A century of sermons upon several remarkable subjects preached by the Right Reverend Father in God, John Hacket, late Lord Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry ; published by Thomas Plume ...

THE THIRD SERMON UPON THE Descent of the Holy Ghost. (Book 3)

ACTS ii. 3.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

OF all Mysteries, of all Visions, of all Revelations which the Church ever had, this that is conteined in my Text hath one peculiar blessing, that it is most easie to be understood. I can give no reason for it but this, that as natural light makes all colours visible to our eyes, and it self most visible: so the Holy Ghost causeth all celestial Doctrin that concerns eternal salva∣tion to be revealed to the knowledg of faith, and makes him∣self to be most apparent and intelligible. Therefore I cannot but observe it unto you, that some Angel or some Saint departed did always inter∣pose their presence at the other mighty works of the Gospel, only they forbore to shew themselves at this Feast of Pentecost upon the sending of the Holy Ghost. I will spread this before you in a trice, and my conjecture upon it. At the Nativity of our Saviour, many Angels were employed to divulge it: At his Transfiguration, Moses and Elias appeared to ratifie it: At his Agony in the Garden, an Angel wait∣ed there to strengthen him: At his Resurrection, two Angels in white appeared in his Sepulcher to glorifie him: And lastly, at his Ascension, two others clad in as white apparel as they, did testifie of him. But upon the descending of the Holy Ghost the Angels did quite withdraw themselves, I am sure they came not in any bodily shape into the place where the Apostles were gathered together, for that were as the Proverb says facem soli praeferre, to light a candle before the Sun at noon day: and that illustrates all things, can be illustrated by nothing but by himself. This is the comfort then of my Text, that we have light on every side to walk in: this is the great latitude of the benefit conteined in it, that it gives us vocem & scientiam, linguam & ignem; both tongue and fire, both science and elocution, sapere & fari quae sentiat, to conceive clearly that which is fit to be learnt, and to utter distinctly that which is wisely conceiv'd: And therefore in one word we owe unto this blessed day, both completely to be made happy, and completely to know our happiness.

No marvel if the Old Church, many hundred years since, which was most pru∣dent in appointing Festivals, did constitute, that between Easter and Whitsuntide all the fifty dayes should be destinated to joy and gladness that all the people should sing haleluja with a loud voice, so often as they met in their holy Assemblies; that there should be no fasting days, no mourning, no not so much as the dejection of kneeling on the ground, but to stand and pray all that space of time, these Fathers were exceeding full of ceremony to express the glad∣ness which they had for the gift of the Holy Ghost. And therefore Bernard calls the

Lenten strictness that goes before Easter, Quadragesimam luctus & paenitentiae, the fourty days of godly sorrow and repentance: but he calls the time following to Whitsun∣tide, Quinquagesimam gaudii, the fifty days of Exaltation (for our joy doth surpass our sorrow). At Easter we are assured by Christs Resurrection that the body shall rise from corruption: at Whitsuntide these firy tongues do manifest that the Soul shall rise from darkness and ignorance, and be partaker of the marvelous light. And because this mighty miracle was communicated to the Apostles in most sensi∣ble objects, therefore I told you the last year that the third person of Trinity dis∣closed his glory and power openly two wayes, to their ear and to their eye; by a sound unto the ear, by a lightsom brightness to the eye: to the ear as to the sense of faith, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, &c. to the eye as to the sense of love, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, &c. Whereup∣on I will enlarge my self unto you at this time in these particulars. 1. That the Holy Ghost presented himself to the Primitive Church in a visible object. 2. For the principal substance of the apparition, it was a Tongue. 3. Lingua dispertita vel secti∣lis, it was a Cloven Tongue. 4. Quasi ignis, it was a firy Tongue. 5. It was lingua, or ignis, or spiritus insidens, this Tongue, or this Fire, or this Spirit, take which you will, it is all one, but it rested or sat upon each of them.

