A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 1 · Sermon 16
THE SPIRITUALL BETHESDA. A Sermon preached at a Chriſtening in Lambeth Church, the Lord Archbiſhop of Canterbury, and the Lord Duke of Buckingham being God-Fathers, October 29. Anno Dom. 1619. THE SIXTEENTH SERMON.
MARKE 1.9.
And it came to paſſe in thoſe dayes that Jeſus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
BEing to treate of a ſubject agreeable to the occaſion of our preſent meeting, I have made choice of this Scripture, repreſenting unto us the baptiſme and (if I may ſo ſpeake) the chriſtening of Chriſt himſelfe.
1 Becauſe the baptiſme of Chriſt here related by the Evangeliſt cleanſed the holy Font, and ſanctified the river Jordan, and other waters, to the ſpirituall ablution of the ſoule, and fetching out of ſtains and ſpots out of the conſcience, not by the infuſion of any ſupernaturall quality into the water, but by annexing a gratious promiſe to the religious uſe of the element, according to his ordinance. For to this end eſpecially (as SaintaAug. Ser. de temp 30. Non ut ſibi munditiem acquireret, ſed ut nobis fluenta purgaret. Auſtine obſerveth) our Saviour would bee baptized, To ſanctifie the Font in himſelfe, not to cleanſe himſelfe in the Font. In which reſpect wee may rightly tearme Chriſt his baptiſme, baptiſma baptiſmatis, the chriſtening of baptiſme it ſelfe, in as much as our Lord by the deſcending into the water, raiſed it above it's owne pitch, and of a corporall Bath made it a ſpirituall Laver, of an earthly Element an heavenly Sacrament; and this I take to bee the riches which that holy Father ſaith Chriſt put into the river Jordan, in like manner as the Geographers report, that the Indians yeerely throw in a great maſſe of gold and ſilver into the river Ganges. Chriſts body, ſaith hee,bAug. ſer. 1. de Epiph. Attactu corpora tinguntur, & fluenta ditantur, vitalem que gratiam non corpus ex flumine, ſed flumen mutuatur ex corpore. was waſhed, and the ſtreame thereby was enriched; the body received not vertue from the water, but the water from his body.
2 Becauſe Chriſt was not baptized for himſelfe, but for us, to waſh away that filth and corruption which wee draw from the loines of our parents. As the cauſe of his baptiſme was in us, ſo the effect was for us; hee was baptized corporally in his naturall body, that wee might bee baptized ſpiritually in his myſticall. As for himſelfe, his immaculate conception preſerved him from originall corruption; and therefore the remedy of baptiſme, to him in reſpect of himſelfe, was needleſſe, on whom the diſeaſe neither had nor could faſten: but as for us he had bin before circumciſed, ſo for us was he now baptized, who believe and are baptized in his name. SocJoh. 17.19. For their ſakes I ſanctifie myſelfe, that they might be truly ſanctified, neither pray I for theſe alone, but for them alſo which ſhall believe on me throught their word. himſelfe teſtifieth. As our ſuperfluities were pared off with his knife in circumciſion, ſo our ſpots were waſhed away with water in baptiſme: by his baptiſme of water wee are cleanſed from originall, and by his baptiſme of blood in the garden and on the croſſe, from all our actuall ſinne. When hee went downe into the river, hee carried our old man with him, and drowned him there in Jordan. To which point SaintdAmb. in Luk. Unus merſit, ſed lavit omnes, unus deſcendit ut aſcenderemus omnes, unus omnium peccata ſuſcepit, ut in illo omnium peccata morerentur. Ambroſe ſpeaketh as fully as elegantly; One dived into the water, but he waſhed all; one deſcended that wee might all aſcend; one tooke upon him the ſinnes of all, that hee might deſtroy the ſinnes of all in himſelfe.
