and safety and all so that to become poor can be nothing else but to become man and Christs becoming so must be his becoming man Yet not to know it only but to know it for a grace as St. Paul would have us we must know who it is that became poor 2. How poor he became who became poor 3. What he was still though he became poor Our Lord Iesus Christ says the Text he it is egenus factus he came to very want 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a kind of penury like that of beggars Yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all that it is he continued rich still though he was poor he could not lose his infinity of riches though he took on his poverty quitted not his Deity though he covered it with the rags of his humanity We first look upon his person our Lord Iesus Christ. He is a Lord it seems that became poor that first and truly the first and only time that we read he entituled himself Lord it follows presently he hath need St. Mat. xxi 3. The Lord hath need This may be true as the Italian observes of the Lords and Princes of the world none need commonly so much as they nor they before they came to be Lords and Princes but of the Lord and Prince of Heaven as our Lord surely is that 's somewhat strange that he should have any need yet so it is and it may serve to teach the best of us of men Lords and great ones too to be content sometimes to suffer need seeing the Lord of Lords was found poor Iesus 2. it is was found so Iesus is a Saviour and that 's stranger A Saviour that is poor is like to prove but a poor Saviour Yet this is oftentimes Gods method the poor and base things of the world and things that are despis'd to confound the rich and noble and the mighty 1 Cor. i. 28. that no flesh as the Apostle infers there might glory in his presence This very name of Iesus was then sent by an Angel to be given him when he had first told he should be born St. Mat. i. 21. born of a poor Virgin and yet save his people from their sins that we may know God needs nothing to help him his very poverty is our salvation Jesus poor the poorest contemptible means he can save us by Nay even the Christ 3. the Messiah so long expected comes poor when he was expected rich to shew the vanity of mens conceit and fancies when they will go alone Christ the King of Israel the great Prophet the everlasting High Priest and Arch-bishop of our souls he came poor that men might give over looking upon the outward appearance of things and think it no diminution to the calling of Priest or Prophet to be sometimes in a low and mean condition seeing the Christ himself anointed with the holy oil above all Priests and Prophets came in no other And now this we have gotten by considering the person that if he that is Priest and Prophet and Saviour and Lord and the Lord of all may become poor and God do all his work notwithstanding by him then poverty is neither dishonourable in it self nor so disadvantageous in its own nature but that God can still make use of it to his Service does still most make use of it dispences his heavenly treasure to us more commonly in earthen vessels 2 Cor. iv 7. then in Gold and Silver and we therefore not to slight the Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ though become poor their bodily presence weak and their speech contemptible as St. Pauls undervaluers speak 2 Cor. x. 10. For their Lord and ours became poor himself as poor as the poorest which will appear by the second consideration I am now to shew you how poor he became of whom it is here said he became poor And that not only that poor thing called man that poor worm and dust that poor vanity and nothing we call man but the very poorest of the name the novissimus virorum the lag and fag of all a very scum of men says the Prophet and the very out-cast of the people So poor that there is not a way to be poor in but he was poor in 1. Poorly descended a poor Carpenters Wife his Mother 2. Poorly born in a Stable among Beasts poorly wrapt in rags poorly cradled in a Manger poorly bedded upon a lock of Hay poorly attended by the Oxe and Ass poorly every way provided for not a fire to dress him at in the depth of Winter only the steam and breath of the Beasts to keep him warm Cobwebs for Hangings the dung of the Beasts for his Perfumes noise and lowings neighing and brayings for his Musick every thing as poor about him as want and necessity could make it 3. Poorly bred too a Carpenter it seems by S. Mark vi 5. at his reputed Fathers Trade 4. Poorly living too not a house to put his head in not a pillow of his own to lay his head on S. Luke ix 57. not a room to sup in but what he borrow'd S. Mark xiv 15. no money nor meat but by miracle S. Mat. xvii 27. or by charity S. Mat. ix 10. not so much as a Bucket to draw water or a cup to drink it in St. Iohn iv 11. Nay more for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more he was poor even to beggary was fain to beg even water it self in the last cited Chapter ver 7. had a bag carried always by one of his Disciples to receive any thing that charitable minded people would put into it St. Iohn xii 6. his Disciples were so low driven following him that they were fain sometimes to pull the ears of Corn as they passed by to satisfie their hunger five or seven loaves with two or three little fishes among them all was great provision with them Indeed we read not punctually that he begg'd at any time but we see him as near it as was possible if he did not and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all profane Writers never signifies less But let it be but what we translate it meerly poor though the Prophet David in the Person of Christ Psalm xl 18. cries Mendicus sum pauper I am a poor beggar be it yet but poor yet so poor it is he was that he was poor in all every way poor Poor in Spirit none poorer none more willing to be trampled on suffered men to plow upon his back and make long furrows make a poor thing of him indeed do any thing what they would with him poor in flesh too They may tell all my bones says the Prophet of him Psalm xxii 17. they stand staring and looking upon me a meer gazing-stock of poverty a miracle of poverty marvellous poor poor in reputation He made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a Servant says St. Paul Phil. ii 7 8. of a servant of a slave valued at
the Vse both of the Doctrine and the Day to apply them both and cry out every one of us with St. Paul 'T is I and I and I for whom He came In the Doctrine there are these particulars 1. That Christ Iesus came into the world 2. That He came to save sinners 3. That He came to save the chiefest of them the very quorum primi of them What is it else to S. Paul or us or why does he bring himself in upon no better title 4. That all these are faithful sayings and worthy of acceptation all single such but all together make up a saying worthy all acceptation the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the saying above all sayings the whole Word and Gospel it self the Word after which no word can be said nothing beyond it Of which therefore surely the Vse 2. must needs be great if we throughly apply it and four ways there are to do it in the Text four Vses we are to make of it 1. If a saying a faithful saying it be we then faithfully to believe it 2. If worthy acceptation we then worthily to accept it 3. If it reach the chief sinners too our chief business then with St. Paul humbly to apply it to our own particular not think much any of us to say quorum ego primus not to stick to confess our selves the chiefest among them that are sinners so we may be found chief or second or any one among them that are saved 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a special saying this is not to be wrapt up in silence then nor hudled up within private walls but to be spoken and spoken out cried and proclaimed to all the world And all this lastly I add to be done to day That indeed is not in the Text but 't is in the Time and never better to be done then now to day That 's the right use of this Holy time that to which the Church designs Christmas to proclaim Christs coming into the world to save sinners and to call them in all to come to him To carry on the design I go on now with the Text and begin with the first branch of the Doctrine there that Christ Iesus came into the world 1. That he did so this great day is witness worthy therefore to be kept for ever for a witness of it and they that keep it not to be suspected that they do not think he did nor believe that there was any such matter Yet that such a one there was one Iesus that went about doing good the Iews his rankest enemies will not deny it That that Iesus was the Christ though the Iews will not the Samaritans will confess it S. Iohn iv 43. Christ and Jesus too the Christ the Saviour of the world nay the Christ indeed and the Saviour indeed and they know it they say there Nay of the Jews too many believed it S. Iohn vii 31. believed and justified it Nor did they it without good ground the many Miracles that he did in the confirmation of it the performing what was prophesied of the Messiah Isa. xxxv 6. and lxi 1. The opening the eyes of the blind the making the lame to walk the deaf to hear the dumb to speak the cleansing the Lepers the raising the dead the preaching to the poor the Gospel of peace those pure and holy and comfortable Doctrines that he taught were a sufficient resolution to S. Iohn Baptists question that it was He that should come and we should look for no other S. Mat. xi 3 4 5. no other than He. Indeed we need not for this Iesus is a Iesus of another sort of another manner of spelling 't is observ'd then all former Iesus's then Iesus the Son of Nun or Iesus the Son of Iosedec or Iesus the Son of Syrach this Iehoscuah Iesus or a Iehoscuah for 't is so in the Hebrew is with the points of Iehovah in it a Iehovah Iesus a Saviour that is the Lord as the Angel tells us St. Luke ii 11. A Iesus never the like before a Iesus above every Iesus a name now above every name a name to which Heaven and Earth and Hell must bow never did they to any Iesus else And as this name now above every name so this coming of his above every coming We sometimes call our own births I confess a coming into the world but properly none ever came into the world but he For 1. He only truly can be said to come who is before he comes so were not we only he so 2. He only strictly comes who comes willingly our crying and strugling at our entrance into the world shews how unwillingly we come into it He alone it is that sings out Lo I come Psal. xl 3. He only properly comes who comes from some place or other Alas we had none to come from but the womb of nothing He only had a place to be in before he came Now such a Iesus as this as has God in his name and must be conceived to be also so by the way of his coming may well be the Messiah that should come into the world Iesus the Christ. We need seek no further especially if it be the Iesus that comes to save sinners And he it is says our next particular 2. Nay the Angel said so before he was born He had the name given him for the purpose S. Mat. i. 21. Thou shalt call his name Iesus for why For he shall save his people from their sins Himself professes he came for the purpose to call sinners to repentance S. Luke v. 32. and that 's to save them yea so for them that there 's a non veni to others he came for no other to speak truth there were no other to come for Omnes aberraverunt We were all sinners So if he came for the best of us he yet came for sinners for them or no body But so for such as not for them that were not such so altogether for sinners as not at all for the righteous I came not to call the righteous not them but sinners as it were in opposition to them Indeed Opus non habent they had no need of his coming The whole need not the Physician S. Mat. ix 12. but they that are sick and they are sinners In a word not only so for sinners as before the righteous and as it were against the righteous but so for sinners too as for the worst first for the greatest of them above the least the quorum primi to be the primi the chiefest sinners he chiefly came for that 's the third Point of this great Doctrine of the Text. 3. Look the company he keeps you 'l say so Publicans and Sinners the most emphatical of the name there you find him so often that he is accused for it by the righteous the Scribe and Pharisee S. Mark ii 16. So for the most enormous sinners it seems that the righteous cannot bear it they
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
' 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
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
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
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
choose to come by or rather will choose not to come by right good sound ways they must be if they be his And 2. right streight ways too no turning to the right hand or to the left not do one way in adversity another way in prosperity one Religion when the days are calm and quiet another when the days are stormy and troublesom Rectas facite in deserto so it is in the Prophet and Hebrew Text Isa. xl 3. Make his paths streight in the Desart even when we are deserted of all when we are in the barren and dry Wilderness where no water is no earthly comfort about us in the greatest tribulation we must keep us still to uprightness and honesty that 's the way to Christ however for a while he seem to be far from us thither it will bring us after a while keep innocency and do the thing that is right and that will bring a man peace at the last Yet 3. one path or two made streight is not sufficient semitas 't is an indefinite somewhat a kin to an universal it must be all he that fails or offends in one is guilty of all S. Iames ii 10. If all be not streight all the paths as well as the ways that you have heard all the little ways as well as the great according to our poor power if at least we do not study and endeavour it it is not it is not right Nor is it so or will it be unless we take in 4. the Prophets in deserto too desert and forsake our selves a little renounce our own ways quite seek not our own but his streighten our selves a little of our own lusts and liberties of our own desires and ways that the only way to make his streight and make Christ come streight to us V. We have one point yet behind who it is to whom all this is spoken and is given in charge I confess the Ministers and Preachers of the Word are the publick messengers and harbingers who are sent to prepare the Lords way as S. Iohn Baptist was before him yet every one must sweep his own door For the words are by S. Iohn Baptist preach'd to all Pharisees and Sadduces Publicans and Souldiers and all the people that came to him every one to have a share and so he gives it them S. Luke iii. 10 11. verses and so onward tells people and Publicans and Souldiers what to do sets every one his path his part of the way to prepare and streighten Give me leave to do so too The Ministers of the Gospel they come first they have the greatest share with S. Iohn Baptist to go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way but how To give knowledge of salvation says old Zachary to his people for the remission of sins or somewhat more even to give remission too to give absolution so to give knowledge to the people or instruct them and to absolve them is some part at least of the Ministers share but to Baptize also with the Baptist and to consecrate with Christ himself is to prepare his way too to make way for him to raise the Valleys to comfort the dejected the cast down and afflicted soul against his sorrows the penitent against his sins the fearful against the fear of death the weak hearted against trouble and persecution to encourage them to lift up their heads and look to the recompence of reward to raise up the groveling souls of men from earth and flesh to heaven and heavenly business 2. To cast down the Mountains of Pride and Singularity Schism and Heresie that lift up themselves against the obedience of Christ. 3. To rectifie the perverse and crooked souls of men And 4. to smooth and soften them to lay the way of Christ smooth and plain before them make them know his yoke is easie and his burthen light by continual preaching to them and instructing them so preparing them for the way of Christ. Thus the Minister prepares his way in the peoples hearts sometimes cleansing the young Infants way by Baptism and sometimes rectifying the young and old mans ways by advice and exhortation sometimes clearing them with Absolution sometimes purifying them with the Holy Sacrament some way or other always preparing them against the Lords coming And it lies upon him so to do And 2. for the People There needs no more then has been said The ways already mentioned concern us all There is none so righteous but needs some kind of preparation And he that is not he needs them all And if we consider now the time so much the more in that his coming is nearer whom we prepare for 'T is now but a few days to the day he once came to us in the flesh Let 's think of that and prepare our selves to give him thanks to cry Hosanna blessed is he that cometh blessed this blessed way of his coming and blessed the blessed day of his so coming 'T is not many more days 2. to the coming of his flesh and blood in the Holy Sacrament unto us We are expecting and hoping for it and 't is fit we should be preparing for it Better preparation then you have heard I cannot give you for the one or the other Only I may add in solitudine again Withdraw your selves aside into some desart and solitary place to prepare you in retire in private to your souls and to your business I will bring her into the Wilderness says God concerning Israel and speak comfortably unto her Hos. ii 14. The place to hear the voice of divine and heavenly comfort is in our Solitude When we are alone God only and our selves together Remember then we go into our Closets and there prepare our selves forget no point of the preparation but sweep and cleanse and smooth and adorn our souls with all holy vertues or resolutions and come well guarded with attention care and vigilance that nothing unbeseeming pass from us in the way raise up our spirit with holy thoughts and heavenly desires cast down our souls with reverence and humility come without any roughness or unevenness in our affections or behaviour in our ways or paths so shall the Lord come and come with comfort and take us with him and bring us safely to the end of our way the end of our hope to those things which neither eye hath seen or ear heard or ever entred into the heart of man which he has prepared for them that prepare for him in the City prepared for us in the Heavens A SERMON ON The Third Sunday in Advent S. LUKE xxi verse 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 AND because the day of your Redemption draweth nigh the day in which your Redeemer came in a Cloud of Flesh and Clay we are this
