A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 3 · Sermon 32 · Part 3
THE THIRD BORDER: OR HORTUS DELICIARUM.
The third border of gold, with ſtuds of ſilver, which the third Speaker offered to the Spouſe, was wrought upon thoſe texts, Gen. 2.15, 16, 17. And the Lord God tooke the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dreſſe it, and to keepe it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ſaying, Of every tree of the Garden thou mayeſt freely eate. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill, thou ſhalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt ſurely die. And thus he put it on.
THis Scripture containeth in it ſeven particulars: of which by Gods aſsiſtance in order.The third Sermon, preached by Dr. Hacket, ſometimes fellow of new Colledge in Oxon, abridged.
1 Who tooke: The Lord God.
2 Whom: The man Adam.
3 What he did with him: He placed him in Paradiſe.
4 To what end: To dreſſe and keepe it.
5 God his large permiſsion to the man: To eat of all other trees.
6 His reſtraint from the tree of knowledge.
7 His puniſhment if he refraine it not: Thou ſhalt die the death.
1. Who tooke.The Lord God, Jehovah, Elohim. In Jehovah note the Unitie, Elohim the Trinitie of perſons. Jehovah ſignifieth that he is of himſelfe, and giveth to all other to be: for he is, as Damaſcene teacheth, the beeing of them that be, the life of all that live. Elohim ſignifieth which ruleth and diſpoſeth all. Of this Almighty Maker and Diſpoſer of all, the more wee ſpeake, the more we have to ſpeake; the more we thinke of him, the more wee finde him greater than our thoughts: and therefore with ſilence admiring that majeſty, which neither tongue of men nor Angels can expreſſe, I paſſe to the ſecond particular:
The Man. Man conſiſteth of a body and a ſoule:2. Whom. his body was made of the earth, his ſoule was inſpired by God, not propagated by generation. The ſoule doth neither beget, nor is begotten, ſaith Chryſoſtome, but is infuſed by God, who is ſaid by the Preacher to give the ſoule,aEccl. 12.7. The Spirit ſhall returne to God that gave it: and in this reſpect is called by the Author of the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, The bHeb. 12 9.Father of Spirits. Upon which words St. Jerome inferreth, Ridendi ſunt qui putant animas cum corporibus ſeri: and St. Auſtine refelleth that opinion by Adams words concerning Eve, This is bone of my bone and fleſh of my fleſh; (he ſaith not, ſoule of my ſoule.) In this part of man, man is ſaid to be made according to Gods own Image, (for thecEpiphan. haereſ. 70. Audians hereſie, which attributed the corporall lineaments of man to God, is long agoe exploded) and that in a threefold reſpect:
1. In reſpect of the faculties of the ſoule;
1. Underſtanding.
2. Will.
2. In regard of the qualities of the ſoule;
1. Lightſome knowledge.
2. Perfect holineſſe.
3. In regard of the rule that God gave him over all creatures. So St. Baſil expoundeth thoſe words, Let us make man after our image, adding, imperiale animal es O homo, quid ſervis affectibus? to whom Chryſoſtome, Athanaſius, Aquinas, and all the Schoole-men aſſent. And let this ſuffice to bee ſpoken of the man: in the third place followeth
Put him into the Garden of Eden. 3. What he did with him.Of this Garden two queſtions are diſputed on by Divines:
1. Whether this Garden were a reall place in the earth.
2. Whether Paradiſe yet remaine.
To the firſt I anſwer, that queſtionleſſe Paradiſe was a true and reall Garden, as S. Jerome and Chryſoſtome affirme againſt Origen. Origines ſic allegorizat ut hiſtoriae tollit veritatem; non licet nobis ita nugari, & ſimpliciorum auribus imponere, dicendo nullum fuiſſe in terris hor tum, quem vocant Paradiſum: and Bellarmine proves it ſufficiently againſt the fancy of Franciſcus Georgius.
