A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 6 · Sermon 65
THE MYSTERIE OF THE FIERY CLOVEN TONGUES. THE LXV. SERMON.
ACTS 2.3.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it ſate upon each of them.
AMong the golden rules ofaCael. Rodig. lib. antiq. lect. Nunquam de Deo ſine lumine loquendum. Pythagoras ſo much admired by antiquity, this was one, that we ought not to ſpeake of God without light: the meaning of which precept was not, that we ought not to pray to God, or ſpeake of him in the night, or the darke; but that the nature of God is dark to us, and that we may not preſume to ſpeak thereof without ſome divine light from heaven. Nothing may be confidently or ſafely ſpoken of him, which hath not been ſpoken by him. In which regardbSalv. de gubern. lib. 1. Tanta eſt Majeſtatis ſacrae, & tam tremenda reverentia, ut non ſolùm illa quae contra religionem noſtram dicuntur horrete, ſed etiam quae pro religione ipſi dicimus cum grandi metu dicere debeamus. Salvianus profeſſeth, that hee wrote in defence of the true religion in feare and trembling. To the end therefore that the Apoſtles, who were appointed to be Paſtores paſtorum, Paſtors of paſtors, and Doctors of Divinity through the whole world, might not ſpeake of him who dwelleth in a light which none can approach unto, without light; the holy Ghoſt on this day caſt his beames upon them, ſhining in the fiery cloven tongues. The tongues appeared cloven (ſaith SaintcBernard. ſerm. de Pent. Sunt diſpertitae linguae propter multiplices cogitationes, ſed earum multiplicitas, & uno lumine veritatis, & uno charitatis fervore fit tanquam ignis. Bernard) to repreſent the multiplicity of thoughts, yet the multiplicity of them ſhined in one light of truth, and one fervour of charity, as it were one fire. There appeared new lightnings (ſaithdC…ryſol. ſerm. de Pent. Nova lucis fulgura coruſc…runt, & micantium ſplendor linguarū: igneae ut ſcirent quod loquerentur, linguae ut loquerentur quod ſcirent. Chryſologus) in the aire, and the lustre of ſhining tongues: ſhining to give them light that they might know what they ſpake, and tongues to give them eloquence, whereby they might utter what they knew. This apparition as it was very ſtrange, ſo to outward appearance alſo moſt dreadfull; for it was an apparition of a ſpirit, and that in fire, and this fire caſt it ſelfe into the ſhape of tongues, and theſe tongues were cloven. Of all ſights, apparitions of ſpirits moſt affright us: of all apparitions of ſpirits, thoſe in fire moſt dazle our eyes: and never fire before ſeene in theſe ſhapes ſitting upon the heads of any. Yet was it a moſt comfortable apparition, becauſe it was the manifeſtation of the Comforter himſelfe. The Spirit was no evill ſpirit, but the holy Ghoſt: the fire was no conſuming, but only an enlightening flame: the tongues proclaimed not warre, but ſpake peace to the Apoſtles: neither did the cleaving of them in ſunder betoken the ſpirit of contradiction or diviſion amongſt them, but the diverſitie of languages wherewith they were furniſhed: neither did the fire ſitting on them, ſinge their haire, but rather crowne their heads with gifts and graces befitting the teachers of the whole world. Let the ſeeming and outward terrour then of the ſignes ſerve to ſtirre up your attention, to liſten to what the tongues ſpeake unto you, and yee ſhall finde the fire of the ſpirit at your hearts, to enlighten your thoughts, and enflame your affections, and purge out the droſſe of your naturall corruptions.
Lo here
1. An apparition of tongues.
2. Tongues of fire.
3. Fire ſitting.
1. Tongues cloven and floating in the aire, a ſtrange ſight.
2. Tongues as of fire, a ſtrange matter.
3. Fire ſitting, a ſtrange poſture.
Of which before I can freely diſcourſe, I muſt looſen three knots which I finde tyed upon the words of my text:
1. By Grammarians.
2. By Philoſophers.
3. By Divines.
The firſt is, how doth foreign, or ſedit in the ſingular number, agree with foreign, or linguae in the plurall?
The ſecond, whether was the miracle in the tongues of the Apoſtles, or in the eares of the hearers? For either way it might come to paſſe, that men of ſeverall languages might heare them ſpeake in their ſeverall tongues the wonderfull works of God.
The third, how was the holy Ghoſt united to theſe tongues? hypoſtatically or ſacramentally?
The firſt knot is thus untyed; either that there is an errour in our copies, vitio ſcriptoris, writing foreign for foreign for α, or that foreign is to bee conſtrued with foreign, ignis, not foreign, and it ſate, that is the fire, upon each of them.
