Eighty Sermons, Candlemas · Sermon 11
SERMON XI. Preached upon Candlemas day.
MAT. 9.2.
And Ieſus ſeeing their faith, ſaid unto the ſick of the palſie, My ſon, be of good cheare, thy ſins be forgiven thee.
IN theſe words,Diviſio. and by occaſion of them, we ſhall preſent to you theſe two generall conſiderations; firſt upon what occaſion Chriſt did that which he did, and then what it was that he did. And in the firſt, we ſhall ſee firſt ſome occaſions that were remote, but yet conduce to the Miracle it ſelfe; ſome circumſtances of time, and place, and ſome ſuch diſpoſitions, and then the more immediate occaſion, the diſpoſition of thoſe perſons who preſented this ſick man to Chriſt; and there we ſhall ſee firſt, that Faith was the occaſion of all, for without faith it is impoſsible to pleaſe God, and without pleaſing of God, it is impoſſible to have remiſſion of ſins. It was fides, and fides illorum, their faith, all their faith; for, though in the faith of others there be an aſſiſtance, yet without a perſonall faith in himſelfe, no man of ripe age comes ſo far, as to the forgiveneſſe of ſins; And then, this faith of them all, was fides viſa, a faith that was ſeen; Chriſt ſaw their faith, and he ſaw it as man, it was a faith expreſſed, and declared in actions: And yet, when all was done, it is but cum vidit, it is not quia vidit, Chriſt did it When he ſaw, not Becauſe he ſaw their faith, that was not the principle and primary cauſe of his mercy, for the mercy of God is all, and above all; it is the effect and it is the cauſe too, there is no cauſe of his mercy, but his mercy. And when we come in the ſecond part, to conſider what in his mercy he did, we ſhall ſee firſt, that he eſtabliſhes him, and comforts him with a gracious acceptation, with that gracious appellation, Fili, Son: He doth not diſavow him, he doth not diſinherite him; and then, he doth not wound him, whom God had ſtriken; he doth not flea him, whom God had ſcourged; he doth not ſalt him, whom God had flead; he doth not adde affliction to affliction, he doth not ſhake, but ſettle that faith which he had with more, Confide fili, My ſon be of good cheare; and then he ſeales all with that aſſurance, Dimittuntur peccata, Thy ſins are forgiven thee; In which, firſt he catechiſes this patient, and gives him all theſe leſſons, firſt that he gives before we ask, for he that was brought, they who brought him had asked nothing in his behalfe, when Chriſt unasked, enlarged himſelf towards them, Dat prius, God gives before we ask, that is firſt; And then Dat meliora, God gives better things then we ask, All that all they meant to ask, was but bodily health, and Chriſt gave him ſpirituall; and the third leſſon was, that ſin was the cauſe of bodily ſickneſſe, and that therefore he ought to have ſought his ſpirituall recovery before his bodily health: and then, after he had thus rectified him, by this Catechiſme, implyed in thoſe few words, Thy ſins are forgiven thee, he takes occaſion by this act, to rectifie the by-ſtanders too, which were the Phariſees, who did not beleeve Chriſt to be God: For, for proofe of that, firſt he takes knowledge of their inward thoughts, not expreſſed by any act or word, which none but God could doe; And then he reſtores the patient to bodily health, onelyonly by his word, without any naturall meanes applyed, which none but God could doe neither. And into fewer particulars then theſe, this pregnant and abundant Text is not eaſily contracted.
Firſt then to begin with the Branches of the firſt part, of which the firſt was,1 Part. to conſider ſome, ſomewhat more remote circumſtances, and occaſions conducing to this miracle, we cannot avoid the making of ſome uſe of the Time, when it was done: It was done, when Chriſt had diſpoſſeſſed thoſe two men of furious, and raging Devils, amongſt the Gergeſens; at what time,Mar. 8. ult. becauſe Chriſt had been an occaſion of drowning their heard of ſwine, the whole City came out to meet him, but not with a thankfull reverence, and acclamation, but their proceſſion was, to beſeech him to depart out of their coaſts: They had rather have had their Legion of Devils ſtill, then have loſt their hogs; and ſince Chriſts preſence was an occaſion of impairing their temporall ſubſtance, they were glad to be rid of him.
We need not put on ſpectacles to ſearch Maps for this Land of the Gergeſens; God knows we dwell in it; Non quaerimus Ieſum propter Ieſum, (which was a Propheticall complaint by S. Auguſt.) we love the profeſſion of Chriſt only ſo far, as that profeſſion conduces to our temporall ends. We ſeek him not at the Croſſe; there moſt of his friends left him; but we are content to embrace him, where the Kings of the Eaſt bring him preſents of Gold, and Myrrh, and Frankincenſe, that we may participate of thoſe: we ſeek him not in the hundred and thirtieth Pſalme, where, though there be plenty, yet it is but copioſa redemtio, plentifull redemption, plenty of that that comes not yet; but in the twenty fourth Pſalm we are glad to meet him, where he proclaims Domini terra, & plenitudo ejus, The earth is the Lords, and the fulneſſe thereof, that our portion therein may be plenteous: We care not for him in S. Peters Hoſpital, where he excuſes himſelfe, Aurum & argentum non habeo, Silver and gold have I none; but in the Prophet Haggais Exchequer we doe, where he makes that claime, Aurum meum, All the gold and all the ſilver is mine. Scarce any Son is Proteſtant enough, to ſtand out a rebuke of his Father, or any Servant of his Maſter, or any Officer of his Prince, if that Father, or Maſter, or Prince would be, or would have him be a Papiſt; But, as though the different formes of Religion, were but the faſhions of the garment, and not the ſtuffe, we put on, and we put off Religion, as we would doe a Livery, to teſtifie our reſpect to him, whom we ſerve, and (miſerable Gergeſens) had rather take in that Devill againe, of which we have been diſpoſſeſſed three or fourſcore yeares ſince, then loſe another hogge, in departing with any part of our pleaſures or profits; Non quaerimus Ieſum propter Ieſum, we profeſſe not Jeſus, for his, but for our owne ſakes.
