A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 1 · Sermon 24
THE SAINTS VEST. A Sermon preached on All-Saints day at Lincolnes-Inne for Doctor Preſton. THE XXIV. SERMON.
APOC. 7.14.
Theſe are they that came out of great tribulation, and have waſhed their robes, and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe.
Right Honourable, Right Worſhipfull, &c.
THe queſtion which the Elder moved to Saint John in the precedent verſe to my Text, foreign; what are theſe? mee thinks I heare ſome put to mee at this preſent, ſaying, What are theſe holy ones whoſe feaſt yee keep? what meane theſe devotions? what doe theſe feſtivities intend? what ſpeake theſe ſolemnities? what Saints are they, Virgins, Confeſſours, or Martyrs, whoſe memory by the anniverſary returne of this day you eternize? foreign; whence came they? or rather how came they to bee thus honoured and canonized in our Kalendar? My direct anſwer hereunto is my Text (Theſe are they, &c.) and the exemplification thereof ſhall be my Sermon. The palmes they beare are enſignes of their victory: the robes they weare are emblemes of their glory: the bloud wherein they dyed their robes repreſenteth the object of their faith: the white and bright colour of them, their joy: and the length of them the continuance thereof. Yea but theſe holy ones (you may object) at leaſt the chiefe of them had their dayes apart; the bleſſed Virgin hers apart, and the Innocents apart, the Apoſtles apart, and the Evangeliſts apart: how come they now to be repeated? why committeth the Church a tautologie in her menologie? what needeth this ſacred foreign or congeries of feaſts, blending of devotions, thruſting all Saints into one day, and that a ſhort one in the rubricke? It is that men may ſee by that which we doe what we beleeve in that Article of our Creed, the communion of Saints. Wee joyne them all in one collect, wee remember them all upon one day, becauſe they are all united into one body, admitted into one ſociety, naturalized into one Kingdome, made free Deniſons of one City, and partakers of one aCol. 1.12.inheritance of the Saints in light. In a word, we keep one feaſt for them all upon earth, becauſe they all keep one everlaſting feaſt in heaven, the marriage bApoc. 19.9.ſupper of the Lambe. The Romanes, beſide ſeverall Temples dedicated to ſeverall deities, had their Pantheon, or all-gods temple. See wee not in the skie here ſingle ſtarres gliſtering by themſelves, there conſtellations, or a concourſe of many heavenly lampes joyning their lights? do we not heare with exceeding delight in the ſinging of our Church Anthemes, firſt ſingle voices anſwering one the other, and after the whole Quire joyning in one, as it were tracing the ſame muſicall ſteps? hath not nature drawne with her penſill a perfect graſſe green in the Emrald, a skie colour in the Saphir, the glowing of fire in the Carbuncle, the ſanguine complexion in the Ruby, and the twinckling of the ſtarres in the Diamond, and all theſe together in the Opall, which hath in it the luſtre and beautifull colours of all theſe precious ſtones,cPlin. nat. hiſt. l. 37 c 6. In Opale eſt Carbunculi tenuior ignis, Amethyſti fulgens purpura, Smaragdi virens mare, &c. incredibili miſturâ lucentes? Such is this feaſt of all holy ones: it is the Churches foreign, the Kalendars pandect, as it were a conſtellation not of many, but of all the ſtarres in the skie: in it as in the Opall ſhine the beautifull colours and reſplendency of all thoſe precious ſtones which are laid in thedApoc. 21.19. foundation, and ſhine in the gates and walls of the heavenly Jeruſalem. Upon it we celebrate the chaſtity of all Virgins, the ſimplicity of all Innocents, the zeale and courage of all Confeſſours, the patience of all Martyrs, the holineſſe of all Saints. Upon this day the Church militant religiouſly complementeth with the Church triumphant, and all Saints on earth keep the feaſt, and expreſſe the joy, and acknowledge the happineſſe, and celebrate the memory, and imbrace the love, and ſet forth the vertues of all Saints in heaven. Which are principally three, ſhadowed by the allegory in my Text:
1. Patience in tribulation, They came out.
2. Purity in converſation, And waſhed their garments.
3. Faith in Chriſts death and paſſion, Made them white in &c.
The better to diſtinguiſh them, you may if you pleaſe terme them three markes:
1. A blacke or blewiſh marke made with the ſtroake or flaile, Tribulation.
2. A white made by waſhing their garments, and whiting them.
3. A red, by dying them in the bloud of the Lambe.
1. Firſt of the blacke or blew marke, They came out of great tribulation. The beloved Apoſtle and divine Evangeliſt Saint John, who lay in the boſome of our Saviour, and pryed into the very ſecrets of his heart, in the time of his exile in Pathmos had a glimpſe of his and our country that is above; and was there preſent in ſpirit at a ſolemne inveſtiture or inſtallation of many millions of Gods Saints into their ſtate of glory, and order of dignity about the Lambe in his celeſtiall court. The rite and ceremony of it was thus, The twelveeVer. 5, 6, 7, 8. Tribes of Iſrael were called in order, and of every Tribe twelve thouſand were ſealed in the forehead by an Angel keeper of the broad Seale of the living God (Ver. 2.) After this ſignature; Loe a great multitude, which no man can number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, ſtood before the Throne, and before the Lambe, and they had long white robes put upon them, and palmes given them in their hands in token of victory, and they marched on in triumph ſinging with a loud voice, Salvation from or to our God that ſitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lambe: at which words all the Angels that ſtood round about the Throne, and the Elders, and the foure living creatures full of eyes fell before the Throne on their faces, and worſhipped God, ſaying, Amen: Praiſe, and glory, and wiſedome, and thankes, and honour, and power, and might be unto our God for ever and ever, Amen. This glorious repreſentation of the triumphant Church ſo overcame and tooke away the ſenſes of the raviſhed Apoſtle, that though he deſired nothing more than to learne who they were that he had ſeen thus honourably inſtalled, yet he had not the power to aske the queſtion of any that aſſiſted in the action, till one of the Elders roſe from his ſeate to entertaine him, and demanded that of him which hee knew the Apoſtle knew not, but moſt of all deſired to know, and would have enquired after, if his heart had ſerved him: viz. who they were, and whence they came that were admitted into the order of the white robe in Heaven. The anſwer of which queſtion when the Apoſtle had modeſtly put from himſelfe to the Elder, ſaying, Lord thou knoweſt, the Elder courteouſly reſolveth it, and informeth him particularly concerning them, ſaying: Theſe are they that are come out of great tribulation, &c. Thou mighteſt perhaps have thought, that theſe who are ſo richly arrayed and highly advanced in Heaven, had been ſome great Monarchs, Emperours, or Potentates upon earth, that had conquered the better part of the world before them, paving the way with the bodies, and cementing it with the bloud of the ſl…ine, and in token thereof bare theſe palmes of victories in their hands. Nothing leſſe; they are poore miſerable forlorne people that are newly come ſome out of houſes of bondage, ſome out of the gallies, ſome out of priſons, ſome out of dungeons, ſome out of mynes, ſome out of dens and caves of the earth, all out of great tribulation. They who weare now long white robes mourned formerly in blacke: they who now beare palmes in their hands, carried their croſſes in this world: they who ſhout and ſing here, ſighed and mourned under the heavie burdens of manifold afflictions all the dayes of their pilgrimage on earth: they whom thou ſeeſt the Lambe leading to thefVer. 17. living fountaines of waters, dranke before deep of the waters of Marah, and full cups of teares in the extreme heate of bloudy perſecutions: and in conſideration of the great tribulation which they have patiently endured for the love of their Redeemer, he beſtoweth upon them theſe glorious robes whited in his own bloud, and hee taketh them neere to himſelfe, that they may ſtand before him for evermore.
gMat. 5, 11, 12.Bleſſed, thrice bleſſed are they which are perſecuted for righteouſneſſe ſake, for great is their reward in heaven. The heavier their croſſe is, the weightier their crowne ſhall bee: their preſent ſorrowes ſhall free them from all future ſorrowes; their troubles here ſhall ſave them from all trouble hereafter; their temporall paines through his merits for whom they ſuffer, ſhall acquit them from eternall torments; and the death of their body, through faith in his bloud, ſhall redeeme them from death of body and ſoule, and exempt them from all danger, miſerie and feare. Which priviledges the ſpirit ſealeth unto them in the verſes following, They hRev. 7.15.16.17.are before the Throne of God, and ſerve him day and night in his Temple: and he that ſitteth on the Throne ſhall dwell among them. They ſhall hunger no more, neither thirſt any more, neither ſhall the Sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midſt of the Throne ſhall feed them, and ſhall lead them into living fountaines of waters, and God ſhall wipe away all teares from their eyes.
