upon plentifull and flourishing Carmel they must be like the offerings that Jacob bid his sonnes carry down into Aegypt Gen. 43.11 they must be the best fruits the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being drawn from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sing with singular art and delight signifies such guifts as might seem fit to be praised by the most eloquent mouth and the most artificiall song Such must be the offering from our labour and then as the husbandman amongst the Israelites did for six yeares together Till the earth but the sev̄eth yeare rested eating that which grew of its own accord so whiles we are in this life we must be diligently imployed in our spirituall husbandry and when the seventh yeare the Sabbath yeare of Eternity shall come then shall we cease from our hard labour and be fed with such food as God will provide for us without our Labour O then let us labour so in our life of grace that here-after we may be at rest for ever in the life of Glory Which grant unto us O most mercifull Father thou that art the Great and True Husbandman for thy Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Spirit three Persons and one God bee ascrib'd the Glory of Love and Providence in the conversion of thy Elect now and for evermore FINIS OF The Misery of Vncleanesse A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit THe works of God being the similitude of his Nature were in their Creation like his nature truly good and so truly good that it was impossible for thē in their creatiō to be bad Thus as God is pure so likewise for his proportion Man was pure and then was man the work only of God but having since fallen from that puritie though he be still the workmanship of God yet we may say he is also his owne work since he is become unhappily what God made him not unclean In which estate though he still retains such workmanship as expresses the power of God yet does it fail to expresse God's Holinesse But God whose love is more constant than man's vanitie is changeable willing to restore man unto a puritie graciously remembers man that man may remember himself as here by his Apostle he remembers the Corinthians It was the voice of God Be ye holy for I am holy For the execution of which command the Apostle heer teaches the Corinthians an easy yet a happy way to perfect righteousnesse by cleansing themselves from Filthinesse Which that they may doe seriously he shews them how they may doe it skilfully and that you likewise may be prompted to the Imitation you may be prompted to the knowledge First then you may see what is to bee remov'd Filthinesse All filthinesse the kinds wherof are according to the parts of man the filthinesse of the Flesh and of the Spirit not but that every sinne defiles the whole man but that the unclenesse of some sinnes more appeares in one part than in the other Some more notoriously defile the Flesh the Body as Intemperance and Incontinence the one being a preparative to the other the blind miserably leading the blind into the pit And these were the sinnes of the old Heathen amongst whom for their lesse knowledge though they were more excusable yet we may doubt they were scarce more frequent Some sinnes again more notoriously defile the Soul the Spirit either in a false worship of the false image of God and such is Idolatry or in a malicious worshippe of the Enemie of God and such is witchcraft and the like impudencies of Satan the one pretending an imitation of God the other hating an Imitation of him These likewise were the frequent though the great defilements of the Heathen and are they not a worse filthinesse whiles as frequent amongst the Christians And though some of these crimes seem very different yet Satan's art often linkes them into a chain though single they are large enough and powerfull enough to detain man captive the strength of whose reason being maisterd by the strength and subtilty of the wine leaves him to the sigh of the wise and the scoffe of the bad And since the filthinesse of vice ugly and usefull may by the wisdome of comparison move us to vertue we may cast an eie on such a concret sinner a drunkard in his drunkennesse which he does best if we might so speak expresse when he does worst expresse it that is most truly when most shamfully And indeed he does it usually with such broad folly that of all kind of sinners he especially saves his enemies the ready and easy labour to call him fool and it were some degree of happinesse if shame though without grace could keep him from this sinne But this sinne that makes him sottish makes him impudent and by the bold art of hell heartens him to deride all that deride him wherin he fares as does a madman to whom when the physitian offers the cure of his madnesse he is ready to object madnesse to the physitian But as the right physitian is as wise as skilfull to be more busied about the cause and degrees then about these effects of his patient's maladie that so he may apply necessarie physique so does the true physitian of the Soul not regard the perversnesse of the drunkard that resists cure but the necessitie of the cure and in despite of despite goes on in his mercifull duty crying-out with the royall Prophet Isaiah 5.11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink that continue untill night till the wine in-flame them till the wine pursue them but regard not the word of the Lord v. 12. Shall wee wish that They would heare this that will not intend to hear God they that prophane his Sabbaths but first themselves preferring the ridiculous lispings of their overmoistned associates before the articulate wisdome of God's word well may the Prophet crie woe unto them but they themselves shall hereafter crie woe unto themselves yet here also there is a woe to their estats povertie shall be their lot and which is the misery of their misery not by oppression but by folly a labouring man that is given to drunkennesse shall not be rich the wise man could say Eccles 19.1 If the labouring drunkard shall bee poor surely the lazie drunkard shall be a begger A woe there is here to their body also which they thinke they love a woe to their mind which they may know they abuse Who has woe sayes Salomon Prov. 23.29 Who has sorrow who has contentions who has babbling who has wounds without cause who has rednesse of eies They that tarry long at the wine they that goe to seek mixt-wine which at the last as Solomon sayes bites like a Serpent v. 32. Now the Serpent as Jacob
Ioseph's brethren Can any consider how our blessed Saviour was used that is abused how revil'd struck on the face spit upon derided crucifyed by sinners though for sinners and be angry with his brother happily a lesse sinner happily a lesse sinner if more happily but because a lesse angry sinner Will any man then as Tertullian speaks come unto Prayer a Peace with God without peace will he hope for a remission of his sinnes yet without a remission of others sinnes how shall he pacifie God his Father if he be not pacified towards man his brother Will any man then dare to hate his brother when as God connot love two enemies for if God loves the one he loves him perfectly and therefore he must perfectly hate the other as his enemy Will any man then be so angry with himself as to be angry with his brother will any man so hate himselfe as not to love his brother when as love covers both our brother's sinnes and our own shall we loose Our brother and our selves nay and our Saviour too for a reviling word Oh let us rather pray with good S. Ierome Lord deliver me from deceitfull lips and a lying tongue Not from anothers tongue saies he but from mine own Another's tongue hurts me not 't is mine own is my enemy that is the sword that kills my soule I think to hurt mine enemy and never take notice that I kill my selfe Wherefore O Holy Spirit of Love unite us as much by Love as thou hast done by Faith and touch our tongues with a Coale from thy Altar that they never be imploy'd by us to the reviling of one another but to the praising of thy holy name O Father Sonne and Holy Spirit to whom be ascribed all Praise for ever more FINIS OF The Serpent and the Dove A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. Mat. 10.16 Be yee therefore wise as Serpents and harmelesse as Doves THE Beames of Light flow not so naturally from the Sunne as the Exhortations to Wisedome flow from the God of Wisedome And such is here this exhortation of our Saviour to his Disciples Yet unto such a wisedome here he prompts them as seemes to respect as much their safety as their Duty and Wisedome that consists not in Contemplation but in Action and though it lookes upon God yet also upon man Which diversity of Wisedome was anciently observed by Heathens and Christians That was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisedome This their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prudence Thus could Plato and Cicero teach thus could the Alexandrian Clement and S. Ierome Learne Which last our prudence towards men is that which here our Saviour intends it being in the Originall not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ye prudent or with lesse ambiguity and more safety as it is rendred Be yee wise And that this is intended is manifest from our Saviours