Esay 63. Abraham nescivit nos Abraham would never know them for his None of his sonnes these Those are his sonnes Esa. 63.16 that doe as he did And heer now come in we They Iewes but not Abraham's Children We Abraham's children but not Iewes For as He did so do we There is Ioy with us at the sight of His day we renew our Ioy so oft as by the Revolution of the yeare it commeth about And for this very point we find our selves the neerer to Abraham Even for the ioy of His day Alwaies sure we are since 1 Abraham did it and 2 CHRIST allowed it and 3 disallowed the contrary by these three we have good warrant to do as we do To make it a time of Ioy. And so a time of ioy GOD make it to us Thus it stands for the Order There be in the Text three acts specified from one The Division issuing from Abraham all All directed to one marke falling all upon one Object That Object is Diem meum My day Of that then first The three Acts be 1 Exultavit vt videret 2 Vidit and 3 gavisus est 1 First would be glad vt videret that He might see that is was desirous to see it 2 Then had his desire did see it 3 And lastly seeing it took ioy of his sight Of which three the first and last Desiderium and gaudium desire and ioy are two affections attending upon Love and are euer sure signes of it Desire when we want and have not what we love And Ioy when we now possesse or as the terme is enioy it The middle which is Sight that pertaines to faith Faiths light it was he saw it by So heer is sides per Charitatem operans Abraham's faith right Gal. 5.6 But I keepe the Order in the Text I change it not it cannot be mended All goes by a right line 1 Desire first that is the way to see 2 Seing next that brings ioy 3 And ioy is the end and a good end it is to end in ioy These three with reference first to Abraham And then after to our selves I. The Obiect Diem meum My day TO find our mark first that all this desire is to see all this ioy when it is seene It is Diem meum CHRISTS Day CHRIST is GOD and Man Sonne to both His day 1. Not as the Sonne of GOD. Mic. 5.3 1. Tim. 1.16 as the Sonne of GOD or as the sonne of Man Which of these Not as the Sonne of GOD As the Sonne of GOD He hath no day Day and night are parts of time And Egressus Ejus His goings out are from all eternitie 2. If we would improperly call it a Day no day to be seen The light of it is inaccessible not to be approched to it would strike any man blind to behold it 3. If we could see it and Him in His Deity yet there is small ioy to see CHRIST so Small ioy to see Him but by the light of this Day All the desire was that He might be All the ioy that He was to be seene as the Sonne of Man As the Sonne of Man then His day 2. But as the Sonne of Man Luk. 17.22 so But as the Sonne of man he hath more daies then one So He saith Luk. 17. They shall desire to see one day of the Sonne of man one of many any one of them But this heer notes some one eminent Day above the rest It is a day with a double article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Day That same Day That if any one day Mine more than other I would by speciall prerogative cal◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mine indeed Now there be but two such eminent daies to stand for this 1 The first and the 2 last First of His Genesis or last of His Exodus Genesis His comming into the world or Exodus His going out That is the first of His Nativity or the last of His Passion Which of these Not the day of His Passion Luk. 22.53 Not of His Passion First that was none of His. For He saith to them that took him Haec est hora vestra Yours So their 's it was not His. Secondly It was not His Day Nay it was no day neither but Tenebrarum as he there addeth So night rather then day But thirdly without all question no Day of ioy The Heavens are darkened the Earth quaking the stones renting every one going their waiâ—s beating their brests for sorrow That was no sight to rejoyce at That no day to reioyce in But of His Birth Luk. 2.11 Then is it of necessity to be His Birth day That was a Day the Angell calls it To day To day is borne And His day it was for every man claimes a kind of propertie in his Birth day Men in the day of the beginning of their life As Kings in the day of the beginning of their Reignes As Cities their Palilia when the trench is first cast As Churches their Encaenia when they are first dedicate So Men their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they first come into the world It is too plaine this His Day then And sure a day of ioy Luk 2.14 withall Ioy in Heaven Ioy in Earth In Heaven for a day of Glorie to GOD on high In Earth for a day of Peace heer below and for good-will towards men as ever nay more then ever was any The Angel so proclaimed it Gaudium omni populo A day Luk. 2.10 of Ioy to all People And proclaimed why Quia hodiè natus est And this omni populo as appeares now Luk. 2.11 by this Text was not onely all People then in being or after to be But as LEO well expresseth it in praeteritas se refudit aetates the ioy of it went back up to the Ages past up even to Abraham's time two thousand yeares and more before ever it came I know well this Day may be taken for the whole time of His life But it must be by a figure then And no man but seeth that a Day doth more literally properly signifie a day then the time of ones whole life at large Yet that time too had his beginning on a day And that day even for that very beginning may wel challenge a better right and neerer propertie in this word day then any longer time what soever As the very Day whereon He was first seene first shewed to the world as the Sonne of Man As the very day whereon the first fruits of all the ioy then and ever since sure I am the Fathers fix it all upon one day and upon this day by name So a Iren. 4.15 Irenaeus b Aug. Hom. 43. Augustine c Cyr. 6.11 Cyril set it downe that this day it was This day then be it the day of His Hirth So have ye the Obiect Now to the three Acts And first of Desire Exultavit vt that Vt is
he must have eyes So he hath Ephes. 1.18 Having the eyes of your vnderstanding lightened Heer are eyes by them did Abraham and even by them and by no other do we see Him Those eyes many have beside but see Him not for want of light By what light saw He He was a Prophet and as a Prophet he might be in the Spirit and have the vision clearely represented before him in luce prophetiae But without all question a faithfull man he was and so certaine it is he saw it in lumine fidei the light of faith which faith is the clearnesse or evidence of things not seen Ye know the place Gal. 3.9 Heb. 11.1 Not seen Nay even of things invisible In the 27. Ver. of the same Chapter it is said Moses was as if he had seen the Invisible By faith that was And Rom. 4.11 in Abraham the Father of the faithfull the same faith was Both saw by the same light and by it CHRIST was as verily present unto them as if they had seen Him this day in the manger with the Shepheards or with Simeon had had him in their armes and beheld him Thus He and thus we For it is all the light he had or we have to see Him by But where was this and when The Text is enough so it was If we rest not in that but would know what the Fathers have conceived of the place and time This they hold That he saw His Birth at the valley of Mamre Gen. 18. And he saw His Passion in the Mount of Moria Gen. 22. But this Day he saw at Mamre Gen. 18. Then was CHRIST in person there one of the three Then made Abraham the confession Gen. 17.19.18.10 we before spoke of Then is twice mention of the time of life which is this time if ever any Then Isaac was delivered as a gage And then was his feast of ioy downe went his fat heyfer So all meet at the time iust And so certainly He then saw it there as after we see he sware his servant on his thigh His thigh became Ad sancta Dei Evangelia Gen. 24.2 He bad his servant lay his hand on his thigh and sweare by the GOD of Heaven Et quid vult Deus Coeli ad femur Abrahae What hath the GOD of Heaven to do with Abrahams thigh sayth Saint Augustine And his answere is Nisi quia But only because he saw certeinly the SONNE of GOD was from thence to take flesh Semen Abrahae de femore Abrahae and so to make us this blessed day And this of CHRIST's visus And now of Abraham's gavisus the end of his sight and desire both 3. Abrahams third Act Et gavisus est Pro. 13.12 He that was glad he should see it must needs be glad when he did see it If Exultavit ut videret then Vt vidit Vt exultavit when he saw how glad a man was He now his desire was accomplished And the desire accomplished saith Salomon is a tree of Life And the tree of life we know is in the middst Gen. 2.9 is the very center of all the ioyes of Paradise Now we cannot possibly take a view of these his ioyes better than out of the promise which was the very list or briefe of all he was eyther to see or to ioy in Gen. 26.4 We begin with the blessed ioy of Benedicentur omnes gentes in seminâ— tuo Benedicentur shall be blessed And that is of two sorts 1 Blessed from And 2 blessed with and eyther hath his ioyes Blessed from from pulvis et cinis dust of the grave and ashes of the furnace His