call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Sacrum The first of these three is proper to God alone for he only is essentially holy The second is proper to reasonable creatures for they are only habitually holy or endued with holy qualities But the last is common to all manner of things for all things animate or inanimate are capable of relative holinesse or pecularity towards God Persons Things Times Places Persons so the Nazarites of the Law are called holy thus was Sampson thus was Samuel holy from their Mothers womb Things so the Offerings of the Law yea and of the Gospel too are holy things The censers of Korah and his company were Holy because saith the Text they offered them unto the Lord. Times so the Sabbath day and other Festivall days are holy days Places so the Temple of the Lord is an holy Place Mount Sion an holy Mount yea the ground about the bush where God appeared to Moses is called Holy ground And of these four Persons Things and Times are holy because of Gods peculiar propriety in them in that they are his Persons his Things and his Times But Places are holy in another regard because of Gods speciall manner of Presence in them Now let us see in which of all these three ways Levi may be said to be holy Essentially holy he cannot be for he was not God but the holy one of God Habitually holy the event shews he was not more then the rest though he should have been The Tribe of Lâ—vi was always Tribus sacra holy unto the Lord but was not always righteous before the Lord. It was not always true of Levi that he walked before God in peace and equity and turned many from iniquity but often yea too often they were gone out of the way and caused many to fall by the Law Phinehas the son of Eli was not like Phinehas the son of Aaron Annas and Caiaphas high Priests as holy as any for their order as unholy as any in life and conversation It should therefore seem that Levi should be only called holy by a Relative holinesse namely because he was Gods peculiar one because his offered one because his peculiar of peculiars that is his peculiar Tribe of his peculiar People for in this Levi had a priviledge above the rest in the other none and this Ezra gives unto him cap. 8. 28. when he delivered unto the Levites the holy Vessels Ye are holy saith he unto the Lord and these Vessels are holy also that is Ye are holy as the Vessels are for he saith not they were holy before the Lord for so he had meant holy in life but holy uâ—to the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which always implies a Relative holinesse But though this be true that Levi was holy after this manner yet the word which in my Text is turned Holy seems scarce to admit of this construction for the word here used is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies favourable and gracious and in Religion charitable and godly All which leans to an habituall not to a respective holinesse But because Levi was not in this sort holy above other as I said before It may seem therefore it should be thus construed That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken actively or passively Actively it signifies favourable benigne and gracious Passively he that is favoured or graced And thus Iunius expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy favoured one not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word and sense the Angel useth in his salutation to the blessed Virgin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hail thou highly favoured one Hail thou whom God hath especially graced to be the Mother of his only Son So Levi is here described to be one upon whom God bestowed a speciall favour or grace a speciall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of holy Ministery for so S. Paul cals this power of Order a grace or favour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eph. 3. 8. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given to preach among the Gentiles investigabiles divitias Christi And of Timothy the same Apostle speaketh Neglect not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or grace in thee which was given by prophecy and imposition of hands With this grace was Levi graced with this favour was he highly favoured and well might be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods highly favoured one And thus the issue will be all one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this sense will fall out to be Gods holy one in the last sense for to be specially favoured of God is to have a speciall relation to God-ward to be Gods more especially and this is to be holy with a relative holinesse Now which soever of these we take to be here meant we see that that is in speciall given to Levi which otherwise was common to all the other Tribes If you take it in the first sense for holinesse in life as it were to put Levi in minde how it behoved him above all to be holy were not all the Tribes as holy as Levi and yet Levi alone is called Gods holy one If you take it in the second sense for a relative holinesse were not all the Tribes of Israel thus holy unto God were not all his own people his peculiar people and a chosen Nation and yet Levi alone is called Gods holy one If you take it in the last sense for Gods favoured one were not all Israel a Nation favoured of God above all Nation and yet Levi alone is especially called Gods favoured one We therefore whom God hath set apart to minister about holy things we