Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 1 · Part 7
The Epistle,
Act. 7. 55.
And Steuen being full of the holy Ghost, looked vp stedfastly with his eyes into heauen, &c.
YEsterday you heard how Christ was borne, to day you shall vnderstand how Steuen died: In Christs natiuitie, who was borne in a little village, and in an Inne of that village, and in a stable of that Inne, and laid in a cratch of that stable: wee may learne humilitie not to boast of our great birth. In S. Steuens martyrdome wee may behold an excellent patterne how to behaue our selues at our death, hauing faith in God, and louelove toward our neighbours, the which assuredly will breed such a Christian resolution in vsus, as that wee shall depart this life cheerefully, lying downe in our graues as in a bed to sleepe; for so the text here, when hee had thus spoken, be fell a sleepe. The Church then in ioyning these two festiuals, is desirous that wee should learne to liue well as Christ: and dye well as Steuen. In the words of mSer. 1. de S. Stephane.Augustine, Celebra…imus hester na die natalem quo rex mar…yrum natus est in …ndo, hodie cel bramus natalem quo primicarius martyr…um migra… ex mundo. Oportebat enim v… pri…um immortalis pro mortalibus susciperet carnem, & sie mortalis pro immortals contemneret mortem. Et ideo natus est Dominus vt more…etur pro seruo, ne ser… timeret mori pro domino. Na… est Christus in terris, vt Stephanu… nasceretur in c…lis, &c. And I pray with the nSer. 3. de S. Stephan….same Father hartily, donet mihi dominus p…ca dicere salubriter, qui do…uit Stephane tanto dicere fartiter.
In the whole text two points are to be considered especially the
bloudy behauiour of the Iewes in martyring Steuen.
godly behauiour of Steuen in his martyrdome. toward
God in
generall, hee stedfastly looked vp into heauen, and called vponupon God.
particular, Lord Iesus receiue my spirit.
Men, heartily praying for his enemies on his knees, with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sinne to their charge.
Himselfe, vndergoing his martyrdome so comfortably, that giuing vp the ghost hee laid downe his head vponupon the hard stones as vponupon a soft pillow to sl…epe.
The Iewes in their blind zeale were so furious and mercilesse, that they put Steuen to death, who sought to bring them to eternall life; stoning him as a oAct. 6.11.13.blasphemer against God and his law, who was a man full of faith, and power, and the holy Ghost. An harsh and an hard fact of a stonie people saith pApud Lori…. in loc.Augustine, ad lapides currebant, duri ad duros, & Petris … qui pro Petra, qui Christus est moriebatur.
qArat. …. lib. 1. …m.…ct.Lapides Indaearebellis
In Stephanum lymphata rapis, quae crimine duro saxe… semper eris.
But of their crueltie toward Steuen, and other Prophets of God: in the Gospell appointed for this day more copiously. The most obseruable point in our present text is the godly behauiour of Steuen in his martyrdome, 1. to God, he looked vp stedfastly with his eyes into heauen, &c. rPara…us ser. de S. Stephans.As to the place where his sMat. 6.10.treasure was, his tPhilip. 3.10.conuersation was, his helpe was. uAretius.Hereby teaching vsus whether we should flie for succour in aduersitie, not vntounto men here below: but vntounto God in heauen aboue. so Dauid, xPsal. 120.1.When I was in trouble, I called vponupon the Lord, and hee heard me, yPsal. 121.2.my helpe commeth euen from the Lord. So Iob, my witnesse is in heauen, and my record is on high. And so S. Iames, eueryevery good gift is from zAccording to which our most idustrious Queene Anne gaue for her word in the lottery 1612. La mia Grandezza dal etcelsa.aboue.
Calling vponupon God, and saying Lord.] Thomas Becket a renowned aVide Baron, Mars R…m annot, in decem. 29. & Stapleton in vita Th. m. cantuar.Martyr and Saint among the Papists, at his death earnestly bReg. Heuenden, annal. part. poster pag. 298.commended himselfe and his cause to the protection of S. Mary, but our protomartyr heere (knowing that shee was cErentius as… Marlorat in loc.neque magistra neque ministra, neither mistresse of his soule, nor yet a ministring spirit to his soule) forgetting our Lady, calleth vponupon our Lord only, saying, Lord Iesu receiue my spirit, the which is not an invocation of God the Father, (as dDisputat. Alb. na 3.Fran. Dauid impiously taught, making Iesu the Genitiue case, and the meaning thus, O Father in heauen which art the Lord of thy sonne Iesu) but (as eLib. 3. de fide algrat. cap. vit.Ambrose notes) a prayer vntounto God the Sonne, for besides infinite places of holy Scripture (whe…e Christ is called Lord, and called vponupon as the Lord.) S. Iohn Apocalips, 22.20. vseth as Steuen here Iesu in the vocatiue Case, etiam veni Domine Iesu, euen so come Lord Iesus. Where (Domine Iesu) cannot bee construed the Lord of Iesus, but the Lord Iesus. See Lorin, in loc. & Bellarmine de Christo, lib. 1. cap. 8.
