Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 2, Collection of lectures · Lecture 11
THE XI. LECTVRE.
AMOS 2.8.
And they lay themselues downe vponupon clothes laid to pledge by eueryevery Altar, and they drinke the wine of the condemned, in the house of their God.
IT is a great height of impietie, whereto men are growne, when by vnlawfull meanes, or pretences, or allurements, they adde sinne to sinne. A man may sinne once and a second time; and may doe it through infirmitie: but if he go on with a third transgression, and with a fourth; if he be obstinate in heaping sinne vponupon sinne, lamentable is his estate. A woe must be his portion. Its denounced by the Prophet Esay, cap. 5.18. Woe vntounto them, that draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie, and sinne, as it were with a cart-rope.
Was there euer a people, so far giuen ouer to worke impietie? Behold, such were the people of Israel, they to whom this prophecie of Amos was directed. Their cruelty, their couetousnes, their oppressions, their calumnies, their filthy lusts reproued in the two precedent verses, do proclaim as much. And yet they hauehave not done sinning. They would, I grant, make faire weather; they would make a faire shew, as if their desire were to serue God. For that purpose they came vntounto the house of their God; his temple; they drew neere vntounto his Altars: but euen then did their hearts worke iniquitie. My text conuinceth them.
They lay themselues downe [or they lye, or they sit downe] vponupon clothes laid to pledge by eueryevery Altar? and they drinke the wine of the condemned [or of such as they hauehave fined, or mulcted] in the house of their Gods.
The words import thus much. The people of Israel to cloke and couer their manifold sinnes, make a shew of religion: they goe vntounto their temples, the temples of their Idols; there they offer their sacrifices, there they feast it sumptuously. They are at great charges. But whence doe they defray them? Is it out of their owne substance, which either is descended to them by inheritance, or is gotten by their iust and honest labour? No such matter. The fines, the mulcts of the poore, their pawnes, their pledges, their pewter, their garments, their bedding, their goods pay for all.
The words doe specially concerne the Peeres, the Nobles, the Iudges, the Magistrates, the Rulers of Israel. They may also concerne the rich among them: but cannot be vnderstood of the poore, the base, and vulgar sort. The words are not many; yet many are the sinnes they smite at. The taking of pawnes, the deteyning of them, vnrigheous iudgement, superstition, idolatry, riot and excesse are the sins, they smite at; as may in part appeare in the now-ensuing explication.
They lay themselues downe] foreign word for word, They bowe downe themselues, they stretch out themselues. St Hierome renders it by the verbe Accumbere, intimating their sitting downe, as at a feast or banquet.
They lay themselues downe; they lye downe, or they sit downe vponupon clothes] This manner of sitting or lying downe at meate was very ancient. The old Romans vsed it; so did the Greekes. Non sedebant, sed accubabant. They sat not as we doe now a-dayes, but they lay downe. In some parlor, chamber-garret, or other conuenient roome, a low round table was placed. This table for the common sort of people was made of ordinarie wood, and stood vponupon three feete. For men of better fashion, it was made of better wood, of the Limon tree, or of the Maple tree, and was sometimes inlaid with siluer, it stood vponupon one whole entire foote made of Ivorie, in the forme of a Leopard or a Lyon. aLipsius antiq. lect. l. 3. c. 1. Hieronym. Mercurialis artis Gymnast: lib. 1. cap. 11. Rosin. antiq. Rō. lib. 5. cap. 28.About this round table were placed three beds, couered with tapestrie, with purple, or with some other kinde of carpet, according to the wealth and abilitie of the feast-maker. Each bed conteined three guests, sometimes foure, seldome more. And thus the guests were placed. The first & vppermost lying at the beds head, rested the vpper part of his bodie at his left elbow, & disposed his feet behinde the seconds backe: the second rested his head in the others bosome vponupon a cushion, and disposed his feete behinde the thirds backe. The rest did likewise. Such was the custome of sitting or lying downe at meat among the old Greeks and Romans.
This very custome of sitting or lying at meat was also among the Iewes. We gather it from the Scripture phrase in the New Testament. bMark. 2.14. Luk. 9.27, 29.Levi, called alsocMatth. 9.9. Matthew, that blessed Euangelist, made in his owne house a great feast for Iesus, whereat were many publicans, and others. At that feast Iesus lay downe. So saith S. Matthew, chap. 9.10. foreign, as hee lay downe. S. Marke saith, chap. 2.15. foreign, as he lay downe. Iesus lay downe at meat. So did his disciples: so did publicans and sinners too. S. Matthew and S. Marke in the now-alleaged places doe affirme it: foreign, they lay downe with Itsus. Publicans and sinners lay downe with Iesus. S. Luk. chap. 5.29. thus expresseth it; foreign, a great companie of Publicans, and others, lay downe at meate with Iesus and his disciples.