purpose who sending his Disciples to worke Miracles and Teach teaches them first how they should behave themselves clearely implying that more than man's wisedom is needfull for Man in his conversation with man and that we need more than a Gardian Angel even God's assistance by his Grace He tels them that he sends them as Sheep among Wolves a thin Clergy to a numerous Layty that sometimes teares the fleece and devoures the flesh He bids them beware of men these are the Wolves these are the worst Wolves because Wolves and Men they have the wit of the man and the Cruelty of the Wolfe He foretels them they shall be delivered up to the Councells now where there is the greatest Judg there is the greatest cause where the greatest cause the greatest Danger Nor only shall they be brought where many are to Judge and so where the variety may afford some hope of Mercy but also occasionally before Governours Kings and so where if the single judge be cruel of Proud he is sometimes a sentence without Appeal And that they may be prepar'd for such sufferings in Pody and Mind he does foretell them of being scourged in the Synagogues he does foretell them of stripes and shame and therefore exhorts them to such wisedome as may be requisite in such Distresse And surely such wisedome must be excellent which must imploy the memory to advantage us by what we have learn'd and make our Experience our Own Schoole which must imploy the Understanding to apprehend the present particulars in every action making it the Eie and the Glasse for an exact view which must imploy our Providence in the Foresight and use of what things may happen If you will behold the traine of this wisedome you shall find it attended with Docility being apt to learne by the Eie and Eare. You shall find it attended with subtility whereby it will guesse with speed happinesse You shall find it attended with Judgment which will so argue out a third truth You shall see it attended with Warinesse which will prevent such Hindrances as would prevent our End Lastly you shall see it attended with circūspection which wil accurately consider every circūstance See that ye walk circūspectly not as fools but as wise Eph. 5.15 If you will behold the Actions of it you shall see it admirable for Counsaile both in the Choise of worhy purposes in moving the understanding to find meanes for the attaining of them You shall see it admirable for Judgement in the distinction choise of means oportunity You shall find it admirable for cōmand whereby the Reason sets on worke the will for the speedy execution of the designe These are the excellencies of wisedome the price whereof is more than of Gold and fine Rubies Prov. 3.14 15. yet the one is admirably solid the other admirably transparent The subtilty whereof is such that it is able to discerne the Diversity of Spirits 1 Cor. 12.10 and so does not only exceed the abilities of the Body but also the naturall abilities of the soule The swetnesse whereof is such that 't is as sweet as life nay as Peace the Life of Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the minding of the Spirit or the wisedome of the Spirit is Life and peace Rom. 8 6. Forsake not wisedome and shee shall preserve thee Prov. 4.6 see a preservation rewarded with a Preservation see a labour that is its own reward This is that vertue without which all vertue is vice as S. Bernard says this being the guide of all other Vertues Affections Manners This is that vertue without which as S. Basil says a man is like a Ship without a Master driven uncertainly with every wind unlesse we shall say he is rather the wind than the Shippe Passion that is Man being so impetuous without wisedome This is that vertue with which they that are indued think nothing Evill as Prosper says but that which makes man evill so that they can smile at the Mistake that miscalls
are not afraid to approach to the throne of the judge of heavē earth with powerfull tears which overcome him that is almighty which power vouchsafe O Lord most powerfull to shew in the weaknesse of our tears that by thy mercy their weaknesse may thus overcome thy power Change our heads into waters that they may be clean change our eies into a fountain a fountain of tears so pure that thou mayst see thine own image in them that so thou mayst delight in them that we may for ever delight in thee delight with thee To whom O Father of mercies with thy dear Sonne our Saviour and thy Holy Spirit our Comforter in all our sorrows be ascrib'd all thanks for thy Power and Mercy for evermore FINIS OF The Christian's Strife A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. 1 Corinth 9. 25. Every man that strives for the Mastery is temperate in all things Now they doe it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible MAN since his fall is much like the Devill before his fall he has a great desire unto mastery in which desire he does but confesse his fall by which he has chang'd that mastery it selfe which he had only into a desire of the mastery which he had He had by creation a mastery over all the creaturs of this inferiour world but by his fall he fell not only from the mastery of them but also of himself and is now become aslave to his own desires to the distraction of his desires his way and his eie never being together His way is still downward still farther from that perfection from which he fell but his eie is still upwards towards that perfection from which he fell But as his nature is corrupt so is his desire a desire of mastery not because it is a perfection but because it is a Glory and therfore he does more truly desire the crown then the strife Yet this desire in man though but like a vertue yet because like a vertue finds opposition in man and is kept down by greater vice And therfore though divers have an appetite to the mastery in divers things yet if their feare or sloth be greater then their desire their desire yeilds to their fear or sloth But this naturall desire when most able being not able to aime at the true mastery diverting to meaner objects corrupts it self into inferiour and triviall appetites and insteed of seeking for mastery in the true perfections of the mind it either descends to strive for the mastery in the vanities of the mind or for the vain mastery in the abilities of the body Which trifling desires brake forth into the actions of those naturall men the Ancient Heathen especially the Greeks and not only in their businesse but also in their games Wherby they did prove indeed that labour is a part of man's curse which they increas'd whiles to their labour they added vanity For wheras it is one releefe against the punishment of labour that man may propose to himself an end which shall abundantly recompence his labour they were as Vain in the choise of their End as they were unhappy in their labour Which vanity our Apostle perceiving in them takes occasion to teach Christian wisdome from their Heathenish folly by rectifying both their labour and their purpose and that we might the better understand his instruction he drawes it from the nature of their practises Amongst the Corinthians were celebrated the Isthmian Games in which after a great deale of preparation they took a great deale of toile and all for a crown as corruptible as their bodyes he teaches them therefore by a wise emulation how to Imitate that Labour and Correct it He does not forbid them still to continue their preparation he does not forbid thē still to continue their strife but he changes the kind of them whiles he changes the reward of them and proposes a crown which they might obtaine as much exceeding the crown which they proposed to obtaine as Heaven and eternitie exceed earth and time That therfore we may understand this instruction of our Apostle we may first consider the strife it selfe the strife for the Masterie then the Preparation for the good performance of that strife A Temparance in all things And lastly the End and purpose of that strife a Crown for them Corruptible but for us Incorruptible Behold then first the Strife The Grecians a people of rare naturall excellency and Vanity were so transported with the appetite of Mastery that there was scarce any thing done amongst them without great strife without great comparison or to draw a word from our Apostle in this place without great Agonie for so in effect he speaks whiles he saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be rendred Every one that is in an agonie for the mastery which contentions sometimes were even in vile things as at this day amongst us as for the mastery in drinking or Eating most for there was amongst them their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athenaeus tells us To which contentions amongst others the Apostle it seems did allude when excellently he said that Their glory was their shame But in this place he intends such bodily exercises as were rather Vaine then Vile their various exercises drawn from the severall respects unto the body as from the speed of it in Running as in the precedent verse he speakes of the Race or from the Strength of it as in wrestling as principally seemes to be intended in this verse But all was a strife nay we may call it a Fight for so our Interpreters render the same word 1 Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of Faith the word being there also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that you may more fully apprehend the wisedome of our Apostle in this comparison it will be necessary to take a view of the agreement of these two kinds of Combats of those outward contentions of the Heathen Grecians and the inward contentions of a Christian If you will view the Place of their strife you shall find the Race was performed in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a plot of ground containing in length an hundred twenty and five paces which just length was chosen because Hercules as their fable has it runne so farre at one breath And can any thing better expresse the place or length of our Christian life Our Strife against sinne as the Apostle calls it Hebr. 12.4 Is not our contention determin'd with the length of our life And is not life the life of the strongest usually determin'd within a hundred or sixcore yeares though some as stories tell us have out lived that number of yeares If you will likewise view that place in which their wrestling was performed which was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Tertullian and S. Chrysostome call it you shall find that no man was admitted into it but he that
