Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 38
A Sermon on the Epistle on VVhitsondaye. Acte. ii.
WHen the fiftie dayes were come to an ende, they were all with one accorde to gether in one place. And sodaynelye there came a sounde from heauen, as it had ben the commyng of a mightie wynde, and it fylled all the house where they sat. And there appeared vntounto them clouen tongues, like as they had bene of fire, and it sat vpō eche one of them, and they were all fylled with the holye ghost, and began to speake with other tongues, euen as the same spirite gaue them vtteraunce. Then were dwellynge at Ierusalem Iewes, deuoute men, out of eueryevery nation of them that are vnderunder heauen. When this was noysed about, the multitude came together and were astonyed, because yt euerye man hearde them speake with hys owne language. They wondred all and marueyled, sayinge amonge theym selues: Beholde, are not all these whtche speake, of Galile? And howe heare we eueryevery man his owne tongue, wherein we were borne? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, & the inhabiters of Mesopotamia, and Iewry, and of Capad… cia, of Pontus, and Asia, Phrigia, and Phamphilia, of Egipte, and of the parties of Libia, whiche is beside Sirene and straungers of Rome, Iewes and Proselites, Grekes, and Arrabians, wee hauehave heard them speake in our owne tongues the great workes of God.
THE EXPOSITION.
VUhitsonday, whiche of the Grecians is called Pentecoste,Pentecoste▪ what it signifyeth. doothe sygnifie fyftie dayes. For Whitsondaye is the fyftie day in number from that daye that Christ rose again. In the which day was celebrate & kept holy amongest the Iewes also an high feast, in remēbrance that in the fiftieth day after that they had eaten the pascall lambe, and departed out of Egipt: they receiued ye law at mount Sinai. And for ye continuāce of this benefite & of this setting forth of the law, and of making a couenant with the people, was this feast ordeined of god, that they might neuer forget this holy obligation and bande,Exod. 20. as the hystorie in the seconde boke of Moyses, and the .xx. chapter doothe declare.
And truely it doothe appere by the hystories of the olde testament, as witnesseth sainct Paule also in his Epist. to the Corinthians, that whatsoeuer befell then amongest the people of the Iewes, was but a figure of those thynges,1. Cor. 10. that shoulde be declared to vsus in the newe testament. Wherfore euen as in the newe testament, we hauehave an other pascall lambe, and better then the olde:Exod. 12. (For the blood of the lambe in Egypt was to anoynt y• doore postes, that the Angel myght not hurt the bodies nor kil the fyrst borne therin: but the blood of the lambe Christ was shed on the Crosse, to the entent that we myght be delyuered throughe hym oute of the true Egypt,…. Cor. 5. Heb. 9.10. that is, from the tyranny of the deuyll, synne, and deathe, so in the newe testamente we hauehave a better Whitsontide & Penthecost, then it was in the olde testament.The Pētecost of the Iewes The Iewes in the olde testament dyd receaue in the mount Synai the tenne commaundementes: Whiche doctrine was good, profitable and necessarie, and maye be worthily embraced, as a great benefite, but in it hauehave we no sure succoure and aide againste the kyngdome of the deuill,Rom. 7. synne, and death: but rather by the helpe of that lawe we are declared to be more greuous sinners, and through our owne conscience, are accused before God, and proued gyltie,Iohn. 7. for as muche as we doo not that, whiche the lawe commaundeth vsus to doo.
Exod. 34. 2. Cor. 3.Wherfore, euen as there was a very dreadfull sight in the mount, when GOD spake, and all thynges so troubled with thunder & lyghtnynge that the hyll did smoke, and semed to be moued: So is this alwayes the propretie of the law, when it worketh effectuously in the hearte, to terrifie and feare,The lawe accuseth. and to dryue a man to desperation, so that in the hearte there remayneth no deuice to escape that daunger. And surely for a man to know what God requireth,2. Cor. 3. and to feele and perceaue that he hathe no power to do the same, must nedes be occasion of great feare and dreade inwardely. For herof it doth folow, that a man thinketh that he is condemned alredy of God to death, orels that he shall forthwith suffer the paynes of deathe. Wherfore the Pentecost of the Iewes is a remembraunce of a great and necessarie thyng, yet the consideration therof can not be pleasant and acceptable.Exod. 19. For the example of the people dothe declare what thys mysterie woorketh inwardly. When they desyre Moses to be a mean betwene them and God, and when they thought it necessarie in theyr heart to hauehave a meane, & yet could not fynde who might be this meane and mediatour. But GOD hym selfe hathe promysed a Mediatour whyche is a Prophete lyke vntounto Moyses &c.Deut. 8. And by thys he doothe declare, what shoulde bee the Whytsontyde of the Newe Testamente,The Whytsontide or Pē thecost of the christians. that it is fulle of comforte, swetenesse, ioye and peace. For thus sayeth the Euangeliste, as it is rehersed, that in the daye of Pentecoste whenne the Iewes dydde kepe holye the feast of theyr lawe, at what tyme that the Apostles and Disciples were gathered togyther, sodeynelye there camme as it were the sounde of a vehemente wynde, and fylled the whole house,Actes. 2. and there appered vppon them clouen tongues, as it hadde bene of fyre, and so the Holy ghoste was opened there, bothe to the syghte of the eyes. and the hearynge of the eares. For in the sounde was he hearde and seene in the fyre,Luc. 24. Act. 1. Math. 3. as Christ hadde promised before, and Iohn Baptist prophecied, that they shold be baptised in fyre and spirite.
