LXXX sermons preached by that learned and reverend divine, Iohn Donne, Dr in Divinity, late Deane of the cathedrall church of S. Pauls London.

SERMON I. PREACHED AT S^t. PAVLS, upon Christmas day. 1622.

Coloss. 1.19, 20.

For, it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulnesse dwell; And, having made peace through the bloud of his Crosse, by Him, to reconcile all things to himselfe, by Him, whether they be things in Earth, or things in heaven.

THE whole journey of a Christian is in these words; and therefore we were better set out early, then ride too fast; bet∣ter enter presently into the parts, then be forced to passe tho∣row them too hastily. First then wee consider the Collation and Reference of the Text, and then the Illation, and Infe∣rence thereof. For, the Text looks back to all that was said from the twelfth verse. For, the first word of the text, [For] which is a particle of connexion, as well as of argumentation, is a seale of all that was said from that place. And then, the Text looks forward to the 23 ver. where all these blessings are sealed to us, with that Condition, If ye continue setled in the Gospell. This is the Colla∣tion, the Reference of the text; for the Illation, and Inference, the first clause thereof, [For, it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulnesse dwell] presents a double Instru∣ction; First, that we are not bound to accept matters of Religion, meerely without all reason, and probable inducements; And secondly, with what modesty we are to pro∣ceed, and in what bounds we are to limit that inquisition, that search of Reason in matters of that nature. When the Apostle presents to us here, the great mystery of our reconci∣liation to God, he, in whose power it was not to infuse faith into every reader of his Epi∣stle, proceeds by reason. He tels us, That the Father hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare Son, the Son of his love. That were well, if we were sure of it; If our consci∣ences did not accuse us, and suggest to us our owne unworthinesse, and thereby an im∣possibility of being so translated. Why no, sayes the Apostle, there is no such impossibi∣lity now, For, Now we have Redemption, and forgivenesse of sinnes. Who should procure us that? If a man sin against God, who shall plead for him? What man is able to mediate, and stand in the gap between God and man? You say true, sayes the Apostle, no man is able to doe it; and therefore, He that is the Image of the invisible God, he by whom all things were created, and by whom all things consist, he hath done it. Hath God reconciled me to God; And reconciled me by way of satisfaction? (for, that I know his justice requires) What could God pay for me? What could God suffer? God himselfe could not; and therefore God hath taken a body that could. And as he is the Head of that body, he is pas∣sible, so he may suffer; And, as he is the first born of the dead, he did suffer; so that he was

defective in nothing; not in Power, as God, not in passibility, as man; for, Complacuit; It pleased the Father, that in him, All fulnesse (a full capacity to all purposes) should dwell. Thus farre we are to trace the reason of our redemption, intimated in that first word, For. And then, we are to limit and determine our reason in the next, Quia complacuit, because it was his will, his pleasure to proceed so, and no otherwise. Christ himselfe goes no far∣ther then so, in a case of much strangenesse, That God had hid his mysteries from the wise, and revealed them unto babes; This was a strange course, but Ita est, quia, Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. I would faine be able to prove to my selfe that my re∣demption is accomplished; and therefore I search the Scriptures; and I grow sure that Christ hath redeemed the world; and I search the Scriptures again, to finde what marks are upon them, that are of the participation of that Redemption, and I grow to a religi∣ous, and modest assurance, that those marks are upon me. I finde reasons to prove to me, that God does love my soule; but why God should love men better then his own Son, or why God should love me better then other men, I must end in the reason of the text, Quia complacuit, and in the reason of Christ himself, Ita est, quia, It is so, O Father, because thy good pleasure was it should be so.

To passe then from the Collation and Reference, by which, the text hath his Cohae∣rence with the precedent, and subsequent passages, and the Illation and Inference, by which you have seene the generall doctrine, That reason is not to be excluded in religi∣on, but yet to be tenderly and modestly pressed, we have here the Person that redeemed us, and his Qualification for that great office, (That all fulnesse should dwell in him.) And then we have the Pacification, and the Meanes thereof, (Peace was made through the bloud of his Crosse) And then, the Effect, the application of all this, to them, for whom it was wrought, (That all things in earth and heaven, might be reconciled to God by him.) In the qualification of the person, we finde plenitudinem, fulnesse, and omnem plenitudinem, all fulnesse; and omnem plenitudinem inhabitantem, all fulnesse dwelling, permanent. And yet, even this dwelling fulnesse, even in this person Christ Jesus, by no title of merit in himselfe, but onely quia complacuit, because it pleased the Father it should be so. In the pacification, (which is our second part) (Peace was made, by the bloud of his Crosse) we shall see first, quod bellum, what the warre was, and then quae pax, what the peace is, and lastly quis modus, how this peace was made, which was strange; per sanguinem, by bloud; to save bloud, and yet by bloud. And per sanguinem ejus, by his bloud, his, who was victo∣riously to triumph in this peace; and per sanguinem Crucis ejus, by the bloud of his Crosse, that is his death; the bloud of his Circumcision, the bloud of his Agony, the bloud of his scourging was not enough; It must be, and so it was the bloud of his Crosse; And these peeces constitute our second part, the Pacification: And then in the third, the Ap∣plication, (That all things might be reconciled to God,) we shall see first, what this Re∣conciliation is, and then how it extends to all things on earth, (which we might thinke were not capable of it;) and all things in heaven, (which we might think stood in no need of it.) And in these three parts, The person and his qualification, The thing it selfe, The Pacification, The effect of this, The Reconciliation, the Application, wee shall deter∣mine all.

