Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Part · Sermon 34
Of the peaceable temper of the Members of the Catholick Church.
Isaiah 2.4, 5.
And they shall beat their Swords into Plow-sharts, and their Spears into Pruning-hooks; Nation shall not lift up a Sword against Nation, neither shall they learn War any more.
O House of Jacob come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Luke 2.14.THAT very blessing which an Army of Angels proclaimed in the Fields near Bethlehem, at the Birth of our Saviour, was in these words foretold by our Prophet. And it would please me well, that an Army on Earth would proclaim no other; for death hath but a grim countenance, and a crimson stream of blood is but an unpleasant sight; drawn Swords, and sharp Spears are uncomfortable Objects, and those merciless Engines that out-speak the Thunder terrible: How more welcome would that voice be, that would descend and assure, Peace on Earth, good will toward men!
Luke 2.14.Now this is it which the Prophet fore-tells in this place, That since the most excellent quality of a good Prince consists in his endeavour in making and keeping the Peace. He here beforehand acquaints the World, that when the Messiah entred upon his Kingdom, that not only the Tumult, the Noise, the Preparations for War should cease; but that no occasion should be given for this inhumane sport; all kind of Armour should be removed; Swords should be turned to Shares, and Spears to Hooks; men should be better pleased to cut up and wound the Earth with a Plow, than to hew and pierce the bodies of their Brethren with a Sword; take more delight in pruning of Vines, than in lopping off Heads. In a word, that every man should have an opportunity to till his Grounds, and dress his Gardens with great security, which is the consequent of a well-setled peace.
As then our Prophet before had set down two properties of Christs Kingdom: First, That it should be ample and great; for all Nations should flow unto it. Then, that it should be spiritual; for he was to judge, he was to rebuke; so also in these words, he puts us in mind of a third, that it must be also a peaceable Government. If the old observation be true, Qualis Rex, talis Grex; it cannot be, but where the Prince is Shar-salom, the Prince of peace; Isa. 9.6. Mat. 5.9.the People also must be Pacifici, peaceable Subjects.
But of what peace our Prophet here speaks, it is not agreed; whether of the spiritual and internal, or of the temporal and external, or else of both; and yet so the difficulty is not easily removed, since all those who live under Christs Kingdom, find by experience without fightings, within fears.2 Cor. 7.5.
1. If the fire of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Regeneration be so powerful in any man to make him to renounce sin, and reform his life, he then is like to find little quiet within; for the flesh will lust against the Spirit, Gal. 5.17.& lex membrorum, Rom. 7.22. His lust and concupiscence will rebel and boyle, and provoke him more than before, making him as a man distraught, insomuch that what he would, he cannot do; and what he would not, Ver. 19.h… shall do. The fallow and gunden ground of the heart will not be torn and broken up by the share of contrition;Jer. 4.3. Hos. 10.12. nor the hardned habits of sin unrooted without much pain and fighting; no nor yet the suckers and luxuriant shoots pruned and pared off, except the Hook be always in the hand: So that the best Christian is still a Souldier, and finds a War and a Tumult in his own breast, while regenerate Reason fights to subdue unruly and passionate flesh, and fleshly persons rebel and struggle to subdue Reason: And where then, you will say, is this same peace of the Spirit, where this quiet of the soul?
2. And the Bodies, Estates, and Lives of men have had since as little. From Barbarians and Heathens we expect it not, they do but that which their Revenge, Rapine, Ambition, Envy, Rel…gion moves them to: But from Christians, by the promise of this prediction, a man would think he might look for his Quietus est. Yet let a…l Records of Antiquity be consulted, and it must be confessed, that since the Birth of this Prince of peace, Christians have had little rest, yea, and that from Christians; the bloody Issue hath not been dried up, but rather increased; so that a man may invert our Prophets words, and say, Plow-sh res have been beaten into Swords, and Pruning-hooks into Spears. Gen. 37.31.I take no delight in presenting you with Josephs Coat disped in blood, yet that was but of a Beast: This, should I bring forth, would be of a Crimson dye, steeped in the blood of Men, of Brethren, of that peculiar people, whose peace this Prince of peace purchased: And yet they cannot be quiet in their possession so dearly paid for, but are for ever and anon outed by them, who should deal with Shares, and not with Swords; with Hooks and Siths, and not with Spears. The matter is come to that pass in Christend…m, that we hear of nothing but Wars, and Rumours of Wars; Nation is risen against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom. What then is become of this Prophesie, They shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares, and their Spears into Siths or Pruning-hooks?
