SERMONS

xrv^xviii.

BT THE

FATHER IN GOD,

OXFORD:

The present volume contains nineteen Discourses; the remainder of those preached on Easter-day, on our Lord's Resurrection, and the whole series preached on Whit-Sunday, on the Sending of the Holy Ghost.

Of those on the Resurrection, the first four were preached before King James I. at Whitehall, between the years 1620 and 16S3, both inclusive; and the last was only prepared for delivery on Easter-day 16^, but was never actually preached.

With respect to the subject-matter of these Sermons little need be said. The first three are occupied with a consideration of the great love and devotion displayed by St, Mary Magdalene, at the tomb of her Divine Master; together with aparticular examination of the probable grounds which induced our blessed Saviour to repress her ardent zeal, and through her to inculcate upon us the necessity of spiritualizing our affections, and at the same time of reposing with implicit confidence upon Him, Who is at once our Father and our God.

The two last discourses in this series, from different texts, enforce the same practical lesson, namely, the obligation which is laid upon every Christian of making a suitable and correspondent return for the great blessings of salvation.

The Sermons preached on Whit-Sunday, on the Sending of the Holy Ghost, come next under consideration.

They are fifteen in number, and, with the exception of the last, were all preached before King James I. at Greenwich, Whitehall, Windsor, and Holy-rood House, between the years

vi editor's preface.

1606 and 1621, both inclusive. The last, which was just excepted, was only prepared to be preached on Whit-Sunday

This series is particularly valuable for the light which it throws upon some of the very highest, and most mysterious — and it may be added the most essential — Articles of the Catholic Faith; and also for the arguments which it affords to the controversialist who combats the Socinian and other rationalistic heresies. Herein we have asserted, and established, the distinction of Persons and the unity of essence, in the Godhead, — the Divinity, personality, and agency of the Holy Spirit in particular — His procession jfrom the Father and the Son, — His three-fold coming — His office. His works. His gifts. His place, in the economy of redemption — the power which He confers in Holy Orders — the danger of grieving Him — the necessity of receiving Him — His indwelling — the comfort He imparts, the meetness with which He endues the soul for the inheritance of the Saints in glory. These, and other points of a similar character, form the substance of the above sermons; and it will at once be perceived on perusal that they are not merely speculative, but that they abound in practical applications to the consciences of individual Christians, such indeed as cannot easily be resisted, except in cases where the mind is inveterately prejudiced against the reception of the truth.

On the whole, it is hoped that these discourses may, in the full depth of their meaning, be blessed to the edification of those whom a false philosophy, or perhaps the mere pride of intellect, has unhappily influenced against the mysteries of Revelation, by satisfactorily shewing that there is nothing in them to prevent a rightly-constituted mind from still embracing and holding them fast, as forming a part of that sacred deposit of faith once given to the Saints, and entrusted to us for transmission to succeeding generations.

The Hebrew Quotations have for the most part been revised and corrected by the Rev. C. Seager^ M.A. late Scholar of Worcester College, to whom the Editor is glad of having an opportunity of thus recording his obligations.

The Variations between the texts heading the Sermons, and the same as they occur in the Genevan Bible, are given as before (the most important of them) in a note below*.

• The variations are distingmslied by italics.

herself, Yer. 14 she turned herself back,

. in His strength of all the people

onr Lord Jesus Christ, Holt Ghost. Serm. I. — ^X. No variation of the slightest importance. Serm. XI. Acts ii. 16—21. Ver. 18.

Serm. XII. No variation. Serm. XIII. 1 John v. 6. . . ,that Spirit

1^*0 May 29, 1850. — This volume has been carefully revised throughout by the Editor, prior to its being reprinted.

CONTENTS.

SERMON XIV.

Preached before the King's Migesty at Whitehall, on the Sixteenth of April,

But Mary stood by the sepulchre weeping ; and as she wept, she

stooped, and looked into the sepulchre, And saw two Angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, the

otfier at the feet, where the Body of Jesus had lain. And they said to her. Woman, why weepest thou? She said to

them. They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where

they have laid Him. When she had thus said, she turned herself about, and saw Jesus

standing, and knew n>ot that it was Jesus, Jesus saith to her. Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest

thou? She, supposing He had been the gardener, said to

Him, Sir, if Thou have borne Him hence, tell me where Thou

haat laid Him, and I will take Him thence. Jesus saith to her, Mary. She turned herself, and said to Him,

Babboni, that is to say. Master. Jesus said to her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended

to My Father : but go to My brethren, and say to them, I

ascend to My Father and to your Father, and to My God

and your God.

CONTENTS.

SERMON XV.

(Page 23.)

Preached before the King's Miyesty at Whitehall, on the First of April,

A.D. MDOxzi., being Easter-day.

John xx. 17. Jesus saiih unto her. Touch Me not.

SERMON XVI.

(Page 39.)

Preached before the King's Msgesty at Whitehall, on the Twenty-first of April,

AJ>. MDCXxn., being Easter-day.

John xx. 17.

Jesus saiih unto her^ Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren^ and^ay unto them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God,

SERMON XVII.

(Page 60.)

Preached before the King's Majesty at Whitehall, on the Thirteenth of April,

A.D. MDCxxm., being Easter-day.

WJio is this That cometh from Edom, with red garments from Bozrah? He is glorious in His apparel, and walketh in great strength; I speak in righteousness, and am mighty to save.

Wherefore is Thine apparel red, and Thy garments like him thai treadeih in the winepress?

I have trodden the winepress alone^ and of all the people there was none with Me; for I will tread them in Mine anger, and tread them underfoot in My wrath, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment.

CONTENTS. XI

SERMON XVIII.

(Pge 80.) Prepared to be preached on Easter-day, a.d. mdoxziv.

7% God of peace That brought again from the dead our Lord

Jesus Christy the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the

blood of the everlasting testament^ Make you perfect in all good works to do His willy working in

you that which is pleasant in His sight y through Jesus Christ;

to Whom be praise for ever and ever! Amen.

HOLY GHOST,

SERMON I.

(Page 107.)

Preached before the King's Majesty at Greenwich, on the Eighth of June,

A.D. MDCVi., being Whit-Sunday.

And when the day of Pentecost was come (or, when the fifty days

were fulfilled) they were all with one accord in one place. And there came suddenly from Heaven the sound of a mighty

mndy and it filled the place where they sat. And there appeared tongues cloven as they had been off re, and

sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began

to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

XU CONTENTS.

SERMON II.

(Page 130.)

Preached before the King's Majesty at Greenwich, on the Twenty-fourth of May,

A.D. MDCYin., being Whit-Sunday.

Acts ii. 4.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost ^ and began to speak

with other tongues^ as the Spirit gave them utterance.

SERMON III.

(Page 145.)

Preached before the King's Msgesty at Whitehall, on the Twenty- seventh of May,

AJ). MDCx., being Whit-Sunday.

If ye love Me^ keep My commandments* And I will pray the Father^ and He shall give you another Comforter^ that He may abide with you for ever.

SERMON IV.

(Page 163.)

Preached before the King's Mi^esty at Windsor, on the Twelfth of May,

A J). KDOxi., being Whit-Sunday..

John xvi. 7. Yet I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away^ the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.

SERMON V.

Preached before the King's Mi^esty at Whitehall, on the Thirty-first of May,

A.D. MDCxn., being Whit-Sunday.

And it came to pass, <^c. that Paul came to Ephesus, and found

there certain Disciples, And said unto them. Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye

believed? And they said unto him. We have not so much a^

heard whether there be an Holy Ghost, And he said unto them, Unto what were ye ilien baptized? And

they saidf Unto John's baptism.

CONTENTS. Xlll

SERMON VI.

(Page 201.)

Preached before the King's Majesty at Whitehall, on the Twenty- third of May,

A.i>. MDCxm., being Whit-Sunday.

Ephesians iv. 30.

And grieve not (or, be not willing to grieve) the Holy Spirit of

Godj by Whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption,

SERMON VII.

(Page 221.)

Preached before the King's Majesty at Greenwich, on the Twelfth of Jane,

A.D. MDCxiv., being Whit-Sunday.

Psalm Ixviii. 18.

Thou art gone wp on high^ Thou hast led captivity captive^ and received gifts for men; yea^ even the rebellious hast Thou led, that the Lord God might dwell there.

%

SERMON VIII.

(Page 241.)

Preached before the King's Majesty at Greenwich, on the Twenty-ninth of May,

A.D. MDCxv., being Whit-Sunday.

Now it came topassy when all the people were baptized^ and that Jesus also was baptized^ and did pray, the heaven was opened.

And the Holy Ghost came down upon Him in a bodily shape like a dove^ and there was a voice from Heaven, saying, Thou art My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased,

SERMON IX.

(Page 261.)

Preached before the King's Miyesty at Greenwich, on the Nineteenth of May,

AD. MDOxvi., being Whit-Sunday.

John xx. 22. And when He had said that, He breathed on them, and said

unto them, Receive the Holy Ghost,

XIV CONTENTS.

SERMON X.

(Page 280.)

Preached before the King's Miyesty at Holyrood-House, in Edinburgh, on the Eighth of Jane, a.d. MDCxyn., being Whit-Sunday.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me^ that I should preach the Oospel to the poor ; He hath sent Me^ that I should heal the broken-hearted^ that I should preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and that I should set at liberty them that are bruised,

And that I should preach the acceptable year of the Lord,

• SERMON XI.

(Page 301.)

Preached before the King's Migesty at Greenwich, on the Twenty-fourth of

May, A.D. MDcxvrn., being Whit-Sunday.

Acts ii. 16—21.

But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel;

My Spirit upon alljlesh: and your sons and your daughters

shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and

your old men shall dream dn^eams : And on My servants and on Mine harkdmaids 1 will pour out of

My Spirit; and they shall prophesy : And 1 will shew wonders in Heaven above, and tokens in the

earth beneath; blood and fire, and the vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,

Lord, shall be saved.

CONTENTS. XV

SERMON XII.

Preached before the King's Majesty at Greenwich, on the Sixteenth of May,

A.D. MDCzix., being Whit-Sunday.

Then Peter opened his mouthy and aaidj Of a truth I perceive.

that God is no accepter of persons : But in every nation he thatfeareth Him, and toorketh righteous^

ness, is accepted with Him.

SERMON XIII.

Preached before the King's Majesty at Whitehall, on the Fourth of June,

A.n. MDCxx., being Whit- Sunday.

This is that Jesus Christ That came by water and blood; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit That beareth witness, for the Spirit is truth.

SERMON XIV.

(Page 361.)

Preached before the King's Majesty at Greenwich, on the Twentieth of May,

A.D. MDOxxi., being Whit-Sunday.

Err not, my dear brethren.

Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, and

cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no

variableness, neither shadowing by turning.

XVI CONTENTS.

SERMON XV.

(Page 377.) Prepared to be Preached on Whit-Sunday, a,d. MDCxxn.

Now there are diversities of gifts^ but the same Spirit,

•And there are diversities of administrations ^but the same Lord,

And there are diversities of operations^ but God is the same^

SERMONS

xrv^-xvin.

A SERMON

ON THE SIXTEENTH OF APRIL, AJ). HDOXX. BEING EA8TEB-DAT.

But Mary stood by the sepulchre weeping ; and as she wept^ she

stooped, and looked into the sepulchre. And saw two Angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, the

other at the feet, where the Body of Jesus had lain. And they said to her. Woman, why weepest thou? She said to

them. They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where

they have laid Him, When she had thus said, she turned h&rself about y and saw Jesus

standing, and knew not that it was Jesus, Jesus saith to her. Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest

thou? She, supposing He had been the gardener, said to

Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou

hast laid Him, and I will take Him thence. Jesus saith to her, Mary, She turned herself, and said to Him,

JRabboni, that is to say, Master, Jesus said to her. Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended

to My Father : but go to My brethren, and say to them, I

ascend to My Father and to your Father, and to My God

and your Ood,

[Maria autem stabat ad monumentum/oris, plorans : Dum ergofleret,

inclinavit se, et prospexit in monumentum ; Et vidit duos Angelas in albis, sedentes^ unum ad caput, et unum ad

Dominum meum, et nesdo ubi posuerunt Eum, H(EC cum dixisset, conversa est retrorsum, et vidit Jesum stantem, et

quia hortulanus esset, didt ei, Domine, si tu sustulisti Eum, dieito

4 Of the Resurrection.

Magister. Dicit ei Jesus, Noli Me tangere, noridum enim ascendi ad Patrem

Meum: vade autem ad fratres Meos, et die eis, Ascendo ad

Patrem Meum, et Patrem vestrnm, Deum Meum, et Deum vestrum.

Latin Vulg.]

she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre. And seeth two Angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the

other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto

them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not

where they have laid Him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus

standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if

thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him,

and I will take Him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto

Him, Rabboni, which is to say. Master. Jesus saith unto her. Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My

Father : but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto

My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.

Engl. Trans.]

This last verse was not touched.

S E R M. It is Easter-day abroad, and it is so in the text. We keep

! Solomon's rule, Verbum diei in die suo. For all this I have

8. 59^^^ read, is nothing else but a report of Christ's rising, and of His appearing this Easter-day morning. His very first appearing of all. St. Mark is express for it, that Christ was no sooner Mark 16. 9. risen this day but " He appeared first of all to Mary Magdalene;" which first appearing of His is here by St. John extended, and set down at large.

The sum of it is, 1. The seeking Christ dead; 2. The finding Him alive.

The manner of it is, Tliat Mary Magdalene staying still by the sepulchre, first she saw a vision of Angels; and after, she saw Christ Himself. Saw Him, and was herself made an Angel by Him, a good Angel to carry the Evangel, the first good and joyful tidings of His rising again from the dead.

Of the Mesurrection. 5

And this was a great honour, all considered, to serve in an Angel's place. To do that at His resurrection, His second Acts 18. 88. birth, that at His first birth an Angel did. An Angel first published that, Mary Magdalene brought first notice of this. As he to the shepherds, so she to the Apostles, the Pastors of Christ's flock, by them to be spread abroad to the ends of the world.

To look a little into it. 1. Mary is the name of a woman; 2. Mary Magdalene of a sinful woman.

That to a woman first — it agreeth well to make even with [Conf. Eve; that as by a woman came the first news of death, so by ^^ Evimg. a woman also mis^ht come the first notice of the Resurrection }jj*- 2- ^,

Horn 25

firom the dead. And the place fits well, for in a garden they e. ad fln.] came both.

That to a sinful woman first — that also agrees well. To her first that most needed it; most needed it, and so first sought it. And it agrees well. He be first found of her that first sought Him; even in that respect she was to be respected.

In which two there is opened unto us " a gate of hope," Hos. 2. 16. two great leaves, as it were; one, that no infirmity of sex — for a woman we see; the other, that no enormity of sin — for a sinful woman, one that had the blemish that she went under the common name ofpeccatrix, as notorious and famous Lu. 7. 87. in that kind; that neither of these shall debar any to have their part in Christ and in His resurrection; any, that shall seek Him in such sort as she did. For either of these non obstante^ nay notwithstanding both these, she had the happiness to see His Angels — and that was no small favour; to see Christ Himself, and that first of all, before all others to see and salute Him; and to receive a commission firom Him of vade et dic^ to " go and tell," that is as it were to be an [Vid. S. Apostle, and that to the Apostles themselves, to bring them gi^fs*. lo!] the first good news of Christ's rising again.

There are three parties that take up the whole text, and if I should divide it, I would make those three parties the three parts; I. Mary Magdalene, II. the Angels, HI. and Christ our Saviour.

Mary Magdalene begins her part in the first verse, but she i. goes along through them all.

6 Of the Mesurrecfian.

SB BM. Then the Angels* part in the two verses next I. Their * appearing, 2. and their speech to her; appearing in the

* twelfth, speech in the thirteenth,

m. And last, Christ's part in all the rest. 1. His appearing,

2. and speech likewise. Appearing first, unknown, in the

fourteenth, and His speech then in the fifteenth.

Afl;er, His appearing and speech again, being known,in the sixteenth and seventeenth. 1. Forbidding her, mane et tange, to stay and to touch; 2. and bidding her, vade et dic^ to get her quickly to His brethren, and tell them His resurrection was past, for ascendoy He was taking thought for His Ascension, and preparing for that. Thus lieth the order and the parts. The use will be, that we in our seeking carry ourselves as she did; — and so may we have the happiness that she had to find Christ, as He is now to be found in the virtue of His resurrection!

Ver. 11. "But Mary stood by the Sepulchre weeping, and as she wept she stooped, and looked into the Sepulchre."

Of the favours vouchsafed this ssunefelix peccatrixy as the Fathers term her, this day; 1. To see but Christ's Angels, 2. To see Christ at all, 3. To see Him first of all, 4. But more than all these, to be employed by Him in so heavenly an errand, reason we can render none that helped her to Lu. 7. 47. these, but that which in a place Christ Himself renders. Quia dilexit multunij " because she loved much."

" She loved much;" we cannot say. She believed much;

for by her sustukrunt thrice repeated, the second, thirteenth,

much as the High Priests would have had the world believe,

that " He was taken away by night."

Hom^de JP^^^^^*' — i* is Origen; * We cannot commend her faith, her

Mar.Mag.] love we cannot but commend,' and so do — commend it in

her, commend it to you. Much it was, and much good proof

gave she of it. Before, to Him living; now, to Him dead.

To Him dead, there are divers; 1. She was last at His cross,

and first at His grave; 2. Stayed longest there, was soonest

here; 3. Could not rest till she were up to seek Him;

Mat 28. 1. 4. Sought Him while it was yet dark, before she had light

to seek Him by.

Of th$ Jteiurreotionm 7

But to take her as we find her in the text, and to look no whither else. There are in the text no less than ten, all arguments of her great love; all as it were a commentary upon dUexit muUum. And even in this first verse there are five of them.

The first in these words, stabat juxta monumentumf that i. " she stood by the grave," a place where taint love loves not to stand. Bring Him to the grave, and lay Him in the grave, and there leave Him; but come no more at it, nor stand not long by it. Stand by Him while He is alive — so did many; stand, and go, and sit by Him. But statu jtucta numumefUumy stand by Him dead; Mary Magdalene, she did it, and she only did it, and none but she. Jlmor stans juxta monumentum.

The next in these, Maria autem stabaty ^^ But Mary t. stood." In the auteniy the " but" — ^that helps us to.another. ^^ But Mary stood," that is as much to say as, Others did not, "but" she did. Peter and John were there but even now. Joh.ap.S. Thither they came, but not finding Him, away they went. They went, but Mary went not, she stood still. Their going away commends her staying behind. To the grave she came before them, from the grave she went to tell them, to the grave she returns with them, at the grave she stays behind them, ^or^ior^am ^&6a^q^c^i^,saith Augustine, ^a stronger [S. Ang. affection fixed her;' so fixed her that she had not the power joan. m. to remove thence. Go who would, she would not, but stay ""*0 still. To stay, while others do so, while company stays, that is the world's love; but Peter is'gone, and John too; all are gone, and we left alone; then to stay is love, and constant love. Amor manens aUis recedentihusj ^ love that when others 8. shrink and give over, holds out still.'

The third in these, " she stood, and she wept;" and not a tear or two, but she wept a good as we say, that the Angels, that Christ Himself pity her, and both of them the first thing they do, they ask her why she wept so. Both of them begin with that question. And in this is love. For if, when Christ stood at Lazarus' grave's side and wept, the Jews said, " See, [John ii. how He loved him!" may not we say the very same, when Mary stood at Christ's grave and wept. See, how she loved! Whose presence she wished for, His miss she wept

8. Of ihe Resu/rreetion^

EE R M. for; Whom she dearly loved while she had Him, she bitterly

'• — bewailed when she lost Him. Amor amarejlensj * love run-'

ning down the cheeks/

4. The fourth in these, " And as she wept, she stooped, and

looked in" ever and anon. That is, she did so weep as she

did seek withal. Weeping without seeking, is but to small

purpose. But her weeping hindered not her seeking, her

6. To seek, is one thing; not to give over seeking, is another.

For I ask, why should she now look in? Peter and John had

looked there before, nay, had been in the grave, they. It

makes no matter; she will not trust Peter's eyes, nor John's

Job. 20. 8. neither. But she herself had before this, looked in too. No

force, she will not trust herself, she will suspect her own eyes,

she will rather think she looked not well before, than leave

[S. Greg, off her looking. It is not enough for love to look in once.

8. 2.T^^** Thus we use, this is our manner when we seek a thing

seriously; where we have sought already, there to seek again,

[S. Aug. thinking we did it not well, but if we now look again better,

that never thinks it hath looked enough. These five.

And, by these five we may take measure of our love, and

[Origen. of the true multum of it. XJt prosit nobis ejus stare^ ejus

J^^}^V^> plorare et qutsrere^ saith Origen, * that her standing, her

weeping, and seeking, we may take some good by them.'

I doubt ours will fall short. Stay by Him alive, that we CdJi, juxta mensam; hntjicxta monumentum, who takes up His standing there? And our love it is dry-eyed, it cannot weep; it is stiff-jointed, it cannot stoop to seek. If it do, and we hit not on Him at first, away we go with Peter and John; we stay it not out with Mary Magdalene. A sign our love is little and light, and oiur seeking suitable, and so it is without success. We find not Christ — no marvel; but seek Him as she sought Him, and we shall speed as she sped.

Ver. 16. " And saw two Angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain."

For what came of this? Thus staying by it, and thus

Of the Mesufrection. 9

looking illy again and again, though she saw not Christ at first, she sees His Angels. For so it pleased Christ to come by degrees, His Angels before Him. And it is no vulgar honour this, to see but an Angel; what would one of us give to see but the like sight?

We are now at the Angels* part, their appearing in this verse. There are four points in it: 1. Their place; 2. Their habit; 3. Their site; 4. and their order. 1. Place, in the grave; 2. Habit, in white; 3. site — ^they were sitting; 4. and their order in sitting, one at the head, the other at the feet.

The place. In the grave she saw them; and Angels in a i. grave, is a strange sight, a sight never seen before; not till Christ's body had been there, never till this day; this the first news of Angels in that place. For a grave is no place for Angels, one would think; for worms rather: blessed Angels, not but in a blessed place. But since Christ lay there, that place is blessed. There was a voice heard firom Heaven, "Blessed be the dead:" "Precious the death," Revelation 14:18/ "Glorious the memory" now, "of them that die in the Lord." P8.ii6.i5. And even this, that the Angels disdained not now to come thither, and to sit there, is an atcspicium of a great change to ensue in the state of that place. Quid gloriosius Angelo? quid vilius vermiculo? saith Augustine. Qui fuit vermiculorum locus^ est et Angehrum. * That which was the place for worms, is become a place for Angels.*

Their habit. " In white." So were there divers of them, 2. divers times this day, seen, " in white" all; in that colour. It seems to be their Easter-day colour, for at this feast they all do their service in it. Their Easter-day colour, for it is the colour of the Resurrection. The state whereof when Christ would represent upon the Mount, " His raiment was Mark 9. 3. all white, no fuller in the earth could come near it." And our colour it shall be, when rising again we " shall walk in [Rev.3.4.] white robes," and "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth." 5?^* \\^: ,

Heaven mourned on Good-Friday, the eclipse made all then in black. Easter-day it rejoiceth. Heaven and Angels, all in white. Solomon tells us, it is the colour of joy. And Eccle8.9.8. that is the state of joy, and this the day of the first joyful tidings of it, with joy ever celebrated, even in albis^ eight days together, by them that found Christ.

S ^^^* ** In wiite," and " sitting." As the ooloor of joy, so the ^ situation of rest. So we say, Sit down, and rest. And so

is the grave made, by this moming^s work, a place of rest

Rest, not from our labours only — so do the beasts rest when

they die; but as it is in the sixteenth Psalm, a Psalm of the Ps. 16. 9. Resurrection, a " rest in hope" — ^^ hope" of rising again, the

members in the virtue of their Head Who this day is risen. Heb. 4. 9. So to enter into the " rest," which yet " remaineth for the

people of God," even the Sabbath eternal. 4. " Sitting," and in this order " sitting;" " at the head one,

at the feet another, where His body had lain."

1. Which order may well refer to Christ Himself, Whose Col. 2. 9. body was the true ark indeed, " in which it pleased the

Godhead to dwell bodily;" and is therefore here between Ex. 26. 22. two Angels, as was the ark, the type of it, " between the

two cherubims." Mat. 26. 7. 2. May also refer to Mary Magdalene. She had anointed Job. 12. 3. His head, she had anointed His feet: at these two places

sit the two Angels, as it were to acknowledge so much for

her sake.

3. In mystery, they refer it thus. Because caput Christi 1 Cor.] 1.3. Deus^ " the Godhead is the head of Christ," and His feet

which the serpent did bruise, His manhood; that either of Gen. 3. 15. these hath his Angel. That to Christ man no less than to ubi supra, Christ God, the Angels do now their service. In principio 8. 3.] erat Verhum^ His Godhead; there, an Angel. Verhum caro 14.] * * * factum, his manhood; there, another. " And let all the Heb. 1. 6. Angels of God worship Him" in both. Even in His man- Xu. 2. 13. hood, at His cradle, the head of it, a choir of Angels; at His

grave, the feet of it, Angels likewise.

4. And lastly, for oiu- comfort thus. That henceforth even Eev. 20. 6. such shall our graves be, if we be so happy as to " have our

parts in the first resurrection," which is of the soul from sin. We shall go to om* graves in white, in the comfort and colour of hope, lie between two Angels there; they guard o\xi bodies dead, and present them alive again at the Resurrection.

1. Yet before we leave them, to leam somewhat of the Angels; specially, of "the Angel that sat at the feet." That between them there was no striving for places. He that " sat at the feet," as well content with his place as he that " at the

Of the Seiurrection, 11

head.'* We to be so by their example. For with us, both the Angels would have been " at the head," never an one " at the feet;" with us none would be at the feet by his good will, head- Angels all.

2. Again, from them both. That inasmuch as the head ever stands for the beginning, and the feet for the end, that we be careful that our beginnings only be not glorious — O an Angel at the head in any wise — ^but that we look to the feet, there be another there too. Ne turpiter atrum desinat, *that [Hor. Aw it end not in a black Angel,' that began in a white. And this ^ "" •• for the Angels' appearing.

Ver. 13. "And they said to her. Woman, why weepest thou? She said to them. They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him."

Now to their speech. It was not a dumb show this, a bare Their apparition, and so raaished away. It was visio etvcx/^ vocal i"<ivision.' Here is a dialogue too, the Angels speak to her.

And they ask her. Quid ploras? Why she wept, what cause she had to weep. They mean she had none, as indeed no more she had. All was in error, pue lachrynue sed ccects^ ^ tears of grief but false grief,' imagining that to be that was not. Him to be dead that was alive. She weeps, because she Gregory. found the grave empty, which God forbid she should have ^^^^^ ^^^ found full, for then Christ must have been dead still, and so u^t.] no Besurrection.

And this case of Mary Magdalene's is our case oftentimes. In the error of our conceit to weep, where we have no cause; to joy, where we have as little. Where we should, where we have cause to joy, we weep; and where to weep, we joy. Om ploras hath never a quid. False joys and false sorrows, false hopes and false fears this life of ours is fiill of — God help us!

Now because she erred, they^ask her the cause, that she aneging it they may taie it awa^, and shew it to be no cause. As the elench, a non causd pro catLsdy makes foul rule among us, beguiles us all our life long.

And a good cause it had been, if it had been true. Any

12 Of the Mesurrectioh*

S E RM. have cause to grieve that have lost, lost a good Lord, so good

'-— and gracious a Lord as He had been to her.

But that is not all ; a worse matter, a greater grief than

2. that. When one dieth, we reckon him taken away ; that is one kind of taking away. But His dead body is left, so all is not taken from us ; that was not her case. For in saying, "her Lord," she means not her Lord alive — ^that is not it; she means not they had slain Him, they had taken away His life — she had wept her fill for that already. But " her Lord," that

[S. Aug. is. His dead body. For though His life was gone, yet His

jj^.^ body was left. And that was all she now had left of Him

121. 1.] that she calls her Lord, and that "they had taken away" from

her too. A poor one it was, yet some comfort it was to her,

to have even that left her to visit, to anoint, to do other

offices of love, even to that. Etiam viso cadavere recalescit

Ambros. amor, at the sight even of that will love revive, it will fetch

ubrrap.l ^^® ^^ ^^^® again. But now here is her case; that is gone

and all, and nothing but an empty grave now left to stand by.

[S. Aug. That St. Augustine saith well, suhlatus de monumento grieved

Siit.l^^^* her more than occism in ligno, for then something yet was

left; now nothing at all. Right sustulerunty taken away quite

and clean.

3. And thirdly, her nescio uhL For though He be taken away, it is some comfort yet, if we know where to fetch Him again. But here. He is gone without all hope of recovery or getting again. For " they" — but she knew not who, " had carried Him," she knew not whither ; " laid Him," she knew not where ; there to do to Him, she knew not what. So that now

[S.Aug, she knew not whither to go, to find any comfort. It was Sd^^l^^ ^cw> uhi with her right. Put all these together. His life taken away. His body taken away, and carried no man knows whither; and do they ask why she wept? or can any blame her for it? Her error. The truth is, none had " taken away her Lord" for all this ; for all this while her Lord was well, was as she would have had Him, alive and safe. He went away of Himself, none carried Him thence. What of that? Non credens stcscitatum^ credidit sublatum, ' for want of belief He was risen, she believed He was carried away.' She erred in so believing; there was error in her love, but there was love in her error too.

Of the Resurrection, 13

, And, give me leave to lay out three more arguments of her Yet her love, out of this verse, to make up eight, towards the making up of her multum.

The very title she gives Him, of Dominum meum, is one; 1. " My Lord," that she ^^es Him that term. For it shews her love and respect was no whit abated by the scandal of His death. It was a most opprobrious, ignominious, shameful death He suffered; such, as in the eyes of the world any would have been ashamed to own Him, or say of Him, Meum; but any would have been afraid to honour Him with that title, to style Him Dominum, She was neither. Meum^ for hers; Dominum mevm, for her Lord she acknowledgeth Him, is neither ashamed nor afraid to continue that title still. Amor scandah non scandalizatus.

Another, which I take to be far beyond this. That she a. having looked into the grave a little before, and seen never an Angel there, and of a sudden looking in now and seeing two, a sight able to have amazed any, any but her, it moves not her at all. The suddenness, the strangeness, the gloriousness of the sight, yea, even of Angels, move her not at all. ecstacy all the while. Domine^ propter Te eat extra se, saith Bernard. Amor extasin patiens.

And thirdly, as that strange sight affected her not a whit, 8. so neither did their comfortable speech work with her at all. Comfortable I call it, for they that ask the cause why, " why weep you?" shew they would remove it if it lay in them. Neither of these did or could move her, or make her once leave her weeping — she wept on still: Christ will ask her, quid ploras? by and by again. If she find an Angel, if she find not her Lord, it will not serve. She had rather find His dead body, than them in all their glory. No man in earth, no Angel in Heaven can comfort her; none but He that is taken away, Christ, and none but Christ; and till she find Him again, her soul refuseth all manner of comfort, yea even from Heaven, even from the Angels themselves; these three. Amor super amissum renuens consolari.

Thus she, in her love, for her supposed loss or taking away. And what shall become of us in ours then? That lose Him 1. not once, but oft; 2. and not in suppose as she did, but iu

14 Of the Mesurrection.

SERM. very deed; d. and that by sin, the worst loss of all; 4. and *' that not by any other's taking away, but by our own act ai^ wilful default; and are not grieved, nay not moved a whit) break none of our wonted sports for it, as if we reckoned Him as good lost as found. Yea, when Christ and the Holy Ghost, and the favour of God, and all is gone, how soon, how easily are we comforted again for all this! that none shall need to say, quidplorasf to us rather, quid nan plorasf ask us why we weep not, having so good cause to do it as we then have? This for the Angels' part.

Ver. 14. "When she had thus said, she turned herself about, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus."

Always the Angels, we see, touched the right string, and she tells them the wrong cause, but yet the right, if it had been right.

Now to this answer of hers they would have replied, and taken away her error touching her Lord's taking away; that if she knew all, she would have left her seeking, and set her down by them, and left her weeping, and been in white as well as they.

But here is a supersedeas to them, the Lor Himself comes in place. Now come we from the seeking Him dead, to the finding Him alive. For when He saw no Angels, no sight, no speech of theirs would serve, none but her Lord could give her any comfort, her Lord comes. Christus adest.

saitb Augustine ; * Christ is found, found by her ; and this case

of hers shall be the case of all that seriously seek Him.' This

woman here for one, she sought Him we see. They that

went to Emmaus to-day, they but talked of Him sadly, and

Ba. 66. 1. they both found Him. Why, He is found of them that seek

Him not; but of them that seek Him, never but found.

Ps. 9. 10. " For Thou, Lord, never failest them that seek Thee." " God

Heb. 6. 10. is not unrighteous, to forget the work and labour of their love

that seek Him."

So find Him they shall, but happily not all so fully at first, no more than she did. For first, to try her yet a little farther. He comes unknown, stands by her, and she little thought it had been He.

Of the Rem/rrection. 15

A case that likewise fjEdls out full oft. Doubtless/^ He is not fiur firom erery one of us/' saith the Apostle to the Athenians. AotslT.ST. But He is nearer us many times than we think; even hard by Job 9. U. J OS and we not aware of it, saith Job. And O si cognovUses La. 10. 43. HtUjOa we did know, and it standeth us in hand to pray that we may know when He is so, for that is "the time of our Lu. 19. 44. visitation."

St. John saith here, the Angels were sitting; St. Luke saith, they stood. They are thus reconciled. That Christ Lu. d4. 4. coming in presence, the Angels which before were sitting Stood up. Their standing up made Mary Magdalene turn her to see who it was they rose to. And so Christ she saw, but knew Hiin not.

Not only not knew Him, but mis-knew Him, took Him for the gardener. Tears will dim the sight, and it was not yet Scarce day, and she seeing one, and not knowing what any one should make in the ground so early but he that dressed it, she might well mistake. But it was more than so; her La. 34. 10. eyes were not holden only that she did not know Him, but over and beside He did appear hipei f^p^p^, in some such shape Mark 16. as might resemble the gardener whom she took Him for.

Proper enough it was, it fitted Well the time and place, this person. The time, it was the spring; the place, it was the garden: that place is most in request at that time, for that place and time a gardener doth well.

Of which her so taking Him, St. Gregory saith well, profecto [S. Greg. errando non erramt. She did not mistake in taking Him for {^, 2^^' a gardener; though she might seem to err in some sense, yet Hom.26.4, in some other she was in the right. For in a sense, and a good sense, Christ may well be said to be a gardener, and indeed is one. For our rule is, Christ as He appears, so He is ever; no false semblant in Him.

1. A gardener He is then. The first, the fairest garden that ever was, Paradise, He was the gardener, it was of His planting. So, a gardener.

2. And ever since it is He That as God makes all our gardens green, sends us yearly the spring, and all the herbs and flowers we then gather; and neither Paul with his [lCor.8.e.] |danting, nor Apollos with his watering, could do any good without Hiin. So a gardener in that sense.

16 Ofihe Jtesurrection.

S EB M. 3. But not in that alone; but He it is that gardens or

^^ souls'^ too, and makes them, as the Prophet saiih, ^^ like Jer.di.]2. a well-watered garden;" weeds out of them whatsoever is noisome or unsavory, sows and plants them with true roots and seeds of righteousness, waters them with the dew of £Qs grace, and makes them bring forth fruit to eternal life.

But it is none of all these, but besides all these, nay over and above all these, this day if ever, most properly He was a gardener. Was one, and so after a more peculiar manner might take this likeness on Him. Christ rising was indeed a gardener, and that a strange one. Who made such an herb grow out of the ground this day as the like was never seen before, a dead body to shoot forth alive out of the grave.

I ask, was He so this day alone? No, but this profession of His, this day begun. He will follow to the end. For He it is That by virtue of this morning's act shall garden our bodies too, turn all our graves into garden plots; yea, shall one day turn land and sea and all into a great garden, and so husband them as they shall in due time bring forth live bodies, even all our bodies alive again.

Long before, did Esay see this and sing of it in his song^ Isa. 26. 19. resembling the resurrection to a spring garden. "Awake and sing," saith he; " ye that dwell for a time are as it were sown in the dust, for His dew shall be as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall shoot forth her dead." So then, He appeared no other than He was; a gardener He was, not in show alone, but opere et veritate, and so came in His own likeness. This for Christ's appearing. Now to His speech, but as unknown still.

Ver. 15. " Jesus saith to her, Woman, why weepest thou?

whom seekest thou?" She, supposing He had been the

gardener, said to Him, " Sir, if thou have borne Him hence,

tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him thence."

Christ's Still she weeps; so He begins with Quidphras? asks the

J^^^ same questions the Angels had before ; only quickens it a

little with quern quaeris, "whom seek you?" So, Qtcem qtueris

" ^ ^^^'^ noscisy cur quoms? saith Augustine. If she seek Him, why

knows she Him not? If she know Him, why seeks she Him

Of the Resurrection. 17

still? A common thing with us, this also; to seek a thing, and when we have found it, not to know we have so, but even Christum a Christo qucBrere^ ' to ask Christ for Christ.' Which however it fall in other matters, in this seeking of Christ it is safe. Even when we seek Christ, to pray to Christ to help us to find Christ; we shall do it full evil without Him.

This quid phras? it comes now twice. The Angels asked it, we stood not on it then. Now, seeing Christ asks it again the second time, we will think there is something in it, and stay a little at it. The rather, for that it is the very opening of His mouth, the very first words that ever came firom Him, that He spake first of all, after His rising again firom death. There is siu'e some more than ordinary matter in this quid plorasf if it be but even for that.

Thus say the Fathers; 1. That Mary Magdalene standing by the grave's side, and there weeping, is thus brought in to represent unto us the state of all mankind before this day, the day of Christ's rising again, weeping over the dead, as do the heathen " that have no hope;" comes Christ with His quid \^^^^* *• ploras, " Why do you weep.?" As much to say, as ne phras; " Weep not, why should you weep?" there is no cause of weeping now. Henceforth none shall need to stand by the grave to weep there any more. A question very proper for Easter-day, for the day of the Resurrection. For if there be a rising again, quid phras is right, why should she, why should any weep then?

So that this quid phras of Christ's wipes away tears from all eyes, and as we sing in the thirtieth Psalm, whose title is, the Psalm of the Resurrection, puts off oiu: " sackcloth," [Ps.30.ii.] that is our mourning weeds, girds us " with gladness," puts us all in white with the Angels.

Floras then, leave that for Good-Friday, for His Passion; weep then, and spare not. But quid phras? for Easter-day is in kind the feast of the Resurrection, why should there be any weeping upon it? Is not Christ risen? Shall not He raise us with Him? Is He not a gardener, to make our bodies sown to grow again? Phras^ leave that to the heathen that are without hope; but to the Christian man, quid phras? Why should he weep? he hath hopes; the Head

Of the Resurrection.

SERM. XIV.

[Luke 24.

[The Queen's death is probably meant.]

Her answer.

[Origen. ubi supra, ad fin.]

is already risen, the members shall in their due time follow Him.

I observe that four times this day, at four several appearings, 1. at the first, at this here. He asked her^ qM phras? why she wept. 2. Of them that went to Emmaus, quid tristes esiis? " Why are ye sad?" 3. Within a verse following, the nineteenth. He saith to the Eleven, Pax vobis, " Peace be to them:" 4. And to the women that met Him on the way, xa'gsrg, that is, " rejoice, be glad." So, no weeping, no being sad; now, nothing this day, but peace and joy; they do properly belong to this feast.

And this I note the more willingly now this year, because the last Easter we could not so well have noted it. Some wept then; all were sad, little joy there was, and there was a quidf a good cause for it. But blessed be God That hath now sent us a more kindly Easter, of this, by taking away the cause of our sorrow then, that we may preach of quid phras? and be far from it. So much for quid phras f Christ's question. Now to her answer.

She is still where she was; at sustulerunt before, at sustulisti now — si tu sustulisti: we shall never get that word from her.

But to Christ she seems somewhat more harsh than to the Angels. To them she complains of others; "they have taken," Christ she seems to charge, at least to suspect of the fact, as if He looked like one that had been a breaker up of graves, a carrier away of corpses out of their place of rest. Her if implies as much. But pardon love; as it fears where it needs not, so it suspects oft where it hath no cause. He, or any that comes in our way, hath done it, hath taken Him away, when love is at a loss. But Bernard speaks to Christ for her; Domine, amor quern kabebat in Te, et dohr qtiem habebat de Te, excuset earn apud J!?, si forte erravit circa Te: that 'the love she bare to Him, the sorrow she had for Him, may excuse her with Him, if she were in any error concerning Him in her saying,' Si tu sustulisti.

And yet see how God shall direct the tongue! In thus charging Him, prophetat etnescit, * she says truer than she was aware.' For indeed, if any took Him away, it was He did it. So she was not much amiss. Her si tu was true, though not

Of the Jtesitrrection, 1 9

in her sense. For, quod de Ipso factum est, Ipse fecit, ' All that was done to Him, He did it Himself.' His taking away, virtus fuit, non f acinus, * was by His own power, not by the Cho-soloact of any other;' et gloria, non injuria, *no other man's injury ^"^* it was, but His own glory,' that she found Him not there. This was true, but this was no part of her meaning.

I cannot here pass over two more characters of her love, that so you may have the fiill ten I promised.

One, in si tu sustulisti Hum, in her Eum, in her " Him." l- [jm? Which Him? Her affections seem so to transport her, [N. Clar. as she says no man knows what. To one, a mere stranger to ^^^ ' her, and she to him, she talks of one thrice under the term S. Bern. of " Him;" " if thou hast taken Him away, tell me where B.M.Magd. thou hast laid Him, and I will fetch Him;" Him, Him, and ^dfin.] Him, and never names Him, or tells who He is. This is soloeeismus amoris, an irregular speech, but love's own dialect. " Him" is enough with love: who knows not who that is? It supposes every body, all the world bound to take notice of him whom we look for, only by saying " Him," though we never tell his name, nor say a word more. Amor, quern ipse cogitai, neminem putans ignorare.

The other is in her ego toUam: if he would tell her where 2. he had laid Him, she would go fetch Him, that she would. Alas, poor woman, she was not able to lift Him. There are more than one, or two either, allowed to the carrying of a corpse.

As for His, it had more than a hundred pound weight Joh.J9.39. of myrrh and other odours upon it, beside the poise of a dead [N. Clar. body. She could not do it. Well, yet she would do its. Bern! though. O mulier, non muUer, saith Origen, for ego tollam ^W supra.] seems rather the speech of a porter, or of some lusty strong ubi sup.] fellow at least, than of a silly weak woman. But love makes women more than women, at least it makes them have voOv vAq Itf^vv, Hhe courage above the strength,' far. Never measures her own forces, no burden too heavy, no assay too hard for love, et nihil erubescit nisi nomen difficuUatis, ' and is not ashamed of any thing but that any thing should be too hard or too heavy for it.' Affectus sine m^ensurd virium propriarum. Both these argue dilexit multum. And so now, you have the full number of ten.

20 Of the Resurrection.

SERM. Ver. 16. "Jesus saith to her, Mary; she turned herself, — ; — '- — and said to Him, Rabboni, that is to say, Master." secon/ ^oyf magnes amoris amor; ' nothing so allures, so draws

speech. love to it, as doth love itself.' In Christ specially, and in such in whom the same mind is. For when her Lord saw there was no taking away His taking away from her, all was in vain, neither men, nor Angels, nor Himself, so long as He kept Himself gardener, could get any thing of her but her Lord was gone. He was taken away, and that for the want of Jesus nothing but Jesus could yield her any comfort. He is no longer able to contain, but even discloses Himself; and discloses Himself by His voice.

For it should seem before, with His shape He had changed

that also. But now He speaks to her in His known voice,

in the wonted accent of it, does but name her name, Mary —

no more, and that was enough. That was as much to say,

[S. Greg. Recognosce a Quo recognosceris^ * she would at least take notice

lib. 2. of Him That shewed He was no stranger by calling her by

Exod. 33. ticular notice of. So God says to Moses, Te autem cognovi

de nomine^ " thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know

thee by name." As God Moses, so Christ Mary Magdalene.

And this indeed is the right way to know Christ, to be

Gal. 4. 9. known of Him first. The Apostle saith, now we "have

known God," and then correcteth himself, " or rather have

been known of God." For till He know us, we shall never

know Him aright.

And now, lo Christ is found; found alive. That was sought dead. A cloud may be so thick we shall not see the sun through it. The sun must scatter that cloud, and then we may. Here is an example of it. It is strange a thick cloud of heaviness had so covered her, as see Him she could not through it; this one word, these two syllables, Mary, from His mouth, scatters it all. No sooner had His voice sounded in her ears but it drives away all the mist, dries up her tears, lightens her eyes, that she knew Him straight, and answers Her an- Him with her wonted salutation, " Rabboni." If it had lain in her power to have raised Him from the dead, she would not have failed but done it, I dare say. Now it is done to her hands.

Of the Resurrection, 21

And with this all is turned out and in; a new world now. Away with sustulerunt; His taking away is taken away quite. For if His taking away were her sorroyf ^contrariorum contraria Augustine. consequential Si de sublato ploravit^ de suscitato exultamt, we may be sure; ' if sad for His death, for His taking away, then glad for His rising, for His restoring again.' Surely if she would have been glad but to have found but His dead body, now she finds it and Him alive, what was her joy, how great may we think! So that by this she saw Quidploras was not asked her for nought, that it was no impertinent question, as it fell out. Well now. He That was thought lost is found again, and found, not as He was sought for, not a dead body, but " a living soul;" nay, " a quickening Spirit" then. And 1 Cor. 15. that might Mary Magdalene well say. He shewed it, for He quickened her, and her spirits that were as good as dead. You thought you should have come to Christ's resurrection to-day, and so you do. But not to His alone, but even to Mary Magdalene's resurrection too. For in very deed a kind of resurrection it was was wrought in her; revived as it were, and raised from a dead and drooping, to a lively and cheerful estate. The gardener had done His part, made her all green on the sudden.

And all this by a word of His mouth. Such power is there in every word of His; so easily are they called, whom Christ will but speak to.

But by this we see, when He would be made known to her after His rising, He did choose to be made known by the ear rather than by the eye. By hearing rather than by appearing. Opens her ears first, and her eyes after. Her Lu. 24. 16. " eyes were holden" till her ears were opened; comes aures ^^' ^^* ^* autem aperuisti mihi, and that opens them.

With the philosophers, hearing is the sense of wisdom. With us, in divinity, it is the sense of faith. So, most meet. Christ is the Word; hearing then, that sense, is Christ's sense; voce quam visu, more proper to the word. So, sicut avdivimus Ps. 48. 8. goes before, and then sic vidimus comes after. In matters of faith the ear goes first ever, and is of more use, and to be trusted before the eye. For in many cases faith holdeth, where sight faileth.

This then is a good way to come to the knowledge of

22 Of the Resurrection.

S E R M. Christ, by hodie si vocem^ to " hear His voice." Howbeit, it is not the only way. There is another way to take notice of

Him by besides, and we to take notice of it. On this very day we have them both.

For twice this day came Christ; unknown first, and then known after. To Mary Magdalene here, and to them at Emmaus. To Mary Magdalene unknown, in the shape of a gardener. To those that went to Emmaus unknown, in the likeness of a traveller by the way-side. Comes to be known to her by His voice, by the word of His mouth. Not so to them. For many words He spake to them, and they Lu. 24. 32. felt them warm at their hearts, but knew Him not for all that.

But " He was known to them in the breaking of the bread." Her eyes opened by speaking a word; their eyes opened by the breaking of bread. There is the one and the other way, and so now you have both. And now you have them, I pray you make use of them. I see I shall not be able to go feixther than this verse.

It were a folly to fall to comparisons, committere inter se, to set them at odds together these two ways, as the fond fashion now-a-days is, whether is better. Prayer or Preaching; the Word or the Sacraments. What needs this? Seeing we have both, both are ready for us; the one now, the other by-andby; we may end this question soon. And this is the best and surest way to end it; to esteem of them both, to thank Him for both, to make use of both; having now done with one, to make trial of the other. It may be, who knows? if the one will not work, the other may. And if by the one or by the other, by either if it be wrought, what harm have we i In case it be not, yet have we offered to God our service in both, and committed the success of both to Him. He will see they shall have success, and in His good time, as shall be expedient for us, vouchsafe every one of us as He did Mary Magdalene

Phil. 3. 10. in the text, " to know Him and the virtue of His resurrection;" and make us partakers of both, by both the means before remembered, by His blessed word, by His holy mysteries; the means to raise oiu: souls here, the pledges of the raising up of our bodies hereafter. Of both which He make us partakers,

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFOBE

ON THE FIBST OF APRIL, A.D. MDCXXI. BEING EA8TEBDAT.

John xx. 17. Jesus saith unto her^ Touch Me not. Didt ei Jesus, Noli Me tangere, \Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not. Engl. Trans.]

Mary Magdalene, because she loved much, and gave divers good proofs of it, had this morning divers favours vouchsafed her: to see a vision of Angels; to see Christ Joh. 20. 12. Himself; to see Him before any other, first of all. He spake *

to her, "Mary;" she spake to Him, "Rabboni." Hitherto all was well. Now here, after all this love, after all these favours, even in the neck of them as it were, comes an unkind word or two, a noli Me tangere^ and mars all; turns all out and in. Make the best of it, a repulse it is; but a cold salutation for an Easter-day morning.

A little before He asked why she wept. This is enough Joh.20.l5. to set her on weeping afresh. For if she wept for sustulerunt Dominum^ that others had taken away her Lord; much more now, when her Lord takes away Himself from her, that she may not so much as touch Him.

We observed that this morning Christ came in two shapes, and at either of them spake a speech. At first He came unknown, taken for a gardener; the latter, He spake in His own voice, and became known to her. I know not how, but unknown Christ proves better to her than when He came to

24 Of the Resurrection,

SERM. be known; better for her, He had kept Himself unknown

still, for then unknown He asked her kindly why she wept;

as much to say as, Weep not, noU te angere, noli Meplangere; — there is some comfort in that. But known, He grows somewhat strange on the sudden, and asks her what she means to come so near Him, or oifer to touch Him; which must needs be much to her discomfort, to be forbidden once to come near or touch her Saviour, and to be forbidden by His own mouth.

But there is good use of noli Me plangere^ and noU Me tangere, both. One we have touched already; of the other, now. One would little think it, but they sort well. Quid ploras? and noli Me tangere. Quid ploras? To rejoice at His rising; noli Me tangere^ to do it with reverence. They amount to Ps. 2. 11. exultate in tremore.

The di- The verse of itself falls into two parts. We may divide it,

as the Jews do the Law, into Do not, and Do; somewhat forbidden there is, and somewhat bidden. Forbidden — do not, not touch Me; bidden — ^but do, " go your ways and tell." The forbidding part stands of two points; 1. a restraint, and I- 2. a reason. I. The restraint in these; noli Me tangerey %c. II. TI. The reason in these; nondum enim^ 8fc, " for I am not yet ascended," &c.

The bidding part, of three. 1. A mission or commission, to go do a message, vade et die, 2. The parties to whom; " to My brethren," that is, to His Disciples. 3. The message itself, " I ascend to My Father," &c. And this latter is as it were an amends for the former; that the text is like the time of the year — the morning somewhat fresh, but a fair day after. Noli Me tangere^ the repulse, is the sharp morning; vade et die, the welcome message, the fair day we spake of, that makes all well again.

Either of these will serve for a sermon; the former, noli Me tangere, S^c, it is so full of difficulties, but withal, of good and needful caution. The latter, of the message, it is so fraught with high mysteries, and beside, with much heavenly comfort. They call it Mary Magdalene's Gospel, for glad tidings it contains; and what is the Gospel else? The first Gospel or glad tidings after Christ's resurrection. The very Gospel of fc the Gospel itself, and a compendium of all the foiu*. Of

Of the Resurrection. 25

which, if God will, at some other time. Now I will trouble

you no farther but with, " Touch Me not, for I am not yet

ascended to the Father."

No sooner had Christ's voice sounded in her ears, but she I.

TI16 reknew straight — " Rabboni," it was He; and withal, as it may straint.

to a volo Te tang ere; that is, she made toward Him, stretched

forth her hand, and offered, would have touched Him, but

for this " Touch Me not." "Touch not?" why "not?" What

harm had there been if He had suffered her to touch Him?

The speech is strange to be spoken either by Him or to her;

the reason, the " for," yet more strange ; many difficulties in

both: God send us well through them! There be but three

words, 1. Noli^ 2. Me^ and 3. tang ere: "touch" at w^hich of

these three you will — tangere the thing; noli and Me^ the two

parties; Me^ Him, Christ; noli^ her, Mary Magdalene; you

will find somewhat strange this speech of His.

Tangere^ the thing. Not " touch?" Why, it is nothing to J. touch, and because it is nothing, might have been yielded to. thT^ing And yet to touch Christ, is not nothing. Many desired, yea ^^^^^^®°- strove, to touch Him; there went virtue fi*om Him, even while He was mortal; but now He is immortal, by all likelihood much more. That was not her case, to draw aught from Him; it was for pure love, and nothing else, she desired it. To love, it is not enough to hear or see; it is carried farther, to touch and take hold; it is affectus unionise and the nearest union is 'per contactum.

Secondly, the parties. Me; not Me^ not Christ. Why not 2. Him? Christ was not wont to be so dainty of it. Divers ^^®P*^- times, and in divers places. He suffered the rude multitude to throng and to thrust Him. What speak we of that, when not three days since He suffered other manner of touches and twitches both? Then, noli Me tangere would have come in good time; would have done well on Good-Friday. Why suffered He them then? why suffered He not her now? She, I dare say for her, would have done Him no hurt, she. Noli is to her; not she, not Mary Magdalene. She had touched Mark 14:3. Him before now; touched His head, touched His feet, ^u- 7. 46. anointed them both; what was done she might not now? She hath even now, this morning, brought odours in her

26 Of the Mesurrection.

S E R M. hand to embalm Him; and with these, and with no other hands

'- — doth she oifer to touch Him at this time : — she might have

Mark J 6.1. been borne with. It was early; as early as it was, she had this morning given many good proofs of her love. 1. That she was so early up; 2. came to the grave first; 3. stayed there last; 4. had been at such cost; 5. had taken such pains; 6. had wept so many tears; 7. would not be comforted, no not by Angels, till she had found Him; and now she hath found Him, not to touch Him? All these might have pleaded for as much as this comes to. For all these, one poor touch had been but an easy recompense. Of all other, this prohibition lay not against her; of all times, not at this. The more we look into it, the farther off we find it, to be spoken either II. But if we go farther, and look the reason, we shall find it

reason. 7^* more Strange; it will increase the doubt. "Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended." What a reason is this! As who should say; when He was ascended, she should then. But then when He was ascended, one would think she should [Vid. S. be farther off than now. Si stans in terrd tarn prope non tan- ^^snist gitfif^ recepttis in ccelum quomodo tangitur? ' K standing on 2.] earth by her. He is not to be touched, when He is taken up

into Heaven, no arm will then reach Him' — past touching then. That if not till then, never. The reason makes it yet farther from reason. No remedy, but we must pray a consultation, as they call it, upon this prohibition.

It cannot be denied, but for noU me there is a time and place. It is worth the noting; the world began with a noU me tangere — both the worlds. The old world; the first words in a manner God spake then were a kind of a noli me tangere, Touch not the forbidding fruit. And as in the old, so here at the beginning this new, for with Christ's rising began the new creature, it is Christ's first speech we see. Christ rising, it is His first precept. His first law is negative; it is the first thing He forbiddeth us, the first He thought good to warn us of. Of His first words we will have special care, I trust. The rule is; things that will hurt us, best not touch. Best not touch? nay sound and good was Arsenius the Eremite's advice touching those; Impera Eves et cave serpentern, et tutus eris; tutior autem, si arborem non aspexeris,

Of the Bemrrectian. 27

* Can you command Eve, can you so? and can you beware

the serpent? well; do so then, and you shall be safe. But,

hear you, tutior^ you shall be yet more safe, if you see not,

look not upon, come not within the reach, nay not within the

sight of the forbidden tree.' But Christ is not the forbidden

tree; the tree of life rather, to be touched and tasted, that we Job, 11. 26.

Of those that hurt us, some we have no sense of at the first. Such are all things unlawful and forbidden; which, though for the time they seem pleasant, yet they have their stings in their tail; sooner or later we shall find they will hurt us, any firuit of the forbidden tree.

Other things we feel hurt us, we forbear easily. An angry inflammation there is, the name of it is a noU me tangere; and not that only, but any boil or sore endures not the touching. What? had Christ any sore place about Him, since His Passion? No; for St. Thomas put his finger, nay, his whole Joh.20.27. hand into the place of His wounds, and put Him to no pain at all. No place in Christ, for this noU me tangere neither.

Not to hold you longer, noli Me tangere can rise but one of l. these ways; either out of 1. noli^ or 2. out of Me; ex parte tacti^ chrisms or ex parte tangentis; Him that was touched, or hers that did pa^t. touch Him. 1. " Touch Me not," you will hurt Me, I am sore — ex parte tacti: 2. or, " touch Me not," I shall hurt you, I am hot or sharp — ex parte tangentis. Fire, I shall scorch you; an edge tool, I shall wound you; pitch, I shall defile you; some contagious thing, I shall infect you. Every one of these cries, noU me tangere. But neither of these hath place in Christ. Christ rising was not now in state to receive any hurt, and neither now, nor ever in case to do any, to prick or to bum the fingers of any that touch Him.

We resolve then, it was not on Christ's part, this " touch 2. Me not." It should then more properly have been nolo Me ^^^ tangif but it is, noli Me tangere, and so on hers. No let in Magda- Him but He might be touched; the let in her, she might not touch Him. That it was never Christ's meaning, after He was risen. He would not be touched of any at all, it is evident. This very day, at even, appearing to the eleven. He not only suffered, but invited them to touch Him; nay more, palpate Me, which is, "touch Me throughly." This very chapter at Lu. 24. 39.

28 Of the Resurrection.

S E R M. the twenty-seventh verse, He calls to St. Thomas, infer digu r John 20 ^^^' "put in your finger;" nay, affer manum^ "hand" and 27.] all; which is to touch, and touch home I am sure.

[S.August. How then ? would He have men touch Him, and not

indieb. women r nor that, neither. This is His first appearing; at

ascn.j jj^g second, and next to this, certain women met Him on the

Mat 28. 9. way; He suffered them to touch Him, and take Him by the

feet. Some virtuous woman it may be, but Mary Magdalene

Lu. 7. 47. had been a notorious sinner, and so unworthy of it. No, nor

that; for that, of the women that so met Him, and so touched

See Mat. Him, she was one. Mary Magdalene touch, and Mary

Magdalene not touch! the difficulties grow still. For I ask,

if at the second appearing, why not at the first } Why after,

and not now? Why there, touch and spare not; and here,

noli Me tangere^ not come thither ?

Let me tell you what we have gained yet ; these three

things. 1. The prohibition is not real; the touch, the thing

is not forbidden, it is but personal. 2. Nay, not personal

neither absolutely ; not she simply, but not she as now at this

time. She might touch it seems, for she did not long after.

Mary Magdalene might, but not this Mary Magdalene.

3. And last, that it is not final ; there is life, there is hope

in it. Not never to touch, but not stando in his terminisy

* standing in the terms she doth.' What terms are those ?

And now, lo, we are come to the point, to that we search for.

Three senses I will give you, and they have great authors

all three, Chrysostom, Gregory, Augustine. I will touch

them all three, and you may take your choice of them ; or,

if you please, take them all, for they will stand well together.

To correct One is, it is Chrysostom's, that all was not well — somewhat

of due^e- ^^iss ; she something to blame in the manner of her offer,

Terence; which was not all as it should. The most we can make she

sostom's failed in somewhat. Not that she did it in any immodest or

!^®®* r> indecent manner; God forbid! never think of that. But [Horn. 86.

ai, 85. in only a little too forward it may be, not with that due respect

We see by that is past, how the world went. Christ said, " Mary;" she answers Him with her wonted term, with a " Rabboni." And as she saluted Him with her wonted term, so after her wonted fashion she made toward Him, to have

touched Him; not in such manner as was fit to have been observed, nor with that regard which His new glorified estate afi^r His resurrection might seem justly to require. It is in " Me;" not the same " Me" He was. That that was enough to Christ a few days ago, was nothing near enough to-day for Him. He that three days since endured so much, the day is now come He will be touched after another fashion. Propter hoc exaltavU Eum Deus^ " For to this end God so Pliil- 2. 9. highly exalted Him." I tell you plainly I did not like her " Rabboni," it was no Easter-day salutation, it would have been some better term expressing more reverence. So her offer would have been in some more respective manner, her touch no Easter-day touch; her tangere had a tang in it, as we say. The touch-stone of our touching Christ, is with all regard and reverence that may be. Bring hers to this, and her touch was not the right touch, and all for want of expressing more regard; not for want of toto but tanto: not of reverence at all, but of reverence enough.

Two causes they give of this fail. One, a defect in her judgment; the other, an excess in her affection. Her amiss in the manner grew out of her amiss in the mind; a misconceit, He had been but even Rabboni still. As it should seem, it seemeth to her, it was with Him no otherwise than with her brother Lazarus; that Christ had risen idem Qui priuSy neither more nor less, but just the same He was before. To be saluted, approached, touched, as formerly He had been. Formerly, He might have been touched; she thought He might have been even so still. Whereas, with Him the case was quite altered, He risen in a far other condition than so; His corruptible had now put on incorruption, and His mortal ^^^^- ^^' immortality. He died in weakness and dishonour, rose again in power and glory. And as in another state, so to another end; not to stay upon earth or converse here any longer, but to ascend up into Heaven. There was no ascendi in her mind.

His reason imports as much. You touch Me not as if I were upon ascending, but as if to stay here still. For in saying " I am not yet," His meaning is, ere long He should. Nondum ascendi/^ yet I am not;" but o^cewdo," presently I am to do it," to leave this world and all here beneath, and to go

30 OJ the Resurrection,

SE RM. up and take possession of My kingdom of glory. To this ^ '^' new glorious condition of His there belonged more than

" Rabboni," another manner approach than more soUto, He being so very highly exalted, and far otherwise than He was, her access to have been according: not being so, it made her unmeet to touch Him now. Nay, if you be but at " Rabboni," and make toward Me in no other sort than thus, NoU Me tangerey " Touch Me not."

Hence we learn, that when He sees we forget ourselves, Christ will take a little state upon Him; will not be saluted with " Rabboni," but with some more seemly term. St.

Job. 20. 28. Thomas', " My Lord, and my God," a better far than " Rabboni." Nor be approached to after the old accustomed

Eph. 5. 3. fashion, but with some more seemly respect, sicut decet sanctos. They that so press to touch Him, and be somewhat too homely with Him, they are in Mary Magdalene's <3ase. Her noli Me tangere touches them home. And their punishment shall be, that touch Him they shall not.

It is no excuse to say, all was out of love; never lay it upon that. Love, Christ loves well; but love, if it be right,

not what belongs to duty and decency, carries itself accordingly. And such love Christ loves. Otherwise, love may, and doth forget itself otherwhile; and then, in that case, the heathen man's saying is true, importuntis amor parum disiat a simultate, ' such love is not love.' A strange kind of love, when for very love to Christ we care not how we use Him, or carry ourselves towards Him. Which being her case, she heard, and heard justly. Noli Me tangere; you are not now in case, till you shall have learned to touch after a more regardful fashion.

This may truly be said; she was not before so carried away with sorrow — that passion, but he was now as far gone in the other of joy, and so like enough to forget herself in offering to touch Him no otherwise than heri and nudiustertius^ as * two or three days ago' she might have done. St. Peter's

Mark 9. 6. case in the Mount was just her case here: "he knew not what he said," nor she, what she did; so surprised with the sudden joy, as she had no leisure to recollect herself, and

Of the JRemrrection, 31

to weigh the wonderful great change this day wrought in Him.

Out of which our lesson is, that in the sudden surprise of any passion Christtis non est taryibiUs, ^ no touching Christ then.* But when the passion is over and we come to ourselves, it will be with us as with her; her affection calmed, her judgment settled better than now on the sudden it was as it seemed, she will be then fit, and then she may be admitted; and so she was, and did touch Him; but that time, when she did so touch Him, she was upon her knees, down at His Mat. 28. 9. feet, another manner of gesture than here she offered.

Say she were unfit, yet hangs there a cloud still, all is not clear. For why then did others touch, to oiu* seeming as unfit as she? Thomas with his faith in his fingers' ends } The rest, in whose teeth He cast their unbelief and hardness of heart — ^they touched Him at first; why not she as well £is they? They were unfit, I grant, but their unfitness grew ex dUo capite^ ' another way than did hers.' They believed not, were in doubt; thought He had been but a ghost. To rid them of that doubt, that they might be sure it was He, and Lu. 24. be able to say another day, " which our hands have handled of the Word of life," they were suffered to touch Him. i Joh. i.l. Touching was the proper cure for their disease. So was it not for hers. She never doubted a whit, was sure He Whose Toice she heard was "Rabboni." She had no need to be confirmed in that, her disease grew another way. Not fi*om want of faith — of fear rather; fi*om want of due regard. To touch would not have cured her disease, but made it worse. So, they touched because they believed not; she touched not because she misbelieved, believed not of Him aright. They touched, that they might know He was risen; she touched not, that she might know He was not so risen as she wrongly imagined, that is, as in former times she had known Him.

Out of that hath been spoken we learn, that they be not BO well advised who, if they hear one speak of noU me tangere, imagine straight it must needs be meant of a boil, ulcer, or some dangerous sore. Every noli me tangere is not so; Christ's here is not so. Leam here, there doth to excellency belong a noli me tangere^ inducing reverence, no less than to boils or sores procuring indolency. " Touch me not," come

32 Of the Resurrection,

S E R M. not near me, I am " unclean," saith the leper. Stand back, touch not my skirts. " I am holier than you," saith one, Esay

the sixty-fifth; that is, touch me not, I am so pure and clean; as if to his excellent holiness there belongeth this privilege, not to be touched.

The truth is, in the natural body the eye is a most excellent part, but withal so tender, so delicate, it may not endure to be touched, no, though it ail nothing, be not sore at all. In the civil body the like is; there are in it both persons and matters, whose excellency is such they are not familiarly to be dealt with by hand, tongue, or pen, or any other way.

Ps.105.15. The persons, they are as the apple of God's own eye, christi Domini. They have a peculiar nolite tangere^ by themselves. Wrong is offered them, when after this, or in familiar or homely manner, any touch them. The matters likewise,

Ps. 131. 1. Princes' affairs, secrets of state, David calleth them magna et mirahiUa sv/per se, and so super nos; points too high, too wonderful for us to deal with. To these also, belongs this " Touch not."

And if of Kings' secrets this may truly be said, may it not as truly of God, of His secret decrees? May not they, for their height and depth, claim to this noU too? Yes sure; and I pray God, He be well-pleased with this licentious touching, nay tossing His decrees of late; this sounding the depth of His judgments with our line and lead, too much presumed

Eom.11.33. St. Paul, looking down into it, ran back and cried, " O the depth!" the profound depth! not to be searched, past our fathoming or finding out. Yet are there in the world that make but a shallow of this great deep, they have sounded it to the bottom. God's secret decrees they have them at their fingers' ends, and can tell you the number and the order of them just with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Men that sure must have been in

Cor 12.2. God's cabinet, above "the third heaven," where St. Paul never came. Mary Magdalene's touch was nothing to these. I. This was but on the by. The main of the text, that it beareth full against, ex totd suhstantid^ is undue and undutifiil carriage, and against them that use it. Not that Mary Magdalene's was such; hers was but Tekel, certain grains too

Of the Resurrection. S3

light, nUntu habens; not altogether without regard, but not altogether so fiill of regard as it might and ought to have been. Make it as little as jou will, Christ saith noU to it; and noU is a word of unwillingness. Christ is not unwilling with aught that is good; what He saith noU to, is eo ipso not good, would be forborne, would not be offered Him, be it no more than hers was. She, it may be, shewed more regard than we; yet, if we shew not more regard than she, we shall hardly escape this noU Me tangere.

But from this we rise. If Christ said noli to her that 2* fEuled but in tanto, what shall He say to them that fail both in tanto and in toto? The noU to her given, reacheth them in an higher degree. Greater must their fault be now, than hers was then. She had no noU to warn her; they have hers to warn them, and will take no warning by it. Christ, as He saw she was, so He foresaw others would be as, yea more defective, this way. TTie noU that was given to her, was in her given to them all. Even to this day Christ crieth still, noU Me iangere, even to this day there is use of it, to call upon us for a better touch.

If the text be against rudeness, to restrain it, then it is for 8. reverence to enjoin it. If He say noU to the want of regard, we know what He will say volo to; that the more respectively ', ' ^^' ?; ^ flie better we carry ourselves, the better He will like us. This is sure: He will be approached to in all dutiful and decent sort, and He will not have us offer Him any other. Whatsoever is most or best in that kind, if there be any one better than other, be that it. The best we have I am sure is not too good for Christ. It is better to render account to Him of a little too much, than of a good deal too little.

Take this with you: Christ can say noli, then. For I ^ know not how, our carriage, a many of us, is so loose; covered we sit, sitting we pray; standing, or walking, or as it takes us in the head, we receive; as if Christ were so gentle a person, we might touch Him, do to Him what we list. He would take all well. He hath not the power to say noli to any thing. But He hath we see and saith it, and saith it to one higUy in His favour; and saith it but for a touch a little awry, otherwise than it should. As the heathen said vuUu^ so the text saith, tactu kedi 6,

34 Of the Rentrrection.

S E R M. pietatem. One may offend Christ only by touching Him, such the touch may be. We will allow Him greater than the

2 Sam. 6. 7. ark; that would not endure Uzzah's touch, he died for it We will hold us to our text : if we touch Him unduly, we shall do it nolenti, it shall be much against His will. He likes it not ; witness this noli here.

6. WTiich, though it go but to the touch, yet aparitate rationii it reacheth to all the body, and to every member of it. To

Ecc. 6. 1. our very "feet," saith Solomon; we to look to them when we Lu. 11. 3J. draw near to Him. To our very fingers, saith " a greater than Solomon," we to look to them when we touch Him. And as not with the foot of pride, nor the hand of presumption, so along through the rest; neither with a scornful eye, nor a stiff* knee; all are equally forbidden under one, all to be £bu: from us.

7. It reacheth to all, but yet for all that, the native word of the text, the touch, is to have a kind of pre-eminence. Most kindly, to that. To Christ it is every way, but most of all, to Christ as He is tangibilis, ^ comes under our touch.' To all parts of His worship, but other parts will not come under tangere so fitly as the Sacrament. So as the use may seem properly to have relation to that, and we there to shew our

Isa. 3. 10. highest reverence. K we do so, dicitejttsto quia bene, we do well. But divers have too much of Mary Magdalene in them. I know not how they would touch Christ, if they had Him; that which on earth doth most nearly represent Him, His highest memorial, I know not how many both touch and take otherwise than were to be wished.

But thus are we now come to the day, the very day it was given on. Christ gave this noli Me tang ere ^ that it might be verbum diei, ' a watch-word for this day.' Take heed how you touch, for He easily foresaw this would be temptts tangendi, ' the time whereon touch we must;' nay, more than touch

Joh. 6. 56. Him we must, for " eat His flesh, and drink His blood" we must; and that can we not do, but we must touch Him.

How will Accipite et manducate, and noli Me tangere cleave together? " Take, eat," and yet " touch not?" If we take we must needs touch, one would think; if we eat, gustus est

Of the Returrectum. 35

It seems the text was not so well chosen, these points considered. Nay, set the day aside, we have no need, God wot, to be preached to of not touching; we are not so forward that way. It would rather have been that of St. Thomas, Job. 20.27. affer manum. This is now out of season.

But you will remember still, I told you, this noli was not general. It was but to Mary Magdalene; and to her but till she had learned a little better manners. Not to any, but such as she, or worse than she, that in unbeseeming manner press and proffer to touch Him — the only cause of her repulse. But at another time, when she was on her knees. Mat. 28. 9. fell down at His feet, then did she touch Him without any check at all. Be you now but as she was then, and this noU Me tangere will not touch you at all.

It is the case of the Sacrament right. There is place in ihe taking it, for noU Me tangere; so is there for affer manum. To tfaem that with St. Thomas, in a feeling of the defect of their fidth, or of any other spiritual grace, cast themselves down and cry, "My Lord, and my God," affer manum to Job. 20.27. them; I set them free, I give them a discharge from this noli Me tangere. But for them that are but at " Rabboni," and scarce so far, bold guests with Him; base in conceit, and homely in behaviour; to them, and to them properly, belongs I this noU Me tangere^ more properly than ever it did to her. And so that point reconciled. Thus far for St. Chrysostom, and his taking.

There is a second, and it is St. Gregory's, that the vade et ^ *• die J was the cause of noli Me, ^c, and that all was but to save the mestime, that she was not permitted it. Christ was not willing ^^• to spend time in these compliments — it was no other, but to rfa sense. dispatch her away upon an errand better pleasing to Him, that required more haste. As if He should have said, Let us have no touching now, there is a matter in hand would be done out of hand; and therefore for this time. Hands off, " Touch Me not."

And the reason will follow well so; nondum enim ascendi, [S.Greg. You need not be so hasty, or eager to " touch Me, I am not i5).^2!"^^' yet ascended;" though I be upon going, yet I am not gone. Horn. 25.

Of the Mesurreciion.

SEBM.

To wean her from sensual touching. St. Augustine*s sense.

[Serm.

You may do this at some other time, at some other mee

et qtwd differtur non auferiur^ at better leisure you may hait|5

your desire — ^forbear it now.

Why, what haste was there of doing this errand? M] she not have touched Him, and done it time enoug^l Peradventure she might think so f she knew Christ ir risen, she was well. But they that sat in fear and sorroi^ that knew not so much, they would not think so; — not to them. To them nihil satis festinatur, ^ no haste was to<y much,' all delay too long.

Nor to Christ neither. Who was, we see, so desirous to ha?e notice given with all speed, that He would not take so mudi time from it, as wherein Mary Magdalene might have had but a touch at Him. So careful they might receive comfort wilh the first that He saith. Go your ways with all speed, get yott to them, the first thing you do; it will do them more good to hear of My rising, than it will do you to stand and touch Me.

Yet a touch and away, would not have taken up so ma(di time. True; but He easily foresaw, in the terms she stood^ if He suffered her to touch, that would not serve the turn, she would have taken hold too. And if she had taken hold once, nor that neither; she would have come to a nan dknU* tarn with her in the Canticles, tenui Eum et non ditnittam; she would not have let Him go, or been long ere she had; so much time spent in impertinencies, which neither He nor she the better for. So she to let her touching alone, and put it off till another time, being to be employed in a business of more haste and importance.

The third place is St. Augustine, that Christ in these words had a farther meaning; to wean her from all sensual and fleshly touching, and teach her a new and a true touch, truer than that she was about. This sense groweth out of Christ's reason: " Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended," as if till He were ascended. He would not be touched, and then He would. As much to say. Care not to touch Me here, stand not upon it, touch Me not till I be ascended; stay till then, and then do. That is the true touch, that is it will do you all the good.

And there is reason for this sense. For the touch of His body which she so much desired, that could last but forty

Of the Mesurrection. 37

chys in all, while He in His body were among them. And mrhat should all since, and we now, have been the better? He was to take her out a lesson, and to teach her another touch, that might serve for all to the world's end; that might serve when the body and bodily touch were taken from us.

Christ Himself touched upon this point in the sixth chapter, rj^j^ q at the sixty-second verse, when at Capernaum they stumbled 62.] at the speech of eating His flesh. " What," saith He, " find you this strange, now? How will you find it then, when you shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?" How then? And yet then you must eat, or else Aere is no life in you.

So it is a plain item to her, that there may be a sensual touching of Him here; but that is not it, not the right, it avails litde. It was her error this, she was all for the corporal presence, for the touch with the fingers. So were His disciples, all of them, too much addicted to it. From which they were now to be weaned, that if they had before known pg qqj.^ 5 Christ, or touched Him after the flesh, yet now from hence- 10.] forth they were to do so no more, but learn a new touch; to touch Him, being now ascended. Such a touching there is, or else His reason holds not; and best touching Him so, better far than this of hers she was so eager on.

Do but ask the Church of Rome: even with them it is not the bodily touch in the Sacrament, that doth the good. Wicked men, very reprobates, have that touch, and remain reprobates as before. Nay, I will go farther; it is not that that toucheth Christ at all. Example "the multitude that ^ , thronged and thrust Him," yet for all that, as if none of them all had touched Him, He asks, Quis Me teligit? So that one may rudely thrust Him, and yet not touch Him Horn 26. though, not to any purpose so. inS.Joan.]

Christ resolves the point in that very place. The flesh, the touching, the eating it, profits nothing. " The words He ^ , ^o spake, were spirit;" so the touching, the eating, to be spiritual. And St. Thomas and Mary Magdalene, or whosoever touched Him here on earth, nisi fceliciusjide quam manu tetigissenty ' if they had not been more happy to touch Him with their faith than with their fingers' end,' they had had no part in Him; ao good by it at all. It was found better with it to " touch Matthew 9:20.

38 Of the Resurrection,

S E H M. the hem of His garment," than without it to touch any part _5L_ of His body.

Now, if faith be to touch, that will touch Him no less in

Heaven than here; one that is in Heaven may be touched

so. No ascending can hinder that touch. Faith will elevate

itself, that ascending in spirit we shall touch Him, and take

[Conf. hold of Him. Mittejidem et tenuisti — ^itis St. Augustine. It

Horn. 25. is a touch to which there is never a noliy fear it not.

m S.Joan.] g^^ ^^ ^^ then; send up our faith, and that shall touch

Him, and there will virtue come from Him; and it shall

take such hold on Him, as it shall raise us up to where He

is ; bring us to the end of the verse, and to the end of all

our desires ; to ascendo ad Patrem^ a joyful ascension to

our Father and His, and to Himself, and to the unity of the

Blessed Spirit. To Whom, in the Trinity of Persons, &c.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

ON THE TWENTY-FIB8T OF APBIL, AJ>. MDCXXH. BEING EABTEB-DAY.

John xx. 17.

Jetus saith unto her^ Touch Me not ^ for I am not yet ascended to My Father; hut go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father^ and to My God and your God.

[Dicit ei Jesus, Noli Me tangere, nondum enim asceyidi ad Pattern Meum; vade autem adfratrcs Meos, et die eis, Ascendo adPatrem Meum, et Patrem vestrum, Deum Meum, et Deum vestrum. Latin Vulg.]

[Jesus saith unto her, Tov^h Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren, and say unto tJiein, I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God. Engl. Trans.]

Of noli Me tangere, the former part, you have formerly heard. Mary Magdalene might not touch; at least- wise not as thus, not as now.

The reason: 1. On her part, she forgat herself a little in her touch, as in her term toward Him. Who, though nondumy He were * not yet,' was presently to ascend, and be taken up into Heaven, and would be touched in some better manner. And till she had learned so to touch, noU Me tangere.

2. On Christ's part. She need not be so eager, nondum enim ascendi; that is, though He were going, yet He was not gone. Some other time might serve her, to touch Him in. Now, He had matter of more haste to send her about, and would have no time taken from it. And so, for saving of time, noU Me tangere.

40 Of the Resurrection.

S £ B M. 3. On the touch itself. He was " not yet ascended;" and,

' — to touch Him before He were so, was not the true touch, not

the touch that would do her, or us, any good. For these all, or some of these, noli Me tangere^ no touching now.

But what, shall she be quite cast off in the mean time? Denied touching; denied it, granted nothing for it? That were hard. Nothing to comfort her in lieu of it? Yes; Heb. 6. 10. Christ is not unrighteous, that He should forget the work and labour of her love, which she this day made so many ways to appear. Somewhat He deviseth to comfort her, somewhat; in that He will have her do somewhat for Him. So, the old rule was, quern non honoro non onero. He will employ her in a message, and such a message as was to the present joy of them it was sent to, and should be to the general joy and good, not of them only, but of us all.

Now then, this must needs be reckoned as a special favour shewed her by our blessed Saviour. For otherwise He could as easily Himself have appeared to them He sent her, as to her He did; but that His will was to vouchsafe her the honour of the first bearing of these so joyfiil tidings to them, Job. 12. 3. and in and by them to the whole world. When time was, [Mar. 14, " she brake her box of precious ointment, and the scent of 2Cor.2.i6. i* filled the whole house:" the breaking of this box now, of the tidings of Christ and His rising, with the sweet " savour of life unto life" hath filled, and still fiUeth the whole world, from one end to the other. The sran. The sum of the text is, a dispatch of Mary Magdalene by Christ, to deliver a message to His disciples. It is in effect as if He should have said. You know I am risen now, you are well for your part; there be others that know not so much, and because they know it not, sit in sorrow, heavy and half dead at home. It would comfort them much, revive them, put life into them again, to know what you know. Now you are well, think upon them that are not. Remember what was your own case but even now; you cannot do a better deed than carry comfort to the comfortless. 1 would they knew of it, I wish them well, they be " My brethren," however they forgat themselves when time was.

But this is not all, that they might know of it, but they must know of it with all speed. For that she may the sooner

Cf the Bemrreetum. 41

go tell them, she must not touch. For if you mark it, it is not vade et dicy but sed vade et die fit is not, barely, ^^ go and tell them;^ it is, ^^ touch Me not, but go and tell them;'' that is, instead of touching, she must be gone in all haste to tell them. As if He should say. Go to, let us have no touching now, get you to them the first thing you do, and tell them of it. It will do them more good to be told of this, than it will do you to stay here and touch Me never so oft.

This so great haste of the caxrying it, is much for the credit of the message, much for it; I cannot but note it. That Christ thought the notice of it so necessary, the bearing of it so every way important, as we see He is careful no time he taken from it; but with all possible speed, with the very first, they acquainted with it. So careful as He would not take so much, or rather so litde time from it, as wherein Mary Magdalene might have had but a touch at Him; but takes her off, and sends her away in all haste. As if some matter had lain in it, if they should not have heard of His rising before the sun-rising.

Much for the honour of the feast on which it was done, that He would for ever have a feast celebrated in memory of this day, whereon these tidings came to the world first.

Most of all, for His own honour, Who sheweth Himself so desirous that they that are in heaviness may receive comfort, as He thinketh no haste too much, no haste enough till they hear of it, till they " hear of His loving-kindness betimes in Ps. J48. 8.

the morning.^'

To take the text in sunder. The parts be two; 1. a com- Tbefimission to carry a message, 2. and the message itself.

I. The Commission: Fade ad fratres Meos et die eis. n. The Message: Ascendo ad Patrem Meum, ^c.

In the Commission again there are two: 1. the parties first; 2. and then, the charge. 1. The parties, /ra^r^* Meos; 2. the charge, vade et die eis.

In the message, two likewise: 1. First, that He is upon ascending; 2. then, the party to Whom. That party to Whom is but one, yet represented here under two names, 1. Father, and 2. God. And that which to us is the capital point of all, and which we to lay hold of specially. His Father but ours withal, and His God but ours as well as His; the

vision.

42 Of the Returrection.

S E R M. last and best part of the message, for in it lieth the joy that '- — oometh to us this morning.

On which four, 1. " My Father, and 2. your Father," and 3. " My God, and 4. your God," as it were so many wheels, is His ascendo drawn. Upon the same is ours likewise to be, and is therefore the consummatum est of the text and of the feast, and of this, yea I dare add of the whole Gospel.

And let not this move you a whit, that His Father and our Father, His God and our God, Who are the end to which we ascend, are made the chariot by which we ascend. This is no strange thing in divinity. Ad Christum non itur nisi per Christum^ saith St. Augustine, and so neither ad Deum nisi per Deum, With us nothing is more certain, than that the end of our way which we come unto, is also the way itself whereby we come thither. One and the same, ad Quern and per Quern ascenditur.

We shall make four stands. I. One at fratres meosj the parties. 2. Another, at die eisy the commission. 3. The third, at ascendo, the motion. 4. And the last, at " My Father and your Father, My God and your God," the terminus ad quem^ which giveth the perfection to all our motions, and so to this, the last end of all our motions; for after ascendo we shall move no more, but rest for ever. I- Vade ad fratres Meos, " go to My brethren." Our first stand

Meo8. is to be a.t fratres Meos, " My brethren," the parties sent to.

The par- Who be they? They she went to. To whom went she?

John20.l8. To His " disciples," in the next verse. They then the parties He meant, they His " brethren."

A strange term to begin with, considering how they had dealt with Him, scarce like brethren, not long before. We

Ps. 59. 16. shall therein do the work of the Sabbath, which is " to tell of His loving-kindness betimes in the morning," and this morning more than ever any.

Ere then we go any farther, let us touch a little at this term He gives them. It is no noli me tangere, this, it is a word to be touched and taken hold of; it was so, when time

J Kings 20. was, by Benhadad's servants, this very word. " Is Benhadad * ' ' alive," saith the King of Israel, /rater meus est, " he is my brother;" which they presently caught hold of> " Yea, thy brother Benhadad is yet living." So they.

And so Yie,fr(Ures Meos. Let us not let this word fall to the ground, but say with Bernard, Sahmm Ht verbum Domini meiy *' God save this word,' blessed be the lips that spake it. Yea Thy brethren, good Lord, if so Thou wilt vouchsafe to call them.

Out of it first I note, here is nothing that savours of any displeasure, of remembering any old grudge. Not so much as an harsh term in all the message, no mention they had fled from Him, forsook Him, forswore Him, full un-brotherly. He hath forgotten it all, all is out of His mind; casts not them off as they did Him, but sends to them, and by the name of brethren sends to them; they be " My brethren," and I theirs, and by that name commend Me to them. Nothing here that savours of any anger.

Nor nothing that savours of any pride. But even as Joseph in the top of his honour, so He in this, the day of His glorious exalting from the dead, claims kindred of them, a sort of poor forlorn men; and as the Apostle expresseth it, wm est conftisus vocare, is not a whit ^^ ashamed" of them that Heb. 3. li. were ashamed of llim. Disdains not, poor as they were, unkind as they were, but vouchsafes to call them "brethren" for all that.

Which word " brethren" implies two things: I. First, identity of nature. His nature is not changed by death. The nature He died in, in the same He rises again. Thereby lies a matter. For if He rose as man, then man also may rise; if one be risen, there is hope for others; if the nature be risen, the persons in it may. So it was with the first Adam. In his person was our nature, and in him it died, and we in it. So is it in the second. In His person our nature is risen, in our nature we all. This first; risen in the same nature He had before — ^not changed it.

2. And second, risen with the same love and affection He had before — not changed it neither. Yes, changed it; I said not well in that, but changed it for the better. Before this when He said most. He said but, "I will call you MyJoh.i5.io. Mends" — ^the highest term He came to before. But here, being risen. He riseth we see higher, as high as love can rise, to count them and style them fratres Meos. And so much for that, " Go to My brethren."

44 Of the Reswrrection.

S E R M. Well, when she comes to His brethren, what then? Et die

XVI. .

'■ — m, " and say to them," or tell them. By which words

Die eis. He gives her a commission. Vade is her mission, die eis her

imssion.' commission. A commission, to publish the first news of

His rising, and as it falls out, of His ascending too.

An Apostle; for what lacks she? 1. Sent first, immediately from Christ Himself; and what is an Apostle but so? 2. Secondly, sent to declare and make known; and what dif- Mat.28.19. ference between Ite prcBdicatey and Vade et die, but only the number? the thing is the same. 3. And last, what was she to make known? Christ's rising and ascending. And what are they but Evangelium^ ' the Gospel,' yea the very Gospel of the Gospel?

This day, with Christ's rising, begins the Gospel; not before. Crucified, dead and buried, no good news, no Gospel they in themselves. And them the Jews believe as well as we. The first Gospel of all is the Gospel of this day, and the Gospel of this day is this Mary Magdalene's Gospel, wgareuayyeXiov, ' the prime Gospel' of all, before any of the other four. That Christ is risen and upon His ascending, and she the first that ever brought these glad tidings. At her hands the Apostles themselves received it first, and from them we all. Mat. 26. 18. Which, as it was a special honour, and " wheresoever this Gospel is preached, shall be told for a memorial of her," so [' i. e. re- was it withal not without some kind of enthwiting* to them, F^^ to the Apostles, for sitting at home so drooping in a comer, that Christ not finding any of them is fain to seek Him a new Apostle; and finding her where He should have found them and did not, to send by the hand of her that He first found at the sepulchre's side, and to make Himself a new Apostle. And send her to them, to enter them as it were, and catechize them in the two Articles of the Christian Faith, the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. To her, they and we both owe them, the first notice of them.

And by this, lo, the amends we spake of is made her for her noli Me tangere^ — frill amends. For to be thus sent, to be the messenger of these so blessed tidings, is a higher

Of the Mesurrectum. 45

honour, a more special favour done here, a better good turn, every way better, than if she had been let alone, had her desire, touched Christ, which she so longed for, and so eagerly reached at. Better sure, for I reason thus. Christ we may be sure, would never have enjoined her to leave the better, to take the worse; to leave to touch Him, to go to tell them, if to go to tell them had not been the better.

So that hence we infer, that to go and carry comfort to them that need it, to tell them of Christ's rising that do not know it, is better than to tarry and do nothing but stand touching Christ. Touching Christ gives place to teaching Christ. Vade et die better than mane et tange, Christ we see is for vade et die. That if we were in case where we might touch Christ, we were to leave Christ untouched, and even to give ourselves a noli me tangere^ to go and do this; and to think ourselves better employed in telling them, than in touching Him.

Will you observe withal how well this agrees with her offer a little before of ego tollam Eumf She must needs know of the gardener, " Tell me where you have laid Him," et ego Joh.20.l5. toUam, and she " would take Him and carry Him," that she would. Why, you that would so fain take and carry Me being dead, go take and carry Me now alive; that is, carry news that I am alive, and you shall better please Me with this ego tollam a great deal; it shall be a better carrying, ego tollam in a better sense than ever was that. Stand not here then touching Me, go and touch them; and with the very touch of this report you shall work in them a kind of that you see in Me, a kind of resurrection from a doleful and dead, to a cheerful and lively estate.

" Tell them" what? " Tell them that I ascend," that is, am about to ascend, am upon the point of it, am very shortly to do it. Qtiod prope abest utfiat^ hahetur pro faetOy * that that is near done, we reckon as good as done.'

" Tell them that I ascend." Why how now, what day is H. to day? It is not Ascension day; it is Easter, and but early Th^l Easter yet. His ascension is forty days off. This were a *^^°- text for that day. Why speaks He of that now? Why not rather, tell them that I am risen — more proper for this day? Why, He needs not tell her that, she could tell that of

46 Of the Resurrection.

S E R M. herseli^ she saw it. And besides, in saying ^^ I ascend,^' He

. ^^' implies fully as much. Till He be risen, ascend He cannot;

He must ascend out of the grave ere He can ascend up to Heaven, resurrexit must be past ere ascendo can come. Ascendo then puts His resurrection past all peradventure; He needs say no more of that, of His rising. But as she Rev. 1. 18. saw by His rising that He had " the keys of hell and death," had unlocked those doors and come out from thence; so by ascendo He tells her farther, that He hath the keys of Heaven-gates also, which He would now unlock, and so set open the kingdom of Heaven to all believers. 2. And yet, there is a farther matter in cucendo, to shew us what was the end of His rising. Christ did not rise, to rise; no more must we. The Resurrection itself is for an end, it is not the end; it is but a state yet imperfect, but an entry to a greater good, which unless it lead us and bring us to, non habeturpropositum/ it is short, short of that it should be.' We must not then set up our rest upon our rising. There is somewhat more required than barely to rise. What is that? Ascendo, Christ rose to ascend; so are we to do. And rising is no rising, no right rising, we rise not on our right sides as we say, if that follow not upon it, if we ascend not withal. For to rise from the bottom of the grave to the brink of it, to stand upon our feet again and tread on the grave-stone, and no more, is but half a rising, is but Lazarus' rising. To rise up, up as high as Heaven, that is to rise indeed, that is Christ's rising; and that to be ours. As to rise is nothing but to ascend out of the grave, so to ascend is nothing but to rise as high as Heaven; and then we are truly risen, when so risen. Before I said, there was no Gospel till the Resurrection; I now say, the Resurrection itself is no Gospel, not of itself, unless ascendo follow it. Resurrexit, tell that to all the world. All that die in Adam shall rise in Christ — ^miscreants, Jews, Turks and all — ^no Gospel that, properly. Tell the Christian of more than so; tell him of ascendo too, that goes withal, that pertains to it. You must take that with you too, if it be Christ's, if it be the right rising, the Resurrection to life and not to condemnation.

Mark this well, it is a material point. Better lie still in our graves, better never rise, than rise and rising not to

Of the Remrreetwn. 47

ascend. Of them that shall rise, they that see thej shall not

ascend, shall wish themselves in their coffins again ; nay, they

sliall pray ^^ the mountains to fall on them, and the hills to La. 28. 80.

coyer them,'' and bury them quick. So much doth this

concern us, that these two part not, that ascendo attends us

at oiur rising. And therefore, this you shall observe, that in

all this speech or text Christ doth not so much as mention,

as once name the word rising or resurrection^ as if He made

no great reckoning of it; but in this one short verse here,

in these few words. He is at ascendo twice; speaks of that.

mentions that over and over again. All to teach us, ascendo

is all in all. That resurrexit is nothing, if it be nothing but

resurrexii; nor any account to be made of it, if ascendo go

not with it; but if ascendo go with it, then it is. And, that

it may go with it, that to be all our care. Never take care

for resurrexit^ that will come of itself without any thought

taking; never trouble yourselves with that. Take thought

for ascendoy set your minds there. Ascendo^ look well to

that; resurrexit y let that go.

A third reason there is of ascendo; for He saw upon these 8. tidings, as she did think, so they would say; — O is He risen, then shall we have His company again, as heretofore we had! But by sending them word of His ascending. He gives them warning betimes; He rose not to make any abode with them, or to converse with them on earth as formerly He had; that so they might have timely notice of it, and know what they were to look for. For this He knew would be a hard lesson. His rising they would like well, but His ascending be against; would not abide to hear of that, to lose His company at any hand. It was a conceit that troubled them much; they were still and ever addicted to His bodily being with them. Here they would have kept Him, built Him a Tabernacle here; and by their good- Mat. 17. 4. will never have let Him gone from hence. All for mane Lu. 24. 89. nobiscum, and for Domine si Tu fuisses hie; all in Mary ^ • • • Magdalene's case, had Him here to see Him and to touch Him, and then all had been well as they thought.

This was their error, and to rid them of it, of this earthly mind of theirs thus striving to affix and keep Him here on earth, and that then all should be well, He shews them that

48 Of the Resurrection^

S E R M. they were quite wrong, and sets them right. That for Him

'- — to be here below on earth, that is not it; but for them to be

with Him there above in Heaven, that is it, there it is right. And never shall they or we be well, till there we be with Him. And thither would He raise them and us, with this His ascettdo. ^ Yet one more. For this very point, that Christ riseth with ascendo in His mouth, that no sooner risen but makes ready for His ascending straight; this I say, if there were nothing but this, the so immediate joining it so close upon His rising, one hard to the other, no mean between, were of itself enough to make the idle dream of the old and new Chiliasts to vanish quite; that fancy to themselves I wot not what earthly kingdom here upon earth, somewhat like Mahomet's paradise, and will not hear of ascendo after they be risen, till a thousand years at least. This is none of Christ's rising, I am sure; so, to be none of ours. As with Him, so with us, rising and ascending are to follow straight one upon the other.

Christ then doth ascend. And out of what Christ did, we learn what we to do. Seeing Christ stayed not here, we not to set up our stay here neither, not to make earth our Heaven, not to place our felicity here below.

The Gospel is, we see, when Christ was risen His mind

was upon ascendo presently. The Epistle is framed fit for it,

Col. 3. 1. that "if we be risen with Christ, we would set our minds and

seek the things above where Christ is;" that is, if we be risen

with Him, make no more ado but ascend with Him also.

All things in Heaven and earth do so; rising, they ascend presently. In Heaven the stars, they be no sooner risen above the horizon, but they axe in their ascendant eo ipso, and never leave ascending till they be in the highest point over our heads, in the very top of the sky. In earth, the little spires that peep out of the ground, now at this time, nature's time of her yearly resurrection, they be no sooner out but up they shoot, and never leave to aspire till they have attained the fiill pitch of their highest growth they can ascend to. In oiu-selves, though I know for earthly men to have earthly minds it is not strange, mjXov ep^oyrcj TraripUy ^ having clay to our father,' and Trpovirepa %oOv, * dust to our sire,' we should have x^F'^p^ vovvy * our souls should cleave to the dust,' as

Nazianzen excellently saith. Not strange, I say, that so it

is with us; yet, so it should not be. The very Heathen saw

that though -we be made of the earth, yet we are not made

for the earth ; that the heavenly soul was not put into the

earthly body to the end the earthly body should draw it

down to the eaxth, but rather to the end the soul should lift

it up to Heaven. And so much they gathered out of our

that bears up thitherward, and bodes as it were a kind of •®^'®®'l

ascending whither it looks, and gives naturally. Nature

doth teach this.

