11. Prophesie had neither life nor spirit without it and the Name of Iesus is the very Amen to it Rev. iii. 14. All the Promises of God too in him are yea and in him Amen says the Apostle 2 Cor. i. 20. His very name is the Amen Rev. iii. 14. The faithful and true witness in the same verse Absolutely faithful and true Rev. xix 11. Nay This same Name Iesus from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save was rightly given him in this sense first that it saved the honour of God and the credit of his Prophets that their words fell not to the ground but were all accomplished and made good in his blessed Name A good Name the while for us to hold by for our souls to rest on for our hopes to anchor on that is so faithful and true to us will not fail us in a word or tittle II. And indeed it need not for it is 2. a Name of Power A Name 1. at which the Devils roar and tremble Iesu thou Son of God what have we to do with thee A Name 2. that not only scares the Devils but casts them out and unhouses them of their safer dwellings A Name so powerful 3. that pronounced even by some that followed not Christ with the Apostles St. Luke ix 49. that were not of so confident a faith or so near a relation to him it yet cast them out So mighty 4. that in it many of those also cast out devils did many wonderful works St. Mat. xvii 22. to whom he will profess he never knew them who must therefore at last depart down to those Devils they cast out A name it seems that though in a wicked mouth has oft done wonders So powerful 5. that no disease or sickness no ach or aile no infirmity or malady could stand against it His Name says St. Peter hath made this man whole whom ye see and know Acts iii. 16. His name made that man makes all men whole So powerful 6. with God himself that he cannot stand against it cannot deny us any thing that we ask in it If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it says Christ St. Ioh. xiv 14. whatsoever it be verse 13. and my Father will do it too St. Ioh. xv 16. In a word Iesus signiffes a Saviour and a Saviour is a name of power He that saves either himself or others must be no weakling The stronger man in the Gospel at least St. Luke xi 22. mighty to save as the Prophet speaks Isa. lxiii 1. But he that saves us from the powers of darkness must be the strong and mighty God too and so is his name Isa. ix 6. or the devil will be too strong for him O thou God who art mighty to save save thy Servants from him save us from all the evils and mischiefs he plots against us that through thy Name we may tread them under that rise up against us III. So will this Name be glorious too so it was and so it is we are to shew you next a Name of Majesty and glory Take it from the reason the Angel gives of the Imposition St. Luke i. 31 32 33. Thou shalt call his Name Iesus Why Why he shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the house of Iudah for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end The whole together nothing but the Angels comment upon the name Iesus nothing but the interpretation of the name where we consider first that 't is a royal name the name of a King not of any King neither but a King by succession not any new upstart King but of a King from the lineage of ancient Kings not of any hereditary or successive King neither but of one from the Kings of Iudah Kings of Gods own making none of Ieroboams lineage or any others of the peoples setting up more glorious than so And yet more of a King whose Kingdom shall have no end that 's a glorious King indeed All other Kings die and leave their Kingdoms and their names behind them half wrapt up at least in dust and rubbish this has an everlasting Kingdom and an everlasting Name he lives ever and that lives so too But of his Kingdom there shall be no end hath another sense too All the ends of the earth shall come in unto him there shall be no particular end or bound of his Dominion Upon his holy hill of Sion indeed it is God sets him Psal. ii 6. But so there that he gives him the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession ver 8. that he may rule them thence He is both an everlasting and an universal King Nay lastly the King of Kings his Name is written so upon his thigh Rev. xix 16. So glorious a Name has he such a superexaltavit there is upon it so highly exalted is this name Iesus Phil. ii 9. So highly that some Commentators and Grammarians would have it the same with the Name Iehovah then surely 't is full of Majesty and Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only say they is added either to make it effable which was before ineffable to make it possible and lawful to be uttered which was before scarce either so infinite was the Majesty of that great Name Or 2. to intimate to us that God now is become man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a man and put into his own Name of Iehovah so making it Iehosuah or Iesuah which is our Iesus and the Name now given us to be saved by Whether this Criticism will hold or no the name Emmanuel which says S. Matthew was fulfilled in this of Iesus so fulfilled that the Evangelist quotes the Prophets words of calling him Emmanuel fulfilled in the calling of him Iesus S. Matih i. 21 22 23. as if both were the same that name I say has Gods Name in it to be sure El is one of his so with us it is there joyn'd enough to render it glorious and the Angel telling us in his interpretation and reason of the Name that he was the Son of the Highest intimates it was a Name of the highest Majesty and Glory And what can we say upon it less than burst out with the Psalmist into a holy exclamation O Lord our Governour O Lord our Iesus how excellent is thy name in all the world It is all cloth'd with Majesty and Honour it is deckt with light it spreads out it self in the Heavens like a curtain it lays the beams of its chamber in the waters it makes the cloud its Chariot it comes riding to us upon the wings of the wind the Holy Spirit breaths it full upon us it makes the Angels its Spirit to convey it it makes the Ministers of it a flaming fire it laid the
in the Christian Dypticks And you see to day we have revived the Custom here 3. But 't is not a meer remembring them for honour but also a real remembring them and them that do them for a blessing all sorts of blessings So that would I commend to my dearest friend a Trade to make him rich and happy it should be doing good to the House of God 'T is an old Jewish saying Decima ut dives fias Pay thy Tyths if thou wilt grow rich Build God a House say I and he will build thee one again Do good to His House say I and he 'll do good to thine and a wicked Son shall not be able to cut off the Entail For 't is worth the notice that when God promised David a House upon this account he tells him that though his Son commit iniquity he would not utterly take his mercy from him I know there are that to be excused talk much of unsetled times This is the way to settle them When God and man shall see we are in earnest for the House of God and the Offices thereof all your Sects will cease to trouble you and vanish Some cry the State must be setled first Why Fundamenta ejus in montibus Sanctis says the Psalm the foundations of Hierusalem are upon the Holy Hills Lay your foundations there and you shall never be removed God of his goodness will make your Hill so strong No better way to fix the House of the Kingdom or your own than to begin with His. Others to get loose tell us of the decay of Trade Why how can it be other says God Hag. i. 9. You looked for much and it came to little and when you brought it home and 't was scarce worth bringing home I did blow upon it blew it into nothing And why was it says the Lord of Hosts Because of my house that lieth waste and ye run every man to his own house You dwell in Cedars and you lap your selves in Silks and Silver and you have all neat and fine about you but the House of God that lies in the dust and rubbish But is it time for you O ye says he for I know not what to call you to dwell in cieled houses and my house lie no better Did God think you make Gold and Silver Silks and Purples Marbles and Cedars for us only and our houses and not for himself also or his own Or do you think to thrive by being sparing to it or holding from it No says God from the day that the Foundation of the Lords Temple was laid consider it from this that day will I bless you Hag. ii 18 19. And prove him so say I for he bids so himself Mat. iii. 10. and see if he will not pour you out a blessing Indeed he has been before us with it He has brought us home and stablisht our Estates and restor'd our Religion done more to us and to our houses than we durst desire or hope and is it not all the reason in the world we should do good to his again Hang up our remembrances upon the Walls pay our acknowledgments upon his Altars and bless all the Offices of his house for so great blessings God will remember you again for what ever it is If you would yet more engage him to you know God loves the Gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Iacob Psal. lxxxvii 2. must needs therefore love these most that most love them And I doubt not but we shall find many here that do so many too that will so express it Yet not according to what a man has not but to what he has says our St. Paul does God accept him We cannot expect that all that love most can express most Yet according to their abilities they will do it A cup of cold water I confess to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall not lose the reward no more shall a single Mite to the house of God as his Every one however may do somewhat towards it They that cannot give much may give a little they that cannot pay may yet pray for it And to wish it well and to rejoyce in the prosperity and welfare of it the repairing and adorning of it are two mites that any one can give and God will accept where there can be no other Only where there is most we must present it with humility as David did 1 Chron. xxix What am I O Lord that I should be able after this sort to offer thus to do it And where there is but little we must present it with a regret that we can do no more Will God remember and accept us remember and pardon us remember and bless us with blessings of the right hand and blessings of the left remember us in all places both at home and abroad in all conditions both in the days of our prosperity and in the time of trouble in our goings out and in our comings in in our Persons and in our Estates in our selves and in our Posterities with them shall remain a good inheritance and their children shall be ever within the Covenant And when all earthly glances shall be forgotten that which we have done to the House of God shall be still remembred when our bodies shall lie down in dust our names shall live in heaven when a cold stone shall chill our ashes our bones shall flourish out of their graves when time shall have eaten out our Epitaphs our righteousness shall not be forgotten God will remember it for ever And though the general conflagration shall at last calcine these glorious structures into ashes we shall dwell safe in buildings not made with hands eternal in the heavens where the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb shall be the Temple and we sing the Offices of heaven with Angels and Archangels and all the holy Spirits with joy and gladness for evermore To which glorious House and Office God of his mercy bring us in our several times and orders through c. THE FIRST SERMON On the Day of the PURIFICATION OF THE Blessed Virgin St. LUKE ii 27 28. And when the Parents brought in the Child Iesus to do for him after the custom of the Law Then took he him up in his arms and blessed God AND when That When was as this day When the days of the blessed Virgins Purification according to the Law of Moses were accomplished forty days after Christs Nativity this day just then they brought him to Ierusalem to present him to the Lord ver 22. Then blessed Mary and Ioseph brought then devout Simeon and Anna blessed and if we be either Maries or Anna's Iosephs or Simeons holy men or devout women we too will this day bless God for the blessing of the day For this day also of his presentation as well as those other days of his Birth Circumcision and Manifestation Candlemas-day as well as Christmas-day New-years-day or Epiphany is a day
a cold sweat to think of it before 't was built Gen. xxviii 17. Will the Lord dwell on earth Is it true says Solomon Can it be so Lord What am I says Holy David and my people that we should but offer to it Lord What is it that we should be allow'd to touch so holy ground with our unhallowed feet look upon so holy a sight with our unholy eyes that such a glo-worm as Man should be set upon a Hill But above all 3. Lord what is man Lord what is man that thou should'st so regard him as to advance him also into the holy Hill of Heaven too Lord what can we say what can we say Shall corruption inherit incorruption dust Heaven a worm creep so high What he that lost it for an Apple come thither after all he in whom dwelleth no good thing be let stay there where none but good and all good things are He that is not worth the Earth worth nought but Hell be admitted Heaven Lord What is Man or rather what art Thou O Lord how wonderful in mercies that thus priviledg'st the sons of men Admirable it is worth the whole course of your days to admire it in and you can never enough It will appear yet the more by the glory that accompanies it It is a glorious priviledge indeed even admirable for its glory Even in all the senses we take the words 't is 5. a Glorious Priviledge Glorious to be Sains they are heirs of Glory Glorious to be Saints in Churches for the Angels that are there 1 Cor. xi 10. to wait upon us and carry up our Prayers for the beauty of holiness that is seated there for the God of Glory whose presence is more glorious there But it is without comparison to be Saints in Glory Grace is the portion of Saints that 's one ray of Glory The Church the House of God is the Gate of Heaven Gen. xxviii 17. that 's the entrance into Glory What then is Heaven it self What is it to enter there into the very Throne of the King of Glory Lift up your heads O ye Gates lift up your heads and let us poor things in to see the King of Glory the Hill of the Lord can be no other then a Hill of Glory His holy place is no less than the very place and seat of Glory And being such you cannot imagine it 6. but hard to come by the very petty glories of the World are so This is a Hill of Glory hard to climb difficult to ascend craggy to pass up steep to clamber no plain campagnia to it the broad easie way leads some whether else St. Mat. vii 13. the way to this is narrow ver 14. 't is rough and troublesome To be of the number of Christs true faithful servants is no slight work 't is a fight 't is a race 't is a continual warfare fastings and watchings and cold and nakedness and hunger and thirst bands imprisonments dangers and distresses ignominy and reproach afflictions and persecutions the worlds hatred and our friends neglect all that we call hard or difficult is to be found in the way we are to go A man cannot leave a lust shake off bad company quit a course of sin enter upon a way of vertue profess his Religion or stand to it cannot ascend the spirtual Hill but he will meet some or other of these to contest and strive with But not only to ascend but to stand there as the word signifies to continue at so high a pitch to be constant in Truth and Piety that will be hard indeed and bring more difficulties to contrast with And yet to rise up to keep to that Translation that is to rise up in the defence of holy ways of our Religion is harder still to bloud it may come at last but to sweat it comes presently cold and hot sweats too fears and travels that 's the least to be expected Nor is it easie as it often proves to gain places to serve God in Temples are long in building that of Hierusalem 64 years together Great preparation there was by David and Solomon to that before and no little to the rearing of the Tabernacle It was 300 years and upward that Christianity was in the World before the Christians could get the priviledges of Sanctuaries and Churches The more ought we sure to value them that we come so hardly by them We would make more of the priviledge if we considered what pains and cost and time they cost how unhandsom Religion looks without them how hard it is to perform many of the holy offices where we want them how hard it would be to keep Religion in the minds of men if all our Churches should be made nests of Owls and Dragons and beds of Nettles and Thistles Yet I confess it is hard too to enter into those holy places with the reverence that becomes them to rise up holy there Every one that comes into the Church does not ascend he leaves his soul too oft below comes but in part his body that gets up the Hill the mind lies grovelling in the Valley amongst his Grounds and Cattel Nor may every one be said to rise up or stand in his holy place that stand or sits there in it unless his thoughts rise there unless his attention stands erect and stedfast up to Heaven when he is there he is indeed in the place but he unhallows it it is no longer holy in respect of him He must ascend in heart and soul raise up eyes and hands voice and attention too that can be properly said to ascend into the Hill of the Lord or rise up in his holy place Which how hard it is the very stragling of our own thoughts there will tell us we need not go to the Prophet to find a people that sit there as if they were Gods people and yet are not that hear his Word and stand not to it that raise up their voices and yet their hearts are still beneath We can furnish our selves with a number too great of such enow to tell us how hard it is to ascend into the Hill of the Lord and rise up in his holy place so few do it And if these two ascensions be so hard what 's the third the very righteous are scarcely sav'd 1 Pet. iv 18. If by any means I may says St. Paul 1 Cor. ix 27. supposes he may not he is afraid at least after all his Preaching he should become a cast-away fall short of the goal miss the Crown come short of the top of the Hill of the holy Place So hard a thing is Heaven so clogg'd are the wings of our soul so heavy and drossie are our spirits and our earth so earthy that it is hard to ascend so high We feel we find it and they but deceive themselves that think 't is but a running leap into Heaven a business to be done wholly or easily upon our Death-beds when we can
nor stir nor raise up our selves or our heads Who shall ascend Whatever question it is it is most certainly an assertion of difficulty Who shall ascend no man can read it but he will read hardness in the ascending And yet it would be harder but for the last consideration of the words that 't is a kind of admiration of the Prophets at the foresight of Christs Ascension He in his spirit foresaw his Saviour climb this Hill and wonder'd â—t it From his ascending some of the difficulty is abated He has led one way â—â—ac'd a path open'd a door into Heaven unto all Believers so we us'd to sing in the Te Deum I need not tell you he has ascended in all the senses of the words no height of holiness but he has none frequenter in the Temple than he was none in Heaven till he came thither He the first that made our dull earth ascend so high He rose and ascended up on high without the least help of metaphor or figure rose from the Grave ascended into the Hill aâ—cended thence into the Hill of the Lord stands there at his right hand St. Stephen saw him so Acts â—ii 53. Never said Prophet any thing that more punctually fell out than this he may well admire it and so may we Yea and praise him too To him we owe all our Ascensions all the height and ascensions of our spirits in grace and goodness all our priviledges to worship him in holy places all our assurances and hopes of Heaven and the possession of it His rising raises us his ascending makes us ascend He the only prime singular one we only as parts and members of him What is then left us to do What for all this priviledge Why if Christs grace and Gods Worship and Heaven it self be such priviledges I hope we will not be so silly to forgo them or betray them Seeing they be so high ones we cannot be so unworthy now to do any thing beneath them any base or unworthy thing Being holy ones too we will not be so profane to pollute our selves or them with lusts and sacriledges Being so admirable priviledges all we cannot certainly but adore Gods mercy in them Being glorious ones too we must glorifie him for them count all things dross and dung in comparison of them Being yet hard to come by the more need we have to labour for them set all our powers make it all our work to get them to get grace and worship and glory to ascend the hill and holy place with all holiness as the way to glory In a word seeing all this priviledge comes by Christ 't is him we are to thank and serve and worship upon his own hill and in his own holy place till the time come till we ascend in glory And yet there is something more behind the way to this hill the conditions required to obtain this priviledge what we are to perform that we may attain it To have clean hands and pure hearts minds not lift up to vanity and mouths that will not swear to deceive our neighbour For he only shall ascend into the hill of the Lord he only shall rise up in his holy place he only is a true Believer he only truly worships God when he comes to Church to worship he only shall go to Heaven that hath clean hands c. THE FIRST SERMON UPON Whitsunday St. JOHN iii. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit THe wind bloweth And this day it blew to purpose A mighty rushing wind there was that this day fill'd the House where the Disciples were assembled Acts ii 2. And it blew truly where it listed when it blew only in that Chamber where they were And the sound of it was heard sufficiently when Parthians and Medes and Elamites the dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Iudea in Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia in Aegypt and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene and strangers of Rome Iews and Proselites Cretes and Arabians all of them this day heard it fram'd into articulate voices into Tongues as many and divers as the Countries they came from Yet could not any of them tell whence this wind blew whence these sounds came for they were all amazed and in doubt saying one to another What meaneth this ver 12. Nor could the Disciples themselves but in general that from heaven it came nor whither it went when it retired from them This Day then was this Text fulfilled in your ears O happy Disciples Nicodemus might to day by experiment understand what in this Chapter he could not apprehend the Wind and Spirit both together and feel the workings of them both there both in one descent together though here he did not when they were put in one word together where whether Spiritus Ventus or Spiritus Spiritus both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were understood Expositors have disputed and it stands yet upon the question The Ancients restrained the words to the holy Spirit and translate it Spiritus The Modern Expositors to the Wind and translate it Ventus To do both right we shall joyn both senses understand the words as a similitude made by our blessed Saviour to instruct both Nicodemus and us in the ways of the Spirit and in the knowledge of the spiritual Regeneration by the likeness of the Wind. So two Simile's there will be in the Text. Sicut Ventus sic Spiritus and Sicut spiritus sic spiritualis The First Similitude is between the Wind and the Spirit The Second between the Spirit and the spiritual man or him that is born of the Spirit In the similitude betwixt the Wind and the Spirit we shall observe I. The Nature of them both in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 breath or Wind or Spirit it signifies them all II. The Power and Operation both of the one and of the other they blow both of them where they list III. The Plainness of their sounds Thou hearest the sound thereof both of them easie enough to be heard IV. The Obscurity yet of both their Motions ye know of neither of them whence they come or whither they go According to these four points will the second similitude be extended too He that is born of the Spirit will be like the Spirit in all four In his Nature in his Operations in his Plainness in some particulars and his Obscurity in others So is every one that is born of the Spirit But to tell you fully the true Condition of him that is born of the Spirit I must tell you first the Nature the Operations and the Properties of the Spirit And to tell you the Nature the Operations and the Properties of the Spirit I must shew you also those of the Wind that so by the more perfect discovery of them we may the more perfectly admire them and
too Holy in glorifying of his Angels holy in justifying his Saints holy in punishing the Devils Holy in his Glory and holy in his Mercy and holy in his Justice holy in his Seraphims and holy in his Cherubims and holy in his Thrones holy in his Power and holy in his Wisdom and holy in his Providence Holy in his Ways and holy in his Laws and Holy in his Promises holy in the Womb and holy in Manger and holy on the Cross holy in his Miracles and holy in his Doctrines and holy in his Examples holy in his Saints and holy in his Sacraments and holy in his Temples holy in Himself holy in his Son holy in his Spirit Holy Father holy Son and Holy Spirit Therefore with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of Heaven and all the Saints in Heaven and Earth we laud and magnifie thy glorious Name evermore praising thee and saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory Glory be to thee O Lord most High Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Glory and Honour and Thanks be unto Thee for ever and ever Amen Amen Amen THE FIRST SERMON UPON THE Calling of St. Peter St. LUKE v. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord. A Strange Speech for him that speaks to him 't is spoken from St. Peter to his Saviour One would think it were one of the Gadarens who thus intreated him to depart the Coasts Strange indeed to desire him to depart without whom we cannot be stranger to give such a reason for it a reason that should rather induce us to intreat him to tarry than to go for being sinful men we have most need of him to stay with us but strangest of all it is for St. Peter to desire it and upon his knees to beseech it To desire Christ to go away from us to go from us because we have need of his being with us and for such a one as St. Peter and that so earnestly to inintreat it is a business we well skill not at the first dash Yet if we consider what St. Peter was when he so cried out or what made him to do it or how unfit he being a sinful son of man thought himself for the company of the Son of God we shall cease to wonder and know it is the sinners case for ever so to do to be astonished at miracles not to bear suddenly the presence of our Lord and when we first apprehend it to cry out to him with St. Peter here to withdraw from us for a while for that we are not able to endure the brightness and terrour of his Splendour and Majesty It was a miraculous and stupendious draught of Fish after they had given up all hopes of the least suddenly came to Net which thus amazed St. Peter and his Fellows They had drudged and toyl'd all night and not a Fish appeared but when Christ came to them then came whole showles and thrust so fast into the Net that they brake it to get in as if the mute and unreasonable creatures themselves had such a mind to see him by whose Word they were created that they valued not their lives so they might see or serve his pleasure And yet St. Peter makes as much means that he might see him no longer whom if he had not seen and seen again notwithstanding his desires to the contrary it had been better he had never seen nor been at all But such is our mortal condition that we can neither bear our unhappiness nor our happiness unreasonable Creatures go beyond us in the entertainment of them both according to their kinds though it may be here St. Peters humility speaks as loud as his unworthiness or inability to endure the presence of his Lord. St. Peter we must needs say was not thorowly call'd as yet to be a Disciple this humble acknowledgment of his own unworthiness to be so was a good beginning Here it is we begin our Christianity which though it seems to be a kind of refusal of our Master is but a trick to get into his service who himself is humble and lowly and receives none so soon as they that are such none at all but such whom by the posture of their knees and the tenours of hearty and humble words you may discern for such And to sum up the whole meaning of the words to a brief Head they are no other nor no more than St. Peters profession of his own humble condition that he is not worthy that his God and his Redeemer should come so near him and therefore in an Extasie as it were at the sight of so glorious a Guest desires him to forbear to oppress his unworthy servant with an honour he was not yet able to bear Yet we cannot but confess the words may have a harder sense upon them as the voice of a stupid apprehension or an insensibleness of such heavenly favours as our Saviours company brings with it We shall have time to hint at that anon It shall suffice now at first to trouble you only with two evident and general parts Christs absence desired And The Reason alledged for it I. Christ desired to be gone Depart from me And II. Why he is so For I am a sinful man O Lord. The Desire seems to be the voice of a threefold person and such is St. Peters now 1. Of a man 2. Of a sinful man and yet 3. Of an humble man Me that me here confessing my self a sinful man The Reasons equal the variety of the desires or Desirers Three they are too 1. For I am a man 2. For I am a sinful man 3. For thou O Lord thou art God and I a man 'T is a Text to teach us what we are to whom we speak and how to speak to him And if you go hence home without learning this you may say perhaps you have heard a Sermon but you have learnt nothing by it It shall be your faults if you do not And unless we cry in a sense contrary to St. Peters meaning Depart from us O Lord out of a kind of contempt and weariness of his Word and not out of the conscience of our own unworthiness of so great a blessing then though our words be somewhat indiscreet though we sometimes speak words not fitting for our Saviour to hear though they seem to shew a kind of refusal of him yet being no other than the meer expression of the apprehension of his glorious presence and our own unworthiness Christ will comfort us and call out to us presently as he doth to St. Peter ver 10. not to fear we shall not lose by his Word or Presence nor by our so sensible apprehension of his glory though we be but a generation of sinful men That our desires first may be set right though peradventure not always speak so the desires being the hinge upon
encouraged and confirmed him in it 4. His profession at it Behold said he I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God In those words he professed his faith and proclaimed his vision of it By this manner of considering it we shall do St. Stephen right and Christmas no wrong remember St. Stephens Martyrdom and yet not forget Christs being at it celebrate St. Stephens memory and yet no way omit Christs He being here to be lookt on as encourager of St. Stephens Martyrdom as much as St. Stephen for his Professor and Martyr By all together we shall fully understand the requisites of a Martyr what is required to make one such to be full of the Holy Ghost to look up stedfastly into heaven to look upon Christ as there and as boldly to profess it to be full of Grace and Spirit full of Piety and Devotion full of Faith and Hope full of Courage and Resolution all proportionably requisite to the spiritual Martyrdom of dying to the world and leaving all for Christ requisite too all of them in some measure to dye well at any time the very sum of the Text to be learn'd hence and practis'd by us If I add all requisite to keep Christmas too as it should be kept with Grace and Devotion with Faith and courage also against all that shall oppose it that our Christmas business be to be filled with the Spirit and not with meats and drinks to look up to Heaven to look up to Iesus and never to be afraid or ashamed to profess it there is nothing then in the Text to make it the least unseasonable I go on therefore to handle it part by part The first is St. Stephens accommodation to his Martyrdom how he stands fitted for it And surely he could not be better Full of the Holy Ghost Ghost is Spirit and what more necessary to a Martyr then a spirit The dreaming sluggish temper is not fit to make a Martyr he must have Spirit that dares look Death soberly in the face Yet every Spirit neither will not make a Martyr there are mad spirits in the world they call them brave ones though I know not why that rush headily upon the points of Swords and Rapiers yet bring these gallant fellows to a Scaffold or a Gibbet the common reward of their foolish rashness which they mis-reckon'd valour and you shall see how sheepishly they die how distractedly they look how without spirit The spirit that will bear out a shameful or painful death without change of countenance or inward horrour must be holy Where the Spirit is holy the Conscience pure the Soul clean the man dies with life and spirit in his looks as if he were either going to his bed or to a better place 'T is a holy life that fits men to be Martyrs But spirit and a holy Spirit is not enough to make a Martyr neither though the Martyrs spirit must be a holy one yet to dispose for martyrdom the holy Spirit must come himself with a peculiar power send an impulse and motion into the soul and spirit that shall even drive it to the stake And every degree of power will not do it it must be a full gale of holy wind that can cool the fiery Furnace into a pleasing walk that can make death and torments seem soft and easie Full of the Holy Ghost it is that Stephen is said to be e're we hear him promoted to the glory of a Martyr The Spirit of holiness will make a man die holily and the holy Spirit make him die comfortably but the fulness of him is required to make him die couragiously without fear of death or torment cruelty or rage By this you may now guess at Martys who they are not they that die for their folly and their humour not they 2. that die without holiness not every one 3. that dies as we say with valour and spirit not they that die upon the motion of any spirit but the holy one that one holy Spirit not they that die in Schism and Faction against the unity of this Holy Spirit the peace of his Holy Church none of these die Martyrs die Souldiers or valiant Heathen or men of spirit they may but men of the holy Spirit Martyrs they die not They only die such that have lived holily die in holy Cause in a holy Faith and in the peace of holy Church as in the Faith of one Holy Spirit ruling and directing it into unity upon good ground and warrant and a strong impulsion so to do without seeking for or voluntarily and unnecessarily thrusting themselves into the mouth of death And yet there are strange impulses I must tell you of the spirit of Martyrdom which ordinary souls or common pieties cannot understand Only we must know that the spirit of Martyrdom is the spirit of Love the very height of love to God which how that can consist with the spirit of Schism whereby we break the unity of Brethren or how a man can so highly love God as to dye for him and hate his Spouse the Church or his Brethren is inimaginable Some other engines there may be as vain-glory an obstinate humour of seeming constant to a false principle an ignorant and self-willed zeal which may sometimes draw a man to die but if the fulness of peace and charity does not appear there is no fulness of the Holy Ghost and they make themselves and their deaths but Martyrs that is witnesses of their own folly He that pretends to be a Martyr must have more then a pretence to the Spirit of charity II. And not to charity only but to devotion too He must 2. prepare himself for it stedfastly look up to Heaven nay into Heaven too fill his Spirit with divine and heavenly provision for it with St. Stephen here Who 1. looks up to Heaven as to his Country whither he was a going He longs earnestly to be there His soul with holy David's has a desire and longing to enter thither He that looks but seriously up to Heaven and beholds that glorious Building those starry Spangles those azure Curtains those lustrous bodies of the Sun and Moon that vast and splendid circumference of these glistering dwellings cannot but thirst vehemently to be there soul and flesh thirst for it O how brave a place is Heaven how brave even but to look on But if he can look as here it seems St. Stephen did into heaven too and contemplate the happy Choirs of blessed Saints and Angels the ineffable beauty of those inward Courts the ravishing Melody and Musick they make the quiet peace and happiness that pleasure joy and fulness of satisfaction and contentment there the majestick presence and blessed sight of God himself with all the store-houses of blessedness and glory full about him his very soul will be even ready to start with violence out of his body to fly up thither He that looks thus stedfastly looks
into Heaven cannot now but look askew upon the earth To look up into Heaven is 2. to despise and trample upon all things under it He is not likely to be a Martyr that looks downward that values any thing below Nay he dies his natural death but unwillingly and untowardly whose eyes or heart or sences are taken up with the things about him Even to die chearfully though in a bed of Roses one must not have his mind upon them He so looks upon all worldly interests as dust and chaff who looks up stedfastly into heaven eyes all things by the by who eyes that well The covetous worldling the voluptuous Gallant the gaudy Butterflies of fashion will never make you Martyrs they are wholly fixt in the contemplation of their gold their Mistresses their Pleasures or their Fashions He scorns to look at these whose eyes are upon Heaven Yet to scorn there but especially to fit us against a tempest or a storm of stones there is a third looking up to Heaven in Prayer and Supplication It is not by our own strength or power that we can wade through streams of Blood or sing in flames we had need of assistance from above and he that looks up to Heaven seems so to beg it It was no doubt the spirit of Devotion that so fixt his sight he saw what was like to fall below he provides against it from above looks to that great Corner-stone to arm him against those which were now ready to shower upon his head It is impossible without our prayers and some aid thence to endure one petty pebble But to make it a compleat Martyrdom we must not look up only for our own interests for we are 4. to look up for our very enemies and beg Heavens pardon for them He that dies not in Charity dies not a Christian but he that dies not heart and hand and eyes and all compleat in it cannot die a Martyr Here we find S. Stephen lifting up his eyes to set himself to prayer 't is but two verses or three after that we hear his prayer Lord lay not this sin to their charge This was one thing it seems he lookt up so stedfastly to Heaven for A good lesson and fit for the occasion so to pass by the injuries of our greatest enemies as if we did not see them as if we had something else to look after then such petty contrasts as if we despis'd all worldly enmities as well as affections minded nothing but heaven and him that St. Stephen saw standing there All these ways we are to day to learn to look up to Heaven as 1. to our hop'd for Country as 2. from things that hinder us too long from coming to it as 3. for aid and help to bring us thither as 4. for mercy and pardon thence to our selves and enemies that we may all one day meet together there The posture it self is natural 'T is natural for men in misery to look up to Heaven nay the very insensible creature when it complains the Cow when it lows the Dog when he howls casts up its head according to its proportion after its fashion as if it naturally crav'd some comfort thence 'T is the general practice of Saints and holy persons Lift up your eyes says the Prophet Isa. xl 26. I will lift up my eyes says Holy David Psal. cxxi 1. And distrest Susanna lifts up her eyes and looks up towards Heaven ver 35. Nay Christ himself sighing or praying or sometimes working miracles looks up to Heaven who yet carried Heaven about him to teach us in all distresses to look up thither in all our actions to fetch assistance thence If we had those thoughts of Heaven we should I know how little of the eye the earth should have Vbi amor ibi oculus where the love is there 's the eye We may easiy guess what we love best by our looks if Heaven be it our eyes are there if any thing else our eyes are there 'T is easie then to tell you St. Stephens longings where his thoughts are fixt when we are told he so stedfastly lookt up to heaven And indeed it is not so much the looking up to Heaven as the stedfast and attentive doing it that fits us to die for Christ. 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a kind of stretching or straining the eye-sight to look inquisitively into the object To look carelesly or perfunctorily into Heaven it self to do it in a fit to be godly and pious now and then or by starts and girds will not serve turn to mind seriously what we are about that 's the only piety will carry it Plus vaâ—â—t hora fervens quam mensis tepens One hour one half hour spent with a warm attention at our prayers is worth a month a year an age of our cold Devotions 'T is good to be zealous says St. Paul somewhat hot and vehement in a good matter And it had need be a stedfast and attentive Devotion that can hold out with this But. To stand praying or looking up to Heaven when our enemies are gnashing their teath upon us and come running head-long on us to have no regard to their rushing fury nor interrupt our prayers nor omit any ceremony of them neither for all their savage malice now pressing fiercely on us but look up stedfastly still not quich aside this looks surely like a Martyr The little Boy that held Alexander the candle whilst he was sacrificing to his Gods so long that the wick burnt into his finger and yet neither cried nor shrunk at it lest he should disturb his Lords Devotions will find few fellows among Christians to pattern him in the exercise of their strictest pieties Let but a leaf stir a wind breathe a fly buzz the very light but dwindle any thing move or shake and our poor Religion alas is put off the hinge 't is well if it be not at an end too What would it do if danger and death were at our heels as here it was Oh this attentive stedfast fastning the soul upon the business of heaven were a rare piety if we could compass it This glorious Martyr has shew'd us an example the lesson is that we should practise it But all this is no wonder seeing he was full of the Holy Ghost That Almighty Spirit is able to blow away all diversions able to turn the shower of stones into the softness and drift of Snow able to make all the torments of Death fall light and easie If we can get our souls filled once with that we need fear nothing nothing will distract our thoughts or draw our eyes from Heaven Then it will be no wonder neither to see next the Glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God I call'd this point St. Stephens confirmation or his encouragement to his death He that once comes to have a sight of God and Christ of Gods Glory and Christ at the right hand of
at it when a sinner is returned from the error of his way when God lights anew this Star to him Truly when we have lost any of the afore-mentioned Stars and afterwards recover them whether they be the Examples of the Saints that have unluckily slipt out of our memories or our Bishops and Pastors that have been forced or driven from us or the truth of the holy Word which false glosses and corrupt interpretations have hidden from us or the inward comforts of the Spirit which our sins have for some time robb'd us of or the true relish of heavenly joy and eternal happiness which hath a while been lost by reason of our delighting our selves wholly in sensual pleasures or imployments or lastly the beauty of this holy Child which has been somewhat clouded from us through our weakness and infirmity in apprehending it which soever of them it is that we have first lost and then recovered when we either recover our memories or our Ministers or the truth or the holy Spirit or the sight of heaven or the beauty of Christ into us the joy is far greater than it was at the beginning Carendo magis quam fruendo intelligimus because we never throughly understand the comfort and benefit of any of them till we see the distress we are in with out them And 2. their seeing the Star again when they were as it were in most distress and when they were more like to be at a greater loss than ever amongst the Cottages of Bethlehem like utterly to be confounded by the horror of poverty and the sight of nothing but unkingly furnitures this it was that so rais'd their joy And it will do ours at any time to have help and succour come timely to us to be delivered and raised in the midst of distresses and despair 'T is the very nick of time to enhance a joy 'T is not less neither 3. to creatures compounded of flesh and bloud to have even some sensible comforts renew'd to stir us up To see a star to behold comfort with our eyes to have the inward comfort augmented by the outward to be led to Christ by a Star by prosperities and blessings rather than a cloud by crosses and distresses this is more welcome more gladsom to the heart and so it seems to the Wise men themselves that God though he had given them inward guidances and back'd them with Prophetical instructions out of his own Word and Prophets had not yet deserted them of his outward assistance but even added that also to all the former Now then thus to have star upon stat material and mystical time after time when we most desire it when we greatliest need it to want no guide no opportunity no occasion at also to advance our happiness and salvation how can we but with them in the Text rejoyce now and that with exceeding great joy Three degrees you see are apparent in the words all to be spent upon the Star that leads to Christ. We can never be too glad of him or of his Star any conduct or occasion to come to him joy and great joy and exceeding great joy is but sufficient Nor is any joy but spiritual that which is for Christ really capable of those degrees that only is truly called joy the joy in Christ only dilates the heart all other joys straiten and distress it fill it up with dirt and rubbish worldly joyes can never fill it otherwise 'T is only then enlarged when it opens up to heaven earthly comforts do but fetter and compress it That joy 2. is only great Earthly ones are petty and inconsiderable for petty things Heaven only hath great things in it Christ the only great one That only 3. is exceeding That 's the joy that passes understanding that exceeds all other that exceeds all measure that exceeds all power none can take it from us that exceeds all words and expression too no tongue whatever can express it So you see our joy that a spiritual joy it is because so great so exceeding Yet being so exceeding it will exceed also the narrow compass of the inward man will issue out also into the outward into the tongue and heads Joy is the dilatation the opening of the heart and sending out the Spirits into all the parts And if this joy we have it will open our hearts to praise him open our hearts to Heaven to receive its influence open our hearts to our needy brother to compassionate and relieve him it will send out life and heat and spirit into all our powers into our lips to sing unto him into our fingers to play to him into our feet even to leap for joy into our eyes perpetually to gaze upon him into our hands to open them for his sake plentifully to the poor into the whole body to devote it wholly to his service This is the Wise mens joy great and exceeding Give me leave to fit it to the parts to apply the joy to the several grounds Gaudium to videntes magnum to stellam valde to the autem of the Text. They saw and so rejoyced with joy They saw the Star and so rejoyced with great joy when they saw it saw it so opportunely they rejoyced with exceeding joy Let us then 1. rejoyce with them with a single joy for both the seers and their seeing make it our joy that neither our ignorances nor our sins can keep us always from Christs presence that our riches and honours our learning and wisdom may rather help than hinder us in the search of Iesus Christ. And rejoyce we then again that God hath given us eyes and sight to see the ways and means of salvation This will at least deserve our joy in the positive degree But the Star or Stars we mentioned will add this magnum to it Let us then 2. rejoyce greatly or with great joy that God thus vouchsafes to lead us to his Son both by outward and inward means That he hath given us so many lights of good examples to walk by That he hath lighted up his Stars Pastors and Teachers in the Church to direct and guide us That he continues to us the light and brightness of his truth That he enlightens us daily inwardly by his grace That he fills our hearts with hopes of glory That he is ready more and more to shew us Christ in all his beauty to give him to us with all his benefits to bring us to him in all his glory Great joy is but little enough certainly for such great things as these And 3. exceeding it must and will be if we but consider the time when such great things are done or doing for us 'T is when we had in a manner diverted from him gone aside out of our way left his Star for Herod For God then to renew his mercy to us to shine upon us in his former beauty to point us even to the very house and place to find Christ in
