A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 3 · Sermon 32 · Part 4
THE FOURTH BORDER: OR, THE SACRIFICE OF RIGHTEOUSNES.
The fourth border of gold, with ſtuds of ſilver, which the fourth Speaker offred to the Spouſe, was wrought upon that text, Pſal. 4.5. Offer the ſacrifice of righteouſneſſe, and put your truſt in the Lord. And thus he put it on.
Right Honourable, &c.
GOd hath made us a feaſt of many dayes:The fourth Sermon, preached by maſter Francis White, now L. Biſhop of Ely, and L. Almoner to his Majeſtie. that we be not unthankfull unto him, let us offer him a ſacrifice, eſpecially that which is preſcribed in the words of my text. Wherein you have a double precept,
1 Of righteouſneſſe. Wherein obſerve
1 The act, Offer.
2 The matter, a ſacrifice.
2 Of hope and confidence. Wherein obſerve
1 The act, Truſt.
2 The object, in the Lord.
1 Of the act, Offer. To offer is to exhibit and ſhew forth ſuch workes before God, as pleaſe him, and teſtifie his power and goodneſſe; and we are ſayd herein to offer unto him in regard of our intention herein to performe acceptable ſervice unto him, and our deſire to glorifie him: not as if God received any things at our hands: for our goodneſſeaPſal. 16: 2. Hier. ad Celant. reacheth not to him. If thou be righteous it is nothing to him, what receiveth he at thine hand? Obſequio noſtro non indiget Deus, ſed nos illius indigemus imperio. And albeit the Scripture attribute hands to God, yet it is to give, not to receive any thing from us. (O that our Demi-gods, Judges and Magiſtrates, had but ſuch hands! O that they were like unto Artaxerxes Longimanus, not to take bribes, nor extort, but to reach juſtice!) What doth thecChryſ. 2 Cor. hom. 30. Sun receive from the eye which it enlighteneth? or thedAug. de civit. Dei l. 10. fountain from the mouth which it refreſheth and cooleth? or the anchor from the ſhip which it foundeth and eſtabliſheth? Notwithſtanding, though God receive nothing from us, as any acceſsion to his infinite perfection, and his ſimplicity excludeth any addition thereunto; yet he requireth our ſacrifices as his rent and fee, and we are continually to offer them unto him; and that in a threefold reſpect:
1 Of God.eTert. l. 4. cont. Marcion. Cui omne altum inclinat, cui omnes debent foreign, cui omne debemus quod ſumus, quod poſſumus; from whom wefJam. 1.17. receive all things.
2 In reſpect of our own condition, who are Gods workmanſhip, and therefore ought to be ſerviceable to him; his field, and therefore ought to beare fruit unto him, his royall Prieſts, and therefore ought to offer ſpirituall ſacrifices unto him.
3 In reſpect of the benefit which redoundeth to us by theſe ſpirituall ſacrifices. Caſt up any thing towards heaven, it falls downe backe againe: even ſo if we ſend up the ſavour of good workes to heaven, it will diſtill downe againe like ſweet waters upon our heads: as on the contrary, the ſins of Sodome ſent up a ſteame to heaven, which congealed in the aire, and turned into a ſtorme of ſulphur, and rained downe upon their heads. To offer unto God, what is it elſe than to ſcatter ſeed on earth, that we may receive fruit in heaven? to open our laps and boſome, that Gods treaſure may fall into it? to lay the ſure foundation of a building not made with hands? to ſtoope and kneele downe before God, that he may put upon us a Crowne of glorie, as Noblemen when they receive a Coronet from the King? Herein note the difference between thoſe things which are offered to God, and thoſe that are offered to the world: thoſe that are offered to God are preſerved, and returned backe upon us; but thoſe things that are offered to the world periſh themſelves, and deſtroy us; as a talent of lead ſinkes it ſelfe, and drownes him on whom it is caſt. Pereat ergo mundi lucrum, ne fiat animae damnum. There was never heard of ſuch a bankrupt as the world, which breaketh every weeke, nay, every day, and undoeth thouſands: it uſeth the worldling asgSueton. in Veſp. c. 16. Veſpaſian did his catchpole officers, who, when they had filled themſelves with rapines and ſpoyles, picked ſome occaſions to ſquieze them like ſpunges, and cruſh out all that they had gathered, and draw them drie.