The time was when Iesus fed withdMatth. 14.17. fiue loaues, and two fishes, aboutevers. 21. fiue thousand men, besides women and children; then he commaunded the multitude foreign, to lye downe on the grasse, Matth. 14.19. Another time he fed withfMath. 15.36. seauen loaues, and a few little fishes gvers. 38.foure thousand men beside women and children: then he commaunded the multitude, foreign, to fall downe on the ground, Mat. 15.35. At both times, Iesus his words had reference to that auncient manner of sitting, or lying downe at meate.
Which manner of sitting, or lying downe at meate, Iesus himselfe seemeth to hauehave obserued at his celebration of his last Paschall supper. For we finde, Ioh. 13.23. that at that supper one of the Disciples of Iesus, the Disciple whom Iesus loued, euen Iohn the Euangelist, leaned on the bosome of Iesus. Iesus lay downe. Iohn did likewise; and leaned on Iesus his bosome. You see, that in the time of the new Testament, euen among the Iewes, it was a custome to lye downe at meate.
Euen among the Iewes, it was a custome long before. Eight hundred years before the incarnation of the Messiah, the posteritie of Iacob vsed it. My text affirmeth it. The Israelites, the of-spring of Iacob, layd themselues downe vponupon clothes.
Did they lay themselues downe vponupon clothes? And why might they not doe so? Was not the common custome of so doing, a warrant for them so to doe? Out of doubt it was. It was no fault of theirs to lye downe at meate, and vponupon clothes. But herein were they blame worthie; first, that the clothes whereon they lay, were not their owne, secondly, that they lay vponupon them vnseasonably.
First, they were not their owne; they were the pawnes, they were the pledges of the poore: they were clothes laid to pledge.
Secondly, they lay vponupon them vnseasonablie; euen before their Altars. The first argueth their crueltie towards the poore: The second their Idolatrie in respect of God. First of the first.
They lay themselues downe vponupon clothes layd to pledge] Wee shall the better vnderstand what that sinne is, which our Prophet here reprooueth in the Israelites, if we will hauehave recourse to the Law concerning pledges. That Law is written, Exod. 22.26. If thou at all take thy neighbours raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliuer it vntounto him by that the Sunne goeth downe: The Law is repeated, Deut. 24.10, 11, 12, 13. When thou lendest any thing to thy neighbour, thou shalt not enter into his house to take his pledge. But thou shalt abide without, and the man to whom thou lendest, shall bring the pledge out of the dores vntounto thee. And if the man be poore thou shalt not sleepe with his pledge. But shalt restore him the pledge when the Sunne goeth downe. The ground of this Law is mercy: the Law-giuer, is the God of mercy: its giuen, to stirre vsus vp to mercy.
If at all thou take thy neighbours raiment to pledge, thou must deliuer it vntounto him by the going downe of the Sunne. That is the Law. Thereof, Exod. 22.27. hauehave you two reasons: One is taken from common humanitie. The poore mans raiment! It is his onelyonly couering; It is his raiment for his skinne. Take that from him, and wherein shall he sleepe? Restore therefore his pledge before the Sunne goeth downe. The other reason is taken from the iudgement of God. If the poore man crie, God will heare him, for he is gracious. Restore thou therefore his pledge before the Sunne goeth downe.
In the 24. of Deut. ver. 13. three reasons are brought to the same purpose. The poore mans pledge; See that in any case thou deliuer it, when the Sunne goeth downe.
First, that he may sleepe in his owne raiment.
Secondly, that he may blesse thee, may pray for thee, may testifie vntounto God the sence and feeling he hath of thy humanitie, and kind dealing.
Thirdly, that it may be righteousnesse vntounto thee, euen before the Lord thy God.
See therefore, that in any case thou restore the poore mans pledge, when the Sunne goeth downe. You hauehave the law, and the reasons of the Law.
This Law these Israelites violated. They tooke to pledge poore mens clothes, they deteined them, they vsed them, they lay vponupon them, as if they had beene their owne. The sinne then here laid vntounto their charge, is Detentio pignoris pauperum, the keeping backe of the poore mans pledge. The doctrine which we may take from hence, is this, The pledge of a poore man, such as is necessarie for his vse, is not to be withholden from him.
