OVr Text is Verbum Dei, and Verbum diei, as a Father sometimes said in the like case; as the Word of God, so a Word in season, even a word for the very day; being the first words of that portion of sacred Scripture, which the pious care of our Church hath selected to be read unto you, as the Gospel for this day. In which without any dilatory Preambles, wee have onely these 2. generals propounded to our considera­tion:

• 1. A Precept.
• 2. A Promise.

The precept seeming to be propounded conditionally, as a man would collect from the words at the first sight thereof, Si me diligatis, If yee love me: But being indeed (as Ferus hath observed) a charge inforced by way of Argument drawne Ex concessis, from the generall and frequent con­fession of all the Apostles in their professed love to Christ, as their Lord and Master, If ye love me, keepe my Comman­dements: As if our blessed Lord had sayd, Ye all professe to love me, and that ye are desirous to indeare your service by some reall testimonies thereof unto me: If then ye love me [Page 2]as yee professe, yee can no way better shew it than by keeping my Commandements; If ye love me, keep my Com­mandements.

As touching the second generall, it is a promise of the sending downe of the Holy Ghost, whose descending gave occasion to this Festivall which now we celebrate; this be­ing the day, by the Churches accompt, whereon the Holy Ghost came downe in the forme of cloven tongues of fire, and sate upon the Apostles at Hierusalem, as yee have it de­livered in the second of the Acts. A Day to bee celebrated with a religious observance in a double respect:

First, as it is the day (if we understand things aright) whereon the Law was delivered to the Israelites from Mount Sinai, the fiftieth day after their departure out of Egypt, which gave name to the Feast of Pentecost, Levit. 23.15, 16. Deut. 16.9. Exod. 13.4.

Secondly, as it is the day upon which the Gospell procee­ded from Mount Sion, by the comming downe of the Ho­ly Ghost, the third person in Trinity, according to the pro­mise of the second person in Trinity, our blessed Lord heere in my Text, If ye love me, &c. Et ego rogabo Patrem, & ille dabit vobis alium paracletum.

You have the second generall propounded: the precept of our blessed Lord, and his gracious promise, which toge­ther with the particulars therein considerable, are like to be the subject of my discourse, and your attention at this time: Wherein that our joynt indeavours may tend to the glory of our good God, and our mutuall comforts both here and hereafter, may it please our heavenly Father to assist me in speaking, and you in hearing, and to second our weake and worthlesse undertakings by the sacred influence and holy o­peration of his gracious Spirit, the Comforter in our Text, even for his sake, who in this Text hath promised to pray for us, saying, Ego rogabo Patrem, &c If yee love me, keepe my Commandements; and I will pray, &c. and of these two Generals in their order, beginning with the first, [Page 3]the Precept, Si me me diligatis, &c.

Many Observations may be made from this first Generall, profitable for instruction, for direction comfortable, which I will runne over with what brevity I can: As first, from the scope and maine intention of the words, I observe with Ferus, Probatio dilectionis est exhibitio operis. The best testimony of mans love to Almighty God is collected from the sincerity of mans obedience to Gods revealed Will.

God is faithfull, (saith Moses) keeping covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keepe his Commande­ments, Deut. 7.9. as intimating that no profession of love to Almighty God is acceptable in his sight, where there wanteth a pious respect to his holy Commandements. For what is it (saith he) ô Israel that God requireth of thee, but to love the Lord thy God, and to serve him with all thine heart, and with all thy soule, and that thou keepe the Commandements of the Lord, and his Ordinances which I command thee this day? Deut. 10.12, 13. As if he should say, God requireth nothing of thee but Love, and Obedi­ence. Therefore in the 11. Chap. of the same Booke, ver. 22. hee comprehendeth the whole summe of Religion in these two branches, Love and Obedience; where having said, Keepe diligently all the Commandements which I command you to doe, hee explaineth his meaning in the words following, that is, To love the Lord your God, and to walke in all his wayes. Deut. 11.22. Whereunto a­greeth that speech of the beloved Disciple to the full, I Iohn 5.3. This is the love of God, that we keepe his Comman­dements: Plainely shewing the truth of this assertion, ob­served from the scope of the words, that the best Testi­mony of mans love to God, is the sincerity of mans obedi­ence to Gods revealed Word.

