Eighty Sermons, Whitsunday · Sermon 31
SERMON XXXI. Preached at S. Pauls, upon Whitſunday. 1629.
GEN. 1.2.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
THe Church of God celebrates this day the third Perſon of the Holy, Bleſſed, and Glorious Trinity, The Holy Ghoſt. The Holy Ghoſt is the God, the Spirit of Comfort; A Comforter; not one amongſt others, but the Comforter; not the principall, but the intire, the onelyonly Comforter; and more then all that, The Comfort it ſelfe. That is an attribute of the Holy Ghoſt, Comfort; And then the office of the Holy Ghoſt is to gather, to eſtabliſh, to illumine, to governe that Church which the Son of God, from whom together with the Father, the Holy Ghoſt proceeds, hath purchaſed with his blood. So that, as the Holy Ghoſt is the Comforter, ſo is this Comfort exhibited by him to us, and exerciſed by him upon us, in this eſpecially, that he hath gathered us, eſtabliſhed us, illumined us, and does governe us, as members of that body, of which Chriſt Jeſus is the Head; that he hath brought us, and bred us, and fed us with the meanes of ſalvation, in his application of the merits of Chriſt to our ſoules, in the Ordinances of the Church.
In this Text is the firſt mention of this Third Perſon of the Trinity; And it is the firſt mention of any diſtinct Perſon in the God-head; In the firſt verſe, there is an intimation of the Trinity, in that Bara Elohim, That Gods, Gods in the plurall are ſaid to have made heaven, and earth; And then, as the Church after having celebrated the memory of All Saints, together in that one day, which we call All Saints day, begins in the celebration of particular Saints, firſt with Saint Andrew, who firſt of any applied himſelf to Chriſt out of Saint Iohn Baptiſts Schoole after Chriſts Baptiſme; ſo Moſes having given us an intimation of God, and the three Perſons altogether in that Bara Eloim, before, gives us firſt notice of this Perſon, the Holy Ghoſt, in particular, becauſe he applies to us the Mercies of the Father, and the Merits of the Son, and moves upon the face of the waters, and actuates, and fecundates our ſoules, and generates that knowledge, and that comfort, which we have in the knowledge of God. Now the moving of the Holy Ghoſt upon the face of the waters in this Text, cannot be literally underſtood of his working upon man; for man was not yet made; but when man is made, that is, made the man of God in Chriſt; there, in that new Creation the Holy Ghoſt begins again, with a new moving upon the face of the waters in the Sacrament of Baptiſme, which is the Conception of a Chriſtian in the wombe of the Church.
Therefore we ſhall conſider theſe words, And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters; firſt, literally in the firſt, and then ſpiritually in the ſecond Creation; firſt how the Holy Ghoſt moved upon the face of the Waters in making this world for us, And then how he moves upon the face of the Waters againe, in making us for the other world. In which two ſeverall parts we ſhall conſider theſe three termes in our Text, both in the Macrocoſme, and Microcoſme, the Great and the Leſſer world, man extended in the world, and the world contracted, and abridged into man; firſt, Quid Spiritus Dei? what this Power, or this Perſon, which is here called the Spirit of God, is, for whether it be a Power, or a Perſon, hath been diverſly diſputed; And ſecondly, Quid ferebatur? what this Action, which is here called a Moving, was; for whether a Motion, or a Reſt, an Agitation, or an Incubation, of that Power, or that Perſon, hath been diſputed too; And laſtly, Quid ſuper faciem aquarum? what the ſubject of this Action, the face of the waters, was; for, whether it were a ſtirring, and an awakening of a power that was naturally in thoſe waters, to produce creatures, or whether it were an infuſing a new power, which till then thoſe waters had not, hath likewiſe beene diſputed. And in theſe three, the Perſon, the Action, the Subject, conſidered twice over, in the Creation firſt, and in our regeneration in the Chriſtian Church after, we ſhall determine all that is neceſſary for the literall, and for the ſpirituall ſenſe of theſe words, And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Firſt then,1 Part. Aug Con. 11.2 undertaking the conſideration of the literall ſenſe, and after, of the ſpirituall, we joyne with S. Auguſtine, Sint caſtae deliciae meae Scripturae tuae; Lord I love to be converſant in thy Scriptures, let my converſation with thy Scriptures be a chaſt converſation; that I diſcover no nakedneſſe therein; offer