led into heaven Angels are but Inmates in heaven in respect of us And heaven is said to be prepared for us not for Angels Mat. xxv Hell is prepared for the Devil and his Angels but not so Heaven this is not prepared for the Angels but for you The joyes of heaven are called A sitting down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob not with Angels in the kingdom of heaven They are but Pocillatores but Servitours and Attendants upon our Glory 3. It is more comfort to the Apostles to see Men in Glory with Christ rather then Angels Angels in heaven were ab origine there never excluded but to see Men assumed this shews that the virtue of our Mediatour hath opened Paradise again quenched the fiery Sword reconciled us and given entrance for our banished Nature into the state of Glory It was comfort for the captive-Jews to see Daniel and his fellows advanced by the king of Babel and made chief in the kingdom for to see Hester made Queen and Vashti neglected so to see flesh of our flesh Men in the same captivity and condemnation reconciled glorified it bids us hope well for a gracious admission That 's the second their kind Two Men. III. Their specialty their Persons Moses and Elias Why not some other Saints but these must be singled out What reasons are there for their appearance rather then for others Divers reasons may be given reduce them to these four heads 1. Some reasons of this choyce are in respect of Christ. 2. Some in respect of themselves 3. Some in respect of the Apostles 4. Some in respect of the people to whom it was to be published 1. Moses and Elias appear at this Transfiguration respectu Christi in respect of Christ 1. Famulantur ut Domino These chief eminent Saints must do homage to Christ as to their great Lord. It added to Mordecai's honour that Haman the chief Prince must attend his triumph See here the two grand Pillars of the Church the most renowned Prophets Saints high in heaven wait upon our Saviour He calls for Elias see if Elias will come said they scoffingly Behold Elias and Moses are present all their dignity must stoop to him Moses was faithful as a servant of the house but Christ was Lord of the house Kings and Prophets and eminent Saints fall down before him as Ioseph's brethren all honour him all Sheavs bow down to this Sheaf all the Stars worship this Sun of righteousness 2. Attestantur ut Messiae They come and give evidence and testimony that he is the anointed Messias that was promised to the Church He receives testimony and witness from Moses and the Prophets Thus Philip Ioh. i. 45. We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Iesus of Nazareth Thus S. Peter brings Moses to witness For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you Act. iii. 22. To him give all the Prophets witness Act. x. 43. And Christ accounts that Moses wrote of him Search the Scriptures they are they which testifie of me Ioh. v. 39. This they foretold now being exhibited they set to their seals of this glorious performance 3. Sociantur ut Legis Prophetarum complementa Moses and Elias attend and behold him as the fulfilling and accomplishment of Law and Prophets to intimate that Law and Prophets all aym at him and all concurr and joyn in him all like lines run to this center All the Patriarchs were Types of him all the Priests and Prophets were representations of him all their Rites and Ceremonies prefigured him all their Saviours and Deliverers were his fore-runners They were but shadows He in coming gave truth and fulness to them It was sorrow to Ionas that his Prophesie was frustrate it was joy to the Prophets to see all their predictions made good in Him To prefigure thee saith Moses I instituted the Passeover and effusion of Blood all my Rites and Ceremonies look'd at thee To foretel thee saith Elias was my message and Ministry All the Prophets from Samuel and after pointed at him Till his coming all things were empty and imperfect now they all clasp and close about him as their drift and argument He is AMEN 4. Venerantur ut Servatorem They appear to adore him as their Saviour and Redeemer Though they are already in heaven and glory yet they know to whose bloud they owe it who gave them entrance and access Moses himself could not convey himself into Canaan the type of heaven much less into heaven it self All the Elders and Saints fling down their Crowns at his feet all worship and are tributary to his glory Elias his Chariot was of Christ's sending as Iacob's came from Ioseph 2. Moses and Elias appear in respect of Themselves for these reasons 1. Conceive them ut eminentes Sancti Moses and Elias were persons of admirable holiness yet they attend and adore our Saviour Not only wicked and prophane men stand in need of him and acknowledg him but the holiest men and most aboundant in righteousness own him for their Redeemer As S. Ambrose speaks For Publicans and Harlots to be justified by Faith is no such wonder but for Abraham so rich in good works yet to stand in need of Faith and Christ it highly advanceth the glory of Christ. The purest Robe must be washed in this bloud the choycest Saint must draw grace from Christ. Abraham the Father of the Faithful was a Son of this adoption of grace 2. Conceive them ut Sancti mortui translati They were Saints out of this life Moses is dead Elias translated yet they do homage to Christ. To teach us that he is Lord of quick and dead While he is upon earth yet is he Lord of the spirits in Heaven Now he is in heaven he is Lord of all on earth All live to him He is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Iacob No state of time or place or condition excludes his Soveraignty All Knees in heaven and earth and under the earth must bow and prostrate to him The Pope who enlargeth his power to the world of spirits yet claims not that authority He hath not jurisdictionem but per modum Suffragii Christ hath an homage of Saints that are dead and translated He is Lord of all quick and dead must do him service 3. Conceive them ut Sancti Veteris Testamenti They were not living under the Gospel but under the Old Testament yet they acknowledg they belong as dependants upon this Messias He had an influence backwards to those former Saints as well as forward to the times of Christians They who went before and they who came after all sing Hosanna to this Son of David The Church of the Patriarchs acknowledged him for their Head All of them were partakers of this common salvation Christ Iesus yesterday to day the same for ever It was a dangerous and blasphemous error of the Manichees and Marcionites
to cry out I am a man of unclean lips Esai vi 5. And S. Paul to cry out Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. ii 16. 2. It urges soberness in the Partakers who are admitted to the fellowship of this Mysterie As all irreverence so all vain curiosity is forbidden We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these mysteries we must be wise to Sobriety Rom. xii 3. Gravity and Sobriety they are the Handmayds of Piety the Ushers that always attend Religion The applying of any matter in Religion to an inferiour use 't is to debase it The holy Ointment was not to be appliable to common use no Confection to be made like unto it Is it a mysterie then 3. Fide percipiendum Religion and our Christian Doctrine it is a mysterie therefore to be apprehended by Faith not to be fathomed by Reason Reason will judge that to be a foolery which Faith reverences and adores as a mysterie 'T is called The mysterie of Faith 1 Tim. iii. 9. not the mysterie of Reason or Understanding And they who are initiated into these mysteries they are called Believers not men of Reason and Understanding We are called Credentes not Rationales saith S. Aug. 'T is not Intelligendi vivacitas but Credendi simplicitas that must converse in these mysteries Reason laughs at that in Sarah which Faith in Abraham embraces and rejoyces in Faith looks for a Revelation that God saith it is so searches not after Demonstration or Reason why it should be so Sufficit pro universis rationibus autor Deus The mysteries of Religion check and silence Reason as the Angel did Zacharias for asking Whereby shall I know this he would have Reason What saith the Angel Luk. i. 20. Behold thou shalt be dumb he stops his mouth Reason deduced from the principles of Faith and subordinate to the doctrine of Faith 't is lawful but when it opposes Faith then it is unlawful Hagar when she obeys Sarah may be entertain'd as a servant but if she wax malepert against Sarah Cast out the Bondwoman Abandon Reason if it contradicts Faith It is one excellency of Faith 't is quietativa Intellectûs it quiets and satisfies all enquiries with this answer It is a mysterie Reason that questions How can three Persons be one God-head Faith quiets Reason My soul keep thou silence unto God believe and adore it it is a mysterie Reason questions How can God be made man the Divinity and Humanity joyn'd in one Person Faith hears an Oracle of Scripture I must not enquire it is a mysterie Reason murmurs How can a man be born again and regenerate and dye anew and live anew How can water wash away sin Faith answers The work is Spiritual beyond Reason it is a mysterie Reason that cavils How can Christ give us his Flesh to eat and his Bloud to drink How can a piece of Bread and a tast of Wine convey Grace seal up Salvation How can our souls be nourished how united to Christ sitting in heaven Faith answers all 'T is a mysterie Magis sentio quam intelligo Tota ratio operis est potentia operantis No in these supernatural Truths Sapientia hominis it is Officina erroris exclude Reasoning make use of Believing Habet palatum Fides cui sapit mel Dei Aug. 'T is the tast of Faith that can rellish this hidden Manna Faith saith Parisiensis 1. It is Religio Intellectus the Religion of our Intellectual part 2. It is Adoratio Intellectus the Adoration of the Understanding Credendo incurvamus Intellectum ad adorandum Deum 3. It is Fortitudo Intellectus 't is the Strength of the Understanding Sicut molestias perferre 't is Fortitudo Voluntatis sic improbabilia credere 't is Fortitudo Intellectus We have seen the Nature of it 't is a Mysterie Now follows II. The quantity and just proportion of this mysterie it is no petty and inferiour Truth but a mysterie of the first magnitude A great Mysterie The Scripture advances it with all superlative terms magnifies the greatness of it Phil. iii. 8. S. Paul calls it an Excellent Knowledge I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Iesus Christ. Rom. xi 33. it is called a Rich Knowledge Solomon saith it furnishes a man with all precious and pleasant Riches Prov. xxiv 4. It enriches him that hath it It furnishes and enriches the noblest part of man his Soul the highest faculty of that his Spirit and Understanding Our Saviour accounts the seeking of this Knowledge the seeking of precious Pearls Mat. xiii 45. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls This of all other is a Pearl of great price They who are conversant in this mysterie they deal with the choysest Commodities with the â—…ichest Pearls The finding of this Knowledge is the finding 〈◊〉 hidden Treasure vers 44. It makes him for ever that is so 〈◊〉 as to meet with it All other knowledge is but poverty to this Treasure all other jewels but pebbles to this Pearl See how the Scripture extends and enlarges the greatness of this mysterie S. Paul ascribes to it all the dimensions of Magnitude Ephes. iii. 18. That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth of this mysterie And Iob thus magnifies the exceeding and incomprehensible largeness of this Knowledge Chap. xi 8 9. It is as high as heaven deeper then hell longer then the earth broader then the sea It exceeds the scantling of all created Perfections The greatness of all other creatures may be fathomed the height of heaven the depth of hell the length of the earth the breadth of the sea all limited and bounded and the understanding of man may reach them As David speaks I see an end of all other perfections but thy Word is exceeding large 1. This mysterie of God-Incarnate 't is a great mysterie because 't is multiplex Mysterium a comprehensive Truth including in it manifold mysteries 'T is a mysterie pregnant to the making up of which many deep mysteries concur God manifested in the Flesh. 1. Here is the mysterie of Christ's two Natures his Divinity and his Humanity A glorious mysterie Christ true and perfect God and true and perfect man too the glory of the Deity and the infirmity of his Manhood both concurring in him 2. Here is the mysterie of the Union and conjoyning both these in one A strange conjunction The circumference of his infinite Deity joyned to the lowest center of Humanity Eternity made subject to Time Infinity comprehended in a poor finite creature Omnipotency joyned with infirmity This is so great a mysterie that it made the Iews to imagine a double Messiah One a weak frail mortal man lyable to sufferings the other an Eternal Omnipotent Immortal God They could not reconcile the several predictions of his glorious Divinity and his infirm Humanity as this mysterie teaches us 3. Here is the
Gloriae and to foreshew us the happiness of heaven Then we shall see and know certainly all the Saints past and gone As Samuel lumine Prophetiae knew Saul antea non visum so shall we converse with all the Saints Adam knew his wife as soon as she was brought to him THE FIFTH SERMON ON S. LUKE ix 33. And it came to pass as they departed from him Peter said unto Iesus Master it is good for us to be here and let us make three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias not knowing what he said WE have seen the Entertainment that the Apostles gave to this glorious Transfiguration First In their weakness and indisposition Secondly In their more attentive view and contemplation Now follows Thirdly Their manner of Entertainment in a sudden and passionate and affectionate Suit and Petition The Text then represents that Effect which this glorious Appearance wrought in the Apostles This ravishing joy stirs up in them a sudden passionate Suit and Request for a constant enjoying of this glorious Vision And it stands upon three particulars 1. Is the occasion of this Request that is the departing and withdrawing of Moses and Elias As they departed from him 2 Is the summ and substance of their Request specified 1. In the person who makes it Peter Peter said 2. In the person to whom it is tendred to Christ Iesus Master 3. The Request it self In it 1. A motion for continuance It is good for us to be here 2. A proffer of service to further this continuance And let us make three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias 3. The censure of this Request what judgement the Holy Ghost passes upon it it was unwarrantable unadvised Not knowing what he said First The occasion of this Request The departure of Moses and Elias These two Saints now withdraw themselves from this glorious Appearance and betake themselves to those Eternal Habitations from whence they were called to attend our Saviour The Reason and Purpose of this present departure and leaving Mount Tabor may be given in divers congruities 1. Respectively to themselves 2. Respectively to Christ. 3. Respectively to the Apostles I. Respectively to themselves They departed 1. Quia officio functi They have performed that service for which they were sent they had testified of Jesus his Deity and Mediatourship done homage to him as their God and Saviour Having performed this service they depart from him and leave the world It represents to us the date of the Saints continuance with us they have their employment and having finished that work they are removed and withdrawn from us Till Moses hath done his work no weakness nor decay appeared in him when that time is finish'd no strength can prolong him Elias must not be weary of his life till he hath finished his course when that is accomplished he is fetched away presently The Saints in this respect are like to Iacob's vision of Angels they were all Ascendentes descendentes non commorantes As S. Chrysostom comparing those two places in the Acts first S. Paul's escaping in a basket out of Damascus Acts ix 24. and his resolute going to Ierusalem Acts xxi 13. observes till S. Paul had done his work he shifts for his life when he had finished it he offers himself to death It is the condition of all the Saints Having served their generations according to the counsel of God they are withdrawn and no more converse with us As a faithful servant makes no lingring or delays but being sent and having dispatched his business as Elizaeus-servant salutes no man but returns back again We wish the continuance of the Saints with us No they have their work set them their time set them and having accomplished that they must not fix here but return to him whose Agents and Servants they are Moses and Elias discharging their Office of Attestation to Christ are called into heaven again They departed 2. Quia à visione removendi They have a view of Christ Incarnate but they must not yet fully and constantly enjoy him but transiently and so depart from him Their joy in heaven will not be full till Christ be there at his glorious Ascension Now they are graced with this temporary enterview and withdrawn from it Even the glory of the Saints in heaven is thus dispensatively and by degrees vouchsafed unto them They in heaven lived in expectation of this blessed Appearance and till then lissening and looking to see their Saviour they cry How long Lord how long As before his Descention the Saints on earth cried Oh that thou wouldst bow the heavens and come down So they in heaven were wishing Oh that the heavens might open to receive him back again Their full consummation will not be made perfect till we with Christ be caught up in the clouds They are Sub Altare non super Thronos They are cloathed in Whites Sed nondum Duplicibus induuntur they must wait for that accomplishment We are in Tabernaculis they in Atriis but not in Thronis 3. Quia ad statum redituri Because they were to return to their former state This their Appearance on earth was Extraordinary and Miraculous by special Dispensation but their Abode and Mansion that 's in heaven The presence of the Saints departed is not to be expected nor imagined but onely in these cases of Miraculous Employment There is not onely a gulph of Separation 'twixt hell and heaven but a distance of Separation also 'twixt heaven and us We have heard in Popery of the many Walkings and Appearances of the Saints departed But they are all of them dreams of deceived Men or lyes of deceiving Devils except this Appearance There is no conversation of dead men on earth Lazarus must not leave Abraham's bosome not to ease Dives not to convert his brethren What is said of Christ is true of the Saints Whom the heavens must contain They go from hence and are seen no more They departed II. Respectively to Christ. 1. They depart from Christ Gloriam deposituro This Attendance and Service done to Christ by these Saints it is but temporary and to cease and so these glorious Spirits having honoured him with their presence are sequestred from him As Christ assumed this Transfiguration so now he resumes his state of Abasement When he is invested with his full Glory then they follow the 〈◊〉 wheresoever he goes Now he leaves his glorious guard of Angels and Saints and sorts himself with mortal weak contemptible men This Transfiguration it was Actus Gloriae but not Status As to Moses and Elias he shews his Glory as he passeth by them they saw but his back-parts but till his full Consummatum est he puts himself into the exercise of his Humiliation 2. They depart from him In Ecclesia permansuro Moses and Elias they have their limited time but they must vanish Christ he abides in his Church and remains for
