Eighty Sermons, miscellaneous · Sermon 71
SERM. LXXI. At the Haghe Decemb. 19. 1619. I Preached upon this Text. Since in my ſickneſſe at Abrey-hatche in Eſſex, 1630. reviſing my ſhort notes of that Sermon, I digeſted them into theſe two.
MAT. 4.18, 19, 20.
And Ieſus walking by the Sea of Galile ſaw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, caſting a net into the Sea, (for they were fiſhers.) And he ſaith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fiſhers of men; And they ſtraightway left their nets, and followed him.
SOLOMON preſenting our Saviour Chriſt, in the name and perſon of Wiſdome, in the booke of Proverbs, puts, by inſtinct of the Holy Ghoſt, theſe words into his mouth,Prov. 8.30. Deliciae meae eſſe cum filiis hominum, Chriſts delight is to be with the children of men; And in ſatisfaction of that delight, he ſayes in the ſame verſe, in the perſon of Chriſt, That he rejoyced to be in the habitable parts of the Earth, (that is, where he might converſe with men) Ludens in orbe terrarum, (ſo the Vulgat reads it) and ſo our former Tranſlation had it, I tooke my ſolace in the compaſſe of the Earth. But ſince Chriſts adverſary Satan does ſo too,Job 1.7. (Satan came from compaſsing the Earth to and fro, and from walking in it;) ſince the Scribes and Phariſees doe more then ſo, They compaſſe Land and Sea, to make one of their own profeſsion, the mercy of Chriſt is not leſſe active, not leſſe induſtrious then the malice of his adverſaries, He preaches in populous Cities, he preaches in the deſart wilderneſſe, he preaches in the tempeſtuous Sea: and as his Power ſhall collect the ſeverall duſts, and atomes, and Elements of our ſcattered bodies at the Reſurrection, as materialls, members of his Triumphant Church; ſo he collects the materialls, the living ſtone, and timber, for his Militant Church, from all places, from Cities, from Deſarts, and here in this Text, from the Sea, (Ieſus walking by the Sea, &c.)
In theſe words we ſhall onelyonly purſue a twofold conſideration of the perſons whom Chriſt called here to his Apoſtleſhip,Diviſio. Peter and Andrew; What their preſent, what their future function was, what they were, what they were to be; They were fiſhermen, they were to be fiſhers of men. But from theſe two conſiderations of theſe perſons, ariſe many Circumſtances, in and about their calling; and their preferment for their chearfull following. For firſt, in the firſt, we ſhall ſurvay the place, The Sea of Galile; And their education and converſation upon that Sea, by which they were naturally leſſe fit for this Church-ſervice. At this Sea he found them caſting their Nets; of which act of theirs, there is an emphaticall reaſon expreſſed in the text, For they were fiſhers, which intimates both theſe notes, That they did it becauſe they were fiſhers; It became them, it behoved them, it concerned them to follow their trade; And then they did it as they were fiſhers, If they had not been fiſhers they would not have done it, they might not have uſurped upon anothers Calling; They caſt their Nets into the Sea, for they were fiſhers) And then, in a nearer conſideration of theſe perſons, we finde that they were two that were called; Chriſt provided at firſt againſt ſingularity, He called not one alone; And then they were two Brethren, perſons likely to agree; He provided at firſt againſt ſchiſme; And then, they were two ſuch as were nothing of kinne to him, (whereas the ſecond payre of brethren, whom he called, Iames and Iohn, were his kinſmen) He provided at firſt, againſt partiality, and that kinde of Simony, which prefers for affection. Theſe men, thus conditioned naturally, thus diſpoſed at this place, and at this time, our bleſſed Saviour calls; And then we note their readineſſe, they obeyed the call, they did all they were bid, They were bid follow, and they followed, and followed preſently; And they did ſomewhat more then ſeemes expreſly to have been required, for, They left their Nets, and followed him. And all theſe ſubſtantiall circumſtances inveſt our firſt part, theſe perſons in their firſt eſtate. For thoſe that belong to the ſecond part, Their preferment upon this obedience, (Follow me, and I will make you fiſhers of men) it would be an impertinent thing, to open them now, becauſe I doe eaſily foreſee, that this day we ſhall not come to that part.