Which if it be so, then wretched is that errour of mul­titudes of men and women, who contenting themselves in this case with a verball profession, take liberty to shame [Page 4]the same by a disorderly conversation: whose Religion can not better be exprest, than by comparing it to that language which the Jewish children spoke in the dayes of Nehemia, Nehem. 13. ver. 24. For as they spoke their Hebrew in a broken manner, halfe the speech of Ashdod, and halfe of Ammon, and halfe of Moab, and could not speake in the Iewes Language, but according to the language of each people: So too many amongst us, when they are put to it, to speake out their Religion in their practice, utter it in such a broken manner, so mingled with the practice of a prophane life, that they appeare to be meerely Hybridae, of a mixt race, as were Iewish children; halfe Christian, halfe worldling; whose profession and practice being layd together, miserably shame each other.

Should a man demand this question of the veryest Epicure and dissolute liver, of the griping oppressour, or prophane Sabbath-breaker, of the blasphemous swearer, or time-ser­ving Atheist, if he love God, or not? he will answer, that it were pitty of his life else: I would then gladly know, what evidence such a person can have in his heart, what te­stimony he can give unto the world, that there is any love of God in him at all, while so contemptuously and wil­fully he continueth to breake Gods Commandements. As­suredly men doe not gather Grapes off Thornes, nor Figs off Thistles, saith our blessed Redeemer, Math. 7.6. The tree is knowne by his fruite, and by their fruits yee shall know them. ibid. ver. 20.

Mens love to God is best discerned by their lives and if they love God truely, they wil keepe his Commandements conscionably. It is a good note of Musculus in his Com­ment upon my Text: Observatio preveptorum Dei, omni­bus Christi fidelibus eo loco habenda est, ut si illa desit, in ipsam Christi dilectionem peccasse convincamur. The con­scionable observance of Gods Commandements, is so materiall and absolute a marke of a true Christian, as that, where this is wanting, the lives of men convince them to [Page 5]their faces, that the love of Christ dwelleth not in them. I will conclude this observation therefore with that saying of St. John 1. Ioh. 2.4. He that sayeth, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandements, the same is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Testifie therefore, my beloved, I humbly beseech you, your love to our blessed Lord and Redeemer, by yeel­ding a carefull and quicke obedience to his holy Comman­demen: for he loveth me not, that keepes not my word, saith our Saviour in this chap. ver. 24. But if any man love me he will keepe my word, ibid. v. 23. and hee that hath my Commandements and keepeth them, is he that loveth mee. ibid. v. 21.

2. Which thing we might the rather be induced to do, if we would but duly consider the force of Christs argument, as it is couched in that forme of eloquution which he is pleased here to use: si me diligatis, for he saith not, si in me credatis; if ye beleeve in me that I am the Son of God, and Redeemer of the World, then keep my Commandaments: He saith not, quoniam mihi serviatis, because ye here pro­fest your selves my servants and Disciples, seeing ye cal me Lord and Master, therefore keepe my commande ments: he saith not, quoniam potestatem meam cognoscatis, be­cause ye know I have power to kill, and power to make a­live, therefore keepe my Commandements; though any of these had beene an argument strong enough to have convinced them: but si me diligatis, if ye love me, &c. as if he had said: yee have seene what love I have expressed to all of you, how freely I have chosen you, how tenderly re­spected you, and what care I have to instruct you in the knowledge of the things that belong to your salvation; and I shall shortly give you a full and unanswerable de­monstration of my unparaleld love, in giving my life for you, if then ye love me, as ye professe to doe, by that love ye professe to beare me, I adjure and charge ye, thatye keepe my Commandements: An argument (I confesse) of small force and validity to a base and servile nature; but to [Page 6]a free-borne and ingenuous disposition, to a sanctified soule, it is an argument of that force, that none can be more per­swasive, none so fully prevailent, Dilectio fortis ut mors, saith the Spouse in the Canticles 8.6. and where that is the object of our respect, it draweth us most effectually; I lead them with the cords of a man, even with the bonds of love, saith the Lord, concerning Israel, Hos. 11.4. as in­timating plainly unto us, that as nothing but death can di­vert that soule which truely loveth God from a chearefull and conscionable obedience to his revealed will. So, no obli­gation in this world tyeth the soule of a true Christian to so strict an obedience, as the serious considerations of Gods undeserved love: when a man shall consider truely, (as St. Bernard expresseth it) that Prior Deus dilexit nos, antus, tantum & gratis, tantillos & tales: That God should love mankinde, and love him first; so infinite a Majestie, such abject creatures, so freely, so exceedingly, with such large expression thereof, to those who are every way so un­worthy, so undeserving of the least jot, if considered in our selves. And seeing it is true, that nulla major ad amorem provocatio quam praevenire amando, as saith holy St. Au­gustine divinely, There is no more kindly attracting of love, than in loving to prevent. We must needes acknow­ledge this argument of our blessed Lord to be most forcible, if rightly understood: si me diligatis, if ye love me, keepe my Commandements: And conclude with Augustine in his owne words in the same place, Nimis durus est qui amo­rem etiamsi nolebat impendere, nolit rependere, That man is composed of too hard a mettall, who though he like not to love first, will not requite it and love againe, either first or second.

