VI.

104

All spirits not the Holy Spirit.

SER M. But this or that, the Holy Ghost is then given them, partly to direct and strengthen them in their ways, and partly to assume unto Itself, for the more assurance and authority, those actions which belong to their place and calling. And such is the Power of the Keys.

Serm., vol.

I haste to an end. From the words I gather two things; that they received a Spirit; that they received a Holy Spirit. [Andrewes For first, men may receive a running humour instead of a true iii. p. 133.] and constant spirit. I speak now of grace making free, which the Apostles, being fitly disposed, received here, as well as free grace; and in them it was right, a true spirit, in others it may be an humour only. I wish it were not that humours were not sometimes mistaken for the Spirit, even in clergymen themselves; a fiery humour for the Spirit of zeal; a windy humour for the Spirit of purity; a running, busy, humour for the Spirit of diligence; and a thousand disorderly humours besides for the Spirit of freedom and godly courage, as they call it.

[Andrewes Serm., vol.

Again, as by that excellent prelate it has been observed, man may receive the Spirit, and yet not the Holy Spirit; for as there are many humours, so are there many spirits too: a private spirit, that does all by immediate revelation; a worldly spirit, that does all by human policy; a spirit of giddiness, that reels to and fro like a weathercock, blown every year to a new religion; a spirit of error that will believe lies, and a spirit of envy that will endure no peace. There is also a spirit of slumber that passes away the time without any sense of God at all. And all these are no Holy Spirits; they that follow them, follow their own ghost instead of the Holy Ghost, Which was here received, and no other.

Now I observe, it is last of all observed that wherever this iii. p. 205, Spirit is named, there comes in a Sanctus with It; It is always 206.] called the Holy Spirit. Why this title? why not the Spirit of power, or the Spirit of government as well, specially for Apostles and bishops? Not but that He is the Spirit of them too, but for that He delights more in this than in any other Gen. 14. attribute whatsoever. High and Mighty, Glorious and 18; 49.24. Powerful God, be His appellations too, but Holy, Holy, Holy, Ps. 29. 4. is the anthem, the title, that the Cherubim and Seraphim

Ex. 15. 6.

The attribute Holy' why applied to the Spirit. 105

continually do cry, that the quire of heaven make choice of. Indeed the only title, when all is done, which leaves us a lesson (but that this unholy age is loath to be taught it), if God and His Spirit so esteem of it, that we should do so likewise, delight to have our actions holy, our words holy, our bodies holy, all our lives holy; we cannot please God better than with holiness, and without holiness we cannot please Him at Heb.12.14. all. If God be pleased to make such high account of this title, then we, wherever we find it, to do the like, that holy persons, holy places, holy times, and all things sacred and holy, may be had in regard of us; and more especially this holy place, wherein now we are, this holy feast which now we [Advent celebrate, His holy Word, which now we hear, and His holy Sunday.]

Sacrament which we are now about to receive. Times and places are out of my way, but for persons, the person of a bishop or a priest, tell me, to which of the Angels said He at any time, 'Receive the Holy Ghost?" or, "Whose sins thou Joh. 20. dost remit, they are remitted?' But manum de tabula; it is a new and a long theme that, another houre must end it.

22, 23.

My Lord, you see you have an honourable and an holy calling, an embassage that Christ sends you on, even as His Father sent Him. And now is the commission to be sealed, first with the Holy Ghost and then with the Holy Sacrament, which is the reason that you kneel here alone till that be past. I will not take upon me to be your instructor, but here is your pattern, peace with men and holiness with God. Of old it was written upon the bishop's mitre. Now, (as David [1 Kings2. 6, 9.] said to Solomon,) I know you are wise, do then according to your wisdom; that when you have performed your embassy with honour here, you may reap the fruits of it in everlasting glory hereafter. To which He bring both you and us Who hath purchased the same for us.

[An allusion to the customary length of a sermon; see Bingh. XIV.

iv. § 21; and the conclusion of the
eighth sermon in this volume.]

SERMON VII.

SERM.
VII.

AT BRANCEPATH, FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, JUNE 27, 1630.

Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.

PSALM CXxii. 6, 73.

(A Psalm occurring in the ordinary service of the day.)

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love

thee.

Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces.

