novi vos discedite I know you not depart from me yee workers of iniquity But never were servants used thus and therefore in this Title the Saints have taken more comfort and have had more confidence then in any other Servus saith our Prophet here I am a servant Here then taken notice we may of our Condition what though many of us are preferred to places of Eminency and to put a lustre on our Glory are Graced with Titles answerable to our place yet for all this 't will not be amisse amidst them all to take this along with us that we are none other then servants likewise yee cannot imagine how this will let out the Apostumated matter of Pride which otherwise may swell and burst us Humane frailty is such that men are apt to be enamoured of their Advancement and if they have bin so happy as to gaine a popular applause this their supposed Happinesse if they have not somewhat to keep them under may proove their ruine and destruction From which fearefull downfall that we may be secure 't will not I say be amisse while we are in the height of our Happinesse to reflect now and then upon this our Condition to which we are subjected Servi sumus we are servants But why this here may some say are there any so ignorant as not to know this who so stupid as not to acknowledge it This is the voice of men of all rankes all men acknowledge themselves servants And your Servant and at your service are the ordinary Parenthesis of our Discourse Nay the whole World is come to that passe that many will not only conclude of themselves that they are Servants but also in a contemptible manner reflect upon others and in a sordid and base way use many and those I may say their betters none otherwise then as Servants and t is well if not worse should I instance in our selves in men of our owne Tribe 't will I feare be to too apparent Many of which though they are such whose Deserts might challenge an awfull respect unto their persons yet in the opinion of many none more contemptible none more despised then they We beloved with such are serve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only Servants yea Hirelings nay what not poore Micajah the parson of the parish if he be fed with the bread of Affliction and with the Water of Affliction 't is enough for him A stoole a Table and a Candlesticke are a Competency As for Reverence and Respect to his person they are Workes of Supererogation and have beene along since banished hence with Popery And indeede thus it hath beene in all Ages The Apostle Saint Paul observed as much in his time 1 Cor. 4.13 Wee are saith hee made the filthinesse of the World and the of-scouring of al things Thus should we descend to this present day and trace the times as Historians have recorded them we should finde even the choycest of Gods Prophets by many accounted no better I am sure for the present none more censured none more neglected none more vilified none more slighted in many places than we of the Clergy be And as for that Title wherewith Almighty Ged hath beene pleased to grace us that same Title of ours I say is not mentioned but in derision every ignorant and prophane wretch hath the name of Priest in his mouth which with a kinde of scumme hee casts into the faces of those who professe this sacred function nay farther such is the impudency of the Age that he now a dayes is accounted a Wit of the times who Libells or envies most against the Fathers of the Church the best of whom are in the account of these men none other than meane servants not as David here acknowledged himselfe but in their owne phrase and meaning an unworthy an undeserving generation which the world could better spare than any other profession whatsoever But to stoppe the mouthes of such prophaners of God his servants and his Ordinances let them but take along with them the Cujus the next thing to be considered and then though servants we be yet not Servants of so small account as they would willingly have us being we are servants onely of our God servus tuns I am thy servant that 's the next A servant yee see this our Prophet was but not every ones 't is servus tuns Indeede in some respects we may be rearmed your Servants as the Angels themselves are But this service of theirs and ours to you is but a branch of that service which wee owe unto our God 2 Cor. 4.5 We preach saith the Apostle not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake so that all the service we doe to you is with reference to our Lord and Master Christ Jesus none otherwise we owe none otherwise we performe Almighty God is our Master and his servants the Saints have onely profest themselves to be David here would adhere to none other none other Master would he acknowledge Tuns I am thine Psal 89. I have found David my Servant saith God with much holy Oyle have I annoynted him There God had chosen David wherefore David as in other places so here to shew what liking