We begin with an Apparition representing not some Angel or other glorious creature putting on a sensible shape, but the third Person of Trinity, the Eternal Spirit consubstantial with the Father and the Son, He offered himself as this day in a visible Figure, to the Apostles, and divers other believers that were gathered together in Jerusalem. St. Austin in his third Book of the Trinity maintains that all the Persons of Trinity did appear in visible shapes to the Patriarchs of the Old Testament, one or two upon one occasion, and a third upon another occasion. Tertullian and Epiphanius are stout in their opinion, that none but God the Son, called the Angel of the New Cove∣nant, did lay aside his invisible glory in the old times, and appeared to men; I will not engage my self in that quarrel, but for one thing I am at certainty, that when the Law was delivered at Mount Sinai, the Godhead did not condescend to any appa∣rition at all, the people were forbidden so much as to imagin they saw any resem∣blance of the Most High, says Moses, Ye saw no similitude, only ye heard a voice, Deut. iv. 12. But the Lord grew more friendly and familiar with us that profess the Gospel. We have seen, we have heard, our hands have handled the word of life: this day the new Law began at Mount Sion, and we did not only hear a voice, as it is in the former verse, but according to my Text they saw a similitude, that which was wrapt up in dark Parables to the Fathers, we see that truth as clearly as it were the Sun at noon day. They had the Veil before their eyes, says the Apostle, we behold the fair beau∣ty of God, and the Veil taken away, and rent asunder; they did dishonur God by worshipping visible things instead of the Invisible Creator, and therefore they might not see any resemblance of him for fear of transgressions; and if we worship vain things that are not Gods in this world, we shall utterly be deprived of seeing his glory, and lose our reward hereafter. But the special intent of this apparition was to comfort the Apostles for all the tribulations that they were to sustain; for as their faith was corroborated with some vision of God here, so it assured them that the same faith should be rewarded with a perfect vision hereafter in the life to come. He that believeth doth as it were shut his eyes, and takes all upon trust that he be∣lieves, yet upon such trust as cannot deceive him, the trust of Divine Revelation: so that he sees God, as I may say, though he do not see him, as it is Hebr. xi. 27. By faith Moses endured the wrath of Pharaoh as seeing him who is invisible: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to see him that is invisible is contrary to reason, but reconciled by Divinity: but if at any time the most renowned Servants of God had some glimpse of his Ma∣jesty in an apparition, as it was at this time, then it seals that promise unto them which they have made, Matth. v. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God: they shall, I say, for all their consolation is de futuro, in hope, but not in act, whether this Vision of the Holy Ghost, or any other before it, they saw nothing to speak of in comparison of that which shall be revealed. Says Epiphanius he that looks through the funnel of a Chimney may truly say that he sees the Heaven, but what doth he see? neither the heighth, nor the breadth, nor the vastness of it; so he that sees some resemblance of the Holy Trinity, sees somewhat of God darkly as in a Glass, but he sees not so much of the immensity of his glory, as he that sees the Heavens above but through the eye of a Needle. To close this point, what doth the Lord require from hence? but that our eyes should be chast and pure, and sanctified to

his service; because He let the benediction of his Spirit shine upon them? and that amends might be made chiefly in that bodily instrument, through which we have dishonoured him with wantonness and concupiscence. What is created more wicked than an eye, says the Son of Sirach? and therefore it weepeth upon every occasion, Ecclus. xxxi. 13. God hath placed our eyes in the uppermost part of man, to be Cen∣tenels in our Watch-Tower, and to give us warning of those things that may hurt us: but quis custodiet ipsos custodes, unless we set a Watch upon this Watch we shall be betrayed to the sins of the flesh. We live like Labans Sheep, every man conceives folly, as his eye beholds vain things and party coloured. Seleucus King of Locrine enacted a Law to have the unchaste eyes of Adulterers pull'd out, to punish the trespass in the fountain of the sin: and Democritus the Philosopher pull'd out his to prevent the danger. We have had an evil eye, Matth. x. eyes full of adultery, and then as Sal••ucus said, or rather as our Saviour said, oculus eruen∣dus, an eye good for nothing, but pull it out and cast it from you: but as the whole man shall be made a new lump through the reformation of inward grace, so that the same work may be wonderful also in our eyes, the Holy Ghost cast his beams upon them at this Feast of Whitsuntide, and there appeared unto them, &c.