In our firſt part,Andreas. The conſideration of theſe perſons then, though in this Text Peter be firſt named, yet we are to note, that this was not the firſt time of their meeting; when Chriſt and they met firſt, which was, when Iohn Baptiſt made that declaration upon Chriſts walking by him,Joh. 1.35. Behold the Lamb of God, Peter was not the firſt that applied himſelfe to Chriſt, nor that was invited by Chriſts preſenting himſelfe to him, to doe it; Peter was not there; Peter was not the ſecond; for, Andrew, and another, who were then Iohn Baptiſts Diſciples, and ſaw Chriſt declared by him, were preſently affected with a deſire to follow Chriſt, and to converſe with him, and to that purpoſe preſſe him with that queſtion, Magiſter, ubi habitas? They profeſſe that they had choſen him for their Maſter, and they deſire to know where he dwelt, that they might waite upon him, and receive their inſtructions from him. And in Andrews thus early applying himſelfe to Chriſt, we are alſo to note, both the fecundity of true Religion; for, as ſoone as he had found Chriſt, he ſought his brother Peter, Et duxit ad Ieſum, he made his brother as happy as himſelfe, he led him to Jeſus; (And that other Diſciple, which came to Chriſt as ſoone as Andrew did, yet becauſe he is not noted to have brought any others but himſelfe, is not named in the Goſpel) And we are to obſerve alſo, the unſearchable wiſdome of God in his proceedings, that he would have Peter, whom he had purpoſed to be his principall Apoſtle, to be led to him by another, of inferior dignity, in his determination. And therefore Converſus converte, Thinke not thy ſelfe well enough preached unto, except thou finde a deſire, that thy life and converſation may preach to others, And Edoctus diſce, thinke not that thou knoweſt any thing, except thou deſire to learne more; neither grudge to learne of him, whom thou thinkeſt leſſe learned then thy ſelfe; The bleſſing is in Gods Calling, and Ordinance, not in the good parts of the man; Andrew drew Peter, The leſſer in Gods purpoſe for the building of the Church, brought in the greater. Therefore doth the Church celebrate the memory of S. Andrew, firſt of any Saint in the yeare; and after they have been altogether united in that one feſtivall of All-Saints, S. Andrew is the firſt that hath a particular day.Bernar. He was Primogenitus Teſtamenti novi, The firſt Chriſtian, the firſt begotten of the new Teſtament; for, Iohn Baptiſt, who may ſeeme to have the birthright before him, had his conception in the old Teſtament, in the wombe of thoſe prophecies of Malachy, Mal. 3.1. Eſa. 40.3.and of Eſay, of his comming, and of his office, and ſo cannot be ſo intirely referred to the new Teſtament, as S. Andrew is. Becauſe therefore, our adverſaries of the Romane hereſie diſtill, and racke every paſſage of Scripture, that may drop any thing for the advantage of S. Peter, and the allmightines of his Succeſſor, I refuſe not the occaſion offered from this text, compared with that other, Ioh. 1. to ſay, That if that firſt comming to Chriſt were but (as they uſe to ſay) Ad notitiam & familiaritatem, and this in our Text, Ad Apoſtolatum, That they that came there, came but to an acquaintance, and converſation with Chriſt, but here, in this text, to the Apoſtleſhip, yet, to that converſation, (which was no ſmall happineſſe) Andrew came clearly before Peter, and to this Apoſtleſhip here, Peter did not come before Andrew; they came together.
Theſe two then our Saviour found,Mare Galilaeum. as he walked by the Sea of Galile. No ſolitude, no tempeſt, no bleakneſſe, no inconvenience averts Chriſt, and his Spirit, from his ſweet, and gracious, and comfortable viſitations. But yet this that is called here, The Sea of Galile, was not properly a Sea; but according to the phraſe of the Hebrews, who call all great meetings of waters, by that one name, A Sea, this, which was indeed a lake of freſh water, is called a Sea. From the roote of Mount Libanus, ſpring two Rivers, Jor, and Dan; and thoſe two, meeting together, joyning their waters, joyne their names too, and make that famous river Jordan; a name ſo compoſed, as perchance our River is, Thameſis, of Thame, and Iſis. And this River Jordan falling into this flat, makes this Lake, of ſixteene miles long, and ſome ſixe in breadth. Which Lake being famous for fiſh, though of ordinary kinds, yet of an extraordinary taſte and reliſh, and then of extraordinary kinds too, not found in other waters, and famous, becauſe divers famous Cities did engirt it, and become as a garland to it, Capernaum, and Chorazim, and Bethſaida, and Tiberias, and Magdalo, (all celebrated in the Scriptures) was yet much more famous for the often recourſe, which our Saviour (who was of that Countrey) made to it; For this was the Sea, where he amazed Peter, with that great draught of fiſhes, that brought him to ſay, Exi à me Domine, Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a ſinfull man; Luk. 5.8.This was the Sea, where himſelfe walked upon the waters; Matt. 14.25.8.23.And where he rebuked the tempeſt; And where he manifeſted his Almighty power many times. And by this Lake, this Sea, dwelt Andrew and Peter, and uſing the commodity of the place, lived upon fiſhing in this Lake; and in that act our Saviour found them, and called them to his ſervice. Why them? Why fiſhers?