But grace by Christ's example much better. If Christ rise, that we rise with Christ; not in body yet, but to " coimt [Rom. (J. ourselves dead to sin," and rise from that " and live to God" — 1 "the first Resurrection." And if Christ ascend, we likewise to Rev. 20. 5. ascend; not to part with Him, but to follow Him as we may. Not yet in body, it cannot be sursum corpora yet; it may be mrmm corda, we may lift up our hearts thither, though. There " our treasure is," if Christ be our treasure; there "our hearts to be," there we in heart to be at least, which is C^*^ ^' the first ascension, the vgoTraiiiVfici of it, the pralvdium so.

There are two words in the text, 1. nondum ascendi, "I am not yet ascended," and 2. ascendo^ yet " I ascend" though; which will very well fit us, if while we are not at ascendi yet, that is in body ascended, we be for all that at ascendoy that is, ascend in mind, even as Christ here did. And blessed is the man, saith the Psalm, cwi in corde ascensionesy "that hath the ascension in his heart," or his heart on it; that while it is Ps. 84. 5. nondum ascendi with him, yet at times it is ascendo^ lifts up his eyes, sends up his sighs, exalts his thoughts otherwhile, represents as Christ doth, anticipates the ascension, voto et desiderio * in will and desire,' before the time itself come of the last and final ascension. Thus much for ascendo^

Ascendo is a motion. Every motion hath an unde and a ^d Patrem quoy *a whence' and *a whither;' a terminus a quo^ and a T^^AAd terminus ad quem. The ad quern is here ad Patrem. Quem,

To ascend is to Christ His natural motion. Heaven is His natural place. Thence He came, thither He is to go again. Specially, His work being done He came for. That was Joh.io.SQ. eonsummatum est with us, three days since. But till He be

50 Of the Resurrection.

S E B M. in Heaven again, it is not consummatum est with Him. So

-^ — the motion is natural.

And the ad quem^ ad Patremy no less. Seeing for the Son to go to the Father is very kindly too, we may not be against

Joh.U.28. it. Christ said, " If you loved Me, you would verily rejoice because I said, I go to the Father." For very love to Christ, we cannot but rejoice with Him. In the ad quern all is well, if we consider that. But so is not in the a quo. For when all is said, make the best of it we can, ascendo is discedo, to go up is to go from — ^from them; and this is no good news. For Him no sooner to come, but gone again, and leave them to the wide world, it might trouble them for all " Tell My brethren." For by " brethren" He might mean false brethren that had left Him, and so would He them now; and peradventure do their errand in Heaven to His Father, and make them have but little thanks for it at His hands. So that, this ascendo implying a nolo manere in a manner, was as evil to them, as noU Me tangere was to her.

Et Patrem What is then become of the Gospel we spake of? where, or what is their comfort or ours, in these tidings? To deal plainly, when we seek it in ascendoy we find it not; nor in ad Patrem, nor in ad Patrem Meum. None of these is it. But in His et ad Patrem vestrum, there we find it, there it is. There was you will say as much as this comes to, in fratres Meos, It is true, it implied no less. But Christ would not deliver this implicite, ^ by way of implying,' but expUcitCy as * explicate and plainly,' as He could. And not once but twice. And it is a happy turn for us He did so, for this point can never be too plainly spoken to, too often repeated, too much stood upon. All the joy of the morning is in this vestrtim, " Tell them, I go to the Father"— that is not all; " Tell them" this too, as I go to the Father, so the Father I go to is their Father as well as Mine; not Mine alone, but theirs also. And tell them again, that if Patrem Meum be the cause of My ascending, as here is none other set down, if I go to Him thus because He is My Father; because He is theirs also, they also shall come after Me the same way, to the same place, upon the same reason.

And He doth express here the termintcs ad quem by the party to Whom,rather than by the place to which, because the

Of the Reiurrection. 5 1

party will soon bring us to the place, and to somewhat besides. To the place; for jrou shall see what will follow of this, that His house, that Heaven is now become Paiema domus to us, as [John u. "our Father's house.'' And who shall keep us from our Father's '^ house? No more strangers now, but of the household of Ood. [Epii. 2. And in the household, not servants but children; and have '^ thereto as goodrightand title, shall be as welcome thither every iray, as any child to his own father's house here useth to be. God, through Him, standing no otherwise affected to us, than as a father to his child; aswell disposed,as willing, as ready to receive us. Christ His "beloved Son, in Whom He is" so abso- Mat. 8. 17. lately " well pleased" as He always hears Him, hath prayed to Him,andobtainedof Him that "where He is, we maybe also," Joh U. 8. and, in due time, ascend up, whither He is now ascended, j?an- Mic. 2. 18. ibfMs^ercorofi} no&tff,"openingthepassageforus to foUowHim."

But I told you there was somewhat in the Person, more than in the place. For by virtue of this Patrem vestrum^ while we are here, if we cry "Abba Father" as now we may. He is Rom. 8. 15. ready to receive our prayers; and when we go hence, ready to receive our persons. While we are here, if at any time we repent and say, Ibo ad Patremy with the child in the Gospel, Lu. 16, 18. ready to receive us to grace; and when we go hence, we may say with Christ, Vado ad Patreniy ready to receive us to glory. So of ac2 Patrem vestrum, there is use here and there both.

And all this by means of Christ's resurrection; besides the general virtue whereof to make all men rise, all in the second Adam that die in the first, there is farther a second special virtue for us Christians, to make us rise, not only from the grave, but rise higher than so, even as high as to Heaven itself. And that we may have good right so to do, to make His Father ours, and His Father's house ours, that there we may dwell together fratres in unum. On which dependeth, and [Ps.lSS.i.] from whence riseth, all our hope of happiness for ever. And this is the joy of the feast we celebrate, the " loving-kindness of this morning," the glad tidings of Mary Magdalene's Gospel. It is evangelium parvum^ so they call it, but ^ a little one,' but it hath in it, in these few words couched, much matter both of high mystery and of heavenly comfort.

There be of the Fathers that telling the words of the message, which are fifteen in number, make them as so many

52 Of the Resurrection.

SEEM, steps or rongs, as it were, of Jacob's ladder, which we to

'— ascend by. There be others that more properly, and to the text

d Kings 2. as it were, of Elias' chariot, in which " he was carried up to

Heaven." Ascendo^ the chariot; these, the four wheels of it.

The truth is, there lie fair before us in it, four pairs or

combinations, by which four ascendo is here drawn in the

text. 1. Two single: Pairem and Deum^ one; 2. Meum

and vestrum, the other. Two double: 3. Patrem Meum, and

Patrem vestrum^ one; and 4. Deum Meuniy Deum vestrum, the

other. I will but touch them briefly.

1. " Father" and " God" at large first, without any pronouns

I>^m: put to them at all. It was not so,styloveteri. There in the Law,

The first it was Dominus Deus. To change this, and to make it styh

Exod.20.2. W0170, Pater Deus; in place oi Dominus putting Pater y making

of God a Lord, God a Father, is worth the while. It mends

the term, and it mends the matter much, as much as a Father

is better than a Lord. Bonum pascha bonus transitus, and

we bound to our blessed Saviour for making this Passover,

for working but this change or alteration in God's style.

" A Father:" how a Father? For a Father in a sense, we know. He may be said and is, to all things whatsoever. Job 88. 28. " Father of the rain and of the drops of dew," in Job. But of us men, of mankind, more specially, in that we bear His Image. But that is not it neither that here is meant. That is here meant is aseendo ad Patrem^ a Father to ascend to. Not for our prayers only, but even also for our persons to ascend to. So a Father He is to none, but to Christ, and to the true Christian.

And this now, a Father to ascend to, is it that puts the difference between Him and all other fathers beside Him. Fathers to ascend to, such fathers there are none; none such here. Our fathers here we descend to, go down to them — down, down to Ihe grave. Him, and Him only, we Heb.10.12. go up to, up to Heaven, up even where Christ " is sitting at the right hand of God;" and He to that end a Father, even to make us ascend thither to Him.

Why would not " Father" suffice? Why is " God" added? Falher is a name of much good will; but many a good father

€f the Itesurrection. 59

may not be defective that wsjr, have means to His meaning.

For if He be a Father, first it is the voice of a father to his

son in the Qospel, omnia tnea tua sunt. Now then, if this Lu. 10. 81.

Father be also God, and all His be ours, what can we desire

more than all Ood hath, all that ever God is worth ; able to

satisfy never so vast a desire, this. For so, if Heaven and the

joys of it be His, they be ours too; and then there lacks

nothing but ascendo^ to go up and take possession of them ;

and here lo, it is, cacendo ad Patrem,

Bound to Him for this first, Patrem Deum, No whit less. boundfor the second,forputting to these pronounspossessives, ^^^ . Metan and vestrum, which is the second single combination. The se- For till they came, till they in this wise were put to, Meum ^°^ ^"'' was Meum, and vestrum was vestrum; His was His, and ours was ours; His, His own, and ours to ourselves, and there an end. No relation either to other, no interest either in other. But now Meum is made vestrum^ and vestrum Meum, His, I ours; and ours His, interchangeably. A blessed change may ■ we say; His great Meum for our little vestrum, little ours for great His. Every one will see the odds between these. That indeed we are as much bound for Meum and vestrum, as for Patrem and Deum, Nay more. For as there is no comfort in Heaven without God, nor in God without a Father, so is there not any either in Father, Heaven, or God, without " ours" to give us a property in them. This then for the second single. Now to the two double.

PaJtrem Meum stands first, and is first every way. Biit 3. Patrem Meum will do us no good. That which must do us ^^^^^ the good, is the second in place, but to us the first. Patrem Patrem testrum, that will serve; that alone will serve us, we need no xhe^tMrd more. Ostende nobis Patrem et sufficit, saith St. Philip. But pair

how that should be compassed, and His Meum should be our vestrum, that He should be ours, hie labor est, ' that is all the matter.'

This leads us to the other, the last combination of all, of Deum Deum Meum and vestrum. For that His Father may be our '^^"'^'' Father, no remedy but our God must first be His God. So vestrum: this fetches in that. One would not serve, there behoved to ^^^ ° be twain, else the chariot will not go.

54 Of the Iteiurreciian.

6 E K M. It will be best, ante omnia^ to set forth in these teims, what is proper and what not; what Ohrisf s and what ours. Much light we shall receive thereby. Pairem Christ on His part saith, "My Father;" and He saith

D^mn iso, " My Grod." For Him to say, " My Father," is proper; Meum. ^e see reason for it. But for Him to say, " My Gtod," no reason at all, altogether improper. For how can God have a God? Dewm Christ on our part saith, Deum vestruniy "your God."

Patr/im Rig^* ^nd true, that; we are His poor creatures, He our vestrwn. God; SO known, so acknowledged to be. But He saith further, Patrem vestruniy " your Father;" how that can be said, we see not. Alas, we are but dust and ashes, our Job 17. 14. lineage is well set forth by Job; we must say " to rottenness, Thou art my father; and to the worms. Ye are my mother, ye are my sister." No Father of ours He, not properly. Pairem ♦. In exact propriety of speech then, " Father" here refers to "^' Christ, God to us. "His Father," is right; so is "our God." We will never spend a word on them, let them go. But " His God," no way right; no more than, " our Father." Deum These two, it is sure, are improper both. And if ever ihey ^ shall be verified one of the other, it must be brought about

by some other ways and means. And so it is, and by the same way that the one, by the very same the other. " His Father," " our Father" by His means. " Our God," " His God" by ours. J>ewn To set them in right method, in their true order, eruni

**""* novissimi primiy the last is to be first; we to begin at Dewn vestrumy the very last word of all, as it were the foot of the ladder, or the two smaller wheels that go before. To make Meum vestrumy His ours, vestrum is to be made Meuniy ours to be made His. Our God to become His God first, that His Father may become our Father after. Him That was our God, we to make His God, that Him That was His Father^ He may make to be our Father.

That this might proceed. He That doth here ascend was to descend. Descend whither? Even to be one of us j and we were creatures, and so being one of us,'He to be a creature as well as we. So He was, and so He is. For even the soul and body of Christ are in the rank of creatures; and relation

Of the Resurrection. 53

bad to them, a creature He is, a God He hath, the same That we, for there is but one; and so we might truly say Deum Meum, our God is His God. That we might ascend to the highest Heaven, " He was to descend" eis xurooTega rris y?j, Eph. 4. 9. " to the lowest parts of the earth;" and so did. Descendo ad matrem with Him, that ascendo ad Patrem with us. That we might cry "Abba Father," He was content to cry that strange Rom.8. 15. cry, jE, EU, " My God, My God," on the cross. Mat.27.46,

So Christ might then say, and truly say, " My God," no less than "My Father;" His Father as God, His God as man. As the Son of God, a God He hath not, a Father He hath; as the Son of man, a Father He hath not, a God He hath. A God I say then He hath, but never till then; never till He meddled with us. But then He had, and since He hath. He That was ours not His, is now His as well as ours. These two wheels are set right.

We have brought it to this, that Christ may say Deui^ PcUrem Meum. After we have brought Him to Deum Meum^ we are *^"^"^' half way, our God is His. But now, how shall we get His Father to have Him to be our Father? First, His Father He was from all eternity; He, and none but He can say, and say properly, Patrem Meum, But He is content to quit that *none but He,' and to take us in; and He being our brother before, to make us His now. Ours, in our estate of this mortal; His, in His estate of immortal life. For here now rising, and upon His ascending, He adopts us; and, by adopting, makes us; and by making, pronounces us His brethren, and so children to His Father. Us, His children; Him, our Father — ^witness fratres Meos, and Patrem vestrvm^ both from His own mouth. Sahmm sit verbum Domini mei, by virtue whereof it is now Abba Pater with us. Now, Fado ad Patrem^ we a Father of God, even as Christ That spake it, to pray to, to go to. Meum and vestrum both now in one Then we had a Father of Him, and since we have; but till then, a God we had, but not a Father; at least, not such a Father of Him as since we have. This, the bonumpascha, ihefelix transitus, the blessed interchange we spoke of.

Who gets by this? Deum Meum^ His, His God, was His j)eum humiliation. He as low as we, nay lower than the lowest ^^'^' of us when He cried, " My God, My God " Deum Meum^ veHnm^.

56 Of the Resurrection.

8 E B M. His humiliation, and Pairem vestrum our exaltation ; by it

'- — we are made in case as He, to rise, to ascend ; to go whither,

to be where He is for ever; to say ibo ad Patrem; to say vado Lu. 28. 84. ad Patrem; to say with Him, " Father, forgive;" and again, " Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit." In Patrem vestrum are all these.

So by this time we see the necessity of both these combinations, of both pair of wheels; and that to our great comfort. Meum And But we are not so to look to our own comfort, but that ISfT' withal we be careful to preserve His honour; that so, bolh **"^' may go hand in hand together. And there is order taken for that too, by severing of each pair; that it is not nostrum in one word, * ours,' but Meum and vestrum in two words, "Mine," and "yours;" yet otherwise His, and otherwise ours, both as Father and as God.

As Father. His by nature, by very generation; ours by grace, by mere adoption. As God, and there we are before Him, our God by nature. His no otherwise than as He took upon Him our nature.

But His honour thus set safe, by this partition kept on foot, then let the wheels run, pursue the rest as far as you please, make of it the most you can, for your best avail. That one and the same is both His and ours. One Father, one God, Him and us both. Father to Him, God to us; God to Him, Our God Christ's God, Christ's Father our Father. There is ascendo your chariot, and these are the four wheels on which it moveth, and is carried up to Heaven.

But where is Easter-day, what is become of it all this while? For methinks, all the time we are thus about Father and Son, and taking our nature and becoming one of us, it should be Christmas by this, and not Easter as it is; that this a meeter text one would think for that feast, and that now it comes out of season.

Not a whit. It is Christ That speaketh, and He never speaketh but in season; never but to the purpose, never but on the right day.

A brotherhood, we grant, was begun then at Christmas by j:Pf.fi7.4.] His birth, as upon that day, for " lo then was He bom." But

Of the Resurrection. 67

so was He now also at Easter; bom then too, and after

a better manner bom. His resurrection was a second birth,

Easter a second Christmas. Hodie genui TV, as true of this

day as of that. The Church appointeth for the first Psalm

this day the second Psalm, the Psalm of hodie genui Te. The Pa. 2. 7.

Apostle saith expressly, when He rose from the dead, then was Acts 18:88.

hodie genui Te fulfilled in Him, verified of Him. Then He

was primogenitus a mortuis, " God's first-begotten from the Col. 1, 18.

dead." And upon this latter birth doth ihe brotherhood of

this day depend.

There was then a new begetting this day. And if a new begetting, a new paternity, and fraternity both. By the hodie genui Te of Christmas, how soon He was bom of the Virgin's womb He became our brother, sin except, subject to all our infirmities; so to mortality, and even to death itself. And by death that brotherhood had been dissolved, but for this day's rising. By the hodie genui Te of Easter, as soon as He was bom again of the womb of ihe grave. He begins a new brotherhood, founds a new fraternity straight; adopts us we see anew again by His fratres MeoSy and thereby He That was primogenitus a mortuis becomes primogenitus inter multos fratres; when "the first-begotten from the dead," then " the Rom. 8. 29. first-begotten" in thisrespect"amongmany brethren." Before ^®^' ^' ^' He was ours, now we are His. That was by the mother's side; — so, He ours. This is by Patrem vestrum^ the Father's side; — so, we His. But half-brothers before, never of whole blood till now. Now by Father and mother both, fratres germani, fratres fraterrimi, we cannot be more.

To shut all up in a word, that of Christmas was the fraternity rising out of Deum Meum, Deum vestrum,• so then brethren. This of Easter, adopting us to His Father, was the fraternity oi Patrem Meum, Patrem vestrum; so brethren now.

This day's is the better birth, the better brotherhood by far; the fore-wheels are the less, the hinder the larger ever. For first, that of ours was when He was mortal; but His adoption He deferred. He would not make it while He was mortal; reserved it till He was risen again, and was even upon His ascending, and then He made it. So mortal He was, when He ours; but now when we His, He is immortal, and we brethren to Him in that state, the state of immortality.

58 Of the Resurrection.

S E B M. Brethren before, but not to ascendo; now to ascendo and all.

' — Death was in danger to have dissolved that, but death hath

now no power on Him, or on this; this shall never be in danger of being dissolved any more. That without this is nothing.

But we shall not need to stand in terms of comparison, since then it was but one of these; now it is both. His Father is now become our Father, to make us joint-heirs with Him of His Heavenly Kingdom; His God likewise become our God, to make us " partakers" with them both

[2 Pet 1. " of the Divine nature." Patrem Meum and Patrem vestrum.

'"* Deum Meum and Deum vestrum, run both merrily together,

and ascendo upon them both.

Whereof, I mean of the partaking of His divine nature, to give us full and perfect assurance, as He took our flesh and became our Brother, flesh of our flesh then, so He gives us His flesh, that we may become His brethren, flesh of His flesh, now; and gives it us now upon this day, the very day of our adoption into this fraternity. By taking our flesh— so begun His; by giving His flesh — so begins ours. For requisite it was, that since we drew our death from the first Adam by partaking his substance, semblably and in like sort we should partake the substance of the second Adam; that so we might draw our life from Him; should be ingrafted into Him, as the branches into the vine, that we might receive His sap — ^which is His similitude; should be flesh of His flesh, not He of ours as before, but we of His now; that we might be vegetate with His Spirit, even with His Divine Spirit. For now in Him the Spirits are so united, as partake one and partake the other withal.

And it hath been, and it is therefore an ordinance in the Church for ever, that as upon this day, at the returning of it continually, His flesh and blood should be in Sacrament exhibited to us; as to make a yearly solemn renewing of this fraternity, so likewise to seal to us the fruit of it, our rising; and not rising only, but so rising as ascendo go withal. A badge of the one, a pledge of the other. For which cause, as

IJohn 6. it is called " the living Bread," for that it shall restore us to life and raise us up in the last day, so is it also ^^the Bread that came down from Heaven;" came down from thence, to

Of the Resurrection. 59

e us go up thither, and in the strength of it to ascend into.'s holy hill, and there rest with Him in His tabernacle 3yer. That so the truth of the feast, and of the text if may be fulfilled in us everlastingly with Ood {Pairem mm) our Father; and with Christ (fratres Meos) our ther, and with the blessed Spirit, the love of them both to the other, and of them both to us.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT WHTTEHALL,

Wko is this That cometh from Edom, with red garments from Bosrah? He is glorious in His apparel^ and walketh in great strength; / speak in righteousness ^ and am mighty to save*

Wherefore is Thine apparel red, and Thy garments like him that treadeth in the winepress f

I have trodden the winepress alone, and of all the people there was none with Me ; for I will tread them in Mine anger , and tread them underfoot in My wrath, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and IwiUstain all My raiment,

[Qvis est iste Qui venit de Edam, tinctis vestUms de Basra ? Iste formosus in staid Sua, gradiens in multitudine fartitvdinis Sua. EgOj Qui loquor jiistitiam, et propugnator sum ad salvandum.

Torcular calcavi solus, et de gentUms non est vir Mecum; calcavi eos in furore Meo, et conculcavi eos in ird Med; et aspersus est sanguis eorum super vestimenta Mea, et omnia indumenta Mea inquinavi. Latin Vulg.]

[Who is this That cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah / this That is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength ? I That speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?

I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with Me; for I vriU tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall he sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. Engl. Trans.]

S E B M. Ever when we read or hear read any text or passage out. ^^^* , of this Prophet, the Prophet Esay, it brings to our mind the

Of the Returrectian. 6 1

nobleman that sitting in his chariot, read another like passage

out of this same Prophet. Brings him to mind, and with him

his question, " Of whom doth the Prophet speak this? of Acts 8:84.

himself or of some other?" Not of himself, that's once; it

cannot be himself. It is he tiiat asks the question. Some

other then it must needs be of whom it is, and we to ask who

that other was.

The tenor of Scripture that nobleman then read was out of Ae fifty-third chapter, and this of ours out of the sixty-third, ten chapters between. But if St. Philip had foimd him reading of this here, as he did of that, he would likewise have began at this same Scripture as at that he did, and preached to him Christ — only with this difference; out of that, Christ's Passion; out of this, His Resurrection. For He That was led " as a sheep to be slain," and so was slain isa. 63. 7. there, He it is and no other That rises and comes here back like a lion " firom Bozrah," imbrued with blood, the blood of His enemies.

I have before I was aware disclosed who this party is — it was not amiss I so should; not to hold you long in suspense, but to give you a little light at the first, whom it would fall on. Christ it is. Two things there are that make it can be no other but He. 1. One is without the text, in the end of the chapter next before. There is a proclamation, " Behold, Isa. 62. 11. here comes your Saviour;" and immediately. He That comes vulcate 1 is this party here firom Edom. He is our Saviour, and besides Him there is none, even Christ the Lord. 2. The other is in the text itself, in ihese words; Torcular calcavi sobiSf " I have trod the winepress alone." Words so proper to Christ, so every where ascribed to Him, and to Him only, as you shall not read them any where applied to any other; no, not by the Jews themselves. So as if there were no more but these two, they shew it plainly enough it is, it can be, none but Christ.

And Christ when? Even this day of all days. His coming here firom Edom, will fall out to be His rising from the dead; His return firom Bozrah, nothing but His vanquishing of hell. We may use His words in applying it, " Thou hast ps. 16. 10. not left My soul in hell," " but brought Me back from the ^J ®- '^^• deep of the earth again;" nothing but the act of His rising

62 Of the Remrrection.

S £ B M. again. So that this very morning was this Scripture fulfilled

:_ in our ears.

I. The whole text entire is a dialogue between two, 1. the

Prophet, and 2. Christ. There are in it two questions, and

to the two questions two answers. 1. The Prophet's first

question is touching the party Himself who He is, in these

words, " Who is this?" to which the party Himself answers

in the same verse these words, " That am I, one That," &c.

n. The Prophet's second question is about His colours, why

He was all in red, in the second verse ; " Wherefore then is

Thy apparel," &c. The answer to that is in the third verse in

these; " I have trodden," &c. " For I will tread them down."

Of Christ; of His rising or coming back, of His colours,

of the winepress that gave Him this tincture, or rather of

the two winepresses; 1. the winepress of redemption first,

2. and then of the other winepress of vengeance.

I. The Prophets use to speak of things to come as if they saw

touching be called visions. In his vision here, the Prophet being

Who it L taken up in Spirit sees one coming. Coming whence? From

the land or country of Idumaea or Edom. From what place

there? From Bozrah, the chief city in the land, the place of

greatest strength. " Who will lead me into the strong city?"

Ps. 60. 9. that is, Bozrah. " Who will bring me into Edom?" He that

can do the first, can do the latter. Win Bozrah, and Edom

is won.

There was a cry in the end of the chapter before ;

[Isa. 62. Behold, here comes your Saviour." He looked, and saw

Siev^l one coming. Two things he descries in this paxty: 1. One,

gate.] jjjg habit, that He was formosus in stold, "very richly

arrayed;" 2. The other, His gait, that He " came stoutly

marching," or pacing the ground very strongly. Two good

familiar notes, to descry a stranger by. His apparel, whether

rich or mean, which the world most commonly takes notice

of men by. His gait; for weak men have but a feeble gait.

Valiant strong men tread upon the ground so, as by it you

may discern their strength.

Now this party. He came so goodly in His apparel, so stately in His march, as if by all likelihood He had made some conquest in Edom, the place He came from; had had

Of the Itesurrection. 63

a victory in Bozrah, the city where He had been. And the

truth is, so He had. He saith it in the third verse, " He had

trodden down His enemies,^' had trampled upon them, made

the blood even start out of them; which blood of theirs had

all to stained His garments. This was no evil news for Esay's [Jad.9.5d.]

countrymen, the people of God; Edom was the worst enemy

they had.

With joy then, but not without admiration, such a party sees the Prophet come toward him. Sees Him, but knows TTiTTi not, thinks Him worthy the knowing; so thinking, and not knowing, is desirous to be instructed concerning Him. Out of this desire asks, Quis est? Not of Himself, he durst not be so bold. Who are you? but of some stander by, Whom have we here? Can you tell who this might be? The first question.

But before we come to the question, a word or two of the What is place where He had been, and whence He came. " Edom" ^^^ and " Bozrah," what is meant by them? For if this party Edom. be Christ, Christ was in Egypt a child, but never in Edom Mat. 2. 14. that we read, never at Bozrah in all His life; so as here we are to leave the letter. Some other -it might be the letter might mean; we will not much stand to look after Him. For however possibly some such there was, yet it will plainly appear by the sequel, that " the testimony of Jesus," as it is Revelation 19:10. of each other, so it " is the spirit of this prophecy."

Go we then to the kernel and let the husk lie; let go the dead letter, and take we to us the spiritual meaning that hath some life in it. For what care we for the literal Edom or Bozrah, what became of them; what are they to us? Let us compare spiritual things with spiritual things, that is it must

I will give you a key to this, and such like Scriptures. Familiar it is with the Prophets, nothing more, than to speak to their people in their own language; than to express their ghostly enemies, the both mortal and immortal enemies of their souls, under the titles and terms of those nations and cities as were the known sworn enemies of the commonwealth of Israel. As of Egypt where they were in bondage; as of Babylon, where in captivity; elsewhere, as of Edom here, who maliced them more than both those. If the Angel tell us

64 Of the Resurrection.

S E R M. right, Revelation the eleventh, there is " a spiritual Sodom

Bev 13 T ^^^ EgyP* where our Lord was crucified;" and if they, why not a spiritual Edom too whence our Lord rose again? Put all three together, Egypt, Babel, Edom, all their enmities, all are nothing to the hatred that hell bears us. But yet if you ask, of the three which was the worst? That was Edom. To shew, the Prophet here made good choice of his place, Edom upon earth comes nearest to the kingdom of darkness in hell, of all the rest. And that, in these respects:

First, they were the wickedest people under the sun. If there were any devils upon earth, it was they; if the devil of any country, he would choose to be an Edomite. No place on earth that resembled hell nearer; next to hell on earth

Mai. 1. 4. was Edom for all that naught was. Malachi calls Edom, " the border of all wickedness," " a people with whom God was angry for ever." In which very points, no enemies so fitly express the enemies of our souls, against whom the

Bey. 14. 11. anger of God is eternal, and "the smoke of whose torments shall ascend for ever." Hell, for all that naught is. That if the power of darkness, and hell itself, if they be to be expressed by any place on earth, they cannot be better expressed than in these, " Edom" and " Bozrah." 2. I will give you another. The Edomites were the posterity

(jen. 36. 1. ^f Esau; " the same is Edom." So they were nearest of kin to the Jews, of all nations ; so should have been their best friends. The Jews and they came of two brethren. Edom was the elder, and that was the grief, that the people of Israel coming of Jacob the younger brother, had enlarged their border; got them a better seat and country by far than they, the Edomites had. Hence grew envy, and an enemy out of envy is ever the worst. So were they, the most cankered enemies that Israel had. The case is so between us and the evil spirits. Angels they were we know, and so in a sort elder brethren to us. Of the two intellectual natures, they the first created. Our case now, Christ be thanked ! is much better than theirs ; which is that enraged them against us, as much and more than ever any Edomite against Israel. Hell, for rancour and envy. 8. Yet one more. They were ready to do God's people all the mischief they were able, and when they were not able of

Of the Resurrection, 65

themselved, they shewed their good-wills though, set on others. And when they had won Jerusalem, cried " Down Pa. 187. 7. with it, down with it, even to the ground;" no less would serve. And when it was on the ground, insulted and rejoiced above measure: " Remember the children of Edom." This is right the devil's property, quarto modo. He that hath but the heart of a man, will even rue to see his enemy lying in extreme misery. None but very devils, or devils incarnate, will do so; corrupt their compassion, cast off all pity; rejoice, insult, take delight at one's destruction. Hell for their Mxjxiqn xaxla, * insulting over men in misery.'

But will ye go even to the letter? none did ever so much 4. mischief to David, as did Doeg; he was an Edomite. Nor lSam.22.9. none so much to the Son of David, Christ, none bore more malice to Him first and last than did Herod; and he was an Edomite. So, which way soever we take it, next the kingdom of darkness was Edom upon earth. And Christ coming from thence, may well be said to come from Edom.

But what say you to Bozrah? This; that if the country of a. By Edom do well set before us the whole kingdom of darkness or ^°^^* region of death, Bozrah may well stand for hell itself. Bozrah was the strongest hold of that kingdom, hell is so of this. The whole country of Tdumea was called and known by the name of Uz, that is, of strength; and what of such strength as death? all the sons of men stoop to him. Bozrah was called "the strong city;" hell is strong as it everyway. Theypg. eo. 9. write, it was environed with huge high rocks on all sides, one only cleft to come to it by. And when you were in, there must you perish; no getting out again. For all the world like to hell, as Abraham describes it to him that was in it, **they that would go from this place to you cannot possibly, lu. 16. 26. neither can they come from thence to us;" the gulf is so great, no getting out. No habeas corpus from death, no habeas animam out of hell; you must " let that alone for ever." pg 49 g

Now then we have the Prophet's true Edom, his very Bozrah indeed. By this we understand what they mean. "Edom," the kingdom of darkness and death; "Bozrah," the seat of the prince of darkness, that is, hell itself. From both which Christ this day returned. " His soul was not Ps. 16. 10. left in hell. His flesh saw not," but rose from, " corruption."

66 Of the Resurrection,

S E R M. For " over Edom," strong as it was, yet David " cast his

shoe ;" " over" it, that is, after the Hebrew phrase, set his foot

' upon it and trod it down. And Bozrah, as impregnable a hold

as it was holden, yet David won it; was led " into the strong

city," led into it, and came thence again. So did the Son of

David this day from His Edom, death, how strong soever,

1 Cor. 16. yet " swallowed up in victory" this day. And from hell His

Bozrah, how hard soever it held, as he that was in it found

there was no getting thence, Christ is got forth we see. How

many souls soever were there left. His was not left there.

And when did He this? when solutus doloribtis infemi.

Acts 2. 24. " He loosed the pains of hell," trod upon the serpent's head,

I Cor. 15. ^^^ ^^^ *^ ' bruised it, took from death his " sting," from hell

05; his " victory," that is his standard, alluding to the Roman

tirely] Standard that had in it the image of the goddess Victory. Col. 2. 14 Seized upon the chirographum contra nos^ the ragman roll* ^o* . that made so strong against us; took it, rent it, and so rent

a Statute * " nailed it to His Cross;" made His banner of it, of the law ^^^ted^ cancelled, hanging at it banner-wise. And having thus complaiiits " spoiled principalities and powers, He made an open show andabo^^* of them, triumphed over them" in SemetipsOj " in His own such let- person," — all three are in Colossians the second, — and triters as containedself- umphantly came thence with the keys of Edom and Bozrah accusa- ^o^h, " of hell and of death" both, at His girdle, as He shews

crimes Himself. And when was this? if ever, on this very day. On

state. " and of him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil,"

Judges 6, queror, saying as Deborah did in her song, "O my soul, thou

hast trodden down strength," thou hast marched valiantly!

And coming back thus, from the debellation of the spiritual

Edom, and the breaking up of the true Bozrah indeed, it is

wondered who it should be. Note this; that nobody knew

Job. 20. 14. Christ at His rising, neither Mary Magdalene, nor they that

* ' went to Emmaus. No more doth the Prophet here.

1. Now there was reason to ask this question, for none would

ever think it to be Christ, There is great odds it cannot be

He. 1. Not He; He was put to death, and put into His

grave, and a great stone upon Him, not three days since.

This party is alive and alives-like. His ghost it cannot be;

Of Urn Iteiurreetum. 67

He 'glides not as ghosts they say do, but paces the ground?ery strongly.

Not He; He had His apparel shared amongst the soldiers, 2. was left all naked. This party hath gotten Him on " glorious apparel," rich scarlet.

Not He; for if He come, He must come in white, in the 3. linen He was lapped in, and laid in His grave. This party eomes in quite another colour, all in red. So the colours suit not.

To be short, not He, for He was put to a foil, to a foul ^' foil as ever was any; they did to Him even what they listed; scorned, insulted upon Him. It was then '^the hour La. 22. 53. and power of darkness." This Party, whatsoever He is, hath gotten the upper hand, won the field; marches stately. Conqueror-like. His, the day sure.

Well, yet Christ it is. His answer gives Him for no other. The first To His answer then. The Party, it seems, overheard the That Party Prophet's asking, and is pleased to give an answer to it Him- ^ Christ. self; we are much bound to Him for it. No man can tell so well as He Himself, who He is. Some other might mistake Him, and misinform us of Him; now we are sure we are right. No error persoms.

His name indeed He tells not, but describes Himself by two such notes as can agree to none properly but to Christ. Of none can these two be so affirmed, as of Him they may. That by these two we know this is Christ, as plainly as if His name had been spelled to us. 1. " Speaking righteousness;" and righteousness referred to speech, signifieth truth ever. " No guile to be found in His mouth;" and omnis homo is iPet.2.22. — ^you know what. 2. " Mighty to save;" and vana sahts ^^* ^l^-^lhominisy " vain is the help of man." Who ever spake so right ^^- ^0. J i. as He spake? Or who ever was so " mighty to save" as He? And this is His answer to quia est isfe.

" That am I." One " that speak righteousness, and am mighty to save." Righteous in speaking, mighty in saving, Whose word is truth. Whose work is salvation. Just and true of My word and promise; powerful and mighty in performance of both. The best description, say I, that can be of any man; by His word and deed both.

And see how well they fit. Speaking is most proper; thatj;^;^-

68 Of the Resurrection.

S E R M. refers to Him, as the Word — " in the beginning was the

=^!^- Word" — to His Divine nature. Saving, that refers to His

Joh. 1. 1. ^g^ name Jesus, given Him by the Angel as man, for that Mat. 1. 21. jjg should save His people from their sins," from which none had ever power to save but He. There have you His two natures. 2. His Speaking refers to His office of Priest: " the Priest's lips to

Mai. 2. 7. preserve knowledge;" — the law of righteousness to be required at his mouth. Saving, and that mightily, pertains to

Dan. 9. 25. Him as a King, is the office, as Daniel calls Him, of

" Messias the Captain." Righteousness He spake, by His

preaching. Saving, that belongs first to His miraculous

sufferings it being far a greater miracle for the Deity to

suffer any the least injury, than to create a new world, yea

many. But secondly, which is proper to the text and time,

in His mighty subduing and treading down hell and death,

Lu. 22. 64. and all the power of Satan. Prophetiza nobis, they said at

* His passion, " Speak, who hit you" there ; and Ave Hex they

said too; — ^both in scorn, but most true both.

8. His You may refer these two, if you please, to His two main

benefits redounding to us from these two. Two things there are that undo us, error and sin. From His speaking we receive knowledge of His truth, against error. From His saving we receive the power of grace against sin, and so are saved from sin's sequel, Edom and Bozrah both. This is His description, and this is enough. A ftiU description of His Person, in His natures, offices, benefits; in word and in deed. He it is, and can be none but He. To reflect a little on these two.

1. You will observe that His speaking is set down simply, but not in ^* ^^ H^^ saving He is said to be " mighty," or, as the word is, speaking, multus ad sewandum. So, mark where the multus is. He is

not multus ad loquendum, ' one that saith much,' and paucus ad servandum, ^ and then does little,' as the manner of the world is. Multus is not there at His speech, it is put to serva7idum; there He is much, and His might much; " much of might to save."

2. That His might is not put in treading down or destroying. Slving " No, but multus ad ignoscendum, in the fifty-fifth chapter isa. 55. 7. before f and multus ad servandum, here. " Mighty" to shew

Of the Resurrection, 69

mercy, and to save. Yet " mighty" He is too, to destroy and tread down; else had He not achieved this victory in the text. " Mighty to save," implieth ever mighty to subdue; to subdue them v\rhom He saves us from. Yet of the twain He chooseth rather the tenn of saving, though both be tine, because saving is with Him primes intentionis; so, of the twain, in that He would have His might appear rather. Mighty to destroy He will not have mentioned, or come in His style; but " mighty to save," that is His title, that the quality He takes delight in; delights to describe Himself, and to be described by.

You will yet mark also, as the coupling of these two in the 3. description of Christ, for not either of these alone will serve, teacheth but between them both they make it up, so that they go ^o J and together, these two ever. He saves not any but those He teaches. And note the order of them too. For that that stands first, He doth first, first teaches. " Mighty to save" He is, but whom to save } whom He " speaks righteousness" to, and they hear Him, and return not again to their former folly. Tliere is no fancying to ourselves we can dispense with one of these, never care whether we deal with the former or no, whether we hear Him speak at all, but take hold of the latter, and be saved with a good will. No; you cannot, but if you hear Him speak first. He saith so, and sets them to Himself.

And put this to it, and I have done this point. That such We to be as is Himself, such if we hear Him will He make us to be. in both. And the more true and soothfast any of us is of His word, the more given to do good and save, the liker to Him, and the liker to have our parts in His rising. We know quis est iste now. This for the first part.

Now, the Prophet hearing Him answer so gently, takes to II. him a little courage to ask Him one question more, about second His colours; he was a little troubled with them. If you be question:

SO " mighty to save" as you say, how comes it then, what apparel h ails your garments to be so red? and adds, what kind of red. ^®^- And he cannot tell what to liken them better to, than as if He had newly come out of some winepress, had been treading grapes, and pressing out wine there. He calls it wine, but the truth is it was no wine, it was very blood. New wine in

Of the Resurrection,

SEEM.

xvn.

The answer.

The first winepress. Christ's calcatus sum

[S.Aug. in Joan. Tract.] 20.]

show, blood indeed that upon His garments. So much appeareth in the next verse following, where He saith Himself plainly that blood it was that was sprinkled upon His clothes, and had stained them all over. We know well, our reason leads us, there could be no vintage at this time of the year, the season serves not; blood it was.

But because the Prophet made mention of a " winepress," had hit on that simile, taking occasion upon the naming it, He shapes him an answer according; that indeed He had been in a " winepress." And so He had. The truth is. He had been in one; nay, in two then. In one He had been before this here. A double winepress — we lose nothing by this — we find; Christ was in both. We cannot well take notice of the one, but we must needs touch upon the other. But thus they are distinguished. In that former it was. In torculari calcatus sum solzts; in this latter it is, Torcular calccm solus. In the former. He was Himself trodden and pressed; He was the grapes and clusters Himself. In this latter here. He that was trodden on before, gets up again, and doth here tread upon and tread down, calcare and conculcare (both words are in the verse) upon some others, as it might be the Edomites. The press He was trodden in, was His Cross and Passion. This which He came out of this day, was in His descent and resurrection, both proper to this feast; one to Good-Friday, the other to Easter-day.

To pursue this of the winepress a little. The press, the treading in it, is to make wine; calcatus sum is properly of grapes, the fruit of the vine. Christ is the " true Vine," He saith it Himself. To make wine of Him, He and the clusters He bare must be pressed. So He was. Three shrewd strains they gave Him. One, in Gethsemane, that made Him sweat blood; the wine or blood, — all is one, came forth at all parts of Him. Another, in the Judgment hall, Gabbatha, which made the blood nm forth at His head, with the thorns; out of His whole body, with the scourges; out of His hands and feet, with the nails. The last strain at Golgotha, where He was so pressed that they pressed the ver}' soul out of His body, and out ran '* blood and water" both. Hcec sunt Ecclesus gemina Sacramenia^ saith St. Augustine, out came both Sacraments, ' the twin Sacraments of the Church.'

Of the Resurrection. 7 1

Out of these pressures ran the blood of the grapes of the trae Vine, the fruit whereof, as it is said in Judges the ninth, " cheerethboth God and man." God, as a libamen or drink- Judges 9.

offering to Him; man, as " the cup of salvation" to them.

But to make this wine. His clusters were to be cut; cut, and [Ps. no.

cast in ; cast in, and trodden on ; trodden and pressed out;

all these, before He came to be wine in the cup. As likewise,

these four, 1. the sickle, 2. the flail, 3. the millstone, 4. the

oven. He passed through; all went over Him before He was [Exod. 25.

made bread; " the shew-bread" to God, to us " the Bread of? J^j^jj q

life." 48.]

But to return to the winepress, to tell you the occasion or reason why thus it behoved to be. It was not idly done; what need then was there of it, this first pressing? We find calix cUemoniorum, the devil hath a cup. Adam must needs 1 Cor. lo.

be sipping of it; Eritis sicut Dii went down sweetly, but Q^n^ 3^ 5^ poisoned him, turned his nature quite. For Adam was by Gk)d planted a natural vine, a true root, but thereby, by that cup, degenerated into a wild strange vine, which, instead of isa. 5.4. good grapes, "brought forth" labmscasy "wild grapes;" ^2®^^*' ^^' "grapes of gall," " bitter clusters," Moses calls them; colocynthidasy the Prophet, mors in olla^ and mors in calice; by 2 Kings 4. which is meant the deadly firuit of our deadly sins. ^^' ^^'

But, as it is in the fifth chapter of this prophecy, where God planted this vine first. He made a winepress in it, so the grapes that came of this strange vine were cut and cast into the press: thereof came a deadly wine, of which saith the Psalmist, " in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, the wine is Ps. 75. 8. red, it is full mixed, and He pours out of it; and the sinners of the earth are to drink it, dregs and all." Those sinners were our fathers, and we. It came to Bibite ex hoc omnes; they Mat.26.27. and we were to drink of it all, one after another, round. Good reason to drink as we had brewed, to drink the fruit of our own inventions, our own words and works we had brought forth.

About the cup went, all strained at it. At last, to Christ it came; He was none of the sinners, but was found among Isa. 63. 12. them. By His good will He would have had it pass; transeat Mat. 20 3ft, a Me caUx iste, — you know who That was. Yet, rather than we,

72 Of the Remirrectum.

S £ R M. than any of us should take it — it would be our bane. He

'— knew — He took it; off it went, dregs and all. Alas, the

myrrh they gave Him at the beginning, the vinegar at the ending of His Passion, were but poor resemblances of this cup, such as they were. That, another manner draught. We see it cast Him into so unnatural a sweat of blood all over, as if He had been wnmg and crushed in a " winepress" it could not have been more. This, lo, was the first " winepress," and Christ in it three days ago; and what with the scourges, nails and spears, besides so pressed as forth it ran, blood or wine, call it what you will, in such so great quantity, as never ran it more plenteously out of any winepress of them all. Here is Christus in iorculari, Christ's calcatus sum. Of which wine so pressed then out of Him came our cup, Lu. 22. 20. the cup of this day, " the cup of the New Testament in His blood," represented by the blood of the grape. Wherein long Geiu49.ll. before old Jacob foretold Shiloh should " wash his robe," as full well He might have done, there came enough to have washed it over and over again. So you see now how the case stands. That former, our cup due to us and no way to Him, He drank for us that it might pass from us, and we not drink Isa. 51. 22. it. Ours did He drink, that we might drink of His. He " the 1 Cor. 10. cup of vnrath," that we " the cup of blessing," set first before ^^' God as a libameriy at the sight or scent whereof He smelleth a

savour of rest, and is appeased. After reached to us, as a sovereign restorative to recover us of the devil's poison, for we also have been sipping at caUx d^emoniorum more or less, woe to us for it! and no way but this to cure us of it.

By this time you see the need of the first press, and of His being in it. Into which He was content to be thrown and there trodden on, all to satisfy His Father out of His justice requiring the drinking up of that cup by us or by some for us, and it came to His lot. And never was there lamb so meek before the shearer, nor worm so easy to be trodden on; never cluster lay so quiet and still to be bruised as did Christ in the press of His passion. Ever be He blessed for it! The Now come we to the other of this day in the text. This

second jg ^^^ ^^^ ^^ have touched but another, wherein the style

press, is altered; no more calcatus sum^ but calcavi and conculcavi I Calcavi. *^^* ^P ^* secms He gat, and down went they, and upon

Of the Memrrection. 73

them He txod. His enemies of Edom lay like so many clusters under His feet; and "He cast His shoe" over them, set Ps* 108. . His foot on them, and dashed them to pieces.

If it had meant His passion, it had been His own blood; but this was none of His now, but the blood of His enemies. For when the' year of redemption was past, then came the day of vengeance; then came the time for that, and not before.

For after the consummatum est of his own pressure, sic Mat. 8. 15. oporttiit impleri omnem justiliamy and that all the righteousness He spake had been fulfilled; then "rise up, rise up thou Isa. 61. . arm of the Lord," saiththe Prophet, and shew thyself mightily to save: He took Him to His second attribute, to be avenged of those that had been the ruin of us all, the ruin everlasting, but for Him. To Edom, the kingdom of death. He went, whither we were to be led captives; yea even to Bozrah, to hell itself, and there "brake the gates of brass, and made the Isa- ^' *• iron-bars fly in sunder." He That was weak to suffer, became "mighty to save." Oicalcatus^ He became calcator. He That was thrown Himself, threw them now another while into the press, trod them down, trampled upon them as upon grapes in a fat, till He made the blood spring out of them, and all to sprinkle His garments, as if He had come forth of a winepress indeed. And we before, mercifully rather than mightily by His passion, now mightily also saved by His glorious resurrection.

Thus have you two several vines, the natural and the strange vine, the sweet and the wild; two presses, that in Jewry, that in Edom; two cups, the cursed cup, and the cup of blessing; of wine or blood. His own. His enemies' blood; one, sanguis ^gni/ the blood of the Ijaxah^ &\ain; the other, sanguis draconis, ' the blood of the dragon,' " the red ^®^- ^^* ^* dragon" trod upon. One of His passion, three days since; the other of His victory, as to-day. Between His burial and His rising some doing there had been, somewhat had been done; somewhere He had been, in some new winepress, in Bozrah, that had given a new tincture of red to His raiment all over.

Both these shall you find together set down in one and the same chapter, in two verses standing close one to the other ;

74 Of the Resurreetion.

S E R M. 1. Christ represented first as a Lamb, "a Lamb slain," dyed

in His own blood: this is the first press. 2. And immedi-

* * ' * ately in the very next verse, straight represented again in a

new shape, as "a Lion" all be-bloody with the blood of His

prey — " a Lion of the Tribe of Judah;" which comes home

Gen. 49. to this here. For Judah, it is said, he should " wash his

2. Solus, We must not leave out sohis in any wise ; that both these ^^^' He did " alone," so " alone" as not any man in the world with Him in either.

Mat.26.56. Not in the first; there pressed He was " alone." All forsook Him; His disciples first; "alone" for them. Yet then He was not "alone," His Father was still with Him; but after,

Mat.27.46. Father and all, as appeared by His cry, " Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Then was He all " alone" indeed.

Not in the second neither. The very next verse. He complains how that He looked about Him round, and could not see any would once offer to help Him. Out of Bozrah He got "alone;" firom death He rose, conquered, triumphed in

the stone; but He was risen first, and the stone rolled away after.

Accordingly we to reckon of Him, that since in both these

presses He was for us, He and none but He; that His, and

none but His, be the glory of both. That seeing neither we

for ourselves, nor any for us, could bring this to pass, but He

and He only ; He and He only might have the whole honour

of both, have no partner in that which is only His due, and

no creature's else at all, either in Heaven or earth.

And is Christ come from Bozrah? then be sure of this,

that He returning thus in triumph, as it is in the sixty-eighth

Psalm, the Psalm of the Resurrection, He will not leave us

Ps. 68. 22. behind for whom He did all this, but " His own will He bring again as He did from Basan;" as from Basan, so from Bozrah; as " from the deep pit of the sea," so from the deep

2 Cor.4, 14. pit of hell. " He That raised Jesus, shall by Jesus raise us up also" from the Adama of Edom, the red mould of the earth, the power of the gi'ave ; and from the Bozrah of hell too, the gulf whence there is no scaping out. Will make us in Him,

Of the JResurrection. 76

saith the Apostle, ^^ more than conquerors/' and tread down Rom. 8. 87. Satan under our feet.

You see how Christ's garments came to be " red." Of the Christ's winepress that made them so we have spoken, but not of ^^fr^^ the colour itself. A word of that too. It was His colour at His Passion. They put Him in purple; then it was His weed in derision, and so was it in earnest. Both ^ red" it was itself, and so He made it more with the dye of His own blood. And the same colour He is now in again at His rising. Not with His own now, but with the blood of the wounded Edomites, whom treading under His feet, their blood bestained Him and His apparel. So one and the same colour at both; dying and rising in red; but with difference as much as is between His own and His enemies^ blood.

The spouse in the Canticles, asked of her Beloved's colours, saith of Him, " My Beloved is white and red." " White," of Cant.6J0. His own proper: so He was when He shewed Himself in kind, " transfigured" in the Mount; His apparel then so Mat. 17. 3. "white," no fuller in the earth could come near it. "White" ^^^ ®* ^• of Himself; how comes He "red" then? Not of Himself that, but for us. That is our natural colour, we are bom "polluted in our own blood." It is sin's colour that, for shame Lamentations 4:14. is the colour of sin. Our sins, saith Esay, " are as crimson Isa. 1. 18. of as deep dye as any purple." This, the true tincture of our sins, the Edomites' colour riirht, for Edom is red. The tine- [Oen. 25.

ture, I say, first 6f our sin original, dyed in the wool; and

tiiien again of our sins actual, dyed in the cloth too. Twice

dyed; so was Christ twice. Once in His own, again in His

enemies', right dihaphusy a perfect full colour, a true purple,

of a double dye His too. So was it meet for crimson sinners

to have a crimson Saviour; a Saviour of such a colour it

behoved us to have. Coming then to save us, off went His

white, on went our red; laid by His own righteousness to be

clothed with our sin. He to wear our colours, that we His;

He in our red, that we in His white. So we find our " robes" Rev. 7. 14.

are not only " washed clean," but dyed a pure white in the

blood of the Lamb. Yea, He died and rose again both in

our colours, that we might die and rise too in His. We fall

now again upon the same point in the colours we did before

in the cups. He to drink the sour vinegar of our wild grapes,

76 Of the Resurrection.

SERM. that we might drink His sweet in the cup of blessing. ^^^' cup of blessing, may we say of this cup! O stolam formosamy of that colour! Illi gloriosam, nobis fructuosam; * glorious to Him, no less fruitful to us.' He in Mount Golgotha like to us, that we in Moimt Tabor like to Him. This is the sub^ stance of our rejoicing in this colour.

From One more; how well this colour fits Him in respect of

as a Doc- Jjoquens justitiarn, is to wear red; potens ad servandum is so too. The first. To whom is this colour given? Scarlet is allowed the degree of Doctors. Why? for their speaking righteousness to us, the righteousness of God, that which Christ spake. Nay, even they which speak but the righteousness of man's law, they are honoured with it too. But

Joh.7. 46. Christ " spake so as never man spake," and so call ye none on earth Doctor but One; none in comparison of Him. So

Rev. 5. 1 -7. of all, H e to wear it. This ye shall observe in the Revelation; at the first appearing of the Lamb, there was a book with seven seals. No man would meddle with it; the Lamb took it, opened the seals, read it, read out of it a lecture of righteousness to the whole world; the righteousness of God, that shall make us so before Him. Let Him be arrayed in scarlet; it is His due. His Doctor's weed.

This is no new thing. The heathen king propounded it for a reward to any that could read the hand-writing on the

Dan. 6. 7. wall. Daniel did it, and had it. Sed eece major Daniele hie. Thus was it in the Law. This colour was the ground of the Ephod, a principal ingredient into the Priest's vesture.

Mai. 2. 7. Why? For, "his lips were to preserve knowledge," all to require the law from his mouth. And indeed, the very lips themselves that we speak righteousness with, are of the same

Cant. 4. 3. coloiu*. In the Canticles it is said, " His lips are like a scarlet thread." And the fruit of the lips hath God created peace, and the fruit of peace is sown in righteousness; and till that be sown and spoken, never any hope of true peace.

2. From Enough for speaking. What say you to the other, potens

<iMw, asa this time and place? I say that way it fits Him too, this colour. Men of war, great captains, " mighty to save" us from the enemies, they take it to themselves, and their colour it is

Of the Resurrection^ 77

ofright. A plain text for it^Nahum the second. "Their valiant Nahiim24l. men,'' or captains, " are in scarlet." And I told you Christ by Daniel is called " Captain Messias," and so well might. So in I>wi. 9. 25. His late conflict with Edom He shewed Himself, fought for us even to blood. Many a bloody wound it cost Him, but returned with the spoil of His enemies, stained with their blood; and whoso is able so to do, is worthy to wear it. So in this respect also, so in both; His colours become Him well.

Shall I put you in mind, that there is in these two, in either of them, a kind of winepress? In " mighty to save," it is evident; trodden in one press, treading in another. Not so evident in " the speaking of righteousness." Yet even in that also, there is a press going. For when we read, what do we but gather grapes here and there; and when we study what we have gathered, then are we even in torculari^ and press them we do, and press out of them that which daily you taste of. I know there is great odds in the liquors so pressed, and that " a cluster of Ephraim is worth a whole vintage of Abiezer;" Judges 8. but for that, every man as he may. Nay, it may be farther ' said, and that truly, that even this great title, " Mighty to save," comes under loqicens jicstitiam. There is in the word of righteousness a saving power. " Take the word," saith Jas. l. 21. St. James, " graft it in you, it is able to save your souls;" even liat wherein we of this calling in a sort participate with Christ, while " by attending to reading and doctrine we save iTim.4.16. both ourselves and them that hear us;" we tread down sin, and save sinners from " seeking death in the error of their life." [Wisd. i.

But though there be in the word a saving power, yet is not '^ all saving power in that, nor in that only; there is a press beside. For this press is going continually among us, but there is another that goes but at times. But in that, it goes at such times as it falls in fit with the winepress here. Nay, falls in most fit of all the rest. For of it comes very wine indeed, the blood of the grapes of the true Vine, which in the blessed Sacrament is reached to us, and with it is given us that for which it was given, even remission of sins. Not only represented therein, but even exhibited to us. Both which when we partake, then have we a full and perfect communion with Christ this day; of His speaking righteousness in the word preached, of His power to save in the holy Eucharist

78 Of the Msiurrection.

SEBM. ministered. Both presses run for us, and we to partake ^^^' them both.

I may not end till I tell you there remaineth yet another, a third winepress; that you may take heed of it. 1 will but point you to it; it may serve as sour herbs to eat our Paschal lamb with. The sun, they say, danced this morning at

Mat. 28. 2. Christ's resurrection; the earth trembled then I am sure, there was an earthquake at Christ's rising. So there is

Ps. 2. 11. trembling to our joy; exultate in tremorey as the Psalmist wills us. The vintage of the earth, when the time of that is come,

Eev. 14. and when the grapes be ripe and ready for it, one there is "" * that crieth to him with the " sharp sickle" in his hand to "thrust it in," cut off the clusters, " and cast them into the great winepress of the wrath of God." A dismal day that, a pitiful slaughter then. It is there said, " the blood shall come up to the horse-bridles by the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs." Keep you out, take heed of coming in that press.

We have a kind item given us of this, here in the text, in the last verse. There be two acts of Christ; one of being trodden, the other of treading down. The first is for His

tsa. 63. 4. chosen, the other against His enemies. One is called " the year of redemption," the other "the day of vengeance." " The year of redemption" is already come, and is now; we are in it; during which time the two former vrinepresses run, 1. of the word, and 2. Sacrament. " The day of vengeance" is not yet come, it is but in His heart — so the text is — that is, but in His purpose and intent yet. But certainly come it will, that day; and with that day comes the last vdnepress with the blood to the bridles: ere itcome,and during our"year of redemption," that year's allowance, we are to endeavour to keep ourselves out of it; for that is " the day of vengeance," of ira venfura^ God's wrath for ever. So as all we have to study is, how we may be in at the first two, out at the last press; and the due Christian use of the first, will keep us firom the last.

While then it is with us "the year of redemption," and before that day come; while it is yet time of speaking righteousness,

Ps. 95. 7. th^t is, " to-day if ye will hear His voice;" while " the cup of

[1 Cor. 10. blessing" is held out, if we will take it, lay liold on both.

•J That so we may be accounted worthy to escape in that day,

firom that day and the vengeance of it ; and may feel the fill-

Of the Resurrection^ 79

ness of His saving power in " the word engrafted, which is [JaaJj^i.] ableto save our souls;" andin "the cup of salvation" which is [Ps. lie. joined with it, and that to our endless joy. " The year of ^^'^ redemption" is last in the verse; with that the Prophet ends. With that let us end also; and to that end, may all that bath been spoken arrive and bring us!

A SERMON

PREIPARED TO BE

PREACHED ON EASTER-DAY,

ON THE TWEMTY-EIOHTH OF MABCH, A.D. MDCXXIY.

The God of peace ^ That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christy the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting testament.

Make you perfect in all good works to do His will, working in you that which is pleasant in His sight, through Jesus Christ: to Whom be praise for ever and ever! Amen.

\Defu& autem Pads Qui eduxit de mortuis Pastorem magnum ovium, in sanguine testamenti <Btemi, Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum^

Aptet vos in omni bono, ut faciatis Ejus voluntatem, faciens in vobis quod placeat coram 8e, per Jesum Christum, Cui est gloria in s<Bcula scBcidorum! Amen. Latin Vulg.]

[Now the God of peace, That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

Make you perfect in every good work to do His tmU, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory, for ever and ever! Amen. Engl. Trans.]

S E R M. These words, " Who hath brought Christ again from the ^^^' dead," make this a text proper for this day; for as this daywas Christ " brought again" from thence.

And these words, " the blood of the everlasting testament," make it as proper every way for a Communion; for there, at a Communion, we are made to drink of that blood. Put these together, 1. The bringing of Christ from the dead.

The nature text.

Of the Itesurrectian* 8 1

2. and " the blood of the Testament,'' and they will serve well for a text at a Communion on Easter-day.

I will touch in a word, 1. the nature of the text, 2. the sum, and 3. the partition of it.

For the nature, it is a benediction. The use the Church 1doth make of it and such other like, is to pronounce them of the over the congregation by way of a blessing. For not only the power to pray, to preach, to make and to give the Sacrament; but the power also to bless you that are God's people, is annexed, and is a branch of ours, of the Priests' office. You may plainly read the power committed, the act enjoined, and the very form of words prescribed, all in the sixth of Numbers. Num. 6. 23. There God saith, " Thus shall you bless the people;" that [' is, do it you shall, and thus you shall do it, in hcec verba. Neither was this act Levitical, or then first taken up, it was long before: " while Levi was yet in the loins of Abraham," Heb. 7. lo. even then it was a part of Melchisedek's Priesthood, and, if the bread and wine were no more but a refreshing, the only part that we read of, to say Benedictus over Abraham, as great a patriarch as he was. There is nothing else mentioned to shew he was a Priest, but that.

This blessing they used first and last, but rather last. For lightly' then the people were all together. They be not so at * [i. e. first, but only a few then. And here, you see, the Apostle ^^^ ^'^ makes it his farewell. With this he shuts up his Epistle, and with some other such, all the rest. And that, by Christ's example. The last thing that Christ did in this world, was; "He lift up His hands to bless His disciples," and so went Lu.24. 50. away to Heaven. And so you shall find it was the manner in the Primitive Church, at the end of the Liturgy, ever to dismiss the assembly with a blessing. Which blessing they were then so conceited of, they would not off*er to stir, not a man of them, till bovdng down their heads they had the blessing pronounced over them. As if some great matter had lain in the missing of it; as if they had been of Jacob's Gen.82.20. mind, Non dimittam Te nisi benedixeris mihi: they would neither let the Priest depart, nor depart themselves, till they had their blessing with them; such a virtue they held in it. [See Bing- The blessing pronounced, they had then leave to go with so^ew^d.]

82 Of the JResurrection.

S E R M. Koiois oif8(rtfi in the Greek, missa est Jidelibus, in the Latm,

^ Church; and none went away before.

An evil custom hath prevailed with our people; away they go without blessing, without leave, without care of either. Mark if they run not out before any blessing, as if it were not worth the taking with them.

Heb.l2.l7. I marvel how they will be " inheritors of the blessing," that

MatJ25.d4. seem to set so little by it. If they mean to hear, " Come, ye blessed," they should methinks love it better than by their running from it they seem to do.

This would be amended. We are herein departed from the Primitive Christians, with whom it was in more regard. Sure, there is more in the neglect of it than we are aware of. This blessing could not be delivered in better terms than in those that came from the Apostles themselves, which accordingly have been sought up here and there in their writings, and by the Church sorted to several days which they seemed best to agree with. As this here, having Easter-day in it, was made an Easter-day benediction. For the special mention in it of Christ, " brought again from the dead," doth in a manner appropriate it to this feast. Utter it but thus; " The God of peace Who did now, as upon this day, bring again Christ from the dead" — do but utter it thus, and it will appear most plainly how well they suit, the time, and the text. 3. For the sum. It is no more in effect but shortly this.

That God would so bless them and us, as to make us fit for, and perfect in, all good works. A good wish at any time. But why at this time specially, upon mention of Christ's rising, he should wish it, is not seen at first. Yet there is some matter in it, that at Christ's rising he doth not wish our faith increased, or our hope strengthened, or any other grace or virtue revived; but only, that good works might be perfected in us, and we in them. Surely, this sorting them thus together seems to imply as if Christ's resurrection had some more peculiar interest in good works, as indeed it hath. And there hath ever been, and still are, more of them done now at this time, than at any other time of the year.

A general reason may be given. That what time Christ doth for us some principal great work, as at all the feasts He

Of the Resurrection. 88

doth some, and now at this tune sensibly, we to take occasion by it at that time to do somewhat more than ordinary in memory and honour of it. More particularly, some such as may in some sort suit with and resemble the act of Christ then done. As it might be, when Christ died, sin to die in us; when Christ rose again, good works to rise together with Him. Christ^s passion, to be sin's passion; Chrisf s resurrection, good works' resurrection. Good-Friday is for sin, Easter for good works. Good-Friday to bring sin to death, Easter to bring good works from the dead. And we that were dead before to good works, by occasion of this to revive again to the doing of them; and not as the manner is with us, sin to have an Easter, to rise and live again, and good works to be crucified, lie dead and have no resurrection.

For the partition. Two verses there are, and two parts 8. accordingly. 1. The premises, and 2. the sequel. The ^io^/ premises axe Gt)d, and the sequel good works. The former verse is nothing but God, with His style or addition; "The QoA of peace Who hath brought again," &c. The latter is all for good works, "Make you perfect," &c. We may consider them thus. Of the two, 1. one a thing done for us, in the former verse; 2. the other, a thing to be done by us, in the latter verse. The bringing back Christ, the benefit done us by Qod; the applying good works, our duty to be done to Him for it.

The thing done is an act, that is, a bringing back. Which I. act is but one, but implieth another precedent necessarily. For iofayarydvy which is a " bringing back," implieth ayaydv^ which is a * bringing thither.'

To this act there is a concurrence of two agents. 1. One, i. the party that brought; 2. the other, the party that is brought, a. The party that brought is God, under the name or title of " the Qod of peace." The party that was brought is Christ, set forth here under the metaphor of a Shepherd, "the great Shepherd of the sheep."

^ The God of peace" did bring again this " Shepherd;" from whence and how? 3. From whence? " From the dead." 3. Then among the dead He was first. First, brought thither. 4. How from thence? by what means? "By the blood of a 4. Testament everlasting." All which is nothing else but the

84 Of the Resurrection.

s E R M. resurrection of Christ extended at large tlirough all these

n. The thing to be done. That God would so bless them as " to make them," 1. first, "fit to do;" 2. and then " to do good works." 1. " Fit to do," in the word xaragrfo-ai. " To do." Wherein we consider two things; 1. the doing. To which doing there is a concurrence of two agents, 1. eU li iFoviflron viJM$f what we to do; 2. and froimv Iv vfilv, what He to do. 2. And then the work itself expressed in two words, 1. dIXijfux, and 2. euccgearrov: deXijfwt, that is, "His will;" tvdgearovy " that which is well pleasing" in His sight. These two be holden for two degrees; and the latter of the twain to have the more in it. m. And last of all, the sequel. Where is to be shewed, how these two hang together and follow one upon the other. First, the " God of peace," and the bringing of Christ firom death. Then, how the bringing of Christ firom death concerns our bringing forth good works. Which being shewed, what this feast of Easter hath to do with good works will fall in of itself. That with Christ now rising they also should now rise — they are thought as good as dead — that there may be a resurrection of them at Christ's resurrection. I. " The God of peace," &c. Here is a long process. What

do^ne^^ needs all this setting out His style at length? Why goes He us. not to the point roundly? And seeing good works'-doing is

party by His errand, why saith He not shortiy, God make you given whom. to good works! and no more ado i but tells us a long tale of Shepherds and Testaments, and I wot not what, one would think to small purpose? But sure to purpose it is, the Holy Ghost useth no waste words, nor ever speaks but to the point we may be sure. His title. Let us see, and begin with His first title, " the God of "The God peace." God's titles be divers, as be His acts; and His acts

are, as His properties be they proceed from. And lightly, the title is taken firom the property which best fits the act it produceth. As when God proceedeth to punish. He is called the Exod.9.27. "righteous God;" when to shew favour, "the God of mercy;" Ps. 89. 8- when to do some great work, " the God of power." Now then this seems not so proper; should it not rather have been, *the God of power Which brought again,V&c. To bring again

.Of the Hesurrectian, B5

from death seems rather an act of power than of peace. One would think so. But being well looked into, it will be found to belong rather to peace. No power of His will be set on working, will ever bring again from death, unless He be first pacified and made the Lord of peace. Of His power there is no question; of His peace there may be some. I shall tell you why. For all the Old Testament through you shall [i Sam. i. observe God's great title is " the Lord of Hosts," which in 24! jen46. the New you shall never read; but ever since He rose from 18- Hab. the dead it is, instead of it, " the God of peace." To the Mai.i.i4.] Romans, Philippians, Thessalonians, &c. and now here to ^^^' ^^' the Hebrews; and still, " the God of peace." It is not amiss Phil. 4. 9. for us, this change. For if the Lord of Hosts come to be at 23^**^*' ^' peace with us. His hosts shall be all for us, which were 2 Thes. 3. against us, while it was no peace. So as make but God " the God of peace," and more needs not. For His peace will command His power straight.

When His hosts were so about Him, it seemed hostility; how came He then to lay away that title of " the Lord of Hosts," to become Deics pacis? That did He by thus doing; He brought again one from the dead, and that bringing brought peace, and made this change stylo novo, " the God of peace."

This brings us to the other, the second party; He is not 2. The named till all be done, and then He is in the end of the verse; p^y ^ " our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." But at first He is "Our Lord brought in as a Shepherd. Think never the meaner of Him Pastorem for that. Moses and David, the founders of the monarchy of " ^^® the Jews; Cyrus and Romulus, the founders, one of the herd." Persian, the other of the Roman monarchy, were taken all from the sheepfolds. The heathen poet calls the great ruler of the Grecian monarchy but Troifieva Aooiy, that is, the [Horn. * Shepherd of the people.' Christ gives it to Himself, and ^^' ^' God doth not disdain it in the eightieth Psalm. And the ps. so. 1. name, howsoever it falls to us of the Clergy now, ab initio nan fuit sic. Secular men, Joseph, Joshua, and David, were first so termed, and are more often so termed in the Bible than we.

The term of" Shepherd" is well chosen as referring to "the God of peace." Peace is best for shepherds and for sheep. They love peace: then they are safe, then they feed quietly. Yet not so but that shepherds have ventured far to rescue the

86 Of the Resurrection.

S £ B M. sheep from the beax and from the lion, as did King David; 86. any, Who is brought in here in sanguine^ * bleeding/ howsoever it comes.

But this title was not so much for God as for us — Pastorem ovium; and in ovium are we, there come we in, we hold by that word. For so there is a mutual and reciprocal relation between Him and us; that we thereby may be assured by this very term relative, whither, and whensoever He was brought, all He did or suffered, it was not for Himself. For then an absolute name of His own would have been put. AH for His correlative, for oviumy that is, for us. He is no ways considered in all this, as absolutely put or severed from us. His flock, but still with reference and relation unto us. Pastorem But bccause others enter common in this and other His "^e*great ^fl-i^GS with Him, He bears it with a difference; Pastor ^^'„ MagntiSy " the great Shepherd." Not, as Diphilus said to Pompeius Magnus, Nostrd miserid magnus es^ ' great by making others little;^ but misericordid sud magnus^ ' by making Himself little to make us great.'

1. The gradual points of His greatness, in respect of others, are these. Great first, for totum is parte majtis; greater is He That feeds the whole, than they that but certain parcels of the flock. All else feed but pieces ; so they be but petty shepherds to Him. But He, the whole, main entire flock; He and none but He. So He " the great Shepherd" of the great flock.

2. Again, greater is He That owns the sheep He feeds, than they that feed the sheep they own not. All others

Joh.21.16. feed His sheep; none can saj^pasce oves Meas, His they

' be; and reason. For " He made them," they be " the sheep

of His hands ;" He feeds them, so the sheep of His hands,

Ps. ]00. 3. and of " His pasture" both.

3 But this is not the greatness here meant. But Ecce quantam

1 Joh.3. 1. charitatemy^^ %ee the great love" to His sheep ! Others sell and kill theirs. He is so far from selling or killing, as He, this Shepherd, was sold and slain for them, though they were His own. Paid for them, bought them again, and then He " brought them again." It may be there were others had ventured their lives, but not lost them and so lost them as He

Of the Itesurrection. 87

Of which greatness, two great proofs there are in the two words, 1. sanguis J and 2. tesf^mentwm. Sanguis^ a great price; testamentunij a great legacy. Sanguis^ what He suffered; testamentnm^ what He did for them.

The next word is in sanguine^ a Shepherd " in His blood." ^n tan- So this Shepherd sweat blood, ere He could bring them^J'^ugj, back. It was no easy matter, it cost blood; and not any ^® ^^^^ blood, such as He could well spare, but it cost Him His life-blood. It could not be the blood of the testament, bat diere must be a testament, and a testament there cannot be but the Testator must die. So He died. He was brought to the dead for it. This blood brought Him to His testament, which is further than blood.

We said there were two acts; 1. one expressed, " brought The two Him thence," avayayoov. The other implied, ' brought Him ^^' thither,' ayayoov. But first, * brought thither,' before " brought thence." We will touch them both. 1. Why brought thither, and how? 2. And why brought thence, and how?

If when He was " brought thence" it was peace, when He i. was * brought thither' it was none. How came it there was xh^er. none? What made this separation? That did sin, sin brake the peace.

Why, sin touched not Him, " He knew no sin." True; it 2Cor.6.2] was not for Himself nor any sin of His. Whose then? here are but two, 1. Pastor, and 2. ovium; Pastor He, ovium we. If not the Shepherd's then the sheep's sin; if not His, ours. And so it was; peccata vestra, saith God in Esay, and speaks it to us. No quarrel He had to the iga. 59. a. Shepherd-; nothing to say to Christ, as Christ. But He would needs be dealing with sheep, and His sheep fell to straying, and light into the wolves' den; and thither He must go to fetch them, if He will have them.

For ovium then is all this ado, and that is for us. For " all we, as sheep, had gone astray." I may say further; Isa. 53. 6. all we, as sheep, were appointed to the slaughter. So it was we should have been carried thither, and " the Lord laid upon Him the transgressions of as all," and so He was carried for us. This Pastor became tanquam ovis, " as a

88 Of the Resurrection.

SEBM. sheep^' for His sheep, and was brought thither, and ihe

wolves did to Him whatsoever they would.

As if God had said ; Away with these sheep, incidant in

lupos, quia nohint regi a Pastorey * to the wolves with them,

seeing they will be kept in no fold.' But that the Shepherd

endured not; but rather than they should. He would. When

it came to this, who shall go thither, Pastor or ovium, the

Joh. 18. 8. words, "Let them go their way," let the sheep go, and "smite

[Zech. 13. the Shepherd," sentence Him to be carried thither. The

sheep were to be, they should have been; but the Shepherd

was. In sanguine nostro it should have been; in sanguine

2. Thither now He is brought, brought thither by His own

thence. He should be brought thence by His blood. Yet the text is

plain, how He was brought again, in sanguine ^ "by His blood."

First then, let us make God "the God of peace ;" and when

He is so, you soon see Him " bring Him back" again. That

which broke the peace as we said, the very thing that carried

Him to the cross, took Him down thence dead, carried Him

to His grave, and there lodged Him among the dead, was sin.

Away with sin then, that so there may be peace. But there

Heb. 9. 22. is no taking away sin but by " shedding of blood" — ^the blood

either of Pastor or of oviuniy one of them.

9 Why then here is blood, even the Shepherd's blood; and

guine, shed it is, and by the shedding of it sin is taken away, and

bi^V^^ with sin God's displeasure. It is the Apostle's own word.

Eph. 2. " Hatred was slain," and so hatred being slain, peace followed

Cd I 20 ^^ ^^^ ^^^ accord. " He was our Peace," saith the Apostle,

in one place ; " He made our peace," or pacified all " by

His blood," in another.

Now then, upon this peace. He That was before carried away was brought back again, and so well might be. For Ps. 88. ft. all being discharged. He was then to be inter mortuos liher^ no longer bound, but " free from the dead;" not to be kept in prison any longer, but to come forth again. And by His very blood to come forth again. For it was the nature of a ransom, which being laid down, the Prisoner that was brought thither is to go thence, whither He will. For a ransom

Of the Mesurrectian. 80

In both these bringings, God had His hand; God bringeth to death, and bringeth back again. True, if ever, in this Shepherd. Brought Him to the dead, as "the Lord of Hosts;'* brought Him from the dead, as being now pacified, and " the God of peace." Out of His justice, God smote the Shepherd; out of His love to His sheep, the Shepherd was smitten. But Quern deduasit iratuSy reduocit pldcatus; * Whom of His just wrath against sin He brought thither, now having fulfilled all righteousness He was to bring thence again.' And so brought back He was, and the same way fliat He was carried thither. Carried the way of justice, to satisfy for them He had undertaken for. And having fully satisfied for them, was in very justice to be brought back again. And so He was; God accepted His passion in full satisfaction, gave present order for His raising again.

And let not this phrase of God's bringing back, or of Christ's coming back, of God's raising Him, or of Christ's rising, any-thing trouble you. The resurrection is one entire act of two joint Agents, that both had Their hands in it. Ascribed one while to Christ Himself, that He rose, that He came back; to shew that He had "power to lay down Joh.]0.i8. His life, and power to take it again." Another while to God, that He raised Him, that He brought Him back; to shew that God was fully satisfied and well-pleased with it, reach Him His hand, as it were, to bring Him thence again.

To shew you the benefit that riseth to us by this His rising. Brought thither He was to the dead: so, it lay us upon; if He had not, we should. We were even carrying thither; and that we might not, He was. Brought thence He was, from the dead: so it stood us in hand; if He had not been brought thence, we should never have come thence, but been lefk to have lain there world without end. Brought thither He would be — He, and not we; He without us. So careful He was not to spare Himself that we might be spared. Brought thence He would not be, not without His sheep we may be sure; He would bring us thence too, or He would not be brought thence without us. You may see Him in the parable, coming with His lost sheep on His shoulders. That Lu. 15. 6.

90 Of the Itesurreciwn.

8 £ B M. one sheep is the image of us all. So earefiil He was, as He

1- laid him on His own neck, to be sure; which is the true

portraiture or representation of His fayy^. That if " the God of peace'' bring Him back, He must bring them also, for He will not come back without them. Upon His bringing back from death, is ours founded; in Him all His were brought back. In His person our nature, in our nature we all.

Think you after the payment of such a price He will come

back Himself alone, He will let the sheep be carried thither,

and not see them brought back again? He did not suffer all

this we may be sure, to come away thence, and leave them

behind Him. It was never seen that any that paid after so

high a rate for any, be it what it will, that when He had

done would not see it brought away, but lose all His labour

and cost. No; as sure as Himself was brought, so sure He

will bring them whom He would not part from. He will die

first. Nothing shall part them now. Pastor and ovmmj

" sheep" and " Shepherd" now, or no bargain. He with His

flock, and His flock with Him; it with Him and He with it;

He and they, or not He Himself; both together, or not at

[John 17. all. Will you hear Himself say as much ? " Father, My will

^^•J is, that whither I go," whence I come, where I am, thither,

thence, and there, " these be also."

4. But when He had brought us thence, what shall become

tet^^^ of US trow? Will He leave us at random to wander in the

menu, mountains? No; but ubi desinit Pastor^ ibi incipit Testator;

"the blood ^ r '

of the tes- * where the Shepherd goes out, the Testator comes in.' Which tament." ^g findplainly in the word "testament." Forthough peace be a fair blessing in itself, if no more but it; and bringing back be worth the while, yet here is now a greater matter than so. There is more in the blood than we are aware of. This is also meant; that there is the blood of a testament, which bodeth some further matter. There should need no testament, if it were for nothing but to make peace. A covenant Ezek. 87. would serve for that; " My covenant of peace would I make ^^' with thee," saith God. Sanguis foederis would have done

that, if there had been no more but so. But here it is the blood of a testament.

It is sanguis cum testamento annexo, ^ blood with a testament

Of the Meiturreetian. 91

annexed.^ Beside the pacification and back-bringing, this fJamet 4. Scripture *' offereth more grace;" even a testamentary matter '"* to be administered for our further behoof.

For I ask. Every drop of this blood is more worth than many v^orlds: shall this blood then so precious, of so great a Person as the Son of God, be spent to bring forth nothing but pardon and peace? Being of so great a value, shall it produce but so poor an efiect? Pity it should be shed, to bring forth nothing but a few sheep from death. There is enough in it to serve further to make a purchase, which He may dispose of to them He will vouchsafe to bring again firom the dead. For when He hath brought them thence, how He will dispose them, that would be thought on too.

I find then ascribed to His blood, a price; not only of ianXuTgaxri^y that is, a " redemption or ransom," but also Eph. l. U. irf^nro/i]9'i;, that is, of " perquisition or purchase." And I find them both in one verse. So that this blood availed, as to pay our debt, so over and above to make a purchase; served not only to procure our peace, but to state us in a condition better than ever we were before. Not only brought us, but bought us; nay not only bought us and brought us back, but bought for us further an everlasting inheritance, and brought us to it.

Two powers were in it; 1. as sanguis foederis^ " the blood [Heb. 10. of the covenant," the covenant of peace, for in blood were ^^'^ the covenants made; that with Abraham in Genesis fifteen, Gen. 15. 9, that with Moses in Exodus twenty-four, in blood both; and Exod.24.8 among the heathen men, never any covenant of peace but in blood. 2. Now for peace this were enough; but it is sanguis testamenti too, " the blood of a testament," which is founded [Heb. 18. upon better promises, bequeaths legacies, disposeth estates — '-' matter far of a higher nature than bare peace. As the blood of the covenant, so it pacifieth and appeaseth; as the blood of the testament, so it passeth over and conveyeth besides.

But say it did not, it were for nothing else but our peace, yet it is much better for us, that our peace go by testament rather than by a covenant. Leagues, covenants, edicts of pacification, have ofi^ been, and are we see daily broken. Small hold of them; a stronger hold than so behoved us. A stronger hold there is not than that of a testament. That

92 Of the Resurrection.

— humanis is held more sacred; so as peace by a testament is

far the surer of the twain. Testamenti Of which testament, and the greatness of it, there is much the ever- ^ he said, for it is not as other testaments, to be fully adlasting tes-niinistered; this shall never be so, it is "everlasting."

Mic. 6. 2. " Everlasting," for so is He That made it; " His goings out are from everlasting." " Everlasting," for so is the testament itself; though it be executed in time, it was made ah csterno^ and lay by Him all the while. " Everlasting," for so is the blood wherewith it is sealed, the virtue and vigour thereof doth still continue as a fountain in-exhaust, never dry, but flowing still as fresh as the very first day His side was first opened. We that now live, come to it of even hand with the Apostles themselves, that were then at the opening. And they that come after us, shall not come too late, but to full as good a match as either they or we. " Everlasting," for the legacies of it are so. Not as with us, of things temporal; nor as of the former testament of the land of Canaan, now grown a barren wilderness; but of eternal life and joy and bliss, of eternity itself. And lastly, " everlasting," that we

Rev. 14. 6. may look for no more; our Gospel is Evangelium cBtemumy none to come after it. This is the last, and so to last for ever. Now lay these together, and tell me, Was He not " the great Shepherd" indeed. That endured this carrying thither, whence this day He came? That paid this great ransom, purchased this great estate, made this great will, disposed

[Luke 12, these great legacies, even His heavenly kingdom to His little '^ flock? Was He not every way as good as great? — ^which is

the true greatness, Iv tm 5 to i^eya. Here with us, men be good because they be great; with God they be great because they be good. For this His great love, His great price. His great testament, was He not worthy to wear His title of Pastor magnus, of Pastor and of Testator both? For so|both He was, and we not only His sheep but His legataries, both in His Pastorship, and in His Testatorship; in His bringing forward and in His bringing backward, no ways to be severed from us. He procured no peace, shed no blood, made no testament; was neither brought to the dead nor from the dead for Himself, but for His flock, for us still. All

Of the Hesurrection. 93

He did, all He suffered, all He bequeathed, all He was, He was for us.

And now when all is done, then now, lo, He is the " Lord ' Jesus Christ." Till then a Shepherd, wholly and solely; the more are we beholden to Him. Then lo, He tells us His name, that He is "the great Shepherd," He That was brought back; the blood His, His the testament. Truly called ^^the testament;" there can no inventory be made of this. It hath not entered in the heart of man to conceive what things God hath prepared for those that have their part in this testament, above all that we can desire or imagine. Upon earth there is no greater thing than a kingdom; and no less than a "kingdom it is His Father's will to dispose unto us." But Lu. 12. 32. a kingdom eternal, all glorious and blessed, far above these here.

All this is a good hearing; hitherto we have heard nothing n. but pleaseth us well. God at peace; the Shepherd brought to be don^ to death, that we might not; and brought from death, that ^y^?^* we also might be brought from thence; and not brought and ting or lefk to the wide world, but farther to receive those good^^"^^* things which are comprised in His testament. This is done, done by Him for us. Now to that which is to be done, to be done by us. Not for Him — I should not do well to say so — but indeed for ourselves. For so, for us in the end it will prove; both what He did, and what we do ourselves.

That which on our part the Apostle wisheth us is, that we may be so happy as that God would in effect do the same for us He did for Him, that is, bring us back; back from our sinful course of life to a new, given to jio good works.

The Resurrection is here termed avaycoyrj, " a bringing back." So that any bringing back from the worse to the better carrieth the type, is a kind of a resurrection, refers to that of Christ Who died and rose that sin might die, and that good works might rise in us. Both the time and the text lay upon us this duty, to see if good works that seem to be dead and gone, we can bring life to them and make them to rise again.

The rule of reason is, Unumquodque propter operationem tuam, * every thing is, and hath his being for the work it is to do.' And these are the works which we were bom, and came

94 Of the Resurrection.

S E K M. into the world to do. The Apostle speaks it plainly; ^^ we were created for good works, to walk in them." And again,

Tk. 2 u ' " Th^* ^^ were redeemed to be a people zealously given to good works." So they come doubly commended to us, as the end of our creation and redemption both.

In this text we see, it is God's will, it is His good pleasure we do them, if we any thing regard either His will or pleasure.

In this text, the Apostle prays that we may " be made perfect in them." So, imperfect we are without them;

Jas. 2. 22. imperfect we, and our faith both. For, " by works is our faith made perfect," even as Abraham's faith was. And the faith that is without them, is not only imiperfect, but stark dead; so as that faith needs a resurrection, to be brought from the dead again.

And whatsoever become of the rest, in this text it is that He hath not left them out, nor unremembered in His testament. They are in it, and divers good legacies to us for them. Which, if we mean to be legataries, we must have a care of. For as His blood serveth for the taking away of evil works, so doth His testament for the bringing again of good. And as it is good ^Y^oso^hj^unumquodque propter operationem suaniy so this is sure, it is sound divinity, urmsquisqtie redpiet secundttm operationem suam. At our coming back from the dead whence we all shall come, we shall be disposed of

Mat. 16.27. according to them; receive we shall, every man " according to his works." And when it comes to going, they that have done good works shall go into everlasting life; and they, not that have done evil, but they that have not done good, shall go— you know whither. Let no man deceive you; the root of immortality, the same is the root of virtue — but one and the same root both. When all is said that can be, naturally and by very course of kind, good works, you see, do rise out of Christ's resurrection.

Karap' Make you perfect" — so we read it; which shews we are,

"to make *s indeed we are, in state of imperfection till we do them.

perfect." N^y, if that be all, we will never stick for that; cognoscimm imperfectum nostrum^ we yield ourselves for such, for imperfect; and that is well. But we must so find and feel our imperfection, that as the Apostle tells us in the sixth chapter

Of the Beiwrection. 95

Why, is there any perfection in this life? There is: else, how should the Apostle's exhortation there, or his blessing here, take place. I wot well, absolute, complete, consummate perfection, in this life, there is none; it is agreed of all hands, none may be out of it. Non puto me comprehendisse, saith Phil. 8. 18. St. Paul, " I count not myself to have attained?" No more must we. Not " attained?" What then? " But this I do," saith he, and so must we; ^^ I forget that which is behind, and endeavour myself and make forward still, to that which is before." Which is the perfection of travellers, of wayfiuring men; the farther onward on their journey, the nearer their journey's end, the more perfect; which is the perfection of this life, for this life is a journey.

Now good works are as so many steps onward. The Apostle calls them so, ^^ the steps of the faith of our father Bom. 4. 12. Abraham," who went that way, and we to follow him in it. And the more of them we do, the more steps do we make; the further still shall we find ourselves to depart from iniquity, the nearer still to approach unto God in the land of the living; whither to attain, is the total or conmmmatum est of our perfection.

But not to keep from you the truth, as it is, the nature of Karapthe Apostle's word KoraprhoLt is rather to "make fit" than " to Toinake make perfect." Wherein this he seems to say, that to the ^t ^^^^ doing of good works, there is first requisite a fitness to do them, before we can do them; xaragr/o-ai and itoirfl-ai are both in the text. Fit to do them, ere we can do them. We may not think to do them hand over head, at the first dash. In an unfit and indisposed subject, no agent can work; not Ood Himself, but by miracle. Fit then we must be.

Now of ourselves, as of ourselves, we are not fit so much as ** to think" a good thought; it is the second of Corinthians, 2 Cor. 8. 5. the third chapter, verse five. Not so much as to will, " for ^liil'^. 13. it is God That worketh in us to will." If not these two, 1. neither " think," 2. nor " will," then not to work. No more we are; neither to begin, nor having begun to go forward, Pbil. i. 6. and bring it to an end. Fit to none of these. Then made

96 Of the Resurrection.

S £ B M. fit we must be, and who to reduce us to fitness but this

XVIII

~ " God of peace here, That brought again Christ firom the

dead." *^*v- Now, if I shall tell you what manner of fitness it is the

"To set Apostle's word Tcaraerta-eu here doth import, it is properly in joint, ^g fitness which is in^setting that in which was out of joint, in doing the part of a good bone-setter. This is the very true and native sense of the word; " set you in joint" to do good Eph. 4. 16. works. For the Apostle tells us that the Church and things Col. 2. 19. spiritual go by joints and sinews whereof they are compact, and by which they have their action and motion. And where there are joints, there may be, and otherwhiles there is a disjointing or dislocation, no less in things spiritual than in the natural body. And that is when things are missorted, or put out of their right places.

Now that our nature is not right in joint is so evident, that the very heathen men have seen and confessed it.

And by a fall things come out of joint, and indeed so they did; Adam's fall we call it, and we call it right. Sin which before broke the peace, which made the going fi-om or departure which needed the bringing back; the same sin, here now again, put all out of joint. And things out of joint are never quiet, never at peace and rest, till they be set right again. But when all is in frame, all is in peace; and so it refers well to " the God of peace" Who is to do it.

And mark again. The putting in joint is nothing but a bringing back again to the right place whence it slipped, that still there is a good coherence with that which went before; the peace-maker, the bringer-back, the bone-setter, are all one.

The force or fulness of the Apostle's simile, out of joint, you shall never fully conceive till you take in hand some good work of some moment, and then you shall for certain. For do but mark me then, how many rubs, lets, impediments, there will be, as it were so many puttings out of joint, ere it can be brought to pass. This wants, or that wants; one thing or other frames not. A sinew shrinks, a bone is out, somewhat is awry; and what ado there is ere we can get it right! Either the will is averse, and we have no mind to it; or the power is shrunk, and the means fail us; or the time

Of the Mesurrectian. 97

serves not; or the place is not meet; or the parties to be dealt with, we find them indisposed. And the misery is, when one is got in, the other is out again. That the wit of man isould not have devised a fitter term to have expressed it in. This for the disease.

What way doth God take to set us right? First, by our ministry and means. For it is a part of our profession under God, this same xarapTia-jxo^, to set the church in, and every member that is out of joint. You may read it in this very term, Trgos xaToigTi<rfjL6v. And that we do, by applying out- Eph. 4. 12. wardly this testament and the blood of it, two special splints as it were, to keep all straight. Out of the testament, by "the Heb.13.22. word of exhortation," as in the next verse he calls it, praying us to suffer the splinting. For it may sometimes pinch them, and put them to some pain that are not well in joint, by pressing it and putting it home. But both by denouncing one while the threats of the Old Testament, another while by laying forth the promises of the New, if by any means we may get them right again. This by the Testament, which is one outward means. The blood is another inward means. By it we are made fit a;nd perfect, (choose you whether,) and that o, AS at no time of all our life we are so well in joint, or com6 so near the state of perfectness, as when we come new fi^m the drinking of that blood. And thus are we made fit.

Provided that xaragr/o-ai do end, as here it doth, in woi^<ri Els rh and h egyeo; that all this fit-making do end in doing and in a The^first work, that some work be done. For in doing it is to end, if agent." it end aright; if it end, as the Apostle here would have it. For this fitting is not to hear, learn, or know, but " to do His will." We have been long at ^ Teach me Thy will,' at that [SeePs.2'J'. lesson. There is another in Psalm one hundred and forty- •-' three, " Teach me to do Thy will;" we must take out that Psalms 143:10. also. ' Teach me Thy will,' and " Teach me to do Thy will," are two distinct lessons. We are all our life long about the first, and never come to the second, to elg to ^roiijo-a*. It is required we should now come to the second, eU ri iroiria-on. We are not made fit, when we are so, to do never a whit the more; KarotpTla-M is to end in woi^crai, which is doing, and in Sfyov, that is, in ' a work.'

In work, and " in every good work." We must not slip the *ev iraml

98 Of the Remrrectiofu

S E R M. collar there, neither. For if we be able to stir our hand but ^^^^^* - one way and not another, it is a sign it is not well set in.

" In all

good His that is well set, he can move it to and fro, up and down,

works." forward and backward; every way, and to every work. There

be that are all for some one work, that single some one piece

of God's service, wholly addicted to that, but cannot skill of

the rest. That is no good sign. To be for every one, for all

sorts of good works, for every part of God's worship alike, for

no one more than another, that sure is the right. So choose

your religion, so practise your worship of God. It is not

safe to do otherwise, nor to serve God by Synecdoche ; but

h wavr), to take all before us.

second God hath fitted us by the outward means, there is not all,

agent. jj^ igg^ygg ^q^ ^^g iq ourselves for the rest, but to that outward application of ours joins His voiwv hv ufuv, an inward operation of His own inspiring. His grace, which is nothing but the breath of the Holy Ghost. Thereby enlightening our minds, inclining our wills, working on our affections,

[Lu. 2. 14. making us homines bome voluntatis; that when we have done

T^^26 12 ^®^^j ^® ™^y "^^y ^^ the Prophet, Domine universa opera nostra operattis es in nobisy " Lord, all our good works Thou hast wrought in us." Our works they be, yet of Thy worklCor.16.10. ing. And with the Apostle, " we did them, yet not we, but the grace of God that was with us." Both ways, it is true: what He works by us He works in us, and what He works in us He works by us. For Ivegysl, (rvvsgyel, take not away one the other, but stand well together. This for the doing. 2. Now for the work. In every good work we do His will;

The work, y^^^ j^ seemeth, degrees there are. For here is mention of isXviiJLot, "His will;" and besides it, of evigearov, "His good pleasure," and this latter sounds as if it did import more than a single will. One's good pleasure is more than his

Heb.l2 28. bare will. So in the chapter before he wisheth, Xargsucroi evagsGToos, that is, we may serve and please; that is, may so serve as that we may please. Acceptable service then is more than any, such as it is. There is no question but that, as of evil works some displease God more than other, so of

Of the Resurrection. 99

good works there axe some better pleasing, and that He takes a more special delight in.

And if you would know what they be, above at the sixteenth verse it is said, that " to do good and to distribute," [Heb. 18. that is, distributive doing good, it is more than an ordinary service; it is a sacrifice, every such work. It is of the highest kind of service, and that with that kind (euageaTehou, our word here) " God is highly pleased." So doth St. Paul call the bounteous supplpng of his wants from the Philippians, twrlav 8xT^v, " a sacrifice right acceptable and pleasing to God," and oo-jxijv euoo^Us, "a most delightful sweet savour." Phil. 4. 18. And that you may still see He looks to the Resurrection, He saith, the Philippians had lain dead and dry a great while, as in winter trees do use. But when that work of bounty came firom them, they did avaSaAAf/v, that is, " shoot forth, [Phil 4. wax fresh, grow green again," as now at this season plants do. That so the very virtue of Christ's resurrection did shew forth itself in them; so fitting nature's resurrection-time, the time of bringing things as it were from the dead again, with this of Christ. Which time is therefore the most pleasing time, the time of the greatest pleasure of all the times of the year. So we know how to do that is pleasing in His sight.

Yet even this pleasing and all else is to conclude, as here it doth, with " through Jesus Christ oiu: Lord:" He is in here too. In, at the doing; in, at the making them to please God, ut faciat quisque per Christum^ quod placeat per Christum^ * that what by Christ is done, by Christ may please when it is done.' Li at the doing, infundendo gratiam, gratiam activam^ ' by infusing or dropping in His grace active;' making us able and fit to do, and so to do them. In at the pleasing, affundendo gratiam, gratiam passivam, ' by pouring on His good grace and favour passive,' as it might be some drops of His blood, whereby it pleaseth being done. Gracing His work, as we use to say, in God's sight, that so He of His grace may crown it.

We have gone through with both points. Now comes the III. hardest point of all, the sequel, to couple them and make sequel. them hang well together.

First then, they be ascribed to " the God of peace." There i. are but three things to be done in the text, and peace doth

100 Of the Resurrection.

SERM. them all. And if peace, then God by no other title than — " the God of peace." 1. Peace bringeth from death; for war,

I am sure, bringeth to death many a worthy man. There is

little question to be made of this; that "the God of peace"

doth the one, but the devil of discord doth the other.

2. Secondly, peace sets in joint, war brings all out of joint;

war is not good for the joints as we see daily, peace doth

them no hurt.

8. Thirdly, peace makes us fit for good; war for all manner

[Jam. 8. of evil works, saith St. James in the third chapter, verse

■' sixteen. Therefore " the God of peace," say we. And if

He take it from us for a time, that He bring it quickly back

to us again. For when He was first brought into the world,

among the living, at His birth, Janus was shut; the Angels,

Lu. 2. 14. they sung " peace upon earth." And when He was " brought again from the dead" this day. He was no sooner risen but the first news was, the soldiers ran all away — a sign of peace. And indeed, when He had slain hatred, it was most kindly then to bring peace. As this evening with His own mouth

Joh.20.19, He spake it once and twice, Poa? t?o6w, over and over again. Which is the Apostle's benediction here. So resurrection and peace, they accord well.

