long after Acts 6. And therefore doubtless Acts 6.14 they raged more against Saint John at first and somewhat was in it That he Preached in the Wilderness their Cities and Towns not enduring him witness their conspirasous Assemblies more frequent now then ever the Sanedrim or High Councel of the Jews daily sending their Sophisters to John John 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who art thou and why Baptizest thou c. Here Saint Johns holiest Reformation meets with furious opposition the best of asiions must expect affronts and yet not take them for discouragements St. John bates nothing here of resolution no Jonas he he waves not his Commission but maugre all difficulties prosecutes his Sacred Innovation Acts 6.10 as it was said of Saint Stephen all their disputants were not able to resist the Spirit by which he spake He that sent him gave success answerable unto his holy courage his Ministry wanted not the encouragement of company Converts or Disciples Matth. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 3.4 There went out to him all Jerusalem and all Judea and all the Region about Jordan c. A treble all as if there were one for each of City Court and Country the Grandees were not fuller of Indignation then the people of Love and Admiration all the Region round about nor went they out for novelty onely as now adays to see fine Reeds Reeds shaken with the wind with every wind of Doctrine But in the next Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 5. Caught by the Voice of his Doctrine and Eccho of his Life happy Allurements They were baptized of him confessing their sins So that it was well the Wilderness was his Church and the mighty River Jordan his Font lest else he should have wanted room or Water for his Baptized Auditors One of which to honor him and his office was our Lord himself Verse 13. and came far to him also Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan to be Baptized of John Whose modesty would fain have then resigned his Office Verse 13. but for that Nunc permittas Suffer it to be so now I now was a fit opportunity before all Jerusalem c. for Christ to Miracle himself The Son of God the Holy Dove descending with a voice from Heaven c. Yet was it not any Nunc of Ostentation but of Righteousness c. Christs Baptism For Ecce Dominus ad Servum Magister ad Discipulum Verifying that I am meek and lowly Learn of me c. Beloved the Lord here comes unto his Servant the Master to his Disciple to be Baptized and that among the People But we may here ask as Bernard of his Circumcision Quid facitis Baptizantes Christum What do you washing of him in whom nothing was unclean Go wash your spotted Lambs and spare not 1 Pet. 2.22 but this Lamb is without blemish So far from having any that he knew no sin Saint Johns modest Answer might have been an Assertion Thou needest not to be Baptized at all c. Nay one might well with David Ask Jordan why it fled not c. And indeed Consider Christ abstractly as Totum integrale i. e. In his own single Purity a Body by himself as severed from us and he needed then no Baptism Jordan had more need of him Lavit aquas non aquae ipsum The Waters were as it were Baptized by him not he by them Vt aquae nos purgaturae prius ipsae purgarentur That the Waters which were to cleanse us by him might first be purified themselves He received no vertue but gave the waters cleanness and efficacy to the Sacrament But on the other side take him with his Reference to us this second as the first Adam Pars Communitatis as the Head of the People and then to fulfil all Righteousness he must needs be Baptized He will need that for thee and me which for himself he needed not for in his Baptism he put on us as we do or ought to put on him in ours Verbum clamat in voce i. e. Christus in Johanne in glossâ Ordin Gagnaeus in locum And therefore he came to John the Baptist who was indeed but the Instrument Christ himself the Institutor of holy Baptism Saint Johns was a Baptism unto Repentance Non peccata tollens sed eorum commonefaciens Not taking away sins but onely admonishing of sinners but Christs was a Baptism of Remission through his blood which is our Jordan For as many as are Baptized effectually are Baptized into his death Rom. 6.3 else all the Rivers of Damascus and Judah too withal the Fullers Soap in the World cannot fetch out the least stain no He by himself hath purged our sins Heb. 1.3 Heb. 1. And this is a sensible Demonstration of Christs yoke being easie and his burden light so changing Circumcision into Baptism freeing us from bloody Ceremonies from costly Sacrifices and painful Sacraments It is worth our thankful Meditation this and no doubt but many of the Jews were won by this same freedom from their burdens which easie change John 1.21 they did somewhat expect John 1. A blessing quite opposite to that worst curse of Egypt wherein God turned their water into blood But here indulgently our blood to water what was their Shambles is with us a Laver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Laver of Regeneration Tit. 3. Tit. 3.5 The gentler the Mandate the heavier the Punishment that waits on the neglect of it But of this I have spoke before in the Feast of Circumcision and shall