day by the course of Holy Church to wish you to look up and lift up your heads to see the Son of man your Redeemer in his second coming coming in a Cloud of Glory That we knowing it is the same Son of man who was once born in a Stable and cradled in a Manger that shall one day come to be the Iudge of Heaven and Earth we might so celebrate his first coming in flesh that when all flesh shall stand before him we might lift up our heads with joy and comfort For many there are which shall hang down theirs such who have not thought aright of his coming into the world or not worthily entertain'd it or not walked with him in it along the stage of his humility or never rightly pondered the terrors of this second coming in the day of Judgment which he himself here Preaches to his Disciples that they might take heed to themselves lest at any time their hearts should be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness the Disease that usually infects all our Christmasses and cares of this life the Disease that infects all our days and so that day come upon them unawares but that watch they should and pray always that they might be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man ver 34. They had but three days before accompanied him to Ierusalem in his progress of meekness and now in one of his returns he begins to tell them of another kind of coming to it in judgment and fury His Disciples who by the sight of such strong and goodly buildings could not conjecture they should end unless the world fell with them ask him presently upon it when those things should come to pass and when should be the end of the world Their Master that he might at once both satisfie and blind their curiosity mingles the signs of the particular destruction of Ierusalem and of the general ruine of the world together that he might the better keep them awake to attend both his general and particular coming and make both them and us at the approach of particular judgments upon Cities or Nations always mindful and prepared for the general judgment of the last day which he here calls the coming of the Son of Man and tells us how to entertain it So that in the Text as the verses so the parts are two 1. Christs coming Then shall they see the Son c. ver 27. 2. The Christians comfort When these things c. ver 28. In Christs coming 1. The time when Then after the signs forementioned then shall they see 2. The generality of it They all that can see shall see his coming 3. The evidence of his coming so plain he may be seen seen by the eye of Faith 4. The certainty They shall see him to be sure 5. The form in which he comes as the Son of man 6. The end to which he comes He comes with power with the power of a Judge for quick and dead 7. The manner of his coming In a Cloud with power and great glory In the Christians comfort 1. Where it begins When these things begin to come to pass then that begins too Then look up 2. To whom it belongs You Disciples do you look up 3. What kind of comfort 't is A looking up a lifting up the head when all heads else droop with fear and grief 4. Whence this comfort arises from what ground it springs for your redemption draweth nigh I go on with all in oâ—der as they lie so that if you remember the words you cannot forget the order and method Then shall c. At Christs coming there we begin but when is that the Heavens shall tell you the Earth shall tell you the Sea shall tell you Men shall tell you The Heavens by signs and wonders by storms and tempests the lights of Heaven shall lose themselves in darkness and forsake their Spheres and their constantest powers shall be shaken out of their course and harmony The Earth shall quake for fear and change its place The Waves shall fright themselves with their own roarings and mens hearts shall fail for fear neither knowing how to stand nor to avoid this dreadful coming When these with all the host of heaven and earth startled out of their natural seats and postures shall have prepar'd and usher'd him the way then shall he come He comes not till all things else have done their motion and have gone their last Nor is it fitting so great a coming should be without an universal preparation where every creature forgetting its own nature begins at last to study his There is nothing that can stand when God comes Heaven it self is at a loss and remembers not its perpetual motion when it but apprehends his approach Every thing is a wonder to it self when he appears If nature it self be thus terrified which groans not for it self but 〈◊〉 what shall we be with all our sins about us how can 〈◊〉 abide his coming Yet then shall he appear when we know not how to appear Heaven and Earth will change their faces Men and Angels will hide theirs only he it is that dares be seen Sins or imperfections make all the creatures cover themselves with some disguises or endeavour it only he who is all purity all perfection comes then to shew himself Yet when this Then shall be when that day and hour shall come no man knows no not the Son of man himself S. Mark xiii 32. as man He that could tell you that come he would and could tell you the immediate signs that would fore-run it knew not then the time when those signs should be or knew it not to tell you That we might always be waiting for his coming Had it been fit for us to know no doubt he would have told us but so far unnecessary it seems to be acquainted with that secret time that he gives us signs which rather puzzle then instruct us signs which we sometimes think fulfilled already signs which have often been the forerunners of particular ruines and fates of Countries and Kingdoms signs which at the same time we fear past already yet think they are not that so by this hard dialect of tokens in heaven and earth we might behold our presumptuous curiosity deluded into a perperual watching for this last coming There were in the Apostles times and there are still in ours men who lov'd to scare the people with Prophesies and Dreams of the end of the world as if this then already were at hand such as would define the year and day as if they had lately dropt out of Gods Council Chamber but we beseech you says S. Paul that you be not troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand 2 Thess. ii 2. Let no man deceive you ver 3. they do but deceive you they vent
could words of comfort come better then in the full discourse of the day of Judgment nor can comfort ever be more welcome then in the midst of those affrightments Christ never spoke out of season but here he seems to have even studied it When these things begin to come to pass before they are at their full height even then look up Worldly comforts come not so early The heat and fury of the Disease must be abated e're they yield us any refreshment They are only heavenly comforts that come so timely to prevent our miseries or to take them at the beginning Nor is it yet only when the day begins to dawn wherein the Son of man comes forth to Judgment that we should first begin to take courage to approach but whilst the foregoing signs of that day are now first coming on Those terrors that affright others should not startle us even whilst the lightnings run upon the ground whilst the Earth trembles the Sea roars the Winds blow and Heaven it self knows not how to look the Righteous is as bold as a Lion he stands in the midst of security and peace This is the state we are to labour for so to put our trust in the most High that no changes or chances of this mortal life may either remove or shake it or make us to miscarry Every calamity should teach us to look up but these should teach us also to lift up our heads Whilst common fears and troubles march about us our Christian patience will teach us cheerfulness but when these things begin to come to pass these which are the ushers to our glory these should rejoyce and cheer us up that our reward is now a coming to us Vs I say for this comfort is not general to all that shall see the Son of man coming in glory but his Disciples only such as have followed him on earth to meet him in heaven Lift up your heads to his servants he speaks such as hear his words and attend his steps and do his precepts Others indeed must hold down theirs the ungodly shall not be able to look up in judgment The covetous man has look'd so always downward that he is not now able to look up The Drunkard has so drown'd his eye-sight in his cups so over-burthened his brain that he can neither lift up his head nor his eyes at this day The voluptuous man has dim'd his eyes with pleasures that he cannot look about and the ambitious man has so lost his hopes of being high and glorious and is become so low and base in the eyes of God that he is asham'd to lift up his head These only that are the true Disciples of their Master whose eyes are us'd to heaven who have so often lift up their eyes thither to pray and praise him they only can look up when these things come to pass Nothing can affright the humble eye nothing can amaze the eye that ever dwells in heaven nothing can trouble the eye that waits upon her God as the eye of a Maiden upon the hand of her Mistriss The humble devout and faithful eye may look up chearfully whilst all things else dare not be seen for shame O blessed God how fully doest thou reward thy servants that wilt thus have them distinguish'd from others by their looks in troubles who hast so order'd all things for them that nothing shall affright them nothing make them to hold down their heads This is a kind of comfort by it self above ordinary that grief or amazement should not appear so much as in our eyes or looks though so many terrors stand round about us I will lift up my eyes unto the Hills and I will lift up mine eyes to thee O thou that dwellest in the heavens are the voice of one that looks up for help and in the midst of these dreadful messengers of Judgment it will not be amiss for us even so to lift up our eyes to beg assistance and deliverance But that is not all our comfort though it be a great one that we can yet have audience in Heaven amidst these fears we have besides the refreshment of inward joy whereby we rejoyce at our approaching glory The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance Psal. lviii 9. even when the day of vengeance comes and the righteous shall rejoyce in their beds Psal. cxlix 5. whilst they are now rising up and lifting up their heads out of their graves to come to Judgment Nor must it seem strange to see the righteous with chearful looks whilst all other faces gather blackness It is not the others misery that they rejoyce at but at their Saviours Glory and their own happiness For their Redemption draweth nigh that 's the ground of all their joy And would you not have men rejoyce who are redeem'd from misery and corruption from the slavery of sin and the power of death would you not have poor Prisoners rejoyce at the approach of their delivery you cannot blame'um if at such news with Paul and Silas they sing in prison sing aloud for joy so loud that the doors dance open for joy though the Keepers awake and even sink for fear Your redemption draweth nigh They are words will make the scattered ashes gather themselves together into bones and flesh words that will make the soul leave Heaven with joy to lift up the head of her dear beloved body out of the Land where all things are forgotten Yea the insensible creatures that groan now under the bondage of corruption will at these words turn their tunes when they see at hand the days of the liberty of the Sons of God Death and destruction are things terrible but when the fear of them is once overpois'd by the near approach of a redemption to eternal life and glory O' Death then where is thy sting O Grave then where is thy victory They shrink in their heads and pull in their stings and cannot hurt us while we with joy and gladness lift up our heads What are all the signs and forerunners of the day of Judgment that they should trouble us when we know the day of Judgment is our day of redemption our day of glory What are the darkness of Sun and Moon the falling of the Stars the very totterings of Heaven it self to us who even thereby expect new heavens where there is neither need of Sun nor Moon nor Star to give us light for the glory of God shall lighten it and the Lamb this Son of man that is coming in his cloud is the light of it Rev. xxi 23. What are the quakings of the Earth and roarings of the Sea to them who neither need Land nor Sea in their journey to heaven What are Wars and rumors of Wars Famines and Plagues and Pestilences and false Brethren what are persecutions and delivering up to Rulers to death and torments what are those perplexities and fears that rob men of their hearts and courages for looking
companion of Beasts from the bosom of his Father to the concave of a Manger is such a descent of humility that we have no more understanding than the very beasts to express it Go man and sit down now in the lowest room thou canst thou canst not sit so low as lay thy Saviour S. Ierome was so much devoted to the contemplation of this strange humility of his Master in this particular that he spent many of his years near the place of this hallowed Manger And S. Luke in S. Ambrose's interpretation pleases himself much in the recounting of this circumstance of his Saviour's Birth and indeed any may so conjecture it that considers how often he repeats it in so little compass thrice within ten verses the 7. 12. and 16. And say I let others seek him in the Courts of Princes in the head of an Army under a Canopy of State in a Cradle of Gold or Ivory I will seek him to day where he was laid whither the Angel sent the Shepherds to seek him where the Shepherds found him in a Manger in a Stable in the humble and lowly heart that in an humble sense of his own unworthiness cries out with Agur Prov. xxx 2. Surely I am more brutish than man and have not the understanding of a man even thinks himself fit for a Manger nay not worthy of it since his Lord lay in it 6. But the Manger is not the worst the dis-respect that forc'd him thither that 's the hardest that there was no room for them in the Inn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eis no room for them mark that 't is not said there was no room no room at all in the Inn but none for them they were so poor it seems and their outward appearance so contemptible that notwithstanding the condition of a Woman great with Child and so near her time they were put away without respect or regard To have fall'n by chance or some accident into so mean a place or have been driven thither by some sudden storm or tempest and so frighted into travel had been no such wonder peradventure but to be driven thither by the unkindness and inhumanity of ones own Countrymen and Tribe too is a trial of humility indeed but to choose to be so for he knew all from the beginning before it came to pass so to contrive all things for it and suffer the uncivil ruggedness of men to drive him out to dwell and lodge among Beasts to have contempt thrown upon his poverty and neglect added to all inconveniences is sure to teach us humility in the harshest usages we meet with He that made all places finds none himself and is content He that hath many Mansions for others in his Fathers house hath not the least lobby in an Inn and repines not at it He that would have given this churlish Host an eternal house in Heaven for asking for cannot have a Cabin for any hire because his parents seem so poor and yet he fetches not fire from Heaven to consume him for his inhumanity How unlike us I pray for whom no downy pallets are soft enough no room sufficiently spacious and Majestick no furniture enough costly no attendance sufficient all respect too little Do we ever call to mind this our Saviours first entertainment in the world or think we are no better then our Master He could have come in state in glory in all magnificence and pomp attended with all respect and honour but would not for our sakes most that we might see what he most delights in and learn it as much by his example as his precept 7. And yet there is a seventh degree of his humility to let all this be done to him in such a publick time and place when the whole world was met together to be taxed where so many were gathered in such a place of meeting as an Inn when the whole City is filled from one corner to another there and then to be so used so despised so scorned as a sign of men and the out-cast of the people ranked with the Horse and Ass to have so many witnesses of affroâ—ts and contempts put upon him to condescend and order so to have it done is the highest of humility for not only to think meanly of our selves but to desire to have all others think meanly of us is so hard a Text that I fear me few can bear it Whatever we suffer or to whatsoever meannesses and under offices we condescend we would not willingly have others think the worse of us for it there is too oft a pride in our good works that lies lurking under them we scarce can throw it off but 't is that 't is that above the rest that we should endeavour to be content to be trampled on and despised for him who was so for us Sum we up now the points of Christs humility to leave his Fathers bosom for the Virgins Womb the great riches in Heaven for great poverty upon earth to wrap up his immensity in Swadling-clothes his Robes of glory in Clouts and Rags forsake his Throne for a Manger the adoration of Saints and Angels for the dis-respects of a surly Host to be seen in this mean pickle to all the world Domine in quis similis tui O Lord who is like to thee who is like to thee may we say this way also in thy humility as well as in thy glory And sure we cannot hereafter any of us grudge to be in rags in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins in Dens and Caves of the earth destitute neglected forsaken repuls'd contemned but humble our selves to the meanest condition without any great reflection upon our Birth or former estates and conditions if Christ shall at any time require it of us seeing the Servant is not better than his Master nor the dry tree than the green and if to him all this was done we should frame our minds at least to a humility ready to undergo it I have run over the plain song of the words the plain lesson of humility that is in them without straining I must back over again to descant out the mysteries that lie under them And she brought forth Before she travell'd she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered of a man-child so prophesied Isaiah Isa. lxvi 7. and so the Fathers do apply it She conceived without corruption and brought forth without sorrow the very Text may bear witness to it for she wrapt it in the Swadling-clothes and she laid it in the Manger says St. Luke No women it seems near to help her for she who needed not the help of man to conceive needed no help of woman sure to bring forth no corruption no sorrow A great mystery none ever like it to begin with But she a Virgin thus bringing forth affords us a second too to instruct us what souls they are of whom Christ is born Pure and Virgin Chaste and Holy only that bring forth him And the
grace not of desert That 't is 4. yet a receiving sufficient full every one enough and that not single grace neither but one for another one after another one upon another That 't is 5. a general business all receiving somewhat some grace or other and that seldom or never by it self none without receiving That 6. it is from Christ from him it is from his grace and from his fulness that we receive whatever we receive That lastly grace for grace it is for some end and purpose it is that we receive it receive grace that we may say grace give thanks and acknowledge it 2. Receive grace that we may shew grace receive grace from God that we may shew it unto men 3. Receive grace even for grace it self to increase and grow in it daily more and more till both it and we come both to perfection Of all these this is the sum that in Christ there is fulness all fulness fulness in both natures fulness that contents not it self till it have fill'd others till it fill us all That from this fulness we receive receive all we have all we have though not all he has all sorts of graces fitting for us and all gratis are therefore to give thanks for it as we have received so to repay again grace for grace And of all this is the scope the Exaltation of Christ and of his grace the scope of the Text the Sermon and the day 'T is but making it yours too and then all will be full And that it may so I begin now particularly to open to you all this fulness where I am first to shew you whose it is His fulness 1. His you know is a Relative must relate to somewhat that is before His to some that was spoken of before who 's that one to whom Saint Iohn bare witness that he was before ver 15. long before in the beginning ver 1. but was fain to draw nearer e're we could see him or his fulness to draw himself into the flesh e're we could fully discern his grace or behold his glory was made flesh the word made flesh ver 14. the only begotten of the Father become the only born of a Virgin Mother before we hear of any one full of grace and truth This word this eternal word this only begotten Son of God is He this His belongs to yet this fulness then fully His when he was made the Son of Man In that first appeared the fulness of his love the fulness of his Word and Promise the fulness of his Grace and Mercy the infinite grace and favour done to our flesh the fulness of his truth and reality above all those empty types and shadows which more amus'd then fill'd the world The body that 's of Christ says the Apostle Col. ii 17. the full body of truth full bodied grace never till he took a body to make it full The Law that could not fill us the very life of things there was poured out at the foot of the Altar and all the rest went into smoke The Prophets they could not fill us with any thing but expectation fill us with good words but alas they are but wind would have proved so too had not he embodied them All the world could not fill us the fulness of time was not come upon it till the Son of fulness came all that was in it till he came was vanity and emptiness could neither satisfie it self nor us 'T is Christ that filleth all in all Ephes. i. 23. He the end of the Law the completion of the Prophets the fulness of the World To him it is that this fulness is attributed to the fulness of Christ Ephes. iv 13. In him it is it dwells Col. i. 19. So it pleased God says the Apostle there so to gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are in earth even in him Ephes. i. 10. Fulness must needs be his in whom all things are gathered altogether in whom earth and heaven together 2. Thus the fulness you see is his and it being the fulness of Heaven and Earth you see in general what his fulness is In particular it cannot be measured It is as high as Heaven what canst thou do deeper then Hell what canst thou know the measure of it is longer then the earth and broader then the Sea Job xi 8 9. There is no end of his fulness no more than of his greatness In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. ii 3. all wisdom and knowledge treasured up in him all in the very knowing him all the very treasures of wisdom and knowledge the choicest to be found there all even hidden and obscured by his swallow'd up in that he knows all and to know him is to know all the highest Wisdom the deepest knowledge is but silliness and ignorance in respect of his hides it self at the comparison as lesser lights do at the Suns glaring Beams in him is all knowledge and in the knowledge of him is all wisdom hidden and contained In him 2. is the fulness of grace Full of grace are thy lips Psal. xlv 3. and if the lip 's full the heart 's not empty for out of the abundance there the fulness here the very stature of fulness Ephes. iv 13. In him 3. is the fulness of truth ver 14. so full that he is stil'd the very truth it self St. John xiv 6. I am the truth the truth of the promises all the promises since the Creation All the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. i. 20. The truth of all the Types and Shadows and Sacrifices from the worlds first cradle the true Paschal Lamb the true Scape-Goat the true High-Priest Adam and Isaac and Ioseph and Ioshua and Samson and David and Solomon were but the representations of him or what was to be more substantially done by him They are but the draughts and pictures he the substance all the way To him they all related had not their offices actions or passions scarce their very names fulfilled but in him all their fulness was in him Their truth and all truth besides the doctrine of truth never fully delivered never fully revealed or known till he came with it We knew it but in pieces we saw it but in clouds we heard it but in dark and obscure Prophesies till he came a light into the world to manifest it all 't is then we first hear of the whole will of God and the declaring that the whole counsel of God Acts xx 27. truth was not at the fulness till he taught it Nor 4. was his the fulness of wisdom and knowledge grace and truth but of the Spirit too not by measure St. Iohn iii. 34. but immeasurably full He all the graces of the Spirit and all of them to the full in him The Spirit himself proceeds from him St. Iohn xv 26. he must therefore
