allows and gives warrant to You shall not do whatsoever is good in your own eyes but what I command you In matters of Religion Invention is Superstition As Vincentius alluding to S. Pauls words Tradidi quod accepi quod accepimus non quod excogitavimus As they at Samaria we must learn the manner of the God of the Countrey Moses though wise and holy yet refers the Worship of God to his own choice Exod. x. 26. We know not with what we must serve the Lord till we come thither And all his frame of the Tabernacle must be done according to the pattern shewn in the Mount Id utique Deo dignum quod ipse Deus sibi fatetur acceptum That God is to be worshipped nature tells us but how that is his Choice and Pleasure and matter of Revelation Strange fire was abominable so are invented Services Devotion in respect of forwardness and cheerfulness and frankness asks and offers Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the high God Shall I come before him with Offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousans of Rams or with ten thousands of rivers of Oyl Micah vi 6 7. But Faith and Obedience takes this answer vers 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requires Free-will-offerings for their kind prescribed these will be accepted 3. A third Print of Devotion in this proffer of S. Peter is his care for Christ and these two Saints He thinks not of himself and provision for his own safety and abode he had no thoughts of a Tabernacle to shelter himself Love and Devotion to God and his Church transports the Saints out of themselves makes them even forget their own comforts in respect of God All S. Peter's care and solicitude is for Christ. Love seeketh not her own but the glory of Christ hath the first thoughts and deepest consultations When self-love swayes us then we are all for our selves take care for building our own Tabernacles provide for our own Whereas Tertullian observes Not any that followed Christ that ever questioned how they should live None said Non habeo quo vivam Pietas non respicit vitam multo minus victum 1. It is enough for S. Peter to be In famulatu Christi Attendance upon him is provision enough As Noblemen count themselves more honoured to serve in the Court then to Lord it in their own 2. Faith knows Christ will take care of them Take thou care to provide for Christ Christ will provide for thee Let Obed-Edom prepare a Tabernacle for the Ark the Ark shall bring a blessing upon his Tabernacle As Elias to the Widow Provide for me first venture all thy Meat and Oyl and be sure of a blessing of encrease If Christ have a Tabernacle he will not shut us out of dores As God to David Because thou hast thought to build me a House I will build thee a sure house So much of Peters proffer of furtherance for continuance of Christ and those two Saints with him Now follows III. The Censure that the Scripture passes upon this Motion It was inconsiderate and unadvised He knew not what he said Take of it a double Consideration 1. Consider the Nature and Condition of this sudden inconsiderate Motion whence it ariseth 2. Consider the particular Conviction of this rashness in Peter in the many particularities of his error in making it First Consider the Nature and Condition of this Motion Whence arose this sudden and unadvised and impertinent Motion of Peter's It was from three Principles 1. It arose Ex passione vehementi Peter being ravished and transported with this glorious Appearance of Christ in Majesty is overtaken with a sudden passion of joy and fear too saith S. Mark Observe Excessive Passions transport us sometimes to unadvised unwarrantable thoughts and desires even in matters of Piety and Devotion to Christ. See it in S. Peter Luk. v. 8 9. there he was overtaken with a passion of Fear at the great draught of Fish it stirs up a strange sudden Motion Lord depart from me for I am a sinfull man His Fear abandons Christs Presence and Society Here in this place a passion of Joy puts him upon a vain inconsiderate suit it casts him into a dream and he talks like one in a dream or trance Psal. cxxvi 1. Then were we like men that dream Ioh. xiii 8. Christ offering to wash S. Peters feet he is taken with a sudden passion of preposterous Reverence and Humility Lord thou shalt never wash my feet So again Matth. xvi 22. Christ foretelling his death Peter is overtaken with a preposterous passion of Love breaks out into this inconsiderate Motion Lord be it far from thee this shall not be unto thee So Iames and Iohn Luk. ix 54. Christ being excluded by the Samaritans these two are taken with a sudden passion of Anger and Revenge and make a Motion accordingly Shall we call for fire from heaven and consume them Thus Gods children in rash and violent passions they conceive strange and unwarrantable Desires and Motions We must inspect and so examine our passionate wishes check them as Christ did Zebedee's wives suit You know not what you ask These passionate Motions are not so good 1. Quia minus fundata They have no root or bottom usually As the stony ground had present joy but without root and so withered Warmth of affection may make hasty proffers that will vanish again Deliberations and Resolutions must ground our Devotions As David My heart is fixed One thing have I desired which I will require 2. Quia minus accepta These hasty proffers are not set by or valued by God He judgeth of us by our constant bent in our cold temper Thus he answered the young man who was suddenly taken with a miracle Lord I will follow thee wheresoever thou goest No Christ tells him what he must look for let him sit down and cast the charges As we judge of Rivers not as they swell with fall of waters but as their own proper current runs 3. Quia periculosa They are oft-times preposterous and prejudiciall to us If God should take us at our word it would go ill with us If he should not have washed Peter he should have had no part in Christ. Misericorditer negat and Audit ad utilitatem non ad voluntatem Of our selves in these passions we know not what to ask I said in mine haste This inconsiderate and impertinent Motion 2. It arose out of the ignorance of Understanding and humane Apprehension of heavenly Glory Peter hath here a view and glimpse of it but yet knows not how to judge and esteem of it That spiritual and heavenly Condition it is a meer strange thing to us We apprehend it in our earthy and carnal manner and so talk of it out of gross apprehensions Peter thinks three Tabernacles will well suit with three glorious Bodies The thoughts that we
our Saviours affection and therefore as having received the greatest love he returns the most again to Christ his heart was enflamed with the love of Christ In all his Epistles he breathes nothing but love he stirs up himself and all others to the love of Christ. Now 1. Because all men are ready to profess their love to Christ no man thinks himself to be so ungracious as to be void of the love of God though the Scripture tells us expresly even of generations of men that hate God Exod. xx 5. And our Saviour tells the Jews plainly I know that you have not the love of God in you S. Iohn v. 42. Every wicked man is Gods professed enemy 2. Because Christian Love 't is the chiefest trial the clearest evidence and demonstration of our Faith the kindliest fruit that springs from Faith is Love A true saving Faith is faith working by Love Gal. v. 6. It works by all other Graces 't is Faith working by Justice by Patience by Temperance but especially by Love 3. Our love to Christ being that which he most strictly enquires into he speaks to us as he did to S. Peter Ioh. xxi Simon Peter Lovest thou me And again and again Lovest thou me never gives over till our hearts answer Lord thou knowest that I love thee Our love to God being a matter of so great importance therefore that we be not mistaken in so necessary a duty S. Iohn gives us here a certain description of the love of God by which we may assuredly know that we love our God indeed and in truth This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous So then the words I have read unto you are a sweet description of a good Christian you may know and discern him by a threesold Character 1. How stands he affected to God and Christ What heart bears he to him He is such an one as hath a loving heart to God The love of God is shed abroad into his heart Rom. v. The love of God rules in his heart I am sick of love saith the Spouse in the Canticles protesting the strength of her love to our Saviour 2. What is the action that flows from this affection What is the fruit of our love to God How doth it testifie and manifest it self It shews itself in a religious obedience to what God enjoyns us it will keep his Commandments 3. What is the disposition and inclination which one that loves God finds in himself to the obedience and observation of Gods Commandments My Text tells us he doth it willingly chearfully with delight and alacrity he murmurs not nor repines he groans not under the yoke of obedience he snuffs not at God as they in Malachi and cry out Oh what a weariness it is to serve the Lord No S. Iohn tells us Gods Commandments are not grievous to him Come we to the First Particular What is the affection that a good Christian bears to Christ 'T is Love yes that 's the Christian virtue that 's the Evangelical grace 'T is the main difference 'twixt the Law and the Gospel Timor Amor. The Law 't is the ministration of Fear the Gospel that 's the breeder and begetter of Love The Law begets fear it genders unto bondage but the Gospel breeds love casts out slavish fear The Gospel begets in us the spirit of love and liberty The Scripture makes it the summ of all the substance of Religion Neither circumcision avails any thing as the Jews would have it nor uncircumcision as the converted Gentiles But faith that works by love Gal. v. 6. Indeed 't is the end both of Law and Gospel S. Augustine sets out the several lincks of this chain of Salvation and how they depend one upon another First Lex adducit ad fidem the Law that sends us to Faith then Fides fundit orationem Faith that pours out prayer then Oratio impetrat Spiritum prayer obtains the Spirit then Spiritus diffundit charitatem the Spirit that inspires us with love et Charitas implet Legem and love 't is the fulfilling of the Law Here is the whole frame and fabrick of a Christian. Faith that lays the foundation but love that sets up the wall and lays on the roof brings all to perfection Not that a Christian ought to be free from all kind of fear There is a threefold fear to which we are liable answerable to our threefold state and condition 1. The first I call a state of Subjection in this we were created and in this we stood before our fall 2. The second is a state of Rebellion upon our fall 3. The third is a state of Adoption upon our recovery and reconciliation And these three states have a suitable fear agreeing to them 1. As we were in our primitive original state of Subjection so we owe to God a fear of Loyaltie as good Subjects to their Prince and Soveraign 2. Our state of Rebellion that brought upon us the fear of Slavery But then 3. Our state of Adoption that begets in us a filial and Son-like fear the fear and reverence of a loving child to his dear father The first fear the fear of Loyaltie looks upon God as a Law-giver and so stands in awe of him The second the fear of Slavery looks upon him as an enemy and avenger and so is dismayed with the terrour of him But The third Filial fear considers him as a gracious Father and so is affected with a child-like duty and reverence to him The fear of Subjection must still continue with us The fear of Slaverie while we are in the state of corruption will still haunt us But Filial fear that must grow and increase in us Filial fear 't is the consequent of love They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hos. iii. 5. Loyal fear 't is consistent with love Hunc timorem habet charitas imò non habet nisi charitas Aug. de Filiali timore but servile and slavish fear 't is contrary to love Fear then 't is not wholly excluded from the state of a Christian but yet the grace that the Gospel aims at 't is the grace of love The end of the Commandment especially as the Gospel propounds it is love 1 Tim. i. 5. 'T is the aim of all Gods gracious dealings with us He hath chosen us that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes. i. 4. 'T is the summ of his Covenant which he hath made with us He keeps covenant and mercy with them that love him Deut. vii 9. See the excellency of this Love of God in three particulars 1. This Love of God gives a chief title and denomination to Christians 't is their badge and cognizance Thus Solomon describes an holy man Cant. i. The upright love thee So David describes an holy man Let them that love thy name be joyfull in thee Psal. v. 11. David sues to God for favour and