But we paſſe from the circumſtance of the time, to a ſecond, that though Chriſt thus deſpiſed by the Gergeſens, did, in his Juſtice, depart from them; yet, as the Sea gaines in one place, what it loſes in another, his abundant mercy builds up more in Capernaum, then his Juſtice throwes downe amongſt the Gergeſens: Becauſe they drave him away, in Judgement he went from them, but in Mercy he went to the others, who had not intreated him to come.
Apply this alſo; And, wretched Gergeſen, if thou have intreated Chriſt to goe from thee, for loſſe of thy hogges, that when thou haſt found the Preaching of Chriſt, or the ſting of thy conſcience whet thereby, to hinder thee in growing rich ſo haſtily as thou wouldſt, or trouble thee, in following thy pleaſures ſo fully as thou wouldſt, thou haſt made ſhift to deveſt, and put off Chriſt, and ſeare up thy conſcience, yet Chirſt comes into his Capernaum now, that ſent not for him; he comes into thy ſoule now, who cameſt not hither to meet him, but to celebrate the day, by this ordinary, and faſhionall meeting; to thee he comes, as into Capernaum, to preach his owne Goſpell, and to work his miracles upon thee. And it is a high mercy in Chriſt, that he will thus ſurprize thy ſoule, that he will thus way-lay thy conſcience, that what collaterall reſpect ſoever brought thee hither, yet when he hath thee here, he will make thee ſee that thou art in his houſe, and he will ſpeake to thee, and he will be heard by thee, and he will be anſwered from thee; and though thou thoughteſt not of him, when thou cameſt hither, yet he will ſend thee away, full of the love of him, full of comforts from him.
But we paſſe alſo from this,Mat 9.1. to a third circumſtance, that when he came to Capernaum, he is ſaid to have come into his own City; not Nazareth, where he was borne, but Capernaum where he dwelt, and preached, is called his own City. Thou art not a Chriſtian, becauſe thou waſt borne in a Chriſtian Kingdome, and borne within the Covenant, and borne of Chriſtian Parents, but becauſe thou haſt dwelt in the Chriſtian Church, and performed the duties preſented to thee there.
Againe, Capernaum was his owne City, but yet Chriſt went forth of Capernaum, to many other places. I take the application of this, from you, to our ſelves; Chriſt fixes no man by his example ſo to one Church, as that no occaſion may make his abſence from thence excuſable. But yet when Chriſt did goe from Capernaum, he went to doe his Fathers will, and that, which he was ſent for. Nothing but preaching the Goſpell, and edifying Gods Church, is an excuſe for ſuch an abſence; for, Vaeſi non Euangelizaverit, if he neither preach at Capernaum, nor to the Gergeſens, neither at home, nor abroad, woe be unto him: If I be at home, but to take my tithes; If I be abroad, but to take the aire, woe be unto me.
But we muſt not ſtop long upon theſe circumſtances; we end all of this kinde, in this one, that when Chriſt had undertaken that great work of the Converſion of the world, by the Word, and Sacraments, to ſhew that the word was at that time the more powerfull meanes of thoſe two, (for Sacraments were inſtituted by Chriſt, as ſubſidiary things, in a great part, for our infirmity, who ſtand in need of ſuch viſible and ſenſible aſſiſtances) Chriſt preached the Chriſtian Doctrine, long before he inſtituted the Sacraments; But yet, though theſe two permanent Sacraments, Baptiſme, and the Supper were not ſo ſoon inſtituted, Chriſt alwayes deſcended ſo much to mans infirmity, as to accompany the preaching of the Word, with certain tranſitory, and occaſionall Sacraments; for miracles are tranſitory and occaſionall Sacraments, as they are viſible ſignes of inviſible grace, though not ſeales thereof; Chriſts purpoſe in every miracle was, that by that work, they ſhould ſee Grace to be offered unto them. Now this hiſtory, from whence this Text is taken, begins, and ends with the principall meanes, with preaching; for, as S. Mark relates it,Mark 2.2. he was in the act of preaching, when this cure was done; And in S. Matthew, Mat. 9.35.after all was done, he went about the Cities, and Villages, preaching the Goſpell of the Kingdome: And then betweene, S. Matthew here, records five of his tranſitory and occaſionall Sacraments, five miracles, of which every one, well conſidered, (as the petitions of Abraham did upon God) may juſtly be thought to have gained more and more, upon his Auditory.
Firſt, this paralytique man in our Text, who is Sarcinaſibi, over-loaded with himſelf, he cannot ſtand under his own burden, he is cadaver animatum; It is true, he hath a ſoule, but a ſoule in a ſack, it hath no Lims, no Organs to move, this Paralytique, this living dead man, this dead and buryed man, buryed in himſelfe, is inſtantly cured, and recovered. But the Palſie was a ſudden ſickneſſe; what could he doe, upon an inveterate diſeaſe? He cured the woman that had had the bloudy iſſue twelve yeares,V. 20. by onelyonly touching the hem of his garment. After, he extends his miraculous power to two at once, he cures two blinde men.V. 27. But all theſe, though not by ſuch meanes meerely, yet in nature, and in art might be poſſible, Palſies, and Iſſues, and Blindneſſes have been cured: but he went farther then ever art pretended to goe;V. 24. He raiſed the Rulers Daughter to life, then when he was laughed to ſcorne, for going about to doe it. And laſtly to ſhew his Power, as over ſickneſſe, and over death, ſo over hell it ſelfe, he caſt out the Devill out of the dumb man, in ſome ſuch extraordinary manner, as that the multitude marvailed,V. 33. and ſaid, It was never ſo ſeene in Iſrael. This then was his way, and this muſt be ours, and it muſt be your way too. Chriſt preached, and he wrought great works, and he preached againe; It is not enough in us to preach, and in you to heare, except both doe and practice, that which is ſaid, and heard; Neither may we, though we have done all this, give over, for every day produces new tentations, and therefore needs new aſſiſtances. And ſo we paſſe from theſe more remote, to that which is our ſecond Branch of this firſt part, the immediate occaſion of Chriſts doing this miracle, When Ieſus ſaw their faith.
