Eighty Sermons, miscellaneous · Sermon 75
SERM. LXXV. Preached to the King at VVhite-hall, April 15. 1628.
ESAY 32.8.
But the liberall deviſeth liberall things, and by liberall things he ſhall ſtand.
BY two wayes eſpecially hath the Goſpell beene propagated by men of letters, by Epiſtles, and by Sermons. The Apoſtles purſued both wayes; frequent in Epiſtles, aſſiduous in Sermons. And, as they had the name of Apoſtles, from Letters, from Epiſtles, from Miſſives, (for, the Certificates, and Teſtimonials, and ſafe-conducts, and letters of Credit, which iſſued from Princes Courts, or from Courts that held other Juriſdiction, were in the formularies and termes of Law called Apoſtles, before Chriſts Apoſtles were called Apoſtles) ſo they executed the office of their Apoſtleſhip ſo too, by Writing, & by Preaching. This ſucceſſion in the Miniſtery of the Goſpell did ſo too.Chryſoſt. Therefore it is ſaid of S. Chryſoſtome, Vbi que praedicavit, quia ubique lectus, He preached every where, becauſe he was read every where. And, he that is ſaid to have beene S.Peluſiota. Chryſoſtomes diſciple, Iſidore, is ſaid to have written ten thouſand Epiſtles, and in them to have delivered a juſt, and full Commentary upon all the Scriptures. In the firſt age of all, they ſcarce went any other way, (for writing) but this, by Epiſtles. Of Clement, of Ignatius, of Polycarpus, of Martial, there is not much offered us, with any probability, but in the name of Epiſtles.
When Chriſtians gathered themſelves with more freedome, and Churches were eſtabliſhed with more liberty, Preaching prevailed; And there is no exerciſe, that is denoted by ſo many names, as Preaching. Origen began; for, (I thinke) we have no Sermons, till Origens. And though hee began early, (early, if wee conſider the age of the Church, (a thouſand foure hundred yeares ſince) and early, if wee conſider his owne age, for, Origens. preached by the commandement, and in the preſence of Biſhops, before he was a Churchman) yet he ſuffered no Sermons of his to be copied, till he was ſixty yeares old. Now, Origen called his Homilies; And the firſt Gregory, of the ſame time with Origen, that was Biſhop of Neoceſaria, hath his called Sermons. And ſo names multiplied; Homilies, Sermons, Conciones, Lectures, S. Auguſtins Enarrations, Dictiones, that is, Speeches, Damaſcens and Cyrils Orations (nay, one excerciſe of Caeſareus, conveied in the forme of a Dialogue) were all Sermons. Add to theſe Church-exerciſes, (Homilies, Sermons, Lectures, Orations, Speeches, and the reſt) the Declamations of Civill men in Courts of Juſtice, the Tractates of Morall men written in their Studies, nay goe backe to your our owne times, when you went to Schoole, or to the Univerſity; and remember but your owne, or your fellowes Themes, or Problemes, or Commonplaces, and in all theſe you may ſee evidence of that, to which the Holy Ghoſt himſelfe hath ſet a Seale in this text, that is, the recommendation of Bountie, of Munificence, of Liberalitie, The Liberall deviſeth liberall things, and by liberall things hee ſhall ſtand.
That which makes me draw into conſideration,Diviſio. the recommendation of this vertue, in civill Authors, and exerciſes, as well as in Eccleſiaſticall, is this, That our Expoſitors, of all the three ranks, and Claſſes (The Fathers and Ancients, The later men in the Romane Church, and ours of the Reformation) are very near equally divided, in every of theſe three rankes; whether this Text be intended of a morall and a civill, or of a ſpirituall and Eccleſiaſticall liberality; whether this prophecy of Eſay, in this Chapter, beginning thus, (Behold, a King ſhall reigne in righteouſneſſe,Ver. 1. and Princes ſhall rule in judgement) be to be underſtood of an Hezekias, or a Ioſias, or any other good King, which was to ſucceed, and to induce vertuous times in the temporall State, and government, Or whether this were a prophecy of Chriſts time, and of the exaltation of all vertues in the Chriſtian Religion, hath divided our Expoſitors in all thoſe three Claſſes. In all three, (though in all three ſome particular men are peremptory and vehement upon ſome one ſide, abſolutely excluding the other expoſition, as, amongſt our Authors in the Reformation, one ſayes, Dubium non eſt, It can admit no doubt,Calvin. but that this is to be underſtood of Hezekias, and his reigne, And yet another of the ſame ſide, ſayes too,Heſhuſius. Qui Rabbinos ſecuti, They that adhere too much to the Jewiſh Rabbins, and will needs interpret this prophecy of a temporall King, obſcure the purpoſe of the Holy Ghoſt, and accommodate many things to a ſecular Prince, which can hold in none, but Chriſt himſelfe) yet, I ſay, though there be ſome peremptory, there are in all the three Claſſes, Ancients, Romans, Reformed, moderate men, that apply the prophecy both wayes, and finde that it may very well ſubſiſt ſo, That in a faire proportion, all theſe bleſſings ſhall be in the reignes of thoſe Hezekiaſſes, and thoſe Ioſiaſſes, thoſe good Kings which God affords to his people; But the multiplication, the exaltation of all theſe bleſſings, and vertues, is with relation to the comming of Chriſt, and the eſtabliſhing of his Kingdome: And this puts us, if not to a neceſſity, yet with conveniency, to conſider theſe words both wayes; What this civill liberality is, that is here made a bleſſing of a good Kings reigne; And what this ſpirituall liberality is, that is here made a teſtimony of Chriſts reigne, and of his Goſpel. And therefore, ſince we muſt paſſe twice thorough theſe words, it is time to begin; The liberall man deviſeth liberall things, and by liberall things he ſhall ſtand.