3. And yet it were some diminution to the strength of this argument; if our Blessed Lord in this his love to man­kinde should any way appeare to respect his owne benefit. But see the freedome of his love, and thence observe yet a further force in Christs argument: Christus non sibi utili­tatem [Page 7]quaerit, sed nobis: nos illi non incommodamus praecep­ta ejus negligendo, sed nobis ipsts, saith Musculus upon this place: As our blessed Lord in backing this precept by an argument drawne from his love, doth no way aime at his owne benefit, but at ours: So we, by detracting our obedi­ence from his commandement, can no way disadvantage him, but our selves onely, and theharme that growes there­of reflects upon us, and the losse will, undoubtedly, bee set upon our score. That which mooved our blessed Lord to take our nature upon him, to fulfill the Law for us, and yet to suffer as a transgressor of the Law, was nothing else (as Bishop Anselm wel observed) but amor & sitis salutis hu­manae, Christ Iesus, his loving and thirsty desire to rescue falling man-kinde from eternall perdition: Which occasio­ned that Father thus to expresse his admiration: O chari­tas divina, quam magnum est tuum vinoulum, O most bles­sed and loving Lord, how strict was that bond wherewith thy divine love did voluntarily oblige thee in the redemp­tion of perishing man-kind: Tu Deū ad terram traxisti, tu aed columnā ligasti, tu cruci afixisti, tu in sep ulchro claeu­sisti, tu ad inferos detrusisti. It was thy love oh blessed Lord, that drew thee the Son of God to come down from heaven to earth, that tyed thee to the Pillar, that nayled thee to the Crosse, that shut thee for a while into the grave, that expo­sed thee to suffer the paines of hel for us in thy drooping agony. That the love of Christ, whereby he purchased us to himselfe might appeare in all respects to bee free and spon­taneous, and become an indissoluble tye and obligation up­on us for a constant and conscionable retribution of love to him in keeping his Commandements. Give me leave then so farre as I can, to strike this nayle to the head in the words of the same Father. O longe graviores saxo & plumbo, quos tanti amoris vinculum, non trahit sursum ad Deum, ex quo prius traxit Deū deorsū ad homines. Those soules are undoubtedly, more sencelesse than stones, more ponderous than lead, whom the tye of so free and unparaleld a love, [Page 8]cannot lift upwards to God, which formerly drew God downwards to man. Those [...] strangely frozē in their dregs Zeph. 1.12. upon whō this mo [...]ived [...]h not work, whō the consideration of Christs love, so amply demonstrated, doth not perswade to a full resolution of soule to testifie a full retribution of love to him, by a [...] observance of his holy will.

