Sermons, Sermon 5
The V. Sermon.
LUKE IX. 55.
You know not what ſpirit you are of.
OF all Errours or Ignorances, there are none ſo worthy our pains to cure, or caution to prevent, as thoſe that have influence on practice. The prime ingredient in the making up a a wiſe man, ſaith Ariſtotle in his Metaphyſicks, is to be well adviſed foreign, what doubts muſt firſt be made, what ignorances earlieſt provided for: and there is not a more remarkable ſpring and principle of all the Scripture folly (that is wickedneſs) among men, than the beginning our Chriſtian courſe unluckily, with ſome one, or more falſe infuſions, which not only are very hardly ever corrected afterward, like the errors of the firſt concoction, that are never rectified in the ſecond; but moreover have an inauſpicious, poyſonous propriety in them, turn all into nouriſhment of the prevailing humour: and then as the injury of filching ſome of that corn that was delivered out for ſeed, hath a peculiar mark of aggravation upon it; is not to be meaſured in the garner, but in the field; not by the quantity of what was ſtoln, but of what it would probably have proved in the Harveſt: ſo the damage that is conſequent to this infelicity, is never fully aggravated, but by putting into the Bill againſt it, all the Sins of the whole life; yea, and all the damnation that attends it.
Of this kind, I muſt profeſs to believe the ignorance of Goſpel-Spirit to be chief, an ignorance, that cannot chuſe, but have an influence on every publick action of the life. So that as Padre Paolo was deſigned an handſome office in the Senate of Venice, to ſit by, and obſerve, and take care nequid contra pietatem; ſo it were to be wiſhed, that every man on whom the Name of Chriſt is called, had ſome aſſiſtent Angel, ſome foreign; be it conſcience, be it the remembrance of what I now ſay unto him, to interpoſe in all, eſpecially the viſible undertakings of the life, nequid contra ſpiritum Evangelii, that nothing be ventured on, but what is agreeable to the ſpirit of the Goſpel. Even Diſciples themſelves may it ſeems run into great inconveniences for want of it; James and John did ſo in the Text; ignem de coelo, fire from Heaven on all that did not treat them ſo well as they expected; but Chriſt turned and reproved them, ſaying, You know not what ſpirit, foreign, what kind of ſpirit you are of; and that with an foreign on foreign, not foreign, but foreign, you Diſciples, you Chriſtians, You know not what ſpirit you are of.
In the words it will be very natural to obſerve theſe 3. Particulars; 1. That there is a peculiar Spirit that Chriſtians are of, foreign; 2. That ſome prime Chriſtians do not know the kind of ſpirit, foreign; even ſo James and John, You know not, &c. 3. That this ignorance is apt to betray Chriſtians to unſafe, unjuſtifiable deſigns and actions: You that would have fire from Heaven, do it upon this one ignorance, You know not, &c.
I begin firſt with the firſt of theſe, That there is a Peculiar Spirit that Chriſtians are of: A ſpirit of the Goſpel; and that muſt be conſidered here, not in an unlimited latitude, but one as it is oppoſite to the Spirit of Elias, foreign; Wilt thou do as he did? It will then be neceſſary to ſhew you the peculiarity of the Goſpel Spirit, by its oppoſition to that of Elias, which is manifold for inſtance; Firſt, Elias was the great aſſertor of Law, upon which ground Moſes and he appear with our Saviour at his transfiguration: So that two things will be obſervable, which make a difference betwixt the Legal, and the Goſpel ſpirit: 1. That ſome Precepts of Chriſt now clearly (and with weight upon them) delivered by Chriſt, were, if in ſubſtance delivered at all; yet ſure not ſo clearly, and at length, and intelligibly propoſed under the Law. You have examples in the fifth of Matthew, in the oppoſition betwixt the foreign, what was ſaid by Moſes to the Ancients, and the foreign, Chriſts ſaying to his Diſciples; which if they be interpreted of Moſes Law, (as many of the particulars are evidently taken out of the Decalogue, Thou ſhalt not kill, commit adultery, perjury,) Chriſts are then clearly ſuperadditions unto Moſes; or if they refer to the Phariſees gloſſes, (as ſome others of them poſſibly may do) then do thoſe gloſſes of thoſe Phariſees (who were none of the looſeſt, nor ignoranteſt perſons among them; but foreign, for their lives, the ſtricteſt; & they ſit in Moſes Chair, & whatever they teach, that do, for their learning moſt conſiderable) argue the Moſaick Precepts not to be ſo clear, and incapable of being miſinterpreted; and ſo ſtill Chriſt's were additions, if not of the ſubſtance, yet of light and lustre, and conſequently improvements of the obligation to obedience, in us Chriſtians, who enjoy that light, and are precluded thoſe excuſes of ignorance that a Jew might be capable of: From whence I may ſure conclude, that the Ego autem, of not retaliating, or revenging of injuries, (for that is ſure the meaning of the foreign, which we render reſist not evil) the ſtrict precept of loving, and bleſſing, and praying for Enemies, and the like, is more clearly preceptive, and ſo more indiſpenſably obligatory to us Chriſtians, than ever it was to the Jews before. And there you have one part of the Spirit of the Goſpel, in oppoſition to a firſt notion of the legal Spirit: And by it you may conclude, that what Chriſtian ſoever can indulge himſelf the enjoyment of that helliſh ſenſuality, that of revenge, or retributing of injuries; nay that doth not practiſe that high piece of (but neceſſary, be it never ſo rare) perfection of overcoming evil with good; and ſo heap thoſe pretious melting coals of love, of bleſſings, of prayers, thoſe three ſpecies of ſacred veſtal fire, upon all Enemies heads; Neſcit qualis ſpiritûs, He knows not what kind of ſpirit he is of.