I say, such as is necessarie for his vse. Moses, in the alledged places of Exodus and Deuteronomie, makes mention of his raiment. The raiment of the poore man▪ it is operimentum, his couering; i… is vestimentum, his clothing: he hath nothing else, wherewith to hide his nakednesse: nothing else, wherewith to saue himselfe from cold. Such a pledge, as is the poore mans raiment, his coat, his dublet, his bed, his couering, or any other thing, that is necessarie for the preseruing of his life, God will hauehave it restored. Yet it will please him well, if such a pledge be neuer taken.
The Law runnes thus in the 22. of Exodus. If at all thou take thy neigbbours raiment to pledge, thou must deliuer it vntounto him by the going downe of the Sunne. It is as if the Lord had thus said: I shall like it well, if thou lend vntounto thy poore neighbour without taking any pledge of him; but if thou be so cruell, and hard hearted, as that thou wilt not be induced to lend without taking of a pawne, yet see in any case, that thou restore vntounto him his pawne before the Sunne goeth downe.
The Lords desire to hauehave no pawne at all taken of the poore man, is more plainely manifested, Deut. 24.6. The Law there is: No man shall take the two mil-stones, or the vpper mil-stone to pledge. Mention is made first of two milstones, and then of the vppermost. It is all one as if the Lord had sayd: You shall not take to pledge both milstones, no nor one of them. As good take both, as one. There is no grinding without both. If thou take one and leaue the other, how shall the poore man grind? Milstones are named: vnderunder them by a Synecdoche you may comprehend all kind of vtensils, or instruments, with which a poore man gets his liuing. In this ranke I place the Husbandmans plow, the Smithes anvill, the Taylors sheares, and eueryevery other handy-crafts mans toole, which is necessarie for the exercise of his trade or occupation. None such may you take to pawne. Moses adds the reason: For, he that takes such a pawne of a poore man, takes the poore mans life to pawne.
May not such a pawne be taken by thehDeut. 24.6. Law of the milstones, and for the reason specified? Then out of doubt whosoeuer is so cruell and hard of heart, to take such a pawne, he is bound by theiExod. 22.26. Deut. 24.13. Law of the poore mans raiment, to restore it ere the Sunne goe downe. Thus is my doctrine established.
The pledge of a poore man, such as is necessarie for his vse, is not to be withholden from him.
This doctrine hath its vse in this wringing world. It may serue to reproue the wealthie, the great deuourers, the Sea-gulfs of this age. No money shall out of their purses to the poore without a pawne. Tell them it is crueltie. They will say; No. He comes to borrow of me; I may deny him if I will. I lend him my money; I looke for no profit; I take no vsury. Shall I hauehave no assurance? Shall I not be suffered to take a pawne?
Foolish man! Why pleadest thou so? It is the will of God, that thou lend without a pawne: or if thou lend vponupon a pawne, that thou restore it before the Sunne goe downe. This is the will of God: Why wilt thou not obey it?
Say; thou lendest a poore man thy money, and he buyeth bread therewith, & eateth; and in the meane time through want of his raiment, which thou hast to pawne, the poore man be frozen to death: how hast thou relieued him? What difference is there, whether he die for hunger, or for cold? If thou slacke his hunger, and starue him with cold, thou dost but change his torment; thou dost not succour him. In like sort: if thou lendest a poore man thy money, and for thy securitie takest to pawne the tooles, those necessarie tooles, with which he getteth his liuing, thou doest not relieue him, but doest, as much as in thee lyeth, cut the poore mans throate.
Flatter not thy selfe (beloued) whosoeuer thou art, that hast accustomed thy selfe to secure the loane of thy money by taking of pawnes. If the course be simply and absolutely lawfull, what meaneth the Law, Deut. 24.17. Thou shalt not take a widdowes raiment to pledge? And why doth Iob, Chap. 24.3. reproue them, who take the widdowes oxe for a pledge? It is in thy power I grant, to take a pledge of thy debtor, to assure thy selfe, that thou maiest receiue thine owne againe: but if in taking thy pledge, thou transgresse the Law of charitie; if thou take such a pledge, as thy neighbour cannot spare without the hazard and perill of his liuelihood, it is thy sinne; and thou art bound with speed to restore it. If thou restore it not, what then? Ezechiel chap. 18.13. will tell thee: Moriendo morieris, thou shalt surely die, thy bloud shall be vponupon thee.
