the Modell of the whole frame and of the partitions wee proceede now to the furnishing of the particular roomes 1. Part. FIrst then this first word But excludes a temporall Kingdome the Apostles had fild themselues with an expectation with an ambition of it but that was not intended them It was no wonder that a woman could conceiue such an expectation and such an ambition as to haue her two sonnes sit at Christs right hand Mat. 20.20 and at his left in his Kingdome when the Apostles expected such a Kingdome as might affoord them honours and preferment vpon Earth More then once they were in the disputation in which Christ deprehended them Mat. 1.81 which of them should bee the greatest in his Kingdome Neither hath the Bishop of Rome any thing wherein he may so properly call himselfe Apost licall as this error of the Apostles this theire infirmitie that heis euermore too conuersant vpō the contemplation of temporall Kingdomes They did it all the way when Christ was with them and now at his last step Cum actu ascendisset when Christ was not Asending but in part ascended when one foot was vpon the Earth and the other in the cloud that tooke him vp they aske him now wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome so women put their husbands and men their fathers and friends vpon their torture at their last gaspe and make their death bed a racke to make them strech and encrease ioyntures and portions and legacies and signe Scedules and Codicils with their hand when his hand that presents them is ready to close his eyes that should signe them And when they are vpon the wing for heauen men tye lead to their feet and when they are laying hand fast vpon Abrahams bosome they must pull their hand out of his bosome againe to obey importunities of men and signe their papers so vnderminable is the loue of this World which determines euery minute GOD as hee is three persons hath three Kingdomes There is Regnum potentiae The Kingdome of power and this wee attribute to the Father it is power and prouidence There is Regnum gloriae the Kingdome of glorie this we attribute to the Sonn and to his purchase for he is the King that shall say Mat. 25.34 Come ye blossed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World And then betweene these three is Regnum Gratiae The Kingdome of Grace and this weattribute to the Holy Ghost he takes them whom the king of power Almighty God hath rescued from the Gentiles and as the king of grace Hee giues them the knowledge of the misterie of the Kingdome of GOD Mat. 4.11 that is of future glory by sanctifying thē with his grace in his Church The two first kingdomes are in this world but yet neither of them are of this world because both they referre to the kingdome of glory The kingdome of the Father which is the prouidence of God does but preserue vs The kingdome of the Holy Ghost which is the grace of God does but prepare vs to the kingdome of the Sonne which is the glory of GOD and that 's in heauen And therfore though to good men this world be the way to that kingdome yet this kingdome is not of this world sayes Chist himselfe Though the Apostles themselues Iohn 18.36 as good a Schoole as they were bred in could neuer take out that lesson yet that lesson Christ giues and repeates to all you seeke a Temporall kingdome But sayes the Text stop there A kingdome you must not haue Beloued in him whose kingdome and Gospell you seeke to aduance in this Plantation our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus if you seeke to establish a temporall kingdome there you are not rectified if you seeke to bee kings in either acceptation of the word To be a King signifies Libertie and indepency and Supremacie to bee vnder no man and to be a King signifies Abundance and Omnisufficiencie to neede no man If those that gouerne there would establish such a gouernment as should not depend vpon this or if those that goe thither propose to themselues an exemption from Lawes to liue at their libertie this is to be Kings to deuest Allegeance to bee vnder no man and if those that aduenture thither propose to themselues present benefit and profit a sodaine way to bee rich and an aboundance of all desirable commodities from thence this is to be sufficient of themselues and to neede no man and to bee vnder no man and to neede no man are the two acceptations of being Kings Whom liberty drawes to goe or present profit drawes to aduenture are not yet in the right way O if you could once bring a Catechisme to bee as good ware amongst them as a Bugle as a knife as a hatchet O if you would bee as ready to hearken at the returne of a ship how many Indians were conuerted to Christ Iesus as what trees or druggs or Dyes that Ship had brought then you were in your right way and not till then Libertie and Abundance are Characters of kingdomes and a kingdome is excluded in the Text The Apostles were not to looke for it in