judge is another man, upon the bench, then he is at home, in his owne house. In the Roman Church, they multiply, and extend miracles, til the miracle it selfe crack, and become none, but vanish into nothing, as boyes bubbles, (which were but bubbles before, at best) by an overblowing become nothing: Nay they constitute such miracles, as do not onely destroy the nature of the miracle, but destroy him, that should doe that miracle, even God himselfe: for, nothing proceeds farther to the destroying of God, then to make God do contradictory things; for, contradictions have falsehood, and so imply impotency, and infirmity in God. There cannot be a deeper Atheisme, then to impute contradictions to God; neither doth any one thing so over­charge God with contradictions, as the Transubstantiation of the Roman Church. There must be a Body there, and yet no where; In no place, and yet in every place, where there is a consecration. The Bread and the Wine must nourish the body, nay, the bread and the wine may poyson a body, and yet there is no bread, nor wine there. They multiply mi­racles, and they give not over, till they make God unable to doe a miracle, till they make [Page 37]him a contradictory, that is, an impotent God. And therefore Luther inferres well, that since miracles are so easie and cheape, and obvious to them, as they have induced a mira­culous transubstantiation, they might have done well to have procured one miracle more, a trans-accidentation, that since the substance is changed, the accidents might have beene changed too; and since there is no bread, there might be no demensions, no colour, no nourishing, no other qualities of bread neither; for, these remaining, there is rather an annihilation of God, in making him no God by being a contradictory God, then an annihilation of the Bread, by making that, which was formerly bread, God himselfe, by that way of Transubstantiation.

But yet, though this bread be not so transubstantiated, we refuse not the words of the Fathers, in which they have expressed themselves in this Mystery: Not Irenaeus his est corpus, that that bread is his body now; Not Tertullians fecit corpus, that that bread is made his body, which was not so before; Not S. Cyprians mutatus, that that bread is changed; Not Damascens supernaturaliter mutatus, that that bread is not only changed so in the use, as when at the Kings table certain portions of bread are made bread of Es­say, to passe over every dish, whether for safety or for Majesty; not only so civilly changed, but changed supernaturally; no nor Theophylacts transformatus est; (which seemes to be the word that goes farthest of all) for this transforming, cannot be intend­ed of the outward form and fashion, for that is not changed; but be it of that internall form, which is the very essence and nature of the bread, so it is transformed, so the bread hath received a new form, a new essence, a new nature, because whereas the nature of bread is but to nourish the body, the nature of this bread now is to nourish the soule. And therefore, Cum non dubitavit Dominus dicere, hoc est corpus meum, August. cum signum daret corporis, Since Christ forbore not to say, This is my body, when he gave the sign of his body, why should we forbeare to say of that bread, this is Christs body, which is the Sacrament of his body. You would have said at noone, this light is the Sun, and you will say now, this light is the Candle; That light was not the Sun, this light is not the Candle, but it is that portion of aire which the Sun did then, and which the Candle doth now enlighten. We say the Sacramentall bread is the body of Christ, because God hath shed his Ordinance upon it, and made it of another nature in the use, though not in the substance; Almost 600. years agoe, the Romane Church made Berengarius sweare, sensualiter tangitur, frangitur, teritur corpus Christs, That the body of Christ was sensi­bly handled, and broken, and chewed. They are ashamed of that now, and have molli­fied it with many modifications; and God knowes whether 100. yeares hence they will not bee as much ashamed of their Transubstantiation, and see as much unnatu­rall absurdity in their Trent Canon, or Lateran Cano [...], [...]s they doe in Berengarius oath. As they that deny the body of Christ to be in the Sacrament, lose their footing in depart­ing from their ground, the expresse Scriptures; so they that will assign a particular man­ner, how that body is there, have no footing, no ground at all, no Scripture to Anchor upon: And so, diving in a bottomlesse sea, they poppe sometimes above water to take breath, to appeare to say something, and then snatch at a loose preposition, that swims upon the face of the waters; and so the Roman Church hath catched a Trans, and others a Con, and a Sub, and an In, and varied their poetry into a Transubstantiation, and a Con­substantiation, and the rest, and rymed themselves beyond reason, into absurdities, and heresies, and by a young figure of similiter cadens, they are fallen alike into error, though the errors that they are fallen into, be not of a like nature, nor danger. We offer to goe no farther, then according to his Word; In the Sacrament our eyes see his salvation, according to that, so far, as that hath manifested unto us, and in that light wee depart in peace, without scruple in our owne, without offence to other mens consciences.

Having thus seene Simeon in these his Dimensions, with these holy impressions, 2 Part. these blessed characters upon him; first, ¹ A man in a reverend age, & then, ² In a holy function and calling, and with that, ³ Righteous in the eyes of men, and withall, ⁴ Devout in the eyes of God, ⁵ And made a Prophet upon himselfe by the holy Ghost, ⁶ still wayting Gods time, and his leasure, ⁷ And in that, desiring that his joy might be spread upon the whole Israel of God, ⁸ Frequenting holy places, the Temple, ⁹ And that upon holy motions, and there, ¹⁰ seeing the salvation of the Lord, that is, Discerning the applicati­on of salvation in the Ordinances of the Church, ¹¹ And lastly, contenting himselfe with so much therein, as was according to his word, and not inquiring farther then God [Page 38]had beene pleased to reveale; and having reflected all these severall beames upon every worthy Receiver of the Sacrament, the whole Quire of such worthy receivers may joyne with Simeon in this Antiphon, Nunc Dimittis, Lord now lettest thou thy servant de­part in peace, &c. S. Ambrose reades not this place as we doe, Nunc dimittis, but Nunc dimitte; not, Lord thou doest so; but, Lord doe so; and so he gives it the forme of a pray­er; and implyes not only a patience, and a contentednesse, but a desire, and an ambition that he might die; at least such an indifferency, and equanimity as Israel had, when he had seen Ioseph, Gen. 46.30. Now let me die, since I have seen thy face; after he had seen his face, the next face that he desired to see, was the face of God. For, howsoever there may bee some disorder, some irregularity, in S. Pauls Anathema pro fratribus, that he desired to be separated from Christ, rather then his brethren should, (that may scarce be drawen into consequence, or made a wish for us to imitate) yet to S. Pauls Cupio dissolvi, to an expresse, and to a deliberate desire, to be dissolved here, and to be united to Christ in heaven, (still with a primary relation to the glory of God, and a reservation of the will of God) a godly, a rectified and a well-disposed man may safely come. And so, (I know not upon what grounds) Nicephorus fayes, Simeon did wish, and had his wish; he pray­ed that he might die, and actually he did die then. Neither can a man at any time be fitter to make and obtain this wish, then when his eyes have seen his salvation in the Sacra­ment. At least, make this an argument of your having beene worthy receivers there­of, that you are in Aequilibri [...]o, in an evennesse, in an indifferency, in an equanimi­ty, whether ye die this night or no. For, howsoever S. Ambrose seem to make it a di­rect prayer, that he might die, he intends but such an equanimity, such an indiffe­rency; Quasi servus nonrefugit vitae obsequium, & quasi sapiem lucrum mortis amplectitur, sayes that Father; Simeon is so good a servant, as that he is content to serve his old ma­ster still, in his old place, in this world, but yet, he is so good a husband too, as that hee sees what a gainer he might be, if he might be made free by death. If thou desire not death, (that is the case of very few, to doe so in a rectified conscience, and without di­stemper) if thou beest not equally disposed towards death (that should be the case of all; and yet we are far from condemning all that are not come to that equanimity) yet if thou now feare death inordinately, I should feare that thine eyes have not seen thy salvation to day; who can feare the darknesse of death, that hath had the light of this world, and of the next too? who can feare death this night, that hath had the Lord of life in his hand to day? It is a question of consternation, a question that should strike him, that should answer it, dumb (as Christs question, Amice, quomodo intrasti? Friend, how camest in hither? did him to whom that was said) which Origen askes in this case, When wilt thou dare to goe out of this world, if thou darest not goe now, when Christ Jesus hath taken thee by the hand to leade thee out?

This then is truly to depart in peace, In pace. by the Gospell of peace, to the God of peace. My body is my prison; and I would be so obedient to the Law, as not to break prison; I would not hasten my death by starving, or macerating this body: But if this prison be burnt down by continuall feavers, or blowen down with continuall vapours, would any man be so in love with that ground upon which that prison stood, as to desire rather to stay there, then to go home? Our prisons are fallen, our bodies are dead to many for­mer uses; Our palate dead in a tastlesnesse; Our stomach dead in an indigestiblenesse; our feete dead in a lamenesse, and our invention in a dulnesse, and our memory in a for­getfulnesse; and yet, as a man that should love the ground, where his prison stood, we love this clay, that was a body in the dayes of our youth, and but our prison then, when it was at best; wee abhorre the graves of our bodies; and the body, which, in the best vigour thereof, Gen. 40. was but the grave of the soule, we over-love. Pharaohs Butler, and his Baker went both out of prison in a day; and in both cases, Ioseph, in the interpretati­on of their dreames, calls that, (their very discharge out of prison) a lifting up of their heads, a kinde of preferment: Death raises every man alike, so far, as that it delivers eve­ry man from his prison, from the incumbrances of this body: both Baker and Butler were delivered of their prison; but they passed into divers states after, one to the resti­tution of his place, the other to an ignominious execution. Of thy prison thou shalt be delivered whether thou wilt or no; thou must die; Foole, this night thy soule may be taken from thee; and then, what thou shalt be to morrow, prophecy upon thy selfe, by that which thou hast done to day; If thou didst depart from that Table in peace, thou [Page 39]canst depart from this world in peace. And the peace of that Table is, to come to it in pace desiderii, with a contented minde, and with an enjoying of those temporall blessings which thou hast, without macerating thy self, without usurping upon others, without murmuring at God; And to be at that Table, in pace cogitationum, in the peace of the Church, without the spirit of contradiction, or inquisition, without uncharitablenesse towards others, without curiosity in thy selfe: And then to come from that Table in pace domestica, with a bosome peace, in thine own Conscience, in that seale of thy recon­ciliation, in that Sacrament; that so, riding at that Anchor, and in that calme whether God enlarge thy voyage, by enlarging thy life, or put thee into the harbour, by the breath, by the breathlesnesse of Death, either way, East or West, thou maist depart in peace, according to his word, that is, as he shall be pleased to manifest his pleasure upon thee.

SERMON V. Preached at Pauls, upon Christmas Day. 1627.

IT hath been suspitiously doubted, more then that, freely disputed, more then that too, absolutely denied, that Christ was born the five and twen­tieth of December, that this is Christmas-day: yet for all these doubts, and disputations, and denials, we forbeare not, with the whole Church of God, constantly and confidently to celebrate this for his Day. It hath been doubted, and disputed, and denied too, that this Text, O my Lord, send I pray thee, by the hand of him, whom thou wilt send, hath any relation to the sending of the Messiah, to the comming of Christ, to Christmas-day; yet we forbeare not to wait upon the ancient Fathers, and as they said, to say, that Moses having received a comman­dement from God, to undertake that great employment of delivering the children of Is­rael from the oppressions of Pharaoh in Aegypt, and having excused himselfe by some o­ther modest and pious pretences, at last, when God pressed the imployment still upon him, he determines all in this, O my Lord, send I pray thee, by the hand of him, whom thou wilt send, or, (as it is in our Margin) when thou shouldest send. It is a work, next to the great work of the redemption of the whole world, to redeem Israel out of Aegypt; And therefore doe both workes at once, put both into one hand, and mitte quem missurus es, send him, whom I know, thou wilt send, him, whom pursuing thine own decree, thou shouldest send, send Christ, send him now, to redeem Israel from Aegypt.

These words then (though some have made that interpretation of them, and truly, not without a faire apparance, and probability, and verisimilitude) doe not necessarily imply a slacknesse in Moses zeale, that he desired not affectionately, and earnestly the deliverance of his Nation from the pressures of Aegypt; nor doe they imply any diffidence, or di­strust, that God could not, or would not endow him with faculties fit for that imploy­ment; But, as a thoughtfull man, a pensive, a considerative man, that stands still for a while, with his eyes fixed upon the ground, before his feete, when he casts up his head, hath presently, instantly the Sun, or the heavens for his object, he sees not a tree, nor a house, nor a steeple by the way, but as soon as his eye is departed from the earth where it was long fixed, the next thing he sees is the Sun or the heavens; so when Moses had fix­ed himselfe long upon the consideration of his own insufficiency for this service, when he tooke his eye from that low peece of ground, Himselfe, considered as he was then, he fell upon no tree, no house, no steeple, no such consideration as this, God may endow [Page 40]me, improve me, exalt me, enable me, qualifie me with faculties fit for this service, but his first object was that which presented an infallibility with it, Christ Jesus himselfe, the Messias himselfe, and the first petition that he offers to God is this, O my Lord send I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. For me, as I am, I am altogether unfit; when thou shalt be pleased to work upon me, thou wilt finde me but stone, hard to receive thy holy impressions, and then but snow, easie to melt, and lose those holy formes again: There must be labour laid, and perchance labour lost upon me; but put the businesse into a safe had, and under an infallible instrument, and Mitte quem missurus es, send him whom, I know, thou wilt send, him, whom, pursuing thine own decree, thou shouldest send, send him, send Christ now.

As much as Paradise exceeded all the places of the earth, Divisie. doe the Scriptures of God exceed Paradise. In the midst of Paradise grew the Tree of knowledge, and the tree of life: In this Paradise, the Scripture, every word is both those Trees; there is Life and Know­ledge in every word of the Word of God. That Germen Iehovae, as the Prophet Esay calls Christ, that Off-spring of Jehova, that Bud, that Blossome, that fruit of God him­selfe, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Redeemer, Christ Jesus, growes upon every tree in this Paradise, the Scripture; for Christ was the occasion before, and is the consumma­tion after, 1 Iohn 5.13. of all Scripture. This have I written (sayes S. Iohn,) and so say all the Pen-men of the holy Ghost, in all that they have written, This have we written, that ye may know that ye have eternall life. Knowledge and life growes upon every tree in this Paradise, upon every word in this Booke, because upon every Tree here, upon every word, grows Christ himselfe, in some relation.

From this Branch, this Text, O my Lord send, I pray thee by the hand of him, whom thou wilt send, we shall not so much stand, to gather here and there an Apple, that is, to consi­der some particular words of the Text it selfe, as endeavour to shake the whole tree, that is, the Context, and coherence and dependance of the words: for, since all that passed between God and Moses in this affaire, and negotiation, Gods employing of Moses, and Moses presenting his excuses to God, and Gods taking of all those excuses, determines in our Text, in our Text is the whole story, virtually and radically implyed; And there­fore, by just occasion thereof, we shall consider first, That though for the ordinary duties of our callings, arising out of the evidence of expresse Scriptures, we are allowed no hae­sitation, no disputation, whether we will doe them or no; but they require a present, and an exact execution thereof: yet in extraordinary cases, and in such actions as are not laid upon us, by any former and permanent notification thereof in Scripture, such as was Moses case here, to undertake the deliverance of Israel from Egypt; in such cases, not onely some haesitation, some deliberation, some consultation in our selves, but some ex­postulation with God himselfe, may be excusable in us. We shall therefore see, that Moses did excuse himself four wayes; And how God was pleased to joyn issue with him in all foure, and to cast him, and overcome him in them all: And when we come to consider his fift, which is rather a Diversion upon another, then an Excuse in himselfe, and yet, is that, which is most literally in our Text, O my Lord send, I pray thee, by the hand of him, whom thou wilt send, because this was a thing which God had reserved wholly to him­selfe, The sending of Christ: we shall see, that God would not have been pressed for that, but, (as it followes immediately, and is also a bough of this tree, that is, grows out of this Text) God was angry; But yet (as we shall see in the due place) it was but such an anger, as ended in an Instruction, rather then in an Increpation; and in an Encourage­ment, rather then in a Desertion, for he established Moses in a resolution to undertake the worke, by joyning his brother Aaron in commission with him. So then, wee have shak'd the tree, that is, resolv'd and analyz'd the Context, of all which, the Text it selfe is the root, and the seale. And, as we have presented to your sight, we shall farther offer to your tast, and digestion, and rumination, these particular fruits; First, that ordinary Du­ties require a present execution; Secondly, that in Extraordinary, God allowes a Deli­beration, and requires not an implicite, a blind obedience: And in a third place, wee shall give you those foure circumstances, that accompanied, or constituted Moses delibe­ration, and Gods removing of those foure impediments: And in a fourth [...]oome, that Consultation or Diversion, The sending of Christ: And in that, How God was affected with it, He was angry: angry that Moses would offer to looke into those things, which he had lockt up in his secret counsels, such as that sending of Christ, which he intended: [Page 41]But yet, not angry so, as that he left Moses unsatisfied, or un-accommodated for the maine businesse, but setled him in a holy and chearfull readinesse to obey his comman­dement. And through all these particulars, we shall passe, with as much clearnesse, as the waight, and as much shortnesse, as the number will permit.

First then, our first Consideration constitutes that Proposition, Ordinary Duties, Ordinary Duties. ari­sing out of the Evidence of Gods Word, require a present Execution. There are Duties that binde us semper, and Adsemper, as our Casuists speak; we are Alwayes bound to doe them, and bound to doe them Alwayes; that is, Alwayes to produce Actus elicitos, Determinate acts, Successive and Consecutive acts, conformable to those Duties; whereas in some other Duties, we are onely bound to an Habituall disposition, to doe them in such and such necessary cases; And those Actions of the later sort, fall in Gene­re Deliberativo, we may consider Circumstances, before we fall under a necessity of do­ing them; that is, of doing them Then, or doing them Thus: Of which kind, even those great duties of Praying, and Fasting are; for we are alwayes bound to Pray, and alwayes bound to Fast; but not bound to fast alwayes, nor alwayes to pray. But for Actions of the first kind, such as are the worshipping of God, and the not worshipping of Images; such as are the sanctifying of Gods Sabbaths, and the not blaspheming of his Name, which arise out of cleare and evident commands of God; they admit no Deliberation, but require a present Execution. Therefore as S. Stephen saw Christ, standing at the right hand of his Father, (a posture that denotes first a readinesse to survay, and take know­ledge of our distresses, and then a readinesse to proceed, and come forth to our assistance) so in our Liturgie, in our Service, in the Congregation, we stand up at the profession of the Creed, at the rehearsing the Articles of our Faith, thereby to declare to God, and his Church, our readinesse to stand to, and our readinesse to proceed in that Profession. The commendation which is given of Andrew, and Peter for obeying Christs call, Mark 1.18. lyes not so much in the Reliquerunt retia, that they left their nets, as in the Protinus reliquerunt, that forthwith, immediately, without farther deliberation, they left their nets, the meanes of their livelyhood, and followed Christ. The Lord and his Spirit hath anointed us to preach, Esay 61.1. sayes the Prophet Esay: To preach what? Acceptabilem annum, to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. All the yeare long the Lord stands with his armes open to embrace you, and all the yeare long we pray you in Christs stead, that you would be reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 5.20. Psal. 95.8. But yet, God would faine reduce it to a narrower compasse of time, H [...]die si vocem ejus audieritis, that you would heare his voyce to day, and not harden your hearts to day: And to a narrower compasse then that, Dabitur in illa hora, sayes Christ, Luk. 12.12. The holy Ghost shall teach you in that houre: In this houre the holy Ghost offers himselfe unto you: And to a narrower compasse then an houre, Beati qui nunc esuritis, qui nunc fletis, Luk. 6.21. Blessed are ye that hunger now, and that mourn now, that put not off years, nor dayes, nor hours, but come to a sense of your sins, and of the meanes of reconciliation to God, now, this minute. And therefore, when ye reade, Iusta pondera, just weights, and Just balances, Levit. 19.36. and just mea­sures, a just Hin, and a just Ephah shall ye have, I am the Lord your God, Do not you say, so I will hereafter, I will come to just weights and measures, and to deale uprightly in the world, as soon as I have made a fortune, established a state, raised a competency for wife and children, but yet I must doe as other men doe; Levit. 23. when you reade Remember that you keep holy the Sabbath day, (and by the way, remember that God hath called his other holy dayes, and holy convocations, Sabbaths too) remember that you celebrate his Sab­baths by your presence here, doe not you say, so I will if I can rise time enough, if I can dine soon enough; when you reade, sweare not at all, doe not you say, Matt. 5.34. no more I would but that I live amongst men that will not beleeve me without swearing, and laugh at me if I did not sweare; for duties of this kinde, permanent and constant duties arising out of the evidence of Gods word, such as just and true dealing with men, such as keeping Gods Sabbaths, such as not blaspheming his name, have no latitude about them, no con­ditions in them; they have no circumstance, but are all substance, no apparell, but are all body, no body, but are all soule, no matter, but are all forme; They are not in Genere deliberativo, they admit no deliberation, but require an immediate, and an exact execution.

But then, for extraordinary things, things that have not their evidence in the word of God formerly revealed unto us, whether we consider matters of Doctrine, Extraordi­nary. and new opi­nions, or matter of Practise, and new commands, from what depth of learning soever [Page 42]that new opinion seeme to us to rise, or from heighth of Power soever that new-Com­mand seeme to fall, it is still in genere deliberativo, still we are allowed, nay still wee are commanded to deliberate, Melch. Canus. to doubt, to consider, before we execute. As a good Author in the Roman Church, sayes, Perniciosius est Ecclesiae, It is more dangerous to the Church, to accept an Apocryphall book for Canonicall, then to reject a Canonicall booke for Apocryphall: so may it be more dangerous, to doe some things, which to a distempered man may seeme to be commanded by God, then to forbeare some things, which are truely commanded by him. God had rather that himselfe should be suspected, then that a false god should be admitted. The easinesse of admitting Revelations, and Visions, and Apparitions of spirits, and Purgatory souls in the Roman Church; And then, the over­bending, and super-exaltation of zeale, and the captivity to the private spirit, which some have fallen into, that have not beene content to consist in moderate, and middle wayes in the Reformed Church; this easinesse of admitting imaginary apparitions of spirits in the Papist, and this easinesse of submitting to the private spirit, in the Schismatike, hath produced effects equally mischievous: Melancholy being made the seat of Religion on the one side, Basil. by the Papist, and Phrenzy on the other side, by the Schismatick. Multi, prae studio immoderato intendi in contrarium aberrarunt à medio, was the observation and the complaint of that Father in his time, and his prophecy of ours; That many times, an over-vehement bending into some way of our owne choosing, does not onely with­draw us from the left hand way, the way of superstition, and Idolatry, from which wee should all draw, but from the middle way too, in which we should stand, and walk. And then, Leo. the danger is thus great, facile in omnia flagitia impulit, quos religione decepit diabolus; As God doth, the devill also doth make Zeal and Religion his instrument. And in other tentations, the devill is but a serpent; but in this, when he makes zeale and religion his instrument, he is a Lyon. As long as the devill doth but say, Doe this, or thou wilt live a foole, and dye a begger; Doe this, or thou canst not live in this world, the devill is but a devill, he playes but a devils part, a lyer, a seducer; But when the devill comes to say, Doe this, or thou canst not live in the next world, thou canst not be saved, here the de­vill pretends to be God, here he acts Gods part, and so prevails the more powerfully up­on us. And then, when men are so mis-transported, either in opinions, or in actions, with this private spirit, and inordinate zeale, Quibus non potest auferre fidem, aufert charitatem, sayes the same Father, Though the devill hath not quenched faith in that man himselfe, yet he hath quenched that mans charity towards other men; Though that man might be saved, in that opinion which he holds, because (perchance) that opinion destroyes no fundamentall point, yet his salvation is shrewdly shaked, and endangered, in his uncha­ritable thinking, that no body can be saved that thinks otherwise. And as it works thus to an uncharitablenesse in private, so doth it to turbulency, and sedition in the publique. Of which, Eusebius. we have a pregnant, and an aplyable example in the life of Constantine the Em­perour; In his time, there arose some new questions, and new opinions in some points of Religion; the Emperor writ alike to both parties, thus: De rebus ejusmodi, nec omnino rogetis, nec rogati respondeatis: Doe you move no questions, in such things, your selves; and if any other doe, yet be not you too forward, to write, so much as against them. What questions doth he meane? That is expressed, Quas nulla lex, Canonve Ecclesiasticus ne­cessario praescribit; Such questions, as are not evidently declared, and more then evidently declared, necessarily enjoyned by some law, some rule, some Canon of the Church: Di­sturbe not the peace of the Church, upon Inferences, and Consequences, but deale onely upon those things, which are evidently declared in the Articles, and necessarily en­joyned by the Church. And yet, though that Emperor declared himselfe on neither side, nor did any act in favour of either side, yet because he did not declare himselfe on their side, those promovers of these new opinions, Eo pervenere, (sayes that Author) ut imagines Imperatoris violarint, They came as far as they could, to violate the person of the Emperour, for they violated and defac'd his statues, his images, his pictures, the en­signs of his power and honour; And in this insolency they continued (sayes that Au­thor) even after the Emperour had silenced both parties; when he, by his expresse Edict, had forbidden both sides to write, the promovers of the new opinions would write. Still such men think, that whatsoeuer they think, is not onely true in it selfe, but necessary for salvation to every man; whereas new opinions, that may vary from the Scriptures; new commands, that may vary from the Church, are still in Genere deliberativo, they admit, [Page 43]they require Deliberation. Blinde and implicite faith shall not save us in matter of Do­ctrine, nor blinde and implicite obedience, in matter of practice; neither is there any faith so blinde, and implicite, as to beleeve those imaginary apparitions of spirits, nor any obedience so blinde and implicite, as to obey our owne private spirit, and distempe­red zeale. Truly, I should hope better of their salvation, who in the first darker times, doubted of the Revelations of St. Iohn, then of theirs, who in these cleare and evident times, accept, and enjoyne, and magnifie, so much as they doe in the Romane Church, the Revelations of St. Brigid: And I should rather accompany them, who out of their charitable moderation, doe beleeve, that some Christians, though possessed with some errours, may be saved, then them, who out of their passionate severity, first call every difference from themselves, an errour; and then every errour, damnable; and doe not onely pronounce, that none that holds any such errour, can bee saved, but that no man, though he hold none of those errours himselfe, can be saved, if he think any man can be saved, that holds them. And so we have done with those two propofitions, which are the walls upon which our whole frame is to be laid; That ordinary duties require a pre­sent execution, that was our first: but extraordinary admit deliberation, that was our se­cond Consideration; And now our third is, to confider Moses case in particular, as it was an example of both.

As Moses was an example of the present performance of an evident duty, Moses case. we carry you back, to the former chapter, where this roote, this Text is first laid, that is, this employ­ment first begun to be notified. There ver. 4. God calls Moses, and he calls him by name, V. 4. and by name twice, Moses, Moses. Of this, Moses could not be ignorant; and therefore he comes to a present discharge of this duty to a present answer, ecce adsum, Lord, here I am. This is the advantage of innocence above guiltinesse; God called Adam in Para­dise, and he called him by name, and with a particular inquisition, Adam, ubies? Adam, where art thou? And Adam hid himselfe; God calls Moses, and Moses answers. Hee that is used to heare God, at home, in his conscience, and in his eares, at Church; and used to answer God, in both places, at home in his private meditations, and in publique devo­tions at Church; he that is used to heare, and used to answer God thus, shall be glad to heare him, in his last voice, in his Angels Trumpets, and to that voice, Surgite qui dor­mitis, Arise thou that sleepest in the dust, and stand up to Judgement, as he shall have in­vested the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus, he shall answer in the very words of Christ Je­sus; I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive, for evermore, Amen. Apoc. 1.18. In this evident duty then, Moses permitted himselfe no liberty; God called, and he answered in­stantly; He answered in action, as well as in words; and, indeed, that is our loudest, and most musicall answer, to answer God, in deed, in action. So Moses did; He came, V. 5. he hastned to the place, where God spake. It is one good argument of piety, to love the place where God speakes, the house of his presence. But yet Moses received an inhibiti­on from God there, a ne appropies, Come not too neare, too close to this place. God loves that we should come to him here, in his house; but God would not have us presse too close upon him here; we must not be too familiar, too fellowly, too homely with God, here at home, in his house, nor loath to uncover our head, or bow our knee at his name. When God proceeded farther with Moses, and comes to say, descendi ut liberem, V. 8. I am come downe to deliver Israel from Egypt, (which was the first intimation that God gave of that purpose) Moses likes that well enough, opposes nothing to that, that God would be pleased to thinke of some course for delivering of Israel, and enable some Instrument for that worke; for that is, for the most part Gods descending, and his comming down, to put his power instrumentally, ministerially, into the hand of another; Generall things, and remote things doe not much affect us; Moses sayes nothing to Gods generall pro­position; That he was come downe to deliver Israel, but when God comes to that par­ticular, veni erg [...] ut mittamte, Come therefore that I may send thee, him into Egypt, V. 9, 10. Mo­ses to Pharaoh, this was a Rock in his Sea, and a Remora upon his Ship, a Hill in his way, and a Snake in his path. Some light, that this was about the time, when Israel should be delivered, there was before. Moses takes knowledge, Gen. 15.16. that God had promised Abra­ham, that after foure generations, they should come back; and the foure generations were come about. Some light, that Moses should be the man, by whom they should bee delivered, it seemes there was before; for upon that history which is in the second chap­ter of this booke, that Moses flew an Egyptian who oppressed one of his Countrymen, Exod. 2.13. [Page 44]St. Stephen, Acts 7.25. in his owne Funerall Sermon, sayes, That Moses, in that act supposed, his bre­thren would have understood, how that God, by his hand would deliver them, but they under­stood it not. So that it seemes some such thing had gone out in voyce, some revelation, some intimation, some emanation of some kinde of light there had beene, by which they might have understood it, though they did not. But when Moses remembers now, that that succeeded not, that they apprehended not the offer of his service then, and that he was now growne to be eighty yeares old, and that forty of that eighty had been spent in an obscure, in a Shepherds life, and that he must now be sent, not onely to worke upon that people, who shewed no forwardnesse towards him then, and might absolute­ly have forgotten him now, but upon Pharaoh himselfe, this created in Moses this haesita­tion, this deliberation; perchance not without some tincture of infirmity, but farre from any degree of impiety; perchance not without some expostulation with God, but farre from any reluctation against God. Consider Abraham; Abraham the Father of the faithfull; of whom, as the Apostle sayes, that he hoped beyond hope, we may say, that he beleeved beyond faith, for, (as he sayes) he followed God, not knowing whither he led him; Abraham came to another manner of expostulation with God, Gen. 18.22. in the behalfe of Sodome; He sayes to God, wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? Absit, be that farre from thee; and he repeats it Absit, be that farre from thee; and he pleads it with God, Shall not the Iudge of all the earth doe right? Now as St. Paul sayes of Esay, Esay was bold when he said thus and thus; so we may say of Abraham, Abraham was bold, when he could con­ceive such an imagination, that God would destroy the righteous with the wicked, or that the Judge of all the earth should not doe right; yet Abraham is not blamed for this. Consider St. Peters proceeding with Christ; Mat. 16.23. he comes to a rebuking of Christ, and to a more vehement absit, Lord be this far from thee, this shall not be unto thee, speaking of his going up to Jerusalem, upon which journey dependeth the whole work of our redemp­tion. And though S. Peter incurred an increpation from Christ, yet that which he did, was rooted in love, and piety, though it were mixt with inconsideration. S. Peter went farther then Abraham, but Abraham farthen then Moses; As therefore that first Re­velation, which Moses may seeme to have received, when he was forty yeares before this, in Egypt, did not so binde him, to a present prosecution of that work of their delive­rance, but that, upon occasion he did withdraw himselfe from Egypt, and continue from thence, in a forty yeares absence; so neither did this intimation, which he received from God now, so binde him up, but that hee might piously present his owne unfitnesse for that emploiment; for it does not so much imply a deniall to undertake the service, as a petition, that God would super-endow him, with parts, and faculties, fit for that ser­vice; It is farre from that stubborne sonnes non ibo, I will not goe to work in that Vine­yard; But it is onely this, except God doe somewhat for me before Lgoe, I shall be ve­ry unfit to goe: And that any Ambassadour may say to his Prince, any Minister of State to his Master, any Messenger of God to God himselfe. And therefore good occasion of doctrines of edification offering it selfe from that consideration, wee shall insist a little, upon each of his excuses, though they be foure.

His first prospect that he looks upon in himself, Quis ego. his first object, that by way of objecti­on he makes to God, is himself, and his owne unworthinesse. To consider others, is but to travaile: to be at home, is to consider our selves: upon others we can looke, but in oblique lines; onely upon our selves, in direct. Man is but earth; Tis true; but earth is the center. That man who dwels upon himself, who is alwaies conversant in himself, rests in his true center. Man is a celestiall creature too, a heavenly creature; and that man that dwels upon himselfe, that hath his conversation in himselfe, hath his conversation in heaven, If you weigh any thing in a scale, the greater it is, the lower it sinkes; as you grow greater and greater in the eyes of the world, sinke lower and lower in your owne. If thou ask thy self Quis ego, what am I? and beest able to answer thy selfe, why now I am a man of title, of honour, of place, of power, of possessions, a man fit for a Chronicle, a man considerable in the Heralds Office, goe to the Heralds Office, the spheare and element of Honour, and thou shalt finde those men as busie there, about the consideration of Funerals, as about the consideration of Creations; thou shalt finde that office to be as well the Grave, as the Cradle of Honour; And thou shalt finde in that Office as many Records of attain­ted families, and escheated families, and empoverished and forgotten, and obliterate fa­milies, as of families newly erected and presently celebrated. In what heighth soever, any [Page 45]of you that sit here, stand at home, there is some other in some higher station then yours, that weighs you downe: And he that stands in the highest of subordinate heighths, nay in the highest supreme heighth in this world, is weighed downe, by that, which is no­thing; for what is any Monarch to the whole world? and the whole world is but that; but what? but nothing. What man amongst us lookes Moses way, first upon himselfe; perchance enow doe so; but who lookes Moses way, and by Moses light? first upon him­selfe, and in himselfe, first upon his owne insufficiencies; what man amongst us, that is named to any place, by the good opinion of others, or that cals upon others, and begs, and buyes their good opinion for that place, begins at Moses, Quis ego? What am I? where have I studied and practised sufficiently before, that I should fill such or such a place of Judicature? Quis ego? What am I? where have I served, and laboured, and preached in inferiour places of the Church, that I should fill fuch or a such a place of Dignity or prelacy there? Quis ego? What am I? where have I seene and encountred, and discom­fited the enemy, that I should fill such or such a place of Command in an army? There is not an Abraham left to say, Pulvis & Cinis, O my Lord, I am but dust and ashes; not a Iacob left to say, Non sum dignus, O my Lord I am not worthy of the least of these preferments; not a David left to say, Canis mortuies, & pulex, O my Lord I am but a dead dog, and a flea; But every man is vapor'd up into ayre; and, as the ayre can, hee thinkes he can fill any place: Every man is under that complicated disease, and that ridling distemper, not to be content with the most, and yet to be proud of the least thing hee hath; that when he lookes upon men, he dispises them, because he is some kind of Offi­cer, and when he looks upon God, hee murmures at him, because he made him not a King. But if man will not come to his Quis ego? who am I? to a due consideration of himselfe, God will come to his Quis tu? who art thou? and to his Amice quomodo intrasti? friend how came you in? To every man that comes in by undue meanes, God shall say, as first to us, in our profession, what hadst thou to doe, to take my word into thy mouth? so to others in theirs, what hadst thou to doe, to take my sword into thy hand? Onely to those who are little in their owne eyes, shall God say, as Christ said to his Church, Noli timere, feare not little flock, for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome. It is not called a Kingdome, but the Kingdome; that Kingdome, which alone, Luk. 12.32. is worth all the kingdomes that the devill shewed Christ, The Kingdome of Heaven. Be but a worme and no man, as David speakes even in the person of Christ; Ps. 22.7. finde thy selfe troden under foot, and under thine owne foot, that is, depressed in thine owne esti­mation, and God shall raise thee with that supportation, Feare not thou worme of Iacob, Esay 41.14. ye men of Israel. Be but wormes and no more, in your owne eyes, and God shall make you men, bee but men and no more in your owne eyes, and GOD shall make you the men of his Israel. This was Moses way; not a running away from God, but a tur­ning into himselfe; not a reluctation against God, but a consideration of himselfe. For, though the lazy mans Quis ego, shall not profit him, when he shall say, what am I? I am but one man, I can doe nothing alone, and so leave all reformation un-attempted in his place, because others will [...]orme nothing in theirs; (for, that which David saies, Ps. 50.18. If thou sawest a thiefe, Currebas, thou didst rise and run with him, is not much worse, then when thou seest a lazy man, to lye downe and sleepe with him) Though this mans Quis ego, what am I? shall not profit him, for it is but the voice of prevarication, in the ordinary du­ties of his calling, yet in Moses case, in every undertaking of a new action, this examinati­on, this exinanition of our selves is acceptable in the fight of God. And therefore Cal­vin saies justly of this particular, in Moses case, Non modo culpa vacare, sed laude dignum puto, that Moses in this his proceeding with God, was so far from deserving blame, that hee deserved much praise. And so it seemes, God himselfe interpreted it, and accepted it; for first, for his way, he gives him that assurance, Certainely I will be with thee; V. 12. and then for the end, and the effect too, he directs him thus, when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt (as, certainely this people thou shalt bring from thence) then shall they serve God upon this Mountaine. And further we may not carry the consideration of Moses first excuse, arising out of the contemplation of his owne insufficiency, in generall.

The second doubt and difficulty that Moses makes to himselfe, and presents to God, Quod nomeu? V. 13. Euseb. l. 6. c. 3. is this, that hee was not able to tell them to whom he was sent, his name that sent him. When I am come to them, saies Moses to God, and shall say, thou hast sent me, and they shall say, what is his Name, what shall I say unto them? In Eusebius his history, A Tyran, a persecutor, [Page 46]askes a martyr, Artalus, in the midst of his torments, in scorne and contempt, What is your Gods name? you pretende a necessity of worshipping a new God, your God, but what shall we call your God, what is your Gods name? And the Martyr answered, Qui plures sunt, nominibus decernuntur, qui unus est, nomine non indiget: You who worship many Gods, need many names to distinguish your Gods by; we, who know but one God, need no other name of God, but God; wee who worship the onely true God, need not the semi-gods, nor the sesqui-gods of the Romane Church; not their semi-gods, their halfe-gods, men beatified, but not sanctified; made private gods, but not pub­lique gods; chamber-gods, but not Church-gods; nor any sesqui-god, any that must be more then God, and receive appeales from God, and reverse the decrees of God, which they make the office of the Virgin Mary, whom no man can honour too much, that makes her not God, and they dishonour most, that make her so much more. But yet, some names, some notifications of God, no doubt the Jews had: Moses sayes here, that he would tell them, that the God of their Fathers had sent him; which was a name of specification, and distinction of this GOD, from all the gods of the Gentiles. But in this place, Moses desires such a name of God, as might not onely intimate to them to whom he was sent, a great power in that Prince that sent him, but might also intimate a great privacy, and confidence in him that was sent; A name, by which he might be knowne, to know more of that God, then other men knew; for, nothing advances a businesse more, then when hee that is employed, is beleeved to know the mind, and to have the heart of him, that sends him. Therefore God gives Moses a cyphar; God declares to Mo­ses, his bosome name, his viscerall name, his radicall, his fundamentall name, the name of his Essence, Qui sum, I am; Goe, and tell them, that he whose name is I am, hath sent thee. It is true, that literally in the Originall, this name is conceived in the future; it is there, Qui ero, I that shall be. But this present acceptation, I am, hath passed through all Translators, and all Commentors, and Fathers, and Councels, and Schooles, and the whole Church of God rests in it. Piscator. And I know but one, (who is of the Reformation, and of the most rigid sub-division in the Reformation, and who hath many other singularities besides this) that will needs translate this name, Qui eram, I was. Howsoever, all intend, that this is a name that denotes Essence, Beeing: Beeing is the name of God, and of God onely: for, of every other creature, Plato saies well, Ejus nomen est potius non esse; The name of the Creator is, I am, but of every creature rather, I am not, I am nothing. Hee considers it, and concludes it, in the best, and noblest of creatures, Man; for, he, as well as the rest, plus habet non entis, quam entis; Man hath more privatives, then positives in him; Man hath but his owne beeing; Man hath not the beeing of an Angel, nor the bee­ing of a lyon; God hath all in a kind of eminence more excellently then the kinds them­selves, onely his name is I am. Plato pursues this consideration usefully; Habuit ante aeter­num non esse, Man had an eternall not beeing before; that is, before the creation; for those infinite millions of millions of generations before the Creation, there was a God, whose name was I am; but till within these sixe thousand yeares, Man was not, there was no man. And so saies Plato, Haberet aeternum non esse, [...] Man had an eternall not beeing before the Creation; so he would have another eternall not-being after his dis­solution by death, in soule, as well as in body, if God did not preserve that beeing, which he hath imprinted in both, in both. And jam dum est, saies he, As man had one eternall not beeing before, and would have another after, so for that beeing which he seemes to have here now, it is a continuall declination into a not being, because he is in continuall change, and mutation, quae desinit in non esse, as he saies well; Every change and muta­tion bends to a not beeing, because in every change, it comes to a not being that which it was before; onely the name of God is I am.

In which name, God gave Moses, and does give us who are also his Embassadors, so much knowledge of himselfe, as that we may tell you, though not what God is, yet, that God is; God, in the notification of this name, sends us sufficiently instructed, to e­stablish you in the assurance of an everlasting, and an ever-ready God, but not to scatter you with unnecessary speculations, and impertinencies concerning this God. He is no fit messenger between God and his Church, that knowes not Gods name; that is, how God hath notified, and manifested himselfe to man. God hath manifested himselfe to man in Christ; and manifested Christ in the Scriptures; and manifested the Scriptures in the Church; the name of God is the notification of God; how God will be called [Page 47]by man, and that is, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and how God will be called upon by man, that is, that all our prayers to God be directed in, and through, and by, and for Christ Jesus. If we know the name of God, Qui sum, I am, that is, beleeve Christ Jesus, whom we worship to have been from all eternity, to be God; and then for more particular points, beleeve those Doctrines, quae sunt, which are, that is, Quae sunt u­bique, & semper, as Lyrinensis sayes, which have been alwayes beleeved, and alwayes be­leeved to have been necessary to be beleeved as articles of Faith, through the whole Ca­tholique Church, if we know the name of God thus, we have our Commission, and our qualification in that Gospell, Goe, and teach all Nations, Mat. 28.19. and baptize in the name of the Fa­ther, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost; that is the name of God to a Christian, the Tri­nity. And least that Commission so delivered in the generall and fundamentall manner, professing the Trinity, should not seem enough, it is repeated and paraphrased in the verse following, Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. First there is a Teaching; good life it self is but a commentary, an exposition upon our preach­ing; that which is first laid upon us is preaching; and then teach them to observe, that is, to practise; breed them not in an opinion that such a faith as is without workes is e­nough; and teach them to observe All; For, for matter of practice, He that breakes one Law is guilty of all, and he that thinkes to serve God by way of compensation, that is, to recompense God by doing one duty, for the omission of another, sins even in that, in which he thinkes he serves God; and for matter of beleefe, he that beleeves not all, solvit Iesum, as S. Iohn speakes, he takes Jesus in peeces, and after the Jews have crucified him, he dissects him, and makes him an Anatomy. We must therefore teach all; but then it is but all, which Christ hath commanded us; additionall and traditionall do­ctrines of the Papist, speculative and dazling, riddling and entangling perplexities of the Schoole, passionate, and uncharitable wranglings of Controverters, these fall not in Mo­ses Commission, nor ours, who participate of his; we are to deliver to you by the Or­dinance of God, Preaching, The name of God, that is, how God hath manifested him­self to man, and how God will be called upon by man, That God is your God in Christ, if you receive Christ in the Scriptures, applyed in the Church. And farther we carry not our consideration upon this second excuse of Moses, in which (as in the former, he considered his insufficiency in the generall) he considers it in this, that he had not studi­ed, he had not acquired, he had not sought the knowledge of those Mysteries which ap­pertained to that calling, implyed in that, that he did not know Gods name.

His third excuse, which induces a great discouragement, Non elo­quens. arises out of a defect in na­ture, whereas the former is rather of art, and study, and consideration; and to be natu­rally defective in those faculties, which are essentiall and necessary to that work, which is under our hand, is a great discouragement. Lamenesse is not alwayes an insupporta­ble calamity; but for Mephibosheth to have been hindred by lamenesse then, when he should have received favour from the King, and setled his inheritance, this was a heavy affliction. Lownesse of stature is no insupportable thing; but when Zacheus came with such a desire to see Christ, then to be disappointed by reason of his lownesse, this might affect him. It is not alwayes insupportable to lack the assistance of a servant, or a friend; But when the Angel hath troubled the water, and made it medicinall for him that is first put in and no more, then to have lyen many yeares in expectation, and still to lack a ser­vant, or a friend to do that office, this is a misery. And this was Moses case; God will send him upon a service, that consisted much in perswasion, and good speech, and he sayes, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant. Ver. 10. Where we see, there is some degree of eloquence required in the delivery of Gods Mes­sages. There are not so eloquent Bookes in the world, as the Scriptures; neither should a man come to any kinde of handling of them with uncircumcised lips, as Moses speaks, or with an extemporall and irreverent, or over-homely and vulgar language. Prov. 16.1. The prepa­ration of the heart is of the Lord, sayes Solomon; but it is not only that; The preparation of the heart, and the answer of the tongue is of the Lord. To conceive good things for the glo­ry of God, and to expresse them to the edification of Gods people, is a double blessing of God. Therefore does Hester form and institute her prayer to God so, Ester 14.12. Give me bold­nesse, O Lord of all power; but she extends her prayer farther, And give me eloquent speech in my mouth. And the want of this in a naturall defect, and unreadinesse of speech discouraged Moses. And when God recompenses, and supplyes this defect in Moses, he [Page 48]does it but thus, I will be with thy mouth, and I will teach thee what thou shalt say. Still it is Moses that must say it; still Moses mouth that must utter it. Beloved, it is the generall Ordinance of God, of whom, as we have received mercy, we have received the Ministery, and it is the particular grace of God that inanimates our labours, and makes them effe­ctuall upon you; All that is not of our planting, nor watring, but of God that gives the increase; But yet we must labour to get, and labour to improve such learning, and such language, and such other abilities as may best become that service; for the naturall want of one of these, retarded Moses from a present acceptation of Gods imployment. And so truly, should put any man, that puts himself, or puts his son upon this profession, upon that consideration, whether he have such naturall parts as will admit acquisitions, and superedifications fit for that calling. And farther we carry not Moses third excuse, raised out of a naturall defect, non sum eloquens, I am not eloquent enough.

The fourth is a shrewd discouragement: Non credent. In the first verse of this Chapter, He answer­ed and said, but behold, they will not beleeve me; when I have told them thy name, how thou hast manifested thy selfe to them, and in what name they must call upon thee, Be­hold, they will not beleeve me; And this is the saddest discouragement that can fall upon the Minister and Messenger of God, not to be beleeved. God found this, and complained of it at first, Num. 14.11. Esay 53.1. John 12.38. Quous (que) non credent? how long will it be ere this people beleeve? they will never beleeve. The Prophet Esay foresaw this; Quis credidit? Lord who hath beleeved our report? No man doth, no man will beleeve us. S. Iohn found this prophecy of Esay fulfilled even then, when Christ in person was preaching, and working of Miracles; then sayes that Euangelist, Rom. 10.16. was that of Esay fulfilled, They beleeved not his report. And S. Paul saw it performed amongst the Gentiles, as well as S. Iohn amongst the Jews, Lord who hath beleeved our report? Christ hath said himselfe, and Christ hath bidden us say, Qui non crediderit, damnabitur, He that beleeves not, shall be damned: And yet, Lord who hath beleeved our report? There cannot fall a sadder discouragement upon the Messenger of God, then not to be beleeved.

How loth we finde the blessed Fathers of the Primitive Church, to lack company at their Sermons? How earnestly Leo, in one of his Anniversary Sermons, complaines of multitudes, and thrusts at Playes, and Masks, and of a thinnesse, and scarcity, and soli­tude at Church? How glad they were to draw men thither? And then how much they endevoured, to hold them in a disposition of hearkning unto them, when they had them? Sometimes with observing them with phrases of humiliation; So Damascene professes himselfe Minimum servum Ecclesiae, Damascen. the meanest and unworthiest servant to that Con­gregation. So Leo presents himselfe, Leo. August. Ad vestra paratus obsequia, Ready to doe all obse­quious service to that Congregation: And so S. Augustine, In hoc vobis servimus, we shall doe this congregation the best service, in handling this point thus. Sometimes they did it so, by submitting themselves to the Congregation, in phrases of humiliation; and sometimes, by taking knowledge of the pious, and devout behaviour of the congregati­on, even in their Sermons, Leo. and thanking them for it; As Leo does too, Quod non tacito honorastis affectu, That they did countenance that which was said, with a holy murmur, with a religious whispering, and with an ocular applause, with fixing their eyes upon the Preacher, and with turning their eyes upon one another; for those outward decla­rations were much, very much in use in those times. And though in the excesse of such outward declarations, Chrysost. S. Chrysost: complain of them, Non Theatrum Ecclesia, My masters, what mean you, the Church is not a Theater, Quae mihi istorū plausuum utilitas? what get I by these plaudites, & acclamations? I had rather have one soul, then all these hands and eyes: yet it is easie to observe, in the generall proceeding of those blessed Fathers, that they had a holy delight to be heard, August. and to be heard with delight. For, Nemo flectitur, qui molestè audit; No man profits by a Sermon, that heares with paine, or wearinesse. Therefore S. Chrysoslome awakes his drouzie Auditory with that alarme, Chrysost. His quae jam di­cuntur, &c. Hearken, I pray you now, sayes he; for, Non rem vulgarem pollicemur, It is no ordinary matter that I shall tell you: and having so awakened them, he keeps them awake, with such Doctrines as he thought fittest for their edification. And to the same purpose, August. S. Augustine does not onely professe of himselfe, Non praetermitto istos numeros clausularum, That he studied at home, to make his language sweet, and harmonious, and acceptable to Gods people, but he beleeves also, that S. Paul himselfe, and all the Apo­stles, had a delight, and a complacency, and a holy melting of the bowels, when the con­gregation [Page 49]liked their preaching: The Fathers were glad to be heard, glad to be lik'd, and glad to be understood too; for, therefore doth Damascen repeat, almost verbatim, Damase. that great Sermon of his De Imaginibus, a second time, because (as he assignes the reason) he was not throughly understood, in the first preaching thereof; Nehem. 8. And therefore doth Ezra extend himself so far, as to preach from morning (as it is in the Originall, from the light) till noone, that by giving himselfe that compasse, he might carry every point in a clear­nesse, as he went. Now if these blessed Fathers, these Angels of the Church, these Arch­angels of the Primitive Church, were thus affected, if they were not frequented, but neglected for other entertainments; or if they were not hearkned to, when they were heard, but heard perfunctorily, fragmentarily, here and there a rag, a piece of a sentence; Or if they were not understood, because they that heard were scattered, and distracted with other thoughts, and so withdrawne from their observation; or if they were not li­ked, because the Auditory had some pre-contracts upon other Preachers, that they liked better; how may we think, that those holy and blessed spirits were troubled, if they were not beleeved? This destroyes and demolishes the whole body of our building; this evacuates the whole function of our Ministery, if we lose our credibility; if we may not be beleeved; if the Church conceive a jealousie, that we preach to serve turnes; And therefore vae per quem, and vae per quos; woe unto that man (if any such man there should ever be) that gives just occasion of such a jealousie, that he preaches to serve turnes; And woe to them (who abound every where) who entertaine such jealousies, where no just occasion is offered, but mis-interpret the faithfull labours of Gods true servants, and think every thing done to serve turns, that doth not agree with their distemper, in the likenesse of zeale. The Fathers were sorry if they were not heard, if they were not un­derstood, if they were not lik'd; But the saddest discouragement of all, is the Non cre­dent, if we be not beleeved. And farther we carry not our Consideration upon Moses four excuses; of which the first was, in Contemplation of his own insufficiency in generall; The second, in that particular, of not having furnished himselfe with additions necessary for that service; The third, because he had a defect in naturall faculties; and the last, for the indisposition of them, to whom he was to goe.

But then the fift, which is not so much an excuse, as a petition, (O my Lord, Mitte quem missurus. send I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send) tasts of most vehemence, and, as it may seem, of some passion in Moses. He sayes first, Quis ego? I am not worthy of this employ­ment; That's true; but thou art able to qualifie me for it; and that objection is taken away. Quod nomen? I know not thy name, how thou wilt be called, and how thou wilt be called upon by men; I have not studied that: But thou hast revealed unto me the knowledge of fundamentall doctrines, necessary for salvation, and that objection is re­moved. Non facundus, I am not eloquent, not of ready speech, defective in those natu­rall faculties; But the spirit of eloquence, and the irresistiblenesse of perswasion is in that mouth, in which thou speakest: and that excuse is taken away too. Non credent; I know their stubbornnesse, to whom I goe, they will not beleeve me; But thou hast put the power of Miracles into my hands, as well as knowledge into my heart; God makes sometimes a plaine and simple mans good life, as powerfull, as the eloquentest Sermon. All this I acknowledge, sayes Moses; But yet, O Lord, when thou shalt have done all this, in me, and in them, made me worthy by thy power, taught me thy Name by thy grace, infused a perswasibility into them, and a perswasivenesse into me, by thy Spirit, yet there is One who is to be sent, One whom I know thou wilt send, One, whom, pursuing thine owne Decree, thou shouldst send, One, whose shooe-latchet I shall not be worthy to untie then, when thou shalt have multiplyed all these qualifications upon me, and therefore, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by his hand, send him, send Christ now. So then, with the ancient Fathers, with Iustin Martyr, with S. Basil, with Tertullian, with more, many, very many more, we may safely take this to be a supplication, That God would be pleased to hasten the comming of the Messias.

Of our later writers, Calvin departs from the Ancients herein, so farre, as to say, nimis coacta, it seemes somewhat a forced, somewhat an unnaturall sense, to interpret these words of the comming of Christ; but he proceeds no farther. But another, of the same sub-division, is, (as he uses to be) more assured, more confident; and he saies, Piscator. est omni­moda & praecisa recusatio; It is an absolute refusall in Moses, to obey the commandement of God: And that truly, needed not to have beene said. Now, when wee consider the [Page 50]exposition in the Roman Church, Tostat. when their great Bishop, (I mean their great writing Bi­shop) departs from the Ancients, & does not understand these words of the comming of Christ, Pererius. a Jesuit is so bold with that Bishop, (their order forbids them to be Bishops, but not to be Controllers over Bishops) as to tell him, levis objectio, that he departs from a good foundation, Eugubinus. the Fathers, and that upon a light reason. And when another Author in that Church proceeds farther, to so much vehemence, so much violence, as to say, that it is not only an incommodious, but a superstitious sense, to interpret these words of the com­ming of Christ, Peterius. Cornelius. two Jesuits correct him, almost in the same words, (for in the waies of contumely and defamation, they agree well) and say, audacter obstrepit, he does but saw­cily bark, and kick against the ancient Fathers, quibus ipse, saies Pererius, to whom him­selfe is not to be compared, neither for learning in himselfe, nor for place and dignity in the Church, nor for sanctity and holinesse of life in the world. They may bee as bold with one another, as they please; Indeed they are so used to uncharitable phrases to­wards all others, as sometimes they cannot spare one another. For our part, wee lay no such imputations upon any of our later men, that accept not that sense of these words, but yet, we cannot doubt of leave to accompany the Fathers in that Exposition, that these words, O my Lord, send I pray thee, by the hand of him, whom thou wilt send, are a petition, and not a reluctation against God. And that, not as Lyra takes them; Lyra takes them to be a petition, and not a reluctation; but a petition of Moses, that hee would send Aa­ron; That, if he would send any, he should send a man of better parts, and abilities, then himselfe; and this is a rare modesty, when a man is named for any place, to become su­ter for another to that place; Moses was the meekest man upon earth; but this was not his meaning here. Nor as Rabbi Solomon takes it; hee takes it for a Petition, and no re­luctation; but, a Petition, that God would send Iosuah; For, (sayes that Rabbi) Moses had had a Revelation, that Iosuah, and not he, should be the man, that should bring that People into the Land of Promise; and therefore, since Iosuah was to have the honour of the action, Moses would have laid the burden upon him too; but this makes Moses a more fashionall, a more particular, a more selfe-considering man, for his owne estimation, then he was. But, with the Ancients, and later devout men, wee piously beleeve Moses in these words to have extended his Devotion towards his Nation, and the whole world together, Ferus. as farre, as one of them hath extended the Exposition; quid prodest ex Egypto exire, & in peccatis manere, saies he; what shall they bee the better, for comming out of the pressures of Egypt, if they must remaine still, under the oppression of a sinfull consci­ence? And that must be their case, if thou send but a Moses, and not a Christ to their suc­cour. Quid Pharaonem essugere, & non Diabolum, saies he; what shall they get, in being delivered from Pharaoh, if they be not delivered from the Devill? Intrare in terram pro­missam, & non in coelum? What preferment is it, to dwell in a good Land, and to bee banished out of heaven? And this will be their case, if thou send but a Moses, and not a Christ, for their deliverance. He carries it from them, to God himselfe: Quid unum populum è servitute temporali liberare, & totum genus humanum relinquere sub potestate Dia­boli? What glory will it bee to thee, O God, who studiest thine owne glory, to deliver one Nation from a temporall bondage, and leave all Mankinde under everlasting con­demnation? And that must be the case of all, if thou send but a Moses, and not a Christ; Moses, may, by thine abundant goodnesse, doe some good; but there is one, one appoin­ted to be sent, that will doe all which Moses should doe, better then Moses, and infinite­ly more then Moses can doe, or, of himselfe, so much as wish to bee done; and therefore send him, send him now, to doe all together: And so these words are a Petition, and no Reluctation, though some men have taken them so; and a Petition for the sending of Christ, and no Aaron, no Iosuah, no other man; though some have taken so too.

Yet we doe not deliver Moses from all infirmity herein; Iratus Deus. Exod. 32.32. no nor from all errour, and mistaking; no more then wee doe in that other prayer of his, dele me, pardon this people, or blot my name out of thy Booke, where Moses capitulated too narrrowly, and upon too strict conditions with God. Therefore, in this place, it followes presently upon this prayer, That God was angry with him. Unseasonable prayers, though because they may be rooted in piety, they may be, in some sort, excusable in him that makes them, yet may be unacceptable to God. S. August. prayed for a dead Mother, Monica; and S. Ambrose prayed for a dead Master, Theodesi [...]s; God forbid wee should condemne Augustine or Ambrose of impiety in doing so; But God forbid wee should make Augustine or Am­brose [Page 51]his example, our rule to doe so still. This sending of Christ, which Moses solicites here, was de Arcanit Dei; It was one of the secrets of his State, and of his government; It was one of his bosome Counsels, and Cabinet Decrees: One of those reserved cases, which he had communicated to no man; as the day of Christs second comming, his comming to Judgement, is now; which God hath communicated to no man; as the cleare understanding of the state of the dead, who are departed this life, God hath impar­ted to no man; nor some circumstances of time, and place, and person in Antichrist; God hath revealed these to no man, not to his whole Church; These are acts of his Regality, and of his Prerogative; and as Princes say of their Prerogative, nolumus disputari, wee will not have it disputed, nor called into question, so for these Reserved cases, and unre­vealed Counsels of God, such as was the first comming of Christ in Moses time, and such as is the second comming of Christ, now in our time, God would not be importuned. God meant to give the children of Israel a King, from the beginning; we presume hee meant it, because it is the best blessing of all formes of government: And wee see hee meant it, because long before, hee established Lawes, by which, Deut. 17. they should governe themselves, in their chusing their King, and by which, their King should governe them, when he was chosen; yet God was angry, when they importuned him for a King, at such a time, and upon such termes, as he intended not to doe it. But now, because in Moses case, though there were not a present obedience, yet there was no disobedience, the fault being no greater, the anger was not great neither; and therefore we may safely say with Rupertus, that the iratus fuit, was but non propitius fuit; God was so angry, as that hee did not grant, nor accept Moses petition, nor entertaine any farther discourse with him, concerning the sending of Christ; In Abrahams solicitation, in the behalfe of So­dome, it is said, that God went not away, as long as Abraham had any thing to say; But here, God was so farre angry, as to break off Moses discourse: But his anger was not so much an Increpation, that he had said any thing, as an Instruction that hee should say no more of Gods unrevealed purposes.

Therefore God does not continue his anger, so as to discontinue his worke. Tamen con­solidat. It was but a Catechisticall anger, such an anger as S. Bernard begges at Gods hands, Irascaris mihi Domine, O Lord, be angry with me, and leave mee not to my selfe; thou hast an anger, that instructs in the way; but thou hast a heavy indignation, that confounds, and exterminates in the end. Therefore our prayer in the Litany, is not, O Lord bee never angry with us; but, O Lord, be not angry with us, for ever. David was a man according to Gods heart; yet, no doubt, but God was angry with David, for the matter of Vriah, as himselfe calls it. God was not angry with Moses so, as that he gave over his purpose of delivering Israel, or of delivering Israel by him, and him established in a cheerefull assurance to undertake it; for in the same breath, in the same words, V. 14. in the same verse, wherein his anger is expressed, his Benignity, and his Benevolence is expressed also; for there he saies, Is not Aaron thy Brother; I know he can speake well; and also, behold, he commeth forth to meet thee: God had laid it so, that Moses should be setled this way, by having so able a man, and then, a man in whom he might be so confident, as a brother, joyned in commission with him. Slide wee in this note by the way; God loves not singularity: God bindes us to nothing, that was never said but by one: As God loves Sympathy, God loves Symphony; God loves a compassion and fellow-fee­ling of others miseries, that is Sympathy, and God loves Harmony, and fellow belee­ving of others Doctrines, that is Symphony: No one man alone makes a Church; no one Church alone makes a Catholique Church. Christ sent his owne Disciples by couples, two and two: And Aquinas sayes out of his observation, Monachus solus est Daemon solitarius: Though naturally a Monk must love retirednesse, yet a single Monk, a Monk alwaies alone, saies he, is plotting some singular mischiefe. Deus qui habitat in no­bis, etiam nos custodiet ex nobis, is excellently said by that excellent Father: August. God that dwels in us, will sustaine the building, and repaire the building out of our selves; that is, he will make us Tutelar Angels to one another; and a holy, and reverentiall respect to one ano­ther, in good conversation, shall keep us from many sinfull actions, which we would com­mit if we were alone. So then, God was not so angry, nor angry so with Moses, as that he did not pursue his first purpose upon him, of sending him, & sending him so, as might best speed, & advance his Negotiation. And therfore, as Moses praying for Christs first cōming, which was one of Gods reserved cases, and an act of his regality, and Prerogative, though [Page 52]he had not that prayer granted, yet was not left unsatisfied, nor unaccommodated by God, so, (which is the end, that wee drive all to) when the calamities; and distresses of this life oppresse us, and we pray for the second comming of Christ, in the consummati­on of all, in glory, though, because this second comming of Christ, is one of Gods Re­served cases, and an act of his Regality, and Prerogative, hee doe not grant that, that Christ doe not come so; yet, in his blessed Spirit, he will come to us, in an assurance, that when he shall come so, in judgement, wee in his right, shall stand upright even in that Judgement: And, if in extraordinary distresses, wee pray for extraordinary reliefes, though extraordinary helps, and miracles bee Reserved cases, and acts of his Regality, and Prerogative; yet, as he remembers his mercies, of old, hee will remember his mira­cles of old too, (and as his mercies are new every morning, his miracles shall bee new every morning too; and all that he did in eighty eight, in the last Centutry, he shall doe (if we need it) in twenty eight, in this Century;) And though he may be angry with our prayers, as they are but verball prayers, and not accompanied with actions of obedience, yet he will not be angry with us for ever, but re-establish at home, zeale to our present Religion, and good correspondence, and affections of all parts to one another, and our power, and our honour, in forraign Nations. Amen.

SERMON VI. Preached at S. Pauls, upon Christmas Day. 1628.

I Have named to you no booke, no chapter, no verse, where these words are written: But I forbore not out of forgetfulnesse, nor out of singula­rity, but out of perplexity rather, because these words are written, in more then one, in more then two places of the Bible. In your ordinary conversation, and communication with other men, I am sure you have all observed, that many men have certaine formes of speech, certaine in­terjections, certaine suppletory phrases, which fall often upon their tongue, and which they repeat almost in every sentence; and; for the most part, impertinently; and then, when that phrase conduces nothing to that which they would say; but rather disorders and discomposes the sentence, and confounds, or troubles the hearer. And this, which some doe out of slacknesse, and in-observance, and infirmity, many men, God knowes, do out of impiety; many men have certaine suppletory Oathes, with which they fill up their Discourse, then, when they are not onely not the better beleeved, but the worse understood for those blasphemous interjections. Now, this, which you may thus ob­serve, in men, sometimes out of infirmity, sometimes out of impiety, out of an accom­modation and communicablenesse of himselfe to man, out of desire, and a study, to shed himselfe the more familiarly, and to infuse himselfe the more powerfully into man, you may observe even in the holy Ghost in himselfe, in the Scriptures, which are the dis­course and communication of God with man; There are certaine idioms, certaine formes of speech, certaine propositions, which the holy Ghost repeats severall times, upon seve­rall occasions in the Scriptures. It is so in the instrumentall Authors of the particular Bookes of the Bible; There are certaine formes of speech, certaine characters, upon which I would pronounce, That's Moses, and not David, that's Iob, and not Solomon, that's Esay and not Ieremy. How often does Moses repeat his Vivit Dominus, and Ego vivo, As the Lord liveth, and As I live, saith the Lord? How often does Solomon repeat his va­nitas vanitatum, All is vanity? How often does our blessed Saviour repeat his Amen, [Page 53]Amen? and, in another sense, then others had used that word before him; so often, as that you may reckon it thirtie times, in one Evangelist; so often, as that that may not in­conveniently be thought some reason, why S. Iohn called Christ by that name, Amen, Rev. 3.14. Thus saith Amen, He whose name is Amen. How often does S. Paul, (especiallly in his E­pistles to Timothy, and to Titus) repeat that phrase Fidelis Sermo, This is a true, and faith­full saying? And how often, his juratory caution, Coram Domino, before the Lord; As God is my witnesse? And as it is thus for particular persons, and particular phrases, that they are often repeated; so are there certaine whole sentences, certaine intire propositions, which the holy Ghost does often repeat in the Scripture. And, except we except that propositi­on, of which S. Peick makes his use, That God is no accepter of persons, Act. 10.34. (for that is repeated in very many places, that every where, upō every occasiō, every man might be remembred of that, that God is no accepter of persons; Take heed how you presume upon your own knowledge, or your actions, for God is no accepter of persons; Take heed how you condemne another man for an Heretique, because he beleeves not just as you be­leeve; or for a Reprobate, because he lives not just as you live, for God is no accepter of persons; Take heed how you relie wholly upon the outward means, that you are wrap­ped in the covenant, that you are bred in a reformed Church, for God is no accepter of persons) except you will except this proposition, I scarce remember any other that is so often repeated in the Scriptures, as this which is our Text, Lord, who hath beleeved our re­port? For, it is first in the Prophet Esay. There the Prophet is in holy throws, and pangs, Esay 53.1. and agonies, till he be delivered of that prophecy, the comming of the Messiah; the in­carnation of Christ Jesus, and yet is put to this exclamation, Domine, quis credidit? Lord who hath beleeved our report? And then you have these words in the Gospell of S. Iohn; John 12.38. where we are not put upon the consideration of a future Christ in prophecy, but the E­vangelist exhibits Christ in person, actually, really, visibly, evidently, doing great works, executing great judgements, multiplying great Miracles; and yet put to the application of this exclamation, Domine, quis credidit? Lord, who hath beleeved this report? And then you have these words also in S. Paul, Rom. 10.16. where we doe not consider a prophecy of a fu­ture Christ, nor a history of a present Christ, but an application of that whole Christ to every soule, in the fetling of a Church, in that concatenation of meanes for the infusion of faith expressed in that Chapter, sending, and preaching, and hearing; and yet for all these powerfull and familiar assistances, Domine, quis crodidit? Lord, who hath beleeved that report? So that now beloved, you cannot say that you have a Text without a place; for you have three places for this Text: you have it in the great Prophet, in Esay, in the great Evangelist, in S. Iohn; and in the great Apostle, in S. Paul. And because in all three places, the words minister usefull doctrine of edification, we shall, by yours and the times leave, consider the words in all three places.

In all three, the words are a sad and a serious expostulation of the Minister of God, with God himselfe, that his Meanes and his Ordinances powerfully committed to him, being faithfully transmitted by him to the people, were neverthelesse fruitlesse, and in­effectuall. I doe Lord as thou biddest me, sayes the Prophet Esay; I prophecy, I fore­tell the comming of the Messiah, the incarnation of thy Son for the salvation of the world, and I know that none of them that heare me, can imagine or conceive any other way for the redemption of the world, by fatisfaction to thy Justice, but this, and yet, Domine quis credidit? Lord who hath beleeved my report? I doe Lord as thou biddest me, sayes Christ himselfe in S. Iohn; I come in person, I glorifie thy name, I doe thy will, I preach thy Gospell, I confirm my doctrine with evident Miracles, and I seale those Seales, I confirm those Miracles with my Blood; and yet, Quis credidit? Lord who hath beleeved my report? I doe Lord as thou biddest me, sayes every one of us, who, as we have received mercy, have received the Ministery; I obey the inward calling of the Spirit, I accept the outward calling of the Church; furnished, and established with both these, I come into the world, I preach absolution of sins to every repentant Soule, I offer the seales of reconciliation to every contrite spirit; and yet, Domine quis credidit? Lord who hath beleeved my report? Indeed it is a sad contemplation, and must necessarily produce a serious and a vehement expostulation, when the predictions of Gods future judgements (so we shall finde the case to have been in the words in Esay) when the exe­cution of Gods present judgements, (so we shall finde the case to have been in the words in S. Iohn) when the Ordinances of God, for the reliefe of any soule, in any judgement, [Page 54]in his Church, are not beleeved. To say I beleeve you not, amounts to a lye; Not to beleeve Gods warnings before, not to beleeve Gods present judgements, not to beleeve that God hath established a way to come to him in all distresses, this is to give God the lye; and with this is the world charged in this Text, Lord who hath beleeved our report?

First then, 1 Part. Esay 53.1. where we finde these words first, the Prophet reproaches their unbeleefe, and hardnesse of heart, in this, that they did not beleeve future things, future calamities, future judgements; for that is intended in that place. For, though this 53. of Esay be the continuation, and the consummation of that doctrine which the Prophet began to propose in the Chapter immediatly preceding, which is, the comming of the Messiah (in generall, the comfortablest doctrine that could be proposed) though this Chap­ter be especially that place, upon which S. Hierome grounds that Eulogy of Esay, that Esay was rather an Euangelist then a Prophet, because of his particular declaration of Christ in this Chapter; though upon this Chapter our Expositors sometimes say, that as we cite the Gospell according to S. Matthew, and the Gospell according to S. Iohn, so here we may say, the Gospell according to the Prophet Esay; yet though this be a prophecy of the comming of Christ, and so, the comfortablest doctrine that can be pro­posed in the generall, and in the end, and fruit of that comming, yet it is a prophecy of the exinanition of Christ, of the evacuation of Christ, of the inglorious and ignomini­ous estate, the calamitous, and contumelious estate of Christ: Their Messias they should have; but that Messias should be reputed a Malefactor, and as a Malefactor crucified; Which miseries, and calamities being to fall upon him, for them, they ought to have been as sensible, and as much affected with those miseries to be endured for them, as if they had been to have fallen upon themselves. The later Jews and their Rabbins since the dispersion, doe not, will not beleeve this prophecy of miseries, and calamities to be­long to their Messias. Ver. 2. They do not, they wil not beleeve, that that which is said, That there is no form, no beauty, no comelinesse in him, so that men should long for him before, or de­sire to look upon him after, should have any reference to their Messiah, whom they ex­pect in all outward splendor and glory; Nor that that which is added there, That he should be despised, and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefes, should be­long to him, in whose proceedings in this world, they look for continuall Victories and Triumphs. But they will needs understand these miseries, and calamities prophecyed here, to be those calamities, and those miseries, which have fallen, and dwelt upon their Nation, ever since their dispersion after Christs death. Now let it be but such a prophe­cy as that; take it either way; The Christian way, a prophecy of calamities upon the Messiah for them; or the Jews way, of calamities upon them for the Messiah; still it is a prophecy of future calamities, future judgements, of which they ought to have been sen­sible, and with which they ought to have been affected, and were not: And so that's their charge, they did not beleeve the Prophets report, they were not moved with Gods judg­ments denounced upon them, by those Prophets. Now, was this so hainous, not to be­leeve a Prophet?

The office and function of a Prophet, Propheta. in the time of the Law, was not so evident, nor so ordinary an office, as the office of the Priest and Minister in the Gospel now is; There was not a constant, an ordinary, a visible calling in the Church, to the office of a Prophet. Neither the high-priest, nor the Ecclesiasticall Consistory, the Synedrium, did by any imposition of hands, or other Collation, or Declaration, give Orders to any man so, as that thereby that man was made a Prophet. I know some men, of much industry, and per­spicacy too, in searching into those Scriptures, the sense whereof is not obvious to every man, have thought that the Prophets had an outward and a constant declaration of their Calling. 1 Reg. 19.15. And they think it proved, by that which is said to Eliah, when God commands him to anoint Hazael K. of Syria, & to anoint Iehu K. of Israel, & to anoint Elisha Prophet in his own room: Therefore, say they, the Prophet had as much evidence of his Calling, as the Minister hath, for that unction was as evident a thing, as our Imposition of hands is. And it is true, it was so, where it was actually, and really executed. But then, nothing is more evident, then that this word Meshiach, which signifies Anointing, is not restrained to that very action, a real unction, but frequently transferred, & communicated in a Scripture use, to every kind of Declaration of any Election, any Institution, any Inauguration, any In­vestiture of any person to any place; And, lesse then that, of any appropriation, any appli­catiō of any thing to any particular use. Any appointing was an anointing; As in particular [Page 55](for many other places) where S. Hierome reades, Arripite clypeos, buckle your shields; Esay 21.5. To you, which was an alarm to them, to arm, the originall hath it, and so hath our translation, Anoint your shields; to apply them to their right use, was called an Anointing. And when God cals Cyrus, the King of Persia, Vnctum suum, his Anointed; it were weakly, and improperly argued from that word, that Cyrus King of Persia, was literally, actually, anointed; for that unction was peculiar to the Kings of Israel; but Cyrus was the anointed of the Lord, that is, declared and avowed by the Lord, to be his chosen Instrument. Nei­ther could Eliah, literally execute this commandement, for anointing Hasael King of Syria; for Hasael the King of Syria could not be anointed by the Prophet of the Lord, for such unction was peculiar to the Kings of Israel. And for the Kings of Israel them­selves, their owne Rabbins tell us, that they were not ordinarily anointed, but onely in those cases, where there arose some question, and difference, about the succession; as in Solomons case; there, because Adoniah pretended to the succession; 1 Reg. 1. to make all the more sure, David proceeded with a solemnity, and appointed an anointing of Solomon, which, otherwise, say their Rabbins, had not been done. But howsoever it may have been for their Kings, there seemes to be a plaine distinction betweene them, and the Prophets in the Psalme, for this evidence of unction; Touch not mine Anointed, sayes God there: Ps. 105.15. They, they that were Anointed, constitute one rank, one classis; and then followes, And doe my Prophets no harme: They, they who were not Anointed, the Prophets, constitute another classis, another rank. So that then an internall, a spirituall unction the Prophets had, that is, an application, an appropriation to that office from God, but a constant, an evident calling to that function, by any externall act of the Church, they had not, but it was an ex­traordinary office, and imposed immediatly by God; and therfore the people might seem the more excusable, if they did not beleeve a Prophet presently, because the office of the Prophet did not carry with it, such a manifestation by any thing evidently done upon him, and visible to them, that by that, that man must be a Prophet. But, as God clothes himselfe with light, as with a garment; so God clothes, and apparells his works with light too: for, frustra fecisset, sayes S. Ambrose, God had made creatures to no purpose, if he had not made light to see them by. Therefore when God does any extraordinary worke, he accompanies that work with anextraordinary light, by which, he for whose instruction God does that work, may know that work to be his. So when he sent his Pro­phets to his people, he accompanied their mission, with an effectuall light, and evidence, by which, that people did acknowledge in their owne hearts, that that man was sent by God to them. Therefore they called that man at first, Roeh, videntem, a Seer, one whom they acknowledged to have beene admitted to the sight of God, in the declaration of his will to them: for so we have it in Samuel, He that is now called a Prophet, 1 Sam. 9.9. was before time called a Seer. And then that addition of the name of a Prophet, gave them a farther qualifica­tion; for, Nabi, which is a Prophet, is from Niba; and Niba, is venire facio, to cause, to make a thing to come to passe. So that a Prophet was not onely praefator, but praefactor; He did not only presage, but preordain; that is, there was such an infallibility, such an inevi­tablenesse in that which he had said, as that his very saying of it, seemed to them some kind of cause of the accomplishing thereof. For, hence it is, that we have that phrase so often in the new Testament, This and this was thus and thus done, that such and such a Prophecy might be fulfilled: They never went to that heighth, that such or such a secret purpose, or unrevealed Decree of God might be fulfilled; but they rested in the Decla­ration which God had made in his Church, and were satisfied in the execution of his Decrees, in his visible Ordinances. Therefore the increpation which the Prophet layes upon the people here, (Lord, who hath beleeved our report) is not, that they did not beleeve those Prophets to be Prophets, (for though that were an extraordinary office, yet it was accompanied with an extraordinary light) neither was it, that they did not beleeve that those things which were prophecyed by them, should come to passe, (for they beleeved that man to be Roeh, a Seer, one that had seen the Counsels of God concerning them; And they beleeved him to be Nabi, venire facientem, one upon whose word they might as infallibly rely, as upon a cause, for an effect;) But this was the sinne of this people, this was the sorrow of this Prophet, that they did not beleeve these predictions to belong to them, they did not beleeve that these judgements would fall out in their time. In one word, present security was their sinne. And was that so hainous?

So hainous, as that that is it, with which God was so highly incensed, Esay 28.14. and with which [Page 56]he meant so deeply to affect his people, in that considerable passage, in that remarkeable, and vehement place, where he expostulates thus with them; Heare ye scornfull men, (yee that make a jest, a scorn of future judgements) Heare ye scornfull men, that rule this people, (sayes God there) (you that have a power over the affections of the people in the Pulpit, and can perswade what you will, or a power over the wils of the people in your place, and can command what you will) you that tell them (sayes the Prophet there) we have made a covenant with death, and are at an agreement with hell, (feare you nothing, let us alone; ambitious Princes shall turn their forces another way, antichristian plots shall be practised in other nations) you that tell them (sayes he) when the overflowing scourge shall passe through, it shall not come to you, (howsoever superstition be established in other places, howsoever prevailing armies be multiplied else-where, yet you shal have your religion, & your peace still; for we have made a covenant with death, & with hell, we are at an agree­ment) Heare ye scornfull men, (sayes God) you that put this scorn upon my predictions, your covenant with death shall be disanulled, Esay 28.18. and your agreement with death shall not stand, (the faire promises of others to you, your own promises to your selves shall deceive you) and the overflowing scourge shall passe thorough, Esay 28.19. thorough you all, for, you, (you scornfull men) shall be trodden down by it; and, (as it followes there, in an elegant, and a vehement expressi­on) it shall be a vexation, onely to understand the report: You that would not beleeve the report of the Prophet, that for these and these sins, such and such Judgements should fall upon you, shall be confounded even with the report, the noyse, the newes, how this over­slowing scourge hath passed thorough your neighbours round about you; how much more with the sense, when you your selves shall be trodden down by it? There is scarce any of the Prophets, in which, God does not drive home this increpation of their securi­ty, Ezek. 12.22. and insensiblenesse of future calamities. As in Esay, so in Ezechiel God sayes, what is that Proverb which ye have in the Land of Israel? (it was, it seemes, in every mans mouth, proverbially spoken by all) what was it? This, The dayes are prolonged, and every vision failes; V. 27. The vision which he sayes, is for many dayes to come, and he prophesieth of the times afarre off. But, (sayes God there) In your dayes, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and per­forme it: Not say it in our dayes, and performe it upon our children; but God will speake, and strike together, we shall heare him, and feele him at once, if wee be not seri­ously affected with his predictions.

The same way God goes in Ieremy, Jer. 7.23. as in Esay, and in Ezechiel. I have sent unto you all my servants, the Prophets, (sayes God there) God hath no other servants, to this purpose, but his Prophets: If your dangers have beene, by Gods appointment, preached to you, God hath done. You must not, as Dives did, in the behalfe of his brethren, looke for. Messengers from the state of the dead; you must not stay for instruction, nor for amend­ment, till you be Pro mortuis, 1 Cor. 15. (as the Apostle speakes) as good as dead, ready to dye; you must not stay till a Judgement fall, and then presume of understanding by that vexation, or of repentance by that affliction; for, this is to hearken after Messengers, from the state of the dead, to think of nothing till we be ready to joyne with them; But as Abraham sayes there to Dives, Thy brethren have the Law, and the Prophets, and that is enough, that is all, so God sayes here, I have sent them all my servants, the Prophets; that is enough, that is all: especially, when, (as God addes there) He hath risen early, and sent his Prophets, that is, given us warning time enough, before the calamity come neare our owne gates. But when they rejected, and despised all his Prophesies, and denunciations of future Judgements, V. 29. then followes the sentence, the finall, and fearfull sentence. The Lord hath forsaken, and rejected them; Them; whom? as it followes in the sentence, The Lord hath forsaken, and rejected the generation of his wrath; The generation of his wrath? There is more horrour, more consternation in that manner of expressing that rejection, then in the rejection it selfe; There is an insupportable waight, in that word. His wrath; but even that is infinitely aggravated in the other, The generation of his wrath. God hath for­got that Israel is his Son, Exod. 4.22. and his first borne; So he avowed him to be in Moses commis­sion to Pharaoh. God hath forgot that He rebuked Kings for his sake; that he testifies to have done in his behalfe, Psal. 105.15. Gal. 3.29. in David; God hath forgot that they were heires according to the promise; that is their dignification in the Apostle; forgot that they were the apple of his own eye, Deut. 32.10. Agg. 2.23. Jer. 31.20. that they were as the signet upon his own hand; forgot that Ephraim is his deare Son, that he is a pleasing child, a child for whom his bowels were troubled; God hath forgot all these paternities, all these filiations, all these incorporatings, all these inviscerations of Israel into [Page 57]his owne bosome, and Israel is become the generation of his wrath. Not the subject of his wrath; A people upon whom God would exercise some one act of indignation, in a temporall calamity, as captivity, or so; or multiply acts of indignation, in one kinde, as adding of penury or sicknesse to their captivity; nor is it onely a multiplying of the kinds of calamity, as the aggravating of temporall calamities with spirituall, oppression of bo­dy and state, with sadnesse of heart, and dejection of spirit; for all these, as many as they are, are determined in this life; but that which God threatens, is, that he will for their grievous sinnes, multiply lifes upon them, and make them immortall for immortall tor­ments; They shall bee a generation of his wrath; they shall dye in this world, in his dis­pleasure, and receive a new birth, a new generation in the world to come, in a new capa­city of new miseries; they shall dye in the next world, every minute, in the privation of the sight of God, and every minute receive a new generation, a new birth, a new capa­city of reall and sensible torments. When God hath sent all his servants, the Prophets, and so done all that is necessary for premonition, and risen early to send those Prophets, warned them time enough, to avoid the danger, and they are not affected with the sense of these predictions, God shall make them, us, any State, any Church, the generation of his wrath, God shall forget his former paternities, and our former filiations; forget his mercies exhibited to us in the reformation of Religion, in the preservation of our State, in the augmenting and adorning of our Church, and after all this, make us the generation of his wrath. And this may well be conceived to be the lamentable state deplored in this text, as the words are considered in their first place, the Prophet Esay, Lord, who hath be­leeved our report. But this is brought nearer to us, in the second place, as wee have the words in S. Iohn; where we doe not consider things in a remote distance, Iohn 12.38. but Christ was in a personall and actuall exercise of his works of power, and soveraignty, and yet the E­vangelist comes to this, Lord, who hath beleeved this report?

That's true in a great part, which Irenaeus saies, Prophetiae antequam effectum habent, 2 Part. aenigmata sunt, & ambiguitates hominibus, That prophecies till they come to be fulfilled, are but clouds in the eyes, and riddles in the understanding of men. So, many particulars, concerning the calling of the Jews, concerning the time, and place, and person, and dura­tion, and actions of Antichrist, concerning the generall Judgement, and other things, that lye yet, as an Embryon, as a child in the mothers wombe, embowelled in the wombe of prophecie, are yet but as clouds in the eyes, as riddles in the understandings of the lear­nedst men. Daniel himselfe, found that which he found in the Prophet Ieremy, concer­ning the deliverance of Israel from Babylon, to be wrapped up in such a cloud, as that it is fairely collected by some, that Daniel himselfe at that time, did not clearly understand the Prophet Ieremy. But these clouds, for the most part, arise in us, out of our curiosity, that wee will needs know the time, when these prophecies shall be fulfilled; when the Jews shall be called, when Antichrist shall be fully manifested, when the day of Judge­ment shall be: And so, for such questions as these, Christ enwraps not onely his Apo­stles, but himselfe in a cloud; for, that cloud which he casts upon them, Non est vestrum, It belongs not to you, to know times, and seasons, he spreads upon himselfe also, Non est meum, It belongs not to me, not to me, as the Son of man, to know when the day of Judg­ment shall be. But for that use of a prophecy, that the prediction of a future Judgement should induce a present repentance, that was never an enigmaticall, a cloudy doctrine, but manifest to all, in all prophecies of that kinde. But this, this commination of future judgements, for present repentance, wrought not upon these men; but, Psal. 55.19. Eccles. 8.11. because they have no changes, therefore they feare not God: And, because sentence against an evill worke, is not executed speedily, therefore their hearts are fully set in them, to do evill. But now, in the manifestation of Christ, they saw evident changes; changes, and revolutions in the highest spheare; they saw a new King, and they heard strangers proclaime him; forraigne Kings doe not send Ambassadors to congratulate, but come in person, to doe their ho­mage, and aske their audience in that style, Where is he that is borne King of the Iews? not an elective, not an arbitrary, not a conditionall, a provisionall King, but an hereditary, a naturall King, Borne King of the Iews. They heare strangers proclaime him, Mat. 2.2. and they pro­claime him themselves, in that act of Recognition, in that acclamatory Hosanna, in this Chapter, Blessed is the King of Israel, that commeth in the name of the Lord. v. 13. Mat. 2.3. They saw changes; changes with which Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And they saw sentence executed; for, as soone as Christ manifested himselfe, Iohn Baptist saies, [Page 58] Now, Mat. 3.10. Mat. 3.12. now that Christ declares himselfe, the axe is laid unto the roote of the tree, and now, saies he, His fanne is in his hand, and he will purge his floore. And this sentence he executed, this regall power he exercised, not onely after that Recognition of his subjects, in their Hosannaes in this chapter, (for, upon that, he did go into the Temple, and cast out the buy­ers, and sellers) but some yeares before that, at his first manifestation of himselfe, and soone after Iohn Baptists Now, Iohn 2.3. now is the axe laid to the roote of the Tree, did Christ execute this sentence, not onely to drive, but to scourge them out, that prophaned the Temple; which was the second miracle, that we ascribe to Christ. Indeed all his miracles were so many acts, not onely of his regall power over some men, but of his absolute prerogative, over the whole frame, and body of nature. Nor can we conceive how the beholders of those miracles, could argue to themselves, otherwise then thus; The winds and seas obey this man, for when he suffers them, the winds roare, and when hee whispers a silence to them, they are silenced; The Devils and uncleane spirits obey him; for when he suffers it, they preach his glory, and when he refuses honour from so dishonourable mouths, they are silent. Death it selfe obeyes him; for, when he will, death withholds his hand from closing that mans eye, that lyes upon his last gaspe, and the last stroke of his bell, and hee does not die; and, when he will, death withdraws his hand from him, who had beene foure daies in his possession, and redelivers Lazarus to a new life. This they saw; and could they choose but say, the wind, and the sea, the devill, and uncleane spirits, and death it selfe obeyes this man, how shall we stand before this man, this King, this God? yet for all this voice, this loud voice of miracles, (for when S. Chrysostome sayes, Omni tuba clarior per opera demonstratio, Every good worke hath the voyce of a trumpet, every miracle hath the voice of thunder,) for all this loud voice, (as it is said in the verse be­fore the text, Though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they beleeved not on him) it is faine to come to that, Quis credidit, Lord who hath beleeved this report? The first of those great names which were given to Christ, Esay 9.6. in the Prophet Esay, was Mirabilis, The wonderfull, The supernaturall man, the man that workes miracles; for, of the Apostles it is said, by them, great miracles were wrought, but God wrought those miracles, by them. Christ wrought his miracles himself; And his Birth, and his Life, and Death, and Refur­rection, and Ascension, were all complicated, and elemented of miracles. If hee fasted himselfe, he did that miraculously; and it was with a miracle, when he feasted others. He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, Mark. 1.34. Mat. 9.35. and cast out many Devils, saies S. Marke; And S. Matthew carries it a great deale farther, Hee went about all the Cities, and villages, healing every sicknesse, and every disease among the people. Therefore Christ makes that, (the evidence of his miracles) the issue betweene them, If these mighty works had beene done in Tyre and Sidon, Mat. 11.21. Iohn 15.22. Tyre and Sidon would have repented; And therefore he places their inexcusablenesse in that, If I had not come, and spoken to them, they had had no sinne; Nay, if I had not spoken to them, in this loud voyce, the voyce of miracles, they might have had some cloake for their finne, but now they have none, saies Christ in that place; And, beloved, are not we inexcusable in that degree? Have not wee seene changes, and seene judgements executed, and seene miraculous deliverances, and yet Domine quis cre­didit? Lord who hath beleeved these reports?