3 Becauſe Chriſts baptiſme was the perfect ſampler and patterne of ours. For as Chriſt was waſhed with water, ſo is a Chriſtian. As when Chriſt was baptized theeMat. 3.16.17. three perſons in the Trinity manifeſted themſelves, the Father by a voice from heaven, the Sonne by the water, the holy Ghoſt by the dove; ſo likewiſe in our baptiſme the three perſons are expreſly mentioned, In the name of the Father, &c. Laſtly, as at Chriſts baptiſme the heavens were opened, and the holy Spirit deſcended on our Saviour in the ſimilitude of a dove, ſo at the chriſtening of the children of the faithfull, who are innocent like doves, the heavens are opened, and the grace of the holy Spirit deſcendeth upon them: and after this their new birth by Water and the Spirit, God acknowledgeth them for his Sonnes. Thus farre you heare a perfect concord betweene Chriſts baptiſme and ours: but in one circumſtance, which I am now to touch upon, there ſeemeth a diſcord: for Chriſt was baptized in his perfect age, wee in our infancy or nonage. In thoſe dayes, ſaith myfLuk. 3.1. Evangeliſt, about the beginning of Johns baptiſme, which was in the fifteenth yeere of the reigne of Tiberius Caeſar, verſ. 23.when Jeſus himſelfe began to bee about thirty yeeres of age. At which circumſtance of time the Anabaptiſts greedily catch, as men that are in danger of drowning lay hold on flagges, and rotten ſtakes by the bank ſide that are not able to ſupport them. For though Chriſt were not baptized till hee came to his perfect age, it doth not thence enſue that wee ought … our baptiſme ſo long, or that if we were chriſtened in our infancy, wee ought to bee baptized againe in our perfect age, when wee can give a good account of the hope that is in us, after the manner of the Anabaptiſts. For neither was Chriſt rebaptized, neither is Chriſts caſe and ours alike. Not therefore to lay much ſtreſſe upon Aquinas his reſolution, that Chriſt was baptized in his perfect age, to ſhew that baptiſme maketh a man perfect, which is in effect to ſay, that this delay of baptiſme in Chriſt was of a myſticall ſignification, not for our neceſſary imitation. I anſwer that Chriſt his example in this caſe ought to bee no preſident for us; and that for many reaſons:
1 Our Saviour in his infancy received circumciſion, which then was in ſtead of baptiſme, it being the authenticall ſeale of Gods covenant: and it was not requiſite that two broad ſeales, if I may ſo call them, of the King of heaven ſhould bee put to the ſame deed, at the ſame time, both being entire. Neither was it convenient that the figure and the verity, the type and the antitype, the ſacrament of the old and of the new ſhould meet at the ſame period; but that there ſhould be a good diſtance of time between them.
2 Chriſt needed not baptiſme at all for himſelfe, being conceived and borne without ſinne, and therefore there could be no danger in deferring his baptiſme in that regard: but wee are conceived and borne in ſinne, and have no remedy to heale the leprous contagion of our birrh, but by being waſhed in this Jordan, which Chriſt ſanctified by his baptiſme. Wherefore it is no way ſafe for us to put off this ſacrament, the onelyonly cure of this malady, leſt God take us out of this world whilſt our filthy ſcurfe and ſores are upon us.
3 Chriſt deſired not to bee baptized of John, to bee cleanſed thereby, but either (as I ſhewed before) to ſanctifie baptiſme it ſelfe, or to receive a teſtimony from the Father and from John, and to declare himſelfe to the world; in which regard hee deferred his baptiſme till the time was come when hee ſhould take off the vaile from his face, and ſuffer the rayes of divine majeſty to breake forth.
4 Our Font is alwayes open, or ready to bee opened, and the Miniſter attends to receive the children of the faithfull, and dip them in that ſacred Laver: but in Chriſts infancy there was neither Baptiſt nor baptiſme. Before our Saviour was thirty yeeres of age, either Saint John had not his Commiſſion to baptize, or at leaſt began not to execute it: but as ſoone as hee tooke upon him that holy office, and unſealed the ſacred Font, and multitudes came to him from all parts; In thoſe dayes came Jeſus from Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
Having ſpoken of the ſubſtance, Chriſts baptiſme, let us now poize the circumſtances, which are all weighty, and beare downe the ſcale of Chriſts humility to the ground.