Here then, the occaſion of all that enſued, was faith; for, without faith, Fides. Heb. 11.6.it is impoſsible to pleaſe God; Where you may be pleaſed to admit ſome uſe of this note, (for it is not a meere Grammaticall curioſity to note it) that it is not ſaid in thoſe words of S. Paul, It is impoſſible to pleaſe God, or impoſſible to pleaſe him, (which is with relation to God, as our Tranſlation hath it,) but it is meerely, ſimply, onelyonly, impoſſible to pleaſe, and no more, impoſſible to pleaſe any worth pleaſing; but if we take away our faith in God, God will take away the protection of Angels, the favour of Princes, the obedience of children, the reſpect of ſervants, the aſſiſtance of friends, the ſociety of neighbours; God ſhall make us unpleaſing to all; without faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe any, but ſuch, as we ſhall repent to have made our ſelves pleaſing companions unto. When our Saviour Chriſt perfected the Apoſtles Commiſſion, and ſet his laſt ſeale to it, after his Reſurrection, he never modifies, never mollifies their inſtructions, with any milder phraſe then this, He that beleeveth not, ſhall be damned. It is not, that he ſhall be in danger of a Councell; Mark 16.16.no, nor in danger of hell fire: It is not, that it were better a Mill-ſtone were tyed about his neck, and he caſt into the Sea: It is not, that it will goe hard with him at the laſt day: It is not, that it ſhall be eaſier to Tyre, and Sidon, then to him; For he is not bound to beleeve, but that Tyre, and Sidon, and he too, may doe well enough: Here is no modification, no mollification, no reſervation; roundly, and irrevocably, Chriſt Jeſus himſelfe, after his Reſurrection, ſayes, Qui non crediderit, he that beleeveth not, ſhall be damned.
If the Judge muſt come to a ſentence of condemnation, upon any perſon of great quality in the Kingdome, that Judge muſt not ſay, Your Lordſhip muſt paſſe out of this world, nor, your Lordſhip muſt be beheaded; but he muſt tell them plainly, You muſt be carryed to the place of execution and there hanged. Chriſt Jeſus hath given us the Commiſſion and the ſentence there; Goe into all the world, preach the Goſpell to every creature; And then, the ſentence followes upon thoſe that will not receive it, He that beleeveth not, ſhall be damned. Theſe men then, who prevailed ſo farre upon Chriſt, brought faith; though not an explicite faith of all thoſe articles, which we, who from the beginning have been Catechized in all thoſe points, are bound to have, yet a conſtant aſſurance that Chriſt could, and that he would relieve this diſtreſſed perſon, in which aſſurance, there was enwrapped an implicite faith even of the Meſſias, that could remove all occaſions of ſickneſſe, even ſin it ſelfe.
There was faith in the caſe; but in whom? Whoſe faith was it,Illorum. that Chriſt had reſpect to? To whom hath that Illorum in the Text, their faith, reference? There can be no queſtion, but that it hath reference to thoſe foure friends, that brought this ſick man in his bed, to Chriſt: For, elſe it could not have been ſpoken in the plurall, and called their faith. And certainly S. Ambroſe does not inconveniently make that particular an argument of Gods greatneſſe and goodneſſe, of his magnificence, and munificence, Magnus Dominus, qui aliorum meritis, aliis ignoſtit; This is the large and plentifull mercy of God, that for one mans ſake, he forgives another. This Ioaſh acknowledged in the perſon of Eliſha; when Eliſha was ſick, the King came downe to him, and wept over his face, 2 Reg. 13.14.and ſaid, O my Father, my Father, the Chariot of Iſrael, and the horſe men thereof. Here were all the forces of Iſrael muſtred upon one ſick bed, the whole ſtrength of Iſrael conſiſted in the goodneſſe of that one man. The Angel ſaid to Paul, when they were in an evident and imminent danger of ſhipwrack,Act. 27.24. God hath given thee all them that ſayle with thee; He ſpared them, not for their owne ſakes, but for Pauls. God gave thoſe paſſengers to Paul ſo, as he had given Paul himſelfe before to Stephen; Si Stephanus non ſic oraſſet, Paulum hodiè Eccleſia non haberet, ſayes S. Auguſtine; If Paul had not been enwrapped in thoſe prayers, which Stephen made for his perſecutors, the Church had loſt the benefit of all Pauls labours; and if God had not given Paul the lives of all thoſe paſſengers in that Ship, they had all periſhed. For the righteouſneſſe of a few, (if thoſe few could have been found) God would have ſpared the whole City of Sodome:Gen. 18. And when Gods fury was kindled upon the Cities of that Country, God remembred Abraham, Gen. 19.29.ſayes that ſtory, and he delivered Lot: And when he delivered Jeruſalem from Sennacherib, he takes his ſervant David by the hand, he puts his ſervant David into Commiſſion with himſelfe, and he ſayes, I will defend this City, and ſave it, for mine own ſake, 2 Reg. 19.34.and for my ſervant Davids ſake. Quantus murus Patriae vir juſtus, is a holy exclamation of S. Ambroſe, What a Wall to any Towne, what a Sea to any Iland, what a Navy to any Sea, what an Admirall to any Navy, is a good man! Apply thy ſelfe therefore, and make thy converſation with good men, and get their love, and that ſhall be an armour of proofe to thee.