close it with that of Naamans servant which such Refractories may consult at their leisure 2 King 5.13 2 King 5. while we among the thronging Jews go forth a little into the Wilderness to see the Baptist What maner of Person for Habitation Habit Food and Rayment for that 's the scaene of his abode and Doctrine The Wilderness as Mount Olivet was said to be our Saviours Pulpit Regio vasta sed paucis habitata colonis Luke 1.39 What Saint Matthew here calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Wilderness St. Luke calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Hill-Countrey being the more barren the less frequented places of Judea yet not disinhabited for there was Joabs house 1 King 2. Nay Beza saith 1 King 2.39 That there were seven Towns whereof Joshua mentions fix at his dividing out the Country and the seventh was Hebron John 15.61 wherein was Zacharies house Luke 1.40 Where the childe grew saith the Text waxed strong in spirit and dwelt till the time of his publique Appearing So that the Fratres in Eremo have hence but little cause to challenge Saint Johns Brotherhood muchless his Patronage unless also when a very Infant as above declared Maldonat in Matth. 3. But here Maldonat is very angry at the Truth and will prove Saint John an Hermit by many Arguments and first from the Prophesie of him Isai
the high way to Italy Ubi Graecèscripsit Evangelium Marcus Aposteli Peiri Disc pulus where He was so highly valued that They still Retaine Him as the Tutelar Saint of Venice At Rome He Pen'd his Gospel in the Greeke Tongue Ludolphus loca Citato and most probably from the Mouth of St Peter his Uncle Anno Christi 67. though Eusebius and some others write Him the Disciple of Saint Luke and from Him to have wrote his Gospel not without the improbability of writing at the third hand while St Luke himselfe wrote but at the second viz. from St Paul's Dictation his Episcopall See was at Alexandria whence He manured all the Neighbouring Places with divine Cultivation even from Aegypt to Pentapolis from whence at Length Returning Home some say He died in Prison while Others mention other kinds of Death yet all agree that he wore the Crown of Martyrdome being slaine at Alexandria Anno Christi 63. according to Eusebius Euseb l. 2. c. 14. but five or sixe yeares after according to Alstaedius and others POEM 28. THe foure Evangelists were Figur'd on Ezechiels Vision which on wheeles did run And as those Wheeles were mutually inroul'd So Christ These foure harmoniously unfold That with the Face of Man St Mathew shews By whom the world Christs Humane Descent knows That with the Face o' th' Oxe St Luke descries Dissecting Christ as the worlds Sacrifice That like an Eagle Typ'd St Iohns high Pen Which his Eternall Birth describes to Men. But 't is the Lion's stately Countenance Which doth our St Mark 's Emblem here advance As who above the rest exactly Sings Christs Regall Office Monarch of all Kings Iudah's Triumphing Lion whose sole Power Subdues that Lion seeking to Devoure The world 's a Forrest and This Lion King Whose Power Heaven Earth and Hell do Rue or Sing Grant Lord we Loyall Subjects to Thee Prove Rul'd by the Golden Scepter of thy Love Lest else Thou bruise us with thine Iron-Rod For Rising against Thee our King and God! But yielding to thy Legislative Power Owning Thee Lord may find Thee Saviour The COLLECT The Epistle Ephes 4. v. 7. to 17. The Gospel John 15. v. 1. to 12. ALmighty God which hast instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelist St Marke give us grace that we be not like children carried away with every blast of vaine doctrine but firmely to be established in the truth of thy holy Gospell through Iesus Christ our Lord. Philip and the Eunuche Act 8. 38 Then he Commaunded the Charet to stand still and they went downe both into the water both Philip the Eunuche he baptized him 39 And assoone as they were come vp out of the water the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip etc S. IACOBVS MINOR Here the Plate Vpon the Feast of PHILIP and IAMES DISQUISITION 26. THe Modesty of the Church Reformed is herein Conspicuous that to avoid Excesse of Dedications wherein Others are so burthensom She sometimes uniteth as in their Love and Labours two of the Apostles at once in the same Festivity as in that of St Simon and Jude and This also of St Philip and James hinting from hence among other Graces Concord Amity from this Conjunction of St Philip and St James Yet for Methods sake Yours Give me leave a while to part them And to begin with St Philip as supposed the Eldest of them and to his Lott fell the Northren Circuii saith Alsted in that Apostolicall Designation Acts 15. Chron. c. 27. So that He preached in Scythia say Historians 20. years Afterwards visiting the lesser Asia and some parts of Ethiopia his Zeale warming the cold Climates and his Patience contemperating the Hot where He wrought the Conversion of that grand Ennuch named Candaules one of great Authority under Candace Queen of the Aethiopians Alsted Chron. Conv. Pop. c. 27. as you may read the Famous Story Acts 8.10 c. Acts 8. Where he receiveth Commission from an Angel of the Lord to goe toward the South to Gaza v. 26. which he obeying