First, In the person that redeemes us we finde fulnesse. And there had need be so; for, he found our measure full of sin towards God, and Gods measure full of anger towards us; for our parts, as when a River swels, at first it will finde out all the channels, or low∣er parts of the bank, and enter there, but after a while it covers, and overflowes the whole field, and all is water without distinction; so, though we be naturally channels of concu∣piscencies, (for there sin begins, and as water runs naturally in the veines and bowels of the earth, so run concupiscencies naturally in our bowels) yet, when every imagination of the thoughts of our heart, is onely evill continually; Then, (as it did there) it induces a flood, a deluge, our concupiscence swells above all channels, and actually overflowes all; It hath found an issue at the eare, we delight in the defamation of others; and an issue at the eye, If we see a thiefe, we run with him; we concurre in the plots of supplanting and de∣stroying other men; It hath found an issue in the tongue, Our lips are our owne, who is Lord over us? We speak freely; seditious speeches against superiours, obscene and scur∣rile speeches against one another, prophane and blasphemous speeches against God him∣selfe, are growne to be good jests, and marks of wit, and arguments of spirit. It findes an issue at our hands, they give way to oppression, by giving bribes; and an issue at our

feet, They are swift to shed bloud; and so by custome, sin overflowes all, Omnia pontus, all our wayes are sea, all our works are sin. This is our fulnesse, originall sin filled us, actu∣all sin presses down the measure, and habituall sins heap it up. And then Gods measure of anger was full too; from the beginning he was a jealous God, and that should have made us carefull of our behaviour, that a jealous eye watched over us. But because wee see in the world, that jealous persons are oftnest deceived, because that distemper disor∣ders them, so as that they see nothing clearely, and it puts the greater desire in the other, to deceive, because it is some kinde of Victory, and Triumph to deceive a jealous, and watchfull person, therefore we have hoped to goe beyond God too, and his jealousie. But he is jealous of his honour, jealous of his jealousie, he will not have his jealousie de∣spised, nor forgotten, for therefore he visits upon the children, to the third and fourth ge∣neration; when therefore the spirit of jealousie was come upon him, and that he had prepared that water of bitternesse, which was to rot our bowels, that is, when God had bent all his bowes, drawne forth, and whetted all his swords, when he was justly provo∣ked, to execute all the Judgements denounced in all the Prophets, upon all mankinde, when mans measure was full of sin, and Gods measure full of wrath, then was the ful∣nesse of time, and yet then Complacuit, It pleased the Father, that there should be another fulnesse to overflow all these, in Christ Jesus.

But what fulnesse is that? Omnis plenitudo, all fulnesse. And this was onely in Christ. Elias had a great portion of the spirit: but, but a portion. Elizaeus sees that that portion will not serve him, and therefore he asks a double portion of that spirit; but still but por∣tions. Stephen is full of faith; a blessed fulnesse, where there is no corner for Infidelity, nor for doubt, for scruple, nor irresolution. Dorcas is full of good works; a fulnesse above faith; for there must be faith, before there can be good works; so that they are above faith, as the tree is above the roote, and as the fruit is above the tree. The Virgin Mary is full of Grace; and Grace is a fulnesse above both; above faith and works too, for that is the meanes to preserve both; That we fall not from our faith, and that dead flyes corrupt not our ointment, that worldly mixtures doe not vitiate our best works, and the memory of past sins, dead sins, doe not beget new sins in us, is the operation of Grace. The seaven Deacons were full of the Holy Ghost, and of Wisedome; full of Religion towards God, and full of such wisedome as might advance it towards men; full of zeale, and full of knowledge; full of truth, and full of discretion too. And these were plenitu∣dines, fulnesses, but they were not all, Omnis plenitudo, all fulnesse. I shall bee as full as St. Paul, in heaven; I shall have as full a vessell, but not so full a Cellar; I shall be as full, but I shall not have so much to fill. Christ onely hath an infinite content, and capacity, an infinite roome and receipt, and then an infinite fulnesse; omnem capacitatem, and omnem plenitudinem; He would receive as much as could be infused, and there was as much in∣fused, as he could receive.

But what shall we say? Deus adimplendus; was Christ God before, and are these ac∣cessory, supplementary, additionall fulnesses to be put to him? A fulnesse to be added to God? To make him a competent person to redeeme man, something was to be added to Christ, though he were God; wherein we see to our inexpressible confusion of face, and consternation of spirit, the incomprehensiblenesse of mans sin, that even to God himselfe, there was required something else then God, before we could be redeemed; there was a fulnesse to be added to God, for this work, to make it omnem plenitudinem, for Christ was God before; there was that fulnesse; but God was not Christ before; there lacked that fulnesse. Not disputing therefore, what other wayes God might have taken for our re∣demption, but giving him all possible thanks for that way which his goodnesse hath cho∣sen, by the way of satisfying his justice, (for, howsoever I would be glad to be discharged of my debts any way, yet certainly, I should think my selfe more beholden to that man, who would be content to pay my debt for me, then to him that should entreat my cre∣ditor to forgive me my debt) for this work, to make Christ able to pay this debt, there was something to be added to him. First, he must pay it in such money as was lent; in the nature and flesh of man; for man had sinned, and man must pay. And then it was lent in such money as was coyned even with the Image of God; man was made according to his Image: That Image being defaced, in a new Mint, in the wombe of the Blessed Vir∣gin, there was new money coyned; The Image of the invisible God, the second person in the Trinity, was imprinted into the humane nature. And then, that there might bee

