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 REWARD OF PATIENCE. THE LII. SERMON.

PHILIP. 2.9.

Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him.

Right Honourable, &c.

THe drift of the blessed Apostle in the former part of this chapter, to which my Text cohereth, is to quench the fire-bals of contention cast among the Philippians by proud and ambitious spirits, who preached the Gospel of truth not in truth and sincerity, but in faction, and through emulation: (Phil. 1.15.) Some indeed preach Christ out of envie and strife. This fire kindled more and more by the breath of contradiction, and nourished by the ambition of the teachers, and factious partaking of the hearers, Saint Paul seeketh to lave out, partly with his owne teares, partly with Christs bloud, both which he mingleth in a passionate exhortation at the entrance of this chapter: If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels of mercies; fulfill yee my joy, bee yee like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory. Look not every man to his owne things, but every man also to the things of others. Let the same mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the forme of God, thought it no robbery to be equall with God: But made himselfe of no reputation, &c. In this context all other parts are curiously woven one in the other, only there is a bracke at the fifth verse, which seemes to have no connexion at all with the former: for the former were part of a zealous admonition to brotherly love and christian

reconciliation, add this to voluntary obedience and humiliation: in those he perswaded them to goe together as friends, in this to give place one to the other: in those he earnestly beseecheth them to be of one mind among themselves, in this to be of the same mind with Christ Jesus. Now peace and obedience, love and humility seeme to have no great affinity one with the other; for though their natures be not adverse, yet they are very divers. Howbeit, if ye look neerer to the texture of this sacred discourse, ye shall find it all closely wrought, and that this exhortation to humility, to which my Text belongeth, hath good coherence with the former, and is perti∣nent to the maine scope of the Apostle; which was to re-unite the severed affections, and reconcile the different opinions of the faithfull among the Philippians, that they might all both agree in the love of the same truth, and seeke that truth in love. This his holy desire he could not effect, nor bring about his godly purpose, before he had beat down the partition wall that was betwixt them: which because it was erected by pride, could be no otherwise demolished than by humility. The contentions among the peo∣ple grew from emulation among the Pastors, and that from vaine glory. As sparkes are kindled by ascending of the smoake, so all quarrels and conten∣tions by ambitious spirits: thea 1.1 divisions of Reuben are haughty thoughts of heart. A high conceit of their owne, and a low value and under rate of the gifts of others, usually keep men from yeelding one to the other upon good termes of Christian charity. Wherefore the Apostle, like a wise Physici∣an, applyeth his spirituall remedy not so much parti laesae, to the part where the malady brake forth, as to the cause, the vanitie of the Preachers, and pride of the hearers, after this manner:

Christ humbled himselfe, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Crosse: therefore they who desire to be affected and liked of him, must be like affected to him, and not exalt themselves above others in pride, but rather abase them∣selves below them in humility; not behave themselves as lords over the faith of others, but rather demeane themselves as servants for Christs sake; not pursue ambitiously the glory of this world, but account it the greatest glory to partake with Christ in the infamy of the Crosse. How unfit and incongruous a thing is it in contention to preach the Gospel of peace? in rage and choler to treat of meeknesse? in malice and hatred to exhort to Christian love and reconciliation? in pride to commend hu∣mility? in vaine glory to erect the Crosse of Christ? that is to deny the power of it in so declaring it. Yet if they will needs bee ambitious, if their affections are so set upon glory and honour that nothing can take them off, let them take the readiest course to compasse their desire, which lyeth not in the higher way they have chosen, by advancing themselves, but in the lower way, which Christ took by abasing himselfe.

For glory is of the nature of a Crocodile, which flyeth from them that pursue it, and pursueth them that flie it, as S.b 1.2 Chrysostome excellently declareth it: Glory (saith he) cannot be attained but by eschuing it; if thou makest after it, it ma∣keth away from thee; if thou flyest from it, it followeth thee; if thou desirest to be glorious, be not ambitious; for all truly honour them who affect not honour: as on the contrary they hold a base opinion of such as are ever aspiring to honour, and that for the most part without desert.

