way past too What can we then do less than pass our selves into his service under his protection Than pass our souls and spirits out of our lips in praises and thanksgiving That all those beggarly Elements as the Apostle calls them Gal. iv 9. those temporal promises and threats that heavie slavish servitude that dealing with us as with untoward children under the rod or as slaves and servants is past from us that we are now at the liberty of Sons and the honour of being the friends of God such to whom God is now pleased in Christ to reveal his secrets and mysteries so long hidden even from the beginning of the world as the Apostle speaks Eph. iii. 9. and into which the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. i. 13. That he hath now revealed them unto babes Mat. xi 25. That no condition now be it never so poor or mean or weak but is made partakers of his grace and glory in the face of Jesus Christ. How great a comfort and glory is it to us that all old things are thus past away and all things become new Yet there are worse old things behind the old things of the Gentiles which we are to consider now both what they are and how they too are past away The old errors and the old sins of the Gentiles they are the old things of the Gentiles and they are past 1. The old heathen ignorance and error They were in a shadow indeed the very shadow of death Luk. 1. 70. a thick black darkness the very Region of death and Land of darkness saith the Prophet they knew not God saith the Apostle Rom. i. having their understanding darkned because of the blindness of their heart Eph. vi 18. All these shaddows are disperst all this darkness past away when Zacharies day spring rose upon them they are not now what they were before Christ came they are much enlightned 2. Nor appear their sins now of so deep a blackness since Christ suffered for them also Before we read of nothing but the Idolatries the Vanities the Abominations of the Heathen that they were alienated wholly alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them Eph. iv 18. walking after their own lusts and in the vanities of their wicked mind being delivered up to the Prince of the air who wholly ruled and worked in them Eph. ii 2. But these things were passed over by the mercy of God in Christ and even they also received the new Covenant of Grace and Pardon And in the second place the way of Gods Providence towards them also as well as towards the Iews past into another mode It was in old time but a Iob but an Vriah but an Ittai but a Iethro but a Naâ—man in an Age an Vzzite a Hittite a Gittite a Midianite a Syrian but now and then Israel was the only Goshen the only Land where the light shone free The case is altered now by Christ. Indeed for a while till the Children were first served or at least first offered meat it was Go not into the way of the Gentiles St. Mat. x. 5. But when Christ had now compleated his work and was going up to heaven then Go and preach to all Nations was the stile and Lo I send thee far unto the Gentiles Acts xxii 21. was St. Pauls Commission and others after him So the Partition Wall is now past through and the distinction of Iew and Gentile that old difference past away Nay secondly the other branch of Gods dealing with them is so too In those times of ignorance God winked at them tolerated or at least not punished them saies St. Paul Acts xvii 30. But now he commandeth all men every where to repent says he the old course is past Gods way of dealing with them now is become new Thus we have another ground of thanks and praise that God has not only freed us from the servitude of the Law but from the slavery of Satan not only from the dusky shadows of the Iewish but from the dismal darkness of the Gentile Coasts Let not this pass further without a Song of praise But how shall we now worthily praise him for the next for making all things new Novus Rex nova Lex a new King and a new Law Novus Grex novum Regnum a new Church and a new Kingdom Novum Testamentum novum Sacramentum new Covenants and new Sacraments Novum Sacrificium novus Sacerdos a new Sacrifice and a new Priesthood Novum Templum novum Altare a new Temple and a new Altar Novus Spiritus and nova vita a new Spirit and a new kind of life All new 1. Novus Rex a new King we have no ordinary one neither a King with an Ecce Ecce venit both in Prophet and Evangelist Behold thy King commeth says Zachary Zach. ix 9. and S. Matthew xxi 5. says the same A King worth beholding The Wise men came I know not how far to see him S. Mat. ii 2. 2. And with a new Law he came a new Commandment S. John xiii A perfect Law S. James i. 25. A Law of liberty chap. ii 12. A royal Law ver 8. of the same Chapter The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus Rom. viii 2. The old Law was a bondage this new one makes us free as it follows there 3. A new Church he came to gather much different from the old A Church purchas'd by his Blood a costly one Acts xx 28. A glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but holy and without blemish Eph. v. 27. much larger than the old an universal Church all the Gentiles also new come in the utmost parts of the earth the confines of it Psal. ii 4. A new Kingdom there is come too a Kingdom above all Kingdoms the Kingdom of Heaven S. Mat. iii. 2. A Kingdom of Grace and a Kingdom of Glory a Kingdom never heard of before Christs coming with it no news no hopes no mention of the Kingdom of Heaven all the old Scripture through those exceeding great and precious promises reserv'd for us 2 S. Pet. i. 4. They under the Law were led like Children with the nuts and rattles of temporal promises and rewards Christ first promis'd a Kingdom for the recompence of reward a Kingdom too wherein we are all Kings Rev. i. 6. This new Kingdom 5. brings a new Covenant novum Testamentum take Testamentum how you will for a Covenant or a Writing and novum either for the Covenant of Grace or for a new Schedule of Scripture that contains it we find both new now Heb. ix 15. I will make a new Covenant says God Ier. xxxi 31. And he did so says the Apostle Heb. viii 6. But what was it I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people c. for I will be merciful to
bear him yea a Virgin espous'd 1. To conceal the mystery of his Incarnation from the Devil 2. To take away all occasion of obloquy from devilish men 3. That the birth of our Saviour might be with all possible honour and 4. That his Genealogy might so be reckoned as all others regularly by the man as you see them both by St. Matthew and St. Luke Of a high and illustrious name besides Maria is Maris stella says St. Bede The star of the Sea a fit name for the mother of the bright morning star that rises out of the vast sea of God's infinite and endless love Maria 2. the Lyriack interprets Domina a Lady a name yet retain'd and given to her by all Christians our Lady or the Lady mother of our Lord. Marie 3. rendred by Petrus Damiani de monte altitudine Dei highly exalted as you would say like the Mountain of God in which he would vouchsafe to dwell after a more miraculous manner than in very Sion his own holy Mount. 4. St. Ambrose interprets it Deus ex genere meo God of my kin as if by her very name she was designed to have God born of her to be Deipara as the Church against all Hereticks has ever stil'd her the Mother of God you may well now fully conceive no Embassador so fit to come to such an one as her but some great Angel at the least And his coming to her comes next to be considered And the Angel came in unto her Where we are taught both how he came and where he found her By his coming or being said to come we are given to understand that it was in a bodily and humane shape So Angels often used to come in the likeness of men and at this time it was of all ways the most convenient that the Angels should come like men seeing their Lord was now to come so and one of them to come before him with the news When he himself would vouchsafe to wear the livery of our flesh 't is most convenient his servants sure that wait upon him whom he sends upon his errands should appear at least in the same Livery Nor could his Message easily be delivered in more sweetness nor the Blessed Maid entertain it with less terror or diffidence any other way For though it could not but trouble her as we see it did in the follovving verse to see a man at that time in her Closet ere she was aware yet his coming in so insensibly when the doors were shut upon her besides perhaps the brightness of his countenance and raiment could not but tell her it was an Angel and so abate her fear a little Yet observe here a difference between the Angels coming now and heretofore we never read of an Angels appearing but abroad or in the Temple till now Now they begin to grow more familiar with us come in into our Closets now Christ is coming the Kingdom of Heaven 't is a sign is come nigh unto us And 't is a good Item to us to keep much in our Closets seeing Angels are now to be met with there And 2. 't is an Item too for Virgins to keep within Dinah went out and met with you know whom came home ill-favouredly The blessed Virgin keeps in and meets with an holy Angel and the title of highly favoured and blessed for it The stragling gadding huswife meets no Angel to salute her whosoever does if we look for Angels company and salutations we must be much within A Garden enclosed is my Sister my Spouse a Spring shut up a Fountain sealed says Christ Cant. iv 12. The Spouse of Christ the Soul he loves and vouchsafes his company much private oft within Within and at her Prayers and Meditation too So was the blessed Virgin say the Fathers here blessedly employed watching at her devotions no way so sure to get an Angels company or hear good news from heaven to obtain a favour or a blessing thence as this as prayer and watching in our Closets This we piously believe of the blessed Virgin but we are sure she was within a true daughter of Sarah in it who it seems kept commonly within doors in her Tent Gen. xviii 10. whose daughters you are says St. Peter 1 Pet. 3. 6. as long as you do well must be too in this as well as other things if you vvould do vvell For lastly to shevv the truth of the Angels vvords that she vvas full of grace the Scripture tells us by the Angels coming into her that she vvas vvithin vvhere qui habeat abundantiam gratiae says Hugo they that are full of grace keep in as much as they can fearing the corrupt discourses and conversations of the World None so scrupulous of appearing abroad none more fear idle loose or vain discourses vvhich cannot be avoided by such vvho go often abroad than they that are fullest of grace and goodness Nor do they care for the salutation favours and complements of men vvho are highly favoured of the Lord. No matter at all vvith them to be neglected by men vvho desire only to be saluted by an Angel as vvas the Virgin here vvhich falls next to be considered The Angels Salutation Tvvo Points vve told you there vvere to be handled in it The form of it and the titles in it The form in vvhich it runs the Titles vvith vvhich it 's given The form is in three expressions Hail the Lord is with thee Thou art or be thou blessed Three several salutations as it vvere and that 1. for the greater reverence and honour to her so Kings and Queens are commonly saluted vvith three adorations 2. To shevv from vvhom he came from Father Son and Holy Ghost from all three persons in the Trinity That 3. she vvas so intent and busie at her devotions that she minded not perhaps his first and second Salutation he vvas fain to add a third To shevv lastly the triple blessing that he came vvith Peace and Grace and Blessedness that Heaven vvas novv at peace vvith us Grace vvas thence coming dovvn apace Heaven doors set open and very blessedness of Heaven clearly now propounded and proffered to us The first salutation is an Ave a salutation never heard from Angels mouth before And it speaks joy and peace and health and salvation both to her and us by her The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rejoyce rejoyce indeed at such a Child as now is to be born of thee O Virgin Daughter Behold I bring you tydings of great joy of a Child all our joy by him which is Christ the Lord 2. The Hebrew word speaks Peace be to thee A wish for peace the first news of Heaven reconciled the way to reconciliation being now in agitation and to be by her Peace from the Prince of Peace from the author of our peace now coming as joyful a salutation as we can wish all our peace from this Conception all begun with this message and