Archer.This the Millenary taking into his consideration, and finding it by experience true, that a Christian hath not yet possessed an internal, nor yet an external peace, hath fancied for Christ an Utopian Kingdom, a thousand years Reign here on Earth; in the time of this Dominion, all the Subjects shall be Freemen; no sinners, but all true Saints; no Hypocrites, but all upright men: There shall be no sorrow, no weeping; there shall be a fulness of all temporal blessings, as peace, safety, riches, health, long life; Original corruption shall be kept in, and not suffered to break forth into any gross way: And these they tell us are the dayes that must verifie this and many other Prophesies.
A plausible and pleasing dream, and I have not now time to confute it: My Task is other, and that is to shew you, how this promise of peace may be made good, though the Chiliasts Brain had never conceived.
For first; for the internal peace, clear it is, that the servants of God do, and may enjoy it under their Prince, notwithstanding all their strugling and wrestlings they have with their untoward flesh and rebellious passions; nay, which is somewhat strange, the more strife and opposition they make with, and against these, their peace is the more secure, and better confirmed: For by this the conscience doth witness, that the man would not yield to do that he does; 'tis not he, Rom. 7.20.but sin that dwells in him, that does the Deed, upon which evidence there is in him a constant and stable tranquillity of mind, because his own heart doth not accuse him, 1 Joh. 3.21.but excuse, as touching the consent; so that nor death, nor hell, nor condemnation is over-much feared by him: This is of great excellency;Phil. 4 7. for it is the peace of God, and it springs out of our faith, whereby we believe our reconciliation with God through Christ; for being justified by faith, Rom. 5.1.we have peace with God: Yea, as our faith is, such is our peace; lively faith, lively peace; constant faith, constant peace; faith in life, peace in life; faith in death, peace in death; so that we may sing with Simeon, Luk. 2.29.Lord, now lettest thy servant depart in peace.
And in the mean time there is great quietness in the soul; for the Sword is really be…ten into a Share, and the Spear into a Pruning-hook. Anger is a Sword, and in the hand of an unregenerate man it wounds deep; hence comes that same bitter envy and zeal, hence that desire of revenge, hence clamors, seditions, murders; but let this be mortified and turned into a Plow-share, and a man with it will plow up the fallow ground of his heart, and unroot all his animosities against other men, and turn the edge upon himself: He will smite his own breast, Luk. 18 13. Hos. 14 8.with the Publican, and fret within, with Eph…aim, finding no occasion to be angry with any other so much as himself; nor to be revenged on any but his own heart, that by displeasing God, brings upon him so much evil. Again, his grief and sorrow, which like a Spear pierceth the soul, will be beaten into a Pruning-hook, and so also will his fear and his love.Mat. 10.28. Isa. 8.13. He fears not them that can kill the body, but stands in awe of him that can kill body and soul, and cast both into hell. The Lord is his fear; and this fear in him is the beginning of wisdom; Psal. 111.10.so that as a Nail or Spear being stricken into the heart, it keeps it stable, that nor the tyranny, nor deceit of sin can carry it away; nay, it is custos innocentiae, & semen justitiae, it sowes a man in righteousness, and keeps him innocent; at least from the great offence, that is,Psal. 19.13. presumptuous, habitual wickedness. And if that this his fear hath not so effectually pruned off his sin, as he desires, but ever and anon it puts forth, then he layes to it the edge of sorrow. I mean not that of the World; for that is a Spear to the soul, and wounds to death; but of that godly sorrow that works repentance to salvation, 2 Cor. 7.10.not to be repented of; he knows there is no Sacrifice after he hath sinned can appease God, but that of a broken and contrite heart; and therefore now with Peter, he weeps bitterly; Psal. 51.17. Mat. 26.75. Luk. 7.44.and with Mary, labours to wash off the filth of his leudness with a flood of tears: But what he wants in sorrow, he will make good by love; so long as this was lavish't out upon sensual objects, it was a Sword and a Spear, and the wounds were many and deadly that the soul received by it: But now carnal love is turned into spiritual and the love of our selves; and the world beaten into the love of God, and it becomes both a Share, and a Pruning-hook; a Share, to furrow up the very green swart of that innocent and blameless face of unregenerate morality; and a Pruning-hook, to cut off the twigs and suckers of sin, so fast as they shoot; present this loving soul with a Wedge, an Apple, with all the World, he answers, Qui possum, How can I do this great wickedness, Gen. 39.9.and sin against God? He hath made me, redeemed me, sanctified me, and therefore I will love him with my whole heart; which I cannot do, if I give way to this, or the other temptation. Si deseris illum qui te fecit, & amas illa quae fecit, August.adulter es. What other men avoid for fear, that he will flie out of love; so powerful this affection is in his heart, that it will daily be pruning of one excrescence of original corruption or other.