But there is another thing obſervable of the Law, and ſo of the Judaical Legal Spirit; to wit, as it concerned the planting the Iſraelites in Canaan, and that is the command of rooting out the nations; which was a particular caſe, upon God's ſight of the filling up of the meaſure of the Amorites ſins, and a judicial ſentence of his proceeding upon them; not only reveal'd to thoſe Iſraelites, but that with a peremptory command annext to it, to hate, and kill, and eradicate ſome of thoſe Nations. Which caſe becauſe it ſeldom or never falls out to agree in all circumſtances, with the caſe of any other ſinful people, cannot lawfully preſcribe to the eradicating of any other (though in our opinion never ſo great) enemies of God, until it appear as demonſtrably to us, as it did to thoſe Iſraelites, that it was the will of God they ſhould be ſo dealt with: and he that thinks it neceſſary to ſhed the blood of every enemy of God, whom his cenſorious faculty hath found guilty of that charge, that is all for the fire from Heaven, though it be upon the Samaritans, the not receivers of Christ, is but as the Rabbies call him ſometimes one of the foreign and foreign ſons of blouds, in the plural number, and ſons of fire; yea, and like the Diſciples in my Text Boanerges, ſons of thunder, far enough from the ſoft temper that Christ left them; Ye know not what kind of ſpirit ye are of.
In the next place, Elias Spirit was a Prophetick Spirit; whoſe dictates were not the iſſue of diſcourſe and reaſon, but impulſions from Heaven. The Prophetick writings, were not, ſaith S. Peter, foreign, (I conceive in an agoniſtick ſenſe) of their own ſtarting, or incitation, as they were moved or prompted by themſelves, but as it follows, foreign, as they were carried by the Holy Ghost; not as they were led, but carried (when the Lord ſpeaks, who can but Prophecy?) And ſo likewiſe are the actions Prophetick; many things that are recorded to be done by Prophets in Scripture, they proceed from ſome peculiar incitations of God; I mean not from the ordinary, or extraordinary, general, or ſpecial direction, or influence of his grace, cooperating with the Word, as in the breaſt of every regenerate man, (for the Spirit of Sanctification, and the Spirit of Prophecy, are very diſtant things) but from the extraordinary revelation of God's Will, many times againſt the ſetled rule of duty, acted and animated not as a living creature, by a Soul, but mov'd as an outward impellent, a ſphear by an intelligence, and that frequently into eccentrical and planetary motions; ſo that they were no further juſtifiable, than that prophetick calling to that particular enterprize will avow: Conſequent to which is, that becauſe the prophetick office was not beyond the Apoſtles time to continue conſtantly in the Church, any further, than to interpret, and ſuperſtruct upon what the Canon of the Scripture hath ſetled among Chriſtians; (Chriſt and his Word in the New Teſtament, being that Bath-Col, which the Jews tell us, was alone to ſurvive all the other ways of Prophecy:) he that ſhall now pretend to that Prophetick Spirit, to ſome Viſion, to teach what the Word of God will not own; to ſome incitation, to do what the New Teſtament Law will not allow of; he that with the late Fryar in France, Pere Barnard.pretends to ecſtatical revelations, with the Enthuſiaſts of the laſt age, and Phanaticks now with us, to ecſtatical motions;Copinger or Artington. that with Mahomet, pretends a dialogue with God, when he is in an Epileptick fit, ſets off the moſt ghaſtly diſeaſes, I ſhall add moſt horrid ſins, by undertaking more particular acquaintance and commerce with the Spirit of God, a call from God's Providence and extraordinary Commiſſion from Heaven, for thoſe things, which if the New Teſtament be Canonical, are evaporate from Hell; and ſo firſt leads captive ſilly women, (as Mahomet did his Wife) and then a whole Army of Janizaries into a War, to juſtifie and propagate ſuch deluſions, and put all to death that will not be their Proſelytes, is far enough from the Goſpel Spirit that lies viſible in the New Teſtament, (verbum vehiculum ſpiritûs, and the preaching of the Word foreign) and is not infuſed by dream or whiſper, nor authorized by a melancholy, or phanatick phanſie; and ſo foreign, knows not what kind, &c.
In the third place, Elias was the great precedent and example of ſharp unjudiciary procedure with Malefactors, which from the common ordinary awards on Criminals in that execution, proceeded Trial, and the Malefactor ſuffered foreign, without attending the formalities of Law.
Of this kind, two Examples are by Mattathias cited, 1 Macab. ii. one of Phinees, foreign, that zeal'd a zeal, and in that run through Zimri and Cozbi, and ſo (as the Captain once anſwered for the killing the drowſie Sentinel) reliquit quos invenit, found them in unclean embraces, and ſo left them: (And the variety of our interpretations in rendring of that paſſage in the Pſalm, Then ſtood up Phinehas and prayed, in the Old, and then ſtood up Phinehas and executed judgment, in the New Tranſlations, may perhaps give ſome account of that action of his, that upon Phinehas Prayer for Gods direction what ſhould be done in that matter, God raiſed him up in an extraordinary manner to execute judgment on thoſe offenders.) And the other of Elias in the Text, and he with ſome addition, foreign , In zealing the zeal of the Law, called fire from Heaven upon thoſe that were ſent out from Ahazai, to bring him to him. And this fact of his (by God's anſwering his call, and the coming down of the fire upon them) was demonſtrated to come from God alſo, as much as the prediction of the Kings death, which was confirm'd by this means.