to run from when they will hinder our course and such as in such times as these are not to be expected by them that faithfully and stoutly run the Christian race that hold out their course in true Religion and the obedience of Christ and the Communion of his Church Heaven only it is we are to run to and Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith our infinite and exceeding great reward and the joy which was set before him it is we are to look to to no other recompence of reward no other recompencer and rewarder But to him and to that lastly now we are to look if he himself set the joy of the right hand of the Throne of God before his eyes that he might the better endure the cross and despise the shame and so run the race that his Father set him as it is Heb. xii 2. if he had an eye to the recompence of reward well certainly may we set such a consideration before us and they talk they know not what that deny it God allures us by rewards and Christ himself preaching the Gospel began it with this encouragement to incite us to listen to it because the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand St. Matth. iv 17. Set we then those joys before us and fear not look we in all our tribulations and sufferings upon them to comfort and uphold us in all our difficulties to encourage us in all our devotions to enflame us Consider we that all we do that all we suffer is nothing to be compared to the Crown of Glory that is laid up for us that all our pains and labour going and running and sweating and blowing for Christ is not to be mentioned or thought upon so that at last we may obtain IV. Yet to keep our spirits in awe and keep down our pride that is likely to arise sometimes upon our well running and to make us diligent and constant in our course let us remember it is but a may obtain the while we may miss as well shall too if we run not orderly or give out 'T is no more than we shall reap if we faint not Gal. vi 9. If we fail or faint we shall not our Kingdom is removed our Crown is gone Work we then our salvation out with fear and trembling as the Apostle advises us Phil. ii 12. that 's the way to make us so to run as to obtain There 's no such certainly to obtain as some imagine and delude themselves with no peremptory decree for their obtaining though they run how they will nor any peremptory order neither that they shall run in their due time whether they will or no that God will force them either to the Race or to the Crown either to run or to obtain 'T is a common but the greatest vanity and fallacy in the world to think to get to Heaven without pains to go thither with all kind of pomp and ease and pleasures to have our portion here and hereafter too 'T is no such matter the way is strait and narrow that leads thither says he that came to shew it St. Mat. vii 14. and a race here we have to run for it and all the way but a may a possibility or a probability not a necessity to obtain it Look we carefully to our feet apply we our selves diligently to our course to run the ways of righteousness and peace of holiness and salvation Let us often look up to Heaven and the Crown of Glory laid up there to add wings and spirit to us and look we also down sometimes to the dangers by the way and fear our selves and maâ—â— our steps lest we chance to stumble and fall to grow faint or weary but that we may run lawfully carefully speedily chearfully stoutly patiently and constantly to the end that so running we may obtain the end of our hopes the crown of of our joy the salvation of our souls and the redemption of our bodies everlasting life and eternal glory Which c. A SERMON ON THE Fifth Sunday in Lent 1 COR. ix 25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things Now they do it to obtain a corruptible Crown but we an incorruptible THe Text is a comparison between the worldly Combatant and the spiritual between the wrastler of this World and the wrastler with it between him that strives for the mastery over others and him that strives for the mastery over himself between the contenders in the Olympick Games and the contender in the Christian Race And 't is an apt and fit comparison Olympus in the Heathen Poets is commonly used for heaven so the Olympick exercises may well be used to resemble those for heaven and the heavenly Crown likened to the Olympick Garland without any offence though with all advantage And 't is as seasonable as fit This holy time of Lent is a time of striving for the mastery with our corruptions with our corruptible for Gods incorruptible a time of holy exercises upon the corruptible earth to obtain a Crown incorruptible in the heavens And 't is somewhat more accommodate and easie to our natures as much as temperance is than fasting as partial abstinence from inordinacy and excess than abstaining altogether Which makes me hope it will be as profitable as either fit or seasonable or accommodate to teach us by comparing our selves with the Wrastlers of the World our work with theirs our reward with theirs to do as much as they Indeed it should be more as our work is more honourable than theirs more honourable to master our selves than others our own unruly beastly passions than any man or beast whatever and our Crown more worth than theirs incorruptible than corruptible and the obtaining it every way as easie if we would but think it so or set seriously to think of it what they do and what they do it for how much they do and how little they do it for what we do and for what we do it how little we do and for how much we do it how little they get for so much how much we may get for so little This is the Sum of the Text and the intent is to perswade us to be as industrious and careful for a Crown of glory as they are for a Crown of grass to take as much pains for the praise of God as they did for the applause of men to do and suffer as much for heaven as they for less than earth for a few leaves that grow out of it And both the one is the better to be understood the other the more likely to be perswaded if I keep the parts of the Comparison together and do not sunder them but compare them as we go The two Combatants The two strivings The two Dietings or Preparations The two Crowns The two Combatants the Temporal and Spiritual The Temporal he that striveth for the Mastery Qui in agone contendit The Spiritual We St. Paul and
hands and pure hearts that lift not up their minds to vanity not their mouths to wickedness or deceit In Sum these are the only men that shall ascend those everlasting hills those eternal holy places that are only worthy to enter into Gods houses and holy places of the earth too obtain those admirable priviledges that are innocent and pure and just and true the only men worth the admiring as the Church and heaven the hill of the Lord and his holy place are the only things are worth it Heaven is for none but such and when we enter into the holy places we should all be such as none have right to enter them indeed but such Well now the business of the Text is in brief the way to Sion and to Heaven to the hill of the Lord and his holy place both that here and that hereafter where we have First the Condition of being admitted thither Then the Condition of them that are The first in the former of the two verses the second in the latter I. The Condition of being admitted or ascending into the hill of the Lord or standing up in his holy place what it is that is what or how great a business it is to be Gods peculiar people to be allow'd to enter into his Courts here and into Heaven at last what it is why 'T is 1. a priviledge some one not every one some few not all Who shall Is all shall not 'T is 2. a high one 'T is an ascent a rise 't is to a hill and the hill of the Lord who shall ascend who shall rise up Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord Who shall rise up 'T is 3. a holy one 't is to the hill of the Lord to a holy place 'T is 4. an admirable one the Prophet starts aside as it were from his discourse and wonders at it who it is should be so honoured 'T is 5. a glorious one For the hill of the Lord is not only an earthly hill his holy place not that only made with hands the words are as appliable to that of Heaven and Glory and so understood 'T is yet 6. hard to be come by 'T is an ascent hard and steep a high Hill no easie Plain raise and rouze our selves up we must to get it stand up to get and keep it And lastly that we may take in all the possible senses of the Text 't is Christs proper priviledge his prae aliis his first and above all others therefore delivered in the Singular Quis not Qui who is he not who are they that shall Though they others also shall yet they but by him he first they after he properly rises and ascends they more properly are rais'd and drawn after him II. The Condition now 2. of them that are so thus admitted to all these priviledges is 1. That they have clean hands That 2. they have pure hearts too That 3. they lift not up their mind to vanity That 4. they swear not deceitfully or to deceive The Priviledge we are to speak of is a real one a high one a holy one an admirable one a glorious one and though hard to be come by yet to be come by though through him The condition upon which we are to come by it 1. Innocency 2. Purity 3. Righteousness 4. Truth yet all too little without him He ascended to this purpose that we also might ascend after him that 's the Lesson we are now to teach you two parts it has the Condition of the Priviledge of the hill of the Lord and the Conditions of our Performance for it the one the Condition to be obtained and the other the Conditions to be performed the admission into the hill of the Lord and his holy place that the Condition to be obtained Innocence and Purity freeness from vanity and deceit they the Conditions to obtain it I now enter upon the first to shew what is the Condition we may ascend to what a great and glorious one it is to ascend into the hill of the Lord and to rise up in his holy place I. Several senses I intimated to you of the words 1. Some understanding by the hill of the Lord and his holy place the material hill and house of Sion and thence our Christian Churches 2. Others the spiritual house and building the faithful and true members of the Church 3. Others the eternal house of heaven the hill of Sion which is above Each of them is called Gods hill or holy place Sion Gods hill Psal. ii 6. and lxviii 15. The Temple his holy place Exod. xxvi 33. The Church the house of God not to be us'd like our own houses and therefore a holy place 1 Cor. xi 22. The Faithful the Temples the Dwellings the Buildings the House of God 1 Cor. iii. 17. 2 Tim. i. 14. 1 Cor. iii. 9. Heb. iii. 6. Heaven lastly is called Mount Sion Heb. xii 2. Rev. xiv 1. The holy place Heb. ix 12. The true Tabernacle and Sanctuary Heb. viii 2. Be it which of these it will or be it all to ascend into any of them is a condition worth the considering to be admitted into Gods House and Temple to be admitted into the Family of true Believers especially to be exalted so high as into heaven To be in any of these Conditions is to be in good condition a Condition which is 1. A Priviledge a peculiar favour not for every body to arrive at 't is a question who shall get it not every one says Christ. The faithful they are a little flock St. Luk. xii 32. A chosen Generation 1 Pet. ii 9. Few there are of such St. Mat. xx 16. only a parcel that Christ has given him by his Father St. Iohn vi 39. To you it is given says he himself St. Mat. xiii 11. to some it is given to some it is not So a priviledge it is to stand thus upon Mount Sion with the Lamb Rev. xiv 1. to be in the number of those that follow him whithersoever he goes And it will prove a Priviledge 2. to be of those that go up to the House of the Lord among them that keep holy day that is that go up to serve him there Now he has not dealt so with any Nation any but his own Psal. cxlvii 20. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord then he will bring me again and shew me his Ark and his Habitation says David 2 Sam. 15. 25. And if a favour it be not to be debarr'd the House of God in Shiloh or Hierusalem is it less think we to be allowed the liberty of Christian Churches to praise God in the great Congregations St. Paul counts it a mercy 2 Thes. ii 1. this gathering together unto him much comfort in it as in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ which is there joyn'd with it Non omnis I am sure we find it all have not the Priviledge we are out of Gods favour
So that now we have gain'd the knowledge not only of his temporal but his eternal coming to his eternal Procession which though it be not the coming promised or intended here yet coming here upon the Context and Coherence relating so evidently to sending gives us but a just occasion both to remember to whom we owe this benefit the Father and the Son the greatness of it in that it is no less than infinite the Spirit of God God himself And 't is but fit here and every where to take notice of it that as the whence is above so the whither is beneath very much beneath him But we reserve that to a fitter place when we come to the persons that are guided by him 'T is best now to suspend a while the search of the nature to enquire into the time and manner of his coming But the time is next When he is come 3. Yea but when is that Sane novum supervenisse spiritum nova desideria demonstrant says St. Bernard you may know he is come by the desires he works in you when those begin to be spiritual hearty sincere and true to God then is the Spirit of truth come into you if you begin to long and breath and gasp after heaven 't is a sign some heavenly breath of the Spirit at least is slipt into you 2. When this Spirit that pants and beats after God within breaths out at the lips too ere it be long in prayers to God and praises of him in good communication all bitterness and malice and evil speaking and vanity too being laid aside as becommeth Saints This is a good sign too a true sign too if it be not meerly godly Phrases taken up to make a shew or to deceive if it proceed from the heart and inward Spirit 3. But the surest sign of it is in the hand in the works if they be such as are the genuine fruits of the Spirit Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Gal. v. 23. These are the Spirits perpetual attendants when he comes Boast men may of the Spirit but if they have no love if they be not the Sons of peace if patience and long-suffering be no vertue with them if gentleness appear not in their carriage if goodness and bounty to the poor abound not in them as well as faith if they be not meek and humble and sober and temperate temperate in diet in apparel in language in passion and affections and all things else boast they while they will of the Spirit and the Spirit of truth that they have it work and move by it are guided by it it will prove but the Spirit of error or the Spirit of giddiness or the Spirit of slumber they do but dream it or but their own Spirit at the best for such a one we read of and of Prophets that went according to it Ezek. xiii 3. foolish Prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing ignorant Prophets who know nothing yet pretend they know more than all the Learned all the Fathers that are gone crafty Foxes only they are says the Prophet ver 4. cunning to spoil and ravine that seduce the people saying peace when there is no peace ver 8. they build and dawb with untempered morter ver 10. build up Babel the house of confusion and plaister up all the Scriptures Texts that are against them with incoherent Comments wild distinctions and interpretations that stick together like untempered mortar they make the righteous sad and strengthen the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life ver 22. and yet they there pretended the Spirit that he was come to them and God had sent them when indeed it was no other Spirit from the Lord than such a one as came from him upon Saul when the good Spirit was departed from him The Spirit of truth wants no such covering no such morter makes not the righteous sad makes no body sad by any oppression joy is the fruit of it strengthens not the wicked in his wickedness it is all for justice and righteous dealing And where it comes upon any it as Samuel foretold it 1 Sam. x. 6. and Saul found it 1 Sam. x. 9. gives him another heart turns him into another man The new man St. Paul calls it created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. iv 2. Indeed there was another kind of coming of his this Day He came to day not only into the hearts but upon the heads of the Apostles sate there and thence disperst his heavenly light into rays and flames came down in wind and fire and tongues in wind to shew that it was the Holy Spirit the very breath of heaven that came in fire to signifie the light of truth it brought and in tongues to express it to the world But it was his Inauguration day the first solemnity of his appearance that so both the Disciples and the World might know that come he was whom Christ had promised and be convinced by a visible apparition who else would not have been convicted by any inward evidence which had been without it But thus he appeared but only once In the effect of Tongues indeed but not in the appearance of them he twice afterwards fell upon some Disciples upon the Centurion and his Company the first fruits of the Gentiles Acts x. 46. and upon those Disciples at Ephesus who knew nothing but Iohn's Baptism that so they might sensibly find the difference of Iohn's Baptism and Christs Acts xix 6. They both assoon as they were baptized spake with tongues says the Text the one so honour'd to teach this truth that in all Nations whoever doth righteousness shall be accepted the Gentiles now in Christ as well accepted as the Iews the other so highly favoured that imperfect Christians might be encouraged to go on and not be dismaied to see so many glorious Professors so exceedingly transcend them These comings were miraculous only to found Christianity and settle an Article of Faith the Article of the Holy Ghost never distinctly known to the world till Christianity arose Christ himself was fain to confirm his Divinity by signs and miracles and the God-head of the Holy Ghost can be perswaded by no less But this once done he was to lead us by an ordinary tract no longer now by sight but faith that salvation might be through faith 1 Pet. i. 5. and the blessing upon them who have not seen and yet have believed St. Iohn xx 29. This I must needs say seems the prime and proxime meaning of the words but not the full When he is come points chiefly and nearest at this his first and nearest coming but not only at it Else are we in an ill case now if no spirit to come to us no guide to lead us no truth to settle us It must extend beyond that his visible coming to the ways of his coming unto us
he will make good what Christ has promised and what he comes to be the guide into the way of truth We need not either mistrust or fear it For though Christ himself must go away and leave us because it is expedient that he should yet this Spirit will stand by us howsoever Howbeit he will He is a mighty wind and will quickly disperse and blow away the mists of ignorance and error He is a fire and will easily purge the dross and burn up the chaff that mixes with the truth and hides or sullies it nothing can stand before him nothing shall He comes to us with a Howbeit a non obstante be it how it will though we be blind and ignorant and foolish and full of infirmities and sins so we be willing he will come and guide us Yet if now we will so be guided to close up all We must lastly submit our selves wholly to his way and guiding to the truth and to all of it To his way and order 1. no teaching him how he should teach us Them that be meek shall he guide in judgment and such as be gentle them shall he learn his way Psal. xxv 8. No teaching without humility we must be willing to be guided or he will not guide us Men will not now thence come so many errors and mistakes To truth too 2. we must submit If it be truth no quarrelling against it No seeking shelters and distinctions to defend us from it though we have been long in error and count it a dishonour to revoke it revoke it we must be it what it will or we endanger the loss of the whole truth the Spirit will not lead us And to all 3. too We must not plead our interest or any thing against it be it never so troublesome never so disadvantageous never so displeasing we must resolve to embrace it because 't is truth With this submission too we are now to come to the holy mysteries submit our hearts and judgments and affections here not to presume to pry too much into the way and manner of Christs and the Spirits being there but to submit our reasons to our faith and open our hearts to Christ as well as our mouths to the outward elements and keep under our affections by holy and godly doing that so the Spirit of truth may come into them all And so doing the Spirit will come and he will guide us guide us into all necessary and saving truths guide us to Christ guide us to God guide us here and guide us hence guide us in earth and guide us to heaven THE FOURTH SERMON UPON Whitsunday ACTS ii 1 2 3 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance THE words are the History for the day The day the anniversary for the words This day the Text fulfilled in the ears of some of every Nation under Heaven ver 5. remembred and celebrated by the tongues and voices of the Christian Church throughout the Earth The things done here the reason of the day and the day the memorial of them Here you may see why we keep this Feast why 't is so solemn why 't is one of the dies albi why so white a day a Sunday white with the light of that holy fire that this day came down from Heaven and sate like rays of light upon the Apostles those whitest and purest sons of light the Holy Ghost the third Person of the blessed Trinity descending miraculously in it upon the Disciples as it were a sudden rushing mighty wind filling all the corners both of the place and of their souls and so seating himself in the form of fiery cloven tongues upon each of that holy company and thereby giving them new hearts and words to speak the wonders of the most High A business we are this day to be their Disciples in to use our tongues to the same purpose that we may testifie our selves to be led by the same Spirit breath by the same breath move by the same wind our hearts warm'd by the same fire our words fram'd by the same tongues that this day appear'd so miraculously upon them We have done so in the unity of the Church several times before in the year for Christ the second Person of the Godhead do we so now also for the third the benefits and glory which this day came from him which they this day did after a strange miraculous way receive we may this day also receive in an efficacious way though not externally and visibly yet internally and invisibly from the same Spirit For this Feast is his and our â—â—eech this day principally of him and our praises for him Now the best way to keep the Feast so as to be partakers of the honour and benefits of it is to place our selves in the same fashion set our selves in the same posture dispose our selves after the same order with them here both for the receiving of him and after we have received him For 't is part of the Epistle not the Gospel that I have read you and the business of the Epistle is commonly Doctrine and Instruction as the matter of the Gospel is usually history So we then to be instructed by it how to demean our selves for the receiving of the Holy Spirit how to know how and where and when it is he comes how to distinguish him and his coming from other spirits what to do also when we have received him and when more especially to do the one or expect the other by the pattern and example in the Text. This will prove the best the only celebration of the Feast the most glorious manifestation this day on our parts for the more glorious manifestation this day on Gods the manifestation of our thankfulness for the manifestation of Gods goodness Thus without either nicety or much Art I shall divide you the Text into these Particulars 1. The Disposition of them that the Spirit comes and lights upon them that are all with one accord in one place that are there quietly sitting and expecting Christ there especially upon the solemn days upon the day of Pentecost a solemn Festival 2. The way and manner and order of the Holy Spirits coming suddenly from Heaven like a sound thence like the sound of a rushing mighty wind filling all the house in the appearance of cloven fiery tongues sitting upon each on whom he comes 3. The effect and issue immediately upon it They are filled all filled filled with Ghost and Spirit the Holy Ghost or Spirit begin to speak speak strangely strange tongues
Rom. x. 2. without knowledge and spirit without holiness for the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. xiv 32. much more to the God of the Prophets to his time and order And yet there is another disposition to be observed in those upon whom the good Spirit lights to make either instruments of glory to the Church or Piety to God 'T is sitting and expecting if you mark it till the day or days of Pentecost be fully come and accomplisht souls willing to keep a holy-day or holy-days to the Lord neither to be scar'd from the attendance of their Master and their Devotions nor to be shortned and interrupted in their pious course of faith and piety by the now so terrible scare-crows of set Feasts as Iewish legal and superstitious observances as the new zelots are so wise to term them because they understand not terms or times The spiritual man if they be what they boast discerns the things of God though hidden in darker mysteries knows better to distinguish Iudaism from Christianity Piety from Superstition and is not only content but studies to wait upon his Lord upon any day glad to get it too Passover or Pentecost makes use of them all and turns them fairly from their old Iudaism and consecrates them anew to his Masters service and this doing the very Spirit himself authorizes and abets whilst he thus seems to pick out the time for his own coming at the Iewish Pentecost so to sanctifie a new Christian Pentecost the Christian Whitsuntide to all Christian Generations by this solemn glory of his benefits to day to be remembred for ever Thus we have the disposition he vouchsafes to descend upon unanimous uniform peaceable orderly expecting souls Such as set apart and keep days to God with faith and patience and in obedience and order the contrary tempers are too rough lodgings for the Spirit of meekness order and peace be we so prepar'd and he will come II. Now see we how he comes the manner of the Holy Spirits coming Double it is to the ear and to the eye To the ear first and that 1. suddenly from Heaven secondly 3. like a sound thence 4. the sound of a rushing mighty wind that 5. filled all the house yet 6. the house only where they sate thus to the ear Then 2. to the eye in the appearance of tongues cloven tongues tongues of fire tongues sitting and lastly sitting upon each of them We take first what came first the sound and that first was sudden suddenly says the Text yet as sudden as it came go it shall not so not without a note or two Suddenly then it came to shew the freeness of Gods grace so far above desert that it is also above apprehension it out-runs that and is upon us ere we are aware so little probability have we to deserve it that we commonly have not time to do it and when we have yet so suddain does it fall that we may well see it comes not from our selves so dull a piece as earth and sin has made us To shew 2. the readiness of his goodness beyond expectation readier far to give than we to take comes commonly upon us sooner then we expect or wish prevents us with his goodness as the Psalmist observes to us Psal. xxi 3. and runs very swiftly Psal. cxlvii 15. flying upon the wings of the wind Psal. civ To shew us 3. the vanity of men who think it comes with observation It does not says Christ St. Luke xvii 20. 'T is not at our command The Prophets themselves could not Prophesie when they listed 't was cecidit Spiritus the Spirit fell upon them the common phrase in Scripture and then they prophesied till that fell and fall it did but at times what times it pleased the motions of the Prophet were but as other mens Indeed I remember Elisha willing to prophesie to Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah 2 King iii. 14 15. calls for a Minstrel and it came to pass that while the Minstrel play'd the hand of the Lord came upon him Not that either the Spirit was at the will and under the power of the Minstrel or the Prophet but to shew the disposition that the holy Spirit vouchsafes soonest and suddenest to come to a sweet and tunable soul dispos'd to accord to love and peace and unity And by the way you may take notice Musick and the Spirit are at no discord as the late spiritual men forsooth would have us to believe the Prophet you see thought it the only way and medium to raise his spirits into heavenly raptures to make himself capable of new Inspirations to call for an Instrument of Musick and as it were to perswade the heavenly Spirit down by some grave and sober Musick which may make us wonder how these great pretenders to the Spirt and gapers for it should be so furious enemies against the Church Musick so ever employ'd and approv'd both by God and his Prophets and Apostles for singing with melody says St. Paul too Ephes. v. 19. to fit and sweeten and raise our dull and rougher spirits to the service of Heaven and the entertainment of the heavenly and gentle motions of the Spirit in those holy performances But all this while this is but to dispose our selves the Spirit it self is at its own disposal for all this and when he comes comes on a sudden Even to awake 4. and rouse us up We are drowsie souls to Heaven-ward want some sudden change to startleus things that come leisurely will not do it It must be a sudden turn that will turn us out of our selves or from our follies or so much upward And sudden 5. it is again to shew the activity of the Spirit of God how wonderful he is among the Children of men that he cannot only turn the world upside down when ere he please but assoon as he pleases does but blow with his wind and the waters flow casts but a sudden glance of an eye at St. Peter and out run the waters out of his he that was but just now afraid of the voice of a silly girl fears not presently the lightnings and thunders of the greatest Tyrants Nox ut tetigerit mentem docet solumque tetigisse docuisse est Mam humanum subito ut illustrat immutat affectum abnegat hoc repente quod erat exhibet repente quod non erat S. Greg. He does but touch the mind and teaches it shines into it and changes it together forgets immediately what it was and is what it was not All the quickest ways of men must have time and leisure be it but to cast an eye but O qualis est artifex iste Spiritus But how wonderful an Artist is thy Spirit O Lord that knows not the least hinderance or delay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it comes so suddenly there is no appearance often of its coming not so much as a whiff or shadow before it to give us
warning of its approach for this reason among the rest least we should attribute any thing to our own preparations yea though they be such as God requires Sudden last of all to shew us our duties not to neglect the light and sudden motions of the Holy Spirit though we know not how or when or whence they rise so we know but whether they go and lead us if to good catch at them let them not go as they came but leap we into the water while it stirrs fan we our selves with this wind while it moves for how long it will stay or whether ever come again we know not take it in the present while we may omit no good motion no opportunity or occasion of any doing well suddenly it comes and suddenly it may be gone if we lay not hold upon it and make use of it Thus from the quickness and suddenness of this Spirits motion Gods grace and goodness his incomprehensible power and operation and our readiness to lay hold upon it are preached to us But from Heaven what next is preached to us but that thence it is all holy winds and breaths and spirits come from Heaven not of men no humane wit can teach what this Spirit does the spirit of man but the things of a man 1 Cor. ii 11. it knows no further the things of Heaven from the Spirit of Heaven de Caelo from the very Heaven of Heavens not any lower Heavens or any other spirits of Heaven but that which has no plural number is but one and is an Heaven it self not only a Spirit of Heaven but Heaven that is the Spirit the Heaven in whom all of us live and move and have our being as in our Heaven of Glory Yet again from Heaven that we may at any time know what wind blows in us if our affections intentions and endeavours are only totwards Heaven set upon Heaven and heavenly things if what moves us be only heavenly and not earthly interests then 't is the good Spirit that reigns and rules in us then 't is the Wind and Spirit and Fire and Tongue a wind out of Gods own treasury a Spirit out of Gods own bosom a fire from that Eternal Light a tongue from that Eternal Wisdom but if our actions come but so much as collaterally and glancing at other respects than God and Heaven 't is no Spirit no motion no work of his Spirit but some others this comes directly straight from Heaven 3. Now from Heaven what is it that comes here there came suddenly a sound from Heaven a sound yes a sound and 't is a good hearing the best news we ever heard since Christs departure a sound that is gone out into all Lands and into the end of the World Sonus coelorum the sound of the Heavens the very true Pythagorical harmony of the Spheres the sweetest sound was ever heard the sound of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven and the knowledge of it We perhaps lookt when we heard of something coming down from Heaven for some glorious Host of Angels Cherubims or Seraphims some or other of them at least or for the new Hierusalem we read of Rev. xxi 2. coming from above down from God out of Heaven and we think much to be put off with a sound yet I must tell you this sound sounds better in our ears the sound of an Eternal Comforter that should abide with us for ever and bring us in due time to that new Hierusalem and those blessed Spirits in Heaven And with a fitter convoy he could not come than with a sound who was now to send and constitute such as should sound out the Gospel over all the World so many Apostles Evangelists Pastors and Teachers Nor yet of all sounds with any so correspondent to him could he come as that of the wind nothing more to express his Glory and Godhead that this Spirit he is that very he that cometh riding upon the wings of the wind a fit blast to stop the idle breath of those saucy enquirers of our age who dispute this blessed Spirit out of his Deity Need had he appear it seems 4. as a rushing mighty wind to rush down these enemies of his and overthrow them Indeed he came to day with so mighty and powerful a blast that we might see both his Power and Godhead as well as his Mercy and Goodness to us his goodness in coming like a wind his power in coming like a rushing mighty one The benefits we receive from the wind represent the benefits we receive from the Spirit and so 1. present his goodness The Wind first purges and clears the Air from noisom and infectious vapours the Spirit clenses and purifies our souls and bodies from the stinking and unwholsom steams of sins and lusts 2. The Wind sometimes gathers up clouds and rains and sometimes scatters them again The Holy Spirit one whiles gathers clouds into the countenance and brings showers into the eyes of the penitent sinner and other while it blows away all blackness from our faces and makes the soul look up and the Spirits smile and dance in our hearts and eyes 3. The Wind cheers and refreshes the Plants and Trees the blessed Spirit cheers the Plants of Grace within us and makes them fructifie and prosper puts life and spirit into the root verdure and freshness into the leaf fineness and subtilty into the rellish of the fruit of all holy actions and vertues 4. The Wind cools the heat and revives the fainting spirit the Holy Spirit does so too allays the inordinate heat of concupiscence within us cools the over-hotness and ardors of our Passions revives us and recovers us when we are almost choakt with the fumes and flames of our own corruption affections and lusts 5. The Wind again kindles the fire and blows the spark into a flame and the Holy Spirit it is that kindles all heavenly warmth and flames within us without his breath we are all but dead coles 6. The Wind scatters the chaff and skreens the dust out of the corn the Holy Spirit blows away all our chaff and dust all our dross and rubbish our vanities and follies and makes us fit corn for Gods own Garners 7. The Wind it is that drives home the Ship into the Haven and the Holy Spirit it is that drives our poor torn and tatter'd Vessels into the Haven where we would be as the Psalmist speaks drives us up and down over the troublesom Sea of this tempestuous World into the Port of everlasting bliss into the Haven of Heaven it self You see the goodness and graces of the Holy Spirit not unfitly expressed by the resemblance of the Wind. See we now his Power as well resembled by it by the rushing mighty wind The Wind is but a thin and airy puff so subtile that we cannot see it yet what a rattling does it make rattles the Ships of Tharsis together tears up Trees by the roots throws down
to digest as well as tast there in the mouth is a kind of first digestion made Ruminate we then and meditate upon Christ when we have tasted him Let it be our business to spend much of our time and days henceforth in meditation of him that 's the way indeed to be filled with his Spirit while we thus digest him and chew upon him in our spirits Nor is 3. fire improper any way to bring to that holy Table The fire of charity is to kindle our devotion there to warm our affections and desires to it There 4. our tongues are to be warm'd into praises that they may run a nimble descant upon his benefits and move apace to the glory of his Name Thus are our tongues to be imployed and thus is the fire to be kindled in us that we may speak with our tongues This is the way to be filled with the Holy Spirit this blessed Sacrament the means to it Come thou therefore O blessed Spirit into our hearts and tongues lighten our understanding with thy heavenly light warm our affections with thy holy fire purge away all our dross burn up all our chaff renew our spirits separate our sins and evils from us unite us in thy love subdue us to thy self teach our hearts to think our tongues to speak our hands to act our feet to move only to thy will settle thy self in us hence forward and dwell with us so teach us with all our tongues and powers to praise thee here upon earth that we may one day praise thee with them in Heaven for evermore A SERMON UPON Trinity Sunday REV. IV. 8. And they rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come I Need not stretch the Text to reach the Time The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy Holy Holy in it is plain enough to teach the Trinity An Anthem sung here by the Angels and Saints in heaven done so here also by four of the chief Apostles and the Bishops of Iudea signified by the four beasts and twenty four Elders taken up after generally by the Saints on earth commended to us by the Church to day as our Epistle sent from heaven with a pattern in it for our Hymns and Praises to the blessed Trinity Lord God Almighty For 't is a part I must tell you of one of St. Iohn's Visions presenting to us what is done in heaven what Good would have done on earth and what should there be done ere long throughout it beginning at Hierusalem Glory and honour and thanks should be given unto God for the wonders he was doing for his servants for the deliverance he was working for his Church for the judgments he was bringing on their enemies as glory had been of old given him by his Saints and Prophets was now given him by his Apostles and Bishops so it should be given still by the whole Christian Church for ever as he himself was and is and is to come so was his praise and is and is to come we therefore all to learn to bear our parts in that heavenly Anthem against the time we come thither to bear them company Example you see we have here set before us to do it by and a form to do it in better we cannot wish the four Beasts or Cherubims Angels Saints and the Apostles there 's our Pattern for they rest not day and night saying it and Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts which was and is and is to come there 's the form we best do it in In each Part we shall observe a kind of Trinity or three Parts in each In the Pattern 1. the Persons 2. their earnestness and 3. their continuance 1. The persons praising God and saying it They the four beasts or living creatures as the words tell us just before 2. Their earnestness in it They rest not saying they cannot rest for saying it cannot rest without the saying it unless they say it say it over and over Holy Holy Holy cannot rest but doing it that 's their rest they take their praising God ◠Their continuance at it day and night it is and without rest and pause is it they are continually doing it saying and doing all to his honour and glory In the Form of Praise we have a sort of Trinity too three things observable 1. The glory or honour given Holy Holy Holy 2. The Persons to whom it is Lord God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost yet all three in one one single Lord one only God one alone Almighty and no more so there 's the Vnity in Trinity into the bargain And 3. here are the benefits intimated we praise him for He was our Creator He is our Redeemer He will be our Glorifier So you see Trinities enough in the Text to make it Trinity Sunday in it to fill all the Trinity Sundays after it The sum is that we are all to bear our parts in this holy Doxology to give glory and honour and power to the blessed Trinity with the four beasts and four and twenty Elders from time to time for evermore and that which may here serve well to perswade us to it is the Company and with them we will begin And they c. But who are they The beginning of the verse tells us the four beasts or as it may more genuinely and handsomly be translated the four living creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what or who are they That 's the question and a hard one too it seems by the variety of opinions probably to be answered rather by conjecture than resolution We shall take the likeliest of them and pass the rest 1. Some by the four living Creatures this they would have the four Cardinal vertues understood by the Lion fortitude by the Calf or Oxe justice by the Eagle temperance and by the Man prudence And then the sense will be that God is most signally prais'd and glorified by a vertuous life no way like that to praise him To do righteousness to walk wisely to live soberly to stand stoutly to God and goodness that 's the true way to give glory to the whole Trinity 2. Others by the four living Creatures apprehend the four chief faculties of our souls to be insinuated with which we are to praise him The irascible intimated by the Lion the concupiscible by the Oxe the rational by the face of man and the Spirit by the Eagle And here the Lesson is that we are to do it to praise God with all our powers set our affections and desires upon it be moved and angry at every thing that comes in to hinder it search all the means our reason can find out to perfect praise and raise up our Spirits upon Eagles wings to perform it to the highest pitch 3. Some by these four conceive the whole world consisting of the four Elements represented to us as praising God The fire by the Lion whose nature is hot
