A SERMON PREACHED before His Majesty, At Whitehall the fift of November last, 1617. By the Bishop of Elie, His majesties Almoner. LONDON Printed by JOHN BILL, M.DC.XVIII. LUC. CAP. 1. VERS. 74, 75. The 7. and 8. Verses of Benedictus. VT, sine timore, de manu inimicorum nostrorum liberati, serviamus, Illi IN sanctitate, & justitia coram ipso, omnibus diebus nostris. That we being delivered, from the hands, of our enemies, might serve Him, without fear In holiness, and righteousness, before Him, all the days of our life. THE children were come to the birth, Esay 37. 3. and there was no strength, The Text the year before. to deliver them. (There we left, last) Their, not being delivered, was the cause, of our being delivered. (And now I go on.) ANd our being delivered, The end (or ut) of this days deliverance. was to this end, That, we being delivered from the hands of our enemies, might serve Him, etc. For I demand: Delivered we were (as this day) why was it? Was it, that we might stand, and cry out of the foulness of the fact? or stand, and inveigh, against those monsters that were the Actors in it? Was it, that we might bless ourselves for so fair an escape? or bestow a piece of an Holy day on God, for it? And all these we may do, And all these we have done; and upon good ground, all. Yet, none of these the very ut: nor we delivered, that we might do these: But, when all is said, that can be said, hither we must come: to this ut here, and pitch upon it: for, this is indeed, the ut finalis; the right, the true, the proper That: That, for our deliverance, we bethink ourselves, how to do him Service. Take the whole tract along, from the first word, Benedictus: There is visited and redeemed, in the 1. verse: A horn, or a mighty salvation, in the next: After, we saved from them that did hate us: but you shall see, that all these suspend still, no perfect period, till you come to this. But at this, there is. Visited, redeemed, saved, mightily saved; why all? For no other end, but that being so visited, redeemed, & saved, we might wholly addict, and give over ourselves, to the Service of Him who was author of them all. I wot well, Our delivery from the Grand Delivery by Christ. that principally and properly, the whole Song referreth to the deliverance of deliverances, our final deliverance, from our ghostly enemies, and from their fire, (the fire of hell) by our Blessed Saviour; which was so great, as it was able to open the mouth, and loose the tongue of a dumb man, and make him break forth into a Benedictus. But, inasmuch as in every kind, the chief giveth the Rule, (or, as we say here) the ut, to all that are from, and under it: And that, ours, and all other deliverances, that have been, or shall be, are from and under that of His: Our enemies, set on by those enemies, Ours lighted their match, at their fire, (the fire of hell) and so do all others, whatsoever: therefore is it, that this Text aptly may be, The same, ut. and usually hath been, ever applied to any deliverance, from any enemies whatsoever: those of 88, these of this day: the same ut, in all: as coming, all; from the same principium à quo: and tending, all, to the same finis ad quem, that, here, is set down. For the principium à quo; we have formerly endeavoured, The same cause from whence. to set that straight, from whence our deliverance came: Even from the goodness of God; yet not expressed under that term, goodness, but under the term of mercy, As elsewhere. As here (but a verse before) To perform the mercy. Vers. 5. And a little after, vers. 11. Through the tender mercies of our God. Which term is made choice of, Mercy. for two causes. One, it includes misery; The other, it excludes merit: and so, fittest for our turn. Goodness may be performed to one, though in good case: Not mercy; but to such only, as are in misery. In misericordia there is miseri, ever. And this, to put us in mind of our case, the extreme misery we had come to, but for His more full deliverance. 2. Again, Goodness, may be showed to such as may seem some way to deserve it: So cannot Mercy. For, but where Merit is wanting, Mercy is not pleaded, properly. These, set us right, in the principium à quo, that we ascribe it not to a wrong cause. Out of jeremy: L●●. 3. 22. The Text. An. 1612. It was the mercy of the Lord, that we were not consumed. Ps. 145. 9 The ●ext An. 1615. Out of the Psalm: That mercy of His, that is over all His works. And now to the finis ad quem. For, we are as easily, The same end Whereto. and no less dangerously, mistaken, in that. By Mercies means, without all merit of ours, we were not consumed, but delivered from so great a misery, so near us: why were we so? Were we liberati, to become libertines, to set us down, and to eat, and to drink healths, and rise up, and see a play? was there no ut in it? Yes: what was that? Vt seruiamus illi. So, The Sum or substance of the Text. there grows an obligation out of it. For, ut, is a conditional, and implies ever a kind of contract, at least, that, which is not named, Contractus innominatus. but is much used, Do ut des, facio ut facias. So that, the Text is of the nature of a Bond, or Covenant. And I give it not that denomination, of mine own head: I find it so called, in express terms, Verse 5. but a Verse before, To remember His holy Covenant. A Covenant then, The Division. names it. And a Covenant divides it: For a Covenant is ever between two; the two here, God, and us. The Covenant on God's part, is at the fourth verse: That we should be saved from our enemies. Which Covenant is here pleaded, as performed, by Him, under liberati. The Covenant on our parts, rests; That, then, we should serve Him for it. His part is kept, liberati shows that: Then may we be put in suit, for ours, that is, for seruiamus. On God's part, I set forth these. 1. God's part, The Covenant. That, we were delivered. 2. That, from our enemies. 3. That, from the hands of our enemies. And 4. That, without fear, (for so it stands in the verse) Vt sine timore liberati; That, without fear being delivered. So it may be taken; and so it is taken, by sundry of the Fathers. On ours, Our part, The Condition. I reckon these. Our Service: The matter; And the manner of it. The matter wherein: The Matter. Serve Him in holiness, Serve Him in righteousness: not holiness, or righteousness alone, but to serve Him, in both. The manner The Manner. how, (often, no less acceptable than the service itself.) 1. Vt sine timore; that our service be freely and cheerfully done, (now we are out of fear) 2. Vt coram ipso, That unfeignedly, as before Him, not before men (before whom we may and do often, halt.) 3. And, for the time of it, Vt omnibus diebus, that we faint not, or give over, but continue in it all our life long. Three qualities, of ours, and indeed of every true and faithful service. That these be done; And that they may be done; And that, that which shall be spoken may tend to this, that they may be done, etc. VT liberati. A The Equity of God's Covenant. That we being delivered. To show the great equity on God's part of the Covenant, 1. Vt, without liberati. we say first: that we were to serve Him, though liberati were left out; being, or not being delivered. This to be our first point. The Noble Army of Martyrs, it was all their case, they served out their service, without any ut liberati, any bond of temporal deliverance. far from any liberati, were they three, that were upon casting into the fire, Dan. 3. 