It may very probably be gueſt by Matathias his words in that place that there were no precedents of the zelotick ſpirit in the Old Teſtament, but thoſe two; for among all the Catalogue of examples mentioned to his ſons, to enflame their zeal to the Law, he produceth no other; and 'tis obſervable, that though there be practiſes of this nature mentioned in the ſtory of the New Teſtament, the ſtoning of S. Stephen, of St. Paul at Iconium, &c. yet all of them practiſed by the Jews, and not one that can ſeem to be blameleſs, but that of Chriſt (who ſure had extraordinary power) upon the buyers and ſellers in the Temple; upon which the Apoſtles remembred the Pſalmiſts Prophecy, foreign, the zeal of Gods houſe carried him to that act of foreign, of indignation and puniſhment upon the tranſgreſſors. And what miſchief was done among the Jews by thoſe of that ſect in Joſephus, that call'd themſelves by that name of Zealots, and withal, took upon them to be the ſaviours and preſervers of the City, but as it prov'd, the haſtners & precipitators of the deſtruction of that Kingdom, by caſting out, & killing the High-Prieſts firſt, and then the Nobles and chief men of the Nation, and ſo embaſing, and intimidating, and dejecting the hearts of the people, that all was at length given up to their fury, Joſephus, and any of the learned that have converſed with the Jewiſh Writers will inſtruct the enquirer: And ever ſince, no very honourable notion had of foreign in the New Teſtament; one of the fruits of the fleſh, Gal. v. of the Wiſdom that comes not from Heaven, Jam. iii. and in the ſame foreign, a bitter zeal, a gall that will imbitter all that come near it. The ſhort of it is, the putting any man to death, or inflicting other puniſhment upon any terms, but that of legal, perfectly legal proceſs; is the importance of a zelotick Spirit, as I remember in Maimonides, him that curſes God in the name of an Idol,De Idol. c. 2. the foreign that meet him, kill him, i. e. the zealots permitted, it ſeems, if not authorized to do ſo. And this is the Spirit of Elias, that is of all others, moſt evidently reprehended and renounced by Chriſt. The Samaritans no very ſacred perſons, added to their habitual conſtant guilts, at that time to deny common civility of entertainment to Chriſt himſelf; and the Diſciples asked whether they might not do what Elias had done, call for fire from Heaven upon them in that caſe; & Chriſt tells them, that the Goſpel-Spirit was of another complexion from that of Elias, foreign, turn'd to them as he did to Peter, when he ſaid, Get thee behind me Satan; as to ſo many fiery Satanical-ſpirited men, and checkt them for that their furious zeal, with an foreign, &c. The leaſt I can conclude from hence is this, that they that put any to death, by any but perfectly legal proceſs; that draw the ſword upon any, but by the ſupreme Magiſtrates command, are far enough from the Goſpel-Spirit, whatever precedent they can produce to countenance them: And ſo if they be really, what they pretend, Chriſtians, foreign, they are in a prodigious miſtake, or ignorance; They know not what Spirit they are of.
Yet farther is it obſervable of Elias, that he did execrate and curſe, call for judgments from Heaven upon mens perſons; and that temper of mind in the parallel, you may diſtribute into two ſorts; Firſt in paſſing judgments upon mens future eſtates, the cenſorious reprobating Spirit, which though we find it not in Elias at this time, yet is a conſequent of the Prophetick Office, and part of the burthen received from the Lord, and layed upon thoſe guilty perſons, concerning whom it hath pleaſed Almighty God to reveal that ſecret of his Cabinet; but then this rigor cannot, without ſin, be pretended to by any elſe; for in the blackeſt inſtances, charity believes all things & hopes all things, and even in this ſence, covers the multitudes of ſins. Now this ſo culpable an inſolent humour, raſhly to paſs a condemning ſentence, was diſcernible in the Phariſees, (this Publican whoſe profeſſion and trade is forbidden by that Law, and this people that know not that Law, is curſed) ſo likewiſe in the Montaniſts, (nos ſpirituales, and all others animals and Pſychici) ſo in the Romaniſts (who condemn all but themſelves) and in all thoſe generally whoſe pride and malice conjoyned, (moſt directly contrary to the Goſpel-Spirit of humility and charity) doth (prepare them one and the other) inflame them to triumph, and glut themſelves in this ſpiritual aſſaſſinacy, this deepeſt dye of blood, the murthering of Souls; which becauſe they cannot do it really, they endeavour in effigie, anathematize, and ſlaughter them here in this other Calvary, the place for the crucifying of reputations, turning them out of the Communion of their charity, though not of bliſs; and I am confident, reject many whom the Angels entertain more hoſpitably. Another part of this curſing Spirit there is, more peculiarly Elias's, that of praying (and ſo calling) for curſes on mens perſons; and that being upon the enemies of God, and thoſe appearing to Elias, a Prophet to be ſuch, might be then lawful to him, and others like him, David perhaps, &c. in the Old Teſtament, but is wholly diſliked and renounced by Chriſt under this ſtate of higher Diſcipline, to which Chriſtians are deſigned by him in the New. I ſay, not only for that which concerns our own enemies, for that is clear, When thine enemy hungreth, feed him; and ſomewhat like that in the Old Testament, When thine enemies Ox, &c. But I extend it even to the enemies of God himſelf, and that I need not do upon other evidence than is afforded from the Text; the Samaritans were enemies of Chriſt himſelf, and were barbarous and inhumane to his perſon, and they muſt not be curſt by Diſciples. And he that can now curſe even wicked men, who are more diſtantly the enemies of God, can call for (I ſay, not diſcomfiture upon their devices, for that is charity to them, to keep them from being ſuch unhappy Creatures as they would be, contrivers of ſo much miſchief to the world; but) Plagues and Ruine upon their perſons, (which is abſolutely the voice of Revenge, that ſulphur-vapor of Hell) he that delighteth in the miſery of any part of Gods Image (and ſo uſurps upon that wretched quality, of which we had thought, the Devil had gotten the Monopoly (that of foreign, joying in the Brother's miſery) but now ſee with horror, is got looſe out of that pit to rave among us;) he that would miſchief, if it were in his power, and now it is not, by unprofitable wiſhes of execration, ſhews his good will toward it, is quite contrary to the Goſpel-ſpirit, and ſo foreign, he knows not, &c.