their employment nor you in this your Plantation At least CHRIST expresses himselfe thus farre in this answer that if he would giue them a kingdome Non adhue hee would not giue it them yet They aske him Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome and hee answers It is not for you to know the times whatsoeuer God will doe Man must not appoint him his time The Apostles thought of a kingdome presently after Christs departure the comming of the Holy Ghost who lead them into all truthes soone deliuered them of that error Other men in fauour of the Iewes interpreting all the prophesies which are of a Spirituall Kingdome the kingdome of the Gospell into which the Iewes shall be admitted in a literall sense haue thought that the Iewes shall haue not onely a temporall kingdome in the same place in Ierusalem againe but because they finde that kingdome which is promised that is the kingdome of the Gospell to bee expressed in large phrases and in an abundant manner applying all that largenesse to a temporall kingdome they thinke that the Iewes shall haue such a kingdome as shall swallow and annihilate all other kingdomes and bee the sole Empire and Monarchy of the world After this very great men in the Church vpon these words of One thousand yeares after the Resurrection haue immagin'd a Temporall Kingdome of the Saints of God heere vpon Earth Apo. 20. before they entred the ioyes of Heauen and Saint Augustine himselfe De Ciuit. Dei 20.7 had at first some declinations towards that opinion though he dispute powerfully against it after That there should bee Sabatismus in terris that as the world was to last Sixe thousand yeares in troubles there should be a Seuenth thousand
A SERMON VPON THE EIGHTH VERSE OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES Preached To the Honourable Company of the VIRGINIAN PLANTATION 13. Nouemb. 1622. BY IOHN DONNE Deane of Saint Pauls LONDON LONDON Printed for Thomas Iones 1624. TO THE HONOVRABLE COMPANIE OF THE VIRGINIAN PLANTATION BY your Fauours I had some place amongst you before but now I am an Aduenturer if not to VIRGINIA yet for VIRGINIA for euery man that Prints Aduentures For the Preaching of this Sermon I was but vnder your Inuitation my Time was mine owne and my Meditations mine owne and I had beene excusable towards you if I had turned that Time and those Meditations to GODS Seruice in any other place But for the Printing of this Sermon I am not onely vnder your Inuitation but vnder your Commandement for after it was preached it was not mine but yours And therefore if I gaue it at first I doe but restore it now The first was an act of Loue this of Iustice both which Vertues Almightie God euermore promoue and exalt in all your proceedings AMEN Your humble Seruant in Christ Iesus IOHN DONNE ACTS 1.8 But yee shall receiue power after that the HOLY GHOST is come vpon you and yee shall be witnesses vnto mee both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost part of the Earth THERE are reckoned in this Booke Two and Twentie Sermons of the Apostles and yet the Book is not called the Preaching but the Practise not the Words but the Acts of the Apostles and the Acts of the Apostles were to conuey that name of Christ Iesus and to propagate his Gospell ouer all the world Beloued you are Actors vpon the same Stage too the vttermost part of the Earth are your Scene Act ouer the Acts of the Apostles bee you a Light to the Gentiles that sit in darkenesse bee you content to carrie him ouer these Seas who dryed vp one Red Sea for his first people and hath powred out another Red Sea his owne Bloud for them and vs. When man was fallen God cloathed him made him a Leather Garment there God descended to one Occupation when the time of mans Redemption was come then God as it were to house him became a Carpenters Sonne there God descended to another Occupation Naturally without doubt man would haue beene his owne Taylor and his owne Carpenter something in these two kinds man would haue done of himselfe though hee had had no patterne from God but in preseruing man who was fallen to this redemption by which he was to be raisd in preseruing man from perishing in the Flood God descended to a third occupation to be his Shipwright to giue him the modell of a Ship an Arke and so to be the author of that which man himselfe in likelihood would neuer haue thought of a means to passe from Nation to Nation Now as GOD taught vs to make cloathes not onely to cloath our selues but to cloath him in his poore and naked members heere as God taught vs to build houses not to house our selues but to house him in erecting Churches to his glory So God taught vs to make Ships not to transport our selues but to transport him That when wee haue receiued power after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon vs we might be witnesses vnto him both in Ierusalem and in all Iudaea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth As I speake now principally to them who are concernd in this Plantation of Virginia yet there may be diuers in this Congregation who though they haue no interest in this Plantation yet they may haue benefit and edification by that which they heare me say so Christ spoke the words of this Text principally to the Apostles who were present and questioned him at his Ascention but they are in their iust extention and due accomodation appliable to our present occation of meeting heere As Christ himselfe is Alpha and Omega so first as that hee is last too so these wordes which he spoke in the East belong to vs who are to glorifie him in the West That we hauing receiued power after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon vs might be witnesses vnto him both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth The first word of the Text is the Cardinall word the word the hinge vpon which the whole Text turnes The first word But is the But that all the rest shoots at First it is an exclusiue word something the Apostles had required which might not bee had not that And it is an inclusiue word somthing Christ was pleasd to affoord to the Apostles which they thought not of not that not that which you beat vpon But but yet something else something better then that you shall haue That which this but excludes is that which the Apostles expresse in the Verse immediatly before the Text a Temporall Kingdome Wilt thou restore againe the kingdome of Israel No not a temporall Kingdome let not the riches and commodities of this world be in your contemplation in your aduentures Or because they aske more Wilt thou now restore that not yet If I will giue you riches and commoditles of this world yet if I doe it not at first if I doe it not yet be not you discouraged you shall not haue that that is not Gods first intention and though that be in Gods intention to giue it you hereafter you shall not haue it yet that 's the exclusiue part But there enters the inclusiue You shall receiue power after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon you and you shall bee witnesses vnto mee both in Ierusalem and in all Iudaea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth In which second part we shall passe by these steps Superueniet Spiritus The holy Ghost shall come vpon you The Spirit shall witnesse to your Spirit and rectifie your Conscience And then by that you shall receiue power A new power besides the power you haue from the State and that power shall enable you to be witnesses of Christ that is to make his doctrine the more credible by your testimony when you conforme your selues to him and doe as hee did and this witnesse you shall beare this conformity you shall declare first in Ierusalem in this Citie And in Iudaea in all the parts of the Kingdome and in Samaria euen amongst them who are departed from the true worship of God the Papists and to the vttermost part of the Earth to those poore Soules to whom you are continually sending Summarily If from the Holy Ghost you haue a good testimony in your owne Conscience you shall be witnesses for Christ that is as he did you shall giue satisfaction to all to the Citie to the Countrey to the Calumniating Aduersary and the naturals of the place to whom you shall present both Spirituall and Temporall benefit to And so you haue
in such ioyes as this world could giue And some others who haue auoided both the Temporall kingdome imagin'd by the Apostles presently after the Ascention And the Emperiall kingdome of the Iewes before the Resurrection And the Carnall kingdome of the Chiliasts the Millenarians after the Resurrection though they speake of no kingdome but the true kingdome the kingdome of glory yet they erre as much in assigning a certaine time when that kingdome shall beginne when the ende of this world when the Resurrection when the Iudgement shall be Non est vestrum nosse tempora sayes Christ to his Apostles then and lest it might be thought that they might know these things when the Holy Ghost came vpon them Christ denies that he himselfe knew that as Man and as Man Christ knew more then euer the Apostles knew Whatsoeuer therefore Christ intended to his Apostles heere hee would not giue it presently non adhuc hee would not binde himselfe to a certaine time Non est vestrum nosse tempora It belongs not to vs to know Gods times Beloued vse godly means and giue God his leisure You cannot beget a Sonne and tell the Mother I will haue this Sonne born within fiue Moneths nor when he is borne say you will haue him past daunger of Wardship within fiue yeares You cannot sowe your Corne to day and say it shall bee aboue ground to morrow and in my Barne next weeke How soone the best Husbandman sow'd the best Seede in the best ground GOD cast the promise of a Messias as the seede of all in Paradise In Semine Mulieris The Seede