salvation which is not to be found either in expresse termes or by evident consâ—quences in the holy Scriptures and that I may not wander we meet with a strong argument to this purpose in my text That which is able to give us full joy must not be deficient in any thing which conduceth to our happinesse but the holy Scriptures give fulness of joy and therefore the way to happiness is perfectly laid down in them the major of this syllogisme is so clear that it needs no probation for who can or will deny that full joy is only to be had in a state of blâ—sse the minor is plain from this Scripture and may thus be drawne forth That which the Apostles aimed at in may doubtlesse be attained to by their writings for they being inspired of God it is no other then the end that God purposed in inspiring which they had in writing and either God himself is wanting in the means which he hath designed for this end or these writings contain in them what will yeild fulness of joy and to that end bring us to a state of blessednesse 2. To the people whom they expressely forbid to read the holy Scriptures esteeming the permission of them to the vulgar eye to be the casting of pearls before swine and the giving holy things to dogs hence is it that in a seeming reverence to holy writ and withall a pretended care of the Laicks that they may not wrest the Scriptures to their own perdition they lay upon them a prohibition but the truth is as they are but false friends to the Scripture so in this they are manifest enemies to the people bereaving them of that comfort which they might have in the reading of those divine books Certainly the Apostles intended that their Epistles should be read both to and by them to whom they wrote them now these you to whom S. John wrote were ordinary Christians dispersed in several countries such whom in the second Chapt. he calls not only Fathers but young men and children and the other Apostles expressâ—ly direct their Epistles to all that are called to be Saints as well private persons in as publick officers of the Church nay yet further when we consider what singular benefit is to be gained by the reading of the holy Scriptures for correction â—nstruction and in particular consolation surely it is no small injury that the Church of Rome by this prohibition doth to her members even as great as if the mother should deny the dug to the tender infant 2. How odious is the prophanenesse of those Christians who neglect the holy Scriptures and give themselves to reading other books How many precious hours do many spend and that not only on workdays but holy-days in foolâ—sh Romances fabulous histories lascivious poems and why this but that they may be cheered and delighted when as full joy is onely to be had in these holy books Alas the joy you find in those writings is perhaps pernicious such as tickleth your lust and promoteth contemplative wickednesse at the best it is but vain such as onely pleaseth the fancie and affecteth the wit whereas these holy writings to use Davids expression are right rejoycing the heart Again are there not many who more set by Plutarchs Morals Seneca's Epistles and such like books then they do by the holy Scriptures it is true beloved there are excellent truths in those moral writings of the heathen but yet they are far short of these sacred books those may comfort against outward trouble but not against inward fears they may rejoyce the mind but cannot quiet the conscience they may kindle some flashy sparkles of joy but they cannot warm the soul with a lasting fire of solid consolation And truly brethren if ever God give you a spiritual ear to judge of things aright you will then acknowledge there are no bells like to those of Aarons no harp like to that of Davids no trumpet like to that of Isaiahs no pâ—pes like to those of the Apostles and you will confesse with Petrus Damianus that those writings of heathen Orators Philosophers Poets which formerly were so pleasing are now dull and harsh in comparison of the comfort of the Scriptures 3. Lastly let us so diligently read stedfastly beleive and obediently conform to these writings that our joy may be full by them It is very observable what the Prophet Ieremy saith concerning himself Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was to me the joy and rejoycing of my heart the word caused in Ieremy joy and rejoycing that is a full joy but by what means it was by eating it so must we get comfort in the Scriptures by eating that is reading meditating and applying them to our selves Let then that counsel which St. Ambrose giveth be acceptable to us Eat and eat daily of this heavenly manna that thy hunger may be satisfied and thy soul nourished to eternal life remember the advice which St. Hierom giveth Whatever joyes and pleasures others may take let our delights be in the law of the Lord. Finally hearken to the exhortation of Drogo hostiensis Let not the Law depart from thy heart read and ponder again and again that thou mayst find the savour of this manna with the Bee suck the sweetness of these heavenly flowers And yet more particularly when thou art cast into any danger labourest under any affliction make use of these writings for thy comfort which are as St. Ambrose truly styleth them the onely refuge in all temptations Excellently to this purpose is that even of a Roman Bishop in his exhortation to the Clergy Doth any one labour with ignorance these writings are a light to the feet and a lanthorn to his paths do we weep in this valley of tears here we may find that which will dry our eyes and revive our spirit doest thou thirst after righteousnesse here is a fountain of pure water art thou spiritually hungry here is the bread which came down from heaven indeed there is no condition that can befall a Christian to which these holy writings do not afford a sutable and proportioned consolation I end this therefore with allusion to that expression of the Prophet Esay With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation These wells of salvation are Evangelical truths so St. Hierome spiritual sayings so Procoptus Oh let us by the bucket of faith draw the water of comfortable doctrine out of those wells to the joy and solace of our hearts I have now dispatched the first and most genuine reading of this pronoun the other which the Greek Scholiast taketh notice of would not be altogether passed by which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pronoun of the first person since not onely some Greek copies but the Syriack version also so renders it that our joy might be full And thus as venerable Bede observeth upon these words it lets us see