omnis plenitudo, all fulnesse, as God, for the paiment of this debt, sent downe the Bullion, and the stamp, that is, God to be conceived in man, and as he provided the Mint, the womb of the Blessed Virgin, so hath he provided an Exchequer, where this mony is issu∣ed; that is his Church, where his merits should be applied to the discharge of particular consciences. So that here is one fulnesse, that in this person dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily. Here is another fulnesse, that this person fulfilled all righteousnesse, and satisfied the Justice of God by his suffering; non est dolor sicut, there was no sorrow like unto his sorrow; It was so full that it exceeded all others. And then there is a third ful∣nesse, the Church, (which is his body, the fulnesse of him, that filleth all in all) perfit God, there is the fulnesse of his dignity; perfit man, there is the fulnesse of his passibility; and a perfit Church, there is the fulnesse of the distribution of his mercies, and merits to us. And this is omnis plenitudo, all fulnesse; which yet is farther extended in the next word, Inhabitavit, It pleased the Father, that all fulnesse should dwell in him.

The Holy Ghost appeared in the Dove, but he did not dwell in it. The Holy Ghost hath dwelt in holy men, but not thus; So, as that ancient Bishop expresses it, Habitavit in Salomone per sapientiam, He dwelt in Salomon, in the spirit of wisedome; in Ioseph, in the spirit of chastity; in Moses, in the spirit of meeknesse; but in Christo, in plenitudine, in Christ, in all fulnesse. Now this fulnesse is not fully expressed in the Hypostaticall union of the two natures; God and Man in the person of Christ. For, (concerning the divine Nature) here was not a dram of glory in this union. This was a strange fulnesse, for it was a fulnesse of emptinesse; It was all Humiliation, all exinanition, all evacuation of him∣selfe, by his obedience to the death of the Crosse. But when it was done, Ne evacuaretur Crux Christi, (as the Apostle speaks in another case) lest the Crosse of Christ should be evacuated, and made of none effect, he came to make this fulnesse perfit, by instituting and establishing a Church; The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, saies the Prophet, of Christ. There is a fulnesse in generall, for his qualification; The Spirit of the Lord; but what kinde of spirit? It followes, the spirit of wisedome and understanding, the Spirit of Counsell, and Power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord; we see, the spirit that must rest upon Christ, is the Spirit in those beames, in those functions, in those operations, as conduce to government, that is, Wisedome, and Counsell, and Power. So that this is Christs fulnesse, that he is in a continuall administration of his Church; in which he flowes over upon us his Ministers; (for, of his fulnesse have all we received, and grace for grace: that is, power by his grace, to derive grace upon the Congregation;) And so, of his fulnesse, all the Congregation receives too; and receives in that full mea∣sure, That they are filled with all the fulnesse of God; that is, all the fulnesse that was in both his natures, united in one person, when the fulnesse of the Deity dwelt in him bodily, all the merits of that person, are derived upon us, in his Word, Sacraments, in his Church; which Church being to continue to the end, it is most properly said habitavit, in him, (in him, as head of the Church) all fulnesse, all meanes of salvation, dwell, and are to be had permanently, constantly, infallibly.

Now how came Christ by all this fulnesse, this superlative fulnesse in himselfe, this derivative fulnesse upon us? That his merits should be able to build, and furnish such a house, to raise and rectifie such a Church, acceptable to God, in which all fulnesse should dwell to the worlds end? It was onely because complacuit, it pleased God (for this per∣sonall name of the Father (It pleased the Father) is but added suppletorily by our Transla∣tors, and is not in the Originall) It pleased God to give him wherewithall, to enable him so farre, for, this complacuit, is, (as we say in the Schoole,) vox beneplaciti, it expresses onely the good will and love of God, without contemplation or foresight of any good∣nesse in man; nam hac posita plenitudine exorta sunt merita: First, we are to consider this fulnesse to have been in Christ, and then, from this fulnesse arose his merits; we can consider no merit in Christ himselfe before, whereby he should merit this fulnesse; for, this fulnesse was in him, before he merited any thing; and but for this fulnesse, he had not so merited. Ille homo, ut in unitatem filii Dei assumeretur, unde meruit? How did that man, (sayes St. Augustine speaking of Christ, as of the son of man) how did that man me∣rit to be united in one person, with the eternall Son of God? Quid egit ante? Quid cre∣didit? What had he done? nay, what had he beleeved? Had he eyther faith, or works, before that union of both natures? If then in Christ Jesus himselfe, there were no praevisa merita, That Gods fore-sight, that he would use this fulnesse well, did not work in