who are holy unto the Lord and Gods own in a peculiar manner we who have a speciall relation unto God we who have received a speciall favour from God we must remember we owe a speciall thankfulnesse unto him we who are Gods peculiars must demean our selves peculiarly both toward God and man we are unto God as other men are not and therefore may not always do as other men do we cannot reason from others to our selves no not in things of themselves lawful Why should not we do as every man may do for all that is lawfull for others will not be seemly for us for we are the houshold servants of the most High we are speciall men of whom God requires a speciall demeanour in life and actions This was one cause why God injoyned the Jews so many peculiar rites and speciall observations differing from the fashions of other people because they were his peculiar people an holy Nation because they were toward him as no other was though all the world were his and therefore would have their manners differ from the fashion of all other Nations as a badge and
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were all one as men then conceived Note here that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were taken to be the souls of men deceased and that not among the Gentiles onely but as may seem among the Jews also For Iosephus in his seventh Book De Bello Iudaico Cap. 25. mentioning these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon occasion of a certain herb supposed to be good for them saith expresly by way of Parenthesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus sunt pessimorum â—omâ—num vivis immersi I tell not this meaning to avouch it for true but only that you might understand how Iustin Martyrs argument proceeds to prove that souls have existence after Death from Daemoniaâ—i My last proof is taken from those Energumeni which are all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so often mentioned in the Church Liturgies in the ancient Canons and in other Ecclesiasticall writings many ages after our Saviours being on earth and that not as any rare and unaccustomed thing but as ordinary and usuall They were wont to send them out of the Church when the Liturgie began as they did the Poenitentes Auditores and Catechumeni which might not be partakers of the holy Mysteries If those were not such as we now adayes conceive of no otherwise then as mad-men surely the world must be supposed to be very well rid of Devils over it hath been which for my part I beleeve not Nay that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were such as I speak of Balsamon and Zonaras both in their Scholia upon the Canons of the Church will I think inform us For to reconcile two Canons concerning these Energumeni which seem contradictory one called of the Apostles in these words Si quis Daemonem habet ne fiat Clericus sed neque cum fidelibus precetur Another of Timotheus quondam Patriarch of Alexandria speaking thus Si qui fidelis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debet esse sanctorum mysteriorum particeps To reconcile these I say they affirm the former which admits them not to be meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him that is continually and alwayes mad ne forte quid mali aut inhonesti agat aut Daemoniac as voces emittat ita ut populum Dei conturbet atque divinum officium impediat But that of Timotheus which admits them to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him that is mad but by fits and hath his Lucida intervalla And thus I have acquainted you with what I have observed to confirm me in this opinion and make no doubt but there are more passages yet to be found this way then I have met with PROVERBS 21. 16. The Man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the Congregation of the Dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in coetu Gigantum IT is a question sometimes moved amongst Divines and worth resolving How and by what name the place and condition of the damned which in the Gospel is called Gehenna was termed or expressed in the Old Testament before the Captivity of Babylon and whilst the first Temple stood For presently after the Return the afore-mentioned name Gebenna began to be frequented as appears both by the second of Esdras the Chaldee Paraphrast and other Jewish writings where that name is often found as also by the Gospel where our Saviour useth it as then vulgarly known amongst the Jews But it is as certain that before the Captivity or second Temple for so the Jews call the time of their state after their return this name was not in use both because it is no where to be found in the Canonicall Scriptures of the old Testament which were all written within that time and especially because the ground and occasion thereof was not till about that time in being which was the pollution of the valley of the sons of Hinnom or Tophet by King Iosiah and the dreadfull execution of divine vengeance in that Place Hence it became to posterity to be a name of execration and applyed to signifie the place of eternall punishment For this valley of Hinnom Gehinnom or as afterward they pronounced it Gehenna was a valley neer Jerusalem in a place whereof called Tophet the children of Israel committed that abominable Idolatry in making their children to passe through the fire to Moloch that is burnt them to the Devil For an eternall detestation whereof King Iosiah polluted it and made it a place execrable