are scandalized at it One would think they were so still that are so much against Christs saving any body but themselves that they will allow him neither to save nor come to save any body but the Elect. True indeed he saves none but the Elect that is he saves none but them that are and shall be sav'd but he came to save even them too that shall not be saved Not for our sins only says S. Iohn expresly but for the sins of the whole world S. John ii 2. The whole world be it as large as it will and the sins of it be they as great as they can and all the sins of the world indefinitely be they whose they will in it for wicked Manasses his as well as good Hezekiah's for Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Davids Adultery Solomons Idolatry S. Peters Apostacy S. Pauls persecuting and blaspheming for all sorts of sins and sinners So they be Saints say they though they be of the world says He He is a propitiation for them all would have all men sav'd says S. Paul 1 Tim. ii 4. even them that deny him When he has bought them says S. Peter 2 S. Pet. ii 1. 'T is neither a true nor faithful saying nor much worth the accepting as many receivers as it has that says otherwise that binds up his coming only to the Elect. For if not for all they may be out for all their brags may be too righteous to be in among the sinners among the righteous that he says himself he came not for This saying that we are for That Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners is a faithful saying worthy all acceptation even the chiefest the world affords to be received by all whilst it self rejects none And that it is so we are now to shew you in all particulars That 't is a faithful saying first That word has many senses and this saying is faithful in them all in all those senses in all its parts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is certus indubitatus and a faithful saying is 1. a certain and undoubted truth Christs coming is no less We know it says S. Iohn know that the Son of God is come even his Son Iesus Christ 1 S. Iohn v. 20. Come and come in the flesh 1 S. John iv 3. that 's sure enough into the world and none but the spirit of Antichrist says he none but Hereticks will deny it An Angel this day proclaimed it a whole Choire came this day down to celebrate it the Wisemen a while after came from the ends the earth to see it Nothing but what we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled do we declare in it says S. Iohn 1 S. Iohn i. 1. The whole Land of Iudea daily saw it millions have died for the truth of it and the whole world is witness of it And 't is certain he came for sinners to seek and save them S. Luke xix 10. keep them from being lost came and went for them came into the world and went out of it died to save them Whilst we were yet sinners he did so Rom. v. 8. gave commission besides that when he was gone remission should be preach'd to sinners all the world over in his name S. Luke xxiv 47. This takes in the chiefest makes that certain too that he excludes none for to save the world he came says he that lay in his bosom and knew his heart to save and not to judge it That comes but ex eventu when men will not be sav'd To judge or condemn them was not his business unless they were such as would not be sav'd and are there any so great sinners as would not 2. And all this is not only true and faithful or certain in it self but makes 2. all Gods former sayings to be so too It fulfils the Promises it perfects the Sacrifices it answers the Types it compleats all the Prophesies that went before all was shadow till this substance came all their good and happiness was but coming till Iesus came all was but say and say meer words till this eternal Word leapt down from Heaven This coming of Christ gave faith and credit to them all Now God is fully prov'd to be faithful and all his Promises and Prophesies full and true Now Iacob's Shiloh Isaiah's Immanuel Ieremiah's Branch Daniels Messiah Zachariah's Day-spring Haggaâ—'s desire of all Nations is come into the world and all the Sacrifices of Bulls and Rams and Lambs and Goats recapitulated in this Holy Lamb and all the Types from the beginning of the world compleated in this great antitype to day beginning to appear in the end of the world as the Apostle speaks to put away sin Heb. ix 26. Ay that 's the business that makes this saying yet more faithful in the way we are now speaking of this putting away sin or saving sinners This Lo I come puts an end and period to all Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices for sin Psal. xl No more of them to be heard of when this true Sacrifice is once brought into the world All the old Prophesies end here too For to bear our iniquities to make his soul an offering for sin to make intercession for the transgressors comes this righteous Servant as the Prophet Isaiah stiles him Isa lxiii 10 11 12. And to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity comes Daniels Messiah Dan. ix 24. And now he is come they all are at an end their words made good and all is true all faithful and true And if iniquity transgressions and sins be enough to take in all sorts of sinners as no doubt it is his coming to save the chiefest of them does but the more fulfil the truth of all 3. But the words are faithful 3. in another sense not the fulfilling only of our Fore-fathers Faith but the full of ours For to believe Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners is to believe all we are obliged to believe either of God or Christ or of our selves In the word Christ is the whole Trinity his own Person and Offices compris'd in Iesus and his coming both his Natures in sinners is our own And in his coming into the world to save them is the whole work and business of our Redemption Will you see them how they rise Why to be Christ is to be anointed and to be anointed supposes as well him that does anoint which S. Peter says was God the Father Acts iv 27. the first Person and that with which he is anointed which the same Apostle tells us was the Holy Ghost Acts x. 38. the third Person as well as him that is anointed whom the second Psalm makes God the Son the second Person And this anointing too implies all his Offices of King Priest and Prophet they anointed all of them and he anointed to be them all Here are all the Persons in the Trinity
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
but to all the people the whole people But in conspectu totius populi it might be for all one people and the rest ne're a whit the nearer to salvation the further off rather when it is so restrain'd â—niuscujusque populi would be better for all the people of the world 'T is somewhat near the height that of what we can desire yet omnium populorum 't is we need for all people whatsoever not only all that then were but all before up to Abraham up to Adam and all since down to us that live this day down to all that shall survive us as long as there shall be people upon earth Vniuscujusque populi had been enough for the whole world then alive Omnium populorum it must be or the Fathers before and we since are men most miserable But do not Simeons old eyes deceive him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all I know some quicker sights some younger eyes that can construe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into pauci can see no such matter It may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glory of the elect Israel at the end of the Text dims their weak eyes or peradventure like men overwhelm'd with the news of some unexpected fortune they think themselves in a dream and dare not give credit to their eyes though they behold it so great and undeserv'd a blessing that 't is a labour to perswade 'um that they see it though they cannot but see it Simeons eyes are old enough to ponder objects he knows what he sees and he speaks what he knows and he speaks no more then the Angel before told the Shepherds gâ—udium quod erit omni populo tidings of joy which shall be to all people erit shall be for ever And say not the Apostles the same also The Saviour of all men says St. Paul 1 Tim. iv 10. specially of them that believe of them especially not them only Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. ii 4. The Saviour of the world St. John iv 14. A ransom for all 1 Tim. ii 6. God not willing that any perish not any 2 St. Peter iii. 9. Nay God himself says more Ezek. xxxiii II. I will not the death no not of the wicked not of a sinner Much less his death before he be or man or sinner That 's no kin to salutare tuum that 's not salvation but destruction prepar'd And 't is not nollem I would fain not have it so but plain nolo I will not or more to the word I not will it I deny it utterly Thy destruction is from thy self 't is none of my doings Salutare meum I will the contrary To put all out of question take his oath Vivo ego as I live I do not And accordingly does the Saviour himself send out his general proclamation St. Mat. xi 28. Come to me all that are heavy laden and who is not yet do but come come who will and I will ease He calls 'um all by that grace they may come if they will except you think he mocks 'um when they are come He will refresh them To take away all plea of ignorance or excuse we proceed further In conspectu omnium not only prepared for all but in the sight of all before their faces So prepar'd that they may see and know it know it to be prepar'd not that it might be and is not as if indeed the salvation were sufficient in it self but God would not suffer it to be so So though universal yet so hidden under obscure and nice distinctions that few can see it but withal so evident that all may see it in conspectuomnium none with good reason deny it Had it been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they migh have had some pretence and colour if they had not seen it had it been only in sight many things are so which we oft-times do not see But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is just before our faces we must be blind if we see not that If for all this they close their eyes and will not see then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is contra against 'um to confute to confound their vain imaginations So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be against those that cry out the light of righteousness rose not upon us to prove the contrary now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their faces There is no idle word in Scripture every Adverb and Preposition and Article the dictate of the Spirit There are other words he might have used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 methinks on purpose 1. It may be besides what has been said to distinguistâ— the Iews and Vs since this salvation came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before our faces When the light 's before the shadows are behind So it is with us ever since the Sun of Righteousness arose this day since this light of Salvation left the clouds When the light 's behind the shadows are before So to the Jewish Synagogue Salvation behind the cloud to them Nothing before their eyes but veils and shadows nothing else took up their eye-sight but we with open face behold the glory of the Lord. 2. Or may it not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the face of the world clean contrary That 's for nothing but glory and pomp God works not as man works but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the hair will have an humble Saviour lowly born of poor Parentage in a Stable wrapt in Rags laid in a Manger no Royal Cradle no Princely Palace without Attendants without State The Angels themselves at such a sight as this could not but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bow down and look and look again and mistrust their eye-sight to see God in a Cratch Heaven in a Stable and bow down we must our high towring thoughts and lay 'um level with that from whence we were taken if we would bless our eyes with so hidden secrets or be partakers of so great Salvation They were poor Shepherds that first saw this happy sight as it were on purpose to inform us that the poor humble Spirit has the first rank among those whoever see Salvation 3. Or lastly is it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the inclination and capacity of all people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 durum genus stony-hearted people those that set their faces against Salvation to soften them if possible or else to break them in pieces like a potters vessel Or again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 people so call'd from the Corner-stone Christ Iesus such as had already turn'd their faces towards salvation to further and encourage them Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only of the people to their capacity but to theirs too who were neither his people nor people whose
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
it of either the one or the other much more of both cannot want strength to die be the death of what kind it will It was a gallant speech of Luther when he was disswaded from appearing before the Council of Wormes I think it was that he would go thither though all the tiles of the houses were so many Devils Had every stone that was cast at the Martyr Stephen been a Devil he would not after this vision have been afraid The Lord is my light and my salvation whom then should I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid says David Psal. xxvii 1. and yet he saw nothing like this sight Gods presence is enough whether it be seen by the eye of sense or by the eye of Faith to keep us stedfast to make death hide its head for fear while we stand triumphing over it I conceive it impertinent to make it a business to enquire too solicitously what this glory was and how St. Stephen saw it That it was some glorious sight some high resplendent light or brightness such as God used to appear in as Exod. xxiv 17. Numb xiv 10. 1 Kings viii 10. to Moses and his Prophets there call'd his glory or some apparition of Angels in shining garments winging about a throne of glory visibly appearing to the eye of the Martyr Stephen is the probablest to conceive and the shining of his face as if it had been the face of an Angel chap. vi ver 15. is an evidence it was a visible appearance But no doubt his understanding saw further then his eye into Heaven that lookt and saw a glory there of which the sense though elevated to his height cannot be capable Divinum lumen says St. Gregory Nissen the inaccessible light Spem in re says St. Hilary His hope already Deum Divinitatem says St. Austin God and the Godhead Imo Trinitatem and that facie revelata says he again The blessed Trinity unveiled Futurae vita gaudia says Bede The joys of the other life These all he saw say they and we shall make no scruple to say in Spirit so he did as far as humane nature is capable in this condition But without question Christ he saw in his body standing amidst that glory the words are plain for that and that alone were enough to put courage into the most coward heart To see his Faith confirm'd by sight and Christs Glory with the Father visibly appear to see whom he had trusted and for whom he had laboured and disputed now with his own eyes in glory must needs make him kiss the hands that would now send him so soon to him To see him 2. standing at the right hand of God as if he were risen from his sitting there to behold the sufferings and courage of his Martyr that stood below now made a spectacle to Christ and all his Angels that 's an honour he may well glory in To see him 3. standing amidst his hosts as if he were coming down to help him that adds more spirit still To see him 4. standing at the right hand of God as if he suffered with him and was therefore pleading for him as friends and advocates used to do with the accused party at the Bar. This infuses yet a greater confidence that notwithstanding all his sins or weaknesses he shall now easily prevail To see him 5 standing as a Priest to offer him up a sweet smelling sacrifice to his Father that still increases it To see him lastly standing like a judge of masteries at the end of the race or goal to crown him with a crown of glory cannot but make him think long for the death that shall bring him to it All these ways Christ may be brought in here as standing for us In the Creed we profess him sitting thereby acknowledging his place in Heaven and his right to be our Judge yet when his Saints and Servants have need of him he stands up to see what it is they want how valiantly they behave themselves he stands up to shew them who it is they trust he stands up to help and aid them he stands up to plead and even suffer with them he stands up to present them to his Father he stands up to reward them with the garlands of Glory Sometimes it is oftner it has been when the beginning of Christianity needed it at first that by some visible comforts and discoveries he shews himself to the dying Saint Often it is that the soul ready to depart feels some sensible joys and ravishments to uphold its failing spirits But he is never wanting with inward assistances and refreshments to those who suffer for him We must not look all of us nor Confessors nor Martyrs now adays to see Visions and Revelations with St. Stephen we are set in a fixt way where Reason and Religion so long prov'd and practis'd is able to give us comfort in the saddest distresses God does not usually confirm our reason by our sense in the revelation of himself or what he expects from us It may be because the Devil grown cunning now by so many centuries of years has taken up of late as he is Gods ape a way to fetch off souls by some sensible delusions from the Faith for he can transform himself nay does so says the Apostle into an Angel of light For this it may be God sends us now to the word and to the testimony and leaves us to reason tradition and example of so many ages to expound it However this is sufficient that neither God nor Christ will leave us wholly comfortless but will surely stand by us when we need and supply us as there is Indeed he cannot look for such a profession upon it as we find here from St. Stephen yet to a stedfast profession of our Faith those assistances he still allows us are sufficient We will look a little upon Stephens though And first here is a kind of profession of the Blessed Trinity the Holy Ghost here at the beginning of the first verse of the Text God in the middle and Jesus at the end Here is 2. a profession of Christs manhood whilst he calls him the Son of Man Here is 3. a profession of his Faith in all of them by his so loud proclaiming Here is 4. a profession of Gods ready help Christs ready assistance to his Saints in trouble Here is 5. a profession of Gods owning the Christians cause and gloriously standing up to confirm and maintain Here is 6. a profession of Christs opening Heaven to all Believers that Heaven is always open to us if we could see it that Gods Glory shines upon us to shew us the way thither that Christ stands there to make our way to guide us thither Here lastly is a profession of his confidence and resolution that though his enemies stand pressing now about him and Death before him he will not eat his words will not renounce his faith