17. and, even then, said: Our God, whom we serve, He can deliver us out of thy hands, Verse 18. and from the fiery furnace. But, if He will not, (not deliver us) Be it known unto thee, O King, we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image, which thou hast set up. That is, serve Him, we will, whether He deliver us or no. Will ye hear an Heroical spirit, indeed? Not, etsi me non liberârit, Though He should not deliver me: but, etsi me occider it, job 13. 15. yea, though He should kill me, To die for it, I will do my duty, and serve Him, though. It is JOB. These stood not upon liberati: But, deliverance, no deliverance, come of it what would, they were at a point, would and were resolved to serve Him. 1. Cor. 6. 5. And (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ad erubescentiam nostram dico, I speak it not to our commendation) If there were in us, any remnant of their generous spirit, God should not need to come in Indentures with us. It savours somewhat of a mercenary, that. Seruiamus should hold, and let liberati go, whither it would: And we, live and die, His servants, though He had not, or should not deliver us. This is ut without liberati. But then, ut, with liberati. If God take us, 2. Vt, with liberati. as He finds us, and say with the Apostle; parco autem vobis, 1. Cor. 7. 28. 6. Go to, I bear with you; & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of indulgence, condescend to condition with us, if He come to ut liberati; shall not that hold us? Our duty being absolute, depending upon no ut, if upon special favour, God will come in bonds, and let it run in this tenor, That, being delivered, we shall serve Him; else not: shall we not then do it? This being done, I marvel what we can allege, to decline our duty; unless we mean, it should be, fast with God; and lose with us; He bond to do all for us; and we free, to do nothing for him. And yet a third (to magnify His mercy, yet more, 3. Vt, with liberati, first, before Seruiamus. and to tie us the harder to our Covenant) ut, is not only with liberati, but with liberati, first: God is bound, and first bound, to do for us, before we do aught for Him. It is not, That we should serve him, first, and then He deliver us, after: But, that he should first deliver us, and after, when we are delivered, then, and not before, we should do our service. It is not libentudi, shallbe, or may be, hereafter: it is liberati, are already. So we are aforehand with Him. He hath done His, before we begin ours. Liberati, you see, precedes seruiamus: liberati, the tense past, seruiamus but the present, (and I would it were the present) I doubt, for a great part, it is yet to come. And the reason, why He will have it so to precede; is, He would have our service grow out of His favours, our duty, out of His bounty. That, is the right, and, (indeed) the evangelical service. If He have us at the advantage, on the hip (as we say) it is no great matter, then to get service at our hands. None more servile than we, then. But, that, is the Legal, for fear. And that sometimes he hath, but likes it not; He would have it, out of love, out of the sense of His goodness, have our hearts broken, with that. That, is the only acceptable service to Him, that grows out of that root. The seruiamus that grows out of liberati, delivered and serve: first delivered, and then serve. This for the equity of the Covenant on God's part. NOw come I to plead, B The Performance of God's Covenant. that on God's part this Covenant was performed, that liberati we were. Heaven & earth would rise against us, a That delivered. and condemn us, if we should not confess liberati, this day. Heaven saw it, and was astonished: And it is gone over all the Earth, the fame of it. But, that, we do. The keeping of this day, the meeting of this assembly, are both to acknowledge and profess, that a liberati there hath been. Nay, not one alone: b Twice delivered. Two there have been: and two such, as our eyes have seen, but our ears have not heard, Psal. 44. 1. neither could our fathers tell us, of the like. Two such, as no Age ever saw, nor can be found, in any Story. That of 88 This of 605. (both, within the compass of seventeen years) One by strand, the other by land: (as they say.) From a Fleet by Sea, from a Vault by land, Psal. 71. 20. de abyssis terrae (as saith the Psalm) as well, as de abyssis maris: a Summer; and a Winter deliverance: either of them, like this of Zacharies, able to bring Benedictus, from a dumb man. So, delivered we were. But, a delivery is a thing at large, a From our enemies. though it be, but from a mischance, from some heavy accident, it is a delivery. But, if it be from our enemies, it is so much the more: as, In that, there is nothing but casualty: In these, there is rancour and malice, they hate us: So this the greater danger by far. And there is much in the enemies: b Mortal enemies. Of them, some reach but at our states, lands or livelihoods: Other some, nothing will satisfy, but our lives. Every enemy is not mortal, where he is, the danger is deadly. Ours were such, sought to bring utter destruction on us: and not on us alone, but on ours: nor on us and ours only, but on the whole land in general. Again, c Secret enemies. of such as be deadly, Psal. 74. 4. some are roaring enemies (the Psalm so calls them) such as threaten and proclaim their enmity, like those in 88 Others lurk, like vipers, that sting to death, without any hissing at all; as were ours, (this day) which are the more dangerous, a great deal. This made it (indeed) to be more than liberati, More than liberati, (which is) set free. (ours.) Liberati, is properly set free, and freeing is but from Servitude. This was more. Our death was sought, and we delivered from death, and that a fearful death, unprepared, suddenly, in a moment, to be shattered to pieces. And, yet it was liberati too, Yet liberati too. in the proper sense: for, upon the matter, it was from both. The Prophet's division would have taken place in it; jere. 43. 1●. Qui ad mortem, ad mortem; qui ad servitutem, ad servitutem. They, that had been blown up, to death; they, that had been left, to Servitude (to a State more miserable, than death itself.) So, in one liberati, we had two. Esther. 3. 