our pleasures and vagaries our mirths and vanities our successes and prosperities to steal away the time we are to spend in giving God thanks and glory for them Nor 2. to permit our selves so much time to the reflection upon our griefs and troubles as to omit the praising God that they are no worse and that he thus fatherly chastises us to our bettering and amendment does all to us for the best Yet not to cease praising him day and night seems still to have some difficulty to understand it The Angels perhaps that neither eat nor drink nor sleep nor labour they may do it but how shall poor man compass it Why first Imprint in thy soul a fixt and solid resolution to direct all thy words and actions to his glory Renew it 2. every day thou risest and every night thou liest down Renounce 3 all by-ends and purposes that shall at any time creep in upon thee to take the praise and honour to thy self Design 4. thy actions as often as thou canst particularly to Gods service with some short offering them up to Gods will and pleasure either to cross or prosper them and when they be done say Gods Name be praised for them And lastly omit not the times of Prayer and Praise either in publick or in private but use thy best diligence to observe them to be constant and attentive at them Thus with the Spouse in the Canticles when we sleep our hearts awake and whether we eat or drink or walk or talk or whatsoever we do we do all to the glory of God and may be said to praise him day and night and not cease saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come And so I come to the second General The form here set us to praise him in In which first we have to consider the glory it self that is expresly given him Holy Holy Holy To speak right indeed the whole sentence is nothing else yet this evidently referring to that of Isai. vi 3. where the Seraphims use this first part in their Hymn of praise I conceive this the chief and most remarkable part of of it which may therefore bear the name before the rest Now this saying Holy Holy Holy is attributing all purity perfection and glory to God as to the subject of it himself and the original of it to others thereby acknowledging him only to be worship'd and ador'd So that saying thus we say all good of him and all good from him to our selves Thrice 't is repeated which according to the Hebrew custom is so done to imprint it the deeper in our thoughts and may serve us as a threefold cord which is not easily broken to draw us to it But another reason the Fathers give And it is 1. they say to teach us the knowledge of the holy and blessed Trinity Indeed why else thrice and no less or more Why follows Lord God Almighty three more words why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three yet again and yet but three who was who is who is to come Why do the Seraphims in Isaiah say no more yet say so too Why have we in the following verses Glory and Honour and Thanks ver 9. and Glory and Honour and Power so punctually thrice and thrice only offered to them How came it to be so universally celebrated throughout the World and put into all the Catholik Liturgies every where words fall not from Angels and Angelical Spirits by chance or casually The holy Penmen write not words hap hazard Nor is it easie to conceive so hard a doctrine so uneasie to reason should be so generally and humbly entertain'd but by some powerful working of Gods Spirit This may be enough to satisfie us that the blessed Trinity is more then obscurely pointed out to us here And 2. to be sure the Fountain of all Holiness is here pointed to us that we may learn to whom to go for grace that we may see we our selves are but unholy things that nothing is in it self pure or holy none but God And 3. it points us out what we should be Be ye holy as I am holy says God No way otherwise to come near him no way else to come so near him as to give him thanks for out of polluted lips he will not take them For in the second place the Lord God Almighty it is we are to give this glory to The three Persons here me thinks are evident however God the Father the Lord the Son and the Almighty Spirit that made all things that does but blow and the waters flow that does but breath and man lives that with the least blast does what he will Yet these three it seems are still but one one Lord and one God and one Spirit Ephes. iv 4 5 6. all singulars here nounes verbs articles and participles all in the singular number here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we might see though a Trinity there be to be believed yet 't is in unity though three Personalities but one Nature though three Persons but one God All the scruple here can but arise from the setting Lord the Son before God the Father but that 's quickly answered when they tell you there is none here afore or after other none greater and lesser than another and therefore no matter at all for the order here where all is one and one is all Lord God Almighty Yet now to encourage us the better to our Praises and Thanksgivings see we in the last place the benefits they here praise him for and they are intimated to us in the close of all Who was and is and is to come In the first we understand the benefit of our creation God it was that created us In the second we read the benefit of our Redemption the Lord it is that redeems us daily pardons and delivers us In the third we have the benefit of our Glorification still to come the Holy Spirit here sealing us and hereafter enstating us in glory In them all together we may in brief see as in a Prospect that all the benefits we have received heretofore he was the Author of them that all the mercies we enjoy he is the Fountain of them that all the joys or good we hope for he is the donour of them he was he is he must be the bestower of them all without him nothing he was and is and will be to us all in all And now sure though I have not the time to specifie all the mercies we enjoy from this blessed Lord God Almighty and indeed had I all time I could not and all tongues Si mihi sint linguae centum sint oraque centum I could not yet we cannot but in gross at least take up a Song of Praise for altogether say somewhat towards it Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty holy in our Creation Holy in our Redemption holy in our Sanctification Holy in Heaven holy in Earth holy under the Earth
truth is our cloud and theirs are not alike Ours but Analogical at the most The Apostle had to speak to Hebrews to perswade them to the Race of Christian faith and to them he was to fit his speech They would not so soon from their beggarly rudiments A cloud they always had in all their journeys and a cloud they would have now or they would not stir a foot St. Paul raises up a cloud in the preceding Chapter yet a little to wean them from sense though a cloud he calls it it will prove no such cloud as their dull eye gaz'd after but a cloud of Saints Indeed need he had to tell them of a guide from heaven that a few verses before had told them of so ill entertainment upon earth stoning sawing in sunder desarts dens and caves nothing but torment and affliction Ideoque had been a poor inference could expect but cold welcome without a nubem tantam And yet what avails a guide though sent from heaven if this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some weight about us overwhelm us or the way be so bespread with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such snares that every step we stumble and fall into inextricable dangers Were it not for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he shews us how to quit our selves of all the cloud might walk alone for all the Hebrews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for all us too For as they so we pretend often we would run but that we have no guide here 's a cloud to conduct us then we have no company here are Saints to go with us No body to encourage us here are Witnesses to behold us Then we are too pursie and unweildy for the course why off with that superfluous weight yea but the way is full beset with briers and thorns down with them too well but the way is tedious let 's run with patience no more than so but we have nothing to run for yes there 's something set before us that 's worth the running for we shall easily find that too in Propositum So then here 's I. The Guide of our way a Cloud of Witnesses II. The Companions of our Course a Cloud of Witnesses that compass us habentes nobis having it with us or being compassed with it III. The Spectators of our Course a Cloud of Witnesses about us habentes circum positam IV. The impediments of our speed 1. One that hinders us from setting forth Every weight 2. The other that entangles us by the way The sin that doth so easily beset us V. The removal of them both by laying aside or casting away VI. The running of our course Let us run with patience VII The Race to be run The Race set VIII The crown of our labours Set before us IX The influence of the Cloud upon all or the inference from it Ideoque curramus Seeing a cloud we have and such an one a cloud of Witnesses that will not lead us about as that cloud did Israel in the Wilderness but breve per exempla the shortest cut without staying now by the way at lugens in infernum or Sinus Abrahae but hence immediately into Canaan seeing the Cloud so great the Guide so good the Company so full the Spectators of so high account the Hinderances so easily put by the Course so facile the Race so short the Prize so glorious how can we but run like lightning after them You see the parts 'T is fit the Guide should lead the way the Cloud first When time was there was Columna Nubis Moses his cloud Israels guide to Canaan Canaan is gone and Nubem non habentes we have no such cloud we There is another â—t nubem iniquitates Isaiahs cloud a thick cloud of transgressions a winter cloud that sticks by us a morning cloud that rises with us at the first dawning of our days and God make it too as a morning cloud to pass away I would I could not say here habentes nâ—bem that we had not this neither but this I can Ideoque habentes it is not no good conclusion thence we have it not to follow it sets in darkness What cloud then Why Nubem testium St. Pauls new cloud a cloud of Witnesses of holy Saints who by the glory of example lead us more happily to heaven than theirs did them to the Land of Promise A cloud for their multitude but that we let alone till we come to tantam A cloud for the likeness of their Production their Seat their Nature and Effects Their Production first Clouds though heavens near acquaintance now are but refined earth or water divested of its grosser body and were not the departed Saints a while since prisoners in these clay houses now bereft of their happy tenants One of the best of them in his own esteem no better than dust and ashes 2. Why then how got they up so high The clouds they get not up themselves 't is the Sun that draws them upward And trahe me curram post te is the voice of the Spouse Some celestial influence we must have the best of us something without us from above to lift us up to heaven nature cannot reach so high II. Like they are in their Seat and situation 1. Clouds are above the tops of the mountains and the highest Pinacles of the earth are too low for an habitation for these sublime Spirits Nor earth nor all the mountains the high places and preferments of the earth could content them nothing under heaven nothing but heaven You know the desire Bring me into thy holy hill into thy dwelling 2. But if we look upon the Saints of Iudah they were clouds indeed and Types of Christ who in them appear'd as the Sun under a cloud the cloud between the eye and him His birth in Issac his name in Ioshuah his death in Samson his reign in Solomon Omnia haec illis contigerunt in nube still a cloud between III. There is a third Analogie between their Natures and Effects 1. Clouds they do not move themselves 'T is Spiritus spirat the wind that drives them And the Saints they do not move themselves neither 't is Spiritus spirat the Holy Ghost 2. But which is more to us Clouds they keep off the Sun from too much sweltring too much parching us This we get at least by the examples of the Martyrs that however the heat of Persecutions and Afflictions scorch us we are refresh'd in this that no temptation takes us but what is and has been incident to the most beloved Darlings of the Almighty As comfortable this to an oppressed Soul as a cloud of rain in the time of drought as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest 3. And as they comfort so they teach us too The clouds drop down and distill upon man abundantly says Elihu Iob xxxvi 28. and the doctrines of holy lives drop as the rain their speeches even yet distill as the dew whose
to the squares of righteousness is to make streight paths both together compleat the preparation which we will consider first in general then in particular first how his way generally is to be prepared then how particularly after a more particular and special way and manner We cannot find how in general to prepare his way better then by the words that follow immediately in the Prophet Isa. xl 4. and are so repeated also by S. Luke iiâ— 5. Every Valley shall be filled and every Mountain shall be brought low and the crooked ways shall be made streight and the rough ways shall be made smooth Every Valley must be filled the empty valleys of our Souls filled up with the fruits of all good works these valleys must stand so thick with such holy corn with all good fruits that they laugh and fing make us sing merrily the praises of the Lord. 2. Every Mountain and Hill must be brought low all our proud high thoughts laid down The greater Mountains and lesser Hills mole-hills as well as Mountains as well great as less and as well less as greater sins cast down our very natural reason and understanding submitted to the obedience of faith 3. The crooked ways must be made streight all our crooked ways distorted actions perverse affections all that is awry or swerving from the rule of Gods Commandments must be rectified and set right 4. All the rough ways made smooth all our roughnesses and unevennesses natural or customary made smooth and level no stones of offence no thorns or bushes hedges or ditches in the way That the way be neither mountainous with pride nor dark with ignorance nor dirty with lust nor thorny with worldly cares nor hollow with hypocrisie nor slippery with riot nor washy with drunkenness nor tedious through slothfulness nor uneven with irresolution and inconstancy Fill the low valleys we must with high heavenly affections and contemplations with high degrees of Piety and Devotion Bring down the hills by humility and obedience Streighten the crooked by righteousness and uprightness Smooth the rough ways with meekness gentleness and charity Rull down the haughty towring thoughts raise up the groveling mind rectifie the perverse intentions smooth the rough and uneven passions of the soul prepare them all remove out of them every thing that may offend and bring them all into the way of the Lord. Thus in general But we have a more particular and special way for we may consider the way of the Lord either as the way of a King for he is both Lord and King coming against us with his Armies or as a King coming to us in his Triumph to honour us and rejoyce with us If we consider the way of the Lord as of one coming against us for destruction prepare we then as the men of Bethulia did against Holofernes Judeth iv 4 5. They sent messengers into all the coasts they possessed themselves beforehand of the tops of the high mountains they fortified the villages laid up victuals for the provision of War and gave charge to keep the passages ver 7. so they prepared do we so too possess we the tops of the mountains by setting our affections upon things above fortifie we the poor villages of our weak natures by strong and holy resolutions gather we together all kind of provision for our souls out of the Holy Scriptures by constant reading and meditation keep all the passages of them with care and vigilance and send out messengers into all the coasts of heaven and earth send up our prayers to the God of Heaven for help our desires to the Saints upon the earth to assist us with their devotions advice and company Prepare we armour too with Vzziah 2 Chron xxvi 14. Shields and spears and helmets habergeons and bows and slings Stand we thus ready armed in the way our head covered with the hope of salvation for a Helmet our breast armed with righteousness for a Breast-plate our body defended with the Habergeon of a holy conversation in our left hand the Shield of Faith and in our right hand Alms far better then the strongest Spear says the Son of Sirach Ecclus. xxix 13. the Sword of the Holy Spirit the word of truth girt to our loins the bow and arrows of the holy fear of Gods Judgments hanging on our shoulders the Cross of Christ for our Sling and himself for the stone to smite our grand enemy in the fore-head and put him to a perpetual shame Thus make ready to entertain him But if 2. he come to us in the way of triumph or grace and favour then prepare we the way as is usual at the entertainment of great Princes Now at such times they sweep or wash the ways and streets they pave they gravel them they rail them in they hang them with Tapestry they strew them with Rushes and Flowers they set guards to fence the ranks and place themselves in order to cry out Vivat Rex or some such thing to receive them with joyful acclamations Let us go and do likewise Wash all our ways with tears sweep them with the besom of confession pave them with pious vows and purposes spread them over with fair amendment rail them in by the obedience of faith and daily caution adorn them by the imitation of the lives of holy Saints set them like so many pictures in Tapestry before thee shrew them with sweet Herbs and Flowers the Roses of Chastity the Lillies of Purity the Balm of Charity the Hyssop of Humility the Violets of Patience the Woodbines of Hope and Love the Bays of Constancy all the sweets of piety and vertue guard the way guard all the ways with attention and godly zeal and make all the streets and ways resound again with the eccho of praises and thanksgivings This it is to prepare his way And thus every way of his we spoke of must be prepared Our Souls so ordered out Meditations of the Law so regulated our Repentance so adorned our Baptisms so accompanied our Obedience so fulfilled Gods Providence and way of dealing with us so accepted with clean hearts grounded resolutions an even temper with care and diligence with exemplary vertue sweetness and moderation zeal and attention humility and thanksgiving All this while make streight must not be forgotten All this must be done now also with upright hearts sincere intentions not in outward form and appearance only not for fear of punishment not for hope of reward and praise not meerly to avoid danger nor yet lastly to be seen of men All these the Pharisees did and yet for all that none of them keeps the Law says Christ. The Law is not fulfilled by the external act the Commandments not kept by the outward performance 't is the inward spirit of Charity when they are done with that that only keeps them 't is that only that makes right ways sound paths without it they are but rotten ways or hollow ones such as Christ will not
us stand up to it and stand for it to the last A Souldier will venture all to save his colours rather wrap himself up in them and dye so than part with them For Christ for his Word for his Sacraments for his Cross for our Gospel and Religion we should do as much But I am asham'd the age has shewed us too many cowards that have not only run away from this Standard but betray'd it too the more unworthy certainly that they should ever reap fruit or benefit twig or branch from the root of Iesse The very Gentiles in the next words will sufficiently shame them For to it to this Ensign do all the Gentiles seek III. Shail it is I confess in the future tense here reach'd no further in the Prophets time but now it does the Prophesie is fulfill'd it so came to pass And it quickly came so after the Ensign was set up the Cross reared and the Resurrection had display'd it For I if I be lifted up from the earth says he himself will draw all men to me St. Iohn xii 32. Parthians and Medes and Elamites the dwellers in Mesopotamia and Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia Egypt and Lybia Rome and Cyrene as well as the dwellers in Iudea Cretes and Arabians as well as Israelites Proselites as well as Iews he will draw all in to him The vast multitudes that came daily in from all quarters of the world so many Churches of the Gentiles so suddenly rais'd and planted are a sufficient evidence to this great truth And the term the Iews at this day give the Christians of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word in the Text for Gentiles confirms as much by their own confession So true was both Isaiah's Prophesie here and Father Iacob's so long before that to him should the gathering of the people be Gen. xlix 10. But that which is an evidence as great as any if not above all is St. Paul applies the Text as fulfilled then Rom. xv 12. And there is this only to be added for our particular that we still go on and continue seeking him IV. But there is Rest and Glory here added to the success of this great design His rest shall be glorious Now by his Rest we in the first place understand the Church the place where the Psalmist tells us his honour dwells Psal. xxvi 3. the place of which himself says no less than This shall be my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have delight therein Psal. cxxxii 14. And glorious it is the Apostle tells us a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle Ephes. v. 27. glorious all over so glorious that the Prophet says the Gentiles shall come to its Light and Kings to the brightness of its rising Isa. lx 3. they shall bring Gold and Incense from Shebah the flocks of Kedar and the rams of Nebaioth shall come with acceptance to his Altar ver 7. the glory of Lebanon shall come unto it ver 13. They shall call the walls of it salvation and the gates praise ver 18. The Lord is an everlasting light unto it and God is its glory ver 19. So that we may well cry out with David Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God thy Church thy Congregation O thou root of Iesse thou Son of David which thou hast gathered and thy Churches or holy Temples too which are rais'd to thee exceed in glory the beauty of Holiness thy holy mysteries thy blessed self art there And indeed in the holy Mysteries of the Blessed Sacrament is his second place of Rest. There it is that the feeds his flock and rests at noon Cant. i. 7. And he is glorious there glorious in his Mercies illustrious in his Benefits wonderful in his being there No such wonder in the world as his being under these consecrated Elements his feeding our souls with them his discovering himself from under them by the comforts he affords us by them His Cratch to day was a third place of his Rest glorious it was because 1. the God of Glory rested there because 2. the glorious Angels displaid their Wings and gave forth their light and sung about it St. Luke ii 13 14. because 3. Kings themselves came from far to visite it and laid all their glories down there at his feet There his rest was glorious too Nay 4. his Sepulchre the place of his rest in Death was as glorious is as glorious still as any of the other And I must tell you the Latin reads it Sepulchrum ejus Gloriosum From thence it is he rose in glory by that it was he gain'd the glorious victory over Death and Hell from thence he came forth a glorious Conqueror Thither have devout Christians flock'd in incredible numbers There have Miracles been often wrought there have Kings hung up their Crowns there have millions paid their homage And thence have we all receiv'd both Grace and Glory from his Sepulchre where he lay down in Death and rose again to Life There is one Rest still behind and it is not only glorious but it self is glory His rest himself calls it Heb. iii. 11. yet a rest into which he would have us enter too Heb. iv 9 11. And in Heaven it is no rest to this no rest indeed any where but there and perfect glory no where else And now to wind up all together This rest and glory or glorious rest which ends the Text and 't is the best end we can either make or wish springs from the root at the beginning The Church it self and all the rest and glory the Churches ever had or have or shall enjoy grows all from that Our Holy Temples our Holy Sacraments our Holy Days this day the first of all the rest all the benefits of his Death Resurrection and Ascension into Glory nay our greatest glory in Heaven it self comes from this little Branch of Iesse this humble Root and the way to all is by him and his humility And the time suits well and the day hits fair for all In that day says the Text all this you have heard shall be and that day now is this To day the Root sprang forth the Branch appeared To day the Ensign was displaid to all the people From this day the Gentiles began their search This day he began to call in his Church and the Shepherds were the first To day he first was laid to mortal rest To day the glory of his Star appeared to wait upon his Cradle To day we also may enter into his rest one or other of them One of his places of rest we told you was in the Church or holy place let us seek him there Another Rest of his we mentioned to be in the Blessed Sacrament let us seek him there His Ensign is there set up let us go in to him and offer our lives and fortunes at his feet proffer to fight his Battels and obey his Commands strive we
or secular respects and motions but a sweetness without sensual daintiness a lustre without lightness a modest look without dejectedness a grave countenance without severity a fair face without fancy eyes sparkling only heavenly flames cheeks commanding holy modesty lips distilling celestial sweetness beauty without its faults figure and proportion and all such as was most answerable and advantageous to the work he came about every way fitted to the most perfect operations of the reasonable and immortal soul the most beautiful then sure when beauty is nothing else but an exact order and proportion of things in relation to their nature and end both to themselves and to each other Take his description from the Spouses own mouth Cant. v. 10 11 12 c. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand His head is as the most fine gold his locks are bushy or curled and black as a Raven His eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the rivers of water washed with water and fitly set that is set in fulness fitly placed and as a precious stone in the soil of a Ring His cheeks are as a bed of Spices as sweet flowers his lips like Lillies dropping sweet smelling Myrrhe his hands are as gold Rings set with Beryl his belly as bright Ivory over-laid with Saphyrs His legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold His countenance like Lebanon excellent as the Cedars His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Ierusalem This is our beloved too Solomon indeed has poetically express'd it Yet something else there is in it besides a poetick phrase Beautiful he thus supposes he is to be who was to be this Spouse have the beauty of all beautiful things in the world conferr'd upon him at least to have the finest and subtilest part of all worldly beauties those imperceptible yet powerful species of them which make them really amiable and attractive a head and locks and eyes and hands and feet quantity colour and proportion such as darted from them not only a resemblance but the very spirit of heavenly beauty innocence purity strength and vigour Poets when they commend beauty call it divine and heavenly this of his it was truly so a kind of sensible Divinity through all his parts Shall I give you his colour to make up the beauty He was white pure white in his Nativity ruddy in his Passion bright and glistering in his life black in his death Azure-vein'd in his Resurrection No wonder now to see the Spouse sit down under his shadow with great delight Cant. ii 3. we sure our selves now can do less and yet this is but the shadow of his beauty The true beauty is the souls the beauty of the soul the very soul of beauty the beauty of the body but the body nay the carcase of it And this of the souls he had 2. in its prime perfection 2. Now beauty consists in three particulars the perfection of the lineaments the due proportion of them each to other and the excellency and purity of the colour They are all compleat in the soul of Christ. The lineaments of the soul are its faculties and powers the proportion of them is the due subordination of them to God and one another The colours are the vertues and graces that are in them His powers and faculties would not but be compleat which had nothing of old Adam in them His understanding without ignorance he knew all the very hearts of all thoughts as they rose what they thought within themselves S. Luke v. 22. thoughts before they rose what the Pharisees with other would have done to him had he committed himself unto them Now Tyre and Sidon would have repented had they had the mercy allowed to Corazin and Bethsaida S. Luke x. 13. His will without wilfulness or weakness his passions without infirmity or extravagance his inferiour powers without defect or maim his understanding clear his will holy his passions sweet all his powers vigorous Hear the Wise man describe him under the name of Wisdom Wisd. xvii 22 23 c. In her that is in him who is the Wisdom of the Father is an understanding Spirit holy one onely manifold subtile lively clear undefiled plain nor subject to hurt loving the thing that is good quick which cannot be letted ready to do good kind to man stedfast sure free from care having all power overseeing all things and going through all understanding pure and most subtile spirits and ver 25 26. A pure influence flowing from the Glory of the Almighty the brightness of the everlasting light the unspotted mirror of the power of God and the image of his goodness The powers of his soul being thus pure vigorous and unspotted they cannot 2. but be in order the will following his understanding the passions subordinate to them both all the inferiour powers obedient and ready at command and pleasure He had no sooner exprest a kind of grievance in his sensitive powers at the approach of those strange horrors of his death and sufferings but presently comes out Non mea sed tua Not my will but thine all in a moment at peace and in tranquillity No rash or idle word no unseemly passage no sowre look nor gesture or expression unsuitable to his Divinity throughout his life the very Devils to their own confusion cannot but confess it We know thee who thou art the Holy One of God S. Mark i. 24. To this add those heavenly colours and glances of grace and vertues and you have his soul compleatly beautiful Meekness and Innocence and Patience and Obedience even to the death Mercy and Goodness and Piety and what else is truly called by the name of good are all in him insomuch that the Apostle tells us the very fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily Col. ii 9. No Divine Grace or Vertue wanting in him In him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ver 3. In him all sanctity and holiness not so much as the least guile in his mouth 1 S. Pet. ii 22. So holy that he is made holiness and sanctification unto us 1 Cor. i. 30. Sancti quasi sanguine uncti We Saints and holy become hallowed by the sprinkling of his blood In him lastly is all the power and vertue omnis virtus that is omnis potestas all the power in heaven and earth fully given to him S. Matth. xxviii 18. So that now we shall need to say little of the other particular of this first general point of Christs perfect beauty that he is not only Formosus but Formosus prae not only fair but very fair for where there is so much as you have heard exceeding and excellent it must needs be Where the body is compleat in all its parts the soul exact in all its powers the body without any ill inclination natural or habitual the soul without
exceeding glory Wonder we 1. stand we and wonder or cast our selves upon the earth upon our faces in amazement at it that God should do all this for us thus remember thus visit thus crown such things as we That 2. he should pass by the Angels to crown us leave them in their sins and misery and lift us out of ours That 3. he should not take their nature at the least and honour those that stood among them but take up ours and wear it into heaven and seat it there And there is a visit he is now coming to day to make us as much to be wondred at as any that he should feed us with his Body and yet that be in Heaven that he should cheer us with his Blood and yet that shed so long ago that he should set his Throne and keep his Table and presence upon the Earth and yet Heaven his Throne and Earth his Foot-stool that he should here pose all our understandings with his mysterious work and so many ages of Christians after so many years of study and assistance of the Spirit not yet be able to understand it What is man or the Son of man O Blessed Iesu that thou shouldst thus also visit and confound him with the wonders of thy mercy and goodness Here also is glory and honour too to be admitted to his Table no where so great to be made one with him as the meat is with the body no glory like it Here is the crown of plenty fulness of pardon grace and heavenly Benediction Here 's the crown of glory nothing but rays and beauties Iustres and glories to be seen in Christ and darted from him into pious souls Come take your crowns come compass your selves with those eternal circlings Take now the cup of salvation and remember God for so remembring you call upon the name of the Lord and give glory to your God If you cannot speak out fully as who can speak in such amazements as these thoughts may seriously work in us cast your selves down in silence and utter out your souls in these or the like broken speeches What is man Lord what is man What am I How poor a thing am I How good art thou What hast thou done unto him How great things What glory what honour what crown hast thou reserved for me What shall I say How shall I sufficiently admire What shall I do again unto thee What shalt thou do Why 1. if God is so mindful of us men Let us be mindful of him again remember he is always with us and do all things as if we remembred that so he were 2. Is he so mindful of us Let us be mindful of our selves and remember what we are that we may be humbled at it 3. Does he remember us Let us then again remember him with our prayers and services 2. Has he visited us Let us in thankfulness visit him again visit him in his Temple visit him at his Table visit him in his poor members the sick the imprisoned 3. Has he made us lower then the Angels Let us make our selves lower and lower still in our own sights Is it yet but a little lower then the Angels Let us raise up thoughts and pieties and devotions to be equal with them 4. Has he crown'd us with glory Let us crown his Altars then with offerings and his name with praise let us be often in corona in the congregation of them that praise him among such as keep Holy-day Let us crown his Courts with beauty crown our selves with good works they should be our glory and our crown And for the worship that he crowns us with too let us worship and give him honour so remember so visit so crown him again so shall he as he has already so shall still remember us last and bring us to his own palace there to visit him face to face where he shall make us equal to the Angels we are now below and crown us with an incorruptible crown of glory through Christ c. THE NINTH SERMON ON Christmas-Day S. LUKE ii 30 31 32. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel SAlvation cannot but be a welcome then at any time I know no day amiss But in Die salutis at such a time as this on Christmas-day especially Then it first came down to bless this lower world But salvation so nigh as to be seen is more much more if we our selves have any interest in it if it be for the Gentiles too that we also may come in Far more if it be such salvation that our friends also may be saved with us none perish if it be omnium populorum to 'um all in whatsoever Nation Add yet if it be salvation by light not in the night no obscure deliverance we like that better and if it be to be saved not by running away but gloriously Salvation with Glory that 's better still Nay if it be all salvation on a day of salvation not afar off but within ken not heard of but seen to us and ours an universal salvation a gladsome a lightsome a notable a glorious salvation as it is without contradiction Verbum Evangelii good Gospel joyful tidings so it must needs be verbum diei too the happiest news in the most happy time These make the Text near enough the day and yet 't is nearer What say you if this salvation prove to be a Saviour and that Saviour Christ and that Christ new born the first time that viderunt oculi could be said of him no time so proper as Christmas to speak of Christ the Saviour born and sent into the world He it is that is here stiled salutare tuum Christ that blessed sight that restores Simeons decaying eyes to their youthful lustre that happy burthen that makes Simeon grasp heaven before he enter it Indeed the good old man begins not his Christmas till Candlemas 'T was not Christmas-day with him he did not see his Saviour till he was presented in the Temple The Feast of Purification was his Christmas This the Shepherds the worlds and ours This day first he was seen visibly to the world Being then to speak of salvation which is a Saviour or a Saviour who is salvation 1. First of the Salvation it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Then of its certainty and manifestation so plain and evident that the eye may see it Salvation to be seen More 2. prepared to be seen 3. Of the universality before the face of all people 4. Of the Benefits They are two 1. A light 2. A glory with the twofold parties 1. The Gentiles 2. The Iews Of each both severally and joyntly When we have done with the salvation then of the other sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saviour himself that 's the prime meaning of salutare here 1. Of his natures
' um For our viderunt must not end when the Eucharist is past when we depart this sacred place I will take the cup of salvation says the Psalmist there it is do that here But I will rejoyce in thy salvation do so both here and at home Et exultabo and let me see you do so Let not your joy be stifled in your narrow bosoms but break out into expression into your lips into your hands Not in idle sports excess of diet or vain pomp of apparel not that joy the joy of the world but the joy of the Holy Ghost It is salvation that you have heard and seen and are yet to see to day what 's our duty now If it be salvation let us work it out with fear and trembling It is salvation to be seen some eminent work let us then confess we have seen strange things to day A most certain sure salvation it is let not a sacrilegious doubtful thought cast a mist upon it It is prepared let us accept it prepared for all let us thank God for so fair a compass and not uncharitably exclude our selves or others God has enlarg'd the bowels of his mercy let us not streighten ' um It is a light let us arise and walk after it It is a glory let us admire and adore it Was our Saviour seen so should we be every day in the Congregation was he prepared to day let us be always shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Does he enlighten us O let us never extinguish or hide that light till this light be swallowed up by the light of the Lamb till this day-spring from on high prove mid-day till Gentium and Israelis be friendly united in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no darkness to distinguish them no difference between light and glory till the beginning and end of the Text meet together in the circle of eternity till viderunt oculi meet with gloriam till our eyes may behold that light which is inaccessible that light and glory which know no other limits but infinite nor measure but eternity To which he bring us who this day put off his glory to put on salvation that by his salvation we might at length lift up our heads in glory whither he is again ascended and now sits together with his Father and the Holy Ghost To which three Persons and one God be given all praise and power and thanks and honour and salvation and glory for ever and ever Amen A SERMON ON St. Stephens Day ACTS vii 55 56. But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God And said Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God YEsterdays Child is to day you see become a man He that yesterday could neither stand nor go knew not the right hand from the left lay helpless as it were in the bosom of his Mother is to day presented to us standing at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father he whom earth yesterday entertained so poorly and obscurely heaven here this day openly glories in Now the horn of our salvation is raised up indeed the Church thus shewing us plainly to day what yesterday we could not see for the rags and stable that it was not a meer silly creature a poor child or man only that came to visit us but the Lord of Glory so making him some recompence as we may say to day for the poor case she shew'd him in yesterday But that 's not the business Yesterday was Christs Birth-day to day St. Stephens for Natalitia Martyrum the Birth-days of the Martys were their death-days call'd they then first said to be born when they were born to execution A day plac'd here so near to Christs that we might see as clear as day how dear and near the Martyrs are to him they lie even in his bosom the first visit he makes after his own death was to them to encourage them to theirs The first appearance of him in heaven after his return up was to take one of them thither And yet this is not all Christs Birth and the Martyrs Death are set so near to intimate how near death and persecution are to Christs Disciples how close they often follow the Faith of Christ so thereby to arm us against the fear of any thing that shall betide us even Death it self seeing it places us so near him seeing there are so fine visions in it and before it so fair glories after it as St. Stephen's here will tell you And if I add that Death is a good memento at a Feast a good way to keep us within our bounds in the days of mirth and jollity of what sort soever it may pass for somewhat like a reason why St. Stephen's death is thus serv'd in so soon at the first course as the second dish of our Christmas-Feast Nor is it for all that any disturbance to Christmas Joys The glorious prospect of St. Stephens Martyrdom which gives us here the opening of Heaven and the appearance then of Gods glory and of Christ in glory may go instead of those costly Masques of imagin'd Heavens and designed Gods and Goddesses which have been often presented in former times to solemnize the Feast We may see in that infinitely far more ravishing and pleasing sights than these which all the rarity of invention and vast charges could ever shew us Here 's enough in the Text to make us dance and leap for joy as if we would leap into the arms of him in Heaven who stands there as it were ready to receive us as he was to day presented to St. Stephen I may now I hope both to season and exalt our Christmas-Feast bring in St. Stephens story that part of it especially which I have chosen so full of Christ so full of glad and joyful sights and objects that it must needs add instead of diminishing our joy and gladness And yet if I season it a little now and then with the mention of Death it will do no hurt I must do so that you may not forget St. Stephens Martyrdom in the midst of the contemplation of the glory that preceded it That must not be for the day is appointed to remember it And though we shall not designedly come so far to decipher it having no more then the praeludium of his death before us we will not so far forget it but that we will take it into the division of the Text in which we shall consider these four particulars 1. His accommodation to his Death His being full of the Holy Ghost that fitted and disposed him to it 2. His preparation for it He looked up stedfastly into Heaven so that he prepared himself for it 3. His confirmation to it He saw the glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God that