This manuring of the affections, and pruning of the passions, is a work done in secret, and no man can give evidence about it, but the Judge; I mean, the Conscience that sits within; yet upon the verdict there ariseth a strange joy and peace; nor Whips, nor Racks, nor Fire, nor Beasts have disturbed it. The man dare avouch, that he lives not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; Rom. 8.2, 1.and therefore is certain, that there is nulla condemnatio, no condemnatory sentence to be past upon him. Be it, that the thorn may not depart, 2 Cor. 12.8, 9.yet sufficit gratia, quiets his soul: The effect and power whereof when he finds in subduing, in unrooting, in pruning his unruly and rebellious passions, he hath great hope of pardon and reconciliation with God; and from that reconciliation peace, that peace which passeth all understanding.Phil. 4.7.
2. And thus the first Objection falls to the ground; but for the other, that of external peace, when a man looks upon the drawn Swords that are, that have been in Christians hands, he would conceive there were little truth in this Prediction; that not Peace, but War; that not Concord, but Dissention; not Love, but Hatred, and study of Revenge were to be the consequent of Christs Birth; that his own words were more truly verified, than the Prophets; Suppose you that I came to give peace on the Earth? I tell you, Nay, Luk. 12.51.but rather division.
That War and Dissention, Blood and Revenge, are the consequent of our Saviours appearance in the flesh, I deny not; but that his coming, or his gracious descent is the cause of it, I absolutely deny; these proceed not from him, or the Gospel that he taught and left to us; but from the unruly passions of men, which will not be curbed by him: 'Tis then of the Event our Saviour speaks, and not of the Cause; for of this our Prophets words are verified: For the Doctrine of the Gospel per se, is a peaceable Doctrine; per accidens, Sedition, Division, and War followed the promulgation of it. Whatsoever therefore is said to the contrary, is but a meer fallacy, and proceeds à non causâ ad causam, assigning that for a cause, which hath no way an influence into the effect; but in its o…n nature, if it might be heard and obeyed, would produce the quite contrary.
And this Truth will the better appear, and the Truth of this Prophesie, if you shall reflect upon the Antecedent to this Relative here, They, They shall beat; not all then that come so fast to this Mountain, but they alone, who admit Christ for their Judge, and are content to be rebuked by him; they whom he shall subdue and conquer, in whose hearts he shall sit as Judge, those who will tremble at his Rebuke: These Mild, Tame, Evangelical New Creatures, shall be so changed by the Spirit, and Power of his Doctrine, that they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares, and their Spears really into Pruning-hooks.