of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head and yet this Plant was Foure thousand yeares after before it appeared this Messias Foure thousand yeares before he came GOD shew'd the ground where that should grow Two thousand yeares after the Promise in Abrahams Family In semine tuo In thy Seed all Nations shall be blessed God hedg'd in this Ground almost One thousand yeares after that In Micheas time Et tu Bethlem Thou Bethlem shalt bee the place and God watered that and weeded that refreshed that dry expectation with a Succession of Prophets and yet it was so long before this expectation of Nations this Messias came So GOD promised the Iewes a Kingdome in Iacobs Prophecie to Iuda Gen. 49. That the Scepter should not depart from his Tribe In Two hundred yeares more he saies no more of it Deut. 17.14 then he ordaines some institutions for their King when they should haue one And then it was Foure hundred yeares after that before they had a King GOD meant from the first houre to people the whole earth and God could haue made men of clay as fast as they made Brickes of Clay in Egypt but he began vpon two and when they had beene multiplying and replenishing the Earth One thousand sixe hundred yeares the Flood washed all that away and GOD was almost to begin againe vpon eight persons and they haue seru'd to people Earth and Heauen too Bee not you discouraged if the Promises which you haue made to your selues or to others be not so soone discharg'd though you see not your money though you see not your men though a Flood a Flood of Bloud haue broken in vpon them be not discouraged Great Creatures lye long in the Wombe Lyons are litterd perfit but Beare-whelpes lick'd vnto their shape actions which Kings vndertake are cast in a mould they haue their perfection quickly actions of priuate men and priuate Purses require more hammering and more filing to their perfection Onely let your principall end be the propagation of the glorious Gospell and though there bee an Exclusiue in the Text GOD does not promise you a Kingdome Ease and Abundance in all things and that which hee does intend to you he does not promise presently yet there is an Inclusiue too not that But but something equiuolent at least But yee shall receiue power after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon you and yee shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudaea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth 2. Part. NOw our Sauiour Christ does not say to these men since you are so importunate you shall haue no Kingdome now nor neuer t is not yet But Sed. hee does not say you shall haue no Kingdome nor any thing else t is not that But the importunitie of beggers sometimes drawes vs to such a froward answer For this importunitie I will neuer giue you any thing Our patterne was not so froward hee gaue them not that but as good as that Samuel was sent to super-induct a King vpon Saul 1. Sam. 16. to annoint a new King Hee thought his Commission had been determined in Eliab Surely this is the Lords Annointed But the Lord said not hee nor the next Aminadab nor the next Shammah nor none of the next seuen But but yet there is one in the field keeping sheepe annoint him Dauid is hee Saint Paul prayed earnestly and frequently to be discharged of that Stimulas Carnis God sayes no not that but Gratia mea sufficit Thou shalt haue grace to ouercome the tentation though the tentation remaine God sayes to you No Kingdome not Ease not Abundance nay nothing at all yet the Plantation shall not discharge the Charges not defray it selfe yet but yet alreadie now at first it shall conduce to great vses It shall redeeme many a wretch from the Lawes of death from the hands of the Executioner vpon whom perchance a small fault or perchance a first fault or perchance a fault heartily and sincerely repented perchance no fault but mallice had otherwise cast a present and ignominious death It shall sweepe your streetes and wash your doores from idle persons and the children of idle persons and imploy them and truely if the whole Countrey were but such a Bridewell to force idle persons to work it had a good vse But it is alreadie not onely a Spleene to drayne the ill humors of the body but a Liuer to breed good bloud alreadie the imployment breedes Marriners alreadie the place giues Essayes nay Fraights of Marchantable Commodities alreadie it is a marke for the Enuie and for the ambition of our Enemies I speake but of our Doctrinall not Nationall Enemies as they are Papists they are sorrie wee haue this Countrey and surely twentie Lectures in matter of Controuersie doe not so much vexe them as one Ship that goes and strengthens that Plantation Neyther can I recommend it to you by any better Rhetorique then their mallice They would gladly haue it and therefore let vs be glad to hold it Thus then this Text proceedes Spiritus Sanctus and gathers vpon you All that you would haue by this Plantation you shall not haue GOD bindes not himselfe to measures All that you shall haue you haue not yet GOD bindes not himselfe to times but something you shall haue nay you haue