1 That Chriſt in his perfect age ſhould take, if I may ſo ſpeake, the feſtraw into his hand, and bee entred in his Primer, and receive the token of the firſt admittance into his owne ſchoole.
2 That he ſhould not expect John to come and tender his ſervice to him, but ſhould take a long journey to meet with the Baptiſt.
3 That hee ſhould daigne to let him lay his hands on his head, who was not worthy togMat. 3.11. untye his ſhooe; that the fountaine of all chriſtianity, in whoſe name wee are all baptized, ſhould receive his chriſtendome, as wee ſpeake, from another, and bee baptized in the open and common river Jordan. Each of theſe conſiderations addeth a degree of deſcent to our Saviours humility, and conſequently a degree of aſcent to his glory. For there is nothing more glorious than for higheſt majeſty to humble himſelfe in the loweſt and lowlieſt manner. The hPlin. in Panegyr. Curiad ſummum faſtigium nihil ſupereſt, is uno modo creſcere poteſt ſi ſe ſubmiſerit.tree that is at the higheſt pitch can no otherwiſe grow than downeward. 1 If Chriſt would bee baptized, why not in his infancy? why in his perfect age would hee ſtoope to the childrens Font, or, to ſpeake more properly, the ſpirituall Lazars bath, in thoſe dayes when hee was about thirty yeeres of age? 2 If in that age hee would be baptized, to grace and countenance Johns baptiſme, why yet did hee not ſend for John to come to him? why did hee take a voyage to John? why did hee ſeeke after, and runne to his forerunner? Jeſus came from Galilee. 3 If hee would take ſuch a journey to be baptized, having no need of baptiſme for himſelfe, to fulfill all righteouſneſſe for us, why would hee not bee baptized by aniLuk. 2.21. His name was called Jeſus, which was ſo named of the Angell before hee was conceived in the wombe. Angell, who firſt named him Jeſus, but by John his ſervant? Was baptized of John. 4 If hee would bee baptized by a man, the rather to prove his manhood, or countenance the miniſtery of man, why gave hee not order for ſome Font of gold to bee made for him, in a princely palace? why would hee uncloath himſelfe in the open ayre, and goe downe into the common river Jordan, to bee waſhed there as an ordinary man? Why all this, but to exalt his glory by humility, and to teach us to ſtoope low, when wee enter in at the gate of Chriſts ſchoole?
In thoſe dayes, &c. Perfection it ſelfe in his full age taketh the remedy of our imperfections; Jeſus receiveth baptiſme. The way it ſelfe taketh along and tedious journey; Jeſus came from Nazareth to Galilee. The kLeo ſer. de Epiph. Deſcendere in ſe fontem foelix unda miratur.fountain of all purity is waſhed, And was baptized. The Lord and author of baptiſme receiveth his owne badge and cognizance from his ſervant, Of John. The boundleſſe ocean deſcendeth into the river, In Jordan. Well might, ſaith Barradius, the heavens bee opened, that the Angels might behold this wonderfull ſight. A ſtrange and wonderfull baptiſme indeed, in which he that was waſhed was purer than the Font it ſelfe, in which the perſon is not ſanctified by the Sacrament, but the Sacrament by the perſon. A ſtrange and wonderfull baptiſme, in which he is baptized with water, who baptizeth with the holy Ghoſt and with fire. A ſtrange and wonderfull baptiſme, in which the perſon baptized is the Sonne of God, and the two witneſſes the Father and the holy Spirit. A ſtrange and wonderfull baptiſme, in which not the Church doore but heaven gates were opened, and in ſtead of a Sermon from the mouth of a mortall man, there was heard a voice from heaven, ſaying, This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleaſed. Obſerve, I beſeech you, in this and other ſtraines of the ſweet harmony of the Evangeliſts, how the Baſes and Trebles anſwer