Behold, and wonder on a sudden, of Beasts it would make Men; Men before their Conversion no better than Beasts, in their Manners open enemies of the Church, as bloody and ravenous as Wolves, as crafty as Leopards, as greedy as Bears, as fierce as Lyons, so soon as they shall become united by Christs Spirit to this holy society of his people, a sort of innocent creatures: For the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, Isa. 11.6, 7, 8, 9the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid, &c. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain. All that dwell in this holy Mountain as true Inhabitants of it, shall be so studious of peace, so milde, so tame, that they shall co-habit, lie down together, feed together; the Lyons cruelty, the Wolfs raven, the Bears revenge, the Leopards subtilty, the Aspe and Cockatrices sting and poyson shall be deposed, none shall hurt, none shall destroy, revenge, rapine, pride, contumacy being laid aside; so obedient these wilde Beasts shall be, that the voyce and hand of a childe, the least Minister of the Gospel shall lead them. O wonderful Change! O strange Metamorphosis, the violent turned to pacifici! the fierce made kind and loving! the angry and revengeful full of charity! the proud become humble! the contumacious gentle in a moment! Now that you admire the less at this, the Prophet hath acquainted you with the cause;Ver. 9. For the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea. The knowledge of the Lord is the light of the Gospel, which if it swim not in the Brain, but sink down into the heart, for pride will induce humility; for desire of revenge, meekness; for choler and anger, patience; for raving covetousness, contentedness; and these four Evangelical vertues and graces received and rooted in the heart, will turn any Sword into a Plow-share, any Spear into a Pruning-hook: in a word, of the bloodiest and hurtful'st Beasts make the mildest and most innocent men:Act. 9.1, 6. And you now shall see all this de facto, done: Saul a Wolf, breathing out threatning and slaughter, turned into Paul trembling as any Lamb.Act. 2.37. Luk. 19. Joh. 3. Act. 17. The Jewes that before Pilate spake as Lyons, for this their murder pricked to the heart, and as tame as a sucking Babe: Matthew and Zacheus Publicans, ravening as Bears: Nicodemus a Pharisee, and Dionysius a Philosopher, subtle as Aspes, in a moment rid of their malice and poyson, and great instruments to promote this peace, and to reconcile the World.
And this effect which the Gospel had on them, it had upon many more, especially in the youth of the Church, when there was so great, firm, fixed peace and tranquillity among the faithful,Act. 2.46. that they all had but one heart, and one mind; and no question many there are at this day, upon whom the Evangelical precepts have so powerful an influence, that they can say with David, My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace; yet Ego Pacificus, Ego Salom, Psal. 120.6, 7.Ego ipsa pax, I am for peace or a man of peace: And therefore woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech, Ver. 5.and dwell in the Tents of Kedar.
Be it therefore, that when we speak thereof they are for War; yet this shews them to be degenerate, not regenerate Christians. Be it that they retain their Swords whole, and their Spears unbeaten still, yet this hinders not the truth of this Prediction: For our Prophet fore-tells what should be, not shall be; his meaning is, to express the Duty and Obligation of true Christians, not that which they who mask under that name will perform. The first know well that charity is the only precept, Peace the last Legacy that Christ at his parting bequeathed to his, and then be there never so many drawn Swords among Christian Nations, yet it were a greater Argument of an obedient, and Gospel-spirit, if they were all beaten into Plow-shares. To this purpose excellently Lactantius comparing the manners of the Christians with the customes of the Gentiles: Dicit igitur aliquis, Quae ergo, aut ubi, Lactan. lib. 5. cap. 10.aut qualis est pietas? Some men will ask me, What, or where, or of what quality is Religion and Piety? Among them it is who know not War, who keep peace and concord with all; who are friends even to their enemies; who love all men for Brethren; who know how to bridle and curb their anger, and to mitigate the fury of their soul with a moderate and even tranquillity.
From whence come Wars and Fightings among you? Come they not hence, Jam. 4.1.even from your lusts that war in your members? And in this War the chief Commanders are Covetousness, Pride, Anger, all kind of injustice; but to these the Gospel is a bitter enemy; these unclean spirits it labours to cast out, and doth cast out in as many as will yield to Christs rebuke; let these then be removed, and the matter and cause of War will be removed, and the War with it; for sublata causa tollitur effectus. And so our Prophets words will have great truth in them; even the most Barbarous, Warlike people, the Nimrods of the Earth will beat their Swords into Plow-shares, and their Spears into Pruning-hooks: And how can it be otherwise, since the wisdome that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easie to be intreated, Jam. 3.17.18.full of m…rcy and good fruits, without tumult, and without hypocrisie; and the f…uit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Our Prophet goes on, and tells us, Neither shall they learne War any more.