I would wee could but take aright a mis-taken translation, and make that use that is offered us in others error. The vulgar Edition, the translation of the Roman Church, reads that place, in the 77. Psalme and 11. verse thus, Nunc caepi, saies David, Now I have taken out my lesson the right way, now I have laid hold upon God by the right handle, Nunc caepi, Now I have all that I need to have; what is it? This; Haec mutatio dex­trae Dei, this is to take out my lesson aright, to understand God truly, and to know, & ac­knowledge, that this change which I see, is an act of the right hand of God, and that it is a judgement, and not an accident. O, beloved, that wee would not be afraid of giving God too much glory; not afraid of putting God into too much heart; or of making God too imperious over us, by acknowledging, that Haec mutatio dextrae Dei, that all our changes are acts of the right hand of God, and come from him. But we are not onely subject to the Prophets increpation, Quis credit, that we doe not beleeve Gods warnings of future judgements, but to the Euangelists increpation, in the person of Christ, Quis credidit? we do not beleeve present judgements to be judgements. An invincible navy hath beene sent against us, and defeated, and we sacrifice to a casuall storme for that; wee say the winds delivered us. A powder treason hath been plotted, and discovered, and we sacrifice [Page 59]to a casuall letter for that; we say, the letter delivered us. A devouring plague hath raig­ned, and gone out againe, and we sacrifice to an early frost for that; we say, the cold wea­ther delivered us. Domestique encumbrances, personall infirmities, sadnesse of heart, dejection of spirit oppresses us, and then weares out, and passes over, and we sacrifice for that, to wine, and strong drinke, to musique, to Comedies, to conversation, and to all Iobs miserable comforters; wee say, it was but a melancholique fit, and good company hath delivered us of it. But when God himselfe saies, There is no evill done in the City, but I doe it, we may be bold to say, there is no good done in the world but hee does it. The very calamities are from him; the deliverance from those calamities much more. All comes from Gods hand; and from his hand, by way of hand-writing, by way of letter, and instruction to us. And therefore to ascribe things wholy to nature, to fortune, to power, to second causes, this is to mistake the hand, not to know Gods hand; But to acknowledge it to be Gods hand, and not to read it, to say that it is Gods doing, and not to consider, what God intends in it, is as much a slighting of God, as the other. Now, in every such letter, in every judgement, God writes to the King; but it becomes not me to open the Kings letter, nor to prescribe the King his interpretation of that judgement. In every such letter, in every judgement God writes to the State; but I will not open their letter, nor prescribe them their interpretation of that judgement; God, who of his goodnesse hath vouchsafed to write unto them in these letters, of his abundant good­nesse interprets himselfe to their religious hearts. But then, in every such letter in every judgement, God writes to me too; and that letter I will open, and read that letter; I will take knowledge that it is Gods hand to me, and I will study the will of God to me in that letter; and I will write back again to my God and return him an answer, in the amendment of my life, and give him my reformation for his information. Else I am fallen lower then under the Prophets increpation, non credidi, I have not beleeved com­minations of future judgements, under Christs increpation too, non credidi, I doe not beleeve judgements to be judgements, or (which is as dangerous an ignorance) not to be instructive judgements, medicinall and catechisticall judgements to me. And this may well be the explication, at least, the application and accommodation of these words, Lord who hath beleeved our report, in those places, the Prophet Esay, and the Euangelist S. Iohn. There remaines only the third place, where we have these words in the Apo­stle S. Paul, and in them, there, doe not consider, a prophecy of a future Christ, Rom. 10.16. as in Esay, nor a history of a present Christ, as in S. Iohn, but we consider an application of all, prophecy, and history, all that was foretold of Christ, all that was done and suffered by Christ, in this, that there is a Church instituted by Christ, endowed with meanes of reconciling us to God, what judgements soever our sins have drawen God to threaten a­gainst us, or to inflict upon us; and yet for all these offers, of all these helps, the Minister is put to this sad expostulation, Domine, quis credidit? Lord, who hath beleeved our report?

Here then the Apostles expostulation with God, and increpation upon the people, may usefully be conceived to be thus carried; from the light and notification of God, 3. Part. which we have in nature, to a clearer light, which we have in the Law and Prophets, and then a clearer then that in the Gospell, and a clearer, at least a nearer then that, in the Church. First then, even the naturall man is inexcusable (sayes this Apostle) if he doe not see the invisible God in the visible creature; inexcusable, if he doe not reade the law written in his own heart. But then, Quis credidit auditui suo? who hath beleeved his own report? who does reade the Law written in his own heart? who does come home to Church to himself, or hearken to the motions of his own spirit, what he should doe, or what will become of him, if he doe still as he hath done? or who reades the history of his own conscience, what he hath done, and the judgements that belong to those former actions? Therefore we have a clearer light then this; Firmiorem propheticum sermonem, sayes S. Peter, We have a more sure word of the Prophets; that is, 2 Pet. 1.19. as S. Augustine reades that place, clariorem, a more manifest, a more evident declaration in the Prophets, then in na­ture, of the will of God towards man, and his rewarding the obedient, and rejecting the disobedient to that will. But then, Quis credidit auditui prophetico, who hath beleeved the report of the Prophet, so far, as to be so moved and affected with a prophecy, as to suspect himselfe, and apply that prophecy to himselfe, and to say this judgement of his belongs to this sin of mine? Therefore we have a clearer light then this; God, Heb. 1.1. who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake to the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last [Page 60]dayes spoke to us by his Son, sayes the Apostle; He spake personally, and he spake aloud, in the declaration of Miracles; But, Quis credidit auditui filii? who beleeved even his report? did they not call his preaching sedition, and call his Miracles conjuring? There­fore we have a clearer, that is, a nearer light then the written Gospell, that is, the Church. For, the principall intention in Christs Miracles, even in the purpose of God, was but thereby to create and constitute, and establish an assurance, that he that did those Mira­cles, was the right man, the true Messias, that Son of God, who was made man for the redemption and ransome of the whole world. But then, that which was to give them their best assistance, that that was to supply all, by that way, to apply this generall re­demption to every particular soule, that was the establishing of a Church, of a visible and constant, and permanent meanes of salvation, by his Ordinances there, us (que) ad consumma­tionem, till the end of the world. And this is done, sayes this Apostle here; Christ is come, and gone, and come again; Born, and dead, and risen again; Ascended, and sate at the right hand of his Father in our nature, and descended again in his Spirit, the Holy Ghost; that Holy Ghost hath sent us, us the Apostles; we have made Bishops; they have made Priests and Deacons; and so that body, that family, that houshold of the faithfull, Ver. 14. by their Ministery is made up. 'Tis true, sayes the Apostle here, Men can­not be saved without calling upon God; nor call upon him acceptably without Faith; nor beleeve truly without Hearing; nor heare profitably without Preaching; nor preach avowably, and with a blessing, without sending; All this is true sayes our Apostle in this place; but all this is done; such a sending, such a preaching, such a hearing is esta­blished; For, Ver. 19. I ask but this, sayes he, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world; And, for my selfe, sayes he, I have strived to preach the Gospell, Rom. 15.20. where Christ was not named; that is, to carry the Church farther then the rest had carried it, and now all is done, sayes the Apostle. So that here is the case, if the naturall man say, alas they are but dark notions of God which I have in nature; if the Jew say, alas they are but remote and ambiguous things which I have of Christ in the Prophets; If the slack and historicall Christian say, alas they are but ge­nerall things, done for the whole world indifferently, and not applyed to me, which I reade in the Gospell, to this naturall man, to this Jew, to this slack Christian, we pre­sent an established Church, a Church endowed with a power, to open the wounds of Christ Jesus to receive every wounded soule, to spread the balme of his blood upon eve­ry bleeding heart; A Church that makes this generall Christ particular to every Chri­stian, that makes the Saviour of the world, thy Saviour, and my Saviour; that offers the originall sinner Baptisme for that; and the actuall sinner, the body and blood of Christ Jesus for that; a Church that mollifies, and entenders, and shivers the presumptu­ous sinner with denouncing the judgements of God, and then, consolidates and establi­shes the diffident soule with the promises of his Gospell; a Church, in contemplation whereof, God may say, Quid potui Vineae, what could I doe more for my people then I have done? first to send mine only Son to die for the whole world, and then to spread a Church over the whole world, by which that death of his might be life to every soule. This we preach, this we propose, according to that commission put into our hands, Ite, praedicate, Goe, and preach the Gospell to every creature, and yet, Domine, quis credidit? Lord, who hath beleeved our report?

In this then, the Apostle and this Text, places the inflexible, the incorrigible stiffe­nesse of mans disobedience, in this he seales up his inexcusablenesse, his irrecoverable­nesse, first, that he is not afraid of future judgements, because they are remote; then, that he does not beleeve present judgements to be judgements, because he can make shift to call them by a milder name, accidents, and not judgements, and can assigne some natu­rall, or morall, or casuall reason for them. But especially in this, that he does not be­leeve a perpetuall presence of Christ in his Church, he does not beleeve an Ordinance of meanes, by which, all burdens of bodily infirmities, of crosses in fortune, of dejection of spirit, and of the primary cause of all these, that is, sin it selfe may be taken off, or made easie unto him; he does not beleeve a Church.

Now, as in our former part we were bound to know Gods hand, and then bound to reade it, to acknowledge a judgement to be a judgement, and then to consider what God intended in that judgement, so here we are bound to know the true Church, and then to know what the true Church proposes to us. The true Church is that, where the word [Page 61]is truely preached, and the Sacraments duly administred. But it is the Word, the Word in­spired by the holy Ghost; not Apocryphall, not Decretall, not Traditionall, not Additio­nall supplements; and it is the Sacraments, Sacraments instituted by Christ himself, and not those super-numerary sacraments, those posthume, post-nati sacramēts, that have been multiplyed after: and then, that which the true Church proposes, is, all that is truly neces­sary to salvation, and nothing but that, in that quality, as necessary. So that Problematical points, of which, either side may be true, & in which, neither side is fundamentally neces­sary to salvation, those marginal & interlineary notes, that are not of the body of the text, opinions raised out of singularity, in some one man, and then maintained out of partiality, and affection to that man, these problematicall things should not be called the Doctrine of the Church, nor lay obligations upon mens consciences; They should not disturb the general peace, they should not extinguish particular charity towards one another.

The Act then, that God requires of us, is to beleeve: so the words carry it in all the three places: The Object, the next, the nearest Object of this Belief, is made the Church; that is, to beleeve that God hath established means for the application of Christs death, to all, in all Christian Congregations. All things are possible to him that beleeveth, Mar. 9 23. saith our Saviour; In the Word, and Sacraments, there is Salvation to every soule, that be­leeves there is so: As on the other side, we have from the same mouth, and the same pen, He that beleeveth not, is damned. Faith then being the root of all, Mar. 16.16. and God having vouchsafed to plant this root, this faith, here in his terrestriall paradise, and not in hea­ven; in the manifest ministery of the Gospell, and not in a secret and unrevealed pur­pose, (for, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by preaching, which are things executed and transacted here in the Church) be thou content with those meanes which God hath ordained, and take thy faith in those meanes, and beleeve it to be influxus suasorius, that it is an influence from God, but an influence that works in thee by way of perswasion, and not of compulsion; It convinces thee, but it doth not constraine thee: It is, as S. Augustine sayes excellently, Vocatio congrua, it is the voice of God to thee: but, his voice then, when thou art fit to heare, and answer that voice; not fitted by any exaltation of thine own naturall faculties, before the cōming of grace; nor fitted by a good husbanding of Gods former grace, so as in rigor of justice to merit an increase of grace, but fitted by his preventing, his auxiliant, his concomitant grace, grace exhibited to thee, at that time when he calls thee: for, so saies that Father, Sic eum vocat, quo modo seit ei congruere, ut vo­cantē non respuat: God calls him then, when he knows he wil not resist his calling; But he doth not say, then, when he cānot resist; that needs not be said. But, as there is podus glcriae, as the Apostle speaks, an eternall weight of glory, which mans understanding cannot cōpre­hend; so there is Pondus gratiae, a certain weight of grace, that God layes upon that soule, which shall be his, under which that soule shall not easily bend it self any way from God.

This then is the summe of this whole Catechisme, which these words, in these three places doe constitute: First, that we be truely affected with Gods fore-warnings, and say there, Domine credo, Lord I beleeve that report, I beleeve that judgement to be denounced against my sin: And then, that we be duely affected with present changes, and say there, Domine credo, Lord I beleeve that report, I beleeve this judgement to come from thee, and to be a letter of thy hand; Lord enlighten others to interpret it aright, for thy more publique glory, and me, for my particular reformation. And then, lastly, to be sincerely, and seriously affected with the Ordinances of his Church, and to rest in them, for the means of our salvation; and to say there, Domine credo, Lord I beleeve this report, I beleeve that I cannot be saved without beleeving, nor beleeve without hearing. And therefore, whatsoever thou hast decreed to thy selfe above in heaven, give me a holy assi­duity of indevor, and peace of conscience, in the execution of thy Decrees here; And let thy Spirit beare witnesse with my spirit, that I am of the number of thine elect, because I love the beauty of thy house, because I captivate mine understanding to thine Ordinan­ces, because I subdue my wil to obey thine, because I find thy Son Christ Jesus made mine, in the preaching of thy word, and my selfe made his, in the administration of his Sacraments. And keep me ever in the armes, and bosome of that Church, which with­out any tincture, any mixture, any leaven of superstition, or Idolatry, affords me all that is necessary to salvation, and obtrudes nothing, enforces nothing to be beleeved, by any Determination, or Article of hers that is not so. And be this enough for the Explication, and Application, and Complication of these words, in all these three places.

SERMON VII. Preached upon Christmas day.

THe Church celebrates this day, the Birth of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, blessed for ever; And though it fall amongst the shortest dayes in the yeere, yet of all the Festivals in the yeere, it is the longest: It is a day that consists of twelve dayes; A day not measured by the naturall and or­dinary motion of the Sun, but by a supernaturall and extraordinary Star, which appeared to the Wisemen of the East, this day, and brought them to Christ, at Bethlem, upon Twelfe day. That day, Twelfe day, the Church now calls the Epiphany; The ancient Church called this day (Christmas day) the Epiphany. Both dayes toge­ther, and all the dayes betweene, This day, when Christ was manifested to the Jews, in the Shepheards by the Angels, and Twelfe day, when Christ was manifested to the Gentiles in those Wisemen of the East, make up the Epiphany, that is, the manifestation of God to man. And as this day is in such a respect a longer day then others, so, if we make longer houres in this day, then in other dayes; if I extend this Sermon, if you ex­tend your Devotion, or your Patience, beyond the ordinary time, it is but a due, and a just celebration of the Day, and some accommodation to the Text, for, I am come, as he, in whose Name and Power I came, came; and he tels you, that He came that you might have life, and might have it more abundantly.

God, who vouchsafed to be made Man for man, for man vouchsafes also to doe all the offices of man toward man. Mal. 2.10. He is our Father, for he made us: Of what? Of clay; So God is Figulus, Esay 45.9. Rom. 9.21. Gen. 1.27. Gen. 3.21. Gen. 1.29. so in the Prophet; so in the Apostle, God is our Potter. God stamp­ed his Image upon us, and so God is Statuarius, our Minter, our Statuary. God clothed us, and so is vestiarius; he hath opened his wardrobe unto us. God gave us all the fruits of the earth to eate, and so is oeconomus, our Steward. God poures his oyle, and his wine in­to our wounds, Luke 10. 1 Cor. 3.6. Acts 20.32. Psal. 127.1. Mat. 4.19. and so is Medicus, and Vicinus, that Physitian, that Neighbour, that Sa­maritan intended in the Parable. God plants us, and waters, and weeds us, and gives the increase; and so God is Hortulanus, our Gardiner. God builds us up into a Church, and so God is Architectus, our Architect, our Builder; God watches the City when it is built; and so God is Speculator, our Sentinell. God fishes for men, (for all his Iohns, and his Andrews, and his Peters, are but the nets that he fishes withall) God is the fisher of men; And here, in this Chapter, God in Christ is our Shepheard. The book of Iob is a representation of God, in a Tragique-Comedy, lamentable beginnings comfortably ended: The book of the Canticles is a representation of God in Christ, as a Bridegroom in a Marriage-song, in an Epithalamion: God in Christ is represented to us, in divers formes, in divers places, and this Chapter is his Pastorall. The Lord is our Shepheard, and so called, in more places, then by any other name; and in this Chapter, exhibits some of the offices of a good Shepheard. Be pleased to taste a few of them. First, he sayes, The good Shepheard comes in at the doore, Joh. 10.1. the right way. If he come in at the window, that is, alwayes clamber after preferment; If he come in at vaults, and cellars, that is, by clandestin, and secret contracts with his Patron, he comes not the right way: When he is in the right way, Ver. 3. His sheep heare his voyce: first there is a voyce, He is heard; Ignorance doth not silence him, nor lazinesse, nor abundance of preferment; nor indiscreet, and distempered zeale does not silence him; (for to induce, or occasion a silencing upon our selves, is as ill as the ignorant, or the lazie silence) There is a voyce, and (sayes that Text) is is his voyce, not alwayes another in his roome; for (as it is added in the next verse) [Page 63] The sheep know his voyce, which they could not doe, if they heard it not often, V. 4. if they were not used to it. And then, for the best testimony, and consummation of all, he sayes, The good Shepheard gives his life for his sheep. Every good Shepheard gives his life, V. 11. that is, spends his life, weares out his life for his sheep: of which this may be one good argu­ment, That there are not so many crazie, so many sickly men; men that so soon grow old in any profession, as in ours. But in this, Christ is our Shepheard in a more peculiar, and more incommunicable way, that he is Pastor humani generis, & esca; first, Maxinus. that he feeds not one Parish, nor one Diocesse, but humanum genus, all Mankinde, the whole world, and then feeds us so, as that he is both our Pastor, and our Pasture, he feeds us, and feeds us with himselfe, for, His flesh is meat indeed, and his bloud is drink indeed. Joh. 6. Lro. And therefore Honor telebratur totius gregis, per annua festa pastoris: As often as wecome to celebrate the comming of this Shepheard, in giving that honour, we receive an honour, because that is a declaration, that we are the sheepe of that pasture, and the body of that head. And so much being not impertinently said, for the connexion of the words, and their compli­cation with the day, passe we now to the more particular distribution and explication thereof, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

In these words, our parts will be three; for, first we must consider the Persons, Divisie. The Shepheard and the sheep, God and Man, Him and Them, Them indefinitely, all them, all men, I came, sayes Christ, I alone, that they, all they might have life: And secondly we con­sider the action it self; as it is wrapped up in this word, veni, I came; for, that is first, that he who was alwaies omnipresent, every where before, did yet study a new way of comming, & communicating himself with man, veni, I came, that is, novo modo veni, I came by a new way; And then, that he, who fed his former stock but with Prophesies, and promises, that he would come, feeds us now with actuall performances, with his reall presence, and the exhibition of himself. And lastly we shall consider the end, the purpose, the benefit of his comming, which is life: And first, ut daret, that he might give life, bring life, offer life to the world, (which is one mercy) and then, ut haberent, that we might have it, embrace it, possesse it, (which is another) and, after both, a greater then both, that we might have this life abundantiùs, more abundantly; which is, first, abundantiùs illis, more abundantly then other men of this world, and then abundantiùs ipsis, more abundantly then we our selves had it in this world, in the world to come; for, therefore he came, that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly.

First then, in our first part, we consider the Persons, The Shepheard and the Sheepe, 1 Part. Persone. Him and Them, God and Man; of which Persons, the one for his Greatnesse, God, the other for his littlenesse, man, can scarce fall under any consideration. What eye can fixe it self upon East and West at once? And he must see more then East and West, that sees God, for God spreads infinitely beyond both: God alone is all; not onely all that is, but all that is not, all that might be, if he would have it be. God is too large, too im­mense, and then man is too narrow, too little to be considered; for, who can fixe his eye upon an Atome? and he must see a lesse thing then an Atome, that sees man, for man is nothing. First, for the incomprehensiblenesse of God, the understanding of man, Deus. hath a limited, a determined latitude; it is an intelligence able to move that Spheare which it is fixed to, but could not move a greater: I can comprehend naturam naturatam, created nature, but for that natura naturans, God himselfe, the understanding of man cannot comprehend. I can see the Sun in a looking-glasse, but the nature, and the whole working of the Sun I cannot see in that glasse. I can see God in the creature, but the nature, the essence, the secret purposes of God, I cannot see there. There is defatigatio in intellectualibus, sayes the saddest and soundest of the Hebrew Rabbins, R. Moses. the soule may be tired, as well as the body, and the understanding dazeled, as well as the eye. It is a good note of the same Rabbi, upon those words of Solomon, fill not thy selfe with hony, lest thou vomit it, that it is not said, that if thou beest cloyd with it, thou maist be distasted, Pro. 25.16. disaf­fected towards it after, but thou maist vomit it, and a vomit works so, as that it does not onely bring up that which was then, but that also which was formerly taken. Curious men busie themselves so much upon speculative subtilties, as that they desert, and aban­don the solid foundations of Religion, and that is a dangerous vomit; To search so farre into the nature, and unrevealed purposes of God, as to forget the nature, and du­ties of man, this is a shrewd surfet, though of hony, and a dangerous vomit. It is not need­full for thee, to see the things that are in secret, sayes the wife man; nonindiges, Ecclus. 3.23. thou nee­dest [Page 64]not that knowledge: Thou maist doe well enough in this world, and bee Gods good servant, and doe well enough in the next world, and bee a glorious Saint, and yet never search into Gods secrets. Ps. 65.1. Te decet Hymnus, (so the vulgar reades that place) To thee, O Lord, belong our Hymnes, our Psalmes, our Prayses, our cheerefull acclamations; and conformably to that, we translate it, Praise waiteth for thee, O God in Sion: But if we will take it according to the Originall, it must be, Tibi silentium laus est, Thy praise, O Lord, consists in silence: That that man praises God best, that sayes least of him; of him, that is of his nature, of his essence, of his unrevealed will, and secret purposes. O that men would praise the Lord, is Davids provocation to us all, but how? O that men would praise the Lord, and declare his wondrous works to the sons of men! but not to goe about to declare his unrevealed Decrees, or secret purposes, is as good a way of praising him, as the other. And therefore, O that men would praise the Lord, so, forbeare his Majesty, when he is retired into himselfe, in his Decrees, and magnifie his Majesty, as he manifests himselfe to us, in the execution of those Decrees; of which, this in our Text is a great one, that he that is infinitely more then all, descended to him, that is infinitely lesse then nothing; which is the other person whom we are to consider in this part, ille illis, I to them, God to us.

The Hebrew Doctors almost every where repeat that adage of theirs, lex loquitur lin­guam filiorum hominum, Illis. God speakes mens language, that is, the Holy Ghost in the Scrip­tures descends to the capacity and understanding of man, and so presents God in the fa­culties of the minde of man, and in the lineaments of the body of man. But yet, say they, there is never braine, nor liver, nor spleene; nor any other inward part ascribed to God, but onely the heart. God is all heart, and that whole heart, that inexhaustible fountaine of love, is directed wholly upon man. And then, though in the Scriptures, those bodily lineaments, head and feet, and hands, and eyes, and eares be ascribed to God, God is never said to have shoulders; for, say they, shoulders are the subjects of burdens, and therein the figures of patience, and so God is all shoulder, all patience; he heares patient­ly, he sees patiently, he speakes patiently, he dyes patiently: And is there a patience be­yond that? In Christ there is, he suffers patiently a quotidian Crucifying; we kill the Lord of Life every day, every day we make a mock of Christ Jesus, and tread the blood of the Covenant under our feet every day: And as though all his passion, and blood, and wounds, and heart, were spent by our former oathes, and blasphemies, we crucifie him dayly by our dayly sins, that we might have new blood, and heart, and wounds to sweare by; and all this hee suffers patiently, and after all this, ille illis, to this man, this God comes.

He to us, God to man; all to nothing: for upon that we insist first, as the first dispro­portion betweene us, Illis, qui nihil. Esay. 40.15. and so the first exaltation of his mercy towards us. Man is, sayes the Prophet Esay, Quasi stilla situlae, As a drop upon the bucket. Man is not all that, not so much as that, as a drop upon the bucket, but quasi, something, some little thing towards it; and what is a drop upon the bucket, to a river, to a sea, to the waters above the firma­ment? Man to God? Man is, sayes the same Prophet in the same place, Quasi momenntum staterae; we translate it, As small dust upon the balance: Man is not all that, not that small graine of dust; but quasi, some little thing towards it: And what can a graine of dust work in governing the balance? What is man that God should be mindfull of him? Va­nity seemes to be the lightest thing, that the Holy Ghost could name; and when he had named that, he sayes, and sayes, and sayes, often, very, very often, All is vanity. But when he comes to waigh man with vanity it selfe, he findes man lighter then vanity: Take, sayes he, Ps. 62.9. great men, and meane men altogether, and altogether they are lighter then vanity. When that great Apostle sayes of himselfe, that he was in nothing behinde the very chiefest of the Apostles, 2 Cor. 12.11. and yet, for all that, sayes he was nothing; who can think himselfe any thing, for being a Giant in proportion, a Magistrate in power, a Rabbi in learning, an O­racle in Counsell? Let man be something; how poore, and inconsiderable a ragge of this world, L. 1. de rerum ge­neratione. is man? Man, whom Paracelsus would have undertaken to have made, in a Limbeck, in a Furnace: Man, who, if they were altogether, all the men, that ever were, and are, and shall be, would not have the power of one Angel in them all, whereas all the Angels, (who, in the Schoole are conceived to be more in number, then, not onely all the Species, but all the individualls of this lower world) have not in them all, the power of one finger of Gods hand: Man, of whom when David had said, (as the lowest dimi­nution [Page 65]that he could put upon him) I am a worme and no man, He might have gone lower, Ps. 22.6. and said, I am a man and no worm; for man is so much lesse then a worm, as that wormes of his own production, shall feed upon his dead body in the grave, and an immortall worm gnaw his conscience in the torments of hell. And then, if that which God, and God in the counsaile and concurrence, and cooperation of the whole Trinity hath made thee, Man, be nothing, canst thou be proud of that, or think that any thing which the King hath made thee, a Lord, or which thy wife hath made thee, Rich, or which thy riches have made thee, an Officer? As Iob sayes of impertinent comforters, miserable comforters, so I say of these Creations, miserable creations are they all. Only as thou maist be a new creature in Christ Jesus, thou maist be something; for that's a nobler, and a harder creation then the first; when God had a clod of red earth in his hand, to make me in Adam, he had more towards his end, then when he hath me, an unregenerate, and rebellious soule, to make a new creature in Christ Jesus. And yet Ille illis, to this man comes this God, God that is infinitely more then all, to man that is infinitely lesse then nothing, which was our first disproportion, and the first exaltation of his mercy; and the next is, Ille illis, Illis qui hostes, that this God came to this man, then when this man was a professed enemy to this God.

Si contrarium Deo quaeras nihilest, saies S. Augustine. If thou aske me what is contrary to God, I cannot say, that any thing is so; for, whatsoever is any thing, hath a beeing, Illis qui Hostes. and whatsoever hath so, hath in that very beeing some affinity with God, some assi­milation to God; so that nothing is contrary to God. If thou aske mee, Quis hostis, who is an enemy to GOD, I cannot say that of any thing in this World, but man. That viper that flew at Saint Paul, was not therein an enemy to GOD; Acts 28. that viper did not direct it selfe upon S. Paul, as S. Paul was a usefull, and a necessary instru­ment of Christ; But S. Paul himselfe was a direct enemy to Christ himselfe, Tu me, thou persecutest me, saies Christ himselfe unto him. And if we be not all enemies to God in such a direct opposition, as that we sinne therefore because that sinne violates the maje­sty of God, (and yet truly every habituall, and deliberated sinne amounts to almost as much, because in every such sinne, we seeme to try conclusions, whether God can see a sinne, or be affected with a sinne, or can, or cares to punish a sinne, as though we doubted whether God were a present God, or a pure God, or a powerfull God, and so conse­quently whether there be any God or no) If we be not all enemies to God, in this kind, yet in adhering to the enemy we are enemies; In our prevarications, and easie betrayings, and surrendring of our selves to the enemy of his kingdom, satan, we are his enemies. For small wages, and ill paid pensions we serve him; and lest any man should flatter and delude himselfe, in saying, I have my wages, and my reward before hand, my pleasures in this life, the punishment, (if ever) not till the next, The Apostle destroyes that dreame, with that question of confusion, What fruit had you then in those things, Rom 6.21. of which you are now ashamed? Certainly sin is not a gainfull way; without doubt more men are impoveri­shed, and beggered by sinful courses, then enriched; what fruit had they? says the Apostle, and sin cannot be the way of honour, for we dare not avow our sins, but are ashamed of them, when they are done; fruitlesness, unprofitableness before, shame and dishonor after, and yet for these we are enemies to God; and yet for all this God comes to us; Ille illis, the Lord of Hosts, to naked and disarmed man, the God of peace to this enemy of God. Some men will continue kinde, where they finde a thankfull reciver, Luke 6.35. but God is kinde to the unthankfull, sayes Christ himselfe. There may be found a man that will dye for his friend, sayes he; but God dyed for his enemies: Then when ye were enemies, you were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. To come so in-gloriously, he that is infinitely more then all, to him that is infinitely lesse then nothing, (that was our first disproportion, and the first axaltatation of his mercy) to come, (shall we venture to say so) so selfe pro­ditoriously, as to betray himselfe and deliver himselfe to his enemies, (that was our se­cond) is equalled, at least, in a third, ille illis, he to them, that is unus omnibus, 2 Cor. 5.14. he alone for the salvation of all men, as it is expresly said, for this word in our Text, they, hath no limitation, I came, I alone, that they, all they might be the better.

Some of the ancient Fathers, delivering the mercies of God, so, Illis omni­bus. as the articles of our Church enjoyne them to bee delivered, that is, generally, as they are delivered in the Scriptures, have delivered them so over-generally, that they have seemed loth to thinke the devill himselfe excluded from all benefit of Christs comming. Some of the later [Page 66]Authors in the Roman Church, (who, as pious as they pretend to be towards the Fa­thers, are apter to discover the nakednesse of the Fathers, then we are) have noted in Iu­stin Martyr, and in Epiphanius, and in Clement of Alexandria, and in Oecumenius, (and Oecumenius is no single Father, but Pater patratus, a manifold Father, a complicated fa­ther, a Father that collected Fathers) and even in S. Ierome himselfe, and S. Ambrose too, some inclinations towards that opinion, that the devill retaining still his faculty of free will, is therefore capable of repentance, and so of benefit by this comming of Christ; And those Authors of the Roman Church, that modifie the matter, and excuse the Fa­thers herein, excuse them no other way but this, that though that opinion and doctrine of those Fathers, bee not true in it selfe, yet it was never condemned by any Councell, nor by any ancient Father. So very far, did very many goe in enlarging the mercies of God in Christ, to all. But waiving this over-large extention and profusion thereof, and directing it upon a more possible, and a more credible object, that is, Man; S. Cyril of Alexandria, speaking of the possibility of the salvation of all men, saies, by way of ob­jection to himselfe, Omnes non credunt, How can all be saved since all doe not beleeve? but, saies he, Because actually they do not beleeve, is it therefore impossible they should beleeve? And for actuall beleefe, saies he, though all doe not, yet so many doe, utfacilè qui pereant, superent, that, by Gods goodnesse, more are saved, then lost, saies that Fa­ther of tender and large bowels, Moses. S. Cyril. And howsoever he may seeme too tender, and too large herein, yet it is a good peece of counsaile, which that Rabbi whom I named before, gives, Ne redarguas ca falsitatis, de quorum contrariis nulla est demonstratio, Be not aptto call any opinion false, or hereticall, or damnable, the contrary whereof cannot be evidently proved. And for this particular, the generall possibility of salvation, all agree that the merit of Christ Jesus is sufficient for all. Whether this all-sufficiency grow ex intrinseca ratione formali, out of the very nature of the merit, the dignity of the person be­ing considered, or grow ex pacto, & acceptatione, out of the acceptation of the Father, and the contract betweene him and the Son, for that, let the Thomists, and the Scotists, in the Roman Church wrangle. All agree, that there is enough done for all. And would God receive enough for all, and then, exclude some, of himselfe, without any relation, any consideration of sinne? God forbid. Man is called by divers names, names of lownesse enough, in the Scriptures; But, by the name of Enosh, Enosh that signifies meere misery, Man is never called in the Scriptures, till after the fall of Adam. Onely sinne after, and not any ill purpose in God before, made man miserable. The manner of expressing the mercy of God, in the frame and course of Scriptures, expresses evermore the largenesse of that mercy. Very often, in the Scriptures, you shall finde the person suddenly changed; and when God shall have said in the beginning of a sentence, I will shew mercy unto them, them, as though he spoke of others, presently, in the same sentence, he will say, my loving kindnesse will I not draw from thee; not from thee, not from them, not from any; that so whensoever thou hearest of Gods mercy proposed to them, to others, thou mightest beleeve that mercy to bee meant to thee, and whensoever they, others heare that mercy proposed to thee, they might beleeve it to be meant to them. And so much may, to good purpose, be observed out of some other parts of this Chapter, in another translation. In the third verse it is said, His sheepe heare his voice, In the Arabique tranfla­tion it is Oves audit, His sheepe in the plurall, does heare, in the singular. God is a plurall God, and offers himselfe to all, collectively; God is a singular God, and offers himselfe to every man, distributively. So also is it said there, Nominibus suo, He cals his sheepe by their names; It is names in the plurall, and theirs, in the singular: whatsoever God proposes to any, he intends to all. In which contemplation, S. Augustine breaks out into that holy exclamation, O bone omnipotens qui sic cur as unumquemque nostrûm, tanquam solum cures, & sic omnes tamquam singulos, O good and mighty God, who art as loving to every man, as to all mankind, and meanest as well to all mankind, as to any man. Be pleased to make your use of this note, for the better imprinting of this largenesse of Gods mercy. Moses desires of God, Exod. 33.13. V. 18. V. 19. that he would shew him Vias suas, His waies, his proceedings, his dea­lings with men; that which he calls after, Gloriam suam, His glory, how he glorifies him­selfe upon man, God promises him in the next verse, that he will shew him Omne bonum, All his goodnesse, Exod. 346. God hath no way towards man but goodnesse, God glorifies himselfe in nothing upon man, but in his owne goodnesse. And therefore when God comes to the performance of this promise, in the next Chapter, he showes him his way, and his [Page 67]glory, and his goodnesse, in shewing him that he is a mercifull God, a gracious God, a long-suffering God, a God that forgives sins and iniquities, and (as the Hebrew Doctors note) there are thirteen attributes, thirteen denotations of God specified in that place, and of all those thirteen, there is but one that tasts of judgement, (That he will punish the sins of Fathers upon Children.) All the other twelve are meerly, wholly mercy; such a proportion hath his mercy above his justice, such a proportion, as that there is no cause in him, if all men be not partakers of it. Shall we say, (sayes S. Cyril) Melius agri­culturam non exerceri, si quae nocent tolli non possunt, It were better there were no tillage, then that weeds should grow, Melius non creasse, better that God had made no men, then that so many should be damned. God made none to be damned; And therefore though some would expunge out of our Litany, that Rogation, that Petition, That thou wouldst have mercy upon all men; as though it were contrary to Gods purpose to have mercy upon all men; yet S. Augustine enlarges his charity too far, Libera nos Domine, qui jam invocamus te, deliver us O Lord, who do now call upon thee, Et libera eos qui nondum invocant, ut invocent te, & liberes eos, and deliver them who do not yet call upon thee, that they may call upon thee, and be farther delivered by thee. But it is time to passe from this first part, the consideration of the Persons, Ille Illis, that God who is infinitely more then All, would come to man who is infinitely lesse then nothing; that God who is the God of peace, would come to man his professed enemy; that God, the only Son of God, would come to the reliefe of man, of all men, to our second generall part, the action it self, so far as it is enwrapped in this word, Veni, I came; I came that they might have life.

Through this second part, veni, I came, we must passe apace; because, upon the third, 2 Part. the end of his comming, (that they might have life) we must necessarily insist sometime. In this therefore, wee make but two steps; And this the first, that that God who is om­nipresent, alwayes every where, in love to man, studyed a new way of comming, of com­municating himselfe to man; veni, I came, novo modo, so as I was never with man before. The rule is worth the repeating, lex loquitur linguam filiorum hominum, God speakes mans language, that is, so, as that he would be understood by man. Therefore to God, who alwayes fills all places, are there divers Positions, and Motions, and Transitions ascribed in Scriptures. In divers places is God said to sit; Sedet Rex, The Lord sitteth King for ever. Howsoever the Kings of the earth be troubled, and raysed, Psal. 29.10. and throwne downe againe, and troubled, and raised, and throwne downe by him, yet the Lord sitteth King for ever. Habitat in Coelis, sayes David, Psal. 102.13. and yet sedet in circu­lis terrae, sayes Esay, The Lord dwelleth in the heavens, and yet hee sits upon the compasse of this earth: Where no earth-quake shakes his seat; Esay 40.22. for sedet in confusione (as one Translation reads that place, Psal. 29.10.) The Lord sitteth upon the flood, (so wee reade it) what confusions soever disorder the world, what floods soever surround and overflow the world, the Lord sits safe. Other phrases there are of like denotation. Esay 26.21. Exit de loco, Behold the Lord commeth out of his place; that is, he produces, and brings to light, things which he kept secret before. And so, Revertar ad locum, I will goe, Hose. 5.15. and returne to my place; that is, I will withdraw the light of my countenance, my presence, my pro­vidence from them. So that heaven is his place, and then is he said to come to us, when he manifests himself unto us in any new manner of working. In such a sense was God come to us, when he said, I lift up my hands to heaven, and say, I live for ever. Deut. 52.40. Where was God when he lifted up his hands to heaven? Here, here upon earth, with us, in his Church, for our assurance, and our establishment, making that protestation (denoted in the lifting up of his hands to heaven) that he lived for ever, that he was the everliving God, and that therefore we need feare nothing. God is so omnipresent, as that the Ubi­quitary will needs have the body of God every where: so omnipresent, as that the Stan­carist will needs have God not only to be in every thing, but to be every thing, that God is an Angelin an Angel, and a stone in a stone, and a straw in a straw. But God is truly so omnipresent, as that he is with us before he comes to us: Q [...]id peto ut venias in me, August. qui non essem, si non esses in me? why doe I pray that thou wouldst come into me, who could not only not pray, but could not bee, if thou wert not in me before? But his com­ming in this Text, is a new act of particular mercy, and therefore a new way of com­ming. What way? by assuming our nature in the blessed Virgin. That that Paradoxa virgo, (as Amelberga the wife of one of the Earls of Flanders, who lived continently even in mariage, and is therfore called Paradoxa virgo, a Virgin beyond opinion) that this most [Page 68]blessed Virgin Mary should not only have a Son, (for Manes, the Patriarch of that great Sect of Heretiques, the Manichees, boasted himselfe to be the son of a Virgin, and some casuists in the Romane Church have ventured to say, that by the practice and interven­tion of the devill there may be a childe, and yet both parents, father and mother remain Virgins) But that this Son of this blessed Virgin, should also be the Son of the eternall God, this is such a comming of him who was here before, as that if it had not arisen in his own goodnesse, no man would ever have thought of it, no man might ever have wish­ed, or prayed for such a comming, that the only Son of God should come to die for all the sons of men. August. For Aliud est hîc esse, aliud hîc tibi esse; It is one thing for God to be here in the world, another thing to be come hither for thy sake, born of a woman for thy salvation. And this is the first act of his mercy wrapped up in this word, Veni, I came, I who was alwayes present, studied a new way of comming, I who never went from thee, came again to thee.

The other act of his mercy enwrapped in this word, Veni actu. veni, I came, is this, that he that came to the old world but in promises, and prophecies, and figures, is actually, really, personally, and presentially come to us; of which difference, that man will have the best sense, who languishes under the heavy expectation of a reversion, in office, or inhe­ritance, or hath felt the joy of comming to the actuall possession of such a reversion. Christ was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world; appointed for a Sacrifice from that first promise of a Messias in Paradise long before that; from all eternity. For, whensoever the election of the elect was, (date it when you will) Christ was at that ele­ction; and not only as the second person in the Trinity, as God, but Christ considered as man, and as the propitiation and sacrifice for man; for whosoever was elected, was elected in Christ. Christ was alwayes come in Gods purpose; and early come in Gods promise; and continually comming in the succession of the Prophets; with such a con­fidence, as that one of them sayes, Esay 9.6. Puer datus, filius natus, A childe is given unto us, a Son is born unto us; Born and given already; because the purpose of God, in which he was born, cannot be disappointed; the promise of God, by which he was given, cannot be frustrated; the Prophets of God, by whom he was presented, cannot be mistaken. But yet, still it was a future thing. Christ is often called the Expectation of the world; but it was all that while, but an Expectation, but a reversion of a future thing. So God fed that old world with expectation of future things, as that that very name by which God noti­fied himself most to that people, Exod. 3.14. in his commission by Moses to Pharaoh, was a future name; howsoever our Translations and Expositions run upon the present, as though God had said Qui sum, my name is I am, yet in truth it is Qui ero, my name is I shall be. They had evidences enow that God was; but God was pleased to establish in them an assurance that he would be so still; and not only be so still as he was then; but that hee would be so with them hereafter as he was never yet, he would be Immanuel, God with us so, as that God and man should be one person. It was then a faire assurance, and a blessed comfort which the children of Israel had in that of Zechary, Zech. 9.9. Ecce venit rex, Re­joyce ye daughters of Sion, and shout ye daughters of Ierusalem, Behold thy King commeth ri­ding unto thee, upon an Asse. But yet this assurance, though delivered as in the present, produced not those acclamations, Mat. 21.9. and recognitions, and Hosannaes, and Hosanna in the highest, to the Son of David, as his personall, and actuall, and visible riding into Jerusa­lem upon Palme-Sunday did. Amougst the Jews there was light enough to discern this future blessing, this comming of Christ; but they durst not open it, nor publish it to o­thers. We see the Jews would dye in defence of any part of their Law, were it but the Ceremoniall; were it but for the not eating of Swines flesh; what unsufferable torments suffered the seven brothers in the Maccabees, for that? But yet we never finde that any of them dyed, or exposed themselves to the danger, or to the dignity of Martyrdome for this Doctrine of the Messias, this future comming of Christ. Nay, we finde that the Septuagint, who first translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, for King Ptolome, dis­guised divers places thereof, and departed from the Originall, rather then propose this future comming of the Son of God to the interpretation of the world. A little Candle they had for themselves, but they durst not light anothers Candle at it. So also some of the more speculative Philosophers had got some beames of this light, but because they saw it would not be beleeved, De verarelg. cap. 4. they let it alone, they said little of it. Hence is it that S. Augustine sayes, si Platonici reviviscerent, if Plato and his Disciples should rise from the [Page 69]dead, and come now into our streets, and see those great Congregations, which thrust and throng every Sabbath, and every day of holy convocation, to the worship of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, Hoc fortasse dicerent, This it is likely they would say, sayes he, Haec sunt, quae populis persuadere non ausi, consaetudini cessimus, This is that religion, which because it consisted so much in future things, we durst not propose to the people, but were fain to leave them to those present, and sensible, and visible things, to which they had been accustomed before, lest when we had shaked them in their old religion, we should not be able to settle, and establish them in the new; And, as in civill government, a Tyranny is better then an Anarchy, a hard King better then none, so when we consi­der religions, Idolatry is better then Atheisme, and superstition better then profanenesse. Not that the Idolater shall any more be saved then the Atheist; but that the Idolater having been accustomed to some sense and worship of God (of God in his estimation) is therefore apter to receive religious impressions, then the Atheist is. In this then con­sists this second act of Christs mercy to us in this word veni, I am actually, really, per­sonally, presentially come, that those types and figures and sacrifices, which represented Christ to the old world, were not more visible to the eye, more palpable to the hand, more obvious to the very bodily senses, that Christ himself hath been since to us. There­fore S. Iohn does not only rest in that, That which was from the beginning, 1 John 1.1. (Christ was al­wayes in purpose, in prophecy, in promise) nor in that, That which we have heard, (the world heard of Christ long before they saw him) but he proceeds to that, That which we have seen, and looked upon with our eyes, and handled with our hands, that declare we unto you. So that we are now delivered from that jealousie that possessed those Septuagint, those Translators, that they durst not speak plain, and delivered from that suspition that possessed Plato, and his disciples, that the people were incapable of that doctrine. Wee know that Christ is come, and we avow it, and we preach it, and we affirm, that it is not onely as impious, and irreligious a thing, but as senslesse, and as absurd a thing to deny that the Son of God hath redeemed the world, as to deny that God hath created the world; and that he is as formally, and as gloriously a Martyr that dyes for this Article, The Son of God is come, as he that dyes for this, There is a God. And these two acts of his mer­cy, enwrapped in this one word, veni, I came, (first, that he who is alwayes present, out of an abundant love to man, studied a new way of comming, and then, that he who was but betrothed to the old world by way of promise, is married to us by an actuall com­ming) will be farther explicated to us, in that, which only remaines and constitutes our third, and last part, the end and purpose of his comming, That they might have life, and might have it more abundantly. And though this last part put forth many handles, wee can but take them by the hand, and shake them by the hand, that is, open them, and so leave them.

First then in this last part, we consider the gift it self, the treasure, Life, 3. Part. Vita. That they might have life. Now life is the character by which Christ specificates and denominates him­selfe; Life is his very name, and that name by which he consummates all his other names, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; John 14.6. And therefore does Peter justly and bitter­ly upbraid the Jews with that, Ye desired a murderer, (an enemy to life) to be granted unto you, and killed the Prince of Life. Acts 3.14. It is an honour to any thing that it may be sworn by; by vulgar and triviall things men might not sweare, Jer. 5.7. How shall I pardon them this? sayes God, They have sworn by things that are not gods. And therefore God, who in so many places professes to sweare by himself, and of whom the Apostle sayes, Heb. 6.13. That be­cause he could sweare by no greater, he swore by himselfe, because he could propose no greater thing in himself, no clearer notion of himself then life, (for his life is his eternity, and his eternity is himselfe) does therefore through all the Law and the Prophets still sweare in that form, Vivo ego, vivit Dominus, As I live, saith the Lord, and as the Lord liveth; still he sweares by his own life; As that solemne Oath which is mentioned in Daniel, is conceived in that form too, He lift up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, Dan. 12.7. and swore by him that liveth for ever; that is, by God, and God in that notion as he is life. All that the Queen and the Councell could wish and apprecate to the King, was but that, Life, In sempiternum vive, vive in aeternum, O King live for ever. God is life, Dan. 5. and would not the death of any. We are not sure that stones have not life; stones may have life; neither (to speak humanely) is it unreasonably thought by them, that thought the whole world to be inanimated by one soule, and to be one intire living creature; and in that respect [Page 70]does S. Augustine prefer a fly before the Sun, 1 Tim. 5.6. because a fly hath life, and the Sun hath not. This is the worst that the Apostle sayes of the young wanton widow, That if she live in pleasure, she is dead whilst she lives. So is that Magistrate that studies nothing but his own honour, and dignity in his place, dead in his place; And that Priest that studies nothing but his owne ease, and profit, dead in his living; And that Judge that dares not condemne a guilty person, And (which is the bolder transgression) dares condemne the innocent, deader upon the Bench, then the Prisoner at the Barre; God hath included all that is good, Dcut. 30.15. in the name of Life, and all that is ill in the name of Death, when he sayes, See, I have set before thee Vitam & Bonum, Life and Good, Mortem & Malum, Death and Evill. This is the reward proposed to our faith, Hab. 2.4. Iustus fide sua vivit, To live by our faith: And this is the reward proposed to our works, Fac hoc & vives, to live by our works; All is life. And this fulnesse, this consummation of happinesse, Life, and the life of life, spiritu­all life, and the exaltation of spirituall life, eternall life, is the end of Christs comming, I came that they might have life.

And first, Vt daret. ut daret, that he might give life, bring life into the world, that there might be life to be had, that the world might be redeemed from that losse, which S. Augustine sayes it was falne into, Perdidimus possibilitatem boni, That we had all lost all possibility of life. For, the heaven and the earth, and all that the Poet would call Chaos, was not a deader lump before the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, then Mankind was, before the influence of Christs comming wrought upon it. But now that God so loved the world, as that he gave his Son, now that the Son so loved the world, as that he gave himselfe, Psal. 19.6. as David sayes of the Sun of the firmament, the father of nature, Nihit absconditum, there is nothing hid from the heat thereof; so we say of this Son of God, the Father of the faithfull in a far higher sense, then Abraham was called so, Nihilabscon­ditum, there is nothing hid from him, no place, no person excluded from the benefit of his comming. The Son hath paid, the Father hath received enough for all; not in fingle mo­ney, for the discharge of thy lesser debts, thy idle words, thy wanton thoughts, thy un­chast looks, but in massie talents, to discharge thy crying debts, the clamors of those poore whom thou hast oppressed, and thy thundring debts, those blasphemies by which thou hast torne that Father that made thee, that Sonne that redeemed thee, that boly Ghost that would comfort thee. 1 Reg. 5. There is enough given; but then, as Hiram sent materi­als sufficient for the building of the Temple, but there was something else to be done, for the fitting, and placing thereof; so there is life enough brought into the world, for all the world, by the death of Christ, but then there is something else to be done for the appli­cation of this life to particular persons, intended in this word in our Text, ut haberent, I came that they might have life.

There is Ayre enough in the world, Vt haberent. to give breath to every thing, though every thing doe not breath. If a tree, or a stone doe not breathe, it is not because it wants ayre, but because it wants meanes to receive it, or to returne it. All egges are not hatched that the hen sits upon; Matt. 23.37. neither could Christ himselfe get all the chickens that were hatched, to come, and to stay under his wings. That man that is blinde, or that will winke, shall see no more sunne upon S. Barnabies day, then upon S. Lucies; no more in the summer, then in the winter solstice. Psal. 130.7. And therefore as there is copiosa redemptio, a plentifull redemption brought into the world by the death of Christ, so (as S. Paul found it in his particular conversion) there is copiosa lux, Acts 22.6. a great & a powerfull light exhibited to us, that we might see, and lay hold of this life, in the Ordinances of the Church, in the Confessions, and Absolutions, and Services, and Sermons, and Sacraments of the Church: Christ came ut daret, that he might bring life into the world, by his death, and then he instituted his Church, ut haberent, that by the meanes thereof this life might be infused into us, and in­fused so, as the last word of our Text delivers it, Abundantiùs, I came, that they might have life more abundantly.

Dignaris Domine, Abūdantiùs. August. ut eis, quibus debita dimittis, te, promissionibus tuis, debitorem facias; This, O Lord, is thine abundant proceeding; First thou forgivest me my debt to thee, and then thou makest thy selfe a debter to me by thy large promises; and after all, per­formest those promises more largely then thou madest them. Indeed, God can doe no­thing scantly, penuriously, singly. Even his maledictions, (to which God is ever loth to come) his first commination was plurall, it was death, and death upon death, Morte mo­rieris. Death may be plurall; but this benediction of life cannot admit a singular; Chajim, [Page 71]which is the word for life, hath no singular number. This is the difference betweene Gods Mercy, and his Judgements, that sometimes his Judgements may be plurall, com­plicated, enwrapped in one another, but his Mercies are alwayes so, and cannot be other­wise; he gives them abundantiùs, more abundantly.

More abundantly then to whom? Illis, genti­bus. The naturall man hath the Image of God imprin­ted in his soule; eternity is God himselfe, man hath not that, not eternity; but the Image of eternity, that is Immortality, a post eternity there is in the soule of man. And then, man is all soule in Moses expression; For, hee does not say that man had, Gen. 2.7. but that man was a living soule. So that the naturall man hath life more abundantly then any other creature, (howsoever Oakes, and Crowes, and Harts may bee said to out-live him) because he hath a life after this life. But Christ came to give life more abundantly then this.

That he did, when he came to the Jews in promises, in Types, and Figures, and Sa­crifices: Illis, Iudaeis. He gave life more abundantly to the Jew, then to the Gentile, because he gave him better meanes to preserve that life, better meanes to illustrate that Image of God in his soule, that is, to make his Immortality Immortall happinesse, (for otherwise our Immortality were our greatest curse) better meanes to conforme himselfe to God, by having a particular Law for the direction of all his actions, which the Gentiles had not. For, therein especially consisted the abundant favour of God to the Jews, as it is expres­sed by Moses, Vnto what Nation are their gods come so neare unto them, as the Lord our God is come unto us? And in what consisted this nearnesse? In this, What Nation hath Lawes and Statutes so righteous as we have? God gave man life more abundantly then other creatures, because he gave him Immortality; God gave the Jews life more abundantly then other men, by giving them a Law to make their Immortality Immortall happinesse, and yet there is a further abundantiùs, Christ came to give us, us Christians, life more abundantly then Gentile, or Jew.

Iustin Martyr denies, that ever any understood the true God, till Christ came. Illis, Chri­stianis. He goes upon the same ground that S. Paul does, Whilst you were without Christ, you were without God; that is, without such an evidence, such a manifestation, such an assurance of God, as faith requires, or as produces faith. For, the Ceremoniall Lawes of the Jewes cast as many shadowes as it did lights, and burdened them in easing them. Whereas the Chri­stian Religion, is; as Greg. Nazianz. sayes, Simplex & nuda, nisi pravè in artem difficili­mam converteretur: It is a plaine, an easie, a perspicuous truth, but that the perverse and uncharitable wranglings of passionate and froward men, have made Religion a hard, an intricate, and a perplexed art; so that now, that Religion, which carnall and worldly men, have, by an ill life, discredited, and made hard to be beleeved, the passion, and per­versnesse of Schoole-men, by Controversies, hath made hard to bee understood. Whereas the Christian Religion, is of it selfe Iugumsuave, a sweet, and an easie yoak, and verbum abbreviatum, an abridgement and a contracted doctrine; for, where the Jews had all abridged in decem verba (as Moses calls the ten Commandements, ten words) the Chri­stian hath all abridged in duo verba, into two words, love God, love thy neighbour. So Christ hath given us, us Christians life abundantiùs, more abundantly then to the Gen tile, or to the Jew; but there is a farther abundance yet; all this is but abundantiùs illis, more abundantly then to others, but Christ hath given us life abundantiùs ipsis, more abundantly then to our selves.

That is, in the Christian Church, Abundantiùs ipsis. he hath given us meanes to be better to day then yesterday, and to morrow then to day. That grace which God offers us in the Church, does not onely fill that capacity, which we have, but give us a greater capacity then we had: And it is an abuse of Gods grace, not to emprove it, or not to procure such farther grace, as that present grace makes us capable of. As it is an improvident, and dangerous thing to spend upon the stock, so is it to rely upon that portion of grace, which I thinke I had in my election, or that measure of Sanctification, which I came to in my last sick­nesse. Christ gives us life abundantiùs illis, better meanes of eternall life then to Gentile or Jew, and abundantiùs ipsis; better, that is, nearer assurance, in our growth of grace, and encrease of Sanctification every day, then in the consideration of any thing done by God, in our behalfe, heretofore.

Now, with these abundances (in which, we exceed illos, and ipsos, Ecclesta. others and our selves) Christ comes to us, in this, that he hath constituted, and established a Church; [Page 72]and therefore wee consider his abundant proceeding in that work. From this day, in which, the first stone of that building, the Church, was laid, (for, though the foundati­ons of the Church were laid in Eternity, yet, that was under ground, the first stone above ground, that is, the manifestation of Gods purpose to the world was laid this day, in Christs birth) from this day, the Incarnation of Christ, (for, of all those names, by which the ancients designe this day, Christmas day, Athanasius calling it the Substanti­ation of Christ; Tertullian, the Incorporation of Christ; Damascen, the Humanation of Christ; Of all those fifty names, which are collected out of the Fathers, for this day, most concurre in that name, The Incarnation of Christ) from this day, God proceeded so abundantly in enlarging his Church, as that, within two hundred yeares, Tertullian was able to say, Ipsa hospitalia aegrorum, The very hospitals of the Christians are more and more sumptuously built, and more richly endowed, then the very Temples of the Idols, or then the Palaces of Idolatrous Princes. And still abundantiùs, not to compare onely with Idolaters, but with the Jews themselves, and with them, in that wherein they mag­nified themselves most, their Temple. That Church, which Iustinian the Emperour built at Constantinople, and dedicated to Sophia, to the wisedome of God, (and the wisedome of God is Christ, Christ is the Power of God, and the Wisedome of God, 1 Cor. 1.24) is found by them, who have written that story, in bignesse, and in beauty, to have exceeded So­lomons Temple: Though in that, there were employed for many yeares, thirty thousand Carpenters, and forty thousand Masons, and (other endowments of rich vessell being proportionable to it) more then twenty thousand Bowls, and Goblets of gold, and silver, yet Iustinians Church at Constantinople exceeded that: Unto the riches of this wisedome of God, Christ Jesus, flowed all the treasure of the World, and upon this Wisedome of God, Christ Jesus, waited all the wisedome of the World. For, at that time, when Christ came into the world, was learning at that heighth, as that accounting from Cicero and Virgil, (two great Masters in two great kindes) to the two Plinies, (which may shut up one age) we may reckon in that one state, under whose government Christ was born, Rome, Psal. 118.24. seaven or eight score Authors, more then ever they had before or after. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoyce, and be glad in it. And as Constantine or­dained, that upon this day, the Church should burne no Oyle, but Balsamum in her Lamps, so let us ever celebrate this day, with a thankfull acknowledgment, that Christ, who is unctus Domini, The Anointed of the Lord, hath anointed us with the Oyle of gladnesse above our fellowes, and given us life more abundantly then others, in making us partakers of these meanes of salvation in his Church.

But I bring it closer then so; now, and here, within these wals, and at this houre, comes Christ unto you, in the offer of this abundance; and with what penuriousnesse, penuri­ousnesse of devotion, penuriousnesse of reverence do you meet him here? Deus stetit, saies David, Psal. 82.1. God standeth in the Congregation; does God stand there, and wilt thou sit? sit, and never kneele? I would speake so, as the congregation should not know whom I meane; but so, as that they whom it concernes, might know I meane them; I would speake: for, I must say, that there come some persons to this Church, and persons of example to many that come with them, of whom, (excepting some few, who must therefore have their praise from us, as, no doubt, they have their thanks and blessings from God) I never saw Master nor servant kneele, at his comming into this Church, or at any part of divine service. David had such a zeale to Gods service, as that he was con­tent to be thought a foole, for his humility towards the Arke. S. Paul was content to be thought mad; so was our blessed Saviour himselfe, not onely by his enemies, but by his owne friends and kinsfolke. John 10.20. Mar. 3.21. Indeed, the roote of that word Tehillim, which is the name of the Psalmes, and of all cheerefull and hearty service of God, is Halal, and Halal is Insanire, To fall mad; And, if humility in the service of God here, be madnesse, I would more of us were more out of our wits, then we are; I would all our Churches were, to that purpose, Bedlams. S. Hieroms rule is not onely frequenter orandum, to come often to prayers, but Flexo corpore orandum, to declare an inward humiliation by an outward. As our comming to Church is a testification, a profession of our religion, to testifie our fall in Adam, the Church appoints us to fall upon our knees; and to testifie our Resurre­ction in Christ Jesus, Just. Mar. the Church hath appointed certaine times, to stand: But no man is so left to his liberty, as never to kneele. Genuflexio est peccatorum, kneeling is the sinners posture; if thou come hither in the quality of a sinner, (and, if thou do not so, what doest [Page 75]thou here, the whole need not the Physitian) put thy selfe into the posture of a sinner, kneele. We are very far from enjoyning any one constant forme to be alwaies observed by all men; we onely direct you, by that good rule of S. Bernard, Habe reverentiam Deo, ut quod pluris est ei tribuas. Doe but remember, with what reverence thou camest into thy Masters presence, when thou wast a servant, with what reverence thou camest to the Councell table, or to the Kings presence, if thou have beene called occasionally to those high places; and Quod plur is est, such reverence, as thou gavest to them there, be content to afford to God here. That Sacrifice that struggled at the Altar, the Ancients would not accept for a Sacrifice; But Caesar would not forbeare a sacrifice for struggling, but sacrificed it for all that. He that struggles, and murmures at this instruction, this increpa­tion, is the lesse fit for a sacrifice to God, for that; But the zeale that I bear to Gods house, puts so much of Caesars courage into mee, as, for all that struggling, to say now, and to repeat as often as I see that irreverence continued, to the most impatient struggler, Deus stetit, God stands in the Congregation, and wilt thou sit; sit, and never kneele? Venite, saies David, Let us come hither, let us be here; what to doe? Venite adoremus, Ps. 95.6. Let us come and worship; How? will not the heart serve? no; Adoremus & procidamus, Let us fall downe, and kneele before the Lord our Maker. Humiliation is the beginning of sanctification; and as without this, without holinesse, no man shall see God, though he pore whole nights upon the Bible; so without that, without humility, no man shall heare God speake to his soule, though hee heare three two-houres Sermons every day. But if God bring thee to that humiliation of soule and body here, hee will emprove, and advance thy sanctifi­cation abundantiùs, more abundantly, and when he hath brought it to the best perfection, that this life is capable of, he will provide another abundantiùs, another maner of abun­dance in the life to come; which is the last beating of the pulse of this text, the last panting of the breath thereof, our anhelation, and panting after the joyes, and glory, and eternity of the kingdome of Heaven; of which, though, for the most part, I use to dismisse you, with saying something, yet it is alwaies little that I can say thereof; at this time, but this, that if all the joyes of all the Martyrs, from Abel t [...] him that groanes now in the Inquisition, were condensed into one body of joy, (and certainly the joyes that the Mar­tyrs felt at their deaths, would make up a far greater body, then their sorrowes would doe,) (for though it bee said of our great Martyr, or great Witnesse, Apoc. 1.5. (as S. Iohn calls Christ Jesus) to whom, all other Martyrs are but sub-martyrs, witnesses that testifie his testimony, Non dolor sicut dolor ejus, there was never sorrow like unto his sorrow, Lam. 3.12. Heb. 12.2. it is also true, Non gaudium sicut gaudium ejus, There was never joy like unto that joy which was set before him, when he endured the crosse;) If I had all this joy of all these Mar­tyrs, (which would, no doubt, be such a joy, as would worke a liquefaction, a melting of my bowels) yet I shall have it abundantiùs, a joy more abundant, then even this superla­tive joy, in the world to come. What a dimme vespers of a glorious festivall, what a poore halfe-holyday, is Methusalems nine hundred yeares, to eternity? what a poore account hath that man made, that saies, this land hath beene in my name, and in my An­cestors from the Conquest? what a yesterday is that? not six hundred yeares. If I could beleeve the transmigration of soules, and thinke that my soule had beene successively in some creature or other, since the Creation, what a yesterday is that? not six thousand yeares. What a yesterday for the past, what a to morrow for the future, is any terme, that can be comprehendred in Cyphar or Counters? But as, how abundant a life soever any man hath in this world for temporall abundances, I have life more abundantly then hee, if I have the spirituall life of grace, so what measure soever I have of this spiri­tuall life of grace, in this world, I shall have that more abundantly in Heaven, for there, my terme shall bee a terme for three lives; for those three, that as long as the Father, and the Son, and the holy Ghost live, I shall not dye. And to this glorious Son of God, and the most almighty Father, &c.

SERMON VIII. Preached upon Candlemas Day.

EIther of the names of this day, were Text enough for a Sermon, Purificati­on, or Candlemas. Joyne we them together, and raise we only this one note from both, that all true purification is in the light; corner purity, clan­destine purity, conventicle purity is not purity. Christ gave himself for us, Tit. 2.14. sayes the Apostle, that he might purifie to himself a peculiar people. How shall this purification appeare? It follows; They shall be zealous of good works; They shall not wrangle about faith and works, but be actually zealous of goods works. For, purifi­cation was accompanied with an oblation, something was to be given; A Lamb, a Dove, Levit. 12.6. a Turtle; All, emblemes of mildnesse; true purity is milde, meek, humble, and to de­spise and undervalue others, is an inseparable mark of false purity. The oblation of this dayes purification is light: so the day names it, Candlemas-day, so your custome cele­brates it, with many lights. Now, when God received lights into his Tabernacle, hee received none of Tallow, (the Oxe hath hornes) he received none of Waxe, (the Bee hath his sting) but he received only lampes of oyle. And, though from many fruits and berries they pressed oyle, yet God admitted no oyle into the service of the Church, but only of the Olive; the Olive, the embleme of peace. Our purification is with an ob­lation, our oblation is light, our light is good works; our peace is rather to exhort you to them, then to institute any solemne, or other then occasionall comparison between faith and them. Every good work hath faith for the roote; but every faith hath not good works for the fruit thereof. And it is observable, that in all this great Sermon of our Saviours in the Mount, (which possesseth this, and the two next Chapters) there is no mention of faith, by way of perswasion or exhortation thereunto, but the whole Sermon is spent upon good works. For, good works presuppose faith; Mat. 6.30. and therefore he concludes that they had but little faith, because they were so solicitous about the things of this world, O ye of little faith. And as Christ concludes an unstedfastnesse in their faith, out of their solicitude for this world, so may the world justly conclude an e­stablishment in their faith, if they see them exercise themselves in the works of mercy, and so let their light shine before men, that they may see their good works, and glorifie their Fa­ther which is in heaven.

These are words spoken by our Saviour to his Disciples in the Mount; Divisio. a treasure de­posited in those disciples, but in those disciples, as depositaries for us; an Oracle uttered to those disciples, but through those disciples to us; Paradise convayed to those disci­ples, but to those disciples, as feoffees in trust for us; to every one of us, in them (from [Page 78]him, that rides with his hundreds of Torches, to him that crawles with his rush-candle) our Saviour sayes, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, &c. The words have two parts; so must our explication of them; first a precept, Sic luce­at, (Let your light so shine before men) and then the reason, the purpose, the end, the effect, ut videant, (that men may see your good works, and &c.) From the first bough will divers branches spring, and divers from the other; all of good taste and nourishment, if wee might stay to presse the fruits thereof. We cannot; yet, in the first we shall insist a while upon each of these three; First, the light it self, what that is, Sic luceat lux, Let your light so shine; And then, secondly, what this propriety is, lux vestra, (let your light shine, yours;) And lastly what this emanation of this light upon others is, coram homini­bus, (let your light shine before men.) The second part, which is the reason, or the effect of this precept, ut videant, (that men may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven) abounds in particular considerations; and I should weary you, if I should make you stand all the while under so heavy a load, as to charge your memories with all those particulars, so long before I come to handle them. Reserving them therefore to their due time, anon, proceed we now to the three branches of our first part, first the light in it self, then the propriety in us, lastly, the emanation upon others, Let your light so shine before men.

First, 1 Part. Lux. John 1.9. for the light it self, There is a light that lightneth every man that commeth into the world. And, even this universall light is Christ, sayes S. Iohn, (He was that light that lighteth every man that commeth into the world.) And this universall enunciation, (He lightneth every man) moved S. Cyril to take this light for the light of nature, and naturall reason. John 1.3. Colos. 1.16. For even nature and naturall reason is from Christ. All things were made by him, sayes S. Iohn, even nature it self. And, By him, and for him, all things visible, and invisi­ble were created, sayes the Apostle. And therefore our latter men of the Reformation, are not to be blamed, who for the most part, pursuing S. Cyrils interpretation, interpret this universall light, that lightneth every man, to be the light of nature. Divers others of the Fathers take this universall light (because Christ is said to be this light) to be Baptisme. For, in the primitive Church, as the Nativity of Christ was called the Epiphany, Mani­festation, so Baptisme was called Illumination. And so, Christ lightens every man that comes into the world, (that is, into the Christian world) by that Sacrament of Illumina­tion, Baptisme. S. Augustine brought the exposition of that universall proposition into a narrow roome; That he enlightned all that came into the world, that is, all that were enlightned in the world, were enlightned by him; there was no other light; and so he makes this light to be the light of faith, and the light of effectuall grace, which all have not, but they that have, have it from Christ. Now which of these lights is intended in our Text, Let you light shine out? is it of the light of nature, at our comming into the world, or the light of Baptisme, and that generall grace that accompanies all Gods Or­dinances, at our comming into the Church, or the light of faith, and particular grace, sealing our adoption, and spirituall filiation there? Properly, our light is none of these three; and yet it is truly, all; for our light is the light of good works; and that light pro­ceeds from all the other three, and so is all those, and then it goes beyond all three, and so is none of them. It proceeds from all; for, if we consider the first light, the light of nature, Ephes. 2.10. in our creation, We are (sayes the Apostle) his workmanship, created in Christ Iesus unto good works. So that we were all made for that, for good works; even the naturall man, by that first light. Consider it in the second light, in baptisme; there we dye in Christ, and are buried in Christ, and rise in Christ, and in him we are new creatures, and with him we make a covenant in baptisme, for holinesse of life, which is the body of good works. Consider the third, that of faith, and as every thing in nature is, so faith is perfected by working; Jam. 2.26. for, faith is dead, without breath, without spirit, if it be without workes. So, this light is in all those lights; we are created, we are baptized, we are ado­pted for good works; and it is beyond them all, even that of faith; for, though faith have a preheminence, because works grow out of it, and so faith (as the root) is first, yet works have the preheminence thus, both that they include faith in them, and that they dilate, and diffuse, and spread themselves more declaratorily, then faith doth. There­fore, as our Saviour said to some that asked him, John 6.28. What shall we do that we might work the work of God? (you see their minde was upon works, something they were sure was to be done) This is the work of God, that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent, and so refers them [Page 79]to faith, so to another that asks him, What shall I do, that I may have eternall life? Mat. 19.16. (all goe upon that, that something there must be done, works there must be) Christ sayes, Keepe the Commandements, and so refers him to works. He hath shewed thee O man, what is good, Mic. 6.8. and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to shew mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? This then is the light that lighteth every man that goes out of the world, good works; for, their works follow them. Their works; they shall be theirs, Apoc. 14.13. even after their death; which is our second branch in this first part, the propriety, lux vestra, let your light shine.

I cannot alwaies call the works that I do, my works; for sometimes God works them, Proprietas vestra. Esay 28.21. and sometimes the devill: Sometimes God works his owne worke, The Lord will do his worke, his strange worke, and bring to passe his act, his strange act. Sometimes he works my works, Thou Lord hast wrought all our workes in us. In us, and in all things else, Esay 26.12. 1 Cor. 12.6. Ephes. 1.11. Esay 43.13. Rom. 7.15. Operatur omnia in omnibus, he worketh all in all. And all this in all these, Secundum consilium vo­luntatis suae, After the counsaile of his owne will; for, I will worke, and who shall let it? But for all this his generall working, his enemy works in us too. That which I doe, I allow not, saies the Apostle; nay, I know it not; for, saies he, what I hate, that I doe. And, if I doe that I would not doe, it is no more I that doe it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Yet, ver. 20. for all this diverse, this contrary working, as S. Augustine sayes of the faculty of the will, Nihil tam nostrum, quam voluntas, there is nothing so much our owne, as our will before we worke, August. so there is nothing so much our owne, as our workes, after they are done. They stick to us, they cleave to us; whether as fomentations to nourish us, or as corrasives, to gnaw upon us, that lyes in the nature of the worke; but ours they are; and upon us our works work. Our good works are more ours, then our faith is ôurs. Our faith is ours as we have received it, our worke is ours, as we have done it. Faith is ours, as we are possessors of it, the work ours, as we are doers, actors in it. Faith is ours, as our goods are ours, works, as our children are ours. And therefore when the Prophet Habakkuk saies, Fide sua, Hab. 2.4. The just shall live by his faith, that particle His, is a word of possession, not a word of Acquisition; That God hath infused that faith into him, and so it is his, not that he hath produced that faith in himselfe. His faith must save him, his own, and not anothers, not his parents faith, though he be the son of holy parents, not the Churches faith, (if he be of yeares) though he be within the covenant, but his own personall faith; yet not his so, as that it grew in him, or was produced in him, by him, by any plantation, Rom. 1.17. Gal. 3.11. Heb. 10.36. or semination of his own. And therefore S. Paul in citing that place of Habakkuk (as he doth cite it three se­verall times) in all those places leaves out that particle of propriety; and acquisition, his, and still sayes, The just shall live by faith, and he sayes no more. And when our blessed Sa­viour sayes to the woman with the bloody issue, Fides tua, Daughter, Mar. 5.34. thy faith hath made thee whole, it was said then, when he had seen that woman come trembling and fall down at his feet; he saw outward declarations of her faith, he saw works. And so, in divers of those places, where Christ repeats that, fides tua, thy faith, we finde it added, Iesus videns fidem, Iesus seeing their faith. With what eyes? he looked upon them with his humane eyes, not his divine; he saw not (that is, considered not at that time) their hearts, but their outward declarations, and proceeding as a good man would, out of their good works concludes faith. Velle & nolle nostrum est, to assent or to dis-assent is our own; Hieron. we may choose which we will doe; Ipsum (que) quod nostrum est, sine Dei miseratione nostrum non est; But though this faculty be ours, it is ours, but because God hath imprinted it in us. So that still to will, as well as to doe, to beleeve, as well as to work, is all from God; but yet they are from God in a diverse manner, and a diverse respect; and certainly our works are more ours then our faith is, and man concurres otherwise in the acting and per­petration of a good work, then he doth in the reception and admission of faith. Sed quae non fecimus ipsi, sayes the Poet; and he was Vates, a Prophet in saying so, Vix ea nostra voco; nothing is ours, but that which we have done our selves; and all that is ours. And though Christ refer us often to beliefe, in this life, because he would be sure to plant, and fasten safely that which is the only true root of all, that is, faith, yet when he comes to Judgement, in the next life, all his proceeding is grounded upon workes, and he judges us by our fruits. So then, God gives us faith, immediatly from himselfe, and out of that faith, he produces good works, instrumentally, by us, so, as that those works are other­wise ours, then that faith is. And this the propriety, lux vestra, let your light shine, which we proposed for the second branch in this first part, that God vouchsafes to afford us an [Page 80]interest, in the working of our salvation; And then our third branch is, the emanation of this light, from us, to others, Coram hominibus, let your light shine before men.

There was a particular Holy-day amongst the heathen, Luceat, Emanatio. that bore the name of this day, Accensio luminum, Candlemas day; A superstitious multiplying of Lamps, and Torches in Divine Service. Lactant. This superstition Lactantius reproves, elegantly, and bitterly. Num mentis suae compos putandus est? can we think that man in his wits, that offers to God, the Father, and Fountaine, the Author and Giver of all light, a Candle for an Oblation, for a Sacrifice, for a New-yeares gift? Solem contempletur, sayes he; Let that man but con­sider seriously the Sun, and he will see, that that God who could spare him so glorious a light as the Sun, Tertul. needs not his Candle. And therefore sayes Tertullian, (reprehending the same superstition) Lucernis diem non infringimus, we doe not cut off, we doe not shor­ten our dayes, by setting up lights at noone, nor induce, nor force, nor make night before it comes.

I would not be understood to condemne all use of candles by day, in Divine Service, nor all Churches that have or doe use them; For, so, I might condemne even the Primi­tive Church, in her pure and innocent estate. And therefore, that which Lactantius, almost three hundred yeares after Christ, sayes of those Lights, and that which Tertulli­an, almost a hundred yeares before Lactantius, sayes, in reprehension thereof, must neces­sarily be understood of the abuse, and imitation of the Gentiles therein; for, that the thing it selfe, was in use, before eyther of their times, I thinke, admits little question. About Lactantius time, fell the Eliberitan Councell; and then the use, and the abuse was evident. For, in the thirty fourth Canon of that Councell, it is forbidden to set up Candles in the Church-yard: And, the reason that is added, declares the abuse, Non sunt enim inquietandi spiritus sidelium, That the soules of the Saints departed should not be troubled. Now the setting up of lights could not trouble them; but these lights were accompanied with superstitious Invocations, with magicall Incantations, and with how­lings and ejulations, which they had learnt from the Gentiles, and with these, the soules of the dead, were, in those times, thought to be affected, and disquieted. It is in this Ce­remony of lights, as it is in other Ceremonies: They may be good in their Institution, and grow ill in their practise. So did many things, which the Christian Church recei­ved from the Gentiles, in a harmlesse innocency, degenerate after, into as pestilent su­perstition there, as amongst the Gentiles themselves. For, ceremonies, which were re­ceived, but for the instruction, and edification of the weaker sort of people, were made reall parts of the service of God, and meritorious sacrifices. To those ceremonies, which were received as signa commonefacientia, helps to excite, and awaken devotion, was attri­buted an operation, and an effectuall power, even to the ceremony it selfe; and they were not practised, as they should, significativè, but effectivè, not as things which should sig­nifie to the people higher mysteries, but as things as powerfull, and effectuall in them­selves, as the greatest Mysteries of all, the Sacraments themselves. So lights were recei­ved in the Primitive Church, to signifie to the people, that God, the Father of lights, was otherwise present in that place, then in any other, and then, men came to offer lights by way of sacrifice to God; And so, that which was providently intended for man, who indeed needed such helps, was turned upon God, as though he were to be supplied by us. But what then? Because things good in their institution, may be depraved in their pra­ctise, Ergonè nihil ceremoniarum rudioribus dabitur, Calv. Instit. l. 4. c. 10. § 14. ad juvandam eorum imperitiam? Shall therefore the people be denyed all ceremonies, for the assistance of their weak­nesse? Id ego non dico; I say not so, sayes he. Omnino illis utile esse sentio hoc genus admi­niculi; I think these kinds of helps to be very behoovefull for them; Tantum hîc contendo, all that I strive for, is but Moderation; and that Moderation he places very discreetly in this, That these ceremonies may be few in number; That they may be easie for ob­servation; That they may be clearely understood in their signification; wee must not therefore be hasty in condemning particular ceremonies: For, in so doing, in this cere­mony of lights, we may condemne the Primitive Church, that did use them, and wee condemne a great and Noble part of the reformed Church, which doth use them at this day.

These superstitious lights, are not the lights we call for here, sic luceat, let your light shine out; but lux vestra, your light, the light of good works; let that shine out. Truly, this carrying, and diffusing of light to others is so blessed a thing, as that though Lucifer, [Page 81](whose name signifies the carrying of light) be now an odious name, an infamous name, applyed onely to the Devill, yet a great Bishop in the Primitive Church abstained not from that name, forbore not that name, Lucifer Talaritanus; that he might carry about him, in his name, a remembrancer, ferre lucem, to carry light to others, he was content with that name, Lucifer. God had made light the first day, and yet he made many lights after. One light of thine shines out in our eyes, thy profession of Christ; let us see more lights, works worthy of that profession. God calls the Sun, and the Moone too, Gen. 1.16. Great lights, because though there be greater in the Firmament, they appeare greatest to us; those works of ours are greatest in the sight of God, that are greatest in the sight of men, that are most beneficiall, most exemplary, and conduce most to the promoving of others to glorifie God. To such rich men, as produce no light at all, August. (no works) that of S. Angustine is appliable, cimices sunt, they are as these wormes, or flies, the cimices, qui vivi mordent, mortui foetent, They bite, and suck a man, whilst they live, and they stink pestilently, and offend so, when they are dead. The actions of such rich men are mischievous whilst they live, and their memory odious when they are dead. But all rich men are not such, to be absolutely without all light. But then they may have light, (a determined purpose to doe some good works) and yet this light not shine out. No man can more properly be said to hide his light under a bushell, (which because Christ sayes, (in the verse before our Text) no man does, certainly no man should doe) then he, who hath disposed some part of his estate to pious uses, but hides it in his will, and locks up that will in his cabinet; For, in this case, though there be light, yet it does not shine out. Your gold, and your silver is cankered, sayes S. Iames, and the rust of them shall be a wit­nesse, James 5.3. and shall eate your flesh, as it were fire. He does not say the gold and the silver it self, as reproving the ill getting of it, but the rust, the hiding, the concealing thereof, shall be this witnesse against thee, this executioner upon thee. That man dyes in an ill state, of whose faith we have had no evidence, till, after his death, his executors meet, and open his Will, and then publish some Legacies to pious uses: And we had no evidence be­fore, if he had done no good before. For, shew me thy faith without thy works, James. 2.18 sayes the Apostle; and he proposes it, as an impossible thing, impossible to shew it, impossible to have it. And therefore, as good works are our owne, so are they never so properly our owne, as when they are done with our owne hands; for this is the true shining of our light, the emanation from us, upon others. And so have you the three peeces, which constitute our first part, the precept, Let your light shine before men; The light it selfe, not the light of nature, nor of Baptisme, nor of Adoption, but the light of good works; And then the Appropriation of this light, how these workes are ours, though the good­nesse thereof be onely from God; And lastly the emanation of this light upon others; which cannot well be said to be an emanation of our light, of light from us, except it be whilst we are we, that is, alive. And so we passe to those many particulars, which frame our second part, the reason, and the end of this, That men may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven.

In this end, our beginning is, ut videant, that men may see it. The apparitions in old times, were evermore accompanied with lights; but they were private lights; 2. Part. Vt videant. such an old woman, or such a child saw a light; but non videbant homines, it did not shine out, so that men might see this light. We have a story delivered by a very pious man, Cantiprat. l. 1. c. 9. and of the truth whereof he seemes to be very well assured, that one Conradus a devout Priest, had such an illustration, such an irradiation, such a coruscation, such a light at the tops of those fingers, which he used in the consecration of the Sacrament, as that by that light of his fingers ends, he could have reade in the night, as well as by so many Candles; But this was but a private light, & non viderunt homines, It did not shine out, Epist. 205. ad Cyrill: Jero­solym. so that men might see it. Blessed S. Augustine reports, (if that Epistle be S. Augustines) that when himselfe was writing to S. Hierome, to know his opinion of the measure and quality of the Joy, and Glory of Heaven, suddenly in his Chamber there appeared ineffabile lu­men, sayes he, an unspeakable, an unexpressible light, nostr is invisum temporibus, such a light as our times never saw, and out of that light issued this voyce, Hieronymi anima sum, I am the soule of that Hierome to whom thou art writing, who this houre dyed at Beth­lem, and am come from thence to thee, &c. But this was but a private light, and what­soever S. Augustine saw, (who was not easily deceived, nor would deceive others) non videbant homines, this light did not shine so, as that men might see it. Here, in our Text, [Page 82]there is a light required that men may see. Those lights of their apparitions we cannot see; There is a light of ours, which our adversaries may see, and will not; which is truly the light of this Text, the light of good works. Though our zeale to good works shine out assiduously, day by day in our Sermons, and shine out powerfully in the Homilies of our Church, composed expresly to that purpose, and shine out actually in our many sumptuous buildings, and rich endowments, (in which works, we of this Kingdome, in this last Century, since the Reformation of Religion, have perhaps exceeded our Fa­thers, in any one hundred of yeares, whilst they lived under the Romane perswasion) yet still they cry out, we are enemies of this light, and abhorre good works. As I have heard them, in some obscure places abroad, Preach, that here in England, we had not onely no true Church, no true Priesthood, no true Sacraments, but that we have no ma­teriall Churches, no holy Convocations, no observing of Sundayes, or Holy dayes, no places to serve God in; so I have heard them Preach, that we doe not onely not advance, but that we cry downe, and discredit, and disswade, and discountenance the doctrine of good works. It is enough to say to them, as the Angel said to the Devill, Increpet te Do­minus, The Lord rebuke thee. Iude 9. And the Lord does rebuke them, in enabling us to proceed in these pious works, which, with so notorious falshood they deny; And we doe rebuke them, Heb. 10.24. the best and most powerfull way, in that, (as the Apostle sayes) we consider one another, (consider the necessities of others) and provoke one another to love, and good workes.

But then, if this be Gods end in our good works, ut videant homines, that men may see them, Mat. 6.1. why is Christ so earnest, in this very sermon as to say, Take heed you do not your almes before men, to be seene of them? Is there no contradiction in these? far from it; The intent of both precepts together make up this doctrine, That we doe them not therefore, not to that end, that men may see them. So far we must come, that men must see them, but we must not rest there; for, it is but Sic luceat, Let your light shine out so, it is not, let it shine out therefore; Our doing of good workes must have a farther end, then the know­ledge of men, as we shall see, towards our end, anon.

Men must see them then, Opera. and see them to be workes, Vt videant opera, That they may see your works: which is a word that implies difficulty, and paine, and labour, and is ac­companied with some loathnesse, with some colluctation. Doe such workes, for Gods sake, as are hard for thee to doe. In such a word does God deliver his Commandement of the Sabbath; not that word, which in that language signifies ordinary and eafie works, but servile and laborious workes, toylesome and gainefull workes, those workes thou maist not doe upon the Sabbath. But those workes, in the vertue of the precept of this text, thou must doe in the sight of men; those that are hard for thee to doe. David would not consecrate nor offer unto God, 2. Sam. 24.24. that which cost him nothing; first he would buy Araunahs threshing floare at a valuable price, and then he would dedicate it to God. To give old cloathes, past wearing, to the poore, is not so good a worke as to make new for them. Mar. 12.42. To give a little of your superfluities, not so acceptable as the widows gift, that gave all. To give a poore soule a farthing at that doore, where you give a Player a shil­ling, is not equall dealing; Amos 8.6. for, this is to give God quisquilias frumenti, The refuse of the wheat. But doe thou some such things, as are truly works in our sense, such as are against the nature, and ordinary practice of worldly men to doe; some things, by which they may see, that thou dost prefer God before honour, and wife, and children, and hadst ra­ther build, and endow some place, for Gods service, then poure out money to multiply titles of honour upon thy selfe, or enlarge joyntures, and portions, to an unnecessary, and unmeasurable proportion, when there is enough done before.

Let men see that that thou doest, Opera Bona. to be a worke, qualified with some difficulty in the doing, and then those workes, to be good workes, Videant opera bona, that they may see your good works. They are not good works how magnificent soever, if they be not direct­ed to good ends. A superstitious end, or a seditious end vitiates the best worke. Great con­tributions have beene raised, and great summes given, to build, and endow Seminaries, and schooles, and Colledges in forraine parts; but that hath a superstitious end. Great contributions have beene raised, and great summes given at home, for the maintenance of such refractary persons, as by opposing the government and discipline of the Church, have drawne upon themselves, silencings, and suspensions, and deprivations; but that hath a seditious end. But, give so, as in a rectified conscience, and not a distempered zeale, [Page 83](a rectified conscience is that, that hath the restimony and approbation of most good men, in a succession of times, and not to rely occasionally upon one or a few men of the separation, for the present) give so, as thou maist sincerely say, God gave me this, to give thus, and so it is a good worke. So it must be, A worke (something of some impor­tance) and a good worke, (not depraved with an ill end) and then your worke, Vt videant opera vestra, That they may see your good works.

They are not your works, if that that you give be not your owne. Nor is it your own, Opera bona v [...]stra. if it were ill gotten at first. How long soever it have beene possessed, or how often soever it have beene transformed, from money to ware, from ware to land, from land to office, from office to honour, the money, the ware, the land, the office, the honour is none of thine, if, in thy knowlege, it were ill gotten at first. Zacheus, in S. Luke, Luke 19.8. gives halfe his goods to the poore; but it is halfe of his, his owne; for there might be goods in his house, which were none of his. Therefore in the same instrument, he passes that scrutiny, If I have taken any thing unjustly, I restore him foure-fold. First let that that was ill gotten, be deducted, and restored, and then, of the rest, which is truly thine owne, give cheere­fully. When Moses saies, that our yeares are three score and ten, Psal. 90.20. if we deduct from that terme, all the houres of our unnecessary sleep, of superfluous sittings at feasts, of curiosity in dressing, of largenesse in recreations, of plotting, and compassing of vanities, or sinnes, scarce any man of chreescore and ten, would be ten years old, when he dyes. If we should deale so with worldly mens estates, (defalse unjust gettings) it would abridge and atte­nuate many a swelling Inventory. Till this defalcation, this scrutiny be made, that you know what's your owne, what's other mens, as your Tombe shall be but a monument of your rotten bones, how much gold or marble soever be bestowed upon it, so that Ho­spitall, that free-schoole, that Colledge that you shall build, and endow, will bee but a monument of your bribery, your extortion, your oppression; and God, who will not be in debt, (though he owe you nothing that built it) may be pleased to give the reward of all that, to them, from whom that which was spent upon it, was unjustly taken; for, Prov. 13.22. The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous, saies Solomon. The sinner may doe pious works, and the righteous may be rewarded for them; the world may thinke of one foun­der, and God knowes another. That which is enjoyn'd in the name of light here, is works, (not trifles) and good works, (made good by the good ends they are directed to) and then your workes (done out of that which is truly your owne) and by seeing this light, men will be mov'd to glorifie your Father which is in Heaven; which is the true end of all; that men may see them, but see them therefore, To glorisie your Father which is in Heaven.

He does not say, that by seeing your good works, Patrem, non Filios. men shall glorifie your sonnes upon earth. And yet truly, even that part of the reward, and retribution is worth a great deale of your cost, and your almes; that God shall establish your posterity in the world, and in the good opinion of good men. As you have your estates, you have your children from God too. As it is Davids recognition, Dominus pars haereditatis meae, Psal. 16.5. Gen. 4.1. The Lord is the por­tion of mine inheritance, so the Possedi virum à Domino, was Eves Recognition upon the birth of her first son, Cain, I have gotten, I possesse a man from the Lord. Now that that man that thou possessest from the Lord, thy son, may possesse that land that thou pos­sessest from the Lord, it behooves thee to be righteous; for so, (by that righteousnesse) thou becomest a foundation for posterity, Prov. 10.25. Prov. 13.9. Prov. 14.23. (The righteous is an everlasting foundation) his light, (his good workes) shall be a chearefull light unto him; (for, The light of the righ­teous reioyceth him.) They shall be so in this life, and, He shall have hope in his death, saith Solomon; that is, hope for himself in another world, & hope of his posterity in this world; for, saies he, He leaveth an inheritance to his childrens children; that is, an inheritance, Prov. 23.22. out of which hee hath taken, and restored all that was unjustly got from men, and taken a bountifull part, which he hath offered to God in pious uses, that the rest may descend free from all claimes, and encumbrances upon his childrens children. Psal. 37.26. The righteous is merci­full, and lendeth, saies David. Mercifull as his Father in Heaven is mercifull; that is, in perpetuall, not transitory endowments, (for, God did not set up his lights, his Sun, and his Moone for a day, but for ever, and such should our light, or good works be too.) Hee is mercifull, and he lendeth; to whom? for to the poore he giveth; he looks for no returne from them, for they are the waters upon which he casts his bread. Yet he lendeth; Eccles. 11.1. Prov. 19.17. He that hath pity on the poore, lendeth to the Lord. The righteous is mercifull and lendeth, and then, (as David addes there) His seed is blessed. Blessed in this (which followes there) [Page 84]that he shall inherit the land, Psal. 37.29. Psal. 112.4. and dwell therein for ever, (which he ratifies againe, Surely he shall not be moved for ever; that is, he shall never be moved, in his posterity) And as he is blessed that way, blessed in the establishment of his possession upon his childrens chil­dren, so is he blessed in this, that his honour, and good name shall bee poured out as a fragrant oyle upon his posterity, Ibid. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance. Their memory shall be alwaies alive, Prov. 10.7. Prov. 11.30. and alwaies fresh in their posterity, when The name of the wicked shall rot. So then, the fruit of the righteous is the tree of life, saies Solomon; that is, the righteous shall produce plants, that shall grow up, and flourish; so his poste­rity shall be a tree of life to many generations; Prov. 17.6. and then, The glory of children are their Fathers, saies that wise King; As Fathers receive comfort from good children, so chil­dren receive glory from good parents; in this are children glorified, that they had righteous Fathers, that lent unto the Lord. So that, (to recollect these peeces) it is no small reward that God affords you, if men, seeing your good workes, glorifie, that is, esteeme, and respect, and love, and honour your children upon earth. But it is not onely that; your good workes shall bee an occasion of carrying glory upon the right object, They shall glorifie your Father, which is in heaven.

