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supernatural thing; and whether it were an anticipation of reason in the child, (some of the fathers think so, though St. Augustine do not, that the child understood what he did) or that this were a fulfilling of that prophecy, That he should be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb, all agree that this was an exciting of him to this attestation of his Saviour's presence, whether he had any sense of it, or no. Exultatio significat, says

St. Augustine, This springing declared, that his mother, whose forerunner that child should be, was come. And so both Origen, and St. Cyril, refer that commendation, which our Saviour gives him, Inter natos mulierum, Among those that were born of women, there was not a greater prophet; that is, none that prophesied before he was born, but he. And such a citation, beloved, thou mayest have, in this place, and at this time. A man may upon the hearing of something that strikes him, that affects him, feel this springing, this exultation, this melting, and colliquation of the inwardest bowels of his soul; a new affection, a new passion, beyond the joy ordinarily conceived upon earthly happinesses; which, though no natural philosopher can call it by a name, no anatomist assign the place where it lies, yet I doubt not, through Christ Jesus, but that many of you who are here now, feel it, and understand it this minute. Citaris huc, thou wast cited to come hither, whether by a collateral, and oblique, and occasional motion, or otherwise, hither God hath brought thee, and citaris hic, here thou art cited to come nearer to him. Now both these citations were before John Baptist was born; both these affections, to come to this place, and to be affected with a delight here, may be before thy regeneration, which is thy spiritual birth; a man is not born, not born again, because he is at church, nor because he likes the sermon, John Baptist had, and thou must have a third citation; which was in him, from the desert into the public, into the world, from contemplation to practice.

This was that mission, that citation, which most properly belongs to this text, when the word came to the voice, (the word of God came to John in the wilderness, and he came into all the country preaching the baptism of repentance"). To that we must come, to practise. For, in this respect, an university is but a

29 Luke iii. 2.

wilderness, though we gather our learning there, our private meditation is but a wilderness, though we contemplate God there, nay our being here, is but a wilderness, though we serve God here, if our service end so, if we do not proceed to action, and glorify God in the public. And therefore citaris huc, thou art cited hither, here thou must be, and citaris hic, thou art cited here, to lay hold upon that grace which God offers in his ordinance; and citaris hinc, thou art cited from hence, to embrace a calling in the world. He that undertakes no course, no vocation, he is no part, no member, no limb of the body of this world; no eye, to give light to others; no ear to receive profit by others. If he think it enough to be excremental nails, to scratch and gripe others by his lazy usury, and extortion, or excremental hair, made only for ornament, or delight of others, by his wit, or mirth, or delightful conversation, these men have not yet felt this third citation, by which they are called to glorify God, and so to witness for him, in such public actions, as God's cause for the present requires, and comports with their calling.

And then John Baptist had a fourth citation to bear witness for Christ, by laying down his life for the truth; and this was that that made him a witness, in the highest sense, a martyr. God hath not served this citation upon us, nor doth he threaten us, with any approaches towards it, in the fear of persecution for religion. But remember that John Baptist's martyrdom, was not for the fundamental rock, the body of the Christian religion, but for a moral truth, for matter of manners. A man may be bound to suffer much, for a less matter than the utter overthrow of the whole frame and body of religion. But leaving this consideration, for what causes a man is bound to lay down his life, consider we now, but this, that a man lays down his life for Christ, and bears witness of him, even in death, when he prefers Christ before this world, when he desires to be dissolved, and be with him, and obeys cheerfully that citation, by the hand of death, whensoever it comes; and that citation must certainly be served upon you all; whether this night in your beds, or this hour, at the door, no man knows. You who were cited hither, to hear, and cited here, to consider, and cited hence, to work in a calling in the world, must be cited from thence too, from the face to the bosom of the

earth, from treading upon other men's, to a lying down in your own graves. And yet that is not your last citation, there is a fifth.