73. Both from that of Hamans' lots, which were, to death (only that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew, this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek) And from that of Babylon, beside, which was thraldom, and confusion. Thus were we delivered from our enemies. But from the hands of our enemies, is more than from our enemies. The hands of our enemies, not our enemies. For, let the malice of an enemy, be what it will, if his hands be weak, or short, or we far enough from them: the matter is so much the less. But, if we come within his reach, if he get us within his hands, than God have mercy on us. Specially, if there be in his hands, a knife thus engraven, To cut the throats of the English heretics, as, in 88 divers so engraven in Spanish, were brought from the Fleet, and showed. Or, if there be in his hands, a match, ready to give fire to 30. barrels of powder (not so few.) If the hands be such; that is then, a delivery, not from our enemies only but from their hands, or (as we say) from their very clutches. Ye will mark, that through all the Psalms, ever, the part is still enforced: Psal 22. 14. 11. 124. 6. Not from the Lions, but, from the Lion's paws: from the horns of the Unicorns, from the teeth of the dog: So here, from the hands, from the bloody hands of our enemies. Further, From their hands, not out of them. I say, it is more, to be delivered from their hands, than out of them. For, if (out) then (in) first. They must first be in the hands, that are delivered, out of them. But from them, that, may be from coming in them at all. The better deliverance of the twain. And, that was ours: And that was Christ's: He is said, to have loosed the sorrows of hell, In Act. 2. 24. Non quibus nexus est, sed ne necteretur, saith Augustine, Not, wherewith He was bound; but that He might not be at all bound with them. So we, not by taking us out, but keeping us from, from their hands, from the hands of our enemies. Let me yet stay a little. Delivered, the Manner of it Er●ti. For (me thinks) we may find in this word, not only our deliverance, but even the very manner, and the means, of it. Not, in liberati, the Latin: but, in S. Luke's own word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that will come home to both. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, properly, eruti. Eruti, that fits us, for the manner, two ways. Eruere, From a dark hole. is de tenebris in lucem educere. Out of some dark deep hole, (as it might be the cellar) to bring forth something to light, Psal. 7. 13. (as it might be those same vasamortis, vessels there couched, and destined to the blowing us all up.) It must be some dark vault, or pit, unde, from whence: well therefore said of us eruti, that were delivered from a pit-danger, a danger under ground, in abyssis terrae, in the deep of the earth. Secondly, From a ruin or fall. eruere, the compound is, from ruere (the simple) that is, from a ruin; Not, as if we should have fallen into the pit, but that, there was there bestowed within it, that which would have sent us up, that down we should have come, have fallen down, all to pieces. Ruina it would have been, and therefore eruti, right. And they talk of helping incendium ruinâ. Here there had been incendium & ruina both, and neither helped other: but both been past all help. Delivered from a ruin; With the ruin of our enemies. But eruere is then in kind, when we are so delivered from a ruin, as with their ruin, that sought ours. So it was. We parted not of even hands, we from them, and they from us, neither of both, a fall. No: we fell not (no fall with us) they fell, Psalm. 10. 8. and had a foul fall. We were so delivered from their hands, as they delivered into ours. We eruti: they ruti & caesi both, Psalm. 9 15. fell and were slain. The pit they digged they fell into themselves: In the snare they laid, was their own foot taken. The highest deliverance of all (so much made of, in the Psalms.) And thus much was before implied, Implied in cornu salutis. when it was called cornu salutis, a horn of salvation. Vers. 2. The salvation that so comes, comes ever with the perdition of the adverse party. So, is the horn expounded in Deuteron. 33. With these shalt thou strike thine enemies, and push them, as any wild beast. Ventilare is the word, Deut. 33. 17. Toss them up, into the wind, upon the top of their horns, till they have gored them, and brought them to their end. Such was our horn of salvation, or (as we turn it) a mighty salvation. God showing his might no less against them, then for us: visited and redeemed us mightily, in His mercy; visited and ruined them as mightily, in His wrath. And again, Delivered, The Means of it, By a King. in this, not only the manner, how, but the means whereby. For, he hath raised up a horn of salvation. Now to raise up, must needs be interpreted of a person, the means of the delivery. Who was that? In Daniel, Dan. 7. 24. Reu. 17. 12. and the Revelation, I find it totidem verbis, decem cornua, decem Reges sunt: Alluding therein, as to their great power, so somewhat to the anointing thence powered on their heads: that it should be salus Regia, and per Regem. A delivery wrought by a King: Eruende By picking out. the King of Heaven to work it, mediant Rege terreno. In cuius labijs divinatio, if ever it were in any's, who did thereby eruere that, Prou 16. 10. out of the dark phrase, by which we all were eruti. And so, not the manner alone, but the means in it, too, that we were eruendo, eruti. And last, that all this was sine timore. For in the verse so it stands, a That delivered without fear. first, ut sine timore liberati. And stands so first, that we might take special notice, and note of it. And though diverse Writers draw (sinetimore) to seruiamus, as if there were an hyperbaton, to serve Him without fear: Yet what should let us, so to take it, as it stands? Specially since divers of the Ancients take it so: (I name Origen, Titus Bostrensis, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Theophylact.) But we may well reconcile them both, if we say, (which truly we may say,) That, without fear we were delivered: to serve him in a state without (or void of) fear. It is a great favour, when we are delivered, to be delivered, absque hoc, that we be at all put in any fear. Some, are sometimes saved from their enemies, but it is, with some fright first. It was the Jews case, when from Haman: Est. 4. 