ever The Ministery of the Law by Moses and the Prophets it was but till The time of Reformation Heb. ix 10. but when Christ is manifested and he assumes the regiment of his Church then he is the only Governour and Master The servant abides not in the house for ever but the Son abideth for ever Ioh. viii 35. They served to usher in Christ into the world and he being present they vail and give place The Law was dated and limited but the Gospel 't is An everlasting Gospel Rev. xiv 6. Divers ways he spake unto the Fathers in times past by the Prophets but now by his Son Heb. i. 1 2. And there are none to come after him These gave light as A candle shining in a dark place 2 Pet. i. 19. Lucerna accendi debet extingui potest Christ is as the bright Day-star nay as the glorious Sun Floruit hoc semen in figuris prodeunte fructu flos decidit S. Iohn's acknowledgement suits Moses and all the Prophets He must increase but I must decrease Ioh. iii. 30. Old things are passed away all things become new III. This departure of them is respectively to the Apostles 1. To teach them that this Revelation and Vision of Glory is not to be perpetual The Apostles are loth to leave heaven and to relinquish this happiness Yes but though they have a ravishing enterview yet they must be parted Ioseph's brethren were invited to dine with Ioseph but yet they must back again into Canaan to their charge and families and not abide there till all come with them So the Saints have some ravishing apprehensions and are lift up many times in the sweetness of Gods favour even to the heavens they are among the Angels but it is not lasting Secundum hanc gratiam recessurus accedit recedit accessurus These joys are transient we cannot sit by them S. Aug. on those words Let the hearts of those rejoyce that seek the Lord tells us We must onely have Gaudium quaerentium non comprehendentium Thus Christ appear'd and soon after vanished They depart 2. Quia ad Scripturas remittendi These Saints leave them to the ordinary set course of the holy 〈◊〉 For extraordinary Assurance they hear Moses and â—…lias but for the ordinary standing course of Religion To the Law and to the Testimony We have a more sure word of the Prophets saith S. Peter comparatively to this Vision God may visit us with miraculous Revelations but that which we must stick to is the life of Faith and food of the Scriptures For a while the Israelites were fed with Manna but in Canaan they must feed upon the fruits of the land Lazarus must not go to Dives his brethren They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Luke xvi 29. We have S. Paul S. Peter Christ all in the Scripture They depart 3. That the Apostles Uno Christo contenti sint The presence of these Saints is refreshing but yet though they vanish Christ's presence is sufficient As Christ said All ye shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me Ioh. xvi 32. So if all other sweet societies break yet it is enough if Christ abide with us Rather be with Christ in a dungeon then in heaven without him We never prize Christ sufficiently till he be to us instead of all comforts Let us be sequestred from all the Saints Abraham knows us not Israel acknowledgeth us not Esa. lxiii 16 but thou art our Father our Redeemer Christ must be so 1. For Faith and Doctrine onely Christ. Papists have their Saints and sue to them we have no such services they are out of our sight onely Christ is with us 2. For matter of Comfort How often do we lose the society of Saints and those refreshing fellowships Yet if Christ abide with us if we enjoy his company it is enough Whom have I in heaven but thee And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal. lxxiii 25. The Sun alone is more cheering and refreshing then all the Stars in the firmament so is Christ then all the Saints So much for the Occasion Come we Secondly to the summ and substance of their Request specified 1. In the Person who makes it Peter No doubt the two other were much affected with this Glory but Peter is most fervent and forward and breaks out into this Passion We finde not any act of forwardness in Peter but it is made by the Papists an Argument of Precedeny Bellarmine reckons up twenty Arguments of his Prerogative If Christ do but enter into Peter's Boat it is to invest him in a Supremacie Whereas not Supremacy but Fervency and sometimes Infirmity often makes him outstrip his fellow-Apostles 1. A little before this Transfiguration Matth. xvi he was Primus in Infidelitate Christ must not dye vers 22. 2. In this Transfiguration he was Primus in Infirmitate Peter he was asleep Signantèr Primus in Temeritate he breaks out first in this hasty motion But as S. Peter's personal Infirmities are not imputable so neither are his personal Graces communicable nor his personal Prerogatives hereditary This Motion is specified 2. In the Person to whom it is made Iesus Master and conceive it in two expressions 1. It is directed to Christ not to Moses or Elias they make no Prayer Motion Suit to them there is no entercourse or speech 'twixt the Apostles and these Saints purposely all parley or conference much more Prayer and Invocation is omitted and restrained You are come to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediatour Heb. xii 23 24. Prayers to Saints departed are unlawful They are not to be made 1. Not to Saints absent Quia Oratio est actus Rationis and it is a vain thing to Invocate those who are absent Nay 2. Not to present Saints Quia Oratio est actus Religionis All our Supplications must be thus directed Iesus Master None is our Master-Iesus but he 2. It is directed to Christ even concerning Moses and Elias Peter being desirous of their stay he begs it of Christ accounting these Saints at his pleasure for stay or departure He is Commander and Governour of all in heaven and in earth His Command cited them his Pleasure dismisses them his Word can stay them in all things he must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Angels are his Attendants Legions of Devils are at his Command the highest Saints are at his beck As Pharaoh to Ioseph Without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt Gen. xli 44. So God hath authorised Christ no Saint or Angel but must attend his Pleasure Worship him all ye Saints Thirdly Come we to the Request it self And in it I. Of the Motion for Continuance Bonum est nobis esse hic It is good for us to be here This is a mix'd Motion And let us consider in it Quae vera
bona and then when we come to the Censure we will consider Quae temerè inepté In this Motion for Continuance there are several Truths and very considerable 1. Primò territi nunc gaudio affecti First we saw them cast into a kind of Astonishment In somno ecstatico now see it ends in Joy and Comfort It is the order of Gods making himself known first to strike us with fear to bring us to comfort first Astonishments then Consolations Thus he dealt with Mary first she was afraid then she was raised to Sing her Magnificat So with Zechary So with the Shepherds The Devil on the contrary he breeds false joys but leaves true terrours in the soul. That 's one Considerable 2. Societas Sanctorum semper desideranda Peter was loth to leave the Company and Society of these holy men Oh! It is good to be here always The Communion of Saints it is a great part of heaven You are come to the Assembly of the First-born to the spirits of just men made perfect David professes Psal. xvi 3. All his delight is in the Saints on earth Ill company is a pattern of hell hasten from them But the fellowship of the Saints is a ravishing comfort hasten to them Hast thou the company of a Saint Prize it but Depart from the Tents of those wicked men Numb xvi 26. That 's a second Considerable The last is 3. The joyes of Glory and Presence of Christ are ravishing and transporting Nothing doth so satisfie the soul and inebriate the spirit as these rays and beams of Glory Oh! taste and see how good how sweet God is Now how transporting the Comfort is that is in the glorious Presence of Christ will appear by these five Comparisons 1. Comparatively to all outward joyes and comforts It makes him forget all he thinks not of kindred friends any worldly comfort he can be content never to go down from this Mount more bids adieu to father friends houses all are nothing to being here 2. Comparatively to all other manifestations of God out of Christ Moses he trembles Manoah quakes Abraham is astonish'd Daniel he is dead Oh! God out of Christ is fearful God in Christ is gracious The Glory of God affrights the Glory of Christ cheers and refreshes 3. Comparatively to other entercourses with Christ. Peter heard his heavenly Sermon on the Mount yet said not then Bonum est esse hîc 4. Comparatively to other miraculous manifestations which would have taken us as 1. In miraculo Cibationis When he fed five thousand 2. In captura Piscium In the great draught of Fish 3. In mutatione Vini When the water was turned into wine 4. In captura Argenti When the Fish was taken with money in the mouth In all these manifestations of Christ's miraculous Power we would have cried Bonum est esse hîc But Peter was not affected with any of these only at this Transfiguration Master saith he It is good to be here 5. Comparatively to the fulness of Glory That is not onely ravishing but this glimpse of Glory too even the least degree of it Corollar 1. If two Saints be so delightful Quid Societas omnium Angelorum Sanctorum What is the company of all the Saints and Angels 2. If a glimpse of Glory be so delicious What is the fulness of it O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal. xxxi 19. 3. If Gloria Humanitatis be so transporting How much more Gloria Deitatis 4. If Sola visio sic afficit quid participatio If onely the sight of Glory do so affect What will the participation of it do We have seen the Motion for Continuance It is good being here Now follows II. The proffer of service to further this Continuance Let us make three Tabernacles one for Thee one for Moses one for Elias It is a mix'd Motion and though rash and unadvised and unreasonable yet for the generality it carries with it some not onely excusable but commendable affections in S. Peters making of it It was Inconsulta praematura Devotio Ambros. Unadvised and rash but yet well-meant and devout View the Prints of Devotion and Goodness that were in it and in the Censure we shall see the weaknesses of it the blots of imperfection that were in it 1. The first Print of Devotion and Piety is That he proffers to erect a Tabernacle for Christ and these Saints Observe The Presence of Christ and his Saints is to be honoured with our best services No pains or cost can be too precious to entertain such a Presence as our Saviour's S. Peter puts not off Christ with empty Observances Adoring his Glory Admiring his Beauty with wishes onely for his Continuance but bethinks himself of dedicating and devoting his Labours and Cost to Honour and Retain him Naturally Religion consults with the Shunamite What shall we do for him If he be a God then there must be a Religion and Worship if that then a Temple or Tabernacle and if that then it must be answerable to his Glory in the comeliest manner These are the natural consequences of Reason and Piety See David how careful he was to erect a Tabernacle for Gods Worship So forward was he that the Prophet must restrain him and cool his Devotion I will not serve the Lord with that which cost me nothing refusing ease and help to support the charge but he will honour God with his Substance He envied himself his own house till God had his I dwell in Cedar and the Ark of God under Curtains Nay it takes up all his thoughts he afflicts himself for it Psal. cxxxii 1. Lord remember David and all his afflictions He would not climb up to his Bed till he found out a place for the Lord. Alas we can be content to tender him some cheap Observances but to be charged for our Religion to erect Tabernacles to bestow pains and cost that sets us off that is the best God and Religion that costs us least Oh! It is an argument of our base esteem of God of Religion of our Souls of the kingdome of Heaven when we murmur at any charge our Religion requires of us The Lord upbraids the Jews Hag. i. 4. Is it time for you O ye to dwell in your cieled houses and this House lye waste The Heathens scorned to hear of Cheapness in the service of their gods Phidias perswading to make the Statue of Minerva In marmore potius quam ebore said 1. It would last better 2. It was vilius cheaper The Athenians hissed at that reason 2. The second Print of Piety in this motion of Peter is He consults with Christ in the choice of this service that he would perform towards him Matth. xvii 4. Master if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles he submits to his Appointment and Direction in all this forwardness No Service or Worship is to be tendred to Christ but what he
up that place to enjoy this Like the two Tribes of Reuben and Gad because the land on this side Iordan was rich and commodious they beg to be settled there care not for the Land of Promise Like some vain Traveller who can be content to settle in some Inn on the road because he finds good usage there and never hasten on to his own Countrey to his own home Not onely wicked men would fain settle here but sometimes Gods children could be content with the life of grace here and think not sufficiently of heaven above No we must know Tabor is but a viaticum to heaven It is Manna indeed but not for our stay onely for our Journal in the Wilderness Heaven is the Countrey that is the Region and Land of Promise Grace never leaves us till it brings us thither As Waters will ascend as high as from whence they rise so Grace that comes from heaven and it will thither again Hierusalem is from above Tabor is but a Colony that belongs to it 4. A fourth Error 'T is good being here Peter would have Christ set up his rest here and never go down more from Mount Tabor What shall become then of Christs Death and Passion and the Redemption of Mankind by his being Crucified All our happiness this on Mount Tabor that in heaven depends all upon this He hath heard our Saviour forewarn it yet is he so transported with this passionate joy that Christ must not suffer now he must forget his message and the command of his Father and the Redemption of his Church to bear Peter company upon Mount Tabor Nay as some conceive purposely he moves it to Christ and proffers his assistance that so he may escape the death of the Cross. So carnally sometimes are our affections set that we think we love Christ and our selves when we cross him most No Christ must descend from Mount Tabor and ascend Mount Calvary Thus it is written that Christ must suffer and so enter into his Glory How else should the Scripture be fulfilled the Church redeemed Heaven purchased the Devil vanquished How dangerous are our carnal desires of what fearful consequence if God should give way to them 5. A fifth Error 'T is good being here He would never leave this place of Glory but enter upon the possession of it presently Ey but much labour is to be undergone many services to be performed to attain this rest No Peter would slip into heaven in an instant Oh! But 1. Laboranduni Peter should say Let us go down and perform those conditions of gaining heaven We must not so linger for heaven as not to be content to take pains for it The Spies that discovered Canaan came back and said Come let us fight for it it is a good Land 2. Prius patiendum There is a Cup to be tasted of and Baptisme to be baptized with first Through many afflictions we must enter into heaven Fain would we go to heaven without the Cross and pass A deliciis ad delicias No we must be made conformable to our Head who was consecrated by afflictions Crux scala Coeli the Cross is the ladder by which we must ascend to the Crown 3. Moriendum We must pass through Golgotha to come up to this Mount Peter indeed as well all are loth to be uncloathed but we would be cloathed upon that mortality may be swallowed up of life 2 Cor. v. 4. The valley of death leads to this Mountain That straight must be passed Peter after is content to lay down his Tabernacle here he forgets it It is the Supper of the Lamb the labour of the day and the evening of death must first come 6. A sixth Error Good being here Fain would he hold Christ ever upon Mount Tabor Why what shall become of all other Saints Peter will engross Christ here to himself Moses and Elias from heaven and three Apostles on earth shall enjoy Christ no matter for others he takes no thought of them He will deprive heaven of Christ those in heaven must go without him And for the Saints on earth he never thinks of them neither so he may have his full of Glory Whereas a more advised spirit would have provoked Peter to have been zealous to call in and invite others to the fellowship of these joyes Indeed other worldly blessings are diminished by many partakers but this is more encreased The Lepers 2 King vii said We do not do well we do not carry tidings into the City The spirit of Piety naturally provokes us to call in others to share in Christ with us The woman of Samaria Ioh. iv 29. calls out all her neighbours to enjoy Christ. Thus Cornelius brought in his kindred Acts x. 24. Had Andrew served Peter thus what share had he had in Christ He went and found out his brother Simon Ioh. i. 41. Peters Motion would have put this Light of the world under a bushel Whereas 1. Love to Christ that will enforce us to encrease his kingdome 2. Love to our brethren that will quicken us up to gain them Matthew calls his acquaintance to be in Christ's company Luke v. 29. 3. This will make our selves fuller partakers of Glory The more we gain the more we shall shine It is a sowing and that will end in bringing sheaves Peter should have been content to have parted with this Glory for a time for the conversion and good of others When God bids Moses go down from the Mount for the peoples cause Moses saith not 'T is good being here S. Paul knew what the joyes of heaven were yet for the Churches sake he was not onely content to be out of heauen some time but Anathema for ever Domine si adhuc populo tuo sum necessarius non recuso laborem fiat voluntas tua desidero requiem sed non recuso laborem So said S. Martin in S. Bernard We have seen Peters Errors in his Motion for continuance Now let us see what failings there were II. In his proffer of building Tabernacles In it He knew not what he said That proffer hath blemishes and imperfections 1. Being here as he supposes in Christs kingdom of Glory he forecasts an erection of three Tabernacles One for Christ one for Moses one for Elias Christ here hath his family and Moses his and Elias his Whereas Christs Tabernacle and Church being erected Moses and Elias must not persist All must be in Christs Tabernacle or utterly excluded Elias must have a distinct Tabernacle from Moses till Christ comes and pitches his Tabernacle among men but then they must resign and give place to him Unum ovile all must be under one Head all one Flock and one Shepherd No man must Ducere familiam be the Master of the house but onely Christ all must come in and hide themselves in Christs Pavilion Thus the Corinthians they would build many Tabernacles One sets up a Tabernacle for Cephas another for Paul another Tabernacle for Apollo Paul