not to touch any thing in thy Scriptures, but that, that thou haſt vouchſafed to unmask, and manifeſt unto me: Nec fallar in eis, nec fallam ex eis; Lord, let not me miſtake the meaning of thy Scriptures, nor miſ-lead others,Ibid. by imputing a falſe ſenſe to them. Non fruſtra ſcribuntur, ſayes he; Lord, thou haſt writ nothing to no purpoſe; thou wouldſt be underſtood in all: But not in all, by all men, at all times; Confiteor tibi quicquid invenero in libris tuis; Lord, I acknowledge that I receive from thee, whatſoever I underſtand in thy word; for elſe I doe not underſtand it. This that bleſſed Father meditates upon the word of God; he ſpeakes of this beginning of the Book of Geneſis; and he ſpeaks lamenting, Scripſit Moſes & abiit, a little Moſes hath ſaid,C. 3. and alas he is gone; Si hic eſſet, tonerem eum, & per te rogarem, If Moſes were here, I would hold him here, and begge of him, for thy ſake to tell me thy meaning in his words, of this Creation. But ſayes he, ſince I cannot ſpeake with Moſes, Te, quo plenus vera dixit, Veritas, rogo, I begge of thee who art Truth it ſelfe, as thou enabledſt him to utter it, enable me to underſtand what he hath ſaid. So difficult a thing ſeemed it to that intelligent Father, to underſtand this hiſtory, this myſtery of the Creation. But yet though he found; that divers ſenſes offered themſelves, he did not doubt of finding the Truth:C. 18. For, Deus meus lumen oculorum meorum in occulto, ſayes he, O my God, the light of mine eyes, in this dark inquiſition, ſince divers ſenſes, ariſe out of theſe words, and all true, Quid mihi obeſt, ſi alindego ſenſero, quam ſenſit alius, eum ſenſiſſe, qui ſcripſit? What hurt followes, though I follow another ſenſe, then ſome other man takes to be Moſes ſenſe? for his may be a true fenſe, and ſo may mine, and neither be Moſes his.C. 30. Hee paſſes from prayer, and proteſtation, to counſell, and direction; In diverſitate ſententiarum verarum, concordiam pariat ipſa veritas, Where divers ſenſes ariſe, and all true, (that is, that none of them oppoſe the truth) let truth agree them. But what is Truth? God; And what is God? Charity; Therefore let Charity reconcile ſuch differences.1.12. C. 30. Legitimè lege ut amur, ſayes he, let us uſe the Law lawfully; Let us uſe our liberty of reading Scriptures according to the Law of liberty; that is, charitably to leave others to their liberty, if they but differ from us, and not differ from Fundamentall Truths.
Si quis quaerat ex me, quid horum Moſes ſenſerit, If any man ask me, which of theſe, which may be all true, Moſes meant, Non ſum ſermones iſti…onfeſsiones, Lord, ſayes hee,Ibid. This that I ſay is not ſaid by way of Confeſſion, as I intend it ſhould, if I doe not freely confeſſe, that I cannot tell, which Moſes meant; But yet I can tell, that this that I take to be his meaning is true; and that is enough. Let him that findes a true ſenſe of any place, rejoyce in it, Let him that does not beg it of thee, Vtquid mihi moleſt us eſt? Why ſhould any man preſſe me, to give him the true ſenſe of Moſes here, or of the holy Ghoſt, in any darke place of Scripture? Ego illuminem ullum hominen, venientem in mundum? 1.13. C. 10.ſaies he; Is that ſaid of me, that I am the light, that enlightned every man, any man,Iohn 1.9. that comes into this world? So far I will goe, ſaies he, ſo far will we, in his modeſty and humility accompany him, as ſtill to propoſe, Quod luce veritatis, quod fruge utilitatis excellit, ſuch a ſenſe as agrees with other Truths, that are evident in other places of Scripture, and ſuch a ſenſe as may conduce moſt to ediſication. For to thoſe two, does that heavenly Father reduce the foure Elements, that make up a right expoſition of Scripture; which are, firſt, the glory of God, ſuch a ſenſe as may moſt advance it; ſecondly, the analogie of faith, ſuch a ſenſe as may violate no confeſſed Article of Religion; and thirdly, exaltation of devotion, ſuch a ſenſe, as may carry us moſt powerfully upon the apprehenſion of the next life; and laſtly, extenſion of charity, ſuch a ſenſe, as may beſt hold us in peace, or reconcile us, if we differ from one another. And within theſe limits wee ſhall containe our ſelves, The glory of God, the analogie of faith, the exaltation of devotion, the extenſion of charity. In all the reſt, that belongs to the explication or application, to the literall, or ſpirituall ſenſe of theſe words, And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, to which, having ſtopped a little upon this generall conſideration, the expoſition of darke places, we paſſe now.