4. And that so much the rather too, because (as a grave Expositor upon this place well observeth) our Saviour Christ saith not, si timeatis, if ye feare me, but si diligatis, if ye love me, keepe my Commandements. Talem enim Christus exigit observantiā non quae a timore servili extorqueatur sed ab amore filiali ultrò nascatur, saith the same Expositor: for our blessed Saviour exacts no such an obedience to his Lawes, as hath need to be extorted from a servile feare; such an obedience as the Spanish Clergy for­ceth from their people by the power of their inquisition, but such an obedience as floweth freely and spontaneously from the fountaine of a filiall and sonne-like feare. Chri­stus non probat obedientiam coactam, saith Musculus upon this place very well to our purpose: Christ never approved of any constrained obedience, which had need to be wrested from the unwilling hand of the performer: he hath done e­nough to winne the world, and to draw all men to him by love, if he had not to doe with a stiffe-necked people, and a stony-hearted generation. His word and Gospell where it is truely and powerfully preacht in the liberty thereof, hath no neede of any Iesuiticall insinuations, or rules drawne from Matchievel for the establishing of his kingdome: If therefore that disloyall brood of Inigo Loiola that lame Spanish Souldier, which in this last Century of yeares hath so much troubled all Christendome, and almost the whole world about the erecting of a fift Monarchy, covering all their lawlesse designes under the most sacred name of Iesus, shall in Gods good time, finde the all-ruling providence to turne their Councels into foolishnes, as as he sometimes did [Page 9] Achitophels, because as he would have set up a rebellious Absolom against Dauid; so they would plant a politicke Hierarchy, un­der the name of Iesus, but in flat opposition to Christ the Son of David and our blessed Lord; let it appeare no strange thing to those that feare God, however it seeme improbable to flesh and blood: Our blessed Lord never warranted nor approved of such a course to fetch in all Nations to a formall profession of Christianity onely, without the lively practice of it, or to force men to an approbation of that Religion outwardly, which inwardly they abhorre, if they durst but to despute the same, or could be admitted to receive better instruction without losse of life and goods: Fieri non potest ut man­datis divinis ritè obsecūdetur, nisi animo spontaneo ex spirita dile­ctionis obtemporetur. Mans obedience to Gods command can never be sincere, except it proceed freely from the spirit of love; and where this motive of our blessed Saviour will not work, the power and policy of all the world will prove but lost labour. Our Saviour, without all question, knew what would draw his chosen people to the obedi­ence of his blessed will, and that is a sad and due consideration of his unparaleld love to man-kind; and therefore he said not, si timeatis, but si diligatis, if yee love me, keepe my commandements.

5. But here againe, it is not unworthy your consideration, that our blessed Saviour saith not servate praecepta hominum, if ye love mee, keepe the commandements of men; but if yee love me, keepe my Commandements: For, in vaine doe they worship God, saith our Saviour, who teach for Doctrines the traditions of men. It was that, for which God complained of the Iewish Nation in the daies of Jsaiah, Isaiah 29.13. That their feare towards him was taught by the precepts of men; which practise, what fruit it produced in that people, the Lord tels us plainely in the former verses of that Chap­ter: For vision becommeth in a short time, to such, among whom this course is taken as the words of a booke that is seal'd up, which they deliver to one that can read saying, Read this I pray thee, verse 11. who makes answer, I cannot read, because it is seal'd. So in a while it commeth to passe, that the booke is delivered to one that cannot read, saying, Reade this I pray thee, and he shall answer plainely, I cannot reade. ver. 12. An entermingling of [...] mane precepts with divine truthes, breedes a neglect of the sacred Scrip­ture, and then growes up quickly superstition and will-worship, which produceth in time palpable and grosse ignorance, not in the [Page 10]people onely, but also in the Priests: So that the complaint may be taken up, which the same Prophet maketh in the same chapter, tou­ching their teachers; Stay your selves and wonder, they are blinde and make you blinde; they are drunke, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drinke, for the Lord hath covered them with the spirit of slumber. vers. 10. And as concerning both Priests and people together, that word may be pronounced which followes, chapter 13. They come neare unto God with their mouthes, but their hearts are farre from him, meere formallity eating out all re­allity in the course of religion, where humane inventions are taught for doctrines, and mens feare towards God is taught by the precepts of men: Therefore our blessed Lord saith not, seruate praecepta ho­minum, but if yee love me, keepe my Commandements.

