a cold sweat to think of it before 't was built Gen. xxviii 17. Will the Lord dwell on earth Is it true says Solomon Can it be so Lord What am I says Holy David and my people that we should but offer to it Lord What is it that we should be allow'd to touch so holy ground with our unhallowed feet look upon so holy a sight with our unholy eyes that such a glo-worm as Man should be set upon a Hill But above all 3. Lord what is man Lord what is man that thou should'st so regard him as to advance him also into the holy Hill of Heaven too Lord what can we say what can we say Shall corruption inherit incorruption dust Heaven a worm creep so high What he that lost it for an Apple come thither after all he in whom dwelleth no good thing be let stay there where none but good and all good things are He that is not worth the Earth worth nought but Hell be admitted Heaven Lord What is Man or rather what art Thou O Lord how wonderful in mercies that thus priviledg'st the sons of men Admirable it is worth the whole course of your days to admire it in and you can never enough It will appear yet the more by the glory that accompanies it It is a glorious priviledge indeed even admirable for its glory Even in all the senses we take the words 't is 5. a Glorious Priviledge Glorious to be Sains they are heirs of Glory Glorious to be Saints in Churches for the Angels that are there 1 Cor. xi 10. to wait upon us and carry up our Prayers for the beauty of holiness that is seated there for the God of Glory whose presence is more glorious there But it is without comparison to be Saints in Glory Grace is the portion of Saints that 's one ray of Glory The Church the House of God is the Gate of Heaven Gen. xxviii 17. that 's the entrance into Glory What then is Heaven it self What is it to enter there into the very Throne of the King of Glory Lift up your heads O ye Gates lift up your heads and let us poor things in to see the King of Glory the Hill of the Lord can be no other then a Hill of Glory His holy place is no less than the very place and seat of Glory And being such you cannot imagine it 6. but hard to come by the very petty glories of the World are so This is a Hill of Glory hard to climb difficult to ascend craggy to pass up steep to clamber no plain campagnia to it the broad easie way leads some whether else St. Mat. vii 13. the way to this is narrow ver 14. 't is rough and troublesome To be of the number of Christs true faithful servants is no slight work 't is a fight 't is a race 't is a continual warfare fastings and watchings and cold and nakedness and hunger and thirst bands imprisonments dangers and distresses ignominy and reproach afflictions and persecutions the worlds hatred and our friends neglect all that we call hard or difficult is to be found in the way we are to go A man cannot leave a lust shake off bad company quit a course of sin enter upon a way of vertue profess his Religion or stand to it cannot ascend the spirtual Hill but he will meet some or other of these to contest and strive with But not only to ascend but to stand there as the word signifies to continue at so high a pitch to be constant in Truth and Piety that will be hard indeed and bring more difficulties to contrast with And yet to rise up to keep to that Translation that is to rise up in the defence of holy ways of our Religion is harder still to bloud it may come at last but to sweat it comes presently cold and hot sweats too fears and travels that 's the least to be expected Nor is it easie as it often proves to gain places to serve God in Temples are long in building that of Hierusalem 64 years together Great preparation there was by David and Solomon to that before and no little to the rearing of the Tabernacle It was 300 years and upward that Christianity was in the World before the Christians could get the priviledges of Sanctuaries and Churches The more ought we sure to value them that we come so hardly by them We would make more of the priviledge if we considered what pains and cost and time they cost how unhandsom Religion looks without them how hard it is to perform many of the holy offices where we want them how hard it would be to keep Religion in the minds of men if all our Churches should be made nests of Owls and Dragons and beds of Nettles and Thistles Yet I confess it is hard too to enter into those holy places with the reverence that becomes them to rise up holy there Every one that comes into the Church does not ascend he leaves his soul too oft below comes but in part his body that gets up the Hill the mind lies grovelling in the Valley amongst his Grounds and Cattel Nor may every one be said to rise up or stand in his holy place that stand or sits there in it unless his thoughts rise there unless his attention stands erect and stedfast up to Heaven when he is there he is indeed in the place but he unhallows it it is no longer holy in respect of him He must ascend in heart and soul raise up eyes and hands voice and attention too that can be properly said to ascend into the Hill of the Lord or rise up in his holy place Which how hard it is the very stragling of our own thoughts there will tell us we need not go to the Prophet to find a people that sit there as if they were Gods people and yet are not that hear his Word and stand not to it that raise up their voices and yet their hearts are still beneath We can furnish our selves with a number too great of such enow to tell us how hard it is to ascend into the Hill of the Lord and rise up in his holy place so few do it And if these two ascensions be so hard what 's the third the very righteous are scarcely sav'd 1 Pet. iv 18. If by any means I may says St. Paul 1 Cor. ix 27. supposes he may not he is afraid at least after all his Preaching he should become a cast-away fall short of the goal miss the Crown come short of the top of the Hill of the holy Place So hard a thing is Heaven so clogg'd are the wings of our soul so heavy and drossie are our spirits and our earth so earthy that it is hard to ascend so high We feel we find it and they but deceive themselves that think 't is but a running leap into Heaven a business to be done wholly or easily upon our Death-beds when we can
he will make good what Christ has promised and what he comes to be the guide into the way of truth We need not either mistrust or fear it For though Christ himself must go away and leave us because it is expedient that he should yet this Spirit will stand by us howsoever Howbeit he will He is a mighty wind and will quickly disperse and blow away the mists of ignorance and error He is a fire and will easily purge the dross and burn up the chaff that mixes with the truth and hides or sullies it nothing can stand before him nothing shall He comes to us with a Howbeit a non obstante be it how it will though we be blind and ignorant and foolish and full of infirmities and sins so we be willing he will come and guide us Yet if now we will so be guided to close up all We must lastly submit our selves wholly to his way and guiding to the truth and to all of it To his way and order 1. no teaching him how he should teach us Them that be meek shall he guide in judgment and such as be gentle them shall he learn his way Psal. xxv 8. No teaching without humility we must be willing to be guided or he will not guide us Men will not now thence come so many errors and mistakes To truth too 2. we must submit If it be truth no quarrelling against it No seeking shelters and distinctions to defend us from it though we have been long in error and count it a dishonour to revoke it revoke it we must be it what it will or we endanger the loss of the whole truth the Spirit will not lead us And to all 3. too We must not plead our interest or any thing against it be it never so troublesome never so disadvantageous never so displeasing we must resolve to embrace it because 't is truth With this submission too we are now to come to the holy mysteries submit our hearts and judgments and affections here not to presume to pry too much into the way and manner of Christs and the Spirits being there but to submit our reasons to our faith and open our hearts to Christ as well as our mouths to the outward elements and keep under our affections by holy and godly doing that so the Spirit of truth may come into them all And so doing the Spirit will come and he will guide us guide us into all necessary and saving truths guide us to Christ guide us to God guide us here and guide us hence guide us in earth and guide us to heaven THE FOURTH SERMON UPON Whitsunday ACTS ii 1 2 3 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance THE words are the History for the day The day the anniversary for the words This day the Text fulfilled in the ears of some of every Nation under Heaven ver 5. remembred and celebrated by the tongues and voices of the Christian Church throughout the Earth The things done here the reason of the day and the day the memorial of them Here you may see why we keep this Feast why 't is so solemn why 't is one of the dies albi why so white a day a Sunday white with the light of that holy fire that this day came down from Heaven and sate like rays of light upon the Apostles those whitest and purest sons of light the Holy Ghost the third Person of the blessed Trinity descending miraculously in it upon the Disciples as it were a sudden rushing mighty wind filling all the corners both of the place and of their souls and so seating himself in the form of fiery cloven tongues upon each of that holy company and thereby giving them new hearts and words to speak the wonders of the most High A business we are this day to be their Disciples in to use our tongues to the same purpose that we may testifie our selves to be led by the same Spirit breath by the same breath move by the same wind our hearts warm'd by the same fire our words fram'd by the same tongues that this day appear'd so miraculously upon them We have done so in the unity of the Church several times before in the year for Christ the second Person of the Godhead do we so now also for the third the benefits and glory which this day came from him which they this day did after a strange miraculous way receive we may this day also receive in an efficacious way though not externally and visibly yet internally and invisibly from the same Spirit For this Feast is his and our â—â—eech this day principally of him and our praises for him Now the best way to keep the Feast so as to be partakers of the honour and benefits of it is to place our selves in the same fashion set our selves in the same posture dispose our selves after the same order with them here both for the receiving of him and after we have received him For 't is part of the Epistle not the Gospel that I have read you and the business of the Epistle is commonly Doctrine and Instruction as the matter of the Gospel is usually history So we then to be instructed by it how to demean our selves for the receiving of the Holy Spirit how to know how and where and when it is he comes how to distinguish him and his coming from other spirits what to do also when we have received him and when more especially to do the one or expect the other by the pattern and example in the Text. This will prove the best the only celebration of the Feast the most glorious manifestation this day on our parts for the more glorious manifestation this day on Gods the manifestation of our thankfulness for the manifestation of Gods goodness Thus without either nicety or much Art I shall divide you the Text into these Particulars 1. The Disposition of them that the Spirit comes and lights upon them that are all with one accord in one place that are there quietly sitting and expecting Christ there especially upon the solemn days upon the day of Pentecost a solemn Festival 2. The way and manner and order of the Holy Spirits coming suddenly from Heaven like a sound thence like the sound of a rushing mighty wind filling all the house in the appearance of cloven fiery tongues sitting upon each on whom he comes 3. The effect and issue immediately upon it They are filled all filled filled with Ghost and Spirit the Holy Ghost or Spirit begin to speak speak strangely strange tongues
day by the course of Holy Church to wish you to look up and lift up your heads to see the Son of man your Redeemer in his second coming coming in a Cloud of Glory That we knowing it is the same Son of man who was once born in a Stable and cradled in a Manger that shall one day come to be the Iudge of Heaven and Earth we might so celebrate his first coming in flesh that when all flesh shall stand before him we might lift up our heads with joy and comfort For many there are which shall hang down theirs such who have not thought aright of his coming into the world or not worthily entertain'd it or not walked with him in it along the stage of his humility or never rightly pondered the terrors of this second coming in the day of Judgment which he himself here Preaches to his Disciples that they might take heed to themselves lest at any time their hearts should be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness the Disease that usually infects all our Christmasses and cares of this life the Disease that infects all our days and so that day come upon them unawares but that watch they should and pray always that they might be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man ver 34. They had but three days before accompanied him to Ierusalem in his progress of meekness and now in one of his returns he begins to tell them of another kind of coming to it in judgment and fury His Disciples who by the sight of such strong and goodly buildings could not conjecture they should end unless the world fell with them ask him presently upon it when those things should come to pass and when should be the end of the world Their Master that he might at once both satisfie and blind their curiosity mingles the signs of the particular destruction of Ierusalem and of the general ruine of the world together that he might the better keep them awake to attend both his general and particular coming and make both them and us at the approach of particular judgments upon Cities or Nations always mindful and prepared for the general judgment of the last day which he here calls the coming of the Son of Man and tells us how to entertain it So that in the Text as the verses so the parts are two 1. Christs coming Then shall they see the Son c. ver 27. 2. The Christians comfort When these things c. ver 28. In Christs coming 1. The time when Then after the signs forementioned then shall they see 2. The generality of it They all that can see shall see his coming 3. The evidence of his coming so plain he may be seen seen by the eye of Faith 4. The certainty They shall see him to be sure 5. The form in which he comes as the Son of man 6. The end to which he comes He comes with power with the power of a Judge for quick and dead 7. The manner of his coming In a Cloud with power and great glory In the Christians comfort 1. Where it begins When these things begin to come to pass then that begins too Then look up 2. To whom it belongs You Disciples do you look up 3. What kind of comfort 't is A looking up a lifting up the head when all heads else droop with fear and grief 4. Whence this comfort arises from what ground it springs for your redemption draweth nigh I go on with all in oâ—der as they lie so that if you remember the words you cannot forget the order and method Then shall c. At Christs coming there we begin but when is that the Heavens shall tell you the Earth shall tell you the Sea shall tell you Men shall tell you The Heavens by signs and wonders by storms and tempests the lights of Heaven shall lose themselves in darkness and forsake their Spheres and their constantest powers shall be shaken out of their course and harmony The Earth shall quake for fear and change its place The Waves shall fright themselves with their own roarings and mens hearts shall fail for fear neither knowing how to stand nor to avoid this dreadful coming When these with all the host of heaven and earth startled out of their natural seats and postures shall have prepar'd and usher'd him the way then shall he come He comes not till all things else have done their motion and have gone their last Nor is it fitting so great a coming should be without an universal preparation where every creature forgetting its own nature begins at last to study his There is nothing that can stand when God comes Heaven it self is at a loss and remembers not its perpetual motion when it but apprehends his approach Every thing is a wonder to it self when he appears If nature it self be thus terrified which groans not for it self but 〈◊〉 what shall we be with all our sins about us how can 〈◊〉 abide his coming Yet then shall he appear when we know not how to appear Heaven and Earth will change their faces Men and Angels will hide theirs only he it is that dares be seen Sins or imperfections make all the creatures cover themselves with some disguises or endeavour it only he who is all purity all perfection comes then to shew himself Yet when this Then shall be when that day and hour shall come no man knows no not the Son of man himself S. Mark xiii 32. as man He that could tell you that come he would and could tell you the immediate signs that would fore-run it knew not then the time when those signs should be or knew it not to tell you That we might always be waiting for his coming Had it been fit for us to know no doubt he would have told us but so far unnecessary it seems to be acquainted with that secret time that he gives us signs which rather puzzle then instruct us signs which we sometimes think fulfilled already signs which have often been the forerunners of particular ruines and fates of Countries and Kingdoms signs which at the same time we fear past already yet think they are not that so by this hard dialect of tokens in heaven and earth we might behold our presumptuous curiosity deluded into a perperual watching for this last coming There were in the Apostles times and there are still in ours men who lov'd to scare the people with Prophesies and Dreams of the end of the world as if this then already were at hand such as would define the year and day as if they had lately dropt out of Gods Council Chamber but we beseech you says S. Paul that you be not troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand 2 Thess. ii 2. Let no man deceive you ver 3. they do but deceive you they vent
should seem either to receive glory from David or need his name to cover the obscurity of his beginning There is no glory to that of humility nor any so truly honourable as the humble spirit And of Iesse 4. not David to point out as it were the very time of our Messiah's coming even then when there was scarce any thing to be seen or heard of the house of David the Royal Line as it were extinct and Davids house brought back again to its first beginning to that private and low condition it was in in the days of Iesse Thus again would God teach us to be humble in the midst of all our ruff and glory by thus shewing us what the greatest Families of the greatest Princes may quickly come to where they may take up e're they are aware And 2. to give us the nearest sign both of Christs coming and of himself that when things were at the lowest then it would be and that his coming would be in a low condition too in poverty and humility Root and Iesse both intimate as much And lastly if we may with some Etymologists derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and interpret it a gift there will be as good a reason as any why it is here said rather of Iesse than of David even because this root of all this good is to us comes meerly of free gift So God loved the world says S. Iohn iii. 16. that he gave his only begotten Son and not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy says St. Paul this great kindness of God our Saviour appeared towards us this Lord our Saviour appeared to us Tit. iii. 4 5. as a root as a rod as a branch a root to settle us a rod to comfort us a branch to shelter us a root to give us life a rod to rule us in it a branch to crown us for it a close stubb'd root a weak slender rod a tender branch full of loveliness meekness and humility And he appeared as they all do out of the earth watered by the dew of Heaven they have no other Father than the heavenly showers so by the descending of the Holy Ghost upon the Blessed Virgin as rain into a dry ground this holy Root put forth this Branch sprung up without other father of his humanity which is the meaning both of erit in the Text and egredietur in the beginning both of this shall be here and that shall come forth or there shall grow up in the first verse of the Chapter And thus we have the first part of the Text the descent and stock and nature and condition and birth of Christ with other things pertaining to it And now for his design to be set up or stand for an Ensign to the people II. And indeed for that he was born to gather the stragling world into one body to unite the Iew and Gentile under one head to bring the straying sheep into one fold to draw all the Armies of the earth together into one heavenly host that we might all march lovingly under the banner of the Almighty under the command of Heaven Men had long marched under the command of Flesh Earth and Hell God had suffered all Nations saith St. Paul to do so to walk after their own ways Acts xiv 16. But now he commands otherwise commands to repent and leave those unhappy Standards to come in to his Acts xvii 30. And he exempts none debars none all men every where are called to it Acts xvii 30. every nation and every one in every Nation that will come shall be accepted Acts x. 35. every creature says he himself St. Mark xvi 15. Iew and Greek bond and free male and female all one here Gal. iii. 28. Be we never so heavy laden with sins and infirmities under this banner we shall find rest St. Mat. xi 28. Be we never so hotly pursued by our fiercest enemies here we shall have shelter and protection For he is not only an Ensign set up to invite us in but an Ensign to protect us too by the Armies it leads out for us And as it first is set up to call us and secondly to bring us into a place of defence and safety so does it thirdly stand to us and not leave us An Ensign may be set up and quickly taken down but this stands and stands for ever It is not idly said when 't is here said particularly it is to stand Humane forces devices and designs may be set up and not stand at all but God's and Christ's theirs will the gates of Hell it self cannot disappoint them cannot throw down this Banner St. Mat. xvi 18. His counsels shall stand he will do all his pleasure Isa. xlvi 10. They do but fight against God that go about to resist it says Gamaliel the great Doctor of the Law Acts v. 39. And will you know the Staff the Colours and the Flag or Streamer of this Ensign why the Staff is his Cross the Colours are Blood and Water and the Streamer the Gospel or preaching of them to the world The Staff that carried the Colours was of old time fashioned like a Cross a cross bar near the top there was from which the Flag or Streamer hung so as it were prefiguring that all the Hosts and Armies of the Nations were one day to be gathered under the Banner of the Cross to which Souldiers should daily flow out of all the Nations and Kingdoms of the earth By Blood and Water the two Sacraments is the way to him and the Word or Gospel preached is the Flag wav'd out to invite all people in Come we then in first and let not this Flag of Reconciliation of peace and treaty for to such ends are Flags sometimes hung out be set up in vain let it not stand like an Ensign forsaken upon a hill come we in to treat with him at least about our everlasting peace lest it become a Flag of defiance by and by Come we in 2. and submit to the conditions of peace submit to his orders and commands The Septuagint reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here to intimate this He that stands for an Ensign is to be the great Ruler and Commander of the Nations 't is requisite therefore that we come in and obey him Come we 3. to this Standard and remember we are also to fight under it That 's the prime reason of Ensigns and Banners We promise to do it when we are Baptiz'd and it must be our business to perform it It is not for us to be afraid of pains or labour of danger or trouble of our lives and fortunes for Christs service a Souldier scorns it even he who fights but for a little pay and that commonly ill paid And shall we turn cowards when we fight for a Kingdom and that in Heaven which we may be sure of if we fight well Above all 4. if this Ensign stand up for us let
' um For our viderunt must not end when the Eucharist is past when we depart this sacred place I will take the cup of salvation says the Psalmist there it is do that here But I will rejoyce in thy salvation do so both here and at home Et exultabo and let me see you do so Let not your joy be stifled in your narrow bosoms but break out into expression into your lips into your hands Not in idle sports excess of diet or vain pomp of apparel not that joy the joy of the world but the joy of the Holy Ghost It is salvation that you have heard and seen and are yet to see to day what 's our duty now If it be salvation let us work it out with fear and trembling It is salvation to be seen some eminent work let us then confess we have seen strange things to day A most certain sure salvation it is let not a sacrilegious doubtful thought cast a mist upon it It is prepared let us accept it prepared for all let us thank God for so fair a compass and not uncharitably exclude our selves or others God has enlarg'd the bowels of his mercy let us not streighten ' um It is a light let us arise and walk after it It is a glory let us admire and adore it Was our Saviour seen so should we be every day in the Congregation was he prepared to day let us be always shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Does he enlighten us O let us never extinguish or hide that light till this light be swallowed up by the light of the Lamb till this day-spring from on high prove mid-day till Gentium and Israelis be friendly united in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no darkness to distinguish them no difference between light and glory till the beginning and end of the Text meet together in the circle of eternity till viderunt oculi meet with gloriam till our eyes may behold that light which is inaccessible that light and glory which know no other limits but infinite nor measure but eternity To which he bring us who this day put off his glory to put on salvation that by his salvation we might at length lift up our heads in glory whither he is again ascended and now sits together with his Father and the Holy Ghost To which three Persons and one God be given all praise and power and thanks and honour and salvation and glory for ever and ever Amen A SERMON ON St. Stephens Day ACTS vii 55 56. But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God And said Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God YEsterdays Child is to day you see become a man He that yesterday could neither stand nor go knew not the right hand from the left lay helpless as it were in the bosom of his Mother is to day presented to us standing at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father he whom earth yesterday entertained so poorly and obscurely heaven here this day openly glories in Now the horn of our salvation is raised up indeed the Church thus shewing us plainly to day what yesterday we could not see for the rags and stable that it was not a meer silly creature a poor child or man only that came to visit us but the Lord of Glory so making him some recompence as we may say to day for the poor case she shew'd him in yesterday But that 's not the business Yesterday was Christs Birth-day to day St. Stephens for Natalitia Martyrum the Birth-days of the Martys were their death-days call'd they then first said to be born when they were born to execution A day plac'd here so near to Christs that we might see as clear as day how dear and near the Martyrs are to him they lie even in his bosom the first visit he makes after his own death was to them to encourage them to theirs The first appearance of him in heaven after his return up was to take one of them thither And yet this is not all Christs Birth and the Martyrs Death are set so near to intimate how near death and persecution are to Christs Disciples how close they often follow the Faith of Christ so thereby to arm us against the fear of any thing that shall betide us even Death it self seeing it places us so near him seeing there are so fine visions in it and before it so fair glories after it as St. Stephen's here will tell you And if I add that Death is a good memento at a Feast a good way to keep us within our bounds in the days of mirth and jollity of what sort soever it may pass for somewhat like a reason why St. Stephen's death is thus serv'd in so soon at the first course as the second dish of our Christmas-Feast Nor is it for all that any disturbance to Christmas Joys The glorious prospect of St. Stephens Martyrdom which gives us here the opening of Heaven and the appearance then of Gods glory and of Christ in glory may go instead of those costly Masques of imagin'd Heavens and designed Gods and Goddesses which have been often presented in former times to solemnize the Feast We may see in that infinitely far more ravishing and pleasing sights than these which all the rarity of invention and vast charges could ever shew us Here 's enough in the Text to make us dance and leap for joy as if we would leap into the arms of him in Heaven who stands there as it were ready to receive us as he was to day presented to St. Stephen I may now I hope both to season and exalt our Christmas-Feast bring in St. Stephens story that part of it especially which I have chosen so full of Christ so full of glad and joyful sights and objects that it must needs add instead of diminishing our joy and gladness And yet if I season it a little now and then with the mention of Death it will do no hurt I must do so that you may not forget St. Stephens Martyrdom in the midst of the contemplation of the glory that preceded it That must not be for the day is appointed to remember it And though we shall not designedly come so far to decipher it having no more then the praeludium of his death before us we will not so far forget it but that we will take it into the division of the Text in which we shall consider these four particulars 1. His accommodation to his Death His being full of the Holy Ghost that fitted and disposed him to it 2. His preparation for it He looked up stedfastly into Heaven so that he prepared himself for it 3. His confirmation to it He saw the glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God that
and I may say so uncertain a Journey could no whit deter them from their purpose to Ierusalem they will through all these difficulties But after all this pains to lose the Star that guided them to hear nothing at Ierusalem of him they sought to be left after all this at a loss in that very place they only could expect to find him and hear nothing there but a piece of an obscure Prophesie without date or time to be left now to a meer wild-goose search or a new Knight-errantry and yet still to continue in their search is an extream high piece both of Faith and Love that considers no difficulties that thinks much of no pains that maugre all will set afresh upon the pursuit that will be overcome with nothing is resolved come what will to find what they believe and desire such a piece of faith and love that we later Christians cannot Parallel How would a Winter journey scare us from our faith A cold or rainy morning will do it a little snow or wind or rain or cold will easily keep us from coming to the house where Iesus is from coming out to worship him How would so long a voyage make us faint to hear of it How would the least danger turn us back from the House of God Alas should it have been our cases which was theirs here if we could not presently have found him at Hierusalem the Royal City or had we lost the Star that led us how had we sate down in sorrow or returned in despair We would have thus reasoned with our selves Alas we are come hither and have lost our labour Certainly had this King been born it would have been in the Royal City or there certainly the news had been but there we hear of no such matter there neither any believes or regards or thinks of such a birth What then do we do here enquiring seeing his own people so much neglect it Surely the Star that led us hither was but a false fire of fancy and we are quite misled Nay and it appears no more so that if we would still go on our wandrings we know not whither we had best return Thus should we have reasoned our selves from Christ fainted and given over quite 'T is the fashion with us thus to reason our selves out of our Devotion and Religion 'T is the fashion too to object any thing to save our pains in Christs business Others Customs or others Negligences or others Ignorance are sufficient excuses to authorize ours and if perchance we want a guide though every man now thinks himself sufficient to guide and direct himself in all Points of his Religion yet even this he cares not for this he refuses and rejects shall yet serve him for an excuse for his negligence and irreligion nay God himself shall sometimes bear the blame his taking away or else not giving us a Star and light to guide and lead us his not giving us sufficient grace shall be pretended the cause why we come not to him When did not our own coldness more chill our joynts than the cold of Winter were we not afraid of every puff of wind when we are called to do any good did not the fear of I know not what only fancied and imagined dangers make us cowards in our Religion did we not fondly reason our selves out of our patient expectance of Christ did we not guide our selves more by the Fashions Customs and Ignorances of others than by the constancy of that which is only just and good did we not forsake our guides while we prefer our own carnal reasons interests and respects and lose the Star the Guide that heaven had sent us to conduct us by going to Hierusalem by addicting our selves to the vanity and fashion of Court and City by asking counsel of Herod of Scribes and Pharisees meer Politicians and Pretenders of Piety and Religion or Iewish Priests men addicted wholly to their own way to Iudaizing observations Iâ—daizing Saâ—batizing Christians were it not for these our doings and compliances with flesh and bloud the Star would not fail to guide us Gods grace would shine unto us the day star would arise in all our hearts and conduct us happily and safely too into the house where we should truly find Christ. The truth is if our coming to Christ if our Religion may cost us nothing nor pains nor cost nor cold nor heat nor labour nor time nor hurt nor hazard nor enquiry nor search then it may be we will be content to give Christ a visit and entertain his Faith and Worship but not else if it may not be had nor Christ come to without so much ado let him go let all go so we may sit at ease and quiet in our warm nests come of Christs Worship and of his house what will Yet thither it is 3. to his house that these Wisemen make with all their eagerness Many stately Buildings and Royal Palaces no doubt they had seen by the way fitter far for a King to be born in than the Inn they found him in but at these they stay not they and their Star rest not any where but at this house here indeed they may both heaven and earth set up their rest this house truly the house of God which now contained the God of heaven and earth To teach us that we are not to look to outward appearances nor judge always according to sight Christ may lie in the poorest Cottage in the meanest Inn as soon as in the highest Palace Nay in the low humble soul in the Beggars soul as well as in the Kings whose bodily presence as St. Paul speaks is weak and whose speech contemptible you shall sooner find him than under the gilded roofs of a vain-glorious vertue on a self-conceited and boasted Religion and Piety Indeed where ever the Star stands whatever house the heavenly light encompasses there must we alight and enter we must not think much of the meanest dwelling that heaven points out of the poorest condition that God designs us to That house is glorious enough that Christ is in that habitation and condition happiest how poorly soever it appear which the finger of God directs us to and the light of his countenance shines on and encompasses O my soul enter there always O my soul where God points out unto thee where the heavenly light shines over thee however earth look on thee Thou shalt find more contentment in a Stable amongst beasts in the meanest imployment than in the highest Offices of state and honour in an Inn amongst strangers than with thy brethren and kinsfolk at home in a thatcht Hovel in the poorest hardest lodging meanest dwelling and lowest condition than in the fairest house the sweetest seats the softest bed the most plentiful estate if God by his special finger or Star of providence guides thee to it out of his secret wisdom and Christ be with thee in it I do not wonder Interpreters
and hope believe what here they saw that such a thing there was a Star lighted up on purpose to lead the Gentiles to Christ hope what here they felt within them some spiritual ray and guidance to him both believe and hope that as an outward visible Star there was to them so an inward and invisible Star still there will be to us by the light of which we may all come to the knowledge of Christ. We are next to see it what it is what it is to them what it is to us how this star looks to them how it looks to us To them this Star was a material Star to us 't is a spiritual and both bring their joy with them The Psalmist seems to be ravish'd with joy upon the sight of the Stars of Heaven when he considered the Heavens the works of Gods fingers the Moon and the Stars that he had ordained Psal. viii 3. Then in a kind of Extasie he cries out Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him That thou thus spanglest the Heavens with Stars for him That thou thus visitest him by the Stars Methinks the very beholding of that golden Canopy now our covering hereafter to be our footstool the casting up of our eyes to heaven in a bright starry night and considering that all those glorious Lamps are for the use of us poor men here and for our glory too hereafter cannot but raise a sweet delight and pleasure in the devout and pious soul and force out an ejaculation of thankfulness and joy to God that made them for us Sure I am that when neither Sun nor Stars appeared Acts xxvii 20. it follows presently that all hope of being saved was then taken away O the joy of a Star then the appearing of a Star would have made them then have leapt for joy We see them commonly that makes us so little to regard them If we behold them seriously we would sing together with them as Iob says they do together Job xxxviii 7. and praise him together as the Psalmist speaks with those stars of light But yet if we should have a Star made on purpose for us we would be gladder that God should descend to so immediate and special a care of us as to light up one of those bright Candles for some particular intent and service to us and such an one this is great reason therefore sure to rejoyce in it So much the more in that commonly the new raised Stars portend mischiefs and misfortunes to us but this was as all the Astrologers and Wise men then observed a healthsom gladsom star that brought health and happiness and saving in its wings never any such or like it before or since When God thus vouchsafes to make heaven dance attendance on us make all the Stars and Lights speak good to us some of them more than others those heavenly Creatures thus wait upon earth dust who is now so dull and earthy as not to rejoyce and glory in it Yet if the star not only portend happiness but eternal happiness besides if it foretell not only earthly but heavenly blessings too if it be a Star that leaves us not till it have brought us to the Child Iesus till it hath brought us to God himself there is matter indeed of great exceeding joy So a fourfold ground of joy you have in this very Star First Gods general providence over man to make even the heavenly Creatures serve him Secondly God's special Providence in it now and then sending a Star some special token to forewarn or guide him Thirdly God's comfortable Providence in so doing sometimes to bless and comfort us to uphold and chear us Fourthly Gods saving Providence thus to make all things though never so distant from us signally instrumental to our eternal happiness and salvation making the Stars and Heavens thus minister unto us For these four we may well take up St. Paul's resolution Phil. i. 18. We therein do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce And yet I must give you a fifth ray of this Star God's particular Providence over the Gentiles strangers from the Covenant of Promise aliens from the Comman-wealth of Israel men without promise without hope that had neither promise nor hope of mercy Eph. ii 12. that to them this Star should appear for them be made and sent is such a ground of joy to us that are of the same stock and lineage that without it we had had no joy at all who ever had 'T is upon this title we have our share in this happy Star upon this particular dispensation of thus gathering the Gentiles to him by it as by a Standard or Ensign for them to flow in unto him as the Prophet Phrases it This is the fifth ray of the material Star and it may go for a sixth That the Gentiles not then only but even to this day still enjoy the benefit of that Star have oftentimes material and sensible convoys unto Christ are often by the things of sense by sensible blessings drawn and perswaded to his service Thus you have the six Rays of the Star six comfortable Rays to ground our joys upon in the material Star We come now to the mystical or spiritual those Stars and Lights which yet remain even to this day to guide us to the same Iesus For more than one there is of this sort and all sufficient grounds of Ioy. 1. The first sort of Stars are devout and holy men shining as Daniel represents them like the Stars Dan. xii 3. Stars they are in this world whilst they live burning and shining Lights the very light and life and glory of the earth while they are upon it and Stars they shall be in the heavens when they come thither Here they go before us with the light of good examples to lead us to Christ and his righteousness to all holy and heavenly conversation And for it they shall one day shine as Stars for ever and ever A ground of joy it is to us that this Star we have that such guides we have by whose examples to conform our selves to the obedience of Christ in whose light to walk to him 2. A second sort of Stars are the Bishops and Pastors of the Church For however men now reckon them or however now much darkned in their heaven in this our Church in our Hemisphere Stars they are in the hand of Christ Rev. i. 16. in his right hand too the vision so interpreted v. 20. the seven Stars the seven Angels of the Churches the Church it self crown'd with twelve such Stars Rev. xii 1. the twelve Apostles All crowned Churches all that are compleat and perfect are crowned with such Stars with Bishops Pastors and Teachers And a solid ground of joy it is that we have such Stars to guide and direct us into the knowledge of Christ into the ways and means of salvation Let Hereticks and Schismaticks think their pleasure an exceeding joy it is to all that