From theſe two armes of this tree, that is, from the civill, and from the ſpirituall accommodation of theſe words, be pleaſed to gather, and lay up theſe particular fruits. In each of theſe, you ſhall taſte firſt, what this Liberality thus recommended is; And ſecondly, what this deviſing, and ſtudying of liberall things is; And againe, how this man is ſaid to ſtand by liberall things; The liberall man deviſeth liberall things, and by liberall things he ſhall ſtand. And becauſe in the courſe of this Prophecy, in this Chapter, we have the King named, and then his Princes, and after, perſons of lower quality and condition, we ſhall conſider theſe particulars; This Liberality, this Deviſing, this Standing; Firſt, in the firſt accommodation of the words, In the King, in his Princes, or great perſons, the Magiſtrate, and laſtly, in his people. And in the ſecond accommodation, the ſpirituall ſenſe, we ſhall conſider theſe three termes, (Liberality, Deviſing, Standing) Firſt, in the King of Kings, Chriſt Jeſus, And then, in his Officers, the Miniſters of his Goſpel, And laſtly, in his people gathered by this Goſpel; In all which perſons, in both ſorts, Civill and Spirituall, we ſhall ſee how the liberall man deviſeth liberall things, and how by liberall things he ſtands.
Firſt then, in our firſt part, In the civill conſideration of this vertue, Liberality, 1 Part. Liberality.It is a communication of that which we have to other men; and it is the beſt character of the beſt things, that they are communicable, diffuſive. Light was Gods firſt childe; Light opened the wombe of the Chaos; borne heire to the world, and ſo does poſſeſſe the world; and there is not ſo diffuſive a thing, nothing ſo communicative, and ſelf-giving as light is. And then, Gold is not onelyonly valued above all things, but is it ſelfe the value of all things; The value of every thing is, Thus much gold it is worth; And no metall is ſo extenſive as gold; no metall enlarges it ſelfe to ſuch an expanſion, ſuch an attenuation as gold does, nor ſpreads ſo much, with ſo little ſubſtance. Sight is the nobleſt, and the powerfulleſt of our Senſes; All the reſt, (Hearing onelyonly excepted) are determined in a very narrow diſtance; And for Hearing, Thunder is the fartheſt thing that we can heare, and Thunder is but in the ayre; but we ſee the hoſt of Heaven, the ſtarres in the firmament. All the good things that we can conſider, Light, Sight, Gold, all are accompanied with a liberality of themſelves, and are ſo far good, as they are diſpenſed and communicated to others; for their goodneſſe is in their uſe. It is Virtus prolifica, a generative, a productive vertue, a vertue that begets another vertue; another vertue upon another man; Thy liberality begets my gratitude; and if there be an unthankfull barrenneſſe in me, that thou have no children by me, no thankfulneſſe from me, God ſhall raiſe thee the more children for my barrenneſſe, Thy liberality ſhall be the more celebrated by all the world, becauſe I am unthankfull. God hath given me a being, and my liberall Benefactor hath given me ſuch a better being, as that, without that, even my firſt being had been but a paine, and a burden unto me. He that leaves treaſure at his death, left it in his life; Then, when he locked it up, and forbad himſelfe the uſe of it, be left it. He that locks up, may be a good Jaylor; but he that gives out, is his Steward: The ſaver may be Gods cheſt; The giver is Gods right hand. But the matter of our Liberality (what we give) is but the body of this vertue. The ſoule of this Liberality, that that inanimates it, is the manner, intended more in the next word, He deviſeth, He ſtudieth, The liberall deviſeth liberall things.