Hitherto I have made a general survey of the Text, that it conteins an Appari∣tion sent from Heaven: in making access to particulars the first thing notorious in the Apparition is, that the matter, and, as it were, the substance of it is a tongue. The whole world was mad against the truth, crying out distractedly like those of Ephesus, Acts xix. Then there was need of the voice of a charmer to make them still and attentive with some heavenly incantation. The Church was going forth in a militant order to fight the Lords Battels, therefore the Lord gave a Trumpet to his Ministers to utter forth a certain sound that they might prepare them∣selves for the skirmish, 1 Cor. xiv. 8. Briefly the Gospel was now to launch forth, and to flote upon the waves of many trials and persecutions, and therefore it had need of a Helm to turn it about whithersoever the Governor listeth; and that little Helm is the tongue, Jam. iii. 4. I told you even now that the wantonness of the eye had a gracious vision to amend it; so here came a remedy from Heaven to correct the iniquity of our mouth, which is the very forge of Hell, and a tongue descended from above to sanctify it. As the Devil can put no worse thing into us than an evil tongue, and then it becoms the worst member that we have, Jam. iii. 6. so God can send us no better thing from the store of his mercies than a tongue to praise him: and then David calls it in the old Translation of our Psalms, the best member that we have. Psal. cviii. 1. We had need to let that Prayer come in often among our earnest supplications, that God would touch our lips with a coal from his altar, as he sent a Seraphin with that blessing to the Prophet Isaiah. It is very meet that we consider in our vote with the Psalmist, Set a watch before my mouth, pone osti∣um circumstantiae,* 1.1 as the vulgar Latin hath it, make such a door for my mouth, that I may look to every circumstance of every syllable that passeth out: Oret lingua ut dometur lingua, Says St. Austin, O let the tongue pray for it self that it may be ru∣led: how often trips it in swearing? how often doth it murmur in discontent? in boasting above measure, in pride lofty, in anger furious, in perjuries blasphemous, in curses bitter, in vain talking never quiet; glib as honey in hypocrisie, subtle in lying, smooth in deceiving, impudent in flattery. What a happy thing it is to have a fence about the lips, that no such evil spirits as these may come in or out? and notwithstanding all these exorbitancies of the mouth to which we are so obnoxious, God can purifie our speech, and season it with salt that it shall not corrupt: For if man by wit and industry can tame wild beasts which he hath not made, can not the Lord much more tame the tongue which he hath made? a Watch can suppress and curb those in, that would break out of their holds, and the Lord can make such a door for our lips as shall inhibit all the petulancy of vain breath, and shut and open for his own glory? Ostium aperitur & clauditur, says Gre∣gory unto it, a door is made to let our friends and familiars in, but to keep out theevs and robbers; so the tongue must be open to confess our sins, and shut if hypocrisie shall attempt to excuse them: the mouth must be open unto the praise of God, and barred against our own commendation; it must be open to teach the humble, but shut and silent if the obstinate will not learn, for answer not a fool in his folly says Solomon: He that openeth and no man shutteth, he that shutteth and no man openeth can give us this power from above to speak unto his praise, and

to be silent unto evil; therefore the Holy Ghost descended in the apparition of a tongue.

To pierce further, as far as observation will give me leave upon this point, as the tongue naturally is an instrument of two functions, of speaking, and of tasting; so these extraordinary tongues were destined for two properties, to preach the Gospel, and to discern spiritual things in their true gust and sapor. The first in∣tent was to give the Apostles a door of utterance, to proclaim salvation to all that were prepared to hear, and that all men should confess with boldness that Jesus is the Christ. The Spirit came in the former verse like a rushing mighty wind, that was for inspiration, for the Apostles own sakes, to sanctifie themselves, but the gift of tongues was for elocution, to impart the benefit to more than them∣selves. This is the antient gloss of the Fathers upon my Text, especially Gregorie's,* 1.2 and that in two places, Pastores primos in linguarum specie spiritus sanctus insedit, quia quos repleverit de se protinus loquentes facit; the Holy Ghost sat upon the first Pastors of the Church in the shape of a tongue, for whomsoever of that rank the Divine Spirit fills, he opens their lips to preach the Lord Jesus. In both of St. Pauls Epi∣stles to Timothy one of his Injunctions upon a Bishop is that he should be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, apt to teach. In his admonitions to Titus the same lesson again, A Bishop must be able by sound doctrin to exhort, and convince gainsayers, Tit. i. 9. and St. Hierom says very truly how that character is more appropriated to a Bishop than all the rest: the rest ought generally to be found in all holy Christians not to be given to filthy lucre, nor to quaffing of wine, to be the Husband of one Wife, to be hospital, just, unblameable; but this is intrinsecal first to Episcopal, then to Priestly vocation to be cymbolum mundi, the loud Cymbals of the world, the tongues of the Church, to be apt and painful to teach. And therefore Espencaeus, though of the Roman party, exclaims much against the Pontifician Bishops for giving Monks and Friars licence to preach, who are no Successors of the Apostles,* 1.3 and therefore never received an Evangelical tongue in their Predecessors; but says he, the Prelates that ought to do that work themselves will not, and therefore they grant licence to those to teach the Gospel who ought not: but he cries out unto them to live according to St. Pauls Canons charged upon those two famous Bishops, Timothy and Titus, and then eant Epis∣copi, & se a docendi necessitate, si possint, excusent; mark that, Reverend Fathers, says he, and excuse your selves if you can from the necessity of preaching. No, there is no excuse, for these tongues descended now after a mighty rushing wind, quasi exeuntes è loco tonitrui, as if they had been bolts after a clap of thunder, to signify that these are the Trumpets which God sends forth to call us to repentance before the day of Judgment: Ante adventum judicis ipsi clamando gradiantur, says Gregory. And howsoever some may justly attain to such place in the Church as to sway the Staff of Government in their hand, yet they must remember that they are never released of this duty, that their tongue must edify. In the old Book of Ordinati∣on in this Church as well as in the Church of Rome, the Bishop Elect at his Consecra∣tion had the Bible given him in one hand to teach, and the Pastoral Staff in the other hand to govern the Flock. It was never meant he should let fall the Book out of one hand, and hold the Staff in both: nay beware he be not beaten with the Staff that lets go the Book. Latratu & baculo rabies luporum deterrenda est, says St. Hierom,* 1.4 that is, if the Wolf come near the Sheepfold, he must not only be threatned with the Staff, but the Dogs must bark at him likewise, and then he will leave his Prey, and take him to his heels. St. Austin presseth the same Doctrin out of St. Paul. Ephes. iv. 11. He gave some Apostles, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers. Says he I collect from hence that every Pastor, that is every Bishop must be a Teacher; for it is not said he gave some Pastors and some Teachers, as it went before, some Apostles and some Prophets, but Pastors and Teachers are put together without a distinctive member, ut intelligerent Pastores ad officium suum pertinere doctrinam,* 1.5 that Pastors may know how teaching is included in their duty, and cannot be separated from it. This then was the principal intent of giving the tongue at the Feast of Whitsuntide, as it is Isa. l.4. The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season. First then negligent silence in Pastors is a stifling the grace of God: Quantùm vitae merito aedificat tantùm destruit silentio. Second∣ly, affected silence is affronting the grace of God, as those Orders of Friars that bind themselves by vow and institution of life not to utter a word excepting one day, or it may be one hour in the week, sometimes not so often. Agatho the Anchorite is commended in the lives of the Fathers that he never spake: what is this but as it