The ſecond is thus diſſolved; the miracle was in the tongues of the Apoſtles: foreMark. 16.17. Chriſt promiſed that they ſhould ſpeake with new tongues, not that their hearers ſhould heare with new eares. Yee (ſaithfAct. 1.5. Chriſt) ſhall be baptized with the holy Ghoſt, and with fire, not many dayes hence: and accordingly the Apoſtles ſaw fierie cloven togues, not cloven eares; and the fireg1 Cor. 14.2.ſate upon them, it licked not the eares of their auditours. Moreover, it is evident out of the Epiſtle to the Corinthians, that many who were endued with the gift of tongues, might and did uſe it in the aſſembly of the faithfull, when they that heard them underſtood them not, which could not be if the miraculous gift had beene in their eares, and not in their teachers tongues.
The third knot is thus looſened: the holy Ghoſt was united to theſe tongues, neither hypoſtatically nor ſacramentally, but ſymbolically only. If hee had beene united to them hypoſtatically, the Apoſtles might and ought to adore the Spirit in them, and the fire might as truely have beene ſaid the holy Ghoſt, as the man Chriſt to be God. Neither were the wind and fire Sacraments, becauſe no ſeales of the covenant, no conduits of ſaving grace, of no permanent or perpetuall uſe. S.iTract. 99. in Johan. Non magis ad unitatem perſonae ſpiritui ſancto hic ignis fuit conjunctus, ut ex illo & Deo una perſona conſtaret, quam columba, Matth. 3. iſta enim facta ſunt de creaturâ ſerviente, non de ipsâ dominante naturà. Austine thus reſolveth, This fire cut out as it were into ſeverall portions like tongues, was no otherwiſe united to the holy Ghoſt than the Dove, Matth. 3. neither of which was ſo aſſumed, as that of it and God one perſon conſiſted: the Spirit in theſe apparitions uſeth the creature, but united not himſelfe unto it perſonally or ſubſtantially.
And there appeared. In the originall foreign, there were ſeene: for it was no deluſion of ſenſe, but a true and reall apparition: the Apoſtles with their eyes beheld them, and with their tongues teſtified the truth of this apparition of tongues. Falſe religions, ſuch as the Pagan and Popiſh, make uſe of falſe apparitions and lying wonders, whereby they bleare the eyes, and ſeduce the ſoules of the ſimple: but the true religion, as it diſalloweth all ſophiſticall arguments and falſe ſhewes of reaſon, ſo alſo it diſavoweth all falſe apparitions and deceivable ſignes. The witch at Endor raiſed up a man, or rather a ſpirit, in the likeneſſe of Samuel, who never was ſeene after that day he communed with Saul: but thoſe whom our Saviour raiſed lived many dayes if not yeeres after. Conjurers and Inchanters ſet before their gueſts daintie diſhes in ſhew and appearance, but their greater hunger after them is an evident demonſtration, that the Divell all the while fed their fancies with Idaeas and reſemblances, and not their ſtomacks with ſolid meats: but our Lord when heekJoh. 6.10, 11, 12, 13. multiplyed the loaves and fiſhes, hee gave this ſenſible and undeniable proofe of the truth of this miracle, both by ſaturitie in the ſtomacks of the people, and by ſubſtantiall remnants thereof in the baskets. When they were filled (ſaith the Evangeliſt) hee ſaid to his diſciples, Gather the fragments that remaine, that nothing be loſt. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten.
Cloven tongues. The holy Ghoſt which now firſt appeared in the likeneſſe of tongues, moved the tongues of all the Prophets that have ſpoken ſince the world began. For the l2 Pet. 1.21.prophecie came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God ſpake as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt. Of all the parts of the body God eſpecially requireth two, the heart & the tongue; the heart whereby mRom. 10.10.man beleeveth unto righteouſneſſe, and the tongue whereby he maketh confeſsion unto ſalvation: the heart to love God, the tongue to praiſe him. Out of which conſideration the Heathen, as Plutarch obſerveth, dedicated the Peach-tree to the Deitie, becauſe the fruit thereof reſembleth the heart of man, and the leafe his tongue. And to teach us that the principall uſe of our tongue is to ſound out the praiſes of our maker, the Hebrew calleth the tongue, Cobod, that is, glory, as, My heart was glad, nPſal. 16.9. & 30.13 & 57.9. Buxtorph. Epit. radic.and foreign, my tongue alſo (Hebrew my glory alſo) rejoyceth. They who glorifie not God with their tongue, may be truly ſaid to have no tongue in the Hebrew language: and verily they deſerve no tongues, who make them not ſilver trumpets to ſound out the glory of God. And if ſuch forfeit their tongues, how much more doe they who whet them againſt God and his truth; whoſe mouths are full of curſing and bitterneſſe, direfull imprecations and blaſphemous oathes? Theſe have fierie tongues, but not kindled from heaven; but rather, as S.oChap. 3.6. James ſpeaketh, ſet on fire of hell: and their tongues alſo are cloven by ſchiſme, faction, and contention, not as theſe in my text for a myſticall ſignification.