soule blessed from the Clibanus fumans Psal. 16.9 which he saw Moreover also his flesh should rest in hope hope of rising againe from the dust Els how could GOD be called the GOD of Abraham Mat. 22.32 GOD is not the GOD of the dead but of the living Abraham then being dead should live againe and then Nunc dimittis may he say no lesse then Simeon These two ioyes first Luc 2. And these two fit well the words of Ioy in the Verse 1 Exultavit that is a motion of the bodie for the bodies deliverance from dust 2 Gavisus that is a fruit of the Spirit for the Spirits redemption from the furnace These are his two first ioyes Then two more in blessed with or concerning Concerning first his two gages Isaac and Canaan Isaac of CHRIST Canaan of the Kingdome of Heaven And this Ioy was surely great And if the ioy of the Pledge or Gage were great farr greater was the ioy of the Inheritance it selfe which he so greatly desired For both he was saith the Apostle and he bare himselfe like a stranger heere upon Earth Heb. 11.13 shewing thereby that he sought for another a better an abiding Citie whose builder is GOD and that in Heaven For that it was no earthly thing which was the obiect of his joy nothing but Heaven thence it may appeare that when GOD promised him his seed should be as the dust of the Earth Gen. 13.16 Gen. 13. It never moved him it was no obiect that of his faith or desire not so much as a Credidit followes upon it But after in the .15 Chap. when GOD bade him Gen. 15.5 Looke up and told him they should be as the starrs of heaven then presently followes Credidit Abraham Deo Verse 6. He caught hold of that beleeved that straight and it was counted to him for righteousnesse euen that his faith touching no dust of the Earth but touching heaven and heavenly blessings And these are the two next Ioyes of blessed with And these two answere the two sights Vt videret the Pledge and Et vidit the Inheritance Now these foure had they been graunted to himselfe and to his owne house well might it have been gavisus with him how much more then that it should by him have his extent Gen. 26.4 and stretch to Omnes familiae Omnes gentes All kindreds All nations of the Earth be gaudium omni populo be a day of joy to both Hemispheres the ioy of generalitie That all the world should be the better for him And this his fifth the ioy of Omnes gentes And glad might he have been to have receaved all these by whomsoever yea though a meere stranger That all these then should come to him not by any strange partie but by one to come out of his owne bowells that his seed should be his Saviour and out of his roote should rise his Redeemer All his ioy should grow from the fruit of his own body That He that Nusquam Angelos in no wise them Heb. 2.16 would take on Him the seed of Abraham This may I doubt not be reckoned for the sixth even the ioy of in semine tuo Now to in Semine Abrahae adde in sinu Abrahae and so have we seaven complete That His
Shepheards Stay and ye shall see a troope of GODS Angells Heare yee one say layd in the cratch below abide and yee shall heare many sing Glorie on high in honor of Him that lyeth in it Vidisti vilia saith Saint Ambrose audi mirifica Were the things meane you have seene Wonderfull shall they be ye now shall heare and see both Vilescit praesepe ecce Angelicis cantibus honoratur Is the Cratch meane Meane as it is it is honoured with the musique of Angells it hath the whole Queer of Heaven to sing about it This also will prove a signe if it be well looked into a counter-signe to the other That of His humilitie this of His glorie Surely seeing the other three Evangelists omitted this signe one would wonder why S. Luke did not so too In discretion small credit there was in it better have concealed it one would thinke a great deale better But Saint Luke knew what he did He would never have mentioned the signe but that sure he was when he had laid Him so low he was able to up with Him againe and sing away all the disgrace of the signe with a strange Carroll and as strange a Queer sent from Heaven to sing it 1. The Queere 1. Who To the Queer then Who were they Where the first I pitch on is the word Heavenly For thence they came and thither they went againe 15. Ver. Quid praesepi coelo What hath Heaven or heavenly Personages to do here with the Cratch It should seeme some coelestiall thing there is in it as low as it seemes it reacheth high as high as Heaven heavenly things and heavenly Personages both About it here comes divers from Heaven For it there goes Glorie up to Heaven So that the signe is also Esay 7.11 signum de coelo sursum from on high by reason of the Queer as well as a signe from the earth beneath in respect of the Cratch here 2. In what habit How appeare they These Personages were Angells It is said expresly 15. ver Yet are they here said to be Souldiers What shall we have warre then for they are in the habit of warre True of warre but it is warre not that now is or hereafter should be but of warr that had been before even to the day of this Birth but now to cease witnesse Pax in terris There had been no Peace with heaven but plaine hostilitie Ephes. 2.3 Gen. 3.24 between earth and it No goodwill toward men but filij irae children of wrath all Ever since the Cherubin first drew upon Adam and with a shaken sword kept the entry of Paradise Ever since in armes till this very day Their habit shewes what was before Their song what now should be By vertue of CHRISTS nativitie Peace to earth from Heaven Good-will to men from GOD. So now upon His Birth they were to disarme but before they put their armor of yet being in it they would have a Paean and sing of the new world that was now to ensue A signe this and a strange one this coniunction species praeliantium and voces cantantium the habit of warre and the song of peace Souldiers make a camp come to fight These make a Queer come to sing They are not in the habit of Queer-men yet they sing They are in the habit of men of warre yet sing of peace 3. What number What number A multitude there was of them First for the more authoritie that in the mouthes of many this truth might be established many to witnesse it 2 Then for the better musique if a full Queer many to sound it out It was a matter of great weight so diverse to testifie it It was a matter of high praise diverse therefore to celebrate and set it forth When we heare of a multitude we feare a confusion But you will observe this multitude was multitudo Militiae No confused rout No but acies ordinata a well ordered armie There is order in an armie There is order in a Queer There is order among Angells coördinate among themselves subordinate to their head and leader So a multitude without confusion And yet there is a further matter in this same multitude For that there were not some few of them but a great many that was a signe it was no petie SAVIOVR that was borne Iude 13.15 Gen. 18.2 To have Angells come by one and by two as at the birth of SAMSON or ISAAC and others But the grand SAVIOVR of all by his troops of them the LORD of hosts Himselfe as attended by the whole Armie Heb. 1.6 For at His Birth was fulfilled that the Apostle speaks of Heb. 1.6 When He brings His only begotten SONNE into the world He saith Let all the Angells of GOD worship Him Let the whole Host of Heaven do Him honor As honor Him heer they do For Psal. 50.23 they that offer Him praise honor Him and praise they offer Him the next word is laudanâ—ium And even now they do it Even heer is this honor done Even to Him in his cratch is it done And Heaven it selfe for a while left emptie that it may be done All which is but a signe to shew what a shew He could have made if He had listed Mat. 26.53 that he might have had the Legions he speakes of at his Death that had them in such a multitude to day at his Birth A signe He was not weake what ever he seemed that had these militarie forces if He would to take armes for Him That He was not to be despised how ever He appeared that had these consorts of Angells to sing about His cratch and to praise GOD for Him What did they Praised GOD. For Angells to praise GOD is no new thing 4. What they did Iob. 38.7 From the beginning it was their occupation so to do Iob. 38.7 But to praise Him for a child in a cratch that lo is new A new thing A new song and if you will a new signe too For never the like seen before Before in Iob their praise was for the creating they had that only then to praise Him for now for the restoring of all things For the birth of the world then for the new birth of it now by the birth of Him by whom the world at first was made and now ne perderet quod condidit made againe created anew and many a new creature in it To Him sitting in the throne sing they their Sanctus Esai 6. For to CHRIST was the Sanctus soong Esay 6 3. Ioh. 12.11 saith Saint Iohn directly in his 12. 41. Now to Him heer lying in the manger which is great odds But indeed to both in imis puero in excelsis Deo For He was both And His being both was an Ecce signum if ever there were any upon earth And lastly all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that instantly No pause between betweene Amen 5.
