Discourses on Divers Texts of Scripture, Discourses 2 · Sermon 1

Discourses on Divers Texts of Scripture · Discourses 2 · Sermon 1

p. 241LUKE 2. 13, 14.

13. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly Host, praising God, and saying, 14. Glory be to God on high, (or, in the highest) and on earth peace, good will towards men.

AT the Creation of the world, when God laid the foundations of the earth, and stretched out his line thereon, the stars in the morning (as God himself describes it Iob 38. 7.) sang together, and all the sons of God (that is, the holy Angels) shouted for joy. This in my Text is so like it, that a man would think some new Creation were in hand; p. 242nor were it much wide of truth to affirm it: for if ever there were a day wherein the Almighty Power, the incomparable Wisdom, the wonderfull Goodness of God again the second time appeared, as it did at the worlds Creation, it was this day, whereof S. Luke our Euangelist now treateth; when the Son of God took upon him our flesh, and was born of a Virgin, to repair the breach between God and man, and make all things new. The news of which restauration was no sooner heard and made known to the Shepheards by an Angel sent from heaven, but suddenly the heavenly Host descended from their celestiall mansions, and sung this Carol of joy; Glory be to God on high, welcome peace on earth, good-will towards men. A Song renowned both for the singularity of the first example, (for untill this time, unlesse it were once in a Propheticall Vision, we shall not finde a Song of Angels heard by men in all the Scripture) and from the custome of the Church, who afterward took it up in her Liturgy, and hath continued the singing thereof ever since the days of the Apostles untill these of ours. Yet perhaps it is not so commonly understood, as usually said or chaunted, and therefore will be worth our labour to inquire into the meaning thereof, and hear such instructions as may be learned therefrom. Which that we may the better do, I will consider first the Singers or Chaunters, The heavenly Host: Secondly, the Caroll or Hymne it self, Gloria in excelsis Deo: Glory be to God on high, &c.

For the first, the heavenly host here spoken of, is an Army of holy Angels: For the Host of Heaven in the language of Scripture is twofold, Visible and Invisible. p. 243The Visible Host are the Stars, which stand in their array like an Army, Deut. 4. 19. Lest thou lift up thine eies (saith the Lord there) unto heaven, and when thou seest the Sun, Moon, and Stars, even all the Host of heaven, shouldst be driven to worship and serve them. The Invisible Host are the Angels, the heavenly Guard; according to that of Micaiah, 1 King. 22. 19. I saw the Lord sitting upon his Throne, and all the Host of heaven standing by him, on his right hand and on his left. So Psal. 103. Blesse the Lord ye his Angels, that excell in strength, that do his Commandements. Blesse the Lord all ye his Hosts, ye ministers of his that do his pleasure: Where the latter words do but vary that which is expressed in the former. From this it is that the Lord Jehovah, the true and only God, is so often styled the Lord or God of Sabaoth, or of Hosts, that is, King both of Stars and Angels: according to that Nehem. 9. Thou art God alone;—and the Host of Heaven worshippeth thee. By which Title He is distinguished from the Gods of the Nations, who were some of the Host, to wit, of the Stars or Angels, but none of them the Lord of Hosts himself. For the same reason, and with the same meaning and sense, in the Books written after the Captivity, he is styled Deus coeli, the God of heaven, as in Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel; in which Books, together with the last of Chronicles, the title of Deus Sabaoth is not to be found, but the title of Deus Coeli only, and as may seem taken up for some reason in stead of the other.

But to return to what we have in hand: It was the Angelicall Host, as ye hear, who sang this Song of p. 244joy and praise unto the most High God. And wherefore? For any restitution or addition of happinesse to themselves? No; but for Peace on Earth, and Good-will towards men. He that was now born took not upon him the Nature of Angels, but of men: He came not into the world to save Angels, but for the salvation of men. Nor was the state of Angels to receive advancement in glory by his comming, but the state of men; and that too in such a sort as might seem to impeach the dignity, and dimme the lustre of those excellent creatures, when an inferiour nature, the nature of man, was now to be advanced into a Throne of Divine Majesty, and to become Head and King not only of men, but of the heavenly Host it self. O ye blessed Angels! what did these tidings concern you, that ruined mankinde should be restored again and taken into favour; whereas those of your own Host, which fell likewise, remained still in that gulf of perdition, whereinto their sin had plunged them, without hope of mercy or like promise of Deliverance? what did it adde to your eminent Dignity, the most excellent of the creatures of God, that the Nature of man should be advanced above yours? that at the Name of Iesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the Earth?

