Dutie also if thy Neighbour then thou must Loue. But though all doe not so yet he to whom God speaketh in this Law must and that is Israel the members of the Church must not faile in this dutie Thou must loue thy Neighbour These particulars I hold worthy of obseruation in this text I will therefore enlarge them I pray God it may be done to our edification First then of the person He is called our Neighbour the word signifieth one that dwelleth by vs or is ioyned with vs but there is more in the word then is vulgarly conceiued I will distinctly shew you the extent thereof There is a double Neighbourhood First an humane Secondly a Diuine the humane is that which we apprehend by the light of reason the Diuine is that which we know not but by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost Such Neighbourhood there must bee because God hath ioyned vs in nature as we depend vpon Iehoua and in grace as wee are in couenant with the Lord our God Of the humane the first degree for it hath more degrees then one is that which first offereth it selfe to the common vnderstanding and that is Neighbourhood in place whether that place be the same Towne or Parish or Countrey or Allegiance all these haue a Neighbourhood betweene themselues and haue some bonds by which they are knit together because men are naturally sociable creatures and as the word Reang imports like sheepe of the same Pasture Adde hereunto that societie is inforced Quia non omnis fert omnia tellus this linketh Ilanders with the Continent by Leagues and Commerce The second degree is neerenesse in Bloud this Neighbourhood is betweene those that are of the same kindred And indeed this was the first Neighbourhood that euer was in the World for seuerall Families dwelt by themselues you may gather it out of Genesis the tenth where the roots of all Nations are set downe as likewise in other Historicall Bookes For what is an Ismaelite but one of the ofspring of Ismael an Edomite but one of the Posteritie of Edom that is Esau and an Israelite one that commeth from Israel that is Iacob Yea Affinitie in the first Age was not ordinarily contracted but betweene those of the same bloud when by remotenesse from the stocke it grew cold they warmed it againe by the helpe of Wedlocke But after that Nimrods arose those mightie Hunters that contented not themselues with their owne Dominions such as were the Gouernours of those foure famous Monarchies they subdued other Nations to themselues as likewise did they intermingle with other Nations whose multitudes could not be contained within their owne Territories here hence arose that mixt neighbourhood which we see in all the world a neighbourhood that seemeth rather of place then in bloud But howsoeuer they of the same bloud are distracted in place yet is there a naturall neighbourhood betweene them still The Lawes of men haue set bounds vnto Consanguinitie and beyond the tenth Degree they acknowledge none except it be in the succession of Monarchie or absolute Principalities wherein some Lawyers hold there is no limitation of Degrees But howsoeuer Policie alloweth limitation of Consanguinitie the Scripture doth not for Acts 17. Saint Paul teacheth the Athenians that of one Bloud God made all Mankind so that all men are the sonnes of Adam and they are all kinne The Apostle goeth a step farther in that place and out of a heathen Poet proueth that wee are all the ofspring of God and indeed in Adam wee were all made after Gods Image and so must needs haue Alliance betweene vs. It is true that when we looke vpon the seuerall generations in the world and the petie Dominions whole Nations seeme to be strangers one to another the Northerne to the Southerne the Easterne to the Westerne they of Europe to those of Asia both vnto them of Africa all three to them of the New world but if we acknowledge the root from whence we all spring Adam and God which is the Lord of all we must needs confesse that no man can be a stranger to vs because euery man is our bloud and communicateth with vs in the Image of God And if wee conceiue any man vnworthy to be accounted of our cognation let vs know that Rex coeli honoratur vel contemnitur in imagine sua not the dead Images of the Church of Rome but this liuing Image of the nature of Man The world is but like a great house wherein the family though but one must lodge disperst because so great or if you will a large Signiorie vnder which there are many Tenants but all of the same Homage and holding of the same Lord so that man can no more be a stranger vnto man then one tenant of the same Lordship can bee vnto another or one person may bee vnto another in the same family Thus farre our neighbourhood reacheth by the light of Reason for you may perceiue by the very text which I alleaged out of the Acts that for this third degree of neighbourhood there is an euidence in Reason which another Poet also confirmeth Hom. Odyss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All both strangers and poore are belonging vnto God Were there no other light but this of Reason we see that neighbourhood reacheth very farre But the Holy Ghost that by the Scripture hath inspired into vs a clerer light hath taught vs another kind of neighbourhood which I called Diuine and this is the neighbourhood of the Church and is betweene all them that belong thereunto For these persons haue all one Father in Heauen one Sauiour that died for them all one Comforter that dwelleth in them all they partake of the same Sacraments they are taught the same Gospel they are called to the same Kingdome there is not the least of these prerogatiues but communion therein is enough to make a neighbourhood And this neighbourhood also hath seuerall degrees The first is that which is betweene men on Earth whereof some are all alreadie of the mysticall Bodie they are incorporated into the Church are made members of Christ are quickened by the Spirit are profest children of the Kingdome of Heauen these wheresoeuer they liue they must needs be neighbours because they can liue no where out of the bodie the bodie I say of the Catholique Church Whose extent may bee ouer the face of the whole Earth but wheresoeuer it is it is but one as wee professe in the Creed one holy Catholique Church Though of men there be very many which are not in this Church and therefore may seeme not partakers of this Diuine Neighbourhood yet indeed they must not be excluded from it for what they are not they may be the commission of the Gospel sendeth the Ministers vnto all Goe teach all Nations and God would haue all men saued neither is there any respect of persons with God Iewes Gentiles Males Females bond free all are capable of the Gospel Whereupon
he committeth some to his seruants they are trusted with the keeping and the care thereof but if hee haue any thing of speciall price and which hee esteemeth more then ordinarie that he layeth in his owne Cabinet he reserueth the keeping thereof vnto himselfe The portion of Good which is so tendered is by the Holy Ghost called Segulia 1 〈◊〉 19. Luckâ— 2 8. which we render a peculiar treasure such as King Dauid had and Salomon Vnto this practice of Kings or great men doth God allude in this resemblance all the world is his but by commission or permission hee intrusteth his creatures with much of it but his Church is more deare vnto him then so he maketh her the subiect of his speciall care and giues vs to vnderstand that she is a speciall Iewell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exempt people and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people of extraordinary note so the Translators render Segulla no phrase more vsuall in Moses then to call Israell a pretious people and neuer doth God resemble his Church when hee meaneth to honour it but hee resembleth it to things of greatest value I will not trouble you with the Canticles Cap. 4 1â— where it is called Hortus conclusus and is made the verie Paradise of God I will keepe my selfe to our present allusion In the old Testament the Tabernacle was a type of the Church as it was militant the Temple of Salomon was a type of it as it shall be triumphant and what were both of them made of but of the costliest timber mettall stones silke that could bee had Esay foretold the fabricke of the Church in the state of Grace that it should be of Carbuncles and precious stuffe and how sumptuous is the state of it in Glorie as it is described by Saint Iohn in the Reuelation Cap. 21. Our Sauiour in the Gospell compares the Kingdome of Heauen Math 13. which is the Church vnto a treasure hid and to a pearle of very great price But to speake more plainly the fountaine from which the Church springeth is the pretious louing kindnesse of God Psal 36 7. 1. Pet 1.19 the redemption that was paid for it was the pretious blond of Christ the foundation whereupon it is built Esay 28.16 1 Cor 3.11 is a pretious corner stone the doctrine by which it is built vp is gold siluer and precious stones the persons whereof it consisteth are vessels of Gold 1. Tim. 1.19 1 Pet 1 4 1 Pet 1 7. vessels of honour all the promises that are made vnto it are pretious promises and their faith is pretious how can they then chuse but bee a pretious people If you haue not enough to proue it that one phrase putteth it out of all doubt that the Church is Gods peculiar treasure God himselfe resides there and frameth the Church vnto his Image Christ liueth there the Church is his body the Holy Ghost doth breath there the Church is his Temple finally the Angels attend there the Church is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill Alexand. it is the Sanctuarie of God Can there be any thing added vnto the value where there is such a Presence And where there is such a Prouidence becommeth not the Church most peculiar Certainely that which is the Treasure of those Diuine mysteries must needs bee accounted Gods peculiar treasure I will dwell no longer vpon the Resemblance onely take notice that it promiseth more then an ordinarie good in so significant a phrase And indeed what tongue can expresse the fauour that is implied in the value that God setteth on vs and the care that he will take of vs when he calleth vs his Peculiar treasure But what God resembleth that hee brancheth hee openeth the good more plainely which he did but shadow figuratiuely and the first branch doth set forth the Eminencie of the state of Israel They shall be a Kingdome of Priests The phrase is read diuersly 1. Epist 2. Cap 1. 5. Moses hath here a Kingdome of Priests Saint Peter rendreth it a Priestly kingdome in the Reuelation Saint Iohn telleth vs that Christ hath made vs Kings and Priests The reconciliation is easie for in the Church euerie member of the Church is so a King that he is a Priest and so a Priest that he is a King And why He is Primogenitus Gods first borne Exod 4.22 so God called Israel and Saint Paul telleth vs that they that come into the Church Hebr. 12. come into the congregation of the first borne Now the Law of nature doth acknowledge this right of Primogeniture that is made a man Lord of his brethren and Priest of the most high God so that these words Kings and Priests are equipollent to first borne and are the ground of our prerogatiue whereof you shall heare anon But let vs take these words a sunder Cap 16. Cap. 12. First then the Israelites shall bee Kings The Church as it is described in Ezekiel is adorned with a Crowne and that woman which is described in the Reuelation hath a Crowne of twelue Starres vpon her head Psal 45. Matth. 18. the Psalmist calleth her a Queene the Parable of the marriage Feast calleth her the Wife of the Kingssonne her state is royall and all her children are Filij regni Children of the Kingdome the Gospell that is verbum regni doth so honour them they are heyres apparent vnto the kingdome of Heauen Saint Chrysostome vpon 2 Cor. 1. Ad sinem Cap. doth excellently open the Analogie betweene a member of the Church and a King A King saith he hath a Crowne and God doth Crowne his people with mercie and louing kindnesse Psal 103. A King hath his Robes of state and the Church is at the right hand of Christ in a vesture of Gold wrought about with diuers colours Psal 45. Christ himselfe is her clothing A King hath his Guard tending vpon him for his honour and safetie and the Angels of God pitcht their Tents round about the godly Psal 34. A King hath a multitude of Subiects whom hee doth direct and correct and the children of God haue many thoughts and desires ouer which they haue power to order and represse them And indeed herein principally standeth the Kingdome residet in se quisque animo regali euerie man is a Soueraigne ouer himselfe hee doth polish his owne little Common-weale prescribing a measure and obseruing good order in his head in his heart in his soule and in his body It is the Kingdome of grace which is Preached in the Gospell 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 3. Iohn 8. 〈◊〉 1. by which we obtaine the Kingdome of glorie which is promised to them that rule well therein slâ—uerie to sinne is the direct opposite vnto this kingdome this title forbiddeth vs all earthly and sensuall thoughts and desires it requires that wee be kingly in both or else we doe not answere our title And the more is
of paines to fulfill Gods commands but so insolent so foolish are the most of men that they will haue their owne wils satisfie their owne lusts and rather than faile thereof they will breake Gods bonds and cast his cords from them And what Cup can be bitter enough to purge such peccant humours The last note that I gaue vpon the Text is the comparison betweene the Wish and the Will whereof I told you the one was conditionall the other absolute the one is but as it were a deliberation the other a resolution And indeed that difference we must hold when our Wishes and Gods Decrees are different neuer to present our desires but with a condition but to take heed of capitulating with God for that were to giue Law vnto the Law-giuer which should not be attempted and will not be endured But it is time to end Tract 104. Christ saith S. Austin being in the forme of a seruant might haue conceiued this prayer in silence but It a se voluit Patri exhibere peccatorem vt meminisset se nostrum esse doctorem he would so performe his deuotion as might make best for our instruction And Saint Chrysostome noteth herein an extraordinary instruction Sublimem admirabilis Philosophiae virtutem docet etiam Natur â abhorrente renuente Deum sequendum It is an high straine of Christian vertue that is taught vs in this patterne of Christ so farre to be masters of our naturall Affections that will they nil they we will doe what God doth bid vs. St. Cyprian telleth ys that we are not onely taught by Christ What to doe but How namely to imitate Christs offertory Prayer prostrating our selues humbly inuocating our Father reuerently and not presenting our desires otherwise than conditionally if we take this course we shall conclude with an absolute submission vnto the Will of God Certainly St. Bernard thought so for hee meditateth thus vpon my Text Noniam despero Domine Lord I am not out of heart now be my case neuer so bad Let my tribulation be irkesome vnto me and let me haue a comardly heart by nature let me be forward when I petition with Transeat Let this Cup passe take i◠from mee I haue learned of thee to betake my selfe not to a carnall but an heauenly comfort Not my Will but thy Will be done will hold in all murmuring and hearten all fainting of my soule These words then are exemplary words they informe vs what Christ did to direct vs what we must doe Christs example is without exception because hee was without sinne and is of good vse for vs because we may fall into the like case The like I say but not the same we may fall though not into a Propitiatory yet into a Probatory suffering It is sacriledge to affect the one the other is common to the whole Church When we fall into it if we take Christ for our patterne we shall finde him our patron also we shall finde that his draught hath left little bitternesse in ours and that which is left is much allayed When Christ made this Prayer an Angell from heauen comforted him and if wee conceiue the like prayers the Spirit of Christ will not faile to be a comforter to vs. Onely let vs ex non volito make volitum giue the vpper hand to Grace aboue Nature and we shall finde much ioy in affliction which will be vnto vs the pledge of a greater ioy which after our affliction wee shall enioy in the Kingdome of Heauen THis Grace he giue vnto vs that in this practice hath gone before vs that as his so by his our patient obedience may open vs a way vnto a blessed Inheritance IHS A SERMON PREACHED AT St. PETERS IN OXFORD Vpon EASTER DAY 1 COR. 15.20 Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept ANd these words are a part of that first Hymne wherewith wee solemnize this Feast yea they containe a good and full Commentary vpon this dayes employment For this day is spent in historia Prophetia we therein renue Christs and foretaste our owne Resurrection that in the Seruice and this in the Sacrament These two Resurrections are inseparable therefore St. Paul willing to assure vs of the later doth first establish the Doctrine of the former and he doth it by Witnesses and by Reasons By Witnesses because a matter of fact and by Reasons because this fact is an Article of Faith For Articles of Faith are not only credenda but also credibilia though before they are reuealed we cannot diuine at them yet being reuealed we may argue fairely for them many times out of Nature but out of Scripture alwaies The Reasons here yeelded by the Apostle are of two sorts the first collects the Absurdities that presse all Gaine-sayers the second those Conueniences that must bee acknowledged by true Beleeuers This Scripture stand◠in the midst of these Reasons and is compounded of the conclusion of the former and foundation of the later The refutation of the Absurdities warrants this truth Christ is risen from the dead and the proofe of the Conueniences relyes vpon this ground Christ is become the first fruits of them that slept The Resurrection then from the dead is the maine point of this Text and the Text doth occasion vs to consider 1. what it is then how applyed What it is we cannot be ignorant if we know the termes wherein it is exprest these two termes Dead and Resurrection But when we haue found them wee must discreetly apply them for they haue different subiects Christ and those that slept they belong to both but vnto those by him for He is their first fruits These be the contents of this Scripture and of these shall I by Gods assistance and your Christian audience now speake briefly and in their order And first of the termes Death and Resurrection These termes are opposite therefore by the one wee must bee led to know the other and because death is first in nature I beginne at that All death if it bee antecedent to the Resurre ion is eyther in sinne or for sinne Death in sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 7 as Nyssen defines it an inabilitie to doe good because we haue lost communion with God But communion with God simply wee cannot lose and be for without him nothing can subsist It is then communion in that which is his supreme perfection in wisedome and in holinesse the soule that is destitute of these that soule is dead for it can neyther taste nor see how good the Lord is whom notwithstanding so to know is euerlasting life and if it be so senslesse it must needes be liuelesse It is dead in sinne But as there is death in sinne so is there also for sinne and this is double eyther only the dissolution of soule and body or else a penall condition that followeth thereupon Touching the dissolution we must marke that as