were to advow not to receive the benediction of the Holy Ghost. Finally to be pre∣properous and over-hasty to teach the Gospel is to prevent the Spirit, or rather not to wait for the grace of God. For Christ had first rooted the knowledge of the Word and Scripture in the Apostles, and then endued them with a tongue; but they that start up Teachers before they be grounded in the Word, speak with their own tongue before they have received the tongue of the Holy Ghost.

But the tongue supplies another office in nature, and that's to taste: The ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meats, Job xxxiv. 3. so the Spirit makes us feel and know the good things of God that are in us, even as the tongue makes us relish that which is sweet upon the palat, and will be delectable for nourishment: Nay we do not only taste the things of heaven slightly, and as we say upon the tip of the tongue, but the same Spirit makes us to ruminate upon them, and chew the cudd, my heart is always musing of thy testimonies, says David. O 'tis a comfortable thing to have a tast of Heaven in our Soul, to have some persuasive Experiment that the Holy Ghost dwelleth in us, especially to have it proceed to that most pleasing Sapor, when the Spirit shall testifie to our Spirit, that we are the Sons of God: but in all that are meetly disposed to Eternal Life, there is some perceivance, in others more, in others less, there's some Tast, some Consolation, that Christ is in them and works in them by Faith and Love; and the more you tast it, the more sweet∣ness you shall find to breed an Appetite. The Natural Man perceives not the things that are of God, he counts the Doctrin of Christ and him crucified to be Madness and Foolishness, he thinks they that kill his Apostles do God good service; he puts bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter, Isa. 5.20. there's all the Tast that he hath, he wants a Tongue to dijudicate of the Manna that comes from Heaven, which no man knows but he that receiveth it. Rev. ii. 17. He to whom it is given to know what is the height, bredth and depth of the Love of our Lord Jesus and his Redem∣ption; he accepts of all things in a diverse manner from him to whom the mind of the Lord is not revealed; he interprets the Poverty of Christ to be the Riches of the World, his Ignominy to be the Triumph of the Saints; Tribulation for the truth is a Refreshing to his body, Mortification and pious Sorrow a dainty Leni∣tive to his soul; he receives the Doctrin of our Ministry not as the Word of Man, but as it is indeed, the Word of God; he cannot but speak the Truth, though his life ly at the stake for it, negare Dei verbum non valeo, quia spiritus sancti linguam habeo,* 1.6 it is Gregories, I cannot deny the word of God, because the Holy Ghost hath given me a tongue to speak it. To conclude this point, no man can have a smack of the Kingdom of Heaven, but through the rellish of this tongue, no man can say that Jesus is the Christ but by the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. xii. 3. as we are born children of wrath, in our unregenerate estate we have bitterness in our throat, and the poi∣son of Asps under our lips, how can we savour the things that are of God? but the Spirit makes us a new creature, and takes away all this sourness, and ill relished acrimony, and then his fruit will be sweet unto our mouth, Cantic. ii. 3.