The Observation therefore which this Act of the Angels first presents unto us, is the ingenuous goodnesse and sweet disposition of those immaculate and blessed spirits, in whose bosomes Envy, the Image of the Devil and deadly poison of charity, hath no place at all: For if any inclination to this cankered passion p. 245had been in these heavenly creatures, never such an occasion offered, nor greater could be, to stir it up to envy. But heaven admits of no such passion, nor could such a torment consist with the blissefull condition of those who dwell therein. It is the smoke of that bottomlesse pit, a native of hell, the character and cognisance of those Apostate Angels, which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, and are reserved for chains of everlasting darknesse. These indeed grieve no lesse at the happinesse of men then the Angels joy; witnesse the name of their Prince Satan, which signifies the Fiend, or malicious one, who out of envy overthrew mankinde in the beginning; out of envy he and all his fellow-fiends are so restlesse and indefatigable to seduce him still.

The Use of this Observation will not be far to seek, if we remember the admonition our Saviour hath given us in the prayer left unto his Church; which is, To make the Angels the pattern of our imitation in doing the will of our heavenly Father; for so he teacheth us to pray, Let thy will be done in earth, as it is done in heaven; that is, Grant us ô Lord to do thy will here, as thy holy Angels do it there. And as we should imitate them in all things else; so in this affection towards the happinesse and prosperity of others. And good reason I think, if we mean at all to approve our selves unto God our Father, why we should endeavour rather to be like unto them, then unto Devils: But in nothing can we be more like them, then in this, to rejoyce at the good, and not repine at the happinesse of our brethren: Hoc enim Angelicum est; This is the Character of the Angelicall p. 246nature, and consequently of those, who one day shall have fellowship with them. To be contrarily affected Diabolicum est, the badge and brand of Devils and Fiends; and those who wear their Livery, reason good they should keep them company. Let every one therefore examine his own heart concerning this point, that he may learn upon what terms he stands with God, and what he may promise himself of the blessednesse to come. Do the gifts of God? Doth his favour or blessing vouchsafed to thy brother, when thou seest or hearest of them, torment and crucifie thy soul? Dost thou make their happinesse thy misery? Is thine eye evill to thy Brother, because Gods is good? If this be so, without doubt thy heart is not right before God; nor doth his Spirit, but the spirit of Devils or Fiends reign therein. But if the contrary appear in any reasonable measure, with a desire to increase it; (for we must not look to attain the perfection of Angels in this life, but in some measure and degree only) if thou canst rejoyce at anothers good, though it concerns not thy self; the Spirit of God rests upon thee: For emulations and envyings (saith the Apostle, Gal. 5.) are the fruits of the flesh, but the fruits of the Spirit are foreign & foreign, kindnesse and goodnesse: So he cals the opposite vertues to those former vices.

But as any good that betides our brother ought to affect us with some degree of joy, and not with grief and envy; so chiefly, and most of all his spirituall good, and that which concerns his salvation, ought so to do. This was that the holy Angels praised God for in my Text, on the behalf of men; that unto them p. 247a Saviour was born, who should save them from their sins, and reconcile them unto God. Which sweet disposition of those good and blessed spirits our Saviour himself further witnesseth, when he saith, (Luk. 15. 17.) There is joy in heaven (namely, among the holy Angels) for one sinner that repenteth. But is there any man, will you say, such a son of Beliall, as will not do this, will not imitate the holy Angels in this? Judge ye: There is an evil disease which commonly attends upon Sects and Differences in opinion: that as men are curious and inquisitive into the lives and actions of the adverse party; so are they willing to finde them faulty, and rejoyce at their fals and slips, hear and relate them with delight; namely, because they suppose it makes much for their own side, that the contrary should by such means be scandalized, and the Patrons and followers thereof disreputed. But should that be the matter of our grief, whereat the Angels joy; or that the matter of our joy, whereat the Angels grieve? How is this to do our Fathers will on earth, as the Angels do in heaven? Nay, if this be not to put on the robes of darknesse, and to shake hands with hellish fiends, I know not what is. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united.