any outward splendours but wholly fixt upon himself That 4. by his very first appearance we might know his Kingdom was not of this world he was no temporal King we might see by his Furniture and Palace that lastly we might know he came to teach us new ways of life and sanctifie to us the way of poverty and humility 5. In the Stable For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word for Manger is a place for Horses by the way that we might understand our life here is but a journey and our longest stay but that of Travellers by the way and therefore there he places himself for all comers by his Incarnation and Birth to conduct them home into their Country our Country which is above Nor is it 6. without a mystery that there was no room for him in the Inn. Inns are places of much resort and company and no wonder if Christ be too commonly thrust out thence They are made houses of licentiousness and revelling no wonder if Christ be not suffered to be there They are places of more worldly business and no wonder neither that there is often there no room for him when the business is so different from his and mens minds so much taken up with it Into the Stable or whither he will he may go for them they heed him not there is no room for him in the Inn that is where much company or riot or too much worldly business is That there was no room for him in the Inn puts us to enquire how it came about and we find it was a time of the greatest concourse and in that also lastly there is a mystery all this done at such a time that so all might know that it belonged to aâ—l to know the Birth and posture of their Saviour his coming and his coming in humility to save them At such a time in such a place in such a case so poor so forlorn so despicable without respect without conveniences wast thou born O Lord that we through thy want might abound through thy neglect might be regarded through thy want of room room on earth might find room in heaven O happy Rags more pâ—ecious than the Purple of Kings and Emperours O holy Manger more glorious than their golden Thrones The poverty of those Rags are our riches the baseness of the Manger our glory his wrapping and binding up our loosing from Death and Hell and his no room our eternal Mansions Thus we have twice run over the Text pickt out both the moral and the mystery of every circumstance in it of our Saviours Birth I hope we have shewed you mysteries enow and you have seen humility enough But it is not enough to see the one or the other unless now we take up the Virgin Maries part which is behind bring forth this First-born to our selves suffer him to be born in us who was born for us and bring forth Christ in our lives wrap him and lay him up with all the tenderness of a Mother The pure Virgin pious soul is this She that brings forth Christ the nourishing and cherishing of him and all his gifts and graces is this wrapping him in Swadling-clothes the laying up his Word his Promises and Precepts in our hearts is the laying him in the Manger What though there be no room for him in the Inn though the world will not entertain him the devout soul will find a place to lay him in though it have nothing of its own but rags a poor ragged righteousness for our righteousness says the Prophet is but menstruous rags yet the best it hath it will lay him in and though it have nothing but a Manger a poor strait narrow soul none of the cleanliest neither to lodge him in yet such as it is he shall command it his lying there will cleanse it and his righteousness piece up our rags What though there be no room for him in the Inn I hope there is in our houses for him 'T is Christmas time and let 's keep open house for him let his Rags be our Christmas Rayment his Manger our Christmas cheer his Stable our Christmas great Chamber Hall Dining-room We must clothe with him and feed with him and lodge with him at this Feast He is now ready by and by to give himself to eat you may see him wrapt ready in the Swadling-clothes of his blessed Sacrament you may behold him laid upon the Altar as in his Manger do but make room for him and we will bring him forth and you shall look upon him and handle him and feed upon him bring we only the rags of a rent and torn and broken and contrite heart the white linen cloths of pure intentions and honest affections to swathe him in wrap him up fast and lay him close to our souls and bosoms 't is a day of mysteries 't is a mysterious business we are about Christ wrapt up Christ in the Sacrament Christ in a mystery let us be content to let it go so believe admire and adore it 'T is sufficient that we know Christs swadling-clothes his Righteousness will keep us warmer than all our Winter Garments his rags hold out more storms than our thickest clothes let 's put them on His Manger feeds us better than all the Asian delicates all the dainties of the world let 's feed our souls upon him His Stable is not hang'd here with Arras or deck'd with gilded furniture but 't is hang'd infinitely with gifts and graces the Stable is dark but there is the Light of the world to enlighten it The smell of the Beasts our sins are perfumed and taken away with the sweet odours of holy pardon and forgiveness the incondite noise of the Oxe and Ass and Horse are still'd with the musick of the heavenly Host the noise of our sins with the promises of the Gospel this day brought to us Let us not then think much to take him wrapt up that is in a Mystery without examining how and which way we receive him 't is in the condition he comes to us Let us be content with him in his rags in his humblest and lowest condition 't is the way he comes to day let us our selves wrap and lay him up in the best place we can find for him though the best we have will be little better then a Manger What though there be no room for him in the Inn in worldly souls I hope yet ours will entertain him invite him too and say as Laban said to Abraham's servant Gen. xxiv 31. Come in thou blessed of the Lord come in come in thou blessed Child come in wherefore standest thou without I have prepared the house and room for the Camels the house for thee my soul for thee thy self and my body for the Camels those outward Elements that are to convey thee They are not fitted they are not fitted as thou deservest but thou that here acceptedst of rags accept my poor ragged preparations Thou
their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more ver 10. 12. a Covenant of pardon and remission such as the Sacrifices of the Law could not give were not able And new Books we have it written in as authentick as those old ones in the Iewish Canon where we may find all seal'd by the testimony of the Spirit Heb. vi the Author of the new Testament as well as of the old 6. The new Church has its new Sacraments Ite Baptizata for Ite Circumcidite Baptism for Circumcision and the Lords Supper for the Passeover in both which of ours there is more than was in theirs in those legal Ceremonies not only outward signs as they but inward graces 7. New Sacrifices the calves of our lips instead of Calves and Goats the sacrifices of Praises and Thanksgivings nay the sacrifice of a contrite heart and humble spirit the sacrificing of our lusts and the offering up of our souls and bodies a living holy acceptable Sacrifice Rom. xii 1. 8. A new Priesthood to offer them an unchangeable Priesthood now Heb. vii 24. Christ our High-Priest and the Ministers of the New Testament 2 Cor. iii. 6. as so many under-Priests to offer them up to God Christ offer'd himself a Sacrifice offers up also our Prayers and Praises to his Father has left his Ministers in his Name and Merits to do it too and this a lasting Priesthood to last for ever 9. We have a new Altar too so St. Paul Heb. xiii 10. an Altar that they which serv'd the Tabernacle have no power to eat of Take it for the Cross on which Christ offered up himself or take it for the holy Table where that great Sacrifice of his is daily commemorated in Christian Churches Habem says the Apostle such an one we have and I am sure 't is new 10. Temples we have many new the Temples of our bodies 1 Cor. vi 19. those both to offer in and offer up and 2. Churches many for that one Temple so long since buried in dust and rubbish 11. There is above these a new Spirit Ezek. xxxvi 26. not the spirit of bondage again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. viii 15. the spirit of love and not of fear the spirit of Sons and not of Servants a spirit that will cause us to walk in Gods Statutes keep his Commandments and do them Ezek. xxxvi 27. a new thing indeed that can make the Beasts of the Field to honour him as the Prophet speaks of it Isa. xliii 19. the Dragons and the Owls to do so the most sensual fierce cruel and dullest natures bow unto him that gives waters in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart Isa. xliii 19. 20. that blows but with his wind and these waters flow Psal. cxlvii 18. this is a new spirit that is so powerful And from this spirit it is that we 12. receive new life and vigour that we walk not under the Gospel so dully and coldly as they under the Law where the outward work to the letter serv'd the turn but according to the spirit in the inward purity of the heart as well as in the outward purity of the body To which lastly there is a new inheritance annexed a new Heaven and a new Earth which we may look for according to his promise 2 St. Pet. iii. 13. And are not these new things all good news worth our rejoycings Can we be ever old that enjoy such mercies are they not enough to revive the dying spirit nay to raise the dead one to set forth his praises who thus renews us as the Eagle renews his mercies to us every morning makes us Kings and Priests gives us easie Laws and pleasing Covenants effectual Sacrifices and saving Sacraments turns our bodies into his Temples and our hearts into Altars makes us a glorious Church and builds us Churches inspires us with a new Spirit and gives us a second life gives us a Kingdom gives us Heaven and all This is the new state under Christ since his coming ended and renewed our years unto us And therefore says our Apostle just before the Text If any man be in Christ he is a new creature all this new work is done upon him that 's the second way we are now to consider the words That in the Christian truly such all old things are past away and all things become new He is dead to sin Rom. vi 2. and he is dead to the Law Rom. vii 4. or if you will sin and the Law are both dead to him they can hold him no longer he is alive unto God Rom. vi 11. new created in righteousness and true holiness Will you have it more particular Why first then the Heathen ignorance and error that is past with them they are enlightned Heb. vi they know God and are known of him they are light in the Lord the very children of it The Heathen sins they are past with them in them they walkt once Ephes. ii 2. such they were some of them 1 Cor. vi 11. but now they are washt but now they are sanctified but now they are justified Nor are they now 2. under so slender a providence as the poor Heathen were God visits them often now and not only now and then and suffers them not to go on or fall back again into the old ways of infidelity But they are not only out of the Heathen condition but out of the Iewish too no more in bondage to the Law The sacrificing of Rams and Goats of all sensual affections is done already the unreasonable part is mortified in them they have been washt and need be wash'd no more they are oblig'd to no differences of meats no Iewish Sabbatizing no Circumcision no one particular place of Worship no legal Rites or Ceremonies Christ having abolished in his flesh the Law of Commandments says S. Paul contained in ordinances Ephes. ii 15. We are now at liberty he has made us free And we are now 3. under a new course of providence God leads us now by spiritual and eternal promises he threatens spiritual and everlasting punishments guides us by a clearer light than Prophesie the evidence of the Word and Spirit ties us not up to the Covenant of Works nor empty Ceremonies these things are past Makes us not rich that he may accept us but accepts us as we are He reckons not of us by our wealth or honour or learning or our parts we know no man so now ver 16. not Christ so now according to the flesh we value not any man now for any thing but holiness and righteousness for so much as he is in Christ. Nor does the Christian value himself now for any thing but for that of Christ which is in him riches he contemns honour he despises learning he submits all outward and externall priviledges and commendations he lays at the foot of Christ devotes them to his commands
