Clavis mystica a key opening divers difficult and mysterious texts of Holy Scripture; handled in seventy sermons, preached at solemn and most celebrious assemblies, upon speciall occasions, in England and France. By Daniel Featley, D.D.

THE FEAST OF PENTECOST. A Sermon preached on Whitsunday. THE LXIII. SERMON.

ATCS 2.1.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all together with one accord in one place.

SAinta 1.1 Chrysostome, comparing the works of redemption with the works of creation, observeth, that as the Fa∣ther finished the former, so the Sonne the later, in six dayes especially: in memorie whereof his dearest Spouse, the Catholique Church, hath appointed six solemnities to be kept by all Christians, with greatest fervour of devotion, and highest elevation of religi∣ous affections. These are Christ his

• 1. Virgin birth.
• 2. Illustrious Epiphanie.
• 3. Ignominious death.
• 4. His powerfull resurrection.
• 5. His glorious ascension.
• 6. His gracious sending downe of the holy Ghost.

The day of

• 1. His incarnation, by which he entred into the world.
• 2. His manifestation, on which he entred upon his office of Mediatour.
• 3. His passion, on which he expiated our sinnes.
• 4. His resuscitation, by w^ch he conquered death & the grave.
• 5. His triumphant returne into heaven, on which hee tooke seizin and possession of that kingdome for us.
• 6. His visible mission of the holy Ghost, in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues, on which he sealed all his former benefits to us, and us to the day of redemption.

This last festivall in order of time was yet the first and chiefest in order of dignity. For on Christs birth day hee was made partaker of our nature, but on this wee were made partakers after a sort of his: in the Epiphany one starre onely stood over the house where hee lay, on this twelve fiery tongues, like so many celestiall lights, appeared in the roome where the Apostles were assembled: on the day of his passion he rendred his humane spirit to God his father, on this hee sent downe his divine spirit upon us: on the resurrection his spirit quickened his naturall body, on this it quic∣kened his mysticall, the Catholique Church: on the ascension he tooke a pledge from us, viz. our flesh, and carried it into heaven, on this hee sent us his pledge, viz. his spirit in the likenesse of fiery tongues, with the sound of a mighty rushing wind. After which the Spouse, as Gorrhan conceiveth, pan∣ted, saying,b 1.2 Awake, O North wind, and come thou South, blow upon my gar∣den, that the spices therof may flow out; let my Beloved come into his garden, & eat his pleasant fruits. The wind she gasped for, what was it but the spirit? and what are the fragrant spices shee wishes may flow, but the graces of the holy Ghost, which David calleth gifts for men in the eighteenth verse of the 68. Psalme? the former part whereof may furnish the feast we lately celebrated, with a fit antheme, Thou hast ascended up on high, thou hast led captivitie captive: the later may supply this present, thou hast received gifts for men, yea for the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation: for on this day Christ received gifts for his Church, the gifts of faith, hope and charitie, the gift of prayer and supplication, the gift of healing and miracles, the gift of prophecie, the gift of tongues, and the in∣terpretation thereof. Verily, so many and so great are the benefits, which the anniversary returne of this day presenteth to us, that as if all the tongues upon the earth had not beene sufficient to utter them, a supply of new tongues was sent from heaven to declare them in all languages. The new Testament was drawne before, and signed with Christs bloud on good Friday; butc 1.3 sealed first on this day by the holy spirit of God. Christ made his last Will upon the crosse, and thereby bequeathed unto us many faire legacies: but this Will was notd 1.4 administred till this day; for thee 1.5 mi∣nistration is of the spirit.

Yea, but had not the Apostles the spirit before this day? did not our

Lord breathe on them, (John 20.22.) the day he rose at evening, being the first day of the weeke, saying, Receive yee the holy Ghost?

The learned answer, that they had indeed the spirit before, but not in such a measure: the holy Ghost was given before according to some ghostly power and invisible grace; but was never sent before in a visible manner: before they received him in breath, now in fire: before hee wasf 1.6 sprinkled, but now powred on them: before they received 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but now 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: before authority to discharge their function, but now power to worke wonders: before they had the smell, now the substanceg 1.7 of the celestiall oyntment was shed on them: they heard of him before, but now they saw and felt him

• 1. In their minds, by infallible direction:
• 2. In their tongues, by the multiplicity of languages:
• 3. In their hands, by miraculous cures.