Uſe. 1 Whence we may learne how wiſe and happy they were, who have beene benefactors to Hoſpitalls, Colledges, and the like places; who, whileſt they lived, offered ſacrifices of righteouſneſſe to God. For their gifts are doubly reſtored unto them in a name among men; ſo long as one ſtone ſhall lie upon another in theſe buildings, their praiſe ſhall be read: ſecondly, in an immarceſsible crown in heaven. As on the contrary, you may diſcover their folly, who offered all their wealth and meanes to the world, to pride, to luſt, to riot: whoſe reward is vanity whileſt they live, rottenneſſe when they die, ſhame and confuſion when they ariſe.
2 This may ſerve to ſtirre us up to exhibite willingly our offerings to God. Offer of your ſelves; God loveth a chearefull giver. How chearfully doth the husbandman goe out to ſow his ſeed? yet after he hath ſown it, it is ſubject to many caſualties. How eaſily doe fruitfull trees part with their ripe fruit? A full and frontie eare ſheds of himſelfe; but on the contrary, a withered and blaſted eare, cruſh it and beat it never ſo much, it will yeeld nothing but chaffe and duſt: a perfect embleme of a greedy griper, a ſordid churle; hammer him how you will, ſtraine him, ſquieze him, thump him, yet you ſhall get nothing from him but that which is ſordid and illiberall, like himſelfe.
3 This may ſerve to reprove thoſe qui non afferunt, ſed auferunt, that are ſo farre from offering unto God, that they take away from him, either his glorie and worſhip, as the Papiſts and all Idolaters doe; or his tithes and oblations, as our ſacrilegious harpies; of whom we may truly ſay, Nihil tam ſacrum quod non inveniat ſacrilegum. But let theſe Church-robbers remember that they ſwallow a golden hooke which ſhalbe raked out of their bellies, as Job ſpeaketh. Some part offerings between God and Mammon, as S. Auſtin ſpeaketh of Cain, Sua Deo, ſibi ſeipſum dedit. In ſum, there is a threefold abuſe in things offered to God:
1 Extreme niggardneſſe andhMal. 1.14. deceit, which God accurſeth.
2 Bribery and corruption in ordering & diſpoſing of things offered unto God, in conferring Benefices upon Church-men, or beſtowing places in Hoſpitals; not upon the fitteſt for ſuch offices and places, but ſuch as by their purſe can make beſt friends.
3 Diverſion of things conſecrated unto God, to maintaine luſt and pride. A lamentable thing that Hoſpitals erected for the maintenance of the poore, ſhould not be free from oppreſsion: one Bell-wether carrieth away all the wooll and the fat, and rangeth whither he pleaſeth, when the poore Bedeſman is kept to his mathematicall line, a ſmall pittance God wot, a penny a weeke, or a morſell of bread a day. Thus much of our firſt obſervation.
2 The ſecond obſervation from the act is, that the word in the originall ſignifieth mactando offerre, to offer as it were by ſlaughter; which intimateth that we muſt uſe a kind of violence to our ſelves in the performances of theſe duties. For we have many luſts and affections in us, as envie, contention, pride, covetouſneſſe, which are more clamorous than any beggars, and like horſe-leaches ſucke out all our eſtate and meanes: beſides, we have many worldly occaſions; the belly craves, the backe craves, yea, and braves it too, the wife claimes, yea, and exclaimes, children aske, and friends challenge a great part; that even in an ample ſtate little or nothing remaines for God: ſo that unleſſe a man put a ſacrificing knife to the throat of his concupiſcence, and cut the wind-pipe of his worldly deſires, and bind himſelfe as it were with cords to the hornes of the Altar, the fleſh and the world will devoure all, and nothing will be left for charity to beſtow, but a few ſcraps caſt into the almes-basket.