mercy under this denomination Psal. cxix 122. Look thou upon me and be mercifull unto me as thou usest to do to those that love thy name 'T is this grace that God highly regards in us If any man love God the same is known of God 1 Cor. viii 3. He sets much by such and owns them and highly accounts of them 2. This Love 't is the Title and Assurance of all his promises All his promises are appropriated to them that love him I will shew mercy unto thousands of them that love me 'T is in the Second Commandment 1. Heavenly promises and blessings are passed to us upon this condition He shall receive the crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Iames i. 12. Eye hath not seen neither hath ear heard what God hath provided for them that love him 1 Cor. ii 9. 2. Temporal blessings are assured us with this Proviso Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him Psal. xci 14. See how large a Patent God hath made to such Christians Rom. viii We know that all things shall work together for the good of such as love God Whatsoever befalls them shall turn to their good as on the contrary all shall work to the worst to them that love him not they are doomed by S. Paul with an heavie Curse If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maran-atha accursed for ever 1 Cor. xvi 22. 3. Love 't is the ingratiating quality of all our services 't is that which commends us and our services to Gods acceptation they are then accepted of God when they spring from love 'T is love that is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. xiii 10. Thus Christ shews what kind of obedience he expects at our hands Ioh. xiv If ye love me keep my commandements 'T is the labour of love that he expects and requites Thus S. Paul speaks of his labour in preaching Necessity is laid upon me and wo be to me if I preach not the Gospel for if I do this willingly out of love I have a reward 1 Cor. ix 16 17. Especially God in the Gospel invites us to his service by motives of love draws us to it with the cords of love 'T is not the language of the Gospel If ye will avoid wrath and vengeance escape damnation then perform obedience to me but If ye love me 1. All other motives are base and servile without this willing and loving affection To serve out of fear onely lest we smart for it 't is the drudgery of a slave to serve out of love 't is the duty of a son Si quid boni feceris invitus fit de te magis quà m à te 't is done upon thee rather then by thee thou rather sufferest the doing then doest it thy self No this is the Mark of a child of God his delight is in the Law of God Psal. i. He takes a pleasure and felicity in it Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord he delighteth greatly in his commandments Psal. cxii 2. The service of love is onely accepted because it alone is an ingenuous service and of a right intention He that serves God onely to escape punishment or to gain some reward to himself such a service ariseth onely out of self-love he dares not offend lest he should be miserable But he that serves God out of love to him such an one aims at God not at himself Were there no Hell to punish him no Heaven to reward him the love of God would work him to all due obedience Indeed as Parisiensis notes He that abstains from sin for fear of punishment onely there is no more retribution due to him then to thieves and pilferers that abstain from theft for fear they should be apprehended and punished And so he that serves God onely for a reward serves not God but himself Illi servit unnsquisque propter quem servit he doth it for his own sake not for God's sake But love seeks not its own but the honour of God to whom it is devoted 3. This service out of love is most acceptable to God because this kind of service is most honourable to God He that serves him for love doth truly perform an honourable service to him Non colitur Deus nisi amando Aug. He onely honours him that doth truly love him Whereas he that serves him for fear onely casts a secret aspersion upon God like the bad servant in the Gospel Luke xix that told his Lord I know thou art an hard man No God is a gracious Soveraign not a cruel Tyrant and so desires to be served as good Subjects serve their King out of love not as Bond-slaves serve an usurping Tyrant out of dread and terrour 4. The service of love is the onely service that God sets much by because that service which arises from love is the onely constant and lasting service Love is long-breath'd and will hold out and persevere whereas fear is a flincher and will soon tire and start aside Thus the dissembling Israelites started aside like a broken bow The Psalmist gives the reason their hearts were not true to him When he slew them then they sought to him and returned but they did but flatter him with their mouth for their hearts were not right with him Psal. lxxviii Extorted obedience is never lasting Metus haud diuturni magister officii But love is full of patience and perseverance thinks no duty we do to God tedious or irksome counts a perpetual service but short we may invert David's words esteems a thousand days in Gods service but as one day as Iacob endured fourteen years hard service for Rachel he bore the melting heat of the day the pinching cold of the night and yet they seemed but a few dayes Because he loved her Genes xxix 20. That 's the first thing considerable The affection of Love We come Secondly To that that is the fruit of this loving Affection the action that flows from it that 's Obedience Herein is love that we keep his commandements that 's the kindly proof of our love Probatio dilectionis est exhibitio operis saith Gregory Doing and obeying is a strong demonstration of our inward and cordial loving him And this sets out the just requisites and qualifications of our love to God It puts four qualifications upon our love 1. It shews our love to God must be Amor operativus it must be an active and operative and working love Indeed love it is seated in the will the fountain of action it rests not in our understanding the knowing faculty 'T is not a meer notion or speculation swimming in the brain but a devout affection rooted in the heart Bare knowledge of God makes us not the better Knowledge saith S. Paul puffs up but 't is love that builds up Bare notion 't is not soliditas but tumor saith S. Aug. like windy meats they swell but
to Him What the Shunamite said to Elisha mankind may truly say to God Did I desire a son of my lord Did we ever think of this means of Salvation No the whole world 1. Either lay in security never minding nor considering our woful condition 2. Or else were up in hostility so far from sending for peace that we were bidding defiance to him practising enmity 3. Or were sunk in despair not daring to think any thought of pardon expecting nothing but destruction and then he graciously thought upon us and sent for our deliverance 6. God Sent his Son Sending it is Actus Demissionis a great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Fathers call Christ's Incarnation an Act of great Vouchsafing of much Condescension For God to Send to us to dispatch messengers begin treaties make offers of reconciliation nay Preces descendere in omnes to beseech us to be reconciled admirable dignation He hath all the advantages of the better against us why should he seek and Send and sue to us for peace and atonement 1. He is Fortior all the Strength is on his side Now Christ tells us Luk. xiv 31. that in case of enmity he who finds himself the weaker should send Embassages and desire conditions of Peace Alas we are infinitely the weaker not able to annoy him or to grapple with him S. Paul gives us this Item Rom. v. 6. When we were yet without strength Christ dyed for us 2. He is Dignior that 's a second advantage on his side far above us in all Honour and Dignity One would think the more mean and inferiour should Send and seek and sue to his better if he have offended him What saith Elizabeth to the Virgin Mary Whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me Luk. i. 43. What stooping is this and condescension that the High and the Holy One should send to us in our base condition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom he makes himself lower than the lowest by this condescension 3. He is Pars laesa that 's a third advantage he hath against us The injury and wrong is done to him the offence is committed by us Reason would that we who had wronged him should come in first and sue to him As Shimei because he had wronged David came first of all his Tribe and Countrey to meet King David and to make his peace with him In our petty wranglings when the Potsheards contend with the Potsheards of the earth we stand upon this He hath wronged me yet God abates this All the right is of his side and yet he Sends to us Whose charity sticks not here we are ready to say He hath wronged me let him seek and sue to me first 4. He is Independens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Self-sufficiency needs not our friendship reconciliation Amongst men we must sometimes put up wrongs and pass by them we may stand in need of those who have now offended us Nec possum tecum vivere nec sine te Superiours may have such use of their inferiours that they must be glad to seek to them The head cannot say to the foot I have no need of thee But God stands not in need of us or of our service Had we all perished in our rebellion he had lost nothing Eliphaz in Iob tells us that Can a man be profitable unto God Is it any gain to him that thou art righteous Iob xxii 2. No had we all perished he had his holy Angels to serve him nay had they all revolted his glory and happiness is included in himself and no wayes depends upon the service of his creatures God gives Abraham an Item of this when he made his Covenant with him I am God All-sufficient walk before me and I will make my Covenant with thee Gen. xvii It was not necessity but mercy to covenant with Abraham Yet see he abates this and all other advantages Though he be the Stronger and needs not fear us though he be the Better and so may despise us though he be wronged by us and so may expect submission from us though he hath not the least need of us and so may neglect and cashier us for ever yet see his wonderful vouchsafing and condescending he Sends and seeks to us We may well break out with David's admiration 2 Sam. vii 19. Is this the manner of man O Lord God Would one man thus deal with another Stoop so low to such treaties and intreaties of reconciliation send and solicite and importune for agreement Nay verily 't is the unmatchable example of God's love to us thus to make after us to Send and to Send his Son to accomplish our peace and reconciliation SEVEN SERMONS PREACHED UPON The History of our Saviours Transfiguration as it is represented by the three Evangelists S. MATTHEW S. MARK S. LUKE THE FIRST SERMON ON S. LUKE ix 28. And it came to pass about an eight dayes after these sayings he took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray c. THis passage of Scripture is a remarkable relation of our Saviours glorious Transfiguration his laying aside his garments of Frailty and Mortality and his assuming to himself his robes of Majesty and Glory As David seeing his son Solomon's Succession questioned and opposed sends him to Mount Gihon commands Zadock and Nathan to annoint and proclaim him King so here Christs Kingdom being opposed he is by Gods appointment established Moses and Elias adore and attend him and a Voyce from heaven declares him Messias The Text sets out Christs Preparation and Entrance into this glorious Manifestation of Himself and the purposed choyce of those remarkable Circumstances in which he was pleased to be Transfigured And as in Coronations and Triumphs of Kings all Occurrences are forelayd and ordered for greater Magnificence so here every particular is cull'd out to advance the glory of this Transfiguration 1. Is the choyce of Time About an eight dayes after these sayings 2. Is the choyce of Attendants Peter Iames Iohn 3. Is the choyce of the Place fit for this great work A mountain 4. Is the choyce of an holy Preparative Action Prayer He went up into a mountain to pray First is the choyce of Time And as in Time there are two things 1. Order 2. Measure 1. The one is Succession 2. The other Duration So here 1. There is Ordâ—… or Successio in these words After these sayings 2. There is Duratio in these words About an eight dayes I. Is Ordo or Successio After these sayings and it reflects back to several remarkable passages going before in his immediate last discourse with his Disciples 1. Is Post Petri confessionem after S. Peter's Confession vers 20. Thou art the Christ of God After this Confession of the Disciple's Faith then he was Transfigured It carries with it a double Intendment 1. Of Confirmation of their Faith 2. Of Reward