S. Austine truly observeth, that before the Apostles on this day were indued with power from above, they never strove for the Christian faith unto bloud: when Satan winnowed them at Christs passion they all flew away like chaffe. And though S. Peters faith failed not, because it was sup∣ported by our Lords prayer, Luke 22.32. yet his courage failed him in such sort, that he was foyled by a silly damsell: but after the holy Ghost descended upon him and the rest of the Apostles, in the sound of a mightie rushing wind, and in the likenesse of fierie cloven tongues, they were filled with grace, and enflamed with zeale, and they mightily opposed all the enemies of the truth, and made an open and noble profession thereof before the greatest Potentates of the world, and sealed it with their bloud, all of them save S. John; who had that priviledge that hee should stay till Christ came, glorifying the Lord of life by their valiant suffering of death for his names sake. In regard of which manifold and powerfull eff••cts of sending the spirit on this day, which were no lesse seene in the flames of the Mar∣tyrs, than in the fiery tongues that lighted on the Apostles, the Church of Christ, even from the beginning, celebrated this festivity in most solemne manner; and not so onely, but within 300. yeares after Christs death, the Fathers in the Councels ofh 1.8 Eliberis mounted a canon, thundring out the paine of heresie to all such as religiously kept it not. If the Jewes celebrated an high feast in memory of the Law, on this day first proclaimed on mount Sinai; ought not we much more to solemnize it in memory of the Gospel now promulgated on mount Sion by new tongues sent from heaven? If we dedi•••••• peculiar festivals to God the Father the Creatour, and God the Sonne the Redeemer; why should not God the holy Ghost the Sancti∣fier have a peculiar interest in our devotion? S.i 1.9 Bernard addeth another twist to this cord, If we deservedly honour Saints with festivals, how much more ought wee to honour him, who maketh them Saints? especially having so good a ground for it, as is laid downe in this chapter and verse:

And when the day of Pentecost was come. As a prologue to an act, or an eeve to an holy day, or the Parascheve to the Passeover, or the beautifull gate to the Temple; so is this preface to the ensuing narration: it presen∣teth to our religious thoughts a three-fold concurrence:

• 1. Of time.
• 2. Of place.
• 3. Of affections.

Upon one and the selfe same day, when all the Apostles were met in one place, and were of one minde, the spirit of unity and love descendeth upon them. Complementum legis Christus, Evangelii spiritus; As the descending of the Sonne was the complement of the Law, so the sending of the spirit is the complement of the Gospel: and as God sent his Sonne in the fulnesse of time, so he sent the spirit, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the fulnesse of the fiftieth day. When the Apostles number was full, and their desire and expectations full, then the spirit came downe, and filled their hearts with joy, and their tongues with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Magnifica Dei facta, the wonderfull works of God, vers. 11.

That your thoughts rove not at uncertainties, may it please you to pitch them upon foure circumstances.

• 1. The time, when.
• 2. The persons who, They.
• 3. The affection or disposition, were with one accord.
• 4. The place, in one place.

• 1. The time was solemne, the day of Pentecost.
• 2. The persons eminent, the Apostles.
• 3. Their disposition agreeable, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 4. The place convenient, in an upper roome at Jerusalem, where Christ appointed them to wait for thek 1.10 promise of the father.

1. Of the time. In the Syriacke and Latine wee read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or dies, dayes, in the plurall number: but in the originall, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the day in the singular. The Syriacke and the Latine had an eye to the whole number of dayes, which now amounted unto fiftie: the origi∣nall designeth in the singular the precise day which made it up fiftie, the day by the accesse whereof to the 49. the number of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or fiftie, was made complete. Word for word according to the originall wee should thus reade my text, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in or upon the fulfilling of the fiftieth day from the feast of first fruits. Metall upon metall is no good He∣raldrie; yet feast upon feast is good Divinitie: especially when the one is the type, the other the truth. For this reasonl 1.11 Severianus conceiveth that our Saviour was offered up for our sinnes on the crosse, the day and time of the day when the Paschall Lamb, according to the Law, was to be killed, to set the face to the picture, the truth to the type, that the body might as it were drive out the shadow, and occupie the space thereof. And in like mannerm 1.12 Theophylact imagineth that hee sent the spirit fiftie dayes after, when the Jewes kept a feast for the Law, to shew that as then the holy Ghost proclaimed the Law, so now also: then the law and covenant of works, now the law of faith and covenant of grace. S.o 1.13 Austine giveth another rellish of his owne; As (saith he) fiftie dayes after Easter the Law was given, writ∣ten by the finger of God in tables of stone: so the spirit, whose office it is to write it in the hearts of men, just so many dayes after Christs resurrection, who