Here the Holy Ghoſts word is Iagnatz, Deviſeth.and Iagnatz carries evermore with it a denotation of Counſell, and Deliberation, and Concluſions upon premiſſes. He Deviſes, that is, Conſiders what liberality is, diſcourſes with himſelfe, what liberall things are to be done, And then, upon this, determines, concludes, that he will doe it, and really, actually does it. Therefore, in our firſt Tranſlation, (the firſt ſince the Reformation) we reade this Text thus, The liberall man imagineth honeſt things; Though the Tranſlator have varied the word, (Liberall and Honeſt) the Originall hath not. It is the ſame word in both places; Liberall man, Liberall things; but the Tranſlator was pleaſed to let us ſee, that if it be truly a liberall, it is an honeſt action. Therefore the liberall man muſt give that which is his own; for els, the receiver is but a receiver of ſtollen goods; And the Curſe of the oppreſſed may follow the gift, not onelyonly in his hands, through which it paſſed, but into his hands, where it remains. We have a convenient Embleme of Liberality in a Torch, that waſts it ſelfe to enlighten others; But for a Torch to ſet another mans houſe on fire, to enlighten me, were no good Embleme of Liberality. But Liberality being made up of the true body, and true ſoule, true matter, and true forme, that is, juſt poſſeſſion for having, and ſober diſcretion for giving, then enters the word of our Text, literally, The liberall man deviſeth liberall things; He deviſes, ſtudies, meditates, caſts about, where he may doe a noble action, where he may place a benefit; He ſeekes the man with as much earneſtneſſe, as another man ſeeks the money; And as God comes with an earneſtneſſe (as though he thought it nothing, to have wrought all the weeke) to his Faciamus hominem, Now let us make man; So comes the liberall man to make a man, and to redeeme him out of neceſſity and contempt; (the upper and lower Milſtone of poverty) And to returne to our former repreſentations of Liberality, Light, and Sight; As light comes thorough the glaſſe, but we know not how, and our ſight apprehends remote objects, but we know not how; ſo the liberall man looks into darke corners, even upon ſuch as are loath to be looked upon, loath to have their wants come into knowledge, and viſits them by his liberality, when ſometimes they know not from whence that ſhowre of refreſhing comes, no more then we know, how light comes thorough the glaſſe, or how our ſight apprehends remote objects. So the liberall man deviſeth liberall things; And then, (which is our third terme, and conſideration in this civill and morall acceptation of the words) By liberall things he ſhall ſtand.
Some of our later Expoſitors admit this phraſe, (The liberall man ſhall ſtand) to reach no further,Shall ſtand. nor to ſignifie no more, but that The liberall man ſhall ſtand, that is, will ſtand, will continue his courſe, and proceed in liberall wayes. And this is truely a good ſenſe; for many times men do ſome ſmall actions, that have ſome ſhew and taſt of ſome vertue, for collaterall reſpects, and not out of a direct and true vertuous habit. But theſe Expoſitors (with whoſe narrowneſſe our former Tranſlators complied) will not let the Holy Ghoſt be as liberall as he would bee. His liberality here is, That the liberall man ſhall ſtand, that is, Proſper and Multiply, and be the better eſtabliſhed for his liberality; He ſhall ſowe ſilver, and reape gold; he ſhall ſowe gold, and reape Diamonds; ſowe benefits, and reape honour; not honour rooted in the opinion of men onelyonly, but in the teſtimony of a cheerfull conſcience, that powres out Acclamations by thouſands; And that is a bleſſed and a loyall popularity, when I have a people in mine owne boſome, a thouſand voices in mine owne conſcience, that juſtifie and applaud a good action. Therefore that Tranſlation which we mentioned before, reads this clauſe thus, The liberall man imagineth honeſt things, and commeth up by honeſty; ſtill that which he calls Honeſty, is in the Originall Liberality, and he comes up, he proſpers, and thrives in the world, by thoſe noble, and vertuous actions. It is eaſie for a man of any largeneſſe in converſation, or in reading, to aſſigne examples of men, that have therefore loſt all, becauſe they were loath to part with any thing. When Nazianzen ſayes, That man cannot be ſo like God in any thing, as in giving, he meanes that he ſhall be like him in this too, that he ſhall not bee the poorer for giving. But keeping the body, and ſoule of liberality, Giving his owne, and giving worthily, in ſoule and body too, (that is, in conſcience and fortune both) By liberall things he ſhall ſtand, that is, proſper.