yet over-powers him not Wrestling is where there is a mutual strength of resistance Had he layd his whole strength upon him he could not have subsisted 2. Suitable to the measure of their corruption that must be eaten out and as soon as they are humbled and brought to a right temper then he relieves them David had an heavy message dispatch'd to him Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. I will raise up evil against thee vers 11. As soon as he was throughly wrought upon then presently comes a message of comfort vers 13. The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye So Hezekiah Isaiah told him from God he must dye Isa. xxxviii 1. but as soon as he was humbled e're the Prophet gat out of the Court he was remanded back with tidings of recovery Iosiah as soon as his heart melted Hâ—…ldah must comfort him Saul when he was sufficiently wrought upon by these fears Ananias was dispatch'd to him Brother Saul receive thy sight Acts ix It is otherwise with the wicked fears and anguishes come upon them in extremity As it was with King Saul God forsook him he had fightings within and terrors without he had no answer by Prophets or Ephod but he must sink under these fears So Balthazar so Iudas finds no relief but is swallowed up of these horrors The reason is 1. God deals with them as with an enemy in hatred but with his own in love 2. Their sorrows are as poyson to destroy them No matter how much they have of them The Saints fears are as a soveraign medicine temper'd by Gods own hand order'd to work health in them When the Cure is wrought the Plaister falls off 4. He brings them seasonably out of these distresses because in them they are unfit and unable for any service Moderate fears and sorrows often whet our devotion but excessive anguish dulls our spirits As the Israelites heeded not what Moses said for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage Exod. vi 9. Metus hand diuturni officii Magister He would have us Serve him without fear all the dayes of our lives Luke i. 74 75. Application 1. It must teach us to become such to whom God uses to moderate and mitigate these fears Wouldst thou not have them come upon thee as an armed man Then be of the number of those whom he thus compassionately cares for It is his promise to his Church They shall dwell safely and none shall make them afraid Ezek. xxxiv 28. To a wicked man God saith What hast thou to do with comfort I will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh Prov. i. 26. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Rom. ii 9. Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon them Isa. xxiv 17. But they that trust in the Lord shall not fear any evil tidings Behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howl for vexation of spirit Isa. lxv 15 16. Being so 2. It should refresh us in all perplexities We should say with David At what time I am afraid I will trust in thee Sorrow may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning See the divers carriage of God to wicked men and to his own children Matth. xxviii At the glory of Christs Resurrection and the Angels Appearance the Souldiers were afraid and the holy Women were afraid But the fear of the Souldiers overwhelmed them and so the Angel left them to shift as they could there was not any word of comfort spoken to them But the good women though much perplexed yet had a word of comfort Be not ye afraid vers 45. I know whom ye seek S. Paul was in distresses but not forsaken Daniel when he was struck with fears then was it said to him O man greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong yea be strong Dan. x. 19. That 's the second observable Consideration Thirdly Here is observable the Person who relieves and comforts them it is Iesus The glorious voyce of the Father affrights them the gracious voyce of Christ that refreshes them Observe It is Christ alone who can raise and comfort those whom the terrors of the Almighty hath cast down and dejected 'T is Christs peculiar work and function to release us from the horrors of conscience and amazements of soul. 1. He hath merited it at Gods hand to have this office to succour and relieve us Purposely he was made acquainted with fears that so he might merit comfort for us in our fears His Spirit wrestled with the terrors of God His soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death Matth. xxvi 38. I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted saith the Psalmist in the Person of Christ Psal. lxxxviii 15. Those horrors and that dread into which his soul was brought merited for us a merciful supply of comfort in our distresses 2. He was sent of God the Father to preach and bring comfort against our fears Isa. lxi 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives He came preaching peace Moses he preach'd terror Christ he preaches comfort Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God Isa. xl 1. 3. God hath fitted him with tenderness of compassion he hath put into him bowels of pity towards all in perplexity He is touched with a feeling of our infirmities He never look'd upon any that were in sorrow or need or misery but his compassion was stirr'd in him He had compassion on the multitude Matth. xv 32. He had compassion on the two blind men and touched their eyes Matth. xx 34. He was moved with compassion towards the poor Leper and cleansed him Mark i. 41. 4. He hath founded the new Covenant and Gospel which is a state of freedome and comfort The Old Testament was carried with more manifestations of fear A spirit of bondage was upon them But saith the Apostle 2 Tim. i. 7. God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind 5. He gives and bequeaths to us the Spirit of comfort and hath given him this office to be a Comforter to us He is call'd The Comforter not the enlightner or sanctifier though these be his works but the Comforter It should teach us to have recourse to Christ in all our fears and perplexities as the Apostles Master carest thou not that we perish In all distresses make known thy sorrows to him His peace shall rule your hearts He is like the wood that sweetned the bitter waters of Marah That 's a third observable Consideration Fourthly Here is yet one more and that is the manner of Christs
of Contrition observe two things 1. Actum 2. Objectum 1. The Act expressed in this word Rent 2. The Object that is specified 1. Affirmative what we must rent that 's the heart 2. Negative what we must not rent Not your garments And this latter object may be resolved into a double sense 1. If we conceive it as Objectum solitarium as divided and sever'd from the renting of the heart So it is Sensus purè negativus a flat negative Rent not your garments Or 2. As Objectum conjunctum Joyn renting of the heart and garments together So it is Sensus comparativus Rent your hearts rather then your garments That 's the first the Exhortation to Contrition 2. The Exhortation to Conversion that follows Return to the Lord your God Return and that implies a Motion And therein observe three things 1. Motum ipsum the kind of Motion it is a Returning 2. Terminum Motus that whereunto we must return that is the Lord. 3. Habitudinem mobilis ad terminum that habitude and relation which guides and byasses us unto the term in the words following Your God And it is twofold For 1. As in all natural Motion so in this there is an attraction in the term and place to which the Motion tends that which draws the Mobile towards it as the heaven doth the fire that 's in the last word God 2. An Impulsive in the Mobile that which carries and disposes the thing moved towards it as levity in the fire that 's exprest in this word Your He is Your God That 's the first main Precept the Precept of Repentance The second follows the Motive to Repentance in these words For he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil And in it consider three things as most observable 1. Speciem Motivi 2. Partes Motivi 3. Gradus Motivi 1. The kind and nature of the Motive It is a Motive and Perswasion drawn from one who is gracious merciful slow to anger of great kindness and repents of the ill All of them invitations of love and favour 1. Contents not himself to put us in mind of our duty We must Return unto the Lord our God So requiring Repentance Sub ratione officii as performance of duty 2. Uses no threatnings intermingles no curses So enforcing Repentance Sub ratione periculi for avoydance of danger But 3. Urges mercy and favour Strange saith Tertullian proemio invitat ad salutem So perswading to Repentance Sub ratione spei Thus we see a loving Father receives his returning Prodigal neither strikes him nor threatens him no nor expostulates Where hast thou rioted and wasted thy time and my goods Uses not an harsh word to him but meets him and kisses him and embraces him and receives him with all loving affection That 's the first thing observable the kind of the Motive 2. Take a view of the several parts of this affectionate Motive contents not himself to open some glimpse of hope and possibility of pardon makes not an offer of some one of his gracious and forgiving Attributes but opens the riches and treasures of his mercies conceals not any hint or hold of comfort thinks all little enough Either 1. To make a full expression of love in Him Or 2. A deep impression of hope in Us enlarges the bowels of his compassion sets out the heighth and breadth and length of his Mercy to us summons up all his Attributes of grace and favour Gracious merciful slow to anger of great kindness he repenteth of the evil That 's the second thing observable The number and parts of the Motive 3. Observe the Degrees of the Motive See how they are all set and purposed to prevent and remove all the fears and discouragements that a timorous guilty Conscience can forecast to it self 1. We are here called upon to present our selves unto the Lord to hope for and expect his love and favour Whose heart will not object that he is not worthy of so great a blessing not having the least desert of the least favour True but he is a gracious God shewing his goodness and compassion freely without desert That 's the first degree He is gracious sine merito But 2. We are not only destitute of any good deservings but our lives have been demeritorious sinful