one the other; how where they depreſſe our Saviour moſt in his humanity, there they raiſe him higheſt in his divinity. In the paſſages of one and the ſelfe ſame ſtory, where you finde moſt pregnant proofes of his infirmity and humility as man, there you have alſo moſt evident demonſtration of his majeſty and glory as God. What greater humility than to lye for many moneths in the dark priſon of the Virgins wombe, and to bee borne of a poore handmaid? this ſheweth him to bee a true man; yet what greater glory than to bee conceived of the holy Ghoſt, and to have a regiment of heavenly Souldiers, to guard him as it were into the world, and a quire of Angels to ſing at his birth? this demonſtrateth him to bee God. What greater argument of his humility than to bee borne in an Inne, lodged in a Stable, and laid in a Manger? this ſheweth him to bee virum dolorum, a man in diſtreſſe and great neceſſity; yet what greater glory than to bee manifeſted by a ſtarre, and preſented by the Heathen Sages with Gold, Frankincenſe, and Myrrhe? this demonſtrateth him to bee God. What greater humility than to bee carried up and downe from place to place by Satan, and to bee tempted by that foule fiend? this ſheweth him to bee a man; yet what greater glory than to be attended on, and miniſtred unto bylMat. 4.11. Then the Divell leaveth him, and behold Angels came and miniſtred unto him. Angels in the deſart? this demonſtrateth him to bee God. What greater humility than to ſuffer himſelfe to bee taken by the high Prieſts ſervants armed with ſwords and ſtaves againſt him, as if hee had beene a Malefactor? this ſheweth him to bee a man, and that of little or no reputation among the Rulers; yet what greater glory than with the breath of his mouth to caſt downe thoſe that aſſaulted him, and make them fallmJohn 18.6. As ſoone as hee had ſaid unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. backeward to the ground, in ſuch ſort that hee might have trampled them under his feete? this demonſtrateth him to bee God. What greater humility than to bee nailed to the croſſe, and to dye in torments? this ſheweth him to bee a mortall man; yet what greater glory than at his death to eclipſe the ſunne, and obſcure the heavens, and move the earth, and cleave the rockes, and rend the vaile of the Temple from the toppe to the bottome, and open graves? this demonſtrateth him to be God In like manner here in my text, what greater teſtimony of humility, than to deſcend into the river, and ſuffer himſelfe to bee baptized by John? yet what greater glory than at his baptiſme to have the heavens opened, and the holy Ghoſt in a viſible ſhape to deſcend upon him, and God the Father from heaven to acknowledge him for his Sonne? this demonſtrateth him to bee God. But to bound my ſelfe within the eclipticke line of my text, where it followeth, Jeſus came from
Nazareth of Galilee. Nazareth was a little towne or village in Galilee, where our Saviour dwelt with his parents for many yeeres, and from his aboad there tooke the appellation of Nazarene. This his countrey with his perſon was highly exalted upon the croſſe the Trophee of his victory over the world; as appeareth by that inſcription, Jeſus of Nazareth King of the Jewes. nHieron. de nom Hebr. Druſius ad voces N. T. comment. Steph. interp. nom. Heb.Nazareth ſignifieth florem, or virgultum ejus, a flower, or a twigge, derived fromoBuxlorf. epit. rad. Natſar ſurculus, ſic dictus quod cuſtodiâ & curâ egeat, ne à vento dejiciatur aut frangatur. Natſar, to keepe, or warily to looke to, becauſe flowers or tender plants need care, leſt they bee blowne downe with a winde, or otherwiſe wronged. Upon which grounds SaintpBer. de concept. Chriſt. Voluit concipiflos in flore intra florem, id eſt, intra Nazareth, ut