Now theſe three termes, (Liberality, the vertue it ſelfe, the ſtudying of Liberality,Rex. this deviſing; and the advantage of this Liberality, this ſtanding) (being yet in this firſt part, ſtill upon the conſideration of civill, and morall Liberality) wee are to conſider, (according to their Expoſition, that binde this Prophecy to an Hezckias, or a Ioſias, in which Prophecy we finde mention of all thoſe perſons) we are, I ſay, to conſider them, in the King, in his Officers, the Magiſtrate, and in his Subjects. For the King firſt, this vertue of our Text, is ſo radicall, ſo elementary, ſo eſſentiall to the King, as that the vulgat Edition in the Romane Church reads this very Text thus, Princeps verò ea quae principe digna ſunt, cogitabit, The King ſhall exerciſe himſelfe in royall Meditations, and Actions; Him, whom we call a Liberall man, they call a King, and thoſe actions that we call Liberall, they call Royall. A Tranſlation herein excuſable enough; for the very Originall word, which we tranſlate, Liberall, is a Royall word, Nadib, and very often in the Scriptures hath ſo high, a Royall ſignification. The very word is in that place, where David prayes to God, to renew him ſpiritu Principali; And this,Pſal. 51.10. (ſpiritus Principalis) as many Tranſlators call a Principall, a Princely, a Royall ſpirit, as a liberall, a free, a bountifull ſpirit; If it be Liberall, it is Royall. For, when David would have bought a threſhingfloore,2 Sam. 24.23. to erect an Altar upon, of Araunah, and Araunah offered ſo freely place, and ſacrifice, and inſtruments, and all, the Holy Ghoſt expreſſes it ſo, All theſe things did Araunah, as a King, offer to the King; There was but this difference between the Liberall man, and David, A King, and The King. Higher then a King, for an example and compariſon of Liberality, on this ſide of God, hee could not goe. The very forme of the Office of a King, is Liberality, that is Providence, and Protection, and Poſſeſſion, and Peace, and Juſtice ſhed upon all.
And then, this Prophecy (conſidered ſtill the firſt way, morally,Principes. civilly) carries this vertue, not onelyonly upon the King, but upon the Princes too, upon thoſe perſons that are great, great in blood, great in power, great in place, and office, They muſt bee liberall of that, which is depoſited in them. The Sunne does not enlighten the Starres of the Firmament, meerly for an Omament to the Firmament, (though even the glory, which God receives from that Ornament, be one reaſon thereof) but that by the reflection of thoſe Starres his beames might be caſt into ſome places, to which, by a direct Emanation from himſelfe, thoſe beames would not have come. So doe Kings tranſmit ſome beames of power into their Officers, not onelyonly to dignifie and illuſtrate a Court, (though that alſo be one juſt reaſon thereof, for outward dignity and ſplendor muſt be preſerved) but that by thoſe ſubordinate Inſtruments, the royall Liberality of the King, that is, Protection, and Juſtice might be transferred upon all. And therefore,Epiſtol. ad Salvian. S. Hierome ſpeaking of Nebridius, who was ſo gracious with the Emperor, that he denied him nothing, aſſignes that for the reaſon of his largeneſſe towards him, Quòd ſciebat, non uni, ſed pluribus indulgeri, Becauſe he knew, that in giving him, he gave to the Publique; Hee employed that which he received, for the Publique.
And laſtly, our Prophecy places this Liberality upon the people. Now,Populus. ſtill this Liberality is, that it be diffuſive, that the object of our affections be the Publique. To depart with nothing which we call our owne, Nothing in our goods, nothing in our opinions, nothing in the preſent exerciſe of our liberty, is not to be liberall. To preſſe too farre the advancing of one part, to the depreſſing of another, (eſpecially where that other is the Head) is not liberall dealing. Therefore ſaid Chriſt to Iames, and Iohn, Mat. 20.23. Auguſt.Non eſt meum dare vobis, It is not mine to give, to ſet you on my right, and on my left hand; Non vobis, quia ſinguli ſeparatim ab aliis rogatis, not to you, becauſe you conſider but your ſelves, and petition for your ſelves, to the prejudice, and excluſion of others.Joh. 4.16. Chryſoſt. Therefore Chriſt bad the Samaritan woman call her husband too, when ſhee deſired the water of life, Ne ſola gratiam acciperet, ſaith S. Chryſoſtome, That he might ſo doe good to her, as that others might have good by it too. For, Adpatriam quâitur? Auguſt.Which way think you to goe home, to the heavenly Jeruſalem? Per ipſum mare, ſed in ligno, You muſt paſſe thorow Seas of difficulties, and therefore by ſhip; and in a ſhip, you are not ſafe, except other paſſengers in the ſame ſhip be ſafe too.Cant. 1.4. The Spouſe ſaith, Trahe me poſt te, Draw me after thee. When it is but a Me, in the ſingular, but one part conſidered, there is a violence, a difficulty, a drawing; But preſently after, when there is an uniting in a plurall, there is an alacrity, a concurrence, a willingneſſe; Curremus poſt te, We, We will runne after thee; If we would joyne in publique conſiderations, we ſhould runne together. This is true Liberality in Gods people, to depart with ſome things of their owne, though in goods, though in opinions, though in preſent uſe of liberty, for the publique ſafety. Theſe Liberall things, theſe Liberall men, (King, Magiſtrate, and People) ſhall deviſe, and by Liberall things they ſhall ſtand.
