too much of our time in those Christian Duties and Devotions which tend immediatly to the Honour of our Saviour Christ that so we may not be defective either in our preparation before them or in our Affections in them or in our Thanksgivings after them First That we be not defective in our preparation before our Christian devotions for this is a main cause of our great shame and greater sin that we have been hitherto so bad Christians in so good a state of Christianity that whereas Christ hath been so long and so powerfully applyed unto us both in Prayers and Word and Sacraments yet we have been so little benefited by that Application as scarce to perceive the loss of it or at least scarce to grieve for that loss A shrewd sign of Edomites rather then of Israelites to be content to lose our Prayers our true spiritual Birth-right that we might keep our Pottage our Temporal interests of which we may now truly say as he did Gen. 25. 30. Feed me with that Red with that Red for the just vengeance of God hath lately made it so with our own Blood or at least a shrewd sign of Ephraimites if not of Edomites for they being armed and carrying bows turned back in the day of battle Psalm 78. 9. The reason is given in the verse before they were a generation that prepared not their heart and whose spirit was not stedfast with God They did not set their heart right by preparation and therefore could not keep their spirit stedfast by perseverance and it is to be feared this is our case For it had scarce been possible for so admirable a form of publike Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments which had in it the most pithy Devotions both of Greek and Latine Churches and the superstitions of neither to have been so long amongst us to so little advantage of our souls had there been good things found in us and had we prepared our hearts to seek our God as that good King did 2 Chron. 19. 3. and hath left his example as a mandate for us so to do since no Scripture is of private Interpretation and much less of private Jurisdiction The old Testament in all precepts and precedents of morality no less commanding the Christian then it did the Jew but if any be contentious touching the Old Testament though we have no such custome nor the Churches of God yet we have both a Precept and a Precedent in the New Testament to reprove and to reproach his contention and the fittest that can be alledged for this Argument even that of Saint John Baptist the forerunner of Christ For he came preaching saith the Text and his Sermon consisted so much of this doctrine of Preparation that he was chiefly to be known by this character The Voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord Mat. 3. Secondly We need imploy our time readily and carefully in those Christian duties which immediately concern the honour of Christ that we be not defective in our Affections whiles we are at our Christian Devotions actually conversing with our blessed Saviour For our Affections have been so long standing on the lees and dregs of the earth that they are not to be refined and much less to be elevated and lifted up to Heaven without multiplied Essays of most holy meditations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Priest to the people in the Greek Liturgie And they answer him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us lift up our hearts we lift them up unto the Lord so we in our Liturgy from theirs But it is observable that neither Greek Church nor ours used these words till after many prayers were past in which the Communicants had poured out their souls before God to be sanctified by his Grace And so likewise the Apostle requiring us to seek those things which are above doth as it were pass through all the Creed to the Article of the Resurrection before he hopes throughly to raise our Affections Col. 3. 1 2. If ye be then risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God set your Affection on things above c. He doth not only say Christ is risen but also if ye be risen with Christ he is fain to presuppose and as it were to antedate the day of the Resurrection of the bodies that so he may perswade them to a Resurrection of their souls O God work in us this great miracle of thy Grace to raise our souls that we may all rejoyce in that great miracle of thy power which thou wilt at the last day work on us in the raising of our bodies Thirdly and lastly we need imploy our time readily and carefully in those Christian Duties which immediately concern the honour of Christ that we be not defective in our thankfulness after our Devotions after we have had the honour and the happiness to converse with our blessed Saviour For if I may not give mine alms without a full purpose of my heart 2 Cor. 9. 7. Shall I think that I may give my self without it or doth God indeed love a cheerful giver of the hand and not much rather a cheerful giver of the Heart To what purpose is ihis wast Mat. 26. 8 9. seems in it self a question of Piety and in its reason For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor a question of charity yet St. John brands him that made it That for his Piety he was a Traytor ready to betray Christ And for his Charity he was a Thief not ready to relieve but to pillage his poor members John 12. 4 6. so dangerous a thing is it for men to begrutch any expence either of Time or of Pains or of Patrimony that is bestowed upon Christ and much more to disturb the woman the Church that bestoweth it For wheresoever this Gospel of the great condescention and greater goodness of the Son of God shall be Preached in the whole world there also shall this be told for a memorial of her Duty that wrought the good work upon her Saviour but of their undutifulness who opposed her in working it Mat. 26. 10 13. Gods mercies in our Saviour Christ are too many and great to come all Ex tempore to us so should our Devotions be to thank him for their coming since it is every jot as good Divinity for our Prayers and Sermons which we offer up for the parts of Gods publick worship as it was for Davids sacrifice Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing 2 Sam. 24. 24. For what can I profess by the unworthiness of my offering but either That I have a less worthy esteem of God then David had to whom I offer that which he would not offer or that I have a more worthy esteem of my self then he had as if forsooth God would at
Act of sin doth not prevail against the habit of righteousness and much less above it So that the habit of righteousness cannot be captivated under an everlasting lethargie that it should alwaies forget its own act The Spirit of Christ which at first infused the habit so working in all those who belong to him that either they still retain the act of righteousness by their innocency or in due time recover it by their repentance God of his infinite mercy give unto us all this Spirit and continue unto us his own gift that we being his adopted sons may so honour and obey him as our Father that we may have the comfortable assurance of our adoption in this life and the glorious fruition of our inheritance in the life to come The one by the Spirit the other by the merits of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with the Father in the unity of the same Spirit one God world without end Amen Christ received in the state of true Christianity CAP. I. Of the state of true Christianity SECT I. The happiness of Christians who have their conversation with Christ That lovers of themselves or of the world have not this happiness For though Christ speaks to all yet he answers only to good Christians that is to Sheep not to Wolves to Christians not to Heathens for such he accounteth all Persecutors teaching the one to their instruction and contentation the other only to their conviction and condemnation the reason why so many Christians come not to the state of true Christianity IT is the special priviledge of Christians not only to have their appellation or name from Christ the eternal Son of God but also to have their Religion from him and their conversation with him The Jews could begin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God and the Heathen learned it from them But we Christians can begin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the salvation of God even with Jesus who had that name from salvation for he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 1. 21. Happy soul that is so well acquainted with the dialect of heaven as to understand the language of Jesus and so wholly taken up with that acquaintance as to maintain familiar colloquies with him to hear and to know and to love his voice For if the Psalmist could say with great admiration and greater comfort O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of hosts Psal 84. 1. Then much more O how amiable art thou O Lord who makest thy dwellings so The hope of men and the joy of Angels the salvation of earth and the beauty of heaven No wonder if it follow in the next verse My soul hath a desire and a longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God But where is the soul that enjoyeth this happiness for even one of his Apostles who daily seemed to converse with him enjoyed it not Saint John plainly excludes him in these words Judas saith unto him not Iscariot John 14. 22. As if the Spirit of God had been afraid least we should think that a Traytor could familiarly converse with Christ though he dipped with him in the same dish or have any comfort from that conversation Tremelius glosseth the word Iscariot two waies mercede inducitur ad defectionem ultro declinavit ad strangulationem Mat. 10. 4. The hopes of gain made him a Traitor the thought of his treason made him hang himself Such was this Iscariot A man whose heart was so settled and fixed on money as to sell his Saviour for the love of it Therefore he could not comfortably and much less familiarly converse with Christ by questions and answers For he durst not ask Christ a question to be informed of his Doctrine for fear the answer should have proved an Indictment to convine him of his treason whereof he knew himself already guilty in his heart which made him afraid least he should disclose the same who was the searcher of hearts Therefore he desired not to make any particular addresses to his Master when as the other Judas who had none of this Treachery or covetousness did as it were continually hang upon his lips and was wholly ravished with his Doctrine saying within himself How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then honâ—y to my mouth Psal 119. v. 103. And accordingly our blessed Saviour answers the Jude but not the Iscariot answers the Confessor but not the Traytor For Jude was a name imposed from confession and praise Now will I praise the Lord therefore she called his name Judah Gen. 29. 35. that is praise or confession whence the Vulgar Latine doth often say Confitebor tibi Domine I will confess unto thee O Lord for I will praise thee O Lord because the same word in the Hebrew signifies both confession and praise Be it so then Christ will answer one that confesseth him but he will not answer one that betrayeth him This is the reason that though he speak so loud yet so few hear his voice That though his love be greatly extended yet it is but little diffused in our hearts For though he be most lovely in himself yet is he not so to them whose breast is filled with another love The Text tells us of a fourfold lover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A lover of himself A lover of his pleasure A lover of his profit and A lover of his God The first lover will not hearken to Christs voice for self-love and Saviour-love cannot be together since self ends and Saviour-ends are so far asunder The second and third lovers though they may a little hearken to Christs voice yet they cannot much regard it for if any man love the world that is his pleasure or his profit the whole world consisting of nothing else the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. 15. It is only the last lover the lover of God who heareth Christs voice and rejoyceth to hear it for every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 John 5. 1. To such lovers he will not only speak but he will also answer which shews a familiarity of speaking For though he speak to very many yet he answers to very few that is only to those who are willing to discourse and advise with him He speaks to all that are Christians by outward profession calling aloud to them now in his Word as once he did to the Jews in his person and saying Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand Mat. 4. 1. But he answers only to Christians by inward affection because indeed they only do hear his voice for why should he answer to those that will not give him the hearing Thus himself hath told us my sheep hear my voice John 10. 27. He must be a sheep that will hear the voice of Christ not a wolf one more ready
make their abode with us Hence that Apostolical benediction The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13. 14. The grace is of God the Son the love is of God the Father but the communication both of grace and love is of God the Holy Ghost communicatio Spiritus Sancti saith the Vulgar Latine The communication of the holy Spirit be with you all For our communion with the Father and with the Son is by the holy Ghost Thus we see the cause of our communion with God is God Let us now consider the communion it self that we may know our own happiness in continuing and abiding with God This communion is heartily desired and fully expressed by the Psalmist when he saith One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Psalm 27. 4. Non dicit simpliciter potii à Domino sed unum petii à Domino quibus verbis ostendit se prae omnibus bonis quibus liceat in hac vita frisi unum hoc extollere si detur pacifice in domo Dei habitare saith Musculus He saith not simply I have desired of the Lord but one thing have I desired of the Lord whereby he sheweth this one thing is to him above all other things that he might live peaceably in the house of God And of this he saith which I will seek after that is I will never give over seeking till I have found it and there is cause enough for this longing desire for this indesatigable diligence for it is to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple Ad contemplandum ad consulendum Deum That he might contemplate God or behold the beauties of the Lord and that he might consult with God to enquire in his Temple Tell me what can a sanctified ou◠desire more in earth tell we what can a glorified soul enjoy more in heaven then the contemplation of God and consultation with God ut videam voluntatem Domini saith the Vulgar Latine that I may see the good will and pleasure of the Lord ut videam pulchritudinem ejus saith Saint Hierom that I may see his beauty and thence Hugo inferres that in the contemplation of God is a double vision Visio pulchritudinis visio voluntatis The vision of his beauty the vision of his will for the first he alledgeth the words of the Prophet Isaiah Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty Isa 33. 17. For the second he alledgeth that saying of Saint Gregory supernae curiae cives dum supra se voluntatem sui Conditoris semper aspiciunt quod obtinere non valent nunquam volunt The Citizens of the heavenly Hterusalem whilst they alwayes see the will of God are ready to conform their wills to his will and never desire what they cannot attain This is the blessing they have who contemplate God whether in earth or in heaven and they who are in his communion do not only contemplate him but also consult with him as they see his beauty so also they enquire in his Temple They consult with God as with their friend hearing him and asking him questions maintaining familiar colloquies with him whilst they are in his communion that as they are delighted by their contemplation of God so they may be directed by their consultation with him And this appears in that heavenly dialogue which we find in the eighth verse My heart hath talked of thee seek ye my save thy face Lord will I seek that is my heart communing with it self and with thee makes me often hear thee saying seek ye my face and I cannot but answer thy face Lord will I seek here is a spiritual dialogue God speaking to the soul seek ye my face and the soul answering him thy face Lord will I seek So Hugo Benè dicit tibi dixit cor meum quiaquaedam familiaris colloquutio delectabilis confabulatio est inter Deum cor justi He well said My heart hath talked of thee or to thee for there is a kind of familiar colloquie and a delightful discourse betwixt God and the heart of a righteous man No tyranny can forbid this communion for t is of the heart no outrage can disturb it for t is in the heart no pleasure can divert or distract it for t is the delight of the heart My heart hath talked of thee or with thee desiring no other company to converse withall He desires to hear no other voice talking with him but that which saith Seek ye my face and as he desires it earnestly so he answers it readily Thy face Lord will I seek Facies Dei est praesentia ejus saith Alensis par 1. qu. 2. memb 1. The face of God is his presence that is the presence of his Grace for by that alone do we in this life enjoy his communion His natural presence in our souls may be by knowledge and understanding whereby he makes man know him and so he is present with many wicked men with whom he will not communicate but his gracious presence is in the will and affections whereby he makes men love him and so he is present only with good men to whom by this his presence he doth also afford his communion agreeable to this is Saint Augustines Doctrine concerning the inhabitation of God in the souls of men Inhabitator quorundam est Deus nondum cognoscentium Deum ut parvulorum quorundam vero inhabitator est cognoscentium diligentium quorundam autem inhabitator non est qui sc sunt cognoscentes non diligentes de quibus Rom. 1. Qui quùm Deum cognovissent non sicut Deum glorificaverunt Aug. ad Dardanum God dwels in some who know him not as in regenerated Infants He dwels in others who know him and love him as in religious men but he dwels in none who know him and do not love him of whom the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. 21. When they knew God they glorified him not as God He is naturally present with those that know him or else they could not know him but he is graciously present only with those that love him Many have found his gracious presence that knew him not but none ever found it who loved him not For love as it is the cause of union so also is it the cause of communion which is indeed but a reciprocal or interchangeable union God may be present where he doth not dwell for whither shall I flee from thy presence Psalm 139. 7. and such a presence of God is without his communion But where he is so present as to make his abode or dwelling there he hath communion with the soul For this presence of God is in truth nothing else but his
Thus hath holy Zachary taught us to sing Blessed be the Lord God of Israel and hath given this reason of that song For he hath visited and redeemed his people Luke 1. 68. That we may assure our selves it is not superstition but good Religion agreeable with the end of the fourth Commandment which teacheth us to celebrate the memorials both of his Visitation that he came to visit us in great humility and of his redemption that he hath redeemed us in great mercy and will consummate that Redemption in greater glory nor may we think that the letter of this Commandment was to restrain the end of it or the Sabbath was to confine the publike worship of Christ no more then we may think that God gave the Law to restrain the Gospel or set up the practice of Judaism for a time to confine the practice of Christianity for ever we may not so put our necks under the yoke of Jewish bondage in the Circumstances and much less in the substance of our Religion The proportion of time allotted the Jew for his publike worship may admonish the Christian to give no less must not regulate him to give no more to God For Religion first brings men to God then binds them to God and that Religion which brings them neerest binds them fastest The Jews Religion brought and bound him to God as to the author of nature and called for much praise The Christians Religion brings and binds him to God as to the Author of Grace and calleth for more praise The Angels Religion brings and binds them to God as the author of glory and calleth for all Praises The Christians Religion though betwixt that of the Jews and that of the Angels yet comes neerer to that of the Angels and therefore may not look backwards to Nature but must look forwards to glory The Author of nature did bid the Jews first number dayes saying For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it There the day called for the duty But the Author of Grace hath bid the Christian first number Duties teaching him to say I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7. 25. Here the Duty calleth for the Day and bidding us think God will not let us be stiâ—ted to one day in seven for our thanksgivings For though nature be under the measure and government of Time yet Grace is only under the measure and government of Eternity Wherefore any day that tells me of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God in him shall tell me also of the Communion of the Holy Ghost to give thanks to God the Son for his Grace and to God the Father for his love nor dare I so undervalue the duty of thankfullness which I owe to my blessed Saviour for my redemption from sin and death as to tarry till the next Sabbath before I say I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord And this I am sure though men may deny me thus to keep the Sabbath on earth yet God will not deny me thus to keep the Sabbath in Heaven and the more they may hinder me thus to keep it in earth the more should my soul be filled with desires and longings to keep it so in Heaven SECT IV. The sincerity of Christian communion may be broken either causally by a false Religion or formally by an unjust separation Both breaches are abominable The care which the Primitive Christians used to avoid both by cleaving to the ancient Creeds and the Gloria Patri and also by their communicatory letters The reason of that care was that both Priest and People laboured only to serve Christ not to serve themselves of him The Touchstone to try all Churches is from advancing the glory of Christ both in their Religion and in their communion AS the Communion of Saints is commanded in the fourth Commandment which requires all men to communicate in those doctrines of faith and duties of life which God hath called them to profess and practise in and by his Church So the Religion of Saints is commanded in the three first Commandments which do teach the Doctrines and Duties of that communion For as God hath not left his people to make their own communion so neither hath he left his Church to make her own Religion He first saith Let all things be done then let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. He first provides the doctrines then regulates the Prophets or the Preachers first takes care for the order of Religion then takes care for the order of Communion He first taught his Church how to invocate and implore his mercy how to reverence and adore his Majesty how to acknowledge his Authority and glorifie his holy name in worship in word in Sacraments and after that how to order assemblies and publick meetings for these Invocations for these adorations for these acknowledgements or glorifications And hence it is that Christian Religion bids all men first look after Gods authority in his word then after Gods authority in his Church So that no Church can be obliged by the obedience which she oweth to the Christian Faith to communicate with that Church which absolutely refuseth to have the doctrines and duties of its communion regulated and ordered by the known and undoubted written word of God because every man ought first to choose his Religion whereby to have communion with Christ then the Profession or exercise of it whereby to have communion with Christs Church And by consequent for any company of men to advance themselves against the word is to incurre Saint Pauls censure If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but dâ—ating about questions and strifes of words And those men which have incurred Saint Pauls censure cannot be acquitted from Saint Pauls sentence From such withdraw thy self 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. In such a case the breach of Christian communion is to be imputed to those who consent not to the words of Christ for if they break off from Christ it is no sin can be no shame in others to break off from them For the Apostle saith expresly from such withdraw thy self So that it is evident the breach of Christian Communion may be causal in a false Religion as well as formal in an unjust separation And all the world is not able to excuse the formal unless it be from the causal breach since no man can have a pretence to leave the Church unless it be to cleave to Christ to forsake the Christian communion unless it be to follow the Christian Religion Therefore where Religion is most sincerely kept there communion is most sinfully and most shamefully broken For if the Church hath indeed taught us the right Invocation
my hands accept of any offering SECT XIII A new song for the coming of Christ God the Father Son and Holy Ghost carefully observed the time of our Saviours coming into the world therefore it can be no true piece of Reformation for men not to observe it THE Church had a new song put into her mouth meerly for the knowledge of the great mercy of her Saviours Nativity How much more then for the enjoyment of it He hath put a new song in my mouth saith the Psalmist even a Thanksgiving to our God Psalm 40. 3. And Saint Paul tells us wherefore this new song was put into his mouth in that he applyes this very Psalm to the coming of our Saviour Christ Heb. 10. 5 c. Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me which words are quoted out of this same very Psalm and point as directly at Christs coming into the flesh as that finger of the Baptist did point at him after he was come when he said Behold the Lamb of God which finger for that very cause as some would perswade us could not be burnt with the rest of his body Gentiles ossa collegerant cumbusserant sed digitus ille quo Dominum ad Jordanum venientem monstravit dicens ecce agnus Dei non potuit comburi Durandus in rationali lib. 7. de decollatione S. Johannis This was indeed a sufficient cause why a New song should be put in the mouth even of the sweet singer of Israel To shew that great was his Thanksgiving yet greater his Thankfulness for this inestimable and undeserved mercy as it appears Psalm 40. 6 7. O Lord my God great are thy wonderous works which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to us-ward If I would declare them and speak of them they should be more then I am able to express And all these wonderous works and thoughts are summed up together by the Apostle in this saying when he cometh into the world as indeed they were consummated and compleated by Christ himself in his coming when he cometh into the world he saith And yet the words were said above five hundred years before he came It seems God the Son was so long before observing the time of his own coming into the world surely not that the sons of men should labour to forget and resolve not to observe it And God the Father did the like Heb. 1. 6. When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Pointing as it were at the very day of Christs Nativity or coming into the world yet some men perswade themselves they do enough if they believe his going out of the world and think only upon his Death and Passion And God the Holy Ghost did the same as being the Pen-man and Interpreter of these Texts and the Applyer of them to our blessed Saviour For he it was that spake both by the Prophets and by the Apostles God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost did look and point very punctually at Christs coming into the world Telling the Angels of it that they might worship him and the Angels accordingly sing a most heavenly Hymn of Thanksgiving at his Birth not only in heaven for their own Joy and Exultation for which they are alwaies singing to him there but also on the earth or at least very near it so near as that the Shepherds did both hear and see them singing for our comfort and imitation And therefore it cannot justly be accounted a Piece of Reformation to teach men to look away as far as they can from that time wherein the Church doth celebrate the memorial of Christs coming as if God who had bid the Angels worship him had bid men not worship him which is surely a strain of very bad Logick and of far worse Divinity SECT XIV Everlasting Thankfulness is due to God for this Everlasting Mercy THE Psalmist teacheth us a Lesson of everlasting Thankfulness for this everlasting Mercy as appears Psalm 72. The chief argument of the Psalm is Christ as is proved in the 8. and 9. verses from the extent of his Dominion far beyond Solomons even to the worlds end and much more in the 10. and 11. verses from the excellency of his Person That All Kings should fall down before him And particularly That the Kings of Arabia and Saba should bring him gifts which was literally fulfilled in the Presents of the wise men Mat. 2. who by the Antients were both called and reputed Kings And the Conclusion that is inferred from these Premises is Thanksgiving The argument of the Psalm is everlasting mercy even the mercy of God to man in Christ and the Conclusion of it is everlasting Thankfulness for so it follows ver 18. 19. Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which only doth wonderous things and this wonderous thing above all the rest That the Son of God was made the Son of man that we who were by nature the children of wrath might be made the Sons of God there 's the Thankfulness And blessed be the name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty Amen Amen There 's the everlasting Thankfulness Heaven was from the first instant of its creation filled with his Majesty but now the earth was also filled with it And if heaven and earth are both filled with his Majesty what shall we say if our sinful souls be empty For if we be not filled with his Majesty How shall we come to be filled with his Mercy SECT XV. Time not perfect in Gods account from our Creation but from our Redemption The Jews not destroyed and Time not Vntimed meerly in relation to the coming of Christ Time still continued for the world to make a right use of his coming No other Time perfect in Gods account but that wherein he gives his Son and no other Time should be perfect in our account but that wherein we receive him GOD accounted that only the Perfection of Time wherein he wrought the work of our Redemption as if all that had passed before that from the beginning of the Creation had been but an imperfect Time He had no rest in the Creation till he made man He had no rest after it till he Redeemed him Divinely Saint Ambrose in his Hexameron and not the less Divinely because he took it out of Saint Basil for the Latine Fathers borrowed of the Greek-Fathers as later Divines have since borrowed from them Fecit Deus coelum non lego quod requieverit fecit solem lunam stellas nec ibi lego quod requieverit sed lego quod fecerit Hominem tunc requieverit habens câ—i Peccata dimitteret God made Heaven and I do not read that he did rest He made the Earth and I do not read that
he did rest He made the Sun Moon and Stars nor do I read there that he did rest But I read that when he had made man he did rest because â—e then had one to whom he could forgive sins God was not at rest till he had made man to whom he might forgive sins And after he had made him he was not at rest till he had forgiven him O my soul how canst thou be at rest till thou hast asked and obtained forgiveness God accounts the Perfection of Time not from his Power whereby he created the world but from his mercy whereby he redeemed it as if the creation of the whole world had been imperfect without man and the creation of man had been imperfect without his Redemption and all other Time not worth the notice save only that which Christ honoured with his coming for whose only sake Time it self deserved to be continued and not to be Untimed after men had corrupted it For as no satisfactory reason can be given why God destroyed not the whole people of the Jews in their so many Idolatries Rebellions and Apostasies but only that Christ was to come of their Nation So neither why Time it self should not have been destroyed long before Christs coming for the outragious sins and villanies which were acted by men but only that Christ was promised to come in it And so likewise for the same reason is Time still continued notwithstanding all the defections of wicked men from God and their defiances against God because Christ may not lose the end of his coming which was to save Repentant sinners so saith Saint Peter The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise but is long suffering to us-ward not willing That any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. His will is That since his Son hath been pleased to take upon him the nature of man both sinful man should come to Repentance and Repentant sinners should come to salvation Thus in Gods account That is only the Perfection of Time wherein he gives Christ and why not also in ours that wherein we receive him For in truth all the Time of our life is but an imperfect Time till we have gained Christ There may be the Perfection of the natural man before but not of the spiritual man till he come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4. 13. All the Time of our life though we live to Methuselah's Age is but imperfection of Time till with good old Simeon we come by the Spirit into the Temple and there see and embrace the Lord Christ Luke 2. 27 28. And then our life though never so short will immediately be so compleat and perfect that we may pray for a nunc dimittis and say Lord now at this very instant without any longer stay Lord new lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Saint Paul tells the Galathians plainly that though never so aged in themselves yet they were but meer children in his account till Christ was formed in them Gal. 4. 19. My little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you Did we truly believe this and seriously reflect upon our own belief we would look much less after the man and much more after the Christian Less after our selves more after our Saviour Less after our Interests more after our Devotions Since that only is to be accounted a perfect Time which Christ by his presence did once make so in the world and still is pleased to make so in our hearts Nor is it any disparagement to those heavenly Spheres by whose revolution Philosophy hath taught us to measure the duration of earthly things to say That though Time do borrow its continuance from heaven yet it borrows its Perfection only from the God of Heaven The continuance of Time leads to death but the perfection of Time leads to everlasting life This moment in it self is not a part of fleeting Time but in its good employment it is no less then a blessed eternity The motion of the first mover is exceeding glorious in the heavens but it is much more glorious in our hearts I will admire that motion because it produceth Time but I will rejoyce and acquiesce in this motion because it produceth eternity For this is the motion which alone affords rest unto my soul whiles I consider my blessed Saviour humbling himself but exalting and raising me O thou blessed moneth of December wherein the earth gives us nothing but heaven hath given us all things having given us him who is All in All CAP. II. Containing the Reasons of Christs welcome the infinite love of God the Father and of God the Son and Holy Ghost in our Redemption SECT I. Gods first gift to man was his Love in Christ His second gift was Christ in our nature No gift can prove a blessing unless God give it in love not Government not the Gospel though the one be the best Temporal the other the best Spiritual gift WE have passed through the Porch called Beautiful Acts 3. 2. wherein all mankind lame from their mothers womb had a long time laid expecting alms of the Son of God when he should please to enter into the Temple of his body Let us now go into the Sanctuary and there contemplate and consider the infinite Love of God which caused him to send his only Son for our Redemption and we shall never want Thankful hearts to bid him welcome nor Pious Hearts to make a right and conscionable use of his coming That as he came at first for our Redemption so he may come at last for our salvation And this Part of Christian Divinity hath been taught us by Christ himself not only by his Spirit as all the rest but also with his own mouth Saint John 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Where it is evident That the cause why Christ was given to man was no other but only the love of God And consequently the grand Reason of our joyfully receiving this gift must be this That it proceeded from Gods infinite and undeserved love towards us For Gods first gift to man was his love in his Son His second gift was his Son in our nature So saith Saint Paul 2 Tim. 1. 9. According to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Gods first gift was grace given us in Christ his second gift was Christ given us in our flesh And the Master of Scholastical subtilties makes this a rule of sound Reason as well as of sound Religion Inter omnia dona dantis primum donum quod dat quisquis dare potest est Amor ejus quem primo dat amato quia est ratio cujuscunque alterius doni nihil enim habet rationem doni nisi in quantum
a woman as still a Virgin The Praise of the seventy Interpreters Christs love to us that he would be made the son of a woman whereby he hath exalted men above Angels a mercy not to be forgotten till there be no man left to remember it That the Jews corrupted not the Text proved from the prophesies concerning Christ GReat was the love of the Son of God towards man that he would be sent forth from his Father yet much greater if greater can be that he would be sent forth after so mean a manner as to be made the Son of man And yet even in this meaness was no less then a miracle For our blessed Saviour was so made the Son of man as that he was not made the Son of a woman but of a pure Virgin and therefore Saint Paul saying that he was made of a woman Gal. 4. 4. doth call the blessed Virgin-mother a woman only to declare her sex not to dispute much less to disparage her Virginity for she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semper Virgo alwayes a Virgin before in and after the birth of Christ in the judgement of the Catholick Church which reputed Helvidius an Heretick for concluding otherwise from some slight Grammatical notions whereby he did rather blaspheme the Text then understand it whiles he let the itch of his Criticism as too too many in these latter times have done overspread and infect his Divinity Accordingly Saint Chrysostom justly finds fault with Aquila and Theodosius for rendring the words of Isaiah 7. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Behold a young woman shall conceive and he confutes them by the Authority of the Septuagint which saith he are to be preferred before all other Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys hom 5. in Mat. For their antiquity for their number and for their consent and they interpret the words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son But Justine Martyr hath sufficiently cleared this doubt to Trypho the Jew and I have not to do with Jews that I should need insist on this controversie but with Christians for such we are in our belief and had need labour to approve our selves to be such likewise in our practice for fear our practice should else subvert and ruine our belief For he that hath said I will shew thee my faith by my works Jam. 2. 18. hath thereby assured us that contrary works do at least shew if they do not make a contrary faith For which cause they are certainly much to be pittied who scoff and mock at our most Christianlike commemoration of this great Mysterie and greater mercy of the Incarnation of the Son of God for though the Angels were thought worthy of the Mysterie and desired more and more to look into it 1 Pet. 1. 12. yet it was man only that had the blessing of the mercy so saith the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 2. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Hence it is the priviledge of men equally with Angels to be called the Sons of God but above them if we consider the reason why they may be so called For as the Sons of God is spoken of the Angels Job 1. 6. so the Sons of God is spoken of men Genesis 6. 2. And Saint Ambrose expounding those words thus Viderunt Angeli Dei for he did not read but only expound them so which if our late Criticks had observed concerning the rest of the Fathers they would have found less various lections but more various Expositions of the text I say Saint Ambrose expounding those words of Gen. 6. 2. thus Viderunt Angeli Dei did not meant by his Angeli the spiritual and heavenly substances saith Vellosillo in his Theological Problems but holy and religious men of the Progeny of Seth who because they persisted and persevered in the true Religion and worship of God when all the rest of the world fell away from it by a damnable Apostacy were by the Holy-Ghost honoured with the glorious title of the Sons of God and Saint Ambrose for that same reason calls them Angels O that we would consider how far we have degenerated of late from being Angels in this sense when for want of constancy in Gods undoubted and everlasting truth we may scarce justly be reputed or called men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But holy men were indeed called the sons of God not only because they were holy which gave the Angels that same title but also because they were men did carry about them that nature which the Son of God was determined to take upon himself so that in the title it self the sons of God men are equal with the Angels But in the reason of that title the son of God made man they are above them And for this cause it is that men are often called his brethren as Heb. 2. 17. It behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren because he is of the same flesh and blood with men but never was it said of Angels that they were brethren to the son of God O mercy of mercies the Son of God made lower then the Angels to exalt the sons of men above them This was the good Angels joy for us and sheweth how much more it should be our own joy for our selves They have still joy in heaven for our conversion Luke 15. 10. but they had once joy in earth also for our redemption Earth the place of sorrow because of sin till Christ came on it and then the place of joy because he came to take away the sin and with the sin the sorrow This made earth at that time seem heaven to the Angels and that made them leave of looking on God in God that they might look on God in men leave of praising God in heaven that they might praise him in Earth Luke 2. 13. Lord keep us men from ceasing to praise thee for this mercy of mercies here on earth least we keep our selves from beginning to praise thee for it hereafter in heaven for this mercy God made man is a mercy not be forgotten till there be no man left upon earth to remember it But if it should be forgotten upon earth through our perversness or profaness yet sure we are it will never be forgotten in heaven where this very same son of man now sitteth on the right hand of God and shall at the last day come in the same flesh to judg us in the which we now acknowledge his coming to save us Lord grant that we may so praise thee in this day of salvation that we may not be condemned of thee in that day of Judgement It is an excellent argument that Bellarmine useth amongst others to prove that the Jews never corrupted the Hebrew Text because they still in their Bibles retain all the prophecies concerning Christ insomuch that they are far more powerfully
to man in teaching him how to rejoyce for his Redemption Hymns expressing that joy may be only to the honour of God and directed to him The evil spirit silenced at the coming of Christ but the mouth of the good Spirit was opened THere is no man but naturally desires joy and delight as a remedy against his labours naturaliter appetit delectationes medicinas contra labores sensuum motuum saith Aquinas The reason why the natural man looks so much after his delights is because he looks upon them as medicines to heal his sicknesses or as remedies against the continual labours of his sense and of his motion And for this reason the spiritual man ought much more to look after his spiritual delights because he is much more under the labours of sense and motion then is the natural man for there is no sense so irksom as the sense of Gods wrath and of mans unworthiness and no motion so toilsom as that which seeks to climb up from earth to heaven and this is the sense this is the motion of the spiritual man he is continually feeling the burden of flesh and much more of sin upon his soul there 's his sense He is continually panting and â—ighing after God for rest there 's his motion In so great a labour both of his sense and of his motion how should he be able to subsist if it were not for the comfort of spiritual delight which proceeds only from Gods Holy Spirit For delight cannot be but from some good that is convenient and present and known to be so Ad delectationem duo requiruntur conjunctio boni convenientis cognitio hujus conjunctionis saith the same Aquinas A man cannot have delight without two things first the conjunction or acquisition of some convenient good then the knowledge of that conjunction so is it in this case The Redemption of our souls from death is undoubtedly both a convenient and a present good and yet few men have true joy and delight from it because few apprehend it as actually present Wherefore it is the singular gift and love of God the Holy Ghost to any man to give him the true knowledge of his Saviour that he may give him the true joy of his salvation For this indeed is the joy in the Holy Ghost and comes only from him It is he that teacheth the Church Militant to sing a new song on earth for her joy in Christ it is he that teacheth the Church Triumphant to sing a new song in heaven for the same joy O sing unto the Lord a new song saith the Psalmist Psal 98. and that Psalm is nothing else but a song of Joy and Thanksgiving for the Redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ there 's the new song on earth and again Rev. 5. 9. They sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood there 's the new song in heaven to express the joy of the same Redemption For the Holy Spirit teacheth them to practise this new song in earth who are to sing their part of it in heaven For those men are not like to come to Abrahams bosom who are not Abrahams sons and those men are not yet Abrahams sons who have not his faith and do not his works Now this was the Faith of Abraham to see the day of Christ and this was his work to joy in that sight John 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exultavit gestivit He rejoyced and he desired to express his joy His desire encreased his joy and his joy inflamed his desire He did see it a far off by faith the eye of his soul and he desired to see it nearer by sense with the eye of his body the joy of the one did not hinder but advance the joy of the other for if the heart of them must rejoice that seeke the Lord Psal 105. 3. then much more must the heart of them rejoce that have found him Accordingly good Christians do indeede shew no other then Abrahams faith by desiring to looke on Christ and no other then Abrahams worke by rejoycing in that vision which we may well suppose was the cause that the Latine Church antiently used and still useth some such peculiar hymns before the nativity of Christ as it is hard to determine whether they have more of desire in them to see his day comming or of joy to see it come our Calander still retains the memory of the first of those hymns which was O sapientia on the 17 of December but the hymns themselves in the Latine Church hold out till Christmas eve I will give you a short scheme of them 1. O Sapientia veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae O Thou who art the eternal wisdom of God come and Teach us the way of true wisedom 2. O Adonai veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento O thou who art the Lord of might come and redeem us by thy mighty hand 3. O radix Jesse veni ad liberandum nos O thou root of Jesse come and deliver us 4. O Clavis David veni educ vinctum de domo carceris O thou Key of David come and open the prison doors and let out the Prisoners 5. O oriens splendor lucis aeternae veni illumina sedentes in tenebris umbrâ mortis O thou Day-spring of eternal light come and enlighten us who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death 6. O Rex gentium salva hominem quem de limo formasti O thou who art the King of the Nations come and save man whom thou hast formed of the dust of the earth 7. O Emanuel veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster O thou who art God with us be also a God to us and save us O Lord our God These greater and more solemn hymns called Antiphone majores were at first made only in the honour of Christ though in process of time after the Invocation of Saints had crept into the Church there were two more added to them O Thoma Didyme and O virgo Virginum as Hugo testifieth in his Commentary upon the 38. Psalm which now the office it self of the blessed Virgin blusheth at and taketh no notice of at all and it were to be wished it had left out other prayers to the Blsseed Virgin which are as grosly superstitious as were those Hymns For they that believe Christ to be God must confess him to be a jealous God and that he hath said I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give to another Isa 42. 8. and what is his glory but that of Prayer and of Praise Accordingly it is observable that at the time of his coming in the flesh the Oracles of Jupiter Apollo Hecate were