When Saint Auguſtines Mother lamented the ill courſes that her ſonne tooke in his youth, ſtill that Prieſt, to whom ſhe imparted her ſorrowes, ſaid, Filius iſtarum lacrymarum, non poteſt perire; That Son, for whom ſo good a Mother hath ſhed ſo many teares, cannot periſh: He put it not upon that iſſue, filius Dci, the elect child of God, the ſon of predeſtination cannot periſh, for at that time, that name was either no name, or would ſcarce have ſeemed to have belonged to S. Auguſtine, but the child of theſe teares, of this devotion cannot be loſt.Mat. 8.13. Chriſt ſaid to the Centurion, fiat ſicut credidiſti, Goe thy way, and as thou beleeveſt, ſo be it done unto thee, and his ſervant was healed in the ſelfe-ſame houre: The maſter beleeved, and the ſervant was healed. Little knoweſt thou, what thou haſt received at Gods hands, by the prayers of the Saints in heaven, that enwrap thee in their generall prayers for the Militant Church. Little knoweſt thou, what the publique prayers of the Congregation, what the private prayers of particular devout friends, that lament thy careleſneſſe, and negligence in praying for thy ſelfe, have wrung and extorted out of Gods hands, in their charitable importunity for thee. And therfore, at laſt, make thy ſelfe fit to doe for others, that which others, when thou waſt unfit to doe thy ſelfe that office, have done for thee, in aſſiſting thee with their prayers. If thou meet thine enemies Oxe, Exod. 23 4, 5.or Aſſe going aſtray, (ſayes the Law) thou ſhalt ſurely bring it back to him again: If thou ſee the Aſſe of him that hateth thee, lying under his burden, and wouldeſt forbeare to help him, thou ſhalt ſurely help him. Eſtnè Deo cura de Bobus, is the Apoſtles queſtion, Hath God care of Oxen? of other mens Oxen? How much more of his owne Sheep? And therefore if thon ſee one of his Sheep, one of thy fellow Chriſtians, ſtrayed into ſins of infirmity, and negligent of himſelfe, joyne him with thine owne ſoule, in thy prayers to God. Relieve him, (if that be that which he needs) with thy prayers for him, and relieve him, (if his wants be of another kinde) according to his prayers to thee. Cur apud te homo Collega non valeat, ſayes S. Ambroſe, why ſhould not he that is thy Colleague, thy fellow-man, as good a man, that is as much a man as thou, made of the ſame bloud, and redeemed with the ſame bloud as thou art, why ſhould not he prevaile with thee, ſo farre as to the obtaining of an almes, Cum apud Deum, ſervus, & interveniendi meritum, & jus habe at impetrandi, when ſome fellow-ſervant of thine, hath had that intereſt in God, as by his interceſſion, and prayers to advance thy ſalvation? wilt not thou ſave the life of another man that prayes to thee, when perchance thy ſoule hath been ſaved by another man, that prayed for thee?
Well then;Ejus. Chriſt had reſpect to their faith, that brought this ſick man to him. Conſuetudo eſt miſerecordis Dei, It is Gods ordinary way, (ſayes S. Chyſoſt.) hunc honorem dare ſervis ſuis, ut propter eos ſalventur & alii, to afford this honour to his ſervants, that for their ſakes he ſaves others. But neither this which we ſay now out of S.Crhyſoſtome, nor that which we ſaid before out of S. Ambroſe, nor all that we might multiply out of the other Fathers, doth exclude the faith of that particular man, who is to be ſaved. It is true, that in this particular caſe, S. Hierome ſayes, Non vidit fidem ejus qui offer ebatur, ſed corum qui offerebant, That Chriſt did not reſpect his faith that was brought, but onelyonly theirs that brought him; but except S. Hierome be to be underſtood ſo, that Chriſt did not firſt reſpect his faith, but theirs, we muſt depart from him, to S. Chryſoſtome, Ne que enim ſe portari ſuſtinuiſſet, He would neither have put himſelfe, nor them, to ſo many difficulties, as he did, if he had not had a faith, that is, a conſtant aſſurance in this meanes of his recovery. And therefore the Rule may be beſt given thus; That God gives worldly bleſſings, bodily health, deliverance from dangers, and the like, to ſome men, in contemplation of others, though themſelves never thought of it, all the examples which we have touched upon, convince abundantly.
That God gives ſpirituall bleſſings to Infants, preſented according to his Ordinance, in Baptiſme, in Contemplation of the faith of their Parents, or of the Church, or of their ſureties, without any actuall faith in the Infant, is probable enough, credible enough. But take it as our caſe is, de adultis, in a man who is come to the uſe of his own reaſon, and diſcretion, ſo God never ſaves any man, for the faith of another, otherwiſe then thus, that the faithfull man may pray for the converſion of an unfaithfull, who does not know, nor, if he did, would be content to be prayed for, and God, for his ſake that prayes, may be pleaſed to work upon the other; but before that man comes to the Dimittuntur peccata, that his ſinnes are forgiven, that man comes to have faith in himſelfe. Iuſtus in fide ſua vivit; there is no life without faith, nor In fide aliena, Habak. 2.4.no ſuch life as conſtitutes Righteouſneſſe, without a perſonall faith of our owne. So that this fides illorum, in our Text, this that is called their faith, hath reference to the ſick man himſelfe, as well as to them that brought him.