ordaining it to be the place whither dead Carkasses Garbage and other unclean things should be cast out For consuming whereof to prevent annoyance a continuall fire was there burning Yea not man onely but the Lord himself as it were consecrated this place to be a place of execration by making it the field of his vengeance both before and after For first this was the place where the Angel of the Lord destroyed the host of Senacherib King of Assyria where one hundred and eighty thousand of their Carkasses were burnt according to that Esay 30. Through the voyce of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down For Tophet this was a place I told you in the valley of Hinnom is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it This was also the place where the Idolatrous Jews were slain and massacred by the Babylonian armies when their City was taken and their Carkasses left for want of room for buriall for meat to the fowles of heaven and beasts of the field according to the word of the Lord by the Prophet Ieremy in his seventh and nineteenth Chapters The children of Iudah have built the high places of Tophet which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire which I commanded them not neither came it into my heart Therefore behold the dayes come saith the Lord that it shall be no more called Tophet nor the valley of the son of Hinnom but the valley of slaughter For they shall bury in Tophet till there be no place And the carkasses of this people shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and the beasts of the field and none shall fray them away Hence as I said this place being so many wayes execrable for what had been done therein especially having been as it were the gate to eternall destruction by so remarkable judgements and vengeance of God there executed for sin it came to be translated to signifie the place of the damned as the most accursed execrable and abominable place of all places the invisible vallâ—y of Hinnom For such was the property of the Jewish Language to give Denominations unto things unseen from such analogicall and borrowed expressions of things
the seventh from the Creation or not the Scripture is silent for where it is called in the Commandement the seventh day that is in respect of the six days of labour and not otherwise and therefore whensoever it is so called those six days of labour are mentioned with it The seventh day therefore is the seventh after six days of labour nor can any more be inferred from it The example of the Creation is brought for the quotum one day of seven as I have shewed and not for the designation of any certain day for that seventh Neverthelesse it might fall out so by disposition of Divine Providence that the Jews designed seventh day was both the seventh in order from the Creation and also the day of their deliverance out of Egypt But the Scripture no where tels us it was so howsoever most men take it for granted and therefore it may as well be not so Certain I am the Jews kept not that day for a Sabbath till the raining of Manna For that which should have been their Sabbath the week before had they then kept the day which afterward they kept was the fifteenth day of the second month on which day we reade in the 16. of Exodus that they marched a wearisome march and came at night into the wildernesse of Sin where they murmured for their poor entertainment and wished they had died in Egypt that night the Lord sent them Quails the next morning it rained Manna which was the sixteenth day and so six days together the seventh which was the two and twentieth it rained none and that day they were commanded to keep for their Sabbath now if the two and twentieth day of the month were the Sabbath the fifteenth should have been if that day had been kept before but the Text tels us expresly they marcht that day and which is strange the day of the month is never named unlesse it be once for any station but this where the Sabbath was ordained otherwise it could not have been known that that day was ordained for a day of rest which before was none And why might not their day of holy rest be altered as well as the beginning of the year was for a memoriall of their comming out of Egypt I can see no reason why it might not nor finde any testimony to assure me it was not And thus much of the Jews Sabbath how and wherein it was a sign whereby they professed themselves the servants of Iehovah and no other God Now I come to the second thing I propounded to shew how far and in what manner the like observation binds us Christians I say therefore that the Christian as well as the Iew after six days spent in his own works is to sanctifie the seventh that he may professe himself thereby a servant of God the Creatour of Heaven and Earth as well as the Jew For the quotum therefore the Jew and Christian agree but in designation of the day they differ For the Christian chooseth for his Holy day that which with the Jews was the first day of the week and cals it Dominicum that he might thereby professe himself a servant of that God who on the morning of that day vanquished Satan the Spirituall Pharaoh and redeemed us from our Spirituall thraldome by raising Iesus Christ our Lord from the dead begetting us in stead of an earthly Canaan to an inheritance incorruptible in the Heavens In a word the Christian by the day he hallows professes himself a Christian that is as S. Paul speaks To beleeve on him that raised up Iesus from the