Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n
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A61574
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Occasional sermons preached by the Most Reverend Father in God, William Sancroft ... ; with some remarks of his life and conversation, in a letter to a friend.
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Sancroft, William, 1617-1693.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing S561; ESTC R35157
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79,808
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212
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thy Wings will I make my Refuge until these Calamities be over-past WHat St. Hierom observ'd long since concerning this Book of Psalms Titulos esse Claves that the Title is usually the true Key of David to set open the Psalm to us and to let us into the true Understanding of it he learn'd probably from a former Author with whose Writings he was in his younger years much delighted Origen I mean Who in his Tomes upon the Psalms discoursing of some Obscurities in Holy Scripture and the proper Remedies thereof gives us yet a more ancient Tradition which he receiv'd as he saith from a learned Jew That the whole Body of Scripture is like a great House in which are several Appartments and therein many Rooms shut up and in them again many Cabinets and Boxes lockt down Nor hangs the proper Key at every Door but they lie scatter'd here and there and counter-chang'd so that it requires some pains and skill to find them out and apply them aright Thus the Key of the Prophetic Scripture lies in the Historical where we often find both the Occasion of the Prophesie and the Event too and that proves usually the best Interpreter Thus the Acts of the Apostles which contain the Peregrinations and Gests of St. Paul are a great Master-Key to open his Epistles and to unlock to us many things hard otherwise to be understood in them And thus in the present Instance David's History is the proper Key to David's Psalter and so the Books of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles the best and most authentic Commentary upon the Psalms For this now before us lest we should mistake the Spirit of God hath hung the Key at the Door or at least pointed us whence to fetch it And while the Title dates it from the Cave we are plainly directed to 1 Sam. xxiv There we find the holy Man in a great streit of Affliction wandring like an Exile or Bandito in the Wilderness of Engedi the few Men he had straggling and shifting for themselves upon the Rocks of the wild Goats implacable Saul in the mean time with five times his Number so closely pursuing him that he is forc'd to take shelter in the Cave And there being shut up from the Sight of Heaven and Light of the Sun and as it were buried alive in that obscure Dungeon surrounded with Danger on every side and little Hope left him of escaping with his Life 't is then that he sighs out his Al-taschith as this and the two following Psalms are entitled Oh destroy me not utterly so the Word signifies but let me live to praise thy Name 't is then that by a vigorous Faith he flies to the tender Mercies of God as to his only City of Refuge And reposing himself in the Bosom of the Divine Goodness by Acts of Faith and Devotion and of Perseverance in both he doth exactly and precisely that which We all are enjoyn'd to do this Day He implores the Mercies of God in the Protection of himself and in him of those that belong to him Be merciful unto me O God saith he be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy Wings will I make my Refuge until these Calamities be overpast So that the proper business of this Day being visibly stampt in great Letters upon the Fore-head of the Day and that by the Hand of Sacred Authority it self and the Lines of the Text too running so parallel all along and so commensurate to those of the Day upon which Ground the whole Psalm was very pertinently selected as one of the proper Psalms for the Office of the Day I may hope in some Degree to discharge my Duty to both of them by treating of those two things What God's Protection is and What we are to do that we may be qualifi'd and prepar'd aright successfully to implore the Mercy of that Protection In Order whereunto I will consider the Text in a twofold Reference I. As it looks down from God to us-ward in gracious and powerful Protections And so it speaks our great Honour and Happiness the high and glorious Privilege of pious Kings and their Kingdoms that they are under the Shadow of God's Wings II. As it looks up in another Aspect from Us to God again and so it contains our necessary and indispensable Duty and calls aloud for our suitable Deportment which is resolvedly to put our selves under the Divine Protection or to seek and make our Refuge under the Shadow of his Wings I. I begin with the high and glorious Privilege of all holy Souls but especially of pious Kings and their Kingdoms They are under the shadow of God's Wings The expression frequently occurs in Scripture and may seem to speak these three things or some of them which together will give you I think the full extent of the shadow of God's Wings the adequate Importance of this illustrious Metaphor 1. Safeguard and Defence from Calamities that they come not Or 2. Speedy Help and Deliverance out of Calamities when they are come Or however 3. Comfort in the mean time and Refreshment in Calamities while they are upon us 1. The Privilege of Safety and Protection from Calamities stand first in our Method intimated here in a threefold Expression A Refuge a Shadow and the Shadow of Wings 1. And what is a Refuge which is the first but a place of Security either in regard of its Secrecy to hide us or its strength to defend us to which we flie when Calamity threatens us And such is God to his People a City of Refuge an inviolable Sanctuary an Altar of Mercy to which we may flie and be safe and from the Horns whereof no bold Calamity shall dare to pluck us without his special Commission Or in another Reference a place of Refuge is a Covert from Storm and Rain Es. IV. 6. and as it follows there in the same Verse 2. A Tabernacle for a Shadow too in the Day-time from the Heat which is the second Expression The Emphasis whereof is far better understood in those intemperate Climats where the Sun-Beams are scorching and the Heats insufferable Nothing there more desirable than a shady Grove or a deep Grot the Sun never looks into or the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land Which Protections because the Pilgrim Israelites wanted in the Wilderness God supplyed it to them by spreading a Cloud over them for a Covering in the Day-time as the Psalmist speaks and God was in that Cloud so that for forty years together they marcht and encampt under his shady Wings I had almost said without a Metaphor And still whenever the Son of Persecution or other Calamity ariseth upon us with burning Heat God can exempt whom he thinks good and send them times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord so that while the World is all on fire about them they journey through that torrid Zone with their mighty Parasol