6. And as Musculus observes further; Servate praecepta mea non disputate tantum, Make not religion the subject of your discourse and dispute onely, but of your life and practise, not the fewell one­ly of faction by way of argument and controversie, but the rule and square of your religious and Christian performances. It was some­times the complaint of a reverend Divine of Germany, concerning the Prelates of his time: Hodie praelati multa disputant de authori­tate & potestate Ecclesiae, parum de obedientia Deo praestanda solliciti: His meaning was, that many of their greatest Church-men, spent their time almost wholly in acute and subtile disputations tou­ching the power and authority of the Church, but seldome, or never, tooke care to instruct their people in their obedience to Almighty God. Brethren, I could wish our owne times had not a touch of this fault, wherein wee have too many, who too much trusting to their owne acutenesse, make a practice to broach nice and disputable questions, that therein they may imbroile mens faith and religion, and in troubled waters fish out their owne ends, with their Lap­wing cries calling men away from keeping Christs Commande­ments in their lives and actions, to a fruitlesse jangling, that serves to no other end, but to stirre up passion without edification. For the stopping of which unnecessary and unprofitable disputes, our blessed Lord saith not, if yee love me, obey my will: for then saith Musculus, the Disciples might have replyed, quae tua voluntas Do­mine? Lord what is thy will? but Servate praeceptamea, keepe my Commandements, shew your selves my Disciples by your obedience to the revealed will of my Father: therein taking away all preten­ces [Page 11]of doubting, all occasions of of dispute concerning his will and pleasure: so that whosoever shall raise any controversie touching that obedience which our Saviour requireth in this divine charge, hath his mouth fully stopt by that answer which our blessed Lord sometimes gave to the young man. Matth. 10.18. Nôsti praecep­ta, Thou knowest the Commandements: And if ye love me, keepe my Commandements. I will end therefore all that I have to say of this first Generall, with that of the acute French man Ardentius, Effectus verae dilectionis Dei, est observatio mandatorum: The most infallible effect of the love of God in the heart of man, is a con­scionable observance of Gods Commandements; proceeding from love not forced by any politick compulsion, arising meerely from a sense and acknowledgment of the unspeakable love which God hath shewed to us first, and exprest in a religious observation not of hu­mane traditions, but of Gods revealed Will; not disputing thereof onely, but expressing the power of it in our lives and conversati­ons. And this is that love which our blessed Lord requireth, when he saith in our Text, If ye love me, &c. And so from the first gene­rall the Precept, I proceed to the second, the Promise, Et ego ro­gabo Patrem.

The substance whereof is the promise of our blessed Lord to his Disciples, touching the mission or sending of the Holy Ghost, which as upon this day being performed, occasioneth this Festivall. Wher­in are sundry particulars considerable, which I will touch briefly, lest the time out-strip me. And first of all these two words Rogabo, and Dabit, that Christ will pray, and his Father will give, doe apparantly evince to each understanding soule, that the Apostles were short in their condition, as no way able to have pleaded the promise Iure meriti, upon the reality of their owne performance; for so they might have fallen short of their expectations.

It is the free gift of God the Father to give another Comforter, no due debt upon performance of the propounded condition; and there­fore saith our blessed Lord Dabit, He shall give it; and Dabit ro­ganti, He shall give it to Christs prayer, rather for his rogation and intercession in this case, than for any worke or merit in them. Our best love and services are not able to weigh it downe pondere meriti, in the weight of desert: it must come Rogatu Christi, at Christs intreaty, or it cannot come at all. Leane not then upon merits; Christ it is, and his intercession that wee must stand unto in [Page 12]this our condition and covenant. And not understand this Text thus: (be not mistaken) as if the sence were, You shall love me, and keepe my Commandements, and then my Father shall be bound to give you his holy Spirit: But you shall love me, and keepe my Commandements, and then I will pray, and the Father shall give when I pray: None otherwise; let the Synagogue of Rome glosse upon it as they can, the words can beare no other sence. But here is a doubt cast by some: How can a man love Christ, and keepe his Commandements, before he hath received the Holy Ghost, without whom first had, certainely we can doe neither. It is God that wor­keth in us both the will and the deed, Phil. 2.13. and that of his owne good pleasure.

I answer, this scruple is easily removed, if you take heed to what you read. Matth. 13.12. Whosoever hath, to him shall bee given, and he shall have aboundance. A promise may be made tam ha­benti, quam non habenti; Aswell to him that hath a thing already, as to him that hath it not at all. To him that hath it in a lower or lesser measure, it may be promised that he shall have it in a more ample and fuller degree than yet he hath: or to him that hath it in one kinde, a promise may be made, that he shall have it in some o­ther, or better kind. For the Spirit is given to all (excepting one­ly Christ) according to measure: It was he onely that was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse above all his fellows. Psal. 45. It is hee onely, of whose fulnesse we all receive. John 1.16. And where there is measure, there are degrees; where there bee degrees of more or lesse, the more may be well promised to him that hath the lesse: To him who as yet hath it but in a still warme breath, it may well be promised in cloven tongues of fire: To him who hath it as the first fruits which is an handfull, it may well be promised in the whole sheafe, which filleth the bosome. And thus the holy Apo­stles had it from the time that Christ breathed on them, saying, Re­ceive yee the holy Ghost, Iohn 20.22. in some measure; and so they might well love him in some sort, and in some sort might keepe his Commandments, and yet be capable of the promise of the Comforter in some more ample measure for all that: so that now the doubt is answered, and Christ may proceed to his Prayer, and we to the consideration of the further particulars therein comprized, Ego rogabo Patrem, & ille dabit, &c.