But here thou wilt apologize, defend thy selfe, & plead that for thy taking of pawnes, thou hast thy warrant out of Prov. 20.16. I must confesse, thou art there permitted to take a mans garment as a pledge or pawne, for the assurance of thy money. But of whom? of him, to whom thou lendest thy money? No. But of him, who rashly, vnaduisedly, and lauishly becomes suertie vntounto thee, for the man he knoweth not. And what is this to the poore man, that borroweth of thee? Of him if thou take any such pledge, thou maiest bee strained with the abomination of Vsurie.
I put thee a case: Thou lendest tenne pounds, vponupon a pawne of bedding, or linnen, and thou lendest it freely: but as the borrower vseth thy money, so thou vsest his pawne. This is Vsury in thee. For the bedding or linnen, which thou hast in pawne is the worse for the wearing: so is not thy money in the borrowers hand. I know the very name of Vsury is detested of thee, and thou hatest to be called an Ʋsurer. Take heed then, that by thy taking of pawnes, thou become not one of that damned crew.
If therefore you hauehave taken any pawne of a poore man, any such pawne, as by the Law thou oughtest not to hauehave taken of him, restore it vntounto him according to the Law, euen before the Sunne goe downe. So shall the poore man, to whom thou hast shewed mercy in lending thy money, blesse thee, and it shall be righteousnesse vntounto thee before the Lord thy God. Hereof art thou assured, Deut. 24.13. Yea, Ʋiuendo vives, thou shalt surely liue. The Lord God hath sayd it, Ezechiel, 18.9.
Hitherto (Beloued) you hauehave heard of the crueltie of the Israelites, towards the poore; their crueltie in deteining the pledges of the poore: they layd themselues downe vponupon clothes laid to pledge. And this they did vnseasonablie, euen before their Altars, which argueth their Idolatrie; the next thing to be considered.
By eueryevery Altar] Multa erant altaria Idolorum; altare autem Domini non nisi vnum. It is a Bishops note; the note of Albertus Magnus vponupon my text. Many were the Altars that were erected for the seruice of Idols, but for the worship of God, there was but one Altar: but one Altar, whereon to offer sacrifice.
This one Altar at first was to be made of earth, or of stone rough and vnhewen, as appeareth, Exod. 20.24.25. Such an Altar was fittest for the then-estate of the children of Israel. They were then in the desert iourneying toward the holy Land, and were to remoue from place to place. An Altar of earth would soone be made: so would an Altar of stone, rough, and vnhewen. They might make their Altar of earth, that when they should change their station, they might with ease destroy it, Ne aut abusui aut superstitioni esset, that it might not be superstitiously abused. Or, they might make it of rough and vnhewen stone tumultuarily, Ne sollicitaret quemquam ad conservationem religionem{que} constantem illius altaris, that it might not allure any one to a constant reuerence, and dread of the holinesse of that Altar.
In the 27. of Exod. ver. 1. there is a prescription of an Altar of better fashion. foreign, the Altar of Holocaustes, of burnt offerings, of sacrifices, is there described according to the matter, the measure, the forme, the instruments and vessels thereof. Thou shalt make an Altar of wood, of the choisest Cedar. An Altar, not Altars, It was but one Altar.
And why would God hauehave but one Altar? He would hauehave but one, quod vnum at{que} eundem cultum inter omnes esse vellet. Because he would hauehave but one & the same worship among all, therefore would he hauehave but one Altar: so saythkSee Willet vponupon Exod. 20.24. Galasius. He would hauehave but one Altar, to note vntounto vsuslBabington vponupon Exod. 20.24. one truth, one religion. But one Altar mMarlorat. in Esa. 1.29.Vt vinculum esset sacra vnitatis, that it might be vntounto the rude people, a bond of sacred vnity. That one and the same religion might remaine among them inviolable. God would hauehave but one Altar.
It was therefore sinne in Ieroboam to set vp two other Altars, one in Bethel, the other in Dan, 1. King. 12.29. It was sinne in Ʋrijah, the high Priest, when to please the idolatrous King Ahaz, he caused a new Altar to be set vp after the patterne of the Altar of Damascus, 2. King. 16.11. It must needs be a sinne in the children of Israel, to multiplie their Altars according to the multitude of their fruit, Hos. 10.1. And I may not excuse the Israelites, whom my text concerneth, they laid themselues vponupon clothes, laid to pledge by eueryevery Altar. They had there many Altars too. But, Altare Domini non nisi vnum: For the worship of God there was but one Altar.