shall the serpent have such subtill teeth and shall ours be set on edge only to our own overthrow shall his Hornes as some kind of serpent has be so subtill to get a prey and shall our strength want subtilty to save us from being made a prey shall his wings for some kind of serpent does not only creep be more speedy to doe mischiefe than our wisedome in saving us from it shall he change his skinne and renew strength and shall not we renew our Lives by changing them shall his Appetite take all advantage from his Enemie and shall ours increase our spirituall Enemies against our selves shall he drive away other serpents from him and shall we intertaine them in the Bosome imbracing Heresie and Vice to our own Destruction shall his Voice be able to master Man that had Righteousnesse by Creation and shall not we be able to master the serpent that have a double Righteousnesse of Sanctification by Christ's Grace and of Justification by his Merits Briefely skall his whole Body be so subtile as to defend his Head shall not we with all our power defend the Godhead of our Saviour against the execrable Socinian◠our holy Faith in Christ our Head And shall not the Innocency also of the Dove advantage our Innocency He loves the Light and shall we love the workes of Darknesse shall he be ready to be Oppressed and shall we be too ready to Oppresse shall he be without Gall and shall we be full of Malice Were they a sacrifice to God and shall we be lesse acceptable Were they a Resemblance of the Church nay of God and shall we have neither the likenesse of either of them nor the blessing O let us strive then to imitate the Innocency of the Dove and Exceed it Would we be Heirs of the Kingdome of God we must become as little Children they crie not for the want of Wealth nor for the losse of it they doate not on Beauty no not on their own subject they are to sicknesse yet not to malice as if they were more free from sinne then from Disease they raise not themselves to Ambition it is above the reach of the Mother's Breast Such things then let us doe by the simplicity of Grace as they doe by simplicity of Nature Let us call to mind the first Christians how the unity of their Faith produced even a Community of their Goods a rare victory of Grace upon Nature By the blessing of Love they were above the blessing of Propriety shewing the Bounty of the Gospell to excell the Thrift of Law-Let us call to mind how they improved their Enemies into friends making them by forgivenesse their Helps to Heaven Let us call to mind that their sufferings were their Conquests and Death the beginning of Life Eternall O grant us then wisedome sweet Iesu thou that art the Wisedome of the Father and grant us Innocency O blessed Spirit that did'st vouchsafe to appeare like a Dove that we becomeing like the Dove may become like Thee that by descending to us Here we may Hereafter by the wings of the true Dove Innocency and Miracle Ascend to Thee the Father Son and Holy Ghost to whom be ascribed Mercy and Wisedome and Holinesse for evermore FINIS OF BAPTISME A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. Galat. 3.27 As many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ THAT Likenesse which we may see produced by Inferiour Causes in their Effects is but an Imitation of the supreame Cause God Himselfe who is so naturally good that whatsoever he maks must needs beare some Image of that Goodnesse Thus when he made man he bestow'd upon him among many other two chiefe Perfections a Holinesse of Soule and a kind of Absolutensse of Body whiles a body that needed not a reference to Apparell But when man fell he fell from this double perfection and at once became sinfull and Naked So that we may say he was not as now unhappily naked when first he had no Cloaths but when first he wanted them and he stood not in need of a Covering for his Body till he stood in need of a Covering for his sinne Which when God naturally good beheld and saw the new dissimilitude between Himselfe and his Creature moov'd by his own goodnesse he intends a reparation of his Creature And since this dissimilitude to speake in part figuratively consisted in a Nakednesse of Soule and Body it pleased him to provide for both a Covering And this he did with such wisedome of Mercy that he made the Covering of his Body a figure of the Covering of his Soule and to teach our Understanding by our Sense sometimes he calls our Righteousnesse a Robe which as the Apostle here tells us every true Receiver puts on in the Sacrament of Baptisme As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Which words duely considered may instruct us in the Nature of this Sacrament and the Extent of it As man is Gods workmanship and so should be his Image so as God is pure should man be pure and therefore being defil'd by sinne he should be now purified Thus though with the Leviticall Leper he may crie uncleane uncleane yet should he also crie with the great and happy sinner wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow That indeed has a right cleanesse the purity of Snow being not only purity but also Coolenesse a figure of the pure Coolenesse of the impure heates of Lust Which purity was shadowed out unto the Iew in his frequent washings whence the greatest pretenders of Sanctity among the Jews were the greatest Washers The Pharisie was a man of a cleare Hand and Cuppe and therefore thought himselfe also of a pure lippe in which opinion though he mistook his Outside for his Inside yet he acknowledged a washing necessary Even Pilate that had his hand in blood would yet also have his hand in water and though that Blood be counted a cleanser thought Innocent blood the greatest staine and that water would at least pretend his Innocency if not procure it But alas had he understood the right Baptisme he would with S. Peters resolution have desired not only the washing of the Hand but also of the Head the whole body Now under this figure as the Iew had been taught so was the Christian to be taught To the devoutest Iew Washing was but a Figure to the Devoutest Christian it is not only a shadow of Grace but also the companion of it and therefore it was not Ceremonie but Charitie in S. Peter Act. 2. to exhort his Converts to be Baptized To understand the Name and so the better the nature of Baptisme it is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly to Dippe consequently to wash Hence were the Pharisies by Iustin Martyr called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptists because of their frequent washings which S. Marke also mentioned c. 7.4
our Saviour's time it kept some from the Coâ—fession of the Faith though not from the Faith In the primitive times there were degrees of such as were separated froÌ„ the Church of which were some of the Audientes Hearers of the word preached among whoÌ„ were some indeed that were not yet admitted to the farthar blessings of the Church those were by punishment but Hearers these had been but Hearers A second sort were Procumbentes such as in prostrate manner ask'd pardon of the Church for some publique scandall given by them to the Church A third were the Orantes call'd also as S. Cyprian say's Abstenti persons after some offence admitted only to the Prayers of the Church A last sort were such as were once Communicants persons admitted to the Lord's Supper but for great sinnes depriv'd of so great a blessing To be remov'd from the Lord's Table was a great punishment yet greater it was to be remov'd also from the prayers of the Church but how great was it then not to be admitted to aske pardon The Libellatici were soonest Restored the Church looking upon their frailty as well as on their Fault they being such as for feare of punishment had their names registred in the Magistrates Booke from whence they are call'd Libellatici aknowledging their consent to offer Incense to the Gentiles Gods but meeting with a dealing Judge redeem'd themselves from trouble and the performance by the perswasion of a Bribe Their unwillingnesse to offend wonne the Church to