God, as a cause to give him this fulnesse, but because hee had it of the free gift of God, therefore he did use it well, and meritoriously, shall any of us be so frivolous, in so impor∣tant a matter, as to think that God gave us our measure of grace, or our measure of Sancti∣fication, because he fore-saw that we would heap up that measure, and employ that ta∣lent profitably? What canst thou imagine, he could fore-see in thee? A propensnesse, a disposition to goodnesse, when his grace should come? Eyther there is no such pro∣pensnesse, no such disposition in thee, or, if there be, even that propensnesse and dispo∣sition to the good use of grace, is grace, it is an effect of former grace, and his grace wrought, before he saw any such propensnesse, any such disposition; Grace was first, and his grace is his, it is none of thine. To end this point, and this part, non est discipulus supra magistrum; The fulnesse of Christ himselfe was rooted in the complacuit, It pleased the Father; (nothing else wrought in the nature of a Cause) and therefore that measure of that fulnesse, which is derived upon us, from him, (our vocation, our justification, our sanctification) are much more so; we have them, quia complacuit, because it hath pleased him freely to give them; God himselfe could see nothing in us, till he of his owne good∣nesse, put it into us. And so we have gone as farre, as our first part carries us, in those two branches, and the fruits which we have gathered from thence; First, those generall do∣ctrines, that reason is not to be excluded in matters of religion; and then, that reason in all those cases, is to be limited, with the quia complacuit, meerly in the good pleasure of God. In which first part, you have also had, the qualification of the person, that came this day, to establish Redemption for us, that in Him there was fulnesse, (infinite capaci∣ty, and infinite infusion,) and all fulnesse, defective in nothing, (impassible and yet passible, perfit God, and perfit man) and this fulnesse dwelling in Him, in Him as he is Head of the Church, that is, visible, sensible meanes of salvation to every soule in his Church; And so we passe to our second part, from this Qualification of the person, (It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell) to the Pacification it selfe, for which it pleased the Father to doe all this, that Peace might be made through the bloud of his Crosse.

In this Part, St. Chrysostome hath made our steps, our branches. It is much, sayes he, that God would admit any peace; magis, per sanguinem, more, that for peace he should require effusion of bloud; magis, quod per ejus, more, that it must be His bloud, his that was injured, his that was to triumph; Et adhuc magis, quod per sanguinem Crucis ejus; That it must be by the bloud of his Crosse, his heart bloud, his death; and yet this was the case; He made Peace through the bloud of his Crosse. There was then a warre before, and a heavy warre; for, the Lord of hosts was our enemy; and what can all our musters come to, if the Lord of Hosts, of all Hosts have raised his forces against us? There was a heavy war denounced in the Inimicitias ponam, when God raised a warre betweene the Devill, and us. For, if we could consider God to stand neutrall in that warre, and meddle with neither side, yet we were in a desperate case, to be put to fight against Powers and Principalities, against the Devill. How much more, when God, the Lord of Hosts, is the Lord even of that Host too? when God presses the Devill, and makes the Devill his Soldier, to fight his battles, and directs his arrowes, and his bullets, and makes his approaches, and his attempts effectuall upon us. That which is fallen upon the Jews now, for their sinne against Christ, that there is not in all the world, a Soldier of their race, not a Jew in the world that beares armes, is true of all mankinde for their sin against God; there is not a Soldier amongst them, able to hurt his spirituall enemy or defend himselfe. It is a strange warre, where there are not two sides; and yet that is our case; for, God uses the Devill against us, and the Devill uses us against one another; nay, he uses every one of us, against our selves; so that God, and the Devill, and we, are all in one Army, and all for our destruction; we have a warre, and yet there is but one Army, and we onely are the Countrey that is fed upon, and wasted; From God to the Devill we have not one friend, and yet, as though we lacked enemies, we fight with one another in inhumane Duels; Vbi morimur homicidae, (as St. Bernard expresses it powerfully and elegantly) that in those Duels and Combats, he that is murdered dyes a murderer, because he would have beene one; Occisor laethaliter peccat, occisus aeternaliter perit; He that comes alive out of the field comes a dead man, because he comes a deadly sinner, and he that remaines dead in the field, is gone into an everlasting death. So that by this inhumane effusion of one anothers bloud, we maintaine a warre against God himselfe, and we provoke him to that which he expresses in Esay, My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Inebriabitur sanguine, The

sword of the Lord shall be made drunk with bloud; Their land shall be soaked with bloud, and their dust made fat with fatnesse. The same quarrell, which God hath against particular men, and particular Nations, for particular sinnes, God hath against all Man∣kinde, for Adams sin. And there is the warre. But what is the peace, and how are we included in that? That is our second and next disquisition, That peace might be made.

A man must not presently think himselfe included in this peace, because he feeles no effects of this warre. If God draw none of his swords of warre, or famine, or pestilence, upon thee, (no outward warre,) If God raise not a rebellion in thy selfe, nor fight against thee with thine owne affections, in colluctations betweene the flesh, and the spirit; The warre may last, for all this. Induciarum tempore, bellum manet, licet pugna cesset; Though there be no blow striken, the warre remaines in the time of Truce. But thy case is not so good; here is no Truce, no cessation, but a continuall preparation to a fiercer warre. All this while that thou enjoyest this imaginary security, the Enemy digges insensibly un∣der ground, all this while he undermines thee, and will blow thee up at last more irreco∣verably, then if he had battered thee with outward calamities all that time. So any State may be abused with a false peace present, or with a fruitlesse expectation of a future peace. But in this text, there is true peace, and peace already made; present peace, and and safe peace. Pax non promissa, sed missa, (sayes St. Bernard, in his musicall and harmo∣nious cadences,) not promised, but already sent; non dilata, sed data, not treated, but con∣cluded; Non prophetata, sed praesentata, not prophesied, but actually established. There is the presentnesse thereof; And then, made by him, who lacked nothing for the making of a safe peace; For, after his Names of Counsellor, and of the Mighty God; he is called, for the consummation of all, princeps pacis; A Counsellor, There is his wisdome, A mighty God, There is his Power: and this Counsellor, This Mighty God, this wise, and this pow∣erfull Prince, hath undertaken to make our peace; But how, that is next, per sanguinem, Peace being made by bloud.