sin shall not have dominion over you were not the reason of that a much greater comfort for ye are not under the Law but under Grace For they that groan under the oppression of Tyrants must needs be most glad to be delivered from their unjust and unmerciful dominion and here is that deliverance for sin which is a greater tyrant over the soul then any monster of men can be over the body shall not have dominion over you but they that have once been under the dominion of tyrants cannot be sure they are delivered out of their hands till they see themselves actually under the righteous and merciful dominion of their own rightful Governours And we may accordingly see that such is our deliverance from the dominion of sin in that it is said in the next words for ye are not under the law but under Grace the spirit of Grace now reigns in you and therefore will not let sin raign any longer in you nor the Law reign any longer over you as it is the strength of sin to provoke it or the judge of sinners to condemn and to torment them For if we lay not some such restriction upon the Apostles words we shall never be able to prove it is a mercy not to be under the Law which is gloriously magnified by the Spirit of God as that which giveth both holiness and wisdom Psal 19. 17. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul there is the holiness The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple there is the wisdom we must therefore say that the Law had a threefold use to restrain to condemn and to instruct to restrain sin to condemn the sinner and to instruct in righteousness The power the Law had to condemn sinners and to wrack our consciences before Gods judgement-seat is taken away by Christ so that they who truly lay hold on the Merit of Christ are not thus under the Law as condemning them And thus not to be under the Law is an invaluable mercy because the Law worketh wrath Rom. 4. 15. in shewing Gods wrath against sinners and us as sinners subject to that wrath But the power the Law had of restraining from sin and of instructing in righteousness still remains uncontroled of God and should be undoubted and undisputed of men for he that gave to the Jew an inheritance on earth to have his Law kept as t is said Psal 105. 43 44. And gave them the Lands of the heathen and they took the labours of the people in possession that they might keep his statutes and observe his Laws hath not promised to the Christian an inheritance in heaven to have his Law broken Therefore the Law must still restrain us from sin and direct us in righteousness only with this difference The power it hath of restraining us from sin grows less and less every day in the regenerate and can remain no longer then this life because sin it self in them shall remain no longer But the power the Law hath to instruct and direct in righteousness grows dayly more and more and is as immortal as righteousness it self and can never be abolished neither in this life nor in the life everlasting for it is easier for heaven and earth to pass then one tittle of the Law to fail Luke 16. 17. Nay the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise 2 Pet. 3. 10. But this power of the Law shall not pass away for it follows ver 13. that in the new heavens dwelleth righteousness And if righteousness dwell there then also the Law which is the rule thereof for it is not possible that any creature should have its own will but only the will of God for the rule of righteousness on which will it must as necessarily depend for its doing as for its being since nothing can be independent in its working which is not independent in its being and he only is independent in his being who is wholly in and of and for himself that is God blessed for ever who is the efficient and final cause of all things the efficient cause by whom the final cause for whom they are and were created In a word the regulating power of the Law cannot be abolished for that shall still remain in heaven the restraining power of the Law is not abolished but only changed in that true faith makes us more obedient for love then the Law for fear and the condemning power of the Law shall never be abolished for it shall still reign over the damned souls in hell and breed the worm of conscience that dyeth not And yet t is this condemning power of the Law that we are chiefly redeemed from not that the power of condemning is taken from the Law but that we are taken from its condemnation so saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus He saith not There is no condemnation from the Law but he said there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ because they that are in Christ do in him fulfil the Law and so cannot be under the condemnation of it For though they perform not that legal obedience which is able to satisfie Gods Justice yet they perform that Evangelical obedience which is undoubtedly acceptable to his mercy Their obedience though not worth acceptance in it self yet is very well accepted in Christ and that makes them that are in Christ so exceedingly strive to shew themselves dutiful and obedient because no other are made the Sons of God in Christ but only those who are made obedient to him by his Spirit And they truly are under grace because they truly are under Christ the fountain of grace for grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Gratia dupliciter dicitur uno modo ipsa voluntas Dei gratis aliquid dantis alio modo ipsum gratuitum donum Dei saith Aquinas 3a 2. 10. cap. Grace hath two significations First it is taken for the love of God Secondly it is taken for the gift of that love and accordingly he that is under Grace is partaker of both these both of Gods love and of Gods free gift proceeding from that love And the latter is the infallible demonstration of the former the gift is the demonstration of the love For grace as it is the love of God is the cause of no Religious operations in the soul but as it is the gift of Gods love and therefore this phrase ye are under grace doth not bid us look up to Gods decree but look down upon our own souls to see if we can find there such Religious habits as may cause those Religious operations which are the undoubted evidences and effects of the gift of grace and therefore the undoubted evidences because the undoubted effect of it For grace as it is the gift of God in the soul works not immediately by it self or by its own essence but by virtuous
habits as by its instruments and therefore these have the least reason to boast of grace who least regard the virtuous habits whereby it worketh and so cry up Faith in Christ as in effect to beat down the cheifest duties of Christianity For grace is the beginning of spiritual actions by the mediation of virtuous habits even as the soul is the beginning of vital actions by the mediation of its powers and faculties And as the soul works not immediately from it self the actions of the natural life so neither doth grace work immediately of it self the actions of the spiritual life For grace indeed hath two acts in regard of the soul as the soul hath in regard of the body Primus ad esse Secundus ad operari The first act is to give life and that is immediate from it self the second act is to give the operations of life and that is mediate by virtuous qualities and dispositions so neerly doth it concern every Christian that desires to be under grace to lead his life in all Godliness and vertue for there can be no assurance of life but from the operations of life no assurance of the spiritual being but from the evidence of the spiritual working Excellently Aquinas Potest aliquis cognoscere se habere gratiam in quantum percipit se delectari in Deo contemnit res mundanas non est conscius sibi alicujus mortalis peccati 1a 2ae 112. 5. cap. A man may know himself to be in grace if he find that he delights in God and contemns this world and is not conscious to himself of any grievous or mortal sin There are but few signs or tokens but they are infallible And we must conclude that those men who care not what sins they commit against God their brethren and their own consciences either to get or to keep the advantages of this world as they shew but little contempt of the world so they shew a great contempt of God And they that contemn God cannot be said to delight in him and they that do not delight in him cannot receive comfort from him wherefore it is an evil spirit not the spirit of God which doth witness to such men that they are the Sons of God when their own consciences cannot but witness that they are his enemies SECT IV. The great joy of Christians for being under grace or for being adopted in Christ and how that joy is to be moderated by the consideration of our own frailty and of Gods impartial Justice in the judgement to come MAny men have a cheerful countenance that have but a sorrowful heart The yong man seems to be of this temper whom Solomon so sharply reproves or rather so plainly derides Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O yong man in thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes there is cheerfulness enough as to the outward man but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement There 's sorrowfulness more then enough as to the inward man whilst walking in his own wayes makes him lift up his face the thought of judgement cannot but cast down his heart therefore they alone do truly rejoyce who have such a joy as cannot end in sorrow not a joy for being the Lords over their Brethren but a joy for being the servants of their God not a joy for overcoming others but for overcoming themselves not a joy for having gained an inheritance on earth but a joy for being assured of an inheritance in heaven Our Saviour said to his own Disciple Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Luke 10. 20. If it be not the cause of a true Christians joy to have power and dominion over evil spirits which is the peculiar priviledge of Christs own Church much less can it be the cause of a true Christian joy to have dominion and power over good men which is the common priviledge of Christs enemies The joy then of a Christian is not for having his name far spread on earth but for having his name written in heaven not for overcoming his Brother but for overcoming his lusts And to him that thus overcometh will he that holdeth the seven Stars in his right hand and walketh in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks give to eat of the hidden Manna Rev. 2. which without doubt affords a marvellous sweetness to all those that eat of it But who can eat of this heavenly Manna save only they who have their names written in heaven for it is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it unto the dogs Mark 7 27. Nor can the dogs eat so much as the crumbs that fall from this heavenly table We must be children before we can eat of this bread and then may we not always expect to eat our fill of it least that Scripture be fulfilled of us the second time He that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me John 13. 18. For Jesurun waxed fat and kicked then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation Deut. 32. 15. Therefore do the most judicious Divines advise us that though we stedfastly believe our selves to be Gods adopted Sons yet we may not too suddenly make sure of our inheritance but must work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And though we be indeed the called of Jesus Christ Rom. 1. 6. yet we must give diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. Saint Peter is very zealous in this point as by his own sad experience having known the mischeif of too much confidence And therefore although in Saint Pauls words there be reason enough for our fear and trembling because our salvation is to be worked out before it can be enjoyed for no man but hath cause more then enough to suspect his own works and much more the continuance of his good working yet Saint Peter gives us another reason of our fear because we must all be judged before we can be saved 1 Pet. 1. 17. And if ye call on the Father who â—…hout respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Here is supposed an adopted child for he cals on the Father but he is not supposed to be puffed up with his adoption for he is to pass his time of sojourning in fear and the reason is because his Father is to be his Judge and will judge him according to his works for which one reason are alledged three reasons by Aquinas when he saith Expedit quandoque praesentiam Dei in nobis per gratiam ignorare ut timor Divini judicii nos humiliet ne praesumpta securitas nos praecipitet ut desideranter Gratiam Dei expetamus It is expedient for us sometimes to be ignorant of Gods
differ They agree saith he in four particulars 1. That each article is a mysterie 2. That each article is made known to us only by Divine revelation 3. That neither article can be sufficiently explained in this life 4. That either article cals for our Faith to believe it not for our understanding to scan it And they differ saith he in these two particulars 1. That in the Trinity there is one substance and three Persons but in Christ three substances the soul the body and the Divinity but one person 2. That in the Trinity there is another and another person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Father is one person the Son another the Holy Ghost a third but not another and another thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Father Son and Holy Ghost are but one God But in Christ there is another and another thing to wit the Divine nature and the humane but not another and another person for these two natures of God and man make but one Christ Accordingly the same Greek Father tells us most excellently lib. 3. cap. 7. that though Christ was twice born yet he was but once a son he had indeed two Nativities as well as two Natures one from his Father which was eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above cause reason time and Nature the other temporal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our sakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after our manner as to the time of his birth from the time he was conceived but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above our manner as to the way both of his birth and conception yet notwithstanding these two different Nativities as well as two different Natures we must say that Christ was but one Son or but once a Son for to say that he was twice a Son or two Sons were to say that he had two subsistences and consequently was two persons wherefore the Council of Ephesus did justly decree that the blessed Virgin should be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Mother of God because the Manhood which our Saviour took from her had no other personal subsistence but only in the Son of God I will not here insist upon those four words which in all probability made the four first general Councils to be received as four new Gospels The council of Nice defining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that our Saviour Christ was truly God against the Arrians The Council of Constantinople defining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was perfectly man against the Apollinarians The Council of Ephesus defining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was indivisibly God and man in one person against the Nestorians and The Council of Chalcedon defining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was distinctly and inconfusedly God and man in two natures against the Eutychians To which four words all the Doctrine concerning the Person of Christ may be reduced and by which all the heresies that oppose that Doctrine may be refuted Nor will I insist upon the Creed of the Council of Chalcedon which alone hath set down five words to shew the manner of the union of God and man in one Christ that it was 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without conversion of one into the other 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without confusion of the one with the other 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without alteration or change of the one by the other 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without division of the one from the other 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without distance of the one from the other for it is sufficient for my purpose to declare that in the person of Christ was such an union of the two several natures of God man as was without conversion of one into the other for God was not turned into man nor man into God without confusion of the one with the other for the God-head was not confounded with the manhood nor the man-hood with the God-head and without division of the one from the others for God is not to be separated from man nor man from God In so much that we may boldly and truly say and therefore boldly because truly that this Jesus Christ in our humane flesh is the second Person of the most holy blessed and glorious Trinity not that our flesh is coessentially or consubstantially of the Trinity but that it is hypostatically or personally of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greeks distinguish not in for or of it self by virtue of its own essence but in for and of the Son of God with whom it is personally united so that in one Christ we may contemplate and must confess all the beauty and loveliness both of heaven and earth The beauty of heaven is God The beauty of earth is man the beauty of heaven and earth together is this God-Man CAP. II. Christ admired in his Propitiation SECT I. The manner of knowing Divine truths what it ought to be and the great benefit of knowing Christ in his Propitiation He that will read the Scripture to the benefit of his soul must have Christ crucified in his thoughts THough in speculatives the bare act of knowledge makes a man learned yet not so in practicks there the cheifest thing that advanceth our learning is the manner of knowing And Christianity being chiefly a practical Science t is not the bare knowledge of Christ but the manner of knowing him that makes a man a well grounded Christian Hence Saint Paul saith to the Ephesians But ye have not so learned Christ Ephes 4. 20 that is so as not to practice him he looks not only after their knowledge of Christ but also after their manner of knowing him which he would have to be such as might work upon their lives and conversations Accordingly he adviseth the Colossians that as they had received Christ Jesus the Lord so they would walk in him for that was their only way to be rooted and built up in Christ and stablished in the faith abounding therein with thanksgiving Col. 2. 6 7. Excellently Saint Bernard like a very good Divine and a far better Christian Sermon 36. in Cant. Modus sciendi est ut scias quo ordine quo studio quo fine quaeque nosse operteat quo ordine ut id prius quod maturius ad salutem quo studio ut id ardentius quod vehementius ad amorem quo fine ut non ad inanem gloriam aut curiositatem aut aliud quid simile sed tantum ad â—dificationem tuam vel proximi The manner of knowing Divine truths is this that we know them in a right order with a right zeal and for a right end The right order is to know that first which first procureth salvation The right zeal is to desire to know that most which most enflameth our affections And the right end is to use all our knowledge to edification and in these three respects the knowledge of Christ in his Propitiation doth challenge our best endeavours that we may gain
fear least the earth should open under him and heaven should be shut above him and against him for that he is a sinner against his own soul Numb 16. 38. and doth provoke God to make him as Corah and his company In this one case we have a memorable example of Gods justice and as exemplary a memorial thereof and we have scarce any other such as this but we find very many exemplary memorials of his mercy Scarce any singular blessing bestowed upon the Iews but there was a special feast appointed in the Church to propagate and to perpetuate its remembrance Thus was the feast of tabernacles instituted that your generations may know that I made Israel to dwell in bothes when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt Levit 23. 43. Thus without Gods immediate command was ordained the feast of Purim Esther 9. which yet was faithfully observed and the observation thereof looked on as a religious not as a superstitious practise by God and man Nay yet more we find another feast after this not mentioned in the Canonical Scripture but only in the Apocrypha the feast of the Dedication of the Altar 1 Macchab. 4. 59. and yet this feast was not only carefully observed by the Iews but the observation of it was also approved by our Saviour himself John 10. 22 23. which is warrant more then enough both for the Church to constitute still such festivals to the honour of God and for us to observe the Festivals that are so constituted And it is also check more then enough to their insolency and perversness if they would take notice of it who in matters of the Christian Religion will pretend to be wiser not only then Christs Church but also then Christ himself For if the argument be undenyable concerning marriage from John 2. 1 2. which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee Then it is as undenyable concerning Festivals from Iohn 10. 22 23. which holy institution Christ himself adorned and beautified with his presence in that he went to the Temple at the feast of the Dedication as well as at other feasts which were immediately commanded in the text In a word Thus the feast of the Passover was instituted to commemorate to the Jews how God had passed over them when he slew the Egyptians Exod. 12. 12. And the Christian Church hath appointed this Gospel Anniversary feast of Easter to succeed that legal Anniverâ—…y feast of the Passeover not so much to shew her Authority which however cannot be denyed without Heresie nor resisted without Schism as to discharge her trust For the Apostle 1 Cor. 9 10. saying that those words Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn were written no doubt for our sakes hath laid it for an immoveable grouud of our Christian faith that the general equity even of the Levitical Law as far as it was not typical is still in force among Christians concerning the solemnities of Religion and must be so till the worlds end And if we will stick fast to this ground All our late contests about the times places and persons belonging to Gods publick worship will soon be determined if we will not stick to it we shall in effect put aside the Apostles Divinity that we may bring in our own By this ground Aerius his Heresie will soon be ejected out of the Church who taught That Imparity of the Ministry was condemned and Parity commended in the word of God as saith Saint August lib. de haeres haeres 53. Dicebat Presbyterum ab Episcopo nullâ differentiâ debere discerni For it is evident out of the Levitical Law alone That God himself ordained and instituted an Imparity in the Priesthood and as evident That he hath since not reversed but plainly approved if not established an imparity in the Ministers of the Gospel as appears by the power of Jurisdiction given by Saint Paul to Timothy over Presbyters 1 Tim. 5. 19. unless we will say That he might receive accusations against Presbyters pass sentence upon them without having jurisdiction over them Again By this ground tithes and all other provisions made for the Ministry will rather be encreased then diminished for the Gospel being so much above the Law doth rather call for a greater then for a lesser maintenance so that if the Ox that trod out the corn might not be muzzled then much less now Churches will no longer be nick-named much less unfrequented or profaned and the Sabbath will no more afford us matter of Disputation but of Devotion if we will stick to this ground for that God himself hath said Keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary Levit. 19. 30. and the same God that hath forbad us to profane the time hath also forbad us to profane the place of his worship Levit. 21. 23. that ye profane not my sanctuaries for I the Lord 〈…〉 sanctifie them I say by this ground all our late contests about the times places and persons belonging to Gods publick worship may easily be determined â—nless we will needs say for wilful men will say any thing That Gods commands about Oxen contain in them matter of precept for our Christian conversation and obedience though the Apostle plainly telleth us That God careth not for Oxen But not so his commands about the time and place and persons of his own worship concerning which God himself hath professed that he is solicitous and careful even to a jealousie And by this same ground it is evident That as the Jew under the Law â—as so the Christian under the Gospel is obliged to commemorate Gods extraordinary benefits to his Church with extraordinary thanksgivings And as God prescribed the Jews a set form of Catechism to instruct their children in the reasons of this solemn festival Exod. 12. 24 25 26. which Solomon Jarchi calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon Exod. 13. 8. that is to say The Annuntiation of the Passeover so did the Christian Church think fit to require catechizing specially against Easter and more particularly because of those who addressed themselves to the Holy Communion which never failed heretofore to be administred at that time and is our true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most full and exact Annuntiation of our spiritual deliverance nor is it improbable that Saint Paul alluded to this very Text of Exod. 13. 8. Annuntiabis filio tuo and to this very custom of the Jews grounded thereon of making their Catechetical annuntiations when he used the very same word concerning the blessed Sacrament saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Annuntiatis mortem Domini 1 Cor. 11. 26. thereby himself calling or at least licencing us to call the holy Eucharist the annuntiation of the death of Christ And it is remarkable that the Jews used this manner of Catechizing only at this feast and their Catechism consisted of these three heads 〈◊〉
or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was received up as unto that which he had so fully merited and deserved Again the same twofold expression shews a twofold miracle if we consider Christ in the unity of his person as those two natures of God and man made but one Christ the first miracle was the conquest over earth in his body which was taught to ascend upwards contrary to the nature of Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went up in that body The second miracle was the conquest over heaven in his soul which for his singular piety was taught in some sort to descend downwards contrary to the nature of heaven in that the light clouds were made to come down that they might minister to his Ascension So that these must be our considerations of our blessed Saviour from the act and manner of his Ascending his twofold Title in claiming heaven and his twofold miracle in possessing it his first title to heaven was as the Son of God for so he claimed heaven by inheritance and the word used in the Apostles Creed intimates that claim or title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went up sc to take possession of his own he went by his own power to enter upon his own right claiming heaven as his natural inheritance because he was the Son of God And this right of his Saint Paul exactly describes Heb. 1. 2 3. Where he saith God hath appointed his son heir of all things by whom also he made the world who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high In which words the Apostle teacheth us to say to the son of God what the Son taught us to say unto the Father For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory For he fully setteth forth unto us the Kingdom of Christ both as Redeemer and as Creator As Redeemer when he saith God appointed him heir of all things in which respect Christ himself saith All things are delivered unto me of my father Mat. 11. 27. and all power is given unto me Mat. 28. 18. and the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand John 3. 35. And he setteth forth unto us the Kingdom of Christ as Creator when he saith By whom also he made the worlds for in that respect our Saviour had all power in heaven and in earth without its being given or delivered unto him as he was the eternal Son of God coequal with his Father Which his coequality the Apostle expresseth from three particulars First in that he was the brightness of his glory that is the natural brightness of his glory by necessary generation not by voluntary communication even as the Sun naturally begets brightness and not voluntarily upon choice or deliberation Secondly In that he was the express Image or character of his person not only representing his essential glory as God of which representation it is said No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him John 1. 18. but also representing his personal glory as father because the person of the Father is wholly and fully expressed in the person of the Son as in a lively Image or Character thereof in which respect Christ himself saith If ye had known me ye should have known my Father also and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him John 14. 7. and again he that hath seen me hath seen the Father ver 9. Thirdly In that he upheld all things by the word of his power to wit by the same word by which he had made them ver 2. All this being said t is no wonder if it follow immediately after that he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high as taking that place in the nature of man which was his proper right as the Son of God But what comfort is this to us who are born the Sons of wrath and so have title only to the place of wrath and vengeance as to our inheritance T is true we have no title from our selves save only to hell such a title as we care not to claim though we labour to make good But we have also a title of inheritance to heaven from our blessed Saviour as saith the Apostle And if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 17. For the Son by adoption is admitted to the inheritance as if he were a Son by nature And we being adopted in Christ cannot be denyed to have a title to his Inheritance But we were best take heed that we abuse not this title or at least mistake it not as some do who cry Abba Father and are no sons or who are so the Sons of God as not led by the Spirit of God or so led by the Spirit of God as not doing the works of the Spirit but of the flesh being guilty of hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders such horrid murders as have out-faced heaven and amazed the earth and will not believe the Apostle though he tell it before and after though he say it and say it again that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5. 21. Let the man after Gods own heart both ask and answer this question for us Psalm 24. ver 3 4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall rise up in his holy place Even he that hath clean hands not defiled with blood and a pure heart not corrupted with Faction or Sedition and that hath not lift up his mind to vanity by taking fancie for faith or vain imaginations for holy inspirations nor sworn to deceive his neighbour convenanting for spoil and robbery to be not only impiously but also blasphemously guilty of theft He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation For such a man as hath clean hands and a pure heart is led by the Spirit of God and with his pure heart thinks the thoughts with his clean hands doth the works of the Spirit This man is heir to an inheritance in heaven because he is the Son of God and he is the Son of God because he is led not by his own private Spirit but by the Spirit of God for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Rom. 8. 14. He that saith as many doth in effect say no more they are and none but they are the Sons of God who are led by the Spirit of God He that lifts up his mind to vanity cannot lift up his mind to heaven he that hath sworn to deceive his neighbour is sure to deceive himself he that hath no share in the righteousness may not look
to have a share in the blessing And therefore Aben Ezra's gloss is not to be rejected who observes the same word used in the reward and in the work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall receive the blessing because he did not lift up his soul to receive the vanity The Lord shall lift him up by true sanctification because he did not lift up himself by pride and presumption For no man more truly lifts up his soul to vanity nor more truly labours in vain then he that thinks to go to heaven only by the strength of his own perswasion since it is not possible for him to receive the blessing who cares not to receive the righteousness For these two are joyned together he shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation not the blessing of salvation without the righteousness thereof For it must be a real not an imaginary ascension whereby we get up to heaven the soul that will be there must be lifted up by devotion not by opinion For the Righteousness of salvation is not opinionative but affective and active not in conceit but in practice Take heed of a mock-Ascension into heaven which will make that be truly spoken of thee which those mistaken novices did falsly put upon Eliah Lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley 2 King 2. 16. It was their fond fear concerning Eliah it ought to be the just fear concerning thy self For if thou lay hold of the Spirit of adoption only to cry Abba Father but not to become a dutiful Son or to confine thy dutifulness to observe only those of thy Fathers commands that suit with thine own humour and advantage which is the lame and limping godliness of this hypocritical age wherein men cry up their duty towards God meerly to beat down their duty towards their neighbour If thou thus lay hold of the spirit of adoption others may justly fear concerning thee and thou oughtest to fear concerning thy self Lest peradventure the spirit of the Lord for so thou thinkest it take thee up and cast thee down again upon some mountain or into some valley For indeed the Spirit of the Lord being thus mistaken or thus misapplied doth so take men up as to cast them down again first upon the mountain of presumption then into the valley of despair Secondly our Saviour claimed heaven by the right of his desert even as his just recompence and reward And that claim or title of his is intimated in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was carried or received up into heaven as having before merited to be carried or received up thither so saith Saint Paul he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him Phil. 2. 8 9. Our blessed Saviour was obedient in doing before he was obedient in suffering He first had a most perfect active and then a most perfect passive obedience He was first obedient He was first obedient unto the life and after that obedient unto the death He was zealous in doing the work of God and that made him patient in suffering the will of God yet here is no mention made of his active but only of his passive obedience and no mention made of his obedience without respect to his humility How then shall any Christian forego his humility to stand upon the merit of his obedience when our Saviour Christ himself whose obedience alone is or can be meritorious with God was exalted no less from being humble then for being obedient Surely to teach us how we may soonest have comfort from this his title to heaven nay after some sort be sharers in it claiming heaven as a reward but of our Saviours not of our own righteousness or rather as a reward of his righteousness but made ours So Saint Bernard most Divinely comforted himself against all the accusations of Satan at Gods Judgement seat Fateor non sum dignus ego nec propriis possum meritis regnum obtinere coelorum Caeterùm duplici jure illud obtinens Dominus meus haeredita te Sc. Patris merito passionis altero ipse contentus alterum mihi donat ex cujus dono jure illud mihi vendicans non confundor I confess that 〈…〉 â—t worthy nor can I hope to obtain heaven by mine own merits But my Lord having obtained the same by a double right the one by the inheritance ef his Father the other by the merit of his passion being himself contented only with one of them hath given the other unto me by whose gift I do now claim it as my right and am not to be confounded in my claim Which we might very well take for a great miracle wrought upon us men by our Saviours ascending in our flesh and so entitling that flesh to heaven were it not for those other miracles which neerly concern our Saviour Christ in his own person For we have a twofold miracle intimated in these same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went up though in his body of flesh there 's one miracle his conquest over earth in his humane body For earth was now taught to ascend upwards contrary to its own nature which of it self so descends downwards as to press to the Center nay actually to possess it Earth in it self moves furthest from heaven but in the body of Christ earth moved towards heaven nay earth went up into heaven And the reason is given by Saint Paul Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body The body of Christ after his resurrection was more peculiarly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a glorious body Saint Paul gives us this distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A vile body and a glorious body Our body is a vile body dejected and debased by the sinfulness the grossness the weakness the sluggishness of the flesh our Saviours body was never thus a vile body in the state of his humiliation because he knew no sin yet was it subject to all infirmities or he could not have dyed for sinners And therefore we may truly say that his body in the state of his exaltation was made a glorious body and invested with four conditions or qualities quite contrary to these of our bodies called by the School impassibilitas claritas subtilitas agilitas and by Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15. 42 43. to whom we are primarily beholding for this part of School Divinity which unfoldeth the conditions of a glorified body And the same Apostle comforteth us that after the Resurrection our vile body shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body and consequently be made first impassible and incorrupt without sinfulness for where is no sin there is no corruption there can be no suffering Secondly Clear and transparent without grossness
so that we should then see the thoughts of one anothers hearts looking through one anothers breasts were there no other obstacle to hinder us but only the grosness of the flesh according to that position of the Angelical Doctor Cogitatio unius hominis non cognoscitur ab â—alio propter duplex impedimentum sc propter grossitiem corporis propter voluntatem claudentem sua secreta primum obstaculum tolletur in resurrectione nec est in angelis sed secundum impedimentum remanebit post resurrectionem est modò in angelis 1. p. qu. 57. art 4. ad 1. There are now two impediments of knowing mans thoughts one from his body another from his will The first shall be quite taken away in the resurrection and then men shall be like Angels have nothing to keep their thoughts secret but only their own wills of not revealing them Thirdly Our bodies after the Resurrection shall be nimble active and powerful without any weakness For as the soul will move wholly with God so the body will move wholly with the soul and as there will be no impotency in the soul to hinder it from following God so there will be no impotency in the body to keep it from following the motions of the soul Fourthly and lastly they shall also be spiritual and subtle without any sluggishness Now I have almost a carnal soul but then I shall have a spiritual body Now I have a gross spirit but then I shall have a subtle and active flesh why should I not long for that minute which will take away my weakness and sluggishness and cloath me with power and activity in immortal glory So we see that this first miracle the conquest over earth in our Saviours natural body shall in due time be accomplished also in his mystical body For we men shall be partakers of it after the last Resurrection from the death of the body nay we are already in some sort partakers of it after the first Resurrection from the death of sin For as many as are truly regenerated have already even in their flesh in some weak degree this incorruption this glory this activity this spirituality They are not subject to so much corruption as formerly in their conversation for that is reformed nor to so much grosness of heart for that is refined and moves towards heaven nor to so much weakness for they are able nor to so much dulness and sluggishness for they are willing through the grace of God to run the way of his commandments A blessed miracle this to be considered but much more to be enjoyed the first miracle in our Saviours Ascention the conquest over earth in his body And yet we have Another miracle The conquest over heaven in his soul in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was carried up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was received up Heaven it self as it were stooping down to carry and to receive him up Christ had conquered heaven in his humiliation by the fervency of his prayer making an Angel Minister unto him Luk. 22. 43. So that t is no wonder if he conquered heaven in his exaltation making a bright cloud to minister unto him For though his glorified body needed no fiery charet as Eliahs did because he ascended by his own power into heaven yet he was received by a cloud out of his Apostles sight to shew that even heaven it self was ready to minister to his Ascention This ministerial assistance of the creature not derogating from the power but proclaiming the goodness of the creator according to that determination of the school Non propter defectum suae virtutis sed propter abundantiam suae bonitatis ut dignitatem causalitatis etiam creaturis communicet God makes use of his creatures in many things not for the defect of his power but for the abundance of his goodness that he may communicate to them the honour of doing good one unto another whiles he himself is the only true Efficient cause of doing good to all But here the honour was so much the greater by how much the need was the less for though the creatures may one need another yet the Creator himself hath need of none and our Saviour in making use of this cloud did only shew unto us that he could have commanded heaven it self if he had so pleased to receive him up as well as to receive him in Thus did the kingdom of heaven first suffer violence from Christ himself and now from every good Christian Mat. 11. 12. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence the violent take it by force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens Alexandrinus not by contentious wranglings and disputes but by the constancy of an upright life and by uncessant prayers do we get the conquest over heaven many men do now mistake this violence whiles they seek to invade the kingdom of Grace using the sword of the flesh not of the Spirit to set up religion forcing other mens faith and consciences but neglecting their own whereas the violence should indeed be offered to the kingdom of glory every man should now invade that by the strength of his Faith since Christ hath opened it to all believers For nothing is or can be a good Christians treasure but only Christ not to be kept from him by the most watchfull Sentinel not to be taken from him by the most merciless plunderer or the most deceitfull sequestrator and therefoe where his only treasure is there will his heart be also even at the right hand of God This makes him alwayes pressing into the wounds of Christ who sitteth there for in his wounds there is a place to hide his soul from Vengeance and there is blood to wash his soul from sin This is indeed the violence of faith but this violence is more safe in affection then in perswasion for our affection may without doubt carry us up to heaven after our blessed Saviour but our perswasion cannot Therefore a faith which is strong in perswasion and not in affection is but as a dream which soon vanisheth and the image of Christ which is imprinted in us by such a faith cannot but vanish with it So dangerous a thing is it to put asunder those two which God hath joined together in A true and lively faith Perswasion and affection Israel himself could not so prevail with God though he had his name of Israel from prevailing with God T is true he said I will not let thee go except thou bless me there 's the strength of his faith in its perswasion But t is as true that he wept and made Supplications Hosea 12. 4. there 's the strength of his faith in its affection T was both together made him Israel and not the one without the other Thus is the true strength of faith set down by the Prophet David Psal 73. 24. It is good for me to hold me fast by God to put my trust in the Lord God there