who for ought I know must needs perish with them and perish for them for thus destroying them Were we but kind to our own souls we would be to theirs But to fill up the measure we play the Herods and act the murtherers lastly upon our selves We daily stifle those heavenly births of good desires and thoughts that are at any time begotten in us by the Holy Spirit and walk on confidently to death and darkness But we have acted Herods part too long and I fear I have been too long upon it To be short now let 's turn our slaughtering hands upon our sins and vices kill them mortifie them and henceforward act the part of the blessed Innocents set our selves from this day to better practices study the two grand lessons of the day Innocence and Patience Innocence in our lives and Patience in our deaths or rather patience in them both Study them our selves teach them our Children and continually preserve them in those happy ways that when we shall have serv'd our several generations and go hence we may all meet at last Fathers and Mothers and Children at the great Supper of the Lamb and together with these blessed Innocents in the Text follow the Lamb for evermore Who c. THE FIRST SERMON ON THE Circumcision 2 COR. v. 17. Old things are past away behold all things are become new AS face in water answers face so does the face of the Text the face of the Church in the times we live in where old things are past away all things become new But as where the faces are like the minds often are not so so the sense of the Text and the sense of the Times are as unlike as may be however like the words be to them Old legal Ceremonies and old corruptions past in the Text Old corruptions and old heresies and errors renewed in the Times The glorious Gospel of Christ newly appearing with affections answerable to it in the Text A Gospel I know not whose not of Peace but of War not of Love and Unity but of Faction and Schism with affections and courses according in the times New things such as belong to the new Man righteousness and true holiness passed over as unnecessary or unprofitable all good order antiquated and out of date cast away as old things all good things quite ruin'd and decay'd It were to be wish'd but 't is but meerly to be wish'd scarce hop'd I fear that the sense as well as the words might fit us that the new things in the Text were the new ones of the Times that the old ones here were the old ones there That the new year but lately entred might bring us this news But however I may wish and hope too I hope that we in particular will take occasion from it to renew our hearts with the year and begin it in newness of life and conversation to live the new year like new men better than of old And though the new times as now they are will not agree with the Text no more than these new men of the times their Sermons do in words only at the most yet because I love to speak seasonably as well as soberly a Text in season if I may have leave to fit the Text to the old time of Christmas there can be nothing more suitable to both the words and meaning of the Text than this holy Feast and the meaning of it From this Feast from Christs birth it was that all old legal ceremonies had their pass to pass away from hence all things both in Heaven and earth are reconciled by him all things made new by him the old man abolished and the new man created in us the old Law abrogated the new Law come in place the old Law of Works anulled the new Law of Faith established all old things past away all things become new through his coming into the world And the use and moral of the whole Feast and the three solemn great days in it is no more than that we would let old things pass old worldly affections die lay off the old and become new men all Be 1. regenerate in our spirits and new born with him upon Christmas-day Have our old man 2. circumcised our old fleshly members mortified upon Circumcision-day and be wholly renewed in all our parts upon the same as New-years-day Begin 3. the publick profession of our renovation and new service with the Wise men worshipping adoring and presenting him our gifts upon the Epiphany or Twelfth so changing our old Master and the service of sin for our new Master and his service forgetting the old and pressing on to the new Thus you have a perfect Christmas Text and more evidently a New-years one yet both both in words and sense I have given you the whole sense of it from the Feasts of Christmas and both told you their meaning and the Texts what the several days of the Feast teach you and what all the parts of the Text would have you learn of which this is the sum That through Christ all old things the old Law the Law of Moses the old corruptions of Nature the law of sin are past away done away and abolished and a new law established new grace brought to us new affections created in us all through him and by his coming and that whosoever is in Christ in whom he is come in him old things are past away all things are become new he is a new creature quite in the words that usher in the Text so the parts of it will be two 1. What since Christs coming is become of all things What is the state of the Gospel And 2. What upon that is become of those that are in him For to understand the Text fully we are to consider it 1. as a general proposition concerning the state of the Gospel of Christ that old things in general are past away and all things altogether become new through it and him 2. As a particular application made to any man that is in Christ it is truly in that state that in him old things are past away all things become new 1. Now in the general old things are past away that 's become of them of all old things since Christs coming and all things else are become new that 's become of them or so are they become 2. In particular this is become of them in whom Christ is or who are in him true sons of the Gospel old things are past with them and all things in them become new I shall add a third as the proper Use both of Text and time of the old days and the new year what is most becoming us for whom also Christ came to whom still he daily comes even to cast away all old corruptions and in all things to become new I begin with the Text as it may be applied to the general state and condition of the Gospel where we shall consider it first respectively then
their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more ver 10. 12. a Covenant of pardon and remission such as the Sacrifices of the Law could not give were not able And new Books we have it written in as authentick as those old ones in the Iewish Canon where we may find all seal'd by the testimony of the Spirit Heb. vi the Author of the new Testament as well as of the old 6. The new Church has its new Sacraments Ite Baptizata for Ite Circumcidite Baptism for Circumcision and the Lords Supper for the Passeover in both which of ours there is more than was in theirs in those legal Ceremonies not only outward signs as they but inward graces 7. New Sacrifices the calves of our lips instead of Calves and Goats the sacrifices of Praises and Thanksgivings nay the sacrifice of a contrite heart and humble spirit the sacrificing of our lusts and the offering up of our souls and bodies a living holy acceptable Sacrifice Rom. xii 1. 8. A new Priesthood to offer them an unchangeable Priesthood now Heb. vii 24. Christ our High-Priest and the Ministers of the New Testament 2 Cor. iii. 6. as so many under-Priests to offer them up to God Christ offer'd himself a Sacrifice offers up also our Prayers and Praises to his Father has left his Ministers in his Name and Merits to do it too and this a lasting Priesthood to last for ever 9. We have a new Altar too so St. Paul Heb. xiii 10. an Altar that they which serv'd the Tabernacle have no power to eat of Take it for the Cross on which Christ offered up himself or take it for the holy Table where that great Sacrifice of his is daily commemorated in Christian Churches Habem says the Apostle such an one we have and I am sure 't is new 10. Temples we have many new the Temples of our bodies 1 Cor. vi 19. those both to offer in and offer up and 2. Churches many for that one Temple so long since buried in dust and rubbish 11. There is above these a new Spirit Ezek. xxxvi 26. not the spirit of bondage again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. viii 15. the spirit of love and not of fear the spirit of Sons and not of Servants a spirit that will cause us to walk in Gods Statutes keep his Commandments and do them Ezek. xxxvi 27. a new thing indeed that can make the Beasts of the Field to honour him as the Prophet speaks of it Isa. xliii 19. the Dragons and the Owls to do so the most sensual fierce cruel and dullest natures bow unto him that gives waters in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart Isa. xliii 19. 20. that blows but with his wind and these waters flow Psal. cxlvii 18. this is a new spirit that is so powerful And from this spirit it is that we 12. receive new life and vigour that we walk not under the Gospel so dully and coldly as they under the Law where the outward work to the letter serv'd the turn but according to the spirit in the inward purity of the heart as well as in the outward purity of the body To which lastly there is a new inheritance annexed a new Heaven and a new Earth which we may look for according to his promise 2 St. Pet. iii. 13. And are not these new things all good news worth our rejoycings Can we be ever old that enjoy such mercies are they not enough to revive the dying spirit nay to raise the dead one to set forth his praises who thus renews us as the Eagle renews his mercies to us every morning makes us Kings and Priests gives us easie Laws and pleasing Covenants effectual Sacrifices and saving Sacraments turns our bodies into his Temples and our hearts into Altars makes us a glorious Church and builds us Churches inspires us with a new Spirit and gives us a second life gives us a Kingdom gives us Heaven and all This is the new state under Christ since his coming ended and renewed our years unto us And therefore says our Apostle just before the Text If any man be in Christ he is a new creature all this new work is done upon him that 's the second way we are now to consider the words That in the Christian truly such all old things are past away and all things become new He is dead to sin Rom. vi 2. and he is dead to the Law Rom. vii 4. or if you will sin and the Law are both dead to him they can hold him no longer he is alive unto God Rom. vi 11. new created in righteousness and true holiness Will you have it more particular Why first then the Heathen ignorance and error that is past with them they are enlightned Heb. vi they know God and are known of him they are light in the Lord the very children of it The Heathen sins they are past with them in them they walkt once Ephes. ii 2. such they were some of them 1 Cor. vi 11. but now they are washt but now they are sanctified but now they are justified Nor are they now 2. under so slender a providence as the poor Heathen were God visits them often now and not only now and then and suffers them not to go on or fall back again into the old ways of infidelity But they are not only out of the Heathen condition but out of the Iewish too no more in bondage to the Law The sacrificing of Rams and Goats of all sensual affections is done already the unreasonable part is mortified in them they have been washt and need be wash'd no more they are oblig'd to no differences of meats no Iewish Sabbatizing no Circumcision no one particular place of Worship no legal Rites or Ceremonies Christ having abolished in his flesh the Law of Commandments says S. Paul contained in ordinances Ephes. ii 15. We are now at liberty he has made us free And we are now 3. under a new course of providence God leads us now by spiritual and eternal promises he threatens spiritual and everlasting punishments guides us by a clearer light than Prophesie the evidence of the Word and Spirit ties us not up to the Covenant of Works nor empty Ceremonies these things are past Makes us not rich that he may accept us but accepts us as we are He reckons not of us by our wealth or honour or learning or our parts we know no man so now ver 16. not Christ so now according to the flesh we value not any man now for any thing but holiness and righteousness for so much as he is in Christ. Nor does the Christian value himself now for any thing but for that of Christ which is in him riches he contemns honour he despises learning he submits all outward and externall priviledges and commendations he lays at the foot of Christ devotes them to his commands
these are all old worn tatter'd things not worth the taking up nothing now worth any thing but Christ nothing but Christ and those new things those graces are in him Thus old things are past with the true Christian but 2. all things also are become new in him He has a new heart and a new spirit he has no more a heart of stone but a heart of flesh a soft tender pliable heart a meek and well disposed spirit a loving spirit he is no more what he was the old ego he has a new understanding things look not to him as they did of old he vilifies the world and worldly things His affections new he affects not what he did before he contemns all things below He is a King and rules over his passions he is a Priest and sanctifies them with his Prayers he lives under a new Law the Law of the Spirit and not the Flesh he makes every day new Covenants with God A Member of the Church he is and the Kingdom of God is now within him He is a great adorer of the Sacraments of the Church and daily offers up himself a Sacrifice to God his Soul and Body and all he has and pours out his praises His Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and the Altar of his Heart burns with the continual fires of Devotion and Charity He now lives no more but Christ lives in him that 's the new life he leads and it leads him into glory A new thing of which he has a glimpse and a kind of antipast here that makes him relish nothing else but cast all behind his back as old rags and dirt to press forward to the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Phil. iii. 14. This is the new Creature the new man in whom old things are past away and all things become new And shall all things become new and not we shall all old things pass away and we remain in our old sins still every thing be cloth'd with a new lustre we only appear in our old rags still Certainly we cannot judge it reasonable Better use I hope we will make of this days Text of this New-years lesson Put off says the Apostle concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of our minds and put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. iv 22 23 24. 'T is his counsel must be our practise The time past of our life may suffice us says S. Peter 1 Pet. iv 3. to have wrought the will of the Gentiles It is sufficient it is sufficient 'T is time now we unlearn our old lesson unravel our old work leave off our old course of life and begin a new to live henceford to righteousness and not to sin to God and not to men The new entred year calls for it the Text calls for it the Blood of Christ spent at his Circumcision lately past which yet this day and some days still to come commemorate cries for it that we would no longer count the blood of the new Covenant an unholy thing but betake us to it and live by it after a new fashion in newness of life I call you not to legal washings but the washings of Baptism and Repentance not to Iewish Feasts but Christian Festivals not to sacrifice Lambs and Sheep but your Souls and Bodies not to old Ceremonies but the new substance the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. Let him now begin his new reign in you let his new Commandment of Love be obeyed by you his Church purchased so dearly not be cowardly deserted by you keep his Covenant frequent his Temples adorn his Altars reverence his Priests follow the guidance of his Holy Spirit when he inspires good motions into your hearts amend your lives and become all new men in Jesus Christ. And when all these old things shall pass away and the new Heaven and Earth appear when he that sits upon the Throne Rev. xxi 5. shall make all things new then shall we be all made new again even these old decayed ruines of our bodies too and both souls and bodies clothed with the new Robes of Glory that shall never pass away but be ever new ever glorious for evermore THE SECOND SERMON ON THE Circumcision St. LUKE ii 21. His Name was called Iesus ANd to Day it was that He was called so when eight days were accomplished for his circumcising And they did well to call him so for it was the Name the Angel named him before he was conceived in the womb And he could be called by no better For Nomen super omne nomen says St. Paul of it Phil. ii 9. A name it is above every name for above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come Eph. i. 21. A Name that has all things in it that brings all good things with it that speaks more in five letters than we can do in five thousand words speaks more in it than we can speak to day and yet we intend to day to speak of nothing else nothing but Iesus nothing but Iesus The sooner then we begin the better And to begin the sooner we shall set upon it without either the Circumstances before or after in the verse or the Ceremonies either of Preamble or of Division of the words Only for Method sake and memory I shall shew you the fulness and greatness of this Name in these seven Particulars 'T is a Name of Truth and Fidelity 'T is a Name of Might and Power 'T is a Name of Majesty and Glory 'T is a Name of Grace and Mercy 'T is a Name of Sweetness and Comfort 'T is a Name of Wonder and Admiration 'T is a Name of Blessing and Adoration A faithful mighty glorious gracious comfortable admirable blessed Name it is given Him to Day to be called by but to be called by and to be called upon by us for ever that we also may be filled with the truth and power and glory and grace and sweetness and wonder and all the blessings of it This is the sum of what we have to say of this Great Name and now we go on with the Particulars A Name it is first of veracity and fidelity of faithfulness and truth This Iesus is but the old Ieshua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much mentioned so often fortold so long expected all the Scripture thorow The Greek termination of◠only added that we might so understand that all those Types Prophesies and Promises were now terminated and at an end in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Iesus the Greeks and Gentiles taken in too to fulfill all that had been before named or spoken any way concerning him The testimony of Iesus is the very spirit of Prophesie Rev. xix
yet see a little one step farther See and learn Is Christ our Saviour here a Child see then that we become like little children in humility and innocence we shall not see Heaven nor him in it else he tells us S. Mat. xviii 3. Is he so little let not us then think much to be accounted so to be made so Is he content to lie in his Mothers lap let not us grudge then if we have no where else to lie than upon our Mother earth Is he content to partake our weaknesses let not us then be impatient when we fall into sicknesses and infirmities Is he a Child to be adored and worshipped let us then be careful in all places and at all times to adore and worship him Will he accept our presents let us present our Souls and Bodies and Estates and all to his service lay all our treasures at his feet worship him with all that is precious to us think nothing too precious or good for him In a word is he to be found is he so easie to have access to Call we then upon him whilst he is near and seek we him while he may be found seek we him how he will be found for always he will not nor every way he will not Follow therefore the Wise mens steps so soon as ever the Day-star arises in our hearts so soon as ever any heavenly light of holy inspiration shines into us begin we to set forward get we out of our own Countries from our sins arm our selves against all temptations against the pleasures the perfumes and spices of Arabia Faelix of prosperity and honour against the sandy Desarts of Arabia Deserta against driness and dulness commonly the first temptations that we meet with in our way to Christ that make us to have little or no relish of it against the rocky and thievish passages of Arabia Petraea against the rocks of temptations and afflictions against the subtleties and treacheries and violences of the suggestion of ill companions wherewith the Devil doth way-lay us Get we up to Ierusalem the Holy City enquire we there of the word of God and at the mouth of the Priest which God hath said shall preserve knowledge for others good what-ever for his own Ask I say and enquire there how we shall find out Christ rejoyce we ever in the light of Heaven walk by it make much of it of all holy motions and inspirations continue in it and let neither the tediousness of the way nor the frailty of our own flesh nor any stormy or tempestuous weather any cross or trouble nor any Winter coldness of our own dull bosoms nor sometime the loss even of our guides those heavenly and spiritual comforts which God sometimes in his secret Wisdom withdraws from us nor any carnal reason or interest deter us from our search after this Babe of Heaven after Christ the Saviour but go on constantly and chearfully through all these difficulties to the House of God to the Church of Christ then shall we be sure to find him find him with his Mother our souls find him our affections embrace him then will he be exalted in us and exalt us from this House the Church Militant below to that above the Church Triumphant in the Heavens this Child make us grow from grace to grace till we come to the perfect stature of himself here of Grace and hereafter of Eternal Glory THE SECOND SERMON ON THE EPIPHANY St. MAT. ii 10. When they saw the Star they rejoyced with exceeding great joy IOY and great joy and exceeding great joy What 's the matter truly no great matter one would think only a Star appearing Who is it then that are so much rejoyced at it may we not call their wisdom into question their joy into dispute For the men they were Wise men I can tell you ver 1. Wise men from the East great Wise men and for their rejoycing 't is the wisest action they ever did because it was the best sight they ever 〈◊〉 the luckiest Aspect they ever beheld in Heaven the happiest Star that thus led them out of the region of darkness into the land of light that thus conducted them to Christ's abode and presence the greatest reason in the world to be glad at Ye hear much talk of a late Star or Comet and much ado about it but no great joy as I can hear It comes they tell us upon a sad errand is sent to us with heavy tidings no such but is that I believe though I have no confidence of their wisdom that pretend to tell us its intent and business But those They in the Text I know were truly wise because the Letter tells us so especially guided and directed into the knowledge and meaning of the Star they are so glad at And the Star comes with the best news that ever came is but a Ray of the Star of Iacob the Morning-Star to usher in the Sun of Righteousness or our usher to him Other Stars do commonly but befool their Students delude their observers and make them sad This makes us wise and glad and glad to salvation too The other too often tend from Christ cause men to forget him take away the faith and trust that is due to him to put it to a wandering Planet its Aspect and Position This brings us to him brings us to Iesus and his holy habitation And because it does so we will look upon it and be glad follow it and be exceeding glad For to us still the Star shines and we may see it in the Spirit in the spiritual sense and meaning And indeed that 's the best the only seeing The eye of sense could not in these Magi that saw it then in being cannot in us that see it now only in the notion work the joy the Text expresses There was an inward light that made the outward then so comfortable the meer light of a Star though never so glorious could never else have done it cannot now if it should appear again It was some internal light and revelation then concerning it made them so glad will make us as glad as they if we so look upon it as well as they And they and we are but the same of the same stock and kin Gentiles both both equally concerned in the Star and in the joy they only the first-fruits we the lump they saw it in the heavens we see it in the word a thing as clear and firm every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it as the heavens and we as much reason as they had to be glad So both the sum and division of the Text will be comprehended in these two particulars The ground of their joy and ours and the extent of it The ground and occasion of their joy and ours what they did then what we are still to rejoyce in When they saw the Star they rejoyced when we see it we must do so too The extent and measure of this
rejoycing both theirs and ours joy in the positive great it was if compared with other joy above other joy in the comparative and exceeding great joy the greatest joy in the superlative as high as may be They rejoyced with exceeding great joy The Star any Star or light that leads unto Christ is a just occasion and ground of joy and when such an one we have when such an one we see we cannot be too glad we cannot exceed though it be exceeding This the sum these the particulars of the Text. I begin with the ground of our joy and theirs that we may rejoyce the more that our joy may be the greater when we see how great the ground is that their joy was not for nothing nor will ours be if it be for nothing but what theirs was Yet before we enter upon either 't is requisite we consider the persons look upon them before we look upon the Star that we may see how this They may become We how we are interested either to look or rejoyce with them The first verse tells us who they were Wise men from the East four points we may have thence and all so many grounds of joy 1. Gentiles they were And that to them a door is opened unto life Acts xiv 27. that to them that sate in darkness and the shadow of death light is here sprung up is a good ground of joy to such the light is comfortable And to us also upon the same account for we were Gentiles nay and darkness too Eph. v. 8. good reason to rejoyce that now we are not that we are come into the light 2. If Gentiles then sinners too I know not then who can be out for if heaven notwithstanding our sin and wickedness vouchsafe so to look upon us nor they nor we no body sure but must needs be glad 3. Great men they were foretold in the Psalm under the notion of the Kings of Arabia and Saba bringing gifts Psal. lxxii 10. This is more cause of joy then you would think at first St. Paul's Not many noble not many mighty are called 1 Cor. i. 26. were enough to startle and amaze the rich and great men of the world and how hard is it for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Our Saviours words might very well trouble us spoil all our mirth all our joyes but for this that the Magi great Princes and rich and honourable have an interest in Christs Star for all that as well as any 4. They were learned too Magi Wise men is the name the story gives them And the Apostles Not many wise not many learned again might well amaze us and make us more than sad but for this They that such as they are not yet such but that they may come one day to see Stars under them and in the mean time have their part and portion in the Star that leads to Christ. A sound cause of joy that however the new lights count of Princes and great and learned men as enemies to him whose this Star was yet this Star shines to them too them before any was lighted up for them above all the rest Shepherds and Women and ignorant People are not to be taught or led by Stars they understand not their voice and language that 's for the wise and learned to guide them Mean and ordinary capacities must have other ways other guides and lanthorns to lead them to Christ. Thus from the persons we have four grounds of the great joy we hear that neither Heathen Ignorance nor Heathen Learning nor Honour nor Greatness neither great temptations nor great sinfulness no condition or quality how sad or cumbersom but this Star rises for and is ready to attend into the presence of Christ all may have a portion in the Star and in the Ioy. And good reason we have to rejoyce for our selves and our relations that no persons or condition is debarr'd it Proceed we yet deeper into the grounds of this joy Three there are that they we speak of saw 1 Saw somewhat to speak of 2. Saw the Star 3. Saw it at that time when they were even at a loss had but a while before quite lost the fight that 's when they saw it the time when they saw it in The first point is that see they did and a point worth noting that notwithstanding their great distance from Iudea the only Nation that then sate in light that had the knowledge of his Laws these yet came seeing That God hath some particular persons all the world over to whom he hath given eyes to see him No Nation indeed no whole people but the Iews were seeing yet Iob in Vz and Iethro in Midian and Rahab in Iericho and Ruth in Moab and Ittai in Gath and the Queen in Sheba and the Widow in Sarepta and Naaman in Syria some in every Nation that could see the light of Heaven and rejoyce in it Corporal sight then of the eye is one of the greatest temporal comforts our life is capable of we lose the chiefest of joy and pleasure of a mortal life when we are deprived of that 'T is worth rejoycing then worthy rejoycing in the Lord too that that we have that we can see that we are not blind But there is a spiritual and immaterial eye and seeing with it the eye of Faith and our believing by it that is far beyond the bodily sight and seeing 'T is that by which we live Heb. x. 38. 't is that only by which we truly see Heaven or behold Stars that 's a great ground of joy Especially if we add hope to it the other eye of the Spirit that pierceth within the vail that sees all the joys and pleasures of beatitude with affection and delight that does as it were bring Heaven home into not our eyes only but our bosoms The hope of Heaven and heavens happiness how glad and jocund will it make the heart more than when the Corn and Wine and Oyl increase a better sight by it than all the riches and pleasures of the earth all the profit and assistance of it all the beauties and glory of it can afford us This sight of Hope and that of Faith were they the Wise men had It was thus they saw the Star believed it was the Star of the Messias the only guide to their new-born Saviour their convoy to him and that such an one there was they should come to by and by this they saw by the eye of faith Thereupon they proceed to hope to see their hopes also in him hope ere long to be admitted to the sight and service of him hope this Star will now bring even them to its Master and give them a place hereafter with him among the Stars that they may one day shine in glory like them Thus you see Videntes will easily enough be brought home to us We even at this day thus see the Star by the two eyes of faith
and hope believe what here they saw that such a thing there was a Star lighted up on purpose to lead the Gentiles to Christ hope what here they felt within them some spiritual ray and guidance to him both believe and hope that as an outward visible Star there was to them so an inward and invisible Star still there will be to us by the light of which we may all come to the knowledge of Christ. We are next to see it what it is what it is to them what it is to us how this star looks to them how it looks to us To them this Star was a material Star to us 't is a spiritual and both bring their joy with them The Psalmist seems to be ravish'd with joy upon the sight of the Stars of Heaven when he considered the Heavens the works of Gods fingers the Moon and the Stars that he had ordained Psal. viii 3. Then in a kind of Extasie he cries out Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him That thou thus spanglest the Heavens with Stars for him That thou thus visitest him by the Stars Methinks the very beholding of that golden Canopy now our covering hereafter to be our footstool the casting up of our eyes to heaven in a bright starry night and considering that all those glorious Lamps are for the use of us poor men here and for our glory too hereafter cannot but raise a sweet delight and pleasure in the devout and pious soul and force out an ejaculation of thankfulness and joy to God that made them for us Sure I am that when neither Sun nor Stars appeared Acts xxvii 20. it follows presently that all hope of being saved was then taken away O the joy of a Star then the appearing of a Star would have made them then have leapt for joy We see them commonly that makes us so little to regard them If we behold them seriously we would sing together with them as Iob says they do together Job xxxviii 7. and praise him together as the Psalmist speaks with those stars of light But yet if we should have a Star made on purpose for us we would be gladder that God should descend to so immediate and special a care of us as to light up one of those bright Candles for some particular intent and service to us and such an one this is great reason therefore sure to rejoyce in it So much the more in that commonly the new raised Stars portend mischiefs and misfortunes to us but this was as all the Astrologers and Wise men then observed a healthsom gladsom star that brought health and happiness and saving in its wings never any such or like it before or since When God thus vouchsafes to make heaven dance attendance on us make all the Stars and Lights speak good to us some of them more than others those heavenly Creatures thus wait upon earth dust who is now so dull and earthy as not to rejoyce and glory in it Yet if the star not only portend happiness but eternal happiness besides if it foretell not only earthly but heavenly blessings too if it be a Star that leaves us not till it have brought us to the Child Iesus till it hath brought us to God himself there is matter indeed of great exceeding joy So a fourfold ground of joy you have in this very Star First Gods general providence over man to make even the heavenly Creatures serve him Secondly God's special Providence in it now and then sending a Star some special token to forewarn or guide him Thirdly God's comfortable Providence in so doing sometimes to bless and comfort us to uphold and chear us Fourthly Gods saving Providence thus to make all things though never so distant from us signally instrumental to our eternal happiness and salvation making the Stars and Heavens thus minister unto us For these four we may well take up St. Paul's resolution Phil. i. 18. We therein do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce And yet I must give you a fifth ray of this Star God's particular Providence over the Gentiles strangers from the Covenant of Promise aliens from the Comman-wealth of Israel men without promise without hope that had neither promise nor hope of mercy Eph. ii 12. that to them this Star should appear for them be made and sent is such a ground of joy to us that are of the same stock and lineage that without it we had had no joy at all who ever had 'T is upon this title we have our share in this happy Star upon this particular dispensation of thus gathering the Gentiles to him by it as by a Standard or Ensign for them to flow in unto him as the Prophet Phrases it This is the fifth ray of the material Star and it may go for a sixth That the Gentiles not then only but even to this day still enjoy the benefit of that Star have oftentimes material and sensible convoys unto Christ are often by the things of sense by sensible blessings drawn and perswaded to his service Thus you have the six Rays of the Star six comfortable Rays to ground our joys upon in the material Star We come now to the mystical or spiritual those Stars and Lights which yet remain even to this day to guide us to the same Iesus For more than one there is of this sort and all sufficient grounds of Ioy. 1. The first sort of Stars are devout and holy men shining as Daniel represents them like the Stars Dan. xii 3. Stars they are in this world whilst they live burning and shining Lights the very light and life and glory of the earth while they are upon it and Stars they shall be in the heavens when they come thither Here they go before us with the light of good examples to lead us to Christ and his righteousness to all holy and heavenly conversation And for it they shall one day shine as Stars for ever and ever A ground of joy it is to us that this Star we have that such guides we have by whose examples to conform our selves to the obedience of Christ in whose light to walk to him 2. A second sort of Stars are the Bishops and Pastors of the Church For however men now reckon them or however now much darkned in their heaven in this our Church in our Hemisphere Stars they are in the hand of Christ Rev. i. 16. in his right hand too the vision so interpreted v. 20. the seven Stars the seven Angels of the Churches the Church it self crown'd with twelve such Stars Rev. xii 1. the twelve Apostles All crowned Churches all that are compleat and perfect are crowned with such Stars with Bishops Pastors and Teachers And a solid ground of joy it is that we have such Stars to guide and direct us into the knowledge of Christ into the ways and means of salvation Let Hereticks and Schismaticks think their pleasure an exceeding joy it is to all that
to do it then when we had wilfully departed from his conduct is so exceeding a grace and favour that no joy of ours be it never so exceeding can exceed it And if the Wise men for the direction of that singlâ— Star were so extremely affected with joy and gladness how infiniteâ—y should we be for so many Alas they saw nothing then in comparison of us The Child was then but in rags and swadling cloaths he is now in robes of glory He was then lying in an earthly Cottage he is now sitting in an heavenly Palace All the ways of Salvation were then but mysteries they are now revealed Salvation then was but in its Clouts 't is now in its perfection They saw Christ but once we daily see him See him and all his Stars see him amidst his Stars walking with some of them in his hands the Stars or Angels of the Churches amongst other of them his Saints with them in glory creating stars daily in our hearts shining to us every day in his Word and Sacraments there opening his glory unto us and us a door into it and all the while the material stars even under his feet Seeing all these so much above what they here saw our joy should be much above what they rejoyced with But theirs being exceeding ours can be no more when we have said all we can And that it may be so I shall only tell you It must exceed the joy we take in earthly things we must more rejoyce in Christ and in his Star than all the World besides more in the holiness of a Saint than in the highness of a Prince more in a faithful Pastor than in any Worldly Counsellor more in the Word of God than in all the Writings of men much more in the History of Christ than in all the Romances and Histories of the earth more in the Promises of the Gospel than in the promises of all earthly pleasures and felicities more in the inward work of grace and the inward comforts of the Spirit than any sensual satisfactions and contentments more in the meditation of Heaven and heavenly Glory than in all the glories of the World more in Christ than in all things or hopes together It must exceed them all And when it so exceeds it will bring us to an exceeding high condition make us exceed in grace exceed in glory do great and wonderful things by the power of grace to express our thankfulness and bring us by it to the reward of exceeding glory where we shall need no more Stars to guide us nor Sun or Moon to give us light but this eternal light now pointed at by the Star shall give us light both day and night shall fill us with joy such as neither heart can imagine nor tongue express that exceeds all we can speak or think give us joy for joy great for great exceeding for exceeding in his blessed Light and Presence for evermore THE THIRD SERMON ON THE EPIPHANY St. MATTH ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe OUR last years business from the Text was to see what the Wise men saw Philips counsel to Nathaniel S. Iohn 1. to come and see This years shall be to do what the Wise men did what all Wise-men will do still Holy Davids invitation to fall down and worship For having found this blessed Child the end of all our Journeys the crown of all our labours the sum of all our desires and wishes this infant-God this young King of Heaven and Earth what can we less then do our obeysance and pay our Homage All Wise men will do so adore the rising Sun make sure of somewhat or in the Psalmists phrase Rejoyce with reverence and kiss this Son lest he be angrâ— and so we perish fall down before him and even kiss his feet in an humble adoration that he may lift us up and advance us in his Kingdom at least remember us when he comes into it To come into the house else where Iesus is and there to see him to stand and look upon him only and no more is a journey and sight to little purpose The Oxe and the Ass saw him and many no doubt to as little purpose upon the Shepherds report and the rumour of these Wise mens coming from the East came to see and gaze upon him It is this worshipping that sanctifies prospers all our journeys we begin them but untowardly and finish them but unluckily without it If we fall not down upon our knees before we go out and bow not our selves and worship not in thankfulness when we come in we cannot assure our selves of any great good either of our goings out or of our comings in how successful soever they seem at first even to have obtained their ends even found Iesus too This same worshipping is both the end and blessing of all our journeys if they be blest nor see we or understand we any thing thorowly or comfortably where that is wanting where the worship and service of God and our Saviour is not both the aim and endeavour of all our motions Wise men they were here that now for these twelve days have made it theirs And the Ethiopian Eunuch Acts viii 27. a great Counsellour made it the only business of his Journey to Ierusalem to worship only and so return And in the devouter times of Christianity the devout Christians when their haste was such they could not stay out a Prayer or Collect would yet never pass a Church but they would in and bow themselves and worship and be gone Tantiest adorare so weighty a business it is to worship though but in transitu to prosper any thing we are about It was so thought then it would be so now did we not more study to make enquiries about Christ than to serve him to dispute about Christianity than to practise it Christianity here begins with it These first Christians I may call them thus profest their service to their Saviour thus addict themselves to the faith and obedience of Christ and were there no other reason in the world to perswade it it were certainly enough that the first Faith in Christ was after this fashion thus acknowledged and performed Three acts there are of it in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 falling down worshipping and offering The first the worship of the Body the second of the Soul the third of our goods With these three our Bodies our Souls our Goods we are to worship him with all these his worship is to be performed without them all it is but a lame and maimed Sacrifice neither fit for Wise men to give nor Christ to receive Two points of the Text we are gone through the Wise mens Iourney and success their coming and their seeing their labour and
of the body is but the body of worship The soul that is it that enlivens it the spirit and soul of it that completes it the inward intention direction submission and reverence is that which makes all to be accepted To fall down in humility with the body and lift up the soul with pride to give an outward respect to him and inwardly neglect him to do the worship cursorily or in a complement without attention or good meaning is to use Christ as the Souldiers did worship him in a mockery cry Hail King and smite him to give a Crown of Thorns and a Scepter of a reed to make a puppet or a may-game of him or with Herod pretend to worship and mean nothing less seem devout forsooth in all haste but nourish profane and murtherous that is sinful careless or Atheistical thoughts against him They do best joyn'd God hath joyned them and one word hath joyned them and when joyned we best understand them and soul and body being so nearly joyn'd why should we go about to separate them The Prophesies foretel them both as to be solemnly performed to him All Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall do him service Psal. lxxii 11. and ver 15. Prayer shall be made ever unto him and daily shall he be praised The Gospel that assures it was done and the Apostle tells us that God had so ordained it should be given him a name which is above every Name that at the Name of Iesus every knee should how of things in heaven things in earth and things under the earth Phil. ii 9 10. If all things in heaven and earth do do it then spirits and bodies too For bodies are things and spirits are things and in heaven and under the earth there be no bodies in earth there is both so there sure to be done by both And this name had not been long given before these wise men come to do it reverence before it was given they came not presently after they come not before that they might know how to call him they were to worship yet presently after that we might know it was in his name only that the Gentiles were to trust at which to bow and worship To worship him to worship his Name or at his Name is but the same in Scripture or little difference Yet if we owe him worship we owe also a respect unto his Name we are not to take it vainly or count it light but pay a reverence to it as to his for therein also we worship him As we worship his Humanity as it is united to his Divinity so his Name too we may well worship that is reverently esteem and speak of it and so express it spiritually rejoyce too at the hearing of it without fear of Superstition or Idolatry We else but poorly and lamely worship him God knows if we give no respect at all to his Name or any thing that belongs to him We may as well be afraid to worship him at all now since he hath taken on a body lest we should commit Idolatry to it being a creature as to fear Superstition in worshipping at his Name before his foot-stool as the Scripture sometimes speaks when the adoration on both hands is only directed to and terminated in his Godhead If any then as alas too many be so little Christians as to give to Iesus or his holy Name or his holy Altars and Sacraments no more reverence than does a Turk or Pagan let not us for Christs sake bear them company we have better examples here before us nay we have Angels too before us at the work When he brought his first-begotten into the world he said And let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. i. 6. and certainly they do it they fulfil his command and do his pleasure And are we then too holy to do it Is it a command upon them whom the benefit does no way so much concern and is it left at our pleasure who have the most reason in the world to do it to whom chiefly this Christ was born and given may we choose whether we will worship him or no and yet be the greatest gainers by it and the more holy by not doing it Faith 's the business they tell us no matter for any thing besides only believe and all is done Well but is Faith the business and is it not a strong belief indeed this that can bring men out of their own Country and that a far one too through Arabian Desarts in the depth of Winter only to worship and is it not as high a piece of Faith notwithstanding that poor outward contemptible appearance of Christ yet to fall down and worship him and believe him to be their God and Saviour and to trust the guidance of a Star or the word of an obscure Prophesie or an inward motion from Heaven before their own eyes and all sense and reason To leave his Country and to believe against hope and reason was counted to Abraham for Faith Heb. xi was so to these Wise men of the Text will be to all that follow their example Our Worship is but the expression of a Faith fides facta or fides faciens Faith done We worship therefore we believe or we believe and therefore worship And therefore thirdly offer too Open our treasures the treasures of our Faith and present our gifts And when they had opened their Treasures c. The ancient Fathers have here observed both Letter and Mystery and I am no wiser I shall do so too The Letter is plain enough to tell us that God looks to be worshipped with our Goods as well as with our Bodies and our Souls and that those whom he leads by his Star or Spirit any that will come to Christ must no more come empty handed than those that come to God Exod. xiii For God he is and God he gave us them God therefore every person in the God-head to be served with them the first-fruits it should be in all reason and in justice all it might be but some part or offering out of them howsoever I shall open the Wise mens treasures and shew you them the out-side of them the Letter first Treasures they are called before they are opened that we may learn God is not only to be served with mean things and ordinary ware Nothing can be too good for him the treasures of our Hearts and the treasures of our Cabinets and Coffers are never better opened than for him David would not offer what cost him nought and Araunah when he does but understand God's business toward gives like a King 2 Sam. xxiv 23. The Israelites hard hearted Israelites are yet so tender of Gods Service that they pluck off their Jewels and golden Ear-rings for the Service of the Tabernack The first Christian Emperours give their stately Halls to make Churches and nothing is thought too costly by pious souls for God's worship Are the treasures