fieret ipſe flos florens, id eſt, Nazarenus. Bernard thus pleaſantly deſcanteth: The ſweet flower of Jeſſe would bee conceived in the wombe of the bleſſed virgin, a moſt ſweet and unblaſted flower, planted in Nazareth the flower of Galilee, that he might budde and become a Nazarene, that is, a flouriſhing flower. I will adde no more at this time of Nazareth, but that as it was ſaid of Archelaus, thatqEraſ. Adag. Non Euripides ex Archelai, ſed Archelaus ex Euripidis amicitiâ nomen aſſequutus eſt. Euripides was not famous for his acquaintance with Archelaus, but Archelaus for his acquaintance with Euripides: ſo for ought I ever read, Chriſt was not ennobled by Nazareth, but Nazareth honoured, nay rather eternized by Chriſts dwelling in it. This Nazareth is ſituate in Galilee, where our Lord firſt preached the Goſpell of the Kingdome, and declared the power of his Deity by many ſignes and wonders; and becauſe his Countrey-men ſhewed leaſt reſpect to his perſon, and gave leaſt credit to his doctrine, it fell out by the juſt judgement of God in the conqueſt of Palaeſtine by the Romanes, that the Galileans firſt ſmarted for their unbeliefe, the whole countrey being ſpoiled and laid waſte by Veſpaſian. From Galilee we returne with our Saviour to Judaea, where hee met John, and was
Baptized of him. At the firſt mention of our Lords baptiſme this objection offereth it ſelfe to every mans conceit. The whole need not the Phyſitian, but they that are ſicke; the cleane need not to be waſhed, but they that are foule; the innocent neede not to aske or receive pardon, but the guilty; why then ſhould the health and ſalvation of all mankind take this purge? why ſhould the immaculate lambe bee waſhed in the Font? why did hee deſire the ſeale of remiſſion of ſinnes, who knew no ſinne, neither was there guile found in his mouth? 1 S.rAmb. in Luk. 2. Baptizatus eſt Dominus non mundati volens, ſed mundare aquas, ut ablutae per carnem Chriſti, quae peccatum non novit, baptiſmatis jus haberent. Ambroſe anſwereth, that our Lord was baptized, not that hee might bee cleanſed by the water, but (as was touched before) intending thereby to cleanſe and ſanctifie the water, that being waſhed by Chriſts fleſh, it might thereby bee elevated to bee an inſtrument of the holy Ghoſt in the ſpirituall waſhing of the ſoule. 2 SaintſAug. de. bapt. Chriſt. Ne homines gravarentur ad baptiſmum Domini venire, cum Dominus ipſe non gravaretur ad baptiſmum ſervi venire. Auſtine addeth that our Saviour vouchſafed to bee baptized, to draw all men to Chriſtian baptiſme; for why ſhould any refuſe to come to the Lords baptiſme, when the Lord himſelfe daigned to come to the baptiſme of his ſervant? 3 Saint Jerome aſſigneth a third reaſon of Chriſts receiving baptiſme from John, viz. that hee might ratifie, and give authority to Saint Johns baptiſme. 4tCalvin. haerm. evang. Ut certiùs ſibi perſuadeant fideles ſe in Chriſti corp, inſeri, & conſepeliri cum eo in baptiſmo, ut in novitate vitae reſurgant. Calvin yeeldeth a fourth reaſon, that the faithfull might bee more aſſured that they are engraffed into Chriſt, and are buried together with him in baptiſme, that they may riſe up againe with him in newneſſe of life. But our Saviours reaſon muſt ſtand for all, thus it becommeth to fulfill all righteouſneſſe: the righteouſneſſe of the law hee had fulfilled in that behalfe, in being circumciſed the eighth day; and now hee began to fulfill the righteouſneſſe of the Goſpell. The ceremoniall law was in force in Chriſts infancy, which required circumciſion; and now the Goſpell began to bee in force: after Johns baptiſme circumciſion went out, and baptiſme came in with John: therefore it was now requiſite that Chriſt ſhould bee baptized; But why ſhould hee bee baptized of John?
