shall not have many words in it but I suppose it will bee full enough to give satisfaction to any knowing man Transilit colles quia invenit tales non quia fecit Hee passes by the hils because hee findes them hils and not because he makes them so for God is not the Author of sinne When we are tempted let no man say that hee is tempted of the Lord for God tempteth no man but wee are tempted of our owne lusts and corruptions I am the Rose of Sharon the Lilly of the vallyes saith our Saviour in the first verse of this Chapter not of the hills no God resisteth the proud and gives grace unto the humble and meeke This was the sinne which cast the once blessed Angells from Heaven and it is this which shall keepe all proud men both from glory hereafter and from grace here It is impossible for grace and pride to lodge together under one roofe If there bee any of us here as indeed we are all of us naturally tainted with this swelling sinne of Pride let us know that so long as wee are hills puft up with high imaginations of our owne worth the holy Ghost will have nothing to doe with us but will passe by us and to be passed by and forsaken of God we know what a terrible thing it is drawing after it no lesse then eternall destruction both of body and soule Si sic enim actum est de Angelo quid de me fiet terrâ cinere saith St. Bernard ille in caelo intumuit ego in sterquilinio For if God dealt so with Angells what wil become of me who am but dust and ashes They sinned and grew proud in heaven but I upon a dunghill and who doth not account pride a more tollerable vice in a rich man then in a begger If hee payd so deare for having his heart lifted up within him who was a great and powerfull Prince under the King of Heaven in that coelestiall Hierarchy if hee was punished after that manner for his pride who was a happy and beautifull creature Quid de me exigendum saith the same Father misero superbo What torments will be exacted from me who am both miserable both wretched and proud too Let this holy meditation therefore of St. Bernards sinke deepe into the heart of every one of us that we may pluck downe our plumes againe and with the holy and lowly Prophet David in the humility of our hearts cry unto the Lord and say Lord what is man that thou shouldst regard him or the Son of man that thou shouldst be so mindfull of him So shall the holy Spirit take pleasure in thee and thy Saviour have delight in the beauty of thy soule For a broken and a contrite heart O Lord wilt thou not despise and so shalt thou be able with a great deale of joy and comfort to repeate these words and say It is the voyce of my welbeloved behold hee comes leaping upon the mountaines and skipping over the hills TVVO SERMONS VPON The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publicane St. Luke 18. who went up into the Temple to Pray Preached at VPPINGHAM upon their Feast day or the day of the Dedication of their CHVRCH * ⎠* St. LVKE 18. VER 9 10 11 12 13 14. 9 He spake also this Parable unto certaine who trusted in themselves that they were just and despised others 10 Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee the other a Publicane 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with him selfe O God I thanke thee that I am not as other men Extortioners unjust adulterous or even as this Publicane 12 I fast twice in the Weeke I give Tithe of all that ever I possesse 13 But the Publicane standing a farre off would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven but smote his brest saying O God be mercifull to me a Sinner 14 I tell yee this man departed to his house justified rather then the other For eâ—try man who â—alteth himselfe shal be brought low and he who humbleth himselfe shal be exalted NOt to disturbe the quiet Ashes of that great Philosopher Plato nor to disparage the learning of him whom his owne Age and all Ages since have admir'd I am constrain'd to tell him though unwillingly because he is not now amongst the living to answer for himselfe that deepe however his reach was and profound his judgement in other things yet his learning failed him mightily in the Computation of his great yeare which he would have to containe some thirty and odde thousands of our vulgar or solar yeares which space of time according to his opinion did not onely terminate all the severall and diverse motions and Aspects of the Planets and fixt Starres but also did set a Period to the affaires of the World For those yeares being expir'd euery thing was to returne unto the former estate it was in at the beginning all things were to become new and to runne round againe as in a ring from whence the yeare takes its name Annus from Annulus the same men were at the same time after the same manner to be borne againe and those men to doe the same things speake the same words at the same time they did before and after the same manner and at the same time to dye The conceit is strange but let him enjoy it peaceably for mee concerning the substance of it not that I subscribe to his opinion but because I can spend my time better then in opposing it Onely for the time of the revolution of this great yeare I must make bold to confute him for by his favour he has ascrib'd too great a length to it Nor