dead so that the Jew and Christian both though they fall not upon the same day yet make their designation of their day upon the like ground the Jews the memoriall day of their deliverance from the temporall Egypt and temporall Pharaoh the Christians the memoriall of their deliverance from the spirituall Egypt and spirituall Pharaoh But might not will you say the Christian as well have observed the Jewish for his seventh day as the day he doth I answer No he might not For in so doing he should seem not to acknowledge his Redemption to be already performed but still expected For the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt by the Ministery of Moses was intended for a type and pledge of the spirituall deliverance which was to come by Christ their Canaan also to which they marched being a type of that heavenly inheritance which the redeemed by Christ do look for Since therefore the shadow is now made void by the comming of the substance the relation is changed and God is no longer to be worshipped and beleeved in as a God foreshewing and assuring by types but as a God who hath performed the substance of what he promised And this is that which S. Paul means Colossians 2. 16 17. where he saith Let no man judge you henceforth in respect of a Feast day New Moon or Sabbath days which were a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. 1. CO◠〈◊〉 5. Every woman praying or prophecying with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head I Have chosen this of the woman rather then that of the man going before it for the Theme of my Discourse First because I conceive the fault at the reformation whereof the Apostle here almeth in the Church of Corinth was the womens only not the mens That which the Apostle speaks of a man praying or prophecying being by way of supposition and for illustration of the unseemlinesse of that guise which the women used Secondly because the condition of the sex in the words read makes something for the better understanding of that which is spoken of both as we shall see presently What I intend to speak upon this Text shall consist of these two parts First of an enquiry what is here meant by prophecying a thing attributed to women and therefore undoubtedly some such thing as they were capable of Secondly what was this fault for matter and manner of the women of the Church of Corinth which the Apostle here reproveth To begin with the first and which I am like to dwell longest upon Some take prophecying here in the stricter sense to be foretelling of things to come as that which in those Primitive times both men and women did by the powring out of the Holy Ghost upon them according to that of the Prophet Ioel applied by S. Peter to the sending of the Holy Ghost at the first promulgation of the Gospel I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophecy and your young men shall see visions And that such Prophetesses as these were those four Daughters of Philip the Euangelist whereof we read Acts 21. 9. Others take prophecying here in a more large notion for the gift of interpreting and opening Divine mysteries contained in holy Scripture for the instruction and edification of the hearers especially as it was then inspired and
the exercise of devotion as the poor and mean rather then the rich and full Wherefore Agur desired of God not to give him more then food convenient for him lest being full he should deny him and say Who is the Lord Such likewise is the state of adversity and affliction whence it is that God useth this discipline of his corrections and judgements to make us crouch and bow down unto him when he seeth us ready to forget him Whence David Psal. 94. 12. pronounceth the man blessed whom the Lord chastiseth and Psal. 119. ver 67 71. Before I was afflicted saith he I went astray but now I have kept thy word It is good for me that I have been afflicted For diseases say the Physitians must be cured by contraries It was pride that caused the disloialty and rebellion both of men and Angels against their God and Maker Whence it is that Syracides saith Ecclus. 10. 12. The beginning of pride is when one departeth from God and his heart is turned away from his Maker 13. For pride is the beginning of sin and he that hath it shall pour out abomination If pride be the beginning of our rebellion against God then must lowlinesse be the proper disposition of those who fear and worship him And so Tanto quisque est vilior Deo quanto est pretiosior sibi Now then to return to our Argument of Fasting we may observe beside the ceremony specified in my Text that all other Rites or Ceremonies used by the Ancients in this solemne devotion or yet continued by us imply nothing else but lowlinesse and humility partly to work and beget it partly to expresse and signifie it They are reducible to three heads 1. of habit 2. of gesture 3. of diet For habit it was anciently sackcloth and ashes by the coursenesse of the sackcloth they ranked themselves as it were amongst the meanest and lowest condition of men by ashes and sometimes earth upon their heads they made themselves lower then the lowest of the creatures of God For the lowest of the elements is the earth then which we use to say a man cannot fall lower Qui jacet in terra non habet unde cadat For gesture they sate or lay upon the ground which in the Primitive Church was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humicubatio a naturall ceremony both to expresse and ingenerate or encrease