Now for the sequel of good works, upon Christ's bringing from the dead. Being to infer good works. He would never put in all this, of Christ's bringing back again from the dead, if there had not been some special operative force to, or toward them, in Christ's resurrection. If Christ's rising made not for them, had not some special reference to them, some peculiar interest in them, all this had not been ad ideni, but idle, and beside the point quite. We must take heed of this error, to think the passion or resurrection of Christ, though it be actus transiens, that with the doing passeth away, that it hath not a virtue and force permanent; that it left not behind it a virtue and force permanent to work continually some grace in us; as to think His resurrection to be actus suspensus, an act to have his effect at the latter day, and in the mean time to serve for nothing but to hang in nubibus, as they say. But that this day it hath an efiicacy continuing, that sheweth forth itself; and, as the rule is, in the soul, before it doth on the body. We will leave the heathen to their

Of the Resurrection. 101

habits and liabitualities, but with us Christians this is sure: whatsoever in us, or by us is wrought, that is pleasing to God, it is so wrought by the virtue of Christ's resurrection. We have not thought of it perhaps, but most certain it is it is so. So God hath ordained it. Whatsoever evil is truly mortified in us, it is so by the power of Christ's death, and thither to be referred properly. And whatsoever good is revived or brought again anew from us, it is all from the virtue of Christ's rising again. All do rise, all are raised, thence. The same power that did create at first, the same it is that makes a new creature. The same power that raised Lazaxus the brother from his grave of stone, the same raised Mary Magdalene the sister from her grave of sin. From one and the same power both. Which keepeth this method; worketh first to the raising of the soul from the death of sin; and after, in the due time, to the raising of the body from the dust of death. Else, what hath the Apostle said all this while?

Now this power is inherent in the Spirit as the proper subject of it, even the eternal Spirit, Whereby Christ offered Himself first unto God, and after raised Himself from the dead* Now as in the texture of the natural body ever there goes the spirit with the blood; ever with a vein, the vessel of the one, there runs along an artery, the vessel of the other, so is it in Christ; His blood and His Spirit always go together. In the Spirit is the power; in the power virtually every good work it produceth, which it was ordained for. If we get the Spirit, we cannot fail of the power. And the Spirit, That ever goes with the blood, which never is without it.

This carries us now to the blood. The very shedding whereof upon the cross, primum et ante omnia was the nature of a price. A price, first, of our ransom from death due to our sin, through that His satisfaction. A price again of the purchase He made for us, through the vaiP of His merit, [' i. e. awhich by His testament is by Him passed over to us. '^

Now then. His blood, after it had by the very pouring it out wrought these two effects, it ran not waste, but divided into two streams. 1. One into " the laverof the new birth" — Tit. 3. 5. our baptism, applied to us outwardly to take away the spots of our sin. 2. The other, into " the Cup of the New Testa- Lu. 22. 20

102 Of the Resurrection,

S ER M. ment in His blood," which inwardly administered serveth, as to purge and " cleanse the conscience from dead works" that

'so live works may grow up in the place, so to endue us with

the Spirit That shall enable us with the power to bring them

not two of the Sacraments, but ' the two twin-Sacraments of

rvid. S. the Church,' saith St. Augustine. And with us there are two

in Joan, rules, 1. One, Quicqtdd Sacrificio qfferttiry Sacramento con--

*-J^-^|- /<9r^ttrj ^what the Sacrifice offereth, that the Sacrament

that is dispensed in the holy mysteries.'

To draw to an end. If this power be in the Spirit, and the blood be the vehiculum of the Spirit, how may we partake this blood? It shall be offered you straight in " the Cup of blessing, which we bless in His name." For "is not the Cup I Cor. 10. of blessing which we bless, the communion of the blood of Christ?" saith St. Paul. Is there any doubt of that? In which blood of Christ is the Spirit of Christ. In which Spirit is all spiritual power; and namely, this powerthat frameth us [1 Cor. 12. fit to the works of the ^irit, which Spirit we are all made there to drink of.

And what time shall we do this? What time is best? What time better than that day in which It first shewed forth the force and power It had in making peace, in bringing back Christ That brought peace back with Him, That made the testament. That sealed it with His blood. That died upon it, that it might stand firm for ever? All which were as upon this day. This day then somewhat would be done, somewhat more than ordinary, more than every day. Let every day be for every good work, to do His will; but this day to do something more than so, something that may be well-pleasing in His sight. So it will be kindly, so we shall keep the degrees in the text, so we shall give proof that we have our part and fellowship in Christ, in Christ's resurrection; — grace rising in us, works of grace rising from it. That so, there may be a resurrection of virtue, and good works at Christ's resurrection. That as there is a reviving, itvaiuKloi in the earth, when all and every herbs and flowers are "brought again from the dead," so among men good

Of the Resurrection. 103

works may come up too, that we be not found fruitless at our bringing back from the dead, in the great Resurrection, but have our parts as here now in the blood, so there then in the testament, and the legacies thereof, which are glory, joy and bUss, for ever and ever.

SERMONS

OF THE

SENDING OF THE HOLY GHOST,

PREACHED UPON WHIT-SUNDAY.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT GREENWICH,

ON THE EIQHTH OP JUNB, AJ). MDCYI. BEING WHIT-SUNDAY.

were fulfilled,) they were all with one accord in one place. And there came svddenl/yfrom Heaven the sound of a mighty

wind, and it filed the place where they sat. And there appeared tongues cloven as they had been off/re, and

sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost y and they began to

speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance*

loco. Et foetus est repente de Ccdo sonus, tamquam advenientis spiritus

singvlos eorum ; Et repleti sunt omnes Spiritu Sancto, et cceperunt loqui variis Unguis,

[And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were aU with

one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven a^ of a rushing

mighty wind, and it filled aU the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it

sat upon ea^h of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak

mth other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Engl.

Trans.]

We are this day, beside our weekly due of the Sabbath, to renew and to celebrate the yearly memory of the sending down the Holy Ghost. One of the magnalia Deiy as they be Acts a. ii.

108 0/the Sending

SERM. termed after in the eleventh verse; one of "the great and ^' wonderful benefits of God;" indeed, a benefit so great and so

wonderful as there were not tongues enough upon earth to celebrate it withal, but there were fain to be more sent from Heaven to help to sound it out throughly, even a new supply of tongues from Heaven. For all the tongues in earth were not sufficient to magnify God for His goodness, in sending down to men the gift of the Holy Ghost.

This we may make a several benefit by itself, from those

Gal. 4. 4. 6. of Christ's. And so the Apostle seemeth to do. First, " God sent His Son," in one verse; and then after, " God sent the Spirit of His Son," in another.

Or we may hold our coptinuation still, and make this the last of Christ's benefits ; for ascendit in altum is not the last,

Ps. 68. 18. there is one still remaining, which is, dona dedit hominihus. And that is this day's peculiar; wherein were given to men many and manifold both graces and gifts, and all in one gift, the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Howsoever we make it, sure it is that all the rest, all the feasts hitherto in the return of the year from His incarnation to the very last of His ascension, though all of them be great and worthy of all honour in themselves, yet to us they are as nothing, any of them or all of them, even all the feasts in the Calendar, without this day, the feast which now we hold holy to the sending of the Holy Ghost.

Christ is the Word, and all of Him but words spoken or words written, there is no seal put to till this day; the Holy

Eph.4. 30. Ghost is the seal or signature, in Quo signati estis. A testament we have and therein many fair legacies, but till this

1 Cor. 12. 5. day nothing administered — " The administrations are the

Spirit's." In all these of Christ's there is but the purchase made and paid for, and as they say, jv>8 ad rem acquired; hnijus in re, missio in possessionem, livery and seizin, that is

or the investiture of all that Christ hath done for us.

These, if we should compare them, it would not be easy

to determine, whether the greater of these two: 1. that of Isa. 9. 6. the Prophet, Filius datus est nobis; 2. or that of the Apostle, Rom. 5. 5. Spiritus datus est nobis; the ascending of our flesh, or the

descending of His Spirit; incarnatio Dei, or inspiratio hominis;

of the Holy Ghost. 109

the mystery of His incarnation, or the mystery of our inspiration. For mysteries they are both, and " great mysteries of lTim.8.16. godliness'' both; and in both of them, " God manifested in the flesh." 1. In the former, by the union of His Son; 2. In the latter, by the communion of His Blessed Spirit.

But we will not compare them, they are both above all comparison. Yet this we may safely say of them: without either of them we are not complete, we have not our accomplishment; but by both we have, and that fully, even by this day's royal exchange. Whereby, as before He of ours, so now we of His are made partakers. He clothed with oiu: flesh, and we invested with His Spirit. The great promise of the Old Testament accomplished, that H e should partake our human nature; and the great and precious promise of the New, that we should be consortes divince naturae, " partake 2 Pet. J. 4. His divine nature," both are this day accomplished. That the text well beginneth with dum complerentur^ for it is our complement indeed; and not only ours, but the very Gospel's too. It is Tertullian; Christus Legis, Spiriltis Sanctus Evangelii cmvplementum; * the coming of Christ was the fulfilling of the Law, the coming of the Holy Ghost is the fulfilling of the Gospel.'

Of which coming of the Holy Ghost the report is here set The didown by St. Luke; both of the 1. time, and 2. the manner ^3^°"* of it. 1. The time, in the first words, " when the day of Pentecost was come." 2. The manner, in all the rest ofii. the four verses.

And the manner, first, on their parts to whom He came; of the preparation for His coming, in the first verse. And then the manner of His coming, in the other three.

On their parts to whom He came, how they stood prepared, i. how they were found framed and fitted to receive Him when He came, in these three: 1. " They were all of one accord;" 2. " They were all in one place;" 3. And both these, dum complerentur, " even so long, till the fifty days were fulfilled."

On His part the manner of His coming to them thus pre- 2. pared. 1. First, as it is propounded in type or figure, in the second and third verses; 2. And then, as it is expounded in truth and in deed, in the fourth.

110 Of the Sending

sight. 1. To the hearing, by " a sound," in the second verse; 2. to the sight, by a show, in the third.

1. To the hearing, by " a sound," in the second. "A sound came from Heaven," and 4. "filled that place where they sat."

2. To the sight, by a show, in the third. There appeared

4. " which sat upon each of them." Thus far the figure.

2. Then in the fourth, followeth the thing itself. Which verse is, as it were, a commentary of the two former. 1. Of the wind inward, in the first part of it, and these words ; " They were filled with the Holy Ghost." 2. Of the tongues outward, in the latter, and these words ; " They began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The one, to represent the inward operation. The other, the outward manifestation of the Spirit. Thus standeth the order, these are the parts. I. The first point is the time of His coming, that is, " The

'^Whtl'"' ^ay ^f Pentecost."

the day of 1. Why that day? The day of Pentecost was a great feast was come." ^^^^^ the Law, and meet it was this coming should be at some great feast. 1. The first dedication of Christ's Catholic Church on earth, 2. the first publishing the Gospel, 3. the first proclaiming the Apostles' commission, were so great matters as it was not meet they should be obscurely carried, stolen as it were, or " done in a comer." Much lay upon them; and fit it was they should be done in as great an assembly as might be. And so they were; even in a concourse, as in the fifth verse it is, " of every nation under Heaven;" that so notice might be taken of it, and by them carried all over the world, even to the utmost comers of the Acts26.26. earth. St. Paul said well to King Agrippa; " This is well enough known, this was not done in a comer."

2. At a great feast it was meet, but there were many great

feasts; why at this feast, the feast of Pentecost?

2. At the I* is agreed by all interpreters old and new — Cyprian is

Law, correspondency between the two Testaments, the Old and

of the Holy Ghost. Ill

the New. So it was at Chrises death we see. He was [Vid. edii. slain, not only as the Lamb was, but even when the Lamb App. was slain too: on the feast of the Passover, then, was ^^:^

" Christ our Passover" offered for us. Ser. de

Now, from that feast of the Passover, reckoning fifty j Con6. 7. days, they came to Sinai; and there on that day, the day of Pentecost, received they the Law — a memorable day with them, a high feast, even for so great a benefit; and is therefore by them called the feast of the Law.

And even the very same day, reckoning firom " Christ our Passover" fifty days, that the Law was given in Sinai, the very same day doth the new "Law" here " go out of Sion," Isa- 2- 8. as the Prophet Esay foretold, exibit de Sion Lex; which is nothing else but the promulgation of the Gospel. " The Jas- 2. 8. royal Law," as St. James calleth it, as given by Christ our King: the other but by Moses, a servant, and savoureth therefore of " the spirit of bondage," the fear of servants; as this doth of the princely spirit, " the spirit of ingenuity P^. 51. 12. and adoption," the love of children.

On the feast of Pentecost then, because then was given the Law of Christ, written in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.

To this doth Chrysostom join a second harmony. That as 2- The imder the Law, at this feast, they first put their sickle to the beginning com — harvest, in that climate, beginning with them in this °^ faster. month — the first-fiiiits whereof they offered at Easter, and Horn. 4. in was called therefore by them festum messis; in like sort we Act. Apost. see that this very day, the Lord of the harvest so disposing it, Who not long before "lifting up His eyes and looking Job. 4. 35. on the regions round about saw them white and ready to the harvest," His first workmen, the Apostles, did put in their first sickle into the great harvest, cujtts ager est mund/as^ Mat. 13.38. " whereof the world is the field," and the several furrows of it, "all the nations under Heaven." On the feast of Pentecost Acts 2. 5. then second, because then began the great spiritual harvest.

To these two doth St. Augustine add a third, taken out of The feast the number, in the very name of Pentecost, and that is fifty. August. Which being all along the Law the number of the Jubilee, r?K^4^T which was the time of forgiving of debts, and restoring men to their first estates, it falleth fit with the proclaiming of the Gospel, done presently here in the thirty-eighth verse of this

Of the Sending

The manner.

On their parts. Their preparation.

8 E R M. chapter, which is an act of God's most gracious general free — t — pardon of all the sins of all the sinners in the world. Cyril. Cat. And no less fit falleth it for our restitution, whereunto Cyril P8.104.30. applieth excellently the thirtieth verse of the hundred and [De Sane, fourth Psalm, emitte Spkitum Tuvm et creahuntur. et renovabis 7. post. fO'Oiem terrcR, Shewing there was first an emission of the Spirit "^ed.] into man at his creation, which being since choked with sin and so come to nothing, this day there is here a second emission of the same Spirit into man, fully to restore and renew him, and in him the whole mass of the creation On the day of Pentecost then last, because therein is the true number and force of the true Jubilee. This for the choice of the time.

The number thus settled, we descend to the second point, of the manner. And first, on their parts on whom the Holy Ghost came; how He found them framed, and fit to receive such a guest. It is called by the Fathers parascetie SpirituSy ^the preparation;' as there was one for the Passover, so here for Pentecost.

It is truly said by the philosopher, that acttts activorum sunt in patiente disposito; ' if the patient be prepared aright, the agent will have his work, both the sooner and the better.' And so consequently the Spirit in His coming, if the parties to whom He cometh be made perspirable.

And this is three-fold, set down in these words: 1. "They were all with one accord;" 2. "They were all in one place." A double unity: 1. unity of mind, (so is ojxoflvjxaSdv, foju^S,) or of hearts, (so is " accord," cordium,) 2. And secondly, unity of place. 3. And thirdly, these two, dum complereniur; patiently expecting, while the fifty days were accomplished. Unity is the first — unity of mind. And for it, take but any spirit that is to give life to a natural body; can any spirit animate or give life to members dismembered, unless they be first united and compact together? It cannot: unity must prepare the way to any spirit, though but natural. Ezek. 87, A fair example we have in Ezekiel, chapter the thirty-seventh. A sort of scattered dead bones there lay; they were to be revived. First, "the bones came together, every bone to his bone;" then, "the sinews grew and knit them;" then, "the flesh and skin, and covered them;" and then, when they were thus united, then and not before called He for the

1. They were all of one accord."

of the Holy Ghost. 113

spirit from the four winds, to enter into them and to give them life. No spirit, not the ordinary natural spirit, will come, but where there is a way made and prepared by accord and unity of the body.

Now then take the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of spirits, the fliird Person in Trinity; He is the very essential unity, love, and love-knot of the two Persons, the Father and the Son; even of God with God. And He is sent to be the union, love, and love-knot of the two natures united in Christ; even of God with man. And can we imagine that He will enter, essential Unity, but where there is unity? The Spirit of miity, but where there is unity of spirit? Verily there is not, there cannot possibly be a more proper and peculiar, a more true and certain disposition, to make us meet for Him, than that quality in us, that is likest His nature and essence, that is, unanimity. Faith to the Word, and love to the Spirit, are the true preparatives. And there is not a greater bar, a more fatal or forcible opposition to His entry, than discord, and dis-united minds, and such as are "in the gall of bitter- Acts 8. 23. ness;" they can neither give nor receive the Holy Ghost. Divimm est cor eorum, jamjam interihunt^ saith the Prophet; Hosea 10:2. "their heart is divided," their "accord" is gone, that cord is untwisted; they cannot live, the Spirit is gone too.

And do we marvel, that the Spirit doth scarcely pant in us? that we sing and say," Come, Holy Ghost," andyet He cometh [See the no faster? Why, the day of Pentecost is come, and we are ^®"^ not " all of one accord." " Accord" is wanting; the very first point is wanting, to make us meet for His coming. Sure, His afker-coming will be like to His first; to them that are, and not to any but them that are, " of one accord."

And who shall make us " of one accord?" High shall be his reward in Heaven, and happy his remembrance on earth, that shall be the means to restore this " accord" to the Church; that once we may keep a true and perfect Pentecost, like this here, erant omnes unanimiter, I pass to the second.

But suppose we were of " one accord," is not that enough } 2. " In one May we not spare this other, of " one place?" If our minds ^ *^®* be one, for the place it skills not; it is but a circumstance or ceremony; what should we stand at it? Yes siu*e; seeing the Holy Ghost hath thought it so needful as to enter it, we

114 Of the Sending

S E R M. may not pass it over, or leave it out. Not only " of one mind," that is, unanimity, but also " in one place" too, that is,

Eph. 4. 8. uniformity. Both " in the unity of the Spirit," that is inward,

and " in the bond of peace" too, that is outward. An item for

those whom the Apostle calleth^/ii subtractionis, that forsake

Heb.10.39. the congregation, as even then in the Apostles' times " the

perdition," to no less matter. God's will is, we should be, as

upon one foundation, so under one roof; that is His doing,

Ps. 68. 6. Qui facit unanimes, S^c. " He that maketh men of one mind to

^ ' ' '^ dwell in one house." Therefore it is expressly noted of this

company here, in the text, where they prayed, " they prayed

Acts 4. 24. all together;" when they heard, "they heard all together;"

Acts 2. 46. when they brake bread, they did it all together. All together

ever : not in one place some, and some in another ; but all

what they will, division of places will not long be without

division of minds. This must be our ground. The same

Spirit, That loveth unanimity, loveth uniformity; unity even

in matter of circumstance, in matter of place. Thus the

Church was begun, thus it must be continued.

3. " VHiile To these do the Fathers join a third, which they raise out

days were ^^ ^^^ words, dum complerentur, A disposition in them whereby

fulfilled." they held out, and stirred not even till the fifty days were

fulfilled. That former, unanimity; this latter, longanimity.

There is in us a hot hasty spirit, impatient of any delay:

what we would have, we would have out of hand; and these

same dum and donee, and such like words, we love them not.

This spirit was even in these here, the Apostles themselves,

at the first, as we may see in the last chapter, verse the sixth,

Acts ]. 6. where they shew it; Domine jamne vis? " Lord, wilt Thou

now?" even now? by and by? But that spirit He cast out,

Acts 1 . 7. with non est vestrum, S[c, Manete vos dum. After which

charge given, though at the instant of His ascending He

promised He would send them the Holy Ghost, yet they

did not look for Him the same afternoon ; nor stayed but

Judith 7. till the morrow after Ascension-day; nor, as the Bethulians'

stint was, four or "five days" at the farthest, and then waxed

weary, and would wait no longer; but as He willed them to

wait, so they did wait ; not five days, but five and five ; and so

of the Holy Ghost. 115

continaed waiting, even usque dum complererUur^ till they were acoomplislied; and then brake not up neither, to keep holy-day, but held on their waitiDg, holy-days and all.

We said before, this feast had diners names; 1. The feast of the law, 2. " The feast of harvest," 3. The feast of Pentecost; we may put to a fourth out of Deuteronomy, chapter sixteen, Deu.l6.l0. verse ten. It is there called 4. " the feast of weeks." It is not L€v!23.15. hours vdll serve the turn, nor yet days; it must be weeks, and *®- ^*^ as many weeks as be days in a week, to make it Pentecost, [Ex. 23. that is, fifty days. Thus long they sat by it, as it is in the ^^'^ next verse, and tarried patiently the Lord's leisure, till He came unto them. Qui crediderit ne/estinet, saith the Prophet Isa. 28. 1 6. Esay, " he that believeth let him not be hasty;" and, si moram Habak.2.8, feceriij expecta JEum^ saith Habakkuk, " if He happen to stay, stay for Him." And so we shall, if we call to mind this, that He hath waited for us and oiu* conversion more years than we do days for Him. And this withal, veniendo veniet; stay He may for a time, but, if we wait, come He will certainly; and when He cometh, manehit vobis in teternum, "He willJoh.i4.l6. never forsake us, but continue with us for ever." Dum complerentur shall have his accomplishment.

And in this manner doth the Scripture bear witness of them they were prepared, and that they sped of the Spirit; imd let us of like preparing look for like success.

And now we come to the manner of His coming. And The manthat, first in type sensibly, thus described. 1. " There came part. a sound;" 2. " There were seen tongues," which is a sensible ^* ^.^

kind of commg. in type.

And that is a coming rare, and nothing usual with the Holy Ghost, Which as an invisible Spirit cometh for the most part invisibly. So saith Job: "He cometh to me, and I see Job 9. u. Him not; He passeth hard by me, and I perceive Him not." It was thus here for this once; but after we see, in the tenth chapter. He came upon Cornelius and his company; and Acts 10:44. after that, upon the twelve atEphesus,in the nineteenth chap- Acts 19. 6. ter. But on neither, that aught could be seen or heard; only discerned by some effect He wrought in them. He that best knew the Spirit, Christ, sets us down the manner of His coming: Spiritus spiraty sed nescis unde aut quo, " He doth joh. 3. 8. come and inspire, but how or which way, that know you not."

116 Of the Sending

S £ R M. Yet here in this present case, for this once, it was meet He

• should thus come in state ; and that there should be a solemn,

set, sensible descending of it.

1. Meet, that no less honour done to this law of Sion, than to that of Sinai, which was public, and fiill of Majesty ; and

2. Meet, that having once before been, and never but once, upon Christ the Head, it should be so once more on the Church too, the Body. It pleased Him to vouchsafe to grace the Church, His Queen, with like solemn inauguration to that of His own, when the Holy Ghost descended on Him in likeness of a dove ; that she might, no less than He Himself, receive from Heaven like solemn attestation.

3. Lastly, meet it was it should remain to the memory of all ages testified, that a day there was when even apparently to sense ma^kink was visited from on high; and Lt this wind here, and these tongues came not for nought, at so high a feast, in so great an assembly.

This coming then of His, thus in state, is such as it was both to be heard and seen, to the ear and the eye both. So Acts 2. 33. saith St. Peter of it after: " Being thus exalted," saith he of Christ, "and having received the promise of the Father, He hath shed forth this which you now both see and hear." And ' with good reason both: to both senses is the Holy Ghost presented. To the ear, which is the sense of faith; to the eye, which is the sense of love. The ear, that is the ground of the word, which is audible; the eye, which is the ground of the Sacraments, which are visible.

To the ear in a noise, to the eye in a show; a noise of a

mighty wind, a show of fiery tongues. The noise serving as

a trumpet, to awake the world, and give them warning He

was come. The fiery tongues, as so many lights to shew

them, and to let them see the day of that their visitation.

" There To begin with the first. " There came a soimd." Which very

s^nd* sound is to shew that the Spirit, Whereof it is the forerunner,

Rom. J 0. is no dumb Spirit but vocal. And so it is. " The sound Thereof

^^' is not only gone into all lands," but hath been heard in all

Jude J 4. ages: before the flood it sounded in " Enoch a Prophet," and

2 Pet.2. 5. *'Noahapreacherofrighteousness." AUthelawlongitsounded

Acts 15:21. in them, by whom " Moses was preached every Sabbath day."

of the Holy Ohost. 117

The very beginning of the Gospel was with a sound, Vox Mat. 3. 8. clamantis; and, but for this sound, St. Paul knoweth not how Rom. lo. we should do. " How should they believe," saith he, " in ^*- Him of Whom they have not heard?" and without a sound, there is no hearing. But we shall come to this again in the apparition of the tongues. " There came a sound," and not any soimd. It will not be " ^ sound"

amiss to weigh what kind of soimd is expressed in the word

here used, ^;^oy. You know what sound an echo is; a sound

at the second hand, a sound at the reboimd. Verhum Domini

venit ad nos; " The word of the Lord cometh to us :" there

is the first soimd, to us ; and ours is but the echo, the

reflection of it to you. God's first, and then ours second.

For if it come firom us directly, and not firom Him to us first,

and from us then to you, echo-wise, it is to be suspected. A

sound it may be, the Holy Ghost cometh not with it; His

forerunner it is not, for that is ^os.

" There came a sound," and it was " the soimd of a wind:" "/^ sound

and this too, very fitly. For the wind which is here the type of the Holy Ghost, of all the creatures doth best express It.

1. For first, of all bodily things it is the least bodily, and cometh nearest to the nature of a spirit, invisible as it is.

2. And secondly, quick and active as the Spirit is. Of the

wind it is said. Usque adeo agit, ut nisi agat non sit; so active

it is as, no stirring the air, no action, no wind : even so, no

operation, no Spirit. So like, as both have but one name;

nay, all three but one. 1. The wind in the wide world,

2. the breath in our bodies, 3- and the Spirit in the mystical

body, the Church. And much ado we have to distinguish

them in many places, they be taken so one for another.

Now, this " wind" that came and made this sound, is here i. it came described with four properties. 1. It fell" suddenly;" 2. it was " ^^^'„ " mighty" or violent; 3. it came " from Heaven;" 4. " it filled that place where they sat" — ^that place and no other. Of which, the two first are ordinary, and, like the wind, common: 1. To be sudden, 2. and to be violent. The other two not so, but dislike: 3. To come from Heaven, 4. and to keep itself within one place, and that of no great compass.

suddenly."

118 Of tke Sending

SEBM. but rusheth up of a sudden; and even so doth the Spirit. For that " cometh not by observation" neither, saith our

Saviour, you can make no set rules of it ; you must wait

for It as well when It cometh not, as when It comes. Many

Isa. 65. 1. times It is "found of them that seek It not," and therefore little

1 Sam. 10. account make of It, and therefore little deserve It. Cecidit

Testament, as we can make no doubt of this. Which

sheweth It falls suddenly. It creeps not: serpentis est serpere.

Commonly, motions that come from the serpent, creep upon

us ; but, nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia, saith

Ps. 18. 10. very swiftly," and " His Spirit cometh with the wings of the

wind." And therefore sudden, saith Gregory, because

things, if they be not sudden, awake us not, affect us

not ; but, repentitm valde mutant, * sudden things start us

and make us look up.' And therefore sudden, saith he

again, that men may learn not to despise present motions of

grace, though suddenly rising in them, and though they can

give no certain reason of them, but take the wind while it

bloweth, and the water while the Angel moveth it, as not

knowing when it will, or whether ever it will blow again,

2. "A ve- It was " a mighty" or vehement " wind." The wind is so,

wind." and the Spirit is so; both in this, well sorted together.

Of the wind it is a common observation, that being nothing else but a puff of air, the thinnest, the poorest, and to our seeming of the least force of all creatures, yet groweth it to Ps. 48. 7. that violence, and gathereth such strength, as it " rattles 19. \i^ together the great ships of Tarshish," as it " rents and rives in sunder mountains and rocks," pulls up trees, blows down huge piles of building, hath most strange and wonderful effects, which our eyes have often seen; and all this, but a little thin air.

And surely no less observable, or admirable, nay much

more have been and are the operations of the Spirit. Even

presently after this, this Spirit, in a few poor weak and simple

instruments, God knoweth, waxed so ftd.1 and forcible, as it

2Cor.l0.4. "cast down strong holds, brought into captivity many an

oftiie Holy Qhoit. 119 *

even then when it was bent fiilly in main opposition against

it, as it hath set all men in a maze to consider, how so poor

a beginning should grow to such might, that wisdom and

learning, and might and majesty, and all have stooped unto

it; and all was but God's little " finger," all " the breath of I*"- n. 20

His mouth." Verily the wind was never so vehement, as the

Spirit hath been and is in His proceeding.

These two are common with the wind; and for these two it might have been no more, but even a common wind. The other two are not so, but shew it to be more than a wind: 3. The coming from Heaven, 4. the filling but of that one place. In these two it is dislike, as in the former two like, ordinary wind that bloweth.

It ** came from Heaven." Winds, naturally, come not from 3.lt"cain< thence, but out of the caves and holes of the earth; they Heaven." blow not downward, but move laterally from one coast or climate to another. To come directly down, not only de mrsum, * from above,' (so it may be from the middle region of the air,)butcfe ca?fo," from Heaven" itself; that is supernatural sure, that is " a wind out of God's own treasury" indeed, that Ps. 136. 7 points us plainly to Him That is ascended up into Heaven, and now sendeth it down from thence.

And therefore sendeth it " from Heaven," that it may fill us with the breath of Heaven. For as the wind is, so are the blasts, so is the breath of it; and as is the Spirit, so are the motions It useth, so are the reasons It is carried by.

To distinguish this wind from others, is no hard matter. If our notions come from above, if we fetch our grounds there, de coeloy "from Heaven," from religion, from the sanctuary, it is this wind; but those that come from earthly respects, we know their cave, and that there is nothing but natural in them. This wind came thence to make us heavenly minded, sapere qu<B sursum^ to " set our affections Col. 8. i. on things heavenly," and to frame the rules of " our conver- Phil. 3. 2( sation agreeable unto Heaven." So we shall know what wind blows, whether it be de coeloy or de hominibus, whether it be dejluxus coeliy or exhalatio terrce; "from Heaven or of Mat.2l.2C men," — a breath from Heaven, or a terrene exhalation.

And like to this is the fourth: " it filled that place where 4.<atfille they sat." " That place where they;" " that place," not the f^^f^^

' 120 Of the Sending

S E R M. places about. That place it filled, the other felt it not. And

h this is another plain dissimilej To blow but in one place;

and sheweth it to be more than ordinary. The common wind, all places within his circuit, it aireth all alike; one as well as another, indifferently. This here seemeth to blow elective, as if there were sense in it, or it blew by discretion. For it blew upon none of the neighbour houses, none of the places adjacent, where these men were not. That, and only that room it filled, where they were sitting.

And this, of blowing upon one certain place, is a pi'operty

Joh. 8. 8. very well fitting the Spirit: Vbi vult spirat. To blow in certain places where Itself will, and upon certain persons, and they shall plainly feel It, and others about them not a whit. There shall be an hundred or more in an auditory: one sound is heard, one breath doth blow. At that instant^ one or two and no more; one here, another there; they shall feel the Spirit, shall be affected and touched with It sensibly; twenty on this side them, and forty on that, shall not feel It, but sit all becalmed, and go their way no more moved than they came. Ubi vult spirat, is most true.

And that ubi is not any where, but where these men sat; that is, it is a peculiar wind, and appropriate to that place where the Apostles are, that is, the Church. Elsewhere to seek it, is but folly. The place itbloweth in, is Sion; and in Sion, where men be so disposed as we shewed ere-while, that

Ps. 133. 3. is, where there is concord and unity, the dew of Sion, ibi mandavit Dominus benedictionem; there God sendeth this wind, and " there He sendeth His blessing" with this wind, which never leaveth us till it bringeth us to life for evermore, to eternal life. So doth Solomon describe the nature of the

Ecclesiastes 1:6. wind; that it goeth forth, and that it "compasseth round about," and then last that it letumeth. per circuitus suos. So doth this: it cometh from Heaven, and it bloweth into the Church, and through and through it, to fill it with the breath of Heaven; and as it came from Heaven to the Church, so it shall return from the Church into Heaven again, ^^r circuitus suos; and whose sails it hath filled with that wind, it shall carry with it along;?6fr circuitus suos; even to " see the good-

[Ps. 27. ness of the Lord in the land of the living," there to live with •-' Him and His Holy Spirit for ever.

of the Holy Ghost. 121

So we have, briefly, the four properties of this wind, and of the Spirit Whose type it is: 1. That it is "sudden" in the first coming; 2. That it is "mighty" in proceeding; 3. That it Cometh " firom Heaven;" 4. That it cometh into the Church; to fill itwiththe Spirit of Heaven, and to carry it thither whence itself cometh. Thus much for the second, the first type.

This wind brought down with it tongues, even imbrem 2. To be Ungtiarumy * a whole shower of them,* which is the next point There of the show which appeared. By which appearing it ap- appare^^ peareth plainly, that the wind came not for themselves only, &c. but for others too beside; in that here is not only sent a wind which serveth for their own inspiration, but there be also sent tongues with it, which serve for elocution, that is, to impart the benefit to more than themselves.

It sheweth that the Holy Ghost cometh and is given here, rather as gratia gratis data, to do others good; than as gratia gratum Jaciens, to benefit themselves. Charitas diffusa in Rom. 5. 5. corde would serve them, "charity poured into their hearts;" but gratia diffusa in labiis^ " grace poured into their lips," Ps. 45. 2. that is not needful for themselves, but needfiil to make others beside them partakers of the benefit. The wind alone, that is to breathe withal, the grace of the Holy Ghost whereby ourselves live; but the wind and tongues, that is to speak withal, the grace of the Holy Ghost whereby we make others live, and partake of the same knowledge to life. An union of the wind and tongue here on earth, expressing the unity of the Spirit and Word in Heaven; that as the wind or breath in us is to serve the tongue, so is the Spirit given to set forth the Word, and the Holy Ghost to spread abroad the knowledge of Christ.

Where it is not unworthy your observing neither, that as, in the natural body, one and the same breath of ours is organon both vitie and vocis, 4s the instrument both of life and voice,' the same that we live by, is the same that we speak by; even the very like is in the body mystical, and both the vital breath and the vocal come both, as we here see, from the Holy Ghost.

This also standeth of four parts, as did the former. For there appeared, 1. "tongues," 2. "cloven," 3. "as it were of fire," 4. " sitting upon each of them."

122 Of the Sending

S E R M. The tongue is the substantive and subject of all the rest.

J It is so ; and God can send from Heaven no better thing,

' Tongues.* nor the devil from hell no worse thing than it. " The best Pr'sl^ers! iiaember we have," saith the Prophet; the worst member we Jas. 3. 6. have, saith the Apostle: — ^both, as it is employed.

" The best," if it be of God's cleaving; if it be of His lightening with the fire of Heaven; if it be one that will sit still, if cause be. The worst, if it come from the devil's hands. For he, as in many other, so in the sending of tongues, striveth to be like God; as knowing well they are every way as fit instruments to work mischief by, as to [1 Cor. 13. do good with. There be "tongues of Angels" in 1 Cor. 13. 1 : •^ and if of good Angels, I make no doubt but of evil; and so,

the devil hath his tongues.

And he hath the art of cleaving. He shewed it in the

beginning, when he made the serpent, linguam bisutcamy

* a forked tongue,' to speak that which was contrary to his

Gen. 3. 4. knowledge and meaning — they should not die; and as he

did the serpent's, so he can do others.

There is fire in hell, as well as in Heaven; that we all know.

Only in this they agree not, but are unlike : his tongues

cannot sit still, but fly up and down all over the world, and

spare neither Minister nor Magistrate, no nor God Himself.

But if we shall say to our tongue, as David did to his,

Ps. JOB. 2. " Awake up my glory," that is, make it the glory of all the

[P8.67.8.] j.^g^ q£ q^j. members, it can have no greater glory than this,

to be the organ of the Holy Ghost, to set forth and sound abroad the knowledge of Christ, to the glory of God the Father. And so used, it is heavenly, no time so heavenly as then; in no service so heavenly as in that.

Not to enlarge this point further, there is no new matter in it. This here, of the " tongues," is as that before of the " sound:" both are to no other end but to admonish them of their office, whereto they here received ordination; even to be tongues, to be trumpets of the counsel of God, and of His love to mankind, in sending His Son to save them.

Here is wind to serve for breath, and here are tongues

now, and what should let them to do it? That which before

Mar.16.15. they received in charge audibly, Ite^ predicate, the very

of the Holy Ghost. 123

same tihey liere received visibly in this apparition, which

is after expounded thus: Cceperunt loquiy by virtue of these [Acts 3. 4.]

tongues " they began to speak."

" Tongues" and " cloven tongues." And that very cleaving 2. " Cloven of right necessary use to the business intended. For that of ^^'^snieS' theirs was but one whole entire tongue that could speak but one poor language, the Syriac, they were bred in. There was not a cleft in it. So could they speak their mind to none but Syrians; and by that means should the Gospel have been shut up in one comer of the world.

To KOLvcDpiKov is the goodness of all that is good; even the imparting it to the good of the common. To the end then this great good of the knowledge of the Gospel might be dispersed to many nations, even to every nation under Heaven — ^to that end clove He their tongues; to make many tongues in one tongue, to make one man to be able to speak to many men of many countries, to every one in his own language. If there must be a calling of the Gentiles, they must have the tongues of the Gentiles wherewith to call them. If they were " debtors," not only "to the Jews, but to Acts 20:21. the Grecians;" nay, not only "to the Grecians, but to the Barbarians too;" then must they have the tongues not only of the Jews, but of the Grecians and of the Barbarians too, to pay this debt, to discharge the duty of Ite, pmedicatej to all. Bom. 1. 14.

And this was a special favour from God, for the propa- ^' * * gation of His Gospel far and wide, this division of tongues, and it is by the ancient writers all reckoned a plain reversing of the curse of Babel, by this blessing of Sion, since they account it all one, and so it is, either as at the first for all men to speak one language, or as here one man speak all. That is here recovered, that there was lost; and they enabled for the building up of Sion in every nation, to speak so as all might understand them of every nation.

But this withal we are to take with us; that with their many tongues they spake one thing, and that univoce. Eom.i6.6.

With divers tongues to utter one and the same sense, that is God's cloven tongue; that is the division of Sion, serving^to edification.

SE BM. With one tongue, mquivoce, to utter divers senses, divers

— — meanings ; that is none of God's, it is the serpent's forked

tongue, the very division of Babel, and tendeth to nothing but confusion.

" Tongues cloven," and, " as they had been of fire." " As they had been;" to keep a difference in these as before in the wind, and to shew that they were not of our elementary fire. For it is added, " sat upon them;" which they could not have done without some hurt, without scorching them at least, if it had been such fire as it is in our chimneys. But it was cBcrel, " as it were" ours; that is, in show, earthly, indeed celestial. And as the wind, so the fire from Heaven; of the Exod.3. 2. nature of that, in the third of Exodus, which made "the bush bum, and yet consumed it not."

Where, first, we are to observe again the conjunction of the tongue and fire. The seat of the tongue is in the head, and Eph. 1. 22. the "Head of the Church" is Christ. The native place of heat, the quality in us answering to this fire, is the heart, and the Heart of the Church is the Holy Ghost. These two join to this work, Christ to give the tongue, the Holy Ghost to put fire into it. For as in the body natural the next, the immediate instrument of the soul is heat, whereby it worketh all the members over, even so in the mystical body, a vigour there is like that of heat, which we are willed to cherish, to Eom. 12. be "fervent in the Spirit," "to stir" and to blow it up; which l^Th 6 ^^ ^* *^^* giveth efficacy to all the spiritual operations. 19. To express this quality, it appeareth in the likeness of this

* element ; even to shew there should be an efficacy or vigour [Virg. i^ their doctrine resembling it ; qvx>d igneus est Hits ifigor, ^neid. that the force of fire should shew forth itself in their words ;

both in the splendour which is the light of knowledge to clear the mist of their darkened understanding, and in the • fervour which is the force of spiritual efficacy, to quicken the dulness of their cold and dead affections.

And indeed the world was then so overwhelmed with ignorance and error, and so overgrown with dross and other bad matter, by paganism, it long had been that their lips did Isa. 6. 6. need to be touched with "a coal from the altar." Tongues of flesh would not serve the turn, nor words of air, but there must be fire put into the tongue, and spirit and life into the

words tihey spake, a force more than natural, that is, the force of the Spirit; even to speak sparks of fire instead of words, to drive away the darkness, and to refine the dross of their heathenish conversation so long continued.

Our Saviour Christ saw this and said. Every sacrifice then Mark 9. 49. had need to be seasoned with fire, but there was no fire to do it with. Therefore He added in another place, " I came to Lu. 12. 49. send fire upon earth,*' and this day He was as good as His word, and sent it.

And vdth such a tongue spake He Himself when they said of Him, ** Did not our hearts bum within us, while He spake Lu. 24. 32. unto us by the way?" With such a tongue St. Peter here, in this chapter; for sure there fell from him something like fire on their hearts, when they were pricted with it and cried, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Acts 2. 37.

And even to this day yet, in them that move the dead and dull hearts of their hearers, and make them to have a lively apprehension of things pertaining to God, there is a remainder of that which this day was sent; and they shew plainly, that yet this fire is not clean gone out.

But this is not always, nor in all, with us — no more was it with them; but in those of their hearers which had some of " the anointing," and that will easily take the fire, in them good i Joh.2.27. will be done; or at least, where there was some " smoking Mat. 12.20. flax," some remainder of the Spirit, which without any great ado will be kindled anew. Them it doth good — the rest it did not. This for the fire.

These " sat upon each of them." In which sitting is set ^- " ^^ dovni unto us their last quality, of continuance and constancy, each of The virtue is irpoaehpeveuvy fiery tongues " sitting;" the vice *^®°^ " opposite iiriTToXd^ecv, fiery tongues * flitting.' They did not light and touch, and away, after the manner of butterflies, but both they sat themselves, in the former verse, [and] " the Acts 2. 2. tongues sat on them," that is, they abode still, and continued staid and steady, without stirring or starting aside, saith the Psalmist, " like a swerving bow." ^s. 78. 67.

Of our Saviour Christ Himself, how to know Him, God Himself gave St. John Baptist a privy sign, and it was this: " On whomsoever thou seest the Spirit lighting, and abiding joh. l. 33. on ffim," that is He. Lighting is not it, though it be the

126 Of the Sending

SERM. Holy Ghost; but lighting and abiding, that is the true

The same [of] our Saviour is this day said, that ^^ ascending

Ps. 68. 18. on high. He gave gifts unto men;" and to what end? " that the Lord their God might dwell among them." Mark that *^ dwell;" not, might stay and lodge for a night, as in an inn or hostelry, and then be gone in the morning, but "dwell," that is, have His habitation, take up His residence among them. The God, or that Person of the Deity, he there saith shall " dwell," is the Holy Ghost; one of whose chief attributes in

P§. W. 10. the Psalm is that He is pDl TVr\y " a constant Spirit" — and if Sanctus come of sancio, there is as much said in the Latin word as in the Hebrew — " constant," not desultory; and His fire not like the foolish meteor, now in, now out, but

Lev. 6. la. permanent still, like " the fire on the altar."

So in vigour, as His vigour is not brunts only or starts, impettiSy but habitus^ that it holdeth out habit-wise. Not only like the sparks before which will make a man stir for the present, but leaving an impression, such an one as iron red-hot leaving in vessels of wood: a fire-mark never to be got out more. Such doth the Holy Ghost leave in the memo-

And such did it leave in the hearts of the first Christians, that could never be got out of their hearts by their persecutors, till they plucked out hearts and all.

Mar. 9. 49. With this salt, as well as with that fire, saith Christ, must every sacrifice be seasoned; not only with that fire to stir it up, but with this salt to preserve it. By this virtue, in the former verse, they were disposed to the Spirit; and now here, you see, again by the Spirit they are disposed to this virtue; and not only disposed to it, but rooted, and more and more confirmed in it; that we may learn to esteem of it accordingly.

And thus have we, as before heard what the sound, so now seen what the sight can shew us, even all four: 1 . " Tongues," that they might preach; 2. " Cloven," that they might preach to many; 3. " Fire," that they might do it efiectually; 4. and " Sitting," that so effectually as not flittingly, but that itmight be an efficacy, constant, abiding, and staying still vdth them; so forcible, that continual.

of the Boh) Ghost. 127

Now ore we to know what all this amounts to, what is the agnalum or * thing signified' of both these signs; what was wrought in them by inward concurrence with this outward resemblance. And that folio weth in the fourth verse, wherein there is a conimentary of this wind, and a gloss of these tongues. Of the wind in the forepart: "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Of the tongues in the latter: " they began to Bpeak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

But the time being already spent, I will not so far presume as to enter into it, it would ask too long a treaty.

It remaineth now that first we offer up our due praise and unfeigned hearty thanks, giving to Him That is ascended up on high for sending this day this blessing upon that H is Church, the mother of us all. The finit whereof, even of this wind, and of these tongues, in the effect of them both, the blowing of the one, and the speaking of the other, we all feel to this day so far as Christendom is wide. It is the duty of the day.

First then this; and then withal secondly, to endeavour that we may have this day some feeling of this day's benefit ourselves, and some way find ourselves visited with the same Spirit.

I told you, after this first there is no more visible coming to be looked for, but that after His accustomed usual manner invisibly He ceaseth not to come still, nor will not to the world's end.

Even in this book, after this time here three several times, in the fourth, tenth, and nineteenth chapters; and at three [Acts 4. several places, Jerusalem, Cassarea, Ephesus, the same Spirit jg * g V ' came upon the faithful people, and yet nothing heard nor seen; only discerned after, by the impression it left behind it. And this coming is still usual with Him, and this we may hope for; hope for and have, if we labour and dispose ourselves for it.

And we may direct ourselves how to do this, by those three places I even now alleged. 1. In the fourth chapter, the thirty-first verse; " As they prayed," the Spirit came [Acts 4:31; upon them. 2. In the tenth, verse the forty-fourth; " While gj ' Peter yet spake, the Spirit fell upon them." 3. In the nineteenth chapter, verse the sixth; As they received the Sacrament, the Spirit was sent on them. In which three are

128 Of the Sending

S E B M. plainly set down to us, these three means to procure the

I know well it was the Sacrament of Baptism in the place last alleged; but that is all one. In one verse doth the Apostle name them both, as of equal power, both for the 1 Cor. 12. purpose: Uno Spiritu baptizati estis; and before he ends the verse, et uno Spiritu poti. " Baptized in the Spirit" — ^there is theirs at Ephesus; but "made drink of the same Spirit" — that is this of ours here. For ex similihus sumus et alimur. Ours here, I say, where we do " drink of the Spirit,'* if aright we ICor. 10.4. receive it; in which respect he calleth it "the spiritual drink," because we do even drink the Spirit with it.

And even in this very chapter, before the end, it is noted

by St. Luke, as a special means whereby they invited the

[Acts 2. Spirit to them again and again, " their continuing in

^•1 the Temple with one accord, and breaking of bread." Of

"one accord," we spake at the first, as an effectual disposition

thereto; and this Sacrament of "breaking of bread" is

the Sacrament of " accord," as that which representeth unto

1 Cor. 10. us perfect unity in the many grains kneaded into " one loaf,"

^'^' and the many grapes pressed into one cup; and what it

representeth lively, it worketh as effectually.

Howsoever it be, if these three, 1. Prayer, 2. the Word, 8. the Sacraments, be every one of them as an artery to convey the Spirit into us, well may we hope, if we use them all three, we shall be in a good way to speed of our desires. For many times we miss, when we use this one or that one alone; where, it may well be God hath appointed to give it us by neither, but by the third. It is not for us to limit or appoint Him, how, or by what way. He shall <;ome unto us and visit us, but to offer up our obedience in using them all; and, using them all, He will not fail but come unto us, either as a wind to allay in us some unnatural heat of some distempered desire in us to evil, or as a fire to kindle in us some luke-warm, or some key-cold affection in us to good. Come unto us, either as the Spirit of truth, lightening us with some new knowledge; or, as the Spirit of holiness, reviving in us some virtue or grace; or, as the Comforter, manifesting to us some inward contentment, or joy in the Holy Ghost; or, in one or other certainly He will

of the Holy Ghost. 129

come. For a complete obedience on our part in the use of all His prescribed means never did go away empty from Him, or without a blessing; never did, nor never shall.

Never; but not on this day, of all days; the day wherein /fona dedit hominibm, " He gave gifts unto men." It is dies [Ps. 68. donorumy * His giving day. His day of donatives.' Some gift *^ He will give, either from the wind, inward, or from the tongue, outward; some gift He will give.

There be nine of them set down, nine "manifestations icor. 12. 7. of the Spirit" — some of them nine. There be nine more set down, nine "fruits of the Spirit" — some of them nine, some Galatians 6:2a. gift He will give.

Only let us dispose ourselves by the use, not of this one or that one, or two, but of all the means, to receive it by. Liwardly, by unity and patient waiting His leisure, as these here; outwardly, by frequenting those holy duties, and offices, all which, we see, succeeded with those there in the three places remembered.

And in these, the blessed Spirit so dispose us, and in them so bless us, as we may not only by outward celebration, but by inward participation, feel and find in ourselves, that we have kept to Him, this day, a true feast of the coming of His Spirit, of the sending down the Holy Ghost! Which Almighty God grant, &c.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT GREENWICH,

ON THE TWENTT-FOUBTH OF MAT, A.D. MDCVIII. BEIN& WHIT-SUNDAY.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost y and began to speak with other tongues^ as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Et repleti sunt omnes Spiritu Sancto, et cceperunt loqui variis Unguis, prout Spiritus Sanctus dabat eloqui illis.

[And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Engl. Trans.]

S E R M. This day hold we holy to the Holy Ghost, by Whom all

— holy days, persons, and things, are made holy. And with

good reason hold we it; He That maketh all holy days, it is meet should be allowed one Himself. And if we yield this honour to this and that Saint, much more to the Saintmaker, to Him That is the only true Canonizer of all the Saints in the Calendar.

2. This honour were we bound to yield Him, if there were nothing besides ; but seldom shall ye find a feast wherein with His honour there is not joined the remembrance of some memorable benefit then vouchsafed us ; as here this feast is not to the Holy Ghost simply, but to the sending or coming of the Holy Ghost ; to the Holy Ghost sent.

3. Sent; not, as in former times, qualified or by measure, but even in plenitudine^ ' in plenteous manner,' fiilly . It is said, " They were filled with the Holy Ghost."

4. "Filled;" not to hold, but to set over. For so many tongues, so many pipes to derive it to others, that by preaching

Of the Sending of the Holy Ghost. 131

they ndght impart the Spirit they received; preaching being nothing else, as the Fathers observe out of the eleventh of Numbers, but "the taking of the spirit" of the preacher, and Nu. 11.25. putting it on the hearer; or, to express it by the type of fire, the lighting of one torch by another, that so it might pass from man to man, till all were lightened.

For this Holy Spirit thus sent, plenteously sent, sent to them and by them to all and to us, are we here met to render our thanks to God, even to imitate Him; to send this day tongues into Heaven, there to laud and magnify Him Who as this day sent these tongues into earth.

Now, of this benefit, so far as the two types in the former At Penteverses, hath formerly been treated; and we are now to ^ p* jgog^ supply what was then left in remainder.

This fourth verse then is nothing else but a commentary of The sum, the former; what in them was set forth in figure, is here expressed in plain terms. The types were of two sorts, according to the two chief senses: 1. Audible to the ear, in the soimd of wind; 2. Visible to the eye, in the show of tongues. These two are expounded in the two moieties of this verse. The former, the commentary of the wind, in these words; "They were filled with the Holy Ghost." The latter, the gloss of the tongues, in these; " And they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Forthe first. The place was filled with awindfrom Heaven. The di- The filling of the place was a sign of the filling the persons in ^®^°^* the place; the wind was a sign of the Spirit — the wind firom Heaven, of the Holv Spirit; which Spirit filled the persons, no less than did the wind the room they sat in. Two points there be in it: 1. One of the gift itself, in Spiritu Sancto;i. 2. The other of the measure of the gift, in repleti sunt. ^'

For the latter, four things were in the type; 1. " tongues," II. pressed, and suited. 1. "Tongues;" "they began to speak." Spirit gave them." 4. " Fire;" d7ro<l>0eyy€a0ai, " utterance," it is turned, it is more. These are the heads. But for that there is no speaking of the Spirit without the Spirit, no hearing neither; to the end that speaking and hearing of Him, He may help our infirmities, &c.

132 Of the Sending

S E R M. The truth answering the type per omnia, as there were in - that, two, 1. the wind, and 2. tongues; so are there here two,

The com- 1. the spirit, 2. and speech. Spirit, because speech without

Se'wmd!* "spi^^** is but a dead sound like the " tinkling of a cymbal."

Of both Speech, because spirit without speech is but as the spirit that

jointly: Christ cast forth, et illud erat mutum, " a dumb spirit," none

spirit and the better for it. Which made the Holy Ghost come in

both. spirit and speech; not in spirit only, but in spirit and speech.

Lu?ii.^il "^^^ ^^ spirit first, and then speech. So is the order. The

But spirit Holy Ghost begins within, a centra, and worketh outward ;

oy^joj. alters the mind, before it change the speech; giveth another

heart, before another tongue ; works on the spirit, before on

the phrase or utterance; ever so. It is preposterous, and all

out of order, to have the tongues come before the wind :

where they do, it commonly falls out in such, all their religion

is in common phrases and terms well got by heart, and

nothing else. This for their joining, and for their order.

!• Now of either, apart. Of the Spirit first. Which they were

parts seve- filled with; after, of their filling: that is, 1. first, of the gift

"^^l itself: 2. then, of the measure. That they were filled with

The gift, is set down in two words; 1. Spiritu and 2. Sancto, First,

^'^i^ * that it was a " spirit;" then, that that spirit was " holy." A

" spirit," for men may be filled, and not with the " Spirit ;"

" holy," for there is a spiritu and sancto. We must needs

put the difference; " spirit" and " holy" are two diverse things.

A spirit, " With the Spirit;" for men may be "filled," and not with

humour. *^® " Spirit." That which enforceth this note, is a speech at

the thirteenth verse ; there they stick not, some, this that was

the Spirit indeed to reproach with the term of new wine.

"These men are full," say they; "full," they grant; but with

"wine," a liquor though full of spirit, yet no spirit though.

It was false, as it fell out ; yet this it worketh, that if the Spirit

may be taken for a humour, why not a humour for the Spirit

likewise? And not the humour of the vine only; but the

philosopher in his problems tells us, that look whatsoever

operation wine hath, the same have some humours in our

Isa. 29. 9. bodies, with a little fermenting. The Prophet Esay seemeth

51. 21. to say the same in two places, that men may be " drunk, and

not with wine" their own humour will do it as well.

I wish it were not true, this; that humours were not someof the Holy Ghost ISS

times mistaken, and mistermed the Spirit. A hot humour flowing from the gall, taken for this fire here, and termed, though untruly, the spirit of zeal. Another windy humour proceeding from the spleen, supposed to be this wind here, and they that filled with it, if nobody will give it them, taking to themselves the style of the godly brethren. I wish it were not needful to make this observation, but you shall easily know it for an humour; non continetur termino sua, ' its own limits will not hold it.' They are ever mending churches, states, superiors — mending all, save themselves; alieno, non suo, is the note to distinguish an humour.

" With the Spirit;" yet, not every spirit. I told you, 2. " The there was a spiritu without sancfo; and I mean not the ^t.. wicked spirit — away with him, we will not once mention Not oiir him — ^but, two other. 1. There is a " spirit" in a man, saith Ehhu, that is, oiu* own spirit; and many there be, qui Job 32. 8. sequuntur spiritum suum, " that follow their own ghost," g'''*^ instead of the Holy Ghost; for even that ghost taketh upon it to inspire, and " flesh and blood," we know, have their Mat.i6. 17. revelations.

The other is, that the Apostle calleth spiritum mundiy "the 2 Not the

world's spirit," or worldly spirit, qui posuit mundum in corde ^^.''l^'^

suo, saith Solomon, hath set up and shrined the world in his l Cor.2. 12.

heart ; thence rise all his reasons, by them he frames and ^^ ' * '

measures religion. Up shall the golden calves, to uphold the

present estate; down shall Christ, ne veniant Homani, "that joh. 11.48.

the Romans come not," and carry us all away. Either of these

is peradventure sacer spiritus, as the Poet calleth auri sacra [Virg. ^n.

fames; but neither is sanctus. St. Peter opposeth the first, 2\i^A on

" of private resolution," to the Holy Ghost; St. Paul the

second, of " worldly wisdom," to the Spirit of God. The wind 2Cor. 1. 12.

before had four qualities: two of them, 1. suddenness, and

2. vehemency, are passed by. Every wind, every spirit hath

them. And commonly, other spirits are more violent, and

make a greater noise, than the true Spirit. The other two,

1. of coming from Heaven, 2. coming for the Church ; from

the holy Heaven to the holy Church, are both in sancto;

religion and the Church, are the two best characters to

discern the Holy Spirit by.

134 Of the Sending

S E B M. Now ye will understand of yourselves, I shall not need to tell you, when we speak of the Holy Spirit as It filleth us,

The Holy

Spirit, that we mean not the Essence or Person of the Holy Ghost — That ^;J^^ "filleth Heaven and earth," saith the Prophet; and " there Jer. 28. 24. is no going from It," saith the Psalmist — but only certain

Ps. 68. is! impressions of the Spirit. The Psalmist calleth them " gifts,"

1 Cor. 12.4. the Apostle "graces," which carry the name of their cause;

so that, in the dialect or idiom of the Scriptures, to be filled

with them, is to be filled with the Spirit. To shew this,

Lu. 1. 17. otherwhile they be joined; " the spirit and power of Elias,"

Acts 6. 10. that is, the power of the Spirit>'"the ^Wi^dom and spirit

of Stephen," that is, the wisdom of the Spirit.

And because these " gifts" and " graces" be of many points,

more points of this wind than there be of the compass, and as

Isa. 11. 2. it were many Spirits in One; six, saith Esay; "seven," saith

Rev! s! l! St. John; they are all recapitulate under these two: — 1 . Under

the wind is represented the saving grace which all are to

have so to serve God that they may please Him, as necessary

to all, and without which we can be no more in our spiritual

life than we can without our breath in our natural. This is

general to all. It i^^Bx^^repleti sunt omnes; the hearer must

have it, as well as the speaker. It must air and dry up the

superfluity of our nature ; else the fire will not kindle in us,

but turn all to smoke. Of this Spirit are those nine points.

Gal. 5. 22. Galatians, the fifth chapter, and the twenty-second verse.

2. The other, represented in the tongues, set forth unto us

another kind of grace, principally meant and sent for the

benefit of others ; given therefore in tongues which serve to

teach, and in fire which serveth to warm others ; to shew

they are given and received for the good of others rather than

of themselves. And of this Spirit are the points reckoned

[1 Cor. 12. up, the first of Corinthians, twelfth chapter, and the seventh

2. And now we know what it was they were filled with, let us

sure* come to the measure — repletisunt, Itweisnotspiritus transiens, Repleti but implens; a wind, not that blew through them, as it doth through many of us, I know not how oft, but that filled them; they were the fuller for it. Which word, of filling, wanteth not his special force: refer we it to their estate now, compared with what it was before, repleti sunt; or to their estate

of the Holy Ghost. 135

With their own estate first. For there is no question they i. R^pleH were not empty or void of the Spirit before this coming, compared They had not been baptized by Christ, He had not breathed J^^^ ^^ on them, and bid them *^ receive the Holy Ghost," in vain. If estate. before this they had died, none would have doubted of the ^<>^- 20.23. estate of their souls. This filling then, first, sheweth us there be divers measures of the Spirit; some single, some double portions, as appearethbyElisha's petition; not all of one size 2 Kings 2. or scantling. That as there are degrees in the wind, aura^ ' ventus, procella, * a breath, a blast, a stiff gale,' so are there in the Spirit. One thing, to receive the Spirit as on Easterday; another, as on Whit-Sunday. Then but " a breath," now " a mighty wind;" then but " received" it, now " filled" with it. ^oh. 20. 22. Sprinkled before as with a few drops — Ezekiel's Stillaho Ezek. 20. Spiritum; but now comes Joel's Effundam Spiritum^ which jq^j 2. 28. very text is alleged at the twenty-eighth verse after by St. Peter, " poured out plenteously," and they baptized, that is, plunged in It. Imbufi SpiritUy covered with some part of It — so were they before; here now they be induti SpiritUy " clothed Lu. 24. 49. all over with power firom above," as Christ promised. To conclude: the Holy Ghost came here, saith Leo, cumulansy [S. Leon. nan inchoans; nee novus opere, sed dives largitate; ' rather, by cost. Serm. way of augmenting the old, than beginning a new.' Though, 8. ij to say the truth, both ways He came here. The rule of the Fathers is — Hierome and Cyril have it — where the Holy Ghost was before, and is said to come again, it is to be understood one of these two ways: — 1. either of an increase of the former, which before was had; 2. or, of some new, not had before, but sent now for some new effect. Breath they had before; breath and wind are both of one kind, differ only secundum magis et minus; to be" filled," is but to receive only in a greater measure; therefore greater, because their work was now greater. Before, but " to the lost sheep of Mat. 1. 6. Israel;" now to all the stray sheep in all the mountains of the *^^'^'^^'^^* whole earth.

But beside that increase, here is a new form too. Which is a sign of a new gift, utterly wanting in them before, and wherewith now, and never till now, they were furnished; to

136 Of the Sending

S E R M. speak to all nations, of all tongues under heaven. Thus far, compared with themselves.

ntfuljjt* Now, repleti sunt illi. Illiy with reference to others since, with re- and if you will, to ourselves. They, in the succeeding ages,

oSiers.^ ° ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^y> receive the Spirit too, or else it is wrong with us. But both they before us, short of the Apostles; and we short of them, by much. It fareth herein, as it doth

Ps. 183. 2. in the pouring forth of an "ointment" — the Psalm so likeneth^ it. No ointment at the skirts or edges of a garment, doth run so fresh and full as on the head and beard, where it was first shed; ever, the farther it goeth, the thinner and thinner the streams be. Therefore it is said, Repleti sunt illi; and even illi wants not his force, they were filled, they. We, but a hin to their ephah; but an handful, to their heap; but

[ i. tf. a a rantism', to their Baptism. They " filled ;" had as much

l^Kl ^^ ^^y could hold. We have our measure, such as it is; but fiill we are not. None of us so full, but we could hold more.

1. Reason. And two reasons there are rendered : 1. One, such a Pentecost as this, never was but this; never the like before, nor since. It was Christ's coronation day, the day of placing

. 68. 18. jjim in Hig throne, when He " gave these gifts unto men." That day, all magnificence was shewed, the like not to be looked for ever after.

3. Reason. Then again, to say truth, our task-work is not so great, that we need require such a filling. We have to deal but with an handful of men, in comparison ; and those brought up in religion, and, as it it were, broken to our hands. They,

[Rom. 11. with the "fulness of the Gentiles," all mankind; wild as then, '^ and enraged ; filled full of malice against them, and their

doctrine by the evil spirit; that they needed the good Spirit, to fill, to encounter such opposition. The case, you see, differs much. It was happy for the world, they had this overflowing fulness of the Spirit. It is enough for us, we

[2 Cor. 12. have the measure spoken of — the second of Corinthians, the twelfth chapter, and the ninth verse — suffioit tibi gratia, '^ grace sufficient" for us ; and let that content us. And thus much for the commentary of the wind. Now, to the

The gloss gloss of the tongues.

^^es, " They were filled ;" and in sign they were filled it is

of the Holy Ghost. 137

added, they ran over. The " fire was kindled in them" by And they this wind; and in sign thereof, "they spake with their pg. 89. 8. tongue.'' Indeed, pity they should be thus full, arid have no means to vent it; have a spirit to fill, and not a tongue to empty or impart it. Therefore the tongues were requisite. The wind would have served them, if they had been to be Christians only; but they were to be Apostles, that is, ambassadors, and such must have tongues, needs. But two unperfections were in their tongues. 1 . They were but single: He cleft them, and made them able to deal with many. 2. Their tongues were waterish and weak: He gave them the force and operation of fire, to kindle such a light as should bum to the world's end. In a word, where they knew neither how nor what to speak. He gave them both; both sicut, how, and a7ro(l)0€yy€(T0aCy what: He gave them both, and so made them perfect Apostles. These four, 1. Courage; 2. Language; 3. Discretion; and 4. Learning.

First, a word of the dependence of repleti and locuti: they The dewere filled, and then "they began to speak." It is well they oi repleti, bewail not before, but were filled first and then spake after. ^4 ^*^i*

This is the right order. Somewhere, some fall a speaking, I will not say before they be full or half full, but while they be little better than empty, if not empty quite. There is not repleti sunty et cceperunt loqui; coeperunt loqui begins the verse with them, repleti sunt is skipped over. Ever, emptying presupposeth filling; repleti hath reference to the cistern, locuti to the cock. The cistern would be first looked to, that it have water store, before we be too busy to ply the cock; else follow we not the Holy Ghost's method. Else it may be cceperunt hquiyhnt not sicut dedit Spiritus; He giveth leave to none to speak empty.

It is but a grammar note, that of Hierome's, but it is to the purpose, upon the word quern docebo scientiam, that doceo, if it lsa.28.have his right, would have a double accusative; not only quern, ^ whom,' that is, an auditory; but scientiam, what, that is, " knowledge." So as he that hath not scientiam, should not have quern,' and they that get themselves whom to teach, and have not scientiam what to teach, go they never so oft into the pulpit, it is not sicut dedit Spiritus, the Holy Ghost gave them neither mission nor commission. He ever

138 Of the Sending

S £ BM. taketh order for repleti before he giveth license for cceperunt ^^* hqui.

1. Ccepe- And this for their skill. But he that reads the Fathers'

Their writings, shall find they refer this cosperunt hqui no less to

courage, their boldness, than to their ability; "began," not only

in regard of their courage. Before, neither courage nor skill;

now, both ; that any man might see there was a new spirit

come into them. In saying, " they began," it is as if before

they had been tongue-tied, had never spoken. No more they

had; never, as they spoke now; never, with that confidence.

Before, they did not speak out, they durst not; they spake

between the teeth, hoarsely, as if they had lost their voice.

Mat.26.69. A poor damsel did but ask St. Peter a question; — ^he faltered

[S. Aug. presently, could not speak a right word. Every thing then

Ap^nd.l^ took away their voice. But after this mighty wind had filled

them and blown up the fire, and they warmed with it, then,

judgment-place, in every consistory,' then, they spake what

they had heard and seen, even before kings, and were not

abashed. It confirmed them, it gave them sides and strength.

Which so sudden change, from so great pusillanimity to so

Ps. 77. 10. great courage and constancy, was sure mutatiodexterce Excelsiy

* a change wrought by' " the hand of the Most High." No

hand could work it.

2. Linguist And that we may know, that not only the tongues wrought

Their Ian- ^^ them, but even the cleaving also had his effect, " they

guage. began," not only " to speak;" but, " with other tongues;"

" other," than ever they had learned. For look, what tongue

soever it was beside the Syriac, it was another tongue, it was

not theirs, they had but one till now ; any other they could

not skill of. But now, on a sudden, Greek, Latin, Arabic,

Persian, Parthian, none came amiss ; yet never were they

taught them, but came to them, as it were with a cleft only.

A great miracle in itself, and a great enabling to them.

For by this means every Apostle, look how many tongues

he could speak, so many Apostles was he, as serving for so

many sundry men as must else have been used for the speaking so many sundry tongues to so many sundry nations.

Whereby, as the " line" of the Creator is said to have gone

of the Holy Ohost. 139

'^into alllands,^' so is the " soimd^ of the Apostles said likewise Ps. 19. 4. to have gone as far. The one, to proclaim the creation; the Rom. 10. other, the redemption of the world. And so, by speaking all tongues, they have gathered a Church that speaketh all tongues; a thing much tending to the glory of God. For being now converted to Christ, they send up daily to Heaven so many tongues, there to praise His Name, as He this day sent down to earth, to convert them withal to His truth. And indeed, it was not meet one tongue only should be employed that way, as before but one was. It was too poor and slender, like the music of a monochord. Far more meet was it that many tongues, yea, that all tongues should do it; which, as a concert of many instruments, might yield a full harmony. In which, we behold the mighty work of God; that the same means of divers tongues, which was the destroy- Gen. 11. 7. ing of Babel, the very same is here made to work the building of Sion; that means that scattered them from the tower of confusion, the very same to reduce them to the fold of unity; that so the curse might be taken away, and a blessing come in place, the confused tongues being united into God's glory; and there " being neither speech nor language, but His praise [P8.19.8.] is heard among them." The nations being once converted to the faith, most of them, this gift is ceased; ceased so far as by immediate inspiration, though in part to attain it by our endeavours, and God's blessing upon them, is found still of good use. For, even to this day,it is holden for requisite, there be one cleft at least in the tongue; and we able to speak one tongue more than our mothers taught us. Better yet, if the cleft, which God hath made in His word, in the tongues of the Old and New Testament, be in our tongues too. That hath still a necessary service, and maimed are we without it; for we must else receive the embassage from God by an interpreter, which is not so convenient. But enough of the cleft of the tongues.

Now, that this might not prove to vain- glory, as it did after Their in some at Corinth, it is well added, sicut dedit Spiritics, which ^^^7S?Si is the third; that " they began to speak," not as their own SpirUus. vanity carried them, but as the Holy Ghost directed them. Their"tongue"wasbut"thepen;" He, the "Writer." His wind Ps. 46. i. blew the fire, slaked it, and made it more or less, as need was.

140 0/the Sending

S £ B M. " The tongues sat on them," and He in the tongues, holding,

'■ — as it were, the reins in His hand ; guiding and moderating

their speech; making them keep time, measure, and manner: time, when; measure, how much; manner, how to speak. Which sicut is the gift of discretion, many times as much worth as dedit^ the gift itself. Sure, these are two: 1. dedit is one thing, the gift; 2. sicut another, the use of the gift. To many is given to speak, but not with the right sicut. Two distinct things be they; and howsoever we do with the one, we shall find a needfiil use of prayer to obtain the other. We may begin to speak when we please; but who shall give us our sicut f Sure, none but the Spirit. Of Him we must receive this, or else we shall never have. Let that suffice. 4. Their Last then, that we mistake not what it was He gave them Jf^^J^- to speak; for all this while it is not said what. That " they Spirit gave began to speak" is said; and wherewith, " with other tongues;" terance.' ^^^ how, " as the Spirit gave them utterance." Lest therefore we might mistake, it was quicquid in buccam, * any thing that took them in the head,' it skilled not what, he tells us what it was in the last word, that He gave them a'jro<f>d&^' yeadai^ ^ utterance,' we read; it is of larger contents, a more pregnant word, and more full of significancy.

" They began to speak as the Spirit gave them." Why not there stay, what needed any more? Yes; more it seems needed; there goeth more unto it than so. Speaking will not serve the turn; else, XaXrja-ai had been enough, and not any word more put to it. He foresaw that to speak, and only to speak, would be enough for some. So we go up for an hour and speak, be it to the pui'pose or no, it is all one. For the common man it skills not, it contents him well enough; but the Holy Ghost is not content with XaXr^aaL^xt is not every speaking, but a kind of speaking it must be, and that kind is d7ro<}>6€yy€a0ac.

The word I wish well weighed. Chrysostom, QEcumenius,

the interpreters, all weigh it; and assure us, it is no slight, or

light word, but verbum talenti^ ' a word of weight, of a talent

[S. Chry- weight.' To tell you what it is. You have heard of apo-

Act. Apost. phthegms; (so doth both Greeks and Latins call wise and

Horn. 4. weighty sententious speeches:) that word, apophthegms, is

in locj

of the Holy Qhost. 141

Such the Spirit gave them to utter. Not the crudities of their own brain, idle, loose, undigested gear, God knoweth; no, but pithy and wise sentences; those be sicut dedit Spiritus^ ** such as the Holy Ghost gave them." It is after said in the second verse, that by virtue of this, when they spake, they spake magnalia; magnaUay ^^ great and high points;" not trivialia^ ^ base and vulgar stuff,' not worth the time it wasteth, and taketh from the hearer. Yet now, all is quite turned, and we are come to this, that this kind of speaking is only from the Spirit of God; and the other, said here to be given by the Holy Ghost, is study, or affectation, or I wot not what: but Spiriim non dedit ^ that is certain.

Well, St. Luke saith aTro^OiyyecrOai, is that the Spirit giveth. So saith St. Paul, X6709 /caTa BcBax^i^, " speech Tit. 1. 9. according to learning." So St. Peter, such speech as may seem, or beseem the very "oracles of God," as may work light iPet.4.i in the understanding, or fervour in the affection; those two shew it fire. The fire of the Old Testament, " the burning Isa. 6. 7. coal," wherewith the Seraphim touched E say's mouth, and gave him as he saith, linguam eruditaniy " a learned tongue;" Isa. 60. < not only a tongue, but " a learned tongue." As the fire of the Old, so of the New. So, I am sure, was our Saviour's promise, Dabovobis os et sapientiam, He would give them " a Lu. 21. 1 mouth and wisdom." Not " a mouth" only, but " a mouth and wisdom." Put these two together, 1. " a mouth and wisdom," 2. and " a learned tongue," and you know what is a7ro<f>O€yy€(T0aCy and you know what is meant by a tongue of fire. For fire cannot speak chaff, it consumes it we see; therefore if it be chaff, it is no fiery tongue that speaks it.

And where it is required that not only the tongue have this fire, but that it sit and bide by us, sure it is that volubility of utterance, earnestness of action, straining the voice in a passionate delivery, phrases and figures, these all have their heat, but they be but blazes. It is the evidence of the Spirit in the soundness of the sense, that leaves the true impression; that is the tongue that will sit by us, that the fire that will keep still alive. The rest come in passion; move for the present, make us a little sermon-warm for the while; but after they flit and vanish, and go their way — true mark leave they none. It is only verba sapientium claviy saith the Wise Ec€.l2. l

142 Of the Sending

S£ RM. Man; "the wisdom of the speech," that is "the nail," the nail ' — red-hot, that leaveth a mark behind, that will never be got

out. Enough, I trust, to sever them that do XaXrjaaLy as their own spirit, from them that do airo^OiyyeaOaiy as the Spirit of God giveth them; and to stop their mouths for ever, that call it not speaking by the Spirit, unless never a wise word be spoken. So have we the gloss of the tongues: — 1. The "tongues" themselves, in coeperunt loqui; 2. "cloven," in Unguis aUis; 3. " sitting," in the Spirit's sicut; 4. " fire," in a'rro(f)0€yy€a0aiy the truth answering the type in every point; shewing us what was in them, and what they should be that hold their places; able to speak more tongues than one, to speak discreetly, and to speak learnedly.

The appli- And now to draw to an end. Let us return to our Pen-

^ ^^' tecost duty, to glorify God for the Holy Ghost thus sent these two ways: — 1. as the Spirit within, filling; 2. as the tongues without, uttering. The tongues, they are a peculiar to one kind of men, though all now invade them, and talk even too much. Of them first. Where the Apostle expoundeth

Eph.4.8. that of the Psalm, " Going up on high. He gave gifts unto ' ' men,"he tells us what those gifts were: " He gave some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists;" and he says not there, but tells us that part of that gift were " Pastors and Teachers," whereof there were none at Christ's ascension, but they were ordained after, for the succeeding ages. Intending, as it seemeth, a part of our Pentecostal duty should be, not only to give thanks for them He first sent on the very day, but even of those He sent ever since; and for those He still sendeth, even in these days of ours. To thank Him for the Apostles; thank Him for the ancient Doctors and Fathers; thank Him for those we have, if we have any so much worth. And are these the " gifts" which Christ sent " from on high?" Was St. Paul well advised? Must we keep our Pentecost in thanksgiving for these? Are they worth so much, trow? We would be loath to have the Prophet's way taken with us, that it should be said to us as there it is; If you so reckon of them indeed, let us see the wages you value them at; and when we shall see it is but eight pound a year, and having once so much, never to be capable of more, may not then the

Zech. 11. Prophet's speech there well be taken up, " A goodly price"

of the Holy Ghost. 143

these liigh gifts are valued at by you! And may not He justly, instead of Zachary and such as he is, send us a sort of foolish shepherds; and send us this senselessness withal, that speak they never so fondly, so they speak, all is well, it shall serve our turn as well as the best of them all? Sure, if this be a part of our duty this day to praise God for them, it is to be a part of our care too, they may be such as we may justly praise God for. Which, whether we shall be likely to effect by some courses as of late have been offered, that leave I to the weighing of your wise considerations.

But leaving this which is peculiar but to some, let us return to the Holy Spirit common to all, and how to be filled with It. A point which importeth every one of us, this day especially; when first, certain it is we are not to content ourselves, as Bernard well saith, quilmsvis angttstiis, * with every small beginning,' and there to stick still; to think, if we have never so small a breath of It and that but once in all our life, that that is enough, we may sit us down securely, and take no more thought, but rely upon that, for that will do it; but to aspire still as we may, nearer and nearer, to this measure here, and know that repleti sunt was not said for nothing. Which how to do, we may take some light from the text. The two types He came in being bodily, serve to teach us we are not to seek after means merely spiritual for attaining it, but trust, as here He visited these, so will He us, and that per signa corporea^ saith Chrysostom. For had we been spirit, and nothing else, God could and would immediately have inspired us that way; but consisting of bodies also as we do, it hath seemed to His wisdom most agreeable, to make bodily signs the means of conveying the graces of His Spirit into us. And that, now the rather, ever since the Holy One Himself and Fountain of all holiness, Christ, the Son of God partaketh of both body and Spirit, is both Word and fiesh. Thus it is; that " by the word we are sanctified," et periTimA.H Unguam verbipatrem, saith Chrysostom, even by those tongues ^^^^'^'^^ here; but no less, by His flesh and body. And indeed, this Heb.lO.iC best answereth the term filling, which is proper to food; et Spiritus est ultimum aUmentiy ' the uttermost perfection of nourishment.' In which respect He instituted escam spiritua- iCor. lo.a few, " spiritual food," to that end; so called spiritual, not so*^^^* ^' ^^

144 Of the Sending of the Holy Ohost.

S E B M. much for that it is received spiritually, as for that^being so received it maketh us, together with it, to receive the

lCorJ2.l3. Spirit, even potare Spiritum — it is the Apostle's own word. In a word; our Pentecost is to be as these types here were. They were for both senses; 1. the ear, which is the sense of the word; 2. and the eye, which is the sense of the Sacrament, visihile verbuniy so it is called. Meant thereby, that both these should ever go together, as this day; and as the type was, so the truth should be. And for our example, we have themselves and their practice, in this very chapter,

[Acts 2. who on this feast joined together the word, at the fourteenth,

*-' and the breaking of bread, at the forty-second verse. And so

let us too; and trust that, by filling up the measure of both

types, we shall set ourselves in a good way to partake the

fulfilling of His promise, which is to be " endued with power

[Luke 24. from above," as they were ; at least, in such sort, as He

^•^ knoweth meet for us. Which Almighty God grant we may!

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY, AT WHITEHALL,

ON THK TWENTY-SEVENTH OF MAY, A.D. MDCX. BEING WHIT-SCNDAY.

If ye lone Me^ keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father^ and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever,

[If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

And I will pray ike Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever. Engl. Trans.]

They are Christ's words to His Apostles; they touch the coming of the Holy Ghost. Of Whose coming this text is a promise; a promise of a prayer to procure "the Comforter" sent them. Which " Comforter," Who it is, is told us, verse the twenty-sixth, "the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost." Let this be said to the honour of it. An angel served to annunciate Christ's coming: no angel would serve for this annunciation; Christ Himself did it; thought not Himself too good to do it. A special high benefit therefore it is, we may be sure. And this "Comforter, the Holy Ghost," waaby the Father sent, and by them received; and so the prayer heard, and the promise performed, all as this day. Which day we yearly hold holy in thankful remembrance of the Holy Ghost promised to be sent, and sent.

The Holy Ghost is the Alpha and Omega of all our

146 OJ the Sending

S E B M. solemnities. In His coming down all the feasts begin; at

— yt — His annunciation, when He descended on the Blessed Virgin,

[Lu.1.36.] whereby the Son of God did take our nature, the nature of

man. And in the Holy Ghost's coming they end, even in

His descending this day upon the sons of men, whereby they

the nature of God." Of which His last and great coming, in

this text is the promise, and at this time the performance ;

that as promise and performance, so the text and time

agree.

Every promise is glad tidings, but every promise is not gospel; nor is it good to make a text of it while it is in sus- [Ps.33.9.] pense. But when it is dixit et factum est^ " so said and so done," then it is a gospel, and may be preached on. Being then made good this day, the Church hath made it the Gospel of this day; it being festum solutionis^ * the feast whereon it was to be, and whereon it was paid.'

This promise grew thus. They were to be deprived of Christ's presence; He to be gone. They were troubled with it, troubled at the very heart. In that state they needed comfort. A " Comforter" He promiseth them. His promise is in manner of a deed; not absolute, but as it were with articles on both parts, per modum syngraphtB, A covenant on His part, a condition on theirs. He covenants two things; the one supposed, love — " If ye love Me." The other imposed — then "keep My commandments." These two on their part well and truly performed and kept, He stands bound to pray, and praying to procure them a " Comforter," another in His stead. And that they might not be every other while to seek for a new one, that should not leave them as He did, but *^ abide with them for ever."

Many are the benefits that come to us by the Holy Ghost, and so His titles many. He is here expressed in the title of a " Comforter." Comfort never comes amiss, but it is most welcome to men in their estate here, troubled in mind. It may be, our estate is not yet as theirs was, and we have our terrenas consolatiunculas, which yet serve oiu* turn well enough. But there is none of us but the day will come, when we shall need Him and His comfort. It will be good to look after Him; and the sooner the bettef. He came here, we see, before

of the Holy Ghost. 147

''&e ihbrd bour of ihe day,** that is, nine in the morning: let Aets 2.

as not put Him off till nine at night. It will be too late to

seek for our oil when the bridegroom is coming. Mat 29

Those articles were here drawn for them; but he that liketh the same conditions, may have title to the same covenant to the world's end. For to the world's end this cove- nant here holdeth; and the Holy Ghost offered to be sent — though not in visible manner as this day; it was meet it should be with some solemnity at His first coming, for the more credit, yet — sensibly to them that receive Him. No day excepted; yet this day pleadeth a special interest.

It vnll then not be amiss if we take instructions what is required on both parts, so many as are desirous to be partakers of His Heavenly comfort, which I trust is the desire of us all, that so with comfort we may celebrate this festum Partieleti, * this feast of the Comforter.'

Thus they will rise to be treated of. I. The condition The difirst: 1. their love; 2. their looking to His commandments' J^^^^°* keeping. II. Then the covenant: 3. Christ's intercession; H. 4.Hi8 Father's giving; 6. giving" the Comforter;" 6. "another Comforter." Where both will come to be touched; but His diversity. 7. At last His perpetuity, or abode with them for ever.

The condition stands first, as first commended to our care. I. For of our part we had need have care; on His, we need dition. not. And let me say this of it: No condition could have „^ .^•,

been devised more proper and fit for this feast — ^botn parts of it. First, " If you love Me" — ^^ love;" and this is festum eharitatiSf ' the feast of love;' and He Whose the feast is, the Holy Ghost, love itself, the essential love and love-knot of the two Persons of the Godhead, Father and Son. The same, the love-knot between God and man, and yet more specially between Christ and His Church. Properly, as faith referreth to Christ the Word, so doth love to the Spirit, and comfort to love. It is the Apostle; Si quod solatium charitatis, "If there PhiL 2. 1 be any comfort, it is in love." What condition could be more fit?

And the second is like to it, as fit every way: " keep My commandments." For ye shall read in Exodus, that at this [Ez:od. l Feast of Pentecost the commandments were given. The very ^* ®* ^*i

148 Of the Sending

S £ R M. Feast itself institute in remembrance of the Law then given:

'■ — then very meet they be remembered of them at this Feast.

And the Holy Ghost sent, inter alia, that they may be written not in stone, but in their hearts; not with the letter, but with the spirit; and the spirit not of fear, but love, as by Whom the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. Which love is the fulfilling of the commandments, and they all abridged in

Romans 13:9. this one word diliges. So, whether we regard the Feast, or the Person, or the office of Him to Whom we hold the Feast, the condition is well chosen.

1. Lovo. To begin then with the first ; " If ye love Me." " Love" is

not so fit here, as " if is unfitting. For " if' is as if there were some if, some doubt in the matter; whereof, God forbid there should be any. It would be without "if," Thus rather: * forasmuch as you love Me, keep My,' &c. That they and we love Him, I trust, shall not need to be put in hypothesi; et erat tarn dignus amari, ' seeing He is so well worthy our love,' that we to blame, if we endure any "if,'' any question

It grieveth me to stand long on this condition, to make an if of it at Pentecost. Take the feasts all along, and see if by every one of them it be not put past " if." Christmas-day:

Job. 1. 14. for us, and for our love, He "became flesh," that we might love Him, because like us He took our nature on Him. New-

2Cor.6.2l. year's-day : "knowing no sin, He was made sin for us," sealed the bond with the first drops of His blood, wherewith the debt of our sin light upon Him. Candlemas-day : He

Lu. 2. 22. was presented in the Temple, offered as a live oblation for us, that so the obedience of His whole life might be ours. Good- Friday: made a slain sacrifice on the cross, that we might be redeemed by the benefit of His death. Easter-day: opened

Heb. 6. 20. " our foreiiinner entered," to prepare a place for us. And this day seals up all by giving us seisin of all He hath done for us, by His Spirit sent down upon earth. And after all this, come ye in with "If ye love Me?" Shall we not with si strike out "if," and make the condition absolute? Shall we not to St. Paul's "if," "If any man love not the Lord Jesus, let him

3Cor.l6.22.be anathema maranatha," all say, let him be so ?

of (he Hohf Ghait. 149

" K we love them that love us, what singular thing do we, Mat. 6. 46. since the very publicans do the like?" That if our love be but as the publicans, there would be no " if made of it, for He loved us.

And not because we loved Him, but He loved us first. Et nulla major ad amorem provocation quam prcevenire amando; nimis enim durus est^ qui amorem etsi nolehat impendere^ nolit rependere; * No more kindly attractive of love, than in loving to prevent; for too hard metal is he of, that though he like not to love first, will not requite it and love again, either first or second.'

Specially, since His love was not little, but such as St. John makes an ecce quantam charitatem of, " see how great love!" ^ "^^^^ ^* ^' How great? So, as none greater. " For, greater love hath Job. 15. 13. no man than this, to give his life for his Mends." No man greater but He, for His was beyond. To give His life, is but to die any sort of death; but morte crucis, to die as He [Phil.2 8.] died, that is more. And for such as were His friends is much; but, cum inimici essemus is a great deal more. And Rom. 5. 10. yet is it '^ If?" Put it to the Prophet's question, quid debuit Isa. 5. 4. facere? And add to it, if ye will, quid debuit pati? A\Tiat should He have done, and what suffered? If He did it not, if He suffered not, make an " if" of His love; but if He did both, out with it.

But the publican will be the publican, and the world the world, their love is mercenary sale ware; si nihil attuleris, no profit, no love. To take away that ** if," even thither He will follow us, and apply Himself to that. And if we will make port^-sale of our love, and let it go by Who gives more? He will outbid all. All, by the last word, in (sternum. For whatsoever we may have here, if it were a kingdom, it is not for ever. Rut this " Comforter" That " shall abide with us," is but a pledge of that bliss and kingdom of His wherein we shall abide with Him eternally. Let any offer more for our love, and carry it.

Verily^ bonum, si non amatur^ non cognoscitur^ said the Heathen. But more true of Christ, if we love Him not, we know Him not. If we did but know what He is in Himself, what to us; what He hath already done, what He is ready to

love Him all. Yet great reason there was, we shall see, Christ should so put it, being to infer the second. For at that there will be some sticking, which would not be if we were not defective in this former, of love. If our love were not light. His commandments would not be heavy. If love were as it should be, nothing is heavy to it. Jmor erubescit nomeu difficuUatii, * love endures not the name of diflSculty,' but shames to confess any thing too hard for it. De intemis qffirmare tutum^ saith the Heathen; ^ it is safe affirming of any thing within us,' where no man can convince us, for none is privy to it but ourselves. How many shall we hear say, I hfikve ever affected, wished you well, borne you good will, and never a word true. Forasmuch then as there be two loves^ ]Joh.4.20.. saith St. John, one in word and tongue, and that is feigned; and another in deed and truth, and that is right; and that Christ eonditioneth not, if ye say ye love Me, but if ye love Me indeed; we must come to St. James' assay, Ja9. 3. 18. ostende mihi^ " shew me thy faith;** and as well, shew me lJoh.3.1. thy love by some ostensive sign. So did Christ to us. Ucce quant am charitatem ostendUf "Behold how great love" — not, He verbally protested, but really "shewed!" and so they to do the like, to shew it.

Why thus they shew it. He is gone away, and they be very sad for it; which sheweth they love Him, and would keep Him still. But that may be a sign they love themselves, in that they are to have some good by His stay with them. .2- That may deceive you. But, will you have a sign infallible?

keeping Take this; His commandments, His word. He that keeps majid°"^ it, loves Him: — true in the affirmative. He that keeps it ments. not, loves Him not: — true in the negative. This then is the second condition; If ye love Me (not, keep Me still, but) " keep My commandments." Let your heart be troubled, not, if ye keep not Me, but if you keep not them. Not, if not Me; Me, that is. My flesh: but, not Me; Me, that is. My word, whereof the commandments are an abstract.

of the Holy Ghost. 151

The word is the better part of Me, better than My flesh; striye to keep that, be troubled for not keeping that, and then your love is past " if," true indeed.

And is this the other part of the condition? This somewhat troubleth us; for who can do this, keep the command- ments? as good condition with us, to fly or walk on the sea. We are even a,s well able to do the one as the other. So, upon the matter, all this promise falls out to prove nothing; the condition cannot be kept, and so the covenant void. No Holy Ghost or Comforter to be hoped forr or had; we are but deluded.

Deluded? God forbid! Christ loves us too well to delude us; He will never do it. A melius inquirendum would be had, to look a little better into it, and not so lightly lose our interest in such a gift as the Holy Ghost. It stands us so in hand to get the condition made good: else we forfeit our estate in the promise.

If we be to be relieved, it is by the word Mea, that they be His. And some alteration there is plainly in them, by Him and His coming. It is not said for nought, and that by way of opposition, that " the law came by Moses, but grace came by Him," " and grace for grace;" that is, not only grace Joh. J., i active which we receive, which relieveth us in the keeping ^^' them, but grace passive too which we find with Him, which relieves in abating the rigour, when we are called to account about them. You shall find an alteration in this very point. The Apostles would notpress the Gentiles to be circumcised: being circumcised, St. Paul testifieth they become "debtors to GaL 5. S keep the whole Law;" " a yoke, saith St. Peter, that neither they," the Apostles, " nor their fathers were able to bear," it Acts 15.: was so heavy. This, as they came by Moses. But after Christ with His grace came, and His grace with Him, when they oame to be His, mandata EjuSy saith St. John, gravia non sunt, i job. 5. " they are not heavy." And Himself That best knew the price of it, saith plainly of His " yoke," that it " is easy," C^^*- 1 and it were hard to gainsay Him.

This qualifying then groweth two ways. 1. One, that the Law, at the very giving it by Angels, was, saith St. Paul, ordinatain manu Mediator is, "ordained to be in the Mediator's Gal. 8. : hand," thatis, Christ's, Whose hands are not so heavy as Moses*

162 Of the Sendinff

SERM. were. 2. The other, Aat Pa<^ own^iwdic^Mm cferf^ /V7>, saitfi

=j-^~ Himself, " His Father hath made Him Judge of the keeping or not keeping them." All judicial power and proceeding concerning them is committed over to Him.

By the first, that they are ordained to be in His hand, H^

may take them into His hands when He will ; and having

them in His hands, order them and ease them as pleaseth

Him. Lex inmanu Mediatoris is it we musthold by. If abruise

in the reed, Moses would break it quite. If the flax smoke

and flame not ouf? he would quench it straight. So will not

[Mat. 12, He ; His hand will not break the one, nor H is foot tread on the

FM"' 14 ^^^^^' 'f o Mary Magdalene He oidained,that/m^ quodpotuit

8.] i&hould serve, and He would require no more. Credo, Do-

^^' ' mine, adjuva incredulitatem meamy " I believe^ Lord, help my

unbelief:" — a belief mixed with unbelief, would never have

endured Moses' assay; in manu Mediaioris it did well enough.

Thus He ordained, he that neither doth them, nor prepared

Lu. 12. 47. himself, non Jecit, neque prteparavit, he shall be punished;

but if he prepare, stir up himself, have a care^ a respect unto

them, that it seemeth, in manu Mediatoris, will be taken.

2Cor.8.l2. That if there be, saith the Apostle, ^rw/zp^a voluntas, "a ready

will," a man "shall be accepted according to that he hath, and

Heb. 4. 15. not according to that he hath not." For the Mediator is man,

[Ps. 103. ^^d hath had experience of man's infirmities; He knoweth ^^•3 our metal and our mould, and w^hat our condition will bear ;

[Galatians 5:17.] He knoweth there is that conflict in us, "we cannot do what

we would." And indeed, why should concupiscence to evil be Pa. 119.40. reputed sin on the worst part, and a like desire, concupivi

desidepare mandata Tua, not be as well reckoned for as much on

[2 Chron. the better part, though it be not full out " according to the puri-

. ]9.] fication of the Sanctuary?" Thus, as in His hands ordained.

Then again, as- in His court, to be judged. For the court

there sitting, sentence will proceed otherwise than si adeamus Heb. 4. 16. thronum gratice, if we have access to Him in His " throne of

grace," where we may " obtain mercy and find grace." And

St. James brings us good tidings, that super-exaliat, 8fc. the

throne of grace is the higher court; and so an appeal lieth Jas. 2. ]3. thither, to whom He will admit. " To cruel men, saith He,

of the Holy Ghost. 15S

there Bhall be judgment without mercy;'* which sheweth, judgment Ydth mercy shall be to some other to whom He will vouchsafe it.

And thus, it must stand upon Mea^ and manu Mediatoris, and the throne of grace, or else even those here, the Apostles, it will go wrong with them, they will hardly be relieved in their claim of a " Comforter." For within twenty-fovir hours and less, it came indeed to an " if," their love. They loved Him not so well, but they loved their own safety better; fell away, and fled away, and denied Him; even he that said he Mat. aa. loved Him best.

And what, kept they His commandments? Sinned they not? Tn multis omnes, saith St. James, " in many things all;" Jas- 3- 2and " if they should say otherwise," saith St. John, *' that they had no sin" — not, they were somewhat proud, and there were no humility, but — "they were very liars, and there were no iJoh.i.8,9. truth in them." So that keeping the commandments and having of sin must stand together, or else they kept them not.

But this they kept, and so may we too: they were troubled, their hearts were troubled for not keeping them; and at the throne of grace that was accepted; and the not keeping not reckoned a breach of the commandment, if we be troubled for it.

Again, as well saith St. Augustine, amongst His commandments this is one, which we must not fail duly to keep; and that is, the commandment of daily praying, dimitte nobis, forgive us our not keeping, which helps all the rest. We keep, Lord, help our not keeping, as well as "I believe, Lord, Mar. 9 24. help my unbelief." ' A true endeavour with an humble repentance, for so he resolves, and then omnia mandata facta deputantur, quando quod non sit ignoscitur; ' all are accounted as kept, when what is not is pardoned out of His mercy;' and so the rest rewarded out of His bounty That alloweth a day's wages for an hour's work, as to them that came at the Mat. 20. 6. eleventh hour to the vineyard, that is, at five of the clock after noon. Thus will it be with us in hope; thus was it with them. For the covenant held, and the prayer went forward, and " the Comforter" came notwithstanding.

Now to Christ's part. Rogaho Patrem et dabit; that Christ r^, ^^'^^, ^

nant.

154 Of the Sending

S E B M. will pray, and His Father give. And there is nothing more '■ — effectually sheweth they were short in their condition than

these two words, 1. rogahoy and 2. dahit. The Father shall give. It is His free gift, not due debt, upon desert of the former. And dabit roganti, give it to Christ's prayer, rather for Rogation week's sake with Him, than for any work of supererogation with them. But it cometh from God's bounty, and Christ's entreaty, without which our love and commandment-keeping would not carry it; they are not sufficient to weigh it down pondere meriti; it must come rogatu Christie or not at all. Then, not to lean on them; Christ it is, and His intercession, we take to. Not, you shall love, and keep My commandments, and then My Father shall be bound; but, and then Christ shall pray, and the Father will give if Christ pray, and not otherwise.

But a doubt here ariseth: may we love Christ, or keep His commandments, before we have the Holy Ghost, without Whom first had it is certain we can do neither? How shall we love Christ or keep His commandments, that we may receive the Holy Ghost, when unless we first receive we can neither love Him nor keep them, nay, not so much as say,

2 Cor. 3. ft! much as think that, or any other thought that is good ? How saith He then. Keep and I will give, when He must give or we cannot keep ?