It is not the Father which is in Heaven; Non Patrem. that they should glorifie God, as the common Father of all, by creation. For, for that they need not your light, your good works; The Heavens declare the glory of God, Psal. 19.1. saies David; that is, glorifie him in an acknowledgement, that he is the Father of them, Deut. 32.6. and of all other things by creation. Is not hee thy Father? hath he not made thee? is an interrogatory ministred by Moses, to which all things must answer with the Prophet Malachie, Malac. 2.10. yes, He is our Father, for he hath made us. But that's not the paternity of this text, as God is Father of us all by creation. Nor as he is a Father of some in a more particular consideration, in giving them large portions, great patrimonies in this world; for, thus, he may be my Father and yet disinherit me; hee may give me plenty of temporall blessings, and withhold from me spirituall, and eternall blessings. Now, to see this, men need not your light, your good workes; for, they see dayly, That he maketh his sun to shine on the evill, Mat. 5.45. and on the good; and causeth it to raine on the just, and the unjust; He feeds Goates as well as Sheepe, he gives the wicked temporall blessings, as well as the righteous. These then are not the paternities of our text, that men, by this occasion, glorifie God as the Father of all men by creation, nor as the Father of all rich men, by their large patrimonies, not as he is the Father, not as he is a Father, but as he is your Father, as he is made yours, as he is become yours, by that particular grace of using the temporall blessings which he hath given you, to his glory, in letting your light shine before men. For, it were better God disinherited us so, as to give us nothing, then that he gave us not the grace to use that that he gave us, well: without this, all his bread were stone, Mat. 7.9. and all his fishes serpents, all his temporall liberality malediction. How much happier had that man beene, that hath wasted thousands in play, in riot, in wan­tonnesse, in sinfull excesses, if his parents had left him no more at first, then he hath left himselfe at last? How much nearer to a kingdome in Heaven had hee beene, if he had beene borne a begger here? Nay, though he have done no ill, (of such excessive kinds) how much happier had he beene, if he had had nothing left him, if hee have done no good? There cannot be a more fearfull commination upon man, nor a more dangerous dereliction from God, Ps. 50.8. & 12. then when God saies, I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; Though thou offer none, I care not, Ile never tell thee of it, nor reprove thee for it, I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices. And when he saies, (as he does there) If I bee hungry I will not tell thee; I will not awake thy charity, I will not excite thee, not provoke thee, with any occasion of feeding me, in feeding the poore. When God shall say to me, I care not whether you come to Church or no, whether you pray or no, repent or no, confesse, receive or no, this is a fearfull dereliction; so is it, when he saies to a rich man, I care not whether your light shine out, or no; whether men see your good works or no; I can provide for my glory other waies. For, certainly God hath not determined his purpose, and his glory so much in that, to make some men rich that the poore might be relieved, (for, that ends in bodily reliefe) as in this, that he hath made some men poore, whereby the rich might have occasion to exercise their charity; for, that reaches to spi­rituall happinesse; for which use, the poore doe not so much need the rich, as the rich need the poore; the poore may better be saved without the rich, then the rich without the poore. But when men shall see, that that God, who is the Father of us all, by creating [Page 85]us, and the father of all the rich, by enriching them, is also become your father, yours by adoption, yours by infusion of that particular grace, to doe good with your goods, then are you made blessed instruments of that which God seeks here, his glory, They shall glorifie your father which is in heaven.

Glory is so inseparable to God, as that God himself is called Glory, They changed their Glory into the similitude of an Oxe; Their glory, their true God into an inglorious Idol. Gloria. Psal. 106.20. Psal. 85.10. That glory may dwell in our land, sayes he; that is, that God may dwell therein. The first end of letting our light to shine before men, is, that they may know Gods proceedings; but, the last end to which all conduces, is, that God may have glory. Whatsoever God did first in his own bosome, in his own decree, (what that was, contentious men will needs wrangle) whatsoever that first act was, Gods last end in that first act of his was his own glory. And therefore to impute any inglorious or ignoble thing to God, comes too neare blasphemy. And be any man who hath any sense or taste of noblenesse, or honour, judge, whether there be any glory in the destruction of those creatures whom they have raised, till those persons have deserved ill at their hands, and in some way have damnified them, or dishonoured them. Nor can God propose that for glory, to destroy man till he finde cause in man. Now, this glory, to which Christ bends all in this Text, (that men by seeing your good works, might glorifie your Father) consists especially in these two declarations, Commemoration, and Imitation; a due celebration of former founders and benefactors, and a pious proceeding according to such precedents, is this glorifying of God.

When God calls himself so often, The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Iacob, Gloria ex Commemo­ratione. Ezech. 14.14. God would have the world remember, that Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob were extraordinary men, memorable men. When God sayes, Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Iob were here, they should not deliver this people, God would have it knowne, that Noah, Daniel, and Iob were memorable men, and able to doe much with him. When the Holy Ghost is so carefull to give men their additions, Gen. 4.20. That Iabal was the father of such as dwell in Tents, & keep Cattell, & Iubal the father of Harpers, and Organists, and Tubal-Cain of all Gra­vers in Brasse and Iron. And when he presents with so many particularities every peece of worke, that Hiram of Tyre wrought in Brasse for the furnishing of Solomons Temple, 1 Reg. 7.13. God certainly is not afraid that his honour will be diminished, in the honourable menti­oning of such men as have benefited the world by publique good works. The wise man seemes to settle himselfe upon that meditation; let us now praise famous men, sayes he, Ecclus. 44.1. and our fathers that begot us; and so he institutes a solemne commemoration, and gives a catalogue of Enoch, and Abraham, and Moses, and Aaron, and so many more, as pos­sesse six Chapters; nor doth he ever end the meditation till he end his booke; so was he fixt upon the commemoration of good men; Heb. 11. as S. Paul likewise feeds and delights himselfe in the like meditation, even from Abel. It is therefore a wretched impotency, not to endure the commemoration, and honourable mentioning of our Founders and Benefactors. God hath delivered us, and our Church, from those straights, in which, some Churches of the Reformation have thought themselves to be, when they have made Canons, That there should be no Bell rung, no dole given, no mention made of the dead at any Funerall, lest that should savour of superstition. The Holy Ghost hath taught us the difference between praising the dead, and praying for the dead, betweene commemorating of Saints, and invocating of Saints. We understand what David meanes, when he sayes, This honour have all his Saints, and what S. Paul meanes, Psal. 149.9. 1 Tim. 1.17. when he sayes, Vnto the only wise God be honour, and glory, for ever and ever. God is honoured in due honour given to his Saints, and glorified in the commemoration of those good men whose light hath so shined out before men, that they have seen their good workes. But then he is glorified more, in our imitation, then in our commemoration.

Herein is my Father glorified, (sayes Christ) that ye beare much fruit. Gloria ex Imitatione. Iohn 15.8. Mar. 4.20. The seed sowed in good ground, bore some an hundred fold, the least thirty. The seed (in this case) is the example that is before you, of those good men, whose light hath shined out so, that you have seene their good workes. Let this seed, these good examples bring forth hundreds, and sixties, and thirties in you, much fruit; for herein is your Father glorified, that you beare much fruit. Of which plentifull encrease, I am afraid there is one great hinderance that passes through many of you, that is, that when your Will lyes by you, in which some little lamp of this light is set up, something given to God in pious [Page 86]uses, if a Ship miscarry, if a Debtor break, if your state be any way empaired, the first that suffers, the first that is blotted out of the Will, is God and his Legacy; and if your estates encrease, portions encrease, and perchance other legacies, but Gods portion and legacy stands at a stay. Christ left two uses of his passion; application and imitation. He suf­fered for us, 1 Pet. 2.22. sayes the Apostle; for us, that is, that we might make his death ours, apply his death, and then (as it follows there) he left us an example. So Christ gives us two uses of the Reformation of Religion; first, the doctrine, how to doe good works without relying upon them, as meritorious; and then example, many, very many men (and more by much, in some kindes of charity since the Reformation of Religion, then before) even in this City, whose light hath shined out before you, and you have seen their good works. That as this noble City hath justly acquired the reputation and the testimony of all who have had occasion to consider their dealings in that kinde, that they deale most faithful­ly, most justly, most providently, in all things which are committed to their trust for pi­ous uses, from others, not only in a full employment of that which was given, but in an improvement thereof, and then an employment of that emprovement to the same pious use, so every man in his particular may propose to himselfe, some of those blessed exam­ples which have risen amongst your selves, and follow that, and exceed that; That as your lights are Torches, and not petty Candles, and your Torches better then others Torches, so he also may be a larger example to others, then others have been to him, for, Herein is your Father glorified, if you beare much fruit, and that is the end of all, that we all doe, That men seeing it, may glorifie our Father which is in heaven.

SERMON IX. Preached upon Candlemas day.

THe largenesse of this short Text consists in that word, Therefore; therefore because you have been so particularly taught your particular duties, there­fore perform them, therefore practise them, Reddite omnibus debita, Ren­der therefore to every man his due. The Philosopher might seem to have con­tracted as large a law, into a few words, in his suum cuique, as the Holy Ghost had done in his Reddite omnibus, if it were not for this, Therefore; for that carries our consideration over the whole Epistle. This Epistle particularizing all duties, which appertaine ad pietatem erga Deum, to our religious worship of God, ad charitatem erga proximum, to charitable offices towards one another, and ad sanctimoniam propriam, to a sanctification and holinesse of life in our selves. You have seen a list of your debts, sayes the Apostle, (and that men deeply endebted are loath to doe) you have seen what you owe God, what you owe your selves, and what you owe the world, Reddite ergo omnibus debita, be therefore behinde hand with none of these, but render unto all their dues: For, our debts here are not restrained to those that are mentioned in the following part of this verse, Tribute, and Custome, and Feare, and Honour, but it is the knot that ties up all, and this Text in this verse, is the same that begins the next verse also; Reddite debita omni­bus, Render to all men their dues, and Nemini quicquam debeas, Owe nothing to any man, is all one: It is farther then many use to come, to know what they owe; since I have brought you so far, sayes our Apostle, Render to all men their dues.

It is one degree of thrift, Divisio. (but for the most part it comes late) to bring our debts into as few hands as we can. Our debt here we cannot bring into fewer then these three, to God, to our Neighbour, to our selves. Consider our debts to God, to be our sins, and so we dare not come to a reckoning with him, but we discharge our selves intirely upon [Page 87]our surety, our Saviour Christ Jesus: but yet of that debt we must pay an acknowledge­ment, an interest (as it were) of praise, for all that we have, and of prayer for all that we would have, and these are our debts to God. Consider our debts to man, and our credi­tors are persons above us, and persons below us, superiours, and inferiours; and to su­periours (who are the persons of whom this Text, or this verse, is most literally intend­ed) we are debtors first in matter of substance, expressed here, in those words Tribute, and Custome; and in matter of ceremony, expressed here, in those words, Feare, and Honour. And to our inferiours, we are debtors for counsell to direct them, and for reliefe in com­passion of their sufferings. And then to come to our third sort of creditors, to our selves, we owe our selves some debts which are to be tendred at noone, which are to be paid in our best strength and prosperity, in the course of our lives; and some which are to be tendred at night, at our Sun-set, at our deaths: Reddite ergo omnibus, Render therefore to all their dues. For your first debt, to God, we bring you to Church; this is no place to arrest in; but yet the Spirit of God calls upon you for those debts, praise him in his ho­ly place, and pray to him in his house, which is the house of prayer. For your debts of the second kinde, to other men, for those to superiours, we send you to Court; for those to inferiours, we send you to Hospitals, and prisons; and though Courts and prisons be ill paying places, yet pay you your debts of substance, and of ceremony, of tribute, and of honour, at Court; and your debt of counsell and relief to those that need them, in the darkest corners. And for you third kinde of debts, debts to your selves, make eaven with your selves all the way in your lives, lest your payment prove too heavy, and you break, and your hearts breake, when you come to see that you cannot doe that upon your death-bed: Reddite omnibus, Render to all, to God, to man, to your selves, their dues.

To begin then with our beginning, our debts to God; 1 Part. Deo. if we take that definition of of debts, which arises out of the sound of the word, Debere est de alio habere, a man owes all that which he hath received of another, we are debtors of all that we have, and all that we are, to God; our well being, and our very being is from him. If we take that defini­tion of debt, Debere est Iure aliquo teneri ad dandum aut faciendum aliquid, To owe, is to be bound by some Law, to give something, or to doe something to some person; The Law of Nature in our hearts, the Law of the Creature in our eyes, the Law of the Word in our eares, provokes us to give and to doe something to that God, who hath given and done all to us; and more then giving or doing, hath suffered so much for us. What then is the paiment which we are to make? First, Glory, Praise: For, in all his works, Laus. God still proposed to himselfe, his Glory. Those men who will needs be of Gods Cabinet Counsell, and pronounce what God did first, what was his first Decree, and the first clause in that Decree, those men who will needs know, and then publish Gods secrets, (And, by the way, that, which sometimes it may concerne us to know, yet it may be a Libell to publish it) Those mysteries, which, for the opposing and countermining stub­borne, and perverse Heresies, it may concerne us, in Councels and Synods, and other fit places, to argue, and to cleare, it may be an injury to God, and against his Crowne, and Dignity, in breaking the peace of the Church, to publish and divulge to every popular auditory, and every itching eare, and thereby perplexe the consciences of weak men, or offer contentious men, that which is their food, and delight, disputation; These men, I say, though they differ, in their order, whether Gods Decree of Reprobation and Sal­vation, were before his Decree of Creation, (for some place it before, and some after) yet all, on all sides agree in this, That Gods first purpose was his owne glory; that was his first Decree, by what degrees soever he proceeded to the execution of that Decree. And so in the great and incomprehensible work of our Salvation, when that was uttered in the mouth of Angels to the Shepheards, that Ambassage began with a Gloria in excel­sis, There was Peace upon earth, and there was good will towards men, but first there was Glory to God on high. And though to correct Hereticall and Schismaticall men, amongst whom, some would expresse themselves in Gods service, in one manner, and some in another, to the endangering of Doctrine, and to the confusion of Order, and thereupon some would say, in the Church-Service, Gloria Patri, in Filio, per Spiritum Sanctum, Glory be to the Father, in the Son, by the Holy Ghost; And some Gloria Pa­tri per Filium, Glory be to the Father by the Son; And some Gloria Patri, & Filio, per Spiritum Sanctum, Glory be to the Father, and the Son, by the Holy Ghost; Though to prevent the danger of these divers formes of service, the Church came to determine all, [Page 88]in that one, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, yet we see out of the formes of the Heretiques themselves, still so farre as they conceived the God­head to extend, so farre they extended Glory, in that holy acclamation; those who be­leeved not the Son to be God, or the Holy Ghost not to be God, left out Glory, when they came to their Persons; but to him that is God, in all confessions, Glory appertains. Now Glory is, Clara cum laude notitia, sayes S. Ambrose: It is an evident knowledge, and acknowledgement of God, by which, others come to know him too; which ac­knowledgement is well called a recognition, for it is a second, a ruminated, a reflected knowledge: Beasts doe remember, but they doe not remember that they remember; they doe not reflect upon it, which is that that constitutes memory: Every carnall and naturall man knowes God, but the acknowledgement, the recognition, the manifestati­on of the greatnesse and goodnesse of God, accompanied with praise of him for that, this appertaines to the godly man, and this constitutes glory. If God have delivered me from a sicknesse, and I doe not glorifie him for that, that is, make others know his goodnesse to me, my sicknesse is but changed to a spirituall apoplexy, to a lethargy, to a stupefacti­on. If God have delivered us from destruction in the bowels of the Sea, in an Invasion, and from destruction in the bowels of the earth, in the Powder-treason, and we grow faint in the publication of our thanks for this deliverance, our punishment is but aggrava­ted, for we shall be destroyed both for those old sins which induced those attempts of those destructions, and for this later and greater sin, of forgetting those deliverances; God requires nothing else; but he requires that, Glory and Praise. And that booke of the Scriptures, of which, S. Basil sayes, That if all the other parts of Scripture could pe­rish, yet out of that booke alone, we might have enough for all uses, for Catechizing, for Preaching, for Disputing; That whole Booke, which containes all subjects that ap­pertaine to Religion, is called altogether Sepher Tehillim, The Booke of praises, for all our Religion is Praise. And of that Book every particular Psalme is appointed by the Church, and continued at least for a thousand and two hundred yeares, to be shut up with that humble and glorious acclamation. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; O that men would therefore praise the Lord, and declare the wonderfull works that he doth for the sons of men! Nil quisquam debet nisi quod turpe est, non reddere, sayes the Law: It is Turpe, an infamous and ignominious thing, not to pay debt; And, infamous and ignominious, are heavy and reproachfull words in the Law; and the Gos­pell would adde to that Turpe, Impium: It is not onely an infamous but an impious, an irreligious thing, not to pay debts. As in debts, the State, and the Judge is my security, they undertake I shall be paid, or they execute Judgement; so, consider our selves as Christians, God is my security, and he will punish where I am defrauded. Either thou owest God nothing, (And then, if thou owe him nothing, from whom, or from what hath shestollen that face, that is faire; or he that estate, that is rich; or that office, that commands others; or that learning, and those orders and commission, that preaches to others; or they their soules, that understand me now? If you owe nothing, from whom had you all these, all this?) Or if thou dost owe, Turpe est, Impium est, It is an unwor­thy, it is an unhonest, it is an irreligious thing, not to pay him, in that money, which his owne Spirit mints, and coynes in thee, and of his owne bullion too, praise and thanks­giving. Not to pay him then, when he himselfe gives thee the money that must pay him, the Spirit of Thankfulnesse, falls under all the reproaches, that Law or Gospell can inflict in any names. How many men have we seene molder and crumble away great estates, and yet pay no debts? It is all our cases: What Poems, and what Orati­ons we make, how industrious, and witty we are, to over-praise men, and never give God his due praise? Nay how often is the Pulpit it selfe, made the shop, and the Theatre of praise upon present men, and God left out? How often is that called a Ser­mon, that speakes more of Great men, Psal. 148.2. then of our great God? Laudate eum omnes Au­geli ejus, laudate eum omnes virtutes ejus; David calls upon the Angels, and all the Host of Heaven, to praise God, and in the Romane Church, they will employ willingly all their praise upon the Angels, and the Host of Heaven it selfe; and this is not reddere de­bitum; here is mony enough spent, but no debt paid; praise enough given, but not to the true God. Ver. 10. Laudate eum ligna fructifera, & universa pecora, & volucres pennatae, sayes David there; David calls upon fruits, and fowle, and cattle to praise God, and we praise, and set forth our lands, and fruits, and fowle, and cattle, with all Hyperbolicall [Page 89]praises; and this is not reddere debitum, no paiment of a debt, where it is due. Laudate eum juvenes, & senes, & virgines, sayes David too; He calls upon old men, and young men, and virgins, to praise the Lord, and we spend all our praises, upon young men, which are growing up in favour, or upon old men, who have the government in their hands, or upon maidens, towards whom our affections have transported us, and all this is no paiment of the debt of praise. Laudate eum Reges terrae, Principes & omnes Iudices; V. 11. He calls upon Kings, and Judges, and Magistrates to praise God, and we employ all our praise upon the actions of those persons themselves. Beloved, God cannot be flattered, he cannot be over-praised, we can speake nothing Hyperbolically of God: But he can­not be mocked neither; He will not be told, I have praised thee, in praising thy creature, which is thine Image; would that discharge any of my debt to a Merchant, to tell him, that I had bestowed as much, or more mony then my debt, upon his picture? Though Princes, and Judges, and Magistrates be pictures, and Images of God, though beauty, and riches, and honour, and power, and favour, be, in a proportion, so too, yet, as I bought not that Merchants picture, because it was his, or for love of him, but because it was a good peece, and of a good Masters hand, and a good house-ornament; so though I spend my nights, and dayes, and thoughts, and spirits, and words, and preaching, and writing, upon Princes, and Judges, and Magistrates, and persons of estimation, and their praise, yet my intention determines in that use which I have of their favour, and respects not the glory of God in them; and when I have spent my selfe to the last farthing, my lungs to the last breath, my wit to the last Metaphore, my tongue to the last syllable, I have not paid a farthing of my debt to God; I have not praised him, but I have praised them, till not only my selfe, but even they, whom I have so mispraised, are the worse in the sight of God, for my over-praising; I have flattered them, and they have taken occasion by that, to thinke that their faults are not discerned, and so they have procee­ded in them.

This is then our first debt to God, glory and praise, which is, (as we said out of S. Am­brose) a manifestation of Gods blessing to us: for it is not towards God as it is towards great persons, under whom we have risen, that we should be afraid to let the world know, how rich we are, lest they that raised us, should borrow of us, or draw us into bands for them: God requires nothing but the glory, the manifestation, that by knowing what he hath done for thee, others may know what to hope, and what to pray for, at his hands: In our debts to God, the noverint universi, is the quietus est, our publishing of them, to his praise and glory, is his acquittance and discharge for them.

Our other debt to God is Prayer, for that also is due to him, and him onely; For, Oratio. August. Si quod petendum est petis, sed non à quo petendum est, impius es: If we direct our prayers to any, even for temporall things, as to the Authors of those benefits, we may poure out as many prayers, as would have paid that debt, if they had been rightly placed, but yet by such a paiment, our debt is growne a debt of a higher nature, a sin. This is a circum­stance, nay, an essentiall difference peculiar to our debts to God, that we doe not pay them, except we contract more; we grow best out of debt, by growing farther in debt; by praying for more, we pay our former debt. Domus med Domus Orationis, my house, saies God, is a house of prayer; for this use, and purpose, he built himselfe a house upon earth; He had praise and glory in heaven before, but for Prayer he erected a house here, his Church. All the world is his Exchequer, he gives in all; from every creature, from Heaven, and Sea, and Land, and all the inhabitants of all them, wereceive benefits; But the Church is his Court of Requests, there he receives our petitions, there we receive his answers.

It is true that neither is that house onely for prayer, nor prayer onely for that house: Christ, in his person, consecrated that place, the Temple, by Preaching too: And for prayer elsewhere, Christ did much accustome himselfe to private prayer: But in him, who was truly Head of the Church, the whole Church was; Christ alone, was a Con­gregation, he was the Catholique Church. But when we meet in Gods house, though, by occasion, there be no Sermon, yet if we meet to pray, we pay our debt, we doe our duty; so doe we not, if we meet at a Sermon, without prayer. The Church is the house of prayer, so, as that upon occasion, preaching may be left out, but never a house of preaching, so, as that Prayer may be left out. And for the debt of prayer, God will not be paid, with money of our owne coyning, (with sudden, extemporall, inconsiderate [Page 90]prayer) but with currant money, that beares the Kings Image, and inscription; The Church of God, by his Ordinance, hath fet his stampe, upon a Liturgie and Service, for his house. Audit Deus in corde cogitantis, quod nec ipse audit, qui cogitat, sayes S. Bernard: God heares the very first motions of a mans heart, which, that man, till he proceed to a farther consideration, doth not heare, not feele, not deprehend in himselfe.

That soule, that is accustomed to direct her selfe to God, upon every occasion, that, as a flowre at Sun-rising, conceives a sense of God, in every beame of his, and spreads and dilates it selfe towards him, in a thankfulnesse, in every small blessing that he sheds upon her; that soule, that as a flowre at the Suns declining, contracts and gathers in, and shuts up her selfe, as though she had received a blow, when soever she heares her Savi­our wounded by a oath, or blasphemy, or execration; that soule, who, whatsoever string be strucken in her, base or treble, her high or her low estate, is ever tun'd toward God, that soule prayes sometimes when it does not know that it prayes. I heare that man name God, and aske him what said you, and perchance he cannot tell; but I remember, that he casts forth some of those ejaculationes animae, (as S. August: calls them) some of those darts of a devout soule, which, though they have not particular deliberations, and be not formall prayers, yet they are the indicia, pregnant evidences and blessed fruits of a religious custome; much more is it true, which S. Bernard saies there, of them, Deus audit, God heares that voice of the heart, which the heart it selfe heares not, that is, at first considers not. Those occasionall and transitory prayers, and those fixed and stationa­ry prayers, for which, many times, we binde our selves to private prayer at such a time, are payments of this debt, in such peeces, and in such summes, as God, no doubt, ac­cepts at our hands. But yet the solemne dayes of payment, are the Sabbaths of the Lord, and the place of this payment, is the house of the Lord, where, as Tertullian ex­presses it, Agmine facto, we muster our forces together, and besiege God; that is, not taking up every tatter'd fellow, every sudden ragge or fragment of speech, that rises from our tongue, or our affections, but mustering up those words, which the Church hath levied for that service, in the Confessions, and Absolutions, and Collects, and Litanies of the Church, we pay this debt, and we receive our acquittance. First, we must be sure to pray, where we may be sure to speed, and onely God can give. It is a strange thing, saies Iustin Martyr, to pray to Esculapius or to Apollo for health, as Gods thereof, Qui apud Chironem medicinā didicerunt; when they who pray to them, may know, to whom those gods were beholden for all their medicines, and of whom they learnt all their physick: why should they not rather pray to their Masters, then to them? why should Apollo, Chiroes scholar, and not Chiro, Apollo's Master, be the god of physick? why should I pray to S. George for victory, when I may goe to the Lord of Hosts, Almighty God him­selfe; or consult with a Seargeant, or Corporall, when I may goe to the Generall? Or to another Saint for peace, when I may goe to the Prince of peace Christ Jesus? Why should I pray to Saint Nicolas for a faire passage at Sea, when he that rebuked the storme, is nearer me then S. Nicolas? why should I pray to S. Antony for my hoggs, when he that gave the devill leave to drowne the Gergesens whole heard of hoggs, did not do that by S. Antonies leave, nor by putting a caveat or prae-non-obstante in his monopoly of preser­ving hoggs? I know not where to finde S. Petronilla when I have an ague, nor S. Apollo­nia, when I have the tooth-ache, nor S. Liberius, when I have the stone: I know not whether they can heare me in Heaven, or no; Our Adversaries will not say, that all Saints in Heaven heare all that is said on earth: I know not whether they be in Heaven, or no: our Adversaries will not say, that the Pope may not erre, in a matter of fact, and so may canonize a Traytor for a Saint: I know not whether those Saints were ever upon earth or no; our Adversaries will not say, that all their Legends were really, historically true, but that many of them, are holy, but yet symbolicall inventions, to figure out not what was truly done before, but what wee should endeavour to doe now. I know my Redeemer liveth, and I know where he is; and no man knowes, where he is not. He is our Creditor, to him we must pray. But for what? we may finde in some respects a better modell of prayer in heathen, and unchristian Rome, then in superstitious Rome. There wee finde their prayer to have beene, Aut innocentiam des nobis, aut maturam poeni­tentiam; preserve us O Lord, in an innocencie, or afford us a speedy repentance: And as we finde that there was in that State a publique Officer, Conditor precum, that made their Collects, and prayers for publique use, so wee finde in their prayers, that which may [Page 91]make us asham'd; At first, for many yeares, their prayer was, Vt res populi Romani am­pliores facerent, that their Gods would enlarge their State; after that, it was, Vt res per­petuò incolumes servarent, that their Gods would preserve, and establish them, in that State; And after, Vota nuncupata, si res eo stetissent statu; They vowed their service, and their sacrifice to God, upon condition that he should keepe them alwaies in that State, and not otherwise. So far therefore they may be our example, that they contented them­selves with a competency, but not, that they made themselves Judges of that competen­cy. We come to Gods house to pay a debt, and our debt is, to confesse that we can have from none but him, nor desire from him any more, then he is pleased to give.

We come now to our second sort of Creditors, 2 Part. to whom wee are commanded to render their dues; to men: And of them, to our Superiors first, and then to our Infe­riors. For, that with which, the Apostle enters into this Chapter, Omnis anima, Let every soule be subject to the higher powers, S. Chrysostome applies Ad Prophetam, & Eu­angelistam, though he were a Prophet; or an Euangelist; S. Bernard, Ad Episcopum, & Archiepiscopum, though a Bishop, or Archbishop, (for, though they be as spirituall me­teors betweene Heaven, and earth, and stand betweene God and us, yet they are subject to that jurisdiction, which God hath given man over man, though they were in an ex­traordinary calling, (the Prophets were so) yet they were subject to an ordinary juris­diction;) And Theophylact, and Theodoret both, apply it ad Monachum & Fratrem, to Monks and Friers; though they seeme to be gone out of the world, yet to this entend­ment, of being subject to higher powers, they are all within the world, no Cloyster, no Cathedrall Church, no profession, no dignity is a sanctuary, a priviledged place from the payment of this debt. Here is a Quo warranto to be brought against all, and what excep­tion can bee pleaded to this Omnis anima, let every soule be subject? The Anabaptist would not pay this debt, hee acknowledges no Magistrate, and yet Iohn Baptist did, who submitted himselfe to Herod; The Jesuit will not pay this debt, he acknowledges no se­cular Magistrate, and yet Christ Jesus did, who submitted himselfe to Pilate; Nemo secu­larior Pilato, cui adstitit Dominus judicandus, saies S. Bernard, there was never a more secular Judge then Pilate, and yet the Lord of life was judg'd to death by him.

We cannot enlarge this consideration to all our Creditors, in these debts, Princeps. not to all Superiors, naturall, as Parents, and civill, as Magistrates, and Ecclesiasticall, as Prelates, and that which is mixt of all, matrimoniall, from the wife to the husband, and therefore we contract it to the roote of all, the Soveraigne; And to him we consider first a Reall, Realis. and substantiall, and then a circumstantiall and ceremoniall debt. The substantiall debt is paid in a faithfull, in a ready and chearfull paying of those debts, those Tributes, and Customes, (as the Apostle cals them here) which belong to the King, and he that makes no conscience in defrauding the publique, he that withholds part of this debt, whenso­ever he can, he would pay that which he payes, in counterfait money, if he durst: hee that deceives, because he sees he can scape with that deceit, he would coyne too, if he saw too, that he could scape for that coyning. A principall reason that makes coyning and adulterating of money capitall in all states, is not so much because hee that coynes usurpes the Princes authority, (for every coyner is not a pretender to the Crowne) nor because he diminishes the Princes majesty, (for what is the Prince the worse in that his face is stamped by another in base mettall, then when that is done by himselfe, or when his face is graved in any stone that is not precious?) as because he that coynes, injuries the publique: and no man injuries the publique more, then he, who defrauds him, who is Gods steward for the publique, the King. In matter of cloathes and apparell, God wrought a miracle in private mens cases, in continuing and enlarging the children of Israels cloathes in the wildernesse: In matter of meat he wrought a miracle in private mens behalfe too, in feeding so many, with so few loafes, and fishes; and so he did for drinke too, in a miraculous providing of wine at the Marriage; for, meat, and drink, and cloathes are things necessary for every man: But because money is not so, if these other things may otherwise be had, (as some nations have lived, by permutation of commo­dities, without money) therefore God never wrought a miracle in matter of money, in any private mans case; But because money is the most necessary of all, to the publique, to the Prince, therefore he wrought a miracle for that; and for that, onely then, when that money was to be employed upon tribute to Caesar; Mat. 17.27. no miracle in matter of money but for tribute. As it is a signe of subjection to see a man stand bare headed, so it may be [Page 92]a declination towards a worse condition, to see a State bare headed, to see the Prince, the Head, kept bare, by being either defrauded of that which is ordinarily due to him, or denied that which becomes also due in the payment, though it were extraordinarily gi­ven in the grant. But I am not here, to deale upon affections, but consciences, and but so far upon them, in this point, as they finde themselves in a rectified, and well examined conscience, to have beene enemies to the publique, by having defrauded that, by any meanes, of that which was truly due to it. And to bring that into consideration, which is little considered, that as it is a greater sinne to defraud the publique, then to defraud any private person, so doth the assisting of the publique lay a greater obligation upon us, then the assisting of any other, by private almes.

The other debt from us to men, Ceremonia­lis. and of them to Superiours, and of them principally to the Soveraigne, we called ceremoniall; And the Apostle, in that which followes in this verse, referres chiefely to that, in those words, Feare, and Honour, for it consists espe­cially in those things, wherein, by outward reverence, we contribute to the maintenance, and upholding of the dignity of the Prince; and of these outward ceremoniall things hath God alwaies professed himselfe to be most jealous. And, (if I mistake not, as I may easily doe, in things so far removed out of my way) when in your judiciall proceedings in criminall causes, you make the greatest offences to be against the Crowne and Dig­nity, in the first, (the Crowne) you intend the essentiall part, and in the other, (the Dig­nity) the ceremoniall, the Honour, and Reverence, and Reputation of the Prince. God gave his very Essence to his Son, he was very God of very God; But when this Son of his became man, that which God sayes in generall, my Honour will I give to no man, reaches so far to the Son of God himselfe, as that the honour due to God, is not to be given to the body, not to the manhood of Christ Jesus himselfe. How very great a part of the Law of God was ceremoniall? and how very heavy punishments were ordained for the breakers even of those Ceremonies? Colos. 2.17. Melancton. The Sabbaths themselves, S. Paul puts a­mongst Ceremonies: And that man, who assisted the Reformation of Religion, with as much learning, and modesty, as any, defines the Commandment of the Sabbath well, to be Morale praeceptum, de Ceremoniali, That though the Commandment be morall, and binde all men for ever, yet that which is commanded in that morall Commandement, is in it selfe Ceremoniall; for, indeed, all that which we call by the generall name of Re­ligion, as it is the outward worship of God, is Ceremoniall, and there is nothing more morall, then that some ceremoniall things there must be. Now, as these Ceremoniall things are due to God himselfe, so are they to them, to whom God hath imparted his name, in saying they are Gods. Wee shall not read in any secular or prophane story, of greater humility and reverence in subjects to their Princes, then in the booke of God, to the Kings there. What phrases of abjecting themselves, in respect of the Prince, can exceed Davids humble expressing of himselfe to Saul? Or Daniels magnifying the King, when he cals him King of Kings? And certainly some of the best, and most reli­gious of Christian Emperors tooke to themselves so great Titles, in their stile, as can be excused no other way, but because their Predecessors had done so, there lay a necessity upon them, to keepe this ceremoniall respect and dignity, at the same heighth, because upon the Ceremoniall, much of the Essentiall depends too. And therefore God pierces to the roote, to the heart, when he forbids an irreverent, or unrespective thought of the Prince, Eccles. 10.20. for, saies he, Those that have wings, shall declare the matter; God imployes so many Informers, as Angels; It is not an office unworthy of the Angels of Heaven, much lesse of any other Angels of the Church, (no, not though it be delivered by way of con­fession) to discover any disloyall purposes; though in other cases, by our owne Canons, that seale of Confession lay justly a strong obligation upon us, and God gives Angels an ability, a faculty, which in their nature they have not, that is, to know thoughts, for this purpose, for the discovery of such irreverent, and disloyall hearts. Angels doe not know thoughts naturally, yet to this purpose they shall know thoughts, saies God. Mo­rall men should not discover the secrets of friends, we should not discover the things we receive in confession; but when it comes to matter of disloyalty, all morall seales, and all Ecclesiasticall seales lose their obligation.

The foote of this account, the totall summe of this Ceremoniall debt to Superiors, is, that due respect be given to every man, in his place; for when young men thinke it the onely argument of a good spirit, to behave themselves fellowly, and frowardly to great [Page 93]persons, those greater persons in time, take away their respect from Princes, and at last, (for in the chain of order, every link depends upon one another) God loses the respect and honour due to him; private men lessen their respect of Magistrates, and Magistrates of Princes, and Princes and all, of God. And therefore, that which S. Chrysostome sayes of the highest rank, Non putes Christian a philosophiae dignitatem laedi, reaches to all sorts, Let no man think that he departs from the dignity of a Christian, in attributing to every man that which appertains to the dignity of his place. I speak not all this, as though a man should lose the substance for the ceremony, that that man, whose place it is to advise and counsell, should be so ceremonious with his superiour, as to concurre with him in the al­lowance of all his errors. Caput meum conquassatum est (it is an expostulation of S. Ber­nards) My head is bruised, corrupted, putrified, (he speakes it of his head, his superiour, a Bishop) Et jam sanguine ebulliente, putaverim esse tegendum, now my head runs downe with blood, can I think to cover it? Quicquid apposuero, cruentabitur, whatsoever I lay to it will be bloody too; if I dissemble, or cover his faults, his blood will fall upon me, and I shall have part of his sins. Every wife hath a superiour at home, so hath every childe, and every servant, and every man a superjour some where, in some respect, that is, in a spirituall respect: for so, not only the King, but the highest spirituall person hath a superiour for absolution. And to this superiour respectively, every man owes a cere­moniall respect, as a debt, though this debt be not so far, as to accompany him, or to en­courage him in his ill purposes, for that is too high a ceremony, and too transcendent a complement, to be damned for his sake, by concurring with my superiour in his sins. And then, they whose office it is to direct, even their superiours, by their counsell, (as that office may in cases belong to a wife, to a childe, to a servant, as Iob professes it was in his family) have also a ceremoniall duty in that duty, which is, to doe even that, with sweetnesse, with respect, with reverence. It was a better rule in so high a businesse, then a man would look for at a Friars hands, which S. Bernard hath, Abs (que) prudentia & bene­volentia, non sunt perfecta consilia: No man is a good Counsellor, for all his wisdome, and for all his liberty of speech, except he love the person whom he counsels: If he do not wish him well, as well as tell him his faults, he is rather a Satyrist, and a Calumnia­tor, and seeks to vent his own wisdome, and to exercise his authority, then a good Coun­sellor. And therefore, sayes that Father, before Christ took Peter into that high place, he asked him, and asked him thrice, Amas me? Lovest thou me? He would be sure of his love to him first, before he preferred him; Vix in multitudine hominum, unum reperio, in utra (que) gratia consummatum, sayes he still: Not one man amongst a thousand, that is both able to give counsell to great persons, and then doth that office out of love to that person, but rather to let others see his ability in himself, or his authority and power over that per­son, and so upon pretence of counselling, opens his weaknesses to the knowledge, and to the contempt of other men; as Davids wife, when he had danced (as she thought) un­decently before the Ark, spoke freely enough, with liberty enough, but it was with scorn, and contempt: And this is in no sort any payment of this ceremoniall debt, which is, (that the foundations, and the substance being preserved, that is, the glory of God, and morall, and religious truths being kept inviolate) to think, and say, and doe, those things which may conduce to the estimation, and dignity of his superiour.

Now this hath led us to our other list of humane creditors, that is, our inferiours, Inferiores. and to render to them also their dues; for, to them we said at beginning, there was due, counsell, if they were weak in understanding; and there was due, reliefe, if they were weak in their fortunes. For the first, there are some persons in so high place in this world, as that they can owe nothing to any temporall superiour, for they have none: But there is none so low in this world, but he hath some lower then he is, to pay this debt of counsell and advise to: at least the debt of prayer for him, if he will not receive the debt of counsell to him. But in this place (for haste) we contract our selves to the debt of reliefe to the poore: Amongst whom, we may consider one sort of poore whom we our selves have made poore, and damnified, and then our debt is Restitution, and another sort, whom God, for reasons unknowne to us hath made poore, and there our debt is Almes. For the first of these (those whom thou hast damnified and made poore) thou needst not come to the Apostles question of the blinde man, Did this man sin or his pa­rents, that he is born blinde? Did this man waste himselfe in house-keeping, or in play, or in wantonnesse, that he is become poore? Neither he sinned, nor his parents, sayes Christ; [Page 94]neither excesse, nor play, nor wantonnesse hath undone this man, but thy prevarication in his cause, thy extortion, thy oppression: And now he starves, and thou huntest after a popular reputation of a good house-keeper with his meate; now he freezes in naked­nesse, and thy train shines in liveries out of his Wardrobe; every Constable is ready to lay hold upon him for a rogue, and thy son is Knighted with his mony. Sileat licèt fama, non silet fames, sayes good and holy Bernard, fame may be silent, but famine will not: perchance the world knowes not this, or is weary of speaking of it, but those poore wretches that starve by thy oppression, know it, and cry out in his hearing, where thine own conscience accompanies them, and cryes out with them against thee. Pay this debt, this debt of restitution, and pay it quickly; for nothing perishes, nothing decayes an estate more, nothing consumes, nothing enfeebles a soule more, then to let a great debt run on long.

But if they be poore of Gods making, Eleemosyna. and not of thine (as they are to thee, if thou know not why, or how they are become poore) (for though God have inflicted poverty upon them for their sins, that is a secret between God and them, that which God hath revealed to thee, is their poverty, and not their sins) then thou owest them a debt of almes, though not restitution: though thou have nothing in thy hands which was theirs, yet thou hast something which should be theirs; nothing perchance which thou hast taken from them, but something certainly which thou hast received from God for them; and in that sense S. Bernard sayes truly, in the behalfe, and in the person of the poore, to wastfull men, Nostrum est quod effunditis, you are prodigall, there is one fault; but then you are prodigall of that which is not your own, but ours, and that is a greater; and then we whose goods you wast, are poore and miserable, and that is the greatest fault of all. Nobis crudeliter subtrahitur, quod inaniter expenditis, whatsoever you spend wantonly and vainly upon your selves, or sinfully upon others, is cruelly and bloodily drawen out of our bowels, and worse then so, sacrilegiously too, because we are the Temples of the Holy Ghost: If not properly taken away because we had it not, yet unjustly and cruelly with-held and kept away, because we should have it, say those poore soules to these wastfull prodigalls in that devout and perswasive mouth of S. Bernard. Here is a double misery, of which you, you that are prodigals are authors, Vos vanitando peritis, nos spolian­do perimitis, In this prodigality you waste your selves, even your soules, and you rob us; you leave us naked in the cold, and you cast your selves into dark and tormenting fire. So that whether they be poore of Gods making, or poore of your making, Reddite debi­tum, pay the debt you owe, to the one by almes, to the other by restitution.

We descend now to our last creditors, 3. Part. Nos. our selves. It is a good rule of S. Bernard, Qui ad sui mensuram proximum diligit, seipsum diligere norit, since we are commanded to love our neighbour, as our selves, we must be sure to love our selves so as we should doe, or else we proceed by a wrong, and a crooked rule. So to give some guesse of our ability, and of our willingnesse, to pay our debts to God, and our debts to man, we must consi­der what we owe, Rom. 1.14. and how we pay our selves. Thou art a debtor (as S. Paul sayes of him­selfe) to the Greek, and to the Barbarian, to the wise, and to the unwise; And thou thy selfe art amongst some of these; wise and learned in the best art, though thou know not a letter, rich and mighty in the best treasure, though thou possesse not a penny, if thou pay these debts duly, (for as God tels us we may buy without money, so we may pay debts without money) and then ignorant and unlettered, in the midst of thy library and lan­guages, and poore and beggarly in the midst of thy coffers and rentals, if thou call not thy selfe to this account, for his debt to himselfe alone, is debt enough to oppresse any man. Solus mihi servandus, sayes S. Bernard, I am Bishop over no man but my selfe, I have no larger Diocesse then mine own person, no mans debts to pay but mine own, nor any man to pay them to, but to my selfe, Solus tamen mihi sum scandalo, yet I am scanda­lized in my selfe, I have brought an ill name upon my selfe, to be an ill pay master to mine own soul; Solus taedio, though I have no creditor to disappoint but my selfe, yet I am growen a gedious, and dilatory man to my self, I have taken longer and longer daies with my selfe, and still put off my repentances, from sicknesse to sicknesse, Solus taedio; solus oneri, I am a burden to my selfe, I have over-burdened my self even with collaterall security, with entring into new bands, with new vows upon my repentances, new con­tracts, new stipulations, new protestations to my God, which I have forfeited also, so­lus oneri; and solus periculo, I am become a dangerous man to my selfe, I dare not trust [Page 95]my self alone, though I abstain from my former sinfull company, yet custome of sinne hath made me a tentation to my self, and I sin where no tentation offers it self: Solus mi­hi servandus, I have no body to save, sayes S. Bernard in his Cloister, but my self, and I cannot doe that, but I damne my self alone.

Begin therefore to pay these debts to thy selfe betimes; for, as we told you at begin­ning, some you are to tender at noone, some at evening. Even at your noon and warm­est Sun-shine of prosperity, you owe your selves a true information, how you came by that prosperity, who gave it you, and why he gave it. Judg. 9.7. Let not the Olive boast of her own fatnesse, nor the Fig-tree of her own sweetnesse, nor the Vine of her own fruitful­nesse, for we were all but Brambles. Let no man say, I could not misse a fortune, for I have studied all my youth; How many men have studied more nights, then he hath done hours, and studied themselves blinde, and mad in the Mathematiques, & yet withers in beggery in a corner? Let him never adde, But I studied in a usefull and gainfull profession; How many have done so too, and yet never compassed the favour of a Judge? And how ma­ny that have had all that, have struck upon a Rock, even at full Sea, and perished there? In their Grandfathers & great Grandfathers, in a few generations, whosoever is greatest now, must say, With this staffe came I over Jordan; nay, without any staffe came I over Jordan, for he had in them at first, a beginning of nothing. As for spiritual happinesse, Non volentis, nec currentis, sed miserentis Dei, It is not in him that would run, nor in him that doth, but only in God that prospers his course; so for the things of this world, it is in vain to rise early, and to lie down late, and to eat the bread of sorrow, for, nisi Dominus aedifi­caverit, nisi Dominus custodierit, except the Lord build the house, they labour in vaine; except the Lord keep the City, the watchman waketh but in vain. Come not therefore to say, I studied more then my fellows, and therefore am richer then my fellows, but say, God that gave me my contemplations at first, gave me my practice after, and hath given me his blessing now. How many men have worn their braines upon other studies, and spent their time and themselves therein? how many men have studied more in thine own profession, and yet, for diffidence in themselves, or some disfavour from others, have not had thy practice? How many men have been equall to thee, in study, in practice, and in getting too, and yet upon a wanton confidence, that that world would alwayes last, or upon the burden of many children, and an expensive breeding of them, or for other rea­sons, which God hath found in his wayes, are left upon the sand at last, in a low fortune? whilest the Sun shines upon thee in all these, pay thy self the debt, of knowing whence, and why all this came, for else thou canst not know how much, or how little is thine, nor thou canst not come to restore that which is none of thine, but unjustly wrung from others. Pay therefore this debt of surveying thine estate, and then pay thy selfe thine own too, by a chearfull enjoying and using that which is truly thine, and doe not deny nor defraud thy selfe of those things which are thine, and so become a wretched debtor, to thy back, or to thy belly, as though the world had not enough, or God knew not what were enough for thee.

Pay this debt to thy selfe of looking into thy debts, of surveying, of severing, of ser­ving thy selfe with that which is truly thine, at thy noone, in the best of thy fortune, and in the strength of thine understanding; that when thou commest to pay thy other, thy last debt to thy self, which is, to open a doore out of this world, by the dissolution of bo­dy and soule, thou have not all thy money to tell over when the Sun is ready to set, all the account to make of every bag of money, and of every quillet of land, whose it is, and whether it be his that looks for it from thee, or his from whom it was taken by thee; whether it belong to thine heire, that weepes joyfull tears behinde the curtain, or belong to him that weeps true, and bloody teares, in the hole in a prison. There will come a time, when that land that thou leavest shall not be his land, when it shall be no bodies land, when it shall be no land, for the earth must perish; there will be a time when there shall be no Mannors; no Acres in the world, and yet there shall lie Mannors and Acres upon thy soul, when land shall be no more, when time shall be no more, and thou passe away, not into the land of the living, but of eternall death. Then the Accuser will be ready to interline the schedules of thy debts, thy sins, and infert false debts, by abusing an over-tendernesse, which may be in thy conscience then, in thy last sicknesse, in thy death­bed: Then he will be ready to adde a cyphar more to thy debts, and make hundreds thousands, and abuse the faintnesse which may be in thy conscience then, in thy last sick­nesse, [Page 96]in thy death-bed. Then he will be ready to abuse even thy confidence in God, and bring thee to think, that as a Pirate ventures boldly home, though all that he hath be stoln, if he be rich enough to bribe for a pardon; so, howsoever those families perish whom thou hast ruined, and those whole parishes whom thou hast depopulated, thy soule may goe confidently home too, if thou bribe God then, with an Hospitall or a Fellowship in a Colledge, or a Legacy to any pious use in apparance, and in the eye of the world.

Pay thy selfe therefore this debt, that is, make up thine account all the way, for when that voyce comes, Luk. 16.2. Redde rationem, Give up an account of thy Stewardship, it is not, goe home now, and make up thy account perfect; but now, now deliver up thine account; if it be perfect, it is well, if it be not, here is no longer day, for Iam non poteris villicare, now thou canst be no lenger Steward, Esay 38.1. now thou hast no more to doe with thy selfe. Here the voyce is not in the word to Ezekiah, Dispone domui, put thy house in order, for, morieris, thou shalt die; For, there God had a gracious purpose, to give him a longer terme, but here it is, foole, this night, repetunt, not they shall, but they doe fetch away thy soule, and then what is become of that To morrow, which thou hadst imagined and promised to thy selfe, for the paiment of this debt, of this repentance? Be just therefore to thy selfe all the way, pay thy selfe, and take acquittances of thy selfe, all the way, which is onely done under the seale, and in the testimony of a rectified conscience. Let thine owne con­science be thine evidence, and thy Rolls, and not the opinion of others: Non tutum planè, sed stultum, ibi thesaurum tuum recondere, ubi non vales resumere, cum volueris, sayes Saint Bernard. It is not providently done, to lock thy treasure in a chest, of which thou hast no key, and to which thou hast no accesse: Si ponis in os meum jam non in tua, sed mea pote­state est, ut te laudare, vel tibi derogare possim: If thou build thy reputation upon my report, it is now in my power, not in thine, whether thou shalt be good or bad, honourable or in­famous: Sanum vas, & inconcussum, conscientia, a good conscience is a sweet vessell, and a strong; Quicquid in ea reposueris, servabit vivo, & defuncto restituet: Whatsoever thou laiest up in that, shall serve thee all thy life, and after; and that shall be thine acquittance, and discharge, atthy last paiment, in manustuas, when thou returnest thy spirit, into his hands that gave it: And then reddidisti debita omnibus, thou shalt have rendred to all their dues, when thou hast given the King, Honour; the poore, almes; thy selfe, peace; and God thy soule.

SERMON X. Preached upon Candlemas Day.

IT falls out, I know not how, but, I take it from the instinct of the Holy Ghost, and from the Propheticall spirit residing in the Church of God, that those Scriptures which are appointed to be read in the Church, all these dayes, (for I take no other this Terme) doe evermore afford, and offer us Texts, that direct us to patience, as though these times had es­pecial need of those instructions. And truly so they have; for though God have so farre spared us as yet, as to give us no exercise of patience in any afflictions, infli­cted upon our selves, yet, as the heart akes if the head doe, nay, if the foote ake, the heart akes too; so all that professe the name of Christ Jesus aright, making up but one body, we are but dead members of that body, if we be not affected with the distempers [Page 97]of the most remote parts thereof. That man sayes but faintly, that he is heart-whole, that is macerated with the Gout, or lacerated with the Stone; It is not a heart, but a stone growne into that forme, that feeles no paine, till the paine seize the very sub­stance thereof. How much and how often S. Paul delights himselfe with that sociable syllable, Syn, Con, Conregnare, and Convificare, and Consedere, of Raigning together, 2 Tim. 2.12. Eph. 2.1, 6. and living, and quickning together: As much also doth God delight in it, from us, when we expresse it in a Conformity, and Compunction, and Compassion, and Condolency, and (as it is but a little before the Text) in weeping with them that weepe. Our patience there­fore being actually exercised in the miseries of our brethren round about us, and proba­bly threatned in the aimes and plots of our adversaries upon us, though I hunt not after them, yet I decline not such Texts, as may direct our thoughts upon duties of that kinde.

This Text does so; for the circle of this Epistle of S. Paul, this precious ring, being made of that golden Doctrine, That Justification is by faith, and being enameled with that beautifull Doctrine of good works too, in which enameled Ring, as a precious stone in the midst thereof, there is set, the glorious Doctrine of our Election, by Gods eternall Predestination, our Text falls in that part, which concernes obedience, holy life, good works; which, when both the Doctrines, that of Justification by faith, and that of Pre­destination have suffered controversie, hath been by all sides embraced, and accepted; that there is no faith, which the Angels in heaven, or the Church upon earth, or our own consciences can take knowledge of, without good works. Of which good works, and the degrees of obedience, of patience, it is a great one; and a hard one that is enjoyned in this Text; for whereas S. Augustine observes sixe degrees, sixe steps in our behavi­our towards our enemies, whereof the first is nolle laedere, to be loth to hurt any man by way of provocation, not to begin; And a second, nolle amplius quam laesus laedere, That if another provoke him, yet what power soever he have, he would returne no more upon his enemy, then his enemy had cast upon him, he would not exceed in his revenge; And a third, velle minus, not to doe so much as he suffered, but in a lesse proportion, onely to shew some sense of the injury; And then another is, nolle laedere licet laesus, to returne no revenge at all, though he have been provoked by an injury; And a higher then that, par atum se exhibere ut amplius laedatur, to turne the other cheeke, when he is smitten, and open himselfe to farther injuries; That which is in this Text, is the sixt step, and the highest of all, laedenti benefacere, to doe good to him, of whom we have received evill, If thine enemy hunger, to feed him, if he thirst, to give him drinke; for in so, &c.

The Text is a building of stone, and that bound in with barres of Iron: Divisio. fundamentall Doctrine, in point of manners, in it selfe, and yet buttressed, and established with reasons too, therefore, and for; Therefore feed thine enemy; For, in so doing, thou shalt heape coales. This therefore, confirmes the precedent Doctrine, and this For, confirmes that confirmation.

But all the words of God are Yea, and Amen, and therefore we need not insist upon reasons, to ratifie or establish them. Our parts shall be but two; Mandatum, and Emolu­mentum; first the Commandement, (for we dare not call it by so indifferent a name, as an Euangelicall Counsell that we may choose whether we will doe or no; It is a Com­mandement, doe good to thine enemy) And secondly, the benefit that we receive by that benefit, we heap coales upon his head. Each part will have divers branches: for, in the Commandement, we shall first looke upon the person, to which God directs us, inimi­cus, though he be an enemy, and inimicus tuus, though he be thine enemy; but yet it is but tuus, thine enemy; It is not simply inimicus homo, the Devill, nor inimicus vester, a spread­ing enemy, an enemy to the State, nor inimicus Dei, an enemy to Religion; And from the person, we shall passe to the duty, Ciba, and Da aquam, feed, and give drink, in which, all kindes of reliefes are implyed: But that is, si esurierit, if he be hungry; There is no wanton nor superfluous pampering of our enemy required, but so much as may preserve the man, and not nourish the enmity. In these considerations we shall determine our first part; and our second in these; First, that God takes nothing from us, without re­compence; nothing for nothing; he seales his Commandement with a powerfull reason, promise of reward: And then, the reward specified here, arises from the enemy him­selfe; And that reward is, That thou shalt cast coales of fire upon his head; and congeres, accu­mulabis, Thou shalt heap coales of fire upon him.

It is not ill said by a Jesuit, of these words, Sententia magis Euangelica, quàm Mosaica; 1. Part. Mandatum. Peltanus. [Page 98]This Text, that enjoynes benefits upon our enemies, is fitter for the Gospel, then for the Law, fitter for the new, then for the old Testament; and yet it is tam Mosaica, quam Euangelica, to shew that it is Universall, Catholique, Morall Doctrine, appertaining to Jew, Prov. 25.21. and Christian, and all, this Text is in the old Testament, as well as in the new. In the mouth of two witnesses is this truth established, in the mouth of a Prophet, and in the mouth of an Apostle, Solomon had said it before, and S. Paul sayes it here, If thine enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirst, &c.

Your Senecaes and your Plutarchs have taught you an art, how to make profit of ene­mies, because as flatterers dilate a man, and make him live the more negligently, because he is sure of good interpretations of his worst actions; So a mans enemies contract him, and shut him up, and make him live the more watchfully, because he is sure to be calum­niated even in his best actions: But this is a lesson above Seneca, and Plutarch, reserved for Solomon, and Saint Paul, to make profit by conferring and placing benefits upon ene­mies: And that is our first branch, Though he be an enemy.

S. Augustine cites, Et si inimieus. and approves that saying of the morall Philosopher, Omnes odit, qui malos odit, he that hates ill men, hates all men, for if a man will love none but honest men, where shall he finde any exercise, any object of his love? So if a man will hold friend­ship with none, nor doe offices of society to none, but to good natur'd, and gentle, and souple, and sociable men, he shall leave very necessary businesses undone. The frowar­dest and perversest man may be good ad hoc, for such or such a particular use. By good company and good usage, that is, by being mingled with other simples, and ingredients, the very flesh of a Viper, is made an Antidote: A Viper loses not his place in Physick, because he is poyson; a Magistrate ceases not to be a Magistrate, because he is an ill man; much lesse does a man cease to be a man, and so to have a title to those duties, which are rooted in nature, because he is of an ill disposition. God makes his Sun to shine upon the good, Mat. 5.45. and upon the bad, and sendeth raine upon the just, and upon the unjust. God hath made of one bloud all mankinde: how unkindly then, how unmanly is it to draw bloud? We come too soone to the name of enemy, and we carry it too farre: Plaintife and Defendant in a matter of Trespasse, must be enemies: Disputers in a Problematicall matter of Controversie, that concernes not foundations, must be enemies; And then all enmity must imply an irreconcileablenesse, once enemies may never be friends againe: we come too soone to the name, and we stand too long upon the thing; for there are offices and duties even to an enemy; and that, though an enemy in as high a Degree, as the word imports here, osor, a hater, and osor tuus, such an enemy as hates thee, which is our next Branch.

We use to say, Tuus. that those benefits are longest remembred, which are publique, and common; and those injuries, which are private, and personall: But truly in both, the private, and personall makes the greatest impression. For, if a man have benefitted the publique, with a Colledge, with an Hospitall, with any perpetuall endowment, yet he that comes after to receive the benefit of any such place, for the most part determines his thankfulnesse upon that person, who brought him thither, and reflects little upon the founder, or those that are descended from him. And so it is in injuries, and violences too, we hate men more for personall, then for nationall injuries; more, if he have taken my Ship, then if he have attempted my Country. We should be more sensible of the publique, but because private and personall things doe affect us most, the Commande­ment here goes to the particular.; Though he be thine enemy, and hate thee. If you love them that love you, Luk. 6.34. and lend to them that pay you, what thanks have you? Truly not much: Publicans doe the same, sayes S. Matthew; Sinners doe the same, sayes S. Luke: But love you your enemies; Mat. 5.22. For, in the same place, where Christ puts all those cases, If a man have been angry with his Brother, If a man haue said Racha to his Brother, if he have called his Brother Foole, he ends all with that, Agree with thine adversary; Though he be thine adversary, yet he is thy Brother. If he have damnified thee, calumniated thee, pardon him. If he have done that to another, thou hast no power to pardon him; Herein onely thou hast exercise of greatnesse and goodnesse too, If he be thine enemy, thou and thou onely canst pardon him; and herein onely thou hast a Supremacy, and a Prerogative to shew.

So far then, Non vester. the text goes literally, do good to an enemy; to thine enemy; and lite­rally, no farther: It does not say to a State, Si Inimicus vester, It does not binde us to [Page 99]favour, or further a publique enemy; It does not binde the Magistrate to favour Theeves and Murderers at land, nor Pirates at Sea, who are truly Inimici nostri, our enemies even as we are men, enemies to mankinde. It does not binde Societies and Corporations Ecclesiasticall or Civill, to sinke under such enemies, as would dissolve them or impaire them in their priviledges; for such are not onely Inimici vestri, but Vestrorum, enemies of you, and yours, of those that succeed you: And all men are bound to transferre their jurisdictions and priviledges, in the same integrity, in which they received them, without any prevarication. In such cases it is true, that Corporations have no soules, that is, they are not bound to such a tendernesse of conscience; for there are divers lawes in this do­ctrine of patience, that binde particular men, that doe not binde States and Societies, under those penalties.

Much lesse does the Commandment bind us to the Inimicus homo, which is the devill, Inimicus ho­mo. to farther him, by fuelling and advancing his tentations, by high dyet, wanton com­pany, or licencious discourse; and so, upon pretence of maintaining our health, Luk. 10.19. or our cheerefulnesse, invite occasions of sinne. S. Hierome tells us of one sense, in which wee should favour that enemy, the devill, and that in this text, we are commanded to doe so: Benevolus est erga Diabolum, saies he, he is the devils best friend, that resists him; for by our yeelding to the devils tentations, wesubmit him to greater torments, then, if he mist of his purpose upon us, he should suffer. But betweene this enemy and us, God himselfe hath set such an enmity, that, as no man may separate those whom God hath joyned, Gen. 3.15. so no man may joyne those whom God hath separated; God created not this enmity in the devill; he began it in himselfe; but God created an enmity in us, against him; and, upon no collaterall conditions, may wee bee reconciled to him, in admitting any of his superstitions.

It is not then Inimicus vester, the common enemy, the enemy of the State; lesse, Inimicus homo, the spirituall enemy of Mankinde, the devill; least of all, Inimicus Dei, they who oppose God, (so, as God can be opposed) in his servants who professe his truth. David durst not have put himselfe upon that issue with God, ( Doe not I hate them, Psal. 139.21. that hate thee) if hee had beene subject to that increpation, which the Prophet Iehu laid upon Iehoshaphat, Shouldst thou helpe the ungodly, and love them, that hate the Lord? 2 Chron. 19.2. But David had the testimony of his conscience, that hee hated them, with a perfect hatred: which, though it may admit that interpretation, that it is De perfectione virtutis, that his perfect hatred, was a hatred becomming a perfect man, a charitable hatred; yet it is De perfectione intentionis, a perfect hatred is a vehement hatred, and so the Chalde para­phrase expresses it, Odio consummato, a hatred to which nothing can be added; Hilar. Odio reli­gioso, with a religious hatred; not onely that religion may consist with it, but that Reli­gion cannot subsist without it; a hatred that gives the tincture, and the stampe to Religion it selfe. The imputation that lyes upon them, who doe not hate those that hate God, is sufficiently expressed in S. Gregory; He saw how little temporisers and worldly men, were moved with the word Impiety, and ungodlinesse, and therefore he waves that; He saw they preferred the estimation of wisdome before and above piety, and therefore hee saies not Impium est, but stultum est, si illis placere quaerimus, quos non placere domino scimus: It is a foolish thing, to endeavour to be acceptable to them, who, in our own knowledge, doe not endeavour to be acceptable to God.

But yet, Beloved, even in those enemies, that thus hate God, Solomons rule hath place, There is a time to hate, and a time to love. Though the person be the same, Eccles. 3.8. De singularit. Cleric. the affection may vary. As S. Cyprian saies, (if that booke be not rather Origens, then Cyprians, for it is at­tributed to both) Ama foeminas inter Sacra solennia, Love a woman at Church, (that is, love her comming to Church,) (though, as S. Augustine in his time did, we, in our times may complaine of wanton meetings there) But Odio habe in communione privata, Hate, that is, forbeare women in private conversation; so, for those that hate God in the truth of his Gospell, and content themselves with an Idolatrous Religion, we love them at Church, we would be glad to see them here, and though they come not hither, wee love them so far, as that we pray for them; and we love them in our studies so far, as we may rectifie them by our labours; But wee hate them in our Convocations, where wee oppose Canons against their Doctrines, and we hate them in our Consultations, where we make lawes to defend us from their malice, and we hate them in our bed-chambers, where they make children Idolaters, and perchance make the children themselves. We [Page 100]acknowledge with S. Augustine, Perfectio odii est in charitate, the perfect hatred consists with charity, Cum nec propter vitia homines oderimus, nec vitia propter homines amemut; when the greatnesse of the men brings us not to love their religion, nor the illnesse of their Religion, to hate the men. Moses, in that place, is S. Augustines example, whom he proposes, Orabat & occidebat, he prayed for the Idolaters, and he slew them; he hated, saies he, Iniquitatem, quam puniebat, that sin which he punished, and he loved Humanita­tem, pro qua or abat, that nature, as they were men, for whom he prayed: for, that, saies he, is perfectum odium, quod facti sunt diligere, quod fecerunt, odiisse, to love them as they are creatures, to hate them as they are Traytors. Thus much love is due to any enemy, that if God be pleased to advance him, De ejus profectu non dejiciamur, sayes S. Gregory, His advancement doe not deject us, to a murmuring against God, or to a diffidence in God; And that when God, in his time, shall cast him downe againe, Congaudeamus justi­tiae Iudicis, condoleamus miseriae pereuntis, Wee may both congratulate the justice of God, and yet condole the misery of that person, upon whom that judgement is justly fallen: for, though Inimicus vester, the enemy that malignes the State, and Inimicus Dei, the ene­my that opposes our religion, be not so far within this text, as that we are bound to feed them, or to doe them good; yet there are scarce any enemies, with whom wee may not live peaceably, and to whom we may not wish charitably.

We have done with all, Ciba. which was intended and proposed of the person; we come to the duty expressed in this text, Ciba, feed him, and give him drinke. Here, there might be use in noting the largenesse, the fulnesse, the abundance of the Gospell, above the law: Not onely in that the blessings of God are presented in the Old Testament, in the name of Milke and Hony, and Oyle, and Wine, (all temporall things) and in the New Testa­ment, in the name of Joy, and Glory, (things, in a manner spirituall,) But that also, in the Old Testament, the best things are limited, and measured unto them; a Gomer of Manna, and no more, Mat. 25.21. Heb. 12.2. Iohn 15.11. Iohn 16.21. for the best man, whereas for the joy of the Gospell, we shall enter In Gan­dium Domini, Into our Masters Ioy, and be made partakers with Christ Jesus, of that Ioy, for which he endured the Crosse; And here, in this world, Gaudium meum erit, saies Christ, My Ioy shall be in you; in what measure? Implebitar, saies he, Your Ioy shall be full; How long? for ever; Nemo tollet, your Ioy shall no man take from you. And such as the Joy is, such is the glory too: Eph. 1.18. 2 Cor. 4.17. 1 Pet. 5.4. How precious? Divitiae Gloria, The Riches of the Glory of his Inhe­ritance; How much? Pondus gloriae, A waight of glory; How long? Immarcescibilis Corona, A crowne of Glory, that never fadeth: We might, I say, take occasion of making this com­parison, betweene the Old, and the New Testament, out of this Text, because this charity, enjoyned here, in this text, to our enemy, in that place, from whence this text is taken, in the Proverbs, is but Lachem, and Maiim, Bread, and Water; But here, in S. Paul, it is in words of better signification, feed him, give him drinke. But indeed, the words, at the narrowest, (as it is but bread and water) signifie whatsoever is necessary for the reliefe of him, that stands in need. And if we be enjoyn'd so much to our enemy, how inexcu­sable are those Datores cyminibiles (as the Canonists call them) that give Mint, and Cum­min for almes, a roote that their Hogs will not, a broth that their Dogs will not eate. Re­member in thy charity, the times, and the proportions of thy Saviour; After his Death, in the wound in his side, he poured out water, and bloud, which represented both Sa­craments, and so was a bountifull Dole: provide in thy life, to doe good after thy death, and it shall be welcome, even in the eyes of God, then: But remember too, that this dole at his death, was not the first almes that he gave; his water was his white mony, and his blood was his gold, and he poured out both together in his agony, and several­ly in his weeping, and being scourged for thee. What proportion of reliefe is due to him, that is thy brother in Nature, thy brother in Nation, thy brother in Religion, if meate and drinke, and in that, whatsoever is necessary to his sustentation, bee due to thine enemy?

But all this bountifull charity, Si esurierit. is Si esurierit, si sitit, If he be hungry, if he be thirsty. To the King, who beares the care and the charge of the publique, wee are bound to give, Antequam esuriat, Antequam sitias, before he be overtaken with dangerous, and disho­norable, and lesse remediable necessities: not onely substantiall wants, upon which our safety depends, but circumstantiall and ceremoniall wants, upon which his Dignity, and Majesty depends, are alwaies to bee, not onely supplied, but prevented. But our enemy must be in hunger, and thirst, that is, reduced to the state, as hee may not become our [Page 101]enemy againe, by that which we give, before wee are bound, by this text, to give any thing. No doubt but the Church of Rome hungers still for the money of this land, upon which they fed so luxuriantly heretofore: and no doubt but those men, whom they shall at any time animate, will thirst for the blood of this land, which they have sought before; but this is not the hunger, and the thirst of the enemy, which we must feed: The Commandement goes not so far, as to feed that enemy, that may thereby be a more powerfull enemy; But yet, thus far, truly, it does goe, deny no office of civility, of peace, of commerce, of charity to any, onely therefore, because hee hath beene heretofore an enemy.

There remaines nothing of those two branches, which constitute our first part, 2. Part. the person, that is, an en [...] reduced to a better disposition; and the duty, that is, to relieve him, with things necessary for that state: And for the second part, we must stop upon those steps laid downe at first, of which the first was, That God takes nothing for no­thing, he gives a Reward. When God tooke that great proportion of Sheep and Oxen out of his subjects goods in the State of Israel, for Sacrifice, that proportion, which would have kept divers Kings houses, and would have victualed divers navies, perchance no man could say, I have this, or this benefit, for this, or this Sacrifice; but yet could any man say, God hath taken a Sacrifice for nothing? Where we have Peace, and Ju­stice, and Protection, can any man say, he gives any thing for nothing? When God saies, If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, that's not intended, which Tertullian saies, Psal. 50.12. Scriptum est, Deus non esuriet nec sitiet, It is written, God shall neither hunger nor thirst, (for, first, Tertullians memory failed him, there is no such sentence in all the Scripture, as he cites there; And then God does hunger and thirst, in this sense, in the members of his mysticall body,) neither is that onely intended in that place of the Psalme (though Cassiodore take it so) That if God in his poore Saints, were hungry, he could provide them, without telling thee; but it is, If I were hungry, I need not tell thee; for, Psal. 24.1. The earth is the Lords, and the fulnesse thereof, and they that dwell therein. God does not alwaies binde himselfe to declare his hunger, his thirst, his pressing occasions, to use the goods of his subjects, but as the Lord gives, so the Lord takes, where and when he will: But yet, as God transfuses a measure of this Right and power of taking, into them, of whom he hath said, you are Gods, so he transfuses this goodnesse too, which is in himselfe, that he takes nothing for nothing; He promises here a reward, and a reward arising from the enemy, which puts a greater encouragement upon us, to doe it; Super caput ejus, In so doing, thou shalt heape coales of fire on his head.

God is the Lord of Hosts, and in this Text, Ex Inimicis. he makes the seate of the warre in the enemies Country, and enriches his servants Ex manubiis, out of the spoyle of the enemy; In caput ejus, It shall fall upon his head. Though all men that go to the war, goe not upon those just reasons deliberated before in themselves, which are [...] defence of a just cause, the obedience to a lawfull Commandment, yet of those that do goe without those con­scientiense deliberations, none goes therefore, because he may have roome in an Hospi­tall, or reliefe by a pension, when he comes home lame, but because he may get some­thing, by going into a fat country, and against a rich enemy; Though honour may seeme to feed upon blowes, and dangers, men goe cheerefully against an enemy, from whom something is to be got; for, profit is a good salve to knocks, a good Cere-cloth to bruises, and a good Balsamum to wounds. God therefore here raises the reward out of the enemy, feed him, and thou shalt gaine by it. But yet the profit that God promises by the enemy here, is rather that we shall gaine a soule, then any temporall gaine; rather that we shall make that enemy a better man, then that we shall make him a weaker ene­my: God respects his spirituall good, as we shall see in that phrase, which is our last branch, Congeres carbones, Thou shalt heape coales of fire upon his head.

It is true that S. Chrysostome (and not he alone) takes this phrase to imply a Revenge: Carbones. that Gods judgements shall be the more vehement upon such ungratefull persons, Et ter­rebuntur beneficiis, the good turnes that thou hast done to them, shall be a scourge and a terror to their consciences. This sense is not inconvenient; but it is too narrow: The Holy Ghost hath taken so large a Metaphor, as implyes more then that. It implyes the divers offices, and effects of fire; all this; That if he have any gold, any pure metall in him, this fire of this kindnesse will purge out the drosse, & there is a friend made. If he be nothing but straw and stubble, combustible still, still ready to take fire against thee, [Page 102]this fire which Gods breath shall blow, will consume him, and burn him out, and there is an enemy marred: If he have any tendernesse any way, this fire will mollifie him to­wards thee; Nimis durus animus, sayes S. Augustine, he is a very hard hearted man, Qui si ultro dilectionem non vult impendere, etiam nolit rependere, Who, though he will not re­quite thy love, yet will not acknowledge it. If he be waxe, he melts with this fire; and if he be clay, he hardens with it, and then thou wilt arme thy selfe against that pellet. Thus much good, Origen. God intends to the enemy, in this phrase, that it is pia vindicta si resi­piscant, we have taken a blessed revenge upon our enemies, if our charitable applying of our selves to them, may bring them to apply themselves to God, and to glorifie him: si benefaciendo cicuremus, sayes S. Hierome, if we can tame a wilde beast by sitting up with him, and reduce an enemy by offices of friendship, it is well. [...] much good God in­tends him in this phrase, and so much good he intends us, that, si non incendant, if these coales do not purge him, Aben Ezra. Levi Gherson. si non injiciant pudorem, if they do not kindle a shame in him, to have offended one that hath deserved so well, yet this fire gives thee light to see him clearely, and to run away from him, and to assure thee, that he, whom so many bene­fits cannot reconcile, is irreconcileable.

SERMON XI. Preached upon Candlemas day.

IN these words, Divisio. and by occasion of them, we shall present to you these two generall considerations; first upon what occasion Christ did that which he did, and then what it was that he did. And in the first, we shall see first some occasions that were remote, but yet conduce to the Miracle it selfe; some circumstances of time, and place, and some such dispositions, and then the more immediate occasion, the disposition of those persons who presented this sick man to Christ; and there we shall see first, that Faith was the occasion of all, for without faith it is impossible to please God, and without pleasing of God, it is impossible to have remission of sins. It was fides, and fides illorum, their faith, all their faith; for, though in the faith of others there be an assistance, yet without a personall faith in himselfe, no man of ripe age comes so far, as to the forgivenesse of sins; And then, this faith of them all, was fides visa, a faith that was seen; Christ saw their faith, and he saw it as man, it was a faith expressed, and declared in actions: And yet, when all was done, it is but cum vidit, it is not quia vidit, Christ did it When he saw, not Because he saw their faith, that was not the principle and primary cause of his mercy, for the mercy of God is all, and above all; it is the effect and it is the cause too, there is no cause of his mercy, but his mercy. And when we come in the second part, to consider what in his mercy he did, we shall see first, that he establishes him, and comforts him with a gracious acceptation, with that gracious appellation, Fili, Son: He doth not disavow him, he doth not disin­herite him; and then, he doth not wound him, whom God had striken; he doth not flea him, whom God had scourged; he doth not salt him, whom God had flead; he doth not adde affliction to affliction, he doth not shake, but settle that faith which he had with more, Confide fili, My son be of good cheare; and then he seales all with that assurance, Dimittuntur peccata, Thy sins are forgiven thee; In which, first he catechises this patient, and gives him all these lessons, first that he gives before we ask, for he that was brought, they who brought him had asked nothing in his behalfe, when Christ unasked, enlarged himself towards them, Dat prius, God gives before we ask, that is first; And then Dat meliora, God gives better things then we ask, All that all they meant to ask, was but bo­dily [Page 103]health, and Christ gave him spirituall; and the third lesson was, that sin was the cause of bodily sicknesse, and that therefore he ought to have sought his spirituall reco­very before his bodily health: and then, after he had thus rectified him, by this Cate­chisme, implyed in those few words, Thy sins are forgiven thee, he takes occasion by this act, to rectifie the by-standers too, which were the Pharisees, who did not beleeve Christ to be God: For, for proofe of that, first he takes knowledge of their inward thoughts, not expressed by any act or word, which none but God could doe; And then he restores the patient to bodily health, onely by his word, without any naturall meanes applyed, which none but God could doe neither. And into fewer particulars then these, this preg­nant and abundant Text is not easily contracted.

First then to begin with the Branches of the first part, of which the first was, 1 Part. to consi­der some, somewhat more remote circumstances, and occasions conducing to this mi­racle, we cannot avoid the making of some use of the Time, when it was done: It was done, when Christ had dispossessed those two men of furious, and raging Devils, amongst the Gergesens; at what time, Mar. 8. ult. because Christ had been an occasion of drowning their heard of swine, the whole City came out to meet him, but not with a thankfull reve­rence, and acclamation, but their procession was, to beseech him to depart out of their coasts: They had rather have had their Legion of Devils still, then have lost their hogs; and since Christs presence was an occasion of impairing their temporall substance, they were glad to be rid of him.

We need not put on spectacles to search Maps for this Land of the Gergesens; God knows we dwell in it; Non quaerimus Iesum propter Iesum, (which was a Propheticall com­plaint by S. August.) we love the profession of Christ only so far, as that profession condu­ces to our temporall ends. We seek him not at the Crosse; there most of his friends left him; but we are content to embrace him, where the Kings of the East bring him presents of Gold, and Myrrh, and Frankincense, that we may participate of those: we seek him not in the hundred and thirtieth Psalme, where, though there be plenty, yet it is but copiosa re­demtio, plentifull redemption, plenty of that that comes not yet; but in the twenty fourth Psalm we are glad to meet him, where he proclaims Domini terra, & plenitudo ejus, The earth is the Lords, and the fulnesse thereof, that our portion therein may be plenteous: We care not for him in S. Peters Hospital, where he excuses himselfe, Aurum & argentum non habeo, Silver and gold have I none; but in the Prophet Haggais Exchequer we doe, where he makes that claime, Aurum meum, All the gold and all the silver is mine. Scarce any Son is Protestant enough, to stand out a rebuke of his Father, or any Servant of his Ma­ster, or any Officer of his Prince, if that Father, or Master, or Prince would be, or would have him be a Papist; But, as though the different formes of Religion, were but the fa­shions of the garment, and not the stuffe, we put on, and we put off Religion, as we would doe a Livery, to testifie our respect to him, whom we serve, and (miserable Gergesens) had rather take in that Devill againe, of which we have been dispossessed three or four­score yeares since, then lose another hogge, in departing with any part of our pleasures or profits; Non quaerimus Iesum propter Iesum, we professe not Jesus, for his, but for our owne sakes.

But we passe from the circumstance of the time, to a second, that though Christ thus de­spised by the Gergesens, did, in his Justice, depart from them; yet, as the Sea gaines in one place, what it loses in another, his abundant mercy builds up more in Capernaum, then his Justice throwes downe amongst the Gergesens: Because they drave him away, in Judgement he went from them, but in Mercy he went to the others, who had not in­treated him to come.

Apply this also; And, wretched Gergesen, if thou have intreated Christ to goe from thee, for losse of thy hogges, that when thou hast found the Preaching of Christ, or the sting of thy conscience whet thereby, to hinder thee in growing rich so hastily as thou wouldst, or trouble thee, in following thy pleasures so fully as thou wouldst, thou hast made shift to devest, and put off Christ, and seare up thy conscience, yet Chirst comes into his Capernaum now, that sent not for him; he comes into thy soule now, who ca­mest not hither to meet him, but to celebrate the day, by this ordinary, and fashionall meeting; to thee he comes, as into Capernaum, to preach his owne Gospell, and to work his miracles upon thee. And it is a high mercy in Christ, that he will thus sur­prize thy soule, that he will thus way-lay thy conscience, that what collaterall respect [Page 104]soever brought thee hither, yet when he hath thee here, he will make thee see that thou art in his house, and he will speake to thee, and he will be heard by thee, and he will be answered from thee; and though thou thoughtest not of him, when thou camest hither, yet he will send thee away, full of the love of him, full of comforts from him.

But we passe also from this, Mat 9.1. to a third circumstance, that when he came to Capernaum, he is said to have come into his own City; not Nazareth, where he was borne, but Caper­naum where he dwelt, and preached, is called his own City. Thou art not a Christian, be­cause thou wast borne in a Christian Kingdome, and borne within the Covenant, and borne of Christian Parents, but because thou hast dwelt in the Christian Church, and performed the duties presented to thee there.

Againe, Capernaum was his owne City, but yet Christ went forth of Capernaum, to ma­ny other places. I take the application of this, from you, to our selves; Christ fixes no man by his example so to one Church, as that no occasion may make his absence from thence excusable. But yet when Christ did goe from Capernaum, he went to doe his Fathers will, and that, which he was sent for. Nothing but preaching the Gospell, and edifying Gods Church, is an excuse for such an absence; for, Vaesi non Euangelizaverit, if he neither preach at Capernaum, nor to the Gergesens, neither at home, nor abroad, woe be unto him: If I be at home, but to take my tithes; If I be abroad, but to take the aire, woe be unto me.

But we must not stop long upon these circumstances; we end all of this kinde, in this one, that when Christ had undertaken that great work of the Conversion of the world, by the Word, and Sacraments, to shew that the word was at that time the more power­full meanes of those two, (for Sacraments were instituted by Christ, as subsidiary things, in a great part, for our infirmity, who stand in need of such visible and sensible assistances) Christ preached the Christian Doctrine, long before he instituted the Sacraments; But yet, though these two permanent Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Supper were not so soon instituted, Christ alwayes descended so much to mans infirmity, as to accompany the preaching of the Word, with certain transitory, and occasionall Sacraments; for mira­cles are transitory and occasionall Sacraments, as they are visible signes of invisible grace, though not seales thereof; Christs purpose in every miracle was, that by that work, they should see Grace to be offered unto them. Now this history, from whence this Text is taken, begins, and ends with the principall meanes, with preaching; for, as S. Mark relates it, Mark 2.2. he was in the act of preaching, when this cure was done; And in S. Matthew, Mat. 9.35. after all was done, he went about the Cities, and Villages, preaching the Gospell of the Kingdome: And then betweene, S. Matthew here, records five of his transitory and occasionall Sacraments, five miracles, of which every one, well conside­red, (as the petitions of Abraham did upon God) may justly be thought to have gained more and more, upon his Auditory.

First, this paralytique man in our Text, who is Sarcinasibi, over-loaded with himself, he cannot stand under his own burden, he is cadaver animatum; It is true, he hath a soule, but a soule in a sack, it hath no Lims, no Organs to move, this Paralytique, this living dead man, this dead and buryed man, buryed in himselfe, is instantly cured, and reco­vered. But the Palsie was a sudden sicknesse; what could he doe, upon an inveterate dis­ease? He cured the woman that had had the bloudy issue twelve yeares, V. 20. by onely tou­ching the hem of his garment. After, he extends his miraculous power to two at once, he cures two blinde men. V. 27. But all these, though not by such meanes meerely, yet in na­ture, and in art might be possible, Palsies, and Issues, and Blindnesses have been cured: but he went farther then ever art pretended to goe; V. 24. He raised the Rulers Daughter to life, then when he was laughed to scorne, for going about to doe it. And lastly to shew his Power, as over sicknesse, and over death, so over hell it selfe, he cast out the Devill out of the dumb man, in some such extraordinary manner, as that the multitude marvai­led, V. 33. and said, It was never so seene in Israel. This then was his way, and this must be ours, and it must be your way too. Christ preached, and he wrought great works, and he preached againe; It is not enough in us to preach, and in you to heare, except both doe and practice, that which is said, and heard; Neither may we, though we have done all this, give over, for every day produces new tentations, and therefore needs new assi­stances. And so we passe from these more remote, to that which is our second Branch [Page 105]of this first part, the immediate occasion of Christs doing this miracle, When Iesus saw their faith.

Here then, the occasion of all that ensued, was faith; for, without faith, Fides. Heb. 11.6. it is impossible to please God; Where you may be pleased to admit some use of this note, (for it is not a meere Grammaticall curiosity to note it) that it is not said in those words of S. Paul, It is impossible to please God, or impossible to please him, (which is with relation to God, as our Translation hath it,) but it is meerely, simply, onely, impossible to please, and no more, impossible to please any worth pleasing; but if we take away our faith in God, God will take away the protection of Angels, the favour of Princes, the obedience of children, the respect of servants, the assistance of friends, the society of neighbours; God shall make us unpleasing to all; without faith it is impossible to please any, but such, as we shall repent to have made our selves pleasing companions unto. When our Savi­our Christ perfected the Apostles Commission, and set his last seale to it, after his Resur­rection, he never modifies, never mollifies their instructions, with any milder phrase then this, He that beleeveth not, shall be damned. It is not, that he shall be in danger of a Councell; Mark 16.16. no, nor in danger of hell fire: It is not, that it were better a Mill-stone were tyed about his neck, and he cast into the Sea: It is not, that it will goe hard with him at the last day: It is not, that it shall be easier to Tyre, and Sidon, then to him; For he is not bound to beleeve, but that Tyre, and Sidon, and he too, may doe well enough: Here is no modification, no mollification, no reservation; roundly, and irrevocably, Christ Jesus himselfe, after his Resurrection, sayes, Qui non crediderit, he that beleeveth not, shall be damned.

If the Judge must come to a sentence of condemnation, upon any person of great qua­lity in the Kingdome, that Judge must not say, Your Lordship must passe out of this world, nor, your Lordship must be beheaded; but he must tell them plainly, You must be carryed to the place of execution and there hanged. Christ Jesus hath given us the Commission and the sentence there; Goe into all the world, preach the Gospell to every crea­ture; And then, the sentence followes upon those that will not receive it, He that belee­veth not, shall be damned. These men then, who prevailed so farre upon Christ, brought faith; though not an explicite faith of all those articles, which we, who from the be­ginning have been Catechized in all those points, are bound to have, yet a constant assurance that Christ could, and that he would relieve this distressed person, in which assurance, there was enwrapped an implicite faith even of the Messias, that could remove all occasions of sicknesse, even sin it selfe.

There was faith in the case; but in whom? Whose faith was it, Illorum. that Christ had re­spect to? To whom hath that Illorum in the Text, their faith, reference? There can be no question, but that it hath reference to those foure friends, that brought this sick man in his bed, to Christ: For, else it could not have been spoken in the plurall, and called their faith. And certainly S. Ambrose does not inconveniently make that particular an argument of Gods greatnesse and goodnesse, of his magnificence, and munificence, Mag­nus Dominus, qui aliorum meritis, aliis ignostit; This is the large and plentifull mercy of God, that for one mans sake, he forgives another. This Ioash acknowledged in the per­son of Elisha; when Elisha was sick, the King came downe to him, and wept over his face, 2 Reg. 13.14. and said, O my Father, my Father, the Chariot of Israel, and the horse men thereof. Here were all the forces of Israel mustred upon one sick bed, the whole strength of Israel con­sisted in the goodnesse of that one man. The Angel said to Paul, when they were in an evident and imminent danger of shipwrack, Act. 27.24. God hath given thee all them that sayle with thee; He spared them, not for their owne sakes, but for Pauls. God gave those passen­gers to Paul so, as he had given Paul himselfe before to Stephen; Si Stephanus non sic oras­set, Paulum hodiè Ecclesia non haberet, sayes S. Augustine; If Paul had not been enwrap­ped in those prayers, which Stephen made for his persecutors, the Church had lost the benefit of all Pauls labours; and if God had not given Paul the lives of all those passen­gers in that Ship, they had all perished. For the righteousnesse of a few, (if those few could have been found) God would have spared the whole City of Sodome: Gen. 18. And when Gods fury was kindled upon the Cities of that Country, God remembred Abraham, Gen. 19.29. sayes that story, and he delivered Lot: And when he delivered Jerusalem from Senna­cherib, he takes his servant David by the hand, he puts his servant David into Com­mission with himselfe, and he sayes, I will defend this City, and save it, for mine own sake, 2 Reg. 19.34. [Page 106] and for my servant Davids sake. Quantus murus Patriae vir justus, is a holy exclamation of S. Ambrose, What a Wall to any Towne, what a Sea to any Iland, what a Navy to any Sea, what an Admirall to any Navy, is a good man! Apply thy selfe therefore, and make thy conversation with good men, and get their love, and that shall be an armour of proofe to thee.

When Saint Augustines Mother lamented the ill courses that her sonne tooke in his youth, still that Priest, to whom she imparted her sorrowes, said, Filius istarum la­crymarum, non potest perire; That Son, for whom so good a Mother hath shed so many teares, cannot perish: He put it not upon that issue, filius Dci, the elect child of God, the son of predestination cannot perish, for at that time, that name was either no name, or would scarce have seemed to have belonged to S. Augustine, but the child of these teares, of this devotion cannot be lost. Mat. 8.13. Christ said to the Centurion, fiat sicut credidisti, Goe thy way, and as thou beleevest, so be it done unto thee, and his servant was healed in the selfe-same houre: The master beleeved, and the servant was healed. Little knowest thou, what thou hast received at Gods hands, by the prayers of the Saints in heaven, that enwrap thee in their generall prayers for the Militant Church. Little knowest thou, what the publique prayers of the Congregation, what the private prayers of particular devout friends, that lament thy carelesnesse, and negligence in praying for thy selfe, have wrung and extorted out of Gods hands, in their charitable importunity for thee. And therfore, at last, make thy selfe fit to doe for others, that which others, when thou wast unfit to doe thy selfe that office, have done for thee, in assisting thee with their prayers. If thou meet thine enemies Oxe, Exod. 23 4, 5. or Asse going astray, (sayes the Law) thou shalt surely bring it back to him again: If thou see the Asse of him that hateth thee, lying under his burden, and wouldest forbeare to help him, thou shalt surely help him. Estnè Deo cura de Bobus, is the Apostles question, Hath God care of Oxen? of other mens Oxen? How much more of his owne Sheep? And therefore if thon see one of his Sheep, one of thy fellow Christians, strayed into sins of infirmity, and negligent of himselfe, joyne him with thine owne soule, in thy prayers to God. Relieve him, (if that be that which he needs) with thy prayers for him, and re­lieve him, (if his wants be of another kinde) according to his prayers to thee. Cur apud te homo Collega non valeat, sayes S. Ambrose, why should not he that is thy Colleague, thy fellow-man, as good a man, that is as much a man as thou, made of the same bloud, and redeemed with the same bloud as thou art, why should not he prevaile with thee, so farre as to the obtaining of an almes, Cum apud Deum, servus, & interveniendi meritum, & jus habe at impetrandi, when some fellow-servant of thine, hath had that interest in God, as by his intercession, and prayers to advance thy salvation? wilt not thou save the life of another man that prayes to thee, when perchance thy soule hath been saved by another man, that prayed for thee?