them all I begin with Christs right Wee are first to enquire of what sort it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word vsed by the Euangelist doth signifie an Eminency now that may be either in Ability or in Authority in men these are often times seuered some haue abilities that haue no authority some haue authority that haue no ability some haue good gifts that are in no place of gouernement and some are in place of gouernment that haue no sutable gifts But in God and Christ it is not so both concurre in them and in them both are equall the Authority to the Ability and the Ability to the Authority And it should be so in those that serue them it is pity but that those which haue good gifts should bee set in good places but it is a shame for them that are set in good places to be without good gifts Wherefore let this be your sacred ambition who are now to receiue holy Orders neuer to let your preferment out-steppe your indowments labour to bee as able to serue as you are willing to be employed Something we haue said of Christs power but not that which is principally intended here To make you see that I must remember you of a Logicke Rule Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur esse à subiectis suis when any attribute or title is giuen to a person it must bee conceiued in such extent as the person is capable of Now in Christ there are two capacities for he is God and he is also Man If we looke vpon him as hee is onely God so hee hath an infinite and an eternall power hee is as Almighty a Gouernour as Maker of all things This is potestas innata not data But becomming Man hee had another capacity and power proportioned thereunto a power fitting to a Mediatour a Mediatour that should recouer man fallen and reconcile him vnto God gather a Church and establish a Kingdome of Heauen Of this power our Sauiour Christ speaketh when he confesseth vnto Pilate that he is a King but addes My King dome is not of this world Iohn 18. and St. Paul the Kingdome of Heauen is not meate and drinke it standeth not in any earthly thing but in Righteousnesse and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 The Scepter of this Kingdome is the Gospell the seate of it is the Conscience of man it is as Christ speaketh in St. Luke chapt 17. Regnum Dei intra nos a Kingdome of God within vs a spirituall Kingdome mannaged with a spirituall power Such is the power of Christ the Mediatour But this power doth not in Christs person exclude the other power of a Creatour nor the Deriuatiue therefrom the power of Scepters and Crownes which are all subiect thereunto they are by Christs Ordinance and he that is Mediatour hath power ouer them and doth dispose of them as is best for his Church But hee doth not doe this as a Mediatour Kingdomes are founded vpon another ground a ground that went before the Fall vpon Paternall Authority though in time it hath receiued many variations yet did not the Mediatour intermeddle with those humane policies he erected no power ouer those powers but left them to the former Prouidence of God neither would hee haue them any way preiudiced or impeacht by the entertainment of the Gospell This Christ testified in his time the Apostles in theirs the Primitiue Church for many hundred yeares as our Writers haue clearly proued against the Vsurpation of the Bishop of Rome who claimeth by some of his Aduocates directly by other some indirectly a power at least ouer all Christian Scepters and Crownes But this is to confound that which God hath distinguished the power which the Church deriueth from a Mediatour which is a spirituall power with the power which Kings deriue from the Creatour and Founder of humane policy Obserue then in few words how Princes and Pastors are superiour and subiect in seuerall respects one to the other In Foro Poli in cases of Conscience and things that belong to ghostly counsell and comfort those things that belong to the saluation of the soule the Prince must be ruled by the Pastor so long as he is a faithfull Minister of Christ But in Foro Soli in the Iurisdiction that is annext to the sword the Pastor must submit to the Prince and obey his command This you may learne out of the Titles which are giuen them For as Princes are Children of the Church and Pastors reputed their ghostly Fathers so Pastors are Children of the Kingdome Ezechias calleth the Leuites his Sonnes 2. Chron. 24. and the Prophet calleth Princes nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers of the Church Esay 49. Constantine the Emperour distinguished well in his speech to the Prelates Vos estis Episcopi ad intra ego ad extra you are Bishops seruing for the administration of sacred things and mannaging of the Keyes but I also am a Bishop of the Church to see it well gouerned countenanced and protected While they serue God Princes are as it were Sheepe of the Fold but they are Shepheards also and must see God well serued This I obserue the rather because that you seeing the fountain of your Calling may keepe your selues within the Boundery thereof and not with either Papists or Schismatickes encroach vpon the Princes Sword deny vnto him his Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall or vsurpe vpon his Temporall two diseases which raigne much in this age which a man may more wonder at that readeth the New Testament wherein the Iewes dreame of their Messias worldly Kingdome is so plainly discouered and the ambition of the sonnes of Zebeaee Iames and Iohn who would sit one on Christs right hand and the other on Christs left hand in his Kingdome is checked so discreetly and that generall rule giuen Matth. 20. the Kings of the Nations beare rule they that are great men exercise authority but it shall not be so with you you shall receiue a spirituall but no temporall Iurisdiction you shall haue power not of the Sword but of the Keyes not ouer mens bodies but their soules in them must I raigne you must erect my Kingdome there And thus much of the kind of Christs power This power of Christ is lawfull because giuen to him giuen by his Father as elsewhere we learne And here wee must first obserue that if data Iohn 3. Daniel 7. Esay 49. Psal 2.48.13 Rom. 14. then it is not rapta that which is giuen is not vsurpt the Prince of this world hath power euen in the consciences of the children of disobedience and their soules are captiued to his pleasure God hath permitted this but he hath made him no grant of this power onely hee is contented to leaue men to his will by reason of their sinne though the Diuell be so arrogant vpon this permission that hee told Christ himselfe The Kingdomes of the earth and the glory thereof are mine and theirs to whom
they may haue learned from that old m Cacu◠apud Liuium lib. 1. Italian Thiefe who was wont to draw all the faire Oxen he could lay hands on though it were obtorto collo auersis vestigijs vnto his owne Den. But to preuent all such practises in this particular I hold it not amisse to acquaint thee somewhat more particularly with his resolutions touching matter of Religion and how hee stood affected to the controuersies of our times It is true that of his owne disposition whether framed so by nature or by grace or both he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a most peaceable and milde temper apter to reconcile differences then to make them and to interprete the sayings euen of the Aduersaries where they were ambiguous in the better part in regard whereof if there be yet any hope left of sowing vp those innumerable rents which Faction hath wrought in the seamelesse coat of Christ and of drawing the distracted parts of his Church to some tolerable vnitie J thinke he had beene such a man as is hardly found amongst many to bee imployed in that seruice Howbeit as Saint Iames sayes of the wisdome which is from aboue that it is k Iames 3.17 first pure and then peaceable so J may be bold to say that this mans desire of peace came euer in the second place and that his first care was to maintaine the puritie of Religion as it is now taught in the Church of England For proofe whereof though I might thinke it enough to referre thee to these and other of his Sermons wherein he hath as his matter led him confuted and cut the throat of most of the errours currant at this day in the Church of Rome yet because it may be excepted that a mans opinions are in some sort as the Lawyers say of ones Will ambulatorie while he liues and that no man is bound to stand to any Religion but what he dies in I will rather impart to thee a late profession of his made in his last Will and Testament which is the most authentike Record of a mans minde and such as when hee is once dead l Gal 3.15 no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto as the Apostle speakes Jn this last Testament of his amongst other pious recommendations of his soule to God he hath these words I Desire to end my life in that faith which is now established in the Church of England whereof I am a member and haue beene by Gods blessing well nigh thirtie yeares a Preacher and my soules vnfained desire is that it may euer flourish and fructifie in this Kingdome and in all his Maiesties Dominions and from thence be propagated to other Countries which sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death whether Jnfidels or Heretickes Amen Behold here not only a sound but a zealous Professor of the Religion established and I would to God euery man of learning and conscience whether of the one or other side would but make the like declaration of himselfe in his last Will perhaps it would be as good a Legacie as any hee could bequeath to Gods Church For by it would it appeare what euery man thinkes of the summe of Religion truly and indeed when all worldly hopes feares preiudices dependances and engagements being set aside he hath none but God and his owne conscience to satisfie And then I doubt not but as an eminent Prelate of the Church of Rome said of the doctrine of Iustification by faith only that it was a good Supper-doctrine though not so good to breake fast on so it would bee acknowledged of our reformed Religion in generall that although it be not so plausible and pleasant a religion to liue in as some other may be yet it is the only comfortable Religion to die in as being that which settles a man vpon the true rocke and giues a sure footing to his faith when all the superstitious deuises of mans braine doe like sand faile and moulder away But to returne to this Reuerend Prelate of whom we are speaking being fallen vpon the mention of his last Will and Testament it may haply bee expected that I should here relate what Legacies he gaue therein to the Church what summes of money he bequeathed ad pios vsus c. for that is the pompe of Willes in these dayes But for that J haue said enough alreadie He that gaue all whilst he liued euen his very Bookes a great part of which I thinke to the value of foure hundred pounds worth bee disposed to the Librarie of New Colledge in Oxford by a Deed of Gift diuers yeares before his death reseruing the vse of them only for his life time could not haue much left to bestow at his death Only a name hee hath left behind him and that more precious then any ointment a name that filleth the Church for the present with the sweet sauour thereof and I trust that euen Posteritie also shall be refreshed by it For r Wisd 4 1 2. the memoriall of vertue as he saith is immortall because it is approued both with God and Men. When it is present men take example at it and when it is gone they desire it it weareth a Crowne and triumpheth for euer hauing gotten the victorie and striuing for euerlasting rewards As touching the manner of his death though any man might guesse at it that hath beene acquainted thus farre with the passages of his life for seldome doe a mans life and his end varie yet it will not bee amisse to acquaint thee with thus much that hauing some few houres before his departure made a zealous and deuout confession both of his faith and sinnes to the Bishop of Elie there present from whom also he receiued absolution according to the order of our Church and being assisted to the last gaspe with the comfortable and heauenly prayers of that diuine Prelate after he had taken particular leaue of all about him and giuen them respectiuely both his counsell and benediction he speedily yeilded vp his soule to God There passed not many moneths before that Reuerend Bishop whom J last mentioned followed him to his graue with whom as he had liued many yeares in a most entire league of friendship not vnlike that which Saint Chrysostome describes to haue beene betwixt himselfe and Saint Basil Lib. 1. de Sacerdotio so J doubt not but they are now vnited and incorporated together in a farre more firme and vndiuided societie euen that of the first-borne which are written in Heauen Heb. 12.23 and as they were heere geminum sidus a paire of Lights of our Church comparable euen to those Primitiue ones whose lustre and influence remaines with this day so they haue by this time receiued the reward of such as turne many to righteousnesse euen to be Stars in the Firmament for euer and euer Dan. 12.3 Now although an k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Epitaph be a good mans due after
inlargeth their worke vpon that obiect to the vtter most he excepts no sin but would haue them all pluckt vp by the rootes Hide thy face from my sinnes blot out all mine iniquities This is King Dauids suite a hard suite you may oubt whether it can be granted you may doubt whether such indulgence may stand with the Diuine Prouidence how he that seeth all can hide his face from any thing and how he can blot out any thing that keepeth a record of all I must therefore in the last place shew you the possibilitie which King Dauid hath of obtayning his desire shew you that such Indulgence doth not preiudice Gods Prouidence and Gods Prouidence not hinder such Indulgence You haue the particulars which are contained in this Text which I will now farther vnfold I pray God it may be to our edification But before I enter vpon the particulars I must giue some light vnto the phrases which are darke because figuratiue and may mis-guide if they bee taken as they sound Whereas then here is mention made of a Face wee may not conceiue that God hath a body made of flesh and bloud they were long since condemned for hereticks that did so grossely mistake the Scripture God in such phrases by a resemblance informeth vs as far as we are capable of his incomparable Essence Consider then the vse of our face it is the instrument of knowledge therein are the senses placed of seeing hearing smelling c. but yet though they appeare there we must not impute the sense vnto the body but vnto the soule that quickens the body Philosophie teacheth that Anima est quae videt quae audit c. and there is sensible proofe of it when the soule is departed from the body though there be an eye left and an eare yet there is neither seeing nor hearing whereupon it followeth that the vertue of seeing and hearing is in the soule these are the faculties of a spirit so that God may haue them though hee haue properly no face hee may haue that which is signified by the face the power of discerning things A second vse that is made of the face is that it serueth for a looking-glasse wherein to behold our affections this vse followeth vpon the former for that which wee apprehend outwardly by our senses doth inwardly content or discontent the euidence of either you may reade in our countenance if it content we looke vpon it cheerefully and turne from it wrathfully if it discontent hereupon it commeth to passe that the face is vsed to note sometimes Gods fauour and sometimes his anger according as that which is presented before him doth please or else displease Out of both these vses of the face applyed vnto God we must learne that there is no perfection in man which is not in God that beflowed it vpon man but wee must conceiue it in God as it beseemeth God according to the vncompoundednesse and infinitenesse of his nature The second phrase of blotting out which presupposeth a Booke wherein things are written is also a phrase borrowed from men whose brittle memory maketh them haue recourse to such helpes least otherwise many of their affaires should either be forgotten by them or denyed by others the Booke supplies both these defects and what is entred there serueth our owne memory and resolueth the doubts of others we haue proofe hereof in our Oeconomicks no good husband which taketh not this course at home and in the Politicks there is no well aduised State that is without a Register and maketh not vse of Annals and Iournals To apply this God is Master of his house the Church the world is his Kingdome wherein hee reignes wee may happily thinke that though hee seeth all yet he may forget much to refute so vaine a dreame the Scripture doth remember his Booke not meaning that his memory wanteth a helpe but that it is as firme as ours is with such a helpe yea much more firme for our helpes are as much subiect to casualty as our selues are but Gods booke is nothing but himselfe and himselfe is no more lasting then is his record we must therfore sublime our thoughts when wee thinke of Gods Booke and fancy nothing which is not Diuine But I leaue the phrase and come to the matter I told you that Gods prouidence intimated by these two phrases consisteth of these two acts the first is Omnia nouit hee hath an vbiquitary Eye all things as Saint Paul speaketh are naked before his eyes Elihu in Iob Heb. 4.13 Iob. 34.21.22 his eyes are vpon the wayes of man and hee seeeth all his goings there is no darkenesse nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselues Psal 139. King Dauid hath made a whole Psalme wherein hee sheweth how vaine a thing it is for a man to seeke a hiding place from God Ecclus. 23.19 The sonne of Syrach in few words The eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter then the Sun beholding all the wayes of men and considering the most secret parts he knew all things ere euer they were created and when they were created hee looked vpon them Cap. 30.1 therefore doth God in Esay cry out against them that take counsell but not of him and that couer with a couering but not of his spirit and it is not without cause obserued as a great folly in our first father Adam that hee thought a thicket of trees would hide him from God The same discase is inherited by his posterity wee may gather it out of the phrase â—om 1â— 12 〈◊〉 3. â—0 Iob. 24.15 16. wherein the holy Ghost describes sinnes calling them workes of darkenesse because as Christ telleth vs Qui male agit odit lucem adulterers and theiues choose darkenesse when they will fulfill their lusts and they that are drunken saith the Apostle are drunken in the night but silly wretches while they thinke no eye seeth them the eyes of God are vpon them 〈◊〉 23.19 Psal 39.12 and hee is priuy to their most inward thoughts for night is to him as the day and darkenesse is as the cleare light This is the first worke of Prouidence Omnia nouit hee knoweth all things The second is Omnia notat he maketh a record of all things that is implied in the Book Psal 139.16 Dan. 7.10 〈◊〉 20 12. 〈◊〉 20.12 cap. 3.5 Often mention is made therof in the Psalms in Daniel in Ezekiel in the Reuelation and the Platonists Mundus intelligibilis and Idaeaes seeme to import the very same but that which I principally obserue is that God doth not see things as if they did not concerne him but as Salomon speaketh his eye-lids try the sonnes of men and hee pondereth all their pathes yea hee doth make a record of them whether they bee good or bad Vers 16. Of the good you haue an excellent place Malach. Chap. 3. when the Atheist had blasphemed then they
to the testimonie vnto Israel to praise the name of the Lord. Neither was it onely sedes Religionis but Imperij also it was the Kings royall Chamber and there he kept his residence there were the Thrones of iudgement euen the Thrones of the house of Dauid as it followeth in the same Psalme By the way Out of that which you haue heard you may gather the reason why when the ten Tribes reuolted from the house of Dauid Beniamin and the Leuites continued stedfast to it Beniamin had a great interest in Ierusalem and the Leuites maintenance depended on the Temple whereunto their seruice was confined To goe on Fiftly you must obserue that though these two places onely are named yet the whole Kingdome is vnderstood for this was the mother Citie though the honour of the prerogatiues belonged vnto her yet from her was the benefit both of Pietie and Policie to be deriued vnto the whole land yea vnto the whole nation for in whatsoeuer Countrie an Israelite dwelt he was free of Ierusalem you may perceiue it by the answere made by the Reubenites â—shua 22. Gadites and halfe Pribe of Munasses when they were challenged for idolatrie because they erected an Altar vpon the bancke of Iordan before they passed ouer into their owne in heritance It is more cleare Acts 2. where we reade that there were Iewes dwelling at Ierusalem of all Nations vnder Heauen there are reckoned some of Africa some of Asia some of Europe And further to make good this assertion Philo Iudaeus in his embassie to Claudius the Emperour maketh this a motiue why he should be good vnto Ierusalem because in so doing he should preserue many nations amongst whom the Iewes liue dispersed Finally these places as it hath been by many Diuines obserued were seated in the midst not only of the holy land but also of the whole world the whole world I say that was then known Gent. 2. so that as the tree of life in the middest of Paradise so Ierusalem in the midst of the whole World might easily bee repaired vnto by those that did desire it and it had fit opportunitie to spread it selfe into the knowledge of all the world These things are to bee obserued in those places according to the Historie But all things came to the Iewes in types therefore wee may not thinke that King Dauid had an eye onely to the corporall places his eye pierced farther euen to that which was figured therein hee looked to the Kingdome of Christ And indeede the Church is in the Scripture called by these names I might referre you to the vision of Ezekiel which taketh vp the last eight Chapters wherein all agree that the Church is delineated or the vision of Saint Iohn in the last of his Reuelation wherein there is more perspicuitie but both of those places are darke I will point you out plainer one in Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2. Behold I put in Sion a chiefe corner stone c. hee alleageth the words out of Esay and sheweth it was a plaine prophesie of Christ and his Church Saint Paul affirmeth as much of Ierusalem Ierusalem saith he that is aboue Gal. 4. or from aboue is mother of vs all and in the Epistle to the Hebrewes both places are conioyned in this signification Chap. 12.22 You are come saith he to mount Sion to the Citie of the liuing God to the heauenly Ierusalem c. I will not trouble you with more places there are store in the Prophets I come to more profitable matter Ecce typum Ecclesiae behold the correspondencie that must bee betweene the Church and those places Those places were Hilly and had the valley of Gehinnon vnder them Chap. â—5 I cannot giue you a better Morall then is contained in that Prouerbe of Solomon The way of life is aboue to the wise that hee may depart from Hell beneath or if you will take that of Saint Paul Coloss 3.7 Set your affections on those things that are aboue not on those things that are below thoughts groneling vpon the earth bend towards Hell God will haue vs raise our thoughts and testifie that our treasure is in Heauen The second correspondencie is taken from Moriah where the Church is there is God to be seene Psal 76. In Inda is God knowne his name is great in Israel in Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion without the Chureh though God bee yet he is not by any gracious reuelation not by that transforming reuelation whereby God shining vnto vs in the face of Icsus Christ doth transforme vs into the same image both of Grace and Glorie 2. Cor. 3.18 The third correspondencie standeth in the Vnion wherevpon S. Austen and others obserue the incorporation of the Gentile into the Church of the Iewes it may bee Saint Paul meaneth as much when he speaketh of Christs taking downe the partition wall Ephes 2.14 for while Sion and Ierusalem were diuers Cities there was no open passage out of the one into the other as afterwards there was Cap 3. v. 6. howsoeuer to the Ephesians hee teacheth that they became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one body and partaked of the same prerogatiues I meane the Iewes and Gentiles The fourth correspondencie stands in the prerogatiues of this Citie for it was sedes Regni Religionis the Citie of God and of the King and what is the Church but Regnum and Sacerdotium Exod. 19. Reuel 5. first a Kingdome of Priests or a royall Priesthood The Church beareth a Kingly mind free from Coertion yet following the Direction of the Law whereunto accordeth that of Saint Paul Lex non est posita iusto 1. Tim. 1 9 Righteous men are not led with the spirit of bondage to doe things out of feare but they are led by the spirit of adoption they will doe well though they haue no Law And indeed this is a true Kingly mind But as our mind must be Kingly so must it be Priestly also all our seruices must be Sacrifices we must prefent them at Gods Altar and wee must offer them with the fire of heauen for therefore doth God separate his Church from the world that hee may deuote it vnto himselfe neither would God euer doe vs the honour to make vs Kings except he did expect honour from vs as we are his Priests The fifth correspondencie standeth in the extent of these prerogatiues though they were bestowed vpon Ierusalem yet they were to redound vnto the whole Land yea the Nation of the Israelites Act. 10. Saint Peter hath moralized this to our hand Of a trueth I perceiue that there is no respect of persons with God but in euerie nation whosoeuer feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him wheresoeuer we liue we may bee of the Israel of God and partake the prerogatiues of the Heauenly Ierufalem The last correspondencie standeth in the situation Ierusalem was in the
