him purposely to see how we demean our selves to one another which must needs be Modestly in his presence And when is he absent who alwayes is between us alwayes indeed within us An excellent close tie to humane modesty ever to behave our selves as in the Presence chamber of his Heavenly Majesty 3. What followes in this Epistle is to teach us our behaviour towards our selves That is to say reflecting on our own infirmity to be ever asking health of Soul and Body ever praying to God in all our exigences not loosing our labour to ask relief or comfort from one another who are all invellopt in a masse of common misery so the surest way to finde comfort is to cast our care away and to resigne our selves to God to beg of him alone what ere we lack For if we have his open car him present with us all is well all at peace with God and Man Whence it is we beg to day as above that hearing our Prayers he will graciously visit our hearts and by so doing inlighten them in these Triple Duties aforesaid as fit preparatives in Advent for the approaching Nativity of our Lord. The Gospel JOHN 1. ver 19. c. 19. THe Jewes sent from Jerusalem Priests and Levites that they should ask him Who art thou 20. And he confessed and did not deny and he confessed that I am not Christ 21. And they ask'd him what then art thou Elias and he said I am not Art thou the Prophet and he answered No. 22. They said therefore unto him who art thou that we may give an answer to them that sent us what sayest thou of thy self 23. He said I am a voice of one crying in the Desart make straight the way of our Lord as Isaiah the Prophet said 24. And they that were sent were of the Pharisees 25. And they asked him and said to him why then dost thou Baptize if thou be not Christ nor Elias nor the Prophet 26. John answered them saying I baptize in water but there hath stood in the midst of you whom you know not 27. The same is he that shall come after me that is made before me whose latchet of his shoe I am not worthy to unloose 28. These things were done in Bethania beyond Jordan where John was baptizing The Explication 19. THey did aske this of the Baptist after he had baptized Christ and given testimony to the world that Jesus was the Messias whereas the people looking on Iohn the Baptists austerity and sanctity of life held him rather to have been the Messias or at least a more eminent Prophet than Iesus Christ Now because the other Evangelists told us what testimony the Baptist gave of Christ before he did Baptize him therefore Saint Iohn Evangelist omits it in his Gospel which indeed he wrote chiefly to supply what the rest had omitted and since this opinion the world had of Iohn the Baptist to be the Messias was near the time when the Law told them their Messias was to come they send the Priests of the Law the Ministers of their Synagouge to know the Truth and to aske particularly about it that afterwards they might satisfie the world hence coming to Iohn the Baptist they the Priests and Levites aâ—k him Who art thou and asking this juridically he was of necessity to give them answer not that they asked whose Son he was for they all knew him to be the son of Zachary the Priest and so consequently a Priest too but their desire was to know what his office was besides his dignity seeing him teach preach baptize and doe more than ever any man had done before him and however this question savoured of malice in some to Christ and therefore they would rather have Iohn to be the Messias than Iesus yet in others it argued malice to Iohn and these resolved to blame him if he undertook more than his Commission so they aske him Who he was but undoubtedly it was by divine Ordinance too they were moved to ask this question that thereby the veritie of Christs being the true Messias might appear not onely by our Saviours own works but also by Iohns confession 20. By this answer it seems they asked Iohn not onely Who art thou but also Whether thou art Christ So when we read he confessed we must understand it was the naked truth he did confesse when he said hee was not Christ and gave them to understand this dignity and office did not belong to him but onely to our Saviour 21. They proceed then to ask if he were Elias because they knew Elias was reserved to be the fore-runner of Christ according to the prophecie of Malachy Chap. 4 v. 5. and knowing the time of the Messias was at hand they thought Iohn to bee Elias as being ignorant that Malachy his prophecie reports to Christ his second coming in the day of Judgement when Elias indeed shall come before him as now in his first coming Iohn the Baptist did which yet these Priests might have known because the same Prophet Malachy foretold Christ should have a fore-runner to his first as well as to his last coming meaning Elias for one Iohn the Baptist for the other So Iohn denying himself to be Elias said most true and yet did not deny but himself was foretold by Malachy