readily meets with the happy opportunity of this Conversion Divine Providence and Humane Obedience ever Conspire the successe of a businesse and And he arose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia Verse 26. an Eunuch c. for such we know were the chiefe Attendants of those Southern Princes as of the Eastern at this day and Him St Philip finds prepared ground before-hand Subactum Solum v. 27. making his Chariot his Closet a singular Example Reading there the Prophet Isaias Evangelizans Propheta that Evangel call Prophet and Propheticall Evangelist acknowledging his Ignorance ver 31. Understandest Thou c. how can I except some guide me And importuning St Philips Society and Information ver 31. Such Humility and Diligence is the best way to Instruction and all saving knowledge the Remarkable Place He Read was that of Isa 53.7 Isa 53.7 He was Led as a Sheep to the Slaughter c. A Text a Preacher and an Auditor so suitable that St Philip so plyed and applied it to the Passion of Christ and that unto the Eunuch that He grew impatient of his irreligion Ambitious only of Present Christianity Verse 36. ver 36. See here is water what can hinder me to be c. why nothing but Infidelity ver 37. and that he first washeth off with true Confession ver 37. I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Verse 37. and then St Philip washed this Black-moore yet did not labour in vaine ver 38. And He commanded the Chariot to stand still Verse 38. c. and when They were come up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip c. though They parted without a Complement yet a Courtier was mended into a Christian the Eunuch went on his way Rejoycing while St Philip had a better Chariot to Azotus where he was found Preaching in all the Cities till he came to Caesarea In a word Verse 40. This St Philip was a Deacon and Evangelist Act. 21.9 and is said by some to have sent twelve Disciples into Britain Iackson Chronolog for the Conversion of This Island so much are we beholding to him that we cannot but Lament the sad Castatrophe of all his Industry and Travells but that 't was the same Fate with his Lord and Brethren For in the raigne of Vespasian at Hierapolis Euseb l. 3. c. 25 Isidor Reus He was stoned and then Crucified together with two of his own Daughters about Anno Christi 53 Alstaed Chron. c. 27. His Colleague here was St James and this Iames was not the Sonne of Ioseph as Eusebius l. 2. c. 1. but as eminent Matth. 10.3 was the Sonne of Alphaeus for there was an other Apostle of that Name as you may Reade in his peculiar Festivall This was surnamed Iames the lesse perhaps from his Humility
but Saint Peter confuteth them from their own experience it being but the third hour of the day ver 15. Wine was not their mocker but the Jews yet Saint Bernard confesseth it with a qualification Verè Ebrii vino novo Saint Bernard in Festo They are drink indeed with new wine saith He but such a new wine as those old bottles the unbelieving Jews were neither worthy to receive nor able to contain being a wine powred out by the true Vine Himself by Him that trod the Wine-pesse alone Vinum Cor Laetificans non statum mentis evertens such a wine as made glad the Heart without any disturbing of the braine The Apostles had had a sowr Drawght on it by their Masters Absence now therefore they receive the wine of comfort and this me thinks may cheer our patince to see it is Christ's Method to keep the best wine till the last here then what if wee must taste of sorrows cup while we are sure hereafter to have our water turned into wine our tears into eternall joy for what I say unto you saith Christ I say unto all and that is Non relinquam John 14.18 I will not leave you comfortlesse To which end let us fervently and frequently say unto him againe in the Prayer of the Church O God make clean our hearts within us and take not thine Holy Spirit from us POEM 18. THe Sun of Glory being now in 's hight Shines forth on His in a Meridian Light And lest Griefs for his Absence strike Them mute An inspir'd Tongue doth each of Them salute And the World's Charity grown Cold and Dead With fire from Heaven is here Re-quickened Christ's Promise meets th' Apostles Vnion Which Those share not that love Division A Spirit of Comfort various as our Griefs Proportioning them all with fit Reliefs A Spirit of strength for to support the weak And bind up wounded hearts when like to break A Spirit of Amity and sacred love Uniting Lower envies from above A spirit of Aliment to hungry Souls Cheering with Manna and true Nectar bowles And now all Persons of the Trinity Have at times to man appear'd visibly Two Heraulds here usher the Spirits way A mighty wind and Sound fit to display The Gospel one whereof the world must Ring Mens carnall chaff the t'other winnowing Then doth Himself in fiery tongues dispence Heaven takes Some as some That by violence Hither a Question pertinent belongs Why he descends in Fire and cloven Tongues A fiery Comforter must needs seem strange shall not that angry Element once change The world to cinders True and yet presume While God's i' th Flame it sha'nt a Bush consume The Light and heat of fire best emblem forth Knowledg and zeal all true Apostles worth Science without