Firſt, Chriſt having a greater, a fairer Jeruſalem to build then Davids was,Cur Piſcatores. a greater Kingdome to eſtabliſh then Juda's was, a greater Temple to build then Solomons was, having a greater work to raiſe, yet he begun upon a leſſe ground; Hee is come from his twelve Tribes, that afforded armies in ſwarmes, to twelve perſons, twelve Apoſtles; from his Iuda and Levi, the foundations of State and Church, to an Andrew and a Peter fiſher-men, ſea-men; and theſe men accuſtomed to that various, and tempeſtuous Element, to the Sea, leſſe capable of Offices of civility, and ſociableneſſe, then other men, yet muſt be employed in religious offices, to gather all Nations to one houſhold of the faithfull, and to conſtitute a Communion of Saints; They were Sea-men, fiſher-men, unlearned, and indocil; Why did Chriſt take them? Not that thereby there was any ſcandall given, or juſt occaſion of that calumny of Iulian the Apoſtat, That Chriſt found it eaſie to ſeduce, and draw to his Sect, ſuch poore ignorant men as they were; for Chriſt did receive perſons eminent in learning, (Saul was ſo) and of authority in the State, (Nicodemus was ſo) and of wealth, and ability, (Zacheus was ſo, and ſo was Ioſeph of Arimatliea) But firſt he choſe ſuch men, that when the world had conſidered their beginning, their inſufficiency then, and how unproper they were for ſuch an employment, and yet ſeene that great work ſo farre, and ſo faſt advanced, by ſo weake inſtruments, they might aſcribe all power to him, and ever after, come to him cheerfully upon any invitation, how weake men ſoever he ſhould ſend to them, becauſe hee had done ſo much by ſo weak inſtruments before: To make his work in all ages after proſper the better, he proceeded thus at firſt. And then, hee choſe ſuch men for another reaſon too; To ſhew that how inſufficient ſoever he received them, yet he received them into ſuch a Schoole, ſuch an Univerſity, as ſhould deliver them back into his Church, made fit by him, for the ſervice thereof. Chriſt needed not mans ſufficiency, he took inſufficient men; Chriſt excuſes no mans inſufficiency, he made them ſufficient.
His purpoſe then was, that the worke ſhould be aſcribed to the Workman,Nequid Inſtrumentis. Auguſt. not to the Inſtrument; To himſelfe, not to them; Nec quaeſivit per Oratorem piſcatorem, He ſent not out Orators, Rhetoricians, ſtrong or faire-ſpoken men to work upon theſe fiſher-men, Sed de piſcatore lucratus eſt Imperatorem, By theſe fiſher-men, hee hath reduced all thoſe Kings, and Emperours, and States which have embraced the Chriſtian Religion, theſe thouſand and ſix hundred yeares. When Samuel was ſent with that generall Commiſſion,1 Sam. 16.6. to anoint a ſonne of Iſhai King, without any more particular inſtructions, when hee came, and Eliab was preſented unto him, Surely, ſayes Samuel, 1 Sam. 30.(noting the goodlineſſe of his perſonage) this is the Lords Anointed. But the Lord ſaid unto Samuel, Looke not on his countenance, nor the height of his ſtature, for I have refuſed him; for, (as it followeth there, from Gods mouth) God ſeeth not as man ſetth; Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the heart. And ſo David, in apparance, leſſe likely was choſen. But, if the Lords arme be not ſhortned, let no man impute weakneſſe to the Inſtrument. For ſo, when David himſelfe was appointed by God, to purſue the Amalekites, the Amalekites that had burnt Ziklag, and done ſuch ſpoile upon Gods people, as that the people began to ſpeak of ſtoning David, from whom they looked for defence,Ver 6. when David had no kind of intelligence, no ground to ſettle a conjecture upon, which way he muſt purſue the Amalekites, and yet purſue them he muſt, in the way he findes a poore young fellow, a famiſhed, ſicke young man, derelicted of his Maſter, and left for dead in the march, and by the meanes and conduct of this wretch, David recovers the enemy, recovers the ſpoile, recovers his honour, and the love of his people.
If the Lords arme bee not ſhortned, let no man impute weakneſſe to his Inſtrument. But yet God will alwayes have ſo much weakneſſe appeare in the Inſtrument, as that their ſtrength ſhall not be thought to be their owne. When Pete and Iohn preached in the ſtreets,Acts 4.13. The people marvelled, (ſayes the Text) why? for they had underſtood that they were unlearned. But beholding alſo the man that was healed ſtanding by, they had nothing to ſay, ſayes that ſtory. The inſufficiency of the Inſtrument makes a man wonder naturally; but the accompliſhing of ſome great worke brings them to a neceſſary acknowledgement of a greater power, working in that weake Inſtrument. For, if thoſe Apoſtles that preached,Acts 8.10. had beene as learned men, as Simon Magus, as they did in him, (This man is the great power of God, not that he had, but that he was the power of God) the people would have reſted in the admiration of thoſe perſons, and proceeded no farther. It was their working of ſupernaturall things, that convinced the world. For all Pauls learning, (though hee were very learned) never brought any of the Conjurers to burne his bookes, or to renounce his Art; But when God wrought extraordinary works by him, That ſickneſſes were cured by his napkins,Acts 19.11. and his handkerchiefs, (in which cures, Pauls learning had no more concurrence, no more cooperaton, then the ignorance of any of the fiſher-men Apoſtles) And when the world ſaw that thoſe Exorciſts,Verſe 13. which went about to doe Miracles in the Name of Jeſus, becauſe Paul did ſo, could not doe it, becauſe that Jeſus had not promiſed to worke in them,Verſe 19. as in Paul, Then the Conjurers came, and burnt their bookes, in the ſight of all the world, to the value of fifty thouſand pieces of ſilver. It was not learning, (that may have been got, though they that heare them, know it not; and it were not hard to aſſigne many examples of men that have ſtolne a great meaſure of learning, and yet lived open and converſable lives, and never beene obſerved, (except by them, that knew their Lucubrations, and night-watchings) to have ſpent many houres in ſtudy) but it was the calling of the world to an apprehenſion of a greater power, by ſeeing great things done by weake Inſtruments, that reduced them, that convinced them. Peter and Iohns preaching did not halfe the good then, as the preſenting of one man, which had been recovered by them, did. Twenty of our Sermons edifie not ſo much, as if the Congregation might ſee one man converted by us. Any one of you might out-preach us. That one man that would leave his beloved ſinne, that one man that would reſtore ill-gotten goods, had made a better Sermon then ever I ſhall, and ſhould gaine more ſoules by his act, then all our words (as they are ours) can doe.