If the Lord be considered without Iesus, howsoeuer in regard of his power he is able, yet in regard of his iustice not willing: the good Angels and blessed Saints in heauen are willing but not able: wretched vncharitable men on earth are neither able nor willing: onelyonly Christ the Mediator betweene God and man is both able and willing to heare vsus and helpe vsus; able, because Lord: willing, because Iesus. And therefore Steuen here doth not inuocate the Lord, but in the name of Iesus, neither doth he call vponupon any Iesus but the Lord Iesus: he lookes not for any succour either from men on earth, or blessed spirits in heauen: onelyonly hee poureth out his soule to the redeemer of his soule, Lord Iesu receiue my spirit.
Receiue.] He knew that his life was fColoss. 3.3.hid with Christ in God, and therefore commendeth his soule to him alone who created it, and redeemed it, and iustified it, and sanctified it, and will in his good time glorifie it. O Lord Iesu, take thine owne into thine owne custodie; seeing I am now to leaue this life, receiue my spirit. Heere then against the Sadduces in Christs age, and Atheists in our time, we may note the soules immortalitie, gMat. 22.32for God is not the God of the dead, but of the liuing. Again, that al soules departed are in certaine receptacles vntill the generall iudgement, they do not obambulate and wander vp and downe, but remaine in places and states of happinesse or vnhappinesse, either in the hands of God, or in the Deuils prison: and therefore all the daies of our life, but especially at the houre of our death, it behooueth vsus to say and pray with S. Steuen, O Lord Iesu receiue my spirit.
My.] Charitie begins with it selfe, malice with another: in our idle busie time men are very sollicitous lest God lay this or that sinne to their enemies charge; but wee may tell them as Christ did other in another cause, hLuk. 23.28.W…epe not for me, but for your selues. If your deuotion be so great, and your praiers so good, pray first for your selues, for you peraduenture hauehave more need; and then wish well and do well vntounto your enemies, as Steuen here, first, Lord Iesus receiue my spirit: and then Lord Iesus forgiue their sinne.
Spirit.] Most men are all for the bodie, nothing for their soule: but S. Stephen is all (as it should seeme) for the soule, and nothing for the bodie. For what is a man profited if he should gaine the whole world, and lose his owne soule, i Mat. 16.26.saith our blessed Sauiour: by which Apophthegme it doth appeare, that eueryevery soule in it selfe is of greater price then a whole world, but thy soule vntounto thy selfe ought to be of greater account then a million of worlds, if (as Empedoiles and kLa…t. in visa Dem…crit.Dem…critus imagined) there were so many: saue this, and saue all; lose …his, and lose all: and therefore let thy whole life be nothing else but a meditation of death; and that thou maist die well as Steuen, endeuour to liue well as Steuen Howsoeuer it goe with thy goods, or good name, be sure to looke well vntounto thy soule; that whether thou die for the Lord, or in the Lord, thou maist cheerfully deliuer it vp vntounto the Lord, as Steuen here, Lord Iesu receiue my spirit.
VntoUnto faith in God he doth adioine louelove to men, without which all his praying, and kneeling, and crying, yea dying had been but as a l1. Cor. 13. l. 3.sounding braise and a tinckling Cimball. Of louelove there be two principall offices, one to giuegive, another to forgiue. S. Steuen is an excellent patterne of both, of the latter especially, praying for his hatefull enemies mAugust. ser. 5. de S. Steph.euen at that houre when hee could scarce gaine time to thinke on his friends. It is said, 1. Peter 2.21. That Christ suffered for vsus, leauing vsus an example. Now Christ on the Crosse praied for his persecu…ors earnestly, nLuke 23.34Father forgiue them, for they know not what they doe. Pendebat, & samen patebat, a, oSer. 4. de S. Stephano.Augustine sweetly. S. Steuen followed his masters example, Lord, lay not this sinne to their charge. The which praier is clothed with two circumstances, hee kneeled downe, shewing his reuerence to God: and cried with a loud voice, manifesting his vnfained affection toward them. VntoUnto the top of which exceeding great charitie there are three degrees.