And that one Altar was a type of our blessed Sauiour; a liuely figure, or representation of Christ crucified. In regard whereof, Heb. 13.10. Christ is called an Altar; yea, our Altar: We hauehave an Altar. We hauehave an Altar, whereof they hauehave no right to eate, that serue at the tabernacle. Christ is this Altar; he is our Altar; Christ with all his benefits. Which his benefits are nothing auaileable, nothing profitable for them which are vnderunder the Law, who yet are in bondage vnderunder the rudiments, vnderunder the ceremonies of Moses Law. Those benefits of Christ are spirituall; Regeneration, fayth, remission of sinnes, iustification, the fauour of God, securitie against our enemies, (the world, the Deuill, death, and hell) life and eternall glory: these are the benefits, which Christ through his most glorious death and passion hath purchased for his elect. This purchase he wrought not by the bloud of Goats, and Calues, but by his owne bloud, whereby he entred in once into the holy place, and so obtained for vsus eternall redemption, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 9.12.
Thus hath Christ, the sacrificer, the sacrifice, and the Altar made full satisfaction to God for all our sinnes. Now are we not to relie vponupon our owne good workes, vponupon the merits of Saints, or vponupon their mediation. For this were nothing else quàm aliud novum Altare praeter Christum instituere; It were to appoint another new Altar beside Christ. And that Christians may not doe.
May not Christians doe it? How then is it that in Poperie there are so many Altars? It is (Beloued in the Lord) one of the blemishes, one of the shames of that religion. They hauehave their many Altars, some ofnDe consecrat. Dist. 1. C. Altaria. stone, sumptuously built, and dedicated with the vnction of oyle, and theoAltaria placuit. Priests benediction: as appeareth by the decrees of two Councells, the one called Apaunense, the other Agathense. Stone-Altars they make for steddinesse and continuance; and why so? But, Quia Petra erat Christus, because the Rocke was Christ? It is the deuise of Durandus. A profound reason sure. The witt of fore-ages could not reach vntounto it.
The Primitiue times of the Church knew no such Altars of stone, no nor of wood. Then there were no Altars at all. Origen may witnesse it. He flourished in the yeare of Christ 230. Then it was obiected vntounto him bypLib. 6. contra Celsum: & lib. 8. Celsus, that the Christians had neither Altars, nor Images, nor Temples. Arnobius flourished after Origen in the yeare 290. andqArnob. lib. 4. contragentes. Babington in Exod. 27.1. pag. 403. Hospinian. Hist. Sacram. lib. 2. pag. 54. in his time the Heathen accused the Christians, for that they had neither Churches, nor Altars, nor Images. So for two hundred and ninetie yeares, there were no Altars in the primitiue Church.
None for 290. yeares? Yet Martin of Polonia sometimes an Arch-bishop, and Penitentiarie to Innocent the fourth, affirmeth in his Chronicle, that Pope Sixtus did institute, Vt missa super Altare celebreter: th … …he Masse should be celebrated vponupon an Altar. rHospin. ibid. pag. 121.Sixtus of whom he speaketh was Bishop of Rome Anno Christi 125. So by Martins opinion, Altars should hauehave bin in the Church aboue a hundred yeares, before either Arnobius, or Origen were writers.
But what small credit is to be giuen to this Chronicler Martin, let Bellarmine tell you. Fuit Martinus vir simplex & fabellas pro historijs obtrudit. This censure he giueth in his Booke of Ecclesiasticall writers vponupon the yeare 1250. Martin was a simple man, and one that obtrudeth fables for histories.
If Martin be false in this point of the institution of Altars, how shall we find out the truth? Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 3. will seeme to deliuer it. There reprouing Kemnitius for making Felix the fourth to hauehave instituted the consecration of Altars, calleth that a lye, and sayth;s§ Octavum est. Constat, Sylvestrum autorem huius ritûs fuisse. It is manifest that Sylvester was the author of this rite, of the consecration of Altars. Now Sylvester ascended to the Popedome in the yeare 314. So by Bellarmines opinion, (and what writer among the Papists is of greater authoritie then Bellarmine?) by Bellarmines opinion there were no Altars of vse in the Church before the yeare 314. So my proposition stands good: The primitiue times of the Church knew not the vse of stonie, or wooden Altars.
Which truth, as it hath serued to condemne the Papists of blind superstition, for creeping vntounto, and worshipping before, their Altars, whereof they hauehave out of Gods booke no warrant: so may it be a motiue to vsus to lift vp our hearts vntounto the Lord, and to giuegive him thankes, for that it hath pleased him to deliuer vsus from the more then Egyptian darknesse of Poperie, wherein our forefathers liuing, committed abomination before stockes and stones.