Within theſe rules we proceed to enquire, who this Spirit of God is, or what it is;Spiritus. whether a Power, or a Perſon. The Jews who are afraid of the Truth, leſt they ſhould meete evidences of the doctrine of the Trinity, and ſo of the Meſſias, the Son of God, if they ſhould admit any ſpirituall ſenſe, admit none, but cleave ſo cloſe to the letter, as that to them the Scripture becomes Liter a occidens, A killing Letter, and the ſavour of death unto death. They therefore, in this Spirit of God are ſo far from admitting any Perſon, that is, God, as they admit no extraordinary operation, or vertue proceeding from God in this place; but they take the word here (as in many other places of Scripture it does) to ſignifie onelyonly a winde, and then that that addition of the name of God (The Spirit of God) which is in their Language a denotation of a vehemency, of a high degree, of a ſuperlative, (as when it is ſaid of Saul, Sopor Domini, A ſleepe of God was upon him, it is intended of a deepe, a dead ſleepe) inforces, induces no more but that a very ſtrong winde blew upon the face of the waters, and ſo in a great part dryed them up. And this opinion I ſhould let flye away with the winde, if onelyonly the Jews had ſaid it. But Theodoret hath ſaid it too, and therefore we afford it ſo much anſwer, That it is a ſtrange anticipation, that Winde, which is a mixt Meteor, to the making whereof, divers occaſions concurre with exhalations, ſhould be thus imagined, before any of theſe cauſes of Winds were created, or produced, and that there ſhould be an effect before a cauſe, is ſomewhat irregular. In Lapland, the Witches are ſaid to ſell winds to all paſſengers; but that is but to turne thoſe windes that Nature does produce, which way they will; but in our caſe, the Jews, and they that follow them, dreame winds, before any winds, or cauſe of winds was created; The Spirit of God here cannot be the Wind.
It cannot be that neither, which ſome great men in the Chriſtian Church have imagined it to be; Operatio Dei, The power of God working upon the waters, (ſo ſome) or, Efficientia Dei, A power by God infuſed into the waters; ſo others.Auguſt. And to that S. Auguſtine comes ſo neare, as to ſay once in the negative, Spiritus Dei hic, res dei eſt, ſed non ipſe Deut eſt, The Spirit of God in this place is ſomething proceeding from God, but it is not God himſelfe; And once in the affirmative, Poſſe eſſe vitalem creaturam, quâ univerſus mundus movetur; That this Spirit of God may be that univerſall power, which ſuſtaines, and inanimates the whole world, which the Platoniques have called the Soule of the world, and others intend by the name of Nature, and we doe well, if we call The providence of God.Spiritus Sanctus.
But there is more of God, in this Action, then the Inſtrument of God, Nature, or the Vice-roy of God, Providence; for as the perſon of God, the Son was in the Incarnation, ſo the perſon of God, the Holy Ghoſt was in this Action; though far from that manner of becomming one and the ſame thing with the waters, which was done in the Incarnation of Chriſt, who became therein perfect man. That this word the Spirit of God, is intended of the Perſon of the Holy Ghoſt, in other places of Scripture, is evident, undeniable, unqueſtionable, and that therefore it may be ſo taken here. Where it is ſaid, The Spirit of God ſhall reſt upon him, Eſay 11.2.(upon the Meſſiah) where it is ſaid by himſelfe, The Lord and his Spirit is upon me, And, the Lord and his Spirit hath anointed me, there it is certainly, and therefore here it may be probably ſpoken of the Holy Ghoſt perſonally. It is no impoſſible ſenſe, it implies no contradiction; It is no inconvenient ſenſe, it offends no other article; it is no new ſenſe; nor can we aſſigne any time, when it was a new ſenſe:Baſil. The eldeſt Fathers adhere to it, as the ancienteſt interpretation. Saint Baſil ſaies not onelyonly, Conſtantiſsimè aſſeverandum eſt, We muſt conſtantly maintaine that interpretation, (for all that might be his owne opinion) not onelyonly therefore, Quia verius eſt, (for that might be, but becauſe he found it to be the common opinion of thoſe times) but Quia à majoribus noſtris approbatum, becauſe it is accepted for the true ſenſe, by the Ancients; The Ancients, ſaies that ancient Father Baſil; which reaſon prevailes upon S. Ambroſe too,Ambroſe. Nos cum ſanctorum, & fidelium ſententia congruentes, We beleeve, and beleeve it, becauſe the Ancients beleeved it to be ſo, that this is ſpoken generally of the Holy Ghoſt.Hieron. S. Baſil, and S. Ambroſe aſſume it, as granted, S. Hierom diſputes it, argues, concludes it, Vivificator, ergo Conditor, ergo Deus; This Spirit of God gave life, therefore this Spirit was a Creator; therefore God. S. Auguſtine prints his ſeale deepe; Secundùm quod ego intelligere poſſum, ita eſt, as far as my underſtanding can reach, it is ſo; and his underſtanding reached far. But he addes, Nec ullomodo, &c. Neither can it poſſibly be otherwiſe.Tertui. Cypt. We cannot tell, whether that Poem which is called Geneſis, be Tertullians, or Cyprians; It hath beene thought an honour to the learnedeſt of the Fathers, to have beene the Author of a good Poem; In that Poem this text is paraphraſed thus, Immenſuſque Deus ſuper aequora vaſtameabat; God, God perſonally moved upon the waters. Truly the later Schoole is (as they have uſed it) a more Poeticall part of divinity, then any of the Poems of the Fathers are, (take in Lactantius his Poem of the Phenix, and all the reſt) and for the Schoole, there Aquinas ſaies, Secundùm Sanctos, intelligimus Spiritum ſanctum, As the holy Fathers have done, we alſo underſtand this perſonally of the Holy Ghoſt.