will not slip the collar will not deny any thing of what he has said or done disclaim any thing that he believed desert him whom he had trusted but preach him to his death and die upon it And now the heavens being open 't is good to make what haste we can to enter it Moneta a famous Doctor of Bononia upon the hearing these words Behold I see the heavens open preacht soberly upon that they would be quickly shut if men made no more haste to enter betook himself presently says his Story to a Religious Order I say nothing to that particular but yet must tell you the words are strong enough if we would look as stedfastly into them as St. Stephen did into Heaven to perswade to a Religious Life Heaven will not always be open to us Patet atri jaâ—ua Ditis 'T is Hell that stands continually wide ope We are told by Christ himself that the Bridegroom comes and the doors are shut there will be a time if we continue in sin and negligence when Heaven it self nay Christ himself will not let us in Take we then our time whilst Christ stands at the door Heaven has this day been strangely open to us and Christ stood there in a glorious manner though our eyes did not our Faiths I hope did see him there 'T is good taking this opportunity to get in we know not whether we shall live to the next opening Prepare we then our selves with St. Stephen here by stedfast looking upward into Heaven by disdaining and scorning all things below by vehement earnest longings after things above by setting our selves attentively and constantly to our Devotions and our Prayers by holy Charity and praying for Friends and Enemies by constant resolutions to live and die to Christ by a bold profession of our Faith and continuance in it by making it our Christmas work our Holiday business our Festival delight And then though I cannot promise you Visions here while we live below I dare promise you the blessed Vision hereafter above where we shall see Iesus standing at the right hand of God and there stand round about him with this blessed Martyr Stephen and all his Saints and Martyrs in the Glory of God for evermore A SERMON ON Innocents Day St. MATTH 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 Wisemen THE Text needs no Apology 'T is for the Day The Day is that of the poor Martyred Innocents and the Text the Story of it Yet what does Day or Story here to day How does the relation of one of the saddest murthers that the Sun ever saw suit with the news of the gladdest Joy that day e're brought forth How do the cries and screeches of slaughtered Infants keep time or tune with the Songs and Hymns of Angels An hellish crue of murtherers to day agree with the heavenly host we heard of three days since What does Herod so near Christ or Childermas in Christmas Do not both Day and Story want an Apology though the Text does not Neither of them they come well now to season our Mirth and Jollities that they run not out too lavishly For we find too oft there are sad days in Christmas too days wherein we play the Herods and kill our Children and our selves by disorders and excesses for want of some such serious thoughts story and day stand fitly here to mind us of it But besides they are well plac'd to teach us that we must not look only for gaudy days by Christ he says himself he came to send a sword St. Mat. x. 34. Sent it to day amongst the little ones sends sword and fire too sometimes amongst the great ones in the midst of all their pleasure and we must expect it commonly the closer we come to him Nor Christianity nor innocence can excuse us We therefore not to think it strange when it so falls out reckon it rather a Christmas business the matter of our rejoycing to suffer with these Infants for Christ though we know not why no more than they never to think much to lose our Children or our selves for him at any time and so bring them up that they may learn to think so too These Meditations I hope are not unseasonable no not in Christmas Yet for all that I ask again Is it possible that there should be such a thing in truth such a wantonness in cruelty as to kill so many thousand Children so barbarously in a time of peace is it probable that men should raise up fears and jealousies of their own and make such innocent Lambs pay for it 'T is Gospel you see so true as that Such a thing there was in the days of Herod and we have seen so much like it in our own that we may the easier believe it Children and innocents slain and undone for nothing but because some men with Herod here thought they were mockt when disappointed of their projects when Christus Domini the Lords Christ or Anointed had escap'd them and the Wise men came not in to hinder it so they grew exceeding wroth upon it and make poor Bethlehem and Rachel all of us still rue sorely for it Well then the Text being so true in it self so pat to the time and not disagreeable to the times of late so profitable besides we 'l now go on with it by Gods blessing and see what we can make of it 'T is the Martyrdom I told you and I have the word from S. Cyprian and S. Austin of a company of little innocent babes And we have in it these particulars 1. Their Persecutor or Murtherer Herod 2. The occasion of their Martyrdom Persecution or Murther His thinking himself mockt When he saw he was mocked of the Wise men c. 3. The cause of it Wroth he was exceeding wroth infinitely angry to be disappointed that 's the reason he fell upon them 4. The little Martyrs themselves All the children that were in Bethlehem and all that were in the coasts about 5. Their Martyrdom Slain they were men were sent out to kill them He sent forth and slew them 6. The extent and exactness of the cruelty observed in it all the children from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the Wise men These are the Parts that make up the History And if in the pursuing it I shew you a mystery now and then shew you there are more Herods and more martyred children then we see in the letter of the Text that the story is acted over still every day by our selves you will be content I hope to take it for an application that brings all home And it will not do amiss even now at Christmas to mind us of
stake seeing the King of the Jews whose birth he had lately heard of and so much dreaded was now gotten he fear'd out of his reach This was the business that so toss'd him and turmoil'd him and from it we learn these five particulars 1. What strange fears and jealousies our interests and ambitions raise within us 2. What unreasonable mistakes those fears and jealousies bring us to 3. What hideous cruelties those mistakes make us run upon 4. How hardly Christ himself escapes from them 5. Or if he does how exceeding wroth and angry we grow upon it 1. If interest or ambition possess our thoughts how do we tremble at the very whistlings of the wind and start at every shadow Let Adonijah but beg Abishag and he is interpreted to beg the Kingdom 1 Kings ii 22. Let Abijah find Iereboam in the way and foretel him the Kingdom shall be his when Solomon sleeps with his Fathers and Solomon cannot sleep in quiet till he has driven him out of the land 1 Kings xi 40. And 2. When these fears have once seiz'd upon us what mistakes run we not into Ahimelech gives David but a few loaves of bread and a Sword to defend him in the way he went and he is presently mistaken by Saul for a plotter against his life for a traitor and a conspirator 1 Sam. xxii 13. Many such mistakes men have made of late too late I fear to be yet forgotten Yet forgotten they would be easily came they not 3. attended with cruelties at their heels Ahimelechs being mistaken unhappily cost him and his family all their lives except Abiathar's Men and Women Children and Sacklings Oxen and Asses and Sheep all to the Sword upon it 1 Sam. xxii 19. There is no stop nor bounds to the rage of that error and mistake which interest and ambition raise or nourish for their own ends and purposes It were well Christ himself could escape them 4. But Christ and Religion bear the blame as soon as any And when I told you Ahimelech and the Priests suffered so deep upon mistake it was ready enough for you to conceive Religion cannot always defend it self or its Priests and Votaries from the fury even of an unfortunate Politician Saul or Herod And if the Messiah himself and known to be so must be sought out to be destroyed even by him who both knew it and seem'd to desire it there are men it seems that for their interests can knew Christ and yet persecute him No wonder then if they deal so with his Children and Servants and persecute them though they know them such Or lastly if Christ himself by some peculiar providence be delivered from their rage if the grounds of Religion escape sound the lesser parts the Rites and Ceremonies and lesser points of Religion the Innocents must be massacred for we are exeeding angry and though the Head escape the lesser members shall pay dearly for it which though the great ones do not the little ones shall Herod sends out and slays all the children that were in Bethlehem and the coasts about as many as he can lay hands on His interests make him fear his fears make him mistake his mistake makes him cruel and though Christs Kingdom be not of this world nor Christ an enemy either to Herod or Caesar yet the politician is bound in honour to justifie his own fears and rather than put up a fancied affront or slighting or confess a mistake wreak his anger upon the helpless Innocents and make them both the Martyrs of Christ and the witnesses of his own cruelty Those are they I am next to speak of IV. And I justly call them Martyrs for if it be the cause that makes the Martyr and we say it is and Christs cause be that which entitles them more particularly to that name I am sure they are no less their cause was Christs for his sake they were killed as the Psalmist speaks all the day long accounted too as sheep or little lambs appointed to be slain Psalm xliv 22. And you may see them following the Lamb too under that notion with the Fathers name written in their foreheads Rev. xiv 1. the very first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb ver 4. the first that suffered that died for him Who though they could not some of them speak at all and other of them but jabber at the most yet they all speak out and plain these fallowing lessons 1. That there is no age too young for Christs business one way or other They that cannot speak for Christ can die for him They that cannot come themselves may be brought to him They that cannot live with him being just going out of the world as they are coming in may die with him in holy Baptism e're they go Even of such also is the Kingdom of God St. Mat. x. 44. and it matters not whether they go by Blood or Water thither Nor 2. is any age too young to speak out Christs Glory neither Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength thou hast perfected praise says the Prophet Psal. viii 2. S. Matth. xxi 16. and never more eminently fulfilled then this day their very cries were songs of praise Hosanna's to the Son of David blessed is he that cometh Hallelujahs in the ears of God in whose name he cometh None ever cried it louder or proclaimed it higher The Choire is a full one too of all the children of Bethlehem and the coasts about to such an age 14000. is the least that any say 44. some A full Chorus indeed a large first-fruits of Martyrdom to teach us thirdly not to doubt of that which is attested by so many witnesses the coming of Christ nor think strange of that condition which entered with him which entred first with Christianity whilst it yet was in the Cradle Persecution and Martyrdom but to bear it patiently ever when it comes seeing Children themselves have undergone it here by thousands and trod the way before us But they not only teach us patience by their martyrdom but innocency by their innocence a fourth lesson that they give us Let Herod and all his Hosts all the Herods and Hosts and Armies of the world do what they can they cannot hurt us if we keep our innocence Out of the world they may thrust us but into Heaven it is they drive us Here if they please they may truly see themselves mockt indeed when against their wills they undo us into a Kingdom think they destroy us but will find at last to their confusion that they have been the great instruments to us both of life and glory Rapiunter quidem says S. Austin à complexibus matrum sed redduntur gremus angelorum These Infants says he were snatcht indeed from their Mothers breasts but into the laps of Angels were they carried and into the bosom of the Almighty Quos feliciter nati says he again How happily were they born that were thus early
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
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
St. Paul seems to find a kind of delight and sweetness in the very repeating it he so often uses it begins and ends his Epistles with it garnishes them all through with it scarce uses the very name of Christ without it as if it even sweetned that at least made it sweeter and made the Oyl and Chrism with which Christ himself was anointed run more merrily and freely to the very skirts of his clothing So that now is there any one sad let him take Iesus into his heart and he will take heart presently and his joy will return upon him Is any one fallen into a sin let him call heartily upon this Name and it will raise him up Is any one troubled with hardness of heart or dulness of spirit or dejection of mind or drowsiness in doing well in the meditation of this Name Iesus a Saviour all vanish and flie away Who was ever in such fear that it could not strengthen who in any danger that it could not deliver who in so great anxiety that it did not quiet who in any despair that it could not comfort and revive That we are not sensible of it is our own dulness and experience If we would but seriously meditate upon it we should quickly find it otherwise Nothing would please us where this Name were not No discourse would please us where it was not sometimes to be heard No writings delight us if this Name were left out All the sweetest Rhetorick and neatest eloquence would be dull without it our very prayers would seem imperfect which ended not in this very Name Our days would look dark and heavy which were not lightned with the Name of the Son of Righteousness Our nights but sad and dolesom which we entred not with this sweet Name when we lay down without commending our selves to God in it Our very years would have been a thousand times more unhappy than even those which we have seen of late would be nothing but trouble discontent and misery did they not begin in this Name were they not yearly usher'd in under the protection of it Were not this His Name was called Iesus proclaimed to day to begin it with we might call the year what we would but good we could not call it This setting forth Iesus a Saviour in the front is that which saves us all the year through from all the unlucky and unfortunate days that men call in it All the ill Aspects of Heaven of all the Stars and Planets grow vain and idle upon it and our days run sweetly and pleasantly under it The Psalmist seems thus to prophesie and foretel it Psal. lxv 12. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness and thy clouds drop fatness This day crowns the year this Name crowns the day all our dwellings would be but a sad wilderness all the year without it but they rejoyce and laugh and sing Hills and Vallies too being thus blest in the entrance of the year with this happy Name I end this point though so sweet that I part with it unwillingly with a stave or two of devout Bernards Jubile or Hymn upon it Nil canitur suâ—vins auditur nil jucundius Nil cogitatur dulcius quam Iesus Dei filius c. Iesu dulcedo cordium Fons vivâ—s lumen mentium Excedens omne gaudium omne deâ—iderium Nec lingua valet dicere nec litera exprimere Expertus potest oredere quod siâ— Iesum diligere There is nothing sweeter to be sung of nothing more delightful to be heard nothing more pleasant to be thought of than this Iesus Iesus the delight of hearts the light of minds above all joy above all we can desire the tongue cannot tell words cannot express only he that feels it can believe what sweetness is in Iesus A long song he makes of it It would not be amiss that we also made some short ones some ejaculations and raptures now and then upon it Give us but a taste and relish of the sweetness of thy blessed Name O Iesus and we shall also sing of it all the day long and praise thy Name for ever and ever and sing with the same Father Iesu Decus Angelicum in aure dulce canâ—icum in ore mel mirâ—ficâ—m in csrde nectar coelicum O Jesu thou joy and glory of Men and Angels thy Name is Musick in our ears honey in our mouths heavenly nectar to our hearts all sweetness all pleasure to us throughout wonderful sweet VI. Nay wonderful in all for 't is a Name of wonder and admiration Wonderful is one of the names the Prophet calls him by Isa. ix 6. And Cabalistical wits have pickt wonders out of it from every letter in all three languages In the Hebrew there are four letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from the signification of these letters rise the mystery Iod signifies a hand Schin a tooth Vau a nail or hook and Ain an eye the hand is the instrument of power the teeth one of the instruments of voices and words the nail an instrument in his passion and the eye an instrument or great discoverer of mercy and pity By all these he is our Iesus by his power he overthrew our enemies which would have slain us by his word he revives our souls when they were slain and dead by his Passion he redeemed us from our sins and for his own mercy sake he did all these In the Greek there are six letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which according to the old device of vailing names in numbers amount to the number of 888. the first letter is 10. the second 8. the third 200. the fourth 70. the fifth 400. and the last 300. which put all together make up that number and by reason that eight is the number they say of the Resurrection that falling out the eighth day the day after the Sabbath which is the seventh include this Mystery That in Iesus is our rest and Resurrection to eternal quiet The name of Antichrist is covered in the Revelation under the number of 666. Now the six days are days of labour pain and trouble the seventh is but a short day of rest whilst we are here 't is only the eighth day that follows after all which must close up all in everlasting glory free from all labour pain and troubâ—â— and this is found in no other name than in the Name of Iesus nor given us in any other And that it may not pass for a meer fancy the Cuman Sybills verses thus foretold his Name many years before Tunc ad mortales veniet mortalibus ipsis In terris similis natus patris omnipotentis Corpore vestitus vocales quatuor autem Fert non vocalesque duas binum geniorum Sed quae fit numeri totius summa docebo Namque octo monades totidem decades super ista Atque hecatontadas octo infidis significabit Hominibus nomen Tâ—â— vero mente teneto There shall come says she into the
make this house the Church of God It is the Gate and Court of Heaven now Christ is here Angels sing round about it all Holiness is in it now Christ is in it Here all the Creatures reasonable and unreasonable come to pay their homage to their Creator hither they come even from the ends of the earth to their devotions a house of Prayer it is for all people Gentiles and all hither they come to worship hither they come to pay their Offerings and their Vows here 's the Shrine and Altar the glorious Virgins Lap where the Saviour of the World is laid to be adored and worship'd here stands the Star for tapers to give it light and here the Wisemen this Day become the Priests worship and offer present prayers and praises for themselves and the whole world besides all people of the world high and low learned and ignorant represented by them This House then is a place well worth the coming to here might the Wisemen well end all their Journeys sit down and rest where the eternal Wisdom keeps its residence here may the greatest Potentates not disdain to stoop and enter where the King of Kings and Lord of Lords vouchsafes to make his Lodging Here only in this blessed Inn where Christ is lodged can the soul truly rest no Wisdom but what is here no Greatness but what is his no house but what is sanctified by his presence no bed but where his right hand becomes our Pillow and his left our covering can satisfie the wearied soul or give so much as one wink of rest or quiet or contentment to it Well may the Wisemen pass by all other houses tocome to this slight all the magnificent Palaces in the earth to take up a lodging in this Inn leave all other sights for this blessed sight and count nothing worth the seeing till they see him nothing but him Wise men will do so still esteem Gods House how mean soever it appear above all houses his sight above all that can be seen count all things dross and dung so they may gain Christ one glance of him one beam of his glorious brightness Any place shall be worth being in where he is no journey tedious that at last brings to him no way troublesome that leads to him Rocks and Mountains easier than flowry plains and Meadows Sands and Desarts pleasanter than the Spicie Gardens of the East and the Hesperian Orchards Ice and Snows and rain and hail and stormy weather the greatest hardships that all these lower Regions can pour upon us more delightful than continual Summers and perpetual Springs than uninterrupted sun-shines and gawdy days if by those endurances we may at length arrive at the feet of Christ. All the injuries and inconveniences that can befall us here are not worth the naming so they bring us to our Saviour O my God let me loose all so I may find him let me want any thing so I want not him let me have nothing so I may have him He is the only thing the Wise men sought and he it is that thus seeking they found and saw at last And when they were come into the house they found the young Child with Mary his Mother And he was a thing worth finding And found he would be because they sought him will be so of us if we seek him diligently carefully and constantly as they did here For the vvords here may as vvell carry the title of a revvard for their pains as of a posture of their faith Some ancient Copies which the Latine follows read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 invenerunt they found the Child and thus it seems to speak their success and the recompence of their labour in the search Others they say as ancient read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viderunt they saw the Child which our English follows and though there be no great difference or matter of distinction yet being authorized by our Church we are willing to make use of as being of a larger capacity as well somewhat expressing the Wise mens carriage as their success For we intend to handle both 1. As it presents to us their success A success sufficient to encourage us all to turn perpetual travellers to find Christ in the flesh Christ a Child to find him as soon almost as he can be found a young Child not yet full a fortnight old to find him with his Mother too Christ and the devout soul together Christ and the soul united to find him and Mary together Christ exalted in our hearts for so Mary signifies exalted his Kingdom and Power set up and exalted in our hearts to find all this all this for one poor journey for the pains and labour of so small a number of days and hours is a success than which no journey no undertaking can have better yet all these are here 1. They found first an incarnate God their Saviour in the flesh a sight that the very Angels desire to look into Bow down to look into says St. Peter 1 Pet. i. 12. A sight which all the Patriarchs and Prophets still desired to see but could not A sight which made the very Angels leave their heaven to come down and see and seeing sing for joy A sight which made the Stars rejoyce in their courses and wait upon poor mortals steps that they might be admitted to behold it For indeed what wonder ever saw they like it He that spans the Heavens become a span breadth himself The eternal word without a word to say the infinite wisdom become childishness the incomprehensible greatness wrapt up in swadling-bands He that fills heaven and earth not big enough to fill a Virgins arms He that opens his hand and fills all things living with his plenteousness sucking himself a little milk out of his Mothers Breasts to live by He poor himself who makes all rich God a man Eternity a child who would not travel the world over to see this miracle and think his time and pains never spent so well as then 2. But secondly to have the first sight almost as it were of so happy a wonder adds something to the glory of the success to be admitted among the first into Christs presence to be so honour'd as to be of the number of his first attendants to be with him whilst he is yet a child to wait upon this new-born King and have relation to him from his Cradle to meet with him so young so tender so pliable so easie to be approach'd and dealt with is a success of so much honour and obligement that we may expect any thing from his hands being of his first followers and servants in so tender a condition towards us 3. Thus far the Journey seems sufficiently successful yet not only to find a Saviour in the flesh so near allied unto us and so soon almost as he is so made to us but also thirdly to find him in his Mothers arms fast claspt within our souls for every