There is another Lesson yet more to be learned from this act of the Angels; namely, that if they glorifie God for our happinesse, and the favour of God towards us in Christ, much more should we glorifie and magnifie his goodnesse our selves, to whom solely this Birth, and the benefit of this Birth redounds. If they sing, Glory be to God on high, for his favour toward p. 248men; we to whom such favour is shown, must not hold our peace; for shall they for us, and not we for our selves? No, the Quire of heaven did but set us in, we are to bear a part, and it should be a chief part, since the best part is ours. As therefore the Church in her publick Service, hath ever since kept it up: so must every one of us in particular, never let it goe down or dye on our hands.

Thus much of the Quaere; Now come we to the Antheme or Song it self: whose contents are two; First, the Doxology or Praise; Glory be to God on high. Secondly, a gratulation rendring the reason thereof; Because of Peace on earth, Good will towards men. For the conjunction foreign is not to bee taken here for a copulative, but as Vau is frequently in the Ita Zonar. ad c. 74. Trullan.Hebrew, for a conjunction causall, or for foreign. Glory to God in the highest; for that there is Peace on earth, Good-will towards men. Or if we retain the copulative sense, yet we must understand the words following as spoken by way of gratulation: Glory be to God on high, and welcome peace on earth, good-will towards men. Or both causally and gratulatorily thus, Glory be to God in the highest; for (ô factum bene!) there is peace on earth, and good-will towards men.

To begin with the first, the Doxology or praise; Glory be to God in the Highest: that is, Let the Angels glorifie him, who dwels on high: for foreign is to be referred to Glory, and not to God; the sense being, glorified be God by those on high; and not God, who dwels on high, be glorified. This may appear by the like expression in the 148. Psalm, whence this Glorification seems to be borrowed: Praise ye the p. 249Lord from the heavens, praise him foreign, …rat…e ye him all his Angels, praise ye him all his Host. Therefore Iunius for Praise ye the Lord from the Heavens, hath Laudate cum coelites: The Chaldee, for Laudate eum in excelsis; Laudate eum Angeli excelsi. In like manner here, Gloria in excelsis …eo, are the words of the Angelicall Quire, inciting themselves and all the Host to give glory and praise unto God for these wonderfull tidings. Now therefore let us see what this Glory is; and how it is given to God.

To tell you every signification of the word Glory in Scripture, might perhaps distract the hearer, but would inform him little. Nor will it be to purpose to reckon up every signification it hath, when it is spoken of God: I will therefore name only the two principall ones: And first, Glory when it is referred to God, often signifies the Divine Presence, or foreign, as in this Chapter, a little before my Text, when it is said, The Glory of the Lord shone round about the Shepheards, and they were sore afraid. But this is not the signification in my Text, but another which I shall now tell you. For Glory besides signifies in Scripture the high and glorious Supereminency or Majesty of God, which consisteth in his threefold Supremacy of Power, of Wisdome, and of Goodnesse. And as words of eminency and dignity with us (as Majesty, Highnesse, Honour, Worship) are used for the persons themselves to whom such Dignity belongeth, (as when we say, His Majesty, his Highnesse, his Honour, his Worship:) so in the Scripture, and among the Hebrews, His Glory, or the Glory of the Lord, is used to note the Divine Essence, or Deity it self. As in p. 2502 Pet. 1. 17. There came a voice (saith S. Peter) from the excellent Glory; (that is, from God the Father) This is my welbeloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Rom. 1. The Gentiles are said to have changed the glory of the incorruptible God, into the likenesse of things corruptible. As it is said (in the 106. Psal. ver. 20.) of the Israelites in the Wildernesse, That they changed their Glory into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth Jer. 2. 11.Jer 2:11grasse. S. Iohn cap. 1. 14. of his Gospel says of the Son, We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son of God. According to which sense he is called Heb. 1. The brightnesse of his Fathers glory, and the expresse Image of his person; where the latter words are an exposition of the former, Image expounding brightnesse, and person or substance expounding glory.