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there came our miserie by Adam's not keeping his first estate but Scattering from GOD. 3 But then comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about and makes all well againe by bringing us where we were at the first There was a former Capitulation The articles were broken Then came this Recapitulation heere anew An account was cast but it was mis-cast and so it is heer cast new over againe But when all is done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is it we must hold by The fist is gone All perished by being Scattered from All must be recovered by being gathered to againe Our Separation our ruine Our Reparation our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our gathering againe And not ours alone but Salus mundi of all in heaven all in earth By this we may see by the way 1 what case all were in 2 what case all are in still that he loose and vngathered and whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath not recollected againe We see what and how gathered Now quò the next point is whereto 4 Into one Into one Every thing that is gathered is so But there is more ones then one One heap as of stones One flock as of sheepe One pile as of the materialls of a building All are good but to take the word in the native sense the gathering heer is either to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Summe as many numbers Or to go neerer to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Head as many members and that is it the Apostle pursueth to the Chapters end Both these Summe and Head are in the body of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they both serve and suit well The body the Head is as it were the Summe of all all 1 sense 2 motion 3 speech 4 vnderstanding all recapitulate into the Head This of Head or Summe fitteth it best For to speake properly many heaps flocks piles there may be Head there can be but one De ratione capitis est unum esse And so of a Summe but one true summe were there never so many so diverse waies cast So then into one that is not enough It is not co-adunation will serve It is recapitulation and in that word there is caput It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in that word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a reducing all to one as that one be the Head A headlesse gathering the Apostle cannot skill of And indeed say there were an entire body and every member in his right place and all streictly knit together yet if the head should had to be away as good the members all in sunder for all were to no purpose So a Head or nothing This gathering then you see is to the chiefe Member to the Member that weares the Crowne Thither upward the true gathering goes There is a Vnion downwards Iud. 15.4 as of Samson's foxes that were together by the tailes That is not the right but by the head The oxen that plough are joyned together by the head The foxes that are tied by the tailes they set all on fire The Vnitie of the head GOD send us That is the true Vnitie And yet are we not where we should We may gather upward too and make a head and not the right head That to a head is not enough if it fall out to be a wrong head suppose Romelie's sonne Humano capiti c. do but paint saith the Poet any body Esay 7.9 with a wrong head it will but move laughter and scorne The right the owne head it would be A strange head will not suite nor doe us any stead The right head then And which is the right head He adds Recapitulati in CHRISTO It is CHRIST There lo is the right head now To that let all gather And now we are arrived at CHRIST we are where we should our gathering is at the best All in heaven All in earth gathered together together againe Againe into one One Summe whereof CHRIST is the Foot One body whereof CHRIST is the Head Gather then and be gathered to Him Gather then and be gathered with Him Luk. 1â— 23 He that gathereth not with Him scattereth And so were all scattered without CHRIST till He came with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and got them againe together The seasons were all empty The things all on heapes Gen. 3.24 Things in heaven from things in earth Angells with drawne swords at men Things on earth Iud. 13.22 from things in heaven Men at but the sight of an Angell ready to fall downe dead The members from the head the head from the members The members one from another Neither vnion with the head nor among themselves Peccata vestra Ier. 5.25 it was sinne that divided betweene GOD and them and divided once and divided ever divided in semper divisibilia till they were quite past all division No longer divided now but even scattered The case of the world then Scattered in point of Religion Gods scattered all over as many Gods as Cities All the hosts of heaven Ieâ— 2.28 all the beasts and creeping things of the earth Scattered in point of moralitie or morall Philosophie I know not how many scattered opinions Augustine reckons de Summo Bono the chiefe point of all The Iewes scattered from the Gentiles and the Gentiles from the Iewes A maine Wall betweene Ephes 2.14 The Gentiles scattered from themselves grossely all in fractions they Nothing of a body Never a head And yet many heads but never a right one among them all No not the Iâ—wes themselves For the Tabernacle of DAVID was then downe and the ruines of it scattered into many Sects as the Prophet AMOS complaines Amos 9.11 And Saint IAMES alledgeth it out of him Act 15.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 1.2 Gen. 11.8 Act. XV. In a word the whole world then was but a masse of errours a Chaos of confusion Tohu and Bohu empty and void of all saving grace or truth Well likened to them that were scattered at the tower of Babel where no man vnderstood another Exod. 5.12 Or to the people that were scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble to pick up Strawes All then wandering hither and thither and seeking death in the error of their life By all which you see Wisd. 1.12 what need there was of this gathering this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now then if for the divisions of Reuben Iud. 5·15 there were great thoughts of heart as it is in Debora's song for but one Tribe scattered from the rest shall there be no thought or course taken for these such so generall so many not divisions but plaine dispersions scatterings all abroad Great pitie that all these should lie thus loose and vngathered as if they were not worth the taking up Io. 6.12 He that in Ioan. VI. took order for the broken meat for the fragments willed them to be gathered
Capitulum which is a Diminutive So was it verbum in principio the aeternall mighty Rom. 10.28 great Word became verbum abbreviatum as the Apostle saith Rom. X. to bring this to passe Esa. 40.12 He that the heavens are but His spann abbreviate into a child of a spann long He that Caput the Head of men and Angells principalities and powers became capitulum He that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little diminutive head Head Nay became the foote Pes computi the Text is the foot the lowest part of the accompt and of the lowest accompt 6. The Season when And now because we are in seasons we speake of seasons When was this at what season of the yeare when was it that He was so capite minutus Sure never lesse never so little never so minorated so minimated I am sure as now When was Ecce venio fullfilled we may know that by all the foure Sundayes in Advent now past that to day it is Ecce venio Psal. 40.7 His comming the Psalme expounds by ordeining Him a body A body there was ordeined Him in the wombe But to us things are when they appeare That though the Word were made flesh before Ioh. 1.14 yet GOD was not manifested in the flesh came not and dwelt among us visibly to be seen till this day So that if you aske of In CHRISTO what or when In CHRISTO nato then was this gathering of things in heaven and earth And in signe it was then looke there comes a Queer of Angells down Luk. 2.13 there comes a new Starr forth to represent the things in heaven There comes togither a sort of Shepheards and there is gathering to them a troop of great Princes from the East Mat. 2.1 to represent the things on earth which consist as these do of high and low noble and base wise and simple All to celebrate and make shew of this gathering of this great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into this small 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in their heavenly Hymne there is mention of this gathering Luc. 14. In excelsis and in terris sett togither as if all in both were now in full and perfect harmonie Now when the seasons had travailed with and at last brought forth Him that was the best thing they had or should ever bring forth then were they at the best When Him in whom it pleased the FATHER all fullnesse should dwell then were they at the full The gathering of the things so full as it made plenitudo rerum The gathering of the seasons so full as it made plenitudo temporum And so have we brought both parts seasons and things togither The Summe is at the foot the Oration at the periode the Building at the head-stone the Tide at the full the fullnesse of the Gentiles are come in into His Church Rom. 11.25 Verse 23. which is His body the fullnesse of Him that filleth all in all But why GOD in the dispensation of the seasons did so order The Application of the Texâ— to the time and to us In earthly things that at such a yeare of the