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
either understand Religion or practice it that God still allows us the glory of these Stars though one differing in glory from another that he hath not yet totally darkned our heaven upon us nor removed our true lawful and faithful Pastors clean away that we wander not from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East that we run not to and fro to seek the Word of God to see a Star and cannot find it but have them yet standing over us and directing us It will be a thousand to one but we miss of Christ when we lose this Star a thousand to one that we go into the wrong house instead of his when we lose our Bishops and Teachers the days we now see tell us so already For his House being undoubtedly the Church and the Church not to be seen or found but by the light and brightness of successive Bishops and Ministers who are the Churches glory and its Crown and joy nothing but sad and giddy errors can be expected where they are not A third Star is the Word of God and there first the sure Word of Prophecy a light as St. Peter stiles it shining in a dark place to which he tells us we do well if we take heed 2 Pet. i. 19. Then secondly the sure Promises of the Gospel of Grace and Truth and Pardon the comfortable and glorious light by which we are led to the knowledge of Christ full glad and merry with the hopes of such pardon and forgiveness of such grace and favour A fourth Star is inward Grace the light of the holy Spirit by which we are not only led to the place of this new-born Child but this Child it self even new-born in us This is a Star that rises in the very heart the Day-star rising there 2 Pet. i. 19. without which we should sit in perpetual shades the day never dawn upon us All the former Stars good Examples and Instructions and spiritual Predictions and Promises Pastors and Teachers can teach little without this Star St. Paul may plant and Apollos water and no increase the Preachers speak and preach into the air nothing stay behind good example be spilt as water on the ground divine Prophesies and Promises only strike the outward ear to little purpose all of them together unless the Spirit speak within and warm and lighten the soul with its fiery tongue and comfort it vvith invvard light and heat Hence is the joy that is unspeakable and full of glory which the Apostle speaks of 1 Pet. i. 8. A fifth Star which is heavenly glory a bright morning Star it is that Christ promises to give him that continues and holds out unto the end Rev. ii 28. I will give him the morning star that is eternal life the Star of glory This is a Star will shew us Christ as he is bring us to him not in his Cradle but in his Throne not in his Mothers lap but in his Fathers bosom A Star that will lead us both here and hereafter to his presence Here the great Star that most surely brings us and most effectually perswades to Christ and Christian Piety is the hope of Heaven the promise of Glory In the strength of this hope we suffer any thing for him we hunger and thirst endure cold and nakedness poverty and scorn whips and fetters halters and hatchets racks and tortures ignominy and death whilst this Star seems to open heaven unto us thus it brings us to him here and hereafter it fills us with the beatifical vision of him for ever I need not tell you this is a very sufficient ground of the greatest joy it self being almost nothing else And yet there is a sixth Star the Star that was foretold should come out of Iacob Num. xxiv 17. I am the bright morning Star Rev. xxii 16. I Iesus says he himself am the root and off-spring of David and the bright and morning Star He the Star that leads us to himself his own beauty the great attractive to him his mercy the sure convoy to himself his humility his being the root so low and humble the conduct to his Highness his Incarnation and Nativity his becoming the off-spring and Son of David being made man the only way above all to bring us unto himself Here 's the ground the very ground indeed of all our joy and comfort that he thus came into the World to save Sinners thus clouded his eternal brightness his starry nature his glorious Godhead with the dark rays of flesh and matter appearing at best but as a sublunary Star the Doctor and Bishop of our souls that we might so the easier come unto him and be comforted not confounded in his brightness Thus we have multiplied the Star in the Text by the perspective of the Spirit into Six or shew'd you the six spiritual rays which issue from it which reach to us and even shine God be thanked still though that be gone or shut up in the Treasuries of the Almighty all of these signal grounds of true Christian joy Good Examples good Teachers a good Word of God the good Spirit of Grace the good hope of glory the good of goods our good and gracious Saviour so good Stars and so good occasion of rejoycing that there can be no better 3. And yet a degree may be added from the third Consideration of the time when this Star appeared Indeed it had long before this day been seen had led the Wise men all the way comforted and cheer'd them up all their long journey through only at Hierusalem there it left them there where one would think the Star should shine the brightest But 1. What need Star-light when the Sun of righteousness is so near Or what 2. should need a Type when the Substance was so hard by Or what necessity 3. of a Star when they were now in a surer and brighter light so says St. Peter 1 Pet. i. 19. the Law and Prophets at hand to point out him they sought Or how 4. should we expect any special favour from the God of Heaven while we stay in Herod's Courts in Satan's territories in wicked company Or why 5. should we think the Star should stay upon us when we leave it That God should help us when we as it were renounce his direction to enquire for mens Go to the Iews and Herod for it How should we but lose God's grace if we neglect it 'T is the great ground here then of their rejoycing that after they had lost it they here recover it that they are now got out of Herods Court a place of sin and darkness and are now refresh'd again with the heavenly Light No joy in the World like that of recovering Heaven when it is almost lost No joy to the womans for finding again the Groat that she had lost No rejoycing like the Shepherds for the lost sheep when he has found it The joy reacheth up to heaven says Christ the very Angels rejoyce
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
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
day as Simeons arms with the Child Iesus with the Lords Christ. This work is never unseasonable Christ may at all times be taken so with reverence into our mouths or arms or hearts or any part about us Yet he has a proper time besides and that is when he is presented in the Temple after his Circumcision and his mothers Purification At such a time as that when our hearts are purified by repentance and faith when the devout soul which like his Mother conceives and brings him forth has accomplished the days of her Purification and offered the forementioned offerings of the Turtle and the Dove and we circumcised with the Circumcision of the Spirit all our excrescent inclinations exorbitant affections and superfluous desires cut off we may with confidence take him into our arms But till then 't is too much sawciness to come so near him at least presumption to conceive we have him truly in our arms that he is truly embraced by us whilst we have other loves other affections which cannot abide with him already in our arms and too ready in our hands Prophane we him not therefore with unhallowed hands nor touch this holy Ark of the Covenant with irreverent fingers lest we die Many that have done so says the Apostle for so doing are sick and weak upon it and many sleep that is die suddenly in their sins whilst the hallowed meat is yet in their mouths 'T is as dangerous as death and damnation too to take Christ with unpurified and unprepared hearts or hands Take him not then till you are prepared Yet 2. if prepared take him when you can and as soon as you can when he is offered to you whilst you may To day if you will 't is offering day with him yet any day too when he is offered and whilst he is so for he always will not be so 't will not be always Candlemas he will not be offered every day There is a time when he will go and not return when he will not any longer strive with flesh when we shall stretch out our hands and he will not come nor hear nor see us neither To day if you will do it do it you are not sure of your selves to morrow much less of him To day if you will if not I know not what day to pitch nor will you find it easie to meet another if you at any time neglect the present This day then whilst it is called to day lay hold of him if you be wise and would not be put off by him with a Discedite hands off I have nothing to do with you nor you with me it is too late Many are the times and days as well as means and ways wherein Christ is offered to us but this day he has been thrust into our arms put into our hands and we have taken him Yet say I still take him up in your arms and I say it without either tautology or impertinence or impropriety Into our hands we have taken him and I hope into our arms into our bosoms into our hearts besides take him yet up higher and higher into our affections the very natural arms of our souls more and more into them nearer and nearer to us closer and closer to our hearts embrace and hug him close as we those we most affectionate-love and hold him fast that he may no more depart from us but delight to be with us as with those that so love him that they cannot live without him Thus 't is no impertinence to wish you to take him still though you have taken him Thus you are every day to take him or this days taking him will come to nothing or to worse If you go not on still taking him nearer and nearer deeper and deeper every day into your bosoms and hearts as you have this day into your hands and mouths you will be questioned in indignation by him Why have you taken me into your mouths Why have you taken me up in your hands seeing you now seem to hate me are so soon grown weary of me and put me from you and even cast me behind you Take heed I beseech you of doing thus of drawing back your hands so soon drawing back at all For after this favour whereby you have been made partakers of him whereby he has so infinitely condescended from himself as to be received into so unclean and filthy and extremely unworthy hands and souls to be embraced by such vile Creatures what can we render him sufficient for such goodness 'T is but this O man that he requires a poor thing O man that he requires at thy hand for this vast infinite favour and thou hast Simeon here doing it before thee blessing God And he took him up in his arms and blessed God Indeed we can do little if we cannot bless bless him that blesses us benedicere speak well of him say he is good and gracious loving and merciful unto us tell and speak forth his praise tell and declare the great and gracious things that he hath done for us the wonderful things that he this day did for the Children of men Came and took their place and was presented and accepted for them who were but reffuse and rejected persons were fain to send Bulls and Lambs and Rams the very beasts to plead for them glad of any thing to stand between them and their offended God even the heifers dung and ashes to make atonement for them and as it were her skin to cover them Numb xix 2. till this day when this holy Child was presented for all and all those former poor shifts and shelters at an end no need of those dead offerings more being fully reconciled by this living one for ever Bless we him and praise him and speak good of him for this Bless we him yet more for vouchsafing us the touches of his sacred Body for so kindly coming into our arms our own children do not sometimes do so but come often with much frowardness and crying reluctance and unwillingness This Child Iesus comes of his own accord slips down from Heaven into our laps when we are not aware is in our arms e're we can stir them up And that this Son of God should so willingly leave his Fathers bosom the true and only seat of joy and pleasure for ours the perfect seat of sorrow and misery and rest himself in our weak arms who have nor rest nor shelter but in his that he should thus really infinitely bless us and yet require no greater a return than our imperfect blessing him again How can we keep our lips shut our tongues silent of his praise But having this day seal'd all these favours and blessings to us by the holy Sacrament the pledge and seal of this love wherewith he loved us having so really and fully and manifestly and fast given himself into our arms we cannot sure but bless him both with our tongues and hands with holy Simeon make an
time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing to refrain from all wanton and loose embraces and pour out our selves wholly into the arms of our Blessed Iesus 9. 'T is a time to get and a time to lose to get Heaven by violence and lose Earth our worldly goods so the worldling counts it upon Alms and Charities to cast away Earth to purchase Heaven 10. 'T is a time to keep and a time to cast away to keep all good resolutions and cast away the bad ones 11. 'T is a time to rent and a time to sew to rent and tear off all ill habits and to begin good ones 12. 'T is a time to keep silence and a time to speak to keep silence from bad words all idle ad wanton and scurrilous language and give our selves to good discourses 13. 'T is a time of love and a time of hate to love God and hate our selves or love our souls and hate our sins 14. 'T is in a word a time of War and a time of Peace to make war against all our ghostly enemies the flesh the Devil and the world and reconcile our selves to God our Neighbour and the Church To all these purposes serves the time of Lent for them 't was instituted at first and for them it is continued and can any Christian now think it should not be accepted upon such a score as this or are any days liker the day of salvation than those that are spent thus or it is our own fault if it be not or is any time more fit to be stil'd an accepted time than this that is the very comprehension of all times a time every way fitted up for all the designs of salvation for calling publick offenders to accompt for putting notorious sinners to open penance for reconciling penitents and receiving them again into the Church for promoting piety and vertue for admitting Proselytes to holy Baptism at the end of it for preparing all of us for the Blessed Eucharist all the way by solemn prayers and preaching more than at other times by fastings and watchings and holy retirements and strict devotions and every way conforming us to the image of Christ the fasting and dying and rising with him that we may so also be accepted by him These were the practices of Lent in the Primitive Church of Christ wish'd and call'd for too in Ours in the Epistles and Collects for it and the Commination that begins it And by the afflictions and necessities and distresses and labours and watchings and fastings and pureness c. that follow immediately upon the Text things all so answering to this time I cannot say but the Text may stand as an In diebus illis a kind of prophetick designation at least of this time of Lent has caus'd the words I am sure to be so applied by many of the Antients and made a part by us also of the Lent Office But this very time so dilatory are we and so ready to put off holy duties is yet perhaps too large and these forty days too many to close us to our work Nay the day has many hours twelve says Christ to walk in And if we may guess from our ordinary guise and custom we are like enough to defer all to the last hour I must set an accent therefore upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Now. Now Lent or not Now fast we or fast we not Now is the very time we must begin our reconcilement look to our salvation that though the name of Lent should be distasteful as too much it is yet however we may not slip our time 'T is the only sure part of time we have the present the only day of salvation for peradventure e're the next moment we are gone and clearly cast without the confines of it Not only then to day whilst it is called to day but even Now whilst it is called Now is the sure Now of salvation To all these Now 's God here points us by an Ecce Behold now is the c. IV. And indeed it is no more than needs that he should point and set us out some time even to accept our own salvation Time and times pass over us and we think not of it A piece of Land a Wife a yoke of Oxen are more thought upon every day than that We our selves do but little mind it I am sure we live as if we did not much The Church cannot get us to it with all the Fasts and Feasts she sets us Our Ministers the Embassadours that are sent about it perswade little with us we had need of Prophet and Apostle too to say it over and over again unto us and 't is so in the verse we have the Text in The Lords day it self did it not bear his name upon it would as easily vanish into a neglect as all other Holy days 'T is only the opinion that he himself commanded or appointed that which keeps it up a while above the rest whether so or no we dispute not now It is not to the Text. These things I shall tell you are there without dispute 1. Set days and times are there times set apart for the promoting of our salvation particular ones too Ecce nunc tempus nunc dies Times 2. that are so set are so far from hindering that they are even the very days of salvation Times 3. may so still be set by the Apostles or their successors they have the power to design them with St. Paul here to put the nunc upon them Times lastly so set have an Ecce upon them somewhat more upon them than other days are to be observed to be accepted Do we therefore now accordingly says my last particular Behold them and accept them Behold now is the c. V. Behold 1. and take notice such a time there is such a day as we have been speaking of Christ himself was anointed to preach and publish it St. Luke iv 19. the acceptable year of the Lord. The Apostles were sent with the like Commission ver 19. of the former Chapter of this Epistle and they beseech us to take notice of it ver 20. whilst they pray us in Christs stead to be reconciled upon it Behold therefore 2. and again behold it that is not only take notice of it that may be perhaps a little by the by but consider it There 's a double Ecce upon it take notice of that and sit down and lay it to your hearts and chew it over and and over say thus within thy self God has been gracious to me from time to time expected me long from day to day proffering me grace proffering me salvation even beseeching and entreating me to accept them Lord what is man Lord what is man that thou shouldest be thus mindful of him that thou shouldest so regard him that thou shouldest thus follow him from one end of the year unto another from one accepted time to another from Feast to Feast
