Twenty-Six Sermons, Sermon 22
A SERMON Preached at the Temple. SERMON XXII.
Eſther 4.16.
Go and aſſemble all the Jews that are found in Shuſhan, and faſt ye for me, and eat not, nor drink in three days, day nor night: I alſo, and my Maids will faſt likewiſe; and ſo I will go in to the King, which is not according to the Law: And if I periſh, I periſh.
NExt to the eternal and coeſſential Word of God, Chriſt Jeſus, the written Word of God, the Scriptures concern us moſt; and therefore next to the perſon of Chriſt, and his Offices, the Devil hath troubled the Church, with moſt queſtions about the certainty of Scriptures, and the Canon thereof. It was late, before the Spirit of God ſetled and eſtabliſhed an unanime, and general conſent in his Church, for the accepting of this Book of Eſther: For, not onelyonly the holy Biſhop Melito (who defended the Chriſtians by an Apology to the Emperor) removed this Book from the Canon of the Scripture, One hundred and fifty years after Chriſt; but Athanaſius alſo, Three hundred and forty years after Chriſt, refuſed it too: Yea, Gregory Nazianzen (though he deſerved, and had the ſtile and title of Theologus, The Divine; and though he came to clearer times, living almoſt Four hundred years after Chriſt) did not yet ſubmit himſelf to an acceptation of this Book. But a long time there hath been no doubt of it; and it is certainly part of that Scripture which is profitable to teach,2 Tim. 3.16. to reprove, to correct, and to inſtruct in righteouſneſs. To which purpoſe, we ſhall ſee what is afforded us in this Hiſtory of this Heroical Woman, Eſther; what ſhe did in a perplexed and ſcrupulous caſe, when an evident danger appeared, and an evident Law was againſt her action; and from thence conſider,Serm. 22. what every Chriſtian Soul ought to do, when it is ſurpriſed and overtaken with any ſuch ſcruples or difficulties to the Conſcience.
For Eſther in particular, this was her caſe. She being Wife to the King, Haman, who had great power with the King, had got from him an Edict, for the deſtruction of all her people the Jews. When this was intimated to her by Mordecai, who preſented to her Conſcience, not onelyonly an irreligious forſaking of God, if ſhe forbore to mediate and uſe her intereſt in the King for the ſaving of hers, and Gods people; but an unnatural and unprovident forſaking of her ſelf, becauſe her danger was involved in theirs; and that ſhe her ſelf being of that Nation, could not be ſafe in her perſon, though in the Kings houſe, if that Edict were executed, though ſhe had not then ſo ordinary acceſs to the King, as formerly ſhe had had: yea, though there were a Law in her way, that ſhe might not come till ſhe was called, yet ſhe takes the reſolution to go, ſhe puts off all Paſſion, and all particular reſpects, ſhe conſecrates the whole action to God; and having in a rectified and well informed Conſcience found it acceptable to him, ſhe neglects both that particular Law, That none might have acceſs to the King uncalled, and that general Law, That every Man is bound to preſerve himſelf; and ſhe expoſes her ſelf to an imminent, and (for any thing ſhe knew) an uneſcapable danger of death: If I periſh, I periſh.
For the eaſe of all our memories, we ſhall provide beſt,Diviſio. by contracting all, which we are to handle, to theſe two parts; Eſthers preparation, and Eſthers reſolution: How ſhe diſpoſed her ſelf, how ſhe reſolved: What her conſultation was, what her execution was to be. Her preparation is an humiliation; and there, firſt ſhe prepares, that that glory which God ſhould receive, by that humiliation, ſhould be general; All the people ſhould be taught, and provoked to glorifie God; vade, congrega, Go, and aſſemble all. Secondly, The act which they were to do, was to faſt, Jejunate: And thirdly, It was a limited faſt, Tribus diebus, Eat not, nor drink in three days, and three nights: And then, this faſt of theirs, was with relation, and reſpect to her, Jejunate ſuper me, Faſt ye for me. But yet ſo, as ſhe would not receive an eaſe by their affliction; put them to do it for her, and ſhe do nothing for her ſelf; Ego cum Ancillis, I and my Maids will faſt too; and ſimiliter, likewiſe, that is, As exactly as they ſhall. And ſo far extends her preparation: Her reſolution derives it ſelf into two branches. Firſt, That ſhe will break an Humane and Poſitive Law, Ingrediar contra legem, I will go in, though it be not according to the Law; and ſecondly, She neglects even the Law of Nature, the Law of Self-preſervation, Si peream, peream.