Two weighty reasons wee have in this verse to incline all Christian minds to obedient humility or humble obedience, a patterne of it and the reward thereof: he humbled himse••fe so low, therefore God exalted him so high. Of the patterne most lively drawne in the life and especially the death of our Saviour, I have said something already, and shall more hereafter; yet can never say all. As Socrates spake of Philosophy, that it was nothing but meditatio mortis, a meditation upon death, we may of Divinity, that it is in a manner nothing else but meditatio mortis Christi, a meditation on Christs death: for the learnedest of all the Apostles would be knowne of no other knowledge that he had, or much esteemed but this, Ic 1.3 desire (saith he) to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.d 1.4 Pliny describeth unto us a strange kind of people in Africa, that had no mouthes, but received all their nourishment at their nostrils (which is nothing else but sweet smells and fra∣grant odours) who if they are to take any long journey, provide themselves of great store of flowers, and sweet wood, and aromaticall spices, lest they starve by the way. I will not warrant the narration, because I know it is a case over-ruled in Aristotles philosophy, that smells nourish not; but the application I can make good out of the Apostle, who calleth the Gospel and the Preachers thereof odorem vitae ad vi••am, a savour ofe 1.5 life unto life. Though the naturall life be not, yet the spirituall is nourished by odours & savours. And howsoever we are not in our bodies, yet in our soules we are Astomi, and, like those people of Africa, rec••ive nourishment from sweet trees and roots. The sweet root we are alwayes to carry about us, is the root of the flower of Jesse: the savoury wood we are to smell unto, is the wood of the Crosse, that is, the tree of life in the midst of our Paradise. It is the ladder of Jacob whereby we ascend into heaven, it is the rod of Aaron that continually buddeth in the Church, it is the Juniper tree whose shade killeth the Serpent, it is the tree which was cast into the waters of Marah and made them sweet: no water so bitter, no affliction so brackish, to which the Crosse of Christ giveth not a sweet rellish.

But to proceed from the eff••ct of Christs passion in us, our comfort and salvation, to the effect of it in himselfe, his glory and ex••ltation, expressed in the letter of my Text, Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him.

Wherefore. Although there can be no cause given of Gods will, which is the cause of all causes; yet (as Aquinas teacheth us to distinguish) there may be ratio rei volitae, a reason of the thing willed by God: for God, accor∣ding to the counsell of his owne will, setteth divers things in such an order, that the former is the cause of the latter; yet none of them a cause, but an effect of his will. For example, in that golden chaine drawne by the Apo∣stle, Whom he hathf 1.6 predestinated those he hath called, whom he hath called he hath justified, whom he hath justified he hath glorified: predestination is a cause of vocation, vocation of justification, justification of glorification; yet all of these depend upon Gods will, and his will upon none of them. In like manner, God hath so disposed the causes of our salvation, that Christs in∣carnation and humiliation should goe before his glory and exaltation, & the one bee the meritorious cause of the other: yet neither of them is causa voluntatis divinae exaltantis, but ratio exaltationis volitae; neither of them a cause of Gods will exalting, but the former the reason of Christs exaltation, as willed by God.

God. Though Christ rose of himselfe, and, as himselfe speaketh, reared up the temple of his body after it was destroyed ratione suppositi, yet ratione principii it is most true, God raised him up: and therefore the Apostle saith else-where, that he wasg 1.7 raised by the right hand of God, that is, divine, power; but because this divine power was his owne, and essentiall to him as God, he may be truly said also to have raised himselfe.

Hath highly exalted. Above the grave in his resurrection, above the earth in his ascension, above the heaven in his session at the right hand of his Fa∣ther. In the words highly exalted there is no tautologie, but an emphasis, which is all one as if he had said, Super omnem altitudinem exaltavit, super omnem potestatem evexit, he exalted him above all highnesse, he gave him a power above all powers, and a name above all names.

Him. It is desputed among Divines, whether this him hath reference to Christ, considered as God or man: that is to say, whether he was exalted according to his humane nature only, or according to the divine also. Some later Expositors of good note, and by name M^r. Perkins on the Creed, re∣solve that Christ was exalted according to both natures; according to his humane, by laying down all infirmities of mans nature, and assuming to him∣self all qualities of glory: according to his divine, by the manifestation of the Godhead in the manhood, which before seemed to lie hid. But this seemeth not to be so proper an interpretation, neither can it be well conceived how that which is highest can be said to be exalted; but Christ (according to his divine nature) is and alwaies was, together with the Holy Ghost, most high in the glory of God the Father. It is true which they affirme, that the Deity more manifestly appeared in our Saviour after his resurrection than before, the rayes of divine Majesty were more conspicuous in him than before; but this commeth not home to the point. For this manifestation of the Deity in the humane nature, was no exaltation of the divine nature, but of the hu∣mane. As when the beames of the Sunne fall upon glasse, the glasse is illu∣strated thereby, not the beame; so the manifestation of the Deity in the humane nature of Christ, was the glory and exaltation of the manhood, not of the Godhead. I conclude this point therefore, according to the mind of the ancient and most of the later Interpreters, that God exalted Christ ac∣cording to that nature, which before was abased even unto the death of the Crosse: and that was apparently his humane. For according to his divine, as he could not be humbled by any, so neither be exalted: as he could not die, so neither be raised from death.