Magicall illusions Miracles as they do to make a miraculous drawing of a Tooth a miraculous cutting of a Corne or as Iustus Baronius sayes when he was conuerted to them that he was miraculously cur'd of the Cholique by stooping to kisse the Popes foot If wee would pile vp Miracles so fast as Pope Iohn 22. did in the Canonization of Aquinas Tot Miracula confecit quot determinauit quaestiones hee wrought as many Miracles as he resolu'd Questions wee might find Miracles too In truth their greatest Miracle to me is that they find men to beleeue their Miracles If they rely vpon Miracles they imply a cōfession that they induce new Doctrines that that is old receiu'd needs no Miracles If they require Miracles because though that be ancient Doctrine it is newly brought into those parts wee haue the confession of their Iesuit Acosta that they doe no Miracle in those Indies he assignes very good reasons why they are not necessary nor to be expected there But yet beare witnesse to these Samaritans in the other point labour to giue them satisfaction in the other point of their charge What Heathens you haue conuerted to the Faith which is that which is intended in the next which is the last branch You are to be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudaea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth Literally Fines terrae the Apostles were to be such Witnesses for Christ were they so did the Apostles in person preach the Gospel ouer all the World I know that it is not hard to multiply places of the Fathers in confirmation of that opinion that the Apostles did actually and personally preach the Gospell in all Nations Math. 24.14 in their life Christ saies The Gospell of the Kingdome shall be preached in all the World and there he tels the Apostles that they shall see something done after that Therefore they shall liue to it So hee saies to them Marke 13.9 You shall be brought before Rulers and Kings for my sake but the Gospell must first be published among all Nations In one Euangelist there is the Commission Luke 24.47 Preach in my name to all Nations And in another the Execution of this Commission Marke 16.20 And they went and preached euery where And after the Apostle certifies and returnes the execution of this Commission Col. 1.5 The Gospell is come and bringeth forth fruit to all the world and vpon those and such places haue some of the Fathers beene pleased to ground their literall exposition of an actuall and personall preaching of the Apostles ouer all the world But had they dream'd of this world which hath beene discouer'd since into which we dispute with perplexitie and intricacy enough how any men came at first or how any beasts especially such beasts as men were not likely to carry they would neuer haue doubted to haue admitted a Figure in that Luke 1.1 The Gospell was preached to all the world for when Augustus his Decree went out That all the World should bee taxed the Decree and the Taxe went not certainly into the West Indies when Saint Paul sayes Rom 1.8.16.19 That their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole World and that their obedience was come abroad vnto all men surely the West Indies had not heard of the faith and the obedience of the Romanes But as in Moses time they called the Mediterranean Sea the great Sea because it was the greatest that those men had then seene so in the Apostles time they call'd that all the World which was knowne and traded in then and in all that they preach'd the Gospell So that as Christ when hee said to the Apostles Mar. vlt. vlt. I am with you vnto the end of the World could not intend that of them in person because they did not last to the end of the World but in a succession of Apostolike men so when he sayes the Apostles should preach him to all the World it is of the Succession too Those of our profession that goe you that send them who goe doe all an Apostolicall Function What Action soeuer hath in the first intention thereof a purpose to propagate the Gospell of Christ Iesus that is an Apostolicall Action Before the end of the World come before this Mortalitie shall put on Immortalitie Rom. 8. before the Creature shall be deliuered of the Bondage of Corruption vnder which it groanes before the Martyrs vnder the Altar shall be silenc'd before all things shall be subdued to Christ his Kingdome perfited and the last Enemie Death destroyed the Gospell must be preached to those men to whom ye send to all men Further and hasten you this blessed this ioyfull this glorious consummation of all and happie re-vnion of all Bodies to their Soules by preaching the Gospell to those men Preach to them Doctrinally preach to them Practically enamore them with your Iustice and