But all these thynges hauehave theyr signification and meanynge.What the fyrye tongues signifye. The tongues doothe sygnifie the office of preachynge, whiche thenne shall woorke with effecte, when the holy ghost worketh therwith, yt therby maye be enkendled a newe lyght inwardly. And forthwith after this sounde and fyry tongues he sytteth on eche of them, and so dothe inflame their heartes, and with such a blast and motion perceth their vnderstandyng: that in a momente of an hower they knowe bothe God and his sonne Iesus Christ, they vnderstand the scriptures, and waxeth so bold in heart, that they dare openly professe the true knowlege of God, so that thei can speake with all languages, where as before they knewe but their owne.Esa. 2. For out of Sion it behoued, that the lawe shoulde procede, and the woorde of the Lorde oute of Hierusalem,Math. 23. Marc. …6. and that afterwarde the Gospell shold be heard in al lāguages. And forasmuch as ye Gospel shuld be publyshed not only in Iury, but also in all the worlde: therfore the holy ghost dothe instruct his apostles with languages, that it myght bee vniuersally sette foorth throughout all the earth.
This is our Whitsontide and Pentecost in the new Testament,Why the Apostles speake with diuers languages. wherby the trewe knowledge of God is ordeyned, not with feare and dreade, but with ioy and peace, whereby there ryseth suche a conscience at the length, which turneth not from God, but abydeth all things for Christs sake, as the apostles by theyr examples doo shewe.Act. 5. Act. 20.21. Not only Christ at his laste supper, prophecieth of this Whitsontyde, but also the Prophetes, Dauid, Esaias, Hieremias, Ioell, Zacharias, and other.
Wherfore we shall not lose our labour,Psal. 6…. Esa. 60. Hiere. 3. Ioel. 2. Zachar. 3. but rather bestowe our tyme very well, yf we at a certayne appoynted tyme, enstructe men of the holye Ghost, teaching what he is, and what is his propretie, and what is nedefull for vsus to doo, that we also maye obteyne the same spirite. And fyrst of all we muste not thynke that the holy ghoste was then firste in the congregation and neuer before.The holye ghost hath alwayes ben of the churche. For hee is God eternall and almyghtie (as Christ sayth) that he cometh of the father Wherfore he is of one substance and nature with the Father, and there be many euident testimonies, that the holy ghoste hath always bene effectuous in men, and hath lightned them,Iohn. 16. and broughte them into the waye. For Christ hymselfe and Peter also sayth, that the Holy Ghost spake by the Prophets,2. Pet. 1. Luc. 12. and the Euangelistes doo testifye of Anna, Zacharia, Elizabeth, Iohn Baptist, that they had the holy ghost.
Wherfore we must thynke and beleue none other thyng of the holy ghoste then wee beleue of Christe,Christe the sonne of god. which hath ben for euer, and forthwith after the fyrste promyse made in Paradyse exercised his office, and stode in battaile against the deuil, and began to breke the head of the serpent.Gen. 3. This worke was long agone began of the sonne of man, and euer diligently done, and at laste fully accomplyshed, at what tyme he became manne, and dyed on the Crosse, and the thyrde daye rose agayne from the deade. Therfore the workynge of the Holy Ghoste was therewyth, and the holy Ghoste was alwayes in the worlde, gouernyng mens hearts, and stirryng vp their faith by the word, in them he kyndled a lyght, and them he cōfirmed and brought into all truthe.