Having thus parced the words, it remaineth that we make construction of the whole; which confirmeth to us a principall article of our faith, and giveth us thus much to understand concerning the present estate of our Lord and Saviour, That because being in the forme of God, clothed with majesty and honour, adored by Cherubins, Seraphins, Archangels and Angels, he dis-robed himselfe of his glorious attire, and put upon him the habit and forme of a servant, and in it, to satisfie for the sins of the whole world, en∣dured all indignities, disgraces, vexations, derisions, tortures and torments, and for the close of all death it selfe, yea that cruell, infamous and accur∣sed death of the Crosse: therefore God even his Father, to whom he thus far obeyed, and most humbly submitted himselfe, hath accordingly exalted

him, raising him from the dead, carrying him up in triumph into hea∣ven, setting him in a throne of Jasper at his right hand, investing him with robes of majesty and glory, conferring upon him all power and authority, and giving him a name above all names, and a stile above all earthly stiles, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, giving charge to all creatures of what rank or degree soever in heaven, earth, or under the earth, to honour him as their King and God, in such sort that they never speake or thinke of him without bowing the knee, and doing him the greatest reverence and religious respect that is possibly to be expressed.

In this high mysterie of our faith five specialties are remarkable:

• 1 The cause, Wherefore.
• 2 The person advancing, God.
• 3 The advancement it selfe, exalted.
• 4 The manner, highly.
• 5 The person advanced, him. Begin we with the cause.

Wherefore. That which was elsewhere spoken by our Saviour,h 1.8 He that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted, is here spoken of our Saviour, hee humbled himselfe to suffer a most accursed death, therefore God highly exalted him to a most blessed and glorious life. We are too well conceited of our selves, & gather too much from Gods love and gracious promises to us, if we expect that he should bring us by a nearer way and shorter cut to cele∣stiall glory, than he did his onely begotten Son; who came not easily by his crowne, but bought it dearly with a price, not which he gave, but rather for which hee was given himselfe. His conquest over death and hell, and the spoyles taken from them, were not Salmacida spolia, sine sanguine & sudore, spoyles got without sweat or blood-shed; for he sweat, and he bled; nay he sweat blood in his striving and struggling for them. Wherefore if God hum∣ble us by any grievous visitation, if by sicknesse, poverty, disgrace, or capti∣vity wee are brought low in the world, let us not bee too much dejected therewith; we are not fallen, nor can fall so low as our Saviour descended of himselfe immediately before his glorious exaltation. The lower a former wave carrieth downe the ship, the higher the later beareth it up: the farther backe the arrow is drawn, the farther forward it flyeth. Our affections as our actions are altogether preposterous and wrong: in the height of prosperity we are usually without feare, in the depth of misery without hope. Where∣as if we weighed all things in an equall ballance, and guided our judgement, not by sight, but by faith; not by present probabilities, but by antecedent certainties: we should find no place more dangerous to build our confidence upon, than the ridge of prosperity: no ground surer to cast the anchor of our hope upon, than the bottome of misery. How suddenly was Herod, who heard himself called a god and not a man, deprived of his kingdome & life by worms and no men? whereas David, who reputed himselfe a worm and no man, was made a King over men. Moses was taken from feeding sheepe, to feed the peo∣ple of God: but on the contrary, Nebuchadnezzar from feeding innu∣merable flockes of people, shall I say to feed sheepe? nay to be fed as a sheepe, and graze among the beasts of the field. O what a sudden change was here made in the state of this mighty Monarch? How was hee