Mat.13.12. This scruple will soon be removed by hahenti dahUur. A promise may be made, tarn hahenti quam non hahenti, ^ as well to him that hath a thing already, as to him that hath it not at all.' To him that hath it already in a lower or less, may be promised to have it in a more ample measure or more high degree, than yet he hath; or to him that hath it in one kind,

Joh. 3. 34. that he may have it in some other. To all, save Christ, the Spirit is given in measure. Where there is measure, there are degrees: where there be degrees of more and less, the more may well be promised to him that hath the less. To him that hath it in the degree of warm breath, it may well be promised in tongues of fire. To him that hath it as the first fruits, which is but a handful, it may well be promised as in the whole sheaf, which filleth the bosom. But, that which is more agreeable to this text here, we consider the Spirit, as

9t. Peter, wn^i^brm^m/ the Spirit in His graces, or the graces lPet.4.ia of the Spirit, as ** of many kinds." " Of many kinds," for our wants and defects are many. Not to go out of the chapter : in the very next words,, He is called " the Spirit of truth ;" and K^^^J^ that is one kind of grace, to curQ us of error. \n the twentyrixthverse after,*' the Spiritof holiness,"whichi8 His common lame, which serveth to reduce us from a moral honest life to a holy, and wherein the power of religion doth appear. And here He is termed *' the Comforter," and that is against heaviness and trouble of mind. To him that hath Him as ^ the Spirit of truth," which is one grace, He may be promised as " the Spirit of holiness," or comfort, which is another. It is well known, many partake Him as *' the Spirit of truth" in knowledge. Which may well be promised them, for sure yet they have Him not as the sanctifying Spirit. And both these ways may He be had of some who yet are subject to the Apostles' disease here, heavy and cast down, and no cheerful spirit within them. So they were not clean destitute of the Spirit at this promise making, but had Him ; and so well might love Him, and in some sort keep His commandments, and yet remain capable of the promise of a Comforter for all that. So that Christ may proceed to His prayer, that His Father would send them the Comforter.

Where we begin with matter of faith. For we have here?• ^

the article offered to us, and set down in the three Persons, iuter-

1. "I will pray the Father," that is, Christ the Son. 2. "And

He shall give" it, that is, the Father — His Person is named.

3. Alium, "another" third Person besides, that is Paracletumy

the Holy Ghost. 1. One praying; 2. the other prayed to;

3. the third prayed for. 1. Filius orans; 2. Pater donans;

S. Spirittis comolans. 'The Son praying; the Father granting;

the Spirit comforting;' — a plain distinction.

And Christ's prayer sets us to seek His other nature. For here He entreats as inferior to His Father, in state of man; but in the twenty-sixth verse as equal to His Father, in the nature of God, joins in giving with like authority. Rogahoy as man; Dabo, as God.

Finding the Father giving here, and the Son giving there, we have the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from both ; Quern

166 Of the Sending

9 E R M. mittet Pater, " Whom the Father shall send," in the twenty-

^^ Z ', sixth of this ; Qv£m Ego mittam, " Whom I will send," in the

26 ; 15. 26.] twenty-sixth of the next. Called therefore " the Spirit of the MatlOiJO. Father," and again called " the Spirit of the Son," the Spirit ' ' * of both, as sent and proceeding from both.

And last, the equality of the Holy Ghost. For sending and procuring. He must send and procure them one equal to Himself, as good every way, or else they had changed for the worse, and so pray Him to let His prayer alone; they were better as they were, they shall be at a loss. 4. Christ will pray; and if He pray, great likelihood there is

FaUier's ^^ ^^^^ speed. He That is sued to, is easy to entreat. He is giving. a Father; and He That doth sue is gracious to prevail. He is a Son. Pater a Filio rogatus, great odds the suit is half obtained ere begun. Specially, His suit being not faint or cold, but earnest and instant, as it was. He sued by word, and it was Heb. 5. 7. clamore valido, " with strong crying" in a high key; et lachrymis, and He added " tears," saith the Apostle, and they have their voice. And yet stayed not there, but His blood speaks Heb.12 24. too; cries higher and " speaks better things than the blood of Abel." And the effect of His prayer was, not only Paler condonay Lu. 23. 34. " Father, forgive them;" but Pater dona, * Father, give them*^ Job. 17. 17. the Holy Spirit to teach, " sanctify," and comfort them. This was His prayer, and His prayer prevailed; as good as His word He was. His Father should send. He said; and His Father did send, and the Holy Ghost came; — witness this day. 6. Giving And came in that sort He undertook; even in that kind forter." whereof they had most need; most welcome to them, as their case then stood, under the term of Paracletus, " Comforter." If we ask, why under that term? To shew the pecu- liar end for which He was sent, agreeable to the want of their private estate to whom He was sent.

If they had been perplexed, He would have prayed for "the Spirit of truth." If in any pollution of sin, for " the sanctifying Spirit." But they were as orphans, cast down and comfortless, [Joh.16.6.] tristitia implevit cor eorum, " their hearts full of heaviness;'* no time to teach them now, or frame their manners, they were now to be put in heart. " The Spirit of truth" or holiness would have done them small pleasure. It was comfort they wanted, a " Comforter" to them was worth all.

of the Holy Ghost . 157

•

Many good blessings come to us by the Holy Ghost coming, and the Spirit in any form of truth or holiness, or what we will, by all means worthy to be received, even all His gifts; but a gift in season goes beyond all, carrieth away the name from all the rest. Every gift then in his time. When troubled with erroneous opinions, then " the Spirit of truth;" when assaulted with temptations, then "the Spirit of holiness;" but when oppressed with fear or sorrow, then is the time of "the Holy Ghost the Comforter." Sorrow doth chill, and make the spirits congeal: therefore He appeareth in fire, to give them warmth; and in a tongue, the instrument of comfort, by ministering a word in due season; and cloven, that it might meet with dismays of all sorts, and comfort them against all.

And so did it, and that apparently. For immediately upon the receiving it, they were thought to be "fiill of new wine." That was but an error, but so comforted they were as, before being exceeding fearful, they grew exceeding fiiU of courage and spirit; so as even when they were scourged piteously, tbant gaudentes, " they went away" — not patiently enduring. Acts 6. 41. but even sensibly — " rejoicing," not as men evil entreated, but as persons dignified, having got a new dignity, " to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ's name."

A " Comforter" then; and two things are added: 1. Alium, 6. " Anand 2. Qui manebit in <2temum. 1. " Another Comforter," f^r^^"^ and 2. " That shall abide with them for ever." Both which are verified of Him, even in regard of Christ; but much more in regard of other earthly, fleshly, worldly comforts, and comforters whatsoever. "Another;" which word presupposes one besides, so that two there be. 3. One they have already; and now another they shall have, which is no evil news. For thus instead of a single, they find a double comfort. But both they needed.

This sets us on work to find the first, and we shall not need to seek far for Him. Speak to them of a " Comforter," and they understood it not but of Christ, all their comfort in Him; lose Him, and lose all. Indeed, Christ was one; was, and is still. And the very term of Paracletus is given Him by St. John; and though it there be turned "an Advocate," ijoh.2. l. upon good reason, yet the word is the same in both. Christ had been their " Comforter," while He was their " Bridegroom"

158 Of the Sending

SEEM, and they " the children of the Bride-chamber.^ But expe- — IIL — dient it was He should go, for expedient it was they had ' one in Heaven; and expedient withal, they had one in earth, and so another in His stead.

1. For the first; even now absent, He is our " Comforter" still that way we named right now ; that is, our " Advocate," to appear for us before God, there to answer the slanderous

Bey. 12.10 allegations of him that is the accuser of us and our brethren. And a comfort it is, and a great comfort, to have a good " Advocate" there, in our absence; for then we be sure our cause shall take no harm.

2. But secondly, if as an "Advocate" He cannot defend us, Joh. 5. 46. because the accusation oft falleth out to be true, if " Moses

accuse us" too ; yet a second comfort there is, that as a High

Heb.7.17. "Priest for ever" He is entered into the holy places "made

j2^ • ' ' without hands," there by His intercession to make atonement

for them as sinners, whose innocency as an Advocate He

cannot defend.

8. And to both these. He addeth a third at the beginning of

Joh. 14. 2. this chapter, that His leaving them is but to take up a place

for them, to be seised of it in their names whom He will

certainly come again and receive to it, there to be for ever

with Him.

And in the mean time He will take order we shall have supply of "Another;" in absence of His body, the supply of His Spirit. -That if we look up, we have a Comforter in Heaven, even Himself; and if we look down, we have a Comforter on earth, His Spirit; and so are at an anchor in both. For as He doth in Heaven for us, so doth the Spirit on Rom..26. earth in us, frame our petitions and " make intercession for us, with sighs that cannot be expressed." And as Christ is Rom. 8. 16. our witness in Heaven, so is the Spirit here on earth, " witnessing with our spirits that we" pertain to the adoption and [Ps.94.19.] " are the children of God." Evermore, " in the midst of the sorrows that are in our hearts, with His comforts refreshing our souls." Yet not filling them with false comforts, but as Christ's Advocate here on earth, soliciting us daily and calling upon us to look to His commandments, and keep them; [2 Cor. 1. wherein standeth much of our comfort, even in " the testimony 12-] of a good conscience." And thus these two — this one, and

this other; tliis secosd^and that first, yield plentiful supply to all our wants.

A second note of difference is in the tenure they shall have 7. To of this other, that He shall stay with them still; which of "*^^?^^^'

... ever."

Christ they had not. For this is the grief, when we have one that is oilr comfort, that we cannot hold him; and this their fear, that when they have another, still they shall be changing^ andnever at any certainty. Christ,as man, they could not keep. Given He was by the Father, but given for term of years; that term expired. He was to return. Therefore His abode is expressed by the word ia-Ki^vcfxrc^ the setting up of a tent or joh. 1. 14. tabernacle, to betaken down again and removed within a short time; no dwelling of continuance. But "the Holy Ghost'* shall continue with us still, and therefore He is allowed " a iCor.3.16. Temple," which is permanent and never to be taken down, l Cor. 6. 19. We have in Him a state of perpetuity, to our endless comfort. Howbeit, it may be well thought, alium and manebit in (Btemum are not put so much for Christ, to make a difference firom Him, as for these same other terrerue consolatiuncukey * petty poor comforts and solaces of the world,' which God hath given us and we may use; but we must look after Paracletum aUum^ "another" and another manner "Comforter," when all is done. For of these it may be, we shall feel some comfort, while we be in health and meetly good estate, and in case not much to needit. But let us come into their cases here, the heart troubled, the mind oppressed, the spirit wounded; and then, what earthly thing will there be can minister any sound comfort to us? It will not be; we must needs seek for this Paracletum alium here at any hand. What speak I of the mind? If but ache come into a joint, we know, we have tried them and found them, they are not able to drive away the least pain from the least part. And how then, when sickness cometh, and sorrow, and the pangs of death, what comfort in these? Comfort? Nay, shall we not find discomfort in the bitter remembrance of onr intemperate using them, and little regard of the true Comforter? Shall we not find them, as Job found his friends, like winter-brooks, fiill of Job 6. 16.

rain in winter, when no need of it, when it rains continually; * but in summer, when need is, not a drop in them? So when our state of body and mind is, that we can sustain ourselves

160 Of the Sending

S E R M. without it, then perhaps some they yield; but when sorrow

: — seizeth on the heart, then none at all. In the end, we shall

Job ift. 2. say to them as he did, " Miserable comforters are ye all." Wherefore " another Comforter" we are to seek. That may. give us ease in our disease of the mind, and in the midst of all our sorrows and sufferings make us iregaudentesy ' go away rejoicing.' No other will do it but this; that, when we have Him, we need look no further.

The other is likewise a difference; of staying with us " for ever." " Forever?" The weak poor comfort we have by the creatures here, such as it is, we have no hold of it; it stays not, not " for ever," nay, not for any long time. There be two degrees in it: 1. Non in ceternum^ that is too plain; 2. Nay, not manet nobiscum, they stay not with us; fugiunt a nobis,' ihey fly from us' many times in a moment, as Solomon's fire of thorns, a blaze, and out straight.

Nay, if they would tarry with us, would they not tire us? Nu. 11. 6. Even manna itself, did it not gi?ow loathsome? Do we not find that when we are ready to starve for hunger, and have meat to drive it away; if we use it any while, the meat is as irksome as the hunger was, and we are as hungry for hunger as ever we were for meat? That we may not be cloyed, we change them; and even those we change them for, within a while cloy us as fast. What shall we do? where shall we find comfort aright? Ever, jo^r quod fdstidio occurritur, fastidium incurritur; so that if they would tarry, we must put them away; the not tarrying of them with us, that is, the change of them is it that makes us able to endure them.

Well then, comfort us they cannot when we need it, we

for any space, much less for ever. If they could, their very

stay would prove fastidious, and yield us but discomfort.

Seeing then we cannot entreat them to stay with us, and

{Eph. 6. if we could, "in the evil day" they could not stead us,

'-' but then fail us soonest when our need is greatest; let

us seek for " another," that through sickness, age, and death,

may abide with us to all eternity, and make us abide with

Him in endless joy and comfort.

The appli- Such is this here which Christ promised, and His Father

the Sa- seiit this day ; and which He will send, if Christ will ask ;

crament

of the Holy Ghost. 161

and Christ will ask if, now we know the covenant and see the condition, we will seal to the deed.

To a covenant there is nothing more requisite, than to put the seal. And we know the Sacrament is the seal of the new covenant, as it was of the old. Thus, by undertaking the duty He requireth, we are entitled to the comfort which here He promiseth. And " do this" He would have us, as Lu. 22. 19. is plain by His hocfacite.

And sure, of all the times in our life, when we settle ourselves to prepare thitherwards, we are in best terms of disposition to covenant with Him. For if ever we be in state of love toward Him, or toward one another, then it is. K ever troubled in spirit, that we have not kept His commandments better, then it is. If ever in a vowed purpose and preparation better to look to it, then it is. Then therefore of all times most likely to gain interest in the promise, when we are best in case, and come nearest to be able to plead the condition.

Besides, it was one special end why the Sacrament itself was ordained, our comfort; the Church so telleth us, we so hear it read every time to us: He hath ordained these [Exhortamysteries, as pledges of His love and favour, to our great and time of the endless comfort, " The Father shall give you the Comforter." ceiebra- Why He giveth Him, we see; how He giveth Him, we see communot. The means for which He giveth Him, is Christ; His nioJ^O entreaty by His word in prayer, by His flesh and blood in sacrifice, for His blood speaks, not His voice only. These Heb.l2.24. the means for which, and the very same the means by which He giveth the Comforter; by Christ the Word, and by Christ's body and blood, both. In tongues It came, but the tongue is not the instrument of speech only but of taste, we all know. And even that note hath not escaped the ancient Divines; to shew there is not only comfort by hearing the word, but we may also " taste of His goodness, Ps. 34. 8. how gracious He is," and be " made drink of the Spirit." l Cor. 12. That not only by the letter we read, and the word we hear, but by the flesh we eat, and the blood we drink at His table, we be made partakers of His Spirit, and of the comfort of It. By no more kindly way passeth His Spirit than by His flesh and blood, which are vehicula Spiritus^ *the proper carriages

162 0/the Sending of the Holy Ghost.

SEEM, to convey it.' Corpus aptavit SUn, ut Spiritum a/ptaret tibi; Christ fitted our body to Him, that He might fit His Spirit

to us. For so is the Spirit best fitted, made remeable, and best exhibited to us who consist of both.

This is sure: where His flesh and blood are, they are not exanimeSy * spiritless' they are not or without life, His Spirit is with them. Therefore was it ordained in those very elements, which have both of them a comfortable operation in the heart of man. One of them, bread, serving to strengthen it, or make it strong; and comfort cometh oiconfortare^ which is * to make strong.' And the other, wine, to make it cheer-

P8.104.15. fill or "glad;" and is therefore willed to be ministered to them

[See Prov. that moum, and are oppressed with grief. And all this to

^'^ shew that the same efiect is wrought in the inward man by

the holy mysteries, that is in the outward by the elements ;

[Heb. 13. that there the heart is " established by grace," and our soul endued with strength, and our conscience made light and cheerful, that it faint not, but evermore rejoice in His holy comfort.

To conclude : where shall we find it if not here, where

[1 Cop. 5. under one we find " Christ our Passover offered for us," and the

Spirit our Pentecost thus offered to us? Nothing remaineth but the Father Himself, and of Him we are sure too. Filium in pretium dedity Spiritum in solatium, Se servat in prcemiumj *His Son He gave to be our price. His Spirit to be our comfort. Himself he keepeth to be our everlasting reward.' Of which reward there, and comfort here, this day and ever may we be partakers, for Him That was the price of both, Jesus Christ!

A SERMON

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT WINDSOR,

John xvi. 7.

Yet I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not ccyme unto you; hut if I depart, I wilt send Him unto you.

[Nevertheless I tell you the truth ; it is expedient for you thai I go away : for if I go not away, the Comforter wiU tiot come unto you ; hut if I depart, I wUl send Him unto you. Engl. Trans.]

" But if I go, I will send Him to you." And He did go, and He did send Him, and this day He did send Him. So that between this text and this feast there is that mutual reference and reciprocation thatishetween promissio niissionis and missio promissionis, ^the promise of the sending' and *the sending of the promise;' the promise of the sending, the substance of the text, and the sending of the promise, the substance of the solemnity; it being the solemnity of mittam and veniet, both in the text, the sending and coming of the Holy Ghost.

Christ's words they be, and all is nothing else but a setting forth or demonstration of the non veniet — of non veniet^ the not coming, and of expedit, the expediency of Christ's going, and consequently of this feast.

There seems to be a question here, whether best the

164 Of the Sending

S E R M. Comforter come, or not come; that is, whether any Whit- ^' suntide or no? The question of His coming grew out of another, of Christ's going; whether best Christ go or not go, that is, whether any Ascension-day or no. The Apostles were all mainly against His going, and so opposed hard against the Ascension. But Christ here resolveth the point thus: if they were against the Ascension, they lost festum Paracleti, a feast which they might not miss out of their calendar; and so with promising them this, persuades them to bear with that; to yield to the Ascension, in hope of Whitsuntide.

Which two feasts are both in the text, and the two main points of it. Here is an abeam, a going, and here is a venietj a coming; Christ's going, that is the Ascension; the Holy Ghost's coming, that is Pentecost, the day which we now celebrate, as it were avTi^aXKojieva^ one to make amends for the other. And ye shall observe it is usual. Anon after Christmas-day, and the poor estate of Christ's birth, there Cometh the Epiphany with a star, and great men's oblations, as by way of compensation. Presently after Good-Friday and the sorrow of His passion, Easter-day foUoweth straight, the day of His triumph, to revive us again. And even so here, upon His Ascension or going from us, there ensueth Whit- Sunday, the mends together withal. No impedit without an expedite no abeam but a mittam; no going away to bring a loss, but a coming too to make a supply.

The truth is, Ascension-day, though to Him it were a day of glory, yet to them it could not be but a day of sorrow. It was a going to His Father, but it was a going from them. Going from them, they were to lose Him; and loss breeds sorrow; and a great loss, as this was, great sorrow. It did so:

Joh. 16. 6. the very next words before these are, " Your hearts are frill of sorrow." And good reason. 1. To part with, to forego any friend, is a grief. Not without some grief doth the Apostle

2 Tim. 4. recoimt, that even Demas was fallen off, and had forsaken

^ * him. 2. And if any friend, how much more of such a friend

as Christ was to them? It was a festival all the while, and

Mat. 9. 15. they " the children of the Bride-chamber," so long as He was with them. To forego such an one, must fill up the measure a good way.

of the Holy Ghost. 165

3. But to fill it fall : if to part with such an one be grievous at any time, then to part with Him ; then He to leave us and we Him, when we have most need of Him, when troubles are at hand, is above measure grievous. And at hand they were, persecutions to rise, and they to be in that case, that they that cut their throats should " think they did God good Joh.l5. 2. service." If needs He would leave them. He would stay till fair weather. Now a tempest is toward, then to be left, is the worst time that may be.

Now join all these — 1. of a friend, 2. of such a friend, 3. at such a time, to be deprived — and tell me if there were not great reason, ut tristitia impleret cor eorum, " their hearts should be ftill of sorrow" for His going. Non expedit ut abeas. This for them.

Now for Christ; we shall see, quam incerUe providentue nostriB, It falleth out many times men are grieved with that which is for their good, and earnestly are set on that which is not expedient for them. It was their case in desiring Christ might not go. All was out of mistaking. Therefore Christ begins: " But I tell you the truth;" as much to say. You are in an error all the while, " your hearts be ftiU of sorrow" because your heads are full of error. You conceive of My stay as beneficial to you, but falsely: " I tell you true," it is so far from that as impediet, ^ it will hinder you,' turn to your loss. You apprehend My going as an hindrance, but err,

1. " I tell you true," expedit vobis, " it will be your gain."

2. This gain and loss are set down both : 1. the loss, in the not coming; 2. the gain, in the coming of the Comforter, this day.

3. This coming, ornotcoming, depends upon Christ's going, or His stay. Nonvenietnisi, 4f Christ go not He comethnot :' veniet si, * if Christ go. He cometh.' Seeing then ye shall be losers by My stay, and gainers by My going, be not for My stay, My stay will deprive you of Him ; nan veniet. Be not against My going. My absence will procure you Him; mittam. 1 love you not so evil, as to stay with you for your hurt. Be not you grieved, be not against that which is for your good.

The manner of this answer is, 1. first, retorquendo — ^holden ever to be the best. You think it will hinder you; I say avfi(f}ip€iy "it will benefit you" that I go. 2. Then to prove it He proceeds, abducendo ad absurdum. For why, " if I go

166 Of the Sending

S E R M. not," there will follow a main inconyenience, which by no

'- — means is to be admitted, and that is, non veniet Faraclefus.

The expedience of veniet we deduce out of the inconvenience of non veniet.

This inconvenience, if He go not. What, if He go? He will come certainly, for He will be sure to send Him. Now choose whether I shall go, and you have Him; or stay, and you want Him. The answer is clear: have Him ye must, want Him ye may not. So, if this be the case, if no Ascension, no Pentecost, we yield, Ascendat ChristuSj ut descendat Paracletus. Thedi- Where we have to consider of these. 1. Of the reason:

Tision.

I. " It is expedient," " expedient for you I go."

II. Then of the two. 1. The inconvenience of non veniet y the

Holy Ghost not coming; 2. and of the necessity of 9i non

m^ And last, of veniet and mitiamy His coming, and Christ's

and nature first; 2. and then of the time, and manner of

His sending.

, ^' There is no act of our Saviour Christ's, but ever at the first

The rea- , t_ £

son. View there sheweth forth; no speech, but ever at the nrst

pedienr." hearing there soundeth some virtue in it. As here in this, [Coloss. 3. that virtue which the Apostle calleth irpaoTriTay His "mildness" and equity — the beams of that virtue brake forth in this. 1. Herein is equity: this very first, that He would yield to yield them a reason of His departure; not use His authority as well He might, come and go at His pleasure — who could ask Him why? but even condescends to render them, though far His inferiors, a reason of His going and coming; which sure He was no way bound to do.

2. And what reason ? that is next. It is not licety what is lawful for Him, but expedite what is " expedient" or meet to do.

3. And thirdly. His expedit is not expedit Mihiy but expedit vohis; meet or " expedient," not for Himself, but for them to whom He renders it.

!• There was amongst the heathen, one' that would have his

given. will stand for reason. And was there none such among the

people of God? Yes; we find one of whom it was said,

• Conf. Juv. Sat. vi. 222. ... Sit pro ratione voluntas.

of the Holy Ghost. 167

Thus it must be, for Hophni will not have it so, but thus. iSamJ8.l6. His reason is, " for he will not;" and God grant none such be found among Christians!

But among Christians, there were that stood with St. Paul ^^^ JJ^^^ . upon licet: what they might do, this was lawful for them, but expeand who shall abridge them of it? St. Paul may well 2 cor. 0.12. seem to have had relation there to His Master's reason here, i Cor. 10. where He teacheth them a better rule, if they could hit of it, that licet is not it, expedit is Christ's, and is the true Christian's reason.

And not expedit at large; for so we know not whom i* j^ ♦ ^' ^_ refers to. It may be to Himself, expedit Mihi; as all the dUMihi, world's reasons tread inward. No; but expedit vobis, for them, ^-JVoWj. their profit and benefit, rather than His own. We find one before in this Gospel, and he was the High Priest, that Joli-^l50. made his firom expedit; but it was expedit nobis — so reasons Caiaphas there. But Christ pur High Priest taketh it the other way. I do it because " it is expedient for you'* that I do it. And the Apostle foUoweth Him in that too: use Heb.l3.l7, your rulers, your spiritual rulers, so as " they may do their office with joy, not with grief;" aXva-LreXhy " for that is not good for you;" not for you, hear you, and let them go. Well, certainly herein is equity, herein is mildness, in these two first words. It was to His Father and to His glory He went: He would not do it, but acquaint them with the reason of it; and that reason was. He would not do it but that it was for their good. I have enough from these three, if we learn to avoid 1. Hophni's non vult enim, to make our vult our enim; and the 2. Corinthians' standing with him upon his licet; 3. and frame our rule by expedit; and that, not Caiaphas' expedit nobis ^ but Christ's expedit vobis: for you it is good, you the Disciples; and make that the rule of our going out and coming in. This for expedit vobis.

If it be good, and good for them, they will not hinder it; ^• Nemo impeditquod expedit; that lesson will soon be learned, convenito yield to that which is for our behoof. All the matter will ^^^eof be, to bring expeattvobts and utEgo aJeam together; to understand that good; how Ego abeam can be " expedient" for them. Indeed it is hard to conceive. This we can well conceive — expedit vobis ut Ego veniam, * expedient it is, that

168 Of the Sending

SE RM. I come' — and say with the Apostle, etiam veni, "yea, comd Lord," come quickly. And this we can also — expedit vobis ut

* Ego maneaniy * expedient it is, that I tarry'— and say with them,

Lu.24. 29. Luke the twenty-fourth, mane nobiscum Domine; yea, " tarry

with us, good Lord." It is more than expedient for Thee so to

do. But expedit vobis ut Ego abeam, " expedient I go my way

TJohn 6. ^^^ leave you," durus est hie sermo, "it is a hard saying," and

^O.J ^iio can endure it, that it should be good for them or for

any to have Christ go from them or forsake them?

And sure, the proposition is not so hard, but the reason that induceth it is as hard and more, if more may be: " The Comforter will not come." Be it so; let Him not come, stay you. In Te satis nobisy we are well enough, we desire no other Comforter. And the other moveth not neither, "unless I go:" why may He not stay, and He come notwithstanding? What hinders it but we may enjoy both together? Two difficulties which must be cleared, or we cannot proceed.

Non veniet, that may be answered with ne veniat. But He is " a Comforter." No comforter to Christ; no loss so great as to lose Him: if we may keep Him, we care not — ne veniat. Stay His ascension, we fear not Pentecost. But He is in earnest, and tells us for a truth it is altogether expedient the Holy Ghost come; so expedient, ut expedit ut Ego abeam, potius quam Ille ne veniat; 'better I go, than He not come;' of the twain, better I spared than He. So it must be, else He saith nothing; else the balance hangs even, one as good as the other; they may take which they will, say they were well enough as they are. But weigh the feasts together. Ascension and Pentecost, the expedience of Ego abeam, and the expedience of Ille veniet; better Christ depart than the Holy Ghost stay from us. This sets before us and shews us the greatness of this day's benefit, consequently the highness of this feast; not only that it is equal to any of those precedent; — that the Holy Ghost is equal to Christ, else should we be at an after-deal, and change for our loss: no, St. Augustine prayeth well, Domine da mihi alium Te, alioqui non dimittam Te, ^ Give us another as good as Yourself, or we will never leave that, or consentthat Youleaveus;' — but that some inequality there is, else they might stand as they are, seeing they should be never the better; but sure as

of the Hohf Ghcst. 169

the case standeth, more for tlieir behoof than Christ Himself*

We shall never see it in kind, the expedience of veniet, the l. absolute necessityofHiscoming, till we see the inconvenience comr^- of fwn venietf that it by no means may be admitted, we enceof caimot be without Him. First then, absolute necessity it is; in both the main principal works of the Deity all three Persons co-operate, and have their concurrence. As in the beginning of the creation, not only dixit Deus was required. Gen. 1. 3* which was the Word, \mtferebatur Spiritus, the motion of the Spirit, to give the spirit of life, the life of nature. As in the Genesis, so in the Palingenesy of the world, a like necessity; not only the Word should take flesh, but flesh also receive the Joh. 1. 14 Spirit to give life, even the life of grace to the " new creature." Gal. 6. 15, It was the counsel of God that every Person in the Trinity should have His part in both, in one work no less than the other, and we therefore baptize into all Three.

But I add secondly; more than expedient it is the work of our salvation be not left half undone, but be brought to the full perfection, which with non veniet cannot be: if the Holy Ghost come not, Christ's coming can do us no good; when all is done, nothing is done. No? said not He consum- Joh.19.80. matum est? Yes, and said it truly in respect of the work itself; but quoad noSy * in regard of us' and making it ours, non consummatum est, if the Holy Ghost come not too. Shall I follow the Apostle, and humanum dicere^ " speak after the Eom.6.i9. manner of men, because of our infirmity?" God Himself hath so expressed it. A word is of no force though written, which we call a deed, till the seal be added: that maketh it authentical. God hath borrowed those very terms from us: Christ is the Word, the Holy Ghost the Seal in Quo signati Eph. 4. 80. estis. Nisi venial^ if the Seal come not too, nothing is done.

2. Yea, the very will of a testator, when it is sealed, is still in suspense till administration be granted. Christ is the Testator " of the New Testament;" " the administration is the Heb. 9. 16. Spirit's." If that come not, the Testament is to small ^ ^^'* ^^' purpose.

3. Take Christ as a purchaser. The purchase is made, the price is paid, yet is not the state perfect unless there be investiture, or, as we call it, livery and seisin : that maketh it

170 Of the Sending

SERM. complete. P^gt^wi^io, that very word is Christ's; but the ^-7= — V-r- investiture is by the Spirit. If He come not, we lack that:

that we may not lack; and so, not lack Him. What will ye that I say? Unless we be joined to Him, as well as He to us; nothing is done. The exchange is not perfect, unless as He taketh our flesh, so He give us His Spirit; as He carrieth up that to Heaven, so He send this down into earth. Ye

Acts 19. 2. know it is the first question the Apostle asked, " Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" If not, all else

Bom. 8. 0. the Spirit." And this is a certain rule. Qui non habet, " He that hath not His Spirit, is none of His," Christ profiteth him nothing.

Shall I let you see one inconvenience more of non venietf As nothing is done for us, so nothing can be done by us, if He come not. No means on our part avail us aught. 1. Not

[Joh. 8. 5.] Baptism; for nisi ex Spiritu, if He come not, well may it wash soil from our skin, but no stain from oiu: soul ; no

[Tit. 8. 5.] laver of regeneration" without " renewing of the Holy

2 Cor. 8. 6. Ghost." 2. No preaching neither ; for that is but " a letter that killeth," except the Spirit come too and quicken it.

Joh. 6. 63. 3. No Sacrament; we have a plain text for it, " the flesh profiteth nothing," if the Lord and Giver of life, the Spirit, be away. 4. To conclude, no prayer; for nisi, ^unless' the

Bom 8.26. Spirit help our infirmity, and make intercession with us, we neither know how, nor what to pray. So the Spirit must come to all, and It goeth through; neither can aught be done for us, or by us without It. Away then with ne veniat; we cannot say it, we may not think it. We cannot spare this first. Another veniat there must be, a second Advent besides Christ's. Christ's Advent begins all, this ends all our solemnities. Come He must; and we must all agree to say, Veni Creator Spiritus; the inconvenience of non veniet we cannot endure. 2. But then, there ariseth a new difliculty upon si non abiero,

cessity of ^® ^®® ^ necessity of His coming, but we see no necessity of

si non Christ's going. Why not Christ stay, and yet He come? Why may not Christ send for Him, as well as send Him?

of ike Holy Ghoit. 171

Or, if He go, come again with Him? Before it was, Ne veniat JRfe, mane Tu: now it is, Veniat llle, et mane Tu. Why not? Are they like two buckets? one cannot go down, unless the other go up? If it be so expedient lie come, Christ I trust is not impedient, but He may come.

Christ sure and He are not aavararoiy * incompatible;' They may be, and abide together well enough. We believe He [Mat.ii20.] was conceived by the Holy Ghost: then, no antipathy between Them. At His baptism He was known by this, that " the Spirit rested and stayed upon Him:" why not now, as Job. l. 82. well? We see not how this holdeth, " If I go not He will not come." It cannot be denied They two can stay together well enough; and the time shall come we shall enjoy Them both together, and the Father with Them. That time is not yet; now, it is otherwise. Not for any let in Themselves, that is not all; but for some further matter and considerations noted by the Fathers, for which it was expedient Christ should go, that the Holy Ghost might come.

First, for veniet. The Holy Ghost cannot come as He i. On the should. He should come as God. The stay of Christ would ^'^^^, have been a let of the manifestation of His Godhead. To part. manifest His Godhead, being to shew great signs and work great wonders, if Christ had still remained and not gone His way. They would not well have been distinguished, and great odds have been ascribed to Christ. So the Holy Ghost had wanted the honour and estimation due to Him; an impeachment it would have been to His divinity. But Christ ascending, all such imaginations cease.

From mittam Eum : a little impeachment it would have

been, to Christ's equality with His Father. For, He not 2. On

going to send Him, but staying still here, the sending of the

Spirit would have been ascribed to the Father alone, as His

sole act. This would have been the most; that the Father

for His sake had sent Him, but He as God had had no

honour of the sending. Beingascended and glorified, mittam

will straight be conceived — Quern mittet Pater, et Quern mittam Joh.U.25.

a Patre; that with the Father He sends Him equally, and '^ • • •

we alike beholden to Them both.

A third is in vobis^ on their part also. As their case was 3. On

to be, it was so meet, even in regard of them. They were to their case

172 Of the Sending

S E XI M. be sent abroad into all coasts, to be scattered all over the

'. — earth to preach the Gospel, and not to stay together still in

one place. His corporal presence would have stood them in small stead, He could have been resident but in one place, to have comforted some one of them; St. James at Jerusalem: as for John at Ephesus, or Thomas in India, or Peter at Babylon, as good for them in Heaven as in earth, — all one. The Spirit That was to succeed, was much more fit for men dispersed. He could be, and was present with them all, and with every one, by Himself, as filling the compass of the whole world. 4. On This, as their case was to be. But the Fathers rather

^eirs, as pitch upon their estate, as presently it was; vobis, that is, vobis was then, sic dispositis, * for you,' that is, * you so disposed' as I find you bodily ^®* ^^' ^* ^^ ^^ homines, to them affected in such sort as presence, then they were. Whereby he giveth us to understand, some are in that case as it is expedient Christ withdraw Himself from them. And is there any vobis, can any man be in that case it should be good for Christ to depart from him? It seemeth so. We see oftentime the case so standeth even in regard of this life, that from some it is good their meat be taken, and yet is meat the stay of their life; that from some it is good their blood be taken, yet blood is nature's treasure, and that holdeth us in life; that from some light be taken, in some disease of the eyes, yet is light the comfort of this life. All this we conceive: expedii ut cihus, ut sanguis, ut lux aheat, and all this better than expedit ut Christum abeat; we may spare them all better than Him.

Yet Christ it is That telleth it us, and telleth it us for a matter of great truth, these were — and whose case is better than these? But if these, some there are in that case it may be said to them truly, It is expedient I be gone. And what case may that be? Even that case that maketh the mother many times withdraw herself from her young child, whom yet she loveth full tenderly, when the child groweth foolishly fond of her; which gi'ew to be their case just. Christ's flesh, and His fleshly presence, that, and none but that. So strangely fond they grew of that as they could not endure He should go out of their sight; nothing but His carnal presence would Joh. 11.2]. quiet them. We know who said, "If Thou hadst been here.

of the Holy Ghost 173

Lord J*' — as if absent He had not been as able to do it by His Spirit, as present by His body. And "a tabernacle" they Mat. 17.4. would needs build Him, to keep Him on earth still; and ever and anon they were still dreaming of an earthly kingdom, and of the chief seats there, as if their consummation should have been in the flesh. These fancies — indeed, errors they fell into, about the flesh; they had need have it taken from them. The Spirit was gone quite; they had more need to have Him sent. This was at no hand to be cherished in them, they^were not to be held as children still, but to grow to man's estate, to perfect age and strength, and so consequently to be weaned from the corporal presence of His flesh; nor to hang all by sense, to which, it is too true, they were too much addicted. The corporal therefore to be removed, that the spiritual might take place; the visible, that the invisible; and they, not in sight or sense as hitherto, but in spirit and truth henceforth to cleave unto Him. To say with the Apostle, "If we have known Christ after the flesh, 2Cor.5.16 yet now henceforth we know Him so no more." This was for them, and we should have been no better, as now we are; the flesh will but hinder the spirit, even the best.

This, for His bodily presence. But the Fathers go yet 2. For farther and enquire, whether this also be not true in His ritual spiritual presence; and resolve that even in regard of that, it presence. is no less true. To some vohis^ it is expedient that, even after that manner also, Christ go from them. And who are they?

1. One vobis^ when men grow faint in seeking, and careless ^ grown in keeping Him, as in Canticles the third, " lie in bed, and Cant. 8. 1. seek Him." Gone He was, and meet He should so be, to teach

them to rise and seek, to watch and keep Him better.

2. Another vohis. when men grow high conceited and ^ ^X®'- overweening of themselves, and their own strength ; and say,

with David, non movebory as if they had Christ pinned to Ps. 80. 6. them; and with Peter, etsi omnes non ego. It is more than time Christ be gone from such, to teach them to see arid know themselves better.

But if Christ leave us, if He withdraw His spiritual presence, we fall into sin; and that cannot be expedient for any. " Good, that I have been in trouble," for "before I Ps.119.67. was troubled, I went wrong;" but not good for any, to fall

174 Of the Sending

' — dare avow it,* expedit superbo ut incidat in peccatum — ^theie

[Conf. s. are the very terms — 4t is expedient they fall into some SeSfass. liotorious sin,' as David, as Peter did, that their faces may be ^0 filled vsdth shame, and they by that confusion learn to walk

2Cor.ld.7. with more humility. "The messenger of Satan" that was sent the Apostle to buffet him, was of this nature, and to no other end sent, but to prevent this malady. In a word, Christ must vsdthdraw — no remedy — that we may grow humble, and being humble, the Holy Ghost may come; for He Isa. 67. 16. Cometh to none, rests on -none, " giveth grace to" none, 1 Pet. 6. 5. ^^|. ^jjg humble." So we see, Christ may be and is, even

according to His spiritual presence, withdrawn from some persons, and for their good, [Christus abit, ut Paracletus veniaty) and that many ways meet it is, it so should be. This

Ps. 108. 5. makes us say, Go, " Lord, set up Thyself above the heavens, and Thy glory over all the earth." jjX, If He go not, the Holy Ghost will not come. But, if

our eyes. He will send His Spirit into our hearts. But sent He shall be: here is mittam Hum, and so He did. Christ sent Him, and He came; and in memory of this veniet et mittam^ hold we this day. He did, to them; but will He also to us? He will. And shall we see "fiery tongues?" That is not Christ's promise, to send " fiery tongues;" but Ilium *' Him," " the Comforter." And comfort it is we seek. It is not the " tongues," or "fire," we care for, or will do us good. We conceive, I trust, after two manners He came as this day:

1. one visible, "in tongues of fire that sat upon their heads ;"

2. the other invisible, by inward graces whereby He possessed their hearts. The former was but for ceremony at first ; the other is it, the real matter, Illum^ " Him." And Him this day as well as that, this day and ever. He will not fail to send. Always we are to think His promise and His prayer were not for these only, but for all that should believe on Him, by their word, to the world's end.

1. mum. Now this last point — these two, 1. mittam^ 2. Ilium — we 8pifitu9 ^® specially to look to. Christ is gone, once for all. We

of th& Holy Ghoit. 176

have no hold now but of this promise, ^ I will send Him/' That we take heed we forego not Him, and lose our part in the promise too. A great part of the world is sure in this case: Christ is gone, and the Comforter is not sent. Not this; for I speak not of the world's comfort, the rich man's, Lu. 16. 25. qui habebat hie consolationemy^^ who had his comfort here," in good fare and bravery, and all manner delights of the flesh — flesh-comforts; but this here is Paracletus Qui est Spiritns.

And because all religions promise a spiritual comfort, it is 2. Parasaid farther, Paracletus Qui est Spiritus veritatis; no spirit of error, but " the Spirit of truth." And because all Christians, [John 16. though counterfeit, claim an interest in Spiritus veritatis, yet '•' further it is added, Paraclettis Qui est Spiritus sanctum. He is no unclean Spirit, but one sanctifying, and leading us into an holy and clean life. This is the true Comforter, and none other, That Christ promiseth to send.

Christ will send Him. But, that we mistake Him not, not unless we call for Him, and be ready to entertain Him, for cletus is in Paracletus. Of which let me tell you these three things; it is the chief word of the text, and chief thing of the Feast. It is translated " Comforter:" that translation is but ad homineSy for their turn to whom He speaks; for as their case was, they needed that oflice of His most. But the true force of the word paracletus is advocatus — not the noun but the participle — "one called to," sent for, invited to come, upon what occasion, or for what end soever it be. For what end soever it be, the person sent for is paraclettis properly, pro ed vice; for that time and turn, advocatus. But because "the spirit of the world" ruleth in this world, the worldly afiairs [ 1 Cor. come thickest, our afiections in that kind so many and ofi;, it '*' is come to pass that the lawyer hath carried away the name of advocatus from the rest, and they grown to be the paracleti of this world, called for even from the Prince to the Peasant, and consulted with, none so often. The Physician, he hath his time and turn of advocation, to be a paracletus too, but nothing so oft: as for Barnabas, which is interpreted " the Acts 4. 86. son of consolation," never till both " Zenas the Lawyer," and [Tit.3 13.] " Luke the Physician" have given us over; never called for, [CoU.l4.] but when it is too late.

But first, from tnittam Paracletumy this we have. Mittam^ i. Our

duty, to

176 Of the Sending

SERM. Christ "will send;" but Paracletum, if you send for Him* ■ Fenietf " come He will," but not come, unless called; nor

call for

Him for Bent, but Sent for. If we call Him, veniet^ " He will come;" if ^ ^^ we send for Him, He will send Him. That is our duty, but what is our practice? We miss in this first, we call not for Him. We find no time for Him, He is fain to call for us, to ring a bell for us, to send about to get us, and then are we advocatiy not He. When we send for Him, He is Paracletus; when He for us, then we are, and not He: if we be that, if we be advocati, and not rather avoccUi, every trifling occasion being enough to call us away. Thus we stumble at the very threshold; and do we yet marvel if Christ send Him not, nor He come? 2. For Men are sent for, for some end; and divers are the ends,

counse. thereafter as our need is. We send not for them only when we are in heaviness, to comfort us, but when we are in doubt, to resolve us; which is the second signification, and so 1 Joh. 2. 1. Paraclettts is turned " advocate," or " counsellor." And the Holy Ghost looketh to be sent for for both — ^for counsel, as well as for consolation. For both; He is good for both. Yea, many are His uses; and therefore He thinketh much to be sent for but for one, as if He were good for nothing else. If we be in doubt. He is able to resolve us; if perplexed, to advise and to guide; if we know not how, to frame our petition for us; if we know not, to teach; if we forget, to remember us; and not only one use, as we fancy, if we be out of heart, to comfort us. Joh. 3. 5. And because His uses be many. His types are so. " Water" Acts 2. 3. sometimes, sometimes " fire." One while " wind," one while 1 Joh. 2.20. " ointment;" and according to our several wants we send to Him: for fire, to warm; for wind, to cool; for water, to cleanse us; for oil, to supply us. And as His types, so His Joh. 15. 26. names: "the Spirit of truth," "the Spirit of counsel," the [Johi^if- "Spirit of holiness," "the Spirit of comfort." And according 26.] to His several faculties, we to invocate, or call for. Him by

that name that is most for our use or present occasion. For all these. He looks we should send for Him.

Our error is, as if He were only for one use or office — for comfort alone : so, in all others we let Him alone, and if never in heaviness, never look after Him, or care once to hear

ofihe Holy Ghat. 177

of Him. But He is for advice, and direction also. No less Paracletus, " a Counsellor," than Paraclettu, " a Comforter;" He is not sent by Christ to comfort only. Ye may see by the very next words: the first thing He doth when He Cometh is, He shall "reprove," which is far from comforting. Joh. 16. 8, But sent He is, as well to mediate with us for God, as with God for us. God's ParadetuSy " His Solicitor," to call on us for our duty; as our Paracletus, or " Comforter," to minister us comfort in time of need.

Our manner is, we love to be left to ourselves, in our consultations to advise with flesh and blood, thence to take oiu* direction, all our life; and when we must part, then send for Him for a little comfort, and there is all the use we have of Him. But he that will have comfort from Him, must also take counsel of Him; have use of Him as well against error and sinfril life, as against heaviness of mind. If not, here is your doom: where you have had your counsel, there seek your comfort; he that hath been your counsellor all the time of your life, let him be your comforter at the hour of your death. • And good reason: He will not be Paraclettis at halves, to stand by at all else, and only to be sent for in our infirmity.

Base it is to send for Him never but when in extreme need; but even otherwise, extra casum necessitatis^ for entertaining of acquaintance and to grow familiar, as we use to do those we delight in. The word irapa giveth as much. He should be near us, by us; one ordinary, not a stranger, to call or send for a great way off. It is so expedient, that He may know us throughly^ and we Him; the best and nearest way to find sure comfort, when most we shall need it. For he that should minister it soundly indeed, had need be familiarly acquainted with the state of our souls, that he may be ready and ripe, then. To go to a lawyer's reading, and not hear it, serves us not for our worldly doubts; nor to hear the physic lecture, for the complaints of our bodies. No; we make them paracletos, we call them to us, we question with them in particular, we have private conference, about our estates. Only for our souls' affairs, it is enough to take our directions in open Churches, and there delivered in gross; private conference we endure not, a paraclettis there we need not.

178 Of tlie Sending

S E R M. One we must have, to' know throughly the state of our lands ^^- or goods; one we must have, entirely acquainted with the state of our body: in our souls, it holdeth not. I say no more; it were good it did. We make Him a stranger all our life long; He is Paraclitus, as they were wont to pronounce Him; truly Paraclitus, ' One Whom we declined,' and looked over our shoulders at; and then in our extremity, suddenly He is Paracletus; we seek and send for Him, we would come a

Mat.25.l2. little acquainted with Him. But take we heed of nescio vos.

It is a true answer; we take too little a time to breed

acquaintance in. Nescio vos^ I fear, they find that so seek

Him: Paracletus, they do not, Paraclitus, rather.

2. This, of Paracletus. Now of mittam, the 1. time, and the

1. The He sends we make ready for Him. The time of the year was Mittam, *^is time,in the spring, the fairest and best part of it. The time

of the month, the third day; (so they deduce from the fifteenth day, the day of the Passover, and so fifty days, it will so fall out by calculation:) that is the beginning of the month. The

Acts 2. 15. time of the day: it was before "the third hour," that is nine of the clock in the morning plainly. So it was still prime. These teach us, it would be in our prime, the time of health and strength, when we lay the grounds of our comfort; not

Eccl. J2.1. to tarry till the frost and snow of our life, " till the evil days come, and the years approach, whereof we shall say, we have no pleasure in them." He in the spring, we in the end of the year. He in the beginning of the month, we in the last quarter; nay, even pridie calendas. He before nine in the morning; we not till after nine at night. If we will keep time with Him, we know what His time is of sending.

2. The The manner is best, and it is in the body of the word. P^lZa. As " the Spirit of truth" by preaching ; as " the H oly Ghost" by clesin. prayer; the Paracletus, we know what He meaneth, per 26 ] 4 ^26 1 F^^^^^^^^^j ' ^y invitation.' As the dove to baptism, the wind Ps. 119. to prayer, {aperui os et attraxi spiritum,) the tongue to a ^^^ • sermon, the Paracletus to paraclesis, as it were a refreshing ; —

so friends meet, and nourish love and amity, one with another. And even humanum dicere, after natural men, when our spirits are spent and we wax faint, to recover them (or never) in the natural man, it is done no way more kindly than by nourishof the Holy Ghost. 179

ment; specially, such as is apt to breed them, as one kind is

more apt than other. There is " a spiritual meat," and " a i Cor. 10.

spiritual drink,'' saith the Apostle ; in which kind there is ' '

none so apt to procreate the Spirit in us as that flesh and

blood which was itself conceived and procreate by the Spirit,

and therefore full of spirit and life to them that partake it.

It is sure to invite and allure the Spirit to come, there is no

more effectual way; none, whether Christ will send Him, or

whether He will come more willingly, than to the presence of

the most holy mysteries. And namely, at this feast, concerning

which our Saviour Christ's voice is to soimd in our eaxs^Siguis

ntiatj veniat ad Me; ^^If any thirst, let him come to Me and Joh. 7. 37.

drink, which He meant and spake," saith St. John, "of the

Spirit," Which was to begin at that time especially, when He

was newly glorified. De Meo acdpiet^ saith Christ of Him,

and it is no where more truly fulfilled, that He shall take of joh.l6.l4.

Christ's and give it us, than it is done of that which is His

most intrinsically. That was this very day, and no better

opportunity, no fitter time, to receive the Spirit, than the day

of the Spirit; the day of Christ's sending, and of His coming.

When shall He be sent or come, if then He do not? But

keeping the time and observing the manner, we trust in His

promise, and call upon Him, that so He will send Him; and

upon the Holy Ghost, that so He will come. And as we be

His paracleti^ ^His guests,' so He will be ours, dwelling with

us with His assistance, and being in us by His graces, to life

eternal. Which Almighty God grant, &c*

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT WHITEHALL,

And it came to pass, S^c, that Paul came to Ephesus, and found

there certain disciples. And said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye

believed? And they said unto him. We have not so much as

heard whether there he an Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what were ye then baptized? And

they said. Unto Johris baptism,

[Factum est autem, cum Apollo esset Corinthiy ut Paulus peragratis

superioribus partibus vetiiret Ephesumj et inveniret quosdam

dixerunt ad euniy Sed neque si Spiritus Sanctus esty audivimvs. Ille vera aity In quo ergo baptizati estis? Qui dixerunt, In Joannis

baptismate. Latin Vulg.]

[And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinthy Paul having

passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus ; and finding

certain disciples. He said unto them. Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye

believed? And they said unto him. We have not so much as heard

whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto theniy Unto what then were ye baptized? And

they said. Unto Johns baptism. Engl. Trans.]

S E R M. Here is a question. " Have ye received the Holy Ghost?"

_ And here is an answer to it : Nay, " not so much as heard,

whether any Holy Ghost or no." There is no fitter time to

Of the Sending of the Holy Ohost. 181

ask and resolve this question of His receiving than this day,

the day He was received visibly; nor to amend this answer Acts 3* 38.

(not ', whether any or no) than this day, on which He declared C* so much

Himself to the world, when it was both heard and seen, that there was a Holy Ghost.

The narrative is thus briefly. St, Paul came to Ephesus, The part and there he found certain disciples. At the first meeting, mh^^f* the very first question he asks is, si recepistis, " whether they question, had received the Holy Ghost?" Mark it well. It is the first point he thinks meet to be enquired of, or to inform himself concerning.

The Apostle,no doubt,hQped for an answer affirmative from The anthem, that they had " received Him." Theirs is a strange ®^®'^' negative; that not only they had not received Him, sed neqtiBj but were so far from that as they had not so much as heard whether there were any to receive, whether there were any at all. Whom they should have received, Him they had not heard of. This was a great rudeness. And yet disciples they were, and disciples that had believed, and believed a good while since. And they were twelve, it is said at the seventh verse, that is, a full jury; and yet put the Holy Ghost upon their verdict, that they return is an ignoramus, ,

The Apostle little looked for such rudeness at Ephesus, The sethe most civil place of all Asia. This answer almost posed?P^^ ^^®^ him, yet he gives them not over. Nay, he must not leave them thus. " Whether one or no:" this answer of force begets another question, to find where the error was. Disciples they were, and therefore baptized; baptized, and yet had not heard of the Holy Ghost? He muses how, or into what they had been baptized, and asks them that. They tell him, " into John's baptism," and further they had not gone. The an- Of John's baptism I will not now stand to enlarge: this is ^^®'^' certain, a baptism it was wherein, it seems, there was no mention, nor no hearing of the Holy Ghost.

Now, by this time, their rudeness that seemed strange at The error, the first, is not now strange, when the reason of it is known. And it might seem in some sort to excuse them, in that they were but at John's baptism; and so it did. But yet to accuse them withal,that they were but at John's baptism,(for it was now

S E R M. more than twenty yeaxs since John was dead,) that all this while they were no further; that, as he saith to the Hebrews, "con-

The recti- Yet quencheth he not this flax, though it did but smoke ;

MfaJ.2 20 ^^^^s ^^^^ them, rates them not, but teacheth them; first, that as John was to Christ, so was John's baptism to Christ's baptism, in manipier oid^parate viam, or introduction, in venturum *to one Tha^t wasto<5ome,' and they no otherwise to conceive

It was ApoUos' case, in the chapter before, verse the twentyfifih, he knew not but John's baptism neither, at the first. And th^se, it may well be, were his disciples. But as Aquila

Acts 18.^. there taught him, so doth the Apostle these here, " the way of truth more exactly." And so being taught, they were baptized with a baptism where they both heard of and received the Holy Ghost.

The Apon Thus doth end the narrative part. And therein he gives

tience. ^s example in himself, of his own rule to Timothy. If we meet with such as these at Ephesus, raw and evil-catechised Christians, that we grow not abrupt, but exercise our office

J} Tim. 4.2. "in all long-suffering and doctrine;" not in doctrine alone, but " in long-suffering and doctrine;" for without suffering, and suffering long otherwhiles, all our doctrine will do but little good.

The part Q^t of all this we gather these points. First, the necessity

ive. of receiving the Holy Ghost, in that it is his first care, his

first question he asks. Of the other Persons in the Godhead, it is enough we hear of them and believe in them: of the Holy Ghost it is not so. To hear of Him, or believe in Him, will not serve, but we are to receive Him too. To know, not only quod sit, 'that He is,' but to certify ourselves,

Joh.14.17. quod insit, 'that He is in us;' " for He shall remain with you, and shall be in you" — it is Christ.

But then receive we cannot, unless first we hear; hear that there is one to receive, or ever we receive Him. First, notice of His being; and then, sense of His receiving. And indeed, the hearing of Him is a way to His receiving; for though not. every one that hears receives, yet none receives but he hears first. So that ground must first be laid. •

of the Holy Ghost. 183

And to lay that ground, no better way than the Apostle here directs us to by his second question, get us to our baptism. Ask, into what we were baptized? There we shall not fail, but resolve ourselves that one there is, receive Him after as we may.

Now, but that the Apostle had a better conceit of these The rig here than there was cause, and so erred of charity, supposing ^^^' these disciples better scholars than they were, he would have begun with the latter, and first asked them, if ever they heard of Him; and then after, if they had received Him. For that is first in nature, an sity then an insit.

There then let us begin. I am sorry and ashamed, that we shall need deal with an sit. Yet, I know not how, as these days of oiu:s grow from evil to worse, and from worse to worst of all, it is no more than needs. Not that I doubt of any such who, as these here at Ephesus, " have not heard of the Holy Ghost," for no doubt long ere this, " His sound Rom. i is gone out into all lands;" but rather, such other as St. Paul ^^' found at Ephesus too, I can tell them no better than he doth, "beasts" in the shape of men. That have heard, and ] Cor. ] yet take to themselves— a Christian liberty they call it, and ' that forsooth, humbly, simply, and modestly; but indeed — an unchristian licentiousness, proudly, lewdly, and malapertly, to call in question what they list; and to make queries of that which the Christian world hath long since resolved and ever since, believed, concerning God, Christ, and the blessed Spirit; — no less matters.

So then to these two parts we reduce all: I. The hearing The div of Him first; then II. the receiving of Him. I. The hearing, ^^ and therein; 1. where we shall hear of Him, and 2. what we shall hear of Him. 1. Where we shall hear of Him at our baptism. 2. And what we shall hear of Him there; that one there is at least, and I trust somewhat else besides.

II. Then the receiving of Him. And in it three points: ii. 1. first, that this question must be answered too, and so we bound to receive Him. And that, either affirmative or negative. We have, or we have not. 2. Then, have we received Him? How to know if we have. 3. Have we not received Him? How to procure, if we have not. In the former, of hearing, is matter of faith. In the latter, of receiving, matter

SIOD.

184 Of the Sending

S £ R M. of moral duty. Both meet to be entreated of at all times; but at DO time so fit and so proper, as at this feast.

I. There is no receiving of him that is not. Therefore no

Tae hear- ^^ ^f receiving, no place for the first question, " Have ye

received?" till the latter be first resolved, Is there one to

receive? For resolution v^hereof he might have sent them

to the very beginning of Genesis, where they should have Gen. 1. 2. heard, " the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters." Num. 11. Or to the law, where the same Spirit came down upon the Pb.104.80. seventy elders. Or to the Psalms, where they should have

Sanctum ne auferasy " take not Thy Holy Spirit" from me.

Or to the Prophets — the Prophet Esay, Christ's first text, Isa. 61. 1. " The Spirit of God is upon me." The Prophet Joel, J^l 2. 28. St. Peter's text this day, " I will pour My Spirit upon all * flesh."

Or if ever they had heard of our Saviour Christ, St. Paul

might have sent them to His conception, where they should Lu. 1. 85. have heard the Angel say, Spiritum Sanctus superveniet in te^ Lu. 8. 23. to the Blessed Virgin. To Christ's baptism, where He came Joh.u.26. iipoii Christ in a visible shape. To His promise so often J^h"]6^7^ iterate, of sending them "the Holy Ghost." To His caveat^ Mat. 12. " ^ot to sin against the Holy Ghost" in any wise; it was a 31. 32. high and heinous.offence, it could not be remitted.

Or if they had heard of the Apostles, of Christ's breathing Joh.20.22, on them, and willing them to ^^receive the Holy Ghost." Or

but of this day, and in what sort He was visibly sent down, Acts 2. 3. like fiery tongues, upon each of them. Or of their solemn

meeting and council at Jerusalem, and decrees there, the Acts 15:28. tenor w^hereof was, "it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and

us." Or but of the strange end that happened to Ananias,

they could not choose but have heard his offence told him by Acts 5. 4. Saint Peter, " he had lied to the Holy Ghost;" and straight

upon it, " he had not lied to man, but to God" directly.

3. All this he might, yet this he did not, but takes a plain

At Bap- course, sends them to their baptism, still supposing it to be

l.Thatone Christ's baptism they were baptized with, the only true

there is. baptism. And, seeing the Apostle upon good advice took

that for the best way, we cannot follow a better direction ;

of the Holy Ghost. 185

and so, let us take it. We mean not, I trust, to renounce our baptism. By it we are that we are. And at it we shall not fail but hear, There is a Holy Ghost. Express mention of Him is directly given in charge in the set form of baptism prescribed by our Saviour, that all should be, as we all are, baptized " in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Matas 19 Ghost.''

Yea, I add further; he could no better refer them than to baptism. For a special prerogative hath the Holy Ghost in oiir baptism, above the other two Persons. That "laver," is Tiu 8. 5. His "laver" properly; where, we are not only to be baptized into Him, as into the other Two, but also, even to be baptized with Him, which is proper to Him alone. For, besides the water, we are there, to be "born anew of the Holy Ghost" Joh. 3. 5. also, else is there "no entering for us into the kingdom of God."

This for baptism. But let me also tell you a saying — it is St. Basil's, and well worth your remembering. He beginneth with, InHocbaptizamur,8ind proceedeth three degrees further, all rising from thence naturally; they be but the train of baptism.

1. First, JEt quomodo baptizamur^ ita et credimus, *as we [De Spirit are baptized, so we believe.' As is our baptism, so is our ^J^'t^'^* belief. And our belief is there, at our baptism, repeated from

point to point. A point whereof is, " I believe in the Holy Ghost." And we desire to be baptized in that faith. There He is now again, at our baptism.

Yea, before we come so far, even, at Christ's conceiving, there we hear of Him first, " Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost." 2. So, three several times, we there hear of Him. 1. " Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost." 2. " 1 believe in the Holy Ghost," and 3, "in the name of the Holy Ghost." At our baptism, all three. And " in the mouth of three witnesses 8 Cor. 13. 1 is every point sufficiently established."

2. St. Basil proceeds. Et quomodo credimus, ita et glorifi- [Vid. S. camus. As from baptism to belief, so from believing to giving spint. glory. And there, he flatly avoweth — which all the Christian Sane 29.] world knew to be true, nor was there ever heretic found so

186 Of the Sending

S E R M. Holy Ghost," this form of concluding Psalms, and hymns, and

'- — thanksgivings, was ever received, and retained in the Church

from the beginning, as with us still it is. So was baptism, so was thanks for the baptized party, the new member of the Church, so all concluded. So that way we hear of Him there again.

3. Yet once more, and it is his last. Et quomodo fflorificamusy sic et benedicimus, 'As we glorify God, so we bless men;' 'as we give glory to Him, so we receive blessing from Him. How ? the form is often heard, and well known, it is the Cor. 13. Apostle's ; " The grace of Christ our Lord," " the love of God" His Father; communio^ and "the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, to be with us." So after baptism, so after sermon, so is the congregation ever dismissed. Then, there, we glorify Him. And in Him we there are blessed. And so we hear of Him once more, quod sit^ that a Holy Ghost there is.

Upon the matter, no baptism, no belief, God no glory, men no blessing, but still we hear of Him. So as if any but see baptism, hear but the creed, be at the daily service, hear the Church rendering glory to God, receiving blessing from the Bishop or Priest; by some of these, or all of these, they cannot choose but hear of the Holy Ghost. Thpre is then no saying for us, Sed neqtie audivimus. Away with that, and say with St. Basil, Tn Hoc baptizamur — there we begin: et quomodo 1. baptizamur, sic credimus; 2. et quomodo credimusy sic fflorificamus; 3. et quomodo glorificamus, sic benedicimus* So, ' we are baptized in Him; 2. and as we are baptized, so we believe; and 3. as we believe, so glorify we God; and 4. as we glorify God, so bless we men;' bless, and are blessed. These four, they are all here, and they are not far fetched, they have no curious speculation in them, they will serve for any honest or good-hearted Christian to rest in, and they need go no further than, in Quo ergo baptizati estis, 2. That He Thus we are referred, and we know where we are sure to IS God. iieax of Him. But if we stay a little upon in Quo baptizati, and look better into it, this is not all, but we shall find fiuther, not only that such an one there is, but take more perfect notice of Him. And first, that He is God. And by no other, but by the same steps we went before. 1- God, first. For that we cannot be baptized into any name,

of the Holy Ghott. 187

but Ood^s alone. The Apostle disputes it at large that it i Cor. i. cannot be, that it is not lawful, to be baptized into St. Peter^s name, or into his, or into any name else, but God's only. But in His name we are baptized, even in the name of the Holy Ghost: that proves Him God.

God, secondly. For we believe in Him. We there profess 2. it. JBt nemini Christianorum unquam dvhiumfuit^ nos in Deum^ [c. ] l.] non in creaturam, credere^ saith Athanasius ad Episcopos Afros, * Never any Christian doubted of this, that we believe not in any creature, but in God alone.' Believing then in Him, we acknowledge Him to be God.

God, thirdly. For we ascribe to Him glory. And glory is 3. proper to God only; so proper, that He saith expressly, Alteri non dabo, He will not " part with it to any other." But we Isa. 42. 8 render Him glory, and "with the Father and the Son, pariteVy [Nicene together. He is worshipped and glorified." Therefore God with them, even in that respect.

Lastly, God, from blessing also, for that is one of God's 4. peculiars. To bless in His name, by putting His name upon children, old and young, upon the congregation, to bless them. Num. 6. But with His name we bless, no less than with the rest. ^^^^* Therefore as they, so He, " God above all," as to bless, so to [Rom.9.5 be " blessed for ever."

And upon these four we rest. These four, 1. to be baptized into Him, 2. to believe in Him, 3. to ascribe glory to Him, 4. to bless by Him, or in His name, they are acts, such acts, as cannot be given to any, but to God only; and so evidently we there hear of Him, that He is God also. And such are the two acts in the Creed of Constantinople, To be Lord and Giver of life, and To speak by the Prophets. Such are many other attributes and works, that cannot agree to any but God, ascribed to the Holy Ghost, which might be, and which elsewhere have been alleged. But now We are to keep us to our baptism, and go no further.

And if we will stay yet but a little at our baptism, and 3. God in hearken well; as we hear that He is God, so shall we that ^^^ ^' He is God in unity. For there we hear but. In nomine, but of one name. Now, as the Apostle reasoneth, Abraluv dictce Gal. 8. 16 sunt promissiones, et Semini ejtis, Non dicit seminibtis, quasi in muUis, sed tanquam in Vno, Semini ejus; " To Abraham and

188 Of the Sending

S E B M. his seed, were the promises made. He saith not, to the seeds, : — as of many; but to his Seed, as of one." So we are baptized.

non in nominibtis^ quasi multisj sed in nomine, qtuisi uno; ^ not in the names, as of many, but in the name, as of one.' One

Joh.10.80. name and one nature, or essence. Unum sumus, saith Christ

1 Job. 5. 7 . of two of them ; Unum sunt, saith St. John of all three. ITiis we hear there.

4. Distinct. Unum sunt, but not unus. For as from the name we deduce the unity, so from the number. Three, do we the Trinity — one in name and nature, yet distinct between themselves. ^ Distinct in number, as in our baptism ; " The Father, Son,

Holy Ghost." And that number distinct to the sense, as at Christ's baptism; the Father in the voice, the Son in the flood, the Holy Ghost in the shape of a dove. And that shewed to

Job. 14.16. be a distinction of persons, in Christ's promise. 1. Ego, the Person of Christ; 2. Patrem, the Person of the Father; 3. and

? ^4?i6' ^^^^^^^^^y *® Person of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost,

* I say, distinct from the Father ; " The Lord and His Spirit hath

sent Me." From the Son, Paracletum alium, by alium — the

Son one. He another. And distinct, as a Person; for to

omit other personal acts which properly agree to none but a

2Cor.3. 17. reasonable nature determined, as to be "the Lord," to

Acteii'.ia; " speak," " teach," " reprove," " comfort," " be a witness,"

Acts 13. 2. place Bishops, make decrees in council; that which we hear

Lu. 12. 12. of at our baptism ascribed to Him, to conceive the human

^S^^fi'ifl ^^^^''^ ^^ Christ, is an act so personal, as in propriety of

Acts20.28. speech can agree to none, or be affinned of none, but of an

Acts]5.28. ^^^^^^ Person. This we hear.

S.Proceed- A Person then, distinct by Himself, yet as a Person, not of

"^^* or from Himself. And this we hear from the very term itself

are. So the Son of God, and Spirit of God, do from God:

God of God, either. Eo ipso then, that He is Spiritus Domini,

He proceeds without more ado.

From the Proceeds, and from both. 1. From the Father, the Con-

Fatherand g^autinopolitan Council, from the express words, " Who pro-

Joh. 15.26. ceedeth from the Father;" 2. From the Son; the Council of

Joh.20.22. on the Apostles, and willed them from Him to *' receive the

of the Holy Qhoit. 189

Holy Ghost." And, Non a Semet Ipso loquetur^ ted de Meo Joh.l6.ld. accipiety sheweth fully as much. Briefly; sent by the Father, J^j^ j^ ^^ FUioque, ' and by the Son* too. And so, " the^ Spirit of the Joh. 15.26. Father,'* FilUque, " and of the Son" too. G^!*4^*6?'

Proceeding from them, and not by way of generation — ^that 6. Breathis Christ's proper; He is often termed "the Only-begotten," ^'^^' and so none but He — ^but by way of, emitte Spiritumy emission, 1^8.104.80. sending it forth; that is, out of the 'very body of the word spirit, by spiration, or breathing. One breathing, yet from both; even as the breath, which carrieth the name and resemblance of it, is one yet from both the nostrils, in the body natural.

All these are expressed, or implied, in our baptism. And now lastly, to return home to our purpose, proceeds from Them to come to us; is breathed from Them, to inspire us; sent by Them, to be given us; per Spiritum Sanctum Qui datus est nobis j Rom. ft. 6. " by the Holy Ghost Which is given us" — given to receive, and so to be received of us. Which openeth the way and maketh the passage over to the second question, Si recepistisy "have ye received.?" And so, as we see, the two parts follow well and kindly, one upon the other. For this now is the last thing to be heard of Him, that it is not enough to hear of Him, but that we are to receive Him also, and to give account to St. Paul that we have so done.

So then, we have now cleared the first question, at our

baptism, and have "heard," 1. that such a one there is;

2. and that He is God; 2. God, in unity of name; 4. yet

in number distinct, and distinct as a Person by Himself; 5. a

Person by Himself, yet not of Himself, but proceeding ;

6. proceeding from both Persons, that stand before Him, the

Father and the Son; 7. and that breath- wise. And so we

have done with that. But yet we have not done though. For

the other question must be answered too ; no remedy, — ^it

imports us. For as good not hear of Him at all, as hear and

not receive Him.

Thither then I come. " Si recepistis?" " Have ye received n.

. The sethe Holy Ghost?" Wherein these three points; 1. that we condpart. are liable to this question, and to tlie afiirmative part of it, that we have, and so are bound to receive Him; for so si pre-

Of the Sending.

8ERM.

The necesfdty.

Of receiving.

Heb. 12.

Of receiving the Holy Ghost.

supposeth; 2. if we so have, how to know it; 3. if we have not, how to compass it.

How much it importeth us to receive Him, we may esteem by this, that St. Paul makes it his article of Imprimis; begins with it at the first, as the most needful point.

Two things are in it. First, that receive we must. Secondly, that it must be the Holy Ghost we are to* receive.

Receive? What need we receive any spirit, or receive at all? May we not, out of ourselves, work that will serve our turns? No; for holy we must be, if ever we shall rest in His holy hill, for " without holiness none shall ever see God." But holy we cannot be by any habit, moral or acquisite, T.Tiere is none such in all moral philosophy. As we have our faith by illumination, so have we our holiness by inspiration; receive both, both from without.

To a habit the philosophers came, and so Christians may; but that will not serve, they are to go farther. Our habits acquisite will lift us no farther than they did the heathen men; no farther than the place where they grow, that is, earth and nature. They cannot work beyond their kind — nothing can; nor rise higher than their spring. It is not therefore, si hahitum acquisistisy but si SpiHtum recepistis,

But then, why recepistis Spiritvm Sanctum, " the Holy Ghost?" No receiving will serve, but of Him? The reason is, it is nothing here below that we seek, but to heaven we aspire. Then, if to heaven we shall, something from heaven must thither exalt us. If " partakers of the Divine nature" we hope to be, as great and precious promises we have that we shall be, that can be no otherwise than by receiving One in Whom the Divine nature is. He being received imparts it to us, and so makes us consortes Dimn<B naturm; and that is the Holy Ghost.

For as an absolute necessity there is that we receive the spirit, else can we not live the life of nature, so no less absolute that we receive the Hqly Spirit, else can we not live the life of grace, and so consequently never come to the life of glory. Recepistis spiritum, gives the life natural. Recepistis Spiritum Sanctum^ gives the life spiritual.

of the Holy Ghost. 191

1. There holdeth a correspondence between the natural and the spiritual. The same way the world was made in the beginning, by the Spirit moving upon the waters of the deep, the very same was the world new-made, the Christian world, or Church, by the sameSpiritmovingon the waters of baptism.

2. And look, how in the first Adam we come to this present life, by sending the breath of life into our bodies, so in the second come we to our hold in the other life, by sending the Holy Ghost into our souls.

3. By that Spirit which Christ was conceived by, by the same Spirit the Christian also must be. Not to be avoided, absolutely necessary all these, it cannot l>e otherwise.

Another necessity of His receiving. For the house will 2. not stand empty long. One spirit or other, holy or unholy, will enter and take it up. We see the greatest part of the world by far are entered upon arid held, some by " the spirit isa. 29. 10. of slumber," that pass their time as it were in a sleep, without any sense of God or religion at all. Others by the spirit Isa. 19. U. of giddiness, that reel to and fro, and every year are of a new religion. Others by "the spirit of error," "given over to lTim.4.1 believe lies through strong illusion." And they that seem ^j -. ^' * to know the truth, some with " the unclean spirit," some with l^u. 11. 24. " the spirit of envy," or some such, for they are many, that a kind of necessity there is to entertain and receive the good Spirit, that some or other " evil spirit from God" seize not [l Sam.l8. upon us. From which God deliver us! ■'

A third necessity there is we receive Him, for that with 8. Him we shall receive whatever we want, or need to receive, for our soul's good. And here fall in all H is offices. By Him we are regenerate at the first in our baptism. By Him after Tit. 8. ft. confirmed in the imposition of hands. By Him after renewed Heb. 6. 2. to repentance, " when we fall away," by a second imposition [Ps.6i.io. of hands. By Him taught all our life long that we know } ?\^o'^- not, put in mmd of what we forget, stirred up m what we are Job. 14.26. dull, helped in our prayers, relieved in " our infirmities," rq^'8;26.' comforted in our heaviness; in a word, " sealed to the day Eph.4.80.

"Rrttn fill

of our redemption," and raised up again in the last day. ' '

Go all along, even from our baptism to our very resurrection, and we cannot miss Him, but receive Him we must. And on the other side, si non recepistis, without Him re-

192 Of the Sending

S E R M. ceived, receive what we will, nothing will do us good.

'- — Receive the word, it is but a killing letter ; receive baptism,

Gal. 4. 9. ^* is but John's baptism, but a barren element; receive His

Joh. 6. 68. flesh, " it profiteth nothing;" receive Christ, it will not do,

hath not His Spirit, is none of His." So, Christ renounces

him. He hath no part in him. To receive Christ, and not

the Holy Ghost, is to no purpose. To conclude, if we re-

" the natural man," that never received the Spirit, neither

perceiveth nor receiveth the things of God, hath nothing to

do with them. So that Spiritum non hahentes is enough, and

there needs no more, but only that to condemn us. All this

laid together, we see recepistis Spiritum is no more than

needs ; and it must needs have an answer.

2 The next point is^ how to certify ourselves, whether we

received, have received this Spirit, or no. I say, 1. whether the Spirit,

how to first- 2. andthen, whether that Spirit be the Holy Ghost,after.

1. Whe- Of the Spirit, the signs are familiar. For if It be in us—

Spirit. mouth It will breathe, at the pulse It will be felt. Some one

of these may, but all these will not, deceive us.

1. The At the heart we begin, for that is first ; Daho vobis cor

Ez^ 36. '^^^^^ ^^ spiritum novum, " A new heart and a new spirit" we

26. shall find. We shall be " renewed in the spirit of our mind."

rvid S. i^cine novum supervemsse spintum^ nova aesiaerta demonstrant^

Bernard, saith Bernard ; ' that a new spirit is received, no better way to

Ascens. know, than by new thoughts and desires.' That he that

^* ^'^ watches well the current of his desires and thoughts, may

know whether and what spirit it is he is led by, old or new.

Therefore our Saviour Christ " breathed into them," when He

first gave them the Holy Ghost, that they might receive Him

Spirit is conceived by the fear of God in our hearts,' it is as

the systole or ' drawing in,' to refrain us from evil. And we

Rom. 6. 5. shall know it by charitas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostrisy

" the love of God there shed abroad in our hearts." Which

is as the diastole or ^ dilating it out,' to all that good is.

of the Hohf Ghost. 193

But then, this every one may say — all is well within; and a. The their word must be taken, we cannot gainsay them. For no ^^^ ' man knows in so saying, whether they say true or no. Therefore we go yet further and say, idem est viUb et vocis organon^ ^ the breath that serves us for life, or to live by, the same serves us also for the voice, or to speak by.' So that way ye shall know it. For if in ore ipsorum non est spirituSy " no [Ps. 185. breath be to be perceived in their mouths;" if they "speak not pg* 115. 7. through their throats," they are but idols and no better. Will ye see it at the mouth? Credidtj propter quod locutu^s sum, Ps.lie.io. said he; w^A.hahentes eumd^m Spiritum^ "if we have the same 2Cor.4.l8, Spirit," saith the Apostle, we shall do no less. This we know for certain, that upon this day the Holy Ghost came in the shape of tongues, and they are for speech. And this likewise, that upon the receiving the Holy Ghost, these here in the text and generally all other speak, and that with new tongues, not such as they spake with before. The miracle is ceased, but the moral holdeth still: where the Holy Ghost is received there is ever a change in the dialect, a change from cursed, unclean, " corrupt communication," unto " such as Eph. 4. becometh Saints." Eph. 6. 3.

But then again, because even birds too may be, and are 3. The

work

sometimes taught to speak, and that, holy phrases for a need, therefore further yet to the pulse we go, and touch it. To the hand, to the work, and enquire of that. The Holy Ghost was fiirst given and received by the "breath" inward, for the heart. Joh.20.22, Then, by "fiery tongues," for the speech. But ever after, and ^^ts 2 3. here in this place, the Holy Ghost, we know, was given and received by laying on of hands; and that, to admonish us. Acts 8. 17. that by imposita^ and by admota manus^ by lifting up, and laying to our hands, we may know we have received Him; we have had laying on of hands, if we use laying or putting our hands to any good work.

As for what is in the heart, quis cognoscit illud P " who Jer. 17. 9. knows it.?" Not we ourselves; our own hearts oft deceive us. And there is a verbis cori/iteniur, " confess at the mouth," with Tit. i.io. eifactis negant, "deny with the deeds;" and that deceives too. But there is optis Jidei, ^' the work of faith," from Jldes qu<B lThes.1.8. operatur, " faith that worketh" — that is St. Paul's faith; that Gal. 5 e. can shew itself by his working — that is St. James's faith; and Jas. 2. 18.

194 Of the Sending

S E R M. there may well be the Sphit. But without works, there it may not be. For without works, St. James is flat, it is but

a. 17. ^ dead faith," the carcase of faith, and there is no Spirit in it. No Spirit, if no work. For usque adeo proprium est operari Sppritui, ut nisi operetur nee sit; * so kindly it is for the Spirit to be working, as if It work not It is not.' There is none to yvork\ spectrum est, non SpirituSy^ a,^ying shadow it is,

And yet I cannot deny, works there may be and motion, and yet no Spirit, as in artificial engines, watches, and jacks, and su6h like. And a certain artificial thing there is in religion, we call it hypocrisy, that by certain pins and gins makes show of certain works and motions as if there were Spirit, but surely Spirit there is none in them. Vain men they are, that boast of the Spirit, without the work; hypocrites they are, that counterfeit the work, without the Spirit. You shall easily discover these works, that they come not from the Pfl. 51. 10. Spirit, by the two signs in Psalm the fifty-first, pDl, and ^^' nam, 1. " constant," and 2. "free." They that come from

cunning, and not from the Spirit, ye shall know them by this, they be every foot out; they are not "constant," they continue not uniform long, and when the barrel is about, or the plummets down, they stay. But howsoever, long they will not Hosea 6:4. hold, but vanish like "the cloud," dry away like "the dew" of the morning, JiDi t<b, no constancy.

And ye shall know them again by the other note, n^Hi.

Which makes the difference between the creatures and the

Spirit. For the creatures are produced from without; the

Spirit doth emanare^ proceed from within. So these, they

have principium motus ah extra, that that makes them go is

something, some engine without; they flow not freely,

they come not kindly, as from within, n^ni vh, 'no natural

motion' — ingenious but not ingenuous. Ingenuity and

constancy, the free proceeding, the constant continuing of

them, will soon disclose whether they come from a spirit or

no; will soon shew they come from the heart of hypocrisy,

not from the spirit of true piety.

9. Whether And these will serve to know whether from a spirit. Now,

^S^j whether that spirit be holy or no. For divers times doth the

Ghost. Apostle distinguish and say, " We have not received this

spirit" but that, as Romans the eighth chapter, and fifteenth Rom.s. ift. verse, and the second of Timothy, the first chapter, and seventh'* ' * verse; and namely, "that we have not received the spirit of ] Cor. 2. 12. the world, but the Holy Spirit Which is of God." This same spirit of the world, it is sacer spirittis, for there is no touching it, but not Sancttis, Sacer, as he called sacra fames; for [Virg.-ffin. sancta fames he could never have called it. That spirit of the * '^ world, be it from policy, or be it from philosophy, both are res sacTiBy (and sanctcs also may be, as they may be used) but of thiemselves secular they are, and from men; holy, or from Heaven, they are not. But this Spirit, this Wind, must blow Acts 2. 2. from Heaven, not from our caves here beneath. And so you shall soon discern it. Do but mark the coasts, whence and whither it bloweth, the motive and the mark, and you shall distinguish it straight; for if from a secular reason, if to an end beneath, virttts ah imo it may be, virtus ah alto it is not. Lu. 24. 49.

For example, I do forbear to sin: what is my motive? Because, as Micah saith, it is against " Omri's statutes," some Mic. 6. 16. penal law; I shall incur such a penalty, be liable to such an action, if I do not. It is well; but all this is but the spirit of the world; e PrcstoriOy non Sanctuario, bloweth ' out of Westminster Hall, not out of the Sanctuary.'

I go further, to a better spirit. Though there were no penal law, Iforbear to sin, because it is a brutish thing, and so against reason; and ignominious, and so against my credit and reputation. Nay then, further yet; because I shall thereby endanger my soul, for that it will bar me of Heaven, or be a means to bring me to hell, for the heathen men took notice of both these places. All this while this is no more than the spirit of the philosophy schools will teach, no more than might be taught "in the school of Tyrannus," before St. Paul ever came Acta 19. 9. in it. It bloweth, this wind, out of Aristotle's Gallery, not out of the Sanctuary yet; e Lycteo, non Sanctuario, But if with eye to God I forbear, because in so doing I shall offend Him and do evil against the rule of His justice, the reverence and majesty of His Presence, the awful regard of His Power, the kind respect of His Bounty and Goodness; this now cometh from the Sanctuary, this wind bloweth from Heaven, this is right Sanctus indeed.

This is the line. Again, look to the level. If it be Acts 19:25.

106 Of the Sending

nobis nomeny so I shall make my name famous upon earth, or

any of that level, it is but of the world ; sacer spiritus, not

sanctus. But if of our well-doing God's will be the centre,

and His glory the circumference ; we do it, not that our will,

but His be done ; not our name, but His be hallowed; the

act is holy, and the Spirit is of the same kind. Otherwise,

philosophical, politic, moral it may be ; theological, religious,

holy, it is not. Our line and our level, or inducements

• or impediments to our doings, mark them what coast they

come from, and whither they bend, ye shall easily conclude ;

as before, whether recepistis Spiritum^ so here, whether

recepistis Sanctum or no.

_, \ And thus we know whether we have received. But, if we

not re- have not, how then r How may we, by the grace of God, so roS dispose ourselves as we may receive Him. And now we axe procure It. come to the duty of the day, for this is the day of His

receiving.

The ways are two: 1. on^, that we lay no bars to keep

Him from us; 2. the other, that we use all good means to

allure Him to us. 1. The re- First, that we fall not into St. Stephen's challenge, that we impedi- " resist not the Holy Ghost," and His coming. And "resist" ^®"*^- Him we do, if we lay any impediments in His way, nay, if we

remove them not ; as the manner is, as they do that draw

the curtains, or open the casements, that would take in

breath.

Of these, I find three of note: quit they must be all, or no

receiving Him. 1. Pride. One, and a chief one, is pride. For the Holy Ghost will Isa. 57. 15. not rest but upon the lowly, saith Esay; nor God "give grace, Prov.3.34. but to the humble," saith Solomon. That we therefore pray

to Him That " giveth grace to the humble," to give us the

giaee to be humble, that so we may be meet to receive Him. Mat. 3. 16. For at His first coming He came "as a dove," and "did light Mat. n. 29. upon Him" That was Himself "humble and meek," like a dove,

and willeth us to learn that lesson of Him, as that which will

make us meet to receive the dove which He received, whose 1 Pet. 3. 4. qualities are like His, of "a meek and quiet spirit;" which

of the Holy Ghost. 197

howsoever the world reckon of it, is with God a thing much set by.

In the beginning, "the SpiritmoTcd on the waters," and at [Gen.i J8.] Baptism It doth so. And our Saviour Christ speaking of the Joli- 7. 38, graces of the Spirit, doth it in terms of water; and water, we know, will ever to the lowest place. Pride then is a bar, and humility a disposing means, to the prime receiving the Holy Ghost.

Another impediment is carnality. For spiritual and carnal 2. Carare flat opposite. Quod sanctum est, mundum est, ever; no ^*^*y* holiness, without cleanness. So that, the unclean spirit must be cast out, ere the Holy Ghost received. A clean box it must be that is to hold this "ointment." The dove lights on lJoh.2.27. no carrion. Into our bodies, as a " temple;" He is to come; as iCor. 6. 19. into stews. He will not. And that which we said right now of water, we here repeat again. The Spirit in the beginning moved there, and at Baptism came thither again, and His gifts are as streams of water; and water, we know, is a cleanser. To keep ourselves clean, is a means; to pour ourselves out into riot and excess, is a bar, keeps Him far away from us.

But the third is, ex totd substantid, against the Holy Ghost; 3. Malice. and that is " the spirit in us that," as St. James saith, ^^^' ^' ^-i " lusteth after envy;" after envy, or malice, or whatsoever savoureth of "the gall of bitterness;" in which whosoever are. Acts 8. 28. St. Peter saith plainly, they have no part, or fellowship, either in giving or receiving the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, as in the body He is expressed by the breath, and in that form given by Christ; so in the soul, by mutual or reciprocal love, which is, as it were, the life's breath of the soul. So is His nature, and so is His sign. The dove brought " an olive-branch," and that is the sign of love and amity; and Oen. 8. 11. so is His office, "to shed abroad love in our hearts; and how Rom. 5. 5. can that be received, if malice be not first of all voided out? They are as opposite at St. Luke's fire from Heaven, and Acts 2. 3. St. James' " fire from hell;" one must be quenched, or the Jas. 3. 6. other will not bum.

Now these being removed, 1. pride, 2. lust, and 3. malice, 2. The and so a place made, we are to invite the Spirit by all good ^e^s*^^ means He loveth, and as it were to gather wind as much as

198 Of the Sending

S E RM. we can. To that end to get us to the place, and to visit it y^ -^i jg oft? where this air breatheth; and that is, as we find, " the door of the Sanctuary." If any be stirring, if any be to be found, there it is. No place on earth which the Holy Spirit more frequenteth, hath duer commerce with, than the holy places where the remembrance of His Name is put; for thither He will come to us, and bless us, with His blessing,

1. Prayer. Being there, it is but an easy lesson, yet David thinks meet Pr. 119. to teach it, as by his example, — Os meum aperui^ et Spiritum

attraxi — to open our mouth and draw It in. And that opening Zech. 12. is by prayer. Zachary calleth it spiritum precum^ the spirit, that is, the active inspiration, or attraction of It, where we express our desire to draw Him in. Which very attraction or desire hath a promise, by the mouth of our Saviour Christ Himself, that His Heavenly Father will give the Holy Ghost, Lu. 11. 18. alrovaiv AvToVy'^to them that will make petition, seek and sue, open their mouth, and pray for It."

2. The Then secondly, look how the breath and the voice in naturalibus go together ; even so do the Spirit and the word in Rom. 8. 9. the practice of religion. The Holy Ghost is "Christ's Spirit," Joh. 1. 14. and Christ is "the Word." And of that Word, "the word that 1 Pet. 1.25. is preached" to us is an abstract. There must then needs

be a nearness and alliance between the one and the other. Isa.59.21. And indeed, but by our default, "the word and the Spirit,"

saith Esay, shall never fail or ever part, but one be received

when the other is. We have a plain example of it this day, in Acts 2. 87. St. Peter's auditory; and another, in Cornelius and His family; Acts 10:44. even in the sermon-time, " the Holy Ghost fell upon them,"

and they so received Him.

Yea, we may see it by this, that in the hearing of the

word where He is not received yet He maketh proffers, and Acts24.25. worketh somewhat onward. Upon Felix, took him with a

shaking, and further would have gone, but that he put it over

to " a convenient time," which convenient time never came.

And upon Agrippa likewise, somewhat it did move him, and

more it would, but that he was content to be a Christian ev Acts26.28. o\t7^, to take his religion by a little, as it were upon a

knife's point, and was a&aid to be a Christian in multo, ^too

much' a Christian.

That we see not this effect, that with the word the Spirit

f^the Holy Ohost. 199

is not receiyed as It would be, the reason is It is no sooner gotten than It is lost. We should find this effect, if after we had heard the word, we could get us a little out of the noise about us, and withdraw ourselves some whither, where we might be by ourselves, that when we have heard Him speak to us, we might hear what He would speak in us. When we Ps. so. s. have heard the voice before us, we might hear the other behind us, HcBC est via. When the voice that soundeth, the Isaiah 30:21. other of Job, Vocem avdivi in silentio; — there hear Him job 4. 16. reprove, t^ach, comfort us, within. Upon which texts are grounded the soliloquies, the communing with our own spirits, which are much praised by the ancients, to this purpose; for in meditationeexardescitignis/hy aliUleinusmgOTineditaXiony Ps. 89. B. the fire would kindle' and be kept alive, which otherwise will die. And certain it is that many sparks kindled, for want of this, go out again straight, for as fast as it is written in our hearts, it is wiped out again; so fast as the seed is sown, it is picked up by the fowls again, and So our receiving is in vain, the word and the Spirit are severed, which else would keep together.

Lastly, as the word and the Spirit, so the flesh and the 8. Spirit go together. Not all flesh, but this flesh, the flesh that ^©nf ^^* was conceived by the Holy Ghost, this is never without the Holy Ghost by Whom it was conceived; so that, receive one, and receive both. Ever with this blood there runneth still an artery, with plenty of Spirit in it, which maketh that we eat there escam spiritualem, "a spiritual meat," and that in iCor.in.a. that cup we be " made drink of the Spirit." There is not '^' ^^' only impositio manuum^hut after it, positio in manus; ' putting on of the hands, but putting it into our hands.' Impositio manuum^ ^ "putting on of hands,' in accepit panem et calicem; and positio in manus^ ^ putting it into our hands,' in accipite^ edite, bibite. And so, we in case to receive body, blood, Spirit and all, if ourselves be not in fault.

Now then, if we will invite the Spirit indeed, and if each All toof these, by itself in several, be thus effectual to procure It, jointly. put them all, and bind them all together. Accipite verba, " take to you words," Osee's words, words of earnest invoca- Hos.u. 2. tion. Stiscipite insitum verbum, " receive," or take to you " the Jas. l. 21. word," St. James' word, " grafted into you" by the oflfiee of

200 Of ike Sending of ike Bobf Ghost.

SERM. preaching. Accipite corpus^ accipite eanguinem; 'take the

- holy mysteries of His body and blood;' andthe same^the holy

arteries of His blessed Spirit. Take all these in one — the

[Joh. e. attractive of prayer ; the word, which is " spirit and life ;" the

'"' bread of life, and the cup of salvation ; — and is there not

great hope we shall answet St. Paul's question as he would

have it answered, affirmative? " Have ye received?" Yes;

we have received Him. Yes sure. Then, if ever; thus, if

by any way. For on earth there is no surer way than to

join all these; and He so to be received, if at all.

So, we began with hearing outward, and we end with receiving inward. We began with one Sacrament, Baptism; we end with the other, the Eucharist, We began with that, where we heard of Him; and we end with this other, where we may and shall, I trust, receive Him. And Almighty God grant we so may receive Him at this good time, as in His good time we may be received by Him thither, whence He this day came of purpose to bring us, even to the holy places made without hands, which is His heavenly kingdom, with God the Father Who prepared it, and God the Son Who purchased it for us! To Whom, three Persons, &c.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY, AT WHITEHALL,

EPHESIANS iv. 30.

[And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, Whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Engl. Trans.]

*

This request, or counsel, or caution, or precept, or what ye will call it, of the Apostle's, is sure very reasonable; '* the Holy Ghost, by Whom we are sealed to the day of redemption, that we would not g^fieve Him."

Not "the Holy G^^ost." He is the Spirit of the great and high Grj^j^grnKSS^tS^ioT His dignity's sake. Not Him again, as t^^hose means we have our signature against the great "day of redemption;" and so, even for His benefits' sake. These two, 1. for His greatness, or 2. foi His goodness — greatness in Himself, goodness to us; for either of these, or for both of these, we would be so respective of Him as "not to grieve Him."

" Not to grieve Him." He might well, and as one would think, should rather have said, yield Him all cause of joy and contentment; it had been but reason so. Now that He doth not move — only this; that we would not minister unto Him any cause of grievance. And what could He say less? Ta such a Person, and for such a benefit, it is but even a small

202 Of the Sending

S £ R M. pleasure. If not rejoice Him, yet " grieve Him not." And — it is so reasonable, I see not how well it can be denied Him,

Now then as we see it is but reasonable, this request, so is it exceeding fit for this time. It Is for the Holy Ghost, and this is the Holy Ghost's feast. It mentioneth His sealing, for a reason; and this is, as I may call it, His first sealingday. This the day on which the Spirit of God first set His seal upon the Fathers of our faith, the blessed Apostles. On which He then did, and on which He ever will, though not in like manner, yet in like eflfect, it being His own day, visit us from on high, if by some grievance or other we disappoint Him not, and so drive Him away.

So, what easier request than this, Nolite contristari? And what fitter time to move for the Holy Ghost, than upon His own feast and upon H is sealing-day? And this is the sum. The di- The parts fall out evidently two: 1. the party, for whom

^"^^°* this request is preferred; 2. and a duty, or (it is not worth making a duty) rather a common ordinary courtesy to be done Hun. 1. The party, "the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom we are sealed to the day of redemption." 2. The duty, or what ye call it, Nolite contristari,

1. In the party, two motives there be : 1. His Person, and ' 2. His benefit. 1. His Person in these: "the Holy Spirit

of God." 2. His benefit in these: " by Whom ye are sealed to the day of redemption." His Person set forth in the original with very great energy, such as our tongue is not able to express it fully enough. For it is not Ilvevfia aycov (s>€0Vy but with greater emphasis; but three words, and three articles, every word his several article by itself, to Tlvevfiay to ayiov, Tov Seov, " The Spirit," not a Spirit; and not Holy, but " the Holy;" nor of God, OeoO, but of o Seosy " the God," the only, living, and true God. All " thes;" never an a among them.

2. Then, His bounty or benefit vouchsafed us : "by Whom we have our sealing to the day of redemption." Wherein these four points come to be weighed: 1. "of redemption," first, what and how it is. 2. Then, that it hath a day, " the day of our redemption." 3. That against that day we are to be " sealed." 4. That " the Holy Ghost" keepeth that seal, and His office it is to pass it to us. This is the benefit.

of the Holy Ghost 203

Now, either of these is a motive of itself. 1. His Person: ** Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God" — and there stay, for that of itself is reason enough. 2. Or leave out His Person, set that by and say, but even, Him Who seals unto you so great a favour as to save you at the great day; Him, be He what He will, God or man. Spirit or flesh, Holy or common — " grieve Him not." This is reason enough too; grieve Him not for His own — if not for His own, yet not for His seal's sake.

The duty foUoweth. To this Person great, and of great ii. bounty beside, to speak as Naaman's servants did to him. Si [See 2 rem grandem dixisset Apostolus, ^ if the Apostle had enjoined ^^fif^^'^O us some great piece of service,' we ought not to have thought much of it. How much more then, when he saith but this, "Do not grieve Him," and there is all, which is no positive or actual piece of service, of pains or of peril, only a privative of disservice, as they call it, which is ever as little as can be required: Non contristari.

Nan contristari; or at least, Nolite contristari, for there be two degrees: 1. that we do it not; 2. that willingly we doit l. not. That we have a will not to do it. Which reading " offers ' more grace." For much depends upon our willingness or CJas.4.6.] not-willingness to it.

In both which, we have 1. first to weigh, whether we can grieve Him, or He be grieved; that so we may understand the phrase, and take it right. 2. Then, how it is we do it, and what those grievances be; that so we may take notice of them, and be careful to avoid them.

3. Last of all, the fitting it to the time and shewing it ^• seasonable. For, by occasion of the Person, His feast; and by occasion of " the day of redemption," the day of sealing also will fall in, and the intended action with it. Which, as we shall shew, is itself a kind of signature. Do it not, this time do it not ; it is His own feast now, it is His sealingday, this; now then, Nolite contristari. Thus lie the parts. Of which, that what shall be spoken, &c.