offensive deserving the contrary True but he is merciful and compassionate even against desert That 's the second degree He is merciful contra meritum But 3. We daily provoke him by our rebellions grieving his Spirit increasing his wrath by our offences Yet let not this discourage us he is a patient God forbearing his people He is longanimis a God slow to anger That 's the third degree of the Motive But 4. The cry of our sins hath ascended up to Heaven and called loud in the ears of God he is already offended his wrath is kindled his anger incensed yet despair not he is easie to be entreated he is of great kindness That 's the fourth ascent of the Motive But 5. His wrath hath smoak'd out against us his Prophets have threatned and denouneed his judgments the Decree is come out we are all senteneed to destruction Yet let not this deject us yet there is hope of mercy and forgiveness he will reverse his sentence He repenteth of the evil These are the degrees Then 1. Do thy sins discourage thee Let the offer and invitation of his mercy assure thee 2. Doth the number and variety of thy transgressions dishearten thee Consider in the second place the multitudes of his mercies and let them perswade thee But 3. Doth the measure and heinousness of thy rebellions affright thee Let the degrees and plenty of his Compassions comfort thee These are the Motives First Let us begin with the first part of the Text the duty of Contrition unto which we are exhorted And in it 1. The Act of Contrition is to be observed in this word Soindite Rent And the Observation is shortly thus much That the act and practice of Repentance is no less then a Renting A renting and that naturally implies and inâ—…erts three things 1. Duritiem in objecto Stiffness and obduration in the Object to be wrought upon A sinful heart is stiff and obdurate it needs a rending 2. Difficultatem in actu Hardness and difficulty in the act to be exercised Repentance 't is no slight gentle easie performance No 't is grievous and painful 't is no less then a Renting 3. Vim in agente It requires all the strength and might of him that undertakes it Repentance 't is a renting 1. Durities in objecto That 's the first Inference A sinner not mollified and wrought upon by repentance he is naturally hardned he needs a renting S. Paul puts them both together Rom. ii 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hardness and impenitency they are never asunder Observe those measures and degrees of obduration that the Scripture discerns and describes
what we have done afore do the quite contrary It will make us resolve with the Church in Hosea ii 7. I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me than now So again Hos. vi 1. Come let us return unto the Lord. 'T is called a Conversion a full and pregnant word 1. Not a meer Aversion from some sin Repentance 't is not a meer cessation and giving over what we did before and there rest A man that is out of his way recovers not himself by a meer step and stay no he must go back again 2. 'T is not a meer Diversion give over this sinfull course and turn into another I will be no more prodigal but I will fall to some other carnal or sensual practice Here is alia semita sed eadem via a keeping of the same rode still though you change the track But 3. 'T is a full Conversion that brings him to the first point from which he strayed This Ieremie directs Chap. iv 1. If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me It brings a man round about makes him quite another man 3. Repentance will put us to Enquiring That is a buisie word Inquiring and searching diligently S. Peter puts them together I Pet. i. 10. Our Saviour calls it Seeking and asking and knocking 'T is a consulting with others who can direct as Thus the Penitents in the Acts of the Apostles Chap. ii 37. enquired of Peter and Iohn Men and brethren what shall we do help and direct us So the Penitent Jaylor Acts xvi Sirs what must I do to be saved The Prophet Ieremiah shews them this duty Stand in the paths and ask for the old paths where is the good way And Isaiah quickens them to this enquiry Gh. xxi 12. bids them enquire of the Watchmen and what say they If ye will enquire enquire ye that is do it and do it again do it to some purpose 1. Enquire of the Guldes that God hath set up 2. Enquire of those that have strayed and wandered and lost him and now have found him what course took they And 3. It must be early Take the wings of the morning Early begingings may do much Isaiah gives us this Item The Watchman saith The morning comes and also the night if ye will enquire enquire Return come The days are short the morning spends the night hastens Early seekers seldom miss Late beginnings most-what fall short 4. Repentance it will quicken our memories They remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer It will make us re-call to mind all the good ways of God towards us Thus the revolting Church of Israel when she bethinks her self of returning to God she recounts how well it was with her when she kept her self to him Hos. ii 7. So the returning Prodigal Luke xv he remembred the plenty of his fathers house This remembring of Gods gracious dealings with us hath great force in the work of Repentance 1 It will upbraid us of our base unthankfulness Deut. xxxii 6. Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and establisht thee 2. It melts our hearts into remorse and sorrow 〈◊〉 the love of Christ constrains us 3. It encourages and puts heart into our repentance I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High 5. Repentance will cause us to renew our Covenant with God that 's implied in Vers. 37. They were not stedfast in his Covenant That 's the true and principal work of Repentance it makes us enter into new Covenants with God Initial repentance that first enters us into the Covenant with God we engage and bind our selves over by solemn Covenant to become his servants Then our renewed repentance that bewayls the breaches of our first Covenants and binds us to him by new Engagements A sinner is a Covenant-breaker with God and a true penitent makes up those breaches and puts upon himself new bonds of obedience Here is the right method of Repentance Not onely bewail thy particular sin into which thou hast fallen but remember thou hast in thy Baptism entred Covenant with God Mourn for the violations of that recal to mind that great and solemn Engagement Thus when the people of Israel rebelled in the wilderness God commanded them to return to the Red-Sea again They were Baptized in the Red-Sea as S. Paul speaks Now that they had fallen from God God recalls them thither again to bewail the breach of Covenant that there they made with him The remembrance of that Covenant must work us to Repentance Renew that again not in the Ceremony and Sacrament but by thy new purposes and promises of better Obedience In this sense a Christian must be an Hemero-baptist wash himself every day in that holy Laver. We have seen the Several Acts in which their Repentance consisted Now follows the Second thing observable that 's the failings and defects of their repentance that made it unacceptable And they were four 1. It was fore-slowed and untimely 2. It was extorted and enforced 3. It was false and hypocritical 4. It was momentary and inconstant and â—…ickle I. It was untimely a delayed repentance First they sinned vers 10. They kept not his Covenant again vers 17. They sinned yet more still they went on Yet again vers 32. For all this they sinned still whiled off and delay'd and set back their repentance Even this is a malignant circumstance breeds a great flaw and blemish in our repentance the late date it bears Oh! repentance should be a timely a speedy and an early work 1. 'T is presently due as soon as we have sinned So Ratione officii by the law of right Reason a man is bound to be sorry as soon as he hath done evil It is Gods Due and he demands it presently Even in Lending Solomon bids us not put off till to morrow much more in paying thy debts 2. 'T is good repenting betimes Ratione inâ—…erti Do it while thou mayst do it while we have time In the morning sow thy seed Eccles. xi 6. Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Hereafter Repentance may be hid from thine eyes We all pretend our resolutions are to repentance we grant we must repent and resolve to repent before we dye Be it so Be sure thou repent before thou dye and then thou must repent speedily for time to come is a most hazardous uncertainty The Jews have a rule He who vows to do any thing before he dyes he must do it speedily out of hand because he is not certain whether he shall live till to morrow and then his Vow is broken and he must answer for it 3. 'T is good repenting betimes Ratione facilitatis Timely repentance is the most kindly and gentle and easie repentance A wound is best taken when it is green deferr to
Ezek. ix 4. But out of these and the like cases 't is true Gods own people and servants are subject to these common calamities and judgments as well as others Abraham and his family are by famine driven into Egypt Gen. xii So Isaac and his family were driven into the Philistines country Gen. xvvi And Iacob and his family by want were driven into Egypt Thus the People of God in Davids time suffered a famine of three years Eliâ—…s that great Prophet was forced out of the land of Israel into Sarepta by reason of want The Saints have their share and portion in these common calamities upon divers Reasons 1. The differences that God puts 'twixt his own and others are not seen in the administration of these outward things not in making their portion in riches and outward prosperity more full then others As he makes the wicked partakers of temporal blessings his Sun and his Rain doth good to them Matth. v. 45. So his temporal judgments fall upon the righteous as well as upon the unrighteous Communia esse voluit commoda profanis incommoda suis Tertul. Solomon observes it Eccle. ix 1. No man knows love or hatred by all that is before them all things come alike to the righteous and to the wicked The priviledges of Gods People are not temporal but spiritual not exemption from common sufferings but grace and comfort in them that 's the Saints portion Otherwise Religion would not be a matter of faith but sense and men would serve God not for piety but for plenty 2. The Saints are partakers in these common sufferings as being parts and members of those Societies and People who are thus punished A Christian is both filius Seculi and filius Dei He hath that in him which belongs to the present generation as well as that which pertains to the state of regeneration Now the sins of any body or nation may involve all the members in the same Judgment Haec mala nos quoque perstringunt ut vobis inherentes Lot was carried away in the Captivity of Sodom as cohabiting with them As in personal sins the Father's sin doth subject the Son to punishment quia filius pars patris all Achans family was destroyed for Achans sacriledge so in national sins the Saints of God though personally innocent yet because members of a nocent body are liable to undergo the temporal smart of national Judgments 3. The Servants of God are often contributers to the common heap of sin that brings down Judgments Though they be not actours of those gross impieties that call for vengeance yet their sins though of a smaller nature adds to the fewel of Gods indignation Gross impieties are like Pitch or Gunpowder that enrages the fire but even the sins of Gods Servants are combustible matter and do add to the flame Thus not onely Manasses his bloud-shed but even good Hezekiah his vanity and boasting of his riches brought upon the Land the Babylonish Captivity Saint Augustine meditates upon this point piously and gives reasons why good Christians are involved in common calamities 1. Quamvis longè absint à flagitiis non tamen à delictis Sinners they are though not outragious ones and their sins may be are tanto crebriora quanto minora Small sins