To enter into the firſt part, The aſſembling of the people; though the occaſion and purpoſe here were religious, yet the aſſembling of them was a civil act,1. Part. Aſſemblies. an act of Juriſdiction and Authority. Almoſt all States have multiplied Laws againſt Aſſemblies of People, by private Authority, though upon pretences of Religious occaſions. All Conventicles, all Aſſemblies, muſt have this character, this impreſſion upon them, That they be Legitima, lawful: And, Legitima ſola ſunt, quae habent authoritatem principis, onelyonly thoſe are lawful which are made by the Authority of the State. Aſpergebatur infamia Alcibia des, quòd in domo ſua facere Myſteria dicebatur. There went an ill report of him, becauſe he had ſacrifices, and other worſhips of the gods at home in his own houſe: And this was not imputed to him, as a Schiſmatical thing, or an act of a different Religion from the State, but an act of diſaffection to the State, and of Sedition. In times of perſecution, when no exerciſe of true Religion is admitted, theſe private Meetings may not be denied to be lawful: As for bodily ſuſtenance, if a man could no otherwiſe avoid ſtarving, the Schoolmen, and the Caſuiſts, reſolve truly, That it were no ſin to ſteal ſo much meat as would preſerve life; ſo, thoſe ſouls, which without that, muſt neceſſarily ſtarve, may ſteal their Spiritual food in corners, and private meetings: But if we will ſteal either of theſe foods, Temporal or Spiritual, becauſe that meat which we may have, is not ſo dreſſed, ſo diſhed, ſo ſauced, ſo ſerved in, as we would have it; but accompanied with ſome other ceremonies then are agreeable to our taſte; This is an inexcuſable Theft, and theſe are pernicious Conventicles.
Dan. 6.When that Law was made by Darius, That no man for thirty days ſhould ask any thing of God or man, but onelyonly of the King; though it were a Law that had all circumſtances to make it no Law, yet Daniel took no occaſion by this, to induce any new manner of worſhipping of God; he took no more company with him to affront the Law, or exaſperate the Magiſtrate; onelyonly he did as he had uſed to do before; and he did not diſguiſe, nor conceal that which he did, but he ſet open his windows, and prayed in his Chamber. But in theſe private Conventicles, where they will not live voto aperto, that is, pray ſo, as that they would be content to be heard what they pray for; As the Jews in thoſe Chriſtian Countreys, where they are allowed their Synagogues, pray againſt Edom, and Edomites by name, but they mean (as appears in their private Catechiſms) by Edom, and Edomites, the Chriſtian Church, and Chriſtian Magiſtracy; ſo when theſe men pray in their Conventicles, for the confuſion, and rooting out of Idolatry and Antichriſt, they intend by their Idolatry, a Croſs in Baptiſm; and by their Antichriſt, a man in a Surpleſs; and not onelyonly the perſons, but the Authority that admits this Idolatry, and this Antichriſtianiſm. As vapors and winds ſhut up in Vaults, engender Earth-quakes; ſo theſe particular ſpirits in their Vault-Prayers, and Cellar-Service, ſhake the Pillars of State and Church. Domus mea, Domus orationis; and Domus orationis, Domus mea: My houſe is the houſe of Prayer, ſays God; and ſo the houſe of Prayer muſt be his houſe. The Centurion, of whom Chriſt teſtified, That he had not found ſo great Faith even in Iſrael; Matth. 8.10.thought not himſelf worthy, that Chriſt ſhould come under his Roof; and theſe men think no Roof, but theirs, fit for Chriſt; no, not the Roof of his own Houſe, the Church: For, I ſpeak not of thoſe Meetings, where the bleſſed Children of God joyn in the Houſe, to worſhip God in the ſame manner, as is ordained in the Church, or in a manner agreeable to that: Such Religious Meetings as theſe, God will give a bleſſing to; but when ſuch Meetings are in oppoſition, and deteſtation of Church Service, though their purpoſe, which come thither, do not always intend ſedition, yet they may eaſily think, that none of thoſe Diſciples is ſo ill a Natural Logician, but that he comes quickly to this concluſion, That if thoſe exerciſes be neceſſary to their Salvation, that State that denies them thoſe exerciſes deals injuſtly with them: And when people are brought to that diſaffection, it is not always in their power that brought them together ſo far, to ſettle them or hold them from going farther. In this caſe which we have in hand, of Eſther and Mordecai's aſſembling all the Jews in Shuſan, which was the principal City of Perſia, where the Reſidence of the Princes was, (Perſepolis was a Metropolitan City too; but onelyonly for the treaſure, and for the Sepulchres of their Kings, but the Court was at Shuſan.) If when they had been aſſembled, and their deſperate caſe preſented to them, That an Edict of a general Maſſacre was going out againſt them, was it not more likely (judging humanely, and by compariſon of like caſes) that they would have turned to take arms, rather then to faſt and pray for their deliverance? How good ſoever their pretence (and perchance purpoſe) be, that aſſemble people, and diſcontent them, the bridle, the ſtern, is no longer in their hands; but there ariſe unexpected ſtorms, of which, if they were not authors in their purpoſe, yet they are the occaſioners. In Eſthers caſe, the proceeding was ſafe enough; for they were called to ſee, that the Queen her ſelf had undertaken their deliverance, their deliverance was very likely to be effected; and therefore it became them to aſſiſt her purpoſe with their devotion, expreſſed firſt in Faſting.