Two sorts of persons there be that, if we be well advised, „ q^^^q we would be loath to grieve: 1. great persons, 2. and such not." as carry the reputation of being good. Not great, in regard of their power, they may do us a displeasure: — ^the motive of fear. Not good, in regard of their bounty. Others are, and

204 Of the Sending

SEEM, we may be, the better for them: — the motiye of hope. If he

— — — be great, though he seal us nothing, no wisdom to ofiend

him. If he be to seal us a fayour, though otherwise he be

not great, for his favour's sake favour him so much as,

Grieve him not. Either of these available; but where they

meet, there is vis unita. Specially, if we add, in quo vos, that

hath, or is ready to do it for us; — ^the motive of love, and of

the greatest love, the love of ourselves. Then it comes home

indeed. These three meet all in this party. 1. He is to

Uvevfia TO ayiov tov &€ov. 2. SUffillum habet, 3. In Otto vas,

Spirit of God." And were it but the spirit of man, our own spirit,

God." guig q{ the greater size would be forborne, as for other divers,

* grievances against our own spirit,' which every one feels,

whose conscience is not seared. And if the Apostle had said.

Eschew them, for that they breed nngtdium et scrupulum

1 Sam. 25. cordis, " the upbraiding or vexing of the heart," as Abigail

Prov. 18. excellently termeth it; or, as Solomon, vulnt^s spiritus, '^tbe

^ g g wound or gall of the spirit;" or, as Esay, compunciionem "the

Mark 9:44. prick or sting of conscience;" or, as our Saviour Himself,

[See Rom. " a worm which" once bred " never dies," nor never leaves

^^ gnawing; he had said enough. But this even the heathen

could have said too.

The Apostle doth like an Apostle ; tells us truly, there is a

greater matter belongs to it than so. There is a far higher

spirit than ours, than any in man — our spirit is nothing

to it — " the Spirit of God :" they be grievances against It,

The Spirit To speak then of the Spirit of God : " God is a Spirit," and

Joh^ 4 24 ^^^ h.Sith " a Spirit." Bath many, created in His power, and

Isa.48. 16. at His command; but hath one, one above all, uncreated,

intimum substantial, *of His own substance;' known ever,

by the article to, as St. Basil observeth, " the Spirit," the

sovereign Spirit. Styled ever, with this addition, His own

Spirit; the Spirit not of any Saint, in eoncreto or in abstracto,

but even of God Himself.

Joh. 3. 8. Our Saviour Christ teacheth us to take notice of Him, as

we do of the wind, by His effect. For the wind, it is a body

of air, but so thin and subtle as it is next neighbour to a

of the Hohf Qhost. 205

spirit. We see foul rule here in the world sometimes, houses blown down, trees blown up by the roots. When we see this, we know straigjiht, this cannot be done without some power. And that power, we are sure, cannot subsist of itself, it is an accident; — must, needs, have his inherence in some substance. That substance if it be visible, we call it a body; if invisible, a spirit. So oiu- Saviour tells us, spirittu est qui spircU, It is the wind did this, blew all these down.

And even so of the Spirit of God, when as upon this day they that could scarce speak one tongue well on a sudden were able perfectly to speak to every nation under Heaven, every one in his own tongue, this we know could not come to pass but by some power. And sure we are, that power must have for his subject some substance; and not any visible or bodily. Then, some spirit it must be; and no spirit in the world could effect this; and so, the Spirit of God.

But the relation of these tongues depends upon St. Luke's credit. There was after a more strange and famous operation, which in all stories we find. The temples of idols blown down all the world over; yea, the world itself blown quite about, turned upside down, as it were, from Paganism, and the worship of heathen gods, to the truth of Christian religion. And that, maugre the spirit of the world, which blustered and bent itself against it, totis viribus. This we find; and for certain, this wOrk and this power could not come from afty other spirit but the Spirit of God only. Thus we take notice of Him by His effects; and of His greatness, by the greatness of His effects.

" The Spirit of God," and " the Holy Spirit:" what needs 2.TheHoly this? To make Him great, as the world goes, what needed °P"^*- " Holy?" Or, if a title must be added to that end, there were other styles many, in the eye of flesh more magnificent and likely to shew Him for great, than this of holiness. The spirit of principality, of courage, power, government; divers other. And all these are from Him too. He theEph.4.ll. fountain of all. So the Apostle tells us. And though the Spirit be all these, yet choice is made of none of all these, but only of this one, "Holy," fix>m among them all, to iyiov. And His title is not the High and Mighty; nor, the Great

206 Of the Sending

SERM. and Glorious; but only, "the Holy Spirit." Nor do the Seraphims and powers of Heaven cry, Magnus j or Cebus^ or

Isa. 6. 8. JFortis, thrice; but Sancius^ SanctuSy Sanctv^y " Holy and thrice Holy," to God Himself; making choice, I doubt not, of His sovereign attribute, to laud and magnify His glorious Name by. Which teacheth us a lesson, if we would leam it; that it is the attribute in God, which of all other He doth, and which of all other we should most esteem of. And by virtue of this, if we kept right, places and times, and persons and things sacred, should be in regard accordingly. For this we may be sure of: were there in God's titles a title of higher account, the Spirit of God should have been styled by it. But in God, ^' Holy, Holy," is before " Lord of Hosts." His Holiness first, His Power after. 8. "The Thus have we two reasons de non gravando: 1. first, were

of God." He but the Holy Spirit, for that He would be spared. For without all question. He is the more to be set by by reason of Ex. 28. 36, that attribute. It is God's chief, as ye may see, in the High Ig^ 5^ 3^ Priest's forehead; as ye may hear, out of the Angels' mouths. 2. Then again, that He is God's, and not a Spirit, but "the Spirit of God;" we will forbear Him somewhat, I trust, for His sake Whose He is. Put these two together.

And to these two for a surplusage join, that He is riot only Deiy but DeuSy " of God," but " God" also; and then we have our full weight for this part, for His greatness.

And this we shewed last feast. We are baptized into Him,

we believe in Him, we yield Him equal glorifying, we bless

by Him, or in His Name, no less than of the other two: so

in the Deity He is. And a person He is; for to "seal,"

which He is said here to do — to "seal" is ever an act

personal. Thither then I now come, even fi'om His greatness

to His goodness.

2. For He is not great, as the Great Chan, but He is good

Holy withal. And great and good withal, that carries it ever. If

Sp^t of ifi Quo vos come to it, that this goodness reach to us.

Whom And sure, this Party, His greatness set apart, is to us the

sealed." author of many a benefit. No Person of the Three hath so

many, so diverse denominations as He ; and they be all to

shew the manifold diversity of the gifts He bestoweth on us.

maketh the vegetable power in the world. 2. His iTTT tt^D), Gen. j. 20. " spirit or soul of life," in the living creatures. 3. His nDtt^3 Gen. 2. 7. 0*Tr, ** heavenly spirit of a double life" in mankind. 4. Then that in Bezaleel, that gave him excellency of art. 5. That in Ex. 31. s. the seventy elders, that gave them excellency of wisdom to Nu. 11. le, govern. 6. That in Balaam and the Sibyls, that gave them nu. 24. 14. the word of prophecy, to foretell things contingent. 7. That &c. of the Apostles, this day, that gave them skill to speak all tongues. All these are from Him. All these he might, but doth not reckon up any of them. And that because, though they be from " the Holy Spirit of God," yet not from Him as -holy; but as the Spirit of God only, without eye or reference to this attribute, " holy," at all.

But from the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit as He is holy, Cometh the gratumfaciens, the gift of gifts, the gift of grace, which He bestoweth on His Saints and servants, and maketh them such by it. We waive all the former, all the gratis data^ and take ourselves only to this. And here again there come in upon us as many more. 1. The grace reproving and joh. ^6. 8, checking them within, when they are ready to go astray; spiritus rejlans, ^ the wind against them,' not suffering them Acts 16. 6, to go into Asia or Mysia, when they shall do no good there, * but making them even wind-bound as it were. 2. Spirittis qfflansy *the wind with them,' "guiding them," and giving joh.ie. 18. them a good pass ^^ into all truth." 3. The grace, teaching joh. 14.26. them what they knew not, and calling to their minds that they did know and have forgot. And so, spiritus difflans^ ^ blowing away and scattering,' as it were, the mist of error and forgetfulness. 4. The grace, quickening them and stirring 2 Cor. 3. 6. them up, when they grow dull, and even becalmed. 5. The grace, inspiring and inditing their requests, when they know Romans 8:26. not what or how to pray. 6. The Spirit breathing, and shedding abroad His love in their hearts;" which makes them rq^ 5 5

go bound in the Spirit," and as it were with fiill sail to ^^^ 20. 22 Jerusalem, when it is for His service. 7. And last, the Spirit "sealing" them an assurance of their estates to come; 2 Cor. 1.22. which is the most sovereign of all the seven, as that which doth sanctify, that is, sever and set us apart from the rest of the world, and jjroprio* dicare, ^ make us His own peculiar.'

Now this benefit we find here, woven and twisted with

208 Of the Sending

— We must look to suum.cuique. Both are not the Holy Ghost's;

one belongs to Christ. His, the offioe to redeem^ and thdl day, " the day of redemption,*' His. The other, to " Ae Holy Ghost." The seal is His, and His the day of sealingi We are to pass both these offices. To be redeemed, questionless; but take this withal, it is not enough that, to be re- deemed, if by this seal also it be not passed to us.

Of these then briefly. 1. " Redemption" there is. 2. That hath " a day." 3. Against that day, we to be " sealed." 4. " The Holy Ghost" hath that " seal;" He is to do it, that office is His.

Christ's is first: we must then go a little from the Holy Ghost; we will come to Him again straight.

1. Re- Oft we have heard, in redemption there is emption, a

^ ' buying, and re, that is back; a buying back of that, which formerly hath been lost or made away.

Itis of two sorts; l.real,and 2. personal. Redemption real, of our estates, lands, or goods; redemption personal, of our own selves, souls and bodies. This in the text seemeth to be personal: in Qtw w*, "by whom you," you yourselves — ^there is not mention of any possessions. And ever of the twain

Job 2. 4. this is the greater. You know who said " skin for skin, all that a man hath" to redeeni himself. But indeed upon the matter, this redemption is of both. For Christ's redemption is not of one half, but a total entire redemption both of persons and estates.

Now, men's persons come to need redeeming by captivity; and in that case, there must be a ransom. Men's estates come to need it, upon a sale outright; and in that there needs a new purchase.

We were gone both ways. Both are in the seventh to

[Rom. 7. the Romans. At the twenty-third verse, " there is a law in

* *^ our members leading us captive ;" when either we are taken,

and carried away by strong hand, with a temptation, or over-

[Rom. r. wrought by the sleights of the enemy. At the fourteenth

^^•^ verse there is a sale, " carnal and sold under sin ;" when, for

some consideration as we think, but many times scarce valuable, we make away our estates by our own voluntary act. Christ redeems us from both. His " ransom" ye shall find,

of the Holy Ohost. 200

ar€oi)9^ that is " of purchase," plain. His purse went not for

either^ but His Person. His death, as the high priest's, freed Nu. 86. 28.

us from captivity ; His blood, as the blood of the covenant,

was the price that cleared our estates from all former bargains

and sales.

This " redemption" hath " a day." But by this reckoning, 2. " The that day should be past. The day of His Passion was the ^dempday of that payment, and that is past; how can we be sealed ^^n." against it then? But, if ye mark it well, lightly there are more days than one go to a fiill redemption — two at least; and till the second come, the redemption is not complete.

In the real, there is one day of 1. paying the money; another, of 2. putting in possession, ever. That lightly is not the same day, but sometimes a good while after.

In the personal; 1. One day, when concerning a prisoner, a condemned man, it is graciously said by His Majesty, He shall not die. 2. Another, when this is put under seal, and brought to the prison for his release; and possibly, a good distance between these.

I know, all is counted as good as done, when the money is paid, or the word spoken; but the prisoner lieth by it still, and the possession is out of our hands till the second day Cometh: so that is " the day of redemption" consummate.

And even so stands it with us. " The ransom" was paid down, the sentence reversed, the day of His Passion. The putting us in possession, the perfect setting us free, that hath another day not yet come. For out of possession we are as yet, and in a kind of prison we are still. The first day, the pay-day is past; we hold a memory of it, of all days, on Good-Friday. But Himself tells us of another day after that, the day of His second appearing; and when that comes, then He bids us "lift up our heads" and look up cheerfully, for then lu. 21. 28. " our redemption draws nigh," is even hard at hand; that is our fiill, perfect, plenary redemption indeed. And till that come, for all " the firstfruits of the Spirit," we " groan" still, Rom. 8. 22 , as subject to vanity and corruption; our prison-irons as it were, and all the creatures together with us do the like. Thus far redemption, and the day of it; and thus far Christ's office.

Now between these two redemption days, the first and the 8. " Ye are

sealed" P

SIO Of the Sending

SEEM, seeond, cometh in the seal. And, against that second day

— :— ^ — come, which is in truth the very day of fall redemption, it that day. will Stand us in hand to provide we be sealed, and have this mark of separation. It is exceeding material. No claim of redemption without it. In vain shall we say we are redeemed, unless we then have this seal to shew. Therefore, not to rest upon redemption with a blank, or the conceit of that, but know there is a further matter still, even obngnati estis, and look to that. For when that day comes, all will go by it. In very deed, upon the point, the day itself goes by it: for if sealed, then a day of redemption; if otherwise, then no day of redemption, but a day of utter desolation. Ezek. 0. Ye have a type of this in the Old Testament. Six fellows came forth with axes, to make havoc and destroy. There goes one before, and makes a Tau in the foreheads of some certain persons. They, and none but they, spared; the rest hewed in pieces, every mother's son. Rev.7a-8. The like again, in the New Testament. The four Angels hold the torn winds, ready to destroy the eartib. But first goeth one with a seal, and a proclamation there is to make stay, ^^ till we have sealed" ome; and that done, fts for the jrest, destroy them and spare not. As much to say: these with the seal are they to whom the redemption shall be applied, and for whom only it is available. Pass over these; these are [Mat 25. tnine, I see my seal upon them. The rest, nescio eos; I find not 1^0 my mark, " I know them not;" do with them what ye will.

And, because I spake of passing over, in the Passover it was so; both acts there. The Lamb slain — ^there is re- Exodus 12:6,7. demption; the posts stricken with hyssop dipped in the blood— there is the signature. Answerable to these two, with us: redemption by the Son of God at Easter; and the sealing by the Holy Ghost at Whitsuntide.

Mat.86J^i. S^o^j "™y joy*" I ^^ ^^* o^ly ransom their persons, but I redeemed also thedr estates; purchased an estate of bliss

Mat.25.d4. for them, and in their names. This was " prepared" by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and now, the conveyance of it sealed by the Holy Ghost: — ^let them possess it.

And by this ye see how great matters, both personal and

of the Holy Ghost. 211

real, depend upon this seal; how much it importeth us not to miss it. What reckoning we now make of it, how light, it skills not. The day will come, if we had the whole world to give we would, to be found with seal upon us.

This seal, which makes up all, and without which nothing is ^ " By authentical, is in the dii^ensing and disposing of the Holy ye are Ghost. We are therefore of necessity to pass His office also; sealed." diat so all the Trinity may co-operate, and every Person have ahaaidin the work of our salvation. Remember, Ihave told you heretofore, that Christ without the Holy GUiost is as a deed without a seal, as a testator without an executor. It is so. For all He hath done, redefnption or no redemption goeth by this seal; all that Christ hath wrought for us, by that the Holy Spirit doth work in us. And the Apostle as he saith here, He the party " by Whom ye are sealed to the day of redemption," so he might have added. And without Whom ye are left blank for the day of destruction. For by and from Him we have it, and by and from any other we have it not.

And if it be not to be had from any other, we may well think it excludeth ourselves, and our own spirit. There were, I wot well, in the heathen, and may be in the Christian, other good moral virtues; but they will not serve to seal us against the day here specified. One may have them all, and be never the nearer at " the day of redemption." That which is then to stand us in stead — ^let us not deceive ourselves — ^we spin it not out of ourselves, as the spider doth her web; it is of the nature of an aspiration, or of an impression. It is from without, as breathing and as sealing is. And it is the breath of this Spirit, the Spirit of God, and the print of His seal must do this. From without it cometh, from the Spirit of God, not our own ^irit. That we fancy not we may have it, some other way, from our own selves. " It is He That hath made us, and [Ps. lOO. not we ourselves" — God the Father. It is He That hath '^ redeemed us, and not we ourselves" — God the Son. And it is He That hath sealed us, and not we ourselves — God the Holy Ghost. That the whole glory may redound to the blessed Trinity, and he that rejoiceth may rejoice in the Lord. [See

Then to end this point. 1. There is " a day" in coming. ^^9P^- ^^

2. " A day of redemption" to some it is, and may prove so to us.

3. To us it may, if we be found "sealed." 4. Found " sealed"

S £ R M. we cannot be but by the Holy Ghost^s means, we must be ■ — beholden to Him; He keeps the seal, He sets it to. 5. To

Him we shall be beholden, and He will set it to if we "grieve

Him not." Why then, this brings us directly to the duty,

nolite contristariy " grieve Him not.*'

(H. This Party, Whose favour may thus much stead us, and that

. * againstatime we shall SO much stand in need of it, what can

" Grieve y^Q gi^y Qj ^Q worthy of Him? We no doubt will rise straight in our magnifical lofty style, and say. What? Why work Him all possible joy and jubilee; ai^d all too little. Sure it were so to be wished. But hear you, interim^ I would, saith the Apostle, we would but do thus much for Him, as not '* grieve** Him. Even as in another place touching 6od*s name, we in our rising vein would say, God's name? What but glorify it, make it famous, renowned every where? Ye say well, saith

Rom. 2. he; in the mean time, I would His Name might not be evil spoken of by your means; let your ketiftcai and glar^ai alone, and but even noUie contristaH. The Apostle pleads but for that, that will content him; and I would He might not fail of that till the other come.

Rom. 12. 1 , this, but even rationabile obsequium, a request of great modei^ty; rather a courtesy than a duty, not to " grieve."

1. Not any Not to " grieve ?" Why reason would, saith Solomon, we Prov.8.29. should not grieve any of our neighbours, seeing they dwell by

us and do us no hurt. But, as I said, not the great, if there be any wisdom, nor the good, if there be either grace or goodnature in us.

2. Not Well, howsoever we deal vrith men here, high or low, good

or otherwise, in any vrise take heed of offering it to God. Isa. 7. ] 3. Why, saith Esay, " is it not enough for you to grieve men, but

will ye grieve my God also?" " Provoke we Him," saith the [L Cor 10. Apostle, " Are we stronger than He?" As if he should say,

That were extreme folly. 8. Not But yet one step farther. I say, and Christ saith as much;

of Go<L"" if Grod, yet not " the Holy Spirit of God" though, not that

Person. Sins and grievances against the other two may and Matl2.32. shall; sin against Him " shall never be forgiven." " Grieve

not" Him then at any hand.

of the Holy Ghost. 213

But I ask, can we " grieve the Spirit of God," that is, God? i. Whether Can He be grieved? Indeed they be two questions: 1. can "grieve." we? and 2. can He? I should answer somewhat strangely but truly to say, we can, and He cannot. For we may, on our parts, " grieve," that is, do what in us lieth to " grieve" Him. And with Him the endeavour is all, and to do what we can habetur profacto^ though the effect follow not. This we can, 80 badly demean ourselves as, if it were possible by any means in the world that grief could be made to fall into the Divine Essence, let Him look to it, we would do that should provoke it in Him, that should even draw it from Him. Let Him thank the high supereminent perfection of His nature that is not capable of it: if it were, or any way could be, we would put Him to it.

Now I find in the Gospel, from our Saviour's own mouth. Mat. 5. 28. ^^ He that looketh on a woman with lust after her, hath" on his part " committed adultery with her," the woman in the meanwhile remaining chaste, as never once thinking of any such matter. Then if the one party may be an adulterer, and the other, as I may say, not adultered; why not, in like sort, one grieve, and yet the other not grieved? Always this use we may make of it, adexaggerandam peccati maUtiam, to aggravate some sins, and shew the heinousness of some sinners, that do on their part all they can to do it, and that is all one as if they did it. This is Tertullian. Contra

But God forbid it should lie in the power of flesh to work i. g^^*^* any grief in God; or that we should once admit this conceit, P6-29.]

the Deity to be subject to this or the like perturbations that underwe be. And yet both this passion of grief and divers other, ^^ as anger, repentance, jealousy, we read them ascribed to God in Scripture; and as ascribed in one place, so denied as flatly in another. One where it is said " it repented God He had i Sam.^lft* made Saul king:" in the same place by and by after, ^^ the ' ' Strength of Israel is not a man, that He can repent." One where, "God was touched with grief of heart;" another. Gen. 6. 6. ** there is with Him the fulness of all joy for ever," which Ps. 16. il. excludeth all grief quite.

How is it then? How are we to understand this? Thus; that when they are denied, that is to set out unto us the perfect steadiness of the Nature Divine, no ways obnoxious to these our imperfections. And that is the true sound Divinity.

214 0/ f he Sending

S E R M. But when they are ascribed, it is for no other end but even

htunanum dtcere, for our ^^ mfimnty, to speak to ns our own

rs. Aug. language, and m our own terms, so to work with us the better. Q^^^' ^ Lightly, men do nothing so seriously as when they do it in Yid. etiam passion; nor indeed any thing thoroughly at all, or, as we ad liter! ^^7' h<^™^9 unless it be edged with some kind of affection. 1. 4. c. 9. Consequently, such is our dull capacity, we never sufficiently take impression, God will do this or that to purpose, except He be so represented unto us as we use ourselves to be when we go through with a matter. In punishing, we pay not home unless we be angry: when Ood then is to punish. He is presented unto us as angry, to note to us He will proceed as effectually as if He were so indeed. We are not careful enough, we think, of that we love, unless there be with our love some mixture of jealousy: when Grod then would shew how chary He is of the entireneiss of our love towards Him, [Ex. 20. He is said to be " a jealous God." We alter not what once '^ we have set down, but when we repent: when God then

changeth his course formerly held, He is made as if He did repent — though so to do, were ever His purpose. And so here? we withdraw not ourselves from whom we have conversed with before, but upon some grievance: when the Spirit of God then withdraweth Himself for a time and leaves us, He is brought in as grieved; for that, if it were otherwise delivered, it would not so affect us, normake in us the impression that this way it doth. So that, " Grieve Him not," diat is in direct terms, Give Him not cause to do that which in grief men use to do, to withdraw Himself and to forsake yxm. If ye do, believe this. He will as certainly give you over as if He were grieved in earnest. This is from Saint Augustine. How to By this time we know how to conceive of this phrase aright.

of this^^ Now, how to have use of it. And of this humanum dicUf this phrase. use we may have. First, upon these places where we diQs find affections attributed to God, our rule is ever to reflect the same affection upon ourselves which is put upon Him; to be jealous over ourselves, to be angry or grieved with ourselves for that, which is said to anger or to grieve God. And that upon this soliloquy with ourselves, that how light soever we seem to make of sin, yet in that it is said thus to " grieve God's Holy Spirit," it must needs be some

of the Hohf Ghost. 215

grievous matter certainly. And yet^ methinks, it toucheth not the Spirit of God though; He shall lose nothing by it. He needs not to grieve at it. Of the twain, it should rather seem to concern us; we ipay come short of our redemption by the means, and, a worse matter than that, be cast into eternal perdition. The loss is like to be ours. And is this said ^^to grieve the Holy Spirit of God,*' and shall it not grieve us, whom it more nearly concemeth? Shall we be said to grieve Him witl^ it, and not ourselves be grieved for it? This or some to like effect.

Then it teacheth us, this phrase, withal, what in this case we are to do when it happeneth. Sure, even that which we would do to one grieved by us, whom we make special account of, and would be right loath to lose his favour;, never to leave, but to seek by all means to recover him, by shewing ourselves sorry and grieved for grieving of him, by vowing never to do the like more, by undertaking any thing that may win him again. The only way to remedy it, is to take us to llie same affection; as here, that it grieve us to do any thing may turn Him to grief; or, if we have done it, never cease to be grieved with ourselves till we have recovered Him, His favour, and His grace again.

Now then, were it not well to take notice of these 2* How grievances, that we might avoid, not offer them; and so fulfil w^eve" the Apostle's noUte contristari 9 Divers there be. But one of Him. diem we cannot but take notice of, this verse is so hemmed in with it on both sides. Our verse begins with " And," " And which couples it to the former. And the very same that is fai ^iP die former, is repeated over again in the next after. And [Eph. 4. this it is; to set a seal upon our lips from foul language, bit- ^* ^^'^ temess, cursing, swearing without any sense at all. That diese come not out of our mouths. That we leave these ia any case: and then follows our verse, "And grieve not the Holy Spirit;" as if He pointed us to these and said. These are sudi whereby we " grieve the Spirit of God," and all good [vid. S. men that hear them. And that is one special way to "grieve August. the Spirit," to grieve good men, in whom It is. His very ad liter! Goming, this day, in shape of tongues, sheweth He would Jg^* ^' ®* bave liie print of His seal upon that part, upon the tongue; axid Hie fire from Heavjen, breath, not tliis " fire" from " hell,"

216 Of the Sending

S £ B M. thus sparkle from it. St. James makes short work: ^^If any. — Xt — would be holden for religious, andrefirain not his tongue firom Jas. 1. 26. these, that man's religion is to be prized as litde worth.'' This from " And," the first word, the copulatiye to the bordering verse, which I could not avoid. How in the But I choose rather to hold myself to the point of sealing, J^of se - ^j^ jjj ^Q i/QTLt^ and the grievances against it, which I reduce to these two: 1. either before, when we are not yet sealed, but are to be, when He offers to do it; 2. or after, when we are already past His hand and His seal upon us. There are grievances both ways. LBeforeit. First, the Spirit of God doth come and offer to seal us: our part were to invite Him to come if He did not, but if He come to be glad of it; but in any wise to be willing withal. Otherwise, Tpsumnolley contristari est For if we be not willing, but refuse, and shift Him off still, is it not justum gravamen f But even as there were that, when Christ set His foot on Mat. 8. 34. land, and offered to come to them, ^^entreated Him He would be gone again;" so when the Holy Ghost makes the like proffer. He hath His Gergesenes too, that can spare Him and His seal both. Men are, I know not how, even loath, and as it were afraid; think it a disgrace to them, many — and that would be called men of spirit — ^that any seal or mark of holiness should be set or seen upon them. Content with a label without any seal to it, all their life long. And of those label- Christians we have meetly good store. As the Spirit of God, they like Him well enough, to have their breath and life and moving from Him, yea hearts and tongues too if He will; but as the Holy Spirit, not once to be acquainted with Him. I8a.80.ll. And what is this plain, but their speech, "Cause the Holy One to cease from us?" But yet I do not say, not at all; for if He will come and seal them some quarter of an hour before they die, for that they will not stand with Him. But they desire to wear the signature of the flesh or of the world, of pride or of lust, as long as they are able to stand on their Jude 19. legs. Animalea^ all their life; and Spiritum habentes, at the hour of their death. Clinici Christiani, * beddered Christians,' as the Primitive Church calleth them; when the flesh leaves them, let the Spirit take them and seal them; then the seal, and ye will, but not before. But this is an indignity, and

of the Holy Ghost. 217

cannot be well taken. He will not endure thus to be trifled with and shifted ofi*when He would; and if then He seals us not, when we would, we have our mends in our own hands.

But secondly, say we be willing He come; is it not our 2. part against He comes to dispose ourselves, and be ready wrought to receive the figure of His seal? Then, if either He find us so indurate in malice and desire of revenge, or sins of that sort, that as good ofier Him a flint to seal, which will take no print; or, on the other side, find us so dissolved as it were, and even molten in the sins of the flesh, that as good ofier Him a dish of water to seal, that will hold no figure; — ^both come to one: 1. not to sufier Him to do it, and 2. not to be in case to receive it; 1. not disposed to it, or 2. indisposed for it. And can He choose but reckon this as a second grofloamen^ and go His way, and leave us as He found us?

These two, before we be; two more, when we be sealed. After it For when we have well and orderly received it, then doth it ' behove us carefully to keep the signature from defacing or bruising. If we do not, but carry it so loosely as if we cared not what became of it, and, where we are signati to be close and fast, sufier every trifiing occasion to break us up, have our souls lie so open as all manner of thoughts may pass and repass through them; is not this a third? When one shall see apoor countryman, how solicitous he is, if it be but a bond of no great value, to keep the seal fair and whole; but if it be of higher nature, as a patent, then to have his box, and leaves, and wool, and all care used it take not the least hurt: and on the other side, on our parts, how light reckoning we make of the Holy Ghost's seal, vouchsafe it not that care, do not so much for it as he for his bond of five nobles, the matter being of such consequence; this contempt, must it not amount to a gprievance? Yes, and that to a grave gravamen^ ^ a grievous one.' For this is even margaritas porcis right. [Mat 7,

But yet further. If having received this seal upon us, we so ^} far forget ourselves as we be brought to let His amulusj the fiend, the evil spirit, whom He can by no means endure, even to super-sigillare, ^ set his mark overit,' seal upon seal; put his print, with his image and superscription, above and upon the Holy Ghost's; this is so foul a disgrace as He can never

S E R M. brook it. And shall we oqee conceive but^ upon so bA4 Misiage

' — as this, He will do what men grieved used to do, saj presentl j,

Migremw kinc, Away, here is no place to stay, and so leave us with our new image upon us.

And if so, a worse matter than all yet. For He no sooner gone, but in His place another will come, and, aa he hath sealed us, so seise on us; and not alone neither, but com*

La. 11. 26. pany with him, ^^ seven more worse than himself, and the

end of that man worse than his beginning,"' a thousand-rfold.

These they be then, these four ; not to offer these is mn

contrittari.

2. But then, if our hap be so evil as we do, yet that we

tr^li^' remember fiolUe, do it not willingly, have a will not to do it. If we fall into any of the former four; 1, neglect to receive Him when He cometh, %, dispose not ourselves as we shoul4 against He cometh, happen to 3. bruise or mar Qur seal, yea 4. admit a sealing upon it, of the world upon God, the flesh upon the Spirit, profane upon holy; yet let not our will be to it) at least not our whole will, not our full consents, liet it but happen per acci^lena, as we say, either surprised with the violence, of wearied with the importunity of the temptation, or circumvented with the sleights of the serpent: but ever carry vohintatem^ if it may be; or else, as in the fichools they call it, velleitatem de non contristando. A great matter depends on this; tor wilfully to do it, that is indeed

Heb.10.29. to grieve, if it be not more, even " to work despite to the Spirit of Grace."

Applica- Now to draw to an end. This request never comes so fit

^Q^ ^® as on this day, For there is in the text a day of redeeming; and there is by like analogy, a day of sealing. As that Christ's, so this the Holy Ghost's day. Now, if the sealingdaj'^ be the Holy Ghost's, then, r&eiprocey the Holy Ghost's day? that is the day of sealing. And this is the Holy Ghost's day. And not only for that originally so it was, but for that U is to be intended ever, He will do His own chief work upon fJis own chief feast; and opus diei, Hhe day's work,' upon the day itself. So that now we are come about to our fii'st grievance, not to refuse Him, not at any time, but not at His own time; not then, when He sits in His office, and offers to ^ His seal on us.

of the Holy Ghosi. 219

And that He now doth. For when we turn ourselves erery AppUo*- way, we find not, in the office of the Church, what this seal s^^ should be but the Sacrament; or what the print of it, but meats, the grace there received, a means to make us, and a pledge ^ Cor. o. 0. or ^' earnest^' to assui^e us that we are His.

The outward seal should be a thing visible, to be shewed; and the Sacrament is the only visible part of religion, and nothing subject to that sense but it. This I find, that the Schoolmen, when they numbered seven, those seven were the seven seals; so for seals they have been ever reputed. But what doubt we? One of them is by the Apostle named a seal in express terms, " The seal of righteousness." And if one, Eom.4.]i. then the other; both are of like nature. Only this difference between them, for which we have great cause highly to magnify the goodness of God; that where the one seal, the seal of baptism, can be set to but once, and never repeated more, this olher should supply the defect thereof, as whereby, if we have not preserved the former figure entire and whole, we might be, as it were, new signed over again. And that not once alone andnomore,butthatit should be iterable; whereby it Cometh to pass, that of this sealing there be many days, many days to seal us well, and make us sure against that one day, " the day of redemption:" God therein providing for our frailness; as indeed without it a great many of us, I know not how we should have done.

This then is the seal. I add farther, that it may be rightly a seal of called the seal of our redemption, as whereby the means of ^®^®"^P' our redemption is applied unto us; the body and the blood, one broken, the other shed, of Him Whom God " sealed" Joh. 6. 27. to that end, even to redeem us.

And by, and with these, there is grace imparted to us; ^^rint which grace is the very breath of this Holy Spirit, the true seal. and express character of His seal, to the renewing in us the image of God whereunto we are created. And with grace, which serveth properly pro totd substantid, to and for the whole substance of the soul, the two streams of it, one into the understanding part, the other into the seat of the affections. Into the understanding part, the assurance of faith and hope; into the part affective, the renewing of charity, the ostensive part of this seal, in quo cognoscent omnes^ " by which all men Joh. 18. 36.

220 Of the Sending of the Holy Ghost.

^— we are sealed aright and are truly His. This grace we are

2 CJor.e. 1. thus to receive there; only, that we "receive it not in vain;" HHnuiidi " 1^6 not wanting to it" after, "neglect it not;" "quench it lThe8.6. not;" "fall not from it;" but "stand fast," and "continue in" GaL 6. 4. it ; be careful to " stir it up ;" yea, "to grow" and increase in Aoto 18 *^ it, more and more, even to the consummation of it, which is 2 Tim. 1.6. glory — glory being nothing else but grace consummate, the ' * figure of this stamp in his full perfection.

Resolve then not to send BQm away, on His own day, and nothing done, but to receive His seal, and to dispose ourselves, as pliable and fit to receive it. And that shall we but evil do, nay not at all, unless it please Him to take us in hand and to work us ready for it. To pray Him then so to do, to give us hearts of wax that will receive this impression; and having received it, to give us careful minds withal well to look to it, that it take as little harm as our infirmity will permit. That so we may keep ourselves from this unkind sin of grieving Him That hath been, and is, so good to us. Which the God of mercy grant us, for His Son, and by His Spirit,

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY, AT GREENWICH,

Psalm Ixviii. 18.

J%(m art gone up on highy Thou hast led captivity captive^ and received gifts for men; yea, even the rebellious hast Thou led^ Or, for that the Lord God might dwell there. ^J^^ *"*"

[Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive. Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Engl. Trans.]

This is Christ the Prophet here speaketh to. That He it is, the Apostle is our warrant, Ephesians the fourth chapter, Eph. 4. 8. and eighth verse. There he applies it to Christ: " Thou art gone up," saith the Prophet here, in the second person; "He is gone up," saith the Apostle there of Him in the third.

To Christ then, and to Christ "gone up," or "ascended;" and therefore " ascended," they be the last words of this verse, " that God might dwell among us." Which cannot be applied to Christ Himself in person, for then He was not to go "up on high" from us, but to stay here still below with us. Therefore God here is God the Holy Ghost, Who this day came down after Christ was "gone up," to be not only among joh.l4.l7, us, but even " in us," saith our Saviour; " to be in us and ^®' abide with us for ever." So the text begins ii^th the ascending of Christ, and ends with the descending of the Holy

222 Of the Sending

S E R M. Ghost. And that was upon this day; and so we are come to jT — . ' Christ's hodie impleta 6*^, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled,"

the best application of every text. The sum. Our books tell us, the Scripture will bear four senses; all

four be in this, and a kind of ascent there is in them.

1. First, after the letter and in due consequence to the word immediately next before this, the last word of the verse, which is Sinai. It is a report of Moses' ascending thither. For he, from the bottom of the Red Sea, went up to the top of Sinai, leading with him the people of Israel that long had been captive to Pharaoh ; and there " received gifts," the Law, the Priesthood, but above all, the *' Ark of the covenant," to be the pledge of God's presence among them. This is the literal.

2. This of Moses, by analogy doth King David apply to himself; to his going up to mount Sion, and carrying the ark

2 Sam. 6. up thither. For all agree, this Psalm was set upon that occasion. The very beginning of it, "Let God arise," &c. sheweth as much ; — the acclamation ever to be used, at the

[Num. 10. ark's removing, as is plain by Ae tenth of Numbers, verse '^ thirty-five. Now this was done immediately upon his con-

2 Sam. 6. quest of the Jebusites ; whom a little before he had taken ' * captives and made tributaries there. What time also, for

16.8.^^ "wine to all the people," gift- wise, as we find, the first of Chronicles, sixteenth chapter and the third verse. ThiB is the analogical ; as Moses to Sinai, so David to Sion.

3. From these two we arise to the moral sense, thus. That, as whensoever God's people are carried captive and made thrall to their enemies ; as when God seemeth to be put down, and lie foiled for a time, that one may well say, ExsurgcU Deus, to Him : so when He takes their cause in hand and works their deliverance, it may well be said, Ascendit in altum^ " He is gone up," as it were, to His high throne or judgment-seat, there to give sentence for them. Ever the Church's depressing is, as it were, God's own humiliation ; and their deliverance, after a sort, His exaltation. For then He hath the upper hand.. And this is the moral.

4. Now from this we ascend to the Prophetical sense, "to the Rev. 19. 10. testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of all prophecy." For

if in any eaptiyitj, as of Egypt, of Babylon, God be said to be down; and in any slarange deliverance, such as those were, to be got up on high; in this of Christ, of all other, it is most pregnantly verified. That the highest up-going, higher than Sion or Sinai iax; thiat the most gracious triumph that ever was. When the principalities and powers that had carried, not Isiuel but mankind, all mankind into captivity; they as captives were led before His chariot, attended, as it is in the next verse before, with "twenty thousands of Angels." What Ps. 68. 17. time also &e gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost were shed forth plenteously upon men, which was this very day; and God, no* by a wooden ark but by His own Spirit, came to dwell among them.

And in this sense, the true prophetical meaning of it, doth &e Apostle deliver it to us, and we to you. That God Which ever and at all times doth, then and at that time did most specially shew the valour of His victory, and the bounty of His triumph, when " He went up on high," &c.

To put that in other order, which is itself well-ordered The diakeady, were but to confound it. The order as it stands is ^^^^' very exact. I. Christ^s ascending first; II. then the manner; Iin. and last the end of it. 1. The ascending in these; "Thou in. art gone up, &c." 2. The manner is triumph-wise, and that two ways: 1. leading His captives before Him; 2. scattering His gifts about Him; 3. and then thirdly, all to the end that God by His Spirit, the true Ark of His presence indeed, "might rest with us for ever." Or you may, if you please, of these four make two moieties, and give the two former to Christ's ascending, the two latter to the Holy Ghost's descending, in dona dedit hominibusy the peculiar of this day.

" Thou art gone up," — a motion; and " on high," — a place. .1; Christ in His ascendant going up, Christ "on high" is a good ascending: sight. A better sight to see Him so, tanqimm aquila in nubibtis ^^® ^^' than tanquam vermis inpuhere, ^ an eagle in the clouds than a worm in the dust,' as a great while we did. To see " a cloud Acts l. 9. to receive Him" than a gravestone to cover Him. Better "leading captivity" than Himself led captive. Better "receiving gifts for men" than receiving wrong firom them. Yet it is strange, St. Paul commenting upon this verse, (Ephesians the fourth, ver. 8.) whereto we shall often have recourse as we

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j-^r-^ — us of His being here down below: " In that He ascended,"*

whence, what is it, saith he, but that He descended first? A note out

Eph.4.9. of season one would think. But he best knew what was proper

and pertinent, and that is, that Christ's going up is ascenm

post descensum.

And this, as it is for His glory — ^for when one hath been down, then to get up is twice to get up — ^far more for His glory, than if He never had been down. And the lower He hath been down, the more glorious is His getting up. Bis vincit qui victtis vincit; ^ being overcome to overcome is twice to overcome,' for so he overcomes his overcomers, and that is a double victory. As for His glory, so for our good. For His being above before He was below, is nothing to us. But being below first, and then that He went up, that is it we hold by. As the Son of God He came down, as the Son of man He went up. If as the Son of man, there is hope that the sons of men may do the like.

But always remember there must be a descent before.

Ascendit Angelus et facttis est diabolus. Why? He never

descended first, and therefore is now in the bottom of hell.

But He That first descended, and ascended after, is now

in the top of Heaven. To teach us this high top must have

a deep root. He that is thus high now, was once low enough.

We to be as He was, before we be as He is. Descending by

humility, condescending by charity. For he that so descends

with Him, he it is and none other that shall ascend up after

Him. This is St. Paul upon ascendisti. His motion.

1. The Now, will you hear him upon in ahum, "on high," the pitch

?^dier ^^ ^^^ motion? "On high" is somewhat a doubtful term: if

"Onhigh." it be but to some high mountain, as they thought of Elias, it

16?"^^ * is " on high," that. How high then ? The Apostle takes the

true altitude for us. Neither to Sion, nor to Sinai: — set one

upon the other, and Pelion upon Ossa too, it is higher yet.

Acts 1. 9. So high, saith St. Luke, "till a cloud came and took Him out

of their sight." And what became of Him then? That the

* aloft;' \nrkp ovpav&v^ xnrkp iravronv r&v ovpav&v, "above all

the heavens," even the very highest of them.

Keeping just correspondence between his High and His

low. That was ad ima terrte^ to the ^* lowest parts of the {.^v^- 4. earth," than which none lower, none beneath them. This was ad summa coeli, ' the highest top of the heavens,' than which none higher, none above them.

So, eassurgat Detis, the first verse, is not enough; that was but from the lower parts of the earth to the upper parts of it, Ascendat in altuMy * Let Him go up on high;' " Set up Thyself, Ps. 67. 6. O Lord, above the heavens" — ^there is His right place. And so now He is where He should be. This for in altum.

But we must not stand taking altitudes; this is but the gaze of the Ascension. The Angels blamed the Apostles; Acts 1. li. that blame will fall upon us, if we make but a gaze of it. What is there in it hominibuSy " for us men?"

First, is He " gone up on high?" We may be sure then all is done and despatched here below. H e would not hence re infectd, till His errand were done He came for. All is despatched — ^for look to the text; He went not up till the battle fought, and the victory gotten. For the next point is, "Captivity is led captive." So no more for Him here to do; con- Joh.l9.30. mmmatum est. And after it was consummatum est for us, no ^u. id. 32. reason but it should be consummatus sum with Him also.

Bpt though all be done here, all is not there; there above, 2. wl^HjLHe is gone. There is somewhat still to be done for us.^^^nave our cause there to be handled, and to be handled against a false and slanderous adversary — so Job found him. Job i. lO. By means of His being there " on high," habemus Advocatum^ ^^^^ 2* ^ saith St. John, " we have an Advocate" will see it take no harm. And what were such an one worth in place there!

But as our case is, forthe mostpart, we rather stand in need a. of a good High Priest to make intercession, than of a ready Advocate to put in a plea for us. And He is there likewise to that end; " on high" within the sanctum sanctorum^ as " a faithful High Priest" for ever to appear, and to make an atone- Heb.2. 17. ment with God for our transgressions. Thus there all is well.

But how shall we do here, if He be gone up " on high" 4. from us? Not a whit worse: Ascensor cceli auxiliator^ saith [Deut. 33. Moses, Deuteronomy the thirty-third, ver. 26. By being 20.] there He is the better able to help us, to help us against our enemies. For in that He is " on high," He hath the vantage of the high ground; and so able to annoy them, to strike

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S E R M. them down, and lay them flat — St. Paul found it; yea to ^J- — " rain down fire and brimstone, storm and tempest, upon

6. To help us against our wants. Wants both temporal, for

Ps. 68. 9. from " on high" He can " send down a gracious rain upon

His inheritance," to refresh it ; and spiritual, for from " on

high" He did send down the gifts and graces of the Spirit, the

dona dedit of this feast, and of this text both. Look to the

text. He is so gone up that our enemies are his captives:

we shall not need to fear, they can go no farther than their

chain. And though He be gone, dona dedit^ He is ready to

supply us upon our need with all gifts requisite. We shall

not need to want; for no good thing will He withhold fit)m

Ps. 84. 6. them that have ascensiones in corde^ that have their hearts

to Him there.

6. There is yet one, and I keep that, for it shall be the last In

that He is ascended into Heaven, Heaven is to be ascended

Heb. 10. to; " by the new and living way that is prepared through the

veil of His flesh," a passage there lieth thither. They talk of

discoveries, and much ado is made of a new passage found

out to this or that place : what say you to this discovery in

Vs. 27. 13. altum, this passage into the "land of the living?" Sure it

passes all. And this discovery is here, and upon this discovery

there is begun a commerce, or trade of intercourse, between

Heaven and us. The commodities whereof are these gifts,

we shall after deal with them — and a kind of agency; Christ

being there for us, and the Spirit here for God ; either, agent

for other. It is the happiest news this, that ever came to

mankind. For hominibiis, " for mankind" it is He is gone up;

for that is to be repeated to all three, and every of them

captivity captive," for men; 3. as well as " received gifts

for wee."

His going up then is not all for Himself; some part, and that no small part, " for us." For thither He is gone, ut Heb. 6. 20. PrcBcursor nosteVi as our " Forerunner" or Harbinger; panden^ Mic. 2. 13. iter ante nos^ saith the Prophet Micah, " to make way before Vidg.] "^>" "^^ prepare a place" and to hold possession of it in our [Job. J4. names, saith He Himself. Till, say the Angels, "as He was

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seen to go up, so shall He likewise be to come down again." Acts 1. 14.

Once more to descend, (it is His last,) and upon it, His last

ascending into His high tribunal-seat, there as our favourable

Judge to give us the Ite benedictij the immediate warrant for Mati25.34.

our ascensions. And so He shall take our persons thither,

be there also." And thus much for His " going up on high."

Now the manner, how He went. Ascendit Dominus in n. jubUOf saith the forty-seventh Psalm, a proper and peculiar nerofl^s Psalm for this day. For this is the fiftieth day, and fifty is ascending. the number of the jubilee; we must look for a jubilee ever Ps. 47. 6. at Pentecost. He went up injubilo. Now to a jubilee there go two acts: 1. the releasing of prisoners, one; 2. and the new giving or granting estates gratis, dona dedit, the other. And both are here.

He went up in triumph, as a Roman victor up to the ^ Capitol; as David, after his conquest, up to Sion: so He to the Capitol in Heaven, to the Sion that is above, the high and holy places made without hands. Now, two actus triumphales there were: 1. one, captives led bound before the chariot; 2. the other, casting abroad of new coin, or as they called them, missiUa, among the multitude. And these two are in this. This the manner of His going up, like the Jews' jubilee, like the Heathens' triumph. 1. First then of His valour, in His victory, leading His captivity. 2. Then of His bounty in His triumph, dispersing His gifts.

Of the first. Here is a captivity led in triumph. A triumph I. is not but after a victory, nor a victory but upon a battle; capSIty and ever a battle presupposeth hostility, and that some captive." quarrel whereupon it grew. His ascension is His triumph. His resurrection His victory. His death His battle. His quarrel is about hominibus, about us " men," for another captivity of ours that had happened before this.

I ask then, what was this captivity here? Of whom? when taken? when led? For taken it must be, before it can be led in triumph. Some interpret it by Satan, say it was by him and " the power of dai'kness." Some other, that it was Adam [Lu. 22. and all his progeny; and so we are in it too. And both say '•• well; they and we were taken together. For when they were taken captives, we that then were in their hand and power

228 Of the Sending

S £ R M. as captives to them, were taken together with them. So both

• — were taken, and by Christ both ; but not both alike. Both

were taken, but not both led. They were taken and led; we are taken, and let go. And not let go bai:ely, but rewarded with gifts, as it is in the verse. Both these are within the compass of this Psalm.

To begin with this of the verse; we find it more particularly set down, Colossians the second. There, of the "prin- Col. 2. 15. cipalities and powers of hell" it is said, Christ " spoiled them, made a show of them, triumphed over them in His own person."

With these He had battle at His death, and then He seemed

to lose the field. But up again He got at His resurrection;

and then got the day, carried the victory clear. For lo, as

est mors in victorid, " death is swallowed up in victory."

But what was the quarrel? That began about us, hominibus; in every branch we must take in that word. For no other quarrel had He, but that these whom He leads away captive here, had led us captive away before.

And the quarrel was just; for we were His, twice His. Pfl. 138. 8. I jjjg once by creation. " the work of His hands." 2. His

1 Cor.6. 20. again now, by redemption, "the price of His blood." He had

no reason to lose that was His quite. Tt stood not with

His honour to see them carried away without all recovery.

But how came we captives? Look to Genesis the third.

Gen. 3. c. There ye find lex membrorum, as St. Paul calleth it; " fleshly

Romans 7:23. lusts," as St. Peter, a garrison that lieth in us, even in our

1 Pet. 2. 11. loins, and" fighteth against our souls." They surprised Adam,

and of whom ope is overcome, his captive he is. So was he

led away captive, and in him all mankind. The effect

whereof ye see at Christ's coming. The spirit of error had,

in a manner, seized on all the world. And if error had.

taken his thousand, sin hadhis ten thousand, we may be sure;

and this was the first captivity under the power of Satan.

For sin and error are but leaders under him, take to his use;

and so all mankind held captive of him at his pleasure. And

oh, the thraldom' and misery the poor soul is in, that is thus

held and hurried under the servitude of sin and Satan! The

Heathens' pistrinum, the Turkey galleys are nothing to it. If

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any have felt it he can understand me, and from the deep of

his heart will cry, " Turn our captivity, O Lord." ^* ^^®-^

Will ye then see this "captivity" turned away, and those that took us taken themselves? Look to His resurrection. Agnus Rev. 5. 12 . occistis est is true, like a lamb He died; but that was, respect had to His Father. To Him He was a lamb in all meekness, to satisfy His justice, and to pay Him the ransom for us and for our enlargement, Whose prisoners justly we were. That paid, and justice satisfied, the "hand- writing of the law that Col. 2. J4. was against us" was delivered Him, and He cancelled it. Then had He good right to us. But death, and "he that had Heb. 2. 14. the power of death, the devil," for all that would not let Him go, but detained Him still wrongfully. With them, the lamb would do no good; so He took the lion. Died a lamb, but rose a lion, and took on like a lion indeed; " broke up the gates of death," and made the gates of brass fly in sunder; trod on the serpent's head and all to 'bruised it; "came upon Lu. 11. 22. him,tookfromhimhis armour wherein he tmsted, and divided l^i^^f"" his spoils." So it is in the Gospel, so in this Psalm. Till He had right. He had no might, was a lamb. But He had no sooner right, but He made His might appear, was a lion; et Rev. 5. 5. vicit Leo de tribu Jvda, His right was seen in His death. His might in His resurrection.

Ye see them taken: now, will ye see them led? Of this victory, this here is the triumph. And if ye will see it more at large, ye may in the Prophet Osee; and out of him Hosea 13:14. in the Apostle, the first of Corinthians, the fifteenth chapter: l Cor. 15. death led captive without His sting; hell led as one that had ' lost the victory; "the strength of sin," the law, rent and fastenedto His cross, ensign -wise; the serpent's head bruised, borne before Him in triumph, as was Goliath's head by [iSam.ir. David returning from the victory. And this was His ^^J triumph.

So then, upon the matter here is a double captivity, a first, and a second. 1. A first, and in it capiivans they, and captivata we. 2. A second, and in it capiivans He, and captivata they. They took us and He took them. And this is the jubilee, that He That was overcome did overcome; and they that had overcome were overcome themselves. That capiivans is become captivafa^ and captivata is brought out of

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S ^^^' captivity and set at liberty. For the leading of this captivity

was the turning away of ours.

^^•g^*' The " five kings" took Sodom and carried Lot away prisoner. Comes me Abraham upon them, takes the five kings and Lot in their hands: so Lot and they both became

1—20 ^^' Abraham's captives. The Amalekites took Ziklag, David's town, his wives, children, and all his people. David makes after them, takes Amalek, and with them his own flock too; and so became master of both. So did the Son of Abraham, and the Son of David, in this captivity here.

For all the world as an English ship takes a Turkish galley, wherein are held many Christian captives at the oar. Both are taken, Turks and Christians; both become prisoners to the English ship. The poor souls in the galley, when they see the English ship hath the upper hand are glad, I dare say, so to be taken; they know it will turn to their good, and in the end to their letting go. So was it with us, we were the children of this captivity. They to whom we were captives, were taken captives themselves, and we with them. So both came into Christ's hands; they and we His prisoners both. But with a great difference. For they are carried in triumph to their confusion, as we see, and after condemned to perpetual prison and torments. And we, by this new captivity,

Kom. 8.21. rid of our old, and restored to the "liberty of the sons of God." So that in very deed this captivity fell out to prove our felicity; we had been quite undone, utterly perished, if we had not had the good hap thus to become Christ's prisoners.

It is not good simply to be taken captive; but thus it is. Vorfelix captivitas capi in honum; ' he is taken in a good hour that is taken for so great a good.' A happy captivity then may we say; indeed so happy as no man can be happy if he be not thus taken prisoner by Christ. It is the only way to enjoy true liberty. And this for this great " captivity" here led.

Other inferior captivities there be in this life, and those not lightly to be regarded neither. But this of mankind is the main; the rest all derived from this, and but pledges of it

[A.D.1588. We have lived to see, that Ascensor Coeli was Auxiliator noster^

the defeat and Ductor captivitatis nostras even this way.

of the jjj ^}jg ygg^j. 1588^ the Invincible navy had swallowed us up

of the Holy Ghost. 231

quick, and made fiill account to have led us all into captivity. We saw them led like a sort of poor captives round about this isle, sunk and cast away the most part of them, and the rest sent home again with shame. Eight years since they that had vowed the ruin of us all, and if that had been, the thraldom of this whole land; they were led captives in the literal sense, (we saw them) and brought to a wretched end before our eyes. So He That here did, still can, and still doth " lead captivity captive" for the good of His. Take these as remembrances here below, but look up beyond these to our great captivam duadsti here; and make this use of both, that we both these ways "being delivered out of the hands of our enemies," and Lu. i. 74, from the slavery of Satan, "might serve Him" Whose service is perfect freedom, " in righteousness and holiness before Him all the days of our life."

And this for the first point of ascendit injubilo — a principal part whereof was the releasing of captives — and so much for the triumph of His victory. Nor for the bounty of His triumph. In that. His valour, valour in leading captivity; in this His magnificence, magnificence in distributing His gifts.

Accepit dona. All this while, there hath been nothing but Scattering going up. Here now, there is something coming down, even ^^ ^ ' love with his handful of gifts, to bestow them on us — which is the second part; even His largess or bounty, as it were the running of the conduits with wine, or the casting abroad of His new coin among the lookers on, on this, the great and last day of the feast, the conclusion or shutting up of His triumph. This is the day of dona dedit in kind, and dona dedit the high honour of this feast. Always the height of His place, the glory of His triumph, makes Him not forget us, we see by this. He sends these for a token that He is still mindful of us.

Four points there be in it. 1. "Received," first; 2. then, " gifts;" 3. thirdly, " for men;" 4. and last, an enlargement of this last word men; for such men as of all men seemed least likely to get any of them, " even for His enemies."

"Received." The Prophet here saith, dona accepit; the Accepit, Apostle, he saith, dona dedit, and both true. Accepit et dedit, Eph.'4. 8, for accepit ut daret; *He did give what He received,' for *He

232 Of the Sending

S E R M. received to give,' So, what He received with one hand. He

— -— — gave with the other. For He received not for Himself, but for others; not to keep, but to part with them again. And part with them He did — ^witness this day, the day of the giving.

" Received" from whom? Whosoever the party was He received them from, He seems to stand well affected to us.

Job. 20. 17. It is the Father. And we see He said true of Him, "I go up to My Father, and to your Father," that is, yours as well a9 Mine. Which appeareth in His fatherly goodness, ready to part with them to us. Yet not immediately to us, but by Him to us; that seeing by Whose hands they come, we might know, know and acknowledge both, for Whose sake both He giveth and we receive them. We of Him, He of His Father; but for us, and for our use. 2, " Received gifts." Alas! poor captives never think of any;

■^"* Tantum libera nos, i$ all they say. * Free us only,' and we desire no more. This one gifk is enough, will richly content them, even the gifk of liberty we even now spake of. Enough for

Jas. 4. 6. them, but not enoughfor Him; "the Scripture offereth greater grace." He will let them go, but not let them go away empty; send them away rewarded, and not with one gift, but plurally, dona, with many. So many, as in the next verse He saith, they be even laden with them. And not give them again their former estate freely — the jubilee of the law; but a far better than that was, even in Heaven, which is far beyond the laws, and is indeed the jubilee of the Gospel.

To speak of these gifts in particular, one hour-glass will not serve, they be so many. To recapitulate dona in dono, all in one: it is the gift of gifts, the gift of the Holy Ghost, the

Job. 4. ]0. proper gift or missile of this day. O si scires donum Dei, saith our Saviour of it, if we but knew this gift! And God grant we may know it, that is, that we may receive it, for

Rev. 2. 17- then we shall, but otherwise we shall never know it; for nemo scit nisi qui acceperit, "but he that receiveth it, no man knoweth it."

But God it is, this gift. The text is direct; this giving is to the end "God may dwell with us." That cannot be, if He that is given were not God. So then man He carried up to Heaven, God He sent down to earth; our flesh is there with

of the Holy Ghost. 233

God, His Spirit here with \is. Felix captivitas we said before, feUas cambium may we now say: * a happy captivity' that, * a blessed exchange' for us this.

This is but one; it is expressed plurally — dona, many; there be many in it. It is as the ark of the covenant; the ark was not empty, no more is this. The two tables that teach the heart, the hidden manna that feedeth the soul, the censer that perfiimeth all our prayers, the rod which makes us do as itself did, of withered and dead to revive and flourish again. Great variety of gifts there are in it, and all are feathers of the dove mentioned in this Psalm, verse thir- [Ps. 68. teen; either the silver feathers of her wing, or the golden of ' *■' her neck, for all are from her. They are reduced all to two; 1. " The gifts," 2. " the fruits." " The gifts," known by the term i Cor. 12.4. gratis data; "the fruits," pertaining to gratumfaciens. But the Gal. 5. 22. ffratumfaciens being to every man for himself, the gratis data for the benefit of the Church in common; these latter are ever reckoned the proper, and most principal, dona dedit of this day. And indeed they are all in all. For by them are the scions planted, on which the other, the fruits, do grow.

And so it is. For what were the true and proper " gifts" this day sent down? were they not a few tongues? And Acts 2. 8. those tongues had heads, and those heads belonged to men, and those men were the Apostles. Upon the point, these " gifts" in the end vdll fall out to prove men; the gift ever leading us to the office, and the office to the persons by whom it is borne.

In the place where the Apostle comments upon this verse, Eph. 4. 8. and upon this word " gifts," ask him what the " gifts" be? He will tell us. Ipse dedit quosdam jipostolos^ "He gave some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists;" these were of the gifts. These three now are gone, their date is out. But in the same period, he puts pastors and doctors too; and them we have still, and they are all the remains that are now left of the dona dedit of this day. A point I wish to be well thought on; that for these gifts this feast is holden, that for these we keep this high holy-day.

What, and are these such goodly gifts? Yea "the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists," we grant, for we love to build sepulchres as well as the Pharisees; they must be dead, ere we

234 Of the Sending

S £ R M. esteem them. Oh, if we had lived in the Apostles^ days, we

VII.

would have made othergates ' account of them, that we would.

other man- We know how our fathers then did; we would even have done

^^^'^ the same. For those we have left, it is daily heard and seen how poor a rate we set on them. This we find: the Apostles themselves were fain to magnify their own apostleship and to say. Well, they hoped the day would come when their people's faith were as it should be, that they also should be eteemed

a Cor. 10. according to their " measure," that is, better than they were.

^^ So that they were undervalued. I will not say the same of

these, which are all that are now left of this dona dedit: that of these holy-day gifts there is but a working-day account. Yet these are they that daily do rescue men and women laden with sins, and so captives to Satan, from Satan's. captivity, and take them prisoners to Christ. These they, by whose means and ministry are wrought in us those impressions of grace, which we call " the fruits of the Spirit,** the price whereof is above all worldly gifts whatsoever. And if " God dwell among us," these be they by whose doctrine and exhortation we are edified, that is, framed and reared up a meet building for Him.

Truly, if we did but seriously think of Ipse dedit, Who gave ;

Acts 20. 28. of Spirittis Sanctus posuit, Who placed them; nay if but of the feast itself we hold, it would be better than it is; if not foi* theirs, for the very feast's sake. For why keep we it? For these dona dedit, plain. And how prize we them? I list not tell how meanly. This I say then: either esteem them otherwise, or what do we keeping it? Put down the feast, wipe the day of Pentecost out of the calendar, keep it no more hardly. Never keep so high a feast for so low a matter. But if we will keep it, make better reckoning of dona dedit hominihus than hitherto we have, or presently we do. 3. Now the parties for whom all these: Hominibus.

ffomim- jiscendit^ duxit„ dedit. all for hominibus^ " for men!" " For

men" He "ascended up on high;" "for men" He "led captivity;" " for men" He " received" these " gifts." They the cistern, into which all these three streams do flow. As God of God He received them, that as man to man He might deal them. I will tell you St. Paul's note upon this word, and indeed it is the only cause for which he there

of the Holy Ghost. 235

bringetli in this verse; the number — that it is hominibtiSyiiot homini. " To men," among them; to every one some, not to any one all. For no one man is hominibtis, and hominihus it is He deals them to. None so complete but he wants some; none so bare left that he wants all. A note, if well digested, which would cause this fastidious disdain to cease, we have one of another. " The spoils are divided to them of the ps. 08. 12 household," come not all to one man's hand; they be fiepia-fiol Heb. 2. 4. by proportion and measure,^ part and part. So that any man, though he wilnt this gift or that, have not all, if he have but some to do good and do good with that some, need not be dismayed. He is within the verge of Christ's bounty, of dona dedit hominibus.

The last is the enlargement of His largess of this clause in 4. the grant " For men?" yea, for some men, some special men, t„i^|^. may some say, such as Abraham and David, God's friends; but not for His enemies, nor for such as I. Yes; D**nD IK " even for His enemies," even for " His rebels," so is the nature of the word, even to them this day is He willing ot part with His gifts. " His enemies?" why the devils themselves are no more but so, but His enemies; what, for them? No; it is hominibuSy etiam inimicis^ it is not d(Bmonibtis; so they are out clear. But for men, though His enemies, there is hope in this clause. And O the bountifiilness of God, that there is hope even for them, that He so far enlargeth the gifts of His feast!

Will ye but hear His commission given about this point? This it is; that " remission of sins," the chief gift of all, " in ^^' 2^- ^'^ His Name be proclaimed to all nations." And all nations then, in a manner, were within the Apostle's cu7n inimici essemtts. But that is not it, but the last words that follow; that this proclamation should be made, " beginning at Jerusalem." At Jerusalem? why there all the injuries were done Him, all the indignities offered Him that could possibly be offered Him, that could possibly be offered by one enemy to another. Begin there? why the stones were yet moist with His blood so lately shed, so few days before as scarce dry at the proclamation time. Well yet, there begin: this is etiam inimicis indeed. Enough to shew He would have His enemies should be the better for this dsiy;/estum charitaiia this right.

236 Of the Sending

S K R M. And will ye now see this put in execution? This very

day, so soon as ever these gifts were come, St. Peter thus

tn^ ''• proclaims, that Holy and" Just One, ye have been the betrayers and murderers" of Him — that is inimicis, trow I, in the highest [Acts 2. degree. Well yet, " repent and be baptized, and your sins," '^ yea even that sin also, " shall be done away, and ye shall

receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." They that had laid Him fiiU low, past ever ascending as they thought, even they have their parts in His ascension. They that bound Him as prisoner. He looses their captivity. They that did damna dare to Him, He doth dona dare to them. All to shew, etiam inimids is no more than the truth; and what would we more? Then let no man despair of his part in these gifts, or say, I am shut out of the grant, I have so lived, so behaved myself never dwell with God, I. Why, what art thou? A captive? Nay, art thou an enemy? Why, if de hominilmsy etiam inimicis; if a man, though an enemy; this Scripture will reach him, if he put it not from him. The words are so plain; " for men, yea though His very enemies."

See then what difference is between the two feasts : the

Resurrection, the first verse of the Psalm, " Let God arise,

and let His enemies be scattered ;" that is, inimici damones^ or

Ps. 68. 1. men that put Him from them. But now at this, " Let God

arise, and let His enemies," that were, and would not be,

be gathered ; and let " those that hate Him," and now hate

themselves for it, fly unto Him. It is the feast of Pentecost

to-day. This is the day for etiam inimicis; to-day He hath

" gifts" even for them too. And thus much for the latter

part, and so for the whole triumph.

III. The end now why all this. Hominibtis, " for men, that

'*^th Tg d ^^^ ^^y dwell among men." God, that is the whole Trinity

might by this Person of it. Why? dwelt He not among men before?

among" ^® ^^^' ^ ^^ow not well whether it may be called dwelling,

men. but sure never so did before as since these gifts came from

Him.

1. Did not "dwell" (they call it visiting) then; went and not^isit. came, and that was all. But since He came to settle Him->

self, to take His residence, not to visit any longer, but even to " dwell among them."

2. Nor " among men" before, but among some men. He was

of the Holy Qkost 237

cooped up, as it were, notus in JudcBd Deus, and there was Among all. Since the " fulness of the Gentiles" is come in, Japhet j^^ ** into Shem's tents; all nations His neighbours are interested Ps. 76. i. in Him and His gifts alike. St. Paul upon this verse, "He [i^. n/ ascended," ut impleret omnia. Impleret His, omnia ours. ^^0 Filled with His gifts He, full all; that is, all the compass of the earth full of His fulness.

It is for love, even <f>i\ap0poi)'n'la, for His "love of men" that [Tit. 3. 4.] makes Him desire thus to "dwell" with us. This is evident by this captivitas soluta, and these dona distributay by this "captivity led," that is, by His fighting for it; by theiiie "gifts given," that is, by His bidding for it; that all this He doth and all this He gave, and all for no other end but this. So as, quid requirit [^i®. 6. 8.] Dominusf on His part, quid retribuam Domino f on ours; all [Ps. lie. is but this, ut habitet nobiscum Deus, that the true Ark of His Presence, His Holy Spirit, may find a place of rest with us.

What shall we do then? shall we not yield to Him thus Our duty, much, or rather thus little? If He have a mind to dwell in us, shall we refuse Him? It will be for our benefit; we shall find a good neighbour of Him. Shall we not then say, as they did to the Ark, "Arise, O Lord, into Thy resting- 2Chron.6. place?" ^^•

But first, two things would be done. 1. The place would To prepare be meet; 2. and the usage or entertainment according. For ^^ * the place, never look about for a soil where; the place are we ourselves. He must dwell in us if ever He dwell among us. In us I say, not beside us; na*3B^ is the word, and so it signifieth; sic inter noSy ut in nobis*

And if so, then locus and hcatum would be suitable. A dove He is: He will not come but ad tecta Candida, to no foul or sooty place. Ointment He is: poured He will not be but into a clean and sweet, not into a stinking or loathsome phial. To hold us to the word; God He is, and Holy is His title; so would His place be a holy place; and, for God, a Temple. You know who saith, Templum Dei estis vosy " Know i Cor. 8.16. ye not ye are the Temples of God, if He dwell in you?"

But it is not the place, though never so commodious, makes 3. one so willing to dwell, as doth the good usage or respect of t^^Him. those, in the midst of whom it is. Here will I dwell, for I have a delight, saith He, It would be such as to delight Him, Ps. 68. 16..

238 Of the Sending

S E B M. if it might be; but Buob as at no hand to griere Him. For ^^' then He is gone again; migretnus hine straight, and we force Him to it. For who would dwell where he cannot dwell but with continual grief?

And what is there will sooner grieve Him and make Him to quit us, than discord or disunion? Among divided men or minds He will not dwell. Not but where unity and love is. In vain we talk of the Spirit without these. Aaron's ointment and the dew of Hermon — ^both types of Him — ^ye know what

Ps. 188. 1. Psalm they belong to; it begins with habitarefr aires in unum.

Ps. 68. 6. It is in this Psalm before, ^' where men are of one mind in a house" — ^there He delights to be. This very day, they that received Him were ofioOvfiaSoVy *'with one accord in one place." That ofiodvfiaSop is the adverb of the feast. And the Apostle in his comment on this verse — no better way, saith he,

Ephesians 4:3. to preserve the " unity of the Spirit," or the Spirit of unity, choose you whether, than in the " bond of peace." To say

Ps. 120. 5. truth, who would be hired "to dwell inMesech" where nothing is but continual jars and quarrels? Such places, such men, are even as torrida zona, not habitable by the Spirit, by this Spirit. But for the other spirit, the spirit of division, they are; ut habitet d(Bmon inter eos, a fit place for the devil, to dwell among such. Think of this seriously, and set it down,

Ps. 76. 2. that "at Salem is His Tabernacle," and Salem is "peace," and

[Heb.7.2.] so the Fathers read it, in pace f actus est locus Ejus. Make Him that place and He will say. Here is my rest, " here will I dwell, for I have delight therein."

We said even now : to " dwell among us," He must dwell

[Gal. 5. * tis; and in us He will "dwell," if the fruits of His

*^-] Spirit be found in us. And of His fruits the very first is love.

And the fruit is as the tree is. For He Himself is love, the essential love, and love-knot of the undivided Trinity.

By the Now to work love, the undoubted both sign and means of

^^f^" His dwelling, what better way, or how sooner wrought, than by the sacrament of love, at the feast of love, upon the feastday of love; when Love descended with both His hands full of gifts, for very love, to take up His dwelling with us?

You shall observe: there* ever was and will be a near alliance betweenHis donadedithominibusy BxidHis donareUquit hominibus, "the gifts He sent" and ^the gifts He left us.' He

of the Hohf Qhost. 289

left us the gifts of His body and blood. His body broken, and full of the characters of love all over. His blood shed, every drop v^hereof is a great drop of love. To those which were sent, these which were left, love, joy, peace, have a special connatural reference, to breed and to maintain each other. His body the Spirit of strength. His blood the Spirit of comfort; both, the Spirit of love.

This Spirit, we said, we are to procure, that It may abide with us and be in us. And what is more intrinsical in us, abideth surer, groweth faster to us, than what we eat and drink? Then, if we could get " a spiritual meat," or get i Cor. 10. " to drink of the Spirit," there were no way to that. And ^' behold here they be. For here is " spiritual meat," that is breeding the Spirit; and here we are all made "drink of l Cor. 12. one Spirit," that there may be but one Spirit in us. And ' * we are all made "one bread and one body," kneaded together and pressedtogether into one — as the symbols are, the bread, and the wine — so many as are partakers of one bread and one cup, "the bread of life," and " the cup of blessing," the Joh. 6. 86. communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. And in figure i Cor. 10. of this, even King David dealt these two, "bread" and ^^' " wine," in a kind of resemblance to ours, when the Ark was l Chron. to be brought home and seated among them — the Ark in * * type. And we to do the same this day when the Ark in truth did come, and vsrill come to take up His rest in us.

Will ye now hear the end of all? By this means God shall "dwell with us" — the perfection of this life; and He dwelling with us, we shall dwell with Him — the last and highest perfection of the life to come. For vnth whom God dwelleth here, they shall dwell with Him there, certainly. Grace He doth give, that He may " dwell with us;" and glory He will give, that we may dwell with Him. So may He dwell, He with us: so may we dwell, we with Him, eternally. So the text comes about round. It began with an ascension, and it ends with one; began with Christ's, ends with ours. He ascended, that God might dwell with us; that, God dwelling with us, we might in the end ascend and dwell with God. He went up " on high," that the Spirit might come down to us below; and, that coming down, make us go the same way, and

240 Of the Sending of the Holy Ohast.

S £ B M. come to the same place that He is. Sent Him down to u&,

Where we shall no less truly than joyfully say; This is our rest for ever. To which rest, Ascensor coeli, Diictor captivitatiSf Largitor donorum, ^ He that is gone up to Heaven, the Leader of captivity, the Great Receiver and Giver of these gifts,' vouchsafe to bring us; that as this feast is the period of all the feasts of the year, so this text, and the end of it, to dwell with God, may be the end of us all; of our desires here, of our fruition there! Which, &c.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY, AT GREENWICH,

ON THE TWENTY-NINTH OP MAY, AJ). UDCZY. BEING WHIT-SUNDAY.

Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, and that Jesus also was baptized, and did pray, the heaven was opened,

And the Holy Ghost came down v/pon Him in a bodily shape like a dove, and there was a voice from Heaven, saying. Thou art My beloved Sbn, in Whom I am well pleased.

et orante, apertum est ccelum, Et descendit Spiritus Sanctus corporali specie sicut columba in Ipsum,

et vox de coda facta est, Tu es filius Mens dilectus, in Te complacui Mihi, Latin Vulg.]

[Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the Heaven was opened.

And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven, which said. Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased. Engl. Trans.]

This is the feast of the Holy Ghost. And here have we The feast in the text, a visible descending of the Holy Ghost. Gho^t. ^ ^

Another there was, besides this; but this hath the vantage Acts 2:1-4. of it, three ways: 1. the worthiness of the Person. Here, It cOTnipK descends upon Christ, Who alone is more worth than all down of those there. 2. The priority of time; this here was first, and ohost^ ^ that other, the Holy Ghost but at the second hand. 3. The ^°? generality of the good: that other was proper but to one DigrUus, calling, of the Apostles only. All are not Apostles; all are ^^JJU!"*

242 Of the Sending

S E R M. Christians. This of Christ's concerns all Christians; and so the more general by far.

T^ feast That it is of baptism, is no whit impertinent neither ; for

The bi^- this is the feast of baptism. There were " three thousand"

*^^ftr8t *^^^ ^^y baptized by the Apostles, the first Christians that

Christians, ever were. In memory of that baptism, the Church ever after

^^ ' ' held a solemn custom of baptizing at this feast. And many,

all the year, reserved themselves till then ; those except,

whom necessity did cause to make more haste.

The bap- But, upon the point, both baptisms fell upon this day.

of the That wherewith the Apostles themselves were baptized, of

41. So that, even this way, it is pertinent also.

Christ's To look into the text, there is no man but at the first blush

high mys- ^^^ Conceive there is some great matter in hand. 1. First, by

*!fjy- the opening of Heaven; for that opens not for a small pursence of pose : 2. then, by the solemn presence of so great Estates at

Tri^^^^^ it; for here is the whole Trinity in person. The Son in the

1. At the water, the Holy Ghost in the dove, the Father in the voice,

crea on. rj^^^ ^g^g neyej. g^ before, but once; never but twice in all,

in all the Bible. Once in the Old Testament, and once in the New. In the Old, at the creation, the beginning of Genesis 1:1-3. Genesis. There find we God, and the Word with God Christ's creating, and " the Spirit of God moving upon the face of Christen- the waters." And now here again, at Christ's christening in '''^* the New.

Exodus 37:7-9. The faces of the Cherubiras are one toward the other; that

new crea- is, there is a mutual correspondence between these two.

^' . ,^ That was at the creation; this, a creation too: " if any be in

Christ, he is a new creature" of this new creation. That was

That, a the genesis, that is, " the generation" of the world ; this, the

of God. And better not born at all, than not so bom again.

This then, being every way as great, (indeed, the greater

of the twain,) meet it was, they all should present themselves

at this, no less than at that ; and every one have his part in

The com- {f^ ^g ^rg ggg tjjey have. All, I say, seeing the commission

for us. for baptism was to run in all their names, and itself ever to

Mat.28.l9. i^g ministered accordingly.

cation of

of the Holy Ghost. 243

To lay forth the members of the division. A double The dibaptism we have here; double for the parties, and double l Cast's. for the parts. 2. The

For the parties; we have here two parties. First the Christ's people. Then Christ. ^^ ^f

For the parts; we have here two parts. For this first, In water, both of Christ and the people, was but John's baptism, was hqIj^ but baptismus fluminis^ as they call it, ' water-baptism.' But Ghost. there is another part besides to be had, even baptismtis Flaminisy * the baptism of the Holy Ghost.'

That second part is set down in a sequel of four :

1. For first, after John's baptism, Christ prays. 2. Then, after His prayer. Heaven opens. 3. After Heaven open, the Holy Ohost descends. 4. Lastly, after His descent, comes the voice. And these four make up the other part, and both together a full baptism.

Of these then in order. I. Of the people's baptism. H. Of I. Christ's baptism. Christ's 1. by water, and then 2. by the Holy Ghost. In which, the four: 1. Christ's prayer, 2. Heaven open, 3. the Dove, and 4. the voice.

" It came to pass, that when," &c. Twd baptisms we have 1here: 1. the people's first. 2. Then Christ's. How it should pie's bap- come to pass the people should be baptized, we see good ^^^' reason; but not how it should come to pass that Christ also. The people, they came "confessing their sins," and so needed Mat. 8. 6. " the baptism of repentance:" — so was John's baptism. For i

For their

sins.

ears" in their sins, in " many foolish and noisome lusts,

which drown men in perdition," tanquam stis a volutabro, 2 Pet 2. 22.

they had need to be washed from the wallow of their sin

they had long lain in.

And not only for their sin: even their righteousness, take For their

it at the best, even that was not so clean but it needs come ^^^ righteousness. to baptism; utpote stillantes quotidie super telamjustitia saniem In quanm

ping every other while upon the web of those few good works

we do, such stuff,' the Prophet resembles it to so homely a

thing as I list not tell you what it is; but it is pannus men- Isa. 64. 6.

struatusy English it who will. Reason then, for the people;

244 Of the Sending

S K R M. and not only for fax populi^ but e\en flos poptdi^ to be bap- '■ — tized. It migbt well " come to pass," that.

The peo- Yea reason, that even they who of all the rest seem least to

dren's need it, the people's children, dpnyevvrjra fip€<f)r)^ the poor

^>^*f^' o " new-bom babes." For being " conceived of unclean seed,''

Job 14. 4. — Job; and warmed in a sinful womb — David; at their

Ezek 16 6.^^^^^^' "polluted" no less in sin, than "in their blood" —

Job 14. 4. Ezekiel; there is not infans unius diet super terram^ as the

Seventy read it, "not a child a day old" but needs baptismus

lavacriy if it be but for baptismus uteri ; ' the baptism of the

Church, if it be but for the baptism it had in the womb.'

Let the people then be baptized in God's name ; good and

n* bad, men and children and all.

baptism. '^^^ 9^^ facitis baptizantes Jesum? as Bernard asks at

It may jjig circumcision. Quid facitis circumcidentes Puerum hunc?

seem ...

Christ was * What do you circumcising Him,' in Whom nothing superflubapdzed^ ous? So here. What do you baptizing Him, in Whom nothing [S. Bern, unclean? WTiat should He do being baptized I How comes m Circum. ^y^^^ ^^ pass? Go wash your spotted lambs, and spare not; Serm.8 3.] this Lamb is "immaculate," hath not the least spot upon Him. 2 Cor. 5.21. it is Paul; "neither did, nor knew sin," He hath none to ' repent of: what should He do at the " baptism of repentance?"

One might well ask, ^Vhy did not the Baptist repel Him

Mat. 3. 14. finally? Not say; " I have need to be baptized of Thee,"

that is, Thou hast no need to be baptized of me — that was

too faint, that was not enough ; but, Thoii hast no need to

be baptized at all. Yea, one might well ask the water, with

rs.']i4. 5. the Psalmist, "Why it fled not, and Jordan, why it was not

driven back," at this baptism? Yet Christ Yet the verse is plain; that with the people, Christ also

was bap- i ^- i

tized. ^^^^ baptized.

How came this to pass? Why baptized? Why with the people? It may Was it this? though He needed it not, yet for exemplum

veryhu- dedi vobis He would condescend to it, to give all a good miUty. example of humility; as He did at His Maundy ^ when He Sparrow's washed His Disciples' feet?

of the Holy Ohost. 245

as at His circumcision, to take on Him the brand of a malefactor, so here to submit Himself to the washing proper to sinners only. 2. Then again, not to take it alone, but to take it at the hands of one so far inferior to Him, as he reckoned not himself worthy to stoop and "unloose His shoe- Lu. 3. 16. latchet." 3. Again, that not baptized only, but baptized with the people. Not, St. John come and baptize Him at home; but with the multitude, the meanest of them — ^they and He together. And when? Not upon a day by Himself, but when they. And where? not in a basin by Himself, but even in the common river, with the rest of the many. When and where they, then and there He.

This sure was great humility, and to it we well might, and Not of hugladly we would ascribe it, but that Himself will not let us so S justice! do. For when the Baptist strained courtesy at it. He bade ^**' ^' ^^* let be, " Thus it behoved" implere omnemjtistitiam. Jtistitiam — ^mark that, no courtesy, but "justice;" He makes a matter of justice of it, as if justice should not have been done, at least not " all justice," if He had not been baptized.

Why, what justice had been broken? what piece of it, if The jus- He had not? To shew you how this comes to pass, we are to chri^ two consider Christ as having two capacities, as they term them, ways con- So are we to consider Him — the second Adam; for so do we i cor. 15. the first Adam, as a person of himself, and as the author of a ^^* race, or head of a society. And even so do we Christ; either as totum integrale, 'a person entire' — they call it a body natural, or as pars communitatis, which they call a body politic, in conjunction and with reference to others; which others are His Church, which " Church is His body." They Ephesians 1:22, His body, and He their head — so told us often by the Apostle. ' And as by Himself considered He is Unigenittcsj "the Only- Joh.8. 16. begotten," hath never a brother; so as together with the people. He is Primogenitus inter multos^ "the First-begotten Rom. 8. 29. among many brethren."

To apply this to our purpose. Take Christ by Himself, as Not, as by severed from us, and no reason in the world to baptize Him. from ua.' He needed it not. Needed it not? Nay, take Him so, Jordan had more need come to Him, than He to Jordan, to be cleansed. Lavit aquas Ipse, non aqute Ipsuniy Hhe waters were baptized by Him, they baptized Him not;' He went

246 Of the Sending

ehorato. might by Him first be cleansed.' It is certain; so He re- DM^ceph. ceived no cleanness, no virtue, but virtue He gave to Jordan,

to the waters, to the Sacrament itself.

Butaspart But then, take Him the other way as in conjunction cttm

body with P^^^y they and He one body, and the case is altered. For

us* if He be so cum populo, with them, as He be one of them, as

He be a part of a body with them, a principal part I grant,

yet part though, reason would He do as they do, part and

Heb. 2. 14. part alike. " Inasmuch," saith the Apostle, "as the children

were partakers of flesh and blood, He also took part with

them.^ And so, inasmuch as they baptized. He also took

such part as they, both went to baptism together. For, ut

pars toti congrua, a kind of justice there is in it they should

Not only B^t if ^^ look a little farther, then shall we find ereater

with us, reason yet. A part He is, and parts there be that in some

but as for qq^^q undertake for the whole ; as the arm, to be let blood for

all the body. And " it came to pass," that such a part He

was; He undertook for us. For in His baptism He put us

Gal. 8. 27. on, as we "put Him on," in ours. Take Him then, not only as

cum populoy but as pro populo ; not only as nobiscumy but as

Isa. 53, 6. pro nobis; put Him in the case the Prophet doiiij Posuit

transgressions of us all ;" put Him as the Apostle puts Him,

2 Cor. 6.21. JFactus est peccatum pro nobis, " make Him sin for us," put all

our sins upon Him ; and then it will come to pass, He will

need baptizing, He will need that for me and thee that for

Himself He needed not, and baptism in that case may well

be ministered unto Him.

To wash Nay then, as in another case the Prophet saith, that all

sins. Lebanon was little enough to find wood for a sacrifice; so

Isa. 40. 16. may we in this, that all Jordan is little enough to find water

to His baptism. A whole riveir too little, in that case. For

being first baptized, as I may say, in so many millions of sins

of so many millions of sinners, in so foul a puddle ; well

might He then be baptized, if it were but to wash away that

His former foul baptism. Well might it come to pass then.

One only scruple remains, how Jordan or any water could

of the Holy Ghost. 247

do this, wash away sm. To clear it shortly; the truth is, it What bap

a wai * sins

eould not. It is no water-work, without somewhat put to it, ^^ ^

to help it scour. But nothing on earth; not, if you put to offit " nitre," "much soap," "fullers'-earth," " the herb borith," job 9. so.* say the Prophets, all will not do, it will not off so. There- 1^' ^- ^^* fore, this of His in Jordan did not, could not do the feat, Vulg.] otherwise than in the virtue of another to follow. For, after this was past. He spake of another " baptism He was to be Lu. 12. 50. baptized with." And that was it indeed; that, " the fountain Zech. 18. l. that was opened to the house of Israel, for sin and for uncleanness;" that wsls baptismus sanguinis, "For without blood," Heb.9.22. without the mixture of that, " there is no doing away sin."

And so was He baptized. And He had trinam mersionem; But the 1. one in " Gethsemane," 2. one in " Gabbatha," 3. and athird \^^^l^ in " Golgotha." In " Gethsemane," in His sweat of blood. Mat.26.36. In " Gabbatha," in the blood that came from the scourges ° * ^ • • and thorns; and in " Golgotha," that which came from the Markl5i22. nails and the spear. Specially, the spear. There, met the two streams of " water and blood," the true Jordan, the bath joh. 19.84. or laver, wherein we are purged " from all our sins." No sin ijohni.7. of so deep a dye but this will command it, and fetch it out. This in Jordan, here now, was but an undertaking of that then; and in virtue of that, doth all our water-baptism work. And therefore are we baptized into it: not into His waterbaptism, but into His cross-baptism; not into His baptism, but into His death. " So many as are baptized, are baptized -s^j^, e. 8. into His death" — it is the Apostle.

To take our leave of this point. This may be said: if it Our duly be justice, that Christ come to baptism, much more that the n^^t' people. And how then comes it to pass that there is such baptism, sacrilegious pride in some of the people, that, as if no such thing were, set so light by it as they do? and that not John's, as this was, but Christ's own baptism? Be sure of this, if Christ thus did, to countenance and credit John's baptism j^^^ 7^ 30. because it was the ordinance of God, much more His mind is to give countenance, and to have countenance given, to His own, which is God's ordinance, of a far higher nature.

And if the Lord thought not much to come to the baptism of His servant. He will think much if the servant come not to the baptism of his Lord. This of His then is but a

248 Of the Sending

S £ B M. lesson to us, to invite us thereto; and we take it as the voice Acta 22 16 *^** spake to St. Paul, Et nunc quid moraris f Surge, ahlue peccata iua; " And now whj stay you?" why protract you the time? " Up, wash away your sins," with all the speed you may. For, if when the people was baptized, Christ was so, much more strongly it holds, when Christ Himself is so, that then the people should and ought to be baptized. The se- Now Christ is baptized. And no sooner is He so, but He

of Christ's falls to His prayers. Indigentia mater orationis, we say, baptdsm. < want begets prayer.' Therefore, yet there wants somewhat. A part, and that a chief part of baptism, is still behind, i. There goes more to baptism, if it be as it should be, than

prayer for bctptismusjluminis; yea, I may boldly say, there goes more to somewhat w jf it be as it should, than haptismus sanguinis. Christ

yet want- .

ing. " came in water and blood, not in water only, but in water

For the^' and blood" — that is not enough, except" the Spirit also bear baptism of witness." So baptismtis Flaminis is to come too. There is 4ho8t? ^ to be a Trinity beneatH^, 1. water, 2. blood, and 3. the Spirit, 1 Joh. 6. to answer to That above; but the Spirit's baptism coming too, Deu 19.16. ^ ^^ mouth of all three all is made sure, all established

throughly. This is it He prays for as man. The bap- For the baptism of blood that was due to every one of us, blood we 8.nd each of us to have been baptized in his own blood, to are quit of. have had three such immersions; that hath Christ quit us of. When He was asked by the Prophet, " how His robes came so red?" He says, " He had been in the winepress." But l8a.63.2,3. there He had been, and that He had trod, alone; et vir de gentihus non fuit Mecum, " and not one of the people with Him," none but He there, in that; spares us in that. But not But the other two parts He sets down* precisely to Nico-

^^*ter or of demus,and in him to us all: 1. water, 2. and the Holy Ghost, the Holy Nowthe Holy Ghost we yet lack. SodothSt.Paul — "baptized lCor.10.2. part, by " the cloud" the celestialpart of baptism. Now thatof lPet.8.21. |.jje cloud we have not yet. So doth St. Peter — " the doing away the soil of the flesh," that Jordan can do; but that wherewith the conscience, or soul, should be presented before God, that is still wanting. And the baptism of the body, is but the body of baptism; the soul of baptism, is the baptism of the soul. Of the soul, with the blood of Christ, by the

of the Holy Ghost. 249

hand of the Holy Ghost, as of the body with water, by the

hand of the Baptist; without which it is but a naked, a poor, Gal. 4. 9.

and a dead element.

St. Paul tells us, that besides the circumcision that was the manufacture,there was another "made without hands." There Col. 2. 11, is so, in baptism, besides the hand seen that casts on the water; the virtue of the Holy Ghost is there, working "without hands" what here was wrought.

And for this Christ prays; that then it might, might then, Christ's and might ever, be joined to that of the water. Not in His the Holy baptism only, but in the people's; and as He afterwards ^^o^t. enlarges His prayer, in all others' that "should ever after Joh. 17. 20. believe in His name." That what in His here was, in all theirs might be; what in this first, in all following; what in Christ's, in all Christians' : Heaven might open, the Holy Ghost come down, the Father be pleased to say over the same words, toties quoties, so oft as any Christian man's child is brought to his baptism. Christ hath prayed now.

See the force of His prayer. Before it, Heaven was mured ^, ^' up, no dove to be seen, no voice to be heard — altum silentium, ing of

But straight upon it, as if they had but waited the last word ®^^®^* of His prayer, all of them follow immediately.

Heaven opens first. For if when the lower heaven was Lu. 4. 25.

shut three years, Elias was able with his prayer to open it — is. ' it is our Saviour, in the next chapter following — and bring f o^ the down rain; the prayer of Christ, Who is more of might than down the many such as Elias, shall it not be much more of force, ^^*®^^ to enter the Heaven of heavens, the highest of them all, and Heavens, to bring down thence the waters above the heavens, even the heavenly graces of the Holy Spirit?

For so, when our Saviour cried, " If any be athirst let him Joh.7.87-9. come unto Me, and I will give him of the waters of life." " This," saith St. John, " He spake of the Spirit." For the Spirit and His graces are very super-celestial waters; one drop whereof, issued into the waters of Jordan, will give them an admirable power to pierce even into the innermost parts of the soul, and to baptize it; that is, not only take out the stains of it and make it clean, but further, give it tincture, lustre, or gloss: for so is baptism properly, of ^SaTrro), taken Kev. 7. 14.

250 Of the Sending

S £ R M. from the dyer^s fat, and is a dyeing or giving a fresh colour, '— and not a bare washing only.

2. To 8hew Always, the opening of Heaven opens unto us, that no is from baptism without Heaven open ; and so that baptism is de ccelo^ ^^^1^\ non ah hominibus. "from Heaven, not of men." So was it here. By a door so it is to be holden for ever. 2. And "from Heaven;" not ^^^* clanculum, as Prometheus is said to get his fire, but ave^x^V^^h

orderly, by a fair door set open, in the view of much people;

for all that were present saw the impression in the sky. Bev. 4. 1. Which door was not mured up again; for we find it still open. To shew and we find that the keys were made and given of it, after ^ iJK^* this. 3. And all this, that there might not only be a passage for Heaven, these down, but for us up. For Heaven-gate, ab Iwc exemplOy

doth ever open at baptism; in sign, he that new cometh from

"nothing defiled can enter there."

^' Out of Heaven now open somewhat is seen, and somewhat

Heaven heard. 1. Seen: a dove descend — ^the apparition. 2. Heard:

^^* Tu es Filizts Metis — the voice. Under one, the testimony visus

Fs. 48. 8. et vocisy ' of hearing and sight' both: that sicut aicdivimtis sic

et vidimus, that " as we see we hear ;" and back again, as we

hear, see; which is as much as can be to make full faith.

Theap- 1. The apparition. Wherein the points are six: 1. "The

if" T^ Holy Ghost." First, that Person; for the Person by Whom

Holy Christ was conceived, by the same it was most convenient

Christians should also be. But to go higher: the Person That

was author of genesis "the generation," meetest to be Author

likewise of "regeneration." The same Person, and in the same

element — the element whereof all were made, and wherewith

2Pet. 3.5,6. all were destroyed after; that with the same all should be

saved again, the water itself now becoming the Ark — the

1 Pet. 3.20, drowning water, the saving ark, as St. Peter noteth. That

^^' as then by His moving on the waters He put into them a life

Joh. 3. 6. and heat to bring forth, so now by His coming down upon

Tit. 8. 6. them, He should impregnate them to a better birth. That as

Symbol. His title is, the Lord and Giver of life, He might be the Giver

of true life, that is, eternal life, whereto this life of ours is but

a passage of entry, and not otherwise to be accounted of.

Nicen,

of the Holy Ghost, 251

2. " The Holy Ghost came down;" that is to say, in His 2. " Came sign or symbol, the dove. Otherwise, the Spirit of God °^^* neither goes up nor comes down, It is every where, beneath Ps. 139. 7. as well as above ; but by a familiar phrase in Scripture, what the dove did that represented Him, that is He said to do.

8. " Came down upon Him:" which is a degree yet fiui;her 8. " Upon than in Genesis, There He did but "move or flutter over the Qen. l. a. waters" — enough for that effect then: here He cometh nearer, lights and abides upon Him ; which argues a greater work in Joh. l. 88. hand. And which argues too, a greater familiarity to grow between the Spirit and our nature ; for a bird, we know, is familiar, when it doth so light upon one, and stay too. But all this He doth, not to make Him to be aught, but to shew Him only to be. Upon us when He comes, it is to confer something. Not so upon Him: from the first minute of His Conception, He had the Spirit without measure. To confer Joh. 3. 84. nothing; only to declare that this was He That to John's water-baptism should have power to add the Holy Ghost, and so make it His own for ever after.

4. " Upon Him in a bodily shape." For His coming being 4. "In a to bear witness to John and to all, that this was He ; conve- ghape." nient it was He should appear, and so have "a bodily shape," Lu. 3. 22. to come into the face of the court, and there to be seen and taken notice of, as witnesses use to be. And one end it was,

why His baptism was set at the time when all the people's was; that so all the people might see, and so take notice of the Holy Ghost, and indeed of the whole Trinity.

5. What shape then ? of what creature ? All things quick 5. In the

in motion, as angels, as the wind, whereto He is elsewhere fo^f, compared, are set forth with "wings" — "the wings of the^^-^^"^^* wind." Of one with wings then, as most apt to express the joh. 8. 8. swiftness of His operation in all His works; but specially ^^* ^®* * in this. None of the other kind of creatures, though never so light of foot, can sufficiently set forth the quickness of His working. He goes not. He flies. He; nescit tarda molimina: that He doth. He is not long in doing; therefore, in specie volatilisy 'in the shape of a thing flying.'

6. And among those of that kind, in the shape of" a dove," 6- *'! the as fittest for the purpose in hand. Not so much for that it is dove." noted to love the " waters" well, specially clear waters, as these ^^** ^- ^^'

252 Of the Sending

S £ R M. now be after Christ hath purified them. That is not all; but

'. — indeed special choice is made of it, to set forth to us the

nature and properties of the Holy Ghost, which have many ways resemblance with those of this creature. 1. And I will not go to Pliny for them, nor to any heathen

dtfve writer of them all. For the word of God, the word of God

Gen. 8. 11. branch in her bill, a sign of peace — "peace," which is the very R^.8. 23. first fruits of the Spirit." It is TertuUian's note this; that as ' after the deluge, the world's baptism as it were, the first messenger of peace was the dove, so is it here again just: after Christ's baptism, the deluge or drowning of that which indeed drowned the world, that is, of sin, the very same apparition of the dove, and with another manner of peace than that; but with peace in both.

Jer. 12. 9. ^^^^^ columbinus, white as a dove, not" speckled" as a bird of Solomon's, divers colours. And to the same effect, Solomon's spouse for Cant. I. is! the eye; three several times there said to have ocultts colum- 4. 1. 5. 12. harum^^' eyes single and direct as a dove," not leering as a fox, and looking divers ways. Oculos columbinos, not vulpifws.

3. Esay's 3. Then Esay's dove, for the \oice , gemebat utcolumba;

dove

for the ii^ patience mourning, not in impatience murmuring or T°^%8 14 ^^P^^^^^S? f^^ carmen amatorium^ her voice. And no other

voice to be heard from the first Church. Now they are

ashamed of that voice; it is not gemebant tit columb<By but Js&. 69. M. rugiebant ut ursi; to groan they begin like bears, but not

mourn any more like doves. No such voice to be heard now,

that put to silence.

4. Christ's 4 And last, our Saviour Christ's own, that is, innocent as

bill and doves; " harmless," both for bill and claw, not bloody or mis- Mai 10 16 chievous. Who ever heard of a dove that drew blood, or did

any mischief to any? The pro- Now, quolis species, talis Spiritus, * such as the shape was, Sbe Spirit, such is the Spirit;' and these all four properties of it in the ^®- Holy Ghost. 1. He a Spirit That loves 6/jLodvfjLaBbv, men " of

Wis. 1.6. one accord" — as was seen this day. 2. Et Qui fugitjictum^

cannot abide these new tricks, mere fictions indeed, feigned

of the Holy Ghost, 253

by feigned Christians ; party propositions, half in the mouth

and half in the mind. 3. And when He speaketh, "speaketh Rom.8.ae.

for us with sighs not to be expressed," — such is His love, and

so earnest. 4. And hurts none, not when He is a dove, as

here; no, not when He was fire, but innoxitis ignis even then. Acts 2. 3.