a willingnesse to Restore them Adulterers indeed as too too foule were left for many yeares to be wash'd with their own tears in hope to be throughly wash'd in the blood of Christ But such as relapsed into Idolatrie were not readmitted till the houer of death when as much they were to leave the Church as to re-enter it and rather in a new hope of the Church Triumphant than a new possession of the Church Militant This manner of Excommunication was grievous indeed and often attended with grievous consequences God permitting the Devill in primitive times upon the pronouncing of the sentence to enter into the persons and torment them as we read of Stilico's secretary excommunicated by S. Ambrose We may remember it is call'd a delivering unto Satan 1 Cor. 4.5 Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1.20 were thus delivered up by S. Paul And this Excommunication the Fathers call a resemblance of damnation S. Jerome termes it a judging before the day of Judgement and S. Cyprian calls it the death of the Soule So grievous it is that S. Chrysostome thinks it to grievous too be exercised since not against the living saies he because we must not prevent God's judgement nor against the Dead because they have their judgement already Yet in this point his Mercy was more than his Judgement we having not only the permission but the Command in God's Word and the practice of the Ancient Church the greatest Heretiques having been struck with this sentence by the greatest Councils And thus though it were very grievous it was very necessary and if more weight may be given unto it some think it added in the Word that is added Mara-natha Let him be Anathema Mara-natha Between which words some copies have no point and such it seems Oecolampadius liked but insteed of Maranatha he thinks it should be Matha and so expounds it by Anathema Mortis which may be interpreted One accursed to death But Guesse being too bold an attendant upon the holy text we must according to the Originall read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the very ancient printed copie of Prevotius with small difference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as S. Jerome says is as much as Dominus noster venit Our Lord is come The compound word is acknowledg'd to be rather Syriaque than Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying then our Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is come or by the libertie of the Hebrew which often uses the time past for time to come shall come yet some understand it of the time past which had been apt if the Apostle had here spoken of the Iews who denyed he was come but speaking here to the Corinthians he seems not to speake to such as denyed our Saviour but to such as lov'd him not According to which acception some make the sense to be Let such a one be accursed 'till the Lord shall come Others Let suh a one be accursed when the Lord shall come or be separated from the comming of the Lord that is from the benefit of his comming which is the deliverance of the Just This expression then of the Apostle is an allusion to to the severest curse among the Jewes in their Excommunication to be inflicted at the comming of their Messias a forme of speech not unknown as appeares to S. Pauls converted Corinthians Briesely then and clearely we may take the first words for the pronoucing of the Curse the last for a confirmation of the curse the first being as the writing the last as the Seale The sentence is whosoever loves not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Accursed the Confirmation is Nay the Lord shall come and at his comming prove this Curse a Truth Thus speakes the Apostle by an Aposiopesis a figure attending upon Indignation which is the passion in which the Apostles Zeale here speakes Let him be Anathema doe only 1 Paul say so Yea Maranatha the Lord shall come and say so The Lord whom he loves not shall come and say so Since then there is so great so certaine a Curse for all that doe not Love the Lord needfull it will be to know who are such which we may know by knowing the nature of the Duty or what it is to Love the Lord Jesus Christ If we should aske most men whether they love the Lord our Saviour they would presently venture not to love him by their Indignation at the question Yet notwithstanding such Disdaine one might peradventure as easily pose them as anger them But not to tempt them to the hazard of the Passion and at once to save their Patience and Credit they may without being catechiz'd positively know that the nature of true Love consists in similitude so that he which truely loves the Lord is to his endeavour like the Lord. And since our blessed Saviour who is the Sonne of God is like the Father by his Nature we likewise who are by Adoption the Sonnes of the same Heavenly Father must strive to be like unto him in Holinesse He is holy therefore we must be Holy In this consists our proportionall similitude unto God! And that we may the more fitly resemble him we must fit our will unto his will which being reveal'd in his commandement if we love Him we must love his Commandement and then we unfeinedly love it when we keep it No other signe or Truth is there of our Love if we observe not what Christ Commands we as yet love not Christ that
Commands it And therefore Clemens Epist 2. dares to say he that keeps not the Lord's Commands Let him be accursed till the Lord comes He is the Lord our Lord we are his Servants whose actions being vertually in reference to him the nature of our love to him as to our Lord consists in a conformity of our actions unto His. How sadly then doe they draw this curse upon themselves that abuse God's Word by Prophanesse or Heresie Who abuse his command by obstinacy or security who abuse his Servants by oppression or contempt indeavouring rather to prove his Servants hypocrites than to become his servants Again he is our Iesus our Saviour whose Love towards us being Infinite we must in a sort imitate the Infinitie of his love by a perpetuall increase of our Love Which is surely increased by a remembrance of his Passion which is perform'd according to his own desire in a frequent Communicating at his holy table Our Saviour has left that as the sure mark of his friends they are those that frequently come and suppe with him How sadly then doe they draw this curse upon themselves who by contempt or neglect of that blessed provision insteed of partaking with his friends in the merit of his Passion partake with the Jews in their guilt of his passion In what condition also are they who to the merit of his Blood dare adde the merit either of their workes or will Lastly he is Christ the Lord 's Annointed He is annointed as a King and is the Defender of his faithfull Subjects who then can be safe from his Curse and Justice that contemnes his Majestie in his command He is annointed as a Prophet and who shall escape a curse that resists God's will in resisting his prophet that declares his will He is annointed as a Priest who then shall escape that curse from which only our High Priest the Sonne of God can deliver him And as it is Duty to Love our Saviour so is it Wisedome which we must imploy in the manner of our Love Of which one degree it is to be called after his Name but a farther degree it is a degree of wisedome to be call'd by a fit name Some indeed as some Easterne Christians have from his name of Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the title of Marani some from his name Jesus as the Iesuites by the choise of their Ignatius but the Apostles chose to be called from his name Christ Christians In the two first whereof we may see the weakenesse of men In the last we may see the wisedome of God and the Godly All the names of our Saviour implie excellencies the first his Dominion over his Church the second his nature of a Mediatour whereby he saves us These are prerogatives as well as Excellencies and therefore it is Humilitie and safety for men rather to decline than assume such Appellations Or if the name Iesuite may be admitted for the Pretence or Intent of an Indeavour to save soules too extreame an Arrogancy it is for a Sect of men to assume a title as peculiar to themselves which is as claimeable by all the Ministers of the Gospell This covetuous zeale is not allowable But the name Christ implying our Saviours spirituall annointing may for our proportion descend to us may as a Holy oile descend from the Head to the Skirts of the Garment and so from Christ we may happily and fitly be called Christians True it is God has annointed him above his fellows yet a truth it is also that his fellows are annointed nay they were not his fellows if they were not annointed And as he has annointed them with Him so has he annointed them by Him and for his sake Wherfore though the name Christ and also Christian may signifie annointed yet as the one name is derived from the other so is our Annointing deriv'd from His. And since this annointing includes all blessings and all these blessings come by our blessed Saviour let him be accursed that loves not our Lord Jesus Christ The word here for Love is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a lesse degree of love than the former and therefore he that beares not so small affection to our Saviour justly