is our Passover, fulfilled that which was figured in the publishing of the Law. S.p 1.14 Chrysostome striketh upon a different string, yet maketh good musicke: others fetched the congruitie from the Law, hee from nature. What, saith he, is Pentecost? It signifieth that season of the yeare, wherein the Jewes thrust their sickle into the corne-harvest. In like sort the Lord of the harvest disposed that now the Apostles should put their sickle (the sickle of the Word) into the harvest of the world and reape it. I shall not need to straine farther for con∣gruities, S. Cyrill and S. Ambrose give me the hint of another synchronisme; for they affirme that on this day the Angell descended into the poole of Be∣thesda, and after the troubling the water cured the sicke whatsoever the disease was. And what fitter day could have beene thought upon for the holy Ghost to descend, to bestow the gift of miraculous cures, than upon this day of healing? I could tell you of the Jubilee, which fell upon the fiftieth yeare, in which all possessions returned to their former owners, and acquit∣tances were given for all debts: but because the best stomacks rather desire solid than sweet meats, I therefore content my selfe at this present withq 1.15 Calvin his observation upon the circumstance of time. This solemnitie being next to that of the Passover, was the fittest time to make the miracle wrought upon it more illustrious. For this reason Christ came up so often to Jerusalem at their solemne feasts, and S. Paul made haste in his journey that he might be there at the feast of Pentecost, to win more soules by the preaching of the Gospel, in a time of so great confluence of people from all parts. There is no fishing to the sea, and now it was full sea at Jerusalem, all the cities in Palestine like so many rivers emptying themselves into it. The gift of tongues could not at any time so fitly have been bestowed as at this, when there were present at Jerusalem men of everie nation under heaven, Acts 2.5, 6. To convince all gaine-sayers of the miracle, What are these (say they) that speak? Are they not Galileans? How then heare we every one speake in our owne tongue where wee were borne? Parthians, and Medes, and Ela∣mites, and they that dwell in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Bithynia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Aegypt, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jewes and Proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we doe heare them speake in our tongues the wonderfull works of God, vers. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, As we read in the 19. Psalme, vers. 2. Dies ad diem eructat sermonem, & nox ad noctem ostendit scientiam; Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge, or giveth in∣telligence: so here, Lingua ad linguam eructat sermonem: the tongues of men of all nations gave testimony to the miraculous gift of tongues in the Apostles. It is the wisdome of State, to appoint beacons to be set up on the highest hils, to give notice to all the Countrey. And Christ himselfe com∣mandeth us not to hide a candle under a bushell, but to set it on a candlesticke, that it may give light to all that are in the house. And in this consideration those Preachers of the glad tidings of salvation, who have had the best foyle of modestie to set off the lustre of their knowledge, have yet been de∣sirous to deliver their Embassage from God to men in the fullest assem∣blies: not to gaine thereby more applause to themselves, but more soules to God. When the eares stand thicke in a corne-field, not a drop of raine falleth besides them on the ground. And this is a principall end of our

celebration of Christian feasts, to draw multitudes together to heare Christ preaching by his Ministers, and working still miraculous cures upon the soules of men, by the Sacraments administred in the Church. And so from the holy day, I proceed to the sacred persons assembled on it, viz. the Apostles.

They were all together. Beza telleth us of an ancient manuscript, in which he found the substantive added to the adjective omnes, viz. Apostoli, which words though I finde not in our copies, yet by comparing this verse with the last of the former chapter, it appeareth that the all here must bee re∣strained to the Apostles, or principally meant of them; for they were, as S. Austine setteth themr 1.16 forth, twelve beames of the sunne of righteousnesse, or twelve great torches of the truth enlightening the whole world. They were as the twelve Patriarks of the new Testament, to be consecrated as oecu∣menicall Pastours throughout all the earth: they were as thes 1.17 twelve Wels of water in Elim, from whence the chrystall streames of the water of life were to be derived into all parts: they were as the twelvet 1.18 starres in the crowne of the woman which was cloathed with the sunne, and the moone under her feet: and as the twelveu 1.19 pretious stones in the foundation of the celestiall Jerusalem.