there too late they begin to talk like men to speak reason The Christian penitent after he has run the course of sin and is now returning talks somewhat higher calls it a Prison the Stocks the Dungeon the very nethermost Hell thinks no words bad enough to stile it by We need not put any such upon the rack for this confession they go mourning and sighing it all the day long they tell you sensibly by their tears and blushes by their sad countenances and down-cast looks by their voluntary confessions their willing restraints now put upon themselves their pining punishing afflicting of their souls and bodies their wards and watches now over every step lest they should fall again that never were any poor souls so gull'd into a course so vain so unprofitable so dishonourable so full of perplexities so fruitful of anxieties so bitter so unpleasant as sin has been nor any thing whereof they are so much asham'd No fruit of all you see even our selves being judges And yet I will not send you away without some fruit or other somewhat after all this that may do you good For methinks if sin have no better fruits if wickedness come no better off we may first learn to be asham'd and blush to think of it be ashamed of sin We may 2. learn to beat it off thus at its first assaults What thou sin thou lust what fruit shall I have in thee what good shall I reap of thee Do I not see shame attend thee and death behind thee I am asham'd already to think upon thee away away thou impudent solicitress I love no such fruit I love no such end And if 3. we be so unhappy as to be at any time unawares engaged in any sin let us strike off presently upon the arguments of the Text. For why should we be so simple to take a course that will not profit to take pains to weave a web that will not cover us to plant trees that will yield no fruit to range after fruit that has no pleasure to court that which has no loveliness If we can expect nothing from our sins as you have heard we cannot why do we sweat about them if they bring home nought but shame why are we not at first asham'd to commit them if they end in death why will ye die O foolish people and unwise Lastly you that have led a course of sin and are yet perhaps still in it sit down and reckon every one of you with himself what you have gotten Imprimis So much cost and charges Item so much pains and labour so much care and trouble so much loss and damage so much unrest and disquiet so much hatred and ill-will so much disparagement and discredit so many anxieties and perplexities so many weary walks so much waiting and attendance so many disappointments and discouragements so many griefs and aches so many infirmities and diseases so many watches and broken sleeps so many dangers and distresses so many bitter throbs and sharp stings and fiery scorchings of a wounded Conscience so much and so much and so much misery all for a few minutes of pleasure for a little white and yellow dirt for a feather or a fly a buzze of honour or applause a fansie or a humour for a place of business or vexation sum'd up all in air and wind and dust and nothing Learn thus to make a daily reflection upon your selves and sins But after all these remember lastly 't is Death eternal Death everlasting misery Hell and damnation without end that is the end of sin that all this everlasting is for a thing that 's never lasting a thing that vanishes often in its doing all this death for that only which is the very shame of life and even turns it into death and surely you will no longer yield your members your souls and bodies to iniquity unto iniquity but unto righteousness unto holiness So shall ye happily comply with the Apostles argument in the Text and draw it as he would have you to the head do what he intends and aims at by it and by so doing attain that which he desires you should make your selves the greatest gainers can be imagined gain good out of evil glory out of shame life out of death all things out of nothing eternal life everlasting glory Which c. A SERMON ON THE Fourth Sunday in Lent I COR. ix 24. So run that you may obtain THat Christianity is a Race and Heaven the Goal and we all of us they that are to run is an ordinary Allegory in Scripture and Sermons which you have none of you but heard And that in this Race all that run do not obtain no more than they do that run in other Races every one sees and every one can tell you Not every one we told you the last day not they that run only with their tongues run they Lord Lord never so fast not many others that run further than so you will hear anon and too common experience can inform you But how so to run as to obtain is not a piece of so common knowledge Hic labor hoc opus est This is the Apostles business a business ordinary Christians are not sufficiently skill'd in 't is to be fear'd or if sufficiently skill'd in not so practised in but that they want a voice both behind and before them to tell them this is the way they are to walk in This is the way walk in it so and so run that you may obtain Were we to run in those Olympick Games which St. Paul here seems to allude to they who were practised in those sports and exercises were fittest to instruct us how so to run as to be conquerours there But being now to run the true Olympick that is the heavenly Race the true Race to heaven that true Olympus which that Poetical did but shadow this our Apostle that great wrastler not against flesh and bloud though in another sense against that too but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness whose whole life was nothing else but a continual exercise of all the hardships in the Christian course who so gloriously fought the good fight and finished his course can best teach us how to do so too With this Prerogative too above the cunningest of those Olympick Masters that they cannot so instruct their Schollars that they shall be sure of the prize they run for though they run never so accurately to their Rules many there running and but one obtaining but here by St. Paul's direction we may all run and all obtain For to that purpose only we are invited and directed to run that we may obtain Yet true it is as we may all obtain so we may not and it will be but a spur to us to fear it one spur to hasten and quicken us in our course St. Paul had such a one now and then to make him run He had run
bear him yea a Virgin espous'd 1. To conceal the mystery of his Incarnation from the Devil 2. To take away all occasion of obloquy from devilish men 3. That the birth of our Saviour might be with all possible honour and 4. That his Genealogy might so be reckoned as all others regularly by the man as you see them both by St. Matthew and St. Luke Of a high and illustrious name besides Maria is Maris stella says St. Bede The star of the Sea a fit name for the mother of the bright morning star that rises out of the vast sea of God's infinite and endless love Maria 2. the Lyriack interprets Domina a Lady a name yet retain'd and given to her by all Christians our Lady or the Lady mother of our Lord. Marie 3. rendred by Petrus Damiani de monte altitudine Dei highly exalted as you would say like the Mountain of God in which he would vouchsafe to dwell after a more miraculous manner than in very Sion his own holy Mount. 4. St. Ambrose interprets it Deus ex genere meo God of my kin as if by her very name she was designed to have God born of her to be Deipara as the Church against all Hereticks has ever stil'd her the Mother of God you may well now fully conceive no Embassador so fit to come to such an one as her but some great Angel at the least And his coming to her comes next to be considered And the Angel came in unto her Where we are taught both how he came and where he found her By his coming or being said to come we are given to understand that it was in a bodily and humane shape So Angels often used to come in the likeness of men and at this time it was of all ways the most convenient that the Angels should come like men seeing their Lord was now to come so and one of them to come before him with the news When he himself would vouchsafe to wear the livery of our flesh 't is most convenient his servants sure that wait upon him whom he sends upon his errands should appear at least in the same Livery Nor could his Message easily be delivered in more sweetness nor the Blessed Maid entertain it with less terror or diffidence any other way For though it could not but trouble her as we see it did in the follovving verse to see a man at that time in her Closet ere she was aware yet his coming in so insensibly when the doors were shut upon her besides perhaps the brightness of his countenance and raiment could not but tell her it was an Angel and so abate her fear a little Yet observe here a difference between the Angels coming now and heretofore we never read of an Angels appearing but abroad or in the Temple till now Now they begin to grow more familiar with us come in into our Closets now Christ is coming the Kingdom of Heaven 't is a sign is come nigh unto us And 't is a good Item to us to keep much in our Closets seeing Angels are now to be met with there And 2. 't is an Item too for Virgins to keep within Dinah went out and met with you know whom came home ill-favouredly The blessed Virgin keeps in and meets with an holy Angel and the title of highly favoured and blessed for it The stragling gadding huswife meets no Angel to salute her whosoever does if we look for Angels company and salutations we must be much within A Garden enclosed is my Sister my Spouse a Spring shut up a Fountain sealed says Christ Cant. iv 12. The Spouse of Christ the Soul he loves and vouchsafes his company much private oft within Within and at her Prayers and Meditation too So was the blessed Virgin say the Fathers here blessedly employed watching at her devotions no way so sure to get an Angels company or hear good news from heaven to obtain a favour or a blessing thence as this as prayer and watching in our Closets This we piously believe of the blessed Virgin but we are sure she was within a true daughter of Sarah in it who it seems kept commonly within doors in her Tent Gen. xviii 10. whose daughters you are says St. Peter 1 Pet. 3. 6. as long as you do well must be too in this as well as other things if you vvould do vvell For lastly to shevv the truth of the Angels vvords that she vvas full of grace the Scripture tells us by the Angels coming into her that she vvas vvithin vvhere qui habeat abundantiam gratiae says Hugo they that are full of grace keep in as much as they can fearing the corrupt discourses and conversations of the World None so scrupulous of appearing abroad none more fear idle loose or vain discourses vvhich cannot be avoided by such vvho go often abroad than they that are fullest of grace and goodness Nor do they care for the salutation favours and complements of men vvho are highly favoured of the Lord. No matter at all vvith them to be neglected by men vvho desire only to be saluted by an Angel as vvas the Virgin here vvhich falls next to be considered The Angels Salutation Tvvo Points vve told you there vvere to be handled in it The form of it and the titles in it The form in vvhich it runs the Titles vvith vvhich it 's given The form is in three expressions Hail the Lord is with thee Thou art or be thou blessed Three several salutations as it vvere and that 1. for the greater reverence and honour to her so Kings and Queens are commonly saluted vvith three adorations 2. To shevv from vvhom he came from Father Son and Holy Ghost from all three persons in the Trinity That 3. she vvas so intent and busie at her devotions that she minded not perhaps his first and second Salutation he vvas fain to add a third To shevv lastly the triple blessing that he came vvith Peace and Grace and Blessedness that Heaven vvas novv at peace vvith us Grace vvas thence coming dovvn apace Heaven doors set open and very blessedness of Heaven clearly now propounded and proffered to us The first salutation is an Ave a salutation never heard from Angels mouth before And it speaks joy and peace and health and salvation both to her and us by her The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rejoyce rejoyce indeed at such a Child as now is to be born of thee O Virgin Daughter Behold I bring you tydings of great joy of a Child all our joy by him which is Christ the Lord 2. The Hebrew word speaks Peace be to thee A wish for peace the first news of Heaven reconciled the way to reconciliation being now in agitation and to be by her Peace from the Prince of Peace from the author of our peace now coming as joyful a salutation as we can wish all our peace from this Conception all begun with this message and
And however we think of it 't is a good reward to have an Angel set to keep us right to tell us when we do amiss Let me never want one O Lord to do so Let him smite me friendly and reprove me There are even Balms says the Psalmist that will break ones head Psal. clxi 6. and smooth ways we often stumble in smoothing and anointing does not always cure us too often betray us To tell us always O Sir you are right you do well excellently well is but a way to ruine us Thou art the man is better far you are out He is not here you seek wrong when we do so as necessary as to tell us we seek right when so we do Indeed the women were right both for him they sought and the way they sought him but for the place that they were amiss in Even in many things we offend all says St. Iames Jam. iii. 2. For there is no man that sinneth not 2 Chron. vi 36. And 't is our happiness when we are timely told it that we go not wrong too long And it was timely here indeed The Angel would not have them enter in an error It was a good work they came about but he would not let them do it upon false Principles Men do so often do that which is good upon a wrong ground seek Christ too often so Sometimes 1. they seek him in the Grave that is in fading dying things in earthly comforts or for such things But he is not there Sometimes 2. they seek him in the Graves of sins and lusts whilst they yet continue in them whilst they are yet in their Rebellions Schisms Pride Covetousness Malice Envies and Disorder they pretend to seek him even none but him but his body fell not as those Israelites in the graves of lust He is not there Sometimes 3. they seek him in a melancholy fit in a humour sad as the grave in a mood of discontent all godly on a sudden they have buried a Friend or Son or Wife or Brother are disappointed of a Preferment have miss'd of an Estate lost an Expectation and are now forsooth for a fit of heaven a seeking Christ but He is not here you 'l see it quickly if the day clear up again the Monk will quit his Cell the Dog will to his Vomit he 's presently where he was Sometimes 4. they seek him in outward Elements in meer Ceremonies and Formalities and mind no further think if we hear a Sermon or come to Prayers make a Formal shew of Piety and Religion all 's well But if we bring not somewhat also within some hearty inward devotion with us too He is not here neither A few linnen Cloths you may find perhaps that look fair and handsom and the External Lineaments of a sad sober Piety like the dimensions of the Grave but dead mens cloths they are and a Grave an empty Grave it is still if our hearts be taken up with them stopt and buried there He is not here Sometimes 5. we seek him perfectly in a wrong place where the malice of his enemies only thrust him for a time amidst dust and rubbish He is not there He will be sought in the beauty of holiness now he is risen there shall you find him for he does not love to dwell in dust though amonst us that are so We must find him a fitter place to be in Now he is risen and we are risen our low condition chang'd into a higher our Poverties into Plenties our Rags into Robes our Houses almost into Courts 'T is fit his House and Courts should also rise into lustre and glory and he not be in Badgers skins whilst we dwell in Cedars nor lie upon the cold stones or earth whilst we lie upon Silks and Velvets And now you see why it is when we seek Christ we so often miss him We seek him where he is not to be found amidst Graves and Sepulchres whilst we are dead in trespasses and sins or buried over head and ears in earth and earthly interests or only in some sad distemper when we are so weary of our selves that we wish for death or only in dead Elements and Rites without the life or spirit of devotion or with that slightness and neglect as if we thought any thing good enough for him or that he would be content with any clod of earth to lay his head on But these are the Mysteries of the Grave He was not to be found lastly even in the Grave without a Mystery He could not be held in the Grave they laid him It was not possible says St. Peter Acts ii 24. God had promised he would not leave him there Psal. xvi that his flesh should see no corruption Here was the mistake these good women made they either understood not or had forgot this promise and believed not his own that he would rise again This is that St. Lukes Angels even chide them for for forgetting Why seek you say they the living among the dead Remember what he spake to you while he was yet in Galilee saying the Son of man must be delivered into the haads of sinful men and be crucified and the third day rise again St. Luke xxiv 5 6 7. It was a piece of infidelity it seems now to seek him in the Grave so that well may the Angels ask them why they do it Indeed our Angel here is not so rough But you must know this was the first time of their error When they had been told it once or twice before first by St. Matthews Angel and then St. Marks that he was not there 't would make even an Angel chide to see them still continue in the same mistake At the first 't is Angels method to be smooth in the business of reproof Nay and some times to pave our way to it with a Fear not I do not mean to hurt you what I am to tell you is only for your good This is but with Balaams Angel to stand only in our way with a Sword drawn to hinder us from a fruitless journey or at the worst but to smite us friendly with it that we may go no further on upon wrong furmises And yet Fear not He is not here is not the Inference ill Are they well joyn'd Why he is not here and therefore fear seems a better consequence If he be not here we have lost all our labour all our cost If he be not here some body has stoln him hence and taken away even that little comfort that was left us of seeing him once again and doing our last office to him Thus Mary Magdalen complains indeed St. Ioh. xx 13. Well but for all that depose your fears if you should find him here you might fear indeed and despair for ever He had deluded you he had broken his promise with you that he would come again he was no Saviour but his body a meer dead trunk like other mens your hopes were
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
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
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