frequently committed are just provocations 2. They are punish'd here with wicked men saith he Quia non sic vivunt cum impiis ut cum iis vivendum est They suffer with wicked men because living with them they do not teach them and admonish them and reprove them and mourn for them 3. Saints suffer in temporal things because though they do not luxuriously abuse them yet saith he they do too much enjoy them Simul cum impiis flagellantur non quia simul agunt malam vitam sed quia simul amant temporalem vitam non aequaliter sed tamen simul We have seen the Supposition Come we now Secondly to the resolution though all these evils come upon us Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord And here are two prints of Piety in this Speech of the Prophet 1. Is implied in this Particle Although that 's an act of forecast these miseries may befall us 2. Is implied in this Particle Yet that 's an act of preparation against these miseries 1. Quamvis Although that forecasts the misery 2. Tamen Yet that forelays the Remedy Praevidet He foresees sorrows in the first Providet He provides against them in the second 1. He forecasts it that miseries and afflictions may nay will befall us That 's one point of wisdome and print of piety to forecast it in our thoughts Prosperity will not hold always we must look for changes Summer will not last all the year long a Winter will come and with it storms and tempests It was Solomons counsel Eccles. xi 8. If a man live many years and rejoyce in them all yet let him remember the days of durkness for they shall be many It is good to premeditate on evil days to acquaint our selves with the thoughts of poverty and sickness and adversity and mortality It will have a threefold good operation upon thee 1. It will moderate thy care and pursuit after these outward things What shall I toil and vex my self to get that which I cannot hold but must part with all I know not how soon 'T is Solomons advice Prov. xxiii 4. Labour not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they flie away like an Eagle towards heaven Certainly they will do so All the certainty that is in them is that they are uncertain 2. This Forecast it will moderate thy delight in them Wilt thou place thy joy in that which thou canst not enjoy It will make us we shall not apponere cor not set our hearts upon them 3. It will moderate our sorrow in parting with them It is good to look dangers and miseries in the face before-hand Acquaint thy self with them it will take off the horror and dreadfulness of them Unlook'd-for calamities seem dismal to us but foresight breeds acquaintance that when they befall us we shall not be dismayed with them That 's the first he forecasts them 2. As he forecasts them so in this Particle Yet he provides against them And that sets out the holy entertainment which the Prophet will give to this foreseen Calamity 1. Tell an Atheist a Judgment is coming from God he entertains those threatnings with derision Let him hasten his work that we may see it said those mockers in the Prophet Isai. v. 19. 2. Tell a voluptuous man of it that poverty and scarcity is approaching What saith he Let 's then enjoy the world while we may let 's crown our selves with Rose-buds before they be withered Let 's eat and drink for to morrow we shall die 3. Tell a Worldling that want and poverty is a coming what saith he Let
but Cain brought his Offering to the Lord And 2. It was Cultus legitimus such a worship as was prescribed no superstitious worship invented by themselves but taught by Revelation received by Prophetical Instruction such as we see God allowed by after-approbation These brethren were not like Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu they offer no strange fire to God but proceed by rule and direction This way of worship Abel learn'd it from Adam Adam he was taught it of God and taught it his children saith Pererius Inventions of Gods Worship are but Superstitions That God is to be worshipped even Nature teaches us but how he is to be worshipped He alone must direct us As Moses said to Pharaoh Exod. x. 26. We know not with what we must serve the Lord till we come thither and he teach us Indeed the times when Cain and Abel offered were Primitive Times the Form of Religion was not yet degenerate and corrupted Idolatry and the setting up of false Gods and false Worship were not yet crept into the Church It is the dignity of true Religion it hath the Precedency of all before Idolatry and Superstition Idolatry is a post-natus to Religion of an after-birth The Field was first sown with good Seed the envious man came afterwards and sowed his Tares Matth. xiii Idolatry it is a Super-semination Id verum quod prius id falsum adulterinum quod posterius Tertul. True Religion hath the Birth-right pleads Prescription before all false Worships Christ in his Reformation brings the Jews back to that which was first Abinitio non fuit sic checks all Superstitions with this Exception It was not so from the beginning It is our Plea Where was Invocation of Saints and Angels or Worship of Images Did Moses or Abraham or Abel so worship No it was the malice of Satan that sowed these Tares foisted in these Corruptions Purposely God kept Religion untainted in the beginning of the World Though a deluge of other sins brake early into the World Cruelty and Lust and Violent Oppression yet Idolatry was kept out that the very novelty of it might make it suspected 3. A third thing observable in this Worship of Cain and Abel is Unitas Cultus their joynt brotherly consent and unity in their worship of God As they were twins in their birth so as twins they joyn hand in hand to compass Gods Altar We read not of an Altar that Cain erected and another that Abel set up apart for himself but as they were of the same family and natural fraternity so they joyn as Members of the same Church as pertaining to the same Altar The Jews conceive it was all one place where Adam sacrificed and now his Sons and after Noah Though they go too far when they say it was where Abraham sacrificed Isaac and after David sacrificed and where after Solomon built the Temple and erected the Altar Surely Concord in the Worship of God 't is most necessary and comely Without these two Truth and Unity God accepts no service Truth and Peace are the Supports of Religion Thus S. Peter forbidding discord and commending to Christians domestick peace presses this reason for it That your prayers be not hindred 1 Pet. iii. 7. Discord breeds Distraction in holy duties Quarrelling and Contention it is the bane of Devotion See how uncomely was Aaron and Miriam's quarrelling with Moses Num. xii What Disturbance did it breed in the publick affairs of the people of Israel It hindred their Progress into the Land of Canaan and set it back 'T is said the people journied not till Miriam was brought in again and the breach made up again So on the contrary what a gracious promise doth Christ make to Prayers made in the spirit of Unity Matth. xviii 19. If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven These two Brothers here they came in Unity They had one God one Altar one kind of Service by Sacrifice one Time too and no doubt they came in one Affection the grudge grew afterwards See with how many bonds S. Paul labours to continue Christians together in an holy Concord Eph. iv 5. There is one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all one body one spirit one hope of our calling therefore keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Christians must say We are all one mans children Our cognizance is Love and Unity and Concord The quarrels and contentions that did arise amongst Christians 't was a great hinderance to the Conversion of the Gentiles When they could not answer the Christians Arguments then they objected the Contentions of Christians that they could not agree amongst themselves Hoc est Opprobrium Gentium saith S. Augustine Non consentitis The Gentiles cast that in their teeth that there was not Concord and Unity amongst them That 's the third 4. A fourth thing observable in these two brethrens Worship of God it was Cultus cum sumptu They did not put off God with empty shews but they are at charge here in the worship of God they can be content to be at cost in honouring of him according to their state and condition Cain he is an husbandman he brings of the fruit of the ground to honour God with a Sacrifice of Corn. Abel he is a Shepherd he brings his Offering of the Herd and Flock Nature it self teacheth us this Truth If there be a God then sure he must be worshipped and that worship must be maintained though with cost and charges 'T is a spice of Atheism to say as Pharaoh did Go ye your selves and worship God but let your flocks alone as S. Augustine complains of the wealthy men in his time they would be rich at Home but poor at Church they would leave their purses at home that they might not be at charge for any Church-contribution Leave your flocks behind you No saith Moses we must have them with us Of them we must offer a sacrifice to our God This Solomon commands us Honour God with thy substance and the first-fruits of thine encrease Prov. iii. 9. And he learnt it of his father David he chose to be at cost in serving of God 2 Sam. xxiv 24. I will not serve the Lord with that which cost me nothing Thus doing we honour our God ey and we honour our selves and our substance too The Jews knew how to prevail with Christ for the good Centurion He loves our Nation nay he loves our Religion and hath built us a Synagogue As Origen discoursing of the liberal Contribution for the erecting of the Tabernacle Quam gloriosum erit saith he How great an honour is it that it shall be said This mans Gold made the Ark This mans Silver made the Pillars and Sockets for them This mans Wealth furnisht the Tabernacle And it is also an honour to our wealth to be thus employed
and yield to death But Paul is not here barely content to die but longs for that blessed hour judges it best of all to be dissolved and to be with Christ Verse 23. O when shall I appear before the presence of God 2 Cor. v. In this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heaven S. Aug. tells us of Christians of the weaker and more imperfect sort Such saith he desire and long to live but yet are content to die it God see it fit But other more grown and spiritual Christians and such an one was blessed Paul though they be content to live yet they wish and desire and long to die The former have mortem in patientia vitam in desiderio they die patiently but would live willingly the other as S. Paul here they have vitam in patientia mortem in desiderio this life it is the matter of their patience but a blessed death is the matter of their desire That 's the second 3. See here in Saint Paul an higher degree and growth of Piety 1. Having gained this great Confidence and assurance of Heaven And 2. His soul panting and longing for the enjoyment of it yet that he may do God more service and promote the spiritual estate and welfare of his Church he can be content to delay those enjoyments to forbear his salvation to keep out of Heaven to be serviceable to the Church Desiderat requiem sed non recusat laborem He could wish he were at rest but yet for all that he is willing to labour still and to travel in his Ministery And what that was ye may easily guess In those times to be a faithful Preacher of the Gospel was to be no less then a Martyr Well S. Paul hath counted the cost forecast the worst Pains Poverty Persecutions he can endure them all for the love of Christ and for the good of his Church He chooses to suffer all sorts of miseries and afflictions so he may be serviceable to Christ useful to his Church rather then to leave that holy Work undone and to enter into Heaven Saint Augustine makes it a tryal of our love to God if when God should put the offer to our choice Live as ye list satisfie every lust deny your self nothing I will never punish you for it Sed non videbis faciem meaâ—… onely you shall not