Faſting is not a meer humane Impoſition,Jejunate. as ſome have calumniated it to be: The Commandments of it are frequent from God to his people, and the practiſe of it even amongſt the Ninevites, duplicate page duplicate page upon Jona's Preaching, is expreſſed to be rigid and ſevere, Let neither man nor beaſt taſte any thing, nor feed, nor drink water, but let man and beaſt put on ſackcloth, Jon. 3.7.and cry mightily unto God. It is true, that they found often that their Faſts did no good; but when they expoſtulate it with God, Wherefore have we faſted, and thou ſeeſt it not, Eſai. 58.2.we have puniſhed our ſelves, and thou regardeſt it not; They received a direct anſwer from God, Behold, in the days of your faſt you ſeek your own will, Ezech. 7.5.and require all your debts; when ye faſted and mourned, did ye faſt unto me? To place therefore any part of our righteouſneſs, or to dignifie the act of Faſting, with the name of Merit or Satisfaction, did then, and will always corrupt and alter the nature of a true and acceptable faſt: And therefore we deteſt the definition of a faſt in the Roman Church, & Abſtinentia ſecundum formam eccleſiae, intuitu Satisfaciendi, pro peccatis, & acquirendi vitam aeternam; That faſting is a ſatisfaction for ſins, and an acquiſition of life everlaſting. But ſince the reaſon of faſting remains, the practiſe muſt remain ſtill: For when Chriſt excuſed his Apoſtles for not faſting, as the Diſciples of John Baptiſt, and as the Phariſees did, he did not ſay that faſting is taken away; but he ſaid,Luc. 5.33. The Bridegroom was not taken away; but he ſhould be taken away, and they ſhould faſt. When occaſions preſs us, faſting is required at our hands: Caro mea jumentum, My fleſh is my beaſt; via Chriſtus, and Chriſt is the way I am to go; Nonne cibaria ferocienti detraham? Aug.If it be too wanton, ſhall not I withdraw ſome of the provender? Et fame Domem, quem ferre non poſſum, If I cannot govern him, ſhall I not endeavour to tame him? And therefore, though by reaſon of former abuſes, it be a ſlippery Doctrine, the practiſe of Faſting, (for ſcarce any man puts himſelf to much faſting, but he is ready to tell God of it, with the Phariſee, I faſt twice a week: And from Hieroms praiſe of it, Jejunium non eſt virtus, S. Hier.ſed gradus ad virtutem, That though faſting be not a vertue, yet it is the way to vertue; we come a ſtep farther with Chryſoſtom, Chryſ.In choro virtutum, extremum ſortitur Jejunium, That though faſting be the laſt of vertues (except Chryſoſtom mean by extremum, Joel 1.34. Eccleſ. 11.the firſt) yet it is one; yet Sanctificate vobis Jejunium, Faſt with a holy purpoſe; and it is a holy action. As you are bid to caſt your bread upon the waters, for many days after you ſhall finde it again; ſo alſo caſt your faſting upon the waters, look for no particular reward of it, and God ſhall give you a benefit by it in the whole courſe of your lives.