Office Exultemus laetemur and in eâ Outward and Inward joy and our directing and spending both upon it But haec est dies the day designed is our first design This is the day This first is a sign of a particular God made all days all in general but this in particular Particular days are of Gods making as well as others God made such from the beginning all days in the week but the Sabbath in particular all days in the month but the New-moons in particular all days in the year but the Feasts and Fasts the Easter the Pentecost the Feast of Tabernacles the great Kipparim in particular to his service in particular among the Jews And among the Christians particular days may be observed too He that observes a day may observe it unto the Lord Rom. xiv 6. And upon particular order we have such Pascha nostrum immolatum our Passeover is slain and we must keep a Feast we have an Easter 1 Cor. v. 7 8. We have the Lords day thence Rev. i. 10. and we may be in the spirit upon it a first day of the week and we may break bread Act. xx 7. and make collections upon it 1 Cor. xvi 1 2. Panem frangere and Collectas facere make meetings and celebrate Sacraments upon it We have the Apostles at their Pentecost Acts ii 1. St. Paul after that making a journey to be at it Acts xx 16. the Spirit descending on it to sanctifie it particularly to Gods service to take it as it were away from the Iewish into the Christian Kalendar We have a hodie natus est a day for Christs being born taken up from the examples of an Host of Angels St. Luk. ii 10. by all Christian people for I can scarce call them Christians any of them that deny it ever since a Day of his Incarnation too whence the Christian Aera all Christian accompts of the year have since ever begun and run a proof sufficient to shew Christians have their observations of days as well as Jews particular Days and Feasts nay and Fasts too upon Christs in diebus illis jejunabunt his particular injunction of them St. Luk. v. 35. days all particularly made for his own service The fault that the Apostle finds with the Galatians Gal. iv 10. for observing Days and Months and Times and Years was for the observing the Jewish ones not the Christian for falling back to the beggarly rudiments of the Law as he there expresses it in the verse before as if the Gospel-Rites were not sufficient or that they being afraid to suffer for the Cross of Christ studied such poor compliances to avoid it Else some particular days have been always set apart to the more especial and particular remembrances of Gods benefits and Christs many of these days in the devoutest and purest times in the ancientest Kalendars This of Easter in particular among the rest So particular that generally all the Fathers and Interpreters pitch upon it as the day design'd and deciphered here Other secondary interpretations I confess they make some of them but this the prime though to some other upon occasion or by the by they apply it too To the day of the Incarnation first Then this stone upon whose exaltation this day is founded was cut out of the mountain without hands Dan. ii 34. Christs body fram'd without mans help 2. To the day of his Nativity Then factus est in angulum this stone was made made more plainly in little Bethlehem a corner of Iudaea 3. To the day of his Passion Then he was rejected by the builders the Scribes and Pharisees and people of the Jews Nolumus hunc take him who will we will not have him disallowed indeed then of men says S. Peter 1. Pet. 2. 4. 4. To the day of the Gospel the whole time wherein that glorious light displaies it self to all the corners of the world 5. To the weekly Lords day the Christians day of rest and joy the weekly Resurrection day that rose as St. Hierom speaks post tristia Sabbata out of the sad Iewish Sabbath after the sad Saturday of Christs Passion to the primacy over the other days 6. To the day of the general Resurrection when this stone elect and precious as St. Peter stiles it shall appear in its full brightness and glory to all the corners of the earth at which day we are bid by our Saviour to look up and lift up our heads S. Luk. xxi 28. that is to rejoyce and be glad when we see it coming 7. To Christ himself it is applied the day in this verse as well as the stone in ver 22. He is both Daniels and David stone Zacharies and Davids day-spring or day Ego sum dies St. Ambrose reads it for Ego lux I am the day and he that walketh in the day in me he stumbleth not St. Ioh. xi 9. Nay lastly we find it sometimes applied to any day of famous and notable mercies and deliverances wherein any great blessing has been given Thus to the letter 't is here applied to Davids coming to the Crown after his long being rejected by Sauls Party Thus in the Council of Constantinople under Agapetus for the blessing or election of Cyriacus a most learned and pious Bishop there But all these though they may be applications they are not so properly explications of this day To this of Easter it most fully points Then the stone so lately rejected by the builders became the head stone of the corner the head of the Church to unite both corners of the building Iews and Gentiles into one holy Temple then were the hearts of the Disciples fill'd with joy and gladness St. Ioh. xx 20. the Prophesie here fulfill'd the joys completed in the exaltation of the Son of David which the Jewish people here began for the exaltation of David but prophesied of Christs though perhaps they knew no more than Caiphas what they said The Incarnation the Nativity the Passion the time of the Gospel the Sunday or Lords day the day of the Universal Resurrection the particular days of Gods mercy to us are all days of Gods making and to be kept and clebrated with joy even the Passion it self with spiritual joy and gladness and Christ is the day that gives light to all these days enlightens all yet both day and joy and the Lords making of them to us can fit nor one nor all of them so properly as this day that now shines on us Easter day 2. Thus we have found which this day is what day it is that is here so particularly design'd and pointed out which in the Text is said to be made and now to be considered how or what 't is made Of common days 't is said only that they be or are so the evening and the morning were the first day Gen. i. 5. and the evening and the morning were the second day ver 8. and so of all the rest The Evening came
all taken away and all of you undone for ever But now he is not here you may hope better and dread no longer and I shall quickly put you out of all fear indeed for I shall tell you now He is risen as he said IV. And now indeed O blessed Angel thou saist something Away all my fears He is risen Why then 1. He is above the malice of his enemies and of all that hate him They and the Souldiers that crucified him may be dismaid and look all like dead men for fear but I shall never be dismaid hereafter seeing death has no more dominion over him For 2. if he be risen we shall rise one day too If our head be risen the body ere long will rise also He is the first fruits 1 Cor. xv the whole lump of course will follow after So certain that the Apostle tells us that in him we are all already made alive ver 22. and with indignation asks how some among them durst be so bold to say there was no resurrection of the dead seeing Christ is risen ver 12. But is he not rather raised than risen 3. that they durst say so Was it by his own power or anothers By his own sure for all the Evangelists say unanimously he is risen Indeed 't is said Acts iv 10. that God rais'd him from the dead It was so for he was God himself he and his Father one St. Ioh. x. 30. so God rais'd him and yet he rais'd himself was not rais'd as the Widows Son or Iairus Daughter or his Friend Lazarus but so as none other ever were or shall be rais'd and risen and yet so risen as not rais'd by any but himself that 's a third note upon He is risen And 4. risen so as to die no more All they did but he not He convers'd a while with his Disciples upon earth so by degrees to raise them too but after forty days he ascended into heaven Risen surely to purpose risen above all heavens risen into glory And if thus risen we have good cause 1. to raise our thoughts up after him entertain higher thoughts of him than before though then we knew him after the flesh yet now with the Apostle henceforth to know him so no more Good cause 2. If He be risen to raise up our affections after him set our affections as the Apostle infers it upon things above Col. iii. 1 2. and no longer upon things beneath set them wholly upon him Nay and 3. Raise our selves upon him build all our thoughts and hopes upon him build no longer upon Sand and Earth but upon that Rock that is now risen higher than we in whom we need fear no storms or tempests we cannot miscarry And in the mean time lastly Now he is risen let us rise and meet him rise in hast with Mary yet not to go to the grave to weep as they thought of her but to cast our selves at his feet and cry Lord If thou hadst been here if I had found thee in the grave my brother and I and all my brethren had died indeed been irrecoverably ruin'd and undone And yet for all that Come now and see where the Lord lay Be your own eyes your witnesses that He is risen And 't is but just that in so doubtful a condition of affairs and a change so unheard of you should seek an evidence not to be contradicted Come then and see it The place will shew it and your eyes shall behold it Indeed that he is risen as he said to a tittle to a day assoon as ever it could be imagined day is an argument that not being here he is truly risen Yet 't is fit that we should be certain he is not there For 't is fit that we should be able to give a reason of the faith that is in us says St. Peter We can neither believe unreasonable things our selves nor imagine others should believe them We are not to take our Religion upon trust from an Angel Si Angelus de Coelo says St. Paul Not from an Angel coming from Heaven it self Some Angel it seems thence may speaking to an absolute possibility preach some other doctrine then what we have received but believe him not says the Apostle if he do Gal. i. 8. But suppose an Angel thence can speak no other yet there is an Angel that is from below from the pit of darkness that can transform himself into an Angel of light We had therefore need take heed to our own eyes too as well as to our ears The best way to fix them is to look first into the grave of Iesus that was crucified see what we can find there to make good what the Angel tells us be he who he will Try the spirits says St. Ioh. i. 4 1. Whether they be of God before we trust them See whether things are as they are presented 'T is but dark day yet we may be deceived if we look not narrowly into the business even to the very inmost corners and cranies of the grave Come see then what is there Nothing but the linnen cloths that wrapt him in says S. Ioh. xx 6 7. and two Angels says St. Luke xxiv 4. Well this was enough indeed to prove he was not there But how proves it that he was risen had not some body stoln him thence The grave was clos'd the stone was seal'd the guard was set and who durst come to do it His Disciples why they were stoln away themselves for very fear And it is not probable they would venture for him through a guard of Souldiers when he was dead that ran from him when he was alive The Iews Why they set a watch to keep him there The Souldiers why who should hire them or Why should they take money to deny it if they were hired to it Besides it was against the Iews interests to give so fair a ground to the report of his Resurrection and his Disciples had so little subtilty to maintain so forlorn an interest as theirs that it looks not like a piece of their contrivance and so poor a purse God knows they had that they could not see so largely as to reach it Nay and the linnen cloths left all behind are a kind of witnesses against it 'T is not probable they would have stoln the dead body and left them when they came to steal and the laying them so in order by themselves requires more leisure than a theives hast So being clearly gone and clearly none to own the theft and none to prove it and nothing to evince it 't is plain he must be risen as he said We have now then no more to do then see the place where c. And where he lay we call the grave A good place sometimes to go into the house of mourning better to go into than the house of mirth says Solomon who had tried both best to recal our wandring thoughts to prepare both for a comfortable death
to digest as well as tast there in the mouth is a kind of first digestion made Ruminate we then and meditate upon Christ when we have tasted him Let it be our business to spend much of our time and days henceforth in meditation of him that 's the way indeed to be filled with his Spirit while we thus digest him and chew upon him in our spirits Nor is 3. fire improper any way to bring to that holy Table The fire of charity is to kindle our devotion there to warm our affections and desires to it There 4. our tongues are to be warm'd into praises that they may run a nimble descant upon his benefits and move apace to the glory of his Name Thus are our tongues to be imployed and thus is the fire to be kindled in us that we may speak with our tongues This is the way to be filled with the Holy Spirit this blessed Sacrament the means to it Come thou therefore O blessed Spirit into our hearts and tongues lighten our understanding with thy heavenly light warm our affections with thy holy fire purge away all our dross burn up all our chaff renew our spirits separate our sins and evils from us unite us in thy love subdue us to thy self teach our hearts to think our tongues to speak our hands to act our feet to move only to thy will settle thy self in us hence forward and dwell with us so teach us with all our tongues and powers to praise thee here upon earth that we may one day praise thee with them in Heaven for evermore A SERMON UPON Trinity Sunday REV. IV. 8. And they rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come I Need not stretch the Text to reach the Time The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy Holy Holy in it is plain enough to teach the Trinity An Anthem sung here by the Angels and Saints in heaven done so here also by four of the chief Apostles and the Bishops of Iudea signified by the four beasts and twenty four Elders taken up after generally by the Saints on earth commended to us by the Church to day as our Epistle sent from heaven with a pattern in it for our Hymns and Praises to the blessed Trinity Lord God Almighty For 't is a part I must tell you of one of St. Iohn's Visions presenting to us what is done in heaven what Good would have done on earth and what should there be done ere long throughout it beginning at Hierusalem Glory and honour and thanks should be given unto God for the wonders he was doing for his servants for the deliverance he was working for his Church for the judgments he was bringing on their enemies as glory had been of old given him by his Saints and Prophets was now given him by his Apostles and Bishops so it should be given still by the whole Christian Church for ever as he himself was and is and is to come so was his praise and is and is to come we therefore all to learn to bear our parts in that heavenly Anthem against the time we come thither to bear them company Example you see we have here set before us to do it by and a form to do it in better we cannot wish the four Beasts or Cherubims Angels Saints and the Apostles there 's our Pattern for they rest not day and night saying it and Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts which was and is and is to come there 's the form we best do it in In each Part we shall observe a kind of Trinity or three Parts in each In the Pattern 1. the Persons 2. their earnestness and 3. their continuance 1. The persons praising God and saying it They the four beasts or living creatures as the words tell us just before 2. Their earnestness in it They rest not saying they cannot rest for saying it cannot rest without the saying it unless they say it say it over and over Holy Holy Holy cannot rest but doing it that 's their rest they take their praising God ◠Their continuance at it day and night it is and without rest and pause is it they are continually doing it saying and doing all to his honour and glory In the Form of Praise we have a sort of Trinity too three things observable 1. The glory or honour given Holy Holy Holy 2. The Persons to whom it is Lord God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost yet all three in one one single Lord one only God one alone Almighty and no more so there 's the Vnity in Trinity into the bargain And 3. here are the benefits intimated we praise him for He was our Creator He is our Redeemer He will be our Glorifier So you see Trinities enough in the Text to make it Trinity Sunday in it to fill all the Trinity Sundays after it The sum is that we are all to bear our parts in this holy Doxology to give glory and honour and power to the blessed Trinity with the four beasts and four and twenty Elders from time to time for evermore and that which may here serve well to perswade us to it is the Company and with them we will begin And they c. But who are they The beginning of the verse tells us the four beasts or as it may more genuinely and handsomly be translated the four living creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what or who are they That 's the question and a hard one too it seems by the variety of opinions probably to be answered rather by conjecture than resolution We shall take the likeliest of them and pass the rest 1. Some by the four living Creatures this they would have the four Cardinal vertues understood by the Lion fortitude by the Calf or Oxe justice by the Eagle temperance and by the Man prudence And then the sense will be that God is most signally prais'd and glorified by a vertuous life no way like that to praise him To do righteousness to walk wisely to live soberly to stand stoutly to God and goodness that 's the true way to give glory to the whole Trinity 2. Others by the four living Creatures apprehend the four chief faculties of our souls to be insinuated with which we are to praise him The irascible intimated by the Lion the concupiscible by the Oxe the rational by the face of man and the Spirit by the Eagle And here the Lesson is that we are to do it to praise God with all our powers set our affections and desires upon it be moved and angry at every thing that comes in to hinder it search all the means our reason can find out to perfect praise and raise up our Spirits upon Eagles wings to perform it to the highest pitch 3. Some by these four conceive the whole world consisting of the four Elements represented to us as praising God The fire by the Lion whose nature is hot
rebuke exhort with all long suffering and patience though we should speak with the tongue of Men and Angels words of life and spirit though we should every day preach with St. Paul even to midnight and call out to you to hear and obey till we were hoarse with speaking and can speak no more yea though we should speak with that passion as if our own souls were melted into it and were distilling with our words and so continue from day to day till our day were over-clouded in everlasting night yet it might be with all this pains we might catch nothing 'T is what I need not stand to prove Moses and Eliah and Ieremiah and all the Prophets are sufficient witnesses some time or other of vast labours spent in vain And the times our own eyes have seen and do yet behold are too unhappy an evidence of many mens whole lives and ministeries thus spent in vain where Christ pleases to withdraw himself either from the Minister or from the People And indeed this is the least wonder of all the rest the gaining of souls being Gods proper business and therefore never like to be done without him We fish but in the night as if we knew not what we did nor saw how to cast our nets to any advantage without him At his Word only the net is rightly spread at his Word only the waters flow and bring in apace he calls and the fishes come amain and till he himself either calls or come we catch nothing 4. Nay to come to the fourth Particular though we omit no pains but even toil and labour what we can nor slip no time but even break our sleep and take in the nights nor fail of any opportunity but take every hour of the night ready all the night long upon the least occasion nor neglect any policy or art to help us but make it our whole labour and business every way to gain our intentions though we be never so great or good so wise or subtle so many or so powerful we shall gain nothing but labour and sorrow by the hand unless God be with us 1. Toil it self and labour catches nothing We have toiled all night and caught nothing all our labour is but as the running round of a mill or the turning of a door upon the hinges never the further for all its motion Consider your ways says the Prophet you have sown much and bring in little he that earneth wages earns it to put into a bag with holes Hagg. i. 6. he gains somewhat as he thinks and lays it up but when he looks again for it it is come to nothing He that gave his mind to seek out the nature and profit of every labour under the Sun returns home empty only with this experimental saying in his mouth Eccles. ii 22. What has a man of all his labour and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the Sun for all his days are sorrows and his travel grief a goodly catch for all his pains 2. All the attendance upon times and seasons will effect no more if you separate from Gods special benediction We have toil'd all night and yet caught nothing Let a man serve seven years for a fortune or preferment as Iacob did for Rachel and in the morning his fair and long'd for Rachel will prove but bleer-eyed Leah at the best Whatever it is he gets 't will be but misery to him or a false happiness Or let him lie waiting with the bed-rid man at the Pool of Bethesda eight and thirty years for the moving of the waters he will always be prevented be never able to get in till Christ come to him yea let him wait out all his years and draw out his days in perpetual expectations and attendances for some happy Planet some propitious hour he will never see it unless God speak the word and command it to him These fishers in the Text had even chose their time and spent it out to the last minute the best time to fish when the eye of the sporting fish could not see the net that was spread to entangle them nor perceive the hand or shaddow of him who subtilly laid wait to take them the time of night and they pursued their labour till the day came on all the night says the Text yet nothing they could catch they lost their labour and their hope Just thus it is when men having as they think diligently made use of the opportunity and expected it out having never thought of God all the while find themselves at last no neerer the end of their desires then they were at the beginning Your own eyes see it by many daily experiences that is thus oft falls out 3. Policy comes ever and anon as short of its aims where God is set aside Though men be oft so cunning in all the arts of thriving that nothing seems to escape their reach though the net seem full with fish their fields stand thick with corn and their garners full and plenteous with all manner of store yet draw up the net when the night is gone when the clear day appears to shew all things as they are and behold in all these they have taken nothing their souls the best fish are lost and gone by their unjust and wicked gains the true fish is slipt away and there is nothing but the scales and slime a little glittering earth or slimy pleasure left behind Thus meer policy I mean such as God is not remembred in proves ever at the last But it is oft-times seen that such policies even deceive them of their own intentions too and they fall commonly by what they had determin'd as steps to rise by Laban thinking to enrich himself by his covetous bargain changes Iacob's wages ten times but still changes for the worst If Laban says to Iacob the speckled shall be thy wages then all the Cattel bare speckled if he say the ring-straked shall be thy hire then all the Cattel bear ring-straked Gen. xxxi 1. because God was with Iacob and not with Laban These men here cunning sure enough at their Trade in which they were bred up having pickt out their time and cast on every side of the Ship tried all their Art all their tricks and sleights for we cannot but think that being so often disappointed they used all their skill yet for all that they caught nothing for Christ was not there Thy wisdom and thy knowledge saith the Prophet it hath perverted thee Isa. xlvii 10. And thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels ver 13. These are of no power if once God leave us Nay they serve all to nothing but to pervert us if Christ be not in them all our wisdom and counsels but ignorance and folly without the presence of this eternal Wisdom this great Counsellor 4. We be we never so great never so good never so many never so wise may toil and trouble our selves
ever This last indeed is beyond proportion eternity for time all blessings for a few Precepts the wine of Angels for abstinence from the bloud of the Vine for want of houses upon earth eternal dwellings in the heavens You see the Reward is full of blessings I shall observe their triple proportion in running over them 1. Such then first is the Reward of their Obedience that it lengthens days The world thinks it shortens them if by it you take away any thing from your flesh bate any thing of your diet either in quantity or quality when the King or Church commands to do so 'T was not so here and without doubt it is not Obedience hath the promise of length of days in the Commandment 'T was the reason that Ionadab gave his Sons to obey him ver 7. That you may live many days It was a blessing of long days upon themselves That 's the First But it ends not so Upon their children too reaches to them is a blessing of succession This is to live beyond our selves to sprout afresh out of the dust to have posterity And a Posterity that shall not fail wither or crumble away that 's more If it be a male succession 't is more still Non deficiet vir not a man fail you Female generations lose the name and so the succession fails even while it lasts It does almost so when it passeth into a collateral line This fails not that way neither Not vir de stirpe it continues in a direct line from the root Tremellius's Translation sets it higher Non exscindetur vir Of all this Progeny there shall not so much as a man be cut off Die they must by the necessity of nature but not a man cut off by violence that however it far'd with the captive Jews in Babylon not any of these should fail there but return to their Tents in peace that a fair and even succession it should be that after many days pass on calmly and quietly to their Fathers tombs in peace gathered to their Fathers 'T is well this such a blessing upon Posterity But when not only succeeding generations participate the blessing but Ionadab and his Father Rechab too passed Ancestors receive a new accession of glory by it this is a blessing not upon the Sons only but upon deceased Fathers too And all this you may look for upon the like obedience A long life a lasting a continued a male a lineal an unblemish'd Posterity all redounding back again to your own glory This the first proportion that which is given for your Obedience to your Father 2. The second is greater stans in conspectu a Posterity high enough to be seen placed in the eye of the world men famous and renowned in their Generations This is but to stand on high before the Kings and Princes of the earth In conspectu meo is higher that stands before God a Posterity as virtuous as honourable Stand before him and in place near him near his Sanctuary the place of his presence plac'd there so it seems 1 Chron. ii 5. Placed on high and near him as near as the title of Gods can make them made Judges of the earth so stare in conspectu is sometimes interpreted This is a second proportion answering to their obedience to commands They shall be Commanders Under command they kept now they are above it above the people equal with the Princes of the earth A famous a pious an honourable Posterity the second reward of Obedience 3. All this is much exceeding much Yet honour and virtue are created things and therefore mutable may fail at last Theirs shall not Stans in conspectu In honour they shall be and in honour they shall stand In virtue they shall be and in virtue they shall stand standing is a posture of continuance Stand and stand in his sight dear as the apple of his eye That must not be touched no more must they and then nothing can change them to be sure Cunctis diebus puts all out of question They shall stand so all their days says the Text. What speak I of days Stand so for ever continue ever Christians succeed into their order and obedience they survive into Christians live in them for ever When succession shall have done successive motions have their periods and all days shall have an end yet then Ionadab shall not want a man to stand then before him and see his face for ever This is indeed the last Reward a firm a perpetual an eternal succession And now we are come up to the tops of the Mountains the everlasting hills Eternity is a Circle and there we wind about in everlasting rounds There we turn about to the beginning of the verse the Lord speaking and confirming all that so the certainty may embrace with the eternity That you may see I tell you no more than God himself will make good Thus saith the Lords of Hosts the God of Israel He hath promised it and shall he not bring it to pass He has said it and shall it not be done Said it by his Prophet and Prophesie though it sometime wants light yet never certainty He engageth his honour Thus saith the Lord Kings will not fail upon the word of their honour He engageth his power Thus saith the Lord of Hosts he that doth what he will in heaven and earth He engageth his goodness his tried experienced goodness Thus saith the God of Israel their God who can witness he never broke his promise nor fail'd his word But doth God take care only for the Rechabites Or says he it for your sake too For yours also doubtless 't is the Reward of Obedience where ere it is found as it is in the Text. Will you give me leave to enquire Has the King at any time commanded some of your superfluities and has he obtain'd them have you been content to part with any of your delights in diet apparel in your houses to endure some abridgments to obey him to supply him Have the Inferiour Magistrates demanded the execution of the Laws and have you assisted them Has the Church required your presence your order and assistance for I speak not now of your private Fathers and can you say with these Rechabites we have obeyed and kept all their Precepts and done according to all that hath been commanded us Then and not till then dare I warrant you You and your seed shall stand before him for ever For it is not a Reward only to private and personal obedience but the obedience of Cities of Nations too Obedient Cities and Kingdoms as well as Families shall not want men to stand before him for ever but disobedient and rebellious shall For Kingdoms Cities and Countries have their fates and when they have rent this bond of union that kept them to their head they must expect their Funerals You then to look to it Remember that of the Prophet How is the faithful City become a harlot
both it is A prayer to God to preserve and prosper him that he may have good luck with his honour and ride on and a prayer to God to save and deliver us by and through him or to him to do it Salva oâ—â—cro O fili David O fili for filio Save us we pray thee O Son of David By this time you understand Hosanna to be both a prayer and a thanksgiving a short Collect and a Hymn both an expression of rejoycing for Christs coming with a prayer that it may come happy both to him and us Thus you have it in Psal. cxviii 24 25. whence this seems either to be taken or to relate This is the day which the Lord hath made We will rejoyce and be glad in it there 's the voice of rejoycing then follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Help me now O Lord O Lord send us now prosperity the prayer upon it 'T is an easie observation hence that our rejoycings are to consist in Prayers and Praises in Hymns and Collects no true Hosanna's to Christ no true blessing him but so no keeping Christmas or any Feast without them To spend a day in idleness or good cheer is not to keep Holiday To keep Christmas is not to fill our mouths with Meat but our lips with Prayers and Praises not to sit down and play but to kneel down and pray not to rest from work and labour but by some holy rest and retirement from temporal labour to labour so to enter into eternal rest The business of a Holiday is holy business Hosanna business of Christmas Christs coming so to be solemnized with solemn prayers and praises and thanksgivings And there is more then so in this Hosanna It was the close of certain Prayers and Litanies used by the Iewish Synagogues like our Libera nos Domine our Good Lord deliver us in our Litanies They first reckoned up the names of God God Lord King of Kings c. and to each Hosanna then his Attributes his Mercy Truth c. to each Hosanna then what they desired both in publick and private and for each Hosanna All resound Hosanna all eccho out Hosanna save and help and prosper us 'T is no new thing it seems or of Popish Original to use publick Litanies and Liturgies 't is but what the Church of God has ever had in use the way from the beginning it always serv'd him in The very Petitions of the Lords Prayer are all taken out of the Iewish Sedar or Common-Prayer-Book and if Christ himself who wanted neither words nor Spirit to pray thought fit yet notwithstanding to make use of received expressions and antient forms I conceive not why any that profess him should think themselves wiser then their Master and reject old and accustomed Forms of Prayers and Praise Yet indeed we cannot well expect they should keep a Form that will not keep a day to bless him for his coming We that resolve of this may be resolv'd of the other that no way like the old to do it in That teaches us to pray the Messiah that Christ may Reign that his Kingdom may prosper and be enlarged that we our selves may be of it and prosper in it that we may have Redemption and Salvation Grace and Glory sing Hymns and Songs of Praise to him both in his Kingdom here upon Earth and in his Kingdom in Heaven This the way of entertaining him at his coming to entertain our selves and time in blessing him for his goodness and desiring of his blessing And yet besides there is as much Faith as Devotion to be here learn'd from the multitude in this Hosanna There is an acknowledgment of his Office that he was Messiah They it seems believed it I suspect they that love not to have a day to mind them of his becoming the Son of David of his Nativity do scarce believe it If they thought his coming real we should have some real doings at it they would be as busie in it as the best Were filio David well grounded in us did we really believe him the Son of David we would also become the Sons of David who was a man of Prayer and Praise sons of Praise sing Hosanna's as fast as any 'T is only want of Faith that hinders Works we believe not in him as we should what e're we talk else we would do to him as we should accept all his comings even upon our knees at least with all thankfulness and such Devotion as time and place required of us And 2. we would raise our voices a note higher add Benedictus to Hosanna Blessed is he that cometh c. Bless God and bless him and bless his coming and bless his goodness and bless his power and bless his fulness and bless his work and bless his purpose desire God to bless him and man to bless him and also bless our selves in him for no less then all these is in the words Blessed first be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us in the house of his Servant David So old Zachary S. Luke i. 68. 69. Blessed be God the Father for the Son God the Father for the Son of David 's coming to us Blessed 2. be the Son blessed be he that cometh blessed be Our Lord Iesus Christ for his coming for to him is blessing due that he would vouch safe to come and bless bless the Father for sending the Son for coming blessing to them both for thus blessing us Blessed 3. be his coming all his comings his coming in the Flesh his coming in the Spirit his coming in Humility his coming in Glory his coming in the Flesh that 's a blessed coming for us whereby all other blessings come unto us his coming in the Spirit or by his Grace a blessed coming too and still daily coming his coming in Glory that may be a blessed coming to us too if we bless him duly for his other comings if we truly and devoutly rejoyce at his first and second coming no doubt but we shall also triumph at his last That he cometh came and will come unto the end is blessed news we therefore with these multitudes so bless him for it Blessed 4. be his goodness and that 's evident enough in his coming to us bless him for that he would be so good to come when all good was going from us when we our selves were gone away from him run away as far as well we could that he would come after us Blessed 5. be his power and authority for in the name of the Lord he comes not in his own name but in the Fathers that sent him S. Iohn v. 43. confess acknowledge submit to his power and authority that 's the true way to bless him Blessed 5. be his greatness and fulness of blessing blessed be his blessedness for he is full of blessings in him
all fuluess is and dwells Col. ii 9. God blessed for ever Rom. ix 5. Let 's make this acknowledgment of him profess and proclaim it as they do here call him the ever blessed Blessed 6. be all his works actions and passions the works of our Redemption Justification Sanctification Glorification which all come to us only through his Name and Merits Attribute we all to him and to his Name Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be the praise and glory of all these great and wonderful things Blessed lastly be all his purposes and intentions towards us he came to reveal his Fathers will unto us bless him for that bless we should all such that make known unto us the will of God Beati pedes Evangelizantium Blessed be the feet of the Ministers of the Gospel much more this great Archbishop of our Souls that sends them He came to glorifie the Father S. Iohn viii to teach us to do so bless him for that He came to save and deliver us from all kind of evil however we wilfully thrust daily into it some or other bless him for that say all good of him that wishes and works all good to us but which is only truly to bless further we all purposes what we can and help them forward that he and we may be glorified by the hand For this blessing is not meerly a form of words we must 1. earnestly and heartily desire God to bless to bless all Christs ways of coming to us that we may joyfully and chearfully and devoutly entertain him Desire God 2. to bless him that cometh in his name him whoe're he be that he sends to us but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially that his coming may come abroad to all the world all come in unto him Desire 3. that man may bless him incite the sons of men to sing praise too unto him Praise him all ye Nations praise him all ye people strive what we can to get all we come nigh to come with us and bear a part in blessing him In a word bless we our selves in him think and profess and proclaim our selves blessed that Christ is come to us that we have our part and portion in him place all our joy all our rejoycing all our triumph that he is with us that the name of the Lord is declared unto us that by his coming the name of the Lord is called upon us that we are now of his retinue that we now belong unto him that he is daily coming in us And for this Hosanna now 3. in excelsis indeed Hosanna to him in the highest sing we it as loud as we can reach as loud as we can cry it And that may pass for the first interpretation of in excelsis that we are to cry it as loud as we can cry it do what we can to express our joy how we can to give him thanks to exalt his praise what we are able in excelsis to the highest of our power so Psal. cxlviii 1. Praise him in the height We all of us in excelsis in our highest yea and 2. the very highest the very most in excelsis of us all the highest of us is too low to praise him worthily yet praise him O ye highest ye Kings and Princes of the earth Kings of the earth and all people Psal. cxlviii 11. come down from your excelsis and lay your Crowns and Scepters at the feet of this King as S. Luke that cometh and submit all your Kingdoms to the Kingdom of Christ make ye all your Kingdoms to bless his that your Kingdoms also may be blessed Nay and yet there are higher then these highest who are to praise him Praise him all ye heavens Psal. cxlviii 4. Praise him all ye Angels praise him all his Hosts ver 2. So S. Luke intimates it when he expresses it peace on earth in Heaven and glory in the highest glory in Heaven for the peace that is made between Heaven and Earth by him that cometh here in the name of the Lord by whom says the Apostle all things are reconciled Whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven Col. i. 20. Hosanna in the highest for this peace with the highest sung be it by Heaven and Earth by Angels and Men the Angels sung somewhat a like Song at his Birth when he was coming into the world according as St. Luke interprets it and will sing it again if we invite them as the Psalmist does to sing with us and we must desire it that God may be prais'd all glory both in Heaven and Earth That 's the way indeed to Hosanna in the highest as it is a Song of Praise but 't is also we told you a prayer that even our praises and the ground of them may continue A prayer 1. to God in excelsis the most highest as the Psalmist speaks Save us O thou most highest No salvation but from those everlasting hills of mercy salvation to be look'd for from none else the very meanest of the multitude know that A prayer 2. for salvation in excelsis that he would deliver us with a high hand work salvation with a mighty arm such as all the world might see it that he would magnifie this King that cometh and exalt his Kingdom that cometh to the clouds set it above the reach and power of malicious men make it grow and prosper maugre all contradiction and opposition of the highest and strongest of the earth A prayer 3. for salvation in excelsis indeed for salvation in the highest Heavens not only to be delivered here but to be sav'd hereafter not only for Grace and Righteousness here of the highest pitch but for glory of the highest order a prayer that God as he has exalted him that here came in his name so he would exalt us all that call upon his name to sit at his right hand in heavenly places in the highest right So these multitudes pray and so pray we so praise they and so praise we Do what we can our selves to praise and bless him and do what we can to get others do it call upon the Angels to joyn with us do it with all our might and strength stretch out our voices scrue up our strings nothing content or satisfie us in our prayers or praises but the highest the highest thankfulness the highest devotion the highest expression and way of both that either the multitudes before or the multitudes that follow Iews or Christians former or latter Saints ever used before us All perhaps cannot spread carpets cloths and garments to entertain him nor have all Boughs of Palms or Olives to meet him with all have not wherewith to make a solemn shew and flourish but all have tongues all may sing Hosanna's to him or if that word be hard all may cry Save us Lord and Blessed be he that came and cometh If we have neither substance to praise him with nor solemn Ceremonies allowed