see my face if we refuse that offer of outward enjoyments that we may be partakers of that blessed Vision 't is a good argument of our love to God Here is a greater tryal of S. Pauls love to Christ Wilt thou presently enjoy me in Heaven or still serve me on Earth Wilt thou for my sake keep out of Heaven Nay more then so undergo Pains suffer Persecutions for my Churches good Yes S. Paul accepts of this employment on Earth and will forbear his preferment in Heaven O Paul great is thy love to Christ and to his Church Thus S. Chrysostom and S. Bernard express this choice of S. Paul As if a poor Woman should stand at the door of some great Palace wherein are all kinds of Pleasures and Delights and being without cold and hungry should be offered her self to come in but to leave her Children without in the cold there to lie in want and misery though she would fain be within yet she refuses that offer chooses to stay still in the cold to tend her Children then to part with them and enter in So Paul here had rather stay out of Heaven then forsake those Babes in Christ whom he had begot to the Gospel Not onely as Moses he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin but rather then to enjoy the happiness of Heaven Nay see the fervency of his love to the people of God Rom. ix 3. He could wish himself Anathema separated and accursed from Christ for ever for his brethrens sake that he might gain them to God not onely forbear Heaven for a season but forgo it for ever that others may gain it 4. This he desires and this he hopes for still to be continued to them for the furtherance of their faith And yet that being liable to uncertainty Saint Paul not knowing how long God would hold him to this work imploy him in this service uncertainty of life that 's one hazard he was in deaths often and then many vexations and distractions intervening in his Apostolical Function the care of all the Churches lying upon him See here a fourth pitch of Piety his great care and solicitude he hath of their well-doing and growing in grace however God disposes of him by life or death yet his desires are that they should do well This would be his main comfort and crown of rejoycing to see being present to hear being absent that they grow in grace and that his labours amongst them might not prove in vain Onely let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel The Words then which I have read unto you are S. Paul's Apostolical and fatherly Charge and Caveat to the Philippians In it observe these three particulars 1. Is the weight and greatness of this Charge the Caveat he gives to them is very ponderous that 's implied in this emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely 2. Is the extent and largeness of that Charge it hath no stint or limitation it reaches to all seasons and occasions 1. His presence and abode with them 2. His absence or being from them Whether I come and see you or else be absent 3. Is the Charge it self and that 's manifold It consists of a threefold Injunction which he lays upon them 1. Is Sancta conversatio an holy and Christian-like conversation Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ. 2. Is Sancta concordia unanimity and concord and the spirit of peace That in all their affairs they should stand in one spirit and in one mind 3. Is Sancta constantia an holy resolution and constancy and courage for the truth striving together for the faith of the Gospel 1. In themselves Holiness 2. Amongst themselves Peace 3. Against the enemies of the Gospel Courage and Resolution First Here is considerable the weight and greatness of this charge which he gives them Onely As if he should say 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he elsewhere speaks 't is the main and chief charge I lay upon you the upshot and summ of all my Exhortations let this saying sink deep into your hearts mind this and remember it above all things that your conversation be Christian-like suitable to the Gospel live in peace and concord contend earnestly for the faith which is committed to you And then the strength and Emphasis of this word
will appear to you in these two expressions 1. Onely 't is Summum votum meum Of all my desires this is the chief of all my prayers and studies and requests this is the main and summ of them all That you live as Christians Observe the true spirit of Paul and such as he was the spiritual good and growth in grace of them that are committed to them is their main desire and care the height of their wishes S. Paul preferred their well-doing before the care and thoughts for himself He had even now spoken of his own life and death but he breaks off that discourse with this more serious exhortation As if he should say Let God dispose of me as he pleaseth that which goes nearest my heart and doth take up my thoughts is that you may prosper and grow in grace and this hath been the temper or rather the zeal of all Gods faithfull Prophets and servants Moses how did his spirit burn in him for his peoples good Blot me out of thy Book onely be gracious unto thy people do not cast them off He had rather God should destroy him then them S. Chrysostom saith That speech of Moses was a greater wonder then all the miracles he wrought in Egypt It was much in David to say Spare these Sheep and let thine hand be upon Me they were Innocents he was the Offender but in Moses his speech the people were the offenders he was most innocent and yet he prays Destroy me but spare them So Samuel though unkindly and ungratefully dealt withall by the people yet God forbid saith he that I should cease praying for you The Prophet Ieremiah was so earnest with God for the Jews that God is fain to forbid his importunity Pray not for this people The Apostle S. Iohn professeth it was his greatest comfort to see his Disciples thrive in grace I have no greater joy then to hear that my children walk in the truth Epist. iii. 4. S. Peter how doth he make it his main care to further the salvation of the people of God 2 Pet. i. 12. I will not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things Vers. 13. As long as I am in this Tabernacle I will stirr you up Nay I will endeavour that after my absence you may remember these things Like another Elias who prepared an Epistle before his departure out of this world to be sent to the King of Iudah who should reign afterwards 2 Chron. xxi 12. It adds to the joys of Gods servants in heaven that their people are proficient in the ways of piety And it seems by the Apostle it abates of their comfort if their people miscarry That they may give an account of you with joy and not with grief Heb. xiii 17. Why so If they have done their duties though the people miscarry yet they shall be rewarded the Physician hath his Fee though the sick man dies True true but yet sorry he is that he could not recover him Above all S. Paul is most abundant in these gracious expressions How earnestly doth he pray for the Churches to whom he writes Ephes. i. 16. I cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers Again Ephes. iii. 14. For you I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Phil. i. 9. I pray that your love may abound more and more Coloss. i. 9. I cease not to pray for you and to desire that you may walk worthy of the Lord 1 Thes. iii. 12. The Lord increase you and make you to abound in love And again Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout Indeed this care for the Church took up Paul's heart and life he forgat all other things in respect of that 1. It was the aim and intendment of all his pains and labours We do all things for your edification 2 Cor. xii 19. 2. It was the summ of all his cares The care of all the Churches lay upon him 2 Cor. xi 3. It was the summ of all his desires Phil. i. 8. God is my record how greatly I long after you in the bowels of Iesus Christ. 4. It was the matter of all his joy Phil. iv 1. My brethren dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown 5. It was the matter of all his sorrow The disorderly conversation of some Christians wrung tears from his eyes I tell you weeping they are enemies to the Cross of Christ Phil. iii. 18. 6. It was the end of all his sufferings I endure all things for the Elects sake that they may obtain salvation with eternal glory 2 Tim. ii 10. 7. It was his very life to him to see them do well Now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord 1 Thes. iii. 8. 8. It was the matter of all his thankfulness What thanks can we render unto God for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before God Vers. 9. That 's the first expression of this Onely 't is Votum Apostoli 2. This Emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely admits of another expression it notes Summum officium populi the greatness of the duty which he charges upon them which is an holy and Gospel-like life and conversation Take it in these three Expressions 1. This duty it is Summè necessarium 't is a duty of the greatest necessity which he doth so earnestly call upon them for Men lay not this load and weight of intreaty upon perfunctory services that are but of slight concernment and more indifferent Thus we find this manner of speech used in the Scripture Be not afraid onely believe Mark v. And again Luke viii Believe onely and he shall be made whole So 1 Cor. vii Let her marry to whom she will onely in the Lord. All these speeches are strict provisoes and shew the duty enjoyned to be of great necessity Such is the duty of the Text. An holy and unblameable conversation 't is not slightly commended to us but strictly enjoyned and upon the most absolute necessity 1. Take it negatively without this duty there is no hopes of heaven Heb. xii 14. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord no salvation without it Then 2. Consider it positively as without it no salvation so upon it salvation is assured 'T is not a Sine quanon onely enough to hinder us from heaven if wanting but it is an effectual condition upon performance of which heaven is assured to us Psal. l. 23. To him that orders his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God 2. As 't is Summè necessarium so this Onely imports another notion it shews the duty of the Text 't is Officium praecipuum 't is the onely One That 's a signification of the greatest excellency As David speaks of the Sword of Goliah There 's none to that such is this duty of an holy conversation As it is of greatest necessity so likewise it