Theſe are they that came out of great tribulation. Great tribulation in the judgement of Marlorat is a periphraſis of the laſt perſecution of the Church by Antichriſt, which ſhall be the hotteſt ſervice the ſouldiers of Chriſt ſhall ever be put to. As the laſt endevour of nature before death putteth the patient to moſt paine, and the laſt aſſault of Pharaoh put the Iſraelites to the greateſt extremity; ſo the laſt perſecution of the Church by Antichriſt ſhall exceed all the former.iMat. 24.29. For then the ſunne (that is, the knowledge of the truth, or the light of Gods countenance) ſhall be darkned: and the moon (that is, the beauty of the Church) ſhalbe obſcured & turned into bloud; (that is, deformed by bloudy perſecutions:) and the ſtars ſhall fall from heaven, (that is, the greateſt lights of the Church ſhall fall from it) and there ſhalbe ſuch perplexity and diſtreſſe of nations as never was before: then, askAug. ep 80. Tunc Eccleſia non apparebit, impiis ultra modum perſequentibus. St. Auguſtine inferreth, the Church ſhall have no outward appearance, wicked men raging and cruelly perſecuting her above meaſure.
But I ſee no reaſon why we ſhould reſtraine tribulation to perſecution, or perſecution to that of Antichriſt. For every great affliction and heavie croſſe which the faithfull beare in this world, be it loſſe of goods, or of friends, baniſhment, impriſonment, infamy, torture of body, or vexation of mind, is great tribulation, through which any elect child of God may enter into heaven. Albeit we yeeld Martyrs a precedency amongſt Saints, yet they alone enter not into their maſters joy. Let their garlands have a red roſe added unto it, and their crowne a rubie above the reſt; yet aſſuredly all other that arelApoc. 2.10. faithfull unto death ſhall receive the crowne of life: all that fight a good fight, and keepe the faith, after they have finiſhed their courſe ſhall receive a crowne of righteouſneſſe, which the Lord the righteous Judge ſhall give at that day to all that love his appearing. The article foreign therefore is not foreign, but foreign: not demonſtrative, pointing to any ſingular perſecution; but intenſive, intimating that many and very great tribulations abide the faithfull ſervants of God, and they muſt through them enter into the kingdome of heaven: their life is nothing elſe but amHieron. ep. ad Heliodor. Etras frate…, erras ſi unquam putas Chriſtianum perſecutionem non pati; tunc maximè oppugnatis, ſi te opp…gnati neſcis. race of patience through many tribulations, and a battell of faith againſt all kind of temptations. A Chriſtian is never without an enemy to perſecute him inwardly or outwardly: even this is a temptation of the Divell, to thinke that wee are at any time free from all temptation. For either wee are in warre with the World, Fleſh, and the Divell, or God will fight againſt us: either we are afflicted for our ſinnes, or afflicted with our ſinnes: and if God for a long time ſpare us, even this afflicteth us that we are not afflicted. For ſith God afflicteth them whom he affecteth, we have juſt cauſe to feare, becauſe wee are not under his rod we are out of his care; and that therefore he chaſteneth us not here, becauſe he reſerveth us to eternall torments. If any demand why God carrieth a more ſevere hand over his children than over the wicked that deſerve leſſe favour; I anſwer by propounding them the like queſtions: Why doth a father when hee ſeeth two boyes fighting in the ſtreet correct his ſonne and not the other? Why doth the Schoolemaſter take a ſtricter account of the Scholar hee beſt affecteth than of others, whom hee ſuffereth often to play the trewants? Why doth the husbandman let unfruitfull and unſavory trees grow out at length without any cutting or pruning, but pruneth the fragrant roſes, and pricketh the fruitfull vines till they bleed? Why doth the Phyſician when hee ſeeth his patient deſperate, give order to them that are about him to deny him nothing that he hath a mind unto? but if he hath any hope of recovery of any patient of his, he keepeth him in diet, forbiddeth him ſuch things as he moſt deſireth, and preſcribeth for him many meats, drinkes, and potions which goe againſt his ſtomacke. Laſtly, why doth a Captaine ſet the beſt Souldiers in the forefront of a battell, and appointeth them to enter at a breach, with apparent hazzard of their lives?