The King ſhall deviſe Liberall things,Cogitabit Rex. that is, ſtudy, and propoſe Directions, and commit the execution thereof to perſons ſtudious of the glory of God, and the publique good;Magiſtratus. And that is his Deviſing of Liberall things. The Princes, Magiſtrates, Officers, ſhall ſtudy to execute aright thoſe gracious Directions received from their royall Maſter, and not retard his holy alacrity in the wayes of Juſtice, by any ſlackneſſe of theirs, nor by caſting a dampe, or blaſting a good man, or a good cauſe, in the eyes, or eares of the King; And that is their Deviſing of Liberall things. The people ſhall deveſt all perſonall reſpects, and ill affections towards other men, and all private reſpects of their owne, and ſpend all their faculties of mind, of body, of fortune, upon the Publique; And that is their Deviſing of Liberall things.
And by theſe Liberall things, Stabit Rex. Magiſtratus.theſe Liberall men ſhall ſtand. The King ſhall ſtand; ſtand in ſafety at home, and ſtand in triumph abroad. The Magiſtrate ſhall ſtand; ſtand in a due reverence of his place from below, and in ſafe poſſeſſion of his place from above; neither be contemned by his Inferiours, nor ſuſpiciouſly, and guiltily inquired into by his Superiours;Populus. neither feare petitions againſt him, nor commiſſions upon him. And the People ſhall ſtand; ſtand upon their right Baſis, that is, an inward feeling, and an outward declaration, that they are ſafe onelyonly in the Publique ſafety. And they ſhall all ſtand in the Sunſhine, and ſerenity of a cleere conſcience, which ſerenity of conſcience is one faire beame, even of the glory of God, and of the joy of heaven, upon that ſoule that enjoyes it.
This is Eſays Prophecie of the times of an Hezekias, of a Ioſias, the bleſſing of this civill and morall Liberality, in all theſe perſons. And it is time to paſſe to our other generall part, from the civill, to the ſpirituall, and from applying theſe words, to the good times of a good King, to that, (which is evidently the principall purpoſe of the Holy Ghoſt) That in the time of Chriſt Jeſus, and the reigne of his Goſpel, this, and all other vertues, ſhould bee in a higher exaltation, then any civill, or morall reſpect can carry them to.
As an Hezekias, 2 Part. Liberalitas.a Ioſias is a Type of Chriſt, but yet but a Type of Chriſt; ſo this civill Liberality, which we have hitherto ſpoken of, is a Type, but yet but a Type of our ſpirituall Liberality. For, here we doe not onelyonly change termes, the temporall, to ſpirituall, and to call that, which we called Liberality in the former part, Charity in this part; nor do we onelyonly make the difference in the proportion & meaſure, that that which was a Benefit in the other part, ſhould be an Almes in this. But we inveſt the whole conſideration in a meere ſpirituall nature; and ſo that Liberality, which was, in the former acceptation, but a relieving, but a refreſhing, but a repairing of defects, and dilapidations in the body or fortune, is now, in this ſecond part, in this ſpirituall acceptation, the raiſing of a dejected ſpirit, the redintegration of a broken heart, the reſuſcitation of a buried ſoule, the re-conſolidation of a ſcattered conſcience, not with the glues, and cements of this world, mirth, and inuſique, and comedies, and converſation, and wine, and women, (miſerable comforters are they all) nor with that Meteor, that hangs betweene two worlds, that is, Philoſophy, and morall conſtancy, (which is ſomewhat above the carnall man, but yet far below the man truly Chriſtian and religious) But this is the Liberality, of which the Holy Ghoſt himſelfe is content to be the Steward, of the holy, bleſſed, and glorious Trinity, and to be notified, and qualified by that diſtinctive notion, and ſpecification, The Comforter.
To finde a languiſhing wretch in a ſordid corner, not onelyonly in a penurious fortune, but in an oppreſſed conſcience, His eyes under a diverſe ſuffocation, ſinothered with ſmoake, and ſmothered with teares, His eares eſtranged from all ſalutations, and viſits, and all ſounds, but his owne ſighes, and the ſtormes and thunders and earthquakes of his owne deſpaire, To enable this man to open his eyes, and ſee that Chriſt Jeſus ſtands before him, and ſayes, Behold and ſee, if ever there were any ſorrow, like my ſorrow, and my ſorrow is overcome, why is not thine? To open this mans eares, and make him heare that voyce that ſayes, I was dead, and am alive, and behold, I live for evermore, Amen; Revel. 1.18.and ſo mayeſt thou; To bow downe thoſe Heavens, and bring them into his ſad Chamber, To ſet Chriſt Jeſus before him, to out-ſigh him, out-weepe him, out-bleed him, out-dye him, To transferre all the faſts, all the ſcornes, all the ſcourges, all the nailes, all the ſpeares of Chriſt Jeſus upon him, and ſo, making him the Crucified man in the ſight of the Father, becauſe all the actions, and paſſions of the Son, are appropriated to him, and made his ſo intirely, as if there were never a ſoule created but his, To enrich this poore ſoule, to comfort this ſad ſoule ſo, as that he ſhall beleeve, and by beleeving finde all Chriſt to be his, this is that Liberality which we ſpeake of now, in diſpenſing whereof, The liberall man deviſeth liberall things, and by liberall things ſhall ſtand.