Laſtly, Elias was not only rapt to Heaven, but moved on Earth in a Fiery Chariot, foreign, ſaith the Author of the Book of Macchabees; his zeal had fire and fire again (foreign comes from foreign an exceſſive fervency) and agreeable to his temper is his appetite; he deſires nothing but fire upon his adverſaries, calls for fire, and fire, and fire, as you may ſee it in the ſtory: And the Goſpel-Spirit is directly contrary to this, an allaying, quenching ſpirit, a gentle lambent flame, that ſits on the Apoſtles heads to enlighten and adorn; by its vital warmth, expelling partial hectick heats, and burning Feveriſh diſtempers, that ſpiritual foreign mentioned in the Goſpel; and putting in the place, a cool, ſedate, and equable temper, to have peace with all men, and chiefly with our ſelves, foreign, (an admirable phraſe in St. Paul) to uſe as much diligence to reſtore the Earth to peace again, as all the wind, or air, or perhaps fire in its bowels (I mean, ambitious, contentious men) do, to ſet it a ſhaking; and he that will not contribute his utmoſt to quench thoſe flames; that will not joyfully do any thing, that may not directly, or by conſequence include ſin, toward the extinguiſhing a fire thus miſerably gotten into the veins and bowels of a calamitous Kingdom, is far enough from the Goſpel-Spirit, and ſo foreign, he knows not, &c.
I ſhall not clearly give you the Goſpel-Spirit, unleſs I proceed from its oppoſition to Elias his act, to that other, the oppoſition to the motion of thoſe Diſciples, conſidered in the particular circumſtances. The caſe ſtood thus, Chriſt was going up to Jeruſalem, thereupon the Samaritans receive him not; the Diſciples will have fire from Heaven upon thoſe Samaritans. Jeruſalem was at that time the only proper place of God's worſhip, & may note to us as an embleme, the true eſtabliſhed Proteſtant Religion of this Kingdom: The Samaritans were great enemies to this, enemies to Jeruſalem; being, firſt, Hereticks in Religion, took in the Aſſyrian Idols into the worſhip of the true God; they feared the Lord, and ſerved their own gods, as it is in the ſtory, and continued their wont when they turned Chriſtians, make up the firſt ſort of Hereticks in Epiphanius his Catalogue. Secondly, They were Schiſmaticks in an eminent manner, fet up a new ſeparation by themſelves, on Mount Gerizim: And farther yet in the third place, pretended to the only purity and antiquity, they lived where Jacob once lived; and therefore, though Aſſyrians by extraction, they boaſt they are Jacob's ſeed; and pretend more antiquity for that Schiſm of theirs, becauſe Jacob once worſhipped in that Mountain, than they think can be ſhewed for the Temple at Jeruſalem, which was but in Solomon's time, of a latter ſtructure: Juſt as they which pretended, though never ſo falſly, that they were of Chriſt; have ſtill deſpiſed and ſeparated from all others as Novelists, which walked in the Apoſtles ſteps and practiſes; and ſo Samaritans under guilts enough: Firſt, Haters of Jeruſalem. Secondly, Hereticks. Thirdly, Separatiſts. Fourthly, Pretenders (though without all reaſon) to the firſt antiquity, and ſo arrogant Hypocrites too: And fifthly, beyond all, prodigious, but ſtill confident Diſputers; and yet, ſixthly, one higher ſtep than all theſe, Contemners and haters of all, even of Chriſt himſelf, on this only quarrel, becauſe he was a friend to Jeruſalem, and looked as if he were a going thither, as if he had ſome favour to the eſtabliſhed Religion of the Land. I wiſh this paſſage did not hitherto parallel it ſelf; but ſeeing it doth too illuſtriouſly to be denied, or diſguiſed, I ſhall imagin that that which follows, may do ſo too.