The ſacrifices of righteouſneſſe. In theſe words I note foure particulars:
1 Rem, Sacrifice.
2 Numerum, Sacrifices.
3 Qualitatem, of righteouſneſſe.
4 Effectum, and truſt in the Lord.
Rem, Sacrific…. Sacrificium (asiLib. 10. de Civit. Dei, c. 6. Auſtine defines it) eſt omne opus bonum quod agitur ut ſanctâ ſocietate inhaereamus Deo, relatum ad illum finem boni quo veraciter beati eſſe poſſimus. Sacrifices are either,
1 Legall: and theſe of three ſorts,
1 Burnt-offerings.
2 Sinne-offerings.
3 Peace-offerings.
2 Evangelicall: and theſe may be divided, as the ſchooles ſpeake, into
1 Sacrificium redemptionis, ſeu univerſalis ſanctificationis.
2 Sacrificia ſpecialis ſanctificationis.
For the Legall, they were umbrae futurorum; viz.
1 Of Chriſts ſacrifice. In which reſpect Nazianzen calleth them foreign; St.kLib. 2. cont. Fauſt. Manich. c. 17. Auſtine termeth them praedicamenta unius veri ſacrificii: and St. Cyril ſaith, Parturiebant veritatem ſacrificii.
2 Of the ſpirituall ſacrifice of Chriſtians, that is, holy offices of Religion and charity. So ſaith St.lLib. 10. de Civit. Dei, c. 5. Auſtine, Quaecun que in myſterio tabernaculi & de ſacrificiis leguntur, ad Dei & proximi dilectionem referuntur: and Juſtin Martyr, Figurae eorum quae vel praedeſtinati ad Chriſtum, vel Chriſtus ipſe geſturus erat. Now as the ſhadow vaniſheth in the preſence of the body, ſo theſe after Chriſts oblation upon the Croſſe, Tunc (asmLib. 4. cont. Marcion. c. 1. Tertullian ſpeaketh elegantly) compendiatum eſt Novum Teſtamentum, & legis lacinioſis operibus expeditum: As thoſe that caſt metals, ſaithnL. de ſpiritu ſanc. Cyril of Alexandria, firſt make a mold, after the faſhion of the bell, veſſell, or image which they caſt; but after the metall hath run, and the veſſell is caſt, or the work finiſhed, they lay aſide their mold of earth: ſo after the worke of our redemption was finiſhed, the types and molds of the law were caſt away. This Origen after his maner expreſſeth by an excellent allegory: Til Iſaac was born & weaned, Hagar & Iſhmael remained in Abrahams houſe, but afterwards they were turned out of doors: ſo til Chriſt the true Iſaac was born and weaned, the bondwoman & her ſon, the Old Teſtament and types therof, remained in the Church: but after his birth and aſcenſion they were for ever caſhiered.
For Evangelicall ſacrifices, they are of two ſorts:
1 The prime and ſoveraigne.
2 Subordinate and ſecundarie.
1 The prime and ſoveraign is of Chriſt himſelfe, who offered his body for our redemption, and by his bloud entred into the holy place: of which St. Auſtine excellently noteth, Unum manebat cum illo cui offerebat, unum ſe fecit iis pro quibus offerebat, unus ipſe erat qui offerebat & offerebatur.
2 Subordinate ſacrifice: to this are referred
1 The ſacrifice of commemoration, or the commemoration of Chriſts bloody ſacrifice in the Sacrament of our Lords ſupper,oTert. de pudicit. c. 9. quo opimitate dominici corporis veſcimur, & anima de Deo ſaginatur, which in this reſpectpIn Pſal. 95. Chryſoſtome calleth coeleſte, ſimul que venerandum ſacrificium; and Irenaeus, novi teſtamenti novam oblationem.