Is effusion of bloud the way of peace? effusion of bloud may make them from whom bloud is so abundantly drawne, glad of peace, because they are thereby reduced to a weaknesse. But in our warres, such a weaknesse puts us farther off from peace, and puts more fiercenesse in the Enemy. But here, mercy and truth are met together; God would be true to his owne Justice, (bloud was forfeited, and he would have bloud) and God would be mercifull to us, he would make us the stronger by drawing bloud, and by drawing our best bloud, the bloud of Christ Jesus. Simeon and Levi, when they medita∣ted their revenge for the rape committed upon their sister, when they pretended peace, yet they required a little bloud: They would have the Sichemites circumcised: but when they had opened a veyne, they made them bleed to death; when they were under the sorenesse of Circumcision, they slew them all. Gods justice required bloud, but that bloud is not spilt, but poured from that head to our hearts, into the veines, and wounds of our owne soules: There was bloud shed, but no bloud lost. Before the Law was thorowly established, when Moses came downe from God, and deprehended the people, in that Idolatry to the Calfe, before he would present himselfe as a Mediator betweene God and them, for that sinne, he prepares a sacrifice of bloud, in the execution of three thousand of those Idolaters, and after that he came to his vehement prayer, in their be∣halfe. And in the strength of the Law, all things were purged with bloud, and without bloud there is no remission. Whether we place the reason of this in Gods Justice, which required bloud, or whether we place it in the conveniency, that bloud being ordinarily re∣ceived to be sedes animae, the seat and residence of the soule; The soule, for which, that expiation was to be, could not be better represented, nor purified, then in the state, and seat of the soule, in bloud; or whether we shut up our selves in an humble sobriety, to in∣quire into the reasons of Gods actions, thus we see it was, no peace, no remission, but in bloud. Nor is that so strange, as that which followes in the next place, per sanguinem ejus, by his bloud.

Before, under the Law, it was in sanguine hircorum, & vitulorum; In the bloud of Goats, and Bullocks; here it is in sanguine ejus, in his bloud. Not his, as he claims all the beasts of the forrest, all the cattle upon a thousand hils, and all the fowles of the moun∣taines to be his; not his, as he sayes of Gold and Silver, The Silver is mine, and the Gold is mine; not his, as he is Lord, and proprietary of all, by Creation; so all bloud is his; no nor his, as the bloud of all the Martyrs was his bloud, (which is a neare relation and con∣sanguinity)

but his so, as it was the precious bloud of his body, the seat of his soule, the matter of his spirits, the knot of his life, This bloud he shed for me; and I have bloud to shed for him too, though he call me not to the tryall, nor to the glory of Martyrdome. Sanguis animae meae voluntas mea, The bloud of my soule is my will; Scindatur vena ferro compunctionis, open a veine with that knife, remorce, compunction, ut si non sensus, certe consensus peccati effluat, That though thou canst not bleed out all motions to sinne, thou maist all consent thereunto. Noli esse nimium justus; noli sapere plus quam oportet; St. Ber∣nard makes this use of those Counsels, Be not righteous overmuch, nor be not overwise, Cui putas venae parcendum, si justitia & sapientia egent minutione, what veine maist thou spare, if thou must open those two veines, righteousnesse, and wisedome? If they may be superfluously abundant, if thou must bleed out some of thy Righteousnesse, and some of thy wisedome, cui venae parcendum, at what veine must thou not bleed? Now in all sacri∣fices, where bloud was to be offerd, the fat was to be offerd to. If thou wilt sacrifice the bloud of thy soule, (as St. Bernard cals the will) sacrifice the fat too; If thou give over thy purpose of continuing in thy sin, give over the memory of it, and give over all that thou possessest unjustly, and corruptly got by that sinne; else thou keepest the fat from God, though thou give him the bloud. If God had given over at his second daies work, we had had no sunne, no seasons; If at his fift, we had had no beeing; If at the sixt, no Sabbath; but by proceeding to the seventh, we are all, and we have all. Naaman, who was out of the covenant, yet, by washing in Jordan seven times, was cured of his lepro∣sie; seaven times did it even in him, but lesse did not. The Priest in the Law used a seven-fold sprinkling of bloud upon the Altar; and we observe a seven-fold shedding of bloud in Christ; In his Circumcision, and in his Agony, in his fulfilling of that Prophesie; gen as vellicantibus, I gave my cheeks to them, that plucked off the haire, and in his scourging; in his crowning, and in his nayling, and lastly, in the piercing of his side. These seven channels hath the bloud of thy Saviour found. Poure out the bloud of thy soule, sacri∣fice thy stubborne and rebellious will seaven times too; seaven times, that is, every day; and seaven times every day; for so often a just man falleth; And then, how low must that man lie at last, if he fall so often, and never rise upon any fall? and therefore raise thy self as often, and as soone as thou fallest. Iericho would not fall, but by being compassed sea∣ven dayes, and seaven times in one day. Compasse thy selfe, comprehend thy selfe, sea∣ven times, many times, and thou shalt have thy losse of bloud supplied with better bloud, with a true sense of that peace, which he hath already made, and made by bloud, and by his owne bloud, and by the bloud of his Crosse, which is the last branch of this second part.