If Glory therefore signifie the Divine Majesty or Greatnesse; to glorifie or give glory unto God is nothing else but to acknowledge this Majesty or greatnesse of His; namely, his supereminent Power, his Wisdom, and Goodnesse: for in the peerlesse supereminency of these three, (under which all his other Attributes are comprehended) his glorious Majesty consisteth. Take this withall; That all the religious service and worship we give unto God, (whether we praise him, pray, or give thanks unto him) is nothing else but the acknowledging of this glory, either in deed or word; namely, by confessing it, or doing some act whereby we acknowledge it. To come to particulars: By our Faith we confesse his Wisdome and Truth; by our thanksgiving, his Goodnesse and Mercy: when we pray, we acknowledge his Power and Dominion; p. 251and therefore the form of prayer our Saviour taught us, concludes, For thine is the kingdome, power, and glory. In praise we confesse all these or any of them, according to that in the Hymne of the Church, Te Deum laudamus, Te Dominum confitemur; We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All which is evident by those forms of glorification set down in the Apocalypse, which are nothing else but expresse and particular acknowledgements of the greatnesse or Majesty of God, and his peerlesse prerogatives. When the four Wights are said to have given glory, honour and thanks to him that sate upon the Throne: what was their Ditty but this? Thou art worthy, ô Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. When the Lamb opened the book with 7. Seals, the Wights, the Elders, and every creature in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, sung, Worthy is the Lamb to receive power, and riches, and strength, and honour, and blessing. And again; Blessing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. In which we may observe the whole glorification to consist in the acknowledgement of these three soveraign prerogatives of the Divine Majesty, his Power, his Wisdome, his Goodnesse: The two first, Power and Wisdom, are expresse; and Riches and Strength belong to Power: The third is contained in foreign, Blessing, or thanksgiving; which is nothing else but the confession of the Divine goodnesse.

Hence it is, that the Septuagint and Vulgar Latine commonly render the words foreign & foreign, which p. 252signifie to praise, and glorifie, foreign, confiteor: Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia ejus. Psal. 106. 107. 136. Confitebor tibi Domino in toto corde meo, quoniam audisti verba oris mei. Psal. 138. Confitemini Domino, & invocate nomen ejus. Psal. 105. and the like. And in the 148. Psal. Confessio ejus super coelum & terram: that is, His glory is above the heaven and the earth. The Holy Ghost in the New Testament useth the same language, Luc. 11. 25. foreign, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes; where we have, I thank thee ô Father, Beza and Erasmus read, Gloriam tibi tribuo; which I think is the better. So also in this Chapter Luke 2. 38. it is said of Anna, foreign, Deo laudes gratiasque agebat. So Heb. 13. 15. By him therefore, (that is, by Christ) let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, foreign. the fruit of our lips confessing to his Name. By all which it is evident, that to praise and give glory unto God, whether by praise at large, or prayer and thanksgiving in speciall, is nothing else (as I have said) but to confesse and acknowledge his peerlesse Majesty over all and in all; which the Scripture cals his glory. And if ever there were a work of God, wherein all these peerlesse Prerogatives of Power, Wisdome, and Goodnesse, all together appeared in the highest degree, it was undoubtedly in this wonderfull work of the Incarnation of the Son of God for mans redemption: well therefore might the heavenly Host sing, Gloria in excelsis Deo; The Power, the Wisdom and Goodnesse of the glorious God be acknowledged p. 253by the holy Angels and all the Host of heaven for ever and ever. This is the meaning of the Doxology.