Apostolical practice recorded in the Text was therefore imbraced by the Catholike Church as if it had been Precept for the time and place and persons of Religious worship because that Practice in all these respects was founded upon the precepts of the old Testament not as they were typical and figurative but as they were solemn and positive and did no less concern the Christian in the publike exercise of his moral then they did concern the Jew in the publike exercise of his ceremonial Worship For publike worship requires the same publike adjuncts of time place and person no less in the Christians then it did in the Jews Religion And therefore we cannot deny but all those precepts in the old Testament that were given about those publike adjuncts do still remain in force as to that intent of the publike exercise of Religion unless we will deny that Christians are obliged to the exercise of Gods publike worship we must then still have our set dayes as Sabbaths our set places as Churches our set Persons as Ministers for the solemn publike worship of God And consequently they who go about to abolish any of these adjuncts or circumstances of publike worship do in effect go about to expunge the fourth commandment out of the Decalogue which was written with Gods own finger as well as the rest commandeth the solemn benediction consecration and conservation of all those adjuncts of time place person as conducing to the Publike service of God and exercise of Religion And as for times and persons they have been since in many respects determined by Apostolical Practice and particularly the Day of our Saviours Ascension seems to have been Annually observed by them as the day of his Resurrection was observed weekly since we find that Festival universally received by the Catholike Church and the Fathers made many admirable Sermons or Homilies upon it long before superstition had infected or Popery had invaded the Church of Christ in so much as Saint Augustine tells us plainly that the feast of the Ascension was observed in the Catholike Church even from the Apostles times Sure we are those primitive Christians well understood that God did not intend to confine but to enlarge his own worship by the fourth Commandment to wit to make that exercise of Religion solemn and publike in the fourth which was private in the other three Commandments not to make that to be only on one day which was before commanded to be all the week For he that saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart supposeth that as no day thou canst be without thy heart so no day thy heart may be without his love And therefore when we have a publike day set apart to make this our love publikely known if we do wilfully neglect the same we are grievous transgressors and downright plain Sabbath-breakers though not on the Sabbath day and consequently twice sinners in one contempt or profanation for omitting the substance of the duty and for contemning the circumstance of the day Another circumstance in our blessed Saviours Ascension is the place from which he was received up and that was not Hierusalem but Bethany For although the Apostles had been with him in Galilee many dayes where he conversed with them after the first day of his Resurrection yet now they were again returned back to Hierusalem waiting there for the promise of the Father as they had been commanded Act. 1. 4. And he led them out from thence as far as Bethany Luk 24. 50. before he was pleased to ascend into heaven partly because he would not have the people see but rather believe the Mysterie of his Ascension and partly because he would not expose his Apostles to the outrages of those who though they had seen it yet were resolved not to believe but to persecute the true believers And yet in that he led his Apostles out to Bethany he shewed them what was the right use they were to make of this worlds afflictions or persecutions even to have their conversation with him in heaven For Bethany is by interpretation the house of sorrow or affliction and our blessed Saviour Ascending to heaven from thence hath shewed us that then do we make a right use of of our afflictions on earth when they do make our souls ascend up to heaven This is to turn Bethany into Bethel the house of sorrow into the house of God But the place from which our blessed Saviour ascended into heaven is called Mount Olivet Act. 1. 12. And indeed these two were but one and the same place for Bethany stood upon Mount Olivet Christ ascended from a Mount and from this Mount Olivet He ascended from a Mount to shew it was not an easie step from earth to heaven there must be three ladders joyned together to accomplish this ascent scala mentis scala voluntatis scala vitae one ladder of the mind by contemplation another ladder of the will by affection a third ladder of the life by action All three have several rongs or degrees as Jacobs ladder had and God is only at the top Again he ascended from this Mount Olivet where he begun his passion by sweating blood Luk. 22. to shew us the necessity of passive obedience if we desire to go to heaven Moses his Mount Sinai which teacheth the rule of active obedience will not serve the turn we must also go up to Christs Mount Olivet and there learn his passive obedience that by suffering with him we may also reign with him for he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross and therefore God highly exalted him Phil. 2. Can you drink of his cup without fear it may overcome your weak Stomack since the fear of it made him offer up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears Heb. 5. 7. If you can then may you find some pretence though little cause to take that for granted to you which the sons of Zebedee only requested for themselves to sit with him in his Kingdom But if your frailty and humility bid you fear you may stick at the dregs in drinking of his cup much more should your frailty and modesty bid you blush that you are so exceeding unworthy of comming to his Kingdom and of sitting in it together with him that so you may not turn your own Churchwarden to appoint your own place in heaven but may wholly relie upon him for your place upon whom you must relie for your worthiness SECT III. The persons before whom our Saviour Christ ascended were 1. Angels 2. Men yet men only not Angels appointed by him as witnesses of his ascension though not all men And that the disturbers of these witnesses that is of the orders of Christs Ministers in his Church do sin against this article of Christs ascension which however is it self and puts all true believers above all disturbances THE persons before whom or in whose
due time which is best for my soul either now to hear thy voice as a sheep to my salvation or hereafter to hear it as a goat to my condemnation Thou hast said My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me John 10. 27. Which is thy voice Lord that we may hear it And where wilt thou be that we may follow thee Is not thy voice in thy Word art not thou in thy Church How then do those men hear thy voice that neglect thy word How do they follow thee that run away from thy Church Surely he is no good sheep that doth this and therefore Christ is none of his shepherd He careth not to answer one that is either a Wolf or a Divel either a Wolf for his bloody cruelty or a Divel for his continued Apostacy or if he do answer such a one it shall be only as he did once answer Judas Iscariot who was both a Wolf and a Divel with a Tu dixisti Thou hast said Mat. 26. 25. An answer tending to nothing but to his conviction or to his condemnation He that hath persecuted or betrayed his Saviour if he say unto him Master is it I shall soon find such an answer returned to him in his own guilty conscience Thou hast said an answer tending only to his conviction or to his condemnation But the answer which our blessed Saviour was pleased to return to Saint Jude the Confessor was of another strain for it was a gracious answer for his instruction a satisfactory answer for his contentation If Christ made so great a distinction betwixt two of the same communion and of the same order no wonder if he still make so great a distinction betwixt those that will not be of the same Church who regard neither the Doctrine of Christ nor the communion of Christians Judas the traytor had not yet forsaken Christs Communion yet was not benefited by his teaching because he regarded not his Doctrine Judas the Confessor that he might be sure to be well taught by him readily embraced his Doctrine and resolved never to forsake his Communion And hence it was that our Saviour Christ returned to him a gracious answer for his instruction teaching him that great Mysterie of the manifestation of the Son of God in the soul of man Nay yet more a satisfactory answer for his contentation assuring him that he would thus manifest himself unto him The manifestation of Christ unto the soul is a great mysterie and a greater mercy the mysterie instructs the soul but the mercy contents it And well it may for t is no less then eternal life In qua quidem manifestatione vita aeterna consistit as saith Aquinas in which manifestation of Christ unto the soul consisteth eternal life and he proveth his saying from John 17. 3. And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Aquin. 22. qu. 24. art 12. So then if I will enjoy eternal life I must first know it if I will know eternal life I must know Christ If I will know Christ I must not disesteem his Doctrine or discountenance his communion for if I do either though I live never so long among Christians yet I am like never to come to the state of true Christianity SECT II. Many Christians not so careful of their spiritual as of their temporal estate or condition The State of true Christianity is not external in the profession but internal in the love of Christ which will make us hate all sin No malicious man can be in the state of true Christianity The ground of true Christian charity generally abused to most unchristian uncharitableness charity is more safely mistaken then not maintained IF men were as zealous to look after their spiritual as they are to look after their temporal state the earth would be less filled with sin and heaven would be more filled with Saints But we are generally careless to know the state and condition of our souls because we are generally careless to make it such as might be worth our knowing Hence that sad Epiphonema from our Saviours own mouth so is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God Luke 12. 21. That is so very a fool is he in the account of the eternal wisdom though perhaps he be wise in his own account who is carefull of his Mammon and careless of his God who takes so much pains about his body so little about his soul who is so busie in contriving of his temporal but thinks not at all of his eternal welfare Hence it is that men so easily betake themselves to that profession of the Chrisâ—ian Religion which makes most for their temporal advantages though it much disadvantage them in their spiritual condition and thereby declare themselves not to be in the state of true Christianity for that would make them prefer the love of Christ above all worldly interest whatsoever But we need not have to do with the several professions of the Christian Religion in this case for the state of true Christianity is not to profess but to love Christ and we are then truly in the state of salvation when we truly love our Saviour And this plainly appears by Saint Pauls exhortation to the Ephesians and in them to us where he saith Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Ephes 5. 1 2. To be followers of God and to be his dear children and to walk in love are put for one and the ame thing And what love is here meant but the love of Christ who so dearly loved us as to give himself for us and therefore may justly require our entirest love And if we entirely love him we will be sure not to love what he hateth nor to hate what he loveth and consequently not to abide in any sin either of commission or of omission for to be wilfully guilty of a sin of commission is to love what Christ hateth and to be wilfully guilty of a sin of omission is to hate what Christ loveth and either of these is enough to keep a man from being a good Christian Therefore saith the Psalmist O ye that love the Lord see that ye hate the thing which is evil Psalm 97. 10. For ye cannot love him unless ye hate what he hateth he hateth every thing that is evil whether it be evil by omission or by commission The state of salvation consists so much of love that t is not possible for an uncharitable and much less for a malicious man to be in that state but either he must forgoe his malice or he must forgoe his salvation for God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him John 4. 16. No man can be in the state of salvation who hath not communion with God and there is no having communion with
of dignities ver 8. such a licentiousness as hates to be controuled and much more to be confined and therefore hates the dominion and dignities which God hath ordained to controul and to confine it Or we are lovers of our profits as in ver 11. They have gon in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gain saying of Core where Balaam though put in the Second place yet is clearly the first mover in the way of unrighteousness for Cain and Core both do homage unto him For Cain is ready to kill and Core is ready to rebell if Balaam once run greedily after reward Such are we whiles we are manifested to our selves even lovers of our selves in our pleasures to all abominable licentiousness in our profits to all abominable out-rages and such are the cursed effects of our self-love even murders and seditions So that in truth we are self-haters whiles we are self-lovers for we have our woe denounced against us Woe unto them v. 11. Praedicit eorum exitium quoniam Cainum impudenti malitia Balaamum turpi avaritia Core dâ—nique factioso ambitioso ingenio referunt saith Beza in his short notes He foretelleth the destruction of such men because they follow Cain in his impudent malice Balaam in his filthy coveteousness and Core in his factious and ambitious unruliness But if Christ be manifested unto us our love is wholly of him and we will never think that we can sufficiently express that love We will labour to build up our selves in our most holy faith delighting in those things that are for Edification not for destruction and being afraid of that faith which is more for pulling down then for seeting up of holiness for we may not so build up our selves as to throw down others Praying in the holy Ghost that is praying in such a manner as that he may pray in us and in such a form as that he may pray with us not pinning those prayers upon the spirit of God which a sober man would be ashamed to speak and a conscientious man must be afraid to hear Keeping our selves in the love of God and loving whatsoever may be a means to keep us in his love as his word because it instructs us his authority because it restrains us his ordinances because they confirm and strengthen us having our eyes and our hearts alwayes lifted up to heaven looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life This is the only way to be assured that Christ is manifested unto our souls if indeed we thus entirely love him For our faith makes us accepted in Christ not so much from the strength of its perswasion as from the sincerity of its affection and is therefore called by Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faith which worketh by love Gal. 5. 16. There is no moral certainty to others of our being in Christ without this love In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devill whosoever loveth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother 1 Iohn 3. 10. There can be no theological certainty to our selves of being in Christ without this same love as it follows v. 14. We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren He that loveth not his brother abideth in death And again cap. 4. v. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit and sure we are that spirit is the Spirit of love Thus if we love we shall be assured of love and the more we find that we do love the more we shall find that we are beloved What have we then to do who profess our selves Christians but to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Eph. 5. 2. and by this love to give our selves unto him who hath given himself for us So shall we also in him be made an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour being made partakers of the greatest glory that is incident to the creature even to be an offering and a sacrifice to the Greator and of the greatest blessing that is incident to that glory even to be an offering and a sacrifice for a sweet smelling Savour unto him That he smelling the smell of the Goodly raiment which we have borrowed from our Elder brother may bless us and say See the smell of my Son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Gen. 27. 27. God the Son hath blessed that soul to which he hath given this sweet smelling Savour and God the Father will bless it and God the Holy Ghost will continue the blessing for ever more Amen CAP. III. Of the Comforts that arise from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity SECT I. The first comfort arising from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is That we are thereby assured of the love of God MANY are the comforts of those who know they are in the state of true Christianity but they are all reducible to these three Heads That they are assured of love from God of communion with God and the continuance of that communion Three such comforts the least whereof is able to outweigh all that can be put against it not only in the balance of the Sanctuary but also in the scales of right reason For man naturally doth love God above his life and doth desire communion where he loveth and doth exceedingly delight in the continuance of that communion So that the comfort which ariseth from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity consists of these three degrees 1. That we are thereby assured of the love of God 2. That we are thereby assured of communion with God 3. That we are thereby on Gods part assured of the continuance of that communion which must needs bring heaven down to us if not carry us up to heaven The first degree of this comfort is that we are assured of the Love of God in whose presence is the fulness of joy and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore Psal 16. 12. For God is not as man that he should be changeable in his love but his love is like himself without beginning or ending He loves not more or less in process of time as men do and if he did we should have but small comfort of his love For love that is in time is but for a time not for all times it will be sure to choose the best time If Gods love were such woe would be to us upon whom are come the last and the worst times of this wicked world and therefore the last because the worst The worst as farthest from God and for that reason the last as neerest their own destruction Were Gods love to have a beginning in such times
in their hearts And he dwelleth in their hearts by faith not a faith that commeth from their own Spirits but a faith that commeth from Gods Spirit A faith that cometh from our own spirits strengthneth only the outer man but a faith that cometh from Gods spirit strengthneth the inner man That faith is strong only in perswasion but this faith is strong in affection That faith is strong in phansie but this faith is strong in love even in that love which is the fulfilling of the Law loving the body for the heads sake loving the head for his own sake loving the Church for Christ and loving Christ for himself such a faith as this proceeding from the Spirit of God cannot but afford us a real communion with the Son of God and having a real communion with Christ as with our head we shall never delight in separations and divisions from the Church which is his body SECT IV. Christian communion beginneth with the Church but endeth with Christ both in the word and Sacraments and Prayers and that the Church is bound in all these to advance not to hinder our Communion with Christ either by denying the people the use of the Scriptures or by teaching them superstitious prayers as to Saints and Angels wherein Christ neither can nor will communicate with men The ready way to have communion with Christ is by peace and holiness and wherein that communion chiefly consisteth TRue Christian communion beginneth with the Church as with the body of Christ but endeth with Christ himself as with the head God hath joyned those two together let not man put them asunder Nor is it the intent of this discourse to divide this Christian communion into two several communions by reason determining or defining ratione ratiocinata because the body cannot subsist without the head but only by reason discussing or debating ratione ratiocinante because the head is different from the body And every good Christian is to take notice that though he may consider this communion severally yet he may not persue and embrace it so For he cannot have actual communion with Christ unless he have actual communion with his Church no more then he can have communion with the head unless he have also communion with the body yet may he not rest satisfied in his communion with the body the Church of Christ till they come thereby to have communion with the head even with Christ himself For our Christian communion is much like Jacobs ladder the lower part whereof was set upon the earth but the top of it reached up to heaven And behold the Lord stood above at the top of it Gen. 28. 12 13. So is our Christian communion The lower part of it is with the Church the body of Christ here on earth but the upper part or top of it is with Christ in heaven And we cannot say that our Christian communion is a true communion unless Christ be at the end of it as for example in hearing the word read and preached we at first communicate with the Church which speaketh to the outward man but we hear it not profitably to our salvation unless we at last communicate also with Christ speaking by his Spirit unto our souls or to the inward man Paedogogus est Jesus Our teacher is Jesus was thought by Clemens of Alexandria a fit subject both to fill and to name his books of Christian Institutions v. lib. 1. Paedag. cap. 9. For as the Church teacheth the people so also Christ teacheth them much more and the Churches paedagogy iâ— or should be to bring them unto Christ not to make them rest only upon their own teaching for soul-saving truths nor is this Doctrine any disparagement to the Church no more then Saint Pauls was to the Law when he said The Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ Gal. 3. 24. Nay indeed it is the greatest honour of the Church as it was of the Law that God is pleased to use her teaching as a means or instrument to bring us unto Christ That as the Church teacheth us by explaining saving truths to our understandings so Christ may teach us by imprinting the same truths in our wills and affections therefore the Church should above all things take heed of offering those truths in her explanations which she cannot believe nor wish that Christ should ratifie by his impressions such as are all those Doctrines which are the inventions of men and not the institutions of Christ And forasmuch as it cannot be denied that Christ teacheth more powerfully by his own word then by ours it is evident that the Holy Scriptures may not be denied to the people in their own tongue by that Church which will labour to advance their communion with Christ and as evident that the people are not bound to communicate with that Church which will not labour to advance this the highest and greatest part of their Christian communion Again in receiving the holy Eucharist we must not only communicate with the Priest exhibiting unto us the bread and wine but also and much rather with Christ himself exhibiting unto us his most precious body blood or we shall receive but half a Sacrament and enjoy but a half communion This is Saint Pauls Divinity The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ 1 Co. 10. 16. We bless the Cup and we break the bread therefore you must communicate with us which we could not say if we did refuse to do either for we could not desire you to relinquish your communion with Christs institution to follow ours But the Cup which we bless and the bread which we break is the communion of the blood and body of Christ therefore you must not communicate chiefly and much less only with us but also and much rather with Christ himself Lastly Thus is it also in our prayers we are bound in our praying to communicate not only with the Church as the body but also with Christ as the head and consequently the Church is bound to use no other prayers then such as may be agreeable with Christs communion and available by Christs intercession For if we pray out of his communion we cannot hope to obtain what we pray for by virtue of his intercession And this I conceive was one main reason why publick Liturgies were at first established in the Church that Christians might know before hand the terms of their communion and be assured in their own hearts that no other prayers should be offered unto them then such wherein Christ himself would joyn with them in intercession which assurance during the extraordinary effusions of the Spirit was grounded upon the infallibility of their persons who prayed but when it could no longer be grounded upon the infallibility of the persons that prayed then it was thought fit it should be
is the signification of its name derived from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies joy and exaltation or our English word Glee That as the resurrection of Christ was the greatest joy that ever came to earth whose very dust by this new breathing of God the Son is the second time become a living body never to die again so the place wherein it was demonstrated and the time wherein it was celebrated should be to mankind both of them remembrancers of everlasting joy This was enough then to make all the world go to Hierusalem and Hierusalem it self to go to Galilee that they might be joyful spectators of this great blessing and more blessed partakers of this great joy accordingly providing their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their songs and hymns of triumph in honour of our blessed Saviour who had thus overcame death to open unto us the gate of everlasting life and let us in to an immortal Communion with himself the first-born of the dead and with his holy Angels the first-born of the living This is that communion the holy Apostle recommendeth to our desires and much more to our delights when he saith Ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Hierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12. 22 23 24. As many words so many excellencies of our Christian communion which is inchoate here in earth and shall be consummate hereafter in heaven but I will reduce them all to three heads the proper place the company and the author of this Communion 1. The proper Place is the Church of God here specified by three most honourable titles or compellations Mount Sion The City of the living God The heavenly Hierusalem three such titles as will make every sober much more every Religious man in love with the Churches communion as he would be in love with the stedfastness of Mount Sion which cannot be removed with the holiness of the City of God which cannot be defiled and with the happiness of the heavenly Hierusalem which above all things is to be desired for without doubt this Christian communion with the Church of Christ is the safest and the plainest way to stedfastness to holiness and to happiness 2. The company and that is so good that we cannot hope for better in heaven for it consists of Angels and of the first-born in Christ whose names are written in heaven and of God the Maker Preserver and Rewarder of these and the Judge of all that hate and oppose them with all these do we actually communicate in Christs Church whiles we are here on earth with Angels as the assistants with good men as the members and with God as the president of this communion nay indeed we actually communicate with more then these for also with the spirits of just men made perfect so that if any just man go from hence out of our company yet he goes not out of our communion for we follow after him to heaven in our affections though we still continue and remain here on earth in our persons 3. The author of this Communion and he is no other then the eternal Son of God the hope of men and the joy of Angels the support of earth and the beauty of heaven even Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant who by his eternal Priesthood offering up himself hath fully expiated and taken away the sins of the whole world and by his own death hath ratified and confirmed that Testament in which he hath given us the Inheritance of heaven 'T is of his fulness we have all received grace for grace It is of his fulness we shall all receive glory for glory It is the sprinkling of his blood which washeth away our sins contracted from our earthly parents and which will present our souls without sin before our heavenly Father so that we have great necessity earnestly to desire and constantly to embrace his Communion by whom alone we can hope to attain the sanctification of our souls here and the salvation of our souls hereafter CAP. III. Of Christian Communion in its sincerity SECT I. The sincerity of Christian Communion consists in this that it gives all to Christ Those Christians justified that do so in their Festivals the Sabbatarians questioned for not so doing The Apostles new method of teaching Christian Divinity by interlining of prayers and praises that Christ might be the more glorified and the Christian Religion the less adulterated IN other communions every one is like Diotrephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to challenge if not to engross the preheminence to himself But in the true Christian communion all are willing to give the preheminence wholly unto Christ And they have great reason so to do and greater Religion in so doing for they do but give unto him what they have received from him that like as they have the preheminence among other men in being members of his body so he may have the preheminence among them in being acknowledged for their Head For his humiliation was very great in stooping down so low as to be joyned to them and by the Apostles express rule Phil. 2. His exaltation is to be correspondent to his humiliation Saint Chrysostom thus expresseth his humiliation in that He descended to this communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he who was above and above all things was pleased to joyn himself with those below that so he might be their Head It was the Psalmists admiration Who is like unto the Lord our God that hath his dwelling so high and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth Psalm 113. 5. It must be our astonishment that he humbleth himself not to behold but to guide and manage them that he humbleth himself not to look but to come down to heaven to be the head of Angels not to look but to come down to earth to be the head of men Three great steps of humility in stepping down to this It was one great step for him to look down to heaven Another great step to look down to earth but the third was far greater then both to come down to earth that he might there incorporate himself with men in one body and so become their Head and inspirit men with himself as it were in one soul that they might become his members Wherefore our enquiry concerning this must needs begin in admiration that our admiration may the better end in thanksgiving according to Saint Pauls example who after his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches concludes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom be glory for ever Amen Nay indeed according to Saint Pauls Doctrine for so he expresly saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
communion Thus doth Saint Paul briefly but pithily define a Christian Church 1 Thes 1. 1. To the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ We cannot imagine the Thessalonians were in God before they were with God so that the one presupposeth the other and we may hence collect this definition of a true Christian Church that it is a company of men Ministers and People though here Saint Paul chiefly write to the Ministers calling them the Church as appears in that he chargeth them to read this Epistle to all the Holy brethren cap. 5. v. 27. which sheweth that he sent it only to the Ministers I say that a true Christian Church is a company of Men Ministers and People who are with the God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ by their Religion nay more who are in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ by their communion And all the men in the world who are thus with and in God the Father and God the Son by the power of God the Holy Ghost do make up the whole present Christian or Catholick Church They may be several Churches in their Denominations and Jurisdictions They are but one Church in their Religion and in their spiritual communion Thus faith the same Saint Paul Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular 1 Cor. 12. 27. that is ye Christians of all Nations are the mystical body of Christ aud ye Christians of Corinth of this or that Nation are members in particular of that body and members in particular one of another as all together make up that body or as all particular Churches make up the Catholick Church SECT IX What Trust is given to other particular Churches in the Holy Scriptures is also given to our particular Church of England from God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost That our Church is accordingly bound to magnifie her Trust and therefore we bound not to vilifie it And that it is both Rational and Religious to maintain the Trust and Authority of our own particular Church IF he be justly reproached for dishonesty who doth not carefully discharge his Trust which he hath received from man how much more they who do not carefully discharge their Trust which they have received from God And this is the case of Ministers above all other men who have received such a Trust from God as all the power of the world could not give them and all the malice of the world cannot deny them Indeed it is the case of every particular Minister much more of the whole Ministry or of a whole Church which is more eminently Gods Trustee and hath a much greater Trust then either the arrogancy of any one can challenge or the ability of any one can discharge And therefore if the spirit of God give that charge to one particular Archippus Take heed to the Ministery which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it Col. 4. 17. much more doth it give the same charge to the whole Church of Colosse which had in a more ample manner and for a more general end received the same Ministery And though the Church of Colosse it self was soon after swallowed up with an Earth-quake in the dayes of Nero as saith Orosius yet not so the Instructions nor the authority given to it they must remain till the worlds end Take heed to the Ministery which thou hast received in the Lord is not to be swallowed up by the cleaving and dividing of the earth no more then it is to be revoked or recalled by any voice from heaven And so was it also with the Church of Ephesus as appears from Saint Pauls charge to the first Bishop of that Church I give thee charge in the sight of God and before Christ Jesus that thou keep this commandment without spot unrebukeable untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6 13 14. In that he chargeth him to keep the commandments he had received concerning Religion without spot unrebukeable he sheweth the Churches trust in that he addeth to his charge untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ he sheweth that Trust is to continue till the worlds end For in this case we must alwayes remember those words of our Saviour Mar. 13. 37. And what I say unto you I say unto all Watch For what Saint Paul said to the first Bishop of Ephesus he said to all Bishops that ever should be after him as well as to all that were then with him For the Apostolical Epistles though in their inscriptions or Title they concerned some special Churches yet in their Instructions and use they concerned all Churches as plainly appears from Saint Pauls own words Col. 4. 16. And when this Epistle is read amongst you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that yee likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea So that what Instruction or Authority or charge was given to one Church was given to all Churches in that one And consequently we may thus argue by way of Induction The Trust of Religion was given by God to the Church of Rome and of Corinth and of Galatia and of Ephesus and of Philippi and of Colosse and of Thessalonica therefore the same trust is given by God to our own Church of England and indeed to all the several particular Churches in the Christian world For if each particular Bishop and Presbyter have his Trust originally from the Holy-Ghost though derived by the hands of men Then much more have all the Bishops and Presbyters their Trust from the Holy Ghost Hence that expression in the first Council of Bishops Act. 15. 28. It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us Which hath in some sort been followed by other Councils since Particularly the sixth which confirming the five oecumenical before doth it in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This our holy and Oecumenical Synod hath by inspiration from God confirmed those former Councils Which is in effect as much as if they had said It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us to confirm them Concil Constant 3. Act. 17. Graece sed 18. Latine A sufficient proof that the Apostles spake not those words for themselves alone but also for the Church after them which was thereby authorized as to act by the power so to act in the name of the Holy-Ghost And if any shall be so refractory as to say otherwise he may look upon another place not only as a confirmation of this truth but also as a confutation of his own refractoriness Acts 7. 51. Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost For whosoever is stiff-necked and will not hear nor obey the word of truth though in the mouth of a weak and sinful man sent from God to speak it doth make himself guilty of this detestable and damnable resistance even of resisting the Holy Ghost For
Bishops and Presbyters in Italy shall give an account for souls in England and as much against reason to say or think that souls in England shall not give an account for their disobedience And as this Position concerning the Authority of our own particular Church is reasonable so is it also religious For this is Saint Pauls own argument to the Corinthians Though you have ten thousand instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me 1 Cor. 4. 15 16. Whence we cannot but collect this dogmatical conclusion That this Church which hath begotten us in Christ claimeth our obedience in Christ and to renounce that obedience is in effect to renounce our being made Christians And as no other Church can truly say to us I have begotten you through the Gospel so no other Church can justly say unto us Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me To sum up all in one word This Doctrine concerning the acknowledging and obeying the authority of mine own Church being both rational and religious I dare not wilfully oppose it for fear of sinning against the God within me that is to say mine own conscience which will certainly by a most terrible and just remorse vindicate the violated dictates of Reason And much more for fear of sinning against the God without me Father Son and Holy Ghost which will certainly by a more terrible and just vengeance at the last day vindicate the violated dictates of Religion CAP. II. That the Church of England hath most carefully discharged her Trust concerning Religion as a most Christian or most Catholick Church SECT I. Gods intent in trusting his Church with Religion was her honour and happiness which should cause our thankfulness to God and our reverend esteem of his Church IT is a great honour to be trusted and as great a happiness to discharge a Trust Accordingly God entrusting his Church with Religion did intend her both honour and happiness Honour with men happiness with himself Honour in earth and happiness in heaven wherein we cannot but admire the goodness and Justice and liberality and mercy of God His Goodness in that he communicateth to his Church his own most excellent property even a will and desire that all men should be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. His Justice in that he giveth abilities proportionable to that desire enabling his Church to promote the salvation of men and to bring them unto that heavenly knowledge his Liberality in that he giveth this desire and those abilities meerly of his free grace to enrich our souls not himself And lastly his Mercy in that by giving this desire these abilities and these riches he expelleth our natural defects arising from errour and ignorance whereby we do walk in the false and cannot find out the true way and prepareth us for that bliss and glory which is above nature who can think of this goodness of this Justice of this liberality of this mercy and not say with the Psalmist Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is withâ—n me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness Psalm 103. 1 2 3 4. For it is his goodness that he forgiveth sin and healeth infirmities his Justice that he forgiveth only the penitent sinners and healeth only those who are broken in heart His mercy that he saveth our life from destruction and his liberality that he crowneth us with mercy and loving-kindness Accordingly he hath commanded his Church to teach especially the Doctrine of Faith to set forth his goodness by which he is reconciled The Doctrine of Repentance to set forth his Justice which hath been satisfied The Doctrine of Free Grace to set forth his mercy in saving us from destruction The Doctrine of eternal glory to set forth his liberality in crowning us with loving kindness O my soul consider the immortal comfort of these heavenly Truths and look upon thy Church which teacheth them as the daughter of immortality as the mother of comfort and as the Bride of the King of Heaven Then wilt thou no more be contentedly without thy Church then thou canst be comfortably without these Doctrines Then wilt thou say with the Psalmist I am fearfully and wonderfully made but with thy self I am more fearfully and wonderfully saved Marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well Psalm 139. 13. I am much amazed at thy great care and providence over my body but much more at thy great care and providence over my soul Thou madest use of my carnal Parents to make me communicating to them as far as they were capable the honour of my Creation Thou makest use of my spiritual Parents to save me communicating to them as far as they are capable the honour of my salvation should I be a monster of nature if I dishonoured the one and shall I not be a monster of grace if I dishonour the other Didst thou confer on them the Dignity of Causality by thy goodness that I should cast upon them the indignity of contumacy by my undutifulness Can I indeed truly honour thee the Principal and dishonour thy Church the instrumental cause of my salvation Thou laid'st thine hand upon me to make me but thou laid'st thine heart upon me to save me O make me wholly to fix my heart upon thee my Saviour and upon thy salvation Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book were all my members written wstilst thou madest my Body But thine eyes would not see my sinfulness nor my imperfections and thou didst blot all my transgressions out of thy Book that thou mightst save my soul Therefore I cannot but say How dear are thy counsels unto me O God Psalm 139. 17. Dear are thy counsels about my Creation much dearer are thy counsels about my Redemption Counsels they were till thou wert pleased to reveal them by thy Church Since therefore I cannot but say How dear are thy counsels I beseech thee suffer me not to say How cheap is thy Counsellor SECT II. The Churches Trust concerning Religion is to see there be right Preaching Praying and Administring the holy Sacraments That preaching belongs rather to the knowledge then to the worship of God and ought not to thrust out Praying which is the chiefest act of Gods worship and most regarded by him especially when many pray in one communion CHristian Religion teacheth us to know and worship God as is agreeable to his Glory and profitable for our salvation So that the Churches trust concerning the Christian Religion is reducible to these two heads the knowledge and the worship of God And because the Church is trusted with the
wil-worship and superstition That the general equity of the Levtical Law as far as it was not Typical is still in force concerning the solemnities of Religion and that approves Anniversary as well as weekly Festivals Sect. 4. Of the antient contention about the observation of Easter That the Apostles zeal more about duties then about days doth not overthrow the observing of particular days in the service of God And that those days ought to be observed by Preaching Praying Administring the Sacraments and also by Alms-deeds so that false administration sc of the Holy Eucharist in one kind and false devotions and false doctrine and sordid illiberality in not relieving the poor are all alike profanations of a Festival Sect. 5. The practice of the Primitive Christians in observing the Feast of Easter and that there was no superstition in that practice Sect. 6. That the Lords day which is observed weekly is to be observed in memory of our Saviours Resurrection And hath a double sanctification one by relation to its duty which is publickly to serve God and to give him thanks for our redemption by Christ and is the Principal The other by institution as consecrated to this duty and is the less principal That the Antisabbatarian Doctrine which advanceth duties above days is not only of Christs but also of Moses his own teaching and makes most for the true observation of the Sabbath which yet is more properly called the Lords day then the Sabbath Sect. 7. That Sunday hath a better Title to holiness and unchangeableness as the Lords Day then as the Sabbath And that the Lords Day and the Lords labourers or Ministers are both to continue to the worlds end by virtue of Gods command in general and of Christs determination and institution in particular Sect. 8. That Sunday as the Lords Day is most truly a Christian Festival and ought to be most religiously observed and so ought also other Festivals instituted in honour of Christ as being likewise our Christian Sabbaths Sect. 9. The fourth Commandment was not given to limit the First and therefore excludes not other Festivals shewing our true love of Christ but rather commands them The true manner of observing any Christian Festival particularly Easter is to account and make it a day of observations by observing our selves and our Saviour Our selves what we have been what we are what we desire to be Our Saviour what he was in his humiliation what he is in his exaltation what he will be in his Retribution Sect. 10. That the end of this and of all other Christian Festivals is our spiritual Communion with Christ and therefore they ought to be celebrated more with spiritual then with carnal joys that though our carnal joys are greater in their proportion yet our spiritual joys are greater in their foundation Sect. 11. A zealous observation of this Christian Festival proceedeth from the true love of our Redeemer and thankfulness for our redemption A set form of praise fittest to express that thankfulness CAA. 2. That God is to be adored only in Christ Hath four Sections Sect. 1. THat no man whilst he is in the state of sin cares to come neer God and that Adam after his sin could not have adored God rightly if Christ had not been revealed to him as the propitiation for his sins Sect. 2. That no Religion adoreth God rightly which adoreth him not in Christ and of the excellencies of the Christian Religion That no other Religion teacheth such conformable truths to right reason declareth an expiation for sin promiseth so great a reward sheweth so pure a worship or so innocent a conversation Sect. 3. The reason why God cannot be rightly adored but only by Christians is because he cannot be truly known and loved but only by those who know and love him in Christ The true way to gain that knowledge and to shew and keep that love is universal obedience both to his affirmative and negative precepts without which there can be no saving knowledge of God That the Christians do know and worship God in Christ cleerly and substantially and that the Jews did so know and worship him in Types and Figures so that the Jewish and the Christian Religion differ not in substance but only in degrees of perfection Sect. 4. That those Christians who adore God by any other Mediator then by Christ alone do not rightly adore him And that those who do rightly adore him ought not to be discouraged in their Religion and much less be deterred from it Christ glorified in his Ascension Hath a Prooem and three Chapters The Proeem That our blessed Saviours Ascension is not so truly observed by our Commemoration as by our imitation and the manner how to consider the history of his Ascension The first Chapter is Christ considered before his Ascension The second Chapter is Christ considered whilst he was Ascending The third Chapter is Christ considered after he was Ascended CAP. 1. Christ considered before his Ascension Hath three Sections Sect. 1. Christ considered in his Apparitions before he ascended as to Mary Magdalen and to Saint Peter c. The wrong use that hath been made the right use that may be made of those Apparitions Sect. 2. The Apparition to above five hundred at once cleared And Christ considered in his instructions before he Ascended That those instructions are more particularly to be observed as more directly conducing to the Constitution and the conservation of his Church Those instructions briefly explained as they are set down Mat. 28. 19 20. Sect. 3. That the words which our Saviour Christ spake to his Apostles before he ascended may be reduced to these three heads Words of instruction consolation benediction That the effect of them all is registred in the Text not left to unwritten Tradition That the Apostles though thus instructed comforted and blessed yet preached not the Gospel till the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them whereby they had not only ability but also authority or Mission and Commission in a full degree CAP. 2. Christ considered whilst he was ascending Hath three Sections Sect. 1. THat the words used to express Christs ascension did manifest his twofold claim or title to heaven the one by inheritance as God the other by merit or purchase as man And that Christ in his ascension wrought a twofold miracle one in the conquest of Earth the other in the conquest of Heaven and what comfort and benefit redounds to us Christians from these Titles and these Miracles Sect. 2. The time of Christs ascension particularly named in the Text and the observation of that Day is founded upon the practise of the Apostles which in the exercise of Religion is to be embraced as precept why the Apostles left not many precepts concerning circumstances of worship to the Christian Church The place of the ascension was Bethany in Mount Olivet and what considerations arise from thence Sect. 3. The persons before whom our Saviour Christ ascended