to the Legall Sacrifice God did testifie it to the corporall Sion and Ierusalem by fire from heauen which consumed the Sacrifice but vnto the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem 1. Chron 7. he doth testifie it by the sensible comfort which by his Spirit he doth infuse into their soules while they are Militant and hee will testifie it more plentifully by the light of his countenance which shall shine vpon them when in the Church Triumphant they shall stand before his Throne Marke here a Correction of that which was said before you heard that Sacrifices and burnt offerings were neither required nor accepted here you find the contrarie And yet not the contrarie for there they bee refused in Casu in a Case wherein no sacrifice was allowed and they be also refused opposite if the Morall be not ioyned with the Ceremonial but here wee haue no such case no such opposition God did accept them vnder the Law as exercises of faith and he will accept the truth of them for euer for that is most agreeable vnto his nature a spirituall seruice to God which is a Spirit And let this suffice for King Dauids first vndertaking I come now to the second his vndertaking for the Kingdome The Kingdome is vnderstood in this word they it referreth to Sion and Ierusalem mentioned in the former verse they that haue the benefit are they that shal make the acknowledgement Before it was Ego the King spake in his owne person I will shew forth thy praise I will teach the wicked c. Now it is Illi my Kingdome Priest and people both shall be as religions as my selfe And indeed the Kingdome as well as the King ought to be thankfull vnto God when God is good to both Dauid vndertaketh for his Kingdome that it shall be very thankfull for they shall offer Bullocks A Bullocke is a faire Embleme of a spirituall Sacrihce for it fignifieth an heyfer that is come to the age of beng fruitfull or it commeth of Parah and yet it hath not borne the yoake nor beene put to any drudgery And such should euery one bee that serueth God he should be fruitfull and not seruile abounding in good workes but not be the slaue of sinne There are two other things to be obserued in this word first it was the fairest of Offirings Secondly it was the fittest for the Offerers Amongst the Sacrifices the fairer were the Beasts and of the beasts the fairest was the Bullocke God commanded no Sacrifice thet was greater then that S. Paul out of Hosea doth moralize this Sacrifice Heb. 13. Hos 19. calling it the Calues of our lippes for by Calues are these Bullocks meant We may adde that seing Bullockes were the greatest of Sacrifices we must thinke that nothing we haue is too good for God and we must make our Offerings of the best The Bullocke was not onely the fairest Offering but the fittetst for these Offerers you shall read Leutt. 3. that whether it were the whole Congregation or the Priest that had offended either of them was to reconcile himselfe to God by the oblation of a Bullocke and seeing they are meant in this place such a Sacrifice doth best beseeme them but that the propitiatorie is turned into a gratulatorie But to whom shall they be thankfull surely to him that doth deserue it to God they shall offer vpon his Altar he that fulfilleth the Desire hath iuterest in the Promise they shall confesse that it is He that doth good to Sion that it is He that butldeth the wals of Ierusalem Secondly note that he saieth not that they will offer vnto him but vpon his Altar the Altar that was erected by his appointment For though it be true that where the Altar was there was God yet it followeth not that where God is there is his Altar God is pleased to confine not onely the substance but the circumstance of our seruice also Deut. 12.33 hee would not bee worshipped euery where The Ceremoniall Altar is gon but the Morall thereof abideth where Christ is thither must we bend our seruice he is the Altar that halloweth our Sacrifice on him and by him must we present it vnto God Againe the Altar doth note that it is not enough for vs priuately to recount Gods blessings we must divulge them publikely though the Heathen had their priuate Altars yet God had none but in a publike place therfore the setuice must needs be publike that is done vpon the Altar Adde the Bullocke and the Altar together and then you shall find that this was Operaria gratitudo the hand should testifie the thankfulnesse of the heart and the Kingdome would be thankfull not in word onely but indeed also And indeed God doth good to Sion and buildeth vp the wals of Ierusalem that they may offer him such Sacrifice To conclude this poynt as Dauid in his owne Vow made Gods praise the vpshot of his promise so doth hee in the Vow of the People And indeed the Church must not desire prosperity otherwise then that God may haue the glory of it God made all things for himselfe and we must subordinate all things vnto him otherwise we substitute the Creature in stead of the Creator and cannot excuse our selues from Idolatry from which Dauid doth free his Kingdome in saying They shall offer at Gods Altar You haue heard of Gods acceptance and the Kingdomes thankfulnesse that these things shall bee performed Dauid vndertakâ—th for both he vndertaketh to each of them for the other for marke how resolutely he speaketh Thou shalt be pleased They shall offer Vox fidei fiduciae hee beleeueth it assuredly and therefore doth confidently affirme it Neither can their be any doubt but if our seruice be the sacrifice of righteousnesse God will accept it for he will neuer refuse what himselfe commanded And it can as little be doubted that the Kingdome will bee thankfull if God doe it that good for it is a speciall effect of Grace to make vs so thankfull so that we may not doubt of either I haue sufficiently opened the Promise vnto you one thing remaineth the circumstance of time when this Promise shall take place it is exprest in this word Then which is set before either of the vndertakings Then shalt thou be pleased Theu shall they offer c. except God fulfill the Desire there is no hope of the Promise but the performance of the Promise will not be farre behind if the Desire bee fulfilled Touching the Ceremonie wee find it in the Dedication of the Temple when many thousands of Bullocks were offered 1. King 8. and God appearing vnto Solomon told him how well he was pleased therewith And touching the morall though in figuratiue termes yet it is fairely set downe Ezek. 20. and Malac 3. you haue it in a short sentence Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Math. 18.20 and the beauties of holinesse And Christ is as briefe
one thing more which I may not omit concerning the nature of Charitie and that is the Constancie thereof Loue is strong as death Iealousie is cruell as the graue Cant. chap 8. the coles thereof are coles of fire which hath a most vehement flame many waters cannot quench Loue neither can the flouds drowne it if a man would giue all the substance of his house for Loue it would be contemned Abhorret vera Charitas omnia distrahentia pereat qui inter nos dissidium volunt Wee must not bee like little children that loue to day and hate to morrow nec ita amare ut aliquando osuri manente bonitate non exigente superiore lege aut patriae aut religionis I haue competently opened vnto you the nature of Charitie But you must obserue that whereas there are two things in it the qualitie and the exercise thereof Bernard it is not the qualitie but the exercise that commeth vnder the commandement Vbicunque in Scriptura dilectio requiritur non tam extgitur dilectio affectus quam Charitas operis Gal. 5. Deut. 10. the qualitie is the gift of God for hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charitatis efficax it is hee that maketh men to bee of one minde and circumciseth mens hearts that they may loue and Charitie is the fruit of the Spirit And the Spirit doth worke it in our hearts not only by mouing without qualifying them as Peter Lumbard erroniously thought hee improueth our Charitie too farre but the Loue of God is powred abroad into our hearts by the holy Spirit Expla 11 ad Carth. substantialis Charitas dat accidentalem as S. Bernard speaketh God which is Charitie giueth vnto man the gift of Charitie But when we haue receiued the gift of God wee must employ it wee must not receiue the grace of God in vaine As in nature so in grace wee haue our abilities for action and the Parable will tell vs what will bee our doome if wee hide our Talent But the Commandement is affirmatiue and therefore tenet semper but not ad semper wee must neuer be without a louing disposition yet are we not bound to manifest it but as occasion shal be offered vs. Yet must we take heed that we neither will nor do ought that is contrary vnto Charity You haue heard What is giuen in charge you must now heare to Whom this charge is giuen Thou shalt loue and this Thou is Israel so wee read in Moses Hearken O Israel Thou shalt loue Deut. 6. It is giuen then to the regenerate for Israel is a name of the Church of those that were in couenant with God and had in their flesh the seale thereof Without the Church is the Kingdome of Satan and where Satan raigneth there Satanisme that is hatred is there can bee no true Charitie Iohn 13.35 Christ telleth vs it is the badge of his followers By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples Cant 2 4. if yee loue one another In the Canticles it is called the Banner of the Church now you know that the Banner keepeth euery Souldier to his owne station and so strengtheneth the whole by euery ones good order And wee neuer breake our ranke in the Church militant and hazard the whole by our disorder but wee doe it through want of Charitie What is spoken to the whole Church euery member must take it to himselfe and vnderstand himselfe in the word Thou Saint Paul hath taught vs that hatred and Charitie distinguish carnall and spirituall men 1. Cor. 3. by Charitie Saint Iohn telleth vs it is knowne that wee are borne of God 1. Ioh. 3.10 Sola Charitas diuidit inter filios Regniaeterni Austin de Trinit silios perditionis saith Austin wee haue no assurance that wee shall bee Saints in heauen except wee entertaine the Communion of Saints on earth if in this life wee delight in hatred after this life wee shall bee ranged with those which are hatefull But whose charge is this who is hee that commands Thou shalt loue surely it is Gods charge hee layeth this commandement vpon his Church Doe you heare it and not wonder at it God is a Soueraigne Lord hee may giue what Lawes please him vnto the Creatures which hee hath made yet see how gracious hee is hee will lay no other charge vpon his Church then that which may bee performed by loue then which kind of command nihil facilius nihil foelicius none can bee more easie Chap. 38. c. none can be more happy nothing more easie for what difficultie can there bee in Loue If God should come vpon a man as he did vpon Iob and presse him to reueale all the secrets of the Creation and prouidence much more if hee should bid him open the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heauen hee might answere Alas Lord I am an ignorant man If hee should bid him build such a Temple as Salomons was and furnish it with so many instruments and ornaments of gold and of other precious stuffe hee might say alas Lord I am a poore man If hee should bid him goe and roote out all Infidels from the face of the earth hee might answere alas Lord I am a weake man And so to many like commandements hee might plead some excuse But when God saith Thou shalt loue no man hath any excuse to plead but the malignitie of his owne nature yea no man comes to Heauen that did not loue though many poore ignorant weak ones c. come there A poore man may loue as well as a rich an ignorant as a wise a weake as a strong especially seeing though Charitie consists of beneficentia aswell as beneuolentia good deeds aswell as good will yet there is a dispensation allowed for want of good deeds ◠Cor. 8. if a man haue a good will For hee is accepted according to that which hee hath not according to that which hee hath not So that although God hath dispensed his temporall blessings vnequally yet the spirituall he will haue common vnto all I meane those which are the Graces of Adoption amongst which Charitie is a chiefe one and by it though there be otherwise great distance betweene man and man yea the Creator and his Creature yet may they easily bee brought together Neither is Loue onely an easie worke in it selfe but also it doth facilitate other things our doing our suffering both are made easie by Charitie Let a man attempt any thing whereunto hee hath no minde and it groweth presently tedious but Loue takes away all bitternesse of paine It was a painfull life that Iacob liued vnder Laban as he sheweth in Genes Gen 29 vers 20. 31. yet the seauen yeares that hee serued for Rachel seemed to him but a few dayes for the loue that hee had vnto her The like we may obserue in all sorts of men that are affected with any kind of
perfection of that Loue wherewith wee must loue the Lord our God secondly the degree of that perfection wherhence will arise a third point and that is the iust reason why this first Commandement is called great I begin with the perfection In the question of vertue Diuines require a double perfection one partium the other graduum there is a perfection of the parts in man which must bee seasoned with the virtue and the vertue in those parts must arise vnto it's full pitch This Text requireth both these perfections in Charitie the perfection of the parts of man are intimated in the enumeration of the heart minde soule strength vnto these all our inward and outward abilities may bee reduced so that there is no power nor part of man that must not bee qualified with the loue of God But of this perfection I haue spoken when I shewed you the Seat of Loue I made it plaine vnto you that there was to be in our Charitie a perfection of parts That with which wee haue now to doe is the perfection of degrees the Text will tell vs that it is not enough for euery of those parts to haue the loue of God in them they must also be wholy taken vp therewith and this perfection is noted by the word All which is added to Heart Minde Soule Strength Let vs come then to it A Commandement is the sooner admitted if the reasonablenesse of the ground thereof be first discouered I will therefore first discouer the ground vpon the reasonablesse whereof this great Measure is required The ground is twofold there is one in God and another in Vs. The ground that is found in God is taken from the preface of this Text as Moses hath deliuered it and Saint Marke hath repeated it the preface is Hearken O Israel the Lord thy God is but One but One therefore the intire Obiect of our Loue he will not giue this his glorie vnto any other neither will he indure any Corriuall herein the beginning the middle and the end of this Obiect is only He that is Alpha and Omega first and last Had we many Lord-Gods then might wee haue many obiects of our Loue the Obiect can no more bee multipliced then he can Take all the parts of his Title asunder and you shall sind Onenes and Intirenes therein He is first called Lord which importeth the fountaine of Being and Goodnesse which doth accompanie the same Now there is no other fountaine but He for as he is that which he is so are are all things of him yea and in him also no one shareth with him herein As he is the only fountaine of Being of all being so is he of Goodnesse Math. 1◠17. of whatsoeuer thing is good Our Sauiour telleth vs there is none good but he and Moses that all which he made and he made all was exceeding good Gen. 1. Euery good and perfect gift commeth from him and if from him then it is in him be it honestum iucundum or vtile so that we can seeke nothing without him Iames 1.17 which wee may not find in him and find it much more eminently Neither can we forsake any thing for him but in hauing him wee shall haue more then an abundant amends for as he is One so he is All Aug. Manual cap. 33. all good is contained in this One Lord bonorum totum totaliter diligendum wee can doe no lesse then bee wholy his that doth vouchsafe to be wholy ours As for the name God which I told you importeth the three Persons what euery one is called that he is Only and Graciously Call no man Father on earth saith Christ for you haue but one Father euen your Father which is in Heauen Math. 23 9. and he is a most louing Father no such tender bowels to bee found no not in most naturall and indulgent Parents As for the second person which is God the Sonne he is Vnicus Vnicè dilectus an only Sonne only begotten most dearely Beloued we can find no meanes of our being adopted being accepted but in him and by him Iesus is not diuided how often doth hee proclaime it in Isay Beside mee there is no Sauiour Isey 43. neither is Christ diuided he is the only Prophet that can acquaint vs with the counsels of God the only Priest whose sacrifice can pacifie God finally the only King that can subdue all the enemies of the Church and make it partaker of his Kingdome Neither is the third person lesse Vnus Omnia the Apostle telleth vs that there is but one Spirit and he deriueth all graces from him 1. Cor 11. be they graces of Adoption or graces of edification hee worketh all and hee workes in all he is our Leader our Comforter our Sanctifier our Supporter Ours I say for which is the last note in the name whether it bee Lord or God that is One they are that which they are vnto vs vnto vs haue they appropriated their Onenesse for they are to no other what they are to the Church and the Church as heretofore I haue told you is meant by Thou and to the Church they communicate their All all the treasures of their common and seuerall Good so farre as the Church is capable thereof I suppose that if you haue well heeded what I haue said you will acknowledge that there is a faire ground in the Lord our God why hee should challenge all our loue Let vs come now and looke vpon our selues and see what ground thereof we can find there When the question was moued vnto Christ whether the Iewes ought to pay tribute vnto Caesar or not hee called for the Coine and asked whose image and superscription it bare and when they answered him Caesars he replyed Giue vnto Caesar those things which are Caesars but he addeth to our purpose that vpon the same ground they must giue vnto God those things which are Gods If the image and superscription were a iust ground why Coine should be paid vnto Caesar where Gods Image is found there is as good a reason that that should be rendred vnto him Now Gods Image is found in vs by Nature for we were made according to his Image so that all which we receiue from him we owe vnto him by the Law of Creation A second way is Gods Image in vs by Grace for our Regeneration is but a second Creation wherein we are reformed vnto that Image according to which God at first created vs. All then is due vnto God a second time by the Law of our Redemption so that whether we looke vpon our heart our minde our soule or strength it may well be demanded of vs Quid habes quod non accepisti What hast thou which thou hast not receiued and if we haue receiued it all the exaction is but reasonable Si totum exigit à te qui totum fecit refecit te surely Saint Paul thought so when he willeth
sight of the eye is the sight of the whole bodie but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in possession it was neuer Basil lib â— de Baptismo Aug de Ciuit Deiliâ— 20 cap. 10. Leo de anniuersaria assumptione Serm. 3. no more then the whole bodie could euer see Wee must not then confound the Hierarchicall and the Mysticall Priesthood no more then we may the externall and the internall Kingdome each must keepe within his bounds And as we must in our priuate be religious as Priests in seruing God so wee must not without a lawfull calling and a mans lawfull calling is not as Anabaptists dreame his owne conceited abilitie but a Mission and Commission from lawfull Superiours without such a Calling I say we may not intermeddle with Pastorall Functions Finally the publike Kings and Priests must neither of them abuse these titles neither of them must wrest this place The Romanists are carefull to remember Kings that they play not Priests they amplifie Vzziahs example that was stricken with Leprosie for being so presumptuous I would they did aswell remember Christs speech whose Vicar the Pope claymes to be Iohn 18.36 Luke 12.14 My kingdome is not of this world and that Man who made me a Iudge to diuide inheritances they would not so often being Priests vsurpe vpon the sword But let them take heed Christ told Saint Peter Math. 26.52 and they will find it one day true The Priest that medleth with the sword shall perish by the sword the Kings ouer whom the Pope hath long tyrannized shall one day worke his ruine And thus much of the Eminencie of the Churches state I come now to the Sanctitie of their persons Israel shall be an holy nation and indeed Kings who are Priests such as you haue heard described how can they chuse but bee Holy especially seeing the persons that communicate in those titles are the First-borne Exod. 13. for the First-borne by the Law were holy to the Lord. And what is the oyle wherewith they were anointed Exod 30. Cap. 2 Cap. 1 18. but oleum sanctitatis holy oyle what are their persons but Temples of the Holy Ghost Ieremie calleth them Gods first-fruits and Saint Iames telleth vs that all Christians are a kind of first-fruits to God 2 Cor. 11.2 Ephes 5 27. The Church is by the Apostle said to be a chast virgin without spot or wrinkle in the Reuelation the Spouse is clothed in fine white linnen Reuel 19 8. Esay 26. which is the righteousnesse of Saints in the Prophet she is called The land of righteousnesse finally in our Creed the holy Catholike Church â—sal 101. King Dauid required vertue in his seruants He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue mee how much more God To whom the Psalmist speaketh thus Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall abide vpon thy holy hill God answereth Hee that leadeth an vncorrupt life c. But what is Holinesse Origen will teach vs the holinesse of a man must be conceiued as the holinesse of a beast a vessell a vestment now those things were separated from prophane vses and dedicated to sacred so must a man be first seperated from earth and earthly things he must not set his affections vpon them though he be in the world Col. 3.2 Iohn 17. yet hee must not be of the world hee must not loue the world nor the things in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1. Iohn 2.15 Ephes 5.11 he must haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse This is his separation the first branch of Holinesse The second is Dedication his life must be deuoted vnto God Christianitie is an imitation of the Diuine Nature a reducing of himselfe to the Image of God in which he was created 2. Pet. 1. Ephes 4. 1. Pet. 2. to righteousnesse and holines of truth a shewing forth of the vertues of him that hath called vs into his maruellous light If a man professe himselfe to be a Painter and take vpon him to make the picture of a King and mis-shape him doth hee not deserue iust blame yes surely for hee occasioneth strangers to thinke meanly of the Kings person because of his ill fauoured portraiture and shall a Christian escape punishment whose life is to be a visible representation of Christ if Infidels blaspheme Christ while they iudge of him according to his counterfeit hee shall not Wherefore faciamus de terra coelum faith Saint Chrysostome In Matth. 12. Tem. 2 p. 332. let vs represent Heauen in earth let vs so liue as that men may say that God is in vs of a truth Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorisie our Father which is in Heauen Holinesse is the true characterizing qualitie of a Christian it distinguisheth betweene the faithfull Iust Martyr ad Diognâ—t p. â—97 〈◊〉 in Apolog. p. 61. and infidell they differ not in place in apparell in diet c. but in charitie in pietie in obedience in patience in euery Christian vertue whatsoeuer shew a man make if he want these vertues he is but like the Iuglers Ape which being attired like a reasonable creature and dancing curiously to his Masters instrument deceiued the people of Alexandria vntill one espying the fraud threw a few Dates vpon the Stage which the Ape no sooner espied but he tore all his vizard and fell to bis victuals to the scorne of his Master which gaue occasion to the Prouerbe An Ape is an Ape though hee bee clad neuer so gaily Nyssen applies it vnto men that call themselues Christians professe that they know God Tom. 2. de professione Christiana and that their hope is in Heauen but no sooner doth any vanitie come in their way but their heart doth betray where there treasure is but let them remember the Prouerbe It is a snare for a man to deuoure that which is holy Origen applies it to the sacriledge that a man committeth that vowed himselfe in Baptisme to the Lord and giueth himselfe vnto the World I conclude this point with Gods words in the Law Lenit 11.44 Math. 5 4â— Be yee holy for I am holy and with Christs words in the Gospell Bee yee perfect as your Father in Heauen is perfect sinne must not raigne in our mortall bodies because we are an holy Nation You see how the Good which God offereth to Israel is specified you must next heare how it is amplified that appeares in the words Eritis mihi As the Proprietarie is so doth the value of a thing rise hee addeth to the worth at least to the esteeme thereof though man only to the esteeme yet God also to the worth for hee can proportion the creatures worth answerable to his esteeme he whose glorie shineth in the heauens and handie worke in the firmament doth declare his glorie much more in the