And then, in Him, and in Them, it was fides viſa, faith, which, by an ouvert act,Viſae. was declared, and made evident. For, Chriſt, who was now to convay into that company the knowledge that he was the Meſſias, which Meſſias was to be God, and Man, as afterwards for their conviction, who would not beleeve him to be God, he ſhewed that he knew their inward thoughts, and did ſome other things, which none but God could doe; ſo here, for the better edification of men, he required ſuch a faith, as might be evident to men. For, though Chriſt could have ſeene their faith, by looking into their hearts, yet to think, that here he ſaw it by that power of his Divinity, nimis coactum videtur, It is too narrow, and too forced an interpretation of the place, ſayes Calvin. They then, that is, all they declared their faith, their aſſurance, that Chriſt could, and would help him. It was good evidence of a ſtrength of faith in him, that in a diſeaſe, very little capable of cure, then when he had ſo farre reſolved, and ſlackned his ſinewes, that he could endure no poſture but his bed, he ſuffered himſelfe to be put to ſo many incommodities. It was good evidence of a ſtrength of faith in them, that they could beleeve that Chriſt would not reject them for that importunity of troubling him, and the congregation, in the midſt of a Sermon; That when they ſaw, that they who came onelyonly to heare, could not get neare the doore, they ſhould thinke to get in, with that load, that offenſive ſpectacle; That they ſhould ever conceive, or goe about to execute, or be ſuffered to execute ſuch a plot, as without the leave of Chriſt, (if Chriſt preached this Sermon in his owne houſe, as ſome take it to have been done) or without the Maſters leave, in whoſe houſe ſoever it was, they ſhould firſt untile or open, and then break through the floore, and ſo let downe, their miſerable burden: That they ſhould have an apprehenſion, that it was not fit for them to ſtay, till the Sermon were done, and the company parted, but that it was likelieſt to conduce to the glory of God, that Preaching, and working might goe together, this was evidence, this was argument of ſtrength of faith in them. Take therefore their example, not to defer that aſſiſtance, which thou art able to give to another. Ne dic as aſsiſtam cr as, ſayes S. Gregory, doe not ſay, I will help thee to morrow; Ne quid inter propoſitum, & beneficium intercedat; Perchance that poore ſoule may not need thee to morrow, perchance thou maiſt have nothing to give to morrow, perchance there ſhall be no ſuch day, as to morrow, and ſo thou haſt loſt that opportunity of thy charity, which God offered thee, to day: Vnica beneficentia eſt, quae moram non admittit, onelyonly that is charity, that is given preſently.
But yet, when all was done, when there was faith, and faith in them all,Cum, non quiae. and faith declared in their outward works, yet Chriſt is not ſaid to have done this miracle, quia ſides, but cum fides, not Becauſe he ſaw, but onelyonly When he ſaw their faith. Let us transferre none of that, which belongs to God, to our ſelves: when we doe our duties, (but when doe we goe about to begin to doe any part of any of them?) we are unprofitable ſervants: When God does work in us, are we ſaved by that work, as by the cauſe, when there is another cauſe of the work it ſelfe? When the ground brings forth good corne, yet that ground becomes not fit for our food: When a man hath brought forth good fruits, yet that man is not thereby made worthy of heaven. Not faith it ſelfe (and yet faith is of ſomewhat a deeper dye, and tincture, then any works) is any ſuch cauſe of our ſalvation. A beggars beleeving that I will give him an almes, is no cauſe of my charity: My beleeving that Chriſt will have mercy upon me, is no cauſe of Chriſts mercy; for what proportion hath my temporary faith, with my everlaſting ſalvation? But yet, though it work not as a cauſe, though it be not qui a vidit, becauſe he ſaw it, yet cum videt, when Chriſt findes this faith, according to that gracious Covenant, and Contract which he hath made with us, that whereſoever, and whenſoever he findes faith, he will enlarge his mercy, finding that in this patient, he expreſſed his mercy, in that which conſtitutes our ſecond part, Fili confide, my ſon be of good cheare, thy ſins are forgiven thee.
Where we ſee firſt,2 Part. our Saviour. Chriſt opening the bowels of compaſſion to him, and receiving him ſo, as if he had iſſued out of his bowels, and from his loynes, in that gracious appellation, Fili, my Son. He does not call him brother; for greater enmity can be no where, then is often expreſſed to have beene betweene brethren; for in that degree, and diſtance, enmity amongſt men began in Cain, and Abel, and was purſued in many paires of brethren after, in Sacred and in ſecular ſtory. Hee does not call him friend; that name, even in Chriſts owne mouth, is not alwaies accompanied with good entertainment: Amice, Mat. 22.12.quomodo intraſti, ſaies he, Friend, how came you in? and he bound him hand and foote, and caſt him into outer darkneſſe. He does not call him ſon of Abraham, which might give him an intereſt in all the promiſes, but he gives him a preſent Adoption, and ſo a preſent fruition of all, Fili, my Son. His Son, and not his Son in law; he loads him not with the encumbrances, and halfe-impoſſibilities of the Law, but he ſeales to him the whole Goſpell, in the remiſſion of ſinnes. His Son, and not his diſ-inherited ſon, as the Jewes were, but his Son, upon whom he ſetled his ancient Inheritance, his eternall election, and his new purchaſe, which he came now into the world to make with his blood. His Son, and not his prodigall ſon, to whom Chriſt imputes no waſtfulneſſe of his former graces, but gives him a generall releaſe, and Quietus eſt, in the forgiveneſſe of ſinnes. All that Chriſt asks of his Sons, is, Fili da mihi cor, My Son give me thy heart; and till God give us that, we cannot give it him; and therefore in this Son he creates a new heart, he infuſes a new courage, he eſtabliſhes a new confidence, in the next word, Fili confide, My Son be of good cheere.