2. And as these in the Spirit That came down, so the very The like same in Christ, upon Whom He came down. • The Spirit a ^©re in dove, and Christ "a lamb" — like natured both: what the one 9^*-

in the kind of beasts, the other in the kind of fowls; that

we may see the Holy Ghost lighted right. Super quern f

" Upon whom shall my Spirit rest?" saith God, in Esay;

and He answers, super humilem, " on the humble and meek." Isa. 67. 15.

"of Me," saith Christ, for I am both, and a Master professed

in them both. 2. The Spirit of the olive-branch, that is peace,

on Him. For Ipse est pax nostra, "He is our peace." 3. The Ephesians 2:14.

Spirit That loves omnijictione carentes, that is, all that hate

equivocations, on Him; for "never was there guile found in i Pet. 2.22.

His mouth." 4. And lastly, the harmless Spirit on Him;

for He was so too, would "not break a bruised reed," He, Mat. 12.20.

" nor quench flax, though it did but smoke." Do no hurt

at all.

3. Thirdly, what He is in Himself; and what He is, on The like Whom He descended, that, the very same, such for all the ^^^in^^ world, doth He make His Church, homogenea cum homogeneis, Christians. like nature, like properties, per omnia. And it is not so much, all this, to shew His nature, as to shew His operation;

nor what He found in Christ, as what He works in Christians; qud animd animet, quos spiritus spiret, ' what soul He puts into them, what manner spirit He makes them of,' that He even endues them with these qualities of the bird whose shape He made choice of to present Himself in. Qud specie in Him, shews quo spiritu in us. To wit, it makes them peaceable, to love singleness in meaning, speaking and dealing, to suffer harm, but to do none.

Peace, sincerity, patience, and innocency, these be the Ps. 68. 13. " silver feathers" of this Dove; they be virtues, and which is more, virtutes haptismales^ ' the very virtues of our baptism,' no Christian to be without them; to be found in all, where humidum radicale of baptism is not clean dried up.

254 Of the Sending

S E R M. The Holy Ghost is a Dove, and He makes Christ's Spouse,

VTTT

!— the Church, a Dove; a term so oft iterate in the Canticles,

Chiurch a ^"^ ^^ much Stood on by Saint Augustine and the Fathers, as dove. they make no question. No Dove, no Church. Yea, let me 5*^ 5 '12' add this: St. Peter, when the keys were promised, never ®- ^ but then, but then I know not how, he is called by a new

Mat.16.17. name, and never but there, "Bar-jona," that is, i^i^t^ columha. But so he must be, if ever he will have them. And his successors, if they claim by any other fowl, painted keys they may have, true keys they have none. For sure I am, extra Columbamy out of that Church, that is, such and so qualified, Joh.20.22, non est Columba, there is no Holy Ghost, and so no remission of sins. For they go together, "Receive the Holy Ghost, whose sins ye remit, they are remitted." They that And what shall we say then to them that will be Christians,

Church no ^^* ^^^Y ^llj ^^^ 7®* have nihil columb€By nothing in them dove. Qf ^Q dove; quit these qualities quite, neither bill, nor eye, nor voice, nor colour; what shall we say? This, that Jesuits they may be, but Christians, sure, they are none. No dove's eye, fox-eyed they; not silver-white feathers, but partycoloured; no gemittcs cohimhiSy but rugitus ursi; not the bill or foot of a dove, but the beak and claws of a vulture; no Judg. 9. spirit of the olive-branch, but the spirit of the bramble, from

whose root went out fire to set all the forest on a flame. A chasmg Ye may see what they are, they even seek and do all that this dove, in them lies to chase away this Dove, the Holy Ghost. The Dove, they tell us, that was for the baby-Church, for them to be humble and meek, suffer and mourn like a dove. Now, as if with Montanus they had yet Paracletum alium, ' another Holy Ghost' to look for, in another shape, of another fashion quite, with other qualities, they hold these be no qualities for Christians now. Were indeed, they grant, for the baby- Acts 2. 41. Christians, for the "three thousand" first Christians, this day; pooTvnenthey did Sillinsimplicitate cordis. And so too in Pliny's time: harmless people they were, the Christians, ashe writes, did nobody hurt. And so to TertuUian's, who tells plainly what hurt they could have done, and yet would do none. And so all along the primitive Churches, even down to Gregory, who in any wise would have no hand in any man's blood. But the date of these meek and patient Christians is

of the Holy Ghost. 255

worn out, long since expired; and now we must have Christians of a new edition, of another, a new-fashioned Holy Ghost's making; Gregory the Seventh, St. Gregory the Seventh forsooth, who indeed was the first that, instead of the Dove, hatched this new misshapen Holy Ghost, and sent him into the world.

For do they not begin to tell us in good earnest, and speak it in such assemblies and places as we must take it for their tenet, that they are simple men that think Christians were to continue so still; they were to be so but for a time, till their beaks and talons were grown, till their strength was come to them, and they able to make their party good; and then this dove here might take her wings, fly whither she would, "and take her ease;" then a new Holy Ghost to come down upon Ps. 55. 6. them that would not take it as the other did, but take arms, depose, deprive, blow up; instead of an olive-branch, have a match-light in her beak or a bloody knife.

Methinks, if this world go on, it will grow a question A calling problematic, in what shape it was most convenient for the J?^ of^^s Holy Ghost to have come down? Whether as He did, in shape of a the Ddeek shape of a dove? or whether, it had not been much better He had come in some other shape, in the shape of the Roman eagle, or of some other fierce fowl de vulturino genere?

Sure, one of the two they must do; either call us down a new-fashioned Holy Ghost, and institute a new baptism — and if both these new, I see not why not a new Christ too — or else, make a strange metamorphosis of the old; clap Him on a crooked beak, and stick Him full of eagle's feathers, and force Him to do contrary to that He was wont, and to that His nature is.

But lying men may change — may, and do; but the Holy Ghost is umLS idemque Spiritus, saith the Apostle, changes lCor.12.4. not, casts not His bill, moults not His feathers. His qualities at the first do last still, and still shall last to the end, and no other notes of a true Christian, but they.

It is rather like to prove true that Samuel long since said, A re- " Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft;" for witches, they say, of this begin, are initiated, with renouncing of their baptism. And 5*|^^™Jg sure, these prick prettily towards it; for, say what they will, 23.

256 O/the Sending

S E R M. they be in the way to it, when they plainly disclaim and renounce His qualities That was the author of it. For tihese

baptismal virtues, they that take them away do what in them lieth to take away Holy Ghost, and baptism, and all.

I know they will fly to the fire of this day and say. He came in another shape. True, but for another purpose. It was to make Apostles, that; not Christians, as this here. Christians are made in a cooler element; and we have no Apostles to make now. God send us to make good Christians, to yield no worse souls to God than this dove here did so many hundred years together, till new Jesuits came up, and old Jesuits went down.

But, give them their fire, it will do them small pleasure, it will not light them a match, nor give fire to their train.

Acts 2. 8. When it came, that, it did no hurt; " it sat upon them all," but not so much as singed any one of them. Let them shew this fire ever blew up any. True, it gave them courage — they needed it, they were to undertake the whole world — ^but

Acts 6. 29. within the bounds of modesty, still " we ought to obey God rather than man;" not in saucy and traitorous terms, of old

lsa.59.11. hats or rotten Jigs, Non est vox columbce hcec — rtigittis ursi, rather.

In a word, this was none of Elias' fire ; ^nd you remember,

Lu. 9. 64, they that harped upon that string, Who said to them, "You

**• know not what spirit you are of;" not, what shape appeared

Gen. 8. 7. at your baptism; not Noah's " raven," that delights in dead carcases, but his dove. That shape came down upon Christ; the same comes down upon all that are baptized with His baptism, and are inspired with the same Spirit That He was. This for the apparition. 4. Now to the voice. Accedit verhum ad elemenium. The

the voice, that speaks plainly, and declares what is done for us in our baptism. The dove, what the Spirit makes us; the voice, from whom the Father takes us.

We saw Christ's humility before, in yielding to be baptized. This heavenly oracle here pronounced of Him, is in a sort a reward for His former humility. There He was among a rabble of sinners, even in the midst of them. One, that had seen Him so, would have taken Him for none other. This

of the Hohj Ghost. 257

doTe, and this voice from Heaven, testifying so great things of Him — ^no sinner, no servant, but the very Son of God, His love. His joy, the in QtiOf for Whom we all fare the better — this so honourable an elogy makes full amends for that. He' lost nothing by His humility. No more did the Baptist, by his nan sum dignus neither. That hand which he held not worthy to touch His shoe, was dignified to touch His head, and to pour water on it. Thus they both of them fulfilled righteousness, and both of them had a glorious reward for it.

But first mark. . Till the Spirit is come, the voice comes l. not: all depends on this day's work, the Holy Ghost's coming, jg^j He is the medius terminus^ between Christ in Jordan and the Ghost's Father in Heaven. He it is That makes the Father speak, then the Zw, that is, Tu super Quern Spiritus, Tu es Filius, " Thou," ^^^®®' that is, " Thou, on Whom the Spirit in this shape comes [Joh.1.83.] down, Thou art My Son:" that to go before. So was it in Genesis. " The Spirit moved upon the face of the waters," Gen, 1.2,8. and then et dixit Deus; but no disAt Deus before the Spirit be there first.

Then, that non propter Me vox isia, as Christ elsewhere. 3- . saith, " This voice came not for Him," but for us- Spoken not for ' to Him indeed, but to Him, not in His own, but sustaining Christ, but our persons. It were fond to imagine otherwise, that this Joh. 12. 30. voice, or any of the rest, He needed for Himself. Either to have Heaven opened to Him; — it was no time shut. Or the Holy Ghost come down to Him: as God, the Holy Ghost proceeded from Him; as man. He proceeded from the Holy Ghost, they never parted company. Least of all the voice, Tu es Filius; who knew not that? It was said and sung long before, in the Psalm, "Thou art My Son." So all were Ps. 2, 7. for us, voice and all. Indeed, His whole baptism is not so much His as ours.

The meaning is, " Thou," Christ, in their persons, art this. The " Thou art;" and for Thy sake, all that are in Thee, all that ^Tbou art by baptism have put Thee on, all and every of them are to q^^q'^oL Me, as Thou Thyself art; Jilii^ dilecti^ complacentes.

Will ye see what is in them ? Injilii first.

1. "Enemies" we were. Now are we no enemies, but in league Rom.6.10.

with Him, in"the new" league or"co venant," never to be altered 5®J* S' ?n

as the former was. 2. So may we be, and yet "strangers" still. 19.

258 Of the Sending

s E B M. Nay 2. no ** strangers,^' but naturalized now, and of "the com-

^— monwealth of Israel." 3. And that may we be too, and yet

foreigners though, and no citizens, without the franchise.

Yes, 3. now enfranchised also, and "citizens with the Saints."

4. Well, though of the city, not of the family though. Yes,

4. damestici Dei, " of His very household," now. 5. Of His

Joh. 8. 8ft. household? so we may, and yet be but servants there. Nay,

Gal. 4. 7. ^' ^^ "servants" now, but "sons," by virtue of this Tu es Filius.

So many degrees do we pass, ere we come to this Filius. Go

Genesis 9:85. forward now. 6. All sons are not beloved — Ham was not.

Sons and beloved sons, a new degree, a sixth. 7. And yet

again, all we love we take not pleasure in. Even beloved

sons offend sometime, and so please not. The father, in the

Lu. 16. 20. fifteenth chapter after, loved his wild riotous son but too

well; yet small pleasure took he in him or his courses. But

complacitum est, the seventh, that makes up all ; a son, a

beloved son, his father's delight and joy, there is no degree

higher. And such are we by baptism made to God in Christ,

[Tit. 5. 5.] through " the renewing of the Holy Ghost."

diange of The voice that came last from Heaven before, ran thus ; Ego

tromservm, sum Dominus, and that infers Tu es servus — that is the best

Ex. ao. 2. ^Q^ Q^j^ Ijg made of it. But here now it is Tu es Filius, and

that necessarily infers Ego sum Pater; for h<BC vowpatrem sonat,

* this is a father's voice' to his child. A great change ; even

from the state of servants, as by creation and generation we

Gal. 4. 5. were, and so still under the law, into the state of " sons," as

2 Cor. 5. 17. now we are, being "new creatures" in Christ, regenerate and

Rom. 5. 2. translated into the state of " grace wherein we stand."

The rise And not only a great change, but a great rise also. At the

shmer to ^^®*j ^^ were but washed from our sins, there was all ; but

an heir, here, from a baptized sinner to an adopted son is a great

ascent. He came not down so low, but we go up as high for

Rom. 8. 17. it. For " if sons, then heirs," saith the Apostle — so goes the

tenour in Heaven; "heirs," and "joint heirs" of Heaven,

" with Christ," that is, for the possession and fruit of it, full

every way as Himself; and this He brings us to, before He

leaves us.

Rom. 8. 16. WTe speak much "of adoption:" would you kno^ when it

was, where, and by what words? Why now, here it is; these

of the Bokf Ghost. 259

the very adoptitig words, by them the act of adoption acttially exeoated. This, the very feast of adoption. A feast therefore, to be held in high account with us, as high as we hold this, to be the adopted children of Gt)d.

But we must remember, not only what we are, but in Quo " In all this; to whom we owe it all, that is, to Christ, the true i am well natural Son. In Him it is, and out of Him it proceeds to pleased."

The Fathers do ponder this, in Quo^ to good purpose; that *• In it is not, Quiplacety Who pleases me well, or, which is all one, more^than with Whom I am well pleased — yet so He might have said— ^^^ but " in Whom.'* And that is more than both. Who pleases Me, or with Whom I am well pleased, goeth no further than Himself, His own person; but, " in Whom," that is, for Whose sake, with others. To Whom I bear such favour, as not only Himself pleaseth Me; but in Him, and for Him, others please Me also.

Again; if it had been Qi, it had shewed but what by Who, or natiu'e He is, but this in Qtw sbeweth to what end He was whom. sent — ^to be the in Quo^ to bring all this about; even that in "ip Him, the Son beloved, and well pleasing, we that neither Hisnature. were sons, but servants, and those but bad ones neither; nor ^^® ®^^' beloved, but full unlovely; and in whom no pleasure at. all, displeasure rather; that in Him we might be received to grace, and made by adoption what He Himself is.

The in Quo. what we are in Him, we shall best conceive " In

by the sine Quo, what we are without Him. For sine Quo, but ^ggt seen

Ihat He with the people, none of all these had come to them, tej^*^^"*

We had " rotted" away in our sins without baptism, " the evil Joel 1. 17.

spirit" had seized on us instead of the Holy Ghost; no sons, 24.

but " cast out, with the evil servant, into utter darkness." Mat.25.30.

But in Qtw, God so highly well pleased with Him as at the Ps. 84. 9. very contemplation of Him, but turning to Him, and beholding Him, He lays down all His displeasure, and is pleased to accept us, and our poor and weak obedience; and fiirther, to be so pleased with it as even to reward it also, in Quo complacitum est, A turning

Complacitum est; and here baptism leaves us, and would ti^m to*^

God there we might hold us, and it might never be, but *^® E^*

^ charist.

260 Of the Sending of the Holy Ohaet.

then be well pleased with us. How then? His favour we may not finally lose, and to baptism we may not come again. To keep this text in life, complacitum est, ^4t hath pleased'' the Holy Ghost, as He applied Christ's blood to us in baptism one way, so out of it to apply it to us another way, as it were in supplement of baptism. In one verse they be 1 Cor. 13. both set down by the Apostle; I. in una Spiritu haptizatiy 2. in una Spiritu potati. And whom He receiveth so to His table to eat and to drink with Him, and every one that is well prepared He so receiveth, with them He is well pleased again certainly. On this day of the Spirit, every benefit of the Spirit is set forth and offered us, and we shall please Him well in making benefit of all. Specially of this, the only means to renew His complacency, and to restore us thither, where our baptism left us. The same I end — only this: this voice, it came once more. Two I^mi?^ several times it came. 1. Once here at His baptism, 2. and tiine for again, after, at His transfiguration in the mount; where He ^ ' was not only said to be, but then and there shewed to be, in Mat. IT. 2. glory, as the Son of God indeed — "His face like the sun. His raiment like the lightning." And both of these pertain to us likewise. The first is spoken of us, when by baptism we are received into Him, for the possibility and hope we have of it thereby. But time will come when this second shall be Phil. 8. 21. spoken, and verified of us likewise. What time "He shall change our vile bodies and make them like to His glorious body," as then it was, and as now it is; the Heaven shall open, and He receive both them and us to eternal bliss, where we in Him, and He in us, shall have a perfect complacency for ever, &c.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT GREENWICH,

ON THB NINETEENTH OF MAT, AJ>. MDCXVI., BEINO WB3T-SUNDAT.

John xx. 22.

And when He had said that^ He breathed on them, and said unto them^ Receive the Holy Ghost,

[And when He had said this. He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Eeceive ye the Holy Ghost. Engl. Trans.]

Ever, as upon this day, somewhat we are to speak of the Holy Ghost and of His coming. And this also, here, is a coming of the Holy Ghost. And not a coming only, but a coming in a type or form, by the sense to be perceived; and so suits well with the coming of this day. For so this day He came.

Three such comings there were in all. Once did our Saviour receive the Holy Ghost, and twice did He give It. Give It on earth in the text; and after, from Heaven on the Lu. 8. 22. day*. So three in all. At Christ's baptism, " It came upon [i of Pen- Him in the shape of a dove." At this feast It came upon His tecost.] Apostles in the likeness of "tongues of fire." And here now. Acts 2, 8. in this, comes breath-wise, having breath for the symbolum to represent it. The tongues have been heard speak, the dove hath had his flight, and now this third of breath falleth to be treated of.

It is the middle, this, of the three. That of baptism went before it; that serves to make Christians. This of breath comes after it; this serves to make them, as I may say,

262 Of the Sending

s E H M. Cbristian-inakers; such, whose ministry Christ would use to

make Christians; make them, and keep them ; make them so

by baptism, and keep them so by the power of the keys here Joh.20.2d. given them in the next words, for the remission of sins.

And as it follows well after that of baptism, so it goes well before the other of tongues. For first, there must be breath, before there be tongues wherewith the speech is to be framed. The tongues but fashion the breath into certain sounds, which without breath they cannot; and when that fails, their oflSce is at au end. So, first breath; then, tongues. And another joh. 7. 39. reason yet. It is said in the seventh chapter, " the Spirit was not to be given them till Christ was glorified;" and'^^glorified" He was in part, at His Resurrection. Then therefore given in part, as here we see. But much more glorious after, by His Ascension: given therefore then, in fuller measure. Here but a breath, there a mighty wind. Here but affiatm, * breathed in;' there effustis^ * poured out' — ^the Spirit proceed^ ing gradually. For by degrees they were brought on, went through them all, all three. Baptized, and so made Christians; breathed into, and so made what we are; had the tongues sit on them, and so made Apostles properly so called.

But three things may be said of this here; 1 . that of all the three comings, first, it is the most proper. For most kindly it is for the Spirit to be inspired, to Qomeper modwm spirationu^ in manner of breath; inasmuch as Tt h^th the name aspirandOy and is indeed Itself Flamen^ the* very breath, as it were, pro ceeding a Patre Filioque, So one breath by another.

2. Then the most effectual It is. For in both the other, the dove, and the tongues, the Spirit did but come, but light upon them. In this It comes, not upon them, but even into them, intrinsically. It is insufflavit, It went into their inward parts ; and so made them indeed deoTrvevarovs, 'men inspired by God,' and that within.

3. And last it is of the greatest use. Both the other were but for once : baptism but once for every one ; the tongues but once for all. This is toties quoties ; so oft as we sin, and that is oft enough, we need it. Look how oft that, so oft have we use of this breath hei:e breathed, as the next verse sheweth, for peccata remiseriiis, the remission of sins.

The sum. Now what is here to do, what business is in hand, we canof the Holy Ghost. 263

not but know, if erer we have been at the giving of Holy Orders. For by these words are they given, " Receive the Holy Ghost; whose sins ye remit, &c." Were to them, and are to us, even to this day, by these and by no other words; which words had not the Church of Rome retained in their ordinations, it might well have been doubted, for all their Accipe potestatem sacrificandi pro viviset mortuis, whether they had any Priests at all, or no. Biit as God would, they retained them, and so saved themselves. For these are the very operative words for the conferring this power, for the performing this act.

Which act is here performed somewhat after the manner of a Sacrament. For here is an outward ceremony, of breathing, instar elementi; and here is a word coming to it^ ** Receive ye the Holy Ghost." That some have therefore yielded to give that name or title to Holy Orders. As indeed the word Sacra^ ment hath been sometime drawn out wider, and so Orders taken in; and othersome plucked in narrower, and so they left out, as it hath pleased both the old and the later writers. And if the grace here given had been gratum faciens, as in a Sacrament it should, and not, as it is, gratis data, but in office or function: and again, if the outward ceremony of breathing had not been changed, as it hath plainly, it had been somewhat. But being changed after into laying on of hands, it may be well questioned. For we all agree there is no Sacrament but of Christ's own institution; and that neither matter nor form He hath instituted, may be changed.

Yet two parts there be evidently: 1. insuffiavit, and The divi- 2. dixit; 1. " He breathed," and 2. " He said." Of these i^'"''' two then, first jointly, and then severally. From them jointly, two points. Of the Godhead of our Saviour first; and then of the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from Him.

Then severally. First insuffiavil^ and in it three points; H. 1. Of the breath, and the symbolizing of it with the Holy Ghost. 2. Secondly, of the parties: He that breathed, Christ; they that breathed into, the Apostles. 3. And last of the act itself; sufflavity "breathing," insufflavit, "breathing into" them. After of dixit, " the word said," 1 . Accipitey " of the receiving." 2. Then of the thing received, which is Spiritum, " the Spirit." And not every, or any Spirit, but Sanctum,

264 Of the Sending

S E R M. ^^ the Holy Ghost." And because that maj be receiyed many — — — ways, which way of them It is here received.

I. We proceed first jointly out of both, and begin with matter

^^\^ of faith. Two articles of it; 1. The Godhead of Christ, jointly. 2. The proceeding of the Holy Ghost from the second Person.

1. The The first, rising out of the two main parts ; for as insuffUmt S^Chrirt : ^^^®s H is manhood, so d4>xit doth His Godhead — His saying, DixU. " Receive the Holy Ghost ;" for lusc vox hominem non sonat^

no man of himself can so say. Ferns homo qui spirare^ true man, by His breathing. Ferus Deus Qui Spiritum donare^ ^ true God, by His bidding them take, and so giving them the Holy Ghost.' To give that gift, to breathe such a breath, is beyond the power of men or Angels, is more than any can do save God.ojily.

For that we say them also in our Ordering, the case is far different. We say them not as in our own, but as in His Person. We bid them from Him receive it, not from ourselves. This point will again fall in aftierwards.

2. The Next we argue for the Holy Ghost's proceeding from Him; mgof the ^^^ ^^^ evidently. For as He gave of His breath, so did Holy He of the Spirit. The breath from His humanity, the Spirit

from His Deity. The breath into their bodies, the Spirit into their souls. The outward act teaches visibly without, what is invisibly done within.

Thrice was the Holy Ghost sent, and in three forms.

the Father as a " dove ;" from the Son as breath ; from both as

" cloven tongues" — the very cleft shewing they came from two.

Lu. 3. 22. At Christ's baptism the Father sent Him from Heaven, ** in

shape of a dove." So from the Father He proceedeth. After,

at His rising here, Christ by " a breath" sends Him into the

Apostles. So, from the Son He proceedeth. After, being

received up into the gloiy of His Father, He together with

the Father — ^the Father and He both sent Hi^i this day down.

Acts 2. 3. ^<in tongues of fire." So, from both He proceedeth. " Pro-

Joh. 15.26. ceeding from the Father," totidem verbis, and proceeding here

from the Son, ad oculum, 'really.' Not in words only; we

may believe our eyes, we see Him so to proceed. Enough

to clear the point, a Patre Filioque.

ITiis proceeding, as it holds each otber-where, so specially

of the Holy Ghost 265

in this of quorum remiseriHsy the remission of sins, for which With r^ it is here given. For in that, of all other, the Holy Ghost -^^^ ^ proceeds from Christ most properly. For inasmuch as the remiserUis, remission of sins came from and by Christ, very meet it was He should have the dispensing of His own benefit, and the Remitter of sins proceed from Him also. One by the blood out of His veins, the other by the Spirit out of His arteries; and He, as bleed the one, so breathe the other. He That should seal the acquittance, from Him That laid down the money. That howsoever in other respects, in this sure from Him, and none but Him, the Holy Ghost to proceed.

Proceed; and proceed by way of breath, rather than any other way; that to be the ceremony or symhohim of it.

I proceed now to the second combination, of " breath," and n. the Holy Ghost. It is required in a sign, that choice be made ^^J**®

of such a one, as near as may be, as may best suit and serve rally. to express that is conferred by it. Now, no earthly thing g^ji^v^ comes so near, hath such alliance, is so like, so proper for it, The as the breath — I make two stands of it: 1. breath and the Spirit; 2. Christ's "breath," and the Holy Spirit.

First, breath is air; and air, the most subtile and, as I may i. The say, the most bodiless body that is, approaching nearest to?7P^olthe nature of a spirit, which is quite devoid of all corporeity, breath So in that it suits well. Spirit. ^

But we waive all, save only the two particulars of the Holy Ghost, set down in the Nicene creed. 1. One, " The Lord and giver of life;" 2. the other, " Who spake by the Prophets."

For first, the Spirit giveth life; and breath is the immediate next means subordinate to the Spirit, for the giving it — ^for the giving it, and for the keeping it, both. Giving: at the first, " God breathed into Adam" spiraculum vitce, and Gen. 2. 7. straight foetus est in animum viventem, " he became a living soul." Keeping; for if the breath go away, away goes the life too: both come, both go together.

And as the Spirit it is That quickeneth, so it is the Spirit 2. Of That speaketh, evidently. Dead men be dumb, all. And the ]^re^ same breath that is organum vitte^ is organum vocisy too. That ^<^ ^^ we live by, we speak by also. For what is the voice, but Ghost. verbum spirituvestitum^ *the inward word, or conceit, clothed

8 E R M. with breath of air/ and so presented to the sense of hearing? So vehiculum Spirit^ it is, in both.

And, as the breath, and the spirit, so Christ^s breath, and the Holy Spirit. Accipite spiritum^ gives to man the life of nature; Accipiie Spiritum Sanctum, to the Christian man, the life of grace.

^ And the speech of grace too. For this breath of Christ was

it by which the "cloven tongues,'' after, had tKeir utterance. He spake by the Prophets; and the Apostles, they were but as trumpets, or pneumatical wind-instruments; they were to be winded. Without breath they could not; no breath on

Bom. 10. earth able so to wind, that their " sound might go into all lands, be heard to the uttermost parts of the earth.'' None but Christ's so far — so that was to be given them. This breath hath in it, you see, to make a good symbol for the Spirit; and Christ's breath, for the Holy Spirit.

It may be, at large, all this; but how for the purpose it is here given for^ remission of sins? What hath breath to d^ with sin? not nothing. For if you be advised, per qffkUtam spiritHs nequam it came, ^ by an evil breath;' 9J\6.per afflatnm SpiritHs Sancti it must be had away. The breathing, the pestilent breath of the serpent, that blew upon our first parents, infected, poisoned them at the first: Christ's breath entering, cures it; and, as ever His manner is, by the same way it was taken, cures it — breath, by breath.

For the better conceiving of the manner how, ye may call to mind that the Scriptures speak of sin sometime, as of a

Isa.44.22. firost; otherwhile, as of a mist, or fog, that men are lost in, to be dissolved, and so blown away. For as there be two proceedings in the wind, and according to them two powers

Job 37, 9. observed by Elihu; forth of the south, a wind to melt and dissolve; out of the north, a wind to dispel and drive away: and as in the wind of our breath there is flatus^ * a blast,' which is cooler, and which blows away; and Aa/iiftw, ^ a breath,' that is warm, and by the temperate, moist, heat, dissolves; answerable to these, there is in this breath of Christ a double power conferred, and both for the remission of sins; and that, in two senses, set down by St. John. 1. The one of ne peccetis, astringent, to keep men from sin, and soremissio pec-

1 Joh. 2. 1. candi; 2, the otheiysiquis autempeccaverit, " but if any do sin,"

of the Holy Ohost 267

to loose men from it, and so remissio peccati. Shewing them t

the way, and aiding them with the means to clear their con- . science of it, being done; remitting that is past, making that more remiss that is to come; as it were to resolve the frost first, and turn it into a vapour; and after it is so, then to blow it away.

And other reasons there be assigned, why thus in breath, i, apt and good: 1. one, to shew the absolute necessity, the great need we have of this power, how evil we may be without it. As evil as we can be without our breath, so evil can we be without a means for remission of our sins; ov fiaXKov, >

nrveofiev rov depa — it is St. Basil. The Christian man, he lives not by the air that he breathes, more than he doth by it. Our own breath not more needful, than this breath of Christ's; " His loving-kindness" in it " better than the life itself," and Ps. 68. 8. we no longer to draw our breath, than to give Him thanks for it. This for the necessity.

A second, to shew the quality, which is mild, of the same 3. temper the breath is. No spiritus procellte, which some would think perhaps more meet, to carry all before it. They know not the Holy Ghost, that so think; they remember not the dove. Violence in His work He could never skill of. His course hath ever been otherwise. And not His only, but Theirs, Whom He proceeds from.

LetthembutgotoElias'vision,andinformthemselvesofthis ^ Kings asthey wishfor — but no God there. After it, a rattling*' earthquake;" and after it,crackling flashes of fire:^ — God was in none of them all. Then came a soft still voice: — ^there comes God. God was in it, and by it you may know where to find Him.

And as God, so Christ. How comes He? "He shall come Ps. 7^. 6. down like the dew in a fleece of wool," and that is scarce to be heard. " He, He shall not roar nor cry, nor His voice be Isa. 42. 3, heard out into the street." How unlike them and their novices, that will needs bear His name!

And how the Holy Ghost comes here, we see. None of all the Three Persons, but in gentle mild manner.

It is against them, this, that take delight in these blustering spirits, and think them the only men, cannot skill of any other. No river they, but the great Euphrates, that runs

Of the Sending

8EBM.

Job 4. le. [Acts 12 J2.]

Of the party. 1. From Whom; Christ.

Christ after His resnrrecdon.

with a huge noise. The waters of Shiloh run too soft for them. • Well, the waters of Shiloh though the Prophets commend to us; and to them Christ sends us, and it is they, when all is done, whose ^^ streams shall mal^e glad the City of God.** This is sure, no spiritual grace is ever so truly wrought by these spirits, that take so on, till they be out of breath. The air indeed they beat, the heart they pierce not. The quiet calm breath shall do it to better purpose than these, that crackle like " thorns under a pot." This breath will thither, to the heart directly; and sin never so kindly dissolved, as by audivi vocem in sHeniio — that way. Tell me not of the "mighty wind," and the " fire;" that was for Apostles. We are none; three degrees lower. And that wind they used very seldom though — once or twice perhaps; but this they nsed continually. I report me to their Acts, and to their Epistles. For the wind comes but at times, but the breath is continually at all times. And this is sure, when the " mighty wind" and the " fire" came, it may be St. Peter used it once or twice, and St. Paul as oft; but this of the breath they used more, nay most of all, and by it did more good than by the other.

For as for this, let it not trouble you that it is but breath, and breath but air, and so, one would think, too feeble; as indeed, what feebler thing is there in man than it? the more feeble, the more fit to manifest His strength by. For, as weak in appearance as it is, by it were great things brought to pass. By this puff of breath, was the world blown round about. About came the philosophers, the orators, the emperors. Away went the mists of error, down went the idols and their temples before it.

Which gives us a good passage from the breath to the Breather, Him That is the nominative case to insufflavit.

For we are not to look to the breath altogether, but somewhat too, from whose mouth it comes, whose breath it is. And Christ's it is. He it is That gives the vigour and virtue to it. The touch of His finger, the breath of His mouth, virtue goes from it, sin cannot stand before it, it sends it. going, blows it away like a little dust.

Take this with you too. It is not Christ's breath, any breath of His, but His breath now after His rising, and so His immortal breath. A mortal He had, which He breathed out,

of the Holy Ohost. 269

quando emisit Spiritumf^when^^ He gave up the Ghost"upon the Mat^7.50.

cross. All the while He was mortaly He held His breath.

Till it was more than so, He breathed it not, till it had in it

the vigour and power of immortality ; which neither sin can

endure, but scatters straight, nor " the man of sin," for he [ SThes.a.

also shall be " consumed with the breath of His mouth." 2The8.2.8.

Otherwise, unless it be this of Christ's, there is nothing in our

breath to work this effect ; not in any man's, to thaw a frost,

or to scatter a mist. The soil of sin is so baked on men, they

so hard frozen in the dregs of it, our wind cannot dissolve it.

Hear the Prophet, after he had been long blowing at the sins

of the people. " The bellows," saith he, "are burnt, the iron Jer. 6. 29.

of them consumed, the founder melts in vain ; for all his

blowing, the dross will not away." But I, saith God; let me

take it in hand, let Me but blow with My wind, and "I scatter [Isa. 44.

thy transgressions as a mist, and make thy sins like a morning '^

cloud to vanish away." Turn we then to Him, Whose divine

power. Whose immortal breath can do it; do it by Himself,

and if by Himself, by others also into whom He will inspire

it; whom in that regard the Prophet calleth God's"mouth," to Jer. 16. la.

" separate the precious from the vile."

Which being of His breath immortal, doth further shew, both that there is nothing in this power but pertains rather to another life than to this mortal of ours, even to that which is the life of the world to come; and that it shall never die, this power, but hold as long as there is any sin to be forgiven. Had it been His mortal breath, we might have feared the failing; now shall it never fail, so long as there is any to open his mouth to receive it. It is His immortal breath.

This for the Party from Whom. Now for in eos, those 2. The ' into whom' it came. Much bound we are to our Blessed fc^^on, Saviour for thus sending, and to the Holy Ghost for being thus sent, for seeing us furnished with a power we so much stand in need of. For sinning as we do, and even running ourselves out of breath in it, and the "wages" of that being Boni.6.28. eternal " death," what case were we in but for this breath! I see not how we should do without it. To say, therefore, with them in the Gospel, Benedictus Deu8 Qui dedit talem Mat. 9. 8. potestatem^ " Blessed be God for sending such a power," for sending it at all.

270 Of the Sending

SERM. But then secondly, Qut dedit talem potestaiem homimbus, that " He gave it to men/' For, as the Son of Man, He gave it;

* and as Man, to men He gave it— to the Sons of men upon

Bom.10.6. earth, that we need not send up and down, and cast " who

shall go up to Heaven for us and fetch it thence." That if

an Angel should come to us, as to Cornelius there did, he

Aet8 10.82. hath not this power to impart, he can but bid us " send to

Joppa for Peter." He hath it, men hare it. Angels have

it not.

2. Tn eo8. In €08, is more yet; to men, and to such men, such simple

Acts 4. 18. matter to receive it. " Idiots," it is St. Luke's word, " men

utterly unlearned." And of no spirit or courage at all — the

breath but of a damsel quailed the best of them. Ptobatur

Detisper Apostohs^ say the Schoolmen; if there were nothing

Pb. 8. 1, 2. For "O Lord our Saviour, how excellent is Thy Name in all

the world! Thou That out of the mouths of those that were

little better than babes hast ordained Thy praise, and stilled

Thine enemies," and put them all to silence.

8. To sin- But there is a worse matter than that. Not only " simple,"

°^®"* but, which is farther off yet, " sinful men" they were. Take

Lu. 6. 8. their own confessions. St. Peter's: — " Go forth from me,

Jas. 3. 2. whereof I am the chiefest. St James' : — " In many things

we offend all," puts himself in the number of them that offend

1 Joh. 1. 8. many times. St. John's : — " If we (I for one) say we have

no sin," what then? we are proud, there is no humility? No;

but " we are liars, and there is no truth in us." Even to

such, to sinners, this power given to forgive sins ; to them

that for sin were in fear themselves to be condemned.

Nay, which is not lightly to be passed by, all this done even at the very time when they were scarce crept out of their sin but three days before committed, in so wretchedly forsaking Him; and some more than so, and after would scarce believe He was risen, when they saw Him; — ^that even then did He thus breathe on them, and made them that He did. Now blessed be God, That at all gave such power to men, to such men, such simple men, such sinful men, insuffiavit in eos; to secure us, be the men what they will that have received

of the Holy Ohost. 271

it, no sin of man shall make the power of God of none effect. This for in eos.

To the act now. It is first sufflavit, "breathed;" and that S. was to keep correspondence with His Father at the first. By %tffi^^^' breathing into Adam, the Father gave the soul, the Author of the life natural. Ad idem exemplum^ the Son here by breathing gives the Holy Ghost, the Author of the life spiritual; the same passage, and the same ceremony held by both.

But insufflavit is more, "breathed it in," "into them." /nn^avi^. This in shews it pertains within, to the inward parts, to the very conscience, this act. His breath goeth, saith Solomon, €id interiora ventris^ and His word with it, saith the Apostle, Prov.l8.8. "through, to the division of the soul and spirit." Thither Heb.4.18. goeth this breath, and thither is farther than man can go. For howsoever the acts and exercises of outward jurisdiction may be disposable, and are disposed by human authority, yet this not so oi forum internum. Somewhat there is still that comes firom Christ, and none but Christ; somewhat that as it comes higher, so it goes deeper, than any earthly power whatsoever. This inward inspiring brings us to Christ's Deity again. The kings of the nations, send they can, and give power they can, but inspire they cannot. Array whom they [Esth. 6. will, as Ahasuerus, with rich attire, arm them at all points, ~ '^ induere^ in that sense; but not endue the soul with gifts and graces within, not arm their minds with valour and virtue; at leastwise, not with virtus ex alto. Only God, whom He \J^^ 24. calls. He gives the inward talents to; and Christ, whom He sends. He sends His Spirit into. This argueth God plainly, and so Christ to be God.

Always this insuffiavU shews, as wherewith He would do it, the Spirit, so what it is He would work, work upon, and renew. For if we be " renewed in the spirit of our minds," Eph. 4. 2S. the whole man will be so, straight upon it. There is no indication to that; for the change of the whole man is a certain sign the Spirit is come into us. As of Saul it is written, when the Spirit came into him he was " changed into quite [iSam.10. another man/' no more the same Saul he was before; a new, another Saul then. Which holds not only in particular men, but even in the whojie world. For when this breath came into it, in interiora^ it was cast in a new mould presently, and

272 Qf the Sending

8 E B M. did even wonder at itself, how it was become Christian. For

— ^^^— the outwardrigorousmeansof fire, imprisonment, of the whip, Joh. 19.10. of the terror of the magistrate's sword; Pilate^s, " Have not I power to crucify Thee, and power to loose Thee?" These daunt men, make them astonished, make metumpeccati, ^fear to commit the outward act of sin.' But odium oportet peccandi^ non metum facias, 4f sin shall ever truly be left, it must come of hatred, not of fear.' So it goes away indeed. And there it is, sin must be met with: if ever it shall rightly be put away, the spirit to be searched, and inward hearty compunction wrought there. And that is by this breath of Christ piercing thither, or not at all. So much for the in. Et dixit, Andnow to et dixit. The words be three, the points according, three too. 1. Accipite, it is to be received; 2. Spiritumj a Spirit it is, that is to be reqeived; 3. Sanctum, and that Spirit is the Holy Ghost. 4. Whereto we add, the Holy Ghost after what manner, for there be more than one. 1. AecipUe. Accipite agrees well with breath. For that is received, we open our mouths and draw it in; our systole to meet with His diastole.

For this accipitey it is certain that at the breathing of •this

breath the Spirit was given. He gave them what He bade

them take. He mocked them not. They received the Holy

Ghost then, and, if ye will, really. Yet was not the substance

of His breath transubstantiate into that of the Holy Ghost —

none hath ever imagined that — yet said He truly, Accipite

Spiritum; and no less truly in another place, Accipite corpus.

Truly said by Him, and received by them in both. And no

more need the bread should be changed into His body in

that, than His breath into the Holy Ghost in this. No,

though it be a Sacrament, (for with them both are so,) yet as

all confess, both truly said, truly given, and truly received,

and in the same sense without any difference at all. This

for them.

1. Acci' For us, accipite sheweth first, it comes from without, it

wncipite. grows not within US; abreathinspired,nota vapour ascending;

Ps. 90. 9. not educta e, but inducta in* It is not meditati sumus sicut

[Vulg.] aranea, " we spin it not out of ourselves, as the spider doth her

web." It is not concipite, but accipite; " receive it" we do,

* conceive it' we do not. It were too fond to conceive, seeing

of the Holy Ohost. 273

our breath is made of air, and that is without us, that the Spirit should be made of any thing that is within us.

We say again; it is accipite, not assumite. Assumit^ qui 2. AcdpUe, nemine dante accipity'Se assumes, thattakes that is not given/ sumite. But nemo assumit honorem hunCy ^^ this honour no man takes Heb. 5. 4. unto him, or upon him, till it be given him." As qtu)d accipitur nan habetur in the last, so quod accipitur datur in this. And both these are against the voluntaries of our age, with their taken-on callings. That have no mitto vos; unsent, set out of themselves. No accipitCy no receiving; take it up of their own accords, make themselves what they are; sprinkle their own heads with water, lay their own hands on their own heads, and so take that to them which none ever gave them. They be hypostles — so doth St. Paul well term them, as it were the mock-apostles — and the term comes home to them, for viol inroaTo\7]9 they hOyJllii subtractionis right; work all Heb.10.39'^ to subtraction, to withdraw poor souls, to make them forsake the fellowship, as even then the manner was. This brand hath the Apostle set on them, that we might kndw them and avoid them.

We may be sure, Christ could have given the Spirit without any ceremony; held His breath, and yet sent the Spirit into them without any more ado. He would not; an outward ceremony He would have, for an outward calling He would have. For if nothing outward had been in His, we should have had nothing but enthusiasts — as them we have notwithstanding; but then we should have had no rule with them; all by divine revelation: into that they resolve. For sending, breathing, laying on of hands, have they none. But if they be of Christ, some must say, Mitto vos; sent by some, not run of their own heads. Some say, Accipite: receive it from some, not find it about themselves; have an outward calling, and an outward accipite^ a testimony of it. This for accipite.

is said in this word spirit, it stands as opposed to many. '* T^®„ letter"— St. Paul. 3. " The Spirit" and "the soul"— St. Jude. ^ ^^'•®•^• 4. " The spirit" and the mind." 5. " The spirit" and a habit.-^ Ephesians 4:28, 6, The Spirit and a sprite, Spiriius and spectrum, 7. The

LNofthft 1. Not '' the flesh,'' saith our Sa^ionr; and if not the flesh, not any humour^ for thej are of the flesh. Neither thej, nor their revelation s, profit ooght to this work.

letter.**

Jer. 23. 28. have too much of them every day. Qmd palem ad friHcum f they rather take away life than give it; a handful of good grain were better than ten load of such stuff*.

them, that they rot not They too have no part or fellowship in this business; ^^ mere natural men, no spuit in them at all." Somewhat there is to be in us, more than a natural soul, tvais is one thing, ^wniais is another. Some inspiring needs, somewhat of aecipUe. 4 Not the 4. Nay, saith St. Paul, ^^ be ye renewed in the spirit of ^hi 4. y^^^^ minds." For the mind is not all, nor men to think so; dft.j if they once have got true positions, true maxims in their

mind, then all is well. If the spirit be not also renewed, it is nothing.

5. Not s 5. The spirit, not a habit gotten with practice, and lost ^ ^ again with disuse, as are the arts and moral virtues, against

[Lu. 24. the Philosophers. For though this be virtue, yet is it not '-' virtiis ex alto, this. No habitual, but a spiritual virtue, this.

6. Not a 6. Spiritics, non spectrum ; for that is a flying shadow void *^" ' of action — doth nothing. But the Spirit, the first thing we Genesis 1:2. read of It, It did hover and hatch and make firuitful the

waters, and fit to bring forth something of substance.

7. Not 7. And last, which is by writers thought to be chiefly Hero's intended, Christ's Spirit, not Hero's pneumatica ; not with maiica. some spring or device, though within, yet from without;

artificial, not natural; but the very prine^ium motiis to be within. Of ourselves to move; not wrought to it by any gin or vice, or screw made by art. Else we shall move but while we are wound up, for a certain time, till the plummets be at the ground, and then our motion will cease straight. All which, but these last specially, are against the a/utomata, the apectra^ikie puppets of religion, hjrpocrites. With some spring within, their eyes are made to roll, and their lips to wag, and

of the Holy Ghost. 275

their breast to give a sob : all is but Hero's pneutnaticay a

vizor, not a very face; " an outward show of godliness, but 2 Tim. s. 5.

no inward power of it at all." It is not accipite Spiritum.

Thirdly, I say it would be known further, what Spirit; for Sjnritum accipite it may be, somewhat they may have taken, it may '**^**'^ be a Spirit. But whatsoever it is, it is not yet home, unless Sanctum come too. Sanctum it would be, if it be right. To be a man of spirit, as we call them that be active and stirring in the world, will not serve here, if that be all. I have formerly told you, there is a Spiritum without Sanctum; Spirit and Holy are two things. Two other spirits there be besides; and they well accepted of, and in great request. 1. One which St. Peter calls the "private" spirit; 2. the other, that St. Paul calls "the 2 Pet. 1.20. spirit of the world." Which two will consort well together for ^^^^-^^ ^^• their own turns, and for some worldly end, but neither of them with this; for they are opposed to the Holy Ghost, both.

The " private" spirit first. And are there not in the world i. Not somewhere, some such as will receive none, admit of at no ^ym, hand no other Holy Ghost but their own ghost, and the idol of their own conceit, the vision of their own heads, the motions of their own spirits, and if you hit not on that that is there in their hearts, reject it, be it what it will; that make their breasts the sanctuary; that in effect say with the old Donatist, Quod volumus Sanctum est^ ^ that they will ha^e Holy is Holy,' and nothing else? Men, as the Apostle speaks of them, Col. 2. 18. causeless "puffed up with their fleshly mind?" His word is to be marked: (jyvaCaxris there, (I>varfa-i9 here; inflati they, afflaH these. They puffed up, these inspired. If it make to swell, then it is but wind, the Spirit doth it not; inspirat^ nan inflat. The word is insufflamt; there is in mfflaiiit a sub that beareth downward, and carries not up. So Spiritum Sanctum is not spiritum suum.

Nor spiritus mundi is not Spiriius Christi, Else doth St. 2. Nor Paul wrong to oppose them. It is too sure such a spirit there muniuT is as "the spirit of the world," and that the greatest part of the [i Cor. 2. world live and breathe and move by it; and that it doth well ^^'^ sometimes, but without any reference to God, or Christ, or Holy Ghost. For even the acts they do of religion, are out of worldly reasons and respects. Herod's reason — videns quia Acts 12. 8. placeret populoy saw the world would that way. Pemetrius* Acts 19:27.

276 Of the Sending

S E R M. reason — periclitatur portio nostra^ it majr prove dangerous to — ' — ' — their worldly estate. The Shechemites— Oh set forward that OeD^j28. point of divinity, for then " all they have is ours." See we not whence this wind blows, from what spirit this breath comes? From spiritus mundi plainly. And I know not how, but as if Christ's mouth were stopped and His breath like to fail Him, the world begins to fare as if they had got a new mouth to draw breath from; to govern the Church as if epiritus Pnetarii would do things better than Spiritus Sanetuariiy and man's law become the best means to teach the fear of God, and to guide religion by. In vain then is all this act of Christ's; He might have kept His breath to Himself. But it will not so be. When all is done, the Spirit must come from the Word, and the Holy Ghost from Christ's mouth. That must do this, govern the Church. Thither we must for Sanctum^ even to the Sanctuary, and to no other place.

And a certain note it is, this, to discern the Holy Spirit of

God from the spirit of what you will. From Christ It comes,

if It be true; He breathes It. It cannot but be true, if It come

Joh. 14. 6. from Him, for He is "the Truth." And as the Truth, so the

It came not from Him, He breathed It not. But His breath

shall not fail, shall ever be able to serve His Church, without

the additaments of spirittis mundi. And if we gape after

them, we make this accipite more than needs ; and if we do

so, I know not what shall become of us.

Which But the Holy Ghost may be received more ways than one.

received He hath many spiramina; TroXvTpoTTG)^ " in many manners" ip^t'/ 10 ^® comes; and multiformis gratia He comes with. He and they carry the name of their cause; and to receive them, is to receive the Spirit. There is a gratumfaciens, the saving grace of the Spirit, for one to save himself by, received by each without respect to others; and there is gratis data, whatever 2 Cor. 8. 4. become of us, serving to save others by, without respect to ourselves. And there is x^P^^ htaKovlasy "the grace of a holy calling;" for it is a grace, to be a conduit of grace any way. All these, and all from one and the same Spirit.

That was here conferred, was not the saving grace of inward sanctimony; they were not breathed on to that end. The

of the Holy Ghost. 277

Church to this day gives this still in her ordinations, but the saving grace the Church cannot give; none but God can give that- Nor, the gratis data it is not. That came by the tongues, both the gift of speaking divers languages, and the gift of aTTo^Oiyyeadai, speaking wisely, and to the purpose; and, we know, none is either the holier, or the leameder, by his ordination.

Yet a grace it is; for the very office itself is a grace. Mihi^ h 8 8 data est h^ec gratia, saith the Apostle in more places than one, &o. and speaks of his office and nothing else. The Apostleship J^ig 2.9 1 was a grace, yet no saving grace. Else, should Judas have been saved. Clearly then, it is the grace of their calling, this, whereby they were sacred, and made persons public, and their acts authentical; and they enabled to do somewhat about the remission of sins, that is not of like avail done by others, though jerhaps more learned and virtuous than they, in that they have not the like mitto vos, nor the sa.'me. accipite that these have. To speak with the least: as the act of one that is a public notary is of more validity than of another that is none, though it may be he writes a much fairer hand. And this, lo, was the grace here, by breathing conferred to them: of Spiritum, a spiritual; of Sanctum, a holy calling; and derived from them to us, and from us to others, to the world's end.

But take heed we suck no error out of this word "holy," no more than we do out of the word " anointed." When time was, it was shewed, the anointing was no inward holiness, or ability to govern by, but the right of ruling only. So here, it is no internal quality infused, but the grace only of their spiritual and sacred function. Good it were, and much to be wished, they were holy and learned all; but if they be not, their office holds good though. He that is a sinner himself, may remit sins for all that, and save others he may, though himself be not saved; for it was not propter se he received this power, to absolve himself, but, as the next word is, quorumcunque, any others whosoever.

Some ado we have to pluck this out, but out it must. For an error it is, an old worn error of the Donatists; and but new dressed over by some fanatical spirits in our days, that teach in comers; one that is not himself inwardly holy, cannot be

SE RM. the means of holiness to another. And where they dare too,

' — that : One that is not in state of grace, can haye no right to

any possession or place. For they of right belong to none, but to the true children of God; that is, to none but to themr selyes.

Fond, ignorant men! for hath not the Church long since defined it positiyely,that the baptism Peter gaye was no better than that which Judas; and exemplified it, that a seal of iron will giye as perfect a stamp, as one of gold? That as the carpenters that built the ark wherein Noah was sayed, were tbemselyes drowned in the flood; that as the water of baptism that sends the child to Heayen, is itself cast down the kennel; semblably is it with these: and they that by the word, the Sacraments, the keys, are unto other the conduits of grace, to make them fructify in all good works, may well so be, though themselyes remain unfruitful, as do the pipes of wood or lead, that by transmitting the water make the garden to bear both herbs and flowers, though themselyes neyer bear any. And let that content us, that what is here receiyed, for us it is receiyed; that what is giyen them, is giyen them for us, and is giyen us by them. Seyer the office from the men; leaye the men to God to whom they stand or fall; let the ordinance of God stand fast. This breath, though not into them for themselves, yet goeth into and through every act of their office or ministry, and by them conveyeth His saving grace into us all.

But, lest we grow discontent, that some do receive it, and that we all do not so — ^for this being the feast of the Holy Ghost, and of receiving it, it may grieve any of us to go his way, and not receive it — I wijl shew it is not so. For though as this breath we cannot all, and as the fiery tongues much less — these are but for some set persons; yet I will shew you a way, how to say accipite Spiritum to all, and how all may receive It. Mat.26.26. And that is by accvpite corpus Meum, For accipite corptUy upon the matter, is accipite Spiritum^ inasmuch as they two never part, not possible to sever them one minute. Thus, when or to whom we say accipite corpus^ we may safely say with the same breath accipite Spiritum; and as truly every wajr. For that body is never without this Spirit: be that

of the Holy Qhost. 279

reoeives the one, receives the other; he that the body, together with it the Spirit also.

And receiving it thus, it is to better purpose than here in the text it is. Better, I say, for us. For in the text it is received for the good of others, whereas here we shall receive it for our own good. Now whether is the better, remission of sins, to be able to remit to others, or to have our own remitted? To have our own, no doubt. And that is here to be had. To the stablishing of our hearts with grace, to the cleansing and quieting our consciences. Which spiritual grace we receive in this spiritual food, and are made to drink (I will not say of " the spiritual rock," but) iCorao.4. of the spiritual " vine" that foUoweth us, which " vine" is Joh. 16. 5. Christ. To that then let us apply ourselves. Both are received, both are holy, both cooperate to the "remission of sins." The ^* body" — Matthew the twenty-sixth. The Spirit, Mat.26.28. here evidently. And there is no better way of celebrating f ^**- ^^' the feast of the receiving the Holy Ghost than so to do, with receiving the same body that came of It at His birth, and that came from It now at His rising again.

And 80 receiving it, He That breathed, and He That was breathed, both of Them vouchsafe to breathe into those holy mysteries a Divine power and virtue, and make them to us the bread of life, and the cup of salvation; God the Father also sending His blessing upon them, that they may be His blessed means of this thrice-blessed effect! To Whom all, three Persons, &o.

A SERMON

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT HOLYROOD-HOUSE,

IN EDINBURGH,

TJie Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me, that I should preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me, that I should heal the broken-hearted, that I should preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the bUnd, and that I should set at liberty them that are bruised,

And that I should preach the acceptable year of the JDord*

[Spiritus Domini super Me, propter quod unxit Me; evangelizare

in remissionem, prcedicare annum Domini acceptum, et diem retrir

lutionis. Latin Vulg.]

\The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken' hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

S E R M. We are fallen here upon Christ's first sermon, preached at: — — — Nazareth; and upon His very text. This I have read you was His text, taken out of the Prophet Esay, the sixty-first chapter, and first verse. There was no fear Christ would have ranged far from His matter, if He had taken none; yet He took a text, to teach us thereby to do the like. To keep us

Of the Sending of the Holy Qhozt, 281

within; not to fly out, or preach much, either without, or besides the book.

And He took His text for the day, as is plain by His application," This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." Lu. 4. 21. " This day this Scripture." Our Master's Scripture was for;die day; so would ours be.

For the day; and for the present occasion. For among the writers it is generally received, that when our Saviour made this sermon, that year it was with the Jews the year of jubilee. And that therefore He told them, it was fulfilled in their ears, they might hear the trumpets sound to it. If it were so, this text of " the acceptable year" was as apposite as could be chosen. That, it seems. He turned the book purposely to find it; out of it to speak to them of the true jubilee.

And if it were so, the year of jubilee, it was the last that ever they held. For before fifty years came about again, they were swept away — Temple, sacrifice, jubilee, people and all. The jubilees of the Law then failing, being come to their period, comes Christ with His; with a new jubilee of the Gospel, the true one, as whereof those of theirs were but shadows only, which jubilee of the Gospel was " the acceptable year" which Esay here meant.

Will ye then give me leave now to say of this text of our The sum. Saviour's, This Scripture suits well with this day, is fulfilled in it three ways? In the 1. coming of the Spirit; 2. the end for which, to send to proclaim; 3. the matter which, to proclaim a jubilee; 4. and a fourth I will add, of a present occasion, as fit every way.

First, it is of the coming of the Spirit. And this day the l. Spirit came. And the coming of the Spirit, in the text here upon Christ, was the cause of the coming of the Spirit, this day, upon the Apostles. From this coming upon Him, came the coming upon them; swper Petrum, super Jacohurriy super all the rest; upon them, and upon us all, from this super Me. All our anointing are but drops from His anointing; all our missions and commissions, but quills, as we say, out of this commission here, misit Me, Sicut misit Me, Ego mitto vos. He Joh.20.2l. sent Me, "as He sent Me, I send you." By that, and by no other commission, did they, or do we, or shall ever any come.

282 Of ihe Sending

8 E R M. That first, and this second ; the mint and the ad. Why

'—^ came the Spirit on Christ? To send Him. Send Him to

what? Ad evangelizandum. And why came the Spirit on the Twelve this day, but for the very same end? And it came therefore for the purpose, in the shape of tongues. It is the office of the tongue to be a trumpet, to proclaim. It serves for no other end.

3. To proclaim what ? " The acceptable year of the Lord," that is, the jubilee. Now fifiy is the number of the jubilee ; which number agreeth well with this feast, the feast of Pentecost. What the one in years, the other in days. So that this is the jubilee, as it were, of the year, or the yearly memory of the year of jubilee. That, the Pentecost of years ; this, the jubilee of days. These three for the day.

4. And may we not add a fourth from the present occasion?

I take it we may ; and that not unfit neither, as peculiar to

this very year, rather than to any other. There falleth out,

lightly, but one jubilee in a man^s age. 1. And this present

year is yet the jubilee year of your Majesty's life and reign.

2. And this day is the jubilee day of that year. 3. And yet

fiirther, if we take not jubilee for the time, but for the joy —

for the word jubilee is taken, as for the time of the joy, so for

the joy of the time — and so refer it to the late great joy and

jubilee, at your Majesty's receiving hither to your Nazareth,

the country where you were brought up, which then was

fulfilled in your ears ; our ears, I am sure, were filled full

with it. So that, first and last, the text suits with the day,

and both suit well with the present occasion.

To return to our Saviour, Who standing now vnth His loins girt, ready to go about the errand He came for, as the manner is, He was first to read His commission. This it is, the words I have read, drawn and ready penned for Him long before by the Prophet Esay here, who had the honour to be the registrar of this, and divers other instruments, touching Christ's natures, Person, and offices. And, upon the reading of this. He entered in His office. H. You may plainly know, it was His inauguration, this, or ' first entering on His office, by the proclamation following, of opening the gaol, and letting the prisoners go free. So is ever the fs/shion of princes, to make the joy general, of their

vision.

of the Holy Ghost. 283

coming to their kingdoms: to release those that stand committed; to grant free and general pardons to all that will sue for them; to be at the charge of missiUa, certain new pieces of coin, to be cast abroad among the people.

Accordingly, were there this day of the Spirit's coming, by one sermon of St. Peter's, three thousand set at liberty that had been captiyes before under Satan. A largess of new tongues, as it were missiliay cast down from Heaven. A general pardon proclaimed, even for them that had been Acts 7. 6d. *^ the betrayers and murderers" of the Son of God, if they would come in. That it was, indeed, a right day of jubilee. "V

And this is the sum of all.

1. The parts as they lie, are these : 1. First, of the Spirit's The dibeing on Christ; 2. anointing Him; 3. sending Him. These J" three.

II. Then, whereto He was so anointed and sent; to preach n. the Gospel, or glad tidings, (glad tidings, or Gospel, both are one,) and that even to the poor.

III. Thirdly, whereof the tidings is; of an excellent phy si- HI. xsian, a physician of the heart, one that can cure a broken heart.

IV. Of these hearts. 1. How they came broken first, and IV. there are three ways here set down. 1. By being captives; 2. by being in a dark dungeon, where their sight was even taken from them; 3. by being there in irons so as they were even bruised with them. Three, able, I think, to break any man's heart alive.

2. Then, how they came cured. And that is by good news. Two proclamations, for /ci^pv^av "to proclaim," is twice repeated: 1. One, containing a particular remedy of those three several maladies; 1. of a party, one with a ransom, or redemption for the captives; 2. with an engine, or tool, to knock off their irons; 3. with the keys of the prison, to let them out. And this to begin with. 2. Then, to conclude, with a second proclamation, that makes up all — of a year of jubilee; and so of restitution of them to their former forfeited estates, by God's accepting them to favour, this acceptable time.

This is the sum of Christ's commission here read; and indeed, a brief of His offices, all thre^e. 1. In preaching the glad news of the Gospel — of His prophecy. 2. In granting

284 Of the Sending

SEBM. pardon, and enlarging prisoners — of His kingdom. 3. In — — proclaiming a jubilee — of His Priesthood, for that the peculiar of the Priest's office. So all are in, that pertain to Christ And all, that to Jesus too. Who sheweth Himself Jesus in nothing so much, as in being the physician of a broken contrite heart. I. We cannot better begin, than with the Blessed Trinity. In Spirit's ^^ three first words, the three Persons reasonable clear, ^^on 1. The Spirit: 2. He, Whose the Spirit— 2)oiwm*.- 3. He, on Whom the Spirit, super Me,

" The Spirit," that is, the Holy Ghost. He Whose the Spirit, God the Father. He on Whom the Spirit, our Saviour Christ. He, the super Quern here.

These three distinct: 1. the Spirit, from the 2. Lord, Whose the Spirit is; 1. the Spirit That was upon, 3. from Him It was upon. Yet all three in one joint concurrence to one and the same work, the jubilee of the Gospel.

** Upon Me," is Christ's Person. But His Person only, according to one of His natures. His human. The Spirit was not upon Him, but as He was man. These three ; 1. to be sent, 2. to be anointed, 3. to have SLSuperJEuMy savour of inferiority, all, to the Sender, Anointer, Superior. And so indeed for us. Bom. 8. 3. He became lower than in Himself He was. " In the similitude of sinful flesh," had a Spirit to anoint Him; in formd Phil. 2. 7. servi, had a Lord to send Him about the message here.

But, that Christ suffernot in His honour, we supply; that the Spirit Who is here said to be Spiritus Domini, is else- Rom. 8. 9. where said to be Spiritus Christi — "the Spirit of the Father," ^^t.10.20. and "the Spirit of the Son," both. The Spirit That sent Him Joh, 16.26. here, sent by Him elsewhere, "Whom I will send." This sets Him upright again. As the one shews Him to be Man, so the other, to be God. And as God He hath no superior; no Lord to own Him, no Spirit to anoint Him.

And, if I mistake not, a kind of inkling of thus much is even in the very words. The word " Lord" in Esay, is plural; and so more Persons than one. Whose the Spirit is, and from Whom He proceeds. And if you would know howmany, in Esay the words be two: so, not a single proceeding from one, but a double from two, as the word is double. St. Basil saith it short, 'ils Qeos X^PVy^h ^ av6pa}iro9 h&yerat,

of the Holy Gliost. 285

* As God He sends It, as man He receives It.' Upon Him, as man ; from Him, as God.

Of Him then, as man, three thin gs here are said: "the Spirit" 2. 1. was "upon" Him; 2. "anointed" Him; 3. "sent" Him. But anointing, it is said; "The Spirit is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me;" so as the anointing is set, as the evexev o5, or cause, why He was upon Him. And then that. His anointing, as the cause, is first in nature. But it cannot be conceived but the Spirit must be also upon Him, to anoint Him; the Spirit is the Unction: the Spirit then was upon Him, two several times, for two several ends. 1. To anoint Him; 2. and after He was anointed, to send Him; the second. Of this anointing we are to touch, 1. when it was; 2. with what it was; 3. and how it comes to be termed anointing.

When was He thus "anointed?" Not now, or here, first, l. When but long before; even from the very time of His conceiving. ^^ ^ * When " the Word became flesh," the flesh with the Word, Joh. 1. 14. and by means of it with the whole Deity, was " anointed" all over, and by virtue thereof filled with the ftilness of all grace. For this we are to hold; that Christ was ever Christ, that is, ever " anointed," from the very first instant of all; He was never un-anointed, not one moment.

" Anointed" with what? I have already told you, with the 2. With Deity, by virtue of the Personal union of the second Person of the Deity. Why then is the Holy Ghost called the Unction? Why is Christ expressly said to be anointed with the Holy Ghost? why not with the Father as well?

Why not? to retain to each Person His own peculiar. His proper act, in this common work of them all; or, as the Hebrews speak, to keep every word upon his right wheel.

Father, is a term of nature. So to the Father we ascribe what the Son hath.by nature. For that He is the Son, is of nature, not of grace.

But that the manhood is taken into God, that was not of nature, but of grace. And what is of grace, is ever properly ascribedto the Spirit. "There are diversities of graces,"allfrom i Cor.12.4. the "same Spirit." And the proceeding of grace from it, not as by nature, but ubi vult, "blows where it lists" freely. All Joh. 8. 8. then, of grace, proceeding from the Spirit: accordingly, the

286 Cf the Sending

8E RM. oonception of Christ's flesh, and the sending it with the fed-

— ^ — ness of grace, or anointing it, is ascribed to the Spirit.

8. How But this enduing with grace, how comes it to be called

2|J?J^ anointing? for nothing, but for the resemblance it hath with an ointment. An ointment is a composition we know ; the ingredients of it, oil and sweet odours. By virtue of the oil

Psalms 109:18. it soaks even into the bones, saith the Psalm; but it works upon the joints and sinews sensibly, makes them supple and lithe, and so the more fresh and active to bestir themselves. By virtue of the sweet odours mixed with it, it works upon the

Ps. 45. 8. spirits and senses; cheers him and makes him ^'glad,*' that is anointed with it. And not him alone, but all that are about

Cant 1. 8. and near him, qui in odore unffuentorum, that take delight in his company, to go and to run with him, and all for the fragrant sweet scent they feel to come from him.

Of which two, the oil represents the virtue of the power of the Spirit, piercing through, but gently, like oil. The odours, the sweet comfort of the graces that proceed from the Holy Ohost. Nothing more like. And this for His anointing.

His send- Now the same Spirit That was thus upon Him at His con-

"^* ception to anoint Him, was even now upon Him again, to

manifest, and to send Him. When? at His baptism, a little before. Not secretly, as then at His conception, but in a visible shape upon Him, before a great concourse of people,

Lu. 8. 22. (to shew there ought to be an outward calling) what time the dove laid that, which in it is answerable to our hands, upon Him.

Not to endue Him with aught — that was done before long — but to manifest to all, this was He; this, the party before anointed, and now sent, th§.t they might take heed to Him. It was the Holy Ghost's first Epiphany this, He was never seen before; but Christ's second Epiphany. The other at His birth, or coming into the world; this now at His calling, or sending into the world. That first, to enable Him to His oiBce; this, to design Him to it. By that, furnished for it; by this, sent, severed, and set about the work He came for. But before we come to the work, let us first reflect a little upon these; they serve our tium, are for our direction. These both were done to Christ, to the end He might teach the Church, that the same were to be on them who in Christ's

of the Holy Ohost. ^%1

stead are employed in the same business, ad evangeUzandum. The Holy Ghost; to be upon them; upon them, to anoint them, and to send them, both; but first to anoint, then to send them. To be,and in this order to be. Unless they be first "anointed," not to be sent; and though never so "anointed,** not to start out of themselves, but to stay till they be sent.

The Spirit to be upon them; the same That upon Christ, though not in the same, but in a broad and a large difference, or degree, of being. Upon Him without measure; not so, on us; but on some less — the measure of the hin; on some more — ^the measure of the ephah; but every one, his homer at least. Some feathers of the dove, as it were, though not the dove itself; not the whole Spirit entire, as upon Him.

On His head the whole box of ointment was broken, which from Him ran down upon the Apostles, somewhat more fresh and full; and ever, the further, the thinner, as the nature of things liquid is; but some small streams trickle down even to us, and to our times still.

This on-being shews itself first, in that which stands first — ^the anointing.

I shall not need tell you, the Spirit comes not upon us now at our conception in the womb, to anoint us there. No; we behove to light our lamps oft, and to spend much oil at our studies, ere we can attain it. This way come we to our anointing now, by books; this book chiefly, but in a good part also, by the books of the ancient Fathers and lights of the Church, in whom the scent of this ointment was fresh, and the temper true; on whose writings it lieth thick, and we thence strike it off, and gather it safely.

You will mark, the anointing is set for the cause; " The Spirit is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me." Then sublatd causdy and, a setuu contrariOy die Spirit is not upon Me, because He hath not anointed Me. Again, "because He hath anointed Me, He hath sent Me." And then it follows, because He hath not anointed Me, He hath not sent Me. No speaking of the Spirit's on-being; no talk of sent by Him, without it. Where be they then that say. The less anointing, the more of the Spirit? Indeed, the more blind, the more bold; and so the fitter to go on some other errand perhaps, but not this.

288 Of the Sending

S E R M. No, no; the Spirit makes none of these dry missions, sends

^' none of these same inuncti, such as have never a feather of

the Dove's wing, nor any spark of the j&re of this day, not so

much as a drop of this ointment. You shall smell them

straight that have it; ^^ the myrrh, aloes, and cassia will make

P8.4d.8. you glad." And you shall even as soon find the others. Either they want odour: — anointed I cannot say, but besmeared with some unctuous stuff (go to, be it oil) that gives a glibness to the tongue to talk much and long, but no more scent in it than in a dry stick; no odours in it at all. Either odours they want, T say, or their odours are not laid in oil. For if in oil, you shall not smell them so for a few set sermons; if they be anointed, not perfumed or washed, for such Divines we have. If it be but some sweet water, out of a casting-bottle, the scent will away soon; water-colours, or water-odours, will not last. But if laid in oil throughly, they will; fear them not. To them that are stuffed, I know all is one; they that have their senses about them, will soon put a difference.

But what? If he be "anointed," then turn him off hardly with no more ado, without stay for any sending at all? Nay, we see here, only anointing served not Christ Himself. He was " sent," and outwardly " sent" besides. Messias He was, in regard of His anointing; Shiloh He was too, in regard of His sending. If you love your eyes, wash them

Joh. 9. 7. in the water of Shiloh, that is by interpretation " sent." Or, to speak in the style of the text, as He was Christ for His

Heb. 3. 1. anointing, so was He an Apostle for His sending. So is He called " the Apostle of our profession," with plain reference to aireaTaXK€ here, the word in the text.

Unction then is to go before, but not to go alone, mission is to follow; and no man, though never so perunctus, eo ipso

Jer.23.21. fear of currebant et non mittebam eos, in the Prophet; or of

Rom. 10. "How shall they preach unless they be sent? in the Apostle. For his life he knew not, if neither Aaron nor Christ, how any might step up without calling, sending, ordaining, laying on of hands: all are one.

And mark well this, that the Holy Ghost came upon Christ

of the Holy Qhost. 289

alike for both, that there is the Holy Ghost no less in this sending than in the anointing. The very calling itself is a "grace," expressly so called, Romans the twelfth, and Ephe- Ro sians the third, and in divers places else. Every grace is of ^ the Holy Ghost; and goeth ever, and is termed by the name of the Holy Ghost usually. And in this sense the Holy Ghost is given and received in Holy Orders, and we do well avow that we say, " Receive the Holy Ghost."

But we have not all, when we have both these; for shall we so dwell upon anointing and sending, as we pass by the super Me, the first of all the three, and sure not the last to be looked after? A plain note it is but not without use, this situation of the Spirit, that He is super. For if He be super^ we be sub. That we be careful then to preserve Him in His stiper, to keep Him in His due place, that is, " above." In sign whereof the dove hovered aloft over Christ, and "came down upon Him;" and in sign thereof we submit our heads in anointing to have the oil poured upon, we submit our heads in ordaining to have hands laid upon them. So submit we do, in sign that submit we must; that not only mission, but submission is a sign of one truly called to this business. Somewhat of the dove there must be, needs; meekness^ humbleness of mind.

But lightly you shall find it, that those that be neque uncti neque loii, 'neither anointed nor scarce well washed;' the less ointment, the worse sending, the farther from this submissive, humble, mind. That above? Nay, any above? Nay, they inferior to none. That above, and they under? Nay, under no Spirit; no super, they. Of all prepositions they endui*e not that, not super; all equal, all even at least. Their spirit • not subject to the spirit of the Prophets, nor of the Apostles neither, if they were now alive; but bear themselves so high, do tarn altum spirare, as if this Spirit were their underling, and their ghost above the Holy Ghost. There may be a sprite in them, there is no Spirit upon them that endure no super, none above them. So now we have all we should; unction out of unxit, mission out of misit, submission out of super Me.

Forward now. " Upon Me." How know we that? "Because He hath anointed Me.** "Anointed," to whatwhc

bring good tidings." 2. Whom to? ** To the poor.'*

with the best sending ; and the best sending is to be sent

with a message of good news; the best, and the best welcome.

We all strive to bear them, we all love to haye them brought;

the Gospel is nothing else but a message of good tidings.

And Christ, as in regard of His sending, an Apostle, the

Arch- Apostle, so in regard of that He is sent with, an £yangelist, the Arch-Evangelist. Christ is to anoint: this is a

kind of anointing ; and no ointment so precious, no oil so

supple, no odour so pleasing, as the knowledge of it ; called

life," in them that receive it. 2. To the 2. Send with this, and to whom? " To the poor." You ^^^* may know it is the Spirit of God by this. That ^irit it is; and they that " anointed" with It, take care of the poor. The spirit of the world, and they that anointed with it take little keep to evangelize any such, any 'poor souls. But in the tidings of the Gospel they are not left out; taken in by name, we see: in sending those tidings there is none excluded. Acts 10. 34. " No respect of persons with God." None of nations; to every nation, Gentile and Jew: none of conditions; to every condition, poor and rich. To them that of all other are the least likely. They are not troubled with much worldly good news; seldom come there any posts to them with such. But the good news of the Gospel reacheth even to the meanest. And reaching to them it must needs be general, this news. • If to them that of all other least likely, then certainly to all. Etiam pauperibus is, as if He had said, even to poor and all, by way of extent, ampUando. But no ways to engross it, or Acts 16. 14. appropriate it to them only. The tidings of the Gospel are as ^cts 10. 6. ^^11 f^j. "Lydia the purple seller" as for " Simon the tanner;" Acts 16.. ^o! for "the Areopagite," the judge at Athens, as for " the jailor" Acte^. 36. •* Pbilippi; for "the elect lady," as for widow "Dorcas;" for Acts 8. 27. the " Lord Treasurer of Ethiopia," as for " the beggar at the P^. 4.22. beautiful gate of the temple;" for "the household of Caesar," iCor. 1. 16. as for " the household of Stephanas;" yea and, if he will, for Acts26.27. king Agrippa" too.

of the Holy Ghost. 291

But if you will have pauperibus a restringent, you may; but then you must take it for "poor in spirit," with whom our Mi Saviour begins His beatitudes in the mount; — the poverty to be found in all. As indeed I know none so rich but needs these tidings; all to feel the want of them in their spirits; Re no dicis quia dives sum; as few sparks of a Pharisee as may be, in them that vdll be interested in it.

Well, we see to whom: what may these news be? News of a new physician, KapBCarpos, Medicus cordis^ one that can tid give physic to heal a broken heart. And news of such an one ^.^ is good news indeed. They that can cure parts less principal, brc broken arms or legs, or limbs out of joint, are much made of, and sent for far and near. What say you to one that is good at a broken heart? make that whole, set that in joint again, if it happen to be out? So they understood it plainly by their speech to Him after, Medice cura Teipsum. Lu

The heart, sure, is the part of all other we would most gladly have well. " Give me any grief to the grief of the Ec heart," saith one that knew what he said. Omni ctcstodid custodi cor^ saith Solomon, " keep thy heart above all:" if that Pr< be down, all is down; look to that in any wise. Now it is most proper for the Spirit to deal with that part; it is the fountain;of the spirits of life, and whither indeed none can come but the Spirit, to do any cure to purpose; that if Christ, if the Spirit take it not in hand, all cures else are but palliative; they may drive it away for a while, it will come again worse than ever. Now then to medice cura^ as Christ after saith, to this new cure.

In every cure, our rule is first to look to de causis morborum^ Of how the heart can be broken; then after, de methodo medendi^ i, j the way here to help it. ^^

How comes the heart broken? The common hammer that breaks them is some bodily or worldly cross, such as we commonly call heart-breakings. There be here in the text three strokes of this hammer, able I think to break any heart in the world.

1. Captivity. They be captives first; and captives and Li caitiffs, in our speech, sound much upon one. It is sure a tive condition able to make any man " hang up his harp," and Ps.i " sit weeping by the waters of Babylon." There is one stroke.

292 Of the Sending

S E R M. 2. There follows another, worse yet. For in Babylon,

^ - ' ' though they were captives, yet went they abroad, had their

iarkdun. liberty. These here are in prison; and in some blind hole

^®°" there, as it might be in the dungeon, where they see nothing.

That, I take it, is meant by " blind" here in the text ; blind for

want of light, not for want of sight, though those two both

come to one, are convertible. They that be blind, say they

are dark ; and they that be in the dark, for the time are

deprived of sight, have no manner use of it at all, no more

than a blind man. Now they that row in the galleys yet

this comfort they have, they see the light; and if a man see

stroke of the hammer it is, not to have so much as that poor

comfort left them.

3. And 3. But yet are not we at the worst; one stroke more. For

with irons o^® ™^y ^^ ^^ ^^ dungeon and yet have his limbs at large,

there. j^ig hands and feet at liberty. But so have not those in the

text, but are in irons ; and those so heavy and so pinching, as

now their case. 1. Captives; and not only that, but 2. in

prison. In prison; not above, but in the dungeon, the deepest,

darkest, blindest hole there; no light, no sight at all. 3. And

in the hole, with as many irons upon them, that they are

even " bruised" and sore with them. And tell me now, if these

three together be not enough to break Manasses', or any man's

heart, and to make him have cor contritum indeed.

They be; but what is this to us? This is no man's case here. No more was it any of theirs that were at Christ's sermon; yet Christ spake to the purpose, we may be sure. We may not then take it literally, as meant by the body: Christ meant no such captivity, dungeon, or irons. That He meant not such, is plain. He saith. He was sent to free captives, to open prisons; but He never set any captive free in His life, nor opened any gaol, in that sense, to let any prisoner forth. Another sense then we are to seek. Remember ye not, we began with the Spirit? the business the Spirit comes about is spiritual, not secular. So all these spiritually to be understood. As indeed they are all three applicable to the case of the Spirit, and a plain description of all our states out of Christ, and before He take us in hand.

of the Holy Ghost. 293

1. There is captivity there, wherein men are held in slavery under sin and Satan, worse than that we now speak of. St. Paul knew it, speaks of it, and when he hath so, crieth out, "Wretched man that I am, who shall rid me of it?" J Verily, there is no Turk so hurries men, puts them to so base services, as sin doth her captives. Give me one that hath been in her captivity, and is got out of it, et scit qtwd dicOy

* he can tell it is true I say.'

2. There is a prison too; not Manasses' prison. But ask David, who never came in any gaol, what he meant when he said, " I am so fast in prison, as I know not how to get ] out." And that you may know what prison that was, he cries, " O bring my soul out of prison !" A prison there is I then of the soul, no less than of the body. In which prison were some of those that Christ preached here too ; St. Matthew j saith, " they sat in darkness and in the shadow of death," even as men in the dungeon do.

3. There are chains too ; — that also is the sinner's case,he is even "tied with chains of his own sins," saith Solomon, with I "the bonds of iniquity," St. Peter; which "bonds" are they, -A David thanks God for breaking in sunder. There need no P other bonds we will say, if once we come to feel them. The galls that sin makes in the conscience, are "the entering of P the iron into our soul."

But you will say. We feel not these neither, no more than the former. No do*? Take this for a rule: if Christ heal \} them that be broken-hearted, broken-hearted we behove to ®^ be ere He can heal us. He is Medicus cordis indeed; but it is cordis contriti. It is a condition ever annexed, this, to make us the more capable; and likewise a disposition it is, to make us the more curable. That same pauperilms before, and this contritis now, they limit Christ's cure. His cure and His commission both; and unless they be, or until they be, this Scripture is not, nor cannot be fulfilled in us. In our ears it may be, but in our hearts never.

That, as such as come to be healed by His Majesty are first searched, and after either put by or admitted as cause is; so there would be a scrutiny of such as make toward Christ. What, are you poor? Poor in spirit? — ^for the purse it skills not. No, but dicis quia dives, "in good case:" Christ is not for [B

294 Of the Sending

S £ R M. you then, He is sent to the poor. What, is your heart broken?

— — — No, but heart-whole, "a heart as brawn:" — ^then are you not '' ' ' for this cure. In all Christ's dispensatory, there is not a medicine for such a heart, ^'a heart like brawn," that is hard and unyielding.

Christ Himself seems to give this item, when He applies

Lu. 4. 25. it after. " Many widows," " many lepers," saith He, and so many sinners. " Elias sent to none but the poor widow of Sarepta;" "Eliseus healed none, but only Naaman," after his spirit came down, was broken. No more doth Christ, but such as are of a contrite heart.

Verily, the case as before we set it down, is the sinner's case, feel he it, feel he it not. But if any be so benumbed, as he is not sensible of this; so blind as, dungeon or no dungeon, all is one to him; if any have this same scirrhum cordis^ that makes him past feeling, it is no good sign; but it may be, our hour is not yet come, our cure is yet behind. But if it should so continue, and never be otherwise, then were it a very evil sign." For what is such a one's case but, as Solomon

Prov.7.22. saith, " as the ox that is led to the slaughter" without any sense, " or the fool" that goes laughing when he is carried to be well whipped? What case more pitiful?

You will say; we have no hammer, no worldly cross to break our hearts. It may be. That is Manasses' hammer, the common hammer indeed, but that is not King David's hammer, which I rather commend to you; the right hammer to do the feat, to work contrition in kind. ITie right is the sight of our own sins. And I will say this for it; that I never in my life saw any man brought so low with any worldly calamity, as I have with this sight. And these I speak of were not of the common sort, but men of spiiit and valour, that durst have looked death in the face. Yet when God opened their eyes to see this sight, their hearts were broken, yea even ground to powder with it; contrite indeed.

And this is sure; if a man be not humbled with the sight of his sins, it is not all the crosses or losses in the world ivill humble him aright.

This is the right. And without any worldly cross this we might have, if we loved not so to absent ourselves from ourselves, to be even fugitwi cordis^ to run away from our own

of the Holy Ghost. 295

hearts, be ever abroad, never within; if we would but some- Isa. 46. 8. times redire ad' cor ^ return home thither and descend into ourselves; sadly and seriously to bethink us of them, and the dan- ger we are in by them; this might be had, and this would be had if it might be. If not, in default of this (no remedy) the common hammer must come; and God send usManasses* hammer to break it; some bodily sickness, some worldly afBiction, to send us home into ourselves! But sure the Angel must come Joh. 6, 4. down and the water be stirred; else we may preach long enough to uncontrite hearts, but no good will be done till then.

I have been too long in the cause; but the knowledge of the cause, in every disease, we reckon half the cure. To the healing now.

The word for heal in Esay, where this text is, signifies to bind up. The cure begins with ligature, the most proper cure for fractures, or aught that is broken. Nay, in wounds and all, as appeareth by the Samaritan. The flux is so stayed, Lu. 10. 34. which, if it continue running on us still, in vain talk we of any healing. It is not begun till that stay and run no longer. The sin that Christ cures He binds up, He stays — to begin with. If He cover sin, it is with a plaister. He covers andjcures together, both under one.

This word "broken-hearted" the Hebrews take not as we do: we, broken for sin; they, broken off, or from sin. And we have the same phrase with us; to break one of the evil fashions or inclinations he hath been given to. So to break the heart. And so must it be broken, or ever it be whole. Both senses: either of them doth well, but both together

best of all.

This done, now to the healing part. The heathen observed 8.

/ i \ y ss. ' cx"L 11 How they

long since: V'vxv^voaova-TfseurlvLaTpoiXoyoh tne soul s cure are cured, is by words;' and the Angel saith to Cornelius, of St. Peter, t>^^^^; " He shall speak to thee words" by which thou and thy 378. Ed.'

household shall be saved. 1809.]

And by no words sooner, than by the sound of good tidings. Acts lo. 6. Qood news is good physic sure, such the disease may be, gy ^^^ and a good message a good medicine. There is power in it tidings. both ways. Good news hath healed, evil news hath killed many. The good news of Joseph's welfare, we see how it even " revived" old Jacob. And the evil of " the Ark of God Gen.45.27.

296 Of the Sending

E R M. taken,'' it cost Eli his life. Nothing works upon the heart more forcibly either way.

18. What are these news, and first how come they ? By KTjpv^tu

[^^^ they come ; no secret- whispered news, from man to man in

a comer; no flying news. They be proclaimed, these: so

authentical. Proclaimed; and so they had need. For if our

sins once appear in their right form, there is evil news

certainly; let the devil alone with that, to proclaim them, to

preach damnation to us. Contraria curantur contrariis, we

had need have some good proclaimed, to cure those of his.

Two proclamations here are, one in the neck of another.

Of which the former, in the three branches of it, applieth in

particular a remedy to the three former maladies, is the

topic medicine, as it were ; the latter is the panacea, makes

them all perfectly whole and sound.

1. The 1^® first proclamation. To the captive first, that there is

him a whole man.

3. To them in chains; of one to strike off their bolts and loose them,to open the prison door and let them go; aTroa-TeiXxUf to make Apostles of them, and send them abroad into the wide world. It is the fruit of Christ's dTreo-raX^e, this dTroo-reZXa*, Christ's Apostleship was, and is, to make such Apostles.

Now this is nothing but tlie very sum of the Gospel: 1. of

one coming with a ransom in one hand, to lay down for us the

price of our redemption from Satan's captivity. 2. And with

Eev. 1. 18. " the keys of hell and death" in the other. Keys of two sorts:

1. one to undo their fetters and loose them; 2. the other to

open the dungeon and prison-door^ — ^both the dungeon of

despair, and the prison of the law, and let them out of both.

There can be no better news, nor kindlier physic in the world,

1. than word of redemption to captives; 2. than to see the

light again, to them in the limbo; 3. than of enlargement to

them in bands; but specially, than of a dismission from

prison, dungeon, irons and all. And this is proclaimed here,

and published by Christ in His Sermon at Nazareth; and

was after performed and accomplished by Him, at His

Passion in Jerusalem.

of the Hohf Ghost. 297

This is good news indeed, but here comes better. It is 2. The seconded with another proclamation, that makes up all. For ^^^ in very deed, they that by the first proclamation were so madon. released; for all that, and after all that, what were they but a sort of poor snakes turned out of the gaol, but have nothing to take to? Coming thither, they were turned out of all that ever they had. That their case, though it be less miserable, yet is miserable still; the languor morhi still hangs upon them. We lack some restorative for that. Here comes now physic to cure that and make them perfectly well, a second KTfpv^aCy that they shall be restored to all that ever they had. How so? For hark, here is " the acceptable year," that is, a jubilee proclaimed. And then even of coiu*se they are, by force of the jubilee, so to be. The nature of the jubilee was so, you know. Then not only all bond set free, all prisons for debt set open; but beside, all were restored then to their former mortgaged, forfeited, or any ways aliened estates, in as ample manner as ever they had or held them at any time before.

A restitution in integrum^ a re-investing them in what they were bom to, or were any ways possessed of; that if they had sold themselves out of all, and lay in execution for huge sums, as it might be ten thousand talents, then all was quit, they came to all again, in as good case as ever they were in all their lives. There can be no more joyful news, no more cordial physic, than this. The year of jubilee? why that time so acceptable, so joyful, as it hath even given a denomination to joy itself. The height of joy is jubilee, the highest term to express it is jubilate; that goes beyond all the words of joy whatsoever.

And this comes well now; for the jubilee of the Law drawing to an end, and this very year being now the last, Christ's jubilee, the jubilee of the Gospel, came fitly to succeed. Wherein the primitive estate we had in Paradise, we are re-seized of anew. Not the same in specie^ but as good, nay better. For if for the terrestrial Paradise by the flood destroyed we have a celestial, we have our own again, I trow, with advantage.

"A year" it is called, to keep the term still on foot that formerly it went by. Only this difference: the year there was a definite time, but here a definite is put for an indefixivti^.

298 Of the Sending

S E B M. This year is more than twelve months. In this '^ acceptable: — year" the Zodiack goes never about. On this day of salvation the sun never goes down. For in this the jubilee of the Gospel passeth that of the Law: that held but for a year, and no longer; but this is continual, lasts still. Which is plam, in that divers years after this of Christ's the Apostle speaks of it as still in esse; even then makes this proclamation stiU,

a Cor. 6.2. " Behold this is the day, behold now is the acceptable time." Whereby we are given to understand that Christ's jubilee, though it began when Christ j&rst preached this sermon, yet it ended not with the end of that year as did Aaron's, but

Bev. u. 6. was EvangeUum astemum; as Also perpetuijubilai, everlasting good news of a perpetual jubilee, that doth last and shall last as long as the Gk>spel shall be preached by Himself, or

Acta 3. 21. others sent by Him, to the end of the world, " the time of restoring all things."

It is called " acceptable," by the term of the benefit that happened on it, which was our acceptation. For then we and all mankind were made, not Se/criot, that is, ^acceptable,' but as the word is, ScKToly that is, actually " accepted," or received by God, out of Whose presence we were before cast. And being by Him so received, we did ourselves receive

Eph. i.u, again, " the earnest of our inheritance," from which by means of the transgression we were before fallen.

There is much in this term, " accepting." For when is one said to be accepted? Not when his ransom is paid, or the prison set open; not when he is pardoned his fault, or reconciled, or become friends; but when he is received with

Lu. 16. 20. arms spread, as was the lost child in the Gospel, ad stolam primam — as the term is, out of that place. Three degrees there are in it: 1. Accepted to pardon — that is a-ifyyvfo/iir}.

3. accepted to repropitiation, that is iXaa-fjubsy to as good grace and favour as ever, even in the very fulness of it. They shew it by three distinct degrees in Absalom's receiving.

2 Sam. 13. !• Pardoned he was, while he was yet in Geshur ; 2, recon-

5^' , , ciled, when he had leave to come home to his own house ;

23. 33. 3. repropitiate, when he was admitted to the king's presence, and kissed him. That made up all, then he had all again. And that is our very case.

of the Hohf Ghost. 299

Nay indeed, that is not all. It is more than so: heseros here is in the text of Esay, llin; and that imports more. For that word is ever turned by evSo/clay and that is Christ's own acceptation, " In Whom I am well pleased," and the very Mat. 17. 6. term of it. And he that is so accepted, I know not what he would have more.

This is the benefit that fell at this time; and for this that fell on the time, the time itself it fell on is, and cannot be but, acceptable; even eo nomine, that at such a time such a benefit happened to us. And in this respect, it ever hath and ever shall be an acceptable welcome time, this, and holden as a high feast; like as the benefit is high, that befel us on it. Festum, ' a feast,' for the pardon; festum du/plex, for the reconciliation; festum magis du/plex, for the being perfectly accepted to the favour of God, and by it re*accepting again our prime estate.

Nay last, it is called not only annus acceptus, but annus Domini accepttis, or acceptus Domino: not only, "the acceptable year," but " of the Lord," or " to the Lord;" — ^for so the Hebrew reads it, with the sign of the dative, as if to God Himself it were so. And to Him so it is, and to His holy Angels in Heaven so it is. For if the receiving any one contrite sinner, by repentance, be matter of joy to the whole ^vl, 16. 10. court of Heaven — if the receiving of but one; what shall we think of the general receiving of the whole mass, which this day was effected?

Now if to Heaven, if to God Himself it be so; to earth, to us, shall it not be much more, whom much more it concemeth, I am sure? God getteth nothing by it; we do: He is not the better for it; we are: ever the receiver, than the giver. The giver more glory, but the receiver more joy. That if it be the joy of Heaven, it cannot be but the jubilee of the earth, even of the whole earth: Jubilate Deo omnis Ps. 66, l. terra.

The jubilee, ever it began with no other sound, but even of I^ev. 26. 9. a comet, made of the horns of a ram. Of which horns they give no other reason but that it was so in reference to the horns of that " ram that in the thicket was caught by the Gen.22.1d. horns," and sacrificed in Isaac's stead, even as Christ was in ours. To shew that all our jubilee hath relation to that

300 Of the Sending of the Holy Ghost.

•

8 E B M. special sacrifice, so plainly prefiguring that of Christ's.

Which feast of jubilee began ever after the High-Priest had

offered his sacrifice, and had been in the Sancta sanctorum. As this jubilee of Christ also took place, from His entering

Heb.9.11. into the holy places "made without hands,*' after His propitiatory sacrifice offered up for the quick and the dead, and for all yet unborn, at Easter. And it was the tenth day that; and this now is the tenth day since.

Ps.110.18. initiation of the joy of our jubilee. Like as accipiam calicem salutarisy our taking "the cup of salvation," is the memorial of our being accepted or received, and taken again to salvation. Wherewith let us also crown this jubilee of ours. That so all the benefits of it may take hold of us; specially the redintegration of the favour of God, and the assurance or pledge of our restitution to those joys, and that jubilee, that only can give content to all our desires, when the time shall

[Aote 8, come of " the restoring of all things."

A SERMON

FREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT GREENWICH,

Acts ii. 16—21.

But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel;

And it shall he in the last days^ saith God, I will pour out of

My Spirit upon alljlesh: and your sons and your daughters

shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and

your old men shall dream dreams : And on My servants and on Mine handmaids 1 mil pour out of

My Spirit; and they shall prophesy : And I will shew wonders in Heaven above, and tokens in the

earth beneath ; blood and fire, and the vapour of smoke : The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into bloody

before that great and notable day of the Lord come : And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name qf the

Lord, shall be saved,

[Sed hoc est quod dictum est per Prophetam Joel ;

Et erit in novissimis diehus, dicit Dominus, effundam de Spiritu Meo

et ignem, et vaporemfumi: Sol convertetur in tenebras, et luna.in sanguinem, antequam veniat

dies Domini magnus et manifestus: Et erit; omnis, quicumque invocaverit nomen Domini, sahms erit.

Latin Vulg.]

302 Of the Sending

: — And it shall come to pass in the last days^ saith God, I mU pour out

of My Spirit upon all flesh : and your sons and your daughters

shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old

men shall dream dreams : And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out, in

those days, of My Spirit ; and they shall prophesy : And I will shew wonders in Heaven above, and signs in the earth

beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke; The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,

before that great and notable day of the Lord come : And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the

Lord shall be saved. Engl. Trans.]

These words may well serve for a sermon this day; they were a part of a sermon preached as this day. The first Whitsun-Sermon that ever was; the first Whit-Simday that ever was. St. Peter preached it. And this was his text, out of the second chapter of the Prophet Joel. As Christ the last year out of Esay, so Peter this out of Joel. Both took texts; both for the day, and for the present occasion.

The occasion of this here was a lewd surmise given out by some, touching the gift of tongues, this day sent firom Heaven.

It shall be my first note. That look, how soon God firom Heaven had sent His fiery tongues upon His Apostles, the devil from hell presently sent for his fiery tongues, and put them in the mouths of his apostles, to disgrace and scojflT at those of God's sending.

Ye may hear them speak, at the thirteenth verse: Well fare this same good new wine! These good fellows have been at it, and now they can speak nothing but outlandish. Some little broken Greek or Latin they had, and now out it comes.

Thus that which was indeed grande miraculum^ they turned into grande hidibrium. Of the great mystery of this Mat. 8. 11. day, they made a mere mockery. Those that were "baptized wdth the Holy Ghost" they traduced, as if they had soused themselves in " new wine." Here is the Holy Ghost's welcome into the world. This use doth the devil make of some men's wits and tongues, to pour contempt on that which God poureth forth, all that ever they can; even " to work despite HehJO.29. to the Spirit of grace."

f Being to make an apology for himself and the rest, and The simi. indeed for the Holy Ghost, St. Peter first prays audience, at the fourteenth verse; then tells them soberly, they miss the matter quite, at the fifteenth. It was too early day to fasten any such suspicion upon any such men, as they were, to be gone before nine in the morning. But this he stands not on, as not worth the answering.

Here, at this verse, he tells them it was no liquor, this specially, no such as they surmised. If it were any, if they would needs have it one, it was the Prophet JoeFs, and none other. Something poured on, nothing poured in. Nothing but the effusion of the Holy Ghost. " This is it that was spoken by the Prophet Joel."

So, hahemus Jirmiorem sermoThem propheticwm; and this 2Pet. 1.19. which seemed to happen thus on the sudden, it was long since foretold; and he alleges for it this text of the Prophet, that such a thing " there should come to pass," an " effusion of the Spirit," and that a strange one. And this they would find it to be, this prophecy of the Spirit poured, this day fulfilled in their ears.

Of which text the special points be two: 1. of the Spirit's The dipouring: 2. of the end whereto.

The first I reduce to these four. 1. The thing; 2. the act; I. 3. the party by whom; 4. the parties upon whom. 1. De Spiritu Meo is the thing. 2. Effundam the act. 3. Dicit DomimiSy the Party by Whom. 4. Sv/per omnem camemy the parties upon whom it is poured.