then which we have further to take notice of and would by no means be omitted is that the promise of the Gospel is conditional it is a position with a supposition nor are the benefits in it granted absolutely but respectively It is a question moved by some how the promise can be free and yet cnoditional not considering the difference between a meritorious cause for which a thing ought to be and a necessary condition without which it cannot be effected were there a proportion of equality between the thing promised and required the promise could not be free but the Evangelical condition is such only as maketh us meet for not worthy of the thing promised and therefore hath onely a proportion of congruity Mercy then is the spring from whence the promise floweth but duty is the channel in which it runneth down to us The primarie design of the Law was precept commanding us to do though there was annexed to it a promise which upon doing what was commanded we should receive The principal scope of the Gospel is promise revealing what God is pleased to do for us yet so as that there are precepts annexed to it which require somewhat to be done by us that we may obtain the promise What then God hath joyned together let not us put asunder the most of us with Malchus have but one eare to hear the promise but not the precept of the Gospel we like well to gather the rose and suck the hony of a promise but the condition we hate as the pricles and sting we would gladly have the priviledge assured and yet we abhorre the duty required but be not deceived if you will have the one you must do the other God will not fulfill his part unlesse we perform ours and therefore it is in vain to expect an accomplishment of his promise but on his own terms in fine the Gospel is a promise let us not be so unthankful unto God and Christ as to reject it it is a conditional promise let us not be so injurious to our selves as to misapply it 2. The Apostles heard this message of him if you ask of whom the answer is to be fetched from the end of the third verse the Father and his Son Jesus Christ it would not be passed by that the Apostle speaking of two persons nay implicitely of all three useth the singular number saying not which we heard of them but him from which though Socinus would only gather an unity of will affection yet the Orthodox conclude an unity of essence and nature The multitude of beleevers were of one heart in the primitive times and one soul yet it would have been very improper to have spoken of them as one man but inasmuch as the Father and the Son though two persons â—ave one and the same essence it was very proper to use the singular number that which we have heard of him That which we are here to take notice of is 1. Partly that these Apostles heard before they declared It is very observable that in the Hebrew tongue the same verb in Kal signifieth to learn and in Piel to teach and the same noun signifieth both an hearing and a report and indeed the Greeks use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines auditio in the same sense whereby is intimated to us that we must be hearers ere we be speakers learners ere we be Teachers Scholars before we be Tutors And I could heartily wish that this consideration might be a check to the inconsiderate rashnesse of those giddy heads in this age who never sate at Gamaliels feet and yet step into Moses his chaire and though they have scarce learned any thing themselves at either School or Academy adventure to teach the people in these sacred Oratories 2. Chiefly That what they declared to the world was no other then what they heard from Christ this is that which as S. John asserteth here so S. Paul elsewhere concerning himselfe That which I have received of the Lord I have delivered unto you and in another place not I but the Lord Thus it was with the Apostles and thus it was with the Prophets who uttered nothing but what was by God revealed to them and therefore you find them very often bringing in Sic dicit Dominus Thus saith the Lord. 1. It is an Item to Ministers that our faithfulnesse appear in delivering as wholly so only the Counsell of God the mind of Christ revealed in his Word to the people whilest Jesuites declare what they hear from the Pope as accounting him infallible whilest Enthusiasts declare what they hear from the devill mistaking his delusions for the spirits inspirations let the Ministers of Christ declare nothing but what they hear though not immediately yet mediately from Christ oh far be it from us to pretend to be his messengers and yet to vent our own inventions and preach our own fancies what Ambassadour dare deliver any thing to a forraign Prince but what the King his Master giveth him in charge Oh let us who are the Ambassadours of Christ declare nothing but that message with which he sends us 2. It is a document to the people that the Apostolical writings and our preaching according to them be received by you with Faith and reverence because they are no other then the dictates of Christ indeed whose authority should prevaile if not Christs and with whom if not the Church it is the character of Christs sheep that they know his voyce and follow it we need not fear that he who is the way will cause us to wander who is the truth will cause us to erre who is the faithful witness will go about to deceive us so long as we speak the truth in and from Christ and lye not do you beleeve and doubt not 3. The Wee to whom Christ was pleased to impart this message and by whom he declared it to the world would be considered and that especially in respect of their mean and low condition if you look upon S. John and the rest of these holy Apostles with a carnal eye there was nothing in them which might render them worthy of so high a prerogative they were poor rude illiterate despised Fishermen and who were they that Christ should imploy them to be his Ambassadours Kings do not use to send beggars and pesants of their errands but Christ was pleased to make use of these contemptible persons for his Embasie In this respect it is the Apostle saith we have this treasure in earthen vessels not golden or silver but earthen vessels are chose by Christ for the receiving and communicating of this heavenly treasure of the Gospel Indeed whether you look on things or persons still they are mean and despicable which Christ imployeth in his service As the Prophet from God appointed the water of Iordan to be the means of curing Naamans leprosy so hath our Lord Christ instituted water