Well then; Ejus. Christ had respect to their faith, that brought this sick man to him. Con­suetudo est miserecordis Dei, It is Gods ordinary way, (sayes S. Chysost.) hunc honorem dare servis suis, ut propter eos salventur & alii, to afford this honour to his servants, that for their sakes he saves others. But neither this which we say now out of S. Crhysostome, nor that which we said before out of S. Ambrose, nor all that we might multiply out of the other Fathers, doth exclude the faith of that particular man, who is to be saved. It is true, that in this particular case, S. Hierome sayes, Non vidit fidem ejus qui offer ebatur, sed corum qui offerebant, That Christ did not respect his faith that was brought, but onely theirs that brought him; but except S. Hierome be to be understood so, that Christ did not first re­spect his faith, but theirs, we must depart from him, to S. Chrysostome, Ne (que) enim se porta­ri sustinuisset, He would neither have put himselfe, nor them, to so many difficulties, as he did, if he had not had a faith, that is, a constant assurance in this meanes of his recovery. And therefore the Rule may be best given thus; That God gives worldly blessings, bo­dily health, deliverance from dangers, and the like, to some men, in contemplation of others, though themselves never thought of it, all the examples which we have touched upon, convince abundantly.

That God gives spirituall blessings to Infants, presented according to his Ordinance, in Baptisme, in Contemplation of the faith of their Parents, or of the Church, or of their sureties, without any actuall faith in the Infant, is probable enough, credible enough. But take it as our case is, de adultis, in a man who is come to the use of his own reason, and discretion, so God never saves any man, for the faith of another, otherwise then thus, [Page 107]that the faithfull man may pray for the conversion of an unfaithfull, who does not know, nor, if he did, would be content to be prayed for, and God, for his sake that prayes, may be pleased to work upon the other; but before that man comes to the Dimittuntur pec­cata, that his sinnes are forgiven, that man comes to have faith in himselfe. Iustus in fide sua vivit; there is no life without faith, nor In fide aliena, Habak. 2.4. no such life as constitutes Righteousnesse, without a personall faith of our owne. So that this fides illorum, in our Text, this that is called their faith, hath reference to the sick man himselfe, as well as to them that brought him.

And then, in Him, and in Them, it was fides visa, faith, which, by an ouvert act, Visae. was declared, and made evident. For, Christ, who was now to convay into that company the knowledge that he was the Messias, which Messias was to be God, and Man, as af­terwards for their conviction, who would not beleeve him to be God, he shewed that he knew their inward thoughts, and did some other things, which none but God could doe; so here, for the better edification of men, he required such a faith, as might be evi­dent to men. For, though Christ could have seene their faith, by looking into their hearts, yet to think, that here he saw it by that power of his Divinity, nimis coactum videtur, It is too narrow, and too forced an interpretation of the place, sayes Calvin. They then, that is, all they declared their faith, their assurance, that Christ could, and would help him. It was good evidence of a strength of faith in him, that in a disease, very little ca­pable of cure, then when he had so farre resolved, and slackned his sinewes, that he could endure no posture but his bed, he suffered himselfe to be put to so many incommodities. It was good evidence of a strength of faith in them, that they could beleeve that Christ would not reject them for that importunity of troubling him, and the congregation, in the midst of a Sermon; That when they saw, that they who came onely to heare, could not get neare the doore, they should thinke to get in, with that load, that offensive spe­ctacle; That they should ever conceive, or goe about to execute, or be suffered to exe­cute such a plot, as without the leave of Christ, (if Christ preached this Sermon in his owne house, as some take it to have been done) or without the Masters leave, in whose house soever it was, they should first untile or open, and then break through the floore, and so let downe, their miserable burden: That they should have an apprehension, that it was not fit for them to stay, till the Sermon were done, and the company parted, but that it was likeliest to conduce to the glory of God, that Preaching, and working might goe together, this was evidence, this was argument of strength of faith in them. Take therefore their example, not to defer that assistance, which thou art able to give to ano­ther. Ne dic as assistam cr as, sayes S. Gregory, doe not say, I will help thee to morrow; Ne quid inter propositum, & beneficium intercedat; Perchance that poore soule may not need thee to morrow, perchance thou maist have nothing to give to morrow, perchance there shall be no such day, as to morrow, and so thou hast lost that opportunity of thy chari­ty, which God offered thee, to day: Vnica beneficentia est, quae moram non admittit, onely that is charity, that is given presently.

But yet, when all was done, when there was faith, and faith in them all, Cum, non quiae. and faith de­clared in their outward works, yet Christ is not said to have done this miracle, quia sides, but cum fides, not Because he saw, but onely When he saw their faith. Let us transferre none of that, which belongs to God, to our selves: when we doe our duties, (but when doe we goe about to begin to doe any part of any of them?) we are unprofitable ser­vants: When God does work in us, are we saved by that work, as by the cause, when there is another cause of the work it selfe? When the ground brings forth good corne, yet that ground becomes not fit for our food: When a man hath brought forth good fruits, yet that man is not thereby made worthy of heaven. Not faith it selfe (and yet faith is of somewhat a deeper dye, and tincture, then any works) is any such cause of our salvation. A beggars beleeving that I will give him an almes, is no cause of my chari­ty: My beleeving that Christ will have mercy upon me, is no cause of Christs mercy; for what proportion hath my temporary faith, with my everlasting salvation? But yet, though it work not as a cause, though it be not qui a vidit, because he saw it, yet cum vi­det, when Christ findes this faith, according to that gracious Covenant, and Contract which he hath made with us, that wheresoever, and whensoever he findes faith, he will enlarge his mercy, finding that in this patient, he expressed his mercy, in that which constitutes our second part, Fili confide, my son be of good cheare, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Where we see first, 2 Part. our Saviour. Christ opening the bowels of compassion to him, and receiving him so, as if he had issued out of his bowels, and from his loynes, in that gra­cious appellation, Fili, my Son. He does not call him brother; for greater enmity can be no where, then is often expressed to have beene betweene brethren; for in that degree, and distance, enmity amongst men began in Cain, and Abel, and was pursued in many paires of brethren after, in Sacred and in secular story. Hee does not call him friend; that name, even in Christs owne mouth, is not alwaies accompanied with good enter­tainment: Amice, Mat. 22.12. quomodo intrasti, saies he, Friend, how came you in? and he bound him hand and foote, and cast him into outer darknesse. He does not call him son of Abraham, which might give him an interest in all the promises, but he gives him a present Adop­tion, and so a present fruition of all, Fili, my Son. His Son, and not his Son in law; he loads him not with the encumbrances, and halfe-impossibilities of the Law, but he seales to him the whole Gospell, in the remission of sinnes. His Son, and not his dis-inherited son, as the Jewes were, but his Son, upon whom he setled his ancient Inheritance, his eternall election, and his new purchase, which he came now into the world to make with his blood. His Son, and not his prodigall son, to whom Christ imputes no wastful­nesse of his former graces, but gives him a generall release, and Quietus est, in the for­givenesse of sinnes. All that Christ asks of his Sons, is, Fili da mihi cor, My Son give me thy heart; and till God give us that, we cannot give it him; and therefore in this Son he creates a new heart, he infuses a new courage, he establishes a new confidence, in the next word, Fili confide, My Son be of good cheere.

Christ then does not stay so long wrastling with this mans faith, Confide. and shaking it, and trying whether it were fast rooted, as he did with that Woman in the Gospell, who came after him, Mat. 15.22. in her daughters behalfe, crying, Have mercy upon me O Lord, thou Son of David, for Christ gave not that woman one word; when her importunity made his Disciples speake to him, he said no more, but that he was not sent to such as she; This was far, very far from a Confide filia, Daughter be of good cheere: But yet, this put her not oft, but (as it followes) She followed, and worshipped him, and said, O Lord helpe me: And all this prevailed no farther with him, but to give such an answer, as was more dis­comfortable, then a silence, It is not fit to take the childrens bread, and cast it unto dogs. She denies not that, she contradicts him not; she saies, Truth Lord, It is not fit to take the childrens bread, and to cast it unto dogs, and Truth Lord, I am one of those dogs; but yet she persevers in her holy importunity, and in her good ill-manners, and saies, Yet the Dogs eate of the crums which fall from the Masters table: And then, and not till then comes Jesus to that, O Woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt; and her Daugh­ter was healed. But all this, at last, was but a bodily restitution, here was no Dimittuntur peccata in the case, no declaration of forgivenesse of sinnes: But with this man in our Text, Christ goes farther, and comes sooner to an end; He exercises him with no dis­putation, he leaves no roome for any diffidence, but at first word establishes him, and then builds upon him. Now beloved, which way soever of these two God have taken with thee, whether the longer, or the shorter way, blesse thou the Lord, praise him, and magnifie him for that. If God have setled and strengthned thy faith early, early in thy youth heretofore, early at the beginning of a Sermon now, A day is as a thousand yeares with God, a minute is as sixe thousand yeares with God, that which God hath not done upon the Nations, upon the Gentiles, in six thousand yeares, never since the Creation, which is, to reduce them to the knowlege, and application of the Messias, Christ Jesus, that he hath done upon thee, in an instant. If he have carried thee about the longer way, if he have exposed thee to scruples, and perplexities, and stormes in thine understanding, or conscience, yet in the midst of the tempest, the soft ayre, that he is said to come in, shall breath into thee; in the midst of those clouds, his Son shall shine upon thee; In the midst of that flood he shall put out his Rainbow, his seale that thou shalt not drowne, his Sacrament of faire weather to come, and as it was to the Thiefe, thy Crosse shall be thine Altar, and thy Faith shall be thy Sacrifice. Whether he accomplish his worke-upon thee soone or late, he shall never leave thee all the way, without this Confide fili, a holy confidence, that thou art his, which shall carry thee to the Dimittuntur pecca­ta, to the peace of conscience, in the remission of sins.

In which two words, we noted unto you, that Christ hath instituted a Catechisme, an Instruction for this new Convertite, and adopted Son of his; in which, the first lesson [Page 109]that is therein implyed, is, Antequam rogetur, That God is more forward to give, Antequam rogetur. then man to aske: It is not said that the sick man, or his company in his behalfe, said any thing to Christ, but Christ speakes first to them. If God have touched thee here, didst thou aske that at his hands? Didst thou pray before thou camest hither, that he would touch thy heart here? perchance thou didst: But when thou wast brought to thy Baptisme, didst thou ask any thing at Gods hands then? But those that brought thee, that presented thee, did; They did in thy Baptisme; but at thine election, then when God writing downe the names of all the Elect, in the book of Life, how camest thou in? who brought thee in then? Didst thou aske any thing at Gods hands then, when thou thy selfe wast not at all?

Dat prius, that's the first lesson in this Catechisme, God gives before we aske, Meliora. and then Dat meliora rogatis, God gives better things, then we aske; They intended to aske but bodily health, and Christ gave spirituall, he gave Remission of sinnes. And what gain'd he by that? why, Beati quorum remissae iniquitates, Blessed are they, whose sinnes are forgiven. But what is Blessednesse? Any more then a consident expectation of a good state in the next world? Yes; Blessednesse includes all that can be asked or conceived in the next world, and in this too. Christ in his Sermon of blessednesse, saies first, Blessed are they, for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven; and after, Blessed are they, Mat. 5.3. & 5. for they shall in her it the earth; Againe, Blessed, for they shall obtaine mercy; and, Blessed for they shall be filled: Remission of sins is blessednesse, and as Godlinesse hath the promise of this world, and the next, so blessednesse hath the performance of both: He that hath peace in the remission of sinnes, is blessed already, and shall have those blessings infinitely multiplied in the world to come. The farthest that Christ goes in the expressing of the affections of a naturall Father here, is, That if his Son aske bread, he will not give him a stone; Luk. 11.12. and if he aske a Fish, he will not give him a Scorpion; He will not give him worse then he ask'd; But it is the peculiar bounty of this Father, who adopted this Sonne, to give more, and better, spirituall for temporall.

Another lesson, which Christ was pleased to propose to this new Convertite, Causa mor­borum. in this Catechisme, was, to informe him, That sins were the true causes of all bodily diseases. Diseases and bodily afflictions are sometimes inflicted by God Ad poenam, non ad purga­tionem, Not to purge or purifie the soule of that man, by that affliction, but to bring him by the rack to the gallowes, through temporary afflictions here, to everlasting torments hereafter; As Iudas his hanging, and Herods being eaten with wormes, Acts 12. was their entrance into that place, where they are yet. Sometimes diseases and afflictions are inflicted onely, or principally to manifest the glory of God, in the removing thereof; So Christ saies of that man, that was borne blinde, that neither he himselfe had sinned, John 5. nor bore the sinnes of his parents, but he was borne blinde to present an occasion of doing a mi­racle. Sometimes they are inflicted Ad humiliationem, for our future humiliation; So S. Paul saies of himselfe, That least he should be exalted above measure, 2 Cor. 12.7. by the abundance of Revelations, he had that Stimulum carnis, That vexation of the flesh, that messenger of Satan, to humble him. And then, sometimes they are inflicted for tryall, and farther de­claration of your conformity to Gods will, as upon Iob. But howsoever there be divers particular causes, for the diseases and afflictions of particular men, the first cause of death, and sicknesse, and all infirmities upon mankinde in generall, was sin; and it would not be hard for every particular man, almost, to finde it in his owne case too, to assigne his fever to such a surfet, or his consumption to such an intemperance. And therefore to breake that circle, in which we compasse, and immure, and imprison our selves, That as sinne begot diseases, so diseases begot more sinnes, impatience and murmuring at Gods cor­rections, Christ begins to shake this circle, in the right way to breake it, in the right linke, that is, first to remove the sin, which occasioned the disease; for, till that be done, a man is in no better case, then, (as the Prophet expresses it) If he should flie from a Lion, Amos 5.19. and a Beare met him, or if he should leane upon a wall, and a Serpent bit him. What ease were it, to be delivered of a palsie, of slack and dissolv'd sinews, and remaine under the tyranny of a lustfull heart, of licentious eyes, of slacke and dissolute speech and conversation? What ease to be delivered of the putrefaction of a wound in my body, and meet a murder in my conscience, done, or intended, or desired upon my neighbour? To be delivered of a fever in my spirits, and to have my spirit troubled with the guiltinesse of an adultery? To be delivered of Cramps, and Coliques, and Convulsions in my joynts and sinewes, and [Page 110]suffer in my soule all these, from my oppressions, and extortions, by which I have ground the face of the poore. It is but lost labour, and cost, to give a man a precious cordiall, when he hath a thorne in his foote, or an arrow in his flesh; for, as long as the sinne, which is the cause of the sicknesse, remaines, Deterius sequetur, A worse thing will follow; we may be rid of a Fever, and the Pestilence will follow, rid of the Cramp, and a Gout will follow, rid of sicknesse, and Death, eternall death will follow. That which our Saviour prescribes is, Noli peccare ampliùs, sinne no more; first, non ampliùs, sinne no more sins, take heed of gravid sins, of pregnant sinnes, of sins of concomitance, and con­catentation, that chaine and induce more sins after, as Davids idlenesse did adultery, and that murder, & the losse of the Lords Army, and Honor, in the blaspheming of his name, Noli ampliùs, sin no more, no such sin as induces more; And Noli ampliùs, sinne no more, that is, sin thy owne sin, thy beloved sin, no more times over; And still Noli ampliùs, sin not that sin which thou hast given over in thy practise, in thy memory, by a sinfull delight in remembring it; And againe, Noli ampliùs, sin not over thy former sins, by holding in thy possession; such things as were corruptly gotten, by any such former practises: for, Deterius sequetur, a worse thing will follow, A Tertian will be a Quartan, and a Quartan a Hectique, and a Hectique a Consumption, and a Consumption without a consum­mation, that shall never consume it selfe, nor consume thee to an unsensiblenesse of torment.

And then after these three lessons in this Catechisme, Sanitas spi­ritualis. That God gives before we aske, That he gives better then we aske, That he informes us in the true cause of sicknesse, sinne, He involves a tacit, nay he expresses an expresse rebuke, and increpation, and in beginning at the Dimittuntur peccata, at the forgivenesse of sinnes, tels him in his eare, that his spirituall health should have beene prefer'd before his bodily, and the cure of his soule before his Palsie; that first the Priest should have beene, and then the Physitian might bee consulted. That which Christ does to his new adopted Sonne here, the Wiseman saies to his Son, Ecclus. 38.9. My Son, in thy sicknesse be not negligent; But wherein is his diligence required, or to be expressed? in that, which followes, Pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole; But upon what conditions, or what preparations? Leave off from sin, order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wickednesse. Is this all? needs there no declaration, no testimony of this? Yes, Give a sweet savour, and a me­moriall of fine floure, and make a fat offering, as not beeing; that is, as though thou wert dead: Give, and give that which thou givest in thy life time, as not beeing. And when all this is piously, and religiously done, thou hast repented, restor'd, amended, and given to pious uses, Then, saies he there, give place to the Physitian, for the Lord hath created him. For if we proceed otherwise, if wee begin with the Physitian, Physick is a curse; He that sinneth before his Maker, V. 15. let him fall into the hands of the Physitian, saies the Wiseman there: It is not, Let him come into the hands of the Physitian, as though that were a curse, but let him fall, let him cast and throw himselfe into his hands, and rely upon naturall meanes, and leave out all consideration of his other, and worse disease, and the supernaturall Physick for that. 2. Chron. 16. Asa had had a great deliverance from God, when the Prophet Hanani asked him, Were not the Ethiopians, and the Lubins a huge Host? but be­cause after this deliverance, he relied upon the King of Syria, and not upon God, the Judgement is, From henceforth thou shalt have wars: That was a sicknesse upon the State, & then he fell sick in his own person, and in that sicknesse, saies that story, He sought not to the Lord, but to the Physitian, and then he dyed. To the Lord and then to the Physitian had beene the right way; If to the Physitian and then to the Lord, though this had beene out of the right way, yet hee might have returned to it: But it was to the Physitian, and not to the Lord, and then he died. Omnipotenti medico nullus languor insanabilis, saies S. Ambrose, there is but one Almighty; and none but the Almighty can cure all diseases, because hee onely can cure diseases in the roote, that is, in the forgivenesse of sins.

We are almost at an end; when we had thus Catechised his Convertite, thus rectified his patient, Scribae & Pharisci. hee turnes upon them, who beheld all this, and were scandaliz'd with his words, the Scribes and Pharisees; And because they were scandaliz'd onely in this, that he being but man, undertooke the office of God, to forgive sins, he declares himselfe to them, to be God. Christ would not leave, even malice it selfe unsatisfied; And therefore do not thou thinke thy selfe Christian enough, for having an innocence in thy selfe, but be content to descend to the infirmities, and to the very malice of other men, and to give [Page 111]the world satisfaction; Nec paratum habeas illud ètrivio, (sayes S. Hierome) do not arm thy self with that vulgar, and triviall saying, Sufficit mihi conscientia mea, nec curo quid lo­quantur homines, It suffices me, that mine own conscience is cleare, and I care not what all the world sayes; thou must care what the world sayes, and thinks; Christ himself had that respect even towards the Scribes, and Pharisees. For, first he declared himself to be God, in that he took knowledge of their thoughts; for they had said nothing, and he sayes to them, why reason you thus in your hearts? and they themselves did not, could not deny, but that those words of Solomon appertained only to God, 2 Chron. 6.30. Thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men, And those of Ieremy, The heart is deceitfull above all things, Jer. 17.9. and desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, and I try the reines. Let the Schoole dispute infinitely, (for he that will not content himself with means of salvation, till all Schoole points be reconciled, will come too late) let Scotus and his Heard think, That Angels, and separate soules have a naturall power to understand thoughts, though God for his particular glory restraine the exercise of that power in them, (as in the Romane Church, Priests have a power to forgive all sins, though the Pope restraine that power in reserved cases; And the Cardinals by their Creation, have a voice in the Consistory, but that the Pope for a certain time inhibites them to give voice) And let Aquinas present his arguments to the contrary, That those spirits have no naturall power to know thoughts; we seek no farther, but that Christ Jesus himselfe thought it argument enough to convince the Scribes and Pharisees, and prove himselfe God, by knowing their thoughts. Eadem Majestate & potentia, sayes S. Hierome, Since you see I proceed as God, in knowing your thoughts, why beleeve you not, that I may forgive his sins as God too?

And then, in the last act he joynes both together; he satisfies the patient, Dat sanita­tem. and he sa­tisfies the beholders too: he gives him his first desire, bodily health; He bids him take up his bed and walk, and he doth it; and he shewes them that he is God, by doing that, which (as it appears in the Story) was harder in their opinion, then remission of sins, which was, to cure and recover a diseased man, only by his word, without any naturall, or second means. And therefore since all the world shakes in a palsie of wars, and ru­mors of wars, since we are sure, that Christs Vicar in this case will come to his Dimit­mittuntur peccata, to send his Buls, and Indulgences, and Crociatars for the maintenance of his part, in that cause, let us also, who are to do the duties of private men, to obey and not to direct, by presenting our diseased and paralytique souls to Christ Jesus, now, when he in the Ministery of his unworthiest servant is preaching unto you, by untiling the house, by removing all disguises, and palliations of our former sins, by true confession, and hearty detestation, let us endeavour to bring him to his Dimittuntur peccata, to for­give us all those sins, which are the true causes of all our palsies, and slacknesses in his service; and so, without limiting him, or his great Vicegerents, and Lieutenants, the way, or the time to beg of him, that he will imprint in them, such counsels and such resoluti­ons, as his wisdome knows best to conduce to his glory, and the maintenance of his Gospell. Amen.

SERMON XII. Preached upon Candlemas day.

THe Church, which is the Daughter of God, and Spouse of Christ, cele­brates this day, the Purification of the blessed Virgin, the Mother of God: And she celebrates this day by the name, vulgarly, of Candlemas day. It is dies luminarium, the day of lights; The Church took the occasion of do­ing so, from the Gentiles; At this time of the yeare, about the beginning of February, they celebrated the feast of Februus, which is their Pluto; And, because that was the God of darknesse, they solemnized it, with a multiplicity of Lights. The Church of God, in the outward and ceremoniall part of his worship, did not disdain the ceremonies of the Gentiles; Men who are so severe, as to condemne, and to remove from the Church, whatsoever was in use amongst the Gentiles before, may, before they are aware, become Surveyors, and Controllers upon Christ himself, in the institution of his greatest seales: for Baptisme, which is the Sacrament of purification by washing in water, and the very Sacrament of the Supper it self, religious eating, and drinking in the Temple, were in use amongst the Gentiles too. It is a perverse way, rather to abolish Things and Names, (for vehement zeale will work upon Names as well as Things) be­cause they have been abused, then to reduce them to their right use. We dealt in the re­formation of Religion, as Christ did in the institution thereof; He found ceremonies a­mongst the Gentiles, and he took them in, not because he found them there, but because the Gentiles had received them from the Jews, as they had their washings, and their reli­gious meetings to eat and drink in the Temple, from the Jews Passeover. Christ borrow­ed nothing of the Gentiles, but he took his own where he found it: Those ceremonies, which himself had instituted in the first Church of the Jews, and the Gentiles had pur­loined, and prophaned, and corrupted after, he returned to a good use againe. And so did we in the Reformation, in some ceremonies which had been of use in the Primitive Church, and depraved and corrupted in the Romane. For the solemnizing of this Day, Candlemas-day, when the Church did admit Candles into the Church, as the Gentiles did, it was not upon the reason of the Gentiles, who worshipped therein the God of darknesse, Februus, Pluto; but because he who was the light of the world, was this day presented and brought into the Temple, the Church admitted lights. The Church would signifie, that as we are to walk in the light, so we are to receive our light from the Church, and to receive Christ, and our knowledge of him, so as Christ hath notified himself to us. So it is a day of purification to us, and a day of lights, and so our Text fits the Day, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

In these words we shall consider first, Divisie. Qui sint, who they are, that are brought into consideration, that are put into the balance, and they are mundi corde, such as are pure of heart; And secondly, Quid sint, what they come to be, and it is Beati, blessed are the pure in heart; And lastly, Vnde, from whence this blessednesse accrews and arises unto them, and in what it consists, and that is, Videbunt Deum, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Gen. 6.5. Ask me wherein these men differ from other men, and it is in this main diffe­rence, Mundi corde, that whereas every imagination of the thought of mans heart, is only evill continually, They are pure of heart. Ask me what they get by that, They get this main purchase, Beati, That which all the books of all the Philosophers could never teach them so much as what it was, that is true Blessednesse; That their pocket book, their Ma­nuall, their bosome book, their conscience, doth not only shew them, but give them, not only declare it to them, but possesse them of it. Ask me how long this Blessednesse shall [Page 113]last, because all those Blessednesses which Philosophers have imagined, as honour, and health, and profit, and pleasure, and the like, have evaporated and vanished away, this shall last for ever; Videbunt Deum, they shall see God, and they shall no more see an end of their seeing God, then an end of his being God: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

These then are our three parts; first the Price, mundities cordis, cleannesse, and clean­nesse of heart; Secondly, the Purchase, Beati, Blessednesse, and present possession of blessednesse, Blessed are they; And then thirdly, the Habendum, the term, Everlasting­nesse, because it consists in the enjoying of him who is everlasting, They shall see God. These arise out of the Text; but from whence arises the Text it selfe? The Text it self is a piece of a Sermon, of that blessed Sermon of our Saviours, which is called the Ser­mon of Beatitudes. So that we shall make it a part apart, to consider the Sermon from which this Text is taken, before we dilate the Text it self into a Sermon: for there will arise some usefull observations, out of these three doubts, first Quae concio, what this Ser­mon it self was; and then Quibus, to what Auditory it was preached; And lastly, Quo­modo, in what manner Christ preached this Sermon: And these three, the Sermon, the Auditory, the disposition of the Preacher, will also be three branches of this, which we shall make our first part, before we come to the other three of the Text it self.

First then, there is this doubt made of this Sermon altogether, 1 Part. whether this Sermon which S. Matthew records here, be the same Sermon which S. Luke mentions in his sixth Chapter, or whether they were preached at severall times; The greater part of the an­cients (but yet not all) take them to be severall Sermons; The greater part of the later men (and yet not all neither) take them to be but one and the same Sermon. If it be so, if both be but one Sermon, this may be justly considered, that since S. Luke remembers but a few passages, and a few parts of that Sermon, in respect of S. Matthew, (for S. Matthews relation is large and particular, and S. Lukes more briefe and summary) they that come to heare Sermons, and would make benefit by them, by a subsequent medi­tation, must not think themselves frustrated of their purposes, if they do not understand all, or not remember all the Sermon. Scarce any Sermon is so preached, or so intended, as that all works upon all, or all belongs unto all. The Lord and his Spirit puts into the Preachers mouth, a judgement against oppression, against extortion, against usury, and he utters that judgement. But perchance thou hast no lands to rack tenants, no office to grinde suitors, no mony to devoure a debtor by usury, and so that passage of the Sermon, bent against oppression, or extortion, or usury, concernes not thee, affects not thee. But next to thee there may sit an oppressor, or extortioner, or usurer, and he needed that, and by Gods grace receives benefit by that, which found nothing to work upon in thee. And then thy turn comes after, and God speaks to thy soul, in a discovery of those sins to which thou art enclined; and then he gives thy neighbour (who was pinched, and brought to a remorse before) that refreshing which thou hadst before, that is, a thank­full acknowledgement, that though he be subject to other sins, yet God hath preserved him from that particular.

God directs the tongue of his Ministers, as he doth his showres of rain: They fall up­on the face of a large compasse of earth, when as all that earth did not need that rain. The whole Congregation is, oftentimes, in common entendment, conformable, and well setled in all matters of Doctrine, and all matters of Discipline. And yet God directs us sometimes to extend our discourse (perchance with a zeale and a vehemence, which may seem unnecessary, and impertinent, because all in the Church are presumed to be of one minde) in the proofe of our doctrine against Papists, or of our discipline against Non­conformitans. For, Gods eye sees, in what seat there sits, or in what corner there stands some one man that wavers in matters of Doctrine, and enclines to hearken after a Sedu­cer, a Jesuit, or a Semi-Jesuit, a practising Papist, or a Sesqui-Jesuit, a Jesuited Lady; And Gods eye sees in what seat there sits, or in what corner there stands some weak soul that is scandalized, with some Ceremony, or part of our Discipline, and in danger of falling from the unity of the Church: And for the refreshing of that one span of ground, God lets fall a whole showre of rain; for the rectifying of that one soul, God poures out the Meditations of the Preacher, into such a subject, as perchance doth little concern the rest of the Congregation. S. Matthew relates Christs Sermon at large, and S. Luke but briefly, and yet S. Luke remembers some things that S. Matthew had left out. If [Page 114]thou remember not all that was presented to thy faith, all the Citations of places of Scrip­tures, nor all that was presented to thy reason, all the deducements, and inferences of the Schooles, nor all that was presented to thy spirituall delight, all the sentences of orna­ment produced out of the Fathers, yet if thou remember that which concerned thy sin, and thy soul, if thou meditate upon that, apply that, thou hast brought away all the Ser­mon, all that was intended by the Holy Ghost to be preached to thee. And if thou have done so, as at a donative at a Coronation, or other solemnity, when mony is throwne a­mong the people, though thou light but upon one shilling of that money, thou canst not think that all the rest is lost, but that some others are the richer for it, though thou beest not; so if thou remember, or apply, or understand but one part of the Sermon, doe not think all the rest to have been idly, or unnecessarily, or impertinently spoken, for thou broughtest a feaver, and hast had thy Julips, another brought a fainting, and a diffident spirit, and must have his Cordials.

Thus then, if S. Lukes Sermon be the same that S. Matthews was, we see by S. Lukes manner of repeating it, That a Sermon may be well remembred, and well applyed, though all the parts thereof be not so. And then, if these were divers Sermons, and so preached by Christ, at severall times, there arises also this consideration, That Christ did not, and therefore we need not forbeare to preach the same particular Doctrines, or to handle the same particular points, which we, or others, in that place, have handled be­fore: A preachers end is not a gathering of fame to himselfe, but a gathering of soules to God; and his way is not novelty, but edification. If we consider the Sermon in Saint Matthew, and the Sermon in S. Luke, the purpose and the scope of both, the matter and the forme of both, the body and the parts of both, the phrase and the language of both, is for the most part the same, and yet Christ forbore not to preach it twice.

This excuses no mans ignorance, that is not able to preach seasonably, and to break, and distribute the bread of life according to the emergent necessities of that Congregati­on, at that time; Nor it excuses no mans lazinesse, that will not employ his whole time upon his calling; Nor any mans vain-glory, and ostentation, who having made a Pye of Plums, without meat, offers it to sale in every Market, and having made an Oration of Flowres, and Figures, and Phrases without strength, sings it over in every Pulpit: It excuses no mans ignorance, nor lazinesse, nor vain-glory, but yet it reproaches their itch­ing and curious eares, to whom any repetition of the same things is irk some and fastidi­ous. You may have heard an answer of an Epigrammatist applyable to this purpose; When he read his Epigrams in an Auditory, one of the hearers stopped him, and said, Did not I heare an Epigram to this purpose from you, last yeare? Yes, sayes he, it is like you did; but is not that vice still in you this yeare, which last yeares Epigram repre­hended? If your curiosity bring you to say to any Preacher, Did not I heare this Point thus handled in your Sermon, last yeare? Yes, must he say, and so you must next yeare againe, till it appeare in your amendment, that you did heare it. The Devill maintaines a Warre good cheap, if he may fight with the same sword, and we may not defend with the same buckler; If he can tempt a Son with his Fathers covetousnesse, and a Daughter with her Mothers wantonnesse, if he need not vary the sin, nor the tentation, must wee vary our Doctrine? This is indeed to put new Wine into old vessels, new Doctrine into eares, Cant. 7.13. and hearts not disburdened of old sins. We say, as the Spouse sayes, Vetera & nova, we prepare old and new, all that may any way serve your holy taste, and conduce to your spirituall nourishment; And he is not a Preacher sufficiently learned, that must of necessity preach the same things againe, but he is not a Preacher sufficiently discreet nei­ther, that for beares any thing therefore, because himselfe, or another in that place, hath handled that before. Christ himselfe varied his Sermon very little, if this in S. Matthew, and that in S. Luke, were divers Sermons.

The second doubt which is made about this Sermon, and which ministers to us occa­sion of another kinde of observations, Quibus. is the Auditory, to whom Christ preached this Sermon. For first, as this Euangelist reports it, it seemes to have been Concio ad Clerum, a Sermon Preached to them who had taken Degrees in Christs Schoole, and followed him, V. 1. and not ad populum, to the promiscuous, and vulgar people; for he sayes, That Christ seeing the multitude, went up into a mountaine, and thither his Disciples came, and to them he Preached. And then, as S. Luke reports, though the Sermon seeme principally to be di­rected to the Disciples, yet it was in the presence and hearing of all; for he sayes, [Page 115] Christ came downe, and stood in the plaine, and a great multitude of people about him. Luke 6.17. Both must be done; we must preach in the Mountaine, and preach in the plaine too; preach to the learned, and preach to the simple too; preach to the Court, and preach to the Country too. Onely when we preach in the mountaine, they in the plaine must not ca­lumniate us, and say, This man goes up to Jerusalem, he will be heard by none but Princes, and great persons, as though it were out of affectation, and not in discharge of our duty, that we doe preach there: And when we preach on the plaine, they of the mountaine must not say, This man may serve for a meane Auditory, for a simple Con­gregation, for a Country Church, as though the sitting of our selves to the capacity, and the edification of such persons, were out of ignorance, or lazinesse, and not a perfor­mance of our duties, as well as the other. Christ preached on the mountaine, and he preached in the plaine; he hath his Church in both; and they that preach in both, or either, for his glory, and not their owne vain-glory, have his Example for their Action.

To make the like use of the other difficulty, Quomedo. arising out of the severall relation of this Sermon, which is Quomodo, in what manner, in what position of body Christ preached this Sermon, by this Euangelist it seemes that Christ preached sitting, and by the other, V. 1. Luke 6.17. that he preached standing. Now, for the most part, Christ did preach sitting. When he preached in the Synagogue of Nazareth, and took that Text, out of Esay, Luk. 4.16. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, &c. He stood up to reade, (sayes the story) and then he closed the Booke, and sate downe to preach. So also when he came downe from the Mount of Olives into the Temple, he sate downe there and taught them. And so Christ himselfe professes, John 8.2. that it was his ordinary custome to doe; For, when they came to apprehend him, he said, Are ye come out, as against a Thiefe? I sate dayly with you, teaching in the Temple, Mat. 26.55. and ye laid no hold on me. And according to this custome of his, they who came to great place, and dignity in [...]e Church, did ordinarily preach sitting too; and therefore their Churches were called Cathedrall, because they preached sitting in chaires.

Why then will such men, as in all actious of Divine Service, pretend to limit every thing precisely to the patterne of Christ himself, to doe just as he did, and no otherwise, why will they admit any other position of the body, in preaching, then sitting, since, ut plurimùm, at least, for the most part, Christ did preach sitting? Or if Christ did both sit, and stand, why will they not acknowledge, that all positions of the body, that are reverent, are indifferent in themselves, in the service of God; and being so, why will they not admit that position of the body, which being indifferent in it selfe, is by the just com­mand of lawfull authority, made necessary to them, that is, kneeling at the Sacrament? They who resuse it, pretend but two Reasons; First, because Christ at the institution thereof, did not use that position of kneeling, but sitting; Secondly, because they might scandalize others, or enter a false beleefe into others, who should see them kneele, that they kneeled in such adoration thereof, as the Papists doe.

But for the first, who referre all (in their desire) to the practise of Christ himselfe herein, it cannot be a cleare case, In what position of body Christ did institute this Sa­crament. There was at that time, a civill Supper, the ordinary houshold Supper, and there was a legall Supper, the eating of the Passeover, and then this Sacramentall Sup­per, of a new institution; And it is cleare, that Christ did not continue one position all this while, but he arose and did some actions between; Neither could that position of body, which they used at the Table, for their civill Supper, and naturall refection, be properly called a sitting, for it was rather a lying, a reclining, a leaning upon a bed; And let it be exactly a sitting, and let that sitting run through all the three Suppers, yet how will that position of sitting, justifie that Canon, which hath passed in a Synod amongst out neighbours, Liberum est stando, sedendo, eundo, coenam celebrare, non autem geniculando? Harmoma Sy­nod. Belg. de Coena. Art. 8. How will standing, or walking, be any more maintainable then kneeling, by Christs ex­ample? and yet they say, sitting, or walking, or standing, they may receive, but kneeling they must not: But this, I presume that particular Synod did not declare by way of Do­ctrine, to binde other Churches, but enjoyned a Discipline for their owne.

Now, for the danger of scandalizing others, all that come to Church, and are of our profession in Religion, are sufficiently catechized, and informed of the reason of our knee­ling, and that we are therein farre from the Adoration of the Romane Practise. It is a complaint often made, and often to be repeated, that one of the greatest illusions, and [Page 116]impostures of the Romane Church, is, That the Book-Doctrine, of their learned men, and the ordinary practice of their people agree not. They know the people doe commit Idolatry, in their manner of adoring the Bread in the Sacrament, and they never preach against this error of the people, nor tell them wherein that Idolatry lies; It is true, that in their Bookes of Controversies, which the people could not understand, if they might reade them, nor may reade them, if they could understand them, in those bookes they proceed upon safer grounds; There they say, that when a man adores the Sacrament, he must be sure, that he carry not his thoughts upon any thing that he sees, not onely not upon Bread and Wine, (for, that they must not beleeve to be there, whatsoever they see or taste) but not upon those species and apparences of Bread and Wine, which they seem to see, but he must carry all his thoughts upon the person of Christ, who is there, though he see him not; for, otherwise, say they, if he should adore that which he sees, he should commit Idolatry. Now, if the people were acquainted with this Doctrine, and could possibly observe it, the danger were not so great, in that Adoration of the Sacrament. Much lesse is there in our kneeling, who, as we acknowledge, that God is present every where, yet otherwise present to us, when we throw our selves downe before him in de­votion, and prayer in our Chamber, then he is in the Market, or in the street, and other­wise in the Congregation, at Publike prayer, then at private prayer in our Chamber; so weacknowledge, that he is otherwise present at the Sacrament, then at any other act of Divine Service. That which Christs Example left indifferent, the Authority of that Church, in which God hath given thee thy station, may make necessary to thee; Though not absolutely necessary, and Ratione medii, that none can be saved that doe not kneele at the Sacrament, therefore because they doe not kneele, yet necessary Ratio­ne praecepti, as it is enjoyned by lawfull authority, and to resist lawfull authority, is a diso­bedience, that may endanger any mans salvation.

Now from this Sermon, 2. Part. which gave us our Text, we passe to the Text, which must give us our Sermon, the particular Branches of the Text it selfe, which we proposed at first, for our second part. And there, our first is, Qui sint, who they be, that are brought into consideration, Mundi corde, those that are pure of heart; first pure, and then, pure of heart. In the purest times of the Primitive Church, there crept in false opinions of puri­ty; we finde two sorts of Puritanes then; The Catharists, and the Cathari; the Catha­rists were purifying Puritanes, and the Cathari were purified Puritanes: The first thought no creatures pure for mans use, till they were sanctified by them; and thereup­on they induced certain charmes, and formes of Purification, too detestable to be named amongst Christians. And then the Cathari, the purified Puritanes thought no men pure but themselves, and themselves so pure, as that they left out that petition out of the Lords prayer, Dimitte nobis, forgive us our trespasses, for they thought they had trespassed in nothing.

They have a third state of Puritanes above these, in the Romane Church; where they say that a man come to such a state of purity in this life, as that he shall be abstra­cted, not onely a passionibus, from all inordinatenesse of affections and passions, but a phantasmatibus, from apprehending any thing by those lazy degrees of the senses, and the phantasie, and discourse, and reading, and meditation, and conversation, but they shall come to such a familiarity with God, as that they shall know all by immediate Revelation; They meane, (and, indeed, some of them say) that a man come to that purity in this life, as that in this life, hee shall bee in possession of that very Beatifi­call vision, which is the state of glory in heaven; In which purity, they say also, that a man may not onely be empty of all sin, but he may be too full of Gods presence, over­fraighted with his grace, so farre, that (as they make Philip Nerius, the Founder of their last Order, their example) they shall be put to that exclamation, Recede à me Domine, O Lord depart farther from me, and withdraw some of this grace, which thou pourest upon me.

And then besides these three imaginary and illusory purities, The Catharists that think no things pure, The Cathari that think no men pure but themselves, and the Super-ca­thari, in the Romane Church, that think these men as pure, as the Saints, who are in pos­session of the sight of God in heaven, there is a true purity, which will not serve our turns, which is a partiall purity, that purenesse, that cleannesse, that innocency, to which David so often referres himself, in his religious and humble expostulations with God, Iudge me, [Page 117]and deale with me, according to my righteousnesse, and mine innocency, and cleannesse of heart, and hands, saies David; that is, as I am innocent, and guiltlesse, in that particular, which Saul imputes to me, and persecutes me for. For, this purenesse, which is this marke of the Saints of God, is not partiall, but universall; it is not a fig-leafe, that covers one spot of nakednesse, but an intire garment, a cleannesse in all our actions.

We say sometimes, and not altogether improperly, that a man walks cleane, if in a foule way, he contract but a few spots of dirt; but yet this is not an absolute cleannesse. A house is not cleane, except Cobwebs be swept downe; A man is not cleane, except he remove the lightest and slightest occasions of provocation. It is the speech of the greatest to the greatest, of Christ to the Church, Capite vulpeculas, Take us the little Foxes, for they devoure the Vine. It is not a cropping, a pilling, a retarding of the growth of the Vine that is threatned, but a devouring, though but from little Foxes. It is not so despe­rate a state, to have thy soule attempted by that Lion, that seekes whom he may de­voure, (for then, in great and apparant sinnes, thou wilt be occasioned to call upon the Lion of the tribe of Juda, to thine assistance) as it is to have thy soule eaten up by vermin, by the custome and habit of small sinnes. God punished the Egyptians with little things, with Hailestones, and Froggs, and Grashoppers; and Pharaohs Conjurers, that counter­faited all Moses greater workes, failed in the least, in the making of lice. A man may stand a great tentation, and satisfie himselfe in that, and thinke he hath done enough in the way of spirituall valour, and then fall as irrecoverably under the custome of small. I were as good lie under a milstone, as under a hill of sand; for howsoever I might have blowne away every graine of sand, if I had watched it, as it fell, yet when it is a hill, I cannot blow it, nor shove it away: and when I shall thinke to say to God, I have done no great sins, God shall not proceed with me, by waight, but by measure, nor aske how much, but how long I have sinned.

And though I may have done thus much towards this purity, as that, for a good time, I have discontinued my sin, yet if my heart be still set upon the delight, and enjoying of that which was got by my former sins, though I be not that dog that returnes to his vomit, yet I am still that Sow, that wallowes in her mire; though I doe not thrust my hands into new dirt, yet the old dirt is still baked upon my hands; though mine owne cloathes doe not defile me againe, as Iob speakes, Iob. 2.22. (though I do not relapse to the practise of mine old sin) yet I have none of Ieremies Nitre, and Sope, none of Iobs Snow-water, to wash me cleane, except I come to Restitution. As long as the heart is set upon things sinfully got, thou sinnest over those yeares sins, every day: thou art not come to the purity of this text, for it is pure, and pure in heart.

But can any man come to that purenesse? to have a heart pure from all foulenesse? Corde. Iob 14.4. Prov. 20. can a man be borne so? Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse, is Iobs unanswerable question? can any man make it cleane, of himselfe? Who can say, I have made cleane my heart? is Solomons unanswerable question. Beloved, when such questions as these, are asked in the Scriptures, How can? who can doe this? Sometimes they import an absolute impossibility, It cannot be done by any meanes; And sometimes they import but a dif­ficulty, It can hardly be done, it can be done but some one way. When the Prophet saies, Quid proderit sculptile? What good can an Idoll, or an Idolatrous Religion do us? Habak. 2. It shall not helpe us in soule, in reputation, in preferment, it will deceive us every way, it is ab­solutely impossible, that an Idoll, or an Idolatrous Religion should doe us any good. But then when David saies, Domine quis habitabit, Lord who shall ascend to thy Tabernacle, Psal. 15.2. and dwell in thy holy hil? David does not mean that there is no possibility of ascending thither, or dwelling there, though it be hard clambring thither, & hard holding there; And there­fore when the Prophet saies, Quis sapiens, & intelliget haec, Hos. 14.8. Who is so wise as to finde out this way, he places this cleannesse, which we inquire after, in Wisdome. What is Wisdome? we may content our selves, with that old definition of Wisdome, that it is Rerum humana­rum, & divinarum scientia; The Wisdome that accomplishes this cleannesse, is the knowledge, the right valuation of this world, and of the next; To be able to compare the joyes of heaven, and the pleasures of this world, and the gaine of the one, with the losse of the other, this is the way to this cleanenesse of the heart; because that heart that con­siders, and examines, what it takes in, will take in no foule, no infectious thing. 1 Thes. 4.7. God hath not called us to uncleannesse, but to holinesse, saies the Apostle. If we be in the waies of uncleannesse, God hath not called us thither: We may slip into them, by the infirmity [Page 118]of our nature; or we may run into them by a custome of sin; wee may bee drawne into them, by the inordinatenesse of our affections; or we may be driven into them, by feare of losing the favour of those great Persons, upon whom we depend, and so accompany, or assist them in their sins.

So we may slip, and run, and be drawne, and be driven, but we are not called, not cal­led by God, into any sin; not called by any Decree of God; not by any profession or calling; not by any complexion, or constitution, to a necessity of committing any sin; All sin is from our selves: But if we be in the waies of holinesse, it is God that call'd us thi­ther, we have not brought our selves. God calls us by his Ordinance, and Ministery in the Church; But when God hath call'd us thither, we may see, what he expects from us, by that which the Apostle saies, 2 Cor. 7.1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse; that is, let us employ that faculty, that is in our selves, let us be appliable and supple, easie and ductile, in those waies, to which God hath called us. Since God, by breeding us in the Christian Church, and in the knowledge of his word, by putting that balance into our hand, to try heavenly, and earthly things, by which we may distinguish Lepram à non lepra, what is a leprous and sinfull, what is an indifferent, and cleane action, let us be content to put the ware, and the waights into the balance, that is, to bring all objects, and all actions to a consideration, and to an examination, by that tryall, before wee set our hearts upon them: for God leaves no man, with whom he hath proceeded so far, as to breed him in the Christian Church, without a power to doe that, to discerne his owne actions, if he do not winke.

Upon those word, Gen. 26.18. Isaac digged the Wels of water, which they had digged in the daies of Abraham, Homil. 13. in Gen. and the Philistims had stopped, Origen extends this power far, though not very confidently; Fortè in uniuscuiusque nostrûm anima, saies he; perchance in every one of our soules, there is this Well of the water of Life, and this power to open it: whether Ori­gens Nostrûm, our soule, be intended by him of us, as we are men, or of us, as wee are Christians, I pronounce not; but divide it; In all us, as we are naturall men, there is this Well of water of Life, Abraham digged it at first, The Father of the faithfull our heavenly Abraham, infused it into us all at first in Adam, from whom, as wee have the Image of God, though defaced, so we have this Well of water though stopped up; But then the Philistims having stopped this well, (Satan by sinne having barred it up) the power of opening it againe is not in the naturall man; but Isaac diggs them againe, Isaac who is Filius laetitiae, the Son of Joy, our Isaac, our Jesus, he opens them againe, to all that receive him according to his Ordinance in his Church, he hath given this power, of keeping open in themselves, this Well of Life, these meanes of Salvation: Peccata tua alios inducunt colores, saies Origen in the same place; Thy sinnes cover the Image of God with other Images, Images of Beauty, of Honour, of Pleasure, so that sometimes thou dost not discerne the Image of God, in thy soule, but yet there it is: sometimes thou fillest this Well with other waters, with teares of hypocrisie, to deceive, or teares of lamentation for worldly crosses, but yet such a Well, such a power to assist thine owne salvation, there is in thee: Mulier drachmam invenit, non extrinsecus, sed in dome; The Woman who had lost her peece of silver, found it not without doores, but within; It was In domo mundata, when her house was made cleane, but it was within the house, and within her owne house. Make cleane thy house, by the assistances, which Christ affords thee in his Church, and thou shalt never faile finding of that within thee, which shall save thee: Not that it growes in thee naturally, or that thou canst produce it of thy selfe, but that God hath bound himselfe by his holy Covenant, to perfect his work, in every man, that works with him. So then in repenting of former sins, in breaking off the practise of those sins, in restoring whatsoever was gotten by those sins, in precluding all relapses, by a diligent survay and examination of particular actions, this is this cleannesse, this purity of heart, which constitutes our first branch of this part; And the second is the Pur­chase, what we get by it, which is Blessednesse, Blessed are the pure in heart.

In this, Beatue. we make two steps, Blessednesse, and the present possession of this Blessednesse. Now, to this purpose, it is a good Rule that S. Bernard gives, and a good way that he goes: Cui quaeque res sapiunt prout sunt, is sapiens est, saies he: He that tasts, and appre­hends all things in their proper and naturall tast, he that takes all things aright as they are, Is sapiens est, nothing distasts him, nothing alters him, he is wise. If he take the riches of this world to be in their nature, indifferent, neither good, nor bad in themselves, but to [Page 119]receive their denomination in their use, If he take long life to be naturally an effect of a good constitution, and temperament of the body, and a good husbanding of that temper by temperance, If he take sicknesse to be a declination and disorder thereof, and so other calamities to be the declination of their power, or their favour, in whose protection hee trusted, then he takes all these things, prout sunt, as they are, in their right tast, and Is sa­piens est, he that takes things so, is morally wise. But thus far, S. Bernard does but tell us, Quis sapiens, who is wise; but then, Cui ipsa sapientia sapit, prout est, is beatus, He that tasts this Wisdome it selfe aright, he onely is Blessed. Now to taste this morall Wisedome aright, to make the right use of that, is to direct all that knowledge upon heavenly things. To understand the wretchednesse of this world, is to be wise, but to make this wisedome apprehend a happinesse in the next world, that is to be blessed. If I can digest the want of Riches, the want of Health, the want of Reputation, out of this consideration, that good men want these, as well as bad, this is morall Wisedome, and a naturall man may be as wise, herein, as I. But if I can make this Wisedome carry me to a higher contemplation, That God hath cast these wants upon me, to draw me the more easily to him, and to see, that in all likelihood, my disposition being considered, more wealth, more health, more preferment would have retarded me, and slackned my pace in his service, then this Wis­dome, that is, this use of this morall Wisdome, hath made me blessed; and to this Bles­sednesse, a naturall man cannot come.

This Blessednesse then, is Congeries bonorum, A concurrence, a confluence, an accumu­lation of all that is Good; And he that is Mundus corde, pure of heart, safe in a rectified conscience, hath that. Not that every thing, that hath Aliquam rationem boni, any tin­cture, or name of Good in it, (as Riches, and Health, and Honour) must necessarily fall upon every man, that is, good, and pure of heart; (for, for the most part, such men want these more then any other men.) But because even those things, which have in them, Aliquam rationem mali, some tincture, and name of ill, (as sicknesse of body, or vexation of spirit) shall be good to them, because they shall advance them in their way to God; therefore are they blessed, as Blessednesse is Congeries bonorum, the accumulation of all that is good, because nothing can put on the nature of ill, to them. And though Blessed­nesse seeme to be but an expectative, a reversion reserved to the next life, yet so blessed are they in this testimony of a rectified conscience, which is this purity of heart, as that they have this blessednesse in a present possession, Blessed are the pure in heart; they are now, they are already Blessed.

The farthest that any of the Philosophers went in the discovery of Blessednesse, Nunc. was but to come to that, Nemo ante obitum, to pronounce that no man could be called Blessed before his death; not that they had found what kind of better Blessednesse they went to after their death, but that still till death they were shure, every man was subject to new miseries, and interruptions of any thing which they could have called Blessednesse. The Christian Philosophy goes farther; It showes us a perfecter Blessednesse then they con­ceived for the next life, and it imparts that Blessednesse to this life also: The pure in heart are blessed already, not onely comparatively, that they are in a better way of Bles­sednesse, then others are, but actually in a present possession of it: for this world and the next world, are not, to the pure in heart, two houses, but two roomes, a Gallery to passe thorough, and a Lodging to rest in, in the same House, which are both under one roofe, Christ Jesus; The Militant and the Triumphant, are not two Churches, but this the Porch, and that the Chancell of the same Church, which are under one Head, Christ Jesus; so the Joy, and the sense of Salvation, which the pure in heart have here, is not a joy severed from the Joy of Heaven, but a Joy that begins in us here, and continues, and accompanies us thither, and there flowes on, and dilates it selfe to an infinite expansion, (so, as if you should touch one corne of powder in a traine, and that traine should carry fire into a whole City, from the beginning it was one and the same fire) though the ful­ness of the glory therof be reserved to that which is expressed in the last branch, Videbunt Deum, They shall see God; for, as S. Bernard notes, when the Church is highliest extol­led for her Beauty, yet it is but Pulcherrima inter mulieres, The fairest amongst women, that is, saies he, Inter animas terrenas, non autem inter Angelicas beatitudines, She is not compared with her owne state in Heaven, she shall have a better state in that State, then she hath here; So when Iohn Baptists Office is highliest extolled, that he is called The greatest Prophet, it is but Inter natos mulierum, Amongst the sons of women, he is not com­pared [Page 120]with the Son of God. So this Blessednesse appropriated to the pure in heart, gives a present assurance of future joy, and a present inchoation of that now, though the plena­ry consummation thereof be respited, till we see God.

And first videbunt & non contremiscent; Videbunt Deum. This is a Blessednesse, they shall see God, and be glad to see him; see him in Judgement, and be able to stand in Judgement in his sight; They shall see him, and never trouble the hils to fall upon them, nor call the moun­tains to cover them; upon them he shall not steal as a thiefe in the night, but because he hath used to stand at their doore, and knock, and enter, they shall look for his comming, and be glad of it. First they come to a true valuation of this world, in S. Pauls Omnia stercora, Phil. 3.8. I count all things but Dung, but losse, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Ie­sus my Lord; When they have found the true value of worldly things, they will come to something worth the getting, they will come to S. Pauls way of Gain, Mors lucrum, that to die is gain and advantage: Phil. 1.21. When they know that, they will conceive a religious covetousnesse of that, and so come to S. Pauls Cupio dissolvi, to desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ: When they have entertained that Desire, they will declare it, make a petition, a suite for it, with a Veni Domine Iesu, Come Lord Iesu, come quickly; and they shall have a holy and modest, but yet an infallible assurance of this answer to their peti­tion; Venite benedicti, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world; Mat. 26.34. So Videbunt & non contremiscent, by this acquainting themselves, and accustoming themselves to his presence, in all their actions, and medi­tations in this life, they shall see him, and be glad to see him, even in Judgement, in the next.

But the seeing of God principally intended in this place, is that Visio beatifica, to see God so, as that that very seeing makes the seer Blessed, They are Blessed therefore, be­cause they see him; And that is videre Essentiam, to see the very Essence and nature of God. For, that we shall see God in his Essence, is evident enough by that place of the Apostle, 1 John 3.2. Now we are the Sons of God, (that is, now by this purity of heart, and testimony of a rectified conscience, we are so) And it doth not yet appeare what we shall be, (that is, there are degrees of glory reserved for us, that yet do not appeare to our understanding, we cannot conceive them) But we know, that when he shall appeare, we shall be like him, (that is, receive incorruption and glory in our bodies, as he hath done) And then the rea­son given there, of that, is, For we shall see him, sicuti est, as he is, in his Essence; All our Beatification, and Glorification in our bodies consists in this, that we shall see him sicuti est, 1 Cor. 13.12. as he is, in his Essence. Then sayes S. Paul, I shall know, even as I am knowne, Essenti­ally. But whether then, in the resurrection, and glorification of the body, God in his Es­sence be to be seen with those eyes which the body shall then have, is yet, and hath been long a question. The Scripture goes no farther, then to S. Iohns Sicuti est, I shall see him as he is, and to S. Pauls Cognoscam, I shall know him as I am knowne; but with what eyes I shall see him, (without any perplexing curiosities) we will look a little into the Fathers, and into the School, and conclude so, as may best advance our edification.

For the Fathers, it may be sufficient to insist upon S. Augustine; not because he is alwayes to be preferred before all, but because in this point, he hath best collected all that were before him, and is best followed of all that come after. S. Augustine had writ­ten against a Bishop who was of the Sect of the Anthropomorphits, whose Heresie was that God had a Body; and in opposition of him, S. Augustine had said, Istius corporis oculos nec videre Deum, nec visuros, That God was so far from having a Body, that our bodily eyes, howsoever glorified, should never see God. In that Treatise S. Augustine had been very bitter against that Bishop, and being warned of it, in another Epistle to another Bishop, Fortunatianus, he repents, and retracts his bitternesse, but his opinion, his doctrine, That our bodily eyes should never see God, S. Augustine never retracted. He professes ingenuously, Longè tolerabilius corpori arrogare, quàm Deo derogare, That he could be more easily brought to attribute so much too much to the body of man, as to say that with these bodily eyes he should see God, then to derogate so much from God, as to say that he had a body that might be seen; but because he saw that one might fol­low on the other, he denyed both, and did no more beleeve that mans eyes should see God, then that God had a body to be seen.

And this negative opinion of his, S. Augustine builds upon S. Ambrose, and upon S. Hierome too, who seem to deny that the Angels themselves see the Essence of God; and [Page 121]upon Athanasius, who, against the Arrians opinion, That God the Father only was in­visible, but the Son, (who was not equall to the Father) and the Holy Ghost, (who was not equall to the Son) might be seen, argues and maintains, that the whole Trinity is e­quall in it self, and equally invisible to us. So doth he also assist himself with that of Na­zianzen, Quando Deus visus, salva sua invisibilitate visus, howsoever God be said to have been seen, it is said in some such sense, as that even then when he was seen, he was invisi­ble. He might have added Chrysostomes testimony too, Ipsum quod Deus est, nec Angeli viderunt, nec Archangeli; Neither Angel nor Archangel did ever see that Nature, which is the very Essence of God: And he might have added Areopagita too, who ex­presses it with equall elegancy and vehemency, Dei nec sententia est, nec ratio, nec opinio, nec sensus, nec phantasia: If we bring the very Nature and Essence of God into question, we can give no judgement upon it, (non sententia) we can make no probable discourse of it, (non ratio) we can frame no likely opinion, or conjecture in it, (non opinio) we cannot prepare our selves with any thing which hath fallen under our senses, (non sensus) nor with any thing which we can bring studiously, or which can fall casually into our fancy, or imagination, (non phantasia.) And upon the whole matter, and all the evidence, he joynes in this verdict with S. Hierome, Tunc cernitur, cum invisibilis creditur; God is best seen by us, when we confesse that he cannot be seen of us. S. Augustine denies not, That our eyes shall be spirituall eyes, but in what proportion spirituall, or to what parti­cular use spirituall, he will not pretend to know: Vtrum in simplicitatem spiritus cedat, it a ut totus homo jam sit spiritus, whether the body of man shall be so attenuated and rarified, as that the whole man shall become spirit, Aut animam adjuvet corpus ad videndum, whe­ther the body shall contribute and assist the faculties of the soul, as in this life it doth, Fa­teor me non alicubi legisse, quod existimarem sufficere, ad docendum, aut ad discendum, sayes that blessed and sober Father, I confesse I never read any thing that I thought sufficient to rectifie mine own judgement, much lesse to change anothers: But to all those places of Scripture, which are to this purpose, That the Angels see the face of God, and that we shall be like the Angels, and see God face to face, he answers well, Facies Dei ea est, qua Deus in­notescit nobis, That is the face of God to us all, by which God is known and manifested to us; in which sense, Reason is the face of God to the naturall man, the Law to the Jew, and the Gospell to us; and such a sight of God, doth no more put such a power of seeing in our bodily eyes, then it puts a face upon God: We shall see God face to face, and yet God shall have no face to be seen, nor we bodily eyes to see him by: For, Non legi, That, I have not read, sayes he; This, sayes he, I have read, Regi incorruptibili, & invisibili, Vnto the King eternall, immortall, invisible, &c. Neither dare I, sayes S. Au­gustine, 1 Tim. 1.17. sever those things which the Spirit of God hath joyned, Vt dicam incorruptibi­lem quidem in saecula saeculorum, invisibilem autem in hoc saeculo, I dare not say that God is immortall in this world, and in the next world too, but invisible in this world only, and visible in the next, for the Holy Ghost hath pronounced him invisible, as far as im­mortall.

Si rogas, sayes he, if you presse me, Cannot God then be seen? Yes, I confesse he can. If you ask me, how? Cum vult, & sicuti vult, He may be seen when he will, and how he will. If you pursue it, can he not be seen in his Essence? yes, he can; If you proceed farther, and ask me how again? I can say no more, sayes he, then Christ sayes, Erimus sicut Angeli, we shall be like the Angels, and we shall see God, so as the Angels do, but they see him not with bodily eyes, nor as an object, which is that that S. Ambrose, and S. Hic­rome, and S. Chrysostome intend, when they deny that the Angels see the Essence of God, that is, they see him not otherwise then by understanding him. All agree in this resolu­tion, Solus Deus videt cor, & solum cor videt Deum, Only God can see the heart of man and only the heart of man can see God: For, in this world, our bodily eyes do not see bodies, they see but colours and dimensions, they see not bodies; much lesse shall our eyes, though spirituall, see spirits in heaven; least of all, that Spirit, in comparison of of whom, Angels, and our spirits are but grosse bodies.

So far the Fathers leade us towards a determination herein; and thus far the School; Nulla visio naturalis in terris; Here, in this life, neither the eyes, nor the minde of the most subtile, and most sanctified man can see the Essence of God: Nulla visio corporalis in coelis, The bodily eyes of no man, in the highest stare of glorification in heaven, can see the Essence of God: Nulla visio comprehensiva omnino, That faculty of man, which [Page 122]shall see the Essence of God in heaven, yet shall not comprehend that Essence; for to comprehend, is not to know a thing, as well as I can know it, but to know it as well as that thing can be knowen; and so only God himself can see, and know, that is, com­prehend God.

To end all, in the whole body of the Scriptures we have no light, that our bodily eyes shall be so enlightned in the Resurrection, Job 19.26. as to see the Essence of God; For, when Iob sayes, In carne mea, In my flesh I shall see God, and Oculi mei videbunt, Mine eyes shall see God, (if these words must necessarily be understood of the last Resurrection, which some Expositors deny, and Calvin in particular, understands them of a particular resurrection from that calamity which lay upon Iob at that time, and of his confidence that God would raise him again, even in this life) yet howsoever, and to which resurrection soever you refer them, the words must be understood thus, In my flesh, that is, when my soule shall re-assume this flesh in the Resurrection, In that flesh I shall see God; he doth not say, That flesh shall, but Hee, in that flesh, shall. So when hee adds Oculi mei, Mine eyes shall do it, he intends Oculos internos, of which the Apostle speaks, The eyes of your understanding being enlightned. Ephes. 1.18. So then, a faculty to see him so, in his Essence, with bo­dily eyes, we finde not in Scripture; But yet in the Scriptures we do finde, that we shall see him so, Sicuti est, As he is, in his Essence; How? It is a safe answer which S. Augu­stine gives in all such questions, Meliùs affirmamus, de quibus minimè dubitamus, Only those things are safely affirmed, and resolved, which admit no doubt: This hath never admitted any doubt, but that our soule, and her faculties shall be so exalted in that state of glory, as that in those internall faculties of the soul, so exalted, we shall see the very Essence of God, which no measure of the light of grace, communicated to any, the most fanctified man here, doth effect, but only the light of glory there shall. And therefore this being cleare, that in the faculties of our soules we shall see him, Restat ut de illa visio­ne secundum interiorem hominem certissimi simus, sayes that blessed and sober Father, As our reason is satisfied that the Saints in heaven shall see God so, so let our consciences be satisfied, that we have an interest in that state, and that we in particular shall come to that sight of God; Et cor mundum ad illam visionem praeparemus, Let us not abuse our selves with false assurances, nor rest in any other, then this, that we have made clean, and pure our very hearts, for only such shall see God. Omnis meridies diluculum habuit, (as the same Father continues this Meditation) The brightest non had a faint twi-light, and break of day; The sight of God which we shall have in heaven, must have a Dilu­culum, a break of day here; If we will see his face there, we must see it in some beames here: And to that purpose, Visus per omnes sensus recurrit, (as S. Augustine hath colle­cted out of severall places of Scripture) Every sense is called sight, for there is Odora & vide, and Gusta & vide, Taste and See how sweet, and Smell and See what a savour of life the Lord is; Apoc. 1.12. Luke 24.39. So S. Iohn turned about, To see a voice, There Hearing was Sight; And so our Saviour Christ sayes, Palpate & videte, and there Feeling is Seeing. All things con­cur to this Seeing, and therefore in all the works of your senses, and in all your other fa­culties, See ye the Lord; Heare him in his word, and so see him; Speak to him in your prayers, and so see him; Touch him in his Sacrament, and so see him; Present holy and religious actions unto him, and so see him.

Davids heart was towards Absalon, 2 Sam. 14. sayes that Story: Ioab saw that, and, as every man will be forward to further persons growing in favour, (for so it should be done to him, whom the King will honour) Ioah plotted and effected Absalons return, but yet Absalon saw not the Kings face in two yeares. Beloved in Christ Jesus, the heart of your graci­ous God is set upon you; and we his servants have told you so, and brought you thus neare him, into his Court, into his house, into the Church, but yet we cannot get you to see his face, to come to that tendernesse of conscience, as to remember and consider, that all your most secret actions are done in his sight and his presence; Caesars face, and Caesars inscription you can see; The face of the Prince in his coyne you can rise before the Sun to see, and sit up till mid-night to see; but if you do not see the face of God up­on every piece of that mony too, all that mony is counterfeit; If Christ have not brought that fish to the hook, Mat. 17.25. that brings the mony in the mouth, (as he did to Peter) that mony is ill fished for; If nourishing of suits, and love of contention amongst others, for your own gain have brought it, [...] 12.14. [...] 24.3. it is out of the way of that counsell, Follow peace with all men, and holinesse, without which no man shall see God. This is the generation of them that [Page 123]seeke him, that seek thy face, O Iacob; Innocens manibus, & mundus corde, either such an in­nocence, as never fouled the hands, or such an innocency as hath washed them cleane againe, such an innocency as hath kept you from corrupt getting, or such an innocency as hath restored us, by restoring that, which was corruptly got. It is testified of Solomon, 1 King. 10.24. That he exceeded all the Kings of the Earth, for Wisedome, and for Riches, and all the Earth sought the face of Solomon; A greater then Solomon is here, for Wisedome, and Riches; your wisedome is foolishnesse, and your riches beggery, if you see not the face of this Solomon; If either you have studied, or practised, or judged, when his back is towards you, that is, if you have not done all, as in his presence. You are in his presence now; goe not out of it, when you goe from hence. Amor rerum terrenarum, viscus pennarum spiritualium; August. God hath given you the wings of Doves, and the eyes of Eagles to see him now, in this place; If in returning from this place, you returne to your former wayes of pleasure or profit, this is a breaking of those Doves wings, and a cieling of those Eagles eyes. Coge cor tu­um cogitare divina, compelle, urge, sayes that Father; Here, in the Church, thou canst not chuse but see God, and raise thy heart towards him: But when thou art returned to thy severall distractions, that vanities shall pull thine eyes, and obtrectation, and libellous defamation of others shall pull thine eares, and profit shall pull thy hands, then Coge, compelle, urge. force and compell thy heart, and presse, even in that thrust of tentations, to see God. What God is in his Essence, or what our sight of the Essence of God shall be in the next world, dispute not too curiously, determine nor too peremptorily; Cogitans de Deo, si finivisti, Deus non est, is excellently said by S. Augustine: If thou begin to think, what the Essence of God is, and canst bring that thought to an end, thou hast mistaken it; whensoever thou canst say, Deus est, this is God, or God is this, non est Deus, that is not God, God is not that, for he is more, infinitely more then that. But, non potes dicere, Deus est, thou art not able to say, This is God, God is this; Saltem dicas, hoc Deus non est; Be able to say, This is not God, God is not this: The belly is not God; Mammon is not God; Mauzzim, the God of Forces, Oppression, is not God; Belphegor, Licentious­nesse, is not God: Howsoever God sees me, to my confusion, yet I doe not see God, when I am sacrificing to these, which are not Gods.

Let us begin at that which is nearest us, within us, purenesse of heart, and from thence receive the testimony of Gods Privy Seale, the impression of his Spirit, that we are Blessed; and that leads us to the Great Seale, the full fruition of all; we shall see God, there, where he shall make us drink of the Rivers of his pleasures; There is fulnesse, plenty; Psal. 36.8. but lest it should be a Feast of one day, or of a few, as it is said, they are rivers, so it is ad­ded, with thee is the Fountaine of life; An abundant river, to convay, and a perpetuall spring, to feed, and continue that river: And then, wherein appeares all this? In this, for in thy light we shall see light; In seeing God, we shall see all that concernes us, and see it alwayes; No night to determine that day, no cloud to overcast it. We end all, with S. Augustines devout exclamation, Deus bone, qui erunt illi oculi! Glorious God, what kinde of eyes shall they be! Quam decori! quam sereni! How bright eyes, and how well set! Quam valentes! quam constantes! How strong eyes, and how durable! Quid arbitremur? quid aestimemus? quid loquemur? What quality, what value, what name shall we give to those eyes? Occurrunt verba quotidiana & sordidata vilissimis rebus; I would say something of the beauty and glory of these eyes, and can finde no words, but such, as I my selfe have mis-used in lower things. Our best expressing of it, is to expresse a desire to come to it, for there onely we shall learne what to call it. That so, we may goe the Apostles way, to his end, That being made free from sinne, Rom. 6.22 and become servants to God, wee may have our fruit unto holinesse, and then, the End, life everlasting.

SERMON XIII. Preached in Lent, To the KING. April 20. 1630.

IObs friends (as, in civility we are faine to call them, because they came upon a civill pretence, to visit him, and to comfort him) had now done speaking. It was long before they would have done. Andivi frequenter talia, saies Iob to them, v. 2. I have often heard such things as you say, they are not new to me; and therefore, Onerosi consolatores, Miserable comforters, troublesome comforters are ye all, old and new. But, Numquid finem habebunt verba ventosa, saies he, Shall your windy words, your empty, your aery, v. 3. your frothy words have any end? Now they have an end. Eliphas ends his charge in the last, and in this Chapter Iob begins to answer for himselfe. But how? By a middle way. Iob does not justifie himselfe; but yet he does not prevaricate, he does not betray his Innocence neither. For there may be a pusillanimity even towards God; A man may over-clog his owne conscience, and belie himselfe in his confessions, out of a distempered jealousie, and suspition of Gods purposes upon him; Iob does not so. Many men have troubled themselves more, how the soule comes into man, then how it goes out; They wrangle, whether it comes in by Infusion from God, or by Propagation from parents, and never consider, whether it shall returne to Him that made it, or to him that marr'd it, to Him that gave it, or to him that corrupted it. So, many of our Expositors upon this Booke of Iob, have spent themselves upon the Person, and the Place, and the Time, who Iob was, when Iob was, where Iob was, and whether there were ever any such person as Iob, or no; and have passed over too slightly the senses, and doctrines of the Booke. S. Gregory hath, (to good use) given us many Morals, (as he cals them) upon this Booke, but, truly, not many Literals, for, for the most part, he bends all the sufferings of Iob figuratively, my­stically upon Christ. Origen, who (except S. Gregory) hath written most of this Booke; and yet gone but a little way into the booke neither, doth never pretend much literal­nesse in his expositions, so that we are not to looke for that at Origens hands. We must not therefore refuse the assistance of later men, in the exposition of this Text, Not for any Injustice in my hands, &c.

In this Chapter, and before this text, we have Iobs Anatomy, Iobs Sceleton, the ruins to which he was reduced. In the eighth verse he takes knowledge, That God had filled him with leannesse and wrinckles, and that those wrinckles, and that leannesse were witnesses against him, and, That they that hated him, had torne him in peeces, in the ninth verse. In the eleventh verse, That God had delivered him over to the ungodly, and, That God himselfe had [Page 128]shaked him in peeces, and set him up as a marke to shoote at, in the twelfe verse, That God had cleft his reins, and poured out his gall upon the ground, in the thirteenth verse, and in the fourteenth, That he broke him, breach after breach, and run over him as a Gyant, and at last, in the sixteenth verse, That foulenesse was upon his face, and the shadow of death upon his eye­lids. Now, let me aske in Iobs behalfe Gods question to Ezekiel, Putasnè vivent ossaista? Doest thou belceve that these bones can live? Ezek. 37.2. Can this Anatomy, this Sceleton, these ruines, this rubbidge of Iob speake? It can, it does in this Text, Not for any Injustice in my hands, &c.

And, in these words, it delivers us, first, The confidence of a godly man; Doe God what he will, say ye what ye will, That because I am more afflicted then other men, therefore I am guilty of more hainous sins then other men, yet I know, that whatsoever Gods end be in this proceeding, It is not for any Injustice in my hands, Also my prayer is pure. Secondly, it delivers us that kinde of infirme anguish, and indignation, that halfe­distemper, that expostulation with God, which sometimes comes to an excesse even in good and godly men, O earth cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place; I desire not that any thing should be concealed or disguised, let all that ever I have done be writ­ten in my forehead, and read by all men. And then thirdly and lastly, it delivers us the foundation of his confidence, and the recovery from this his infirmity, and from his excesse in the manner of expressing it, if he have beene over-bold therein, My Witnesse is in heaven, and my Record is on high; God is his Witnesse, that that which they charge him with, is false, That that which he saies in his owne discharge (in that sense that he saies it) is true; And in these three, Iobs Protestation, Not guilty, Iobs Manifest, I would all the world knew all, Iobs Establishment, and consolidation, My Witnesse is in Heaven; in these three branches, and in some fruits, which, in passing, we shall gather from them, we shall determine all that appertaines to these words.

I remember S. Gregory, 1. Part. in handling one text, professes, that he will endevour to handle it so, Vt ejus altitudo non sic fieret nescientibus cognita, ut esset scientibus onerosa; So, as that the weakest understanding might comprehend the highest points, and the highest un­derstanding not be weary to heare ordinary doctrines so delivered. Indeed it is a good art, to deliver deepe points in a holy plainnesse, and plaine points in a holy delightful­nesse: for, many times, one part of our auditory understands us not, when we have done, and so they are weary; and another part understands us before we begun, and so they are weary. To day, my humble petition must be, That you will be content to heare plaine things plainly delivered. Of which, be this the first, That Iob found himselfe un­der the oppression, and calumny of that mis-interpretation, that Kings themselves, and States, and Churches have not escaped.

The towre of Siloe fell and slew them, Luk. 13.4. therefore they were the greater sinners in Je­rusalem; this man prospers not in the world, Therefore he proceeds not in the feare of God; the heire wastes the estate, therefore the estate was ill gotten, are hasty conclu­sions in private affaires. Treasures are empty, therefore there are unnecessary wastes; Discontented persons murmure, therefore things are ill carried; our neigbours prosper by Action, therefore we perish by not appearing, are hastie conclusions in State affaires. This man is affected when he heares a blasphemous oath; and when he lookes upon the generall liberty of sinning; therefore he is a Puritan; That man loves the ancient formes, and Doctrines, and Disciplines of the Church, and retaines, and delights in the reverend names of Priest, and Altar, and Sacrifice, therefore he is a Papist, are hastie conclusions in Church affaires. When we doe fall under these mis-interpretations, and ill applicati­ons of Gods proceedings, V. 4. we may say with Iob, I also could speake, as you doe; if your soule were in my soules stead, I could heape up words against you, and shake my head at you, conclude desperately, speake scornefully of you. But I will not; yet I will not betray my selfe, I will make my protestation, what end soever God propose to himselfe in this his pro­ceeding, It is not for any injustice in my hands, Also my prayer is pure.

In these two, Manus. cleannesse of hands, purenesse of Prayer, are all religious duties com­prehended: for cleane hands denote justice and righteousnesse towards men, and pure prayer Devotion, and the service and worship of God. Iob protests for both. Therefore does Origen say of Iob, Certè puto, quod & audeo dicere, I doe verily beleeve, and therefore may be bold to say, that for constancy and fidelity towards God, Iob did exceed, Non solum homines, sed & ipsos Angelos, Not onely men, but Angels themselves; for, saies [Page 129] Origen, Iob did not only suffer Abs (que) culpa, without being guilty of those things to which his afflictions were imputed, but he suffered Cum gratiarum actionibus, he said grace when he had no meat, when God gave him Stones for Bread, and Scorpions for Fish; he prai­sed God as much for the affliction it self, as for his former, or his subsequent benefits and blessings. Not that Iob was meerly innocent, but that he was guilty of no such things, as might confer those conclusions, which, from his afflictions, his enemies raised. Job 9.20. If I ju­stifie my self, sayes Iob, Mine own mouth shall condemn me; Every self-justification is a self-condemnation; when I give judgement for my self, I am therein a witnesse against my self. If I say I am perfect, sayes he in the same place, even that proves me perverse; If I say I never goe out of the way, I am out then, and therefore because I say so: I have sin­ned, sayes he, What shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men? Job 7.2. Iob felt the hand of destru­ction upon him, and he felt the hand of preservation too; and it was all one hand; This is Gods Method, and his alone, to preserve by destroying. Men of this world do some­times repaire, and recompence those men whom they have oppressed before, but this is an after recompence; Gods first intention even when he destroyes is to preserve, as a Physitians first intention, in the most distastfull physick, is health; even Gods demoliti­ons are super-edifications, his Anatomies, his dissections are so many re-compactings, so many resurrections; God windes us off the Skein, that he may weave us up into the whole peece, and he cuts us out of the whole peece into peeces, that he may make us up into a whole garment.

But for all these humiliations, and confessions, Iob doth not wave his protestation; Job. 27.6. My rightcousnesse I hold fast, and my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live. Not that I shall never sin, but never leave any sin unrepented; And then, my heart cannot reproach me of a repented sin, without reproaching God himself. The Sun must not set upon my anger; Ephes. 4.24. much lesse will I let the Sun set upon the anger of God towards me, or sleep in an unrepeted sin. Every nights sleep is a Nunc dimittis; then the Lord lets his servant depart in peace. Thy lying down is a valediction, a parting, a taking leave, (shall I say so?) a shaking hands with God; and, when thou shakest hands with God, let those hands be clean. Enter into thy grave, thy metaphoricall, thy quotidian grave, thy bed, as thou entredstinto the Church at first, by Water, by Baptisme; Re-baptise thy self every night, in Iobs Snow water, in holy tears that may cool the inordinate lusts of thy heart, Job 9.30. and with-hold uncleane abuses of those hands even in that thy grave, thy Bed; And evermore remember Iobs feare and jea­louste in that place, That when he had washed himself in Snow water, Abominabuntur me ve­stimenta mea, Mine own clothes will make me foul again. Thy flesh is thy clothes; and to this mischievous purpose of fouling thy hands with thine own clothes, thou hast most clothes on when thou art naked; Then, in that nakednesse, thou art in most danger of fouling thy hands with thine own clothes. Miserable man! that couldest have no use of hands, nor any other organ of sense, if there were no other creature but thy self, & yet, if there were no other creature but thy self, couldest sin upon thy self, and foule thy hands with thine own hands. How much more then, if thou strike with those hands, by oppression in thy office, or shut up those hands, and that which is due to another, in them? Sleep with cleane hands, either kept cleane all day, by integrity; or washed cleane, at night, by re­pentance; and whensoever thou wakest, though all Iobs messengers thunder about thee, and all Iobs friends multiply mis-interpretations against thee, yet Iobs protestation shall be thy protestation, what end soever God have in this proceeding, It is not for any injustice in my hands, and the other part of his protestation too, Also my prayer is pure.

As cleane hands denote all righteousnesse towards man, Oratio. so doe pure prayers all devo­tion, and worship, and service of God. For, we are of the houshold of the faithfull, and the service which we are to doe, as his houshold servants, is prayer; for, his house is the house of prayer. And therein onely is it possible to us, to fulfill that Commandement, pray continually, that continually, in all our familiar actions, we may serve God, glorifie God, (whether we eate or drink, we may doe it to his glory) and every glorifying, every thanksgiving, is prayer; there cannot be a more effectuall prayer for future, then a thank­full acknowledgement of former benefits. Petitc, & dabitur; How often is that repea­ted in the Gospell, and in the Epistles? Aske, and it shall be given yee; no grant with­out prayer, no deniall upon prayer.

It must be prayer, and my prayer; Also my prayer is pure. Oratio mea. I must not rely upon the prayers of others; not of Angels; Though they be Ministeriall spirits, and not onely to [Page 130]God himselfe, but between God and Man, and so, as they present our prayers, no doubt poure out their owne for us too, yet we must not rely upon the prayers of Angels. Nor of Saints; Though they have a more personall, and experimentall sense of our miseries then Angels have, we must not relie upon the prayers of Saints. No, nor upon the pray­ers of the Congregation, though we see, and heare them pray, except we make our selves parts of the Congregation, by true devotion, as well as by personall presence.

It must be mine own prayer, and no prayer is so truly, or so properly mine, as that that the Church hath delivered and recommended to me. In sudden and unpremeditate pray­er, I am not alwayes I; and when I am not my self, my prayer is not my prayer. Pas­sions and affections sometimes, sometimes bodily infirmities, and sometimes a vain de­sire of being eloquent in prayer, aliens me, withdraws me from my self, and then that prayer is not my prayer. Though that prayer which Luther is said to have said upon his death-bed, Oremus pro Domine Deo nostro Iesu Christo, Let us pray for our Lord and Savi­our Christ Jesus, may admit a good sense, because Christ being (as S. Augustine sayes often) Caput & Corpus, both the Head and the Body, as he is the Body, the Church, sub­ject to so many pressures, he had need to be prayed for; yet, his state being considered at that time, almost at the last gasp, he being scarce he, that prayer can scarce be called his prayer.

In that African Councell, in which S. Augustine was present, to remedy the abuse of various formes of Prayers, which divers Churches assumed, it was decreed that no pray­ers should be received in the Church, but such as were composed, or approved by the Councell. We have proceeded so too; No prayers received for publique use, but those that are delivered by publique authority; and so, they become My prayers. As the Law of the Land is my Law, and I have an inheritance in it, so the prayers of the Church are my prayers, and I have an interest in them, because I am a Son of that fami­ly. My Baptisme is mine, and my Absolution is mine, because the Church hath given them to me, and so are her prayers mine. You would scarce thank a man for an extem­porall Elegy, or Epigram, or Panegyrique in your praise, if it cost the Poet, or the Ora­tor no paines. God will scarce hearken to sudden, inconsidered, irreverent prayers. Men will study even for Complements; and Princes and Ambassadors will not speak to one another, without thinking what they will say. Let not us put God to speak to us so, (Preaching is Gods speaking to us) Let not us speak to God so, (Praying is our speaking to God) not extemporally, unadvisedly, inconsiderately. Prayer must be my prayer; and Quid habeo quod non accepi? Even in this kinde, what have I that I have not received? I have received my prayer altogether, as a bundle of Myrrhe, in that prayer which I have received from my Saviour, and then I have received it appropriated to me, and apportioned to my particular necessities, and sacrifices, by the piety and wisdome of the Church; so it is my prayer, and, as Iobs prayer was, pure prayer, Also my prayer is pure.

The Holy Ghost hath so marshalled and disposed the qualifications of Prayer in this place, Pura. as that there is no pure prayer without clean hands. The lifting up of hands was the gesture of prayer, even among the heathen, Manibus supplex or are supinis. Amongst the Jews, Prayer, and the lifting up of hands, was one and the same thing, Let the lifting up of my hands be an evening Sacrifice; Psal. 141.2. Exed. 17.11. And, longer then Moses hands were lifted up, his prayer had no effect. All this, perchance therefore especially, that this lifting up of my hands, brings them into my sight; then I can see them, and see whether they be clean, or no, and consider, that if I see impurity in my hands, God sees impurity in my Prayer. Can I think to receive ease from God with that hand that oppresses another? Mercy from God with that hand that exercises cruelty upon another? Or Bounty from God with that hand that with-holds right from another? Prayer is our hand, but it must be a cleane hand, pure prayer.

That Emperour whom no religion would lose, Constantine, (for, the heathen deified him, and the Christians canonized him, They made him a god, and we came as neare as we could, we made him a Saint) that Emperour was coyned Praying. Other Emperours were coyned Triumphing, in Chariots, or preparing for Triumphs, in Battailes, and Vi­ctories, but he, Constantine, in that posture, Kneeling, Praying. He knew his coyn would passe through every family; and to every family he desired to be an example of piety; Every peece of single money was a Catechisme, and testified to every Subject all this, surely he will graciously receive my Petition, and look graciously upon me, when I [Page 131]kneele, for, behold he kneels to, and he exhibits petitions to that God, from whom he acknowledges, that he needs as much as I can from him. And yet this Symbolicall, and Catechisticall coyn of Constantines, was not so convincing, nor so irrefragable a testimo­ny of his piety, (for Constantine might be coyned praying, and yet never pray) as when we see as great a Prince as he, actually, really, personally, daily, duly at prayer with us.

To end this branch, let not thy prayer be lucrative, nor vindicative, pray not for tempo­rall superfluities, pray not for the confusion of them that differ from thee in opinion, or in manners, but condition thy prayer, inanimate thy prayer with the glory of God, and thine own everlasting happinesse, and the edification of others, and this prayer is Iobs prayer, pure prayer. And farther we enlarge not his Protestation, My hands are cleane, I do no man wrong; my prayer is pure, I mock not God. But because continuing under so great afflictions, men would not beleeve this, he proceeds, perchance to some excesse, and inconsideratenesse, in desiring a manifestation of all his actions, O Earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

Difference of Expositions makes us stop here, upon this inquisition, in what affection Iob spake this. Whether this were meerly an adjuration of the earth, 2 Part. not to cover his blood, but that his miseries, and the cry thereof might passe, and be transferred over all the world; or whether it had the nature of an imprecation upon himself, That he wish­ed, or admitted against himself, that which is against the nature of every man to admit, that is, to have all that ever he had done, published, declared, manifested to all the world. S. Gregory, according to his manner, through all this book, which is, to apply all Iobs sufferings to Christ, and to make Iob some kinde of type of Christ, makes no more of this, but that it is an adjuration of the earth, in the person and behalf of Christ, not to suck in, or smoother his blood, but that it might be notified, and communicated to all the world. And truly, this is a good use, but it cannot be said to be a good sense of the place, because it cannot consist with the rest of the words.

Amongst our later men, Cajetan, (and he, from a Rabbi of the Jews, Aben Ezra) takes this to be an adjuration of the Earth, as Gregory does, but not, as Gregory does, in the per­son of Christ, but of Iob himselfe; That Iob adjures the earth, not to cover his blood, that is, not to cover the shedding of his blood, not to conspire with the malice of his enemies so much, as to deny him buriall when he was dead, that they which trod him downe alive, might not triumph over him after his death, or conclude that God did certainly forsake him alive, since he continued these declarations against him, when he was dead. And this also may have good use, but yet it is too narrow, and too shallow, to bee the sense of this phrase, this elegancy, this vehemency of the Holy Ghost, in the mouth of Iob.

S. Chrysostome, I think, was the first that gave light to the sense of this place. He saies, that such men, as are (as they thinke) over-punished, have naturally a desire, that the world knew their faults; that so, by comparing their faults with their punishments, there might arise some pitty and commiseration of their state. And, surely, this, that Chryso­stome sayes, is true, and naturall; for, if two men were to be executed together, by one kinde of death, the one for stealing a Sheep, (perchance in hunger) the other for killing his Father, certainly, he that had but stollen the Sheep, would be sorry the world should think their cases alike, or that he had killed a Father too. And in such an affection Iob sayes, I am so far from being guilty of those things that are imputed to me, that I would be content, that all that ever I have done, were knowne to all the world.

This light, which S. Chrysost. gave to this place, shined not out, (I think) till the Re­formation; for, I have not observed any Author, between Chrysostome and the Reforma­tion, that hath taken knowledge of this interpretation; nor any of the Reformation, as from him, from Chrysostome. But, since our Authors of the Reformation, have some­what generally pursued that sense, ( Calvin hath done so, and so Tremellius, and so Pis­cator, and many, many more) now, one Author of the Romane Church, (one as curious and diligent in interpreting obscure places of Scripture, as any amongst them, and then more bold and confident in departing from their vulgar, and frivolous, and impertinent interpretations of Scriptures, then any amongst them) the Capuchin Bolduc, hath also pursued that sense. That sense is, that in this adjuration, or imprecation, O Earth cover not thou my blood; Blood is not literally bodily blood, but spirituall blood, the blood of the soule, exhausted by many, and hainous sins, such as they insimulated Iob of. For, in [Page 132]this signification, is that word, Blood, often taken in the Scriptures. When God sayes, when you stretch forth your hands, Esay 1.15. Psal. 51.14. they are full of blood, there blood is all manner of rapine, of oppression, of concussion, of violence. When David prayes to be delivered from blood­guiltinesse, it is not intended onely, of an actuall shedding of blood, for, it is in the Origi­nall, à sanguinibus, in the plurall; other crimes then the actuall shedding of blood, are bloody crimes. Ezech 7.23. Therefore, sayes one Prophet, the land is full of bloody crimes; And, ano­ther, blood toucheth blood, Hosea 4.2. whom the Chalde Paraprase expresses aright, Aggregant pec­cata peccatis, blood toucheth blood, when sin induces sin. Which place of Hosea, S. Gre­gory interprets too, then blood touches blood, cum ante oculos Dei, adjunctis peccatis cru­entatur anima; Then God sees a soule in her blood, when she wounds and wounds her selfe againe, with variation of divers, or iteration of the same sins.

This then being thus established, that blood in this Text, is the blood of the soule, exhausted by sin, (for every sin is an incision of the soule, a Lancination, a Phlebotomy, a letting of the soule blood, and then, a delight in sin, is a going with open veines into a warme bath, and bleeding to death) This will be the force of Iobs Admiration, or Impre­cation, O Earth cover not thou my blood, I am content to stand as naked now, as I shall doe at the day of Judgement, when all men shall see all mens actions, I desire no disguise, I deny, I excuse, I extenuate nothing that ever I did, I would mine enemies knew my worst, that they might study some other reason of Gods thus proceeding with me, then those hainous sinnes, which, from these afflictions, they will necessarily conclude against me.

But had Iob been able to have stood out this triall? Was Iob so innocent, as that he need not care, though all the world knew all? Perchance there may have been some excesse, some inordinatenesse in his manner of his expressing it; we cannot excuse the vehemence of some holy men, in such expressions. We cannot say, that there was no excesse in Moses his Dele me, Pardon this people, or blot my name out of thy booke; or that there was no excesse in S. Pauls Anathema pro fratribus, That he wished to be accursed, to be separated from Christ for his brethren. But for Iob, we shall not need this excuse; for, either we may restraine his words to those sins, which they imputed to him, and then they have but the nature of that protestation, which David made so often to God, Iudge me, O Lord, according to my righteousnesse, according to mine innocency, according to the clean­nesse of my hands; which was not spoken by David simply, but respectively, not of all his sins, but of those which Saul pursued him for: Or, if we enlarge Iobs words generally to all his sins, we must consider them to be spoken after his repentance, and reconciliation to God thereupon; If they knew, (may Iob have said) how it stood between God and my soule, how earnestly I have repented, how fully he hath forgiven, they would never say, these afflictions proceeded from those sins.