3. It was ours, in Anno 88 They that are so, it cannot be denied, but delivered they are, but not sine timore liberati, not delivered without fear. This was without fear. Our case, just. We had no sense and so, no fear at all, of the danger, till it was passed. I cannot better express it, then in Theodoret's own words. Sed si sic dicendum est, (saith he) veluti non sentientes ita, nos de periculo transtulit in securitatem. If it may so be said, without any sense or feeling at all, did he translate us, from the depth of danger, into the state of security. In which point, ours did come near to the great delivery of the world, by CHRIST, what time the world little thought, either of their own peril, or of his pains and passion, that delivered it. b Without fear, or any other passion. Yet, in this, ours had more than was in CHRIST'S own delivery. That there, though it were without fear, yet not without somewhat as evil, as fear. For CHRIST'S was wrought by his innocent death (a matter of sorrow, and grief.) But in ours there was none, neither fear nor grief, nor any other unpleasant passion. No innocent suffered here; none but they, that had their heads in the contriving, or their hands in the digging about it. Without fear it was, without any thing else, that might taint our delivery, with the least matter of grievance. So then, The recapitulation of all the former. ¹ delivered we were. ² And not from the casualty of any mischance, but from the malice of enemies: Enemies, and those ³ capital; And those ⁴ close hidden enemies: from them; yea, ⁵ from their very hands: And ⁶ From their hands, not out of them. And our delivery was eruti, ⁷ from something in abyssis terrae; And ⁸ from a ruin too: ⁹ And that, with their ruin, that sought ours. ¹⁰ Our salvation, cornusalutis, a Royal deliverance: ¹¹ And yet eruendo it was. ¹² And all absque timore, ¹³ Or absque any thing else, that might blemish our joy, with matter of sorrow in the least degree. And this for God's part; who hath remembered His holy Covenant (I trust) and performed it in every clause, nay, in every word, to us, to the uttermost. NOw, to our part (which we may be put in suit for. Our Covenant, or Condition. ) Liberati then, is clear. But how? absolutely? at large? absque aliquo inde? No condition annexed? No ut? Yes: take the ut with you. Liberati, ut. Delivered, that we should: Delivered That we should. Should do somewhat: for, naturaliter obligamur ad dantem. This ut is natural, there groweth a natural obligation between him that doth, and them that receive a good turn, (And a deliverance, specially such a one, is a good turn.) The fields we till, the trees we plant, show it. They return their fruit to them, that bestow labour, or cost upon them. That (I know not how) but so it falls out, in matter of benefits, we be not so soon loosed, but we be tied again: Nor eased, but loaden afresh: Nor freed, but bound anew. It is the Law, the bond of nature, this, Liberati ut. And that ut, Should serve him. is ut seruiamus. And this particular, ut, groweth out of the Law of Nations. There the Law is, ut victus sit in potestate victoris, the conquered, ever, in the power of the Conqueror, to take his life, or to save it, at his pleasure. But, if he will save it, then comes the voluntary ut, or Covenant. He that hath his life saved, to vow to bestow it, in his service, that did save it. servi (the very name) came of seruati, They that should have died, and were saved, did willingly covenant, serva & seruiam, to serve him, by whom their lives were preserved. This being the Law of Nature, and Nations, why should not the God of Nature, the King of Nations, be allowed it? that if our lives have been by him saved: we should, from thenceforth, come to this ut, ut seruiamus Illi. Well, c We would have covenanted to serve Him. well, it is passed now; if it were to come. It is, that we being delivered. if it were, that we being to be delivered, we would tell another tale then: we would be glad and feign so to covenant, O deliver us (then) but for this once, and we would serve Him, (that we would) and be holy and righteous, and what he would beside. Put any ut, to liberati, then. We would then seek it of Him, that now is offered by Him, to be delivered, if being so delivered, we will covenant, but to do that, which we are bound to do, delivered, or no. And, why should we think much of this seruiamus? We should have served, If not delivered. All the world knows, if the plot had gone on, and the powder gone off, the whole land should not have scaped ut seruiamus: But should have served duram servitutem, And served a worse. For the service, seruiamus. been not in service, but in servitude. Their servitude, is changed into this service. A blessed exchange for us. Great odds between those two: Nay, no comparison at all, between God's service, and their servitude; their bondage, thraldom, slavery, tyranny, I cannot heap too many names. God's service is freedom in respect of that: Nay, without any respect at all, His service is perfect freedom, we say it, we pray it, every day. And, if no comparison, in seruiamus; None, in Illi For the party. Illi. (I am sure.) Nay, if there were any thing to mislike in seruiamus, amends is made for it, in Illi. For the service, is much thereafter, as the Illi, the party is, whom we serve. Dignitate Domini honorata fit conditio servi. He may be so great a State (we serve) as, it is an honour to serve Him. Now, how great a Lord, For His Greatness. the Lord of lords is, what shall I need tell you? Psal. 145. 3. There is no end of his greatness. How great, and how good withal, For His Goodness. res ipsa loquitur: that appears, by our delivery, in part: and more shall, by his eternal reward laid up, for them that serve Him. There is, in all the world, no more honourable, nor beneficial Service, then, this seruiamus Illi. But say, we have no mind to serve Him; if we serve not Him, If we serve not Him, some other we must, and worse. yet serve we must, and serve we will, if not Him, some other. It is the condition of our life, one or other serve we do. We must hold of some Lord: if free from one, another we serve: And, Rom. 6. 18, 20. who is that other? when we are free from God, from righteousness, we serve sin and Satan, (a worse service, I dare say) better then; be free from them, and serve God in righteousness. But, if we will not serve Him; I ask, what will we do then? Those worse be His enemies. will we serve his enemies? for so are these. We were not delivered from our enemies, to serve His enemies, (I am sure.) That were a foul shame for us: that were against all reason. But, if we serve not Him, we serve them. Resolve then to serve Him, that hath saved us: Not, his enemies, in a profane and unrighteous: but Him, in a holy and righteous course of life. And so, am I now come to that, wherein our service lieth. IN holiness and righteousness. The Matter of our service, Wherein. In which two, in a sort, are recapitulate the two Tables of the Law: Holy to God, Righteous to men. Quod quis reverenter se habeat ad divina: Quod quis laudabiliter cum hominibus conversetur, (saith chrysostom) Reverently to perform holy duties: Laudably to have our conversation among men. Both these, (first) not either of them. To spend our service but in one, Holiness and Righteousness, Both. is but to serve Him by halves: in both, then, to serve Him. Neither in an unrighteous holiness; nor, in an holy kind of unrighteousness. Neither with the Pharisee, Matt. 23. 5. to have all our holiness in our Phylacteries and fringes, and frequenting the Lectures of the Law, (no matter how we live:) Nor with the Saducee, Acts 23. 8. live indifferent honestly, but neither believe spirit, nor look for resurrection: be Christians, like Agrippa, in modico, a little Religion, Acts 26. 