behold him as my Judge For if I be ashamed of him in his infirmity how shall he not be ashamed of me in his glory Therefore I dare not be ashamed of this day least I should seem to be ashamed of him also no nor of his prayer least I should seem to be ashamed of his words since himself hath said Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son ef man be ashamed when â—e cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angel Mar. 8. 38. SECT XI The first Christmas-day was kept by the Holy Angels therefore no will-worship in keeping Christmas but rather a necessity to keep it from Heb. 1. 6. The Kingdom of Christ as Creator and as Redeemer IN keeping of Christmas the Church militant follows the example of the Church Triumphant for the First Christmas-Day that was ever kept on Earth was kept by the Holy Angels that came of purpose from Heaven to keep it Luk. 2. 13 14 And suddenly there was with the Angel A multitude of the Heavenly Host Praising God and saying Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace good will towards men Shall that be accounted Superstition in men which was undoubted Religion in the Angels or can we be called will-worshippers for doing no more then they did unless you will first call them so Let will-worship go in Epiphanius his language for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for wilful and for superfluous worship for what it hath of mans will or wilfulness it cannot but have of superfluity But let us take heed of calling that will-worship for which there is a Precedent in the Text and so great a reason for that Precedent for it is most certain that the blessed Angels in Heaven had great reason to joy for the incarnation of Christ since he was the Repairer of their ruine in their fellows and the confirmer of their â—â—ay or standing in themselves whence Alensis tels us plainly that the Angels joy and bliss was greater after the incarnation of Christ then it had been before For though the substantial Joy of the Angels consist in the contemplation of the Divinity yet their accidental joy consists in the contemplation of the Humanity of our blessed Saviour as it is united to his Divinity Accrevit igitur gaudium Angelorum licet non quod substantiam tamen quantum ad multitudinem quia pluribus modis habent modò gaudium in beatitudine quà m ante Incarnationem Par. 3. q. 12. Therefore the Joy of the Angels is increased by the Nativity of Christ though not in its substance yet in its Variety for that now they rejoyce more several wayes then before for whereas before the Incarnation they rejoyced to see God in God now since it They rejoyce to see God in man And we find that they did sing and triumph that they might express their joy surely not to teach us Christians who in that we are men have much greater cause of joy from thence then the Angels could have I say surely not to teach us men a lesson of silence and of fullenss But if we will not regard Precedent yet we must regard Precept And the Angels seem to have a Precept to worship our Saviour Christ at his Nativity For the Apostles words seem to look towards a Precept Heb. 1. 6. When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world He saith And let all the Angels of God worship him I know this Text chiefly aims at the Proof of Christs Divinity but if the Holy Spirit thought he had sufficiently proved the first-begotten of the Father though brought into the world in the form of a servant to be no less then God when he had said And let all the Angels of God worship him It is evident they do what is in them to invalidate this Proof who at the very time that he was thus brought into the world do cry out as loud as they can let not the the sons of men worship him But where doth the Holy Ghost say this Epiphanius in his Ancorate plainly cites Moses's song for this Text which is in Deut. 32. where v. 42. The Greek interpretation hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all the Angels of God worship him but with some various lections to make the Interpretation disputable at least if not questionable However since no such thing is to be found in the Hebrew and we are not assured that the Holy Ghost spake in Greek by the Septuagint supposing their Translation hath been preserved incorruptible we may not ascribe this Greek Translation to the saying of the Holy Ghost we must therefore appeal to the Hebrew Original which we are sure came immediately from Gods holy Spirit and then we shall find this Injunction Worship him all ye Angels of God in Psal 97. 7. And indeed the whole Argument of that Psalm is nothing else but a Prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ and an exhortation both to Angels and men Joyfully to celebrate the magnificence and thankfully to acknowledge the power of his Kingdom For the Kingdom of Christ may be considered either as he is Creator Eternal God with the Father and the Holy Ghost and so the Jews themselves will not deny him to be their King or As Redeemer God and man in one Person and and so the Jews do stiffly deny his Kingdom and we Christians had need beware least we may seem to encourage or at least to confirm and Harden them in that Denial SECT XII We must embrace all opportunities of glorifying Christ that we may not be thought to desert either our Saviour or our selves whiles we are defective in our Devotions either for want of Preparation before which hath hitherto made us so bad Christians in so good a Church or of Affection in them which will keep us from being good Christians or of Thankfulness after them which wil keep us from worthily magnifying the name of Christ THe best course I know to prevent the hardening either of our own or of others Hearts is to take all the opportunities that are offered us of glorifying our blessed Saviour for he that is willing to neglect an opportunity can scarce be zealously inclined to lay hold of another time he that will not Honour Christ on his own Day will scarce pick out another Day to honour him though he may pretend to keep Christmass all the year or if he be indeed zealously inclined to honour Christ yet other Christians cannot be easily inclined to think him so and Jews must necessarily think him not so And though we ought not to judge them also that are without 1 Cor. 5. 12. yet we ought not to offend them and much less them that are within for this is the way to cause God to judge us we will therefore take that for granted which cannot be denied that we have all great need to imploy very much and cannot imploy
cadit sub actu Amoris Scotus in 1. lib. sent dist 18. The first gift which every one gives to him whom he loves is his love which is indeed the only reason of all his other gifts for nothing can have the nature of a gift but as it proceeds from love And therefore God first gives us his love before he gives us any thing else and he gives nothing as a blessing but what he gives in love as for example Government is the best temporal gift to any Nation yet given in anger is no blessing and consequently no gift so saith the Prophet Dedi Regem iratus eis Hos 13. 11. I gave them a King in mine anger This was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A gift that was no gift because not given in love And as it is in Regal so also in Popular Government as appears from the 94. Psalm the 20. ver For whether we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Septuagint A Throne of wickedness when Kings and Princes sit thereon or sedes iniquitatis with the Vulgar Latine a seat or stool of wickedness when mean People are got up to it it is still a curse not a blessing if the Government be not given in love For then whosoever be the Governors They will imagine mischief as a Law and gather them together against the soul of the righteous and condemn innocent blood So Musculus an excellent Protestant Divine glosseth those words of the Psalmist That they do note unto us judiciary meetings of wicked men to oppress the Righteous and to Condemn innocent blood by vertue of some unjust Laws or Constitutions not at consensus Judiciarios Hominum iniquâ—rum qui ad hoc conglobantur ut Justâ—s opprimerent sanguinem innocentem vigore Legum injustarum condemnarent Thus that Author glosseth upon the place and we cannot gainsay his gloss since it is undeniable that truth and righteousness doth hold only of Christ not of mans Government whether it be by one or by many Again the Gospel of Christ is the best spiritual gift that can be given to any People yet given not in love oft-times proves no Blessing and consequently no gift Like Manna to the Israelites in Psal 78. Manna was a type of Christ so owned by Christ himself Joh. 6. 32. That was the Typical this is the real Bread from Heaven which nourisheth our souls to eternal Life And it is with this as it was with that bread with the Gospel of Christ as it was with the Manna If given not in love but in anger it will scarce turn to our spiritual nourishment And we may justly fear it is now with the Gospel as it was then with that Manna God gives it without his love to those that either tempt him in their hearts as the Jews did ver 18. asking meat for their lusts looking after the Word more for curiosity then for conscience or that tempt him with their mouths as the Jews did ver 19 20. They spake against God and said Can God furnish a Table in the wilderness can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people A sin that contentious men are too much guilty of who in the midst of Eden cry out as if they were in in a wilderdess in the midst of plenty repine as if they were in want they do in effect say that God cannot prepare them a table good enough unless their own hands help to make it or will not prepare them a table soon enough unless they overhasten his preparation To complain against God instead of rendring humble hearty thanks unto him to complain against him out of meer wantonness not out of any want save only of a thankful heart within our selves is to do as the Jews did in this place and then we must look to fare as they did for a fire was kindled amongst them and anger came up against them ver 21. And if we make God angry as they did we cannot but expect to feel the same sad effects of his Anger as it is said ver 30 31. But while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fastest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel Just so is it with those that are of a quarrelsom religion that will not receive Christ in the way that God offers him they commonly have Christ not in love but in anger not to make them the more happy but the more inexcusable not to make them the better Christians but to bring them under a stricter account for their defiance of Christ and their abuse of Christianity they know more of their Masters will but it is to do the less of it that so they may be beaten with many stripes Luke 12. 47. Nay indeed they know less of their Masters will though they would be thought to know more of it For those know least of Christ who seek to know most of him by contention and by faction since he that said learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11. 29. will never take contention for meekness nor faction for lowliness and therefore will not teach such as love to be contentious and factions Saint Paul indeed tell us of some who preached Christ out of Envy Phil. 1. 15 16. but he doth not tell us of any that ever learned him so he said to the Galatians Christ shall profit you nothing and Christ is become of none effect to you Gal. 5. 24. but he had given the reason of that saying before he said it in the first chapter and sixth and seventh ver I marvail that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ wherefore let those that make nothing of removing from the Church by which they have been called to the Grace of Christ take heed lest they cause Christ to remove himself and his Gospel from them let those that surfet of one Christ take heed they have not many Christs for one for there are many false Christs spoken of Mat. 24. 24. who though they shall not deceive the elect who are constant to themselves and to their Saviour yet may not onely deceive and delude but also destroy the wicked that love to gad after their own Inventions and please themselves in their own imaginations For Christ himself if he be indeed given to such men is not given in love and that is the reason that he profits them nothing and becomes of none effect to them though to others he be all in all working with great power to the establishment of their hearts here and with greater mercy to the salvation of their souls hereafter SECT II. Gods love in Christ though it be universal in the diffusion yet is it particular in the obligation IT is observable that Saint Paul first rejoyceth in the
how God proceeded in primo secundo tertio quarto Instanti concerning Judas and makes Judas a sinner before he supposeth God to hate him at all and a final sinner before he supposeth God to hate him finally and we being all sinners by the same reason must needs also be under Gods hatred till he look on us in Christ the only ground and reason of his love According to which the learned Grotius saith Distinguenda sunt tua ut ita dicam momenta divinae Voluntatis circa hominem peccatorem We must distinguish as it were three Moments in Gods will concerning sinful man Grotius his Moment comes very neer to Scotus his instant Primum est ante Christi mortem The first moment is before the death and pason of Christ In this God is altogether angry Secundum est positâ jam Christi morte the second moment is after Christs satisfaction made In this God is willing to be reconciled Tertium est quum homo verâ fide in Christum credit Christus credentem Deo commendat The third Moment is after Christs satisfaction is actually laid hold on by a lively faith and Christ actually recommendeth the believer to his Father And in this Moment God is actually reconciled and well pleased with the sinner and gives him all the benefits if not the comforts of that reconciliation For Christ may be said to reconcile where he may not be said to recommend He is said in Saint Paul to reconcile the world unto God 2 Cor. 5. 19. But himself saith in Saint John he did not recommend the world unto God John 17. 9. I pray not for the world His reconciliation it seems concerns the whole nature of man but his recommendation concerns only the persons of some particular men even such as lay hold on his reconciliation by faith and repentance saying Lord I believe help my unbelief For there is a meritorious or potential and there is a personal or actual reconciliation wrought by Christ The potential reconciliation belongs to all mankind because it is founded on the infinite merit of Christs satisfaction But the actual reconciliation belongs only to the true believers because it is founded on the Application of that merit unto our souls Still the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is only in Christ God is well pleased in him for his own sake but in us only for his sake Excellently Zanch. lib. 4. de tribus Elohim cap. 1. glosseth upon those words Mat. 3. 17. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tria beneficia iis paucis verbis docet Pater per Christum nobis communicari dilectionis reconciliationis adoptionis seu regenerationis three blessings doth God the Father teach us in these few words to be communicated to us by Christ The blessing of dilection of reconciliation and of adoption or regeneration we beloved in him there is the dilection we sons in him there is the adoption we accepted in him there is the reconciliation And indeed the words added to this voice Hear ye him Mat. 17. 5. plainly shew that the voice it self came not for Christs sake but for ours that we might think our selves in him beloved and sons and such in whom God is well pleased The voice was from heaven and the comfort is heavenly Blessed be the God of heaven for them both And we beseech him to repeat this heavenly voice and to renew this Heavenly comfort by his own Holy Spirit unto our souls SECT VI. Gods love in Christ is not a fond love therefore he scourgeth whom he loveth The Christian Church not taught in the New Testament to expostulate for being scourged though she be crucified as Christ was between two thieves AS God loves us in order to our Saviour and therefore not causelesly so also he loves us in order to our salvation and therefore not fondly or preposterously Gods love is not a fond love◠for whom he loveth he chastneth but it is a saving love for when he chastneth he chastneth us for our good that we might be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. He loves not like a fond mother who had rather venture to break her own heart then her childs stomack For God will make his sons by adoption like his Son by nature whom he most loved and yet he most scourged He will make those whom he intends to save like the Captain of their salvation by wearing a crown of thorns before he will make them like him by wearing a crown of Glory Hence happily it comes to pass that though we find many and great expostulations with God in the Old Testament concerning the persecutions of his Church as particularly Psalm 74. and Jer. the twelfth Yet we scarse find so much as a direct complaint which is much less then an expostulation concerning it in all the New Testament The reason is plain that the Christian Church might be taught by Christs Doctrine as well as by his Example not to look to fare better then her Master and sure she is she cannot fare worse Therefore is the Christian Church in a manner ashamed to say with David Psalm 74. 1. O God why hast thou cast us off for ever Since she knows the Son of God himself hath said my God my God why hast thou forsaken me or with the Prophet Jer. 12. 1. Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements Since she knows Saint Peter hath said For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. or again with the same Prophet Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Since Christ himself hath said this is your hour and the power of darkness Luke 22 53. Or lastly with the same Prophet Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously Since our blessed Saviour himself had a Traytor among his own Apostles and hath shewed us that true happiness consists not in having power to persecute but in having patience to be persecuted for righteousness sake Mat. 5. 10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Christ himself was crucified between two theives and that 's reason enough why his Church should not greatly complain though she be crucified not only between but also by two thieves The one robbing God of his honour the other of his Patrimony Saint Paul hath given a hint of them both in one piece of a verse Rom. 2. 22. Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge For in truth Idolatry and Sacriledge have a long time been the two grand scourges of the Christian Church Idolatry whipping God out of his Temple to let in other petty Dieties and Sacriledge whipping him in it They that abhor the Sacriledge committing the Idolatry they that abhor the Idolatry committing the Sacriledge SECT VII Christs love to us that he would come from his Father to
admired in his Passion I Cannot admire my Saviour in his sufferings unless I admire him in his person which made him liable to suffer and in his propitiation satisfaction application whereby I have the benefit of his sufferings And in all these respects hath the holy Apostle Saint Paul admired my Saviour for me 1 Cor. 5. 7. when he said for Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us for these few words afford no less then four considerations of our blessed Saviour the first is of Christ in his person for Christ the second is of Christ in his propitiation our Passeover the third is of Christ in his satisfaction is sacrificed the fourth is of Christ in his application for us So that I have a very good precedent for making these four considerations of Christ the four Chapters of my ensuing discourse CAP. I. Christ admired in his Person SECT I. That the eye of man cannot be fixed with comfort upon God in himself but only upon God in Christ THE contemplation of God in himself is not a ground of joy to us on earth though it is to the Saints and Angels in heaven not that the beatifical vision doth not consist in seeing God but that the eye of mortal man must be strengthened before it can see him and the eye of sinful man must be cleansed before it can see him with comfort and without confusion for if Aristotle could alledge his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noctu◠oculus ad solem an Owl or Bat looking upon the Sun to excuse the imperfect contemplation of some inferiour Truths how much more may we plead this excuse for our imperfect contemplation of the first truth since there is much more in this case an Owl or a Bat looking upon the Sun for there is not only a weak but also a sinful eye looking upon God A weak eye because not accustomed to light A sinful eye because not unaccustomed to darkness Such a weak and sinful eye is it wherewith man in this life looketh upon the Sun of righteousness an eye which cannot stedfastly behold him for its weakness an eye which cannot comfortably behold him for its sinfulness Therefore man whiles he is cloathed with sin and mortality must look on God not in God but in man not in the majesty of the Spirit but in the humility of the flesh or else he will be more confounded then comforted with the vision The Apostles saw but a glimps of our Saviours Divinity in the transfiguration and they fell to the ground Mat. 17. 16. and what then do we think they would have done had they seen the full luster and brightness of the Sun of righteousness Jacob tells Laban of the God of Abraham but only of the fear of his Father Isaac Gen. 31. 42. The reason we may conceive to be this because Abraham was dead but Isaac was yet alive for it is impossible but the Divine majesty should strike terrour and consternation to the most upright man that is whiles he is clogged and burdened with flesh and much more with sin And this observation doth Solomon Jarchi intimate in his gloss upon the place saying thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is called the Fear not the God of Isaac because he doth not appropriate his name to just men whiles they are yet alive The reason cannot be That they are less his Favourites but that they are not so much capable of his Favour he is the same God to the living and to the dead but the living have him for their fear because they are in a state of weakness and unworthiness the dead have him for their love and their reward because they are in a state of glory and of blessedness And therefore said God himself to Moses No man shall see me and live Exod. 33. 20. If we see God in himself that sight will destroy our life but if we see him in his Son that will preserve it for as the Chrystal glass may afford much glittering light but not any delightful reflexion to the beholder till it be clouded and darkened with a back of some grosser mettal so the Divinity of Christ may afford many glorious speculations of his Majesty but no one comfortable reflexion of his mercy till it be as it were darkened and shadowed with his humanity Then me thinks I can easily without the help of a Crucifix see in him a head bowed down to hear me an eye carefully looking after me an hand stretched out to defend me a mouth open to call me and a bosom as open to receive me So that I cannot but still desire to see my Saviour in the flesh though not with the eye of my flesh but with the eye of my faith for if I see him in God he is my consternation but if I see him in man he is my salvation SECT II. In what sense Saint Paul cared not to know Christ in the flesh and yet Christ in the flesh only is comfortably known IT is impossible that a good Christian should either desire not to know Christ because he loves him or not to know him in the flesh because so he hath most reason to love him and yet Saint Paul hath said Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5. 16. But sure the Apostle speaks not positively but comparatively Henceforth know we no man after the flesh not so as to forget the relations and substance of the flesh in others which we carry about our selves for that were to forget the Law of nature But so as not to overprize the seeming pre-eminencies but indeed real vanities of the flesh beauty honour riches and the like when they are destitute of the gifts and graces of the Spirit as if Christian love and conversation more concerned the outward then the inward man for that were to forget the Law of Grace Thus we must know no man after the flesh no not Christ himself that is in the external representation of his flesh or more admiring the image of his person then the power of his Redemption or in the external presence of his flesh as desirous to enter a carnal instead of a spiritual communion with him and bringing rather our mouths then our hearts to feed upon his precious body and blood Thus must we no more know Christ himself after the flesh but yet we may not we must not forget the substance of his flesh in which the Son of God and the Son of man is but one Christ unless we will forget the substance of our own salvation For in that same flesh he was our Redeemer in that same flesh he still is our Mediator and Intercessor In that same flesh was his head crowned with thorns that ours might be crowned with glory in that same flesh be often bowed down his head to look upon us he once suffered his feet to be fastened to stay for
it and our greatest contentedness when we have gained it because this knowledge doth most procure our salvation most enflame our affections most conduce to our edification Therefore Saint Paul said to the Corinthians that he determined not to know any thing among them save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. That is to say 1. Not to know any thing before Christ crucified for he would have that knowledge first in order which was most necessary to their salvation that is the knowledge of God not in himself but in his Son not as our maker but as our redeemer 2. Not to know any thing with the same activity and fervency of spirit as Christ crucified for he would have that knowledge most predominant in their hearts which most inflamed their affections and that was the knowledge of Christ upon the Cross overcoming the power of hell and opening the gates of heaven which cannot but beget an immortal love of Christ in all those souls which truly consider what it was to be under the fear of death what it is to have an assured hope of everlasting life 3. And lastly not to know any thing but with relation and subordination to Christ crucified for he would have that knowledge chiefest in their aims and intentions which alone could make all other knowledge tend to theit edification And such was the knowledge of Christ crucified for if Christs Cross pass not through the whole Alphabet of our Divinity all the words we can use will signifie nothing to a sin-sick soul which must first be healed and what balm can heal a wounded Spirit but only the blood of Christ before it can be saved yea though we speak with the tongues of men and Angels and shew not this charity this love of our Saviour to our perishing souls we shall become but as sounding brass or as tinkling Cymbals make a great noise to very little or small purpose Therefore doth an excellent late Divine Zanchys by name advise all men when they go to read the Scriptures to have Christ in their thoughts if they desire to profit by their reading for so they will be sure to find nothing in the Text to make them either Hereticks or Schismaticks but very much to make them good Christians and zealous in the love and practise of good Christianity Aedificat ad gehennam was an improper speech of the Canonist yet we find it in Gratian in his decree for to edifie to damnation is to build downwards that is indeed to destroy and raze all building but aedificat ad salutem is properly spoken to edifie to salvation for that building still rises upwards till it come to the heavenly Jerusalem And the reading of the Scriptures with Christ crucified before our eyes will thus edifie us SECT II. Christ set down in the Scripture as our Propitiation under the Title of our Passeover And what that signifies to our souls SAint Paul calleth Christ our Passeover 1 Cor. 5. 7. Pascha nostrum the word in the Hebrew from whence this Pascha is derived is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transitus and Christ is called Pascha i. e. Transitus Quia per eum transimus ab hostè ad partrem à Tenebris ad lucem à reatu ad gratiam à Poenâ ad gloriam à pugnà ad victoriam saith Durand Christ is called our Pass or Passover in five respects because by him we have passed from our Enemy to our Father from darkness to light from sin to righteousness from misery to glory from a combate to victory The enemy was implacable the darkness was uncomfortable the sin was full of deformity the misery was full of vengeance the combat was full of danger wherefore it was surely a most blessed Passage whereby we passed from this enemy to our Father to be reconciled and beloved from this darkness to light to be rejoyced and comforted from this deformity and vengeance and danger to a state of glory of peace and of security And hence the Latine Church hath turned these words of Saint Paul forecited into an Hymn and appointed that Hymn to be sung for the first Hallelujah on every Lords day from the Resurrection to the Ascention of our blessed Saviour who was this our Passeover saying Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus Alleluja it aque epulemur in Azymis sinceritatis veritatis alleluja alleluja alleluja Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us allelujah therefore let us keep the feast with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth alleluja alleluja alleluja There is certainly no superstition but there is a very great obligation for all Christians to sing such an Alleluja as this for which we have so excellent a precedent Rev. 19. 1. I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Allelujah salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God so say we that the Church Militant may joyn with the Church Triumphant in one and the same Communion of praise and thanksgiving to our Almighty and most Merciful Father not only for that true and righteous are his judgements but also and much rather for that great and many are his mercies his inestimable and undeserved mercies in providing for us such a Passeover whereby we might pass from sin and misery to righteousness and bliss and eternal glory and for causing us to pass to himself through his only begotten Son for as much as there was no other way for men to come to God but through that man who came from God SECT III. Christ set down in the Scripture as our Propitiation under the title of the Paschal Lamb and how many excellent Doctrines and Comforts of Christianity are to be learned from that title MEN and Angels might stand amazed to see so much mercy where they had seen so little innocency were it not that they could not but see so much merit where they had seen so much mercy No wonder then if this mercy was contrary to our doings when the merit was according to his doings and sufferings who died for our sins and rose again to make us righteous He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter said the Prophet Isaiah some hundred of years before he was actually slain Isa 53. 7. But he comes nearer the fountain-head of this mercy who telleth us of the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 20. Wherefore we must needs confess that the Church of Christ well knew the powerful invocation and desired we should find the comfortable perswasion of this mercy thus purchased for us when it thus taught us to pray for it O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us For the Son of God was called the Lamb of God for no other reason but because he was slain as a sacrifice to take away the sins of men And if we shall compare the Paschal Lamb and our Saviour Christ both together in the most
remarkable circumstances we shall then see how properly our blessed Saviour was called the Lamb of God First the Paschal Lamb was one of the flock Exod. 12. 5. So Christ was one of us and dwelt among us Saint John 1. 14. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us This consideration That the word was made flesh as it may inflame our devotions because our Saviour is in our own flesh to pitty us and to relieve us so it must cool and allay our distempers That he is in that same flesh which we so easily suffer in our selves to be excessively passionate and either distracted by sinful factions or distempered by sinful affections So that now what sins I commit in the flesh I commit not only against that flesh which in my self goes creeping and growling on the earth but also against that flesh which in my Saviour is exalted into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of God This is the Apostles most pathetical argument against all the sins of uncleanness and should be mine in the like case or temptation Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid 1 Cor. 6. 15. as if he had said I must abandon abhor all uncleannesses of the flesh in that thereby I shall sin against mine own body How much more in that thereby I shall sin against my Saviours body Secondly the Paschal Lamb was without blemish so Christ was without sin the only spot and blemish of the soul In peccato sunt reatus macula saith the School All sin as it brings a guiltiness with it so it leaves a spot and blemish after it Our Saviour Christ was without this spot and we must labour to be without it likewise by being made conformable to him So should we rightly understand the hidden mysterie of predestination more by our practise then we can possibly by our speculations or disputes if every one of us would really endeavour to fulfill that part of it To be conformed to the image of his Son Rom. 8. 29. For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son The great quarrel of Christendom at this day is about conformity that all Churches will not be conformed to one And yet even that conformity if it were brought to pass would not could not put an end to other differences But here is such a conformity that would soon end all quarrels whatsoever if men would make it their study and business to conform themselves to the image of the Son of God If men would seriously endeavour a conformity with Christ by holiness meekness patience obedience vertues so much out of our use that they are almost out of our knowledge but quite out of our remembrance they would never be Non-conformists in any lawful thing nor require conformity in any that is unlawful much less would they brand one another as reprobates but every one would strive to make his own Election sure Hope well of anothers so we should all forth with prove unerring students unblamable proficients in that grand controverted Doctrine of Predestination if we did but truly follow the meekness of this Lamb. Thirdly the Paschal Lamb was slain as a memorial of the Jews deliverance from the bondage of Egypt So was Christs death our deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan Let me then stand fast in that spiritual liberty wherewith Christ hath made me free and be no less afraid of returning to my former sins then the Israelites were of returning to their former bondage alwaies remembring that dreadful sentence in the Apostle who in that he had fallen himself was the more careful to keep others from a relapse the latter end is worse with them then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. Fourthly the blood of the Paschal Lamb sprinkled on the door posts made the destroying Angel pass over the Israelites when he smote the Egyptians So the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our souls preserveth us from the destroying Angel A mercy to be remembred with an everlasting thankfulness and to be commemorated with an everlasting thanksgiving for this is a part of the new song in heaven Rev. 5. 9. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God with thy blood What was the ground of their thanksgiving in heaven must be the ground of our supplication on earth that we lose not the benefit of this blood which is the price of our Redemption that neither through the infirmities of the flesh nor the anguishes of the Spirit nor the backslidings of the world nor the temptations of the Devil we be drawn or driven from faith in the blood of our dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And accordingly we must take care that we be not driven or drawn from the outward profession and exercise of this faith least we come by degrees to be driven or drawn from the inward settlement and assurance of it Fifthly the Paschal Lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs and without leaven so Christ is to be received with repentance and without malice or hypocrisie which is the most common but the most unsavoury leaven of the soul for a small parcell of either of these will infect and corrupt all our best Religious performances even as a little leaven leaventh the whole lump Accordingly the Apostle is most industrious to chase this leaven out of our hearts when he biddeth us to keep the feast not with old leaeven that is the leaven of hypocrisie when we pretend to be new men but are not Nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in azymis sinceritatis veritatis for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sincerity is a righteous judgement against the sophistications or delusions of malice and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is a righteous practise for there is a moral as well as a Metaphysical truth against the prevarications of Hypocrisie They generally go both together hypocrisie in the tongue and malice in the heart fair pretences and foul intentions The hypocrite being most commonly malicious as having the Devil in his heart and the malicious needing the hypocrite to disguise his malice by seeming to be an Angel in his tongue But what ever the leaven be whether these or any other infectious sins our care must be first to find it and then to cleanse it wherein it will not be amiss if we follow the great scrupulosity of the Jews who to the intent that not so much as the suspition of leaven should be amongst them at their feast of the Passeover did first cleanse their ordinary vessels of it then searched every cranny or chink of their houses after it then burnt all they found then execrated or cursed all that might possibly be left behind which they could
God say of our Saviour Christ That he is Paracletus super Paracletum a Comforter beyond the Comforter For the Spirit of God is our Comforter to speak for us only in the day of mercy whiles we are speaking for our selves that we may be able to pray acceptably but is not our propitiation to make our persons or our prayers to be accepted But the Son of God is our Advocate to speak for us when we shall not be able to speak for our selves even in the day of Judgement when all flesh must keep silence before God according to that of holy Job for how should man be just with God if he should contend with him he cannot answer one of a thousand And he is also our Propitiation to make both our persons and our prayers accepted with God And it is impossible he should not prevail in making the intercession who hath already prevailed in making the atonement This is the inexpressible the inestimable comfort of a distressed sinner who bewaileth his sins and flieth to the Son of God for mercy that the same Jesus now is and will be at the last day his Advocate who hath already been his propitiation And this is a comfort that men and Devils cannot deny unto us and therefore we may not deny it to our selves For the sinner comes under accusation no longer then tell his sin is expiated but when that is fully done then he comes under absolution wherefore since my sins are expiated by my Saviour I will not fear that the Devils shall accuse me for I have an Advocate to answer their malice I will not doubt but God will absolve me for I have a propitiation to satisfie his justice So that by this means Elies question which otherwise is unanswerable may be fully and easily answered But if a man sin against God who shall intreat for him 1 Sam. 2. 25. for here is an Advocate that will intreat for us if we put our selves under his Patronage and Protection And surely it is concerning this Advocate that Saint Peter hath spoken Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. All our care is or should be how to save our souls and therefore the first thing we should all do is to put our selves in such a condition that our blessed Saviour may take care of us that so we may securely cast all our care upon him Then will Saint Pauls Problem be turned into a Position Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us and that position will carry this sense Good Christians ought not to be afraid of condemnation since they have so many sure and certain arguments of Gods love and favour towards them for none can justly accuse them because God himself before whom the accusation must be made hath already absolved them and none will be able to condemn them because Christ who alone is to be the Judge dyed for them to deliver their souls from death or rather is risen from the dead to open to them the gate of everlasting life And he hath power to give them life for he is at the right hand of God and he hath a will and a desire to give it for he maketh intercession for us We may reduce all these benefits and mercies to those four heads which Alensis saith are the effects of our Saviours Passion Effectus Passionis Christi ponuntur quatuor Primus Justificatio à peccatis Secundus Reconciliatio ad Deum Tertius Religatio potestatis Diaboli Quartus Apertio januae Paradisi Par. 3. qu. 18. m. 6. There are four effects of our blessed Saviours Passion the first is our Justification from sin the second our Reconciliation with God the third is the restraining of the power of the Devil the fourth is the opening of the gate of heaven O my soul evermore give him hearty thanks for this Passion which hath purged thy sins that did both defile and oppress thee which hath satisfied and appeased thy God who was angry with thee which hath stopped the Devils mouth that he cannot claim thee which hath opened the gate of heaven that it will receive thee We now fully see the vertue of this Propitiation we are in the next place to consider the great goodness wisdom justice and power of God in finding it for us and giving it to us wherein we shall do best to follow his method who first put the Divinity of the Greek Church into a Methodical System and that was Damascene who lib. 3. de orth fide c. 1. saith That this giving of Christ to be made our Propitiation did in one and the same act shew the goodness the wisdom the justice and the power of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First the goodness of God in that the Creator did not despise the infirmity of his creature but did rather communicate therein and take it upon himself which should make us say with great devotion and greater thankfulness O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Psalm 107. Words of thanksgiving which the Psalmist did not think they could repeat too often when he considered of mans temporal preservation and therefore sure we cannot repeat them often enough when we think of our eternal salvation and of the infinite goodness of our Saviour in purchasing and procuring it for us Secondly the wisdom of God That there was so miraculous a way found out to pay the price of our Redemption that he who was exalted in the highest and could not be humbled yet was so humbled to the lowest as not to lose any jot of his exaltation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly the Justice of God that though man was his choicest workmanship and after his own image yet he would not pull him by violence from the Tyrant who had unjustly got Dominion over him but paid such a value for the redemption of his captive as was indeed above all valuation which had in effect been said many years before Damascene by Leo the great in one of his Christmass Sermons Serm. 2. de Nativ hanc potissimum consulendi viam elegit quà ad destruendum opus diaboli non virtute uteretur potentiae sed ratione Justitiae He followed that counsel whereby he might destroy the Devils work not by the strength of his power but by the reason of his Justice Fourthly the power of God for nothing could be an act of greater power then to make God become man according to that of Saint Basil in his homily upon the 44. Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was the demonstration of the greatest power that God could be in the nature of man For not the constitution of