Tribus Diebus.But the Jejunate, Faſting it ſelf, hath not ſo much oppoſition as the Tribus diebus, that it muſt be Three days; the certain days, and the limiting of the time, that is it that offends. All men will ſay that faſting is neceſſary to all men; but not this proportion, and this meaſure to all men alike. They are content with that of Auguſtine, Ego in Evangelicis & Apoſtolicis literis toto que inſtrumento novo revolvens, video praeceptum eſſe jejunium, As often as I conſider the Goſpel, every where I finde Commandments for faſting; but they will have the reſt too: Quibus diebus oportet, aut non oportet jejunare, praeceptum Domini & Apoſtolorum non video definitum, Upon what days we ſhould faſt, ſays he, I ſee no Commandment of Chriſt or the Apoſtles: And it is true, there is no expreſs Commandment for it; but there is an expreſs Commandment to hear the Church. In the Old Teſtament God gave expreſs Commandment, De Jejuniis ſtativis; certain fix'd and Anniverſary Faſts: The tenth of the ſame monethmonth ſhall be a holy Convocation unto you, & affligetis animas veſtras, Ye ſhall humble your ſouls; and every perſon that doth not that, that ſame day,Levit. 23.27. ſhall even be cut off from his people. The diſeaſe which they had is hereditary to us; Concupiſcencies in the fleſh, and coldneſs in the ſervice of God: And though it may be true, that the Church cannot know my particular infirmities, nor the time when they preſs me; yet as no Phyſician for the body can preſcribe me a Receipt againſt a Fever, and bid me take it ſuch a day, becauſe perchance at that day I ſhall have no Fever; yet he can preſcribe me certain Rules and Receipts, which if I take at his times, I ſhall be the ſafer all the year: So our Spiritual Phyſician, the Church, though ſhe cannot know when my body needs this particular Phyſick of faſting, yet ſhe knows, that by obſerving the time which ſhe preſcribes, I ſhall always be in the better ſpiritual health. As ſoon as the Church was ſetled, Faſts were ſetled too: When in the Primitive Church they fix'd certain times for giving Orders, and making Miniſters, they appointed Faſts at thoſe times; when they fix'd certain times for ſolemn Baptiſm, (as they did Eaſter and Whitſontide) they appointed Faſts then too; and ſo they did in their ſolemn and publick Penances. So alſo when Chriſtians encreaſed in number, and that therefore, beſides the Sabbath-day, they us'd to call them to Church, and to give the Sacrament upon other days too; as ſoon as Wedneſday and Friday were appointed for that purpoſe, for the Sacrament, they were appointed to be faſted too. And therefore when St. Cyril ſays,Cyril. Vis tibi oſtendam, quale jejunare debes jejunium? Jejuna ab omni peccato. Shall I tell you what Faſt God looks for at your hands, Faſt from ſin; yet this is not all the Faſting that he exacts, (though it be indeed the effect and accompliſhment of all) but he adds, Non ideo hoc dicimus, We ſay not this, ſays he, becauſe we would give liberty, Habemus enim quadrageſimum, & quartum, & ſextum Hebdomadae diem quibus ſolemniter jejunamus, We have a fixed Lent to faſt in, and we have Wedneſdays and Fridays fixt to faſt in. In all times, Gods people had fixed and limited Faſts, beſides theſe Faſts which were enjoyned upon emergent dangers, as this of Eſter. In which there is a harder circumſtance then this, That it was a Faſt limited to certain days; for it is, Jejunate pro me, Faſt you for me. And theſe words may ſeem to give ſome colour, ſome countenance to the Doctrine of the Roman Church, That the merits of one man may be applyed to another; which Doctrine is the foundation of Indulgences, and the fuel of Purgatory: In which they go ſo far, as to ſay, That one may fee an Attorney to ſatisfie God for him; he may procure another man to Faſt,Grether. or do other works of mortification for him: And he that does ſo for his Client, Sanguinem pro ſanguine Chriſto reddit, He pays Chriſt his blood again, and gives him as much as he receiv'd from him; and more, Deum ſibi debitorem efficit, he brings God into his debt, and may turn that dept upon whom he will; and God muſt wipe off ſo much of the other mans ſcore, to whom he intends it. They go beyond this too; That ſatisfaction may be made to God, even by our ſelves after our death: As they ſay, when they had brought Maximilian the Emperor to that mortification, that he commanded upon his death-bed, that his body ſhould be whipped after he was dead; that purpoſe of his, though it were not executed, was a ſatisfaction of the Juſtice of God. And (as error can finde no place to ſtop at) they go yet farther, when they extend this power of ſatisfaction even to Hell it ſelf, by authorizing thoſe fables, That a dead man which appeared, and ſaid he was damned, was by this flagellation, by his friends whipping of himſelf in his behalf, brought to repentance in hell, and ſo to faith in hell, and ſo to ſalvation in hell.