But yet he dydde at lengthe perfectly and absolutely fulfylle thys greate woorke vppon thys Whytsondaye,The reuelacion of the holye ghost on whitsondaye. wherein hee was not secrete and priuie, as hee was before. But hee declared hym selfe openlye, that all that dyd see, myghte perceaue and confesse, that the holy ghoste was present. For where as there were some amongest theym in thys place, that iudged the woorkynge of the holy Ghoste to be dronkennesse, it was doone of an aduysed and purposed madnesse. For they are proued false by theyr owne reason, wherby they may knowe that diuers languages commeth not of dronkennesse,why the holye ghost was opened on whitsonday. or of newe wyne. It shoulde make muche with oure matter to consyder, why the reuelation of the holy Ghost was deferred vntounto this daye. For euen as after the delyuerance of the old people, there folowed immediatly the couenant betwene GOD and the people: so after our delyuerance whyche commeth thorough Christe, doothe this pledge of the Holy Ghoste ensue, whereby we myght be made certayne and confirmed as concernyng the couenant betwene God & vsus. For fyrst was it mete that this deliuerance shoulde be made and confyrmed thoroughe CHRIST, By christ receaue we the holy ghoste.and that he should entreate the Father to sende vsus the Holy Ghoste: And by hym onelyonly are we made parte takers of thys greate gyfte:Psal. 68. as wee sayde in the daye of the Ascension, prouynge it by the thre score & eight Psalme, That hee ascended on hye, and receaued gyftes for men.Act. 2. For thus doothe Peter also expounde that saying in his sermon of this daye, where as he saieth: Wherfore Christe beynge exalted on the ryght hand of God, when he had receaued the promise of the holy ghoste of his father, he dyd shedde foorth this as you now see and heare.
And this is the fyrste worke of his, but hath bene alwayes in the worlde wyth dewe administration and workynge.The holye ghoste is god from euerlastyng. But yet on this daye at the laste dyd he openly declare hymselfe, where as he shewed foorth hymselfe with greate vertue and strengthe, so that by this reuelation we maye knowe, what a greate thynge CHRIST hath wrought and brought to passe for vsus, thorowe his death and resurrection.
Secondarilye, this is to be noted, that as the scripture geueth a peculiar name vntounto CHRIST, and calleth hym the worde of GOD: So doth it also geue a proper name to the sprite callynge it Spiritus Sanctus, that is the holye Ghoste, whiche by his grace doth sanctifye the heartes, whiche were before vnholy and defiled with synne.
This name bringeth greate conforte to all good Christian men. For they perceaue that they are weaker then the deuill, and vnable at all times to resyste hys temptations. And as they are verye sorowfull that they fele the euyll spirite sore sette agaynste them, so are they put in good hope,Why the spirite of god is called the holye ghoste. that by CHRIST they obtayne the holye Ghoste, whiche pardoneth theyr synnes, and styrreth them to obeye God truly.
But howe the holye Ghoste dooth bringe thys to passe, it is shewed in Iohns Gospell. The holye Ghoste shall reproue the worlde of synne,Iohn. 6. of iustice, and of iudgement. For so are the properties of the Trinitie discerned in the articles of our faith,Diuers propertis of the trinitie. that GOD the father gaue vsus bodye and lyfe, and made vsus to his Kyngedome. And after that oure parentes became the firste synners and vnderunder deaths danger, and we also as by enheritance succeded vntounto their synne and forfet:The proper office of the holye ghoste. The sonne of god was made man, and thorough his death, restored to vsus that, that was loste, & deliuered vsus from sinne and death. This deliuerance doth the holy ghost set forth by the Gospell, and so instructe the heartes of men, to beleue therin, that is, to hauehave sure confort therin, that CHRIST died for them, and that they maye not doubt, but that they are reconciled to God the father by that death, so that he wili no more remember their synnes, but will forgeue them for Christes sake. This doth signifie the sanctifiynge of the heartes, or the purifying by fayth, as Peter speaketh in the Actes of the Apostles.
Act. 15.And wher as is suche remission of synnes by faith, so that we do not despaire, althoughe diuers sinnes remaine, but take sure conforte thorowe the death and resurrection of CHRIST:The seconde sanctifying of the holy ghost There foloweth at the lenght the second sanctifyinge of the holye Ghoste, wherein oure bodyes also are sanctified by the holye Ghoste, as when we geue ouer oure selues no more to sin, nor be delighted therwith, but abstayne,Ephe. 4. and studie to do those thynges that please God, as Paule teacheth. He that stole, set hym steale no more but rather let hym labor with his owne handes that that is good, that he maye hauehave to geue to the nedefull &c. This is the propertie of the holy Ghoste to begin in vsus a newe and true obedience towarde GOD, that we maye resiste synne, and mortifye the fleshe, and so obtaine remission of oure sinnes by faith.