To end this, theſe words doe not afford ſuch an argument for the Trinity, or the third Perſon thereof, the Holy Ghoſt, as is ſtrong enough to convert, or convince a Jew, becauſe it may have another ſenſe; but we, who by Gods abundant goodneſſe have otherwiſe an aſſurance,Pſal. 104.30. Iob 26.13. and faith in this doctrine, acknowledge all thoſe other places, Thou ſendeſt forth thy Spirit, and they are created, By his spirit he hath garniſhed the Heavens, and the reſt of that kinde, to be all but ecchoes from this voyce, returnes from Iob, and from David, and the reſt, of this doctrine of all comfort, firſt, and betimes delivered from Moſes, that there is a diſtinct perſon in the Godhead, whoſe attribute is goodneſſe, whoſe office is application, whoſe way is comfort. And ſo we paſſe from our firſt, That it is not onelyonly the Power of God, but the Perſon of God, To the ſecond, in this branch, His Action, Ferebatur.
The Action of the Spirit of God,Ferebatur. the Holy Ghoſt, in this place, is expreſſed in a word, of a double, and very diverſe ſignification; for it ſignifies motion, and it ſignifies reſt. And therefore,Pſal. 139.2. as S. Auguſtine argues upon thoſe words of David, Thou knoweſt my downe ſitting, and my upriſing, That God knew all that he did, betweene his downe ſitting and his upriſing; So in this word which ſignifies the Holy Ghoſts firſt motion, and his laſt reſt, we comprehend all that was done in the production, and creation of the Creatures.Deut. 32.11. Hier. This word, we tranſlate, As the Eagle fluttereth over her young ones, ſo it is a word of Motion; And S. Hierom upon our Text expreſſes it by Incubabat, to ſit upon her young ones, to hatch them, or to preſerve them, ſo it is a word of reſt. And ſo, the Jews take this word to ſignifie,Cyprian. properly the birds hatching of eggs. S. Cyprian unites the two ſignifications well, Spiritus ſanctus dabat aquis motum, & limitem; The Holy Ghoſt enabled the waters to move, and appointed how, and how far they ſhould move. The beginnings, and the waies, and the ends, muſt proceed from God, and from God the Holy Ghoſt: That is, by thoſe meanes, and thoſe declarations, by which God doth manifeſt himſelfe to us, for that is the office of the holy Ghoſt, to manifeſt and apply God to us. Now the word in our Text is not truly Ferebatur, The Spirit moved, which denotes a thing paſt; but the word is Movens, Moving, a Participle of the preſent; So that we aſcribe firſt Gods manifeſtation of himſelf in the creation, and then the continuall manifeſtation of himſelf in his providence, to the holy Ghoſt; for God had two purpoſes in the creation, Vt ſint, ut maneant, That the creature ſhould be, and be ſtill;Auguſt. That it ſhould exiſt at firſt, and ſubſiſt after; Be made, and made permanent. God did not mean that Paradiſe ſhould have been of ſo ſmall uſe when he made it; he made it for a perpetuall habitation for man. God did not mean that man ſhould be the ſubject of his wrath when he made him; he made him to take pleaſure in, and to ſhed glory upon him. The holy Ghoſt moves, he is the firſt author; the holy Ghoſt perpetuates, ſettles, eſtabliſhes, he is our reſt, and acquieſcence, and center; Beginning, Way, End, all is in this word, Recaph; The Spirit of God moved, and reſted. And upon what? And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
S. Auguſtine obſerving aright, That at this time, of which this Text is ſpoken,Facies aquarum. The waters enwrapped all the whole ſubſtance, the whole matter, of which all things were to be created, all was ſurrounded with the waters, all was embowelled, and enwombed in the waters; And ſo the holy Ghoſt moving, and reſting upon the face of the waters, moved, and reſted, did his office upon the whole Maſſe of the world, and ſo produced all that was produced; and this admits no contradiction, no doubt, but that thus the thing was done, and that this, this word implies. But whether the holy Ghoſt wrought this production of the ſeverall creatures, by himſelf, or whether he infuſed, and imprinted a naturall power in the waters, and all the ſubſtance under the waters, to produce creatures naturally of themſelves, hath received ſome doubt. It need not: for the worke aſcribed to the holy Ghoſt here, is not the working by nature, but the creating of nature; Not what nature did after, but how nature her ſelf was created at firſt. In this action, this moving, and reſting upon the face of the waters, (that is, all involved in the waters) the Spirit of God, the holy Ghoſt, hatched, produced then all thoſe creatures; For no power infuſed into the waters, or earth then, could have enabled that earth, then to have produced Trees with ripe fruits, in an inſtant, nor the waters to have brought forth Whales, in their growth, in an inſtant. The Spirit of God produced them then, and eſtabliſhed and conſerves ever ſince, that ſeminall power which we call nature, to produce all creatures (then firſt made by himſelfe) in a perpetuall Succeſſion.