makes him look Death in the face undauntedly Alass we how doth any appearance of death affright us If we see but another man die the cold sweat and the pale face and the pangs of death upon him how doth it dismay us Iob finds all these in himself and speaks comfortably of them 'T is S. Augustin's pious counsel Si times mortem ama resurrectionem If thou beest afraid of death acquaint thy self with the hope of the resurrection If a man go to prison and be able to say I know I shall be bayled I have one who will quit my debt and enlarge me such an one fears not the Prison Let death arrest us Christ shall enlarge us We are prisoners of hope Zech. ix How cheerfully did Iacob take his journey when God spake to him Gen. xlvi Fear not to go down into Egypt I will go down with thee and I will surely bring thee up again This hope made Iob not onely not to fear death but even to desire it Chap. xiv Oh that thou wouldst hide me in the Grave then he asks this question If a man die shall he live again Yes saith he Thou shalt call and I will answer thee thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands That 's the second Alacritas fidei 3. There is yet another print of Piety Sancta expectatio Fidei What is the thing his Faith longs for at the resurrection It is the seeing of his Saviour the beholding of God the enjoying of his Redeemer In my flesh shall I see God and mine eyes shall behold him 'T is that that makes the resurrection comfortable not that we shall live ever but be ever with the Lord. It was small joy for Absalom to dwell at Ierusalem and not be admitted to see the Kings face 2 Sam. xiv Heaven is not Heaven but a place of confinement without this glorious and blessed Vision Though Moses and Elias vanish on Mount Tabor yet to see Christ in glory is abundant happiness Do occidere heliace the glory of the Sun swallows up the glory of the lesser Stars Whom have I in heaven but thee and whom do I desire in comparison of thee Psal. lxxiii The good women at the Sepulchre this Day saw a Vision of Angels but that contented them not till Christ himself appeared Iob knew he should enjoy the society of Saints and Angels sit down and feast it with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but here is the height of his happiness I shall see my Saviour Heaven as it is Coenaculum sponsi the Guest-chamber for the supper of the Lamb 't is a place of comfort but as it is Thaelamus sponsi the Bride-chamber of the Lamb where the Spouse enjoys him whom her soul loves it is the place of blessedness Thirdly the last thing remains that 's Beneficium fidei the use and benefit Iob makes to himself of this Meditation And the benefit is threefold suitable and seasonable to a threefold condition in which Iob now was 1. Iob was overlaid and opprest with affliction Suitable to this condition this Meditation affords Vim sustentaetivam it supports his spirits amidst all his afflictions Here is the patience of the Saints mockings and scourgings and bonds and imprisonments they endured them all because they expected a better resurrection Heb. xi That blessed day will make amends for all It was this hope that sustained S. Paul kept him from fainting 2 Cor. iv Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Iesus shall raise us up also with Iesus and for this cause we faint not Thus also he comforts and cheers up other Christians If in this life onely we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable But there is a Resurrection after this life we have hope in Christ and therefore of all men most happy This assurance will stand by us when all things else fail It was Esau's confession Behold I am at the point to die and what profit shall this birth-right do to me But to be Filius resurrectionis that Birth-right will relieve us at our last agony and support us comfortably Iob felt the good of this Meditation and he insists upon it Here is Masticatio fidei he chews it in his mouth and sucks out the sweetness of it 2. You may see Iob in another condition transported with passion and suitable to that this Meditation it had Vim quietativam a great virtue he found in it to settle and compose him In the Verses going before his spirit is stirred within him he is full of complainings and murmurings and quarrellings with God and expostulations See how he rebukes and allays these storms and tempests with this Meditation O my soul keep silence unto God for of him comes my salvation Thus David stills discontents Why art thou so troubled O my soul Why art thou so disquieted within me I shall yet praise him The day shall come that I shall see his countenance and for ever enjoy him Mortale mori is one ground of settlement against these perplexities and Iob makes use of it Chap. xiv but Mortuum reviviscere is satisfaction with advantage that will calm and quiet all his complainings 3. Lastly behold Iob in another condition he is charged by his friends with the sin of hypocrisie and then this Meditation it hath Vim apologeticam 't is his defence and apologie against that accusation Against all their surmises and suspicions of his integrity this he opposes for his justification It is God that justifies me who are ye that condemn me 'T is Christ that is dead and now risen again he shall judge and acquit me O! hypocrisie shrinks at the thought of death trembles to hear of a resurrection These painted Sepulchres till then make a goodly shew they are the beautifullest parts that are in the Church but when the Vault shall be open'd and all secrets disclosed nothing will appear then but horrour and confusion rottenness and corruption But truth and integrity appeals unto that great Trial knows that the Name that 's written in Heaven shall one day be cleared from slanders on earth My witness is in Heaven and my record is on high That 's the great avowment of Iobs truth and integrity till then it matters not much what the world says of us Lingua Petiliani non est ventilabrum Christi there lies an appeal of all mens censures to that days trial before the great Tribunal A joyfull appearance before which He grant unto us who as this Day overcame death for us and opened unto us the Gate of eternal life even Jesus that hath delivered us from the wrath to come To whom with the Father c. ON EASTER-DAY The Second Sermon ROM viii 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you IN this Context and passage
professes of himself I delight to do thy will O my God thy Law is within my heart Psal. xl 8. So S. Paul I delight in the Law of God in the inward man Rom. vii Thus Solomon tells us that the course of Piety 't is a delightful course All her wayes are wayes of pleasantness Prov. iii. 17. If men serve and obey God they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasure Iob xxxvi 11. What Christ saith of himself is true in proportion of all Gods servants 'T is their meat and drink to do the will of God Ioh. iv Look upon the several parts of Gods Service those that are most tedious and irksome to a carnal man Gods servants take great delight and felicity in them 1. Prayer and pouring out our souls unto God how dull a thing is it to a carnal man 'T is as easie to make a stone mount upward as for a carnal man to raise up his heart in Prayer and to make it ascend up to the Throne of God But Daevid tells us how delightful it was to him O my soul is filled as with marrow and fatness when he called upon God 'T is a Saints heaven upon earth to enjoy this communion with God by devout Prayer 2. Reading and Hearing and Meditating on Gods Word put a carnal man upon it O 't is tedious and irksome to him he presently cryes out O what a weariness is it Ey but David counted Gods Word His Song in the house of his pilgrimage esteem'd Gods Word above his appointed food it was the very joy of his heart 3. The Lords Day and so the attendance upon the publick Worship a carnal man counts it but loss of time he hath no list to it he can tell how to spend that day to better purpose like those prophane ones in Aâ—…os viii When will the Sabbath be gone But a good Christian counts it and makes it his delight Isai. lviii They rejoyced to hear the joyful sound that call'd to the solemn Assemblies Psal. lxxxix What comfort did David take in it when he went to the house of God with the voyce of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy-day Psal. xlii 4. Bounty to the poor What saith a carnal man to it Just as Nabal Shall I take my bread and my flesh and give it to I know not whom But the Saints delight in it He will devise liberal things as Isaiah describes him He will draw out his soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul Isai. lviii Even the most painful works of Christianity a good Christian delights in them I will name but two 1. Mortification and suppressing our natural Lusts and evil concupiscence Flesh and bloud repines at that work but a good Christian delights in it The Spirit that is in him lusts against the flesh Gal. v. 17. delights to cross it to curb it and keep it under 2. The undergoing the Cross and bearing of Afflictions that saith hard to flesh and bloud Carnal men may seem to be Christians Usque ad Crucem as Luther speaks they will pass for good Christians usque ad Crucem til they spie the Cross. They will not suffer for Religion But the Saints of God take delight in persecutions Hear what S. Paul saith 2 Cor. xii 10. I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake And see it in the Apostles Acts v. They rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ. All these hard and difficult services the Saints count them high and noble Functions and delight in them 3. Look upon the Encouragements that Christians find in the service of God they will make it appear that the service of God is no such irksome service The world indeed thinks otherwise of it but S. Bernard gives the reason Vident punctiones nostras sed non vident unctiones This makes the world think the service of God to be an hard service they look upon the labours but they are not acquainted with the comforts and encouragements that sweeten these labours and make them pleasant to us Many Encouragements there are 1. His gracious Assistance God helps and assists his servants in all their works This he doth by putting their souls into a right frame of holiness He answers us with strength in our soul Psal. cxxxviii 3. Till then the faculties of our souls are like the members of our bodies when our shoulder is out of joynt every burthen is grievous but put it into joynt again and the same burthen will sit light upon it So grace sets us in a right frame and makes the Law of God connatural to us That breeds delight when we act according to nature A carnal man set him to do a spiritual work ye put him out of his element but a spiritual man is spiritually affected 2. A second Encouragement is Gods mercifull connivence When his servants that desire to serve him yet fail and fall short of what is their duty God winks at their sailings and passes by them See this graciously promised to us Mal iii. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serves him A loving father will not quarrel for every failing if his Son doth his best but wink and connive at him Indeed were it not for this there were no serving of him Did he not pass by our failings no flesh would be saved If he should mark all that is done amiss who may abide it But there is mercy with him that he may be feared Plsal cxxx Thus the Prophet Micah admires Gods gracious dealing with his children Micah vii 18. Who is a God like unto thee that passes by the transgressions of his people 3. A third Encouragement is the many heartnings and secret chearings that God vouchsafes to his servants in the course of their obedience He is no churlish Nabal sowr and harsh to his poor servants but puts life and heart into them 1. He vouchsafes his Presence to them as Boaz to his Reapers The Master's eye the chearfulness of his countenance is the mans encouragement 2. He speaks chearfully to their hearts He hath both his Agè and his Eugè for them Go on and Well done faithfull servant Thus he heartned Saint Paul Acts xviii 9. Be not afraid Paul for I am with thee and no man shall hurt thee Which made him work out his heart in the service of Christ. 4. A fourth Encouragement is his loving acceptance of our poor services Our faithfull endeavours our honest desires our sincere intentions are graciously accepted 1. He will accept half-service for whole imperfect obedience goes for good pay 2. He will accept endeavours for performances When we come short of the work yet if we went about it put our strength to it 't is well saith God 3. In some cases the Will shall stand for the Deed 2 Cor. viii If there be a willing mind it
they are the pledge of our faith we leave in Gods hand Thus David puts his life into Gods hand My time is in thy hand deliver me from the hand of mine enemies and from them that persecute me Psal. xxxi 15. So our Saviour Father into thy hands I commend my spirit 3. Ob specialitatem modi It is strange being in the fear of death he begs death he flies for his life and yet he flies from it desires to die to escape death True but this suit of his is for the special manner of his death and dissolution 1. Ut non violenta sed placida morte He desires to escape Iezabel's cruelty begs of God to dispose of him to a peaceable death and dissolution Deliver my darling from the power of the Dog Psal. xxii 20. An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is inter beneficia a favour and a blessing to be asked and sought for 'T was granted to Iosiah to die in peace so to Hezekiah Iob accounts it a blessing to die in his nest Iob xxix 18. David desires to fall into the hands of God rather then into the hands of men Blesse God that we can close our brethrens eyes in peace that they are gathered into the barn like ripe Corn by the Sickle of death not by the Sword of an enemie 2. Ut honesta non probrosa morte Take thou my life away let not Iezabel have her will on me 'T is an honest and honourable wish Decorè cadere as Saul That the Philistines mock me not 1 Sam. xxxi 4. Not to have the death of a Dog or the burial of an Ass. 'T is that which the Church bewails Psal. lxxix 2. The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the earth Those two Witnesses in the Revelations whom spiritual Iezabel slays she suffers their dead bodies to lie unburied in the streets of that great City 3. Ut non in Deum contumeliosa morte sed honorifica moriatur that he might die such a death as God be not dishonoured by it It was the trial of Baals deity that he could not rescue his Priests from destruction Iezabel hath sworn by her false Gods that Elijah shall suffer See now it stands God upon in point of honour to rescue Elias and Elias begs such a death as might not make Iezabel blaspheme and insult over God 'T is the desire of Gods children to die for the greatest advantage of Gods glory That God might be magnified in their bodies by life or death Thus it is said of Christs prediction of Saint Peters death by what manner of death he should glorifie God Is martyrdom the way of glorfying God The Saints run to it Ey but it will make the enemies of God insult the more Elias prayes against it Athanasius fled from it They desire to die for the greatest purpose that their deaths may be precious and rich So much for the first Elias his willingness to die Now follow Secondly The two Meditations that work him to this willingness To speak of one of them onely and that 's an holy satiety Satis est It is enough Take it in these four Expressions 1. Satis vitae meae It is enough Lord I have lived long enough The Saints of God can set a full period they can stint their desires of longer life They wish not an eternity here A worldly man Oh he could part with another life might this life last always No 't is Gods blessing to his children they are satisfied with length of days Psal. xcii 16. 