Greater love hath no man, then to lay downe his life for his friend, yet he that said so, did more then so, more then lay downe his life, (for he exposed it to violences, and tor∣ments) and all that for his enemies. But doth not the necessity diminish the love? where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator: was there then a necessity in Christs dying? simply a necessity of coaction there was not; such as is in the death of other men, naturall, or violent by the hand of Justice. There was nothing more arbitrary, more voluntary, more spontaneous then all that Christ did for man. And if you could consider a time, before the contract between the Father, and him, had passed, for the redemption of man by his death, we might say, that then there was no necessity upon Christ, that he must dye; But because that contract was from all eternity, suppo∣sing that contract, that this peace was to be made by his death, there entred the oportuit pati, That Christ ought to suffer all these things, and to enter into his glory. And so, as for his death, so for the manner of his death, (by the Crosse) it was not of absolute neces∣sity, and yet it was not by casualty neither, not because he was to suffer in that Nation, which did ordinarily punish such Malefactors, (such as he was accused to be) seditious persons, with that manner of death, but all this proceeded ex pacto, thus the contract led it, to this he was obedient, obedient unto death, and unto the death of the Crosse. By bloud, and not onely by comming into this world, and assuming our nature, (which hu∣miliation was an act of infinite value) and not by the bloud of his Circumcision or Ago∣ny, but bloud to death, and by no gentler, nor nobler death, then the death of the Crosse, was this peace to be made by him. Though then one drop of his bloud had beene enough to have redeemed infinite worlds, if it had beene so contracted, and so applyed, yet he gave us, a morning showre of his bloud in his Circumcision, and an evening showre

at his passion, and a showre after Sunset, in the piercing of his side. And though any death had beene an incomprehensible ransome, for the Lord of life to have given, for the chil∣dren of death, yet he refused not the death of the Crosse; The Crosse, to which a bitter curse was nayled by Moses, from the beginning, he that is hanged, is, (not onely accursed of God, as our Translation hath it,) but he is the curse of God, (as it is in the Originall) not accursed, but a curse; not a simple curse, but the curse of God. And by the Crosse, which besides the Infamy, was so painfull a death, as that many men languished many dayes upon it, before they dyed: And by his bloud of this torture, and this shame, this painfull, and this ignominious death, was this peace made. In our great work of crucify∣ing our selves to the world too, it is not enough to bleed the drops of a Circumcision, that is, to cut off some excessive, and notorious practice of sin; nor to bleed the drops of an Agony, to enter into a conflict and colluctation of the flesh and the spirit, whether we were not better trust in Gods mercy, for our continuance in that sin, then lose all that plea∣sure and profit, which that sin brings us; nor enough to bleed the drops of scourging, to be lashed with viperous, and venemous tongues by contumelies, and slanders; nor to bleed the drops of Thornes, to have Thornes and scruples enter into our consciences, with spirituall afflictions; but we must be content to bleed the streames of naylings to those Crosses, to continue in them all our lives, if God see that necessary for our con∣firmation; and, if men will pierce and wound us after our deaths in our good name, yea, if they will slander our Resurrection, (as they did Christs) if they will say, that it is im∣possible God should have mercy upon such a man, impossible that a man of so bad life, and so sad and comfortlesse a death, should have a joyfull Resurrection, here is our com∣fort, as that piercing of Christs side was after the Consummatum est, after his passion en∣ded, and therefore put him to no paine, as that slander of his Resurrection, was after that glorious triumph; He was risen and had shewed himselfe before, and therefore it di∣minished not his power: so all these posthume wounds, and slanders after my death, after my God and my Soule shall have passed that Dialogue, Veni Domine Iesu, and euge bone serve, That I shall have said upon my death-bed, Come Lord Jesu, come quick∣ly, and he shall have said, Well done good and faithfull servant, enter into thy Masters joy, when I shall have said to him, In manus tuas Domine, Into thy hands O Lord I com∣mend my spirit, And he to me, Hodie mecum eris in paradiso, This day, this minute thou shalt be, now thou art with me in Paradise, when this shall be my state, God shall heare their slanders and maledictions, and write them all downe, but not in my booke, but in theirs, and there they shall meet them at Judgement, amongst their owne sinnes, to their everlasting confusion, and finde me in possession of that peace, made by bloud, made by his bloud, made by the bloud of his Crosse, which were all the peeces laid out for this second part, with which we have done; and passe from the qualification of the person, (It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell) which was our first part, and the Pacification, and the way thereof, (by the bloud of his Crosse to make peace) which was our second, to the Reconciliation it selfe, and the Application thereof to all to whom that Reconciliation appertaines, That all things, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven, might be reconciled unto him.