Such men he took then,Non in-idoneos. as might be no occaſion to their hearers, to aſcribe the work to their ſufficiency; but yet ſuch men too, as ſhould be no examples to inſufficient men to adventure upon that great ſervice; but men, though ignorant before, yet docil, and glad to learne. In a rough ſtone, a cunning Lapidary will eaſily foreſee, what his cutting, and his poliſhing, and his art will bring that ſtone too. A cunning Statuary diſcerns in a Marble-ſtone under his feet, where there will ariſe an Eye, and an Eare, and a Hand, & other lineaments to make it a perfect Statue. Much more did our Saviour Chriſt, who was himſelfe the Author of that diſpoſition in them, (for no man hath any ſuch diſpoſion but from God) foreſee in theſe fiſher-men, an inclinableneſſe to become uſefull in that great ſervice of his Church. Therefore hee tooke them from their owne ſhip, but he ſent them from his Croſſe; Hee tooke them weatherbeaten with North and South winds, and rough-caſt with foame, and mud; but he ſent them back ſoupled, and ſmoothed, and levigated, quickned, and inanimated with that Spirit, which he had breathed into them from his owne bowels, his owne eternall bowels, from which the Holy Ghoſt proceeded; Hee tooke fiſher-men, and he ſent fiſhers of men. Hee ſent them not out to preach, as ſoone as he called them to him; He called them ad Diſcipulatum, before hee called them ad Apoſtolatum; He taught them, before they taught others. As S. Paul ſayes of himſelfe,2 Cor. 3.6. and the reſt, God hath made us able Miniſters of the New Teſtament; Idoneos, fit Miniſters, that is, fit for that ſervice. There is a fitneſſe founded in Diſcretion; a Diſcretion to make our preſent ſervice acceptable to our preſent Auditory; for if it be not acceptable, agreeable to them, it is never profitable.
As God gave his children ſuch Manna as was agreeable to every mans taſte, and taſted to every man like that, that that man like beſt: ſo are wee to deliver the bread of life agreeable to every taſte, to fit our Doctrine to the apprehenſion, and capacity, and digeſtion of the hearers. For as S. Auguſtine ſayes, That no man profits by a Sermon that he heares with paine, if he doe not ſtand eaſily; ſo if he doe not underſtand eaſily, or if he doe not aſſent eaſily to that that he heares, if he be put to ſtudy one ſentence, till the Preacher have paſſed three or foure more, or if the doctrine be new and doubtfull, and ſuſpitious to him, this fitneſſe which is grounded in diſcretion is not ſhewed. But the generall fitneſſe is grounded in learning, S. Paul hath joyned them ſafely together,2 Tim. 4.2. Rebuke and exhort with all long ſuffering, and learning. Shew thy diſcretion in ſeaſonable Rebuking; ſhew thy learning in Exhorting. Let the Congregation ſee that thou ſtudieſt the good of their ſoules, and they will digeſt any wholeſome increpation, any medicinall reprehenſion at thy hands, Dilige & dic quod voles. We ſay ſo firſt to God,Auguſt. Lord let thy ſpirit beare witneſſe with my ſpirit, that thou loveſt me, and I can endure all thy Prophets, and all the vae's, and the woes that they thunder againſt me and my ſin. So alſo the Congregation ſayes to the Miniſter, Dilige & dic quod voles, ſhew thy love to me, in ſtudying my caſe, and applying thy knowledge to my conſcience, ſpeake ſo, as God and I may know thou meaneſt me, but not the Congregation, leſt that bring me to a confuſion of face, and that to a hardneſſe of heart; deale thus with me, love me thus, and ſay what thou wilt; nothing ſhall offend me. And this is the Idoneity, the fitneſſe which we conſider in the Miniſter, fitneſſe in learning, fitneſſe in diſcretion, to uſe and apply that learning. So Chriſt fits his.