1. He praied for enemies.
2. For mortall enemies who stoned him.
3. In hot bloud, at that time when they did wrong him most, as being more sory for their riot, then for his owne ruine. For pIller: mimpietatem …. or … sequebau. … eterna, buius eutem moriem vita perpetua. Aug. ser. 5. de Stephano.eternall death is the wages of such a sinne, but euerlasting life, the Crowne of such a suffering.
Hee kneeled downe] God is the Lord of the body, so well as of the soule, and therefore challengeth as well reuerent gesture, as inward deuotion: in praying then either stand as a seruant before thy Master, or kneele as a subiect to thy Prince. qDan. 6.10.Daniel prayed kneeling, rAct. 9.40.Peter prayed kneeling, sAct. 20.36.Paul prayed kneeling, tLuk 22.41.Christ himselfe kneeling, and the uCont. 2. col. 117.Magdeburgenses acknowledge this gesture to be most ancient, and most vsuall among the children of God in all ages, and therefore not to kneele in the congregation argueth either ignorance, or arrogancei. For seeing all of vsus are Gods adopted sons, and not borne to the good we possesse: it behoueth vsus when we come before our Father, especially to craue his blessing, to be dutifull and humble in our cariage.
Concerning kneeling at the Lords Supper: if the Church hauehave power and authority to change the time, commanding vsus to receiue the Communion in the morning, whereas Christ administred it in the x1 Cor. 11.23.night: to change the place, for whereas Christ ordained his Supper in a yMat. 26.18.priuate house, wee communicate in a Temple: to change the number and qualities of the persons, deliuering the Sacrament vntounto more then twelue, and to women as well as men: I see no reason but it hath authoritie likewise to change the gesture. The time was altered because for this sacrifice the morning is the most fit time: the place was altered, because the Church is the most fit place: The gesture was altered also (being a matter not of the Sacraments essence, but of outward order onelyonly) because kneeling is the most fit gesture, for Protestants especially, who deny the grosse reall presence, and hold the Lord, Supper an Eucharist, or thanksgiuing vntounto God for the redemption of the world by the death of his Sonne: giuing of thankes is a part of prayer, and in prayer no gesture so fit as kneeling. Deuout zHi. ron. episted Marcel. de la. astus As…aAsella did vse geniculation in prayer so much, as that her knee; were made brawnie like the knees of a Camel. See Step durant de ritibus Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 24.
It is very remarkeable that Steuen here stood when he prayed for himselfe, but kneeled when he prayed for his enemies: hereby shewing the greatnesse of their aAugustin ser. 2 de S. Stephano.impiety which easily could not be forgiuen, as also the greatnesse of his bCaseta…s. in …c.piety, cAugustin se…. 5. de S. Stephano.Qui plus illorum dolebat peceasa quam sua vulnera. For this end hee cryed also with a loud voice, magnus clamor magnus amor: Or as dIuses.Caietan, he cryed with a loud voice for others instruction and example, that we might be followers of him as hee was a follower of Christ.
Lay not this sin to their charge] The eMat. 5.43.Scribes in their glosses on the Law said expresly, thou shalt louelove thy neighbour, and hate thine enemie. fLombard. 3. sent. dist. 30. Thomas 22. quest. 25 art. 9 gloss in Mat. 5. S. 25. sen. …. theo. lib 6. a …t. 27.Some Papists also thinke that the words of our Sauiour (resist not euill, and louelove your enemies) are not absolute precepts, but onelyonly counsels: according to this doctrine the Castilians (as I hauehave gExhortation to the Princes of Europe by a pilgrim… Spaniard pag 25.read) since the battell of Alijabarto would not suffer any to preach vponupon the friday in the first weeke of Lent, because the Church on that day sings inimicos diligite, louelove your enemies. And hLanquet. ad an. dem. 706.Iustinian being restored againe to his Empire, shewed extreame crueltie toward his aduersaries and their allies; for as often as he moued his hand to wipe the filth from his nose which was cut off, hee commanded one of his enemies to bee put to death. Wherefore seeing to louelove our enemies in the iudgment of some men is against Gods law, and of other beside the law: seeing many men in their precepts, and most men in their practise manifestly shew that it is an hard saying: Saint Steuens charity doth appeare to be great in blessing such as cursed him, and in praying for such as did hurt him.