Come we now to the gratulation, which contains the cause thereof; glory be to God on high; for (ô factum benè! ô happy news!) there is peace on earth, good-will towards men. One and the same thing two ways expressed: for it is an Apposition, or foreign, the latter words declaring the meaning of the former; Peace on earth, that is, good-will towards men, foreign. 'Ev for foreign; to wit, in imitation of the Hebrew construction, where foreign & foreign verbs, which signifie foreign, & foreign the nown signifying foreign, are construed with foreign, which is foreign in Greek, and accordingly both the Septuagint and New Testament expresse the same. But the Vulgar Interpreter reads here, Pax in terris, hominibus bonae voluntatis, as if the Greek were foreign, and not foreign, as now all our Copies constantly read, and I beleeve ever did: yet Beza seems here to favour the Vulgar Latine, expounding Homines bonae voluntatis of those whom God wils well to; to wit, of the Elect, to whom this Peace by Christ belongeth: and from the conveniency of this sense, inclines to beleeve, that the Greek anciently read so; quoting to this end Irenaeus, Origen, and Chrysostome (as he saith) in divers places. But he trusted too much the Latine Translation of Chrysostome; for the Greek Chrysostome hath no such matter; but both in those places Beza points to, and in divers others reads constantly foreign, as our Copies doe. And so I make no question Irenaeus and **Vide cont. Celsu lib. 1. p. 46. gr.Origen did too in the Greek Originals if we had them to look into. But the Latine Translators p. 254thought not fit to alter the words of the Hymne so ordinarily sung in the Liturgy, and so expressed it in Latine, as the Latine Church used. And for the meaning, I beleeve the Vulgar Latine aim'd at no other sense, then what the Greek implies; namely, that this Peace was no earthly peace, but the peace of Gods good-will to man, referring the Genitive Case voluntatis, not to hominibus, but to pax. Pax in terris: what pax? Pax bonae voluntatis hominibus. That which makes me think so is, because Origen and his Translator, in the place Beza quotes for this reading, expresly expounds it so. And so there will not be a pin to choose; save that the Greek expresseth this sense by way of Apposition more naturally; the Latine by way of Rection, somwhat harshly; and yet perhaps the Translatour thought, lesse ambiguously.

Well then; this peace on earth is foreign, Gods good-will or favour to men: and Gods foreign, is the peace on earth, the Angels gratulate; namely, the reconciliation of God to men in Christ: For by reason of Sin, heaven and earth, God and man were till now at enmity: but by Christ this enmity is taken away, and man, by the forgivenesse of his sin, restored unto peace and favour with God. And as by this Nativity God and man became one Person, so by this conjunction Heaven and earth, Angels and men, become one Fellowship, one City and Kingdome of God: the Kingdome of Satan, that Prince of the powers of the Aire, who by reason of sin had captivated, and brought under his service the whole Earth, and thereby held the same at open p. 255war and enmity with Heaven, being now by degrees to be destroyed and rooted out. And this is that admirable mystery of our Redemption by Christ, which the Angelicall Host here gratulates, by the name of Peace on earth, and good-will towards men.

And that we may not doubt, but we have hit the meaning, that this peace on earth, is Gods good-will to men, and therefore expounded by it; besides that in the Old **Vid. Num. 6. 27. Judg. 6. 24. Psal. 85. 7. &c. Cant. 8. 10. Jer. 16. 15. 29. 11.Num 6:27Judg 6:24Ps 85:7Song 8:10Jer 16:15Jer 16:29Jer 16:11Testament peace is often taken for Gods favour and mercy to men; (as in that of Isay 54. 10. The mountains shall depart, and the hils be removed, but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.) So if we examine the Use thereof in the New Testament, we shall finde it in speciall applied to this our Reconciliation to God in Christ by remission of sin. S. Peter to Cornelius Act. 10. describes the Gospel thus, The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Iesus Christ. And S. Paul, Col. 1. It pleased God the Father, that in Christ all fulnesse should dwell. And (having made peace through the bloud of his Crosse) by him to reconcile all things unto himself. What can be plainer then this? The same, as I take it, he means Eph. 2. when he tels us, That Christ came to preach peace both to those that were afarre off, and to them that were nigh; that is, both to Jew and Gentile. But what peace? namely, that through him, we both might have accesse by one Spirit unto the Father. Hence the Gospel is called the Gospel of peace; and God so often in the New Testament, the God of peace; that is, of reconcilement and favour: and the Euangelicall salutation is, p. 256Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Iesus Christ our Lord.

The meaning of this Angelicall gratulation being thus cleared, let us see now what may be learned and observed therefrom. Where my first Observation shall be this: S. Peter tels Cornelius, That to Christ give all the Prophets witnesse, that through his name, whosoever beleeveth in him, shall receive remission of sins. Our Saviour after his Resurrection, expounding the Scriptures to his Apostles sayes, the same, Luke 24. 47. Thus it is written (saith he) and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that remission of sins should be preached in his Name among the Nations. But where is this publication of remission of sins by Christ written? for in those formall words we shall hardly finde it. Let us take here the Angels key, and we shall: for they tell us that peace on earth is this good-will towards men. Now do not the Prophets speak of some peace on earth, which Messiah should bring with him when he comes? yes surely: well then, let us look for this publication of remission of sins under that name, and we shall finde it, Isay 9. 6. VntoUnto us a Childe is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderfull, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Father of eternity, the Prince of peace, that is, of peace not between men and men, but between God and men) and of the increase of his government and peace shall be no end. Isay 52. 7. How beautifull upon the mountains, are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, p. 257that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth: which place S. Paul, Rom. 10. 15. interprets of the publication of the Gospel of Christ. Esay 53. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him; that is, he suffered for the remission of our sins. Is. 57. 19. quoted by S. Paul to the Ephesians, Chap. 2. Peace to him that is afarre off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him. Ezek. 34. 24, 25. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David (King Messiah) a Prince among them.—And I will make a Covenant of peace with them. So Chap. 37. 26. Hag. 2. 9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater then of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts. Zech. 9. 10. Shout ô daughter of Ierusalem; behold, thy King commeth unto thee,—and he shall speak peace unto the Heathen, and his Dominion shall be from Sea to Sea, and from the River unto the end of the earth.