Having delivered unto you the substance of this Vision, which is a tongue it follows to speak of the Figure and Form of it. It was cloven, that's truly called the Figure; and like as of fire, that's truly called the Form. A Tongue was a Com∣mission, and an enabling of the Apostles to preach, but a Cloven Tongue was their hability to preach unto many. The Syrian language was all that they could speak before, and in that they faultered too, and mouthed it rudely and unelegantly, a silly Damosel quipt even St. Peter with it, Thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech betray∣eth, yet such a tongue as it was they were unlettered men, and could speak no more, all the world beside were Barbarians to them, and they Barbarians to all the world. But the Lord knew that they had need of many tongues to pay that great debt which they owed his Church; ite, praedicate universae creaturae, go and teach all Nati∣ons from Jerusalem and Samaria, even unto the ends of the world. I would a little satisfie my Auditors before I go any further, that would know how the tongues did resemble a cloven figure that sat upon the Apostles. If you look upon such types of it as Picture-drawers have framed, remember that there is no heed to be given to their Pencil, for they will extremely abuse your ignorance; they usually re∣present the Apparition, as if every Apostle, and the Blessed Virgin sitting in the midst of them, had a little lamp of fire, like the flame of a small Torchet blazing upon their head, and so would thrust this belief upon the rash gazer, that God sent down a shew of many firy tongues into the place where this holy Society was ga∣thered together; and that there was singularis flammula, a little flame proportioned

somewhat like a Tongue, sitting upon each of them. Now this is nothing sutable to that which immediately ensued, and was prefigured in this Miracle, namely, the speaking with divers Tongues to the fit intelligence of all Nations. The most probable conceit that I can frame of it is, to imagine how fire disparts it self into flames, especially, a celestial irradiation, like the light of the Sun, that was but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, like as of fire. Fire, you know, will cast out many flames in sharp and Pyramidal points, or as the Sun lays his beams forth in many ejaculations, nothing fits it righter than the expansion of the fingers of the hand, so this fire did glister like several beams in proportion to the Tongue when it is rather pickant and sharp than broad, and in that sort, as I fancy it, as is above the skill of any Limner in the world to paint it (for the Holy Ghost perhaps intended not to be set forth in Workmans Art and Imagery) and so it multiplied into the shew of seve∣ral disparted Tongues, as many of them seemed to sit upon every several Apostle.

My drift is to make this conceit of it enter into you, that from one Language the Apostles grew expert of a sudden to speak many, their Harp now wherewith they praised the Lord was not only ten stringed, but ten times ten stringed to make a more chearful melody to the God of Jacob. The Tongue which was confi∣ned before to a little corner of the world in Palestina, and there only to bless the Creator that made us is now set at liberty, that in all Languages it may glorifie the Saviour that redeemed us. And as the Fathers do very well shew it, this is a plain reversing of the curse of Babel by the blessing that came out of Sion. For as God pulled down that proud Tower which those insolent Builders intended by the confusion of many Tongues, so he built up the new Jerusalem in an instant by the gift of many Tongues; and as diversity of Tongues was a punishment to scatter Rebels for their pride, so diversity of Tongues was made the only means to reduce Infidels that had not heard of God into the unity of the Faith. And they that ad∣vanced themselves against heaven, says Gregory, lost the communion of that one tongue which they had, but they which submitted themselves to the good will and pleasure of Christ obtained the communion of all Tongues which they had not. Sic humilitas unitatem meruit, & superbia confusionem. And all this was done vi∣sibly upon this one day, that we may believe the Church shall never want Gods invi∣sible grace, that is, though not in this kind, yet in some other benefit. A miracle in the same kind, they that are the common minters of Miracles, dare not urge or pretend. And although nothing be more expedient for the setling of the Gospel in an unknown world, such as America was within one hundred and forty years, then the gift of Tongues to be able to speak to those Savages to their own understand∣ing, yet the Jesuites have never arrogated that any of their Order who visited those parts, could speak new Languages by inspiration; only Turcellinus, a man of no forehead, nor modesty, says, that Xaverius the Jesuite spake but his mother tongue to the Indians of Goa, and that all those heathenish people did understand him as if it had been their native Dialect; an impudent forgery confirmed by none, disavow∣ed by Acosta of his own Society, and quite contrary to the nature of a Miracle, that Infidels and Pagans should be inspired to understand, and the Christian that conver∣ted them should have no extraordinary inspiration to speak. Therefore as I said be∣fore, we have no kind of invisible grace in the same kind that the Apostles had cloven tongues, that is a faculty to speak by instinct with all Nations, but the Lord did never give to any Age more blessing in the learning of the Tongues than he hath done to this, furnishing men with rare skill to be able to com∣municate in speech with those of the world beneath us, which is a sign to me that he is gathering the World unto him by the calling of all Nations, and hastening his Kingdom.