Metropolis of Creet even in the Christian Accompt very early and long before the Councel of Nice whatever hath been pretended to the contrary and probably in the Epoch of the Text it self since even then it was certainly such in the Civil Style most confessedly the Ground of the Christian Establishment for sure it was not Chance or Lottery that produced a perpetual Coincidence both there and elsewhere the World over And now let me lead you up to the top of Mount Ida the proudest Height in Creet from whence Geographers tell us we may descry both Seas and see all the Cities like a Crown in Circle about it There let us make a stand a while and look about us and consider holy Titus with those numerous Plantations and Nurseries of Primitive Christianity distributed as it were Areolatim like so many distinct Beds and Knots in the Eden of God planted and watered and drest by Apostolical Hands all under his care and custody Consider him by way of Recollection under the Variety of Circumstance wherein the Text hath hitherto presented him to our Meditations Consider him a single Person no Collegues no Compeers no Co-ordinates For as our Lord promised the Keys and doubtless so gave as he had promised them not to a College but to single Persons Tibi dabo quodcunque Tu ligaveris So the Apostles at the next remove St. Paul here I am sure for One entrusts all not to Communities and Consistories but to Individuals for so runs the Style Ego Te-ut Tu sicut ego Tibi all Personal and Particular Consider him determined to a fix'd and constant Residence left and settled in Creet the Ordinary and perpetual Governour of that Church For we ought to have more regard to Reason and the true Nature of things than to pronounce him an Extraordinary Officer who for ought appears is impowered to none but Acts of Ordinary and continual Importance to the Church And more Reverence for the blessed Apostle than to think he would issue a Commission full fraught with Rules of Perpetual Use to a Temporary Delegate who was perhaps next day to be exaâ—ctorated and never to have any Exercise of them Consider him yet further invested with a Plenitude and Sufficiency of Power not only to Preach and Baptize and so to beget Sons to God and the Church which is the Presbyter's and for ought I know the whole of the Evangelist's Office but also both to Ordain Elders in all the Cities under him and so to beget spiritual Fathers too as Epiphunius distinguisheth and then as in the old Paternal Dominion they ruled whom they had begotten to govern and regulate whom he had thus ordained even all the Bishops of those numerous Cities Whence the Question of our Reverend and Learned Iewel most naturally proceedeth Having the Government of so many Bishops what may we call him but an Arch-bishop And I add of so many Cities what but a Metropolitan I say Consider all this soberly and maturely and you will not disavow me if I say That whosoever shall drive us out of this Creet thus strongly Garrisoned by S. Paul and his Disciples and flight and dismantle so many Strengths and Fortresses of the Episcopal Cause as there were Cities in that Island and extort out of our Hands this great Instance of so many Bishops ordained and governed by their own Metropolitan so high in the first Age will be a very Pyrgopolinices indeed qui legiones Spiritu difflat and deserve the Sur-name of Creticus better than Metellus the Roman that subdued the Island For our parts we are not ashamed of our Conformity to so Primitive a Pattern nay we glory in so handsom and innocent a Syncretism For we are not better then our Fathers nor wiser than the Apostles of Christ himself And had we been of their Counsel who not long since pretended to reform us according to the best Examples we might have bespoke them as once S. Paul did those over hasty and unruly Mariners who would needs put to Sea when Sailing was dangerous and thrive accordingly being quickly forced to abandon the Helm and to let the Ship drive being not able to bear up against the Wind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirs you should not have parted from Creet in the Text and so have gained harm and disgrace If really you be in quest of the best Examples of modelling a Church you may certainly find here as fair and as pure Ideas and as well worth your Imitation as the more Modern Platform can afford you which I have reason to believe the famous Author of it intended not at first a Pattern to other Churches but an Expedient to serve the present Exigent of his own in a Iuncture scarce capable of any thing better and which I am perswaded the learnedst and wisest and most Pious of his Followers would gladly relinquish for something more Perfect and Primitive would the Necessities of their present Condition which have no Law but much of Excuse for those that really lie under them permit them the Happiness of so blessed an Exchange Which God in Mercy send them And so much of the Second Act to which the Power is here designed and that is the Ordaining of Elders together with the Distribution of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In every City one I have but three Words to add of the Third Part of my Text and that was the Limitation of these Acts to the Apostles Prescription All must be so done even as he had appointed So in regard of the Variety of the Offices themselves and their several Subordinations So in regard of the choice of the Persons and their requisite Qualifications and so also in regard of the Rites and Ceremonies and Manner of ordaining them still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All as I had appointed thee And now if any demand where these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these Constitutions Apostolical are to be found I shall not send them to Clemens â—his Book that bears that Name but to the Universal Practice of the Antient Church in which they are still in great part Visible and thence handed over to Posterity by Tradition and conformity of Practice and by Degrees inserted into the Canons of the old Councels as occasion was offered and into the Ordinals of several Churches Or if a readier and more present Answer be required I know not where to design it you nearer hand or more full to your satisfaction than by dismissing you to attend the great Action that is to follow In which you will see All so Grave and Solemn so Pious and Devout so Primitive and Apostolical and so exactly up to the Level of the Text and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of S. Paul here that I know not where to point you out so pregnant and full a Comment upon my Text nor what better Amends to make you for my own failings upon it And yet having thus