Thus much of the Use to be made of the Angels expression in this heavenly Carol: Now I shall propound to your consideration another, and that taken from the argument it self; namely, that if Almighty God, our heavenly Father, be so graciously disposed to us-ward, as to be reconciled unto us, by forgiving us our trespasses: then ought we semblably to be reconciled to our brethren and forgive them their trespasses, when they have wronged or offended us. Leo Serm. 6. de Nativit. Natalis Domini, natalis est pacis, ergo singuli fideles offerant Patri pacificorum concordiam filiorum. The Illation is good; we have the authority of the Apostle S. Iohn to back it; 1 Ioh. 4. 10. God (saith he) so loved us, that he sent his Son to be the p. 258propitiation for our sins. What follows? Beloved, (saith he) if God so loved us, we ought to love end another. So I say, if God be so gracious, to forgive and be reconciled to us, we ought as it were, to eccho this his loving kindnesse, and to forgive, and be reconciled one to another.

This congruity and semblablenesse of our actions and affections one towards another, with Gods favour and mercy towards us, is the Rule and Reason not only of this, but of many other duties he requires at our hands. Thus the Jews were every seventh year to manumise their servants, as an act of congruity and thankfulnesse to God, who had delivered them, when they were servants, out of the land of Egypt, and house of bondage. They were bidden to use a stranger kindly, because themselves had been strangers, and God when they were oppressed, had been compassionate and kinde towards them, and redeemed them from their thraldome. Likewise we reade in the Gospel, Luk. 8. 36. Be ye mercifull, as your heavenly Father is mercifull: And Matth. 5. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercy. In a word, God hath revealed, he will shew mercy to none, but such as appear before him with this congruity. Iames 2. 13. He shall have judgement without mercy, that sheweth no mercy: and therefore the tenor of our sentence at the last judgement runs, Come ye blessed, and be partakers of mercy, because ye have shewed it: But, Goe ye cursed without all mercy into Hell fire, because ye have shewed no mercy.

Thus we see how God requires this congruity in generall: and as for the particular of reconcilement p. 259and forgiving our brother, it is written in capitall letters, and urged in such sort as it might not unfitly be termed the Livery of Christianity. In so much that if we consider it duly, it cannot but breed astonishment, that the evidence and necessity should be so apparent, and the practice among those who look for the benefit of Christ and call upon his Name, so little regarded: when as I dare boldly pronounce, there is no remission of sins to be looked for at the hands of God without it.

An invincible argument whereof is, That our Saviour himself, in the prayer he hath taught his Church, hath put in a barre against asking it, but upon this condition, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespasse against us. If we ask not with this disposition, there is no promise that any such prayer shall be heard: nay, our Saviour tels us in plain terms, it shall not: If (saith he) you forgive not men their trespasses, no more will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses. How then can any man whose heart is fraught with malice, and meditates revenge against his brother, hear this and not tremble? Is it not a fearfull thing for a man to carry in his own bosome, not only an evidence that his sins are unpardoned, but a barre too, that he cannot ask the forgivenesse of them? Let no man deceive himself: Etsi enim multis bonis conscientiis abundemus, saith S. Chrysostome, reconciliatione tamen contemptâ, nullum possumus promereri solatium. As the fifth Commandement is called by the Apostle the first Commandement of promise, so is this petition for forgivenesse of sins, the only petition with condition: and such a condition too, as our Saviour p. 260dwels upon and enforces, when he had delivered this form of prayer to his Disciples: For he passes by all the rest of the petitions, and singles out this alone to comment upon, as that wherein the chiefest moment lay, and without which all our prayer would be uneffectuall, and to no purpose.