28. upon a knives point, will serve us. Neither in holiness then only, nor in righteousness only, but in both. In both, but in their order though, Holiness, first. as they stand; And holiness stands first. So, to reckon of that as our prime service. For, if there had not been some meaning in it, it is sure, righteousness might have served for both: Religion, holiness, all virtues are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it. Suum cuique (saith righteousness) and in that, Matt. 22. 21. is quae Dei, Deo. Every one, his due, And so God his. Yet are they ever thus parted, here, and elsewhere: Partly, to set out God's part by itself, Ecclus 47. 2. (as the fat from the sacrifice) for the dignity of his person: Partly, to keep up the distinction, which ever hath, and ever must be maintained, of severing things sacred from common; and holy, from human duties. And partly also, to check the conceit that runs in the world abroad, O, he is a good man, lives quietly with his neighbours, pays every man his due: Every man his due? and how then? shall God lack his due? I trow not, but have his too, and his first, Reason is, He be first served. And holiness is His due: you may read it, in the plate of gold, in the High Priests forehead, Exod. 28. 36. Holiness to the Lord: you may hear it, from the mouth of the Seraphim, Esay. 6. 3. they mention none of all his Attributes, but that: That they do, and do it, thrice over; Pointing us thereby, what is chief in Him, and should be chief with us, and whereto we should chief direct our service. Holiness, is His due: and (hear you) so His due, as the Apostle is direct, totidem verbis, without this due paid, Hebr. 12. 14. without holiness, shall no man ever see God. But then, you will mark, To serve Him in holiness. it is to serve Him, in holiness. Holiness is one thing: To serve God in Holiness, is another: Holiness we may have, (at least, think ourselves to have) but, a stately, surly kind of holiness it is, so as in our holiness, we serve him not. But it is not enough to be holy: a service in holiness is required at our hands: that we acknowledge a service in holiness, and as servants, carry ourselves, and serve Him, in it. Our service in holiness I divide, as the Psalm doth: Our service in holiness in the congregation. Either in secreto sanctorum, when we are alone by ourselves, (as, there, in secret, good folks fail not, to serve Him.) Or, in Synagogâ, in the open assembly, Psal. 111. 1. with the congregation. Our secret holiness I meddle not with Abscondita Deo nostro, I leave it to God. Deut. 29. 29. I hope, it is better, and more service-like, than our outward is. Deut. 29. 29. As abscondita Deo, so revelata nobis. Our Church service, our service in Synagogâ, the outside of it (so) that is no secret, all men see what it is, that full homely it is, nay full rude it is, (and lightly the meaner the persons, the more faulty in it) Our holiness is grown too familiar, and fellow like; Our carriage there, can hardly be termed service, there is so very little of a servant in it. When we do not only serve Him, but do our service before Him, (both, are in the Text, illi, and coram illo) as, that we do, when we come hither, it is to profess our service, that we come. When we come, before the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord of the whole earth, (so the Psalm doubles it, Psal. 97. 5. to make us think on it the better) then, saith he, worship Him in decore sancto, Psal. 96. 9 in a holy kind of decency, or (as we read it) in the beauty of holiness. Our holiness should have a kind of beauty with it. 1. Thes. 4. 4. Holiness and honour the Apostle joineth them together, Godliness & gravity, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and them too. 1. Tim. 2. 2. Now this is that, the world complains of; there is not that decor, that beauty: not that honour, not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that venerable grave behaviour, in our holiness, we carry not ourselves in His holy Sanctuary, where our holiness should be at the holiest, nor at His service there, as servants should, and use to do. We stumble at the very threshold. Our service in adoration or worship of Himself. Our very first service, (or, rather the introduction to our service) in the first Table, (the table of holiness) is there set down to be, adorabis. We turn it, shalt worship. Exod. 20. 5. How that is, we are told every day in the Psalm, Let us worship, and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psal 95. 6. It was ever in the Primitive Church, the first voice was heard, the first thing they did, ante omnia adoremus Dominum, qui fecit nos, Before we do any thing, let us fall down and worship the Lord that made us. And, it shall never be found, that they came in, without it. But, this shall, that men came to the Temple, purposely to adore, and that, that they did, though their time, or occasions would suffer them to do nothing else. That, they held a service, of itself. Now, adoration is laid aside, and, with the most, neglected quite. Most come and go without it, Nay they scarce know, what it is. And, with how little reverence, how evil beseeming us, we use ourselves in the Church, coming in thither, staying there, departing thence, let the world judge. Why? what are we to the glorious Saints in heaven? The worship of the Saints in heaven. do not they worship thus? Off go their crowns, down before the Throne they cast them, Reu. 4. 10. and fall down themselves after, when they worship. Are we better than they? Nay, Of the Saints in earth. Are we better than his Saints on earth, that have ever seemed to go too far, rather than to come too short, in this point? There was one of them, and he was a King, (no less person) when it was thought, he had done toomuch, What? uncovered? yea uncovered (saith he) and if that be too vile, 2. Sam. 6. 22. vilior adhuc fiam plusquam, I will be yet more vile; Why, it is before the Lord, before whom we cannot be too low. To humble ourselves before Him, it is our honour, in all eyes, save such as Mical. And, I read of none, but of Rabsak●h, that upbraided King Ezekias, for saying to his people, You shall worship before this Altar. Esa. 36. 7. No more then, is sought from us, than Kings on earth, then crowned Saints in heaven, in their holy service, do before Him. In Malachies time, things were grown much to this pass, that now they are, God's disdain of our worship. to this want of regard; to think any service (though never so slight) would serve God well enough. When they were come to this, God is feign to take state upon Him, and to tell them plainly, He would have them know, He is a King, and a Great King, ¹ Great; Mal. 1. 14. for He is King of the whole earth, Psal. 47. 7 Others, but of some part of it. ² Great: for He is King for ever and ever; Psal 10. 16. Others, but for a term of years. ³ Great: for He is King of Kings, and they His liege's, too, Reu. 1. 