Church according to that in the Prophet This people haue I formed for my selfe 〈◊〉 45. they shall bee to set forth my prayse And indeed of what regard the Church is with God we may gather out of that which God hath done for it he is become a father vnto it in Christ and tendreth euery member thereof as his deare childe hee hath giuen his only begotten sonne to death for the saluation of it and made him the Bridgeroome of the Church the Holy Ghost doth he send to guide to comfort it and the Angels are ministing spirits for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation Can any man beleeue this 〈◊〉 1. and not beleeue that wee are a pretious treasure vnto God Hee hath prouided for vs a Kingdome that cannot be shaken 〈◊〉 12.28 1. â—ct 5.4 an immarescible Crowne of glorie hee hath communicated vnto vs the Throne of his owne Sonne and giuen vs power ouer all our enemies and can wee doubt but we are Kings vnto him And as for our Priesthood Iames 5 16. that is as euident the prayer of the righteous auailes much their sufferings are to him sacrifices all their life is a sauour of a sweet smell and he is well pleased with the worke of their hands Feuci 7 14. Finally they haue washed their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe they are clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ God vouchsafeth to conuerse with them to dwell with them therefore they are to him an holy Nation We that account our selues happie if wee bee deare to great men great if we be but pettie Lords thinke not meanly of our selues if we be but Priests vnto Baal and looke bigge if we haue but the righteousnesse of a Pharisie how happie should wee thinke our selues that are vouchsafed to be the Fauorites of the King of Kings how should we esteeme our selues that are made Kings of Heauen how should we glorie in our diuine Priesthood and ioy in our true Holinesse when we consider our selues as we are in our selues dust and ashes weake and wicked ones wee may well crie out with Dauid who am I O Lord and what is my Fathers house that I O Lord should be such a one vnto thee and sing the Virgins Hymne My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour for he that is mightie hath magnified me c. And when vnder the Crosse wee find that in the eye of worldlings wee are reputed wormes and no men the reproch of men and the despised of the people when they oppresse vs with more then Egyptian bondage scoffe at the sighes and groanes which the Holy Ghost indites in vs and repute all our deuotion to bee but madnesse when they traduce vs as Samaritans as friends of Publicans and Sinners yea as instruments of Beelzebub and condemne vs to a shamefull death as pestilent fellowes traitours and blasphemers what greater comfort can we haue then this promise of God Eritis mihi You shall be to me a peculiar treasure a Kingdome of Priests an holy Nation But I goe on You haue heard of much good but what you haue heard doth not yet amount to a Prerogatiue that appeares in these words aboue all people When we haue good things that are not common to others especially if it be better then they haue any then haue we obtained a Prerogatiue and this was Israels case for the Church was not now Catholique as it had beene before Abrahams time and was to bee after the comming of Christ Gods promise was Catholique to Adam though Cain played the Apostata it was Catholique also to Noah but his children fell away therefore when Gods reuiues it vnto Abraham hee made it but particular and Israel only was his Inheritance In Iuda was God knowne his Name was great in Israel Athanas de Incarnat verb. not that others might not bee if they would become Israelites but ordinarily none but Israelites or Proselytes had part in the Promise Therefore the Law speaketh thus What Nation is there so great Deut. 4. who hath God so nigh vnto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call vpon him for And what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and iudgements so righteous as all this Law that I set before you this day And the Psalmist God sheweth his word vnto Iacob Psal 147. his Statutes and Iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation c. This is often repeated by Moses Deut. 10. but especially Chapter 32. Seeing then God doth compare one Nation vnto all people and preferre it he doth extoll his owne grace and teach vs that the blessing is singular and if singular then a Prerogatiue and because singular and a Prerogatiue the more to be esteemed Surely in worldly things we thinke so for what is he that hath any gist or good which others haue not who doth not esteeme it as much for the rarenesse as for the greatnesse thereof I would wee did passe as true a iudgement vpon our heauenly Treasures surely the Church was wont to doe so Pone me vt signaculum Cant 8. saith the Spouse Set mee as a Seale vpon thy arme and in her Plea Populus tuus omnes nos Wee are thine enen the sheepe of thy pasture Esay 63. As God doth honour vs aboue others so will hee that we be mindfull of his speciall fauour Put now together the Greatnesse of the Good which God offers with the Singularitie of the fauour which God vouchsafeth Israel and they will yeild vs a definition of the Church for what is Ecclesia but a people chosen out of the world and preferred before it in that it is Gods peculiar treasure and to him a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation But I leaue that point to your priuate meditations which will bee the fuller if you adde the next particular vnto it for that also is considerable in your contemplations of the Church That which God offers is a Prerogatiue and such a Prerogatiue as is Gracious I gather it first out of Vos Deut 7 yee yee shall bee vnto mee a peculiar treasure c. And who are yee neither the most nor the best of people Moses from God telleth them so bondslaues in Egypt and much more bound to Satan for they were a rebellious nation more base in minde then in condition and therefore God biddeth them looke vnto his free loue the cause of their deliuerance Et dare non dignis res mage digna Deo the lesse worth there appeares in the receiuer the more grace doth there shine from the giuer As Israels want of worth made the gift gracious so also was it gracious in that God was not driuen to make the choice out of any want for all the earth is mine saith God All Nations they are the same by nature and it was free for God to make choice of any other
quaerenda in hac vita what God is is a lesson for the life to come in this life it is enough for vs to learne what Gods will is A second mysterie in the Cloud is that it agreeth well with the reuelations of the Old Testament Gal. 4. for God appeared then in shadowes and figures there was a vaile cast ouer the Law which was figured in the vaile wherewith Moses couered his face 2. Cor. 3. So that though the Church in the Old Testament had much more knowledge then the rest of the world for they had sauing knowledge as appeareth Heb. 11. Yet he that is least in the Kingdome of God saith Christ is greater then Iohn Baptist notwithstanding that he was greater then any Prophet of the Old Testament A third mysterie is the condition of the Law Chap. 33. which in Deuteronomic is called a fierie Law very piercing and very scorching it enters farre in searching of a mans conscience it is a discerner of the thoughts I had neuer knowne Heb. 4.12 Rom. 7.7 saith Saint Paul that lust is sinne had not the Law said thou shalt not lust As the Law is piercing because fierie so is it scorching also it vexeth and tormenteth their consciences whom it findeth guiltie it is a burden too heauie for the best of vs to beare Acts 15. Saint Austine obserues well Breuis differentia Legis Euangelij timor amor although both these affections beseeme both Testaments and he that loueth must feare and he that feareth must loue yet Feare was preualent in the Old Testament and Loue is in the New We haue not saith Saint Paul receiued the spirit of bondage to feare Rom 8.15 which was the state of man vnder the Old Testament but we haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father which is the libertie of the New Testament The same Apostle resembleth the different conditions of the Church vnder the two Testaments to the different conditions of a child when he is in nonage and when he is come to his full age Gal 4. while he is in his nonage though he be heire yet is he kept in awe and vnder a Pedagogue but when he commeth to full age his Father affords him a more chearefull countenance and more liberall maintenance Euen so vnder the Law the Church was kept vnder and scanted of grace but vnder the Gospel shee is more free and indued with a more plentifull measure of Gods holy Spirit Finally hereunto looketh the difference that Saint Paul maketh betweene Mount Sinai and Mount Sion Heb. 12. the terriblenesse of the one and the sweetnesse of the other I shall haue occasion to compare them before I come to the end of the Chapter By the mixture of the Cloud and of the Fire you may also conceiue a mixture of our knowledge of God as the light of the fire signifieth that he is in some good sort manifested vnto vs 1. Cor. 13 1◠so doth the Cloud signifie that out knowledge is very imperfect wee see but as through a glasse darkly that which we know not of God is much more then that which we doe know Let this suffice for the manner I come now to the End which is twofold for God came first to grace Moses whom he designed Lawgiuer to Israel or rather Referendarie of that Law which himselfe would giue vnto them And hee graced him two wayes First in comming to him and not vnto them so saith the Text I will come to thee Moses was vpon the hill the people in the bottome now the Cloud came downe but to the top of the hill not into the bottome wherein there was no small grace done to the person of Moses in the sight of all the people God vouchsafed his presence only to him and not to the people The second grace is yet greater that in the hearing of the people God would speake with him for it is not here said that God did speake with them But that wee mistake not this grace which is done to Moses and giue him more honour then hereby was by God intended towards him we must obserue that though here we find no mention of Gods speaking with the people but only of his speaking with Moses yet Deut. 5. verse 5. Moses himselfe saith that God talked also with them and here we reade that God so talked with Moses as that he talked in the hearing of the people When here wee reade of Gods talking with Moses only without any mention of Gods talking with the people hereby the Holy Ghost intends to honour him with the Mediatour ship of the Old Testament that honour which Saint Paul giueth him when hee saith The Law was giuen by Angels in the band of a Mediatour But where Moses saith Deut. 5. that God talked with the people there the Holy Ghost would teach vs that God intended the Law to the people And out of both places compared together it followeth that the Law was committed to Moses to the end that the people might receiue it from him not only as hee should deliuer it in the two Tables but also as he should report vnto them by word of mouth And because they were to receiue Gods Law as he should report it that they might be sure hee brought them nothing but that which hee receiued from God therefore God vttered the Law to him in their hearing Whatsoeuer commeth from a man as a meere man will hardly worke vpon the conscience because of that knowne principle Omnis homo mendax men haue their errors and their priuate ends therefore their proiects are entertained with iealousie that they mistake or intend their owne good but if a Law be once knowne to be Gods pleasure we readily submit because we know he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee can neither deceiue nor bee deceiued and hee hath absolute power to command Vpon this principle those famous Lawgiuers amongst the Heathen did make it their first labour to perswade their people that they had familiar colloquies with some diuine power by whom they were directed in their Law-giuing Minos with Iupiter Lycurgus with Apollo Numa with Aegeria c. Mahomet could neuer haue made his Alcoran so currant but by that notorious imposture of a Doue which had beene taught to come familiarly to his eare and which to the people hee pretended to bee the Holy Ghost Heretikes old and new haue had their Enthusiasticall guides Papisticall pretended apparitions and reuelations are much of this kind abuses of that sacred principle But to the point when God would establish the Canon both of the Old and New Testaments by two demonstrations hee shewed that they came from him the one of Miracle the other of Oracle So did hee establish that which the Church receiued by Moses First hee gaue him power to worke many Miracles which was a second proofe that he came from God for no man could doe
they be Natiue and not Electiue they must needs haue a most free absolute Power And such Christs is Natus Rex it is the expresse letter of my Text And the Wisemen that came to present him Matth. 2. asked for him that was borne King of the Iewes Nay Christ himselfe when Pilate asked him whether he were a King replyed for this cause was I borne And Pilate set vp this stile ouer his Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes which he would not alter though he were much importuned by the Scribes and Pharisees The places of the Prophets are very cleare Esay 32. Ier. 23. but specially Dan. 7. all of them beare witnesse to the Kingdome of Christ So that wee must acknowledge in Christ a Kingly power such a Power as none must dare to dispute the verity of his Word as curious and scoffing Atheists and Epicures doe or resist his Authority as proud Pharaohs and Senacheribs Christ can brooke neyther But as Christ is called a King so here is an addition vnto his Title his Throne and Kingdome are termed the Throne and Kingdome of Dauid And indeed Christs Pedegree is by St. Matthew and St. Luke fetched from King Dauid Himselfe calleth himselfe in the Reuelation The roote and generation of Dauid The Apostle telleth vs that be was of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh And how often in the Gospell is he called The Sonne of Dauid In the Prophets euen Dauid himselfe sometimes and sometimes The branch of Dauid Finally the Angell in the first of Luke telleth the Virgin Mary That Christ shall sit vpon the Throne of his Father Dauid But how can that bee seeing that which Dauid had Christ had not and what Dauid had not Christ had Christ had not the Temporall state of Dauid that was fallen into the hands of Herod the great and the Spirituall state of Christ Dauid had not His Kingdome was Temporall How then could Christ be said to sit vpon his Kingdome Although it were granted that by succession Christ was the right heire to the Crowne of Israel yet seeing the Scepter was departed and the Law-giuer gone the Tabernacle of Dauid was downe we cannot finde a Truth of these words we cannot if wee vnderstand them literally but if mystically wee may And St. Pauls rule is our guide All things yea and persons too if they were eminent came to the Israelites in Types 1 Cor. 10. they had shadowes of good things to come St. Bernards rule is true This Throne of Dauid which Christ sate on was not sedes Typica but Vera not Corporalis but Spiritualis not Temporalis but Aeterna yet so that Illa was huius Imago the Temporall of the Eternall the Corporall of the Spirituall the Typicall of the true Throne Dauids state of the state of the Church And indeed there is an excellent Analogie betweene the Person of Dauid and Christ as both were Kings Dauid was anointed to be a King long before hee was possessed of his Kingdome and so was our Sauiour Christ anointed with the holy Ghost long before he entred into his Glory For though he did many acts of a Gouernour Propheticall and Priestly yet few Regall acts before his Resurrection and those which hee did hee did them rather with the efficacie than in the Maiestie of a King for his outward Man represented nothing lesse But after his Resurrection and Ascension Efficacie and Maiestie conioyned and he sate him downe at the right hand of God and now doth he gouerne in the glory of his Father Secondly as there was a distance betweene Dauids Vnction too and Possession of the Crowne so was that a troublesome time few quiet dayes had he being persecuted both abroad and at home by Saul by his Seruants Euen so our Sauiour Christ entred not into his glory but by many afflictions all kinde of Enemies pursue him with all kinde of malice so that his life was a continuall Crosse And as Dauid so Christ the nearer he drew to his Crowne the sharper was his Crosse Thirdly as King Dauid first possessed only the Tribe of Iuda and after some yeares the ten Tribes euen so our Sauiour Christ at first possessed only the Iewes and after some time inlarged his Church vnto the Gentiles Fourthly Dauid being possessed of his Kingdome spent many years in repressing the Foes of his Kingdome Philistines Amonites Syrians c. and at length fate downe in peace and ruled with Iustice and Iudgement in much Prosperity euen so our Sauiour Christ though ascended into Heauen and reigning there yet shall he be vntill the generall Resurrection subduing his Enemies vnder his feete and freeing his Church from troubles and calamities when that is done then shall he rule and reigne with his Church in much peace and ioy These and such like Analogies are obseruable in comparing of Christ and Dauid which are the cause why the Kingdome of Christ is called The Kingdome of Dauid But yet in the letter of the storie which is the ground of this comparison you shall finde many Hyperboles reade the 89. Psalme the 72. Psalm the 132. to say nothing of diuers places of the Prophets which seeme to exceede the truth if they be applyed to King Dauid whereby the holy Ghost giueth vs to vnderstand that they must bee applyed to a greater than Dauid And indeed the phrases that are in these reall Allegories or Types must be vnderstood of the Corporall part but Quodammodo in a measure answerable vnto them the fulnesse of their truth appeares in the Spirituall And some Diuines obserue Ezâ—k 21.26 37 that The Throne of Dauid is not that which Dauid possessed but that which was promised to Dauid for his sonne And indeed in 2 Sam. 7. the Promise though it be made vnto Dauid yet is it made for his sonne his sonne is Christ It was not meant of his immediate Sonne otherwise than in a Type but it was meant of his Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Messias or Sauiour of the world As also the Promise made to Abraham was made for his Sonne which in appearance seemed to be Isaac but St. Paul to the Galathians telleth vs that that seed is Christ Well then this Kingdome is the Church and therein Christ sitteth as in his Throne it is the Gouernment thereof that is committed vnto him And here wee may not dreame of a corporall Kingdome and turne the truth into a Type St. Paul hath told vs that The Kingdome of God is neyther meat nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost And Christ in the Gospell The Kingdome of God is within you The Parables of the Kingdome if you looke to their Morall imply as much all sound things and persons spirituall Grosse then is the vsurpation of the Bishop of Rome who in Christs name contrary to Christs rules combines both Swords the Spirituall and the Corporall And they that vnderstand The Kingdome of Christ carnally as if all