2 The workes of charity, which are calledq1 Pet. 2.5. Heb. 13.16. De idelis. ſacrifices; and we muſt ſtill offer them, if we beleeve Tertullian; Spiritualibus modo hoſtiis litandum Deo: andrCon. Juli. l 10. Cyril, Craſſo miniſterio relicto mentalis fragrantiâ oblationis. And theſe we are to offer the rather, becauſe we are eaſed of the burden of the other. The difference between us and thoſe under the law is not in the duty of offering, but in the kind of ſacrifice:ſIren. l. 4. c. 34. oblationes hic, oblationes illic. Quippe cum jam nona ſervis ſed a liberis offerantur, tCap. 21.omnes juſti ſacerdotalem habent ordinem: not to diſtribute the myſteries of ſalvation, but to offer ſpirituall ſacrifices to God.
2 Numerum, Sacrifices in the plurall number: plurall in ſpecie and in individuo. For we are to offer divers kinds of ſacrifices, and we are often to offer them. There are ordinary ſacrifices and extraordinary, morning and evening; ſacrifices of the ſoule, and ſacrifices of the body; internall and externall; whereunto St.uLib. de ſpirit. ſanct. Cyril applyeth that deſcription of Solomons Queene, Pſal. 45. All glorious within, in inward devotion, & in a veſture embroidered with gold, in reſpect of her outward oblations. It is not enough to offer to God inward ſacrifices, we muſt offer alſo outward. Firſt, becauſe God requireth them. Secondly, becauſe we receive from him outward bleſsings. Thirdly, becauſe we ſin in outward things, and therefore ought to ſeek totQuo ſenſu opera placant Dei iram. Vid. in fra. pacifie and appeaſe his wrath by our outward ſacrifices. Of theſe there are divers kinds: I will note three.
1. Of almes and charitable deeds, whereunto theu1. Tim. 6. Heb. 13. Apoſtle exhorteth:x1. Cor. 13. Of theſe three the greateſt is charity: haec eſt Regina virtutum, ſaith S. Chryſoſtome; it is as the purple robe which in ancient time was proper to Princes. If thou ſeeſt this purple robe of charity upon any, ſay certainly he is the child of God, he is an heire of the kingdome of heaven.
2. Of mortification, whereunto theyRom. 12.1. Apoſtle exhorteth. Hereby we expreſſe thez1. Cor. 9.27. 2. Cor. 4.8. dying of the Lord Jeſu in our bodies;
1. By temperance in our diet, which is not more ſalubrious to the body, than healthfull to the ſoule.
2. By faſting, which without doubt is an act tending to religion, and helping it. For ſo wee read,aLuke 2.37. Anna ſerved God with faſting and prayer: and Chriſt promiſeth abMat. 6.13. reward unto it; and the Fathers generally make faſting and almeſ-deeds the two wings, carrying our prayers to heaven.
3. By Chriſtian modeſty in apparell, habit and deportment: cura corporis, incuria animae. The pride and luxury of this age in this kind exhauſteth mens eſtates, and eats up all their holy oblations. What ſhall I ſpeake of our plaſtered faced Jezebels, who are worſe than thoſe Idols which we have caſt out of our Churches? Thoſe are but dead Idols, theſe are living, and rank themſelves with our graveſt Matrons: all bounds of modeſty are broken, and markes of honeſty confounded.
3. Of obedience, whereunto thecHeb. 13. Apoſtle exhorteth. If obedience bee better than ſacrifice, the ſacrifice of obedience muſt needs be the beſt ſacrifice. Yet ſo hath the Divell blinded many, that they place the greateſt Religion in diſobedience. God accepted not Corah his ſacrifice, becauſe he ſacrificed in ſchiſme: nor will hee of their outward religious acts, who ſtand in oppoſition to the Churches authority. Government is as neceſſary in the Church as in the Commonwealth.