To the firſt queſtion they will anſwer, that a wiſe father taketh up his ſon ſharply, and correcteth him for his miſdemeanour, and not the other, becauſe he hath a ſpeciall care of his ſonnes behaviour, and not of the other: thus let them thinke of the Father of Spirits his dealing with his children, who chaſteneth thoſe faults in them which he ſeemeth to winke at in others, becauſe he beareth a ſingular affection to his owne, and hath a ſpeciall care of their nurture.
To the ſecond they will anſwer, that a good ſchoolemaſter taketh a more ſtrict account of his beſt ſcholar, and more often plyeth him with the rod or feruler than any other, becauſe he moſt deſireth his profit: let them thinke ſo of our heavenly Teacher, that hee holds a ſtricter hand over thoſe in Chriſts ſchoole who outſtrip others, that they may more profit by him.
To the third they will anſwer, that an underſtanding husbandman letteth other trees grow to their full length without cutting or pruning them, becauſe they are good for nothing but for fire wood; but he pruneth the roſes to make them more ſavoury, and the vines to make them more fruitfull: let them thus conceive of themſelves, that they are like vines that runne into luxuriant ſtemmes, and roſes apt to grow wilde: therefore God the Father, whooJohn 5.1. is an husbandman, pruneth them to make them more ſavourie in their prayers and meditations, and more fruitfull in good workes.
To the fourth they will anſwer, that the Phyſician doth according to his art to cure the body; and God doth the like in wiſedome to cure the ſoule: they whom he ordereth not, ſetting them in a courſe of phyſick, but letteth them doe what they will, and have what they call for, are in a deſperate caſe.
To the laſt they will anſwer, that the experienced Captaine ſetteth the moſt valiant ſouldiers in places of greateſt danger, that they may get the greater honour; ſo doth God ſet the moſt valiant Chriſtian upon the moſt dangerous ſervice, that thereby he may gaine greater honour, and a more maſsie crowne of glory. Moreover, ſinne taketh us oftentimes after the nature of a falling ſickneſſe, out of which our heavenly Father awaketh us by the ſtroake of his rod. Whereby alſo hee beateth downe the pride of our fleſh, and keepeth us alwayes in awe, and conſtraineth us to cry aloud unto him in our prayers: he maketh us ſenſible of our ſinnes, and compaſſionate of our brethrens miſery, and conformable to the image of his Sonne. Hee weaneth us from this world, and breedeth in us a longing deſire to exchange this vale of teares with the river of pleaſures ſpringing at his right hand in Heaven. If God ſhould not ſend us ſometimes croſſes and afflictions, and ſawce our joyes with ſorrowes, wee would often ſurfet of them, we would take too great liking to this world, and ſay with Peter, It is good being here, let us pitch our tents, and take up our reſt here.
This might ſuffice for the clearing of the firſt doctrine of this Text, but that I fore-ſee an objection that may be made againſt it. How ſay I tribulation or afflictions are markes of Gods children, ſith wee ſee the wickedeſt men that breath ſometimes full of them? Are not notorious malefactors often apprehended, caſt in priſon, ſcourged to death, tortured upon the rack, broken upon the wheele, and executed with other moſt exquiſite torments? Do not all the plagues threatned in the Law fall upon ſome of Gods enemies in this life? Are not the very dregges of his vialls of vengeance poured upon them?
For your full ſatisfaction herein, I propound theſe enſuing obſervations to your ſerious thoughts.