only that meek and merciful man St. Gregory that valiant Lion St. Ambrose that laborious Oxe St. Ierome that sublime Eagle St. Augustine as some please to fancy these four beasts or the four first Patriarchates as others have interpreted them but all the four corners of the earth have since profest it and with the twenty four Elders faln down and worshipt it The lustre and glory of that glorious mystery has shone thorow all the quarters of the World and all his famous mercies to his people and his judgments against their enemies are still daily celebrated and magnified in all the Congregations of the Saints This St. Iohn foresaw and here foretels the poor persecuted Christians then that how hard soever things went with them then they should ere long turn all their sighs and lamentations into Songs of praise for their deliverance and salvation This they should and 3. we should as much It was foretold of them they should it is commanded us we should Therefore glorifie him says the Apostle 1 Cor. vi 20. glorifie him in your bodies and glorifie him in your spirits glorifie him with the bodies that glorifie him and glorifie him with the Spirits that glorifie him bear them all company in so doing do it all the ways you can you can neither do it too many nor too much Put on the faces of Eagles in the Temple and raise your souls up there and praise him Put on the faces of men at home and let the holiness of your conversation praise him there Put on the appearance of Oxen in your Callings and let the diligence of your Actions and Vocations praise him Put on the appearance of Lions abroad in all places of temptations and let your courage in the resisting and repelling them praise him there Thus we truly copy out our pattern Yet to transcribe it perfectly well we must now secondly also transcribe their earnestness For here they not only give praise and glory unto God but they do it earnestly they rest not doing it they rest not saying that is 1. They cannot rest unless they say it And I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep nor mine eye-lids to slumber neither the temples of my head to take any rest till I have found out a way to praise my God till I have offered up the service of my thanks and added something to his glory must be the Christians resolution 2. They rest not saying is they say it and say it again say it over and over Holy Holy Holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in some Copies nine times read Holy nine times repeated they think they can never say it enough No more it seems did David when he so oft repeated For his mercy endureth for ever in one single Psalm Psal. cxxxvi And hence it is the Church to imitate this holy fervour so often reiterates the Doxologie and inserts so many several Hymns and even either begins almost all its Prayers and Collects with an acknowledgment either of his Mercy Goodness and Providence or ends them with acknowledgment of his Majesty Power and Glory this both to imitate the glorious Saints and to obey the Apostles injunction of being fervent in Prayers and Praises 3. They rest not saying is they rest not but in so doing That 's their rest their joy their happiness to do so thus to be always praising God It would be ours too had we the same affections to it or the same senses of it We could not go to rest nor lie down to sleep could not sit down and take our rest till we had first lift up our eyes and hearts nay and voices too sometimes till we had first paid our thanks and given him praise for his protections in our ways and labours untill then 3. But to be thus eager and earnest at it is not all So we might be for a start and give over presently but 't is day and night that Angels and good men do it There is no night indeed properly with the Angels 'T is with them eternal day yet all that time which we call day and night they are still a saying it The Morning comes and they are at it the Night comes and they are at it still Let me go for the day breaketh says the Angel that strove with Iacob Gen. xxxii 26. And I must sing my Mattens adds the Chaldee Paraphrase as if he had said I can stay no longer I must go take my Morning course in the heavenly Choirs And in the depth of night we find them by whole hosts and multitudes at their Gloria in Excelsis Glory be to God in the highest St. Luke ii 13. The first fervours of Christian Piety were somewhat like this of the Angels You might have seen their Churches full at midnight all the Watches of the night you might have heard them chanting out the praises of their God and all the several hours of the day you might have found some or other continually praising God in his holy Temples as well as in their Closets Nay in the Iewish Temple they ceased not to do so Ye that by night stand in the House of the Lord Psal. cxiv 2. Praise him ye says holy David for indeed ye stand there to praise him and the Temple it self stood open all the day for all comers to that purpose when they would Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing says the Psalmist Psal. xxx 13. 'T is a good thing to do so Psal. xcii 1 2. To tell of thy loving kindness early in the morning and of thy Truth in the night season so good that David himself resolves upon it Psal. cxlv 2. Every day will I give thanks unto thee and praise thy Name for ever and ever prays also that his mouth may be filled with Gods praise that he may sing of his glory and honour all the day long Psal. lxxi 7. from morning to night and from night again to morning he would willingly do nothing else Nay be the night and day taken either in their natural or moral sense either properly for the spaces and intervals of light and darkness or morally for the sad hours of affliction and adversity and those bright ones of jollity and prosperity good men praise God in them both do not cease to do it if sorrows curtain up their eyes with tears and put out all their light of joy and comfort yet blessed be the Name of the Lord cry they out with patient Iob Chap. i. 21. Again if their paths be strow'd with light and the Sun gild all their actions with lustrous beams if Heaven shine full upon them they are not yet so dazell'd but they see and adore Gods mercy in them and in the mid'st of all their glories and successes they are still upon his praise and render all to him Neither the one night nor this other day make them at any time forget him A good item to us hence 1. not to suffer
to God Then it befals us as it fell out to Iob xlii 5 6. I have heard thee by the hearing of the ear but that was nothing now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes Hither it is always that the sight of God depresses us to think humbly of our selves that we profess our just deserts to be no other then to be deprived of his presence There are like expressions of humble minds towards our Superiours too in holy Writ When Rebeccah saw Isaac coming towards her she lighted down from her Camel and covered her self with her vail as if either her humility or her modesty would not suffer her suddenly to look upon his face who was presently to be her Lord Gen. xxiv 65. But Abigail's complemental humility surpasses 1 Sam. xxv 41. When David sent to take her to him to wife she arose and bowed her self to the â—arth and said behold let thine hand-maid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord And Mephibosheth though not so courtly yet as deeply undervalues himself in the sight of his Lord and King when he thus answer's David's profer'd kindness 2 Sam. ix 8. What is thy servant that thou should'st look upon such a dead Dog as I am Now if Rebeccah descend from her Camel and veil her face at the sight of her designed husband if Abigail term her self the servant of the servants of David even to the meanest office to wash their feet if Mephibosheth count himself a Dog in the presence of King David each of these thus expressing their humility it is no wonder if St. Peter at the presence of his Saviour it is but just that we in the presence of our God and Saviour descend from our Camels from our Chairs of State from our seats of ease from the stools whereon we sit and bow down our eyes our hearts and bodies in all humility as unworthy to look up to Heaven to look him in the face whom we have so offended willing to wash the feet of his poorest servants to serve him in any thing in the poorest meanest way or office ready to profess our selves amongst the vilest of his creatures who cannot so much as expect a good look from him You may surely guess by the frame of speech though nature and sin may sometimes use some of the same words that the tenor of them altogether is no other then the expression of St. Peter's humble acknowledgment of his own vileness He confesses plainly he is a sinful man how could he more depress himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that was nothing but a sinner a very sinner Thence it is that he thinks himself unworthy that he should stay with him therefore desires him to quit his ship but much more his company as far unfit to receive him or be near about him And 3. whilst he thus confesses himself to be a sinful man he speaks somewhat doubtfully at least to him as if he conceived him to be the Lord his God thus much however he acknowledges so great a disproportion between himself and Christ that whilst he knows what to call himself he knows not well what to style him to be sure knows not how to speak speaks indeed but knows not what he says whilst humbly desiring him to depart he unwittingly parts with his own happiness not knowing what he desires or does in this distraction These three an acknowledgment of our own wretchedness a sensible apprehension of our our own unworthiness and Christ's greatness And 3. a kind of troubled expression of them without art or study are the signs and effects of true humility and are here caus'd by the consideration of Gods miraculous dealing with us which commonly shews us Gods Goodness and Grace his Glory and Majesty our own weakness sinfulness and misery and by so setting them so suddenly together render us unable to express either In some perverse natures there arises we must confess sometimes a pride upon the receipt of divine favours so that we may say St. Peter's behaviour after so great a miracle shewed towards him makes his humility the more commendable A great and wonderful draught of fish he had taken and he had laboured hard for it some body would have given at least part of the glory of so good success to his own labour or at least triumpht and gloried highly in it as if he had been the only favourite of Heaven the only Saint for his good success but St. Peter saw by his lost labour all the by-past night an the uncouth multitude of fishes now against hope taken up that his labour did but little here there was one with him in the boat he saw at whose command the fish came to it in such number So that now he sees little by himself or his own endeavour but that he was not fit company for the Lord that was with him neither worthy of that miracle nor of that Master Thus good men are humbled even in their prosperous successes whilst nothing but miraculous miscarriages can humble the ungodly and not then neither to think ere a whit the worse of themselves or the better of others or understand but that God himself is notwithstanding bound still to tarry with them before all the World besides He is truly humble whom prosperity humbles who in the midst of his accomplished desires casts himself below all acknowledging he is less than the least of Gods mercies or gracious looks towards him any ways There is yet a way that perfect souls souls elevated above the height of ordinary goodness have spoke these words There is sometimes a rapture in heroick souls over-born as it were with the torrent of the contemplations of the divine beauty and the delights flowing in abundance from it that some glorious Saints in their several times have been heard to say sometimes Depart from us O Lord We have enough We have enough oppress us not with pleasure which our earthen Vessels are not able to bear There have been those that have died with excess of joy but it was temporal joy spiritual joy is not so violent to rent the body yet it even sometimes oppresses the soul into a kind of death and wraps it beyond it self into an extasie and after that it is in danger to be strein'd into another excess of pride or vain-glory St. Paul was near it least I should be exalted above measure it seems there was great fear of it there was given him something to humble him to bring him down from so dangerous a height It is necessary it seems sometimes if not such a desire yet such a condition to the most perfect souls that Christ should depart from them now and then least they should be puff'd up with the multitude of those Revelations by which Christ reveals his presence in them and his favour towards them There are delights in heavenly joys which these old bottles are not yet
by that children of Hell at least as much as themselves all this notwithstanding the painfullest of our endeavours Thus of all kind of labours the Ministers if Gods Word be not by to comfort them is in natural reason the most uncomfortable Yet 2. there is no comfort in any where he is not All mens labours have something of night and sad darkness with them where that eternal Sun-shine does not come and clear up the coasts The wicked man he toils and moils but finds no comfort the blackness and horror of his own sins continually afright him The natural man he works and labours but he finds no comfort none of his works can open him so much as a window into Heaven either to be received in or even to see into it without faith it is impossible to see comfort thence The Iew he labours and sees no comfort of his work 't is high night with him Moses veil is upon his eyes the shaddows are still upon him and he sits down in darkness The ignorant man he sees no comfort in his endeavours for he goes on and toils and moils and sees not minds not Heaven at all nor is there any labourer in the world but he that works upon Christs Word in his presence and by his assistance that meets any comfort in any thing he does The strong man has no comfort in his strength nor the rich man in his riches nor the great man in his honors all of them but a discontented crue if this Sun of Righteousnes make it not day unto them All these mens labours are in the night the night of ignorance where there is no light at all or the night of Nature where it is but star-light or the night of the Law where it is but Moon-light or the night of sin where all these little lights are dimm'd and the great one of grace put out quite There is no light in any of these to comfort us wherein to rejoyce nay all the goods of the world all that we daily strive and strein and spend our selves for cannot afford the least true comfort or refreshment to an afflicted soul for get we what we can catch what catch we may we do but toil all night and catch nothing if Christ or his grace be absent from us Our labours also are thirdly unprofitable where the darkness either drives out or admits not the bright Sun of Glory where our toil and labour is in the night 3. He that works in any of the aforesaid nights his labours profit not he shall take nothing To run through them particularly The Gentile he is the first night-worker he toils and labours and works indeed but can neither find out the knowledg of the truth nor attain the practice of true vertue finds no benefit of all his labour He walks on says St. Paul in the vanity of his mind his understanding being darkned Ephe. iv 17 18. their imaginations vain and their foolish hearts hardned Rom. i. 21. They neither know wherein consists happiness nor how to come by it Their wise men are divided in their opinions about it and themselves wholly estrang'd from it alienated from the life of God says the Apostle Ephes. iv 18. They can catch nothing with all their busie Inquisition but a meer profession to be wise and professing Rom. i. 22. they became fools a pretty catch of it 2. The Iew he labours much to as little purpose and indeed he labours in the night too for his day is none his time is past Iewish Religion dead and gone and nothing now to be gain'd by that When it was at the best with them they received not the Promise Heb. xi 39. they labour'd indeed but caught little in hand the full promise that was kept for us that they without us should not be made perfect ver 40. their burnt-offerings and Sacrifices for sin could not truly purifie them one whit all were but figures their whole Religion but one great Type of ours their brightest day but night to ours At the descending of this eternal Word was all to be perfected nothing to be obtain'd but from him and by him at whose arriving only first appear'd the day and with him the only draught worth drawing up 3. When any man is involv'd in the night of his own sins all his works also will prove unprofitable whilst he is so God will not hear him his sins they cannot profit him whatever they pretend how fair soever they promise him for what fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. vi 23. no fruit but much shame Nay his good works in that estate how fair so ere they seem will do him as little service Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burn'd and have not charity it profiteth me nothing 1 Cor. xiii 3. His prayer shall be turn'd into sin Psal. cix 7. His fastings shall not be accepted Isai. lviii 5. His very tears shall be neglected as Esau's were Heb. xiii 17. He shall get nothing by all his works all his labour but grief and sorrow for without this heavenly flame of divine Charity which is put out by sin to enlighten that night even good works themselves will gain us nothing all of them together will do us no good but as done in the faith of his Word whose Word is in the Text in the efficacy of his command at whose command Peter again lets down his net Without his Word and presence too to quicken us out of our sins 't is but toiling all night all our labours nothing else 4. No mans labours or endeavours at all can avail any thing as from themselves not only as to the gaining of an eternal reward to which they carry no proportion but not of a temporal happiness neither Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that built it Psal. cxxvii 1. A mans trade cannot help him Except the Lord keep the City the watchman waketh but in vain ver 2. A mans vigilance will not keep him It is but lost labour that thou hast to rise up early and go to bed late and eat the bread of carefulness no care or pains can gain that man any thing whom God does not vouchsafe to prosper The race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all that is Gods Providence that by changes of times and intermixing of accidents and contingencies disposes all says the Wise man Eccles ix 11. and 't is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich says the same good man Prov. x. 22. 't is uncomfortable being rich without that blessing 5. But above all the blessing upon our labours the Ministers labours is from God We may be instant in season and out of season reprove
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
glances at them or but favourably speaks of them as in that remarkable expression 1 Kings xv 5. where he calls Davids Murther and Adultery the matter only of Vriah the Hittite yet recounting of their vertues he is alway full and large Lastly He sometimes honours them with miracles even at their Sepulchres as he did Elisha 2 Kings xiii 21. makes Napkins and Handkerchiefs from their bodies Acts xix 12. Nay their very shadows Acts v. 15. cure diseases and unless we will believe nothing but what we see done before us in our own days many great miracles have been done at the Sepulchres of the Martyrs God so honouring the memory of their faith and patience to the glory of Christianity and the glorious propagation of it through the world and there have been thousands of Witnesses to attest it And now if God so honour them as if he delighted to honour them it cannot seem strange if I now go on to tell you we are to honour them too It cannot be a sin in us to do that which God does before us that we may do it the better I must confess there has been a fault and still there is some in giving more honour to Saints and Martyrs than their due not robbing Peter as we say to pay Paul but robbing God to give to St. Paul St. Peter St. Mary and other Saints Yet there is a fault in others too to rob the Saints under pretence to give to God But is there not a mean between them Sure sure there is We may give each their due God his and the Saints theirs and all will be well For Praise God in his Saints the beginning of the next Psalm as we may read it and some understand it and may so without offence it coming especially so close to this honour of the Saints may seem to call upon us to give this honour to them And Psal. lxviii 35. may be as well God is wonderful in his Saints as God is wonderful in his holy Places for ought that I can guess by the Sense or Context and a good reason to praise him for them and in them too as well as in his Sanctuary we may praise him I hope for all the wonders that he does for the Children of men be they in heaven above or in the earth beneath And indeed there is an honour due in both to the Saints that dwell on earth as it is Psal. xvi 3. and to the Saints that dwell in heaven Distinguish we but the honour as the Scripture does and find out the several senses of it there and we may know to give each their own We shall begin below see how we are to honour the Saints that are in the earth To honour is 1. to esteem and value one Good men are to be valued be their condition never so mean or poor that 's one duty we owe the Saints whilst they live here and there is good reason for they are very Pillars of the earth and bear it up Psal. lxxv 3. Ten righteous men you know would have saved even Sodom and its four neighbour Cities 'T is good we should prize them high that are more worth one of them than half a City To honour one 2. is to perform the offices of Charity unto him thus we are bid to honour all men 1 Pet. ii 17. to go one before another in giving honour Rom. xii 10. especially then to do it to the houshold of faith men of Piety and Religion 3. To honour is not only to value or to love but to delight to be with to seek their company Honorare timentes Dei Psal. xv 4. to make much of them that fear the Lord never to think our selves so well as in their company All my delight says the same Psalmist is upon the Saints that are in the earth and upon such as excell in vertue Psal. xvi 3. he was never pleased but when he was with them Nay even Saul as bad as he was yet honour me says he I pray thee to Samuel 1 Sam xiv 30. before the Elders of my People and turn again with me his company he must needs have and an honour he acknowledges it to have the company of such a man a holy Priest or Prophet The world now is of another opinion no company so contemptible men are never well till such a one is gone never merry till these holy men are out of doors so far are men from thinking themselves honoured with their Society or willing to honour them with theirs any company rather than such as they they make us melancholy say they they make us sad and dull they trouble us with discourse we do not like with God and Heaven and Vertue and Religion such hard businesses and we know not what But for all that 't is a duty we owe both to our selves and them to give them this honour be they never so poor or despicable and David you hear made it his delight as well as Saul his honour to receive this honour from or give this honour to such men as they 4. To honour is to maintain them too when they have need Honour Widows says St. Paul 1 Tim. v. 3. that is maintain them out of the Churches Stock and they that labour in the Ministry are to be honoured with double honour 1 Tim. v. 17. maintenance and respect out of the Churches Stock and out of ours Honour is thus taken too in the fifth Commandment and we sin against the Commandment both of God and men when we deny this honour where it is due or whensoever the poor Saints stand in need of it Thus you see what it is to honour or how you are to honour the Saints below to set a high value and esteem upon them to perform all offices of Love and Charity unto them to seek their company and take pleasure to be in it and as occasion serves to express the honour and respect we bear them by some outward real Testimonies and Effects We will see now how we are to honour the Saints above To Honour then as it may relate to them is to give them a respect above other men to look upon them as the Courtiers of Heaven as persons in highest place as the Inhabitants of glory as such as are always praying for us Rev. vi 9. such as are following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. vii 14 15. Nebuchadnezzar himself at the hearing of the interpretation of his Dream could not refrain himself but he must even worship Daniel in whom he saw the wisdom of God so eminent Dan. ii 46. We cannot hold our selves sometimes but that we must needs express some especial respect or other to some who either amaze us with their stupendous abilities of nature or works of grace And is it only strange and irregular to give honour to those glorious Saints whose excellencies are so great whose vertues have been so full of wonder I cannot see why their memories