2. Satis mundo They have enough of the world too The comforts of this life the pleasures profits preferments they can stop and stay at them too refusing with Barzillai the offers of preferment How shamefull is it for old men to thirst after riches and honours like the two Tribes content to stay on this side Jordan for the goodness of the Countrey 3. Satis officio He hath finished and fulfilled his course that makes him willing to die he hath accomplished his Ministerie Happy they whose work is done before their day be done The ability of giving a good account of our service is the powerfullest encouragement to be willing to die Thus S. Chrysostom observes in compare of these two places S. Pauls escapal out of Damascus and his readiness to die at Ierusalem Then he had done no service so he was loth to die now Paul the Aged had finished his course then he is ready for bonds and death So Christ till his work was finished hid himself after he offered himself to them 4. Satis miraculosae providentiae 'T is enough for that too He hath been mightily and miraculously preserved and delivered hitherto he will not thrust himself upon more miraculous ways 'T is enough Lord now end my life Non vult oneri esse misericordiae divinae he will not be burthensome to the mercy of God The Apostles were sparing of miracles for their own selves wrought none in their own hehalf they valued not life at the rate of a miracle accounted themselves less then an ordinary mercy For this Christian Brother of ours whose blessed death and departure we are now met together not so much to lament and bewail as to celebrate and honour much very much may be spoken of him to the glory of Gods rich grace in him and the enbalming of his name with a precious memory But the applause and welcome that the Saints and Angels give to him in heaven and those blessed Euge's that the Authour and finisher of his faith hath received him with are the true and full commendation that his soul rests in Onely in a few words Know that the death of this good man as it is in Gods eyes so in ours it must be honourable and precious And because Bernard's Rule is true Preciosa mors Sanctorum quam commendat vita pretiosa You all witness with me who have lived with him that his carriage hath been such as becomes a man professing the fear of God What his life was from his minority most of you know better then my self Onely I have had always the report of it to be upright and unblameable I found him at my coming the chief credit and improvement of the worthy pains of my reverend Predecessor at whose feet he a long time sate as a good proficient And since my being here I have remarkably taken notice of him as a great encouragement of mine unworthy labours His piety and course of godliness hath witness of all men and of the Truth it self Which was 1. Timely and not put off with delays He often blessed God that called him so timely not suffering him to linger till the evil day That had not been so comfortable 2. It was observable to his own heart It was not wrought secretly but as he imparted to me Piety found him averse and it was not without some enforcement used that he was drawn to that Sermon which gave the first successfull knock at his heart 3. It was constant witness his diligence and timely forwardness to repair to the House of God his attention reverence devotion there observed by others who preached occasionally 4. It was judicious not groundless but intelligent able he was to give a reason of his Faith He was exercised in the study of the Scriptures and grounds of Religion able to speak understandingly 5. It was substantial not languishing away in circumstances and trifles He professed in his sickness that the disputes about In-conformity were of no use for piety and that the power of Religion was not in them 6. It was diffusive 1. Into all his life 2. Into his family and children 3. Into his friends and familiars 4. In an unquestion'd honesty to all men 7. It was solid and strong bearing him up in this long tedious and oft-times very sharp and violent sickness 1. The apprehensions of his faith were constantly quick and comfortable he felt not the least nibling of Satan 2. His patience was admirable and heroical 3. His charity in spending himself in fruitful conferences and perswasions to those about him was great and bountiful 8. It was crowned with Perseverance which God did not onely secretly bestow upon him but with feeling and assurance he triumphed in it One of his last speeches was Sathan may as well pluck God out of Heaven as pluck my soul out of his keeping FINIS Errata PAge 31. line 15. read pactional p. 75. l. 36. r. 1 p. 132. l. 2. r. any p. 165. l. 16. r. negativè p. 188. l. 3. r. not p. 190. l. 34. r. loads p. 203. l. 25. r. she p. 204. l. 5. r. us p. â—…06 l. 21. r. Jerem. p. 243 l. 23. r. Hear p. 245. l 27. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 289. l. 45. r. Author p. 301. l. 41. r. of p. 303. l. 44. r. Bona. p. 328. l 33. r. the. l. 38. r. heart p. 330. l. 6. r. sacrifice p. 351. l. 28. r. Accent p. 353. l. 33. r. loaves p. 377. l 15. r. twiâ—…s l. 16. r. upbraids p. 393. l. 23. r. know ye not p. 396. l. 41. r. there l. 20. r. choice and disparity
and diligence much exercise and experience to attain unto it Those Arts that have in them many abstruse mysteries are long a learning Oh! the Art of godliness the Trade of piety the Skill of living holily 't is no small matter but very mysterious The Philosopher could say of his Art Ars longa Vita brevis a mans life was too short to attain to the perfection of it How much more is this high Art of Religion the mysterie of godliness It makes David for all his learning to cry out still Teach me Instruct me Make me to understand the way of godliness S. Paul that great Proficient yet professes he fell short Phil. iii. 11 12 13. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended I have not already attained I am not already perfect but I follow after and press forward if by any means I might attain words of striving and contention How hard a thing is it to attain even to the knowledge of godliness Then how difficult must it be to mortifie thy lusts to subdue thine appetite 'T is call'd a Crucifying Consider it you who think seven years little enough to learn any Trade of life but any little time any poor pains sufficient to learn that which the Saints were practising all their dayes Try thy strength but with one Act but with one Duty of godliness and then tell me If slubbering over a few prayers or coming to Church and yawning out an Amen half asleep half awake be likely to make thee a skilful man in this Trade of piety That 's the first Religion is the mysterie of godliness 2. The second Truth is The Mysterie and the Piety of Religion must go both together We must take both to us not onely content our selves with the mysterie of Christianity but be sure we acquaint our selves with the piety True Religion joyns both together Thus S. Paul describes Christian Religion ' T is a Doctrine according to godliness 1 Tim. vi 3. And Tit. i. 1. it is called the Knowledge of the Truth according unto godliness We may as well separate light from heat in the fire as the mysterie and knowledge of it from the piety Indeed first we must get the mysterie then labour for the piety of it First God created light so it is in mans soul. A man is sooner enlightned then sanctified The Sun enlightens in an instant but it begets heat in the Ayr by length of time but they must never be a sunder Blind Devotion would have the piety without the mysterie Oh! Zealous it would be but not with knowledge Oh! A good heart to God-wards no matter for knowledge And prophane Curiosity that would have the mysterie without the piety understand all secrets and mysteries comprehend all Truths but for the holiness of Christianity they have no list to it True Christianity joyns both together True Religion is not like the tree of Knowledge onely pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise Gen. iii. 6. but it must be to us as the tree of Life for Devotion and Practice Religion is not placed in the upper region of the Brain but in the Heart the seat of affection the fountain of action 'T is a sanctifying Truth Holy Father sanctifie them through thy Truth not enlighten them onely Ioh. xvii 17. There is not any Truth so mystical and contemplative but must be drawn into practice There is no mysterie in Scripture but hath its piety As there is not any creature but it is for some use it is not onely beautiful but useful Non tantum visu delectat sed usu prodest so there 's no Truth in Religion but we may and must extract from it Piety Some Truths at first sight seem but dry as to this but as the Licorish stick at first looks like any weed but chew it and you suck sweetness so those mysteries that seem to be most remote from practice have a juice and sap of piety to be suck'd out of them If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Joh. xiii 17. This man shall be blessed in his deed Iam. i. 25. See how Christ checks Curiosity and turns all to Practice Lord are there few that be saved And he said unto them Strive to enter in at the strait gate Luk. xiii 23 24. 1. Piety 't is the end of Christianity 'T is mysterium practicum Not a Science in contemplation but an Art of doing not to make us the wiser but the holier 2. Piety 't is the best keeper of this mysterie The knowledge of Religion 't is a precious Jewel see the Cabinet S. Paul tells us of wherein it must be kept Holding the mysterie of Faith in a pure Conscience 1 Tim. iii. 9. Wouldst thou not erre concerning the Faith Take heed of making shipwrack of a good Conscience Knowledge in this vessel is like the Manna in the golden-pot it is kept sweet In a prophane heart it is like Manna in other vessels that stank and putrified God takes away natural knowledge if we abuse it and live not accordingly When they knew God and glorified him not as God God gave them over to errour and never would call them to the knowledge of the Gospel Rom. i. 21 c. As we try vessels first with water if they will hold and keep it sweet then we pour wine into them They who corrupt natural knowledge God will not trust them with this mysterie Take heed thou divide not the piety from the mysterie In all Truths labour to be better In any mysterie make S. Peter's collection If these things are so What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness We have seen the quality and condition of this mysterie It is a mysterie of godliness Now follows IV. The infallible undoubted certainty of this mysterie It is beyond without all controversie There is a double Certainty 1. A certainty in the thing it self 'T is a most grounded Truth Heaven and earth may sooner fail then the least particle of this Truth It hath the Power and the Truth and the Faithfulness of God nay his Oath to establish it 2. A certainty of perswasion at this the Text ayms See with what confidence and assurance S. Paul seals up this great Truth ' T is without controversie Observe True Faith embraceth these heavenly Truths with all assurance and strength of adhesion and fulness of perswasion 'T is the nature and office of true Faith in matters of God to breed all possible assurance 'T is a Seal He who receives God's testimony of his Son hath set to his Seal that God is true Ioh. iii. 33. Philip shews the assurance of Faith which he requires of the Eunuch Acts viii 37. If thou believest with all thine heart that Iesus is the Son of God Especially in this Truth Iesus God-Incarnate Faith breaks through all controversies and unquestionably must believe 1. This Truth is clearly revealed in Scripture And
deserves longing and expectation and delay naturally sharpens desire Thus Christ delayed and denied the Canaanitish woman not to repel her but to provoke her to more importunity After the strong strivings of her Faith and Prayer then O woman be it unto thee as thou desirest Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal. lxxxi 10. Delay enlargeth and stretcheth out the desire and the larger our desires of Christ are the fuller shall we enjoy him This made the Church before Christ long and expect and be earnest for his Comming Abraham he longed to see this day Ioh. viii Iacob on his death-bed O Lord I wait for thy Salvation It made the Prophets enquire diligently and search into the Promises It is the honourable style and title of the Saints in the Old Testament They were waiters for the consolation of Israel The Church like Sisera's mother look'd out at the window Why stay the wheels of his Chariot O that thou wouldst break the heavens and come down The Fathers expound it of the longings of the Patriarks for the Comming of Christ. Many Kings and Prophets desired to see this day Luk. x. That is the reason saith Gregory why the Saints complain'd Their dayes were shortned because they could not live to see Christ in the flesh They onely saluted the Promise afar off and dyed in the faith of it 4. Christ came not presently deferr'd his appearance to teach us the more to prize him now he is come and to rejoyce in him Hope deferr'd makes the heart sick Prov. xiii 12. but when it is accomplished 't is a tree of Life Hath he cost the Church so much longing and searching and praying Sure then the Church will welcom him gladly embrace him firmly retain him constantly Those that have been long without children when God sends them a son he is double welcom to them Isaac and Iacob and Ioseph they were long sued for before they were obtained and accordingly beloved Quod diu quaeritur solet dulâ—…ias inveniri saith St. Aug. The Church before Christ was like barren Hannah weeping and sorrowing and begging of a son now that Christ is born it becomes us to be like fruitful Hannah rejoycing at his birth Hannah's song saith S. Aug. 't is not Canticum unius foeminae pro filio sed totius Ecclesiae pro Christo. It becomes the Church to sing Hannahs song for the birth of Christ. The Church after much search hath found out not the lost Groat but an invaluable Treasure not a stray Sheep but the holy Lamb of God not a forlorn Prodigal but the onely-Begotten and Beloved of the Father it becomes us to rejoyce That 's the first He came not in the beginning of Time 2. Neither did he stay till the last period and end of Time that so in all differences of time Faith might have an employment Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. xiii 8. The Patriarchs they believed in Christum futurum in Christ afterwards to be exhibited The Apostles and the Saints of that Age they believed in Christum praesentem they enjoyed his bodily presence they saw and believed on him present amongst them Christians now they believe in Christum praeteritum come and gone again into heaven They that came before and they that followed after they all sung Hosanna The Patriarchs they went before the Christian Church that follows after both sing Hosanna Blessed is he that comes to us in the name of the Lord. As Kings when they go in State have their Ushers before them and their Attendants after them both honour their appearance Christ in this fulness of time is as the Sun at noon-tide East and West are both enlightned by him It shews us the efficacy of Christ and of his bloud it was effectual not onely when it was shed but before it was shed and after it was shed It sanctified and saved the Primitive Saints and the last upon earth shall be saved by it That 's the first fulness of time in the natural consideration of it In the middle of Time when the world was at the Zenith then Christ came II. There is another fulness of time that 's Constituta plenitudo temporis that time that was set and decreed and appointed by God For not onely Christ's comming but all the circumstances of Time and Place were forelaid and determined and Christ's comming into the world gave a fulness and accomplishment unto that Time That we may conceive how our Saviour's Comming brought a fulness to Time we must know there were foregoing times in which Christ was made known to the Church but yet there was an emptiness in those times His Birth and Incarnation gave a fulness to them There were three Preparative foregoing Times which Christ's Comming fulfilled 1. Was Tempus Promissionis that Time and Age of the Church when the Promise of Christ was first made and publish'd that was the time from Adam to Moses The Church of God lived and supported it self with that Promise That afterwards in God's good time Christ should be born Now Promises are all for hereafter they bring nothing in present Indeed Faith knows how to make use of them but in themselves they are but empty they exhibit nothing They give good Assurance but put us not into Possession A man may be rich in Bills and Bonds and Specialties but yet be in actual want as men lay up Evidences among their Treasures But Christ's comming fulfill'd those Promises gave a Yea and Amen to them The prayer of David was the prayer of the whole Church Think upon thy Servant as concerning thy Word in which thou hast caused me to put my trust It spread these Evidences before God as Hezekiah did the Letter that was sent to him Ey but Promises turn'd into Performances is a true fulness That 's the first the time of Performance is a real fulness to the times of Promises 2. A second Time was Tempus Typorum the time and age of the Church furnish'd with Types and Prefigurations of him that was the time of the Church under Moses It added to the former time That had but a Promise of him these Types resembled him described him to them seal'd up and assured his comming to them They were to the Faith of the Church as Signs to represent him as Tokens and Pledges to assure him to them But yet this falls short of fulness Seals and Pledges are good Assurances but actual Possession is a great deal better Annulus iste nihil valet haereditas est quam reposco The Writing and Seal is not the thing we look for the Estate and Inheritance is that we wait for Now Christ's comming fill'd up the imperfections and emptiness of these Types They had the emptiness of a shadow He brings the substance and fulness of the Body Col. ii 17. They were but shadows of things to come but the Body is of Christ. His comming fill'd the Temple as the cloud fill'd the