Chriſt then does not ſtay ſo long wraſtling with this mans faith,Confide. and ſhaking it, and trying whether it were faſt rooted, as he did with that Woman in the Goſpell, who came after him,Mat. 15.22. in her daughters behalfe, crying, Have mercy upon me O Lord, thou Son of David, for Chriſt gave not that woman one word; when her importunity made his Diſciples ſpeake to him, he ſaid no more, but that he was not ſent to ſuch as ſhe; This was far, very far from a Confide filia, Daughter be of good cheere: But yet, this put her not oft, but (as it followes) She followed, and worſhipped him, and ſaid, O Lord helpe me: And all this prevailed no farther with him, but to give ſuch an anſwer, as was more diſcomfortable, then a ſilence, It is not fit to take the childrens bread, and caſt it unto dogs. She denies not that, ſhe contradicts him not; ſhe ſaies, Truth Lord, It is not fit to take the childrens bread, and to caſt it unto dogs, and Truth Lord, I am one of thoſe dogs; but yet ſhe perſevers in her holy importunity, and in her good ill-manners, and ſaies, Yet the Dogs eate of the crums which fall from the Maſters table: And then, and not till then comes Jeſus to that, O Woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt; and her Daughter was healed. But all this, at laſt, was but a bodily reſtitution, here was no Dimittuntur peccata in the caſe, no declaration of forgiveneſſe of ſinnes: But with this man in our Text, Chriſt goes farther, and comes ſooner to an end; He exerciſes him with no diſputation, he leaves no roome for any diffidence, but at firſt word eſtabliſhes him, and then builds upon him. Now beloved, which way ſoever of theſe two God have taken with thee, whether the longer, or the ſhorter way, bleſſe thou the Lord, praiſe him, and magnifie him for that. If God have ſetled and ſtrengthned thy faith early, early in thy youth heretofore, early at the beginning of a Sermon now, A day is as a thouſand yeares with God, a minute is as ſixe thouſand yeares with God, that which God hath not done upon the Nations, upon the Gentiles, in ſix thouſand yeares, never ſince the Creation, which is, to reduce them to the knowlege, and application of the Meſſias, Chriſt Jeſus, that he hath done upon thee, in an inſtant. If he have carried thee about the longer way, if he have expoſed thee to ſcruples, and perplexities, and ſtormes in thine underſtanding, or conſcience, yet in the midſt of the tempeſt, the ſoft ayre, that he is ſaid to come in, ſhall breath into thee; in the midſt of thoſe clouds, his Son ſhall ſhine upon thee; In the midſt of that flood he ſhall put out his Rainbow, his ſeale that thou ſhalt not drowne, his Sacrament of faire weather to come, and as it was to the Thiefe, thy Croſſe ſhall be thine Altar, and thy Faith ſhall be thy Sacrifice. Whether he accompliſh his worke-upon thee ſoone or late, he ſhall never leave thee all the way, without this Confide fili, a holy confidence, that thou art his, which ſhall carry thee to the Dimittuntur peccata, to the peace of conſcience, in the remiſſion of ſins.
In which two words, we noted unto you, that Chriſt hath inſtituted a Catechiſme, an Inſtruction for this new Convertite, and adopted Son of his; in which, the firſt leſſon that is therein implyed, is, Antequam rogetur, That God is more forward to give,Antequam rogetur. then man to aske: It is not ſaid that the ſick man, or his company in his behalfe, ſaid any thing to Chriſt, but Chriſt ſpeakes firſt to them. If God have touched thee here, didſt thou aske that at his hands? Didſt thou pray before thou cameſt hither, that he would touch thy heart here? perchance thou didſt: But when thou waſt brought to thy Baptiſme, didſt thou ask any thing at Gods hands then? But thoſe that brought thee, that preſented thee, did; They did in thy Baptiſme; but at thine election, then when God writing downe the names of all the Elect, in the book of Life, how cameſt thou in? who brought thee in then? Didſt thou aske any thing at Gods hands then, when thou thy ſelfe waſt not at all?
Dat prius, that's the firſt leſſon in this Catechiſme, God gives before we aske,Meliora. and then Dat meliora rogatis, God gives better things, then we aske; They intended to aske but bodily health, and Chriſt gave ſpirituall, he gave Remiſſion of ſinnes. And what gain'd he by that? why, Beati quorum remiſſae iniquitates, Bleſſed are they, whoſe ſinnes are forgiven. But what is Bleſſedneſſe? Any more then a conſident expectation of a good ſtate in the next world? Yes; Bleſſedneſſe includes all that can be asked or conceived in the next world, and in this too. Chriſt in his Sermon of bleſſedneſſe, ſaies firſt, Bleſſed are they, for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven; and after, Bleſſed are they, Mat. 5.3. & 5.for they ſhall in her it the earth; Againe, Bleſſed, for they ſhall obtaine mercy; and, Bleſſed for they ſhall be filled: Remiſſion of ſins is bleſſedneſſe, and as Godlineſſe hath the promiſe of this world, and the next, ſo bleſſedneſſe hath the performance of both: He that hath peace in the remiſſion of ſinnes, is bleſſed already, and ſhall have thoſe bleſſings infinitely multiplied in the world to come. The fartheſt that Chriſt goes in the expreſſing of the affections of a naturall Father here, is, That if his Son aske bread, he will not give him a ſtone; Luk. 11.12.and if he aske a Fiſh, he will not give him a Scorpion; He will not give him worſe then he ask'd; But it is the peculiar bounty of this Father, who adopted this Sonne, to give more, and better, ſpirituall for temporall.