Such men then Chriſt takes for the ſervice of his Church;Mittebant rete in Mare. ſuch as bring no confidence in their owne fitneſſe, ſuch as embrace the meanes to make them fit in his Schoole, and learne before they teach. And to that purpoſe he tooke Andrew and Peter; and he tooke them, when he found them caſting their net into the Sea. This was a Symbolicall, a Propheticall action of their future life; This fiſhing was a type, a figure, a propheſie of their other fiſhing. But here (in this firſt part) we are bound to the conſideration of their reall and direct action, and exerciſe of their preſent calling; They caſt their Net, for they were Fiſhers, ſayes the Text. In which, for, (as wee told you at firſt) there is a double reaſon involved.
Firſt, in this For is intimated, how acceptable to God that labour is,1. Quia piſcatores. that is taken in a calling. They did not forbeare to caſt their nets becauſe it was a tempeſtuous Sea; we muſt make account to meet ſtormes in our profeſſion, yea and tentations too. A man muſt not leave his calling, becauſe it is hard for him to be an honeſt man in that calling; but he muſt labour to overcome thoſe difficulties, and as much as he can, vindicate and redeeme that calling from thoſe aſperſions and calumnies, which ill men have caſt upon a good calling. They did not forbeare becauſe it was a tempeſtuous Sea, nor becauſe they had caſt their nets often and caught nothing, nor becauſe it was uncertaine how the Market would goe when they had catched. A man muſt not be an ill Prophet upon his own labours, nor bewitch them with a ſuſpition that they will not proſper. It is the ſlothfull man that ſayes, A Lion in the way, A Lion in the ſtreet. Caſt thou thy net into the Sea,Prov. 26.13. and God ſhall drive fiſh into thy net; undertake a lawfull Calling, and clogge not thy calling with murmuring, nor with an ill conſcience, and God ſhall give thee increaſe, and worſhip in it, They caſt their nets into the Sea, for they were fiſhers; it was their Calling, and they were bound to labour in that.
And then this For hath another aſpect, lookes another way too,2. Quia piſcatores. and implies another Inſtruction, They caſt their nets into the Sea, for they were fiſhers, that is, if they had not beene fiſhers, they would not have done it; Intruſion into other mens callings is an unjuſt uſurpation; and, if it take away their profit, it is a theft. If it be but a cenſuring of them in their calling, yet it is a calumny, becauſe it is not in the right way, if it be extrajudiciall. To lay an aſperſion upon any man (who is not under our charge) though that which we ſay of him be true, yet it is a calumny, and a degree of libelling, if it be not done judiciarily, and where it may receive redreſſe and remedy. And yet how forward are men that are not fiſhers in that Sea, to cenſure State Councels, and Judiciary proceedings? Every man is an Abſolom, to ſay to every man, Your cauſe is good, 2 Sam. 15.3.but the King hath appointed none to heare it; Money brings them in, favour brings them in, it is not the King; or, if it muſt be ſaid to be the King, yet it is the affection of the King and not his judgement, the King miſled, not rightly informed, ſay our ſeditious Abſoloms, and,Ver. 4. Oh that I were made Iudge in the land, that every man might come unto me, and I would doe him juſtice, is the charme that Abſolom hath taught every man. They caſt their nets into a deeper Sea then this, and where they are much leſſe fiſhers, into the ſecret Councels of God. It is well provided by your Lawes, that Divines and Eccleſiaſticall perſons may not take farmes, nor buy nor ſell, for returne, in Markets. I would it were as well provided, that buyers and ſellers, and farmers might not be Divines, nor cenſure them. I ſpeake not of cenſuring our lives; pleaſe your ſelves with that, till God bee pleaſed to mend us by that, (thought that way of whiſpering calumny be not the right way to that amendment) But I ſpeak of cenſuring our Doctrines, and of appointing our doctrines; when men are weary of hearing any other thing, then Election and Reprobation, and whom, and when, and how, and why God hath choſen, or caſt away. We have liberty enough by your Law, to hold enough for the maintenance of our bodies, and ſtates; you have liberty enough by our Law, to know enough for the ſalvation of your ſoules; If you will ſearch farther into Gods eternall Decrees, and unrevealed Councels, you ſhould not caſt your nets into that Sea, for you are not fiſhers there. Andrew and Peter caſt their nets, for they were fiſhers, (therefore they were bound to do it) And againe, for they were fiſhers, (if they had not been ſo, they would not have done ſo.)