For how, or of whom should they learn it? whatsoever is taught or learned, is taught or learned from some Master, by some Rule and Precept, or else by Example; but in the Gospel we have none of these, no Master to teach, no Rule for it, no Example to follow about it: Hence then it cannot be learned.
1. Thus it is written in the New Testament, and thus we read,Joh. 6.45. They shall be all taught of God: Let it then be shew'd in what Book, in what Chapter, in what Verse, he hath taught his people the Art of War. The Militia he hath instituted under the new Covenant, is to fight against sin, never against men. It is worth our Observation,Rom. 15.33. & 16.20. 2. Cor. 13.11. Phil. 4.9. that in the whole New Testament we find not this Title of Honour so often assumed by him in the Old, The Lord of Hosts: Here we may often read him stiled, The God of Peace, but never the God of Battel, that I remember.
Under the Gospel such was his love, that he would have us taught and guided by his Spirit, which is a loving Spirit; a meek, gentle, a charitable, merciful, quiet Spirit, and therefore not like to teach a Lesson, which should disquiet the World, and set all in a light flame. When those sons of thunder made mention of fire, and thought upon revenge, he told them, They yet knew not of what Spirit they were; the Guide they were to follow,Luk. 9.55. would teach them no such rough Lesson.
2. But indeed the quite contrary, if we shall take a view of his precepts: The chief of which, is, That we resist not evil; that is, the injurious person; for so St. Paul expounds it, Render to no man evil for evil; Mat. 5.39.and he backs it with a reason, Ʋengeance is mine, I will repay, Rom. 12.17.saith the Lord. It is one of Gods peculiars; we may not take it out of his hands, and put it into our own: Nay, which is more,Deut. 32.35. not desire or thirst after that revenge which the Law of man affords, to satisfie our revengeful humour. Thi… precept may sufficiently abate that affection of Rage and Revenge; but another precept he hath given that leads us higher; and such as may inflame our affections, words, and actions, even to those who have expressed no goodwill to us;Mat. 5.44. and that is, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. This is to be children of your Father which is in heaven, from whom comes the beams of the Sun, and the sweet drops of raine upon the just and unjust. These precepts, with divers others to the same purpose, he hath taught with his own mouth; and those his Disciples that taught after and under him, gave out the same: St. Paul, Follow peace with all men, and holiness, Heb. 12.14. Col. 3.15.with…ut which no man shall see the Lord; And again, Let the peace of God, foreign, command, rule, moderate in your hearts, to the which ye are also called in one body. In our hearts arise there will many turbulent affections, anger, hatred, wrath, revenge; Let, saith the Apostle, this peace of God be the foreign, the Agonotheta, to compose these tumults within, 1 Pet. 3 8, 9, &c.end the strife, and settle the peace. St. Peter also prescribes, Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as Brethren, be pitiful, be courteous; not rendering evil for evil, or rayling for rayling, but contrarily blessing, knowing that you are thereunto called, &c. And in the next verse but one,Ver. 11. Eschew evil, and do good; seek peace, and insue it. I need not tell you, the whole Epistle of St. John is a Letter of Love. In his Masters bosome he lay, and knew his heart, and from him he breaths this gentle Command, Love the brethren. Since then nor Christ, nor any of his Apostles taught this bloody butchery of men, but the clean contrary, well might our Prophet say, Neither shall they learn warre any more.
3. Learn it they could not from any rule, much less by any example either of him, or his followers. He was gentle and lowly in heart, and would not have fire to descend to consume a schismatical Samaritane. He was so meek, that he would not suffer Peter to keep his Sword drawn in his quarrel. He was merciful and pitiful,Mat. 26.51, 52, 53. Isa. 37.36. and restored the eare that Peter in his hast cut off. Twelve Legions of Angels he had at his Command (one of which was able to destroy an Assyrian Army) and yet he would not suffer any one of them to descend for his rescue. What his power then was, is manifest, that at his question, those who came with their Swords and Staves, fell to the ground, and yet he would not resist, but was content to be led away as a sheep to the slaughter: Isa. 53.7.Nay further, when the Jews those his malicious enemies, had prevailed with Pilate to wreak their fury upon him, and exalted him to the Cross,Luk. 23.34. instead of bitter words, we hear a fervent Prayer, Father, forgive them, &c.