deserves to be an Anathema Yet the greatest part of such as professe Christ are rather content to receive his blessings his outward blessings than his Commands or if they receive them 't is so unwillingly that we may feare they rather Indure him than Love him But our Apostle curses all them that doe not love him among whom the Greek Interpreters generally understand all that offend God by grievous sinnes such as Schismatiques Fornicatours Eaters of meat offered to Idols unworthy Communicants Denyers of the Resurrection and the like Need then we have to learne the nature of love and learne it we may from the Body from that part of the body the Liver which is by nature appointed as the Instrument and seat of Love It is the seate of Love as Salomon implies Prov. 7.23 whiles he saies the adulterer goes on till a dart strike through his liver The liver is the fountaine of the veines and the first instrument of blood the lappes or extremities of it compassing and comforting the stomach thus sacred Love compasses and strengthens our spirituall appetite and is as the fountaine of all devout affections The Liver is made of blood and it makes blood so is our spirituall love begotten by God's love of us and then increases into greater and new love of God imitating in this the figure of the liver which is shaped like a crescent or the Moone in her increase The liver makes blood out of the purest and most aëry part of the matter it workes upon and thus does spirituall love arise from the purer parts and contemplation of those things it considers The Liver is the chiefe seate of the nutritive facultie and by the veines conveighs blood to all parts of the body so is love the chiefe instrument of spirituall nourishment dispensing a chierfull heate and alacrity to all actions of a Christian The temper of the liver consists in heate and moisture qualities which singularly prolong life so the sacred heate and living moisture of spirituall love shall maintaine us into an eternity of life And as in the Liver is made that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or separation of the profitable humours from the bad so an intimate power and degree of spirituall love separates our thoughts from the corruptions and vaine humours of the World The Hebrews call the Liver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 29.13 for the weightinesse of it through the abundance of blood which abundance is the materiall occasion of the abundance of spirits thus likewise holy love which is the true spirituall blood is fill'd with the abundance of purer spirits which are the quick extasies and raptures of the soule In the Judaicall Sacrifices the caule of the Liver was to be burnt unto the Lord not only to expresse that we ought to be purged from our naturall Lust but also that we should be purisyed into a supernaturall Love O then let us love the Lord who is as unwilling to curse us as he is able to doe it who cannot loose his true Dominion though we would loose our seeming obedience who will judge all men with a Judgement that shall be Just and yet Extreame since all shall receive from him an everlasting reward Let us Love our Jesus our mercifull Saviour who descended from Heaven that we might ascend to it who descended to Us that we might not descend to Hell who descended to the Infamie of the Crosse that we might ascend to the honour of the Love of Iesus Let us then bow the Knee to him that bowed the Head for us and gave up the Ghost And let us Love the Christ of God the Annointed let us returne unto him the holy Savour of his own oile wherewith he has annointed us let us thank him for his Grace with his own Grace let us at least make so cheap a recompence this being the acceptable art of Grace whereby we shall not need to feare this our Apostle's Anathema but with Truth and Comfort crie Maranatha The Lord shall come he shall come for our Deliverance Which grant unto us most mercifull Father that when thy Sonne thy Christ our Lord Iesus shall appeare we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his Comming To whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be all Praise and Glory now and for ever FINIS
we may have confidence and not be asham'd before him at his comming Which grant O thou that shall come to be our judge and by the judgment which thou didst suffer save us from the judgment which thou wilt inflict that we may give praises unto thee and to the father and to thy blessed Spirit world without end FINIS OF Spirituall Sorrow A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. Ierem. 9.1 O that my head were waters and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my People THE Desire of Sorrow may seem very strange and yet it is not so wonderfull as Happy It is indeed contrary to Man's nature and yet it tends to the perfection of his Nature The Soule is never moved by desire unto any thing but that which seems good we may almost say but unto that which seems good to the body the soul in the body being commonly perswaded by the body And yet sometimes it desires sorrow sorrow which is contrary to the pleasure of nature the practice of sorrow before man's fall being unknowne unto him and since his fall being hatefull to him Yet the Body which oftentimes does seduce the Soule is sometimes also perswaded by it and rais'd both to apprehend and desire a pleasure in sorrow Not that which arises from the mistaking melancholy of the body but that which happily and judiciously proceeds from the wisdome of the Soule since as by sinne we runne to the extreamest distance from God so by Spirituall sorrow we runne to the extreamest distance from sinne This is the Art of Repentance by which we may also farther observe an excellent difference between the Stoique and the Christian The Stoique fondly intends to make man like God by making him without Passion and so without Change yet without Grace the Christian on the Contrary indeavours to be neither without passion nor without change and yet like God whiles he labours to Sanctify his Passion and therfore his change by grace And this sorrow when it does deeply affect the Soul does not only affect the Soul but uses the Eies instead of the Tongue to declare itselfe as here our Prophet expresses his desire to expresse such sorrow and such Teares In whose Lamentation we may first behold The Nature of the sorrow which being expressed by the nature of a Change we may view in it the things that must be chang'd which will appeare to be the Head and Eies as also the things into which they must be chang'd which likewise will appeare to be Waters even a Fountain yea a fountain of Teares Next we may view the Object of the Sorrow or what it is for which such Lamentation is to be made which though the Prophet sayes is the slaughter of the people yet more vehemently he expresses it to be the sinnes of the People the Cause of the Slaughter At the foulnesse of which sight the sight of sinne we likewise may be moved to a like holinesse of sorrow wherby to wash away such foulnesse The sight of blood indeed may move us to Compassion but the sight of sinne more happily unto Amendment Let us first then view the Nature of the Sorrow describ'd by the parts affected and instructed by it as it does thus sadly and wisely expresse it selfe O that my head were waters and mine eies a fountain of teares The Head is the seate of Wisdome and of the sense the sorrow then that proceeds from the Head must be a sorrow that flows from Reason it must be a sorrow that affects the sense and therfore a reasonable punishment of our selves And since from the head are deriv'd the Nerves by which both sense and Motion is distributed to the whole body the sorrow of the Head must affect both the sense and motion of the whole body And thus did sorrow affect the good King Hezekiah as he speakes of his own mournfull pace Isaiah 38.15 I shall goe softly all my yeares in the bitternesse of my Soul Man indeed is made to be thus wise thus sorrowfull his brain being for his proportion both greater and moister then it is in other creatures And as the Head is frequently taken for those things which are either First or Chiefe so this wise sorrow in the life of a Christian will truly challenge such Excellency and Priority The Beginning of the year is in Ezekiel 40.1 call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Head of the yeare but more truly may the sorrow of the Head be call'd the Head or beginning of the yeare of man's Conversion Nor does that in the Originall only signify the Head but somtimes also as in Lament 3.19 the bitternesse of affliction and sometimes as Deut. 29.18 the bitternesse of sinne to which last S. Peter alludes Act. 8.23 speaking of Simon Magus as likewise S. Paul Heb. 12.15 Indeed this bitternesse of Sorrow is most agreable to the Head from whence the bitternesse of Sinne did before arise Which sorrow the head does sometimes expresse by the shaving of it as in Job 1.20 as sometimes by the Motion or shaking of it as also in Job 16.4 but most happily does the head expresse it by the Eie which as the Philosophers observe declares our Hate and Love but we must adde most happily when in religious teares it shewes our Love of God by our hate of sinne The Physiognomer tels us that the best eie is a moist eie that seemes to swimme