will wee travaile farre for this confutation no farther then to the Text. It can not be by the received Computation since CHRIST did take up this Parable any more than 1603 yeares for he was of the Age of thirty before he was baptiz'd and began to preach and at that time there were men living sayes the Text who trusted in themselves that they were â—ust and desposed others For wee finde â—t the very occaâ—on why our Saviour speaks this Parable and what were theâ— Why the Sect of the Pharisees people who cryed Touch me not for I am holier then thou Annus iam revâ—vitur Platomeus Plato's yeare is come about already the sameâ— men who liv'd in Christs time doe live now and these same men doe speake the same words doe the same actions which those men did then For never was the world fuller of Pharisees then it is at this houre Men who trust in themselves that they are just and despise others and therefore according to the rule and Law of that great yeare needs must Christ too in his Priests in the dispensors of his word for he speakes in us againe take up the same Parable against them Two men went up into the Temple to pray c. I will
our voyages set forth from the Temple begin at God as we doe now observing the â—dable custome of our Nation and so indeed we ought to doe especially in assures of such consequence when the lives and estates of men are to be layd in the ballance but also to let us and all those whom there he stiles Gods Know that it is he who is Alpha Deorum the first beginning the Fountaine of the Gods He is the Ocean they but râ—valets deriv'd from it And as it was hee who sayd to them there in the Psalme I have said yee are Gods So it is he who sayes to this Alpha inter Deos minorum Gentium in my text as I may call him to MOSES one of the greatest amongst the deputed Gods I have sayd thou art a God For although we reade that the people saw the face of MOSES to shine here I so gloriously that AARON and the Children of Israell were afraid to come neare him vers 30. Yet if we looke into the next verse going before we shall finde this lustre to be none of his owne like the Starres which every night doe light their Tâ—pers a fresh at the Sunne he did but 〈◊〉 â—ct the beâ—mes he receiv'd from God vers 29 And it came to paste when MOSES came downe from Mount Sinai that the skinne of his face did shine Mount Sinai where hee had beene forty dayes and forty nights with the Lord. It was from thence he had his glory The vulgar Latine Translation reades this place thus Et erat facies Mosi Cornuta and MOSES had hornes upon his face from whence grew that custome amongst some Christians derided by the Iewes to picture MOSES with hornes which errour was occasioned by the vicinity of the wâ— Hebrew words Keren which signifies a horne and Karan to shine Nor yet was this opinion without its favourers for Tostatus approves it Emisit radios sayes he tanquam Cornua ficut radij a Sole derivati Cornu spectem praese ferunt Hee did dart forth beames from his glorified face like hornes as the beames which issue from the Sunne doe seeme forked but I will trouble yee no farther with these controversies nor with Cajetans opposing to this interpretation nor yet with the strange glosses of some ignorant Rabbines who affirme that MOSES face was sayd to be horned because it was so dryed up with fasting those 40. dayes and 40. nights that nothing but skinne was left upon the bones of his Cheekes which did so sticke out Vt acuta velut Cornua viderentur that they showed like hornes As though that omnipotent God who was able to preserve him all this while miraculously without meate or drinke were not able also to keepe his body from decay and dimâ—nution Without all question the genuine meaning of this place is as our Translâ—our renders it MOSES face did shine For the Chalâ— Paraphrast gives it thus The brightnesse of his face was multiplyed and the Septnagâ—nt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his face was glorious and St. PAVL in the 3 to the Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the glory of his countenance or pâ—rson which glory God did bestow upon him for these reasons 1 That it might be a signe of Gods favour towards him and that his prayers for the people were heard 2 That it might be a meanes to increase the reverence of the people towards him 3 That the law might thereby become glorious when the given of it was so glorious 4 That it might signifie that inward illumination shining unto them in the purity of his life and doctrine 5 Vt per hoc significetur Iustitiam legis facie tenâ— solummodo esse gloriosam To show that the Iustice which comes by the Law is onely glorious in the Face 1 Outwardlie but with God it does not seeme so For which last reason I doe confesse I am beholden unto Origen who in his 12. Hom. upon Exod. Nihil in lege gloriosum habet Moses preter sol am faciem MOSES in the law had nothing glorious about him but his Face They are his owne words Vultus est Sermo legis manus opera the face of MOSES saith he is the letter of the law his hand the workes of the law Now because no man living can be justified by the workes of the Law therefore we find MOSES his hand Leprous Exod a Et in Sinum reconditur tanquam nihil perfects operis habitura