All this together, was temptation to two honeſt Diſciples, to think fire from Heaven a but reaſonable reward for ſuch Samaritans; and having fleſh and blood about them, compounded with Piety. You will not much wonder at them, that they were wrought on by the temptation; and yet this very thought of theirs, the foreign is preſently checked by Chriſt, as being againſt the Goſpel-ſpirit; you know not what ſpirit you are of. Haters of the Church, Hereticks, Schiſmaticks, Hypocrites, Irrational Pretenders, Enemies, Contumelious, even to Chriſt himſelf, muſt not preſently be aſſigned the Devils portion, the foreign, may be yet capable of ſome mercy, ſome humanity, not inſtantly devoted to be ſacrifices to our fury. The Goſpel-ſpirit will have thoughts of peace, of reconciliableneſs toward them. And let me beſeech God firſt, and then you Right Honorable; God, that he indue and inſpire your hearts with this piece of the Goſpel ſpirit, ſo ſeaſonable to your preſent conſultations: And you, that you would not reject my Prayers to God, but open your hearts to receive the return of them, and not imitate, even the Diſciples of Chriſt, in that they are Boanerges; but ſtay till the cool of the day, till you have them in a calmer temper, when Chriſt's Word and Doctrine hath ſtilled thoſe billows, as once he did the other tempeſtuous Element. It was Antonius his way to be revenged on his enemies, foreign not to imitate them, whatever he did. And this was but an Eſſay or obſcure ſhadow of the Chriſtian Magnanimity, that goes for poverty of ſpirit in the World, but proceeding from the right principle of unſhaken patience, of conſtant unmoveable meekneſs, of deſign to be like our Royal Maſter-ſufferer. (Father forgive them that crucifie me, and go and preach the doctrine of the Kingdom to them, after they have crucified me. And you know all, we Miniſters ever ſince are but Ambaſſadours of Chriſt, to ingrate, crucifying enemies, Praying them in Chriſts name and ſtead, that they would be reconciled, that they that have done the wrong will vouchſafe to be friends.) What is it, but that eminent piece of Goſpel-ſpirit, which they that can be perſwaded to part with for all the ſweetneſs that thirſt of Revenge can promiſe or pretend to bring in unto them, are unhappily ignorant of the richeſt Jewel, that ever came within their reach: They know not, &c.
I have as yet given you the Goſpel-ſpirit, in one colour or notion, that of its oppoſition to Elias firſt, and then to the Boanerges. It will be neceſſary to add ſomewhat of the Poſitive conſideration of it, though that muſt be fetched from other Scriptures. And this will be but neceſſary to this Text, becauſe that which is here mentioned, is the foreign ſpirit in the extent, not only that one part of it that reſpected the preſent action; where (though any one eminent defect, that particularly wherein thoſe Diſciples offended, were deſtructive to the Goſpel-ſpirit, Malum ex quolibet defectu, yet) all the ſeveral branches of it, are required to integrate or make up the Goſpel-ſpirit, Bonum ex eſſentiâ integra. And what theſe branches are, I cannot better direct you, than by putting you in mind of theſe few ſeverals. Firſt, Chriſt's badge or cognizance, By this ſhall all men know that ye are my Diſciples, if you love one another: Nazar. Soſp.Not of one opinion, but of love. Add, Nunquam laeti ſitis, &c. as Jews rend Garments at Blaſphemy; ſo we at Uncharitableneſs. Secondly, Chriſts legacy, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Thirdly, Christ's copy, Learn of me; what's beyond all his other perfections, I am meek. Fourthly, The Nature of that Wiſdom which cometh from above, Jam. iii. Firſt pure, then peaceable. Fifthly, The quality of the fruits of the Spirit, in St. Paul, Gal. v. Love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith, meekneſs, &c. Sixthly, The gallantry of meekneſs in St. Peter, Ornament of a meek and quiet ſpirit. Seventhly, Titus's charge, that all Chriſtians are to be put in mind of, Tit. iii. 1. To be ſubject to Principalities, to obey Magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to ſpeak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, foreign no fighters, but gentle, ſhewing all meekneſs to all men. Things, that it ſeems nothing but Chriſtianity could infuſe; For we our ſelves were ſometimes fools, diſ…bedient, &c. But after the kindneſs and love of God our Saviour appeared, then room for this Spirit.
I cannot give you a readier Landskip to preſent them all to your view together, than that excellent Sermon of Chriſt upon the Mount, that foreign, as Chryſoſtom calls it, That top pitch of Divine Philoſophy, worthy to be imprinted in every mans heart; and of which, he that hath not been a pondering ſtudent, and reſolved to regulate his practice by it, as much as his Faith by the Apoſtles Creed; yea, and to lay down his life a Martyr of that Doctrine, though he hath all Faith, I cannot promiſe my ſelf much of his Chriſtianity. If you will have the Brachygraphy of that, the Manual picture that maybe ſure, either in words or ſenſe, never to depart from your boſom, but remain your conſtant Phylactery or Preſervative, from the danger of all ungoſpel ſpirits, then take the Beatitudes in the front of it: And among them (that I may, if it be poſſible, bring the whole Iliads into a Nutſhel) thoſe that import immediately our duty towards men; for in that the Goſpel-ſpirit eſpecially conſiſts, encreaſing our love to Brethren; whoſe fleſh Chriſt now aſſumed, and in whoſe intereſts he hath a moſt immediate concern. And if you mark, in the Chapter following, all the improvements mentioned except only that of ſwearing, belong to the commands of the Second Table. And then the integral parts of this Goſpel-ſpirit, will be theſe four conſtantly, Humility, meekneſs, mercifulneſs, peaceableneſs, and if need be, ſuffering too: Every of theſe four brought in to us, with a checker or lay of duty towards God, of mourning betwixt humility and meekneſs, hungring and thirſting after Righteouſneſs, betwixt meekneſs, and mercifulneſs; purity of heart betwixt mercifulneſs, and peaceableneſs, and perſecution, and reproaches, and foreign every Rabſhakeh Topick of railing Rhetorick vomited out upon us (Bleſſed perſecution, bleſſed reproaches, when our holding to Chriſt, is that which brings them all upon us) the conſummation and crown of all.