Another leſſon, which Chriſt was pleaſed to propoſe to this new Convertite,Cauſa morborum. in this Catechiſme, was, to informe him, That ſins were the true cauſes of all bodily diſeaſes. Diſeaſes and bodily afflictions are ſometimes inflicted by God Ad poenam, non ad purgationem, Not to purge or purifie the ſoule of that man, by that affliction, but to bring him by the rack to the gallowes, through temporary afflictions here, to everlaſting torments hereafter; As Iudas his hanging, and Herods being eaten with wormes,Acts 12. was their entrance into that place, where they are yet. Sometimes diſeaſes and afflictions are inflicted onelyonly, or principally to manifeſt the glory of God, in the removing thereof; So Chriſt ſaies of that man, that was borne blinde, that neither he himſelfe had ſinned,John 5. nor bore the ſinnes of his parents, but he was borne blinde to preſent an occaſion of doing a miracle. Sometimes they are inflicted Ad humiliationem, for our future humiliation; So S. Paul ſaies of himſelfe, That leaſt he ſhould be exalted above meaſure, 2 Cor. 12.7.by the abundance of Revelations, he had that Stimulum carnis, That vexation of the fleſh, that meſſenger of Satan, to humble him. And then, ſometimes they are inflicted for tryall, and farther declaration of your conformity to Gods will, as upon Iob. But howſoever there be divers particular cauſes, for the diſeaſes and afflictions of particular men, the firſt cauſe of death, and ſickneſſe, and all infirmities upon mankinde in generall, was ſin; and it would not be hard for every particular man, almoſt, to finde it in his owne caſe too, to aſſigne his fever to ſuch a ſurfet, or his conſumption to ſuch an intemperance. And therefore to breake that circle, in which we compaſſe, and immure, and impriſon our ſelves, That as ſinne begot diſeaſes, ſo diſeaſes begot more ſinnes, impatience and murmuring at Gods corrections, Chriſt begins to ſhake this circle, in the right way to breake it, in the right linke, that is, firſt to remove the ſin, which occaſioned the diſeaſe; for, till that be done, a man is in no better caſe, then, (as the Prophet expreſſes it) If he ſhould flie from a Lion, Amos 5.19.and a Beare met him, or if he ſhould leane upon a wall, and a Serpent bit him. What eaſe were it, to be delivered of a palſie, of ſlack and diſſolv'd ſinews, and remaine under the tyranny of a luſtfull heart, of licentious eyes, of ſlacke and diſſolute ſpeech and converſation? What eaſe to be delivered of the putrefaction of a wound in my body, and meet a murder in my conſcience, done, or intended, or deſired upon my neighbour? To be delivered of a fever in my ſpirits, and to have my ſpirit troubled with the guiltineſſe of an adultery? To be delivered of Cramps, and Coliques, and Convulſions in my joynts and ſinewes, and ſuffer in my ſoule all theſe, from my oppreſſions, and extortions, by which I have ground the face of the poore. It is but loſt labour, and coſt, to give a man a precious cordiall, when he hath a thorne in his foote, or an arrow in his fleſh; for, as long as the ſinne, which is the cauſe of the ſickneſſe, remaines, Deterius ſequetur, A worſe thing will follow; we may be rid of a Fever, and the Peſtilence will follow, rid of the Cramp, and a Gout will follow, rid of ſickneſſe, and Death, eternall death will follow. That which our Saviour preſcribes is, Noli peccare ampliùs, ſinne no more; firſt, non ampliùs, ſinne no more ſins, take heed of gravid ſins, of pregnant ſinnes, of ſins of concomitance, and concatentation, that chaine and induce more ſins after, as Davids idleneſſe did adultery, and that murder, & the loſſe of the Lords Army, and Honor, in the blaſpheming of his name, Noli ampliùs, ſin no more, no ſuch ſin as induces more; And Noli ampliùs, ſinne no more, that is, ſin thy owne ſin, thy beloved ſin, no more times over; And ſtill Noli ampliùs, ſin not that ſin which thou haſt given over in thy practiſe, in thy memory, by a ſinfull delight in remembring it; And againe, Noli ampliùs, ſin not over thy former ſins, by holding in thy poſſeſſion; ſuch things as were corruptly gotten, by any ſuch former practiſes: for, Deterius ſequetur, a worſe thing will follow, A Tertian will be a Quartan, and a Quartan a Hectique, and a Hectique a Conſumption, and a Conſumption without a conſummation, that ſhall never conſume it ſelfe, nor conſume thee to an unſenſibleneſſe of torment.