their prayers which they offered to his Divine Majesty But our charity and our devotion are both grown cold and our charity so cold that it hath quite chilled our devotion we are loth to be at the charges to honour Christ with set anniversary Festivals for fear of continuing or reviving the formerly accustomed alms to his poor members for we cannot deny but giving something to the poor is a most fitting Concomitant or proper adjunct of a Festival being so taught John 13. 29. where our Saviours words to Judas That thou dost do quickly being spoken against the feast arâ— thus interpreted that he should give something to the poor And indeed they are so rightly interpreted For since our Saviour hath suffered so much for us we connot do enough for him and our doings for him must needs then be most seasonable when we record his sufferings for us And as he was so willing to suffer for our sakes that he called upon the Traytor to dispatch quickly so we should be as willing to do for his sake and in all matters of charity that may be helpful unto our brethren every man say to himself what thou dost do quickly Wherefore let me seriously and constantly pour out my soul to God in unquestionable devotion meditate on Gods holy word hunger after his body thirst after his blood and willingly and frequently releive and refresh his poor members and though I may be able to keep nothing else yet I shall be sure to keep a good conscience which will be to me a continual Feast yea though all the Holy Dayes that are instituted in the remembrance of Christ should be forbidden and forgotten by others yet the performance of these holy duties will never let me want my Christian Festivals SECT V. The practice of the Primitive Christians in observing the Feast of Easter and that there was no superstition in that practice THE Primitive Christians did exceedingly rejoyce at the Anniversary Feast of our Saviours Resurrection and did long continue that their rejoycing even till the day of his Ascension or rather till the day of his descending again in the gift of the Holy-Ghost so saith Balsamon of some in the Greek Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they accounted the whole time from Easter to Whitsontide but a one continual Lords day And it is evident that the first Council of Nice which hath but twenty Canons in the whole hath bestowed one of them and that is the last meerly upon the manner of celebrating this solemnity requiring all people to say their prayers standing on every day of the week betwixt Easter and Whitsontide no less then on the Lords days all the year after to proclaim their joy for as well as to profess their faith in their Saviours Resurrection Nor were they acquainted with any other salutation at that time of the year but only this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord is risen and the party thus saluted made answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true he is risen indeed they thought they could not wish one another any joy like the joy of Christ nor any joy of Christ like the joy of his Resurrection The like salutation was in the Latine Church Resurrexit Dominus the Lord is risen said he who saluted his neighbour and the other answered Deo gratias the Lord be thanked or Apparuit Simoni he hath appeared unto Simon This was all their Good morrow Good even one to the other in the more antient and more innocent times of the Church Nay yet more on every Sunday from the Resurrection to the Ascention did the Latine Church repeat the collect for Easter day Deus qui per Vnigenitum tuum aeternitatis nobis aditum reserâsti Almighty God which by thy only begotten Son hast opened unto us the gate of everlasting life leaving out only hodiernâ die on this day because they could not make one day hold out to forty And as they did so long continue the same prayer so did they as long continue the same praise singing three several Alleluiahs on every one of these Sundays for this infinite mercy and eternal consolation in our Saviour Christ for a heavenly comfort expressing a heavenly joy as if they had already passed from the Church militant to be of the Church triumphant would have no more to do with the earth since our Saviour was risen from it and going into Heaven Surely Saint Augustine cals the whole three days of our blessed Saviours passion death and Resurrection sacratissimum triduum the three most holy days in the circle of the whole year and the cheif of the three was that of his Resurrection which was therefore antiently accounted not only the first day of the week for so is any other Sunday but also the first day of the year that is to say the first in dignity as well as in order Veteris anni Ecclesiastici initium à Pascha Pascha dicebatur annus novus saith Scaliger lib. 1. de em tem The beginning of the Ecclesiastical year was antiently at Easter and that was called the new year And in the Greek Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new years week was the same with Easter week and how this account came afterwards to be altered in the Church and the new year translated from Easter to Christmass the same Scaliger sheweth lib. 6. de emend temp in these words Institutum vetus in Ecclesiâ fuit in natali Domini Pascha proximum ejusque diem indiculis aut breviculis notare Ab hoc more fluxit ut à natali Domini anni passionis ejus numeraâ—entur hoc est ut annum passionis inciperent putare à natali Domini qui tamen putandus erat à sequenti Paschâ— Because at Christmas they did antiently give out the Calender for the ensuing Easter thence it came to pass that some began the account of the year of Christ at Christmas which they should not have begun till the Easter after But for a long time in the account of the Church Easter day was the first day and Easter week was the first week in the whole year which was the occasion that the common dayes of all the other weeks were by the Latine Church called feriae that is holy-dayes as feria secunda tertia quarta the second third and fourth holy-day instead of Munday Tuesday Wednesday because they followed the account of Easter week whereof every day was a holy-day So the same Scaliger lib. 7. de emend temp Quare prima secunda tertia quarta quinta Septimane dictae sunt feriae quum in omnibus hebdomadibus feriandi necessitas nulle incumbat haec ratio est quod annus Ecclesiasticus incipiat à Pascha septimana autem Paschatis erat immunis ab opere faciendo feriata unde quum sex illi dies post Pascha feriati esseâ—… ea esset prima anni hebdomas inde factum ut omnes diâ—s septimanae vocarentur feriae Lex
in substance that we now have though not the same in manner nor in degree They knew him to be the Mediator between God and man as well as we but they know this confusedly and imperfectly we now know it clearly distinctly and perfectly The difference was not in the substance of the knowledge but in the manner and degrees only So that the Jews worshipped God in Christ as we Christians worship him for in all their sacrifices they did look upon the Messiah as the only propitiation for their sins Hence the 22. Psalm was a part of their dayly morning service which may not unfitly be called Christus Patiens for that it doth rather Historically then Prophetically set forth the passion of our blessed Saviour For Christ upon the Cross appropriated this Psalm unto himself by using the first words of it My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And Saint Matthew applieth it unto him in the eighth verse He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him Saint John in the eighteenth verse They parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they did cast lots And Saint Paul in the twenty second verse I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I praise thee Heb. 2. 12. Christ assumes this Psalm to himself whilst he is in his passion and the Apostles apply it to him whilst they are describing of it And this very Psalm amongst all the rest was chosen out by the Jews to be a part of their dayly morning service nay indeed it was composed of purpose by the Spirit of God that it might be so As plainly appears from the title or inscription thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad primordium aurorae for the dawning of the morning Sensus est Psalmum hunc sacerdotibus Levitis fuisse traditum ut singulo quoque mane in Ecclesia quamprimùm aurora erumperet caneretur Sic voluit Deus Ecclesiam veterem singulis diebus recolere fiduciam de expectatione Christi saith Junius The meaning of the title is That this Psalm was delivered to the Priests and Levites to be sung in the Congregation every morning at the break of day For so would God inure the Church of the Jews to have a daily recourse to Christ and to revive the hope they had of his comming in the flesh And indeed the Chaldee Paraphrase saith no less on the inscription of this twenty second Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro robore seu virtute sacrificii jugis matutini For the virtue or strength of the dayly morning sacrifice or oblation for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprizeth both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both sacrifice and oblation The meaning of the gloss is this that this Psalm concerns him who is the virtue and strength of all their service or Religion And that all their sacrifices and oblations had their virtue only from the Messiah who was exhibited unto them in this Psalm as offered upon the Cross The Jews offered all their sacrifices in hopes of being accepted in this Mediator and what do we Christians more but believe and profess that our persons and our prayers are accepted in him Only here is the difference the Jews worshipped God in the Messiah that was to come the Christians worship him in the Messiah that is come The Religion is but one in substance though two in circumstances And we may say that the worship of the Jews was the inchoation of the Christian but the worship of the Christians is the perfection of the Jewish Religion For whom they worshipped implicitely in Types we do worship explicitely in spirit and in truth All the fault is they were more zealous in their typical then we are in our substantial and real worship For the Babylonian captivity could not make them forsake their Religion but we have captivated our Religion of purpose that we might forsake it and so are fallen under that severe reprehension 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Insensati quis vos fascinavit O ye that are mad and sensless who hath bewitched you not to obey the truth For we who could not be seduced not to receive the truth are little less then bewitched not to obey it SECT IV. That those Christians who adore God by any other Mediator then by Christ alone do not rightly adore him And that those who do rightly adore him ought not to be discouraged in their Religion and much less be deterred from it GOD never yet had never can have any true worship or glory but only in Christ Hence Saint Paul saith To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ for ever Rom. 16. 27. Take away Christ from the glory and you were as good take away the glory from God And again unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Eph 3. 21. This is the true Catholick Religion or worship of God that obligeth all persons in the Church at all times throughout all ages and in all places in heaven as well as in earth world without end for no worship can be world without end but that which shall be in heaven And sure we are the worship whereby we Christians glorifie God in and by Jesus Christ shall be in heaven The Jews worship though in substance it was Christian yet the manner being figurative and typical in extent it was but National and in duration it was but temporal But the Christians worship being wholly in Spirit and in truth in the manner of it is angelical in the extent of it is universal in the continuance of it is eternal The same to all ages that it is in this the same in heaven that it is in earth It is not safe for Christians to worship God so now as they cannot worship him world without end If they worship him now by his Son they may so worship him for ever But if they worship him now by any other Mediator they are sure they must leave that worship behind them when they leave this world and therefore they are on the surer side who had rather not take it then be forced to leave it For the Angels and Saints in heaven do not go to God by one another but all go to him by his Son and why should we men on earth go to him by any other then by him by whom they do go with us now and we shall go with them hereafter Shall the Church Militant set up a Communion of Saints disagreeing in the worship of God from the Church Triumphant And why then doth the Canon of the Mass begin with an Illative particle that hints a conclusion rather than a beginning saying Te igitur clementissime Pater per Jesum Christum filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus Therefore O most merciful Father we humbly beseech thee by Jesus Christ thy Son and our Lord that thou wilt accept
those our gifts and sacrifices Why doth this particle Therefore begin the Prayers at the Mass but only to shew as saith the Ritualist that the Angels and Saints in heaven have begun and that we men on earth do but only continue and as it were conclude this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God And why then should we otherwise continue or conclude then they have begun it Will they join with us in this our new worship or is that not a new worship meerly of our own inventing wherein they cannot will not join with us Since they glorifie God only in Christ how shall we venter to glorifie him in any other unless we will perswade God to accept one manner of glorifying him whiles it is our duty and another manner of glorifying him when it shall be our reward and so make grace not the inchoation but as it were the contradiction of glory or unless we will perswade our selves that it is not best practising such Songs on earth as we know we shall sing in heaven but such as we know we shall not sing there if so be our singing them here do not indeed keep us from coming thither and from singing there nor is this a causeless fear For he that in the case of his worship hath proclaimed himself a jealous God hath in effect told us that in that same case it is the best and surest way for every man to have his fears and jealousies Those holy prayers and praises which are offered up to God through Christ Jesus we are sure do glorifie him and consequently we cannot but fear that those which are offered up unto him through any other Mediator or Intercessor do not cannot tend to his glory Nor is it either just or safe to appeal to the practise of Gods Church at any time much less in the corruptest times against the Precept of Gods Word For we cannot be assured that any Church is his Church but from his word and we are sure that we have indeed the determination of a most infallible Doctor if we can truly say that we have the determination of his spirit in his holy Word For as what prayers go from man to God by our Saviour Christ are undoubtedly true worship so what precepts come from God to man by him are unquestionably true Doctrine Wherefore since See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren thaet have the testimony of Jesus worship God is one of his precepts and that twice repeated almost in the very same words Rev. 19. 9. 22. 9. How shall we dare to do it and not think to make his Doctrine as well as our own worship both alike questionable Saint Augustine gives us such a definition of a Mediator as will quite exclude all but one and that is our blessed Saviour Qui pro omnibus interpellat pro quo nullus is verus est Mediator ac Intercessor noster lib. 2. contra Parmen cap. 8. He that intercedeth for all and none intercedeth for him is our true Mediator and Intercessor Mark how he makes Mediator and Intercessor both one though some of late would make a great difference betwixt them by that new distinction of Mediator redemptionis intercessionis saying that Christ alone is a Mediator of Redemption but Saints and Angels may also with him be Mediators of Intercession A distinction not known in Aquinas his daies who concludes positively that to be a Mediator betwixt God and man is proper only to Christ and proves his position by Saint Pauls words There is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. He did not think of eluding this text by saying Mediator est duplex redemptionis intercessionis A Mediator is twofold of Redemption and of Intercession for that had been to say Vnus est duplex one is two a singular is a plural for there cannot be the ground of a distinction unless there be two and therefore a singular subject cannot be distinguished but by making one two or a singular a plural and the Apostle having said Vnus Mediator declared the subject of his proposition so numerical and singular that it could not be capable of a distinction For it is not possible to make of one subject numerically the same two specifically distinct And it is evident that a Mediator meerly of intercession and not of redemption is not a Mediator in the Apostles account for he proves that Christ only is a Mediator for all because he gave himself a ransom for all ver 6. How then can any be a Mediator to intercede for me who hath not been a Redeemer to ransom me or why should I go to them for Intercession to whom I cannot go for Reconciliation Doth not the blood of Christ speak better things then the blood of Abel to my soul and why should I then not wholly pant and gasp after his blood Is it not folly in me to leave the better and take the worse Nay is it not impiety in me to neglect the Son of God and go a gadding after the sons of men To neglect the Mediator God hath given me and to set up others of my own makeing Can I bestow any of my hope in praying to Saints and Angels and none of my Faith and Charity go along with it or have I too much of these excellent vertues in my soul that I could take or translate some part of them from my God were they indeed to be fixed on any creature Can I devote my self too much to a true Invocation or will not a false Invocation set up a false Religion and a false Religion calumniate the truth and endanger the benefit of my redemption Well then Tutior Sanior pars must needs be my rule in a matter that so nearly concerns my Saviours honour and mine own salvation and I will leave the Saints out of my prayers because it is both safer and sounder so to do For all the world cannot object against me for going to God only by his Son but I must object against my self for going to God by the best of his servants in conjunction with much more in derogation to his Son Wherefore I must resolve to let the Saints stand in my Calander but not let them come into my Liturgie for fear I should either exclude my Saviour out of his own office of Intercession or at least exclude my self and my prayers out of the blessing of his Communion For this I am sure of He will not join with me in my prayers which I make to any but only to his Father and it is dangerous for me to pray without his Intercession if not damnable for me to pray out of his Communion Wherefore though others be careless in this point who pretend to a perfection if not to a supererogation of righteousness yet I have work enough to pray against my sins dare not willingly admit a sin into my
Disciples who were in Jerusalem at S. Peters first Sermon were but 120. He is afraid of an imaginary miscief but fals into a real inconveniency the mischif was meerly imaginary as if S. Paul to the Corinthians had clashed with S. Luke in the Acts whereas Saint Luke saith not there were then in Jerusalem but 120. disciples only there were but one hundred and twenty of such note as the Apostles had called together to consult about the election of a new Apostle accordingly he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the number of the names that is such as were notorious and eminent in the Church not denying but there might be many hundreds of the inferiour sort of people which are called by the Poet sine Nomine turba the common sort that are without a Name who were at that time reckoned among the disciples though they had not been called to the election of Saint Matthias Thus the mischief he feared was meerly imaginary but he fell into a real inconveniency For this supposition that it is possible there should have been such chopping and changing in the Text tends directly to the enervating of the Authority of the Scriptures and the fidelity and veracity of the Catholick Church for both Greek and Latine Churches do now read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five hundred and if they read not now as they found it delivered to them they are defective in their Veracity if it was not delivered to them as it was at first written their forefathers were defective in their Fidelity for this is too great a change to come in by the mistake of a writer though it is very improbable that the whole Church should be so careless as to suffer any such mistakes However in this particuler Eusebius will justifie our present reading of the Text against all conjectures whatsoever for he lib. 1. Histor Eccles cap. 12. setteth down this very apparition of our blessed Saviour totidem verbis not by numeral letters but in so many several express words as Saint Paul had before saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an undeniable argument that these words were so writ at large from Saint Pauls own hand Having given this hint only out of zeal to Gods holy word which must sway my faith against the practice of whole Churches much more against the phansies of private men I pass to the words which our blessed Saviour spake immediately before he ascended for without all question he then again repeated them though he had spoken them several times before Saint Luke records them as spoken on the very day of his Resurrection Luke 24. 47. Saint John records them as spoken also on the very same day John 20. 19 20 21 22. Saint Mathew records them as spoken after that day sc on the mountain in Galilee Mat. 28. 16 19. And Saint Mark records them as spoken both on the day of his resurrection for so was the Apparition to which he annexeth them and also on the day of his Ascension for such is the manner of his annexion So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven For what was it that the Lord had spoken unto them but these words concerning the discharge of their Apostolical Office or Function Go ye therefore and teach all Nations c. which is yet more evidently attested by Saint Luke Acts 1. 9. where it is said when he had spoken these things that is those things which concerned their Function whiles they beheld he was taken up For Saint Matthew's Go ye therefore and teach all Nations And Saint Mâ—â—k's Go ye into all the world And Saint Lukes ye are witnesses of these things And Saint Johns As my Father sent me even so send I you do all of them concern one and the same office of preaching the Gospel and administring the Sacraments and whatever else the Apostles were bound to do in order to the gathering or preserving or governing the Church of Christ And we cannot deny but these same words or at least words to this effect were solemnly spoken at three several times by our blessed Saviour to his Apostles that is to say On the day of his Resurrection and afterwards again in Galilee and yet a third time also after that immediately before his Ascention to shew what a necessity was laid upon them to discharge that sacred function when he thought it necessary so often to repeat their charge as if it had been his only business from his Resurrection to his Ascention And doubtless if we seriously consier the words themselves we shall easily see and willingly confess that as they did concern the constitution of the Church at that time so they do concern the constitution of the Church at this day and will concern both its constitution and conservation to the worlds end I will accordingly explain them briefly as I find them in the Evangelists yet so as to make Saint Matthew the standard for the rest having already explained the words as they are recorded by Saint John And thus Saint Matthew records the words All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth our blessed Saviour had all the power of heaven and earth given to him from the Father both as he was the Son of God and as he was the Son of man as he was the Son of God so this power was given him by eternal generation as he was the Son of man so the same power was given him by free donation partly at his first conception by vertue of his union with the God-head but more fully after his resurrection for the merit of his death and passion So that though he exercised this power in his life time by choosing Apostles and instituting the Holy Sacraments yet after he was risen again he exercised the same much more eminently in a threesold respect Quoad modum quoad statum quoad usum First because he was possessed of it after a more excellent manner as having merited it by his death Secondly because he was possessed of it in a more excellent state as now being past all fear and danger of dying Thirdly because he was possessed of it for a more excellent end as being how to use it not for the conversion of one people but of all the world as it follows Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Go ye therefore relying upon my authority which is founded upon all power both in heaven and in earth whereas any authority that can forbid you to go is founded only upon the power in earth And teach all Nations This the Apostles could not do no more then they could continue to the end of the world in their own persons Therefore our Saviour Christ speaks these words to their Successors as well as to them And so this Precept was given to make good that Promise Mat. 24. 14. The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all Nations and then shall
earth Such are the words of God in themselves but to us blessed be his condescention and goodness they are the words of Grace Mercy and Peace The words of Grace by instructing of Mercy by promising of Peace by blessing And this word of blessing is so much his delight that he chose it for his very last word here on earth and whiles he was speaking this word he was parted from them and carried up to heaven Luke 24. 51. The word of blessing is certainly the word of Peace There being no Peace in any condition or kind of life but meerly from Gods blessing Therefore in every thing we go about we should first look after Gods blessing then after our own peace and contentment for he doth justly punish us with the loss both of his blessing and our own peace when we look for the peace either before or without his blessing expecting contentment and satisfaction in such a thing as he will not or in such a way as he cannot bless Whiles he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven The last word in his mouth was blessing and must be the last in ours if we hope to part from earth as he did and be carried up into heaven Therefore let every word that comes from us be blessing for fear it should be our last word He that went up to heaven with blessing will not take us up thither without it Saint Peter could not forget that Christ parted from him and the rest of the Apostles blessing them and takes what care he can that cursing and railing should not make one man and much less one Church part from another and both part from the eternal Son of God Love as Brethren saith he to those of the despersion that is to several Nations much more to those of the same Church and Nation be pittiful be courteous not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing 1 Pet. 3. 8. 9. Where we see that railing is opposed to blessing which opposition must teach us that not only blasphemies against God but also revilings and reproaches against men especially those who have a peculiar stamp of God upon them as our Teachers and our Governors are in the guilt and consequently under the condemnation of cursings And though this sin be now the common road of men upon earth who blazen their own righteousness chiefly by others pretended sins yet it can never be the right way to heaven And we must forsake it as we will stick to our calling and to our inheritance knowing that we are thereunto called that we should inherit a blessing So that if we part not with this sin of rayling it will either part us from our calling or part both us and our calling from our inheritance it will either make us to be no Christians or such Christians as not to inherit a blessing But what was this blessing which our Saviour at parting bestowed upon his Apostles for we have yet only spoken of that which was on the very day of his Resurrection Joh. 20. 19. May we not give a fair guess at it from that curse or malediction since commonly used by his pretended Vicar General Indignationem omnipotentis Dei Apostolorum ejus Petri Pauli sentiat in aeternum May we not here put Indulgentiam for Indignationem and avow that it came from our Saviours own mouth by unwritten Tradition If ever Tradition will help out the Text let it be now that we may not lose our Saviours last word and his best word both together But Tradition cannot help us and sure we are from the Text That our Saviour never taught his Apostles to join themselves in Commission with his Father creatures with their Creator either to bless or curse although not only they but also their Successors can rightly do both in his name and by his power We have here only a probable conjecture That the benediction which Christ gave to his Apostles was the same in effect which the Apostles afterwards gave unto the Church in his name as having received it from his own mouth Grace unto you and peace be multiplyed saith Saint Peter Grace be with you mercy and peace saith Saint John It seems grace and mercy were reserved till Christs ascention for we find only Peace be unto you after his Resurrection and Saint John hints a reason of it for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified John 7. 39. upon which ground we may not unreasonably build this Position That Grace and mercy were reserved for Benedictions after his Ascention or till the giving of the Holy Ghost But seeing we cannot tell certainly the exact word of Benediction which Christ left to his Apostles when he parted from them we shall do well to lay hold on that which we are sure came from his own mouth whiles he was yet with them even that recorded Luke 11. 28. Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it that is keep it in their memories and in their consciences and in their conversations Keep it in their memories that it may sink into their consciences and keep it in their consciences that it may break forth into their lives and conversations Let us be sure to lay hold on this and we shall be sure not to want his last blessing though perchance we may not know it till we come to enjoy both it and him CAP. II. Christ considered whiles he was Ascending SECT I. That the words used to express Christs Ascension did manifest his twofold claim or title to heaven the one by Inheritance as God the other by merit or purchase as man And that Christ in his Ascension wrought a twofold Miracle one in the conquest of earth the other in the conquest of heaven And what comfort and benefit redounds to us Christians from these titles and these miracles THE considerations that are most remarkable in our blessed Saviours Ascension are best discovered from the words that are used to express it In the Apostles Creed the word for He Ascended is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went up borrowed from Saint Paul Ephes 4. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he ascended up on high But the word used by Saint Luke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was carried up Luke 24. 51. He was carried up into heaven But Saint Mark yet useth a third word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was received up Mark 16. 19. He was received up into heaven This twofold expression he went up and He was carried or received up shews our Saviours twofold title or claim to heaven if we consider Christ in his two several natures For as God he claimed heaven for his Inheritance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went up as unto his own As man he claimed it as his reward and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was carried up
's the strength of perswasion And to speak of all thy works in the gates of the daughter of Sion there 's the strength of affection first in the exercise of devotion to speak Secondly in the extent of it of all thy works Thirdly in the profession of it in the gates Fourthly in the integrity or purity of it in the gates of the daughter of Sion What pitty is it that we who out-pass others in the purity of our devotions should come far short of them in the profession extension and exercise of the same That we who are in the daughter of Sion should come short of those who we say are under the Whore of Babylon For this second miracle in Christs ascension The conquest over heaven in his Soul must needs make us conclude concerning our selves that we cannot possess heaven till we have first conquered it Man in his composition is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little world but in his affection he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great world A conqueror over heaven and earth over neither by himself but over both by his Saviour In all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loved us Rom. 8. 37. and we may see who it was that loved us from ver 35. who shall seperate us from the love of Christ It was he that loved us it is by him that we are more then Conquerours Let me fight the good fight of faith that I may have my Saviours love and though all the Nimrods and mischiefs of this wicked world prevail against me yet none of them shall conquer me SECT II. The time of Christs ascention is particularly named in the Text and the observation of that day is founded upon the practice of the Apostles which in the exercise of Religion is to be embraced as Precept And why the Apostles left not many precepts concerning the circumstances of worship to the Christian Church The place of the Ascention was Bethany in Mount Olivet and what considerations arise from thence LOgicians do tell us that it is the property of verbs to be adsignificant as saith the great scholler of nature and greater master of Art Aristotle in his book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum est quod adsignificat tempus It is the property of a verb not only to express the thing it self which is to be significant but also to declare the chief circumstances of time and place and person which is to be adsignificant And for this reason it will not be improper to consider in these three verbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went he was carried he was received up not only the substance or act of our Saviours Ascention but also the chief circumstances of it to wit the time in which the place from which and the persons before whom he was pleased to ascend into heaven As for the time in which it was exactly the fourtieth day after his resurrection being seen of them fourty dayes saith the Text Acts 1. 3. which doubtless is not set down superfluously and therefore ought to be observed carefully I may justly add conscientiously For though duties and not dayes yet duties upon their own dayes call for a most religious observation God himself having said in express terms to the Jews and consequently by the rule of general equity to the Christians since the reason of his saying is rather moral then typical The man that is clean and is not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Passeover even the same soul shall be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season that man shall bear his sins Num. 9. 13. Whence we may safely conclude not as Jews but as Christians that t is not safe but sinfull meerly out of peevishness or willfullness to neglect the appointed seasons of serving God for such a grievous punishment as being cut off from Gods people would not be threatned but for a grieveous sin such as begins in the contempt of God and ends in the scandal of men Therefore duties are to be most strictly observed upon their own dayes Thus the resurrection is most solemnly to be celebrated on its own day the first day of the week and the Ascention on its own day the fift day of the week for the fourtieth day after a Sunday can be no other then thirsday So that either the fourtieth day after the resurrection of Christ is lawfully consecrated to celebrate his ascention and by consequent is the day appointed for that duty or this particular circumstance was unnecessarily set down in the text and as unlawfully observed by the Apostles who turning from the mount Olivet came into Jerusalem and went up into their upper room when they durst not assemble together in the Temple and prayed there immediately upon their return even on the very same day of Christs Ascension and did not think fit to put off their solemn meeting till the next Sabbath or till the next Lords day after it Wherefore it is reasonably concluded by Judicious men that Apostolical practice is to us Christians what Mosaical precept was to the Jews concerning the observation of dayes places and persons for religious assemblies and therefore our Lords day is as indispensable as was their Sabbath our Churches as inviolable as their Temple and Synagogues our orders of Ministers as unchangeable as their orders of Priests for Apostolical Practice in these circumstances or adjuncts of Religion doth oblige us Christians to conformity as Mosaical precept did the Jewes to obedience I say Comformity because time place person were all essential parts of their ceremonial and typical but cannot be so of our moral worship and therefore obedience was necessary for them but comformity is enough for us So that a willfull neglect and much more a scornfull contempt of any rite observed by the Apostles cannot but be impious in it self dangerous to us and scandalous to our brethren And as this is judiciously concluded by some learned men so it must be couragiously resolved by all good men not to fear superstition in that which the Apostles practised when their practice is declared in the text since all circumstances adjuncts of Religion are derived to us Christians rather by practice then by precept as not being of the Substance of our Religion And indeed they could not well be derived otherwise because types and ceremonies were utterly to be abolished to the Jews and therefore ceremonies though without types could not but with offence to the Jews be particularly prescribed to the Christians consequently were to be left unto them only in example and practice as matter of decency and order which are capable of dispensation not set down in the text by way of command or imposition as matter of Substance which hath alwayes a rigour of Justice and should alwayes have a readiness of obedience both alike indispensable Nay yet more
presence our blessed Saviour was received up into heaven will afford us several considerations for they were of two different kinds Angels and men The one were Citizens of heaven in their Pilgrimage to earth the other were inhabitants of earth in their Pilgrimage to heaven He was taken up before some Angels that were newly come down from heaven and before some men that were in their journey thither none is accounted by him a fit witness of his ascension into heaven but such a one as is already there either by the excellency of his condition or by the purity of his affection either an Angel or an Apostle The Angels are mentioned Act. 1. 10. Behold two men stood by them in white apparel that is Two Angels in the shape and appearance of men They had been witnesses of his humiliation to their astonishment and were now of his exaltation to their joy He is going up and they are coming down He seems to carry away Heaven from his Apostles they seem to bring it back again God never leaves his servants destitute of all comfort If not Christ yet an Angel is still with them till at last comes the Comforter himself Nor did our blessed Saviour account a bare promise of the Comforter to be enough but here he also gives a pledge of that promise Those Ministring spirits being as it were so many harbingers sent before hand to be speak and provide lodging for God the Holy-Ghost against his comming and so many sureties or pledges that he would now very shortly come Yet our blessed Saviour appointed not Angels for witnesses of his ascension to the world lest the Divels which can transform themselves into Angels of light might also have been witnesses of the same without his appointment not to the confirmation but the utter depravation and subversion of the true Christian Faith Therefore hath God flatly bound us up to be guided and governed only by those things which his Apostles have preached unto us that our faith should be wholly grounded and fixed upon certainties so that though an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel we should not hear him but curse him Gal. 1. 8. But Aquinas in 3. 64 7. upon this question Vtrum Angeli possint Sacramenta Ministrare whether Angels may administer the Sacraments concludes they may not upon such demonstrative reasons which will also prove that they may not preach the Gospel one of his reasons is this Tota virtus Sacramentorum à passione Christi derivatur cui in naturâ conformantur homines non autem Angeli ideo ad homines pertinet dispensare Sacramenta non autem ad Angelos All the vertue of the Sacraments is derived from the passion of Christ who took not on him the nature of Angels but of man and therefore it belongs to men not to Angels to be the Ministers of the Sacraments We may say the same concerning the word for the Word and Sacraments were both ordained by the same Author and for the same end and are both under the same trust That Christ became man to the intent that he might himself preach the Gospel and therefore would nor make use of any but of men to preach it after him That like as the Son of God had priviledged the nature of man not of Angels by taking it into the Unity of his person so he might priviledge the persons of men not of Angels by taking them into the society of his office The other of his reasons is indeed above all reason because it is founded upon Gods Authority and therefore serves him for an Argument to be opposed against all the contrary objections Sed contra est quod dicitur Heb. 5. Omnis pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in his que sunt ad Deum sed Angeli boni vel mali non sunt ex hominibus ergo ipsi non constituuntur ministri in his quae sunt ad Deum 1. in Sacramentis The Apostle saith That every high Priest is taken from men and is ordained for men in things pertaining to God but Angels are not taken from men Therefore they are not ordained Ministers for men in things pertaining to God doubtless the word and Sacraments are things pertaining to God the argument concerns the whole discharge of a Priests office That an Angel may discharge no part of it For the Apostles intent is to clear the Priest-hood of Christ against all objections of the Jews and accordingly he proves out of their own Law that God had absolutely circumscribed and limited the Priest-hood in three respects 1. In regard of the person of the Priest for that none could be a Priest who was not a man because none else was fit to intercede for men none else would have compassion of men 2. In regard of the office of the Priesthood which was to reconcile the sinners and expiate the sin 3. In regard of the outward calling to that office for no man might take that honour to himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron Accordingly our Saviour Christ was pleased to be made man that he might be capable of being our high Priest to intercede for us and to have compassion on us And he did actually undertake this office of the Priest-hood in reconciling sinners and in expiating sin nor did he undertake this office without being thereunto called of God as was Aaron From this Argument we may deduce these two conclusions 1. That Angels cannot be Priests nor discharge those duties which belong only to Priests as Preaching the word and ministring the Sacraments because they are not men and every Priest is to be taken from among men 2. That all men may not be Priests to discharge these same duties but only those who are called of God as was Aaron that is who are set apart by an outward calling for that discharge And they that are not so called and yet will needs be either Preaching the Gospel or Ministring the Sacraments do affront our Saviour Christ in his Priest-hood opposing him in his office rejecting him in his example and contemning him in his Authority For as an Angel may not do the office of a Priest propter impedimentum personae for the impediment of his person because he is not a man not taken from among men So that man who is not called of God as was Aaron may not do the office of a Priest propter impedimentum causae for the impediment of the cause or office it self because he is not ordained for men in things pertaining to God and unless God ordain him sure God will not accept him Let him meddle only with things pertaining to men let him not meddle with things pertaining to God For he that struck Vzzah dead for rashly going to uphold his Ark when it was shaken 2 Sam. 6. 7. because not having Commission to touch it he had profaned it with his touch hath plainly shewed how much he hateth
Sedere est judicantis stare vero pugnantis adjuvantis Stephanus ergo in labore certaminis positus stantem vidit quem adjutorem â—abuit sed tunc post ascensionem Marcus sedere describit qua post Ascensionis gloriam inde in â—iâ—e videbitur To sit belongs to one that judgeth to stand to one that helpeth Therefore Saint Stephen saw Christ standing when he needed his help though Saint Mark described him as sitting because after he was ascended he looked on him as ready to judge the quick and dead God grant all the persecuted Ministers and servants of Christ so to see their master standing as ready to help them nay indeed so they do see him or they could not contentedly undergo their persecutions Quo propiùs mortem accedunt martyres eo propiùs Christum intuentes in coelum assurgunt saith the same Beza in his short notes upon the place The Martyrs the nearer they approach to death the nearer they behold Christ and when they seem to fall lowest they do indeed rise highest when their head is nearest earth even upon the block their heart is nearest heaven when we most see their destruction they most see their own salvation we look on their destroyers standing over them ready to dispatch them but they look on their Saviour standing over their destroyers even at the right hand of God ready to receive them Most heavenly is that contemplation of Tertullian lib. de resur carn Quemadmodum nobis arrhabonem Spiritus reliquit ita à nobis arrhabonem carnis accepit vexiâ— in coelum pignus totius summae illuc quandoque redigendae Securi igitur estote caro sanguis usurpâstis enim coelum regnum in Christo Our blessed Saviour as he gave unto us the earnest of his Spirit so he took of us the earnest of our flesh and carried that with him into heaven as a pledge that all the rest should follow after it Be secure then O flesh and blood for ye have already ascended into heaven and do even now in Christ your head possess and enjoy the Kingdom of God CAP. III. Christ considered after he was ascended as sitting on the hand of God SECT I. What is meant by the right hand of God and by Christs sitting there SAint Augustine in his hundred and fifteenth Sermon de tempore ascribes this part of the Apostles Creed concerning Christs ascending into heaven and sitting on the right hand of God to Saint Bartholomew and the antient Fathers do generally make them both but one Article or at least joyn them so together as if they were bur one Wherein they speak much after the dialect of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3. 22. Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God But I have rather chosen to treat of them severally because though we should allow them to be but one article of our Faith yet they are two several mysteries of our Religion and indeed the one an effect and consequent of the other and therefore not the same with it For our blessed Saviour first ascended in his humane body and afterwards in that same humane body sate at the right hand of God But here we must be sure to observe Origens caution Ne tibi describas sensibiles sessiones duas cathedras sedentes super â—as humano Schemate Patrem Filium take heed you phansie not to your self any visible sitting as if there were two chairs in heaven the one for the Father to sit in the other for the Son to sit by him Nor may we think that God hath such a right hand for Christ to sit on as Solomon had for his mother Bathsheba 1 King 2. 19 He caused a seat to be set for the Kings Mother and she sate on his right hand We must have no such earthly and fleshly thoughts of the place and much less of the God of spirits but by the right hand of God We must understand the power and majesty and glory of the God head So Saint Basil in lib. desp S. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The right hand of God doth not signifie any relation of place but equality of power So Saint Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when you hear of Gods right hâ—nd you must thereby undeastand the glory honour and worship of God and nothing else is meant by Christs sitting at the right hand of God but his being in the same glory with the Father Excellently Damascence lib. 4. de orth fide cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was the more willing to transcribe the whole words because this piece of Damascen is scarce to be met with but in Colledge Libraries and is not like to be there very long if some men may have their wills who gaping after Colledge lands would force the poor Scholars to sell their books to buy bread but the meaning of them is this We say that Christ sitteth on the right hand of his father corporally or locally in his humane body But we do not say that the right hand of his Father is local or corporal confined to any place or situation for how can he that is uncircumscrîbed and unconfined have such a right hand But we call the right hand of the Father the glory honour of the Godhead in the which Christ as the Son of God was Copartner with his Father before all ages being coessential with him But now also as the Son of man in his humane flesh or body is he possessed of the same glory his humane nature being glorified together with his Divine nature and worshipped in the same person by all the Saints and Angels in heaven SECT II. That Christ as man sitteth on the right hand of God IT is not to be denyed but that our Saviour Christ doth as he is a man sit at the right hand of God For he doth sit there in his humane nature whether we take his sitting at the right hand of God for his resting in eternal blessedness after all the travails and labours of his sufferings as Saint Augustine doth in Expos Symb. or for being assumed and associated into the glory of the Divinity as Damascen expounds it For as in his Divine nature he sate at the right hand of God from all eternity being in the same power and glory and blessedness with him so also after his ascension he carried up his humane nature to sit there having taken the nature of man as into the unity so also into the glory and blessedness of his person and in it administring the Kingdom of his father as head of the Church both Militant and Triumphant King of Saints and governour of all things in heaven and in earth For so himself hath told us Mat. 28. 18. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go therefore and teach all nations baptizng them or rather Go therefore and Disciple all nations baptizing them that is make them my Disciples by baptizing them in the