establish him a throne for ever 2 Sam. vii 11 12 13. God will be behind hand with none that do good to his Habitation or really intend or go about it Nay the very Sparrow is blest and the Swallow is blest that love but his House that sing their Mattens and Vespers at his Altars the devout Prophet even envies them for it Psal. lxxxiv 3. So great are the blessings of the House of God and so ever are those persons under his eye so in the eye of blessing whose good deeds are there continually putting God in mind of them If you would but remember how God forgets his mercy or which is the same how he remembers them in Iudgment who do ill to his House or to the Offices how he strikes Vzzah dead for an irreverent touch of the Holy Ark how he smites Vzziah with a leprosie for an encroachment upon the sacred Office 2 Chron. xxvi 19. and turns Saul out of his Kingdom for the like fault 1 Sam. xiii 14. How he thrusts Nebuchadnezzar out of doors Dan. iv 33. because he had burnt up his Houses in the Land 1 King xxv 9. 'T is just indeed he should have no House who will let God have none How he despoils Belshazzar of his Kingdom because he had spoild his Temple and was now prophaning those holy spoils carouzing in the sacred bowles Dan. v. 30. How he quite forgets all mercy to the Iews and casts them out as soon as they prophaned his holy Temple and abused his Messengers Priests and Prophets 2 Chron. xxxvi 14. and professes he could hold no longer when they had arrived at that height of insolent wickedness How he makes the Heavens forget their dew and the earth her fruit because they let his house lie waste Hag. i. 9 10. you will readily conclude how he remembers those that raise the Walls and repair the Ruines and reverence the Sanctuaries and love the Priests If them with Curses then these with Blessings if them with diseases then these with health if them with exile these with quiet dwellings if them with scarcity these with plenty Vbertate Domus the plenty of his house if them with desolate and decaying Families these with happy and full Posterities if them with death then these with life even for ever and ever VI. But 't is time now to remember our selves And many things we are here to be remembred of That 1. We have a House of God as well as Nehemiah to do good to Many houses of God in the Land now as well as in the Psalm lxxiv. 9. This above the rest whose decay'd Towers and ruin'd Pinacles and ragged Walls and open Windows and falling Roofs and broken Pavements call loud for a Repairer of the breaches And 't is not Nehemiahs Mercy and Bounty nor the Levites thin revenue added that can do it Blessed indeed be God that he hath put it into the heart of the King to begin and offer so freely to the Work But I hope we shall ere long have reason to bless him for your offerings too This House is Gods all such houses Gods as well as that of Bethel or that of Sion or those Synagogues of the Iews stiled several times his houses That they are so the solemn Dedications always of them to his Name with so much glory say enough And if Domus orationis be Domus mea the House of Prayer be Gods and Christ says it is and sure he knows both what is his own and how to call it the daily celebration of that Publick Worship there will give a second proof That some such there were even in the Apostles times some house besides such as we eat and drink in that must not be so used must not be so despised the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. xi â—â— and that it was then called the Church of God in the same verse is to tell you in plain English our Churches are Gods houses And God has in our days own'd them for his own That signal preserving them in the heat of War and Plunder rage and fury when men were so wrathfully displeased at them and so implacably set against them That protecting them 2. through all the Triumphs of a godly Atheism and a sacriledge out of Conscience both as unsatisfied as the grave so miserably greedy that they would violate their Fathers Sepulchres and scatter their ashes in the air and wind for an inconsiderable piece of lead or brass or stone That miraculous restoring them 3. to all the holy Offices this Church in particular destined to a sale and deferred only to see who would give most are evidences of it too great to be disputed that God has vindicated his right and kept it for himself And I hope you will all remember it and now help him in it Court and City both of you And remember 2. These Houses have their Officers their Offices their Ceremonies as well as that here in the Text. Offices to be performed Officers to perform them and Ceremonies to perform them with Your countenancing your encouraging your protecting them are the good deeds you may do to them Remember therefore 3. I beseech you that you do so Three arguments there are in the Text to perswade it 1. Good it is to do so good deeds they are God 2. will remember them when they are done God 3. will remember you for doing them 1. Good they are remember that And good works are a good foundation 1 Tim. vi 19. a foundation upon which you may lay hold on eternal life says St. Paul there and can you desire a better Indeed Iudas tells us it would do better upon the poor But had he had the selling of the Ointment then or when some of his Disciples had the selling of it since Were the poor ever the better for it Were not thousands sent a begging by it Sure sure he that can be content to see the Church in ruines will not much pass to see the poor in rags He that envies the Church-mans wealth will never pity the poor mans want and he that one time sells the Church will next time sell the poor if he can get by him But we will not set good deeds together by the ears 'T is enough that these are good but 't is more 2. that God remembers them that he takes a particular notice of them 2. I may say too a notice of the particulars The Scrowles of them are laid up for an everlasting remembrance Feasts of Dedication have been always kept for a memorial of them and Christ himself vouchsafed to be present at them St. Ioh. x. 22. And if the Syriac Translator may be allowed to read the last verse of the Chapter Et ad oblationes ad sacra temporibus Festis Statutis memoriam hujus rei mihi serva we see these good deeds were solemnly remembred in those solemn Feast and Nehemiah expected his should be so Their persons have anciently been remembred
〈◊〉 do like a servant nor we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use it like one else that cannot be a servant or we masters else Exercise it then 1. we must to do what we would have it accustom it to obey inure it to our commands habituate it to Gods service set it to good works and ply it hard tie it to order and bind it to rule bring it upon the knees employ it continually in some acts of vertue piety or obedience and let it never be idle Exercise it 2. to suffer too Use it to bear affronts to put up indignities to be crossed in the desires to be thwarted in the ways to be contraried in the sayings to be disobeyed in the commands to be diverted from the bent to be mortified in the lusts to be moderated in the passions to be straitned in the liberties to be delayed put off contradicted in all the motions of it a way St. Paul takes pleasure in 2 Cor. xii 10. This is the way to subject the body thorowly another part of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the holy men of the first ages of the way they took to bring their bodies into order and their souls to salvation a way for us to lead the body captive to our will to make an excellent servant of it too that shall both help us up and accompany us to heaven For it is not to destroy it 't is not to trample on it 't is not to tyrannize and triumph over it but to bring it thither not to hasten it to its Grave but to conduct it into the seats of rest that we use it thus that we preach to you to watch and fast and be severe upon your selves to be temperate in all things and keep all this ado 't is only that nor that nor we neither soul nor body prove castaways at last That 's my second general the ground and reason of keeping under the body and bringing it into subjection Lest when I have preached c. II. And a good reason too it is Take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 castaway how you will it is so Take it first for such in the sight of men we would do much rather than be cast in their conceits A good report is worth all the pains we speak of necessary too to those that are to be employed in holy business Acts vi 3. 1 Tim. iii. 7. they should be men of good report Certainly our own doctrines should not reprove us or we think it hard to do our selves what we require of others 't is a point of honour we may be allowed to stand on not to be out-gone and cast by our own Scholars And I must confess watching and fasting are two of the ways by which Saint Paul approves himself to be a Minister of God 2 Cor. vi 4. But this falls short of the Apostles meaning Take it 2. for a castaway in the sight of God for a reprobate a wicked an extreamly wicked person that 's a second sense and nearer his the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. i. 28. Tit. i. 16. 2 Tim. iii. 8. and other places And 't is a thing we must take heed of for if the body be not kept under but let have its swing wicked enough we may be quickly and lest we grow so by it a good reason I think to deal strictly and severely with it To be a castaway 3. from the sight of God that 's a third acception of the word and his fear indeed to fall short of that incorruptible Crown he strives for ver 25. This best answers to the Metaphor he is in of running and fighting and wrastling for the mastery where 't is not only reasonable but necessary to take care that the body be in order if we look to gain the prize and we may well fear to lose all if it be not But what can this great Saint after he has been caught up into the third Heaven fear any thing Can he be so poor spirited as to doubt of his salvation and fear to be a castaway It seems here he was and that after that time he had been there as may appear by the time of writing the Epistles He did not indeed much fear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. xiii 7. to be reprobated by men to be cast in their opinion but for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed to be so by God to be a castaway in his lest his body should cast him into sin and his sin cast him of his reward and he be cast so from the face of God that fear he does And if it be possible after we are once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and of the very powers of the world to come after that to fall away and we find it is so Heb. vi 4 5 6. 'T is time for all of us to fear to pass the whole time of our sojourning here in it too as St. Peter counsels us 1 Pet. i. 17. and good reason we have to do all we can possible to prevent it not spare our bodies if we can so save our souls from being castaways 2. Especially having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 next so much ground to fear it seeing there are many ways to be so for lest by any may suppose many by some or other of which we may miscarry Shall I name you some and not wholly out of the Text 1. The frailties of our nature 'T is a body here we have to deal with The multitude 2. of temptations some things there are suppos'd too here may some way or other get the power over it if we look not to it The uncertainty 3. of the strongest titles that we hold by this very I in the Text it seems a very Apostle may be a castaway else why does he set this lest upon it The very manner of the working 4. of Grace it self that this I must give its help any other way it will not do it Our bodies we may fear they want keeping under temptations we may fear they may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lead them away This very I as great as he is may be led away too and overcome And the grace of God it seems will not hinder it but by the ordinary way of our working with it All which may tell us St. Paul fears all 2. upon good ground fears not being cast away for nothing fears these very grounds we are to speak of And The frailty of nature that 1. may well be fear'd so much flesh there is about us and so little spirit a weak and yet unruly body where there are so many natural weaknesses so many acquired infirmities so many necessities hang upon us so much dulness so much perverseness so mach disorder in all our powers that I cannot but wonder that any should be so
among the leaves that nurses a worm to consume it when we least think of it Nay though we had coronam militum a Crown an Army of men as thick as the spires of Grass to encompass and guard either our honours wealth or pleasures yet they would all prove in a little time but as the Grass all men are nothing else Sr. Iames i. 11. but particularly the rich man so says that Apostle ver 10. the rich man as the flower of the grass he shall pass away He shall not stay for a storm to blast or blow him away even the Sun of prosperity shall do it Mole ruit suâ his own weight and greatness shall throw him down For the Sun is no sooner mark but that no sooner risen with a burning heat but it withereth the grass and the flower of it falleth and the grace of the fashions of it perisheth so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways Mark that too in his very ways his own very ways shall bring him to ruine and destruction 'T is so with the leaves of honour 't is so with the leaves of pleasure the very Sun no sooner rises upon them but it withers them the very Sun-shine and favour of the Prince ruines them the burning heat of their pleasures waste them away make their pleasures troublesome and burthensome in a little while and a while after vanish and confound them with shame and reproach leave them nothing upon their heads but ill coloured and ill seated leaves ignominy and dishonour nothing in their souls but driness and discomfort their estates too oftentimes drained dry scarce any thing but the Prodigals Husks to refresh them or dry leaves to cover them But the Christians Crown is nothing such 't is a flourishing Crown Psal. cxxxii 18. a Crown of pure Gold Psal. xxi 3. a Crown of precious Stones Zech. ix 16. a Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. iv 8. a Crown of Life St. Iames i. 12. a Crown of Honour Psal. viii 5. a Crown of Stars Rev. xii 1. a Crown of Glory 1 Pet. v. 4. a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away in the same verse eternal everlasting A flourishing not a withering Crown a Crown of Gold not of Grass of precious Stones not of Leaves of Righteousness not unjustly gotten of Life not unto Death of Honour not to be ashamed of of Stars not Stubble of Glory not vanity that never so much as alters colour but continues fresh and flourishing and splendid to all eternity An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us says St. Peter 1. Pet. i. 4. And having now compared our Crowns and finding so vast so infinite a difference between them Can we think much to do as much for this incorruptible Crown of Glory as the other do for their vain and corruptible one Shall they that strive for petty masteries for toys and trifles for ribbands and garlands be so exact in their observances so strict in their diet so painful in their exercises so vigilant in their advantages so diligent in providing strengthning and enabling themselves for their several sports and undertakings and shall we that are to strive for no less than Heaven it self be so loose in our performances so intemperate in meat and drink so sluggish in our business so careless of advantages so negligent in all things that make towards it Are leaves worth so much and the fruit of eternal peace so little Is a little air the vain breath of a mortal man to be so sought for and is the whole Heaven it self and the whole Host and God of it the praise of God and Saints and Angels that stand looking on us to be so slighted as not worth so doing doing no more than they Where is that man Dic mihi musâ virum shew me the man that can that takes the pains for eternal glory that these vain souls do for I know not how little enough to stile it But if we compare the pains the ambitious man takes for honour the voluptuous for his pleasure the covetous man for wealth meer leaves of Tantalus his Tree that do but gull not satisfie them the late nights the early mornings the broken sleeps the unquiet slumbers the many watches the innumerable steps the troublesom journeys the short meals the strange restraints the often checks the common counterbuffs the vexatious troubles the multitude of affronts neglects refusals denials the eager pursuits the dangerous ways the costly expences the fruitless travels the tortured minds the wearied bodies the unsatisfied desires when all is done that these men suffer and run through the one for an honour that sometimes no body thinks so but he that pursues it the other for a pleasure base oftentimes and villanous the third for an estate not far from ruine nay oftentimes to ruine his house and posterity If I say we compare these mens pains and sufferings with what we do for Christ and God and Heaven and happiness true real immoveable happiness and glory Good Lord how infinitely short do we come of them shall not they rise up against us in judgment and condemn us nay shall not we our selves rise up against our selves in judgment who have done many of these things suffered many for a little profit vain-glory or vain hope which we thought much to do for eternal glory This we do we strive and labour and take pains for vanity we are temperate in all things restrain and keep in our selves for the obtaining sometimes a little credit sometimes a little affection or good opinion from some whose love or good opinion is worth nothing or if it be is as easily lost as soon removed changed from us is commonly both corrupt and corruptible without ground and to little purpose But for Gods Judgment Christs Affection the Holy Spirits good Love to us for the praise of good men of Saints and Angels the whole choire of Heaven rejoycing over us nay for Heaven it self and blessedness and glory all which we might obtain with the same pains and lesser trouble and in the same time 't is so little that we do so far from all that I may without injury stile it nothing But for Gods sake for Christs sake for our own sake let it not be so for ever let us not always prefer Glass before Diamonds Barley Conrs before Pearls pleasure or profit or honour before Heaven and Happiness and Glory There are in Heaven unspeakable pleasures whole Rivers of them there There are in Heaven infinite and eternal riches which we can neither fathom nor number there is glory and honour and immortality and eternal life There are all these Crowns made incorruptible and everlasting all running round encircling one another like Crowns encircling our souls and bodies too like Crowns without end without period If we would have any Crowns Honour or Riches or Pleasure let us there seek them where they are advanced to an
the Angel the Herauld of it 3. It intimates health as well as peace we were all sick till this day came the best with the Spouse sick of love Cant. v. 8. the worst sick of somewhat else none well till this news came till the next morning after this great Conception rose with healing in his wings Now all hail and whole and well again 4. It signifies a wish of salvation too Ave says one piously though not learnedly a vae all woe now away temporal and eternal Eva spell'd backwards all Eves ill spun web unravel'd undone roul'd backward by the Conception of this blessed Virgin here foretold temporal and eternal woes taken all away nothing but joy and salvation to us if we will hear it with the Blessed Virgin and accept it The second salutation is The Lord is with thee and it may be either an apprecation or wishing that he would be or an Annunciation or affirmation a declaring and affirming that he is or a prediction or foretelling that he will be with her It was an apprecation when Boaz gave it to the Reapers Ruth ii 4. that God would be with them It was an apprecation and an affirmation both when the Angel gave it to Gideon Judg. vi 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour It is affirmation apprecation and prediction all three here to our Blessed Lady a wish that the Lord would an assurance that he is a prediction that he will be yet more signally and more particularly with her by and by 'T is somewhat to be saluted by an Angel and 't is not common we hear often of their coming with a message seldom with a salutation 't is sign of more then ordinary acquaintance and familiarity with God and of his respect particular unto us when he sends his Angels not only upon errands but how-do-yous to us With such a salutation too as the Lord is with thee The hand of the Lord was with him 't is said of St. Iohn Baptist and that was well his hand and not himself and yet the greatest of them that was born of women was not greater than he St. Matth. xi 11. But here 't is he himself with the greatest among women It is a great favour to have his hand but it is an high one to have himself with us Yet the Angel says to Gideon Judg. vi 12. The Lord be with thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 't is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Article an Emphasis put upon it he is not with her as he is with any else Tecum in mente tecum in ventre as the Fathers gloss it Tecum in spiritu tecum in carne with her he was or would be presently as well in her body as in her soul personally essentially nay bodily with her and take a body from her a way of being with any never heard before or since a being with her beyond any expression or conception whatsoever And the Lord thus being with her all good must needs be with her all the gracious ways of his being with us are comprehended in it so the salutation no way to be exceeded And well may he chuse to be with her even make haste and prevent the Angel as St. Bernard speaks to be with her He is with the pure in heart with the humble spirit and piously retired soul and she is all And though by the Angels words ver 31. we cannot conceive that the Lord was yet conceived in her he speaking in the future yet as sure it was even whilst the Angel was in his salutation as if he were already incarnate in her flesh upon this may well follow the third salutation Blessed art thou or be thou blessed Yet I shall not here say much of this I reserve it to be handled amongst the titles onely tell you it may as well pass for a salutation as the other We still sometimes use it in our salutations use to say God bless you when we salute sometimes so the mowers to Boaz return his salutation of the Lord be with you with The Lord bless thee Ruth ii 4. And Gen. xlvii 7. we read that Iacob blessed Pharaoh when he came before him that is saluted him in a form of blessing All the famous salutations now you see of all former and latter times are here rallied up in this Daniel's Live for ever for life and health and safety the Angels to Gideon The Lord is with thee Boaz his to Ruth Blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter Ruth iii. 10. Tobit's to the Angel Gaudium tibi Tob. v. 11. Ioy be unto thee Christ's to his Disciples Peace be unto you The Apostles grace and peace and salvation to their Churches all in this of the Angel to the Virgin now in treaty about Christs Incarnation To shew us 1. all these are in Christ all now coming to us by his coming to us to be found altogether no where but in him joy and peace and health and salvation and blessedness first rising on us by this days business his Incarnation To teach us 2. good forms of salutation blessing and not cursing though there are some so peevish to say no worse to tell us they had as lieve we should say the Devil take them as God bless them or God be with them It seems they had rather imitate the bad Angel than the good I hope we had not Good words if it be no more are fittest sure for Christian mouths but yet good wishes too for he that forbids to say to some God speed you 2 John x. intimates we should say so to others And though the Disciples are bid to salute no man by the way St. Luke x. 4. that is when it will retard or hinder their holy business they are yet bid when they come into a house say Peace be to it ver 5. And if the Angel do it and Christ bid it and do it too as he does St. Luke xxiv 35. I hope we may and will do too Nay and give good titles too upon the same account the Angel does so to the blessed Virgin and we hasten to them Thou that art highly favoured blessed blessed among women Thou that art highly favoured but why thou without a name why not Mary here as well as after ver 30. Why there he used her name so to dispel her fear as it were by a kind of friendly familiarity here he forbears it in his reverence to her We use not to salute great persons by their Names but by their Titles and the Mother of God is above the greatest we here meet with upon the earth We must not be too familiar with those whom God so highly favours that 's our lesson hence We are not to speak of the Blessed Virgin the Apostles and Saints as if we were speaking to our Servants Paul Peter Mary or the like 'T is a new fashion of Religion neither taken from Saints nor Angels nor any of Heaven or heavenly spirits
to unsaint the Saints to deny them their proper titles to level them with the meanest of our Servants We might learn better manners from the Angel here manners I say if it were nothing else for we dare not speak so to any here that are above us and we think much to be Thou'd without our titles by that new generation of possessed men who yet with more reason may call the best man thou then we the Apostles Iohn or Thomas But to descend to a particular survey of these Titles here Thou that art highly favoured so our new Translation renders it Full of grace so our old one hath it from the Latin Gratia plena and both right for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will carry both Grace is favour God's Grace is divine favour high in grace high in his favour full of his grace full of his favour all comes to one Now there is Gratia Creata and Increata Created grace and uncreated grace Created grace is either sanctifying or edifying the gifts of the Holy Spirit that sanctifie and make us holy or the gifts that make us serviceable to make others so The first to serve God in our selves as Faith Hope Charity and other graces The second to serve him in the Church such as the gift of Tongues of Prophesie of Healing and the like of each kind she had her fulness according to her measure and the designation that God appointed her For sanctifying Graces none fuller Solo Deo excepto God only excepted saith Epiphanius And 't is fit enough to believe that she vvho vvas so highly honoured to have her Womb filled vvith the body of the Lord had her soul as fully fill'd by the Holy Ghost For edifying Graces as they came not all into her measure she vvas not to preach to administer to govern to play the Apostle and therefore no necessity she should be full of all those gifts being those are not distributed all to any but unicuique secundum mensuram to every one according to his measure and employment and not at all times neither so neither is she said to be less ful for vvanting them There is one fulness of the Fountain another of the Brook another of a Vessel one fulnes of the Sea another of the River another of the Pond and yet all may be full Christ himself is said to be full of the Holy Ghost and St. Stephen is said to be full and others said to be full yet Christ as the Sea or Fountain they as the Rivulets or Rivers and yet all as they can hold 'T is so in Earth 't is so in Heaven And vvith such a fulness as the Brooks or Rivers is our Virgin full and with no other Where any edifying Grace vvas necessary for her she had it as well as others more perhaps than others Where it vvas not necessary it vvas no vvay to the impairing of her fulness though she had it not as the banks of the Rivers rose or the Channel was enlarged so were those graces but inter mulieres among women at the end makes me incline to think the fulness of Apostolick endowments do not any way belong to her women not being suffered in the times of the Apostles but to teach their children or servants at home never thought so full of the Spirit as to be sent to blow it all abroad And indeed it is not said here full of the Spirit but full of Grace and that is commonly understood of sanctifying Grace of which it is very convenient that we believe none fuller than she and the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not inforce it much higher in the business of created grace But in respect of the increated Grace that is of Christ with whom she was now so highly favoured as to be with Child none ever so filled with Grace indeed This was a grace of the highest nature of which created nature was never capable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well rendred highly highly favoured for 't is most highly can be imagined and this is her first title O thou that art highly favoured high in Gods grace and favour so high as to be made his Mother then sure made a fit receptacle for so great so holy a guest by the fulness of all grace and goodness From this follows the second Title Blessed blessed of God blessed of men blessed in the City and blessed in the Field Cities and Countreys call her blessed Blessed in the fruit of her body in her blessed Child Iesus Blessed in the fruit of her Ground her Cattel her Kine and her Sheep in the inferiour faculties of her soul and body all fructifie to Christ. Blessed her Basket and her Store her Womb and her Breasts the Womb that bare him and the Paps that gave him suck Blessed in her going out and in her coming in the Lord still being with her The good treasure of Heaven still open to her showring down upon her and the Earth fill'd with the blessings which she brought into the world when she brought forth the Son of God Blessed she indeed that was the Conduit of so great blessings though blessed most in the bearing him in her soul much more than bearing him in her body So Christ intimates to the woman that began to bless the Womb that is the Mother that bear him St. Luke xi 27. yea rather says he they that hear the word of God and keep it As if he had said she is more blessed in bearing the word in her soul than in her body But blessed she is Elizabeth by the Holy Spirit fell a blessing her when she came to see her And she her self by the same Spirit tells us all generations shall call her blessed ver 28. So we have sufficient example and authority to do it And I hope we will not suffer the Scripture to speak false but do it And 3. do it to her above all women Benedicta tu in mulieribus That 's her third Title Most blessed none so blessed none ever had Child so blessed none ever bore or brought forth Child as she Benedicta in mulieribus Blessed among women She indeed only blessed all others subject to the curse of in dolore paries of conceiving and bringing forth in sorrow She wholly free from that she a perpetual Virgin before and in and after Child-birth Christ came into her Womb insensibly came forth as it were insensibly too without groan or sorrow to her Blessed 2. among women they all henceforth saved by her Child-bearing notwithstanding she that is woman shall be saved in child-bearing 1 Tim. ii ie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by her child-bearing says a learned Commentator not their own but hers by the Child she bore and they therefore shall call her blessed Blessed 3. among women that is none more blessed then the best the highest of them none above the Mother of God none sure so good as she which now brings me to consider the grounds of all this honour
Christ Crucified and to teach him and not to know any thing but in order to it at least not to profess any thing above or equal with it that may swallow up the time which ought to be spent in divine employments Thus this not knowing is first determined by the person Persons wholly interessed in the business of Heaven not to turn their studies into a business of the world persons design'd to an extraordinary office not to deal in it by extraordinary means but guide all according to that rule and way and work that God has set them But the not knowing the secular Sciences is not only limited to spiritual persons there are limits within which all must keep as well their ignorance as knowledge When at any time they will determine not to know it must be 1. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by judgment and discretion not promiscuously such things as sound judgment propounds unnecessary dangerous or unfruitful It must be 2. by a non judicavi quicquam whatsoever knowledge we have of humane Sciences we must judge and reckon it as nothing determine it to be no or her than dross and dung than building with hay and stuble in respect of the knowledge of Iesus Christ not any thing to that It must be 3. too without putting any estimate upon our selves for any such knowledge we must still think we know nothing whilst we know no more Moses a man as St. Stephen stiles him Acts vii 22. mighty in words and deeds and learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians yet when God would send him of his errand considering that tells God he was not eloquent neither heretofore nor since he had spoken to his servant but slow of speech and slow of tongue And Isaiah that Seraphick Prophet cries out he is a man of unclean lips Isa. vi 5. so little valued they all their knowledge when they had but a glimpse of that great knowledge God was now imparting to them How much soever we think we know before when we once come to the knowledge of Christ or but our thoughts to come to know a taste of the riches of the fulness of the knowledge of Christ we then know we know nothing count our selves dolts and ideots meer fools and blocks for squandering away so much time and cost and pains upon those empty notions whereby we are not an inch the nearer Heaven and it may be the further from God after all our labour Then only we begin truly to know when we can pass this sentence upon our selves that we know not any thing when we are so humble that we think so at least think not any thing of our selves for all we know 4. We must determine not to know any thing at all of humane Sciences or natural reasonings rather than to determine our selves by it renounce it rather all knowing and turn all to believing not fix our faith upon natural principles or believe no further than we can know rather than so we had far better know nothing set it up for a resolution however in the matters of faith not to know that is not to go about to determine them by reason for the natural man he understands them not ver 14. they are foolishness unto him a foolish thing to him to talk of a God Incarnate of a Crucified Saviour of a Religion whose glory is the Cross and reward he knows not where nor when Or 5. he is only not determined to know any thing so the negative is truly joyn'd not to his knowledge but to his determination not determined if he know it he counts it but by the by his main business is something else humane knowledge is but by the way and obiter he intends them not for his doctrine nor yet to prove or stablish his doctrine upon them as upon foundations nor pearch moral and natural Philosophy for Divinity but to advance both the one and the other all Philology Language and History to the Service of Christ and the glory of his Cross to use our Rhetorick to set forth his sufferings the merit and benefit and glory of them our natural Philosophy to find us out the God of Nature in all his works moral Philosophy and History to disswade Vice and encourage Vertue even by the light of nature the knowledge of the Heavens and heavenly Spirits to declare his excellent and wondrous works our Criticisms to sift out truth and our Languages to express it in a word not so much to know any of them as God through them not them properly but Christ Iesus by them There is no fear of humane Sciences thus determined Yet there is one way more to determine our not knowng by by the persons with whom we have to do Our Doctrines for so we told you and for the chief meaning here we tell you now again to know here signifies to teach our Doctrines are to be proportioned and fitted for the auditory It was no meaner a mans practice than St. Pauls to the weak to become as weak to gain the weak to the weak and simple not to speak mysteries and speculations to them that were without Law as without Law plain honest dealing not quirks and quillets to gain such not to know any such thing among such as they Yet sometimes upon the same ground to do quite contrary to confound the wisdom of the world by that which that counts foolishness the strength of the world by that it reckons weakness the honourable things of the world by things which that esteems base and ignominious The Corinthians gloried in their learning and eloquence St. Paul to confute their vanity undertakes to do more by plainness and rudeness of speech and ignorance than they all of them can by all their wisdom and rhetorick among them he will make no use of any thing but the contemptible knowledge of the Cross of Christ and yet do more then all their Philosophers and Orators Where Learning will serve but to ostentation and the ear only tickled by it or humane applause not edification Schism not peace the issue of it among them not to know any such thing is best of all for let all things be done says the Apostle to edification 1 Cor. xiv 26. and if that will be done best by plainness to use plainness if by learning to use that as the you are that are to be edified so the I the Minister to deal with them if they be puft up with humane knowledge to humble them to the Abc of the Cross to exalt and preach up that above all knowledge whatsoever if divided into Schisms by the several Sects of Philosophy or the Masters of them to unite all again into one as so many pieces into one Cross among them to cry up no knowledge but thence or thither So then now to sanctifie all our secular knowledges and ignorances thus we are to determine them to know our times and place and persons for them to keep
gall to drink when he most needed comfort and refreshment to be mockt and scofft at in his sorrow too derided by his enemies forsaken by his friends as he hung to have the weight of all the sins of all mankind upon him to have God as it were leave him to struggle under them without the least glimmering of his presence to see in his soul all the horrors of all the sins of men to feel in his body all the torments that a body so delicate beyond the bodies of the Sons of Adam by reason of its perfection must needs feel beyond all others and groan and die under the fury of an angry God now visiting for all the iniquity that were before or after should be committed by the world To know all this and by this no sorrows like his sorrows is at least to sit down and weep at it however not to pass by regardless of it And know we 4. the end why all this was even to redeem us from all our sins or as it is in the Chapter before this ver 30. That he might be made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that by his blood we might have entrance into the holy of holies into Heaven it self Heb. x. 19. This you all know as well as I every one will say he knows it all Yet I must tell you you do not know it as you should if you sit not down and sometimes determine your thoughts upon it unless you sadly meditate and thankfully think upon it unless you value the meditations and discourses of it above all other thoughts all other talk unless you set by other business ever and anon to contemplate this To know in Christianity is to do more than fill the brain with Scripture notions 't is to fill the heart too with devout affections therefore we read in Scripture of an understanding heart and wisdom is said in the holy phrase to be seated there And when the heart evaporates it self into holy affections and desires Christ then we are only said to know him But to know Christ Iesus crucified is more than so 't is in St. Paul's meaning to be crucified with him Gal. vi 14. to take up our cross and follow him to make profession of him though we be sure to come to execution by it to go with him as St. Thomas exhorts though we die with him to be willing to suffer any thing for him to deny our own wisdom and repute and our selves for his service to be content to be counted fools for his sake our very wisdom and preaching foolishness if we may save any by it to count all as nothing so we may know him and be known of him We cannot think much sure to be crucified with him who was crucified only for us to suffer something for him who suffered all for us if we but know and consider who it was was crucified and for whom he was so the Son of God for the Sons of men the most innocent for the greatest sinners the most holy for the most wicked for such who even deny him after all he has done for them This speak we this preach we this profess we this determine we upon with St. Paul to know to think to speak to teach to preach to profess this and nothing else ever crying out to him with that good old Father Deus mens omnia Deus meus omnia This crucified Iesus is my God and all this Christ crucified is my God and all all my thoughts all my hearts all my knowledge all my profession he is all in all I know nothing else I value nothing else I know him though never so disfigured by his wound I will acknowledge him though in the midst of the Thieves I am not ashamed of him though full of spittle and reproach I will profess him though all run from him alas I know not any thing worth knowing if they take him away And yet to know him has one degree more when our understanding knows any thing it does says the Philosopher become the same with it So to know Christ then is to become like him to know Christ to be anointed is to be anointed like him also with holy graces to know him Iesus a Saviour is to be a Saviour to the poor and needy to deliver the widow and fatherless from the hand of the oppressor to know him to be crucified is to crucifie our affections and lusts Thus we know him as he is here and by so knowing him here we shall at last come to know him hereafter where we shall know him perfectly know him glorified for here knowing him crucified and all things then with him for now not knowing any thing but him know God and happiness and eternal glory and our selves partakers in them all THE FIRST SERMON UPON Easter Day St. LUKE xxiv 4 5 6. And it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout behold two men stood by them in shining Garments And as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth they said unto them Why seek ye the living among the dead He is not here but is risen ANd to day the day it came to pass This the day wherein this great perplexity both rose and was resolved It rose from the not-seeing the body of Iesus in the Grave ver 3. It was resolved by the hearing here he was risen thence Thus rise the greatest perplexities still and thus they are resolved From the miss of Christ which way soever truly or falsly conceived by us they come and at the very hearing of him again they vanish To be sure they stay not at all after he is risen and we hear it and God will not let it be long before we hear it he will not suffer those to be long perplext that seek Christ heartily affectionately and devoutly though with some error in their heads as here poor souls they had if they have no wickedness in their hearts and Spices and Ointments good Works and Charity in their hands Some Angel or other shall be sent to them ere long to pacifie their troubled thoughts to disperse their fears and raise up their drooping heads Mary Magdalen Ioanna Mary the mother of Iames with other women found it so to day ver 10. And to day also and from this day now forward shall we so find it too if we seek our Lord but with that affection that holy fear that humility as they so humbly bowing down our faces so afraid to miss of him so perplexed when he is from us This is a a day when perplexities cannot stay fears cannot tarry with us our heads cannot long hang down the news of it is so full of gladness of comfort and of joy At the rising of this days Sun of righteousness our perplexities pass away as the clouds before the Sun our tears melt as the dew before it and we turn up our heads like flowers to the