as farre as may consist with your securitie your Ciuilitie but inflame them with your Godlinesse and your Religion Bring them to loue and reuerence the name of that King that sends men to teach them the wayes of Ciuilitie in this World but to feare and adore the Name of that King of Kings that sends men to teach them the wayes of Religion for the next World Those amōgst you that are old now shall passe out of this World with this great comfort that you contributed to the beginning of that Common Wealth and of that Church though they liue not to see the growth thereof to perfection Apollo watred 1. Cor. 3.6 but Paul planted he that begun the worke was the greater man And you that are young now may liue to see the Enemy as much impeached by that place and your friends yea Children aswell accommodated in that place as any other You shall haue made this Iland which is but as the Suburbs of the old world a Bridge a Gallery to the new to ioyne all to that world that shall neuer grow old the Kingdome of Heauen You shall adde persons to this Kingdome and to the Kingdome of Heauen and adde names to the Bookes of our Chronicles and to the Booke of Life To end all as the Orators which declaimed in the presence of the Roman Emperors in their Panegyriques tooke that way to make those Emperours see what they were bound to doe to say in those publique Orations that those Emperors had done so for that increased the loue of the Subiect to the Prince to be so told that he had done those great things and then it conuayd a Counsell into the Prince to doe them after As their way was to procure things to be done by saying they were done so beloued I haue taken a contrary way for when I by way of exhortation all this while haue seemed to tell you what should be done by you I haue indeed but told the Congregation what hath beene done already neither doe I speake to moue a wheele that stood still but to keepe the wheele in due motion nor perswade you to begin but to continue a good worke nor propose forreigne but your owne Examples to doe still as you haue done hitherto For for that that which is especially in my contemplation the conuersion of the people as I haue receiu'd so I can giue this Testimonie That of those persons who haue sent in Moneyes and conceal'd their Names the greatest part almost all haue limitted their Deuotion and Contribution vpon that point the propagation of Religion and the conuersion of the People for the building and beautifying of the House of GOD and for the instruction and education of their young Children Christ Iesus himselfe is yesterday and to day and the same for euer In the aduancing of his Glory be you so too yesterday and to day and the same for euer here and hereafter when Time shall be no more no more yesterday no more to day yet for euer and euer you shall enioy that ioy and that glorie which no ill accident can attayne to diminish or Eclipse it PRAYER WE returne to thee againe O GOD with Prayse and Prayer as for all thy mercies from before Minutes began to this Minute from our Election to this present Beame of Sanctification which thou hast shed vpon vs now and more particularly that thou hast afforded vs that great Dignitie to be this way Witnesses of thy Sonne Christ Iesus and Instruments of his Glorie Looke graciously and looke powerfully vpon this Body which thou hast been now some yeeres in building and compacting together this Plantation Looke graciously vpon the Head of this Body our Soueraigne and blesse him with a good disposition to this Worke and blesse him for that disposition Looke graciously vpon them who are as the Braine of this Body those who by his power counsaile and aduise and assist in the Gouernment thereof blesse them with disposition to Vnitie and Concord and blesse them for that disposition Looke graciously vpon them who are as Eyes of this Body those of the Clergie who haue any interest therein blesse them with a disposition to preach there to pray here to exhort euery where for the aduancement thereof and blesse them for that disposition Blesse them who are the Feet of this Body who goe thither and the Hands of this Bodie who labour there and them who are the Heart of this Body all that are heartily affected and declare actually that heartinesse to this action blesse them all with a cheereful disposition to that and blesse them for that disposition Blesse it so in this Calme that when the Tempest comes it may ride it out safely blesse it so with Friends now that it may stand against Enemies hereafter Prepare thy selfe a glorious Haruest there and giue vs leaue to be thy Labourers That so the number of thy Saints being fulfilled wee may with better assurance ioyne in that Prayer Come Lord Iesus come quickly and so meet all in that Kingdome which the Sonne of GOD hath purchased for vs with the inestimable price of his incorruptible Bloud To which glorious Sonne of GOD c. Amen FINIS