And truly, so may I, so may every soule say, that is rectified, refreshed, restored, re­established by the seales of Gods pardon, and his mercy, so the world would take know­ledge of the consequences of my sins, as well as of the sins themselves, and read my leafes on both sides, and heare the second part of my story, as well as the first; so the world would look upon my temporall calamities, the bodily sicknesses, and the penuriousnesse of my fortune contracted by my sins, and upon my spirituall calamities, dejections of spi­rit, sadnesse of heart, declinations towards a diffidence and distrust in the mercy of God, and then, when the world sees me in this agony and bloody sweat, in this agony and bloody sweat would also see the Angels of heaven ministring comforts unto me; so they would consider me in my Peccavi, and God in his Transtulit, Me in my earnest Confessi­ons, God in his powerfull Absolutions, Me drawne out of one Sea of blood, the blood of mine owne soule, and cast into another Sea, the bottomelesse Sea of the blood of Christ Jesus; so they would know as well what God hath done for my soule, as what my soule and body have done against my God; so they would reade me throughout, and look upon me altogether, I would joyne with Iob, in his confident adjuration, O Earth cover not thou my blood; Let all the world know all the sins of my youth, and of mine age too, and I would not doubt, but God should receive more glory, and the world more be­nefit, then if I had never sinned. This is that that exalts Iobs confidence, he was guilty of nothing, that is, no such thing as they concluded upon, of nothing absolutely, because he had repented all. And from this, his confidence rises to a higher pitch then this, Nec clamor, O Earth cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

What meanes Iob in this? Doubtfull Expositors make us doubt too. Some have said, Clamor. that Iob desires his cry might have no place, that is, no termination, no resting place, but that his just complaint might be heard over all the world; Stunnica the Augustinian in­terprets it so. Some have said, that he intends by his cry, his crying sins, that they might have no place, that is, no hiding place, but that his greatest sins, and secret sins might be brought to light; Bolduc the Capuchin interprets it so; according to that use of the word Clamor, God looked for righteousnesse, & ecce clamorem, behold a cry; that is, Esay 5.7. sins crying in the eares of God. But there is more then so, in this phrase, in this elegancy, in this ve­hemency of the Holy Ghost in Iobs mouth, Let my cry have no place.

In the former part, ( Iobs Protestation) he considered God and man; righteousnesse to­wards man in cleane hands, and, in pure prayers, devotion towards God. In this part, (his Manifest) he pursues the same method, he considers man, and God; Though men knew all my sins, that should not trouble me, sayes he, (and that we have considered) yea, though my cry finde no place, no place with God, that should not trouble me; I should be content that God should seeme not to heare my prayers, but that hee laid me open to that ill interpretation of wicked men, Tush, he prayes, but the Lord heares him not, he cries, but God relieves him not. And yet, when wilt thou relieve me, O thou reliever of men, if not upon my cries, upon my prayers? Yet, S. Augustine hath repea­ted that, more then once, more then twice, Non est magnum exaudiri ad voluntatem, non est magnum; Be not over-joyed when God grants thee thy prayer. Exauditi ad voluntatem Daemones, sayes that Father, The Devill had his prayer granted, when he had leave to enter into the Heard of Swine; And so he had (sayes he, exemplifying in our present ex­ample) when he obtained power from God against Iob. But all this aggravated the De­vils punishment; so may it doe thine, to have some prayers granted. And, as that must not over-joy thee, if it be, so if thy prayer be not granted, it must not deject thee. God suffe­red S. Paul to pray, and pray and pray, yet, after his thrice praying, granted him not that he prayed for. God suffered that si possibile, if it be possiblle, and that Transeat calix, Let this Cup passe, to passe from Christ himselfe, yet he granted it not.

But, in many of these cases, a man does easilier satisfie his owne minde, then other men. If God grant me not my prayer, I recover quickly, and I lay hold upon the hornes of that Altar, and ride safely at that Anchor, God saw that that which I prayed for, was not so good for him, nor so good for me. But when the world shall come to say, Where is now your Religion, where is your Reformation? doe not all other Rivers, as well as the Tiber, or the Poe, does not the Seine, and the Rhene, and the Maene too, begin to ebbe back, and to empty it selfe in the Sea of Rome? why should not your Thames doe so, as well as these other Rivers? Where is now your Religion, your Reformation? Were not you as good run in the same channell as others doe? This is a shrewd tenta­tion, and induces opprobrious conclusions from malicious enemies, when our cries have no place, our religious service no present acceptation, our prayers no speedy return from God. But yet because even in this, God may propose farther glory to himselfe, more be­nefit to me, and more edification even to them, at last, who, at first, made ill constructi­ons of his proceedings, I admit, as Iob admits, O Earth cover not thou my blood, (let all the world see all my faults) and let my cry have no place, (let them imagine that God hath forsaken me, and does not heare my prayers;) my satisfaction, my acquiescence arises not out of their opinion, and interpretation, that must not be my triall, but testis in coelis, My witnesse is in heaven, and my record is on high, which is our third, and last Conside­ration.

We must doe in this last, as we have done in our former two parts, crack a shell, 3 Part. to tast the kernell, cleare the words, to gaine the Doctrine. I am ever willing to assist that ob­servation, That the books of Scripture are the eloquentest books in the world, that eve­ry word in them hath his waight and value, his taste and verdure. And therefore must not blame those Translators, nor those Expositors, who have, with a particular elegancy, varied the words in this last clause of the Text, my witnesse, and my record. The oldest Latine Translation received this variation, and the last Latine, even Tremellius himselfe, (as close as he sticks to the Hebrew) retaines this variation, Testis, and Conscius. And that collection, which hath been made upon this variation, is not without use, that conscius may be spoken de interno, that God will beare witnesse to my inward conscience; and testis, de externo, that God will, in his time, testifie to the world in my behalfe. But other [Page 134]places of Scripture will more advance that observation of the elegancy thereof, then this; for in this, the two words signifie but one and the same thing, it is but witnesse, and witnesse, and no more. Not that it is easie to finde in Hebrew (nor, perchance, in any lan­guage) two words so absolutely Synonymous, as to signifie the same thing, without any difference, but that the two words in our Text are not both of one language, not both Hebrew. For, the first word, Gned, is an Hebrew word, but the other, Sahad, is Syriaque; and both signifie alike, Levit. 5.1. and equally, testem, a witnesse. He that heares the voyce of swea­ring, and is a witnesse, sayes Moses, in the first word of our Text; and then the Chalde Pa­raphrase, intending the same thing, expresses it in the other word, Sahad. So in the con­tract between Laban and Jacob, Gen. 31.47. Laban calls that heap of stones, which he had erected, Iegar-Sehadutha, by an extraction from the last word of our Text, Sahad; Jacob calls it, by the first word: And the reason is given in the body of the Text it selfe, in the vulgat Edition, (though how it got thither, we know not, for, in the Originall it is not) Vter (que) juxta proprietatem lingua suae; Laban spake in his language, Syriaque, Jacob spake in his, Hebrew, and both called that heape of stones, a witnesse.

Now, our bestowing this little time upon the clearing of the words, hath saved us much more time; for, by this meanes we have shortned this clause of our Text, and all that we are to consider, is but this, My witnesse is in heaven. And truly, that is enough; I care not though all the world knew all my faults, I care not what they conclude of Gods not granting my prayers, my witnesse is in heaven. To be condemned unjustly amongst men, to be ill interpreted in the acts of my Religion, is a heavy case; but yet, I have a reliefe in all this, my witnesse is in heaven.

The first comfort is, Quia in Coelis. Quia in Coelis, because he, whom I rely upon, is in heaven. For, that is the foundation and Basis upon which our Saviour erects that prayer, which he hath recommended unto us, Qui es in coelis, Our Father, which art in heaven; when I lay hold upon him there, in heaven, I pursue cheerefully and confidently all the other petitions, for daily bread, for forgivenesse of sins, for deliverance from tentations; from, and for all. Psal. [...] Acts. [...] Est in coelis, he is in heaven, and then Sedet in coelis, be sits in heaven; That as I see him in that posture that Stephen saw him, standing at the right hand of the Father, and so, in procinctu, in a readinesse, in a willingnesse to come to my succour, so I might contem­plate him in a judiciary posture, in a potestative, a soveraigne posture, sitting, and consi­der him as able, as willing to relieve me. He is in heaven, and he sits in heaven, and then habitat in coelis, he dwels in heaven, Psal. 113.5. he is, and he is alwayes there. Baals Priests could not alwaies finde him at home; Iobs God, and our God is never abroad. He dwels in the heavens, and, (as it is expressed there) In excelsis, he dwels on high; so high, that, (as it is there added) God humbles himselfe, to behold the things that are in heaven. With what amazednesse must we consider the humiliation of God, in descending to the earth, lower then so, to hell, when even his descending unto heaven, is a humiliation? God humbles himselfe, when he beholds any thing lower then himselfe, though Cherubins, though Seraphins, though the humane nature, the body of his owne, and onely eternall Son; and yet he beholds, considers, studies us, wormes of the earth, and no men.

This then is Iobs, Testis. and our first comfort, Quia in coelis, because he is in heaven, and sits in heaven, and dwels in heaven, in the highest heaven, and so, sees all things. But then, if God see, and say nothing, David apprehends that for a most dangerous condition; and therefore he sayes, Psal. 28.1. Psal. 1 [...].1. Be not silent, O Lord, lest if thou be silent, I perish. And againe, Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise, for the mouth of the wicked is opened against me: And, Lord, let thy mercy be as forward as their malice. And therefore, as God, from that heighth, sees all, (and the strictest examination that we put upon any Witnesse, is, that if he pre­tend to testifie any thing upon his knowledge, we aske, how he came by that knowledge, and if he be oculatus testis, a Witnesse that saw it, this is good evidence) as God is to this purpose, all eye, and sees all, so for our farther comfort, he descends to the office of be­ing a Witnesse, There is a Witnesse in heaven.

But then, Testis meus. God may be a Witnesse, and yet not my Witnesse, and in that, there is small comfort, [...] 29.22. if God be a Witnesse on my adversaries side, a Witnesse against me. Even I know, and am a Witnesse, saith the Lord; that is, a Witnesse of the sins, which I know by thee. Job 10.27. And that is that which Iob, with so much tendernesse apprehended, Thou renewest thy witnesses against me; Thou sent'st a witnesse against me, in the Sabaeans, upon my servants; and then, thou renewedst that witnesse in the Caldaeans upon my cattell; and then, thou [Page 135]renewedst that, in thy stormes and tempests, upon my children. All this while God was a Witnesse, but not his witnesse, but a witnesse on his adversaries side. Now, if our own heart, our owne conscience condemne us, this is shrewd evidence, saies S. Iohn; 1 Iohn 3.20 for mine owne conscience, single, is a thousand witnesses against me. But then, (saies the Apostle there) God is greater then the heart; for, (saies he) he knowes all things; He knowes circumstances of sinne, as well as substance; and, that, we seldome know, seldome take knowledge of. If then mine owne heart be a thousand, God, that is greater, is ten thou­sand witnesses, if he witnesse against me. But if he be my Witnesse, a Witnesse for me, as he alwaies multiplies in his waies of mercy, he is thousands of thousands, millions of millions of witnesses in my behalfe, for there is no condemation, no possible condemnation, Rom. 8.1. to them that are in him; not, if every graine of dust upon the earth were an Achitophel, and gave counsell against me, not if every sand upon the shoare were a Rabshakeh, and railed against me, not if every atome in the ayre were a Satan, an Adversary, an Accuser, not if every drop in the Sea, were an Abaddon, an Apollyon, a Destroyer, there could be no condemuation, if he be my Witnesse. If he be my Witnesse, he proceeds thus in my behalfe, his Spirit beares witnesse with my spirit, for mine inward assurance, that I stand established in his favour, and, either by an actuall deliverance, or by some such declara­tion, as shall preserve me from fainting, if I be not actually delivered, he gives a farther testimony in my behalfe. For, he is in Heaven, and he sits in Heaven, and he dwels in Heaven, in the highest Heaven, and sees all, and is a Witnesse, and my Witnesse; there is the largenesse of our comfort.

But will all this come home to Iobs end and purpose; Iude [...]. That he need not care though all men knew all his faults, he need not care though God passed over his prayers, because God is his Witnesse; what declarations soever he had in himselfe, would the world be­leeve, that God testified in his behalfe, when they saw his calamities multiplied upon him, and his prayers neglected? If they will not, herein lyes his, and our finall comfort, That he that is my Witnesse, is in the highest Heaven, there is no person above him, and therefore He that is my Witnesse, is my Judge too. I shall not be tried by an arbitrary Court, where it may be wisdome enough, to follow a wise leader, and think as he thinks. I shall not be tried by a Jury, that had rather I suffered, then they fasted, rather I lost my life, then they lost a meale. Nor tryed by Peeres, where Honour shall be the Bible. But I shall be tryed by the King himselfe, then which no man can propose a Nobler tryall, and that King shall be the King of Kings too; for, He, V. 5. who in the first of the Revelati­on, is called The faithfull Witnesse, is, in the same place, called The Prince of the Kings of the earth; and, as he is there produced as a Witnesse, so, Acts 10 42. Iohn 5.22. He is ordained to be the Iudge of the quick and the dedd, and so, All Iudgement is committed to him. He that is my Witnesse, is my Judge, and the same person is my Jesus, my Saviour, my Redeemer; He that hath taken my nature, He that hath given me his blood. So that he is my Witnesse, in his owne cause, and my Judge, but of his owne Title, and will, in me, preserve himselfe; He will not let that nature, that he hath invested, perish, nor that treasure, which he hath poured out for me, his blood, be ineffectuall. My Witnesse is in Heaven, my Judge is in Heaven; my Redeemer is in Heaven, and in them, who are but One, I have not onely a constant hope, that I shall be there too, but an evident assurance, that I am there already, in his Person.

Go then in this peace, That you alwaies study to preserve this testification of the Spi­rit of God, by outward evidences of Sanctification. You are naturally composed of foure Elements, and three of those foure are evident, and unquestioned; The fourth Ele­ment, the element of Fire, is a more litigious element, more problematicall, more dispu­table. Every good man, every true Christian, in his Metaphysicks,(for, in a regenerate man, all is Metaphysicall, supernaturall) hath foure Elements also; and three of those foure are declared in this text. First, a good Name, the good opinion of good men, for honest dealing in the world, and religious discharge of duties towards God, That there be no injustice in our hands, Also that our prayer be pure. A second Element is a good conscience in my selfe, That either a holy warinesse before, or a holy repentance after, settle me so in God, as that I care not though all the world knew all my faults. And a third element is, my Hope in God, that my Witnesse which is in Heaven, will testifie for me, as a witnesse in my behalfe, here, or acquit me, as a mercifull Judge, hereafter. Now, there may be a fourth Element, an Infallibility of finall perseverance, grounded [Page 136]upon the eternall knowledge of God; but this is, as the Element of fire, which may be, but is not, at least, is not so discernable, so demonstrable as the rest. And therefore, as men argue of the Element of fire, that whereas the other elements produce creatures in such abundance, The Earth such heards of Cattell, the Waters such shoales of Fish, the Aire such flocks of Birds, it is no unreasonable thing, to stop upon this consideration, whether there should be an element of fire, more spacious, and comprehensive then all the rest, and yet produce no Creatures; so, if thy pretended Element of Infallibility pro­duce no creatures, no good works, no holy actions, thou maist justly doubt there is no such element in thee. In all doubts that arise in thee, still it will be a good rule, to choose that now, which thou wouldst choose upon thy death-bed. If a tentation to Beauty, to Riches, to Honour, be proposed to thee, upon such, and such conditions, consider whe­ther thou wouldst accept that, upon those conditions, upon thy death-bed, when thou must part with them, in a few minutes. So, when thou doubtest, in what thou shouldst place thy assurance in God, thinke seriously, whether thou shalt not have more com­fort then, upon thy death-bed, in being able to say, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, I have fulfilled the sufferings of Christ in my flesh, I have cloathed him when he was naked, and fed him when he was poore, then in any other thing, that thou maiest conceive God to have done for thee; And doe all the way, as thou wouldst do then; prove thy element of fire, by the creatures it produces, prove thine election by thy sanctification; for that is the right method, and shall deliver thee over, infallibly, to ever­lasting glory at last, Amen.

SERMON XIV. Preached at VVhite-hall, March 3. 1619.

FOr the presenting of the woes and judgements of God, denounced by the Prophets against Judah and Israel, and the extending and applying them to others, involved in the same sins as Judah and Israel were, Solomon seemes to have given us somewhat a cleare direction; Prov. 9.8. Reprove not a scor­ner lest he hate thee, Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee. But how if the wiseman and this scorner bee all in one man, all one person? If the wiseman of this world bee come to take S. Paul so literally at his word, as to thinke scornefully that preaching is indeed but the foolishnesse of preaching, and that as the Church is within the State, so preaching is a part of State government, flexible to the present occasions of time, appliable to the present dispositions of men; This fell upon this Pro­phet in this prophecie, Amos 7.10. Amasias the Priest of Bethel informed the King that Amos medled with matters of State, and that the Land was not able to beare his words, and to Amos him­selfe he saies, Eate thy bread in someother place, but prophecy here no more, for this is the Kings Chappell, Amos 23. and the Kings Court; Amos replies, I was no Prophet nor the son of a Prophet, but in an other course, and the Lord tooke me and said unto me, Goe and Prophecie to my People. Though we finde no Amasiah no mis-interpreting Priest here, (wee are farre from that, because we are far from having a Ieroboam to our King as he had, easie to give eare, easie to give credit to false informations) yet every man that comes with Gods Message hi­ther, brings a little Amasiah of his owne, in his owne bosome, a little wisperer in his owne heart, that tels him, This is the Kings Chappell, and it is the Kings Court, and these woes and judgements, and the denouncers and proclaimers of them are not so acceptable here. But we must have our owne Amos, aswell as our Amasias, this answer to this suggesti­on, I was no Prophet, and the Lord tooke me and bad me prophecy. What shall I doe?

And besides, since the woe in this Text is not S. Iohns wo? his iterated, his multiplied wo, Vae, vae, vae habitantibus terram, Apoc. 8.13. a woe of desolation upon the whole world (for God loves this world, as the worke of his owne hands, as the subject of his providence, as the Scene of his glory, as the Garden-plot that is watered by the Blood of his Son:) Since the Woe in this Text is not Esaies wo, Vae genti peccatrici, Esay 1.4. an increpation and commination upon our whole Nation (for God hath not come so neare to any Nation, and dealt so well with any Nation as with ours:) Since the Woe in this Text is not Ezekiels Woe, Ezek. 24 [...]. Vae Civitati sanguinum, an imputation of injustice or oppression, and consequently of a male­diction laid upon the whole City (for God hath carried his woes upon other Cities, Vae Chorasin, vae Bethsaida; God hath laid his heavy hand of warre and other calamities upon other Cities, that this City might see her selfe and her calamities long before in that glasse, and so avoid them:) Since the Woe in this Text, is not the Prophets other woe, Ezek. 44.6. Ios. 24.15. Vae domui, not a woe upon any family (for when any man in his family comes to Ioshua's protestation, Ego & domus mea, As for me and my house we will serve the Lord, the Lord comes to his protestation, In mille generationes, Esay 28.1. I will shew mercy to thee and thy house for a thousand generations:) Since the Woe in this Text, is not Esaies woe againe, Vae Coronae, (for, the same Prophet tels us of what affection they are, that they are Idolaters, persons inclin'd to an idolatrous and superstitious Religion, and fret themselves, Esay 8.2 [...]. and curse the King and their God; we know that the Prophets Vae Coronae in that place is Vae Coronae superbiae, and the crowne and heighth of Pride is in him, who hath set himselfe above all that is called God. Christian Princes know that if their Crownes were but so as they seeme (all gold) they should bee but so much the heavier for being all gold; but they are but Crownes of thornes gilded, specious cares, glorious troubles, and therefore no sub­ject of pride:) To contract this, since the Woe in this Text, is no State woe, nor Church woe, for it is not Ezechiels Vae Pastoribus insipientibus, which cannot feed their flock, Ezek. 23.3. Ier. 23.1. nor Ieremies Vae Pastoribus disperdentibus, Woe unto those lazie Shepheards, which doe not feed their flock but suffer them to scatter: Snce the Woe in this Text is not a woe upon the whole World, nor upon the whole Nation, nor upon the whole City, nor upon any whole Family, nor upon any whole ranke or calling of men, when I have asked with Solomon, Cui vae? to whom belongs this woe? I must answer with S. Paul, Vae mihi, Prov. 23.19. 1 Cor. 9.16. woe unto me if I doe not tell them to whom it belongs. And therefore since in spirituall things especially charity begins with it selfe, I shall transferre this Vae from my selfe, by laying it upon them, whom your owne conscience shall find it to belong unto; Vae deside­rantibus diem Domini; Woe be unto them that desire the day of the Lord, &c.

But yet if these words can be narrow in respect of persons, it is strange, for in respect of the sins that they are directed upon, they have a great compasse; they reach from that high fin of Presumption, and contempt, and deriding the day of the Lord, the judgements of God, and they passe through the sin of Hypocrisie, when we make shift to make the world, and to make our selves beleeve that we are in good case towards God, and would be glad that the day of the Lord, the day of judgement would come now; and then they come downe to the deepest sin, the sin of Desperation, of an unnaturall valuing of this life, when overwhelmed with the burden of other sins, or with Gods punishment for them; men grow to a murmuring wearinesse of this life, and to an impatient desire, and perchance to a practise of their owne ends: In the first acceptation, the day of the Lord is the day of his Judgements and afflictions in this life; In the second, the day of the Lord is the day of the generall judgement; And in the third, the day of the Lord, is that Cre­pusculum that twilight betweene the two lives, or rather that Meridies noctis, as the Poet cals it, that noone of night, the houre of our death and transmigration out of this world. And if any desire any of these daies of the Lord, out of any of these indispositions, out of presumption, out of hypocrisie, out of desperation, he fals within the compasse of this Text, and from him we cannot take off this Vae desiderantibus.

First then the Prophet directs himself most literally upon the first sin of Presumpti­on. They were come to say, 1 Part. that in truth whatsoever the Prophet declaimed in the streets, there was no such thing as Dies Domini, any purpose in God to bring such hea­vy judgements upon them; to the Prophets themselves they were come to say, You your selves live parched and macerated in a starved and penurious fortune, and therefore you cry out that all we must die of famine too, you your selves have not a foot of land a mong all the Tribes, & therfore you cry out that all the Tribes must be carried into ano­ther [Page 138]Land in Captivity. That which you call the Day of the Lord is come upon you, beggery, and nakednesse, and hunger, contempt, and affliction, and imprisonment is come upon you, and therefore you will needs extend this day upon the whole State, but desideramus, we would fain see any such thing come to passe, we would fain see God goe about to do any such thing, as that the State should not be wise enough to prevent him. To see a Prophet neglected, because he will not flatter, to see him despised below, be­cause he is neglected above, to see him injured, insulted upon, and really damnified, be­cause he is despised, All this is dies mundi, and not dies Domini, it is the ordinary course of the world, and no extraordinary day of the Lord, but that there should be such a stu­por and consternation of minde and conscience as you talk of, and that that should be so expressed in the countenance, Lam. 4.7. that they which had been purer then snow, whiter then milk, redder then Rubies, smoother then Saphirs, should not only be, as in other cases, pale with a sudden feare, but blacker in face then a coale, as the Prophet sayes there, that they should not be able to set a good face upon their miseries, nor disguise them with a confident countenance, that there should be such a consternation of countenance and conscience, and then such an excommunication of Church and State, as that the whole body of the children of Israel should be without King, Hos. 3.4. without Sacrifice, without Ephod, without Tera­fim, Desideramus, We would fain see such a time, we would fain see such a God as were so much too hard for us.

They had seen such a God before, they had known that that God had formerly brought all the people upon the face of the earth so neare to an annihilation, so neare to a new creation, as to be but eight persons in the generall flood, they had seen that God to have brought their own numerous, and multitudinous Nation, their 600000. men that came out of Aegypt to that paucity, as that but two of them are recorded to enter into the land of promise, And could they doubt what that God could do, or would do upon them? Or as Ieremy saith, Jer. 12. Could they belie the Lord, and say it is not he? neither shall evill come up­on us, or shall we see sword and famine? God expressed his anger thrice upon this people, in their State, in their form of government, First he exprest it in giving them a King, for though that be the best form of government in it self, yet for that people at that time, God saw it not to be the fittest, and so it was extorted from him, and he gave them their King in anger. Secondly, he expressed his anger in giving them two Kings in the de­section of the ten Tribes, and division of the two Kingdomes. Thirdly, he exprest his anger in leaving them without any King after this Captivity which was prophesied here.

Now of those 6000. yeares, which are vulgarly esteemed to be the age and terme of this world, 3000. were past before the division of the Kingdome, and presently upon the division, they argued à divisibili ad corruptibile, whatsoever may be broken and divided may come to nothing. It is the devils way to come to destruction by breaking of unions. There was a contract between God and Iob, because Iob loved and feared him, and there the devill attempts to draw away the head from the union, God from Iob, with that sug­gestion, Doth Iob serve thee for nothing? Doest thou get any thing by this union? or doth not Iob serve himself upon thee? There was a naturall, an essentiall, an eternall union between the Father and the Son in the Trinity, and the devill sought to break that. If he could break the union in the Godhead, he saw not why he might not destroy the God­head. The devill was Logician good enough, Omne divisibile corruptibile, whatsoever may be broken, may be annihilated. And the devill was Papist good enough, Schisma aequipollet haeresi, Whosoever is a Schismatick, departed from the obedience of the Ro­mane Church, is easily brought within compasse of heresie too, because it is a matter of faith to affirm a necessity of such an obedience. And therefore the devil attempts to make that Schisme in the Trinity, with that, Si filius Deies, Make these stones bread, If thou beest the Son of God, cast thy self down from this Pinnacle, that is, do something of thy self, exceed thy commission, and never attend so punctually all thy directions from thy Fa­ther. In Iobs case he would draw the head from the union; In Christs case he would alienate the Son from the Father, because division is the fore runner (and alas, but a lit­tle way the fore-runner) of destruction. And therefore assoon as that Kingdome was come to a division between ten and two Tribes, between a King of Judah, and a King of Israel, presently upon it, and in the compasse of a very short time arose all those Prophets that prophesied of a destruction; assoon as they saw a division, they foresaw a destructi­on. And therefore when God had shewed before what he could doe, and declared by his [Page 139]Prophets then what he would doe, Vae desiderantibus, Woe unto them that say, Esay 5.18. Let him make speed and hasten his work, that we may see it: That is, that are yet confident that no such thing shall fall upon us, and confident with a scorn, 2 Pet. 3.4. and fulfill that which the Apostle saith, There shall come in the latter daies scoffers, saying, Where is the promise of his comming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning at the Crea­tion. But God shall answer their scorn with scorn, as in Ezekiel, Son of man, Ezek. 12.22. What is that Proverb which you have in the Land of Israel, saying, The dayes are prolonged, and eve­ry vision failes? That is, the Prophets talk of great calamities, but we are safe enough, Tell them (sayes the Lord) I will make their proverb to cease, I will speak and it shall come to passe; in your dayes, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and per-form it.

And therefore ut quid vobis? what should you pretend to desire that day? what can ye get by that day? Because you have made a covenant with death, and are at an agreement with hell, when that Invadens flagellum, (as the Prophet with an elegant horror, if they can consist, expresses it) when that over-flowing scourge shall passe through, shall it not come to you? Why? Esay 20.15. who are you? have you thought of it before hand, considered it, digested it, and resol­ved, that in the worst that can fall, your vocall constancy, and your humane valour shall sustaine you from all dejection of spirit? what judgement of God soever shall fall upon you, whensoever this dies Domini shall break out upon you, you have light in your selves, and by that light you shall see light, and passe through all incommodities. Be not decei­ved, this day of the Lord is darknesse and not light, the first blast, the first breath of his indignation blowes out thy candle, extinguishes all thy Wisedome, all thy Counsells, all thy Philosophicall sentences, disorders thy Seneca, thy Plutarch, thy Tacitus, and all thy premeditations; for the sword of the Lord is a two-edged sword, it cuts bodily, and it cuts ghostly, it cuts temporally, and it cuts spiritually, it cuts off all worldly reliefe from others, and it cuts off all Christian patience, and good interpretation of Gods correction in thine owne heart.

Vt quid vobis? what can you get by that day? can you imagine that though you have beene benighted under your owne obduration and security before, yet when this day of the Lord, the day of affliction shall come, afflictio dabit intellectum, the day will bring light of it selfe, the affliction will give understanding, and it will be time enough to see the danger and the remedy both at once, and to turne to God by that light, which that affliction shall give? Be not deceived, dies Domini tenebrae, this day of the Lord will be darknesse and not light. God hath made two great lights for man, the Sun, and the Moone; God doth manifest himselfe two waies to man, by prosperity, and adversity; but if there were no Sun, there would be no light in the Moone neither; If there be no sense of God in thy greatnesse, in thy abundance, it is a dark time to seek him in the clouds of affliction, and heavinesse of heart. Experience teacheth us, that if we be reading any book in the evening, if the twilight surprise us, and it growes dark, yet we can reade lon­ger in that book which we were in before, then if we took a new book of another subject into our hands: If we have been accustomed to the contemplation of God in the Sun­shine of prosperity, we shall see him better in the night of misery, then if we began but then, Vae desiderantibus. If you seem to desire that day of the Lord, because you doe not beleeve that that day will come, or because you beleeve that when that day comes, it will be time enough to rectifie your selves, then, Vi quod vobis? this day shall be good for nothing to either of you, for to both you it shall be darknesse, and not light.

The dayes which God made for man were darknesse, and then light, still the evening and the morning made up the day. The day which the Lord shall bring upon secure and carnall men, is darknesse without light, judgements without any beames of mercy shine through them, such judgements, as if we will consider the vehemency of them, we shall finde them expressed in such an extraordinary heighth, as scarce anywhere else in Iercmy, Men shall ask one of another if they be in labour, whether they travell with childe. Ier. 3 [...].7. Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loines, as a woman in travell? Alas, because that day is great, and none is like it. This is the unexpected and unconsidered strangenesse of that day, if we consider the vehemency, and if we consider the suddennesse, the speed of bringing that day upon secure man. That is intimated very sufficiently in another story of the same Prophet, that when he had said to the Prophet Hananiah, Jer 28.16. That he should die within a year, when God saith, his judgements shall come shortly, if then we consider the vehemency, or the nearnesse of the day of the Lord, the day of his visitation, we shall be [Page 140]glad to say with that Prophet, Ier. 17.16. As for me I have not desired that wofull day thou knowest, that is, I have neither doubted but that there shall be such a day, nor I have not put off my repentance to that day, for what can that do good to either of those dispositions, when to them it shall be darknesse, and not light?

Now this Woe of this Prophet thus denounced against contemptuous scorners of the day of the Lord, 2 Part. as that day signifies afflictions in this life, have had no subject to work up­on this congregation (as by Gods grace there is none of that distemper here) it is a piece of a Sermon well lost; and God be blessed that it hath had no use, that no body needed it. But as the Woe is denounced in the second acceptation against Hypocrites, so it is a chain-shot, and in every congregation takes whole rankes, and here Dies Domini is the last day of Judgement, and the desire in the Text is not, as before, a denying that any such day should be, but it is an hypocriticall pretence, that we have so well performed our du­ties, as that we should be glad if that day would come, and then the darknesse of the Text is everlasting condemnation.

For this day of the Lord then, the last day of judgement, consider only, or reflect on­ly upon these three circumstances: First, there is Lex violata, a law given to thee and bro­ken by thee. Secondly, there is Testis prolatus, Evidence produced against thee, and con­fessed by thee. And then there is Sententia lata, A judgement given against thee, and executed upon thee.

For the Law first, when that Law is To love God with all thy power, not to scatter thy love upon any other creature, when the Law is not to do, not to covet any ill, wilt thou say this Law doth not concern me, because it is impossible in it self, for this coveting, this first concupiscence is not in a mans own power? Why, this Law was possible to man, when it was given to man, for it was naturally imprinted in the heart of man, when man was in his state of innocency, and then it was possible, and the impossibility that is grown in­to it since, is by mans own fault. Man by breaking the Law, hath made the Law impos­sible, and himself inexcusable; wilt thou say with that man in the Gospell, Omnia haec à juventute, I have kept all this Law from my youth? From thy youth? remember thy youth well, and what Law thou keptst then, and thou wilt finde it to be another Law, Lex in membris, A Law of the flesh warring against the Law of the minde, nay thou wilt finde that thou didst never maintain a war against that Law of the flesh, but wast glad that thou camest to the obedience of that Law so soon, and art sorry thou canst follow that Law no longer.

This is the Law, and wilt thou put this to triall? Wilt thou say who can prove it? Who comes in to give evidence against me? All those whom thy sollicitations have o­vercome, and who have overcome thy sollicitations, good and bad, friends and enemies, Wives and Mistresses, persons most incompatible, and contrary, here shall joyne toge­ther, and be of the Jury. If S. Pauls case were so far thy case, as that thou wert in righ­teousnesse unblameable, no man, no woman able to testifie against thee, yet when the records of all thoughts shall be laid open, and a retired and obscure man shall appeare to have been as ambitious in his Cloister, as a pretending man at the Court, and a retired woman in her chamber, appeare to be as licentious as a prostitute woman in the Stews, when the heart shall be laid open, and this laid open too, that some sins of the heart are the greatest sins of all (as Infidelity, the greatest sin of all, is rooted in the heart) and sin produced to action, is but a dilatation of that sin, and all dilatation is some degree of ex­tenuation, (The body sometimes grows weary of acting some sin, but the heart never grows weary of contriving of sin.)

When this shall be that Law, and this the Evidence, what can be the Sentence, but that, Itemaledicti, Go ye accursed into ever lasting fire? where it is not as in the form of our judgement here, You shall be carried to the place of execution, but Ite, Goe, our own con­sciences shall be our executioners, and precipitate us into that condemnation. It is not a Captivity of Babylon for 70. yeares, (and yet 70. yeares is the time of mans life, and why might not so many yeares punishment, expiate so many yeares sinfull pleasure?) but it is 70. millions of millions of generations, for they shall live so long in hell, as God himself in heaven; It is not an imprisonment during the Kings pleasure, but during the Kings displeasure, whom nothing can please nor reconcile, after he shall have made up that account with his Son, and told him, These be all you dyed for, these be all you pur­chased, these be all whom I am bound to save for your sake, for the rest, their portion is everlasting destruction.

Under this law, under this evidence, under this sentence, vae desiderantibus, woe to them that pretend to desire this day of the Lord, as though by their owne outward righ­teousnesse, they could stand upright in this judgement. Woe to them that say, Let God come when he will, it shall goe hard, but he shall finde me at Church, I heare three or foure Sermons a week; he shall finde me in my Discipline and Mortification, I fast twice a week; he shall finde me in my Stewardship and Dispensation, I give tithes of all that I possesse. When Ezechias shewed the Ambassadors of Babylon all his Treasure and his Armour, the malediction of the Prophet fell upon it, that all that Treasure and Armour which he had so gloriously shewed, should be transported to them, to whom he had shew­ed it, into Babylon. He that publishes his good works to the world, they are carried into the world, and that is his reward. Not that there is not a good use of letting our light shine before men too; for when S. Paul sayes, If I yet please men, Gal. 1.10. I should not be the servant of Christ; and when he saith, I doe please all men in all things: S. Austine found no difficulty in reconciling those two; Navem quaero, sayes he, sed & patriam, When I goe to the Ha­ven to hire a Ship, it is for the love I have to my Country; When I declare my faith by my works to men, it is for the love I beare to the glory of God; but if I desire the Lords day upon confidence in these works, vae scirpo, as Iob expresses it, woe unto me poore rush, Job 8.16. for (sayes he) the rush is greene till the Sun come, that is, sayes Gregory upon that place, donec divina districtio in judicio candeat, till the fire of the judgement examine our works, they may have some verdure, some colour, but vae desiderantibus, wo unto them that put them­selves unto that judgement for their works sake.

For ut quid vobis? to what end is it for you? If your hypocriticall security could hold out to the last, if you could delude the world at the last gasp, if those that stand about you then could be brought to say, he went away like a Lambe, alas the Lambe of God went not away so, the Lamb of God had his colluctations, disputations, expostulations, appre­hensions of Gods indignation upon him then: This security, call it by a worse name, stupidity, is not a lying down like a Lamb, but a lying down like Issachers Asse between two burdens, for two greater burdens cannot be, then sin, and the senslesnesse of sin. Vt quid vobis? what will ye doe at that day, which shall be darknesse and not light? God dwels in luce inaccessibili, 1 Tim. 6.16. in such light as no man by the light of nature can comprehend here, but when that light of grace which was shed upon thee here, should have brought thee at last to that inaccessible light, then thou must be cast in tenebras exteriores, Mat. 8.12. into darknesse, and darknesse without the Kingdome of heaven. And if the darknesse of this world, which was but a darknesse of our making, could not comprehend the light, when Christ in his person, brought the light and offered repentance, certainly in that outward darknesse of the next world, the darknesse which God hath made for punishment, they shall see nothing, neither intramittendo, nor extramittendo, neither by receiving offer of grace from heaven, nor in the disposition to pray for grace in hell. For as at our inanimati­on in our Mothers womb, our immortall soule when it comes, swallowes up the other soules of vegetation, and of sense, which were in us before; so at this our regeneration in the next world, the light of glory shall swallow up the light of grace. To as many as shall be within, there will need no grace to supply defects, nor eschew dangers, because there we shall have neither defects nor dangers. There shall be no night, no need of candle, Apoc. 22.5. nor of Sun, for the Lord shall give them light, and they shall raigne for ever and ever. There shall be no such light of grace, as shall work repentance to them that are in the light of glory; neither could they that are in outward darknesse, comprehend the light of grace, if it could flow out upon them. First, you did the works of darknesse, sayes the Apostle, Rom. 13.12. and then that custome, that practice brought you to love darknesse better then light; and then as the Prince of darknesse delights to transforme himselfe into an Angell of light; Iohn 3. so by your hypocrisie you pretend a light of grace, when you are darknesse it selfe, and therefore, at quid vobis? what will you get by that day which is darknesse and not light?

Now as this Woe and commination of our Prophet had one aime, 3. Part. to beat down their scorne which derided the judgements of God in this world, and a second aime to beat downe their confidence, that thought themselves of themselves able to stand in Gods judgements in the next world; so it hath a third mark better then these two, it hath an aime upon them in whom a wearinesse of this life, when Gods corrections are upon them, or some other mistaking of their owne estate and case, works an over-hasty and impatient [Page 142]desire of death, and in this sense and acceptation, the day of the Lord is the day of our death and transmigration out of this world, and the darknesse is still everlasting darknesse. Now for this we take our lesson in Iob, Iob. 7.1. Vita militia, mans life is a warfare; man might have lived at peace, Greg. he himselfe chose a rebellious warre, and now quod volens expetiit nolens portat, that warre which he willingly embarked himselfe in at first, though it be against his will now, he must goe through with. In Iob we have our lesson, and in S. Paul we have our Law, Eph 63. Take ye the whole armour of God, that ye may be able having done all to stand; that is, that having overcome one temptation, you may stand in battle against the next, for it is not adoloscentia militia, but vita; that we should think to triumph if we had overcome the heat and intemperance of youth, but we must fight it out to our lives end. And then we have the reward of this lesson, and of this law limited, nemo coronatur, no man is crow­ned, except he fight according to this law that is, 2 Tim. 2.5. he persever to the end. And as we have our lesson in Iob, our rule and reward in the Apostle, who were both great Commanders in the warfare; Mat. 26.38. so we have our example in our great Generall, Christ Jesus, Who though his soul were heavy, and heavy unto death, though he had a baptisme to be baptised with, & coarctaba­tur, he was straightned, and in paine till it were accomplished, and though he had power to lay down his soul, Iohn 10.18. and take it up againe, and no man else could take it from him, yet he sought it out to the last houre, and till his houre came, he would not prevent it, nor lay downe his soule. Vae desi­derantibus, woe unto them that desire any other end of Gods correction, but what he hath ordained and appointed, for ut quid vobis? what shall you get by choosing your owne wayes? Tenebrae & non lux; They shall passe out of this world, in this inward darknesse of melancholy, and dejection of spirit, into the outward darknesse, which is an everlasting exclusion from the Father of lights, and from the Kingdome of joy; their case is well expressed in the next verse to our Text, they shall flie from a Lyon, and a Beare shall meet them, they shall leane on a wall, and a Serpent shall bite them; they shall end this life by a miserable and hasty death, and out of that death shall grow an immortall life in torments, which no wearinesse, nor desire, nor practice can ever bring to an end.

And here in this acceptation of these words, this vae falls directly upon them who co­louring and apparelling treason in martyrdome, expose their lives to the danger of the Law, Scribanius. & embrace death; these of whom one of their own society saith, that the Scevolaes, the Caves, the Porciaes, the Cleopatraes of the old time, were nothing to the Jesuites, for saith he, they could dye once, but they lacked courage ad multas mortes; perchance hee meanes, that after those men were once in danger of the Law, and forfeited their lives by one comming, they could come again and again, as often as the plentifull mercy of their King would send them away, Rapiunt mortem spontanea irruptione, sayes he to their glo­ry, they are voluntary and violent pursuers of their own death, and as he expresses it, Cre­deres morbo adesos, Baron. Marty­r [...]. 29. De­cemb. you would think that the desire of death is a disease in them; A graver man then he mistakes their case and cause of death as much, you are (saith he, incouraging those of our Nation to the pursuit of death) in sacris septis ad martyrium saginati, fed up and fatned here for martyrdome, & Sacramento sanguinem spospondistis, they have taken an oath that they will be hanged, but that he in whom (as his great patterne God himselfe) mercy is above all his works, out of his abundant sweetnesse makes them perjured when they have so Tworne and vowed their owne ruine. But those that send them, give not the lives of these men so freely, so cheaply as they pretend. But as in dry Pumps, men poure in a little water, that they may pump up more; so they are content to drop in a little blood of imaginary, but traiterous Martyrs, that, by that at last they may draw up at last the royall blood of Princes, and the loyall blood of Subjects; vae desiderantibus, woe to them that are made thus ambitious of their owne ruine, ut quid vobis? Tenebrae & non lux, you are kept in darknesse in this world, and sent into darknesse from heaven into the next, and so your ambition, ad multas mortes, shall be satisfied, you dye more then one death, morte moriemini, this death delivers you to another, from which you shall never be delivered.

We have now past through these three acceptations of these words, Conclusion. which have falne into the contemplation, and meditation of the Ancients in their Expositions of this Text; as this dark day of the Lord, signifies his judgements upon Atheisticall scorners in this world, as it signifies his last irrevocable, and irremediable judgements upon hypocriticall relyers upon their own righteousnesse in the next world, and between both, as it signifies their uncomfortable passage out of this life, who bring their death inordinately upon themselves; and we shall shut up all with one signification more of the Lords day, That, [Page 143]that is the Lords day, of which the whole Lent is the Vigil, and the Eve. All this time of mortification; and our often meeting in this place to heare of our mortality, and our im­mortality, which are the two reall Texts, and Subjects of all our Sermons; All this time is the Eve of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That is the Lords day, when all our mortification, and dejection of spirit, and humbling of our soules, shall be abundantly exalted in his resurrection, and when all our fasts and abstinence shall be abundantly recompenced in the participation of his body & his bloud in the Sacrament; Gods Chancery is alwayes open, and his seale works alwaies; at all times remission of sins may be sealed to a penitent soule in the Sacrament. That clause which the Chancel­lors had in their Patents under the Romane Emperours, Vt praerogativamgerat conscientiae nostrae, is in our commission too, for God hath put his conscience into his Church, & whose sins are remitted there, are remitted in heaven at all times; but yet dies Domini, the Lords resurrection is as the full Terme, a more generall application of this seale of reconciliati­on: But vae desiderantibus, woe unto them that desire that day, only because they would have these dayes of preaching, and prayer, and fasting, and trouble some preparation past and gone. Vae desiderantibus, woe unto them who desire that day, onely, that by rece [...] ­ [...]ing the Sacrament day, that they might delude the world, as though they were not of a contrary religion in their heart; vae desiderantibus, woe unto them who present themselves that day without such a preparation as becomes so fearful and mystesious an action, upon any carnall or collaterall respects. Before that day of the Lord comes, comes the day of his crucifying; before you come to that day, if you come not to a crucifying of your selves to the world, and the world to you, ut quid vobis? what shall you get by that day? you shall prophane that day, and the Author of it, as to make that day of Christs tri­umph, the triumph of Satan, and to make even that body and bloud of Christ Jesus, Vehi­culum Satanae, his Chariot to enter into you, as he did into Iudas. That day of the Lord will be darknesse and not light, and that darknesse will be, that you shall not discerne the Lords body, you shall scatter all your thoughts upon wrangling and controversies, de mo­do, how the Lords body can be there, and you shall not discerne by the effects, nor in your owne conscience, that the Lords body is there at all. But you shall take it to be onely an obedience to civill or Ecclesiasticall constitutions, or onely a testimony of outward con­formity, which should be signaculum & viaticum, a seale of pardon for past sins, and a pro­vision of grace against future. But he that is well prepared for this, strips himselfe of all these vae desiderantibus, of all these comminations that belong to carnall desires, and he shall be as Daniel was, vir desideriorum, a man of chast and heavenly desires onely; hee shall desire that day of the Lord, as that day signifies affliction here, with David, Psal. 119.17. Bonum est mihi quòd humiliasti me, I am mended by my sicknesse, enriched by my poverty; and strengthened by my weaknesse; and with S. Bern. desire, Irascar is mihi Domine, O Lord be angry with me, for if thou chidest me not, thou considerest me not, if I taste no bitter­nesse, I have no Physick; If thou correct me not, I am not thy son: And he shall desire that day of the Lord, as that day signifies, the last judgement, with the desire of the Martyrs under the Altar, Vsquequo Domine? How long, O Lord, ere thou execute judgement? And he shall desire this day of the Lord, as this day is the day of his own death, with S. Pauls desire, Cupio dissolvi, I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. And when this day of the Lord, as it is the day of the Lords resurrection shall come, his soule shall be satified as with marrow, and with fatnesse, in the body and bloud of his Saviour, and in the participation of all his merits, as intirely, as if all that Christ Jesus hath said, and done, and suffered, had beene said, and done, and suffered for his soule alone. Enlarge our daies, O Lord, to that blessed day, prepare us before that day, seale to us at that day, ratifie to us after that day, all the daies of our life, an assurance in that Kingdome, which thy Son our Saviour hath purcha­sed for us, with the inestimable price of his incorruptible bloud, To which glorious Son of God, &c.

SERMON XV. Preached at VVhite-hall, March 8. 1621.

THis is a Text of the Resurrection, and it is not Easter yet; but it is Easter Eve; All Lent, is but the Vigill, the Eve of Easter: to so long a Festivall as never shall end, the Resurrection, wee may well begin the Eve betimes. Forty yeares long was God grieved for that Generation which he loved; let us be content to humble our selves forty daies, to be fitter for that glory which we expect. In the Booke of God there are many Songs; there is but one Lamen­tation: And that one Song of Solomon, nay some one of Davids hundred and fiftie Psalmes, is longer then the whole booke of Lamentations. Make way to an everlasting Easter by a short Lent, to an undeterminable glory, by a temporary humiliation. You must weepe these teares, teares of contrition, teares of mortification, before God will wipe all teares from your eyes; You must dye this death, this death of the righteous, the death to sin, before this last enemy, Death, shalbe destroyed in you, and you made par­takers of everlasting life in soule and body too.

Our division shall be but a short, Divisio. and our whole exercise but a larger paraphrase upon the words. The words imply first, That the Kingdome of Christ, which must be perfe­cted, must be accomplished, (because all things must be subdued unto him) is not yet per­fected, not accomplished yet. Why? what lacks it? It lacks the bodies of Men, which yet lie under the dominion of another. When we shall also see by that Metaphor which the Holy Ghost chooseth to expresse that in, which is that there is Hostis, and so Militia, an enemie, and a warre, and therefore that Kingdome is not perfected, that he places perfect happinesse, and perfect glory, in perfect peace. But then how far is any State con­sisting of many men, how far the state, and condition of any one man in particular, from this perfect peace? How truly a warfare is this life, if the Kingdome of Heaven it selfe, have not this peace in perfection? And it hath it not, Quia hostis, because there is an enemy: though that enemy shall not overthrow it, yet because it plots, and workes, and machinates, and would overthrow it, this is a defect in that peace.

Who then is this enemy? An enemy that may thus far thinke himselfe equall to God, that as no man ever saw God, and lived; so no man ever saw this enemy and lived, for it is Death; And in this may thinke himselfe in number superiour to God, that many men live who shall never see God; But Quis homo, is Davids question, which was never an­swered, Is there any man that lives, and shall not see death? An enemie that is so well victualled against man, as that he cannot want as long as there are men, for he feeds up­on man himselfe. And so well armed against Man, as that he cannot want Munition, while there are men, for he fights with our weapons, our owne faculties, nay our cala­mities, yea our owne pleasures are our death. And therefore he is Novissimus hostis, saith the Text, The last enemy.

We have other Enemies; Satan about us, sin within us; but the power of both those, this enemie shall destroy; but when they are destroyed, he shall retaine a hostile, and tri­umphant dominion over us. But Vsque quo Domine? How long O Lord? for ever? No, Abolebitur: wee see this Enemy all the way, and all the way we feele him; but we shall see him destroyed; Abolebitur. But how? or when? At, and by the resurrection of our bodies: for as upon my expiration, my transmigration from hence, as soone as my soule enters into Heaven, I shall be able to say to the Angels, I am of the same stuffe as you, spirit, and spirit, and therefore let me stand with you, and looke upon the face of your God, and my God, so at the Resurrection of this body, I shall be able to say to the Angel [Page 145]of the great Councell, the Son of God, Christ Jesus himselfe, I am of the same stuffe as you, Body and body, Flesh and flesh, and therefore let me sit downe with you, at the right hand of the Father in an everlasting security from this last enemie, who is now destroyed, death. And in these seven steps we shall passe apace, and yet cleerely through this paraphrase.

We begin with this; Vestig. 1. Quia desunt Corpora. That the Kingdome of Heaven hath not all that it must have to a consummate perfection, till it have bodies too. In those infinite millions of millions of generations, in which the holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity enjoyed themselves one another, and no more, they thought not their glory so perfect, but that it might receive an addition from creatures; and therefore they made a world, a materiall world, a corpo­reall world, they would have bodies. In that noble part of that world which Moses cals the Firmament, that great expansion from Gods chaire to his footstoole, from Heaven to earth, there was a defect, which God did not supply that day, nor the next, but the fourth day, he did; for that day he made those bodies, those great, and lightsome bodies, the Sunne, and Moone, and Starres, and placed them in the Firmament. So also the Hea­ven of Heavens, the Presence Chamber of God himselfe, expects the presence of our bodies.

No State upon earth, can subsist without those bodies, Men of their owne. For men that are supplied from others, may either in necessity, or in indignation, be withdrawne, and so that State which stood upon forraine legs, sinks. Let the head be gold, Dan. 2.31. and the armes silver, and the belly brasse, if the feete be clay, Men that may slip, and molder away, all is but an Image, all is but a dreame of an Image: for forraine helps are rather crutches then legs. There must be bodies, Men, and able bodies, able men; Men that eate the good things of the land, their owne figges and olives; Men not macerated with extortions: They are glorified bodies that make up the kingdome of Heaven; bodies that partake of the good of the State, that make up the State. Bodies, able bodies, and lastly, bodies inanimated with one soule: one vegetative soule, all must be sensible and com­passionate of one anothers miserie; and especially the Immortall soule, one supreame soule, one Religion. For as God hath made us under good Princes, a great example of all that, Abundance of Men, Men that live like men, men united in one Religion, so wee need not goe farre for an example of a slippery, and uncertaine being, where they must stand upon others Mens men, and must over-load all men with exactions, and distortions, and convulsions, and earthquakes in the multiplicity of Religions.

The Kingdome of Heaven must have bodies; Kingdomes of the earth must have them; and if upon the earth thou beest in the way to Heaven, thou must have a body too, a body of thine owne, a body in thy possession: for thy body hath thee, and not thou it, if thy body tyrannize over thee. If thou canst not withdraw thine eye from an object of tentation, or withhold thy hand from subscribing against thy conscience, nor turne thine eare from a popular, and seditious Libell, what hast thou towards a man? Thou hast no soule, nay thou hast no body: There is a body, but thou hast it not, it is not thine, it is not in thy power. Thy body will rebell against thee even in a sin: It will not performe a sin, when, and where thou wouldst have it. Much more will it rebell against any good worke, till thou have imprinted Stigmata Iesu, Gal. 6.17. The Markes of the Lord Iesus, which were but exemplar in him, but are essentiall, and necessary to thee, absti­nencies, and such discreete disciplines, and mortifications, as may subdue that body to thee, and make it thine: for till then it is but thine enemy, and maintaines a warre against thee; and war, and enemie is the Metaphore which the holy Ghost hath taken here to expresse a want, a kind of imperfectnesse even in Heaven it selfe. Bellum Symbolum mali. As peace is of all goodnesse, so warre is an embleme, a Hieroglyphique, of all misery; And that is our second step in this paraphrase.

If the feete of them that preach peace, be beautifull, (And, Vestig. 2. Pax & bel­lum. O how beautifull are the feete of them that preach peace? The Prophet Isaiah askes the question, 52.7. And the Pro­phet Nahum askes it, 1.15. and the Apostle S. Paul askes it, Rom. 10.15. They all aske it, but none answers it) who shall answer us, if we aske, How beautifull is his face, who is the Author of this peace, when we shall see that in the glory of Heaven, the Center of all true peace? It was the inheritance of Christ Jesus upon the earth, he had it at his birth, he brought it with him, Glory be to God on high, peace upon earth. Luke 2.14. Colos. 1.20. It was his purchase upon earth, He made peace (indeed he bought peace) through the blood of his Crosse. It was his [Page 146]Testament, Iohn 14.27. when he went from earth; Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Divide with him in that blessed Inheritance, partake with him in that blessed Purchase, enrich thy selfe with that blessed Legacy, his Peace.

Let the whole world be in thy consideration as one house; and then consider in that, in the peacefull harmony of creatures, in the peacefull succession, and connexion of causes, and effects, the peace of Nature. Let this Kingdome, where God hath blessed thee with a being, be the Gallery, the best roome of that house, and consider in the two walls of that Gallery, the Church and the State, the peace of a royall, and a religious Wisedome; Let thine owne family be a Cabinet in this Gallery, and finde in all the boxes thereof, in the severall duties of Wife, and Children, and servants, the peace of vertue, and of the father and mother of all vertues, active discretion, passive obedience; and then lastly, let thine owne bosome be the secret box, and reserve in this Cabinet, and then the best Jewell in the best Cabinet, and that in the best Gallery of the best house that can be had, peace with the Creature, peace in the Church, peace in the State, peace in thy house, peace in thy heart, is a faire Modell, and a lovely designe even of the hea­venly Jerusalem which is Visio pacis, where there is no object but peace.

And therefore the holy Ghost to intimate to us, that happy perfectnesse, which wee shall have at last, and not till then, chooses the Metaphor of an enemy, and enmity, to avert us from looking for true peace from any thing that presents it selfe in the way. Neither truly could the holy Ghost imprint more horror by any word, then that which intimates war, as the word enemy does. It is but a little way that the Poet hath got in de­scription of war, Iam seges est, that now, that place is ploughed where the great City stood: for it is not so great a depopulation to translate a City from Merchants to hus­bandmen, from shops to ploughes, as it is from many Husbandmen to one Shepheard, and yet that hath beene often done. And all that, at most, is but a depopulation, it is not a devastation, that Troy was ploughed. But, when the Prophet Isaiah comes to the deva­station, to the extermination of a war, Esay 7.23. he expresses it first thus; Where there were a thousand Vineyards at a cheape rate, all the land become briars and thornes: That is much; but there is more, Esay 13.13. The earth shall be removed out of her place; that Land, that Nation, shall no more be called that Nation, nor that Land: But, yet more then that too; Not onely, not that people, Esay 13.19. but no othe shall ever inhabit it. It shall never be inhabited from generation to ge­neration, neither shall Shepheards be there; Not onely no Merchant, nor Husbandman, but no depopulator: none but Owles, and Ostriches, and Satyres, Indeed God knowes what, Ochim, and Ziim, words which truly we cannot translate.

In a word, 2 Sam. 24.13. the horror of War is best discerned in the company he keeps, in his associ­ates. And when the Prophet God brought War into the presence of David, there came with him Famine, and Pestilence. And when Famine entred, we see the effects; It brought Mothers to eat their Children of a span long; that is, as some Expositors take it, to take medicines to procure abortions, to cast their Children, that they might have Children to eate. And when War's other companion, the Pestilence entred, we see the effects of that too: In lesse then half the time that it was threatned for, it devoured threescore and ten thousand of Davids men; and yet for all the vehemence, the violence, the impetu­ousnesse of this Pestilence, David chose this Pestilence rather then a War. Militia and Malitia, are words of so neare a sound, as that the vulgat Edition takes them as one. For where the Prophet speaking of the miseries that Hierusalem had suffered, sayes, Fi­nita militia ejus, Esay 42.2. Let her warfare be at an end, they reade, Finita malitia ejus, Let her mi­sery be at an end; War and Misery is all one thing. But is there any of this in heaven? Even the Saints in heaven lack something of the consummation of their happinesse, Quia hostis, because they have an enemy. And that is our third and next step.

Michael and his Angels fought against the devill and his Angels; though that war ended in victory, Vest. 3. Quia Hostis. yet (taking that war, as divers Expositors doe, for the fall of An­gels) that Kingdome lost so many inhabitants, as that all the soules of all that shall be sa­ved, shall but fill up the places of them that fell, and so make that Kingdome but as well as it was before that war: So ill effects accompany even the most victorious war. There is no war in heaven, yet all is not well, because there is an enemy; for that enemy would kindle a war again, but that he remembers how ill he sped last time he did so. It is not an enemy that invades neither, but only detaines: he detaines the bodies of the Saints which are in heaven, and therefore is an enemy to the Kingdome of Christ; He that de­taines [Page 147]the soules of men in Superstition, he that detaines the hearts and allegeance of Subjects in an haesitation, a vacillation, an irresolution, where they shall fix them, whe­ther upon their Soveraign, or a forraigne power, he is in the notion, and acceptation of enemy in this Text; an enemy, though no hostile act be done. It is not a war, it is but an enemy; not an invading, but a detaining enemy; and then this enemy is but one enemy, and yet he troubles, and retards the consummation of that Kingdome.

Antichrist alone is enemy enough; but never carry this consideration beyond thy self. As long as there remaines in thee one sin, or the sinfull gain of that one sin, so long there is one enemy, and where there is one enemy, there is no peace. Gardners that husband their ground to the best advantage, sow all their seeds in such order, one under another, that their Garden is alwayes full of that which is then in season. If thou sin with that providence, with that seasonablenesse, that all thy spring, thy youth be spent in wantonnesse, all thy Summer, thy middle-age in ambition, and the wayes of prefer­ment, and thy Autumne, thy Winter in indevotion and covetousnesse, though thou have no farther taste of licentiousnesse, in thy middle-age, thou hast thy satiety in that sin, nor of ambition in thy last yeares, thou hast accumulated titles of honour, yet all the way thou hast had one enemy, and therefore never any perfect peace. But who is this one enemy in this Text? As long as we put it off, and as loath as we are to look this ene­my in the face, yet we must, though it be Death. And this is Vestigium quartum, The fourth and next step in this paraphrase.

Surge & descende in domum figuli, sayes the Prophet Ieremy, that is, Mors. Jer. 18.2. say the Exposi­tors, to the consideration of thy Mortality. It is Surge, descende, Arise and go down: A descent with an ascension: Our grave is upward, and our heart is upon Iacobs Ladder, in the way, and nearer to heaven. Our daily Funerals are some Emblemes of that; for though we be laid down in the earth after, yet we are lifted up upon mens shoulders be­fore. We rise in the descent to death, and so we do in the descent to the contemplation of it. In all the Potters house, is there one vessell made of better stuffe then clay? There is his matter. And of all formes, a Circle is the perfectest, and art thou loath to make up that Circle, with returning to the earth again?

Thou must, though thou be loath. Fortasse, sayes S. Augustine, That word of contin­gency, of casualty, Perchance, In omnibus ferme rebus, praeterquam in morte locum habet: It hath roome in all humane actions excepting death. He makes his example thus: such a man is married; where he would, or at least where he must, where his parents, or his Gardian will have him; shall he have Children? Fortasse, sayes he, They are a yong couple, perchance they shall: And shall those Children be sons? Fortasse, they are of a strong constitution, perchance they shall: And shall those sons live to be men? Fortasse, they are from healthy parents, perchance they shall: And when they have lived to be men, shall they be good men? Such as good men may be glad they may live? Fortasse, still; They are of vertuous parents, it may be they shall: But when they are come to that Morientur, shall those good men die? here, sayes that Father, the Fortasse vanishes; here it is omnino, certè, sine dubitatione; infallibly, inevitably, irrecoverably they must die. Doth not man die even in his birth? The breaking of prison is death, and what is our birth, but a breaking of prison? Assoon as we were clothed by God, our very appa­rell was an Embleme of death. In the skins of dead beasts, he covered the skins of dying men. Assoon as God set us on work, our very occupation was an Embleme of death; It was to digge the earth; not to digge pitfals for other men, but graves for our selves. Hath any man here forgot to day, that yesterday is dead? And the Bell tolls for to day, and will ring out anon; and for as much of every one of us, as appertaines to this day. Quotidiè morimur, & tamen nos esse aeternos putamus, sayes S. Hierome; We die every day, and we die all the day long; and because we are notabsolutely dead, we call that an eter­nity, an eternity of dying: And is there comfort in that state? why, that is the state of hell it self, Eternall dying, and not dead.

But for this there is enough said, by the Morall man; (that we may respite divine proofes, for divine points anon, for our severall Resurrections) for this death is meer­ly naturall, and it is enough that the morall man sayes, Mors lex, tributum, officium mor­talium. First it is lex, you were born under that law, upon that condition to die: Sencea. so it is a rebellious thing not to be content to die, it opposes the Law. Then it is Tributum, an imposition which nature the Queen of this world layes upon us, and which she will take, [Page 148]when and where se lift; here a yong man, there an old man, herea happy, there a mise­rable man; And so itis a seditious thing not to be content to die, it opposes the prero­gative. And lastly, it is Officium, men are to have rheir turnes, to take their time, and then to give way by death to successors; and so it is Incivile, inofficiosum, not to be con­tent to die, it opposes the frame and form of government. It comes equally to us all, and makes us all equall when it comes. The eshes of an Oak in the Chimney, are no E­pitaph of that Oak, to tell me how high or how large that was; It tels me not what flocks it sheltered while it stood, nor what men it hurt when it fell. The dust of great persons graves is speechlesse too, it sayes nothing, it distinguishes nothing: As soon the dust of a wretch whom thou wouldest not, as of a Prince whom thou couldest not look upon, will trouble thine eyes, if the winde blow it thither; and when a whirle-winde hath blowne the dust of the Church-yard into the Church, and the man sweeps out the dust of the Church into the Church-yard, who will undertake to sift those dusts again, and to pronounce, This is the Patrician, this is the noble flowre, and this the yeomanly, this the Plebeian bran. Sois the death of Iesabel (Ieabel was a Queen) expressed; They shall not say, this is Iesabel; not only not wonder that it is, not pity that it should be, but they shall not say, they shall not know, This is Iesabel. It comes to all, to all alike; but not alike welcome to all. To die too willingly, out ofimpatience to wish, or out of vio­lence to hasten death, or to die too unwillingly, to murmure at Gods purpose reveled by age, or by sicknesse, are equall distempers; and to harbour a disobedient loathnesse all the way, or to entertain it at last, argues but an irreligious ignorance; An ignorance, that death is in nature but Expiratio, a breathing out, and we do that every minute; An ignorance that God himself took a day to rest in, and a good mans grave is his Sab­bath; An ignorance that Abel the best of those whom we can compare with him, was the first that dyed. Howsoever, whensoever, all times are Gods times: Vocantur obni ne diutiús vexentur á noxiis, mali ne diutiús bonos persequantur, God cals the good to take them from their dangers, and God takes the bad to take them from their trumph. And therefore neither grudge that thou goest, nor that worse stay, for God can make his pro­fit of both; Aut ideo vivit ut corrigatur, aut utper allum bonus exerceatur; God re­prieves him to mend him, or to make another better by his exercise; and not to exult in the misery of another, but to glorifie God in the wayes of his justice, let him know, Quantumcun (que) seró, subitó ex hac óitatollitur, qui finem praevidere nescivit: How long soe­ver he live, how long soever he lie sick, that man dies a sudden death, who never thought of it, If we consider death in S. Pauls Statutum est, It is decréed that all men must die, there death is indifferent; If we consider it in his Mori lucrum, that is an advantage to die, there death is good; and so much the vulgat Edition seemes to intimate, when ( Deut. 30. 19) whereas we reade, I have set before you life and death, that reades it, Vitam & honum, Life and that which is good. If then death be at the worst indifferent, and to the good, good, how is it Hostis, an enemy to the Kingdome of Christ? for that also is Ve­stigium quintum, the fift and next step in this paraphrase.

First God did not make death, saies the Wiseman, And therefore S. Augustine makes a reasonable prayer to God, Ne permittas Domine quod nonfecisti, dominari Creatur ae quam fecisti; Suffer not O Lord, death, whom thou didst not make, to have dominion over me whom thou didst. Whence then came death? The same Wiseman hath shewed us the father, Through envy of the devill, came death into the world; and a wiser then he, the holy Ghost himselfe hath shewed us the Mother, By sin came death into the world. But yet if God have naturalized death, taken death into the number of his servants, and made Death his Commissioner to punish sin, and he doe but that, how is Death an enemy? First, he was an enemy in invading Christ, who was not in his Commission, because he had no sin; and still he is an enemie, because still he adheres to the enemy. Death hangs upon the edge of every persecutors sword; and upon the sting of every calumniators, and accusers tongue. In the Bull of Phalaris, in the Bulls of Basan, in the Buls of Baby­lon, the shrewdest Buls of all, in temporall, in spirituall persecutions, ever since God put an enmity between Man, and the Serpent, from the time of Cain who began in a murther, to the time of Antichrist, who proceeds in Massacres, Death hath adhered to the enemy, and so is an enemy.

Death hath a Commission, Stipendium peccati mors est, The reward of sin Death, but where God gives a Supersedeas, upon that Commission, Vivo Ego, nolo mortem, As I [Page 149]live saith the Lord, I would have no sinner dye, not dye the second death, yet Death pro­ceeds to that execution: And where as the enemy, whom he adheres to, Serpent him­selfe, hath power but In calcaneo, upon the heele, the lower, the mortall part, the body of man, Death is come up into our windowes, saith the Prophet, into our best lights, Jer. 9.21. our understandings, and benights us there, either with ignorance, before sin, or with sense­lesnesse after: And a Sheriffe that should burne him, who were condemned to be hanged, were a murderer, though that man must have dyed: To come in by the doore, by the way of sicknesse upon the body, is, but to come in at the window by the way of sin, is not deaths Commission; God opens not that window.

So then he is an enemy, for they that adhere to the enemy are enemies: And adhering is not only a present subministration of supply to the enemy (for that death doth not) but it is also a disposition to assist the enemy, then when he shall be strong enough to make benefit of that assistance. And so death adheres; when sin and Satan have weakned bo­dy and minde, death enters upon both. And in that respect he is Vltimus hostis, the last enemy, and that is Sextum vestigium, our sixth and next step in this paraphrase.

Death is the last, and in that respect the worst enemy. In an enemy, Novisssns [...]s hostis. that appeares at first, when we are or may be provided against him, there is some of that, which we call Honour: but in the enemie that reserves himselfe unto the last, and attends our weake estate, there is more danger. Keepe it, where I intend it, in that which is my spheare, the Conscience: If mine enemie meet me betimes in my youth, in an object of tentation, (so Iosephs enemie met him in Putifars Wife) yet if I doe not adhere to this enemy, dwell upon a delightfull meditation of that sin, if I doe not fuell, and foment that sin, assist and encourage that sin, by high diet, wanton discourse, other provocation, I shall have reason on my side, and I shall have grace on my side, and I shall have the History of thousand that have perished by that sin, on my side; Even Spittles will give me souldiers to fight for me, by their miserable example against taht sin; nay perchance sometimes the vertue of that woman, whom I sollicite, will assist me. But when I lye under the hands of that enemie, that hath reserved himselfe to the last, to my last bed, then when I shall be able to stir no limbe in any other measure then a Feaver or a Palsie shall shake them, when everlasting darknesse shal have an inchoation in the present dimnesse of mine eyes, and the everlasting gnashing in the present chattering of my teeth, and the everlasting worme in the present gnawing of the Agonies of my body, and anguishes of my minde, when the last enemie shall watch my remedilsse body, and my desconsolate soule there, there, where not the Physitian, in his way, perchance not the Priist in hi, shall be able to give any assistance, And when he hath sported himselfe with my misery upon that stage, my death-bed, shall shift the Scene, and throw me from that bed, into the grave, and there triumph over me, God knowes, how many generations, till the Redeemer, my Redee­mer, the Redeemer of all me, body, aswell as soule, come againe; As death is Novis­simus hostis, the enemy which watches me, at my last weaknesse, and shall hold me, when I shall be no more, till that Angel come, Who shall say, and sweare that time shall be no more, in that consideration, in that apprehension, he is the powerfullest, the feareful­est enemy; and yet evern there this enemy Abolebitur, he shall be destroyed, which is, Septimum vestigium, our seventh and last step in this paraphrase.

This destruction, this abolition of this last enemy, is by the Resurrection; Abolebieur. for the Text is part of an argument for the Resurrection. And truly, it is a faire intimation, and testimony of an everlasting end in that state of the Resurrection (that no time shall end it) that we have it presented to us in all the parts of time; in the past, in the present, and in the future. We had a Resurrection in prophecy; we have a Resurrection in the present working of Gods Sprit; we shall have a Resurrection in the finall consummation. The Prophet speaks in the furture, He will swallow up death in victory, there it is Abolebit: Esay 25.8. All the Erangelists speak historically, of matter of fact, in them it is Abolevit. And here in this Apostle, it is in the present, Aboletur, now he is destroyed. And this exhibites un­to us a threefold occasion of advancing our devotion, in considering a threefold Resur­rection; First, a Resurrection from dejections and calamities in this world, a Tempora­ry Resurrection; Secondly, a Resurrection from sin, a Spirituall Resurrection; and then a Resurrection; Secondly, a Resurrection.

A calamitate; When the Prophets speak of a Resurrection in the old Testament, 1. A calami­tate. for the most part their principall intention is, upon a temporall restitution from calamities [Page 150]that oppresse them then. Neither doth Calvin carry those emphaticall words, which are so often cited for a proofe of the last Resurrection: Job 19.25. That he knows his Redeemer lives, that he knows he shall stand the last man upon earth, that though his body be destroyed, yet in his flesh and with his eyes he shall see God, to any higher sense then so, that how low soeve he bee brought, to what desperate state soever he be reducedin the eyes of the world, yet he as­sures himself of a Resurrection, a reparation, a restitution to his former bodily health, and worldly fortune which he had before, And such a Resurrection we all know Iob had.

In that famous, and most considerable propheticall vision which God exhibited to Ezekiel, where God set the Prophet in a valley of very many, and very dry bones, and invites the severall joynts to knit again, tyes them with their old sinews, and ligaments, clothes them in their old flest, wraps them in their old skin, and cals life into them again, Gods, principall intention in that vision was thereby to give them an assurance of a Resur­rection from their present calamity, not but that there is also good evidence of the last Resurrection in that vision too; Thus far God argues with them áre nota; from that which they knew before, the finall Resurrection, he assures them that which they knew not till then, a present Resurrection from those pressures: Remember by this vision that which you all know already, that at last I shall re-unite the dead, and dry bones of all men in a generall Resurrection: And them if you remember, if you consider, if you look upon that, can you doubt, but that I who can do that, can also recollect you, from your present desperation, and give you a Resurrection to your former temporall happinesse? And this truly arises pregnantly, necessarily out of the Prophets answer; God asks him there, Son of man, cna these bones live? And he answers, Domine tu nósti, O Lord God thou knowest. The Prophet answers according to Gods intention in the question. If that had been for their living in the last Resurrection, Ezekiel would have answered God as Martha answered Christ, John 11.24. when he said, Thy brother Lazarus shall rise again; I know that he shall rise again at the Resurrection at the last day; but when the question was, whether men so macerated, so seattered in this world, could have a Resurrection to their former temprorall happinesse, here, that puts the Prophet to his Domine tu nósti, It is in thy breast to proposeit, itis in thy hand to execute it, whether thou do it, or do it not, thy name be glorisied; It fals not within our conjecture, which way it shall please thee to take for this Resurrection, Domine tu nósti, Thou Lord, and thou only knowest; Which is also the sense of those words, Heb. 11.35. Others were tortured, and accepted not a deliverance, that they might obtain a better Resurrection: A present deliverance had been a Resurrection, but to be the more sure of a better hereafter, they lesse respected that; According to that of our Saviour, Mat. 10.39. He that findes hi life, shall lose it; He that fixeth himself too earnestly upon this Resurrection, shall lose a better.

This is then the propheticall Resurrection for the future, but a future in this world; That if Rulers take counsell against the Lord, the Lord shall have their counsell in derisi­on; If they take armes against the Lord, the Lord shall break their Bows, and cut their Spears in sunder; Psal. 2.4. If they hisse, and gnash their teeth, and say, we have swallowed him up; If we be made their by-word, their parable, their proverb, their libell, the theame and burden of their songs, as Iob complaines, yet whatsoever fall upon me, dmage, di­stresse, scorn, or Hostis ultimus, death it self, that death which we consider here, death of possessions, death of estimation, death of health, death of contentment, yet Abolebi­tur, it sahll be destroyed in a Resurrection, in the return of the light of Gods countenance upon me even in this world. And this is the first Resurrection.

But this first Resurrection, 2. Apeecatis. which is but from temporall calamities, doth so little con­cerne a true and established Christian, whether it come or no, (for still Iobs Basis is his Ba­sis, and his Centre, Etiamsi occiderit, though he kill me, kill me, kill me, in all these seve­rall deaths, and give me no Resurrection in this world, yet I will trust in him) as that, as though this first resurrection were no resurrection, not to be numbred among the rersur­rections, S. Iohn calls that which we call the second, which is from sin, the first resurre­ction: Blessed and holy is be, who hath part in the firstresurrection: And this resurrection, Christimplies, Apoe. 20.6. John 5.25. when he saies, Verely, verely, I say unto you, the houre is comming, and now is, when the dead shall heare the ovyce of the Son of God; and they that heare it shall live: That is, by the voyce of the word of life, the Gospell of repentance, they shall have a spirituall resurrection to a new life. [Page 151]S. Austine and Lactantius both were so hard in beleeving the roundnesse of the earth, that they thought that those homines pensiles, as they call them, those men that hang upon the other cheek of the face of the earth, those Antipodes, whose feet are directly against ours, must necessarily fall from the earth, if the earth be round. But whither should they fall? If they fall, they must fall upwards, for heaven is above them too as it is to us. So if the spirituall Antipodes of this world, the Sons of God, that walk with feet opposed in wayes contrary to the sons of men, shall be said to fall, when they fall to repentance, to mortification, to a religious negligence, and contempt of the pleasures of this life, truly their fall is up wards, they fall towards heaven, God gives breath unto the peo­ple upon the earth, sayes the Prophet, Et spiritum his, qui calcant illam. Esay 45.5 Our Translation carries that no farther, but that God gives breath to people upon the earth, and spirit to them that walk thereon; But Irenaeus makes a usefull difference between afflatus and spiritus, that God gives breath to all upon earth, but his spirit onely to them, who tread in a reli­gious scorne upon earthly things.

Is it not a strange phrase of the Apostle, Mortifie your members; fornication, uncleane­nesse, inordinate affections? He does not say, mortifie your members against those sins, Col. 3.5. but he calls those very sins, the members of our bodies, as though we were elemented and compacted of nothing but sin, till we come to this resurrection, this mortification, which is indeed our vivification; Till we beare in our body, the dying of our Lord Iesus, that the life also of Iesus may be made manifest in our body. 2 Cor. 4.10. God may give the other resurrecti­on from worldly misery, and not give this. A widow may be rescued from the sorrow and solitarinesse of that state, by having a plentifull fortune; there she hath one resurre­ction; but the widow that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she lives; 1 Tim. 5.6. shee hath no second resurrection; and so in that sense, even this Chappell may be a Church-yard, men may stand, and sit, and kneele, and yet be dead; and any Chamber alone may be a Golgotha, a place of dead mens bones, of men not come to this resurrection, which is the renunci­ation of their beloved sin.

It was inhumanely said by Vitellius, upon the death of Otho, when he walkedin the field of carcasses, where the battle was fought; O how sweet a perfume is a dead ene­my! But it is a divine saying to thy soule, O what a savor of life, unto life, is the death of a beloved sin! What an Angelicall comfort was that to Ioseph and Mary in Aegypt, after the death of Herod, Arise, for they are dead, that sought the childes life! Mat. 2.20. And even that comfort is multiplied upon thy soul, when the Spirit of God saies to thee, Arise come to this resurrection: for that Herod, that sin, that sought the life, the everlasting life of this childe, the childe of God, thy soule, is dead, dead by repentance, dead by mortification. The highest cruelty that story relates, or Poets imagine, is when a persecutor will not afford a miserable man death, not be so mercifull to him, as to take his life. Thou hast made thy sin, thy soule, thy life; inanimated all thy actions, all thy purposes with that sin. Miserere animatuae, be so mercifull to thy selfe, as to take away that life by morti­fication, by repentance, and thou art come to this Resurrection: and thugh a man may have the former resurrection, and not this, peace in his fortune, and yet not peace in his conscience, yet whosoever hath this second, hath an infallible seale of the third resurre­ction too, to a fulnesse of glory in body, as well as in soule. For Spiritus maturam efficit carnem & capacem incorruptelae; this resurrection by the spirit, Irenaeus. mellowes the body of man, and makes that capable of everlasting glory, which is the last weapon, by which the last enemy death, shall be destroyed; A morte.

Upon that pious ground that all Scriptures were written for us, as we are Christians, that all Scriptures conduce to the proofe of Christ, and of the Christian state, 3. A morte. it is the or­dinary manner of the Fathers to make all that David speaks historically of himselfe, and all that the Prophet speaks futurely of the Jews, if those place may be referred to Christ, to referre them to Christ primarily, and but by reflection, and in a second consideration upon David or upon the Jews, Thereupon doe the Father (truly I think more generally more unanimely then in any other place of Scripture) take that place of Ezekile which we spake of before, to be primarily intended of the last resurrection, & but secundarily of the Jews restitution. But Gasper Sanctius a learned Jesuit, (that is not so rare, but an ingenu­ous Jesuit too) though he be bound by the Councel Trent to interpret Scriptures accor­ding to the Fathers, yet he here ackowledges the whole truth, that Gods purpose was to prove, by that which they did know, which was the generall resurrection, that which [Page 152]they knew not, their temporall restitution. Tertullian is vehement at first, but after, more supple, Allegoricae Scripturae, saies he, resurrectionem subradiant aliae, aliae determinant: Some figurative places of Scripture, doe intimate a resurrection, and some manifest it; and of those manifest places he takes this vision of Ezekiel to be one. But he comes after to this, Sit & corporum, & rerum, & meánihilinterest; let it sighnifie a temporall resurrection, so it may signifie the generall resurrection of our bodies too, saies he, and I am well satisfied; and then the truth satisfies him, for it doth signifie both. It is true that Tertullian sayes, De vacuo similitudo non competit; If the vision be but a comparison, if there were no such thing as a resurrection, the comparison did not hold. De nullo par abola non convenit, saies he, and truly; If there were no resurrection to which that Parable might have relation, it were no Parable. All that is true; but there was a resurrection alwaies knowne to them, alwaies beleeved by them, and that made their present resurrection from that ca­lamity, the more easie, the more intelligible, the more credible, the more discernable to them.

Let therefore Gods method, be thy method; fixe thy self firmly upon that beliefe of the penerall resurrection, and thou wilt never doubt of either of the particular resurrecti­ons, either from sin, by Gods grace, or from worldly calamities, by Gods power. For that last resurrection is the ground of all. By that Verévicta mors, saies Irenaeus, this Last enemy, death, is truly destroyed, because his last spoile, the body, is taken out of his hands. The same body, eadem ovis, (as the same Father notes) Christ did not fetch another sheep to the flock, in the place of that which was lost, but the same sheep: God shall not give me another, abetter body at the resurrection, but the same body made better; for Sinon haberet caro salvari, neutiquam verbum Dei caro factum fuisset, If the flesh of man were not to be saved, Idem. the Anchor of salvation would never have taken the flesh of man upon him.

The punishment that God laid upon Adam, In dolore & in sudore, In sweat, and in sor­row sbalt thou eate thy bread, is but Donecreverteris, till man returne to dust: but when Man is returned to dust, Gen. 3.17. God returnes to the remembrance of that promise, Awake and sing yethat dwell in the dust. A mercy already exhibited to us, in the person of our Saviour Christ Jesus, Esay 26.19. in whom, Per primitias benedixit campo, (saies S. Chrysostome) as God by taking a handfull for the first Fruits, gave ablessing to the wholw field; so he hath sealed the bodies of all mankind to his glory, by pre-assuming the body of Christ to that glory. For by that there is now Commercium inter Coelum & terram; there is a Trade driven, a Staple established betweene Heaven and earth; Bernard. Ibi caronostra, hic Spiritus ejus; Thither have we sent our flest, and hither hath he sent his Spirti.

This is the last abolition of this enemy, Death; for after this, the bodies of the Saints he cannot touch, the bodes of the damned he cannot kill, and if he could, hee were not therein their enemy, but their friend. This is that blessed and glorious State, of which, when all the Apostles met to make the Creed, they could say no more, but Credo Re­surrectionem, I heleeve the Resurrection of the body; and when those two Reverend Fathers, to whom it belongs, shall come to speake of it, upon the day proper for it, in this place, and if all the Bishops, that ever met in Councels should meet them here, they could but second the Apostles Credo, with their Anathema, We beleeve, and woe be unto them that doe not beleeve the Resurrection of the body; but in gong about to expresse it, the lips of an Angell would be uncircumcised lips, and the tongue of an Archangell would stammer. I offer not therefore at it: but in respect of, and with relation to that blessed State, according to the doctrine, and practise of our Church, we doe pray for the dead; for the militant Church upon earth, and the trimphant Church in Heaven, and the whole Catholique Church in Heaveen, and earth; we doe pray that God will be pleased to hasten that Kingdome, that we with all others departed in the true Faith of his holy Name, may have this perfect consummation, both of body and soule, in his everlasting glory, Amen.

SERMON XVI. preached at VVhite-hall, the first Friday in Lent. 1622.

I Am now but upon the Compassion of Christ. There is much difference between his Compassion and his Passion, as much as between the men that are to handle them here. But Lacryma pass, ionis Chrisi est vicaria: August. A great personage may speake of his Passion, of his blood; My vicargae is to speake of his Compassion and his teares. Let me chafe the wax, and melt your soules in a bath of his Teares now, Let him set to the great Seale of his effectuall passion, in his blood, then. It is a Common place I know to speake of teares: I would you knew as well, it were a common practise, to shed them. Though it be not so, yet bring S. Bernards, patience, Libenter audiam, qui non sibi plausum, sed mihi planctum moveat; be willing to heare him, that seeks not your acclamation to himselfe, but your humiliation to his and your God; not to make you praise with them that praise, but to make you weepe with them that weepe, And Iesus wept.

The Masorites (the Masorites are the Critiques upon the Hebrew Bible, the Old Te­stament) cnnot tell us, who divided the Chapters of the Old Testament into verses; Neither can any other tell us, who did it in the New Testament. Whoever did it seemes to have stopped in an amazement in this Text, and by making an intire verse of these two words, Iesus wept, and no more, to intimate that there needs no more for the exalting of our devotion to a competent heighth, then to consider, how, and where, and when, and why Iesus wept. There is not a shorter verse in the Bible, not a larger Text. There is ano­ther as short; Semper gaudete, Rejoyce evermore, and of that holy Joy, 1 Thes. 5.16. I may have leave to speake here hereafter, more seasonably, in a more Festivall time, by my ordinary ser­vice. This is the season of generall Compunction, of generall Mortification, and no man priviledged, for Iesus wept.

In that Letter which Lentulus in said to have written to the Senate of Rome, Divisi [...]. in which he gives some Characters of Christ, he saies, That Christ was never seene to laugh, but to weepe often. Now in what number he limits his often, or upon what testimony he grounds him number, we know not. We take knowledgethat he wept thrice. Hee wept here, when he mourned with them that mourned for Lazarus; He wept againe, when he drew neare to Jerusalem, and looked upon that City; And he wept a third time in his Passion. There is but one Euangelist, but this, S. Iohn, that tells us of these first teares, the rest say nothing of them; There is but one Euangelist, S. Luke, Luke 19.41. Hcb. 5.7. that tells us of his se­cond teares, the rest speake not of those; There is no Euangelist, but there is an Apostle that tells us of his third teares, S. Paul saies, That in the daies of his flesh, be offered up pray­ers with strong cries, and teares; And those teares, Expositors of all sides referre to his Passion, though some to his Agony in the Garden, some to his Passion on the Corsse; and these in my opinion most fitly; because those words of S. Paul belong to the declara­tion of the Priesthood, and of the Sacrifice of Christ; and for that function of his, the Crosse was the Altar; and therefore to the Crosse we fixe those third teares. The first were Humane teares, the second were Propheticall, the third were Pontificall, apper­taining to the Sarifice. The first were shed in a Condolency of a humane and naturall calamity fallen upon one family; Lazarus was dead: The second were shed in Contem­plation of future calamitie upon a Nation; Jerusalem was to be destroyed: The third, in Contemplation of sin, and the everlasting punishments due to sin, and to such sinners, as would make no benefit of that Sacrifice, which he offered in offering himselfe. His friend was dead, and then Jesus wept; He justified naturail affectins and such offices of piety: [Page 154]Jerusalem was tobe destroyed, and then Jesus wept; He commiserated publique and na­tionall calamities, though a private person: His very giving of himselfe for sin, was to become to a great many ineffectuall; and then Jsus wept; He declared how indelible the naturall staine of sin is, that not such sweat as hi, such teares, such blood as his could absolutely wash it out of mans nature. The teares of the text are as a Spring, a Well. be­longing to onehoushold the Sisters of Lazarus: The teares over Jerusalem, are as a Ri­ver belonging to a whole Country: The teares upon the Crosse, are as the Sea belonging to all the world; and though literally there fall no more into our text, then the Spring, yet because the Spring flowes into the River, and the River into the Sea, and that whereso­ever we find that Jesus wept, we find our Text, (for our Text is but that, Iisus wept) there­fore by the leave and light of his blessed Spirit, we shall looke upon those lovely, those heavenly eye, through this glasse of his owne teares, in all these three lines, as he wept here over Lazarus, as he wept there over Jerusalem, as he wept upon the Crosse over all us. For so often Jesus wept.

Fitst then, 1 Part. Humanitus. Jesus wept Hum [...]nitus, he tooke a necessary occasion to shew that he was true Man. He was now in hand with the greatest Miracle that ever he did, the raising of Lazarus, so long dead. Could we but do so in our spirituall raising, what a blessed harvest were that? What a comfort to finde one man here to day, raised from his spirituall death, this day twelve-month? Christ did it every yeare, and every yeare he improved his Miracle, Mat. 9.25. In the first yeare, he raised the Governours Daughter: se was newly dead, and as yetin the house. In the beginning of sin, and whilst in the house, in the house of God, in the Church, in a glad obedience to Gods Ordinances and Institutions there, for the reparation and resuscitation of dead soules, the worke is not so hard. In his second yeare, Luke 7.15. Christ raised the Widows Son; and him he found without, ready to be buried. In a man growne cold and stiffe in sin, impenetrable, inflexible by denouncing the Judge­ments of God, almost buried in a stupidity, and insensiblenesse of his being dead, there is more difficultie. But in his third yeare, Christ raised this Lazarus; he had been long dead, and buried, and in probability, puttrified after foure daies.

This Miracle Christ meant to make a pregnant proofe of the Resurrection, which was his principall intention therein. For, the greatest arguments against the Resurrection, being for the most part of this kinde, when a Fish eates a man, and another man eates that fish, or when one man eates another, how shall both these men rise againe? when a body is resolv'd in the grave to the first principles, or is passed into other substances, the case is somewhat neere the same; and therefore Christ would worke upon a body neare that state, abody putrified. And truly, in our srirituall raising of the dead, to raise a sinner pu­trified in his owne earth, resolv'd in his owne dung, especially that hath passed many transformations, from shape to shape, from sin to sin, (hi hath beene a Salamander and lived in the fire, in the fire successvely, in the fire of lust in his youth, and in his age in the fire of Ambition; and then he hath beene a Serpent, a Fish, and lived in the waters. , in the water successively, in the troubled water of sedition in his youth, and in his age in the cold waters of indevotion) how shall we raise this Salamander and this Serpent, when this Serpent and this Salamander is all one person, and must have contrary musique to charme him, contrary physick to cure him? To raise a man resolv'd into diverse sub­stances, scattered into diverse formes of severall sinnes, is the greatest worke. And there. fore this Miracle (which implied that) S. Basil calls Miraculum in Miraculo, a pregnant, a double Miracle. For here is Mortuus redivivus, A dead man lives; that had been done before; but Alligatus ambulat, saies Basil; he that is settered, and manacled, and tyed with many difficulties, he walks.

And therfore as this Miracle raised him most estmation, so (for they ever accompany one another) it raised him most envy: Envy that extended beyond him, to Lazarus him­selfe, who had done nothing; Iohn 12.10 and yet, The chiefe Priests consulted how they might put Li­zarus to death, because by reason of him, many beleeved in Iesus. A disease, a distemper, a danger which no time shall ever be free from, that whereforer there is a coldnesse, a dis­affection to Gods Cause, those who are any way occasionally instrumenta of Gods glory, August. sahll finde cold affection. If they killed Lazarus, had not Christ done enough to let them see that he could raise him againe? for Caeca sevitia, sialiud videtur mertuus, aliud occisus; It was a blinde malice, if they thought, that Christ could raise a man na­turally dead, and could not if he were violently killed. This then being his greatest Mi­racle, [Page 155]preparing the hardest Article of the Creed, the Resurrection of the body, as the Mirracle it selfe declared sufficiently his Divinity, that nature, so in this declaration that he was God, he would declare that he was man too, and therefore Iesus wept.