heaven and Angels nay did Christ himself offer up this Worship It deeply concerns us to perform it to him 2. Did Christ sollicit his Father for supply of Mercies Why he had right and title to all All was his due How then should we dare to usurp any of God's blessings and not beg them by Prayer at his holy hands Must the Son be a Petitioner and shall the servant intermeddle serve himself in his desires without craving by Prayer Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance Psal. ii 8. 3. Did Christ abound in this grace of Prayer though freed from all Infirmities out of the reach of temptations though full of all graces How then should we who are clogg'd with infirmities incumbred with temptations beset with corruptions How should we abound in this grace to draw supply and strength from heaven 4. Did Christ sue by Prayer He was most certain of the event of every thing knew that all things were set and purposed his own Glory his Churches Redemption yet he would Pray Then earnest Prayers may be made for those things whereof there may be fullest assurance We are told If men may be certain of Grace and Glory why do they pray for it Certainty on God's part doth not weaken but strengthen the force of Prayer Isaac had promise of a son yet he begged him Elijah was sure of rain yet he pray'd for it David was sure his house should be established yet he prayed for it Christ was sure of all yet he abounds in this service of Prayer Prayer it is serviceable to God's Appointments II. Consider our Saviour's Prayer here respectively to his glorious Transfiguration While he prayed he was Transfigured and so it imports an efficacy in his Prayers producing and effecting his Transfiguration Observe the admirable power and efficacy of devout Prayer It is able to transport the soul to ravish the spirit to lift up the heart into an heavenly rapture and to fill soul and body with unspeakable glory A strange doctrine to our drowzy Petitioners they never felt any such thing Well saith S. Chrysostom Sancti intelligunt quid dico They who abound in this Spiritual exercise give testimony to this Truth and find it by experience Thus David professes that Prayer and Praise was to him as marrow and fatness My mouth shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Psal. lxiii 5. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears They looked unto him and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed Psal. xxxiv 4 5. Now Prayer hath this power 1. Because it raiseth the soul into heaven far above all earthly vanities or vexations The soul lying groveling upon the earth feels many incumbrances Prayer mounts it above the clouds And then like the woman in the Revelation if the Moon be under thy feet thou shalt be cloathed with the Sun These lower regions are dark and tempestuous get up into heaven by Prayer there is nothing but sereâ—…ity and tranquillity A devout and heavenly Prayer is like the Altar on Olympus no blast of wind blows upon it Say not in thine heart Who shall go up into heaven Prayer will bring thee thither 2. Prayer will breed those ravishing and glorious joys because it brings us into a communion with the fountain of joy and glory It opens heaven to us gives us approach unto that unaccessable glory See Moses being in the Mount in communion with God his face was shining and glorious As a man long conversant in some fragrant place his very cloaths will carry those perfumes with him 3. Prayer shews us the loving and smiling and gracious countenance of God and the sight of that is of a ravishing efficacy In his face is life it self The light of God's countenance gladded David more than oyl and wine Psal. iv If He be angry his frown is the message of death Prayer pacifies him and makes his countenance most amiable If he turn away his countenance we wither our faces droop if he shine upon us we are refreshed 2 Cor. iii. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 4. Prayer brings this rapture of joy because it brings with it a joyful assurance that our Prayers are accepted Though our Prayers are not always succesful for Impetration yet seldom but they seal up to us God's Acceptation and so bring the fruit of sweet Consolation It lays hold on the golden Scepter breeding in us an heavenly tranquillity peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost These secret cheerings are like the fire from heaven that consumed the Sacrifice and testifie God is graciously pleased with thy Petitions What joy like that of Cornelius to have Angels bring tidings of Gods Acceptation Dan. v. 10. Fear not Daniel thy words are heard Prayer encourages us like Manoah's wife The Lord hath received a Burnt-offering and a Meat-offering at our hand he will not kill us Judg. xiii 23. Want of this made Cain's countenance fall This honour'd and encouraged Abel Oh! those inward cheerings that a religious Prayer sheds into our souls they are not inferiour to the tydings of Angels 5. Prayer infuses these glorious joys because it disburthens our grievances all of them into the bosom of God If it be an ease to a troubled mind to communicate its sorrow to some faithful friend how much more comfortable is it by Prayer to unfold our sorrows into God's bosom who pities our griefs drys up our tears Thus David in his sorrows parleys with God and his soul is refresh'd See this in Hannah 1 Sam. i. 18. She was a woman of a sorrowful spirit Elkanah could not comfort her She prays in the bitterness of her soul pours out her soul before the Lord and see what comfort she finds in Prayer Her countenance was no more sad See it in David Psal. vi He was in much sickness and sorrow Lord rebuke me not in thine ire His soul was vexed he was weary with groaning beginning his Prayer with much anguish but vers 8. he breaks out into a sudden joy The Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping vers 9. The Lord hath heard my Supplications the Lord will receive my Prayer Phil. iv 6 7. In every thing by Prayer and Supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God And the Peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Iesus 6. This duty religiously performed even because it is an holy service yields presently a sweet satisfaction and contentment to the conscience That makes it ever applaud it self and secretly to say to it self I am glad I have done this holy duty 1 Chron. xxix 9. The people rejoyced when they offered willingly So at Solomon's Sacrifice the people went
have of those unconceivable joyes are like our selves low and unproportionable Ask the piercingest judgement of those After-joyes How must they stammer and fumble and bewray Ignorance If it should be asked 1. What is that Eternity of Being which we look for in heaven We cannot comprehend it 2. What are those heavenly Speeches that souls and spirits use in Glory We cannot conceive them 3. What is that Impassibility and Agility of our bodies in heaven We cannot imagine it 4. What is that Beatifical Vision and sight of the Essence of God We cannot attain to it As Christ to Nicodemus If we cannot understand more earthly things as The work of Grace Union with Christ The manner of Regeneration How can we understand him when he speaks of heavenly O! Eye hath not seen and that sees far Ear hath not heard and that receives much nay Heart hath not ability to imagine or conceive those hidden things In this case we are no more able to conceive what that life of Glory is then a child in the womb can conceive what is the condition of this present life Our discourses of heaven are like theirs who talk of Countreys they never saw Nay S. Paul who was there yet found them unutterable All other knowledge hath some help and hint from nature but this is a Mysterie hid from Generations and Ages and lock'd up in that store-house of Eternity This inconsiderate unadvised Motion of Peter He knew not what he said 3. It arose from the surcharge and overwhelming of this great Glory The exceeding Glory of Christ hath overwhelmed the soul and mind and capacity of Peter and overcomes his understanding Excellens objectum corrumpit Our understanding is shallow limited finite proportionable to these lower things but God and the fulness of his Glory are too high for us As it is with our Brains be we on the ground then they are steddy but upon some high mountain or steeple they fail us Bonorum quorundam sicut malorum intolerabilis magnitudo est Tertull. Not onely the torments of hell would consume us but if God should not put strength into our souls the very joyes of heaven would swallow us up Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love Cant. ii 5. As we say of crazy bodies Too pure an ayr and too accurate a diet will overthrow them So our crazy souls are not able to undergo the eminency of that Glory Such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it Psal. cxxxix 6. Hence they say we must have Lumen Gloriae confortans elevans intellectum Our understandings enlarged and raised and strengthened to undergo that weight of Glory The Sun puts out a Candle So the light of Glory will soon damp our poor glimmering Spark This makes the very Angels stand aloof and cover their faces He dwelleth in that light that cannot be approached unto that light is like the Sun-beams to sore eys The Queen of Sheba 1 Kings x. 5. was overcome with the sight of Solomons magnificence she was spent with admiration There was no more spirit in her We have seen the nature and condition of this Motion whence it arises Secondly Consider the particular conviction of this rashness in S. Peter in the many particularities of his erroneous Motion Formerly we have seen what commendable things were contained in this his suit but we see it here censured as unadvised and imprudent Let us review these Motions of S. Peter and see his failings I. In his Motion of Continuance Master it is good being here 1. The first Error 'T is good being here He would fain abide here always He errs in desiring a perpetuity of that condition which was but transient and momentany This Vision was but a taste of Glory but a drop from the Honey-comb not a full repast of Glory intended onely to strengthen their Faith incourage their Diligence correct their Error quicken their Hope all these purposes are omitted and he must not part with this Vision of Christ but must have it perpetual As Mary she embraceth the feet of Christ would never have left him Christ bids us leave off these were but extraordinary Appearances not to be dwelt upon Besides the vileness of noysom lusts which still would be craying even the spirit of man loves to glut it self in spiritual refreshments How loath were the Apostles to part with Christ's bodily presence So in many extraordinary Appearances which are not intended as perpetual yet there is Libido and Luxuria spiritualis we would fain enjoy those ravishing joyes which are but for a time No as the Angel that refresh'd Elias said to him Feed and be walking thou must live in the strength of it forty dayes it may be all thy life time No stick to Faith that 's our Ordnary As Dives who lived deliciously every day so some Christians if they be not caught up into heaven do not see Visions of Angels they are discontent 2. A second Error is in that he places the fulness of joy in the view of the Humanity of Christ but gloriously Transfigured and can be content never to see more or go further but to behold this Glory True it is a great accomplishment to our bliss to see that price of our Redemption the Body of our Saviour in Glory but yet it is not the main and original No created Glory can be the fountain and fulness of Glory to us Even the Manhood of Christ is blessed by derivation and participation from an higher Fountain The Society of the Saints is comfortable the view of that Lamb of God most ravishing but yet it is the blessed God-head the face of God himself the adoring and enjoying an heavenly communion with the Sacred Trinity that is our true prime original happiness Shew us the Father and it sufficeth Ioh. xiv 8. The increated Glory of Christ's Deity that is the matter and summ of our blessedness Ioh. xvii Our happiness is to behold the Glory which Christ had with God not on Mount Tabor but before the world was This is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is Light 1 Ioh. i. 5. that we may have fellowship with the Father and with the Son vers 4. Our hearts are restless till setled upon this All our affections are flowing and running till they are swallowed up in this Ocean The eyes of our body indeed shall have Christs Body as the most glorious Spectacle of all Comfort but the eye of our soul that goes higher As the eye of Faith rests not upon the Humanity of Christ but upon his Divinity and so on the whole Trinity so doth the eye of Beatifical Vision that succeeds Faith 3. A third Error 'T is good being here He would settle his rest upon Mount Tabor This was an error to bring down heaven upon earth To enjoy Tabor he can be content to part with heaven and resign
All must honour the Son as they honour the Father 3. Ejusdem Potestatis He is of equal Power and Authority with his Father De Domino natus est Dominus haeres omnium All Power in heaven and earth belongs to him He is Heir of all But is Christ God's Son 1. It is Argumentum Amoris dare Filium An Argument of Gods great love to Mankind in that he would bestow him upon us God tried Abraham's love by requiring the sacrificing of his Son 2. It is Fundamentum Meriti From this That Christ is the Son of God is the Excellency of his Merit That he could vanquish Satan abolish sin purchase salvation it was not because he was Filius Mariae but Filius Dei and so his Acts are Infiniti valoris and himself the Universale principium gratiae 3. It is Testimonium gratuitae Adoptionis Is Christ God's Son What need had God then to adopt us to be his sonns Adoption is an help in Law to supply Nature either when there is not Filius or not Dilectus Filius or Mortalis Filius But all these were prevented in Christ. Yet God adopted us not that he wanted a Son but that we wanted a Father He made us accepted in his Well-beloved That 's the first He is Filius A Son 2. He is dilectus Filius A beloved Son He was typified by Isaac the sonn of Abraham's love by Solomon called Iedidiah beloved of God What my son and what the son of my womb and what the son of my vowes So Christ He was a beloved Son There are three things that make a Son beloved of his Father and all eminently in Christ. 1. Is Proprietas The Son is the Possession of his Father as Eve called Cain A Possession Filius aliquid Patris decisum naturae The Father hath communicated himself to his Child and that makes him to love him Much more doth God love his Son upon this ground He is not aliquid Patris but totum 2. Is Similitudo That 's causa Amoris The Father imprints his likeness on his Son In his own likeness he begat him So Christ is the lively Image of his Father 1. In his Divinity He is the character of his Father's Glory a full representation of him If you knew me you would know the Father 2. In his Humanity All those created and infused Graces that are in the Manhood of Christ they are prints of Gods Wisdome Holiness Mercy c. shining in him 3. Is Conformitas in voluntate That breeds love idem velle idem nolle Christ is a Son who never displeased his Father there is no repugnancy in his will to God He lost his Life rather then he would lose his Obedience No marvel then though the Father stile him his beloved Son And there are three Evidences of his loving of him 1. Circumcessio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is in the Father and the Father is in him Ioh. xiv 11. 2. Communio consiliorum He lyes in the Bosome of the Father and he communicates his Counsels to him and shews him all things 3. Communicatio bonorum He hath made him Heir of all things Psal. ii 8. Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Luke xxii 29. I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto me That 's the first the Dignity of his Person Now follows Secondly The Excellency of his Mediation In whom I am well pleased This is considerable two wayes 1. As a Qualification of his Person God is highly pleased with Christ. 2. As the Virtue and Fruit of his Mediation In whom he is pleased with us First Consider it as a Qualification of his Person The Person of Christ was most amiable and acceptable and gracious in the eyes of his Father Thus Esay describes him Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Isa. xlii 1. and it is repeated Matth. xii 18. Christ was most pleasing to God the Father 1. In respect of his Infinite Excellency and Goodness His Divine nature infinitely answers to the Will of God In it there is all holiness and purity and goodness exactly answerable and equal to the purity of God the Father Finite goodness procures finite love but Christs infinite Excellency is infinitely delightful to his Father Thus he rejoyced with him and in him from all Eternity This blessed Communion 'twixt the Father and the Son it took up that Incomprehensible space of Eternity It answers to that Atheistical Quere What did God before he made the world He enjoyed his own Glory and Blessedness and his Soul delighted in this Son of his desires and love Prov. viii 30. 2. God was well pleased in Christ as he was in the state of his Incarnation as God-man so God was highly pleased with his Son In the Creation God was pleased with all his works he beheld them and they were all good The Lord rejoyced in his works Psal. civ But Christ Incarnate is the choyce Master-piece of all the works of God In him he hath magnified all his glorious Attributes the greatest Wisdome the greatest Evidence of Power the greatest Communication of his Goodness all were discovered in this work There are divers Degrees of Gods Communicating his Goodness 1. In Creation he communicates the Goodness of Being when he brings forth a creature out of the dark dungeon of nothing and makes it subsist 2. He more communicates his Goodness in communicating Life a ray of his Life to creatures living 3. He more communicates his Goodness by imparting the choyce Similitude of himself to man That much pleas'd him as the chief of all the wayes of God which makes David wonder Lord what is man So Psal. civ surveying all the creatures when he comes to man vers 23 24. then he wonders O Lord how manifold are thy works 4. Yet he more communicates his Goodness in the Production of Grace in the Infusion of Holiness By it he makes us partakers of the Divine nature That is a glorious piece of his workmanship And he more rejoyces in one sanctified Soul then in all other creatures in heaven or earth But 5. The greatest and most glorious communication is of himself in the Incarnation to make a creature to be God by Personal Union This is the most Incomparable work of God This all the Angels wonder at If at the creation of Light all the Angels of God shouted for joy and admiration as Iob speaks sure when this work was atchieved then all creatures did wonder much more And in this God was highly pleased 3. God was well pleased in Christ in respect of his perfect and compleat Righteousness All that our Saviour ever did did highly content and please him The best of all the Saints have their failings and imperfections He found folly in his Angels In the best of them there is matter of displeasure But for this Son