Iob renowmed in holy Scripture for his patience, said, iIob 31.35.If mine aduersarie should write a booke against me, would I not take it vponupon my shoulder, and binde it as a crowne vntounto me? But Steuen surpassing Iob (as kOrat. de S. Stephano.Gregorie Nyssen obserues) esteemed the very ring of his persecutors, wherewith he was enclosed on eueryevery side, his crown, and eueryevery stone flung at his head a pretious diamond, lLorin. in lec.so that it might hauehave beene said of him, as it was of Dauid: mPsal. 21.3.The Lord preuented him with the blessings of goodnesse, and set a crowne of nDe lapide preti. so. vulgar. Latin. Consule Acostam. con. de S. Stephano.pretious stones vponupon his head. Our goods are sweet vntounto vsus; and therefore wee can hardly forgiue the theese: our good name sweeter; and therefore wee doe more hardly forgiue the slanderer: but our life most sweet, (oIob 2.4. Skinne for skinne, and all that euer a man hath will he giuegive for it) and therefore most hardly doe we forgiue murtherers and martyrers: in hot blood especially while they wring vsus and wrong vsus: and yet Steuen full of the holy Ghost, and therefore full of louelove, pAugustin. ser. 5. de S. Steph.in persecutione positus pro persecutoribus orabat, in the middest of his persecution heartily praied for his persecutors, O Lord Iesu, lay not this sinne to their charge. Our sinnes not forgiuen are qPsal. 50.21.set before vsus, and as enemies in rLorin. in loc.battell fighting against vsus, a pillar of infamie to disgrace the wicked in this, and the next life: the which (as sIn Psal. 33.Basil thinkes) is more grieuous to their soule then hell fire. So that the tAret. in loc.meaning of S. Steuen is in saying (lay not this sinne to their charge) that God would giuegive them a better minde, and not impute this offence, but rather to burie this and all other their sinnes in his death and graue, that they neuer rise vp againe to worke desperation in this world, or destruction in the world to come. uSer. 1. de Stephano.S. Augustine brings in Steuen speaking thus vntounto God: Ego patior, ego lapidor, in me sauiunt & in me fremunt; sed ne statuas illis hoc peccatum, quia vt dicamtibi à te primo audiui. Ego seruus t…us patior, sed muleum interest inter me & te; tu dominus, ego, eruus; tu verbum, ego auditor verbi; tu magister, ego discipulus; tu Creator, ego creatus; tu Deus, ego homo; multum interest inter peccatum istorum qui lapidant me, & illorum qui crucifixerunt te: quando ergo dixisti, Pater ignosce illis, quia nesciunt quid faciunt, pro magno peccato petisti, & me pro minimo petere docuisti: domine ne statuas illis hoc peccatum; ego patior in carne, isti non pereant in mente. Now the Lord heard his praier, and granted his request, xCaluin. in loc.in that Saul had not this sinne said to his charge, as y1. Tim 1.13.himselfe witnesseth I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an oppressor: but I was receiued to mercy, for I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe. So that zVbi sup.Augustine is bold to say, Si Stephanus non sic orasses, ecclesia Paulum non haberet. And aSer. de S. Stephano.Fulgentius, Quo pracessis Stephanus trucidatus lapidibus Pauli, illuc sequutus est Paulus adiutus orationibus Stephani.
When hee had thus spoken.] Vttering such excellent words, and with such a resolute spirit, and in such a reuerent fashion: after he had thus spoken for the matter, and thus for the manner; giuing vntounto God the life of his soule, forgiuing his persecutors the death of his bodie, hee sweetly slept in the Lord. Christus pro nobis hominem induit. Stephanus pro Christo hominem exuit, as bOrat. de S. Stephano.Gregorie Nyssen elegantly. Christ became man for Steuen, and Steuen became no man for Christ, hominem exuit, he so willingly put off his flesh, as a man would put off his clothes at night, and so death as welcome to him as steepe to the wearie: when he had thus spoken, hee fell asleepe.
To cAret in loc.mitigate deaths horror, it is called often in holy Scripture sleepe. So the text saith of d1 King. 2.10Dauid, and of e1. Kin. 11.43Salomon, and of other Kings of Israel and Iuda, that they slept with their fathers. In the new Testament also such as are dead in the Lord, are said to f1. Cor. 15.18sleepe in Christ. I would not hauehave you (saith g1 Thess 4.13Paul) ignorant concerning them which are asleepe, &c. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you, and many sleepe, 1. Cor. 11.30. For man in his graue sleepeth, and waketh not againe till the heauen be no more, Iob 14.12. So great a resemblance the Gentiles acknowledged between dying and sleeping, that Ouid cals sleepe hLib. 2. de art. amant.mortis imago, deaths image; iAenead. 6. Idem re…at. Aug epist. 120 cap. 33.Virgil consanguineus lathi, the kinsman of death: kHer furen. act. 4. in Chore. Idem Homer. & O…pleus.Seneca the brother of death, and Hesiode the sister of death. Among infinite comparisons I finde that death is principally likened vntounto sleepe,
In lCaiet in loc.respect of the
Rest of the dead.