But now I gather in further upon this Miracle, Can any thing be more Diame∣trically opposite to the good intention of it than publick Prayers recited in a Tongue unknown to the ignorant people, to which they cannot understandingly say Amen? Why hath God sent down this Vision of Cloven Tongues, but that the Lips of all Nations and Languages may as well publickly as privately resound his glory? If Beasts and Birds could speak they would utter nothing but that which they understand; and shall reasonable men be tied through the tyranny of Church∣men to fumble words by roat like Beasts? It is against Nature, which gave us a Tongue to be the interpreter of the mind to those that listen to us. It is against Reason to make the Laiques say Amen to the Priests, when for their part they are uncertain

whether he blessed them, or cursed them. It is against Scripture, 1 Cor. xiv. If you speak in an unknown tongue, how can he that supplies the place of the Ideot say Amen? And Lyra says upon it, If the People understood the Priests they would serve God better, be converted sooner, answer much more devoutly to the Contents of the Liturgie. It is against the Scope of the Holy Ghost, who enabled the Apostles to speak with divers Tongues, that all people might hear and know, and know and believe to eternal life. It is against all possibility of Edification: For where knowledge enters not first, how can zeal and desire be kindled?* 1.7 Ignoti nulla cupido. And it is an impious derision of one of the Romish to say, that although the Priest stand at the Altar so far distant from the people, that they neither hear nor understand, yet the people may be taught by Signs and Ceremonies. It is quite against the old Imperial Laws; Justinian the Emperour strictly commanding all Priests so to officiate in the Church, that their voice might come distinct and intelligible to all the people present, that they may answer again, as is their duty. Finally, it is most utterly against the ancient use of the Church, one example for many. St. Hierom says that at the Funerals of Paula the people sang Psalms, some in Hebrew, some in Greek, some in Latine, and Syriack, all in their several Dialects to praise the Lord for her happy departure. So I have deli∣vered what is most opposite to the gift of Cloven Tongues; one thing more for a caution, that a double tongue is a gift of the Devil, as a cloven tongue is the gift of God. The cloven Tongue was the dispersion of many beams out of one flame, of many Tongues out of one root, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, says Oecumenius, so that there is unity in the root, and distinction in the stalks; but the double tongue (which St. Paul bids Deacons take heed of, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1 Tim. iii. 8.) that is, Lying, Equivocation, Flattery, sowing dissention, double mindedness, Jam. i. 8. (Omnis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) he that hath a double tongue hath a double mind, an heart and a heart. He praiseth that to one Faction, which he defies before the other. He commends a man to his face, backbites him behind his back, he con∣fesseth Christ where it is advantage, and denies him where it is advantage. Cum tristibus severè, cum remissis jucundè, as the Oratour said of Cataline, he can curse and bless with the same breath, out of the same Fountain come forth sweet wa∣ters and bitter; these, and many more than these are the juglings of a double tongue, but the Lord will say unto them, double unto them double, according to their iniquities, and divide them in twain, that they may have their portion with hypocrites.

I have been copious, as the time would give me leave, upon the Figure of these Tongues, that they were Cloven, next you must mark their Form, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as it were fire, cloven tongues as it were fire, and let a certain learned Interpreter have his judgment to himself, that it is an Hypallage, for there appeared fire as it had been Cloven Tongues, yet still it is but appearing, and as it were; the sound was a real sound that came from heaven, all beside was but Similitude and Apparition. Very fire was not needful, nay, it would have been offensive, and have scorched the part upon which it sate; But it was such fire as appeared to Moses in the Bush, Exod. iii. The bush burnt with fire, and the bush was not consumed. Such as the Evangelical Pro∣phet Isaiah did foresee, Isa. xliii. 2. When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. To be inspired in a moment to speak all sort of Tongues the Apostles did never dream of,* 1.8 Christ did not foretel them any thing which sounded that way. But they had prediction of this part of the Mira∣cle both from John the Baptist, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, Mat. iii. 11. and from Christs own mouth, I am come to send fire into the earth, Luk. xii. 49. Which the Fathers, for the most part, interpret of that which came down at this Feast of Pentecost. All the Plagues of the Old World, as if the Elements had spate out their venom, became blessings under the Kingdom of Christ. The Old World was drowned with Water, the New World is saved by Baptism; and as I said but lately, God pulled down the Tower of Babel by the confusion of Tongues, now he built up the New Jerusalem, by the multiplicity of tongues: So he sent down fire upon Sodom to consume it, here he sent down fire upon his Church to save it.

But because all the Apparitions which the most wise God doth send are full of Signification and Doctrine, it concerns the Text to have it diligently enquired wherefore the Holy Ghost did descend in fire?