A further confirmation of which we have in that parable of Servus nequam, Matth. 18. whom his Lord being moved with compassion, when he besought him, forgave a debt of ten thousand Talents: But he finding one of his fellow-servants which ought him an hundred pence, though he fell at his feet and besought him, yet would not hear him, but cast him into prison. Then his Lord was wroth, and said, O thou wicked servant! shouldst not thou have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity upon thee? And he delivered him unto the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him. The Application is terrible: So likewise, saith our Saviour, shall my heavenly Father doe unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. We are this Servus nequam, if when our heavenly Father forgives us thousands of Talents, we stand with our brethren for an hundred pence. There is no proportion between the offences wherewith we offend God, and the offences wherewith our brother offends us. And therefore we have no excuse, hath our brother wronged us never so often, never so much, never so hainously: For whatsoever it be, or how unworthy or undeserved soever; our sin, our ingratitude to Almighty God is and hath been infinitely greater, even much more then ten thousand Talents surpasse an hundred pence.

p. 261To these two testimonies adde a third, and that also as the former, out of our blessed Saviours own mouth: Mat. 5. If thou bring (saith he) thy gift to the Altar, and there remember, that thy brother hath ought against thee: leave there thy gift before the Altar, and goe thy way; First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift: foreign, the word whereby the Septuagint constantly render that which the Law cals Corban; and the Gospel concurres with them, Mar. 7. foreign. Now Corban in the Law is in speciall used for those offerings, which were made for atonement of Sin, as the Burnt-offering, Sin-offering, Trespasse-offering, and Peace-offering, call'd Offerings by Fire or Sacrifices. So that this precept of our Saviours here, is the same in effect with the former, when thou commest to offer an offering unto God for an atonement of thy sin; Go thy stay first, and be reconciled unto thy brother, for without this thy sin shall not be forgiven thee. I shall not need tell you, that now in the Gospel, Christ is the Sacrifice, is the gift which a Christian by faith offers unto God for the propitiation of his sin; and that this sacrifice is commemorated, sealed and communicated unto us in the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper; whereby it will easily appear, how this precept of our Saviours uttered after the style of the legall worship is appliable to the Euangelicall.

Hence in the ancient Church, when they assembled to celebrate this Sacrament, the Deacon was wont to proclaim, foreign, Ne quis contra aliquem; Let no man have ought against his brother: And then, foreign, Salute one another with p. 262an holy kisse: which accordingly they did, first the Bishop and Clergy, then the Laity, the men apart by themselves, and the women by themselves; and this was a profession of friendship and reconciliation, and therefore called Osculum pacis, the kisse of peace. In after-times the Priest gave this kisse of peace unto the Deacon, and he to the chief of the Congregation, and so it was given from one to another. In stead of which at length was brought in that foolish ceremony, still used among the Romanists, for the Priest to send a little guilded or painted Table, with a Crucifix or some Saints picture thereon, to be kissed of every one in the Church, before they receive the Holy Bread; which they call the kissing of the Pax. So oftentimes profitable and usefull Ceremonies degenerate into toyes and superstitions. Our Church, though she useth no ceremony, retains the substance; when the Priest in his exhortation to the Communicants, saith, If any of you be in malice or envy, or any other grievous crime, bewail your sins, and come not to this holy Table: and by the Rubrick the Priest, if he know any such, is to turn them back, unlesse they will be reconciled.

Lastly, the necessity of this duty is testified by that pious and generally received custome amongst Christians, to exhort those that are dying to forgive all the world, that so themselves may finde mercy and forgivenesse at the hands of God. Is it needfull at the hour of death, and not as needfull in the time of our health? Is there no forgivenesse to be expected at the hands of God without it, when we are dying, and is there while we are living? No certainly; All times p. 263are alike here; and there is no time wherein God will forgive us, unlesse we forgive our brother. What then remains, but that we do every day, as we would do, if we were to die the next? It is a blessed disposition to have a becalmed heart to those who have wronged us, and not to let the Sun go down upon our wrath: To be able to come before God with confidence, and say; Lord forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespasse against us.