The present assembly in this upper roome was no other than a sacred Synod; and in truth there can be no Synod where the Apostles or their suc∣cessours are not present, and Presidents. For all assemblies, how great soe∣ver, of Lay-persons, called together about ordering ecclesiasticall affaires, without Bishops and Pastours, are like to Polyphemus his vast body with∣out an eye:

Monstrum horrendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum.

But when the Apostles and their successours, Bishops, and Prelates, and Doctours of the Church are assembled, and all are of one accord, and bend their endevours one way, to settle peace and define truth, Christ will make good his promise, to be in the* 1.20 middest of them, and by his spirit to lead them intox 1.21 all truth.

With one accord. All the ancient and later Interpreters accord in their note upon the word accord, that Animorum unio & concordia est optima dispositio ad recipiendum Spiritum sanctum: that Unitie and concord is the best disposition of the minde, & preparation for the receiving of the holy Ghost. The bones in Ezekiel werey 1.22 joyned one to another and tyed with sinewes, before the wind blew upon them and revived them: so the members of Christ must bee joyned in love, and coupled with the sinewes of charita∣ble affections one towards another, before the holy Spirit will enlive them. Marke (saith S.z 1.23 Austine) in the naturall body, how if a member bee cut off, the soule presently leaveth it; while it was united to the rest of the mem∣bers it lived, but as soone as ever it was severed, it became a dead peece of flesh: so it is in the mysticall body of Christ; those who sever themselves by schisme or faction from the body and their fellow-members, deprive them∣selves of the influence of the holy Spirit. Peruse the records of the Church, and you shall finde for the most part that faction hath bred heresie. When discontented Church-men of eminent parts sided against their Bishops and Superiours, Gods spirit left them, and they became authours of damnable

heresies. This was Novatus his case after hee made a faction against Cy∣prian: Donatus after hee made a faction against Meltiades: Aerius after hee made a schisme against Eustatius: and doe we not see it daily in our Se∣paratists, who no sooner leave our Church, but the spirit of God quite leaveth them, and they fall from Brownisme to Anabaptisme, from Ana∣baptisme to Familisme, and into what not? The Church and Common-wealth, like the* 1.24 Lapis Tyrrhenus, while they are whole swimme in all wa∣ters; but if they be broken into factions, or crumbled into sects & schismes, they will soone sinke, if not drowne. And so I passe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from their unanimitie of affection, to their concurrence in place.

In one place. The last circumstance is the place, which was an upper chamber in Jerusalem. The Apostles and Disciples stayed at Jerusalem after the ascension of our Lord, partly in obedience to hisa 1.25 command, which was not to depart out of Jerusalem till they were indued with power from above: partly to fulfill the prophecie, theb 1.26 Law shall goe out of Sion, and the word of God out of Jerusalem. They kept all together out of love, and for more safetie; and they tooke an upper chamber that they might bee more private and retired, or because in regard of the great confluence of people at this feast, they could not hire the whole house: or as Bernar∣dinus conceiveth, to teach us that the spirit ofc 1.27 God is given to such as raise up themselves from the earth, and give themselves to the contemplation of high and heavenly mysteries.

Now to descend from this higher chamber, and to come neare to you by some application of this text: It will be to little purpose to heare of the Apostles preparation this day, if wee prepare not our selves accor∣dingly: to discourse of their entertainment, and receiving the holy Spirit, if wee receive him not into our hearts. It is a mockerie, as Fulgentius hath it, Ejus diem celebrare, cujus lucem oderimus, To keepe the day of the Spirit, if wee hate his light. If wee desire to celebrate the feast of the Spirit, and by his grace worthily receive the Sacrament of Christ his flesh, wee must imitate the Apostles and Disciples in each circumstance.

1. Rely upon Gods promises by a lively faith, of sending the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts, and patiently expect the accomplishment of it many dayes as they did.

2. Ascend into an upper chamber, that is, remove our selves as farre as wee can from the earth, and set our affections upon those things that are above.

3. Meet in one place, that is the Church; to frequent the house of God, and when we are bid, not to make excuses, but to present our selves at the Lords boord.