name of the Father c. thereby distinguishing them from those who are not my Disciples even by Baptism Here is such a commission for the Minister to execute his calling both for Word and Sacraments as all the Magistrates in the world can neither give nor take away For they have a power only from Christs power in earth but this calling of the Ministry is founded upon the power of Christ which he hath also in heaven And they who make it their business to discountenance and oppose the Ministers of the Gospel whilst they preach and pray and administer the Sacraments according to the appointment and command of their Master do but in effect strive to justle Christ out of the heads and hearts of men and to thrust him away from the right hand of God Surely he that hopes to be set one day at the right hand of Christ will now willingly acknowledge and reverently adore Christs sitting at the right hand of God And they who do not willingly now put themselves under his power shall at last be brought under it against their will for he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet and though he shall still reign after that for his Kingdom shall have no end as being an everlasting Kingdom 2 Pet. 1 11. yet he shall not after that exercise his government so visibly by the cooperation of his humane nature as now he doth but only by the essential power and presence of his Godhead in which respect it is said And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. For the office of his Mediatorship will then be at an end no less as King then as Priest and Prophet when he shall have brought all men either to his Father or under him though the Majesty of his person be immortal and everlasting And therefore as the Man Christ Jesus did not actually sit at the right hand of God till he was exalted into heaven and yet was potentially there that is in right and power by virtue of the hypostatical union even from the first instant of his incarnation so when he shall have exalted and drawn all his mystical body thither after him though he shall still sit there in the same person yet not in the same respect or to the same end for not Man but God shall then administer the Kingdom of the Father that as from all eternity so also to all eternity God may be all in all Excellently Saint Augustine Ipsam Dexteram intelligite potestatem quam accepit ille homo susceptus à Deo ut veniat judicicaturus qui prius venerat judicandus Non enim Pater judicat quenquam sed omne judicium dedit Filio ut omnes honorent Filium sicut honorant Patrem By the right hand of God understand the power which that man hath received who is taken into God that he may come to judge who at first did come to be judged For the Father judgeth no man but hath comâ—… all judgement to the Son that all men should honour 〈…〉 As they honour the Father So that this 〈…〉 at the right hand of God is to be expounded of ouâ— blesâ—ed Saviour not according to his Divine but according to his humane nature as the Apostle hath fully declared Eph. 1. 21. When he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostome These words cannot be spoken and therefore may not be understood of God the word for he was never dead and therefore t is not said of him that he is set on Gods right hand So likewise Saint Cyprian Dominus ascendit in coelum non ubi verbum Dei prius non fuerat quippe qui erat semper in coelis manebat in Patre sed ubi verbum caro factum ante non sedebat The Lord ascended into heaven not where the word was not before for he was alwayes in the bosome of the Father but where the Word made flesh never sate before But let Saint Augustines determination decide this controversie who purposely handleth it lib. 3. de Symbolo cap. 8. Quis est qui sedit ad dexteram patris Homo Christus Nam in quantum Deus semper cum Patre ex Patre quando ad nos processit à Patre non recessit Who is it that sitteth at the right hand of the Father The Man Christ For as God he was alwayes with his Father and of his Father and when he came to us did not depart from him Therefore Christ was alwayes at the right hand of his Father as God but since his ascension he is there also as Man SECT III. That to sit at the right hand of God is proper only to Christ and therefore invocation of or adoration to the blessed Virgin is not agreeable with this Article of our Christian Faith And that the Author of no Religion but only the Christian is said to be at the right hand of God and to administer his Kingdom and therefore no Religion to be compared with it and no power to prevail against it IF it be demanded whether to sit at the right hand of God be proper only to Christ it must be answered Yes For none else is none else can be there but only he For by this argument doth the holy Apostle prove him to be the Son of God Heb. 1. 13. But to which of the Angels said he at any time Sit thou on my right hand And if he hath not said so to the Angels much less hath he said so to any man And â—ow then shall we say unto either sit thou on the right hand of God by our invocation and adoration placing the creature in the throne of the Creator God blessed for ever And what else do they who thus invest a Bishop saying Accipe pallium plenitudinem sc pontificalis efficii ad honorem omnipotentis Dei gloriosissimae Virginis Mariae genitricis ejus Beatorum Apostolorum Petri Pauli Take this pall and with it the fulness of Episcopal power to the honour of Almighty God and the most glorious Virgin Mary his Mother and his blessed Apostles Peter and Paul for to joyn the blessed Virgin and the Apostles in the same honour and glory with Almighty God is in effect to joyn her and them in the same Kingdom and power with him since they all go together For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever Therefore Laus Deo Virginique Matri Mariae used by Bellarmine at the end of each general controversie must needs beget a new controversie were all the rest amicably concluded among those Christians who love not to think but to know they do God good service in their prayers and praises For such a form of worship
must needs be controverted to the worlds end unless it could be proved that not only Christ but also the blessed Virgin doth indeed sit at the right hand of God being joyned with Christ in the government of his Kingdom which is altogether impossible for that Christ himself sits there in his humane nature only by vertue of the personal union to and with the eternal Son of God whose property alone it is to sit at the right hand of his Father For though the Holy Ghost be also equal with the Father in the same power and glory and therefore together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified yet he is not said to sit at his right hand that 's a phrase spoken peculiarly of the Son in whom the Divine nature was as it were ecclipsed for a while in the state of his humiliation and in whom the humane nature now shineth most gloriously in the state of exaltation And besides for that the Son alone doth administer the Kingdom of the Father immediately from the Father but the Holy Ghost administreth the same Kingdom not only from the Father but also from the Son For although God the Father Son and Holy Ghost do equally govern the Church both militant and triumphant that is do equally administer one and the same Kingdom in heaven and earth yet the Father administreth it of himself not by himself for he is of none as in being so in working The Son administreth the same Kingdom by himself not of himself for as his being so his working is of the Father The holy Ghost administreth the same Kingdom by himself not of himself for he is of the â—ather and of the Son so that God the Father administreth his Kingdom immediately by God the Son who is next him in order and mediately by God the Holy Ghost who so administreth from the Father as also from the Son and therefore is not said to sit at the right hand of the Father because he hath the administration of the Kingdom of God not of the Father alone but of the Father and of the Son whereas the Son hath it immediately and only of the Father So that our blessed Saviour did administer the Kingdom of his Father from all eternity as God But now since his Ascension he doth also administer the same as God in man or as God manifest in the flesh And it is his property alone to sit at the right hand of God because it is his property alone to govern all things in heaven and in earth immediately from the Father Laus Deo will reflect directly on him no less then on the Father and the Holy Ghost for the blessed administration of his Kingdom but Virginique Matri Mariae may securely be left out and is blasphemously and idolatrously put in since the blessed Virgin her self must needs think it robbery to be equal with her Son when her Son thinks it no robbery to be equal with God And certainly if the Fathers in the first Council of Constantinople thought it enough to prove the Holy Ghost coequal with the Father and the Son by saying Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified Then we cannot but think it too much that the blessed Virgin is worshipped and glorified with all three persons of the Trinity as if she were to be thought coequal with Father Son and Holy Ghost But perchance Bellarmine was resolved to gratifie the present practise of his Church with a doxology answerable to that Antiphona Gaude Maria Virgo cunctas haereses sola interemisti in universo mundo Rejoyce O Virgin Mary thou alone hast taken away all heresies in the universal world And he having made it his work to confute all for hereticks who were not of his own gan gives thanks to the blessed Virgin as if by her help he had perfected this great confutation whereas without doubt it is no more in the power of any creature to take away a heresie then it is to change the heart or will of the heritick nor is it in the power of all the Jesuites in the world to prove us poor protestants guilty of heresie because we dare not be guilty of blasphemy nor of Idolatry For it is blasphemy to ascribe that perfection and it is Idolatry to give that honour to the creature which is proper only to the Creator And t is a wonder that Baronius who is pleased to say that our Church of England is wholly drowned in heresie would not impute the cause of that mischeif to our rejecting this and the like Hymns or prayers to the blessed Virgin and say she would not take away our heresies because we had taken away her worship for this reason had certainly been more ingenuous in one of that perswasion then to tell us that we were therefore given over to our delusions because we denyed to pay the Peter pence For that is his observation in his Annals Anno Christi 740. That Ina King of the West Saxons appointed every house in his Dominions to pay a penny to Saint Peter every year that his subjects knowing Saint Peter to be their Lord should more zealously addict themselves to his service and call upon him in their necessities â—t annui census pensitatione cognosceret se subditum S. Petro quem scientes omnes Dominum esse suum propensiori studio colerent in opportunitatibus invocarent But that when this yearly revenue did cease to be payed the Church of England was swallowed up by an inundation of heresies Vbi cessavit pendi vectigal istud utcunque mali redemptum haeresum alluvione Anglicana Ecclesia absorbetur whereas if the mony were paid upon that reason of Invocating Saint Peter it could not be excused from heresie to have continued that payment However this reason is more for the Penny then for the Pater noster and sure the Church of England had more heresies whilst it paid the Peter pence then it hath had ever since unless we look upon these few late years wherein the poor woman cloathed with the Sun hath been distressed by a great red Dragon and forced to flee into the wilderness Rev. 12. But Gods truth is never the worse for being persecuted and Gods faithfull servants will not fall from his truth because of persecution For they know they serve a Master who himself hath said My Kingdom is not of this world John 18. 36. and therefore they who profess themselves subjects of his Kingdom will not change with the world For though our Saviours Kingdom be not of this world yet hath he subjects on earth as well as in hâ—…en And therefore in his Ascension whereby he took possession of his Kingdom he provided for them both For those on earth by the diffusion of his grace called by the Apostle Receiving gifts for men for those in heaven by the diffusion of his glory expressed by this phrase And sate on the right hand of God By
the diffusion of his glory he hath prepared a mansion for us with him by the diffusion of his grace he hath prepared a mansion in us for himself O the immortal comfort of a good Christian and the more immortal glory of the Christian Religion shew me a comfort like to the comfort of a good Christian who is already in his head ascended into heaven shew me a glory like to the glory of the Christian Religion which hath him alone for its author for its head who sitteth on the right hand of God Ask the Jew he will tell you he left his Prophet upon Mount Nebo Ask the Turk he will tell you his Pcophet was left at Meca Ask other Religions they will tell you they know not what is become of their Prophets It is only the Christian Religion that can say it had such a Prophet as now sitteth at the right hand of God A Prophet who taught not a religion without righteousness as is the Religion of Turks and Heathens nor a Religion with Righteousness but which could not make men righteous as was the Religion of the Jews But a Religion with Righteousness to shew it self righteous and a righteousness with Religion to make us so For the law which was the rule of righteousness came by Moses but grace which maketh righteous came only by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. By this He still dwelleth in us even now that he is farthest from us which is so invaluable a blessing that it cannot be valued till it be enjoyed and when it is enjoyed it is found invaluable For the soul of man cannot but have a wretched dwelling in the body and a more wretched dwelling out of it unless Christ have a dwelling in the soul It is the glory of men above Angels that Christ dweleth in their flesh It is the glory of good Christians above other men that Christ dwelleth in their spirits By his grace he dweleth with us and in us by our faith and love we dwell with him in him nor shall this dwelling ever be destroyed it shall only be enlarged when what is now of grace shall hereafter be of glory There is so inseparable an union betwixt Christ and the good Christian that as the Christian cannot be in the state of Grace without Christ so Christ not fully in the state of glory without him The head thinks himself not in honour whiles the members are in dishonour and therefore our head being ascended into heaven makes it his work to draw us the members of his mystical body thither after him For we are united unto Christ by a threefold cord that is not easily broken First by the tie of Election God having chosen us in him before the foundation of the world having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will Eph. 1. 4 5. Secondly by the tie of incarnation wherein he took our flesh unto himself Thirdly by the tie of Inspiration wherein he hath given his Spirit unto us All which have begot so inseparable an union betwixt the Son of God and the sons of men by a golden chain reaching from heaven to earth that Saint Paul speaks of the good Christians as of those who are already in glory with Christ And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2. 6. He looks on them not only as having jus ad rem but also as having jus in re not only as claiming but also as possessing their heavenly inheritance O that we would be so careful or could be so happy as not to abuse those mercies which we cannot deserve O that we would lift up our souls truly and entirely unto the Lord then would our hearts be where our treasure is at the right hand of God For we may not be in heaven by our perswasions whiles we are either in earth by our affections or in hell by our dispositions How can we see our Saviour at Gods right hand whiles Satan stands at ours making us to butcher his servants to deface his Sanctuary to discountenance his Religion to defile or despise his Ordinances to deceive his people to destroy his inheritance How can we believe him to be making intercession for us whiles we care not to make intercession for our selves or at least wise use such extravagant prayers wherein we cannot justly expect much less judiciously hope he should make intercession with us Be it the priviledge of faith to have an eye to be able to see Christ but of devotion to keep that eye alwaies open actually to behold and look upon him for which cause some have thought that prayer was the proper act of justifying faith men then most especially believing in Christ when they are praying to him So that to oppose or disturb the exercise of well-grounded and well-settled devotions under pretence of reforming them is to put out the eye of faith whiles we pretend to take off the film that it may see the clearer For the precious talent of faith must neither be wrapped up in a Napkin nor indiscreetly managed if we expect it should enrich our souls with heavenly and immortal comforts but must be diligently and discreetly imployed in judicious as well as in fervent pravers and praises to Almighty God that so we may fight the good fight of faith by defending and maintaining not only the truth of the Gospel but also our profession and practise of that truth Saint Paul requires both alike of his Scholar and in him of us 1. Tim. 6. 12. Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses Saint Timothy had not only embraced the Christian faith in general but had also in particular professed a good profession thereof before many witnesses and Saint Paul binds him as well as he had bound himself to make it good Else as many as had been witnesses of his profession must have been Judges and Condemners of his revolt And doubtless God having exalted our Saviour Christ at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalitie and power and might and dominion Eph. 1. 20 21. hath sufficiently declared That we should so exalt and advance the Christian Religion whereby we seek to glorifie his Son in earth as the Father hath glorified him in heaven that neither principality nor power nor might nor dominion here on earth for those in heaven will not endeavour it should be able to remove us from the truth of Christ either in its belief or in its practise no more then they can remove Christ himself from sitting at the right hand of God And we most humbly beseech thee O blessed Saviour who hast conquered all things to conquer also our inconstancies that we may perfectly and without all doubt believe in thee and shew the sincerity of our faith by
the zeal of our piety and the constancy of our saith by the unweariedness of our piety that neither faith nor piety may be reproved in thy sight when thou shalt come to Judge us who rulest and governest all things with the Father and the Holy Ghost ever one God world without end Amen Christ communicated in the coming of the Holy Ghost CAP. I. Of the Communication of Christ to his Members SECT I. That we being born in sin our condition is very miserable till Christ be communicated to us but after that very comfortable for the time of sin is a time of warfare captivity banishment The time of Grace a time of Peace of Restitution of Liberty The admirable liberty of Gods servants the woful slavery of those who serve themselves IT is no small part of mans misery who is born in sin and sorrow and therefore born in sorrow because in sin that the afflictions of this world may grieve his soul but all the comforts of this world cannot rescue or release it from grief The Spirit may be perplexed from the flesh but cannot be relieved from it it is only the lover of souls that can exhilerate the soul only the God of Spirits that can comfort the Spirit And till this lover of souls shew his love to us we are hateful to our selves till this God of Spirits do comfort our spirits we cannot but remain altogether comfortless For we are of our selves strangers and aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and consequently from the comforts and immunities of that Common-wealth being alienated from God as far as earth from heaven in our affection as far as hell from heaven in our condition T is a sad truth which may be lamented but may not be denied for in its denyal though a man may shew himself a good Sophister yet he must shew himself a bad divine and cannot shew himself a good Christian That we are all by nature children of disobedience and children of wrath The Jew though he came of the stock of Abraham yet came not into the world without disobedience nor without wrath no more then the Gentile for so saith Saint Paul we were born the children of wrath even as others that is we Jews who came of Abraham no less then the Gentiles who came of the most unworthy and most unrighteous stock in the world Among whom sc the children of disobedience we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Eâ—h 2. 3. as if he had said we were children of disobedience in our affection children of wrath in our condition strangers from God in our affection for being under such lusts strangers from God in our condition for being under such wrath The Apostles intent is fully to declare unto us the state of mans misery which he is in by nature till he be relieved by his blessed redeemer and we may reduce all his doctrine to these four Heads First that our misery consisteth of two parts that we are under the dominion of sin and that we are under the guilt and punishment of Sin Secondly that all men in general as well Jews as Gentiles as long as they are without Christ and his Grace are subject to this misery that is are dead in trespasses and in sins and obnoxious to punishment for the same Thirdly that this our misery is meerly voluntary in regard of the sin though not in regard of the punishment for it is the course of this world and the fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind i. e. perverse and inordinate desires both external of the body and internal of the Soul for body and soul both are alike infected both are corrupted by sin and the desires of the mind are sinfull no less then the desires of the flesh This course of the world we are all desirous to run these desires of the flesh we are all inclined to nourish and to fulfill So that our misery is altogether voluntary in regard of our sin though it be altogether involuntrary and necessary in regard of the punishment we are willingly under the sin as pleasing our corruption but unwillingly under the punishment as bringing our destruction we are contented with the disobedience but we are afraid of the wrath and yet as long as we are under the sin we cannot but be under the punishment as long as we are children of disobedience we are also children of wrath Fourthly and lastly that as it is not in our will so it is not in our power to redeem our selves from this misery for that our corrupt nature doth not so much as desire and therefore cannot recover the state of true liberty either from sin or punishment but t is only the infinite goodness and mercy of God that recovers us by his Grace which is as far beyond our desires as above our deserts such a grace as we could not imagine and therefore did not desire such a grace as we did not desire and therefore could not deserve as saith the Apostle But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ The first Adam communicated nothing to us but sin and death t is only the second Adam that hath communicated to us Grace and Life and therfore t is only in relation to him to our Saviour Christ that the Prophet begins his Sermon of Comfort Isa 40. 1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned The beginning of the pardon is the end of the war Her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity is pardoned do both signifie the same peace Completa est malitia ejus saith the Latine translation for militia by a small mistake of the letter and that in the printer not in the translator but none of the sense for our malitia is our militia our iniquity is our warfare the Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is both her work and her time of war Kimchi in his gloss saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vult dicere tempus quod in captivitate vel exilio dâ—buit transigere He means the time that she was to pass in banishment or captivity we may well admit the gloss For sin is a time of war banishment and captivity of war with God of banishment from God and of captivity not under God for he can be no tyrant but under the devil A sad time surely And therefore the time of Grace must needs be a joyfull time wherein this warfare this captivitâ— this banishment is brought to an end For Christ being communicated the sin is pardoned and the Sin being pardoned the sinner is in peace and in prosperity and in liberty to say this is to speak truly to the heart 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loqui ad Cor which is the Hebrew phrase for speaking comfortably other comforts go no farther then the ear then the outward man that his stock is increased his request granted his cause advanced t is only this comfort that enters into the heart and revives the inner man That the time of his warfare banishment and captivity is at an end because his sin is pardoned For here are two distinct times to be observed A time not accepted that 's of warfare banishment and captivity And a time accepted that 's of peace or reconciliation of restitution of liberty For Epiphanius his argumentation is not to be denied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the nature of relatives si fuit unus annus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ergo fuit alter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Christ preached one year wherein he was accepted as Clemens Alexandrinus labours to prove out of Luke 4. 19. To preach the acceptable year of our Lord then it must needs be that he could not preach only but one year for there must also be another year wherein he was contradicted and no◠accepted His Logick is not to be questioned though his tenent be refused by the Learned Scaliger lib. 6. de emend temp who proves that Christ did preach upon the earth not only one year as Clemens nor two years as Epiphanius would have it but four full years So here the inference is unquestionable If there were a time of warfare of banishment of captivity before the pardon there must needs be a time of peace of restitution of liberty after it If that were a time of expulsion or rejection whiles we were enemies this is a time of acceptance or admission now we are Sons as saith Sant Paul behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 8. That was a day of damnation this is a day of salvation that a a time not accepted this a time accepted The time of the flesh and the time of the Spirit the time of sin and the time of Grace are two opposite times the time that sin reigns in us is a time of warfare banishment and captivity the time that the Spirit of Grace reigns in us is a time of restitution and of liberty First a time of peace and that a peace of heart John 14. 27. My peace I give unto you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid The peace that Christ gives us is a peace of heart a Peace that puts away all trouble and all fear All trouble least it should disturb our peace outwardly and all fear least it should disturb our peace inwardly which is the invincible reason Saint Augustin alledgeth to prove that the holy Angels are assured of their state of bliss because otherwise their fear would disturb their peace and consequently interrupt their blessedness And Aquinas affirms the Saints in heaven to be no less sure of the continuance of their bliss then of the bliss it self and therefore to be in some sort partakers of the divine eternity to which all is actually present nothing to come or else they could not have the full quietation of their wills without which Blessedness it self could be no blessedness 22. q. 18. art 2 3. Secondly the time of Grace is a time of restitution and that to our true Country even to heaven The Philosopher could point thither with his finger but the Christian points thither with his heart For that being once touched with the spirit of God alwayes moves and beats towards heaven as a needle touched with a loadstone moves alwayes towards the Pole For true Christians are so full of hope and their hope is so full of immortality that they are very well contented to resign this mortal life when God shall require it as those who know themselves to be but strangers and so journers hereon earth and that their Country where they are to expect a lasting a sure dwelling is only in heaven as saith Saint Paul in their behalf For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God eternal in the heavens wherefore in this we groan carnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. This house of earth is but our tabernacle that of heaven is our dwelling In this we groan in that we shall rejoice This is to be dissolved as built by man that 's a building of God and therefore not capable of dissolution Thirdly the time of Grace is a time of liberty for Grace is the well-spring and fountain of liberty as sin is of thraldom For as sin is an aversion from God to serve our selves which is the greatest servitude so Grace is a conversion to God to serve him whose service is perfect freedom so that no man is so truly a slave as he that serves himself and none so truly free as he that serves his God Nemo liber nisi sapiens None is a free man but he that is a wise man may not be taken for a Paradox if we be not mistaken in the wisdom but think and say with the spirit of God Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding Job 28. 28. T is a heavenly contemplation of the Seraphical Doctors Tunc homo rectus est quum intellectus adaequatur summ◠veritati in cognoscendo voluntas confirmatur summa bonitati in diligendo virtus continuatur summae potestati in operando Et ex hoc homo non solùm rectus sed rector ipse Deo subditus ipsi alia Bonav Prol. in lib. 2. Sent. Man i◠then only well governed in himself and governour of all other things when he depends wholly upon God His dependance upon God in his understanding to know him the first truth In his will to desire him the chiefest good and in his power of action to follow and obey him the highest power makes him subject to God and all the world subject to him This is such a kind of liberty which the son of God only gives and the servants of God only enjoy See it in the Sons gift If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed John 8. 38. See it in the servants receipt And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts Psal 119. 45. They who are Gods servants are the only free-men for they are so his servants as that also they are his Sons For as the Soveraignty of his dominion claims them for Servants so the transcendency of his goodness accepts them for Sons and therefore gives unto them both the Liberty and the Patrimony of children SECT II. That Christ is generally communicated to all Christians by Baptisme wherein the Holy Ghost is given to regenerate and sanctifie them by taking away the imputation or guilt of original sin and making them the members of Christ
That of enemies they are made servants and of servants they are made sons Secondly That being made sons they have the Spirit of his Son Thirdly That having the Spirit of his Son they have also the mind and language of his Son crying Abba Father Having their hearts true to God by inward affection and their mouths true to their hearts by outward profession IT is fit that a foolish son should know his folly as well as his filiation his folly that he may return to himself to do his duty as well as his filiation that he may return unto his Father and beg for mercy Accordingly every good Christian being made the son of God and yet still abiding too much in the sins of other men should look with one eye upon himself to increase his humility and to quicken his obedience and repentance with the other eye upon his Saviour to strengthen his faith and to inflame his piety and devotion He must see his folly as well as his filiation that he may ascribe unto God the honour due unto his name and much more the honour due unto his nature in that he disinherits not a foolish Son besotted and bewitched with the vanities of the world and with his own sinful lusts and affections but first looks on him as wise in Christ his own eternal wisdom and then makes him so that he may not only accept him for a son but may also bring him to his inheritance For there is no doubt to be made but that the filiation will carry the inheritance if so be we take care that the folly do not destroy the filiation And accordingly we must still remember that we were by nature the children of wrath born enemies but made sons by the grace of adoption and take heed of returning to our own natural corruptions or of sinning against that grace whereby we have been adopted For in that we have been adopted into Gods family we have been put out of our own so the Greeks do expresly set forth the nature of adoption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be an adopted son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Suidas is to be put out of our own kindred out of our own stock And the Psalmist requires no less of us when he saith Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine ear forget also thine own people and thy fathers house so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty for he is thy Lord God and worship thou him Psal 45. 11 12. Thou canst not be an adopted son of God unless thou forget thine own people and thy fathers house that is unless thou go out of the man that thou maist go in to God leave off to be an enemy that thou maist begin to be a son forsake thy self that thou maist cleave to thy Saviour For in thy self thou art a stranger nay an enemy in him only thou art a servant or rather a Son This consideration made Saint Paul say I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. As if he had said I am crucified with Christ in that I am dead unto sin for the thought that he hath nailed my sins to his Cross makes me willing to be crucified with him And yet I still truly live but not that old carnal man I was before but made a new creature so that indeed Christ liveth in me by his Spirit making me lead a new life And though I am still in this mortal body yet my life which I live is immortal for though my person be on earth yet my conversation is in heaven And the same truth which the Apostle here preached by his Example he did in another place preach also by his Doctrine saying And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness Rom. 8. 10. that is the outward man is mortified to the weakning and abolishing of sin but the inner man is renewed to the encreasing and establishing of righteousness And this is the proper work of the Spirit of adoption to change a man from being an enemy to be a servant and from being a servant to be a son which we may well look upon as the first priviledge of the Saints who are truly so that is Saints in Gods account though sinners in their own Saints not of their own calling but of Gods or Saints not of their own but of Gods making Their duty is to be his servants but their honour is to be his friends nay more his sons Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you John 15. 14. They were before his enemies they are now his servants and friends They are to do whatsoever he commands them there 's their duty they are obliged as servants yet he saith unto them ye are my friends there 's their honour they are accepted as friends Great is their honour as his friends admitted to his counsels yet much greater is their honour as his sons admitted to his inheritance But this honour is meerly a priviledge not a prerogative t is such as they must thankfully receive not such as they may peremptorily demand for when ye have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do saith our blessed Saviour Luk. 17. 10. Christ looked upon his own obedience as duty and therefore will not have us look upon ours as supererogation We are unprofitable servants in our service and should be so in our account and are we then in Gods account accepted as friends nay beloved as sons Great was their priviledge who could say We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and build his house Ezra 5. 11. Sure they could not have said so much if they had pulled his house down But far greater is our priviledge who can say We are the sons of the God of heaven and earth and though we be despoiled of our inheritance in earth yet we cannot be deprived of our inheritance in heaven The prodigal son saith to his father I am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants Luk. 15. 19. but each of us may now invert those words and say unto our Father I am no more worthy to be a hired servant and yet thou hast made me be called thy Son A consideration which is able to kindle a holy fire in the breast of every good Christian and enflame his soul with the love of Christ by whom alone of an enemy he is made a servant of a servant a friend of a friend a Son of a son an heir even an heir of God and joint heir with Christ Rom. 8. 17. For though men have son that are not heirs yet God hath no son which is not also an heir and
know not a man Luke 1. 34. I answer then according to this distinction First If the doubt concerning our being in the state of true Christianity proceed from piety or admiration it is exceeding commendable we have an excellent president for it the man after Gods own heart who twice spoke these words from Gods own mouth for surely with his spirit What is man that thou hast such respect unto him or the son of man that thou so regardest him Psalm 8. 4. and 144. 3. Nor is it possible for any one that hath indeed the Spirit of God when he considers the immensity of Gods goodness and of his own unworthiness not to make this doubt of admiration unto his own soul What is man what am I a sinful man in my person that thou hast such respect unto me or What is the son of man what am I a sinful man in my nature that thou so regardest me Secondly If the doubt concerning our being in the state of true Christianity proceed from infirmity it is at all times excusable because though the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weak Mat. 26. 41. and at sometimes almost commendable when either by our omissions of piety we have quenched or by our commissions of impiety we have grieved the Holy Spirit of God whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption In this case of spiritual leprosie Gods answer to Moses concerning Miriam may be taken as a full determination concerning us If her Father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days Let her be shut out of the camp seven days and after that let her be received in again Numb 12. 14. Si pater terrenus aliquod gravis in eam irae signum edidisset puderet eam saltem septem Dies redire in conspectum ejus saith Junius If her father on earth had shewed some great sign of anger against her she would for shame not presently rush into his sight but would forbear to come before him for one seven days The explanation is very punctual and we cannot but see that in God Almighties own Logick the argument is good from our Father on earth to our Father in heaven Hence that prayer of sorrowful David Cast me not away from thy presence He confesseth he durst not come into his sight and prays that he might not be for ever banished from it Psal 51. 11. and again redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation Having grievously offended his God he could not but discover in his own soul the signs and tokens of that offence therefore he prayes God to restore unto him the joy of his salvation For had he not in his blood-guiltiness lost the joy of his salvation he might in his impenitency have lost the enjoyment of it Good Lord that we should so out-strip this holy man in our sin and come so short of him in our repentance This is certainly a ready way not to strengthen our faith but to weaken it not to lessen our doubtings but to increase them yea to turn our doubtings into distresses and our distresses into despair and our despair into damnation Thirdly and lastly if the doubt concerning our being in the state of true Christianity proceed from infidelity it is neither commendable nor excusable in any nay it is so far from being commendable in any that t is altogether inexcusable in all For such a doubt supposeth not a weakness but a want of faith and consequently sheweth the man that hath it to distrust his Saviour not himself and to remain still in the state of infidelity notwithstanding God calleth him so earnestly to the state of faith Wherefore since without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. such a doubting of infidelity must needs leave him that hath it under Gods most heavy and more just displeasure under his most heavy displeasure because he embraceth not reconciliation when it is offered under his most just displeasure because he believeth not him that offereth it This is the reason of the Apostles exceeding pathetical exhortation Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3. 12. The heart is made evil by unbelief and shews it is so by departing from the living God so that we are advised and exhorted to take heed of unbelief as we would take heed of an evil heart and of departing from the living God T is at first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil heart oâ—â—nfidelity t is at last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil heart of apoâ—tacy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in apostatizing from the living God But we must here take heed that we confound not together the doubtings of infirmity and of infidelity The one saith Lord I believe help thou my unbelief the other cannot say Lord I believe The one dare not trust himself but the other will not trust his Saviour a doubting of infidelity rejecteth faith but a doubting of infirmity desireth it For though doubting cannot be in faith yet it may be in him that hath faith Saint Peters faith could not doubt yet himself doubted so saith the text when he saw the wind boistrous he was afraid and beginning to sink he cryed saying Lord save me Mat. 14. 13. Though he was full of fear yet he was not empty of faith For he cryed saying Lord save me And therefore we may not say of any other in his case more then our Saviour Christ did say of him O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Mat. 14. 31. O thou of little faith not O thou of no faith for he did fully believe in Christ and did only misdoubt himself And surely it would not be much amiss if every confident man would do so too and ask himself the question which Christ asks Saint Peter Lovest thou me John 21. 17. and ask it again and again and not be grieved at the often asking it dost thou indeed love thy Saviour lovest thou him who died for thee lovest thou him who loved thee with an everlasting love For the more you are assured in your own heart that you love your Saviour the more will he assure you of his everlasting love CAP. II. Of the knowledge of the state of true Christianity SECT I. The knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is from our keeping the words of Christ And that Antinomians cannot truly be and much less know they be in the state of true Christianity HE that is in the state of true Christianity cannot but desire to know it and he that knows himself to be so cannot but exceedingly rejoyce and triumph in that knowledge Accordingly after the discourse of the state of true Christianity in the next place we ought to enquire concerning our own knowledge of that state for that man can scarce be thought to believe the life everlasting who labours not
communicating of himself Praesens autem est in quantum praesentat seu praesentem facit beatitudinem quae est in ipso in habitu tantum ut in parvulis in affectu tantum ut in adultis in habitu effectu et intellectu ut in beatis saith that excellent Schoolman Alensis par 3. qu. 61. God is then present with the soul when he represents unto it his own blessedness either in habit or disposition as in children that know him not and yet love him or in desire or affection as to men that know him and love him or in a habit desire and comprehension as to the blessed souls that not only know and love but also enjoy him So that according to the degrees of Gods presence are also the degrees of his communion where his presence is incompleat and imperfect as in grace there his communion is so too where his presence is compleat and perfect as in glory there so also is his communion But it is best for us to examine the effects of our communion with God in the presence of his grace that so we the more may undoubtedly attain to a communion with him in the presence of his glory And these effects are excellently set down in few words by the Casuists saying Spirituale bonum Divinum consistit in amicitia inter Deum hominem ac per hoc in consentire conversari convivere colloqui cum Deo The blessing of the soul consists in this that a man hath friendship or communion with God and consequently that he lives for him by consent lives to him by conversation lives with him by cohabitation lives in him by contentation I will briefly explain them all that the good Christian may know his own happiness in that he is called to live in this communion by vertue whereof First he lives for God by consent Fiat volunt as tuaâ— Thy will be done is a petition twice sanctified unto us by our Saviours own lips in two several prayers One of them taught us by his Doctrine in the Mount Mat. 6. So that we cannot contemn his prayer but we must also contemn his Sermon The other taught us by his practice or example Mat. 26. 42. where he made but one speech yet three prayers he prayed the third time saying the same words ver 44 It was one and the same expression of his voice it was not one and the same elevation of his soul therefore he prayed the third time though he spake but his first words We place the gift of prayer in the volubility of our tongues our Saviour placed it in the groans of his heart He prayed thrice in the same words we use many words scarce pray at all It is the heart that pants it not the tongue that chants it out when we truly say Thy will be done Conformitas in volito formali must be in all our desires where in volito materiali cannot be Here was a conformity of our Saviours will with Gods will in what he desired formally in his intention though a seeming non-formity in what he desired materially in his expression And so it must ever be with us For we are most sure that in this case the Non Conformist cannot be a good Christian but the want of conformity is the want of Christianity The second effect of this communion is that the good Christian lives to God by conversation T is a pleasant contemplation of Aquinas that local distance is no impediment in the Angels conversing one with another or speaking one to the other because that is a meer intellectual operation In loquutione Angelorum nullum impedimentum praestat localis distantia quia est mere intellectualis operatio Aqu. 1. par qu. 107. art 4. But t is a much more comfortable assertion of the Apostle that the distance of heaven from earth cannot hinder the conversation of man with God for so much he plainly asserteth when he saith For our conversation is in heaven for whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 20. In which words the Apostle affordeth us three observations concerning the heavenly conversation of good Christians 1. that it is nothing else but a serious study and exercise of Christian piety in imitation of Christ to whom they are always lifting up their eyes and their hearts 2. that they only are true Christians who firmly and constantly exercise this piety for they only have true faith in Christ they only have a firm hope of immortality 3. that we have all two great Motives for this exercise the one is that Christ our Saviour on whom all our hopes rely and in whom all our joys are fixed is in heaven thefore what have we to do on earth The other is that the same Christ will at the last day come from heaven to judge us according to the works that we have done therefore if we will have a favourable judgement we must have an innocent conversation Conversation is but a frequent conversion and requires our often turning to God by our repentance as we often turn away from him by our sins The third effect of this communion is that he lives with God by cohabitation I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. Saint Paul by this losing his life did indeed save it had he kept his life in himself he might have lost it by a temporal a spiritual an eternal death for he would have been subject to the separation of his body from his soul of his soul from grace and of his soul and body from God But having lost his life in himself that he might keep it in his Saviour he keeps it for ever He keeps his natural life which else he could not but lose for his dissolution is not to him a death but only a change making good his We shall all be changed even before the last day for he had a change only when others had a death Our departure hence if looked upon as a change is our greatest consolation for it must needs be much for the better because our corruptible shall thereby put on incorruption our mortal shall put on immortality But if looked upon as a death must needs be our greatest horror and confusion for that can only tell us of the destroying not of the amending or bettering our present state and condition He keeps also his spiritual life so continuing as moreover improving it His soul being more knit and united with grace then before which is the spiritual life the union of the soul with grace for though we suppose it the same grace yet the soul must needs be united to it the more neerly and the more firmly the longer it abides in the communion of Christ the fountain of grace But we may well suppose the good Christian to grow