and bread and wine common ordinary creatures to be the pledges of his love and conduit-pipes of his grace to the Church and as common things so ordinary persons are thought fittest by him to be imployed in his work indigent ignorant fishermen must be the publishers of his Gospel to the world It is that which lets us see the freeness the strangeness and the wisdom of divine dispensations 1. The freeness in that as the Apostle speaketh there is no respect of persons with God it is not external qualifications that Christ looketh at the poor as well as the rich the simple as soon as the wise the base as easily as the noble are accepted of him nay many times he passeth by these and chooseth those 2. The strangeness in that it is so contrary to the dictates of carnal reason who would not have thought it the most probable way of spreading the Gospel if Christ had imployed the Scribes that were learned in the Law and the Rulers of the people to have been the publishers of it but Gods wayes are not as our wayes neither are his thoughts as ours he loves to tread in uncouth paths and for the most part such as are crosse to our reason 3. The wisdom in that this serveth much to magnifie his own name look as the lesse aptitude there is in the matter so the lesse energie there is in the instrument so much the greater doth the skill power and causality of the efficient appear the less there is of men in any work the more of God is seen To do so great a work as the publishing and promoting of Christian Religion by such weak instruments as the Apostles were cannot but highly advance the honour of Christ since as S. Paul speaketh hereby the excellency of the power is manifested to be of God and not of man 2. And thus I have given you a view of the porch be pleased now to go into the house and therein to take a survey of the 1. Foundation as it is laid down in those words God is light and in him is no darkness at all if we consider these words in their utmost latitude they are both a position and a probation but this latter I shall defer to the following words For the more full handling of this clause as a position be pleased to observe something both more general and more speciall 1. In generall the words are a metaphoricall description of God For beloved when the Apostle saith God is light we must not think that the nature of God is the same with that of light indeed as St. Austin well observeth the Sun is light and the Moon is light and the other Stars are light but far be it from us to imagine that the Creators essence is the same with the Creatures but something far more choice and excellent only by light as a similitude the Apostle would represent something of God to us and thus it is not unworthy our consideration That 1. The metaphor which St. Iohn maketh choice of is drawn from a thing very obvious and familiar to us Indeed as one saith well light is that then which nothing is more unknown and yet nothing more known being that which is visible to every eye and in this respect the fitter to illustrate God by that by what we do know we may be instructed concerning him whom we do not know It is a fit pattern for all Ministers to follow whose work is not to make plain things hard as too many do but to make hard things plain and therefore to draw their similitudes from common and manifest things such as may not cast a vail over but give a lustre to the truth they deliver Indeed the end of these similitudes is chiefly to help the minde in conceiving and the memory in retainning what is by them represented now familiar comparisons are both more quickly understood and easily remembred and therefore ought espeoially to be used 2. The Apostle endeavouring to instruct us concerning the Creator borroweth a resemblance from the Creature Indeed as the Apostle Paul speaketh there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something to be known of God by the Creatures the earth and every pile of grass that groweth out of it but much more the heavens and the beams of light that flow from it declare the glory of God God hath vouchsafed somewhat of his excellencies to the Creatures and therefore in them we may nay ought to read something of God and that not onely in respect of his being but attributes Oh let us study this divine Art learn this spiritual Alchimy to extract heaven out of earth God out of the Creature that as we behold the works of his hand so we may in and by them see the excellency of the worker It is a known maxime in Philosophy Omnis cognitio fit per sensum All naturall knowledge entereth into the minde by the sense and it is thus far true in Divinity that spiritual knowledge may be helped by the sense happy is that man who maketh the things which he seeth as so many stayres by which his contemplation goeth up to God whom he doth not see 2. In particular this metaphoricall description of God is set forth both affirmatively God is light and negatively in him is no darkness at all and both may be construed two wayes to wit as spoken of God considered either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in himself or in his influences 1. In himself And that 1. Affirmatively God is light And thus 1. This metaphor of light though but darkly shadoweth forth the Trinity the Father being as the body of light the Son as the beams the Holy Ghost as the Splendor of both Dyonisius illustrateth it by the similitude of three candles enlightning one and the same room Damascen of the parelii when there appear as it were three and yet it is but one sun some have observed a resemblance of it in the Hebrâ—w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latine Lux which signifie light all of which are monosyllables consisting of three letters and in the Hebrew word they observe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the beginning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the beginning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the spirit and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the middle letter may aptly represent the Son which is the middle person especially being neer of kin to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Son but as I would not altogether contemn so neither do I much delight in such kind of observations and besides it is no doubt aliene from the Apostles scope to intend by this metaphor a resemblance of the Trinity 2. That therefore which is to be considered is in what respects this metaphor of