world such a moneth of the yeare such a day of the moneth this should fall out just this is more then I dare take upon me to define But this I may that the Christian world hath ever observed diverse good congruities of this Feast with this Text. The Text is of a Recapitulation The feast is so Twelve monethes recapitulate to twelve daies Sixe for the old In sixe daies was the creation of the old And when the old things are past as many for the new For behold all things are new And 2. Cor. 5.17 if any be in CHRIST he is a new creature Both these recapitulaâ—e in one season â—qually divided Aequally divided between both yet so as the dayes of the last are set before the first Mat. 19.30 that so erunt novissimi primi is verified even of the season and the last first there also The Text is of a gathering and that falls fitt with the season and giveth us great cause to admire the high wisedome of GOD in the dispensation of seasons That now at this season when we gather nothing when nothing groweth to be gathered there should be a gathering yet and a great one nay the greatest gathering that ever was or will be And so by that meanes the poorest and emptiest season in nature become the fullest and richest in grace Now we do our selves in effect expresse as much as this comes to For we also make it a season of gathering togither of neighbourly meeetings and invitations Wherin we come togither and both our selves have and we make each other partakers of what we have gathered all the yeare before In which sense also we may call it the season of dispensation in that we then dispense the blessings GOD hath sent us and that is in good house keeping and hospitalitie And if you will of fullnesse too For the most part do then use to be better filled and with better fare that are not so full againe all the yeare beside That one may truly say there is more fullnesse in this season then any other And so it is the season of fullnesse then For the hungry are then filled with good things then Psal. 107.9 of all the seasons of the yeare And last there is in the Text and it as the maine word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Primitive sense is the making the foâ—â—e of an accompt which agreeth well with the foot of the yeare for at the foot of the leaâ—e Sâ—mmes use to be set Sett it at the head or set it at the foot it is the 〈◊〉 of the Old and the head of the New and so the fittest season to celebrate it in â—or â—e it head or be it foot CHRIST it is So recapitulation or gathering fullnesse or dispeâ—â—â—tieâ— or Summing all up the Text is seasonble But these I have spoke of are of things on earâ—h Wâ—e it not to be wisheâ— In heavenly things 〈◊〉 would endevour to have some fruition and to gather some fruit for the heavenly part from this gathering this fumming up of CHRIST ' s CHRIST is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a short summe but there is in Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fulnesse of all CHRIST is but the Contents of a Chapter some threâ— of foure lines but a great long Chapter followes long and large For what shall you see in this Shulamite but Choros cast rorum Cant. 6.13 legionâ— whole armies of good things to gather Such so great a summe as twelve daies will not â—erâ—e to cast them up But yet somewhat let us gather that the seasons being full we our selves be not sent empty away Our Accompting The time failes I will therefore name but one and that the maine word of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which referreth properly to
Specially such a one so conditioned as heere is set downe 5 For keeping it for us in heaven in this verse Verse 5. 6 For keeping us for it on Earth the next verse For these all but above all for the meanes of all the rising of CHRIST this dayes worke the dew of this new birth the gate of this hope the pledge of this Inheritance For these owe we this Benedictus to GOD. And this day are we to pay it every one of us It is a Sinne of omission not to doe it he that doth not is a debtour To GOD the Father the Qui and to CHRIST our LORD the Per quem by whom and by whose rising lose this life when we will we have hope of a better betide our Inheritance on Earth what shall we have another kept for us in heaven Thus every one naturally ariseth out of other BLessed be GOD. Yea blessed and thanked and praised Benedictus Magnificat I. The Act Benedictus Blessed be God Inhilate and all All But heere blessed suits best that the best and most proper returne for a blessing That we Inherite is the Blessing Chap. III. verse 9. The hope is a blessed hope Tit. II. 13. But the Inheritance is the State of blessednesse it selfe Therefore Benedictus benè dicitur Benedictus is said well Said well 2. The Partie GOD. Rom 9.5 of GOD who is above all blessed for ever well also of a Father Benedictus a fit terme for him And GOD in the Tenour of this whole Text is brought in as a Father a father begetting begetting us first by nature begetting us againe in it by grace But thereby hangs a Scruple For what are we Blesse GOD we may that we should take upon us to blesse GOD Saint Peter saies it heere Saint Paul seemes to gaine-say it Without all question saith he the lesse is blessed by the greater And is He lesse or we greater Heb. 7.7 that we should offer to blesse Him And if not as GOD not as a Father the next word For shall the Child presume to blesse his Father It becomes him not He us then and not we Him Yes He us and we Him too We have so many Texts for it I make no doubt but there is blessing both waies Of the many I remember that one of Saint Paul's Ephes. 1. Benedictus Deus qui benedixit nos Blessed be GOD for blessing us Ephes 1.3 As if they were reciprocall these One the Echo the reflexion of the other Aequall they are not It were fond to imagine the Father gives the child no other blessing but the childe can give him as good againe No aliter nos Deum aliter Deus nos Otherwise GOD blesseth us and the Parent who represents GOD in begetting our bodies and the Priest who represents Him in begetting againe our soules Otherwise we them GOD'S is reall ours but verball His cum effectu ever Ours if it be but cum affectu that is all His Operative ours but Optative What then he that wisheth heartily would doe more then wish if his power were according Even that then in want of power to shew a good will I know not how but we take it well ever GOD doth I am sure as appeareth by the goates haire of the Old Testament and by the Widowe's mites in the New And this is Saint Peter's but expressing a good minde onely And without all question thus the Greater may be blessed even of the lesse Not tanquam potestatem habens but tanquam vota faciens So we may say Benedictus Deus And let us then say it What say we then when we say Benedictus It is a word compound How we may blesse GOD. Take it in sunder and Dicere is to say somewhat to Speake and that we can and bene is speaking to speake well and that we ought To Speake is Confession To speake well is Praise And Praise becommeth Him and us to give it Him Put together in one word and then Benedicere to blesse in the phrase of ours and of all tongues els is not so much omnia bona dicere to speake all good of Him as omnia bona vovere to wish all good to Him And that becomes Him too not onely Laus but Votum specially where Votum is totum where we have little els left us but it And what good can we wish Him that He hath not Bonorum nostrorum non eget saith the Psalmist nor Benedictionum neither We can add nothing to Him Psal. 16.2 by our Benedictus Say we it say we it not He is blessed alike True to Him we cannot wish not to His person But to His Name we can In His Name And He is blessed when His Name is blessed We can wish His name more blessedly vsed and not in cursing and cursed othes as daily we heare it And to His Word we can We can wish it more devoutly heard and not In His Word as a few streines of wit as our manner is In His Person as united to his Church Yea even to His person we can There is a way to doe that inasmuch as He and His Church are now growne into one make but one person what is said or done to it is said or done to Himselfe Blesse it and He is blessed In a word then to blesse GOD is to wish His Name may be glorious to wish His Word may be prosperous to wish His Church may be happie By wearing of which Name and by hearing of which Word and by being in and of which Church we receive the blessing heere upon earth that shall make us for ever blessed in heaven This we say if we marke what we say when we say Blessed be GOD. GOD and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Style of the New Testament 1. Cor. 1.3 Ephes. 1.3 GOD and the Father of our LORD IESVS CHRIST This is stylo novo the style of the New Testament ye read it not in the Old No nor in Zacharie's neither Betweene that of Zacharie's and this of Saint Peter's it fell out this The Sunne was yet under the Horizon when Zacharie made his But now up and of a good height And thereupon this taken up by Saint Peter heere by Saint Paul 1. Cor. 1. Ephes. 1. and upon great reason 1. To fever Him from all false Gods 1. Blessed be GOD Say that and no more and never a Iew Turke or Pagan but will say as much Blessed be GOD we Blessed be GOD they It is never the worse for that But yet seeing the world then was still is full of many Gods and many Lords 1. Cor. 8. It would be knowne 1. Cor. 8.5 which GOD. For we would not bestow our Benedictus upon any but the true GOD neither they nor we I dare say Which is then the true GOD Pater Domini nostri Iesu Christi and He that is not so is a false fained God is an Idoll Put them to