Cloven. Some by cloven underſtand linguas bifidas, two-forked tongues, and they will have them to be an embleme of diſcretion and ſerpentine wiſdome: others linguas diſſectas, ſlit tongues, like the tongues of ſuch birds as are taught to ſpeake; and theſe conceive them to have beene an embleme of eloquence. For ſuch kinde of tonguespHieroglyph. l. 33. Pierius affirmeth, that the Heathen offered in ſacrifice to Mercurie their god of eloquence; and they made them after a ſort fierie, by caſting them into the fire, ad expurgandas perperam dictorum labes, to purge out the droſſe of vain diſcourſes: foreign. In the originall it is foreign, tongues parted at the top, but joyned at the roote: and they repreſented (ſaithqIn Act. Quia in proximo debebant dividi in omnes terras. Gorrhan) the diſperſion of the Apoſtles, which after enſued, into all countries. Theſe tongues were not of fire, but
As it were of fire. The matter of which theſe tongues conſiſted was not groſſe and earthly, but aeriall, or rather heavenly, like the fire whichrExod. 3.2. Moſes ſaw in the buſh: for as that, ſo this had the light, but not the burning heat of fire. It is not ſaid of fires in the plurall, but of fire in the ſingular number, becauſe as the ſilver trumpets were made all of one piece, ſo theſe twelve tongues were made of one fierie matter, to illuſtrate the diverſitie of gifts proceeding from the ſame ſpirit.
And it ſate. Sitting in the proper ſenſe is a bodily geſture, and agreeth not to tongues or fire; yet becauſe it is a geſture of permanencie or continuance, the word is generally uſed in the originall for foreign,ſChryſ. in Act. 2. foreign. ſignifying to abide or reſide: and ſo it may expreſſe unto us the continuance of theſe gifts of the Spirit in the Apoſtles, and may put us in minde of our dutie, which is to ſit to our preaching, and continue in the labours of the miniſtrie. Give t1 Tim. 4.13, 14, 15.attendance (ſaith the Apoſtle) to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecie, with the laying on of the hands of the presbyterie. Meditate upon theſe things, give thy ſelfe wholly to them, that thy profiting may appeare to all.
Upon each of them. Whether theſe tongues entred into the mouths of the Apoſtles, as Amphilochius writeth of S. Baſil, or reſted upon their heads, as S. Cyril imagined; whence ſome derive the cuſtome ofuLorinus in Act. c. 2. impoſition of hands upon the heads of thoſe who are conſecrated Biſhops, or ordained Prieſts, it is not evident out of the text; but this is certaine and evident that it ſate upon each of them. It ſate not upon Peter onelyonly, but upon the reſt as well as him: S. Chryſoſtome ſaith, upon the*Chryſ. in act. c. 2. foreign. hundred and twentie that were aſſembled in that upper roome: thoſe who ſay leaſt, affirme that it reſted upon all the Apoſtles. For howſoever the Papiſts take all occaſions to advance S. Peter above the reſt of the Apoſtles, that the Roman See might be advanced through him, (as Hortenſius the Oratour extolled eloquence to the skies, that hee might bee lifted up thither with her:) yet the Scripture giveth him no preheminence here or elſewhere: for Chriſt delivereth the keyes of heaven (with the power of binding and looſing) into allxMatt. 18.18. Whatſoever ye binde on earth ſhall be bound in heaven, and whatſoever yee looſe on earth ſhall be looſed in heaven. of their hands: he breathes vponupon them all, John 20.21, 22. and ſendeth them with as full commiſſion as his Father ſent him. All their names ſhine in theyApoc. 21.14. foundation and gates of the heavenly Jeruſalem: and here in my text fierie cloven tongues ſate upon each of them.
And there appeared unto them, &c. As in the Sacrament of Chriſts body, ſo in theſe ſymbols of the ſpirit we are to conſider two things.