stench and worms and rottenness then any dead body whatsoever full of infamous and stinking sins worms of conscience and worms of concupiscence rotten resolutions and performances continuance in sin is the sleep of death Holy purposes and resolutions are the rising out of it Walking thenceforward in the ways of righteousness is going into the holy City and the letting our righteousness so shine before men that God may be glorified is the appearing unto many And the order is as like our justification or spiritual Resurrection well resembled by it God first for the merits of Christs Death and Passion breaks ope the stony heart looses the fetters of our sins and lusts all worldly corruptible affections in us opens the mouth of it to confess its sins then the soul rises as it were out of its sleep by the favour of Gods exciting grace and comes out of sin by holy purposes and resolutions resolves presently to amend its courses then next it goes into the holy City by holy action endeavour and performance so goes and manifests its reconcilement to the Church of God and at last makes its Resurrection repentance and amendment evident and apparent to the world to as many as it any where converses with that all may bear witness to it that it is truly risen with Christ now lives with him This the order this the manner of our first Resurrection from the death of sin to the life of Grace Our second Resurrection to the life of Glory is but this very Resurrection in the Text acted over again As soon as the consummatum est is pronounced upon the world as soon as Christ shall say as he did upon the Cross all is finished the end is come the Arch-Angel shall blow his Trumpet the Graves open the earth and Sea give forth their dead and the dead in Christ shall rise first then they that be alive at his coming For if we believe that Iesus died and rose again even so them also that sleep in Iesus shall God bring with him 1 Thess iv 14. and they shall come out of their Graves and go into the Holy City the new Ierusalem that is above and there appear and shine like stars for ever Indeed the ungodly and the wicked shall arise too and appear before the great Tribunal but not like these Saints for into the holy City they shall not come Rise and come forth they shall but go away into some place of horror some gloomy valley of eternal sorrow some dark dungeon of everlasting night some den of Dragons and Devils never to appear before God but be for ever hid in the arms of confusion and damnation As for the godly the holy City is prepared for them for us if we be like them Saints and Angels are the inhabitants of this holy City no room there for any other if our bodies then be the bodies of holy Saints then into the holy City with them and not else no part in the new Ierusalem if no part in the old no portion above if none below no place there with Angels if no communion here with Saints no happiness in heaven if no holiness on earth They are the bodies of the Saints you hear that go into the holy City they that rise from the sleep of sin and awake to righteousness that rise from the dust of death to the rays of glory And this now may hint us of our duty to close with them for the close of all It has been shewed before what is the first Resurrection without which there is no second namely a life of holiness a dying to sin and a living unto God And this is a Resurrection we are not meerly passive in as in the other We must do somewhat here towards our own Resurrection at least to finish it We must open our mouths which are too often what David stiles the wicked mans throat even open Sepulchres and by confession send out our dead our dead works confessing our iniquities we must awake out of our sins and arise and stand up by holy vows and resolutions rear up our heads and eyes and hearts and hands to heaven seek those things that are above if we be risen with Christ get up upon our feet and be walking the way of Gods commandments walking to him get us into the holy City to the holy place make our humble appearance there express the power of Christs Resurrection in our life attend him through all the parts of it all our life long This the great business we are now going to requires of us more particularly to come to it like new rais'd bodies that had now shaken off all their dust all dusty earthly thoughts laid aside their Grave-cloths all corrupt affections that any way involv'd them and stood up all new all fitly composed for the holy City drest up in holiness and newness of life thus come forth to meet our new risen Saviour and appear before him This the way to meet the benefits of his Passion and Resurrection for coming so with these Saints out of their Graves Christs Grave also shall open and give him to us the Cup and Patine wherein his body lies as in a kind of Grave shall display themselves and give him to us the Spirit of Christ shall raise and and advance the holy Elements into lively Symbols which shall effectually present him to us and he will come forth from under those sacred shadows into our Cities our Souls and Bodies if they be holy and his grace and sweetness shall appear to many of us to all of us that come in the habit of the Resurrection in white Robes with pure and holy hearts Here indeed of all places and this way above all ways we are likeliest to meet our Lord now he is risen and gone before us this the chief way to be made partakers of his Resurrection and the fittest to declare both his Death and Resurrection the power of them till his coming again And to declare and speak of them is the very duty of the day the very Grave this day with open mouth professes Christ is risen and gives praise for it that it is no longer a land of darkness but has let in light no longer a bier of death but a bed of sleep But shall thy loving kindness O Lord be known in the dark or shall the dead rise up again and praise thee yes holy Prophet they shall they did to day and if his loving kindness shall not be known in the dark the dark places shall become light now the sun of righteousness has risen upon them But shall the dead rise up again and praise him and shall not we shall the graves open and shall not our hearts be opened to receive him nor our mouths to praise him for it Was it the business of the dead Saints to day to rise to wait upon their Lord and shall not the living rise to bear them company shall the whole City ring of it out
rest of the Apostles Euseb. l. 5. c. 26. The great difference about the time of keeping Easter between the Eastern and the Western Churches was grounded upon the different keeping of it by the two great Apostles St. Peter and St. Iohn St. Iohn keeping it after one reckoning St Peter after another St. Iohn keeping it after the Jewish reckoning upon the fourteenth of the month Abib St. Peter much after the accompt as now it stands upon the Sunday following but all the controversie was about the time not about the keeping it none denied or questioned that but Aerius none left it at liberty but the Cathari both registred for Hereticks about it So confident were they 't was from the Lord. And that from him at least by the Apostles Constantine in Eusebius is direct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which day says he ever since the first day of his Passion we have kept untill this present We have received it of our Saviour says he a little after And again which our Saviour deliver'd to us Thus Dominus fecit then indeed And that so it was either from his own command or from his Apostles the whole practise of the Church is ground enough in all Ages still observing it even in the hottest times of persecution some in Caves and some in Woods and some on Shipboard and some in Barns and Stables and some in Goales keeping it as they could says Eusebius so scrupulous were they of omitting that day upon any hand that the Lord had made them and the great contentions about the time of keeping it shews as plain they thought it more than an humane institution they might else have easily ended all the Controversie and laid down the day But they had not then so learned Christ had not learned the trick of lightly esteeming days and places and things and persons and offices dedicated to Gods service which God had made or were made to him 5. Especially made upon such an occasion as this day was This day What day is this The day wherein the Stone that was disallowed by Men was approved of God and exalted to the head of the corner Wherein the chief corner stone of Sion was laid and Sion begun to be built upon it when we had ground given to build upon and stones to build with by Christs Resurrection that 's the ground and occasion of the day And a good one too For had he not risen we had had no ground to build upon we had perish'd in our sins been swept all away like so many houses builded upon the sand We had had neither place for faith nor ground for hope nor room for preaching our preaching vain your faith also vain all vaine all come to nothing His being delivered for our offences had been nothing if he had not been raised again for our Iustification as it is Rom. iv 25. 'T is to this day we owe our Justification 't is from this day we are made just and holy from this Stones being made the head stone of the corner we made lively stones built up into a spiritual house or building as St. Peter speaks 1 Pet. ii 5. From his becoming this day the chief corner stone it is in that we now have confidence as St. Iohn speaks and creep not into corners to hide our faces that we dare boldly look up to heaven and come unto him and that we call not to the Hills to hide us or to the Mountains to cover us from the presence of God or the face of man or devil Our faith and hope our souls and spirits are all raised by this days raising we are all made by this days being made we had else better never have been made for we had been marr'd and undon for ever 6. But by this day it seems we are not for this rejoycing and gladness that now follows close upon it shews what a kind of day it is for what 't is made even to be glad and to rejoyce in a Feast or Festival God is no enemy to the Churches Feasts whoever be calls to us to blow up the Trumper for Feasts as well as bid us to proclaim a Fast. Indeed he more properly makes the Feast and we the Fast for he only gives the occasion of the one and we of the other he benefits and we sins Deus nobis haec otia fecit So no wonder that the day that he has made be a good day a day of good things such as we may well rejoyce in a Festival Yea and a set one too His making you heard was an appointing or instituting it Though God would sometimes have free-will Offerings he will not always trust to them If he leave all to the wills of men the fires will oft go out upon his Altars his house stand thin enough of people and his Priests grow lean for all the fall of his Sacrifices if he come once to the mercy or courtesie of men They would quickly starve him and his Religion out of doors But set Feasts he always had set Services and offerings would not leave himself or his Worship to mans devotion for he knew what was in man He made this day made it a Feast a day of joy and gladness Let us now therefore to our Office to rejoyce and be glad in it that 's the second General thither now are we come Three Points we told you we would consider in it Exultemus laetemur and in eâ Three parts in our Office rejoycing gladness and the right ordering both Outward expression inward gladness and right placing them Both words I confess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint eâ—ultemus laetemur in the Latine have something outward in them yet exultemus is more for the outward laetemur somewhat more within a joy of the heart with some dilatation only of it Laetitia quasi latitia a stretching out the heart and sending forth the Spirits exultatio of saltatio a kind of skipping or leaping for joy the Spirits got into all the parts and powers ready to leap out of them for joy Being thus both involv'd one in the other I shall not trouble my self to distinguish them but only tell you hence that first The joy that God requires in the things that he has made or any time makes for us is not only inward it must out into outward acts Out into the mouth to sing forth his praise in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs Eph. v. 19. Out into the hands to send portions to the poor for whom nothing is prepared Nehem. viii 10. Out into the feet to go up to the House of God with the Posture as well as the voice of joy and gladness to go up with haste to worship with reverence to stand up chearfully at the Hymns and Songs of Praise Our very bones as David speaks to rejoyce too the very clatter'd bones to clatter together and rejoyce all the parts and powers of
them 〈…〉 feet of the meanest Christian soul whom thou at at any time despoiled'st of them and either shrink away confounded with our glory or else be glad of a Resurrection as well as we Whilst those miserable wretches that thou so much courtedst and delightedst in and that thy Prince who rul'd and abus'd thee to all his lusts shall down together into eternal misery when those poor despised Christians whom thou so much maligned'st shall reign in glory Miserable they were not here maugre all the world could do against them they had that peace that joy that contentment still within which the world could neither give nor take away They found an unspeakable as well pleasure as glory in their very afflictions and bitterest sufferings being exceeding glad and counting all joy to be made so like their Master whose Ministers or whose Servants they were with him despising the shame and trouble of a contemptible and afflictive life or death for the joy set before them for the hope they saw at the right hand of the Throne of God Thus feeling nothing that could be truly or properly called misery whilst they took pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake as St. Paul professes he did 2 Cor. xii 10. whilst it all serv'd only to their contentment here and augment their happiness and glory hereafter they sure lost nothing then they are not miserable now who are so faln asleep And lift up your heads ye drooping Christians still they shall not be miserable that so at any time fall asleep but rise and live again and be yet more happy every one in their order every star their glory every star a different ray according to their hope and sufferings here as no men so little miserable here if all things be truly pondered so no men so happy hereafter as the Christians they of all men above all men souls and bodies both Pastor and People all that live and die under the glorious hope of a Resurrection by Christ who place not their hopes or affections in this life but in Him and in the other of all men they most blessed most eternally blessed To which blessed estate after this life ended He who is our Hope and who we hope will keep us in it He in whom we trust and I trust shall do so still not for this life only but the other too but for ever He of his mercy convey and bring us all every one in his due time and order even our Lord Iesus Christ. To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise and glory not in this life only but for ever and ever Amen A SERMON UPON Ascension Day PSAL. xxiv 3 4. Vho shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand up in his holy place Even he that hath clean hands and a pure heart and hath not lift up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour WHo shall ascend indeed if none must ascend but he that is clean and pure and without vanity and deceit The question is quickly answered None shall for there is none so dust is our matter so not clean defiled is our nature so not pure lighter the heaviest of us than vanity and deceitful upon the balance the best of us Psal. lxii 9. so no ascending so high for any of us Yet there is one we hear of or might have heard of to day that rose and ascended up on high was thus qualified as the Psalmist speaks of all clean and pure no chaff at all no guile sound in his mouth 1 Pet. ii 22. Yea but it was but one that was so What 's that to all the rest Yes somewhat ' t is He was our head and if the head be once risen and ascended the members will all follow after in their time Indeed 't is not for every one to hope any but such as are of his that follow him that belong to him 'T is a high priviledge that the Psalmist stands admiring at and therefore not for all yet for all that will for a who shall here is a who will set up for all that will accept of the condition Quis ascendet is who will as well as who shall They that will take the pains will do what they can to be clean and pure they shall His innocence and purity shall help out for the rest when they have done their best But if any man will ascend he must do his best must be clean and pure with Christ and through him or he shall not ascend and rise up after him 'T is the Lesson we are to learn from Ascension day to Whitsunday how to ascend after Christ into the hill of the Lord how to rise up in his holy place even to have clean hands and pure hearts not to lift up our minds to vanity or swear to deceive our neighbour to have our hands ascend and our hearts ascend and our minds ascend and our words ascend as into his presence all ascend after him The Psalm is one of them which the Church appoints for Ascension day and I see not but it may very well pass for a kind of Prophesie by way of an extatical admiration at the sight of Christs Ascension So it pass'd with the Fathers and with our Fathers too may so with us for never was it so fulfill'd to a tittle as by Christ and his Ascension He the only he of clean hands and pure heart and holy mouth and holy all he the first that entred heaven that got up the hill that entred into the holy place not made with hands Heb. ix 24 c. Not any doors so properly everlasting as those of heaven nor they ever open'd for any King of glory to come in as it is ver 7. but him I cannot tell how we should expound it otherwise without much more metaphor and figure Yet I will allow it too for the Prophets admiration at the fore-sight of the happiness of Gods peculiar people and their condition that God whose the whole earth is and all its fulness ver 1. should out of all its places choose Sion for his place he whose the World is and all that dwell therein as it follows there should choose out the Iews amongst all the dwellers to dwell among them only to serve him upon that hill that further this God whose all is should still of this all so particularly honour some as to give them the priviledge of his hill and holy place his solemn Worship and Service to go up first into his holy places upon earth and then afterwards ascend into the holy places the heavens for the words mean the one as well as the other Who are they What a sort of people are they that are so happy so much exalted upon the earth and over it 'T is worth the admiring worth the enquiring and we find it presently who they be even such as have clean
the while and he seems to have no delight in us when he denies us at least to suspend the shewing it as he did there to David when he fled from Absolom a Priviledge sure all count it to have a place to serve God in together there would not else be such contention for it who should and who should not But for that hill of hills 3. far exalted above all hills to ascend thither to be lift so high that 's a priviledge without contradiction 'T is given to none but for whom it is prepared St. Mat. xx 23. few there are that find it St. Mat. vii 14. 't is meerly at our Fathers good pleasure to give it St. Luke xii 32. neither of him that wills nor him that runs but of God that shews mercy we have no other claim but mercy to it Only fear not for all that says Christ St. Luke xii 32. he ushers in the priviledge so And 2. strive to enter too says he for all that though the gate be streight 't is not impassable for them that strive and labour for it And then 3. too admire his goodness say we who yet leaves ope the gate to enter to any penitent sinner that will strive and labour for it who sets up a Si quis in the Market-place sets it upon the doors and skreens of our Churches and Chappels sets his Prophets too to proclaim and cry it Who will ascend who will come and stand up in his holy place come serve him here a while and reign with him for ever This Priviledge though all attain not to is not such as any are absolutely excluded from that no more enjoy it is because they voluntarily exclude themselves they shall not because they will not take the pains 't is no Decree against any though a Priviledge for some Such a one indeed it is and a high one too a high Priviledge 2. to be Sons and Heirs to the most High can be no less to be raised so to the tops of the hills above all the Nations of the World You only have I known of all the Families of the earth Amos iii. 2. to be the only men that God knows that he takes notice of in the World to be a Kingly Priesthood 1 Pet. ii 9. made Kings and Priests Rev. i. 6. this is high And High it is 2. too to be admitted into his House and holy Temple Every one came not there not all the Levites not all the Priests A high favour it was allow'd to some only to enter there Why the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Iacob says the Psalmist all the high places and Palaces of the earth are not in so high esteem with God as the very Gates and Ports of Sion to be suffered but to peep in there is a higher honour to be a door-keeper in the House of God a greater happiness than to dwell in the most magnifique buildings of the World David a King himself had rather be there than any where And he that shall consider the Primitive Zeal of Christians to these hills how they never thought enough bestow'd upon them how often they frequented them how they would not pass without going in and worshipping how the pious and devout souls thought it a happiness to look that way and a great comfort in the midst of their desolations and captivity cannot but confess they all thought high enough of the favour that God allowed them in receiving them into those hills and holy places A higher Priviledge yet it is to get up the other hill to be admitted into heaven when all is done so high that Christ says it is not his to give St. Mat. xx 23. the Father hath reserved it to himself and there is nothing higher situated than it The very name of hill the Phrase of the Text sufficiently shews if it be a priviledge it is a high one Hills are the highest places of the earth the Church is a beacon upon a hill every true Disciple a light there at least The Houses of God used to be thought high places too and so had in honour And for Heaven 't is stil'd the everlasting hills So to be admitted to the priviledge of any of them must needs be a high one 3. High and holy too that 's a third addition to the Priviledge Many high Priviledges that are not so Holy is the highest most like to the most High To be Saints to be called to holiness as St. Paul say we are to be a holy Nation as St. Peter says 1 Pet. ii 9. to be Priests as you heard before to have holiness engraved upon our foreheads is to be holy persons every Pot in Hierusalem to be holiness to the Lord Zech. xiv 21. is a priviledge and a holy one too To go up like Saints to the hill of Sion to keep holy-day there to worship before the holy Altars of the Lord of Hosts to drink and eat in holy vessels to be part of his holy portion to be made partakers of his holy Word and there praise the God of holiness in his holy Congregation is a holy honour that is done us The highest Priviledge that wants this the highest Palace that is without this is but the Tents of ungodliness and they says David will but make us afraid Let my Priviledge O God be holy or I care for none that 's that must bring me to his holy hill and to his dwelling that hill in which he dwells amidst Cherubims and Seraphims and all his Host. Whither thirdly to ascend is the height of the holy Priviledge 3. His holy heaven that 's the stile the Holy of Holies St. Paul calls it the very Seat of the most holy God and holy Angels and holy Saints It cannot there sure be suspected to be the holy Priviledge and the Priviledge of the holy only to come thither 4. This holiness must needs make it to be admired too An admirable Priviledge we told you it was 't is our fourth Point now And David as if he had been all this while in a kind of swoon at the contemplation of it breaks out now upon a sudden with a Who is he and what a thing is this to ascend into the Hill of the Lord and to rise up in his holy place Indeed we cannot sufficiently admire it that God should raise up dust and ashes to such a height as to make it a coheir with Christ as to make a Hill and holy Place of it for himself to dwell in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says the Apostle O the depth Who can find it out Who who can reach it That he should pitch his place and dwell among us give us free access liberty to come and go unto him to approach him when we will speak to him what we will eat and drink with him when we will too what can be stranger Who can wonder at it enough How terrible is this place it put poor Iacob into
adore and magnifie him to day who this day gave us both the occasion and means to hear and understand them I begin now to compare the Nature of the Wind and Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is and may be translated both It is so in the Text. Some are for Ventus some for Spiritus Breath they are both The one the breath of heaven the other of the air The one Gods the other the Worlds Indeed the wind is a kind of breath or spirit but a spirit in the nicest and subtilest sense it is not A body it is and not a spirit yet the nighest thing it is we have to liken the spirit to as near a simile as we can find for it but the Spirit of the Day is so a spirit as in no sort a body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Article and an Emphasis a Spirit above all Spirits the prime Spirit A Spirit by Essence an essential Spirit or essentially a Spirit A Spirit by Procession the Spirit proceeding personally that Spirit which proceedeth from the Father St. Iohn xv 26. and from the Son St. Iohn xvi 7. which was this Day breath'd first of all solemnly into the World to quicken it to a heavenly life Spiritus Dei and Spiritus Deus the Spirit of God and the Spirit which is God and the only Spirit that can bring us all to God But this great Nature is too great to comprehend too infinite to pursue Nor can the Simile reach it It falls short and so must I and you when we have done our utmost 'T is an easier Project for us both to fall upon the Power and Operations of it though I foresee we shall often there be at a stand too Yet to help our selves as well as we can we will consider the Operations first by themselves then by their Effects and then thirdly by their Course and Compass By themselves first II. The wind you hear blows and so the Spirit blows Yet the Spirit is not blows not neither like every wind There are whirlwinds that make a horrid noise that whirl every way about and turn the World up topsie turvy upside down the wind that is but Spiritus a direct and orderly breathing does not so Spiritus vertiginis is but Vertigo Spiritus the spirit of giddiness that the Prophet speaks of Isa. xix 14. is but the Vertigo or turning of the brain an abuse of the name not a spirit but a meer humour that makes us giddy has made this Nation so too long 2. Blustring and stormy winds there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graves violento flamine venti but this no such Spiritus rather than Ventus ours is here a calm and peaceable one a breath rather than a wind a Spirit proceeding from the God of peace bequeathed and sent us by the Prince of peace so still and even that it did not so much as disorder a wreath of that holy flame which this day encircled the heads of the Disciples but let that heavenly fire sit quietly upon them Acts ii 3. 3. Nor is it of this wind to which this Spirit is compared said flat here but spirat not said to blow by a word that signifies commonly only the ordinary and natural blowing All is supernatural here 'T is neither whirling we told you first nor blustring we said secondly nor puffing wind we tell you now 't is a meek an humble Spirit from the beginning it mov'd upon the waters Gen. 1. but did not swell them into waves or billows as natural winds commonly do not does it now but only guides all our waters passions and motions into their proper place with sweetness and order which is meerly a supernatural work 4. And yet as soft and smooth as it blows it is the Spirit of Power a mighty wind Acts ii 2. and rush in it does oft times at first with a little sudden and eager violence yet two syllables one single fiat and all is done strange things we know are done by a very little wind and that one word of this one Spirit made the World out of nothing and can as easily make a nothing of the World He can remove the greatest rocks and mountains not only with the breath of his displeasure but of his pleasure too his easiest breath He blew the Gods of the Heathen out of their Thrones and spake all their Oracles dumb blew all their spirits in a moment thence and yet the voice of his breathing was scarce heard He does so still throws down all the Holds and Fortresses of the devil in us sine strepitu without noise Some rushing mighty wind sometimes may go before it to rouze our dulness and awake us but the spirit is not there Some Earthquake of servile fear may shake us first and affright us from some ill action but the Spirit is not there Some fire or fiery trial may first burn or scorch us and thereby make us look about us or some kinder fire warm us into a better temper than formerly we were in but the Spirit is not there neither But when these outward dispensations have sufficiently disposed us to attention then comes the still small voice 1 Kings xix 12. and there 's the Spirit that silently glides into our souls as the small dew into a fleece of wool Such a still smooth sweet breath of wind is the true resemblance of the Spirit and when this comes it works wonders that minds me of the next Particular the Effects of both the Wind and Spirit Two especial effects the Wind has To purifie and to refresh These are the prime Effects of the Spirit too 1. When the holy Spirit enters into the heart it purifies and cleanses it from all pollution This made David pray Psal. li. 10. Create in me O Lord a clean heart Yea but how O blessed Prophet why as it follows by renewing a right spirit within me That 's the way to make him clean No way but that but that will For the Spirit is compar'd to fire Acts ii 3. and that purifies To water St. Iohn iv 10. and that cleanses And here to wind and that blows away all the chaff and dust that is either in us or about us 2. This Spirit refreshes too It renews the face of the Earth Psal. civ 30. It giveth rest and quiet Isai. lxiii 14. It upholds and establishes the faint and decaying spirit Psal. li 12. It refreshes us in our Bonds and sets us free Rom. viii 15. It comforts us in all distresses for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Comforter that should come into the world St. Iohn xiv 26. 3. Nay I may add one thing more It not only refreshes us when we are faint and weary and almost dying but it revives us even when we are dead is a quickning Spirit St. Iohn vi 63. Like that wind the Naturalist tells us of which in the Spring time quickens the dull
dead Earth into Herbs and Flowers Such a wind is this Spirit that gives life to every one that comes into the world for he is the Spirit of Life Rom. viii 2. But that which adds somewhat still to the fuller glory of these effects and must not be pass'd without a note is that 't is Spirit still this wind blows still For however the winds are not always in a noise and bustle yet some spirit of air there is that moves in the deepest stillness Spiritus there is always though not ventus some tender breeze though no gale of wind there is always stirring And if there were not continually some such sweet breathings of the Holy Spirit upon us when those strong and louder blasts seem to be lull'd asleep we were but dead men and might sleep for ever but such there are and we live by them I might but I will not add any more to the Effects either of the Wind or of the Spirit I pass on to their Course and Compass to shew you how far their effects and powers reach The Wind bloweth where it listeth and the Spirit where he willeth And here I must tell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vbi vult is a large circuit Vbi is where and Vbi is when and Vult is what you will especially when 't is his who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will Ephes. i. 11. So that 't will be no stretching to say either of the Wind or of the Spirit that it bloweth 1. Where it lists and 2. How it lists and 3. As much as it lists and 4. On whom it lists and 5. When it lists 1. The Wind blows where it lists on this side or on that side or on any side any where and every where The Spirit does so too only with more propriety to Vbi vult doing out of the liberty of its own will what the wind only does out of the subtilty of its nature No place lies exempted from the power of his will It finds St. Paul and Silas in the prison and blows up the organs of their voices into Songs and Hymns It finds Manasses in the dungeon blows there with his wind and the waters flow out of his eyes It finds St. Matthew at the receipt of Custom and blows him out of a Publican into an Apostle It blows St. Peter and St. Andrew out of their Boat to the stern of the Church of Christ. He blows upon some in their journey as upon St. Paul upon others at home as upon Cornelius upon one in the bed upon another at the Mill upon Ionas in the Whales belly No place beyond his compass not the Isles of the Gentiles not the land of Vz not the Deserts of Arabia Here and there even amongst them he blows some into his Kingdom In a word no chamber so secret but it can get into no place so remote but it can reach none so private but it can find none so strong but it can break through none so deep but it can fathom none so high but it can scale no place at all but it can come into and none so bad but some way or other it will vouchsafe to visit It makes Holy David cry out as in an extasie Psal. cxxxix 6. Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit or Whether shall I go then from thy Presence If I climb up into Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the earth even there also shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me No place it seems in Heaven or Earth or Sea or Hell it self can hold him out Nor can any hold him to this or that way of working neither for He bloweth 2. How he lists sometimes louder sometimes softer sometimes after this manner sometimes after that He raises new inclinations or he cherishes the old He changes the tempers of men or disposes them He removes opportunities of doing ill or he propounds opportunities of doing good he scares us with threats or allures us with promises he drives us with judgments or he draws us with mercies he inflames us within or he moves us from without which way soever it pleases him No wind so various in its blowing Different ways he has to deal with divers men and diversities of gifts he has for them too differences of Administrations diversities of Operations 1 Cor. xii 5. To one he gives the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge to another faith to another the gift of healing to another the working of miracles to another prophesie to another discerning of spirits to another divers kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues all from the Spirit says the Apostle in the forecited Chapter Nor was this only for those times He still breaths diversities of gifts and graces as he pleases On some sanctifying graces on others edifying On others both To some he gives a cheerful to others a sad spirit to some a kind of holy lightness to others a religious gravity to one a power wholly to quit the World to another power to stand holy in it to one an ability to rule to another a readiness to obey to one courage to another patience to a third temperance and so to others other graces as he thinks fittest 3. Yet of these gifts to some more to some less not to all alike nay not to the same person always alike neither but 3. as much only as this Spirit will All have not faith alike nor hope alike nor charity alike nor courage alike nor patience alike neither all vertues nor any vertues all alike Upon some the abundance of the Spirit dwells upon others he breaths only some have had exstasies others but only moderate breathings Eliah had abundance of the Spirit yet Elisha has it doubled 2 Kings ii 9. And yet this very same Elisha that presently upon it divides Iordan with the wind of a Mantle and restores waters to their sweetness and earth to its fruitfulness by a cruse of Salt 2 Kings ii 21. in but the very next Chapter cannot so much as prophesie without a Minstrel ver 15. is not so much as in a disposition to receive this divine Spirit without the help of an Instrument of Musick to rally his spirits into harmony and order St. Paul who was but even now caught up into the third Heavens 2 Cor. xii 1. feels by and by such a thorn in the flesh ver 7. that of all that great extraordinary proportion he has no more left him than a poor pittance a mere sufficiency ver 9. 4. And the Person is as much in his own power as the measure is He blows not only what but upon whom he will He is no mans debtor Rom. xi 35. He will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy Rom. ix 18. What
yet so much he lov'd them that he would not leave them comfortless though himself who was their only joy and comfort was to go away yet he would not leave them without another Comforter Though he that was the way must ascend yet a guide should presently descend to guide them after him though he who was the Truth must back to Heaven yet the Spirit of Truth should forthwith come down to guide them into all truth to bring them thither So that here even without a guide you may easily find two Considerables 1. The Advent or coming of the Holy Spirit when He the Spirit of Truth is come 2. The Intent or purpose of it the end and benefit of his Advent or coming He will guide you into all Truth that 's the business In the First we shall consider 1. His title He The Spirit of Truth 2. His motion Is Come 3. His time When indefinite it is here but a due time it has and we will strive to learn when it is 4. His manner of coming 1. Invisibly as a Spirit 2. Effectually as a Spirit of Truth 3. Gently and 4. Softly both implied in the word or term of Coming 5. Suddenly too sometimes when he is come as if so suddenly that we should not feel or know it till he is In the Second the Intent or Benefit of his coming we shall observe 1. The benefit What it is To lead 2. Whether into truth Into Truth 3. How far Into all Truth Yea but 4. to Whom all these to you even to lead you You and you and you all of us in our way in our order one after another Yea but lastly lead us and into truth and into all truth but How 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says the Text shew and make and draw us out a way and conduct and move and actuate us in it When have thus considered them single and apart we will joyn them again together and so leave them Tell you how the leading is always proportionate to his coming as he comes so he leads If he comes miraculously and extraordinarily so he leads if invisibly and ordinarily so he leads as much as he comes into us so much he leads us as is his coming so is his leading and no other the one answerable to the other And lastly all this we shall make good from Christs promise here 1 That his Promise we have for it who will not cannot fail us 2. Promise upon promise 3. a promise with a non obstante with a Howbeit that howbeit all else should fail this should not howbeit to the world this Spirit may prove something else then a Guide a Reprover or a Judge yet to us he shall be a guide into the way of truth This will be the sum these the heads of my Discourse which that I may happily pursue Come thou O Spirit of Truth and guide my thoughts and words this day that I may teach thy ways unto the people and declare thy Truth We are to begin with the Spirits Advent or his Coming for come to us he must before he guide us and that his entertainment may be according enquire we first Who it is His Titles here will best inform you He the Spirit of c. 1. He What 's He He is a relative relates to an Antecedent refers to some person mentioned before Who 's that 1. the Comforter ver 7. Who 's He the Comforter 2. which is the Holy Ghost Chap. xiv 26. 3. One that the world cannot receive ver 17. of the same Chapter so great that the world as wide as it is cannot contain him so good that the world which as St. Iohn speaks lies in wickedness cannot receive him 4. a Comforter that shall abide for ever ver 16. an eternal Comforter 5. whom I will send unto you from my Father Chap. xv 26. a heavenly Comforter which proceedeth from the Father the same verse a Comforter who is the very Spirit of God or God the Spirit proceeding This is He we speak of this is He that is said here to come that is said still to come 2. Well may the Evangelist stand and stop at his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here stand and take breath here at this He as if he knew not how to go further how to call him how to express him He the Comforter he that abides for ever he whom the world cannot receive he the Holy Ghost he that proceeds from the Father and the Son all this he had said already and more he thought he could not say and therefore now here makes a halt as I may say He and no more to give us time to consider of the greatness of the person that is to come and to prepare for his coming Yet to confirm all that before he has said of him as he began the promise of him Chap. xiv ver 16 17. under the name of the Spirit of Truth so he concludes it with the same Title that we might know all that he has said is truth all that Christ has promised of him is no more than truth for he is the Spirit of Truth The Spirit of Truth 1. To make good and true all that Christ had promised the very seal and signature of our Redemption Ephes. iv 30. to seal the conveyance of our Inheritance to us Ephes. i. 14. to make that good to bear witness with our spirit that we are the Children of God Rom. viii 16. to make all good to us both in Heaven and in Earth 2. He is the Spirit of Truth because the Spirit of God and Christ. God is Truth and Christ is the Truth St. Iohn xiv 16. and the Spirit of God he is 1 Cor. ii 11. and the Spirit of Christ he is Phil. i. 19. so to be sure the Spirit of Truth if of God and Christ. 3. The Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of Prophesie Rev. xix 10. those holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. i. 21. who spake by the Prophets says the Nicene Creed and Prophets they are not but lyars who speak not the truth nor is it Prophesie if it be not truth 4. The Spirit of Truth for that as he inspires grace so he doth truth too all supernatural truths to be sure For truths there are many and spirits there are many but no truth but from him nor no Spirit of Truth but he himself He is the Fountain of Truth as in him and from him it is we live and breath He breaths into us this breath of life the spirit of life from this Spirit so from this Spirit of Truth all the truth that at any time breaths from us even natural truths and the truths of reason but that 's not it Inspired truths spiritual truths they are the proper effects of this Spirit Other truths may be from him nay are originally all from him as all good from God that eternal source of goodness but they may sometimes arise and breath from
our own spirits within or be put into us by other spirits by the ministery of Angels from without but inspired truths from this Spirit alone Angels indeed are sometimes the messengers of it but never called the spirits of it they bring it they do not breath it When they have brought it and done their message be it never so true never so comfortable it will not comfort but amaze us it will not sink into us but ly only at our doors till this Spirit breath and work it in He alone Spiritus Veritatis the Inspirer of truth Hence it is that this Spirit of of all Spirits is only call'd the Comforter for that he only lets in the comfort to the heart whatever Spirit is the Messenger Be it the Angels those Spirits and Messengers of heaven or be it the Ministers those Messengers upon earth with all the life and spirit they can give their words no comfort from either unless this Spirit of truth blow open the doors inspire and breath in with them Truth it self cannot work upon our spirits but by the spiration of this Spirit of truth 'T is but a dead Letter a vanishing voice a meer piece of articulate air the best the greatest the soundest truth no other it has no spirit it has no life but from this Spirit of truth To conclude this Point It is not when the Spirit of truth is come or when He that is the Comforter is come though both be but one he shall guide you neither title single but He the Spirit of truth both together to teach us first That the truth which this Spirit brings is full of comfort always comfortable Startle us it may a little at the first but then presently Fear not comes presently to comfort us trouble us it may a little at the first nay and bring some tribulation with it as times may be but ere the verse be out ere the words be out almost Be of good chear says Christ 't is but in the world and I have overcome the world and in me ye shall have peace St. Iohn xvi 33. that came before so that tribulation is encompassed with comfort Ye shall be sorrowful indeed but your sorrow shall be turned into joy ver 20. the first is no sooner mentioned but the other follows as fast as the Comma will let it Christs truth and this Spirits truth is the Comforters truth as well as the Spirits and have not only spirit to act and do but comfort also in the doing and after it to be sure Nay Joyn'd so 2. He the Spirit of truth to teach us again that nothing can comfort us but the truth no Spirit hold up our Spirits but the Spirit of truth Lies and falshoods may uphold us for a time and keep up our Spirits but long they will not hold a few days will discover them and then we are sadder than at first To be deluded adds shame to our grief 't is this Spirit only that is the Spirit of our life that keeps us breathing and alive t is only truth that truly comforts us which even then when it appears most troublesome and at the worst has this comfort with it that we see it that we see the worst need fear no more whilst the joys that rise from false apprehensions or lying vanities indeed from any thing below this Spirit of truth and heaven bring so much fear of a change or close or too sudden an end that I may well say they have no comfort with them They flow not from this Comforter they come not from this Spirit that 's the reason they have no Comfort no Spirit in them It may well occasion us as soon as we can to look after this He the Spirit of truth and for our own sakes enquire where he is watch his motion what and whence and whither it is 2. To understand the motion and coming of the Spirit what it means we can take no better way than to peruse the Phrases of the holy Book under what terms it elsewhere does deliver it The first time we hear of it we read it moving Gen. i. 3. The next time striving with man Gen. vi 3. Then filling him Exod. xxxi 3. Then resting upon him Num. xi 25. Sometimes he is said to come Iudg. iii. 10. Sometimes to enter into us Ezek. ii 2. Sometimes to fall upon us Ezek. xi 5. Sometimes to be put upon us Num. xi 29. Sometimes to be put into us Ezek. xxxvi 27. Sometimes to breath sometimes to blow upon us Isa. xl 7. All these ways is he said to come whether he move us to good or strive with us against evil or fill us with sundry gifts and graces or rest upon us in their continuance whether he comes upon us in the power of his Administrations or whether he enter as it were and possess us wholly as his own whether he appear in us or without us whether he come upon us so suddenly and unusually that he seems even to fall upon us or be put upon us by ordinary ways and means whether by imposition on or breathing in whether by a softer breath or a stronger blast whether he come in the feathers of a Dove or on the wings of the wind whether in Fire or in Tongues whether in a visible shape or in an invisible power and grace they are his comings all sometimes one way sometimes another his comings they are all Yet but some not all of his comings for all his ways are past finding out and teach us a Lesson against curiosity in searching his out-goings And yet this word Come sounds somewhat hard for all this still Did we not say he was God And can God be said to come any whither who is every where Nay of this very Spirit expresly says the Psalmist Psal. cxxxix 7. Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit And if I cannot go from him what needs his coming Coming here is a word of grace and favour and certainly be we never so much under his eye we need that need his grace need his favour Nay so much the more because he is so near us that so we may do nothing unworthy of his presence But He speaks to us after the manner of men who if they be persons of quality and come to visit us we count it both a favour and honour So by inversion when God bestows either favours or honours on us when this holy Spirit bestows a grace or a gift or a truth upon us that we had not before then is he said to Come to us I need not now trouble my self much to find out whence he comes Every good and perfect gift comes from above says St. Iames Iam. i. 17. From heaven it is he comes from the Father he sends him St. Iohn xiv 26. From the Son he sends him too in this very Chapter ver 7. And this is not only the place whence he comes but here are the persons too whence he proceeds