Having but named you theſe ſeverals, Humility, meekneſs, mercifulneſs, peaceableneſs, and if need be, patience of all ſtripes, both of hand & tongue; the ſparkling gems in this Jewel, bleſſed ingredients in this Goſpel-ſpirit, you will certainly reſolve it full time for me to deſcend to my ſecond particular, at firſt propoſed, That ſome Diſciples there were, ſome prime Profeſſors do not know the kind of that ſpirit, foreign, You know not what kind of ſpirit you are of.
James and John it appears were ſuch Diſciples, and that after they had been for ſome competent time followers and auditors of his Sermons, ſo far an eaſier thing it is to leave their worldly condition, and follow Chriſt than to leave their carnal prejudices and ignorances and obey him; eſpecially thoſe that had ſuch hold in their paſſions, (as revenge, they ſay, is the pleaſingeſt piece of carnality in the heap;) cheaper to hear his Goſpel-Sermons, than to practiſe them. And you will leſs wonder at theſe two, when you ſee that St. Peter himſelf, after a longer ſpace of proficiency, in that ſchool, even at the time of Chriſts attachment, had not yet put off that ignorance, foreign, ſay the Fathers, Peter was of an hot Conſtitution, and Chriſts Doctrine had not yet got down deep enough into his heart, to allay or cool him; Nondum concipiens in ſe Evangelicam patientiam illam traditam ſibi a Chriſto, &c. ſaith Origen; that Goſpel-patience and peaceableneſs that Chriſt had commended to him, he had not it ſeems yet received into an honeſt heart, and ſo he makes no ſcruple to cut off Malchus ear, when he was provoked to it. I have heard of a Fryar, that could confeſs that Malchus ſignified a King, and yet after made no ſcruple to acknowledg him in that notion, to be the High-Prieſts Servant. And ſecondly, to juſtifie St. Peters act, and avoid Chriſts reprehenſion, by ſaying that he was chid, not for doing ſo much, but for doing no more; not for cutting off his Ear, but for not directing the blow better, to the cutting off his Head: And how far this Fryar's barbarous Divinity hath been juſtified of late by the Writings of ſome (who will yet perſwade us that Chriſt did not reprehend St. Peter for that act) and by the actions of others, I have little joy to repreſent to you; God knows, I love not to widen breaches; only I am ſure the Fathers are clear; that though formerly St. Peter were ignorant, and from that ignorance and zeal together, ran into that fury, yet Chriſt foreign,Theoph. in. Mat. 26. deſirous to tune him to that ſweet harmonaical Goſpel temper, tells him he muſt not uſe the ſword, (he having no Commiſſion, eſpecially againſt thoſe that have it, though they uſe it never ſo ill) foreign, though it were to avenge even God himſelf. And having given you theſe proofs of this ignorance in three Diſciples, I think 'tis poſſible I might extend it to the reſt of them, that they were in this particular ignorant too▪ (as it ſeems they were in many other things) till the Holy Ghost came according to promiſe to teach them all things, and to bring to their remembrance, (to thaw their memories, that the words of Christs, like the voice in Plutarch that had been frozen, might at length become audible; or as Plato's Precepts were learned by his Scholars, when they were young, but never underſtood till they were Men of full age, and tamer paſſions:) I ſay, to bring to their remembrance whatſoever Chriſt had in Perſon ſaid unto them. And I wiſh to God it were uncharitable to charge this ignorance ſtill upon Diſciples, after ſo many ſolemn Embaſſies of the Holy Ghoſt unto us, to teach us, and remember us of this Duty. Nay, I wiſh, that now after he hath varied the way of appearing, after he hath ſat upon us in ſomewhat a more direful ſhape, not of a Dove, but Vultur (tearing even the fleſh from us on purpoſe; that when we have leſs of that carnal Principle left, there might be ſome heed taken to this Goſpel-Spirit) there were yet ſome proficiency obſervable among us, ſome heavings of the foreign, that hath ſo long been a working in the World; I am confident there were no ſuch way of deſigning a proſperous, flouriſhing, durable Kingdom, as to found its policy upon Goſpel-Principles, and maintain it by the Goſpel-Spirit. I have authority to think, that was the meaning of that Prophecy of Chriſts turning ſwords into plough-ſhares, not that he ſhould actually bring peace, he tells you that it would prove quite contrary; but becauſe the fabrick of the Goſpel is ſuch, that would all men live by it, all wars & diſquiets would be baniſhed out of the World. It was a madneſs in Machiavel to think otherwiſe, and yet the unhappineſs of the World, that Sir Thomas Moor's Book that deſigned it thus, ſhould be then called Utopia, and that title to this hour remain perfect Prophecy, no place to be found where this Dove may reſt her foot, where this Goſpel-Spirit can find reception. No not among Diſciples themſelves, thoſe that profeſs to adventure their lives to ſet up Chriſts Kingdom in its purity; none ſo void of this knowledge, as they. Whether we mean a ſpeculative or practical knowledge of it, few arrived to that height or vacancy of conſidering whether there be ſuch a Spirit, or no. Some ſo in love with nature, that old Pelagian Idol, reſolve that ſufficient to bring them to Heaven, if they but allow their brethren what they can claim by that grand Character, love