Of John. It had beene an office beſeeming the firſt of the Angelicall Hierarchy, to lay hands on the head of the Church: True; but Jeſus now came in humility, and as hee was in the forme of a ſervant, ſo hee vouchſafed to bee baptized of a ſervant. The Lord commeth to doe honour to his ſervant, the ſunne to bee enlightned by a ſtarre, the fountaine to bee waſhed in his owne ſtreame, the roote to receive ſappe and moiſture from the branch, God to receive the Sacrament from man. This doth not more ſet forth our Lords humility than adde to Johns glory. And queſtionleſſe a ſpeciall reaſon that moved our Saviour to receive baptiſme from Saint John was, to countenance Johns miniſtry, and to give authority to his fellow-labourer, and, if I may ſo ſpeake, under-workman. For John brought ſtones to Jeſus, and cut them for the building, and Jeſus layd them in the foundation of the heavenly Jeruſalem, neare himſelfe the corner ſtone: John rough-hewed the Jewes with the axe of Gods judgements threatned againſt them,uMat. 3.10. The axe is layd to the root of the tree, &c. to cut them downe and caſt them into hell-fire, unleſſe they repented; Chriſt ſmoothed and poliſhed them with the doctrine of the Goſpell, that they might bee like*Pſal. 144.12. the poliſhed corners of the Temple; or like thexLam. 4.7. Nazarites, whoſe poliſhing was of Saphire: John waſhed the ſores of wounded conſciences with water, as the Jailer didyAct. 16.33. Paul and Silas ſtripes of body; Chriſt healed them with the ointment of the ſpirit: John cleanſed the inward roomes of the ſoule by the water of baptiſme and penitent teares; Chriſt ſtrawed the ſwept roomes with the flowers of Paradiſe: John began, Chriſt finiſhed; John baptized with water, Chriſt with the holy Ghoſt and with fire: Jeſus and John reſemble the Cherubins in the Arke, caſting a gracious looke one upon the other: Alter in alterius jacientes lumina vultum. Jeſus like the ſunne caſteth light upon John, and John like a Chryſtall glaſſe reflects it upon him. Jeſus ſaith ofzJoh. 5.35. John he was a burning and ſhining lampe, John aJoh. 1.34.ſaith of Jeſus, This is the Sonne of God: Jeſus teſtifieth of John, that hee was Elias, John of Jeſus that hee was the Meſſias: Jeſus pointeth to John, ſaying,bMat. 11.9. Behold a Prophet, yea and more than a Prophet; John to Jeſus, ſaying,cJoh. 1.29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the ſinnes of the world: Jeſus commeth to honour John in deſiring his baptiſme; John by putting him back at the firſt, honoureth him the more, ſaying, IdMat. 3.14. have neede to bee baptized of thee, and commeſt thou to me? John ſaith of Jeſus,eMat. 3.11. I am not worthy to beare his ſhooes; Jeſus ſaith of John in effect, I account him worthy to lay hands on my head.
I have gone down the foure former ſteps and deſcents of our Saviours humility, I am now to deſcend to the fift, which was Chriſts deſcending into
Jordan, and his vouchſafing to accept of the water of that common river to conſecrate baptiſme in his owne body. The Ancients, who delighted much in Acroſtickes, wrote for Chriſt, foreign, that is, a Fiſh: for if you take the firſt letters of theſe words, foreign, (Jeſus Chriſt the ſon of God crucified) and joine them together, they make the word foreign. This foreign, or myſtical Fiſh is taken by John in the river Jordan, and that head before which the Cherubins and Seraphins,Caput tremendum poteſtatibus inclinatur ab homine. and all Principalities in heaven bow, is bowed by John on earth, and dipped under the water in the river Jordan; this the particle foreign intimateth, foreign, that is word for word, Hee was baptized into the river Jordan. Here if you demand with the curious Schoole-Divines, why Jordan hath the honour and precedencie of all other rivers? why Chriſt made not choice rather of the Red ſea, to bee baptized in it as hee fled into Egypt, conſidering the Red ſea was an evident type of baptiſme? For as Pharaoh and his hoſte were drowned in the Red ſea, ſo all our ſpirituall enemies are deſtroyed in the Red ſea of Chriſts blood, whereof the waters of baptiſme are a figure. Wee neede not goe farre for anſwer, the words immediately going before may reſolve the point in queſtion: Jeſus came to bee baptized of John who baptized at this time in Jordan; Chriſt choſe not John to baptize him for Jordans ſake, but Jordan to be baptized in for Johns ſake. Howbeit it if you will dive deeper into Jordan, you may find in it a more remarkable type of baptiſme than in the Red ſea. For as Zeno the Biſhop of Verona long agoe obſerved, the Iſraelites after they had paſſed the Red ſea came into the wilderneſſe; but wee paſſe through the Red ſea of Chriſts blood over into Paradiſe. The river Jordan was in the children of Iſraels way to the land of promiſe, ſo is the water of baptiſme in ours to the coeleſtiall Canaan. Shall I adde out of SaintfAug. ſer. 2. de Epiph. Sicut aquae Jordanis converſae ſunt tranſeuntibus Iſraelitis, Ita Chriſto baptizato retrorſum peccata converſa ſunt. Auſtine, that as the waters of the river Jordan were turned backe when the Iſraelites paſſed over it; ſo at this entry of Chriſt into Jordan the ſinnes of all true believers were driven back, and the courſe of our nature turned another way? Or out ofhAquinas in ſuplem. Elias diviſit aquas Jordanis cum rapiendus eſſet in coelum, quia tranſeuntibus per aquam baptiſmi, per ignem Spiritus ſancti patet aditus in coelum. Aquinas, that as Elias after he had divided the waters of Jordan, was carried up into heaven in a fiery chariot; ſo after wee have parted the waters of the Font in our baptiſme, through the fire of the holy Spirit wee are carried up, by divine contemplation firſt, and after by reall aſcention into heaven? As I have ſprinkled the waters of Jordan on you in the explication of my text, ſo give mee leave in the application to rub and cleanſe ſome ſores in you with them.