Then the end whereto. And in that four more. The last n. end of all in the last word of all, sahabitur. That is the very end, and a blessed end, if by any means we may attain to it. Then are there three other conducting to this; two main ones, and one accessory, but yet as necessary as the other. 2. Close to it, in the end, there is calling on the Name of the Lord: " He that calleth on the Name of the Lord, shall be saved." 3. And farthest from it at the beginning, there is prophetabunty to call upon us to that end: "And my servants shall prophesy." 4. And between both these there is a memorandum of the " great day of the Lord." Which is not from the matter neither, nor more than needs. For then, at that day, we shall stand most in need of saving; if we perish

304 Of the Sending

8E RM. then, we perish for ever. And the mention and memoiy of

^' that day will make us not despise prophesying, nor forget

invocation ; but be both more attentive in hearing of prophecy,

and more devout in ^^ calling on the name of the Liord.'' So

it may well go for a third conducting means to our salvation.

Now to bring this to the day. This, it is said, shall be " in

Heb. 1. 1. *^® l^st days." Which with St. Peter here, and with St. Paul, Hebrews the first; yea, and with the Rabbins themselves, are the days of the Messiah. So, of our Messiah Christ, to us, and of none other. Of Whose days this is the very last For having done His errand. He was to go up again, and to send His Spirit down, to do His another while; which is the work of this day. As His first then, the taking of our flesh, so His last, the giving of His Spirit; the giving It abundantly, which is the effundam here.

It remaineth that we pray to Him, Who thus of His Spirit poured forth this day, that He would vouchsafe on the same day to pour of It on us here; that we may so hold this feast, the memor}' of It, and so hear the words of this prophecy, as may be to His good acceptance, and our own saving in the great day, " the day of the Lord." I^ Of the thing poured, first. De Spiritu Meo^ the Spirit of

Of the God. First of Him, to give Him the honour of His own

Spint's - pouring, oay.

De Spiritu. "^^^ Spirit is of Himself Author of life; and here is brought in, as Author of prophecy. They both are in the Nicene Creed; 1 . " The Lord and Giver of life," 2. and, " Who spake by the Prophets." Life and speech have but one instrument, the spirit or breath both. Of it these four.

1. Prophecy can come from no nature but rational; the Spirit then is natura rationalis. And determinate it is, distinct plainly here two ways ; 1. the Spirit, from Him Whose the Spirit is, Him That says, de Spiritu Meo. 2. That Which is poured, from Him Thatpoureth It; Ftbsus a Fusore. Being then natura rationalis determinatay He is a Person, for a person is so defined.

2. Secondly, effusion is a plain proceeding of that which is poured ; as spiration is so too, in the very body of the word spirit. So, a Person proceeding.

3. Thirdly, being a Person, and yet being poured out, He

of the Holy Gluost. 305

behoves to be God. No person, Angel, or Spirit, can be [Didym. poured out, can be so participate. Not at all; but not "upon ^^ f.'dro* all flesh" — not dilated so far. God only can be that. So the ™ed ap. Person, the proceeding, the Deity of the Holy Ghost, all in ' ^^^'\ these words. And not a word of all this mine; but thus deduced by St. Ambrose, and before him by Didymus Alexandrinus, St. Hierome's master.

4. But fourthly, you will mark ; it is not ' My Spirit,' but [S. Ambr. " of My Spirit." The whole Spirit, flesh could not hold— not h^.^i^'o^s.] ** all flesh." And parts It hath none. 1. Understand then, ai, 7. " of My Spirit," that is of the gifts and graces of the Spirit — beams of this light, streams of this pouring. Otherwhere others, here the gift of prophecy and tongues.

2. Which de Spiritu is also said, to keep the difference I'^- 4=. 18.

between Christ and us. Upon Him the Spirit was; " the of the Spirit of God upon Me," last year. Upon us, not the Spirit; ^*st year, but de Spiritu^ " of My Spirit" only, this year.

The next is the act, effundam; in it four more. 1. The ^, ^* quality, in that it is compared to a thing liquid,/2mfe, ' poured effmdam. out.' This seems not proper. Pouring is as it had been water. He came in fire. It would have been kindled rather than poured. True, but St. Peter in proper terms makes his answer refer to their slander; and that was, that it was nothing but "new wine," a liquor. Their objection being in [Acts 2. a thing liquid, his answer behoved to be accordingly. And '•• well it might so, Christ had so expressed it, both lately in His promise, " Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost Acts 1:5. vrithin few days;" and formerly, under the terms of " waters of life," where St. John's exposition is, "This He spake of Joh. 7.89. the Spirit." Not then given, but to be given, straight upon Christ's glorifying, which is now, this very day. The.Holy Ghost then is not all fire.

And this quality falls well within the two graces, of 1. prophecy, and 2. invocation, here given. I. Prophecy: Moses the great Prophet likened it to the " dew falling upon the herbs," or " the rain poured on the grass." And that likening Deu. 8a. 2. is so usual as nilD, moreh, the word in Hebrew for rain, is so for a preacher too, that it poseth the translators which way to turn it; and even in that very chapter of Joel, whence this text is taken.

SM Of the Sending

s E R M/ 2. And inyocation is so too; a pouring out of prajer, and

3. And the third, of the latter day, may be taken in toor Then there shall be a pouring forth also of all the phiali^ of the wrath of God.

2. The quality then first; the quantity no less. For pouring is a sign of plenty ; effundam not aspergam^ the first prerogative of this day. For the Spirit had been given before this time, but never with such a largess ; sprinkled, but not poured. Never till now, in that bounty that now. This was reserved for Christ. For when there was ajpio§a sanguinis effusio on His part, there was likewise to be eopiosa Flaminis effusio on the Holy Ghosrt^s. He as liberal of His grace, as Christ of His blood. That there might be to us Ps. 180. 7. eopiosa redemptio between Them both, it is effUndam copiose in both.

Effandam tells us farther, the Spirit came not of Himself not till He was thus poured out. It is no effluet, but effandam. La. 32. 87. Sie oportet implere, that so order might be kept in Him, in the very Spirit, and we by Him taught to keep it. Not to start out till we be sent, nor to go on our own heads^ but to stay till we be called. Not to leak out or to run over, but to stay till we be poured out in like sort. Seeing Christ would not go unsent, misit Me^ last year; nor the Holy Ghost run unpoured this year; it may well become us to keep in till we be poured and sent, any year. And yet the Spirit is no less ready to run than God is to pour It. One of these is Isa. 6. 8. no bar to the other. Ecce ego, mitte me. Ecce ego, ** Behold I am ready," saith Esay, and yet mitte me, " send me," for all that. EflSuence and effusion, influence and infusion, will stand together well enough.

4. Lastly, effundam is not as the running of a spout. To

pour is the voluntary act of a voluntary agent, who hath the

vessel in his hand, and may pour little or much ; and may

choose whether he will pour out any at all, or no. As shut the

heaven from raining, so refrain the Spirit from falling on us.

2. And when He pours. He strikes not out the head of the

vessel and lets all go; but moderates His pouring, and dispenses His gifts. Pours not all upon every one; nay, not

1 Cor. 12. npon any one, all ; but upon some in this manner, upon some

of the Holy Ghost. 807

in that; not to each the same. And to whom the same, not

in the same measure though ; but to some ^^five/' to some

"two," to some but "one" talent. The text is plain for this* Mat.2O.l0.

There are divers assignations in it: 1. To divers parties;

** sons," " servants," " old men," and " young men." 2. Of

divers gifts; "prophecies," "visions," and " dreams." 3. And

then of divers degrees; one clearer than the other, the

Pourer's discretion, to each as pleaseth Him best.

The Party pouring is, dixit Dominus, " the Lord That said." 8. But dioAt Dominus Domino meo, " The Lord said to my Lord;" pouring: Which of these? The latter Domino meo, "my Lord,"^^.

David's Lord and ours, Dominum nostrum, in our Creed, that Ps. HO. l is, Christ. How appears that? Directly at the thirty-third verse after, " He being now exalted by the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Ghost from, the Father, He hath poured out this that ye now see and hear." Christ then. And not the Father? Yes, He too; for of Him Christ is said to receive it. Not only dixit Dominus Domino meOy but dedit Dominus Domino meo. And so, as in the nineteenth of Genesis, Fhiit Dominus a Domino, GeQ.19.24. **from the Lord the Lord poured it." And but one effundam, with but one effusion Both, as with one spiration He came from Both. Both with one effusion pour Him; Both with one spiration breathe Him. It is expressly so set down, Revelations, chapter twenty-two, " The fountain of the water ofBey.22. 1. life issued from the seat of God and of the Lamb." So have you here the whole Trinity: 1. QuiSj2. Quid, 3. a Quof the Father by the Son, or the Son from the Father, pouring out the Holy Ghost.

2. And may we not also find the two natures of Christ here ? Effundam is fundam ex. " I will pour out ;" out of what ? what the cistern into which It first comes, and out of which It is after derived to us ? That is the flesh or human nature of Christ, on which It was poured at His conception, fully to endow it, for " in Him the ftilness of the Godhead Col. 2. 0. dwelleth bodily ;" — ^mark that "bodily." And It was given to Him without measure, and " of His ftdness we all receive." ^^^ ^* ^* From this cistern this day issued the Spirit by so many quills

308 Of the Sending

8 E B M. or pipes, as it were, as there are several divisions of the graces — of the Holy Ohost. And so now we have both a Quo and

ex Quo. The divinity into this humanity pouring the Spirit,

Which from His flesh was poured down this day euper amnem

cameniy " upon all flesh.'* Which fitly brings in the next,

super amnem carnem. 4. On whom this pouring is, which is the last point; euper

tie/ ^^ omnem carnem. In which there are three points, as the words whom. are three: 1. Carnem first, that is, men. "For doth God amnem take care for oxen,'' saith the Apostle, or for any flesh but?^^' ' ours? No, not for any flesh, but the ** flesh" which "the Job. 1. 14.* Word" did take. And for that He doth.

But we are spirit too, as well as flesh ; and in reason,

spirit on spirit were more kindly. There is nearer alliance

between them.

Yet you shall find the other part, flesh, is still chosen. !• 1. First, to magnify His mercy the more, that part is singled

eamem. out that seemeth farther removed; nay, that is indeed quite

opposite to the Spirit of God here poured out. For what is Isa. 40. 6. flesh? It is proclaimed, in the fortieth of Esay, " it is grass."

And not gramen^ but fcenumy that is, grass withering and fit

for the scythe. Is that the worst? I would it were; but [Rom.8.8J caro peccatiy " sinful flesh" it sets forth yet. Upon " sinful

flesh" He should have poured somewhat else than His Spirit. So two oppositions: 1. flesh and Spirit absolutely in

themselves; 2. then, "sinful flesh" and the Holy Spirit.

All which commends His love the more, thus to combine

things so much opposite. This first.

And withal, that which right now I touched, to shew the

introduction to this conjunction of these so far in opposition

either to other, even Verbum caro factum^ that made this sym- Ho8, 2. 15. bolism. By which " a gate of hope" was opened to us by

His incarnation, in spem of our inspiration, which this day Acts 2. 33. came in rem. For His flesh exalted to the right hand of

God remembered us that were flesh of His flesh, and derived

down this fountain of living water to it, saliens in vitam tseter^

nam; springing, and raising us with it whence it came, for Joh. 4. l4. water will ever rise as high as the place from whence it

came, that is, up to Heaven, up to eternal life.

of the Holy Ohost. 809

2. Swper^ "upon" it; "upon" it is without, on the outside 8.

of it. Had not fiindam in been better than fundam super: **^^*

* into' them than " upon" them ? Not a whit.

Indeed, both ways I find the Spirit given. At Christ's baptism the dove came "upon Him." At His resurrection, Lu. 8. 23. insufflavit^ " He breathed into" them. And so hath He parted Joh.20.22, His Sacraments: baptism is effundam super ^ upon us, from without; the Holy Eucharist, that is comeditey that goeth in. Upon the matter, both come to one. If It be poured on. It soaks in, pierces to the very centre of the soul, as in baptism sin is washed thence by It. If It be breathed in, It is no sooner at the heart but It works forth, out It comes again; out at the nostrils in breath, out at the wrist in the beating of the pulse. So both 'in effect are one.

1. But it is super here, for these reasons; first that we may know the graces of the Spirit, they are e^coOeVy *from without.' In us, that is, in our flesh, they grow not ; neither they, nor any good thing else. And not only e^wOeVy *from without ;' but

St. James' avcodev too, "from above, from the Father of Jm. 1.17. lights." Both these are in super; and but for these, we might fall into a phantasy they grew within us, and sprung from us; which, God knoweth, they do not.

2. Another reason is, for that " upon" is the preposition proper to initiation into any new office. So is the manner, by some such outward ceremony " upon," to initiate. By anointing or pouring oil "upon." By induing, indueminiy putting some robe or other ensign "upon." By imposition, or laying hands " upon." All " upon." Baptism, which is the Sacrament of our initiation, is therefore so done. So

the dove came "upon" Christ. The "tongues," here "upon" Acts 2 8. these, to enter them, either, into their new offices.

A third, last but not least, to inure them to this preposition super, which many can but evil brook. No super, no superiority they; all even, all equal; fellows and fellows. ** The right hands of fellowship," if you will; but not so much Gal. 2. 9. as imposition of hands, super. For if super, then sub follows; if "upon," then we * under;' if above, then we beneath. But no sub with some; submit neither head nor spirit to any. Yet super Me, said Christ, last year, and it may become any that became Him; it may well become super carnem. Suffer

310 Of the Sending

8£ BM. then must stand, and be stood upon; confusion will come if

2* Super camemy super omnem camem. ^^Upon flesh/* and ^^upon

*'***''**'"• whom this omnem is here specially put in, for they had in a

yet upon them too, for upon their ^^sons'* and their ^^daughters,'*

as it folio weth; but upon them now no more, than upon any

other. This is a second prerogative of this day. The first

effundcana that is. 1. Before, sparingly sprinkled; now, plen*

tifiilly poured. 2. Now again, super omnem: before, upon

but some; now indifierently, upon all.

For so when we say ^^all,** we mean none is excluded, but

Acts 15. 9. tjow may have it. " He hath put no difierence between them

Bom. 10. and us,'* saith St. Peter. Non est distinctio, saith St. Paul.

E^ h 2 ]4 "^^^ "partition is thrown down** now. Go but to the letter

of the text, "all flesh." 1. No sex barred — ^upon "sons and

daughters;*' so either sex. 2. No age — ^upon "young men** and

upon "old.** The one, "visions;** the other, ^'dreams.'* S. No

condition — on "servants" as well as "sons,** on "handmaids"

no less than "daughters.** 4. No nation — ^for, if ye mark, the

Spirit is poured twice ; upon their " sons" in this, and again

they be their sons or not, whose sons soever they be, though

the sons of them that are perhaps strangers to the first

covenant; and yet even then God had ever His "servants,"

as well out of that nation as in it.

Now in sign that thus, "upon all flesh,*' they heard them

Acts 2. &. speak the tongues of " all flesh," even of "every nation under

Ps. 76. 1. Heaven." That where before a few "in Jewry,*' now many

all the world over. No longer now, notm in Jud<Bd Deus,

Ps. 67. 2. " His way should be known upon earth, His saving health

among all nations."

Yet not promiscui though, without all manner limitation. No; the text limits it. I must again put you in mind of the two pourings mentioned in it. One, the mper omnem camem, in this the fifteenth verse; the other, the second, super servos Meos in the next, the eighteenth. And super servos Meos is the qualifying of super omnem camem. " Upon all flesh,** that is, all such as will be "My servants;" as will give in their

of the Holy Ohost. Sll

names to that end, as ^^ will call upon me.*' Quicunque invocaverit — so concludes Joel. " As will believe and be baptized" — so concludes St. Peter here his sermon. This gives them the capacity, makes them vessels meet to receive this effusion. Bj which all Turks, Jews, Infidels, are out of the omnem; and countei'feit Christians too, that profess to serve Him, but all the world sees whom they serve. And by this, much flesh is cut off from omnem carnem. But so with this qualifying, "upon all;" for any other I know not. And this for the pouring.

And now, Utquid effiisio h<Bcf 'To what end all this?' For n. it is not to be imagined this pouring was casual, as the turning thereto. over of a tub, nor that the Spirit did run waste; then it were, 8aivaki- Utquid perditio Jkbc? An end it had. And that follows [Mark 14. now; " and your sons," &o. The Spirit is given to many ^-^ ends, many middle, but one last, and that last is in the last word, salvabitur; the end then of this pouring is the salvation of mankind. Mankind was upon the point to perish, and th^ Spirit was poured, as a precious balm or water, to recover and to save it. So the end of all is — and mark it well! that the Spirit may save the flesh, by the spiritualizing it; not, the flesh destroy the Spirit, by carnalizing It; not, the flesh weigh down the Spirit to earth hither, but the Spirit lift up the flesh thither to Heaven, whence It came.

To this last here are three, middle, concluding ends more. Means to

1. Prophecy first; 2. Invocation last; both of which are well i.prohere represented, three ways. 1. In the "tongues," the symbol P^Sfy* of the Holy Ghost this day: the one, prophecy, being God's tongue to us; the other, invocation, being our tongue to God.

2. In the Spirit — ^both being acts of the Spirit or breath : prophecy breathes It into us, prayer breathes It out again.

3. Li the pouring — ^both pourings after a sort; that which prophecy doth infuse, pour in at the ear, invocation doth reftmderey or *pour forth back again,' in prayer out of the heart.

And beside these two a third there is, which is wedged in between them both, as stirring us, first and last, both to hear prophecy more attentively, and to practise invocation more devoutly, which I wish may nevep depart out of our minds — the memory of the latter day. 3^

Thus they stand subordinate. That men may be saved. Memory

312 Of the Sending

8 E li M. they are to ^^call upon the name of the Lord:^ — that at least.

— — — That they may so call to purpose, they are to be called on to

it, and directed in it, by etprophetahunt. And that they might

perfonn this to " all flesh," they were to speak with the

"tongues" of all flesh; which was the gift here of this day,

without just cause scofied at. But tongues are but as the cask,

wherein prophecy, as the liquor, is contained : I will set hy

1, Pro- Prophecy stands first in the text, " without which," saith

Prov. 29. Solomon, " the people must needs perish." That saying of

1^* -ft • , . Esay is much used by the Fathers, Tenebne et palpatio, donee

15. effundaiur super nos Spiritus de excelso. "All is dark; men

do but grope till the Spirit be poured on us from above," to

give us light, by this gift of prophecy.

This term is kept by Joel, as well when he speaks of God's ^'servants," that is of us, as when of them and their ** sons." And ever after, in the New Testament, it is retained still as a usual term by the Apostle to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Thessalonians, all his Epistles through. [Acts 21. But not in the sense of foretelling things to come. For so ' *■' can it be verified only upon Agabus, St. Philip's daughters, and upon St. John; which are too few for so great an eflusion as this. That indeed was the chief sense of it in the Old Testament; and well, while Christ was yet to come. Christ, He was the stop of all prophetical predictions. Then it had his place, that. But now, and ever since Christ is come, it hath in a manner left that sense, at least in a great part, and is not so taken in the New.

The sense it is there taken in — to expound this place of

Peter by another of Paul, citing this very same text of the

Rom. 10. Prophet — is et prophetabunt here, by quomodo prcedicabunt

13. 16. there, prophesying, that is, preaching. Whereby, after a

new manner, we do prophesy, as it were, the meaning of

ancient prophecies ; not make any new, but interpret the

Ex. 34. 33. old well, take off the "veil of Moses' face." Find Christ,

' find the mysteries of the Gospel, under the types of the

spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus." And he the

best prophet now, that can do this best.

This sense we prove by these in the text. " The Spirit

of the Holy Ghost. 81S

was poured on them, and they did prophesy." What did

they? How prophesied St. Peter? He foretold nothing;

all he did was, he applied this place of the Prophet to this Acts 2. 81.

feast. And a little beneath, the passage of the sixteenth ^^Ig 2, 34!

Psalm, to Christ's resurrection. And after that, the place of ^s* ^^^* ^•

another Psalm, to His ascension.

And the rest, on whom It was poured too, how prophesied they } All, we read, they did was, hquebantur magnalia Dei, Acts 2. li. they " uttered forth the wonderful things of God," but foretold not any thing that we find. So as to prophesy now, is to search out and disclose the hidden things of " the oracles of [EonuSJ^J God," and not to tell beforehand what shall after come to pass.

But what say you to " visions" and " dreams" here? Little; they pertain not to us. The text saith it not. You remember the two pourings. 1. One upon their " sons;" 2. the other upon His ** servants." This latter is it by which we come in. We are not of their " sons," we claim not by that; God made us His " servants," for by that word we hold.

Now in this latter pouring on His " servants," which only concerns us, " visions" and " dreams" are left out quite. If any pretend them now, we say with Jeremiah, " Let a dream go for a dream," and " let My word," saith the Lord, " be spoken as My word:" Quid palea ad iriticum? What, mingle you chaff Jer. 28. 28. and wheat? We are to lay no point of religion upon them now; prophecy, preaching is it, we to hold ourselves unto now. As for " visions" and " dreams," transeant, ' let them go.*

But then, for prophecy in this sense of opening or interpreting Scriptures, is the Spirit poured upon all flesh so? Is this of Joel a proclamation for liberty of preaching, that all, young and old, men-servants and maid-servants may fall to it? Nay, the she sex, St. Paul took order for that betimes, cut them off with his nolo muUeres, But what for the rest? may they? 1 Cor. 14^ For to this sense hath this Scripture been wrested by the enthusiasts of former ages, and still is, by the anabaptists now. And by mistaking of it, way given to a foul error, as if all were let loose, all might claim and take upon them, forsooth, to prophesy.

Nothing else this but a malicious device of the devil, to pour contempt upon this gift. For, indeed, bring it to this once, and what was this day falsely surmised will then be

314 Of the Sending

8 E R M. justly affirmed — mueto plenty or cerebro vactify whether you will: _H:- but mwto pleni, " drunken" Prophets then mdeed ; howbeit lsa.51.2]. it jjQ^ y^^ wine," as Esay saith, but with another as heady a humour, and that doth intoxicate the brain as much as any must or new wine ; even of self-conceited ignorance, whereof the world grows too full. But it was no part of JoeFs meaning, nor St. Peter's neither, to give way to this phrensy.

No? Is it not plain? The Spirit is poured ^^ upon all flesh.** True, but not upon all to prophesy though. The text warrants no such thing. In the one place it is, ^^ And your sons shall:" in the other, ^^ And my serrants shall." But neither is it, All their " sons;" nor. All His " servants*' shall. Neither, indeed, can it be. There must be some ^^ sons," and some ^^ servants," to prophesy to, to whom these Prophets may be sent, to whom this prophecy may come. " All flesh" may not be cut out into tongues; some left for ears, some auditors *Ao^ needs. Else a Gyclopian Church vnll grow upon us, where ^^ all were speakers, nobody heard another. •*Ww* Howthen, shall the Spirit be poured " upon all flesh?" Well

enough. The Spirit of Prophecy is not all God's Spirit, He hath more beside. If the spirit or grace of prophecy upon Zech. 12. Some, " the spirit of grace and prayer," in Zachary, upon the rest. So between them both, the Spirit will be " upon all flesh," and the proposition hold true: prophetabunt must not make us forget invocaverit. All the Spirit goes not away in prophesying, some left for that too; and there is the quicunque {quicunque invocaverit) and no where else.

But if St. Peter will not serve, St. Paul shall; He is plain.

1 Cor. 14. " Ye may all prophesy one by one :" — what, the skippers of

^^' Holland and all? I trow not. But " all" there, is plain. "All,"

[1 Cor. 14. that is, " all" that be " Prophets." And I wish with all my

N^*"'ii 89 ^^^^9 ^^ ^^ Moses, that " all God's people were Prophets;"

but, till they be so, I wish they may not prophesy : no more

would Moses neither. Now in the same Epistle, St. Paul holds

it for a great absurdity, to hold " all" are Prophets. With a kind

1 Cor. 12. ofindignationheasksit, "What, are all Prophets?" No more

^^* than "all Apostles" — as much the one as the other. Then, if

"all" be not "Prophets," all may not prophesy, sure. For,

ti Cor. 12. with the Apostle in the same place, " the operation," that is,

^■^^'J the act of prophesying, "the administration," that is, the office

of the Holy Ohost. SIS

or calling, and '^ the grace/' that is, the enabling gift, these

three are ever to go together. No act in the Church lawfiilly done, without them all. Then the Apostle's " You all

may" is. All you may that have the gift.

And not you that have it neither, " the gift," unless you

have the calling too ; for as God sent gifts, so He gave men

also, " some Apostles, some Prophets." Men for gifts, as i Cor. 13.

well as "gifts for men." Mieit in Christ, as well as unxit, rp'g gg.

last year. And in His servants, vocavit, as well as talenta *®] ^, , ,

demt. Not to be parted, these.

I conclude then. Et prophetabunt; but such as have been at the door of the Tabernacle, as have been the sons of the Prophets, men set apart for that end. And yet even they also, so as they take not themselves at liberty to prophesy whatsoever takes them in the tongue, the dreams of their own heads, or the visions of their own hearts; but remember tlieir super ^ and know there be Spirits also to whom " their spirits be 1 Cor. 14. subject." So much for the seventeenth and eighteenth verses. ^^'

But how now come we thus suddenly to the signs of the 2. latter day, and to the day itself? For they follow close, you between*^ see. It is somewhat strange that from et prophetabunt^ He ^^^\ is straight at doomsday without more ado. day.

The reasons which I find the Fathers render of it are these: First, the close joining of them is to meet with another dream that hath troubled the Church miK^h. And that is, that it may be there will be another pouring yet after this, and more Prophets rise still. Every otberwhile, some such upstart spirits there are, would fain make us so believe. Here is a discharge for them.

No, saith Joel, look for no more such days as this after this. Therefore to this day He joins immediately, from this day He goes presently to, the latter day, as if He said. You have all you shall have. When this pouring hath run so far as it will, then Cometh the end; when this is done, the world is done; no new spirit, no new effusion, this is the last. From Christ's departure till His return again; from this day of Pentecost, a "great day and a notable," till the last "great and notable day" of all; between these two days, no more such day. Therefore, in the beginning of the text, He called them "the last day s^" because no d^ys to eome alter tliem. No pouring to be

816 Of the Sending ^

S E B M. looked for from this first day of those last. No other bnl

■ — this, till dies novissimus novissimorum, *the very last day of all;'

till He pour down fire to consume "all flesh" that, by the fire this day kindled by these fiery tongues, shall not be brought to know Him, and call upon His name.

A second is, being to speak by and by of salvabitur, that we should be saved. He would let us see what it is we should be saved firom. That helpeth much to make us esteem of our saving. Saved then firom what? "firom blood, and fire, and the smoulder of smoke;'* that is, firom the heavy signs here, and firom that which is after these, and beyond all these &r, " the great and terrible day of the Lord." This sight of wfwfe, ^ firom whence,' will make us apprize our saving at a higher rate, and think it worth our care tlien, in that day to be saved.

And last, it is set here, per modumstimuU^ ^to quicken us,' dG<r.6.ll. ut scientes terrorem kunc, saith St. Paul, that entering into a sad and sober consideration of it, and "the terror" of it, we might stir up ourselves by it, to prepare for it. And set it is between both, to dispose us the better to both. To that which is past, et prophetabunt, to awake our. attention to that; and to that which follows, invocaverit, to kindle our devotion in that, and so by both to make sure our salvation.

" The day of the Lord," the Prophet calls it dies Domini; as it were opposing it to dies servi^ to our days here. As if he said. These are your days, and you use them indeed, as if they were your own. You pour out yourselves into all riot, and know no other pouring out but that; you see not any great use of prophesying, think it might well enough be spared; you speak your pleasures of it and say, musto pleni, or to like effect, when you list. These are your days. But know this, when yours are done, God hath His day too, and His day will come at last, and it will come terribly when it comes. Jer. 6. 8 1. When that day comes, how then? " Quidjiet in novissimo?^* the Prophet's ordinary question, "What will ye do at the last?" how will you be saved, in die ilh^ "in that day?"

We speak sometime of great days here; — alas! small in respect of this. There is matter of fear sometime in these of ours; nothing to the terror of this. *^ Great" it is, and " notable," as much for the fear, as for any thing else in it. This a " terrible" one indeed, et quispotestsustinere^ " Who can abide

of the Holy Ohost. 317

it?" saith Joel in this very chapter. Look to it then. On U^ ^ whom He poureth not His Spirit here, on them He will pour somewhat else there, even the phials of His wrath: possibly before, some; but then all, certainly.

And that you may not only hear of this day, but see somewhat to put you in mind of it, JScce signa. Terrible signs shall come upon earth, sword and "fire:" from the sword, pouring out of" blood;" from " fire," a choking " vapour of smoke," or as the Hebrew is, " a pillar of smoke;" which then doth palmizarey [ J^dg* 20. * goeth up straight like a pillar or a palm-tree,' when the fire increase th more and more; for when it abateth, it boweth the head and decayeth, which this shall never do.

Nay ftirther, " wonders in Heaven." For these tongues of Heaven thus despised. Heaven shall shew itself displeased too; the lights of Heaven, as it were, for a time put out, for contempt of the heavenly light this day kindled. " The sun dark," as if he hid his face; " the moon red as blood," as if she blushed at our great want of regard in this, a point so nearly concerning us.

For indeed, these eclipses, though they have their causes in nature, as the rainbow also hath; yet what hinders but as the rainbow, so they may be signs too, and have their meaning in Scripture assigned; and even this meaning here? This I see, that all flesh are smitten with a kind of horror and heaviness when they happen to fall out, as if they portended somewhat, as if that they portended were not good; for dies atri they have been, and are reckoned, all the world over.

But these " are but the beginnings of evils," scarce the Mat. 24. 8. dawning of that day; but when the day itself cometh, " the great day," then it will pour down, " and who," saith Joel, [Joel a. "may abide it?" A fair item for them that despise pro- '^ phecies, and so doing make void the counsel of God, against their own souls.

I have much marvelled why on this Sunday, Whit-Sunday as we call it, the day of the white sun, the Prophet should present the black sun thus unto us. But the Prophet did nothing but as inspired by the Holy Ghost, which makes me think he thought the fire of that day would make the fire of this burn the clearer, and that pouring down make this pimring pass the readier; that he thought that day a good

818 Qf^Atf Sending

8 E B M. meditation for this — and for saoh I commend it to^yoo, and

— — so leave it ; and come to invocaveril, the only means lefi ui

now to escape it.

^ . ^* I dare not end with prophetabunt. or with this: I dare not

invocave- omit, but join invocaverit to them. For what? From pr(h

between? No, we must take invocaverit in our way, no

passing to salvation but by.and through it. For what? is the

pouring of the Spirit to end in preaching? and preaching to

end in itself, as it doth with us? a circle of preaching, and in

effect nothing else, — ^but pour in prophesying enough, and

then all is safe? No; there is another yet as needful, nay,

more needful to be called on, as the current of our age runs,

and that is, *^ calling on the Name of the Lord.''

This, it grieveth me to see how light it is set; nay, to see how busy the devil has been, to pour contempt on ity to bring it in disgrace with disgraceful terms; to make nothing of Divine service, as if it might be well spared, and invocaverU here be stricken out.

But mark this text well, and this invocation we make so slight account of sticks close, is so locked fast to sahmbitvTf closer and faster than we are aware of.

1. Two errors there be, and I wish them reformed ; one, as if prophesying were all we had to do, we might dispense with invocation, let it go, leave it to the choir. That is an error. Prophesying is not all, invocaverit is to come in too ; we to join them, and jointly to observe them^ to make a conscience of both. It is the oratory of prayer poured out of our hearts shall save us, no less than the oratory of preaching poured in at our ears.

2. The other is, of them that do not wholly reject it, yet so depress it, as if in comparison of prophesying it were little worth. Yet, we see, by the frame of this text, it is the higher end ; the calling on us by prophecy, is but that we should call on the Name of the Lord. All prophesying, all preaching, is but to this end. And indeed prophecy is but gratia gratis data; and ever gratis data is for gratum faciens, a part and a special part whereof is invocation. There is then, as a conscience to be made of both, so a like conscience to be made of both ; not to set up the one and magnify it, and to turn our

of the Holy Ghost. 319

back on the other and vilify it. For howsoever we give good words of invocation, yet what our conceit is our deeds shew.

I love not to dash one religious duty against another, or, as it were, to send challenges between them. But as much as the text saith, so much may I say; and that is, that it hath three special prerogatives, by this verse of the Prophet.

1. First, it is effundam^ ours, properly ; and effundam Spiritum Meum, the pouring out of our spirit, to answer that of God's Spirit in the text. Prophetabunt is not ours, none of our act, but the act of another. The stream of our times tends all to this. To make religion nothing but an auricular profession, amatter of ease, a mere sedentary thing, and oiurselves merely passive in it ; sit still, and hear a Sermon and two Anthems, and be saved ; as if by the act of the choir, or of the preacher, we should so be, (for these be their acts,) and we do nothing ourselves, but sit and suffer ; without so much as any thing done by us, any effundam on our parts at all ; not so much as this, of calling on the Name of the Lord.

2. The second : this hath the quicunque. We would fain have it, Quicunque prophetiam andiverit, he that hears so many sermons a- week cannot choose but be saved ; but it will not be. No ; here stand we preaching, and hearing sermons ; and neither they that hear prophesying, nay nor they that prophesy themselves, can make a quicunque of either. Witness Domine. in nomine Tuo prophetavimus, and, " Lord, Mat. 7. 23. Thou hast preached in our streets," and yet it would do them ' * no good ; Nesdo vos, was their answer for all that.

And yet how fain would some be a prophesying! It would not save them, though they were; and is it not a preposterous desire? we love to meddle with that pertains not to us, and will do us no good: that which is our duty and would do us good, that care we not for.

Tongues were given for prophecy. True; but no quicunque there, fot all that; but to whom none are given to prophesy, to them yet are there given to invocate. And there comes it in, the quicunque lies there. De Spiritu Meo super omnem cdntem — ^here it comes in; at invocation, not at the other. Let it sufBce; it is not quicunque prophetaverit here, quicunque invocaverit it is. The Prophet saith it, the Apostles say it

820 Of the Sending

8ERM. both, iras hs dv. Peter here ; Paul, Romans, tenth chapter, and thirteenth verse.

Bom. 10.

18. Last, this is sure, invocaverit is ixofievov aforrjplas, * it stands

nearest, it joins closest to sahahitur,^ Both one breath, one sentence; the words touch, there is nothing between them. Sahabitur is not joined hard to prophetabuntj it is removed fieurther off. To invocaverit it is a degree nearer at least. Nay the very next of all.

The text shews this, in a sort, but the thing itself more; for wlien all comes to all, when we are even at last cast, sahabUiir or no salvabituvy then, as if there were some special virtue in invocaverit, we are called upon to use a few words or signs to this end, and so sent out of the world with invocaverit in our mouths. Dying, we call upon men for it; living, we suffer them to neglect it. It was not for nothing it stands so close, it even touches salvation; it is, we see, the very immediate act next before it.

And yet I would not leave you in any error concerning it To end this point; shall invocaverit serve then? needs there nothing but it? no faith, no life? St. Paul answers this home;

Rom. 10. he is direct, Romans the tenth; *^ How can they call upon

^^' Him, unless they believe?" So invocation presupposeth faith.

2Tim.2.i9. And as peremptory he is, " Let every one that calleth on," nay, that but " nameth the Name of the Lord, depart from

Ps. 66. 18. iniquity:" — so it presupposeth life too. For" if we incline to wickedness in our hearts, God will not hear us." No invocation that, not truly so called; a provocation rather. But put these two, faith and recedat ab iniquitate to it, and so whoso calleth upon Him, I will put him in good sureties, one Prophet, and two Apostles, both to assure him he shall be saved. 4=. And that is it we all desire, to be " saved." *' Saved,"

1,4^, indefinitely. Apply it to any dangers, not in the day of the

Lord only, but even in this our day; for some terrible days we have even here. I will tell you of one; the signs here set down bring it to my mind. A day we were saved from, the day of the Powder- treason, which may seem here in a sort to be described — *' blood and fire, and the vapour of smoke;" a " terrible" day sure, but nothing to " the Day of the Lord." From that we were saved; but we all stand in danger, we all need saving, from this. When this day comes, another

of the Holy Ghost 321

manner of fire, another manner of smoke. That fire never burnt, that smoke never rose; but this "fire" shall bum and [Mark 9. never be " quenched," this " smoke" shall not vanish, but s.] " ascend for ever." I say no more, but in that, in this, in all, ^®^* ^®* ^' qui invocaverit, salviis erit; invocation rightly used is the way to be safe.

This then I commend to you. And of all invocations, that which King David doth commend most, and betake himself to, as the most effectual and surest of all; and that is, Acci^ Ps.ll6.l8. piam calicem salutafis^ et nomen Domini invocabo; to call on His Name, with " the cup of salvation" taken in our hands. No invocation to that. That I may be bold to add, which is all that can be added, Quicunque calicem salutaris accipiens nomen Domini invocaverit, salvus erit. Another effundam yet, this.

Why, what virtue is there in the taking it, to help invoca- 1. tion? A double. For whether we respect our sins, they have a voice, a cry, an ascending cry, in Scripture assigned them. They invocate too, they call for somewhat, even for some fearful judgment to be poured down on us; and I doubt our own voices are not strong enough, to be heard above theirs.

Butblood, that also hath "a voice," specially innocent blood, [Gen. jt. the blood of Abel, that cries loud in God's ears, but nothing '^ soloudastheblood whereof this "cup of blessing" is "the com- [l Cor. 10. munion;" the voice of it will be heard above all, the cry of it '^ will drown any cry else. And as it cries higher, so it differs in this, that it cries in a far other key, for far "better things Heb.i2.24. than that of Abel:" not for revenge, but for " remission of [Mat. 26.

sins;" for that, whereof it is itself the price and purchase, for '* our salvation in that "great and terrible day of the Lord," when [Joel 2. nothing else will save us, and when it will most import us; *^ when if we had the whole world to give, we would give it for these four syllables, salvahitur^ " shall be saved."

But it was not so much for sin David took this cup, as to 3. yield God thanks for all His "benefits." In that case also, [^s- 116. there is special use of it; and both fit us. As the former, of drowning of our sins' cry, so this also. For to this end are we here now met, to render publicly and in solemn manner our thanksgiving for His great favour this day vouchsafed us, in pouring out His Spirit; and with It His saving health

SERM. upon all flesh, all that call upon Him; then to take place, when we shall have special use of it, in the " great" daj,

[Act82.ao.j ^^ u j^y Qf ^g Lord." And very agreeable it is, per hunc sanguinem pro hoc Spiritu, * for the pouring out of this His Spirit, to render Him thanks with the blood that was poured out to yjrocure it;' (and this is our last ejfundam, and a real effundam too) for this effusion of both, the one and the other, and for the hope of our salvation, the work both of the one and of the other.

To the final attainment whereof, by His holy word of prophecy, by calling on His Name, by this Sacrament of His blood poured out, and of His Spirit poured out with it,

A SERMON

PRBACHEO BEFORB

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT GREENWICH,

ON THE SIXTEENTH OF MAY, A.D. MDCXIX. BEING WHIIV8UNDAY.

Then Peter opened his mouthy and said. Of a truth I perceive

that God is no accepter of persons : But in every nation he thatfeareth Him, and worketh righteous*-

ness, is accepted with Him.

Aperiens autem Petrus as suum, dixit y In veritate comperi, quia nan

est personarum acceptor Deus : Sed in omni gente qui timet Eum, et operatur justitiam, acceptus

[Then Peter opened his mouth, and said. Of a truth I perceive that

God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness,

is accepted with Him. Engl. Trans.]

I FORGET not that we celebrate, to-day, the coming of the Holy Ghost; and I go not from it. You shall find in the next chapter, at the fifteenth verse, that to this text belongeth a coming of the Holy Ghost.

For at the uttering of these very words, as " St. Peter [Acts lO. began to speak to them, the Holy Ghost fell upon all that ^'^ heard them." It is indeed the second solemn coming of the Holy Ghost. That in the second chapter was the first, and this the second that ever was.

Of which twain, this is the coming that comes home to us, and that two ways: 1. one, in respect of the parties on whom; 2. the other, in respect of the time when. The

324 Of the Sending

SERM. parties. For those whom the Holy Ghost came on before, were

^^^ .^ '^ Gentiles indeed, but yet proselytes, that is, half Jews: " out

Acts 8. 27. of every nation under Heaven;" but, "that came to Jerusalem

to worship." And the same was the case of the eunuch in

the eighth chapter, and not a right Gentile among them all.

But here now are a sort of very Gentiles indeed, in puris

to us, and to all that were mere heathen men indeed ; and

this coming, our coming properly. Never in kind, never to

very Gentiles indeed till now.

[Aote2.10.] It is well sorted, you see. On the Jews and Proselytes, at

Acts 10. 1. Jerusalem, their city; on the Gentiles, at Caesarea, Caesar's

city, and of the cities in Palestine, fitting the Gentiles

best.

1. Well observed it is, about the calling of the Gentiles, that ' that in the Old, and this in the New Testament, they came

Acts 10. 5. both from one place, from Joppa both. Thence loosed Jonas to Nineveh, thence set out Peter to Csesarea.

2. Secondly ; that Caesarea is the Nineveh, as it were, of the Isa.86. 13. New Testament. Nineveh was the city " of the great Bang"

of the Gentiles at that time; Caesarea, Caesar's city, as Lu. 2. 1. great a King over the Gentiles at this, from whom went " a commandment that the whole world should be taxed."

3. Thirdly, that was performed by Jonas, this by" Bar-jonas :" Mat. 16.10, so is St. Peter called by our Saviour, when he made his conil\ lo lo fession, that ^^Christ was the Son of God:" and that was at

Caesarea. Where, what he confessed then, he comes to preach

now. That of Jonas an omen, as it were, of this here of

St. Peter. Jonas, and Bar-jonas, from Joppa they went both;

both from one place; both to one end; both to convert the Acts 11.] 8. Gentiles, to shew that "God had given them also repentance

to life."

Alway, this the better. For Jonas at Nineveh, he ends Jonah 3:4. with " Nineveh shall be destroyed." Bar-jonas at Caesarea,

with acceptus est Illi; that the end of the text. Or, if you Acts 10. 43. will go to the end of the sermon, the end is, "shall obtain

remission of sins," as good as it every way. 2. So the parties fit well; the time as well. The Holy Ghost

here came upon them as they were at a sermon, even as we

of the Holy Ghost. 325

now are. " Peter opened his mouth;" they stood attentive; the Holy Ghost came down. That to be here, is a disposition to receive the Holy Ghost. And it may please God, the like may befall us, being occupied now as they then were.

Of that sermon, these are the first words. Of which The sum. words, what can be said more to their praise, than that which the Angel saith of them the next chapter at the fourteenth verse; that Peter being sent for should, at his coming, "speak Acte 11. U. words to Cornelius, by which both he and his household should be saved." Those words the Angel there spake of, that Peter should speak, aie these I have read: God of His goodness send them the same effect!

In veritate comperi^ shews they are a oompertum est; and that is authentical with a test. So is this, teste Cornelio et totdi/amilid, ^ witness he and his whole family and Mends.' Such are most praised, for they are animata exemploy ' have a soul put into them by an example.' Specially, when they be so reduced to a singular, as that singular afterwards is reduced to a general; both which are in this. Best preaching of a text, when the commentary stands before it, as here; for what is in the text propounded was fulfilled in the auditory, ere they went.

As fulfilled in them in particular, so extended to all in general, for it hath an omni gente put to it; that nothing was done to him there, but the same shall be done to any other. Any of any nation, that shall be found in like sort disposed, as we find he was; that is, whose " prayers and alms shall come up into remembrance before God." God shall not be wanting to them, but provide them of further means requisite to their salvation.

It is a thing well befitting the providence of God; all His creatures, when He hath made them, to see them provided of such things as are needful for them. As He doth, saith the Psalm, for " the young ravens;" saith the Gospel, for the poor Ps. 347. 9. " sparrows" valued, two of them at a farthing: naturas rerum Mat.lOJ29. minimarum non destituit DeuSy * the smallest things that be. He leaves them not destitute.'

Tf not them. His half-farthing creatures, much less men, as He ispleased to speak with the least, "more worth than many [Mat. 10. sparrows." So God argues with Jonas: if he made such ado l^l^icL^..

826 Cfthe Sending

S K R M. for his gourd, which ^^ sprung up in one night and withered

— — — in another, should not God spare Nineveh, wherein there

were so many thousands that knew not their right hand firom

their left," Gentiles though they were ?

Mat. 6.}i5. And if His care extend to all men, and He make '^ His

rain to fall and His sun to shine upon the evil and unkind,"

Deu. 82. 2. shall He not bring the " rain of His word,*' as Moses calls it,

Mai. 4. 2. to fall on them, and make His ^^ Sim of righteousness," as

Malachi calls it, to ^^ arise upon them that fear Him?" A

view whereof we may take, in this feunily here, even of the

Sun of righteousness, the white Sun, rising upon one that

feared God with all his household, gave much alms and

prayed to God daily.

Written by him, this; but not written for him only, that it was Whit-Sunday with him; but for us also, to whom it shall likewise be, if we be degente Comelid express and follow him in that which was accepted of in him. The di- Two points we have to proceed on. 1. The first here is a

^^^^°* point newly perceived by St. Peter. 2. The second, what that was. A point newly perceived in these, 1. In veritate comperiy " Of a truth I perceive." 2. What the point was in these, " that in every nation, &c." I. In that St. Peter saith, " Truly I now perceive," as if before he had not, as indeed he had not; for he was in the mind before that but in und gente^ but now he perceives that in omni gente is the truer tenet; that even to St. Peter there were some things incomperta, something not perceived at first, that came to be perceived after, n. Then an instance. What that was. And it was about God's accepting. Both ways: privative^ what God accepts not; positive^ what He accepts. Accepts not " persons" — that is once; but accepts of such as "fear Him and work righteousness, of what nation soever" — be he an Italian; of what condition soever — be he a centurion; all is one.

Of which two the one, fear, is an affection within, of the heart. The other, "worketh righteousness," is an action without, of the hand. Cornelius' heart and Cornelius' hand, these they be. Whence we shall learn three points more. 1. One, how we may be accepted to God, if we be as Cornelius here was; and I would we so were! 2. The

of the Holy Ghost. 327

other, that when all is done, all is but accepting though. Except He could to our fear and works both, and so is not bound; but accept He will though, of His grace and goodness, and as it folio ws. immediately the next verse, for His word's sake which He sent, "preaching peace by Jesus Who is Lord over all."

The last, whereunto accepted; and that, as appeareth in m the forty-seventh verse, was to the Sacrament, and by it to the remission of sins, and to the receiving the Holy Ghost in a more ample measure. Optis diei, * the proper of this day.'

" Of a truth I perceive." He that saith "Of a truth I per- i. ceive now," in effect, as it were, saith before he did not so. ^ P?"** For " I perceive now," is the speech of one that is come to ceived. perceiving of that which before he perceived not. Compert.

On this we pitch first. That so great an Apostle, for all Tu es Petrus, and Roqavi pro te, and Pasce oves Meas, doth Mat. 16. 18. ingenuously confess that now he had found that which till j^^ ^j' jg* now he had not; for, since the beginning of the chapter, he had not. So that all his comperis were not yet come in. By like his chair was not yet made, or he had not yet taken handsel of it. But how it comes to pass after, at Rome, I know not; at Caesarea we see it was not so. And they that, Acta 11. 2. in the next chapter, called him coram, to answer this sermont sure they seem as then not to have been fully persuaded that St. Peter could perceive all things, and not miss in any.

Job, though in misery, yet in scorn saith to some in his time, "Indeed you, you are the only men, you perceive all." Job 12. 2. Moses did not so. There was a case wherein he was nesciens Nu. 15. 34. quid de eofacere deberet, Moses " knew not what he should do." There was a case whereof Elisha was fain to say, £t Dominies 2 Kings 4. non nunciavit mihi^ " God hath not shewed it him." But when God did, might not Moses and he both have said, as Peter doth here, " Of a truth" before I did not, " but now I do perceive?" Yea, but this is Old Testament.

And was it not in the New? There Caiaphas, he saith, " Tush, you perceive nothing," — ^he perceived all. But Job. 11.49. Cephas, he saith, he perceived not all. For here he now saith he perceiveth something, and all his comperis came not at once. So saith Peter, and so Paul, "all our knowledge is lCor.l.9.

328 Of the Sending

SE RM. in part," and so is all "our prophesying" too, and puts himself

'■ — in the number.

Of a truth then we perceive St. Peter comes nothing new his successor — that would be. He perceives all that is to be perceived at once; can have nothing added to his knov^ledge from the first instant he is set down in cathedrd; can have no new coniperi^ his comperiH come in all together; gets Caiaphas' knowledge by sitting in Cephas' chair.

They begin to scorn this themselves now, and pray him to get a good general council about him, and he shall perceive things never the worse.

But it is not this only they differ in, in something beside. Acts 10:26. For Peter took "Cornelius up from the ground;" his successor let Cornelius' lord and master lie still hardly; not a captain of Cajsarea he, but even Caesar himself. Of a truth we may perceive nothing like Cephas in this neither. Joh. 4. 25. The woman at the well-side said, "The Messias, when He comes He will tell us all." Yet when He came. He told them Joh. 13, 7. not all at once. Even to Tu es Petrus He said, 7u nescis modo scies autem post h<BC; and of those post hcecs this here Joh. 16.12. was one. As they should be able to " bear," for all they were Acts 1. 7. not then able. And as it should be for them; for " it was not for them to know all, not the times and seasons," and such other things as " the Father had put into His own power." I speak it for this, that even some that are far enough from Rome, yet with their new perspective they think they perceive all God's secret decrees, the number and order of them clearly; are indeed too bold and too busy with them. Luther said well that every one of us hath by nature a Pope in his belly, and thinks he perceives great matters. Even they that believe it not of Rome, are easily brought to believe it of tliemselves. And out they come with their comperis^ with their great confidence propound them. But comperi is one thing; in veritate comperi, another: comperi, they may say, and that may be doubted of, but in veritate comperi, that is it. We may take up the text a point further. In veritate com' peri will bear two senses. 1. One, I perceive that, I did not before; 2. the other, I perceive that, the contrary whereof I did conceive before. Not to perceive is but to be ignorant; but St. Peter, in this, had not only been ignorant, but had

of the Holy Ghost. 329

positively held the quite contrary, ad oppositunij Quod non ex omni genie at any hand. At the fourteenth verse before, for the Jewish meats, we see, he contests with God: Not I, Lord, no heathenish meat, I never eat any. And at the twentyeighth, no less unlawfiil to eat with heathen men.

Ignorance is hut privative; this is positive ^ and so an error. An error in the great "mystery of godliness," a part whereof [l Tim. 3. was "preached unto the Gentiles;" that they also had their part in Christ. And this is not his error alone; the Apostles and brethren seem to have been in the same; they con vented him for his new comperi, and he was fain to answer for it. That for the time, general it was, this error; and for aught we know St. Stephen, that was stoned before this, departed the world in the opinion of in und, not onini gente; for then sure this truth was not perceived, not received publicly.

Then is not every error repugnant to God's election. Why every error, more than every sin? God is able to pardon and not to impute error in opinion, as well as error in practice; and nonne errant omnes qui operantur malum^ saith Solomon, "Do not all err that do evil?" Yes sure. Did not the High- Prov. 14. Priest offer, as well for the errors, as for the transgressions ^eV.S. 15. of the people? And is not Christ made to us, by God, "wisdom" against the one, as well as "righteousness" against i Cor. 1.30. the other? It was St. Peter's case here.

This only we are to look to, that with St. Peter we be not wilful, if there come a clear comperi; but as ready to relent in the one, as to repent of the other. That when we be shewed our error, we open our eyes to perceive it; and when we perceive it with St. Peter here, we open our mouths to confess it. And that we do it with an open mouth, and not between the teeth, but acknowledge it plainly, it was otherwise than we thought. " I verily thought," saith St. Paul, " I Acts 26. 9. ought to do" that which now all the world should not make me to do. This is St. Paul's. I now " comprehend," or rather " am comprehended," for KaraXafi^dvofiai will bear both, Pliil. 3- 12. of which before I could not. This is St. Peter's retraction. Conclude then, if we happen to be in "some points otherwise l^Wl. 8 minded, God will bring us to the knowledge even of them." ^^'^ " Only in those whereto we are come, and whereof we are agreed on all sides, that we proceed by one rule," mak^ ^

330 Of the Sending

SERM. oonscience of the practice of such truths as we agree of, '- — " and those we do not shall soon be revealed unto us,*' and

we shall say even of them, in veritate comperi, II* What was this that St. Peter formerly had not, but now

point is, did perceive? That " God is no accepter of persons." Let rifw*' us take with us, what is meant by " persons," For he that 18 no ae- feareth God is a person; Cornelius was a person; so were all persons' the persons in hia household. The word in all the three What is tongues is taken as we take it, when we set personal against!!^j^^gf real, oppose the cause to the person; under it comprehending whatsoever is beside the matter or cause. The Greek and Hebrew properly signify the face; that we know shews itself first, and if it shew itself well, is muta commendatio, carries us, though it say never a word; as in Eliab, the goodliness of his ISam.l6.6. person moved even Samuel. Under the face then we understand, as I may say, and as we use to call it in apparel, the facing; under the person, all by-respects that do personate, attire, or mask any, to make him personable; such as are the country, condition, birth, riches, honour, and the like. And this person thus taken, of a truth we daily perceive that in omni genie men accept of this, and in a manner of nothing else but this; all goes by it. Well, with God it is otherwise, and with men it should be; God accepts them not, nor of any men, for them. This is the comperi.

And is this it? Why this was no news. Was Peter

ignorant of this? It is not possible, I will never believe, but

he had read the five books of Moses : why there it is expressly

Deu.10.17. set down, totidem verbis. AVhy, by the very light of nature

Job 34. 19. Elihu saw it, and set it down too. " No not the person of

2 Chron. King Jehoshaphat gave it in his charge, the second of

Chronicles, the nineteenth chapter, and in other places

beside ; and how could he but know this ?

You will say, St. Peter knew it before, but not with a comperi, as now he doth. And indeed many things we know by book, by speculation, as we say, and in gross, which when we come to the particular experience of, we use to say, Yea now I know it indeed, as if we had not known it, at least not so known it before. The experimental knowledge is the true comperi in veritatey when all is done. Was this it?

af the Holy Ghost 331

No; for had he not experience of this, and lay away his book? Have not all experience daily? that God, in dealing His gifts of nature; outward — beauty, stature, strength, activeness; inward — ^wit to apprehend, memory to retain, judgment to discern, speech to deliver; that He puts no difference, but without all respect of "persons," bestows them on the child of the mean, as soon as of the mighty? So is it in wealth and worldly preferment," "He lifts the poor out of the dust;" — Ps. 113 7. m^y> y^u will bear with it, it is the Holy Ghost's own term — " the dunghill, to set him with princes." So is it in His judgments; which light as heavy, yea more heavy otherwhile on the great than on the small; and shew that that way and every way, there is with Him no " respect of persons." And no man had better experience of this than he that spake it, than Peter himself, that without any respect, of a poor fisherman, was accepted to be an Apostle, the chief of the Gal. 2. ^ Apostles. St. Paul saith well; " What they were in times Gal. 2. 6^ past, it makes no matter, God accepts no man's person," this they are now.

What shall we say then? that though he could not but know the general truth of this, yet was he once of the mind, that this general truth might admit of some exceptions; — one at the least. Not of persons? true. But nations are not persons, it held not in them. Of one nation God accepted ' before others, and that nation was the Jews. " You only have Amos 3. 2. I known of all the nations of the earth," saith God in Amos. And non talker fecit omni nationi; which non taliter they pg, 147. 2q, took to be of the nature of an entail to Abraham's seed; that God was tied to them, and so to accept of in und gente^hefoie and more than of all the rest.

This had run in St. Peter's head, and more than his. But now, here comes a new comperi; he perceives he was wrong. And if you ask how he perceived it? By relation of Cornelius' vision of the Angel, and by conferring it with his own. He saw his vision was now come to pass; Moses' unclean birds and beasts are become clean all, all to be eaten now; and the Gentiles, whom he held for no less unclean, to be eaten with, and to be gone in unto. All in one great sheet; omni gente and all. That the nation also comes to be understood under the word "person," no less than the rest; and none

332 Of the Sending

S E R M. to be respected or accepted of God, for being in one corner

'- — of the sheet, that is, of one country more than of another;

that in Christ neither Jew nor Gentile, all is one: and the Acte 8. 27. black "Ethiopian," or the white "Italian;" the" Areopagite"in AcUl7.34. his long robe, or the centurion in his short mantie, or militaiy Rom. 11. habit; all conditions, all nations, are in all " persons." " Grod hath shut up all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all." And good reason for it, if it be but that of the Aposde's GaL 8. 17. own framing, " If the law which came four hundred years after could not disannul the covenant made with Abraham so long before," by the same, nay by a better consequence, neither could the covenant with Abraham make the promise of God of none effect; the promise that was made in Paradise more than four times four hundred years before that of Abraham's, to the woman and to her whole seed.

The vision St. Peter saw, was at Joppa; he was gone as

far from Jewry as there was any land; hard to the sea-side, to

the very parting place, where they loosed usually, when they

went to the lands of the Gentiles. Jonas loosed thenoe.

And in a tanner's house it was, that as to " Simon the tanner"

it was all one, he made leather indifferently of the badger

as well as of the sheep's skin ; as the skins were to " Simon the

tanner," so the meat should be to Simon the Apostle. And it

was a linen sheet, which very linen shewed they were all

clean ; for in linen the Jews wrapped the first-bom of their

clean beasts, if any happened to die before they came to be

offered, and so buried it; but at no hand, any unclean beasts

ever in linen. But now, in linen all; that if one clean, all;

and so no person, calling, countiy excepted to, or accepted

of, more than another.

2. Post- Well then, no person. But we like not this destructive

■^yiiou^ Divinity, that tells us what He doth not, and tells us not

God ac- what He doth accept. If not the person, nor the person's

In every nation, — what? accepts He of nothing? Yes; " in every

^taon he nation," if any person there be " that feareth God and worketh," &c. eth righteousness" — he that brings these with him, is to God

a person acceptable ; such He will not let lie, but take them

up, and lay them up, wherever He finds them.

Solomon in effect said as much long before, at the end of his long sermon, the Book of the Preacher. " Will ye, saith

of the Holy Ghost. 333

he, hear the sum of all sermons?" " Fear God" — there is " he Eccl. 12.

that fears Him" — ^*^and keep His commandments" — ^that is, "he that works righteousness," — hoc est totum hominis read some, "there is all man hath that God will accept of;" or, hoc est omnis homo read other, and infer. Si hoc est omnis homo^ manifestum quod sine hoc nihil est omnis homo, this is man, all that he is, for whatsoever besides this he is, is as if it were not; this is all things, for without this, with all his person and personableness, he is nothing in God's sight. This preached Solomon at Jerusalem to the Jew, and this Peter at Caesarea to the Gentiles; Hoc est omnis homOy " This is for all men," saith Solomon; Omni gente, for " every nation," saith Peter.

" That feareth God, and worketh righteousness." Both "Feareth" these, and not the one without the other. Neither fear, f worketh" which is dull and works not, for of such He accepts not; nor J^^^^^y* works, if they come not from within, from our hearts, from His true fear in our hearts, but be personate only, as were those of the Pharisee. We begin then there, within; for any thing that is personate in religion, and proceeds not from thence — ^op^caaLs^ St. Paul's "mask or vizor of godliness," 2 Tim. 3. 5. St. Peter's iTrLKaXvfifia, " cloke" of Christian liberty— God ^ ^^^-^'l^- plucks them off; He is so far from accepting them, as He casts them from Him, He cannot abide them.

I forgot to tell you, why not the person. God Himself tells Samuel, that He "looks not as man looks;" man looks iSam.l6.7. upon the outside, the face and the facing, God looks to that w^hich is farthest from the person; to that which is within, at the centre, that is, the heart. The inwards were God's part in every sacrifice, reserved ever to Him alone. By reserving them He shews what it is He chiefly accepts of. We must then look to that first. He first looks at the heart, and in the heart to the affection, for the heart is the seat of affections; and of all affections, that of fear; and of all fears, to the fear of God.

Of God? why, how comes God to be feared? Fear is not but of some evil; and evil in God there is none. Not for any evil in Him; but for some evil we may expect from Him, if we fear not to offend Him, by doing that which is evil in

334 Of the Sending

SERM. His sight. A\liich punishment yet is not evil of itself, for

'— punishment is the work of justice; but we call it as we feel

it, malum pcerue. And it we fear, and Him for it, or any that can inflict it.

Power and justice are, of themselves, fearful; power to all men, justice to evil men. But justice armed with power, that keeps all in awe. Now in God there is power: God's power is manifest even to heathen men. It is a part of the yvaxniv

Bom. 1.19. Tov QeoVy "that which may be known of God, His power;" and go no farther but to the work of creation, saith the Apostle. Every man fears the mighty: for what he will do, we know not; what he can do, we know, and that ever presents itself first.

Rom. 13. 4. And in God there is justice, and the voice of justice, "If thou do evil, fear." Which justice of God is manifest likewise

Romans 2:15. without Scriptures, by " the Law written in our hearts," the hearts even of the Heathen themselves, saith the same Apostle, whereby they are either " a law to themselves," (the better sort of them, Cornelius here,) or, if not, "their own thoughts accuse them for it, and their consciences bear witness against them," and at a sessions holden in their hearts, they condemn themselves'. Which sessions is a forerunner of the great general sessions that is to ensue.

5 Cor. 5.11. Scientes igitur terrorem hunc^ saith St. Paul still, "knowing then this fearful judgment, we persuade men," and men are persuaded either to eschew evil yet undone, or to leave it if it be done, that it be not found in our hands, not taken about us.

This fear to suffer evil for sin, malum poen^e, makes men fear to do the evil of sin, malum culp<B; what they fear to suffer for, they fear to do. Keeps them from doing evil at all, makes them avoid it; or keeps them from doing evil still,

[Job 1. 1.] makes them forsake it. It prevailed not only with Job in the

Jonah 3. 5. Old, but with the Ninevites. It prevailed not only with

[Actsio.2.] CQj^eiius in the New, but even with Felix ; made him

Acta 24.25. " tremble," though it had not his full work, for he was not so happy as to hear Paul out, but put it off till another time, which time never came. ^- First fear; and why fear first? Because it is first. It is

First fear.

of the Holy Ghost, 335

called, and truly, for so truly it is, "the beginning of our wis- [Ps ill. dom," when we begin to be truly wise. In Adam it was so. The << g^ ^^ first passion we read of, that was raised in him, that wrought feareth upon him after his fall, was, " I heard Thy voice in the garden Gen. 3. 10. and I was afraid." There began his wisdom, in his fear; there began he to play the wise man, and to forethink him of his folly committed. Fear is ^ifios ^vaecasy as it is well called, * of the nature of a bridle to our nature,' to hold us in to refrain from evil, if it may be; if not, to check us and turn us about, and make us turn from it. Therefore " fear God, and Prov. 3. r. depart from evil," lightly go together, as the cause and the effect; you shall seldom find them parted. So then, because it is first, it is to stand first, and first to be regarded.

Another reason is, because it is most general. For it goes through all, heathen and all. It goes to omni gente; for in omni gente there is qui timet. For that they have so much faith as to fear, appears by the Ninevites plainly. Nay, it goes not only to omni gente^ but even to omni animante too, to beasts and all, yea to the dullest beast of all, to Balaam's Nu. 22. 33. beast; he could not get her (smite her, spur her, do what he could to her) to run upon the point of the Angel's sword; that they are in worse case than beasts that are void of it. So first it riseth of all, and farthest it reacheth of all.

And this fear, I would not have men think meanly of it. It is, we see, "the beginning of wisdom;" and so both father Ps.lll.io. and son, David and Solomon call it. But if it have his full Prov. l. 7. work,tomake us"departfrom evil," it is wisdom complete,and Jo^^^'^S. that from God's own mouth. Job the twenty-eighth. Therefore E say bids us make a "treasure" of it; and,"Blessedisthe lsa.83. 0.

'P'rrkir Oft

man" that is ever thus wise, " that feareth always" — it is i^ Solomon. For howsoever the world go, "this I am sure of," EccI.8. 12. saith he, " it shall go well with him that feareth God, and carrieth himself reverently in His presence."

And care not for thein that talk, they know not what, of "the spiritof bondage." Of the seven Spirits, which are the divisions Rom.8.15. of one and the same Spirit this day here sent down, the last the chiefest of all is " the Spirit of the fear of God." So it Isa. il. 2. is the Alpha and Omega, first and last, beginning and end. First and last, I am sure, there is sovereign use of it.

Nor regard them not that say it pertains not to the New

336 Of the Sending

S E R M. Testament, fancying to themselves nothing must be done but — out of pure love. For even there it abideth, and two sovereign

uses there are still of it, those two which before we named;

1. one to begin, 2, the other to preserve.

1. To begin. We set it here as an introduction, as the dawning is to the day. For on them that are in this dawning,

Mai. 4. 2. "that fear His name, on them shall the Sim of righteousness arise." It is Malachi saith it, it is Cornelius here sheweth it. As the base court to the temple; not into the temple at first step, but come through the court first. As the needle to the thread, it is St. Augustine, that first enters and draws after it the thread, and that sews all fast together.

Where there happens a strange effect, that not to fear the next way is to fear. The kind work of fear is to make us ** cease from sin." Ceasing from sin brings with it a good life; a good life, that ever carries with it a good conscience; and a good conscience casts out fear. So that^ upon the matter, the way not to fear is to fear; and that Grod That brings light out of darkness, and glory out of humility. He it is That also brings confidence out of fear.

2. This for the introduction. And ever after, when faith is entered and all, it is a sovereign means to preserve them also. There is, as I have told you, a composition in the soul, much after that of the body. The heart in the body is so ftill of heat, it would stifle itself and us soon, were it not God hath provided the lungs to give it cool air, to keep it from stifling. Semblably in the soul, faith is frill of spirit, ready enough of itself to take an unkind heat, save that fear is by God ordained to cool it and keep it in temper, to awake our care still, and see it sleep not in security. It is good, against saying in one's

Ps. 30. 6. heat, Non movehor, saith the Psalm. Good, against Etsi omneSy ^m? 1], ^^^ ^^^ — ®*- Peter found it so. Good, saith St. Paul, against 20. Noli altum sapere. And these would mar all but for the

humble fear of God; by that all is kept right. Phil. 2. 12. Wherefore, when the Gospel was at the highest, "work out iPet, 1. 17, your salvation with fear and trembling," saith St. Paul; " pass

the time of your dwelling here in fear," saith St. Peter. Yea,

our Saviour Himself, as noteth St. Augustine, when He had Mat.l0.28. taken away one fear, Ne timete^ "Fear not them that can kill

the body, and when they have done that, have done all, and

of the Holy Ohost. 337

can do no more;" in place of that fear puts another, " but [Vid. S. fear Him That when He hath slain the body, can cast soul Se:m?l6l. and it into hell fire; and when He had so said once, comes *f- ^^* ^® over again with it to strike it home, Etiam dice vobis; " Yea, Apost. c.o. I say unto you, fear Him." ^' ^'^

So then, thi§ of fear is not Moses' song only, it is " the ^^' ^** song of Moses and the Lamb" both. Made of the harmony of the one as well as the other. A special strain in that " song of Moses and the Lamb" you shall find this, " Who will not fear Thee, O Lord?" He that will not may sibi canere, make himself music; he is out of their choir, yea the Lamb's choir; indeed, out of both.

This have I a little stood on, for that, methinks, the world begins to grow from fear too fast: we strive to blow this Spirit quite away; for fear of camificina conscienticB, we seek to benumb it, and to make it past feeling. For these causes, fear is, with God, a thing acceptable, we hear; and that the Holy Ghost came down where this fear was, we see. So it is, St. Peter affirms it " for certain, of a truth:" so it is, St. Peter protests it. Let no man beguile you, to make you think otherwise. No, no; but Fac,fac, vel timore poerus^ si nondum pates amore justiticB; * Do it man, I tell thee, do it, though it be for fear of punishment, if you cannot get yourself to do it for love of righteousness.' One will bring on the other; A timore Domini concepimus Spiritum sahttis — ^it is ^sa. 26. 18. Esay. By it we shall conceive that which shall save us. These very words shall save us, said the Angel, and so they Acts 10. 6. did; here in Cornelius, we have a fair precedent for it. And so, now I come to the other.

For, I ask, is God all for within? accepts He of nothing 2. without? Yes, that He doth. Of a good righteous work too, withal; if it proceed from His fear in oiu: hearts. Fear is not all "^,^ , then: no, for it is but " the beginning," as we have heard; God rightewill have us begin, but not end there. We have begun with p^^j^ " qui timet Eum; we must end with et operatur jtistitiamy and 10.] then comes acceptus est Illi, and not before. For neither fear, if it be fear alone; nor faith, if it be faith alone, is accepted of Him; but timet and operatur here with Peter, and jftdes Gal. 5. 6. qiue operatur there with Paul; fear and faith both that worketh, and none else. If it be true fear, if such as God will

358 Of the Sending

Mat. 23.

18. 80. ground,^ did nothing with it. Away with his fear and him " into utter darkness !" God will have his talent turned, have it above ground. He will not have his religion invisible

Jas. 2. 18. within. No; " shew me thy faith," saith St. James; "thy fear," saith St. Peter here, by some works of righteousness. Else, talk not of it. He will have it made appear, that men may see it, and glorify Him for it, That hath such good and faithful servants.

And they observe that it is not, "that doeth," but "that worketh righteousness." Not facit, but operatur. And what manner of work? St. Peter's word is ipya^ofievo^ here; and for €pya^6fi€vo9, Ipyov will not serve; it must be ipyoffloj

Isa. 1. 17. which is a plain ^trade.' Discite bene agere^ saith £lsay, learn it, as one would learn a handicraft, to live by; learn it, and be occupied in it; make an ipycurlay that is, even * an occupation' of it. Christ's own occupation. Who, as St. Peter

AdilO.Sd. tells us straight after, pertransiit bene/aciendo, ** went up and down, went about doing good," practising it, and nothing else; for that is ipyd^eaOai.

" Worketh righteousness." This " righteousness," to know what it is — besides the common duties of our calling, either as Christians in general; or particular, as every man's vocation lies — we cannot better inform ourselves of it, than from this party he speaks of, from Cornelius, and what the works were he did. And they are set down at the second verse, where, after St. Luke had said, " he feared God," to shew his works of righteousness he adds, 1. "he gave much alms," and

2. " prayed to God continually;" and at the thirteenth verse, that he was found 3. "fasting at the ninth hour," that is, three at afternoon. In these three, 1. "alms," 2. "prayer," and

3. "fasting," stood his works of righteousness — in these three; for besides these we find not any other. They be the same, and in the same order, as they were figured in the three oblations of the Magi, firstfruits of the Gentiles, there in the Gospel, as the Fathers allot them: 1. "Gold," that is, for "alms;" 2. "incense," that is, "prayer;" and 3. "myrrh," bitter myrrh, for works of mortification, as "fasting" and such like; as bitter to the flesh, as myrrh to the taste ; both bitter, but

of the Holy Ohost, 339

wholesome both. But without all figure they are the same three, and stand just in the same order that here they do, where our Saviour teacheth them literally, and that, under the name of righteousness. 1. " Alms," first: that He begins with at Mat. 6. l,

the first verse, and so here it is first. 2. Then, to "prayer" ' *

next, at the fifth verse; 3. and after that, to "fasting," even

as it is here too. Cornelius' works were these three: 1. " Gave Acts 10. 2^

alms;" 2. "prayed" duly; 3. was found at his "fast" by the Angel. This is all we find, more we find not specified; and these are enough, these would serve, if we would do them. These in him were, the same in us will be accepted.

And now, of God's acceptation. Accepting is but a quaint in. term borrowed from the Latin. It is no more than receiving ^sc^ta-^ or taking. 1. First then, clear it is He will take them; but, tion. where they be to take. But where they are not, take them accepted.** He cannot. In vain shall we look for acceptation of that which is not. We are then to see there be some given, some for Him to take. Take us He cannot, if there be not Cornelius' hand to take us by; " come up in remembrance" they cannot, if none were done to remember; for memoria est prateritorum, and all ours are yet to come I fear, in phardasid rather than in memorid. Our "alms," alas they are shrunk up pitifiiUy; "prayer," swallowed up with hearing lectiures; and for the third, feast if you will continually, but "fast" as little as may be; and of most I might say, not at all. The want of these, the bane of our age. He stretched out His hand to receive "alms;" He boweth down His ear, to receive ^'prayer;" He beholdeth with His eyes, to take us "fasting:" there is none to give them, and so He cannot receive them But, by this cLCceptiLS ^^^here, we see how we might be accepti.

It is beside the text; yet if ye ask. Here is fear, and here Heb.ii. 6. are works, where is faith all this while, "without which it is impossible to please God," or "to be accepted of Him?" Had he no faith? Yes, he would not have spent his goods, or chastened his body, without some faith; at least, " call" ^^* ^^* upon God he could not, on Whom he " believed" not.

Therefore he believed sure, the Gentiles' creed at least, that a God there is; that sought He will be; that He will not fail them that seek Him, but both regard and reward them.

i E R M. The Niiievite's creed at least, in whose fear there was faith

Jonah 3 ^"^ hope too. Quis 8city "Who can tell, whether God may.] not turn" and spare, and accept of a poor Gentile? There is

nothing known to the contrary, and there be precedents for it. And so he turned and set himself to seek God, by the three '8. 9. 10. ways we remembered. "And Thou, Lord, never failest them Cor.8.12. that seek Thee," but "acceptest them, not according to that they have not, but according to that they have," though it be but a "willing mind" they have. God forbid but concupiscence should be of equal power to good, that it is to evil. If you will reach it further to faith in Christ, living in garrison among the Jews he could not choose but have heard somewhat of Him, to move him to throw himself down before Him, and He took him up, Acceptus est Illi. ja.42. 8. The flax did but "smoke," Christ "quenched it not." Cracks there were in the reed, but "He brake it not" though, but kindled the one, and bound up the other; and in that little strength He had, took him as He found him, and took order thus to bring him nearer the ways of His salvation, nd but But now, lest one error beget another, and the last prove accept- ^orse than the first, take this with you. When all is said that can be said, all is but accepting, for all this. That he was, and we shall be "accepted," that gives us some heart; and that it is but "accepted," that takes away all self-conceit of ourselves. For I know not how, if we be but " accepted," we take upon us straight, and fall into a fancy, that well worthy we were, or else we should not. Altum sapere comes, and we swell straight; insomuch as we cannot be gotten to accept of this acceptus est, to accept of any acceptation, but gi'ow to a higher strain of merit and condignity, and I wot not what. To prick this bladder, all is shut up with this BcKTos, Out of which word, we are to take notice of this; it is neither our fear, nor our works, all is but God's gracious acceptation.

And it is not^ as they well observe, Scktcos, but SeKTo^, not heKTeos, acceptandus, ' is to be accepted' of Him, as if God oould neither will nor choose; no, it is Bcktos only, that is, but acceptahilis at most, but a capacity that he may be; lays no necessity that he must be accepted.

The Schoolmen express it well at times by non deerit Detis,

of the Holy Ghost. 341

* God will not be wanting' to such, will accept them ; but nan tenetur DetLSy * He is not so bound' but, if He would. He might refuse ; and that He doth not, it is but of His mere goodness : all are but " accepted."

The Fathers thus: — I name St. Augustine for the Latin. Hoc habet^ non pondus humani meritiy sed ordo consilii divini;

* that thus it is, it is no weight or worth of man's merit, it is but the very order and course of God's dealing,' His favourable dealing, that and nothing else, that there is any accepting at all. The Greek Fathers, thus ; — I name Chrysostom for them. It is Kara^iayaiSj not a^ia^ that is, dignatio^ not dignitas ; dignatio acceptantisy not dignitas operantis, Digni habe- huntuTy saith the Gospel, and the Epistle both : the Gospel,

Luke the twentieth; the Epistle, second of Thessalonians, the Lu. 20. 35. first chapter. God counts them worthy, and His so counting makes them worthy; makes them so, for so they are not of themselves, or without it, but by it so they are. His taking our works of righteousness well in worth, is their worth.

There was another centurion beside this in the Apostle, the centurion in the Gospel; the Elders of the Jews were at dignus est about him, dignified him highly; but he indignified Lu. 7. 4-6. himself as fast, was at his non sum dignus twice, neither worthy that Christ should come to him, nor that he to Christ. And even thus it was ever with all from the beginning. Job, another timens Deurriy " his like was not upon earth," yet thus Job 1. 8. he: Eisi Justus fuerOy non levabo caput, " All were he just, he Job 10. 16. would down with his crest" for all that; and what? JSt depre- joh o, 16. caborjudicem meum, and plead nothing, stand upon no terms, but deal only by way of supplication; and that is the safest way. And why so? For verebar omnia opera mea, saith he, Job 9. 28. he durst not trust any of them. And why not? For the continual dropping of our corruption upon the web of our well-doing stains it so as, if he would stand straining them. He that now doth accept them, might justly except to them, for many exceptions there lie against them. He that takes them might let them lie, as not worth the taking up; for if He should ransack them, they would scarce prove worth the taking up; but yet take them up He doth, and reward them; both, for "the praise of the glory of His grace." To the glory Eph, j, 0, of the praise of which grace be all this spoken.

342 Of the Sending

S E R M. All which tends to this — ^for our work is this, our labour

XII.

this, this is all in all, to get men to do well, and yet not ween

well of their w^ell-doing — to join first timet and aperainr^ to

fear, and yet to do good; and when we have done good, yet

to fear wdth Job for David^s reason^ cognoscimus imper/eettm

nostrum. Then to join again aperatur, and accepius est. For

that is it, if we could hit on it. We cannot, but that is it

though. For think you we can get men to this? No; do

we evil, we will not know it, we excuse, we lessen it. Do we

well, we know it straight; nay we over-know, and over-praise

it. No remedy, merit it must be, and hire it must be;

reward we cannot skill of. Acceptus est is nothing, ^ accepted^'

will not serve ; we will know how we shall be " accepted," of

merit or of grace. Fond men! so we be " accepted," though

of " grace," are we not well? What desire we more, but to

be taken and not refused? The Law, that saith, ^* Say not, it

Deu. 0. 4. is for my righteousness." The Prophets say, ** It is not for

Kom.io.3. your own righteousness," you are gone. Yea, Christ Himself

Lu. 18. 11. saith. If you talk much of it with the Pharisee, " Lord," this

I am, and this I do, there is not the poorest " publican" that

goes by the way, but he shall be "justified" before you. And

therefore be entreated, I pray you, to accept of acceptus est,

ITiat sets all safe, that brings all to God, and there leaves it

For, if this fearer, this worker be " accepted," and not in

himself, in whom then? who is it? The Apostle tells us

Eph. 1. 6. directly, " He hath made us accepted in His Beloved," His

beloved Son: — so Paul. And St. Peter immediately in the

very next words that follow upon these : " You know the

word," the word of the Word That was in the beginning and

made all, and " That in the fulness of time was sent and

Psalms 107:20. healed all;" misit Verbum et sanavit eos. In Him and through

Him all are " accepted" that have had, or shall have, the

honour and happiness ever so to be. In Whom then we are

" accepted," we see.

"^^T.^^* Now lastly, to what; and so an end. That being so

cjpted.*' " accepted" or received, whether you will, both or one, you

may receive what? Plain it is, it follows, the Sacrament.

But they to receive the first Sacrament, that of Baptism ; for

they w ere yet in their Paganism, unbaptized. But they that

of the Holy Ghost. 343

are Christians already, and past the first, there remaineth for them to receive none but the second. And that then is it. And that bound they are to receive. For though by special privilege some are aspersi Spiritu quos aqua mystica non tetigit^ * sprinkled with the Holy Ghost, before they had the sprinkling of vyrater,' of vyrhich number was Cornelius, and these in the text; though while they were at the sermon, the Holy Ghost came upon them, yet to the Sacrament they came though, we see. That was to them and is to us all the seal of God's acceptation. That first was theirs, but the chief and last is this of ours.

For this is indeed the true receiving, when one is received to the table, to eat and drink, to take his repast there; yea ad acdpiendum in Qtco acceptus esty to take, and to take into him " that body, by the oblation whereof we are all sanctified," Heb.l 0.1 0. and that blood " in which we have all remission of sins." In ^P^* ^' '^' that ended they, in this let us end.

And this accepting we desire of God; and desiring it in an acceptable time, He will hear us; and this is that ^^ accept- [2 Cor. 6. table time." For if the year of Pentecost, the fiftieth year, '^ were " the acceptable year," as Luke the fourth and nineteenth, then the day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day, this day, is the " acceptable day" for the same reason. Truly acceptable, as the day whereon the Holy Ghost was first received, and whereon we may receive Him now again; whereon acceptits est is fulfilled both ways; we of Him received to grace, and He of us. His flesh and blood, and with them His Spirit. He receivetii us to grace, and we receive of Him grace, and with it the influence of His Holy Spirit, which shall still follow us, and never leave us till we be accepti indeed, that is, received up to Him in His kingdom of glory; whither blessed are they that shall be received.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY AT WHITEHALL,

ON THE FOURTH OF JUNE, A J). MDCXX. BEING H-HIT-SUNDAY.

This is that Jesus Christ That came by water and blood; not by water only^ but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit That beareth witness, /or the Spirit is truth.

Hie est Qui venit per aquam et sanguifiem, Jesus Christus; non in aqua solum^ sed in aqua et sanguine. Et Spiritus est Qui testificatuvy quoniam Spiritus est Veritas,

[This is He That came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; nothf tcater only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit That beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. Engl. Trans.]

SE R M. "This is Jesus Christ;" "and it is the Spirit." So the XIII. verse, you see, linketh Christ and the Spirit together, is a passage from the one to the other. Linketh them, and so consequently linketh this feast of the Spirit present with those of Christ that are gone before; and under one, sheweth the convenience of having the Spirit an article in our Creed, and of having this day a feast in our calendar.

For though Christ have done all that He had to do, all is not done that is to do till the Spirit come too. We have nothing to shew, we want our test, a special part of- our evidence is lacking; that when all is done, if this be not, nothing is done. " Christ" w ithout " water," " water" without "blood;" His "water and blood" and He, without the Spirit, avail us nothing. The Spirit we are to have, and this day wc have It; and for the having It this day, we keep a feast.

Of the Sending of the Holy Ohost, 846

As those hitherto for Christ, complementum legisy so this for the Holy Ghost, complementum Evangelii^ which was not complete donee complerentur dies Pentecostes, "till the days of Pentecost [Acts 8. i.] were fulfilled;" till this day was come and gone.

St. John is every-where all for love. Here in this chapter, I know not how, he is hit upon faith. Which with him is rare; so the more to be made of. Specially in this age, wherein it is grown the virtue of chief request. And indeed ^JT;^a/)/6i/ TL irioTLs ia-rlv, iav ttIo-tls fi, * an excellent virtue is faith, if it be faith.' For as there is, saith St. Paul, jvaxris lTim.6.20. ^IrevScopvfios, " a knowledge falsely so called," so is there a faith; for faith is itself but a kind of knowledge.

How shall we then make faith of our faith? Of itself it is but a bare act, faith, a thing indifferent, the virtue and the Talue of it is from the object it belie veth in; if that be right, all is right. And that is right, if it have for this object, not Jesus Christ barely; but as St. John speaketh, " that Jesus Christ." " That Jesus Christ" is somewhat a strange speech, as if there were another. Is there so? Yes, ye have alium Jesum^ and aliud Evangelium; not "that," but " another 2Cor. 11.4.

And as not " that" but " another Jesus," so Christ Himself tells us, you shall have not that, but another Christ. Another, nay many other; yet there is but one true. " Lo, here is MatJJ4.2S. Christ, lo, there He is." Go into the desert, there you shall have Him; get you to such a conventicle, and there you shall not miss of Him. Go but to one city I could name, you shall have Christs enough, and scarce a true one among them all.

Well then, what shall we do, " to sever the precious from Jer. 16. 19. the vile;" " that Jesus Christ, from others;" set the hie est Ille upon the right Christ? This, saith St. John, these two ways: 1 . " That Jesus Christ" That comes " in water andblood" jointly, not in either alone, hie est Ille, If but in one, He is " another Jesus." 2. " That Jesus" That hath " the Spirit to bear Him witness," is the true; this witness if He want, hie nan est Ille, Under one we shall learn Christ aright. For as one may learn a false Christ, so may he the true Christ falsely. " You have not so learned Christ," saith the Apostle, Eph.4. 30. that is, not amiss you have not; meaning some other had.

S46 0/ the Bending

S E B M. And as Icam Christ aright, so learn to do the Spirit His right; not to shoot Him off, but know He is to have a chief

holy-day in our fcutiy as He hath a part, and a principal part, in the test of whosoever shall be saved. The turn. The sum is, three items we have: 1. That we take not pieudo-Chriitum pro Chriito: ^the false Christ for the true;' that is, one that comes in His name, but is not He.

2. Neither when we have the true one, that we take not Memi-Chriitum pro Chriito^ ^a moiety or part of Christ for the whole/

3. When we have the whole, that we take Him not without His Test, and that is the Spirit, for as good not take Him at all.

^^* Three parts I would lay forth: 1. There is Christ's part;

I. 2. there is the Spirit's part; 3. there is the Sacrament's

part. Christ's part: His double coming, in 1. ''water," and

Christ did so come; 3. not only did, but doth so come daily

for both ; and ever take heed of the error of either alone, of

turning fion solum into solum,

n. Then the Spirit's part: 1. of His "witness;" 2. of the

" truth" of it. 1. Of His witness: 1. that a witness there is

to be; 2. that a witness there is; 3. nay not one, but three;

4. of which the Spirit is one and the chief witness. His

witness to 1." Jesus 2. Christ That came;" 3. to the "water,"

4. to the " blood," He came in. This of His " witness."

Then of the " truth" of it ; and withal, how to discern " the

Spirit," that is, " the truth."

m. And last, the reversal to this. That as not these without

the Spirit, so not the Spirit without these, that is, not without

the Sacraments, which are the monuments and pledges of

these. And so that we endeavour that the Spirit on this day,

the day of the Spirit, may come to us and give His witness,

that Christ is come to us, and come to us in them ; in them

both, to our comfort both here and eternally.

1. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved that He That was to

^j^. come, Jesus the Saviour of the world, when He came, should

1. That come " in water and blood." His name was so called, Jesus,

como in saith the Angel, to shew He should " save His people from

** water and blood."

of the Holy Ohost. 347

their sins.'' To save us from them, by taking them away; Mat. 1.31.

us, "All the fruit we have, is the taking away of our sin.** Isa. ar. 9.

Take that away, the rest will follow of itself; that, indeed,

is all in all.

To take away sin, two things are to be taken away. For in sin are these two; 1. reatuSy and 2. macula^ as all Divines agree, *the guilt,' and * the soil,' or spot. The guilt, to which punishment is due; the spot, whereby we grow loathsome in God's eyes, and even in men's too. For even before them, shame and reproach follow sin. Take these two away, and sin is gone. And there is no people under Heaven, but have sense of these two; and no religion is, or ever was, but laboured to remove them both.

To take away soil, "water" is most fit; to take away guilt, " blood." No punishment, for any guilt, goes further than " blood." Therefore had the heathen their lustrations for the soil, which were ever by water; {donee me Jlumine vivo [Virg.^ii. AbltLero;) and their expiations for the guilt, by shedding of f^^ j^^*^ blood ever, {sanguine placdstis^ without which they held no 116.] remission of sins.

The Jews, they likewise had the "sprinkling water" Nu. 8. 7. for the uncleanness; had their slain sacrifice, the "blood" Ex. 12. 23. whereof done on their "posts," the destroyer passed by them, the guilt by it being first taken away.

But the Prophet tells us, no water — no, not "snow-water," J^^^'f'^ and put to it "nitre" and"borith" and fuller's "soap," never [Vulg.] Bo much — can enter into the soul, to take away the stains of it. And the Apostle, he tells us, " it was impossible the Hebrews 10:4. blood of bulls or goats should satisfy for the sins of men." The " water" had not the virtue to get out those spots; nor the " blood," the value, to make satisfaction to God, for man's trespass.

Donee venit Qui venturus erat, "Till He came That was Gen.49.10. to come;" Shiloh, with a "blood," and a "water," which, because it was the "blood" and "water" of the Son of God, and so of God, by His divine power infused into both, gave the "water" such a piercing force, and gave the "blood" so inestimable high a value, as was able to work both; to put an end to that which neither the washings, nor offerings of

348 Of the Sending

S £ R M. nature, or of the Law could rid us of. Thus, " in water and

'— blood" was He to come, That was to take sin away.

_. *• Tims was He to come, and thus did He come; did come

did 80 divers ways. " In blood," the blood of His circumcision;

come. 4i jjj y^ater," the water of His baptism. Began so, and so ended; "in water," the water of His strong crying and tears, whereby He made supplication to God for iis; "in blood,"

Mat26.S6, the blood of His passion, the blood of Gethsemane, His bloody sweat; the blood of Gabbatha, of the scourges and

Job. 19. 18, thorns; the blood of Golgotha, of His hands and feet digged. Thus came He.

Yet is it none of these St. John pointeth to — these were at several times — but he points to His coming in both together at once. This place of the Epistle refers to that place of the Gospel, where at once, with one blow, His side

Joh. 19.34. being opened, "there came forth blood and water" both.

Zech.9. 11. Blood, sanguis testamentiy saith Zachary, the ninth, "the blood of His testament," whereby He set His guilty prisoners

Zech.l3. 1. free. Water, saith the same Zachary, the thirteenth, fons domui Israel; " a fountain which He opened to the house of

[Tit. 3. 5.] the other, water, the 'Xovrpov, "laver" of our new birth, from our original corruption.

S^an^ * These are (not two of the Sacraments; so there might be

120.] more, but) the twin-Sacraments of the Church.' So but two

of that kind, two famous memorials left us ; in baptism, of

the water ; in the cup of the New Testament, of the blood

He then came in.

8. Thus did Christ come; did, and doth still. For the word

still. respecteth even the present also. Came not once, but still

and ever cometh so. The water still runs, for He opened a fountain never to be drawn dry; and His massa sanguinis is not spent neither, for it is sanguis teterni foederis, and so

Heb.l8.20. ceternu^s; " of the everlasting covenant," and so itself lasting for ever.

And that this His coming to us he means, the order sheweth. For when it came from Him, it came in another

of the Holy Ghost. 349

order; " blood" came first, and then " water;" — see the Gospel.

But here in the Epistle, when He comes to us, "water" is first,

and then " blood." " Blood and water," the order quoad Se; Joh.19.34.

** water and blood," quoad nos. Ever to us, in water first.

But what means this, " not in water only, but in water and blood?" To say," in water and blood," was plain enough, one would think. Our rule is in Logic, Non sufficit alterum^ oportet utrumque fieri in copulativis. Our rule in Divinity, ** What God hath joined, no man presume to sever." Yet when Mat J 9. 6. he had said, "in water and blood," he comes over with them again, with his non in aqud solum, " not in water only, but in water and blood." What means this, but to make it yet more plain, that there might be no mistaking, no slipping of the collar? that one of them will not serve our turn? but, as once. He came, so still and ever He is to come in them both?

us in both, we to Him for both. He not to us, in either are to^^ alone; we not to Him, for either alone. For if for either??P® *<>

alone, we make superfluous His coming m the other; we both, question His wisdom, as if He came in more than needed, as if any thing He came in, might well enough be spared. No, we need both, we have use of both, and so to come to Him for them both.

Among the profunda Satance, this was one: when he could I^^- ^' 2^- not Kcokueiv, ' keep Him out,' by a new stratagem he sought \ueLv TOP ^Iffo-ovv^ solvere Jesum (as the Fathers read the verse of the chapter next before) that is, * to take Him in pieces.' When he could not prevail in setting up a false, he set some on work to take in sunder the true.

Was it not thus? Did they not solvere^ ^ dissolve,' take in sunder His natures; made Him come as only man, as Samosatenus; made Him come, as only God, as Sabellius? Dissolved they not His person; made Him come in two, as Nestorius? And is not this here a plain dissolving also? He coming entirely in both, to take Him by halves, take of Him what they list, what they think will serve their turns, and leave the other, and let it lie? So take pars pro totOy a piece of Jesus for the whole, as if they meant to be saved by synecdoche.

Which very taking Him in pieces makes Him that He is

850 Of the Sending

SE RM. not the true. For if the ooming in both twain make Him ^^^^' Hie est lUe, the taking away of either turns Him into aHum Jesum; and so, hie non est lUe. This you may call Jesus Christ, but this is not that Jesus Christ, St. John His iwum^Biof taught us. There was a sort of heretics in the Primitive Church were so all for " water,'* cared so little for His coming in ^' blood,"' as they ministered the Communion in nothing but water, and are therefore called Sydroparastatd^f or Aqtuirii. There were others — ^but it were a world to rake up old errors; what need we? Have we not now that firame to themselves a Christ without "water," or a Christ vnthout ^^ blood," and so seem to hold aqua sola^ or solus sanguis, against St. John's non in sold, flat?

1, See you some that pour out themselves into all riot, and Eph. 4. 19. follow " uncleanness even with greediness ?" Christ" in water''

would do well for such, and they care least for it; by their good- will would have none come upon them, would not be clean, would be as they are, as swine in their wallow all their life long. No " water" they, but " blood," as much as you will. Frame to themselves a Christ without " water," all in "blood." " This is that Christ That cometh." How comes He? what brings He? Comes He in " blood," brings He good store of that, that we may strike off the guilt of our old score? He is welcome coming so. But He comes with "water" too. Nay, they can spare that — with the Gergesenes, to pray Him to be Mat. 8. 34. go^6, " to depart from their coasts;" they love " blood" without " water," are all for comfort as they call it, nothing for cleanness of life. In solo sanguine y these.

2. See you some other, not many, yet some, careful to their weak power to contain themselves, yet through human frailty overtaken otherwhile ? Christ in " blood" comes for these, for these in special, and alas ! they dare not come near it, not H is " blood," as utterly unworthy of it. These are but few, in comparison of those other, the soli-sanguines. Yet, some such there are, and for them hath St. John directed the letter of this text in this order which it stands ; that Christ " came not in water alone, but came in blood too."

Timorous, trembling, consciences think they have never " water" enough : if they find about them any unclean thing, they are quite cast down, utterly dejected straight ; as if that

of the Holy Ghost. 351

Christ were John Baptist, that came in "water" alone; [Mat. 8. nay, were turned into Moses, that had his name of being \^q^ g, ** taken out of the water," as if He came all "in water," nay lO. See were all "water," had not a drop of "blood" in Him. These ^''*"^*^ seem to hold in aqud sold^ whereas Christ hath both "water and blood," of each alike much, no less of the one than of the other; came in " blood," and came in it for them, and to them doth most readily apply it, that make most spare of it.

But the greater number by far are those in the other extreme, that are nothing timorous, far enough from that; dissolute, and care not how many foul blotches they have, so they may have the guilt and punishment taken away; hear there is remission of sins in His "blood;" so lie at His veins eontinually like horse-leeches, so as if it were possible they would not leave a drop of blood in Him. As for His "water," they have no use of it, nor desire not to have any, let that run waste; are all for " blood," would not care if all the "water" were drained from Him, nay if, as the "waters" of Egypt, all [Ps. 105. His were turned into "blood." Forgiven, that they would be; ^^^ clean, they care not to be; as much "blood," as little "water" as you will. Both these would be looked to, but this latter more, as the predominant error of our age, wherein the "water" is even at the low water-mark. Now for these we return the non solumy as by good warrant we may, both ways; it is equally true, not in blood alone, hear you, but in blood and water. Will you have no "water?" then must you have no Christ, for Christ came "in water." And further we add, that as "in water and blood" both, so "in water" first, (for so it lieth in the text,) and that which stands first we to pass through first. "Water," quoadnosj\% the first, before "blood:" — ^there to begin in God's name. Take that with you too.

They then that have learned Christ aright, are to come to Him for both. With the woman of Samaria, "Lord, give us joh. 4. 15. of this water;" with them of Capernaum, "Lord, give us of joh.6. 34. this bread," of this "Cup of the New Testament in Thy j cor. 11. blood." To come to Him for "blood," for the forgiveness of 2^' our sins "through faith in His blood." To come to Him for Rom. 8. "water" as well, for the taking out of the stains. Yea, even as ^^' Esay said, Haurietis aquas cum gaudio defontibus Sahatoris, isa. la. 3. even " with joy to draw waters from the fountains of oifir

352 Of the Sending

8ERM. Saviour;" with more joy so draw "water," than to drav ^"^- "blood" from Him.