of Friends, thoſe of the ſame perſwaſion, thoſe that have obliged them; they have natures leave, and ſo are reſolved to have Chriſts, to hate, purſue to death whom they can phancy their Enemies. And I wiſh ſome were but thus of Agrippa's Religion, foreign, ſo near being Chriſtians, as nature it ſelf would advance them; that gratitude, honour to Parents, natural affection, were not become malignant qualities, diſclaim'd as conſcientiouſly, as obedience and juſtice, and honouring of betters. Others again ſo devoted to Moſes's Law, the Old Teſtament Spirit, that whatever they find practiſed there, they have ſufficient authority to tranſcribe. And 'tis obſervable, that they which think themſelves little concerned in Old Teſtament Duties, (which have a long time paſt for unregenerate morality, that faith hath perfectly out-dated) are yet zealous Aſſertors of the Old Teſtament Spirit, all their pleas for the preſent reſiſtance fetch'd from them, yea, and confeſt by ſome, that this liberty was hidden by God in the firſt ages of the Chriſtian Church, but now revealed we cannot hear where yet; but in the Old Teſtament, and from thence a whole CIX. Pſalm full of Curſes againſt God's Enemies and theirs, (and generally thoſe paſs for ſynonymous terms) the ſpecial devotion they are exerciſed in; and if ever they come within their reach, no more mercy for them, than for ſo many of the ſeven nations, in rooting out of which, a great part of their Religion conſiſts. I wiſh there were not another Prodigy alſo abroad under the name of the Old Testament Spirit, the opinion of the neceſſity of Sacrifice, real bloody Sacrifice, (even ſuch as was but ſeldom heard of among Indians, and Scythians themſelves) ſuch ſacrifices, of which the Cannibal Cyclops Feaſts may ſeem to have been but attendants, (furniſhed with the foreign, that come from ſuch ſavage Altars) ſacrificing of Men of Chriſtians, of Proteſtants, as good as any in the World, to expiate for the bloud ſhed by Papiſts in Queen Mary's days; and ſome Prophets ready to avow, that without ſuch Sacrifice, there is no remiſſion, no averting of judgments from the Land. What is this, but like the Phariſees, To build and garniſh the Sepulchres of the Prophets, and ſay, That if they had lived in their Fathers days, they would never have partaken of the blood of the Prophets, and yet go on to fill up the meaſure of their Fathers? the very men to whom Chriſt directs thee, O Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, thou that killeſt, in the preſent tenſe, a happy turn, if but the Progeny of thoſe Murtherers, and what can then remain, but the Behold, your houſe is left unto you deſolate, irreverſible deſtruction upon the Land. A third ſort there is again that have ſo confined the Goſpel to Promiſes, and a fourth ſo perſwaded that the Unum neceſſarium is to be of right perſwaſions in Religion; i. e. of thoſe that every ſuch Man is of, (for he that did not think his own the trueſt, would ſure be of them no longer) that betwixt thoſe two popular deceits, that of the Fiduciary, and this of the Solifidian, the Goſpel ſpirit, is not conceived to conſiſt in doing any thing; and ſo ſtill thoſe practical Graces, Humility, Meekneſs, Mercifulneſs, Peaceableneſs, and Chriſtian Patience, are very handſomly ſuperſeded; that one Moſes's Rod, called Faith, is turned Serpent, and hath devoured all theſe for rods of the Magicians; and ſo ſtill you ſee Men ſufficiently armed and fortified againſt the Goſpel-Spirit. All that is now left us, is not to exhort, but weep in ſecret, not to diſpute, but pray for it, that God will at laſt give us eyes to diſcern this treaſure put into our hands by Chriſt, which would yet like a whole Navy and Fleet of Plate, be able to recover the fortune and reputation of this bankrupt Iſland, fix this floting Delos, to reſtore this broken ſhipwrackt Veſſel to harbour and ſafety, this whole Kingdom to peace again. Peace! ſeaſonable, inſtant peace, the only remedy on earth to keep this whole Land from being perfect Vaſtation, perfect Africk of nothing, but wild and Monſter; and the Goſpel-Spirit, that Chriſt came to Preach, and exemplifie, and plant among men, the only way imaginable to reſtore that peace. Lord that it might at length break forth among as! the want of it is certainly the Author of all the miſeries we ſuffer under; and that brings me to the third and laſt particular, That this ignorance of the Goſpel-Spirit, is apt to betray Chriſtians to unſafe, unjuſtifiable enterprizes: You that would have fire from Heaven, do it upon this one ignorance, You know not, &c.
It were too ſad, and too long a task, to trace every of our evils home to the original; every of the fiends amongſt us, to the manſion in the place of darkneſs, peculiar to it: If I ſhould it would be found too true, what Du Pleſſe is affirmed to have ſaid to Languet, as the reaſon why he would not write the ſtory of the Civil Wars of France, That if he were careful to obſerve the cauſes, and honeſt to report them, … muſt hound the Fox to a Kennel, which it was not willing to acknowledge; drive ſuch an action to the Brothel-houſe, that came ſpeciouſly and pretendedly out of a Church: Find that to be in truth, the animoſity of a rival, that took upon it to be the quarrel for Religion; or as in Polybius oft, the foreign to be a thing very diſtant from the foreign ,the colour from the cauſe.