1. Albeit the judgements of God fall heavily in this life upon ſome notorious, obſtinate and impenitent ſinners; yet for the moſt part the rod of God falleth to the lot of the righteous: more of them are afflicted, and they more afflicted than uſually the wicked are, who with Dives take their pleaſure here, becauſe, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh, their nPſal. 17.14.portion is in this life.
2. Though afflictions in ſome ſort are common to all ſorts of men, yet chaſtiſements and corrections (meant by the word tribulation in my Text) are proper to the godly. The calamities and afflictions that befall the ungodly are puniſhments for their ſinnes, not chaſtiſements for their good; effects of Gods juſtice, not tokens of his love: they are ſent to them for their ruine and deſtruction, not for their amendment and inſtruction.
3. Afflictions taken by themſelves are not notes or markes of Gods children, but afflictions with patience, and tribulation with joy: croſſes heavier or lighter are laid upon all men, but none bear them chearfully ſave Gods children. The wicked when they feele the hand of God upon them, riſe up againſt him, but the godly ſubmit themſelves under his mighty hand, and commit their ſoules to him as their faithfull Creatour: the wickedoRevel. 16.12. gnaw their tongues and curſe, but the godlypJob 1.21. bleſſe and praiſe God: the wicked have little or no ſenſe of the wrath of God or their ſinne, but of their puniſhment; but the godly are much more grieved at the wrath of God and their ſinne than their puniſhment: the wicked have alwayes their eyes upon their wounds, ſtripes and ſores, but the godly on the hand that ſmiteth them; which when they ſee to be the hand of their heavenly Father, they compoſe themſelves to patience, they humble themſelves before him, and confeſſe their ſinne, they open all their wounds and ſores, crying with that religious Father, hic ure, hic ſeca, here burne, here lance, here pricke my veines, here feed me with the bread of affliction, here give me my full draught of the cup of teares, that all teares may be wiped from my eyes hereafter; chaſten and judge me here, that I be not condemned with the world. This holyqAug. de Civit. Dei, l. 1. c. 8. Manet diſsimilitudo paſſorum etiam in ſimilitudine paſsionis: et licet ſub eodem tormento non eſt idem virtus atque vitium: nam ſicut ſub codum igne aurum rutilat, palea fumat, & ſub eâdem tribulâ ſtipulae comminuuntur, frumenta purgantur, &c. ita una eademque vis irruens, bonos probat, purificat, eliquat, malos damnat, vaſtat, exterminat. Father elſewhere lively expreſſeth the difference betweene the godly in their ſufferings, and the wicked, by the ſimilitude of the ſame flayle that ſtriketh the corne out of the eare, but bruiſeth the ſtubble; the ſame fire that purgeth the gold, but conſumeth the droſſe; the ſame motion that cauſeth an ointment to ſend forth a moſt fragrant ſmell, but a ſinke to exhale a moſt noyſome ſavour. The godly are whole under the flayle of tribulation; their faith like gold ſhineth in that fire, in which the hypocrites ſmoake like chaffe; their devotion ſendeth forth a moſt ſweet ſavour, when they poure out their ſoules before God, but the wickeds conſciences being troubled, like ſinkes that are ſtirred, exhale moſt peſtilent aires, breathing out blaſphemies and execrations. In a word, the wicked and godly come out of great tribulation, but the godly come out of it cleane, the wicked foule; the one with their garments ſoyled and rayed, the other with their garments waſhed and made white.