it and finds fault with it for infidelity and unbelief sets up Christs righteousness and blames the world for neglecting it and following its own vanity interests and humours professes the Prince of the world cast out by Christ the devil overcome and brought to to judgment by him our sins forgiven we acquitted and the World condemned this cannot be from the Spirit of the World nor from the Spirit of the Flesh nor from the Spirit of darkness and error for this were to bear witness against themselves but from the Spirit of light and truth Read the Text now over again When he c. he shall guide you into all truth If it be the Spirit of truth that informs you it will 8. dispose you equally to all truth not to this only or to that which most agrees with your education humour temper or disposition condition custom interest or estate but universally to all to any though never so hard or opposite to them so they be truths He that is thus affected towards truth is not only probable to be directed into truth in all his Doctrines and Assertions but may most properly be said to have the Spirit of truth already come speaking and residing in him Yet go a little further to the next words He shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that Spirit 9. that does not seek it self that opinion which renounces the glory of a Leader the ambition of a Faction the affectation of Singularity the honour of himself that speaks not of its own head but what he has heard with his ears and his Fathers have declared as done in the time of old that makes not new opinions but takes up the old such as Christ delivered to the Apostles they also to the Fathers they downward to their successors this is most probably if not most certainly the Spirit of truth The Spirit sure of humility it is that trusts not relies not on its self or its own judgment and the Spirit of humility is the Spirit of truth for them that be meek and humble them shall he guide in judgment and such as be gentle them does he learn his way Psal. xxv 8. Yet on a little And he will shew you things to come Those Doctrines 10. that refer all to the world to come which mind nothing seriously but things above and things to come which ever and only teach us to fix there they are surely from the Spirit of truth because no truth like that which is to fulfil all promises and that to be sure is yet to come One more glance and I have done with this and 't is but a glance to the very next words He shall glorifie me Those Doctrines which give God all the glory which return the glory of all to Christ which so exalt man only as the better thereby to glorifie God so set up Christ as that they make him both the healer of our nature and the preserver of it the remitter of our sins and the conferrer of Grace the first mover of us to good the assister of us in it the sanctifier of us with it the justifier of us thorow it the rewarder of us for it and yet all this while the accepter of us when we have done the best which accuses not Christ of false judgment in justifying the sinner whilst he is no better and pronouncing him just when he is no other than wicked and unjust nor denies the efficacy of his grace to make us clean to have a true cleansing purifying sanctifying power as well as that which they call the justifying these Doctrines which take not this glory away from Christ but give the power as well of making as pronouncing righteous to his grace that thus magnifie and glorifie his Justification and Redemption they certainly glorifie Christ are the only Doctrines that glorifie Christ truly and according to the Spirit of truth So now let 's sum up the matter Those Doctrines which are contrary to worldly carnal sensual respects not conceivable by the natural or carnal man That 2. stick by us when worldly comforts leave us That 3. are according to Christs Word and his Example accompanied with Meekness and Obedience Which 4. teach us charity and love to one another Which 5. inform us rightly in the prime Articles of the Faith Which 6. witness nothing more than Christ an universal Saviour as Adam the universal sinner Which 7. reprove the sins and infidelities of the World and show us the way to be acquitted from them Which 8. have a kind of conduct and sincere affection with them to all truths whatsoever under whatever term or name though never so odious so contrary to interest or honour Which 9. seek not their own name to get a name or set up a Faction but are consonant to the ancient Fathers and Primitive Antiquity with humble submission to it Which 10. lift up all our thoughts to heaven and 11. by all means possible can give God and Christ and the holy Spirit the glory deny nothing to them that is theirs under a foolish pretence only to abate and vilifie man beyond the truth these Doctrines are truth so much of them at least as agree with these Rules are from the Spirit of truth and are manifestations that the Spirit of truth is come to that soul that embraces them If all these together then the Spirit altogether if but some of these but some so much of that neither All Doctrines and Opinions 1. that savour of worldly or carnal interests that 2. change and wheel about according to the times and will not hold out to the last which 3. are not regulated by the Word of God or are any way contrary to Christs Example of Patience and Obedience Which 4. are not for peace and charity Which 5. deny any Article of the three Creeds we acknowledge Which 6. confine the mercies of our Saviour and bear false witness of him Which 7. advance any sin or suffer men to live in it Which 8. love not truth because it is truth but for other ends Which 9. seek any other title to be distinguished by than that of Christian or glories in it which disagree from the stream and current of Antiquity Which 10. fixes our thoughts too much below Or 11. rob God or Christ or the holy Spirit of the glory of any good or the perfection of their work be they cried up never so high for truth and Spirit the new discovery of Christ and new light of truth and the very dictate of the Spirit they are not so it is not when nor then that the Spirit of truth is come there is not that in them by which Christ has described the Spirit of truth One thing there is behind when all these requisites before are found in any Doctrine or Opinion this Doctrine indeed may be such as comes from the Spirit of truth yet accepted and entertained it may be through some other Spirit upon some
too yet in measure and order too no other then the Spirit gives them utterance 4. And lastly though first it be in the Text yet because it is but the circumstance and time of the story and not the main business or second of it and fittest to close up all in good time and order The Time when all this was done when these things came to pass when the Apostles were so dispos'd when the Holy Ghost thus descended when this strange issue fell out When the day of Pentecost was fully come in very good time the promis'd time Christs time Gods own time such as he had prefigur'd them in in the Law too at the fifty days Feast after the Passover a solemn day and somewhat more as you shall hear anon Thus we best join the History and the Moral the Doctrine and Use of Pentecost or Whitsunday nay the very Holy Spirit of the day and our souls to day together that we may not be like men that only come to hear news a story and away but such as hear the Word and profit by it Which that we may Come O mighty wind and blow upon us Descend O holy Fire and warm our hearts give me a tongue O blessed Spirit out of this days number and utterance give thy servants capacious spirits and remembrance that thy Word may rush in upon them as a sound from Heaven and fill the houses of all our souls with joy and gladness with holy fire of Piety and Devotion that we may with one accord one heart and mind speak forth thy praise and glory The first Point in the order I have set you is the disposition of them that the Holy Spirit will come and light upon 1. They are of one accord 2. in one place 3. sitting quietly and expecting there and that 4. also upon the solemn day when the day of Pentecost any solemn day or occasion is presented them They are first of one accord whom this Spirit vouchsafes to descend into This unity draws the Spirit to them that keeps it with them the house of unity is the only Temple of the Spirit of Unity That soul which breaks the bond of unity and divides it self from the Church of Christ from the company of the Apostles and their Successors the still Fathers of it cannot hold this holy wind cannot enclose this holy fire they are broken and crackt crack only of the Spirit but are really broken from that body in which only the Spirit moves Take and divide a member from the body be it the principal that in which most spirit was the heart or the head and once divided the Spirit vanishes from it will not sit nor dwell in it just so is it it in Christs Body the Church If one of the chiefest members of it one erst while of the devoutest and most religious in it once grow so proud of his own wisdom or gifts so singular in his conceits as to separate himself from his fellows from that body whereof Christ is the head he goes away like a member from the natural body and leaves the Spirit behind him that retires from him for it is one Spirit and cannot be divided from the body though it work diversly in it If this being of one accord of one mind be the temper for the receipt of the Holy Spirit as here you see it is and in reason it can be no otherwise it being the Spirit of love and unity What spirit are they of Whose Religion is Faction whose chief pretended Piety is Schism whose business is to differ from all the World Nothing can be more evident than that men are now adays much at a loss for the Spirit however every one claim to it seeing there is no accord but discord not diversities only but contrarieties but contradictions amongst them that most pretend the Spirit Indeed were this they any less a They than the Apostles themselves and the whole number of the then Disciples or had there been but the least division among them either about the manner of staying or expecting Christs Promise or which is less about the place to stay in It may be these men might have had a shadow for their separations but Apostles they were and in one place they were too altogether agreed in all were all in unity were all in uniformity not their minds only but their bodies too together Men thought it nothing a while since to withdraw themselves from the Houses of God as if no matter at all for the place they could for all that be of the same faith but too woful experience has prov'd it now that with the one place the one faith is vanisht with the ceremony the substance gone too with the uniformity of Worship the unanimity of our minds and the uniformity of our faith too blown into the air How shall we do O blessed Spirit in so many crackt vessels to retain thee Needs must the Spirit expire out of that body which has so many breaches and divisions in it so many divided houses so many broken Churches so many rotten Congregations I know if it be only necessity divides us and drives us into several dens and caves as it did the Primitive Christians in the days of those fiery persecutions that the Holy Spirit will ransack all the cranies and search out all the privatest corners be they above ground or under it but it is because the mind of all those several places is but one and in that respect they are no more than so many several cells of the one Catholick Church but where choice and not necessity wilfulness and not force singularity and not purity of Truth or Conscience makes the division and draws Disciples into Chambers Parlors Barns or Mills Woods or Desarts go not says Christ out after them say they what they will of Christ or Spirit there believe it not St. Matth. xxix 26. Two in a field and yet one taken and the other left two at the mill and one taken and the other left ver 40. So at the most I fear great hazard that any if they be no better no more orderly gather'd when the Master comes Or were they yet perhaps in several places sitting as they are here that is quietly and in true peace and faith expecting the promise of their Lord something might be said to excuse their separations but not only actually to break the unity of the Spirit and the bond of Peace but to breath out nothing but war contention and dispute to be so far from sitting down and either suffering for Christ or humbly expecting his time of assistance and deliverance out of their perplexities and discomforts as to take the matter into their own hands and prevent the coming of the Spirit of Peace by rising and raising spirits of war and confusion they must give me leave to tell them they know not what spirit they are of a heady guiddy furious spirit zeal I bear them witness with St. Paul
Houses and Buildings nay rends the Mountains and breaks in pieces the Rocks before it 1 Kings xix 11. But never did Wind so tear up Foundations by the roots never did so strong Buildings fall before that tumultuous vapour as this rushing mighty Wind that this day came down from Heaven hath cast down before it All the high things of the earth Wisdom and Learning and Might and Majesty have faln as easily as so many Paper Turrets at its breath all have given up themselves and thrown all prostrate at the Word of this Spirit so that the whole World stood wondring and amaz'd to see it self so turn'd about by the meer words of a few simple Fishermen without force or eloquence or craft to see it self so tamely submit its glory to the humility of Christ its greatness to his littleness its majesty to his baseness its wisdom to the foolishness of his Cross its ease pleasure to the pains and patience of it But manus excelsi fecit hoc 't is the hand of the most Highest that has done it such a wind could come from none but God such a Spirit can be none but his none but he could do it and it is marvellous in our eyes his power as marvellous as his mercy both of them above any created ones whatsoever Well may such a Wind as this now fill the house as it follows in the fifth Consideration And yet commonly the wind fills the open air and not the houses Common winds do so indeed but this peculiar Wind fills the house and every corner comes in even when the doors are shut or else opens and shuts them as it pleases a sign 't is more than air or airy spirit 't is he only that searches the hearts and reins that can glide so into these close rooms of ours and 't is our happiness it is so that he thus blows into the house of his own accord and power For give me a Ship says St. Chrysostom with all its tackling sails and anchors spread all in order too and let the wind lie still let there be no gale stirring and all its furniture and men are nothing no more is the soul with all its preparations without the blowing of the Spirit nay no more is all our eloquence all our arguments and perswasions the subtilty of our understanding the richness of our conceipt and notion the sweetness of the voice the rhetorick of words the strength of reason the whole tackling and furniture of the Orator or Preacher unless the Spirit come and fill the sail and stretch the canvas and so drive on the Vessel 'T is this implevit we must hold by 't is his filling our empty house our lank and lither sails that blows comfort to us And 't is the enhancing of the benefit which is the last considerable in this similitude of the wind that it fills the house only where they are sitting It is no ordinary or common favour that God vouchsafes in filling our houses with the Spirit he hath not dealt so with any other Nation with any other people than the Christian people It is the Church only and the souls of Christians in it that this mighty wind as rushing and mighty as it is does content and contain it self in All other houses and places stand empty cannot get this Tenant 'T is the property of this Wind and no other to blow where it lists in this house and no other within doors all within the Church none without at all or the sound of it only passes out to call others in that they may see and wonder at the things that are come to pass this day that Iews and Proselytes Cretes and Arabians Parthians and Medes and all Nations under Heaven may beaâ— witness of the wonder and if they come in in some sort partake of it too of the wind though not of the tongues of some graces of the Spirit though not of the other Only come in they must into the Church of Christ which is his body before their veins be filled with this Spirit before they feel any motion of it Of the Wind I say such a portion of the Spirit as may breath into them the breath of life but tongues of fire are for those only who were sitting there before fitting as Governors of the Church to whom that baptism of fire was promised who were bid to tarry and expect it and when so enabled to go abroad then and use their tongues and blow the flames of divine love and charity through the World I should now proceed to these miraculous tongues the second representment of the Holy Spirit And me thinks I am unwilling to leave them unspoken of to which we ow our speech But your ears are already filled with the wind yet I hope 't is the proper wind of the day and the sound of it shall not vanish as the wind as ordinary winds and sounds nor my words as the soft air So much the rather in that this Point of the wind comes more home to us than that other of the tongues Tongues were for them that believe not says the Apostle but the Wind the rushing mighty Wind from Heaven to cast down all the strong holds of Sin and Satan for them that believe even for us all The fiery tongues concern the Apostles as a miraculous enabling of them to the work of the Apostleship to the preaching and divulging the Gospel of Christ but the breath and blowing of the Spirit concerns all Christians whatsoever under every notion To that our proper tenure is from this Wind nay so much the more because it is the breath of the Spirit not the tongue that makes us Christian the wind like that in Ezekiel quickens our dead bones into the life of Christ and by it we live to our own Salvation by the tongues only to anothers So having gotten our share already in this Wind from Heaven we may the easier bear the deferring of the discourse of the tongues thence And truly if we can now get the Spirit to blow upon these dead elements and quicken them to us into the body and blood of Christ we shall quickly by the vertue of that blood of the Vine speak with new tongues the Spirit will give utterance and we shall sing the praises of the Lord. That should be indeed the whole business of our tongues to day to be as loud as the loudest wind in our Thanksgivings O ye winds of God bless ye the Lord say the three Children in the fire O ye Children of the Lord bless ye the Lord in the Wind say I in this mighty rushing Wind acknowledge his goodness admire his power confess his praise who thus blows the sparks of grace up in us who clenses our souls from all impure airs and vapours who scatters the clouds of sorrow shews us the fairest face of Heaven who cools and refreshes and revives and purges us and wafts us to our heavenly Countrey by this holy
wind who daily does wondrous things in us and for us and by us through the mighty rushings of it and fills and replenishes us with all the benefits and comforts of it whilst he passes by others without so much as a breathing on them Yet the business would be how to catch this wind and serve our uses of it Why in the Word and in the Sacraments and by Prayers we may have it and be filled with it Come then and fill your souls you have heard the Word already treasure it up for there are treasures for the winds and you shall feel it blow move and stir in you The blessed Sacrament is a second way to be filled with this Spirit 't is reacht out and proffer'd to us there we may there take it into our mouths as before into our ears and it will rush down all before it that stands against it down it will into our bowels and fill us with all heavenly fulness And then draw it in and breath it out we may by devout and holy Prayers only remember always the disposition of that soul this Spirit only will abide with peace and unity Thus dispos'd you must be to receive the Spirit thus dispos'd to receive the Sacrament and then the Spirit will discend upon our Sacrifice and the wind of Gods benediction upon our offering and we shall return hence with mighty rushings in us the rushing down of sin the raising up of grace mighty mighty things will be done in us by the power of this Spirit and this Wind and as it came from Heaven so thither will it back again and carry us upon its wings to keep a perpetal Feast an Eternal Whitsunday all in the white Robes of everlasting Glory Blow O blessed Wind upon us this day blow away our chaff and dross and dust out of our performances breath into thy holy mysteries the breath of a life-giving life rush down all our sins before thee purifie and clense and refresh and revive and comfort us by thy saving breath that this wind may bring us good all the good of Heaven and Earth fill both our ears and hearts here with sounds and songs of joy and hereafter with Hallelujahs for evermore THE FIFTH SERMON UPON Whitsunday ACTS ii 1 2 3 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance WHen the day of Pentecost here was fully come ver 1. they were all filled says the Text ver 4. and began to speak Now the day is fully come again we also are full of matter as Elihu told Iob Iob xxxii 18. and we must speak For 't is a day of Tongues a day to speak in and a day to speak of too to speak magnalia in it and of it of the great things of God and the great things of the day the wonderful works of God ver 11. which were this day wrought by the descent of the holy Spirit To this end the Spirit descended to this end the Tongues came to this end both appeared that we might learn to use our Tongues and Spirits to set forth his praise every one according as the Spirit gives him utterance according to the gift and place that God has given him We as the Apostles and Ministers of the Spirit you as Disciples to be taught by us you to ask with those hearers ver 37. Men and brethren what shall we do We as St. Peter ver 38. to tell you what to do We faithfully to preach the Word the remission of sins and the gifts of the holy Ghost ver 38. you gladly to receive it ver 41. We to begin the Anthem you to make the Chorus for the service of this days solemnity both of us to bear our parts to day in praises and thanksgivings for the benefits we receive from this days business We have the last year begun to speak of it out of this Text we begin again to speak of it hence this year shall do as the Spirit shall give us utterance To hold our peace to day were to sin against the Spirit who this day gave us all our tongues to speak And I hope nor we nor you will be silent of his glory no such evil shall befall us For a day of good tidings it is was so when it came first will be so now 't is come again and when ever it comes about was so to the Disciples will be so I hope to us to hear the voice of a Comforter to see his appearance or out hear of it The Text is the Story of it the Relation of the coming of the Comforter the descent of the Holy Ghost In it when time was we observed these four Particulars I. The disposition of them the Spirit comes upon II. The way and manner and order he comes after III. The Effect and Issue that comes upon it And IV. The Time when it came to pass I. The disposition of those the Spirit comes upon is such as makes men to be of one accord that brings them all to one place upon such days as Pentecost on the solemn feasts makes them then and there sit quietly and orderly expecting Christ a unanimous Church-like orderly devout and religious disposition Upon such and such only is it that the holy Spirit comes II. The way manner and order of his coming is as a mighty wind and like as fire Suddenly he came came as a sound as a sound from heaven as a sound of a rushing mighty wind and such a one too as filled all the house Oâ—me 2. as fire as tongues of fire as cloven tongues of fire such fire yet as sace upon them and did no hurt heavenly and coelestial fire Thus he came to day III. The Effect and Issue is filling the filling of all that then were present with ghost and spirit Holy-Ghost and spirit then with words and tongues and speech even according to the measure or pleasure of the Spirit This the issue of the holy Spirits coming fulness and spirit and ability and utterance new hearts and new spirits new languages and sobriety to use them IV. The time the Time of Pentecost when it was fully come when all was ready persons and place and time fully disposed and fit then comes the holy Spirit then came all these things to pass I put this last though it stands first that I might close up all at least in good time and order There wants nothing now O blessed Spirit to go on and finish but that thou shouldst come and order all our thoughts and spirits that we may humbly receive the sound of thy holy
the Spirit appears but why the Spirit appears now now first and not before now first visibly to the world is worth enquiry And 't is to shew the preheminence of the Gospel above the Law That stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances says the Apostle Heb. ix 10. was but the Law of a carnal Commandment Heb. vii 16. The Gospel is a Law of spirit and life the Law of Moses a dead a killing Letter but the Gospel of Christ a quickning Spirit 2 Cor. iii. 6. the Law a course of shadows the Gospel only the true light It will appear so by the next Particular we are to handle the manner of his appearing In tongues in cloven tongues in tongues as it were of fire I shall invert the order for the fire it is that gives light unto the tongues to make them for to appear of the fire then first to shew them the better For the Spirit to appear as wind or breath is nothing strange It carries them in its name Spiritus à spirando every one can tell you But that this breath should not only blow up a fire but be it self also blown into it the Spirit here appear as fire that 's somewhat hard at first perhaps to understand Yet you shall see many good reasons for it Four great ones I shall give you which comprehend more under them 1. To shew the Analogy and correspondence of Gods dealings and dispensations how they agree both with themselves and with one another 2. To insinuate to us the nature and condition of the holy Spirit 3. To signifie the several gifts and graces of it 4. To declare its operations also and effects 1. The Holy Ghost here appear'd like fire that we might see it is the same God that gave both Law and Gospel the same Spirit in both Testaments The Law was promulgated by fire Exod. xix 18. the Lord descended on Mount Sinai then in fire The Gospel also here is first divulged by tongues as it were of fire in Mount Sion The difference only is that there were here no lightnings thunders clouds or smoke as there were there nothing terrible nothing dark or gloomy here all light and peace and glory 2. Under the Old Testament the Prophets oft were Commissionated by fire to their Offices the Angel takes a live coal from off the Altar and lays it upon Isaiah's mouth Isa. vi 7. Elijah the Prophet stood up as fire Ecclus. xlviii 1. Ezekiels first Vision was of appearances of fire Ezek. i. 4 13. The Commissions therefore of the Apostles were drawn here also as it were with pens of fire that they might the more lively answer and the better express the Spirit of the Prophets 3. That the nature of the Law they were to preach might be exprest too It was the Law of love and the holy fire of Charity was it they were sent to kindle in the World 4. It was to teach them what they were to expect in the World themselves fire and faggot affliction and tribulation the lot and portion both of them and of their followers ever since 5. It was to teach them what they were to be burning and shining lights to lead others into heaven Lastly That so all righteousness Law and Prophets might be fulfilled the types of the one and the promises of the other from the first of them to the last to St. Iohn Baptists that they should be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire that the fire that Christ came to send into the earth and was then already kindled might now burn out into the World And all this to shew the Almighty Wisdom who thus agreeably orders all his doings from the first unto the last that we might with the greater confidence embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel which so evenly consented with the Law and was added only to bring it to perfection to raise up the fire of devotion and charity to the height 2. But not only to manifest the wisdom of the Father and perform the promise of the Son but secondly to intimate the nature of the holy Spirit Fire is the purest Element The holy Spirit is pure and incorruptible thine incorruptible Spirit says the Wise man Wisd. xii 1. No evill can dwell with it It will not mingle with humane interests By this you may know it from all other Spirits They intermix with private humours and self-respects and great ones fancies The holy Spirit is a fire and will not mix it must dwell alone has not a tongue now for this and then for that to please men and ease it self but is always pure and incorrupt Fire 2. is the subtilest Element it pierces into every part And whither can I go then from thy Spirit says holy David Psal. cxxxix 6. If I climb up into heaven thou art there If I go down to hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there also will it find me out Darkness cannot cover me thick darkness cannot hide me night it self cannot conceal me from thee O thou divine Spirit O keep me therefore that I may do nothing that may make me ashamed and hide my self seeing thy eyes will quickly pierce into me 3. Fire is an active nature always stirring always moving Nothing can be found better to express the nature of the holy Spirit It mov'd from the beginning actuated the first matter into all the shapes we see breath'd an active principle into them all renew'd again the face of the Earth when the waters had defaced it blows and the waters flow blows again and dries them up guides the Patriarchs inspires the Prophets rests upon the Governours of the People from Moses to the seventy Elders gives spirit and courage to the Martyrs Non permanebit spiritus meus in vagina says God Gen. vi My Spirit will not endure to be always as in a rusty sheath it will be lightning the understanding it will be warming the affections it will be stirring of the passions it will be working in the heart it will be acting in the hand it will be moving in the feet it will be quickning all the powers to the service of the Almighty nothing so busie as this holy fire nothing so active as this Spirit Though the nature and essence of it cannot be full exprest it is thus very powerfully resembled 3. The gifts of it more easily by this fire Seven there are numbred of them out of Isa. xi 2. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and ghostly strength the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness and the Spirit of holy fear all very naturally represented to us by so many properties I shall observe to you of the fire Fire it ascends it penetrates it tries it hardens it enlightens it warms it melts You have all these again in the seven gifts of the Spirit For 1. the holy Spirit
our polluted ugliness We will in a word profess if we believe he is our Lord we can no less than even desire him to depart lest he should see too many errors and miscarriages in his servants Indeed the whole sum of all is but to teach us humbly to confess our selves unworthy of such a Lord and Master not worthy of his Miracles not worthy of his Mercies not worthy of his Presence and ways or methods of his Presence being no better than sinful men This if you carry home and lay it up and practice it you carry enough for once and this well done will be a sure foundation for all Christian vertues Yet I will not bid you say with St. Peter expresly Depart O Lord or at least when you have said so in humility say presently again with faith rather tarry with us O Lord for we are sinful men Say to God as Iacob did to the Angel that wrestled with him I will not let thee go unless thou bless me Or else Lord if thou wilt depart yet come again and take me with thee though I be a sinful man or depart O Lord as thou art angry with us let thine anger go but turn thy self again in mercy and be pleased to stay What though we be sinful men O Lord Yet we are men thy Creatures the work of thine own hands the price of thine own bloud Spare us therefore good Lord and though thou hast departed from us for a long too long a season return again and save us for we are sinful men people that have need of thy Presence never so much as now who cannot be without it who though we are not worthy to be with thee yet we cannot but desire to be with thee for ever and ever Turn thee then O Lord and be gracious unto thy Servants cleanse us from our sins free us from our iniquities fit us for thy Presence compass us with thy mercy and visit us with thy salvation salvation here and salvation hereafter where we may enjoy thy blessed and glorious Presence for evermore THE SECOND SERMON UPON THE Calling of St. Peter St. LUKE v. 5. Master we have toyled all the night and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net THe words are a complaint for labour spent in vain yet not quite without hope of better success And they are St. Peters to Christ at whose word notwithstanding so much pains already lost he fears not to fall to his work again And the words have both their History their Moral and their Allegory they tell us what was and what will be what was St. Peters and his Fellows lot and what will be ours both in moral and spiritual employments to lose all our labour if Christ if God be not by us if our Master look not over us if his Word be not with us both to direct us what to do and to bless us in the doing They here toyl'd all the night and took nothing that 's the History Men often toil and labour day and night and catch as little that 's the Moral Nay Gods own Labourers his Fishermen fish and fish labour and take pains and catch nothing that 's the Allegory Now what 's the reason but because God is absent all the while For that as man lives not so he thrives not but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God All we prosper or profit is by the power and vertue of his Almighty Word and in the power of that Word we must let down our Nets if we look for a draught and though we have laboured all this while and caught nothing or but little or though it must be still our Lot to labour still and get nothing yet in confidence of that Word we must let down again and now we do yea though it be his pleasure that our Net return again both empty and broken I will not meddle now with St. Peters Story as he was a Fisherman what he sometimes was it matters not God respecteth no mans person I shall consider him only under these two notions As a man one of the same common fortune with the Sons of men and as a Fisher of men one selected by the great Master of the World to ensnare the souls of men to bring them to his own table and in this sense I divide the words into generals 1. St. Peters and his Partners ill success that they toil'd all night and took nothing 2. His conclusion yet to go to his work again upon Christs command and confidence of better issues Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net In the First whether consider St. Peter under the common condition of men as a man or under the nature of an Apostle as a man separate to a holy Function to deal with bringing other men to the Kingdom of heaven through his Ministry and Office we have these particulars 1. That all our labour by it self is but toil and misery if Christ be not in it to lighten those words We have toil'd 2. That 't is uncomfortable as being in the night a sad dolesom time if Christ be not by to enlighten it 3. That 't is vain and unprofitable we get nothing by it all if he be not with us to direct and bless us We have toil'd all night and taken nothing 4. That be it whose it will how seasonable soever be we as wise and politick in it as we can be we never so industrious in our trades or Works so it will be We we men that well enough know our Trade we who have toil'd and omitted no pains we who have toil'd all night fail'd in no point of art or time we yet even we have taken nothing all the while that Christ was not with us 5. That of this we may and must sometimes complain with St. Peter to our Master Master we have toil'd c. Complain we may yet not be discouraged for all that or lay down our Work for in the second general we have several particulars against it II. Not to leave off work but to resolve to set to our work again and hereafter to direct it better to guide and set it by his Will and Word that so it may thrive and prosper 1. To do it at his Word that is readily whensoever or as soon soever as he commands 2. At his Word that is obediently for his Word sake upon his Command and Word 3. Nevertheless at his Word that is confidently notwithstanding all that Flesh or Reason can say against it 4. And lastly resolutely to resolve come what will upon it we will do it Nevertheless at thy Word I will let down the Net I begin with St. Peters ill success and that 's no comfortable beginning but 't is the beginning of the Text and I love order every where though it cost never sodear to keep that Well then We have toiled all the night says St. Peter for himself and
to be left and what followed in them that we may learn how to bear our happiness the great favours of the Almighty the extraordinary dignations and discoveries of Christ and besides also all temporal felicities how to proportion them to others benefit as well as our own how so to regulate our judgments counsels expressions and affections upon any such occasions come they when they will upon us that we may safely say with St. Peter here in any of them Master it is good for us to be here let us now build Tabernacles this condition is good we now are in let us still be here and yet not incur St. Luke's censure that we know not what we say The Sum then both of the Text and Sermon will be but this St. Peter's and our common judgments advice affections and expressions in any kind of extraordinary content and happiness spiritual or temporal what they are usually they are we know not what and are therefore so branded here by the Evangelist that we may henceforth consider and know what judgments counsels affections and expressions pass from us in any such conditions before we pass them So that our work is to be this to examine all these in St. Peter's speech and shew you how far it may be said by any of us and how it must not and that in these Particulars 1. How far his judgment may pass that good it is to be here how we may say It is good for us to be here think and say so and how we may not 2. How far his advice is good to build Tabernacles how we may say Let us build three Tabernacles one for thee and one for Mose and one for Elias and how far it is not good to say so wherein we may not say so 3. How far his affections to his own or his Masters ease and safety and present glory may be allow'd how we are to rellish Moses and Elias their departing or desire their staying and how we may not as they departed Peter said unto Iesus as if he would needs be staying them that he might stay where now he was 4. How far expressions sudden and unwary such as for hast or passion and amazement slip sometimes from us as this did here from St. Peter may be born with how far we may be tolerated to say sometimes we know not what and when we may not be allowed it Not c. By this limiting and dividing the particulars of the speech and Text and giving the several ways and senses it may be spoken in we shall neither wrong St. Peter nor St. Luke but give both their due St. Peter's saying and St. Luke's censure his saying Master it is good for us to be here Let us build c. and that St. Peter's speech was not altogether to be disapproved and that yet notwithstanding some fault there was in it and that therefore St. Luke's censure just and St. Luke's saying upon it that he knew not what he said Say with St. Peter and say with St. Luke both and yet say well with both when we know what they both said and in what sense to say it St. Peter's authority will not in this point bear us out against St. Luke's but if we say it as St. Peter did with all the circumstances St. Luke will say of us what he said of him that we know not what we say But if we say the words as they may be said he will not say so Begin we then to sift the saying and the first part first Master It is good for us to be here St. Peter's judgment of the condition he was in and how we may judge and say so And it may be good to be so and good to say so good really in several senses a right judgment and a right saying For first This here was in the Mount a place of solitude and retirement a part by themselves says St. Mark ix 2. And 't is good sometimes times to retire our selves from the World and worldly business to think and meditate upon Heaven and heavenly things especially having lately tasted of those dainties that we may chew and rellish them nothing so good and convenient then presently as some retirement to sit down a little and bethink our selves of the sweetness we have so lately tasted the Covenant we have so lately renewed the resolutions we have so lately taken up and the ways to perform them 2. It was a high Mountain too says St. Matthew xvii 1. Nothing henceforth should serve our turn but high thoughts and resolutions we must do nothing mean after so high favours and dignations fix our thoughts set our affections now henceforward upon things above good to be here 3. It was the Holy Mountain too so styled ever since from the authority of St. Peter 2 Epist. i. 18. And 't is good to be holy better then to be high High contemplations of God and Heaven are not so good as holy conversations 'T is good indeed very good to be also in the holy Mount in holy places at holy work where Christ is to be seen or heard in beauty and glory in the Church at his Word and Sacraments 4. For into a Mountain to pray says our Evangelist ver 28. So To be here is to be here praying Christ went up to that purpose as he tells us there often went up to that purpose as we find it so it must needs be good nothing does us so much good at heart as praying It fills it with joy and gladness fills our mouths with good things fills our hands and our barns and our coffers all our filling comes from thus opening of our mouths Be we in sickness or be we in health be we in prosperity or be we in adversity be we full or be we empty nothing does us so much good in any of those conditions as our prayers Prayer Why in sickness it cheers us in health it strengthens us in prosperity it fastens us in adversity it comforts us in our fulness it keeps us from oppression in emptiness from fainting in all it does us some good or other 'T is good indeed to be here that is to be praying especially to give our selves to it to go aside on purpose for it to ascend the Mountain in it to go to it with raised thoughts and elevated attentions take good how you will for honest profitable or pleasant Prayer is all of them To be with Abraham in the Mount entitles us to be called with him for it The friends of God and there 's honestum honest even in the honourable sense To be with Moses in the Mount is profitable against Amâ—lek to beat down our Enemies To be here with St. Peter in the Mount gives us the most pleasant prospect that mortal eyes ever beheld or saw gives us a prospect of heavenly glory Bonum est esse hic 't is every way good thus being here 5. To be here is to be with Christ and Moses