in his Orbe which is a surer rule in the Spirituall constitution of it and does not only teach us the complexion of the Eie but also the Duty A clos'd eie was in the Poëtry of the Ancients us'd as the embleme of death and an eie dark'ned with repentant teares is a good embleme of our Mortification which is the death of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Eie signifies also a Fountain a fountain being an eie of the earth and an eie being a fountain of the head They are both alike also in the Abundance and speed of their waters which they send forth And therfore Jacob's posterity is compar'd unto them Deut. 33.28 The fountain of Jacob shall be upon a Land of corne and wine The Latin Interpreter has it Oculus Jacob the Eie of Jacob to signify that his posterity should as speedily and mightily flow forth on the earth as waters gush out from the Eie or fountain Most aptly then does the Prophet here in his plentifull sorrow wish that his head were waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies waters is a word alwayes of the plurall number to imply their abundance which as some thinke is expressed in the composition of the word deriving it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sea and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trouble and make a tumult intimating the conditions of true sorrow which is happily with abundance of teares and with the out-cry of a holy lamentation And aptly
him to the defence of his own truth Or say of his truth as the Jews did of his Sonne Let him deliver it if he will have it If we discerne any that preferre the giddinesse of their own reason under the notion of sound Reason before the Sobriety of the holy writings and the Church shall we presently either reele out of the way or stagger in it About the eleventh year of this present Century of the Church a new starre-gazer one Fabricius in the upper Germanie publish'd at Witteberge by the vertue of a strange glasse a pretended discovery of strange spots in the Sunne about which time in the lower Germanie a like acute Novelist publish'd pretented spots in the best Belgique Church But as the clearest-sighted though of a lesse excellency then S. Stephen's eie judg'd those suppos'd staines through divine permission to have been by the grand Artist the devil juggled into the starre-wise glasse not into the Sunne so the best-sighted though not so wonderfull as Lyncius yet free from the Jaundice of Opinion discern'd through the right Optique of sacred truth the spots to be not in the Church but in the Novelist and so that his mistakes were the staines If then we see any departing from the truth shall not we depart from Them shall we not rather partake with the Prophet in his tears than with them in such backsliding as deserves such tears You see then enough yea too much cause of sorrow and yet you can not but see the little Effect it produces And must we not confesse this to bee very unnaturall that where there is so great cause there is so litle Effect where so much sinne so few teares for sinne O let us then with severity look upon our Own sinnes let us with compassion behold other mens and shall we make ourselves so unhappy as not to bewaile our own unhappinesse shall we weep for the death of our Friends Bodies and shall we not weep for the death of our Own Soules That being for them but to fulfill the Law of Nature but this being for us to violate the Law of God! When David and his men saw Ziklag burnt and their wives and children carried into Captivity it is said they wept untill they had no more power to weep 1 Sam. 30.4 And shall not we weep as much to see our Soule which is the City of God set on fire by vice and all the vertues and ornaments of our Soules to be lost to be Triumph'd-upon by the Enemies of our Soules Surely as the wind by gathering many clouds makes a shower so our mind by meditation collecting the many evils of our own lives and others will easily cause a shower of tears And indeed who would not willingly by a temporall sorrow scape eternall sorrow since in this life a few accepted teares can wash away the greatest sinnes that shall be remitted but after this life eternall teares can not wash away the least sinnes Let us then crie here for the guilt of our sinnes that we may not hereafter crie for the punishment of them Let us bemoan our selves like Ephraim repentant Ephraim in this our Prophet chap. 31.19 with a holy indignation Surely after that I was turn'd I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was asham'd yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Let us with the wise man Eccles 2.2 crie-out of mirth what does it crie-out of the madnesse of it The Septuagint term it there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the turning-about the Giddinesse of mirth Let us turn our hearts by Meditation towards Hell that they may never be neerer to it than by Meditation Can we remember how the Israelites mourn'd by the waters of Babylon and not imitate their mourning The waters of Babylon sayes S. Austin are the transitory pleasures of this world by which the Godly mourne as in a strange Country when they remember Sion the heavenly Ierusalem And what more powerfull Motives can we have for teares whether we consider our selves or God than Feare or love both which God has provided for us There are sayes S. Gregory two causes of tears the first for Fear of Punishment the Second for delay of our happinesse both which are intimated according to that Father by that double blessing which Caleb as it is Josh 15.19 bestow'd upon his daughter Achsah to whom he gave the upper and the nether springs the nether spring is Fear the upper Love To the same purpose did Nazianzen observe that Noah's flood came partly from the Earth and partly from Heaven so sayes he the purging flood of tears comes partly from the feare of Hel land partly from the desire of Heaven from the love of God And surely as waters which are distill'd from the rose by the force of fire yeil'd a sweet smell so much more sweet are the waters of the head which are press'd-out by the heat of divine Love It is indeed the Spirit of divine love that from the eies forces holy tears according to that of David Ps 147. Hee causes his wind to blow and the waters flow The same Prophet sayes Ps 104.3 God layes the beames of his chambers in the waters that is he covers the upper part of the heaven or air with water the just man is such a heaven whose upper parts his soule his head his eies are overflow'n with devout sorrow whose teares doe mystically fullfill that of the Psalmist Ps 148.4 The waters that are above the heavens praise the name of the Lord And more admirably doe these waters the tears of the just praise the justice the Mercy and goodnesse of the Lord Who will not then shed a few such tears that he may never shed any more tears And since our Soule is the Garden of God who will not provide a Fountain of tears to make it pleasant for his intertainment who will not labour who will not Rejoice to shed such tears as God himself will wipe away when he will change the darknesse of sorrow into the light of joy the dark eie into a cheerfull eie when he will work such a wonder in the Soul as he has in the eie by a marvelous raising of light out of darknesse out of the apple of the eie which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst other reasons from the blacknesse as the word also signifies expressing God's wonderfull work in the composition of the eie when as out of the apple of the eie which is the darkest part of it he raises light The apple of the eie being so black or dark that when in the Proverbs Cha. 7.9 it is said in the black and dark night it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if we should say in the apple of the eie of the night Yet out of the darkest sorrow God will at last raise the most cheerfull light From an eie darken'd with humble tears with innocent tears such as