Now you may be pleaſed to remember, that when wee conſidered this word,Cogitabit. in our former part, (he ſhall Deviſe) we found this Deviſing Originally to ſignifie a ſtudying, a deliberation, a concluding upon premiſſes; upon which, we inferred pregnantly and juſtly, that as to ſupport a mans expenſe, he muſt Vivere de proprio, Live upon his owne; ſo to relieve others, he muſt Dare de ſuo, Be liberall of that which is his. Now, what is ours? Ours, that are Miniſters of the Goſpell? As wee are Chriſts, ſo Chriſt is ours. Puer datus nobis, filius natus nobis, There is a Child given unto us, a Son borne unto us; Eſay 9.Even in that ſenſe, Chriſt is given to us, that we might give him to others. So that in this kind of ſpirituall liberality, we can be liberall of no more but our owne; we can give nothing but Chriſt; we can miniſter comfort to none, farther then he is capable, and willing to receive and embrace Chriſt Jeſus.
When therefore ſome of the Fathers have ſaid, Ratio pro fide Graecis & Barbaris, Juſt. Mar.Rectified reaſon was accepted at the hands of the Gentiles, as faith is of the Chriſtians; Philoſophia per ſe juſtificavit Graecos, Philoſophie alone (without faith) juſtified the Grecians;Clemens. Satis fuit Gentibus abſtinuiſſe ab Idololatria, It was enough for the Gentiles,Chryſoſt. if they did not worſhip falſe Gods, though they knew not the true truly;Andrad. when we heare Andradius in the Roman Church poure out falvation to all the Gentiles, that lived a good morall life, and no more; when we heare their Toſtatus ſweepe away,Toſtatus. blow away Originall ſin ſo eaſily from all the Gentiles, In prima operatione bona in charitate, In the firſt good Morall worke that they doe, Originall ſin is as much extinguiſhed in them by that, as by Baptiſme in us; When we ſee ſome Authors in the Reformation afford Heaven to perſons that never profeſſed Chriſt, this is ſpirituall prodigality, and beyond that liberality which we conſider now; for, Chriſt is ours; and where we can apply him, we can give all comforts in him; But none to others. Not that we manacle the hands of God, or ſay, God can ſave no man without the profeſſion of Chriſt, But, that God hath put nothing elſe into his Churches hands to ſave men by, but Chriſt delivered in his Scripture, applied in the preaching of the Goſpell, and ſealed in the Sacraments. And therefore, if we ſhould give this comfort, to any but thoſe that received him, and received him ſo, according to his Ordinance in his Church, we ſhould be over-liberall, for we ſhould give more then our owne. But to all that would be comforted in Chriſt, we deviſe liberall things, that is, wee ſpend our ſtudies, our lucubrations, our meditations, to bring Chriſt Jeſus home to their caſe, and their conſcience, And, by theſe liberall things we ſhall ſtand.
In our former part, in that Civill liberality,Stabit. wee did not content our ſelves with that narrow ſignification of the word, which ſome gave, That the liberall man would ſtand to it, abide by it, that is, continue liberall ſtill habitually, but that he ſhould ſtand by it, and proſper the better for it. If this Liberality which we conſider now in this ſecond Part, were but that branch of Charity, which is bodily reliefe by bountifull Almes, and no more, yet, wee might be ſo liberall in Gods behalfe, as to pronounce that the charitable man ſhould ſtand by it, proſper for it, and have a plentifull harveſt for any ſowing in that kinde. The Holy Ghoſt in the 112. Pſalme, and 9. verſe, hath taken a word, which may almoſt ſeeme to taſte of a little inconſideration in ſuch a charitable perſon, a little indiſcretion, in giving, in flinging, in caſting away; for it is, He hath diſperſed; Diſperſed; A word that implies a careleſſe ſcattering. But that which followes, juſtifies it; He hath diſperſed, he hath given to the poore. Let the manner, or the meaſure be how it will, ſo it be given to the poore, it will not be without excuſe, not without thanks. And therefore wee have this liberall charity expreſſed by S. Paul in the ſame word too,2 Cor. 9 9. He hath diſperſed; but diſperſed as before, Diſperſed by giving to the poore. For there is more negligence, more inconſideration allowed us, in giving of Almes, then in any other expenſe; Neither are we bound to examine the condition, and worthineſſe of the perſon to whom we give too narrowly, too ſeverely. Hee that gives freely, ſhall ſtand by doing ſo;Prov. 17.19. for, He that pitieth the poore, lendeth to the Lord; And the Lord is a good Debtor, and never puts Creditor to ſue. And, if that bee not comfort enough, S. Hicrom gives more, in his-tranſlation of that place, foeneratur Domino, he that pitieth the poore, puts his money to uſe to God, and ſhall receive the debt, and more. But, the liberality which we conſider here, in this part, is more then that, more then any charity, how large ſoever, that is determined, or converſant about bodily reliefe; for, (as you have heard) it is conſolation applied in Chriſt, to a diſtreſſed ſoule, to a diſconſolate ſpirit. And how a liberall man ſhall ſtand by this liberality, (by applying ſuch conſolation to ſuch a diſtreſſed ſoule) I better know in my ſelfe, then I can tell any other, that is not of mine owne profeſſion; for this knowledge lyes in the experience of it.