we gain by Gods Presence is That it brings with it the Glory of a Nation It is the high dignity and renown and honour of a people that God abides with them as S. Paul speaks Rom. iii. 1. What advantage then hath the Iew What is the dignity of having God so near to them Much every way Thus Moses sets out the dignity of the Jews from this near reference 'twixt God and them Deut. xxvi 18. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people And vers 19. To make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour This nearness of Gods Presence God compares in Ior. xiii 11. to a Girdle cleaving to his loyns As the girdlâ—… cleaves to the loyns of a man so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel that they might be unto me for a people and for a name and for a praise and for a glory So likewise Isa. xliii 4. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee When God reckons up the dignities of his people this is the main Psal. lxxxvii 5. Of Zion it shall be said that he was born in her Thus Moses re-minds the Israelites wherein their dignity consists Deut. x. 21. He is thy praise and he is thy God There are many titles of Honour amongst men but this above all is the truly honourable Title that we have God near unto us Deut. iv 7. What Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is to us While he vouchsafed his Presence to them how renowned were they When he withdrew himself and cast them off how became they a vile people the hatred and scorn and contempt of all Nations A 3 d. Advantage that Gods Presence brings 't is the Strength and Safety of a Nation I'sal xlvi 5. God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved He calls himself 1 Sam. xv 29. the Strength of Israel Balaam could not fasten a curse upon Israel while God was among them Num. xxiii 21. The Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them It was this that encouraged the people of Israel against the Canaanites Numb xiv 9. Their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us fear them not Though there were Giants and their Cities be walled up to heaven yet fear them not So again Moses encourages them Deut. vii 21. Thou shalt not be affrighted at them for the Lord thy God is among you a mighty God and terrible And so on the contrary when the people being in a great sin would needs go up to fight Moses dislwades them God had then withdrawn himself Go not up for the Lord is not amongst you Sampson wist not that God was departed from him and the Philistines prevail'd over him How did Moses lament when God said He would not go with them So doth the Psalmist Thou goest not forth with our Armies His Presence it is our Palladium our Shield and Fortress The Shields of the earth belong unto God Psal. xlvii 9. It was said to Constantine In hoc vinces Well then If so much good comes to us by Gods Presence amongst us it is worth the enquiry Wherein doth this Presence of God consist How is he said and known to dwell in a Nation I mean not now his substantiall Presence so he is present in all places that Presence fills heaven and earth Ier. xxiii Nor do we now speak of his glorious Presence where his Majesty and Glory shines that is in the heavens Heaven is his Throne No nor yet do we mean his miraculous Presence where he manifests himself in some extraordinary work of his Power thus the Israelites when they were in want question'd his Presence Is the Lord amongst us yea or no No besides all these he hath a gracious Presence by which he dwells amongst us Yes that gracious and merciful and beneficial Presence is that we speak of How shall that appear to us 1. God dwells in a Nation which he chuses to be his Peculiar people the people of his Covenant amongst whom he fixes his Sanctuary and establishes his Worship As David speaks The Lord hath chosen Iacob to be his Inheritance Thus Hosea calls the Nation and Countrey of the Jews The Lords Land Hos. ix 3. All the world is his dominion but by special purchase and possession so the Church is his That is like the Lords Demeans which himself holds in his own hand 2. The place of Gods delight that is the residence of his special Presence Delight fixes a man to his abode When we are such a people that God takes pleasure in us then he saith Here will I dwell for I have a delight in it The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation here will I dwell and rest in it Psal. cxxxii 3. There are we to reckon of Gods special Presence where he sets his Family that is the usual place of presence and abode Where we see God gathers to himself a Church is daily collecting to himself a people to know him and worship him there we may conclude God vouchsafes his Presence Thus Christ is described to walk among the Churches Rev. i. When it may be said of a place as God saith of Corinth Acts xviii 10. I have much people in this City there resolve that God is present When they grow thinner and thinner it is to be feared God is then removing 4. There we conclude is a place of Presence and abode where a man bestows most cost A Land-lord will keep up all his possessions so doth God the World but his chiefest care is for his Mansion-house Do we see a people enriched with his choysest blessings His eyes are over them continually no favour is too dear for them Surely God dwells among such a people 5. A man is said to dwell where his abode is most constantly Sometimes God makes his Progress and Excursions into other places as he did to Niniveh by the preaching of Ionah He may be sometimes as a way-faring man that lodges for a night Ier. xiv 8. He may shew some rare tokens of his being amongst them But when he pitches his Tabernacle where his Ordinances are constantly and he fixes them there that is the place of his Presence We have done with the first God's presence it is the happiness of a Nation II. The second Consideration is T is the bitter fruit of sin that causeth God to withdraw his presence and to turn away from us 1. This is the malignant effect of sin that it parts God and us makes a separation moves him to withdraw and turn away from us He rejoyces in the habitable parts of the world and his delights are with the sons of men Prov. viii 31. But sin and wickedness causes an alienation in him and estrangeth him from
and yet remain as bad as ever So it was with Pharaoh the terrours of God deeply affected him So Ahab was strangely cast down upon Elijah's threatnings was sad in good earnest And what think you of Iudas was not he much affected But yet no true change was wrought in their hearts they were the same men still Pharaoh an oppressour in his heart Ahab a persecutour Here then is that which makes up repentance to be true and spiritual and such as God will accept when it puts a new heart into us changes our natures from what we were before begets in us new resolutions that we chuse what we refused love what we hated frames the very heart a-new In this case hypocrisie works like Art sincerity like Nature How is that Why Nature's work begins within frames the inward of a man first the heart then shapes the outward members so doth Sincerity But Art that works upon the outside alters the figure and outward lineaments goes no further so doth Hypocrisie Judge thy conversion by this trial Art thou another man a new frame put into thee hath God taken away thy stony heart so thy profane or covetous or proud heart and given thee an heart of flesh c 2. A second Conviction of their unsoundness of repentance is that it was a flitting momentary unconstant repentance They were not stedfast in his Covenant That 's a second Conviction True repentance will prove lasting repentance Hypocritical repentance is slippery and unconstant A true Convert hath an inward principle of repentance planted into him Grace is a second Nature and works constantly as nature doth but an Hypocrite in his actions of reformation and repentance is moved not by an inward principle of God but by some outward motive When that ceases his conversion fails The motions of Piety in a good Christian are like natural motions the motions of an Hypocrite are as artificial motions The motions of the Sun and the motions of a Clock keep time alike and for a time we will say the Clock goes as true as the Sun Ey but here 's the difference the one moves out of an inward principle naturally the other the Clock is moved by an outward principle the weight and plummet makes it go and when that is down the Clock stands still Or as in waters a natural Stream flows always it is fed with a Spring but a sudden Land-floud though it runs strongly for a while yet it will dry up it hath no spring or fountain to feed it A great difference 'twixt affectation that will tire and affection which will hold out A great difference 'twixt passion which is sudden comes and goes and fixt resolution which is constant An Hyocrite is like an unbroken Horse he may strike a stroak or two right but falls to his trot Sudden flushings of heat are one thing and the kindly warmth at the heart is another A good Christian is the same out of affliction that he is in affliction An Hypocrite Oh! he is a new man on his sick-bed recover him and ye discover him as covetous as profane as ever In affliction he vows in prosperity he forgets his vows What saith David My heart is fixed O Lord my heart is fixed Psal. lxvi 13. I will pay thee my vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble In his repentance he hath renewed his Covenants with God and he will not break with him Failings he may have but yet he revoltes not trip he may but yet recovers Davids resolution is his I will never forget thy Commandments for by them thou hast quickened me A SERMON ON ISAI xxvi 9. When thy Iudgements are in the earth the Inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness THis Chapter is stiled by the Prophet Isaiah Canticum A Song Vers. 1. In that day shall this Song be sung in the land of Iudah A Song penn'd and prepared for the people of God against their return out of Captivity The Prophet not onely forewarns them of it that they must all be in bondage to the King of Babylon but foresees and assures them they shall not perish there but they shall be brought back again into their own Countrey Thus the Prophet placed in Excelsa Fidei specula in Faith's Watch-tower foresees their miseries and foretels their deliverance And this prediction of their deliverance is framed into a Song that as the occasion will be comfortable the matter triumphant so it bespeaks suitable affections chearful and joyful thanksgivings unto God Thus light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Psal. xcvii 11. In the midst of all troubles and afflictions yet there is a Seed-time and there shall be an Harvest of Joy and Comfort Esay he sowes this Seed in Promises and in Gods good time they shall reap the Harvest in a full Performance This Song consists of many sweet strains 'T is partly Eucharistical a Psalm of Thankfulness and partly Didactieal Mâ—…schil as David terms many of his Psalms a Psalm or Song to give Instruction And the Text belongs to this second sort 'T is a strain of Instruction This well learned and practised will make the other strain seasonable unto us Let us first learn righteousness by Gods just judgements and that will bring us to a condition of Joy and Thankfulness for his merciful Deliverances The Text it shews us what use we are to make of Gods Visitations what 's the profit and improvement we must make of our sufferings and afflictions They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are so many lessons and instructions to us and we must undergo them accordingly and learn righteousness by them So then the Text recommends unto us this Truth That the land of Affliction 't is and ought to be the School of Instruction And herein we may consider two things 1. Doctorem 2. Disciplinam 1. What is that that must teach us that is our Afflictions they are our Instructours 2. What we must learn by them We must learn righteousness by them That 's the Discipline and Instruction we must receive by them First Let us consider what 's that which must teach and instruct us They are our Sufferings and Afflictions And they are here described unto us in a threefold Notion 1. In their Nature and Propriety what and whose they are what we must esteem our Afflictions to be they are no other then Gods judgements 2. They are described by their Time and Season that 's implyed in this particle of Time Quando When. 3. They are described by the circumstance of Place where they are inflicted That which God makes the School of Correction that 's the earth When thy judgements are in the earth 1. Consider their Nature and Propriety Afflictions and Calamities they are Gods judgements It is a point of Piety to know and acknowledge this Truth That whatsoever befalls us all our Sufferings Personal or National God is the Authour of
excess hath brought this judgment upon you God usually meets with men in their own ways Covetousness and earthly-mindedness luxury and excess all of them are abuses of these good gifts of God To punish us in the loss of these is a proper punishment 3. This calamity of dearth and scarcity the failing of the creatures that the earth doth not give her increase 't is a proportionable judgment The creatures are made to be our servants we are made to be Gods servants As long as we do perform our service to him the creatures shall yield their strength and increase and prove serviceable to us But if we fail God how just is it then that the creatures should fail us As S. Aug. sweetly observes our Reason would not obey God therefore our Sense shall not obey Reason As Hushi said to Absalom Whom all Israel makes King and serves him will I serve excusing his seeming revolt from David so when the creatures start aside and revolt from us prove unserviceable to us 't is their real profession They must serve their grand Lord if we revolt from him they revolt from us The Father's words are these Lib. 13. de Civit. 113. Qui superiorem Dominum deseruerunt inferiorem famulum ad suum arbitrium non tenebant And de Nupt. Conjug lib. 1. cap. 16. Injustum erat ut ei obtemperetur à servo suo qui non obediverat domino suo 4. God oft-times singles out dearth and famine to punish a Nation with it is a deep and evident and apparent judgment War and oppression and captivity many other calamities mans hand is seen in them they are agents and instruments in bringing them upon us And in such calamities we can be content not to see Gods hand in them but to charge our sufferings upon the malice of men as if God and we were in good terms God oft-times loses the glory of such afflictions As indeed the heart of man is exceeding desirous in all afflictions if it be possible to prove that God is not the authour but some other cause As Pharaoh laboured a long time to prove that God sent not those plagues upon him but that Moses wrought them some other way his Enchanters could do as much as that came to till at last they cried out It is the finger of God Now in such a judgment as want and famine to weaken the strength of nature to make that fruitfull womb of the earth barren to us none but God can do it He onely can make the heavens as brass and the earth as Iron and restrain the celestial influences Can man bind the sweet influences of Pleiades or loose the bonds of Orion Iob xxxviii 31. Can any but God forbid the clouds to drop fatness No these Judgments are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must cry out God fights against us 5. Famine it is a Scourge wherewith he uses to chastise a people as being a comprehensive Judgment like a chain-shot that bears all before it Many other calamities that are brought upon us by humane means are most-what avoidable by humane helps Wisdom or riches or strength may exempt or secure from some other annoyances but scarcity and famine that strikes at the life of every man All must beg daily bread The profit of the earth is for all the King himself is served by the field Eccles. v. 9. No King can help against this Judgment If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee Out of the barn-floor or out of the wine-press said the King of Israel in the famine of Samaria 2 Kings vi 27. These extremities are unavoidable They will make us look up to heaven and say with Iehosaphat O Lord we have no might against this Judgment that comes upon us Neither know we what to do but our eyes are towards thee 2 Chron. xx 12. III. A third Extraction from the Text is Gods own children and servants are lyable to these extremities of want and scarcity which God brings upon the world as well as others The Prophet here in his own name and in the name of the Church hath a fearfull apprehension of them Indeed sometimes and in some Judgments God vouchsafes a special exemption to his Church and Children Instance in three cases 1. To preserve an holy portion of his People and a Nursery for his Church Isaiah acknowledges it Chap. i. 9. Except the Lord of hosts had left us a small remnant we should have been as Sodom and like unto Gomorrah Still a remnant shall be saved And S. Paul applies it to the preservation of his chosen People Rom. ix 29. Gods Church must remain to all Posterity no Judgment must sweep them all away In this case when common Judgments are sent upon the world he exempts his own When the deluge came upon the old world an Ark was provided to save Noah and the holy seed When he visits them he doth it in measure he makes not a full end of them 2. God exempts his own People from common Judgments when the Judgments are sent in the cause of his Church to manifest and maintain that they are his People and that their sufferings from the world are most unjust then usually he puts a difference and exempts his own from common calamities Thus in all the plagues of Egypt Gosben was priviledged he put a difference betwixt the Hebrews and the Egyptians he passed over them when he plagued their enemies Thus in the case of famine Isaiah tells the enemies of Gods People Behold my servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry Behold my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty Behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed Isai. lxv 13. Malachi assures them of this exemption and that God will make it appear Who are his Chap. iii. 17. In that day when I make up my jewels I will spare them as a man spares his own Son that serves him and then shall ye diseevn between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serves him not 3. In the pùnishment of those sins which his children have withstood opposed protested against and mourned for usually in that case God exempts such Saints and Servants of his This obtained Lot's exemption out of Sodom's overthrow he mourned for the abominations that were done in Sodom and S. Peter makes it a ruling case and argues from it 2 Pet. ii 5. If God spared not the old world but saved Noah the eighth person a Preacher of Righteousness and in the overthrow of Sodom verf. 7. delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked thence he gathers this Conclusion vers 9. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation This protected Ieremiah and kept him out of captivity This holy carriage exempted Baruch his life was given him for a prey Those that mourned for the abominations of the Land were marked out by God for escapal and deliverance