vpon his shouldeas And indeede our Faith in him must begin at that which was endured by him and therein must wee imitate him and write Cedendo vincimus The Church neuer triumphed so much ouer the world as when it did most resolutely sustaine the bloudy malice of the world The last thing that is to be noted on these words is the exchanging of the yoke mentioned before and rod of the oppressor which lay vpon the shoulders of the People into this Royalty and Gouernment which lyeth vpon the shoulders of the King Great odds there was betweene the People and the King the enemies had to do with the People they imposed their persecutions as a yoke vpon them but when they come to deale with the King this yoke is turned into a gouernment The same God that commanded light to shine out of darkenesse so altered the Crosse of Christ that it became to him the Chaire of Triumph And this is the cause why Princes weare it in their Crownes in token that they are subiect to it and why it was of old set vp where triumphall Arches were wont to stand that the world might haue so many witnesses as it were of the Triumph of it Which superstition at length abused and therefore haue they in many places iustly been abolished though the originall of the erection of those Crosses deserued rather praise than blame But we may not omit to obserue the seeming Contradiction that is in the Prophets words At first it is said The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders as if hee did beare it afterward it is said that Hee shall sit vpon the Throne and the Kingdome as if it did beare him The reconciliation is easie The body politicke is like the body naturall the foundation of it stands vppermost the head stands aboue the feete and a man would thinke that the feet did beare the head but indeede the head beareth the feete For were it not for the influence of sense and motion which the head deriues vnto the feete the feete could not sustaine themselues much lesse could they beare the body Wee see it in a dead palsie that intercepts the intercourse of the spirits betweene the head and feet We haue another Simile also of our Soules and our Bodies We would think that our Body did containe our Soule but indeed it is the Soule that containes the Body For no sooner doth the Soule part from the Body but the heterogeneous parts fall asunder and this goodly frame commeth to nothing Euen so fareth it betweene the Prince and the People he seemeth to rest vpon the people as the head vpon the body but indeed the people doe rest vpon him and therefore in Greek a King is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase borrowed from a Building whereunto the Common-wealth is compared and whereof the King is said to be the Foundation For a wise King as it is Wisd 6. is the vpholding of the People and King Dauid Psal 75. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolued I beare vp the Pillars thereof And indeede the parts of euery State were they not vnited and supported by the Soueraignty of the Prince would sooner moulder and come to nought than doe the parts of our Naturall body when it wants a soule for there is not so much nor so eager naturall ambition and coueteousnesse in the elements whereof our bodies consist whereby they striue to gaine the one vpon the other and to tyrannize the one ouer the other vntill the one hath wrought the others bane as there is ciuill both ambition and coueteousnesse in the Members of euery State whereby the one striueth to get the vpperhand of the other and each man would denour his brother Ephraim against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iuda as the Prophet speaketh in this Chapter vntill the Kindome of Israel be layd waste Whereas then in euery State there are rich and poore that the rich doe not deuoure the poore crafty and simple that the crafty doe not circumuent the simple strong and weak that the strong doe not offer violence to the weake the reason is There is a King Rege incolumimens omnibus vna The King maintaines the Concord By him it commeth to passe that euery man sitteth quietly vnder his own vine and dwelleth safely vnder his owne roofe Mutiners and Murmurers are therefore iustly to be abhorred who speake euill of Authority and would withdraw their necks from obedience vpon this ground That superiours liue by the sweat of the inferiours browes being themselues deuoyd of care Their quarrell is like that which in Menius Agrippaes Apologue the outward members of the body had against the stomacke They complained of his lazinesse and their owne painfulnesse and therfore conspired to starue him and ease themselues They euen discouered their folly for soone after the hands began to faint and the leggs to faulter and the whole body to pine Then they perceiued that the stomacke which they condemned as lazie laboured for them and that they were beholding to the labour of the stomacke that themselues had any strength to labour So is it in the body politicke though the State of the Prince is supported by the Commons yet the spring of the Commons wealth is the prouidence of the Prince and soone would these streames dye if that fountaine were dammed vp It is so in a ciuill state but in the spirituall state it is much more so If a mortall Prince bee so beneficiall vnto a temporall State much more is the immortall King of heauen and earth beneficiall to the state of his Church sustaining and supporting the same That which you haue heard of mortall Princes sheweth rather what they should doe than what vsually they doe But this immortall King doth what he should hee is not so much aduanced aboue his people as his people are eased by him He beareth them vp on his wings as an Eagle doth her yongue ones as it is Deut. 32. but more amply Esay 36. his care his prouidence and the efficacie thereof are most aptly most significantly set downe there But because of this we shall speake more hereafter when wee come to entreate of his excellent managing of his State wee will pursue that Point no further nor trouble you further at this time O Lord who art high in place and great in care in thy Person and by vertue of thy bitter Passion exercising thy prouidence which guides and supports the whole frame of and euery member in thy Church Lord wee beseech thee to guide vs that wee bee not mis-led and that wee faile not to sustaine vs. So shall we neuer repine at thy sitting vpon vs thy Kingdome seeing wee rest more vpon thee that art our King And euer good Lord so rule vs from Heauen that wee may rest on thee in Earth So shall wee beeing translated from Earth vnto Heauen fully rest and reigne with thee
exceede all creatures such eminencie as we must adore because wee cannot comprehend it for they are wonderfull Euen the name of wonderfull be longs vnto them as appeares by the answer that was giuen to Manoah in the booke of Iudges when hee enquired after the name of the Angell which appeared Why askest thou after my name seeing it is wonderfull It were easie to shew how this title fits Christ by running through the whole story of the Gospell which to euery part setteth a marke of wonder to his birth to his life to his death to his resurrection to his ascention I will instance only in his birth because we now solemnize the memory thereof In that appeare three great wonders 1. That natures so farre distant as God and Man should bee ioyned in one person 2. That the nature of man should be conceiued in a Virgins wombe that neuer knew man 3. That she should being her selfe conceiued in sinne conceiue a Sonne without sinne Were there no other wonder these were enow to style Christ wonderfull and to make it one of his peculiar titles But because the Fathers following the Septuagint and the Caldee haue coupled these words Wonderfull and Counsellour together and made of them but one title and their opinion is made probable by the Hebrew Text and the other titles which are all compounded Almighty God Father of Eternity Prince of Peace I will so ioyne them and handle them as one title whereof there are two parts Counsellour and Wonderfull Christ is a Counsellour And here also marke the odds betweene mortall Princes and this our King mortall Princes and their Counsell are distinct persons the weakenesse and the idlenesse or both of mortall Princes wits maketh them to vse the counsell of others as it is euident in all States whereupon is grounded that prouerbe of Salomon In the alundance of Counsellours there is welfare But here our King is the Counsellour also hee is both King and Counsell And that which the Apostle hath out of the Prophet Who euer was his Counsellour may well be applied to him His vnderstanding is so large so cleare that it reacheth to all things and pierceth into the depth of all as St. Paul describeth it Heb. 4. and by it hee meaneth Christ as it appeares by the close of his speech The word of God is sharper than any two edged sword and entreth in to the diuiding of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts all things are naked before his eyes And Dauid sheweth that the night and the day to him are all one and the darkenesse is as cleare as the light And as such is his ability so is his care answerable His wits are not idle He that keepeth Israel doth neâ—ther slumber nor sleepe as it is Psalm 121. His eyes are vpon his charge from the beginning of the yeare till the end thereof as it is Deut. 11. Not a Sparrow lights vpon the ground without his prouidence So that he needes no counsell besides his owne he well deserues the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whom Aristotle alledgeth that Verse out of the Greeke Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But let vs come nearer the Point You haue heard that he is a Counsellour but whereof I cannot expresse better than by two of his vsuall titles the Wisedome the Word of God He is Consiliarius ad intra and ad extra beeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Iohn comprehendeth both in that sentence The Son which is in the bosome of the Father and so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath declared himself vnto vs so is become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And our Sauiour Christ Those things which I haue heard of my Father being Consiliarius ad intra haue I opened vnto you as Consiliarius ad extra and so Prouerbs 8. Wisedome describeth her selfe as a Counsellour both ad intra and ad extra with God and to the world But what is the Matter of this Counsell surely the principall is the Conenant betweene God and his Church which St. Paul Heb. 6. calleth the vnchangeable Counsell of God and God in the Prophets speaking of the Kingdome of Christ calleth it his Counsell not excluding all other secrets of God for Christ is priuy to them all He is the Lambe mentioned in the Reuclation that only can open the sealed Booke of Gods hidden Mysteries especially those that concerne his Church Now Christ as the Wisedome of God was of counsell when this Mysterie was resolued on before all time he was of counsell with God and when God was pleased to reueale it then Christ also became the Counsellour vnto men as he was the Word of God These two things are comprehended in his Counsellourship and in regard of both these may hee bee called wonderfull It was a wonderfull course that this wisedome of God found out to worke the Redemption of man by coupling of these Natures and satisfying Mercy and Iudgement and that by Man without sinfull man And as the course is wonderfull so likewise is the communicating thereof seeing the power of God vseth such weake instruments When wee behold the meanes wee cannot but wonder at the effects when wee see such heauenly treasures in earthen vessels and see such efficacie of the one shine through the infirmity of the other and behold the euidence of the spirit in the foolishnesse of preaching and see it casting downe of strong holds and captiuating vnto Christ euery thought this must needs make it wonderfull And wonderfull certainly will we acknowledge him to be if we consider these things for that is wonderfull which is aboue the reach of the vnderstanding Wee see the first royall title and Christs first royall vertue which is his Wisedome The second followeth which is his Power Primò opus est consulto deinde cum consulueris maturè opus est facto said the Heathen Orator for as it is true that Vis consilij expers mole ruit sua so is it no lesse true that if wisedome â—aue not strength to execute her designes it is fruitlesse Therefore our King is as well armed with power as furnished with wisedome So that he is able to execute whatsoeuer he doth resolue Therefore his second style is The mighty God El of it selfe signifieth mighty but it is communicated to others besides the true God to Angels to Men that are tâ—e Lieutenants of God or vsurpe the state of God all these haue a power but it is but a weake power in comparison and it is often times checked and curbed limited and stinted The Angels that are great in power are no farther powerfull than to doe Gods will much more are men at Gods controll Hee refraineth the spirit of Princes and maketh the stoutest of them to know that they are but men The story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel who was for seuen yeares cast out of his Pallace to
to be most in number But there are two cautions to be obserued in this boundlesnesse of the Church One concerning the bound lesnesse thereof in regard of place Another concerning the boundlesnesse thereof in regard of time Touching the former whereas the Church is said to spread it selfe ouer the whole world we must not only vnderstand it de generibus singulorum not de singulis generum in all nations but also obserue that Christ which hath Ius ad omnem terram hath not at the same time Ius in omni terra the proprietie of all is his but he taketh possession of it successiuely and by parts As the scope of the Sunne is all the world and yet at one time the Sunne doth not shine in all parts thereof it beginneth in the East and passeth to the South and so to the West and as it passeth forward bringing light to one place withdraweth it from another so is it in regard of the Sunne of Righteousnesse the easterne Countries the foutherne haue had his light which now are in darknesse for the most part and we that were more northerly doe now enioy the clearest noon-tide but the Sunne beginneth to rise to them in the West and it is too plaine that our light beginneth to grow dimme it is to bee feared that it hasteneth to their Meridian and whether after their noone it will then set God knoweth The cause hereof is not lest we mistake in the Sunne of Righteousnesse as the cause why all haue not light at one time is in the corporall Sunne The corporall Sunne cannot at one time illighten all the Sunne of Righteousnesse can But for the sinnes of the people the Candlesticke is remoued and giuen to a nation that will beare more fruit We interpose our earthlinesse between our selues and the Sun and so exclude our selues from the beames thereof A second caution concerneth the time The peace and the gouernement are said to be euerlasting But they may bee considered in fieri or in facto when they are once consummated they shall bee continued for euer but while they are in fieri the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit interrupts the gouernment and the conscience of sinne within and the crosse without interrupt the peace Yet both are lasting pro modo viatoris in the roote though not in the fruite the principles of obedience which are repentance and faith by which wee recall our selues and the principles of peace which are faith and hope by which we pacifie our selues inwardly and patiently sustaine what befals vs outwardly continue for euer yea and disobedience repented of maketh vs more obedient and the interruption of peace breedeth vs more peace more peace inwardly we haue the lesse we haue outwardly and after our reconciliation with God we do more comfortably enioy the light of his countenance but when wee are comprehensores then our Obedience shall bee entire and our peace be full and both without end The last note is that which is the life of all to wit the vse that wee must make of it Although we cannot say of a body consisting of heterogeneous parts that Eadem est ratio vnius omnium yet when it consists of homogeneous parts wee may say it truly I cannot say that my hand is my head or my head is my hand or that in the one I see the nature of the other but whereas of flesh euery part is flesh in the least part I see the condition of the whole The Church hath a double consideration so farre as these children are subiects of the Kindome they are all homogeneous parts but as they haue seuerall functions so they are heterogeneous parts We haue not all the same graces of edification but the same graces of adoption we should all haue though we be not all Prophets all Apostles all workers of Miracles all Pastors yet are wee all children of God seruants in his house subiects in his kingdome euery man so farre is a little catholicke Church at least should bee And wee should all try our selues by the rules of my Text whether we find in our selues the gouernment of Christ in our voluntary subiection to him the peace of Christ in his comfortable influence into our consciences Wee must try how these things increase in vs how we daily profit in both And we should profit so farre as that no part of our body norpower of our soule should be withdrawne from Christs gouernment there should bee no part or power of eyther that doth not partake of the sweetnesse of his peace They should doe so and euery day should they doe it as they must exclude Christ from no place so must they exclude him at no time But alas many of vs are no subiects at all wee are sonnes of Belial few of vs growing subiects but Catholickesubiects there are none on earth for how many holds hath Sathan in vs in our bodies and in our soules out of which we keep Christ the lawfull owner of them And for Time it were well if we paid a tenth part therof vnto Christ but we afford him not so many houres as we do yeares vnto the Diuell We are like vnto the image in Daniel which had a golden head siluer shoulders brazen thighes feet of clay and iron the lower the worser and we the longer we liue commonly the worse wee are the first time wee come to Christ we are at the best How it is with particular persons let euery man aske his own conscience Certainly it is so with whole Churches what zeale what charity was there in the dayes of the Apostles but it was of no long continuance The Fathers that write of the persecutions say That God sent euery one of them to correct in his Church the decay both of zeale and charity When the Gospell reuiued with vs those that are old may remember how religious this Kingdome was both within the Church and without and what a friendly conspiracie there was between true deuotion and honest conuerfation But may not Christ say now to vs as he said to the Church of Ephesus I haue somewhat against thee Reu. 2. because thou hast left thy first loue Nay rather may not he repeat the words which hee sent vnto the Church of Sardis I know thy workes Reu. 3. thou hast a name that thou liuest but art dead Certainely true Piety true Charity is dead amongst vs. I conclude all with Christs exhortation Reu. 2. Let vs remember from whence wee are fallen and repent and doe our first workes lest he come vpon vs quickely and remoue our Candlesticke out of his place because we doe not repent O Lord that hast vouchsafed to place thy Gouernement amongst vs and with this Gouernment to giue thy Peace we beseech thee that hast planted them so to water them that both may grow in vs and let vs set no bounds to that which thou wouldst haue boundlesse Let not our whole Church let not any member
and the order that we are to expect from Christ who commeth to set vs in frame and to vse the Apostles words Ephes 4. to set vs in ioynt that euery part of man should keepe his order and none in working exceed his measure It is one of the curses that God in Esay threatneth to the Kingdome of Israel that the vile person shall set himselfe against the honourable And it is no small curse in euery one of vs to haue the worser part command the better and command it will except Christ doe order except he doe vse his first royall endowment But as he vseth the first so must he vse the second also for as the Kingdome is out of order so is it weake also and the establishing presupposeth this weakenesse yea indeed weakenesse is the cause of disorder men fall to disorder through weaknesse The weakenesse of the ciuill State of Israel is cleare in the Storie for the Israelites were become enthralled to the Romanes and had no power to relieue themselues though they were exposed to all kinde of ignominie and cruelty as he that readeth Flauius Iosephus will confesse It was bad with them in the Assyrian captiuity but in the Romane much worse and it was this weakenesse that the Iewes thought their Messias should support who reiected Christ because hee came not into the World as a likely person to doe this to crush their enemies and to make them a mighty nation according to the Prophecies which not only affirme they should be so but set it out in diuers Similies as you may reade in Esay in Zacharie and in others that they should thresh all Nations as a heauy stone should grinde them should bee as a soporiforous cup and as fire working vpon stubble These places they vnderstood literally which indeed should haue been vnderstood spiritually Another weakenesse for they had another kinde of weakenesse was disability to doe well whereby they were carried captiues vnto sinne as St. Paul speaketh Rom. 7. and that was it which enfeebled them as God had threatned Deut. 28. and gaue their enemies power ouer them Christ came to remedy this weaknesse Esay 35. to strengthen these weake hands and feeble knees as you may perceiue in that excellent description thereof which Zacharie hath cap. 2. where God promiseth power to all the house of Israel and sheweth that the feeblest of them shall be like vnto Dauid and the house of Dauid like vnto the Angels St. Paul Ephes 6. describeth the armour wherewith wee are strengthened and telleth vs that it is The power of the Lord and cap. 3. he telleth vs that therewith we are strengthned in the inward man and to the Hebrewes cap. 11. telleth vs that by Faith many of weake became strong euen so strong that St. Paul saith of himselfe Phil. 4. Hee could doe all things through him that strengthned him which is Christ Finally this is the strength for which he so often prayeth when he prayeth for the Church it is the strength whereby we may be able to encounter our chiefe enemies which are ghostly and to performe the duties which concerne a Christian life The substance of our faculties was not abolished by sinne but the sinewes were enfeebled as wee hold in the question of Free-will Try it in the particulars and you may perceiue it Our vnderstanding had proportionable strength to the obiect thereof the truth of God to apprehend it and the will to the obiect thereof our soueraigne Good to embrace it so had all the affections the strength that was expedient for such attendance vpon the will to further our possession of the obiect thereof But now euery one of these is disabled by sinne and it is Christs grace that enableth them againe giuing vs such wisedome such holinesse such courage and desires as are expedient for a childe of God to bring him vnto and keepe him in enioying of his finall end And this power is that power by which wee must ouerthrow our enemies if they be irreconcileable as the diuell and his angels are we foile them when they can fasten no sinne vpon vs then we break the Serpents head when his craft cannot delude vs and his taile too when we continue starres in the firmament notwithstanding his violent striking at vs and though he roare like a Lion yet we continue stedfast in the faith whether both these be vsed immediately by himselfe or mediately by his instruments And if the enemies be reconcileable then the conquest of them by this power is not the foyling of their bodies or spoyling of their goods but the casting downe in them of all imaginations 2 Cor. 10. and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuity euery thought to the obedience of Christ And in this manner did the Apostles conquer and the Christians in the Primitiue Church taking-in all these holds that were possessed by Sathan and imposing the easie yoke of Christ vpon the wits and wils of all Nations And in this sense should the Iewes haue vnderstood the Prophets and made Dauids Kingdome a type not of historicall correspondencie but of mysticall presignificancy for other power they meant none none that should appeare in this world And the Popes of Rome are Iewish that herein stand for a temporall power ouer Kings direct or indirect whereby they may ouer-top the scepters and dispose of the crownes of Princes Christ left vnto his Church no other sword than that which commeth out of his mouth which elsewhere is called the breath of his mouth Heb. 4. and the Word of God which is sharper than any two-edged sword and workes in it by no other power as it is a Church though hee hath not abolished the ciuill sword nor rebated the edge thereof in peace or warre but strengthned it rather in proceeding vpon lawfull and legall grounds But the ciuill power is not to bee confounded with the power of the Gospell the power of the Church and the power of the Common-weale distant in toto genere and it is the power of the Church that is meant here that is the power which Christ established And marke it is not enough for Christ to order except he establish It was the case of Adam hee was well ordered but hee was not established and thereupon the good order became mutable and all the gifts of God be they not well rooted and founded in vs will come to nought and fall to disorder So that stability signifieth the preseruation of that good order which wisedome sets and is the principall blessing of the Gospell wherein standeth the prerogatiue of Adam regenerated aboue Adam created and it is that which Christ promiseth in the Gospell and for which the Apostles doe pray in their Epistles namely for prescruation and stedfastnesse in the truth and Christ in his prayer before his passion doth specifie it expresly If we consider the mutability of our nature which comming of