the golden the most excellent crown since he only has entred the fort of our enemy the Divell by his victory over Hell Thus then he only shall have the glorious crown and by his own merit Yet we also shall have crownes though all ours shall in effect be his Since then there is so Glorious a reward proposed unto us let us be temperate in all things that we may strive for the mastery that by getting the mastery we may get the crown And since that our crownes are due to Him let us imitate the Elders who sell down before him that sate upon the Throne and cast their Crownes before the Throne So let us in thankfull humility cast down our selves and our Crownes before his Throne and let us say Thy Kingdome come Our Kingdome come And let us tryumphantly say with them Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power who hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests To thee therefore with the Father and the blessed spirit be ascribed the Crown and the Kingdome for ever for ever FINIS OF God's Husbandry A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. 1 Cor. 3.9 Ye are Gods Husbandry THE first cause of Husbandry was sinne the painfull tillage of the ground being imposed on man for his transgression since otherwise even good things had grown of their own accord And this punnishment was so necessarily layd upon man that as a labour it was made a duty God sending him forth of Paradice to till the ground Gen. 3.23 So that now for man not to manage the ground lookes like a sinne and thus all gentler laboures in other callings we may count but Indulgence by a gracious permission and exchange of penalty Yet God in his favour made this duty so honourable that he made it the frequent labour of the ancient Patriarchs And even the Heathen so honoured this profession that they highly honoured them that honoured this which was especially the practice of the Romans amongst whom even the chiefe families were descended from husbandmen witnesse their Names drawn from severall kinds of graine the subject of their employment as the Fabii the Lentuli the Cicero's and others of the like Labour and Honour But God himselfe did at last so honour this labour that as man was at first made a husbandman for the Guilt of sinne so God himself vouchsafed to make himselfe a husbandman to take away the Power of sinne Man is a husbandman about the Earth and God is a Husbandman about man The Earth is our Tillage we are God's Tillage Yet as in a large estate the Lord usually imployes his Baily so in the larger husbandry of man God is pleased to imploy his minister and by way of inferiour deputation continuall to imploy every man in the managing of himself Now whereas the professors of other Arts do cōmonly reserve the mysteries of their knowledge to themselves for which too often as well as for their skill they may justly and unhappily be called Crafts the Husbandman on the contrary delights to impart his knowledge that others may be instructed in their spirituall husbandry in the understanding of this duty they may chiefely consider the Nature of the Ground that is to be husbanded and the Manner of the Husbandry in which two we must imploy study and in which two we may then expect Blessing First then behold the Ground on which we are to bestow our labour which yet without labour we shall find to be man When God says we are his Husbandry you see he does remember us that we are Earth Now the Earth we know is most remote from Heaven and is not man so meere naturall man Is he not most remote from the Gracious thoughts of divine affaires Yet as the earth is capable of the Heavenly Influences so is man capable of the influences of Grace The Earth is singularly fruitfull producing many excellent effects for which cause the Gentiles made it a Goddesse attributing unto it divine honours in like manner have some Philosophicall Christians been so farre inamour'd with the abilities of man that they esteemed the power of man's will in a manner equall to the power of God But as the fruitfullnesse of the Earth in the outward or inward parts of it in the production of Graine or Metall is begunne and finish'd by the influence of the Heaven so is the fruitfullnesse of man's soule by the influence of Grace And as the Earth is incompassed with the Sea by the penetrating moisture whereof as some think dry parts of it are made more firme and compact so is man as drie Earth the better compacted by the moisture of Grace The Earth the more it is plowed and stir'd the more fruitfull it is but if it be suffered to lie continually fallow insteed of fruit it shall bring forth weeds so the soule if exercised and dilligently dressed will prove very fruitfull but if it be left follow then shall it yeild nothing but the weeds of sloth When the ancients pictured the Earth they did adjoyne the picture of a key to signifie that the earth is opened in the Spring and shut in the winter and does not man so truely resemble the Earth Does he not shoot forth in the spring of his youth and is he not shut up againe in his old age The Earth was also anciently painted in the forme of a woman sitting and bearing a drumme which in their conceit well expressed the winds inclosed within the Earth this also does as aptly expresse the nature of man who is filled and disturbed with the passions of his Mind The Romans built unto Vesta in whom they express'd the Earth a round Temple in the midst of which was a perpetuall fire and does not this as truly expresse Man Is not his Body a consecrated Temple and is not his Soul as a perpetuall fire The same picture was also crown'd with white garlands to signifie the foaming waters that continually incompasse and beate the shoare and may not these as aptly signifie the continuall troubles that beset and offer violence unto man And as Earth does thus signifie man so does dust which we may call dead earth as having lost the livening moisture signifie dead man does not the Prophet imply as much Ps 30.9 Shall the dust praise thee O Lord Nor are men thus only like the earth in these properties but also for the many Differences of the earth some ground is Mountanous and some low some fruitfull and other barren the like differences in their conditions doe men admit some being proud and some humble some being fruitfull of good workes and others as barren Cato observ'd that kind of ground to be the best that lies open towards the Sunne so is that Soul the most happy that is truly inlivened with the warmth of grace Varro tels us that if in land there be stones sand gravel or the like it is over heated and
a milstone as in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 milstones This though admitted would not prevaile for the admission of their exposition of this doubt This was indeed one of the Israelites taskes among the Aegyptians as of the slaves among the Romans to grind in their mills According to which sense some would have it import the upbrading of slavery one to another as if they should say To the Mill you slave Yet this conceite seemes more Accute than True for though this might have been a Reproach to a Iew yet most unseemely it had been from a Iew. We may then with S. Ierome more happily make it in value the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which with the Greeks signifies vaine or empty which may be warranted by the Hebrew in which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to attenuate or make thinne as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also signifies the thinnesse of the Temples of the Head as spittle also for the thinnesse is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But more nearely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew is vaine or empty whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is judg'd to come and such are they call'd Judg. 11.3 which were gathered to Iephthah when he fled out of his Country the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vaine men For with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is written not with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as appeares in the word Racha which in the Hebrew translation of S. Mathew's Gospell published by Munster is likewise written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which serves to weaken the witty phansie of those that would have it signifie Milstones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being written not with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Emptinesse then or Vanity implyed in this word is the reproach of a defect in Nature as a weakenesse in Judgement or in ones Estate as in a slender Condition either of which being at the divine disposall may not without a comparative degree of Anger be objected and therefore may justly feare God's Anger for the Objecting For shall we call him Emptie that is fill'd with the spirit of Love as Chromatius speakes Or shall we not honour the Judgement of our Saviour the Wisedome of the Father who thus judges of such rash judgement such unadvised Anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause such anger to which the angry man too inconsiderately yields for from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cedo it comes implying the angry man's Iudulgence unto his Passion Much lesse then must we dare to say Thou foole And seems not this offence included in the former To object the weaknesse of Judgement is it not to say Racha The weaknesse of some judgement judges thus of this most wise judgement which yet when rightly understood will teach us to judge rightly of this judgement To understand then Folly here requires Wisedome even the wisedome of God's Word which teaches us to know that the Foole in God's account is not one that is defective in his Wit but in his Will he that orders not his Life according to the Rule of Life God's Law whose offence is not Sillinesse but Sinfullnesse And shall we without cause thus censure another man If some seem contemptible shall their Christianity also seem contemptible Let us remember S. Chrysostom's remembrance was not Belshazzar sayes he deprived of his Crown and Life for prophaning the vessells of God's Temple And shall not we then feare by such rash judgement the losse of the beetter Crown and Life if we prophane the better Vessels of the Holy Ghost the persons of Christians shall we then with some so view these degrees of sinne as also to Compare them with some that make the first only an anger in the mind the second an Anger expressed in words the last an Anger in words and more especially disgracefull words An anger only in the minde though it deserves the Judgement