he had to his Master professeth himselfe to be his Servant servus tuns I am thy Servant Now this was his reference to God to bee his Servant and indeede not a man living but in a sort may be said to be Gods servant But yet there are some who are servants in a nearer kind as namely those whom he hath set on worke to some choise and notable designement either in the Church thus St. Paul saith of himselfe Rom. 1. That hee was a servant of Christ set apart to the preaching of the Gospell or in the Common-wealth Thus is this our Prophet marked out as I shewed you but now I have found David my servant Now these are not onely Gods Subjects over whom hee rules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by generall command as a King but they are also men of his Houshold whom he governes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by speciall power as a Master so that in this respect David and other the Saints of God whom hee publickly imployes in his services in a speciall manner are tearmed his Servants Hence then we may see both our Dignity and our Duty our Dignity first in that we are admitted to be Gods Servants in such a manner Should any of us bee entertain'd as Servants to our Soveraigne how would wee thinke our selves graced how honoured Why behold beloved He whom we serve is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and one at whose feete all the Princes and mighty ones of the earth must cast their Scepters Why therefore should any of us bee dejected having such a Master certainely if our Consciences can assure us that our God called us to serve at his Altar we cannot but be happy wee cannot but bee honourable What though
CONFORMITY with PIETY requisite in GODS Service Delivered in a Visitation Sermon at Kingston upon Thames September 8. 1638. By William Hardwick Priest and Curate of Reigate in Surry Sint unum Doceant unum fateantur et unum Vnum qui à Christi nomine nomen habent LONDON Printed by I. Okes for Richard Cartwright and are to be sold at his shop in Duck lane next Smithfield 1638. To the most Reverend Father in God VVILLIAM Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitane Chancellor of the University of Oxford and one of his Majesties most honourable privy Councell Most Reverend father in God I Know your Grace cannot but wonder that so meane a person every way as my selfe and one altogether unknowne to your Grace should presume to offer so poore a Sermon to your sacred hands neither am I ignorant how much this my ambition will expose me to further Censure But God Almighty knowes 't is not your greatnesse but exemplary Piety and goodnesse which hath imboldned me to shroud these Papers under your Graces Wings And ' t is no small encouragement to me to heare how ready your Grace is not onely to countenance the Labours of the Learned of the times but also the meanest endeavours of the poorest Priests who ayme at the peace of Holy Church whose Dignity next under our Blessed Saviour and our pious Soveraigne your Grace to the admiration of all men continually seekes to Advance This your Graces Charity towards Others hath made me to adventure to cast this Sermon at your Graces feet which as it aimes at what your Grace delights in Piety and Conformity so in all humility it begs your Paternall Benediction which if it have the happinesse to Obtayne I doubt not but the Reader shall find no small benefit by it And I the meanest of those who wait on Gods sacred Altar shall daily sollicite the throne of Mercy for your prosperous successe in the affaires of the Church Militant that so when you shall have finished your Course your Grace may be crowned with glory in the Church Triumphant and this shall ever be the prayer of your Graces in all humility William Hardwick Conformity with Piety Requisite in Gods Service Psal 119. 125. I am thy Servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies WHosoever he be Be he of what state or condition soever so long as he lives here he is but a servant and if it be his happinesse to be admitted a Saint in Heaven He is ushered in with that Title Euge bone et fidelis serve Matt. 25. wel done thou good and faithfull servant enter into thy Masters joy But here I must confesse we are not a little puzled about the choice of our service for though in our Baptisme we did most solemnly renounce the service of the World the Flesh and the Divell yet by our practice All of us do declare that we have still a liking to each of them the Flesh hath some the World others I will not say the Divell hath most yet thus much I dare say that they who have wholly given up themselves to the service of the Flesh and the World shall at length by woefull Experience finde that Capiet omnia Daemon The Divell will have All. Well though it be thus with most yet the Saints of God have made another choyce for looke but upon this our David who having had some knowledge of the world