the naturall sense there is in the body but it is from the head intercept the insluence of the head and you extinguish the sense of the body And as it fareth with the body in regard of sense so doth it in regard of motion also The like appeares in the spirits that haue their original from the heart in the bloud that streameth from the veines In the great world you haue many like spectacles the Sun and the Light the Streames and the Fountaine the Rootes and the Trees euery one of these you may perceiue endure not if the effect be seuered from the cause How much lesse may wee expect any enduring in those spirituall effects did they not receiue continuance from this spirituall cause It is our comfort that considering there is a mutability in vs this mutability preuaileth not because of the Kings constant influence vpon vs. Wee sinne and recouer we are in danger and escape neyther our inward weakenesse nor our enemies outward mightinesse destroy Gods gifts in vs or so hinder their increase but that they become Catholick for all which we are beholding to the constant policie of the King who neuer faileth to support vs but continueth ours vnto the end But the Prophet speaketh of this policie as if it began when hee spake these words Christ was not borne till some hundreds of yeares after The answer is easie you had it before The efficacie of Christs birth wrought long before he was borne not only in the time of this Prophet but euen from the time of Adams fall A scruple there ariseth how these words can be true that our King shall so rule for euer seeing a time shall come as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 15 when he shall giue vp his Kingdome to his Father The answer is if wee respect the Kingdome of Grace That as the effect shall not cease increasing till it become boundlesse that is haue attained all his parts and degrees so the cause shall worke till the consummation of that effect till all enemies be put downe and wee are throughly perfected And in this sense both cause and effect are termed endlesse because they shall continue till the worlds end If you extend it to the Kingdome of Glory it hath an eternity also though not of Restauration but of Conseruation though he shall cease restoring of vs further when we are fully restored yet shall hee neuer cease preseruing vs because wee can no longer be than wee are preserued You haue heard the constant Policie of the King wherein standeth the second branch of the Excellency of the State what remaineth but that if wee were affected with the growth and desired to bee partakers of it wee submit our selues vnto the cause thereof the Policie of the King that we yeeld our disorderly selues to be set in order by him and repose our weake selues to be supported on him who will prescribe no Lawes of order but those that spring from Iustice that spirituall Iustice which will abide the tryall at Gods barre and worke the highest kinde of righteousnesse in our liues Neyther doth he only prescribe it but possesse vs of it also and lest it should faile he supports it in vs his Iudgements are as watchfull ouer vs as his Iustice they rectifie vs when wee breake order and bridle vs that wee doe not breake it And this he doth vncessantly by bringing vs from growth to growth in the state of grace and prescruing vs in this growth in the state of glory Hee will bee vnto vs a lasting blessed cause that there may be in vs no end of that blessed effect O Lord I am out of order and I am very weake thon art that Counsellour that knowest how to set mee right againe and that Almighty God which onely canst sustaine me Lord rule me by thy lustice and by thy Iudgements bridle me that I may bee conformable to the holy members of thy Church and euer continue conformable vnto them Let thy worke neuer cease in mee so shall I neuer cease to bee thy Subiect if thy Policie faile me not I shall euery day grow on to the fulnesse ef grace and shall therehence proceede to the eternity of glory Which I beseech thee to grant vnto mee that art the fountaine both of Grace and Glory THE EIGHTH SERMON The zeale of the Lord of Hosts shall performe this THese are the last words of that Text whereof you haue heard often but haue not yet heard all The whole Text was diuided into a Doctrine and a Warrant The Doctrine deliuered the Substance and Excellency of Christs Person and State both which I haue at sundry times so far vnfolded as the time would giue leaue it were tedious now to repeat were it onely the heads whereof I haue distinctly spoken In stead of that repetition I only recommend vnto you the laying together the parts and therehence the gathering of a description of the Catholicke Church Which what is it but a Kingdome such as I haue described growing in grace without stint of Place or term of Time vnder and by meanes of such a Person as being God and Man is called to be the King thereof royally endowed with Wisedome and Power eternall to worke an eternall good both which he employes ordering and stablishing by Iustice and Iudgement the disorderly and feeble members of his Church and that without intermission vntill he hath brought them to the fulnesse both of grace and glory More than this in the nature of that Catholicke Church which we beleeue in the Creede there is not neyther is there any thing more that we would desire to bee therein So that we may take this Text as a full Commentary thereupon and to our comfort vnderstand the riches that are treasured vp in that Article But to leaue the Doctrine and come to the Warrant The Doctrine containeth a large Promise the Warrant sheweth that it shall be performed and sheweth this by renewing those impediments that may crosse the performance thereof The impediments that stay a man from being as good as his word are of two sorts they proceede ab extra or ab intra from without or from within From without wee may bee ouer-ruled from within wee may change our minde Neyther of these can hinder God hee cannot bee ouer-ruled for he is the Lord of Hosts hee cannot vary in himselfe because of the greatnesse of his loue which is termed zeale So that the remouall of these two impediments from God are the principall argument of these words Let vs looke into them That Gods Word shall stand That his Counsell is immutable yea That heauen and earth shall passe and yet his Word neuer passe are Maximes in the Scripture and therfore haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credibility enough in themselues but yet so farre doth the holy Ghost condescend to the weakenesse of our Faith as to point vnto these grounds which will content euen reason it selfe Reason when it questioneth the word of
haue not been carefull to bring them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to the knowledge of Christ and participation of the Gospel Much trauelling to the Indies East and West but wherefore some go to possesse themselues of the Lands of the Infidels but most by commerce if by commerce to grow richer by their goods But where is the Prince or State that pitieth their soules and without any worldly respect endeauours the gaining of them vnto God some shew we make but it is but a poore one for it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an accessorie to our worldly desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not it is not our primarie intention wheras Christs method is Mat. 6.33 first seeke ye the kingdome of God and then all other things shall be added vnto you you shall fare the better for it in your worldly estate If the Apostles and Apostolicke men had affected our saluation no more we might haue continued till this day such as somtimes we were barbarous subiects of the Prince of darknesse Those of the Church of Rome boast of their better zeale for the Kingdome of Christ but their owne Histories shew that Ambition and Couetousnesse haue beene the most predominant Affections that haue swayed their endeauours and they haue with detestable cruelty made their way to those worldly ends in stead of sauing soules haue destroyed millions of persons We should take another course for their conuersion yea the same that was taken for ours and if wee doe it is to be hoped God will continue vs his people and adde daily to his Church such as shal be saued For Popish Recusants let me speake a word their case is mixt consisting partly in ignorance of the truth and partly in the seed of disloyaltie Wee haue made many good Lawes if not to roote out at least to keepe downe so much of their corruption as is dangerous to the State it were to bee wisht that greater care were taken for informing their consciences and indeed there should our Lawes beginne with them vnder a reasonable paine to vrge them to conference for why should we doubt but that God would blesse the honest endeauours of the Ministers of the truth who permits the Seducers to steale away so many hearts from God and the King Of this we may be sure that eyther God will worke that which we wish the recouery of those which are seduced or at least their obstinacie will bee without all excuse and the punishment thereof by sharpe Lawes will be no more than is iust in the sight both of God and man The neglect of this care of infidels and recusants is no small cause of that great distresse which at this day is fallen vpon the reformed Churches and God thereby calleth vpon vs to amend these defects Let vs vse our punishment well and let Gods chastisement prouoke vs to a better life though it seeme grieuous to vnderlie Gods heauy hand yet it is much more grieuous to be neuer a whit the better for the plagues for it is a second refusing of grace the same God that doth at first recommend vnto vs pietie by sweetning it with temporall blessings when that course speedeth not tryeth whether wee will bethinke our selues if we smart for our vntowardlinesse and certainly his case is desperate who is the worse for his stripes as you may reade in Gods complaint passionately exprest by Esay Cap. 1. Cap. 5. Cap. 4. by Amos and Ieremie hath illustrated it by an excellent simile of reprobate siluer which is molten in vaine because the drosse cannot bee separated from it Amend then wee must That is not enough we must be constant in our amendment we must feare God all the dayes of our life that is true Repentance when a man so turneth to God that he doth not returne againe like a dogge to his vomit or a sow to wallow in the myre Relapses are dangerous as Saint Peter teacheth 2 Pet. 2.21 and our Sauiour Christ tels the recouered lame man in the Gospel Iohn 5. Behold thou art made whole goe thy way sinne no more lest a worse thing happen vnto thee I will hearken saith the Psalmist Psal 85. what the Lord will say vnto me for he will speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they returne not again vnto their folly We should all remember Lots wife who for looking backe was turned into a pillar of salt Animae in vitia relabentis accusatricem a visible inditement of relapsing soules Most men are to God-ward like Planets sometimes in coniunction with him sometimes in a more or lesse aspect too often in plaine opposition but let vs take heed we be not in the number of those wandring stars of whom St. Iude speaketh to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer To begin well and not to go on is as if a man should put a soueraigne plaister to a dangerous wound and after a while teare it off againe thinke you that man would bee the better for his salue or the worse rather you heard before our sinnes are wounds and although repentance be a soueraigne salue yet proueth it not such vnto vs except it be lasting There is a good reason giuen by St. Bernard Cecidimus in lutum lapides our sias are like vnto fals into the myre wherein there are stones the mud doth soile vs and the stones bruise vs we may soone wash away the myre but we cannot so soone recouer our bruise euen so the guilt of our sin is sooner remitted than the corruption can be purged Therefore Repentance taketh time to restore our spirituall health and doth not compasse it but with much fasting watching praying almesdeeds c. and is watchfull ouer vs that second wounds make not the first more dangerous in a word being deliuered from our enemies and the hands of all that hate vs we endeauour to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Here are added two motiues vnto this constant amendment taken from the place wherein they liue It is true that wheresoeuer they liued they were to feare God all the dayes of their life because God is euery where a knower of the the heart a rewarder of men according to their workes But the place of their aboad put no small obligation vpon them first because it was an eminent place eminent corporally a good Land a Land flowing with milke and honey eminent mystically for it was the seate of the Church and a type of heauen and who should bee fruitfull in good workes rather than they that dwell in a fruitfull Land and holinesse beseemeth Gods house for euer But to sin in the Land of Immanuel in the Land of vprightnesse is no small improuement of sin and hee that is barren of good works in a fruitfull Land shall haue the earth that brings forth her increase rise vp in iudgement against him Our Countrey hath both
Nations comprehend both Iewes and Gentiles and in the Prophets the re-vnion of Iuda and Israel so often mentioned meaneth no other than the knitting of the Iewes and the Gentiles into one Church and making one Flocke of these two kinde of Sheepe The Oliue Tree will beare both branches Rom. 11. the Seale of God is to be set vpon both Reuel 6. and both make vp one peculiar purchâ—sed people of Christ one Houshold one Kingdome Ephes 2. all are Christs by the merit of his Passion and therefore the Apostles must goe to all euen to all that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death Luke 1. and none are in any better case as St. Paul proueth to the Romanes they were dead in their sinnes and destitute of the glory of God All need the Gospell and therefore it must bee preached vnto all And that it might bee preached the Apostles were endued with all Languages The world is much troubled now about Vniuersall Grace the Resolution in short may be this that forbearing to bee ouer-busie with Gods Predestination who is not pleased to acquaint vs with his Counsell in his distinguishing persons in a Ministers Commission Grace is Vniuersall we should labour the conuersion of all and euery one neither should any man except himselfe but labour to bee in the number of that all to whom God sendeth One Note more before I leaue this point This large circuit was one of the Perogatiues of the Apostles they were not restrained to any Diocesse or Prouince as Bishops now are but as the Spirit led them and they saw cause they might euery one plant and water the Church euery where It is true that for conueniency and expedition of their message they diuided themselues into seuerall Quarters but without excluding each the other in this sense was Peter the Apostle of the Iewes Paul of the Gentiles yet did Peter preach to the Gentiles and Paul to the Iewes The power of Orders in their successors is not limited in it selfe actually all that are ordered are inabled to exercise their Function in any part of the world and they may be sent to conuert any Nation and it is but for the more orderly gouernment and edification of the Church that the exercise of euery mans Orders is restrained to a certaine charge and without leaue or a case of great necessity those that breake these Canons offend grieuously and there bee not a few that offend that way I hope that you which are now to be ordered will not proue such Hauing competently been told Whither the Apostles are sent it followeth that yee now heare Whereabout They must teach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Text make Disciples And indeede it is not a bare Historicall narration that they must make of the Gospell they must seeke by morall instruction to winne the people vnto Christ so teach that their hearers may become the followers of Christ And here obserue first the wonderfull goodnesse of God The Iewes and the Gentiles conspired both to crucifie Christ they put him to a shamefull and a painfull death would not you feare least and looke that he should send messengers against both with fire and sword to take vengeance on them and worke their vtter desolation But see our sweete Iesu came not to destroy but to saue Luke 9. hee forgetteth and forgiueth not onely Peters deniall and the rest of the Apostles forsaking him but also the impious blasphemers of his holy Name and barbarous murderers of his sacred Person hee is ready to receiue them vnto Grace and admit them to be his Disciples A goodnesse so wonderfull that all the world may stand amazed at it Secondly all the world was rent into Sects the Iewes into Pharisees Sadducees Herodians c. the Gentiles they were distracted not only in their Philosophy but in their Diuinity also and had as manifold deuotion as they had opinions the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheweth that the time was now come that they should all grow into one and in point of Religion speake one and the selfe same thing and serue one and the selfe same God All Nations should remember themselues and be turned to the Lord Psal 22. the Prophets foretold it Esay 44. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himselfe by the Name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord and surname himselfe by the Name of Israel so speake the Iewes but not the Iewes onely for in Zachary chapt 8. the Prophesie is deliuered thus The Inhabitants of one Citie shall goe to another saying Let vs goe speedily to pray before the Lord and to seeke the Lord of Hosts I will goe also Ten men shall take hold out of all Languages of the Nations euen shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iewe saying Wee will goe with you for we haue heard that God is with you And that they goe vp to be Disciples it is plainly affirmed by Esay chapt 2. Many people shall goe and say Come ye and let vs goe vp to the Mountaine of the Lord to the House of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs of his wayes and wee will walke in his pathes In Micah you shall reade the very same All comes to that which our Sauiour Christ speaketh Be yee not called Rahbi for one is your Master euen Christ Matth. 23. And the weapons of the Apostles warfare were mighty through God to bring into captiuity euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. But those weapons were not carnall but spirituall It is for Mahumetans to make their Muselmans as they call them that is right Beleeuers if he beleeue aright that beleeues in the Alcaron a sinke of all senslesse and sensuall dreames by the sword But such a manner of making Schollars is fit for the matter they shall learne And I would too many Christians were not too neare followers of them in this barbarous course who pretend the reclaiming of Heretickes so they call the Orthodoxe but indeede would propagate their owne Heresies and what they cannot doe by the Word that they endeauour by the Sword Of this we may be sure that the Apostles neuer made Disciples that way neither would Christ haue Schollars come to him by constraint Teaching is the Heauenly meanes of Conuersion those that are Gods Schollars are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God and his Law is Thora a Doctrine Christ went about teaching Matth. 10. and it was by teaching that the holy Ghost led the Apostles into all Truth Iohn 14. 26. And indeede this is the most noble kinde of winning men to winne their vnderstanding and winne their will winne his reasonable faculties then you winne a man Not so if you force his body that may make him yeeld against his conscience but at best hee will be but an Hypocrite and you haue gotten but the worser part of him not a man but his Vizard