in us it is so by the power of CHRIST 's death and thither to be referred properly And whatsoever good is revived or brought againe anew from us it is all from the vertue of CHRIST 's rising againe All do rise all are raised thence The same power that did create at first the same it is that makes a new creature The same power that raised Lazarus the brother from his grave of stone the same raised Marie Magdalene the sister from her grave of Sinne. From one and the same power both Which keepeth this methode Worketh first to the raising of the soule from the death of sinne and after in the due time to the raising of the body from the dust of death Els what hath the Apostle said all this while Now this power is inhaerent in the Spirit as the proper subject of it even the aeternall Spirit whereby CHRIST offered himselfe first unto GOD and after raised himselfe from the dead Now as in the texture of the naturall body ever there goes the Spirit with the blood ever with a veine the vessell of the one there runnes along an arterie the vessell of the other So is it in CHRIST His blood and his Spirit alwaies goe together In the Spirit is the power in the power virtually every good work it produceth which it was ordeined for If we get the Spirit we cannot faile of the power And the Spirit that ever goes with the blood which never is without it This carries us now to the blood The very shedding whereof upon the Crosse primùm ante omnia was the nature of a price A price first of our ransome from death due to our sinne through that His satisfaction A price againe of the purchase He made for us through the value of His merit which by His Testament is by Him passed over to us Now then His blood after it had by the very powring it out wrought these two effects it ranne not wast but divided into two streames T it 3.5 1. One into the Laver of the new birth our Baptisme applied to us outwardly to take away the spotts of our sinne Luk. 22.20 2. The other into the Cup of the New Testament in His blood which inwardly administred serveth as to purge and cleanse the conscience from dead workes Chap. 9.14 that so live works may grow up in the place So to endue us with the Spirit that shall enhable us with the power to bring them forth Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta these are not two of the Sacraments but the two twin-Sacraments of the Church saith S. Augustine And with us there are two Rules 1. One Quicquid sacrificio offertur Sacramento confertur what the Sacrifice offereth that the Sacrament obteineth 2. The other Quicquid Testamento legatur Sacramento dispensatur What the Testament bequeatheth that is dispensed in the holy Mysteries To draw to an end If this power be in the Spirit and the blood be the vehiculum of the Spirit How may we partake this blood It shall be offered you streight in the Cup of blessing which we blesse in His name For is not the Cup of blessing which we blesse the Communion of the blood of CHRIST saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 10.16 Is there any doubt of that In which blood of CHRIST is the Spirit of Christ. In which Spirit is all Spirituall power and namely this power that frameth us fit to the workes of the Spirit Which Spirit we are all made there to drinke of And what time shall we doe this What time is best What time better then that day in which it first shewed forth the force and power it had in making peace in bringing back CHRIST that brought peace back with Him that made the Testament that sealed it with his blood that died upon it that it might stand firme for ever All which were as upon this day This day then somewhat would be done somewhat more then ordinarie more then every day Let every day befor every good worke to doe His will But this day to doe something more then so something that may be well pleasing in His sight So it will be kindly So we shall keepe the degrees in the Text So we shall give proofe that we have our part and fellowship in CHRIST in CHRIST 's resurrection in the vertue of CHRIST 's resurrection Grace rising in us workes of grace rising from it That so there may be a resurrection of vertue and good workes at CHRIST 's resurrection That as there is a reviving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the earth when all and every herbs and flowers and brought againe from the dead So among men good workes may come up too that we be not found fruitlesse at our bringing backe from the dead in the great Resurrection But have our parts as heere now in the blood so there then in the Testament and the Legacies thereof which are glorie joy and blisse for ever and ever Printed for RICHARD BADGER SERMONS OF THE SENDING OF the Holy Ghost PREACHED VPON VVhit-Sunday A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT GREENVVICH on the VIII of June A. D. MDCVI being WHIT-SVNDAY Acts CHAP. II. VER I. II. III. IV. And when the Day of Pentecost was come or when the fifty daies were fulfilled they were all with one accord in one place And there came sodeinly from heaven the sound of a mighty Winde and it filled the place where they sate And there appeared tongues cloven as they had beene of fire and sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance WE are this day beside our weekly due of the Sabboth to renew and to celebrate the yearely memorie of the sending downe the Holy Ghost One of the Magnalia Dei as they be termed after in the XI Verse One of the great and wonderfull Benefitts of GOD Indeed Ver 11. a Benefit so great and so wonderfull as there were not tongues enough upon earth to celebrate it withall but there were faine to be more sent from heaven to help to sound it out throughly Even a new supply of tongues from heaven For all the tongues in earth were not sufficient to magnifye GOD for his goodnesse in sending downe to men the gift of the HOLY GHOST This we may make a severall benefit by it selfe from those of CHRIST 's And so the Apostle seemeth to doe Gal. 4.4.4.6 Gal. 4. First GOD sent His Sonne in one verse and then after GOD sent the Spirit of His Sonne in another Or we may hold our continuation still and make this the last of CHRIST 's Benefitts For Ascendit in altum is not the last there is one still remaining which is Dona dedit hominibus Psal. 68.18 And that is this daye 's peculiar wherein were given to men many and manyfold both graces and gifts and all in one gift
And commonly other spirits are more violent and make a greater noise then the true Spirit The other two 1 of comming from heaven 2 comming for the Church from the holy heaven to the holy Church are both in sancto and sapere quae sursum being wise from thence and regard to religion and the Church are the two best Characters to discerne the Holy spirit by The Holy Spirit that is His Graces Now ye will understand of your selves I shall not need to tell you when we speake of the Holy Spirit as it filleth us we meane not the Essence or person of the Holy Ghost that fillâ—th heaven and earth saith the Prbohet and there is no going from it saith the Psalmist But onely certaine impressions of the Spirit Ier 23.24 Psal. 19 7. The Psalmist calleth them gifts Psal. LXVIII XVIII The Apostle Graces I. Cor. XII VII which carrie the name of their Cause so that in the Dialect or Idiom of the Scriptures to be filled with them is to be filled with the Spirit To shew this otherwhile they be joyned the spirit and power of ELIAS that is the power of the spirit Luke 1.17 the Wisdome and spirit of STEPHEN that is the wisdome of the Spirit Acts 6.10 And because these Gifts and Graces be of many points more Points of this Wind then there be of the Compasse and as it were many spirits in one sixe saith a Esay 11.6 Esai sevâ—â— saith b Apoc 1 4.3.1 S. IOHN they are all recapitulate under these two 1 Vnder the Wind is represented the saving grace which all are to have so to serve GOD that they may please Him as necessarie to all and without which we can be no more in our spirituall life then we can without our breath in our naturall This is generall to all It is said repleti sunt omnes the hearer must have it as well as the speaker It must ayre and drie up the superfluity of our nature els the fire will not kindle in us but turne all to smoke Of this Spirit are those nine points Gal. V. XXII 2 The other Gal. 2.22 represented in the Tongues sett forth unto us another kind of Grace principally meant and sent for the benefit of others given therefore in Tongues which serve to teach and in fire which serveth to warme others to shew are given and received for the good of others rather then of themselves And of this Spirit are the Points reckoned up I. Cor. XII VII And now we know what it was they were filled with let us come to the measure 2. The measures Repleti sunt Repleti sunt It was not spiritus transiens but implens a wind not that blew through them as it doth through many of us I know not how oft but that filled them they were the fuller for it Which word of filling wanteth not his speciall force referre we it to their estate now compared with what it was before repleti sunt or to their estate in this point compared with other since and namely with our selves Repleti sunt illi With theiâ— owne estate first For there is no question 1. Repleti sunt compared with their former estate Ioh. 20.22 they were not emptie or void of the Spirit before this comming They had not beene baptized by CHRIST