And ſo have you theſe words, And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, literally, hiſtorically: And now theſe three termes, The Spirit of God, Moved, VponUpon the face of the waters, You are alſo to receive in a ſpirituall ſenſe, in the ſecond world, the Chriſtian Church: The Perſon, the Action, the Subject, the holy Ghoſt, and him moving, and moving upon the waters, in our regeneration.
Here, as before, our firſt Terme, and Conſideration, is the name, The Spirit of God; 2. Part. Spiritus ſanctus.And here God knows, we know too many, even amongſt the outward profeſſors of the Chriſtian religion, that in this name, The Spirit of God, take knowledge only of a power of God, and not of a perſon of God; They ſay it is the working of God, but not God working. Mira profunditas eloquiorum tuorum; The waters in the creation,Aug. Confeſſ. 12. c. 14. were not ſo deep as the word of God, that delivers that creation. Ecce, ante nos ſuperficies blandiens pueris, ſayes that Father; We, we that are but babes in underſtanding, as long as we are but naturall men, ſee the ſuperficies, the top, the face, the outſide of theſe waters, Sed mira profunditas, Deus meus, mira profunditas, But it is an infinite depth, Lord my God, an infinite depth to come to the bottome. The bottome is, to profeſſe, and to feele the diſtinct working of the three diſtinct perſons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt. Rara anima, quae cum de illa loquitur, ſciat quid loquatur, Not one man,C. 30. not one Chriſtian amongſt a thouſand, who when he ſpeaks of the Trinity, knows what he himſelf meanes. Naturall men will write of lands of Pygmies, and of lands of giants; and write of Phoenixes, and of Unicornes; But yet adviſedly they do not beleeve, (at leaſt confidently they do not know) that there are ſuch Giants, or ſuch Pygmies, ſuch Unicorns or Phoenixes in the world. Chriſtians ſpeak continually of the Trinity, and the holy Ghoſt, but alas, adviſedly, they know not what they mean in thoſe names. The moſt know nothing, for want of conſideration; They that have conſidered it enough, and ſpent thoughts enough upon the Trinity, to know as much as needs be knowen thereof, Contendunt & dimicant, C. 11.& nemo ſine pace vidit iſtam viſionem, They diſpute, and they wrangle, and they ſcratch, and wound one anothers reputations, and they aſſiſt the common enemy of Chriſtianity by their uncharitable differences, Et ſine pace, And without peace, and mildneſſe, and love, and charity, no man comes to know the holy Ghoſt, who is the God of peace,Id. l. 11.2. & 22. and the God of love. Da quod amo; amo enim, nam & hoc tu dediſti; I am loath to part from this father, and he is loath to be parted from, for he ſayes this in more then one place; Lord thou haſt enamoured mee, made me in love; let me enjoy that that I love; That is, the holy Ghoſt: That as I feele the power of God (which ſenſe, is a gift of the holy Ghoſt) I may without diſputing reſt in the beliefe of that perſon of the Trinity, that that Spirit of God, that moves upon theſe waters, is not only the power, but a perſon in the Godhead.
This is the perſon,Ferebatur. without whom there is no Father, no Son of God to me, the holy Ghoſt. And his action, his operation is expreſſed in this word, Ferebatur, The Spirit of God moved; Which word, as before, is here alſo a comprehenſive word, and denotes both motion, and reſt; beginnings, and wayes, and ends. We may beſt conſider the motion, the ſtirring of the holy Ghoſt in zeale, and the reſt of the holy Ghoſt in moderation; If we be without zeale, we have not the motion; If we be without moderation, we have not the reſt, the peace of the holy Ghoſt. The moving of the holy Ghoſt upon me, is, as the moving of the minde of an Artificer, upon that piece of work that is then under his hand. A Jeweller, if he would make a jewell to anſwer the form of any flower, or any other figure, his minde goes along with his hand, nay prevents his hand, and he thinks in himſelf, a Ruby will conduce beſt to the expreſſing of this, and an Emeraud of this. The holy Ghoſt undertakes every man amongſt us, and would make every man fit for Gods ſervice, in ſome way, in ſome profeſſion; and the holy Ghoſt ſees, that one man profits moſt by one way, another by another, and moves their zeal to purſue thoſe wayes, and thoſe meanes, by which, in a rectified conſcience, they finde moſt profit. And except a man have this ſenſe, what doth him moſt good, and a deſire to purſue that, the holy Ghoſt doth not move, nor ſtir up a zeale in him.