69. super Cantic Si sensero aperiri mihi sensum ut intelligâ—m Scripturas aut uberiores desursum influere animo meditationum imbres non ambigo sponsum adesse Verbi siquidem hae copiae sunt de plenitudine ejus ista accipimus If I perceive my understanding opened to understand the Scripture or the influence and distillation of heavenly meditations upon my soul I cannot doubt but the Bridegroom is at hand for these are the armies that the word doth march withall and it is from his fulness that my soul is thus filled The second proof of our communion with Christ is this that we continue and abide in his love and this is a consequent of the former as it is said ver 10. If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love No keeping of his commandments no abiding in his love Wherefore the Solifidian is in a dangerous condition who seeks not to joyn obedience to his faith For he abides not in the love of Christ and how then can he expect that Christ should interpose his death and passion betwixt the judgement of God and his sinful soul since that interposition is clearly the greatest effect that can be of Christs love Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends John 15. 13. Our blessed Saviour dyed for his enemies but none shall have the benefit of his death in the day of Judgement but only his friends and none are his friends but they that abide in his love and none abide in his love but they that keep his commandments if not by their righteousness yet at least by their repentance The third proof of our communion with Christ is this that his joy remaineth in us ver 11. These things have I spoken unto you sc the things that belong to your abiding in me that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full Lord what a mercy is it that thy joy doth come unto us much more that it doth remain in us And from whence coâ—â—â—h thy joy but from the testimony of thy Holy Spirit that thou hast reconciled us unto the Father and from the testimony of our own consciences that we do not abide in any sin to hinder the comfort and hazard the fruit of that reconciliation This is the very joy of the Holy Ghost a joy not heard of but amongst Christian a joy not found but amongst good Christians who have the Spirit of Christ witnessing with their spirits that they are the children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ if so be that they suffer with him that they may be also glorified together Rom. 8. 16 17. T is not all the losses of the earth can discourage those who are the heirs of heaven t is not all the sufferings of this world can dismay those who have the joy of the next world because they know they can be losers and sufferers only for a time but they are sure they shall have gain and glory for ever SECT II. That our communion with Christ is as our participation of Christ exteral or internal The one may be the communion of hypocrites the other only of good Christians The way to be a good Christian in a bad Church NO man can hope to be wise without wisdom righteous without righteousness holy without holiness true without truth or to see without light or to live without life And therefore no man can hope to be wise righteous holy true or to see or to live without Christ for he of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 30. and he alone is the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. and he alone is the truth and the life John 14. 6. Therefore we must have Communion with him or we cannot have wisdom righteousness sanctification truth light or life from him But how can we have communion with Christ since He is in heaven and we are on earth I answer as we can partake of him so we can communicate with him For participation and communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in Saint Pauls language equipollent one and the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae participatio quae communio are set down as terms convertible 2 Cor. 6. 14. So far therefore as we participate of Christ so far forth we communicate with Christ If we participate of him only externally whether in his Word or in his Sacraments we communicate with him only externally If we participate of him internally we communicate also with him internally according to that excellent determination of that irrefragable Doctor upon this question An mali pertineant ad unionem capitis cum corpore Ecclesiae whether wicked men belong to that Union of the Church wherein Christ as head is united with the body which question he determines in the negative saying thus Mali quidem sunt in unitate Ecclesiae dummodo habent fidem rectam ut zizania cum tritico Mat. 13. sed non sunt in unitate corporis Ecclesiae sunt ergo de Ecclesia sed non de corpore Ecclesiae nam ut in corpore humano est unio membrorum duplex sc materialis per nervos formalis per vitam sic in corpore Ecclesiae est duplex unio membrorum una quasi materialis quae est per fidem alia formalis quae est per charitatem Alâ—n. par 3. qu. 12. m. 2. ar 3. Wicked men are in the Unity of the Church as long as they profess the true faith as the tares are with the wheat Mat. 13. But they are not in the unity of the body of the Church therefore they are of the Church but not of the body of the Church For as in the body of a man there is a twofold Union of the members to wit a material union by nerves ligaments and a formal union by spirit and life so in the body of the Church there is a twofold union of the members the one as it were a material union in the outward profession of the same Christian Faith the other a formal union in the inward affection and love of that Faith which they profess And hence is that distinction of Aquinas for Stapleton and the later writers have it from him Quidam sunt de Ecclesiae numero tantum quidam merito numero Some men are members of the Christian Church only in their number or in their persons some also in their merit or in their Dispositions some men partake of the Word and Sacraments only with their ears and with their mouths but others partake of them also with their hearts as it is said of the blessed Virgin-mother She kept all these sayings in her heart Luke 2. 51. the one we may say are Christs external the other his internal communicants And the Apostle in the same place useth three other
the word for the word of God is quick and powerful sharper then any two edgedsword peircing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discoverer of the thoughts and intents of the heart ver 12. All which force and activity cannot be from the dead letter which constitutes the word but from the quick spirit which accompanies and enlivens it But their faith was and our faith is wanting to the Spirit of God which brings us all under that sharp reproof of our blessed Saviour O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken Luke 24. 25. For if we be not slow to believe yet generally we believe by an historical faith proceeding from the conviction of the understanding meerly through the evidence of truth as the Devils believe and tremble not by a justifying faith proceeding from the conversion of the will through the love of truth And hence it is that though the cheif corner stone be rightly laid in all Christian Churches all alike confessing Christ to be the eternal Son of God and the Mediator betwixt God and man for if any deny this they are neither to be thought nor to be called Christians yet the building is not rightly raised in many Churches the reason is because there be many mockers in these last times who walk after their own ungodly lusts separating themselves sensual not having the Spirit as Saint Jude admonisheth But in no wise building up themselves in their most holy faith or praying in the Holy Ghost or keeping themselves in the love of God as Saint Jude adviseth No wonder if such a faith as this came far short of its proper object Christ with all the blessings and mercies of God since indeed it comes far short of it self For a faith that maketh men not build up but pull down the practice of religion and pray not in Gods Holy Spirit but in their own perverse spirits and keep themselves not in the love of God and consequently of his Church but in the love of their own self-interests and advantages such a faith or rather such a phansie or fiction and faction as this is and must be called comes far short of faith and therefore cannot but come far short of Christ the proper object of faith Saint Paul tells us of another kind of faith which to them under the Law was the evidence of things not seen and must be so to us under the Gospel saying these all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth Heb. 11. 13. They died in that faith in the which we ought to live and dye though the object of it be more clearly revealed to us then it was to them a faith which is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen A faith knowing by evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did see the promises a faith approving by adherence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were perswaded of them A faith applying by affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they embraced them and lastly a faith working and persevering by profession practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they confessed the same promises not only in their words but also in their deeds in their life and conversation accounting themselves strangers and Pilgrims on earth when they considered those heavenly promises And that made them like Pilgrims earnestly to long after their own country and not do or desire any thing for love of earth which might hinder or delay their passage to heaven So that a faith thus seeing thus applying thus approving thus confessing the promises of salvation by Christ is the faith which our Apostle defineth to be the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen that is to say a faith that now maketh Christ present with the soul by the communion of his grace and will hereafter make the soul present with Christ in the communion of his glory Oh for such a faith to bring my Saviour into my soul and to keep him there till faith it self be no longer faith but be turned into vision A faith that engageth the whole man in all his powers and faculties both of soul and body For only such a faith as taketh up the whole man in his understanding will affections actions can take a right and lay a fast hold on Christ such a faith though it cannot miraculously now open the heavens as it did once to Saint Stephen yet it can and will pierce the heavens and there see the son of man standing on the right hand of God ready to defend us on earth and as ready to receive us into heaven Whence we may very well conclude that this communion of good Christians with Christ or of the body with the head though at so great a distance is in the thing it self most real and substantial though in the manner it be only spiritual and mystical Christ and his Church nay every true member of his Church are as substantially united together as man and wife Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church Ephes 5. 25. that is to say his wife And therefore as no distance can keep the man and his wife from being one flesh so neither Christ and his Church from being one spirit He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. And to put us out of doubt that we whilst we live here on earth if we live unto him are thus joyned unto him Saint John saith plainly Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us 1 John 3. 24. There cannot be a more substantial union then is of the soul with the body because the soul abideth in the body and the same union is of Christ with the soul because he abideth in the soul and as we know the soul abideth in the body by the spirit or breath which it giveth to the body so we know that Christ abideth in the soul by the spirit which he giveth to the soul Yet is this union of Christ with his body not carnal but spiritual not to be discerned by the strength of the outer but of the inner man such an union as Saint Paul describeth to all but wisheth only to good Christians for though he might wish the Son of righteousness to shine upon a dunghill yet he might not wish him to be joyned to it that God would grant you to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith Ephes 3. 16 17 Here is a most real and substantial union and communion betwixt Christ and good Christians for the spirit strengtheneth them and Christ dwelleth in them but t is only spiritual for the spirit strengtheneth their inner man and mystical for Christ dwelleth
grounded upon the infallibility of the thing or of the prayer for that faith cannot rest but upon infallibility and the people as well as the Priest ought to pray in Faith wherefore this assurance is not only very just and reasonable but also very necessary and religious since we all know we must pray in the merit of Christs intercession if we hope our prayers should find admittance to God and acceptance with him and we are sure he will not intercede with us in such prayers as we have not learned from him For which cause the Church also teacheth us to conclude all our prayers after this manner Per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum through Jesus Christ our Lord as if we were bound to believe that Christ then prayeth for us when we are praying for our selves according to the rules of his word and that we have hopes to be heard not by virtue of our own but of his intercession And t is observable that Saint Paul saith of those who worshipped Angels that they held not the head Col. 2. 19. because in such worship Christ who is the head could not joyn with them nor they with him accorcordingly Saint Chrysostome thus expostulates with such a worshipper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why do you let go the head to lay hold on the members whilst you think to come to God by the Angels he might have put in Saints too by the same reason if that worship had been then in fashion and not immediately by Christ For if you fall from him you are certainly lost and the way to fall from him is not to lay immediate hold on him for he that layes not immediate hold of him cannot lay fast hold of him T is holding of the head not of the body that gives the nourishment whereby we encrease with the encrease of God and Angels are of the body no less then men Accordingly the Fathers of the Council of Laodicea give this reason why they accurse them who called upon Angels in their worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 35. because such men have forsaken the Lord Jesus and are guilty of idolatry And it is a pitiful evasion of Baronius to say that the Council spake of false Angels which the Heathen called Genii for besides that no Christians ever worshipped them and the Canon only concerns Christians t is too great an absurdity to be pinned upon a Council to say they spake of Angels when they meant Divels For our parts we must conclude that praying to Saints and Angels is a very unwarrantable a very unsafe a very uncomfortable way of praying because we are sure we cannot have communion with Christ in such prayers For though he can doth and will join with us in saying Our Father yet he cannot will not saying Our Brother Though he doth join with us in our intercessions to the Creator God blessed for ever yet he doth not cannot joyn with us in our intercessions to any creature And therefore since the Church requires our communion only by authority from Christ it is evident that no Church can justly require our communion in this or any other practice wherein it self doth not communicate with Christ For in such prayers as these we can only hold of the body or rather some corrupted member of the body but we cannot hold of the head and consequently in such prayers as these there can be no true Christian communion for that so beginneth with the Church as that it endeth with Christ so beginneth in earth as that it endeth in heaven Saint Johns determination may best decide this controversie for some mens perversness hath made it so who in very few words thus sets forth to us our Christian communion That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 John 1. 3. Where we may see that God imparted not the knowledge of Christian truths to his Church that she might reserve them to her self but that she might publish and declare them to his people That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you God hath declared them to us that we should declare them to you And the reason why the Church is bound to declare these Christian truths to the people is to establish them in the true Christian communion that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ where we plainly see that Christian communion begins with the Church and ends with Christ nor would the Apostle seek to draw them to have fellowship with him but that with him they might also have fellowship with Christ he desires not to magnifie this communion from himself but from his Saviour He therefore exhorts them to have communion with the Church that they might have communion with Christ For indeed there are at least two degrees if not parts of our Christian communion the first is our communion with Christs Church as with the body that ye also may have fellowship with us The second is our communion with Christ himself as with the head and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ and this communion is or ought to be the end of all preaching that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship c. This is or should be the intent of all preaching even the communion of the people with the Priests and the communion both of Priests and people with Christ so likewise saith Saint Peter speaking of our blessed Saviour His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet 1. 3 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only partakers of but also communicants in or with the Divine nature as if he had said the end of your communion with us is that you may thereby have communion with God His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of himself And we are desirous to impart to you this knowledge that you may have part in the same life and godliness He hath given to us exceeding great and gracious promises and we desire to publish them ro you that by these you also with us might be partakers of the Divine nature But because this communion is or should be the only task of our whole life and is the only comfort of our death I will yet alledge one more testimony for it and that shall be his who was wrapt up into the third heavens that he might the better shew us the right and the straight way thither and he bids us Follow peace with
People and I must hear this Church as I would have the benefit of his Sons blood as I would have the instructions of his holy Spirit and as I would not forfeit the salvation of mine own Soul Wherefore though the whole world turn round to a meer spiritual diziness or reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man yet this shall be the sober resolution of my soul I will not sin against that authority which God hath set over me He hath called his Ministers his friends I will not call them mine enemies least I put my self out of his friendship I find that God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost hath set them over me and how shall I answer it to this blessed Trinity if I oppose my self against them or rather set my self over them T is St. Athanasius his observation Ath. lib. de communi essentiâ Patris Filii Sp. S. That the election of Ministers in Gods Church is in the book of God equally attributed to all three persons of the holy and blessed Trinity Saint Paul attributeth it to God the Father 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles Secundarily Prophets Thirdly Teachers c. Again The same S. Paul attributeth this work to God the Son Eph. 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles sc He that had descended into the lower parts of the earth and was now ascended into heaven and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers And lastly the same Saint Paul attributeth the choice of Ministers to God the Holy-Ghost Acts 20. 28. Take heed unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the Holy-Ghost hath made you Overseers God the Father Son and Holy Ghost hath made them my Overseers and shall I strive to make them my Underlings And what shall I answer at the last day to this God whose authority I have contemned and whose power I shall not be able to resist when he will call me to an account and pronounce against my soul and execute upon it the sentence of eternal dammnaton for my contempt He hath said expresly Obedite praepositis vestris subjacete eis Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you There are some certain men that have charge of the peoples souls and are accordingly to give an account of that charge Those are here called their Rulers or Leaders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their Captains to train and lead them under Christs banner A word of great humility in regard of their communion with them in the same Christian duties and combates but a word of great authority in regard of their command over them in so much that Gregor Nazian in the first of his steliteuticks calls the Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The order of those that govern and the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are under that order of government or those who are to be governed The one are set over the other are set under by the power of God the Father by the wisdom of God the Son and by the goodness of God the Holy-Ghost so that to disturb and to destroy this order is little less then to proclaim enmity against the eternal power and wisdom and goodness of God This is reason enough why we should obey because God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost hath made them our Rulers but yet the words enforce another reason of our obedience because they watch for our souls And are accordingly called watch-men in the Text Son of man I have made thee a watch-man to the house of Israel therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me Ezek. 3. 17. Speculatorem dedi te speculator qui est aliis vice oculorum i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Calvin upon the place A watch-man is one who is to others instead of eyes that is an Overseer or a Bishop we find here God hath divolved to him a double trust here is verbum commissum Animae commissae Gods word is committed to his care and mens souls are committed to his cure He is entrusted with Gods word hear the word at my mouth and he is entrusted with his neighbours Souls Give them warning from me His office was instituted meerly for the glory of God and the salvation of men and I cannot oppose it but I must be an enemy both to God and Man And if I be an enemy to Gods glory here how shall I hope to enjoy it hereafter If I oppose the Salvation of others how shall he that came to be their Saviour take a care to save me For I do what is in me to trample his blood under my feet and how can I hope that he should sprinkle it upon my soul nor may I say that these Texts were only occasional or this trust was only temporal such as concerned the Prophets and Apostles but not others after them unless I will moreover say which in truth I am afraid to think That God hath now a less care then he had then both of his own glory and of our salvation both of his own word and of our souls These spiritual watch-men were as necessary in Saint Pauls time as in Ezekiels and in our times as then And consequently they are to us what the Prophets were to the Jews or the Apostles to the Primitive Christians saving only their extraordinary commission and endowments Ezekiel was to give warning to the Jews and Saint Paul was to give warning to the Gentiles for so himself saith whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. And our watch-men are now to give warning unto us by vertue of the same commissions and therefore Saint Paul speaketh in the plural number saying whom we preach comprizing the whole body of the Ministry wherefore also he saith warning every man and that we may present every man which was impossible for himself alone and indeed for all the Preachers of his time because there were to be infinite sucessions of men which could not be their auditors whereby it is evident that as long as there shall be men to be warned and taught and presented perfect in Christ Jesus so long there must be Preachers to warn and teach and to present them whose duty and office is accordingly here described 1. In the nature of it To warn and to teach not only to deliver sound doctrine which is teaching but also to apply it by particular exhortations according to the capacities or wants of theit auditors which is warning or admonishing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putting your mind to theirs that they may understand what you say not soaring aloft in sublime speculations above their apprehensions or putting
enjoyning duties shewing us that we cannot take any of either but we must take all And this is most evident in the present case for the fourth Commandment plâ—inly presupposeth all that is enjoyned in the three former commandments concerning holy duties or the whole substance of Religion both internal and external and then also farther addeth an obligation of consecrating time and other adjuncts for the publick exercise thereof that God may be the more solemnly glorified and men the more truely edified whilst the duties of Religion are all practised together in a full communion of Saints the Church Militant being obliged in this to imitate the Church Triumphant that it invite men on earth to glorifie God with one accord as the Angels do glorifie him in heaven And in this respect we may easily believe and readily confess the first Sabbath to have been both instituted and kept in Paradise for the Church was there founded and the Communion of Saints there first established That is the communion of holy men with the holy Angels and with themselves joyning together to sing Halleluiahs to God their blessed Creator which was indeed the principal end of their creation And accordingly men were at first enabled to the discharge of this great duty as well as the Angels having the right and acceptable forms of praising God imprinted in their hearts and when through transgression they had disabled themselves it pleased God of his infinite goodness to grant them as it were a new impression and to give them a second edition of those praises in his holy Scriptures which before had been written in their own hearts but were now very much slurred and defaced if not quite obliterated and blotted out This great and undeserved mercy of God those men either shamefully forget or ineffectually remember who cry up the Sabbath day but beat down the Sabbath Duty making little or no use of the written Word of God in their publick worship and making little or no account of those forms of praâ—er and praise which are either contained therein or agreeable thereto but setting up their own private gifts against that publick communion which should be in Gods house and service by virtue of this fourth Commandment discountenancing the exercise of Religion in known forms of heavenly prayers able to establish the heart and encouraging new-fangled devices which are only fit to busie and tickle the phansie By which ungodly practice for so it must be called though it pretend to the greatest measure of godliness they in effect throw the fourth Commandment out of the Church whilst they pretend to set it up over the Altar since not sitting still or keeping an outward rest but comming together that we may all labour inwardly in Hallowing the name of our Father which is in heaven is the cheif moral duty of the Sabbath For as in the promise of the fifth so in the precept of the fourth Commandment the Lawgivers expression containeth the least part of his intention and we may no more confine this precept in the duty then we may that promise in the reward Therefore as we would be loth to look no farther then the Land of Canaan for our inheritance so we should be wary how we assert that God looks no farther then the Sabbath day for our obedience Truth is it pleased God to train up the Jews in his fear by types and figures and as it were to wrap up heaven in earth spirituals in temporals morals in ceremonials substances in circumstances to them as well in his precepts as in his promises particularly in that precept which concerned his publick worship because that amongst the Jews was for the most part Ceremonial and figurative Wherefore if we desire rightly and fully to understand the fourth Commandment we must conceive it in so great a latitude as to comprize all those Commissions injunctions invitations and exhortations which we find in the Old and New Testament given either to Kings or Ministers or People concerning the ordering establishing reforming practicing professing or promoting the solemn publick worship of Almighty God which is in truth the principal end thereof unless we will say that all those moral duties are reducible to none of the ten commandments in the decalogue and consequently that all they were will-worshippers who either professed or promoted or practised them For as such duties of Religion are to be done publickly and solemnly by many together in one communion they are not reducible to any of the three first commandments which speak to single persons but only to the fourth which alone speaketh to whole families or to many persons joyned together in one community And therefore it is not amiss to say that Hallowed be thy name is that Petition which most directly prayes for Grace to perform the duty of the fourth Commandment since all other things are hallowed for his names sake God sanctifying times places persons and forms of prayers and praise unto us that he may sanctifie us unto himself nor is it amiss to say that the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints is that Article of faith which most directly professeth to believe the truth of the fourth Commandment for it is only the Catholick Church the Communion of Saints which doth rightly hallow and praise Gods holy name The Hallowing of Gods most holy name belonging equally to the decalogue and to the Creed and to the Lords most holy prayer belonging to the decalogue as it is a duty to be performed belonging to the Creed as it is a truth to be believed and belonging to the Lords Prayer as it is a good to be desired as we are all bound to pray that we may perform this duty and believe this truth For Faith Hope and Charity are not to be separated from one another but do alike belong to supernatural Truths and to religious or moral duties because both truths and duties do equally call for our faith to know and believe them and for our hope to crave and desire them and for our Charity to love and embrace them But if we take the outward sanctification of a day for the principal morality of the Sabbath we shall scarce find a Petition in the Lords most holy and most perfect prayer relating to such a Duty nor an Article in the Apostles Creed relating to such a Truth and so we shall phansie to our selves such a morality as is without a good to be desired and without a truth to be believed for without doubt The Lords Prayer briefly containeth all the good we are bound to desire and the Apostles Creed briefly containeth all the Truths we are bound to believe as well as the Decalogue briefly containeth all the Duties we are bound to practise and perform Whereas on the other side if we look upon hallowing the name of God in our publick worship as upon the principal moral duty that is enjoyned in the fourth Commandment we shall find the Decalogue and the Creed and
bind If we break one of those bonds asunder how shall we be held by the other If we cast away Religion what do we talk of communion it is more just to call it a conspiracy If we cast away communion what do we pretend Religion it is more just to call it an apostacy Let both Religion and Communion be truely for the honour of Christ or let neither be called Christian For indeed this is the only true touchstone whereby we may try which Churches are the dross of Christendom and which are the gold of it they who most labour to glorifie Christ are the best Christians according that short but pithy prayer of the Latine Church Et quia tuum est quod credimus tuum sit omne quod vivimus Orat. in Sabbato quatuor temporum quadragesimae And because that all our Faith is from thee grant that all our Life may be for thee and to thee All our faith is from Christ all our life must be to Christ or we shall live infidels though in belief Christians Therefore they who most labour to glorifie Christ both by their Faith and by their life are undoubtedly the best Christians They who most labour to glorifie him as King to be ruled by his government as Prophet to be guided by his Word as Priest to be reconciled by his satisfaction they are clearly the best Christians and they who are defective in any of these as they less glorifie Christ so have they less the purity and truth of Christianity Great is the preeminence of Christians above other men that they know Christ but greater is their preeminence above other Christians that they glorifie him agreeably to their knowledge such are truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The faithful in Saint Chrysostomes sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christians are called the Faithful not only for trusting in God but also for being trusted by him in that they have been entrusted with those mysteries of Christ which not the Angels themselves did know before them They were accordingly best take heed they do not betray that trust which they did not could not deserve and they will certainly betray it if once they seek to take the preeminence to themselves and not give it to their Saviour We may not judge some of the antient Churches for so doing because they were swallowed up by an Earth-quake soon after they had received Christianity as Coloss Laodicea and Hâ—erapolis in the reign of Nero saith Orasius But we most look carefully to our selves that we may not do so who dayly hear many amongst us saying We are of Paul others we are of Cephas others we are of Apollos meerly to divide the Church and others saying We are of Christ meerly to contemn it For they intend not to advance our Saviour but to debase his Ministers not to come neerer Christ but only to run further from his Church I say we must look carefully to our selves leâ—t some such dreadful Earthquake swallow us up also who have provoked heaven wearied earth and therefore may justly go down quick into hell or lest we be swallowed up by the Earth without an Earth quake as were Corah Dathan and Abiram who were the first notorious authors of divisions in the people of God and themselves perished by a strange division for saith the Text The ground clave asunder that was under them Numb 16. 31. And the ground is still cleaving asunder under us in so much that it is to be feared That the Earth the sons of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filii terrae as the Text calls them Psalm 49. 2. the lowest and meanest of the people will at last quite swallow up both Moses and Aaron that is all authority and preeminence both Civil and Ecclesiastical This we are sure of the only way for the Kings and Potentates of this world to keep their own authority is by it to defend and maintain the authority of Christ who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. nor is it just they should look to have any preeminence without and much less against him whose proper right it is in all things to have the preeminence Col. 1. 18. Therefore give glory to the Lord your God before he cause darkness in despite of all your new lights and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while ye look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with tears because the Lords flock is carried away captive Jer. 13. 16 17. Carried away captive from the communion of the Lord to the divisions and distractions of his enemies A captivity beyond that of Babylon because of a confusion beyond that of Babel for there only tongues but here minds and spirits also are confounded O sweet Jesus restore again to thy communion those that have departed from it retain and confirm those that still abide and continue in it Thou blessed Mediator betwixt God and Angels and men and by that thy mediation the blessed author to the Angels of union to men of reunion to both Angels and men of communion with the everliving God be pleased so to joyn all Christians in one communion here on earth that thou mayst joyn them all in one communion hereafter in heaven even that eternal and most blessed communion wherein thou our Head now livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God world without end Amen Deo Trin-uni gloria THE IVSTIFICATION OF THE Church of England According to the true principles of Christian Religion and Communion consisting of three Chapters The first Chapter sheweth that the Church of England is Gods Trustee for the Christian Religion as to the people of this Nation The second Chapter sheweth that the same Church of England hath carefully discharged that Trust as a most Christian or most Catholick Church The third Chapter sheweth that the Communion of the said Church of England is conscionably embraced and reteined by all the people of that Nation but unconscionably declined or deserted by any of them I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the Grace of Christ unto another Gospel which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ Gal. 1. 6 7. I would they were even cut off which trouble you Gal. 5. 12. LONDON Printed Anno Domini 1658. The Preface to the Iudicious and unprejudicate Reader I Hope it will not be said I seek to justifie a Church which is not for the truth and righteousness whereby it was a Church are the same they ever were or that I seek to justifie a Church which ought not to be for no man can shew a better truth and righteousness whereby to make a better Church Till
men can establish a better Religion then Gods word hath established they cannot find they should not seek a better Church then such as most entirely professeth that Religion For a Church which hath the Religion God commands must needs have the Communion God approves This smal piece seeks to justifie such a Church and hopes to be the confirmation of your faith and not only the Account of mine Wherein I profess my self an Accountant not as a Politician but as a Divine For without doubt so many pious Ministers scandalous chiefly for this that they durst be true to their Oaths and to their Trust in such a perfidious and false age have not lost themselves for nothing in this present world But they have a good conscience to comfort them against their losses and a good cause to countenance them against the world However this can be no immodest assertion to say that he which values the Communion of his Church above his living is most likely to value the Religion of his Church above his life and God make me such a scandalous Minister For I may not forsake the true Christian Religion without being a againstâ—…y â—…y God nor the true Christian Communion without being a Separation from Him And if such a Religion and such a Communion be in the Church I seek to justifie I shall fall under the curse of Meroz if I do not my best to justifie it For this is not to come to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judges 5. 23. unless we ought rather to say they have lost their might by opposing the Lord who have lost their Innocency by opposing his Church If you be Unchristian you may perchance think I seek to justifie a Church that is not to be regarded If Antichristian A Church that is to be oppressed But if truly Christian you know I seek to justifie a Church which conscience doth bid you to regard and God doth forbid others to oppress A Church which doth most entirely set forth Gods glory without the falsities of a superstitious or the novelties of a factious worship and in that it doth most entirely set forth Gods glory it cannot but most entirely promote Mans salvation And this being the proper End of Religion is also the proper work of a Church which though it may be a company from the multitude of worshippers yet is it not a Communion but from the verity and unity of worship O thou who art the way the truth and the life the way for us to walk in the truth to direct our goings the life to reward us at our journeys end forgive us our many strayings out of thy way our fierce oppositions against thy truth that thou mayst give us the happy enjoyments of thy life O thou eternal Sun of righteousness who hast enlightned the Christian Church by thy Holy word and holy example and multiplied illuminations of thy holy Spirit be pleased also to enlighten our wandring souls that thy holy word may instruct us thy holy example may guide us thy holy Spirit may rule and govern us that we may not love darkness more then light because our deeds are evil But may love thee who hast given us thy heavenly light may love thy Church to whom thou hast given it may love thy Ministers by whom thou hast given it may love our own souls for which thou hast given it and dost still continue it So shall we be preserved from that inner darkness which will not see thee here and from that outer darkness which shall not see thee hereafter and also be preserved in the unity of thy Church to be ever with thee by a Holy Communion in Earth and by a blessed fruition in Heaven Amen Amen The Justification of the Church of England according to the true principles of Christian Religion and Communion consisting of three Chapters CAP. I. That the Church of England is Gods Trustee for the Christian Religion as to the people of this Nation SECT I. Christ delivered the trust of his Word and Sacraments to his Apostles they delivered the same to Bishops and Presbyters their Successors but the Apostles had an illimited their Successors have a limited trust The necessity of the succession of these Trustees to the worlds end yet is the succession of Doctrine more necessary then the succession of Persons DID Christian Churches more consider the obligation and the charge then the priviledges and the honour of being God's Trustees none of them would arrogantly claim much less tyrannically invade anothers trust But each would timorously undertake carefully manage and conscionably discharge her own T is evident that our blessed Saviour trusted all his Apostles equally with the teaching of his Word Administring his Sacraments and governing of his People because he gave to each Apostle an infallible Judgement and an illimited commission the one enabling the other authorizing each of them to guide and govern the whole world though for the better expediting of their work every one of them betook himself as it were to his own peculiar Diocess according to that of Paul For we stretch not our selves beyond our measure 1 Cor. 10. 14. But t is easie to distinguish betwixt their Power and their use of it For surely if we consider the Power only of each Apostle none of them by taking care of all Christian People could usurp anothers authority or intrude himself into anothers Trust Thus that commission and command given to Saint Peter immediately by and from our blessed Saviours own mouth Feed my sheep Feed my lambs John 21. though we suppose those sheep and lambs did comprize all Christs Flock that then was or ever should be which is as much as the words can bear and more then they do claim or will justifie yet even that large Commission taken in a larger sense then it was given was no supersedeas to Saint Paul for taking care of all the Churches 2 Cor. 11. 28. Instantia mea quotidiana solicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum He calleth the care of all Churches his daily instance that is his daily work and labour even in the Judgement of the Latine Church at the time of the Vulgar Translation For Saint Paul as well as Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles as well as Saint Paul had an universal commission to teach and baptize all Nations Mat. 28. and by consequent an universal Trust concerning all those Nations who should be taught and baptized for else they might both teach and baptize in vain And this universal trust he that commanded them to undertake enabled them to discharge for the holy Spirit of God leading every one of them into all truth fitted every one of them to lead all the world besides But we dare not say it was so with the successors of the Apostles For they neither had an infallible Judgement that they might have an illimited authority nor had they an illimited authority that they might