We hauehave not now an Altar properly so called, no materiall Altar: our Altar is metaphoricall, it is spirituall. As our sacrifices are, which we are to offer vp vntounto the Lord, so is our Altar: our sacrifices are spirituall; our Altar therefore must be spirituall.
There were vnderunder the Law many kindes of sacrifices: tExod. 20.24.Burnt offerings,uNum. 6.11. Sinne offerings,xVers. 15. Meat offerings, Drinke offerings,yExod. 20.24 Peace offerings. All are reduceable to two heads; they were either foreign, or foreign, either propitiatorie, or Eucharisticall; either expiatorie, or gratulatorie; either sacrifices of satisfaction, or sacrifices of thankesgiuing. The first sort of sacrifices, which I call propitiatorie, expiatorie, or satisfactorie, had their end in the death of Christ: the other which I call Eucharisticall, gratulatorie, or sacrifices of thanksgiuing doe remaine for euer; but without legall rites and ceremonies: that which was legall in them is done away; there remaineth onelyonly that which was Euangelicall, that which was Spirituall. These sacrifices gratulatorie, these sacrifices of praise and thankesgiuing are the sacrifices, which we can, and must, offer vntounto Almightie God.
Of these sacrifices I obserue three sorts, according to the three sorts of goods which man vsually enioyeth. ThezArist. Eth. lib. 1. cap. 8. Philosopher deuides them into goods of the mind, goods of the bodie, and externall goods. By externall goods, you may vnderstandaArist. Magn. Moral. lib. 1. cap. 3. riches, rule, honor: by the goods of the bodie, you may vnderstand health, beautie, comelinesse: by the goods of the minde, you may vnderstand vertues, and vertuous actions, functions, and operations, together with all the powers and faculties of the soule.
All these goods must we offer vp vntounto the Lord in sacrifice. First, we must offer vp foreign, our externall goods, the goods of this world. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes wisheth vsus not to forget it, chap. 13.16. To doe good and to distribute forget not. And to make vsus remember it the more willingly, he giues this reason: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. It is true, God accepteth, and taketh in good part, as bestowed vponupon himselfe, whatsoeuer is bestowed vponupon the poore. GiueGive meate to the hungrie, drinke to the thirstie, take in the stranger, cloth the naked, visite the sicke, yeeld comfort to the poore prisoner; thou doest all to Christ. The day shall come wherein Christ will tell thee so, Mat. 25.40. Verily I say vntounto you, in as much as yee hauehave done it vntounto one of the least of these my brethren, yee hauehave done it vntounto me. Doe good to the poore, you doe it vntounto Christ. Say not; if I giuegive, I shall want my selfe. GiueGive, and it shall be giuen to thee. The promise is, Luk. 6.38. GiueGive, and it shall be giuen vntounto you, good measure, pressed downe and shaken together, and running ouer. So your giuing will be but a lending, and good paiment will be made vntounto you. Salomon beares record hereunto, Prou. 19.17. He that hath merciemercy vponupon the poore, lendeth vntounto the Lord, and that which hee hath giuen, will he pay him againe. Thus must we offer vp vntounto the Lord foreign, our externall goods, the goods of this world.
Secondly, we must offer vp vntounto the Lord in sacrifice foreign, the goods of the bodie. The goods of our body we may offer vp in sacrifice two manner of wayes, patiendo or faciendo, by suffering, or by doing; by dying for the Lord, or by doing that which is acceptable to the Lord.
This sacrifice of suffering or dying for the Lord is a precious sacrifice; according to that, Psal. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. It is acceptable with God. St Peter affirmeth it, 1. Epi. chap. 2.20. If when ye doe well, and suffer for it, yee take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. In the verse following he exhorts vsus to this suffering: Christ hath suffered for vsus, leauing vsus an example, that we should follow his steps. Christ hath suffered for vsus: wee must if need be, suffer for him. Martyrdome! It is so pleasing a sacrifice, as that it made Ambrose say of his sister: Appellabo Martyrem, & praedicabo satis: I will call her Martyre, and so shall I be sure to commend her enough. S. Hierome in his Ep. to Heidibia sayth, Triumphus Dei est passio Martyrum: The suffering of Martyrs is Gods triumph.
What doe I? In time of peace exhort to Martyrdome? Why not? Though through Gods goodnesse (blessed be his name for it) there is not now among vsus any occasion of persecution, habet tamen & pax nostra Martyrium suum, as Gregorie the Great spake of his time, Homil. 3. in Euangelia, yet hath our peace her Martyrdome. Albeit we doe not yeeld carnis colla ferro, our neckes to the yron, or our bodies to the stake, yet doe we gladio spirituali, with the spirituall sword slay the carnall desires within vsus. You hauehave seene what it is to offer vp vntounto the Lord the goods of our bodie patiendo, by suffering, by dying for the Lord.