To the ſecond I anſwer, That the place of the earth remaineth in ſubſtance, though it is not now a Paradiſe, or hortus deliciarum: for the beauty of it is gone. The curſe of the whole earth, to beare thornes and thiſtles, is come upon it. As for the Paradiſe mentioned in SaintdLuk. 23.43. Luke, and in theeApoc. 2.7. Apocalypſe, it was celeſtiall: and Saintf2 Cor. 12.4. Paul maketh it plaine, where having ſaid hee was rapt up into the third heaven, by and by hee nameth the place, Paradiſe. Upon which words Saint Ambroſe thus commenteth, Paradiſum intelligit coeleſtem, de quo Dominus dixit latroni, hodiè mecum eris in Paradiſo. You have heard where the Lord placed him: it remaineth that we enquire in the fourth place
4. To what end God placed him there.To dreſſe and keepe the garden. God had not yet curſed the earth, neither were the wholſome hearbes degenerated into weeds. Every plant and hearbe brought forth fruit according to their kind, & God that made them good, could have preſerved them in that ſtate of goodneſse: but man had need of ſome imployment, and therefore God injoyned him to dreſſe this garden of pleaſure in this place, to make uſe of his gifts, and by his reaſon and induſtry to modell it into ſome delightfull forme: yet was his labour without all pain, nay, it was full of pleaſure. But why is it added, to keepe it? Surely (ſaith St. Auſtine) no invading neighbour was feared to put him out of poſſeſſion, nor thiefe to rob him of his choiceſt plants; but God would have him therefore to keepe it to himſelfe, ne inde projiciatur. This is wittily inferred by him: but it ſeemes the naturall meaning of the place is this, that he ſhould not onelyonly dreſſe it, as at the firſt, but with continuall care keepe it. God would not have man idle, no not in Paradiſe. Thus briefly of his dreſsing and keeping: now we are to conſider in the fift place
5. Gods large permiſsion.That he might eat of every tree in the Garden. Behold Gods bounty: there was not onelyonly the delicacy of all fruits, but variety; and Adam was not limited to ſome few, he might eat of every tree: neither was he for a ſhort time to have enjoyed this, if he had harkened to the command of his Lord. For in the midſt grew the tree of life, of which he might eat at his pleaſure: the other trees (ſaith S.fLib. 13. è Civit. Dei. Auſtine) were given to him to ſatisfie his hunger and thirſt, but this to give vigour to him, and keep him from infirmity, age, and death: yet this grant was not ſo generall, but that it had annexed unto it a reſtraint, which we are to conſider of in the ſixt place:
6. His reſtraint.From the t…ee of knowledge. It was not ſo called (asgAntiq. …uda…. l. 3. c. 9. Joſephus dreamed) becauſe it had a vertue in it to ſharpen the underſtanding, that man might know God the better. (For it was as the other trees of the Garden, without ſenſe or knowledge:) but it was intituled ſo in a double reſpect:
1. Becauſe joyned to the commandement, it was an outward ſign, ſhewing what was good, viz. what God commanded; and what was evill, viz. what God forbad.
2. In reſpect of the event. As the waters of Meribah or ſtrife were ſo called, becauſe Iſrael there contended: ſo was this tree called the tree of knowledge of good and evill, becauſe hereby Adam knew experimentally what good there was in obeying, and what evill in diſobeying; what good in innocency, and what evill in iniquity; what good within the bounds of Paradiſe, and what evill in the accurſed world. St.hSerm. 14. de ver…. Dom. Auſtine thus openeth the matter, Doe not touch this tree. Why? What is this tree? If it be good, why ſhould I not touch it? If it be evill, what maketh it in Paradiſe? Doubtleſſe it was good; why then may be not touch it? That father anſwereth ſweetly, quia obedientem te volo, non contradicentem; ſerve, prius audi domini juſſum, & tunc jubentis diſce conſilium. God, like a good Phyſician, ſhewed Adam what was hurtfull; Adam like an intemperate patient, would not refraine it.
7. Hi… puniſhment if he reſtraine it not.In the day that thou eateſt thou ſhalt dye. The ſame day thou forſakeſt mee in thy diſobedience, I will forſake thee in my juſtice: thou ſhalt dye, firſt, the death of the body, and after, the death of the ſoule, if thou beleeve not in the promiſed ſeed: and not thou onelyonly in thy perſon, but all thy children ſtand and fall in thee: they ſtand in thy obedience, and in thy diſobedience they fall: and in the truth of this let all confeſſe to the glorie of God, Iniquum eſt ut bene ſit deſertori boni, it was ſinne in Adam to forſake his Maker, it was juſtice in God to puniſh him that in this manner had forſaken him.
Thus much for the opening of the Text. Let us now apply it to this honourable aſſembly.