tendering it to God and sprinkling it upon us that depended on his resurrection 3. He must rise and live again to quicken and revive our hope in his redemption He raised him from the dead saith S. Peter 1 Epist. i. that our faith and hope might be in God We are begotten to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead saith the same Apostle The Sun when it is at the farthest keeps life in the root of a tree but 't is the approaching of the Sun that brings life into the branches When Christ was in the grave the sap of our hope sunk all into the root but his return from the grave brought sap into the branches 3. His standing on the earth is necessary at his last appearance I will but name it It is one main end of his resurrection By it he was sealed and autorized to be the supreme Iudge of quick and dead Acts. xvii 31. He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Ioseph was not onely enlarged out of prison but advanced to the place of government and judicature The Egyptians and all his brethren must bow before him 1. This Prerogative of Christ 't is the reward of his Passion for it he is made Lord of quick and dead 2. 'T is the full finishing and the accomplishment of his mediation He shall then present us to God his Father Lo here I am and those whom thou hast given me 3. 'T is the full possessing of his redeemed ones of their purchased inheritance Come ye blessed of my Father enter into your possession 4. 'T is the glory of his exaltation then all thrones shall be cast down and be made his footstool and he alone shall be exalted in judgment We have done with the object of Iob's faith Come we now II. To the Act in Scio I know A word of confidence and great assurance It fully expresses the nature of faith it is strongly perswaded of what it believes it puts it beyond Ifs and And 's and hopefull supposals Faith it is an evidence not a conjecture not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a supposition but a subsistence It is not as the Philosopher in Suidas defines it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vehement surmise onely but a firm assurance Can these dead bones live saith God to Ezekiel Lord thou knowest saith the Prophet Put the question to Iob yes I know they can nay more then so I know they shall live And this knowledge of Iob will appear the greater and more admirable his belief in this point of faith being beset with three great Impediments 1. There is Magna difficultas that 's one Impediment the resurrection of the dead To insist on that which is proper to the Day 'T is a matter beyond all reach of reason Nature helps forward the belief of some points of faith but this of the Resurrection 't is res purae fidei far beyond all conceit of reason The great men of reason at Athens laught at Paul when he preach'd the Resurrection The Philosopher in his disputes about the Soul makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an impossible absurdity not to be admitted Recta ratio which some make the standard of all Religion stammers and stumbles at this Article How can it be Faith onely resolves it Sufficit pro universis rationibus Autor Deus Nothing is impossible to an omnipotent God nothing incredible to an omniscient Faith In these Mysteries saith S. Augustine Christians must not be rationales but fideles 'T is the homage our Understanding ows to God to believe what we cannot comprehend saith Parisiensis It is one rare property of faith it hath Vim satisfactivam it will satisfie all doubts it will assoyl all difficulties Ask a natural man Is it possible Christ should rise again No it is impossible Ask S. Peter what saith he It is impossible but he should rise again Acts ii 20. Him hath God raised having loosed the pains of death because it was impossible he should be holden of it Here is the triumph of Iob's faith Credo quia impossible est These Mysteries are Stulta mundi but Decus fidei our faith glories in them 2. Another Impediment in Iob's faith that makes it more admirable was Magna distantia Things at a distance are not discernable It was the Oeconomy of Divine revelation the mysteries of our Christian faith were but dimly discovered to the faith of our fore-fathers I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh And it is observable The nearer the accomplishment of Prophecies the clearer were the Predictions The Cocks the nearer to the Sun-rising the louder they crow But the time Iob lived in it was but Conticinium fidei yet see he speaks of Christ's and his own resurrection as expresly and plainly as if it were near at hand Videndo credere that 's Thomas his faith he saw Christ was risen and therefore believed Plus oculo quà m oraculo credidit but Credendo videre that 's Iob's faith he believed it as fully as if he had seen it clearly This is the benefit of faith's prospective it brings the remotest things home to the eye It is Quoddam aeternitatis exemplar praeterita praesenti futura vastissimo quodam sinu comprehendit it sees at all distances and fathoms eternity 3. There was a third Impediment to Iob's faith that was Magna contrariâ—…tas Distance hinders sight but darkness and indisposition of the air much more Yet Iob in the thickest mist of contrariety and contradiction sees clearly believes assuredly God aflâ—…icts him sets him as his enemy yet Scio quod Redemptor he is still my Redeemer though he slays me nay while he slays me I will put my trust in him Temptations from Satan disheartnings from friends afflictions from God Iob looks through them all sees comforts beyond them To know God a Redeemer while he is a punisher a quickner and a raiser while he is a killer an acquitter and absolver when he writes bitter things against him O Iob great is thy faith Sure he was not to learn this now in his adversity he hath studied this point long acquainted himself with it now in affliction and death how it refreshes him Weak Faith may serve in fair weather when all goes well with thee but when terrours from God temptations from Satan and discomforts from men beset thee nothing but this Scio will support thee Weak Faith cannot breed strong consolation That 's the second Scio a clear apprehension The next follows and that is III. In Meus his close application Scio that was the eye of Faith it beheld him clearly but Meus My Redeemer that 's the hand of Faith and holds him firmly It is the property of Saving Faith it hath vim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath
for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us Rom. viii 26. God bids Solomon ask what he would but withall inspires him with such a prayer as should find acceptance 3. A third thing observable is the Reality and Efficacie of this proffer What shall I do for thee There is Substance and Reality in that word Alas What can Elijah do For temporal blessings he was to seek himself for spiritual they are the immediate dispensations of God himself True and yet he calls it a Doing and Giving Faith reckons upon Prayers and Intercessions it makes according to the will of God as if they were real and full Donations is as sure to obtain them as if it were already put into the possession of them See this in Isaac's benediction and blessing of Iacob Gen. xxvii 37. Behold I have made him thy lord and all his brethren have I given to him for servants and with corn and wine have I sustained him How did he this vers 28. He said God give it thee God give thee of the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine A faithful Prayer it is as good as an actual Donation Thus S. Paul 2 Cor. vi 10. As poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing and bestowing all things Oratio 't is promâ—… 〈◊〉 It is set over all Gods Store-houses They under God are the true Benefactours that are to God most religious suiters and petitioners Here is a way by which the poorest may be beneficial give make rich Prize these Prayers especially the Prayers of those whom God hath appointed to bless in his name 4. A fourth thing observable is the Wisdom and Order of this proffer He will have him ask it before he gives it Though Gods grace be never so free yet he requires that we should crave it of him There is one blessing that God gives unask'd and that is the grace of Asking After-graces are given when we pray onely he prevents us with the grace of Prayer God is found of them that sought not for him Isai. lxv 1. to wit by giving them the grace to seek for him We must not look for his Spirit to enter into us sleeping or without thinking of it Ask and it shall be given you Seek and you shall find Knock and it shall be opened unto you Matth. vii 7. Your heavenly Father will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke xi 13. The Well of Grace is deep but Oratio 't is situla gratiae the Bucket without which there is no drawing up any water of Grace Happy we who may have Grace for asking Wretched we who will not ask when we may have it We have done with the Substance of Elijah's proffer Come we now II. To the Circumstance of time Before I be taken from thee Before I be taken from thee beg what thou wilt 1. Observe Elijah being to leave the world his thoughts are for after-succession that he may leave a Prophet in the Church of God he will not leave the Church unfurnished the people of God unprovided for Oh! The Saints of God are solicitous not onely for the present age wherein they live but forecast for succession that the worship of God may survive them and that after-posterities may be converted Moses how doth he pray for a Leader after him Numb xxvii 16 17. Let the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh set a man over the Congregation which may go out before them and may go in before them and which may lead them out and which may bring them in that the Congregation of the Lord be not as Sheep which have no Shepheard How doth S. Paul charge the Churches for things after his death Acts xx S. Peter being to dye fore-warns the Elders 2 Pet. i. How wicked are they who so they may see peace and prosperity in their dayes little care what may befall the Church in succeeding generations Good David though he was forbid to build the Temple yet how did he store up for Solomons Temple 1 Chron. xxii Oh! we enjoy the worship and service of God and now stand by the care of others let us not be wanting in our cares and prayers that a perpetual service may be offered by those who shall live after us til the coming of Iesus Christ to Judgment 2. Observe he provides for the enabling of Elisha He did not onely anoint him but now furnishes him being himself to dye and to leave the world Flesh and Bloud would have thought Let him be imperfect and deficient they will wish me again his defects will be a foil for my excellencies An unworthy Successour commends his Predecessour Oh no He desires to empty out all his Graces into Elisha and rejoyced to see an Elisha so able to succeed him The Nobles prayed 1 King i. 37. The Lord make the Throne of Solomon greater then the Throne of King David yet there was no jealousie in David Glad they are that the Graces in their Successours may obscure them that they may not be missed 3. Observe Elijah is now most forward and ready to do good when he is to depart and to leave this world Saints though they are alwayes desirous to do good yet at their death oh then they are more abundant in all holy desires of doing good Full of blessing they are alwayes but at their leaving the world then they deal their benedictions more plentifully about them So did Moses in his Song so dealt Isaac and Iacob and so did Elisha deal with the King of Israel Christ with his Disciples on mount Olivet S. Peter when he was to lay down his Tabernacle Oh then all Graces are most pregnant their Faith their Repentance their Hope their Prayers their Blessings Counsels Reproofs they will take their fill of them The box of Oyntment when it is broken fills the house with the smell They love to be sacrificed upon the service of the Church S. Paul leaving the Ephesians preached till midnight imparts all to them 4. Observe he saith Ask of me before I be taken from thee Had Elijah been of the Faith of Rome there had been no need of this limitation nay rather Ask of me and invocate and pray to me after I am in heaven there I shall sue for thee call then upon me No such matter If we will make use of Elijah do it now We may use reverend compellations now not tender religious supplications thither Heb. xii 23. Ye are come to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant they are not Mediatours Ioseph desired the Butler to remember him but he forgat him It was the pious meditation of S. Augustine upon those words of the Psalmist Psal. oxxiii 2. Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistriss so our eyes
yet thou mayst have a proneness and inclination to them The seeds of those evils are in our nature Inbred Concupisence is as the materia prima to all sorts of sins susceptive of any unlawful Impression The Spirit that is in thee may be willing but the flesh is weak nay willful too 2. It must make us watch over Satans temptations Take heed of them Art thou not given to these sins of Voluptuousness and Covetousness yet if thou look not to thy self Satan may surprise thee by some temptation Consider thy self saith St. Paul lest thou be tempted Let our hearts seem never so empty of these sins Satan can fill our hearts with these lusts as he did to Ananias and Sapphira Why hath Satan filled your hearts with covetousness Acts v. 3. Though thy heart be not habitaculum for Satans temptations yet it may prove hospitium 3. We must watch over all occasions Take heed of them shun not onely these sins but the occasions that may bring thee unto them As Solomon speaks of unlawful haunts Avoid it pass not by it turn from it come not near it He that fears a distemper will forbear all meats that may dispose him to it A wise man will not onely shun poyson but all unwholsome meats Even lawful liberty lawful company lawful employments must be warily used So much of the Caveat Come we Secondly to the Distemper to be avoided And in it 1. The Causes that breed it And then 2. The Disease it self Gravedo cordis The Causes that breed this surcharge are three 1. Surfetting 2. Drunkenness 3. The Cares of this life And then the Enquiry must be 1. Why doth Christ so forewarn them against these sins 2. Why especially with reference to the day of Judgment The Scripture tells us there are other great sins that will raign and prevail in the world about that time Infidelity which is Atheism against the Gospel that will then prevail When the Son of Man comes shall he find Faith on the earth Luke xviii 9. Want of Charity that will then abound in the world The Charity of many shall then wax cold Matth. xxiv Apostasie giving over Religion Antichristianism and Idolatry and corruption in Religion that shall prevail in the world at Christs coming 2 Thes. ii 'T is true these and many outragious sins shall prevail then Iniquity shall then abound Matth. xxiv but yet we see Christ forewarns them especially of these evils in the Text. I. Why so 1. These sins of Voluptuousness and Worldly-mindedness they are more natural to us Heresie and Idolatry and Bloud and Oppression men are not so prone to these but to be overtaken with excess in pleasures and profits our nature is exceeding subject to these evils 2. As they are more natural so these sins are most general and universal Outragious villanies many will abstain from them but all the world almost is taken either with Voluptuousness or Covetousness He is counted a strange Monster among men that is not addicted and given to pleasures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Peter 1 Pet. iv 4. They think it strange a man runs not with them into excess and riot Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they counted him a devil Otherwise he would have done as other men did and plaid the good-fellow Survey the whole world and all almost are taken with one of these two Young men they are for Pleasures old men they are for Profits They will haunt the same man in a succession as when a Quartane leaves him he falls into a Dropsie Hydropiâ—…am habent conscientiam so when Pleasure forsakes him Covetousness layes hold upon him 3. These are such sins as Professors of Religion will venture upon They will be no Hereticks no Idolaters nor yet unnatural monsters but security and tasting too much of pleasures and profits men that would be counted for good Christians will be overtaken with them Thus in the old world the Sons of God the true Worshippers fell by Voluptuousness S. Paul tells us of loose-living Christians Whose God is their belly and that mind earthly things 4. These sins Christ forewarns them of as being unworthy and unsutable with the Faith and Hope and Religion of Christians The prevailing of these sins wrung tears from S. Paul I tell you weeping they are enemies to the Cross of Christ. Enemies to his Cross. Christ's Religion it is a Religion of Sobriety and Moderation When the world offers us these delights and profits we should answer as Christ did when they offerd him meat I have other meat which you know not of So should a Christian say We have other pleasures and treasures which the world knows not of which our Religion affords us Ey but Christs Cross that 's of the greatest force to mortifie these sins Christians profess they serve a crucified God Sub spinato capite membra delicata That Cross should crucifie us to the world Gal. vi and make us dye to it Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God What a great indignity is that to our Religion And for worldly-mindedness our Saviour tells us plainly 't is inconsistent with piety Matth. vi 24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon O yes We can mind the world and Gods service too Such quick and large-parted men there are that can deal in divers businesses Well Christ tells us We cannot serve two Masters 1. It will breed a distraction God requires this service of thee the world will forbid it God saith Relieve the poor No Spare thy purse saith the world God saith Set daily some time apart to pray to thy God and to mind thy soul No the world saith Thou canst not spare so much time thou hast other business It will breed distraction 2. Christ adds Thou must love the one and hate the other that is more then a distraction it implyes a contrariety We cannot serve two at all much less two that are in contrariety and enmity So is God and the world The love of the world is enmity to God Iam. iv 4. Denias hath forsaken me and loved this present world 2 Tim. iv If you love the world you must hate God Will a man abide such a servant that shall live in his house and yet hold a close correspondency with his utter enemy mind his affairs and leave his Master 's undone O but we may bear good-will to both No therefore saith Christ 3. You must cleave to the one and despise the other If you serve the world you must cleave to it addict your selves wholly to it neglect despise God Serving loving cleaving to the world all these will not suffer us to apply our selves to God and the world too II. Christ principally forewarns them of these sins with a special reference and eye to the day of Judgment and that for three causes 1. These sins of voluptuousness and worldliness they are Peccata praecurrentia The prevailing of these sins are a certain prognostick of that day these sins