Theſe perſons then thus diſpoſed,Duo ſimul. unfit of themſelves, made fit by him, and found by him at their labour, labour in a lawfull Calling, and in their owne Calling, our Saviour Chriſt cals to him; And he called them by couples, by paires; two together. So he called his Creatures into the world at the firſt Creation, by paires. So he called them into the Arke, for the reparation of the world, by paires, two and two. God loves not ſingularity; The very name of Church implies company; It is Concio, Congregatio, Coetus; It is a Congregation, a Meeting, an aſſembly; It is not any one man; neither can the Church be preſerved in one man. And therefore it hath beene dangerouſly ſaid, (though they confeſſe it to have beene ſaid by many of their greateſt Divines in the Roman Church) that during the time that our bleſſed Saviour lay dead in the grave, there was no faith left upon the earth, but onelyonly in the Virgin Mary; for then there was no Church. God hath manifeſted his will in two Teſtaments; and though he have abridged and contracted the doctrine of both in a narrow roome, yet he hath digeſted it into two Commandements, Love God, love thy neighbour. There is but one Church; that is true, but one; but that one Church cannot be in any one man; There is but one Baptiſme; that is alſo true, but one; But no man can Baptize himſelfe; there muſt be Sacerdos & competens, (as our old Canons ſpeake) a perſon to receive, and a Prieſt to give Baptiſme. There is but one faith in the remiſſion of ſins; that is true too, but one; But no man can abſolve himſelfe; There muſt be a Prieſt and a penitent. God cals no man ſo, but that he cals him to the knowledge, that he hath called more then him to that Church, or elſe it is an illuſory, and imaginary calling, and a dreame.
Take heed therefore of being ſeduced to that Church that is in one man; In ſcrinio pectoris, where all infallibility, and aſſured reſolution is in the breaſt of one man; who (as their owne Authors ſay) is not bound to aske the counſell of others before, nor to follow their counſell after. And ſince the Church cannot be in one, in an unity, take heed of bringing it too neare that unity, to a paucity, to a few, to a ſeparation, to a Conventicle. The Church loves the name of Catholique; and it is a glorious, and an harmonious name; Love thou thoſe things wherein ſhe is Catholique, and wherein ſhe is harmonious, that is,Lyrinen. Quod ubique, quod ſemper, Thoſe univerſall, and fundamentall doctrines, which in all Chriſtian ages, and in all Chriſtian Churches, have beene agreed by all to be neceſſary to ſalvation; and then thou art a true Catholique. Otherwiſe, that is, without relation to this Catholique and univerſall doctrine, to call a particular Church Catholique, (that ſhe ſhould be Catholique, that is, univerſall in dominion, but not in doctrine) is ſuch a ſoleciſme, as to ſpeak of a white blackneſſe, or a great littleneſſe; A particular Church to be univerſall, implies ſuch a contradiction.
Chriſt loves not ſingularity;Duo fratres. he called not one alone; He loves not ſchiſme neither between them whom he cals; & therefore he cals perſons likely to agree, two brethren, (He ſaw two brethren, Peter and Andrew, &c. So he began to build the Synagogues, to eſtabliſh that firſt government, in Moſes and Aaron, brethren; So he begins to build the Church, in Peter and Andrew, brethren. The principall fraternity and brotherhood that God reſpects, is ſpirituall; Brethren in the profeſſion of the ſame true Religion. But Peter and Andrew whom he called here to the true Religion, and ſo gave them that ſecond fraternity and brotherhood, which is ſpirituall, were naturall brethren before; And that God loves; that a naturall, a ſecular, a civill fraternity, and a ſpirituall fraternity ſhould be joyned together; when thoſe that profeſſe the ſame Religion, ſhould deſire to contract their alliances, in marrying their Children, and to have their other dealings in the world (as much as they can) with men that profeſſe the ſame true Religion that they do. That ſo (not medling nor diſputing the proceedings of States, who, in ſome caſes, go by other rules then private men do) we doe not make it an equall, an indifferent thing, whether we marry our ſelves, or our children, or make our bargaines, or our converſation, with perſons of a different Religion, when as our Adverſaries amongſt us will not goe to a Lawyer, nor call a Phyſitian, no, nor ſcarce a Taylor, or other Tradeſman of another Religion then their owne, if they can poſſibly avoid it. God ſaw a better likelihood of avoyding Schiſme and diſſention, when thoſe whom hee called to a new ſpirituall brotherhood in one Religion, were naturall brothers too, and tied in civill bands, as well as ſpirituall.
And as Chriſt began, ſo he proceeded;Non cognati. for the perſons whom he called were Catechiſticall, inſtructive perſons; perſons, from whoſe very perſons we receive inſtruction. The next whom he called, (which is in the next verſe) were two too; and brethren too; Iohn and Iames; but yet his owne kinſmen in the fleſh. But, as he choſe two together to avoid ſingularity, and two brethren to avoid Schiſme, ſo he preferred two ſtrangers before his own kindred, to avoid partiality, and reſpect of perſons. Certainly every man is bound to do good to thoſe that are neare him by nature; The obligation of doing good to others lies (for the moſt part) thus; Let us do good to all men, Gal. 6.10.but eſpecially unto them which are of the houſhold of the faithfull; (They of our owne Religion are of the Quorum) Now, when all are ſo, (of the houſhold of the faithfull, of our owne Religion) the obligation looks home, and lie thus, He that provideth not for his own, denieth the faith, 1 Tim. 5.8.and is worſe then an Infidel. Chriſt would therefore leave no example, nor juſtification of that perverſe diſtemper, to leave his kindred out, nor of their diſpoſition, who had rather buy new friends at any rate, then relieve or cheriſh the old. But yet when Chriſt knew how far his ſtock would reach, that no liberality, howſoever placed, could exhauſt that, but that he was able to provide for all, he would leave no example nor juſtification of that perverſe diſtemper, to heape up preferments upon our owne kindred, without any conſideration how Gods glory might be more advanced by doing good to others too; But finding in theſe men a fit diſpoſition to be good labourers in his harveſt, and to agree in the ſervice of the Church, as they did in the band of nature, he calls Peter and Andrew, otherwiſe ſtrangers, before he called his Conſins, Iames and Iohn.