this disposition of lowlinesse and abjection of our selves and as frequently practised by our devout Fore-fathers as it is seldome or never used amongst us It were a thing most comely and undoubtedly most profitable if either these ceremonies or some other answerable to them were revived amongst us at such times as these If we were all of us this day attired if not in sackcloth which perhaps sutes not so well with the custome of our Nation yet in the dolefullest habit of mourners if we lay all groveling upon the ground would not such a rufull spectacle would not the very sight of so uncouth an assembly much afflict and move us The mournfull hue of Funerall solemnities we know by experience will often make them to weep who otherwise have no particular cause of sorrow how much more when they have But the principall ceremony and which we still retain is abstinence from meat and drink whence this kinde of supplication hath the name of Fasting the end thereof being as to bring down our bodies thereby the better to humble our souls so to expresse and testifie the same Mores animi sequuntur temper amentum corporis If the body be full and lusty the minde will be lofty and refractory and most unfit and uncomposed to approach the Divine Majesty with reverence and fear How uncomposed is that heart to sue to God for mercy and aversion of his judgements which is fraught with rebellious unclean and lustfull thoughts like so many dogges barking within it But these are all ingendred and cherished by full feeding and cannot be easily quelled unlesse they be starved When I fed Israel to the full saith the Lord Ier. 5. 7 8. then they committed adultery and assembled by troups in harlots houses c. Ieshurun saith Moses in his Propheticall song Deut. 32. 15. waxed fat and kicked and forsook the Lord that made him and lightly esteemed of the Rock of his salvation Wherefore S. Paul was fain to pinch his body and bring it down with Fasting I keep under my body saith he 1 Cor. 9. ult and bring it into subjection lâ—st that by any means when I have preached unto others I my self should be a cast-away Hilarion a religious young man when after much abstinence and course diet he felt his flesh still unruly and rebellious Ego inquit Aselle faciam ut non Calcitres nec te hordeo aâ—am sed paleis Fame siti te conficiam such is the danger of a pampered body and such the necessity of keeping it under But as Fasting is a Physicall means if it be used to purpose to take down the loftinesse of our minds and affections by subtracting the fuell and foment of our lusts which is full feeding so is it a ceremony chosen for that naturall effect it hath to signifie and testifie that by reflection upon our vilenesse and unworthinesse we strike the sail of our high flying affections and humble our selves before the Majesty of Almighty God upon such occasions as these For as we use feasting not only to beget but also to expresse and testifie our erection and chearfulnesse of heart in times of joyfulnesse whence in the Old Testament to rejoyce before the Lord is put for to feast before him So is fasting when we would intend our devotions used not only as a means to further but also as a ceremony whereby we testifie our sorrowfull dejection and humiliation of minde before God Well then you see what is the chief end we are to aim at in this our solemne abstinence namely to take down our proud hearts and bring them to a state of lowlinesse and humility a disposition so acceptable and prevailing with God to check our high-mounting passions and allay the smoaking flames of our unruly lusts which as it is at all times requisite in some measure whensoever we approach the Majesty of God to sue for mercy and forgivenesse so then especially and in a more then usuall manner when God shakes the rod of his judgements over our heads and biddeth us down and prostrate both soul and body before him lest his wrath break us in pieces if we will not bow He that hath attained this hath fasted well he that hath not may hereby know he hath not done enough or not as he should do If the boiling of our lusts be cooled and calmed if the swelling conceits of worth in our selves be taken down with a true and feeling apprehension of our vilenesse and wretchednesse through sin which maketh us the most unworthy creatures in the world if those ramping weeds of contempt and
darknesse in this world against spirituall wickednesse in high places Thus then having seen the marshalling of these two Armies which are at so deadly an enmity let us at last see the successe of their skirmishes and of the stratagems which they practise one against the other these are described on the Devils part very terrible that his head should be mauled But on Christs side the losse should be very small the Devil prevailing but to the wounding or bruising of his heel But what is this Head of the Serpent and what the Heel of the womans seed Those who understand the seed of the woman singularly of the person of Christ only make his head to be the Godhead against which the Serpent could prevail nothing but his heel to be the manhood which the Serpent so bruised at his Passion that the grave became his bed for three days together This indeed is true and no marvell for the head is as it were the whole bodies epitome But we who have expounded the seed of the woman collectively of Christ and his Members must also in this mysticall body find a mysticall head and a mysticall heel and so in like