to be Christ his fore-runner though his humility would not give him leave to confesse so much when they asked Art thou the Prophet and he answered No he meant not such a Prophet as deserv'd that name above all others and to be stiled eminently The Prophet since in this nature Christ onely was his own and his eternall Fathers Prophet also who revealed unto us the mysteries of the Deity and of true Religion Besides since the proper office of a Prophet is to foretell things to come and that Iohn the Baptist was properly sent to point out Christ already come even with his finger as well as with his tongue therefore he might very well humbly and yet truly too deny himself to be a Prophet 22 23. Here they pressing him hard and declaring they came by lawfull Commission to doe so to and stood bound to carry back his answer loe they have it with all humility and truth together because there is nothing lesse than a voyce and nothing more certain than that he was by the Prophet Isaias foretold to bee the man who by his preaching and sanctity of life should give example to the world that the wayes of God are holy and so that he was sent before to tell the world Christians wayes are those of God and must be such as the Baptist had begun and as Christ had perfectly trod out before them to make them straight 24. It is particularly noted those who came thus to interrogate S. Iohn were Pharisees because they pretended to more than ordinary knowledge in the Scriptures and having read there that the Messias was to baptize which was not foretold of any
of pennance unto remission of sins as it is written in the Book of the sayings of Isaiah the Prophet 4. A voice of one crying in the Desart prepare the way of our Lord make straight his paths 5. Every valley shall bee filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low and crooked things shall become straight and rough wayes plaine 6. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God The Explication 1. BY Tetrarch we are here to understand a Commander of the fourth part of the kingdome of Paleâ—â—ina equally divided by the Roman Emperours into four Provinces and those committed to the care of four chief Commanders called Tetrarchs The reason why the Evangelist is here so exact as to specifie Tiberius the Roman Emperour and all the four temporall Commanders under him of â—alestina divided as above into four Provinces as also the spirituall Commanders which were the High Priests of Ierusalem at the time of Iohn the Baptists preaching and pointing out our Saviour Iesus Christ to be the Messias or Redeemer of all mankinde was because the verity of our Saviours birth death and passion should be left to after ages as a truth so abundantly testified that never any doubt should be rationally made thereof since all that are here named had some remarkable hand in the passages of our Saviours life and death as namely Tiberius the Emperour who was so taken with the reports of our Saviours singular sanctity of life and miracles that hee contended mainly to have him placed among the Roman gods but failed in the attempt by divine Ordinance because it had been an Indignity for him that was the onely true God of all the world to have obtained an after-place among the Idols and false gods of the Romans Pilate as having condemned Christ to be crucified Herod Antipas for having unjustly committed to prison Iohn the Baptist the fore-runner of Christ because he reprehended him for marrying Herodias wife to his brother Philip so these two brothers are brought in upon one account Lastly Lysanias because he about that time did endeavour to recover the Kingdome of Iudea for Antigonus in casting out Hircanus made King thereof by the Roman Emperour and Herod for backing Hircanus against Lysanias in the quarrel as above was by Augustus Cesar and Anthonie his colleague preferred to the crown of Iudea with the exclusion of the said Hircanus from that crown these four principall Commanders being men famous in the world at that time and having all notice of our Saviours prodigious miracles they are recorded as Testimonies beyond all exception of the truth thereof 2. As also were the two Priests Annas and Caithas ' whereof the latter was then and all the three years of our Saviours preaching high-Priest before whom he was first convented after he had been by Judas betrayed into the hands of the Jews that conspired his death and 't is here specially remarked that in the conjunction of these above named circumstances the word of our Lord the divine Command fell upon John the Baptist Son to Zachary in the desart that he should preach the coming of our Saviour and baptize in water to shew that he was the fore-runner of him who afterwards was to baptize in spirit Christ Jesus but whether this command this word of God came to the Baptist by some Angell or an expresse Messenger from heaven or onely by an internall Inspiration to John himself so to doe