But this sanctifying is not parfect by and by with the first. For if the fyrst were not, the second coulde not muche preuayle. For fleshe and bloud are full of infirmitie, but the deuill is excedynge mighty against vsus, and we hauehave receaued onelyonly the firste fruites of the spirite. Wherefore this obedience can not be parfect, and there is no sanctifyinge to attayne vntounto ryghteousnes before GOD and euerlastynge lyfe, than the sanctifyinge of fayth, wherof is spoken before. For thereof dependeth the whole matter, wheras the second sanctifyinge, when it hath done all that it can, confesseth his owne vnprofitablenes, and stycketh onelye to the sanctifyinge whiche commeth of Gods grace and merciemercy. Hereof then is it plaine why the holye Ghoste is so called, because it doth make holy and sanctifye, that is, by the word, it stirreth vp in vsus fayth towarde CHRIST, that thereby we maye obtayne remission of oure synnes.
Besyde this office of sanctifyinge,Zach. 2. the holy Ghoste hath other offices as he hath other names in scripture. For Zacharie calleth hym the spirite of prayer,Other offices of the holye ghoste. because he encourageth the heartes to truste surelye in GOD, and to call vponupon hym in their necessities. Also CHRIST calleth hym the conforter, whiche helpeth oure heartes by stirringe vsus to take paciently all thynges,Iohn. 14. & that they shoulde be feared by no misfortune, or combrance of the worlde. Also he calleth him the spirit of truth, because to withstand lies and heresies,Iohn. 15. and to confirme the pure word and true faith, he is alwayes bent. Wheras contrariwise the deuill, by our reason and false doctrine woulde caste vsus hedlong into errours and lyes.
These are the proper offices of the holye Ghoste, besyde that he garnisheth the heartes of the faythfull with diuers vertues and gyftes, and is suche a conforter, that bydeth with vsus alwayes, where as all the worldlye conforte is but for a tyme and at laste forsaketh vsus.How the holy ghoste may be obtayned. Seynge then that the holye Ghoste dooth worke suche greate thynges in vsus. This also is to be learned. Whiche is the waye to attaine to suche greate gyftes, and howe they maye begynne to growe in vsus,Luc. 11. and that we maye receaue the holye Ghoste, and thereby be sanctifyed and saued. As touchynge this thynge CHRIST hymselfe doth teache vsus.Prayer. Luke. xj. Wheras he sayth on this wise. Seynge that, you that are euyll can geue good thynges to youre sonnes howe muche more can youre heauenly father geue his holye spyrite vntounto them that aske it of hym. Yt is a sentence worthy to be rehearsed, teachynge fyrste that GOD woulde that the holye Ghoste shoulde be obtayned by prayer of hym, and that he geueth it to them that wyth humble prayers desire it of the father. Wherefore when thou haste a desyre in thy mynde to obtayne the holy Ghoste of GOD: continewe in prayinge, and doubte not but thou shalte obtayne. This is the redye waye to obtayne the holye Ghoste. For CHRIST hym selfe dooth teache thee so to doo,The holye ghost is to be obtaynede by prayer. and to call vponupon GOD the father often for the holye Ghoste, but this prayer as all other prayers muste be made also in the name of IESV, and on suche wyse muste we praye GOD, that he for CHRIST his Sonne sake wyll geue vsus the holye Ghoste.We muste pray in the name of christ And to the attainement thereof, hauehave greate helpe, in that that Christ ascended to the father for no other cause but to receaue these gyftes of the father, and to geue them vntounto vsus. Wherfore in our prayers we can not doubt, for it is not onelyonly, commanded of God that we shoulde praye for the holye ghoste, and also promised that we shall obtayne, but also his wil is redie to geue it. For as muche as Christ therfore sitteth at the right hande of God the father, to distribute amongest vsus these gyftes. For he also receaued them of the father, as it is writent in the .lxviij. psal. Not for hymselfe, but for men,Psal. 68. to geue them vntounto them. Besides prayers, there are other things, also necessary to the obtayninge of the holye Ghoste. For we muste hauehave a feruent studie to read or heare the worde of God, and to vse often the Sacraments, that all these thinges ioyned to gether, may make opē the way for the holy ghost. For this is once for all decreed of the holy ghost, to worke in vsus by the worde & sacramentes. He therfore that litle regarde these thinges, to him shall the holy ghost never come. For to this entent are we baptised, receaue we the Supper of the Lorde, and heare the worde of God. For we know that all these thinges, are as instruments, by the whiche the holye ghoste doth accomplishe his operation in vsus. As examples doth shewe. The three thousand soles, whiche were conuerted this daye of sainct Peter, had neuer ben conuerted, if they had not hearde the worde before.Act. 2. After that they heard the worde, and their heartes were therby moued, they came to baptisme. For Christ so commanded.Math. 28. Marc. 16. So the chamberlain of the Quene of Aethiops could not obtaine the holy ghost without the worde, whiche Philippe spake by the interpretinge of scripture.Act. 3.