But in the words of Eſther here is no intimation of this Hereſie; when Queen Eſther appoints others to faſt for her, ſhe knew ſhe could no more be the better for their faſting, then ſhe could be the leaner, or in the better health for it; but becauſe ſhe was to have benefit by the ſubſequent act, by their prayers, ſhe provokes them to that, by which their prayers might be the more acceptable and effectual, that is, to faſting. And ſo becauſe the whole action was for her, and her good ſucceſs in that enterprize, they are in that ſenſe properly ſaid to have faſted for her: So that this Jejunate ſuper me, as the word is, Gnalai, ſuper me, in my behalf, is no more but Orate pro me, Hier.Pray for me; and ſo Saint Hierom tranſlates theſe words, Orate pro me, Pray for me. And therefore, ſince Prayers is the way which God hath given us to batter Heaven, whether facta manu Deum oramus, Tertul.& vim gratum ei facimus, whether we beſiege God with our prayers, in theſe publick Congregations, or whether we wraſtle with him hand to hand in our Chambers, in the battel of a troubled Conſcience, let us live ſoberly and moderately; and in Bello, and in Duello, here in the Congregation, and at home in our private Colluctations, we ſhall be the likelier to prevail with God; for though we receive aſſiſtance from the prayer of others, that muſt not make us lazie in our own behalfs; which is Eſthers laſt preparation, ſhe bids all the people faſt for her, that is, for the good ſucceſs of her good purpoſes; but not the people alone, ſhe and her own maids will faſt likewiſe.
Qui fecit te ſine te, non ſalvabit te ſine te, Ego & Ancill.is a ſaying of Saint Auguſtine, never too often repeated; and God and his Church are of one minde; for the Church that did Baptize thee without thy asking, will not faſt for thee, nor pray for thee, without thou faſt and pray for thy ſelf. As in ſpiritual things, charity begins with ourſelves, and I am bound to wiſh my own ſalvation, rather then any other mans; ſo I am bound to truſt to my making ſure of my ſalvation, by that which I do my ſelf, rather then by that which I procure others to do for me. Domus Dei, Domus orationis; we have ineſtimable profit by the publick Prayers of the Church, the Houſe of God; but as there is Deus, & Domus ejus, ſo there muſt be Ego, & Domus mea, I and my Houſe will ſerve the Lord. Joſ. ult. 15.I alſo and my Maids will faſt likewiſe, ſays Eſther, in her great enterpriſe; for, that which the Original expreſſes here, by Gnalai, for me, the Chalde Paraphraſe expreſſes by Gnimmi, with me: She was as well to faſt as they. It was a great confidence in that Prieſt that comforted Saint Auguſtines Mother, Fieri non poteſt, ut filius iſtarum lachrymarum pereat, It is impoſſible that the ſon, for whom ſo good a mother hath poured out ſo devout tears, ſhould periſh at laſt; it was a confidence which no man may take to himſelf, to go to Heaven by that water, the tears of other men; but tu & domus tua, Do thou and thy houſe ſerve the Lord; teach thine own eyes to weep, thine own body to fulfil the ſufferings of Chriſt; thine own appetite to faſt, thine own heart, and thine own tongue to pray. Come and participate of the devotions of the Church; but yet alſo in thy Chappel of eaſe, in thine own Bed-chamber, provide that thy ſelf and thy ſervants, all thy ſenſes, and all thy faculties, may alſo faſt and pray; and ſo go with a religious confidence as Eſther did, about all thy other worldly buſineſſes and undertakings.