They waſhed their garments and made them white. Thus having deſcried all holy ones by their blew marke, let us now view the white; they have waſhed, foreign. Pareus acutely notes, that it is not here ſaid that the SaintsrComment. in Apoc. c. 7. doe waſh, but have or had waſhed their garments. For indeed there is no waſhing in heaven, becauſe there can no impure thing enter there: he that is uncleane at his death remaines uncleane ſtill. For, as St.ſCypr. ad Demet. Poſtquam hinc exceſſum fuerit nullus eſt jam poenitentiae locus, nullus eſt ſatisfactionis effectus; hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur. Cyprian truely informeth Demetrian, After we are gone from hence there is no place for repentance, no effect of ſatisfaction; here eternall life is got or loſt. Here one drop from our eyes can fetch out that ſpot which an ocean cannot doe hereafter. Let us ſeeke God therefore while he may be found, ſtrive to enter in before the gate of mercy be locked up, worke while we have day, waſh while we have water and ſoape, doe good while we have time, breake off our ſinnes, and waſh our polluted conſciences with our penitent teares, and purge them with hyſſop dipt in Chriſts bloud, before we heare that dreadfull order read in our eares;tApoc. 22.11. He that is unjuſt, let him be unjuſt ſtill: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill: behold I come, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his workes ſhall be. The whiteneſſe here of the garments of them whom Saint John ſaw inveſted, ſignifieth the candor and purity of their life, without ſpot of foule ſinne, or ſtaine of infamy. This is a conſpicuous note of Gods children,uPhil. 2.15, 16. who ſhine as lights in the midſt of a crooked and perverſe generation, holding forth the word of life. It is not enough to have a cleere conſcience within us, we muſt ſee that ourxMat. 5.16. workes ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee them, and glorifie our Father that is in heaven. To repreſent this outward purity and integrity of the Saints to the yApoc. 19.8.wife of the Lambe, it was granted, that ſhe ſhould be arrayed in fine linnen, cleane and white: for the fine linnen, ſaith St. John, is the righteouſneſſe of Saints. As vertue inzAriſt. ethic l. 8. foreign. Ariſtotles time was the character of a Grecian, and vice of a Barbarian; ſo in the firſt and beſt ages of the Church a Chriſtian was diſtinguiſhed from a Heathen by his innocency and charity: they ſuffered all, they offered no wrong; they viſited the ſicke how infectious ſoever the diſeaſe was, they defended the fatherleſſe and the widow, and kept themſelves unſpotted of the world: the light of their good workes ſo dazled the eyes of the Infidels, that even malice it ſelfe confeſſed them to be good men.aTert. in Apolog. Bonus Caius tantummodo malus quod Chriſtianus. Caius is an honeſt man, hee hath but one fault, that he is a Chriſtian: I could love Seius with all my heart, ſetting aſide his religion. Such ſpeeches Tertullian over-heard the Gentiles uſe concerning thoſe innocent lambes in his dayes, which were dayly ſacrificed by the Roman Emperours. Doubtleſſe, as the purer bloud in the veines cauſeth a better colour and complexion in the outward parts; ſo the purer the faith and religion is, it begetteth alwayes in all the ſincere profeſſours thereof a holier life and converſation.
You will object, that as when a law was made among the Romans that chaſt Matrons ſhould weare a kind of girdle to diſtinguiſh them frombBodin de rep. Curtizans, that all the Curtizans in Rome, though never ſo diſſolute, got on thoſe girdles: ſo that if outward conformity and purity in converſation be given for a note of a Saint, that many Hypocrites, Heretickes, and Schiſmatikes will lay a faire claime to ſanctity. For Priſcillian was of a moſt ſtrict life, Novatus outſtripped moſt catholike Biſhops in outward appearance and ſemblance of holineſſe, John of Conſtantinople, who firſt uſurped the title of univerſall Biſhop, for his continuall faſting and praying was ſirnamed foreign, Jejunator, the Faſter: but
I anſwer withcLib. 2. de anima. Non urit ignis pictus, nec rugit leo marmoreus. Lodovicus Vives, Paint a fire moſt artificially, yet it will not burn; it may deceive the ſight, but not the touch. Cut the proportion of a Lion in marble, or carve it in wood, and lay live colours upon it; yet be confident this wooden or marble Lion wil never roare, much leſſe devoure. The grapes wch Zeuxis painted had the colour, but not the taſte of grapes: a glow worme hath the light, but not the heat of fire: a counterfeit ſtone hath the luſtre, but not the vertue of a pretious ſtone: hypocriſie, hereſie, and ſchiſme have the vizard, but not the face of holineſſe: their outward conformity, and ſeeming ſanctity, differeth from theirs who are holy ones indeed, in three things:
1 It is not ſincere.
2 Not entire.
3 It is not permanent or conſtant.
1 It is not ſincere: pone in pectore dextram, nil calet: though their veines ſwell, and their faces be as red as bloud, as if they were all fire and made of zeale; yet if you could put your hand into their bowels, you ſhould find their heart either but key cold or luke warm, like a falſe gemme in which the light is in the outſide onelyonly, and not in the body of the ſtone. Such is their zeale and preciſe purity, in which they will ſtreine at the gnat of a ceremony and harmeleſſe cuſtome in publike, and yet ſwallow a Camel of ougly hereſie, or beaſtly ſenſuality, or biting uſury, or abominable ſacriledge in private. bProv. 30.12.They are a generation pure in their owne eyes, but yet are not waſhed from their filthineſſe: they, as St.cGreg. mor. in Job l. 34. Quaſi habitam ſanctitatem ante oculus hominum videntur amittere, ſed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habuerunt. Gregory ſpeaketh, may ſeeme in the eyes of men to be cloathed with holineſſe, but in Gods eyes they are ſtarke naked.
2 It is not entire: if they are forward in the duties of the firſt table, you ſhall take them tardy in the duties of the ſecond: if they are ſtrict one way, you ſhall finde them looſe enough another way: like Numa they have a Nymph Aegeria in a corner, ſome private ſinne which they hugg in their boſome, either of covetouſneſſe, as Seneca; or of ambition, as John the Faſter; or wantonneſſe, as Montanus; or fraudulent lying and couſening, as Priſcillian; or ſpirituall pride and uncharitable cenſuring of others, as Novatus.
3 It is not conſtant: their ſanctity is like painted beauty, which is waſhed away with a ſtorme, or drops over a fire: they are true Ephraimites, Their dHoſ. 6.4.goodneſſe is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away: their over hot zeale ſoone ſlaketh, and their charity in time waxeth cold. Fained things, ſaith the Oratour, like bloſſomes ſoone fall, or are blowne away with a puffe of winde; true vertue taketh root and propagateth it ſelfe. The experience of all times maketh it good, that thoſe things which have had but a ſhew of appearance, have had but a thought of continuance.
We have diſcerned the Saints by two markes, their blew and their white: there remaines yet one more, their red marke. They have died their garments
In the bloud of the Lambe; that is, their owne innocent bloud, ſaith Saint Auſtin: but herein venerable Beda ſhooteth neerer to the marke: They waſhed their garments, and made them white in the bloud of Chriſt, who is the Lambe of God that taketh away the ſins of the world. SainteAug. Serm. 2. de ſanct. Stolas Martyres laverunt dum membra ſua quae oculis inſipientium viſa ſunt poenarum ſqualore foedare, ſic potius fuſo pro Chriſto ſanguine ab omnibus mundavere contagiis. Auſtin indeed drawes a fine line, but without the rules of the text: The Martyrs, ſaith hee, waſhed their robes in bloud when they cleanſed their members from all contagion by their bloud ſhed for Chriſt, wherewith in the eyes of fools they ſeemed to defile and deforme their bodies. But neither is it ſaid here they waſhed their robes in ſanguine agnino, or ſanguine ſuo, but ſanguine foreign, which Beza well rendereth agni illius: they waſhed not their garments in their owne bloud, or lambes bloud ſimply, butfBeza annot. in Apoc. the bloud of that lambe, who, ver. 17. ſhall feede them and leade them unto living fountaines of waters. Neither is it the bloud which we ſhed for Chriſt, but the bloud which Chriſt ſhed for us, thatgJohn 1.7. cleanſeth us from all ſin. It is true, that the bloud of Martyrs ſhed for the teſtimony of the Goſpell, is a moſt acceptable ſacrifice unto God; yet not propitiatory for their or our ſinnes. Bloud ſpilt for Chriſt is no ſtaine but an ornament; it doth no way deforme the body of a Martyr, as the fooliſh heathen imagined, whom Saint Auſtin there juſtly taxeth, but maketh them more lovely in the eyes of God and all his Saints: yet becauſe their bloud is ſome way defiled, it cannot cleanſe or purge, much leſſe make white their, or our robes. Theſe are the three priviledges of the cleane and pure bloud of the immaculate Lambe Chriſt Jeſus, which
hApoc. 1.5.Waſheth.
iJohn 1.7.Cleanſeth.
kApoc. 7.14.Whiteth.