And therefore as asham'd he hides it in his bosome as an unnecessary member unable to doe any thing that was perfect His feete they had no glory â—o contumeliam potius sayes he nay rather they are branded with shame for he is commanded by the Lord Exod. 3. to put his shooes from off his Feete Put thy shones from off thy Feete for the place thou standest on is holy Ground Et hoc fieret sayes the same Father Non sâ—ne alâ— ujus formae mysterâ— Nor is this without a mâ—tâ—iâ— To begin at the head of man as being the nobler member his foot his novissima pars his last part by which the Prophet Daniel will teach us to interpret longissime futura future things which are the farthest off as in the vision of NABâ—CHADNEZZAR the Head of gold signified the present flourishing Monarchy by the feet of clay were meant novissima longinqua things which were to come last in order So that MOSES being commanded to put his shooes from off his feet was showne that the latter times should come when He 1 the Law should have his shooes pluck'd from off his feet as unwilling nay rather as altogether unable to rayse up seed unto his Brother Deutr. 25. By which Ceremony the Wife of his deceased Kinsman that is the Church in generall or each faithfull Soule in particular who ever since the death of her former husband her originall Righteousnesse which dyed in ADAMS fall had liv'd in Widdow-hood was to bee delivered up unto another which was CHRIST and his merits and his name that is the Law to be callâ— iâ—… Israel Domus discalceat vsque in hoâ—ternum diâ—m the House of him whose shooe was pluckt off for ever But the sweet rellish that â—s in these sacred mysteries his carried meâ— ofâ—tre away I will returne and by Gods assistance and you Christian patience try what wee can find oâ— from hence to make for our preâ—ent occasion without any wresting or violence offâ— to the worâ—s And what should hinder us but wee may finde something For we have first God here who is as I told yee Alpha Decâ—…um the first of the Gods by whom through whom and for whom all the rest of the Gods Kings and Iudges are Secondly we have MOSES the Civill Magistrate Gods Vice-gerent and not MOSES barely but MOSES glorified MOSES with his fare shining MOSES as it were upon the bench and next we have the People looking upon the face of MOSES And to these that yee may reade a true Character of this
in so sad a businesse they borrow mourning garments out of the wardrobe of the Night to wait upon the Hearse For at that very point of Time wherein the Morning the Evening meet together which is Noone did the darknesse begin which continued for three houres following The Noone the height and glory of the day weares blacke at his Funerall Concerning this darknesse wee are to enquire here 1 Of the extent of this darknesse in regard of Place it was over all the Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there was a darknesse over all the Earth 2 The extent of this darkenesse in regard of Time from the sixth untill the ninth houre from our twelve to three 3 Wee are to enquire dâ—asa tenebrarum what was the reason or cause of this darknesse and the physicall or neerest Cause of all will appeare to be the darkning of the Sunne For certainely this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which joynes the two verses together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Sunne was darkened must of necessity be a conjunction causall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So among the Latin Poets Virgill who very frequently did use Graecismes to give ye but one example Audier as fama fuit for quia fama fuit As if St. Luke had said here There was darknesse over all the Earth for the Sunne was darkned Of the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a little difference aâ—iâ— here concerning the extent of place for there want not some who would have this darknesse not to be universall and therefore they underâ—d these words overall the earth thus overall the 〈◊〉 of Iudea but I doe rather encline to the opinion of universality and indeed mee thinks the very letter of the Text is plain enough for it over all the Earth And very fitly doth all the Earth weare blacke when the Lord of all the Earth dies Christ suffered for the whole Earth and great reason that the whole Earth should suffer with him When great men die commonly if they leave noble heires or executors behinde them who will bury them like themselves the whole Family the whole Traine of servants mourne and not onely three or foure who are neerest unto them And can we suppose that our Saviour CHRIST would be so sparing and nigardly at his death to give his Cloth to one Nation onâ— To cloath none but the Land of Israel in mourning Wee see that the Lord is infinite liberall even of his very light and grace his best garments Hee makes his Sunne to shine upon the bad as well as upon the good Surely then hee might have afforded his darknesse his blacks which is a Cloth of a couâ—r price at an easier rate I doe acknowledge that the Jâ—wes after a more especiall manner then any other Nation had deserved this darknesse for they had the light of Gods word which the Heathen wanted the light of the Law and the Prophets nay they indeed of