5. whose liege's we all are. And so falls to terms with them, that He held scorn to be so slighted over, even to these very words, Shall I take it at your hands? And then, Mal 1. 13. 8. bids them go, & do but offer such service, as this, to their Prince, do but come before him, on that fashion: See, if he will be content with it, or accept his person (that is) give him a good look, if any should so appear in his presence. No more will God: He knoweth no reason, why any king or creature on earth, should be used with more respect, or served with more reverence, than Herald Thus serve we Him, in His holy worship: Our service in his holy things. how serve we Him, in his holy things? In the Sacrament. how serve we Him, in our holiness there? I will begin, and take up the same complaint, that the Prophet Malachi doth. First, Mensa Domini despecta est: Mal. 1. 7. The Table of the Lord is not regarded. That Sacrament, that ever hath been counted, of all Holies the most holy, the highest and most solemn service of God; (where are delivered to us, the holy Symbols, the precious memorial of our greatest Delivery of all:) why, of all others they speed worst. How are they in many places, denied any reverence at all, even that which Prayer, which other parts have? No service then: No servants there: but bidden guests, hail fellows, homely and familiar, as one neighbour with another. And, not only, de facto none they have: but, de iure, it is holden, none they ought to have. And that, so holden, as rather than they shall have any, some will suffer for it, or rather, for their own proud folly, in refusing it. What time they take the cup of salvation, they will not invocate, Psal. 116. 13. at least not be in specie invocantis: as the King the Prophet would. What time they receive the cup of blessing, 1. Cor. 10. 16. they will not receive it as a blessing, as children receive it from their parents, and their children from them. Both which, invocation, and receiving a blessing, were never done, but de geniculis. What shall the rest look for, if thus we serve Him, when we are at the holiest? Shall we now come to service indeed? Our service of God in the service, that is, in prayer. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here in my Text. It is no new thing, for one species, to carry away the name of the genus from the rest, as in this: For though there be other parts of God's service: yet Prayer hath borne away the name of service, from them all. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrews call their Common Prayer, and that is, service. And the Greeks', theirs, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and that is so, too. And we, when we say, At Service time, and the Service book, and refuse to be present at Divine service, mean so likewise. And, God himself seems to go before us, and direct us so to do. For His house, He hath named the House of Prayer. (Observing the Rule, Esa. 56. 7. to give it the denomination, from that which is the chiefest service in it.) As indeed, when all is done, devotion is the proper, and most kindly work of holiness: and, in that serve we God, if ever we serve him. Now, in what honour, this part of holiness is; what account we make of this service, do but tell the number of them that be here at it, and ye shall need no other certificate, that in His service we serve Him but slenderly. Thou hast magnified thy Name, Psal. 138. 2. On service of God in the Word. and thy Word above all things, saith the Psalm. After invocation then of His Name; let us see how we serve His word; that part of His service, which in this Age, (I might say, in the error of this Age) carries away all. For, what is it to serve God in holiness? why, to go to a Sermon: All our holiday holiness, yea, and our working day too, both are come to this, to hear (nay, I dare not say that, I cannot prove it) but, to be at a Sermon. The Word is holy (I know) and, I wish it all the honour that may be: but, God forbidden, we should think, that in hoc uno, sunt omnia. All our holiness, is in hearing: All our Service, ear-service: that were in effect, as much as to say, all the body were an ear. 1. Cor. 12. 17. An error it is, to shut up his service into any one part, which is diffused through all. Another, so to do, into this one. It is well known that, all the time of the Primitive Church, the Sermon was ever done, before the service begun. And that, to the Sermon. Heathen men, Infidels, and jews, Heretics, Schismatics, Energumeni, Catechumeni, Poenitentes, Competentes, Audientes, all these, all sorts of people were admitted: But, when they went to service, when the Liturgy began, all these were voided; not one of them suffered to stay. It were strange, that, that should be the only, or the chief service of God, whereat, they which were held no servants of God, no part of the Church, might and did remain no less freely, than they that were. But even, this holy Word (wherein all our holiness is) how serve we Him, in it? Nay, we serve him not, we take the greatest liberty there, of all other. We come to it, if we will: we go our ways, when we will: stay no longer, than we will: and listen to it, while we will: and sleep out, or turn us and talk out, or sit still, and let our minds rove (the rest) whither they will: take stitch at a phrase, or word, and censure it, how we wil So the word serves us to make us sport: we serve not it. At this part of our service in holiness, we demean ourselves with such liberty (nay licentiousness rather) that holy it may be, but sure service it is not, nothing like. And truly, it is a notable Stratagem of Satan, to shrink up all our holiness, into one part: and into that one, where we may be or not be: Being, hear or not hear: Hearing, mind or not mind: Minding, either remember or forget: Give no account to any, what we do or not do; Only, stay out the hour (if that) and then go our way: many of us, as wise as we came: But all (in a manner) hearing (as Ezekiel complaineth) a Sermon preached, Ezek. 33. 32. no otherwise then we do a ballad sung: and do even no more of the one, than we do of the other. Eyeservice God likes not (I am sure) no more (should I think) doth He ear-service. Speak on Lord, 1. Sam. 3. 8. for thy servant heareth (and well if that, but scarce that, otherwhile) but, speak on Lord, whether thy servant hear or no: would any of us be content with such service? Yet this is all: to this, it is come. Thus we serve Him in holiness: This service must serve him (as the world goes;) for if this way we serve Him not, we serve Him not at all. But all God's service in holiness, Our service in holiness out of the Congregation. is not in the Church. Some is abroad. And, when we are forth of the Church, neither Word, nor Sacraments, nor Common Prayer, there: Only there, we serve Him in his Name. And, To His Name. Psal. 111. 