And then after theſe three leſſons in this Catechiſme,Sanitas ſpiritualis. That God gives before we aske, That he gives better then we aske, That he informes us in the true cauſe of ſickneſſe, ſinne, He involves a tacit, nay he expreſſes an expreſſe rebuke, and increpation, and in beginning at the Dimittuntur peccata, at the forgiveneſſe of ſinnes, tels him in his eare, that his ſpirituall health ſhould have beene prefer'd before his bodily, and the cure of his ſoule before his Palſie; that firſt the Prieſt ſhould have beene, and then the Phyſitian might bee conſulted. That which Chriſt does to his new adopted Sonne here, the Wiſeman ſaies to his Son,Ecclus. 38.9. My Son, in thy ſickneſſe be not negligent; But wherein is his diligence required, or to be expreſſed? in that, which followes, Pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole; But upon what conditions, or what preparations? Leave off from ſin, order thy hands aright, and cleanſe thy heart from all wickedneſſe. Is this all? needs there no declaration, no teſtimony of this? Yes, Give a ſweet ſavour, and a memoriall of fine floure, and make a fat offering, as not beeing; that is, as though thou wert dead: Give, and give that which thou giveſt in thy life time, as not beeing. And when all this is piouſly, and religiouſly done, thou haſt repented, reſtor'd, amended, and given to pious uſes, Then, ſaies he there, give place to the Phyſitian, for the Lord hath created him. For if we proceed otherwiſe, if wee begin with the Phyſitian, Phyſick is a curſe; He that ſinneth before his Maker,V. 15. let him fall into the hands of the Phyſitian, ſaies the Wiſeman there: It is not, Let him come into the hands of the Phyſitian, as though that were a curſe, but let him fall, let him caſt and throw himſelfe into his hands, and rely upon naturall meanes, and leave out all conſideration of his other, and worſe diſeaſe, and the ſupernaturall Phyſick for that.2. Chron. 16. Aſa had had a great deliverance from God, when the Prophet Hanani asked him, Were not the Ethiopians, and the Lubins a huge Hoſt? but becauſe after this deliverance, he relied upon the King of Syria, and not upon God, the Judgement is, From henceforth thou ſhalt have wars: That was a ſickneſſe upon the State, & then he fell ſick in his own perſon, and in that ſickneſſe, ſaies that ſtory, He ſought not to the Lord, but to the Phyſitian, and then he dyed. To the Lord and then to the Phyſitian had beene the right way; If to the Phyſitian and then to the Lord, though this had beene out of the right way, yet hee might have returned to it: But it was to the Phyſitian, and not to the Lord, and then he died. Omnipotenti medico nullus languor inſanabilis, ſaies S. Ambroſe, there is but one Almighty; and none but the Almighty can cure all diſeaſes, becauſe hee onelyonly can cure diſeaſes in the roote, that is, in the forgiveneſſe of ſins.
We are almoſt at an end; when we had thus Catechiſed his Convertite, thus rectified his patient,Scribae & Phariſci. hee turnes upon them, who beheld all this, and were ſcandaliz'd with his words, the Scribes and Phariſees; And becauſe they were ſcandaliz'd onelyonly in this, that he being but man, undertooke the office of God, to forgive ſins, he declares himſelfe to them, to be God. Chriſt would not leave, even malice it ſelfe unſatisfied; And therefore do not thou thinke thy ſelfe Chriſtian enough, for having an innocence in thy ſelfe, but be content to deſcend to the infirmities, and to the very malice of other men, and to give the world ſatisfaction; Nec paratum habeas illud ètrivio, (ſayes S. Hierome) do not arm thy ſelf with that vulgar, and triviall ſaying, Sufficit mihi conſcientia mea, nec curo quid loquantur homines, It ſuffices me, that mine own conſcience is cleare, and I care not what all the world ſayes; thou muſt care what the world ſayes, and thinks; Chriſt himſelf had that reſpect even towards the Scribes, and Phariſees. For, firſt he declared himſelf to be God, in that he took knowledge of their thoughts; for they had ſaid nothing, and he ſayes to them, why reaſon you thus in your hearts? and they themſelves did not, could not deny, but that thoſe words of Solomon appertained only to God,2 Chron. 6.30. Thou only knoweſt the hearts of the children of men, And thoſe of Ieremy, The heart is deceitfull above all things, Jer. 17.9.and deſperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord ſearch the heart, and I try the reines. Let the Schoole diſpute infinitely, (for he that will not content himſelf with means of ſalvation, till all Schoole points be reconciled, will come too late) let Scotus and his Heard think, That Angels, and ſeparate ſoules have a naturall power to underſtand thoughts, though God for his particular glory reſtraine the exerciſe of that power in them, (as in the Romane Church, Prieſts have a power to forgive all ſins, though the Pope reſtraine that power in reſerved caſes; And the Cardinals by their Creation, have a voice in the Conſiſtory, but that the Pope for a certain time inhibites them to give voice) And let Aquinas preſent his arguments to the contrary, That thoſe ſpirits have no naturall power to know thoughts; we ſeek no farther, but that Chriſt Jeſus himſelfe thought it argument enough to convince the Scribes and Phariſees, and prove himſelfe God, by knowing their thoughts. Eadem Majeſtate & potentia, ſayes S. Hierome, Since you ſee I proceed as God, in knowing your thoughts, why beleeve you not, that I may forgive his ſins as God too?
And then, in the laſt act he joynes both together; he ſatisfies the patient,Dat ſanitatem. and he ſatisfies the beholders too: he gives him his firſt deſire, bodily health; He bids him take up his bed and walk, and he doth it; and he ſhewes them that he is God, by doing that, which (as it appears in the Story) was harder in their opinion, then remiſſion of ſins, which was, to cure and recover a diſeaſed man, only by his word, without any naturall, or ſecond means. And therefore ſince all the world ſhakes in a palſie of wars, and rumors of wars, ſince we are ſure, that Chriſts Vicar in this caſe will come to his Dimitmittuntur peccata, to ſend his Buls, and Indulgences, and Crociatars for the maintenance of his part, in that cauſe, let us alſo, who are to do the duties of private men, to obey and not to direct, by preſenting our diſeaſed and paralytique ſouls to Chriſt Jeſus, now, when he in the Miniſtery of his unworthieſt ſervant is preaching unto you, by untiling the houſe, by removing all diſguiſes, and palliations of our former ſins, by true confeſſion, and hearty deteſtation, let us endeavour to bring him to his Dimittuntur peccata, to forgive us all thoſe ſins, which are the true cauſes of all our palſies, and ſlackneſſes in his ſervice; and ſo, without limiting him, or his great Vicegerents, and Lieutenants, the way, or the time to beg of him, that he will imprint in them, ſuch counſels and ſuch reſolutions, as his wiſdome knows beſt to conduce to his glory, and the maintenance of his Goſpell. Amen.