This was her Preparation. Her Devotion hath two branches;2. Part. ſhe was to tranſgreſs a poſitive Law, a Law of the State; and ſhe neglected the Law of Nature it ſelf, in expoſing her ſelf to that danger. How far Humane Laws do binde the conſcience, how far they lay ſuch an obligation upon us, as that, if we tranſgreſs them, we do not only incur the penalty, but ſin towards God, hath been a perplexed queſtion in all times, and in all places. But how divers ſoever their opinions be, in that, they all agree in this, That no Law, which hath all the eſſential parts of a Law, (for Laws againſt God, Laws beyond the power of him that pretends to make them, are no Laws) no Law can be ſo meerly a Humane Law, but that there is in it a Divine part. There is in every Humane Law, part of the Law of God, which is obedience to the Superior. That Man cannot binde the conſcience, becauſe he cannot judge the conſcience, nor he cannot abſolve the conſcience, may be a good argument; but in Laws made by that power which is ordained by God, man bindes not, but God himſelf: And then you muſt be ſubject, not becauſe of wrath, but becauſe of conſcience. Though then the matter and ſubject of the Law, that which the Law commands, or prohibits, may be an indifferent action, yet in all theſe, God hath his part; and there is a certain Divine ſoul, and ſpark of Gods power, which goes through all Laws, and inanimates them. In all the Canons of the Church, God hath his voice, Ut omnia ordine fiant; that all things be done decently, and in order; ſo the Canon that ordains that, is from God; in all the other Laws he hath his voice too, Ut piè & tranquillè vivatur, That we may live peaceably, and religiouſly, and ſo thoſe Laws are from God: And in all, of all ſorts, this voice of his ſounds evidently, qui reſiſtit ordinationi, he that reſiſts his Commiſſion, his Lieutenancy, his Authority, in Law-makers appointed by him, reſiſts himſelf. There is no Law that is meerly humane, but only Lex in membris, The Law in our fleſh, which rebels againſt the Law in our minde; and this is a Rebellion, a Tyranny, no lawful Government. In all true Laws God hath his intereſt; and the obſerving of them in that reſpect, as made by his authority, is an act of worſhip and obedience to him; and the tranſgreſſing of them, with that relation, that is, a reſiſting or undervaluing of that authority, is certainly ſinne. How then was Eſthers act exempt from this? for ſhe went directly againſt a direct Law, That none ſhould come to the King uncalled.
Whenſoever divers Laws concur and meet together, that Law which comes from the ſuperior Magiſtrate, and is in the nature of the thing commanded, higheſt too, that Law muſt prevail. If two Laws lie upon me, and it be impoſſible to obey both, I muſt obey that which comes immediately from the greateſt power, and impoſes the greateſt duty. Here met in her, the fix'd and permanent Law, of promoting Gods glory, and a new Law of the King, to augment his greatneſs and Majeſty, by this retiredneſs, and denying of ordinary acceſs to his perſon. Gods Law, for his glory, which is infinite and unſearchable, and the Kings Law, for his eaſe, (of which ſhe knows the reaſon, and the ſcope) were in the ballance together; if this Law of the King had been of any thing naturally and eſſentially evil in it ſelf, no circumſtance could have delivered her from ſin, if ſhe had done againſt it. Though the Law were but concerning an indifferent action, and of no great importance, yet becauſe Gods Authority is in every juſt Law, if ſhe could not have been ſatisfied in her conſcience, that that Law might admit an exception, and a diſpenſation in her caſe, ſhe had ſinn'd in breaking it. But when ſhe proceeded not upon any precipitation, upon any ſingular or ſeditious ſpirit, when ſhe debated the matter temperately with a diſpaſſioned man, Mordecai; when ſhe found a reſervation even in the body of the Law, That if the King held up his Scepter, the Law became no Law to that party, when ſhe might juſtly think her ſelf out of the Law, which was (as Joſephus delivers it) Ut nemo ex domeſticis accederet, That none of his ſervants ſhould come into his preſence uncalled; ſhe was then come to that, which onelyonly can excuſe and juſtifie the breaking of any Law, that is, a probable, if not a certain aſſurance, contracted Bona fide, in a rectified conſcience, That if this preſent caſe, which makes us break this Law, had been known and conſidered when the Law was made, he that made the Law would have made proviſion for this caſe. No preſuming of a pardon, when the Law is broken; no diſpenſation given before hand to break it, can ſettle the Conſcience; nor any other way, then a Declaration well grounded, that that particular caſe was never intended to have been compoſed in that Law, nor the reaſon and purpoſe thereof.