is of greatest excellency 'T is both a fundamental and a finishing grace It lies low in the foundation there is the necessity of it and then it is chief in the head of the building that 's the excellency 'T is both a vital grace and then it is a beautifying and adorning grace It warms the heart and it makes the face to shine The Saints saith David They are the excellent of the earth Psal. xvi S. Augustine saith it of Charity which is one part of holiness Sure that 's a rare grace without which all other graces are nothing and by which all other graces are made of some value This grace 't is the assimilating grace which makes us like unto Christ. In this S. Peter places our conformity to Christ 1 Pet. i. 15. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation This S. Iohn calls a walking as Christ walked 1 Iohn ii 16. Walk as he walked How is that not as he walked on the waters in a miraculous operation but as he walked in the ways of piety in all holy conversation So to assimilate him 3. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Onely carries another Emphasis with it it shews the thing he exhorts to is Summè desideratum the main thing which he desires of them 'T is a form of expressing our chief desires and requests we make it shews what above all is most acceptable to us As David One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will also require Unicus is put in Scripture for Summè dilectus the onely One for the dearly beloved Prov. iv 3. I was my fathers Son tender and onely beloved in the sight of my mother So Cant. vi 9. My Dove she is the onely one of her mother Here then is the main return that S. Paul requires of all his love to them his care for them his labours amongst them that their life be answerable to their holy Calling and Profession S. Paul's pains were great amongst them teaching exhorting warning every man What is the fruit of his labours that he expects from them That they should express the power of his preaching in the piety of their conversation What 's the fruit of the Husband-mans labours his ploughing his tilling manuring sowing but to see a fruitfull harvest the fields crown'd with plenty and the barns full with all manner of store How doth the Prophet Isaiah bewail the loss of this fruit Esai xlix 4. I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought And the Prophet Micah mourns for this want of fruit Chap. vii 1. Wo is me there is no cluster to cat my soul desired the first ripe fruit We have done with the first Particular the weight of this Charge Onely Now follows Secondly the Extent of this Charge the compass that it takes it reaches to all seasons and occasions Whether I come to see you or be absent 't is in his Presence and in his Absence It gives a scantling and dimension to a double Duty 1. Here is the dimension and scantling of S. Pauls care for them He is not onely studious of their good while he is among them but the necessary occasions of his absence are here supplied with an earnest desire to hear well of them Love and the spirit of doing good is full of care and forecast Those whom God hath committed to our charge should alwayes be in our thoughts As S. Paul speaks 2 Cor. vii 3. You are in our hearts to live and to dye with you The High-Priest was to have all the names of the children of Israel engraven on his shoulders and on his brest-plate Exod. xxviii Aaron must bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial and upon his brest-plate 1. Upon his shoulders never to cast off that burthen and 2. Upon his brest-plate that 's the seat of love and affection Thus S. Paul expresses his continual watchfulness over the Colossians chap. ii 5. Though I be absent in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. He had not onely a spirit of Revelation by which he was acquainted with all their affairs but he was present in spirit by his continual thoughts of them and care for them Thus was he alwayes deeply affected with the Care of all the Churches Is he present He labours amongst them Is he absent He prays for them thinks of them writes to them As S. Ambrose saith of Zachary Zacharias cum non potuit loqui scripsit when he could not speak he wrote So doth S. Paul to the Churches His care expressed it self in this way of putting them in remembrance by writing He wrote more Epistles then all the Apostles He seems to satisfie for what he had done against the Churches Before his Conversion he procured and carried letters against them for their Persecution Acts ix 2. Now he is Spiritui Sancto ab Epistolis The great Secretary of heaven the great conveyer of heavenly Epistles to them And as it is in the Ministerial Function so it should be in all our other imployments Love will be thus solicitous both present and absent As Iacob was for his sons being absent he sends to visit them Go I pray see whether it be well with thy brethren and bring me word again See he had a privy Monitor among them that should inform him of all their miscarriages Gen. xxxvii See this care of Iob over his children It may be my sons have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts he presently Sacrifices for them Thus did Iob every day That 's the first dimension of S. Pauls care of them both present and absent 2. Here is the dimension and scantling of the Philippians duty and piety S. Paul puts them in mind of it that not onely in his presence when he is amongst them then they should walk piously and religiously but also when he is absent and remote from them then also he expects to hear of their holy and orderly conversation Gods Church must be like a well-order'd family every one in his proper station and doing his duty though the eye of government be not always upon them How doth God upbraid the failing in this point in the people of Israel Exod. xxxii 7. Moses was out of their sight but forty dayes and presently they fall away 1. How respectlessly do they speak of him As for Moses the man that brought us out of Egypt we wot not what is become of him That 's all they care for him gone he is and fare him well A poor requital for all his pains with them 2. How foulely do they revolt from that Truth which he had taught them Make us new gods to go before us A new Religion presently O what saith God to Moses Go get thee down thy people have turned aside quickly out of the way It was the
they do not fill with any good nourishment Therefore the Apostle places all in love If any man think that he knows any thing he knows nothing yet as he ought to know but if any man loves God the same is known of him 1 Cor. viii 2 3. That 's worth something And as it is doing not knowing onely so it must be Amor operans not loquens tantum not a love that will vanish into a verbal Profession Such there are of whom S. Iohn speaks He that saith he loves God 't is love and lip-labour both of one value 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Thou sayst thou lovest God shew me thy love by thy works of love otherwise God rejects it Isai. xxix 13. This people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart far from me Ye know Dalilahs expostulation with Sampson How canst thou say that thou lovest me and wilt not do this for me that I require No Gods law 't is Objectum practicum 't is the matter not of our knowing or speaking onely but of our doing and practising Religion 't is a practical art serves not to make us the wiser onely but the better also 'T is an holy art of Living well and not of knowing and speaking onely I have lifted up my hands to thy Commandements which I have loved Psal. cxix 48. lifted up his hands not his eyes only saith David and again Verse 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet not to mine eyes onely to gaze and look on it 2. Herein is love that we keep his Commandements It puts another qualification on our love 't is amor reverentialis not a love of equality but a love of subjection and inferiority such a love as the Inferiour bears to his Superiour that hath a power to command him such a love as the Israelites Servant professes to his Master I love my Master and will not leave his service When we hear of loving God we dream of equality and familiarity Oh! God is our friend Christ is our brother we have fellowship with them both and so we think we may carry our selves fellow-like towards them No the Text tells us He is still our Commander and our love we bear to him must be a love joyned with reverence the love of a Son to his Father the love of a Servant to his Master the love of a Subject to his Soveraign lowly and submissive such as is the love of an inferiour to him that is farr above him and superiour to him 3. Herein is love that we keep his Commandements This shews that our love to God must be Amor regulatus a love regulated and restrained to what God commands us The onely matter of religious love and service to God is what he hath required and commanded us to do Id utique Deo dignum quod ipse Deus sibi fatetur acceptum that is onely accepted which God hath prescribed Ye are my friends saith Christ if ye do what I command you Ioh. xv 14. In this case our own inventions are but presumptions and superstitions Hence it is that Love is call'd The Royal Law because God hath appointed in what things we must shew our love to him I told you the love we owe to God 't is not a love of equals but of inferiours and so must be submissive and guided by his will not by our own Indeed for the forwardness and chearfulness of our love so it must be voluntary Nothing is so free as Love Non tantum servire Deo meo debes sed adulari Tertul. But yet for the expressions and performances of it he hath strictly bounded it within the compass of his Commandments Saul thought he had shewed great love in reserving the fat Cattel for Sacrifice But what said Samuel Hath the Lord such pleasure in Sacrifices as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requires at thine hands Offer to him not thine Inventions but his own Prescriptions 4. Herein is love that we keep his Commandements This shews our love to God must be Amor extensus universalis our love to God must be intire and universal of as large extent as all Gods Commandments As before ye heard of a Restriction so here we meet with an Extension Love must be the fulfilling of the Law Rom. xiii We must not be partial in the Law of God as Malachi speaks Quod propter Deum fit aequaliter fit The love of God looks at every Commandment and makes conscience of it Thus David professes the intireness of his obedience I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right The least Commandment carries a divine authority with it A good Christian sues not to God 〈◊〉 Naaman to Elisha for a dispensation In this the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servant this sin I must live in this Commandment 〈◊〉 make bold with What saith S. Iames He that offends in 〈◊〉 is guilty of all Not that the same degree and measure of love and obedience is required in all there is a difference and disproportion There are some Commandements more essential to piety and substantial some but accessory and circumstantial some are the main parts and duties of Religion others but Appurtenances Now where God layes most weight there we must expect most care The love of God 't is called The great Commandment Matth. xxii It must be preferred before the love of any creature But yet the love of God in a due proportion extends it self to every duty it will make us shun every sin 1. The smallest sins This love will keep us not onely from outragious impieties but from smaller transgressions As true love to our friend will with-hold us not onely from doing him a mischief but from doing of him the least displeasure 2. It will make us avoid even secret sins not onely such sins as may dishonour God by a publick scandal but love will not offend the eyes of his Holiness when he sees in secret 3. Love to God will make us avoid our dearest sins most delightful most profitable it will not onely sindg off hairs but cut off our hand That 's the second Particular Proceed we now Thirdly To the last Particular in the Text What is the disposition and inclination that he which loves God finds in himself to Gods Commandments He snuffs not at them as heavy and burthensome impositions accounts not the law of God as an heavy yoke His Commandments are not grievous Indeed in some respects 't is most true Gods Commandments are exceeding heavy There is in them not onely magnum pondus they are weighty and ponderous but they are also magnum onuâ—… heavy and burthensome See the truth of this in three Particulars 1. Take the Law of God at its full height and pitch of perfection so it hath a great difficulty in it yea in a manner an impossibility in it to