1 Chriſt travelled over a great part of Palaeſtine to Jordan to receive Johns baptiſme; where are they who will not ſtirre out of doores to receive Chriſts baptiſme? Jeſus came himſelfe to Jordan, they will have Jordan by a ſecret pipe conveyed into their private houſes. Miſtake mee not, I beſeech you beloved brethren, I goe not about to ſtreighten the bowels of our Mother the Church, which in great charity and compaſſion ſendeth the water of life in baptiſme to infirme infants, and the bread of life in the other Sacrament to ſicke perſons, who are not able to fetch them. But when the childe is ſtrong, the miniſter provided, the congregation aſſembled, if perchance there fall a drop of raine to wet their new ſet ruffe, or there lye any dirt in the ſtreet to foule their ſhooes, upon ſuch or the like ſleight occaſions and frivolous pretences, to deprive God of his publike worſhip, the congregation of the ſpirituall foode, the infant of the benefit of the prayers of the whole aſſembly argueth a great neglect of the ſolemne worſhip of God, and an inſufferable wrong to his Church. The Martyrs heretofore could not bee kept from the Church and publike miniſtry of the Word and Sacraments by feare of haile-ſhot or bullets; theſe are kept from it by a few drops of raine.
2 Jeſus was baptized, who are they who ſleightly eſteeme baptiſme? If the immaculate Lamb were waſhed in the Font of baptiſme, how much more ought they to deſire to be cleanſed therein, who are fuller of ſpots than Leopards? If Chriſt, ſaith S.iAmbroſ. in Luk. Si Chriſtus peccata noſtra lavit, quanto magis nos lavare peccata noſtra convenit, ſi pro nobis Chriſtus lavit, imò nos in corpore ſuo lavit, quanto nos magis lavare delicta noſtra debemus. Ambroſe, waſhed for us, nay rather waſhed us in his owne body, how much more ought wee to waſh our owne ſinnes, originall in the laver of our baptiſme, and actuall in the baptiſme of teares?
3 Jeſus vouchſafed to bee baptized of John, a man though of admirable gifts, and eminent place in the Church, yet in compariſon of our Saviour hee was not ſo much as a ſtarre of the ſixt magnitude to the ſunne: where are they who refuſe the holy Sacraments from the hands of any miniſter who is of inferiour place, or of meaner gifts, at leaſt in their account? Doth the potion worke the leſſe becauſe the Phyſitian that adminiſtreth it is himſelfe crazie? doth the plaſter leſſe heale becauſe it is applyed by an Apothecary that hath a ſore hand? doth not the lees or ſope ſcoure white which is received from the hand of a blackmore? is a piece of coine, bee it an Angell, or Soveraigne, or Jacobus, of leſſe value if it bee tendered by a beggar? They need to be better catechized, who know not that the effect of the Sacrament dependeth upon the power and promiſe of God, and right forme of adminiſtring it according to his Word, and not upon the dignity of the miniſter.