Act. 7.60.The first Martyr that follow'd him was Stephen, and he trode in his Masters steps: For he pray'd for his persecutors, and so did the rest of that Army, who ended their lives by fire and torment. They knew not how to handle any other weapons than prayers and teares.Ambros. Intercessions they had learned to make for all in Authority; and in their pressures they dealt by petitions, and not by Swords,1 Tim. 2.1, 2. professing openly to the world, Rogamus Caesar, non pugnamus.
Mat. 3.16. Isa. 9.6.To collect all then; Not God, for he is the God of peace; Not the Spirit of God, for he is the Spirit of peace, and descended in the shape of a Dove; Not the Son of God, for he is the Prince of peace; Not any of his Servants,Rom. 10.15. for they were the messengers of peace; have either by precept or example taught this inhumanity, this massacre of men, but rather the quite contrary. Confessed then it must be, that it must have some other Original than that from Heaven; and if it come not from above, easie it is to say from what dark Cave it proceeds.
That I may say much in few words, carry Home with you that good counsel given by the Apostle to the Ephesians; it being hearkned to,Ephes. 4.31, 32 may blunt and beat to pieces all swords and speares; Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, an… evil-speaking, be put away from you with all malice. And be you kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christs sake forgave you. The Apostle here directs us what vices a Christian must put away; which are of the mouth, bitterness, clamour, evil-speaking; Of the heart, wrath, anger, malice. Then he acquaints us what vertues we must carry about us, affectionate bowels, and active love, that we be kind, tender-hearted, apt to forgive one another; and that this his direction might work the more effectually, he proposeth a motive, which must needs prevail with us if we have any bowels; Forgive, as God for Christs sake forgave you. How that was, may easily be known, if you will but consider what case we were in when God did gratifie us with his pardon. Our Apostle, if you know it not, shall inform you, Weak, Godless, Rom. 5.6, 8, 10.Sinners, Enemies▪ Weak, and had no strength to help our selves; Godless, and had no piety to procure a good look or a pardon. Sinners, and had no righteousness to satisfie the wrong done. Enemies, and had no acquaintance to make a friend to intercede or mediate for us, and yet notwithstanding all these impediments and defects, for Christs sake he passed by all, gave a free and a full pardon, and was pleased to be reconcil'd to us.
Estote imitatores, That's your lesson now. Do by your brethren, what your Father hath done to you. Are your brethren foreign, weak and impotent? labour to restore them. Are they foreign, ungodly? pray for them, that if it be possible, the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiven.Act. 8.22. Are they foreign, sinners? against heaven I mean not, but against thee;Mat. 18.15. go and tell every one his fault betwixt thee and him alive, winne thy brother. Are they foreign, odious enemies? learn by precept, by pattern, to love them. God loved his Enemies, therefore love ye them also; the Sonne of God loved, therefore love; so he lov'd, that he dyed, he forgave, he pray'd for them, Father, forgive, &c.
Let the same minde be in you, which was in Christ Jesus: Phil. 2.5.For that the Apostle calls; but I remember it was in the Innocent dayes of the Church; in this decrepit Age I despair to find it; however give me leave to make the motion after him, and let you know that God expects as much of you as he did of them. Now, His love was wonderful, passing the love of weomen; 2 Sam. 1.26.His love was wonderful, passing the love of all men. Rom. 5.7.Greater love than this hath no man, that one die for his friend; but his love was superlative, for he died for his Enemies; such Enemies, as I now named. He cryed upon the Cross for the Jews; he was Crucified without the Gate for the Gentiles. In the open sight of God, Men, Angels, not out of weakness, but love; not out of form, but intimate affection then he cryed, Good Father, forgive.