to the squares of righteousness is to make streight paths both together compleat the preparation which we will consider first in general then in particular first how his way generally is to be prepared then how particularly after a more particular and special way and manner We cannot find how in general to prepare his way better then by the words that follow immediately in the Prophet Isa. xl 4. and are so repeated also by S. Luke iiâ— 5. Every Valley shall be filled and every Mountain shall be brought low and the crooked ways shall be made streight and the rough ways shall be made smooth Every Valley must be filled the empty valleys of our Souls filled up with the fruits of all good works these valleys must stand so thick with such holy corn with all good fruits that they laugh and fing make us sing merrily the praises of the Lord. 2. Every Mountain and Hill must be brought low all our proud high thoughts laid down The greater Mountains and lesser Hills mole-hills as well as Mountains as well great as less and as well less as greater sins cast down our very natural reason and understanding submitted to the obedience of faith 3. The crooked ways must be made streight all our crooked ways distorted actions perverse affections all that is awry or swerving from the rule of Gods Commandments must be rectified and set right 4. All the rough ways made smooth all our roughnesses and unevennesses natural or customary made smooth and level no stones of offence no thorns or bushes hedges or ditches in the way That the way be neither mountainous with pride nor dark with ignorance nor dirty with lust nor thorny with worldly cares nor hollow with hypocrisie nor slippery with riot nor washy with drunkenness nor tedious through slothfulness nor uneven with irresolution and inconstancy Fill the low valleys we must with high heavenly affections and contemplations with high degrees of Piety and Devotion Bring down the hills by humility and obedience Streighten the crooked by righteousness and uprightness Smooth the rough ways with meekness gentleness and charity Rull down the haughty towring thoughts raise up the groveling mind rectifie the perverse intentions smooth the rough and uneven passions of the soul prepare them all remove out of them every thing that may offend and bring them all into the way of the Lord. Thus in general But we have a more particular and special way for we may consider the way of the Lord either as the way of a King for he is both Lord and King coming against us with his Armies or as a King coming to us in his Triumph to honour us and rejoyce with us If we consider the way of the Lord as of one coming against us for destruction prepare we then as the men of Bethulia did against Holofernes Judeth iv 4 5. They sent messengers into all the coasts they possessed themselves beforehand of the tops of the high mountains they fortified the villages laid up victuals for the provision of War and gave charge to keep the passages ver 7. so they prepared do we so too possess we the tops of the mountains by setting our affections upon things above fortifie we the poor villages of our weak natures by strong and holy resolutions gather we together all kind of provision for our souls out of the Holy Scriptures by constant reading and meditation keep all the passages of them with care and vigilance and send out messengers into all the coasts of heaven and earth send up our prayers to the God of Heaven for help our desires to the Saints upon the earth to assist us with their devotions advice and company Prepare we armour too with Vzziah 2 Chron xxvi 14. Shields and spears and helmets habergeons and bows and slings Stand we thus ready armed in the way our head covered with the hope of salvation for a Helmet our breast armed with righteousness for a Breast-plate our body defended with the Habergeon of a holy conversation in our left hand the Shield of Faith and in our right hand Alms far better then the strongest Spear says the Son of Sirach Ecclus. xxix 13. the Sword of the Holy Spirit the word of truth girt to our loins the bow and arrows of the holy fear of Gods Judgments hanging on our shoulders the Cross of Christ for our Sling and himself for the stone to smite our grand enemy in the fore-head and put him to a perpetual shame Thus make ready to entertain him But if 2. he come to us in the way of triumph or grace and favour then prepare we the way as is usual at the entertainment of great Princes Now at such times they sweep or wash the ways and streets they pave they gravel them they rail them in they hang them with Tapestry they strew them with Rushes and Flowers they set guards to fence the ranks and place themselves in order to cry out Vivat Rex or some such thing to receive them with joyful acclamations Let us go and do likewise Wash all our ways with tears sweep them with the besom of confession pave them with pious vows and purposes spread them over with fair amendment rail them in by the obedience of faith and daily caution adorn them by the imitation of the lives of holy Saints set them like so many pictures in Tapestry before thee shrew them with sweet Herbs and Flowers the Roses of Chastity the Lillies of Purity the Balm of Charity the Hyssop of Humility the Violets of Patience the Woodbines of Hope and Love the Bays of Constancy all the sweets of piety and vertue guard the way guard all the ways with attention and godly zeal and make all the streets and ways resound again with the eccho of praises and thanksgivings This it is to prepare his way And thus every way of his we spoke of must be prepared Our Souls so ordered out Meditations of the Law so regulated our Repentance so adorned our Baptisms so accompanied our Obedience so fulfilled Gods Providence and way of dealing with us so accepted with clean hearts grounded resolutions an even temper with care and diligence with exemplary vertue sweetness and moderation zeal and attention humility and thanksgiving All this while make streight must not be forgotten All this must be done now also with upright hearts sincere intentions not in outward form and appearance only not for fear of punishment not for hope of reward and praise not meerly to avoid danger nor yet lastly to be seen of men All these the Pharisees did and yet for all that none of them keeps the Law says Christ. The Law is not fulfilled by the external act the Commandments not kept by the outward performance 't is the inward spirit of Charity when they are done with that that only keeps them 't is that only that makes right ways sound paths without it they are but rotten ways or hollow ones such as Christ will not
choose to come by or rather will choose not to come by right good sound ways they must be if they be his And 2. right streight ways too no turning to the right hand or to the left not do one way in adversity another way in prosperity one Religion when the days are calm and quiet another when the days are stormy and troublesom Rectas facite in deserto so it is in the Prophet and Hebrew Text Isa. xl 3. Make his paths streight in the Desart even when we are deserted of all when we are in the barren and dry Wilderness where no water is no earthly comfort about us in the greatest tribulation we must keep us still to uprightness and honesty that 's the way to Christ however for a while he seem to be far from us thither it will bring us after a while keep innocency and do the thing that is right and that will bring a man peace at the last Yet 3. one path or two made streight is not sufficient semitas 't is an indefinite somewhat a kin to an universal it must be all he that fails or offends in one is guilty of all S. Iames ii 10. If all be not streight all the paths as well as the ways that you have heard all the little ways as well as the great according to our poor power if at least we do not study and endeavour it it is not it is not right Nor is it so or will it be unless we take in 4. the Prophets in deserto too desert and forsake our selves a little renounce our own ways quite seek not our own but his streighten our selves a little of our own lusts and liberties of our own desires and ways that the only way to make his streight and make Christ come streight to us V. We have one point yet behind who it is to whom all this is spoken and is given in charge I confess the Ministers and Preachers of the Word are the publick messengers and harbingers who are sent to prepare the Lords way as S. Iohn Baptist was before him yet every one must sweep his own door For the words are by S. Iohn Baptist preach'd to all Pharisees and Sadduces Publicans and Souldiers and all the people that came to him every one to have a share and so he gives it them S. Luke iii. 10 11. verses and so onward tells people and Publicans and Souldiers what to do sets every one his path his part of the way to prepare and streighten Give me leave to do so too The Ministers of the Gospel they come first they have the greatest share with S. Iohn Baptist to go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way but how To give knowledge of salvation says old Zachary to his people for the remission of sins or somewhat more even to give remission too to give absolution so to give knowledge to the people or instruct them and to absolve them is some part at least of the Ministers share but to Baptize also with the Baptist and to consecrate with Christ himself is to prepare his way too to make way for him to raise the Valleys to comfort the dejected the cast down and afflicted soul against his sorrows the penitent against his sins the fearful against the fear of death the weak hearted against trouble and persecution to encourage them to lift up their heads and look to the recompence of reward to raise up the groveling souls of men from earth and flesh to heaven and heavenly business 2. To cast down the Mountains of Pride and Singularity Schism and Heresie that lift up themselves against the obedience of Christ. 3. To rectifie the perverse and crooked souls of men And 4. to smooth and soften them to lay the way of Christ smooth and plain before them make them know his yoke is easie and his burthen light by continual preaching to them and instructing them so preparing them for the way of Christ. Thus the Minister prepares his way in the peoples hearts sometimes cleansing the young Infants way by Baptism and sometimes rectifying the young and old mans ways by advice and exhortation sometimes clearing them with Absolution sometimes purifying them with the Holy Sacrament some way or other always preparing them against the Lords coming And it lies upon him so to do And 2. for the People There needs no more then has been said The ways already mentioned concern us all There is none so righteous but needs some kind of preparation And he that is not he needs them all And if we consider now the time so much the more in that his coming is nearer whom we prepare for 'T is now but a few days to the day he once came to us in the flesh Let 's think of that and prepare our selves to give him thanks to cry Hosanna blessed is he that cometh blessed this blessed way of his coming and blessed the blessed day of his so coming 'T is not many more days 2. to the coming of his flesh and blood in the Holy Sacrament unto us We are expecting and hoping for it and 't is fit we should be preparing for it Better preparation then you have heard I cannot give you for the one or the other Only I may add in solitudine again Withdraw your selves aside into some desart and solitary place to prepare you in retire in private to your souls and to your business I will bring her into the Wilderness says God concerning Israel and speak comfortably unto her Hos. ii 14. The place to hear the voice of divine and heavenly comfort is in our Solitude When we are alone God only and our selves together Remember then we go into our Closets and there prepare our selves forget no point of the preparation but sweep and cleanse and smooth and adorn our souls with all holy vertues or resolutions and come well guarded with attention care and vigilance that nothing unbeseeming pass from us in the way raise up our spirit with holy thoughts and heavenly desires cast down our souls with reverence and humility come without any roughness or unevenness in our affections or behaviour in our ways or paths so shall the Lord come and come with comfort and take us with him and bring us safely to the end of our way the end of our hope to those things which neither eye hath seen or ear heard or ever entred into the heart of man which he has prepared for them that prepare for him in the City prepared for us in the Heavens A SERMON ON The Third Sunday in Advent S. LUKE xxi verse 27 28. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a Cloud with power and great glory And when these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh AND because the day of your Redemption draweth nigh the day in which your Redeemer came in a Cloud of Flesh and Clay we are this
cannot but afflict us at his coming so it is we must see him See we must though but to see the justice of our own damnation Nothing can be more certain then this sight sight it is the surest sense and to see him at his coming is to be certain of it at the least but to see the Son of man at his coming is certainly with evidence and to be bound to see it to have such a tie upon us such a condition on us that we shall see it whether we will or no is a certainty with a necessity upon it That so no man may doubt of a final retribution whilst he is certain he shall one day see him who will reward every man according to his work Let not then the unjustly oppressed innocent let not the less prosperous godly spirit droop or the glorious and yet triumphing sinner the prosperous Rebel or thriving Atheist pride himself in the success of his Sins for he is coming that shall come and make the just mans eyes run over with joy and happiness for his fore-passed tears and fill the others eyes with shame and confusion for all their glory It may be long before he comes but come he will at last and his reward is with him 5. But who is this that comes so the Prophet once so we now or in what shape will he appear God is the Judge of all the earth and who is it that can see God Or if he has committed all judgment to the Son as it is S. Iohn iii. Yet who can see him either being of one substance with the Father the same individual and invisible Essence That therefore he may be seen he comes in the form of the Son of man This was that which Daniel foresaw in his night visions Dan. vii 13. one like the Son of man coming with the Clouds of Heaven that which S. Peter told Cornelius that he it was who was ordain'd to be the judge of quick and dead Acts x. 42. Not as he was Lord of Heaven and Earth or as he was the eternal off-spring of the Deity for so he could not be ordain'd he himself being from all eternity but as the Son of man for he hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of man St. John v. 27. That was it by which he obtain'd the Throne of Judgment having in that form both done and suffered all things for our salvation God thinking but just that he should be our Judge who came to save us from judgment that he should judge us who had been partaker of our infirmities and knew our weaknesses and would by the compassion of nature easier acquit us or with more evidence of justice condemn us himself having once been subject to the like humane though not sinful passions This is the form in which all eyes may see him all Nations behold him nor shall the scars of his wounds be covered but that even by them we may acknowledge our crucified Saviour is become our Judge Who whilst he judges us in the form of man will condemn us for nothing above the power of man And yet even by his actions as he was man will he condemn ours His Humility our Pride his Abstinence our Gluttony and excess his Patience our Impatience his Chastity our Lusts his paying Caesar beyond his due our undutiful with-drawings from him in a word his Goodness Piety and Devotion our ungodliness impieties and prophaneness And as it is a mercy thus to be judg'd by one who is sensible of our frail condition so is it a glory besides that our nature is so high exalted as to be the Judge of the world not of men only but Angels too What favour may we not expect when he is our Judge who is our Saviour who will not lay aside our nature in his Glory that he may retain that sympathy and compassion to us which was taken with it when he took it from us 6. I shall not here need to spend much time to tell you 6. what he comes for who have told you so often of a day of Judgment and the Son of man to sit on the tribunal His coming is to Judgment for he comes with power and that power of a Judge Only I must tell you 2. that his motion is no faster then an easie coming So loth is he to come to Judgment so unwilling to enter into dispute with Flesh and Blood that he delays the hasty prayers of the afflicted Saints under the Altars of Heaven seems a little to with-hold the full beams of mercy which he has laid up for the Saints rather then to post to the destruction of the wicked Yet for the elects sake to hasten he does a little and therefore he makes a Cloud the Chariot of his Power that when he once begins to come he may come quickly And not so only but come in Glory which is the last observable in his coming in a Cloud with Power and great Glory In a Cloud he ascended Acts 1. and the Angel told the Disciples there that he should so come as they saw him go In the Clouds say the other Evangelists they speak of more then one His cloud is not a single cloud there are attendant clouds upon it Angels surround his Throne S. Mat. xxv 31. the Trumpet of the Archangel sounds before him 2 Thess. i. 7. his Throne is a throne of Glory S. Mat. xix 28. and his Apostles Thrones are round about him and all things are in subjection under his feet 1 Cor. xv 27. Thus is he rewarded with Majesty and Glory for his meekness and humility that we seeing the recompence of those despised vertues may learn to embrace them by so strong incentives and allurements What will ye one day say O ye obstinate Iews when you shall see his Glory whose poverty you so despised What will ye do at his Throne of Judgment who would not receive him in his Cradle of Mercy How will his enemies bemoan themselves with them Wisd. v. We fools thought his life madness and his end without honour How is he now numbred among the children of God the first born amongst many brethren Fools indeed to count him what we did for he shall come again with Majesty and Glory Glory is a word by which Christ seems as it were ever and anon to refresh the fainting spirits of his Disciples which are ready to betray their Masters to despair upon the apprehension of the fears and terror which their Lord had told them should precede and accompany the latter day This word recalls their spirits that they begin to look up again and lift up their heads For having thus as it were amaz'd their thoughts and unhing'd their patience he setles them again with some special comfort that when these things begin to come to pass they should look up and lift up their heads for however it fall out to others their Redemption draweth nigh Never
could words of comfort come better then in the full discourse of the day of Judgment nor can comfort ever be more welcome then in the midst of those affrightments Christ never spoke out of season but here he seems to have even studied it When these things begin to come to pass before they are at their full height even then look up Worldly comforts come not so early The heat and fury of the Disease must be abated e're they yield us any refreshment They are only heavenly comforts that come so timely to prevent our miseries or to take them at the beginning Nor is it yet only when the day begins to dawn wherein the Son of man comes forth to Judgment that we should first begin to take courage to approach but whilst the foregoing signs of that day are now first coming on Those terrors that affright others should not startle us even whilst the lightnings run upon the ground whilst the Earth trembles the Sea roars the Winds blow and Heaven it self knows not how to look the Righteous is as bold as a Lion he stands in the midst of security and peace This is the state we are to labour for so to put our trust in the most High that no changes or chances of this mortal life may either remove or shake it or make us to miscarry Every calamity should teach us to look up but these should teach us also to lift up our heads Whilst common fears and troubles march about us our Christian patience will teach us cheerfulness but when these things begin to come to pass these which are the ushers to our glory these should rejoyce and cheer us up that our reward is now a coming to us Vs I say for this comfort is not general to all that shall see the Son of man coming in glory but his Disciples only such as have followed him on earth to meet him in heaven Lift up your heads to his servants he speaks such as hear his words and attend his steps and do his precepts Others indeed must hold down theirs the ungodly shall not be able to look up in judgment The covetous man has look'd so always downward that he is not now able to look up The Drunkard has so drown'd his eye-sight in his cups so over-burthened his brain that he can neither lift up his head nor his eyes at this day The voluptuous man has dim'd his eyes with pleasures that he cannot look about and the ambitious man has so lost his hopes of being high and glorious and is become so low and base in the eyes of God that he is asham'd to lift up his head These only that are the true Disciples of their Master whose eyes are us'd to heaven who have so often lift up their eyes thither to pray and praise him they only can look up when these things come to pass Nothing can affright the humble eye nothing can amaze the eye that ever dwells in heaven nothing can trouble the eye that waits upon her God as the eye of a Maiden upon the hand of her Mistriss The humble devout and faithful eye may look up chearfully whilst all things else dare not be seen for shame O blessed God how fully doest thou reward thy servants that wilt thus have them distinguish'd from others by their looks in troubles who hast so order'd all things for them that nothing shall affright them nothing make them to hold down their heads This is a kind of comfort by it self above ordinary that grief or amazement should not appear so much as in our eyes or looks though so many terrors stand round about us I will lift up my eyes unto the Hills and I will lift up mine eyes to thee O thou that dwellest in the heavens are the voice of one that looks up for help and in the midst of these dreadful messengers of Judgment it will not be amiss for us even so to lift up our eyes to beg assistance and deliverance But that is not all our comfort though it be a great one that we can yet have audience in Heaven amidst these fears we have besides the refreshment of inward joy whereby we rejoyce at our approaching glory The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance Psal. lviii 9. even when the day of vengeance comes and the righteous shall rejoyce in their beds Psal. cxlix 5. whilst they are now rising up and lifting up their heads out of their graves to come to Judgment Nor must it seem strange to see the righteous with chearful looks whilst all other faces gather blackness It is not the others misery that they rejoyce at but at their Saviours Glory and their own happiness For their Redemption draweth nigh that 's the ground of all their joy And would you not have men rejoyce who are redeem'd from misery and corruption from the slavery of sin and the power of death would you not have poor Prisoners rejoyce at the approach of their delivery you cannot blame'um if at such news with Paul and Silas they sing in prison sing aloud for joy so loud that the doors dance open for joy though the Keepers awake and even sink for fear Your redemption draweth nigh They are words will make the scattered ashes gather themselves together into bones and flesh words that will make the soul leave Heaven with joy to lift up the head of her dear beloved body out of the Land where all things are forgotten Yea the insensible creatures that groan now under the bondage of corruption will at these words turn their tunes when they see at hand the days of the liberty of the Sons of God Death and destruction are things terrible but when the fear of them is once overpois'd by the near approach of a redemption to eternal life and glory O' Death then where is thy sting O Grave then where is thy victory They shrink in their heads and pull in their stings and cannot hurt us while we with joy and gladness lift up our heads What are all the signs and forerunners of the day of Judgment that they should trouble us when we know the day of Judgment is our day of redemption our day of glory What are the darkness of Sun and Moon the falling of the Stars the very totterings of Heaven it self to us who even thereby expect new heavens where there is neither need of Sun nor Moon nor Star to give us light for the glory of God shall lighten it and the Lamb this Son of man that is coming in his cloud is the light of it Rev. xxi 23. What are the quakings of the Earth and roarings of the Sea to them who neither need Land nor Sea in their journey to heaven What are Wars and rumors of Wars Famines and Plagues and Pestilences and false Brethren what are persecutions and delivering up to Rulers to death and torments what are those perplexities and fears that rob men of their hearts and courages for looking
after those things which shall come upon the earth what are all these together to them who are thus by those very things redeem'd out of all their troubles Saint Paul is bold to set up a challenge Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these we are more then conquerours through him this him in the Text that loved us Rom. viii 35. 37. And he goes on yet higher For I am perswaded says he that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus ver 38 39. And if thus nothing can ever separate us from Christs love what should trouble us at his coming whose coming is but to draw us nearer to himself Be not troubled be not terrified says he ver 9. but in patience possess your souls ver 18. for there shall not a hair of your heads perish ver 17. Others may fall and sink and perish but do they what they can against you those that hate you yet care not for it look up look up to me I am coming to redeem you lift up your heads and behold the glory into which I am at hand to lift you up The sum of all now is that in the midst of all your troubles all your amazements all your fears and dangers you first still lift up your heads and look to Heaven for comfort and fetch it thence by prayers and petitions 2. That in the midst of all calamities you yet remember your redemption is a coming and so lift up your heads with joy in the heat and fury of them all knowing that they are nothing else but so many forerunners of your glory Lastly that you look up and lift up your heads with thankfulness that he has thus accounted you worthy to see him in his glory and that your redemption is no further off That having thus begun to look up and lift up your voices in praises and thanksgiving upon earth he may lift you up into Heaven in soul and body at his coming there to sing Allelujahs with the Saints and Angels and the four and twenty Elders to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for evermore there to be partakers of all his Glory A SERMON ON The Fourth Sunday in Advent PHILIPPIANS iv 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand THE Text is a part of the Epistle for the day chosen you may conceive because the Lord that is the time of his coming is at hand A fit preparation thought by the Church for Christmas now so near to prepare us how to entertain the happy day the joyful news of our Lord Christs coming in the flesh To entertain it I say not with excess and riot but moderation not with rude tricks and gambols but softness and meekness not in vanity of clothes but modesty not in iniquity but equity somewhat departing from our own right and seeking occasions to do others right that all men may see and know we behave our selves like Servants expecting their Lords coming according to all the several senses of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated moderation in the Text but stretching further then any one English word can express it A word chosen by the Apostle to comprehend the whole duty if it might be of a Christian preparing for his Lord in the midst of much affliction and long wearied expectation back'd with an assurance that the Lord was now hard by a coming to deliver them The poor Philippians were somewhat sad or sad-like by the persecutions they suffered from the unbelieving Iews and Gnostick Hereticks that were among them many were daily falling off by reason of them ver 18. of the former Chapter and much hurt those dogs as the Apostle calls them ver 2. of that Chapter the concision that is those Hereticks had done or were like to do them But for all that says he Rejoyce and again Rejoyce in the verse before the Text rejoyce too that all men may see it see your joy in the Lord and in your sufferings for him yet so that they may see your moderation in it too that as you are not sad like men without hope so you are not merry like men out of their wits but as men that know their Lord is nigh at hand as well to behold their actions as to free them from their sufferings to see their patience and moderation as well as their trouble and persecution A perswasion it is or exhortation to patience and meekness and some other Christian Vertues which by examining the word you will see anon from the forementioned consideration A perswasion to moderation from a comfortable assurance of a reward the Lord at hand to give it A perswasion to prepare our selves because our Lord is coming A perswasion so to do it that all may know what we are a doing and what we are expecting that they may see we are neither asham'd of our Religion nor of our Lord that we neither fear mens malice nor our Lords mercy that we are confident he is at hand ready to succour and rescue all that patiently and faithfully suffer for him to take vengeance on his enemies and deliver his Servants out of all The time is now approaching even at the doors And if we apply this as we do all other Scriptures to our selves to teach us moderation and whatever else is contain'd under the word which is so rendred and draw down the Lords being at hand in the Text to all Christs comings in Flesh in Grace in Glory it will no way disadvantage the Text but advance it rather improve the Apostles sense and meaning to all Churches and times to prepare them all to go out to meet the Lord when or howsoever he shall come unto them And moderation must be it we must meet him with be the times what they will come the Lord how or when he please know we time or know it not be what will unknown our moderation must be known and yet his coming as unknown as it may be must be consider'd always in our minds it must be that the Lord is one way or other continually at hand Indeed I must confess the times were troublesom and dangerous when the Apostle thus exhorted and comforted the Philippians but the best times are dangerous danger there is as much of forgetting Christ in prosperity as of falling from him in adversity and as much need there is of moderation when all happinesses flow in upon us as when all afflictions fall upon us so the advice cannot be unseasonable And though we call'd the Text St. Pauls advice or the Christians duty in sad times and his comfort in them and so divide the words yet they will reach
any outward splendours but wholly fixt upon himself That 4. by his very first appearance we might know his Kingdom was not of this world he was no temporal King we might see by his Furniture and Palace that lastly we might know he came to teach us new ways of life and sanctifie to us the way of poverty and humility 5. In the Stable For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word for Manger is a place for Horses by the way that we might understand our life here is but a journey and our longest stay but that of Travellers by the way and therefore there he places himself for all comers by his Incarnation and Birth to conduct them home into their Country our Country which is above Nor is it 6. without a mystery that there was no room for him in the Inn. Inns are places of much resort and company and no wonder if Christ be too commonly thrust out thence They are made houses of licentiousness and revelling no wonder if Christ be not suffered to be there They are places of more worldly business and no wonder neither that there is often there no room for him when the business is so different from his and mens minds so much taken up with it Into the Stable or whither he will he may go for them they heed him not there is no room for him in the Inn that is where much company or riot or too much worldly business is That there was no room for him in the Inn puts us to enquire how it came about and we find it was a time of the greatest concourse and in that also lastly there is a mystery all this done at such a time that so all might know that it belonged to aâ—l to know the Birth and posture of their Saviour his coming and his coming in humility to save them At such a time in such a place in such a case so poor so forlorn so despicable without respect without conveniences wast thou born O Lord that we through thy want might abound through thy neglect might be regarded through thy want of room room on earth might find room in heaven O happy Rags more pâ—ecious than the Purple of Kings and Emperours O holy Manger more glorious than their golden Thrones The poverty of those Rags are our riches the baseness of the Manger our glory his wrapping and binding up our loosing from Death and Hell and his no room our eternal Mansions Thus we have twice run over the Text pickt out both the moral and the mystery of every circumstance in it of our Saviours Birth I hope we have shewed you mysteries enow and you have seen humility enough But it is not enough to see the one or the other unless now we take up the Virgin Maries part which is behind bring forth this First-born to our selves suffer him to be born in us who was born for us and bring forth Christ in our lives wrap him and lay him up with all the tenderness of a Mother The pure Virgin pious soul is this She that brings forth Christ the nourishing and cherishing of him and all his gifts and graces is this wrapping him in Swadling-clothes the laying up his Word his Promises and Precepts in our hearts is the laying him in the Manger What though there be no room for him in the Inn though the world will not entertain him the devout soul will find a place to lay him in though it have nothing of its own but rags a poor ragged righteousness for our righteousness says the Prophet is but menstruous rags yet the best it hath it will lay him in and though it have nothing but a Manger a poor strait narrow soul none of the cleanliest neither to lodge him in yet such as it is he shall command it his lying there will cleanse it and his righteousness piece up our rags What though there be no room for him in the Inn I hope there is in our houses for him 'T is Christmas time and let 's keep open house for him let his Rags be our Christmas Rayment his Manger our Christmas cheer his Stable our Christmas great Chamber Hall Dining-room We must clothe with him and feed with him and lodge with him at this Feast He is now ready by and by to give himself to eat you may see him wrapt ready in the Swadling-clothes of his blessed Sacrament you may behold him laid upon the Altar as in his Manger do but make room for him and we will bring him forth and you shall look upon him and handle him and feed upon him bring we only the rags of a rent and torn and broken and contrite heart the white linen cloths of pure intentions and honest affections to swathe him in wrap him up fast and lay him close to our souls and bosoms 't is a day of mysteries 't is a mysterious business we are about Christ wrapt up Christ in the Sacrament Christ in a mystery let us be content to let it go so believe admire and adore it 'T is sufficient that we know Christs swadling-clothes his Righteousness will keep us warmer than all our Winter Garments his rags hold out more storms than our thickest clothes let 's put them on His Manger feeds us better than all the Asian delicates all the dainties of the world let 's feed our souls upon him His Stable is not hang'd here with Arras or deck'd with gilded furniture but 't is hang'd infinitely with gifts and graces the Stable is dark but there is the Light of the world to enlighten it The smell of the Beasts our sins are perfumed and taken away with the sweet odours of holy pardon and forgiveness the incondite noise of the Oxe and Ass and Horse are still'd with the musick of the heavenly Host the noise of our sins with the promises of the Gospel this day brought to us Let us not then think much to take him wrapt up that is in a Mystery without examining how and which way we receive him 't is in the condition he comes to us Let us be content with him in his rags in his humblest and lowest condition 't is the way he comes to day let us our selves wrap and lay him up in the best place we can find for him though the best we have will be little better then a Manger What though there be no room for him in the Inn in worldly souls I hope yet ours will entertain him invite him too and say as Laban said to Abraham's servant Gen. xxiv 31. Come in thou blessed of the Lord come in come in thou blessed Child come in wherefore standest thou without I have prepared the house and room for the Camels the house for thee my soul for thee thy self and my body for the Camels those outward Elements that are to convey thee They are not fitted they are not fitted as thou deservest but thou that here acceptedst of rags accept my poor ragged preparations Thou