and not a little tryal of the flesh and oftentimes having beene foyled by Sathan yet by the mercy of God on the one side and his owne hearty repentance on the other he frees himselfe from their service I will not call it but slavery And now finding Almighty God really to be his God he binds himselfe as it were Apprentice to him and as in other places so here he acknowledgeth himselfe his and none but his servant Servus ego tuus I am thy Servant c. Not to trouble you with a large Discourse of the booke of Psalmes in generall or of this so large and pithy a Psalme in particular which in the judgement of St. Ambrose excelleth the rest as fane is the light of the Sunne exceedes the light of the Moone I come rather to the Text it selfe uttered by one who was no lesse a King than a Prophet And as hee was a Prophet and a good Prophet not unworthy the imitation of us the sonnes of the Prophets and of all those likewise who beare any affection or good will either to Prophets or Prophets Children In the Words two things offer themselves to our Consideration First our Prophets profession I am thy Servant Secondly his petition Give mee understanding that I may know thy testimonies In his Profession we are to consider two things First his Condition Servus he was a Servant Secondly cujus whose servant he profess'd himselfe to bee Tuus thy Servant Then in his petition we are to consider the thing prayed for Vnderstanding Secondly the means of attaining it and that is by way of gift Da intellectum give mee understanding Lastly we have the end why he prayes for this gift of understanding and that is that hee may know the testimonies of his God These are the particulars which by Gods assistance I am come to treate of at this time Wherefore relying both on your patience and charity with as much brevity as may be of each of them First therefore of the first our Prophets Profession and in that too first of his Condition servus I am a Servant If you please to peruse the Scriptures those sacred Oracles of our God yee shall finde that it hath ever beene the humble acknowledgement of the Saints that they are Servants who though they have beene advanced in Church and Common-wealth and so distinguished from inferiour people by gracious and honourable Titles yet with none of them were they more delighted than with this of Servant for the present our Prophet makes this good For 't is not Rex ego or Propheta ego I am a King or I am a Prophet but servus ego I am a servant As much likewise appeares by the Apostles who for the most part assume this title of Servant and in a manner preferre it before that of Apostle for this they usually mention first as Rom. 1. Paul a servant of Iesus Christ called to bee an Apostle So likewise 2. Pet. 1. Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle Doubtlesse they had no small honour in being Apostles but yet their Happinesse they accounted Greater in being the servants of Iesus Christ Damnatus Apostolorum unus servorum nullus One of the Apostles was cast off never any of Gods servants so Thus likewise Prophets have bin excluded Heaven hath beene shut against some of them what though they have thought to justifie themselves with their Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy name Yet this hath not served their turne for they have beene dismissed with a Non
some Currish Doegs maligne the Priests and endeavour to bring them into contempt yet God and good men will ever honour them and hat for their workes sake And truely our gratious God for the better entertainment of his message brought by us hath ever graced us with Noble Titles though we in Humility are to acknowledge our selves with this our Prophet Servants yet our God will have us reputed as his Embassadours and as shining Starres yea as Angels Thus hath he whatsoever the world thinkes to the contrary provided for us who are imployed in this so sacred a businesse as the Ministery is nay not the meanest of his servants shall be neglected our Saviour saith as much Ioh. 1◠26 If any man serve me him will my Father honour The consideration of which in the next place should put us in minde of our Duty Servus est nomen officij the very name of servant implies some duty to bee performed Wherefore if yee please to call to mind what yee expect of your servants yee may in a manner perceive what God requires of you Now two things there are which we principally commend in our servants Obedience and Reverence idle and sawcy servants wee account unworthy the meanest wages Why beloved the same our God requireth of us both Priest and People all of us must be obedient all of us must be Reverent We that are his Priests must ever be in a readinesse to do our Maisters service so that when he shall be pleased to acquaint us with his will and shall commaund us to feede his flocke and to tell Iudah her sinnes and Israel her transgressions we must not then linger