1 This Garden of Eden may well be compared to our mother the Church.
2 This man, to our ſpirituall and temporall Rulers.
3 This placing man in Paradiſe, to their calling, that is, of God.
4 This dreſsing and keeping it, to their labours in their charge.
5 The eating of every tree, to their reward.
6 Their reſtraint from the tree of knowledg, to that which is forbidden them.
7 This threatned death, to the puniſhment of all tranſgreſſours.
1 Touching our Church, and her reſemblances to Paradiſe.
1 As Paradiſe was ſeparated from other parts of the earth, ſo this Land: the Poet calleth us, Toto diviſos orbe Britannos.
2 As Paradiſe was beautified with the lights of nature: ſo our Church with gifts of grace above nature.
3 As Paradiſe was beſet with faire trees, that hare pleaſant fruits: ſo our Church with many Paſtours, whoſe lives are faire to behold, and the fruits of their lips ſweet to taſte.
4 In the midſt of Paradiſe was the tree of life, in our Church Chriſt crucified: on whom whoſoever feedeth by faith ſhall live for ever. So that what Jacob ſpake of the place where he was, may be ſayd of our Church; This is no other than the houſe of God. For albeit there be many plants in this Garden which the Lord hath not planted; many wild branches that need pruning, many dead, not enlived by Chriſt, many poyſonous weeds, many flowers faire in ſhew, but of a ſtinking ſavour; and no marvell: (for in the Arke there was a Cham, in Abrahams houſe an Iſhmael, in Jacobs family a Reuben, in Davids Court an Abſalom, in the number of Chriſts Diſciples a Judas, nay, in heaven a Lucifer.) Yet ſith our Church ſtriveth to pluck up theſe weeds, and unſavourie or unfruitfull plants, and deſires to be freed of them, it may truely be called the Garden of God. For as St.iAd Felician. Auſtine ſaith, The Goats muſt feed with the ſheepe till the chiefe ſhepheard come. Ille nobis imperavit congregationem, ſibi reſervavit ſeparationem: ille dabit ſeparare qui neſcit errare.
2 Touching our Rulers and Governours reſemblance to the man. Adam, whom God appointed Ruler over all the creatures, was furniſhed with gifts agreeable. God made greater lights to rule the day and night: ſo ſhould they be great in wiſdome, and great in goodneſs that are to enlighten others. I am not to flatter you, nor to reprove you: happy is that Church whoſe Rulers are ſo qualified.
3 Touching the compariſon of Adams placing in Paradiſe with our calling.
1 I note, that God was not wooed with friendſhip, nor won with mony, nor ſwayed with affection, to place Adam in Paradiſe; but of his own voluntary motion he placed him there. Let us tread in the ſteps of our heavenly Father. WhenkOmph. in vit. Clem. Clement the fift Biſhop of Rome was importuned by his kindred, and offred mony to conferre a benefice upon an unworthy man, he anſwered, Nolo obtemperare ſanguini, ſed Deo: let us take on us the like reſolution. For what an uncomely thing is it to ſet a leaden head upon a golden body? to make fooles rulers of wiſe men?
2 I note, that Adam did not ambitiouſly affect this place, nor by indirect means ſought to winde himſelfe into it; but God tooke him by the hand, and placed him there: but now I feare St. Jeromes ſpeech is true of divers, Presbyteratus humilitate deſpectâ feſtinamus epiſcopatum auro redimere.
3 I note, Adam was not created in Paradiſe, but by his maker placed in it. Let mee apply this to you the right worſhipfull Governours of this Citie: You were not born, but brought by God to this rule and governement; though as clouds you ſoare aloft, yet were you but vapours drawne from the earth: it is God that hath lifted up your heads, as he raiſed David from the ſheepefold, and Joſeph from the dungeon. Wherefore in acknowledgment of your owne unworthineſſe, and Gods goodneſſe to you, ſay you withlGen. 32.10. Jacob, With my ſtaffe paſſed I over this Jordan. Say you with David, m1 Sam. 18.11.Quis ego ſum? aut quae eſt cognatio mea? Aſcribe the glory of your wealth and honour to God, kiſſe the bleſſed hand that hath lifted you up, and conſider with me in the next place why God placed you here.
4 Touching Adams dreſsing and keeping Paradiſe, and your charge. St. Ambroſe well obſerveth, that though Paradiſe needed no dreſsing, yet God would have Adam to dreſſe it, that his example might be a law to his poſteritie to dreſſe and keepe the place of their charges. It is not enough for you to be good men, ye muſt be good rulers. He that hath an office muſt attend upon his office: it is opus oneris, as well as opus honoris. Yee muſt not be like antickes in great buildings, which ſeeme to beare much, but indeed ſuſtaine nothing: neither muſt ye lay the whole burden upon other mens ſhoulders, ſith the key of governement is layd on yours. Now in dreſsing the Garden, three duties are eſpecially to be required:
1 To caſt and modell the Garden into a comely forme: Of which I need to ſpeake nothing. Your forme of governement may be a preſident to other Cities of this kingdome: ſtrangers have written in praiſe of it.