4. Not onely meet in one place, but as the Apostles did with one ac∣cord, to reconcile all differences among our selves, and to purge out all gall of malice, and in an holy sympathy of devotion, to joyne sighs with sighs, and hearts with hearts, and hands with hands, and lifting up all to∣gether with one accord, sing, Come holy Ghost: so as this day is Pentecost, in like manner this place shall be as the upper roome where they were as∣sembled, and we as the Apostles and Disciples, and the Word which hath now beene preached unto us, as the sound of that mightie rushing wind which

filled that roome: and after wee have worthily celebrated the feast of the Spirit, and administred the Sacrament of our Lords body and bloud, wee shall feele the effects of both in us: viz. more light in our understanding, more warmth in our affections, more fervour in our devotions, more com∣fort in our afflictions, more strength in temptations, more growth in grace, more settled peace of conscience, and unspeakable joy in the holy Ghost: To whom with the Father and the Sonne bee ascribed, &c.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Hom. in die ascens. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 1.2

  Cant. 4.16.
• c 1.3

  Ephes. 4.30. Grieve not the holy spirit of God, where∣by yee are sea∣led to the day of redemption.
• d 1.4

  1 Cor. 12.4, 5, 8. There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord: and diversitie of gifts, but the same spirit. For to one is gi∣ven by the same spirit, the word of wisdome, unto another the word of knowledge, by the same spirit.
• e 1.5

  And 2 Cor. 3.8. How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
• f 1.6

  Calv. in Act Anteà respersi erant, nunc plenè imbuti.
• g 1.7

  Aug. hom. de Pent. Nunc ipsa substantia sacri defluxit unguenti, cujus fragrantia to∣tius orbis lati∣tudo implere∣tur; & iterum adfuit hoc die fidelibus, non per gratiam visitationis & operationis, sed per praesen∣tiam majesta∣tis.
• h 1.8

  Concil. Elib. c. 43. Cuncti diem Penteco∣stes celebrent, qui non fece∣rit quasi no∣vam heresem induxerit pu∣matur.
• i 1.9

  Serm. in die Pent. Si cele∣bramus san∣ctorum solen∣nia, quanto magis ejus à quo habue∣runt ut sancti essent, quot∣quot fuerunt sancti? si vene∣ramur sanctifi∣catos, quanto magis sanctifi∣catorem?
• k 1.10

  Act. 1.4.
• l 1.11

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• m 1.12

  In haec ver∣ba, ut ostende∣ret & tum spi∣ritum sanctum legem tulisse, & nunc legem ferre.
• o 1.13

  Aug. hom. de Pent Sicut 50. post pascha die lex lata fuit manu Dei scripta in tabulis lapideis: ita spiritus, cujus officium erat eam cordibus inscribere, condem diebus post resurrectio∣nem Christi, qui est pascha nostrum, implevit, quod in legis promulgatione figuratum erat.
• p 1.14

  Chrys. hom. de Pent. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.
• q 1.15

  Calv. com. in Act. 2. Festo die quo ingens multitudo Hierosolymae confluere so∣lebat, editum est miraculum quo illustrius redderetur.
• r 1.16

  Aug. serm. de Pent. Tan∣quam duode∣cim radii solis, seu totidem lampades veri∣tatis totum mundum illu∣minantes.
• s 1.17

  Exod. 15.27.
• t 1.18

  Apoc. 12.1.
• u 1.19

  Apoc. 21.14.
• * 1.20

  Matt. 18.20. When two or three are ga∣thered toge∣ther in my name, there am I in the middest of them. And,
• x 1.21

  John 16.13. When the spi∣rit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.
• y 1.22

  Ezek. 37.7, 8.
• z 1.23

  Serm. de Temp. Mem∣brum amputa∣tum non se∣quitur spiritus: cùm in corpo∣re erat vive∣bat, precisum amittit spiri∣tum.
• * 1.24

  Plin. l. 2. nat. hist. c. 105. Lapis Tyr∣rhenus grandis innatat, com∣minutus mer∣gitur.
• a 1.25

  Acts 1.4.
• b 1.26

  Esay 2.3.
• c 1.27

  Com. in Act. Ut discamus quod datur spiritus iis qui se ab imis at∣tollunt, & rerū sublimium contemplati∣one ut cibo se oblectant.