1. The ſignes, or outward elements.
2. The thing ſignified by them.
Of the ſignes yee have heard heretofore: hold out, I beſeech you, your religious attention to the remainder of the time, and yee ſhall heare in briefe of the thing ſignified by them. Miracles for the moſt part in holy Scripture are ſignificant: the cloudie pillar ſignified the obſcure knowledge of Chriſt under the Law, the pillar of fire the brighter knowledge of him in the Goſpell; the renting of the veile at the death of our Saviour the opening of the way to the Sanctum Sanctorum, into which our high Prieſt Chriſt Jeſus entred after his death, and there appeareth for us; the curing of all bodily diſeaſes by the word of Chriſt, the healing of all ſpirituall maladies by his word preached. Now if other miracles were ſignificant and enunciative, how much more this of tongues? Verily he hath little ſight of celeſtiall myſteries, who cannot diſcerne divine eloquence in theſe tongues, diverſitie of languages in the cleaving of them, and knowledge and zeale in the fire. As S. John Baptiſt was, ſo all the diſpenſers of Gods myſteries ought tozBernard. in verb. Chriſti. Ille erat lucerna ardens, & lucens; lucere vanum eſt, ardere parum, lucere, & ardere perfectum. bee, burning and ſhining lamps; ſhining in knowledge, burning in zeale.
There are three reaſons aſſigned by learned Commentators, why the Spirit manifeſted himſelfe in the likeneſſe of fierie tongues.
1. To ſhew his affinitie with the Word, ſuch as is between fire and light: the Word is the true light, that enlighteneth everie one that commeth into the world; and here the Spirit deſcended in the likeneſſe of fire.
2. To ſhew that as by the tongue wee taſte all corporall meats, drinks, and medicinall potions: ſo by the Spirit wee have a taſte of all ſpirituall things.
3. To teach us that as by the tongue wee ſpeake, ſo by the Spirit wee are enabled to utter magnalia Dei, the wonderfull works of God, and the myſteries of his kingdome: It is not yee that aMatt. 10.20.ſpeake (ſaith our Saviour) but the Spirit which ſpeaketh in you, which Spirit ſpake by the month of the Prophets that have beene ſince the world began. Our mouthes and tongues are but like organ-pipes, the breath which maketh them ſound out Gods praiſes is the Spirit. And thoſe that have their ſpirituall ſenſes exerciſed, can diſtinguiſh betweene the ſound of the golden bels of Aaron, and of the tinckling b1 Cor. 13.1.Cymball S. Paul ſpeaketh of: for ſacred eloquence conſiſteth not in the enticing words of mans wiſdome, but in demonſtration of the Spirit and power. The fire by which theſe tongues were enlightened was not earthly, but heavenly, and therefore it is ſaid,
As of fire. Chriſt three ſeverall times powred out his ſpirit upon his Apoſtles; firſt,cVerſ. 1.16. Matthew the tenth, at their election and firſt miſſion: the ſecond isdVerſ. 22. John the twentieth, when he breathed on them, and ſaid, Receive yee the holy Ghost: and thirdly, in this place. At the firſt they received the ſpirit of wiſdome and knowledge: at the ſecond, the ſpirit of power and authority: at the third, the ſpirit of zeale and courage.
As many proprieties as the naturall Philoſophers obſerve in fire, ſo many vertues the Divines will have us note in the Spirit given to the faithfull: they are ſpecially eight; Illuminandi, of enlightening: 2. Inflammandi, of heating: 3. Purgandi, of purifying: 4. Abſumendi, of conſuming: 5. Liquefaciendi, of melting: 6. Penetrandi, of piercing: 7. Elevandi, of lifting up, or cauſing to aſcend: 8. Convertendi, of turning. For darkneſſe is diſpelled, cold expelled, hardneſſe mollified, metall purified, combuſtible matter conſumed, the pores of ſolid bodies penetrated, ſmoake raiſed up, and all fuell turned into flame or coale by fire.
1. Of enlightening, this Leo applyeth to the Spirit:
2. Of enflaming, this Gregory worketh upon:
3. Of purifying, this Nazianzen noteth:
4. Of conſuming, this Chryſoſtome reckons upon:
5. Of melting, this Calvin buildeth upon:
6. Of penetrating, this S. Paul e1 Cor. 2.10. The Spirit ſearcheth all things.pointeth to:
7. Of elevating, this Dionyſius toucheth upon:
8. Of converting, and this Origen and many of our later writers run upon.
1. Fire enlighteneth the aire, the Spirit the heart:
2. Fire heateth the body, the Spirit the ſoule:
3. Fire purgeth out droſſe, the Spirit our ſinnes:
4. Fire conſumeth the ſtubble, the Spirit our luſts:
5. Fire melteth metals, the Spirit the hardeſt heart:
6. Fire pierceth into the bones, the Spirit into the inmoſt thoughts:
7. Fire elevateth water and fumes, the Spirit carrieth up our meditations with our penitent teares alſo to heaven.
8. Fire turneth all things into its owne nature, the Spirit converteth all ſorts of men, and of carnall maketh them ſpirituall.
Theſe operations of the Spirit, God grant wee may feele in our ſoules, ſo ſhall we be worthy partakers of Chriſt his body, and by him be ſanctified in body and ſoule here, and glorified in both hereafter. To whom, &c.