Theſe Circumſtances we propoſed to be conſidered in theſe perſons before,Continuò ſequuti. and at their being called. The firſt, after their calling, is their chearfull readineſſe in obeying, Continuò ſequuti, They were bid follow, and forthwith they followed. Which preſent obedience of theirs is exalted in this, that this was freſhly upon the impriſonment of Iohn Baptiſt, whoſe Diſciple Andrew had been; And it might eaſily have deterred, and averted a man in his caſe, to conſider, that it was well for him that he was got out of Iohn Baptiſts ſchoole, and company, before that ſtorme, the diſpleaſure of the ſtate fell upon him; and that it behoved him to be wary to apply himſelfe to any ſuch new Maſter, as might draw him into as much trouble; which Chriſts ſervice was very like to doe. But the contemplation of future perſecutions, that may fall, the example of perſecutions paſt, that have falne, the apprehenſion of imminent perſecutions, that are now falling, the ſenſe of preſent perſecutions, that are now upon us, retard not thoſe, upon whom the love of Chriſt Jeſus works effectually; They followed for all that. And they followed, when there was no more perſwaſion uſed to them, no more words ſaid to them, but Sequere me, Follow me.
And therefore how eaſie ſoever Iulian the Apoſtate might make it, for Chriſt to work upon ſo weake men, as theſe were, yet to worke upon any men by ſo weake means, onelyonly by one Sequere me, Follow me, and no more, cannot be thought eaſie. The way of Rhetorique in working upon weake men, is firſt to trouble the underſtanding, to diſplace, and diſcompoſe, and diſorder the judgement, to ſmother and bury in it, or to empty it of former apprehenſions and opinions, and to ſhake that beliefe, with which it had poſſeſſed it ſelf before, and then when it is thus melted, to powre it into new molds, when it is thus mollified, to ſtamp and imprint new formes, new images, new opinions in it. But here in our caſe, there was none of this fire, none of this practiſe, none of this battery of eloquence, none of this verball violence, onelyonly a bare Sequere me, Follow me, and they followed. No eloquence enclined them, no terrors declined them: No dangers withdrew them, no preferment drew them; they knew Chriſt, and his kindred, and his means;Auguſt. they loved him, himſelfe, and not any thing they expected from him. Minùs te amat, qui aliquid tuum amat, quod non propter te amat, That man loves thee but a little, that begins his love at that which thou haſt, and not at thy ſelfe. It is a weake love that is divided between Chriſt and the world; eſpecially, if God come after the world, as many times he does, even in them, who thinke they love him well; that firſt they love the riches of this world, and then they love God that gave them. But that is a falſe Method in this art of love; The true is, radically to love God for himſelfe, and other things for his ſake, ſo far, as he may receive glory in our having, and uſing them.
This Peter and Andrew declared abundantly;Relictia retibus. they did as much as they were bid; they were bid follow, and they followed; but it ſeemes they did more, they were not bid leave their nets, and yet they left their nets, and followed him: But, for this, they did not; no man can doe more in the ſervice of God, then is enjoyned him, commanded him. There is no ſupererogation, no making of God beholden to us, no bringing of God into our debt. Every man is commanded to love God with all his heart, and all his power, and a heart above a whole heart, and a power above a whole power, is a ſtrange extenſion. That therefore which was declared explicitely, plainly, directly by Chriſt, to the young man in the Goſpel,Mat. 19.21. Vade, & vende, & ſequere, Goe and ſell all, and follow me, was implicitely implied to theſe men in our text, Leave your nets, and follow me. And, though to doe ſo, (to leave all) be not alwayes a precept, a commandment to all men, yet it was a precept, a commandment to both theſe, at that time; to the young man in the Goſpel, (for he was as expreſly bid to ſell away all, as he was to follow Chriſt) and to theſe men in the text, becauſe they could not performe that that was directly commanded, except they performed that which was implied too; except they left their nets, they could not follow Chriſt. When God commands us to follow him, he gives us light, how, and in which way he will be followed; And then when we underſtand which is his way, that way is as much a commandment, as the very end it ſelfe, and not to follow him that way, is as much a tranſgreſſion, as not to follow him at all. If that young man in the Goſpel, who was bid ſell all, and give to the poore, and then follow, had followed, but kept his intereſt in his land; If he had deveſted himſelfe of the land, but let it fall, or conveyed it to the next heire, or other kinſmen; If he had employed it to pious uſes, but not ſo, as Chriſt commanded, to the poore, ſtill he had been in a tranſgreſſion: The way when it is declared, is as much a command, as the end.