these are all old worn tatter'd things not worth the taking up nothing now worth any thing but Christ nothing but Christ and those new things those graces are in him Thus old things are past with the true Christian but 2. all things also are become new in him He has a new heart and a new spirit he has no more a heart of stone but a heart of flesh a soft tender pliable heart a meek and well disposed spirit a loving spirit he is no more what he was the old ego he has a new understanding things look not to him as they did of old he vilifies the world and worldly things His affections new he affects not what he did before he contemns all things below He is a King and rules over his passions he is a Priest and sanctifies them with his Prayers he lives under a new Law the Law of the Spirit and not the Flesh he makes every day new Covenants with God A Member of the Church he is and the Kingdom of God is now within him He is a great adorer of the Sacraments of the Church and daily offers up himself a Sacrifice to God his Soul and Body and all he has and pours out his praises His Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and the Altar of his Heart burns with the continual fires of Devotion and Charity He now lives no more but Christ lives in him that 's the new life he leads and it leads him into glory A new thing of which he has a glimpse and a kind of antipast here that makes him relish nothing else but cast all behind his back as old rags and dirt to press forward to the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Phil. iii. 14. This is the new Creature the new man in whom old things are past away and all things become new And shall all things become new and not we shall all old things pass away and we remain in our old sins still every thing be cloth'd with a new lustre we only appear in our old rags still Certainly we cannot judge it reasonable Better use I hope we will make of this days Text of this New-years lesson Put off says the Apostle concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of our minds and put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. iv 22 23 24. 'T is his counsel must be our practise The time past of our life may suffice us says S. Peter 1 Pet. iv 3. to have wrought the will of the Gentiles It is sufficient it is sufficient 'T is time now we unlearn our old lesson unravel our old work leave off our old course of life and begin a new to live henceford to righteousness and not to sin to God and not to men The new entred year calls for it the Text calls for it the Blood of Christ spent at his Circumcision lately past which yet this day and some days still to come commemorate cries for it that we would no longer count the blood of the new Covenant an unholy thing but betake us to it and live by it after a new fashion in newness of life I call you not to legal washings but the washings of Baptism and Repentance not to Iewish Feasts but Christian Festivals not to sacrifice Lambs and Sheep but your Souls and Bodies not to old Ceremonies but the new substance the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. Let him now begin his new reign in you let his new Commandment of Love be obeyed by you his Church purchased so dearly not be cowardly deserted by you keep his Covenant frequent his Temples adorn his Altars reverence his Priests follow the guidance of his Holy Spirit when he inspires good motions into your hearts amend your lives and become all new men in Jesus Christ. And when all these old things shall pass away and the new Heaven and Earth appear when he that sits upon the Throne Rev. xxi 5. shall make all things new then shall we be all made new again even these old decayed ruines of our bodies too and both souls and bodies clothed with the new Robes of Glory that shall never pass away but be ever new ever glorious for evermore THE SECOND SERMON ON THE Circumcision St. LUKE ii 21. His Name was called Iesus ANd to Day it was that He was called so when eight days were accomplished for his circumcising And they did well to call him so for it was the Name the Angel named him before he was conceived in the womb And he could be called by no better For Nomen super omne nomen says St. Paul of it Phil. ii 9. A name it is above every name for above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come Eph. i. 21. A Name that has all things in it that brings all good things with it that speaks more in five letters than we can do in five thousand words speaks more in it than we can speak to day and yet we intend to day to speak of nothing else nothing but Iesus nothing but Iesus The sooner then we begin the better And to begin the sooner we shall set upon it without either the Circumstances before or after in the verse or the Ceremonies either of Preamble or of Division of the words Only for Method sake and memory I shall shew you the fulness and greatness of this Name in these seven Particulars 'T is a Name of Truth and Fidelity 'T is a Name of Might and Power 'T is a Name of Majesty and Glory 'T is a Name of Grace and Mercy 'T is a Name of Sweetness and Comfort 'T is a Name of Wonder and Admiration 'T is a Name of Blessing and Adoration A faithful mighty glorious gracious comfortable admirable blessed Name it is given Him to Day to be called by but to be called by and to be called upon by us for ever that we also may be filled with the truth and power and glory and grace and sweetness and wonder and all the blessings of it This is the sum of what we have to say of this Great Name and now we go on with the Particulars A Name it is first of veracity and fidelity of faithfulness and truth This Iesus is but the old Ieshua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much mentioned so often fortold so long expected all the Scripture thorow The Greek termination of◠only added that we might so understand that all those Types Prophesies and Promises were now terminated and at an end in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Iesus the Greeks and Gentiles taken in too to fulfill all that had been before named or spoken any way concerning him The testimony of Iesus is the very spirit of Prophesie Rev. xix
the matter and speak home Is this doing any other than only one particular way of praising glorifying and magnifying of the Name and are not all the Scriptures expressions so for doing that and for declaring it and is this any more How ordinary are the phrases of exalting and blessing and praising and sanctifying of his Name and making of it to be glorious of a glory due to his Name Psal. xxix 2. of the honour of his Name to be sung forth Psal lxvi 2. And sure the Scripture knows how to speak And though the Name of Iesus be not I confess directly and immediately meant in those places but the Name of God yet thus much we have certain thence that 1. the honour done to his Name be it by words or any expression else for all our outward expressions have the same ground and reason are duties of the Text And that 2. the Name of Iesus being now the Name of God it can be no superstition to do the same to that Now the Jews I must tell you never mentioned the Name of God without an adoration and a Benedictus when ever they mentioned it they bowed themselves and added always Blessed for ever or blessed for evermore as you have St. Paul Rom. i. 25. 2 Cor. i. 3. Ephes. i. 3. 1 Pet. i. 3. 2 Cor. xi 21. 1 Tim. vi 15. nay doing no less to the Name of Christ Rom. ix 5. mentioning him there with the same words after it So that it is but reasonable to suppose the Christians should do as much to the Name of Iesus thereby to possess themselves that he was God and to possess others against those rising Heresies that were then starting up to rob him of the honour of his God-head And I cannot but fear that such as obstinately deny this worship to it do as inwardly grudge at that Article of Faith that believes him to be God and are little better in their hearts than old Arians or new Socinians or well looking towards them But I add no more only remember you that we daily cry out in the Te Deum We worship thy Name ever world without end and if we do not why do we say so But say that or not say good of it however I hope we will and as David's phrase is speak good of his Name omnia bona dicere say all the good speak of all the good we receive by it Say good of it and make others 3. say good of it not give others occasion to speak ill of it to blaspheme that holy Name by which we are called not blaspheme it our selves neither by our words nor by our actions not blaspheme it by Oaths and Curses not blaspheme it by our evil lives not use it irreverently not speak of it slightly not cause others to say Lo these are your Christians these your professors to worship Iesus men that cannot so much as speak well of his Name which they pretend to be saved by Carry our selves we will I hope as men that have a portion in Jesus a share in salvation Praise his Name 4. and give thanks to it that sure no body will deny him praise and thanks for what he has done by it And 5. love his Name we must too love to think of it love to be speaking of it 'T is reported of the holy Ignatius that the Name of Iesus was so frequently in his mouth that it was even found written in his heart when he was dead found written there in golden Characters And 't is affirmed by good Authors Oh that this sweet Name were written in our hearts too while we are living that it were daily meditated upon and heartily lov'd by us as it should We would then 6. call upon it oftner than we do be ever calling on it We have a promise to be heard for whatever we ask in it St. Iohn xiv 13 14. And we have an authentick example Christs first Martyr so to do Acts vii 59. Be we not afraid then of the tongues of foolish men but open we the morning and shut in the evening with it begin and end our days with it in our months Nay lastly begin and end all our works and actions with it do all in the name of the Lord Iesus Col. iii. 17. whatsoever we do in word or deed says the Apostle there we can neither begin nor end better How sweet is the Name of Iesus or a Saviour at the on-set of our work to save and keep us from all miscarriage in it How sweet is it again when we have done if we can say Iesus again that we have sav'd by it been saved in it and shall one day be saved through it that Iesus runs through all with us So then remember we to begin and end all in Iesus the New Testament the Covenant of our Salvation begins and ends so The generation of Iesus so it begins and come Lord Iesus so it ends May we all end so too and when we are going hence commend our spirits with St. Stephen into his hands and when he comes may he receive them to sing Praises and Allelujahs to his blessed Name amidst the Saints and Angels in his glorious Kingdom for ever THE FIRST SERMON ON THE EPIPHANY St. MAT. ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe A Day this of the luckiest Aspect a Text this of the happiest success that ever Travellers met with Never had Journey better success never pains more happily bestowed than in the Text and on the Day Christ the end of all our travel the full reward of all our pains was here this Day found by the Wise men after a twelve days Journey And what wise man would not think himself well paid for all his labour were it not so many days but years not so many years but ages so that after all he might bless his eyes with this happy sight Well may these fortunate Travellers in thankfulness fall down and worship and offer presents Wise men could do no other and we if we be wise will do no less For ordinary and common blessings we bend our knees and present our offerings to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ but for the Lord Iesus Christ himself 't is not bending but falling down not offering of all praises only but praises and offerings of all our selves and all we have which can any way look like a thankfulness correspondent to so great a benefit This is a mercy not to be forgotten this Day especially so falling out affordeth us by its double holiness as our Lords Day and our Lord Epiphany an invincible occasion to remember and praise him in it Double holiness said I trebble I may say and more Three Epiphanies the Church reckons upon this Day Christ three sundry and divers ways
faithful soul is Christs Mother as well as blessed Mary conceives and brings him forth and nourishes him as well as she the soul spiritually as she naturally to find I say Christ thus conceived and brought forth in our own souls this Child in our own arms too Christ with us is that indeed which makes this finding worth the finding this sight worth seeing Should we only know Christ after the flesh though amongst the first that knew him had we no more than an outward sight did we not see him with his Mother in a mysterious sense in the soul and spirit born in our souls they also made his Mothers as all that believe and do Gods will he himself calls so St. Mark iii. 34 35. unless we thus see him our success will be but lame and poor no better than those Iews that saw and perished 4. Yet the success here is one degree beyond it They saw the young Child and Mary his Mother Mary signifies exalted to see him with his Mother Mary as to see his exalted Mother the soul exalted by his presence his Power and Kingdom exalted in it to see this King in his Kingdom to see Christ reigning and ruling in us this new-born King triumphing in our souls our understandings wills affections and all our faculties subjected to him and this is a good sight where e're we see it This is then the sum of the success we shall find of our travel after him 1. The perfect sight And 2. the easie knowledge of him 3. Our union with him 4. Our exaltation by him He will reveal himself to them that seek him discover himself betimes to them that carefully search for him unite himself and be with them that follow after him and set up his throne and excellency in them that find him 2. Indeed this now secondly is worth the seeing worthy the beholding They saw it 1. they saw it and admired it their seeing him it was the Lords doing and could not but be admirable in their eyes They could not certainly but admire and wonder to see the Star had pointed out the Child so poor a Child a King in rags so glorious a Child so blessed a Mother in so poor a plight Saw it and fell down say the next words fell down in amazement and astonishment it may be as well as any way else to see so great a mercy so strange a sight 2. Yet saw it secondly and believed saw by the eye of faith as much as by the eye of sense believed presently it was the Child they sought and therefore fell down and worshipped which certainly they would not have done had they not believed Indeed the strange guide that conducted them the resolution for the place at least Bethlehem by name which they met with at Ierusalem the new return of their lost starry Leader as soon as they were got out of Ierusalem the very standing and fixing of it self which all the while before was in perpetual motion over this very place where they found this Child might sufficiently assure them that it was his Star that he was the Lord whom this Star attended so that they might not only believe out of credulity or an impatient desire to be at their journeys end or at home again but out of prudence as it became wise men who lay all together e're they fix their Faith Saw and believed that 's the second 3. Saw it and were glad too that 's a third adjunct of seeing such a sight If the seeing of the Star again in the former verse made them to rejoyce with exceeding great joy which could only confirm their hope to find him how exceedingly exceeding great joy gaudio valde valde magno must it needs be they rejoyced with when they found him 4. Saw and worshipped that should be a fourth but it is the third and next part of the Text which the time and season now forbids me to look into Only this to recapitulate the rest and apply it home 1. Behold we first and admire this sight the mercy and goodness of our Saviour thus for us to become a Child to take upon him the infirmities and inconveniences of our nature even from its first weaknesses to make himself so accessible to us so easie to be approacht to vouchsafe to be daily conceived again and born in our souls and spirits to take upon him besides the rule and guidance over us to set up his throne in so poor a place as our unworthy souls amidst so much frailness and unpreparedness souls more filthy and stinking when he first comes to them than the very Stable he was born in amidst the dung and ordure of the Beasts Behold and see if there were ever goodness like this goodness see and admire it 2. See secondly and believe it too The most incredulous among the Apostles St. Thomas when he once saw he soon believed See but how the Star moves and fixes and even points us to him how readily the Wise men entertain the sight and fall down and worship see how all the Prophesies concur and meet in this young Child see how the world is overspread with this Faith and has so many hundred years continued it notwithstanding so many persecutions and I shall not need to perswade you to play the Wise men too and upon so many testimonies and evidences believe the same 3. Yet I exhort you 3. to see it and be glad Heaven rejoyced at it and the Earth was glad Angels sung proper Anthems for it The Shepherds joyfully tell it out The Wise men here scarce know how to carry themselves for joy open all their treasures and fling about their gifts to express their gladness only Herod and the Iews Herodian Iews Hierusalem Iews men addicted wholly to the pomps and pride and vanity of the City are troubled at the birth of so humble a Saviour It is a Day of rejoycing this 'T is the Lords Day the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce says the Psalmist and be glad in it 'T is the Day of shewing himself to us Gentiles who sate in darkness and the shadow of death 'T is fit therefore we should be glad for so great a blessing 'T is the Day he was Baptized in and that ever useth to be among us a joyful day great joy and feasting at it It is a Marriage Day the Day he wrought his first Miracle upon when he turned Water into Wine on purpose to make us merry the water of tears into the wine of joy So many blessings together so many good tidings in one day so many glorious things so bright a Star so glorious a Child so blessed a Mother so miraculous a Baptism so chearful a Miracle so triumphant a Resurrection all together on one day must not cannot be found out cannot be seen of Christians so much concerned in them all without perpetual Songs of gladness and rejoycing I should leave you here but that we must needs
to do it then when we had wilfully departed from his conduct is so exceeding a grace and favour that no joy of ours be it never so exceeding can exceed it And if the Wise men for the direction of that singlâ— Star were so extremely affected with joy and gladness how infiniteâ—y should we be for so many Alas they saw nothing then in comparison of us The Child was then but in rags and swadling cloaths he is now in robes of glory He was then lying in an earthly Cottage he is now sitting in an heavenly Palace All the ways of Salvation were then but mysteries they are now revealed Salvation then was but in its Clouts 't is now in its perfection They saw Christ but once we daily see him See him and all his Stars see him amidst his Stars walking with some of them in his hands the Stars or Angels of the Churches amongst other of them his Saints with them in glory creating stars daily in our hearts shining to us every day in his Word and Sacraments there opening his glory unto us and us a door into it and all the while the material stars even under his feet Seeing all these so much above what they here saw our joy should be much above what they rejoyced with But theirs being exceeding ours can be no more when we have said all we can And that it may be so I shall only tell you It must exceed the joy we take in earthly things we must more rejoyce in Christ and in his Star than all the World besides more in the holiness of a Saint than in the highness of a Prince more in a faithful Pastor than in any Worldly Counsellor more in the Word of God than in all the Writings of men much more in the History of Christ than in all the Romances and Histories of the earth more in the Promises of the Gospel than in the promises of all earthly pleasures and felicities more in the inward work of grace and the inward comforts of the Spirit than any sensual satisfactions and contentments more in the meditation of Heaven and heavenly Glory than in all the glories of the World more in Christ than in all things or hopes together It must exceed them all And when it so exceeds it will bring us to an exceeding high condition make us exceed in grace exceed in glory do great and wonderful things by the power of grace to express our thankfulness and bring us by it to the reward of exceeding glory where we shall need no more Stars to guide us nor Sun or Moon to give us light but this eternal light now pointed at by the Star shall give us light both day and night shall fill us with joy such as neither heart can imagine nor tongue express that exceeds all we can speak or think give us joy for joy great for great exceeding for exceeding in his blessed Light and Presence for evermore THE THIRD SERMON ON THE EPIPHANY St. MATTH ii 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe OUR last years business from the Text was to see what the Wise men saw Philips counsel to Nathaniel S. Iohn 1. to come and see This years shall be to do what the Wise men did what all Wise-men will do still Holy Davids invitation to fall down and worship For having found this blessed Child the end of all our Journeys the crown of all our labours the sum of all our desires and wishes this infant-God this young King of Heaven and Earth what can we less then do our obeysance and pay our Homage All Wise men will do so adore the rising Sun make sure of somewhat or in the Psalmists phrase Rejoyce with reverence and kiss this Son lest he be angrâ— and so we perish fall down before him and even kiss his feet in an humble adoration that he may lift us up and advance us in his Kingdom at least remember us when he comes into it To come into the house else where Iesus is and there to