But then if God do afford him the benefit of theſe his Ordinances, in a competent meaſure for him, and he will not be ſatisfied with Manna, but will needs have Quailes, that is, cannot make one meale of Prayers, except he have a Sermon, nor ſatisfied with his Gomer of Manna, (with thoſe Prayers which are appointed in the Church) nor ſatiſfied with thoſe Quailes which God ſends, (the preaching of ſolid and fundamentall doctrines) but muſt have birds of Paradiſe, unrevealed myſteries out of Gods own boſome preached unto him, howſoever the holy Ghoſt may ſeem to have moved, yet he doth not reſt upon him; and from the beginning, the office and operation of the holy Ghoſt was double; He moved, and reſted upon the waters in the creation; he came, and tarried ſtill upon Chriſt in his Baptiſme: He moves us to a zeale of laying hold upon the meanes of ſalvation which God offers us in the Church; and he ſettles us in a peacefull conſcience, that by having well uſed thoſe meanes, we are made his. A holy hunger and thirſt of the Word and Sacraments, a remorſe, and compunction for former ſins, a zeale to promove the cauſe, and glory of God, by word, and deed, this is the motion of the holy Ghoſt: And then, to content my ſelf with Gods meaſure of temporall bleſſings, and for ſpirituall, that I do ſerve God faithfully in that calling which I lawfully profeſſe, as far as that calling will admit, (for he, upon whoſe hand-labour the ſuſtentation of his family depends, may offend God in running after many working dayes Sermons) This peace of conſcience, this acquieſcence of having done that that belongs to me, this is the reſt of the Spirit of God. And this motion, and this reſt is ſaid to be done Super faciem, And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, which is our laſt conſideration.
In the moving of the Spirit of God upon the waters,Facies aquarum. we told you before, it was diſputed, whether the Holy Ghoſt did immediatly produce thoſe creatures of himſelfe, or whether he did fecundate, and inanimate, and inable thoſe ſubſtances, (the water, and all contained under the waters) to produce creatures in their divers ſpecifications. In this moving of the Spirit of God upon the waters, in our regeneration, it hath alſo been much diſputed, How the Holy Ghoſt works, in producing mans ſupernaturall actions; whether ſo immediately, as that it be altogether without dependance, or relation to any faculty in man, or man himſelfe have ſome concurrence, and co-operation therein. There we found, that in the firſt creation, God wrought otherwiſe for the production of creatures, then he does now; At firſt he did it immediatly, intirely, by himſelfe; Now, he hath delegated, and ſubſtituted nature, and imprinted a naturall power in every thing to produce the like. So in the firſt act of mans Converſion, God may be conceived to work otherwiſe, then in his ſubſequent holy actions; for in the firſt, man cannot be conceived to doe any thing, in the reſt he may: not that in the reſt God does not all; but that God findes a better diſpoſition, and ſoupleneſſe, and maturity, and mellowing, to concurre with his motion in that man, who hath formerly been accuſtomed to a ſenſe, and good uſe of his former graces, then in him, who in his firſt converſion, receives, but then, the firſt motions of his grace.
But yet, even in the firſt creation, the Spirit of God did not move upon that nothing, which was before God made heaven and earth: But he moved upon the waters; though thoſe waters had nothing in themſelves, to anſwer his motion, yet he had waters to move upon: Though our faculties have nothing in themſelves to anſwer the motions of the Spirit of God, yet upon our faculties the Spirit of God works; And as out of thoſe waters, thoſe creatures did proceed, though not from thoſe waters, ſo out of our faculties, though not from our faculties, doe our good actions proceed too. All in all, is from the love of God; but there is ſomething for God to love; There is a man, there is a ſoul in that man, there is a will in that ſoul; and God is in love with this man, and this ſoul, and this will,Aug. & would have it. Non amor ita egenus & indigus, ut rebus quas diligit ſubjiciatur, ſayes S. Aug. excellently: The love of God to us is not ſo poore a love, as our love to one another; that his love to us ſhould make him ſubject to us, as ours does to them whom we love; but Superfertur, ſayes that Father, and our Text, he moves above us; He loves us, but with a Powerfull, a Majeſticall, an Imperiall, a Commanding love; He offers thoſe, whom he makes his, his grace; but ſo, as he ſometimes will not be denyed. So the Spirit moves ſpiritually upon the waters; He comes to the waters, to our naturall faculties; but he moves above thoſe waters, He inclines, he governes, he commands thoſe faculties; And this his motion, upon thoſe waters, we may uſefully conſider, in ſome divers applications and aſſimilations of water, to man, and the divers uſes thereof towards man. We will name but a few; Baptiſme, and Sin, and Tribulation, and Death, are called in the Scripture, by that name, Waters; and we ſhall onelyonly illuſtrate that conſideration, how this Spirit of God, moves upon theſe Waters, Baptiſme, Sin, Tribulation, and Death, and we have done.