3. Qualitatem ſacrificiorum, ſacrifices of righteouſneſſe, that is, ſacrifices rightly offered. Chryſoſtome ſheweth the maner; the ſanctified will (ſaith he) is the altar, charity the fire, the ſword of the Spirit the knife, the hand faith.
4. Effectum, the effect of theſe ſacrifices. As good works partake in the name, ſo have they the effect and vertue of ſacrifices. In a good conſtruction they may be ſaid to appeaſe Gods wrath, and to procure unto us ſpirituall and temporall bleſsings: they may be ſaid to appeaſe Gods wrath three wayes;
1. By taking away the fuell thereof, viz. ſins. For as light expelleth darkneſs, ſo the ſacrifice of righteouſneſſe expelleth impiety and iniquity, which provoke Gods wrath.
2. By brightning the Image of God in us, and making it more conſpicuous: this … enflame Gods love to us in his beloved Chriſt Jeſus. Certainly as … …aments & jewels make a Spouſe more amiable in the eies of her huſ… … good works, when their imperfections are covered with the robes of … righteouſnes, make the ſoule more amiable in the ſight of God and men.
3. By making us capable of a greater meaſure of Gods love and favour. For though they are no way meritorious cauſes of Gods bleſsings ſpirituall or temporall, yet are they as precious diſpoſitions and conditions in the ſubject: and as theſe appeaſe Gods wrath, ſo they may bee ſaid to impetrate of God ſpirituall and temporall bleſsings.
In this argument this grave and learned Divine expatiated, alledging many remarkable paſſages out of the ancient Fathers: namely, out of Saint Chryſoſtome, in Heb. hom. 33. Talibus ſacrificiis placatur Deus: S. Ambroſe de penit. l. 2. c. 4. Qui agit poenitentiam non ſolum diluere lachrymis debet peccatum ſuum, ſed etiam emendatioribus factis operire, & tegere delicta ſuperiora, ut non ei imputetur peccatum: Gelaſ. cont. Pelag. concil. Tom. 2. Tam jugi ſupplicatione, quam eleemoſynis, caeteriſque bonis actionibus expiandum eſt peccatum: Auguſt. ep. 54. Miſericordiae operibus expiatur peccatum: Fulgent. ep. 2. Agnoſcamus opera bona locum orationis habere apud Deum: Hilar. in Matth. can. 4. Charitas errorum noſtrorum ad Deum ambitioſa eſt patrona: Tertull. de patient. c. 13. Mortificatio aures Chriſti aperit, ſeveritatem diſpergit, clementiam illicit: Greg. moral. 9. c. 14. Verba noſtra ad Deum ſunt opera quae exhibemus: Et in Pſal. 7. poenit. Quid eſt manibus Deum exquirere, niſi ſanctis operibus invocare Salvatorem? Cyp. ep. 8. Admoneo religioſam ſolicitudinem veſtram ut ad placandum atque exorandum Dominum, non voce ſolâ, ſed & jejuniis & lachrymis, & omni genere deprecationis ingemiſcamus: Chryſoſt. 2. Cor. hom. 20. Spiritum vocas non verbis, ſed factis opus clamat, & fit ſacrificium.
And now that I have ſet before you the gift of the fourth Speaker, viz. a border of gold with ſtuds of ſilver; it remaineth that I work in it, as in the three former, his embleme, conſiſting of an Image and a Motto: the Image is Cotta, the Motto the words of Cicero, de claris Oratoribus: Inveniebat acutè Cotta, dicebat purè, nihil erat in ejus oratione niſi ſiccum & ſanum. Cotta his invention was acute, his elocution was pure, and there was nothing in his Sermon which was not ſolid and ſound.