9 Psal. 99 3. Holy and reverend is His Name (saith one Psalm,) And, Great and fearful is His Name (saith another.) Now, how unholy, this holy; how unreverently, this reverend Name is used; upon how small cause this great, how without all fear, this fearful Name is taken up in our mouths, I must say it again and again (which S. Augustine saith) aures omnium pulso, conscientias singulorum convenio: I speak to the ears of all in general; I convent the conscience of every one in particular, that heareth it. That, Psal. 138. 2. which by Him is magnified above all things, is by us vilified beneath all things. We pray for it, first; Mat. 6. 9 we regard it last, certainly. For if it be indeed holy, let no man count it common. Acts 10. 15. If not count it so, not use it so: for, what we use as common, eo ipso, we make it unholy (quantum in nobis est;) for, common and holy are contradividentia. ¹ And to make it so common, that is to profane it: Evil enough that. ² But in the eagerness of our spirits, to use it to grievous exercrations, that is more, Ezek. 39 7. even to pollute it: A worse matter far. ³ But beyond both those, to let it come to this, that we grow unsensible of both, and both pass from us, and we have no feeling of either, this is worst of all. Call we this to serve Him in holiness, for this days delivery, when we so serve His Name? But neither is all God's Service in holiness alone: Our service to God in righteousness. Some is in honest dealing with men, in righteousness: God is served in that too. He that hath done a piece of good justice, downward: that hath done his duty to his Superior upward: that hath dealt equally with his even Christian: in so doing, hath not only dealt well with men, but done God good service also. That a man may go from Church, and yet say truly he goes to serve God, if he go about these. Well, how goes our righteousness? how serve we God there? divers errors are committed in that, too. One is of them, Holiness held a discharge from righteousness. that think holiness a discharge from righteousness quite. So they serve God, and hear Lectures (as the term is) they take themselves liberty, to pay no debts, to put their money out to usury; to grind their tenants; yea, and so they miss not such a Lecture, in such a place, they may do any thing then. Nay, God is serviced in righteous doing, as well, nay better, then in holy hearing. A second kind (which I like not neither) that when men deal honestly, Righteousness held no service. keep touch, pay their debts: they are so brave, so imperious upon it, so like great Lords, as if righteousness were no service, all were mere liberality they did, men were bound to them for doing it, they were not bound to do it: Nay, we serve in righteousness too, That also is a service (sure.) A third, and that very common, Righteousness measured by the Common Law. of them that make the law of man, a scantling of their righteousness: And further than that will compel them; they will not go, not an inch; nor so far neither, sine timore, but for fear. Yea, not only our righteousness to men: but even our fear to God is taught us by man's precepts: and in both, Esa 29. 13. so the Statutes of Omri be observed, all is well. Mica 2. 6. 16. But, whatsoever a man else may make sure, he cannot make sure his soul, by the law of the Land. This righteousness here, goes up to God and his Law: and pierces deeper beyond the outward act, even to the inward man: whence, if ours come not, or whither, if it reach not; Man we may, (perhaps) but God, in righteousness, serve we not. But even according to man's Law, Our righteousness too much work. our righteousness goes not well so, neither. The Philosopher gives a rule, when a people is just or righteous, according to man's law: (Gods he knew not) and that is, when justice wants work, hath little to do. By which rule, ours is in no very good case: Men are so full of suits, so many causes depending before every seat of justice: justice, so much to do: and all, to repair the wrongs of our unrighteous courses, while each one seeks rather, to overrule men by wrong, then to serve God by right. And, this were not so evil, if all the injustice were below: The Seats of righteousness faulty. if the Seats which are set to do justice and righteousness, were themselves right. For, fares it not even with them, Hos. 5. 10. as the Prophet Hosee saith, The Princes of Israel are as they that remove the land mark? Each Seat seeking to enlarge their own border, and to set their meer-stones within the others ground? A full unnatural thing in a body, that one arm should never think itself strong enough, until it had clean shrunk up the sinews of the other. But I stay. These things, being amended, we shall be so much the more in a forwardness, to serve God, both in holiness and righteousness: And so, for the matter of our service, keep our Covenant. FOr the manner, now. To serve Him, 1 sine timore, The Manner of our service How. without fear: ² coram ipso, before Him: ³ omnibus diebus nostris, All the days of our life. ¹ Sine timore, That, without fear. without fear. And so, in a sense we do. So without fear at all, as if men were afraid, to seem to fear God. But, this is no part of his meaning. Without fear (here) is not without fear of Him, (of God) but, that being now without fear of our enemies, we should do it, the rather. For, who being in a bodily fear; who having Pharaoh and his host hard at their backs, could quietly think of serving God? That, Exod. 14. even God himself, Exod. 20. did rid his people of that fear, before ever he gave them his Law, to serve Him by. But when men's minds are quiet from the agony and terror of it, when they are settled in tranquillo: they should in all reason then, better intend His service. And, will we (think you) if we be so out of fear, intent it the better? without doubt, in experience, we find it contrary. For, except we be held in fear, we scarce serve Him at all: how soon we are out of fear, we forget ourselves, and our service, yea God, and all. True: yet for all that, the service so done in fear, is but a dull heavy service. It likes him not. God loves laetus lubens, when being at liberty, with a liberal mind, we do that we do. Laeti seruiemus Regi (say they in Genesis) and, Gene. 47. 25. it pleased the King: And it pleaseth God as well, if the service we do, we do it cheerfully, without mixture of fear, or any servile affection. Without This fear to serve Him, but not without His fear. Name, si Dominus, Mal. 1. 6. if He be a Lord (as if we be His servants, a Lord he is) ubi timor? where is my fear, saith he in Malachi? As love, to a father: so fear to a Lord, doth belong most properly. And, this is not Old Testament only: the Apostle is as direct, in the New, if we will serve Him to please Him, (and as good not serve, as serving not please) if we will so serve Him: Hebr. 12. 28. we must do it, with reverence and fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither rudely then, without fear, nor basely, with fear: But reverently, with fear, and cheerfully without fear: (that is the meaning) 2 To serve Him, coram ipso, before Him. Coram ipso: That, before Him. Exod. 20. 