his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live So Psal. civ I will sing praise to my God while I have my being my meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. A SERMON ON PSAL. xix 12 13. Who can understand his errours c. THIS Psalm is a pious and devout Meditation of the Prophet David Now Naturalists observe that there be two acts of the soul of hardest performance 1. The act of Reflexion to make the soul look inwards and to recoyl upon it self Motus reflexus it is duplex motus a double motion 2. The act of Meditation to make the soul ascend and look upwards to keep it still upon the wing And therefore the Psalmist to maintain and strengthen his meditation uses an inspection into a threefold Book 1. Is Inspectio libri Creaturae into the book of the creatures Vers. 1. The heavens declare the glory of God c. He looks upon that great Volume of Heaven and Earth and there reads in Capital Letters the Prints and Characters of Gods glory Aliter pictura aliter scriptura placet he gazes not as children upon gaudes in books but reades and meditates and deeply considers them 2. His Meditation ascends higher by a second Inspection and that is Inspectio libri Scripturae verse 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul c. And this Book is more precious then the former The other the Book of the Creature is but as the Inventory of the Goods this of the Scripture is the Evidence and Conveyance and Assurance of all to us In it he sees the riches of Gods wisdom and his precious promises As S. Ambrose observes of Abraham's journals he came out of the land of Chaldea into the land of Promise God bids him look up to the stars and the Chaldeans were great beholders of the stars and firmament but yet Abraham asks In quo cognoscam How shall I know that I shall inherit it He could not gather that by beholding the Creatures the Word of Promise and the Book of the Scripture must give Assurance of that 3. He proceeds further and feeds his Meditation by a third Inspection and that is Inspectio in librum Conscientiae he unclasps that which is the compendium and sum and transcript of the other Book the Book of the Scripture and there dwells upon a serious and sad Meditation Who can understand his errours 1. He looks up to Heaven and wonders as it Who can comprehend the number of the stars Quis intelligit potentiam Who can understand his power 2. He looks into the Scriptures and finds this a more large Book The former is but a shrivelled Scrole to this sacred Volume as Christ compares it Who can understand those sacred Truths and profound Mysteries Who can conceive the Perfection of the Law 3. He looks into his own heart makes a search into his Conscience brings that Book out of the Rubbish as they did the Book of the Law in Iosiah's time who can count and number up the blemishes of his soul who can understand the errours of his life 1. The first Book Convincit it hath a power of Conviction Meditate on it and observe Gods Power or thou art an Atheist 2. The second Book Convertit it hath a power of Conversion Meditate upon it and learn his will and worship out of it or thou art an Infidel 3. The third Book Accusat it hath the power of Accusation Look and meditate upon it and there discover and bewail thy sins or thou art an Hypocrite The Text then contains David's Meditation upon that third Inspection into the Book of his Conscience Wherein we may observe four Particulars 1. An holy Perplexity in the soul of David which makes him cry out Who can understand his errours 2. An holy Redress he seeks in this perplexity O cleanse me from my secret faults 3. An holy Prevention for the time to come Keep thy servant from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me 4. An holy both Resolution and Consolation Then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great Transgression 1. In the first Part we see the nature of Sin it casts a man into Perplexity it breeds gripings and anguishes in the soul and conscience 2. In the second we see the nature of Mercy that pardons and purges and pacifies the conscience that rebukes the storms and brings in a sudden calm into our souls again 3. In the third we see the nature of Grace that prevents keeps us from presumptuous relapses that preserves us so that no wickedness shall have dominion over us 4. In the fourth Part we see the nature of Integrity that gives comfort and consolation that strengthens it self in all good purposes and resolutions And these Particulars represent unto us the whole life of a Christian they set in order the motions of the soul in the beginnings and progress of his conversion 1. What is the first Motion and quickning of life in a Christian Examen Conscientiae a searching out of his sins not a confident stepping into Heaven in a present assurance but a sorrowful penitential perplexity 2. The second Motion in the heart of a Christian is Supplication and Suit for pardon and peace Cleanse me purge me 3. The third Motion is imploring of help Prayer for grace and assistance against Relapses establish me with thy spirit Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins 4. The fourth Motion is Studium integritatis and Gaudium in studio resolutions and endeavours for integrity and all possible innocency and the keeping of a good conscience towards God and man Now put these together and then we may discover three Combinations 1. A Combination of two sorts of Sins not all of the same size and magnitude here are Errores and Contumaciae sins of Infirmity and sins of Presumption sins of a weaker tincture and sins of a double die Lapsus in via and Excursiones extra viam Slips and lapses in the way and voluntary departings and forsakings of the way 2. A Combination of two sorts of Graces here is Gratia purgans and Gratia custodiens 1. Pardoning and purging grace 2. Preserving and protecting grace That is the grace of subvention when we have sinned this the grace of prevention that we may not sin 3. A Combination of two states and conditions of a Christian 1. Purgandus à secretis for sins of Infirmity who can avoid them 2. Custodiendus à contumacibus for sins of Presumption we must not come near them We cannot be free A Culpa from sins of daily Incursion but we may and must be free A Crimine from sins that waste the Conscience and havock Piety The first thing considerable is David's holy Perplexity Who can understand his errours And of it take a double Consideration 1. Quae occasio What 's the occasion of this Perplexity 2. Quae conditio What 's the nature of it
and yield to death But Paul is not here barely content to die but longs for that blessed hour judges it best of all to be dissolved and to be with Christ Verse 23. O when shall I appear before the presence of God 2 Cor. v. In this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heaven S. Aug. tells us of Christians of the weaker and more imperfect sort Such saith he desire and long to live but yet are content to die it God see it fit But other more grown and spiritual Christians and such an one was blessed Paul though they be content to live yet they wish and desire and long to die The former have mortem in patientia vitam in desiderio they die patiently but would live willingly the other as S. Paul here they have vitam in patientia mortem in desiderio this life it is the matter of their patience but a blessed death is the matter of their desire That 's the second 3. See here in Saint Paul an higher degree and growth of Piety 1. Having gained this great Confidence and assurance of Heaven And 2. His soul panting and longing for the enjoyment of it yet that he may do God more service and promote the spiritual estate and welfare of his Church he can be content to delay those enjoyments to forbear his salvation to keep out of Heaven to be serviceable to the Church Desiderat requiem sed non recusat laborem He could wish he were at rest but yet for all that he is willing to labour still and to travel in his Ministery And what that was ye may easily guess In those times to be a faithful Preacher of the Gospel was to be no less then a Martyr Well S. Paul hath counted the cost forecast the worst Pains Poverty Persecutions he can endure them all for the love of Christ and for the good of his Church He chooses to suffer all sorts of miseries and afflictions so he may be serviceable to Christ useful to his Church rather then to leave that holy Work undone and to enter into Heaven Saint Augustine makes it a tryal of our love to God if when God should put the offer to our choice Live as ye list satisfie every lust deny your self nothing I will never punish you for it Sed non videbis faciem meaâ—… onely you shall not see my face if we refuse that offer of outward enjoyments that we may be partakers of that blessed Vision 't is a good argument of our love to God Here is a greater tryal of S. Pauls love to Christ Wilt thou presently enjoy me in Heaven or still serve me on Earth Wilt thou for my sake keep out of Heaven Nay more then so undergo Pains suffer Persecutions for my Churches good Yes S. Paul accepts of this employment on Earth and will forbear his preferment in Heaven O Paul great is thy love to Christ and to his Church Thus S. Chrysostom and S. Bernard express this choice of S. Paul As if a poor Woman should stand at the door of some great Palace wherein are all kinds of Pleasures and Delights and being without cold and hungry should be offered her self to come in but to leave her Children without in the cold there to lie in want and misery though she would fain be within yet she refuses that offer chooses to stay still in the cold to tend her Children then to part with them and enter in So Paul here had rather stay out of Heaven then forsake those Babes in Christ whom he had begot to the Gospel Not onely as Moses he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin but rather then to enjoy the happiness of Heaven Nay see the fervency of his love to the people of God Rom. ix 3. He could wish himself Anathema separated and accursed from Christ for ever for his brethrens sake that he might gain them to God not onely forbear Heaven for a season but forgo it for ever that others may gain it 4. This he desires and this he hopes for still to be continued to them for the furtherance of their faith And yet that being liable to uncertainty Saint Paul not knowing how long God would hold him to this work imploy him in this service uncertainty of life that 's one hazard he was in deaths often and then many vexations and distractions intervening in his Apostolical Function the care of all the Churches lying upon him See here a fourth pitch of Piety his great care and solicitude he hath of their well-doing and growing in grace however God disposes of him by life or death yet his desires are that they should do well This would be his main comfort and crown of rejoycing to see being present to hear being absent that they grow in grace and that his labours amongst them might not prove in vain Onely let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel The Words then which I have read unto you are S. Paul's Apostolical and fatherly Charge and Caveat to the Philippians In it observe these three particulars 1. Is the weight and greatness of this Charge the Caveat he gives to them is very ponderous that 's implied in this emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely 2. Is the extent and largeness of that Charge it hath no stint or limitation it reaches to all seasons and occasions 1. His presence and abode with them 2. His absence or being from them Whether I come and see you or else be absent 3. Is the Charge it self and that 's manifold It consists of a threefold Injunction which he lays upon them 1. Is Sancta conversatio an holy and Christian-like conversation Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ. 2. Is Sancta concordia unanimity and concord and the spirit of peace That in all their affairs they should stand in one spirit and in one mind 3. Is Sancta constantia an holy resolution and constancy and courage for the truth striving together for the faith of the Gospel 1. In themselves Holiness 2. Amongst themselves Peace 3. Against the enemies of the Gospel Courage and Resolution First Here is considerable the weight and greatness of this charge which he gives them Onely As if he should say 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he elsewhere speaks 't is the main and chief charge I lay upon you the upshot and summ of all my Exhortations let this saying sink deep into your hearts mind this and remember it above all things that your conversation be Christian-like suitable to the Gospel live in peace and concord contend earnestly for the faith which is committed to you And then the strength and Emphasis of this word
build an Ark edifie the Church but themselves perish Charity with Noah builds for himself and his whole family saves himself and the Church of Christ. Prophecie without Charity it is like light in the Stars Lucem in se Galorem in aliis it 's light onely in it self begets heat in others Prophecie with Charity is like light in the fire Lucet Ardet lightens and enflames both himself and others Prophecie without Charity nourishes others feeds not himself Non gustat as that Samaritan Governour provides for the people but himself starves or Tantùm gustat hath some smack or relish of saving truth but feeds not upon it Like Nurses that taste onely of that their children live upon Charity eats and digests and grows by it Prophecie without Charity doth Sua Deo Se Diabolo as Saint Gregory speaks bestows his fruits and pains upon God himself upon the Devil Plus dat qui fructum arborem dat quà m qui solum fructum saith Aquinas out of Anselm Charity consecrates both tree and fruit himself and his labours to God and his Church That 's a third Inforcement Ut sibi habeat Charity is a fundamental spiritual Grace then Prophecie then other gifts are like colours well laid Charity is a ground-colour Prophecie upon it is a lasting-tincture then Tongues and Languages like varnish upon these are for show and ornament That 's the first Object propounded and commanded Charity Pass we on to the Second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritual gifts And from hence observe that the right aim and chiefest desire of a faithfull and worthy Minister 't is for spiritual blessings And this we may consider 1. In the Kind 2. In the Parts of them I. The Kind and Condition of them will appear in a double Opposition 1. Is Spiritualia not Naturalia He contents not himself with natural endowments strength of wit largeness of memory quickness of apprehension nay denies them being severed from Grace as fruitless and unprofitable Stultus fito ut fias sapiens is the Apostle's word Thou in thy Calling to be a Minister must be in S. Pauls case struck blind before enlightened Lucem occoecantem habuit before illuminantem As the light of the Sun will put out a Candle and circumfusam before inâ—…usam saith Saint Bernard to make him know how he came by it before he received it Natural knowledge in S. Iames his account 't is earthly sensual devillish earthly in the original sensual in the use devillish in the end and issue of it The mysteries of our Calling are above the reach of created nature Animae creationem intelligunt Daemones the Devil is a better Naturalist then the greatest Philosopher Animae conversionem ignorant Angeli the Angels adore these mysteries of Conversion The strongest natural parts they are no better then Crab-stocks in this Garden of the Church if they have not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Iames terms it the word engraffed upon them they continue fruitless As S. Augustine discoursing of Moses and Paul the great spirit and courage they shewed before their calling Moses his valour in slaying the Egyptian Pauls zeal for the Jewish Synagogue he compares them to rich grounds untilled overgrown with weeds Non virtutum fructibus inutiles erant quamvis vitiosa magnae fertilitatis ferebant indicia they might prove good if well husbanded but as they are quò meliores eo deteriores the greater are our parts the greater are our sins And yet how ready are we to judge and account all to be natural Which makes S. Paul challenge these Corinthians What hast thou that thou hast not received 'T is purposely meant of Ministerial endowments And S. Iames foresees how soon we mistake and therefore saith he Err not my dear brethren they are all from above no parts of nature but gifts of grace That 's the first Opposition Spiritualia not Naturalia 2. Spiritualia not Temporalia and that in a double Consideration 1. Not Temporale Spirituali contrarium 2. Not Temporale Spirituali annexum 1. Not Spirituali contrarium Not that it is incompatible and cross to our spiritual Calling No but the aim of a Christian especially of a Minister 't is spiritual and heavenly Christ taught us this Lesson in his first Call He chose the poorest those who were loosest from the world to be his Embassadours Temporal Kings Per divites ad pauperes they publish their Laws by rich men to the poor Christ Per pauperes ad divites he sends the poor to preach to the rich Temporal blessings be they at the best are unworthy to be nam'd as the aim of a Minister Aestimant Sorâ—…em pretio vilissimo bono temporali we abase our Calling to prize it no higher Coelum Throâ—…s Dei terrena bona Scabelli Prayest thou for spiritual graces he reacheth thee them from his Throne in heaven Art thou craving temporals he spurns to thee those from his Footstool on earth Spiritual blessings they come near to the nature of God earthly are heterogeneous and of a lower condition By graces we are made partakers of the divine nature saith the Apostle Saint Peter To neglect these for temporal good things 't is to loath Mannah and long for Onyons and Garlick of Egypt Allium Coepe prae Coelo spirant saith Tertullian That 's the first Consideration not Temporale contrarium 2. Not Spirituali annexum Even those temporals that are due every way due for such there be think Church-robbers what they list and by God himself annext to our Calling they are not the chief aim and choice of the Minister Non vestra sed vos is the Apostle's profession We seek not yours but you no not Nostra though originally due with Solomon craving Wisdom in the first place riches and honours God will cast upon him with Elisha desiring of God the doubling of Elijah's spirit upon him the Mantle for warmth and ornament he takes up afterwards As Christ not onely preferring his spiritual food Verbum Dei before Satans bread that 's Spirituali oppositum but Voluntatem Patris the doing of his Fathers will before his Disciples bread which they bring to him that 's Spirituali annexum And indeed 't is fit they should be void of these earthly inferiour distractions that are to mind heavenly These fowls of heaven should be provided for without their sowing and reaping these Lillies of Paradise should not toil nor spin and yet grow and flourish As S. Augustine alluding to Gods ourse upon Cain for killing of his brother Let the earth be barren unto thee when thou tillest it Quid congruentius saith he quà m ut illum cujus scelere frater occisus est in terra laborantem sterilitas sequeretur illis quorum ministerio salvantur de crastino minime cogitantibus fructuosa terra serviret Cain who kill'd his brother even when he labours is curst with barrenness Ministers who save their brethren even though they labour not