In which words is a most materiall observation, touching our [Page 13]faith in the blessed Trinity: Here is the Article offered, and set down in the three Persons, 1. Ego, 2. Ille, 3. Altum.

Ego rogabo, there is Christ the Sonne: Jlle dabit, He shal give there is God the Father personally named: Ego rogabo Patrem, & ille dabit: And alium Paracletum, another Comforter, a third per­son, the Holy Ghost. Here is then one Person praying, the o­ther prayed unto, the third prayed for. Filius orans, Pater do­nans, Spiritus consolans: A most plaine ground for the point of the holy Trinity, and a most evident distinction of the Persons. And heere this prayer of Christ sets us to seeke his other Nature: Here he intreats as inferiour to his Father, which sheweth him per­fectly man: But in the 26. vers. of the next Chapter, as equall to his Father in the nature of God, hee joyneth in this giving with like Authority: Rogabo as Man, Dabo as God: when that Com­forter shall come, whom I will send unto you from the Father: And thus finding the Father giving here, and the Sonne sending there, we have an infallible proofe of the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from the Father, and from the Sonne.

And lastly, the Deity of the Holy Ghost, and his equality to the Father, and to the Sonne, are herein plainely demonstrated. For our Saviour Christ in sending and procuring a Comforter in his absence, must needs send and procure them one equall to himselfe; one every way as good, or else they had changed for the worse, and so might well have prayed him to let his prayer alone; they were better as they were: and if he did not send them an equall Comforter, they were like to be at a losse. But our Saviour meant not so; therefore he saith Another Comforter, which shall abide with you for ever; an everlasting Comforter from the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace. Isaiah 9.6. These things thus cleared, I proceed to some doctrinall observations.

1. That the Holy Ghost is not given but from the Father, whose absolute gift he is; for Ille dabit saith my Text, according to that Luke 11.13. It is our heavenly Father that giveth the holy Ghost to them that aske it of him. And therefore is he called, The promise of the Father. Luke 24.49. And that Spirit of Truth which pro­ceedeth from the Father John 15.26. And in this Chapter, ver. 26 our Saviour stiles him The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father, saith he) will send in my Name.

2. With a grave Expositor I here observe, Non dari Spiritum [Page 14]sanctum, nisi interventu Christi Mediatoris: That the Father gi­veth not the holy Spirit unto any, but through the intercession of our blessed Lord, the Sonne of the Father. For Ego rogabo Patrem, saith my Text, & ille dabit. Therefore doth he stile himselfe the Doore, beside whom there is no right entrance to the participation of this divine donation, Ioh. 10.9. and Mat. 11.29. the easer of those that are weary and heavy laden, who never finde true rest but in this comforter promised in the words of this Text: therefore doth he stile himselfe, the way, the truth, and the life, in this chapter verse the sixth, to shew us that there is no way to true life eternall, but by this spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne, no way to attaine this spirit, but by the Sonnes intercession to the Father.

3. It is worth your noting to whom this comforter is promised; it is onely those who love Iesus Christ, and keep his Commandements, for so much the connexion of the two generals in my Text doth e­vidently demonstrate: If ye love me, &c. J will pray. Therefore saith our Saviour in the verses after my Text: If any man love me, he will keepe my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come in unto him, and dwell with him. How? my Father will love him, and we will come, &c. O quanta dignitas, quantus honor Deum dili­gentibus & mandata ejus observantibus, saith an ancient Father of the Church: What a dignity, what an honour doth accuree to those who love God truely and keepe his Commandements? What sweetnesse of comfort can be comparable to this, by retaining the true love of God, as a resident guest in the heart, to have the blessed Comforter in my Text, to have the blessed Trinity it selfe dwelling within us? saith Arden acutely. This is to have God the Father, by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the sacred influence of his sanctifiing Spirit ruling, and reigning, and residing in our hearts. This is truely to make our soules and bodies Temples of the holy Ghost, as St. Paul speake, 1. Cor. 6.19. This is to acquire an infallible testi­mony to our owne soules, that we are in Christ, and Christ in us; that the benefit of our Saviours prayer is extended to us, as touching the comforter promised in my Text: For, he that keepeth his Com­mandements (saith St. Iohu) dwelleth in him, and he in him, and and hereby shall we know that he abideth in us, even by that spirit of love and obedience; even by that spirit which he hath given us. 1. Ioh. 3.24.