see him to stand and look upon him only and no more is a journey and sight to little purpose The Oxe and the Ass saw him and many no doubt to as little purpose upon the Shepherds report and the rumour of these Wise mens coming from the East came to see and gaze upon him It is this worshipping that sanctifies prospers all our journeys we begin them but untowardly and finish them but unluckily without it If we fall not down upon our knees before we go out and bow not our selves and worship not in thankfulness when we come in we cannot assure our selves of any great good either of our goings out or of our comings in how successful soever they seem at first even to have obtained their ends even found Iesus too This same worshipping is both the end and blessing of all our journeys if they be blest nor see we or understand we any thing thorowly or comfortably where that is wanting where the worship and service of God and our Saviour is not both the aim and endeavour of all our motions Wise men they were here that now for these twelve days have made it theirs And the Ethiopian Eunuch Acts viii 27. a great Counsellour made it the only business of his Journey to Ierusalem to worship only and so return And in the devouter times of Christianity the devout Christians when their haste was such they could not stay out a Prayer or Collect would yet never pass a Church but they would in and bow themselves and worship and be gone Tantiest adorare so weighty a business it is to worship though but in transitu to prosper any thing we are about It was so thought then it would be so now did we not more study to make enquiries about Christ than to serve him to dispute about Christianity than to practise it Christianity here begins with it These first Christians I may call them thus profest their service to their Saviour thus addict themselves to the faith and obedience of Christ and were there no other reason in the world to perswade it it were certainly enough that the first Faith in Christ was after this fashion thus acknowledged and performed Three acts there are of it in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 falling down worshipping and offering The first the worship of the Body the second of the Soul the third of our goods With these three our Bodies our Souls our Goods we are to worship him with all these his worship is to be performed without them all it is but a lame and maimed Sacrifice neither fit for Wise men to give nor Christ to receive Two points of the Text we are gone through the Wise mens Iourney and success their coming and their seeing their labour and
hand There is but one Sheepfold and one Shepherd The Sheep that were led by the hands of Moses and Aaron The Sheep that were seen in a Vision by Micaiah scattered upon the Mountains The Sheep which the Prophets led or fed in any of their times as Pastors sent by God The Sheep and Lambs that St. Peter and all the Pastors of the Church are to feed from time to time are all to make up but one fold under one Shepherd St. Iohn x. 16. all to come into one Catholick Church to be gathered all into one Mountain into the same everlasting Tabernacles at the last No Tabernacle against Tabernacle no Altar against Altar no Church against Church no schism to be made in the Mount of God 7. To place the beatifical Vision in Christs corporal presence or think that the blessed want Tabernacles and Tents to dwell in with St. Peter or which is the same in fine to place Christs Kingdom upon earth and dream of the Millenaries happiness Christs reigning with his Saints in all temporal pleasures and satisfactions upon the earth for a thousand years is meer talking in our dreams Let us make no such Tabernacles in our brains they are meer Castles in the Air rais'd in the Mount of our own fancies and vain imaginations if we say so we know not what we say No building our thoughts then upon worldly confidences 2. no making Tabernacles to shelter us from all storms even from suffering for our Master 3. no building them only for our selves 4. No raising them to keep us from our Christan duty 5. No making them to separate between Law and Gospel 6. No making them to divide the Sheepfold to set up Schism in the Church of Christ 7. No making them to anticipate heavenly happiness to keep Christ upon the Mountains of the Earth as if our business were wholly here or wholly for our selves or our affections carnal and earthly still Let us make no such Tabernacles preach no such fancies believe no such imaginations for if we do St. Luke will tell us were we as good as St. Peter we say and believe and advise we know not what IV. Now that we may know whence it is that the same words have thus different senses why they may be spoken well or ill we are in the next place to examine the diverse affections with which they may or might be spoken Either out of fear or out of joy out of fear for his Master and himself of future sufferings which he heard them talking of v. 31. and a desire to avoid them or out of joy in the contemplation of his present enjoyment and a desire to continue it Consider the words spoken as proceeding out of fear of death and suffering and a desire to avoid it to disturb the method of Redemption by a new kind of Propitius esto tibi a subtle new device to perswade Christ to favour himself and his followers Non ita fiet tibi to turn off the Cross to keep with Moses and Elias in the Mount or at least if he would go down keep them from departing keep them however with him Moses with his wonder-working Rod Elias with his commanding Fire to defend him Consider them thus and he and his fellows may well be answer'd with a nescitis cujus spiritus Ye know not what spirit ye are are of What you are to look for in the service of your Master Christ Cross the chief lesson they were to learn Consider them secondly as words issuing out of excess of delight and joy either in the present glory as the all he wish'd for in Christs corporal presence as the whole he expected in temporal felicities as the sum of his desires or in sensible consolations as the only pieces of devotion so also he is but nesciens quid diceret he says he knows not what But consider them now again 1. as arising out of a moderate delight in spiritual or temporal contentments with St. Mathew's Si vis submitting all to his will and pleasure It is good to be here Master if thou wilt and let us make Tabernacles here Master if thou wilt if thou think'st it good if thou knowest it fit for so St. Matthew relates St. Peter's words and then they may pass without reproof they are the words of knowledge of truth and soberness Or 2. consider them as spoken in the very rapture of joy and high delight in the contemplation of heavenly glory of Gods glory and his Masters and great hopes of his own desiring what he can to promote and advance it the words are the expressions of much love and piety not the speech of a mad fellow as Iehu's Captains styl'd the Prophet he knows what he says and what he desires or if through the excess of joy he said he knew not what more then he could well express there was no fault but that which such heavenly joys necessarily cause in humane language by their inexpressible greatness that if we say any thing we must needs say more then we are able to express they are so great that we know not what to say and so St. Mark St. Peter's Disciple tells the story Chap. ix v. 6. For he wist not what to say for they were sore afraid almost stupified and amazed And if now lastly that be the passion too to be added to the other two and St. Matthew says the same Chap. 17. 6. There will be at least an excuse for any indiscretion in St. Peter's speech though withal a caution to us for ours that we speak no more then we understand that we meddle not to settle conditions to pitch places to erect buildings to give counsels or pass our judgments in things we have no knowledge of lest St. Luke tell us we are to blame we say we know not what IV. Yet now in the last place we are to see how far sudden and hasty expressions may be born with and when they may not without rebuke 1. If they rise out of any sinful passion sinful they are and have no allowance 2. If they rise out of any wilful heedlesness and indiscretion they are sins of indiscretion and the words of folly foolish words 3. If they proceed out of natural infirmity and shortness of wit they are at the best but to be excus'd faulty they are for why do they venture on what they do not understand But 4. if they proceed meerly out of the excess of holy joy or any passion unblameable they are no sins we may well bear with them seeing we know not how to better them There is a kind of spiritual and heavenly drunkenness when ravisht and over-gone with the sweetness of some inward spiritual and heavenly joy made drunk with the Spouses Flagons of Wine in the holy Canticles with the drink of thy pleasures says the Psalmist as out of the Rivers Psal. xxxvi 8. over-bore with the strength of this celestial liquor we say we know not what do
things beyond the ordinary course of action seem mad though we be sober as the Prophets did sometimes when the Spirit came upon them lay down naked use strange gesture or speak words with Caiphas which at the time we understand not run like mad-men with some Martyrs into flames and fires to blocks and halters upon the sudden powerful and miraculous motion of Gods Spirit or Grace within us These for all that not to be looks for now Yet 't is ever to be noted here that how strange soever the expressions of some holy Saints have been in such excesses though they have not understood themselves yet others have they never spoke non-sense by the Spirit never blasphemy never contradictions to holy Scripture never any thing against Christian Patience and Obedience We have heard of late of the Pattern in the Mount a Church talked of to be form'd according to that Pattern Indeed it seems to have somewhat of St. Peter's Bonnm est of his desire to be with Christ without the Cross to build Tabernacles here for him a new Kingdom upon earth to set up King Iesus a phrase much canted but to this St. Luke gives his dash 'T is a Nesciens quid diceret that neither he nor they know what they say what they would have 'T is meer fear of I know not what a fear where no fear is a meer stupor as St. Mark and a desiring what is not to be desired an expectation of what is not to be expected of nothing but ease and pleasure and glory in Christs service Their present condition and successes make them say and wish they know not what For if we truly examine it we shall find this saying what comes next we heed not what comes from present contentments and successes when all things succeed to our mind then we begin to forget our selves or not to know our selves Worldly felicities commonly so transport us that we know not care not what we say or do our greatness we think shall bear us out We say in our hast too with David we shall never be removed so care not what we say how we behave our selves to God and Man only Bonum est esse hic we set our selves to enjoy our pleasures and build houses for them that shall come after Yet 't is worth the noting that whilst we are thus speaking we speak often against our selves when we do not intend it We call all our great buildings all our great hopes but Tabernacles with St. Peter so as it were presaging their remove that they are of no long continuance and abiding How many have we heard of in their times who have by some sudden word some unexpected expression been the presages of their own ruine and by the slip of some unlucky syllable or two doom'd the period and fore-told the shortness of this Mountain of Glory Of so unhappy speech are we when we begin to talk of any glory or continuance upon the high places of the earth we pitch a word instead of a Tabernacle that takes away all our bonum est esse hic on a sudden even whilst we mean no such matter whilst