First, Look back to the Mosaical Law delivered at Mount Sinai, at the promul∣gation of it there came smoak,* 1.9 and thunder, and flashes of fire, therefore, says

Isidor, Ʋt unus Deus in utroque testamento agnosceretur; that you may know that the same Lord is Lord of both the two Testaments, in the first setling of the Gospel likewise there came down fire from heaven. The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, in his right hand was a firy Law, Exod. xxxiii. 1. Whereupon the Chaldee Paraphrast says, that his right hand wrote the Law out of the midst of the fire, so the holy Spirit doth write the Law of Christ in our hearts as it were with an hot Iron Mark, making such a stamp as will never be got out.

Secondly, And I mean principally likewise, the brightness of fire concurred in the Tongues to import that boldness, and fervour, and efficacy which goes along with them, where the Lord doth give the mouth utterance to speak. Tongues of flesh, and words of air will not serve the turn to convert souls, there must be fire put into the Tongue, somewhat above natural force and power that must bring it to pass. Says the Son of Syrach concernig that renowned Prophet that awed all Israel with his Preaching, then stood up the Prophet Elias like fire, and his word burned as a lamp, Ecclus. xlviii. 1. There is a burning vigour in the Word of God when it is luckily applied to the conscience of a sinner. As Cleophas and the other Disciple said of the communication of our Saviour, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and opened unto us the Scriptures? Luk. xxiv. 32. And we must be warm, and fervent our selves in our Message, that we may warm others with it. Ardeat orator si judicem velit accendere, says Tully,* 1.10 that was his crafts∣master in that kind. Let the Orator be fervent if he means to heat the Judge in his cause, so the Embassadors of God must be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Rom. xii. 11. Fervent in spirit, if they mean to thaw the frozen hearts of their Auditors. So says Gregory upon this very occasion of the firy Tongues, Otiosus est sermo doctoris,* 1.11 si praebere non valeat incendium amoris; Our Preaching is frivolous if it do not kindle the fire of divine love in our Disciples. Therefore St. Paul writes thus to Timothy, 2 Epist. i 6. To stir up the gift of God that is in him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to quicken and kindle the fire of the gift of God that is in him. Ʋt sopitum ignitum suscites,* 1.12 to rake up the fire together, and make it flame that it go not out. The gift of God is a lively flame kindled in our hearts, which the Devil and the flesh would put out, and that mo∣nition quench not the spirit is the watch word against it, and we must labour, as much as we can, to foster it, and keep it burning. But he that is a lukewarm Christian, neither hot, nor cold, indifferent to serve God, or to disobey him, he is a loathed morsel which God canot digest, and because he wants fervor it is a manifest sign that the Spirit is departed from him.

Thirdly, The Spirit came at several times in the shape of a Dove and in fire to shew what mixture out of them both is most pleasing in a Christian, Quia ne que pla∣cere Deo simplicitas sine zelo, neque zelus potest sine simplicitate; the Dove, is the Emblem of gentleness and simplicity; the Fire, of zeal; neither is zeal good without meek∣ness, nor meekness without zeal. We must not lose our fervour in tameness, nor with preposterous zeal forget gentleness. And well doth Gregory hunt this Parallel further, that the Spirit did descend upon Christ in the similitude of a Dove, upon the Apostles in the similitude of fire, for God will be mild as a Dove toward us, if we will be hot as fire against our selves. That he may spare us with his mercy, let us be angry at our selves with godly revenge. And so they that made no bones of lies and fictions have renowned St. Dunstan in his Legend, that a Dove descended from heaven upon him, Et remigia alarum scintillantis ignis splendorem prae se ferebant, says Capgrave. And the wings of it, when they were stretcht out,* 1.13 did sparkle like fire. Their meaning is in this Fable, as I call it, to set him forth as most full of the Holy Ghost, upon whom both the Dove and fire descended.

Fourthly, says St. Austin, where God causeth the Tongue to speak the truth,* 1.14 fire, that is sorrow and trouble, will follow, Ignis portendit tribulationem, quam propter linguas erunt perpessuri; The fire imports that tribulation which the Apostles must un∣dergo by preaching the Gospel. The Devil did rage against those that were the Pil∣lars of the Church, and of true Doctrine, and blew the coals of many a fire to consume them.

Fifthly, and to shut up that Point, the Tongue being left to it self is full of much corruption as I have amplified already, and it had need of a purging fire to cleanse it, and refine it. In all the old Sacrifices of the Grecians Homer says, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they threw the tongue of the beast into the fire, whereupon says Coelius Rhodoginus, Comburendo linguas perperam dictorum labes expurgabant; They made expiation thereby in the flames of fire for all words that had been spoken offensively. St. James says

the Tongue is a fire, Chap. iii. 6. meaning a fire of discord and mischief, and that fire had need to be corrected by another fire from heaven, or else the torments of hell-fire would be the end of it.