The water of Baptiſme, is the water that runs through all the Fathers;Baptiſmus. All the Fathers that had occaſion to dive, or dip in theſe waters (to ſay any thing of them) make theſe firſt waters, in the Creation, the figure of baptiſme.Tertul. There Tertullian makes the water, Primam ſedem Spiritus Sancti, The progreſſe, and the ſetled houſe, The voyage, and the harbour, The circumference, and the centre of the Holy Ghoſt: And therefore S. Hierome calls theſe waters, Matrem Mundi, The Mother of the World;Hieron. and this in the figure of Baptiſme. Naſcentem Mundum in figura Baptiſmi parturiebat, The waters brought forth the whole World, were delivered of the whole World, as a Mother is delivered of a childe; and this, In figura Baptiſmi, To fore-ſhew, that the waters alſo ſhould bring forth the Church; That the Church of God ſhould be borne of the Sacrament of Baptiſme: So ſayes Damaſcen, Damaſe. Baſil.And he eſtabliſhes it with better authority then his owne, Hoc Divinus aſſeruit Baſilius, ſayes he, This Divine Baſil ſaid, Hoc factum, quia per Spiritum Sanctum, & aquam voluit renovare hominem; The Spirit of God wrought upon the waters in the Creation, becauſe he meant to doe ſo after, in the regeneration of man. And therefore Priſtinam ſedem recognoſcens conquieſcit, Terrul.Till the Holy Ghoſt have moved upon our children in Baptiſme, let us not think all done, that belongs to thoſe children; And when the Holy Ghoſt hath moved upon thoſe waters, ſo, in Baptiſme, let us not doubt of his power and effect upon all thoſe children that dye ſo. We know no meanes how thoſe waters could have produced a Menow, a Shrimp, without the Spirit of God had moved upon them; and by this motion of the Spirit of God, we know they produce Whales, and Leviathans. We know no ordinary meanes of any ſaving grace for a child, but Baptiſme; neither are we to doubt of the fulneſſe of ſalvation, in them that have received it. And for our ſelves, Mergimur, & emergimus, Aug.In Baptiſme we are ſunk under water, and then raiſed above the water againe; which was the manner of baptizing in the Chriſtian Church, by immerſion, and not by aſperſion, till of late times: Affectus, & ameres, ſayes he, our corrupt affections,Idem. and our inordinate love of this world is that, that is to be drowned in us; Amor ſecuritatis, A love of peace, and holy aſſurance, and acquieſcence in Gods Ordinance, is that that lifts us above water.
Therefore that Father puts all upon the due conſideration of our Baptiſme: And as S. Hierome ſayes,Hier. Certainly he that thinks upon the laſt Judgement adviſedly, cannot ſin then,Aug. So he that ſayes with S. Auguſtine, Procede in confeſsionc, fides mea, Let me make every day to God, this confeſſion, Domine Deus meus, Sancte, Sancte, Sancte Domine Deus meus, O Lord my God, O Holy, Holy, Holy Lord my God; In nomine tuo Baptizatus ſum, I conſider that I was baptized in thy name, and what thou promiſedſt me, and what I promiſed thee then, and can I ſin this ſin? can this ſin ſtand with thoſe conditions, thoſe ſtipulations which paſſed between us then? The Spirit of God is motion, the Spirit of God is reſt too; And in the due conſideration of Baptiſme, a true Chriſtian is moved, and ſetled too; moved to a ſenſe of the breach of his conditions, ſetled in the ſenſe of the Mercy of his God, in the Merits of his Chriſt, upon his godly ſorrow. So theſe waters are the waters of Baptiſme.
Sin alſo is called by that name in the Scriptures,Aquae peccatum. Water. The great whore ſitteth upon many waters; ſhe ſits upon them, as upon Egges, and hatches Cockatrices, venomous and ſtinging ſins;Apoc. 17. Aqum. and yet pleaſing, though venomous; which is the worſt of ſin, that it deſtroyes, and yet delights; for though they be called waters, yet that is ſaid alſo, That the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine. Ver. 2.Sin is wine at firſt, ſo farre as to allure, to intoxicate: It is water at laſt, ſo farre as to ſuffocate, to ſtrangle. Chriſt Jeſus way is to change water into wine; ſorrow into joy: The Devils way is to change wine into water; pleaſure, and but falſe pleaſure neither, into true bitterneſſe. The watriſh wine, which is ſpoken of there, and called fornication, is idolatry, and the like. And in ſuch a reſpect,Jer. 2.18. God ſayes to his people, What haſt thou to doe in the way of Egypt? In the way of Egypt we cannot chuſe but have ſomething to doe; ſome converſation with men of an Idolatrous religion, we muſt needs have. But yet, What haſt thou to doe in the way of Egypt, to drinke of the waters of Sihor? Or what haſt thou to doe in the wayes of Aſſyria, to drink the waters of the River? Though we be bound to a peaceable converſation with men of an Idolatrous perſwaſion, we are not bound to take in, to drink, to taſte their errours. For this facility, and this indifferency to accompany men of divers religions, in the acts of their religion,Ver. 13. this multiplicity will end in a nullity, and we ſhall hew to our ſelves Ciſternes, broken Ciſternes, that can hold no water; We ſhall ſcatter one religion into many, and thoſe many ſhall vaniſh into none. Praiſe we God therefore, that the Spirit of God hath ſo moved upon theſe waters; theſe ſinfull waters of ſuperſtition and idolatry, wherein our fore-Fathers were overwhelmed; that they have not ſwelled over us;Ecclus. 43.20. For, then the cold North-winde blowes, and the water is congealed into Ice; Affliction overtakes us, damps us, ſtupifies us, and we finde no Religion to comfort us.