4 Jeſus was baptized in the open and common river Jordan: where are they who diſdaine the common Font? No Font will ſerve them but a Font of gold new made, or a ſilver baſon with their armes on it. Saint Paul teacheth us that the way to heaven is a hard and rugged, a ſtony and thorny way, through many afflictions; theſe thinke to goe to heaven treading all the way upon rich carpets, or roſe leaves. By their reaſon Chriſt the Sonne of God, and Prince of heaven ſhould have refuſed the common river Jordan, and not have received baptiſme in any river but ſuch as Ganges or Pactolus, whoſe ſands are ſaid to bee full of rich Ore. Doe they thinke it is pleaſant to God to keepe ſtate in their march towards heaven? to receive the Sacrament of Chriſtian humility in pride? to profeſſe the renouncing of the pompes and vanities of this world, and in the very profeſſion thereof at the Font to ſhew the pompe and vanity thereof?kEraſ. apoph. Plat. Calcare ſaeculi faſtum majori faſtu, for which Plato juſtly taxed Diogenes. But the time excludeth, and that whereof mine eyes are now witneſſes, ſilenceth all ſuch otherwiſe ſeaſonable increpations. For wee all ſee, and rejoyce to ſee this infant preſented by the parents to God in the Temple, and reverently and modeſtly brought, without diſplaying the enſignes of gentility, to holy baptiſme; the publicke miniſtry is not neglected, the common Font is not deſpiſed. Such an aſſembly, ſo honourable, ſo religious, ſo full, wee rather pray for than hope for upon the like occaſion in this place. Let the honour of it redound to God, the benefit to the infant to bee baptized, that the Peeres of this Kingdome, and other perſons of eminent quality, have for a time abſented themſelves from the Kings court, and now preſent themſelves in the Courts of the Lords houſe to adde a Lamb to Chriſts flocke. Such an illuſtrious conſtellation of ſo many ſtarres, and ſome of the firſt magnitude, hath ſeldome appeared in this Horizon. What remaineth, but that wee now proceed with joy and comfort from the Pulpet to the Font, from the Word to the Sacrament, from feeding our owne ſoules to make a Chriſtian ſoule?Solin. Polyhiſt. Fuſca pecora vertit in candida. Solinus reporteth of a river in Baeotia that it turneth the colour of the ſheepe that are waſhed in it, in ſuch ſort that if they were before blacke or dunne, they become preſently as white as milke. That may bee a fable, but this is Goſpell, that ſuch is the vertue of the conſecrated waters of baptiſme, wherein Chriſts lambes are uſually waſhed through divine benediction upon this holy ordinance, that though they were never ſo blacke or foule before, yet after they come out of this laver they are moſt cleane and white, and ſo continue till they plunge themſelves into the mire of worldly deſires and fleſhly luſts. Glorious things may be ſpoken of thee thou Well of life. O ſacred Font of God, O royall Bath of Chriſt, O heavenly Laver, O ſpirituall Betheſda, infinitely exceeding that wonderfull poole in Jeruſalem mentioned by Saint John. For that healed but bodily infirmities, this cureth ſpirituall maladies; that healed him only that was firſt let downe into it after the Angell moved the water; this healeth all thoſe that are dipped into it, or ſprinkled with it, after the miniſter, who is Gods Angell, ſtirreth this water: that received a medicinall vertue for the body, as Saint Jerome conceiveth, from the blood of the ſacrifices that were waſhed in it; this receiveth a ſpirituall and divine vertue for the cure of the ſoule, from the blood of the immaculate lambe Chriſt Jeſus. For his blood cleanſeth us from all our ſins. In other waters, as Zeno noteth, living creatures are caſt in alive, and after they are held a good while under the water, or ſink downe of themſelves, are taken out dead: but contrariwiſe, in the ſacred Font children are dipped in dead, to wit, in treſpaſſes and ſins, but are taken out alive, alive to God, enlived by his ſpirit, quickned by his grace. This life of grace God grant to the infant now to be metriculated into the Univerſity of all Saints, and continue it in us all, that Chriſt may live in us here by grace, and we for evermore live with him hereafter in glory. To whom, &c.