Hâ— had not breathed on them and bidd them receive the HOLY GHOST in vaine If before this they had died none would have doubted of the estate of their soules This filling then first sheweth us there be diverse measures of the Spirit some single some double portions as appeareth by ELISAE'S petition not all of one size or scantling That as there are degrees in he wind Aura ventus procella a breath 1. Reg 2.9 a blast a stiffe gale so are there in the Spirit One thing to receive the Spirit as on Easter-day another as on Whit-sunday Then but a breath now a mighty wind Ioh 20.22 Ezek. 20.46 Ioel 2.28 then but received it now filled with it Sprinkled before as with a few dropps Ezekiel's stillabo Spiritum but now comes Ioel's Effundam spiritum which very text is alleaged at the XXVIII verse after by S. Peter powred out plenteously and they baptized that is plunged in it Imbuti Spiritu covered with some part of it so were they before heer now they be induti Spiritu clothed all over with power from above as CHRIST promised Luke XXIV XLIX To conclude the HOLY GHOST came heer saith Leo â—umulans non inchoans nec novus opere sed dives laâ—gitate rather by way of augmenting the old then beginning a new Though to say the truth both wayes He came heer The rule of the Fathers is Hierome and Cyrill have it where the HOLY GHOST was before and is said to come againe it is to be understood one of these two wayes 1 Either of an increase of the former which before was had 2 or of some new not had before but sent now for some new effect Breath they had before breath and wind are both of one kind differ onely secundùm magis minùs to be filled is but to receive onely in a greater measure therefore greater because their worke was now greater Before but to the lost sheep of Israël Mat. 10.6 Ioh. 16.16 now to all the stray sheepe in all the mountaines of the whole earth But beside that increase heer is a new forme too Which is a signe of a new gift utterly wanting in them before and wherewith now and never till now they were furnished to speake to all nations of all tongues under heaven Thus farre compared with themselves â— Repleti sunt illi with reference to others Now repleti sunt illi Illi with reference to others since and if you will to our selves They in the succeeding ages and we to this day receive the Spirit too or els it is wrong with us But both they before us short of the Apostles and we short of them by much It fareth heerin as it doth in the powring forth of an ointment the Psalme so likeneth it Psal. 133.2 No ointment at the skirts or edges of a garment doth runne so fresh and full as on the head and beard where it was first shed ever the further it goeth the thinner and thinner the streames be Therefore it is sayd Repleti sunt illi and even illi wants not his force they were filled they We but a Hin to their Epha but an handfull to their heape but a rantisme to their Baptisme They filled had as much as they could hold We have our measure such as it is but full we are not None of us so full but we could hold more 1 Reason And two reasons there are rendred 1 One such a Pentecost as this never was but this never the like before nor since It was CHRIST 's Coronation day the day of placing Him in His throne Psal. 68.18 Ephes. 4.8
willing to entitle her selfe to heavens part this brings all out of tune But in tune or out of tune to die for it have it we will What the Apostles rent their clothes to put from them we would rend our skinnes to pluck to us Acts 14 14· So greedy are we to be held for Gods upon earth Nay earth is content to thrust from her her owne part that is peace to invade GODS part that is glorie Et dum gloriam usurpant pacem turbant to vsurpe glorie they lose peace we can dispense with that Shift GODS glorie how it can rather then our owne should suffer the least disgrace away with peace moveatur terra let all the world be on a welter What comes of this Pacem contemnentes gloriam appetentes gloriam perdunt pacem Even this peace their owne part they set light by Glorie GODS part they gape after and lose glorie and peace both by the meanes and when they have brought all to confusion set downe by their losses For first by seeking glorie glorie is lost The heathen man well observed Glorie is one of those things that to seek them is the very next way to lose and to neglect them the way to gaine them Quaerendo amittitur No readier way to misse it then eagerly to seeke it And againe by seeking glorie Peace is lost cleere Yeelding glorie to GOD doth bring with it pacem in terris diverting it from Him doth take pacem de terris In very deede Peace upon earth as it stands after it so it hath a dependence vpon Gods glorie comes as it were in exchange for it Da gloriam accipe pacem saith God Let men on earth send glorie vp to God on high and God on high will send downe peace to men on earth and will not faile Heavens peace for earths glorie Whereby we see if we misse peace on earth at any time what it is long of It is that which makes the Angells here keepe on their armour still vpon glorie deteined from God or transferred whither it should not they are vp in armes streight haue power to take peace from the earth till the point of glorie be set right againe The setting right of which point is the way to recover it Let heaven let GOD be well served with their part peace will not long be away It is coupled to it you see it followeth close Et pax in terris So much for that division 3 Goodwill toward men To men a good will For besides Earths peace wherein they entercommon Men have a part by themselves which is their prerogative And first I would have you to note that here it is entered first into the Musique of heaven In the Angells Hymne in Esay Esay 6.3 in the Old Testament Men are out there No mention at all not a word of them in that Heaven is in and Earth but no Men there In the Angells Hymne heer in the New Testament heere men are in that all may know that for this Childs sake now made man Men are now come into the Angells song to be a part and a principall part there who before were left out A principall part I say for marke againe They have never an Et they stand by themselves For both those former resolve into this of Men They the Epitome of heaven and earth The parties from whom this glorie to whom this peace is principally intended to come Glorie to GOD Glorie and Peace Why both For GOD hath received men to grace Men are now in favour againe But heaven and earth and men and all resolve into the free grace and good will of GOD. How shall they performe either peace or glorie but if there be toward them first and secondly but if there be in them this third of good will Thence issues GODS glorie thence the Earths peace The fountaine of both that Nay of CHRIST and all For Him this glorie for CHRIST Through Him this peace through CHRIST But CHRIST himselfe whence Whence but from the goodwill of GOD toward men From whence also the good will in men to GOD and one to another if any be in them That if we goe higher yet even of this Birth GODS good will was the cause and because His will was men should be restored therefore His will was CHRIST should be incarnate borne Can we go any higher are we not in altissimis Verily as we said the humilitie of the Signe was so deepe we could not sound it so may we now that the sublimitie of this point is so high we cannot reach it There is a part of Divinitie that dazles if we look too long on it we may well lose our sight Toward men and in men Then to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 last It may be turned two waies it will beare both and for my part I wish no word ever narrowed by a translation but asmuch as might be left in the latitude of the Originall tongue 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in homines to or toward men So we turne it and we turne it well 2 But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also in hominibus in or among men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no lesse properly And no hurt if we turne it so in hominibus provided in or erga homines goe first be soong before it In hominibus so ever as comming from in homines For then Donum magnum bonae voluntatis Dei bona voluntas in hominibus it is Augustine Of the good will of GOD towards men a speciall gift it is this good will in men to GOD and man both The best way is where there are two to take in both So we shall be sure to leave out neither 1 But Toward men first Yet in their sequence To or toward men then first But to or toward them for this Childs sake In whom He is so well pleased as for His sake He is pleased first to receive men to pardon though grievous sinners and so vtterly vnworthy of it Secondly He is pleased to reward their works also otherwise but for this good will in GOD in accepting them that might justly be excepted to for their many imperfections to take them well in worth though they want worth and to vouchsafe them a reward and that a high reward for it is your heavenly Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdome Chap. 12.32 Thirdly beyond both these He is further pleased in some case to accept even of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at our hands and though skill and power both faile and be wanting yet a willing minde if there be if there be but that a man is accepted according to that he hath 2. Cor. 8.12 Mar. 14.8 Mar 12.44 not according to that he hath not MARIE MAGDALEN's quod potuit fecit the poor widowe's quod habuit dedit and GOD wot it was