2 To root up and caſt out ſtinking weeds. Among which I would commend two to your ſpeciall care;
1 Papiſme.
2 Puritaniſme.
I deny not but that it belongeth to the ſpeciall care of our Biſhops to plucke up theſe weeds: yet as Judas ſayd to Simon, Helpe thou me in my lot, and I will helpe thee in thine; ſo ought both Spirituall and Temporall Governours joyne hands in rooting out theſe weeds.
1 Of Papiſme. In the dayes of Jehoſaphat that good King, it is recorded, that the high places were not taken away, becauſe the people did not ſet their heart to ſeeke the God of their Fathers. The Papiſts ſeeke to their God of Rome thenDiſtinc. 96. Pope, as the Canoniſts ſtile him, not to the God of heaven, nor the God of their Fathers. Did their Forefathers in the Primitive Church equall traditions with Scripture? conſecrate oratories to Saints? pray in an unknown tongue? mutilate the Sacrament? adore the wafer, and call it their maker? did they ſell indulgences to free men from Purgatorie? Saint Peter taught us to bee ſubject to o1 Pet. 2.13.every humane ordinance: St. Paul commandeth every pRom. 13 1.ſoule to be ſubject to the higher powers. The Primitive Chriſtians inqTert. ad S…p. Tertullians time, though they were cruelly perſecuted by the heathen Emperours, and had power and ſtrength enough to revenge themſelves; yet they never lifted up their hands againſt any of thoſe bloudy Tyrants. Heare their profeſsion in Tertullian, Nos nec Nigriani, nec Caſſiani ſumus, we are no Nigrians, no Caſſians, no Rebels, no Traitors; we fill all your Cities, Iſlands, Townes, yea, your Palace and Senate: What were we not able to doe, if it were not more agreeable to our Religion to be killed, than upon any pretence to kill? On the contrarie, the Papiſts teach that it is not onelyonly lawfull, but a meritorious act, to lay hands upon the Lords annointed, if hee favour not their Idolatries and Superſtitions; witneſſe Cardinall Como his inſtructions to Parry, and Sixtus his oration in defence of the Jacobine that murdered Henrie the third. Had the Apoſtles preached this faith to the world, ſhould they have converted the world? Was this the practice of the Primitive Church? Is this Religion to make murder ſpirituall reſolution, to eate their God upon a bargaine of bloud? Cannot God propagate his truth but by theſe wicked and damnable meanes? Origen writeth that ſome unskilfull Emperickes dealt with their Patients not to conſult with learned Phyſicians, leſt by them their ignorance ſhould be deſcried: even ſo the leaders of Papiſts deale with them, they will not ſuffer them to heare our Sermons, or conſult with our Divines, not for love to their followers, leſt they ſhould be inſnared by us; but leſt their falſhood ſhould be diſcovered.
2 Of Puritaniſme. By Puritans the Preacher profeſſed that hee underſtood not thoſe who are uſually branded with that name, but a ſect of impure Cathariſts or Donatiſts, ſtiled The Brethren of the Separation, who refuſe to partake with us in our Prayers and Sacraments, whoſe God is their fancie, and Religion the dreame of their owne heart; who ſeeke to build a Babel of confuſion among us: but the God of heaven confound their tongues. Was not the Church of Corinth more corrupted in Doctrine and Manners than they pretend ours to be? yet Saint Paul calleth it a Church. Doth not Chriſt call it his field where there grew many tares? Did not Chriſt ſuffer Judas, whom hee knew to bee a Theefe and a Traitour, to partake of the Sacrament with his Diſciples? Yet theſe pure Sectaries will none of our Communion, for that ſome uncleane perſons preſume to come thither. To whom wee anſwer as SaintrLib. 3. c. 50. & ep 48. Auſtine doth to Creſconius, Theſe evills are diſpleaſing to the good; wee forbid and reſtraine them what wee can, what wee cannot wee ſuffer: but wee doe not for the tares ſake forſake the field, for the chaffe leave the floore of Chriſt, for the evill fiſh breake the net, for the Goats ſake refuſe the fold of Chriſt. When Religion was partly corrupted, partly contemned in Iſrael, and the Prophets cryed, Goe out from them, and touch no uncleane thing, did they then ſever themſelves from them? I finde no ſuch thing (ſaith SaintſIn Evang. Serm. 8. Auſtine) yet doubtleſſe they did themſelves what they willed others to doe. Hoc ergo eſt exire ore non parcere, hoc immundum non tangere, voluntate non conſentire: liber in conſpectu Dei eſt, cui nec Deus ſua peccata imputat quae non fecit, neque aliena quae non approbavit, ne que negligentiam, quia non tacuit, ne que ſuperbiam, quia ab unitate Eccleſiae non receſsit.