grace not of desert That 't is 4. yet a receiving sufficient full every one enough and that not single grace neither but one for another one after another one upon another That 't is 5. a general business all receiving somewhat some grace or other and that seldom or never by it self none without receiving That 6. it is from Christ from him it is from his grace and from his fulness that we receive whatever we receive That lastly grace for grace it is for some end and purpose it is that we receive it receive grace that we may say grace give thanks and acknowledge it 2. Receive grace that we may shew grace receive grace from God that we may shew it unto men 3. Receive grace even for grace it self to increase and grow in it daily more and more till both it and we come both to perfection Of all these this is the sum that in Christ there is fulness all fulness fulness in both natures fulness that contents not it self till it have fill'd others till it fill us all That from this fulness we receive receive all we have all we have though not all he has all sorts of graces fitting for us and all gratis are therefore to give thanks for it as we have received so to repay again grace for grace And of all this is the scope the Exaltation of Christ and of his grace the scope of the Text the Sermon and the day 'T is but making it yours too and then all will be full And that it may so I begin now particularly to open to you all this fulness where I am first to shew you whose it is His fulness 1. His you know is a Relative must relate to somewhat that is before His to some that was spoken of before who 's that one to whom Saint Iohn bare witness that he was before ver 15. long before in the beginning ver 1. but was fain to draw nearer e're we could see him or his fulness to draw himself into the flesh e're we could fully discern his grace or behold his glory was made flesh the word made flesh ver 14. the only begotten of the Father become the only born of a Virgin Mother before we hear of any one full of grace and truth This word this eternal word this only begotten Son of God is He this His belongs to yet this fulness then fully His when he was made the Son of Man In that first appeared the fulness of his love the fulness of his Word and Promise the fulness of his Grace and Mercy the infinite grace and favour done to our flesh the fulness of his truth and reality above all those empty types and shadows which more amus'd then fill'd the world The body that 's of Christ says the Apostle Col. ii 17. the full body of truth full bodied grace never till he took a body to make it full The Law that could not fill us the very life of things there was poured out at the foot of the Altar and all the rest went into smoke The Prophets they could not fill us with any thing but expectation fill us with good words but alas they are but wind would have proved so too had not he embodied them All the world could not fill us the fulness of time was not come upon it till the Son of fulness came all that was in it till he came was vanity and emptiness could neither satisfie it self nor us 'T is Christ that filleth all in all Ephes. i. 23. He the end of the Law the completion of the Prophets the fulness of the World To him it is that this fulness is attributed to the fulness of Christ Ephes. iv 13. In him it is it dwells Col. i. 19. So it pleased God says the Apostle there so to gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are in earth even in him Ephes. i. 10. Fulness must needs be his in whom all things are gathered altogether in whom earth and heaven together 2. Thus the fulness you see is his and it being the fulness of Heaven and Earth you see in general what his fulness is In particular it cannot be measured It is as high as Heaven what canst thou do deeper then Hell what canst thou know the measure of it is longer then the earth and broader then the Sea Job xi 8 9. There is no end of his fulness no more than of his greatness In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. ii 3. all wisdom and knowledge treasured up in him all in the very knowing him all the very treasures of wisdom and knowledge the choicest to be found there all even hidden and obscured by his swallow'd up in that he knows all and to know him is to know all the highest Wisdom the deepest knowledge is but silliness and ignorance in respect of his hides it self at the comparison as lesser lights do at the Suns glaring Beams in him is all knowledge and in the knowledge of him is all wisdom hidden and contained In him 2. is the fulness of grace Full of grace are thy lips Psal. xlv 3. and if the lip 's full the heart 's not empty for out of the abundance there the fulness here the very stature of fulness Ephes. iv 13. In him 3. is the fulness of truth ver 14. so full that he is stil'd the very truth it self St. John xiv 6. I am the truth the truth of the promises all the promises since the Creation All the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. i. 20. The truth of all the Types and Shadows and Sacrifices from the worlds first cradle the true Paschal Lamb the true Scape-Goat the true High-Priest Adam and Isaac and Ioseph and Ioshua and Samson and David and Solomon were but the representations of him or what was to be more substantially done by him They are but the draughts and pictures he the substance all the way To him they all related had not their offices actions or passions scarce their very names fulfilled but in him all their fulness was in him Their truth and all truth besides the doctrine of truth never fully delivered never fully revealed or known till he came with it We knew it but in pieces we saw it but in clouds we heard it but in dark and obscure Prophesies till he came a light into the world to manifest it all 't is then we first hear of the whole will of God and the declaring that the whole counsel of God Acts xx 27. truth was not at the fulness till he taught it Nor 4. was his the fulness of wisdom and knowledge grace and truth but of the Spirit too not by measure St. Iohn iii. 34. but immeasurably full He all the graces of the Spirit and all of them to the full in him The Spirit himself proceeds from him St. Iohn xv 26. he must therefore
exceeding glory Wonder we 1. stand we and wonder or cast our selves upon the earth upon our faces in amazement at it that God should do all this for us thus remember thus visit thus crown such things as we That 2. he should pass by the Angels to crown us leave them in their sins and misery and lift us out of ours That 3. he should not take their nature at the least and honour those that stood among them but take up ours and wear it into heaven and seat it there And there is a visit he is now coming to day to make us as much to be wondred at as any that he should feed us with his Body and yet that be in Heaven that he should cheer us with his Blood and yet that shed so long ago that he should set his Throne and keep his Table and presence upon the Earth and yet Heaven his Throne and Earth his Foot-stool that he should here pose all our understandings with his mysterious work and so many ages of Christians after so many years of study and assistance of the Spirit not yet be able to understand it What is man or the Son of man O Blessed Iesu that thou shouldst thus also visit and confound him with the wonders of thy mercy and goodness Here also is glory and honour too to be admitted to his Table no where so great to be made one with him as the meat is with the body no glory like it Here is the crown of plenty fulness of pardon grace and heavenly Benediction Here 's the crown of glory nothing but rays and beauties Iustres and glories to be seen in Christ and darted from him into pious souls Come take your crowns come compass your selves with those eternal circlings Take now the cup of salvation and remember God for so remembring you call upon the name of the Lord and give glory to your God If you cannot speak out fully as who can speak in such amazements as these thoughts may seriously work in us cast your selves down in silence and utter out your souls in these or the like broken speeches What is man Lord what is man What am I How poor a thing am I How good art thou What hast thou done unto him How great things What glory what honour what crown hast thou reserved for me What shall I say How shall I sufficiently admire What shall I do again unto thee What shalt thou do Why 1. if God is so mindful of us men Let us be mindful of him again remember he is always with us and do all things as if we remembred that so he were 2. Is he so mindful of us Let us be mindful of our selves and remember what we are that we may be humbled at it 3. Does he remember us Let us then again remember him with our prayers and services 2. Has he visited us Let us in thankfulness visit him again visit him in his Temple visit him at his Table visit him in his poor members the sick the imprisoned 3. Has he made us lower then the Angels Let us make our selves lower and lower still in our own sights Is it yet but a little lower then the Angels Let us raise up thoughts and pieties and devotions to be equal with them 4. Has he crown'd us with glory Let us crown his Altars then with offerings and his name with praise let us be often in corona in the congregation of them that praise him among such as keep Holy-day Let us crown his Courts with beauty crown our selves with good works they should be our glory and our crown And for the worship that he crowns us with too let us worship and give him honour so remember so visit so crown him again so shall he as he has already so shall still remember us last and bring us to his own palace there to visit him face to face where he shall make us equal to the Angels we are now below and crown us with an incorruptible crown of glory through Christ c. THE NINTH SERMON ON Christmas-Day S. LUKE ii 30 31 32. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel SAlvation cannot but be a welcome then at any time I know no day amiss But in Die salutis at such a time as this on Christmas-day especially Then it first came down to bless this lower world But salvation so nigh as to be seen is more much more if we our selves have any interest in it if it be for the Gentiles too that we also may come in Far more if it be such salvation that our friends also may be saved with us none perish if it be omnium populorum to 'um all in whatsoever Nation Add yet if it be salvation by light not in the night no obscure deliverance we like that better and if it be to be saved not by running away but gloriously Salvation with Glory that 's better still Nay if it be all salvation on a day of salvation not afar off but within ken not heard of but seen to us and ours an universal salvation a gladsome a lightsome a notable a glorious salvation as it is without contradiction Verbum Evangelii good Gospel joyful tidings so it must needs be verbum diei too the happiest news in the most happy time These make the Text near enough the day and yet 't is nearer What say you if this salvation prove to be a Saviour and that Saviour Christ and that Christ new born the first time that viderunt oculi could be said of him no time so proper as Christmas to speak of Christ the Saviour born and sent into the world He it is that is here stiled salutare tuum Christ that blessed sight that restores Simeons decaying eyes to their youthful lustre that happy burthen that makes Simeon grasp heaven before he enter it Indeed the good old man begins not his Christmas till Candlemas 'T was not Christmas-day with him he did not see his Saviour till he was presented in the Temple The Feast of Purification was his Christmas This the Shepherds the worlds and ours This day first he was seen visibly to the world Being then to speak of salvation which is a Saviour or a Saviour who is salvation 1. First of the Salvation it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Then of its certainty and manifestation so plain and evident that the eye may see it Salvation to be seen More 2. prepared to be seen 3. Of the universality before the face of all people 4. Of the Benefits They are two 1. A light 2. A glory with the twofold parties 1. The Gentiles 2. The Iews Of each both severally and joyntly When we have done with the salvation then of the other sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saviour himself that 's the prime meaning of salutare here 1. Of his natures
into Heaven cannot now but look askew upon the earth To look up into Heaven is 2. to despise and trample upon all things under it He is not likely to be a Martyr that looks downward that values any thing below Nay he dies his natural death but unwillingly and untowardly whose eyes or heart or sences are taken up with the things about him Even to die chearfully though in a bed of Roses one must not have his mind upon them He so looks upon all worldly interests as dust and chaff who looks up stedfastly into heaven eyes all things by the by who eyes that well The covetous worldling the voluptuous Gallant the gaudy Butterflies of fashion will never make you Martyrs they are wholly fixt in the contemplation of their gold their Mistresses their Pleasures or their Fashions He scorns to look at these whose eyes are upon Heaven Yet to scorn there but especially to fit us against a tempest or a storm of stones there is a third looking up to Heaven in Prayer and Supplication It is not by our own strength or power that we can wade through streams of Blood or sing in flames we had need of assistance from above and he that looks up to Heaven seems so to beg it It was no doubt the spirit of Devotion that so fixt his sight he saw what was like to fall below he provides against it from above looks to that great Corner-stone to arm him against those which were now ready to shower upon his head It is impossible without our prayers and some aid thence to endure one petty pebble But to make it a compleat Martyrdom we must not look up only for our own interests for we are 4. to look up for our very enemies and beg Heavens pardon for them He that dies not in Charity dies not a Christian but he that dies not heart and hand and eyes and all compleat in it cannot die a Martyr Here we find S. Stephen lifting up his eyes to set himself to prayer 't is but two verses or three after that we hear his prayer Lord lay not this sin to their charge This was one thing it seems he lookt up so stedfastly to Heaven for A good lesson and fit for the occasion so to pass by the injuries of our greatest enemies as if we did not see them as if we had something else to look after then such petty contrasts as if we despis'd all worldly enmities as well as affections minded nothing but heaven and him that St. Stephen saw standing there All these ways we are to day to learn to look up to Heaven as 1. to our hop'd for Country as 2. from things that hinder us too long from coming to it as 3. for aid and help to bring us thither as 4. for mercy and pardon thence to our selves and enemies that we may all one day meet together there The posture it self is natural 'T is natural for men in misery to look up to Heaven nay the very insensible creature when it complains the Cow when it lows the Dog when he howls casts up its head according to its proportion after its fashion as if it naturally crav'd some comfort thence 'T is the general practice of Saints and holy persons Lift up your eyes says the Prophet Isa. xl 26. I will lift up my eyes says Holy David Psal. cxxi 1. And distrest Susanna lifts up her eyes and looks up towards Heaven ver 35. Nay Christ himself sighing or praying or sometimes working miracles looks up to Heaven who yet carried Heaven about him to teach us in all distresses to look up thither in all our actions to fetch assistance thence If we had those thoughts of Heaven we should I know how little of the eye the earth should have Vbi amor ibi oculus where the love is there 's the eye We may easiy guess what we love best by our looks if Heaven be it our eyes are there if any thing else our eyes are there 'T is easie then to tell you St. Stephens longings where his thoughts are fixt when we are told he so stedfastly lookt up to heaven And indeed it is not so much the looking up to Heaven as the stedfast and attentive doing it that fits us to die for Christ. 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a kind of stretching or straining the eye-sight to look inquisitively into the object To look carelesly or perfunctorily into Heaven it self to do it in a fit to be godly and pious now and then or by starts and girds will not serve turn to mind seriously what we are about that 's the only piety will carry it Plus vaâ—â—t hora fervens quam mensis tepens One hour one half hour spent with a warm attention at our prayers is worth a month a year an age of our cold Devotions 'T is good to be zealous says St. Paul somewhat hot and vehement in a good matter And it had need be a stedfast and attentive Devotion that can hold out with this But. To stand praying or looking up to Heaven when our enemies are gnashing their teath upon us and come running head-long on us to have no regard to their rushing fury nor interrupt our prayers nor omit any ceremony of them neither for all their savage malice now pressing fiercely on us but look up stedfastly still not quich aside this looks surely like a Martyr The little Boy that held Alexander the candle whilst he was sacrificing to his Gods so long that the wick burnt into his finger and yet neither cried nor shrunk at it lest he should disturb his Lords Devotions will find few fellows among Christians to pattern him in the exercise of their strictest pieties Let but a leaf stir a wind breathe a fly buzz the very light but dwindle any thing move or shake and our poor Religion alas is put off the hinge 't is well if it be not at an end too What would it do if danger and death were at our heels as here it was Oh this attentive stedfast fastning the soul upon the business of heaven were a rare piety if we could compass it This glorious Martyr has shew'd us an example the lesson is that we should practise it But all this is no wonder seeing he was full of the Holy Ghost That Almighty Spirit is able to blow away all diversions able to turn the shower of stones into the softness and drift of Snow able to make all the torments of Death fall light and easie If we can get our souls filled once with that we need fear nothing nothing will distract our thoughts or draw our eyes from Heaven Then it will be no wonder neither to see next the Glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God I call'd this point St. Stephens confirmation or his encouragement to his death He that once comes to have a sight of God and Christ of Gods Glory and Christ at the right hand of
way past too What can we then do less than pass our selves into his service under his protection Than pass our souls and spirits out of our lips in praises and thanksgiving That all those beggarly Elements as the Apostle calls them Gal. iv 9. those temporal promises and threats that heavie slavish servitude that dealing with us as with untoward children under the rod or as slaves and servants is past from us that we are now at the liberty of Sons and the honour of being the friends of God such to whom God is now pleased in Christ to reveal his secrets and mysteries so long hidden even from the beginning of the world as the Apostle speaks Eph. iii. 9. and into which the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. i. 13. That he hath now revealed them unto babes Mat. xi 25. That no condition now be it never so poor or mean or weak but is made partakers of his grace and glory in the face of Jesus Christ. How great a comfort and glory is it to us that all old things are thus past away and all things become new Yet there are worse old things behind the old things of the Gentiles which we are to consider now both what they are and how they too are past away The old errors and the old sins of the Gentiles they are the old things of the Gentiles and they are past 1. The old heathen ignorance and error They were in a shadow indeed the very shadow of death Luk. 1. 70. a thick black darkness the very Region of death and Land of darkness saith the Prophet they knew not God saith the Apostle Rom. i. having their understanding darkned because of the blindness of their heart Eph. vi 18. All these shaddows are disperst all this darkness past away when Zacharies day spring rose upon them they are not now what they were before Christ came they are much enlightned 2. Nor appear their sins now of so deep a blackness since Christ suffered for them also Before we read of nothing but the Idolatries the Vanities the Abominations of the Heathen that they were alienated wholly alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them Eph. iv 18. walking after their own lusts and in the vanities of their wicked mind being delivered up to the Prince of the air who wholly ruled and worked in them Eph. ii 2. But these things were passed over by the mercy of God in Christ and even they also received the new Covenant of Grace and Pardon And in the second place the way of Gods Providence towards them also as well as towards the Iews past into another mode It was in old time but a Iob but an Vriah but an Ittai but a Iethro but a Naâ—man in an Age an Vzzite a Hittite a Gittite a Midianite a Syrian but now and then Israel was the only Goshen the only Land where the light shone free The case is altered now by Christ. Indeed for a while till the Children were first served or at least first offered meat it was Go not into the way of the Gentiles St. Mat. x. 5. But when Christ had now compleated his work and was going up to heaven then Go and preach to all Nations was the stile and Lo I send thee far unto the Gentiles Acts xxii 21. was St. Pauls Commission and others after him So the Partition Wall is now past through and the distinction of Iew and Gentile that old difference past away Nay secondly the other branch of Gods dealing with them is so too In those times of ignorance God winked at them tolerated or at least not punished them saies St. Paul Acts xvii 30. But now he commandeth all men every where to repent says he the old course is past Gods way of dealing with them now is become new Thus we have another ground of thanks and praise that God has not only freed us from the servitude of the Law but from the slavery of Satan not only from the dusky shadows of the Iewish but from the dismal darkness of the Gentile Coasts Let not this pass further without a Song of praise But how shall we now worthily praise him for the next for making all things new Novus Rex nova Lex a new King and a new Law Novus Grex novum Regnum a new Church and a new Kingdom Novum Testamentum novum Sacramentum new Covenants and new Sacraments Novum Sacrificium novus Sacerdos a new Sacrifice and a new Priesthood Novum Templum novum Altare a new Temple and a new Altar Novus Spiritus and nova vita a new Spirit and a new kind of life All new 1. Novus Rex a new King we have no ordinary one neither a King with an Ecce Ecce venit both in Prophet and Evangelist Behold thy King commeth says Zachary Zach. ix 9. and S. Matthew xxi 5. says the same A King worth beholding The Wise men came I know not how far to see him S. Mat. ii 2. 2. And with a new Law he came a new Commandment S. John xiii A perfect Law S. James i. 25. A Law of liberty chap. ii 12. A royal Law ver 8. of the same Chapter The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus Rom. viii 2. The old Law was a bondage this new one makes us free as it follows there 3. A new Church he came to gather much different from the old A Church purchas'd by his Blood a costly one Acts xx 28. A glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but holy and without blemish Eph. v. 27. much larger than the old an universal Church all the Gentiles also new come in the utmost parts of the earth the confines of it Psal. ii 4. A new Kingdom there is come too a Kingdom above all Kingdoms the Kingdom of Heaven S. Mat. iii. 2. A Kingdom of Grace and a Kingdom of Glory a Kingdom never heard of before Christs coming with it no news no hopes no mention of the Kingdom of Heaven all the old Scripture through those exceeding great and precious promises reserv'd for us 2 S. Pet. i. 4. They under the Law were led like Children with the nuts and rattles of temporal promises and rewards Christ first promis'd a Kingdom for the recompence of reward a Kingdom too wherein we are all Kings Rev. i. 6. This new Kingdom 5. brings a new Covenant novum Testamentum take Testamentum how you will for a Covenant or a Writing and novum either for the Covenant of Grace or for a new Schedule of Scripture that contains it we find both new now Heb. ix 15. I will make a new Covenant says God Ier. xxxi 31. And he did so says the Apostle Heb. viii 6. But what was it I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people c. for I will be merciful to
foundation of the earth it covers the deep with its wings covers Heaven and Earth with the Majesty of its glory IV. Yet so it might and we ne're the better but that fourthly 't is a Name of Grace and Mercy as well as Majesty and Glory Iesus is a word of which I may more justly say as Tully says of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it contains so much ut Latino uno verbo exprimi non possit It cannot be exprest in any one Latin or English word or any one indeed besides it self Mercy and Grace dwell in it it engrosses all and without it there is none any where to be found no Mercy out of Iesus no Grace but from Iesus no Name under heaven given by which we can be saved but the Name of Iesus Acts iv We are Baptized in the Name of Iesus Acts xix 5. We receive remission of our sins in the Name of Iesus Ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. vi 11. Ye are sanctified in the Name of the Lord Iesus in the same verse We are glorified by the Name of Iesus in that Name we live in that name we die To Iesus it is we run for grace and assistance whilst we live To Iesus we cry for Grace and Mercy when we die To Iesus we commit our spirits when we breath them out We can neither live nor die without our Iesus Thy name says the Spouse is oyntment poured forth Cant. i. 3. Now Oyl has three special uses for light for meat for medicine We have all in Iesus 1. He is the light that lighteth every one that comes into the world St. John i. 9. 2. He 's the meat that never perishes S. John vi 27. and feeds us up to everlasting life S. Iohn vi 54. 3. He 's the cure and medicine of all our maladies He wants nothing that has Iesus and he has nothing that wants him Omnia Iesus nobis est si volumus c. says St. Ambrose Iesus is all things to us if we will Curari desideras medicus est si febribus aestuas fons est si gravaris iniquitate justitia est si auxilio indiges virtus est si mortem times vita est si ire desideras via est si tenebras fugis lux est si cibum appetis alimentum est Dost thou want health he is the great Physician Art thou fried in the flames of a burning Fever he is the well-spring to cool thy heat Art thou over-laden with thine iniquity he is thy righteousness to answer for thee Dost thou want help he is ever ready at hand to succour thee Art thou afraid of death he is thy life Wouldst thou fain be going any whither he is the way Art thou in darkness and fearest to stumble he is a light to thy feet and a lanthorn to thy paths Art thou hungry or thirsty he is nourishment and food and meat and drink the truest What is it that thou desirest that he is not that this name will not afford thee Why it heals our sicknesses it supports our infirmities it supplies our necessities it instructs our ignorances it defends us from dangers it conquers temptations it inflames our coldnesses it lightens our understandings it rectifies our wills it subdues our passions it raises our spirits and drives away all wicked spirits from us it ratifies our petitions it confirms our blessings and crowns all our prayers In this name they end all that end well through Iesus Christ our Lord. In thy name O blessed Iesus we obtain all that we obtain through it we receive all that we receive so that say we may well with that holy Father Iesus meus omnia Iesus meus omnia Iesus is my all Jesus he is and all I have nothing else but him I will have nothing else but him and I have all if I have him V. And well may we now say fifthly 't is a name of sweetness and comfort too a seet name indeed oyntment we told you it was and a sweet oyntment it is that fills all the house with its precious odour insomuch as it makes the Virgins therefore love thee says the Spouse there in the fore-cited place of the Canticles Mel in ore in aure melos in corde subilus says S. Bernard 'T is honey in the mouth 't is musick in the ear 't is melody in the heart The soul and all its powers the body and all its members may draw sweetness thence O how sweetly sounds the Name of Iesus or a Saviour to one in misery to one in danger to one in any calamity or distress how does it rejoyce the heart and quicken the very bones Gyra regyra versa reversa says the devout S. Bernard non invenies pacem vel requiem nisi in solo Iesu. Quapropter si quiescere vis pone Iesus ut signaculum super cor tuum quia tranquillus ipse tranquillat omnia Turn you and turn you again which way you will which way you can you can never find such peace and quiet as there is in Iesus you will find none any where but in him If you would fain therefore lay you down to rest in peace and comfort set the seal of Iesus upon your heart and all will be quiet no dreadful visions of the night shall affright you no noon days trouble shall ever shake you In the midst of that terrible storm of stoâ—es about St. Stevens ears he but looking up and seeing Iesus falls presently into a quiet slumber and sweetly sleeps his last upon a hard heap of pebbles more pleasantly than upon a Bed of Down or Roses For 't is remarkable that the holy Martyr there calls out upon the Name of Iesus rather than that of Christ as if that only were the name to hold by in our last and greatest agonies Nor is it to be forgotten that this Name was set upon the Cross over our Saviours head to teach us that 't is a Name which set upon the head of all our Crosses will make them easie the thought of Iesus the reference to that holy Name the suffering under that will give both a sweet odour and a pleasant relish to whatever it is we suffer This looking unto Iesus as the Apostle advises Heb. xii 2 3. will keep us from being weary or fainting under them will make us conquerours more than conquerours Rom. viii 37. sure of our reward to sweeten all For neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus ver 38 39. This same Iesus at the end fixes and fastens all the love of God in Iesus will never leave us never forsake us keep but that devoutly in our hearts and piously in our mouths and we need fear nothing Come what can it sweetens all Methinks
earth the Son of the Almighty Father clothed with flesh like unto us Four Vowels and two Consonants shall his name consist of and the number of them be eight unites eight tens and eight hundred that is 888. So here 's wonder upon wonder to make it wonderful 3. In the Latin we have five letters IESVS and by the old short way of writing among the Romans of the first letter for the whole word the subtle fanciers of the Cabala will tell us these five letters in the Name of Iesus intimate the fulness of its perfection that it is jucundum efficax sanctum verum salutiferum that it is full of joy efficacy sanctity verity and salvation Thus you see we have so rendred it as to find the Mystery in English name that it is a sweet and joyful Name an efficacious and powerful Name a sanctifying and justifying Name a Name verifying all Types and Prophesies and Promises and a salutiferous and saving name too Five glories to himself five benefits to us by it or as I may have otherwise as fully exprest them Justification Election Sanctification Victory and Salvation And now let the Iew come with his Rasche Theboth with his first letter for a word and write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Iesus meaning thereby maliciously 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let his Name be blotted out it will fall upon himself His name will surely be blotted out of the Book of Life who goes about to abuse this or who has not his portion in the Name of Iesus I should add one Mystery more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the Hebrew Name of Iesus is say they a letter with three equal fangs joyn'd all together and may denote the Trinity where the three Persons are equal and all united And then we have a mysterious Name indeed the whole God-head Trinity in Vnity in it and yet a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides as we told you before for the Humanity So a perfect Saviour of both Natures expressed perfectly in his Name God and Man and all the whole Trinity employed in the business of our salvation A wonderful Name indeed But 2. 't is also wonderful without a Cabala full of plain wonders as well as of mysterious 1. 'T is a new Name and yet Ioshuah the Prince and Iosuah the Priest and Ioshua or Iesus the Son of Syrach had the same name all and is it not then a wonder that it should yet be new But theirs were given them by men this him by an Angel Theirs signified only a temporal deliverance this spiritual and temporal both their 's a particular this a general salvation Theirs lastly meerly signified this very name effects also our salvation and deliverance 2. A name that no man knew but himself Rev. xix 12. No man can tell the wonders of it No man can pronounce it right neither without an immediate assistance from above 1 Cor. xii 3. No man can say the Lord Iesus but by the Holy Ghost 3. The wonders that are wrought by it make it truly wonderful that in it or by it or through it such mighty things both are and have been done even by men that only outwardly profest it and only sounded the letters of it as you have heard already 'T is wonderful lastly sure that it should force even the Devils to bow down to it not only depart their Lodgings to give it room but even be compelled themselves to worship it yet so we find it Phil. ii 10. Those things under the earth that is the Devils also so doing and confessing And shall we now think much to do as much to do what all things in Heaven and Earth and under it even in Hell too do to it bow the knee and worship it It is a Name says the Apostle given him to that purpose for us to pay our duty and homage to ver 9. 'T is a Name of blessing and adoration says our last point Venerandum nomen Iesu a Name to be blessed and adored First then bless we God for his holy Name for the benefits and comfort we receive by it Bless we 2. the Name it self praise and magnifie and glorifie and give thanks unto it They are the expressions of the Holy Pen Psal. cxlv 2. cxxxviii 2. lxxxvi 9. cxl 13. they are not mine so you have authority enough to do it if you think the Holy Ghost knows how to speak Bless we 3. our selves in this Name when we lie down and when we rise up when we go out and when we come in for in thy Name O blessed Iesu shall we tread them under that rise up against us Nothing shall be able to hurt or damage us when we put our selves under the protection of it If afflictions and troubles press hard upon thee and embitter all thy days this Name is the tree whose wood will sweeten the bitterest waters cut down a branch of it and throw it in Do thy sins and conscience rent and tear thee this Name is the Oyl to lenifie and cure them pour it out upon them Art thou to encounter death it self in this Name thou shalt overcome it deliver up thy soul but in it 'T is a Name of truth and fidelity thou canst not distrust it 'T is a Name of might and power thou mayest rest upon it 'T is a Name of Majesty and glory thou must exalt it 'T is a Name of Grace and Mercy thou must praise him for it and commit thy self unto it 'T is a Name of sweetness and comfort thou must rejoyce and be glad in it 'T is a Name of wonder and admiration thou must admire and declare it 'T is a Name of adoration thou must now adore it too Bow the knee says the Apostle or bow down at it Holy and reverend is his Name says the Psalmist Psal. cxi 9. And if reverend it may be rever'd it may be worshipped I speak not of the syllables and letters but of the sense When we hear the Name of Iesus I suppose there is none so little Christian but that he will confess I may lift up my heart and praise him for the mercy and benefits that I remember and am put in mind of by it and where I bow my soul may I not bow my body The Text is plain enough That at the Name of Iesus every knee should bow Phil. ii 10. Should though they do not or else shall when they will not and where they would not when they come among those that are under the earth and was ever more need to do it than in an age where 't is doubted whether he be or God or Saviour where it is question'd so often whether there were ever such a Name to be sav'd by and we not rather sav'd every one in his own Is it not high time to revive this honour to it that the world may know we acknowledge him to be God to be the Lord and are not ashamed to confess it But to sift
to do it then when we had wilfully departed from his conduct is so exceeding a grace and favour that no joy of ours be it never so exceeding can exceed it And if the Wise men for the direction of that singlâ— Star were so extremely affected with joy and gladness how infiniteâ—y should we be for so many Alas they saw nothing then in comparison of us The Child was then but in rags and swadling cloaths he is now in robes of glory He was then lying in an earthly Cottage he is now sitting in an heavenly Palace All the ways of Salvation were then but mysteries they are now revealed Salvation then was but in its Clouts 't is now in its perfection They saw Christ but once we daily see him See him and all his Stars see him amidst his Stars walking with some of them in his hands the Stars or Angels of the Churches amongst other of them his Saints with them in glory creating stars daily in our hearts shining to us every day in his Word and Sacraments there opening his glory unto us and us a door into it and all the while the material stars even under his feet Seeing all these so much above what they here saw our joy should be much above what they rejoyced with But theirs being exceeding ours can be no more when we have said all we can And that it may be so I shall only tell you It must exceed the joy we take in earthly things we must more rejoyce in Christ and in his Star than all the World besides more in the holiness of a Saint than in the highness of a Prince more in a faithful Pastor than in any Worldly Counsellor more in the Word of God than in all the Writings of men much more in the History of Christ than in all the Romances and Histories of the earth more in the Promises of the Gospel than in the promises of all earthly pleasures and felicities more in the inward work of grace and the inward comforts of the Spirit than any sensual satisfactions and contentments more in the meditation of Heaven and heavenly Glory than in all the glories of the World more in Christ than in all things or hopes together It must exceed them all And when it so exceeds it will bring us to an exceeding high condition make us exceed in grace exceed in glory do great and wonderful things by the power of grace to express our thankfulness and bring us by it to the reward of exceeding glory where we shall need no more Stars to guide us nor Sun or Moon to give us light but this eternal light now pointed at by the Star shall give us light both day and night shall fill us with joy such as neither heart can imagine nor tongue express that exceeds all we can speak or think give us joy for joy great for great exceeding for exceeding in his blessed Light and Presence for evermore THE THIRD SERMON ON THE EPIPHANY St. MATTH ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe OUR last years business from the Text was to see what the Wise men saw Philips counsel to Nathaniel S. Iohn 1. to come and see This years shall be to do what the Wise men did what all Wise-men will do still Holy Davids invitation to fall down and worship For having found this blessed Child the end of all our Journeys the crown of all our labours the sum of all our desires and wishes this infant-God this young King of Heaven and Earth what can we less then do our obeysance and pay our Homage All Wise men will do so adore the rising Sun make sure of somewhat or in the Psalmists phrase Rejoyce with reverence and kiss this Son lest he be angrâ— and so we perish fall down before him and even kiss his feet in an humble adoration that he may lift us up and advance us in his Kingdom at least remember us when he comes into it To come into the house else where Iesus is and there to see him to stand and look upon him only and no more is a journey and sight to little purpose The Oxe and the Ass saw him and many no doubt to as little purpose upon the Shepherds report and the rumour of these Wise mens coming from the East came to see and gaze upon him It is this worshipping that sanctifies prospers all our journeys we begin them but untowardly and finish them but unluckily without it If we fall not down upon our knees before we go out and bow not our selves and worship not in thankfulness when we come in we cannot assure our selves of any great good either of our goings out or of our comings in how successful soever they seem at first even to have obtained their ends even found Iesus too This same worshipping is both the end and blessing of all our journeys if they be blest nor see we or understand we any thing thorowly or comfortably where that is wanting where the worship and service of God and our Saviour is not both the aim and endeavour of all our motions Wise men they were here that now for these twelve days have made it theirs And the Ethiopian Eunuch Acts viii 27. a great Counsellour made it the only business of his Journey to Ierusalem to worship only and so return And in the devouter times of Christianity the devout Christians when their haste was such they could not stay out a Prayer or Collect would yet never pass a Church but they would in and bow themselves and worship and be gone Tantiest adorare so weighty a business it is to worship though but in transitu to prosper any thing we are about It was so thought then it would be so now did we not more study to make enquiries about Christ than to serve him to dispute about Christianity than to practise it Christianity here begins with it These first Christians I may call them thus profest their service to their Saviour thus addict themselves to the faith and obedience of Christ and were there no other reason in the world to perswade it it were certainly enough that the first Faith in Christ was after this fashion thus acknowledged and performed Three acts there are of it in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 falling down worshipping and offering The first the worship of the Body the second of the Soul the third of our goods With these three our Bodies our Souls our Goods we are to worship him with all these his worship is to be performed without them all it is but a lame and maimed Sacrifice neither fit for Wise men to give nor Christ to receive Two points of the Text we are gone through the Wise mens Iourney and success their coming and their seeing their labour and