Resurrection of the dead.
Concerning the first: it is said by the mApec. 14.13spirit, Blessed are the dead in the Lord, for they rest from their labore, and so God nPsal. 127.3.giueth his beloued sleepe. The coffin is a couch, oAmbros. ser. 28.in que mollius ille dormit, quisquis durius in vit a se gesserit. I finde in the records of antiquitie, that a Sepulchre is called pVide Lorin. in loc.requietorium, a bed of qTul. lib. 2. de legibus. Cambriitem v…cant sepulchrum, B….sacred rest and securitie, which Valerius Probus expressed in these letters, H.R.I.P. Hic requiescet in pace, and Pet. Diaconus in other, D.M.S. Dormiunt mortus securi.
rG…ienardin. de Iacob. Triul. milite.Hic mortuius requiescit semel,
Qui viuus requieuit nunquam.
But here we must obserue, sCaluin. Arolius.that our soule sleepes not in the dust, as our body till our last dome: For the soules of the reprobate at their death are tLuk. 12 20.fetched away from them, and carried into uLuk. 16.23.hell. But the soules of such as die in the Lord, instantly liue with the Lord, conueied by the glorious Angels into Abrahams bosome, Luk. 16. 22. So Christ xLuk. 23.43.expresly to the theese on the Crosse, Verily I say to thee, this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. yAmbros. de bono matu, cap. 8.Anima absoluitur, corpus resoluitur: quae absoluitur, gaudet; quod resoluitur in terram suam, nihil sentit. And so the Saints departed are dead in their worst part onelyonly, but liuing in their best: euen in that wherein they desire to liue most, as an Heathen zMarti…. Epigram. lib. 6. Epigram. 18.Poet diuinely:
Sed lugere nefas, nam quite (Prisce) reliquit,
V…t qua volnit viuere partemagis.
And therefore though the aPsalm. 79.2.dead bodies of Gods seruants hauehave beene giuen as meat to the sowles of the aire, and their flesh vntounto the beasts of the land; yet bPsal. 116 13right deare in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. And these things (as cLib. de …. ra …, cap. 2.Augustine note,) are spoken in the Psalme not to shew the Martyrs infelicitie, but in amplification of the murtherers inhumanitie. For the dApos. 20.13.sea shall giuegive vp the dead in it, and the glorious Angels in the last day shall eMat. 24 31.gather together all Gods elect from the foure winds, and from the one end of the heauen to the other, and then this f1. Cor. 15 53corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortall immortalitie; then our bodie which hath a long time slept in the graue, shall be roused vp againe by the sound of the g1. Thes. 4.16trumpet, and raised vp againe by the power of our blessed Sauiour, who died for our sinnes, and rose againe for our iustification. And then he shall change our hPhilip. 3.21.vile bodie, that it may be fashioned like vntounto his glorious bodie. Then he which is the iIohn 11.25.resurrection and the life, shall giuegive vsus our perfect consummation in bodie and soule in his eternall glory. kIob 19.25.Iob in his greatest extremitie said, I am sure that my Redeemer liueth, and though after my skinne wormes destroy this bodie, yet shall I see God in my flesh. lPossidonius in vita Aug. cap. 17.Ambrose being readie to depart out of this world, told his acquaintance, Non sic vixi vt me pudeat inter vos viuere: sed nec mori timeo, quia bonum dominum habemus: I hauehave not so liued among you, that I am ashamed to liue: neither doe I feare to die, because we serue a good Lord. mPerkins tract. of dying well. Idem referi Simon Grinaeus de cius vita & obitu.Oecolampadius to his friend visiting him at the point of death, What shall I say to you, newes, I shall be shortly with Christ my Lord. The renowned Martyr Babilas (when nBaron. annal. Tom 1 ad an. 253 & martyreleg Rom. Ianuary 24.Decius the cruell Emperour had commanded his head to be chopped off) oMagdeburg. cent. 3. col. 305.vsed the words of the pPsal. 116.7.Psalmist, O my soule returne to thy rest. And Steuen here stoned to death, is said Terminis terminantibus, to sleepe in the Lord. qPet. Damian. ser. de S. Steph.Felix somnus cum requie, requies cum voluptate, volupt as cum aternitate.