like Lot in Sodom nor loiter by the way now framing one excuse then another But to our businesse wee must goe our taske we must take in hand be it never so hard never so difficult knowing that there is a Vae Icre 48.10 a woe unto those who do the worke of the Lord negligently or with Saint Paul Vae mihi si non Evangelizavero 1 Cor. 9.16 Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospell And no lesse a curse hangs over the head of the Laity if they be negligent for as we of the Clergy must shew our obedience to our Maister by declaring his will to you so must you shew your obedience by submitting your selves to the will of God not onely hearing but doing of his word It rests in you to obey the forme of Doctrine which yee are taught when with the Bereans yee have sought and found it to be true and no way repugnant to Holy Writ Oh beloved when your consciences tell you that yee are guilty of such sinnes which yee heare at any time taxed in the Pulpit whether they be sinnes of blood or sinnes of uncleannesse or sins of discontent sinnes of muttering and murmuring against the God of Heaven and his Vice-Gerent here on earth In a word whatsoever sinnes they be your obedience cannot better be shewed than by your Repentance for that which is past and your pious reformation and amendment for the time to come all which are the true signes of obedience and by which alone the servants of God are discovered really to be his Neitheir is here all besides our Obedience Reveverence also is expected Thus much we expect from our servants and thus much God expects from us as Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine Honour If I be a Master where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts Who is he amongst us that hath the spirit of a man within him that will suffer his servant to bee Haile-fellow with him to sit cheeke by jole by him or to sit covered in his presence now cannot we brooke this dis-respect in our servants be they never so faithfull and thinke ye that our God when wee are performing any part of his service especially when we are here in his house his presence Chamber thinke ye I say that our God will take this our malepart behaviour well at our hands What do ye talke of Gods requiring onely our hearts ye are mistaken God requireth as well our Hats our Knees and our whole bodies surely if God requireth our hearts which are our chiefest parts wherewith we doe him service he doth then comprehend all the rest which are inferiour and lesse noble But alas these he shall hardly get of any of us in these so nice and wanton times The practices of too too many confirme this whose irreverence in the Holy Assembly is so apparant as if they had none other conceite of their God than that he is an Idoll of the Heathens which hath eares and heares not eyes but see not Here here in the Church with griefe of soule I speake it we may to too often discover some laughing others prating some Courting others barganing so that St. Chrysostomes complaint may well be taken up in these dayes Hom. 24. in Act. Alios video stare nugari dum preces fiunt neque solùm dum preces fiunt sed dum sacer dos benedicit nescis quod cum Angelis stas cum illis cantas cum illis hymnos dicis stas Ridens non mirum esset si fulmen emitteretur non solùm in eos sed etiam in nos digna enim fulmine sunt hae Some saith he I behold trifling or toying when others at prayers and not onely thus in prayer time but also when the Priest is pronouncing the blessing what knowest thou not that thou standest with Angels and that thou singest Hymnes and Psalmes with them and standest thou laughing It were no wonder if thunder should be cast not onely on those but also on us for these things such irreverence as this deserveth such a judgement And againe the same Father Stat sacerdos Dei orationem offerens cunctorum tu autem rides nihil timens non contremiscis non collegis teipsum in anlam Regiam intraturus habitu oculis incessu componis te exornas Huc antemintraturus ubi est Aula Regis coelestis rides garris ambulas negotiaris Gods Priest stands offering up the prayers of the people and what doest thou laugh fearing nothing What doest thou not tremble doest thou not recollect thy selfe Wert thou to enter into the Kings Court thou wouldst have a care both of thy Habite and thy whole carriage but when thou commest hither where the Court of the King of Heaven is kept thou laughest thou talkest thou walkest and art otherwise uncivilly busied But what thinke ye is the cause of this irreverence of ours if you please I will tell you what I conceive There is a Conclusion highly cryed up amongst us and which hath oftentimes beene objected to me and 't is this That Churches are none other than ordinary and common places but onely in time of Divine Service For my part I confesse ingenuously I cannot but blush to heare such an unsavoury assertion to proceede from any mouth