For the moſt part, men are of one of theſe three ſorts; Either inconſiderate men; (and they that conſider not themſelves, conſider not us, they aske not, they expect not this liberality from us) or elſe they are over-confident, and preſume too much upon God; or diffident, and diſtruſt him too much. And with theſe two wee meet often; but truly, with ſeven diffident, and dejected, for one preſuming ſoule. So that we have much exerciſe of this liberality, of raiſing dejected ſpirits: And by this liberality we ſtand. For, when I have given that man comfort, that man hath given me a Sacrament, hee hath given me a ſeale and evidence of Gods favour upon me; I have received from him, in his receiving from me; I leave him comforted in Chriſt Jeſus, and I goe away comforted in my ſelfe, that Chriſt Jeſus hath made me an inſtrument of the diſpenſation of his mercy; And I argue to my ſelfe, and ſay, Lord, when I went, I was ſure, that thou who hadſt received me to mercy, wouldſt alſo receive him, who could not be ſo great a ſinner as I; And now, when I come away, I am ſure, that thou who art returned to him, and haſt re-manifeſted thy ſelfe to him, who, in the diffidence of his ſad ſoule, thought thee gone for ever, wilt never depart from mee, nor hide thy ſelfe from me, who deſire to dwell in thy preſence. And ſo, by this liberality I ſtand; by giving I receive comfort.
We follow our text,Rex Chriſtus. in the Context, our Prophet, as he places this liberality in the King, in the Magiſtrate, in the People. Here, the King is Chriſt, The Magiſtrate the Miniſter, The People the people, whether collectively, that is, the Congregation, or diſtributively, every particular ſoule. Afford your devotions a minute to each of theſe, and we have done. When we conſider the liberality of our King, the bounty of God, to man in Chriſt, it is Species ingratitudinis, It is a degree of ingratitude, nay, it is a degree of forgetfulneſſe, to pretend to remember his benefits ſo, as to reckon them, for they are innumerable. Sicut in viſibilibus eſt Sol, Nazlan.in intelligibilibus eſt Deus; As liberall as the Sun is in Nature, God is in grace. Bonitas Dei ad extra, liberalitas eſt; It is the expreſſing of the Schoole, and of much uſe; That God is Eſſentiall Goodneſſe, within doores, in himſelfe; But, Ad extra, when he comes abroad, when this interiour Goodneſſe is produced into action,Barnard. then all Gods Goodneſſe is Liberality. Deus eſt voluntas Omnipotens, is excellently ſaid by S. Bernard; God is all Almightineſſe, all Power; but he might be ſo and we never the better. Therefore he is Voluntas omnipotens, A Power digeſted into a Will, as Willing, as Able to doe us all, all good. What good? Receive ſome drops of it in S. Bernards owne Manna, his owne honey; Creans mentes ad ſe participandum, So good, as that he hath firſt given us ſoules capable of him, and made us ſo, partakers of the Divine Nature; Vivificans ad ſentiendum, So good as that he hath quickned thoſe ſoules, and made them ſenſible of having received him; for, Grace is not grace to me, till it make me know that I have it Alliciens ad appetendum, So good as that he hath given that ſoule an appetite, and a holy hunger and thirſt to take in more of him; for I have no Grace, till I would have more; and then, Dilatans ad capiendum, So good, as that he hath dilated and enlarged that ſoule, to take in as much of God as he will. And leſt the ſoule ſhould loſe any of this by unthankfulneſſe,Luke 6.31. God is kind even to the unthankfull, ſayes God himſelfe; which is a degree of goodneſſe, in which God ſeldome is, nay, in which God ſcarce looks to be imitated, To be kinde to the unthankfull.
But if the whole ſpace to the Firmament were filled with ſand, and we had before us Clavius his number, how many thouſands would be; If all that ſpace were filled with water, and ſo joyned the waters above with the waters below the Firmament, and we had the number of all thoſe drops of water; And then had every ſingle ſand, and every ſingle drop multiplied by the whole number of both, we were ſtill ſhort of numbring the benefits of God, as God; But then, of God in Chriſt, infinitely, ſuper-infinitely ſhort. To have been once nothing, and to be now co-heire with the Son of God, is ſuch a Circle, ſuch a Compaſſe, as that no revolutions in this world, to riſe from the loweſt to the higheſt, or to fall from the higheſt to the loweſt, can be called or thought any Segment, any Arch, any Point in reſpect of this Circle; To have once been nothing, and now to be co-heires with the Son of God: That Son of God; who if there had been but one ſoule to have been ſaved, would have dyed for that; nay, if all ſoules had been to be ſaved, but one, and that that onelyonly had ſinned, he would not have contented himſelfe with all the reſt, but would have dyed for that. And there is the goodneſſe, the liberality of our King, our God, our Chriſt, our Jeſus.