all men since Adam Never any but the first Adam in his Innocency could have fulfilled it never any but the second Adam our Lord Iesus did perfectly fulfil it S. Paul tells us of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. viii an impotency nay an impossibility in the Law by reason of sin Indeed when God first gave the Law it was sutable to our strength but sin infeebled us and so the Law proved impossible to us Saint Peter tells us It was a yoke that neither we nor our fathers could bear Act. xv 10. Not onely men in the state of Corruption but the very Saints in the state of Regeneration come short of it Imperfection of grace cannot attain to perfection of obedience The Church of God defended this truth against the Pelagians That the Law of God in the exactness of it no meer man did ever fulfil it There are two Dimensions in the Law 1. The first is maximum quod sic in doing of good how full must that be it must be toto corde with our whole heart 2. The second is minimum quod non in declining from sin how much must that be 't is Non concupisces not so much as to linger or lust after it Consider these two Dimensions and it will make us confess with David I see an end of all perfection but thy law is exceeding large That 's the first 2. Take the Law in the lowest pitch of righteousness yet an unregenerate man cannot obey it He is so far from fulfilling all the Law that he cannot perform the least part of it Some outward Acts a meer natural man may do S. Paul tells us They do by Nature the things written in the Law but look to the spiritual manner of performance so no natural man can obey it in the least and lowest degree of it Every carnal man is reprobate to every good work Tit. i. 10. Love is the fulfilling of the Law Perfect Love fulfills it perfectly imperfect Love doth it imperfectly but without Love there is no performance You may as soon gather Grapes from Thistles as any good work from an unregenerate man Laudo fructum boni operis sed in fide quaero radicem saith S. Augustine If the root be not good which is Faith working by Love the fruit though outwardly specious is inwardly vicious That 's the second 3. Consider the Law in the Evangelical mitigation and abatement of it yet still the Saints of God find difficulty in it A regenerate man is two men That which is spiritual and renew'd in him that readily conforms to the Law of God The spirit is willing saith our Saviour ey but the flesh is weak Nay oftentimes wilful stubborn and resisting A Christian indeed is freed à morte Peccati from the death of sin he hath a new principle of life put into him that disposes him to all holy obedience but yet he is not freed à morbo Peccati from the disease of sin that still hangs upon him and that shrinks away and withdraws it self from this due obedience A Christian hath both Primitias Spiritus the First-fruits of the Spirit they make him Spiritual and withal he hath Reliquias carnis some dregs of flesh in him they make him carnal loth and listless to any holy obedience Thus we see the Law 1. In the highest pitch is impossible to the Saints 2. In the lowest pitch 't is impossible to the unregenerate 3. Even in its moderation 't is difficult to the best in this imperfect state of regeneration But yet 't is most true what the Text affirms Gods Commandments are not grievous His Service is no such hard service as the world accounts it 't is no such toyl and drudgery as carnal men conceive it 'T is a service indeed for why should we be left to a lawless liberty but 't is an ingenuous service Take my yoke upon you saith Christ for my yoke is easie and my burthen is light 'T is Satans policy to stave us off from God with this conceit O he is an hard Master duram servies servitutem farewel comfort and contentment if he be your Master Nay verily Gods servants find no such grievances in this employment which will appear upon these three Considerations 1. In respect of their state and condition 2. In respect of their task and employment 3. In respect of their many encouragements which they meet with in this Service 1. Look upon their state and condition Gods people are not in any base servile condition But 1. They are called unto a state of Liberty and Liberty 't is sweet in it self and sweetens all our employments It matters not so much what we do as upon what terms we do it If as slaves and bondmen that embitters our work and makes it grievous If as free and ingenuous it sweetens our employment And such are all Gods servants You have heard it often His Service is perfect freedome The Law they live under 't is call'd A Law of Liberty Iam. i. 25. Brethren saith S. Paul Gal. v. 13. You are â—…alled unto Liberty Gods servants must be no bond-men The Israelites were not to be slaves for they are my servants saith God Levit. xxv Thus as Solomon made no bond-men of the children of Israel 1 Kings ix 22. but put them into ingenuous services so doth God with his servants 2. As it is a free so it is an honourable Service As we know the greatness of the Master dignifies and ennobles the service that is done unto him 'T is the high Title that the Saints have gloried in that they were Gods servants and belonged to him David gloried more in this that he was Gods servant then that he was Israel's King So Theodosius Behold Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thy hand-maid Psal. cxvi He chose to be A door-keeper in Gods house Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts Psal. lxv 4. 'T is an high dignity to be Gods moenial servant 2. Look upon their task and employment you shall find the Service of God 't is no such wearisome service 1. The work which God enjoyns them 't is possible to them Gods Commandments are made possible to a regenerate man All things are possible to him that believes Mark ix I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. iv 13. Flesh and bloud sees nothing in the Law of God but impossibility like the unbelieving Spies O we cannot conquer the land But Faith and Love like Caleb and Ioshua conceive it may be done and undertake it readily 2. This work is easie I said it even now 3. This work 't is not onely possible and easie but pleasant and delightful A good Christian finds exceeding great pleasure and sweetness in it A just man saith Solomon delights to do justly 't is a joy to him Prov. xxi 15. So a good Christian delights in Piety Thus David
unseasonable Infirmities and to set it in just and due circumstances and then it is a speech of admirable Piety The words are a Suit and request made by the Prophet for his death and dissolution he made request for himself that he might dye In it observe two Particulars 1. The Suit it self O Lord take away my life 2. A double Meditation that works him to this desire and request for death 1. Is a full contentation and present satiety Satis est It is enough 2. Is an apprehension of his natural condition and frailty I am no better then my fathers First for his forwardness to dye and motion he makes for it Conceive it in three Particulars 1. Optat Here is an holy Wish 2. Orat That 's more he makes an holy Supplication 3. Resignat He yields himself up to God in an holy Resignation I. Optat He expresses his willingness he wishes to dye For fuller understanding of this willingness to dye let us consider 1. The Nature of it 2. The Grounds and Occasions of it 3. The Evidences and Strength and Power of it 1. The Nature of it To flesh and bloud it is a strange paradox that death should come within the compass of a Wish whereas Nature and Reason and Religion too all seem to lead us to the preservation and maintenance of our Life and Being 'T is true and yet Elias his case is here allowable and of ordinary use and practice too The Saints of God may and are willing to dye and wish for it but yet with these Caveats 1. Caveat In these wishes for Death they apprehend Death in a limited Consideration 1. In the apprehension of Nature as it is a state and condition of Separation and Destruction so we all shrink at it and flee from it 'T is that impression that God hath planted in us a care to preserve and maintain our Being Death thus apprehended makes David beg respit Psal. xxxix 13. O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more Psal. vi 5. In death there is no remembrance of thee This makes S. Paul sigh and groan We would not be uncloath'd of this garment of our flesh but enter immediately into immortality Nay amongst others even this apprehension made Christ wish escapal and deliverance He fear'd and wish'd and begg'd escapal 2. In the apprehension of Religion as Death comes with a malediction that makes it dreadful Were Death onely a consequent of Nature or a contingency of Fortune or a contrivance of Man some more manly resolutions may willingly undergo it But as it is the stroke of Gods anger and indignation that heads the arrow and dart of Death and as it is attended with that train of evils and curses that follow Death that 's matter of horror To see Death on a pale Horse is dismal Rev. vi 8. but to see Hell following after him that 's dreadful To look into the Grave and see the Worm of Corruption 't is sad but to look lower and to see that never-dying Worm gnawing and consuming that 's unsufferable Thus it is not desirable But then 3. In the apprehension of Faith we find Death altered and changed nay sanctified and sweetned to us made useful and advantageous and so it is acceptable and desirable Death in its own nature is Gods Serjeant and Officer the appearance of such an one to a debtor or malefactor is fearful and they run from him but to a friend or acquaintance he is as a messenger of love and we willingly admit of him This Officer comes to a Christian not to arrest or attach him but lovingly to invite him 'T is made an in-lett into heaven a passage to eternity Oh When shall I come and appear before God! 2. Caveat The Saints desires of Death are alwayes conceiv'd with a limitation of submission to Gods will and appointment In this case S. Bernard gives us a good rule of conformity to Gods will and pleasure He makes a threefold subjection of these desires to God 1. Is Quod certum est Deum nolle execremur nos When Gods negative is clear and express he rejects our desires we must yield and give over As it was with Moses he begg'd often of God to go into Canaan at last God gives his peremptory denial Speak no more to me of this matter and Moses gave over 2. Is Quod certum est Deum velle velimus nos When Gods will is express and absolute then we must absolutely desire it When God did definitively appoint Moses to dye Go up to the Mount and dye Moses yields presently He dyed according to the word of the Lord Deut. xxxiv 5. 3. Is Quod incertum est utrum velit an nolit neque velimus ex toto nequc non velimus neutri parti nimis inhaereamus When his will for Life or Death is hidden and secret then we must bring down our desires from an absolute Petition to an humble and submissive Subordination Thus that good Bishop in S. Bernard tempers his desires and prayers for Death Domine si adhuc populo tuo sum necessarius non recuso laborem fiat voluntas tua desidero requiem non recuso laborem 3. Caveat The Saints desires of Death are limited and stinted with an holy moderation In this case what the School-men resolve of Christs desire of Life we may conclude of the Saints desire of Death it was an act of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was a moderate willingness not a resolute will As S. Paul expresses it 2 Cor. v. 8. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had rather Phil. i. 23. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is better to dye These desires of Death are not so much an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what they purpose and fix upon as an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is pleasing and acceptable As Gerson expresses it they have mortem in desiderio but yet they have vitam in pätientia they desire death but they will with patience endure life Ask Saint Paul what he wishes what is his choice and longing Oh! 't is to die it is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ask him what he wills that 's to abide still as God sees cause You have seen the nature of Elias his willingness to die See now 2. What occasions this willingness in Elias to die Besides those main grounds that work the hearts of Gods children to desire death and to wish it with comfort as 1. That the power and sting of death is vanquish'd and swallowed up in victory 2. That Christ's death hath freed us from the fear of it 3. That death puts a blessed end to all sin and corruption 4. That it opens unto us a blessed entrance into glory Besides these the spirit of Elias is wrought to this willingness and desire of death upon these Occasions 1. Taedio afflictionum Elias his life was beset with many vexations and afflictions