is not certain neither is it much materiall since either way gave Authority enough as appeared by Christ so solemnly avowing him afterwards 3 4. Besides the coming of John the Baptist into the Country of Jordan was foretold we see by the Prophet Isaias as in these three following verses doth clearly appear By his preaching the baptisme of pennance unto remission of sinnes is not understood that remission of sinnes was had by Iohn's but should be had by Christ his baptism So Iohn did onely by preaching pennance dispose to the receiving remission of sins which was given by the baptisme of Christ for originall and by the Sacrament of Confession for all actuall sin and Iohn for this preaching is called a voyce of one crying in the desart c. 5. Note this Verse as spoken now by Iohn the Baptist is not so much propheticall of what shall be done hereafter as exhorting to what is fit for the present to doe since he came to prepare the way for Christ rather than to foretell what should be done by him or by us after him so this Future tense is here to be understood as a command or counsell in the Present tense as if he should say Let every valley be filled every hill made levell c. So to even the way for the King of Heavens coming since upon Kings approaches such preparations are usually made to shew the duties and zeals of Subjects laying themselves and all they have levell at the feet of their Soveraign whence by Valley here understand the dejected by Mountain or Hill the proud Soul by Crooked understand wicked by Rough stubborn by Plain gentle Souls and then take the Morall thus That if we will shew our selves loyall and loving subjects to Christ and prepare his wayes for him as Iohn the Baptist exhorteth we must raise up our dejected and suppress our proud thoughts we must streighten our crooked and even our rough wayes by confessing our sins so to make him see he shall not come amongst rebellious and refractory subjects but finde us ready to conform or ply our selves alwayes and to all purposes by his holy Grace according to his sacred will and pleasure 6. The genuine sense of this last Verse is also by the same trope of the future to make an exhortation to us in the Present tense as if the Evangelist or the Prophet Isaias spake now in the Baptists name and let all flesh that is every man see not onely with the eyes of his Soul or understanding but with those of his Body the Salvation of God namely the Messias God and Man our Saviour Iesus Christ either in his Person living in the Sacrament of the Altar or on his Throne of Judgement at the latter day or as he is now in the midst of you that doe not take notice of him see I tell you I am his forerunner sent before him to point him out unto you and that done to recede that you may not longer be diverted from looking towards himself by deceiving your selves as you doe to think I am the Messias No I must be diminished cut off and set out of your way though upon another seeming pretence namely Herodias her malice to me for speaking against her unlawfull Marriage age but indeed to give way that Christ may be exalted in yours and in all the worlds esteeme as it is fit and absolutely necessary it should be according as I tell you Iohn 3. ver 30. He must encrease and I be diminished Note though now as these
other Prophet hence they ask as followeth 25. Why then dost thou baptize if thou be neither Christ nor Elias nor the Prophet and by this Interrogatory they thought to have confounded him So it argues beside the Commission they had to ask Who he was they added this Question out of their own malice to him and out of Ostentation to shew the people they were well read in the Scriptures 26. To this Iohn replyes by distinguishing betwixt his own and Christs Baptism telling the people he doth but Baptize in water Christ shall baptize in Spirit for thus the rest of the Evangelists make the Baptist answer and therefore S. Iohn omits that So the Baptist professeth his Baptism is onely in water as a sign or Figure of Christs Baptism which shall be in Spirit to remission of sins which this of Iohns was not but onely by his Baptisme he exhorted people to pennance and tears for sin not that sin was thereby remitted But there is one in the midst of you whom yee know not Iesus Christ who daily converseth with you and yet you do not take notice of him to be the true Messias whom you enquire after so earnestly as who should say leave your curious questions doe but use your own eyes look but earnestly upon Iesus and you shall soon by his works perceive he is the man you seek for 27. The Baptist sayes Christ shall come after him because he shall preach when Iohn is dead by saying Christ was made before him hee both alludes to the eternall generation of Jesus in the decree divine and to the perpetuall prelation or preference both of doctrine and sanctity wherein Christ was many degrees before the Baptist in so much as he doth not esteem