Sermons, preached partly before His Majesty at White-Hall and partly before Anne Dutchess of York, at the chappel at St. James / by Henry Killigrew ...

The Lifting up of his Eyes, and Sighing.

A Look to Heaven and a Sigh are the Prayers of them, that have no other Opportunity to make their Supplications. Levavi oculos meos, says the Psalmist, I lift up mine Eyes unto the Hills, from whence cometh my help. That little Motion of the Prophets, the looking only for Help in Faith, was his Impetration of it: and S^t Paul says, By Sighs and Groans the Spi∣rit makes Intercession for things that cannot be uttered, [or distinctly exprest.] Thus our Lord, by casting up his Eyes to the Throne of God, made his Petiti∣on; and his Sighing, was his Strong Intercession. Not that the Father did not hear him readily, and at all times, as himself said, but he pray'd after this man∣ner, to shew the Correspondence he held with Hea∣ven, and that the People might see, that the Mira∣cles which he wrought were the Return of his Prayers; that as his Finger toucht the Ear and Tongue of the Impotent Man, so his Request toucht the Throne of God. But we must look upon this, and all other Ceremonies which Christ used in work∣ing his Miracles, as things no way needful to what he did, but needful to our Imbecillity; to help our Faith, not to help him in his Performances; they were like the Voices that came to him from Heaven, not for his own Sake, but for the sake of the Standers-by.

The third Circumstance, was the Word our Lord used, Ephata, or be opened. And if the former Cir∣cumstances which he made use of, express'd any seem∣ing Weakness or Insufficiency, this last declared the Fullness of his Power and Omnipotence; it being a Word like that which God spake at the Creation, Let there be Light, and there was Light; a Word pronounced as Imperatively and Magisterially, and which found as ready Obedience; it was dictum fa∣ctum, as 'tis said, a Word and a Deed. The Poets tell of a famous Enchantress, whose Spells were so dreadful, that the Celestial Orbs yielded Obedience to her—carmenque timent audire secundum, and durst at no time stay her second Charm. But though this were but a Fiction or Juggle; yet so it was that all the Creatures, without any Demur, speedily and con∣stantly obeyed the Injunctions of our Lord, and ne∣ver stay'd his second Command; whether they were Elements, Diseases, or Devils themselves. And as when he commanded the Storm to cease, the Mari∣ners ask'd amazedly, What manner of Man is this, that even the Sea and the Winds obey? So the Mul∣titude were no less astonisht here, when they saw not only the deaf Elements obey, but Deafness it self to lend an Ear; when I say upon the pronouncing only of this single powerful Ephata, they beheld the Doors of Audience and of Utterance both fly open; the Dumb to speak, and the Deaf to be so quick of hear∣ing; their Mouths were also open'd in Lauds and Praises, and with one Universal Consent they gave our Lord this Testimony or Elogy: He hath done all things Well: he maketh both the Deaf to hear, and the Dumb to speak. Which brings me to my second Ge∣neral Part, The Verdict and Approbation of the Peo∣ple. But the time will not suffer me to go through

the Several Stages of it; I shall therefore only make some Use of what I have said, and conclude at pre∣sent.

We have heard, that our Lord (not only in the present Miracle before us, but in many others) used divers Ceremonies, though he could have wrought them, if he had pleas'd, without so much as seeing the Persons, as he did the absent Servant of the Cen∣turion: But while such Ceremonies edified the Be∣holders, instructed their Ignorance, made a deeper and more durable Impression in their Minds of his Glorious Works, while they added Authority to his Words, and Veneration to his Person, he disdained not to serve himself with them. And though the Wisdom of our Church (for the like prudential Rea∣sons, viz. to explain her Doctrines, to adde Order and Beauty to her Worship, to stir up Zeal and Re∣verence in her Worshippers, and the like) has admit∣ted of some few Ceremonies: yet they lye under so great a Prejudice to many, that to name them only without Detestation, is enough to render the Person that names them Detestable. But what our Lord has so far approved of, as to practise, ought not to be detested by his Followers.

It will not be possible in the few Minutes remain∣ing to me, to treat fully of this Subject: But what are Ceremonies, which are so cry'd-out against, but the Outward Expressions of the Faith and Devotion we have Inwardly in our Hearts to God? As the A∣postle says, With the Heart we believe unto Righteous∣ness, and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salva∣tion: For we may manifest our Belief by Actions as well as by Words; neither is it material by which we do it, so we do it sincerely; and whatever Excepti∣ons can be made against Ceremonies, may be made

also against Words, viz. that they may be Abused: But then as men reject not the Use of Words, be∣cause some do Deceive with them: So neither ought they to reject Ceremonies, the Outward Expressions of a Devout Soul, because they are used by some Super∣stitiously and Idolatrously.