their reward Three now we have to go through Procidentes Adorârunt Obtulêrunt the three acts or parts or points of Worship we are to perform to Christ each in its order as it lies and first of Procidentes their Prostration Here it is we first hear of any worship done to Christ and this falling down this prostration the first worship as if no other no lesser adoration could serve turn after so great a blessing as the sight of a Saviour as if his taking on a body challeng'd our whole bodies now his coming down from Heaven our falling down upon the earth his so great humiliation our greatest expression of our humility Many sorts of adoration have been observed greater and lesser Bowing the head Exod. i. 10. Bowing the body Gen. xviii 2. Bending the knee Isa. xlv 23. Worshipping upon the knee Psal. xcv 6. God thus worshipped by them all And falling down before him is no news to hear of neither in Scripture or Antiquity whatsoever niceness or laziness or profaneness of late have either said or practis'd against it They were Wise men here that did it yet it is well that the Scripture calls them so I know who have been counted fools superstitious fools for as little a matter for the same though I cannot but wonder to see as much done in a complement to a thing worse than a reasonable man whilst God himself is denied it Indeed it may be if we compare the persons we shall quickly see the reason These in the Text were Wise men of credit and reputation men of some quality men that understood themselves and knew the language of Heaven and can turn the Stars to their proper uses that think not much of much pains to find a Redeemer that know how to use a King and serve a God that run readily at the first call of Heaven to pay this worship Your selves can inform you what they are that deny it I shall not tell you Poor ignorant Shepherds may perhaps through ignorance or astonishment omit the Ceremony and be pardon'd so they go away praising and rejoycing but great learned Clerks cannot be excus'd if they pretermit it but neither the one nor the other if they deny it Ignorance will be no sufficient plea for the one nor a distinction or a pretence of scandal for the other in a point so plain as perpetual custom from the beginning of the world and plain words of Scripture make it Abraham falls upon his face in a thankful acceptance of Gods promise Gen. xvii 17. His servant Eleazar bows down and worships Gen. xxiv 26. Old Iacob did as much as he could towards it on his bed Gen. xxi 31. And the people of Israel Exod. iv 31. and this before the Law was given And Moses before the Law was written fell down before the Lord as he tells the people Deut. ix 18. So it was no Iewish Law or custom then but even a point of the Law of Nature though practis'd also by the Iew by David Ps. v. 7. by Solomon 2 Chron. vi 13. by Ezekiel ch xi 13. by Daniel ch vi 10. by all the Prophets by all the people all the children of Israel together bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshipped and praised the Lord 2 Chron. vii 3. Christ himself allows the people to do as much to him takes it and takes it kindly from them Iairus the Ruler of the Synagogue falls at his feet St. Mark v. 20. Mary does as much St. Iohn xi 31. Others often do the same and none forbidden it nay he himself does it to his Father St. Mark xiv 35. fell down and prayed and do we then think much to do it The very Saints in Heaven where there is nor shadow certainly nor Ceremony fall down before him even before the Lamb. Rev. v. 8. and xi 16. and xiv 4. and are we too good to do it Is the practice of all ages of Heaven of Earth and Christ too not strong enough to bow our stubborn necks Is there Iudaism and Superstition in Heaven in Christ too Oh then let me be superstitious I am content to be so to be called so by any generation upon earth But to make it yet more evident if it can be nature it self in the midst of its corruptions keeps yet this impression undefac'd and more plainly professes this Reverence due to the Deity than even the Deity it self Never did any the most blind and foolish Heathen yet acknowledge a God but presently they worshipped him with their bodies Nay never did any ever pretend either honour or respect to man but he exprest it some way by his body by some gesture or other of it And must God that made it and Christ that redeemed it only go without it must man be reverenc'd with the body and the Devil serv'd with it and God be put off with the worship of the soul which yet neither can express it self nor think nor do any thing without the body whilst it is in it It was thought a good argument by S. Paul to glorifie God in our body as well as in our spirits and in old Manuscripts I must tell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body only is because they are God's he hath bought them with a price 1 Cor. vi 20. good reason then that he should have them The body is for the Lord ver 13. of that Chapter Who then should have it but he 't is for no body else he only can claim it others do but borrow it or usurp it let him therefore have it 't is his own and it cannot be bestowed better he knows best to use it how to keep it fear we not Indeed it is so unreasonable to deny it him so unprofitable to the very body to keep it from him that I know not why we should expect to have it either safe or well when we deny it him Who can keep it better who can easier lift it up when it is down raise it up when it is fallen preserve it in health and strength than he And are we such fond fools then not to present it always to his protection and lay it at his feet who if he tread upon it does yet do it good Though we were Hereticks of the highest impudence and denied his God-head yet confessing his humanity we can do no less than give the worship of our bodies to him We can give him nothing less I may without breach of charity I fear suspect that this generation that are so violent against the worship of the body will e're long neither confess his God-head nor his Man-hood turn Arian and Manichee both together and prove a kind of mixed Hereticks unheard of hitherto beyond all the wickedness and folly of all their former predecessors come so far at last to think all done in a fancy or a dream make all the work of our redemption come
to nothing For certainly did they either seriously think him true God or true man we should see it by their bodies especially seeing we cannot see any thing by their spirits to the contrary Even men us'd to be thus worshipped 1 Kings i. 31. and Prophets 2 Kings ii 15. So that did they confess him any thing they would certainly fall down and worship him not deny it to be sure whether do it or no. For all falling down is not adoration It is the mind that makes that the intention of the soul that turns this outward expression of the body into adoration that makes it either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either a religious or a civil worship as it pleases This is the reason together with the Authority of the Fathers St. Augustin St. Leo St. Bernard and others that I make adorârunt here this word worship to relate to the soul as procidentes falling down to the body Though I am not ignorant that both in the School and Grammar sense it is seldom or never found without the interest and posture of the body yet must it of necessity most refer to the soul that being able only to specifie the worship and give it both its nature and its name by either intending it religiously as to God or civilly only as to a creature where it gives it the outward posture being oft the same indifferently to God and man That these Wise men intended it as an act of Devotion and Religion as to an incarnate God not a meer carnal man is the general opinion of the Church and not without good ground For first Wise men who ever propound some end to all their motions would not have undertaken so long and tedious and troublesom a journey to have seen a child in a Cradle or in the mothers lap no not a Royal babe they were Kings themselves so the Antients delivered them to us and the 72 Psalm foretells them by that name and they had often seen such sights in as much pomp and glory as they could expect it in Iudea At least cui bono what good should they get by it that 's a thing Wise men consider by any King of Iudea what was such an one or his child to them who had nor dependance nor commerce with him or if they had needed not make such a needless journey themselves to no more purpose than in a complement to visit him But 2. They tell us they had seen his Star now we and they knew well enough that the Kings of the earth though they have the Spangles of the Earth have not the Spangles of the Heaven at their command though they have Courts and Courtiers beset with sparks of Diamonds and Rubies they have not yet one spark of Heaven in their attendance No King of Stars but the King of Heaven none under whose command or dominion they move or shine none that can call them his but God that made them to worship one then who not only can alone call all the Stars by their names but by his own too is certainly in any Wise mans language to worship God Our very Star-gazers who confess no King and for ought we can see worship no God will yet confess that in the Latin they have regit Astra Deus that the Stars are only Gods and though a Wise man may by his wisdom divert their influence he can in no wise either command or direct their motion 3. They tell us too they came to worship their whole business was nothing else and we would think they had little indeed if they came so far only to give a complement to a child that could neither answer them nor understand them We must certainly take them not for Wise men but very fools to do so And if worship be the end of their coming we may quickly understand by the phrase of Scripture that it is divine worship that is meant Of worship indeed and adoration we may read in other senses there but it is never made a business said to be any ones aim or purpose but when it is referr'd to God and his House The Eunuch is said to come to Ierusalem and worship Acts viii 27. David invites us to fall down and worship Psal. xcv 6. St. Paul comes to Ierusalem to worship Acts xxiv 11. and certain Greeks are said to come up to worship St. Iohn xii 20. but all this while it is to worship God never made a work to worship man To fall down before or bow or reverence to any man how great soever is but an occasional piece of business on set purpose never When we come before Kings and Princes we do it but never come before them to this end only for to do it 4. Had they conceived no other of him than as man or a Child of man that poor contemptible condition and unworshipful pickle they found him in the rags of poverty the place they saw him in would have made them have forborn their worship quite they would have been so far from procidentes adorârunt that it would have been dedignantes abiêrunt instead of falling down and worshipping they would have gone their ways disdaining at him But so powerful was his Star and so had the day-Star risen in their hearts so had the eternal light shined to them that they could see what others could not in carne Deum God in the Child He that led them without taught them within both whom they worshipped and how to worship And indeed he that knows and considers whom he worships will worship both in Spirit and in truth with his soul and with his body in truth else he does not worship Adorare adoration consists of both nay cannot be well conceived if you take away either the one or the other The word it self in its primitive signification is manum ad os admovere concerns the body and is no more than to kiss the hand and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is just the same So was the fashion of the Greeks to worship and it seems ancient through the East for it is an expression of holy Iob chap. xxxi 21. If I have beheld the Sun when it shined c. or my mouth hath kissed my hand that is if he had worshipped any other God But it falls out with this as with other words they enlarge their signification by time and custom and so adoration is come to be applied to all worship of the body bowing the head bending the knee falling on the face kneeling at the feet according as each particular Country perform their reverence Time yet hath enlarged it further and our Saviour that eternal word and therefore the best Expositor of any word hath applied it also to the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Iohn iv 23. nay more calls them the truest worshippers that worship in Spirit And indeed the Spirits the Souls part is the chiefest the worship
of the body is but the body of worship The soul that is it that enlivens it the spirit and soul of it that completes it the inward intention direction submission and reverence is that which makes all to be accepted To fall down in humility with the body and lift up the soul with pride to give an outward respect to him and inwardly neglect him to do the worship cursorily or in a complement without attention or good meaning is to use Christ as the Souldiers did worship him in a mockery cry Hail King and smite him to give a Crown of Thorns and a Scepter of a reed to make a puppet or a may-game of him or with Herod pretend to worship and mean nothing less seem devout forsooth in all haste but nourish profane and murtherous that is sinful careless or Atheistical thoughts against him They do best joyn'd God hath joyned them and one word hath joyned them and when joyned we best understand them and soul and body being so nearly joyn'd why should we go about to separate them The Prophesies foretel them both as to be solemnly performed to him All Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall do him service Psal. lxxii 11. and ver 15. Prayer shall be made ever unto him and daily shall he be praised The Gospel that assures it was done and the Apostle tells us that God had so ordained it should be given him a name which is above every Name that at the Name of Iesus every knee should how of things in heaven things in earth and things under the earth Phil. ii 9 10. If all things in heaven and earth do do it then spirits and bodies too For bodies are things and spirits are things and in heaven and under the earth there be no bodies in earth there is both so there sure to be done by both And this name had not been long given before these wise men come to do it reverence before it was given they came not presently after they come not before that they might know how to call him they were to worship yet presently after that we might know it was in his name only that the Gentiles were to trust at which to bow and worship To worship him to worship his Name or at his Name is but the same in Scripture or little difference Yet if we owe him worship we owe also a respect unto his Name we are not to take it vainly or count it light but pay a reverence to it as to his for therein also we worship him As we worship his Humanity as it is united to his Divinity so his Name too we may well worship that is reverently esteem and speak of it and so express it spiritually rejoyce too at the hearing of it without fear of Superstition or Idolatry We else but poorly and lamely worship him God knows if we give no respect at all to his Name or any thing that belongs to him We may as well be afraid to worship him at all now since he hath taken on a body lest we should commit Idolatry to it being a creature as to fear Superstition in worshipping at his Name before his foot-stool as the Scripture sometimes speaks when the adoration on both hands is only directed to and terminated in his Godhead If any then as alas too many be so little Christians as to give to Iesus or his holy Name or his holy Altars and Sacraments no more reverence than does a Turk or Pagan let not us for Christs sake bear them company we have better examples here before us nay we have Angels too before us at the work When he brought his first-begotten into the world he said And let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. i. 6. and certainly they do it they fulfil his command and do his pleasure And are we then too holy to do it Is it a command upon them whom the benefit does no way so much concern and is it left at our pleasure who have the most reason in the world to do it to whom chiefly this Christ was born and given may we choose whether we will worship him or no and yet be the greatest gainers by it and the more holy by not doing it Faith 's the business they tell us no matter for any thing besides only believe and all is done Well but is Faith the business and is it not a strong belief indeed this that can bring men out of their own Country and that a far one too through Arabian Desarts in the depth of Winter only to worship and is it not as high a piece of Faith notwithstanding that poor outward contemptible appearance of Christ yet to fall down and worship him and believe him to be their God and Saviour and to trust the guidance of a Star or the word of an obscure Prophesie or an inward motion from Heaven before their own eyes and all sense and reason To leave his Country and to believe against hope and reason was counted to Abraham for Faith Heb. xi was so to these Wise men of the Text will be to all that follow their example Our Worship is but the expression of a Faith fides facta or fides faciens Faith done We worship therefore we believe or we believe and therefore worship And therefore thirdly offer too Open our treasures the treasures of our Faith and present our gifts And when they had opened their Treasures c. The ancient Fathers have here observed both Letter and Mystery and I am no wiser I shall do so too The Letter is plain enough to tell us that God looks to be worshipped with our Goods as well as with our Bodies and our Souls and that those whom he leads by his Star or Spirit any that will come to Christ must no more come empty handed than those that come to God Exod. xiii For God he is and God he gave us them God therefore every person in the God-head to be served with them the first-fruits it should be in all reason and in justice all it might be but some part or offering out of them howsoever I shall open the Wise mens treasures and shew you them the out-side of them the Letter first Treasures they are called before they are opened that we may learn God is not only to be served with mean things and ordinary ware Nothing can be too good for him the treasures of our Hearts and the treasures of our Cabinets and Coffers are never better opened than for him David would not offer what cost him nought and Araunah when he does but understand God's business toward gives like a King 2 Sam. xxiv 23. The Israelites hard hearted Israelites are yet so tender of Gods Service that they pluck off their Jewels and golden Ear-rings for the Service of the Tabernack The first Christian Emperours give their stately Halls to make Churches and nothing is thought too costly by pious souls for God's worship Are the treasures
Hymn of his goodness an Anthem of his love a Psalm of his mercy and in sweet numbers carol forth his praise set our heads to do it our hearts to endite it our pens to write it our voices to sing it and with the three Children in their Song invite all the creatures in Heaven and Earth Angels and men all the sensible and insensible creatures to bear us company so to make a full noise of all kinds of Musick to set forth his praise Do it with our hands too do that which will exalt his praise Then 't is benedixit complete when it has benefecit next it We speak best when we do best when our lives and actions speak it Benedixit bene vixit are not so near of sound for nothing A holy life is not more truly Gods blessing to man than again it is mans chiefest and most acceptable blessing God Many ways may this blessing God be performed by us but as we stand now with some relation to this days blessing the blessed Eucharist the feast of blessing the cup of blessing as the Apostle stiles it I shall shew you now you have taken it what blessing is more peculiarly required after it Three acts of blessing there are to be performed after this act of so taking Christ into our arms and for it three points of blessing for this great blessing of the Holy Communion Thanksgiving Oblation and Petition Bless him and give thanks to him Bless him and offer up his Son to him again and our selves with him offer his Son in our own arms him and our selves Bless him and present our petitions to him our prayers as well as praises Or in the language of the Text Benedicamus Speak well of him do somewhat for him and bring our requests and petitions to him You see I need not run out of the Text for any kind of blessing First then Bless him with your tongues Speak good of his Name and let your lips speak forth his glory and wonderous works tell the world what he has done for you what great and mighty things Salutem ejus evangelizate Psal. xcvi 4. Tell it out for good tidings the tidings of great joy Be always speaking always telling it Call to all the creatures to bear you company every thing to rejoyce with you Tell your happiness to the Woods and Mountains in your solitary retirements tell it to the Towns and Villages speak of it in all companies tell it to the young Men and Maids old Men and Children all Sexes and Ages what God has done for your souls Tell it to the Summer and Winter both in your prosperity and adversity let nothing make you forget your thanks Tell it to the Frost and Fire in your coldnesses and in your fervencies and zeals to the Earth and to the Waters in your drinesses of soul and in the sorrows of your hearts praise him in all conditions Tell it to the Angels and Heavens as you are about your heavenly business Tell it to the Fowls of the Air even in the midst of your airy thoughts and projects that they may be such as may set forth his glory Tell it to the Priests and Servants of the Lord to solemnize your thanksgiving Tell it to the Spirits and Souls of the righteous to bear a part with you in your Song and intreat them all all estates and orders all conditions and things to bring in each their blessing to make up one great and worthyblessing for this days blessing to rejoyce and sing exult and triumph with you for this happy arm-full of eternal blessings this day bestowed upon you Begin we the blessing blessing and honour and power and glory and thanks and praise and worship and great glory be unto God for ever and ever and let all the creatures say Amen Bless we him secondly with our Offerings Hold we up first our hands and bless him hold we up our hands and vow and resolve to serve him from henceforth with hand and heart and all our members offer him our vows and resolutions holy ones strengthen our hands and renew our purposes to serve him now henceforward with a high hand maugre all the pleasures and profits of the world say what they will against it with a strong hand do they what they dare or can against us Bless him and resolve to bless him for ever and every day renew we still our resolutions that our hands may be so strengthened by them that none may be able to take him out of our hands 2. Catch we fast hold of him with our hands when we bless him clasp him fast by a lively hope as assured that all our hope is in him all our hope in holding him clasp we him fast and bless him 3. Spread your arms and bless him with your Faith Open your souls and every day more and more let him come in let it be your continual exercise more and more to trust him to rely upon him 4. Open your hands and cast down your blessings upon the poor He that blesses the poor blesses God What you have done to them says Christ you did to me St. Matth. xxv Open your hands and bless God 5. Cross your hands and beat your breasts Bless him with your hands a cross as humbly acknowledging your vileness and unworthiness of so great a favour as his presence as the seeing and touching and handling and â—asting him He truly blesses God on high that thus makes himself low 6. Fill your hands and bless him bless him with a full hand both your hands full of blessings blessings of all sorts all good works and vertues An universal obedience is the onliest blessing God Simeon being interpreted is obedient and he it is that here blesses the obedient soul that at any time only truly blesses God 7 Wash we yet our hands before we either open or spread or hold up or cross or clasp or fill them Wash we before we bless wash away our impurities with our tears bewail and bemoan our defects and weaknesses and imperfections which in our receiving have been too many that by this hand our oblation and blessing may be offered with pure and unspotted hands and hearts 8. Clap we then our hands and bless him do it with joy and not with grief we may do it well when we have so washt them first Let it be our way of blessing to do it chearfully to settle our selves to all the works of piety and obedience of faith and hope and charity and humility and in a word to an universal righteousness with all the purity we can with all the strength and resolution we are able Bless with a chearful and ready hand set our selves ever hereafter merrily to this work But remember we all this while we so use our hands to bless that we so open and shut so spread and cross them that we let not Christ go out the while Offer we up our selves and him together Resolve we
whoever shall take him shall take us too We will not part no not in death we will live and die and sleep and rise again together He that will have him shall have us whether he will or no He is in our arms there we will keep him Yet in lieu of parting with him we will part with our selves and offer our selves for him if that will do it yes and that will do it Duo minuta habeo Domine corpus animam says the devout Father I have two mites O Lord I have two mites to offer to give thee for thy Son to offer thee for him my soul and my body Them thou shalt have willingly I am content to part with them so I may keep him and they will content him Offer them up then a living reasonable sacrifice for it will be an acceptable service too an acceptable blessing of him Yet as we offer up our selves we must now lastly offer up Christ too He gave him to us to be an offering for us to sanctifie all our offerings for a blessing to us to bless all our blessings And for the imperfection of all our righteousness offerings and sacrifices prayers and praises and blessings to make them accepted which in themselves and their weak performances no way deserve he was given us to offer His perfection will make amends for our imperfections his purity for our impurities his strength for our weakness and for them when we have done all we can to be accepted we must offer him or have all rejected We must when we begin to bless turn our selves with old Iacob to this Caput lectuli this beds-head whereon only the soul can rest or leaning upon the top of this Staff as the Apostle renders it the only staff wherein old Israel trusts the only staff whereon we rely for mercy and acceptance This is the name of the Angel in whom only we are to bless in whom only we are blest in whom either God blesses us or we him This is the sum he the chief of all our oblations all our blessings by oblation and the blessing both of our resolutions and endeavours all without whom we can do neither the one nor other neither resolve good nor practice it He therefore is to be offered with all thankfulness to God by us his merits only to be pleaded by us and the form of all our blessing thus to run Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy holy Son the Child Iesus give the praise It was not our own arm that helped us to him 't is not our own arms that can hold him 't is not our own strength that can keep him 't is not our own hands that can present any offering worthy of the least acceptance To God only therefore be the praise to Chrìst only the merit of all our blessings Thus are we lastly to pray too that God would accept us and our blessing Bless him with our petitions 1. That he would please to pardon all our sins or pass by all our weaknesses in this days in every days performance our neglects our coldnesses our drinesses our wearinesses and all the issues of our infirmities any ways That 2. he would accept our offerings and be pleased with us in his Son accept us in his beloved That 3. he would grant us the benefit of that holy Sacrament which we have this day received all the benefits of his Death and Passion the full remission of all our sins and the fulness of all his graces signified and conveyed by those dreadful mysteries That 4. he would particularly arm us every one of us against their particular corruptions with strength and grace proportionable to every one and effectual to us all For proper and particular petitions rising from the sense of our several necessities are this day proper to be askt and as easie to be obtained whilst it is his own day in which he invited us to him and will deny us nothing that we shall earnestly faithfully and devoutly ask him For this also to pray to petition is benedicere and it is a way of blessing God to offer up our prayers thereby acknowledging and confessing his power and goodness which is no less in other words than to praise and bless him He that offers praise honours him and he that presents prayers professes and proclaims him Almighty Father gracious and good and glorious God at the very first dash God blessed for evermore Light up now your Candles at this evening Service for the glory of your morning Sacrifice 't is Candlemas Become we all burning and shining lights to do honour to this day and the blessed armful of it Let your souls shine bright with grace your hands with good works Let God see it and let man see it so bless we God Walk we as Children of the light as so many walking lights and offer we our selves up like so many holy Candles to the Father of light But be sure we light all our lights at this babes eyes that lies so enfolded in our arms and neither use nor acknowledge any other light for better than darkness that proceeds from any other but this eternal light upon whom all our best thoughts and words and works must humbly now attend like so many petty sparks or rays or glimmerings darted from and perpetually reflecting thankfully to that glorious light from this day beginning our blessing God the only lightsome kind of life till we come to the land of light there to offer up continual praises sing endless Benedicite's and Allelujahs no longer according to the Laws or Customs upon earth but after the manner of Heaven and in the Choire of Angels with holy Simeon and Anna and Mary and Ioseph all the Saints in light and glory everlasting Amen Amen He of his mercy bring us thither who is the light to conduct us thither he lead us by the hand who this day came to lie in our arms he make all our offerings accepted who was at this Feast presented for us he bless all our blessings who this day so blessed us with his presence that we might bless him again and he one day in our several due times receive our spirits into his hands our souls into his arms our bodies into his rest who this day was taken corporally into Simeons arms has this day vouchsafed to be spiritually taken into ours Iesus the holy Child the eternal Son of God the Father To whom with the holy Spirit be all honour and praise and glory and blessing from henceforth for evermore Amen A SERMON ON THE First Sunday in Lent 2 COR. vi 2. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation ANd truly such a time is worth beholding For the business of it here being of no less concernment than Gods reconciling us to himself ver 18 19. of the former Chapter the committing the word and office of this reconciliation to his Ministers ver 20. of the
time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing to refrain from all wanton and loose embraces and pour out our selves wholly into the arms of our Blessed Iesus 9. 'T is a time to get and a time to lose to get Heaven by violence and lose Earth our worldly goods so the worldling counts it upon Alms and Charities to cast away Earth to purchase Heaven 10. 'T is a time to keep and a time to cast away to keep all good resolutions and cast away the bad ones 11. 'T is a time to rent and a time to sew to rent and tear off all ill habits and to begin good ones 12. 'T is a time to keep silence and a time to speak to keep silence from bad words all idle ad wanton and scurrilous language and give our selves to good discourses 13. 'T is a time of love and a time of hate to love God and hate our selves or love our souls and hate our sins 14. 'T is in a word a time of War and a time of Peace to make war against all our ghostly enemies the flesh the Devil and the world and reconcile our selves to God our Neighbour and the Church To all these purposes serves the time of Lent for them 't was instituted at first and for them it is continued and can any Christian now think it should not be accepted upon such a score as this or are any days liker the day of salvation than those that are spent thus or it is our own fault if it be not or is any time more fit to be stil'd an accepted time than this that is the very comprehension of all times a time every way fitted up for all the designs of salvation for calling publick offenders to accompt for putting notorious sinners to open penance for reconciling penitents and receiving them again into the Church for promoting piety and vertue for admitting Proselytes to holy Baptism at the end of it for preparing all of us for the Blessed Eucharist all the way by solemn prayers and preaching more than at other times by fastings and watchings and holy retirements and strict devotions and every way conforming us to the image of Christ the fasting and dying and rising with him that we may so also be accepted by him These were the practices of Lent in the Primitive Church of Christ wish'd and call'd for too in Ours in the Epistles and Collects for it and the Commination that begins it And by the afflictions and necessities and distresses and labours and watchings and fastings and pureness c. that follow immediately upon the Text things all so answering to this time I cannot say but the Text may stand as an In diebus illis a kind of prophetick designation at least of this time of Lent has caus'd the words I am sure to be so applied by many of the Antients and made a part by us also of the Lent Office But this very time so dilatory are we and so ready to put off holy duties is yet perhaps too large and these forty days too many to close us to our work Nay the day has many hours twelve says Christ to walk in And if we may guess from our ordinary guise and custom we are like enough to defer all to the last hour I must set an accent therefore upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Now. Now Lent or not Now fast we or fast we not Now is the very time we must begin our reconcilement look to our salvation that though the name of Lent should be distasteful as too much it is yet however we may not slip our time 'T is the only sure part of time we have the present the only day of salvation for peradventure e're the next moment we are gone and clearly cast without the confines of it Not only then to day whilst it is called to day but even Now whilst it is called Now is the sure Now of salvation To all these Now 's God here points us by an Ecce Behold now is the c. IV. And indeed it is no more than needs that he should point and set us out some time even to accept our own salvation Time and times pass over us and we think not of it A piece of Land a Wife a yoke of Oxen are more thought upon every day than that We our selves do but little mind it I am sure we live as if we did not much The Church cannot get us to it with all the Fasts and Feasts she sets us Our Ministers the Embassadours that are sent about it perswade little with us we had need of Prophet and Apostle too to say it over and over again unto us and 't is so in the verse we have the Text in The Lords day it self did it not bear his name upon it would as easily vanish into a neglect as all other Holy days 'T is only the opinion that he himself commanded or appointed that which keeps it up a while above the rest whether so or no we dispute not now It is not to the Text. These things I shall tell you are there without dispute 1. Set days and times are there times set apart for the promoting of our salvation particular ones too Ecce nunc tempus nunc dies Times 2. that are so set are so far from hindering that they are even the very days of salvation Times 3. may so still be set by the Apostles or their successors they have the power to design them with St. Paul here to put the nunc upon them Times lastly so set have an Ecce upon them somewhat more upon them than other days are to be observed to be accepted Do we therefore now accordingly says my last particular Behold them and accept them Behold now is the c. V. Behold 1. and take notice such a time there is such a day as we have been speaking of Christ himself was anointed to preach and publish it St. Luke iv 19. the acceptable year of the Lord. The Apostles were sent with the like Commission ver 19. of the former Chapter of this Epistle and they beseech us to take notice of it ver 20. whilst they pray us in Christs stead to be reconciled upon it Behold therefore 2. and again behold it that is not only take notice of it that may be perhaps a little by the by but consider it There 's a double Ecce upon it take notice of that and sit down and lay it to your hearts and chew it over and and over say thus within thy self God has been gracious to me from time to time expected me long from day to day proffering me grace proffering me salvation even beseeching and entreating me to accept them Lord what is man Lord what is man that thou shouldest be thus mindful of him that thou shouldest so regard him that thou shouldest thus follow him from one end of the year unto another from one accepted time to another from Feast to Feast
to run from when they will hinder our course and such as in such times as these are not to be expected by them that faithfully and stoutly run the Christian race that hold out their course in true Religion and the obedience of Christ and the Communion of his Church Heaven only it is we are to run to and Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith our infinite and exceeding great reward and the joy which was set before him it is we are to look to to no other recompence of reward no other recompencer and rewarder But to him and to that lastly now we are to look if he himself set the joy of the right hand of the Throne of God before his eyes that he might the better endure the cross and despise the shame and so run the race that his Father set him as it is Heb. xii 2. if he had an eye to the recompence of reward well certainly may we set such a consideration before us and they talk they know not what that deny it God allures us by rewards and Christ himself preaching the Gospel began it with this encouragement to incite us to listen to it because the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand St. Matth. iv 17. Set we then those joys before us and fear not look we in all our tribulations and sufferings upon them to comfort and uphold us in all our difficulties to encourage us in all our devotions to enflame us Consider we that all we do that all we suffer is nothing to be compared to the Crown of Glory that is laid up for us that all our pains and labour going and running and sweating and blowing for Christ is not to be mentioned or thought upon so that at last we may obtain IV. Yet to keep our spirits in awe and keep down our pride that is likely to arise sometimes upon our well running and to make us diligent and constant in our course let us remember it is but a may obtain the while we may miss as well shall too if we run not orderly or give out 'T is no more than we shall reap if we faint not Gal. vi 9. If we fail or faint we shall not our Kingdom is removed our Crown is gone Work we then our salvation out with fear and trembling as the Apostle advises us Phil. ii 12. that 's the way to make us so to run as to obtain There 's no such certainly to obtain as some imagine and delude themselves with no peremptory decree for their obtaining though they run how they will nor any peremptory order neither that they shall run in their due time whether they will or no that God will force them either to the Race or to the Crown either to run or to obtain 'T is a common but the greatest vanity and fallacy in the world to think to get to Heaven without pains to go thither with all kind of pomp and ease and pleasures to have our portion here and hereafter too 'T is no such matter the way is strait and narrow that leads thither says he that came to shew it St. Mat. vii 14. and a race here we have to run for it and all the way but a may a possibility or a probability not a necessity to obtain it Look we carefully to our feet apply we our selves diligently to our course to run the ways of righteousness and peace of holiness and salvation Let us often look up to Heaven and the Crown of Glory laid up there to add wings and spirit to us and look we also down sometimes to the dangers by the way and fear our selves and maâ—â— our steps lest we chance to stumble and fall to grow faint or weary but that we may run lawfully carefully speedily chearfully stoutly patiently and constantly to the end that so running we may obtain the end of our hopes the crown of of our joy the salvation of our souls and the redemption of our bodies everlasting life and eternal glory Which c. A SERMON ON THE Fifth Sunday in Lent 1 COR. ix 25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things Now they do it to obtain a corruptible Crown but we an incorruptible THe Text is a comparison between the worldly Combatant and the spiritual between the wrastler of this World and the wrastler with it between him that strives for the mastery over others and him that strives for the mastery over himself between the contenders in the Olympick Games and the contender in the Christian Race And 't is an apt and fit comparison Olympus in the Heathen Poets is commonly used for heaven so the Olympick exercises may well be used to resemble those for heaven and the heavenly Crown likened to the Olympick Garland without any offence though with all advantage And 't is as seasonable as fit This holy time of Lent is a time of striving for the mastery with our corruptions with our corruptible for Gods incorruptible a time of holy exercises upon the corruptible earth to obtain a Crown incorruptible in the heavens And 't is somewhat more accommodate and easie to our natures as much as temperance is than fasting as partial abstinence from inordinacy and excess than abstaining altogether Which makes me hope it will be as profitable as either fit or seasonable or accommodate to teach us by comparing our selves with the Wrastlers of the World our work with theirs our reward with theirs to do as much as they Indeed it should be more as our work is more honourable than theirs more honourable to master our selves than others our own unruly beastly passions than any man or beast whatever and our Crown more worth than theirs incorruptible than corruptible and the obtaining it every way as easie if we would but think it so or set seriously to think of it what they do and what they do it for how much they do and how little they do it for what we do and for what we do it how little we do and for how much we do it how little they get for so much how much we may get for so little This is the Sum of the Text and the intent is to perswade us to be as industrious and careful for a Crown of glory as they are for a Crown of grass to take as much pains for the praise of God as they did for the applause of men to do and suffer as much for heaven as they for less than earth for a few leaves that grow out of it And both the one is the better to be understood the other the more likely to be perswaded if I keep the parts of the Comparison together and do not sunder them but compare them as we go The two Combatants The two strivings The two Dietings or Preparations The two Crowns The two Combatants the Temporal and Spiritual The Temporal he that striveth for the Mastery Qui in agone contendit The Spiritual We St. Paul and