But then, in this command, which was implicitely, and by neceſſary conſequence laid upon Peter and Andrew, to leave their nets, (becauſe without doing ſo, they could not forthwith follow Chriſt) there is no example of forſaking a calling, upon pretence of following Chriſt; no example here, of deveſting ones ſelfe of all means of defending us from thoſe manifold neceſſities, which this life lays upon us, upon pretence of following Chriſt; It is not an abſolute leaving of all worldly cares, but a leaving them out of the firſt conſideration; Primùm quaerite regnum Dei, ſo, as our firſt buſineſſe be to ſeeke the kingdome of God.Mat. 8.14. For, after this leaving of his nets, for this time, Peter continued owner of his houſe, and Chriſt came to that houſe of his, and found his mother in law ſicke in that houſe, and recovered her there. Upon a like commandment, upon ſuch a Sequere, Mat. 9.10.Follow me, Matthew followed Chriſt too; but after that following, Chriſt went with Matthew to his houſe, and ſate at meat with him at home. And for this very exerciſe of fiſhing, though at that time when Chriſt ſaid, Follow me, they left their nets, yet they returned to that trade, ſometimes, upon occaſions, in all likelihood, in Chriſts life; and after Chriſts death, clearly they did returne to it; for Chriſt, after his Reſurrection,Joh. 21.1. found them fiſhing.
They did not therefore abandon and leave all care, and all government of their own eſtate, and diſpoſe themſelves to live after upon the ſweat of others; but tranſported with a holy alacrity, in this preſent and chearfull following of Chriſt, in reſpect of that then, they neglected their nets, and all things elſe. Perfecta obedientia eſt ſua imperfocta relinquere, Not to be too diligent towards the world,Auguſt. is the diligence that God requires. S. Auguſtine does not ſay, ſua relinquere, but ſua imperfecta relinquere, That God requires we ſhould leave the world, but that we ſhould leave it to ſecond conſiderations; That thou do not forbeare, nor defer thy converſion to God, and thy reſtitution to man, till thou have purchaſed ſuch a ſtate, bought ſuch an office, married, and provided ſuch and ſuch children, but imperfecta relinquere, to leave theſe worldly things unperfected, till thy repentance have reſtored thee to God, and eſtabliſhed thy reconciliation in him, and then the world lyes open to thy honeſt endeavours. Others take up all with their net, and they ſacrifice to their nets, becauſe by them their portion is fat, Hab. 1.16.and their meat plenteous. They are conſident in their own learning, their own wiſedome, their own practiſe, and (which is a ſtrange Idolatry) they ſacrifice to themſelves, they attribute all to their own induſtry. Theſe men in our text were far from that; they left their nets.
But ſtill conſider, that they did but leave their nets, they did not burne them. And conſider too, that they left but nets; thoſe things, which might entangle them, and retard them in their following of Chriſt. And ſuch nets, (ſome ſuch things as might hinder them in the ſervice of God) even theſe men, ſo well diſpoſed to follow Chriſt, had about them. And therefore let no man ſay, Imitari vellem, ſed quod relinquam, non habeo, Gregor.I would gladly doe as the Apoſtles did, leave all to follow Chriſt, but I have nothing to leave; alas, all things have left me, and I have nothing to leave. Even that murmuring at poverty is a net; leave that. Leave thy ſuperfluous deſire of having the riches of this world; though thou mayeſt flatter thy ſelfe, that thou deſireſt to have onelyonly that thou mighteſt leave it, that thou mighteſt employ it charitably, yet it might prove a net, and ſtick too cloſe about thee to part with it. Multa relinquitis, ſi deſideriis renunciatis, Idem.You leave your nets, if you leave your over-earneſt greedineſſe of catching; for, when you doe ſo, you doe not onelyonly fiſh with a net, (that is, lay hold upon all you can compaſſe) but, (which is ſtrange) you fiſh for a net, even that which you get proves a net to you, and hinders you in the following of Chriſt, and you are leſſe diſpoſed to follow him, when you have got your ends, then before. He that hath leaſt, hath enough to waigh him down from heaven, by an inordinate love of that little which he hath, or in an inordinate and murmuring deſire of more. And he that hath moſt, hath not too much to give for heaven; Tantum valet regnum Dei, quantum tu vales, Idem.Heaven is alwayes ſo much worth, as thou art worth. A poore man may have heaven for a penny, that hath no greater ſtore; and, God lookes, that he to whom he hath given thouſands, ſhould lay out thouſands upon the purchaſe of heaven. The market changes, as the plenty of money changes; Heaven coſts a rich man more then a poore, becauſe he hath more to give. But in this, rich and poore are both equall, that both muſt leave themſelves without nets, that is, without thoſe things, which, in their own Conſciences they know, retard the following of Chriſt. Whatſoever hinders my preſent following, that I cannot follow to day, whatſoever may hinder my conſtant following, that I cannot follow to morrow, and all my life, is a net, and I am bound to leave that.
And theſe are the pieces that conſtitute our firſt part, the circumſtances that inveſt theſe perſons, Peter, and Andrew, in their former condition, before, and when Chriſt called them.