So, when the Conſcience of Eſther was, and ſo when the Conſcience of any particular Chriſtian, is, after due conſideration of the matter, come to a religious and temperate aſſurance, That he may break any Law; his aſſurance muſt be grounded upon this, That if that Law were now to be made, that caſe which he hath preſently in hand, would not be included by him that made that Law, in that Law; otherwiſe to violate a Law, either becauſe, being but a Humane Law, I think I am diſcharged, paying the penalty; or, becauſe I have good means to the King, I may preſume of a pardon in all caſes, where my priviledge works any other way, then, as we have ſaid, (that is, that our caſe is not intended in that Law) it had been in Eſther, it ſhould be in us a ſin to tranſgreſs any Law, though of a Law-nature, and of an indifferent action. But upon thoſe circumſtances which we mentioned before, Eſther might ſee, that that Law admitted ſome exceptions, and that no exception was likelier then this, That the King for all his majeſtical reſervedneſs, would be content to receive information of ſuch a diſhonor done to his Queen, and to her god; ſhe might juſtly think that that Law, intended onelyonly for the Kings eaſe, or his ſtate, reached not to her perſon, who was his wife, nor to her caſe, which was the deſtruction of all that profeſſed her Religion.
It was then no ſin in her to go in to the King,Si Peream. though not according to the Law; but ſhe may ſeem to have ſinned, in expoſing her ſelf to ſo certain a danger as that Law inflicted; with ſuch a reſolution, Si peream, peream, If I periſh, I periſh. How far a man may lawfully, and with a good conſcience, forſake himſelf, and expoſe himſelf to danger, is a point of too much largeneſs, and intricacy, and perplexity to handle now: The general ſtream of Caſuiſts runs thus, That a private man may lawfully expoſe himſelf to certain danger, for the preſerving of the Magiſtrate, or of a ſuperior perſon; and that reaſon might have juſtified Eſthers enterpriſe, if her ruine might have ſaved her Country; but in her caſe, if ſhe had periſhed, they were likely to periſh too. But ſhe is ſafer then in that; for firſt, ſhe had hope out of the words of the Law, out of the dignity of her place, out of the Juſtice of the King, out of the preparation which ſhe had made by Prayer; which Prayer, Joſephus (either out of tradition, or out of conjecture and likelihood) Records to have been, That God would make both her Language and her Beauty acceptable to the King that day: Out of all theſe, ſhe had hope of good ſucceſs; and howſoever if ſhe failed of her purpoſe, ſhe was under two Laws, of which it was neceſſary to obey that which concerned the glory of God. And therefore Daniels confidence, and Daniels words became her well, Behold, our God is able to deliver me, and he will deliver me; but if he will not, I muſt not forſake his honor, nor abandon his ſervice: And therefore, Si peream, peream, If I periſh, I periſh.
It is not always a Chriſtian reſolution, Si peream, peream, to ſay, If I periſh, I periſh: I care not whether I periſh, or no: To admit, to invite, to tempt tentations, and occaſions of ſin, and ſo to put our ſelves to the hazard of a ſpiritual periſhing; to give fire to concupiſcencies with licentious Meditations, either of ſinful pleaſures paſt, or of that which we have then in our purpoſe and purſuit; to fewel this fire with meats of curioſity and provocation; to blow this fire with laſcivious diſcourſes and Letters, and Proteſtations, this admits no ſuch condition, Si pereas, If thou periſh; but periiſti, thou art periſhed already; thou didſt then periſh, when thou didſt ſo deſperately caſt thy ſelf into the danger of periſhing. And as he that caſts himſelf from a ſteeple, doth not break his neck till he touch the ground; but yet he is truly ſaid to have killed himſelf, when he threw himſelf towards the ground: So in thoſe preparations, and invitations to ſin, we periſh, before we periſh, before we commit the act, the ſin it ſelf: We periſhed then, when we opened our ſelves to the danger of the ſin; ſo alſo, if a man will wring out, not the Club out of Hercules hands, but the ſword out of Gods hands; if a man will uſurpe upon Gods juriſdiction, and become a Magiſtrate to himſelf, and revenge his own quarrels, and in an inordinate defence of imaginary honor, expoſe himſelf to danger in duel, with a ſi peream, peream, If I periſh, I periſh, that is not onelyonly true, if he periſh, he periſhes; if he periſh temporally, he periſhes ſpiritually too, and goes out of the world loaded with that, and with all his other ſins; but it is alſo true, that if he periſh not, he periſhes; he comes back loaded both with the temporal, and with the ſpiritual death, both with the blood, and with the damnation of that man, who periſhed ſuddenly, and without repentance by his ſword.