all other Nations might be truely called the people of the East for the Sunne of righteousnesse rose in their Land the Day-spring from on high visited them in the first place but yet for all this as if too much light had made them blinde they could never be at rest untill they had put out the light of Israel and drawen a thicke darknesse upon themselves not onely this darkenesse in the letter but also a darknesse in the Allegory in the morall sense they brought a night upon their hearts consciences and understandings of which that outward darknesse was but an Embleme But if wee take darknesse here in the last sense in the figure for the blinding of the eyes of the understanding then both the opinions may very well stand together This darknesse was over all the whole face of the Earth and this darknesse was onely over the Land of Israel There is not altogether such a flat opposition betwixt these two Propositions as yee may suppose there is I will shew ye that it is possible to reconcile them This darknesse was onely over the land of Iudea i. it â—anne at that time onely to be over that Land but it was then and long before too over the whole earth For of all the multitudes of Kingdomes and Nations there was light onely in the Land of Israel till now They had the light of the true knowledge of God whilst all the rest of the world lay mufled in darknesse and therefore they having put out this light the darknesse may bee said to be onely over them the Text passing by the darkenesse of other places as a thing granted and needing no mention that is the darknesse which was generall over all the eyes of the Heathen doth now begin onely to bee over them too erant tenebrae for incipâ—ebant Alas the Heathen from all Ages were onely guided by the weake glimmering twilight of naturall knowledge and therefore could never find out the right way to the worship of the true God but every one according to his Fancie or worshipped the Gods framed by the Poets or framed a God of his owne They had their cheating Oracles at Delphos Delos and other places where the Devill entring into the Priests and appearing in strange extasies and furious expressions did deliver ambiguous and deceitfull Answers to the people They peeped many times into the entrayles of an Oxe to see if they could finde their God there An old weatherbeaten Oke nor a River nor a Spring nor a Mountaine nor a Wood could scape their blind devotions but every one of these they beleeved had his Deity a God belonging to it Nay the Aegyptians had an easier and a quainter way then all these for the making of their Gods they sowe their Gods of seeds The Onyons and the Leeks were worshipped amongst them but then did the time begin when the light was taken from the Iewes them selves too and they were left in darknesse as well as the Heathen Or rather as when the Sunne sets to the lower Hemispheare to our Antipodes it rises to us the darkning of the Iewes was the enlightning of the Gentiles So that this darknesse which was over all the earth for this 13 houres space may seeme to be to the Gentiles nothing else but a fore-runner of the approaching Morning As we observe many times how it growes darker upon a suddaine for a little space when the morning drawes neere as if the Night seeing no remedy but shee must depart before shee yeelds up her dominion should in indignation call all her strengths together and give a Bravo to the day her enemy which darknesse ushers in the twy-light and that the Sunne For now began the Heathen to have their eyes opened the Paynim Religion began to lose of her repute and credit their lying Oracles ceased and the name of Christ like the glorious light began to spread abroad amongst the Gentiles The learned Plutarch who liv'd in the raigne of the Emperour Trajane observing
not trouble yee with any curious or elaborate division but will strive to be as plaine as I can possible In handling therefore this Parable we will take it naturally as it lyes in the Verses And First We are to show yee what is meant by these two words Pharisee and Publicane Secondly We must consider the actions and gestures of these two men who went up into the Temple to pray the manner how they compos'd themselves in that holy exercise Thirdly The severall formes of the Prayers they made And Fourthly and lastly the censure or judgement which Christ gives upon them The one a Pharisee The Pharisees were a Sect amongst the Iewes for the very word Phares signifies Division or a Sect a sort of people who separated themselves from the prophaner multitude as they cald them highly esteemed amongst the people for theyr strict manner of living professing Continence Virginitie Fasting to keepe the body in subjection the flesh from Rebellion they us'd to sleepe upon boards upon stones or else upon Thornes upon their fore-heads they wore scrooles of Parchments wherein were written the ten Commandements which Schedules were called by them Phylacteryes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a word which signifies to keepe because by the use of them the Law was preserv'd and kept in memorie Nay to speake truly they which the Pharisâ—es wore were rather called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 large Phylacteryes for in a vain-glorious and proud humor they did enlarge their Phylacteryes farre above the ordinary bignesse and therefore our Saviour Math. 23.5 finds fault with them for this very thing Mat. 23.5 All their workes sayes he they doe to be seene of men for they make theyr Phylacteryes broad and make long the fringes of their Garments The Iewes as yee may reade in the 15. of Numb 38.39 were commanded by the Lord to make them fringes upon the borders of their Garments throughout their generations and to put upon the fringes of the borders a Ribband of Blew silke The reason the Lord renders himselfe in the next verse Num. â— And yee shall have the fringes that when yee looke upon them yee may remember the Commandements of the Lord and doe them And againe in the 22. of Deut. 12. Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the foure quarters of thy vesture wherewith thou coverest thy selfe And the reason of this sayes the Talmud was to stirre them up to Prayer which Garment was called Talith a winged Coat our prayers being like the silver wings of a Dove wherewith we flye up to Heaven and therefore the Prophet Elisha who continually is sayd by them to weare this kinde of Garment was called Elisha cum alis ELISHA with wings but these fringes of an ordinary length would not serve the Pharisees No they must have a new-fangled conceit of their owne they must by all meanes seeme holyer then the people and make long the fringes of their Garments They ascribed much to the vertue of the Starres and believed that all things happened by Constellation and yet for all that ascribed Free-will to Man They affirm'd the immortality of the Soul 〈◊〉 contrary to the Sadduces and believed that God should come in Iudgement And of this Sect were Nicodemus and Saint Paul before his Conversion But all this while I have shewed yee their fairest countenances will it please yee to see how our Saviour CHRIST paints them out in their owne proper colours For as hee will not bestow any flattering lines upon them to make the pictures of them seeme lovelyer then the life So without all question he who is truth it selfe will be so just that he will not wrong them a whit in the description they are like to have their due from him and no more Looke into the 23. of Math. and there yee shall have them set out unto yee to the full Math. â— 5 Verse All their workes they doe to be seene of mâ—n they love the chiefe place at Feasts and to have the chiefe seates in the Assemblies they love greetings in the Markets and to bee called of Men Râ—blâ— Rabâ— 14 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Vers 14 Hypocrites for yee devoure widowes houses even under a colour of long Prayers 15. Woe c. For yee compasse Sea and Land to make one of your profession and when he is made yee make him two-fold more the Childe of Hell and your selves 24. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites blinde guides who straine at a Gnat and swallow a Camell 25 Woe c. For yee make cleane the out-side of the Cup and Platter but within they are full of Bribery and excesse 27. Woe c. For yee are like unto whited Tombes which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and all filthinesse Yee have had a plentifull Character of a Pharisee and me thinkes yee seeme to be full of him and begin to loath him But can it be possible that there should be such men living now Yes Plato's yeare has made a speedy returne 't is come about already We have at this houre a Sect of New Pharisees sprung up in every branch of the description answering the old ones nay in many points of Hypocrisie and vaine-glory going beyond them quite But before I goe any farther give me leave to tell you how many kindes of Pharisees there were There were five sorts of Pharisees for as for the Pharisee for love who obeyed the Commandements for the love of vertue and respected especially the commands affirmative who was onely if any the good Pharisee and the Pharisee for feare who was subject to the Law onely in a servile feare of punishment and had a chiefe regard onely to the negative part of the law I doe not count them although the Talmud makes them two distinct kindes 1 The Pharisee Sichemite and this was he whose onely end in turning Pharisee was gaine and hee had his name from Sichem or Sechem the sonne of Haâ—or who defil'd Dinah the daughter of Iacob and after for the love of her suffered himselfe and perswaded all his people to be Circumcized Gen. â—4 The 2d. was Phariseus truncatus the Pharisee without feete and the reason of his name was because when he walked continually he was seene to goe a heavy leaden pâ—ce scarcely lifting up his feete from the ground as if hee had had no feete at all to use And to what end tended this duâ— and earthly behaviour of his thinke yee Onely to increase his â—pute and opinion amongst the people of his Meditation he desir'd to be taken for a Contemplative man and to seeme so carelesse of earthly things that hee would walke forâ—ooth about in the would as if he caâ—'d not whether he walk'd 〈◊〉 â—ll the faculties of his soule and bodie wâ— so puâ— and taken up in heavenly meditations that not 〈◊〉 much as his very feete were at leâ—sure to carâ— him up and downe The third was Phariseus impingens