zeal Ape 's the Glow-worm wel But zeal without that Heat without light 's Hell The seven chief Graces of the Spirits desire Not frigidly demonstrated by fire The fire doth Gold from its drosse purifie The Spirit doth by love purge enmity Fire melts the most obdurate Mines you know The Spirit by Remorse makes heard hearts flow Fire hardneth clay against the injurious storme The spirit by patience doth sad hearts confirme The fire makes new and burnisheth the Mine The Spirit by knowledg makes the Face to shine By fire to things ascending motion 's given The spirit by Faith too makes Souls tend to Heaven The fire to all about it light imparts The spirit by wisdome doth irradiat Hearts Fire too preserves things sweet not still consumes The spirit by Innocence our life persumes But why now was this fire shap'd into Tongues To speak those grand abilities that Throngs Converted unto Christ throughout all lands Drawn by such Eloquent and pious bands Without which Dore of utterance all Gifts Crost And like Gems in a casket whose key lost But hence all Nations sweetly woo'd do come T' hear News from heaven in their own Idiom But Satan too his fiery Tongues hath spred Whose fire by Fire shall be extinguished But cloven tongues these of th'Apostles were Mixing that is Law Gospel every where And by that double Fork'd Reflection Pointing out Gentiles Jews conversion The parting of the hoof did cleannesse shew The Serpent's too a cloven tongue we know Christs school of wisdom then the tongue that 's clean From putrid talk 's the cloven tongue we mean Thus Christs and Davids word both made good then When Christ gone up showr'd down these gifts on men The COLLECT The Epistle Act. 2. v. 1. to v. 12. The Gospel Joh. 14. from v. 15. to the end God which as upon this day hast taught the heart of thy faithfull people by the sending to them the light of thy holy Spirit grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoyce in his holy comfort through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit one God world without end Amen Vpon Trinity Sunday DISQUISITION 16. IMmediatly after that admirable Descent of the Holy Ghost forementioned as it were consequently ensued notice of the incomprehensible Trinity even thereby given to the Church of God But as the Apostle saith Great is the mystery of Godlinesse 1 Tim 3.16 1 Tim. 3. and This indeed one of rhe greatest parts of all that mystery viz. the Distinction and yet Union of those three glorious persons of the Deity Byssus Abyssum invocat Here one deep calleth upon another A Theam fitter for admiration then examination not visible in the Book of the Creature where the Deity is seen Vt per speculum as in a glasse onely by reflexion No nor presently legible in the Book of the Scripture where God is seen Vt per lucem by a kind of light more directly you know Moses could see but his back-parts Exod. 33.20 and scarce them neither they were so glorious but this Distinction of Persons is as it were His Face and accuratly to be discerned is scarce an adaequate object of this life Exod. 33. And albeit the Bible begin and run on still with his NAME in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Gen. 1.1 Gods created the Heaven and the Earth Yet this determineth not three Persons although it fairly contribute something toward it and more then intimateth Diversity of persons Gen. 1. Deut. 5. even when applied to God Himself Gen. 1. and Deut. 6. And some even out of the first Book of holy Writ do probably argue that triple personality from that first plurall word of Gods created that there are several persons hinted and you know the act of creation is generally externally attributed to the Father quod extra according to us for else to all the three indivisibly God created the c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the second verse there is another person Particularized viz. the Spirit The Spirit
of God moved upon the face of the waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by a cloud of witnesses the Holy Spirit and the first of John expoundding this same first of Genesis brings in the second person hither the Word and saith twice for failing in one verse All things were made by Him John 1.2 and without Him nothing But to make good my word in Gen. 32. the Angel wrastling there and blessing Jacob is universally interpreted of Christ to say nothing of those that came to Abraham and Lot Gen. 32. Gen. 19 And then you have all the three sacred Persons of the Godhead though not positively demonstrated for that would be a hard task yet emphatically intimated in the Book of Genesis And this is Effigiatio Ansarum as one calleth it as it were a framing or finding out of Handles which we dextrously lay hold of in so high a Mystery And others doe as much from that of Job 1.21 Job 1.21 Arguing the Trinity from his treble Benediction The Lord hath given The Lord hath taken away Job 1.21 Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Three Lords you see and yet but one disposer there 's Trinity Unity But this Germinatio Gemmarum This putting forth of Buds and Blossoms in the Old Testament proveth Protuberatio mammarum a fruitfull swelling of the Breasts in the New where there are frequent and pregnant attestations I shall need mention but some chiefe ones 1 John 5. 