3 To nouriſh the tender and feeble plants, that is, to ſhew mercy on them that are in need. When I call to minde your Almes-houſes for the poore, your Hoſpitalls for the maimed, your houſes of correction for idle perſons; I cannot but commend your care in this behalfe: this Citie may be a preſident for all other places: the Garden of Eden never ſmelt ſo ſweet in the noſtrils of Adam, as the remembrance of theſe your workes of mercy in the noſtrils of Almighty God. Nunquam veteraſcet haec manus. tEccleſ. 11.1.Caſt thy bread upon the waters, and after many dayes thou ſhalt finde it; but ſee thou caſt the bread thou haſt juſtly gotten: Quicquid enim (ſaith St. Gregory) ex ſcelere in Dei ſacrificio affertur, non placat Dei iracundiam, ſed irritat. Secondly, Cave ne rem pauperum non pauperibus tribuas, & liberalitas liberalitate pereat. Thirdly, give that thou intendeſt whileſt thou liveſt. For thou knoweſt not how thy Will will be performed. Heare what St. Baſil ſaith: When thou ſhalt have no name among the living, thou ſaiſt, I will be liberall: Is not this to ſay in effect, I would live alwaies, and enjoy my ſubſtance? but if I die then I give: Wee may thanke thy death for thy bounty, 2 Cor. 9.7.not thee. Be not deceived, God would have a living (not a dead) ſacrifice. Laſtly, you muſt continue in good order the ſeverall places of your charge: the curſed earth will ſtill bring forth weeds, wherewith your garden for want of care will be ſoone over-growne. Remember Saint Pauls curſum conſummavi: non cepiſſe ſed perfeciſſe virtutis eſt, nec inchoantibus ſed perſeverantibus datur proemium. And ſo I fall upon my fift point.
5 Touching the reward. Yee ſhall not dreſſe Paradiſe in vaine, God will be unto you as unto Abraham, a buckler and exceeding great reward: he will build up your houſe, and bleſſe you in all your wayes; yea, he will give you to feed on the tree of life in the midſt of the Paradiſe of God.
6 Touching the prohibition. Sith God is ſo bountifull to permit you to eat of all other trees, eate not of the tree of knowledge: you ſhall not be as Gods, though the Divell tell it you, nor gaine heaven by it, but loſe Paradiſe. Naboth's vineyard, Uriah's wife, Achan's golden wedge, Belſhazzar's quaffing bowles, Gehazi's bribes were forbidden fruit, ſweet in the taſte, but death in the ſtomacke.
7 Touching the puniſhment. Although corporall death ſeizeth not forthwith upon offenders, yet the ſentence is paſſed againſt them: the life of grace is departed from them, and except by repentance they ſeeke to have part in the firſt reſurrection, they ſhall be caſt into the lake of fire without redemption. To conclude all, let us that are deſirous to walke with God, as our callings require, ſeeke to dreſſe and keepe the garden, our mother Church and Countrey: let us not make our ſelves like briars to ſcratch her, or thornes to pricke her, or weeds to annoy her; but as bleſſed plants let us beare plentifull fruits to comfort and nouriſh her.
Thus this Speaker, as if he had taſted of the tree of life, which, as Joſephus writeth, prohibuit ſenium & mortem; this aged Paul diſcourſed unto you of the Garden of Eden in a flouriſhing ſtile: he, as the former two, preſented the Spouſe with a precious border, wherein I am now to work his embleme, conſiſting, as the former, of an Image and a Motto; the Image is Triarius, the Motto the words of Tullie, de claris Oratoribus. Me delectabat Triarii in illa aetate plena literatae ſenectutis oratio: quanta ſeveritas in vultu? quantum pondus in verbis? quam nihil non conſideratum exibat ex ore? I was much taken with the learned oration of Triarius that ancient Oratour: what gravitie was in his countenance? what weight in his ſpeech? how did he ponder every word that proceeded out of his mouth?