Paul saith expresly God hath given us authority for Edification not for destruction 2 Cor. 10. 8. If he hath not given the Prince authority to destroy his Church much less hath he given the Priest authority to destroy his Religion That authority which is destrvctive either of Church or of Religion is not of Gods giving and should not be of mans taking excellently Aquinas Quum potestas Praelati spiritualis qui non est Dominus sed Dispensator in Edificationâ—m sit data non in destructionem ut patet 2 Cor. 10. Sicut Praelatus non potest imperare ea quae secundum se Deo displicent sc peccata ita non potest prohibere ea quae secundum se Deo placent sc Virtutis opera 22ae qu. 88. art 12. ad 2. um When as the power of a spiritual Praelate who is not a Lord but a Steward is given for Edification not for Destruction as it appears 2 Cor. 10. it follows that as a Prelate cannot command those things which in themselves are displeasing unto God such as are all sins So he cannot forbid those things which in themselves are pleasing unto God such as are all the works of Virtue Which is a Truth as clear as if it had been written by a Sun-beam and should be as durable as if it were written in our Hearts Nay indeed it is written there So that we should as soon lose our own hearts as lose this perswasion That our Gonernours both Temporal and Spiritual have no Authority to command against God but only for him and therefore if they lay upon us any commands that are evidently against the Law of God their own spiritual Governours have taught us what to answer them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge ye Acts 4. 19. Nor doth this doctrine loosen the joints or dissolve the ligaments of Government It takes not away the rights of Kingdoms or Churches by giving to God his Right Let humane Laws bind in the court of conscience but either let them not be laws if they be palpably against the Law of God or let humane laws so bind the conscience as that the divine law may bind it much more We confess it is neither safe nor sound Divinity to extenuate the obligation of humane laws but we also profess that the extenuation of the power of Divine laws must needs have less both of safety and of soundness And it is to be feared that this hath been the greatest cause of the other and that God hath suffered the People to make so light of the authority of the Church because a great faction in the Church hath of late made so light of Gods own Authority For what else have they done who have not only magisterially transgressed but also maliciously calumniated the Holy Scriptures that by discountenancing nay indeed by disauthenticating the known Text they might countenance and authorize their own inventions which is in effect no other but to turn out God and to put in man in the Legislative authority concerning Religion T is very good to be zealous for this doctrine that the disobedient are reckoned up by Saint Paul among those who are worthy of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Parentibus non obedientes Rom. 1. 30. They who are not obedient to their parents whether Natural or Civil or Ecclesiastical are worthy of death for not only the position of disobedience but also the mere negation of obedience makes them liable to damnation But withal we must be more zealous for God himself then for any of his Substitutes For if not obeying our fathers on earth makes us worthy of eternal death then much more not obeying our Father in heaven if the contempt of mans law can wound the conscience then much more of Gods law by which alone mans law can either reach the conscience by its command or wound the conscience for its contempt So that to speak the plain truth no men have so much opposed that Tenent of humane laws binding the conscience as those who have made the slightest account of the divine law as if that could not or at least had not bound their consciences For it is without dispute therefore should be without denyal that Gods law hath a far greater power and dominion over the conscience of the greatest governour then mans law can have or challenge over the conscience of the meanest subject Therefore the readiest way for the Church to obtain a conscionable obedience from the people is to observe a conscionable obedience towards God and not by raising objections or rather cavils against the law of God to teach the people to object against and cavil with her laws when they should obey them Wherein some late Church-men have been very much too blame who have endeavoured to cast that aspersion of obscurity and uncertainty upon Gods hand-writing which they would take very disdainfully should be cast upon their own writings thereby in effect giving Gods law a quietus est as to the binding of the conscience without which yet their own laws cannot bind it since it is impossible that the conscience should be bound either by obscurities or by uncertainties For if the law be obscure who can act with the knowledge of his understanding If it be uncertain who can act with the consent of his will And if conscience be the Practical judgement how can it act without either of these for how can it be a Judgement without the knowledge of the understanding how can it a practical obedience without the consent of the will Or to inforce this argument of natural reason with a medium of Religion since whatsoever is not of faith is sin and whatsoever is not of the evidence or of the assurance of faith is not of faith and what is obscure cannot beget the evidence what is uncertain cannot beget the assurance of faith who can think that obscure and uncertain laws can bind the conscience and not think that the conscience may be bound to sin So little is the Church of Christ beholding to those Divines who yet would be thought most of all to magnifie and to extoll her For whiles they lesson the authority of Gods law in binding the conscience they cannot but lesson the authority of the Churches law which can have no such authority but from the law of God Even as he that should cast any scornful reproach upon the light of the Sun would in vain make a Panegyrick in praise of the lustre of the Moon since she hath all her light and lustre from the Sun Therefore let them no longer tell us that Gods Law is obscure till they have explained it unless they would have us not think it a Law till they have made it so for if it be obscure it cannot have the virtue nor challenge the obligation of a law For if this great trumpet which summons us all to the Church militant that
shall bless id est ye shall use this very prescript form of blessing And to shew that this precept was to be looked on as doctrinal and not as occasional as general not as particular we find Moses himself putting it in practise in another case for when the Ark set forward he said Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee and when it rested he said Return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel Numb 10. 35 36. He that considers how oft the Ark moved and rested must needs confess that Moses used this set form of prayer very often If to the stinting of the Spirit or excluding of the gift of prayer let us blame Saint Paul for saying Moses verily was faithful in all his house Heb. 3. 9. but if rather for the solemnity and reverence and certainty of Religion that all Israel might pray with him and knowing his prayer before hand might pray in the greater assurance and comfort of Faith then let us not blame Gods Church for following the example of his faithfulness For indeed this is a general rule concerning Gods publick worship and the Church cannot be faithfull unless she carefully observe this rule If it have any ill blemish thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the Lord thy God Deut. 15. 21. Though it be a lamb yet if it hath any ill blemish it is all one as to thy sacrifice as if it were a Hog This is in effect Jarchies gloss upon the place to shew that a lamb might no less be excluded for his il-favoredness then a hog for his uncleanness Nay indeed this is in effect Gods own gloss Mat. 1. 8. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evill or if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil as if he had said though the offering you bring be not unclean in it self yet if it be blind or lame or sick t is unclean in its use for it may not be offered as a sacrifice And the more either to conform their obedience to this command or to convince their disobedience against it he appealeth to common sense and in that to conscience saying offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person q. d. If it be against thy sense to offer it to thy Governour let it be much more against thy conscience to offer it to thy Maker For if man who creepeth on the earth then much more God who sitteth on the heavens will disdain thy blind and lame and sick offerings Now let us consider seriously to whose care and charge did God commit the sacrifices and offerings did he trust every man to bring what he pleased or did he trust only the Priests as to offer so also to see what was fit to be offered Surely we shall find that he who said Cursed be the deceiver ver 14. did not so much curse the people for deceiving their Priests as he did curse the Priests for deceiving their God These were the grand impostors these were the most unpardonable deceivers because to all other deceits they added this also that they deceived their trust God had laid a trust upon them and they so negligently performed it as if they had undertaken rather to deceive then to discharge that trust Accordingly all his contestations are with them all his expostulations against them as ver 6. If I be a Father where is mine honour and if I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord of hosts unto you O Priests that despise my name And ye say wherein have we despised thy name ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar and ye say wherein have we polluted thee in that ye say the Table of the Lord is contemptible ver 7. If Gods publick worship be either contemned for want of due honour or prophaned for want of due fear if either his name be despised or his Altar be polluted he expostulates not with the people but only with the Priests either about the contempt or about the prophanation which plainly sheweth that the Priests alone were his Trustees both for â—â—s Name lest that should be despised and also for his Altar lest that should be prophaned And is there a less care to be taken about our spiritual then was about their material sacrifices about the Calves of our lips then about the Calves of their stalls about the offerings of our souls then about the offerings of their Heards about our Prayers then about their Bullocks Are not our prayers real sacrifices when as their bullocks were but Typical as saith Athenagoras most divinely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us lift up pure hands to him and what need will he have of any other Hecatomb of any other magnificent sacrifices For sure one pure head is more to God then an hundred Oxen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What should I look after whole burnt offerings which God needeth not yet let me offer unto him an unbloody sacrifice even that of prayer and praise which proceedeth from my soul Nor did God himself say otherwise under the Law but that he set a much higher value upon the offerings of the soul then of the flock Thinkest thou that I will eat Bulls flesh and drink the blood of goats There he makes light esteem of the offerings of the Flock Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most Highest there he makes great esteem of the offerings of the soul Psal 50. Then let us know assuredly that God is no less angry with us for blemishes in our Prayers then he was with them for blemishes in their sacrifices And that as then his anger was chiefly against the Priests of the Temple so it is now chiefly against the Ministers of the Church for it is their part to oversee the prayers as it was the Priests part to oversee the sacrifices upon which ground the second Milevitane Council would not allow any other Prayers to be used in the Churches of Africa but such as had been perused and approved in some Synod Placuit ut nullae aliae preces omnino dicantur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus tractatâ— vel comprobatae in Synodo fuerint ne forte aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum Concil Milev 2 Can. 12. We have determined that no other Prayers should be used in our Churches but such as have been perused by some wise men or have been approved in some Synod lest any thing contrary to sound and saving Faith should either out of ignorance or out of carelesness have scaped the composers of any publick prayers They rightly Judged they were to answer for other mens sins in Gods service and if they did not accordingly prevent them they would no longer be other mens sins but theirs And this without all doubt was one main ground of Liturgies that men
10. Sund. after Trin. Let thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the prayers of thy humble servants and that they may obtain their petitions make them to ask such things as shall please thee No Congregation of Christians can pray in faith of obtaining their petitions unless they pray in faith of asking such things as please God and they cannot well do this unless they know before-hand what they shall ask of him in their prayers and in what words they shall ask it because else for ought they know they shall ask such things as may not please him or ask in such a sort as may displease him SECT VIII The Church is obliged to make set forms of prayer according to the pattern of the Lords most holy prayer that there be no peccancy neither concerning the object nor the matter nor the manner of publick prayer that our Church hath exactly followed that pattern in Hers and that other Churches ought to follow the same in their Liturgies A short historical narration concerning our Common prayer Book and the Anti-prayer Book set up against it REligion is the motion of the reasonable soul to God as to its first beginning and to its last end but Christ alone is the way by and in which the soul doth make this motion so that to have a Religion without Christ is to have a Religion without God that is to have no Religion For the soul of man being finite cannot be joyned to God who is infinite but by the help of a Mediator nor can any be a Mediator betwixt finite and infinite but he that partakes of both which is only our Saviour Christ who partaketh of finite as man of infinite as God He alone is able to joyn finite and infinite in one Communion who hath joyned them in one person and therefore to him alone we must repair as often as we desire to be joyned with God Our Religion without him were nothing for it could not bring us unto God and since our prayers are the chiefest part of our Religion they also would be nothing without him Therefore it neerly concerns the Church to make sure of such prayers wherein Christ may joyn with her for else she will pray in vain because without his intercession nay indeed she will pray in sin because against his command Accordingly hath Christs own most holy Prayer been looked upon in all Ages of the Church as the ground and platform of Liturgy to make other set forms of prayer from it as a warrant by it as a pattern This was the judgement of the Church in Saint Augustines time delivered by himself in his Epistle to Proba Si recte congruenter oramus nihil aliud dicere possuneus quam quod in ista oratione Dominica positum est If we pray rightly and fitly rightly in the object fitly in the matter and manner of our prayers We can say nothing else but what is already briefly said in the Lords Prayer And this was likewise the judgement of the Church in Aquinas his time as it is also delivered by himself In oratione Dominica non solum petuntur omnia quae recte desiderare possumus sed etiam eo ordine quo desideranda sunt ut sic haec oratio non solum instruat postulare sed etiam sit informativa totius nostri affectus 22ae qu. 83. art 9. c. In the Lords most holy prayer are not only desired all things which are truly desirable but also in that Method and order in which we must desire them So that this prayer doth not only regulate our expression teaching us of whom and what to ask but also our affection teaching in what Method to ask it For this prayer teacheth us to pray unto God only Our Father which art in heaven and in our prayers first to desire God for himself and after that all other things for God God for himself as he is in himself Hallowed be thy name God for himself as he may be enjoyed by us Thy Kingdom come God for himself as he ought to rule and reign over us Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven And it teacheth us to desire all other things for God whether they concern our present subsistence Give us this day our daily bread or our present deliverance from the guilt of sin and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us or our future deliverance from the guilt of sin and lead us not into temptation or our present and future deliverance from the punishment of sin But deliver us from evil Even all these deliverances are prayed for in relation to God for as much as the guilt of sin doth immediately separate from his holiness the punishment of sin doth immediately separate from his blesedness much more is our present subsistence prayed for in relation to him that we may not subsist in and for our selves who are worse then nothing but in and for our God who is all in all And all these things are prayed for in a right order first God for himself as he is in himself Then God for himself as he is in his Church Triumphant by his Glory after that as he is in his Church Militant by his Grace Then we pray for all other things in relation to God and amongst them first we desire desire him to give those things which may be as instruments to bring us to him as our corporal and much more our spiritual food after that we desire him to remove those things which are as impediments to keep us from him our sins our temptations our punishments We cannot answer it to God or men if we refuse to pray with those who thus pray with Christ for such men cannot be peccant either in the object or in the matter or in the manner of their prayers wherein the Liturgy of the Church of England hath a singular pre-eminence which maketh her prayers only to God and such prayers as are only for God Prayers exciting holy affections agreeable with a holy God Prayers affording holy expressions agreeable with holy affections Prayers least defective either in religious affections or in religious expressions and therefore prayers most befitting the publick exercise of Religion which will not endure either of these defects Prayers which no man doth say cordially but he is assured of his hearts being with his God Prayers which every man should say cordially because when he is assured of his hearts being with his God he may be ashamed of his tongues not being with his heart As for that objection which some make against our Liturgy that it cometh too neer the Popish Mass book t is in truth its vertue 1. Because thereby our Reformers intended the promotion of true Christian Communion by not making a needless much less a scandalous separation from other Christians in those devotions wherein they had not separated from Christ 2. Because they intended to promote true Christian
yet can I not glorifie thy name as I ought nor remember thee as I would yea though with my soul I have desired thee in the night and with my spirit within me I seek thee early yet have I not so great desires in my soul as I have defects in my desires All the desire of my soul and of my spirit is too little for my God I have none to spare for any else and if I had yet might I not give it unless I had something greater then it to give unto my God This is the sin which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquitas judicata vel judicantis digna quae à judicibus puniatur An iniquity to be punished by the Judge for a man to give that honour to the creature which is due only to the Creator for it is in effect to deny the God that is above For I should have denyed the God that is above Iob 31. 28. The earnest longings of my soul to converse with God in the actions of holy Religion are the best preparative for my soul to converse with him in the fruition of a blessed immortality my Religion must reach him or his blessedness will not reach me T is not conversing with Saints or Angels can give my soul a true gust of eternal blessedness and much less a happy enjoyment of it I should be loth to mispend my time upon so barren so unfruitful a Religion and much less to hazard my eternity upon it The Heathen Philosopher Hierocles could say It was the work of wisdom To make a God out of a man as far as was possible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Christian Divine may not say less of Religion which is the only true wisdom T is its work to transform a man into God uniting the understanding to him by faith and contemplation uniting the will to him by charity and affection Thus saith the Apostle We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. In which words are briefly described both the work of Religion and the power of it The work of Religion is with open face to behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord for the soul cannot well fix its eye and much less its love upon any inferiour glory The Power of Religion is to change us into the same image of the Lord from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord for it is only the love and the spirit of the Lord which can change the soul from glory to glory the love of the Lord working that change formally the Spirit of the Lord working that change efficiently upon the soul from glory to glory that is from the glory of Religion to the glory of Fruition from the glory of Holiness to the glory of Happiness from the glory of knowing and loving God to the glory of possessing and enjoying him This being the work of Religion to behold the glory of the Lord I dare look on nothing as Religion which doth not that work This being the power of Religion to change the soul into that glory I dare not be of that Religion which hath not that power Let those that please behold the glory of the creature instead of the Creator they will not find it sufficient to content much less to change their souls I desire a Religion which may change me into the image of the Lord and sure I am that Religion must teach me to behold his face which will change me into his image for no other can have the assistance of his Spirit and therefore no other can have the power to work this change This is the great blessing I have received from God by this his now distressed Church That I have been called to the Verity of his Religion nor do I see how I can thankfully embrace and dutifully obey this Call but only by persisting in the Vnity of her Communion Such a Communion as joyns me with the Saints whether they be Angels or men in the manner of my worshipping not as joyns the Saints or Angels with God in the equality of worshp The Pater noster as it was used heretofore in the private devotions of English Papists allowed not this practice for therein this was the first Petition Hallowed be thy name among men on earth as it is among Angels in heaven The second this O Father let thy Kingdom come and reign among us men on earth as thou reignest among thy Angels in heaven The third this Make us to fulfill thy will here on earth as thy Angels do in heaven Now Prayer being the actual hallowing of Gods name the exercising of his Kingdom the fulfilling of his will must be directed only unto God unless we will plainly thwart these three Petitions and resolve to do these three Duties otherwise then the Angels do in heaven For without doubt they fix their contemplation only on God and place their Fruition only in him And so doth our Church in all her Prayers first teaching us to contemplate God as the first truth that we may pray with knowledge and understanding then to enjoy him as the chiefest good that we may pray with zeal and affection ex gr O God from whom all holy desires all good counsels and all just works do proceed there 's the contemplation of God to enlighten the understanding Give unto thy servants that Peace which this world cannot give that both our hearts may be set to obey thy Commandments and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness there 's the fruition of God to inflame the will and affections The soul cannot have this Fruition without having that contemplation and therefore they who teach and enjoyn Prayers to any but to God are in truth injurious to the very contentation and much more to the salvation of souls SECT IV. That the Communion of the Church of England obligeth those in conscience who are members of that Church to retain it and not to reject it much less to renounce it by no less then five Commandments of the Decalogue IT having been declared that the Communion of the Church of England is founded in the Truth of Religion It cannot be reasonably denyed but that even her enemies are bound to her internal and much more her sons are bound to her external Communion And that both are also bound in conscience because Religion will not be contented with a lesser obligation The Doctrine being from God which we profess and the Devotion being from God which we practise All Christians that live at never so great a distance from us are bound to believe our Doctrine and to love our Devotion and that 's enough to constitute an internal Communion But those Christians who live amongst us are also bound to profess our
But they consider not that the way to follow Naaman in his wrath is to out goe him in his leprosie and that those Heathens who gave him the contrary advice have in that given judgement against such Christians My Father if the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldest thou not have done it How much rather then when he saith unto thee Wash and be clean T is little less then madness to spend those precious minutes in cavilling disputations which would be much better spent in soul-saving devotions For after once Cain had expostulated with God saying Am I my brothers keeper Gen. 4. 9. he staid not long in his presence for so it is written ver 16. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord What is it for a man to cavil at Religion instead of practising it but to expostulate with God as if he could quit that score by his objection which he is bound to pay by his obedience or as if it were for his advantage to be quarrelling with his Creditor whilst he should be saying Forgive us our debts Will he indeed not be so holy as to delight in the presence of Gods grace and shall he be so happy as to delight in the presence of his glory Is it our misery that we cannot be sufficiently joyful in the Lord and shall it also be our sin that we will needs be angry with him Tristitia de bono spirituali est peccatum prepinquum odio Deo saith the Casuist To be sorry for the overture of any Spiritual Good is a sin that comes neer the hatred of God and therefore to be maliciously bent against such a good must needs be to hate him This consideration may stop the mouths if not wound the hearts of those who make it their work to revile such heavenly prayers as cannot be received with too much admiration nor repeated with too much devotion for this is little other then to revile God and his Church in one and the same breath to revile God in his Religion and to revile Gods Church in her communion Whether a man think himself so perfect as to need no spiritual Guide to take care of him or think his Church so imperfect as to seek for his spiritual guide from some other place the case is all one as to the contempt though very different as to the cause of it For the Church calling him to the Practice of those duties which are truly Christian in the name and by the Authority of Christ T is not his cavilling against his Mother on earth can dispense with his Undutifulness against Her and much less against his Father in heaven If God be rightly invocated and adored and his name truly glorified according to the Duties of Religion He is no less then a Separatist from God who refuseth to joyn in that Invocation Adoration and Glorification according to the Duty of Communion For neither can an erroneous cnnscieâ—ce excuse him in point of Religion nor an erroneous conceit excuse him in point of Communion First an erroneous conscience cannot excuse him in point of Religion For an erroneous conscience cannot absolve or discharge any man from doing his bounden duty to God and therefore not from Invocating Adoring and Glorifying his holy name since it is unjust that errour should be a priviledge and impossible that a mans conscience should be above Gods command but here are no less then three of Gods Commandments that oblige him to the duties of Religion Secondly an ereoneous conceit cannot excuse him in point of Communion For an erroneous conceit hath much less power then an erroneous conscience to excuse him for disobeying Gods command and here are no less then two of Gods Commandments that oblige him to the duty of Communion to wit The fourth because the Communion concerns Gods publick worship and the fift because the publick worship is commanded by publick authority For the Communion being indeed with the eternal Son of God as it must be since the Religion is truly from him in all its performances of Invocation Adoration and Administration t is not his thinking or any mans saying That he may not Communicate with Hereticks or Schismaticks can excuse him for not communicating with his Brethren and much less with his Saviour whose Communion is ever to be desired with great earnestness and never to be deserted without great shame and greater sin According to that excellent exhortation of our Church But when you depart I beseech you ponder with your selves from whomye depart ye depart from the Lords Table ye depart from your Brethren and from the banquet of most heavenly food What greater sin then to depart from the Lords heavenly table and food What greater shame then to depart from your own Brethren and to be able to give no conscientious reason of your departure To depart from the Lord in his Religion is against the three first Commandments To depart from your Brethren in their Communion with the Lord is against the fourth and with his Church is against the fift Commandment Is it not then unfound and unsafe to alledge the fift Commandment for the apparent breach of it self and also of the other four And yet even that Commandment is unduely alledged for your departure For besides that such an allegation of it denyeth Paternal authority where God hath given it and which certainly doth oblige you and supposeth Paternal authority where God hath not given it and which cannot oblige you there is also a supposal of such an authority as God cannot give For God cannot deny himself and therefore he cannot given an authority to his Church against himself but only for himself and consequently not against Religion but only for Religion This is all the authority Saint Paul claimeth The Lord hath given us authority for edification not for destruction 2 Cor. 10. 8. Nay more This is all the authority the Church can claim and that in the judgement of Aquinas himself Quum Potestas Praelati spiritualis qui non est Dominus sed Dispensator in aedificationem sâ—t data non in destructionem ut patet 2. ad Cor. 10. Sicut Praelatus non potest imperare ea quae secundum se Deo displicent sc Peccata It a non potest prohibere ea quae secundum se Deo placent sc Virtutis opera 22 ae quest 88. art 12. ad secundum When the Power of a spiritual Prelate who is not a Lord but only a Dispencer of the Word and Sacraments is given for edification and not for destruction as it is manifest 2 Cor. 10. Even as a Prelate cannot command those things which in themselves are displeasing to God to wit the committing of any sin So he cannot forbid those things which in themselves are pleasing unto God to wit the working of any vertue How much less can he forbid the works of many vertues together by forbidding the exercise of true Religion Therefore let me alwaies
give an ear to the holy Prophets Exhortation O Praise the Lord with me and let us magnifie his name together Psal 34. 3. For where God is praised and magnified in the Religion I am very strictly bound to joyn my self in the Communion Nay more Let me alwaies give my heart to the holy Prophets resolution I was glad when they said unto me We will go into the house of the Lord Psal 122. 1. where God calleth to the practice of godliness t is not for another to say to me You shall not go nor for me to say to my self I will not For I must be glad of the Call and much more of the Practice Now Christ the eternal Son of God calleth us to the practice of the true Christian Religion three several waies By his Word by his Example and by his Communion By his Word for he commandeth us to perform all the duties of Religion By his Example for himself whiles he was upon earth did perform them And by his Communion for now he is in heaven he recommendeth to his Father all our Religious performances so making intercession to God for us as also with us How shall I answer him at the last day if I neglect his Word if I reject his Example if I renounce his Communion His Word pierceth mine Ear his Example pierceth mine Eye but his Communion pierceth my Heart His Word and his Example pierce my sense but his Communion pierceth my soul For if it were said of Sauls Messengers nay of Saul himself when they saw the company of the Prophets prophecying and Samuel standing as appointed over them that the Spirit of God was upon them and they also prophesied 1 Sam. 19. 20. Then surely when I see a company of Christians praying and Christ himself standing as appointed over them for so himself hath avowed where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Mat. 18. 20. if the Spirit of God be in me I will also pray with them and it must be some evil Spirit in me that makes me either reject or renounce their prayers For if there be indeed The Communion of Saints saying unto me We will go into the house of the Lord I am bound to have the affection which is due to that Communion and say I was glad when they said unto me we will go for this indefinite Particle When not defining one set time will suffer me to exclude no time T is like a general Commission which not prescribing what day to do the business leaves it to be done any day and to neglect no opportunity of doing it Indefinitum in materià necessarià aequipollet universali when the duty it self is absolutely necessary though it be set down as indifinite yet we must look upon it as universal for though the Casuists do tell us concerning affirmative precepts Ligant semper sed non ad semper That they bind us at all times but not to all times yet we must understand their meaning only of our actual exercise and performance of those duties not of our habitual disposition and desire to perform them For there is not one minute of our life wherein we are not bound to be in a disposition and desire of serving God And thus doth Solomon Jarchi expound the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shamacti Laetatus sum I was glad I did hear saith he the sons of men saying When will this David die that his son Solomon may succeed and build the Temple that so we may go to the house of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vaani Shomeach And I was very glad to hear them say so Thus saith he David preferred Gods service before his life And so will every man who knoweth he hath such a Religion as if he rightly follow it will bring him to salvation Aben Ezra goes further in his gloss and saith That All the people of Israel was of Davids mind and that every one of them did say as well as he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the house of the Lord Why should we Christians have a worse Zeal upon better Hopes For he that will not be glad when others say unto him We will go into the house of the Lord may live to be sorry That there is not a house of God for him to go to But O Thou who camest to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Remove not the Candlestick away from us because we have neglected and abused the light of Grace But let the Priests of the Lord still serve the Lord between the Porch and the Altar weeping and saying Be favourable O Lord be favourable unto thy People Let not thine heritage be brought to such confusion lest the Heathen be Lords thereof Wherefore should they say among the Heathen where is now their God And let us thy undutiful unthankful unworthy people still enjoy the inestimable freedom of thy Gospel Publick Communions in thy Church and Publick Prayers and Praises in thy Name Heal our back-slidings and repair those great and wide breaches which we have lately made in our Piety in our Fidelity and in our Charity And amidst the many inconstancies and many more impieties of this wicked world make thine own sheep still hear thy voice and thine own people still secure and glad in thee That notwithstanding all obstacles and oppositions they shall yet more and more worthily praise and adore thy most holy and Reverend name among the faithful in this life and in the great Congregation of Saints and Angels in the life to come being all of us joyned now in affection hereafter in possession with that heavenly consort and holy Communion which is alwaies saying Hallelujah Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God Father Son and Holy Ghost world without end Amen Una est in trepida mihi re medicina Jehovae Cor patrium Os verax omnipotensque manus FINIS Deo Trinuni Gloria in aeternum
that written word was that all Christians might have the grounds of One Communion And the right way of edification for all Churches is certainly to lay their foundation upon these grounds which God hath given them that is to establish a set form of Doctrine whereby to maintain the Truth of Religion and a set form of devotion whereby to maintain the Peace of Communion 3. It is requisite that the publick worship of God should not relie upon the personal abilities of the Ministers in praying but should be performed by constant set forms of prayer in regard of the Ministers themselves that they be not led into temptation either through pride vilifying others or through vain glory magnifying themselves and that they be not led into sin particularly the sins of heresie and schism which are desperate sins in private men but damnable sins in Ministers yet must needs be incident to those who rely upon their own gifts in praying more then upon Gods or their Churches prayers For if their gift forsake them as who dares promise its certain continuance they may easily fall into an erroneous expression which rather then recant they may as stiffly maintain by perverse argumentation there 's the danger of heresie And if they abuse their gift they may easily fall into the humour and love of ostentation and so scorn to be regulated and confined by their Church upholding their abominable ostentation by a more abominable separation there 's the danger of schism Besides such men commonly refuse to tie themselves so precisely to any particular form of words though it be of their own making but they may sometimes add alwayes alter according as any emergen occasion offered or affection suggested shall require so that they can never truly say with the Psalmist Paratum cor meum Deus Paratum cor meum O God my heart is ready my heart is ready which yet the Psalmist thought twice worth his saying sc Psal 57. ver 7. Psal 108. ver 1. And much less can they say O God my tongue is ready my tongue is ready though that be the readiness they most labour for and most glory in for every new affection may unsettle their heart and every new phansie may unsettle their tongue so that either the heart must be false to its own preparation because it may be changed by a new affection or the tongue must be false to the heart because it may take a new expression I have a very good precedent though a bad occasion to put the gift of prayer in the lowest forms of Gods gifts that concern the exercise of Religion For Saint Paul in effect hath done it before me who put diversitie of tongues not only after the gift of healing but also after helps in government 1 Cor. 12. 28. or helps and governments that is lay-Elders and Deacons if some late glosses may be embraced and surely the gift of prayer must come under the gift of tongues as comprehended in it or come below the gift of tongues as outpassed by it so I may well put it below the Desk when Saint Paul according to them puts it below the poor mens Box And Saint Chrysostome gives this reason for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost hom 29. 32. in Corinth Because they thought so highly of themselves for the gift of tongues therefore Saint Paul alwayes nameth that in the last place after all the rest There is the same reason now why Saint Pauls Successors in the Ministry should do the like concerning the gift of prayer yet I would have laid my hand upon my mouth before I would have spoken so unkindly to or of my brethren were it not to make them lay their hands upon their hearts before they speak so confidently nay indeed so uncomely to Our Father For as it were better my tongue should cleave to the roof of my mouth then I should disparage the gift of prayer so it were better their tongues should cleave to the roofs of their mouths then they should abuse that gift either to ostentation or to faction or which is yet worse to Irreligion For by such abuse not only man is grosly deceived but also God is grievously dishonoured Doubtless he that bids both Priests and people keep their feet when they go to the house of God that they may be more ready to hear then to give the sacrifices of fools doth much more bid the Priests keep their hearts and their mouths that they may not tempt the people to give the fools sacrifice for want either of such affections or of such expressions as may truly be fit to be offered upon Gods Altar And this is plain from the ensuing words Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Eccles 5. 1. 2. Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al Tebahal gnal Pica ne feâ—tines super tuo ore Do not make haste upon your mouth Here may easily be much more haste then good speed For your mouth may make haste upon your heart uttering what is scarce yet suggested and you may make haste upon your mouth uttering what is scarce yet digested The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bahal is sometimes to be fearful sometimes to be hasty and thence signifies to make such haste as men use to make in frights when fear hath wholly surprized their wits And such a haste as goes without wit perchance without fear too for men who are audacious are seldom timorous is in a mans own house great imprudence but in Gods house t is moreover great impiety And let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God The better to keep us from the haste of the tongue he disswades us from the haste of the heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh therefore if the heart be fraught with hasty affections the tongue will soon be fraught with hasty expressions For he that will permit his heart to love without deliberation will also permit his mouth to speak without it since it is very easie for the heart to come into the mouth when once the assent is come into the heart Therefore he saith Let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing though utterance belongs properly to the mouth the reason is because if the heart hath once spoken it within the mouth will hardly refrain from speaking it without Accordingly the Psalmist when he prayed set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of â—y lips he did also pray Incline not mine heart to any evil thing Psal 141. 3 4. for there could be no watch set upon his mouth unless it were first set upon his heart And indeed here is such a reason alledged as is enough to set a watch both upon all our mouths and upon all our hearts in that it is said For God is in heaven thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few Were he on earth with thee
yet thou oughtest to dread his infinite Majesty How much more now that he is in heaven above thee so high as to overlook thee to over-top thee to over power thee Thus the reason is enforced from Gods Majesty Again were he on earth with thee yet thou oughtest to consider and admire his transcendent purity for he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity of purer ears then to hear it of purer heart then to regard it and consequently of purer hands then not to punish it How much more now that he is in heaven the proper place of purities of pure persons of pure actions and of pure affections and thou on earth where persons and actions and affections are all unclean and impure Thus the reason is enforced from Gods purity If thou art not afraid because of his Majesty yet thou mayst be ashamed because of his purity that the word either of thy mind or of thy mouth should be injudicious or indeliberate for that is not agreeable with the purity of reason and much less with the purity of Religion Therefore let thy words be few such as have been weighed in the ballance of the sanctury before they be presented in it as an offering to that holy One whose holiness doth not only inhabit the sanctuary but also doth sanctifie it And this reason doth our Saviour himself intimate unto us not only from the shortness of his own most holy prayer but also from the introduction of it Our Father which art in heaven as if he had said God is in heaven thou art on earth therefore let thy words be few Surely this Text which was given of purpose to prevent vanities in Divine service according to the judgement of our Church as appears by the contents had need be blâ—…ed out of Gods word and out of mans heart that the world may contentedly give up Liturgy to Enthusiasm that is proper and deliberate prayers fit to engage holy affections and to express holy desires for extravagant and extemporary effusions such as are commonly improper but alwayes indeliberate if not in regard of the Minister yet surely in regard of the people who yet notwithstanding ought no more to take the truth and goodness of their Religion upon the Ministers word then to rely for the practice of it upon his righteousness or to expect the reward of it from his salvation SECT XII Set forms and conceived prayers compared together That set forms do better remedy all inconvâ—niences and more establish the conscience are not guilty of wil-worship nor of quenching the spirit nor of superstitious fromalities and that it is less dangerous if not more Christian to discountenance the gift then the spirit of prayer HE that considers the great distance of God and man the excellencies of his makers glory the miseries of his own infirmity the impertinencies and alienations of his thoughts which may as well put him out in his own as put him by in his Churches prayers the multiplicity of his imperfections the treacherousness of his memory the slowness of his apprehension the dulness of his affections will heartily bless God for providing him premeditated forms as a remedy and will carefully watch himself lest he should turn his remedy into a disease by adding to all the rest the deadness of his own heart So that all those inconveniences art not only better prevented but also better remedied by set forms then by conceived prayers Mens phansies may be elevated by extemporary effusions but their consciences are best edified by known Prayers and t is not for us to invite men to serve God with their phansies but with their consciences By the manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God saith Saint Paul 2 Cor. 4. 2. not by the pretence of Revelations commending our selves to every mans curiosity in the sight of the World That 's the ready way to bring men first to weak imaginations then to strong delusions first to beleive any thing then to believe a lye first to receive matters of Religion without judgement then to receive matters of irreligion against conscience But let us hear both parties speak for themselves against one another They say our set forms float in generalities we say their no forms rove in uncertainties both must confess that generalities in matters of Christianity may concern all Christians but uncertainties may concern none at all They say we are guilty of wil-worship in making set forms of prayer without order of the Text we say that we have Gods own express order for set forms 1. by several dictates of the Text partieularly Luk. 11. 1. Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples and t is not be doubted but he taught his Disciples to pray by a set form as teaching either their eyes or their ears but not being able to teach their hearts by several forms in the Text particularly the Psalms of which the Divine Areopagite hath said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. S. Dionys lib. de Eccl. Hier. cap. 3. The most holy writings of the Divine hymns do wholly aim at this that they may celebrate all the holy words and all the holy works of God and shall we think they do not teach and require Gods Church after their example to celebrate the same words and works 3. By the general drift and scope of the Text For God having given us a written word for the rule of our Religion hath by the same reason enjoyned us a written word for the practice of it since there is as great a necessity that we should have a certainty of practice as a certainty of knowledge in things belonging to our salvation so that our Enthusiasts ought to appeal to unknown traditions for the rule of their Religion before they ought to obtrude unknown imaginations for the practice of it However let all the world judge whether wil-worship can possibly be in using a Religion of Gods and not rather of mans making They say we quench the spirit but we know we inflame him because approved and known prayers do most warm judicious affections and we doubt not but the spirit assisteth a man in his Judgement or reason which he hath only as a man rather then in his phansie or apprehension which he hath common with a beast For as the spirit assisteth Angels by revelation because they know by intuition so he assisteth men by deliberation because they know by Reason and by discourse They say we are given to superstitious formalities because we desire a set form of Prayer we advise them not to be given to irreligious blasphemies in casting reproaches upon formed prayers which were at first of Gods own making in his holy Word and are still of his making not of ours if they be agreeable to his Word For all truth whosoever speaketh it is from the Spirit of Truth and therefore to blaspheme the Truth is to blaspheme the Spirit And the question will