To this motion if you will not yield, then I make a lower, that at least you be not Lyons and Tygers; that you be not savage beasts, to bite, to teare, Gal. 5.15.to devoure one another. This cruelty cannot be in such as dwell in Gods holy Mountain; such bestiality is incompatible with our Christian profession; either then renounce the name, or be asham'd of your sin.
So far as may be, be not angry; if yet angry, be not bitter; or if bitter, yet revile not, blaspheme not; if that, yet be not clamourously malicious; or if so, yet beat not your shares into swords, and your sithes into speares: Rather for Gods sake forgive, and for Christs sake forget, and so shall you for Christs sake be forgiven, and your wickedness for his sake forgotten. For love will cover a multitude of sins.1 Pet. 4.8.
This Art of forgetfulness is the most profitable Art, and useful for the society of men that can be learned; for it will in a moment disarm all Christendom, which now welters in blood; it will charm all this new invented Artillery, and return the Bears and Basilisks into their old humane shapes again, an universal peace being proclaim'd to our envy, wrath, malice, covetousness, ambition, pride, those accursed Masters from which we have learned to War: To which if you be ready to yield, then I shall bespeak you as the Prophet here doth his people, O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Somewhat certainly there is in it, that the Church and people of God is so constantly by the Prophets presented to us under this notion, The House of Jacob, Or The House of Israel. What was it, trow ye, that Jacob was the type of all the Elect? as Esau of the Reprobate; whence God saith, I have loved Jacob, but hated Esau. Or was it, that Jacob first set him up a House calling it Bethel, Rom. 9.13. Gen. 28.19, 20the house of God? where he appropriated God to be his God; vowed, and I doubt not paid his Tithes. Or was it because he wrestled with God by his prayers, and prevailed? whence he had his name chang'd to Israel. cap. 31.24, 28.Or lastly, was it because he was of a peaceable and quiet disposition? His brother Esau was the rough Swordman; he comes out to meet him with his four hundred men; but Jacob deals first with God by his prayers,Gen. 32.6, 9, 13.33.8. then with his brother with his present: He intreats, he fights not; he desires to find Grace in the sight of his Lord Esau, he opposeth not: Yea, such an Enemy he was to drawn Swords, that he forgot not the Massacre made by his Sonnes, divers years afte… and therefore among the blessing of the rest; he remembers these two Sonnes of blood in this Manner, Simeon and Levi are br…thren, instruments of cru…lty are in their habitations: O my soul, cap. 49.5, 6, 7.come not thou into their secret; unto their Assembly mine honor be thou not united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digg'd down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel.
And admit this last to be the cause, and it will very aptly agree to this place, as if the Prophet had said, What, are those fierce and warlick Nations of the Gentiles become so milde, so studious of peace, that upon the reception of the glad-tydings of the Gospel, they have turn'd their Swords into Plough-shares, and their Speares to sithes, and quite forgot to War? O doe then you my Countrey-men, my Kinsmen in the flesh remember Qua sitis origine nati. Call to mind that you are descended from the loynes of that peaceable Patriarch Jacob, from that old Father Israel, who prevail'd with God by his prayers, with his brother by a present and submission; from that dying Prophet that in his last words cursed the anger and instruments of cruelty of his own sons; and then depose these animosities and bloody thoughts, as altogether unbeseeming the House of Jacob. Give me leave to provoke you to jealousie by them that are no people, and by a foolish people to anger you: Shall they be pacifici, and will not ye? They readily and joyfully lay down Arms,Deut. 32.21. and will ye yet hold them up? Shall they which are Aliens and Strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel, turn their Swords into Plow-shares; and shall the House of Jacob beat their Cultures and Instruments of Husbandry into Swords? Oh for shame let this black Note of Infamy be never fastned upon Israels posterity. Come ra…her O House of Jacob, and Let us walke in the light of the Lord.