1 John 5. There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One What can be more manifestly expressed For which Saint Paul is one of them that returneth gratulations 2 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 1.3 at once witnessing the Trinity and praising it Blessed be God saith he even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Mercy and the God of all comfort In which alone we discern the whole Trinity Here is the Father and Mercy which is his Sonne and the effect of this mercy the Spirit of Adoption and then all three comprised in the God of all Comfort But alas What is all this to your Rationall men as they call them the handsome Complement for our Modern Atheists who like Thomas live not by Faith but by Sense and Reason if they mistake not which is a way in some things quite to destroy the Faith That being an evidence of things not seen And therefore Saint Austin saith Rationem quaero Fidem abnego He that will admit of no Master but Reason sometime presents a Fool to be her Scholar though I know rectified Reason is the work of God and in it selfe not contrariant to Piety but being ordered and sanctified is very advantagious to it Yet not to be Relyed upon as any fit measure of the Principles of Religion Natural Reason how far usefull especially in such Mysteries and sublimer parts of it That too being so lapsed and depraved Yet even those Minions of Nature that is of second causes may find some paralels of this sacred Riddle even among the Creatures here below the Snow the Ice and Water and so above the Light and Heat and motion of the Sun have each of them a severality of existence and yet as 't were an Identity of Essence And if ought can be found such in Natures Inventory why should we so stagger at the like in our Creator Well saith holy Austine Tu ratiocinare Ego mirer Tu disputa Ego credam Criticall Naturalist that leavest the master and denominatest from the servant Doe thou argue on I will admire this Mystery Doe thou dispute I will believe it by his own help I doe both believe this Trinity and admire it St. August Confess l. Mira profunditas Deus meus mira profunditas To goe on with that sweet Fathers warble These Waters are of infinite depth O God unfathomable is their bottom The bottom is to professe and to feel the distinct working of the three distinct persons of the Trinity Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Rara Anima Quae sciat quid loquatur Not one man not one Christian of a thousand speaking of these mysteries knowes well what himselfe means and those that know the most saith he Contendunt dimicant dispute and wrangle assisting the common Enemies of Christianity by their uncharitablenesse while without love and mildnesse none ever come to know the Unity of this blessed Trinity or to see the visions of Peace in the presence of this God of mercy peace and love And therefore as we receive benefits by apprehending God under these distinct notions of power as a Father to protect us of wisdom as the Sonne to instruct us of goodnesse as the Holy Spirit to comfort us So now must we on the other side take the more care that we make answerable returns of Love Obedience Gratitude and sin not against these Persons in their severall Notions either by neglect of any of them in such as God sets over us or by abuse thereof imparted to our selves As David in that Complicated sinne Psalm 51. where he offended against all the Three First against the Father by abusing that powwer which he had given him Against the Sonne by depraving true Wisdom into Craft and Treachery Against the Holy Ghost by contemning the Goodnesse and Piety of Vriah's refusall But let us rather imitate both for their Contemplation and Devotion those Crowned four and twenty Elders Revel 4. that incessantly sung that sacred Treble Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty c. For first their Speculation proves the Trinity and then their Devotion worships and adoreth it Holy Holy Holy which Was and Is and is to Come Tenses and Persons both you see here speak the sacred Mystery of Trinity in Unity Hieron in Isa c. 6. and Unity in Trinity Per hoc quod ter sanctus Trinitatem significat per hoc quod subdit Dominus Deus Vnitatem In that they sing thrice Holy notes the Trinity in that they add the singular Lord God notes the Unity Respons ad object Arrian Or as Fulgentius Quid est quod ter Sanctus dicitur Cur semel Dominus Deus What is the meaning of this Hymne so trebled so singularized but three distinct persons and yet one onely Lord God according to the Athanasian Creed Athanasius contra totum mundum è contra composed against Arrius and appointed ever to be read This Day which Was without beginning which Art of thy selfe without means and shall be for ever without end Saint John in his Vision beheld one sitting on a Throne which is God the Father and at his right hand the Lamb which is God the Sonne Bullinger in locum and the seven-fold Spirit proceeding from both which is God the Holy Ghost Vnus potentialiter Trinus personaliter One in power and efficacy Three in personality c. Therefore after all Gods goodnesse celebrated in other Festivals now most