them up and exalt them And as they offered to me so am I come to bestow on them and to reward them with the endlesse joy and blisse of my Heavenly Kingdome To which c. A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS MAIESTIE at White-hall on Thursday the XXV of December A. D. MDCXXIII being CHRIST-MASSE day EPHES. I. VER X. In dispensatione plenitudinis temporum instaurare omnia in CHRISTO quae in coelis quae in terra sunt in Ipso That in the dispensation of the fullnesse of the times He might gather together into one all things both which are in heaven and which are in earth even in CHRIST SEeing the Text is of Seasons it would not be out of season it selfe And though it be never out of season to speake of CHRIST yet even CHRIST hath His seasons Your time is alwaies saith He Ioh 7.6 Iohn VII So is not mine I have my seasons One of which seasons is this the season of His Birth whereby all were recapitulate in heaven and earth Which is the season of the Text. And so this a Text of the season There is for the most part in each Text some one Predominant word That word in this is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heere turned gathering together into one againe To know the nature and full force of it we may consider it three waies 1 As it is properly taken 2 As it is extended 3 As it is derived 1. As it is taken properly So it signifies to make the foot of an account We call it the foot because we write it below at the foot They of old writ theirs above over the head and so called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In capite libri Scriptum est de me the Summe in the top Psal. 40.7 2. As it is extended So it is the short recapitulation of a long Chapter the compendiâ—m of a booke or of some discourse These are all like the foot of an Account and are vsually called the Summe of all that hath been said 3. As it is derived So shall we have the native sense of it It comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke for a head Best expressed in the word recapitulate that is to reduce all to a head Each of these is a gathering together into one as we read Which of the three you take nay take them all three you cannot doe amisse They be all true all tend to edifie CHRIST is the 1 Summe of our account 2 The Shutting up of our discourse 3 The Head of the body mysticall Colos. 1.18 Ephes 4.15.16 wherein this gathering heere is We shall make no good audit without Him no nor good Apologie Whatsoever be the premisses with CHRIST we must conclude As we do the care with Christmasse so conclude all with in CHRISTO The old Division is Vt res ita tempora rerum Heer it holds The Division Heere are both Seasons and Things Things for seasons and Seasons for things Two parts heere be 1 Seasons first Seasons more then one 2 Heere is a fullnesse of them 3 Heere is a dispensation of that fullnesse 4 And that by GOD That He that is GOD That in the dispensation of the fullnesse of times He might This is the first part The Things For first heer are all things Things in heaven Things on earth All in both 2. Of these a Collection or gathering them all together or rather a Recollection or gathering them together againe 3. A gathering them all into one All into one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Summe Or all to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one head And these two are one and that one is CHRIST You observe that as the things answer the seasons and the Seasons them So doth the fullnesse answer the gathering and the gathering it 1. To fill the seasons to make a fullnesse of them heere is a gathering 2. A gathering whereof Of all in heaven and all on earth a great gathering sure and able to fill the seasons full up to the brimme 3. But this is not a gathering at the first hand but a gathering againe that is a new at second hand 4. A gathering whereto To one One either one summe or one head both are in the body of the word and these two are one and that one is CHRIST 5. A gathering how that is in the word too By way of contracting or recapitulation 6. And when When GOD dispensed it and that is at CHRISTS Birth 7. Now last what we are the better by this gathering what fruit we gather by or from it what our share is in this Summe which is Summa dividenda 8. And then how we may be the better for it if we divide as GOD and when GOD did it 9. As GOD gather things in heaven first 10. When GOD and that is this season of the yeare the gathering time with GOD and with us So shall we dispense the season well Find the things they will bring you to the season find the fullnesse of things you shall find the fullnesse of Seasons Find the gathering you shall find the fullnesse find CHRIST and you shall finde the gathering for the gathering is full and whole in CHRIST So upon the point find CHRIST and find all And this is the first day we can find Him for this day was He borne and so first to be found by us WE have heeretofore dealt with the * At Christmasse A.D. 1609. fullnesse of time and now are we to deale with the fullnesse of Season Time and season are two 1 Tempora the Seasons and have in all tongues two different words to shew they differ In Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Latine Tempus and tempestivum And differ they doe as much as a time and a good time It is time alway all the yeare long So is it not Season but when the good time is Time is taken at large any time Season not so but is applied to that with which it suites or for which it serves best Heer it is applied to gathering the Season of gathering These seasons be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall for Vt res ita tempora rerum as the things to be gathered are many so are the Sâ—asons wherein they are to be gathered many likewise Each his severall season to be gathered in 2 Their fullnesse Now as the things Res have their Autumne of maturitie So tempora the Seâ—sons have their fullnesse And when the things are ripe and ready to be gathered then is the Season full 3 The Dispensation Now of these seasons and their fullnesse there is a dispensation an Oeconomia the word in the Text which is a word of Husbandrie a great part whereof consisteth in the skill of Seasons of taking them when they come allotting the thing to the season and the season to it
had There then it is and we thither to lift up our hearts whither the very frame of our bodies gives as if there were somewhat remaining for us there It is thought there is some further thing meant by Saint Peter He writes to the dispersed Iewes And that by in Coelo he gives them an Item this Inheritance is no new Canaan heere on earth Nor CHRIST eny earthly Messias to settle them in a new land of promise No that was for the Synagogue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was it self mortall is dead and buried since and so had but mortall things to promise to her children whom she did generate to mortalitie The Church of CHRIST the heavenly Ierusalem Gal. 4.26 hath other manner of promises to her children regenerate by the immortall seed of the Word and Spirit of GOD To them She holdeth forth things immortall and heavenly yea heaven and immortalitie it selfe Reserved in Heaven In heaven then There it is first and there it is kept the being there one the keeping another For that there it is kept is happie for us Earth would not keepe it Heere it would be in hazard there is great odds For my part I give it for lost if in this State we were possessed of it It would goe the same way Paradise went Since it would be lost in Earth it is kept in heaven And a Benedictus for that too as for the regenerating us to it heere on Earth so for the keeping the preserving of it there in heaven Kept and for us kept Els all were nothing that makes up all For us that it is not onely preserved but reserved for us there As Benedictus the Alpha so this the Omega of all But reserved as the nature of the word is and as the nature is Rom 8.24 of things hoped for yet under the veile for Spes quae videtur non est spes But time shall come when the veile shall be taken of and of that which is now within it there shall be a reveiling as followeth in the next verse And so all begins and ends as the Bible doth Verse 5. As the Bible with Genesis So this Text with Regeneration as the Bible ends in the Apocalypse So this heere with a Revelation Onely it stayeth till the worke of regeneration be accomplished Generation and it take end both together and when generation doth then shall corruption likewise and with it the state of dishonor which is in foulenesse and the state of weakenesse which is in fading And instead of them incorruption come in place with honour and power And these three 1 incorruption 2 honour and 3 power make the perfect estate of blisse To which CHRIST this day arose and which shall be our estate at the Resurrection That as all began with a resurrection so it shall end with one Came to us by CHRIST 's rising now this first Easter and we shall come to it by our owne rising at the last and great Easter the true Passe-over indeed when from death and miserie we shall passe to life and felicitie Now for this Inheritance which is Blisse it selfe and in the interim for the blessed hope set before us Which we have as an Anchor of our soule stedfast and sure Heb. 6.18.19 20. Which entereth even within the veile where CHRIST the forerunner is already seized of it in our names and for our behoofes For these come we now to our Benedictus For if GOD according to His manifold mercie have done all