banes not of Learning only but of Religion also St. Paul is one worker but there is another also which is Gods grace God doth not endow vs and then leaue vs to our free will if hee did so our endowing grace would quickly perish or doe nothing therefore hee giues a second grace to the operant he addes a cooperant That must worke also The reason is euident whether you cast your eies vpon the common workes of pietie or else vpon the speciall workes of the Ministrie See it first in the speciall workes of Pietie If our vnderstanding and our heart be left in their pure naturals the one will neuer perceiue the other wil neuer sauour the things that are of God therefore must the one be lightned the other must bee purged by grace otherwise they will neuer comprehend their obiect they will neuer bee able to doe any supernaturall worke How much lesse will they bee able to doe it their naturals being corrupted as by sinne they are But before in the endowment we found a man indued with grace and here we finde mention made of grace againe wherefore wee must obserue that God vouchsafeth a man a double grace an habituall and an actuall a grace that giueth him abilitie and a grace that setteth his abilitie on worke Touching habituall grace that is true which St. Basil hath De Spiritu sancte c. 26. it is semper presens but not semper operans it may be in vs and yet be idle he expresseth it by a similitude of the eye sight wherewith a man may see oftner than he doth see De Natura gratia c. 26. St. Austin vseth that simile more fully to our purpose vt oculus corporis etiam plenissimè sanus nisi candore lucis adiutus non potest cernere c. as the sharpest eye-sight can discerne nothing except it haue the help of outward light no more can a man perfectly iustified liue well except he be holpen from aboue with the light of the eternall Iustice Neither is this cooperation of grace a transeunt but a permanent Act so the same Father teacheth Sicut Aer praesente lumine non factus est lucidus sed fit quia si factus esset non fieret sed etiam absente lumine lucidus maneret sic home Deo sibi praesente illuminatur absente autem continuo tenebratur Gods grace in man is like the light of the Ayre the one steeds our bodily eye so long as it is maintained by a perpetuall influence of the Sunne and the other steeds our soules so long as it is excited and helped by the holy spirit and grace will be as vnfruitfull without this helpe of the Spirit as the light of the ayre will be fading if you intercept the influence of the Sunne So that a mans soule must be like vnto the Land of Canaan vpon which the eyes of the Lord were from the beginning of the yeare to the ending to giue it the former and the later raine Deut. 11. our sufficiencie and our efficiencie must be both from God Neyther is this second grace needfull only for the work of Pietie but for the workes of the Ministrie also the Lampes that burne in the Temple must continually bee fedde with oyle St. Paul though hee calleth vs Labourers yet he calleth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is another Labourer with vs. And indeed as Moses told God If thou wilt not goe with vs send vs not hence so vncomfortable were the worke of the Ministrie were it not for Christs promise Lo I am with you vntill the worlds end if he did not hold the starres in his hand they would quickly become wandring quickly become falling stars Besides our selues therfore we must acknowledge another Worker Hauing found the two workers wee must now see what was eyther of their preheminencie First the preheminencie of St. Paul He laboured more than all the word all must be vnderstood not collectiuely but distributiuely He was not so arrogant as to equall himselfe to the whole either Church or Ministrie but to any one he might wel equall himselfe he might well affirme that not any one did equall him in labour But it is a question whom he meaneth by All whether only false Apostles or also true There is no doubt but he went beyond all the false Apostles if he went beyond the true And he went beyond the true it is euident if you consider the circuit of his trauell which is described Rom. 15. and in the Acts especially if you adde that he planted Churches wheresoeuer he came and enlarged the Kingdome of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as himselfe speaketh Adde hereunto his many Epistles sent to so many remote places and persons so profoundly opening the mysteries of saluation and resoluing the hardest knots thereof But aboue all things take notice of the two Supporters of his paines with which no man euer bore himselfe out more resolutely they are the prouerbiall Sustine Abstine How did he despise all profit all pleasure that would take no salary for his paines but laboured with his owne hands that hee might make the Gospell of Christ free that when he might lead about a Wife a Sister as Cephas and the other Apostles did made himselfe an Eunuch for the Kingdome of heauen You see what his Abstine was or despising of profit and pleasure As for his Sustine enduring of afflictions that was no lesse remarkeable reade but the eleuenth of the second to the Corinths there we finde them collected to our hands and what kinde of Affliction is there which wee doe not finde there if you reade it you will say he was a manifold Martyr I cannot dwell longer vpon this point only this I obserue though no man can suffer or abstaine more than he should or labour beyond his dutie supererrogations of any of those kindes are Popish dreames as they expound them yet may one man goe farre beyond another and some there are which are Miracula hominum they may rather be admired than imitated And such was St. Paul Neither was he such a Pastor only but such a Christian also and indeed his Sustine and Abstine must be referred to his grace of Adoption though they did attend his grace of Edification But if that will not suffice see how he did buffet his bodie and keep it vnder lest while he preached to others himselfe should become a reprobate 1 Cor. 9. when he was buffeted with the messenger of Sathan 2 Cor. 12. hee neuer left importuning Christ with his prayers till Christ answered him My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakenesse his constant care was to keepe an inoffensiue conscience towards God and men Acts 26. But aboue all places reade and exemplifie those two memorable descriptions of a true religious heart striuing against sinne Rom. 7. and making towards heauen Phil. 3. you cannot better see his Pietie and learne to bring your owne to
of their profession GODS Name is blasphemed by it And lastly Iosu 7. vengeance by the sinne of one man commeth vpon a whole Church one ACHAN troubleth all Israel Ier. 9. These considerations should draw teares from euerie mans eyes it should make vs wish with IEREMIE that our heads were full of waters and our eyes a fountaine of teares Ps 11 9. Our eyes with DAVIDS should gush out with riuers because men keepe not Gods Lawes Neither should priuate men onely so lament but the whole Church also you haue a patterne in the storie of NABOTH 1 King 21. it was pretended that NABOTH blasphemed GOD and the King and thereupon the whole Citie proclaimed a Fast the like we read Esdras 9 and 10 of a publike lamentation for the sinne of some of the people These reasons and examples must worke in vs and force vs to weep for the grieuous sinne of a brother We must weepe yet here we must not stop not wèeping was the cause of the fault but it was not the fault of the Corinthians their fault was as St PAVL telleth them that they did not put away the incestuous person Christians as they must be sorrowfull to see grieuous offendors so must they be zealous for their chastisement if they haue sufficient power and faire proofe otherwise they make the sinne their owne But if so be the proofe be not full Ambr. or they haue no lawfull authoritie to chastife then it is sufficient for them to mourne I shall fall vpon this point againe when I come to the censure therefore I will say no more of it here Onely I must put you that are the Penitent in mind that if others must be so sorrowfull for you then must you be sorrowfull for your selfe and you must be as carefull to rid your selfe of sinne as we must be to rid the Church of a sinner But let vs come at length to the Censure St PAVL as I told you had a more quicke eare and a more feeling heart then the Corinthians had he proueth it true which else-where he affirmeth of himselfe Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not ◠Cor. 11. Yea he seemes to disproue the common Prouerbe Segnius irritant ammos dimissa per aures quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus for what the Corinthians neglected hauing it in their eye with that he was much disquieted though he had notice of it onely by his eare and therefore doth he censure it as appeares in the last part of the Text where you shall see what the censure was and whereunto it serued The censure is Excommunication but it is exprest in verie high and fearfull termes it is called a deliuerie vnto Satan The words imply one thing and expresse another for Excommunication consisteth of two parts a priuatiue and a positiue the priuatiue is that which seperateth from the Communion of Saints and separation presupposeth a former Communion The Article of our Creed teacheth vs that there is a Communion of Saints there is an inward and an outward communion inward by Faith Hope and Charitie outward in the participation of sacred things in the visible assembly From the inward none is separated but by himselfe falling from his Faith Hope and Charitie and so depriuing himselfe of the bond of Vnion which is the Spirit of GOD. From the outward none should be separated except he first doth separate himselfe from the inward and doth also manifest that separation to the scandall of others and dishonor of Religion The man that goeth so farre in separating himselfe by sinne the CHVRCH must separate him by censure Iude 2 Thes 3. 1 Cor. 5. We must hate the garment spotted with the Flesh We must not keepe companie we must not eat with those that are inordinate we must not let the world thinke that Christianity doth allow of such sinnes The Aduersaries are apt enough to traduce vs without a cause how much more if there be a cause The impurities of old Heretickes were layd to the Christians in generall and now the Anabaptists and Familists are made our staines there may be some colour of casting such shame vpon vs if we endure such persons therefore we must put them away from amongst vs they must vndergoe the priuatiue part of Excommunication Besides this priuatiue part which is implyed in the censure because mentioned before there is a positiue part which is here exprest it is the deliuerie vnto Satan The phrase hath in it some thing proper to an Apostle and some thing common to all Bishops It was proper to the Apostles so to deliner vnto Satan as that he should haue power ouer the incestuous persons body to torment him and such power the Apostles not onely had but executed as appeares in the stories of ELYMAS ANANIAS and SAPHIRA They could strike men with death they could possesse them with as well as dispossesse them off foule Spirits And of this power doe many of the Fathers vnderstand these words and the like which we read 1 Tim. 1. But besides this power there is another common to all Bishops with the Apostles which is to expose the Soules of those which are obstinate sinners to the malice of the Prince of Darknesse by suspending them from the preseruatiue against it which is the visible Communion of Saints for the inuisible will not hold long if the visible be iustly with-held because extra Ecclesiam non est salus Satan raigneth and rageth in them and on them that are excluded from the Communion of Saints A word here to you the penitent consider with your selfe how bitter banishment it is to him that dwelleth in a goodly Countrey hath a good house faire possessions and those well stockt and stored yet he must part with all these And hereby guesse you at the euill of the priuatiue part of Excommunication for a Christian within the CHVRCH is in the Kingdome of Heauen he is of the Houshold of GOD he is Owner of those greene pastures and waters of comfort which are mentioned Psal 23. he is prouided plentifully of all ghostly food and rayment If the losse of those corporall things be grieuous how grieuous must the losse of these spirituall be And touching the positiue part of the Excommunication suppose that he that were banished were also put into the hands of a Tyrant and he that hated him should be made Lord ouer him should haue power to vse him as a Slaue and afflict him with tortures you would thinke his case much more miserable and yet is it not so miserable as his which is deliuered ouer to Satan vsed by him onely to serue filthy lusts and daily to breed new matter for the vexation of his owne Soule yet this was to be the case of this incestuous Corinthian And you deserue that it should haue been your case both of you being such impure persons to whom should you be committed but to
rule we shall see what it is and who prescribes it The rule is a precept which first doth range and then doth qualifie women answerable to their ranke In the Schoole of CHRIST there are Masters and Schollers women are placed amongst Schollers they must learne yea so are they placed amongst Schollers that they may neuer hope to be Masters for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they can haue no licence to teach The ground whereof is a generall maxime they may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsurpe vpon men if absolutely women may not be superior to men then may they not be in Ecclesiasticall things for teaching imports a superioritie Women being thus ranged must be qualified answerable to their ranke being Schollers they must haue the qualities of Schollers those are two filence and obedience silence they must vse their eares and not their tongues about sacred things they must be more forward to heare then to speake they must learne with silence And vnto their silence they must adde obedience they must not giue but take instructions and put in practise what they are taught they must learne with all subiection This is the Rule But who prescribes it So harsh a rule had need of a verie good Author women will otherwise be hard of beliefe And surely this hath a good one it is St PAVL his stile in the Preface of this Epistle shews his warrant he is an Apostle of IESVS CHRIST he deliuers it not in his owne name but in his Masters as his Steward so much is intimated in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Steward so that we cannot dis-belieue him but we question CHRISTS truth The authoritie of this Rule then descends from Heauen and if it doe the bare promulgating of it requires that we credit it But as God doth all things not onely according to his Will but the Counsell of his Will euen so his words are Decrees not onely of his Will but also of his Counsell they haue a reason and for strengthening of our Faith the Holy Ghost though he be not bound yet is he often pleased to expresse the same He doth it in this place And the reason of this rule is taken first from the Creation then from the Fall From the Creation thus doth the Apostle argue woman must be subiect vnto man for Adam was first framed and then Eue the precedencie in being giues a prerogatiue of commanding But this was a reall ordinance and woman it should seeme tooke no notice of it for EVE began quickly to be a teacher of ADAM She did so but with verie ill successe for she was seduced she discouered the weaknesse of her iudgement and that not in a matter of speculation but of practise for she was in the transgression she brake GODS bonds and cast his cords from her by her and not by ADAM or rather by her taking vpon her to teach ADAM came sinne into the world Hereupon the Apostle concludes that because woman hath giuen so wofull a proofe of her vntowardlynesse in teaching of man she must forbeare for euer to meddle with that function and man must maintaine that authoritie which GOD hath giuen him ouer a woman These are the contents of this second Canon whereof suitable vnto this occasion I will now speake briefly and in their order I begin with the Rule I told you it is a Precept wherein we must see first how women are ranged The name of man and woman which in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue a double signification they are vnderstood ratione either Sexus or Coniugij they note in generall male and female or in speciall such of either sexe as are ioyned in wedlocke The Apostle in this place makes vse of the generall signification but so that his doctrine may be applyed also to the speciall for if in generall women be so subiected vnto men wedlocke makes no alteration in this case but doth much more subiect a wife vnto her husband and in their measure must all the particulars of this text hold in the Oeconomicks though here they be handled as they are to be vnderstood in the Ecclesiasticks To come then nearer my Text. The CHVRCH is a societie and therefore consists of different parts there must be in it superiours and inferiours This is taught vs by the resemblance that is made between it and a Kingdome wherein there is a Soueraigne and Subiects betweene it and a Citie wherein there are Magistrates and Commons betweene it and an Army with Banners wherein there are Captaines and Souldiers betweene it and an House wherein there is a Master and his Family finally betweene it and our naturall Body wherein there are directing and obeying parts St PAVL handling this last resemblance 1 Cor. 12. shewes the ground of this subordination of persons as in all societies so in the CHVRCH to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the comlinesse and commoditie of the Societie This being a generall course which GOD hath set down in Societies it must be enquired first what be the different parts of a CHVRCH and then who are assigned to either part The parts are exprest in my Text and so also are the parties that are assigned to beare those parts The parts are Teachers and Learners all members of the CHVRCH come vnder this diuision for they are either Pastors or people ghostly Fathers or ghostly Children Stewards or the Houshold of GOD such as guid or are guided vnto Heauen This being plaine that there are but these two parts The second enquirie is What parties are assigned to beare them And here we find that GOD imposeth the person of a Learner vpon the woman and of a Teacher vpon the man Though the knowledge and the feare of GOD are common to men and women for women also are in the Couenant and must not be ignorant of the Articles thereof especially seeing GOD hath vouchsafed them to be spirituall both Kings and Priests yet the administration of sacred things is the peculiar of men In the beginning of the world GOD layed this Function vpon the first borne that was male after the deliuerance out of the Aegyptian captiuitie GOD in steed of the first-borne chose the Tribe of Leuie vnto this seruice to be performed onely by the males thereof after CHRIST was inaugurated to the Office of a Mediator he chose twelue men to be his Apostles and to them gaue order for the continuance of the Ministerie in that Sexe It is true that GOD extraordinarily in both Testaments raysed vp Prophetesses according to that of Ioel cap. 2. and while the Foundation of the CHVRCH was laying by women he enformed men of his Truth yea by a silly woman gaue entrance vnto Christianitie in a whole Kingdome but the instances are rare and they are workes wherein GOD shewed himselfe to haue power to dispense with his owne Ordinance and dispose at his