It waſheth us in our regeneration, cleanſeth us in our juſtification, and whiteth us in our glorification: it waſheth away the filth of ſinne in our regeneration, it cleanſeth us from the guilt of ſinne in our juſtification, and maketh us white, that is, perfectly juſt and righteous, not by imputation only, but by inheſion; or, as the ſchooles ſpeake, inherent righteouſneſſe in ourlHeb. 12 23. To the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect. glorification. They waſhed
Their robes. Not their robe in the ſingular, but their robes in the plurall number; becauſe as every gueſt at the Kings ſupper had his peculiar wedding garment, ſo here every Saint hath his robe of glory: all are long and downe to the feet, yet ſome longer than other, according to their ſtature that ware them. For the proportion of glory in heaven anſwereth the proportion of grace here. Some ſtraine the letter farther, and from hence inferre, that all Saints have a double robe given unto them; one in this life, another in the life to come: the one waſhed indeed, but yet not without ſome ſpots caſt upon it through carnall frailty, which are covered by Chriſt; the other is whited, and without any ſpot or ſtaine, and this is reſerved for us in the wardrob of heaven. But I rather inferre from hence, that if there be ſuch vertue in Chriſts bloud, that it not onelyonly waſheth the Saints robes, but maketh them perfectly white: if it can change the colour & hiew of any ſinne of the deepeſt dye, and though it be as mEſay 1.18.red as ſcarlet, make it as white as wooll; that there is no need at all of Romiſh holy water, or Maries milke, or the ſoape of Saints merits. If Chriſts bloud purgeth us from all ſinne, and all droſſe is ſinne, what remaines for Purgatory fire to worke upon, but the gold of their purſes that have faith in thoſe imaginary flames? St.nDelicatus eſt Chriſti ſanguis, alienum non patitur. Bernard truely obſerveth, that the bloud of the Lambe is moſt pure and delicate bloud, it will endure no mixture with any other thing. All things by the law were purified by the bloud of ſacrifices, and in the Goſpel by the ſacrifice of Chriſts bloud.
Yea, but it is ſaid,oActs 15.9. Faith purifieth the heart; how then is it here ſaid, that their robes were waſhed and made white with Chriſts bloud? I anſwer, that Chriſts bloud whiteth as the ſoape or nitre, but faith as the hand of the Laundreſſe. Chriſts bloud healeth us as the plaiſter, faith as the finger of the Apothecary applying it. Chriſts merits and death acquit and free us as the ranſome tendered for our redemption, faith is as the hand that receiveth this ſumme from Chriſt, and tendereth it to the Father for the redeeming of our ſoules. When the Temple of Jeruſalem was on fire, nothing could quench the flame but the bloud of the ſlain: in like maner, when Gods wrath is kindled againſt his ſervants, which are living Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, nothing can quench the flame, but the bloud of the immaculate Lambe, that was ſlaine from the beginning of the world.
Secondly, from hence I would inferre for the comfort of all affrighted conſciences, that if they have renued their covenant in Chriſts bloud, and purified their hearts by faith before their death, they need not feare to come into the preſence of God. For though his eyes are moſt pure, and they full of ſores and corruption; yet they need not any way be diſmaid, becauſe there ſhall be long white robes given unto them, to cover all from the ſight of God. Mary Magdalen waſhed Chriſts feet with her teares, but Chriſt waſheth not onelyonly our feet, but our hands, head, and whole body with his owne bloud; and thereby fetches out all the ſtaines of our conſciences, and makes our ſoules appeare moſt faire and lovely in the eyes of Almighty God. O royall bath! O the true Mare rubrum, or red Sea, in which the ſpirituall Pharaoh and all his hoſt are deſtroyed, and through which we paſſe not, as the Jewes did, into the wilderneſſe, but into Paradiſe! In this royall bath, or rather indeed red Sea of Chriſts bloud, I will drown my diſcourſe at this preſent, and ſhut up all with that Epiphonema of St. John: pApoc. 1.5.6.To him that loved us, and waſhed our ſinnes in his owne bloud, and hath made us Kings and Prieſts to God and his Father: to him be glory and dominion for ever, Amen.