we know not what we say And as no holy company Moses nor Elias nor Christs own can keep us from all indiscretion in our speech no more then they did St. Peter so neither do they keep us from undoing our selves often with our own language We in a passion say we know not what enough to throw down all our Tabernacles remove all our Bonum est all our goods The more need then with the Psalmist of setting a watch before our lips and a guard before our mouths that we offend not in our tongues that we consider what we say before we say it that we learn to speak before we speak it that we keep our mouths even from good words as the same holy Prophet has it that we do not take up every word that seems good and godly but weigh and ponder it in the ballance of the Sanctuary by Christs Rule and Precept before we utter it And so doing and so speaking we may in all conditions high and low in glory and ignominy in prosperity and adversity in all companies in all places say merrily and cheerfully without danger Master it is good for us to be here and make Tabernacles here for Christ and Moses and Elias to keep them with us we may build in the Mountain or in the Valley without fear of this censure not knowing what we do All will be good unto us all will work for good if we temper our words and speak them soberly and place them rightly and direct them every one to his hic nunc to his proper object and circumstances and Christ will tarry with us and Moses not forsake us and Elias not depart away out of the Mountain from us till we come to the everlasting Hills to eternal Mansions houses not made with hands eternal in the Heavens to dwell with Christ and Moses and Elias and all the Patriarchs and Prophets see them face to face be transfigured and cloth'd in bright shining garments and shine like Stars for ever and ever THE FIRST SERMON UPON All Saints PSAL. cxlix 9. Such honour have all his Saints SO the Text So the day a day dedicated to God in honour of all his Saints Such honour has God allowed them such honour has the holy Church bestow'd upon them Because they are his and as his here they are had in honour because his holy ones Sancti ejus as his Saints or holy ones honour'd with a holy day or if you will God honoured in them on the day For this honour also have all the Saints that all the honour done to them all the honour done by them by the Saints in earth to the Saints in heaven all the vertues of the one all the praises of the other are to the honour and praise and glory of God in all the Congregations of the Saints whether in heaven or earth 'T is not fit therefore any of them should be forgotten from whose memories God receives so much not reasonable to deny them any honour that so redounds to Gods The Psalm gives them it and the Day gives them it God says they shall have this honour and the Church this day pays it and we must pay it if we honour either him or her God or the Church or Father or mother pay it to them all to all to whom 't is due all honour that is due This is a day for us to meet all together to pay it in for them altogether to receive it in We cannot do it to all severally they are too many we may do it to all together We profess a great Article of our faith the Communion of Saints by doing it are therefore surely not too blame for doing it having so good authority so good a ground so good a profession for it For say our new Saints what they will unsaint
they whom they please dishonour they all the old Saints how they list 1. God has his Saints says our Text and ver 5. Saints in glory Saints in their beds or in their graves his they are and Saints they are though there His Saints 2. have and shall have honour A signal special honour 3. it is they have This honour such honour as the former verses spake of All of them 4. have it All his Saints have it 5. from him are to have it from us gloria sit so some read Let this honour be given to all his Saints that 's the last and all five so many parts of the Text. I go on with them in their order I. God has his Saints Saints in heaven St. Mat. xxvii 52. Saints upon earth Psal. xvi 3. Saints in glory ver 5. and Saints of grace Saints at rest in their beds of honour and Saints in the bustle of noise and trouble The stranger men they that engross the title to themselves strike all the Saints out of the Kalendar and will not call them so whom God has call'd so Yet if to be Saints be to be holy the title is their due that are in heaven they are the holiest If to be Saints be to be called effectually they are called to purpose that are already there If to be Saints be to be separate to God from the drossie multitude they are of the highest separation If to be Saints be to be established if Sancti be Sanciti there are none so sure so established as they who are in heavenly glory And dare men be so bold to rob them of this honour so proper and peculiar to them that 't is but a kind of an impropriety to give it to any here below which yet both Scripture and their own tongues give to some below yet to none but such as are in Communion with those above and as far only as they are in it God has a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a separate or peculiar people a people to shew forth his praise called out of darkness into his marvelous light to do it says St. Peter 1 Pet. ii 9. St. Paul and the rest of the holy Epistlers say as much call Believers Saints ever and anon and these have fellow-Citizens Eph. ii 19. Saints in an inheritance of glory Eph. i. 18. worth the knowledge says St. Paul and now 2. worthy honour too II. For his Saints have honour are persons of honour Kings and Priests Rev. i. 6. Heirs of a Kingdom St. Iam. ii 5. Sons of God St. Iohn i. 12. Children of the most Highest Psal. lxxxii 6. So that if the Sons of Kings or Kings themselves if men in highest Office or the nearest relation to the highest Princes be men of honour the Saints are they who are so honourably related to and so highly employed by the King of Kings Who are first honoured by him with such titles as his friends St. Ioh. xv 15. as his anointed Psal. cv 15. as his Sons and Daughters Who 2. are so his that he reckons what is done to them is done to him receive them and receive him despise them and despise him St. Luke x. 16. the very least of them not excepted St. Mat. xxv 40. Who lastly are so entrusted by him that he admits them into his secrets Psal. xxv 13. makes them of his Privy Counsel Prov. ii 32. an honour without question of the first and highest rank Enough however to teach us 1. not to despise them whom God thus honours though they here walk in rags and are fed with crumbs and look desolate and though they are covered with poverty and encompassed with afflictions and had in derision and a Proverb of reproach whilst they are here and when they depart hence seem to die and their departure is taken for misery they are honourable for all that such as the Great King delights to honour and must not be despised Sufficient 2. it is to teach us not to dishonour our selves with any unworthy action or behaviour 'T is not for persons of honour to do things base and vile indeed to live or act like men of ordinary and mean condition Nor is it for any of them that are called to be Saints to employ themselves in the drudgeries and nastinesses of sins in the low poor businesses of the earth to work in Mines and Metals or make that our business here For 3. this honour is to teach us to do honourable things higher thoughts and higher works to live like Saints like such as are to inherit the earth Mat. v. 5. to reign and rule in it not to serve it like such as are to inherit heaven too and are therefore to have our conversation there to do all things worthy of it nothing but what becomes the Kingdom of Christ especially seeing it is not only meer honour ordinary honour but a signal special honour that is here given to the Saints Gloria haec est or Gloria hic est omnibus sanctis ejus This honour have all his Saints or He is the honour of all his Saints What it is we shall best gather by the Context out of the foregoing verses III. 1. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people ver 4. There 's the honour of a Favourite 2. He will beautifie them with salvation in the same verse there 's the honour of his salvation as David speaks in another place there 's a second honour 3. Let the praises of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hands to be avenged of the heathen c. ver 6 7. there 's the honour of Conquerours that 's a third 4. To execute upon them the judgment written ver 9. There 's the honour of judges that 's a fourth 5. Look back again Let the Saints be joyful in glory ver 5. there 's the honour of glory of eternal glory that 's a fifth 6. Let them rejoyce in their beds or sing aloud upon their bed there 's the honour of eternal peace and security or the security of their honour 7. Lastly Gloria hic est for the Pronoune is Masculine in the Hebrew He is the honour of his Saints God is their honour so the Text may well be rendred there 's the infinity of their honour Honor infinitatis or honor infinitus their infinite honour that 's the last So here 's the Saints honour like Wisdom with her seven Pillars strongly built firmly seated magnificently set forth upon them They have the honour of being favourites the honour of being ever and anon honourably saved and delivered the honour of being Victors the honour of being judges a glorious secure infinite honour the Saints have 1. This honour that they have is the honour of grand Favourites God is well pleased in them taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his servants his delight is placed in them the Lords delight is in them that fear him Psal. cxlvii 11. He deals with
Common Service Every Magistrate that is every Governour of a Country every Maior of a City every Master of a Company every Father of a Family Some of these have their Statutes to be kept all of them their commands to be obeyed These are Secular Powers you have besides Spiritual such as take order for your Souls as the other for your Bodies and Estates your Bishops and Clergy Bishops are Fathers by their Title the Fathers of the Church so the first Christians so all since till this new unchristian Christianity started up Fathers in God 't is their stile however some of late Sons of Belial would make them Fathers in the Devil Antichrists perhaps that they might make them like themselves Strange Antichrists to whom Christ hath left the Governing of his Church these 1500 years 1. If you value them by their Antiquity they are Fathers for that their enemies being judges who would fain distinguish between their Offices and their Names that they might have some pretence to disobey them though more commonly they fill their mouth with scoffs and calumnies the language of the Devil than their books with the language of Antiquity truly understood 2. Fathers secondly for their Authority Time was when their Commands their Councils and Canons were Laws to Christians none of the least neither when their breach inferred the greatest punishment spiritual malediction 3. Fathers lastly for their tenderest Care over the tenderest part your Consciences Such who would quickly set all in order would you not listen too engagedly to by-respects Such whose commands you cannot complain of when you have examined them A hat a knee a reverent posture of the body are no such tyrannies as some please to fancy them You would do more in a great mans presence more for a small temporal encouragement A habit a Hood a Cap a Surplice a Name are wonderful things to trouble a devout Conscience You have more Ceremonies in your Companies and Corporations and you observe them strictly You will find it if you compare them If thus Fathers now their Precepts then certainly are to be obeyed Yet with this Rule ever both for them and all other inferiour Magistrates beside So far as