that gloried in his building of great Babel brought to Babel, that is, confusi∣on? he that before dropp'd with sweet ointment, feasted all his senses with the pleasures of a King, hath the dew of heaven for his oyntment, the flowry earth for his carpets, the weeds for his sallets, the lowing of beasts for his musick, and the skie for his star-chamber. How great a fall also had the pride of Antiochus, who riding furiously in his chariot against Jerusalem, was thrown out of it on the ground, and with the fall so bruised his members, that his flesh rotted and bred wormes in great abundance?i 1.9 Hee that a little be∣fore thought that hee might command the waves of the sea (so proud was he be∣yond the condition of man) and weigh the high mountaines in a ballance, was now cast on the ground, and carryed in an horse-litter, declaring unto all the manifest power of God. So that the wormes came out of the bowels of this wic∣ked man in great abundance; and while hee was yet alive his flesh fell off with paine and torments, and all his army was grieved with the stench. Thek 1.10 King of Armenia, who had beene formerly tributary to Cyrus, understanding that that puissant Prince was engaged in a dangerous warre with Croesus, worketh upon this advantage, rebels against Cyrus, and maketh himselfe an absolute Prince. But within a few dayes Cyrus having got the conquest of Croesus, turnes his forces against this rebell, taketh him, his wife and chil∣dren prisoners; yet upon his submission, above his hope and expectation, both giveth him his life and his crown, and putteth him in a better state than ever hee was. Whereupon that proud captivated, and humble restored Prince, acknowledging his treachery and folly, said, O how doth the wisdome of heaven over-shadow the providence of mortall men? how little are we aware of what may betide us? how glassy are our scepters? how brittle our estate? The other day when I made full account to have made my selfe a free absolute Monarch, I lost both liberty and crowne; and this day when I gave my selfe for gone, and looked every houre to have had my head strucke off, I have gained both pardon, liberty, and my crowne better settled than ever before. Such ex∣amples are so frequent, not onely in the sacred Annals of the Church, but also in profane stories, that a Philosopher being asked what God did in the world, answered, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,l 1.11 he abaseth noble things, and ennobleth base; hee turneth Scepters into Mattockes, and Mattocks into Scepters; hee maketh hovels of palaces, and palaces of hovels; pulleth downe high things, and raiseth up low: agreeably to the words of the Prophet Esay,m 1.12 Every valley shall bee exalted, and every hill brought low.

Whence notwithstanding we are not to inferre. That God is more the God of the vales than of the hills, or that hee better esteemeth the low cottage of the beggar, than the high turrets of Princes: hee taketh no pleasure in the fall of any, much lesse of his deare children. It is not their broken estate, but their contrite heart; not their poverty in goods, but in spirit; not their lownesse of condition, but their lowlinesse of minde, which hee approveth and rewardeth, giving honour to that vertue which ascribeth all honour to him. The Apostle saith not, because Christ was humbled and put to so cruell and shamefull a death, therefore God highly exalted him; but because hee humbled himselfe. Which reason of the Apostle may bee confirmed, or at least illustrated by other paralle'd texts of Scripture:n 1.13 The pride of a man