there is to buffeting our selves keeping under our bodies and bringing them into subjection St. Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 27. making our eyes and bodies as it were black and blew by watchings and fastings cuffing or buffeting our eyes for looking after our ears for listning to our bodies for doing punishing all our powers and senses for acting any thing that is evil a being buffeted too 2. by Satan when we forget to buffet our selves 2 Cor. xii 7. Cuffing and buffeting sufficient to be found in the Christians exercise 3. Quoiting or casting casting away any weight that hinders us any sin that does beset us Heb. xii 1. removing every stone of offence giving no offence to any in any thing that our Ministry be not blamed 2 Cor. vi 3. that nothing we do nothing we omit neither our doing or our not doing be a stone of stumbling whereby our brother may justly stumble or is offended or is made weak Rom. xiv 21. Throw all such stones out of the way and strive who shall so come nearest that great corner stone Christ Iesus or the mark of your high calling of God in Christ Iesus Phil. iii. 14. 4. Leaping also is to be found among the Christians exercises skipping and leaping for joy at the glad tidings of the Gospel leaping and praising God with the lame man that was healed Acts iii. 8. striving who shall leap farthest in it leaping with Abraham St. Ioh. viii for so the word signifies to see the day of Christ Leaping with holy David before the Ark 2 Sam. vi 16. rejoycing and leaping for joy in the day of our sufferings for Christ St. Luke vi 23. making it one of our daily exercises and businesses to praise and magnifie God and rejoyce in him in all his days and ways and dispensations strive with one another who shall do it most who shall go farthest in it 5. Running we every where meet in the Christians course running the race which is set before us Heb. xii 1. so running as we may obtain in the verse before the Text. Christianity it self is stiled a race the Christian Law the Law of it the Christian the runner his life the course heaven the goal nothing more ordinary Besides these five single exercises in the Grecian there was a sixth mixt or compounded of wrestling and cuffing both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they called it But in Christianity all are joyned all are sometimes exercised together the Christian must be skilled and well exercised in all wrestle against the World the Flesh and Devil wrestle with God cuff and buffet himself suffer the buffettings of Satan too sometimes cast away all weights and stones of hinderance and offence leap and run with joy and eagerness the race which is set before us looking unto Iesus always in all these looking unto him that is both the author and finisher of our faith Heb. xii 2. And being thus wholly to be kept in exercise it will be convenient nay necessary now to fit and prepare our selves so to diet and order our selves that we may so perform them as to obtain the day to get the victory to be temperate in all things as well as any wrestler or runner of them all There are four several interpretations of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we here render temperate The first is what here we find it to be temperate to keep a certain set diet whereby their bodies might be best strengthned and enabled made nimble and active so it signifieth to the Wrestlers To observe a spare and moderate diet such as may most advantage the souls business best subdue the body and quicken the spirit be it abstinence from some or sometimes from all kinds of meat and drink so it signifies to the Christian This the Christians as the other the Wrestlers diet Very exact and punctual were they that strove for the masteries in their observances kept their rules and times and kind of diet I would the Christian now were but half so much to his rule and order Indeed I must confess theirs was not sometimes a moral temperance it was sometimes to fulness yet still such as was prescribed and most conducible to their end If we would observe as much those abstinences which most make to the enabling us in our spiritual race or combat I shall desire no more there indeed fasting and all temperance will come in will be the Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Christians being temperate in all things A thing so necessary that St. Ierome says no less than Difficile imo impossibile est ut praesentibus quis futuris fruatur bonis ut his ventrem ibi mentem expleat ut de deliciis transeat ad delicias ut in utroque seculo primus sit ut in coelo in terrâ appareat gloriosus It is hard nay impossible no less says he to enjoy both present and future goods our good things here and hereafter too to fill the belly here and the soul hereafter to pass from pleasure into pleasure from fulness into fulness to be first in earth and heaven too glorious in both He must feed spare here that looks to be fed full there be temperate in all earthly delights and satisfactions that looks for heavenly either in the other world or in this either for the full body stifles the soul and we are not more unwieldy in body when the belly is over full then the soul is then Fulness oppresses even the natural spirits makes us we cannot even breath freely for the while enough to shew us our rational spirits are not likely to be freeer to breath or evaporate themselves to Heaven or Heaven-wards whilst the very natural ones themselves are so opprest From temperance and moderation we cannot be excused neither in meat nor drink nor any thing whatever weakness may excuse from fasting so necessary a disposing of us it is to all Christian piety and goodness yea and a Christian vertue too it self Gal. v. 23. The word may yet 2. be rendred continence so it seems to be taken Tit. i. 8. where 't is distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sober or temperate and joyn'd next to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy clean or pure A point observed by those agonothletae to abstain from Wine and Women for the time of their providing themselves against those games So the Poet. Qui cupit optatam cursu contingere metam abstinuit vino Venere And our Apostle tells us of such a kind of temporary continence very convenient for those Christians that more especially addict themselves to the Christian exercises particularly of Prayer and Fasting chap. 7. of this Epistle ver 5. But no time but commands Continence and Chastity to all Christians whosoever that no uncleanness be so much as named among them for it becomes not Saints Ephes. v. 3. it becometh not the Gospel of Christ which is a doctrine of all holiness and purity Nothing
the Visiting his coming in unto her In the Salutation there is to be considered both the Form of it and the Titles in it 1. The Form threefold 1. Hail 2. The Lord is with thee 3. Blesed art thou or be thou blessed Sis benedicta it may be as well as es 2. The Titles given her they three too Thou that art highly favoured that 's one Blessed thou that 's another Blessed among women that 's the third These all so evident and so plain that none can miss them But to these two Points two more are to be added The Grounds and Bounds of these great titles 1. The Ground of this high blessedness and favour 1. Full of grace so our old Translation and the old Latine render it her fulness of grace and goodness that 's one 2. But the Lord is with thee that 's the main thence all her blessedness thereby it is that she is so highly favoured because the Lord is with her 2. The Bounds or Limitation of these titles they come first with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no other form then what is and hath been given unto men though great they be yet divine they be not The greatest Title secondly is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from meer grace and favour Thirdly It must still too acknowledge Dominus tecum She hath a Lord is a Subject as well as we And lastly All her blessedness is but inter mulieres among women how much soever she excels all vvomen she is but inter mulieres among such Creatures in the rank of Creatures no Goddess nor partner vvith the Godhead either in title or vvorship By considering and laying all these Points together vve shall both vindicate the blessed Virgins honour as vvell from all superstitious as prophane abuses and our selves from all neglect of any duty to the mother of our Lord one so highly favoured and blessed by him whilst we give her all that either Lord or Angel gave her but yet dare not give her more And now Dominus mecum and Dominus vobiscum too the Lord be with me whilst I am speaking it and with you whilst you are hearing it and bless us both whilst we are about it that we may learn to bless where we should bless whom and when and how to do it and rightly both accept and apply God's blessings and our own We are now to learn it from the Angel his visiting and blessing the blessed Virgin here His visit and his Salutation to her But his visit or visitation that stands first Where the visiter the visited and his visit the Angel the Virgin and his coming into unto her are all to be considered And the Angel came in unto her And who so fit as an Angel to come into her to give this visit to give this blessing It was a bad Angel that brought the curse upon the woman 't was fit a good one should bring the blessing The imployment 2. suits none so well 'T was news of joy who could bring it better than one of those who were the first sons of eternal joy the first enjoyers of it who could pronounce it better Who fitter 3. to come with a Dominus tecum before the face of the Lord with a message of his coming down to earth than they who always behold his face in heaven St. Mat. xviii 10. Who fitter 4. to come to her she was an immaculate and unspotted Virgin and to whom do Virgins Chambers lie ope at midnight but to Angels God sends no other thither at that time of night and that that time it was may be well conjectured from Wisdom xviii 14 15. When all things were in quiet silence and that night was in the midst of her swift course Thine Almighty Word came down from Heaven then it seems was the time of her Conception of Christs coming to her before whom immediately the Angel came to bring the message that he was a coming if as St. Bernard says he were not come already And 5. with such a message to a Virgin as that she should conceive without a man who was convenient to bring it but an Angel Ne quo degenere depravaret affectu says St. Ambrose that there might not be the least ground of a false suspition But 6. to such a Virgin one so highly favour'd as to be made the mother of God for the mother of Christ is no less he being God what messenger could come less than an Angel Prophets and Patriarchs were too little for so great an embassage and Angels never came upon a greater Nay 7. every Angel neither was not fit for so high an Office The Angel Gabriel it was he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here Gabriel is by St. Hierom and St. Gregory interpreted Fortitudo Dei the Power or strength of God and in this work it appear'd indeed Gods strength and power never so much shewn as in the saving of us by Christ. It is by others 2. interpreted Vir Deus or Deus nobiscum God man or God with us Could any be thought fitter to bring this news upon his lips than he that carries it in his name Especially 3. being the same that foretold all this to Daniel Dan. ix 21. fit that he should see to the performance who brought the promise 4. Petrus Damiani thinks he was the holy Virgins Guardian Angel proper therefore to bring her this good message or any else 5. God had several times employed him before to Daniel Zachary and others and found hm faithful he therefore now employs him still that we may know he that is faithful in the least God will by degrees trust him with the most the greatest matters In a word Angels drove us out of Paradise and now they come to let us in again Then they placed a Sword to keep us out now they bring the word to let us in None now you see more fit for this business than an Angel than the Angel Gabriel too whether we respect the persons either from whom or to whom the message comes or the message or the time or the way and order of it So we have done with him come we now to her a greater than He if we may speak with Epiphanius and some others Yet I shall not give her other Titles than the Scripture gives her I am afraid to give her such as many do A Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of the house of David she was and her name was Mary in the verse before the Text. 1. Of royal descent and linage 2. Espoused to an Husband of the same Kingly house 3. Of a name very answerable to her greatness Of Davids Seed for so her Son the Messiah was to be A Virgin for of such a one he was to come Semen mulieris not maris from the beginning the womans seed and not the mans so necessarily a Virgin then and so plainly foretold to be by Isaiah Isa. vii 14. A Virgin shall conceive and
to unsaint the Saints to deny them their proper titles to level them with the meanest of our Servants We might learn better manners from the Angel here manners I say if it were nothing else for we dare not speak so to any here that are above us and we think much to be Thou'd without our titles by that new generation of possessed men who yet with more reason may call the best man thou then we the Apostles Iohn or Thomas But to descend to a particular survey of these Titles here Thou that art highly favoured so our new Translation renders it Full of grace so our old one hath it from the Latin Gratia plena and both right for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will carry both Grace is favour God's Grace is divine favour high in grace high in his favour full of his grace full of his favour all comes to one Now there is Gratia Creata and Increata Created grace and uncreated grace Created grace is either sanctifying or edifying the gifts of the Holy Spirit that sanctifie and make us holy or the gifts that make us serviceable to make others so The first to serve God in our selves as Faith Hope Charity and other graces The second to serve him in the Church such as the gift of Tongues of Prophesie of Healing and the like of each kind she had her fulness according to her measure and the designation that God appointed her For sanctifying Graces none fuller Solo Deo excepto God only excepted saith Epiphanius And 't is fit enough to believe that she vvho vvas so highly honoured to have her Womb filled vvith the body of the Lord had her soul as fully fill'd by the Holy Ghost For edifying Graces as they came not all into her measure she vvas not to preach to administer to govern to play the Apostle and therefore no necessity she should be full of all those gifts being those are not distributed all to any but unicuique secundum mensuram to every one according to his measure and employment and not at all times neither so neither is she said to be less ful for vvanting them There is one fulness of the Fountain another of the Brook another of a Vessel one fulnes of the Sea another of the River another of the Pond and yet all may be full Christ himself is said to be full of the Holy Ghost and St. Stephen is said to be full and others said to be full yet Christ as the Sea or Fountain they as the Rivulets or Rivers and yet all as they can hold 'T is so in Earth 't is so in Heaven And vvith such a fulness as the Brooks or Rivers is our Virgin full and with no other Where any edifying Grace vvas necessary for her she had it as well as others more perhaps than others Where it vvas not necessary it vvas no vvay to the impairing of her fulness though she had it not as the banks of the Rivers rose or the Channel was enlarged so were those graces but inter mulieres among women at the end makes me incline to think the fulness of Apostolick endowments do not any way belong to her women not being suffered in the times of the Apostles but to teach their children or servants at home never thought so full of the Spirit as to be sent to blow it all abroad And indeed it is not said here full of the Spirit but full of Grace and that is commonly understood of sanctifying Grace of which it is very convenient that we believe none fuller than she and the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not inforce it much higher in the business of created grace But in respect of the increated Grace that is of Christ with whom she was now so highly favoured as to be with Child none ever so filled with Grace indeed This was a grace of the highest nature of which created nature was never capable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well rendred highly highly favoured for 't is most highly can be imagined and this is her first title O thou that art highly favoured high in Gods grace and favour so high as to be made his Mother then sure made a fit receptacle for so great so holy a guest by the fulness of all grace and goodness From this follows the second Title Blessed blessed of God blessed of men blessed in the City and blessed in the Field Cities and Countreys call her blessed Blessed in the fruit of her body in her blessed Child Iesus Blessed in the fruit of her Ground her Cattel her Kine and her Sheep in the inferiour faculties of her soul and body all fructifie to Christ. Blessed her Basket and her Store her Womb and her Breasts the Womb that bare him and the Paps that gave him suck Blessed in her going out and in her coming in the Lord still being with her The good treasure of Heaven still open to her showring down upon her and the Earth fill'd with the blessings which she brought into the world when she brought forth the Son of God Blessed she indeed that was the Conduit of so great blessings though blessed most in the bearing him in her soul much more than bearing him in her body So Christ intimates to the woman that began to bless the Womb that is the Mother that bear him St. Luke xi 27. yea rather says he they that hear the word of God and keep it As if he had said she is more blessed in bearing the word in her soul than in her body But blessed she is Elizabeth by the Holy Spirit fell a blessing her when she came to see her And she her self by the same Spirit tells us all generations shall call her blessed ver 28. So we have sufficient example and authority to do it And I hope we will not suffer the Scripture to speak false but do it And 3. do it to her above all women Benedicta tu in mulieribus That 's her third Title Most blessed none so blessed none ever had Child so blessed none ever bore or brought forth Child as she Benedicta in mulieribus Blessed among women She indeed only blessed all others subject to the curse of in dolore paries of conceiving and bringing forth in sorrow She wholly free from that she a perpetual Virgin before and in and after Child-birth Christ came into her Womb insensibly came forth as it were insensibly too without groan or sorrow to her Blessed 2. among women they all henceforth saved by her Child-bearing notwithstanding she that is woman shall be saved in child-bearing 1 Tim. ii ie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by her child-bearing says a learned Commentator not their own but hers by the Child she bore and they therefore shall call her blessed Blessed 3. among women that is none more blessed then the best the highest of them none above the Mother of God none sure so good as she which now brings me to consider the grounds of all this honour
measure and order in them to profess none that are wicked or only vain and curious and to no profit to submit our knowledge to faith and our determination to the Churches not to over-value them or our selves by them but only make them hand-maids to guide us to the Cross of Christ and there with Mary Magdalen and the good women stand weeping at it not to know any of them otherwise to resolve and determine nothing of Christ by them and not to know them where they will know no submission and order I come now to our knowledge and 't is indeed the only saving one Iesus Christ and him crucified nothing save that nothing to that For you may now take notice that it is not an absolute determination not to know a decree for ignorance but a determination with a But not any thing save then save something something to be known still Some have been blam'd for making Ignorance the mother of Devotion yet themselves that blam'd them have advanc'd it to be the mother of Religion now whilst they set up meer ignorants I might say more to be the Apostles of it fit teachers I confess of their Religion which so much abhors the Cross of Christ as to cast it off their own shoulders upon other mens and the name of Iesus as to reckon it superstition to respect it But this great Preacher of the Cross as much as he seems determined not to know had yet languages more than all these Corinthians he writes to tells them of it too 1 Cor. xiv 18. though he will not boast of it disputes even in Corinth in the Synagogue of the Iews Acts xix 8. and in the Schools of the Gentiles ver 9. quotes Heathen Poets too to the men of Athens Acts xvii 28. and to Titus Tit. i. 12. that we may know that the preachers of the Gospel may read other Books besides the Bible shall never read that to understand it if they do not 'T is only in some cases and with some persons we are not to make profession of them and meerly too upon private determination as our own wisdom and prudence shall direct us not that God or Christ has determined the least against it God would have his people to seek his Law at the mouth of the Priest Malachy ii 7. and adds the reasons because his lips should keep knowledge And Christ Iesus though he made poor simple Fishermen his Apostles to divulge his Gospel yet he would not have the blind lead the blind for fear of falling both into the ditch St. Matth. xv 14. and therefore promises to give them wisdom St. Luke xxi 15. such wisdom as all their adversaries should not be able to gain-say and sends down the Holy Ghost with the gifts of tongues to sit upon them all so little is there to be said for the ignorant and unlearned mans teaching from them who before they went about that work were so highly furnished and endued And though the Apostle here resolve the Corinthians to make no profession of those great knowledges yet it is to shame them only from the great estimate and confidence they set upon them and reduce them to humility and into order and to edifie them that he chooses and prefers to speak among them but five words in a known tongue before all languages to no purpose And indeed all tongues are too little to speak of that the Apostle is here about Iesus Christ and him crucified all knowledges not sufficient to make us know him and teach him as we should We had need have all tongues and knowledges all words and eloquence to set it forth Well then at least let us about it to see what it is to know Iesus Christ and him crucified 'T is the determination of this determined knowledge to Christ to Christ Iesus to Christ Iesus crucified to this only and no other object among them A knowledge this the most profitable the most happy the most glorious even eternal life it is to know Iesus Christ St. Iohn xvii 3. Nor does his Crucifying abate any thing of the glory of it St. Paul makes it his only glory Gal. vi 14. with a God forbid that he should glory in any thing as here not know any thing else but in the Cross of the Lord Iesus Christ. Indeed hence flows all our happiness the wound in his side is the hole of the rock in which only the soul can lie secure the water that issued out thence is the only laver to cleanse it in the blood the only drink it lives by the wood of the Cross the only tree of life the title of it better to us than all the titles of the earth the reproach of it better than all the honours of the world the pains of it sweeter than all the pleasures under heaven the wounds better cordials and restoratives to a sick soul than all the Physick nature or skill affords There is not a grain of that holywood but of more worth than all the grains of Gold that the Indies can afford There is not a vain in that crucified Body of Iesus but it runs full with heavenly comfort to us There is nothing in Christ crucified but man glorified Who indeed would not be determined to fix all his knowledge here to dwell here for ever but so immense and vast is this happy subject that I must limit it yet I shall give you notions that you may improve whilst I tell you to know Christ crucified is to know him as we do other things by the four causes of it the efficient the material the formal and the final So to know him is to know who crucified him for what he was crucified how it was he was crucified and to what end he was crucified It was his own love that mov'd him to it it was God that sent him and delivered him up to it it was Iudas that betrayed him to it it was both the Iews and Gentiles that had the hand in doing it And what know we hence but this his infinite goodness Gods unspeakable mercies mans base ingratitude this mystery in all how vastly Gods purposes and mans differ in the same business how infinitely good and gracious God is even where men are most wicked and unthankful Know we then the material cause of his sufferings for a second and the matter for which he suffer'd was our iniquities for the transgressions of my people says the Prophet was he smitten Isa. liii 8. And to know this is to deplore it to abhor and detest our selves who were the causes of so vile using the Son of God Know we 3. and consider the formal cause the manner of his crucifying a death most cruel most lingring most ignominious to have his back all furrowed with whips and rods to hang naked upon the Cross by the hands and feet and them nailed to it through the most tender parts where all the organs of sense are quickest to be given vinegar and
not find him she called to him but he gave her no answer Cant. v. 6. and thereupon tells the Daughters of Hierusalem ver 8. that she is sick of love that is so perplext and troubled at his absence that she is not able to hold up her head any longer no more than these are here Nothing certainly but doubts and perplexities can involve us vvhen vve have either lost our love or fear it to be sure nothing but doubts vvhen vve have lost him vvho is the only truth that can resolve us nothing but perplext ways when we have lost him who is the Way Which way can we resolve on when our way is gone What can we think can hold him whom the Grave cannot If in a seal'd Sepulchre under a mighty stone the dead body be not safe where can we think to sit down in security To lose a token or remembrance of a friends how are we troubled but to have his body stoll'n out of the Sepulchre his Grave rifled and his ashes violated how impatiently would we take it You cannot blame them for being much perplext for so great a loss I shall shew it greater in the Mystery The body is the Church and to have that taken from us the Church that glorious Candlestick removed and born away we know not whither what good soul is there that must not necessarily be perplexed at it What way shall we take when they have taken away that which is the Pillar of the truth and should lead us in it Whither shall we go when we know not whither that is gone where they have laid it or where to find it Poor ignorant women nay and men too may well now wander in uncertainties as they do full of doubts and perplexities full of cares and troubled thoughts which way to take what Religion to run to what to leave and what to follow seeing the body to which the Eagles use to flock the most Eagle-eyed the most subtile and learned used to be gathered is removed away and we have nothing to gather to scarce a place to be gathered together in Well may we now fear 2. what will become of us and what God means to do to us how he intends to deal with us having thus suffered our Lord to be taken from us Afraid they were that they had lost him quite I pray God we may have no cause to fear the same fear When Christ was but asleep the Apostles were afraid at a blast of wind that rose St. Mat. viii 25. and cry out they perish whilst he but sleeps Any thing scares us if Christ watch not over us not the visions only of the night but the very noises of the day any light air or report afrights us and blows us which way it please to any side any faction out of fear What hold then is there of us what little thing will not scare us when he is absent quite When his body the Church is removed from us where can we stay our wavering souls or fix our trembling feet Christ was no sooner dead and gone but away run all his Disciples into a room together and shut up themselves for fear of the Iews St. Ioh. xx 19. so coward-like and faint-hearted are we all when the Captain of our Salvation is slain before us nor can it be other all our life being hid in him and all our spirit only from his presence Part of these womens fear at least was at the sight and congress of the Angels Even Angels themselves do but scare us if the Lord of the Angels be not by us Nay even God himself is but a terror to us and a consuming fire without Christ 't is with him only under the shadow and shelter of his wings that we dare approach that inaccessible light that consuming fire Lose we Christ and we lose all our confidence in heaven all the ways of access to heavenly things all the pleasure and comfort of them we are nothing but agues and fears and frights not courage enough even to look up we with these perplexed souls go 3. bowing down our faces to the earth Thou didst hide thy face from me says holy David and I was troubled the very hiding of Gods face sore troubled him What think you to hide his whole body would do then Why then he goes mourning all the day long Psal. xxxviii 6. So did the two Disciples that went to Emaus ver 17. they walkt sadly and talkt sadly and lookt sadly like men disconsolate and forlorn such as were ashamed to shew their faces in the City after this was come to pass durst not look any body in the face upon it Alas how could it be otherwise with them All their hope was gone he that they lookt should have redeemed Israel could not redeem himself nay his body stoln out of the Grave and conveyed they knew not whither Well may they bow down their faces to the earth having now little hope above in heaven he being gone and lost by whom they only hoped and expected it Indeed if he be either so gone from us that we have no hope to find him or he be found in that condition in which there is no hope as there is none in a dead Saviour where ere he be no wonder if our faces then bend wholly to the earth if we look no further Let us take our portion in this life for we are like to have no other without Christ and Christ risen too hither it is we fall no looking higher not an eye to heaven so much as in a Prayer if we have not per Dominum Iesum Christ Iesus at the end of it in and thorough whom only we can with confidence look for a blessing thence and without whom at the end the Prayer is to no end or purpose II. Yet in as sad a Condition as this we speak of we are not utterly without hope if we again look upon the words at a second view For now 2. they as well decipher to us the condition of those that seek as of those that have lost their Lord and Master We may be as much perplext in our search as at our loss as vvell afraid to miss as startled at our loss as vvell bowdown our faces to the earth in seeking as in sorrovving And thus in the second vievv of the Text it is They had lost their Masters body and vvere now not only troubled at the loss but hovv to find it vvhere to look it Surely take but avvay his body the Church and the vvisest of us vvill scarce know to find him one vvill run this vvay another that vvay after him one vvill stand vveeping at the Sepulchre and think that a sad melancholy posture and business is Religion only another vvill run thence from the Sepulchre as fast as he can and think the finding Christ so easie a business that it does not require either a groan or a sigh others vvill be vvalking to Emaus up and dovvn
and lustre of grace such as may appear unto all men to be such not a few but many many graces all graces obtained by it nay it does not yet appear what we shall be by it but when we shall appear we shall be like him says St. Iohn 1 Ioh. iii. 2. our righteousness and glory last for ever He died once says the Apostle but being raised he dies no more no more did these in the Text no more shall we but live for ever Not only grace and glory but perseverance in the one and eternity in the other apparently no less accruing to us by the vertue and efficacy of his Resurrection good news from the grave the while and from the late rais'd Prisoners of it who are now thirdly as well the pledges of the certainty of our Resurrection as the evidences of the power of Christs A double Pledge we have here of our Resurrection one from the many dead bodies of the Saints that slept arising out of their graves The other from their going into the holy City and their appearng unto many In the first then are four particulars to assure us of it 1. We find dead bodies here arising to assure us such a thing there may be such a thing there is as a Resurrection of the body that bodies be they never so dead may be quickned never so corrupted may rise incorruptible you may see them rising here And 2. Many of them there are that we may see it belongs not only to a few to some particular persons this many is but the usher to St. Pauls all We shall all arise and stand before the judgment Seat of Christ Rom. xiv 10. 3. Saints bodies they are said to be and they are our fellows members of the same body and if one member be honoured all the other members are honoured with it says St. Paul 1 Cor. xii 26. Indeed the bodies of the Saints only shall rise with Christ rise to enter into the holy City but all shall rise for all shall appear every one to receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. v. 10. they that have done good to the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation says he that rose himself to day St. Ioh. v. 29. For all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth ver 28. none be left behind though the best come first The Saints have only the prerogative not the only priviledge of the Resurrection For 4. 't is said the bodies of them that slept that we may know that all that sleep that all that die shall awake again and rise at last He that lies down only to sleep lies down to rise and good and bad how sad soever the ones dreams be how full of terror soever be the wicked mans sleep in death are both said to sleep Ieroboam and Rehoboam Baasha and Omri and Ahab and Ioram are said all of them to sleep with the Fathers as well as David and Solomon and Ioash and Hezekiah obdormierunt simul they all sleep together the sleep of death and so shall likewise arise together though as there is difference in sleep some sweet some horrible so in rising too some sad some joyful when they awake but sleep necessarily intimates and supposes some awaking and rising after it 't is else somewhat more than sleep Thus by the rising of the dead bodies of these Saints so many rising rising as men out of their sleep not as Saints out of a priviledge we have one strong pledge of our Resurrection of which they only lead the van after our great Captain the Lord Iesus Christ. A second we have given us from both their going into the holy City and their appearing unto many It was not in obscuro this thing was not as St. Paul speaks done in a corner not in a house or Church-yard where are all the apparitious we now hear of not in a Country Village no not an ordinary City neither but in the great Metropolis Ierusalem it self call'd holy for what it had been not what it was for it was now the most sinful City or called holy yet for the Temples sake that yet stood firm an item by the way to tell us how long a City may be stil'd holy so long as the Church stands sacred and inviolate in it and no whit longer But be the City holy or not that which is done there by many is not likely a private business has witnesses enow to give credit to it But to put all out of question the there appearing unto many will certifie it was no phantasm no particular fansie or imagination of some silly simple or timorous persons but a business of the greatest certainty whether you take many for the many or many people and folk together or for such who were before chosen as the Apostle speaks to be witnesses to whom the Resurrection should be reveal'd as to men of credit repute and understanding Nor does the word appearing any way prejudice but confirm it the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make plain and certifie to give us a full knowledge and manifestation of a thing so us'd St. Iohn xiv 21. Acts xxiii 21. and xxiv 1. when either persons or things really and truly appear before us So the publickness of the place the number and fitness of the persons and the way and manner of appearance is evidence enough of their real Resurrection and a second pledge to us that it concerns more than themselves though themselves were many even the many they appeared to too whole Cities all Cities holy and unholy all the world of which that City was but an emblem and signification a place from whence God did as it were out of his own house and palace dispence his providence through all the earth and the Saints besides thus going after the Resurrection into the holy City an intimation whether the Saints go when they are risen the whole action a Symbol of what is done in both the first and second Resurrection what we are to do in the one and expect in the other or what is done both in the one and the other and so lastly we now consider it For the similitude the first Resurrection or the Resurrection of the soul from sin to righteousness bears to this of the dead bodies in the Text we have it very like both for thing and order The Graves in which the souls lie buried are either our corruptible bodies or corrupt passions or stony hearts or continued ill customs which so entomb the spirit that it lies dead without any spiritual life and operation The opening of the Graves is the loosing the chains of those earthly affections bodily depressions wicked habits and hardned hearts The souls that are dead in trespasses and sins are those dead bodies fuller of