As it seiseth vpon the Head and vpon the Heart so doth it vexe them both for it is Coram Nobis and Contra Nos both before vs and Against vs. The word Neged doth containe both Praepositions and therefore the Interpreters haue differed in their Translations but because sin cannot be before a Penitent but it will bee Against him therefore will I conioyne them both I will shew you that it doth haunt our Thoughts and afflict our Hearts Sinne then is fitly resembled vnto a Harlot painted that her countenance may by art worke what by nature it could not doe while she doth wooe her Louers that which she offereth to their view is the paynting but when she hath drawne them into her snare she giueth theÌ„ leaue then to see hir natiue hue she reuealeth then what before shee concealed Euen so sinne hath a faire out-side but the inside thereof is foule it puts on the one to allure but when men are allured then it sheweth them the other wee are easily tempted to the Act of sinne for pleasure maketh vs swallow the bait when the Act is determined the sight of the pleasure vanisheth but the sight of the guiltie corruption abideth by vs the painting is quickly wiped off and the vglinesse thereof appeares and the Angell of light is quickly turned into an Angel of darkenesse though wee striue to cast our sinnes behind vs will we nill we they will thrust themselues before vs. And why Hom 3i in Cap. 12. ad Hebraeoâ—â— they are grauen in Memoriâ Conscientiae as Chrysostome calls it they are registred in the Booke of Conscience which we are forced to read euen when we would be most glad to be rid of it but the relation thereof cannot be supprest our thoughts cannot be freed from it And this is the first vexing propertie of sinne it doth vexe our Thoughts But not our Thoughts only it vexeth our Hearts also it is not onely Coram but Contra not onely Before vs we cannot but thinke of it but also Contra Nos In Psal 35. we cannot but be tormented with it Saint Ambrose saith it is Vltrix Imago a verie Furie it is a Hell going before Hell and rackes vs before wee are put vpon the racke the Harlot suddainely turneth into a souldier and giueth vs as many deadly wounds as she gaue vs counterfeit kisses Chap. 20. verse 12. Chap. 1. Iob expresseth it in a verie fine Similie Wickednesse is sweet in the mouth and the wicked hideth it vnder his tongue but this meate in his bowells is turned it is the gall of Aspes the Wiseman speaketh it plainely Men entertaine sinne as a frend and make a Couenant with it but what is the issue it consumeth them and bringeth them vnto naught and as Saint Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 2. it fighteth against their Soules Neither is this vexing momentanie it vexeth Semper Alwaies Alwaies Before Alwaies Against a Sinner is the double Euill of sinne in the night in the day in prosperitie in aduersitie while hee is alone while hee is in companie a sinner that is rowsed to see his sinne cannot but be vexed with the Euill thereof Nec prius hi stimuli mentem quam vita relinquent Quique dolet citius quam dolor ipse Cadet The torments will not end before death and in the Reprobate after death this Vexation shall be much increased But of this Vexation more anon when I come to couple the first part of the Text with this latter Let vs come on then to King Dauids ingeneous feeling of this Malignitie Malignitie of his owne sinne And indeed it is his owne Sinne that he is feeling of Many studie sin and they can see euill enough in it but it is other mens sinne in other mens eyes Moates seeme Beames Mat. 7.3 but Beames in our owne eyes seeme not so much as Moates most men are like the Laodiceans thinke themselues Rich encreased in goods that they want nothing euen then when they are poore blind naked and miserable as Christ tells that Church Reuel 3. Hereupon it is Luke 18. that they come to God like Pharisees with I thanke God I am not like vnto other men but King Dauid choose rather to play the Publican to looke into his owne sores his errors his rebellions to amplifie his owne sinnes and fit them with their proper names to note the diseases of his owne Head and of his owne Heart It were to be wished that you that are Penetents had taken the same course You haue traduced your Pastors for the Diseases of their Head and reproached them by the names of Baals Priests you haue traduced your Brethren for the Diseases of their Hearts and doomed them as vnworthy of the Communion of Saints and see how God hath rewarded your Pride he hath suffered the Diuell to wound you both in Head and Heart he hath made you spectacles of those diseases which you condemned in others Rom. 7. they may presse you with that question of Saint Paul Thou that makest thy boast of the Law by breaking the Law dishounerest thou God And vpbraid you with the Prouerbe Luke 4.24 Physician heale thy selfe And it is a good warning that may be taken by vs all not to studie others before we haue studied our selues and not to let our censure passe against any more seuerely then against our selues so did King Dauid in his practise of Repentance and so must we we must looke into our owne Case not onely so we must bee feeling thereof also so much is meant by the word Acknowledging Acknowledge doth implie knowledge and adde thereunto the vse therof To vnderstand this we must obserue that for the ordering of our life God doth furnish vs with two helpes the one is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie or note the Principles whereby wee doe distinguish good and euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth the Application of these Principles to our Actions the first you may call Morall knowledge the second Morall Acknowledgement the latter cannot bee without the former and the former should not be without the latter But to touch at either of these for our present occasion God hath set downe those Principles which he thought expedient to guide a Christian Resolution but two Euils haue ouer-taken the Church The Papists they breed vp the people in an ignorant Deuotion and care not how litle they know the true grounds of Conscience but bid them rest contented with an Implicite Faith and rest their Soules vpon the Authoritie of the Church they offend in Parum in ouer-scanting of the peoples knowledge But the Separatists runne into the other extreame they offend in Nimium attribute too little to the Church and exceed in knowledge or fancies which they suppose to be Diuine knowledge And what maruell When leauing the guides of their owne Church then whom since the Apostles dayes God hath not raised vp in any
Kingdome so many and so worthy they commit themselues vnto obscure Guides that either lurke in corners or flie their Countrie No Bookes are for their eyes but those which are of their penning and they that scorne our Apocryphalls what Apocryphall writings doe they dote vpon And as no writings please them but such so no mens Sermons but theirs can edifie them and indeed they doe edifie but it is a Babel their sancies are no better then that Tower of confusion and yet to dwell in that they will forsake Hierusalem it selfe I will not amplifie your fault that are Penitents but a man may guesse at the modell of your knowledge by your Librarie by the Bookes any may guesse what Principles you follow not of your owne Church but of Conuenticles and this is that that hath made you Schismatickes hence forward you shall doe well to take your light from those Starres whom God hath placed in this Church especially seeing they refuse not to let those who with modestie desire to bee resolued see that their Light is deriued from the Sunne of Righteousnesse and that as Faithfull Stewards they presse nothing to the Consciences of their fellow seruants but that for which they haue warrant from their Master Christ wherein they differ from the Popish Pastors But Knowledge is not enough Acknowledgement is required also vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Principles that we haue we must put in vre As our Knowledge must not be Headlesse so must it not bee Heartlesse when we haue gone so farre as that the Light of our vnderstanding can discerne betweene Good and Euill wee must then take care of our Affections that the heate of Grace giue them a good temper that they take a true taste of their Obiects that Loue and Hatred Desire and Feare Hope and Despaire arise out of that which was designed to worke them But to amplifie this a litle farther We should vse knowledge in guiding of our Actions before hand and trie what that is which offereth it selfe to be done before we goe about to doe it If a man were so aduised as timely to moue vnto his soule this question quid ago where about goe I such prouidence if it would not preuent all sinne because of the manifold temptations and mans too naturall infirmitie either in neglecting Grace which he hath or forgetting to pray for Grace which he hath not yet would it put off many a sinne and make vs take lesse content in the sinnes which wee doe not put off yea this would bee a good inducement to the thorough feeling of our slips which is the after vse we must make of our knowledge and is vsually meant by Acknowledgment for what is that but only that if sinne haue preuented our aduisednesse vpon a reuiewe we retract what rashnesse hath committed This is a profitable vse of Knowledge But sinfull soules are now become like corrupt Bodies corrupt bodies haue often times great appetites when they haue but small digestion so many desire much knowledge whereof they put but a little in practice yea as meat that is not digested in the Body doth incumber it and breeds in it many disquieting diseases so if our life bee not the better for our knowledge by our care to expresse it it will be much the worse by our quarrells that we will raise about it Socrates the Ecclesiasticall Historiographer reports a storie of one Pambo Lib. 4. c. 18. a plaine ignorant man such as you the Penitents are who came to a learned Man and desired him to teach him some Psalme hee began to reade vnto him the 39. Psalme when he had past the first verse I said I will looke to my waies that I offend not with my tongue Pambo shut the Booke and tooke his leaue saying that he would goe learne that poynt when hee had absented himselfe certaine moneths hee was demanded by his Reader when he would goe forward he answered that he had not yet learned his old lesson and he gaue the very same answere to one that many yeares after moued the same question I doe not desire that our people should haue so few Sermons the Canons of the Church haue prouided for the people better then so but this I desire that the people would make more vse of that which they learne and let their liues shew that they are the better for the Ministers paines for sure I am that it is their negligence that maketh the Ministers diligence the more needfull and though knowledge be wanting in too many places of the Land yet is Acknowledgement wanting much more the fruit of our paines is so farre from preuenting sinne in the people that we cannot speed so well as to worke a feeling thereof in them when they haue committed it we finde not that tendernesse in their soules which Nathan found in the soule of King Dauid and which King Dauid implies in his Acknowledgment But feeling is not enough that is not all that is meant by Acknowledgement though the feeling bee no lesse in the Heart then it is in the Head Therefore I told you that King Dauids was an ingenious feeling he published what he felt If sinnes bee onely secret then the humiliation of the inward man may suffice in the sight of God it is enough to confesse his faults or in a generalitie to acknowledge them in the publike confession of the Church without specification except the burden of his conscience giue him iust cause to reueale it that he may be relieued by Ghostly counsell but if what he conceiued inwardly hee hath vented outwardly in word or deede to the offence not of God onely but also of the Church then vnto the Confession made vnto God in priuate must bee added a publike also in the face of the Church such was King Dauids sinne and such is King Dauids Confession he testified publikely to the Church the Religious feeling that hee had of his sinnes and this is thereason why I called his dealing ingenious And indeed herein standeth the great conflict that Grace hath with flesh and bloud hardly are wee contented to be priuie to our selues of our owne sinfulnesse for though wee delight to commit sinne yet doe we not delight to behold our selues as we are sinners the more naturall the desire is in euery man to be reputed good the more vnsauorie is that search that sindeth him to bee nothing so And if wee are so vnwilling to know our selues to bee sinners much lesse will we endure that others should be of our Counsell therein Stultorum incurata pudor malus vlcera celat Many will rather die then be knowne that they are sicke of some shamefull disease but men are lesse willing to haue their sinnes published then their sores The more remarkable is King Dauids ingenuitie rather to be wished then hoped for in this Age wherein men sinne without shame but shame to Acknowledge their knowne
Temple then building by Zorobabel Some haue thought that the Temple which was standing when Christ was incarnate was not the Temple built by Zorobabel but another which Herod built But we must take heede of that opinion for it hath two euils in it 1. Flauius Iosephus it giueth the holy Ghost the lye in this place 2. and it cherisheth the Iewes vaine expâ—ctation of their Messias It is true that Herod enlarged that Temple and added many buildings to it but he did not demolish the old neither indeed could he and this prophecie continue true for God promised that Christ should come euen into this Temple that now was building And seeing that Temple with all the additions of Herod hath many hundied yeares since according to Christs prophecie beene so destroyed that there remaineth not one stone vpon another the Iewes doe more than vainely yet looke for a Messias especially seeing God hath manifested to the world that it was not only totally but sinally also destroyed The Iewes had good proofe hereof in the daies of Iulian the Apostata when Euseb hist l. 4. Chrys orat 2. in Iudaeos notwithstanding that wicked Emperour encouraged and furthered them to re-edifie it fearefull tempests from heauen destroyed in the night what they did in the day God then making good against Iacob what in Malachie hee spake against Esau Thus saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 1. they shall build but I will cast downe they shall call them the border of wickednesse the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for euer But I will leaue them to God whom God hath left to the world as a spectacle of stupiditie and a bridle to hold vs in from like contempt It is plaine the place here meant was Zorobabels Temple vpon that place was the glory conferred Malachie cap. 3. said it should bee so hee said that the Lord should come into his Temple and he should sit downe there and refine the sonnes of Leui and rectifie the diuine worship The Gospel teacheth vs that it was so for hee was not onely presented in that Temple when he was a babe and when hee was twelue yeares old a disputant there with the doctors but also when he was solemnely inaugurated he first purged the Temple of buyers and sellers then he reformed the doctrine and the discipline at seuerall times when he resorted thither at solemne feasts there he made his sermons and wrought his miracles so that he might truly say to the high Priests when he was arraigned before them I sate daily with you teaching in the Temple Mat. 26. I will adde one text more which may serue in stead of all when his parents that had lost 〈◊〉 found him in the Temple they expostulated with him in these words Sonne why hast thou serued vs thus Luke 2. thy father and I haue sought wee sorrowing Christ replyes vnto them Why sought yee me did you not know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee render it Wist yee not that I must goe about my fathers businesse but the words may well beare another sense also Wist yee not that it was sit for mee to bee in my fathers house for so he calleth the Temple elsewhere and so speaketh St. Paul Heb. 13. Iohn 2. Christ as a sonne was ouer his owne house Some referre hither that speech of Christ touching the paying of tribute Mat. 17.26 The sonnes are free because that money is thought to haue beene originally a taxation for the Temple and by the Romanes conuerted to other vses when they collected it But enough of the place only take this note out of the coniunction of the place and the gift That Christs comming to be the glorie of the Temple giueth vs to vnderstand that his Kingdome was not temporall but spirituall he came not to raise an earthly Monarchie but to gather a people vnto God The next point that I obserued is the amplification both of the place and the gift of the place in regard of the meannes which is noted in the word this house The Iewes had two Temples one built by Salomon a glorious one this built by Zorobabel a poore one The Iewes wept when they saw the foundations of it and God testifieth that it was as nothing in their eyes and this nothing as it were moued Herod to make those additions before specified that it might become like something Marke Christ came not vnto Salomons Temple but vnto Zorobabels so that the Temple which had most of earthly cost had nothing in it but the type of Christ and that Temple that had least of earthly glory had most of heauenly it had the truth Christ came thither in person God regardeth not outward pompe neyther doth he tye his presence thereunto as if he would not be where there is no worldly state nay commonly where there is least of the world Heb. 11. God is there most and they haue greatest familiarity with him who haue worst entertainement in the world Did not our Sauiour Christ giue vs an excellent representation hereof in his own person Col. 2.9 Phil. 2.7 2 Cor 4.7 the Godhead dwelt bodily in him but that body bare the shape of a seruant the Apostles carried about the world heauenly treasures but they carried them in earthen vessels An ancient Father obserues wittily that when the Church was so poore that it had but wooden chalices it had golden Priests wee may adde People too and when the ornaments of the Church became golden then the Priests and People became wooden Gods Word was heard more reuerently hee was serued more deuoutly when the Church met in caues in woods in deserts than euer he was in townes and cities and these most stately fabricks This must be obserued in the question of the visibility of the Church or rather conspicuity The Aduocates of Rome seeme to triumph much against the reformed Churches as if the obscurity wherein sometimes they lay hidden Cont. Auxent did preiudice the truth which they profest they forget St. Hilaries admonition Male nos cepit parietum amor c. We are ill aduised to measure faith by multitude of professors Epist 48. or by goodly temples where the profession is made St. Austine will tell vs Ecclesia aliquando obscuratur aliquando obnubilatur multitudine scandalorum The glory of the Church is subiect to Eclypses it was so in the Old Testament as appeares by Elia's complaint 1 Reg. 19. They haue slaine all thy Prophets and throwne downe thine altars Cont. Lucifer and I am left alone It hath beene no better vnder the New Testament witnesse St. Hierome Ingemuit totus mundus se Arianum factum miratus est Arianisme so got the vpper hand that the Orthodoxe faith scarce durst be known in the whole Catholick Church In the Old Testament God promised by Zephanie cap. 3. I will leaue in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in
me Christ in the Gospell Feare not little flocke it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Luke 12.32 As the Text doth amplifie the place from the meanenesse 1 Reg. 8. so doth it the gift from the greatnesse thereof I will fill fill this house with that glory The phrase is allusiue to Gods typicall presence in the former Temple for therein rested the Cloud and it filled all the house all that part of the house which was called the holy place When the second Temple was built there was no such thing God was pleased to reserue it for the truth that he that is the fulnesse of all should fill that Temple And indeede God was neuer more there than when hee was there in Christ if euer hee was then an Oracle to his Church I adde out of Ezechiel cap. 43.12 that by his presence omnis circuitus Templi was made sanctum sanctorum For ought we reade Christ neuer came into that place of the Temple which was called sanctum or sanctum sanctorum the holy place or holiest of holies but this he did being borne that holy thing Luke 1. Dan. 9. and anointed the most holy he made all places of the Temple where he came holy yea and most holy he filled them with the glory of his person and the glory of his function The truth I say filled euen the worst part of the Temple which the type did not But I shall meete with this point in the next Sermon wherefore I will dwell no longer now vpon it This historicall sense which I haue hitherto opened doth present vnto vs a mysticall which I may not neglect God doth not delight in materiall houses built with timber and stone the Temple was but a type of the Church Christs house are you saith St. Paul to the Hebrewes cap. 3. and to the Ephesians cap. 2. he tels vs of the foundation the corner stone Saint Peter 1 Epist 2. sheweth vs that we as liuing stones comming vnto the precious stone Christ make vp a house vnto God So that whatsoeuer blessing is contained in this text belongeth vnto vs and vnto the Temple but in reference vnto vs. A thing to be obserued because the world hath alwaies beene shallow-witted in looking into these intentions of God they haue rested on the types without due reflection vpon themselues whereas God therein would only helpe our memorie and condescend to our infirmitie and that vpon a Principle which preuaileth much with vs which is this Sense is the best informer of our reason and solliciter of our will And did wee make as good vse of it in things belonging to God and our soule as wee doe in things pertaining to the world and concerning our naturall life Christ should not haue beene occasioned to vtter that sentence The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light Well then let vs gather some few such morals as this text will yeelde The first is That where Christ commeth hee bringeth a blessing Iacob did so to Laban Ioseph to Pharaoh Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar There is not a good man that maketh not the place whither he commeth the better for him How much more the chiefe of Saints our Sauiour Christ the very type of him 1 Chro. 13. I meane the Arke made Obed Edoms house to prosper If the shadow wrought so much what good may we expect from the substance it selfe The second morall is That God in Christ taketh vpon him to bee the glorie of the house so that where Christ is there the glorie is The Church of Rome is plentifull in earthly ornaments of their Church and wee are carefull that the Word of God should dwell richly in ours it were well if both were ioyned together I wish we had more of their ornaments and they had more of Christs truth But if they must bee kept asunder through the malice of the Diuell our case is better that haue fewer ornaments and more truth than theirs that haue lesse truth and more ornament For CHRIST is properly the glory of a Church where hee is though it bee in the wildernesse there is glory and there is no glory where he is not though the temple be as goodly as Salomons The third is the particle this this house containes the comfort of poor soules For though in the sense of our meanenesse we haue all reason to say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder the roofe of my house yet saith the Lord Esay 66. Heauen is my throne and the Earth is my footestoole where is the house that yee build vnto me and where is the place of my rest hath not my hand made all these things saith the Lord But to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word And it was the very life of Kings Dauids penitentiall prayer Psal 51. A broken and contrite heart O Lord wilt not thou despise Wherefore I conclude this point with the exhortation of St. Iames Let the brother of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted bee hee neuer so meane a house Christ will not disdaine euen in his glory to come vnto him he will come and bring his glory with him The fourth is That hee will not only bring his glory but fill that house But it is as the soule filleth the body euery part according to his proportion some part is filled as the head some as the hand some as the feete so that euery house may bee full and yet one house containe more than another As it is most behoofefull for vs so doth Christ dispence his grace vnto vs. But this filling may be vnderstood eyther inhaerenter or immanenter in Christ or transeunter and redundanter to vs that is eyther that he which commeth into the house is full of glory or else that the house whereinto hee commeth is by him transformed into glory Take a simile from the Sunne the beames of the Sunne doe fill the ayre and the firmament but you easily perceiue that they doe it in a different fashion they fill the ayre but so that the ayre altereth not in nature but continueth the same onely it is the place wherein the beames of the Sun do appeare But as for the firmament the Sunne sendeth his beames into that so that it maketh many a light body of it many a starre and St. Paul telleth vs 1 Cor. 15.41 that they differ each from the other in glory Christ doth fill our house both waies if you looke to our Iustification he brings glory to vs as the Sunne doth the light vnto the aire the brightnesse whereof doth grace the ayre yet it remaines inherently still in the beames and is not transfused into the substance of the ayre Euen so Christs righteousnesse passeth not out of his person and yet it is the ornament of our person it is inherent in him it is imputed to vs