shall bring him low, but the humble spirit shall enjoy glory.o 1.14 Before destructi∣on the heart of man is haughty, but before glory goeth lowlinesse.p 1.15 When o∣thers are cast downe, thou shalt say, I am lifted up, and God shall save the hum∣ble: and,q 1.16 Hee hath put downe the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the lowly and meeke. Yea to honour and exalt them hee humbleth himselfe, andr 1.17 commeth downe to dwell with them: for thus saith the high and lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place: with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. When a Prince rideth in progresse how much are they graced at whose house hee lieth but for a night? how far greater honour is done to the humble soul, with whom God lodgeth not for a night or abideth for a few dayes, but continually dwel∣leth? what can there bee wanting where God is, in whom are all things? how will he furnish his house? how will he set forth his rooms? how glori∣ously will hee beautifie and decke his closet and cabinet? I know not how God can raise the dwelling of the humble soule higher, who by his dwel∣ling in it hath made it equall to the highest heaven: I dwell, saith hee, in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. There is no more difference betweene the seat of the blessed above the heavens, and the caves of the poorest servants of God under the earth, than between two royall palaces, the one higher the other lower built, but both equally honoured with the Court lying at them. In the weighing of gold the lights 1.18 pieces rise up, but the weighty beare downe the scale; and surely they are but light who are lifted up in a selfe-conceit, but they who have true worth and weight in them are depressed in themselves, and beare downe towards the earth. Looke wee to the wisest of all the Philosophers, hee was the modestest; for his profession was, Hoc scio, quod nihil scio; This I know, that I know nothing. Looke wee to the learnedest of all the Greeke Fathers, Origen, hee was the most ingenuous; for his confession was, Ignorantiam meam non ignoro, I am not ignorant of mine owne ignorance. Looke wee to the most judicious and industrious of all the Latine, Saintt 1.19 Austine, he was the humblest; for even in his heat of contention with Jerome hee acknow∣ledgeth him his better, Hieronymus Presbyter Augustino Episcopo major est, though the dignity of a Bishop exceed that of a Priest, yet Priest Jerome is a better or a greater man than Bishop Austine. Looke wee to the best of Kings, David, hee was the freest from pride;u 1.20 Lord, saith hee, I am not high-minded, I have no proud lookes, I doe not exercise my selfe in great mat∣ters, or in things too high for mee: surely I have behaved and quieted my selfe as a child that is weaned of his mother, my soul is even as a weaned child. Look wee to the noblest of all the* 1.21 Romane Emperours, his Motto was, Malo membrum esse Ecclesiae quàm caput Imperii; I account it a greater honour to bee a member of the Church than the head of the Empire. Looke wee to him that was not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles, surnamed Paulus (as some of the Ancient ghesse) quasi paululus, because hee was least in his owne eyes, not worthy to bee called an Apostle, as himselfe freely* 1.22 confesseth. Look we to the mirrour of all perfection, Christ Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisedome and grace, he setteth out humility as his chiefest jewell;x 1.23 Learn of mee, saith he, that I am meeke and humble in heart. The raine falleth from the

hils, and settleth in the vales; and Gods blessings in like manner if they fall upon the high-minded and proud, yet they stay not with them, but passe and slide from them downe to the meeke and humble, where hee commandeth them to rest. The reason is evident why the humblest men are best; for grace alone maketh good, and a greater measure thereof better: nowy 1.24 God resi∣steth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble; and to the more humble the more grace, because they more desire it, and are more capable thereof. For the more empty the vessel is, the more liquor it receiveth; in like maner the more empty wee are in our owne conceits, the more heavenly grace Godz 1.25 infuseth into us. To him therefore let our soules continually gaspe as a thirsty land, let us pray to him for humility that wee may have grace, and more grace that wee may be continually more humble.

Lord, who hast taught us that because thy Son our Saviour being in the forme of God humbled himselfe, and in his humility became obedient, and in his obedience suffered death, even the most ignominious, painfull, and accursed death of the crosse; thou hast exalted him highly above the grave in his resurrection, the earth in his ascension, above the starres of heaven in his session: establish our faith in his estate both of humiliation and exaltation, and grant that his humility may be our instruction, his o∣bedience our rule, his passion our satisfaction, his resurrection our justification, his ascension our improvement of sanctification, and his session at thy right hand our glorification.

Amen. Deo Patri, Filio, & Sp. S. sit laus, &c.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Judg. 5.16.
• b 1.2

  Hom. 7. ad. Philip. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.
• c 1.3

  1 Cor. 2.2.
• d 1.4

  Lib. 7. nat. hist. c. 2. Gen•• Astoma radi∣ces florum se∣cum portat, long••ore itine∣re, ne desit ol∣factus.
• e 1.5

  2 Cor. 2.16.
• f 1.6

  Rom. 8.29.
• g 1.7

  John 2.19.
• h 1.8

  Luk. 14.11.
• i 1.9

  2 Mac. 9.8, 9.
• k 1.10

  Xen. Cyr. paed l. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.
• l 1.11

  Hesiod. l. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.
• m 1.12

  Esa. 40.4.
• n 1.13

  Pro. 29 23.
• o 1.14

  Pro. 18.12.
• p 1.15

  Job 22.29.
• q 1.16

  Luk. 1.52.
• r 1.17

  Esa. 57 15.
• s 1.18

  Horat. car. l. 1 Attollunt va∣cuum plus ni∣miò verticem.
• t 1.19

  Aug. epist. ad Hieron.
• u 1.20

  Psal. 131.1, 2
• * 1.21

  Theodosius.
• * 1.22

  1 Cor. 15.9 Eph. 3.8.
• x 1.23

  Mat. 11.29.
• y 1.24

  Jam. 4.6.
• z 1.25

  Mat. 11.25.