And the true Cause indeed of so manys abhor∣ring Ceremonies, is the Excessive and Idolatrous Use of them in the Church of Rome, the multitude of their Cringings, Bowings, Crossings, Prostrati∣ons, Sprinklings of Water, tinklings of Bells, cen∣sing and kissing of Books, Images, and Altars, chan∣ging of Vestments, exposing of Reliques, lighting and extinguishing of Candles, &c. all in one and the same Service, insomuch that the Worship of God, a∣mong so many busie Fooleries, is the least part of it self: and Religion so far from being Explained and Adorned by these things, that 'tis Disfigured, and ren∣dred only more Dark and Mysterious. Which while some have taken just offence at, they have run as much into the other Extreme, and condemned all Ceremonies in general, and endeavoured to justifie their transport against them by Scripture; Unskilful∣ly or Unsincerely wresting, whatever they find spo∣ken against the Old Jewish Ceremonies, to the Chri∣stian: Whereas the Apostles Quarrel against the Jewish Ceremonies, was not for any thing which they had in Common with those that are used at this day in the Church of Christ: but for their being directly Contrary to Christianity: they were Types of Christ and of the Gospel, and while they were kept on foot, they denyed that he was come into the World. However therefore that Ceremonies have been abused, or that it may be said, that the Outward Worship of the Body, if compared with the

Inward Worship of the Soul, is but as the Outward Court of the Sanctuary to the Holy of Holies: Yet if we consider rightly of the Exterior Acts of Devo∣tion, they are no less the Acts of the Heart, than the Interior: for as the one are the Elicite, the other are the Imperate Acts of the Soul; and, though in a Degree once removed, may be as Cordial and Sin∣cere as the other; and are in many respects not only Useful, but Necessary in Religion.

For first, It is not possible to perform the Publick Worship of God without them, the assembling in his House, in his holy Name, and on his Own Day, the bowing our Knees before him, and lifting up our Hands and Eyes to Heaven, and the like, are all Ce∣remonies, Outward Expressions of the Faith, Reve∣rence, and Dependence we have on God: and those that are so Unreconcil'd to some of these things, ne∣cessarily and unavoidably practise others of the like nature to those they condemn. And what reason can these Men give, when they can dishonour and sin against God with their Body, why they may not also honour him with it? When with their Body they can commit Idolatry, why with their Body also they cannot perform a Legitimate and holy Worship? The Body is to be Partaker with the Soul hereafter in Glory, and no reason can be given why it should not now join with the Soul in the Duties of Religi∣on. How graciously did God accept and reward the Formal, Outward and Ceremonial Humiliation of that Hypocrite and Idolater Ahab? for his Fasting, and putting on Sackcloth, and walking softly, (upon hearing the Judgments denounced against him by E∣lijah) God revers'd his Judgments! Seest thou, says God to the Prophet, how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not

send the Evil in his days, &c. If men rightly consi∣dered these things, they would not come into God's House, as if they came to affront, and not to adore him, neither baring the Head, nor bending the Knee; out of a foolish fear to commit Idolatry, deport themselves in his Presence like Idols; and as if they came there to be worshipp'd, and not to worship.

2. Ceremonies are useful in regard of the Persons that use them: for they are Wings to their Devotion, and raise it to a higher Pitch, than the quiet Actings of the Heart alone can do. And as a man by vehe∣ment Speeches and Emotions of his Body may chafe himself into a greater Degree of Anger: so by de∣vout Gestures in Prayer he may heighten and enflame his Zeal.

3. Ceremonies are useful in regard of the Behold∣ers. The reverent, solemn, and holy Rites of the Church being suited to the Majesty of the Deity that is worshipp'd, excite Faith and a more awful Regard in the Hearts of men; and 'twas for this very Rea∣son, as I said, that our Lord used so many Circum∣stances and Ceremonies in the working of his Mira∣cles. For such Visible Performances are many times more Efficacious Lessons, than long Harangues; and though men affect to appropriate the term of Edifica∣tion to Sermons only, the External Parts of Religi∣on are not without their Edification too; and a ho∣ly Practice or Custom may make a smarter Impression on the Soul, than the Inculcations of a flat and heavy Sermon.

4. Ceremonies are useful in regard of the Light they give to many Doctrines, which being assisted and seconded by such Sensible Circumstances, as Ex∣hibit them to the Eye as well as to the Ear, they are the better explain'd, and establish'd in the Un∣derstanding

by the help of two Senses, as Differen∣ces in Law are by the Mouths of two Witnesses; and we may term the Ceremonies which accompany the Precepts of Religion, the Jael, or Nail that fastens the Substance of them in our Minds, as the holy Ma∣tron of that Name rivetted the temples of Sisera to the ground: Or we may call them the Masorah of the Church: for as the Jewish Masorah by an exact and critical Calculation of the Number of Words, Syllables, and Letters in the Scripture, hedg'd in the Text both from Mutilations and Additions: So Ce∣remonies often empale the Substance of Religion, and guard it from Innovation and Corruption. And may we not then justly condemn the Perverseness of those, that make such Out-cries against such Useful, such Innocent, nay such Necessary things, as Cere∣monies? who decry the same things for Superstition, when used in the Church, which they allow to be Wisdom, when practis'd by our Saviour? But Wis∣dom is justified of her Children impartially, and those that have the Ingenuity and Goodness of the People in my Text, and no Taint of Pharisaical Pride and Hypocrisie, will approve the Rites of our Church, as well as her Doctrines; and say, She has done all things Well, She has made the Unanimous in Faith, Uniform in Worship; added to the Beauty of Truth, the Beauty of Holiness; neither dressing up the Service of God in that Strumpet-like Attire, which the Church of Rome does; nor stripping it in∣to that deformed and sordid Nakedness which is seen in the Fanatick and Congregational Assemblies.