And now we will rest at last in that Point which is the resting and setling of these Tongues, There appeared unto them, &c. and it sate upon each of them. It sate? Why we spoke of Tongues in the Plural number before; What Enallage is this? Cajetan, and the most Divines interpret it that the fire sate upon each of them. Calvin by a Metonimy of signi pro re signatâ, that the Spirit sate upon each of them. The Syrian Paraphrast refers it directly to the Tongues, and puts it in the Plural number, sederunt, they sate upon each of them. Indeed, to refer it to many Tongues, and yet to make the Verb of the Singular number is the best exposition of all, it sate, to shew that it is one Holy Ghost in the administration of divers gifts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as I said before, one root and many stalks, There are diversity of ope∣rations, but it is the same Lord that worketh all in all, 1 Cor. xii. 6. But upon whom did they descend and sit? For now I make haste. Upon every one of the hundred and twen∣ty that were gathered together? Or upon the Apostles only? Somewhat is in it, that when all are named to whom this fire appeared, all to be filled with the Holy Ghost, yet the Tongues are said to sit upon each of them. In two ancient Copies some of our Criticks say that the Text runs, they sate upon each of the Apostles, and I think that a very probable gloss. The Reasons are, First, the Spirit in some particular manner was promised to them only, Acts i. 7. Secondly, when some Scoffers said they were full of new wine that had the gift of Tongues, St. Peter makes his apology for himself and the Eleven only. Thirdly, it is said hereupon that they all spake or preacht the mighty things of God. This befits the Apostles, and not those one hundred and twenty, among whom was the Blessed Virgin, and other women, whose office it was not to preach. Fourthly, the standers by said, Are not all these of Galilee that speak with divers tongues, which was true in the Apostles, now Judas was taken away, but very improbable to agree to all the rest. Howsoever let there be no discord about this, it is not worth the while; no more is the next quere upon what part of them the Cloven Tongues did sit? That is not exprest, but in all likelihood it was their head, for thereunto all Expositors do give their suffrage. The Spirit must be in summo loco, we must give it, and the inspiration thereof the pre-eminence in all things. These Tongues,* 1.15 says Gregory, did encircle about their head, Ʋt novae coronae spirituales capiti eorum imponerentur, as if the King of heaven had crowned them with spiritual Crowns from heaven. They are ridiculous among the Pontifician Writers that would fetch it from hence that Christ did ordain the Apostles Bishops at this time, and used this Ceremony to touch their head from heaven, for Consecratio Episcoporum est in ca∣pite, as they urge it out of Clemens Constitution: For another while they confess that the Episcopal character, and all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and authority was given them in those words, As my Father sent me, so do I send you.

These things being thus put out of the way, the main Doctrine agreed on all hands is, that the sitting of the Tongues did betoken the constant abiding of the Spi∣rit, he is no flitter, he doth not come with a lick and away, but his gifts are with∣out repentance. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, so St. Chrysostome, and his true follower Oecumenius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, both agree that the Spirit was setled upon them, not to depart away. It is a fire like that on the Altar, permanent and never going out; according to our Saviours Promise, Joh. xiv. 16. I will pray the Fa∣ther and he shall give you another Comforter, that may abide with you for ever. Some of the Schoolmen find a knot in this plain Doctrine, whether the Apostles, and all upon whom the Spirit did now abide were confirmed in grace. Certain Ecclesiastical Historians trouble them in their conclusions, who say that Nicholas the Deacon, from whom the Nicolaitans were derived, and many other ring-leaders of Hereticks were present at this time, and although the Spirit descended upon them, yet they forsook their first faith. The answer is, if these stories be Authentical, these gifts were gratiae gratis da∣tae, not gratum facientes; Gifts which God did graciously give, not gifts which made them gracious to God that received them. And the continuance and residency of these tongues is established in these words, that the Comforter whom Christ would send should abide with them for ever; that is, it should abide in the Church, that is in them, and in their Successors unto the ends of the world, till Christ should come again in glory, as I will open upon the next verse. AMEN.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 141.3.
• * 1.2

  Past. Cu. lib. 2. c. 4.
• * 1.3

  In 1. cap. ad Titum.
• * 1.4

  Ep. ad Oeca∣num.
• * 1.5

  Ep. 59.
• * 1.6

  Homil. 30. in Ezek.
• * 1.7

  Harding.
• * 1.8

  Mar. 16.
• * 1.9

  Ep. 494.
• * 1.10

  2. lib. de Orat.
• * 1.11

  Homil. 30. in Ezek.
• * 1.12

  Erasmus.
• * 1.13

  Capgrave.
• * 1.14

  De Tem. Serm. 185.
• * 1.15

  Lib. 8. c. 2.