they contradict not the Supreme Authority 'T is a rule in natural reason In two contrary commands the Superiours is to be obeyed Now to the King as Supreme we told you out of St. Peter to Rulers as sent by him that is as far as they are sent by him no further no further than their Commission from him Else Obedience can find no bounds nor Consciences no rest if the Supreme be not enough to terminate and guide all obedience into Your Father There is an argument in that word may make you obey him above all the world besides The tenderness of a Father Never could any challenge this name with greater justice never any so far condescended to his children to part with his own priviledges maintenance conveniences provision attendance He hath done as much for his Sons as the Rechabites for their Father left all even his houses for them lest by the insolence of some tumultuous spirits he should be forced to punish them What natural Father like this Father But whether he hath been used like a Father indeed you used him lately in your entertainment like a Conqueror and are justly honoured for it but whether by others like a Father let the affronts at his own Palace gate the sawcy Language in every rascal mouth the rebellious Sermons the seditious Libels cast abroad his own words where he is fain to proclaim to the world He is driven from you let these speak I say nothing Your Inferiour Magistrates have almost every where found disrespect And whether your Bishops and Clergy have been used like Fathers if the usage they have had of late the tumults about their houses the riots upon their Persons the daily insolencies the whole Clergy have met with in your streets never seen till now in a Civil Common-wealth in any ordered City upon the most contemptible men if the injuries done their Persons in the Churches at the very Altars once Sanctuaries against violence now thought the fittest places for it in the very administration of the Sacraments in their Pulpits both among you and abroad the Kingdom in a word so many slanderous malicious accusations without ground entertain'd with pleasure besides the blasphemies upon the whole Order if these cannot tell you after-ages will determine and in the interim let the world judge Our Fathers imperfections are not to be divulg'd though true much less false ones to be imposed upon them This is a reverence but due to Fathers 'T was cursedly done of Cham and he paid for it he and his with an everlasting curse to uncover his Fathers nakedness 'T was wretchedly done of Absalom to tell the people there was no man deputed of the King to hear them no justice in the Land and he thrived accordingly And let all the enemies of my Lord the King be as that young man is says Cushi Yet say we 't were well it were no worse How is all this made Religion too Oaths and Protestations intended certainly to better purposes abused to maintain rebellion and prophaneness Construed so in Pulpits and professed by their Scholars in the face of God and man pray God it go no higher and dare you after all this look for a blessing Alas you must lay by those thoughts till you have learned the Rechabites Lesson They used their Ionadab like a Father so reverenced his memory so preserved his name so obeyed him in all his several authorities so punctually so constantly so couragiously so sweetly so universally so sincerely so really so carefully with that contentedness without grumbling that humility without disputing that patience that readiness that full content of every Age Sex and Condition no weakness tenderness or priviledges pretended against it that God himself presently upon it promiseth a full reward Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel c. I am now at the Reward and 't is a full one full of 1. honour full of 2. proportions full of 3. blessings Full of 1. honour at the first Therefore thus as if their Obedience deserved it or God at least would seem so far to honour it He had promised length of life in the Commandment for it and God is not unjust It deserves therefore by the Covenant of his Promise yet by the interpretation of his mercy And 2. full of proportions it is Proportionable to the three Acts and Objects of Obedience You have obeyed your Father therefore you shall want no Sons there 's one You have kept his commandments therefore shall your Sons stand in them and by standing in them stand before God there 's a second You have kept all and done according to all that hath been commanded you fail'd in nothing therefore shall you have a reward all of you not a man of you fail for
Isa. i. 21. Et quà m facta est desolata How is she become desolate Remember that What becomes of her for it I have done with the Rechabites obedience and Gods dicit to it I come nearer home and I cannot tell you but I must change my phrase into dicit homo Men talk abroad there 's no such matter here If it be otherwise you have the better on 't And I shall say no more than what Iotham Iudg. ix 19 20. to the men of Shechem when they had made Abimelech King If you have then dealt truly and sincerly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day then rejoyce you in Abimelech and let him rejoyce in you But if not let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and the house of Millo and devour Abimelech I will not say so much with an imprecation but thus If you have now dealt truly and sincerely with King and Church in setting up your own profits priviledges and humours to reign over you by preferring them before their Precepts then rejoyce you in them and may they prosper with you But if not fire will come out of them those very Priviledges and profits and devour you and fire will come out from you to devour and ruine them as sure as you thought once to be happy by them 'T is true and I think I may justly quit some of you before God and man say for you You have obeyed but as it is enough for the whole man to be thought guilty when only one part sins so it is enough for a punishment upon a Kingdom that there be among us those though hands and feet that disobey Though make no doubt of it you who have obeyed but however the world look on you as certainly it looks but scurvily upon such God from above will one day see it and reward it give you the blessing of the Text. His word is past go on and believe there shall not want a man of your seed to stand before him for ever You are not all then of the same practices I shall but mind you therefore of my Text in a double sense as it implies the punishment of Disobedience as it expresses the reward of obedience and I have done The Rechabites that obeyed shall want no length of days no posterity nor they no heavenly grace or honour You will thence infer They that do not shall want all And have they not so in all generations What got Iannes and Iambres by withstanding Moses but non precedent ultra they should proceed no further neither in their Projects nor in their Posterity 1 Tim. iii. 8. What got Korah and his company by rising up against Moses and Aaron but a death that amazes us to read of They and their wives and their children went down quick into hell The grave was not low enough nor could they die soon enough to receive their punishment What got Absalom by his rebellion but an ignominious cruel death in the heat and fervor of his sin and no Posterity to survive him What got the Ten Tribes by their discession in matter of Taxes but the loss of their Religion and their God a perpetual successive Idolatry and a thousand calamities No in conspectu meo left them that Gods presence taken from them for ever Lastly What got Iudas that rose in the days of the Tribute all upon fair pretences you see with the people but Ipse periit omnes dispersi he perish'd the rest made rogues and runnagates upon the face of the earth And can we after all this look for better success either in Church or State when we rise up against them both Any thing but an utter desolation Lay it home Non deficiet in the Text will prove deficiet here nor Posterity nor Honour nor Government nor Religion continue with you The very setting light by our Superiours has brought a doom somewhat like it Michol scoffing at King David had no child for ever lost vir de stirpe The little Children that did but taunt the Prophet as he passed by were at deficiet streight in their childhood could go no farther The very savage Bears out of the wilderness rebuked the incivility of the children If children found so sharp a punishment what may men expect In a word God the God of mercies who holds out beyond our hopes or thoughts could hold out no longer when they came once to despise his Ministers 2 Chron. xxxvi 16. And let me tell you too You shall find it home in your own bosoms be paid in kind in your children and servants For with what face can you expect obedience from your children who disobey by your example How can you but expect rebellion from them who see you in all your actions resolute to disobey Where should they learn it From your example Alas they cannot You obey nor spiritual nor temporal Fathers From your words They will not because your actions contradict them From Gods commandments Why do not you Thus while you study by disobedient practices to stand you and yours fall down for ever But I dwell too long upon so harsh a Theme I shall lead you to Obedience by sweeter thoughts by Example by Reward By Example shall these Rechabites their wives and children give aside at no inconvenience and must we Christians startle at every thing that is not just as we would have it Shall they hear and hearken and submit and rest upon their Fathers will and must we alway prefer our own scarce read or mind a command which we first prescribe not Shall they fail in nothing not a circumstance do according unto all And are not we ashamed to question all so long till we do nothing I appeal to your selves Would you be so used in your own houses Have your commands disputed questioned denied done by parts and pieces by your children and servants With what conscience then can you deal so with your Superiours Do as you would be done by is the Law of Nature Out of this only Principle 't is probable the Rechabites at first obeyed in one man the Carnal Spiritual Temporal Authority and does our Christianity serve us to no better use than to contemn them If Example will not will Reward prevail 'T is a Reward to be approved by God But he rewards us not with words What would you have Your City your Companies your own Families cannot subsist without obedience and can you desire it of others when you will not pay it your selves This the way to keep your City from destruction You labour for succession this is Gods way to obtain it You travel for Lands and riches this is his means to gain and keep them You desire honours thus you may have for you and your Posterities You strive for Priviledges they are surest obtain'd and held by Obedience You endeavour all for perpetuities here