All this was done; He, in whom it pleased the Father, that this fulnesse should dwell, had made this peace by the bloud of his Crosse, and yet, after all this, the Apostle comes upon that Ambassage, We pray ye, in Christs stead, that ye be reconciled to God; So that this Reconciliation in the Text, is a subsequent thing to this peace. The generall peace is made by Christs death, as a generall pardon is given at the Kings comming; The Application of this peace is in the Church, as the suing out of the pardon, is in the Office. Ioab made Absaloms peace with his Father; Bring the young man againe, sayes David to Ioab; but yet he was not reconciled to him, so as that he saw his face in two yeare. God hath sounded a Retreat to the Battle, As I live, saith the Lord, I would not the death of a sinner; He hath said to the destroyer, It is enough, stay now thy hand; He is pacified in Christ; and he hath bound the enemy in chaines. Now let us labour for our Reconci∣liation; for all things are reconciled to him, in Christ, that is, offered a way of reconcili∣ation. All things in heaven and earth, sayes the Apostle. And that is so large, as that Origen needed not to have extended it to Hell too, and conceive out of this place, a pos∣sibility, that the Devils themselves shall come to a Reconciliation with God. But to all in Heaven and Earth it appertaines. Consider we how.

First then, there is a reconciliation of them in heaven to God, and then of them on earth to God, and then of them in heaven, and them in earth, to one another, by the blood of his Crosse. If we consider them in heaven, to be those who are gone up to hea∣ven from this world by death, they had the same reconciliation as we; either by reach∣ing the hand of faith forward, to lay hold upon Christ before he came, (which was the case of all under the Law;) or by reaching back that hand, to lay hold upon all that hee had done and suffered, when he was come, (which is the case of those that are dead be∣fore us in the profession of the Gospell.) All that are in heaven, and were upon earth, are reconciled one way, by application of Christ in the Church; so that, though they be now in heaven, yet they had their reconciliation here upon earth. But if we consider those who are in heaven, and have been so from the first minute of their creation, An∣gels, why have they, or how have they any reconciliation? How needed they any, and then, how is this of Christ applyed unto them? They needed a confirmation; for the Angels were created in blessednesse, but not in perfect blessednesse; They might fall, they did fall. To those that fell, can appertaine no reconciliation; no more then to those that die in their sins; for Quod homini mors, Angelis casus; The fall of the Angels wrought upon them, as the death of a man does upon him; They are both equally inca∣pable of change to better. But to those Angels that stood, their standing being of grace, and their confirmation being not one transient act in God done at once, but a continuall succession, and emanation of daily grace, belongs this reconciliation by Christ, because all matter of grace, and where any deficiency is to be supplyed, whether by way of re∣paration, as in man, or by way of confirmation, as in Angels, proceeds from the Crosse, from the Merits of Christ. They are so reconciled then, as that they are extra lapsus pe∣riculum, out of the danger of falling; but yet this stability, this infallibility is not yet in∣delibly imprinted in their natures; yet the Angels might fall, if this reconciler did not sustain them; for, if those words reperit in Angelis iniquitatem, that God found folly,(weaknesse, infirmity) in his Angels, be to be understood of the good Angels, that stand confirmed, (as procul dubio de diabolo intelligi non potest, without all doubt they cannot be understood of the ill Angels) the best service of the best Angels, devested of that succes∣sive grace, that supports them, if God should exacta rigorous account of it, could not be acceptable in the sight of God; So the Angels have a pacification, and a reconciliation, lest they should fall.

Thus things in heaven are reconciled to God by Christ; and things on earth too. First the creature, as S. Paul speakes; that is, other creatures then men. For, at the ge∣nerall resurrection, (which is rooted in the resurrection of Christ, and so hath relation to him) the creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God; for which, the whole creation groanes, and travailes in paine yet. This deliverance then from this bondage, the whole creature hath by Christ, and that is their reconciliation. And then are we reconciled by the blood of his Crosse, when having crucified our selves by a true repentance, we receive the seale of reconcilia∣tion, in his blood in the Sacrament. But the most proper, and most litterall sense of these words, is, that all things in heaven and earth, be reconciled to God, (that is, to his glo∣ry, to a fitter disposition to glorifie him) by being reconciled to another, in Christ; that in him, as head of the Church, they in heaven, and we upon earth, be united together as one body in the Communion of Saints. For, this text hath a conformity, and a harmony with that to the Ephesians, and in sense, as well as in words, is the same, That God might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him; where the word which we translate (to gather) doth properly signifie reca∣pitulare, to bring all things to their first head, to Gods first purpose; which was, that Angels, and men, united in Christ Jesus, might glorifie him eternally in the Kingdome of heaven. Then are things in heaven restored and reconciled, (sayes S. Augustine) Cum quod ex Angelis lapsum est, ex hominibus redditur, when good men have repaired the ru∣ine of the bad Angels, and filled their places. And then are things on earth restored, and reconciled, Cum praedestinati à corruptionis vetustate renovantur, when Gods elect children are delivered from the corruptions of this world, to which, even they are subject here. Cum hu∣miliati homines redeunt, unde Apostatae superbiendo ceciderunt, when men by humility are exalted, to those places from which Angels fell by pride, then are all things in heaven and earth reconciled in Christ.