In this wo…ld we are but Travellers; our Father Jacob confess'd himself to Pharaoh to be no other; and the way we go, is dark and dangerous;Gen. 48.9. we had need of a light to guide us, and such our Lord hath provided for us; as for the old House of Jacob, the Prophets, a light that shined in a dark place; 2 Pet. 1.19.so to us that succeed them, both the same, and a cleerer light in the Gospel for our direction, can we have only so much grace to take heed to it. In this Family he must bear the sway, who is the Lord of lords, and King of kings. Rev. 19.16. Luke 1.33.So saith the Angel, He shall raign in the house of Jacob for ever. And therefore Come O house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Bernard in that Sermon in which he perswades us to submit our wills to the Will of God, makes a distinction of l…ghts and of walkers. One, Bern.saith he, walks in the light of his own countenan…e, being sollicitous to fu…fill the lusts of his own heart; and what can come from a mans corrupt heart our Saviour hath informed us: Out of the heart come evil thoughts, mu…d…rs, Mat. 15.19. Rom 3.…4▪ 15, 16, 17.&c. Another walks in the light of anoth…r mans c un…enance, and is careful wh…t will please men. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their wayes; and the way of peace have they not known. Walk then by the blaze of either of these two lights; either that of proud, malicious, envious, covetous, and ambitious nature; or that to wh…ch the example and ends of others may be a foreign, and there is little hope of ever beating Swords into Plough-shares. Both these as ignes fatui, false and foolish lights being set aside, a third there is; it is Lumen Domini, the light of the Lord; that which the Lord carries before us; and which, if we shall be content to follow, then I am certain the House of Jacob will not learn to war any more.
For who should teach it? Not God, fo… he is the God of peace; 1 Cor. 14.33.let then any of his Family break it, they are not Israelitae, but Jesracl…tae, Hos. 1.4.not sons of Jacob, but supplanters; though then they pretend to see forward the cause of God, yet they promote the cause of the Devil; for he is the contriver and sower of all dissension. Ye are from your father the devil, Joh. 8.44.for he was a murderer from the beginning.
Again, this peace of God must foreign, as I touch'd before, it must predominate, and bear sway,Col. 3.15. and exercise a regal po…er over a l the affections in the hearts of those who are of the House of Jac…b; for to that end their Lord holds forth to them this light. All tumultuous passions then of the soul, such as are anger, envy, malice, hatred, &c. as Rebels against their Prince, and breakers of the peace, are to be laid hold on, repress'd, quell'd, and as I may say, to be cast into Prison. Then the House of Jacob w…ll be at rest, and not till then. Lastly, call'd they are to this in one body; Call'd to peace, so that if they be disturbers of it, they are wholly unmindful of their calling, and stubborn Contemners of Gods order: These Make-bates and leaders of Factions, may please themselves, and sing a requiem to their own souls, but in Jacobs House God allows no such allows: nay, his soul hates them. 'Tis the seventh person he abominates,Prov. 6.16, 19. the man that soweth discord among his brethren.
In a word, if this consideration of the House cannot work those that are servants under the same Lord to be of one minde, yet methinks, that of the body should do it. What, are all now made members of one body, and yet fall out, quarrel, fight, kill, destroy each other? Oh unnatural cruelty! No man hates his own flesh, but loves and cherisheth it. Love, tenderness, sympathy,Eph. 5.29. is the indulgence that one part owes to another, not animosities, indignation, revenge. Continue this, and what will befall to the whole, but what hapned to the hands, feet, and eyes, when they quarrel'd with the belly? cum ventre simul pereunte pereunt.
Prudent. in Psycho.—Scissura domestica turbat
Rem populi; titubat{que} foris, quod dissidet intus.
Come then, O House of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. For thus much light the Lord hath lent us to promote, to keep the Peace.
But I remember, that be the light never so clear, yet it is the God of peace that must make us walk in this light. And therefore let the House of Jacob joyn in earnest prayers to this Lord, that as he hath held forth to us this light, so we may have eyes to see it, and hearts to rejoyce in it, and feet to be guided and walk after it; for then our Swords will be turn'd into Plough-shares, and Speares into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up a Sword against Nation, neither shall they learn to warre any more. Not a Beast shall hurt or destroy in Gods Holy Mountain. And to this let the Prince of peace say Amen; and to this let all the House of Jacob say Amen, all that bear any good-will to Zion. Now to God the Father of peace, and to his Sonne the Prince of peace, and to the Holy Ghost the Spirit of unity and peace, three persons and one God, be ascribed all Honor and Glory this day and evermore.