them 〈…〉 feet of the meanest Christian soul whom thou at at any time despoiled'st of them and either shrink away confounded with our glory or else be glad of a Resurrection as well as we Whilst those miserable wretches that thou so much courtedst and delightedst in and that thy Prince who rul'd and abus'd thee to all his lusts shall down together into eternal misery when those poor despised Christians whom thou so much maligned'st shall reign in glory Miserable they were not here maugre all the world could do against them they had that peace that joy that contentment still within which the world could neither give nor take away They found an unspeakable as well pleasure as glory in their very afflictions and bitterest sufferings being exceeding glad and counting all joy to be made so like their Master whose Ministers or whose Servants they were with him despising the shame and trouble of a contemptible and afflictive life or death for the joy set before them for the hope they saw at the right hand of the Throne of God Thus feeling nothing that could be truly or properly called misery whilst they took pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake as St. Paul professes he did 2 Cor. xii 10. whilst it all serv'd only to their contentment here and augment their happiness and glory hereafter they sure lost nothing then they are not miserable now who are so faln asleep And lift up your heads ye drooping Christians still they shall not be miserable that so at any time fall asleep but rise and live again and be yet more happy every one in their order every star their glory every star a different ray according to their hope and sufferings here as no men so little miserable here if all things be truly pondered so no men so happy hereafter as the Christians they of all men above all men souls and bodies both Pastor and People all that live and die under the glorious hope of a Resurrection by Christ who place not their hopes or affections in this life but in Him and in the other of all men they most blessed most eternally blessed To which blessed estate after this life ended He who is our Hope and who we hope will keep us in it He in whom we trust and I trust shall do so still not for this life only but the other too but for ever He of his mercy convey and bring us all every one in his due time and order even our Lord Iesus Christ. To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise and glory not in this life only but for ever and ever Amen A SERMON UPON Ascension Day PSAL. xxiv 3 4. Vho shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand up in his holy place Even he that hath clean hands and a pure heart and hath not lift up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour WHo shall ascend indeed if none must ascend but he that is clean and pure and without vanity and deceit The question is quickly answered None shall for there is none so dust is our matter so not clean defiled is our nature so not pure lighter the heaviest of us than vanity and deceitful upon the balance the best of us Psal. lxii 9. so no ascending so high for any of us Yet there is one we hear of or might have heard of to day that rose and ascended up on high was thus qualified as the Psalmist speaks of all clean and pure no chaff at all no guile sound in his mouth 1 Pet. ii 22. Yea but it was but one that was so What 's that to all the rest Yes somewhat ' t is He was our head and if the head be once risen and ascended the members will all follow after in their time Indeed 't is not for every one to hope any but such as are of his that follow him that belong to him 'T is a high priviledge that the Psalmist stands admiring at and therefore not for all yet for all that will for a who shall here is a who will set up for all that will accept of the condition Quis ascendet is who will as well as who shall They that will take the pains will do what they can to be clean and pure they shall His innocence and purity shall help out for the rest when they have done their best But if any man will ascend he must do his best must be clean and pure with Christ and through him or he shall not ascend and rise up after him 'T is the Lesson we are to learn from Ascension day to Whitsunday how to ascend after Christ into the hill of the Lord how to rise up in his holy place even to have clean hands and pure hearts not to lift up our minds to vanity or swear to deceive our neighbour to have our hands ascend and our hearts ascend and our minds ascend and our words ascend as into his presence all ascend after him The Psalm is one of them which the Church appoints for Ascension day and I see not but it may very well pass for a kind of Prophesie by way of an extatical admiration at the sight of Christs Ascension So it pass'd with the Fathers and with our Fathers too may so with us for never was it so fulfill'd to a tittle as by Christ and his Ascension He the only he of clean hands and pure heart and holy mouth and holy all he the first that entred heaven that got up the hill that entred into the holy place not made with hands Heb. ix 24 c. Not any doors so properly everlasting as those of heaven nor they ever open'd for any King of glory to come in as it is ver 7. but him I cannot tell how we should expound it otherwise without much more metaphor and figure Yet I will allow it too for the Prophets admiration at the fore-sight of the happiness of Gods peculiar people and their condition that God whose the whole earth is and all its fulness ver 1. should out of all its places choose Sion for his place he whose the World is and all that dwell therein as it follows there should choose out the Iews amongst all the dwellers to dwell among them only to serve him upon that hill that further this God whose all is should still of this all so particularly honour some as to give them the priviledge of his hill and holy place his solemn Worship and Service to go up first into his holy places upon earth and then afterwards ascend into the holy places the heavens for the words mean the one as well as the other Who are they What a sort of people are they that are so happy so much exalted upon the earth and over it 'T is worth the admiring worth the enquiring and we find it presently who they be even such as have clean
hands and pure hearts that lift not up their minds to vanity not their mouths to wickedness or deceit In Sum these are the only men that shall ascend those everlasting hills those eternal holy places that are only worthy to enter into Gods houses and holy places of the earth too obtain those admirable priviledges that are innocent and pure and just and true the only men worth the admiring as the Church and heaven the hill of the Lord and his holy place are the only things are worth it Heaven is for none but such and when we enter into the holy places we should all be such as none have right to enter them indeed but such Well now the business of the Text is in brief the way to Sion and to Heaven to the hill of the Lord and his holy place both that here and that hereafter where we have First the Condition of being admitted thither Then the Condition of them that are The first in the former of the two verses the second in the latter I. The Condition of being admitted or ascending into the hill of the Lord or standing up in his holy place what it is that is what or how great a business it is to be Gods peculiar people to be allow'd to enter into his Courts here and into Heaven at last what it is why 'T is 1. a priviledge some one not every one some few not all Who shall Is all shall not 'T is 2. a high one 'T is an ascent a rise 't is to a hill and the hill of the Lord who shall ascend who shall rise up Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord Who shall rise up 'T is 3. a holy one 't is to the hill of the Lord to a holy place 'T is 4. an admirable one the Prophet starts aside as it were from his discourse and wonders at it who it is should be so honoured 'T is 5. a glorious one For the hill of the Lord is not only an earthly hill his holy place not that only made with hands the words are as appliable to that of Heaven and Glory and so understood 'T is yet 6. hard to be come by 'T is an ascent hard and steep a high Hill no easie Plain raise and rouze our selves up we must to get it stand up to get and keep it And lastly that we may take in all the possible senses of the Text 't is Christs proper priviledge his prae aliis his first and above all others therefore delivered in the Singular Quis not Qui who is he not who are they that shall Though they others also shall yet they but by him he first they after he properly rises and ascends they more properly are rais'd and drawn after him II. The Condition now 2. of them that are so thus admitted to all these priviledges is 1. That they have clean hands That 2. they have pure hearts too That 3. they lift not up their mind to vanity That 4. they swear not deceitfully or to deceive The Priviledge we are to speak of is a real one a high one a holy one an admirable one a glorious one and though hard to be come by yet to be come by though through him The condition upon which we are to come by it 1. Innocency 2. Purity 3. Righteousness 4. Truth yet all too little without him He ascended to this purpose that we also might ascend after him that 's the Lesson we are now to teach you two parts it has the Condition of the Priviledge of the hill of the Lord and the Conditions of our Performance for it the one the Condition to be obtained and the other the Conditions to be performed the admission into the hill of the Lord and his holy place that the Condition to be obtained Innocence and Purity freeness from vanity and deceit they the Conditions to obtain it I now enter upon the first to shew what is the Condition we may ascend to what a great and glorious one it is to ascend into the hill of the Lord and to rise up in his holy place I. Several senses I intimated to you of the words 1. Some understanding by the hill of the Lord and his holy place the material hill and house of Sion and thence our Christian Churches 2. Others the spiritual house and building the faithful and true members of the Church 3. Others the eternal house of heaven the hill of Sion which is above Each of them is called Gods hill or holy place Sion Gods hill Psal. ii 6. and lxviii 15. The Temple his holy place Exod. xxvi 33. The Church the house of God not to be us'd like our own houses and therefore a holy place 1 Cor. xi 22. The Faithful the Temples the Dwellings the Buildings the House of God 1 Cor. iii. 17. 2 Tim. i. 14. 1 Cor. iii. 9. Heb. iii. 6. Heaven lastly is called Mount Sion Heb. xii 2. Rev. xiv 1. The holy place Heb. ix 12. The true Tabernacle and Sanctuary Heb. viii 2. Be it which of these it will or be it all to ascend into any of them is a condition worth the considering to be admitted into Gods House and Temple to be admitted into the Family of true Believers especially to be exalted so high as into heaven To be in any of these Conditions is to be in good condition a Condition which is 1. A Priviledge a peculiar favour not for every body to arrive at 't is a question who shall get it not every one says Christ. The faithful they are a little flock St. Luk. xii 32. A chosen Generation 1 Pet. ii 9. Few there are of such St. Mat. xx 16. only a parcel that Christ has given him by his Father St. Iohn vi 39. To you it is given says he himself St. Mat. xiii 11. to some it is given to some it is not So a priviledge it is to stand thus upon Mount Sion with the Lamb Rev. xiv 1. to be in the number of those that follow him whithersoever he goes And it will prove a Priviledge 2. to be of those that go up to the House of the Lord among them that keep holy day that is that go up to serve him there Now he has not dealt so with any Nation any but his own Psal. cxlvii 20. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord then he will bring me again and shew me his Ark and his Habitation says David 2 Sam. 15. 25. And if a favour it be not to be debarr'd the House of God in Shiloh or Hierusalem is it less think we to be allowed the liberty of Christian Churches to praise God in the great Congregations St. Paul counts it a mercy 2 Thes. ii 1. this gathering together unto him much comfort in it as in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ which is there joyn'd with it Non omnis I am sure we find it all have not the Priviledge we are out of Gods favour
the while and he seems to have no delight in us when he denies us at least to suspend the shewing it as he did there to David when he fled from Absolom a Priviledge sure all count it to have a place to serve God in together there would not else be such contention for it who should and who should not But for that hill of hills 3. far exalted above all hills to ascend thither to be lift so high that 's a priviledge without contradiction 'T is given to none but for whom it is prepared St. Mat. xx 23. few there are that find it St. Mat. vii 14. 't is meerly at our Fathers good pleasure to give it St. Luke xii 32. neither of him that wills nor him that runs but of God that shews mercy we have no other claim but mercy to it Only fear not for all that says Christ St. Luke xii 32. he ushers in the priviledge so And 2. strive to enter too says he for all that though the gate be streight 't is not impassable for them that strive and labour for it And then 3. too admire his goodness say we who yet leaves ope the gate to enter to any penitent sinner that will strive and labour for it who sets up a Si quis in the Market-place sets it upon the doors and skreens of our Churches and Chappels sets his Prophets too to proclaim and cry it Who will ascend who will come and stand up in his holy place come serve him here a while and reign with him for ever This Priviledge though all attain not to is not such as any are absolutely excluded from that no more enjoy it is because they voluntarily exclude themselves they shall not because they will not take the pains 't is no Decree against any though a Priviledge for some Such a one indeed it is and a high one too a high Priviledge 2. to be Sons and Heirs to the most High can be no less to be raised so to the tops of the hills above all the Nations of the World You only have I known of all the Families of the earth Amos iii. 2. to be the only men that God knows that he takes notice of in the World to be a Kingly Priesthood 1 Pet. ii 9. made Kings and Priests Rev. i. 6. this is high And High it is 2. too to be admitted into his House and holy Temple Every one came not there not all the Levites not all the Priests A high favour it was allow'd to some only to enter there Why the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Iacob says the Psalmist all the high places and Palaces of the earth are not in so high esteem with God as the very Gates and Ports of Sion to be suffered but to peep in there is a higher honour to be a door-keeper in the House of God a greater happiness than to dwell in the most magnifique buildings of the World David a King himself had rather be there than any where And he that shall consider the Primitive Zeal of Christians to these hills how they never thought enough bestow'd upon them how often they frequented them how they would not pass without going in and worshipping how the pious and devout souls thought it a happiness to look that way and a great comfort in the midst of their desolations and captivity cannot but confess they all thought high enough of the favour that God allowed them in receiving them into those hills and holy places A higher Priviledge yet it is to get up the other hill to be admitted into heaven when all is done so high that Christ says it is not his to give St. Mat. xx 23. the Father hath reserved it to himself and there is nothing higher situated than it The very name of hill the Phrase of the Text sufficiently shews if it be a priviledge it is a high one Hills are the highest places of the earth the Church is a beacon upon a hill every true Disciple a light there at least The Houses of God used to be thought high places too and so had in honour And for Heaven 't is stil'd the everlasting hills So to be admitted to the priviledge of any of them must needs be a high one 3. High and holy too that 's a third addition to the Priviledge Many high Priviledges that are not so Holy is the highest most like to the most High To be Saints to be called to holiness as St. Paul say we are to be a holy Nation as St. Peter says 1 Pet. ii 9. to be Priests as you heard before to have holiness engraved upon our foreheads is to be holy persons every Pot in Hierusalem to be holiness to the Lord Zech. xiv 21. is a priviledge and a holy one too To go up like Saints to the hill of Sion to keep holy-day there to worship before the holy Altars of the Lord of Hosts to drink and eat in holy vessels to be part of his holy portion to be made partakers of his holy Word and there praise the God of holiness in his holy Congregation is a holy honour that is done us The highest Priviledge that wants this the highest Palace that is without this is but the Tents of ungodliness and they says David will but make us afraid Let my Priviledge O God be holy or I care for none that 's that must bring me to his holy hill and to his dwelling that hill in which he dwells amidst Cherubims and Seraphims and all his Host. Whither thirdly to ascend is the height of the holy Priviledge 3. His holy heaven that 's the stile the Holy of Holies St. Paul calls it the very Seat of the most holy God and holy Angels and holy Saints It cannot there sure be suspected to be the holy Priviledge and the Priviledge of the holy only to come thither 4. This holiness must needs make it to be admired too An admirable Priviledge we told you it was 't is our fourth Point now And David as if he had been all this while in a kind of swoon at the contemplation of it breaks out now upon a sudden with a Who is he and what a thing is this to ascend into the Hill of the Lord and to rise up in his holy place Indeed we cannot sufficiently admire it that God should raise up dust and ashes to such a height as to make it a coheir with Christ as to make a Hill and holy Place of it for himself to dwell in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says the Apostle O the depth Who can find it out Who who can reach it That he should pitch his place and dwell among us give us free access liberty to come and go unto him to approach him when we will speak to him what we will eat and drink with him when we will too what can be stranger Who can wonder at it enough How terrible is this place it put poor Iacob into
dead Earth into Herbs and Flowers Such a wind is this Spirit that gives life to every one that comes into the world for he is the Spirit of Life Rom. viii 2. But that which adds somewhat still to the fuller glory of these effects and must not be pass'd without a note is that 't is Spirit still this wind blows still For however the winds are not always in a noise and bustle yet some spirit of air there is that moves in the deepest stillness Spiritus there is always though not ventus some tender breeze though no gale of wind there is always stirring And if there were not continually some such sweet breathings of the Holy Spirit upon us when those strong and louder blasts seem to be lull'd asleep we were but dead men and might sleep for ever but such there are and we live by them I might but I will not add any more to the Effects either of the Wind or of the Spirit I pass on to their Course and Compass to shew you how far their effects and powers reach The Wind bloweth where it listeth and the Spirit where he willeth And here I must tell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vbi vult is a large circuit Vbi is where and Vbi is when and Vult is what you will especially when 't is his who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will Ephes. i. 11. So that 't will be no stretching to say either of the Wind or of the Spirit that it bloweth 1. Where it lists and 2. How it lists and 3. As much as it lists and 4. On whom it lists and 5. When it lists 1. The Wind blows where it lists on this side or on that side or on any side any where and every where The Spirit does so too only with more propriety to Vbi vult doing out of the liberty of its own will what the wind only does out of the subtilty of its nature No place lies exempted from the power of his will It finds St. Paul and Silas in the prison and blows up the organs of their voices into Songs and Hymns It finds Manasses in the dungeon blows there with his wind and the waters flow out of his eyes It finds St. Matthew at the receipt of Custom and blows him out of a Publican into an Apostle It blows St. Peter and St. Andrew out of their Boat to the stern of the Church of Christ. He blows upon some in their journey as upon St. Paul upon others at home as upon Cornelius upon one in the bed upon another at the Mill upon Ionas in the Whales belly No place beyond his compass not the Isles of the Gentiles not the land of Vz not the Deserts of Arabia Here and there even amongst them he blows some into his Kingdom In a word no chamber so secret but it can get into no place so remote but it can reach none so private but it can find none so strong but it can break through none so deep but it can fathom none so high but it can scale no place at all but it can come into and none so bad but some way or other it will vouchsafe to visit It makes Holy David cry out as in an extasie Psal. cxxxix 6. Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit or Whether shall I go then from thy Presence If I climb up into Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the earth even there also shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me No place it seems in Heaven or Earth or Sea or Hell it self can hold him out Nor can any hold him to this or that way of working neither for He bloweth 2. How he lists sometimes louder sometimes softer sometimes after this manner sometimes after that He raises new inclinations or he cherishes the old He changes the tempers of men or disposes them He removes opportunities of doing ill or he propounds opportunities of doing good he scares us with threats or allures us with promises he drives us with judgments or he draws us with mercies he inflames us within or he moves us from without which way soever it pleases him No wind so various in its blowing Different ways he has to deal with divers men and diversities of gifts he has for them too differences of Administrations diversities of Operations 1 Cor. xii 5. To one he gives the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge to another faith to another the gift of healing to another the working of miracles to another prophesie to another discerning of spirits to another divers kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues all from the Spirit says the Apostle in the forecited Chapter Nor was this only for those times He still breaths diversities of gifts and graces as he pleases On some sanctifying graces on others edifying On others both To some he gives a cheerful to others a sad spirit to some a kind of holy lightness to others a religious gravity to one a power wholly to quit the World to another power to stand holy in it to one an ability to rule to another a readiness to obey to one courage to another patience to a third temperance and so to others other graces as he thinks fittest 3. Yet of these gifts to some more to some less not to all alike nay not to the same person always alike neither but 3. as much only as this Spirit will All have not faith alike nor hope alike nor charity alike nor courage alike nor patience alike neither all vertues nor any vertues all alike Upon some the abundance of the Spirit dwells upon others he breaths only some have had exstasies others but only moderate breathings Eliah had abundance of the Spirit yet Elisha has it doubled 2 Kings ii 9. And yet this very same Elisha that presently upon it divides Iordan with the wind of a Mantle and restores waters to their sweetness and earth to its fruitfulness by a cruse of Salt 2 Kings ii 21. in but the very next Chapter cannot so much as prophesie without a Minstrel ver 15. is not so much as in a disposition to receive this divine Spirit without the help of an Instrument of Musick to rally his spirits into harmony and order St. Paul who was but even now caught up into the third Heavens 2 Cor. xii 1. feels by and by such a thorn in the flesh ver 7. that of all that great extraordinary proportion he has no more left him than a poor pittance a mere sufficiency ver 9. 4. And the Person is as much in his own power as the measure is He blows not only what but upon whom he will He is no mans debtor Rom. xi 35. He will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy Rom. ix 18. What
elevates our souls by the Spirit of Wisdom coelestia sapere as it is Col. iii. 2. to those things that are above Sapientia est rerum altissimarum says the divine Philosopher Wisdom is of things of the higest nature of a high ascending strain 2. It penetrates and pierces like the fire by the Spirit of understanding understands that which the Spirit of man cannot understand 1 Cor. ii 11. the very things of God pierces into them all 3. It tries like fire by the Spirit of counsel and advice teaches us to prove all things and choose the best 4. It hardens us against all the evils that can befall us as fire does the brick against all weather by the spirit of fortitude and ghostly strength 5. It enlightens the darkness of our souls by the spirit of knowledge teaches us to know the things that belong unto our peace the ways and methods of salvation 6. It heats the coldness of our affections by the Spirit of piety and true godliness inflames us with devotion and zeal to Gods service And 7. it softens our obdurate hearts by the Spirit of holy fear that we melt into tears and sighs at the apprehension of Gods displeasure even as Wax melteth before the fire the highest hardest rockiest mountains melt and flow down at his presence when once his Spirit does but cast a ray upon them These are the seven gifts of the Spirit represented to us by so many properties of the fire 4. There are seven other operations and effects of the same Spirit as lively also exprest by it and make the fourth reason why the holy Ghost appears under the semblance of fire 1. Fire it burns and the Prophet Isaiah calls this Spirit a Spirit of burning Isa. iv 4. It makes our hearts burn within us as it did the Disciples going to Emaus St. Luke xxiv 32. puts us to a kind of pain raises sorrow and contrition in us makes the scalding water gush out of our eyes you may even feel it burn you 2. With this burning it purifies and purges too As things are purified by the fire so are our spirits and souls and bodies purified by the Spirit 3. For purifie it must needs for it devours all the dross the chaff the hay and stubble that is in us purges out our sins burns up every thing before it that offends is a consuming fire Heb. xii 29. so is God so is his Spirit 4. Yet as it is a consuming so it is a renewing fire Fire makes things new again And do but send out thy Spirit O Lord and they are made Psal. civ 30. We are all made for so it is that thou renewest the face of the earth the face of this dull earth of ours by putting into it the Holy Spirit 5. To this purpose it makes that like as fire it separates 5. things of divers natures silver from tin metals from dross Separare heterogenea is one of the effects of fire says the Philosopher to distinguish and divide between things of different kinds And Spiritus judicii discretionis the Prophet styles the Spirit a Spirit of judgment it is Isai. 4. 4. a discerning Spirit teaches us to discern between Dross and Gold Truth and Error between Good and Evil and without it we discern nothing This the Apostle reckons as a peculiar donation of it the discerning of spirits 1 Cor. xii 10. 6. Yet as it separates things of different natures so 6. it unites things of the same kind just as the fire does several pieces of the same metal into one body This holy Spirit is a Spirit of unity They that separate they have not the Spirit St. Iude 19. Schisms and Divisions Strife Heresies and Seditions are the works of the flesh not of the spirit Gal. v. 20. The fruit of the Spirit is love and peace says St. Paul there ver 22. And the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace we hear of too Ephes. iv 3. Into one Spirit we are baptiz'd all for there is but one one Spirit one Body one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God one all that are of God ver 5 6. nothing so contrary to the Holy Spirit as divisions of the members from the head or from one another a shrewd witness this against the spirits of our age and an evidence that to what spirit soever they lay claim they lay false claim to this they belong not to this Spirit which is so much for uniting all the parts of the body of Christ together 7. And this it can do when it s sees its time for lastly it is an invincible Spirit it bears down all before it turns all into it like the fire of all the Elements the most victorious and triumphant There is no standing out against this Spirit 't is an Almighty Spirit that can do what it will It inflames the air into a fire vain airy spirits into celestial flames of love and charity It dries up the water the raw waterish humors of our souls and fixes all waverings and inconstancies It burns up our earth and all the grass and hay and sprouts what ever that stand against it It sets whole houses all a fire sets us all a fire for Heaven and heavenly business Thus it burns it purifies it consumes and renews again it separates and it gathers and it caries all before it dees what it will in Heaven and Earth subdues Scepters vanquishes Kingdoms converts Nations throws down Infernal Powers and turns all into the obedience of Christ. To this purpose it is that it now also here comes in Tongues The second manner we noted of his appearance and that for three reasons 1. nothing more convenient to express either our business or him whose it is The Tongue is the instrument of speech the Word is express by it Christ is the Word the Holy Spirit as it were the Tongue to express him comes to day with an Host of tongues to send this Word abroad into all the World Nothing more necessary for the Apostles were to be the Preachers of it had receiv'd a Commission to go and preach St. Matth. xvi 15. wanted yet their tongues some new enablements went not therefore till they were this day brought them and a more necessary thing the Holy Ghost could not bring them for that purpose Yet they had need 2. be of fire sharp piercing tongues like the little flames of fire such as would pierce into the soul reveal the inmost secrets of the heart and spirits and it seems so they proved 1 Cor. xiv 25. piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit of the joints and marrow Heb. iv 12. Tongues of fire 3. to warm the cold affections of men into a love of Christ every tongue is not able to do that it must be a tongue set on fire from Heaven that can do that Tongues and tongues of fire sharp piercing tongues warm with heavenly heat are the only tongues
and fiery the earth by the Ox that tills it the air by man that breaths it the water by the Eagle which as other fowl was made out of it Gen. i. 20. All these indeed we find called in by the holy Psalmist to make up the song of praise Psal. cxlviii and by the three Children in the fiery furnace to make up theirs that we may know the Fire and all the Elements Beasts and all Creatures praise him as well as man nay better are readier commonly to do it than he that he is fain even the devoutest he of all of us to cry out to them to come in with their notes to help him out and fill up the Choir 4. Some think Gods title of slow to anger and swift to mercy is by these four here exprest by way of Hieroglyphick by the Oxe slowness by the Lion anger by the Eagle swiftness and by the Man mercy represented to us And without doubt or question in this slowness to wrath and swiftness to have mercy is Gods greatest glory and for them we most willingly give him glory must not cease at any time to give him glory 5. Others suppose it an Hieroglyphick of Christ himself who in his Incarnation appear'd in the form or face of a man in his Passion like a Calf or Oxe for sacrifice in his Resurrection like a Lion the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah in his Ascension like an Eagle and if this pass the meaning is that by Christ Gods glory is most advanced by his Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascension heaven and earth is filled with his glory and for this above all the rest for him and his benefits we are to give God the greatest glory there as it were begins all our praise thence the twenty four Elders first throw down their Crowns and fall down and worship as it were acknowledging him the beginning of all the good we receive both of grace and glory Christ the Author and Original of them all But 6. to come a little near These four living Creatures say others represent the four Evangelists that preach Christs Life and Death Resurrection and Ascension into glory The Lion St. Mark for he begins his Gospel as it were with the voice of a Lion roaring in the Wilderness The Calf or Oxe St. Luke who begins his with the story of a Levitical Priest whose Ministry was about the Sacrifice of Calves and Oxen. The Man St. Matthew who takes his rise from the Genealogy of men The Eagle St. Iohn who at the very first soars up on high that we had need of Eagles wings and eyes to follow and discern him By these four indeed Gods grace and mercy Christs name and glory is spread over the face of all the earth and by this we learn that to preach and teach and publish the things of Christ is to give God praise and glory a singular and notable way to do so 7. Some that suppose they yet hit it nearer conceive God here brought in in the Vision sitting as the Bishop of Ierusalem with all the Bishops of Iudea in council all about him as Acts xv it seems they did and these four living Creatures about the Throne to be those four chief Apostles St. Peter St. Iohn St. Barnabas and St. Paul there present rank'd here higher than the rest St. Peter for his primacy set first and resembled by the Lion for his fiery zeal and fervour St. Paul deciphered by the Oxe in respect of his labours more abundantly than they all St. Barnabas intimated by the Man as being a Son of consolation humanity and mercy by the interpretation of his name St. Iohn pointed at by the Eagle for those sublime and high speculations of the Divinity of Christ above all the rest These were the four great Standard-bearers of the Christian Israel for these four living Creatures were born in the standard of old Israel and here alluded to these the four great Champions and Defenders the Planters and Propagators of the Christian Faith of the blessed Trinity of the glory of God and Christ throughout the world And thus we see to undertake the business of the Gospel to take pains and labour to defend and propagate it with all our might and main is an actual and real glorifying of God and Christ. Yet lastly whatever these may be imagined to represent to us or whomsoever to point out or what council or persons or judicature soever to resemble Angels to be sure they were that thus represented the Vision to St. Iohn and as such if we consider them we may conclude all the business with this Lesson that the business of heaven as well as earth of Angels as well as men is to be imployed in Praises and thanksgivings to the Almighty an imployment therefore well worth our time and pains and study Now put all these together and I cannot give you a fuller description of the way to praise and glorifie him than these have given you For to do it as we should is 1. to live vertuously 2. To employ all the powers and faculties of soul and body to his service 3. To call in all the Creatures to help us to do it and to use them to it 4. To reflect often upon both his mercies and his judgments and acknowledge his goodness in them both 5. To meditate upon the Life the Death the Resurrection the Ascension of Christ with all devotion and humility 6. To preach and publish it what we can 7. To defend and maintain it to our utmost power 8. To reckon it lastly an Angels work a heavenly piece of business thus to spend our days and years in giving glory to the most highest And if heaven and earth and all the creatures else besides sinful man become thus the Trumpets of their Creators glory and in all their several ways and orders ambitiously contrive themselves into the instruments of it what strange creatures must we needs be that either neglect it or forget it Heaven and earth says our morning Hymn are full of the Majesty of thy glory we can be no other than hell then that are empty of it that do not resound it Dragons and all deeps says the Psalmist Psal. cxlviii 7. all but the old Dragon and the bottomless deep the deep of hell all praise him else You see what we bring our selves to by our unthankfulness what a sad condition they are in who give not glory unto God who delight not in magnifying and praising him who are against the Hymns and Anthems to that purpose Thus you see it done in the Text by Saints and Angels in the Heavens by Apostles and Evangelists on the Earth Thus de facto so it was then But 't is as well a Prediction of what should be after that not only the present Age of the Apostles and holy Bishops then but the succeeding Ages also of the Church should acknowledge the glory of the undivided Trinity And it fell out accordingly Not
too Holy in glorifying of his Angels holy in justifying his Saints holy in punishing the Devils Holy in his Glory and holy in his Mercy and holy in his Justice holy in his Seraphims and holy in his Cherubims and holy in his Thrones holy in his Power and holy in his Wisdom and holy in his Providence Holy in his Ways and holy in his Laws and Holy in his Promises holy in the Womb and holy in Manger and holy on the Cross holy in his Miracles and holy in his Doctrines and holy in his Examples holy in his Saints and holy in his Sacraments and holy in his Temples holy in Himself holy in his Son holy in his Spirit Holy Father holy Son and Holy Spirit Therefore with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of Heaven and all the Saints in Heaven and Earth we laud and magnifie thy glorious Name evermore praising thee and saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory Glory be to thee O Lord most High Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Glory and Honour and Thanks be unto Thee for ever and ever Amen Amen Amen THE FIRST SERMON UPON THE Calling of St. Peter St. LUKE v. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord. A Strange Speech for him that speaks to him 't is spoken from St. Peter to his Saviour One would think it were one of the Gadarens who thus intreated him to depart the Coasts Strange indeed to desire him to depart without whom we cannot be stranger to give such a reason for it a reason that should rather induce us to intreat him to tarry than to go for being sinful men we have most need of him to stay with us but strangest of all it is for St. Peter to desire it and upon his knees to beseech it To desire Christ to go away from us to go from us because we have need of his being with us and for such a one as St. Peter and that so earnestly to inintreat it is a business we well skill not at the first dash Yet if we consider what St. Peter was when he so cried out or what made him to do it or how unfit he being a sinful son of man thought himself for the company of the Son of God we shall cease to wonder and know it is the sinners case for ever so to do to be astonished at miracles not to bear suddenly the presence of our Lord and when we first apprehend it to cry out to him with St. Peter here to withdraw from us for a while for that we are not able to endure the brightness and terrour of his Splendour and Majesty It was a miraculous and stupendious draught of Fish after they had given up all hopes of the least suddenly came to Net which thus amazed St. Peter and his Fellows They had drudged and toyl'd all night and not a Fish appeared but when Christ came to them then came whole showles and thrust so fast into the Net that they brake it to get in as if the mute and unreasonable creatures themselves had such a mind to see him by whose Word they were created that they valued not their lives so they might see or serve his pleasure And yet St. Peter makes as much means that he might see him no longer whom if he had not seen and seen again notwithstanding his desires to the contrary it had been better he had never seen nor been at all But such is our mortal condition that we can neither bear our unhappiness nor our happiness unreasonable Creatures go beyond us in the entertainment of them both according to their kinds though it may be here St. Peters humility speaks as loud as his unworthiness or inability to endure the presence of his Lord. St. Peter we must needs say was not thorowly call'd as yet to be a Disciple this humble acknowledgment of his own unworthiness to be so was a good beginning Here it is we begin our Christianity which though it seems to be a kind of refusal of our Master is but a trick to get into his service who himself is humble and lowly and receives none so soon as they that are such none at all but such whom by the posture of their knees and the tenours of hearty and humble words you may discern for such And to sum up the whole meaning of the words to a brief Head they are no other nor no more than St. Peters profession of his own humble condition that he is not worthy that his God and his Redeemer should come so near him and therefore in an Extasie as it were at the sight of so glorious a Guest desires him to forbear to oppress his unworthy servant with an honour he was not yet able to bear Yet we cannot but confess the words may have a harder sense upon them as the voice of a stupid apprehension or an insensibleness of such heavenly favours as our Saviours company brings with it We shall have time to hint at that anon It shall suffice now at first to trouble you only with two evident and general parts Christs absence desired And The Reason alledged for it I. Christ desired to be gone Depart from me And II. Why he is so For I am a sinful man O Lord. The Desire seems to be the voice of a threefold person and such is St. Peters now 1. Of a man 2. Of a sinful man and yet 3. Of an humble man Me that me here confessing my self a sinful man The Reasons equal the variety of the desires or Desirers Three they are too 1. For I am a man 2. For I am a sinful man 3. For thou O Lord thou art God and I a man 'T is a Text to teach us what we are to whom we speak and how to speak to him And if you go hence home without learning this you may say perhaps you have heard a Sermon but you have learnt nothing by it It shall be your faults if you do not And unless we cry in a sense contrary to St. Peters meaning Depart from us O Lord out of a kind of contempt and weariness of his Word and not out of the conscience of our own unworthiness of so great a blessing then though our words be somewhat indiscreet though we sometimes speak words not fitting for our Saviour to hear though they seem to shew a kind of refusal of him yet being no other than the meer expression of the apprehension of his glorious presence and our own unworthiness Christ will comfort us and call out to us presently as he doth to St. Peter ver 10. not to fear we shall not lose by his Word or Presence nor by our so sensible apprehension of his glory though we be but a generation of sinful men That our desires first may be set right though peradventure not always speak so the desires being the hinge upon