Now let vsus see what it is to offer them vp faciendo, by doing that, which is acceptable to the Lord. It is that, whereto S. Paul exhorteth vsus, Rom. 12.1. euen our reasonable seruice of God. I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that yee present your bodies a liuing sacrifice, holy, acceptable vntounto God.
Our Bodies a sacrifice! How may that be? S. Chrysostome Hom. 20. in Ep. ad Rom. doth elegantly expresse it. Let the eye behold no euill, foreign, and the eye is a sacrifice: let the tongue speake no euill, foreign, and the tongue is an oblation: let the hand doe no euill, foreign, and the hand is a burnt offering. So that sweete Father. We may enlarge the meditation; let the eare heare no euil, and the eare is a sacrifice: let the arme embrace no euill, and the arme is a sacrifice: let the foote follow no euill, and the foote is a sacrifice. In a word, let all other parts of the bodie be preserued from euill, and they are all sacrifices. The eye that isb2. Pet. 2.14. full of adulterie, is no fit offering; the tongue that iscPsal. 120.3. deceitfull, is no fit offering: the hand that is euer shut against the poore, is no fit offering: the vncircumcised eare, the wanton arme, the cruell foote, they are no fit offerings: neither is any part of our bodie, that is vnsanctified, a fit offering for the Lord. Wherefore (dearely beloued in the Lord) let it be the care of eueryevery one of vsus, to present our bodies vntounto the Lord a liuing and a holy sacrifice; for that onelyonly will be acceptable vntounto him.
Now that our sacrifice may be liuing and holy, and so acceptable to the Lord, it is not enough for vsus todPsal. 34.15. And 37.27. abstaine from doing of euill, but we must willingly and chearefully betake our selues to the doing of good: and this must wee doe betimes.
You deceiue your selues if you thinke to offer your youthfull yeares vntounto the Deuill, and to lay your old bones vponupon Gods Altar. Gods sacrifice must be the fattest; it must bee the fairest. He must hauehave both head and hinder parts; to teach you, that your dutie is to remember your Creator, as well in the dayes of your nonage, as in the dayes of your dotage; as well while you are yong, as when you shall be old. For if you deferre your offerings till the last houre, till sicknesse, deaths-Bailiffe, shall arest you, your offering may proue sicke, it may proue dead, it may proue an vnholy sacrifice. Receiue therefore S. Pauls word of exhortation, I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that yee present your bodies, a liuing and an holy sacrifice vntounto God.
You hauehave heard, that foreign, our externall goods, and foreign, the goods of our bodies, are to be offered vp in sacrifice vntounto the Lord: the same I am now in briefe to shew concerning foreign, the goods of our minde.
The goods of our minde I called vertues, and vertuous actions, functions, and operations; together with all the faculties and powers of the soule: all these we must offer vp vntounto the Lord.
But how shall we offer them vp? devotione & contritione: by deuotion and contrition. For as it is, Psal. 51.17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart is such a sacrifice, as God will not despise. Whosoeuer by diuine meditation, and deuout prayer, beateth downe the proud conceits of his rebellious heart, he killeth, and offereth vp, as it were, his sonne Isaac, that which is most nere vntounto him, that which is most deare vntounto him: he offereth vp a broken spirit: and that is Sacrificia Dei, the sacrifices of God. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
Sacrifices in the Plurall number: because this one sacrifice of a broken spirit, is inslar omnium, in steed of all; its worth all other sacrifices in the world. And well may it be so: for it is the sacrifices of God: of God, that is, accepta Deo, acceptable, and well pleasing vntounto God.
But what is t…is broken spirit I speake off? It is animus contritus, commu… & abjectus propriae infirmitatis ac indignitatis conscientiâ. It is a mind contrite, beaten as it were to dust, or powder, broken in peeces, and cast downe with the conscience of its owne infirmitie and vnworthinesse. It is a minde, that is voyd of any conceite of its owne worth, that thinketh it selfe worthy of any punishment; that esteemeth all its owne goods most base, that followeth the word of God vponupon any occasion, that is comforted at the least signe of Gods fauour; that is cast downe at any token of his displeasure; that is easily mooued with affections of louelove, feare, ioy, and hope; that is alwayes full of pitty to others; that maketh conscience of the smallest transgression. The man that is of such a broken spirit, and so contrite a minde, he may well be said to offer vp in sacrifice vntounto the Lord, the goods of his mind.