In the mean it will not be a peculiar mark of odium on the embroylers of this preſent State and Church, to lay it at their doors, which I am confident never failed to own the like effects in all other Chriſtian States, the Ignorance (i. e. in the Scripture phraſe, Not Practiſing) of thoſe Chriſtian Rules which the Goſpel-ſpirit preſents us with.
I might tire you but with the names of thoſe effects that flow conſtantly from this Ignorance, ſuch are uſurping the Power that belongs not to us, which Humility would certainly diſclaim; ſuch reſiſting the Powers under which we are placed by God, to which Meekneſs would never be provoked; ſuch the judging and cenſuring mens thoughts and intentions any further than their actions enforce, moſt unreconcileable with the forgiving part of mercifulneſs; ſuch the doing any kind of evil. that the greateſt or publickeſt good may come, deſigning of Rapine or Blood to the ſanctifiedſt end, which S. Paul and Peaceableneſs would never endure; ſuch Impatience of the Croſs, ſhaking a Kingdom to get it off from our own ſhoulders, and put it on other men, diametrally oppoſite to the ſuffering and patience of a Chriſtian.
To retire from this Common, to the Incloſure, and to go no farther than the Text ſuggeſts to me, To call fire from Heaven upon Samaritans, is here acknowledged the effect of the foreign, the want of knowledge, or conſideration of the quality of their ſpirit.
And what may that ſignifie to us? Why fire you know is the embleme of a Civil War, which is called a foreign, a combuſtion, or being farther broken out into flames, a conflagration; and I conceive ſhould be ſo rendred in that place of S. Peter, where we read the Fiery Tryal.
Now fire you know, belongs moſt naturally to Hell; and therefore when the fire and brimſtone came down upon Sodom, the phanſie of the Fathers calls it Gehennam de Coelo: And ſo generally the Civil Fire, the Combuſtion in a State, its original is from thence too; part of that wiſdom that is not from above. Theſe Tares ſo apt for burning, are ſowed by Satan, the Enemy-man. From whence come Wars and ſtrivings among you, foreign, Wars of all ſizes, are they not from your luſts, that war in your fleſh? ſaith S. James. The luſts from the Fleſh, but the War from Hell, the Devil, the Spiritus ſufflans that ſets them a warring. Believe it, they would not be able to do it in this manner, prove ſuch fiery boutefeus, if they were not inflamed from beneath, if they were not ſet on fire by Hell. And therefore to call fire from Heaven, to entitle God or Heaven to that fire, is to do both of them great injury; nay, though it be on Samaritans, that are not ſo friendly to Chriſt as might be expected: And ſo to call fire from Heaven upon Samaritans, is (by accommodation at leaſt) to pretend God, or Heaven, or Religion, for the cauſe of War, which of all things hath leaſt to do it, if the Goſpel-ſpirit may have leave to be conſidered. Indeed, very few kinds of War there are that will be juſtified by Goſpel-principles. It was truly ſaid, (though by a rough Soldier) That if the Lord of Hoſts were permitted to ſit in the Council of War, there would ſoon be a ceſſation of Arms, and disbanding of Armies: Though that all War is not unlawful will appear by John Baptiſts addreſs to the Soldiers, who gave rules to regulate their Militia, but did not disband them; and the example of the Convert Centurion, a Centurion ſtill after his Converſion: Where yet this ſtill remains as an infallible reſolution, that Wars are to be uſed like the Regia Medicamenta, never but when the Phyſician ſees there is no other means available; never upon the wantonneſs of the Patient, but command of the Phyſician, and never but when peace appears to be impoſſible; for if it be poſſible, the precept is of force, Follow peace with all men. And then to ſhed the blood of Chriſtians, when blood may be ſpared, what an hideous thing it is, you may gueſs by that Emperor, that having beheaded a Chriſtian, was by the ſight of a fiſhes head that came to his Table ſo aſtoniſhed, phancying, that it was the head of that ſlaughtered Chriſtian gaping on him, that he ſcarce recovered to his wits; or of that poor penitent David in his pathetick expreſſion, Deliver me from blood-guiltineſs, O Lord: A wonderful deliverance, it ſeems, to get clear from that. And what an Ocean of fiſhes heads, may appear one day gaping on ſome Men, I have no joy to tell: Deliver us from blood-guiltineſs, O God.
I have done with my third particular alſo, and have now no more to importune you with, but my requeſts to you, and to Heaven for you, that the time paſt of all our lives be ſufficient to have ſpent in the will of the Gentiles, after the dictates of that Heathen ſpirit, the natural or Jewiſh principles: That you be content at length to go up to the Mount with Chriſt, and be auditors of his Sermon; to that other Mount with the ſame Chriſt and be transfigured after him to that ſpirit of humility, ſpirit of meekneſs, ſpirit of all kind of mercifulneſs; that peaceable, patient ſpirit, which will give you a comfortable paſſage through this valley of Achor here; yea, though it prove a Red Sea of Blood, and will fit you for a Crown, that true Olympick Olive Crown; the peaceable fruits of righteouſneſs, an eternal weight of glory hereafter. Which God of his infinite mercy grant, through the merit and promiſe of his Son.
To whom with the Father, &c.