He wept as man doth weepe, and he wept as a man may weepe; Noninor­dinaté. Bernard. Iob 10.4. for these teares were Testes naturae, non Indices diffidentiae, They declared him to be true man, but no distrust­full, no inordinate man. In Iob there is a question ask'd of God, Hast thou eyes of flesh, and doest thou see, as man sees? Let this question be directed to God manifested in Christ, and Christ will weepe out an answer to that question, I have eyes of flesh, and I do weep as man weepes. Not as sinfull man, not as s man, that had het fall his bridle, by which he should trune his horse: Not as a man that were cast from the rudder, by which he should steere his Ship: Not as a man that had lost his interest and power in his affections, and passions: Christ wept not so. Christ mingt goe farther that way, then any other man: Christ might ungirt himselfe, and give more scope and liberty to his passions, then any other man: both because he had no Originall sin within, to drive him, no inordinate love without to draw him, when his affections were moved; which all other men have.

God sayes to the Jews, That they had wept in his eares; God had heard them weep: Numb. 11.18. but for what, and how? they wept for flesh. There was a tincture, there was a deep dye of murmuring in their tears. Christ goes as far in the passion, in his agony, and he comes to a passionate deprecation, in his Tristis anima, and in the Si possibile, and in the Transeat calix. But as all these passions were sanctified in the roote, from which no bitter leafe, no crooked twig could spring, so they were instantly washed with his Veruntamen, a pre­sent and a full submitting of all to Gods pleasure, Yet not my will O Father, but thine be done. It will not be safe for any man to come so neare an excesse of passions, as he may finde some good men in the Scriptures to have done: That because he heares Moses say to God, Dele me, Blot my name out of the book of life, Therefore he may say, God damne me, or I renounce God. It is not safe for a man to expose himself to a tentation, because he hath seen another passe through it. Every man may know his own Byas, and to what sin that diverts him: The beauty of the person, the opportunity of the place, the impor­tunity of the party, being his Mistresse, could not shake Iosephs constancy. There is one such example, of one that resisted a strong tentation: But then there are in one place, two men together, that sinned upon their own bodies, Her and Onan, Gen. 46. [...]2. then when no tentation was offered, nay when a remedy against tentation was ministred to them.

Some man may be chaster in the Stews, then another in the Church; and some man will sin more in his dreams, then another in his discourse. Every man must know how much water his own vessell draws, and not to think to saile over, wheresoever he hath seen anothe (he knows not with how much labour) shove over: No nor to adventure so far, as he may have reason to be confident in his own strength: For thugh he may be safe in himself, yet he may sinin anogher, if by his indiscreete, and improvident example, another be scandalized. Christ was alwayes safe; He was led ofthe Spirit: Mat. 4.1. of what spi­rit? his own Spirit: Led willingly into the wildernesse, to be tempted of the devill. No o­ther man might do that; but he who was able to say to the Sun, Siste sol, was able to say to Satan, Siste Lucifer. Christ in another place gave such scope to his affections, and to others interpretations of his actions, that his frineds and kinsfolds thught him mad, be­sides himself: But all this while, Christ had his own actions, and passions, and their in­terpretations in his own power: he could do what he would. Here in our Text, Jesus was troubled, and he groaned; and vehemently, and often, his affections were stirred: but as in a clan glasse, if water be stirred and troubled, though it may conceive a little light froth, yet it contracts no foulenesse in that clean galsse, the affections of Christ were moved, but so: in that holy vessell they would contract no foulenesse, no declination to­wards inordinatenesse. But then every Christian is not a Christ; and therefore as he that would fast forty dayes, as Christ did, might starve; and he that would whip Merchants out of the Temple, as Christ did, might be knockt downe in the Temple; So he knowing his owne inclinations, or but the generall ill inclination of all mankind, as he is infected with Originall sin, should converse so much with publicans and sinners, might participate of their sins. The rule is, we must avoid inordinatenesse of affections; but when we come to examples of that rule, our selves well understood by our selves, must be our owne exaples; for it is not alwaies good to go too far, as some good men have gone before.

Now though Christ were farre from both, Non A­pathes. yet he came nearer to an excesse of passi­on, then to an Indolencie, to a senselesnesse, to a privation of naturall affections. Inordi­natenesse of affections may sometimes make some men like some beasts; but indolencie, absence, emptinesse, privation of affections, makes any man at all times, like stones, like dirt. In novissimis, saith S. Peter, In the last, that is, in the worst dayes, in the dregs, and lees, and tartar of sin, then shall come men, lovers of themselves; and that is ill enough in man; for that is an affection peculiar to God, to love himselfe. Non speciale vitium, sed radix omnium vitiorum, saies the Schoole in the mouth of Aquinas: selfe. love cannot be called a distinct sin, but the roote of all sins. It is true that Iustin Martyr saies, Philoso­phanti finis est Deo assimilari, The end of Christian Philosophy is to be wise like God; but not in this, to love our selves; for the greatest sin that ever was, and that upon which even the blood of Christ Jesus hath not wrought, the sin of Angels was that, Similis ero Altissimo, to be like God. To love our selves, to be satisfied in our selves, to finde an omni­sufficiency in our selves, is an intrusion, an usurpation upon God: And even God him­selfe who had that omni-sufficiency in himselfe, conceived a conveniency for his glory, to draw a Circumference about that Center, Creatures about himselfe, and to shed forth lines of love upon all them, and not to love himselfe alone. Selfe-love in man sinks deep: but yet you see, the Apostle in his order, casts the other sin lower, that is, into a worse place, To be without naturall affections.

S. Augustine extends these naturall affections, to Religious affections, because they are naturall to a supernaturall man, to a regenerate man, who naturally loves those, that are of the houshold of the faithfull, that professe the same truth of Religion: and not to be affected with their distresses, when Religion it selfe is distressed, in them, is impietie. He extends these affections to Morall affections; the love of Eminent and Heroicall ver­tues in any man: we ought to be affected with the fall of such men. And he extends them to civill affections, the love of friends; not to be moved in their behalfe, is argu­ment enough that we doe not much love them.

For our case in the Text, These men whom Jesus found weeping, and wept with them, were none of his kindred: They were Neighbours, and Christ had had a conver­sation, and contracted a friendship in that Family; V. 5. He loved Martha, and her sister, and La­zarus, saies the Storie: and he would let the world see that he loved them: for so the Jewes argued that saw him weepe, V. 36. Behold how he loved them; without outward declarati­ons, who can conclude an inward love? to assure that, Iesus wept.

To an inordinatenesse of affections it never came; to a naturall tendernesse it did; and so far as to teares; Laerymae. and then who needs be ashamed of weeping? Look away far from me, for I will weep bitterly, sayes Hierusalem in Esay. But look upon me, sayes Christ in the Lamentations, Behold and see if ever there were any sorrow, any teares like mine: Not like his in value, but in the roote as they proceeded from naturall affection, they were teares of imitation, and we may, we must weepe teares like his teares. They scourged him, they crowned him, they nailed him, they pierced him, and then blood came; but he shed teares voluntarily, and without violence: The blood came from their ill, but the teares from his owne good nature: The blood was drawne, the teares were given. We call it a childish thing to weepe, and a womanish; and perchance we meane worse in that then in the childish; for therein we may meane falshood to be mingled with weaknesse. Christ made it an argument of his being man, to weepe, for though the lineaments of mans bodie, eyes and eares, hands and feet, be ascribed to God in the Scriptures, though the affections of mans mind be ascribed to him, (even sorrow, nay Repentance it selfe, is at­tributed to God) I doe not remember that ever God is said to have wept: It is for man. And when God shall come to that last Act in the glorifying of Man, when he promi­ses, to wipe all teares from his eyes, what shall God have to doe with that eye that never wept?

He wept out of a nuturall tendernesse in generall; and he wept now out of a particular occasion. What was that? Quia mortuus, because Lazarus was dead. We stride over many steps at once; waive many such considerable circumstances as these; Lazarus his friend was dead, therefore he wept, Lazarus, the staffe and sustentatio of that fa­mily was dead, he upon whom his Sisters relied, was dead, therefore he wept. But I stop onely upon this one step, Quia mortuus, that he was dead. Now a good man is not the worse for dying, that is true and capable of a good sense, because he is established in a [Page 157]better world: but yet when he is gone out of this world he is none of us, he is no longer a man. The stronger opinion in the Schoole, is, That Christ himselfe, when he lay dead in the grave, was no man. Though the God head never departed from the Carcasse, (there was no divorce of that Hypostaticall union) yet because the Humane soule was departed from it, he was no man. Hugo de S. Victor. who thinks otherwise, that Christ was a man then, thinkes so upon a weak ground: He thinkes, that because the soule is the form of man, the soul is man; and that therefore the soul remaining, the man re­maines. But it is not the soule, but the union of the soul, that makes the man. The Ma­ster of the Sentences, Peter Lombard, that thinks so too, that Christ was then a man, thinkes so upon as weak a ground: He thinkes that it is enough to constitute a man, that there be a soul and body, though that soul and body be not united; but still it is the uni­on that makes the man: And therefore when he is disunited, dead, he is none of us, he is no man; and therefore we weep how well soever he be. Abraham was loath to let go his wife, though the King had her: A man hath a naturall lothnesse to let go his friend, though God take him to him.

S. Augustine sayes, that he knew well enough, that his mother was in heaven; and S. Ambrose, that he knew wel enough that his master Theodosius the emperor was in heaven, but because they saw not in what state they were, they thought that something might be asked at Gods hands in their behalf; and so out of a humane and pious officiousnesse, in a devotion perchance indigested, uncocted, and retaining yet some crudities, some ir­resolutions, they strayed into prayers for them after they were dead. Lazarus his sisters made no doubt of their brothers salvation; they beleeved his soul to be in a good estate: And for his body, they told Christ, Lord we know that he shall rise at the last day: And yet they wept.

Here, in this world, we who stay, lack those who are gone out of it: we know they shall never come to us; and when we shall go to them, whether we shall know them or no, we dispute. They who think that it conduces to the perfection of happinesse in hea­ven, that we should know one another, think piously if they think we shall. For, as for the maintenance of publique peace, States, and Churches, may think diversly in points of Religion, that are not fundamentall, and yet both be true and Orthodoxall Churches; so for the exaltation of private devotion in points that are not fundamentall, divers men may think diversly, and both be equally good Christians. Whether we shall know them there, or no, is problematicall and equall; that we shall not till then, is dogmaticall and certain: Therefore we weep. I know there are Philosophers that will not let us weep, nor lament the death of any: And I know that in the Scriptures there are rules, and that there are instructions convayed in that example, that David left mourning as soon as the childe was dead; And I know that there are Authors of a middle nature, a­bove the Philosophers, and below the Scriptures, the Apocryphall books, and I know it is said there, Comfort thy selfe, for thou-shalt do him no good that is dead, Ecclus. 38.6. Et teipsum pessimabis (as the vulgat reads it) thou shalt make thy self worse and worse, in the worst degree. But yet all this is but of inordinate lamentation; for in the same place, the same Wise man sayes, My Son, let thy tears fall down over the dead; weep bitterly and make great moane, as he is worthy. When our Saviour Christ had uttered his consummatum est, all was finished, and their rage could do him no more harm, when he had uttered his In manus tuas, he had delivered and God had received his soul, yet how did the whole frame of nature mourn in Eclipses, and tremble in earth-quakes, and dissolve and shed in pieces in the opening of the Temple, Quia mortuus, because he was dead.

Truly, to see the hand of a great and mighty Monarch, that hand that hath govern­ed the civill sword, the sword of Justice at home, and drawn and sheathed the forraigne sword, the sword of war abroad, to see that hand lie dead, and not be able to nip or fil­lip away one of his own wormes (and then Quis homo, what man, though he be one of those men, of whom God hath said, Ye are gods, yet Quis homo, what man is there that lives, and shall not see death?) To see the brain of a great and religious Counsellor (and God blesse all from making, all from calling any great that is not religious) to see that brain that produced means to becalme gusts at Councell tables, stormes in Parliaments, tempests in popular commotions, to see that brain produce nothing but swarmes of wormes and no Proclamation to disperse them; To see a reverend Prelate that hath re­sisted Heretiques & Schismatiques all his life, fall like one of them by death, & perchance [Page 158]be called one of them when he is dead. To re-collect all, to see great men made no men, to be sure that they shall never come to us, not to be sure, that we shall know them when we come to them, to see the Lieutenants and Images of God, Kings, the sinews of the State, religious Counsellors, the spirit of the Church, zealous Prelates, And then to see vulgar, lgnorant, wicked, and facinorous men thrown all by one hand of death, into one Cart, into one common Tide-boate, one Hospitall, one Almeshouse, one Prison, the grave, in whose dust no man can say, This is the King, this is the Slave, this is the Bishop, this is the Heretique, this is the Counsellor, this is the Foole, even this miserable equali­ty of so unequall persons, by so foule a hand, is the subject of this lamentation, even Quia mortuus, because Lazarus was dead, Iesus wept.

He wept even in that respect, Quia non abhibita me­dia. Quia mortuus, and he wept in this respect too, Quia non adhibita media, because those means which in appearance might have saved his life, by his default were not used, for when he came to the house, one sister, Martha sayes to him, Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not dyed; and then the other sister, Mary sayes so too, Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not dyed: They all cry out, that he who only, only by comming, might have saved his life, would not come. Our Saviour knew in himself that he abstained to better purpose, and to the farther glory of God: for when he heard of his death, he said to his Disciples, I am glad for your sakes that I was not there. Christ had certain reserved purposes which conduced to a better establishing of their faith, and to a better advancing of Gods Kingdome, the working of that miracle. But yet because others were able to say to him, it was in you to have saved him, and he did not, even this Quia non adhibita media, affected him; and Iesus wept.

He wept, Etsi quatriduanus, Etsi quatri­duanus. though they said unto him, He hath been foure dayes dead, and stinkes. Christ doth not say, there is no such matter, he doth not stink; but though he do, my friend shall not lack my help. Good friends, usefull friends though they may commit some errors, and though for some misbehaviours they may stink in our nostrils, must not be derelicted, abandoned to themselves. Many a son, many a good heire, findes an ill ayre from his Father; his Fathers life stinkes in the nostrils of all the world, and he heares every where exclamations upon his Fathers usury, and extortion, and oppression: yet it becomes him by a betterlife, and by all other means to rectifie and redeem his Fa­thers fame. Quatriduanus est, is no plea for my negligence in my family; to say, My son, or my servant hath proceeded so far in ill courses, that now it is to no purpose to go about to reform him, because Quatriduanus est. Quatriduanus est, is no plea in my pastorall charge, to say that seducers, and practisers, and perswaders, and sollicitors for supersti­tion, enter so boldly into every family, that now it is to no purpose to preach religious warinesse, religious discretion, religious constancy. Quatriduanus est, is no plea for my Usury, for my Simony; to say, I do but as all the world doth, and hath used to do a long time. To preach there where reprehension of growing sin is acceptable, is to preach in season; where it is not acceptable, it is out of season; but yet we must preach in season, and out of season too. And when men are so refractary, as that they forbeare to heare, or heare and resist our preaching, we must pray; and where they dispise or forbid our praying, we must lament them, we must weep: Quatriduanus erat, Lazarus was far spent, yet Iesus wept.

He wept, Etsisusci­tandus. Though he knew that Lazarus were to be restored, and raised to life again. for as he meant to declare a great good will to him at last, so he would utter some by the way; he would do a great miracle for him, as he was a mighty God; but he would weep for him too, as he was a good natured man. Truly it is no very charitable disposition, if I give all at my death to others, if I keep all all my life to my self. For how many families have we seen shaked, ruined by this distemper, that though the Fa­ther mean to alien nothing of the inheritance from the Son at his death, yet because he affords him not a competent maintenance in his life, he submits his Son to an encum­bring of his fame with ignominious shiftings, and an encumbring of the estare with irre­coverable debts. I may mean to feast a man plentifully at Christmas, and that man may starve before in Lent: Great persons may think it in their power to give life to persons and actions by their benefits, when they will, and before that will be up and ready, both may become incapable of their benefits. Jesus would not give this family, whom hee pretended to love, occasion of jealousie, of suspition, that he neglected them; and therefore though he came not presently to that great worke, which hee in­tended [Page 159]tended at last, yet hee left them not comfortlesse by the way, Iesus wept.

And so (that we may reserve some minutes for the rest) we end this part, applying to every man that blessed exclamation of S. Ambrose, Ad monumentum hoc digner is accede­re Domine Iesu, Lord Jesus be pleased to come to this grave, to weep over this dead La­zarus, this soule in this body: And though I come not to a present rising, a present deli­verance from the power of all sin, yet if I can feele the dew of thy teares upon me, if I can discern the eye of the compassion bent towards me, I have comfort all the way, and that comfort will flow into an infallibility in the end.

And be this the end of this part, to which we are come by these steps. Iesus wept, That as he shewed himself to be God, he might appeare to be man too: he wept not in ordinately; but he came nearer excesse then indolency: He wept because he was dead; and because all means for life had not been used; he wept, though he were far spent; and he wept, though he meant to raise him again.

We passe now from his humane to his propheticall teares, from Jesus weeping in con­templation of a naturall calamity fallen upon one family, Lazarus was dead, 2 Part. to his weep­ing in contemplation of a Nationall calamity foreseen upon a whole people; Jerusalem was to be destroyed. His former teares had sOme of the spirit of prophecy in them; for therefore sayes Epiphanius, Christ wept there, because he foresaw how little use the Jews would make of that miracle, his humane teares were propheticall, and his prophe­ticall teares are humane too, they rise from good affections to that people. And there­fore the same Author sayes, That because they thought it an uncomely thing for Christ to weep for any temporall thing, some men have expunged and removed that verse out of S. Lukes Gospell, That Jesus when he saw that City, wept: But he is willing to be proposed, and to stand for ever for an example of weeping in contemplation of pub­lique calamities; Therefore Iesuswept.

He wept first, Inter acclamationes, in the midst of the congratulations and acclamati­ons of the people, then when the whole multitude of his Disciples cried out, Vivat Rex, Inter accla. mationes. Luke 19.38. Blessed be the King, that comes in the name of the Lord, Jesus wept. When Herod tooke to himselfe the name of the Lord, when he admitted that grosse flattery, It is a God and not a man that speakes, It was no wonder that present occasion of lamentation fell upon him. But in the best times, and under the best Prince, (first, such is the naturall mutability of all worldly things; and then (and that especially) such is the infinitenesse, and enormous­nesse of our rebellious sin) then is ever just occasion of feare of worse, and so of teares. Every man is but a spunge, and but a spunge filled with teares: and whether you lay your right hand or your left upon a full spunge, it will weep. Whether God lay his left hand, temporall calamities, or his right hand, temporall prosperity; even that temporall pro­sperity comes alwaies accompanied with so much anxiety in our selves, so much uncer­tainty in it selfe, and so much envy in others, as that that man who abounds most, that spunge shall weep.

Jesus wept, Inter acclamationes, when all went wee enough with him; Inter judicia. to shew the slipperinesse of worldly happinesse, and then he wept Inter judicia; then when himselfe was in the act of denouncing judgements upon them, Jesus wept, To shew with how ill a will he inflicted those judgements, and that themselves, and not he, had drawne those judgements upon them. How often doe the Prophets repeat that phrase, Onus visionis, O the burden of the judgements that I have seene upon this, and this people! It was a burden that pressed teares from the Prophet Esay, I will water thee with my teares, Esay 16.9. O Heshbon: when he must pronounce judgements upon her, he could not but weep over her. No Prophet so tender as Christ, nor so compassionate; and therefore he never takes rod into his hand, but with teares in his eyes. Alas, did God lack a footstoole, that he should make man only to tread and trample upon? Did God lack glory, and could have it no other way, but by creating man therefore, to afflict him temporally here, and eter­nally hereafter? whatsoever Christ weeps for in the way of his mercy, it is likely he was displeased with it in the way of his Justice: If he weep for it, he had rather it were not so. If then those judgements upon Jerusalem were only from his owne primary, and posi­tive, and absolute Decree, without any respect to their sins, could he be displeased with his owneact, or weep and lament that which onely himselfe had done? would God ask rael? if God lay open to that answer, We die therefore, because you have killed us; Jeru­salem [Page 160]salem would not judge her selfe, therefore Christ judged her; Jerusalem would not weep for her self, and therefore Jesus wept; but in those teares of his, he shewed, that he had ra­ther her own teares had averted, and washed away those judgements.

He wept, cum appropinquavit, sayes the Text there, when Iesus came near the City and saw it Cum appro­pinquavit. then he wept; not till then. If we will not come neare the miseries of our brethren, if we will not see them, we will never weep over them, never be affected towards them. It was cum ille, Non cumilli. not cumilli, when Christ himselfe, not when his Disciples, his followers, who could doe Jerusalem no good, tooke knowledge of it. It was not cum illi, nor it was not cum illa, not when those judgements drew neare; It is not said so; neither is there any time limited in the Text, when those judgements were to fall upon Jerusalem; it is onely said generally, indefinitely, these dayes shall come upon her. And yet Christ did not ease himselfe upon that, that those calamities were remote and farre off, but though they were so, and not to fall till after his death, yet he lamented future calamities then, then Jesus wept. Many such little Brookes as these fall into this River, the consideration of Christs Propheticall teares; but let it be enough to have sprinkled these drops out of the River; That Jesus, though a private person, wept in contemplation of publique calami­ties; That he wept in the best times, fore-seeing worse; That he wept in their mise­ries, because he was no Author of them: That he wept not till he tooke their miseries into his consideration: And he did weep a good time, before those miseries fell upon them. There remaine yet his third teares, his pontificall teares, which accompany his sa­crifice; Those teares we called the Sea, but a Sea which must now be bounded with a very little sand.

To saile apace through this Sea; 3. Part. these teares, the teares of his Crosse, were expressed by that inestimable waight, the sinnes of all the world. If all the body were eye, argues the Apostle in another place; why, here all the body was eye; every pore of his body made an eye by teares of blood, and every inch of his body made an eye by their bloody scourges. And if Christs looking upon Peter, made Peter weep, shall not his looking upon us here, with teares in his eyes, such teares in such eyes, springs of teares, rivers of teares, seas of teares make us weep too? Peter who wept under the waight of his parti­cular sin, wept bitterly: how bitterly wept Christ under the waight of all the sins of all the world? In the first teares. Christ humane teares (those we called a spring) we fetched water at one house, we condoled a private calamity in another; Lazarus was dead. In his second teares, his Propheticall teares, wee went to the condoling of a whole Nation; and those we called a River. In these third teares, his pontificall teares, teares for sin, for all sins (those we call a Sea) here is Mare liberum, a Sea free and open to all; Every man may saile home, home to himselfe, and lament his own sins there.

I am farre ftom concluding all to be impenitent, that doe not actually weep and shed teares; I know there are constitutions, complexions, that doe not afford them. And yet the worst Epithet, which the best Poet could fixe upon Pluto himselfe, was to call him Illachrymabilis, a person that could not weep. But to weep for other things, and not to weep for sin, or if not to teares, yet not to come to that tendernesse, to that melting, to that thawing, that resolving of the bowels which good soules feele; this is a spunge (I said before, every man is a spunge) this is a spunge dried up into a Pumice stone; the light­nesse, the hollownesse of a spunge is there still, but (as the Pumice is) dried the Aet­naes of lust, of ambition, of other flames in this world.

I have but three words to say of these teares of this weeping. What it is, what it is for, what it does; the nature, the use, the benefit of these teares, is all. And in the first, I forbeare to insist upon S. Basils Metaphor, Lachrymae sudor animi male sani; Sin is my sicknesse, the blood of Christ Jesus is my Bezar, teares is the sweat that that produceth. I forbeare Greg. Nyssens metaphor too, Lachryma sanguis cordis defoecatus; Teares are out best blood, so agitated, so ventilated, so purified, so rarified into spirits, as that thereby I become Idem spiritus, one spirit with my God. That is large enough, and imbraces all, which S. Gregory sayes, That man weeps truly, that soul sheds true teares, that considers seriously, first, ubi fuit in innocentia, the blessed state which man was in, in his integrity at first, ubifuit; and then considers, ubi est in tentationibus, the weak estate that man is in now, in the midst of tentations, where, if he had no more, himself were tentation too much, ubi est; and yet considers farther, ubi erit, in gehenna, the insupportable, and for all that, the inevitable, theirreparable, and for all that, undeterminable torments of hell, [Page 161] ubi erit; and lastly, ubi non erit, in coelis, the unexpressible joy and glory which he loses in heaven, ubi non erit, where he shall never be. These foure to consider seriously, where man was, where he is, where he shall be, where he shall never be, are foure such Rivers, as constitute a Paradise. And as a ground may be a weeping ground, though it have no running River, no constant spring, no gathering of waters in it; so a soule that can poure out it self into these religious considerations, may be a weeping soule, though it have a dry eye: This weeping then is but a true sorrow, (that was our first) and then, what this true sorrow is given us for, and that is our next Consideration.

As water is in nature a thing indifferent, in may give life, Ad quid. (so the first livin things that were, were in the water) and it may destroy life, (so all things living upon the earth, were destroyed in the water) but yet though water may, though it have done good and bad, yet water does now one good office, which no ill quality that is in it can equall, it wa­shes our soules in Bap?isme; so though there be good teares and bad teares, teares that wash away sin, and teares that are sin, yet all teares have this degree of good in them, that they are all some kinde of argument of good nature, of a tender heart; and the Holy Ghost loves to work in Waxe, and not in Marble. I hope that is but meerly Poeticall which the Poet saies, Discunt lachrymare decenter; that some study to weep with a good grace; Quo (que) volunt plorant empore, quo (que)mode, they make use and advantage of their teares, and weep when they will. But of those who weep not when they would, but when they would not, do half imploy their teares upon thatfor which God hath given them that sacrifice upon sin. God made the Firmament, which he called Heaven, after it had divided the waters: After we have distinguished our teares, naturall from spirituall, worldly from heavenly, then there is a Firmament established in us, then there is a hea­ven opened to us: and truly, to cast Pearles before Swine, will scarce be better resem­bled, then to shed teares which resemble pearles for worldly losses.

Are there examples of menopassionately enamored upon age? or if upon age, upon deformity? If there be example of that, are they not examples of scorn too? doe not all others laugh at their teares? and yet such is our passionate doting upon this world. Mun­di facies, sayes S. Augustine, (and even S. Augustine himselfe hath scarce said any thing more pathetically) tanta rerani labe contrita, ut etiam speciem seductionis amiserit: The face of the whold world is so defaced, so wrinkled, so ruined, so deformed, as that man might be trusted with this world, and there is no jealousie, no suspition that this world should be able to minister any occasion of tentation to man: Speciem seductionis amisit. And yet, Qui in seipso aruit, in nobis floret, sayes S. Gregory, as wittily as S. Augustine, (as it is easie to be witty, easie to extend an Epigram to a Satyre, and a Satyre to an Invective, in declaiming against this world) that world which findes it selfe truly in an Autumne, in it selfe, findes it selfe in a spring, in our imaginations. Labenti haeremus, sayes that Father; Et cum labentem sistere non possumus, cum ipso labimur; The world passes away, and yet wee cleave to it; and when wee cannot stay it from passing away, wee passe away with it.

To mourne passionately for the love of this world, which is decrepit, and upon the deathbed, or imoderately for the death of any that is passed out of this world, is not the right use of teares. That hath good use which Chrysologus notes, that when Christ was told of Lazarus death, he said he was glad; when he came to raise him to life, then hee wept: for though his Disciples gained by it, (they were confirmed by a Miracle) though the family gained by it, (they had their Lazarus againe) yet Lazarus himselfe lost by it, by being re-imprisoned, re-committed, re-submitted to the manifold incommodities of this world. When our Saviour Christ forbad the women to weepe for him, it was be­causethere was nothing in him, for teares to worke upon; no sin: Ordinem flendi docuit, saies S. Bernard, Christ did not absolutely forbid teares, but regulate and order their teares, that they might weepe in the right place; first for sin. David wept for Absolon; He might imagine, that he died in sin, he wept not for the Child by Bathsheba, he could not suspect so much danger in that. Exitus aquarum, saies David, Rivers of waters ran downe from mine eyes, why? Quia illi, Because they, who are they? not other men, Psal. 119.136. as it is ordi­narily taken; but Quia illi, Because mine owne eyes (so Hilary, and Ambrose, and August take it) have not kept thy Lawes: As the calamities of others, so the sins of others may, but our owne sins must be the object of our sorrow. Thou shalt offer to me, saies God, Exod. 22.19. the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors, as our Translation hath it: The word in the Ori­ginall [Page 162]ginall is Vedingnacha, lachrymarum, and of thy teares: Thy first teares must be to God for sin: The second and third may be to nature and civility, and such secular offices. But Liquore ad lippitudinem apto quisquamne ad pedes lavandos abutetur? It is S. Chrysostomes exclamation and admiration, will and wash his feet in water for sore eyes? will any man embalme the Carcasse of the world, which he treads under foote, with those teares which should embalme his soule? Did Ioseph of Arimathea bestow any of his perfumes (though he brought a superfluous quantity, a hundred pound waight for one body) yet did he bestow any upon the body of either of the Thieves? Teares are true sorrow, that you heard before; True sorrow is for sin, that you have heard now; All that remaines is how this sorrow works, what is does.

The Fathers have infinitely delighted themselves in this descant, the blessed effect of holy teares. Quid ope­rantur. He amongst them that reemembers us, that in the old Law all Sacrifices were washed, he meanes, That our best sacrifice, even prayer it selfe, receives an improve­ment, a dignity, by being washed in teares. He that remembers us, that if any roome of out house be on fire, we run for water, meanes that in all tentations, we should have re­course to teares. He that tels us, that money being put into a bason, is seene at a farther distance, if there be water in the bason, then if it be emptie, meanes also, that our most pretious devotions receive an addition, a multiplication by holy teares. S. Bernard meanes all that they all meane in that, Cor lachrymas nesciens durum, impurum, A hard heart is a foule heart. Would you shut up the devill in his owne channell, his channell of brim­stone, and make that worse? S. hierom tels the way, Plus tua lachryma, &c. Thy teares tor­ment him more then the fires of hell; will you needs have holy water? truly, true teares are the holiest water. Mend eza. in 1. Sam. And for Purgatory, it is liberally confessed by a Jesuit, Non minùs efficax, &c. One teare will doe thee as much good, as all the flames of Purgatory. We have said more then once, that man is a spunge; And in Codice scripta, all our sins are written in Gods Booke, saies S. ChrysOstome: If there I can fill my spunge with teares, and so wipe out all my sins out of that Book, it is a blessed use of the Spunge.

I might stand upon this, the manifold benefits of godly teares, long: so long, as till you wept, and wept for sin; and that might be very long. I contract all to this one, which is all: To how many blessednesses must these teares, this godly sorrow reach by the way, when as it reaches to the very extreme, to that which is opposed to it, to Joy? for godlie sorrow is Joy. Iob 10.20. The words in Iob are in the Vulgat, Dimitte meut plang am dolorem meum: Lord spare me a while that I may lament my lamentable estate: and so ordinarily the Expo­sitors that follow that Translation, make their use of them. But yet it is in the Originall, Lord spare me a while, that I may take comfort: That which one cals lamenting, the other calls rejoycing: To conceive true sorrow and true joy, are things not onely contiguous, but continuall; they doe not onely touch and follow one another in a certaine succession, Joy assuredly after sorrow, but they consist together, they are all one, Joy and Sorrow. My teares have beene my meat day and night, Psal. 42.3. saies David: not that he had no other meate, but that none relisht so well. Mendoza. It is a Grammaticall note of a Jesuit, (I doe not tell you it is true; I have almost tole you that it is not true, by telling you whose it is, but that it is but a Grammaticall note) That when it is said Tempus cantus, The time offinging is come, it might as well be rendred out of the Hebrew, Cant. 2.12. Tempus plorationis, The time of weeping is come; 2 Sam. 22.50. And when it is said, Nomini tuo cantabo, Lord I will sing unto thy Name, it might be as well rendred out of the Hebrew, Plorabo, I will weepe, I will sacrifice my teares unto thy Name. So equall, so indifferent a thing is it, when we come to godly sorrow, whe­ther we call it sorrow or joy, weeping or singing.

To end all, to weep for sin is not a damp of melancholy, to sigh for sin, is not a vapour of the spleene, but as Monicaes Confessor said still unto her, in the behalfe of her Son S. Augustine, filius istarum lachrymarum, the son of these teares cnnot perish; so wash thy selfe in these three examplar bathes of Christs teares, in his humane teares, and be tenderly affected with humane accidents, in his Propheticall teares, and avert as much as in thee lieth, the calamities imminent upon others, but especially in his pontificall teares, teares for sin, and I am thy Confessor, non ego, sed Dominus; not I, but the spirit of God himself is thy Confessor, and he absolves thee, filius istarum lachrymarum, the soule ba­thed in these teares cannot perish: for this is trina immer sio, that threefold dipping which was used in the Primitive Church in baptisme. And in this baptisme, thou takest a new Christian name, thou who wast but a Christian, art now a regenerate Christian; and as [Page 163] Naaman the Leper came cleaner out of Jordan, then he was before his leprosie, (for his flesh came as the flesh of a child) so there shall be better evidence in this baptisme of thy repentance, then in thy first baptisme; better in thy self, for then thou hadst no sense of thy own estate, in this thou hast: And thou shalt have better evidence from others too; for howsoever some others will dispute, whether all children which dye after Bap­tisme, be certainly saved or no, it never fell into doubt or disputation, whether all that die truely repentant, be saved or no. Weep these teares truly, and God shall performe to thee, first that promise which he makes in Esay, The Lord shall wipe all teares from thy face, Esay 25. all that are fallen by any occasion of calamity here, in the militant Church; and he shall performe that promise which he makes in the Revelation, Revel. 7.17. The Lord shall wipe all teares from thine eyes, that is, dry up the fountaine of teares; remove all occasion of teares here­after, in the triumphant Church.

SERMON XVII. Preached at VVhite-hall, March 4. 1624.

THat which God commanded by his Word, to be done at some times (that we should humble our soules by fasting) the same God tommands by his Church, to be done now: In the Scriptures you have Praeceptum, The thing it self, What; In the Church, you have the Nunt, The time, When. The Scriptures are Gods Voyce; The Church is his Eccho; a redoubling, a repeating of some particular syllables, and accents of the same voice. And as we harken with some earnestnesse, and some admiration at an Eccho, when perchance we doe not understand the voice that occasioned that Eccho; so doe the obedient children of God apply themselves to the Eccho of his Church, when perchance otherwise, they would lesse understand the voice of God, in his Scriptures, if that voice were not so redoubled unto them. This fasting then, thus enjoyned by God, for the generall, in his Word, and thus limited to this Time, for the particular, in his Church, is indeed but a continuation of a great Feast: Where, the first course (that which we begin to serve in now) is Manna, food of Angels, plentifull, frequent preaching; but the second course, is the very body and blood of Christ Jesus, shed for us, and given to us, in that blessed Sacrament, of which himselfe makes us worthy receivers at that time. Now, as the end of all bodily eating, is Assimilation, that after all other concoctions, that meat may be made Idem cor­pus, the same body that I am; so the end of all spirituall eating, is Assimilation too, That after all Hearing, and all Receiving, I may be made Idem spiritus cum Domino, the same spirit, that my God is: for, though it be good to Heare, good to Receive, good to Me­ditate, yet, (if we speake effectually, and consummatively) why call we these good? there is nothing good but One, that is, Assimilation to God; In which perfect and con­summative sense, Christ saies to this Man, in this Text, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God.

The words are part of a Dialogue, of a Conference, betweene Christ, Divisio. and a man who proposed a question to him; to whom Christ makes an answer by way of another que­stion, Why callest thou me good, &c. In the words, and by occasion of them, we consider the Text, the Context, and the Pretext: Not as three equall parts of the Building; but the Context, as the situation and Prospect of the house, The Pretext, as the Accesse and entrance to the house, And then the Text it selfe, as the House it selfe, as the body of the building: In a word, In the Text, the Words; In the Context, the Occasion of the words; In the Pretext, the Pretence, the purpose, the disposition of him who gave the occasion.

We begin with the Context; 1 Part. Context. the situation, the prospect; how it stands, how it is but­ted, how it is bounded; to what it relates, with what it is connected. And in that, we are no farther curious, but onely to note this, that the Text stands in that Story, where a man comes to Christ, inquires the way to Heaven, beleeves himselfe to be in that way already, and (when he heares of nothing, but keeping the Commandements) beleeves himselfe to be fargone in that way; But when he is told also, that there belongs to it a departing with his Riches, his beloved Riches, he breakes off the conference, he sepa­rates himselfe from Christ; for, (saies the Story) This Man had great possessions. And to this purpose, (to separate us from Christ) the poorest amongst us, hath great possessions. He corners of the streets, as well as he that sits upon carpets, in the Region of perfumes, he that is ground and trod to durt, with obloquie, and contempt, as well as he that is built up every day, a story and story higher with additions of Honour, Every man hath some such possessions as possesse him, some such affections as weigh downe Christ Jesus, and separate him from Him, rather then from those affections, those possessions. Scarce any sinner but comes sometimes to Christ, in the language of the man in this Text, Good Ma­ster what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternall life? And if Christ would go no far­ther with such men, but to say to the Adulterer, Do not thou give thy money to usury; no more to the penurious Usurer, but, Do not thou wast thy selfe in superfluous and ex­pensive feasting; If Christ would proceed no farther, but to say to the needy person, that had no money, Do not thou buy preferment; or to the ambitious person that soares up after all, Do not thou forsake thy selfe, deject thy selfe, undervalue thy selfe, In all these cases, the Adulterer and the Usurer, The needy and the ambitious man, would all say with the man in the Text, All these things have we done from our youth. But when Christ proceeds to a Vade, & vende, to depart with their possessions, that which they possesse, that which possesses them, this changes the case.

There are some sins so rooted, so riveted in men, so incorporated, so consubstantiated in the soule, by habituall custome, as that those sins have contracted the nature of An­cient possessions. As men call Manners by their names, so sins have taken names from men, and from places; Simon Magus gave the name to a sin, and so did gehazi, and Sodom did so: There are sins that run in Names, in Families, in Blood; Hereditary sins, entailed sins; and men do almost prove their Gentry by those sins, and are scarce beleeved to be rightly borne, if they have not those sins; These are great possessions, and men do much more easily part with Christ, then with these sins. But then there are lesse sins, light sins, vanities; and yet even these come to possesse us, and separate us from Christ. How many men negiect this ordinary meanes of their Salvation, the comming to these Exercises, not because their undoing lyes on it, or their discountenancing; but meerely out of levity, of vanity, of nothing; they know not what to do else, and yet do not this. You heare of one man that was drowned in a vessell of Wine; but how many thousands in ordinary water? And he was no more drowned in that precious liquor, then they in that common water. A gad of steele does no more choake a man, then a feather, then a haire; Men perish with whispering sins, nay with silent sins, sins that never tell the conscience they are sins, as often as with crying sins: And in hell there shall meet as many men, that never thought what was sin, as that spent all their thoughts in the compassing of sin; as many, who in a slack in consideration, never cast a thought upon that place, as that by searing their conscience, overcame the sense and feare of the place. Great sins are great possessions; but levities and vanities possesse us too; and men had rather part with Christ, then with any possessions; which is all we will note out of this first part, The Context, the situation, and prospect of the house, the coherence and connexion of the Text.

The second part, 2 Part. Pretext. is the pretext; that is the pretense, the purpose, the disposition of him that moved this question to Christ, and occasioned this answer. Upon which we make this stop, because it hath been variously apprehended by the Expositors; for some think he came in an humble disposition to learn of Christ, and others think he came in a Phari­saicall confidence in himself, with which Epiphanius first, and then S. Ierome charge him. But in such doubtful cases in other mens actions, when it appeares not evidently, whether it were well, or ill done, where the balance is eaven, alwayes put you in your charity, and that will turne the scale the best way. Things which are in themselves, but mis-interpre­table, doe not you presently mis-interpret, you allow some graines to your gold, before [Page 165]you call it light: allow some infirmities to any man, before you call him ill. For this man in the Text, venit, sayes this Euangelist, he came to Christ, he came of himselfe. S. Peter himself came not so. S. Peter came not, till his brother Andrew brought him: none of the twelve Apostles came to Christ so, they came not, till Christ called them: Here, we heare of no calling, no inviting, no mention of any motion towards him, no intimati­on of any intimation to him, and yet he came. Blessed are they that come to Christ Jesus, before any collaterall respects draw them, before the Laws compell them, before calamities drive them to him: He onely comes hither, that comes voluntarily, and is glad he is here; He that comes so, as that he had rather he were away, is not here. Ve­nit, sayes our Euangelist, of this man: And then, sayes S. Mark, Mark. 10.17. handling the same sto­ry, Venit procurrens, He came running. nicodemus came not so, Nicodemus durst not avow his comming; and therefore he came creeping, and he came softly, and he came seldome, and he came by night.

Blessed are they who make haste to Christ, and publish their zeale to the encourage­ment of others: For, let no man promise himself a religious constancy in the time of his triall, that doth not his part in establishing the religious constancy of other men. Of all proofes, Demonstration is the powerfullest: when I have just reason to think my superi­ous would have it thus, this is Musique to my soul; When I heare them say they would have it thus, this is Rhetorique to my soule; When I see their Laws enjoyne it to be thus, this is Logick to my soul; but when I see them actually, really, clearely, constant­ly do thus, this is a Demonstration to my soule, and Demonstration is the powerfullest proofe: The eloquence of inferiours is in words, the eloquence of superiours is in action.

He came to Christ; hee ran to him; and when he was come, as S. Mark relates it, He fell upon his knees to Christ. He stood not then Pharisaically upon his own legs, his own merits, though he had been a diligent observer of the Commandements before. Blessed are they, who bring the testimony of a forme zeale to Gods service, and yet make that no excuse for their present, or future slacknesst; The benefit of our former goodnesse is, that that enables us to be the better still: for, as all example is powerfull upon us, so our own example most of all; in this case we are most immediately bound by ourselves; still to be so good, as we our selves have been before: There was a time when I was nothing; but there shall never be any time, when I shall be nothing; and therefore I am most to respect the future. The good services that a man hath done to God by pen, or sword, are wings, and they exalt him if he would go forward; but they are waights and depresse him, and aggravate his condemnation, if his presumption upon the merit of those former services, retard him for the future. This man had done well, but he stood not upon that; he kneeled to Christ, and he said to him, Magister bone, Good master. He was no ignorant man, and yet he acknowledged that he had somewhat more to learn of Christ, then he knew yet. Blessed are they that inanimate all their know­ledge, consummate all in Christ Jesus. The University is a Paradise, Rivers of know­ledge are there, Arts and Sciences flow from thence. Counsell Tables are Horti conclusi, (as it is said in the Canticles) Gardens that are walled in, and they are Fontes signati, Wells that are sealed up; bottomlesse depths of unsearchable Counsels there. But those Aquae quietudinum, which the Prophet speaks of, The waters of rest, they flow à magistro bono, from this good master, and flow into him again; All knowledge that begins not, and ends not with his glory, is but a giddy, but a vertiginous circle, but an elaborate and ex­quisite ignorance. He would learn of him, and what? Quid boni faciam, What good thing shall I do? Blessed are they that bring their knowledge into practise; and blessed again, that crown their former practise with future perseverance.

This was his disposition that came; His, though he were a youn man; (for so he is said to be, in the 22. ver.) and yong men are not ofter so forward in such wayes. I re­member one of the Panegyriques celebrates & magnifies one of the Romane Emperors for? is, that he would marry when he was yong; that he would so soon confine and limit his pleasures, so soon determine his affections in one person. When a young man comes to Christ, Christ receives him with an extraordinary welcome; well intimated though he were yong; and he came though he wre Vnus è principibus, (for so he is qualified in S. Luke) A principall man, a great man; as we translate it, One of the Rulers: Luke 18.18. [Page 166]for so he is a reall and a personall answer and instance to that scornfull question of the Pharisees, Nunquid è principibus, Do any of the Rulers, any great men, beleeve in Christ? It is true that the Holy Ghost doth say, 1 Cor. 1.26. Non multi nobiles, few noble men come to hea­ven. Not out of Panigorola, the Bishop of Asti, his reason, Pauci quia pauci, There can­not come many noble men to heaven, because there are not many upon earth; for many times there are many. In calme and peaceable times, the large favours of indulgent Princes, in active and stirring times, the merit and the fortune of forward men, do often enlarge the number. But such is often the corrupt inordinatenesse of greatnesse, that it only carries them so much beyond other men, but not so much nearer to God; It only sets men at a farther, not God at a nearer distance to them; but because they are come to be called gods, they think they have no farther to go to God, but to themselves. But God is the God of the Mountains, 1 King. 20.28. Esay 40.12. as well as of the Valleyes: Great and small are equall, and equally nothing in his sight: for, when all the world is In pugillo, in Gods fist, (as the Pro­phet speaks) who can say then, This is the Ant, this is the Elephant? Our conversati­on should be in heaven; and if we look upon the men of this world, as from heaven, as if we looked upon this world it self, from thence, the hils would be no hils, but all one flat and equall plain; so are all men, one kinde of dust. Records of nobility are only from the book of Life, and your preferment is your interest in a place at the right hand of God. But yet, when those men whom God hath raised in this world, take him in their armes, and raise him too, though God cannot be exalted above himself, yet he is content to call this a raising, and to thank them for it. Therefore when this man, a man of this rank came to him, Mar. 10.21. Iesus beheld him, sayes the Gospell, and he loved him, and he said, one thing thou lackest; God knows, he lacked many things; but because he had that one, zeale to him, Christ doth not reproach to him his other defects: God pardons great men ma­ny errors, for that one good affection, a generall zeale to his glory, and his cause.

His disposition then, (though it have seemed suspitious, and questionable to some) was so good, as that it hath afforded us these good considerations. If it were not so good as these circumstances promise, yet it affords us another as good consideration, That how bad soever it were, Christ Jesus refused him not, when he came to him. When he en­quired of Christ after salvation, Christ doth not say, There is no salvation for thee, thou Viper, thou Hypocrite, thou Pharisee, I have locked an iron doore of predestination be­tween salvation and thee; when he enquired of him, what he should do to be sure of heaven, Christ doth not say, There is no such art, no such way, no such assurance here; but you must look into the eternall decree of Election first, and see whether that stand for you or no: But Christ teaches him the true method of this art: for, when he sayes to him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but God, he only directs him in the way to that end, which he did indeed, or pretended to seek. And this direction of his, this method is our third part; In which, (having already seen in the first, the Context) the situation and prospect of the house, that is, the coherence and occasion of the words, And in the second, (the Pretext) the accesse and entrance to the house, that is, the pre­tense and purpose of him that occasioned the words, you may now be pleased to look farther into the house it self, and to see how that is built; that is, by what method Christ builds up, and edifies this new disciple of his; which is the principall scope and intenti­on of the Text, and that, to which all the rest did somewhat necessarily prepare the way.

Our Saviour Christ thus undertaking the farther rectifying of this thus disposed disci­ple, 3. Part. by a faire method leads him to the true end; Good ends, and by good wayes, con­summate goodnesse. Now Christs answer to this man is diversly read: We reade it, (as you have heard) why callest thou me good? The vulgat Edition in the Romane Church, reads it thus, Quid me interrogas de bono? Why dost thou question me concerning goodnesse? Which is true? That which answers the Originall; and it can admit no question, but that ours doth so. But yet, Origen, to be sure, in his eighth Tractate upon this Gospell, reads it both wayes: And S. Augustine, in his 63. Chap. of the second book De consensu Evangelist arum, thinks it may very well be beleeved, that Christ did say both: That when this man called him good master, Christ said then, There was none good but God; and that when this man asked him, what good thing he should do, then Christ said, Why dost thou ask me, me whom thou thinkest to be but a meere man, what is goodnesse? There is none good but God; If thou look to understand goodnesse from man, thou must look out such a man as is God too. So that this was Christs method, by these holy in­sinuations, [Page 167]by these approaches, and degrees, to bring this man to a knowledge, that he was very God, and so the Messias that was expected. Nihil est falsitas, August. nisi cum esse puta­tur, quod non est: All error consists in this, that we take things to be lesse or more, other then they are. Christ was pleased to redeem this man from this error, and bring him to know truly what he was, that he was God. Christ therefore doth not rebuke this man, by any denying that he himself was good; for Christ doth assume that addition to him­self, I am the good Shepheard. Neither doth God forbid, that those good parts which are in men, should be celebrated with condigne praise. We see that God, as soon as he saw that any thing was good, he said so, he uttered it, he declared it, first of the Light, and then of other creatures: God would be no author, no example of smothering the due praise of good actions. For, surely that man hath no zeale to goodnesse in himself, that affords no praise to goodnesse in other men.

But Christs purpose was also, that this praise, this recognition, this testimony of his goodnesse, might be carried higher, and referred to the only true author of it, to God. So the Priests and the Elders come to Iudith, and they say to her, Judith 15.8. Thou art the exaltation of Jerusalem, thou art the great glory of Israel, thou art the rejoycing of our Nation, thou hast done all these things by thy hand; And all this was true of Iudith, and due to Iudith; and such recognitions, and such acclamations God requires of such people, as have received such benefits by such instruments: For as there is Treason, and petty-trea­son, so there is Sacriledge, and petty-sacriledge; and petty-sacriledge is to rob Princes and great persons of their just praise. But then, as we must confer this upon them, so must they, and we, and all transfer all upon God: for so Iudith proceeds there, with her Priests and Elders, Begin unto my God, with Timbrels, sing unto the Lord with Cym­bals, exalt him, and call upon his name. So likewise Elizabeth magnifies the blessed Virgin Mary, Blessed art thou amongst women: And this was true of her, and due to her; Luke 1.42. and she takes it to her self, when she sayes there, From henceforth all Generations shall call me blessed; but first, she had carried it higher, to the highest, My soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirit doth rejoyce in God my Saviour. In a word, Christ forbids not this man to call him good, but he directs him to know in what capacity that attribute of good­nesse belonged to him, as he was God: That when this man beleeved before that Christ was good, and learnt from him now, that none was good but God, he might by a farther concoction, a farther rumination, a farther meditation of this, come in due time to know that Christ was God; And this was his Method.

Now this leads us into two rich and fragrant fields; this sets us upon the two Hemi­spheares of the world; the Western Hemispheare, the land of Gold, and Treasure, and the Eastern Hemispheare, the land of Spices and Perfumes; for this puts us upon both these considerations, first, That nothing is Essentially good, but God, (and there is the land of Gold, centricall Gold, viscerall Gold, gremiall Gold, Gold in the Matrice and womb of God, that is, Essentiall goodnesse in God himself) and then upon this conside­ration too, That this Essentiall goodnesse of God is so diffusive, so spreading, as that there is nothing in the world, that doth not participate of that goodnesse; and there is the land of Spices and Perfumes, the dilatation of Gods goodnesse. So that now both these propositions are true, First, That there is nothing in this world good, and then this also, That there is nothing ill: As, amongst the Fathers, it is in a good sense, as truly said, De­us non est Ens, Deus non est substantia, God is no Essence, God is no substance, (for feare of imprisoning God in a predicament) as it is said by others of the Fathers, that there is no other Essence, no other Substance but God.

First then, there is nothing good but God: neither can I conceive any thing in God, that concerns me so much as his goodnesse; for, by that I know him, and for that I love him. I know him by that, for, as Damascen sayes, primarium Dei nomen, Bonitas; Gods first name, that is, the first way by which God notified him self to man, was Goodness; for out of his goodnesse he made him. His name of Jehova we admire with a reverence; but we cannot expresse that name: not only not in the signification of it, but not considently, not assuredly in the sound thereof; we are not sure that we should call it Jehova; not sure that any man did call it Jehova a hundred yeares agoe. But, August. ineffabili dulcedine teneor cum audio, Bonus Dominus; I am, not transported with astonishment, as at his name of Je­hova, but replenished with all sweetnesse, established with all soundnesse, when I hear of my God in that name, my good God. By that I know him, and for that I love him: For, [Page 168]the object of my understanding is truth; but the object of my love, my affection, my de­sire, is goodnesse. If my understanding be defective, in many cases, faith will supply it; if I beleeve it, I am as well satisfied, as if I knew it; but nothing supplies, nor fills, nor satis­fies the desire of man, on this side of God; Every man hath something to love, and de­sire, till he determine it in God; because God only hath Imminuibi lem bonitatem, as they render Dyonisius the Areopagite, an inexhaustible goodnesse; a sea that no land can suck in, a land that no sea can swallow up, a forrest that no fire can waste, a fire that no water can quench. Aug. He is so good, goodnesse so, as that he is Causa bonorum, & quae in nos, & quae in nobis, the cause of all good either received by us, or conceived in us; of all, either pre­pared externally for us, Idem. or produced internally in us. In a word, he is Bonum caetera bona colorans, & amabilia reddens, it is his goodnesse, that gilds and enamels all the good per­sons, or good actions in this world. There is none good but God; and quale bonum ille, sayes that Father, what kinde of goodnesse God is, this doth sufficiently declare, Quòd nulli ab co recedenti bene sit, That no man that ever went from him, went by good way, or came to good end; There is none good but God; there is centricall, viscerall, gremiall gold, goodnesse in the roote, in the tree of goodnesse, God.

Now, Arbor bona, bonos fructus, sayes Christ; If the tree be good, the fruit is good too. The tree is God; What are the fruits of this tree? What are the off-spring of God? S. Ambr. tells us, Angeli & homines, & virtutes eorum; Angels and men, and the good parts, and good actions of Angels and men, are the fruit of this tree, they grow from God. Angels, as they fell, Adam, as he fell, the sins of Angels and men, are not fruits of this tree, they grow not radically, not primarily from God. Nihil in se habet Deus semi-plenum, saies Da­mascen: God is no half-god, no fragmentary God; he is an intire God, and not made of remnants; not good only so, as that he hath no roome for ill in himself, but good so too, as that he hath no roome for any ill will towards any man; no mans damnation, no mans sin, growes radically from this tree. When God had made all, sayes Tertullian, he blessed all; Maledicere non norat, quia nec malefacere, saies he: God could no more meane ill, then doe ill; God can no more make me sin, then sin himself. It is the foole that saies, There is no God, saies David; And it is the other foole, sayes S. Basil, that saies, God pro­duces any ill; par precii scelus, quia negat Deum bonum; It is as impiously done, to deny God to be intirely good, as to deny him to be God. For, we see the Manichees, and the Marcionites, and such other Heretiques in the Primitive Church, would rather admit, and constitute two Gods, a good God, and a bad God, then be drawn to think, that he that was the good God indeed, could produce any ill of himself, or meane any ill to any man, that had done none.

And therefore even from Plato himself, some Christians might learn more moderation in expressing themselves in this point; Plato sayes, Creavit quia bonus, therefore did God create us, that he might be good to us; and then he addes, Bono nunquam inest invidia, certainly that God, that made us out of his goodnesse, does not now envy us that good­nesse which he hath communicated to us; certainly he does not wish us worse, that so he might more justly damne us, and therefore compell us, by any positive decree, to sin, to ju­stifie his desire of damning us: Much lesse did this good God hate us, or meane ill to us, before he made us, and made us only therefore, that he might have glory in our destru­ction. There is nothing good but God, there is nothing but goodnesse in God.

How abusively then doe men call the things of this world, Goods? They may as well call them (so they do in their hearts) Gods, as Goods; for there is none good but God. But how much more abusively do they force the world, that call them Bona quia beant, Goods be­cause they make us good, blessed, happy? In which sense, Seneca uses the word shrewdly, Insolens malum beata uxor, a good wife, a blessed wife, sayes he, that is, a wife that brings a great estate, is an insolent mischiefe. If we doe but cast our eye upon that title in the Law, Bonorum, and De bonis, of Goods, we shall easily see, what poor things they make shift to cal Goods. And if we consider (if it deserve a consideration) how great a difference their Lawyers make ( Baldus makes that, and others with him) between Bonorum possessio, and possessio bonorum, that one should amount to a right and propriety in the goods, and the other but to a sequestration of such goods, we may easily see, that they can scarce tell what to call, or where to place such Goods. Health, and strength, and stature, and comelinesse, must be called Goods, though but of the body; The body it self is in the substance it self, but dust; these are but the accidents of that dust, and yet they must be Goods. Land, and [Page 169]Money, & honor must be called Goods, though but of fortune; Fortune her self, is but such an Idol, as that S. Aug. was ashamed ever to have named her in his works, and therefore repents it in his Retractations; her self is but an Idol, and an Idol is nothing these, but the ac­cidents of that nothing, and yet they must be Goods. Are they such Goods, as make him necessarily good that hath them? Or such, as no man can be good, that is without them? How many men make themselves miserable, because they want these Goods? And how many men have been made miserable by others, because they had them? Except thou see the face of God upon all thy money, as well as the face of the King, the hand of God to all thy Patents, as well as the hand of the King, Gods Amen, as well as the Kings fiat, to all thy creatiōs, all these reach not to the title of Goods, for there is none good but God.

Nothing in this world; not if thou couldst have it all; carry it higher, to the highest, to heaven; heaven it self were not good, without God. For, in the Schoole, very many and very great men, have thought and taught, That the humane nature of Christ, though united Hypostatically to the Divine Nature, was not meerly by that Union, impeccable, but might have sinned, if besides that Union, God had not infused, and super-induced other graces, of which other graces, the Beatificall vision, the present sight of the face and Essence of God, was one: Because, (say they) Christ had from his Conception, in his Humane Nature, that Beatificall Vision of God, which we shall have in the state of Glo­ry, therefore he could not sin. This Beatificall Vision, say they, which Christ had here, and which, (as they suppose, and not improbably, in the problematicall way of the Schoole) God, of his absolute power, might have with-held, and yet the Hypostaticall Union have remained perfect; (for, say they, the two Natures, Humane & Divine, might have been so united, and yet the Humane not have so seen the Divine) This Beatificall Vision, this sight of God, was the Cause, or Seal, or Consummation of Christs Perfecti­on, and impeccability in his Humane Nature. Much more is this Beatificall Vision, this sight of God in Heaven, the Cause or Consummation of all the joyes and glory which we shall receive in that place: for howsoever they dispute, whether that kinde of Blessed­nesse consist in seeing God, formaliter, or causaliter, that is, whether I shall see all things in God, as in a glasse, in which the species of all things are, or whether I shall see all things, by God, as by the benefit of a light, which shall discover all things to me, yet they all agree, (though they differ de modo, of the manner, how) that howsoever it be, the sub­stance of the Blessednesse is in this, that I shall see God: Blessed are the pure in heart, sayes Christ, for they shall see God; If they should not see God, they were not blessed. And there­fore they who place children that die unbaptised, in a roome, where though they feele no torment, yet they shall never see God, durst never call that roome a part of heaven, but of hell rather; Though there be no torment, yet, if they see not God, it is hell. There is nothing good in this life, nothing in the next, without God, that is, without sight and fruition of the face, and presence of God; which is that, which S. Augustine intends, when he sayes, Secutio Dei est appetitus Beatitatis, consecutio Beatitas; our looking towards God, is the way to Blessednesse, but Blessednesse it self is only the sight of God himself.

That therefore thou maist begin thy heaven here, put thy self in the sight of God, put God in thy sight, in every particular action. We cannot come to the body of the Sun, but we can use the light of the Sun many waies: we cannot come to God himself here, but yet here we can see him by many manifestations: so many, as that S. Augustine, in his 20. Chapt. De moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae, hath collected aright places of Scripture, where every one of our senses is called a Seeing; there is a Gustate & videte, and audite, and palpate; tasting, and hearing, and feeling, and all, to this purpose, are called seeing; In all our senses, in our faculties, we may see God if we will: God sees us at midnight; he sees us, then, when we had rather he looked off. If we see him so, it is a blessed interview. How would he that were come abroad at mid-night, to doe a mischiefe, sneak away, if he saw the watch? what a damp must it necessarily cast upon any sinner, in the nearest approach to his sin, if he can see God? See him before thou sinnest; then he looks lovingly: After the sin, remember how fain Adam would have hid himself from God: He that goes one step out of Gods sight, is loath to come into it againe: If you will sit at the right hand of God hereafter, you must walk with God here; So Abraham, so Enoch walked with God, Gen. 5.25. and God took him. God knowes, God takes not every man that dies: God sayes to the rich secure man, Foole, this night they shall fetch away thy soule; but he does not tell him who. That then you be no strangers to God then, see him now; and remember, that his [Page 170]last judgement is expressed in that word, Nescio vos, I know you not; not to be known by God, is damnation; and God knows no man there, with whom he was not acquainted here. There is none good but God; the fruition of that God, is in seeing him; The way to see him there, is to look towards him here. And so we have gone as far as the first of our two propositions carried us, That in this world there is nothing good.

The other that remains, is, That there is nothing ill; that this goodnesse of God is so spread over all, (all actions, all persons) as that there is nothing ill. Seneca, whom Tertul­lian calls still Senecam nostram, our Seneca, that is, that Christian Seneca, as though he had read that of S Paul, (between whom and him, it hath been thought, there passed Epistles) Quid habes, quod non accepisti? what hast thou, that thou hast not received from God? and meant to say more then that, sayes quid non dedit? what is there, that were good for thee, that God hath not given thee? And he, whom they call so often Platonem Hebraeorum, the Jews Plato, that is, Philo Iudaeus, sayes well, Nihil boni sterile creavit Deus; God hath made nothing, in which he hath not imprinted, and from which he hath not produced some good: He follows it so far, (and justly) as to say, that God does good, where that good does no good: He takes his examples from Gods raining in the Sea; that rain does no good in the Sea: And from Gods producing fresh springs in the desart Land, where, not only no beasts come to drink, but where the very salt tide overflows the fresh spring. He might have added an example from Paradise, that God would plant such a garden, for so few houres; that God would provide man such a dwelling, when he knew he would not dwell a day in it. And he might have added an example from the Light too; That God would create light, and say it was good, then when it could be good for no­thing, for there was nothing made to see it, nor to be seen by it: so forward, so early was God, in diffusing his goodnesse. Of every particular thing. God said it was good, and of all together, that it was very good; there was, there is nothing ill. For, when it is ordinari­ly inquired in the Schoole, whether any thing be essentially good, it is safely answered there, that if by essentially we mean independantly, so good as that it can subsist of it self, without dependance upon, or relation to any other thing, so there is nothing essentially good: But if by essentially good, we mean that whose essence, and beeing is good, so every thing is essentially good. And therefore when the Manichees pressed S. August. with that, Vnde malum? If there be not an ill God, as wel as a good, unde malum, from whom, or from whence proceed all that ill that is in the world? S. Aug. saies, Vnde malum? Quid malum? From whence comes evill? Why, what is there, that you can call evill? I know no such thing; so that, if there be such a God, that God hath no creature. For, as poisons conduce to Physick, and discord to Musick, so those two kinds of evill, into which we contract all others, are of good use, that is, malum poenae, the evill of punishment, affliction, adversity, and malum culpae, even sin it selfe, from which, the punishment flowes.

Be pleased to stop a little, upon each of these. First, malum poenae, affliction, poverty, sick­nesse, imprisonment, banishment, and such, are not evill. The blood of Christ Jesus only is my cordiall; that restores me, repaires me; but affliction is my Physick; that purges, that cleanses me. Hostiliter se opponit medicus, saies Tertullian, The Physitian comes in like an enemy, with a knife to launce, with fire to cauterize, but opponit se morbo, he is but an ene­my to the disease, he means the patient no harm; no more does God to me, in all his me­dicinall corrections. But how if these afflictions hang long upon me? If they do so, that is Aegrotantium animarum diaeta; Clem. Alex. God enters into another course of Physick, and finds it bet­ter for me to spend my disease by a diet; and long sicknesses are such diets: God will reco­ver my soul by a consumption of the body, and establish everlasting health, by long sick­nesse. Howsoever, let Gods corrections go as high as they can go in this world, Etsi novum videtur, quod dicere volo, saies Origen, dicam tamen; Though it be strange that I will say, I wil say it, Etiam bonitas Dei est, qui dicitur faror ejus; That which we cal the anger of God, the wrath of God, the fury of God, is the goodnesse of God. Correct me not O Lord, in thy wrath, saies David; but, rather then leave me uncorrected, correct me any way. We call God, Just, and we call him Mercifull, according to our present taste of God, and use of God, Civil. Alex. Cum unicam habeat affectionem Deus, nempe bonitatem, when as God hath but one af­fection in himself, that is, goodnesse, nor but one purpose upon us, that is, to doe us good.

So then, this which we call Malum poenae, Affliction, Adversity, is not evill; That which occasions this, Malum culpae, sin it self, is not evill; not evill so, as that it should make us incapable of this diffusive goodnesse of God. You know, I presume, in what [Page 171]sense we say in the Schoole, Malum nihil, and Peccatum nihil, that evill is nothing, sin is nothing; that is, it hath no reality, it is no created substance, it is but a privation, as a shadow is, as sicknesse is; so it is nothing. It is wittily argued by Boethius, God can do all things; God cannot sin; Therefore sin is nothing. But it is strongly argued by S. Augustin, If there be any thing naturally evill, it must necessarily be contrary to that which is natu­rally good; and that is God. Now, Contraria aequalia, saies he; whatsoever things are contrary to one another, are equall to one another; so, if we make any thing naturally evill, we shall slide into the Manichees error, to make an Evill God. So farre doth the Schoole follow this, as that there, one Archbishop of Canterbury, out of another, that is, Bradwardin out of Anselme, pronounces it Haereticum esse dicere, Malum esse aliquid, To say that any thing is naturally evill, is an heresie.

But if I cannot finde a foundation for my comfort, in this subtilty of the Schoole, That sin is nothing, (no such thing as was created or induced by God, much lesse forced upon me by him, in any coactive Decree) yet I can raise a second step for my consolation in this, that be sin what it will in the nature thereof, yet my sin shall conduce and coope­rate to my good. So Ioseph saies to his Brethren, You thought evill against me, Gen. 51.20. but God meant it unto good: which is not onely good to Ioseph, who was no partaker in the evill, but good even to them, who meant nothing but evill. And therefore, as Origen said, Etsi novum, Though it be strangely said, yet I say it, That Gods anger is good; so saies S. Augustine, Audeo dicere, Though it be boldly said, yet I must say it, Vtile esse cadere in aliquod manifestum peccatum, Many sinners would never have beene saved, if they had not committed some greater sin at last, then before; for, the punishment of that sin, hath brought them to a remorse of all their other sins formerly neglected. If neither of these will serve my turne, neither that sin is nothing in it selfe, and therefore not put upon me by God, nor that my sin, having occasioned my repentance, hath done me good, and established me in a better state with God, then I was in before that sin, yet this shall fully rectifie me, and assure my consolation, that in a pious sense I may say, Christ Jesus is the sinner, and not I. For, though in the two and twentieth Session of the Councell of Basil, that proposition were condemned as scandalous, in the mouth of a Bishop of Nazareth, Augustinus de Roma, Christus quotidie peccat, That Christ does sin every day, yet Gregory Nazianzen expresses the same intention, in equivalent termes, when he saies, Quamdiu inobediens ego, tamdiu, quantum ad me attinet, inobediens Christus: As long as I sin, for so much as concernes me, me, who am incorporated in Christ, me, who by my true repen­tance have discharged my selfe upon Christ, Christ is the sinner, even in the sight, and justice of his Father, and not I.

And as this consideration, That the goodnesse of God, in Christ, is thus spread upon all persons, and all actions, takes me off from my aptnesse to mis-interpret other mens actions, not to be hasty to call indifferent things, sins, not to call hardnesse of accesse in great Persons, pride, not to call sociablenesse of conversation in women, prostitution, not to call accommodation of Civill businesses in States, prevarication, or dereliction and abandoning of God, and toleration of Religion; as it takes me off from this mis-inter­preting of others; so, for my selfe, it puts me upon an ability, to chide, and yet to cheare my soule, with those words of David, O my Soule, why art thou so sad? why art thou so dis­quieted within me? Since sin is nothing, no such thing as is forced upon thee by God, by which thy damnation should be inevitable, or thy reconciliation impossible, since of what nature soever sin be in it selfe, thy sins being truly repented, have advanced, and emproved thy state in the favour of God, since thy sin, being by that repentance dis­charged upon Christ, Christ is now the sinner, and not thou, O my Soule, why art thou so sad? why art thou disquieted within me? And this consideration of Gods goodnesse, thus derived upon me, and made mine in Christ, ratifies and establishes such a holy confi­dence in me, as that all the morall constancy in the world, is but a bulrush, to this bul­wark; and therefore, we end all, with that historicall, but yet usefull note, That that Duke of Burgundy, who was sirnamed Carolus Audax, Charles the Bold, was Son to that Duke, who was sirnamed Bonus, The Good Duke; A Good one produced a Bold one: True confidence proceeds onely out of true Goodnesse: for, The wicked shall flye, Prov. 28.1. when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a Lion. This constancy, and this confidence, and upon this ground, Holy courage in a holy feare of him, Almighty God infuse and imprint in you all, for his Son Christ Jesus sake. And to this glorious Son of God, &c.

SERMON XVIII. Preached at S. Pauls, in the Evening, upon Easter-day. 1623.

THe first word of the Text, must be the last part of the Sermon, Divisio. Therefore; Therefore let all know it. Here is something necessary to be knowne, And the Meanes by which we are to know it; And these will be our two parts; Scientia, & Modus, Knowledge, and the way to it; For, Qui testatur de scientia, testatur de modo scientiae, is a good rule, in all Laws, He that will testifie any thing upon his knowledge, must declare how he came by that knowledge. So then, what we must conclude, and upon what premisses, what we must re­solve, and what must lead us to that resolution, are our two stages, our two resting pla­ces: And to those two, our severall steps are these; In the first, Let all the house of Israel know, &c. we shall consider first, The Manner of S. Peter, (for the Text is part of a Ser­mon of S. Peters) in imprinting this Knowledge in his Auditory; which is, first, in that Compellation of love and honour, Domus Israel, The house of Israel: But yet, when hee hath raised them to a sense of their dignity, in that attribute, he doth not pamper them with an over-value of them, he lets them know their worst, as well as their best, Though you be the house of Israel, yet it is you that have crucified Christ Jesus, That Iesus, whom ye have crucified; And from this his Manner of preparing them, we shall passe to the Matter that he proposes to them: When he had remembred them what God had done for them (You are the house of Israel) and what they had done against God, (You have crucified that Iesus) He imparts a blessed message to them all, Let all know it: Let them know it, and know it assuredly; He exhibits it to their reason, to their naturall understanding, And what? The greatest mystery, the entire mystery of our salvation, That that Iesus is both Lord, and Christ; But he is made so; Made so by God; Made both; Made Christ, that is, anointed, embalmed, preserved from corruption, even in the grave, And made Lord by his triumph, and by being made Head of the Church, in the Resurrection, and in the Ascension: And so, that which is the last step of our first stage, (That that Iesus is made Lord, as well as he is made Christ) enters us upon our second stage, The meanes by which we are to know, and prove all this to our selves; Therefore, sayes the Text, let all know it; wherefore? why, because God hath raised him, after you had crucified him; Because God hath loosed the bands of death, Ver. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. because it was impossible that he should be holden by death; Because Davids prophecy of a deliverance from the grave is fulfilled in him, Therefore let all know this to be thus. So that the Resurrection of Christ is argument enough to prove, that Christ is made Lord of all; And if he be Lord, he hath Subjects, that do as he does; And so his Resurrection is become an argument, and an assurance [Page 176]of our Resurrection too; and that is as far as we shall go in our second part, That first Christs Resurrection is proofe enough to us of his Dominion, if he be risen, he is Lord, and then his Dominion is proofe enough to us of our Resurrection, if he be Lord, Lord of us, we shall rise too: And when we have paced, and passed through all these steps, we shall in some measure have solemnized this day of the Resurrection of Christ; and in some measure have made it the day of our Resurrection too.

First then, 1. Part. Domus Isra­el. the Apostle applies himself to his Auditory, in a faire, in a gentle manner; he gives them their Titles, Domus Israel, The house of Israel. We have a word now deni­zened, and brought into familiar use amongst us, Complement; and for the most part, in an ill sense; so it is, when the heart of the speaker doth not answer his tongue; but God forbid but a true heart, and a faire tongue might very well consist together: As vertue it self receives an addition, by being in a faire body, so do good intentions of the heart, by being expressed in faire language. That man aggravates his condemnation, that gives me good words, and meanes ill; but he gives me a rich Jewell, and in a faire Cabinet, he gives me precious wine, and in a clean glasse, that intends well, and expresses his good intentions well too. If I beleeve a faire speaker, I have comfort a little while, though he deceive me, but a froward and peremptory refuser, unsaddles me at first. I re­member a vulgar Spanish Author, who writes, the Iosephina, the life of Ioseph, the husband of the blessed Virgin Mary, who moving that question, why that Virgin is never called by any style of Majesty, or Honour in the Scriptures, he sayes, That if after the declaring of her to be the Mother of God, he had added any other Title, the Holy Ghost had not been a good Courtier, (as his very word is) nor exercised in good language, and he thinks that had been a defect in the Holy Ghost in himself. He meanes surely the same that Epiphanius doth, That in naming the Saints of God, and especially the blessed Virgin, we should alwayes give them the best Titles that are applyable to them; Epiphan. Hae­res. 78. Quis unquam ausus, (saies he) proferre nomen Mariae, & non statim addidit virgo? Who ever durst utter the name of that Mary, without that addition of incomparable honour, The Virgin Mary?

That Spanish Author need not be suspitious of the Holy Ghost in that kinde, that he is no good Courtier so; for in all the books of the world, you shall never reade so civill language, nor so faire expressions of themselves to one another, as in the Bible: When Abraham shall call himself dust, and ashes, (and indeed if the Son of God were a worme and no man, what was Abraham?) If God shall call this Abraham, this Dust, this Worme of the dust, The friend of God, (and all friendship implyes a parity, an equality in something;) when David shall call himself a flea, and a dead dog, even in respect of Saul, and God shall call David, A man according to his own heart, when God shall call us, The Apple of his own eye, The Seale upon his own right hand, who would go farther for an Ex­ample, or farther then that example for a Rule, of faire accesses, of civill approaches, of sweet and honourable entrances into the affections of them with whom they were to deale? Especially is this manner necessary in men of our profession; Not to break a brui­sed reed, nor to quench smoaking flaxe, not to avert any, from a will to heare, by any fro­wardnesse, any morosity, any defrauding them of their due praise, and due titles; but to accompany this blessed Apostle, in this way of his discreet, and religious insinuation, to call them Men of Iudea, ver. 14. and Men of Israel, ver. 22. and Men and Brethren, ver. 29. and here Domus Israel, the ancientest house, the honourablest house, the lastingest house in the world, The house of Israel.

He takes from them nothing that is due, Accusat ta­men. that would but exasperate; He is civill, but his civility doth not amount to a flattery, as though the cause of God needed them, or God must be beholding to them, or God must pay for it, or smart for it, if they were not pleased. And therefore, though he do give them their titles, Apertè illis imputat crucifixi­onem Christi, sayes S. Chrysostome, Plainly and without disguise he imputes and puts home to them, the crucifying of Christ; how honourably soever they were descended, he layes that murder close to their Consciences, You, you house of Israel have crucified the Lord Iesus. There is a great deale of difference between Shimeis vociferations against David; 2 Sam. 16.5. Thou man of blood, thou man of Belial, And Nathans proceeding with David; and yet Nathan forbore not to tell him, 2 Sam. 12.7. Thou art the man, Thou hast despised the Lord, Thou hast killed Vriah, Thou hast taken his wife. It is one thing to sow pillows under the elbows of Kings, (flatterers do so) another thing to pull the chaire from under the King, and popular and seditious men do so. Where Inferiours insult over their Superiours, [Page 177]we tell them, Christi Domini, they are the Lords anointed, and the Lord hath said, Touch not mine anointed; And when such Superiours insult over the Lord himselfe, and think themselves Gods without limitation, as the God of heaven is, when they doe so, we must tell them they doe so, Etsi Christi Domini, though you be the Lords anointed, yet you crucifie the anointed Lord: for this was S. Peters method, though his successor will not be bound by it.

When he hath carried the matter thus evenly betweene them, (I doe not deny, Omnes. but you are the House of Israel, you cannot deny but you have crucified the Lord Jesus; you are heires of a great deale of honour, but you are guilty of a shrewd fault too) stand or fall to your Master, your Master hath dealt thus mercifully with you all, that to you all, all, he sends a message, Sciant omnes, Let all the house of Israel know this. Needs the house of Israel know any thing? Needs there any learning in persons of Honour? We know, this characterizes, this distinguishes some whole Nations; In one Nation it is almost a scorn for a gentleman to be learned, in another almost every gentleman, is convenient­ly, and in some measure, learned. But I enlarge not my self, I pretend not to comprehend Nationall vertues, or Nationall vices. For this knowledge, which is proclaimed here, which is, the knowledge that the true Messias is come, and that there is no other to bee expected, is such a knowledge, as that even the house of Israel it self, is without a Foun­dation, if it be without this knowledge. Is there any house, that needs no reparations? Is there a house of Israel, (let it be the Library, the depositary of the Oracles of God, a true Church, that hath the true word of the true God, let it be the house fed with Manna, that hath the true administration of the true Sacraments of Christ Jesus) is there any such house, that needs not a farther knowledge, that there are alwaies thieves about that house, that would rob us of that Word, and of those Sacraments?

The Holy Ghost is a Dove, and the Dove couples, paires, is not alone; Take heed of singular, of schismatical opinions; & what is more singular, more schismaticall, then when all Religion is confined in one mans breast? The Dove is animal sociale, a sociable crea­ture, and not singular; and the Holy Ghost is that; And Christ is a Sheep, animal gre­gale, they flock together: Embrace thou those truths, which the whole flock of Christ Jesus, the whole Christian Church, hath from the beginning acknowledged to be truths, and truths necessary to salvation; for, for other Traditionall, and Conditionall, and Oc­casionall, and Collaterall, and Circumstantiall points, for Almanack Divinity, that chan­ges with the season, with the time, and Meridionall Divinity, calculated to the heighth of such a place, and Lunary Divinity, that ebbes and flowes, and State Divinity, that obeyes affections of persons, Domus Israel, the true Church of God, had need of a continuall succession of light, a contiuall assistance of the Spirit of God, and of her own industry, to know those things that belong to her peace.

And therefore let no Church, no man, think that he hath done enough, or knowes enough. If the Devill thought so too, we might the better think so: but since we see, that he is in continuall practise against us, let us be in a continuall diligence, and watchfulnesse, to countermine him. We are domus Israel, the house of Israel, and it is a great measure of knowledge, that God hath afforded us; but if every Pastor look into his Parish, and every Master into his own Family, and see what is practising there, sciat domus Israel, let all our Israel know, that there is more knowledge, and more wisdome necessary; Be every man farre from calumniating his Superiours, for that mercy which is used towards them that are fallen, but be every man as far from remitting, or slackning his diligence, for the pre­serving of them, that are not fallen.

The wisest must know more, though you be domus Israel, the house of Israel already; Crucifixistis. and then, Etsi Crucifixistis, though you have crucified the Lord Jesus, you may know it, sciant omnes, let all know it. S. Paul saies once, If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of life; but he never saies, if they have crucified the Lord of life, 1 Cor. 2.8. they are excluded from knowledge. I meane no more, but that the mercy of God in manifesting and apply­ing himself to us, is above all our sins. No man knowes enough; what measure of ten­tations soever he have now, he may have tentations, through which, this knowledge, and this grace, will not carry him; and therefore he must proceed from grace to grace. So no man hath sinned so deeply, but that God offers himself to him yet; Sciant omnes, the wisest man hath ever something to learn, he must not presume; the sinfullest man hath God ever ready to teach him, he must not despaire.

Now the universality of this mercy, Sciant. hath God enlarged, and extended very farre, in that he proposes it, even to our knowledge, Sciant, let all know it. It is not only credant, let all beleeve it; for the infusing of faith, is not in our power: but God hath put it in our power to satisfie their reason, and to chafe that waxe, to which he himself vouchsafes to set to the great seale of faith. And that S. Hierome takes to be most properly his Com­mission, Tentemus animas, quae deficiunt a fide, natur alibus rationibus adjuvare; Let us in­devour to assist them, who are weak in faith, with the strength of reason. And truly it is very well worthy of a serious consideration, that whereas all the Articles of our Creed, are objects of faith, so, as that we are bound to receive them de fide, as matters of faith, yet God hath left that, out of which, all these Articles are to be deduced, and proved, (that is, the Scripture) to humane arguments; It is not an Article of the Creed, to be­leeve these, and these Books, to be, or not to be Canonicall Scripture; but our arguments for the Scripture are humane arguments, proportioned to the reason of a naturall man. God does not seale in water, in the fluid and transitory imaginations, and opinions of men; we never set the seale of faith to them; But in Waxe, in the rectified reason of man, that reason that is ductile, and flexible, and pliant, to the impressions that are natu­rally proportioned unto it, God sets to his seale of faith. They are not continuall, but they are contiguous, they flow not from one another, but they touch one another, they are not both of a peece, but they enwrap one another, Faith and Reason. Faith it self, by the Prophet Esay is called knowledge; Esay 53.11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many, sayes God of Christ; that is, by that knowledge, that men shall have of him. So Zechary expresses it at the Circumcision of Iohn Baptist, That hee was to give knowledge of salvation, Luke 1.77. for the remission of sins.

As therefore it is not enough for us, in our profession to tell you, Qui non crediderit, damnabitur, Except you beleeve all this, you shall be damned, without we execute that Commission before, Ite praedicate, go and preach, work upon their affections, satisfie their reason; so it is not enough for you, to rest in an imaginary faith, and easinesse in belee­ving, except you know also what, and why, and how you come to that beliefe. Implicite beleevers, ignorant beleevers, the adversary may swallow; but the understanding belee­ver, he must chaw, and pick bones, before he come to assimilate him, and make him like himself. The implicite beleever stands in an open field, and the enemy will ride over him easily; the understanding beleever, is in a fenced town, and he hath out-works to lose, before the town be pressed; that is, reasons to be answered, before his faith be shaked, and he will sell himself deare, and lose himself by inches, if he be sold or lost at last; and therefore sciant omnes, let all men know, that is, endeavour to informe themselves, to understand.

That particular, Iesum. that generall particular, (if we may so say, for it includes all) which all were to know, is, that the same Jesus, whom they Crucified, was exalted above them all.

Suppose an impossibility; (S. Paul does so, when he sayes to the Galatians, If an An­gell from heaven should preach any other Gospell; for that is impossible;) If we could have been in Paradise, and seen God take a clod of red earth, and make that wretched clod of contemptible earth, such a body as should be fit to receive his breath, an immortall soule, fit to be the house of the second person in the Trinity, for God the Son to dwel in bodily; fit to be the Temple for the third person, for the Holy Ghost, should we not have won­dred more, then at the production of all other creatures? It is more, that the same Jesus, whom they had crucified, is exalted thus, to sit in that despised flesh, at the right hand of our glorious God; that all their spitting should but macerate him, and dissolve him to a better mold, a better plaister; that all their buffetings should but knead him, and presse him into a better forme; that all their scoffes, and contumelies should be prophesies; that that Ecce Rex, Behold your King; and that Rex Iudaeorum, This is the King of the Iews, which words, they who spoke them, thought to be lies, in their own mouthes, should become truths, and he be truly the King, not of the Jews only, but of all Nations too; that their nayling him upon the Crosse, should be a setling of him upon an everlasting Throne; and their lifting him up upon the Crosse, a waiting upon him, so farre upon his way to heaven, that this Jesus, whom they had thus evacuated, thus crucified, should bee thus exalted, was a subject of infinite admiration, but mixt with infinite confu­sion too.

Wretched Blasphemer of the name of Jesus, that Jesus, whom thou crucifiest, and treadest under thy feet, in that oath, is thus exalted. Uncleane Adulterer, that Jesus, whom thou crucifiest, in stretching out those forbidden armes in a strange bed, thou that beheadest thy self, castest off thy Head; Christ Jesus, that thou mightst make thy body, the body of a Harlot, that Jesus, whom thou defilest there, is exalted. Let severall sinners passe this through their severall sins, and remember with wonder, but with confusion too, that that Jesus, whom they haue crucified, is exalted above all.

How farre exalted? Three steps, which carry him above S. Pauls third heaven: Factus. He is Lord, and he is Christ, and he is made so by God; God hath made him both Lord and Christ. We return up these steps, as they lie, and take the lowest first: Fecit Deus, God made him so: Nature did not make him so, no, not if we consider him in that Na­ture, wherein he consists of two Natures, God, and Man. We place in the Schoole, (for the most part) the infinite Merit of Christ Jesus (that his one act of dying once, should be a sufficient satisfaction to God, in his Justice, for all the sins of all men) we place it, I say, rather in pacto, then in persona, rather that this contract was thus made between the Father, and the Son, then that, whatsoever that person, thus consisting of God and Man, should doe, should, onely in respect of the person, bee of an infinite value, and extention, to that purpose; for then, any act of his, his Incarnation, his Circumcision, any had been sufficient for our Redemption, without his death. But fecit Deus, God made him that, that he is; The contract between the Father and him, that all that he did, should be done so, and to that purpose, that way, and to that end, this is that, that hath exalted him, and us in him.

If then, not the subtilty, and curiosity, but the wisedome of the Schoole, and of the Church of God, have justly found it most commodious, to place all the mysteries of our Religion, in pacto, rather then in persona, in the Covenant, rather then in the person, though a person of incomprehensible value, let us also, in applying to our selves those mysteries of our Religion, still adhaerere pactis, and not personis, still rely upon the Cove­nant of God, with man, revealed in his word, and not upon the person of any man: Not upon the persons of Martyrs, as if they had done more then they needed for themselves, and might relieve us, with their supererogations; for, if they may work for us, they may beleeve for us; and Iustus fide sua vivet, sayes the Prophet, Habak. 2.4. The righteous shall live by his owne faith. Not upon that person, who hath made himself supernumerary, and a Con­troller upon the three persons in the Trinity, the Bishop of Rome; not upon the conside­ration of accidents upon persons, when God suffers some to fall, who would have ad­vanced his cause, and some to be advanced, who would have throwne downe his cause, but let us ever dwell in pacto, and in the fecit Deus, this Covenant God hath made in his word, and in this we rest.

It is God then, not nature, not his nature that made him; And what? Christ; Christus. Christ is anointed: And then Mary Magdalen made him Christ, for she anointed him before his death; And Ioseph of Arimathea made him Christ, for he anointed him, and em­balmed him, after his death. But her anointing before, kept him not from death, nor his anointing after, would not have kept him from putrefaction in the grave, if God had not in a farre other manner, made him Christ, anointed him praeconsortibus, above his fellows. God hath anointed him, embalmed him, enwrapped him in the leaves of the Prophets, That his flesh should not see corruption in the grave, That the flames of hell should not take hold of him, nor sindge him there; so anointed him, as that, in his Humane nature, He is ascended into heaven, and set downe at the right hand of God; For, de eo quod ex Maria est, Petrus loquitur, sayes S. Basil, That making of him Christ, that is, that anointing which S. Peter speakes of in this place, is the dignifying of his humane nature, that was anointed, that was consecrated, that was glorified in heaven.

But he had a higher step then that; God made this Iesus, Christ, and he made him Lord; Dominus. He brought him to heaven, in his own person, in his humane nature; so he shall all us; but when we shall be all there, he onely shall be Lord of all. And if there should be no other bodies in heaven, then his, yet, yet now he is Lord of all, as he is Head of the Church. Aske of me, sayes his Father, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, Psal. 2.8. and the ut­ter most parts of the Earth for thy possession. And, as it is added, ver. 6. I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion; So he hath made him Lord, Head of the Jews, and of the Gen­tiles too, of Sion, and of the Nations also; Hee hath consecrated his person, raised his [Page 180]humane nature, to the glorious region of blessed Spirits, to Heaven, and he hath dignifi­ed him with an office, made him Lord, Head of the Church, not only of Jews, and Gen­tiles upon earth, but of the Militant and Triumphant Church too.

Our two generall parts were Scientia, 2. Part. & modus, what we must all know, and by what we must know it. Our knowledge is, this Exaltation of Jesus; and our meanes is implied, in the first word of the Text, Therefore. Therefore, Therefore because he is raised from the Dead; for to that Resurrection, expressed in three, or foure severall phrases before the Text, is this Text, and this Exaltation referred; Christ was delivered for our sins, raised for our justification, and upon that depends all. Christs descending into hell, and his Resurrecti­on, in our Creed, make but one Article, and in our Creed we beleeve them both alike: Quis nisi Infidelis negaverit, apud inferos fuisse Christum? saies S. Augustine; Who but an Infidell, will deny Christs descending into hell? And if he beleeve that to be a limme of the article of the Resurrection, His descent into hell, must rather be an inchoation of his triumph, then a consummation of his Exinanition, The first step of his Exaltation there, rather then the last step of his Passion upon the Crosse: But the Declaration, the Manifestation, that which admits no disputation, was his Resurrection. Factus, id est, de­claratus per Resurrectionem, saies S. Cyrill, He was made Christ, and Lord, that is, declared evidently to be so, 1 Cor. 1.20. by his Resurrection; As there is the like phrase, in S. Paul, God hath made the wisdome of this world, foolishnesse, that is, declared it to be so. And therefore it is imputed to be a crucifying of the Lord Jesus againe, Heb. 6.6. Non credere eum, post mortem, im­mortalem, Not to beleeve, that now after his having overcome death in his Resurrecti­on, he is in an immortall, and in a glorious state in heaven. For when the Apostle argues thus, 1 Cor. 15.14. If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching in vaine, and your faith in vaine, he implies the contrary too, If you beleeve the Resurrection, we have preached to good purpose: Mortuum esse Christum, August. pagani credunt; resurrexisse propria fides Christianorum: The Heathen confesse Christs death; To beleeve his Resurrection, is the proper character of a Christian: for the first stone of the Christian faith, was laid in this article of the Resur­rection; In the Resurrection onely was the first promise performed, Ipse conteret, He shall bruise the Serpents head; for, in this, he triumphed over Death, and Hell; And the last stone of our faith, is laid in the same article too, that is, the day of Judgement; of a day of Judgement God hath given an assurance unto all men (saies S. Paul at Athens) In that he hath raised Christ Iesus from the dead. Acts 17.31. In this Christ makes up his circle; in this he is truly Alpha and Omega, His comming in Paradise in a promise, his comming to Judgement in the clouds, are tied together in the Resurrection: And therefore all the Gospell, all our preaching, is contracted to that one text, To beare witnesse of the Resurrection; onely for that, Acts 1.22. was there need of a new Apostle, There was a necessity of one to be chosen in Iudas roome, to be a witnesse of the Resurrection; Non ait caeterorum, sed tantùm Resurrectionis, saies S. Chrysostome, He does not say, to beare witnesse of the other articles, but onely of the Resurrection; he charges him with no more instructions, he needs no more, in his Com­mission, but to preach the Resurrection: Athan. for in that, Trophaeum de morte excitavit, & in­dubitatum reddidit corruptionem deletam: Here is a retreat from the whole warfare, here is a Trophee erected upon the last enemy; The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, and here is the death of that enemy, in the Resurrection.