this for us we also according to our duty as manifold as his mercie are to doe or say at least somewhat againe It accords well that for so many beneficia one Benedictus at least It accords well that His rising should raise in us and our regenerating beget in us some praise thankes blessing at least but blessing fitts best with Benedictus First then dictus somewhat would be said by way of recognition This hath GOD done for us and more also But this this very day Then Benè let it be to speake well of Him for doing thus well by us A verball Benedictus for a reall blessing is as little as may be For the Inheritance which is blessing for the hope which is blessed for the blessed cause of both GOD'S mercie and the blessed meanes of both CHRIST 's Resurrection this blessed day Blessed be GOD. But to say Benedictus eny way is not to content us but to say it solemnely How is that Benedictus in our mouth and the holy Eucharist in our hands So to say it To seale up as he in the old his quid retribuam with calicem salutaris Psal. 116.12.13 1. Cor. 10.16 the Cup of salvation So we in the new our Benedictus with Calix benedictionis the Cup of blessing which we blesse in His name So shall we say it in kind say it as it would be said The rather so to do because by that Cup of blessing we shall partake the blood of the New Testament by which this Inheritance as it was purchased for us so it is passed to us Alwaies making full accompt that from the Cup of blessing we cannot part but with a blessing And yet this is not all We are not to stay heere but to aspire farther even to strive to be like to GOD and be like GOD we shall not vnlesse our dicere be facere as His is vnlesse somewhat be done withall In very deed there is no blessing but with levatâ and extensâ manu the hand stretched out So our SAVIOVR himselfe blessed Luk. 24. The vocall blessing alone is not full nor the Sacramentall alone Luk. 24 50. without Benedictio manus that is the actuall blessing To leave a blessing behind us to bestow somewhat for which the Church the poore in it so shall blesse us and blesse GOD for us In which respect the Apostle so calleth it expressely 2. Cor. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 9.5 benedictionem and by that name commends it to th◠Corinthians And that is the blessing of blessings when all is done That is it Matt. 25.33 for which Venite benedicti shall be said to us Even for parting with that heere which shall seed cover and set free the hungrie naked and them in prison That shall prove the blessing reall and stick by us when all our verball benedictions shall be vanished into aire So for a treble blessing from GOD 1 Our regenerating 2 Our hope 3 Our Inheritance we shall returne Him the same number even three for three 1 Benedictus of the voice and instrument 2 Benedictus of the Signe and Sacrament 3 and Benedictus of some blessed deed done for which many blessings upon earth and the blessing of GOD from heaven shall come upon us So as we say heere Benedictus Deus Blessed He He shall say Benedictivos Blessed Ye The hearing of which words in the end shall make us blessed without end in heaven's blisse To which
will say as the Fathers say upon the like occasion Faxit Deus tam commâ—dâ— quà m est accomoda I pray GOD make it as profitable as it is pertinent as frâ—â—tfull to you as it is fitt for you The Division 1. This whole Scripture hath his name given it even in the first wordâ— Charge saith he the rich c It is a Charge 2. It is directed to certaine men namely to the Rich of this world 3. It consisteth of foure branches Whereof Two are negative for the removing of two abuses 1. The first Charge them that they be not high minded 2. The second Charge them that they trust not in their riches The reason is added which is a Maxime and a Ground in the Law of Nature That we must trust to no uncertaine thing Trust not in the uncertaintie of riches The other two are affirmative concerning the true use of riches 1. The first Charge them that they trust in GOD. The reason Because He giveth them all things to enjoy plenteously 2. The second Charge them that they do good that is the substance The quantitie that they be rich in good workes the qualitie That they be ready to part with and a speciall kind of doing good to communicate to benefit the publique And all these are one Charge The reason of them all doth follow Because by this meanes they shall lay up in store and that for themselves a good foundation against the time to come The end that they may obtaine eternall life I. A Charge PRaecipe divitibus Charge the rich of this world c. Beloved heer is a Charge a Praecipe a Precept or a Writt directed unto Timothie and to those of his Commission to the world's end to convent and call before him He the rich men of Ephesus and we the rich men of this Citie and others of other places of the earth and to give them a charge Charges as you know use to be given at Assises in Courts from the Bench. From thence is taken this judiciall terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it appeareth Act. 5.28 Did not we charge you streightly saith the Bench in the Consistorie judicially assembled Whereby we are given to understand that in such Assemblies as this is the Lord of Heaven doth hold His Court whereunto all men and they that of all men seeme least the rich and mighty of the world owe both suit and service For as earthly Princes have their Lawes their Commissions their Ministers of the Law their Courts and Court-daies for the maintenance of their peace So hath the King of Kings His Lawes and Statutes His Precepts and Commissions by authority delegate Rom. 7. Matth. 28.19 Ite praedicate Go preach the Gospel His Counsailors at Law whom Augustine calleth Divini Iuris Consultos His Courts 〈◊〉 â—â—culto conscientiae in the hid and secret part of the heart and conscience Psal. 7.8 for the preservation of His peace which the world can neither give nor take away to the end Psal. 119.165 that nâ—ne may offend or be offended at it This we learne And with this we learne all of us so to conceive of and to dispose our selves to such Meetings as this as men that are to appeare in Court before the Lord there to receive a charge which when the Court is broken up we must think of how to discharge In which point great is the occasion of complaint which we might take up For who is there that with that awe and reverence standeth before the Lord at His charge-giving that he receiveth a charge with at an earthly Barre Or with that care remembreth the Lord and his charge wherewith he continually thinketh upon the Iudge and his charge Truly the Lord's Commission is worthy to have as great reverence and regard attending on it as the charge of any Prince truly it is Weigh with your selfe is not GOD 's charge with as much heed and reverence to be received as an earthly Iudge's Absit ut sic saith Saint Augustine sed vtinam vel sic GOD forbid but with more heed and reverence well I would it had so much in the meane time And which to our shame we must speak I would we could do as much for the Bible as for the Statute-Books for heaven as for the earth for the Immortall GOD as for a mortall man But whither we doe or no yet as our SAVIOVR CHRIST said of Saint Iohn Baptist If ye will receive Matt. 11.14 this is that Eliah which was to come so say I of this Precept If ye will receive it this is the Charge the Lord hath laid on you And this let me tell you farther that it is such a Charge as it concerneth your peace the plentifull use of all your wealth and riches in the second Verse of my Text Which giveth us all things to enjoy plenteously c which may move you Or if that will not let me add this farther It is such a Charge as toucheth your estate in everlasting life the very last words of my Text. That is the well or evill hearing of this Charge is as much worth as your aeternall life is worth And therefore Matt. 11.5 He that hath eares to heare let him heare It is a Charge then and consequently to be discharged To be discharged where 2. To the Rich. Charge saith he the rich He speaketh to the Rich you know your owne names you know best what those rich men are Shall I tell you You are the rich he speaketh unto you It is the fashion and the fault of this world to exercise their authority on them most that need it least For rich men to feast them that least need it for mighty men to preferre them that least deserve it It is an old Simile we have oft heard it that The Lawes are like Cobwebbs that they hold fast the seely flies but the great Hornetts breake through them as oft as they lift And as there are cobwebb-Lawes which exempt mighty men So the same Corruption that was the cause thereof would also make Cobwebb-Divinitie For notwithstanding the Commission runneth expresly to the Rich Charge c notwithstanding they be in great danger and that of many snares as the Apostle saith in this Chapter and therefore need it greatly Verse 9. Yet I know not how it comes to passe whither because they thinke themselves too wise to receive a charge any charge at all or because they thinke themselves too good to receive it at the hands of such meane men as we be and if they must needs be charged they would be charged from the Counsaile from men more Noble and Honorable then themselves they would not gladly heare it surely they would not and because they would not gladly heare it we are not hasty they should heare it And great reason why as we thinke for as it is true which is in the Psal. 49.18 So long 〈◊〉 they do good to