[Page 15] 4. We may not omit to take notice, that this blessed Spirit is cal­led, [...], a comforter, to intimate Christs intention in sēding him. In the world yee shall have affliction, but be of good cheare, I have overcome the World, Ioh. 16.33. and in the meane while I will pray unto the Father, and he shall give you another comforter. Indeede the word [...], in the originall, as the learned in the Greeke Language well understand, doth in the genuine etymology thereof signifie, an advocate, qui accusatis & in necessitate constitu­tis adsit, & opem ferat proijs loquendo, saith the Etymologist: one that may assist, and plead for such as are accused before a Iudge, and stand in danger of a censure. Therefore doth our Saviour exhort his Disciples, when after his death they should be called before Kings and Princes for his name sake, to flye to the advice and assistance of this holy Advocate, for it is not ye that speake, but the Spirit of God which speaketh in you, saith our Saviour, Mat. 10.18, 19, 20. That we might learn thence, when in our supplications to almighty God, we shall finde our hearts to be straighted, and our tongs defective in expressiō of our desires, to fly for assistance to this heavenly advo­cate, and to invocate him, for he it is alone that helpeth our infirmi­ties, he maketh requests for the Saints according to the will of God, saith St. Paul, Rom. 8.26, 27. And in this case, doubtlesse, shall the faithfull soule, finde the benefit of this promise of our blessed Lord in my Text, Ego rogabo patrem, when the blustring stormes of adversity, or affront of temptation shall winnow us as wheate, as our blessed Lord told St. Peter, Luke 22.31. Let us adhere in faith and obedience to this heavenly advocate; as remembring that he which prayed for St. Peter, hath prayed also for us, and this his holy advo­cate shall speak in us, and with us, and for us, & fides non deficiet, & our faith shal not faile: when that accuser of the brethren, which is cast down into the earth, shal serve thee with a subpoena in the court of thy owne conscience, and shall set all thy sins in order before thee thereby raising within thee those tempestates mentis, as Nazianzen stiles them, those tempests in thy soule, which shall shake the very foundation of thy faith & religion: cast out this shoot anchor, & thou maist ride out this storm, have recourse to this heavenly advocate the comforter in my Text, and thou shalt overcome all oppositions by the blood of the Lamb, Rev. 12.10, 11. He that said rogabo patrem, I will pray unto the Father; even he shall send thee helpe by this holy comforter, whose presence shall appease all stormes; as it [Page 16]was sayd of our blessed Saviour, Mark. 4.39. He shall rebuke the winde, and say unto the waves peace and be still, and the storme shal cease, and a great calme shall follow, Et ille dabit alium paracle­tum, and he shall give thee another comforter, that he might a­bide with thee for ever. But may some man say, quare aliuu [...] pa­racletum, why another comforter; for is not this the same Spirit of God whereby the Patriarchs were taught to beleeve, the Prophets were inspired, and the Apostles guided in their Ministry while our Saviour lived amongst them? I answer, hee is doubtlesse the very same: for He is the Lord that changeth not. Mal. 3.6.