able to hold and here it is that some have desir'd God to depart a while to hold a while least they should over-flow at least and lose so pretious a liquor if not break in pieces and lose themselves in so vast a depth or at so forciblee a pouring in of heavenly pleasures upon them But I am too high now for that lean meagre creeping goodness which is only to be found among the sons of men in these latter days where we meet with this desire in a lower key if at all Our souls you know are the vessels of divine grace old crazie ones God wot and there is a danger least the new liquor of celestial grace should cause them to crack and break at its approach There is something which we are not able to bear away at first Christian Profession must come in to us by degrees Christ must come a little and go a little or come a little and hold a little line upon line precept upon precept here a little and there a little not all at once no go away a little turn aside a little O Lord and require not of us all at once but by degrees visit us and bear with us With this kind of entreaty we may desire him to withhold now and then in mercy from us for we are sinful men and not able to endure other fuller dealings with us And lastly in humility we may desire God to depart from us when he approaches to us in thunder and lightning when he comes armed like a man of war then we may cry and not without cause O come not to us or go from us for we are sinful men O Lord have thou therefore mercy up-upon us and forbear us We have seen by this time how we may use St. Peters words and how we must not use them We may in humility desire God to withdraw his Judgments to proportion his Mercies and to distill them by degrees to forbear to overthrow our nature or overwhelm our souls with a happiness above our mortal capacity We may lastly by such a kind of speech declare the sense of our own unworthiness to receive so glorious a Guest home to us so even wishing him to chuse a better house to be in or make ours such But we must not through natural imperfection or impatience draw back our selves from the service of God or desire him to draw back from us nor must we at any time by sin cause him to depart or by perverseness and iniquity thrust him out of doors nor yet lastly grow weary of the gracious effects and tenders of his Presence in his Sacraments Word and Worship For so we do not so much confess as profess and make our selves to be sinful men in humility you may sometimes use the words in impatience never We cannot now you see say always he does well that with St. Peter says to Christ Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord yet there is something to make the desire at least seem reasonable and often be so when he says it as St. Peter did And the first Reason why St. Peter desires Christ to depart here is for that he is a man and the first Reason why we are all so willing to have God gone from us is because we are men 1. mutable and inconstant pieces which are neither well when God is with us nor when he is from us If he be with us then presently Fac cessare sanctum Israel à nobis Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us Isa. xxx 11. We cannot away with that strictness and exactness he requires of us his ways are not pleasing to us As soon as he is departed then we are at another cue Thou turnedst away thy face and I was troubled Psal. xxx 7. Why art thou absent from us so long Why hidest thou thy face from me And the like Secondly Man is a mortal nature a piece of clay Now earth cannot contain heaven We cannot endure the thunder as it roars or lightnings as they glister much less him whose Presence is more terrible whose Voice more dreadful who even shakes the Wilderness with his breath at whose Presence the Earth removes and hail-stones and coals of fire tumble down Thirdly Flesh is grass we are but hay and stubble and God is a consuming fire well may mortality then desire him to depart lest it should consume it in a moment Fourthly It was the opinion of the Iew that man could not see God and live as apears by Manoah's speech Iudg. xiii 22. and several other places St. Peter it may be had such an imagination whence it is he desires Christ to depart from him being no other than God himself after whose sight he was perhaps afraid he had seen his last Thus man as man thinks he can spare the Presence of his Lord as feeling his earthly Cottage altogether unable in it self to entertain him But 2. reflecting upon his sin whereby he is yet made far more unfitting and undeserving such an honour he desires the absence of God by reason of his sin He loves his sin and is loth to forgo it and knows God will not be content to dwell with it so he wretchedly chuses rather the company of sin than of his God this is the way that men of the World only speak the Text. 2. Sin even bids defiance to the Almighty and turns him out of doors that 's the reason men so readily bid God depart from them 3. Sin so dis-enables the powers of soul and body to any handsom attendance upon heaven that neither of them know how to receive him if he should come and besides such a stench and filth there is from it in all the soul that the Divine Purity cannot endure them Thus sinful man bids God go from him because he is a sinful man Now comes the last reason why God is entreated to depart because he is the Lord our God A reason not readily conceived yet this it is Thou art the Lord a God of pure eyes a strickt Master over thy servants a person far above the reach and quality of thy Vassals under thee They are therefore no fit company for thee Thou so infinitely transcendest them These are the Reasons which St. Peter seems to alledge to perswade Christ from his poor wretched company because both his natural imperfections and his sinful weaknesses made him unfit for the company and unworthy the favour of his Savionrs glorious Presence If we consider the same Reasons they will serve to humble us as low as St. Peter did himself to think our selves unworthy of the least glance of our Saviours eye we will confess if we remember that we are but men that our frail inconstant corruptible nature is not answerable to the glory of so great a blessing we will acknowledge if we recollect we are sinful men that we are not worthy that those eyes should look upon us that infinite beauty come near
things beyond the ordinary course of action seem mad though we be sober as the Prophets did sometimes when the Spirit came upon them lay down naked use strange gesture or speak words with Caiphas which at the time we understand not run like mad-men with some Martyrs into flames and fires to blocks and halters upon the sudden powerful and miraculous motion of Gods Spirit or Grace within us These for all that not to be looks for now Yet 't is ever to be noted here that how strange soever the expressions of some holy Saints have been in such excesses though they have not understood themselves yet others have they never spoke non-sense by the Spirit never blasphemy never contradictions to holy Scripture never any thing against Christian Patience and Obedience We have heard of late of the Pattern in the Mount a Church talked of to be form'd according to that Pattern Indeed it seems to have somewhat of St. Peter's Bonnm est of his desire to be with Christ without the Cross to build Tabernacles here for him a new Kingdom upon earth to set up King Iesus a phrase much canted but to this St. Luke gives his dash 'T is a Nesciens quid diceret that neither he nor they know what they say what they would have 'T is meer fear of I know not what a fear where no fear is a meer stupor as St. Mark and a desiring what is not to be desired an expectation of what is not to be expected of nothing but ease and pleasure and glory in Christs service Their present condition and successes make them say and wish they know not what For if we truly examine it we shall find this saying what comes next we heed not what comes from present contentments and successes when all things succeed to our mind then we begin to forget our selves or not to know our selves Worldly felicities commonly so transport us that we know not care not what we say or do our greatness we think shall bear us out We say in our hast too with David we shall never be removed so care not what we say how we behave our selves to God and Man only Bonum est esse hic we set our selves to enjoy our pleasures and build houses for them that shall come after Yet 't is worth the noting that whilst we are thus speaking we speak often against our selves when we do not intend it We call all our great buildings all our great hopes but Tabernacles with St. Peter so as it were presaging their remove that they are of no long continuance and abiding How many have we heard of in their times who have by some sudden word some unexpected expression been the presages of their own ruine and by the slip of some unlucky syllable or two doom'd the period and fore-told the shortness of this Mountain of Glory Of so unhappy speech are we when we begin to talk of any glory or continuance upon the high places of the earth we pitch a word instead of a Tabernacle that takes away all our bonum est esse hic on a sudden even whilst we mean no such matter whilst we know not what we say And as no holy company Moses nor Elias nor Christs own can keep us from all indiscretion in our speech no more then they did St. Peter so neither do they keep us from undoing our selves often with our own language We in a passion say we know not what enough to throw down all our Tabernacles remove all our Bonum est all our goods The more need then with the Psalmist of setting a watch before our lips and a guard before our mouths that we offend not in our tongues that we consider what we say before we say it that we learn to speak before we speak it that we keep our mouths even from good words as the same holy Prophet has it that we do not take up every word that seems good and godly but weigh and ponder it in the ballance of the Sanctuary by Christs Rule and Precept before we utter it And so doing and so speaking we may in all conditions high and low in glory and ignominy in prosperity and adversity in all companies in all places say merrily and cheerfully without danger Master it is good for us to be here and make Tabernacles here for Christ and Moses and Elias to keep them with us we may build in the Mountain or in the Valley without fear of this censure not knowing what we do All will be good unto us all will work for good if we temper our words and speak them soberly and place them rightly and direct them every one to his hic nunc to his proper object and circumstances and Christ will tarry with us and Moses not forsake us and Elias not depart away out of the Mountain from us till we come to the everlasting Hills to eternal Mansions houses not made with hands eternal in the Heavens to dwell with Christ and Moses and Elias and all the Patriarchs and Prophets see them face to face be transfigured and cloth'd in bright shining garments and shine like Stars for ever and ever THE FIRST SERMON UPON All Saints PSAL. cxlix 9. Such honour have all his Saints SO the Text So the day a day dedicated to God in honour of all his Saints Such honour has God allowed them such honour has the holy Church bestow'd upon them Because they are his and as his here they are had in honour because his holy ones Sancti ejus as his Saints or holy ones honour'd with a holy day or if you will God honoured in them on the day For this honour also have all the Saints that all the honour done to them all the honour done by them by the Saints in earth to the Saints in heaven all the vertues of the one all the praises of the other are to the honour and praise and glory of God in all the Congregations of the Saints whether in heaven or earth 'T is not fit therefore any of them should be forgotten from whose memories God receives so much not reasonable to deny them any honour that so redounds to Gods The Psalm gives them it and the Day gives them it God says they shall have this honour and the Church this day pays it and we must pay it if we honour either him or her God or the Church or Father or mother pay it to them all to all to whom 't is due all honour that is due This is a day for us to meet all together to pay it in for them altogether to receive it in We cannot do it to all severally they are too many we may do it to all together We profess a great Article of our faith the Communion of Saints by doing it are therefore surely not too blame for doing it having so good authority so good a ground so good a profession for it For say our new Saints what they will unsaint
they whom they please dishonour they all the old Saints how they list 1. God has his Saints says our Text and ver 5. Saints in glory Saints in their beds or in their graves his they are and Saints they are though there His Saints 2. have and shall have honour A signal special honour 3. it is they have This honour such honour as the former verses spake of All of them 4. have it All his Saints have it 5. from him are to have it from us gloria sit so some read Let this honour be given to all his Saints that 's the last and all five so many parts of the Text. I go on with them in their order I. God has his Saints Saints in heaven St. Mat. xxvii 52. Saints upon earth Psal. xvi 3. Saints in glory ver 5. and Saints of grace Saints at rest in their beds of honour and Saints in the bustle of noise and trouble The stranger men they that engross the title to themselves strike all the Saints out of the Kalendar and will not call them so whom God has call'd so Yet if to be Saints be to be holy the title is their due that are in heaven they are the holiest If to be Saints be to be called effectually they are called to purpose that are already there If to be Saints be to be separate to God from the drossie multitude they are of the highest separation If to be Saints be to be established if Sancti be Sanciti there are none so sure so established as they who are in heavenly glory And dare men be so bold to rob them of this honour so proper and peculiar to them that 't is but a kind of an impropriety to give it to any here below which yet both Scripture and their own tongues give to some below yet to none but such as are in Communion with those above and as far only as they are in it God has a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a separate or peculiar people a people to shew forth his praise called out of darkness into his marvelous light to do it says St. Peter 1 Pet. ii 9. St. Paul and the rest of the holy Epistlers say as much call Believers Saints ever and anon and these have fellow-Citizens Eph. ii 19. Saints in an inheritance of glory Eph. i. 18. worth the knowledge says St. Paul and now 2. worthy honour too II. For his Saints have honour are persons of honour Kings and Priests Rev. i. 6. Heirs of a Kingdom St. Iam. ii 5. Sons of God St. Iohn i. 12. Children of the most Highest Psal. lxxxii 6. So that if the Sons of Kings or Kings themselves if men in highest Office or the nearest relation to the highest Princes be men of honour the Saints are they who are so honourably related to and so highly employed by the King of Kings Who are first honoured by him with such titles as his friends St. Ioh. xv 15. as his anointed Psal. cv 15. as his Sons and Daughters Who 2. are so his that he reckons what is done to them is done to him receive them and receive him despise them and despise him St. Luke x. 16. the very least of them not excepted St. Mat. xxv 40. Who lastly are so entrusted by him that he admits them into his secrets Psal. xxv 13. makes them of his Privy Counsel Prov. ii 32. an honour without question of the first and highest rank Enough however to teach us 1. not to despise them whom God thus honours though they here walk in rags and are fed with crumbs and look desolate and though they are covered with poverty and encompassed with afflictions and had in derision and a Proverb of reproach whilst they are here and when they depart hence seem to die and their departure is taken for misery they are honourable for all that such as the Great King delights to honour and must not be despised Sufficient 2. it is to teach us not to dishonour our selves with any unworthy action or behaviour 'T is not for persons of honour to do things base and vile indeed to live or act like men of ordinary and mean condition Nor is it for any of them that are called to be Saints to employ themselves in the drudgeries and nastinesses of sins in the low poor businesses of the earth to work in Mines and Metals or make that our business here For 3. this honour is to teach us to do honourable things higher thoughts and higher works to live like Saints like such as are to inherit the earth Mat. v. 5. to reign and rule in it not to serve it like such as are to inherit heaven too and are therefore to have our conversation there to do all things worthy of it nothing but what becomes the Kingdom of Christ especially seeing it is not only meer honour ordinary honour but a signal special honour that is here given to the Saints Gloria haec est or Gloria hic est omnibus sanctis ejus This honour have all his Saints or He is the honour of all his Saints What it is we shall best gather by the Context out of the foregoing verses III. 1. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people ver 4. There 's the honour of a Favourite 2. He will beautifie them with salvation in the same verse there 's the honour of his salvation as David speaks in another place there 's a second honour 3. Let the praises of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hands to be avenged of the heathen c. ver 6 7. there 's the honour of Conquerours that 's a third 4. To execute upon them the judgment written ver 9. There 's the honour of judges that 's a fourth 5. Look back again Let the Saints be joyful in glory ver 5. there 's the honour of glory of eternal glory that 's a fifth 6. Let them rejoyce in their beds or sing aloud upon their bed there 's the honour of eternal peace and security or the security of their honour 7. Lastly Gloria hic est for the Pronoune is Masculine in the Hebrew He is the honour of his Saints God is their honour so the Text may well be rendred there 's the infinity of their honour Honor infinitatis or honor infinitus their infinite honour that 's the last So here 's the Saints honour like Wisdom with her seven Pillars strongly built firmly seated magnificently set forth upon them They have the honour of being favourites the honour of being ever and anon honourably saved and delivered the honour of being Victors the honour of being judges a glorious secure infinite honour the Saints have 1. This honour that they have is the honour of grand Favourites God is well pleased in them taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his servants his delight is placed in them the Lords delight is in them that fear him Psal. cxlvii 11. He deals with
them as Pharaoh did with Ioseph Gen. xli 42. Puts his Ring upon their hands and espouses them to himself makes them the keepers of his Signet and grants Petitions by them He arrays them 2. in vestures of fine linnen that is the righteousness of the Saints says St. Iohn Rev. xix 8. cloths them with the best Robe too the royal apparel of his Son 3. He puts a gold chain about their necks obliges them with the richest blessings 4. he makes them to ride in his second Chariot carries them in the clouds and sets them all at his right hand 5. Cries before them bow the knee such honour have all his Saints 6. He makes them Rulers over all the Land of Egypt makes them to have dominion over the works of his hands Psal. viii 6. gives them all the blessings of the Land gives them their hearts desire and fulfils all their mind all at their disposal 7. He does more than Pharaoh he entertains them at his Table feeds them with the bread of Heaven embraces them in his arms receives them into his bosom counts them as the very apple of his eye reckons them as his Jewels compasses them continually with his loving kindness prevents them always with the blessings of his goodness Psal. xxi 3. and crowns them with glory and worship Psal. viii 5. Puts Crowns upon their heads as well as Robes upon their backs crowns them with this favour above the rest as to unbosom himself unto them to grant them secret conferences and discourses with him as to his only favourites in the world That this may appear the better their honour secondly is great in his salvation they do but cry to him and they are saved they do but go to him and they are delivered Psal. xxxiv 16. He preserveth the souls of his Saints says holy David Psal. xcvii 10. He preserveth the ways of his Saints says Davids Son Prov. ii 8. Nay says the Father again he gives his very Angels charge over them Psal. xci 11. makes them tarry all about them Psal. xxxiv 7. that they hurt not so much as their feet Psal. xci 12. that they break not a bone Psal. xxxiv 20. that they lack nothing ver 9. This is an honour to some purpose and a huge one for God to descend to do it for us not like the honours of the earth that lay us open to wind and weather that cannot shelter us from danger and ruine but raise us up commonly to throw us down with the greater violence No he lifts up his meek ones to salvation lifts up his Son upon the Cross to save them a high honour this we would count it so if a King should venture himself to save us an honour we knew not how to value and such a one this is you will see it clearly by the next honour and salvation both exalted which is the honour of Victors and Conquerours granted also to his Saints For 3. though the heathen rage the Saints shall be avenged though the people imagine a vain thing against them they shall rebuke them if the Kings of the earth stand up and the Rulers and Nobles take counsel together the Saints shall bind them all in chains and links of Iron all together the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Saints against his Church all the counsels and devices all the strength and power all the subtilty and malice of earth or hell shall do no good Come life come death come Angels come Principalities come Powers come things present come things to come come height come depth come any other creature come tribulation come distress come persecution come famine come nakedness come peril come sword come all the Kings and Princes of the earth all the Heathen and Inâ—idels under Heaven all the violence and cunning of hell and all the Inhabitants of that dismal dwelling come what can come come how they can come all that can as good come nothing nothing will come of it of all their fury in all these says St. Paul we are more than conquerours Rom. viii 35 36 37 38 39. through him that loved us Thanks be to God says he he always causes us to triumph in Christ 2 Cor. ii 14. We may erect our Trophies we may hang up our spoils the spoils of these our enemies and dance about them praise his Name in the dance as we are called to do ver 3. as certain of our victory through Iesus Christ for through him this honour have all his Saints 4. Yet not the honour only of the triumph but of the judgment seat besides to pass sentence and execute judgment upon the conquered enemies Know you not says St. Paul that the Saints shall judge the World 1 Cor. vi 2. Are you ignorant of the honour God has promis'd them Know you not that we shall judge Angels too ver 3. Much more then the Potentates of the earth who have oppressed the Church gain-said the Truth stood up against Christ and for a while trampled down the Saints The time will be the day will come when those great Princes such as Antiochus Herod Nero Dioclesian and the rest of those persecuting Furies shall be brought before the great Tribunal and receive their Sentence from the mouths of those poor Saints whom they so tyrannically raged against to be bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness And how great an honour think you must this needs be to fit judges over those great men who made the earth tremble still before them and even hell at their coming thither to be moved at them as the Prophet speaks Isa. xiv 9. How great an honour I say for such poor Scrubs as we for the very poorest Saints to be made judges of such men yea and judges too not here not in earth but below but in heaven above yet such also is the honour of the Saints And greater yet for it is not honor but gloria here Sancti in gloria ver 5. a glorious honour that the Saints are honoured with All earthly honour reaches not to this title glory that we may be joyful in is more than earth affords The honours here are so full of fears so farc'd with troubles so stuff'd with cares so amongst thorns and briars so blasted with envies so justled at by rivals so assaulted by enemies so undermin'd by neighbours so suspected by friends that there is little true mirth or joy to be had in them 't is only the honour of the Saints in glory that is troubled with none of these but surrounded with uninterrupted joys and songs of joy And were the Saints lives here but so many days and years of affliction and vexation ignominy and dishonour this crown of honour at the last were a sufficient abundant superabundant recompence for them all And this is so properly the Saints that none else have the dream of a title to it 't is their inheritance Col. i. 12. Eph. i. 18. 't is their reward
glances at them or but favourably speaks of them as in that remarkable expression 1 Kings xv 5. where he calls Davids Murther and Adultery the matter only of Vriah the Hittite yet recounting of their vertues he is alway full and large Lastly He sometimes honours them with miracles even at their Sepulchres as he did Elisha 2 Kings xiii 21. makes Napkins and Handkerchiefs from their bodies Acts xix 12. Nay their very shadows Acts v. 15. cure diseases and unless we will believe nothing but what we see done before us in our own days many great miracles have been done at the Sepulchres of the Martyrs God so honouring the memory of their faith and patience to the glory of Christianity and the glorious propagation of it through the world and there have been thousands of Witnesses to attest it And now if God so honour them as if he delighted to honour them it cannot seem strange if I now go on to tell you we are to honour them too It cannot be a sin in us to do that which God does before us that we may do it the better I must confess there has been a fault and still there is some in giving more honour to Saints and Martyrs than their due not robbing Peter as we say to pay Paul but robbing God to give to St. Paul St. Peter St. Mary and other Saints Yet there is a fault in others too to rob the Saints under pretence to give to God But is there not a mean between them Sure sure there is We may give each their due God his and the Saints theirs and all will be well For Praise God in his Saints the beginning of the next Psalm as we may read it and some understand it and may so without offence it coming especially so close to this honour of the Saints may seem to call upon us to give this honour to them And Psal. lxviii 35. may be as well God is wonderful in his Saints as God is wonderful in his holy Places for ought that I can guess by the Sense or Context and a good reason to praise him for them and in them too as well as in his Sanctuary we may praise him I hope for all the wonders that he does for the Children of men be they in heaven above or in the earth beneath And indeed there is an honour due in both to the Saints that dwell on earth as it is Psal. xvi 3. and to the Saints that dwell in heaven Distinguish we but the honour as the Scripture does and find out the several senses of it there and we may know to give each their own We shall begin below see how we are to honour the Saints that are in the earth To honour is 1. to esteem and value one Good men are to be valued be their condition never so mean or poor that 's one duty we owe the Saints whilst they live here and there is good reason for they are very Pillars of the earth and bear it up Psal. lxxv 3. Ten righteous men you know would have saved even Sodom and its four neighbour Cities 'T is good we should prize them high that are more worth one of them than half a City To honour one 2. is to perform the offices of Charity unto him thus we are bid to honour all men 1 Pet. ii 17. to go one before another in giving honour Rom. xii 10. especially then to do it to the houshold of faith men of Piety and Religion 3. To honour is not only to value or to love but to delight to be with to seek their company Honorare timentes Dei Psal. xv 4. to make much of them that fear the Lord never to think our selves so well as in their company All my delight says the same Psalmist is upon the Saints that are in the earth and upon such as excell in vertue Psal. xvi 3. he was never pleased but when he was with them Nay even Saul as bad as he was yet honour me says he I pray thee to Samuel 1 Sam xiv 30. before the Elders of my People and turn again with me his company he must needs have and an honour he acknowledges it to have the company of such a man a holy Priest or Prophet The world now is of another opinion no company so contemptible men are never well till such a one is gone never merry till these holy men are out of doors so far are men from thinking themselves honoured with their Society or willing to honour them with theirs any company rather than such as they they make us melancholy say they they make us sad and dull they trouble us with discourse we do not like with God and Heaven and Vertue and Religion such hard businesses and we know not what But for all that 't is a duty we owe both to our selves and them to give them this honour be they never so poor or despicable and David you hear made it his delight as well as Saul his honour to receive this honour from or give this honour to such men as they 4. To honour is to maintain them too when they have need Honour Widows says St. Paul 1 Tim. v. 3. that is maintain them out of the Churches Stock and they that labour in the Ministry are to be honoured with double honour 1 Tim. v. 17. maintenance and respect out of the Churches Stock and out of ours Honour is thus taken too in the fifth Commandment and we sin against the Commandment both of God and men when we deny this honour where it is due or whensoever the poor Saints stand in need of it Thus you see what it is to honour or how you are to honour the Saints below to set a high value and esteem upon them to perform all offices of Love and Charity unto them to seek their company and take pleasure to be in it and as occasion serves to express the honour and respect we bear them by some outward real Testimonies and Effects We will see now how we are to honour the Saints above To Honour then as it may relate to them is to give them a respect above other men to look upon them as the Courtiers of Heaven as persons in highest place as the Inhabitants of glory as such as are always praying for us Rev. vi 9. such as are following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. vii 14 15. Nebuchadnezzar himself at the hearing of the interpretation of his Dream could not refrain himself but he must even worship Daniel in whom he saw the wisdom of God so eminent Dan. ii 46. We cannot hold our selves sometimes but that we must needs express some especial respect or other to some who either amaze us with their stupendous abilities of nature or works of grace And is it only strange and irregular to give honour to those glorious Saints whose excellencies are so great whose vertues have been so full of wonder I cannot see why their memories
truth is our cloud and theirs are not alike Ours but Analogical at the most The Apostle had to speak to Hebrews to perswade them to the Race of Christian faith and to them he was to fit his speech They would not so soon from their beggarly rudiments A cloud they always had in all their journeys and a cloud they would have now or they would not stir a foot St. Paul raises up a cloud in the preceding Chapter yet a little to wean them from sense though a cloud he calls it it will prove no such cloud as their dull eye gaz'd after but a cloud of Saints Indeed need he had to tell them of a guide from heaven that a few verses before had told them of so ill entertainment upon earth stoning sawing in sunder desarts dens and caves nothing but torment and affliction Ideoque had been a poor inference could expect but cold welcome without a nubem tantam And yet what avails a guide though sent from heaven if this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some weight about us overwhelm us or the way be so bespread with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such snares that every step we stumble and fall into inextricable dangers Were it not for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he shews us how to quit our selves of all the cloud might walk alone for all the Hebrews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for all us too For as they so we pretend often we would run but that we have no guide here 's a cloud to conduct us then we have no company here are Saints to go with us No body to encourage us here are Witnesses to behold us Then we are too pursie and unweildy for the course why off with that superfluous weight yea but the way is full beset with briers and thorns down with them too well but the way is tedious let 's run with patience no more than so but we have nothing to run for yes there 's something set before us that 's worth the running for we shall easily find that too in Propositum So then here 's I. The Guide of our way a Cloud of Witnesses II. The Companions of our Course a Cloud of Witnesses that compass us habentes nobis having it with us or being compassed with it III. The Spectators of our Course a Cloud of Witnesses about us habentes circum positam IV. The impediments of our speed 1. One that hinders us from setting forth Every weight 2. The other that entangles us by the way The sin that doth so easily beset us V. The removal of them both by laying aside or casting away VI. The running of our course Let us run with patience VII The Race to be run The Race set VIII The crown of our labours Set before us IX The influence of the Cloud upon all or the inference from it Ideoque curramus Seeing a cloud we have and such an one a cloud of Witnesses that will not lead us about as that cloud did Israel in the Wilderness but breve per exempla the shortest cut without staying now by the way at lugens in infernum or Sinus Abrahae but hence immediately into Canaan seeing the Cloud so great the Guide so good the Company so full the Spectators of so high account the Hinderances so easily put by the Course so facile the Race so short the Prize so glorious how can we but run like lightning after them You see the parts 'T is fit the Guide should lead the way the Cloud first When time was there was Columna Nubis Moses his cloud Israels guide to Canaan Canaan is gone and Nubem non habentes we have no such cloud we There is another â—t nubem iniquitates Isaiahs cloud a thick cloud of transgressions a winter cloud that sticks by us a morning cloud that rises with us at the first dawning of our days and God make it too as a morning cloud to pass away I would I could not say here habentes nâ—bem that we had not this neither but this I can Ideoque habentes it is not no good conclusion thence we have it not to follow it sets in darkness What cloud then Why Nubem testium St. Pauls new cloud a cloud of Witnesses of holy Saints who by the glory of example lead us more happily to heaven than theirs did them to the Land of Promise A cloud for their multitude but that we let alone till we come to tantam A cloud for the likeness of their Production their Seat their Nature and Effects Their Production first Clouds though heavens near acquaintance now are but refined earth or water divested of its grosser body and were not the departed Saints a while since prisoners in these clay houses now bereft of their happy tenants One of the best of them in his own esteem no better than dust and ashes 2. Why then how got they up so high The clouds they get not up themselves 't is the Sun that draws them upward And trahe me curram post te is the voice of the Spouse Some celestial influence we must have the best of us something without us from above to lift us up to heaven nature cannot reach so high II. Like they are in their Seat and situation 1. Clouds are above the tops of the mountains and the highest Pinacles of the earth are too low for an habitation for these sublime Spirits Nor earth nor all the mountains the high places and preferments of the earth could content them nothing under heaven nothing but heaven You know the desire Bring me into thy holy hill into thy dwelling 2. But if we look upon the Saints of Iudah they were clouds indeed and Types of Christ who in them appear'd as the Sun under a cloud the cloud between the eye and him His birth in Issac his name in Ioshuah his death in Samson his reign in Solomon Omnia haec illis contigerunt in nube still a cloud between III. There is a third Analogie between their Natures and Effects 1. Clouds they do not move themselves 'T is Spiritus spirat the wind that drives them And the Saints they do not move themselves neither 't is Spiritus spirat the Holy Ghost 2. But which is more to us Clouds they keep off the Sun from too much sweltring too much parching us This we get at least by the examples of the Martyrs that however the heat of Persecutions and Afflictions scorch us we are refresh'd in this that no temptation takes us but what is and has been incident to the most beloved Darlings of the Almighty As comfortable this to an oppressed Soul as a cloud of rain in the time of drought as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest 3. And as they comfort so they teach us too The clouds drop down and distill upon man abundantly says Elihu Iob xxxvi 28. and the doctrines of holy lives drop as the rain their speeches even yet distill as the dew whose
round about our thoughts to fix our eyes upon their piety and reward You know what the imagining a Heathen Cato present has done with some to fright them into honesty and shall not the presence of those blessed Souls shame our dulness into Piety if we would but suppose those stupendous patterns of unconquerable goodness always chearfully busied in beholding us encouraging us and rejoycing with us But we must not stand too long gazing into heaven There are blocks and traps in the way and we may chance to stumble we must look about us There are two impediments sufficient to hinder any man from runing when he cannot go for weight nor go on for snares We 'll handle each with his removal first apart then together and begin with the weight And yet peradventure Pondus were little were it not for Omne were it not a collective a collection of all of infinite weights Infinite in weight infinite in number above the Sand of the Sea and that you know can be nothing else but Sin Sin Sedet in talentum plumbi Zech. v. As heavy as lead A weight right for it 1. burthens as a weight How does the repentant soul groan and break Conteritur is ground to ponder under it ◠2. It wearies as a weight How tired is St. Paul with it Who O who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. vii 3. It presseth down as a weight down from the joys of heaven down from the throne of grace down to the Chambers of the grave down to the bar of judgment down to the depth of hell David found it by his deliverance Thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell Every Sin is a weight but there are some heavier than other Some 1. Gravamina Spiritus weights with a powder such as even weary the holy Spirit and grieve it and make him leave his dwelling with us Mortal sins 2. Some heavier yet that so oppress our own spirits too that with a sad heavy eye they cannot see any thing but those dismal dungeons Hell and Desperation Sins of Despair 3. Some on the other side that look too high weigh up ut lapsu graviore to fetch down with a vengeance Sins of Pride and Presumption 't is one signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a weight that hoisting up the rebel Angels above their pitch as speedily pull'd them down from the highest Palaces of their new created glories to the lowest Prisons of damnation 4. And yet some sins there are of a lesser bulk such as some call venial yet heavy enough to lay us low enough Sins of infirmity and ignorance Dispose they do at least to the more grievous Peccatum quod mox per poenitentiam non deletur suo pondere ad aliud trahit St. Gregory The least the pettiest sin if it remain a while unrepented of is a weight to draw us to another that to a third so downward till we can go no lower And think you now we had not need of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to remove it Can we know it to be a weight and not deal with it as with a weight Either cast it away Abjecto pondere Beza translatest or lay it aside Deponentes So the Vulgar Cast it away nay first cast it out for 't is a weight within us Out of the heart 1. By the mouth in confession 2. By the eyes in the tears of contrition 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from us far from us by the hand of satisfaction Abjecto there 's some violence and passion in the word We use not to cast away things from us but out of some sudden 1. Fear 2. Shame 3. Anger 4. Joy or the like They are the Passions that enliven a repentance 1. Fear of judgment 2. Shame of sin 3. Anger at our selves 4. Joy and delight in God and goodness 1. The tremblings of Fear to begin with will shake sin off 2. Shame lay it down 3. Anger cast it from us 4. Joy and Love the love of God put it quite out lay it aside out of the way for if that holy fire once enter the house will be too hot for sin to dwell in But violent motions are but short and passions momentany Abjecto does well at first but it must be backt with a Deponentes a resolv'd and deliberate laying down of sin 'T is to be feared Abjecto cannot do 't alone sin has too deep a root to be cast off utterly on a sudden That 's Deponente's office to lay it down down by degrees First those Gravamina Spiritus then that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that pride in sin or as the word may bear it that dominion of it lay it aside as a tiresome burthen grow weary of it 2. Or as we do our cloaths when we go to bed not sleep in it 3. At least the weight of sin that is the guilt of sin by confession and absolution the spots and habits by contrary resolutions and endeavours the great weights the little ones all Omne Pondus every one omne pondus both in the singular to tell us every weight to be cast off not one single weight to be left hanging on No not the weight that is no sin not that for such an one there is Pondus terrenarum possessionum says St. Bernard What say you by riches Pluto the God of riches feign the Poets dwell's below Hell 's his kingdom And riches from the caverns of the earth they come and like waters to the Sea thither they naturally return down they carry us Not but that if you look up your eyes may behold a rich Abraham above in heaven Riches are as they meet with Owners The pious hand makes himself wings of these golden feathers to fly to heaven the wings of the Psalmists Dove that is covered with silver wings and her feathers like gold And if I must needs have riches Quis mihi dabit pennas columbae O that they may prove the wings of this Dove that I may flee away and be at rest The churlish fingers frame themselves fetters to chain them faster to the lowest Pit Indeed nothing more knits us to the earth than our wealth we are loth to use it in our life loth to leave it at our death though for a Kingdom Sell all you know he startled at it that thought he had kept all the Commandments from his youth I love not impossible tasks to perswade any amongst us now a days to that yet Emperours and Kings and Saints have done it and Qui capere potest c. for I would not have you think but honourably of those magnanimous Heroes such as we read of Acts iv those prime constant heirs of grace and glory 'T is but a counsel this and counsels it seems are out of date Well all of us to cast off riches when they come to Pondus no necessity till then keep them