And therefore, to all those who importuned him for a signe, Christ still turnes upon the Resurrection. Iohn 2.38. Mat. 12.38. The Jewes pressed him in generall, Quod signum, What signe showest thou unto us? and he answers, Destroy this Temple, (this body) and in three dayes I will raise it. In another place, the Scribes and the Pharisees joyne, Master we would see a signe from thee, and he tels them, There shall be no signe, but the signe of the Prophet Ionas; who was a type of the Resurrection. And then the Pharisees, and Sadduces joyn; now they were bit­ter enemies to one another; but, as Tertullian saies, Semper inter duos latrones crucifixus Christus, It was alwaies Christs case to be crucified betweene two Thieves; So these, though enemies joyne in this vexation, They aske a signe, as the rest, and, as to the rest, Christ gives that answer of Ionas. So that Christ himselfe determines all, summes up all in this one Article, the Resurrection.

Now, Nos. if the Resurrection of this Jesus, have made him, not onely Christ, Anointed and consecrated in Heaven, in his owne person, but made him Lord, then he hath Subjects, upon whom that dominion, and that power works, and so we have assurance of a resur­rection in him too. That he is made Lord of us by his Resurrection, is rooted in prophe­cie; [Page 181] It pleased the Lord to bruise him, saies the Prophet Esay; But he shall see his seed, Esay 53.10. and he shall prolong his daies; that is, he shall see those that are regenerate in him, live with him, forever. It is rooted in prophecy, and it spreads forth in the Gospell. To this end, saies the Apostle, Christ died, and rose, that he might be Lord of the dead, and of the living. Now, Rom. 14.9. Gregor. what kinde of Lord, if he had no subjects? Cum videmus caput super aquas, when the head is above water, will any imagine the body to be drowned? What a perverse considera­tion were it, to imagine a live head, and dead members? Or, consider our bodies in our selves, and Our bodies are Temples of the Holy Ghost; and shall the Temples of the holy Ghost lye for ever, for ever, buried in their rubbidge? They shall not; for, the day of Judgement, is the day of Regeneration, as it is called in the Gospell; Mat. 19.28. August. Quia caro nostra ita generabitur per incorruptionem, sicut anima per fidem: Because our bodie shall be regene­rated by glory there, as our soules are by faith here. Therefore, Tertul. cals the Resurre­ction, Exemplum spei nostrae, The Originall, out of which we copy out our hope; and Cla­vem sepulchrorū nostrorum, How hard soever my grave be locked, yet with that key, with the application of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus, it will open; And they are all names, which expresse this well, which Tertullian gives Christ, Vadem, obsidem, fidejussorem resurrectionis nostrae, That he is the pledge, the hostage, the surety of our Resurrection: So doth that also which is said in the Schoole, Sicut Adam forma morientium, Theoph. it a Christus forma resurgentium; Without Adam, there had beene no such thing as death, without Christ, no such thing as a Resurrection: But ascendit ille effractor, (as the Prophet speaks) The breaker is gone up before, and they have passed through the gate, that is, assuredly, Mich. 2.13. infal­libly, they shall passe.

But what needs all this heat, all this animosity, all this vehemence, about the Resur­rection? May not man be happy enough in heaven, though his body never come thi­ther? upon what will ye ground the Resurrection? upon the Omnipotence of God? Asylum haereticorum est Omnipotentia Dei, (which was well said, and often repeated amongst the Ancients) The Omnipotence of God, hath alwaies been the Sanctuary of Heretiques, that is, alwaies their refuge, in all their incredible doctrines, God is able to do it, can do it. You confesse, the Resurrection is a miracle; And miracles are not to be multiplied, nor imagined without necessity; and what necessity of bodies in Heaven?

Beloved, we make the ground and foundation of the Resurrection, to be, not meerely the Omnipotency of God, for God will not doe all, that he can doe: but the ground is, Omnipotens voluntas Dei revelata, The Almighty will of God revealed by him, to us: And therefore Christ joynes both these together, Erratis, Ye erre, Mat. 22.29. not knowing the Scrip­tures, nor the power of God; that is, not considering the power of God, as it is revealed in the Scriptures: for there is our foundation of this Doctrine: we know, out of the Om­nipotence of God, it may be; and we know out of the Scriptures it must be: That works upon our faith, this upon our reason; That it is man that must be saved, man that must be damned; and to constitute a man, there must be a body, as well as a soule. Nay, the Immortality of the soule, will not so well lie in proofe, without a resuming of the body. For, upon those words of the Apostle, If there were no Resurrection, we were the miserablest of all men, the Schoole reasons reasonably; Naturally the soule and body are united, when they are separated by Death, it is contrary to nature, which nature still affects this union; and consequently the soule is the lesse perfect, for this separation; and it is not likely, that the perfect naturall state of the soule, which is, to be united to the body, should last but three or foure score yeares, and, in most, much lesse, and the unperfect state, that in the separation, should last eternally, for ever: so that either the body must be beleeved to live againe, or the soule beleeved to die.

Never therefore dispute against thine own happinesse; never say, God asks the heart, that is, the soule, and therefore rewards the soule, or punishes the soule, and hath no re­spect to the body; Nec auferamus cogitationes a collegio carnis, saies Tertullian, Never go about to separate the thoughts of the heart, from the colledge, from the fellowship of the body; Siquidem in carne, & cum carne, & per carnem agitur, quicquid ab anima agitur, All that the soule does, it does in, and with, and by the body. And therefore, (saies he also) Caro abluitur, ut anima emaculetur, The body is washed in baptisme, but it is that the soule might be made cleane; Caro ungitur, ut anima consecretur, In all unctions, whether that which was then in use in Baptisme, or that which was in use at our transmigration, and passage out of this world, the body was anointed, that the soule might be consecrated; [Page 182] Caro signatur, (saies Tertullian still) ut anima muniatur; The body is signed with the Crosse, that the soule might be armed against tentations; And againe, Caro de Corpore Christi vescitur, ut anima de Deo saginetur; My body received the body of Christ, that my soule might partake of his merits. He extends it into many particulars, and summes up all thus, Non possunt in mercede separari, quae opera conjungunt, These two, Body, and Soule, cannot be separated for ever, which, whilst they are together, concurre in all that either of them doe. Never thinke it presumption, saies S. Gregory, Sperare in te, quod in se exhibuit Deus homo, To hope for that in thy selfe, which God admitted, when he tooke thy nature upon him. And God hath made it, saies he, more easie then so, for thee, to be­leeve it, because not onely Christ himselfe, but such men, as thou art, did rise at the Re­surrection of Christ. And therefore when our bodies are dissolved and liquefied in the Sea, putrified in the earth, resolv'd to ashes in the fire, macerated in the ayre, Velut in vasa sua transfunditur caro nostra, Tertul. make account that all the world is Gods cabinet, and water, and earth, and fire, and ayre, are the proper boxes, in which God laies up our bo­dies, for the Resurrection. Curiously to dispute against our owne Resurrection, is sediti­ously to dispute against the dominion of Jesus; who is not made Lord by the Resur­rection, if he have no subjects to follow him in the same way. Wee beleeve him to be Lord, therefore let us beleeve his, and our Resurrection.

This blessed day, Ille. Iohn 2.19. Iohn 10.17. which we celebrate now, he rose: he rose so, as none before did, none after, ever shall rise; He rose; others are but raised: Destroy this Temple, saies he, and I will raise it; I, without imploying any other Architect. I lay downe my life, saies he: the Jewes could not have killed him, when he was alive; If he were alive here now, the Jesuits could not kill him here now; except his being made Christ, and Lord, an anointed King, have made him more open to them. I have a power to lay it downe, saies he, and I have a power to take it up againe.

This day, Nos. Iohn 2.3. we celebrate his Resurrection; this day let us celebrate our owne: Our own, not our one Resurrection, for we need many. Upon those words of our Saviour to Nico­demus, Oportet denuo nasci, speaking of the necessity of Baptisme, Non solum denuo, sed ter­tiò nasci oportet, saies S. Bernard, He must be born againe, and againe; againe by baptisme, for Originall sin, and for actuall sin, againe by repentance; Infoelix homo ego, & miser abilis casus, saies he, cui non sufficit una regeneratio! Miserable man that I am, and miserable con­dition that I am fallen into, whom one regeneration will not serve! So is it a miserable death that hath swallowed us, whom one Resurrection will serve. We need three, but if we have not two, we were as good be without one. There is a Resurrection from world­ly calamities, a resurrection from sin, and a resurrection from the grave.

First, Exod. 10.17. 1 Cor. 15.31. Psal. 41.8. from calamities; for, as dangers are called death, ( Pharaoh cals the plague of Lo­custs, a death, Intreat the Lord your God, that he may take from me, this death onely, And so S. Paul saies, in his dangers, I dye daily) So is the deliverance from danger called a Re­surrection: It is the hope of the wicked upon the godly, Now that he lieth, he shall rise no more; that is, Now that he is dead in misery, he shall have no resurrection in this world. Now, this resurrection God does not alwaies give to his servants, neither is this resur­rection the measure of Gods love of man, whether he do raise him from worldly cala­mities or no.

The second is the resurrection from sin; Apec. 20.5. and therefore, this S. Iohn calls The first Re­surrection, as though the other, whether we rise from worldly calamities, or no, were not to be reckoned. Anima spiritualiter cadit, & spiritualiter resurget, saies S. Augustine, Since we are sure, there is a spirituall death of the soule, let us make sure a spirituall resurrection too. Audacter dicam, saies S. Hierome, I say confidently, Cum omnia posset Deus, suscitare Virginem post ruinam, non potest; Howsoever God can do all things, he cannot restore a Virgin, that is fallen from it, to virginity againe. He cannot do this in the body, but God is a Spirit, and hath reserved more power, upon the spirit and soule, then upon the body, and therefore Audacter dicam, I may say, with the same assurance, that S. Hierome does, No soule hath so prostituted her selfe, so multiplied her fornications; but that God can make her a virgin againe, and give her, even the chastity of Christ himselfe. Fulfill therefore that which Christ saies, Iohn 5.25. The houre is comming, and now is, when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Son of God, and they that heare shall live: Be this that houre, be this thy first Resurrection. Blesse Gods present goodnesse, for this now; and attend Gods leasure, for the other Resurrection hereafter. 1 Cor. 15.20. He that is the first fruits of them that slept, Christ [Page 183]Jesus is awake; he dyes no more, he sleepes no more. Sacrificium pro te fuit, sed à te accepit, August. quod pro te obtulit: He offered a Sacrifice for thee, but he had that from thee, that he offered for thee: Primitiae fuit, sed tuae primitiae; He was the first fruits, but the first fruits of thy Corne: Spera in te futurum, quod praecess it in primitiis tuis: Doubt not of having that in the whole Croppe, which thou hast already in thy first fruits; that is, to have that in thy self, which thou hast in thy Saviour. And what glory soever thou hast had in this world, Glory inherited from noble Ancestors, Glory acquired by merit and service, Glory pur­chased by money, and observation, what glory of beauty and proportion, what glory of health and strength soever thou hast had in this house of clay, The glory of the later house, Hag. 2.9. shall be greater then of the former. To this glory, the God of this glory, by glorious or in­glorious waies, such as may most advance his own glory, bring us in his time, for his Son Christ Jesus sake. Amen.

SERMON XIX. Preached at S. Pauls, upon Easter-day, in the Evening. 1624.

IN the first book of the Scriptures, that of Genesis, there is danger in de­parting from the letter; In this last book, this of the Revelation, there is as much danger in adhering too close to the letter. The literall sense is alwayes to be preserved; but the literall sense is not alwayes to be discerned: for the literall sense is not alwayes that, which the very Let­ter and Grammer of the place presents, as where it is literally said, That Christ is a Vine, and literally, That his flesh is bread, and literally, That the new Ierusalem is thus situated, thus built, thus furnished: But the literall sense of every place, is the prin­cipall intention of the Holy Ghost, in that place: And his principall intention in many places, is to expresse things by allegories, by figures; so that in many places of Scripture, a figurative sense is the literall sense, and more in this book then in any other. As then to depart from the literall sense, that sense which the very letter presents, in the book of Genesis, is dangerous, because if we do so there, we have no history of the Creation of the world in any other place to stick to; so to binde our selves to such a literall sense in this book, will take from us the consolation of many spirituall happinesses, and bury us in the carnall things of this world.

The first error of being too allegoricall in Genesis, transported divers of the ancients beyond the certain evidence of truth, and the second error of being too literall in this book, fixed many, very many, very ancient, very learned, upon an evident falshood; which was, that because here is mention of a first Resurrection, and of raigning with Christ a thousand years after that first Resurrection, There should be to all the Saints of God, a state of happinesse in this world, after Christs comming, for a thousand yeares; In which hap­py state, though some of them have limited themselves in spirituall things, that they should enjoy a kinde of conversation with Christ, and an impeccability, and a quiet ser­ving of God without any reluctations, or cōcupiscences; or persecutions; yet others have dreamed on, and enlarged their dreames to an enjoying of all these worldly happinesses, which they, being formerly persecuted, did formerly want in this world, and then should have them for a thousand yeares together in recompence. And even this branch of that error, of possessing the things of this world, so long, in this world, did very many, and very good, and very great men, whose names are in honour, and justly in the Church of God, in those first times stray into; and flattered themselves with an imaginary intima­tion [Page 184]of some such thing, in these words, Blessed and holy is he, that hath part in the first Resurrection.

Thus far then the text is literall, Divisio. That this Resurrection in the text, is different from the generall Resurrection. The first differs from the last: And thus far it is figurative, allegoricall, mysticall, that it is a spirituall Resurrection, that is intended. But wherein spirituall? or of what spirituall Resurrection? In the figurative exposition of those places of Scripture, which require that way oft to be figuratively expounded, that Expositor is not to be blamed, who not destroying the literall sense, proposes such a figurative sense, as may exalt our devotion, and advance our edification; And as no one of those Exposi­tors did ill, in proposing one such sense, so neither do those Expositors ill, who with those limitations, that it destroy not the literall sense, that it violate not the analogy of faith, that it advance devotion, do propose another and another such sense. So doth that preacher well also, who to the same end, and within the same limit, makes his use of both, of all those expositions; because all may stand, and it is not evident in such figurative speeches, which is the literall, that is, the principall intention of the Holy Ghost.

Of these words of this first Resurrection (which is not the last, of the body, but a spi­rituall Resurrection) there are three expositions authorized by persons of good note in the Church. Alcazar. First, that this first Resurrection, is a Resurrection from that low estate, to which persecution had brought the Church; and so it belongs to this whole State, and Church, August. & nostri. and Blessed are we who have our part in this first Resurrection. Secondly, that it is a Resurrection from the death of sin, of actuall, and habituall sin; so it belongs to every particular penitent soul; and Blessed art thou, blessed am I, if we have part in this first Re­surrection. And then thirdly, because after this Resurrection, it is said, That we shall raign with Christ a thousand yeares, Ribera. (which is a certain for an uncertain, a limited, for a long time) it hath also been taken for the state of the soul in heaven, after it is parted from the body by death; for though the soul cannot be said properly to have a Resurrection, be­cause properly it cannot die, yet to be thus delivered from the danger of a second death, by future sin, to be removed from the distance, and latitude, and possibility of tentati­ons in this world, is by very good Expositors called a Resurrection; and so it belongs to all them who are departed in the Lord; Blessed and holy is he that hath part in this first Resurrection. And then the occasion of the day, which we celebrate now, being the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, invites me to propose a fourth sense, or rather use of the words; not indeed as an exposition of the words, but as a conveni­ent exaltation of our devotion; which is, that this first Resurrection should be the first fruits of the dead; The first Rising, is the first Riser, Christ Jesus: for as Christ sayes of himself, that He is the Resurrection, so he is the first Resurrection, the root of the Resurrection. He upon whom our Resurrection, all ours, all our kindes of Resurre­ctions are founded; and so it belongs to State and Church, and particular persons, a­live, and dead; Blessed and holy is he that hath part in this first Resurrection.

And these foure considerations of the words; A Resurrection from persecution, by deliverance; a Resurrection from sin, by grace; a Resurrection from tentation to sin, by the way of death, to the glory of heaven; and all these, in the first Resurrection, in him that is the roote of all, in Christ Jesus, These foure steps, these foure passages, these foure transitions will be our quarter Clock, for this houres exercise.

First then, 1. Part. From perse­cution. we consider this first Resurrection, to be a Resurrection from a persecution for religion, for the profession of the Gospell, to a forward glorious passage of the Go­spell. And so a learned Expositor in the Romane Church carries the exposition of this whole place (though not indeed the ordinary way, yet truly not incommodiously, not improperly) upon that deliverance, which God afforded his Church, from those great persecutions, which had otherwise supplanted her, in her first planting, in the primitive times. Then sayes he (and in part well towards the letter of the place) The devill was chained for a thousand yeares, and then we began to raign with Christ for a thousand yeares; reckoning the time from that time, when God destroyed Idolatry more fully, and gave peace and rest, and free exercise of the Christian religion, under the Christian Empe­rours, till Antichrist in the height of his rage shall come, and let this thousand yeares prisoner Satan loose, and so interrupt our thousand yeares raign with Christ, with new persecutions. In that persecution was the death of the Church, in the eye of the world; [Page 185]In that deliverance by Christian Emperours was the Resurrection of the Church; And in Gods protecting her ever since is the chaining up of the devill, and our raigning with Christ for those thousand yeares.

And truly, beloved, if we consider the low, the very low estate of Christians in those persecutions, tryed ten times in the fire, ten severall and distinct persecutions, in which ten persecutions, God may seem to have had a minde to deale eavenly with the world, and to lay as much upon his people whom he would try then, as he had laid upon others, for his people before, and so to equall the ten plagues of Aegypt, in ten persecutions, in the primitive Church; if we consider that low, that very low estate, we may justly call their deliverance a Resurrection. For as God said to Jerusalem, I found thee in thy blood, and washed thee, so Christ Jesus found the Church, the Christian Church in her blood, and washed her, and wiped her; washed her in his own blood, which washes white, and wiped her with the garments of his own righteousnesse, that she might be acceptable in the sight of God, and then wiped all teares from her eyes, took away all occasions of complaint, and lamentation, that she might be glorious in the eyes of man, and chearefull in her own; such was her Resurrection.

We wonder, and justly, at the effusion, at the pouring out of blood, in the sacrifices of the old Law; that that little countrey scarce bigger then some three of our Shires, should spend more cattle in some few dayes sacrifice at some solemnities, and every yeare in the sacrifices of the whole yeare, then perchance this kingdome could give to any use. Seas of blood, and yet but brooks, tuns of blood, and yet but basons, compared with the sacrifices, the sacrifices of the blood of men, in the persecutions of the Primi­tive Church. For every Oxe of the Jew, the Christian spent a man, and for every Sheep and Lamb, a Mother and her childe; and for every heard of cattle, sometimes a towne of Inhabitants, sometimes a Legion of Souldiers, all martyred at once; so that they did not stand to fill their Martyrologies with names, but with numbers, they had not roome to say, such a day, such a Bishop, such a day, such a Generall, but the day of 500. the day of 5000. Martyrs, and the martyrdome of a City, or the Martyrdome of an Army; This was not a red Sea, such as the Jews passed, a Sinus, a Creek, an Arm, an Inlet, a gut of a Sea, but a red Ocean, that overflowed, and surrounded all parts; and from the depth of this Sea God raised them; and such was their Resurrection. Such, as that they which suffered, lay, and bled with more ease, then the executioner stood and sweat; and em­braced the fire more fervently, then he blew it; and many times had this triumph in their death, that even the executioner himself, was in the act of execution converted to Christ, and executed with them; such was their Resurrection.

When the State of the Jews was in that depression, in that conculcation, in that con­sternation, in that extermination in the captivity of Babylon, as that God presents it to the Prophet in that Vision, in the field of dry bones, so, Fili hominis, Son of man, as thou art a reasonable man, dost thou think these bones can live, that these men can ever be re-colle­cted to make up a Nation? The Prophet saith, Domine tu scis, Lord thou knowest; which is, not only thou knowest whether they can, or no, but thou knowest clearly they can; thou canst make them up of bones again, for thou madest those bones of earth before. If God had called in the Angels to the making of man at first, and as he said to the Pro­phet, Fili hominis, Son of man, as thou art a reasonable man, so he had said to them, Filii Dei, as you are the Sons of God, illumined by his face, do you think, that this clod of red earth can make a man, a man that shall be equall to you, in one of his parts, in his soul, and yet then shall have such another part, as that he, whom all you worship, my es­sentiall Son shall assume, and invest that part himself, can that man made of that body, and that soul, be made of this clod of earth? Those Angels would have said, Domine tu scis, Lord thou must needs know, how to make as good creatures as us of earth, who madest us of that which is infinitely lesse then earth, of nothing, before. To induce, to facilitate these apprehensions, there were some precedents, some such thing had been done before. But when the Church was newly conceived, and then lay like the egge of a Dove, and a Gyants foot over it, like a worm, like an ant, and hill upon hill whelmed upon it, nay, like a grain of corn between the upper and lower Mill-stone, ground to dust between Tyrans and Heretiques, when as she bled in her Cradle, in those children whom Herod slew, so she bled upon her crutches, in those decrepit men whom former persecu­tions and tortures had creepled before, when East and West joyned hands to crush her, [Page 186]and hands, and brains, joyned execution to consultation to annihilate her; in this wane of the Moon, God gave her an instant fulnesse; in this exinanition, instant glory; in this grave, an instant Resurrection.

But beloved, the expressing the pressing of their depressions, does but chafe the Wax; the Printing of the seale, is the reducing to your memory, your own case: and not that point in your case, as you were for a few yeares under a sensible persecution of fire, and prisons; that was the least part of your persecution; for it is a cheap purchase of hea­ven, if we may have it for dying; Mat. 13.44. To sell all we have to buy that field where we know the treasure is, is not so hard, as not to know it; To part with all, for the great Pearle, not so hard a bargaine, as not to know that such a Pearle there might have beene had; we could not say heaven was kept from us, when we might have it for a Fagot, and when even our enemies helpt us to it: but your greater affliction was, as you were long before, in an insensiblenesse, you thought your selves well enough, and yet were under a worse persecution of ignorance, and of superstition, when you, in your Fathers, were so farre from expecting a resurrection, as that you did not know your low estate, or that you needed a Resurrection; And yet God gave you a Resurrection from it, a reforma­tion of it.

Now, who have their parts in this first resurrection? or upon what conditions have you it? We see in the fourth verse, They that are beheaded for the witnesse of Iesus; that is, that are ready to be so, when the glory of Jesus shall require that testimony. In the meane time, as it followes there, They that have not worshipped the Beast; that is, not applied the Honour, and the Allegiance due to their Soveraign, to any forraign State; nor the Honor due to God, that is, infallibility, to another Prelate; That have not worshipped the Beast, nor his Image, sayes the Text; that is, that have not been transported with vain imagina­tions of his power, and his growth upon us here, which hath been so diligently Painted, and Printed, and Preached, and set out in the promises, and practises of his Instruments, to delude slack, and easie persons: And then, as it is added there, That have not received his mark upon their foreheads; That is, not declared themselves Romanists apparently; nor in their hands, sayes the Text; that is, which have not under-hand sold their secret endea­vours, though not their publique profession, to the advancement of his cause. These men, who are ready to be beheaded for Christ, and have not worshipped the Beast, nor the Image of the Beast, nor received his mark upon their foreheads, nor in their hands, these have their parts in this first resurrection. These are blessed, and holy, sayes our Text; Blessed, because they have meanes to be holy, in this resurrection; For the Lamb hath unclasped the book; the Scriptures are open; which way to holinesse, our Fathers lack­ed; And then, our blessednesse is, that we shall raigne a thousand yeares with Christ; Now since this first resurrection, since the reformation we have raigned so with Christ, but 100. yeares: But if we persist in a good use of it, our posterity shall adde the Cypher, and make that 100. 1000. even to the time, when Christ Jesus shall come againe, and as he hath given us the first, so shall give us the last resurrection; and to that come Lord Jesus, come quickly; and till that, continue this.

This is the first resurrection, 2 Part. Apeccato. in the first acceptation, a resurrection from persecution, and a peaceable enjoying of the Gospell: And in a second, it is a resurrection from sin; and so it hath a more particular appropriation to every person. Aug. So S. Augustine takes this place, and with him many of the Fathers, and with them, many of the sons of the Fathers, better sons of the Fathers, then the Romane Church will confesse them to be, or then they are themselves, The Expositors of the Reformed Church. They, for the most part, with S. Augustine, take this first resurrection, to be a resurrection from sin. Inter abjectos abjectissimus peccator: Grego: No man falls lower, then he that falls into a course of sin; Sin is a fall; It is not onely a deviation, a turning out of the way, upon the right, or the left hand, but it is a sinking, a falling: In the other case, of going out of the way, a man may stand upon the way, and inquire, and then proceed in the way, if he be right, or to the way, if he be wrong; But when he is fallen, and lies still, he proceeds no farther, inquires no farther. To be too apt to conceive scruples in matters of religion, stops, and retards a man in the way; to mistake some points in the truth of religion, puts a man for that time in a wrong way; But to fall into a course of sin, this makes him unsensible of any end, that he hath to goe to, of any way that he hath to goe by. God hath not re­moved man, not with-drawne man from this Earth; he hath not given him the Aire to [Page 187]flie in, as to Birds, nor Spheares to move in, as to Sun and Moone; he hath left him upon the Earth; and not onely to tread upon it, as in contempt, or in meere Dominion, but to walk upon it, in the discharge of the duties of his calling; and so to be conversant with the Earth, is not a falling. But as when man was nothing but earth, nothing but a body, he lay flat upon the earth, his mouth kissed the earth, his hands embraced the earth, his eyes respected the earth; And then God breathed the breath of life into him, and that raised him so farre from the earth, as that onely one part of his body, (the soles of his feet) tou­ches it, And yet man, so raised by God, by sin fell lower to the earth againe, then before, from the face of the earth, to the womb, to the bowels, to the grave; So God, finding the whole man, as low as he found Adams body then, fallen in Originall sin, yet erects us by a new breath of life, in the Sacrament of Baptisme, and yet we fall lower then before we were raised, from Originall into Actuall, into Habituall sins; So low, as that we think not, that we need, know not, that there is a resurrection; and that is the wonderfull, that is the fearfull fall.

Though those words, Quomodo cecidisti de Coelo, Lucifer, Esay 14.12. How art thou fallen from hea­ven O Lucifer, the Son of the morning? be ordinarily applied to the fall of the Angels, yet it is evident, that they are literally spoken of the fall of a man: It deserves wonder, more then pity, that man, whom God had raised, to so Noble a heighth in him, should fall so low from him. Man was borne to love; he was made in the love of God; but then man falls in love; when he growes in love with the creature, he falls in love: As we are bid to honour the Physitian, and to use the Physitian, but yet it is said in the same Chapter, Ecclus. 38.1. V. 15. He that sinneth before his Maker, let him fall into the hands of the Physitian; It is a blessing to use him, it is a curse to rely upon him, so it is a blessing to glorifie God, in the right use of his creatures, but to grow in love with them, is a fall: For we love nothing that is so good as our selves; Beauty, Riches, Honour, is not so good as man; Man capa­ble of grace here, of glory hereafter. Nay as those things, which we love, in their na­ture, are worse then we which love them, so in our loving them, we endeavour to make them worse then they in their own nature are; by over-loving the beauty of the body, we corrupt the soule, by overloving honour, and riches, we deflect, and detort these things, which are not in their nature ill, to ill uses, and make them serve our ill purpo­ses: Man falls, as a fall of waters, that throwes downe, and corrupts all that it embraces. Nay beloved, when a man hath used those wings, which God hath given him, and rai­sed himselfe to some heighth in religious knowledge, and religious practise, Acts 29.9. as Euti­chus, out of a desire to hear Paul preach, was got up into a Chamber, and up into a window of that Chamber, and yet falling asleep, fell downe dead; so we may fall into a security of our present state, into a pride of our knowledge, or of our purity, and so fall lower, then they, who never came to our heighth. So much need have we of a resurrection.

So sin is a fall, and every man is affraid of falling, even from his temporall station; M [...]rs. Clem. Alex. more affraid of falling, then of not beeing raised. And Qui peccat, quatenus peccat, fit seipso deterior: In every sin a man falls from that degree which himselfe had before; In every sin, he is dishonoured, he is not so good a man, as he was; impoverished, he hath not so great a portion of grace as hee had; Infatuated, hee hath not so much of the true wise­dome of the feare of God, as he had; disarmed, he hath not that interest and confidence in the love of God, that he had: and deformed, he hath not so lively a representation of the Image of God as before. In every sin, we become prodigals, but in the habit of sin, we become bankrupts, affraid to come to an account. A fall is a fearfull thing, that needs a raising, a help; but sin is a death, and that needs a resurrection; and a resurrection is as great a work, as the very Creation it selfe. It is death in semine, in the roote, it produces, it brings forth death; It is death in arbore, in the body, in it selfe; death is a divorce, and so is sin; and it is death in fructu, in the fruit thereof; sin plants spirituall death, and this death produces more sin, Obduration, Impenitence, and the like.

Be pleased to returne, and cast one halfe thought upon each of these: Sin is the roote of death; Death by sin entred, and death passed upon all men, for all men have sinned. Rom. 5.12. It is death because we shall dye for it. But it is death in it selfe, We are dead already, dead in it; Thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead, was spoken to a whole Church. Apoc. 3.1. It is not evidence enough, to prove that thou art alive, to say, I saw thee at a Sermon; that spirit, that knowes thy spirit, he that knowes whether thou wert moved by a Sermon, mel­ted by a Sermon, mended by a Sermon, he knows whether thou be alive or no.

That which had wont to be said, That dead men walked in Churches, is too true; Men walk out a Sermon, or walk out after a Sermon, as ill as they walked in; they have a name that they live, Iohn 5.25. and are dead: But the houre is come, and now is, when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Son of God: That is, at these houres they may heare, if they will, and till they doe heare, they are dead. Sin is the root of death, the body of death, and then it is the fruit of death. August. S. Augustine confesses of himselfe, that he was Allisus intra parietes in celebritate solemnitatum tuarum, that in great meetings upon solemne dayes, in the Church, there, within the walls of Gods house, Egit negotium procurandi fructus mortis, he was not buying and selling doves, but buying and selling soules, by wanton lookes, cheapning and making the bargaine of the fruits of death, as himselfe expresses it. Sin is the root, and the tree, and the fruit of death; The mother of death, death it selfe, and the daughter of death; and from this death, this threefold death, death past in our past sins, present death in our present in sensiblenesse of sin, future death in those sins, with which sins God will punish our former, and present sins, (if he proceed meerly in justice) God affords us this first resurrection.

How? Resurrectio. Thus. Death is the Divorce of body and soule; Resurrection is the Re-union of body and soule: And in this spirituall death, and resurrection, which we consider now, and which is all determined in the soule it selfe, Grace is the soule of the soule, and so the departing of grace, is the death, and the returning of grace is the resurrection of this sinfull soule. But how? By what way, what meanes? Consider Adam; Adam was made to enjoy an immortality in his body; He induced death upon himselfe: And then, as God having made Marriage for a remedy against uncleannesse, intemperate men make even Marriage it selfe an occasion of more uncleannesse, then if they had never married; so man having induced and created death, by sin, God takes death, and makes it a means of the glorifying of his body, in heaven. God did not induce death, death was not in his purpose; Cyril. Alex. but veluti medium opportunum, quo vas confractum rursus fingeretur, As a means, whereby a broken vessell might be made up againe, God tooke death, and made it serve for that purpose, That men by the grave might be translated to heaven.

So then, to the resurrection of the body, there is an ordinary way, The grave; To the resurrection of the soule, there is an ordinary way too, The Church. In the grave, the body that must be there prepared for the last resurrection, hath wormes that eat upon it: In the Church, the soule that comes to this first resurrection, must have wormes, The worme, the sting, the remorse, the compunction of Conscience; In those that have no part in this first resurrection, the worme of conscience shall never die, but gnaw on, to desperation; but those that have not this worme of conscience, this remorse, this com­punction, shall never live. In the grave, which is the furnace, which ripens the body for the last resurrection, there is a putrefaction of the body, and an ill savour: In the Church, the wombe where my soule must be mellowed for this first resurrection, my soul, which hath the savour of death in it, as it is leavened throughout with sin, must stink in my no­strils, and I come to a detestation of all those sins, which have putrified her. And I must not be afraid to accuse my selfe, to condemne my selfe, to humble my selfe, lest I become a scorne to men; Augus [...]. Nemo me derideat ab eo medico aegrum sanari, à quo sibi praestitum est ne aegrotaret, Let no man despise me, or wonder at me, that I am so humbled under the hand of God, or that I fly to God as to my Physitian when I am sick, since the same God that hath recovered me as my Physitian when I was sick, hath been his Physitian too, and kept him from being sick, who, but for that Physitian, had been as ill as I was: At least he must be his Physitian, if ever he come to be sick, and come to know that he is sick, and come to a right desire to be well. Spirituall death was before bodily; sinne before the wages of sin; God hath provided a resurrection for both deaths, but first for the first; This is the first resurrection, Reconciliation to God, and the returning of the soule of our soule, Grace, in his Church, by his Word, and his seales there.

Now every repentance is not a resurrection; It is rather a waking out of a dreame, then a rising to a new life: Nay it is rather a startling in our sleep, then any awaking at all, Ephes. 5.14. Esay [...]0.1. to have a sudden remorse, a sudden flash, and no constant perseverance. Awake thou that sleepest, sayes the Apostle, out of the Prophet: First awake, come to a sense of thy state; and then arise from the dead, sayes he, from the practise of dead works; and then, Christ shall give thee light: life, and strength to walk in new wayes. It is a long work, and hath many steps; Awake, arise, and walke, and therefore set out betimes; At the last day, in [Page 189]those, which shall be found alive upon the earth, we say there shall be a sudden death, and a sudden resurrection; In raptu, in transitu, in ictu oculi, In an instant, in the twinck­ling of an eye; but do not thou trust to have this first Resurrection In raptu, in transitu, in ictu oculi, In thy last passage upon thy death-bed, when the twinckling of the eye, must be the closing of thine eyes: But as we assign to glorified bodies after the last Resurrecti­on, certaine Dotes, (as we call them in the Schoole) certaine Endowments, so labour thou to finde those endowments, in thy soule here, if thou beest come to this first Resur­rection.

Amongst those Endowments we assigne Subtilitatem, Agilitatem; The glorified bodie is become more subtile, more nimble, not encumbred, not disable for any motion, that it would make; So hath that soule, which is come to this first Resurrection, by grace, a spirituall agility, a holy nimblenesse in it, that it can slide by tentations, and passe through tentations, and never be polluted; follow a calling, without taking infection, by the ordinary tentations of that calling. So have those glorified bodies Claritatem, a brightnesse upon them, from the face of God; and so have these soules, which are come to this first resurrection, a sun in themselves, an inherent light, by which they can pre­sently distinguish betweene action and action; what must, what may, what must not bee done. But of all the endowments of the glorified body, we consider most, Impassibilita­tem, That that body shall suffer nothing; and is sure that it shall suffer nothing. And that which answers that endowment of the body most in this soule, that is come to this first resurrection, is as the Apostle speaks, That neither persecution, sicknesse, nor death, Rom. 8. shall sepa­rate her from Christ Iesus. In Heaven we doe not say, that our bodies shall devest their mortality, so, as that naturally they could not dye; for they shall have a composition still; and every compounded thing may perish: but they shal be so assured, and with such a pre­servation, as they shall alwaies know they shall never dye. S. Augustine saies well, Aug. Assit motio, absit fatigatio, assit potestas vescendi, absit necessitas esuriendi; They have in their nature a mortality, and yet be immortall; a possibility and an impossibility of dying, with those two divers relations, one to nature, the other to preservation, will consist to­gether. So in this soule, that hath this first Resurrection from sin, by grace, a conscience of her owne infirmity, that she may relapse, and yet a testimony of the powerfulnesse of Gods Spirit, that easily she shall not relapse, may consist well together. But the last seale of this holy confidence is reserved for that, which is the third acceptation of this first Resurrection; not from persecutions in this world, nor from sin in this world, but from all possibility of falling back into sin, in the world to come; and to this, have divers Ex­positors referred these words, this first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he, that hath part in this first Resurrection.

Now, a Resurrection of the soule, seemes an improper, an impertinent, an improba­ble, 3 Part. an impossible forme of speech; for, Resurrection implies death, and the soule does not dye in her passage to Heaven. And therefore Damascen makes account, De ortho. sid. l. 4. c. ult. that he hath sufficiently proved the Resurrection of the body (which seems so incredible) if he could prove any Resurrection; if there be any Resurrection at all, saies he, it must be of the body, for the soule cannot dye, therefore not rise. Yet have not those Fathers, nor those Expositors, who have in this text, acknowledged a Resurrection of the soule, mistaken nor miscalled the matter. Take Damascens owne definition of Resurrection: Resurrectio est ejus quod cecidit secunda surrectio: A Resurrection is a second rising to that state, from which any thing is formerly fallen. Now though by death, the soule do not fall into any such state, as that it can complaine, (for what can that lack, which God fils?) yet by death, the soule fals from that, for which it was infused, and poured into man at first; that is, to be the forme of that body, the King of that Kingdome; and therefore, when in the generall Resurrection, the soule returnes to that state, for which it was created, and to which it hath had an affection, and a desire, even in the fulnesse of the Joyes of Heaven, then, when the soule returnes to her office, to make up the man, because the whole man hath, therefore the soule hath a Resurrection; not from death, but from a deprivation of her former state; that state, which she was made for, and is ever enclined to.

But that is the last Resurrection; and so the soule hath part even in that last Resurrecti­on; But we are in hand with the first Resurrection of the soule; and that is, when that soule, which was at first breath'd from God, and hath long suffered a banishment, a close imprisonment in this body, returnes to God againe; The returning of the soule to him, [Page 190]from whom it proceeded at first, is a Resurrection of the soule. Here then especially, I feele the straitnesse of time; two considerations open themselves together, of such a largenesse, as all the time from Moses his In principio, when time began, to the Angels Affidavit, in this booke, That shall say and sweare, that time shall be no more, were too narrow to contemplate these two Hemispheares of Man, this Evening, and Morning of Mans everlasting day; The miseries of man, in this banishment, in this emprisonment, in this grave of the soule, the body, And the glory, and exaltation of that soule in her Re­surrection to Heaven. That soule, which being borne free, is made a slave to this body, by comming to it; It must act, but what this body will give it leave to act, according to the Organs, which this body affords it; and if the body be lame in any limme, the soule must be lame in her operation, in that limme too; It must doe, but what the body will have it doe, and then it must suffer, whatsoever that body puts it to, or whatsoever any others will put that body to: If the body oppresse it selfe with Melancholy, the soule must be sad; and if other men oppresse the body with injury, the soule must be sad too; Consider, (it is too immense a thing to consider it) reflect but one thought, but upon this one thing in the soule, here, and hereafter, In her grave, the body, and in her Resur­rection in Heaven; That is the knowledge of the soule.

Here saies S. Augustine, when the soule considers the things of this world, Non veri­tate certior, sed consuetudine securior; She rests upon such things as she is not sure are true, but such as she sees, are ordinarily received and accepted for truths: so that the end of her knowledge is not Truth, but opinion, and the way, not Inquisition, but ease: But saies he, when she proceeds in this life, to search into heavenly things, Verberatur luce veritatis, The beames of that light are too strong for her, and they sink her, and cast her downe, Et ad familiaritatem tenebrarum suarum, non electione sed fatigatione convertitur; and so she returnes to her owne darknesse, because she is most familiar, and best acquainted with it; Non electione, not because she loves ignorance, but because she is weary of the trouble of seeking out the truth, and so swallowes even any Religion to escape the paine of deba­ting, and disputing; and in this lazinesse she sleeps out her lease, her terme of life, in this death, in this grave, in this body.

But then in her Resurrection, her measure is enlarged, and filled at once; There she reads without spelling, and knowes without thinking, and concludes without arguing; she is at the end of her race, without running; In her triumph, without fighting; In her Haven, without sayling: A free-man, without any prentiship; at full yeares, without any ward­ship; and a Doctor, without any proceeding: She knowes truly, and easily, and immediate­ly, and entirely, and everlastingly; Nothing left out at first, nothing worne out at last, that conduces to her happinesse. What a death is this life? what a resurrection is this death? For though this world be a sea, yet (which is most strange) our Harbour is larger then the sea; Heaven infinitely larger then this world. For, though that be not true, which Origen is said to say, That at last all shall be saved, nor that evident, which Cyril of A­lexandria saies, That without doubt the number of them that are saved, is far greater then of them that perish, yet surely the number of them, with whom we shall have com­munion in Heaven, is greater then ever lived at once upon the face of the earth: And of those who lived in our time, how few did we know? and of those whom we did know, how few did we care much for? In Heaven we shall have Communion of Joy and Glory with all, Aug. alwaies; Vbi non intrat inimicus, nec amicus exit, Where never any man shall come in that loves us not, nor go from us that does.

Beloved, I thinke you could be content to heare, I could be content to speake of this Resurrection, our glorious state, by the low way of the grave, till God by that gate of earth, let us in at the other of precious Stones. And blessed and holy is he, who in a re­ctified conscience desires that resurrection now. But we shall not depart far from this consideration, by departing into our last branch, or conclusion, That this first Resurrecti­on may also be understood to be the first riser Christ Jesus; and Blessed and holy is he that hath part in that first Resurrection.

This first Resurrection is then without any detorting, 4 Part. any violence, very appliable to Christ himself, who was Primitiae dormientium, in that, that action, That he rosc again, he is become (sayes the Apostle) the first fruits of them that sleep: 1 Cor. 15.20. Hier. in Mat. 27.52. He did rise, and rise first; o­thers rose with him, none before him: for S. Hierome taking the words as he finds them in that Euangelist, makes this note, That though the graves were opened, at the instant [Page 191]of Christs death, (death was overcome, the City opened the gates) yet the bodies did not rise till after Christs Resurrection. For, for such Resurrections as are spoken of, That women received their dead raised to life again, Heb. 11.35. and such as are recorded in the old and new Testament, they were all unperfect and temporary resurrections, such, as S. Hierome sayes of them all, Resurgebant iterum morituri; They were but reprieved, not pardoned; Hier. They had a Resurrection to life, but yet a Resurrection to another death. Christ is the first Resurrection; others were raised; but he only rose; they by a forraine, and ex­trinsique, he by his owne power.

But we call him not the first, in that respect onely; for so he was not onely the first, but the onely; he alone arose by his owne power; but with relation to all our future Re­surrections, he is the first Resurrection. First, If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vaine, 1 Cor. 15.17. saies the Apostle; You have a vaine faith if you beleeve in a dead man. He might be true Man, though he remained in death; but it concernes you to beleeve, that he was the Son of God too; And he was declared to be the Son of God, Rom. 11.4. by the Resurrection from the dead. That was the declaration of himselfe, his Justification; he was justified by the Spi­rit, when he was proved to be God, by raising himselfe. But thus our Justification is also in his Resurrection. For, He was raised from the dead, for our Iustification: how for ours? Rom. 4. ult. That we should be also in the likenesse of his Resurrection. What is that? that he hath told us before; Our Resurrection in Christ is, that we should walke in newnesse of life. Rom. 6.4.

So that then Christ is the first Resurrection, first, Efficiently, the onely cause of his owne Resurrection; First, Meritoriously, the onely cause of our Resurrection; first, Ex­emplarily, the onely patterne, how we should rise, and how we should walke, when we are up; and therefore, Blessed and happy are we, if we referre all our resurrections to this first Resurrection Christ Jesus. For as Iob said of Comforters, so miserable Resurrections are they all without him.

If therefore thou need and seeke this first Resurrection, in the first acceptation, a Re­surrection from persecutions, and calamities, as they oppresse thee here, have thy re­course to him, to Christ. Remember that at the death of Christ, there were earthquakes; the whole earth trembled; There were rendings of the Temple; Schismes, Convulsions, distractions in the Church will be: But then, the graves opened in the midst of those commotions; Then when thou thinkest thy selfe swallowed, and buried in affliction, as the Angell did his, Christ Jesus shall remove thy grave stone, and give thee a resur­rection; but if thou thinke to remove it by thine owne wit, thine owne power, or the favour of potent Friends, Digitus Dei non est hic, The hand of God is not in all this, and the stone shall lye still upon thee, till thou putrifie into desperation, and thou shalt have no part in this first Resurrection.

If thou need, and seek this first resurrection, in the second acceptation, from the fearfull death of hainous sin, have thy recourse to him, to Christ Jesus, & remember the waight of the sins that lay upon him: All thy sins, and all thy Fathers, and all thy childrens sins, all those sins that did induce the first flood, and shall induce the last fire upon this world; All those sins, which that we might take example by them to scape them, are recorded, and which, lest we should take example by them, to imitate them, are left unrecorded; all sins, of all ages, all sexes, all places, al times, all callings, sins heavy in their substance, sins aggra­vated by their circumstances, all kinds of sins, and all particular sins of every kind, were upon him, upon Christ Jesus; and yet he raised his holy Head, his royall Head, though under thornes, yet crowned with those thornes, and triumphed in this first Resurrecti­on: and his body was not left in the Grave, nor his soule in Hell. Christs first tongue was a tongue that might be heard, He spoke to the Shepheards by Angels; His second tongue was a Star, a tongue which might be seene; He spoke to the Wisemen of the East by that. Hearken after him these two waies; As he speakes to thine eare, (and to thy soul, by it) in the preaching of his Word, as he speakes to thine eye, (and so to thy soule by that) in the exhibiting of his Sacraments: And thou shalt have thy part in this first Resur­rection. But if thou thinke to overcome this death, this sense of sin, by diversions, by worldly delights, by mirth, and musique, and society, or by good works, with a con­fidence of merit in them, or with a relation to God himselfe, but not as God hath mani­fested himselfe to thee, not in Christ Jesus, The stone shall lye still upon thee, till thou putrifie into desperation, and then hast thou no part in this first Resurrection.

If thou desire this first Resurrection in the third acceptation, as S. Paul did, To be dis­solved, [Page 192]and to be with Christ, go Christs way to that also. He desired that glory that thou doest; and he could have laid down his soul when he would; but he staid his houre, sayes the Gospel. He could have ascended immediatly, immediatly in time, yet he staid to descend into hell first; and he could have ascended immediatly of himself, by going up, yet he staid till he was taken up. Thou hast no such power of thine own soul and life, not for the time, not for the means of comming to this first Resurrection by death; Stay therefore patiently, stay chearfully Gods leasure till he call; but not so over-chearfully, as to be loath to go when he cals. Reliefe in persecution by power, reconciliation in sin by grace, dissolution, and transmigration to heaven by death, are all within this first Resurrection: But that which is before them all, is Christ Jesus.

And therefore, as all that the naturall man promises himself without God, is impious, so all that we promise our selves, though by God, without Christ, is frivolous. God, who hath spoken to us by his Son, works upon us by his Son too; He was our Creati­on, he was our Redemption, he is our Resurrection. And that man trades in the world without money, and goes out of the world without recommendation, that leaves out Christ Jesus. To be a good Morall man, and refer all to the law of Nature in our hearts, is but Diluculum, The dawning of the day; To be a godly man, and refer all to God, is but Crepusculum, A twylight; But the Meridionall brightnesse, the glorious noon, and heighth, is to be a Christian, to pretend to no spirituall, no temporall blessing, but for, and by, and through, and in our only Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus; for he is this first Resurrection, and Blessed and holy is he, that hath part in this first Resurrection.

SERMON XX. Preached at S. Pauls, in the Evening, upon Easter-day. 1625.

AS the Sun works diversly, according to the diverse disposition of the subject, (for the Sun melts wax, and it hardens clay) so do the good actions of good men: upon good men they work a vertuous emulation, a noble and a holy desire to imitate, upon bad men they work a vicious, and impotent envy, a desire to disgrace, and calumniate. And the more the good is that is done, and the more it works upon good men, the more it disaffects the bad: for so the Phari­sees expresse their rancor and malignity against Christ, J [...]n 11.48. in this Gospel, If we let him thus alone, all men will beleeve in him; And that they foresaw would destroy them in their reputation. And therefore they enlarged their malice, beyond Christ himselfe, to him, upon whom Christ had wrought a Miracle, John 12.10. to Lazarus, They consulted to put him to death, because by reason of him, many beleeved in Iesus. Our Text leads us to another example of this impotency in envious men; Christ, in this Chapter had, by his only word, cured a man that had been eight and thirty yeares infirm; and he had done this work upon the Sabbath. They envyed the work in the substance, but they quarrell the circumstance; And they envy Christ, but they turn upon the man, who was more obnoxious to them; and they tell him, John 5. [...]. That it was not lawfull for him to carry his bed that day. He discharges himself upon Christ; I dispute not with you concerning the Law; This satisfies me, He that made me whole, Ve [...]. [...]. bad me take up my bed and walk. Thereupon they put him to finde out Jesus; And when he could not finde Jesus, Jesus found him, and in his behalf offers himself to the Pharisees. Then they direct themselves upon him, and (as the Gospell [Page 193]sayes) They sought to slay him, because he had done this upon the Sabbath: And, V. 16. as the pati­ent had discharged himself upon Christ, Christ discharges himself upon his Father; doth it displease you that I work upon the Sabbath? be angry with God, be angry with the Father, for the Father works when I work. V. 17. V. 18. And then this they take worse then his working of Miracles, or his working upon the Sabbath, That he would say, that God was his Father; And therfore in the averring of that, that so important point, That God was his Father, Christ grows into a holy vehemence, and earnestnesse, and he repeats his usuall oath, Verily, verily, three severall times: First, ver. 19. That whatsoever the Father doth, He, the Son, doth also, And then ver. 24. He that beleeveth on me, and him that sent me, hath life everlasting. And then again, ver. 25. The houre is comming, and now is, when the dead shall heare the voice of the Son of God, and they that heare it shall live. At this, that the dead should live, they marvelled; But because he knew that they were men more affected with things concerning the body, then spirituall things, as in another story, when they wondered that he would pretend to forgive sins, because he knew, that they thought it a greater matter to bid that man that had the Palsie, take up his bed and walk, then to for­give him his sins, therefore he took that way which was hardest in their opinion, he did bid him take up his bed and walk; So here, when they wondred at his speaking of a spi­rituall Resurrection, to heare him say, that at his preaching, the dead (that is, men spiri­tually dead in their sins) should rise again, to them who more respected the body, and did lesse beleeve a reall Resurrection of the body, then a figurative Resurrection of the soul, he proceeds to that which was, in their apprehension, the more difficult, Marvell not at this, sayes he, here in our Text; not at that spirituall Resurrection by preaching, for the houre is comming, in the which, all that are in the graves, &c. and so he establishes the Resurrection of the body.

That then which Christ affirmes and avows, is, That he is the Son of God; Divisio. and that is the first thing, that ever was done in Heaven, The eternall generation of the Son: that, by which, he proves this, to these men, is, That by him, there shall be a resurrection of the body; and that is the last thing, that shall be done in Heaven, for, after that, there is nothing, but an even continuance in equall glory. Before that, saies he, that is, before the resurrection of the body, there shall be another resurrection, a spirituall resurrection of the soule from sin; but that shall be, by ordinary meanes, by Preaching, and Sacraments, and it shall be accomplished every day; but fix not upon that, determin not your thoughts upon that, marvaile not at that, make that no cause of extraordinary wonder, but make it ordinary to you, feele it, and finde the effect thereof in your soules, as often as you heare, as often as you receive, and thereby provide for another resurrection, For, the houre is comming, in which, all that are in their graves, &c.

Where we must necessarily make thus many steps, though but short ones. First, the dignity of the Resurrection, marvaile at nothing so much, as at this, nothing is so marvai­lous, so wonderfull as this; And secondly, the approach of the Resurrection, The houre is comming; And thirdly, The generality, All that are in the graves; And then the instru­ment of the resurrection, The voice of Christ, that shall be heard; And lastly, the diverse end of the resurrection, They shall come forth, they that have done good, &c. God hath a care of the Body of man, that is first; And he defers it not, that is next; And he extends it to all, that is a third; And a fourth is, That he does that last act, by him, by whom he did the first, The Creation, and all betweene, the Redemption, that is, by his Son, by Christ; And then the last is, that this is an everlasting separation and divorce of the good and the bad, The bad shall never be able to receive good from the Good, nor to doe harme to the Good, after that.

First then, Christ saies, Ne miremini, Marvaile not at this, Ne mire­mini. not at your spirituall re­surrection, not that a Sermon should worke upon man, not that a Sacrament should com­fort a man, make it not a miracle, nor an extraordinary thing, by hearing to come to re­pentance, and so to such a resurrection. For though S. Augustine say, That to convert a man from sin, is as great a miracle, as Creation, yet S. August. speaks that of a mans first conversion, in which the man himselfe does nothing, but God all; Then he is made of nothing; but after God hath renewed him, and proposed ordinary meanes in the Church still to worke upon him, he must not looke for miraculous working, but make Gods or­dinary meanes, ordinary to him. This is Panis quotidianus, The daily bread which God gives you, as often as you meet here, according to his Ordinances; Ne miremini, stand [Page 194]not to wonder, as though you were not sure, but come to enjoy Gods goodnesse, in his ordinary way here.

But it is, Hoc. Ne miremini hoc, Wonder not at this; but yet, there are things, which we may wonder at. Nil admirari, is but the Philosophers wisdome; He thinks it a weaknesse, to wonder at any thing, That any thing should be strange to him: But Christian Philosophy that is rooted in humility, tels us, in the mouth of Clement of Alexand. Principium veri­tatis est res admirari, The first step to faith, is to wonder, to stand, and consider with a holy admiration, the waies and proceedings of God with man: for, Admiration, wonder, stands as in the midst, betweene knowledge and faith, and hath an eye towards both. If I know a thing, or beleeve a thing, I do no longer wonder: but when I finde that I have reason to stop upon the consideration of a thing, so, as that I see enough to induce admi­ration, to make me wonder, I come by that step, and God leads me by that hand, to a knowledge, if it be of a naturall or civill thing, or to a faith, if it be of a supernaturall, and spirituall thing.

And therefore be content to wonder at this, That God would have such a care to dig­nifie, and to crown, and to associate to his own everlasting presence, the body of man. God himself is a Spirit, and heaven is his place; my soul is a spirit, and so proportioned to that place; That God, or Angels, or our Soules, which are all Spirits, should be in heaven, Ne miremini, never wonder at that. But since we wonder, and justly, that some late Philosophers have removed the whole earth from the Center, and carried it up, and placed it in one of the Spheares of heaven, That this clod of earth, this body of ours should be carried up to the highest heaven, placed in the eye of God, set down at the right hand of God, Miremini hoc, wonder at this; That God, all Spirit, served with Spi­rits, associated to Spirits, should have such an affection, such a love to this body, this earth­ly body, this deserves this wonder. The Father was pleased to breathe into this body, at first, in the Creation; The Son was pleased to assume this body himself, after, in the Redemption; The Holy Ghost is pleased to consecrate this body, and make it his Temple, by his sanctisication; In that Faciamus hominem, Let us, all us, make man, that consuitation of the whole Trinity in making man, is exercised even upon this lower part of man, the dignifying of his body. So far, as that amongst the ancient Fathers, very many of them, are very various, and irresolved, which way to pronounce, and very ma­ny of them cleare in the negative, in that point, That the soule of man comes not to the presence of God, but remaines in some out-places till the Resurrection of the body: That observation, that consideration of the love of God, to the body of man, withdrew them into that error, That the soul it self should lack the glory of heaven, till the body were become capable of that glory too.

They therefore oppose God in his purpose of dignifying the body of man, first, who violate, and mangle this body, which is the Organ in which God breathes; And they also which pollute and defile this body, in which Christ Jesus is apparelled; and they likewise who prophane this body, which the Holy Ghost, as the high Priest, inhabites, and consecrates.

Trangressors in the first kinde, that put Gods Organ out of tune, that discompose, and teare the body of man with violence, are those inhumane persecutors, who with racks, and tortures, and prisons, and fires, and exquisite inquisitions, throw downe the bodies of the true Gods true servants, to the Idolatrous worship of their imaginary Gods; that torture men into hell, and carry them through the inquisition into damnation. S. Au­gustine moves a question, and institutes a disputation, and carries it somewhat problema­tically, whether torture be to be admitted at all, or no. That presents a faire probability, which he sayes against it: we presume, sayes he, that an innocent man should be able to hold his tongue in torture; That is no part of our purpose in torture, sayes he, that hee that is innocent, should accuse himselfe, by confession, in torture. And, if an innocent man be able to doe so, why should we not thinke, that a guilty man, who shall save his life, by holding his tongue in torture, should be able to doe so? And then, where is the use of torture? Res fragilis, & periculosa quaestio, sayes that Lawyer, who is esteemed the law, alone, Vlpian: It is a slippery triall, and uncertaine, to convince by torture: For, many times, sayes S. Augustine againe, Innocens luit pro incerto scelere certissimas poenas, He that is yet but questioned, whether he be guilty or no, before that be knowne, is, without all question, miserably tortured. And whereas, many times, the passion of the Judge, [Page 195]and the covetousnesse of the Judge, and the ambition of the Judge, are calamities heavy enough, upon a man, that is accused, in this case of torture, Ignorantia Iudicis est calami­tas plerumque innocentis, sayes that Father, for the most part, even the ignorance of the Judge, is the greatest calamity of him that is accused: If the Judge knew that he were innocent, he should suffer nothing; If he knew he were guilty, he should not suffer torture; but because the Judge is ignorant, and knowes nothing, therefore the Prisoner must bee racked, and tortured, and mangled, sayes that Father.

There is a whole Epistle in S. Hierome, full of heavenly meditation, and of curious ex­pressions: It is his forty ninth Epistle, Ad Innocentium: where a young man tortured for suspition of adultery with a certaine woman, ut compendio cruciatus vitaret, sayes he, for his ease, and to abridge his torment, and that he might thereby procure and com­passe a present death, confessed the adultery, though false: His confession was made evidence against the woman: and shee makes that protestation, Tu testis Domine Iesu, Thou Lord Jesus be my Witnesse, Non ideo me negare velle, ne peream, sed ideo mentiri nolle, ne peccem: I doe not deny the fact for feare of death, but I dare not belie my selfe, nor betray mine innocence, for feare of sinning, and offending the God of Truth; And, as it followes in that story, though no torture could draw any Confession, any accusa­tion from her, she was condemned; and one Executioner had three blowes at her with a Sword, and another foure, and yet she could not be killed.

And therefore, because Storie abounds with Examples of this kinde, how uncer­taine a way of tryall, and conviction, torture is, though S. Augustine would not say, that torture was unlawfull, yet he sayes, It behoves every Judge to make that prayer, Erue me Domine à necessitatibus meis, If there bee some cases, in which the Judge must ne­cessarily proceed to torture; O Lord, deliver me, from having any such case brought before me.

But what use soever there may be for torture, for Confession, in the Inquisition they torture for a deniall, for the deniall of God, and for the renouncing of the truth of his Gospell: As men of great place, think it concernes their honour, to doe above that which they suffer, to make their revenges, not only equall, but greater then their injuries; so the Romane Church thinks it necessary to her greatnesse, to inflict more tortures now, then were inflicted upon her in the Primitive Church; as though it were a just revenge, for the tortures she received then, for being Christian, to torture better Christians then her selfe, for being so. In which tortures, the Inquisition hath found one way, to escape the generall clamour of the world against them, which is to torture to that heighth, that few survive, or come abroad after, to publish, how they have been tortured. And these, first, oppose Gods purpose, in the making, and preserving, and dignifying the body of man.

Transgressors herein, in the second kinde, are they, that defile the garment of Christ Je­sus, the body in which he hath vouchsafed to invest and enwrap himselfe, and so appa­rell a Harlot in Christs cloathes, and make that body, which is his, hers. That Christ should take my body, though defiled with fornication, and make it his, is strange; but that I, in fornication, should take Christs body, and make it hers, is more. Know ye not, 1 Cor. 6.15. V. 16. sayes the Apostle, that your bodies are the members of Christ? And againe, Know you not, that he that is joyned to a harlot, is one body? Some of the Romane Emperours, made it treason, to carry a Ring, that had their picture engraved in it, to any place in the house, of low Office. What Name can we give to that sin, to make the body of Christ, the body of a harlot? And yet, the Apostle there, as taking knowledge, that we loved our selves better then Christ, changes the edge of his argument, and argues thus, ver. 18. He that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body; If ye will be bold with Christs body, yet favour your own: No man ever hated his own body; and yet, no outward ene­my is able so to macerate our body, as our owne licentiousnesse. Christ, who tooke all our bodily infirmities upon him, Hunger, and Thirst, and Sweat, and Cold, tooke no bodily deformities upon him, he tooke not a lame, a blinde, a crooked body; and we, by our intemperance, and licentiousnesse, deforme that body which is his, all these wayes. The licentious man, most of any, studies bodily handsomenesse, to be comely, and gra­cious, and acceptable, and yet, soonest of any, deformes, and destroyes it, and makes that loathsome to all, which all his care was to make amiable: And so they oppose Gods purpose of dignifying the body.

Transgressors in a third kinde are they, that sacrilegiously prophane the Temple of the Holy Ghost, by neglecting the respect and duties, belonging to the dead bodies of Gods Saints, in a decent and comely accompanying them to convenient Funerals. Heires and Executors are oftentimes defective in these offices, and pretend better employments of that, which would be, (say they) vainly spent so. But remember you, of whom (in much such a case) that is said in S. Iohn, John 12.6. This he said, not because he cared for the poore, but because he was a Thiefe, and had the bagge, and bore that which was put therein: This Exe­cutors say, not because they intend pious uses, but because they beare, and beare away the bagges. Generally, thy opinion must be no rule for other mens actions; neither in these cases of Funerals, must thou call all too much, which is more then enough; That womans Ointment poured upon Christs feet, that hundred pound waight of perfumes to embalme his one body, was more then enough, necessarily enough; yet it was not too much, for the dignity of that person, nor for the testimony of their zeale, who did it, in so abundant manner.

Now, as in all these three waies, men may oppose the purpose of God, in dignifying the body, so in concurring with Gods purpose, for the dignifying thereof, a man may exceed, and goe beyond Gods purpose, in all three. God would not have the body torne, and mangled with tortures, in those cases; but then, hee would not have it pampered with wanton delicacies, nor varnished with forraigne complexion. It is ill, when it is not our own heart, that appeares in our words; it is ill too, when it is not our own blood, that ap­peares in our cheekes; It may doe some ill offices of blood, it may tempt, but it gives over, when it should doe a good office of blood, it cannot blush. If when they are filling the wrinkles, and graves of their face, they would remember, that there is another grave, that calls for a filling with the whole body, so, even their pride would flow into a mortifi­cation. God would not have us put on a sad countenance, nor disfigure our face, not in our fastings, and other disciplines; God would not have us marre his work; nor God would not have us goe about to doe his last work, which he hath reserved to himselfe in heaven, here upon earth, that is, to glorifie our bodies, with such additions here, as though we would need no glorification there.

So also in the second way of giving due respect to the body of man, a man may exceed Gods purpose. God would not have the body corrupted and attenuated, shrunk and de­formed with incontinency, and licentiousnesse; But God would not have that sparing of the body, to dishonour, or undervalue, or forbeare mariage, nor to frustrate that, which was one of Gods purposes, in the institution of mariage, procreation of children. Mari­age without possibility of children, lacks one halfe of Gods purpose in the institution of mariage; for, the third reason of mariage, after the other two, (which two were, for a Helper, and for Children) which is, that mariage should be for a Remedy, that third came in after; for at the time of the institution of mariage, man was not fallen into any inor­dinate concupiscencies, and so, at that time, needed no remedy. Mariage without possibi­lity of children, lacks one of Gods two reasons for children; but mariage with a contract against children, or a practice against children, is not (sayes S. Augustine) a mariage, but a solemne, an avowed, a dayly Adultery. To choose to be ill in the sight of God, rather then to look ill, in the sight of men, is a perverse, and a poysonous Physick. The sin of Er, and Onan, in maried men; the sin of procured abortions, in maried women, doe, in many cases, equall, in some, exceed, the sin of Adultery; To rob a husband, or a wife, of a future child, may be in the wife, or husband, as great a sin, as to bring a supposititious, or a spurious child, into the Fathers inheritance. God would not have the comelinesse, the handsomenesse of the body defaced by incontinency, and intemperance, but he would not have the care of that comelinesse, and handsomenesse frustrate his purpose of children in mariage.

And as in those two, (God would not have the body tortured, nor mangled, God would not have the body deformed by licentiousnesse) so, in his third respect to mans body, God would not have the bodies of his dead Saints neglected, Gods purpose may be exceeded too. Gods purpose therein is, that all men should be Decently; and Honou­rable persons, Honourably buried; but his purpose herein is exceeded, when any ragge of their skin, or chip of their bones, or lock of their haire, is kept for a Relique, and made an Universall balme, and Amulet, and Antidote, against all temporall, and all spirituall diseases, and calamities, not onely against the rage of a Feaver, but of hell it selfe. What [Page 197]their counterfait Reliques may doe, against their counterfait hell, against their Purgato­ry, I know not: That powerfull, and precious, and onely Relique, which is given to us, against hell it selfe, is onely the Communion of the body, and blood of Christ Jesus, left to us by him, and preserved for us, in his Church, though his body be removed out of our sight.

To end this, Miramini hoc, marvell at this, at the wonderfull love of God to the body of man, and thou wilt favour it so, as not to macerate thine owne body, with uncomman­ded and inhumane flagellations, and whippings, nor afflict their bodies, who are in thy charge, with inordinate labour; thou wilt not dishonour this body, as it is Christs body, nor deforme it, as it is thine owne, with intemperance, but thou wilt behave thy selfe towards it so, as towards one, whom it hath pleased the King to honour, with a resurre­ction, (which was our first) and not to deferre that resurrection long, which is our next step, Venit hora, The houre is comming.

Non talem Deum tuum putes, qualis nec tu debes esse, is excellently said by S. Augustine: Venit hora. Never presume upon any other disposition in God, then such as thou findest in thine own heart, that thou art bound to have in thy selfe; for we finde in our hearts, a band of conformity, and assimilation to God, that is, to be as like God as we can. Therefore whatsoever thou findest thy selfe bound to doe to another, thou maist expect at Gods hand. Thou art bound to help up another that is fallen, therefore thou maist assure thy selfe, that God will give thee a Resurrection: so, thou findest in thy heart, that the soul of an almes, the soule of a benefit, that that gives it life, is the speedy, the present doing of it; Therefore thou maist be sure, that God will make speed to save thee, that he will not long deferre this thy resurrection, horavenit. S. Augustine comparing the former resur­rection, which is the spirituall resurrection of the soule, ver. 25. with this in the Text, which is the resurrection of the body, observes, that there Christ sayes, hora venit, & nunc est, the houre is comming, and now is; because in every private inspiration of the Holy Ghost, in every Sermon, in every meeting of the Congregation, the dead may heare, and live; nunc est, they may doe it now. But that in this resurrection in the Text, the resur­rection of the body, it is not said, nunc est, that the houre is now; for, the Son of Man who sayes it, (as hee is the Son of Man) knowes not when it shall bee; But hee sayes Hora venit, It is comming, and comming apace, and comming quickly, shortly.

As soone as God had made man, he gave him his patent, Dominamini, Dominion over the Creature; As soone as Man was fallen, God gave him the promise of a Messias; And of his second comming, himselfe sayes, Ecce, venio citò, Behold, I come speedily: Venit, he comes, he is upon the way; and Ecce, venit, Behold, he comes, he is within sight, you may see him in his fore-running tokens; and Ecce citò, as little way as he hath to goe, he makes haste, And there is a Jesuit that makes the haste so great, as that he sayes, Maldon. How­soever S. Augustine make use of that note, that it is not said in the Text, Nunc est, That the houre of the Resurrection is now, yet he does beleeve, that Christ did say so, though the Euangelist left it out. We need not say so; we doe not; so much lesse liberty doe we take in departing from the Fathers, then the Romane Authors doe: But yet, so as S. Iohn speaks, Hora novissima, This is the last time, (Now there are many Antichrists, 1 Joh. 2.18. where­by we know that this is the last time) And so, as S. Peter speaks, 2 Pet. 3.8. Be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares, and a thousand yeares as one day: So as this Nunc may signifie Vltimum statum, The last course of times, the time not of Na­ture, nor of Law, but of Grace; so we admit that addition in this Resurrection too, Hora venit, & nunc est, The houre is comming, and now is, because there are no other meanes to be hereafter instituted for the attaining of a happy Resurrection, then those that now are established in the Church, especially at a mans death, may we very properly say, Nunc est, Now is the Resurrection come to him, not onely because the last Judgement is in­volved in the first, (for that Judgment which passeth upon every man at his death, stands for ever without Repeal, or Appeal, or Error) but because after the death of the Body, there is no more to be done with the Body, till the Resurrection; for as we say of an Arrow, that it is over shot, it is gone, it is beyond the mark, though it be not come to the mark yet, because there is no more to be done to it till it be; so we may say, that he that is come to death, is come to his Resurrection, because he hath not another step to make, another foot to goe, another minute to count, till he be at the Resurrection.

The Resurrection then, being the Coronation of man, his Death, and lying downe in [Page 198]the grave, is his enthroning, his sitting downe in that chayre, where he is to receive that Crown. As then the Martyrs, under the Altar, though in heaven, yet doe cry out for the Resurrection; so let us, in this miserable life, submit our selves cheerfully to the hand of God, in death, since till that death we cannot have this Resurrection, and the first thing that we shall doe after this death, is to rise againe. To the child that is now borne, we may say, Hora venit, The day of his Resurrection is comming; To him that is old, we may say, The hour is come; but to him that is dead, The minute is come, because to him there are no more minutes till it doe come.

Miremini hoc, Omnes. Marvail at this, at the descent of Gods love, He loves the Body of Man, And Miremini hoc, Mervaile at his speed, He makes haste to expresse this love, Hora venit, And then Miremini hoc, Marvaile at the Generality, it reaches to all, all that are in the Grave; All that are in the graves shall heare his voice, &c. God hath made the Body as a House for the soule, till he call her out, and he hath made the Grave as a House for the body, till he call it up. The misery, and poore estate that Christ submit­ted himselfe unto for man, Mat 8.20. was not determined in that, That foxes had holes, but he no where to lay his head, while he lived; but he had no grave that he could claime, when he was dead. It is some discontinuance of the Communion of Saints, if I may not be bu­ried with the Saints of God. Every man that hath not devested Humanity, hath a de­sire to have his bones lie at rest, and we cannot provide for that so well, any way, as to bury them in Consecrated places, which are, in common entendment, safest from pro­phane violences. Even that respect, that his bones might lye at rest, seems to have mov'd one Prophet, 1 King. 13.31. to enjoyne his Sons, to bury him, in the Sepulcher, where the other Pro­phet was buried. He knew that Iosiah would burne the bones of all the other graves, upon the Altar of Bethel, as was prophecied; and he presum'd that he would spare the bones of that Prophet, and so his bones should be safe, if they were mingled with the other. Deut. 34.6. God expressed his love to Moses, in that particular, That he buried him; And, to deliver, and remove him, from the violence of any that lov'd him not, and so might dishonor his memory, and from the superstition of any that over-lov'd him, and so might over-honour his memory, God buried him in secret. In more then one place doth David complaine, That there was none to bury Gods Saints; And the Dignity that is promised here in the Text, is appropriated to them, who are in the graves, who are buried.

But then, was that generall? Is it simply, plainly, literally of them, and them onely, who are in graves, who are buried? Shall none enjoy a Resurrection, that have not en­joy'd a Grave? Still I say, it is a comfort to a dying man, it is an honour to his memory, it is a discharge of a duty in his friends, it is a piece of the Communion of Saints, to have a consecrated grave: But the word here is, In monumentis, All that are in Monuments; that is, in Receptacles of Bodies, of what kind soever they be: wheresoever the hand of God layes up a dead Body, Psal. 34.20. that place is the Receptacle, so the monument, so the grave of that Body. God keeps all the bones of the righteous, so that none of them are broken: Though they be trod to dust in our sight, they are intire in his, because he can bid them be whole againe in an instant. Some Nations burnt their dead, there the fire is the grave; some drowned their dead, there the sea is the grave; and some hung them up upon trees, and there the ayre is their grave: Some Nations eat their dead themselves, and some main­tained dogs to eat the dead; Herod. Strabo. and as they called those dogs, Canes Sepulchrales, Sepul­chrall dogs, so those men were sepulchrall men, those men and those dogs were graves. Death and hell shall deliver up their dead, Ap [...]c. 20.13. sayes S. Iohn: That is, the whole state, and man­sion of the dead, shall be emptied: The state of the dead is their grave, and upon all that are in this state, shall the testimony of Gods love, to the body of man, fall; And that is the Generality, All that are in the grave, &c.

Our next step is, Audient. The Instrument, the Means, by which, this, first so speedy, and then so generall love of God, to man, to man in his lowest part, his body, is accomplished unto him; These, All these, All these that are in graves, in all these kinds of graves, shall heare his voice, and that is the Meanes. First, whose voice? That is expressed immediately be­fore, The Son of man. In the other Resurrection, in that of the dead soule, ver. 25. there it is said, The dead shall heare the voyce of the Son of God. In this, which is the Resurrection to Judgement, it is The Son of man. The former Resurrection (that of a sinner to repen­tance by preaching) is wrought by a plaine, and ordinary meanes here in the Church; [Page 199]where you doe but heare a man in a Pew, read prayers, and pronounce Absolution, and a man in a Pulpit preach a Sermon, and a man at a Table consecrate, and administer a Sacrament; And because all this, though it be the power of life, and the meanes of your spirituall resurrection, is wrought by the Ministery of man, who might be contemptible in your eye, therefore the whole worke is referred to God, and not the son of man, but the Son of God, is said to do it.

In this Resurrection of the Text, which is a Resurrection to Judgement, and to an ac­count with God, that God whom we have displeased, exasperated, violated, wounded in the whole course of our life, lest we should be terrified, and dejected at the presence of that God, the whole worke is referred to the Son of Man, which hath himselfe formerly felt all our infirmities, and hath had as sad a soule at the approach of death, as bitter a Cup in the forme of Death, as heavy a feare of Gods forsaking him in the agony of death, as we can have: And for sin it self, I would not, I do not extenuate my sin, but let me have fallen, not seven times a day, but seventy seven times a minute, yet what are my sins, to all those sins that were upon Christ? The sins of all men, and all women, and all children, the sins of all Nations, all the East and West, and all the North and South, the sins of all times and ages, of Nature, of Law, of Grace, the sins of all natures, sins of the body, and sins of the mind, the sins of all growth, and all extentions, thoughts, and words, and acts, and habits, and delight, and glory, and contempt, and the very sin of boasting, nay of our belying our selves in sin; All these sins, past, present and future, were at once upon Christ, and in that depth of sin, mine are but a drop to his Ocean; In that treasure of sin, mine are but single money to his Talent; And therefore, that I might come with a holy reverence to his Ordinance, in this place, though it be but in the Ministery of man, that first Resurrection is attributed to the Son of God, to give a digni­ty to that Ministery of man, which otherwise might have beene under-valued, that there­by we might have a consolation, and a cheerefulnesse towards it; It is He, that is, the Son of God, and the Son of man, Christ; which remembers us alfo, that all that be­longs to the expressing of the Law of God to man, must be received by us, who professe our selves Christians, in, and by, and for, and through Christ.

We use to ascribe the Creation to the Father, but the Father created by the Word, and his Word, is his Son, Christ; When he prepared the Heavens, I was there, (saies Christ, Prov. 8.27. of himselfe in the person of Wisdome) and when he appointed the foundations of the earth, then was I by him, as one brought up with him; It is not, as one brought in to him, or brought in by him, but with him; one as old, that is, as eternall, as much God as he. We use to ascribe Sanctification to the Holy Ghost; But the Holy Ghost sanctifies in the Church, And the Church was purchased by the blood of Christ, and Christ remaines Head of the Church, usque in consummationem, till the end of the world. I looke upon every blessing that God affords me, and I consider whether it be temporall, or spiritu­all; and that distinguishes the metall; the temporall is my silver, and the spirituall is my Gold; but then I looke againe upon the Inscription, Cujus Imago, whose Image, whose inscription it beares, and whose Name; and except I have it, in, and for, and by Christ Jesus, Temporall, and Spirituall things too, are but imaginary, but illusory sha­dows; for God convayes himselfe to us, no other way, but in Christ.

The benefit then in our Text, the Resurrection, is by him; but it is limited thus, Christum. It is by hearing him, They that are in their Graves shall heare, &c. So it is in the other Resur­rection too, the spirituall resurrection. v. 25. There, they must heare him, that will live. In both resurrections, That in the Church, now, by Grace, And that in the Grave here­after, by Power, it is said, They shall heare him. They shall, which seemes to imply a ne­cessity, though not a coaction; But that necessity, not of equall force, not equally irresi­stible in both: In the Grave, They shall; Though they be dead, and senslesse as the dust, (for they are dust it selfe) though they bring no concurrence, no cooperation, They shall heare, that is, They shall not chuse but heare. In the other resurrection, which is, in the Church, by Grace, in Gods Ordinance, They shall heare too, that is, There shall be a voice uttered so, as that they may heare, if they will, but not whether they will or no, as in the other cafe, in the grave. Therefore when God expresses his gathering of his Church, in this world, it is Sibilabo & congregabo, I will hisse, or chirpe for them, Zecha. 10.8. and so ga­ther them: He whispers in the voyce of the Spirit, and he speaks a little louder, in the voice of a man; Let the man be a Boanerges, a Son of thunder, never so powerfull a speaker, [Page 200]yet no thunder is heard over all the world. Mat. 24.31. But for the voyce that shall be heard at the Resurrection, He shall send his Angels, with a great sound of a Trumpet; A great sound, such as may be made by a Trumpet, such as an Angell, all his Angels can make in a Trum­pet, and more then all that, 1 Thes. 4.16. The Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven, and that, with a shout, and with the voice of an Archangel, that is, saies S. Ambrose, of Christ himselfe, And in the Trumpet of God, that is also, Christ himselfe.

So then, you have the Person, Christ; The meanes, A Voyce, And the powerfulnesse of that voyce, in the Name of an Archangell, which is named but once more in all the Scriptures: And therefore, let no man, that hath an holy anhelation and panting after the Resurrection, suspect that he shall sleepe in the dust, for ever; for, this is a voyce, that will be heard, he must rise. Let no man, who because he hath made his course of life like a beast, would therefore be content his state in death might be like a beast too, hope that he shall sleepe in the dust, for ever, for this is a voice, that must be heard, And all that heare shall come forth, they that have done good, &c.

He shall come forth; Procedent. even he that hath done ill, and would not, shall come forth. You may have seene morall men, you may have seen impious men, go in confidently enough: not afrighted with death, not terrified with a grave; but when you shall see them come forth againe, you shall see them in another complexion. That man that dyed so, with that confidence, thought death his end; It ends his seventy yeares, but it begins his seventy millions of generations of torments, even to his body, and he never thought of that: Indeed, Iudicii, nisi qui vitae aeternae praedestinatus est, non potest reminisci, saies S. Ambrose, No man can, no man dares thinke upon the last Judgement, but he that can thinke upon it with comfort, he that is predestinated to eternall life. Even the best, are sometimes shaked with the consideration of the Resurrection, because it is impossible to separate the consideration of the Resurrection, from the consideration of the Judgement; and the terrors of that may abate the joy of the other: Sive comedo [...]sive bibo, saies S. Hierom, Whe­ther I eate, or drink, still me thinks I heare this sound, Surgite mortui, & venite ad Iudi­cium, Arise you dead, and come to Judgement: When it cals me up from death, I am glad, when it cals me to Judgement, that impaires my joy. Can I thinke that God will not take a strict account; or, can I be without feare, if I thinke he will? Non expavescere requisiturum est dicere, non requiret, is excellently said by S. Bernard, If I can put off all feare of that Judgement, I have put off all imagination, that any such Judgement shall be. But, when I begin this feare, in this life, here, I end this feare, in my death, and passe away cheerefully: But the wicked begin this feare, when the Trumpet sounds to the Resur­rection, and then shall never end it; but, as a man condemned to be halfe hang'd, and then quartered, hath a fearfull addition in his quartering after, and yet had no ease in his hanging before; so they that have done ill, when they have had their hanging, when they have suffered in soule, the torments of Hell, from the day of their death, to the day of Judgement, shall come to that day with feare, as to an addition to that, which yet, was insinite before. And therefore the vulgat Edition hath rendred this well, Procedent, They shall proceed, they shall go farther and farther in torment.

But this is not the object of our speculation, Con [...]lusio. the subject of our meditation, now: we proposed this Text, for the Contemplation of Gods love to man, and therefore we ra­ther comfort our selves with that branch, and refresh our selves with the shadow of that, That they who have done good, shall come forth unto the Resurrection of life. Alas, the others shall live as long as they; Lucifer is as immortall as Michael, and Iudas as immortall as S. Peter: August. But Vita damnatorum, mors est, That which we call immortality in the damned, is but a continuall dying; howsoever it must be called life, it hath all the qualities of death, saving the ease, and the end, which death hath, and damnation hath not. They must come forth; they that have done evill, must do so too: Neither can stay in their house, their grave; for, their house (though that house should be the sea) shall be burnt downe; all the world dissolv'd with fire. But then, They who have done evill, shall passe from that fire, into a farther heat, without light, They who have done good, into a farther light, without heat.

But fix upon the Conditions, and performe them; They must have done Good; To have knowne Good, to have beleeved it, to have intended it, nay to have preached it to others, will not serve, They must have done good. They must be rooted in faith, and then bring forth fruit, and fruit in season; and then is the season of doing good, when another needs [Page 201]that good at thy hands. God gives the evening raine, but he gave the morning rain be­fore; A good man gives at his death, but he gives in his life time too. To them belongs this Resurrection of the body to life; upon which, since our Text inclines us to marvell rather then to discourse, I will not venture to say with David, Narrabo omnia mirabilia tua, I will shew all thy wondrous works, Psal. 9.2. Psal. 105.5. Psal. 119 18. (an Angels tongue could not shew them) but I will say with him, Mementote mirabilium, Remember the marvellous works he hath done, And by that, God will open your eyes, that you may behold the wondrous things that he will do: Remember with thankfulnesse the severall resurrections that he hath given you; from su­perstition and ignorance, in which, you, in your Fathers lay dead; from sin, and a love of sin, in which, you, in the dayes of your youth, lay dead; from sadnesse, and dejection of spirit, in which, you, in your worldly crosses, or spirituall tentations, lay dead; And assure your self, that that God that loves to perfect his own works, when you shall lye dead in your graves, will give you that Resurrection to life, which he hath promised to all them that do good, and will extend to all them, who having done evill, do yet truly repent the evill they have done.

SERMON XXI. The first Sermon upon this Text, Preached at S. Pauls, in the Even­ing, upon Easter-day. 1626.

O Dit Dominus qui festum Domini unum putat diem, sayes Origen; God hates that man that thinks any of his Holy dayes last but one day; That is, that ne­ver thinks of a Resurrection, but upon Easter-day. I have therefore propo­sed words unto you, which will not be determined this day; That so, when at any other time, we return to the handling of then, we may also return to the meditation of the Resurrection. To which we may best give a beginning this day, in which we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus: A [...]d in his one Resurrection, all those severall kinds of Resurrections which appertain unto us, because howsoever these words have received divers good expositions from divers good Expositors, and received one perverse exposition from our adversaries in the Romane Church, who have detorted and deflected them, to the maintenance of their Purgatory, yet all agree, that these words are an argument for the Resurrection, and therefore pro­per to this day. And yet this day we shall not so much inquire, wherein, and in what sense the words are an argument of the Resurrection, as enjoy the assurance that they are so; not so much distribute the Text into an explication of the particular words (which is, as the Mintage and Coyning of gold into severall lesser pieces) as to lay up the whole wedge, and ingot of Gold all at once in you, that is, the precious assurance of your glo­rious Resurrection.

In establishing whereof, we shall this day, make but this short passage, Divisio. by these two steps: Glory in the end, And Grace in the way; The Glory of our bodies, in the last Resurrection then, And the Grace upon our souls, in their present Resurrection now. For as we do not dig for gold meerly and only for treasure, but to dispense and issue it also, for present provision and use, not only for the future, but for the present too; So we doe not gather the doctrine of the Resurrection only for that dignity which the body shall receive in the Triumphant, but also for the consolation which thereby our soules may receive in the Militant Church. And therefore, as in our first part, which will be, By what meanes the knowledge and assurance of the Resurrection of the body accrues to [Page 202]us, we shall see, that though it be presented by Reason before, and illustrated by Reason after, yet the roote and foundation thereof is in Faith; though Reason may chafe the wax, yet Faith imprints the seale, (for the Resurrection is not a conclusion out of naturall Rea­son, but it is an article of supernaturall Faith; and though you assent to me now, speaking of the Resurrection, yet that is not out of my Logick, nor out of my Rhetorique, but out of that Character, and Ordinance which God hath imprinted in me, in the power and efficacy whereof, I speak unto you, as often as I speak out of this place.) As, I say we determine our first part in this, How the assurance of this Resurrection accrues to us, so when we descend to our second part, That is the consolation which we receive whilest we are In via, here upon our way in this world, out of the contemplation of that Resur­rection to glory, which we shall have In patria, at home in heaven, and how these two Resurrections are arguments and evidences of one another, we shall look upon some cor­respondencies, and resemblances between naturall death, and spirituall death by sin, and between the glorious Resurrection of the body, and the gracious Resurrection of the soule, that so having brought bodily death and bodily Resurrection, and spirituall death and spirituall Resurrection, by their comparison into your consideration, you may anon depart somewhat the better edified in both, and so enjoy your present Resurrection of the soule, by Grace, with more certainty, and expect the future Resurrection of the bo­dy to glory, with the more alacrity and chearfulnesse.

Though therefore we may hereafter take just occasion of entring into a war, 1. Part. in vindi­cating and redeeming these words, seased and seduced by our adversaries, to testifie for their Purgatory, yet this day being a day of peace and reconciliation with God and man, we begin with peace, with that wherein all agree, That these words (Else what shall they do that are baptized for dead? If the dead rise not at all, why are they baptized for dead?) must necessarily receive such an Exposition, as must be an argument for the Resurrecti­on; This baptisme pro mortuis, for dead, must be such a baptisme as must prove that, the Resurrection. For, that the Apostle repeats twice in these few words; Else, (sayes he) that is, if there be no Resurrection, why are men thus baptized? And again, if the dead rise not, why are men thus baptized? Indeed the whole Chapter is a continuall argu­ment for the Resurrection; from the beginning thereof to the 35. ver. he handles the An sit, whether there be a Resurrection, or no; For, if that be denyed, or doubted in the roote, in the person of Christ, whether he be risen or no, the whole frame of our re­ligion fals, and every man will be apt (and justly apt) to ask that question which the Indi­an King asked, when he had been catechized so far in the articles of our Christian religi­on, as to come to the suffered, and crucified, and dead, and buried, impatient of proceed­ing any farther, and so losing the consolation of the Resurrection, he asked only, Is your God dead, and buried? then let me return to the worship of the Sun, for I am sure the Sun will not die; If Christ be dead and buried, that is, continue in the state of death, and of the grave, without a Resurrection, where shall a Christian look for life? Therefore the Apostle handles, and establishes that first, that assurance, A Resurrection there is.

From thence he raises and pursues a second question De modo; But some man will say, sayes he, How are the dead raised up, and with what body come they forth? And in these questions, De modo, there is more exercise of reason and of discourse: for, many times, The matter is matter of faith, when the manner is not so, but considerable, and triable by reason; Many times, for the matter, we are all bound, and bound upon sal­vation, to think alike; But for the manner, we may think diversly, without forfeiture of salvation, or impeachment of discretion; For, he is not presently an indiscreet man, that differs in opinion from another man that is discreet, in things that fall under opinion. Absit superstito, Ge [...]son hoc est superflua religio, sayes a moderate man of the Romane Church; This is truly superstition, to bring more under the necessity of being beleeved, then God hath brought in his Scriptures; superfluous religion, sayes he, is superstition; Remove that, and then (as he addes there) Contradictoria, quorum utrum (que) probabile, credi possunt, Where two contrary opinions are both probable, they may be embraced, and beleeved by two men, and those two be both learned, and discreet, and pious, and zealous men. And this consideration should keep men from that precipitation, of imprinting the odi­ous and scandalous names of Sects, or Sectaries upon other men who may differ from them, and from others with them, in some opinions. Probability leads me in my assent, and I think thus; Let me allow another man his probability too, and let him think his [Page 203]way, in things that are not fundamentall. They that do not beleeve alike, in all circum­stances of the manner of the Resurrection, may all, by Gods goodnesse, meet there, and have their parts in the glory thereof, if their own uncharitablenesse do not hinder them: And he that may have been in the right opinion, may sooner misse heaven, then he that was in the wrong, if he come uncharitably to condemne or contemne the other: for, in such cases, humility, and love of peace, may, in the sight of God, excuse and recompence many errours, and mistakings.

And after these, of the Matter, of the Manner of the Resurrection, the Apostle pro­ceeds to a third question, of their state and condition, whom Christ shall finde alive upon Earth, at his second comming; and of them he sayes onely this, Ecce, mysterium vobis dico, Behold, I tell you a mystery, a secret, we shall not all sleep, that is, not dye so, as that we shall rest any time in the grave, but we shall all be changed, that is, receive such an immuta­tion, as that we shall have a sudden dissolution of body and soul, which is a true death, and a sudden re-union of body and soule, which is a true resurrection, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye. Thus carefull, and thus particular is the Apostle, that the knowledge of the resurrection might be derived unto us.

Now of these three questions, which he raises and pursues; first, whether there be a Resurrection, then what manner of Resurrection, and then what kinde of Resu rrection they shall have that live to the day of Judgement, our Text enters into the first; For, for the first, That a resurrection there is, the Apostle opens severall Topiques, to prove it; One is, from our Head, and Patterne, and Example, Christ Jesus: For so he argues first, If the dead be not raised, then Christ is not raised; As sure as the head is, V. 16. so sure the body is raised. And then another Topique, from whence he produces arguments, is, the absurd consequences, and illations, that would follow, if there were no resurrection. Of that kinde one is, Nos miserrimi, If in this life onely we have hops in Christ, V. 19. we are of all men the most miserable; Why? because in this life we suffer persecution for this profession. And another is, Edamus & bibamus, Let us eate and drinke, for to morrow wee shall dye; V. 32. What needs this abstinence, and this severe denying our selves, the conveniencies of this life, if all end in this life? And lastly, in the same kinde, followes this Text, Si omnino mortui non excitentur, If the dead rise not at all, why are they baptized for dead? And by all these wayes doth the Apostle convay this knowledge of the Resurrection.