But indeed, to look well into the matter, they cannot be separate, they are mixed; either is in other. There is a mixture of the " blood" in the " water;" there is so, of the "water" in the "blood;" we can minister no "water" without "blood," nor "blood" without "water." In baptism we are washed with "water:" that "water" is not without "blood." The "blood" fiev. 1. 5. serves instead of "nitre." He hath "washed us from our Rev. 7. 14. sins in His blood" — "washed." They made their robes "white in the blood of the Lamb." No washing, no whiting by "water," without "blood." And in the Eucharist we are made drink of the blood of the New Testament, but in that I Joh. 1. 7. blood there is water, " for the blood of Christ purifieth us from our sins," Now to purify, is a virtue properly belonging to water, which is yet in the blood; and purifying refers to spots, not to guilt, properly. So, either is in other; therefore, the conceit of separation, let it alone for ever.

To take heed then of draining Christ's "water" from His "blood," or abstracting His "blood" from His "water;" of bringing in the restringent, soldy into either. Every one of us, for his own part, thus to do. But howsoever men fr*ame fancies to themselves — as frame they will, do what we can — that our doctrine be looked to; we are not to teach Jesus Christ, but "that Jesus Christ" That thus came in both. That our divinity then on the one side be not waterish, without all heart or comfort, presenting Christ in " water" only, to make fear where none is; nor on the other, that we frame not ourselves a sanguine divinity, void of fear quite, and bring in Christ all in "blood," blood and nothing else: with little " water," or none at all, for fear of ex nimid spe desperatio. Galatians 3:8. " Faith," as it " justifieth," saith St. Paul,— there is " blood;" Acts 15. 9. SO it "piuifieth the heart," saith St. Peter, — there is "water." f5^-^3^^;"Hope," as it "saveth," saith St. Paul,— "blood;" so it "cleanseth," saith St. John, — "water." In vain we flatter ourselves if they do the one and not the other. Do we make Gai. 2. 21. "grace of none effect?" That we may not. "Do we make the * ' Law of none effect by faith?" that we may not neither, not this day specially, the feast of the Law and Spirit both; but rather Rev.16. 3. "establish" it. Best,if it could be set right, "the song of Moses

of the Holy Ohost. 353

. and of the Lamb;" it is the harmony of Heaven. If we teach Nepeccetis — " water;" to teach also — " blood" — Si quis atUem i joh, a, i. jpeccaverity with St. John. If we say mlvusfactus es — " blood;" Joh. 5. 14. to say NoU ampUus peccare — " water" — ^withal, with Christ Himself.

This is that Jesus Christ, and the true doctrine of Him; neither dihUa^ and so evil for the heart; nor tentam caputs and so fuming up to the head; neither scammoniate, tormenting the conscience; nor yet opiate, stupifying it, and making it senseless. And so much for Christ's double coming.

Well, when Christ is come, and thus come, may we be n.^ gone, have we done? Done! we are yet in the midst of the rit's port. verse; before we make an end of it, it must be Whitsuntide. The Spirit is to come too. So a new Qui venity That comes in both those, and comes in the Spirit besides. And a new non solum; not in "water and blood" only, but in the Spirit withal.

Not that Christ said not truly, Comummatum est^ that He Joh. 19.80. hath not done all. Yes, to do that was to be done, Christ "witness." was enough, needs no supply; the Spirit comes not to do, comes but to testify. That, inter alia, is one of His offices.

And a witness is requisite. There is no matter of weight A witness with us, if it be sped authentically, (especially a testament,) J^^^e.^^ but it is with a test. And God doth none of His great works but so; of which this coming is one, even the greatest of all. Neither of His Testaments without one. As God in nature *neftnot Himself without witness," saith the Apostle, Acts 14:17, $o neither Christ in grace. As then in the Old Testament, ad legem et testimonium, saith Esay; so in the New, ad Evan- Isa. 8. 20. geUum et testimonium, ^ to the Gospel,' to Christ ^ and the testimony,* calls St. John here. Christ also to have His test, we to call for it; and if it be called for of us, to be able to shew it.

A witness there needeth then, and a witness there is. One, A witness nay three. In ore duorum; that is, in every matter nothing ^!f®t;^e without two at least. But in this so main, so high a matter, Deu. 17. 6. God would enlarge the number; have it in ore trium, have it fiill — ^no fewer than three; three to His part, three to ours.

At the ordering of it in Heaven, three there were, " the [iJoh.ft.7.] 1. Father, the 2. Word, and 3. the Spirit;" that the whole Trinity might be equally interested in the accomplishment of

Of the Sending

K U M. the work of our salvation, and it pass through all Their han^. And at the speeding it in earth, three more: 1. "the Spiritjand

XIII.

Gal. C. 1. Judo 19.

8.] " * 2. water, and 3. blood," to answer them, that all might go by f Isa. 6. 3^ a Trinity, that " Holy, Holy, Holy," might be thrice repeated.

The truth herein answereth to the type. For under the Law ^

nothing was held perfectly hallowed, till it passed three: the

1. cleansing water, first; the 2. sprinkling of blood, second; j

3. and last, that the holy oil were upon it too — the holy oil, (

the Holy Ghost's type ; but when any thing anointed with all

three, then had it his perfect halidom, then it was holy

indeed. And even so pass we through three hands, all.

1. God's, as men : water notes the creation; the Heavens are

of water, and if they, the rest. God's, as men; 2. Christ's, as j

Christian men — blood notes the redemption; 3. and the '

Spirit's, as spiritual men. Which pertains to all. If any be

" spiritual," He knows this ; and you that be spiritual do

this, saith the Apostle. For Christians that be animaks,

Spiritum non habentes, St. Jude tells us, there is no great

reckoning to be made of them. j

To let the other go. " The Spirit" is a Witness to Jesus

Christ, " That came in water and blood;" Witness to Jesus

Christ" That came," Witness to His " water and blood" He

came in. In a witness it is required he be testis idoneus:

will you see quam idoneus, ^howapt,' how every way agreeing?

" The Spirit" and Jesus agree : Jesus was conceived by the

Spirit. " The Spirit" and Christ agree: in the word Christ is

2. To the " the Spirit," for Christ is anointed. Anointed with what?

bk)od" He"^ With the Holy Ghost, the true unction, and the truth of all

" came in." unctions whatsoever. " The Spirit" and "water" agree; " the

Gen. 1. 2. Spirit moved on the face of the waters." " The Spirit" and

Lev. 17. 11. blood" agree: the spirit of life is in the blood; the vessels

of it, the arteries, run along with the texture of the veins, all

the body over.

To His To His coming, this Spirit agi*eeth also. When He came

coming, ^g Jesus, the Spirit conceived Him. When He came as

Christ, the Spirit anointed Him. When He came in water

Joh. 1. 32. at His baptism, the Spirit was there; " came down in the

shape of a dove, rested, abode on Him." When He came in

Heb. 9. 14. blood at His Passion, there too: it was "the eternal Spirit of

God, by AVhich He offered Himself without spot unto God."

"The Spirit" a Witness.

" Jesus Christ That came."

of the Holy Ghost 355

So the most fit that can be to bear witness to all; prtesens interfuitj et vidit, et audivit, ' was present, heard, and saw,' was acquainted with all that passed; none can speak to the point so well as He.

The Spirit is a Witness, is true every way; but why is it "The said, " It is the Spirit That beareth witness," seeing they both, chiS* ** water and blood," bear it too? it is " water," it is " blood," that Witnest bear witness also. They indeed are witnesses; but it is the Spirit, He it is That is the principal witness, and principally to be regarded, before the rest. Here, He comes in last, but He is indeed first; and so as first is placed at the eighth verse, where they are orderly reckoned up. And good reason. He is one of the Three, both above in Heaven, and beneath in earth; third there above, first here beneath; a Witness in both courts, admitted ad jus testis in both, for His special credit in both; the medius terminus as it were between Heaven and earth, between God and man.

Besides it is said, " It is He, He it is That beareth witness." For it is neither of the other will do us any good without Him; the whole weight lieth upon Him. Not the " water" without the Spirit, it is but nudum et egenum elementum. Not Gal. 4. i the "blood" without the Spirit, no more than " the flesh" with out "the Spirit," non prodest quicquam, as said He, Whose the Joh. 6. flesh and blood was, Christ Himself.

Will you see a proof without it } Christ came to Simon Acts 8. Magus "in water" — he was baptized; Christ came to Judas ^^*'^^- " in blood" — ^he was a communicant; but Spirit there came none to testify, they were both never the better. The better? nay the worse: Simon perished " in the gall of bitterness;" Acts 8. Judcu bibit mortem defonte vit{B, from "the cup of blessing" iCor.io. drank down his own bane. All for want of et Spiritus est. So is it with the word, and with any means else.

But let the testimony of " the Spirit" come, the " water" becomes " a well," springing up to eternity; the flesh and joh. 4. blood, " meat that perisheth not, but endureth to life ever- ^^ ' ^' lasting."

And even in nature we see this : water, if it be not aqua

viva^ have not a spirit to move it and make it run, it stands

^ and putrifies ; and blood, if no spirit in it, it congeals, and

grows corrupt and foul, as the blood of a dead man. " The

850 Cf the Sending

SERM. Spirit*" helpeth this, and upon good reason doth it For Christ being conceived by " the Spirit," it was most meet ail of Christ should be conceived the same way. That Which conceived Him, should impregnate His ^' water,*' should animate His "blood," should give the vivificaty the life and Tigour, to them both. It is "the Spirit then That giveth the witness.** 2. The Now, in a witness, above all it is required, he be true: the

ffilf'wi^ Spirit is so true, as He is the Truth itself. The Spirit, the nesa. Truth? Why Christ saith of Himself, " I am the Truth.'* All ' the better; for, verwn vero consanat, one truth will well sort with, will uphold, will make proof one of another, as these two do prove, either other reciprocally. The Spirit, Christ's iJoh.4. 8. proof; Christ, the Spirit's. Christ, the Spirit's. "Every spirit that confesseth not Christ," is not the true Spirit The Spirit Christ's: Christ, if He have not the test of the Spirit, is not the true Christ. Always, the truth is the best witness. And, if He be the "f ruth, on His test you may bear yourself. Not so on "water," or "blood:" without Him, they may well deceive us, and be faka and fallacia, as wanting the truth, if He, if " the Spirit" be wanting. That truth It will then much concern us, to be sure, " the Spirit" on to be Whose testimony we are thus wholly to rely, that the Spirit be the Tnith. And it is the main point of all, to be able to discern "the Spirit," that is, the Truth; because as there is a 1 Joh. 4. 0. " Spirit of truth," so is there a " spirit of error" abroad in the world — yea many such spirits; and the Apostle who tells us 3 Cor. 11. 4. of alium Jesum, in the same verse tells us of alium spiritum too. We be then to try which spirit is the truth; that so the Spirit on Whose witness we rest ourselves, be the Truth. How take we notice of the Spirit? How knew they the Angel was Joh. 5. 4. come down into the pool of Bethesda, but by the stirring and By His moving of the water? So by stirring up in us spiritual motions, motions, holy purposes and desires, is the Spirit's coming known. Specially if they do not vanish again. For if they do, then was it some other flatuous matter, which will quiver in the veins, and unskilful people call it the life-blood, but the spirit it was not. The spirit's motion, the pulse is not for a while, and then ceaseth; but is perpetual, holds as long as life holds, though intermittent sometime, for some little space.

of the Holy Ghost. 357

Yet hold we it not safe, to lay overmuch weight upon good By newmotions, which may come of divers causes, and of which good ^^ ^^ motions there are as many in hell as in Heaven. The surest way is to lay it on that our Saviour and His Apostles so often lay it, that is, on Spiritus vivificai. The life is ever the best Joh. 6. 63. indicant sign of the spirit. Novum mpervenisse Spiritum, ^ ^^'' ^' ^' nova viUe ratio demonstrate * that a new Spirit is come, a new course of life is the best demonstration.*

Now life is best known by vital actions. Three the The notes Scripture counteth: 1. Spiritus uhi vult spirat^ by breath;ufe. ^ tur unus idemque Spiritus, by the work; — ^these three. 1 Cor. 32.'

1. The nearest and most proper note of the Spirit is J^g ^ spiration, or breathing. In breathing there is a double act:

1. there is a systole^ a drawing in of the air, and that is cold, agreeth with Christ in "water;" there comes a cool breath ever from the water. 2. And there is a diastole, a sending forth of the breath; and that we know is warm, and agreeth with Christ "in blood." For blood is it, that sendeth a warm Tapoiu: into all the limbs.

Agreeable to these two, have you the two Spirits, which upon the matter are but the two acts of one and the same Spirit: 1. Inspired, "the Spirit of faith" — the fear of God. Isa. 11, a.

2. Out-breathed, "the Spirit of faith" — ^faith in Christ. Fear 2Cor.4.l3. iomes "in water:" so saith Solomon, " The fear of Godis"^©^* Prov. 14. vitiff, "the well-spring of life," that is, "water." Faith comes ^^'

in "blood;" per Jidem in sanguine Ipsius, "through faith in Romans 8:25. His blood." " So is every one that is bom of the Spirit." [Joh.3.8.] And to blow out faith still, and never draw in fear, is suspicious, is not safe. The true spiration, the breathing aright, consisting of these two, is a sign of the right Spirit.

The next sign in the same verse too: "and you hear the 2, noise of it." For so the Apostle saith, "the Spirit speaks jo^fgg evidently;" that is. His noise and speech is evidently to be C^ Tim. 4. distinguished from those of other spirits. His coming in tongues this day, sheweth no less. Which sign of speech doth best and most properly sort here, with a witness. For a witness, what he hath to testify, speaks it out vocally.

What noise then is heard from us, (What breathe we? What "speaks the Spirit manifestly" from our mouths?) if

858 Of the Sending

s K K M. cursing and bitterness, and many a foul oath, if this noise be } -^ heard from us; if we breathe minas et cadesy " bluster out Eph. 4. 29. threatening and slaying^ — ^that noise; if aairpos Xoyof, Mark 14. u gotten, comipt, obscene communication" come out of our [Mat. a<J. mouths? we are of Galilee, and our very speech " bewray eth" *^ us. This is not the breath of the Spirit, this He speaks not;

evidently He speaks it not. It is not the tongue of Heaven Acts 2. 4. this: not sicut dedit Spiritus eloquiy no utterance of the Spirit^s giving. Some of Christ's water would do well to wash these out of our mouths. The speech sounding of the Spirit, is a sign of the true Sphit. 8. The last, but the surest of all. Omnia fusee operatur Spiritui.

1 Cot? 12 ^^ ^^ work is as clearly to be distinguished as the speech. li Each spirit hath his proper work, and is known by it. No

man ever saw the works of the devil come from the Spirit of God. Be not deceived, the works of un cleanness come from Mat. 12.43. no spirit, but " the unclean spirit." The works of Cain, from J as. 4. 5. "the spirit of envy;" the works of Demas, from "the spirit 1 Cor. 2. of the world." All the gross errors of our life from the spirit [Joh. 15. of error. But this, this is "the Spirit of truth;" and the breath, ^^•^ the speech, the operations of Him, bear witness that He is so.

Now if He will depose that " the water and blood" Christ came in. He came in for us, and we our parts in them; in them, and in them both; and so deposing, if we feel His breath, hear His speech, see His works according, we may receive His " witness" then, for His " witness" is true.

Now, that upon this day, the day of the Spirit, "the Spirit" may come and bear this "witness" to Christ's "water and blood," there is to be water and blood for "the Spirit" to bear witness to. So was there ever as this day, in the Church of Christ. "Water:" a solemn baptism in memory of the first Acts 2:41. " three thousand," this day baptized by St. Peter. And Act3 20.i(j. " blood:" never a more frequent Eucharist than at Pentecost, in honour of this Spirit, to which St. Paul made such haste with his alms and offerings. Witness the great works done by Pentecostal oblations; which very oblations remain in some Churches to this day. III. So are we now come to the reversal, to the last wow solum:

veisal. ^^^ here it is. Not in the Spirit alone, but "in water and blood," recijyroce. As not these without the S})irit, so neither

of the Holy Ghost. 359

the Spirit without these, that is, without the Sacrament wherein these be. So have we a perfect circle now. Neither

in water" without ** blood," nor in " blood" without

water;" nor in them alone without " the Spirit;" nor in the Spirit alone, without them.

This day Christ comes to us " in blood," in the Sacrament of it so. But as we said before, either is in other. " Blood" is not ministered, but there is an ingredient of the purifying virtue of " water" withal in it: so He comes in " water" too. Yea, comes in "water" first — so lie they in the text;^ " water" to go before with us. So did it, at the very institution itself of this Sacrament. The " pitcher of water," and he that carried Mark u it, was not in vain given for a sign; went not before them that were sent to make ready for it, for nothing.

It had a meaning, that water, and it had a use. Their feet were washed with it, and their feet being clean, they were ^^ clean every whit." Many make ready for it, that see neither Joh.iS. water nor pitcher. It were well they did, their feet would be washed; so would their " hands in innocency," that are Ps. 26. ( to go to His altar. " In innocency," that is, in a stedfast purpose of keeping ourselves clean: — so to come. For to come and not with that piu"pose, better not come at all. To find a feeling of this purpose before, and to mark well the success and effect that doth follow after. For if it fail us continually, Christ did not come. For when He comes, though it be in " blood," yet He comes with " water" at the same time. Ever in both, never in one alone.

His blood is not only drink to nourish, but medicine to purge. To nourish the new man, which is faint and weak, God wot; but to take down the old, which is rank in most. It is the proper effect of His blood; it doth " cleanse our Heb.o. i consciences from dead works, to serve the living God."

Which if we find it doth, Christ is come to us as He is to come. And the Spirit is come, and puts His test. And if we have His test, we may go our way in peace; we have kept a right feast to Him, and to the memory of His coming.

" Even so come, Lord Jesus," and come, O blessed Spirit, [Rev. 25

and bear witness to our spirit, that Christ's water and His '^ blood, we have our part in both ; both, " in the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness," and " in the blood of the Mark u

S E R M. New Testament/' the legacy whereof is eyerlasting life in ^^^' Thy kingdom of glory. Whither, Christ That paid the purchase, and the Spirit That giveth the seisin, Touchsafe to bring us all.

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE KING'S MAJESTY, AT GREENWICH,

ON THE TWENTIETH OF HEAT, AJ>. MDOXXI., BEINO WHIT-BUNDAT.

£lrr notj my dear brethren.

Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, and

cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no

variableness, neither shadowing by turning,

Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est descendens a Patre luminum, apud Quern nan est transmutatio, nee

vicissitudinis ohumhratio,

[Do not err, my hehved brethren.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh

dovm from the Fathev of lights, with Whom is no variableness,

neither shadow of turning, Engl. Trans.]

And, if " every good giving and every perfect gift;," what giving so good, or what gift so perfect, as the Gift of Gifts, this day's gift, the gift of the Holy Ghost? There are in it all the points in the text. It is "from above," it "descended" [La.dJ22.] visibly this day, and from " the Father of lights" — so many "tongues," so many "lights;" which kindled such a light in [Acts 2:3.] the world on this day, as to this day is not put out, nor shall ever be to the world's end.

First, the Holy Ghost is oft styled by this very name or title, of " the Gift of God." " K ye knew the Gift of God," joh. 4. 10. saith our Saviour to the woman at the well's side. What gift was that? It is plain there, "the water of life." That

362 Of the Sending

S E R M. " water" was the Spirit. " This He spake of the Spirit/' — saith St. John, who knew His mind best, as then " not yet

Joh. 7. 39. gj^,gj^ . |j^j|. ginee, as upon this day, sent into the world.

Secondly, this " gift" is both " good" and " perfect"— so good, as it is de bonis optimum^ ' of all goods the best;' and of all perfects, the most absolutely perfect, the gift of perfection, or perfection of all the gifts of God, What should I Acta 8. 20. say? Not to be valued, saith St. Peter; not to be uttered, Kom.8.26. gg^j^jj g|; Paul: as if all the tongues that were on earth before, and all that came down this day, were little enough, or indeed were not enough, not able any way to utter or express it.

Thirdly, nay it is not one gift among many, how complete soever, but it is many in one — so many tongues, so many gifts; as so many grapes in a cluster, so many grains in a Ps. 68. 18. pomegranate. In this one gift are all the rest. " Ascending up on high," dona dedit^ ^' He gave gifts:" all these dona were in hoc Dono^ all those gifts in this Gift; every one of them folded up as it were inclusive. The Father, the Fountain; the Son, the Cistern; the Holy Ghost, the Conduit- pipe, or pipes rather, (for they are many,) by and through which they are derived down to us.

Fourthly, and lastly, not only in Him, and by Him, but ixom Ilim too. For He is the Gift and the Giver both. lCor.12.4. "There is great variety of gifts," saith St. Paul, "but it is one and the same Spirit That maketh distribution of them to every man severally, even as Himself pleaseth." Both the thing given, and the Party that giveth it, all derived to us fi'om Him, wrought in us by Him, and by us to be referred to Him.

At the time of any of God's gifts sent us by Him, to speak of Scriptures of this nature, cannot seem unseasonable; but of all other, at the time of this gift, most properly. Dona dedit hominibus; what day was that? even this very day. Dies donorum hie; so many tongues, so many gifts. This day, I say, whereto Donum Dei and Donum diei fall together so happily. We have brought it to the day. The sum. It will not be amiss to touch the end a little, which the Apostle aimeth at in these words. It is the old, it is the new 1 Jot. 2. 7. commandment, mandatum vetus et novum^ to make us love God. The point whereto the Law and the Prophets drive,

of the Hoiy Ghost. 36S

yea the Gospel, and the Apostles and all. We cannot love him well, whom we think not well of. We cannot think well of him, whom we think evil comes from. Then ta think so well of God, as not to think any evil. Not any evil? no, but instead thereof, all good cometh to us from Him. So thinking, we cannot choose but we must love Him.

And to this end, at the thirteenth verse before, St. Jamea had told us plain, God is not the Author of evil; not tempted Himself, not tempting any to it. As at that verse, not the Author of evil, so at this, the Author of all, and every good. Men, when their brains are turned with diving into God's secrets, may conceit as they please; but when all is said that can be, no man can ever entirely love Him Whom he thinks so evil of as to be the Author of evil. We are with St. James to teach, and you to believe that will procure you to love God the better; not that will alien your minds, or make you love Him the worse. That therefore St. Jamea denies peremptorily. No evil; nemo dicat^ "let no man speak it," let it not once be spoken. But let this be hardly*, [.<?. that all the good we have or hope for, descends down from j^^g^l^ Him. And that St. James here affirms as earnestly; " Eit on ] not, my dear brethren." It is to " err," to think otherwise; for that absolutely, " every good giving," and again over, " everj^ perfect gift," there is not one of them all but from Him they come. And so we in all duty to love Him from Whom all, and all manner good proceedeth. This is His end, love; and that falls fit and is proper to this feast, the feast of love. For love is the proper attribute and proper effect of the Spirit, {per charitatem SpiritHs,) "the love of God Rom. 16. is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost" this day [Rom.5 5.} " given unto us."

The verse, to the chapter, is a clear and a strict proposition. The cKbut hath in it the force or energy to make a complete argu- ^®^^^' ment. For if all good from God, then no evil. St. James lays it for a ground: salt or " bitter water and sweet cannot Jas. 8. ii. issue both from one fountain;" nor the works of darkness, from " the Father of lights," never.

But we take it only as a proposition, with a little item at the end of it. If we ask the questions of art concerning it, Qute^ quanta^ quails 9 Quce f It is categorical. Quanta f It

Of the Sending

'. — " err not" goes before it. So true, as to think the contrary

is a flat error. I- The rules of logic divide a proposition to our hands, into the fore-part, (in schools they call it subjectum^) and into the after-part, which they call prcedicatum. 1 . The subjectum here is omne datum, 8fc. The prmdicatum, deeursum est^ ^c. The subject is double: 1. datum bonum, and 2. donum perfectum, with an universal note to either. " Every good and every perfect," to be sure, to take in all, to leave out none. 2. The prcddicatum, that stands of three points: 1. whence } 2. how? and 3. from whom? " from the Father of lights." n. Then comes the item I told you of, provisionally, to meet with an objection, a thought that might rise in our hearts perad venture; that is, It may be as the lights of the world, or the children, have their variations, their changes, so the Father also may have them. But that he puts us out of doubt of too, with as peremptory a negative. Be it with the lights as it will; with "the Father of lights," with God, there is no variation, no change, no not so much as a shadow of them. In effect, as if he should say: From " the Father of lights," Which is unchangeable; or, From the unchangeable "Father of lights;" and so it shall be mere affirmative, but that there is major vis in negatione, * denial is stronger.'

And all these he brings in with a nolite errare; and that not without just cause. For, about this verse and the points in it, there are no less than seven sundry errors. I shall note you them as I go, that you may avoid them, together with such matter of duty as shall incidently fall in from each; specially touching the gift of the day, the gift of the Holy Ghost.

To take the proposition in sunder. The subject first, and that is double; 1. datum^ and 2. donum; and either of them his proper epithet; 1. " good," and 2. " perfect." Jointly, of both together first; after, severally of either part.

Datum, and donum, they both come of do, given they are both. Where first, because it is the feast of tongues, to set our tongue right. For the world and the Holy Ghost speak not one language; not with one tongue both. There should not else have needed any to have been sent down. The world

Of the

proposition:

1. The

subject

thereof

doable,

1* datum,

and

3. donum,

talks of all, as had; the Holy Ghost, as given. Look to the

habendum, saith the world, the having: — that is the spirit of the

world. Religion; look to donum and datum, the giving: — ^that

is His. The heathen calls his virtue €^19 * a habit;' that [Aristot.

comes of habendo. The Christian, by St. James here, B6ai9, ' ' '^

Sdprjfjba, datum and donum; all which come of dando. Thus

doth the Holy Ghost frame our tongues to speak, if we will

speak with the tongues of this day. They that do not, they

are of Galilee, and their speech "bewrayeth" them straight. [Mat. 26.

Will you hear one of them? You know who said, "Soul, ^^ jg jg thou hast enough" — "hast," and you know who spake otherwise, Quid habes quod non accepisti? " What but that you 1 Cor. 4. 7. have received." Receiving and giving you know are relatives, which the other little thought of. You may know each by their dialect.

From the beginning. Esau he said, Hdbeo bona phirima Genesis 88:0. f rater mi, "I have goods enough:" that is his phrase of speech, that the language of Edom. What saith Jacob at the same time? Esau asking him, what were all the droves he met,- They be, saith he, the good things that "God hath given me." "Have," saith Esau; "given me," saith Jacob. Nonne habeof Gen. 88. 6. "Have not I power to crucify thee, and have not I power to Joh,i9. 10. deliver thee?" You may know it, it is Pilate's voice. But our Saviour, He tells him, non habes potestatem; power should he Joh. 19. 11. have had none, if it had not been " given him," and " given" him "from above." St. James' very phrase here from Christ's own mouth. So must we speak, if we will speak as Christ spake.

This then is the first error. To have our mind run and our The first speech run, all upon having. Men are all for having, think ®"^'^* and speak of what they have; without mention of whence, or how, or from whom they receive it, or that it is given them at all. Nolite errare, " be not deceived," for all that you have is datum or donum, all; and they both are of free gift, given all. Thus the tongue that sat this day on St. James' head, taught him to call them. Thus far jointly; now severally.

For there is a cleft in these tongues. The cleft is datum Of each and donum. Would not wrap them all up in one word, but 1^^^^/ expresses them in two. Somewhat there is in that. We may

30G Of the Sending

S E R M. not admit of any idle tautologies in Scripture. Two several

'■— sorts then they be, these two, not opposite, but differing only

in degree, as more and less. "Every gift" is a giving; not every giving a gift. Every "perfect," "good;" not every "good," "perfect." We are not to think, either all our sins,

18. Mat. than St. Luke's pound ; Caesar's penny, than the widow's two 21.* 2.1 ^ mites, yet good money all, in their several values. Of these

two, 1. datum and 2. donum, 1. bonum and 2. perfectum, one

is greater or less than another.

1. Datum. He begins with the less, datum. Weigh the word, it is but

a participle; they have tenses, and tenses time. So that is only temporal.

2. Donum. But donum imports no time : so, a more set time, hath more

substance in it, is fixed or permanent. One, as it were, for term of years; the other, of the nature of a perpetuity. A datum, that which is still in giving, that perishes with the use, as do things transitory; and be of that sort that Job

Job 1:21. spake, God "hath given," and God "hath taken away." Donum is not so, but of that sort that Christ speaks, in

Ln. 10. 42. Mary's choice, so given as it " should never be taken from

[2 Cor. 4. her." So one refers to the " things which are seen, which

*-' are temporal ;" the other, to the " things not seen, that are

eternal." One to the body, and to this world; the other to

the soul rather, and the life of the world to come.

1. Bonum, We shall discern it the more clearly, if we weigh the two

adjectives, 1. "good," and 2. "perfect:" — they differ. Every

1 Tim. 1.8. "good" is not "perfect." We know, " the Law is good,"

Heb.7. ]9. saith the Apostle, but we know withal, "the Law bringeth

nothing to perfection:" — so not "perfect." Nature, quhnatura,

is "good," yet imperfect; and the Law in the rigour of it not

possible, through the imperfection of it. Nature is not, the

Law is not taken away — "good" both ; but grace is added to

both to perfect both, which needed not, if either were "per-

Joh.3.17. feet." This "world's good;" so doth St. John call our wealth.

Mat. 7. 9, ^^y^ "bread," "fish," and "eggs," we give our children, our

[Lu. 11. Saviour Himself calleth "good gifts." But what are these?

not worthy to be named, if you speak of donum Dei (Bternum^

and the perfections there.

2. Per- Before I was aware, I have told you what is " perfect."

of the Holy Ghost. 367

The glory, the joys, the crown of Heaven. " For when that i Cor. perfect is come, all this imperfect shall be done away." But St. James seems not to speak of that; he speaks in the present, and of the present, what now is, what "perfect" in this life. And this, lo, brings us to donum diet, the gift of the Holy Ghost. For to " be partakers of the divine nature," is all the 2 ret. perfection we can here attain. No higher here. Now to be made partakers of the Spirit, is to be made paitakers " of the divine nature." That is this day's w ork. Partakers of the Spirit we are, by receiving grace; which is nothing else but the breath of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of grace. Grace into the entire substance of the soul, dividing itself into two streams: 1. one goes to the understanding, the gift of faith; 2. the other to the will, the gift of " charity, the very bond of Col.3. perfection." The tongues, to teach us knowledge; the fire, to kindle our affections. The state of grace is the perfection of this life, to grow still from grace to grace, to profit in it. As to go on still forward is the perfection of a traveller, to draw still nearer and nearer to his journey's end. " To work Lu. 13 to-day and to-morrow as Christ said, and the third day to be perfect, perfectly perfect."

counsel, — " the best," the most " perfect ;" so are we to take q^^^ notice too of the " good," though not all out so " perfect," as datum

well 8u St James adviseth us ; knowing this, that be it " giving," or omne

be it "gift," be it "good," or be it " perfect,"he puts an omne ^^^^ to both; comes over twice, 1. " every good," 2. " every perfect:" both we receive, both are given us. Set down that. There was among the heathen one that went for wise that said, to become rich he would pray and sacrifice to Hercules; but to be virtuous or wise, he would do neither, neither to Hercules nor to any god of them all, he would be beholden for that to none but himself. Look, in this cleft he took to himself the more, left God the less. This was a gross error; so gross, I will not bid you take heed of it. But there be. The that will not stand with God for the greater; but for the less, ^^^^ that they may be bold with, and take those to themselves. This is an error too: — err not this. No, datum hath his omne as well as donum; the " good," no less than the "perfect;" given both, one as well as the other. St. Paul puts us to it with

368 Of the Sending

8 E H M. quid habesf that is, nihil habes. '^ What have you ?** that is, you have nothing, "but you have received it,** but hath been

' given you; Xtf^is and h6<Tbs are relations, one confers the other.

Away then with this second error. He That made the elephant, made the ant; He That the eagle, the fly; He That the most glorious Angel in Heaven, the poorest worm that creeps on the earth. So He That shall give us the kingdom of Heaven, He it is That gives us every piece of bread and meat, and puts us to acknowledge it, in one and the same prayer making us to sue for regnum Tuunij and for panem nostrum. Be not deceived to think otherwise. And hear you,

Zech.4.10. you are to begin with datum, "not to despise the day of small things." It is the Prophet's coimsel, to learn to see God in

MaL22.31. them. " Caesar's image," not only in his coin of gold, but even upon the poor " penny." See God in small, or you shall never see Him in great; in " good," or never in " perfect." This for the subject. There is a cleft, all are not of one sort; some less, some greater: greater or less, both are given. Not less had, and great given, but given both. And every one of both kinds, of the one kind as well as of the other. 2. We have talked long of " good:" " Who will shew us any

dicatum, good?" there be many that will say, nay there is not any but

1. Whence ^j|| ^^ rpj^^^ ^^ll g^^ James here. And first, to shew us,

Desurium. tums our eye to the right place, whence it comes. That is ®* ' * avcoOev "from above." There are two in this avcoffev: — 1. 0€p "from," 2. and ava>, "above." " From," that is, from somewhere else, not from ourselves; from without, and not out of us, from within. Aliunde^ ^^coOeVy and that aliunde is from avco " above," not from Karco, those lower parts upon the earth.

The third Err not then, either of these two ways: 1. First, not to

errors. reflect upon ourselves, to look like swans into our own bosoms.

Eph. 2. 8. It grows not there, out of yourselves, " it is the gift of God," saith St. Paul. The very giving gives as much. Of our own we have it not.

2. If we look forth, let it not be about us, either on the right hand, or on the left, or any place here below. Look up, turn your eye thither. It is an influence, it is no vapour; an inspiration, no exaltation ; thence it comes, hence it rises

Jas. 4. 5. not: our " spirit lusts after envy," and worse matter. " Why

of the Holy Ghost. 369

should thoughts arise in your hearts," saith Christ? If they "arise," they are "not good;" if they be "good," then they come down "from above." St. John Baptist is direct: "A man can Joh. 3. 27. receive nothing, unless it be given him, and given him from above." And, of all other, not the gift of this day; the Dove, the tongues, came from on high both. From ourselves, is one error; from any other beneath here, is another. Err not then, the place is desursum, without and above us.

Next, the manner how, that it descends; for even that word 2. How wants not his force. Descending is a voluntary motion; '\t Dcscmconcludes the will and the purpose of him that so descends. ^^^^' It is no casualty, it falls not down by chance; it comes down, because it so will. A will it hath, et ubi vult spirat, "it blows joh. 3. 8. not, but where it will;" and it distributes to eveiy one the Spirit, but prout vult, " as it pleaseth Himself," not otherwise.

And this you may observe; the Scripture maketh choice ever of words sounding this way. He gives it, He casts it not about, at all adventure. He opens His hand, it runs not through His fingers. Sinum habet Jacilem, nan perforatum, * His bosom is open enough, yet hath no hole in it,' to drop through against His will. He "sent His Word," it came not Acts 10:36. by hap, that is, Christ. And, " I will send you another Com- John 14:16. forter," that is, "the Holy Ghost." Nor He neither. " Of j^^ ^ ^g His own will He begat us" — they be the words that follow.

It is the fifth error, to ascribe to fortune either datum or The fifth donum. Err not then: as the place is from above, so the ^"^'"• manner, descendens, not decidens; they come, they are not let fall.

Whence, we see, and how; now, from whom. The Party, j^ j^^ in a word, is God. He had said as much before, verse the whom. fifth, " If any lack wisdom, let him ask it of God:" how luminum. comes He here to use this somewhat unusual term, "the Father ^^^ ff^*'

of lights?" It had been, to our thinking, more proper to have lights."

said, from God the Author of all good things. No, there is

reason for it. For say, they are, they came down from above:

when we cast up our eyes thither, we can see no farther, our

sight can reach no higher than the lights, than the lights

there above. And so, some you have that hold they come

from them, de luminibus, *from the lights;' that such a

870 Of the

8 E R M. conjunction or aspect of theniy such a oonstellationy or horo-

— — -^ — scope, such a position of such and such planets, produce very

much good. This is in astrology, but not in theology. M^

wander not after the wandering stars; de tuminibus is not it,

de Poire luminum is the right. So, ^^ the Father of lights^

was purposely chosen, to draw us from the '^ lights." That

not they, they are not, — not the children ; " the Father,** He it

is, from Whom they come, the "lights." No, them He made

Heb. 1. 14. to do service. Nay, the " Angels" above them. He made to

The sixth be "ministering spirits" for our good. Be not deceived witli

^"^'' this neither; to lift up our eyes to the host of Heaven, and

no frirther ; but beyond them to " the Father" of them aU,

and then you are where you should be.

This may be one reason. But further if you ask, why not rather of all good, as He began; why is He gone from that term, to this of light? The answer is easy. If we speak of Genesis 1:3^. gifts, light it is princeps donarum Deiy the first gift God bestowed upon the world, and so will fit well. If of " good," the first thing of which it is said, vidit Deua quod bona^ was " light;" and so, fit that way too. If you speak of "perfect," so perfect it is as it is desired for itself, we take comfort in seeing it, we delight to see it, though we see nothing by it, Ecclesiastes 11:7. nothing but the light itself — observed by Solomon.

And for " good:" such is the nearness of affinity, such, I may say, the connaturality between " light" and " good," as they would not be one without the other. All that good is, Joh. 3. 21. loves the light, would "come to the light," would be "made * manifest," desires no "bushel" to hideit,but"a candlestick" to shew it forth to all the world. That they might be searched with lanterns; to have the secrets, the hidden comers of their hearts looked into, that " the Father of lights" would grant

For "perfect:" so "perfect" a thing is the light, as God [iJoh.1.5.] Himself is said to be "light." His Son our Saviour, to be oh. 1.9. light of lights, "the true light that lighteneth every one that Cometh into the world." His Spirit, " light" — so is our collect: " God Which as upon this day hast taught the hearts of Thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of Thy Holy Spirit." The Angels that be good, be " Angels of light."

of the Hohf Qhost. 371

Yea, whatsoever here on earth is perfect; the King is called 2 Sam. 21. " the light of Israel;" the Apostles called, luces mundi; and ^^ 5. 14, the Saints of Grod, wherever they be in the world, shine as lights in it. That upon the matter, Father of good, and ** Father of light," is all one.

Pater himmis would have served, if we respect but this, but Why Umithe nature. What say you to the number? it is luminum: luminU. why, of lights in the plural? that is, to give light to what, we said before, of the divers degrees of the givings, and of the gifts of God. In the firmament, there is one light of the sun, another of the moon, and yet another of the stars; and in the stars, "one differeth firom another in glorv." "Good" l Cor. 16. every one, though not " so perfect," one as another. He That made the bright sun in all his glory. He made the dimmest star; all alike from Him, He alike the Father of all.

Besides, He sets them down in the plural, "lights," for that the opposite, tenebra, is a plural word, and indeed hath no singular, for there are many, and so need many "lights" to match them. There is the senses' outward darkness, there is the darkness of the inward man; both the darkness of the understanding by ignorance and error, and the "darkness" of i Joh.2. 9. the will and heart by hatred and malice. There is the darkness of adversity in this world, the hither darkness — ^there is some little light in it; and there is "the blackness of dark- jude 18. ness," the utter darkness of the world to come — no manner light at all. Nothing to be seen, but to be heard; nor to be heard, but "weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth." Mat. 8. 12.

To match these so many darknesses, there behoved to be as many "lights;" and so Pater luminum comes in, not luminis. As to match the many miseries of our nature, there were as many mercies requisi^; and so He, Pater misericordiarumf 2 Cor. 1. 3. not misericorduffj with the Apostle; of many, not of one alone. We need the number as well as the thing; to have a multitude, aplurality of mercies, to have "plenteous redemption," Ps. 18O. 7. to have x^P^^ iroXviroUiXoVj "great variety of grace," and iPet.4.lO. that "over-abundant grace," that we might rest assured ixim.i.u. there is enough and enough, in "the Father of lights," to master and to overmatch any darkness of the prince of darkness, what or how many soever.

Shall I shew you these lights? Not the visible, of the sun,

372 Of the Sending

S E R M. moon, and stars, or fire or candle; I pass diem. Besides

YTV

— ttli — them there are two in us; 1. the light of natmre, for rebelling against which, all that are without Christ sufier condemnation.

Prov. 20. Solomon calls it "the candle of the Lord searching even the very bowels," which though it be dim and not perfect, yet

[2 Sam. 4. good it is; though lame, yet, as Mephibosheth, it is regia ^ prolesy 'of the blood royal.' 2. There is the light of Gtod's

105. " * lantern to his feet." Nay, in the nineteenth Psalm what

he saith at the fourth verse of the "sun," at the eighth he saith the same of "the Law of God" — lights both. 3. The

2Pet.l.i9. light of prophecy, as of a " candle that shineth in a dark

1 Pet. 2.0. place." 4. There is the "wonderful light" of His Gospel, so

St. Peter calls it, the proper light of this day. The tongues that descended — so many "tongues," so many "lights;" for the tongue is alight, and brings to light what was before hid in the heart. 5. And from these other is the inward light of

2 Cor. 4. 6. grace, whereby " God, Which commanded the light to shine

out of darkness," He it is "That shineth in our hearts ;" by the

inward anointing, which is the oil of this lamp, the light of

His Holy Spirit, chasing away the darknessboth of our hearts

and minds. 6. There is the light of comfort of His.Holy

[Ps. 97. Spirit, " a light sown for the righteous" here in this life. And

**'^ 7. there is the light of glory which they shall reap, the light

where God dwelleth, and where we shall dwell with Him ;

Colossians 1:12. even the "inheritance of the Saints in light," when the

Mat.13.48. righteous shall shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their

Ex. 25. 32. Father, " the Father of lights." Moses' candlestick with seven

stalks and lights in each of them. Of all which seven "lights"

God is "the Father," acknowledges them all for His children,

and to His children will vouchsafe them all in their order.

3. Why Now this only remaineth, why He is not called the Author,

A^'th ' ^°* ^^* *^® Father of these? In this is the manner of their

descending. And that is, for that they proceed from Him

per modum natures, as the child from the father; per modum

emanationisy as the beams from the sun. So both " Father" and

"light" shew the manner of their coming. Proper and natural

for Him it is, to give good. Good things come from Him

as kindly, as do they : therefore said to be, not the Author,

the Lord and Giver, but even the very Father of them. It is

of the Holy Ohost. 373

aught but good; His very loins. His bowels are all goodness.

Father of darkness He cannot be, being "Father of lights," nor

of aught that is evil. For they two, dark and evil, are as

near of kin as light and good. This is the message, saith

St. John, that we heard of Him, and that we declare to you,

that "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.'* i Joh. i. 5.

Neither in Him, nor from Him; nemo dicaiy let never any say.

it, let it never sink into you; " tempted" He is not " with evil," Jas, 1. 13.

"tempt He doth not to evil." Ascribe it not to Pater himinum^

but to princeps tenebrarum; to "the prince of darkness," not Eph.6. 12.

to "the Father of lights." But ascribe all "good," from the

smallest spark to the greatest beam, from the least " good

giving" to the best and most perfect gift of all, to Him, to

" the Father of lights." So we see 1. why "light," 2. why i Joh. i.ft,

" lights," 3. why " the Father of lights." So much for the

predicate and whole proposition.

And all this may be, and yet all this being, it seems, some U. reply may be made, and stand with the Apostle's term of ^^® **®°*' ** lights" well enough. That what befalls the " lights," the seventh children, may also befall "the Father" of them. The great ®™'* and most perfect light in this world, is the sun in the firma- '

ment; and two things evidently befall him, the two in the text. ZTa/)aXXa7^i/, "variation," he admits, declines and goes down, and leaves us in the dark; — that is his parallax, in his motion from east to west. And turning he admits, turns back, goes from us, and leaves us to long winter nights; — that is his rpoTTTfj in his motion from north to south. One of these he doth every day; the other, every year. Successively removing from one hemisphere to the other; when it is light there, it is dark here. Successively turning from one tropic to another; when the days be long there, they be short here. And if we shall say any thing of the shadow here, that way we lose him too in part, by interposing of the clouds, when the day is overcast. So the night is his parallax, the winter his rpoirifj dark weather his shadow at least. Shadows do but take him away in part — that is not good. But darkness takes him away clean — that is perfectly evil.

874 Of the Sending

S E R M. turn;* and, as darkness and light sucoessively from them. X^^* That it may fare with Him as with the heathen Jnpiter; who had, say they, in his entry, two great yats, both fall, one of good, the other of evil; and that he served them out into the world, both of the good and of the evil, as he saw cause; but commonly for one of good, two of eyil at least.

It was more than requisite he should clear this objection. So doth he, denieth both — all three if you will. That though

Job 14. 2. of man it be truly said by Job, " he never continues in one stay;** though the lights of Heaven have their parallaxes;

Job 4. 18. yea, '^ the Angels of Heaven, he found not steadfastness in them;"' yet, for God, He is subject to none of them. He is

Ex. 8. 14. £g^ ^^ Q^f ^^ , ^^^ jg^ saith Malachi, Ego Deus, et mm

Mai. 8. 6. muior. We are not what we were a while since, nor what we shall be; a while after, scarce what we are; for every moment makes us vary. With God, it is nothing so. "He is that He is. He is and changeth not." He changes not His tenor. He changes not His tense; keeps not our grammar rules, hath one by Himself; not, Before Abraham was, I

Job. 8. 58. ^as. ][jut, " Before Abraham was, I am."

Yet are there "varyings and changes," it cannot be denied. We see them daily. True, but the point is per quern, on whom to lay them. Not on God, Seems there any recess?

Jer. 2. 17. It is we forsake Him, not He us. It is the ship that moves, though they that be in it think the land goes from them, not they from it. Seems there any variation, as that of the night? It is umbra terra makes it, the light makes it not. Is there any thing resembling a shadow? A vapour rises from us, makes the cloud; which is as a penthouse between, and takes Him from our sight. That vapour is our lust, there is the apud quern. Is any tempted? It is his own lust doth it; that entices him to sin, that brings us to the shadow of death. It is not God. No more than He can be tempted, no more can He tempt any. If we find any change, the apud is with

Ps. 39. 6. us, not Him; we change, He is unchanged. " Man walks in a vain shadow;" His ways are the truth. He cannot deny Himself.

Every evil, the more perfectly evil it is, the more it is from below ; either rises from the steam of our nature corrupted,

of the Holy Ohost. 375

or yet lower, ascends as a gross smoke, from the bottomless pit, from the prince of darkness, as fiill of varying and turning into all shapes and shadows, as God is far from both. Who is uniform and constant in all His courses.

Shall we now cast up all into one sum, the errors by them*, [*themand the verities by themselves, and oppose each to each? ®®^®®'- The first error: to be all for having — never speak of it. The verity: that all is giving, or gifts — to be for it. The second error: to think great matters only are given, the meaner we have of ourselves. The verity: "perfect" as well as "good," and " good" as " perfect," they be given both. The third error: to think they are from us, not elsewhere from others. The verity: they are i^foOeVy they grow not in us, we spin them not out of ourselves. The fourth error: they be from below, we gather them here. The verity: they be from av(Oy that is " above," not here beneath. The fifth error: to think that from thence they fall promiscue, catch who catch may, haphazard. The verity: they fall not by chance, they descend by providence, and that regularly. The sixth error: they descend then from the stars or planets. TJie verity: not from ihem or either of them, but from the Father of them. The seventh and last error: to think that by turns He sends one while good, other while bad, and so varies and changes. The verity: He doth neither. The " lights" may vary. He is invariable; they may change. He is unchangeable, constant always, and like Himself. Now our lessons from these.

1. And is it thus? And are they given? Then, quid The dntj, ghriaris f let us have no boasting. Are they given, why [i Cor. 4, forget you the Giver ? Let Him be had in memory. He is worthy so to be had. 2. Be the giving as well as the "gift," and the " good" as the " perfect," of gift, both ? Then acknowledge it in both ; take the one as a pledge, make the one as a step to the other. 3. Are they from somewhere else, not from ourselves ? Learn then to say, and to say with feeling, rum Ps. lis. i, nobis DcminBy quia nan a nobis, 4. Are they from on high ? Look not down to the gpround then, as swine to the acorns they find lying there, and never once up to the tree they came from. Look up ; the very frame of our body gives that way. It is nature's check to us, to have our head bear upward, and oiur heart grovel below. 5. Do they descend ?

370 Of the Sending of the Holy Ghost

s £ R M. Ascribe them then to purpose^ not to time or chance. No

i8artt5~n ^^'® " *^ fortune," saith the Prophet. 6. Are they from the

IVulg.] " Father of lights?" then never go to the children, a Hgnis

Rom. 11 . any light of them all." 7. Are His " gifts vdthout repentance?"

Joii. 13. 1. Varies He not? Whom He loves doth " He love to the end?"

Let our service be so too, not wavering. O that we changed

from Him no more than He from us! Not from the light of

grace to the shadow of sin, as we do full ofi;en.

. But above all, that which is ex totd substantid^ that if we

find any want of any giving or gift, good or perfect, this text

gives us light, whither to look, to Whom to repair for them;

luminum cum primo lumine; ^Let the light every day, so soon

as we see it, put us in mind to get us to the Father of lights.^

Ascendat oratio, descendet miseratio, ' let our prayer go up to

Him that His grace may come down to us,* so to lighten us

in our ways and works that we may in the end come to dwell

with Him, in the light which is ^wy dpiairepov, 'light whereof

there is no even-tide,' the sun whereof never sets, nor knows

tropic — ^the only thing. we miss, and wish for in our lights

here, primum et ante omnia.

But if we sue for any, chiefly for the best, the most perfect

gift of all, which this day descended and was given. This

day was, and any day may be, but chiefly this day will be

Lu. 11. 13. given to any that will desire, as our Saviour promiseth, and

will be as good as His word. Jas. 4. 5. Within us there is no spirit but our own, and that " lusts after envy," and other things as bad; from beneath it cannot be had. It is donum cceleste: Simon, if he would give never so largely for it, cannot obtain it. It descended ad oculum this day; it was seen to descend, and so will.

Which descents from on high, from the " Father of lights," there in the tongues of light, light on us, to give us knowledge, a gift proportioned to light, and to give us comfort, a gift proportioned to light; by faith to lighten, by grace to stablish our hearts!

A SERMON

PREPARED TO BE

PREACHED ON WHIT-SUNDAY,

AJ). MDCZZU.

Now there a/re diversities of gifts ^ hut the same Spirit, 0, ^^

Which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

Et divisiones ministrationum sunt, idem autem Dominm,

Et divisiones operationum sunt, idem vero Deus, Qui operatur omnia

Vulg.]

\Now there are diversities of gifts, hut the same Spirit,

And there are differences of administrations, hut the same Lord,

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God Which

worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit

withal, Engl. Trans.]

A TEXT read at this feast, of the Church's own choice, who I will ever presume best knoweth what text will best fit every feast; and so this. It begins, you see, and it ends in ^^the* Spirit," Whose proper feast this is. " The Spirit" is in the first verse, and again ^Hhe Spirit" is in the last; first and last here we find Him.

S E B M. And if we will look well into it, we shall in effect find

— ^^ — that which happened this daj, though in other terms. Here have you in this text ^^gifts,^ as it might be the tongues, which

, came from Heaven this day ; for what were those tongues but

" gifts?" And here have you again " divisions," as it might be clefts, in the tongues; for what is to cleave, but to divide? And if you lack fire, here have you in the last verse "manifestation," which is by light. For the use of light is to make manifest. So have you the Holy Ghost "in cloven tongues of fire," in some more general terms: the "gifts," the tongues; the "division," the cleft; the "manifestation," the fire. Those gifts, first divided, then made manifest, and that by the Spirit, amounting to the substance of the feast; that there can be no question but the text suits to the time, fully.

The gam. The use we have of the whole text is, that in all humble thankfulness we are to acknowledge the great goodness of the whole Deity entire, and of every Person in it; so seriously taking to heart the Church's, that is all our good, as we see they do in a sort meet here, and assemble Themselves, all Three, each for His part to contribute; one, gifts; another, callings; a third, works. And then commit over " the manifestation" of all to the Spirit, ad utilitatem, " to the profit," that is, to the general good of the Church, in whose good is the good of us all.

Now albeit, to authorize and to countenance the feast the more, the whole three Persons do here present Themselves in a joint concurrence to this work of distribution; yet you see the Holy Ghost hath here a double part, and in that respect a prerogative above the other Twain. For the Spirit is in, at both. In, at the division; and so are the rest. And again, in at "the manifestation;" — so are none of the rest. But He there, and He alone. For the tongues are His, and they are to manifest; so to Him alone we owe the manifesting. So His, and so His the honour of the day, which is/estum linguarum, * the feast of tongues,' or if you will so call it, the feast of manifestation. In very deed, the Holy Ghost's Epiphany; allowing, as Christ one, so Him another.

The sum of all is, that Christ's errand being done, and He gone up on high, the Spirit this day visibly came dovm, for Him and in His name and stead, to take the charge, and to

of As Hoty Qkost. 379

establish an order in the Church; which order or establishment is here set down. And think not it holds in the Church alone, but that in it is represented unto us a true pattern or mould of every other well-composed government. For happy is the government where the Holy Ghost bestoweth the gifts, Christ appoints the places, and God effecteth the work, works all in all.

And as rectum is index std et obUquiy * a straight rule will discover as well what is crooked as what is straight,' both; so under one have we here, as the lively image of a wellordered society, (for the preserving of these three aright makes all well,) so withal the manifold obliquities and exorbitances in the Church, in the commonwealth everywhere; which arise from the errors about these three: 1. the gifts not regarded, 2. the places not well filled, 3. the works not workman-like performed. The not looking to of which three hath brought, and is like more and more to bring, all out of course.

The text, if ever any, is truly tripartite, as standing evi- The didently of three parts, every one of the three being a kind ^^^^ of trinity. A trinity, 1. personal, 2. real, and 3. actual.

I. Personal, these three: 1. "the same Spirit," 2. "the same L Lord," 3. "the same God." II. Real, these three: 1. "gifts," n. 2. " administrations," or offices, 3. " operations," or works. III. Actual, these three: 1. dividing, 2. manifesting, 3. and ni. profiting. Three divisions from three, for three. The three real, they be the ground of all; the 1. gift, 2. offices, and 3. works. The three personal, 1. " the Spirit," 2. "Lord>" and 3. " God," are but firom whence those come. The three actual are but whither they will: 1. divided; 2. so divided, as made manifest; 3. so made manifest, as not only 1. to make a show, but irpo^ to some end; 2. that end to be, not avfj^opet^ *the hurt or trouble,' but avii<f>ipoVy * the good;' 3. the good, not private, of ourselves, but common, of all the whole body of the Church.

First, and before all things, we find here, and finding we i. adore the holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity; the Spirit in ^^.^ plain terms, the other Two in no less plain, if we look to but personal. the sixth verse of the eighth chapter before, where the Apostle saith, "To us there is but one God, the Father, of Whom aire

380 Of the Sending

8K BH. all things, and we of Him ; and one Lord Jesus Christy bj m _?!: — Whom are all things, and we by Him/' So by " God" is Ibi intended the Father, the first Person ; by " Lord'' the Son, Ik the second; by ^^the Spirit^ the third, the usual term or tide I a of the Holy Ghost, all the Bible through. These three asin lii Trinity of persons here distinct, so in Unity of essence one || and the same. For though to each of these Three there is allowed a " the same ;"' yet come to the Deity, and they are not three " the sames" but one the — " the same ;*' one and the same Godhead, to be blessed for ever.

1. Once before, are these Three known thus solemnly to have met ; at the creating of the world. 2. Once again, at the Baptism of Christ, the new creating it. 3. And here now the third time, at the Baptism of the Church with the Holy Ghost. Where, as the manner is at all baptisms, each bestoweth a several gift or largess on the party baptized, that is, on the Church ; for whom and for whose good all this dividing and all this manifesting is. Nay, for whom and for whose good the world itself was created, Christ Himself baptized, and the Holy Ghost this day visibly sent down.

The Trinity personal I deal with first, that we may know where and fi*om whom all the rest issue and proceed. All errors are tolerable save two, about Alpha, the first letter, and Omega, the last, about pHmum pnncipium, and ultimus finis; *" the first beginning,' whence all flow, and * the last end,' whereto all tend. We err against the first when we derive things amiss; we err against the second when we refer them amiss: divide them right, and refer them right, and all is right. And the right dividing is, as here, to bring all firom the blessed Trinity.

From this Trinity personal comes there here another, as I may call it, a trinity real, of 1. "Gifts," 2." Administrations," and 3. " Operations." I will tell you what is meant by each. 1. By "Gifts" is meant the inward endowing, enabling, qualifying, whereby one, for his skill, is meet and sufficient for aught. A particular whereof to the number of nine is set down at the eighth, ninth, and tenth verses after. 2. By "Administrations" is meant the outward calling, place, ftinction, or office, whereby one is authorized lawfully to deal with aught. Of these likewise you have a list to the number of

^ight, at the twenty-eighth verse after. 3. By " Operations'' i is meant the effect o^ work done, wrought, or executed by ■ the former two, the skill of the gift and the power of the r calling; but these are infinite works, no setting down of I diem, only so to be ranged as every calling to know his own K proper work, and so to deal with it.

9 So have youthree quotients from three divisors. 1. "Gifts,'*

J 2. Offices, 3. Works, from the 1. Father, 2. Son, and

J 3. Holy Ghost, referendo singula singulis. 1. "Gifts" — ^they

from "the Spirit;" 2. Offices'— they from Christ "thePpr/'ad- Y Lord;" 3. Works— they from " God the Father." The S^* L Spirit, He gives wherewith; Christ, He appoints wherein; l'^"opofe the Father, He works whereabout. The Spirit gives all to t all; Christ, He appoints all for all; God the Father works all in all.

You are not hre to think these three so limited as that all and every of them, every of the Three, come not from all and every Person of the Trinity. They come, all from all. Our rule is, the works of the Trinity, all save those that reflect upon and between Themselves inwardly, all outward, to any without them are never divided. What one doeth, all do.

To make it plain in these. " Gifts" are here ascribed to the "Spirit;" but St. James saith, "Every one of them comes Jaa. i, 17, from above, from the Father;" and St. Paul, he saith, " Christ, when He ascended up on high. He gave gifts unto Eph. 4. 8. men." So the " gifts" come from the other two Persons, no less than from " the Spirit." Offices are here assigned unto "the Lord," that is, Christ; yet, by and by, at the twentyeighth verse, it is said of God the Father that He ordained Apostles, and so goes on there with other officesof the Church. And in Acts the twentieth chapter and twenty-eighth verse, of the HolyGhost itis said,^oMi<t?o J5pi*copo, that "He placed them Bishops;" and they are chief offices. So that offices are from the other Two, as well as from Christ. Works, they are here appropriate to God, that is the Father; yet in John the fifth, with one breath Christ saith, " My Father worketh Joh. 6. 17. hitherto, and so do I work as well as He;"and in this chapter, straight after, at the eleventh verse following, thus we read, " All these things worketh one and the same Spirit." So works, as they are from the Father, so are they from the

982 Of ih Sending

8 E R H. Other Two. And ao all and ererv of the Three Persons

t-i — equally interested, in all and every of the three.

How is it then? How come they thus to be sorted? Sure, rather in a kind of apt congruity than otherwise; only in a fit and convenient reference to the peculiar, and, if I may so call it, the personal attributes, which most properly suits with each Person whence they flow, as thus. The Spirit is the essential love of the Father and the Son. Love then is His personal property, and love is bounteous; and from bounty come "gifts." So the "gifts," they from the Spirit. Christ, He is the essential " Wisdom" of the Father; and sapientit nt ordinare — ^that is wisdom's office, saith the philosopher. So the ordering of places or offices falls to Him. God, we call Him the Father, Almighty, which sheweth might or power is His proper attribute, and power it is that workedi; so the work is His peculiar. And thus 4some they, thus sorted. And so well we may repair to each severally for his several, yet with no exclusive to the rest; but to all for all jointly, for all that. This needs not trouble any.

No more needs their order in standing — ^the Holy Ghost first, and the Father last — otherwise than in Baptism or in the Doxology. The works appropriate to the Father, though they be in execution last, yet are they in intention first. It is, [Mat. 19. as in a solemn train, novissimi primiy "the last go first," and primi novissimi, " the first come last;" and yet are first in order, though last in place. It is sure, the work is the end of both the rest, and of all. Unumquodque propter operationem suam; ' Every thing, be it what it will, gift or place, is and hath his being for the work it hath to do.' So the work is the chief of the three, and He the chief Whose the work is, let His standing be where it will. n. To the doing whereof there be required three things. And

^r^. where there be more than one required, our books teach

real. us, ever to consider them, first conjunctiniy * jointly altogether;' then seriatim^ 'each in order' as they stand; and lastly, seorsifHy every one ^ asunder' by itself. I. Jointly then. To the doing of aught there is requisite,

jointly."^ 1. ability of the party, 2. authority for the party, 3. and diligence in the party. 1. Meet and sufficient men; 2. they, orderly called and placed; 3. diligent and painfiil at their

of the Holy Okoit. 883

business. To supply these here are 1. a gift wherewith,

2. a place wherein, 3. a work whereabout to employ both ; and none to take on him the work except first in a calling, nor to take on him a calling except he first have a gift meet for it. The Spirit is free of His gifts, by which ability ; Christ He invites us to some calling, wherein authority; God He calls upon us to be at work, wherein diligence is to be shewed.

Our duty it shall be to come, to be at these three doles or divisions, to have our share in them. Out of the first; 1. every one to get himself fmmished with some gift. 2. Out of the second; to see himself bestowed in some calling.

3. Out of the third ; having both these to apply himself to some work ; and namely, that work that belongs to his calling. In a word, every one to find himself with a gift, in a calling, about a work. Not having the gift, not to affect to enter the calling; nor having the calling, not to venture upon the work.

By all means we are to avoid to frustrate this meeting of the trinity. To do them this honour, to think all th^ three absolutely needftd, and not any of the three more than needs. The wisdom of God, as it is never wanting in any thing thfi,t needs, so neither is it lavish in any thing more than needs. And indeed^ to hold any of the three superfluous, is in effect to call in question, whether some Person in the Trinity be pot superfluous; namely, that Person Whose division we seem to set so light by. All three then are to be had, we cannot miss any of them. If we miss the gift, all will be done imskilftilly; if the calling, all disorderly; if the work, all unprofitably, and to no purpose. Then, not to leave out, or to leap over the gift — ^that is a contempt of the Spirit; nor the calling — ^that is a trespass against Christ; nor the work — that is an affiront to God Himself. So much for conjunctim: now for seriatim.

All to be had, and in this order to be had, as here they 2. stand marshalled. The gift first; then the calling, to audior- geriaUm, ize; then the work, to make up all. But the gift before the ' ^ ^f^ calling,and the calling ofterthe gift; the gift and ealHngbotfa, before we be allowed to take any work in hand. The number not abated, the order not inverted. Neither the

884 Of the Sending

S E R M. calling before the gift, nor the work before the calling and

^^' gift both be had. But every and each, in his order and turn.

This order kept, the Church will flourish, the commonwealth

prosper, and all the world be the better. We have done with

conjunctim and seriatim / and now we fall to seorsim^ to the

several divisions. And first, to the Spirit's, that is, the ^^ gifts,'*

and the nature of them.

^* The word is xa/o/cr/Aara. It is a word of the Christian style;

severally, jou shall not read it in any heathen author. We turn it,

The than a gift. But first, a gift it is. It is not enough with us

r^Stot. Christians, that a thing be had; with the heathen man it is,

Eth.d. 5.] he cares for no more, he calls it $^^. Sure he is he hath it,

and that is all he looks after. The Christian adds further, how

he hath it; hath it not of himself, spins not his thread as the

spider doth, out of himself, but hath it of another, and hath it

of gift. It is given him. Unicuique datur^ it is the eleventh

verse. " To every one is given." So instead of Aristotle's

Jas. 1. 17. word, If^^, habit, he puts St. James' word, Socr^^, or Sa^fyrffia — it

is " a gift" with him. Free gifts. And how a gift? Not, do ut des; give him as good a thing for it, and so was well worthy of it. No, but of free gift. And so to St. James' word Bayprffia^ which is no more but a gift, he adds St. Paul's here, 'xap^^a-fiay wherein there is xa/)ty, that is," grace," and so a grace-gift, or gift of grace. This word the pride of our nature digests not well, <f>v<Tvs and if>vaUoavs touch near, nature is easily puffed or blown up; but %apt<r/ia hath a prick in it for the bladder of our pride, as if either of ourselves we had it and received it not, or received it but Mat. 10.8. it was because we earned it. No, it is gratis accepistis on our part, and gratis data on His; freely given of Him, freely received by us; and that is 'XpLpiafia right. Given by Freely given by Him; who is that? " The Spirit." The natural man feels he hath a soul, and that is all the spirit he takes notice of, and is therefore called animalis homo^ that is, Jude 19. nothing but soul; — that is all his spirit. The Christian takes notice of another Spirit That is not his own, that is, Grod's Spirit, the Holy Ghost; and that he is beholden to Him, Who is " one and the same Spirit." Else, so many men, so many spirits. But this is but " one and the same Spirit."

Which " one and the same Spirit" makes also against i Cor. 12. Paganism, For they had nine muses and three graces, and I wot not how many gods and goddesses besides. We go but to one. All ours come from one, from "the same Spirit." All our multitude is from unity. All our diversity is from identity. All our divisions from integrity; from " one and the same" entire "Spirit." A free gift, from the free Spirit; a gift of grace from the Spirit of grace. So from God, not from ourselves; for Christ, not for ourselves; by the Spirit, not by either our nature or industry — not alone. For without the Spirit, all our nature and industry will vanish, and nought come of them.

Thus it stands. The heathen man thanks his own wit and study for his learning, and we seclude them not; but this we say, when all is done with all our parts natural, and all our acts habitual, if the Holy Ghost come not with His graces spiritual, no goodwill come of them. Therefore, we to seek after spiritual gifts, and ^rjXovaOai, — it is the Apostle's word — "zealously to seek them." For though the Spirit give, yet iCor.u.i. we must sue and pray for them. Zachary makes but one Zech. 12. " Spirit" of these two, 1. "grace, and 2. "prayer." " Prayer," ^^• as the breathing out: "grace," as the drawing in; both make but one breathing. To pray then, and more than to pray, " to stir them up;" the word is dval^coirvpelvy " to blow them" [2 Tim. l. and make them bum, as is used to be done to fire; and as ^'^ is to be done to the fiery tongues of this day: else you will have but a blaze of them; and all else, but cinders, cold and comfortless gear, God knows. But so all are to be suitors, and to labour to have a part in this dealing.

From the Spirit then they come, but by way of division. By way of Not so, as some, all; some, never a whit, but by way of divi- ^^^on. sion. The nature whereof is, neither all gifts to one, nor one gift to all; but, as it follows, e^ao-ro), unicuique^ "to each" l Cor. 12. 7. some: neither donum hominibus, ' one gift to all men;' nor do7ia homini, 'all gifts to one man;' but dona hominibus, "gifts [Ps.68.l8.] to men;" every one his part of the dividend, for such is the law of dividing.

Which division is of two sorts: 1 . either of the thing itself 1. In kind. in kind, 2. or of the measure. 1. The kind: which the Apostle speaks of in the seventh chapter, and seventh verse, [icor.7.7.3 " To every one is given his special and proper gift;" to one in

386 Of the Sending

s E R M. this kind, to another in that. Grod so tempering, as the

^^' natural body, that in it the eye should not have the gift to

go but to see, and the foot not to see but to go ; and as the great body of the world — in it, Hiram's country should

I Kings 0. yield excellent timber and stone, and Solomon's country good wheat and oil, which is the ground of all commerce: so the spiritual body; that in it Paul should be deep learned, ApoUos should be of better speech — one need another, one supjJy the need of another, one's abundance the other's want.

3' in But division is not of the kind only, but of the measure

also. Divers measures there be in one and the same kind.

Eph. 4. 7. Every one, saith the Apostle, "according," not to the gift, but '^to the measure of the gift of Christ." For to some gave He

Mat25. 15. "talents," saith St. Matthew; to some but "pounds," saith * St. Luke: — great odds. And of either, **to one gave He five, to another three, to a third but one;" in a different degree sensibly. To each, his portion in a proportion: his homer, the Law calls it; the Gk)spel, his dimenswn. And remember this well. For not only the kind will come to be considered, but the measure too, when we come to see who be in, and who be out, at the Spirit's division. And so much for the Spirit.

2. The If ^e have done with the gifts, we come to the places: for

ailing. where the Spirit ends, Christ begins. So as, if no gift, stay

here and go no further; never meddle with the calling or work. But what, if we have a gift, may we not fall to work straight? No, but a calling is first to be had, ere we put forth Heb. 5. 4. our hand to it. Which nemo sibi sumit, nisi qui vocatue, ** no man, to take on him, unless he be called." Though a gift then, though a good gift, not eo ipso to think himself sufficiently warranted to fall a-working. There goes more to it than so. We must pass Christ's hands too, and not leap over His head. For after the Holy Ghost hath done with us, Christ will appoint to every one of us his calling. Which are Of which division the ground is, that every man is not, prder. hand over head, confiisedly to meddle with every matter; but 1 Cor. U. oil ig iQ \yQ done Kara rd^iVy " orderly." Each to know his own. The very word "division" implieth order. Where we read "divisions," some read "diversities." But it is not so well that. Things that are diverse may lie together confiisedly on

of the Holy Qho$t. 387

heaps, but each must be sorted to his several rank and place, else are they not divided. So as " division" is the better reading; and "division" is for order.

And order is a thing so highly pleasing to God, as the three Persons in Trinity, we see, have put themselves in order, to shew how well they love it. And order is a thing so nearly concerning us, as break order once, and break both your "staves," saith God in Zachary; both that of "beauty," Zech.ll.7. and that of "bands." The " staff of beauty;" for no ewrxrffjLoavvfjy no manner of * decency or comeliness* without it, but all out of fashion. The "staff of bands;" for no GTepktoiia^ no kind of ^ steadiness or constancy," but all loose without it. All falls back to the first tohuy and bohu. For all is tohUy " empty and void," if the Spirit fill not with His Gen. 1. 8. gifts; and all Y&bohu^ "a disordered rude chaos of confusion," ^"^^^ ^^ if Christ order it not by His places and callings. Every body falls to be doing with every thing, and so nothing done; nothing well done, I am sure. Every man therefore, whatever his gift be, to stay till he have his place and standing by Christ assigned him. It is judged needfdl, this, even in secular matters. Write one never so fair a hand, if he have not the calling of a public notary, his writing is not authentical. Be one never so deep a lawyer, if he have not the place of a judge, he can give no definitive sentence. No remedy then, there must be division of places; of " administration," no less than of " gifts."

Will you know what those places be? Eight of them are What the reckoned up at the twenty-eighth verse. Not to trouble P^**^®^ ^' you with those that were erected, as needful at first, but were not to endure but for a time; those that were to endure are reduced to three, and stand together, 1. "teachers," 2. " helpers," 3. " governors." A threefold division, taught even the heathen by the light of nature, in their religion. They had them all three in their 1. 'lepo^ai/rav, their ' teachers;' 2. 'hpoSovkovs, their 'helpers;' 3. 'lepofivnfiova^, their 'governors.' The very same prescribed by God to His people: 1. their "teachers," the Priests; 2. their "helpers," the Levites; 3. their "governors," the sons of Aaron, called nesiim, as true and proper Hebrew for prelates aspnelati isCTH^^ Latin. The same is known in the Church of Christ through

388 Qfthe Sending

SEKM. all antiquity: 1. Preshyteri^ to teach; 2. Diaconi, to help; — ±1: — 3. Episcopiy to govern. And never any other.

All these three here go under the name of AiaKoviaL, the proper term of the lowest of the three. We turn it " administration" — it is indeed ministry or service, and that on foot, and through the dust; for so is the nature of the word. An ill word for pride, who had rather hear of words sounding of dominion than of service, specially this service; for it is but the order of Deaconship, and pride would be at least more than a Deacon. Yet so we are all styled here, and no other name for any. The very highest are but so. The Rom. 18 4. king himself twice made "a Deacon," God's Deacon; — no other title. The best king that was, David, is said but to have Act8l8.86. " served" his time. "Served," that was all. The glorious Deu. 4. 19. lights of Heaven are said to be created in ministeriumy but Heb. 1. 14. " for our service." The Angels of Heaven are but " ministering spirits;" nay, Christ Himself is styled no otherwise, Rom. 15. 8. but that "He was a Minister of the circumcision." He That is Lord of all, and gives all the offices, calls His own but so. Divided These places, we said before, are divided for order. Now

noTscat- ^ ^^^ further, they are divided, not scattered, or let fall; for tered. that is casual. Dividing is not so; but, as it is in the eleventh verse, prout vult, a voluntary act. He that distributes, knows what, and to whom he doth it. Places there- fore are to be divided by knowledge; not scattered or Ps 75. 6. scrambled for, by hap and hazard. The wind is to blow no man to preferment. It is the Lord That is to dispose of them.

And how to dispose or divide them? According to the former divisions of the Spirit. That these should first take place; the second depend upon those first; none taken to the second, till he have past the first. For Christ's places are for the Holy Ghost's gifts. Without inspiring with the grace, no aspiring to the place there should be. The Holy Ghost is by His gifts to point out those that should be taken into these " administrations." And where Christ placeth, so it is. For He placeth none, but whom the Holy Ghost com- John 10:7. mends. Christ is "the door;" of which door the Holy Ghost is " the porter." No man passeth through the door, but whom the porter openeth to. No man to Christ, but by and through

of the Holy Ghost, 389

the Holy Ghost; nor to the calling, but by and through the gift. They that come not that way, by the door, get in by some other back way, per pseudothyruniy 'by some false postern:' that mars all. This is the true order, Vocavit^^^'^^-^^- servos^ et talenta dedit — so is the Gospel; whom He calls, He gives talents to. If he have none given him, he came uncalled, at least by Christ — He called him not; he came unsent, at least by God — He sent him not. Though he answer, " Here I am," Christ spoke not to him. Though he came running never so fast, God sent him not. Esay asketh two questions, Quis tu hie? or Quasi quis tu hie? Quis, if Isa. 22. 16. by Christ; Quasi quis, if otherwise. And many a Quasi quisy God wot, have we among us.

What is then to be done that Christ be not neglected, and Each one His call? That every one betake himself to some calling or ^ui^]? * other. In the Ministry, all: all Ministers; Ministers, either of the Church, or of the state and commonwealth; but all Ministers. Those that are not, that dispose not themselves so to be, to be holden for superfluous creatures, for inutilia Lu. 13. 7. terrte pondera, " that cumber but the ground," and keep it barren; with whom the earth is burthened, and even groans under them. "Deaf adders" they are, at Christ's call "they Ps. 58. 4. stop their ear§," Who calls every one to a calling, to do some service some way.

To be in some calling; but withal, to have a gift meet for According that calling. But if not at the first dole, the Spirit's, not at the ^ ^^ ^^' second, Christ's; no gift there, no place here. Can any man devise to speak with more reason, than doth the Apostle in the fourteenth chapter following? "If any man be igno- iCor.l4.38. rant, let him be ignorant;" that is, hold him self for such, and not take on him the place, or work of the skilfiil. It is against God's will, if he do. " Have you refused to gain Hos. 4. 6. knowledge? then have I refiised you for being any Priest of mine." It is God Himself, in Osee the fourth. Have you not used the means? Have you misspent the time when you should have laboured for the gift? Christ hath no place for you. Whom the Spirit furnished with gifts, for them it is Christ provideth places; for them,^nd none else.

1. And yet, not every place for every gift neither ; but to In kind. have a calling proper to his gift. Proper to it for the kind.

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S £ K M. not to be missorted into a place no Ways meet; his gift liring ■ — one way, his place another. But put the right gift in the

right place. In mea- 2. Proper for the kind, and proper for the measure also; sure. £^y ^ there be measures in gifts, so there be degrees in places

to answer them. And one is not to thrust himself into a

[ i. . stretch himself beyond it," to tenter* himself fer beyond his

[> i. e. cer- scantling*. But if a mean gift, a mean calling to content

^"".P'?: him. Durus sermo. for there is none so mean in gift, that he

undervalues his gift for any place, yea even of the best worth. You may see these two, 1. the kind, and 2. the

2 Chron. degree. The kind in Uzziah : he had no calling to his work of "incense," of burning incense — ^notatall. What became of him ? You may read in his forehead. The degree

SSain.6.7. in Uzza: he had a calling, was of the tribe, went only beyond his degree, pressed to touch the Ark, which was more than a Levite might do, and was strucken dead for it by Gtod. God no less angry with him that went beyond the degree of his calling, than with Uzziah that had no kind of calling at all. None that is in therefore, to overreach or presume above his degree, but to keep him within compass.

Now the gifts be dealt and the places filled, the Spirit's gifts put into Christ's, that is, into right places. Now fall we to the third, to God's division, to set them to work. Every thing, we said, hath his being for the work it is to do. Gifts, calling, and all for the work. For if the work follow not, the gift is idle, you may cast it away; the calling is idle, you may cast it off. A vocation it might be, a vocation it is not. The gift is for the calling; the gift and calling both are for the work.

And will you observe the proceeding here of the Spirit first? The Spirit is nearest resembled to breath; spirOj whence it comes, is to breathe. Breath, you know, is in the nostrils: they be two; through and from them both, the spirit proceeds. To answer these, God the Father, Christ the Lord, are two; from them both, by way of spiration, comes the Spirit, the sacred Breath of them both

of the Holy Oliost. 391

Now then secondly, as the Father doth beget the Son, and from Them both proceeds the Holy Spirit; so the gift to beget the calling, (of right so it should,) and they both to produce the work. And as no man comes to Christ but by the Holy Ghost, so no man to the calling but by the gift. And as no man comes to the Father but by Christ, so no man to the work but by the calling.

Not to the work. The very word work, epyovy at once 3. The condeinns three, aepyov, irapepyov, irepUpyov, ^Aepyov first, a^^,,. Such as are idle-bodies, do no work at all, spend their days J- Not in vanity, consume whole years in doing just nothing. This, of works, is God's division; Who is not Himself, would not have us idle. Usqtbe operatuVy " still He works;" still He Joh. 5. 17. would have us so to do. Not as Jonas; get us "a gourd," and Jon. 4. 6. sit under it, and see what will become of Nineveh, but stir not a foot to help it. Not to lie soaking in the broth, Ezek.l i 3. as Ezekiel said of the great men in his days; the city is the cauldron, the wealth is the broth, and in the broth they lie soaking, and all is well. St. Paul calls them the loUigoes 2Cor.ii.8. of the land. His word is KarevApicriaa. The six days, and the seventh, to them both alike; holyday Christians. The poet said, ^Aepyols alkv iopra^ *every day is holyday with idle [Theocr. people.' Out of this division, out of operations, they. ^ef] '

The next sort, they will not be idle, but it were as good Not they were. They will be doing, but it is irdpepyov all they ''^^^^^' do, nothing to any purpose; from and beside it quite. Opus quo nihil opus^ some needless work; quce nihil attinety as good let alone; leaving undone, that they should and are to do, and catching at somewhat else, and mightily busying themselves about that, and all to no end. Anni eorum meditaii Ps. 00. 9. sunt sicut aranea^ saith the Psalm: very busy they be, but it is about weaving cobwebs; nobody shall wear them, orbe the warmer for them; to no profit in the world.

And as these deal with qiue nihil attinet, so the last, irepUpyoVy Not with those qua nihil adeos attinetj *that concemnotthem at all.' That will be doing, but it is with that they have nothing to do. There are divisions of works, j,nd they work out of their division; love to be busy, to be dealing with any body's work save their own. Which is lightly the busy-body's occupation, condemned by the Apostle, not in men only, but in the other a Thes. 3.

392 Of the Sending

* of both genders.

1 Pet. 4. 15. own, become, as St. Peter's word is, aWorpioeTriaKOTroij " bishops of other men's dioceses;" do no good in their own, spend their time in finding fault with others. A thing not to be endured in anybody. Take the natural body for example, wherein the spirit, blood, choler, and other humours are to keep and contain themselves, to hold every one in his own proper vessel ; as blood in the veins, choler in the gall. And if once they be out of them, the blood out of the vein makes an apostume ; the choler out of the gall makes a jaundice all over the body. Believe it, this is an evil sickness under the sun, that the division of works is not kept more strictly. They are divided according to the callings ; every work is not for every calling. For then what needs any dividing ? But as the calling is, so are the works to be ; every one to intend his own, wherein it is presumed his skill lies, and not to busy himself with others ; for that is irepiepyov. And these are the three errors about " operations."

It will not be amiss if we look yet a little further into this word. For it is ivepyrjfia, which is more than epyov. For ivepyrjfjia, is not every work; it is an ' in- wrought work.' A work wrought by us so, as in us also. And both it may be. For ivepyeia and avpipyeia take not away, one the other. So then by ourselves, as by some other beside ourselves; and

[1 Cor. 12. that is God, Who is said here to " work all in all."

" All in all." If we take it at th^ uttermost extent it will reach, then we must be well aware to sever the defect or deformity of the work from the work itself; as well we may. Moving is the work, halting is the deformity. Moving, that comes from the soul, is wrought by it; halting, the deformity, not from the soul, whence the moving comes, but that is caused by the crookedness of the leg. So is the evil of the work; the defect from us, the work from God, and that His. But, of all good, all our well-wrought works, of them, we

Joh. 15. 0. s<av not only, Sine Me nihil pot estis facer e^ *'We can do none

of the Holy Ghost. 393

of them without Him;" but further, we say with the Prophet, DominSy omnia opera nostra operatus es in nobis. In them He Isa. 26. 13. doth not only co-operate with us from without, but even from within; as I may say, in-operate them in us; ttoi&v iv v/uvt " working in you." Then, if there go another workman to Heb.i8.2i. them besides ourselves, we are not to take them wholly to ourselves. But if that other workman be God, we will allow Him for the principal workman at the least. That, upon the whole matter, if our ability be but of gift; if our calling be but a service; if our very work but evepyqfia, " a thing wrought in us;" cecidit Babylon, pride falls to the ground: these three have laid it flat.

But besides this, there are three points more in ivipyr)fia, I will touch them first. 1 . " In us" they are said to be " wrought," to shew our works should not be screwed from us; wound out of us with some wrench from without, without which nothing would come from us by our will, if we could otherwise choose: — i^epyrffiara^ihe^e properly. But ivepyrjtiara, from within; hath the principium rnotHs there, and thence; and so are natural and kindly works.

2. Next, from within; to shew they are not taken-on works, done in hypocrisy ; so the outside fair, what is within

it skills not. But that there be "truth in the inward parts," Ps. ftl. 6. that there it be wrought, and that thence it come.

3. And last, if it be an ivipytffia, it hath an energy, that is, a workmanship, such as that the gift appears in it. For energy implies it is not done utcunque, but workman-like done. Else there is an aergy, but no energy in it. And even the very word " of division" comes to as much. Dividing implies skill to hit the joint right ; for that is to divide. To cut at venture, quite beside the joint, it skills not where, through skin and bones and all ; that is to chop and mangle, and not to divide. Division hath art ever. And this for God's division, the division of works. And so now you have all three.

We have set down the order. Will you now reflect upon it a little, and see the variation of the compass, and see how these divisions are all put out of order; and who be in, and who be out at every one of them? First, whereas the gift and the calling are, and so are to be, relatives, neither without

894 0/the Sending

S £ R M. the other; there are men of no gifits to speak of that may ^^* seem to have come too late, or to have been away quite, at the first of the Spirit's dealing — ^no share they have of it; yet what do they? Fairly stride over the gifits, never care for them, and step into the calling over the gifits, and so over the Holy Ghost's head. Where they should begin vnth the gift, the first thing they begin with, is to get them a good place. Let the gift come after, if it vnll; or if it do not, it skills not greatly. They are well, they lie soaking in the broth in the mean time. This neglect of the gift, in effect, is a plain contempt of the Spirit, as if there were no great need of the Holy Ghost.

Thus it should be. As one speeds at the first division, so he should at the second. If no grace from the Spirit, no place vdth Christ. If some one, but a mean one, let his place be according. He with the two mites, not in the place of him vdth the '^five talents:'' or as one well expressed it^ not little-learned Aurelius, Bishop of great Carthage, and greatlearned St. Augustine, Bishop of little Hippo. This is a trespass sure against the first division, which respecteth not only the gifts in specie^ but in measure too. Proportion the places to the proportion of the gifts; which proportion we know is both ways broken, whether a low gift have a high place, or a rich gift be let lie in a poor place; contrary to the mind of Christ, Who would have the degree of the place as near as could be to the measure of the gift.

There should be but one God. In the text there is no

2 Cor. 4. 4. more. But here is another. The Apostle calls him " the god

of this world ;" who hath his ivepyovfiivovf, who works too ;

and his works tend to deface and damnify the Church all

he may.

Nor, there is but one Lord here, to divide places. But by

and subdivisions of them ; of whom the poor subdivided

Isa. 26. 13. places may say, with Esay, "OLord, other lords besides

Thee" have had the disposing of us.

So there is but " one Spirit." But another spirit there is

abroad in the world. He that carried Christ up to the top of

Mat. 4. 9. the mountain, and talked of Tibi dahoy as if he had gifts too.

I shall be sorry to make any other division of gifits than

of the Holy Ghost. 395

those of the Holy Ghost. But made it must be, which the world hath made, and makes daily; and makes more account of them than of these here in the text. And indeed such account, as the Holy Ghost may sit still, and keep His gifts undivided well enough. The other spirit divides other manner gifts than the Holy Ghost hath any* The gifts of the Holy Ghost are dona pectoris, come out of the breast: you would think the others come out of the breast too, but they come but out of the bosom. And in speculation we say, The Holy Ghost's gifts are far above these; but in practice they are daily found to be far above them in power. For the Wise Man saith, DUatant viam hominisy these gifts have a Prov. is. power to make a way through never so thick a press; power ^^* to make any door fly open before them. They speak of graces; they make any that come with them more gracious than these of St. Paul. Nay, they will disgrace them, and mar their fashion quite.

But then those gifts hold not of this feast, not of Pentecost; but hold of the feast of Simon and Jude, they. The Church hath joined those two Saints in one feast; and the devil, in many things else God's ape,hath made a like joining of his too, in imitation of the true. His Simon is Simon Magus, not Simon Zelotes; and Jude, Judas Iscariot, not Judas the brother of James — ^no kin to him. Simon, he came off roundly, w/)o<n7i/€7/ce xp^/^ara, offered frjmkly, would come Acts 8. 1.8. to the price. And Judas, he would know what they would Mat.26.16. give, how thankful they would be; and it was done, and there goeth a bargain. These two are like enough to agree. And thus is the Holy Ghost defeated; bought out. He and His gifts, by Simon still. And thus is Christ betrayed in His places, and that by Judas still. This wicked fi-atemity of Simon and Jude are the bane of the Church unto this day. Judas that sold Christ, like enough to make sale of Christ's places. Simon that would buy the Holy Ghost, had He been to be sold, as like to buy out the Holy Ghost's gifts, as the Holy Ghost Himself. And this fault in the first concoction, is never after amended in the second. For with such as these God will never co-operate; never comes there any fruit of such. Enough, if any thing were enough. But thus Christ's places go against Christ's will.

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8 £ R M. Thus have ye a calling without a gift. What say you now

^ to a gift without a calling? Those are not for the Holy

Ghost; these care as little for Christ. Some such there are, no man must say but gifts they have, such as they be; but they care not greatly for troubling themselves with any calling. They are even as well without. Hop up and down as grasshoppers, hither and thither, but place they will have none; yet their fingers itch, and they cannot hold them, doing they must be; and if they have got but the fag end of a gift, have at the work; be doing they will of their own heads, imcalled by any so that have right to call; and for default of others even make no more ado, but call themselves, lay their own hands upon their own heads, utterly against Christ's mind and rule. And so over Christ's head they come, fi^om the gift to the work, without any calling at all. 3- Well in these two they have somewhat yet; either a calling without a gift, or a gift without a calling. What say you to them that have neither, but fetch their nm for all that, and leap quite over gift and calling, Christ and the Holy Ghost both, and chop into the work at the first dash? That put themselves into business, which they have neither fitness for, nor calling to? Yet no man can keep them, but meddle they will and in Church matters specially — there soonest of all; and print us Catechisms and compose us treatises, set out prayers and new psalms, as if every foreigner were free, and might set up with us. Good Lord, what the poor Church suffers in this kind! 4. Yet have you a fourth, no less ill than any of these. And these be such as have gifts and callings both, it cannot be

Lu. 19. 20. denied, yet fall short at the work; work not at all. Wrap up their talent, fold it up fairly in a napkin, and lay it by them.

Jonah 4. 9. Lg^ their calling lie fallow, get them into Jonas' gourd, and ^® *^ ' • sit gazing there; or into Ezekiel's cauldron, and lie soaking there. Work who will, and work God in whom He will, in them He shall work nothing; nothing so to any public good. These have great account to make to God, for thus treading under their foot His division. Nay, to all Three; to Christ also for the contempt of His calling, and to the Holy Ghost too for burying His gifts.

So have you 1. a calling and no gift; 2. a gift and no

of the Holy Ghost, 397

calling; 3. neither gift nor calling, but work for all that; 4. both ^ft and calling, and no work, not for all that. All awry, all in obliquity, for want of observing the order here established. These obliquities to avoid.

It is the will of God that this trinity real should meet, ni. and grow into unity, as the personal Itself doth; that so this ^® here on earth beneath may grow and be conformed to that actual. there in Heaven above. The former three divisions in the piyiiii^j. former three verses all meet in the unity, and manifestation, in this fourth verse; which is the Spirit's unity. And so come we now about to the Spirit again. For all this dividing is not enough; but when the doles and divisions of all three is done, then begins the Spirit anew. For these must not be 2. concealed, but be all manifested. And that must be by the ^^^^g tongues of this day. Which is it that giveth the Holy Ghost a more special interest than the rest, and makes the feast to be His. For hitherto they had as good a part as He.

If you mark it, dividing and giving is a kind of inspiring, or breathing in; uttering and manifesting, a kind of breathing out again of that was inspired. And these two are two natural and kindly acts of the Spirit in us: by breathing in, to receive; by breathing out, to utter it out or manifest it.

And it hath good coherence, and follows upon the work well, this "manifestation." For every man's work is to make him manifest. No better way to take true notice of any than by it. It is not loquere^ it is operate ut te videam, Christ saith not, auribtts or sermonibus; but operibus credite, that is, Joh. 10. 38. oculis credite. For works be manifest, and may be seen.

It follows well likewise upon division. For 1. first, division doth make manifest. Things that are propounded in gross, eo ipso are obscure; and are therefore divided, that they may more distinctly and plainly appear. 2. And second, "manifestation" itself is nothing but dividing. For what is divided unto us by the three Persons, it is required that we should divide unto others; and our dividing it among others is that which here is called manifesting. That which we receive when we make manifest, we are said to divide, and to distribute that which came unto us from the former three divisions.

But this is sure: without manifesting, all divisions avail

308 Of the Sending

iPet-ilio ^^ ^® graces'* are to no purpose^ no more than a treasure divided into never so many bags, if it be hidden and not manifest, is to any profit, or any the better for it. Nay it holds in all three. 1. In the gifts. We are not to rake them up, but to stir them up and make them bum. 2. In the calling. We are not to be ashamed of it, but to profess it

Romans 1:16. manifestly, as he did, Non me pudet EvangeUi. 3. In the work. We are not to work inward, in a back room, but to open our shop, set out our wares and utter them. Divided and not manifested — ^that is, the tongues are cloven, but they have no fire, nothing to give light by. And light it is that maketh manifest. Which light is not to be hid ^' under a

Mat 5. 15. bushel,'* but to be set upon ^'a candlestick;'' or, as this feast gives, not to be kept in the shadow, but brought out into the sun, the bright and white sun of this day. 8. Manifested then. And why? for /Ai78ev €t/c$, ^ nothing is to

^^*^- be done in vain:' but in vain, if to no end. To some end then. For irama wpos ri, and vpo^ is here in the text. It falls not into a wise man, much less into the only wise Grod, to keep all this dividing and manifesting, and all to no end. To know that end then, that we run not in vain, labour not in vain, have not the gifts, take not on us the calling, do not

2 Cor. 6.1. the works in vain, "receive not the grace of God in vain," nay, receive not our own souls in vain. Else, we fall upon the other capital error about Omega, about our ultimus finis. To know our part then. For, ignoranti quern portum petat, nulltcs secundtLs est ventics^ ' He that knows not whither he is bound, no wind in the sky is good for him.' To know our end then, whither to refer all. The gift is for the calling, and they both for the wprk, and they all three are for "manifestation."

But then take heed of making "manifestation" the end of itself, and go no further. There are that make that their end,

[€&wpo<r- thatdoit,6ati/07rpo<xa}7reri/,the Apostle's word, "to make a fair

Gal. 6. 12.] show; to spread their feathers, is all the use some have of their division. Christ's kindred would have made it Christ's end, and shouldered Him forward to it: If you can do, as they say Job. 7. 8. you can do, then get up to Jerusalem, seek to manifest yourself there, that you may be known for such; win credit, and

of the Holy Ghost. 399

become famous. But Christ came to another end. And

the Christian's rule is, "nothing for vain-glory," either by [Phil.2.8.]

provoking, or by emulation. It is but Omicron this, it is

not Omega.

Wherefore then are we to manifest? IIpos to avfi<f>kpov. Here is our part, this is our end, "to profit withal." Whether Paul, ApoUos, or Cephas; whether gifts, places, or works; all are for this. This is the end of all.

Far they are from this end, that have use of all three. But wpb9 avfjL<f)opav, not avfuf>kpov^ that is not to do good, but to do a shrewd turn withal, now and then. Nay that will not stick to boast (one there was that did so; of whom the Psalm, Quid ghriaris? was made) how they are able to do one a Ps. 52. i. displeasure by their place, and pay him home, if need be. As if offidum came of officiendo^ of standing in another man's light, of doing other men hurt. Otherwise, I trust, themselves take no hurt by their offices. But take this for a rule, the Apostle gives it two several times: There is no power given to any "to destruction," or to do harm; "for edification" it 2 Cor. 10.8.

is, all that is; to do good with, and therein to be made lo. manifest. We may not " hatch cockatrice' eggs" to do Isa. 59. 5. mischief unto any, as they do to such as eat them.

But all irpos to avfi<f>€pov. It is a compound word, and we will take it in pieces. First, ^kpovj which is to 1. bring, to 2. bring in, to 8. bring forth, to 4. bring with. To bring Ps. 80. 9. in what? " What profit is there," saith the Psalm f to bring Boin.6.21. in some profit. To bring forth what f " What fruit had you?" saith the Apostle; to bring forth some fruit. To bring with it what? " that I may receive mine own with advantage," Lu. 19. 23. saith he that gave the talents. To bring with it some advantage. A way withal, saith Elihu in Job, of which it may be said, " it did me no good, no good came of it." These same Job 83. 27. vana et non pro/utura, — away with them, saith Samuel, never *^ f'^'^^'^^ look after them. But what saith God by His Prophet? JEgo l Sam. 12. mm Deus tuus decern te utilia; He teacheth us nothing, but jj*^ 43 ^^ that which will do us good. And what by the Apostle? " These things are good and profitable for men," when he was Tit. 8. 8. in the theme of good works. For, as we are forbidden to " hatch cockatrice' eggs," things that will do harm; so are we Isa. 59. 5. also in the same place, to weave spiders' webs, things very

400 Of the Sending

to profit with,' else are they not the right works. ProT. 80. But ^ipov is not enough, to bring in. "Bring in, bring in,'* cries the horse-leech's two daughters, till their skin crack; but it is only for themselves, and that is not the right. For it is not eingulare commodum, ' this profit our own private gain/ Here is yet another part. Here is avv^ that is, cony which ever argues a community; a profit redounding to more than ourselves. For avfi<f>€pov properly is coHatitiuniy where there be a great many; bring every one his stock, and lay them together, and make them a common bank for them all. Just as do the members in the natural body. Every one confers his several gift, office, and work, to the general benefit of the whole. Even as they did in the Law. Some offered gold, and others silk, others linen, and some goats' hair; and all to the furniture of the Tabernacle. And semblably we to lay together all the graces, places, works, that we have, and to employ them to the advancement of the common faith, and to the setting forward of the common salvation.

For the common salvation is the " profit" here meant. The Apostle himself saith it plainly; "Not seeking mine own profit 1 Cor. 10. or benefit, but the profit of many." And how? that they may have lands or leases? No, but ''that they may be saved." Which is the true profit, redounding of all these, and which Mat.l6.2C. in the end will prove the best profit; which if any attain not, " what will it profit him, if he win the whole world?" To which port we be all bound; to which port God send us!

And into this, as into the main cistern, do all these " divisions," "manifestations" and all, run and empty them- selves. All gifts, offices, works, are for this. Yea, the blessed Trinity Itself, in their dividing, do all aim at this. And this attained, all will be to Pax in terris, the quiet and peaceable ordering of things here on earth; . and to Gloria in excelsisy the high pleasure of Almighty God.

So come we about, and return again, to the first point we began with, that is, to the blessed Trinity. From Them are these; and if from Them, for Them: if from Their grace, for Their glory — the glory of Them that gave, ordered, and VTTOught y gave the gifts to us, ordered the places for us.

of the Holy Ghost. 401

wrought the works in us. If we the profit, They the praise: the rather, for that even that praise shall redound to our profit also, the highest profit of all, the gaining of our souls, and the gaining of them a rest in the Heavenly kingdom with all the Three Persons.

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