manner for the Serpent and his seed The Head therefore or if you had rather Headship is nothing else but Soveraignty The Serpents head is the Devils Soveraignty which is called â—rincipatus mortis the Soveraignty of death namely both objectivè and effectivè that is such a Soveraignty as under which are only such as are liable to death both temporall and eternall and such a Soveraignty whose power consists not in saving and giving of life but in destroying and bringeth unto death both of body and soul. Under the name also of death understand as the Scripture doth all other miseries of mankind which are the companions of this double death I speak of This is that damnable head of the Serpent the Devillish Soveraignty of Satan Now the Sword whereby this Soveraignty was obtained the Scepter whereby it is maintained or as S. Paul speaks the sting of this Serpents head is Sin This is that which got him this Kingdome at the first and this is still the right whereby he holds the greatest part thereof Imporium iisdem artibus conservatur quibus acquiritur This Soveraignty of the Devil which once overwhelmed nigh all the world the womans seed should break in pieces and destroy which according to this Prophecy we see already performed in a great measure and the grounds laid long ago for the destruction of all that remaineth As saith S. Iohn Ep. 1. c. 3. v. 8. The Son of God is revealed for this purpose that he might destroy the works of the Devil And Christ himself said that the time was come that the Prince of this world should be cast out and bade his Disciples be of good chear for he had overcome the world If you would see what a wonderfull victory he hath long ago gotten of the Serpent when after a terrible battell he overcame and destroid the Soveraignty of the Serpent in the Romane Empire see it described in the 12. of the Revelation where a Michael that is Christ and his Angels fought against the great Dragon and his Angels till the Dragon with all his Army was discomfited and their place found no more in heaven that is he utterly lost his Soveraignty in that state whence there was a voice in heaven Now is come salvation strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ. And what he will at the length do with the remainder yet of the Devils Soveraignty you may finde in the 19. and 20 of the Revelation For he must reign as S. Paul saith untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet untill he hath destroyed all power rule and authority adverse unto him And then last of all destroying death by giving immortality to our raised bodies shall surrender up his Kingdome unto his Father as it is 1 Cor. 15. But Satan saith my Text shall prevail something against him for the Serpent shall bruise his heel What is this heel Those who understood the seed of the woman singularly as I told you made it Christs Manhood But how we expound the seed Christs mysticall body what shall we make the heel thereof I could say that by it were only meant a light wound or the Devils assaulting the Body of Christ ex insidiis at unawares for that is his fashion since the great overthrow which our Michael gave him to work his feats underhand and to undermine our Lord in his members But this though true is not full enough It may seem therefore the fittest to make hypocriticall Christians who professe Christ outwardly but inwardly are not his to make those the heel of his mysticall body for against such the Devil we know prevaileth somewhat and by them annoyeth the rest of the Body with his venome though he be far enough yet from impeaching our Lords Headship and Soveraignty But will you give me leave to utter another conceit If the blessed souls in heaven be the upper part of Christs mysticall Body the Saints on earth the lower part of the same may not the bodies of the Saints deceased which lye in the earth be accounted for the heel for I cannot beleeve but they have relation to this mysticall Body though their souls be severed from them and yet must that relation be as of the lowest and most postick members of all If you will admit this then it will appear presently what was this hurt upon the heel when Christ had once mauled the Devils head for the Text seems to intimate that the Devil should give this wound after his head was broken I will hold you in suspence no longer read the 13. of the Revelation and see what follows upon Michaels Victory over the Dragon what the Devil did when he was down He forms a new instrument of the wounded Roman Empire by whose means under a pretence of the honour given to the precious reliques of the Saints and Martyrs he conveyed the poison of Saint-worship and Saint-invocation into the Kingdome of Christ with which wound of the heel the Devil comming on the blinde side the true Church had been long annoyed and limpeth still THE Christian Sacrifice OR The Solemne VVorship in the EVCHARIST Foretold by the Prophet Malachi Taught by our blessed SAVIOUR AND Practised by the Primitive CHVRCH BY JOSEPH MEDE B. D. and late Fellow of Christs Colledge in CAMBRIDGE LONDON Printed by M. F. for JOHN CLARK and are to be sold at his Shop under S. Peters Church in Cornhill MDC XLVIII THE Christian Sacrifice MALACHI 1. 11. Abortu solis usque ad occasum magnum erit nomen meum in Gentibus in omni loco offeretur Incensum Nomini meo Munus purum quia magnum erit nomen meum in gentibus dicit Dominus exercituum THIS place of Scripture howsoever now in a manner silenced and forgotten was once and