But would all these wayes serve? Resurrectio, mysterium. would all this satisfie that Inquisition which wee have brought, how this assurance of the Resurrection accrues to us? Would any of these reasons, or would all these reasons convince a man, who were not at all prepossessed, and preoccupated with a beliefe of the resurrection, with an assurance thereof? The resur­rection was alwaies a mystery in it selfe; Sacrum secretum, a holy secret, and above the search of reason. For there are secrets and mysteries of two kindes, as the Schoole pre­sents them; some things are so, Quia quaedam interposita, Because, though the thing be near enough unto me, yet somthing is interposed between me, and it, and so I cannot see it: And somethings are so, Quia longè seposita, because they are at so remote a distance, as that, though nothing be interposed, yet my sight cannot extend to them. In the first sense, the Sacraments are mysteries, because though the grace therein bee neare mee, yet there is Velamen interpositum, there is visible figure, a sensible signe, and seale, be­tween me, and that grace, which is exhibited to me in the Sacrament: In the second sense, the resurrection is a mystery, because it is so farre removed, as that it concernes our state and condition in the next world; For man sleepeth, and riseth not; Job. 14.12. hee shall not wake againe, nor be raised from his sleep, till the heavens be no more; that is, not till the dissolution of all.

So then, the knowledge of the resurrection in it selfe, is a mystery, Resurrectio Christs, my­sterium. removed out of the Spheare, and latitude of reason; And, (to consider this remotenesse farther) though the knowledge of Christ Resurrection, be nearer us, then our owne, (for first we know his, because from his we argue and conclude our owne, as the Apostle institutes his argu­ment, If the dead rise not, Christ is not risen) yet even the Resurrection of Christ, V. 16. was so far from being cleare and obvious to the best, and the best illumined understandings, as that, though Christ himselfe had spoken often of his Resurrection, to his Disciples, and Apostles, yet they did not clearly, throughly, (scarce at all) understand his Resurre­ction. When Christ said to the Jews promiscuously, Solvite Templum hoc, Destroy this Temple, and in three dayes I will raise it; I wonder not that they, blinded with their own [Page 204]malice, discerned no resurrection in that saying, but applied it to that Temple, which was forty sixe yeares in building; For, till the resurrection was really accomplished, and actually performed, the Apostles themselves understood not the Resurrection. Then, when Christ was risen from the dead, and that those two great Apostles, Peter, and Iohn, had been at the Sepulchre, and received from thence so much evidence, as convinced them, and prevailed upon them, then, and not till then, they began to understand the re­surrection; for, John 22.9. till then, (sayes the Text expresly there) they knew not the Scriptures, that he must rise from the dead.

And truly, Etiam post Resurrectio­nem. if we take a holy liberty, (as piously we may) to consider Christs bodily actions after his resurrection, they were not such, as without admitting any opposition, might induce a necessity of confessing a resurrection. For, though he exhibited himself to their eyes to be seene, and to their eares to be heard, and to their fingers to be felt, though he eate with them, and did many other actions of a living body, yet, as the Angels in the old Testament, did the like actions, in those bodies which they had assumed; so might Christ have done all these, in such a body, though that which was buried in the Sepulchre, had had no resurrection.

It is true, that Christ confirmed his Resurrection, Multis argumentis, as the vulgat reads that place; Acts 1.3. with many infallible tokens, sayes our former Translation, with many infallible proofes, sayes our later; But still all these arguments, and tokens, and proofes wrought by way of confirmation, something was otherwise imprinted in them, and established by a former apprehension of faith, and these arguments, and tokens, and proofes confirmed it. For, the reasons for the resurrection, doe not convince a naturall man at all, neither doe they so convince a Christian, but that there is more left to his faith, and he beleeves something beyond and above his reason.

The resurrection in it self, Resurrectio nostra, myste­rium. Christs Resurrection, though it be clearer then ours, Christs Resurrection, even after it was actually accomplished, was still a mystery, out of the com­passe of reason; And then, as it was above our reason, so, howsoever it be out proofe, and our patterne for our resurrection, yet it is above our imitation. For our resurrection shall not be like his. Omnes alii suscitati, Christus solus resurrexit, sayes S. Bernard; All we shall be raised from the dead, onely Christ arose from the dead. We shall be raised by a power working upon us, he rose by a power inherent, and resident in himselfe. And yet, though in this respect, our resurrection be more open to the proofe of reason, then the resurrection of Christ, (for that which hath least miracle in it, is most open to reason; and therefore a naturall man would easilier beleeve that God might raise a dead man, then that a dead man should be God, and so able to raise himselfe, which was Christs case, for the God-head of Christ was as much united to his dead body in the grave, as it was to his soule in Paradise, or to his whole person consisting of body and soule, before, or after his death and resurrection) Though, in this respect, I say, our resurrection be more open to reason, because it hath lesse of the miracle in it, yet when we come to as­signe reasons, even for our resurrection, (as we see Athanagoras hath undertaken, with a great deale of wit, and learning, and confidence, in his Apology for the Christians, to the Emperour, within 155. yeares after Christ; and the Schoole-men make account, that they have brought it nearer to the understanding, nay even to the very sense, by produ­cing some such things, as even in nature, doe not only resemble, but (as they apprehend) evict a resurrection) yet when all is done, and all the reasons of Athenogaras, and the Schoole, and of S. Paul himselfe, are waighed, they determine all in this, that they are faire, and pregnant, and convenient illustrations of that which was beleeved before; and that they have force, and power to encline to an assent, and to create and beget such a probability, as a discreet, and sad, and constant man might rest in, and submit to. But yet, we shall finde also, that though no man may speak a word, or conceive a thought against the resurrection, because for the matter, we are absolutely and expresly concluded by the Scriptures, yet a man may speak probably, and dangerously against any particulur argu­ment, that is produced for the resurrection. We beleeve it immediately, intirely, chea­fully, undisputably, because we see it expresly delivered by the Holy Ghost; And we embrace thankfully, that sweetnesse, and that fulnesse of that blessed Spirit, that as he laies an obligation upon our faith, by delivering the article positively to us, so he is also pleased to accompany that Article, with reasons and arguments proportionable to our reason and understanding: for though those reasons do not so conclude us, as that no­thing [Page 205]might be said to the contrary, or nothing doubted after, yet the Holy Ghost having first begotten the faith of this Article, Per ea augescit fides, & pinguescit, (as Luther speaks in another case) By those reasons and arguments, and illustrations, that faith is nourished and maintained in a good habitude and constitution.

And of that kind are all the reasons brought by S. Paul here; Argumentae Apostols. The matter is positively delivered by him, and so apprehended by us, and his reasons (as we said before) issue out of two Topiques; Be pleased to looke upon both. The first is our patterne, Christ Jesus: He is risen, therefore we shall. In which, though I have a faire illustration and consolation in that, The Head is risen, therefore the Body shall, yet this reaches not to make my Re­surrection like his, for I shall not rise as he did. And then from his other Topique, his reasons rise thus: If there be no Resurrection, we that suffer thus much for the prefession of Christ, are the miserablest men in the world. Why so? have not all Philosophers had Scholars, and all Heretiques Disciples, and all great Men flatterers, and every private man affections? And hath there not been as much suffered by occasion of these, as S. Paul argues upon here, and yet no imagination, no expectation of a resurrection? Leave out the consideration of Philosophers, many of which suffered more then the Turks doe, and yet the Turks suffer infinitely more, in their Mortifications, then the Papists doe; Leave out the Heretiques, which were so hungry of suffering, that if they could not pro­voke others to kill them, they would kill themselves; Leave out the pressures of our own affections, and concupiscencies, and yet the covetous man is in a continuall starving, and the licentious man in a continuall Consumption; Take onely into your considerati­on, the miserable vexation of the flatterer, and humourer, and dependant upon great persons, that their time is not their owne, nor their words their owne; their joyes are not their owne, nay their sorrowes are not their owne; they might not smile if they would, nor they may not sigh when they would, they must doe all according to anothers mind, and yet they must not know his minde; consider this, and you cannot say, but that there is as much suffered in the world, as this upon which S. Paul argues, by them who place not their consolation, nor their retribution in the hope of a resurrection. He argues farther, Edamus & bibamus, If there be no resurrection, let us dissolve our selves into the pleasures of this world, and enjoy them; Why so too? Have we not stories full of ex­emplar men, that might be our patterns for sobriety, and continency, and denying them­selves the sweetnesses of this life, and yet never placed Consolation, nor Retribution up­on a Resurrection? Would not S. Pauls own Pondus gloriae, That there is an exceeding waight of eternall glory attending our afflictions, serve our turne, though that were de­termined in the salvation of the soule, though there were no resurrection of the body? It is strongly and wisely said by Aquinas, Derogant fidei Christianae rationes non cogentes; To offer reasons for any Article of faith, which will not convince a man therein, dero­gates from the dignity of that Article. Therefore we must consider S. Pauls reasons as they were intended; to Christians, that had received the Article of the Resurrection in­to their faith before; And then, as God gave Adam a body immediately from himself, but then maintained and nourished that body by other meanes; so the holy Ghost by S. Paul gives the article of the Resurrection to our faith positively, and then enables us to declare to our own consciences, and to other mens understandings, that we beleeve no impossible thing, in beleeving the Resurrection: for as it is the candle that lights me, but yet I take a lanthorne to defend that candle from the wind; so my faith assures me of the Resurrection, but these reasons and illustrations assist that faith. And so we have done with our first part, How this assurance accrues unto us, and passe in order to the other, The consolation which we have from this resurrection of the body, not onely in it selfe, but as it gives us a sense of the spirituall resurrection of our soules from sinne, by Grace.

We are assured then of a Resurrection, and we see how that assurance growes. 2. Part. But of what? Of all, Body and soule too; For, Quod cadit, resurgit, sayes S. Hierome, All that is falne, receives a resurrection; and that is suppositum, sayes the Schoole, that is, The per­son, the whole man, not taken in pieces, soule alone, or body alone, but both. For as Damascen expresses the same that S. Hierome intends, Resurrectio est ejus quod cecidit ite­rata surrectio, The Resurrection is a new rising of that which fell; and Man fell. A man is not saved, a sinner is not redeemed, I am not received into heaven, if my body be left out; The soule and the body concurred to the making of a sinner, and body and soule [Page 206]must concur to the making of a Saint. So it is in the last Resurrection, so it is in the first, which we consider now, by Grace from sin; And therefore we receive into compari­son, Triplicem casum, a threefold fall, and a threefold resurrection, as in the naturall and bodily death, so in the spirituall death of the soule also: For first, in naturall death, there is Casus in separationem, The man, the person falls into a separation, a divorce of body and soul; and the resurrection from this fall is by Re-union, the soule and body are re-united at the last day. A second fall in naturall death, is Casus in dissolutionem, The dead body falls by putrifaction into a dissolution, into atoms and graines of dust; and the resurre­ction from this fall, is by Re-efformation: God shall re-compact and re-compile those atoms and graines of dust, into that Body, which was before: And then a third fall in naturall death, is Casus in Dispersionem, This man being falne into a divorce of body and soule, this body being falne into a dissolution of dust, this dust falls into a dispersion, and is scattered unsensibly, undiscernibly upon the face of the earth; and the resurrection from this death, is by way of Re-collection; God shall recall and re-collect all these Atoms, and grains of dust, and re-compact that body, and re-unite that soule, and so that resurrection is accomplished: And these three falls, Into a Divorce, into a Separation, into a Dispersion; And these three Resurrections, By Re-union, by Re-efformation, by Re-collecting, we shall also finde in our present state, The spirituall death of the soule by sinne.

First then, Casus in se­parationem. the first fall in the spirituall death, is the divorce of body and soule; That whereas God hath made the body to be the Organ of the soule, and the soule to be the breath of that Organ, and bound them to a mutuall relation to one another, Man some­times withdrawes the soule from the body, by neglecting the duties of this life, for ima­ginary speculations; and oftner withdrawes the body from the soule, which should be subject to the soule, but does maintain a war; and should be a wife to the soule, and does stand out in a divorce.

Now the Resurrection, Resurrectie a casu in se­parationem. from this first fall into a Divorce, is, seriously and wisely, that is, both piously and civilly to consider, that Man is not a soule alone, but a body too; That man is not placed in this world onely for speculation; He is not sent into this world to live out of it, but to live in it; Adam was not put into Paradise, onely in that Paradise to contemplate the future Paradise, but to dresse and to keep the present; God did not breathe a soule towards him, but into him; Not in an obsession, but a possession; Not to travaile for knowledge abroad, but to direct him by counsell at home; Not for extasies, but for an inherence; for when it was come to that, in S. Paul, we see it is called a rapture, he was not in his proper station, nor his proper motion; He was transported into the third heaven: but as long as we are in our dwelling upon earth, though we must love God with all our soule, yet it is not with our soule alone; Our body also must testifie and expresse our love, not onely in a reverentiall humiliation thereof, in the dispositions, and postures, and motions, and actions of the body, when we present our selves at Gods Service, in his house, but in the discharge of our bodily duties, and the sociable offices of our callings, towards one another: Not to run away from that Service of God, by hiding our selves in a superstitious Monastery, or in a secular Monastery, in our owne house, by an unprofitable retirednesse, and absenting our selves from the necessary busi­nesses of this world: Not to avoid a Calling, by taking none: Not to make void a Cal­ling, by neglecting the due offices thereof. In a word, To understand, and to performe in the best measure we can, the duties of the body and of the soule, this is the resurrection from the first fall, The fall into a divorce of body and soule. And for the advancing of this knowledge, and the facilitating of this performance of these duties, be pleased a little to stop upon the consideration of both, both of Spirituall and Divine, and then of secu­lar and sociable duties, so far as concerns this subject in hand.

First for the duties of the soule, Officium animae. God was never out of Christs sight; He was alwaies with him, alwaies within him, alwaies he himself; yet Christ, at some times, applyed him­self in a nearer distance, and stricter way of prayer to God then at other times. Christs whole life was a continuall abstinence, a perpetuall sobriety, yet Christ proposed, and proportioned a certaine time, and a certaine number of dayes for a particular fast, upon particular occasion. This is the harmony, this is the resurrection of a Christian, in this respect, That his soule be alwayes so fixed upon God, as that he doe nothing but with relation to his glory principally, and habitually; That he think of God, at all times, but [Page 207]that, besides that, he sepose some times, to think of nothing but God: That he pray con­tinually, so far, as to say nothing, to wish nothing, that he would not be content God should heare, but that, besides that, he sepose certaine fixed times for private prayer in his chamber, and for publique prayer in the Congregation. For, though it be no where expresly written, that Christ did pray in the Congregation, or in company, yet, all that Christ did, is not written; and it is written, that he went often into the Temples, and in­to the Synagogues; and it is written, that even the Pharisee, and the Publican, that went to those places, went thither to pray. But howsoever, Christ was never so alone, but that if he were not in the Church, the Church was in him; All Christians were in him, as all Men were in Adam.

This then is our first Resurrection, for the duty that belongs to the soule, Officium corporis. That the soule doe at all times think upon God, and at some times think upon nothing but him; And for that, which in this respect belongs to the body, That we neither enlarge, and pamper it so, nor so adorne and paint it, as though the soule required a spacious, and spe­cious palace to dwell in. Of that excesse, Porphyrie, who loved not Christ nor Christi­ans, said well, out of meer Morality, That this enormous fatning and enlarging our bo­dies by excessive diet, was but a shoveling of more and more fat earth upon our soules to bury them deeper: Dum corpus augemus, mortaliores efficimur, sayes he, The more we grow, the more mortall we make our selves, and the greater sacrifice we provide for death, when we gather so much flesh: with that elegancy speaks he, speaking out of Na­ture, and with this simplicity and homelinesse speaks S. Hierom, speaking out of Grace, Qui Christum desiderat, & illo pane vescitur, de quàm preciesis cibis stercus conficiat, non quae­rit, He that can rellish Christ, and feed upon that Bread of life, will not be so diligent to make precious dung, and curious excrements, to spend his purse, or his wit, in that, which being taken into him, must passe by so ignoble a way from him.

The flesh that God hath given us, is affliction enough; but the flesh that the devill gives us, is affliction upon affliction; and to that, there belongs a woe. Per tenuitatem assi­milamur Deo, saies the same Author; The attenuation, the slendernesse, the deliverance of the body from the encumbrance of much flesh, gives us some assimilation, some con­formity to God, and his Angels; The lesse flesh we carry, the liker we are to them, who have none: That is still, the lesse flesh of our owne making: for, for that flesh, which God, and his instrument, Nature, hath given us, in what measure, or proportion soever, that does not oppresse us, to this purpose, neither shall that be laid to our charge; but the flesh that we have built up by curious diet, by meats of provocation, and witty saw­ces, or by a slothfull and drowsie negligence of the works of our calling. All flesh is sin­full flesh; sinfull so, as that it is the mother of sin, it occasions sin, naturall flesh is so; But this artificiall flesh of our owne making, is sinfull so, as that it is also the daughter of sin; It is, indeed, the punishment of former sins, and the occasion of future.

The soule then requires not so large, so vast a house of sinfull flesh, to dwell in: Maceratio­nes corporis. But yet on the other side, we may not by inordinate abstinencies, by indiscreet fastings, by in­humane flagellations, by unnaturall macerations, and such Disciplines, as God doth not command, nor authorize, so wither, and shrinke, and contract the body, as though the soule were sent into it, as into a prison, or into fetters, and manacles, to wring, and pinch, and torture it. Nihil interest, saies S. Hierome, It is all one whether thou kill thy selfe at one blow, or be long in doing it, if thou do it. All one, whether thou fall upon thine own sword, or sterve thy selfe with such a fasting, as thou discernest to induce that effect: for, saies he, Descendit a dignitate viri, & not as insaniae incurrit. He departs from that dignity, which God hath imprinted in man, in giving him the use, and the dominion over his crea­tures, and he gives the world just occasion to thinke him mad; And, as Tertullian adds; Respuit datorem, qui datum deserit, He that does not use a benefit, reproaches the Bene­factor, and he is ungratefull to God, that does not accept at his hands the use of his bles­sings. Therefore is it accepted as a good interpretation, which is made of Christs deter­mining his fast in forty daies, Ne sui homicida videretur, Lest if he continued it longer, he might have seemed to have killed himselfe, by being the author of his owne death; And so do they interpret aright his Esuriit, That then he began to be hungry, that he be­gan to languish, to faint, to finde a detriment in his body; for else, a fasting when a man is not hungry, is no fasting; but then he gave over fasting, when he found the state of his body empaired by fasting.

And therefore those mad doctrines, (so S. Hierom cals them, Notas insaniae habent) yea those devilish doctrines, (so S. Paul cals them) that forbid certaine meats, and that make un-commanded macerations of the body, meritorious, that upon a supposititious story, of an Ermit that lived 22. yeares, Abbasll sperg. without eating any thing at all, And upon an imperti­nent example of their S. Francis, that kept three Lents in the yeare, which they extoll, and magnifie in S. Francis, and S. Hierom condemned, and detested in the Montanists, who did so too, have built up those Carthusian Rules, That though it appeare that that, and nothing but that, would save the patients life, yet he may not eat flesh, that is a Car­thusian, And have brought into estimation those Apocryphall and bastardly Canons which they father upon the Apostles, That a man must rather sterve, then receive food from the hand of a person excommunicate, or otherwise detected of any mortall sin; And that all that can be done with the almes of such a person, is, that it be spent in wood and coales and other fuell, that so, (as the subtile philosophy of their Canon is) it may be burnt, and consumed by fire; for, to save a mans life, it must not be spent upon meat or drink, or such sustentation: These Doctrines are not the Doctrines of this Resur­rection, by which, man considered in Composito, as he consists of soule and body, by a sober and temperate life, makes his body obsequious, and serviceable to his soule, but yet leaves his soule a body to worke in, and an Organ to praise God upon, both in a devout humiliation of his body, in Gods service, and in a bodily performance of the duties of some calling; for this is our first Resurrection A casu separationis, from having falne into a separation of body and soule, for they must serve God joyntly together, because God having joyned them, man may not separate them, but as God shall re-unite them at the last Resurrection, so must we, in our Resurrections in this life; And farther we extend not this Resurrection, from this separation, this divorce.

The second fall of man in naturall death, Casus in dis­solutionem. is Casus in dissolutionem, The man being fal­len into a divorce of soule and body, the body fals by putrefaction into a dissolution of dust; and the Resurrection from this fall, is, a re-efformation, when God shall recom­pact that dust into that body. This fall, and this resurrection we have in our spirituall death too: for we fall into daily customes, and continuall habits of those sins, and we become not onely as that Lazarus in the parable, to have sores upon us, but as that La­zarus in the Gospell, that was dead; Domine jam faetemus, & quatriduani sumus, Lord we stinke in thy nostrils, and we have beene buried foure dayes; All the foure changes of our life, Infancy, Youth, Middle Age, and Old, have beene spent and worne out in a continuall, and uninterrupted course of sin. In which, we shall best consider our fall, and best prepare our Resurrection, by looking from whence we are fallen, and by what steps; and they are three.

First, Nardus nostra. Cant. 1.12. Perdidimus nardum nostrā, We have lost the sweet savour of our own Spikenard; for so the Spouse saies, Nardus mea dedit odorem suum: My Spikenard hath given forth her sweet savour. There was a time, when we had a Spikenard, and a sweet savour of our own, when our own Naturall faculties, in that state as God infused them, in Adam, had a pow­er to apprehend, and lay hold upon the graces of God. Man hath a reasonable soule capa­ble of Gods grace, so hath no creature but man; man hath naturall faculties, which may be employed by God in his service, so hath no creature but man. Onely man was made so, as that he might be better; whereas all other creatures were but to consist in that de­gree of goodnesse, in which they entred. Miserable fall! Only man was made to mend, and only man does grow worse; Only man was made capable of a spirituall soveraignty, and only man hath enthralled, and mancipated himselfe to a spirituall slavery. And Per­didimus possibilitatem boni, August. We have lost that good and all possibility of recovering it, by our selves, in losing Nardum nostram, The savour of our Spikenard, the life, and vigour of our naturall faculties, to supernaturall uses. For though the soule be Forma hominis, it is but Materia Dei; The soule may be the forme of man, for without that, Man is but a carcasse; But the soule is but the matter upon which God works; for, except our soule receive another soule, and be inanimated with Grace, even the soule it selfe, is but a car­casse. And for this, we have lost Nardum nostram, The odour, the verdure, the vigour of those powers, in possession whereof God put us into this world. But there is a step in our fall, lower then this.

We have not only lost Nardum nostram, Vnguentum Domini. The use of our own faculties, in originall sin, But we have lost also Vnguentum Domini, The sweet savour, and the holy perfume of that [Page 209]oyntment which the Lord hath poured out upon us. For, Cant. 1.3. as the Spouse sayes in the same Chapter, Oleum effusum nomen ejus, His name is an oyntment poured out upon us; The name of Christ hath been shed upon us all in our baptisme, and that hath made us Christians; And the merits and promises of Christ have been shed upon us all, in the preaching of his word, and that hath declared us to be Christians; The oyntment is super caput, su­per barbam, super oram vestimenti, as David speaks; It is fallen upon the Head, Psal. 133.2. we have had, and have religious Princes; And upon the Beard, the Beard of Aaron, we have had, and have (no Time, no Church ever more, ever so much) a religious Clergy, vigilancy in the Superiour, laboriousnesse in the Inferiour Clergy; And it is fallen upon the Skirts of the garment, the love, the desire, the hunger of hearing is fallen upon the lowest, and upon all our Congregations, Oleum effusum nomen ejus, his Name, and his Ordinance is poured out upon us all; but, as the Spouse sayes there, Adolescentulae dilexerunt te, Only the virgins have loved thee; And where are those Virgins? which of us have preserved that virginity, that integrity? which of us hath not married himselfe to some particular sin? which of us hath not multiplied his fornications, and yet is not satisfied? we have all lost Nardum nostram, that which we had at first in Adam, and that which hath been offered us since in Christ. And this is our second step in this fall; But there is a lower then this.

We come to lose Odorem agri, The sweet savour of the field it self. Oder agri. Gen. 27.27. As Isaac said of his Son, The smell of my Son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed, So the Lord of heaven, as he smelt a savour of Rest from the Sacrifice of Noah, may have smelt from us the savour of medicinall hearbes, of Remorse, and Repentance, and Contrition, and De­testation of former sins, And the savour of odoriferous, and fragrant, and aromaticall hearbes, works worthy of Repentance, amendment of life, edification of others, and zeale to his glory, and yet we may relapse into former sins, or fall into new, and come to savour only of the earth, in a worldly covetousnesse, or to savour of the flesh, in a licen­tious filthinesse; We may have received the good seed, and dured for a while, as S. Matthew expresses Christs words; Received it, and Beleeved it for a while, as S. Luke expresses them, Mat. 13.18. Luke 8.13. and then depart from the goodnesse which Gods grace had formerly wrought in us, and from the Grace of God it selfe.

Now to this lamentable state, belong those fearefull words of the Apostle, That for a man that sins thus, there remaineth no more sacrifice; And those also, in another place, Heb. 10.2. Heb. 6.4. That for such a man it is impossible, impossible to be renewed. Some of the Fathers, out of a holy tendernesse, and compassion, have mollified this impossibile with a difficile; It is impos­sible, say they, that is, it is very hard; very hard for him that hath been in Gods service, and is run away, to return to it again. For, as Tertullian sayes elegantly in that case, Iu­dicatò pronunciavit, That sinner, sayes he, hath proceeded solemnly, and judicially, and hath heard what both sides could say, what grace could say, and what sin, what God could say, and what Satan, and now he hath decreed the cause against Grace and against God, and declared the other side to be in the right, because he hath applyed himself to the other side. But there is more in this Impossibile, then Difficile: It is not only hard, but truly impossible: So, as it is impossible for God to lie, (so the Apostle speaks) so as it is impossible to take away sin by the blood of Buls and Goats, (so he speakes) so as it is impossible to please God without faith, (so he speaks) so impossible is it for this man to be renewed. Cap. 6. Cap. 10. Cap. 11. Im­possibile est, non speres quod impossibile, sayes Chrysostome, It is impossible, never hope for that which is impossible. For (as that Father exalts this impossibility) Non dixit, non de­cet, non prodest, non licet; God hath not said, it becomes not the majesty, and the con­stancy of my proceedings to renew such a man; he sayes not so, non decet; He doth not say, it conduces not to my ends, nor to my manner of government, it would not be good for the publique, for the Church, for the rest of my servants, who might be scandalized if I should exact so much as I doe at their hands, and renew such a man; He sayes not so, non prodest; He doth not say, non licet; I cannot do it in justice, it cannot consist with my Laws, and my Edicts, by which I have proclaimed, That with the froward I will grow froward, and harden their hearts that oppose themselves against me; He doth not say so, non licet; for to all these (it stands not with my wayes, non decet; or it con­duces not to my ends, non prodest; or it consists not with my justice, non licet) mercy would still present dispensations; but it is expresly, directly impossibile, impossible.

It is true, that the hardnesse of this saying, put the Fathers to hard Expositions. The [Page 210]greater part by much, of them who finde themselves put to a necessity of admitting an impossibility, (for as I told you before, some of them mollifie and souple the impossibi­lity into a difficulty) place the impossibility in this, That it is impossible for such a man to be renewed by baptisme, as he was renewed before: for in those Primitive times, though they excluded not children, yet the greatest part of them who were baptized, were such as understood their case, persons of discretion, such as had spent many months, many times many yeares, in studying and in practising the Christian religion, and then were baptized; and if these men (say those Fathers) fell after this, it was impossible to be renewed that way, impossible that they should have a second baptisme: And it is scarce mannerly, scarce safe to depart from so many as meet in this interpretation of this impossibility; for they all intend that which S. Chrysostome expresses most plainly, Di­xit impossibile, ut in desperationem induceret; The Apostle sayes it is impossible, that he might bring us before hand into a kinde of desperation; A desperation of this kinde, That there was absolutely no hope of a possibility of renewing, as they were renewed before, that is, by baptisme.

But because at this time when the Apostle writ, that questiō, which troubled the Church so much after, in S. Cyprians time, of Rebaptization, was not moved at all, neither doth it appeare, nor is it likely, that any that fell so, put his hopes upon renewing by a second baptisme; there is something else in this Impossibility then so. And that in one word is, That the falling intended here, is not a falling à nardo nostra, from the savour of our own Spikenard, the good use of our owne faculties, lost in Originall sin, nor a falling Ab un­guento Domini, that though the perfume an Incense of the name of Christ, and the offer of his merits be shed upon us here, that doth not restrain us from falling into some sins, But this falling is, as it is expressed, a falling away, away from Christ in all his Ordinan­ces; an undervaluing, a despising of those meanes which he hath established for the re­newing of a broken soule, which is the making a mock of the Son of God, and the tread­ing the blood of the Covenant under foot. When Christ hath ordained but one way for the renewing of a soul, The conveyance of his merits, in preaching the word, and the sealing thereof, in applying the Sacraments, to that man that is fallen so, as to refuse that, as it is impossible to live, if a man refuse to eat, Impossible to recover, if a man re­fuse Physick, so it is Impossible for him to be renewed, because God hath notified to us but one way, and he refuses that. So this is a true Impossibility, and yet limited too; for though it be impossible to us, by any meanes imparted to us, or to our dispensing, and stewardship, yet shall any thing be impossible to God? God forbid; For, even from this death, and this depth there is a Resurrection.

As from the losse of our Spikenard, Rosurrectio. our naturall faculties in originall sin, we have a resurrection in baptisine, And from the losse of the oyntment of the Lord, the offer of his Graces, in these meetings, and the falling into some actuall sins, for all that assistance, we have a resurrection in the other Sacrament; So when we have lost the savour of the field, those degrees of goodnesse, and holinesse which we had, and had declared before, when we are fallē from all present sense of the means of a resurrection, yet there may be a resurrection wrapped up in the good purposes of God upon that man, which, unlesse he will himselfe, shall not be frustrated, not evacuated, not disappointed. Though he have foetorem pro Odore, Esay 3.24. as the Prophet speaks, That in stead of the sweet savour, which his former holy life exhaled and breathed up, he be come now to stink in the sight of the Church, (and howsoever God may have a good savour from his own work, from those holy purposes which he hath upon him, which lie in Gods bosome, yet from his present sins, and from the present testimony and evidence that the Church gives against him, as a present sinner, he must necessarily stink in the nostrils of God too) yet, as in the Resur­rection of the body, it shall come, when we shall not know of it, So when this poore dead, put rified soule hath no sense of it, and perchance, little or no disposition towards it, the efficacy of Gods purpose shall break out, and work in him a resurrection: And this S. Chrysostome takes to be intended in that which is said in the same place to the Hebrews, That that earth which drinketh in the rain, Heb. 6. and bringeth forth nothing but Bryers, is Maledi­cto proxima, nearest to be accursed, That man is nearest to be a Reprobate; But yet, sayes he, Vides quantam habet consolationem, We apprehend a blessed consolation in this, That it is said, neare a curse, neare reprobation, and no worse; for, Qui propè est, procul esse po­tcrit, sayes he, That soule which is but neare destruction, may weather that mischiefe, and grow to be far from it, and out of danger of it.

It is true, this man hath lost his paratum cor meum; he cannot say, his heart is prepared; Psal. 57.7. that he hath lost in originall sin; This man hath lost his Confirmatum cor meum, Psal. 112.7. he can­not say, his heart is est ablished; that hath been offered him in these exercises, but it hath not prevailed upon him. He hath lost his variis odoribus delectatum cor, Prov. 27.9. the delight which his heart heretofore had in the savour of the field, in those good actions, in which former­ly he exercised himself, and now is falne from: But yet there may be cor novum, Psal. 51.10. a new heart, a heart which is yet in Gods bosome, and shall be transplanted into his; A dupli­ [...]ate, an exemplification of Gods secret purpose to be manifested, and revealed by the Spirit of God, in his good time, upon him. And this may work, Chr [...]sost. In insigni & vehementi mutatione, in such an evidence, and demonstration of it self, as he shall know it to be that, because it shall not work as a Circumcision, but as an Excision, not as a lopping off, but as a rooting up, not by mending him, but by making him a new creature; He shall not grow lesse riotous then before, for so a sentence in the Star-Chamber, or any other Criminall Court for a riot, might be a resurrection to him; nor lesse voluptuous, for so, poverty in his Fortune, or insipidnesse and tastlesnesse in his palate might be a resurre­ction to him; Nor lesse licentious, for so age or sicknesse, nor lesse quarrelsome, for so blowes, and oppression might be a resurrection to him. But when in a rectified under­standing he can but apprehend, that such a resurrection there may be, nay there is for him; it shall grow up to a holy confidence, established by the sensible effects thereof, that he shall not onely discontinue his former acts, and devest his former habits of sin, but produce acts, and build up habits, contrary to his former habits, and former acts, for this is the resurrection from this second fall, In dissolutionem, into the dissolution of parti­cular sins.

Now, after all this, there is in naturall death, a third fall, casus in dispersionem, In dispersio­nem. the man is fallen in separationem, into a divorce of body and soule, the body is fallen in dissolutio­nem, to putrifaction, and dissolution in dust, and then this dust is fallen in dispersionem, into a dispersion, and scattering over the earth, as God threatens, Comminuam in pulve­rem, I will break the wicked as small as dust, and scatter them with the winde; Psal. 18. For after such a scattering, no power, but of God onely can recollect those grains of dust, and re-com­pact them into a body, and re-inanimate them into a man. And such a state, such a disper­sion, doth the heart and soule of an habituall sinner undergoe; For, Pro. 17.24. as the eyes of a foole are in the corners of the earth, so is the heart and soule of a sinner. The wanton and licen­tious man, sighs out his soule, weeps out his soule, sweares out his soule, in every place, where his lust, or his custome, or the glory of victory, in overcomming, and deluding, puts him upon such solicitations. In the corrupt taker, his soul goes out, that it may leave him unsensible of his sin, and not trouble him in his corrupt bargaine; and in a corrupt giver, ambitious of preferment, his soule goes out with his money, which he loves well, but not so well as his preferment: This yeare his soule and his money goes out upon one office, and next yeare, more soul, and more money upon another; He knowes how his money will come in againe; for they will bring it, that have need of his corruptnesse in his offices; But where will this man finde his soule, thus scattered upon every woman corruptly won, upon every office corruptly usurped, upon every quillet corruptly bought, upon every fee corruptly taken?

Thus it is, when a soule is scattered upon the daily practise of any one predominant, and habituall sin; but when it is indifferently scattered upon all, how much more is it so? In him, that swallowes sins in the world, as he would doe meats at a feast; passes through every dish, and never askes Physitian the nature, the quality, the danger, the offence of any dish: That baits at every sin that rises, and poures himselfe into every sinfull mold he meets: That knowes not when he began to spend his soule, nor where, nor upon what sin he laid it out; no, nor whether he have, whether ever he had any soule, or no; but hath lost his soule so long agoe, in rusty, and in incoherent sins, (not sins that produ­ced one another, as in Davids case (and yet that is a fearfull state, that concatenation of sins, that pedegree of sins) but in sins which he embraces, meerely out of an easinesse to sin, and not out of a love, no, nor out of a tentation to that sin in particular) that in these incoherent sins hath so scattered his soule, as that he hath not soule enough left, to seek out the rest. And therefore David makes it the Title of the whole Psalme, Domine ne disperdas, O Lord doe not scatter us: Psal. 58. And he begins to expresse his sense of Gods Judge­ments, in the next Psalme, so, O Lord thou hast cast us out, thou hast scattered us, turn again [Page 212]unto us; for even from this aversion, there may be conversion, and from this last and low­est fall, a resurrection. But how?

In the generall resurrection upon naturall death, God shall work upon this dispersion of our scattered dust, as in the first fall, which is the Divorce, by way of Re-union, and in the second, which is Putrifaction, by way of Re-efformation; so in this third, which is Dispersion, by way of Re-collection; where mans buried flesh hath brought forth grasse, and that grasse fed beasts, and those beasts fed men, and those men fed other men, God that knowes in which Boxe of his Cabinet all this seed Pearle lies, in what corner of the world every atome, every graine of every mans dust sleeps, shall recollect that dust, and then recompact that body, and then re-inanimate that man, and that is the accomplish­ment of all.

In this resurrection, from this Dilpersion and scattering in sin, the way is by Recollecti­on too: That this sinner recollect himselfe, and his own history, his own annalls, his own journalls, and call to minde where he lost his way, and with what tendernesse of con­science, and holy startling he entred into some sins at first, in which he is seared up now, and whereas his triumph should have been, in a victory over the flesh, he is come to a triumph in his victory over the spirit of God, and glories in having overcome the Holy Ghost, and brought his conscience to an unsensiblenesse of sin: If hee can recollect himselfe thus, and cast up his account so, If he can say to God, Lord, we have sold our selves for nothing, he shall heare God say to him, as he does there in the Prophet, You have sold your selves for nothing, Esay 52.3. and you shall be redeemed without money. But how is this recol­lecting wrought?

God hath intimated the way, Ezek. 37. in that vision to the Prophet Ezekiel: He brings the Prophet into a field of dead bones, and dry bones, sicca vehementer, (as it is said there) as dry as this dust which we speak of: And he asks him, fili hominis, thou that art but the son of man, and must judge humanely, Putasne vivent ossa ista? Dost thou think that these bones can live? The Prophet answers, Domine tu nosti, thou Lord, who knowest whose names are written in the Book of Life, and whose are not; whose bones are wrapped up in the Decree of thy Election, and whose are not, knowest whether these bones can live, or no; for, but in the efficacy and power of that Decree, they cannot. Yes, they shall, sayes God Almighty; and they shall live by this meanes, Dices eis, Thou shalt say unto them, O ye dry bones, heare the word of the Lord: As dry, as desperate, as irremediable as they are in themselves, God shall send his servants unto them, and they shall heare them: And, as it is added in that place, Prophetante me, factus sonitus, & commotio, As I Prophesied, there was a noyse and a shaking; As whilst Peter spake, The Holy Ghost fell upon all them that heard the word; So whilst the Messengers of God speak in the presence of such sinners, there shall be a noyse, and a commotion, a horrour of their former sins, a wonder how they could provoke so patient, and so powerfull a God, a sinking down under the waight of Gods Judgements, a flying up to the apprehension of his mercies, and this noyse and commotion in their soules, shall be setled with that Gospell in that Prophet, Dabo super vos nervos, I will lay sinewes upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath into you, and you shall live, and ye shall know that I am the Lord; God shall re­store them to life, and more, to strength, and more, to beauty, and comelinesse, acceptable to himselfe in Christ Jesus.

Your way is Recollecting; gather your selves into the Congregation, and Communi­on of Saints in these places; gather your sins into your memory, and poure them out in humble confessions, to that God, whom they have wounded; Gather the crummes un­der his Table, lay hold upon the gracious promises, which by our Ministery he lets fall upon the Congregation now; and gather the seales of those promises, whensoever, in a rectified conscience, his Spirit beares witnesse with your spirit, that you may be wor­thy receivers of him in his Sacrament; and this recollecting shall be your resurrection.

Beatus qui habet partem, Ap [...] 20.6 sayes S. Iohn, Blessed is he that hath part in the first Resurrection, for on such the second death hath no power. He that rises to this Judgement of recollecting, and of judging himselfe, shall rise with a chearfulnesse, and stand with a confidence, when Christ Jesus shall come in the second: Au [...] And, Quando exacturus est in secundo, quod dedit in primo, when Christ shall call for an account, in that second judgement, how he hath hus­banded those graces, which he gave him; for the first, he shall make his possession of this first resurrection, his title, and his evidence to the second. When thy body, which hath [Page 213]been subject to all kindes of destruction here; to the destruction of a Flood, in Catarrhs, and Rheums, and Dropsies, and such distillations, to the destruction of a fire, in Feavers, and Frenzies, and such conflagrations, shall be removed safely and gloriously above all such distempers, and malignant impressions, and body and soule so united, as if both were one spirit in it selfe, and God so united to both, as that thou shalt be the same spirit with God. God began the first World, but upon two, Adam and Eve: The second world, after the Flood, he began upon a greater stock, upon eight reserved in the Arke; But when he establishes the last and everlasting world in the last Resurrection, he shall ad­mit such a number, as that none of us who are here now, none that is, or hath, or shall be upon the face of the earth, shall be denied in that Resurrection, if he have truly felt this; for Grace accepted, is the infallible earnest of Glory.

SERMON XXII. Preached at S. Pauls, upon Easter-day. 1627.

MErcy is Gods right hand, with that God gives all; Faith is mans right hand, with that man takes all. David, Psal. 136. opens, and enlarges this right hand of God, in pouring out his blessings, plentifully, abundantly, mani­foldly there. And in this Chapter, the Apostle opens, and enlarges this right hand of man, by laying hold upon those mercies of God, plentifully, abundantly, manifoldly, by faith here. There, David powres downe the mercies. of God, in repeating, and re-repeating that phrase, For his mercy endureth for ever; And here, S. Paul carries up man to heaven, by repeating, and re-repeating the blessings which man hath attained by faith; By faith Abel sacrificed, By faith Enoch walked with God, By faith Noah built an Arke, &c. And as in that Psalme, Gods mercies are exprest two waies, First in the good that God did for his servants, He remembred them in their low estate, Ver 23. Ver. 24. for his mercy endureth for ever: And then againe, He redeemed them from their enemies, for his mercy endureth for ever: And then also, in the evill that he brought upon their ene­mies, He slew famous Kings, for his mercy endureth for ever: And then, He gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth for ever. So in this Chapter, the Apostle declares the benefits of faith, two wayes also: First, how faith enriches us, and accommodates us in the wayes of prosperity, By faith Abraham went to a place which he received for an in­heritance: And so, By faith Sarah received strength to conceive seed: Ver. 8. Ver. 11. Ver. 34. And then, how faith sustaines, and establishes us in the wayes of adversity, By faith they stopt the mouthes of Lions, by faith they quencht the violence of fire, by faith they escaped the edge of the sword, in the verse immediatly before the Text. And in this verse, which is our Text, the Apo­stle hath collected both; The benefits which they received by faith, Women received their dead raised to life againe, And then, the holy courage which was infused by Faith, in their persecutions, Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might receive a better Resurrection. And because both these have relation, evidently, pregnantly to the Resurrection, (for their benefit was, that the Women received their dead by a Resurrecti­on, And their courage in their persecution was, That they should receive a better Resurre­ction) therefore the whole meditation is proper to this day, in which wee celebrate all Resurrections in the Root, in the Resurrection of the First fruits of the dead, our Lord and Saviour Christ Iesus.

Our Parts are two; How plentifully God gives to the faithfull, Divisio. Women receive their dead raised to life againe, And how patiently the faithfull suffer Gods corrections, Others [Page 214]were tortured not accepting, &c. Though they be both large considerations, (Benefits by Faith, Patience in the Faithfull) yet we shall containe our selves in those particulars which are exprest, or necessarily implyed in the Text it selfe. And so in the first place we shall see first, The extraordinary consolation in Gods extraordinary Mercies, in his miraculous Deliverances, such as this, Women received their dead raised to life again, And secondly we shall seethe examples, to which the Apostle refers here, What women had had their dead restored to life againe; And then, lastly, in that part, That this affection of joy, in having their dead restored to life againe, being put in the weaker sexe, in wo­men onely, we may argue conveniently from thence, That the strength of a true and just joy lies not in that, but that our virility, our holy manhood, our religious strength consists in a faithfull assurance, that we have already a blessed communion with these Saints of God, though they be dead, and we alive; And that we shall have hereafter a glorious Association with them in the Resurrection, though we never receive our dead raised to life again in this world. And in those three considerations, we shall determine that first part. And then, in the other, The Patience of the Faithfull, Others were tortu­red, &c. we shall first look into the examples which the Apostle refers to; who they were that were thus tortured: And secondly, the heighth and exaltation of their pati­ence, They would not accept a deliverance: And lastly, the ground upon which their An­chor was cast, what established their patience, That they might obtaine a better Re­surrection.

First then, 1 Part. for that Blessednesse, which we need not be afraid, nor abstaine from cal­ling the Recompence, the Reward, the Retribution of the faithfull, (for as we consider Death to grow out of Disobedience, and Life out of Obedience to the Law, as properly as Death is the wages of sin, Life is the wages of Righteousnesse) If I be asked, what it is wherein this Recompence, this Reward, this Retribution consists, if I must be put to my Speciall Plea, I must say it is, in that of the Apostle, Omnia cooperantur in bonum, That nothing can befall the faithfull, that does not conduce to his good, and advance his hap­pinesse: For he shall not onely find S. Pauls Mori lucrum, That he shall be the better for dying, if he must dye; but he shall find S. Augustines Vtile cadere, He shall be the better for sinning, if he have sinned; So the better, as that by a repentance after that sin, hee shall find himselfe established in a neerer, and safer distance with God, then he was in that security, which he had before that sin. But the Title, and the Plea of the faithfull to this Recompence, extends farther then so; It is not onely, that nothing, how evill soever in the nature thereof, shall be evill to them; but that all that is Good, is theirs; properly theirs, Psal. 34.9. theirs peculiarly. There is no want to them that fear the Lord, sayes David; The young Lions doe lack, and suffer hunger, but they that seeke the Lord, shall not want any good thing.

The Infidel hath no pretence upon the next world, none at all; No nor so cleare a Title to any thing in this world, but that we dispute in the Schoole, whether Infidels have any true dominion, any true proprietie in any thing which they possesse here; And whether there be not an inherent right in the Christians, to plant Christianity in any part of the Dominions of the Infidels, and consequently, to despoile them even of their possession, if they oppose such Plantations, so established, and such propagations of the Christian Religion. For though we may not begin at the dispossessing, and displanting of the native and naturall Inhabitant, (for so we proceed but as men against men, and upon such equall termes, we have no right to take any mens possessions from them) yet, when pursuing that Right, which resides in the Christian, we have established such a Plantati­on, if they supplant that, we may supplant them, say our Schooles, and our Casuists; For in that case, we proceed not as men against men; not by Gods Common Law, which is equall to all men; that is, the Law of Nature; but we proceed by his higher Law, by his Prerogative, as Christians against Infidels, and then, it is God that proceeds against them, by men, and not those men, of themselves, to serve their owne Ambitions, or their o­ther secular ends. 1 Cor. 3.20. All things are yours, saies the Apostle; By what Right? You are Christs, saies he, And Christ is Gods; Thus is a Title convayed to us, All things are Gods, God hath put all things under Christs feete; And he under ours, as we are Christians. And then, as the generall profession of Christ, entitles us to a generall Title of the world, (for the World belongs to the Faithfull; and Christians, as Christians, and no more, are Fideles, Faithfull in respect of Infidels) so those Christians that come to that more par­ticular, [Page 215]more active, more operative faith, which the Apostle speaks of in all this Chap­ter, come also to a more particular reward, and recompence, and retribution at Gods hands; God does not onely give them the naturall blessings of this World, to which they have an inherent right, as they are generall Christians, but as they are thus faithfull Christians, he gives them supernaturall blessings, he enlarges himselfe even to Miracles, in their behalfe; Which is a second consideration; First God opens himselfe in nature, and temporall blessings, to the generall Christian, but to the Faithfull, in Grace, exalted even to the height of Miracle.

In this, we consider first, That there is nothing dearer to God then a Miracle. Miracula. There is nothing that God hath established in a constant course of nature, and which therefore is done every day, but would seeme a Miracle, and exercise our admiration, if it were done but once; Nay, the ordinary things in Nature, would be greater miracles, then the extraordinary, which we admire most, if they were done but once; The standing still of the Sun, for Iosuahs use, was not, in it selfe, so wonderfull a thing, as that so vast and im­mense a body as the Sun, should run so many miles, in a minute; The motion of the Sun were a greater wonder then the standing still, if all were to begin againe; And onely the daily doing takes off the admiration. But then God having, as it were, concluded himself in a course of nature, and written downe in the booke of Creatures, Thus and thus all things shall be carried, though he glorifie himselfe sometimes, in doing a miracle, yet there is in every miracle, a silent chiding of the world, and a tacite reprehension of them, who require, or who need miracles.

Therefore hath God reserved to himselfe the power of Miracles, as a Prerogative; For the devill does no miracles; the devill and his instruments, doe but hasten Nature, or hinder nature, antedate Nature, or postdate Nature, bring things sooner to passe, or re­tarde them; And howsoever they pretend to oppose nature, yet still it is but upon nature, and but by naturall meanes, that they worke; onely God shakes the whole frame of Na­ture in pieces, and in a miracle, proceeds so, as if there were no Creation yet accompli­shed, no course of Nature yet established. Facit mirabilia magnasolus, saies David; Psal. 136.4. There are Mirabilia parva, some lesser wonders, that the devill and his Instruments, Pharaohs Sorcerers, can do; But when it comes to Mirabilia magna, Great wonders, so great, as that they amount to the nature of a Miracle, Facit solus, God, and God onely does them. And amongst these, and amongst the greatest of these, is the raising of the Dead, and therefore we make it a particular consideration, the extraordinary Joy in that case, when Women received their dead raised to life againe.

Wee know the dishonour, and the infamy that lay upon barrennesse, among the Jews; Mortui. how wives deplored, and lamented that. When God is pleased to take away that impe­diment of barrennesse, and to give children, we know the misery, and desolation of orbity, when Parents are deprived of those children, by death; And by the measure of that sor­row, which follows barrennesse, or orbitie, we may proportion that joy, which accom­panies Gods miraculous blessings, when Women receive their dead naised to life againe. In all the secular, and prophane Writers in the world, in the whole bodie of Story, you shall not finde such an expressing of the misery of a famine, as that of the Holy Ghost in the Lamentations; That women eate Palmares silios; We translate it, Lament. 2.20. Their children of a span long; that is, that they procured abortions and untimely births of those children, which were in their bodies, that they might have so much flesh to eate. As that is pro­posed for the greatest misery, that ever was, women to destroy their children so, so is this for the highest accumulation of Joy, to have dead children brought to life a­gaine. When we heare S. Augustine in his Confessions, lament so passionately the death of his Son, and insist so affectionately, upon the Pregnancie, and Forwardnesse of that Son; though that Son if he had lived, must have lived a continuall evidence, and monu­ment of his sin, (for, for all his Son, S. Augustine was no married man) yet what may we thinke, S. Augustine would have given, though it had been to have beene cut out of his own life, to have had that Son restored to life again? Measure it but by the Joy, which we have, in recovering a sick child, from the hands, and jawes, and gates of death; Measure it but by that delight which we have, when we see our Garden recovered frō the death of Winter. Mens curiosities have carried them to unlawfull desires of communication with the Dead; as in Sauls case towards Samuel. But if with a good conscience, and without that horror, which is likely to accompanie such a communication with the Dead, a man [Page 216]might have the conversation of a friend, that had been dead, and had seene the other World; As Dives thought no Preacher so powerfull to worke upon his Brethren, as one sent from the Dead, so certainly all the Travailers in the World, if we could heare them all, all the Libraries in the world, if we could read them all, could not tell us so much, as that friend, returned from the dead, which had seene the other World.

But wayving that consideration, because as we know not, what kind of remem­brance of this world, God leaves us in the next, when he translates us thither, so neither do we know, what kinde of remembrance of that world, God would leave in that man, whom he should re-translate into this, we fixe onely upon the examples entended in our Text, who these joyfull Women were, that receiv'd their Dead raised to life againe, which is our second Branch of this first part; for with those three considerations, which constituted our first Branch, we have done, That God gives us this World, as we are generall Christians; And, as we are Faithfull Christians, Miracles; And, the greatest of Miracles, The raising of the Dead.

In the second Branch, Mulieres. we have two Considerations; first, what kind of Women these were, and then, who they were; first, their Qualities, and then, their Persons. We have occasion to stop upon the first, because Aquinas in his Exposition of this Text, tels us, there are some Expositors, who take this word, Women, in this place, to be entended, not of Mothers, but of Wives; And then, because the Apostle saies here, that Women received their dead, that is, say they, Wives received their dead Husbands, raised to life again, and received them, as Husbands, that is, cohabited with them as Husbands, therefore they conclude, saies Aquinas, that Death it selfe does not dissolve the band of Marriage; and consequently, that all other Marriages, all super-inductions, even after Death, are unlaw­full. Let me say but one word, of the Word, and a word or two of the Matter it selfe, and I shall passe to the other Consideration, The Women whom the Apostle proposes for his examples.

The word, Vxores. Women, taken alone, signifies the whole sex, women in generall, When it is contracted to a particular signification, in any Author, it followes the circumstances, and the coherence of that place, in that Author; and by those a man shall easily discerne, of what kinde of Women, that word is entended in that place. In this place, the Apostle works upon his Brethren, the Hebrews, by such examples, as were within their owne knowledge, and their owne stories, throughout all this Chapter. And in those stories of theirs, we have no example, of any Wife, that had her dead Husband restored to her; but of Mothers that had their Children raised to life, we have. So that this word, Women, must signifie here, Mothers, and not Wives, as Aquinas Expositors mis-imagined.

And for the matter it selfe, Nuptiae ite­ratae. that is, second or oftner-iterated Marriages, the dis-ap­proving of them, entred very soone into some Hereticks, in the Primitive Church. For the eighth Canon of that great Councell of Nice, (which is one of the indubitable Canons) forbids, by name, Catharos, The Puritanes of those Times, to be received by the Church, except they would be content to receive the Sacrament with persons that had beene twice married; which, before they would not doe. It entred soone into some Hereticks, and it entred soone, and went far, in some holy and reverent Men, and some Assemblies, that had, and had justly, the name, and forme of Councels. For, in the Coun­cell of Neo-Caesarea, which was before the Nicen Councell, in the seventh Canon, there are somewhat shrewd aspersions laid upon second Mariages. And certainly, the Roman Church cannot be denyed, to come too neere this dis-approving of second Mariages. For though they will not speak plaine, (they love not that, because they get more by keeping things in suspence) yet plainly they forbid the Benediction at second Mariages. Valeat quantnm valere potest; Let them doe as well as they can, with their second Marriage, Let them marrie De bene esse, At all adventures; but they will affoord no Blessing to a se­cond, as to a first Marriage. And though they will not shut the Church doores against all such, yet they will shut up all Church functions against all such. No such Person as hath married twice, or married once, one that hath married twice, can be received to the dignity of Orders, in their Church.

And though some of the Fathers pared somewhat too neare the quick in this point, yet it was not as in the Romane Church, to lay snares, and spread nets for gain, and pro­fit, and to forbid only therefore, that they might have market for their Dispensations; neither was it to fixe, and appropriate sanctity, only in Ecclesiasticall persons, who only [Page 217]must not marry twice, but out of a tender sense, and earnest love to Continency, and out of a holy indignation, that men tumbled and wallowed so licentiously, so promiscuous­ly, so indifferently, so inconsiderately in all wayes of incontinency, those blessed Fathers admitted in themselves a super-zealous, an over-vehement animosity in this point. But yet S. Ierome himselfe, though he remember with a holy scorn, Ep. ad Agers. chiam. that when he was at Rome in the assistance of Pope Damasus (as his word is, Cum juvarem) he saw a man that had buried twenty wives, marry a wife, that buried twenty two husbands, Apolog. ad Pam­nach. yet for the matter, and in seriousnesse, he sayes plainly enough, Non damno Bigamos, imo nec Tri­gamos, nec si dici potest octogamos, I condemne no man for marrying two, or three, or if he have a minde to it, eight wives. And so also in his former Epistle, Abjicimus de Ec­clesia Digamos? absit; God forbid we should deny any Church assistance to any, for twice marrying; but yet, sayes that blessed Father, Monogamos ad continentiam provo­camus; Let me have leave to perswade them who have been married, and are at liberty, to continency, now at last.

Those Fathers departed not from the Apostles Nubat in Domino, Let them marry in the Lord; but they would fain bring the Lord to the making of every marriage, and not only the world, and worldly respects. For the Lord himself, who honoured marriage, even with the first fruits of his miracles, yet perswades continency, Mat. 19.22. He that is able to re­ceive it, let him receive it. The fault which those Fathers did, and we may reprehend, is, that men do not try whether they be able to receive it or no; In all Treaties of marriage, in all Contracts for Portion, and Joynture, who ever ask their children, who ever aske themselves, whether they can live continently or no? Or what triall, what experiment can have been made of this, in Cradle-marriages? Marriage was given for a remedy; but not before any apparance of a danger. And given for Physick, but not before any appa­rance of a disease. And do any Parents lay up a medicine against the falling sicknesse, for their new-born children, because those children may have the falling sicknesse? The peace of neighbouring States, the uniting of great Families for good ends, may present just occasions of departing from severe rules. I only intend, as I take most of those Fa­thers to have done, to leave all persons to their Christian liberty, as the Lord hath done; and yet, as the Lord hath done too, to perswade them to consider themselves, and those who are theirs, how far they need the use of that Liberty, and not to exceed that. And thus much Aquinas Expositors, who would needs understand the Women in this Text, to be Wives, have occasioned us to say in this point. In our order proposed, we passe now to the other consideration, who these women were whom the Apostle makes his Examples, for they are but two, and may soon be considered.

The first is the Widow of Zareptha, in whose house Elias the Prophet sojourned. 1 King. 17. She was a Widow, and a poore Widow, and might need the labour, or the providence of a husband in that respect: Yet she solicites not, nor Elias endeavours not the raising of her dead husband to life againe. A Widow, that is, A Widow indeed, 1 Tim. 5.3. (as the Apostle speaks) may have in that state of such a Widowhood, more assistances towards the next world, then she should have for this, by taking another husband. For, for that Widow, Quae in tumulo mariti, sepeliit voluptates, Who hath buried all her affections towards this world, in her husbands grave, the Apostle in that place, ordaines honour, Hieron. Honour Widows, that are Widows indeed. And when he sayes Honour, and speaks of poore Wi­dows, he speaks not of such honour as such poore soules are incapable of, but of that Honour, which that word signifies ordinarily in the Scriptures, Qui non tam in salutati­onibus, quam in elecmosynis, sayes S. Chrysostome, which rather consists in Almes, and Reliefe, then in Salutations, and Reverences, or such respects. For so (as S. Ierome notes in particular) when we are commanded to honour our Parents, it is intended wee should relieve and maintain our Parents, if they be decayed. And such honour the Apo­stle perswades to be given, and such honour God will provide, that is, Peace in the pos­session of their estate, if they have any estate; and reliefe from others, if they have none, for Widows, that are Widows indeed.

In which qualification of theirs, that they be Widows indeed, Ver. 9. we may well take in that addition which the Apostle makes, That she have been the wise of one man. For though we make not that an only, or an essentiall Character of a Widow indeed, to have had but one husband, yet we note, as Calvin doth, that the Church received Widows, in yeares, therefore, Quia timendum er at, ne ad novas nuptias aspirarent, because the Church feared [Page 218]that they would marry again. And certainly, if the Church feared they would, the Church had rather they would not. It is (as Calvin adds there) Pignus continentiae, & pudoris (though Calvin were no man to be suspected, to countenance the perversnesse of the Romane Church, in defaming, or undervaluing marriage. yet he sayes so) it is a good Pawne, and Evidence of Continency, to have rested in one husband.

This Widow of Zareptha then, importunes not the Prophet to restore her dead hus­band; Shee beares her widows estate well enough; but for her dead Son she doth im­portune him; in the agony and vehemence of a Passion, she sayes, at her first encounter with the Prophet, V. 18. Quid mihi, & tibi? What have I to do with thee? Shee doth almost re­nounce the means; In irregular passion, a disconsolate soule comes to say, what have I to do with Prayers, with Sermons, with Sacraments, I see that God hath forsaken me: but yet shee collects her self; What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? When she confesses him to be the man of God, she doth not renounce him; When we consider the meanes, to be means ordained by God, we finde comfort in them. Yet she cannot con­tain the bitternesse of her passion; Art thou come unto me, to call my sin to remembrance, and to kill my Son? She implyes thus much; Shall my soule never be at peace? Shall no re­pentance from my heart, no absolution from thy mouth, make me sure that God hath forgiven and forgotten my sins? But when I have received all Seales of Reconciliation, will God still punish those sins which he pretends to have forgiven, and punish them with so high a hand, as the taking away of my only Childe? And we may see an exal­tation of this womans passion, not only in the losse, but in the recovery of her childe too. For when she had received her childe alive, she comes to that passionate acclamation, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth, is truth; V. 14. As though, if this had not been done, she would not have beleeved that.

How then sayes our Apostle in this Text, That this woman received her dead Son by faith, when she declares this inordinatenesse, this dis-composednesse, and fluctuation of passion? This question made S. Chrysostome refer this faith that the Apostle speakes of, to the Prophet that raised the childe, and not to the mother; For she seemes to him to have had none. And so the Syriack translates this place, Reddiderunt, not Acceperunt; By faith, They, that is, the Prophets restored the dead, not By faith, They, that is, the mo­thers received their dead.

But God forbid that naturall affections, even in an exaltation, and vehement expres­sing thereof, should be thought to destroy faith; God forbid that I should conclude an extermination of faith, in Moses Dele me, Pardon this people, or blot my name out of thy Book; or in S. Pauls Anathema pro fratribus, That he desired to be separated from Christ, rather then his brethren should; or in Iob, or in Ieremy, or in Ionas, when they expostu­late, and chide with God himself, out of a wearinesse of their lives; or in the Lord of Life himself, Christ Jesus, when he came to an Vt quid dereliquisti? To an apprehension that God had forsaken him upon the Crosse. God that could restore her cold childe, could keep his childe, her faith, alive in those hot embers of Passion. So God did; But he did it thus; The childe was taken from the mothers warm and soft bosome, and car­ried to the Prophets hard and cold bed.

Beloved, we die in our delicacies, and revive not, but in afflictions; In abundancies, the blow of death meets us, and the breath of life, in misery, and tribulation. God puts himself to the cost of one of his greatest Miracles, for her Faith; He raises her childe to life; And then, he makes up his own work; he continues with that childe, and makes him a good man; There are men, whom, even Miracles will not improve; but this childe (we will not dispute it, Pro [...]m. in Io­nam. but accept it from S. Ierome, who relates it) became a Prophet. It was that very Ionas, whom God imployed to Ninive; in which Service, he gave some signes whose Son he was, and how much of his mothers passion he inherit­ed in his vehement expostulations with God. Be this then our doctrinall instruction for this first example, the Widow of Zareptha; first, that God thinks nothing too deare for his faithfull Children; not his great Treasure, not his Miracles; And then God pre­serves this faith of theirs, in contemplation of which only, he bestows this Treasure, this Miracle, in the midst of the stormes of naturall affections, and the tempest of distem­pered passions; and then lastly, that he proceeds, and goes on in his own goodnesse; Here he makes a Carkasse a Man, and then that man a Prophet; Every day he makes a dead soul, a soul again, and then that soul, a Saint.

The other example in this point, is that Shunamite, 2 Reg. 4. whose dead son Elisha restored to life. In the beginning of that Chapter, you heare of another Widow; A certaine wo­man, of the wives of the sons of the Prophets, cryed unto Elisha, Thy servant my husband is dead; And truly a Widow of one of the sons of the Prophets, a Church-mans Widow, was like enough, to be poore enough; And yet, the Prophet doth not turne upon that way, either to restore her dead husband, or to provide her another husband; but onely enquires how she was left; and finding her in poore estate, and in debt, provides her meanes to pay her debts, and to bring up her children, and to that purpose, procures a mi­racle from God, in the abundant increase of her oyle; but he troubles not God for her old, or for a new husband. But our example, to which the Apostle in our Text referres himselfe, is not this Widow in the beginning, but that Mother, in the body of the Chap­ter, who having, by Elisha's prayers, obtained a Son of God, after she was past hope, and that Son being dead in her lap, in her also, (as in the former example) we may consider, how Passion and Faith may consist together: She asks her husband leave, V. 22. That she might run to the Prophet; her zeale, her passionate zeale hastned her, she would run, but not without her husbands leave.

As S. Ierome forbids a Lady, to suffer her daughter, to goe to what Churches she would, so may there be indiscretion at least, to suffer wives to goe to what meetings (though holy Convocations) they will; she does not harbour in her house, a person dan­gerous to the Publike State, or to her husbands private state, nor a person likely to so­licite her chastity, though in a Prophets name; We may finde women, that may have occasion of going to Confession, for something that their Confessors may have done to them. In this womans case, there was no disguise; She would faine goe, and run; but not without her husbands knowledge, and allowance.

Her husband asks her, Why she would goe to the Prophet, then, being neither Sabbath, V. 23. nor new Moone? He acknowledges, that God is likelier to conferre blessings upon Sabbaths, and new Moones, upon some dayes, rather then other; That all dayes are not alike with God, then, when he, by his ordinance, hath put a difference between them. And he ac­knowledges too, that though the Sabbath be the principall of those dayes which God hath seposed for his especiall working, yet there are new Moones too; there are other Holy-dayes, for holy Convocations, and for his Divine and Publique Worship, besides the Sabbath. But this was neither Sabbath, nor new Moone, neither Sunday, nor Ho­ly-day; Why would she goe upon that day? Beloved, though for publique meetings, in publique places, the Sabbaths, and Holy-dayes be the proper dayes, yet for confe­rence, and counsell, and other assistances from the Prophets, and Ministers of God, all times are seasonable, all dayes are Sabbaths.

She goes to the Prophet; she presses with so much passion, and so much faith too, and so good successe, (for she had her dead son restored unto her) that as from the other, so from this example arises this, That in a heart absolutely surrendred to God, vehement expostulation with God, and yet full submission to God, and a quiet acquiescence in God; A storme of affections in nature, and yet a setled calme, and a fast anchorage in grace, a suspition, and a jealousie, and yet an assurance, and a confidence in God, may well consist together: In the same instant that Christ said, Si possibile, he said Verunta­men too; though he desired that that cup might passe, yet he desired not, that his desire should be satisfied. In the same instant that the Martyrs under the Altar say, Vsque quò Domine, How long Lord before thou execute judgement? they see, that he does exe­cute judgement every day, in their behalfe. All jealousie in God, does not destroy our assurance in him; nor all diffidence, our confidence; nor all feare, our faith. These wo­men had these naturall weaknesses, that is, this strength of affections, and passions, and yet by this faith, these women received their dead, raised to life againe.

But yet, (which is a last consideration, Foeminile. and our conclusion of this part) this being thus put onely in women, in the weaker sexe, that they desired, that they rejoyced in this re­suscitation of the dead, may well intimate thus much unto us, that our virility, our holy manhood, our true and religious strength, consists in the assurance, that though death have divided us, and though we never receive our dead raised to life again in this world, yet we do live together already, in a holy Communion of Saints, and shal live together for ever, hereafter, in a glorious Resurrection of bodies. Little know we, how little a way a soule hath to goe to heaven, when it departs from the body; Whether it must passe locally, [Page 220]through Moone, and Sun, and Firmament, (and if all that must be done, all that may be done, in lesse time then I have proposed the doubt in) or whether that soule finde new light in the same roome, and be not carried into any other, but that the glory of heaven be diffused over all, I know not, I dispute not, I inquire not. Without disputing, or in­quiring, I know, that when Christ sayes, That God is not the God of the dead, he saies that to assure me, that those whom I call dead, are alive. And when the Apostle tels me, That God is not ashamed to be called the God of the dead, Heb. 11.16. he tels me that to assure me, That Gods servants lose nothing by dying.

He was but a Heathen that said, Menander. Thraces. If God love a man, Iuvenis tollitur, He takes him young out of this world; And they were but Heathens, that observed that custome, To put on mourning when their sons were born, and to feast and triumph when they dyed. But thus much we may learne from these Heathens, That if the dead, and we, be not upon one floore, nor under one story, yet we are under one roofe. We think not a friend lost, because he is gone into another roome, nor because he is gone into another Land; And into ano­ther world, no man is gone; for that Heaven, which God created, and this world, is all one world. If I had fixt a Son in Court, or married a daughter into a plentifull Fortune, I were satisfied for that son and that daughter. Shall I not be so, when the King of Hea­ven hath taken that son to himselfe, and maried himselfe to that daughter, for ever? I spend none of my Faith, I exercise none of my Hope, in this, that I shall have my dead raised to life againe.

This is the faith that sustaines me, when I lose by the death of others, or when I suffer by living in misery my selfe, That the dead, and we, are now all in one Church, and at the resurrection, shall be all in one Quire. But that is the resurrection which belongs to our other part; That resurrection which wee have handled, though it were a resurre­ction from death, yet it was to death too; for those that were raised again, died again. But the Resurrection which we are to speak of, is forever; They that rise then, shall see death no more, for it is (sayes our Text) A better Resurrection.

That which we did in the other part, 2 Part. in the last branch thereof, in this part we shall doe in the first; First we shall consider the examples, from which the Apostle deduceth this encouragement, and faithfull constancy, upon those Hebrewes, to whom he directs this Epistle. Though, as he sayes in the beginning of the next Chapter, he were compassed about with a Cloud of witnesses, and so might have proposed examples from the Authen­ticke Scriptures, and the Histories of the Bible, yet we accept that direction, which our Translators have given us, in the Marginall Concordance of their Translation, That the Apostle, in this Text, intends, and so referres to that Story, which is 2 Maccab. 7.7. To that Story also doth Aquinas referre this place; But Aquinas may have had a minde, to doe that service to the Romane Church, to make the Apostle cite an Apocryphall Story, though the Apostle meant it not. It may be so in Aquinas; He might have such a minde, such a meaning. But surely Beza had no such meaning, Calvin had no such minde; and yet both Calvin, and Beza referre this Text to that Story. Though it be said, sayes Calvin, that Ieremy was stoned to death, and Esay sawed to death, Non dubito, quin illas persecutiones designet, quae sub Antiocho, I doubt not, sayes he, but that the Apostle intends those persecutions, which the Maccabees suffered under Antiochus.

So then, there may be good use made of an Apocryphall Booke. It alwayes was, and alwayes will be impossible, for our adversaries of the Romane Church, to establish that, which they have so long endeavoured, that is, to make the Apocryphall Bookes equall to the Canonicall. It is true, that before there was any occasion of jealousie, or suspition, that there would be new Articles of faith coyned, and those new Articles au­thorized, and countenanced out of the Apocryphall Books, the blessed Fathers in the Primitive Church, afforded honourable names, and made faire and noble mention of those Books. So they have called them Sacred; and more then that, Divine; and more then that too, Canonicall Books; and more then all that, by the generall name of Scrip­ture, and Holy Writ. But the Holy Ghost, who fore-saw the danger, though those bles­sed Fathers themselves did not, hath shed, and dropt, even in their writings, many eviden­ces, to prove, in what sense they called those Books by those names, and in what distance they alwayes held them, from those Bookes, which are purely, and positively, and to all purposes, and in all senses, Sacred, and Divine, and Canonicall, and simply Scripture, and simply, Holy Writ.

Of this there is no doubt in the Fathers before S. Augustine: For all they proposed these Bookes, as Canones morum, non sidei, Canonicall, that is, Regular, for applying our manners, and conversation to the Articles of Faith; but not Canonicall, for the establish­ing those Articles; Canonicall for edification, but not for foundation. And even in the later Roman Church, we have a good Author that gives us a good rule, Caje [...]an. Ne turberis Novi­tie, Let no young Student be troubled, when he heares these Bookes, by some of the Fa­thers, called Canonicall, for, they are so, saies he, in their sense, Regulares ad aedificatio­nem, Good Canons, good Rules for matter of manners, and conversation. And this distinction, saies that Author, will serve to rectifie, not onely what the Fathers afore S. Augustine, (for they speake cleerely enough) but what S. Augustine himselfe, and some Councels have said of this matter. But yet, this difference gives no occasion to an elimination, to an extermination of these Books, which we call Apocryphall. And there­fore, when in a late forraine Synod, that Nation, where that Synod was gathered, would needs dispute, whether the Apocryphall Bookes should not be utterly left out of the Bible; And, not effecting that, yet determined, that those Bookes should be removed from their old place, where they had ever stood, that is, after the Bookes of the Old Testament, Exteri se excusari petierunt, Sessio 10. (say the Acts of that Synod) Those that came to that Synod, from other places, desire to be excused, from assenting to the displacing of those Apocryphall Books. For, in that place, (as we see by Athanasius) they pre­scribe; For, though they be not Canonicall, saies he, yet they are Ejusdem veteris In­strumenti libri, Books that belong to the Old Testament, that is, (at least) to the elucida­tion, and cleering of many places in the Old Testament. And that the Ancient Fathers thought these Books worthy of their particular consideration, must necessarily be more then evident to him that reads S. Chrysostomes Homilie, or Leo his Sermon upon this ve­ry part of that Book of the Maccab: to which the Apostle refers in this Text; that is, to that which the seven Brethren there, suffered for a better Resurrection. And if we take in the testimony of the Reformation, divers great and learned men, have interpreted these Books, by their particular Commentaries. Osyander hath done so, and done it, with a protestation, that divers great Divines intreated him to do it. Conrad: Pellicanus hath done so too; Who, lest these Books should seeme to be undervalued, in the name of A­pocryphall, saies, that it is fitter to call them Libros Ecclesiasticos, rather Ecclesiasticall, then Apocryphall Books. And of the first of these two books of the Maccab: he saies freely, Reverà, Divini Spiritus instigatione, No doubt, but the holy Ghost moved some holy man to write this Book; because, saies he, by it, many places of they Prophets are the better understood, and without that Booke, (which is a great addition of dignitie) Ecclesiastica eruditio perfecta non fuisset, The Church had not been so well enabled, to give perfect instruction in the Ecclesiasticall Story. Therefore he cals it Piissimum Ca­tholicae Ecclesiae institutum, A most holy Institution of the Catholike Church, that those Books were read in the Church; And, if that Custome had been every where continued, Non tot errores increvissent, So many errors had not growne in the Reformed Church, saies that Author. And to descend to practise, at this day we see, that in many Churches of the Reformation, their Preachers never forbeare, to preach upon Texts taken out of the Apocryphall Books. We discerne cleerely, and as earnestly we detest the mischie­vous purposes of our Adversaries, in magnifying these Apocryphall Books; It is not, principally, that they would have these Books as good as Scriptures; but, because they would have Scriptures, no better then these Books: That so, when it should appeare, that these Books were weake books, and the Scriptures no better then they, their owne Tra­ditions might be as good as either. But, as their impiety is inexcusable, that thus over­value them, so is their singularity too, that depresse these books too farre; of which, the A­postle himselfe makes this use, not to establish Articles of Faith, but to establish the He­brews in the Articles of Faith, by examples, deduced from this Booke.

The example then, to which the Apostle leads them, is that Story of a Mother, and her seven Sons, which in one day suffered death, by exquisite torments, rather then break that Law of their God, which the King prest them to break, though but a Ceremoniall Law. Now, as Leo saies, in his Sermon upon their day, (for the Christian Church kept a day, in memory of the Martyredome of these seven Maccabees, though they were but Jewes) Gravant audita, nisi suscipiantur imitanda; It is a paine to heare the good that o­thers have done, except we have some desire to imitate them, in doing the like. The [Page 222]Panegyricke said well, Onerosum est, succederebono Principi; That King, that comes after a good Predecessour, hath a shrewd burthen upon him; because all the World can com­pare him with the last King; and all the world will looke, that he should be as good a King, as his immediate Predecessour, whom they all remember, was. So Gravant audita, It will trouble you to heare, what these Maccabees, which S. Paul speaks of, suffered for the Law of their God, but you are weary of it, and would be glad we would give over talking of them, except you have a desire to imitate them. And if you have that, you are glad to heare more, and more of them; and, from this Apostle here, you may. For he makes two uses of their example; First, that though they were tortured, they would not accept a deliverance, And then, that they put on that resolution, That they might obtaine a better Resurrection.

What they suffered, hath exercised all our Grammarians, and all our Philologers, and all our Antiquaries, that have enquired into the Racks, and Tortures of those times. We translate it roundly, They were tortured. And S. Pauls word implies a torture of that kind, that their bodies were extended, and rackt, as upon a drumme, and then beaten with staves. What the torture, intended in that word, was, we know not. But in the Story it selfe, to which he refers, in the Maccab: you have all these divers tortures; Cutting out of tongues, and cutting off of hands, and feete, and macerating in hot Cauldrons, and pulling off the skin of their heads, with their haire; And yet they would not accept a deliverance. Ver. 24. Was it offered them? Expresly it was. The King promises, and sweares to one of them, that he would make him Rich, and Happie, and his Friend, and trust him with his affaires, if he would apply himselfe to his desires; and yet he would not accept this deliverance. This is that which S. August: saies, Sunt qui patienter moriuntur, There may be many found, that dye without any distemper, without any impatience, that suffer patiently enough; But then, Sunt qui patienter vivunt, & delectabiliter moriuntur; There are others, whose life exercises all their patience, so that it is a paine to them (though they indure it patiently) to live. But they could dye, not only patiently, but cheerefully; They are not onely content, if they must, but glad if they may dye, when they may dye so, as that thereby, They may obtaine a better Resurrection.

And this was the case of these Martyrs, whom the Apostle here proposes to the imi­tation of the Hebrews. They put all upon that issue, A better Resurrection. So the second Brother saies to the King, Ver. 9. Thou, like a Fury, takest us out of this life; but the King of the World, shall raise us up, who have dyed for his Law, unto everlasting life. Here lay his hope; That that which dyed, that which could dye, his body, should be raised againe. So the third Brother proceeded; Ver. 11. He held out his hands, and said, These I had from Hea­ven; and, for his Laws, I despise them; and from him, I hope to receive them again. There was his hope; a restitution of the same hands, in the Resurrection. And so the fourth Brother; Ver. 14. It is good, being put to death, by men, to looke for hope, from God. Hope of what? To be raised up againe by him; There was his hope. And he thought he could not speake more bitterly to that Tyran, then to tell him, As for thee, thou shalt have no Resurrection unto life. And so the Mother establisht her selfe too; To her Sons she saies, I gave you not life in my wombe, Ver. 22. but doubtlesse the Creator that did, will, of his mercy, give you life againe. The soule needed not life againe, for the soule never dyed; the body that dyed, Ver. 29. did; Therefore her hope was in a Resurrection. And to her youngest Son she said, Be worthy of thy Brethren, Take thy death, that I may receive thee againe, in mer­cy, with thy Brethren. All their establishment, all their expectation, all their issue was, That they might obtaine a better Resurrection.

Now what was this that they qualified and dignified by that addition, The better Re­surrection? Is it called better, in that it is better then this life, and determined in that com­parison, and degree of betternesse, and no more? Is it better then those honours, and preferments which that King offered them, and determined in that comparison, and no more? Or better then other men shall have at the last day, (for all men shall have a Re­surrection) and determined in that? Or, as S. Chrysostome takes it, is it but a better Re­surrection then that in the former part of this Text, where dead children are restored to their mothers alive again? Is it but a better Resurrection in some of these senses? Sure­ly better in a higher sense then any of these; It is a supereminent degree of glory, a lar­ger measure of glory, then every man, who in a generall happinesse, is made partaker of the Resurrection of the righteous, is made partaker of.

Beloved, There is nothing so little in heaven, as that we can expresse it; But if wee could tell you the fulnesse of a soul there, what that fulnesse is; the infinitenesse of that glory there, how far that infinitenesse goes; the Eternity of that happinesse there, how long that happinesse lasts; if we could make you know all this, yet this Better Resurrection is a heaping, even of that Fulnesse, and an enlarging, even of that Infinitenesse, and an extention, even of that eternity of happinesse; For, all these, this Fulnesse, this In­finitenesse, this Eternity are in all the Resurrections of the Righteous, and this is a better Resurrection; We may almost say, it is something more then Heaven; for, all that have any Resurrection to life, have all heaven; And something more then God; for, all that have any Resurrection to life, have all God; and yet these shall have a better Re­surrection. Amorous soule, ambitious soule, covetous soule, voluptuous soule, what wouldest thou have in heaven? What doth thy holy amorousnesse, thy holy covetous­nesse, thy holy ambition, and voluptuousnesse most carry thy desire upon? Call it what thou wilt; think it what thou canst; think it something that thou canst not think; and all this thou shalt have, if thou have any Resurrection unto life; and yet there is a Better Resurrection. When I consider what I was in my parents loynes (a substance unworthy of a word, unworthy of a thought) when I consider what I am now, (a Volume of dis­eases bound up together, a dry cynder, if I look for naturall, for radicall moisture, and yet a Spunge, a bottle of overflowing Rheumes, if I consider accidentall; an aged childe, a gray-headed Infant, and but the ghost of mine own youth) When I consider what I shall be at last, by the hand of death, in my grave, (first, but Putrifaction, and then, not so much as Putrifaction, I shall not be able to send forth so much as an ill ayre, not any ayre at all, but shall be all insipid, tastlesse, savourlesse dust; for a while, all wormes, and after a while, not so much as wormes, sordid, senslesse, namelesse dust) When I consi­der the past, and present, and suture state of this body, in this world, I am able to con­ceive, able to expresse the worst that can befall it in nature, and the worst that can be in­flicted upon it by man, of fortune; But the least degree of glory that God hath prepared for that body in heaven, I am not able to expresse, not able to conceive.

That man comes with a Barly corn in his hand, to measure the compasse of the Fir­mament, (and when will he have done that work, by that way?) he comes with a grain of dust in his scales, to weigh the whole body of the world, (and when will he have done that work, that way?) that bids his heart imagine, or his language declare, or his wit compare the least degree of the glory of any good mans Resurrection; And yet, there is a Better Resurrection. A Better Resurrection reserved for them, and appropriated to them That fulfill the sufferings of Christ, in their flesh, by Martyrdome, and so become witnesses to that Conveyance which he hath sealed with his blood, by shedding their blood; and glorifie him upon earth (as far as it is possible for man) by the same way that he hath glo­rified them in heaven; and are admitted to such a conformity with Christ, as that (if we may have leave to expresse it so) they have dyed for one another.

Neither is this Martyrdome, and so this Better Resurrection, appropriated to a reall, and actuall, and absolute dying for Christ; but every suffering of ours, by which suffering, he may be glorified, is a degree of Martyrdome, and so a degree of improving, and bet­tering our Resurrection. For as S. Ierome sayes, That chastity is a perpetuall Martyrdome, So every war maintained by us, against our own desires, is a Martyrdome too. In a word, to do good for Gods glory, brings us to a Good, but to suffer for his glory, brings us to a Better Resurrection; And, to suffer patiently, brings us to a Good, but to suffer cheare­fully, and more then that, thankfully, brings us to a Better Resurrection. If all the tor­ments of all the afflicted men, from Abel, to that soul that groanes in the Inquisition, or that gaspes upon his death-bed, at this minute, were upon one man at once, all that had no proportion to the least torment of hell; nay if all the torments which all the damned in hell have suffered, from Cain to this minute, were at once upon one soul, so, as that soul for all that might know that those torments should have an end, though after a thou­sand millions of millions of Generations, all that would have no proportion to any of the torments of hell; because, the extention of those torments, and their everlastingnesse, hath more of the nature of torment, and of the nature of hell in it, then the intensnesse, and the vehemency thereof can have. So, if all the joyes, of all the men that have had all their hearts desires, were con-centred in one heart, all that would not be as a spark in his Chimney, to the generall conflagration of the whole world, in respect of the least [Page 224]joy, that that soule is made partaker of, that departs from this world, immediatly after a pardon received, and reconciliation sealed to him, for all his sins; No doubt but he shall have a good Resurrection; But then, we cannot doubt neither, but that to him that hath been carefull in all his wayes, and yet crost in all his wayes, to him whose daily bread hath been affliction, and yet is satisfied as with marrow, and with fatnesse, with that bread of affliction, and not only contented in, but glad of that affliction, no doubt but to him is reserved a Better Resurrection; Every Resurrection is more then we can think, but this is more then that more. Almighty God inform us, and reveale unto us, what this Better Resurrection is, by possessing us of it; And make the hastening to it, one degree of addi­tion in it. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly to the consummation of that Kingdome which thou hast purchased for us, with inestimable price of thine incorruptible blood. Amen.

SERMON XXIII. Preached at S. Pauls, for Easter-day. 1628.

THese two termes in our Text, Nunc and Tunc, Now and Then, Now in a glasse, Then face to face, Now in part, Then in perfection, these two secu­lar termes, of which, one designes the whole Age of this world from the Creation, to the dissolution thereof (for, all that is comprehended in this word, Now) And the other designes the everlastingnesse of the next world, (for that incomprehensiblenesse is comprehended in the other word, Then) These two words, that design two such Ages, are now met in one Day; in this Day, in which we celebrate all Resurrections in the roote, in the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, blessed for ever. For the first Term, Now (Now in a glasse, now in part) is intended most especially of that very act, which we do now at this present, that is, of the Ministery of the Gospell, of declaring God in his Ordinance, of Preaching his word; ( Now, in this Ministery of his Gospell, we see in a glasse, we know in part) And then the Then, the time of seeing face to face, and knowing as we are knowne, is intended of that time, which we celebrate this day, the day of Resurrection, the day of Judgement, the day of the actuall possession of the next life. So that this day, this whole Scripture is fulfilled in your eares; for now, (now in this Preaching) you have some sight, and then, (Then when that day comes, which (in the first roote thereof) we celebrate this day) you shall have a perfect sight of all; Now we see through a glasse, &c.

That therefore you may the better know him, Divisio. when you come to see him face to face, then, by having seen him in a glasse now, and that your seeing him now in his Ordinance, may prepare you to see him then in his Essence, proceed we thus in the handling of these words. First, That there is nothing brought into comparison, into consideration, no­thing put into the balance, but the sight of God, the knowledge of God; It is not cal­led a better sight, nor a better knowledge, but there is no other sight, no other knowledge proposed, or mentioned, or intimated, or imagined but this; All other sight is blindnesse, all other knowledge is ignorance; And then we shall see how there is a twofold sight of God, and a twofold knowledge of God proposed to us here; A sight, and a knowledge here in this life, and another manner of sight, and another manner of knowledge in the life to come: For, here we see God In speculo, in a glasse, that is, by reflexi­on, And here we know God In aenigmate, sayes our Text, Darkly, (so we translate it) that is, by obscure representations, and therefore it is called a Knowledge but in part; [Page 225]But in heaven, our sight is face to face, And our knowledge is to know, as we are knowne.

For our sight of God here, our Theatre, the place where we sit and see him, is the whole world, the whole house and frame of nature, and our medium, our glasse, is the Booke of Creatures, and our light, by which we see him, is the light of Naturall Reason. And then, for our knowledge of God here, our Place, our Academy, our University is the Church, our medium, is the Ordinance of God in his Church, Preaching, and Sacraments; and our light is the light of faith. Thus we shall finde it to be, for our sight, and for our know­ledge of God here. But for our sight of God in heaven, our place, our Spheare is hea­ven it selfe, our medium is the Patefaction, the Manifestation, the Revelation of God him­selfe, and our light is the light of Glory. And then, for our knowledge of God there, God himself is All; God himself is the place, we see Him, in Him; God is our medium, we see Him, by him; God is our light; not a light which is His, but a light which is He; not a light which flowes from him, no, nor a light which is in him, but that light which is He himself. Lighten our darknesse, we beseech thee, O Lord, O Father of lights, that in thy light we may see light, that now we see this through this thy glasse, thine Ordinance, and, by the good of this, hereafter face to face.

The sight is so much the Noblest of all the senses, as that it is all the senses. Visio. As the rea­sonable soul of man, when it enters, becomes all the soul of man, and he hath no longer a vegetative, and a sensitive soul, but all is that one reasonable soul; so, sayes S. Aug. (and he exemplifies it, by severall pregnant places of Scripture) Visus per omnes sensus recurrit, Aug. All the senses are called Seeing; as there is videre & audire, S. Iohn turned to see the sound; Apoc. 1. Psal. 34.9. and there is Gustate, & videte, Taste, and see, how sweet the Lord is; And so of the rest of the senses, all is sight. Employ then this noblest sense upon the noblest object, see God; see God in every thing, and then thou needst not take off thine eye from Beauty, from Riches, from Honour, from any thing. S. Paul speaks here of a diverse seeing of God. Of seeing God in a glasse, and seeing God face to face; but of not seeing God at all, the Apostle speaks not at all.

When Christ tooke the blinde man by the hand, Mark 8.23. though he had then begun his cure upon him, yet hee asked him, if hee saw ought: Something he was sure he saw; but it was a question whether it were to be called a sight, for he saw men but as trees. The naturall man sees Beauty, and Riches, and Honour, but yet it is a question whether he sees them or no, because he sees them, but as a snare. But he that sees God in them, sees them to be beames and evidences of that Beauty, that Wealth, that Honour, that is in God, that is God himselfe. The other blinde man that importuned Christ, Mark 10.46. Iesus thou Son of David have mercy on me, when Christ asked him, What wilt thou, that I shall doe unto thee? Had presently that answer, Lord that I may receive my sight; And we may easily think, that if Christ had asked him a second question, What wouldst thou see, when thou hast received thy sight, he would have answered, Lord I would see thee; For when he had his sight, and Christ said to him, Goe thy way, he had no way to goe from Christ, but, as the Text sayes there, He followed him. All that he cared for, was seeing, all that he cared to see, was Christ. Whether he would see a Peace or a Warre, may be a States-mans Probleme; whether he would see plenty or scarcity of some commodity, may be a Merchants Probleme; whether he would see Rome, or Spaine grow in great­nesse, may be a Jesuits Probleme; But whether I had not rather see God then any thing, is no Problematicall matter. All sight is blindnesse, that was our first; all knowledge is Ignorance, till we come to God, that is our next Consideration.

The first act of the will, is love, sayes the Schoole; for till the will love, till it would have something, it is not a will. But then, Amare nisi nota non possumus; Scientia. Aug. It is impossible to love any thing till we know it: First our Understanding must present it as Verum, as a Knowne truth, and then our Will imbraces it as Bonum, as Good, and worthy to be lo­ved. Therefore the Philosopher concludes easily, as a thing that admits no contradicti­on. That naturally, all men desire to know, that they may love. But then, as the addition of an honest man, varies the signification, with the profession, and calling of the man, (for he is a honest man at Court, that oppresses no man with his power; and at the Exchange he is the honest man, that keeps his word; and in an Army, the Valiant man is the honest man) so the Addition of learned and understanding, varies with the man: The Divine, the Physitian, the Lawyer are not qualified, nor denominated by the same kinde of lear­ning. But yet, as it is for honesty, there is no honest man at Court, or Exchange, or Ar­my, if he beleeve not in God; so there is no knowledge in the Physitian, nor Lawyer, [Page 226]if he know not God. Neither does any man know God, except he know him so, as God hath made himselfe known, that is, In Christ. Therefore, as S. Paul desires to know no­thing else, so let no man pretend to know any thing, but Christ Crucified; that is, Cruci­fied for him, made his. In the eighth verse of this Chapt. he sayes, Prophesie shall faile, and Tongues shall faile, and Knowledge shall vanish; but this knowledge of God in Christ made mine, by being Crucified for me, shall dwell with me for ever. And so from this generall consideration, All sight is blindnesse, all knowledge is ignorance, but of God, we passe to the particular Consideration of that twofold sight and knowledge of God ex­pressed in this Text, Now we see through a glasse, &c.