WHICH is king David's devotion and piety, towards the Church and commonwealth of God. A piety that originally, I confess, and according to the letter, respects the Church of the Jews, and the house of God among them, but in a far better and a higher sense, chiefly, no doubt, and according to the substance, respects also the Church of Christ, and the house of God among us.

For howsoever this Psalm was first penned for the ark of the old covenant, when with a religious solemnity it was brought up to Jerusalem, yet it was not king David's meaning, nor the meaning of the Holy Ghost neither, but it might be extended and applied to more covenants than it. His meaning was not to shut up this peace within the walls of the city only, nor to engross this plenteousness unto her palaces alone, but to have both the one and the other as

A fragment of a sermon upon the same text may be seen in the Appendix.

Exitat eos [Judæos] David ad

gratiarum actionem, quod arca tandem stabilem sedem reperisset, et successio in regno ad certam familiam alligata esset. Pol. Synops. ad loc.

'Jerusalem' implies both Church and state.

107

diffusive through his own kingdom; so, extensive (and that chiefly) to the kingdom of Christ.

And what should hinder the Psalm, but as it went from the doors of the tabernacle, for which it was first made, to the gates of the temple, where afterwards it became one of their gradual songs, sung upon the third step of their ascent unto it, so it might pass also as well quite through the temple itself, and reach unto the Church of Christ, whereof the Jews' Church was but a shadow. Surely the Psalm was for both; both for Jew and Christian; and so the text for both, both for their Church and ours; and but for them originally only, to last but for a while neither; but for us intentionally and truly, to last for all ages after that, from the first coming of Christ in grace, to His second coming again in judgment. It might be our care also to pray for the peace and plenty of Christ's Church among us, as it was their care of old to pray for the peace and plenteousness of Jerusalem among them; and that they, above all others, might prosper, that love, and seek to prosper it.

I name the peace and plenty of the Church only, I should name the peace and plenty of the state also; that we are to seek, and to love, and to pray for the quiet prosperity of them both, both of the Church and kingdom wherein we live; for Jerusalem here comprehends them both, and was the seat of them both, of the house of the Lord, at the first verse, and of the house of David at the fifth.

So have we the sum of all, that for God's house and the king's, that is, for the Church and state, wherein we live, our chief endeavours be, even with prayers and love and all that is ours, to procure peace and plenty, and prosperity to them both. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem, let them prosper that love it.'

The text delivers itself in the terms of one that is advising and wishing for us somewhat that is most behoveful for us, if his advice might be taken; but inasmuch as we see wishing and advice to prevail so seldom, and all manner of counsel, in matters of religion especially, to be so little set by, we must find more in it than so; not wishing only, and matter of

The meaning of this expression is discussed at considerable length by

Lorinus Comment. in Ps. cxix. (cxx.) iii. 548. edit. 1619.

VII.

SER M. advice alone, but command also, and matter of precept withal. And that we find in the dignity of His person, that was author to us of this advice. It is votum Davidis, it is votum Spiritus Sancti; it is the advice of king David, and there is much in that, but it is the wish of the Holy Ghost too, and therein is more; ever in His optative, there is an imperative; in His wish, there never fails to be a command, never, if he has any wit that hears it. So that these words, rightly understood, 'O pray for,' or, Would to God ye would pray

for the peace of Jerusalem,' are both an advice, and an injunction withal, of the nature of an edict; we fall into the peril of contempt, and disobedience, and irreligion, if we do it not, if we do not what we are here advised unto.

And that is not one single duty neither; they are many, and they shall be so many parts of my text.

(1.) That first, our care must be for Jerusalem, the seat of God's house and the king's.

(2.) That this care must be shewn by our prayers for it. (3.) That these prayers must beg the blessing of peace upon it.

(4.) And not peace alone, but peace and plenty too, peace and prosperity withal.

(5.) That there may be walls about it for this peace, and palaces within it for this prosperity.

(6.) But lastly, that this peace and this prosperity may be the reward only of them that love it; and for them that love it not, but malign, and spite, and hurt it all they can, that they may go seek some other, for here we find no reward for them.

And these will fall out to be the heads of our present discourse, of which that we may speak to the honour of Almighty God, the peace of our souls, and the prosperity of His Church, I shall, &c.

THE BIDDING OF THE COMMON PRAYERS.

Pater Noster Qui es in cœlis.

(1.) We begin with Jerusalem, the subject upon which we are to work, and the body for which the prophet would have us thus careful. That body consisteth of two parts, and