things beyond the ordinary course of action seem mad though we be sober as the Prophets did sometimes when the Spirit came upon them lay down naked use strange gesture or speak words with Caiphas which at the time we understand not run like mad-men with some Martyrs into flames and fires to blocks and halters upon the sudden powerful and miraculous motion of Gods Spirit or Grace within us These for all that not to be looks for now Yet 't is ever to be noted here that how strange soever the expressions of some holy Saints have been in such excesses though they have not understood themselves yet others have they never spoke non-sense by the Spirit never blasphemy never contradictions to holy Scripture never any thing against Christian Patience and Obedience We have heard of late of the Pattern in the Mount a Church talked of to be form'd according to that Pattern Indeed it seems to have somewhat of St. Peter's Bonnm est of his desire to be with Christ without the Cross to build Tabernacles here for him a new Kingdom upon earth to set up King Iesus a phrase much canted but to this St. Luke gives his dash 'T is a Nesciens quid diceret that neither he nor they know what they say what they would have 'T is meer fear of I know not what a fear where no fear is a meer stupor as St. Mark and a desiring what is not to be desired an expectation of what is not to be expected of nothing but ease and pleasure and glory in Christs service Their present condition and successes make them say and wish they know not what For if we truly examine it we shall find this saying what comes next we heed not what comes from present contentments and successes when all things succeed to our mind then we begin to forget our selves or not to know our selves Worldly felicities commonly so transport us that we know not care not what we say or do our greatness we think shall bear us out We say in our hast too with David we shall never be removed so care not what we say how we behave our selves to God and Man only Bonum est esse hic we set our selves to enjoy our pleasures and build houses for them that shall come after Yet 't is worth the noting that whilst we are thus speaking we speak often against our selves when we do not intend it We call all our great buildings all our great hopes but Tabernacles with St. Peter so as it were presaging their remove that they are of no long continuance and abiding How many have we heard of in their times who have by some sudden word some unexpected expression been the presages of their own ruine and by the slip of some unlucky syllable or two doom'd the period and fore-told the shortness of this Mountain of Glory Of so unhappy speech are we when we begin to talk of any glory or continuance upon the high places of the earth we pitch a word instead of a Tabernacle that takes away all our bonum est esse hic on a sudden even whilst we mean no such matter whilst we know not what we say And as no holy company Moses nor Elias nor Christs own can keep us from all indiscretion in our speech no more then they did St. Peter so neither do they keep us from undoing our selves often with our own language We in a passion say we know not what enough to throw down all our Tabernacles remove all our Bonum est all our goods The more need then with the Psalmist of setting a watch before our lips and a guard before our mouths that we offend not in our tongues that we consider what we say before we say it that we learn to speak before we speak it that we keep our mouths even from good words as the same holy Prophet has it that we do not take up every word that seems good and godly but weigh and ponder it in the ballance of the Sanctuary by Christs Rule and Precept before we utter it And so doing and so speaking we may in all conditions high and low in glory and ignominy in prosperity and adversity in all companies in all places say merrily and cheerfully without danger Master it is good for us to be here and make Tabernacles here for Christ and Moses and Elias to keep them with us we may build in the Mountain or in the Valley without fear of this censure not knowing what we do All will be good unto us all will work for good if we temper our words and speak them soberly and place them rightly and direct them every one to his hic nunc to his proper object and circumstances and Christ will tarry with us and Moses not forsake us and Elias not depart away out of the Mountain from us till we come to the everlasting Hills to eternal Mansions houses not made with hands eternal in the Heavens to dwell with Christ and Moses and Elias and all the Patriarchs and Prophets see them face to face be transfigured and cloth'd in bright shining garments and shine like Stars for ever and ever THE FIRST SERMON UPON All Saints PSAL. cxlix 9. Such honour have all his Saints SO the Text So the day a day dedicated to God in honour of all his Saints Such honour has God allowed them such honour has the holy Church bestow'd upon them Because they are his and as his here they are had in honour because his holy ones Sancti ejus as his Saints or holy ones honour'd with a holy day or if you will God honoured in them on the day For this honour also have all the Saints that all the honour done to them all the honour done by them by the Saints in earth to the Saints in heaven all the vertues of the one all the praises of the other are to the honour and praise and glory of God in all the Congregations of the Saints whether in heaven or earth 'T is not fit therefore any of them should be forgotten from whose memories God receives so much not reasonable to deny them any honour that so redounds to Gods The Psalm gives them it and the Day gives them it God says they shall have this honour and the Church this day pays it and we must pay it if we honour either him or her God or the Church or Father or mother pay it to them all to all to whom 't is due all honour that is due This is a day for us to meet all together to pay it in for them altogether to receive it in We cannot do it to all severally they are too many we may do it to all together We profess a great Article of our faith the Communion of Saints by doing it are therefore surely not too blame for doing it having so good authority so good a ground so good a profession for it For say our new Saints what they will unsaint
they whom they please dishonour they all the old Saints how they list 1. God has his Saints says our Text and ver 5. Saints in glory Saints in their beds or in their graves his they are and Saints they are though there His Saints 2. have and shall have honour A signal special honour 3. it is they have This honour such honour as the former verses spake of All of them 4. have it All his Saints have it 5. from him are to have it from us gloria sit so some read Let this honour be given to all his Saints that 's the last and all five so many parts of the Text. I go on with them in their order I. God has his Saints Saints in heaven St. Mat. xxvii 52. Saints upon earth Psal. xvi 3. Saints in glory ver 5. and Saints of grace Saints at rest in their beds of honour and Saints in the bustle of noise and trouble The stranger men they that engross the title to themselves strike all the Saints out of the Kalendar and will not call them so whom God has call'd so Yet if to be Saints be to be holy the title is their due that are in heaven they are the holiest If to be Saints be to be called effectually they are called to purpose that are already there If to be Saints be to be separate to God from the drossie multitude they are of the highest separation If to be Saints be to be established if Sancti be Sanciti there are none so sure so established as they who are in heavenly glory And dare men be so bold to rob them of this honour so proper and peculiar to them that 't is but a kind of an impropriety to give it to any here below which yet both Scripture and their own tongues give to some below yet to none but such as are in Communion with those above and as far only as they are in it God has a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a separate or peculiar people a people to shew forth his praise called out of darkness into his marvelous light to do it says St. Peter 1 Pet. ii 9. St. Paul and the rest of the holy Epistlers say as much call Believers Saints ever and anon and these have fellow-Citizens Eph. ii 19. Saints in an inheritance of glory Eph. i. 18. worth the knowledge says St. Paul and now 2. worthy honour too II. For his Saints have honour are persons of honour Kings and Priests Rev. i. 6. Heirs of a Kingdom St. Iam. ii 5. Sons of God St. Iohn i. 12. Children of the most Highest Psal. lxxxii 6. So that if the Sons of Kings or Kings themselves if men in highest Office or the nearest relation to the highest Princes be men of honour the Saints are they who are so honourably related to and so highly employed by the King of Kings Who are first honoured by him with such titles as his friends St. Ioh. xv 15. as his anointed Psal. cv 15. as his Sons and Daughters Who 2. are so his that he reckons what is done to them is done to him receive them and receive him despise them and despise him St. Luke x. 16. the very least of them not excepted St. Mat. xxv 40. Who lastly are so entrusted by him that he admits them into his secrets Psal. xxv 13. makes them of his Privy Counsel Prov. ii 32. an honour without question of the first and highest rank Enough however to teach us 1. not to despise them whom God thus honours though they here walk in rags and are fed with crumbs and look desolate and though they are covered with poverty and encompassed with afflictions and had in derision and a Proverb of reproach whilst they are here and when they depart hence seem to die and their departure is taken for misery they are honourable for all that such as the Great King delights to honour and must not be despised Sufficient 2. it is to teach us not to dishonour our selves with any unworthy action or behaviour 'T is not for persons of honour to do things base and vile indeed to live or act like men of ordinary and mean condition Nor is it for any of them that are called to be Saints to employ themselves in the drudgeries and nastinesses of sins in the low poor businesses of the earth to work in Mines and Metals or make that our business here For 3. this honour is to teach us to do honourable things higher thoughts and higher works to live like Saints like such as are to inherit the earth Mat. v. 5. to reign and rule in it not to serve it like such as are to inherit heaven too and are therefore to have our conversation there to do all things worthy of it nothing but what becomes the Kingdom of Christ especially seeing it is not only meer honour ordinary honour but a signal special honour that is here given to the Saints Gloria haec est or Gloria hic est omnibus sanctis ejus This honour have all his Saints or He is the honour of all his Saints What it is we shall best gather by the Context out of the foregoing verses III. 1. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people ver 4. There 's the honour of a Favourite 2. He will beautifie them with salvation in the same verse there 's the honour of his salvation as David speaks in another place there 's a second honour 3. Let the praises of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hands to be avenged of the heathen c. ver 6 7. there 's the honour of Conquerours that 's a third 4. To execute upon them the judgment written ver 9. There 's the honour of judges that 's a fourth 5. Look back again Let the Saints be joyful in glory ver 5. there 's the honour of glory of eternal glory that 's a fifth 6. Let them rejoyce in their beds or sing aloud upon their bed there 's the honour of eternal peace and security or the security of their honour 7. Lastly Gloria hic est for the Pronoune is Masculine in the Hebrew He is the honour of his Saints God is their honour so the Text may well be rendred there 's the infinity of their honour Honor infinitatis or honor infinitus their infinite honour that 's the last So here 's the Saints honour like Wisdom with her seven Pillars strongly built firmly seated magnificently set forth upon them They have the honour of being favourites the honour of being ever and anon honourably saved and delivered the honour of being Victors the honour of being judges a glorious secure infinite honour the Saints have 1. This honour that they have is the honour of grand Favourites God is well pleased in them taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his servants his delight is placed in them the Lords delight is in them that fear him Psal. cxlvii 11. He deals with
you may find all for ever You study to make all as sure as you can Gods Promise is the best assurance and here it is Do what he here commands and you shall not fear what man can do unto you The Lord of Hosts is on your side Else I cannot but tell you All may fail you The wine and delicates you eat and drink the houses and stately Palaces you Lord it in the Lands and Possessions the Riches State and Pomp you have to this day triumphed in your Wives and Children all you think so everlastingly to enjoy by rising up so much to defend them may in a moment vanish and your high flown thoughts die before you You have no assurance from heaven so to settle your estates and fortunes no Dicit Dominus for that This is only Gods way for thriving by Obedience Nay and the Religion you so much seem to contend for against Innovations by the greatest Innovations in Church and State tumults riots and prophanest usages that also will for ever fail you You want men to stand before God for ever and instead of them find men to stand before you Micah's Levites do what seems good in your sight not in Gods so stand before you as to hinder you from standing before God stand in your sight and blind you from seeing the right way to heaven Thus you will want your old honours profits liberties Religion all But if you will return and hear and hearken and submit to your ancient Fathers your King and Church your Magistrates and Clergy observe and keep and do your ancient Laws and Customs I dare warrant you what God promises to the Rechabites he shall perform to you Your City shall flourish your places be renowned your Liberties encrease your persons rise up in honour your estates prosper your affairs succeed your children be famous your Posterity happy your Religion display the glories of her first primitive purity and all go on successfully for ever And when this Ever shall have swallowed up the days of time you shall stand still immovable immortal glorious before him in whose sight is the fulness of joy where you shall one day meet your Children and stand all together Kings and Subjects Priests and People Fathers and Children before your heavenly Father see him face to face in the beatifical vision for ever and ever To which He bring us through his eternal Son who was obedient unto death to teach us obedience of life unto life Iesus Christ to which Two Persons with the Holy Ghost be all Praise and Glory Obedience and Worship for evermore Amen FINIS A Table of the Texts of Scripture handled in the fore-going SERMONS A Sermon on the First Sunday in Advent Folio 1 St. MAT. xxi 9. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried saying Hosannah to the Son of David Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest A Sermon on the Second Sunday in Advent 13 St. MARK i. 3. Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight A Sermon on the Third Sunday in Advent 23 St. LUKE xxi 27 28. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a Cloud with Power and great glory And when these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh A Sermon on the Fourth Sunday in Advent 33 PHIL. iv 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand The First Sermon on Christmas-Day 45 ISA. xi 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Iesse which shall stand for an Ensign of the People to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious The Second Sermon on Christmas-Day 53 St. LUKE xi 7. And she brought forth her First-born Son and wrapped him in Swadling-clothes and laid him in a Manger because there was no room for them in the Inn. The Third Sermon on Christmas-Day 63 St. JOHN i. 16. And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace The Fourth Sermon on Christmas-Day 73 1 TIM i. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief The Fifth Sermon on Christmas-Day 85 PSAL. xlv 3. Thou art fairer then the Children of men full of grace are thy lips because God hath blessed thee for ever The Sixth Sermon on Christmas-Day Folio 97 St. LUKE i. 68 69. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David The Seventh Sermon on Christmas-Day 109 2 COR. viii 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich The Eighth Sermon on Christmas-Day 119 PSAL. viii 4 5. What is man that thou art mindful of him And the Son of man that thou visitest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship The Ninth Sermon on Christmas-Day 129 St. LUKE ii 30 31 32. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel A Sermon on St. Stephens Day 143 ACTS vii 55 56. But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God And said Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God A Sermon on Innocents Day 151 St. MAT. ii 16. Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise men was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the Children that were in Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the Wise men The First Sermon on the Circumcision 163 2 COR. v. 17. Old things are past away behold all things are become new The Second Sermon on the Circumcision 172 St. LUKE ii 21. His Name was called Iesus The First Sermon on the Epiphany 182 St. MAT. ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their Treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe The Second Sermon on the Epiphany 192 St. MAT. ii 10. When they saw the Star they rejoyced with exceeding great joy The Third Sermon on the Epiphany Folio 202 St. MAT. ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their Treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe A Sermon upon St. Paul's Day
in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Godhead in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his manhood 2. the unity of his person in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. His Offices in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His eternal generation in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his temporal in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lastly of our way to behold him and our duty when we see him How to obtain this glorious sight of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of salvation and how to entertain it Of which that I may speak with reverence and you hear with profit Let us pray c. I begin with that which we all desire and hope to end Salvation and first with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give me leave to do so in the sense of Prophane Authors It will fit the day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were dies salutares Festivals for some famous deliverances among them And may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then be this great Festival of the Nativity of Salvation this happy day which come about by the circling of the year expects now the solemnities of our joys and thanksgivings You see the day it self is in the Text and now we have seen that let 's look into the occasion of it what 't is that makes it Holy-day Something seen or done upon it what 's that Salutare tuum says the Text a Saviour seen and a salvation wrought nay this seen too for viderunt oculi to both if they be two There is but one word for both and it may be they may be but one However distinguish them we will for a while though we unite them in the upshot Salvation Simeon might with as much ease have call'd him Saviour but that he thought too little You would have blam'd his eye-fight had he seen no more Saviours there have been many Moses and Ioshua and Ieptha and Samson I cannot tell you how many and they have brought salvation in their times and sav'd their people but none of all was ever made salvation but this days Saviour who is made unto us righteousness and salvation Made to us is that all nay is it in himself Other Saviours when they have saved others themselves they could not save They themselves did still stand in need of being sav'd Christ needs none other but himself He is Salvation no Saviour so but he And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither Salvation neither for male only nor female only but both of the Neuter gender Neither male nor female but all one in Christ Iesus 2. Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Feminine not a weak Feminine Salvation but a strong firm one the mighty strength of his right hand 3. Not a Feminine Salvation not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest we should fondly look for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Virgin Mother Not she but the Virgins Son the Holy Ghost as I may say afraid of Salvatrix mea Salve Redemptrix before ever Christianity dreamt of that Sacriledge But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is yet more salvation with an Emphasis with an Article This Salvation Many Saviours and Salvations too without doubt had aged Simeon seen in the large circuit of his years without a Nunc dimittis but no sooner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no sooner this but he grows weary of the world his life grows tedious to him he would be going What means this hasting to his Grave when he folds salvation in his arms Why this it is that gives it a pre-eminence above all beside Death now it self is conquer'd and now first to die is to be saved Salvation not only from Death but from the terrours of it Salvation is a deliverance a deliverance is from some evil of sin or punishment To be deliver'd from punishment be it but the loss of goods of liberty or health is a kind of Salvation and if the loss be great we are deliver'd from the salvation great but if the punishment stretch it self beyond the limits of fading time if it be to be extended through eternity the deliverance then great without question well deserves the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be deliver'd from punishment and eternal punishment is no small matter beyond all humane power yet from sin is far beyond it If we be not sav'd from that 't is but an incomplete a partial salvation from the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 salvum facere to make all whole again to heal the wounds of sin by the plasters of mercy to restore a man to his lost health his lapsed justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 integrum facere to give him health Thy saving health O Lord. Adam lost it in him we all and every day we lose it still We confess as much morning and evening There is no health in us And what is it we gain then by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we so soon are at a loss yes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is salvum conservare too to keep us well when we are so Good God in what need stand we of thy salvation We sin we are punisht we are freed we rise again we slip and fail and fall again to deliver us to restore us to preserve us as it requires so it makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an emphatical an exceeding great salvation Nor is this all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy salvation from sickness or imprisonment or poverty or death man may sometime save us yet not so but that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God 's too God by man But deliver us from the lowest prisons from a Hell of miseries sin and its attendants and keep us upright and entire 't is only God-man can do it That 's Gods peculiar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His wonderful salvation His by propriety It had no other power but the strength of his own right arm to bring this mighty thing to pass It had no other motive then his own immense love and goodness to effect it We were in no case to deserve it profest enemies we had nothing in us to make it ours but that it might be wholly his Thy salvation Yet thy salvation why so What can God be saved Thy salvation our salvation rather yes both Thine actively ours passively Thou savest we saved And may it not be His passively too Thy salvation Thou thy self saved Thy Promises thy Truth which is thy self thy Mercy which is thy self thy Iustice which is thy self sav'd from the censure of unjust man by preparing him a Saviour Man had almost thought God had broke his word now that 's sav'd Some still will not let his mercy be sav'd but destroy it with justice and in destroying that turn justice into gall and wormwood ruine that too by denying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an universal Saviour It was time high time to tell us from Heaven
by the mouth of the Holy Spirit of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God himself now quitted of injustice and want of bowels of compassion You have a witness of it undeniable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my eyes have seen it Salvation clear even to the sense and to the certain'st the sight The eye may see it 2. Viderunt oculi he might have added contractaverunt manus me◠and his hands handled it but if the eye see it we need not sue to the hand for certainty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these eyes No longer now the eyes of Prophesie those are grown dim and almost out Isaiah indeed could say is born is given so certain was he of it but never viderunt oculi for all that be never liv'd to see it one degree this above the infallibility of Prophesie Time was when this Salutare tuum was inveloped in clouds It was so till this day came a mystery kept secret since the world began lockt up in Heaven so close that mine eyes have wasted away with looking for thy saving health O Lord sighs David and the Church answers him with Vtinam disrumperes coelos Break the Heavens O Lord and come down O utinam O would thou wouldst But now as we have heard so have we seen thy salvation Nor need we any extraordinary piercing eye to see it so plain and manifest is the object that eyes almost sunk into their holes eyes over which the curtains of a long night are well nigh drawn eyes veiled with the mists of age eyes well near worn out with looking and expectation the dimmest aged'st sight may see it Mine eyes old Father Simeons Nor need the Manichee strain his eye-sight to discern it He need not as is usual when we look on curious pieces close one eye that the visual spirits being contracted we may see those things which else by reason of their curious subtilty scape the seeing 'T is no such aiery phantasm but that we may with open face and eyes behold it he may see it with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both his eyes without straining without that trouble But if our senses should play false with us yet my eyes the eyes of a Prophet a holy man inspir'd and detain'd a prisoner in the flesh on purpose for this spectacle cannot possibly deceive us Especially if you add but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he did not perceive it only as a far off Balaams sight or had a glance or glimmering of it only but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saw it plain so plain as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know it too Saw it in his arms and lookt near it nay into it by the quick lively eye of a firm faith for with both eyes he saw it the eyes of his body and the eyes of his soul the Saviour with the one Salvation with the other the child with those the God with these And what greater evidence then that of sight what greater certainty then that of faith If all this be yet too little if viderunt be to seek and oculi fail and mei be deceived yet parasti cannot but list it above the weakness of probability put all out of question It was not only seen but prepared to be seen It came not as the world thinks of other salvations by chance but was prepared Parasti Thou hast prepared it prepared by him that prepared the world Higher yet parasti thou hast prepared done it long since the preparation began not now had a higher beginning a beginning before the face of all people before the face of any people before the face of the waters before the face of the world appeared Chosen us in him says St. Paul then chosen and prepared him for us before the foundation of the world Ephes. i. 4. But this parasti is not the blessing of this day Parasti ab aterno so to the Patriarchs too but in conspectu before our faces made manifest in these last times manifested in the flesh that 's the blessing we this day commemorate A body thou hast prepared me that prepared then lo I come he will be born presently Christmas out of hand Parasti now compleat this day he was first made ready and drest in swadling-clothes And prepared So it came not at mans entreaty or desert Nay when he thought not of it When Adam was running away to hide himself then the promise of the womans seed stept in between and when Religion and Devotion lay at the last gasp ready to bid the world adieu then comes he himself who had been so long preparing and fulfilled the promise This a degree of certainty higher then our imaginations can follow it that relies wholly on Gods own parasti without mans uncertain preparation Yet something ado there was to bring this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this salvation to be seen A long preparation there was of Patriarchs Moses and the Prophets of Promises Types and Figures and Prophesies for the space of four thousand years This long train led the triumph then comes the Saviour then Salvation Sure and certain it must needs be to which there are so many agreeing witnesses This then so variously typified so many ways shadowed so often promised so clearly prophesied so constantly so fully testified so long expected so earnestly desired This is the Salvation prepared for us Whoever looks for any other may look his eyes out shall never see it This Name the only Name by which we shall be saved the Name of Iesus Yet notwithstanding all that 's said or can be said 't is but parasti still 'T is not Posuisti prepared for all not put set up for all as if all should be saved No posui te in casum set for the fall of many those that will not turn their eyes up hither that care not for viderunt neglect this sight slight this salvation But however this dismal success often comes about Parasti it is that cannot be lost and in conspectu omnium populorum for all it is prepared for all in general none excluded this parasti he that put parasti into this good Fathers mouth put in omnium populorum too Not only the certainty but the universality of this salvation that 's the third part of the Text and thither are we come Before the face of all people Prepared that 's a favour and for the people that 's an ample one and one step to an universal People are men a great company of men and for men and a multitude of men it is prepared nusquam Angelos not for Angels in no wise for them not one of them No they are still the Sons of darkness no day-spring from on high to visit them For men and not for the better or more honourable part of men alone but for the people too the meanest sinfulest men in more favour with God then the Apostate Angels And not to some few of those people neither
foundation of the earth it covers the deep with its wings covers Heaven and Earth with the Majesty of its glory IV. Yet so it might and we ne're the better but that fourthly 't is a Name of Grace and Mercy as well as Majesty and Glory Iesus is a word of which I may more justly say as Tully says of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it contains so much ut Latino uno verbo exprimi non possit It cannot be exprest in any one Latin or English word or any one indeed besides it self Mercy and Grace dwell in it it engrosses all and without it there is none any where to be found no Mercy out of Iesus no Grace but from Iesus no Name under heaven given by which we can be saved but the Name of Iesus Acts iv We are Baptized in the Name of Iesus Acts xix 5. We receive remission of our sins in the Name of Iesus Ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. vi 11. Ye are sanctified in the Name of the Lord Iesus in the same verse We are glorified by the Name of Iesus in that Name we live in that name we die To Iesus it is we run for grace and assistance whilst we live To Iesus we cry for Grace and Mercy when we die To Iesus we commit our spirits when we breath them out We can neither live nor die without our Iesus Thy name says the Spouse is oyntment poured forth Cant. i. 3. Now Oyl has three special uses for light for meat for medicine We have all in Iesus 1. He is the light that lighteth every one that comes into the world St. John i. 9. 2. He 's the meat that never perishes S. John vi 27. and feeds us up to everlasting life S. Iohn vi 54. 3. He 's the cure and medicine of all our maladies He wants nothing that has Iesus and he has nothing that wants him Omnia Iesus nobis est si volumus c. says St. Ambrose Iesus is all things to us if we will Curari desideras medicus est si febribus aestuas fons est si gravaris iniquitate justitia est si auxilio indiges virtus est si mortem times vita est si ire desideras via est si tenebras fugis lux est si cibum appetis alimentum est Dost thou want health he is the great Physician Art thou fried in the flames of a burning Fever he is the well-spring to cool thy heat Art thou over-laden with thine iniquity he is thy righteousness to answer for thee Dost thou want help he is ever ready at hand to succour thee Art thou afraid of death he is thy life Wouldst thou fain be going any whither he is the way Art thou in darkness and fearest to stumble he is a light to thy feet and a lanthorn to thy paths Art thou hungry or thirsty he is nourishment and food and meat and drink the truest What is it that thou desirest that he is not that this name will not afford thee Why it heals our sicknesses it supports our infirmities it supplies our necessities it instructs our ignorances it defends us from dangers it conquers temptations it inflames our coldnesses it lightens our understandings it rectifies our wills it subdues our passions it raises our spirits and drives away all wicked spirits from us it ratifies our petitions it confirms our blessings and crowns all our prayers In this name they end all that end well through Iesus Christ our Lord. In thy name O blessed Iesus we obtain all that we obtain through it we receive all that we receive so that say we may well with that holy Father Iesus meus omnia Iesus meus omnia Iesus is my all Jesus he is and all I have nothing else but him I will have nothing else but him and I have all if I have him V. And well may we now say fifthly 't is a name of sweetness and comfort too a seet name indeed oyntment we told you it was and a sweet oyntment it is that fills all the house with its precious odour insomuch as it makes the Virgins therefore love thee says the Spouse there in the fore-cited place of the Canticles Mel in ore in aure melos in corde subilus says S. Bernard 'T is honey in the mouth 't is musick in the ear 't is melody in the heart The soul and all its powers the body and all its members may draw sweetness thence O how sweetly sounds the Name of Iesus or a Saviour to one in misery to one in danger to one in any calamity or distress how does it rejoyce the heart and quicken the very bones Gyra regyra versa reversa says the devout S. Bernard non invenies pacem vel requiem nisi in solo Iesu. Quapropter si quiescere vis pone Iesus ut signaculum super cor tuum quia tranquillus ipse tranquillat omnia Turn you and turn you again which way you will which way you can you can never find such peace and quiet as there is in Iesus you will find none any where but in him If you would fain therefore lay you down to rest in peace and comfort set the seal of Iesus upon your heart and all will be quiet no dreadful visions of the night shall affright you no noon days trouble shall ever shake you In the midst of that terrible storm of stoâ—es about St. Stevens ears he but looking up and seeing Iesus falls presently into a quiet slumber and sweetly sleeps his last upon a hard heap of pebbles more pleasantly than upon a Bed of Down or Roses For 't is remarkable that the holy Martyr there calls out upon the Name of Iesus rather than that of Christ as if that only were the name to hold by in our last and greatest agonies Nor is it to be forgotten that this Name was set upon the Cross over our Saviours head to teach us that 't is a Name which set upon the head of all our Crosses will make them easie the thought of Iesus the reference to that holy Name the suffering under that will give both a sweet odour and a pleasant relish to whatever it is we suffer This looking unto Iesus as the Apostle advises Heb. xii 2 3. will keep us from being weary or fainting under them will make us conquerours more than conquerours Rom. viii 37. sure of our reward to sweeten all For neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus ver 38 39. This same Iesus at the end fixes and fastens all the love of God in Iesus will never leave us never forsake us keep but that devoutly in our hearts and piously in our mouths and we need fear nothing Come what can it sweetens all Methinks
little by it but hard censures be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. xiii 5. be half a Reprobate a Castaway himself for preaching it But seem we what you please be it how it will I venture on it upon St. Pauls account and both you and I as high as we bear our selves upon our assurances that we are the Elect if we will be sure indeed not to be Reprobates must be content to hear of it lest we be so 'T is a plain Text the words very plain need no Philip to expound them Nothing could be said nothing can be plainer For he that says I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest I should be a Castaway says nor more nor less than unless I do so so I shall be for all my great flourish and appearance for all my other great performances And it being an Apostle without exception ver 1. 2. one who knew his Office and performed it beyond all that was required of him ver 14. 18. knew his Power and how to stand upon it ver 4. 5. understood well his Christian Liberty what he might do or leave undone ver 10. who notwithstanding all his power and liberty and priviledge and performances falls here to discipline his body lest after all he should prove a cast-away fall short of his Crown and lose the reward of all his labours If he can find no other means to avoid the one but by the doing of the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says St. Chrysostom what can we say for our selves Say I hope it concerns us and we will look to it will set about it Better Authority we need not than the Churches as for the time Better example we cannot desire than St. Pauls as to the thing and better Motive I know none to perswade either than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we may save our selves from being Castaways I shall not obscure the business by any nice Division of the words Two general Parts shall serve the turn I. St. Pauls wholsom Discipline for his body And II. His godly fear for body and soul. Or I. His Disciplining and strict ordering of his body And II. The Ground and Reason why he does so The first is in those words I keep under my body and bring it into subjection The second in those Lest by any means when I have preached unto others I my self should be a Castaway In the first we have St. Paul his Body and the Work he makes with it or the Discipline he uses towards it Three Points to be considered In the second we have three more to make up the Reason why he does so use it Because 1. he would not be a Castaway 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest I be Because 2. there may be many ways to make us so lest by any means I be so supposes by many I may be so Because 3. there is no avoiding being so without it all our preaching and doing will not do without it 1. Lest I be a Castaway 2. Lest by any means I be a Castaway 3. Lest when I have preacht to others I should be a Castaway notwithstanding I could give you the Parts perhaps in nearer terms applied to the Metaphor coucht in the words But the Text is plain and the Parts I would leave plain and I would be plain and understood Yet under whatever notions I should give you them This is and would be still the sum of all that the keeping under the body and the bringing it into subjection is a business to be mainly lookt to lookt to by the best and greatest the very St. Pauls among us and that under no less penalty and danger than being Castaways if we neglect it our highest priviledges our greatest services our most Christian Liberties no plea at all to exempt us from it I go on now with the Parts in order and begin with the first general St. Pauls disciplining and ordering of his body Where we have these three particulars to treat on Him his body and his ordering it But I begin with Him first for so I find him set set here before his body I would we would all set our selves so too set our selves above our bodies value and prize our souls for they chiefly are our selves before our bodies at least our selves that is the good of the whole man before the pleasing of that mortal part we would not then make our selves such slaves and drudges to it as we do face and brave damnation for a petty lust for a little meat or drink for the satisfaction of the belly Indeed could we pretend to know how to order our selves better than St. Paul I might have spared this Note but all the pretences we have against the strict ordering of the body that St. Paul here takes up are all answered in his person his very doing it if we well consider it For all the arguments or pretences we have against it are either 1. our business we cannot tend it or 2. our weakness we cannot bear it or 3. our holiness we do not need it or 4. our Christian Liberty it is against it or 5. other things will do as well we may well spare it or 6. a less matter will serve the turn we may be saved without it But all these shall I shew you might St. Paul plead yet it seems all would not serve to excuse him from this hard dealing with his body we read of in the Text. 1. We plead our weakness we are not able to use this rigour But I this I St. Paul was as full of weaknesses as any of us and yet he could Who is weak says he and I am not weak 2 Cor. xi 29. so weak sometimes that it cast him into a trembling much trembling 1. Cor. ii 3. And St. Paul took this way rather to cure it than to encrease it And indeed those very weaknesses we complain of rise from the pampering our bodies are cured by our strict ordering them Nay those impatiences and peevishnesses and nicenesses and sinful infirmities vvhich grovv so strong upon us in our sicknesses vvould not do so vvere the body kept but a little under vvhen vve vvere vvell But 2. though vve could bear it you 'l say vve cannot tend it Not tend it Why St. Paul upon vvhom the care of all the Churches lay vvho vvas in continual journeyings and labours for it 2 Cor. xi 23 25 28. full of vveariness and painfulness about it vvas yet in watchings often in fastings often ver 27. of the same Chapter keeping under his body still for all his business notvvithstanding all his other business forgets not this Will you say novv 3. you do not need it you are holy enough vvithout it you are Gods Elect and do not vvant it vvant no such poor beggarly means to help you out What are you holier than St. Paul What are you better than he that dares avovv he vvas not inferiour to the
chiefest Apostles Have you been in more Heavens than he Heard more Revelations than he Have you more assurances of your Election or Salvation than he that vvas arrived at that height to be perswaded that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature could separate him from the love of God in Christ Iesus Rom. viii 38 39. are you better than he If you be not you had best take the course he did If you be you had best yet take his course to keep you so Yea but 4. our Christian Liberty is entrencht on by it We must not by this very same Apostles advice and counsel be subject to those Ordinances of touch not taste not handle not Col. ii 20 21. and yet those things seem to make much for the neglecting of the body and the not satisfying of the flesh ver 23. but that we must not be brought under the power of any 1 Cor. vi 11. No but the body must be brought under ours for all that says our Apostle Says he so He says no more than he does he does so too And yet he knew his power and Christian Liberty to the ful had power to eat and drink he tells us ver 4. and to do neither power to work and not to work to forbear working ver 6. was free ver 19. yet from this it seems he is not free unless he will fight as one that beats the air in the verse before the Text. He knows no liberty that can allow the liberty to his body not to be kept under and subjected unless it please Nor 5. does he whatever we think of it think he may spare it upon the account of other vertues as if it were enough to be diligent at our prayers to be frequent at Sermons to be orderly in our Families to be just in our dealings to be honest in our Callings to be charitable to the poor to be friendly to our neighbours or the like and let this subduing the body go whither it will St. Paul cannot be suspected to have been wanting in any of these yet he must needs add this grace also it seems to make all sure keep the body under that he may so keep those graces safe For a less matter lastly will not serve the turn St. Pauls labours and journeys and perils and stripes and prisons and deaths as great and as often as they were must have this also added to them the flesh must have some thorn or other to keep it in subjection If God send it not if the devil by his permission buffet not the flesh we must do it our selves lest we be exalted above measure those very performances which we think we have most reason to glory in will but puff us up and cast us sheer away if we preserve not our body in that lowliness and subjection that we should So now if we think good to guide our selves by St. Pauls authority and example there is none so weak none so busily employed none so holy that can exempt himself no Christian Liberty no other graces though never so many nor any other performances that can be pleaded against it All sorts of persons are included in St. Pauls and in this I all objections against it are sufficiently answered and we all included and obliged for if such a one as the glorious St. Paul could find no exemption I know not what Christian can expect it You 'l confess it perhaps when you have confidered what this body is you are to deal with the next Particular we are to handle And by the body here may be understood either the flesh it self or the fleshliness of it the body it self or the sinful passions and affections rising in it To be sure take we both And indeed we can neither be sure nor safe if 1. the passions and affections be not kept within their bounds if we suffer our appetites to rule us our angers to transport us our desires to harrow us our fears to distract us our hopes to abuse us or any other of that impetuous crew to over-bear us They must all be made underlings kept within rule and compass or we are lost Nay and to keep them so this very bulk of flesh 2. must be kept so too for keep this but high it is impossible to keep them low Stuff the body with meat and drink let it lodge soft and lie long let it have the fill of ease and pleasure facile despumat it froths into lust it boils into anger it swells into pride it rises into rebellion it leaks into looseness it mosses into idleness it fills the brain with fogs the heart with filth the liver with wanton heats the mouth with unsavoury language and all the members with disorder and confusion Do but take away the meat and let it fast a while take it from the bed and let it watch another while take it from ease and tenderness and set it to some hard and unpleasing work let it feel a little cold a little labour a little course and rough usage for a time and you shall see how humble it will grow how much under you shall have it how orderly it will be It will do any thing you would have it But to make all sure every part must have its share the eye must be watcht the heart kept under guard the tongue bridled the palate curbed the ears fenced the hands restrained the knees bow'd down the feet kept in and all the members under for they are all but one body 1 Cor. xii 14. this body that is to be brought into subjection make up but that Iumentum animae that beast that carries the soul and is therefore to be rid like a beast with bit and bridle with whip and rod lest it fall upon us or fall with us and cast us Be St. Pauls body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never so good so orderly so chaste a body so it seems it must be used nay such it cannot be unless it be so used Let no man be so bold to think his body in better order than St. Pauls and yet here 's a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his a kind of fear of some miscarriage a fear some evil may rise from it Yea even that very body of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which had been at so many posts endured so many lashes already been in so many prisons so many perils so many storms and colds and shipwracks so many necessities and infirmities this very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this very body as much as it has suffered and as much as it has done I must yet keep under says St. Paul still more and more keep under for all that My body says he and mine say I and mine must every one say though we were all St. Pauls as holy as he had done and suffered as much as he But what yet must it suffer more