himself worthy to untie our Saviours shooes which in the esteem of man is the meanest office that can be imagined because wee commonly stoop as low as earth to perform it 28. This Bethanie is not that where Martha and Lazarus treated our Saviour but is distinguished from it as much in the mysterie of the name as in the distance of the place for that Bethania signifies the house of humility This the house of Ships or The place of passage namely where the people of Israel passed over the River Iordan going out of Egypt into the land of promise and there Christ was baptized by Iohn where also Iohn commonly baptized all others to shew the Figurative Baptisme did declare the transmigration in the true Baptisme from Sin to Grace and so was like that passage of the Israelites from Aegypt into the land of promise from a wretched to a prosperous condition The Application 1. WHat so deplorable as to have eyes and not to see the shining Sun This blindness of the Jewes is what to day the Gospel represents They knew the Tokens of the true Messias well enough they knew those were not verified in the Baptist and as well they knew them all made good in Jesus Christ yet seeme to doubt O wilfull Caecity 2. What shall we think to see the Christian blinder than the Jew the Catholicks perverser than the Hereticks and as we read Tim. 1. Confessing they knew God yet denying him in their Works By doing such things as give themselves the Lye Whence holy David sayes Iniquity belyes herself And this so often as Christians in Profession are Infidels in Practice 3. But see a greater blindness yet in these who will defend their Vices to be Virtues and even glory in their own Iniquities Say then beloved was it not high time to seek an Eye-bright out to cure this Caecity of Souls rebuk'd in being represented Whilest we pray as above to day for illumination of Grace to disperse the dismall darkness of corrupted Nature On the fourth Sunday of Advent The Antiphon O Emmanuel our King and Lawgiver the expectation of Nations and the Saviour of them come to save us O Lord our God Vers Drop dew c. Resp Be the earth c. NOte this O Emmanuel or some one of the seven great O s variable as the Sunday falls out on dayes more or less before Christmas Day is alwayes the Antiphon on this Sunday And these O s shall be explicated in the other Tome of this work when every day that hath a severall Prayer and Gospel shall be set out as these Sundayes were suffice it now to reflect that this O this exclaiming voice argues the manner of crying out in the old Patriarchs and Prophets for the coming away of the so long expected Messias The Prayer O Lord we beseech thee raise up thy power and with thy mighty virtue come away to our succour that by the help of thy grace what our sinnes retard the indulgence of thy propitiation may Accelerate The Illustration LOok in what Stile the Church began her Advent-Prayers she ends them with the same as if Omnipotency had not power enough and could be raised to greater by being rowsed or stirred up for though it be not needfull yet we may lawfully and laudably enough speak in this language to Almighty God who magnifies to us at least his power by acknowledging our want of it to be so great as if it needed re-inforcement to doe the work of our Redemption an act as farre above the Angels naturall reach as it was beyond our hopes or merits had it not been mercifully promised without desert in Man for when Angels see the Sun of Justice clad in the clouds of our Iniquity they were amazed and saw that God had found a means to adde as it were to his Omnipotency by partaking of humane Impotency and by raising our weakness in his sacred person to an ability above Angelicall capacity he seemed indeed to rowse or stirre up his own Omnipotency to a Super-omnipotency to an act greater than it had ere before extended to namely to pardoning of Sin a thing the Angels never were acquainted with for though Man were redeemed yet the Devils were for all eternity condemned upon the guilt of their one onely sin Nor is it a lessening of the phrase to ask the succour of Gods mighty virtue though it be in truth Almighty for all we can adde to God is rather diminution than addition to his perfection which consisteth in simplicity so that in him Power and Omnipotency Might and Almightiness is all one Thing because his Attributes are his Essence each of them Infinâ—â—e and all of them together making his Infinity no greater than it is in any one alone if yet we may use that freedom to speak of multiplicity where pesonality excepted simplicity makes up all perfection as in God it doth But having in this language courted down Almighty God from Heaven lest we grow vaine-glorious by the honour of his approach see how the rest of this dayes Prayer doth humble us while in the following words we give this reason for our calling God to our Succours with all his mustred forces That by the help of his Grace added