does not yet feare an Outward Judgement whiles it is yet not an outward guilt A Guilt were there an accuser besides Conscience there were not Judge then we may more strictly the first to be anger in the mind in some degree according to the nature of Anger expressing it selfe in some parts of the Body also as by the frown of the brow the cast of the Eie the threatning of the Hand or the spurn of the Foot as if the Body were the Picture of the Mind or rather as if the Body were the Passion The second we may judge to be such an Anger as upbraides another with a Slendernesse of Wit or Wealth as when we call one shallow pate or Beggar The third is to call one Foole not in the mistake of the people but in a severer acception according to which it signisies a Wicked Person which Accusasion if without cause is the suparlative Anger here intended Thus does the wisedome and Mercy of our Saviour present unto us the degrees of Anger next he sets forth the degrees of punishment the Iudgement the Councell and Hell fire which terrours let us see so see by contemplation that we may but see them by Contemplation Some here by the Judgement understand the Judgement of Conscience but this judgement is common to all degrees of anger but what is here intended belongs only to the First Besides our Saviour speakes of Outward danger such as was subject to the sense and so more easily subject to the people's understanding Some Court of Judicature is here intended of which there were diverse sorts In one of which were three Judges to whom belong'd the lesser causes as private wronges pecuniary matters and the like but the judgement of this Court is below the Judgement here due to the lowest unjust anger and so here rather supposed than intended In a second Court were Twenty and Three Judges this was the Lesse Synedrium wherein Causes of Life and Death were tryed and this was answerable to our Assises and one of these Courts was in every City as appeares Det. 16.18 according to the number of the Inhabitants the Lesse Court in the least City the greater in the rest and so in lerusalem The last was the Great Synedrium wherein were seventy Judges besides the President in imitation of Moses Num. 11.24 and here were heard the most weighty and difficult Causes of all it being the highest and Nationall Court which was held only at Ierusalem But the last punishment due to the last degree of anger that is here expressed is Hell fire or according to the Originall the fire of Gehenna which once was a pleasant Vally adorn'd with a Grove on the East side of Mount Moria neare Ierusalem and watred with the brook Cedron It was called Gehinnam or the vally of Hinnom who was a Iebusite whose sonne as some think was the owner of the place as seems to be implyed Ioshua 15.8 For with some to derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vallis and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
we phrase it strictly to lye on the same Couch and in the bosome even of Abraham the famous patriarch of the Iews or for an Eleazar Abraham's servant in Hebrew the same with the Greek name Lazarus to feast even in the bosome of his great Lord Abraham were such a union of the King and the Begger or such a union of the Lord and Servant as were no lesse a wonder than a Feast yet such shall be the entertainment of our Saviour's Ghuests as it is said Mat. 8.11 Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven the Originall is more exact 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recumbent they shall lie downe or feast on the same couch with Abraham In like manner it is said Ioh. 13.23 the Disciple lean'd on Iesus bosome they were not then risen from the table as may be observed in the story of that chapter and v. 25. he is said to lie on Iesus breast And thus shall we be not in the bosome of an Abraham but indeed of Christ himsefe and he will prepare a table for us and we shall be abundantly satisfyed with the fatnesse of his house and he shall make us drink of the Rivers of his pleasures Psal 36.8 He will feed us with the fat of wheat as the Prophet David speaks Psal 81.16 and 147.14 according to the Originall He will feed us with the fat of kidnies of wheat as as Moses speakes or rather sings Deut. 32.14 in a phrase almost as strange as the blessing All which blessings are Promised to us in this bread all which are sealed unto us in this bread this being by faith the bread of Life which evermore give unto us O thou that art both the bread and the Lord that we being fed with this bread of Life in this life may be strengthned to eternall Life and to eternall thanks which for thy bounty and thy Mercy in this bread be render'd unto thee O Lord with the Father and thy Blessed Spirit for evermore FINIS OF Anathema Maranatha A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man Love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha TO shew the beginning of Love were to shew the beginning of God the first Love that was being God Himselfe so that He which first Loved and he who was first Loved was the same the First love then consisted in Identitie Thus whiles there was nothing but God not only God was love but all Love was God But when God made something and that there was an Intelligent Nature that was not God then did there beginne a love which consisted in similitude and shews it selfe to be but a deriv'd Love Which resemblance of the Creator in the Creature is in things meerely Naturall call'd similitude as in Creatures indued with a reasonable Will it is call'd Love which we may terme a voluntary reflexion of Goodnesse in the Reasonable Creature towards the Creator So that for the Creature to Love God is as truely naturall as to be a Creature and to fall from the Love of God is to fall from the similitude of God and so to fall from the nature of a Creature Yet man thus fell when God to shew his love and his Nature to be the same and to be as unchangeable as Infinite renew'd man not by a new making of man but by a making of himselfe man by an unexpected wonder of Mercy making Man in part become his own Saviour There ought then to be in renewed Man a new Similitude a new Love the Love of Jesus of this Saviour And since the Essence the Nature of a Christian consists in this Love he that has not in him this Love has not in him the nature of a Christian And having not the nature of a Christian he cannot have the blessing of a Christian and therefore he is as necessarily an Anathema or Accurs'd as he is voluntarily not a Christian So that a man is made an Anathema by his unbelief as he is to be declared an Anathema for his unbelief Which curse our Apostle seeing to be due to some and foreseeing the danger which might be easily due to many he uses in this place Indignation and Mercy making the same speech which is a condemnation unto some to be only a Threatning unto others Those that were guilty might feele it and those that were Innocent might Feare it and by Fearing it not Feele it That therefore we may learne this Feare we must learne to know this Curse and that we may know the justice of the punishment we must know the justice of the Duty for the breach whereof the punishment is due all which being expressed by the Apostle we may see the Cause of the Duty why we ought to love the Lord Iesus Christ we may see the Punishment for the Violation of the Duty expressed in the words Anathema Maranatha we may see also the Nature of the duty wherein it consists that so knowing what it is to Love the Lord Iesus Christ we may understand our Innocency or Guilt The Cause of the duty the duty of Love to our blessed Saviour is implyed in the names of our blessed Saviour names alwaies used Devoutly by our Apostle but here Eminently as including the principall Reasons of the Love a love due to our Saviour for his Dominion over us he is the Lord a Love due to him for his Love towards us he is Iesus our Saviour a love due to him for God's Love toward Him Christ he is the Annointed of God He is a Lord in the Highest sense being the Ruler of his People he is a Lord in the nearest sense being the Husband of his Church Indeed God says unto the People Hos 2.16 they shall call me Ishi my Husband and no more Baali my Lord not that he was not as well their Lord as their Husband but as S. Jerome observes they should not call him their Lord by the name Baali it being the usuall name of their Idol-god Being then the Lord and Husband of his Church his Church must have power on her head 1 Cor. 11.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dominion indeed in a figurative speech a veile the signe of his dominion Which right was implyed by Abimilech rebuking Sara he is saies he of Abraham a Covering of the eies unto thee that is a veile the signe of the Husband's power and therefore by the Hebrews is the veile called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some think from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have dominion strictly to spread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being to have dominion Thus should the Gracious behaviour of every true Christian be as a testimonie of subjection to Christ our Lord who extends to us his Love his Providence his Protection And most eminently is the title due to our Saviour since in accurate use of the word Dominus