3. for, coram me, is the term of the Law. As if He were present, and looked on. And it helps much to our service, so to do it. Helps our reverence, not to do it rudely: (we do it before Him.) Helps our sincereness, without hypocrisy, to do it, as before Him: For, these two words, coram ipso, are the bane of hypocrisy. All things are before Him: In nothing can we get behind Him, or where He cannot see us. But, somethings are before Him and men, both: Those, we call not, before Him, properly. Properly, that is before Him, that is before none but Him. That is the heart. Coram homine, the service of the eye: Coram ipso, the service of the heart. Men love no eye-service, neither, if they could discover it, but they are feign to take it; the heart is not coram ipsis; Coram ipso it is: Upon that, is His eye: and nothing pleases Him, if the heart be away: for that, of all other, is His peculiar coram ipso. It is a broken service, if any part, chief, if the chief part (the heart) be away. It would be entire, and with all parts, since all are before Him. It is a mock-service, as if what serves man, would serve Him: as if we could compliment it with God, with faces and phrases, as with men we do. ³ The last, is omnibus diebus nostris. As sincere, without feigning: That, all the days of our life. So, constant without fainting. Coram me, excludes the Pharisaical service of the outside of the platter: Omnibus diebus, the Bethulian service, Matth. 23. 25. judit. 7. 30. for certain days, and no longer. You shall have few, but will serve God at a brunt: have certain pangs of godliness come upon them at times: be affected for the present, with a delivery, grow a little holy upon it. That little, is little worth. God complains in Malachi. That in their holiness they puffed, and blue, Mal. 1. 13. as men short-winded, quickly weary of it, and soon out of breath. And in Hosee, Hos. 6. 4. that their righteousness was as the morning cloud, scattered, and gone, before the Sun was an hour high. To serve Him then, not with usura exigui temporis some small time: primis diebus, two or three days at the first, and then, defuncti, we have quit ourselves well: but, from day to day, as long as there is a day left to serve Him in, So long to serve Him. To serve Him to the very last. The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvelous acts, Some days more than some other, though. Psal. 111. 4. that they ought to be had in everlasting remembrance; all of them. But some more specially: for some are more than marvelous: As, was this of ours. That if quibusdam diebus, would serve for them: Omnibus diebus, is little enough, for this. So, more than gracious: so more than marvelous: so more then both, in this: as the memory of it, never to die, never to decay, but our days & it, to determine together. And for all that, More The days since. though omnibus diebus, all our days, and in them all: yet, not in them all alike. So in all, as, in some, more than other some, Suscipiunt magis & minus. So then to serve: as in our days after the delivery, we do it, more, and better, than before. And, And this day, most. upon the day itself (that is, as this day) we do it, most of all. THus, It will be wisely done to keep our Covenant. we have laid forth our Covenant, both for Matter and Manner. Wherein, if we will deal as just men, we must keep it: and, if deal as wise men, we will keep it. For, who knows, but we may (perhaps) stand in need of a delivery again? If we behave ourselves frowardly in His Covenant, what shall become of us, then? How shall we hope for such another at His hands? And, if He do not, who can deliver us from such another? But, We shall be without fear of such another. such another (we hope) shall never come: And I wish, and hope so, too: But should hope so the rather, if I could see, we did but set ourselves to serve Him, as saith been said. Otherwise, the Devil, he is our enemy; (that is once) And, if we had no other, he is enough: An unquiet spirit he is; I trust him not, though ever since he sleeps the fox's sleep. For the breach of our covenant, if he beelet lose, he is able to do mischief enough. And we have the amends in our hands. Liberati we had, seruiamus we returned not. Return it then, and then, we shall be without fear of any more. And, not only without fear: We shall be in hope of a reward. but we shall be in hope also; And that, not of a new deliverance only (if need be) but, of a furthermatter: For, though our service be due, without any: but much more due, upon a delivery, specially such as ours this day was, though no more ever should be done for us: yet, that we may know, we serve a Lord of great bounty, this shall not be all: Over and above our assurance to be delivered, toties quoties; we shall not be unconsidered for our service, beside. Let our delivery go, transeat: He desires no service, but for a reward. And so I return now to the word of our service, Reward is in the body of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (to serve) Text, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is a recompense, or reward. God's service is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Delivered we were, by Covenant: Of His great bounty: Rewarded we shall be beside. It is in the very body of the word, (this.) So, here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our delivery: And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in our recompense. Let one of them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or, if not one of them, both of them prevail with us, to see Him served. And, what shall the reward be? The reward of our service, I will tell you that, and so end. It shallbe the Grand deliverance in Benedictus, here. As ours of the day was a riddance of us, from our bodily enemies, for the time; and we set in a state of temporal peace, which we have enjoyed ever since: So, Without fear. the final reward of our service shallbe a riddance from our ghostly a enemies, for ever, that come not with a puff or blast of Powder, but with a lake of fire and brimstone, Revel. 14. 11. the smoke whereof shall ascend forevermore. To be rid of them, and so being rid, to enjoy a State, of perfect, of eternal peace, and security, without everfearing more, sine timore, indeed. And, Before Him. to make it every way correspondent, for coram ipso, here: it shallbe, coram ipso, there. Psal. 16. 12. Even in his presence, in whose presence is the fullness of joy. And for omnibus diebus, here: All the days of our life all the-days of this transitory, short life, we shall enjoy it all the days of Heaven. Omnibus diebus? nay omnibus seculis, all the Ages of eternity. And so, for that, which in Law is held but as a lease of seven years: have an everlasting freehold, in His heavenly Kingdom, there to reap the reward of our Service, world without end.