Thus you see that we are, and how we are, to offer vp in sacrifice vntounto the Lord the goods of this world, the goods of the bodie, and the goods of the mind. But whereon shall we offer them? where is our Altar? Our Altar is within vsus: euen our heart: that is our Altar.
Durandus in hiseLib. 1. cap. 7. N. 18. Rationall of Diuine offices deduceth it out of the first to the Corinthians, Chap. 3.17. The Temple of God is holy, which yee are. Yee are the Temple of GOD. Si Templum Dei sumus, Altare habemus. Altare nostrum est cor nostrum. Hoc enim est cor in homine, quod Altare in Templo. If we are the Temple of God, wee hauehave an Altar. Our Altar is our Heart. For the Heart is that in man, as the Altar is in the Temple. Our Heart then is our Altar: no Legall Altar, but an Evangelicall Altar. Answereable to our Altar must our sacrifices be: Evangelicall too.
Now sayth Lactantius Divin. institut. lib. 6. cap. 24. Now the Lord requireth not of vsus any sacrifice of a dumbe beast, of death and bloudshed, but Victimam hominis & vitae, the sacrifice of man and his life. In our now-sacrifices we need not garlands of Ʋervim, nor the inwards of beasts, nor turffs of earth, but such things onelyonly, as proceed from the inner man, righteousnesse, patience, faith, innocencie, chastitie, abstinence; such are the sacrifices to be offered vp vponupon Gods holy Altar, placed in our hearts.
In the Chapter following, Chap. 25. his obseruation is, that there are two things to be offered vp vntounto God; donum & sacrificium, a gift and a sacrifice; the one perpetuall, the other temporall. According to some, the gift is, whatsoeuer is made of gold, siluer, purple, or silke; and the sacrifice is a beast slaine, or whatsoeuer is burnt vponupon the Altar. But God hath no vse of these. These are subiect to corruption, but God is incorrupt. Wee must therefore offer both, gift and sacrifice, in a spirituall manner; so shall God hauehave vse of both. Our gift must be integritas animi, the vprightnesse of our minde: our sacrifice, laus & hymnus, prayse and thankesgiuing.
That I may conclude (Beloued brethren) let me sum vp together the Euangelicall sacrifices, which the giuer of the new law requireth of vsus. A broken spirit, obedience to the will of God, louelove towards God and man, iudgement, iustice, merciemercy, prayer, thankesgiuing, almes-deedes, our bodies, and our soules; these are the Euangelicall sacrifices, the sacrifices of Christianitie, to be offered vp vntounto the Lord vponupon the Altar of a faithfull heart.
A faithfull heart, I say. For if the heart be vnfaithfull, the sacrifices will not be acceptable; they will not be esteemed aboue the sorceries of Simon Magus. Call them not sacrifices, they are sacriledges, if the heart be vnfaithfull. But let the heart be faithfull, and the sacrifices which it offereth vp, will be as the beneficence was,P…. 4.18. which the Philippians sent by Epaphroditus vntounto Paul: they will be odours of a sweete smell, acceptable sacrifices, and well pleasing vntounto God.
Neither did that precious oyntment, that ranne downe Aarons beard. Psal. 133.2. nor that, that the woman powred vponupon Christs head, Mat. 26.7. nor that sweete incense, Exod. 25.6. nor that wine of Lebanon, Hos. 14.7. yeeld so pleasant a fauour, as doe the sacrifices of Christianitie, that ascend from a faithfull heart. O! the sweete sauour of a good life, that springs and sprouts from a true beliefe, farre surpasseth all other sweets in the world.
O! Let our sacrifices be such. Let them spring from a true beliefe, let them proceede from a faithfull heart, so shall our minds when we thinke on God; and our wils, when we obey God; and our soules, when we louelove God; & our tongues when we prayse God; and our feete, when wee walke with God; and whatsoeuer else we hauehave, when we vse it for the glory of God, be an odour of a sweet smell, an acceptable sacrifice, and well pleasing vntounto God. I end.
Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, most mercifull Father, so throughly to sanctifie vsus with thine holy Spirit, that all our sacrifices, our preaching, our hearing, our prayers, our prayses, our thankesgiuings, our deeds of merciemercy, and pittie, and charitie, may euer be acceptable in thy sight. Graunt this deare Father, for thy best beloued Sonne, Iesus Christ his sake: to whom with thee, in the vnitie of the holy Spirit, be all prayse, and power, might, and maiestie, dignitie, and dominion, for euermore. Amen.