But we muſt looke upon this liberality, as our Prophet leads us, in the Magiſtrate too,Magiſtratus. that is, in this part, The Miniſter. As I have received mercy, I am one of them, as S. Paul ſpeaks. And why ſhould I deliver out this mercy to others, in a ſcanter meaſure, then I have received it my ſelfe from God? Why ſhould I deliver out his Talents in ſingle farthings? Or his Gomers in narrow and ſhallow thimbles? Why ſhould I defalke from his generall propoſitions, and againſt all Grammar, and all Dictionaries, call his Omnes, his All, a few? Why ſhould I lie to the Holy Ghoſt,Acts 5. (as S. Peter charges Ananias) Soldeſt thou the land for ſo much? Yea, for ſo much. Did God make heaven for ſo few? yes, for ſo few. Why ſhould I ſay ſo? If we will conſtitute a place for heaven above, and a place for hell below, even the capacity of the place will yeeld an argument, that God, (as we can conſider him in his firſt meaning) meant more ſhould be ſaved then caſt away. As oft as God tells us, of painfull wayes, and narrow gates, and of Camels, and needles, all that is done to ſharpen an induſtry in all, not to threaten an impoſſibility to any. If God would not have all, why tooke he me? And if he were ſorry he had taken me, or were wearied with the ſins of my youth, why did he not let me ſlide away, in the change of ſins in mine age, or in my ſinfull memory of old ſins, or in my ſinfull ſorrow that I could not continue in thoſe ſins, but ſtill make his mercies new to me every morning? My King, my God in Chriſt, is liberall to all; He bids us, his Officers, his Miniſters, to be ſo too; and I am; even thus far; If any man doubt his ſalvation, if any man thinke himſelfe too great a ſinner to attaine ſalvation, let him repent, and take mine for his; with any true repentant ſinner, I will change ſtates; for, God knowes his repentance, (whether it be true or no) better then I know mine.
Therefore doth the Prophet here, promiſe this liberality, as in the King, in Chriſt,Populus. and in the Magiſtrate, the Miniſter; ſo in the people too, in every particular ſoule. He cryes to us, his Miniſters, Conſolamini, Conſolamini, Comfort, O Comfort my people,Eſay 40.1. and he cryes to every one of you, Miſcrere animae tuae. Have mercy upon thine own ſoule,Ecclus. 30.24. and I will commiſerate it too; Be liberall to thy ſelfe, and I will beare thee out in it. God asks, Quid potui, What could have been done more to my Vineyard? Doe but tell him,Eſay 5.4. and he will doe that. Tell him, that he can remove this dampe from thy heart; Tell him, as though thou wouldeſt have it done, and he will doe it. Tell him, that he can bring teares into thine eyes, and then, wipe all teares from thine eyes; and he will doe both. Tell him, that he did as much for David, as thou needeſt; That he came later to the Thiefe upon the Croſſe, then thou putſt him to; And Davids Tranſtulit peccatum, ſhall be transferred upon thee, And that thiefs Hodie mecum eris, ſhall waft, and guard, and convey thy ſoule thither. Thinke not thy God a falſe God, that bids me call thee, and meanes not that thou heare; nor an impotent God, that would ſave thee, but that there is a Decree in the way; nor a cruell God, that made thee, to damne thee, that he might laugh at thy deſtruction. Thy King, thy Chriſt, is a liberall God; His Officers, his Miniſters, by his inſtructions, declare plentifull redemption; Be liberall to thy ſelfe, in the apprehenſion and application thereof, and by theſe liberall things, we ſhall all ſtand.
The King himſelfe ſtands by it,Stabit Rex Chriſtus. Miniſter. Chriſt himſelfe. It deſtroys the nature, the office, the merit of Chriſt himſelfe, to make his redemption ſo penurious, ſo illiberall. We, his officers, his Miniſters ſtand by it. It overthrowes the credit, and evacuates the purpoſe of our employment, and our Miniſtery, if we muſt offer ſalvation to the whole Congregation, and muſt not be beleeved, that he that ſends it, means it. The people, every particular ſoule ſtands by it. For, if he cannot beleeve God, to have been more liberall to him, then he hath been to any other man, he is in an ill caſe, becauſe he knowes more ill by himſelfe, then he can know by any other man. Beleeve therefore liberall purpoſes in thy God; Accept liberall propoſitions from his Miniſters; And apply them liberally, and chearfully to thine own ſoule; for, The liberall man deviſeth liberall things, and by liberall things he ſhall ſtand.