Herod fancies himself neglected by it and the innocent babes who were concern'd in neither of them are punisht for the ones omission and the others mistake Nay and 3. it seems Gods own contrivement too And does the God of Justice so little regard innocent blood as thus to draw it on by the way of a particular providence we cannot understand the reason of 'T is enough God does We have nought to do but to submit and think that best that God does be it never so hard Our own wisdom will mock the wisest of us more then Herod was by the Wise men if we pry narrowlier For the only business we can see clearly here is how small a thing men make an occasion to commit a villany How great a matter does a a little fire kindle says St. Iames iii. 5. Lord how easily do men raise themselves into an anger and in their anger fall presently upon the next comes near them dig down a wall too to come at them Need we had with St. Paul to cut off occasion from them that desire occasion 2 Cor. xi 12. do what we can to do it for there are those that will take it even concerning the Law of our God as Daniels adversaries serv'd him Dan. vi 4. rather then want an opportunity to do mischief Indeed I know a mock an affront a bitter jest a cutting word strikes deep wounds sore and I could wish men would be warier in that point then sometimes we see them Kingdoms and Churches have been shatter'd by it but there are mocks as well as scandals that are taken and not given These I know not how to cure and to fence less Men think sometimes they are mockt when disappointed of a sin of a project of doing mischief Potiphars Wife when Ioseph would not comply with her lewd desires she was mockt forsooth the Hebrew servant came in to mock her when he would not come in to sin with her nay and her Husband must bear the blame as if he had done it brought him to that purpose Gen. xxxix 14. There being disappointed of a sin was being mockt Dalilah forsooth she is mockt too she says because Samson will not discover where his great strength lay Iudges xvi 10 13 15. that she might rob him of it and destroy him by it There being disappointed of doing mischief was being mockt Again Balaam he is mockt by the poor Ass smites her with his staff and tells her so when she falls down and would go no further Numb xxii 29. hindering thereby the project he was going about of enriching himself with the wages of unrighteousness There the disappointment of a rich or gainful project is a being mockt Nay sometimes the very denouncing of Gods judgments seems to some men a mocking as it did to Lots sons in law Gen. xix 8. Sometimes the very preaching a Resurrection does so too Acts xvii 32. I am afraid both do so still to many now adays whose Wits are more then their Religion and their parts greater then their graces not to say their portions too in this life fairer I fear then in the other Sometimes 6. when God bids one thing and men another God sends us this way and they call that if we obey Gods order and not their ordinance they are mockt they think and slighted and we must look to answer it with our peril and the children unborn perhaps may rue it In a word men will needs think they are mockt sometimes say here with Herod they see it too unless you will betray Christ and his Religion to them that they may seize and order them how they please That 's the brief of the business here that Herod so much stomacht that the Wise men would not do so would not tell him where Christ was that he might murther him If now the being disappointed of a sin of a project of doing mischief if the obedience to Gods command if the protecting Christ which were all the cases here or if the denouncing Gods Judgments against sinners or the preaching of the Resurrection or the defence of our Religion and not betraying it which is almost the parallel case sometimes must pass with some great men and men of wit for a mocking of them and a sufficient occasion for tyrannical spirits to bring on ruine and destruction even upon the innocent and a warrantable ground to justifie War or Murther rapine or injustice God help us and keep us upon all occasions we know not when we are safe The comfort only is God is not mockt he sees it and disposes it Christ is safe by the hand and how ill soever it falls out man only is mockt our enemies are so and all is well III. This for the occasion that brought this days Lambs to the slaughter But was there not some cause besides had Herod no cause to do it All we find exprest is that he was wroth exceeding wroth that 's our third particular And truly that 's enough in some mens judgments to cast down all before them Enough we have found it but cause I cannot call it to call it right Man 's own impetuous anger will not excuse the mischief it commits Anger it self must have a cause or it but aggravates the sin is so near a sin it self that 't is hard to discerâ— and discover when it is not The Apostle cannot mention being angry but he adds with the same breath and sin not Ephes. iv 26. dares not leave anger to breath it self without that caution Yet supposing the anger not a sin exceeding is Though we may perhaps be angry we must not be exceeding Moses and Aaron both paid for it Numb xx 10 12. lost the enjoyment of Canaan fell short of their rest by it and this same exceeding still disturbs our rest and quiet nothing more Moses his just indignation at the golden Calf made him somewhat oversee himself when it made him cast down and break the Tables of the Commandments which God himself had written with his own finger Exod. xxxii 19. A shrewd intimation to us that the violence of that passion even in a good cause sometimes is very prone ever and anon to make us do so too do that in a moral and worse sense break the Commandments worse far then they were broken then But if the cause be bad and the wrath exceeding no wonder if it break out into all excesses Shall we examine what it was here for the causes of our angers are not always written upon our foreheads Was it that the Magi neglected his commands came not to him in their return that was somewhat but that was not it Was it that he truly thought himself mock'd by their not returning by him Then indeed it was but it was not that that was the occasion but not the cause What was it think we then why Christ he saw was now in a possibility to escape him and by a misconceit his Kingdom he imagin'd lay now at
stake seeing the King of the Jews whose birth he had lately heard of and so much dreaded was now gotten he fear'd out of his reach This was the business that so toss'd him and turmoil'd him and from it we learn these five particulars 1. What strange fears and jealousies our interests and ambitions raise within us 2. What unreasonable mistakes those fears and jealousies bring us to 3. What hideous cruelties those mistakes make us run upon 4. How hardly Christ himself escapes from them 5. Or if he does how exceeding wroth and angry we grow upon it 1. If interest or ambition possess our thoughts how do we tremble at the very whistlings of the wind and start at every shadow Let Adonijah but beg Abishag and he is interpreted to beg the Kingdom 1 Kings ii 22. Let Abijah find Iereboam in the way and foretel him the Kingdom shall be his when Solomon sleeps with his Fathers and Solomon cannot sleep in quiet till he has driven him out of the land 1 Kings xi 40. And 2. When these fears have once seiz'd upon us what mistakes run we not into Ahimelech gives David but a few loaves of bread and a Sword to defend him in the way he went and he is presently mistaken by Saul for a plotter against his life for a traitor and a conspirator 1 Sam. xxii 13. Many such mistakes men have made of late too late I fear to be yet forgotten Yet forgotten they would be easily came they not 3. attended with cruelties at their heels Ahimelechs being mistaken unhappily cost him and his family all their lives except Abiathar's Men and Women Children and Sacklings Oxen and Asses and Sheep all to the Sword upon it 1 Sam. xxii 19. There is no stop nor bounds to the rage of that error and mistake which interest and ambition raise or nourish for their own ends and purposes It were well Christ himself could escape them 4. But Christ and Religion bear the blame as soon as any And when I told you Ahimelech and the Priests suffered so deep upon mistake it was ready enough for you to conceive Religion cannot always defend it self or its Priests and Votaries from the fury even of an unfortunate Politician Saul or Herod And if the Messiah himself and known to be so must be sought out to be destroyed even by him who both knew it and seem'd to desire it there are men it seems that for their interests can knew Christ and yet persecute him No wonder then if they deal so with his Children and Servants and persecute them though they know them such Or lastly if Christ himself by some peculiar providence be delivered from their rage if the grounds of Religion escape sound the lesser parts the Rites and Ceremonies and lesser points of Religion the Innocents must be massacred for we are exeeding angry and though the Head escape the lesser members shall pay dearly for it which though the great ones do not the little ones shall Herod sends out and slays all the children that were in Bethlehem and the coasts about as many as he can lay hands on His interests make him fear his fears make him mistake his mistake makes him cruel and though Christs Kingdom be not of this world nor Christ an enemy either to Herod or Caesar yet the politician is bound in honour to justifie his own fears and rather than put up a fancied affront or slighting or confess a mistake wreak his anger upon the helpless Innocents and make them both the Martyrs of Christ and the witnesses of his own cruelty Those are they I am next to speak of IV. And I justly call them Martyrs for if it be the cause that makes the Martyr and we say it is and Christs cause be that which entitles them more particularly to that name I am sure they are no less their cause was Christs for his sake they were killed as the Psalmist speaks all the day long accounted too as sheep or little lambs appointed to be slain Psalm xliv 22. And you may see them following the Lamb too under that notion with the Fathers name written in their foreheads Rev. xiv 1. the very first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb ver 4. the first that suffered that died for him Who though they could not some of them speak at all and other of them but jabber at the most yet they all speak out and plain these fallowing lessons 1. That there is no age too young for Christs business one way or other They that cannot speak for Christ can die for him They that cannot come themselves may be brought to him They that cannot live with him being just going out of the world as they are coming in may die with him in holy Baptism e're they go Even of such also is the Kingdom of God St. Mat. x. 44. and it matters not whether they go by Blood or Water thither Nor 2. is any age too young to speak out Christs Glory neither Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength thou hast perfected praise says the Prophet Psal. viii 2. S. Matth. xxi 16. and never more eminently fulfilled then this day their very cries were songs of praise Hosanna's to the Son of David blessed is he that cometh Hallelujahs in the ears of God in whose name he cometh None ever cried it louder or proclaimed it higher The Choire is a full one too of all the children of Bethlehem and the coasts about to such an age 14000. is the least that any say 44. some A full Chorus indeed a large first-fruits of Martyrdom to teach us thirdly not to doubt of that which is attested by so many witnesses the coming of Christ nor think strange of that condition which entered with him which entred first with Christianity whilst it yet was in the Cradle Persecution and Martyrdom but to bear it patiently ever when it comes seeing Children themselves have undergone it here by thousands and trod the way before us But they not only teach us patience by their martyrdom but innocency by their innocence a fourth lesson that they give us Let Herod and all his Hosts all the Herods and Hosts and Armies of the world do what they can they cannot hurt us if we keep our innocence Out of the world they may thrust us but into Heaven it is they drive us Here if they please they may truly see themselves mockt indeed when against their wills they undo us into a Kingdom think they destroy us but will find at last to their confusion that they have been the great instruments to us both of life and glory Rapiunter quidem says S. Austin à complexibus matrum sed redduntur gremus angelorum These Infants says he were snatcht indeed from their Mothers breasts but into the laps of Angels were they carried and into the bosom of the Almighty Quos feliciter nati says he again How happily were they born that were thus early