To contract this, and conclude all, If a man have nothing in his contemplation, but dignity, and high place; if he have not Vertue, and Religion, and a Conſcience of having deſerved well of his Countrey, and the love of God and godly men, for his ſuſtentation and aſſurance, but onelyonly to tower up after dignity, as a Hawk after a prey, and think that he may boldly ſay, as an impoſſible ſuppoſition, Si peream, peream, If I periſh, I periſh; as though it were impoſſible he ſhould periſh; he ſhall be ſubject to that deriſion of the King of Babylon, Quomodo Cecidiſti, Eſa. 14.12.How art thou faln from Heaven, O Lucifer, thou ſon of the morning! How art thou caſt down to the ground, that didſt caſt lots upon the Nations!
But that provident and religious Soul, which proceeds in all her enterpriſes as Eſther did in her preparations, which firſt calls an aſſembly of all her Country-men, that is, them of the houſhold of the Faithful, the Congregation of Chriſts Church, and the Communion of Saints, and comes to participate the benefit of publick Prayers in his houſe, inconvenient times; and then doth the ſame in her own houſe, within doors, ſhe, and her maids, that is, ſhe and all her ſenſes and faculties, This ſoul may alſo come to Eſthers reſolution, to go in to the King, though it be not according to the Law; though that Law be, That neither fornicator, nor adulterer, nor wanton, nor thief, nor drunkard, nor covetous, nor extortioner, nor railer, ſhall have acceſs into the Kingdom of Heaven; yet this ſoul thus prepared ſhall feel a comfortable aſſurance, that this Law was made for ſervants, and not for ſons, nor for the Spouſe of Chriſt, his Church, and the living Members thereof; and ſhe may boldly ſay, Si peream, peream; It is all one though I periſh; or as it is in the Original, Vecaſher, quomodocunque peream; whether I periſh in my eſtimation and opinion with men, whether I periſh in my fortunes, honor, or health, quomodocunque, it is all one; Heaven and earth ſhall paſs away, but Gods word ſhall not paſs; and we have both that word of God which ſhall never have end, and that word of God which never had beginning. His Word, as it is his Promiſe, his Scriptures and his Word, as it is himſelf: Chriſt Jeſus for our aſſurance and ſecurity, that that Law of denying ſinners acceſs, and turning his face from them, is not a perpetual, not an irrevocable Law; but that that himſelf ſays, belongs to us: For a little while have I forſaken thee, but with great compaſsion will I gather thee; for a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little ſeaſon, but with everlaſting mercy have I had compaſsion on thee, ſaith the Lord Chriſt thy Redeemer▪ How riotouſly and voluptuouſly ſoever I have ſurfeited upon ſin heretofore, yet if I faſt that faſt now; how diſobedient ſoever I have been to my Superiors heretofore, yet if I apply my ſelf to a conſcionable humility to them now; howſoever, if I have neglected neceſſary duties in my ſelf, or neglected them in my Family, that either I have not been careful to give good example, or not careful that they ſhould do according to my example, (and by the way, it is not only the Maſter of a houſe that hath the charge of a Family, but every perſon, every ſervant in the houſe, that hath a body and a ſoul, hath a houſe, and a Family to look to, and to anſwer for) yet if I become careful now, that both I, I my ſelf will, and my whole houſe, all my family ſhall ſerve the Lord; If I be thus prepar'd, thus diſpos'd, thus matur'd, thus mellow'd, thus ſuppled, thus entendred, to the admitting of any impreſſions from the hand of my God; though there ſeem to be a general Law ſpread over all, an univerſal War, an univerſal Famine, an univerſal Peſtilence over the whole Nation, yet I ſhall come either to an aſſurance, that though there fall ſo many thouſands on this and on that hand, it ſhall not reach me; Et ſi pereant, Though others periſh, I ſhall not periſh; or to this aſſurance, Si peream, peream, If I periſh by the good pleaſure of God, I ſhall be well content to periſh ſo; and to this alſo, Et ſi peream, non pereo, Though I periſh, I do not periſh; though I die, I do not die; but as that piece of money which was but the money of a poor man, being given in Subſidy, becomes a part of the Royal Exchequer: So this body, which is but the body of a ſinful man, being given in Subſidy, as a Contribution to the Glory of my God, in the grave, becomes a part of Gods Exchequer; and when he opens it, he ſhall iſſue out this money, that is, manifeſt it again cloth'd in his Glory: that body which in me was but a piece of Copper money, he ſhall make a Talent of Gold; and which in me was but a grain of Wheat buried in the earth, he ſhall multiply into many ears, not of the ſame Wheat, but of Angels food; The Angels ſhall feed and rejoyce at my reſurrection, when they ſhall ſee me in my ſoul, to have all that they have, and in my body, to have that that they have not.