When his heart was touched by the preachynge of Philippe, it behoued hym also to receaue baptisme, that the holy Ghoste myghte worke therby.
Wherefore if thou be desirous to hauehave the holye Ghost, first of all thou must pray to the father, for it, and after that thou muste geue diligent hede to the worde and preachinge, thou must often call to minde thy baptisme, what God promised thee there, and what maner of couenaunt he hath made ther with thee. Thou must often come to the Lords Supper. For by the worde and sacraments the holy ghost doth kendle oure heartes with a new light of fayth, that we maye not onelyonly heare the worde, as the harde hearted Iewes dyd heare, but that we maye vnderstand it also, & that therby we may become new men, and get vsus new heartes. Furthermore we must beware, that we do not let the holy Ghost in his worke by fylthy and shamfull liuinge, and that we caste hym not out of vsus by wanton an sinfull maners. For one place can not serue both for the holy Ghost and the deuill.The lyfe is godly to be ordered. Therfore when the deuill tempteth the with couetousnes, wrath, lechery, and other synnes, flee straight waye to prayer, as thou woldest to an anker in a tempeste, that GOD maye preserue thee against temptation, and kepe the obedient vntounto hym. For it is necessary to abstayne frō sinne & the workes of the fleshe, eyther that the holy ghost may remayne with thee styll after thou hast receaued hym, or that thou mayst obtayne hym, that was neuer in thee: or if by infirmitie thou chaunce to fall, thou mayst ryse again, & retourne to ye newnes of liuing. And then specially shal we perceaue that the holy ghost must nedes take place in vsus, and helpe vsus against the deuil, death and hell, wheras contrarie wyse, they that continew in voluntarie synnes willinglye, by a lytle and a lytle fall more and more into the deuils power, & liue with out all repentaunce, and neuer are part takers of the holy Ghost, whose proper office it is as I sayd before, first to sanctifie vsus thorowe faith and remission of our synnes, and then to be an helpe vntounto vsus against sinne,The office of the holye ghoste. that we may shewe obedience to God. But we saide before, that we receaue only the first frutes of the holy ghost, and that fleshe and bloud doth yet remaine in vsus, & shall as longe as we liue, & abide in this worlde.
And herof it is that they, whiche hauehave receaued the holy ghost, are neuerthelesse weake, and doth fal often. Let no man here be offended and thinke, as the Anabaptistes do. whiche are of this opinion, that no man can fal which hauehave receaued the holy ghost. This opinion shold be true if eueryevery man would folow the holy ghost alwayes. For than shold we neuer fal. But that is not possible, because of the craftes and giles of the deuil, and the offences of the worlde, and the infirmitie of ye fleshe. Wherfore it is alwayes necessarie to praye, that the lord wil not take his spirit from vsus, but that he wil of his goodnes kepe vsus in his grace,Math. 6. & dayly encrease in vsus this gifte of the holy ghost, and to forgeue vsus our trespasses, as we pray in the lords prayer.Psal. 51. For the holyest yt be, can not liue without such trespasses: but yet by fayth in Christe are they pardoned that they hurt vsus not. Ye hauehave hearde therfore what is your true whitsontyd and pentecost, Whiche is much more glorious, than the whitsontide of the Iewes. For the holye Ghoste is shedforth vponupon all fleshe, that we by the Gospell may knowe God, and maye be sanctified and iustified by the holye ghost both in bodie and spirit, if so be that we fulfil the office of true religion by prayer, by hearynge the worde, and bringing forth the true fruites of the spirite. Whiche thing the holy ghoste graunt vsus all to do thoroughe Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghoste be all glory for euer. Amen.