In the grave, John Baptist does, and we must attend a fifth citation, from the grave to a judgment. The first citation hither to church, was served by example of other men, you saw them come, and came. The second citation here, in the church, was served by the preacher, you heard him and believed. The third, from hence, is served by the law, and by the magistrate, they bind you to embrace a profession, and a calling, and you do so. The fourth, which is from thence, from this, to the next world, is served by nature in death, he touches you, and you sink. This fifth to judgment shall be by an angel, by an archangel, by the Lord himself, The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise. This citation is not served by a bell, that tolls to bring you hither; not by a man that speaks to instruct you here; not by a law, that compels you to live orderly in the world; not by a bell, that rings out to lay thee in thy grave; but by the great shout of the Lord descending from heaven, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, to raise the dead in Christ. It is not the aperire fores, that the Levites have charge to open these doors every day to you that you may come in, (that is your first citation, hither) it is not the Domine labia mea aperies32, that God opens our mouth,, the mouth of the preacher, to work upon you, (that is your second citation, here) it is not that aperimus saccos, the opening of your sack of corn, and finding that, and your money too, that is, your trading in this world, in a calling, (that is your third citation, from hence) nor it is not the aperuit terra os suum3, that the earth opens her mouth, and swallows all in the grave, (that is your fourth citation from thence) it is none of these apertions, these openings; but it is the aperta monumenta3, the grave itself shall be open again; and aperti cali, the heavens shall be open, and I shall see the Son of man, the Son of God, and not see him. at that distance, that Stephen saw him there, but see him, and

30 1 Thes. iv. 16.
34 Num. xvi. 30.

31 2 Chron. ix. 27. 82 Psalm Li. 15.

35 Matt. xxvii. 52.

31

33 Gen. xLiii. 21. 30 Acts vii. 56.

sit down with him. I shall rise from the dead, from the dark station, from the prostration, from the prosternation of death, and never miss the sun, which shall then be put out, for I shall see the Son of God, the sun of glory, and shine myself, as that sun shines. I shall rise from the grave, and never miss this city, which shall be no where, for I shall see the city of God, the new Jerusalem. I shall look up, and never wonder when it will be day, for the angel will tell me that Time shall be no more3, and I shall see, and see cheerfully that last day, the day of judgment, which shall have no night, never end, and be united to the Ancient of Days", to God himself, who had no morning, never began. There I shall bear witness for Christ, in ascribing the salvation of the whole world, to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, and Christ shall bear witness for me, in ascribing his righteousness unto me, and in delivering me into his Father's hands, with the same tenderness as he delivered up his own soul, and in making me, who am a greater sinner, than they who crucified him on earth for me, as innocent and as righteous as his glorious self, in the kingdom of heaven. And these occasions of advancing your devotion and edification, from these two branches of this part, first, the fitness of John Baptist to be sent, and then his actual sending, by so divers callings and citations in him, appliable, as you have seen, to us. More will be ministered, in due time, out of the last part, and the two branches of that; first, why this light required any witness, and then, what witness John Baptist gave to this light. But those, because they lead us not to the celebration of any particular festival, (as these two former parts have done, to Christmas and Midsummer) I may have leave to present to you at any other time. At this time let us only beg of God a blessing upon this that hath been said, &c.

37 Rev. x. 6.

38 Dan. vii. 9.

94

SERMON CXIX.

PREACHED AT ST. PAUL'S, 13th OCTOBER, 1622.

JOHN i. 8.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

THIS is the third time that I have entertained you (in a business of this nature, intended for God's service, and your edification, I must not say, troubled you) with this text. I begun it at Christmas, and in that dark time of the year told you who, and what was this light which John Baptist is denied to be. I pursued it at Midsummer, and upon his own day, insisted upon the person of John Baptist, who, though he were not this light, was sent to bear witness of this light. And the third consideration. which (as I told you then) was not tied nor affected to any particular festival, you shall (by God's grace) have now, the office of John Baptist's testimony; and in that, these two parts; first, a problematical part, why so evident a thing as light, and such a light, that light, required testimony of man: and then a dogmatical part, what testimony this man gives of this light. And in the first of these we shall make these two steps, first, why any testimony at all, then why, after so many others, this of John.

First then God made light first, ut innotescerent omnia', that man might glorify God in seeing the creature, and him in it; for, frustra fecisset, (says the same father) it had been to no purpose to have a world, and no light. But though light discover and manifest everything else to us, and itself too, if all be well disposed, yet, in the fifth verse of this chapter, there is reason enough given, why this light in our text, requires testimony; that is, the light shines in darkness, and the darkness comprehends it not; and therefore, Propter non intelligentes, propter incredulos, propter infirmos, sol lucernas quærit2; For their sakes that are weak in their understanding, and not enlightened in that faculty, the Gentiles; for their sakes who are weak in their faith, 2 * Augustine.

1 Ambrose.

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