But this distinction is added, (as the Fathers have well observed) as to distinguish the Persons in Trinity, so to proove the Deity of the Holy Ghost: He is Alius Paracletus, another Comforter, be­cause he is not the Father, nor the Sonne, but the Holy Ghost, the third person in Trinity. And yet it is also added, to proove the Vni­ty of the Deity, God, equall with the Father, and with the Son; therefore it is said in the last words of my Text, Manebit in aeter­num, He shall abide for ever. But it is also said, Vobiscum mane­bit, He shall abide with you for ever; ut intelligant Discipuli, (saith Musculus upon this place) esse eum Consolatorem non tem­porarium, sed aeternum. That his Disciples might conceive of him as a Comforter not to abide with them for a while, but with the Church of Christ for ever. Ecce, ego sum vobiscum omnibus die­bus us (que) ad consummationem saeculi, as Saint Jerome renders it: Be­hold, I am with you unto the end of the world. Matth. 28. last vers. What alwayes art thou with us, even unto the end of the world blessed Saviour? Oh suffer us to speake unto thee, who are but dust and ashes. Thy Apostle St. Peter hath taught us, that the Heavens must containe thee untill that all things be restored. Acts 3.21. It is true, Oh blessed Iesus, as thy holy Apostle hath taught us, and Lord teach us ever to beleeve, and retaine this truth, that the Hea­vens shall containe thy body till the restauration of all things, that so we may be preserved from that Antichristian errour of adoring thy bodily presence in a Wafer-cake. But thou art still with us, we acknowledge it, and makest good thy promise untill this day. For except thou (oh Lord) hadst beene present with me, to inspire my weake meditations in the preparation of my selfe for the weighty imployment of this day and houre, through the gracious influence of that blessed Comforter in our Text; neither had my heart beene able [Page 17]to conceive, nor my tongue to utter any thing for the glory of thy great Name, the edification of thy people, or the discharge of my duty. And hadst not thou by thine especiall providence and mercy assembled these thy people in thy Name, by the powerfull perswa­sion of the same most blessed Comforter: Neither had they beene hearers of thy Word at this time.

We humbly praise thy holy Name for all thy mercies, and par­ticularly for that of this day and houre, beseeching thee to adde the operation of thy blessed Spirit to these outward meanes in such free favour affoorded us, and to perswade all our hearts, that as we professe to love thee as thy Disciples, so we may ever be carefull to expresse our love unto thee in a conscionable observance of thy holy Commandments, that so we may be partakers of the comforts of thy gracious promise, thy blessed Spirit of grace, which may abide with us for ever, Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus. And so I have done with the Text, one word onely for the occasion of our mee­ting, and so an end.

The memoriall of the just shall be blessed, saith the wise man, Prov. 10.7 as whose good deeds deserve to be had in everlasting remēbrance. I can not therfore in this grave and honored assembly, without a sinfull over-sight and neglect of my duty, omit the memoriall of that Ho­nourable and worthy Citizen Sir Thomas Rowe, whose piety and religious care occasioned this Sermon, and this meeting this day. For in the Chronicles of this City I read lately, that in the yeare 1569. Sir Thomas Rowe, Cittizen and Merchant-taylor, and at that time Lord Major of this honourable City in a pious care to ac­commodate a great number of Parishes, then in his government touching the decent and orderly buriall of their dead, did of his owne free charge and bounteous liberality, inclose a parcell of ground neare the Hospitall of Bethlem, and caused the same to be consecrated for a place of Burial for such Parishes as in that case were straitned. A motion, (doubtlesse) proceeding from the sacred direction of this heavenly Comforter.

For seeing the men of Iabesh Gilead have that pious act of theirs registred by the Pen of the Holy Ghost, in that they took with much danger the body of Saul, and the bodies of his Sons from the wall or streete of Bethshan, and were careful to bury them in the land of Israel. 1. Sam. last Chap. 3. last verses. I see no reason but why this pious Act of this honourable Citizen should be yeerely remem­bred [Page 18]as upon this day and occasion, by such as shall bee called to the duty of this Day, to the glory of God, whose holy Spirit moved him to this worke of mercy, for the honour of this City, and of this grave Senate, that among innumerable others hath beene ho­noured with this religious example: and for the incouragement of others to follow his steps in good workes of this nature: which that it may be so, it is, and shall be my dayly prayer, as your unwor­thy Chaplaine, that God will continue his mercies to this hono­rable City, in a happy succession of good, discreete, and religious Governours, under whose pious and godly care wee may enjoy in succeeding times the comfort of a quiet and happy peace, and live thereby before him in all godlinesse and honesty: and that it may please our heavenly Father to blesse the present Magistrates, and all that shall succeed them; giving them grace to execute Justice, and to maintaine truth: and heerein Wee beseech thee to heare us good Lord. And to this end let us pray as the Church hath piously in­structed us, in the Collect for this day.

Almighty God, which as upon this day hast taught the hearts of thy faithfull people, by sending unto them the light of thy holy Spi­rit, grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in al things, and evermore to reioyce in his holy comfort, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the Ʋnity of the same ever one God.

Laus Deo.