Affliction is as often expreſſed in this word,Tribulatio. Eſay 43.2. Waters, as ſin. When thou paſſeſt through waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they ſhall not overflow thee. But then, the Spirit of God moves upon theſe waters too; and grace againſt ſin, and deliverance from affliction, is as often expreſſed in waters, as either. Where God takes another Metaphore for judgement,Ezek. 36.5. Ver. 25. yet he continues that of water for his mercy; In the fire of my jealouſie have I ſpoken againſt them, (ſpeaking of enemies; but then ſpeaking of Iſrael) I will ſprinkle cleane water upon you, and you ſhall be cleane. This is his way, and this is his meaſure; He ſprinkles enough at firſt to make us cleane; even the ſprinkling of Baptiſme cleanſes us from originall ſin; but then he ſets open the windowes of heaven, and he inlarges his Flood-gates,Eſay 44.3. I will poure out water upon the thirſty, and floods upon the dry ground: To them that thirſt after him, he gives grace for grace; that is, preſent grace for an earneſt of future grace; of ſubſequent grace, and concomitant grace, and auxiliant grace, and effectuall grace; grace in more formes, more notions, and in more operations, then the Schoole it ſelfe can tell how to name.
Thus the Spirit of God moves upon our waters.Mat. 14. By faith Peter walked upon the waters; ſo we prevent occaſions of tentation to ſin, and ſinke not in them, but walke above them. By godly exerciſes we ſwim through waters; ſo the Centurion commanded that they that could ſwim,Acts 27.43. ſhould caſt themſelves into the ſea; Men exerciſed in holineſſe, can meet a tentation, or tribulation in the face, and not be ſhaked with it; weaker men, men that cannot ſwim, muſt be more wary of expoſing themſelves to dangers of tentation; A Court does ſome man no harme, when another finds tentation in a Hermitage. By repentance we ſaile through waters; by the aſſiſtance of Gods ordinances in his Church, (which Church is the Arke) we attaine the harbour, peace of conſcience, after a ſin; But this Arke, this helpe of the Church we muſt have. God can ſave from dangers, though a man went to Sea without art, Sine rate, ſaies the Vulgat, without a Ship.Wiſd. 14.4. But God would not that the worke of his Wiſedome ſhould be idle; God hath given man Prudentiam navifactivam, ſaies our Holkot upon that place, and he would have that wiſdome exerciſed. God can ſave without Preaching, and Abſolution, and Sacraments, but he would not have his Ordinance neglected.
To end all with the end of all, Death comes to us in the name,Mors. 2 Sam. 14.14. and notion of waters too, in the Scriptures. The Widow of Tekoah ſaid to David in the behalfe of Abſalon, by the Counſaile of Ioab, The water of death overſlowes all; We muſt needs dye, ſaies ſhe, and are as water ſpilt upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up againe: yet God deviſes meanes, that his baniſhed, be not expelled from him. So the Spirit of God moves upon the face of theſe waters, the Spirit of life upon the danger of death. Conſider the love, more then love, the ſtudy, more then ſtudy, the diligence of God; he deviſes meanes, that his baniſhed, thoſe whom ſins, or death had baniſhed, be not expelled from him. I ſinned upon the ſtrength of my youth, and God deviſed a meanes to reclaime me, an enfeebling ſickneſſe. I relapſed after my recovery, and God deviſed a meanes, an irrecoverable, a helpleſs Conſumption to reclaime me; That affliction grew heavy upon me, and weighed me down even to a diffidence in Gods mercy, and God deviſed a meanes, the comfort of the Angel of his Church, his Miniſter, The comfort of the Angel of the great Counſell, the body and blood of his Son Chriſt Jeſus, at my tranſmigration. Yet he lets his correction proceed to death; I doe dye of that ſickneſſe, and God deviſes a meanes, that I, though baniſhed, baniſhed into the grave, ſhall not be expelled from him, a glorious Reſurrection. We muſt needs dye and be as water ſpilt upon the ground, but yet God deviſes meanes, that his baniſhed ſhall not be expelled from him.
And this is the motion, and this is the Reſt of the Spirit of God upon thoſe waters in this ſpirituall ſenſe of theſe words, He brings us to a deſire of Baptiſme, he ſettles us in the ſenſe of the obligation firſt, and then of the benefits of Baptiſme. He ſuffers us to goe into the way of tentations, (for Coluber in via, and every calling hath particular tentations) and then he ſettles us, by his preventing, or his ſubſequent grace. He moves, in ſubmitting us to tribulation, he ſettles us in finding, that our tribulations, do beſt of all conforme us to his Son Chriſt Jeſus. He moves in removing us by the hand of Death, and he ſettles us in an aſſurance, That it is he that now lets his Servants depart in peace; And he, who as he doth preſently lay our ſoules in that ſafe Cabinet, the Boſome of Abraham, ſo he keepes an eye upon every graine, and atome of our duſt, whither ſoever it be blowne, and keepes a roome at his owne right hand for that body, when that ſhall be re-united in a bleſſed Reſurrection; And ſo The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.