The blood of the sacrifices was brought by the high priest, in sanctum sanctorum, into the place of greatest holinesse; but it was brought but once, in festo expiationis, in the feast of expiation; but, in the other parts of the Temple, it was sprinkled every day. The blood of the Crosse of Christ Jesus hath had his effect in sancto sanctorum, even in the highest heavens, in supplying their places that fell, in confirming them that stood, and in uniting us and them, in himselfe, as Head of all. In the other parts of the Temple it is to be sprinkled daily. Here, in the militant Church upon earth, there is still a recon∣ciliation to be made; not only toward one another, in the band of charity, but in our selves. In our selves we may finde things in heaven, and things on earth to reconcile. There is a heavenly zeale, but if it be not reconciled to discretion, there is a heavenly pu∣rity, but if it be not reconciled to the bearing of one anothers infirmities, there is a hea∣venly liberty, but if it be not reconciled to a care, for the prevention of scandall, All things in our heaven, and our earth are not reconciled in Christ. In a word, till the flesh and the spirit be reconciled, this reconciliation is not accomplished. For, neither spirit, nor flesh must be destroyed in us; a spirituall man is not all spirit, he is a man still. But then is flesh and spirit reconciled in Christ, when in all the faculties of the soule, and all the organs of the body we glorifie him in this world; for then, in the next world wee shall be glorified by him, and with him, in soule, and in body too, where we shall bee thoroughly reconciled to one another, no suits, no controversies; and thoroughly to the Angels; when we shall not only be sieut Angeli, as the Angels in some one property, but aequales Angelis, equall to the Angels in all, for, Non erunt duae societates Angelorum & hominum, Men and Angels shall not make two companies, sed omnium beatitudo erit, uni adhaerere Deo, this shall be the blessednesse of them both, to be united in one head, Christ Jesus.

And these reconcilings are reconcilings enow; for these are all that are in heaven and earth. If you will reconcile things in heaven, and earth, with things in hell, that is a reconciling out of this Text. If you will mingle the service of God, and the service of this world, there is no reconciling of God and Mammon in this Text. If you will min∣gle a true religion, and a false religion, there is no reconciling of God and Belial in this Text. For the adhering of persons born within the Church of Rome, to the Church of Rome, our law sayes nothing to them if they come; But for reconciling to the Church of Rome, by persons born within the Allegeance of the King, or for perswading of men to be so reconciled, our law hath called by an infamous and Capitall name of Treason, and yet every Tavern, and Ordinary is full of such Traitors. Every place from jest to earnest is filled with them; from the very stage to the death-bed; At a Comedy they will perswade you, as you sit, as you laugh, And in your sicknesse they will perswade you, as you lye, as you dye. And not only in the bed of sicknesse, but in the bed of wan∣tonnesse they perswade too; and there may be examples of women, that have thought it a fit way to gain a soul, by prostituting themselves, and by entertaining unlawfull love, with a purpose to convert a servant, which is somewhat a strange Topique, to draw ar∣guments of religion from. Let me see a Dominican and a Jesuit reconciled, in doctrinall papistry, for freewill and predestination, Let me see a French papist and an Italian papist reconciled in State-papistry, for the Popes jurisdiction, Let me see the Jesuits, and the secular priests reconciled in England, and when they are reconciled to one another, let them presse reconciliation to their Church. To end all, Those men have their bodies from the earth, and they have their soules from heaven; and so all things in earth and heaven are reconciled: but they have their Doctrine from the Devill; and for things in hell, there is no peace made, and with things in hell, there is no reconciliation to be had by the blood of his Crosse, except we will tread that blood under our feet, and make a mock of Christ Jesus, and crucifie the Lord of Life againe.

Notes

• V. 13.
• V. 14.
• 1 Sam. 2.25.
• V. 15.
• V. 18.
• Mat. 11.25.
• Divisio.
• 1. Part. Plenitudo.
• Gen. 6.5.
• Psal. 50.18. Psal. 12.4.
• Numb. 5.14.
• Omnis pleni∣tudo. 2 Reg. 2.9. Acts 6.5. Acts 9.36.
• Eccles. 10.1.
• Acts 6.3.
• Coloss. 2.9.
• Thren. 1.12.
• Eph. 1.23.
• Inhabitavit. Remigius.
• 1 Cor. 1.17.
• Esay 1. ult.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Joh. 1.16.
• Eph. 3.19.
• Complacuit.
• Catharin.
• August.
• 2 Part.
• Bellum ante.
• Gen. 3.15.
• Basil.
• Ad milites Templa: Ser. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• Esay 34.5.
• Pax.
• Gellius.
• Bernard.
• Esay 9.6.
• Per sangui∣nem.
• Gen. 34.
• Exod. 32.28. & 32.
• Heb. 9 22.
• Per sangui∣nem ejus. Psal. 50.10.
• Hag. 2.8.
• Bern.
• Ecces. 7.16.
• Tostat. in Le∣vit. fo. 45. D.
• 2 Reg. 5.14.
• Tostat. in Le∣vit. 4. q. 16.
• Esay 50.6.
• Prov. 24.16.
• Jos. 6.
• Crux. Joh. 15.13.
• Heb. 9.16.
• Luc. 24.26.
• Phil. 2.8.
• Deut. 21 23.
• 3. Part.
• 2 Cor. 5.20.
• 2 Sam. 14.22.2.28.24.16.
• Origen.
• In coelis.
• Animae.
• August.
• Job 4.18.
• Calvin.
• In terra.
• Rom. 8.21.
• Ephes. 1.10.
• Gregor.
• Tostat. in Le∣vit. 16.
• Mat. 22.30. Luc. 20.36.
• August.