blessed Spirits now inhabite those everlasting hills To put all together Thither they ascended up like clouds by the secret and spiritual operation of divine grace there they dwell like clouds their souls like the upper part of the cloud light and glorious though their bodies like the lower darkned in the grave There they move like clouds in heavenly order Thence they descend like clouds in the still showers of their happy examples that in them as in a glass we may see the power of faith the glory of their Lord who has made earth ascend beyond its nature and dwell above it And yet for all this is it but Nubem still a Cloud not a Star The Saints shall shine as stars Dan. xii 3. and methinks it being Nubem Martyrum the Martyrs flames should rise better into stars than clouds Should and shall in the Resurrection till then Nubem still some degree of darkness at least a less degree of light And whatsoever to themselves for us perhaps 't is necessary it be a cloud For had we not need of this dark word When did not God on purpose cloud their glories from our eyes were it not for this nubem this cloud that covers them man as subject to superstition as prophaness would quickly find out some excellencies for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fall down and worship Or if not necessary yet more convenient far For 1. a Star would only guide us a Cloud both guide and refresh us And 2. guide us better For Stars only appear in the night Clouds night and day we can see them so best follow them The Sun-beams put out star-light Prosperity cannot see a Star so small a glimmering ray A Cloud come it night or day in prosperity or adversity we perceive that presently so a cloud to teach us in all estates how to demean our selves like devotion in its ancient innocence Abrahams cloud when the days are calm and clear Iobs when the day is swallowed up in a tempestuous night So never destitute of a cloud 3. Clouds not Stars They are none but the Magi wise learned men can follow the Stars and their courses but every Peasant sees which way the Clouds move So if Stars they had been for none but wise learned men to follow now the poor Country man has a cloud to run by And yet how easily soever we perceive the track of the Clouds yet if there be a scatter'd multitude we are as easily distracted 'T were best to have but Nubem in the singular but one cloud 't is so Many drops but one cloud though the materials fetcht from several quarters The Martyrs all one Cloud to shew their unity all and each confessing witnessing one and the same truth for truth is but one So not St. Iudes clouds they not only empty no stillicidium Doctrinae in them no good to be learnt from them but clouds too in the Plural some moving this way some that way no constant course in division too one coursing against the other at such enmity is evil with it self 'T is only good and good men that keep together in nubem in peace and unity and by that you shall know them Be it a Cloud and but one Cloud the more probable still too small it may be to command the eye and then what are we the nearer Nubem not Nubeculam no diminutive will that do it If that will not tantam will So great a cloud Why how great So great that St. Paul ver 32. of the former Chapter tells them the day would fail him to shew them it all as if so great a cloud could not but shut up the day in darkness Our first Fathers of the World had no cloud to guide them nothing but natures dusky twilight This cloud begain to rise in the time of the Patriarchs but to appear in the time of Moses like Eliahs cloud at the red Sea went before him thence into Canaan covered the whole Land of Iudaea in the time of the Prophets So these Hebrews had cloud enough yea but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have more Even those Hebrews to whom this Epistle was sent they are in the Cloud About that time this cloud rising in the East spread its wings presently into the West and had almost in an instant fill'd up the corners of the World so that if you now ask again how great so great I cannot tell you Primitive Christians they in the number you will not wonder at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it become a cloud of Martyrs Indeed the Law of Moses had its Martyrs too Witness Isaiahs Saw the three Childrens fiery Furnace the emptied skins of the tortur'd Maccabees But since the time of Christ his servants have engrossed the name as if they only were the Martyrs and filled up tantam to the brim Their multitudes tireing the wit of cruelty and their patience overcoming it as if from the streams and rivers of their bloud heaven might now enskarfe it self in a scarlet cloud Well talk we may of Martyrum what we will yet if Nubem be not first they will be but Stultae Philosophiae all this while no better 'T is the order in the Text Nubem first then Martyrum First clouds lifted up to heaven in their thoughts and conversations and all in one the Sons of peace and unity if you can see Christ in the cloud then Martyrs if you will Schism and faction or discontented passion yield no Martyrs You shall know a Martyr by Nubem if that go first But taking Martyrs thus all are not Martyrs All died not for their faith but all are Testes Witnesses Witnesses of the Power Witnesses of the Mercy Witnesses of the Justice of God Of his Power in delivering them from sin of his Mercy in saving them from punishment of his Iustice in rewarding them with glory Witnesses to this curramus 1. to witness the possibility that this Race we are to speak of by and by may be run this Propositum the prize won for ab esse ad posse run the one they have and won the other long ago 2. To testifie the easiness that even the weaker Sex Sarah and Rahab the weakest age the three Children the army of Innocents have run it 3. To testifie the dignity that both King and Priest and Prophet David and Samuel and Daniel thought it worth the pains 4. To testifie the universal necessity all ages young and old all Sexes men and women all degrees high and low to run this race none excused And that you may not mistrust their testimony what is required to the best witness you have in them 1. That he knows what he speaks and what knowledge like theirs that speak by experience that now feel the reward of truth 2. That he will and dare speak it and these have fear'd no torments for it they are Martyrs of
it 3. Witnesses should be men of rank and quality their worth has plac'd them above the clouds 4. They are authentical habentes circumpositam the Spirit has set them round about us to that intent and he is the Spirit of Truth So far now from doubting of our guide that we wave Nubem and pass to habentes the second relation they have to us not only to direct us but to bear us company And indeed what is Nubem and Nubem tantam and Nubem Martyrum and Nubem testium to us without Habentes except it be ours yea and habentes nobis if we have it not along with us What are the glorious Angels themselves to us but flames and two-edged Swords without this Habentes if we have them not for ministring Spirits What are the Triumphant Saints to us however dazled with their own glories without Habentes if they be none of ours if they be not members of the same Church of the same Religion with us Cast off your Religion quite if you can claim no portion in the Saints if you have no Martyrs What is it then that some so often ask what have we to do with Saints 'T is well besides the Habentes that we have an Impositam from the Vulgar Latine that it is imposed upon us some necessity of it sure and that we have a Circumpositam from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that not only we have this Cloud but that we have it put about us not of our own putting on Habentes it might be we might have it of our own chusing or fancying we know who have so Clouds of their own making Saints of their own canonizing but impositam or circumpositam it cannot be except some body put it on us and who is it that makes the clouds a garment for this earth but he that makes the Clouds his Chariot Who can dispose of the Saints but the King of Saints So then a sufficient excuse we have for Habentes God it is that compasses us with this Cloud of Witnesses And if they compass us they will be near about us by and by that they may behold our doing to be spectators of our course and Witnesses to that too to rejoyce at our speed to congratulate our success to receive us with the triumphs of glory And yet methinks the Apostle mentions Saints that are gone before how come they now to be round about us Angels indeed are ministring Spirits perhaps some of them may pitcht about us Angelus Domini in circuitu timentium Psal. xxxiv 8. The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him but how can the Saints be said to compass us about May it not be a Metaphor to shew their multitude because there are so many that we cannot turn our eyes any where about us but we see them The Phrase is Davids in another case The sorrows of death compassed me Psal. xviii 4. at every hand on every side at every turn I cannot avoid them Or is it that they guard us round with their Quousque Domine quousque their earnest prayers for their afflicted Brethren Or is it that being there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth St. Luk. xv and they with the Angels make up the Choir and heaven it self encompass us they therefore are said to compass us Or is it that their Graves and Sepulchres are round about us and we as it were still encompassed with their bodies and they as it were did still encompass us in their bodies The word may seem on purpose as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is jaceo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is circumjacentem lying round about us The Sepulchres of the Saints do so this day As if St. Paul had meant that from the sight and nearness of the resting places of their sacred ashes we should every day be put in mind with thankfulness to acknowledge the riches of Gods goodness in our deceased brethren and learn those vertues whereby their bones now flourish out of their Graves and their memorials live for evermore Least as Abels bloud from the earth so their dust from their silent dormitories should cry out against us Not Suppositam now no supposed cloud 't is true 't is real if it encompass us Such Saints there are without a supposition they die not all when they go hence something there is still to make the God of Abraham the God of the living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is and circumpositam it should be not sub nor super not superpositam not set over us they as Lords and Masters of our faith to make what Articles they lift but circum about us as fellow Witnesses and Companions One more not Praepositam not set before us to run to either for mediation or intercession He that regards the clouds thus shall not reap no thanks I am sure The Prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds Ecclus. xxxv 17. flies higher 'T is the Prayer of the self conceited however it seem a voluntary dejection and humility that is stifled in the middle Region and if you mark it there 's no Aspicientes here no looking of up to them habentes is all that 's here aspicientes is kept till the next verse for IESVM For if this cloud dim our eye sight and we instead of being compassed about with them compass them about by Pilgrimages Adoration or Invocation our best way is to the next words Deponentes pondus to cast off that heavy mist that sits upon our eye lids or to the next verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turn our eyes from them and look to IESVS the Author and finisher of our faith I hope by this time we know what to do with Nubem what use to make of this Cloud of Martyrs for habentes it is and we have it not for nothing Are they Clouds why habentes first Let 's have them in account for such for something more than earth Habentes in honore let us think and speak reverently of those happy spirits have their vertues in remembrance their remembrances in honour them in our thanksgivings their monuments and ashes in so much respect to keep them from the prophane scattering hand to put us in mind of their exemplary Piety and a Resurrection Habentes nobis next to have them to our selves to apply them home for imitation to ascend up in our thoughts like clouds to heaven in our affections to inhabite there to live and move there in all our actions that Christ may be seen in all our doings To learn from habentes nubem good company from Nubem something heavenly from Nubem in the Singular peace and unity to learn the degree from Tantam from Testium the open profession of our faith and from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 courage and constancy To do all this habentes circumpositam is the way to place them
ever This last indeed is beyond proportion eternity for time all blessings for a few Precepts the wine of Angels for abstinence from the bloud of the Vine for want of houses upon earth eternal dwellings in the heavens You see the Reward is full of blessings I shall observe their triple proportion in running over them 1. Such then first is the Reward of their Obedience that it lengthens days The world thinks it shortens them if by it you take away any thing from your flesh bate any thing of your diet either in quantity or quality when the King or Church commands to do so 'T was not so here and without doubt it is not Obedience hath the promise of length of days in the Commandment 'T was the reason that Ionadab gave his Sons to obey him ver 7. That you may live many days It was a blessing of long days upon themselves That 's the First But it ends not so Upon their children too reaches to them is a blessing of succession This is to live beyond our selves to sprout afresh out of the dust to have posterity And a Posterity that shall not fail wither or crumble away that 's more If it be a male succession 't is more still Non deficiet vir not a man fail you Female generations lose the name and so the succession fails even while it lasts It does almost so when it passeth into a collateral line This fails not that way neither Not vir de stirpe it continues in a direct line from the root Tremellius's Translation sets it higher Non exscindetur vir Of all this Progeny there shall not so much as a man be cut off Die they must by the necessity of nature but not a man cut off by violence that however it far'd with the captive Jews in Babylon not any of these should fail there but return to their Tents in peace that a fair and even succession it should be that after many days pass on calmly and quietly to their Fathers tombs in peace gathered to their Fathers 'T is well this such a blessing upon Posterity But when not only succeeding generations participate the blessing but Ionadab and his Father Rechab too passed Ancestors receive a new accession of glory by it this is a blessing not upon the Sons only but upon deceased Fathers too And all this you may look for upon the like obedience A long life a lasting a continued a male a lineal an unblemish'd Posterity all redounding back again to your own glory This the first proportion that which is given for your Obedience to your Father 2. The second is greater stans in conspectu a Posterity high enough to be seen placed in the eye of the world men famous and renowned in their Generations This is but to stand on high before the Kings and Princes of the earth In conspectu meo is higher that stands before God a Posterity as virtuous as honourable Stand before him and in place near him near his Sanctuary the place of his presence plac'd there so it seems 1 Chron. ii 5. Placed on high and near him as near as the title of Gods can make them made Judges of the earth so stare in conspectu is sometimes interpreted This is a second proportion answering to their obedience to commands They shall be Commanders Under command they kept now they are above it above the people equal with the Princes of the earth A famous a pious an honourable Posterity the second reward of Obedience 3. All this is much exceeding much Yet honour and virtue are created things and therefore mutable may fail at last Theirs shall not Stans in conspectu In honour they shall be and in honour they shall stand In virtue they shall be and in virtue they shall stand standing is a posture of continuance Stand and stand in his sight dear as the apple of his eye That must not be touched no more must they and then nothing can change them to be sure Cunctis diebus puts all out of question They shall stand so all their days says the Text. What speak I of days Stand so for ever continue ever Christians succeed into their order and obedience they survive into Christians live in them for ever When succession shall have done successive motions have their periods and all days shall have an end yet then Ionadab shall not want a man to stand then before him and see his face for ever This is indeed the last Reward a firm a perpetual an eternal succession And now we are come up to the tops of the Mountains the everlasting hills Eternity is a Circle and there we wind about in everlasting rounds There we turn about to the beginning of the verse the Lord speaking and confirming all that so the certainty may embrace with the eternity That you may see I tell you no more than God himself will make good Thus saith the Lords of Hosts the God of Israel He hath promised it and shall he not bring it to pass He has said it and shall it not be done Said it by his Prophet and Prophesie though it sometime wants light yet never certainty He engageth his honour Thus saith the Lord Kings will not fail upon the word of their honour He engageth his power Thus saith the Lord of Hosts he that doth what he will in heaven and earth He engageth his goodness his tried experienced goodness Thus saith the God of Israel their God who can witness he never broke his promise nor fail'd his word But doth God take care only for the Rechabites Or says he it for your sake too For yours also doubtless 't is the Reward of Obedience where ere it is found as it is in the Text. Will you give me leave to enquire Has the King at any time commanded some of your superfluities and has he obtain'd them have you been content to part with any of your delights in diet apparel in your houses to endure some abridgments to obey him to supply him Have the Inferiour Magistrates demanded the execution of the Laws and have you assisted them Has the Church required your presence your order and assistance for I speak not now of your private Fathers and can you say with these Rechabites we have obeyed and kept all their Precepts and done according to all that hath been commanded us Then and not till then dare I warrant you You and your seed shall stand before him for ever For it is not a Reward only to private and personal obedience but the obedience of Cities of Nations too Obedient Cities and Kingdoms as well as Families shall not want men to stand before him for ever but disobedient and rebellious shall For Kingdoms Cities and Countries have their fates and when they have rent this bond of union that kept them to their head they must expect their Funerals You then to look to it Remember that of the Prophet How is the faithful City become a harlot
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
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