AN

HOMILY

CONCERNING

The coming down of the HOLY GHOST, and the manifold Gifts of the fame.

FOR WHITSUNDAY.

EFORE we come to the declaration of the great and manifold gifts of the Holy Ghoft, wherewith the church of God hath been evermore replenished, it fhall first be needful briefly to expound unto you, whereof this feaft of Pentecoft, or Whitfuntide, had his first beginning. You fhall therefore underftand, that the feaft of Pentecoft was always kept the fiftieth day after Eafter; a great and folemn feaft among the Jews, wherein they did celebrate the memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt, and alfo the memorial of the publishing of the Law, which was given unto them in the mount Sinai upon that day. It was firft ordained and commanded to be kept holy, not by any mortal man, but by the mouth of the Lord himself, as we read in Levit. xxiii. and Deut. xvi. The place appointed for the obfervation thereof was Jerufalem, where was great recourse of people from all parts of the world; as may well appear in the fecond chapter of the Acts, wherein mention is made of Parthians, Medes, Elamites, inhabiters of Mefopotamia, inhabiters of Jewry, Cappadocia, Pontus, Afia, Phrygia, Pamphilia, and divers other fuch places, whereby we may also partly gather, what great and royal folemnity was commonly used in that feast. Now as this was given in commandment to the Jews in the old Law, fo did our Saviour Chrift as it were confirm the fame in the time of the Gofpel, ordaining, after a fort, a new Pentecoft for

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his Difciples: namely, when he fent down the Holy Ghoft 1 Cor. x. vifibly in form of cloven tongues like fire, and gave them power to speak in fuch fort, that every one might hear them, and alfo underftand them in his own language. Which miracle, that it might be had in perpetual remembrance, the church hath thought good to folemnize and keep holy this day, commonly called Whitfunday. And here is to be noted, that as the Law was given to the Jews in the mount Sinai, the fiftieth day after Eafter; fo was the preaching of the Gofpel, through the mighty power of the Holy Ghoft, given to the Apostles in the mount Sion, the fiftieth day after Eafter.

And hereof this feast hath his name, to be called Pentecoft, even of the number of the days. For, as St. Luke writeth in the Acts of the Apoftles, when fifty days were come to an end, the Difciples being all together with one accord in one place, the Holy Ghoft came fuddenly among them, and fate upon each of them, like as it had been cloven tongues of fire. Which thing was undoubtedly done, to teach the Apostles, and all other men, that it is he which giveth eloquence and utterance in preaching the Gofpel, that it is he which openeth the mouth to declare the mighty works of God, that it is he which engendereth a burning zeal towards God's word, and giveth all men a tongue, yea, a fiery tongue, fo that they may boldly and cheerfully profefs the truth in the face of the whole world, as Ifaiah was endued with this fpirit. The Lord, faith Ifaiah, Ifaiah 1. give me a learned and a skilful tongue, fo that I might know to raise up them that are fallen with the word. The Prophet David crieth to have this gift, faying, Open thou my lips, Pfalm 1. O Lord, and my mouth fhall fhew forth thy praife. For our Saviour Chrift alfo in the Gofpel faith to his Difciples, It Matth. x. is not you that fpeak, but the Spirit of your Father which is within you. All which teftimonies of holy Scripture do fufficiently declare, that the mystery in the tongues betokeneth the preaching of the Gospel, and the open confeffion of the Chriftian faith, in all them that are poffeffed with the Holy Ghoft. So that if any man be a dumb Chriftian, not profeffing his faith openly, but cloaking and colouring himself for fear of danger in time to come, he giveth men occafion, juftly, and with good confcience, to doubt left he have not the grace of the Holy Ghoft within him, because he is tongue-tied, and doth not fpeak. Thus then have ye heard the first inftitution of this feaft of Pentecoft, or Whitfuntide, as well in the old

John iv.

John ii.

Law among the Jews, as alfo in the time of the Gofpel among the Chriftians.

Now let us confider what the Holy Ghoft is, and how confequently he worketh his miraculous works towards mankind. The Holy Ghoft is a spiritual and divine fubftance, the third Perfon in the Deity, diftinct from the Father and the Son, and yet proceeding from them both: which thing to be true, both the Creed of Athanafius beareth witnefs, and may be alfo eafily proved by most plain teftimonies of God's holy Word. When Chrift was baptized of John in the river Jordan, we read that the Holy Ghoft came down in form of a dove, and that the Father thundered from heaven, faying, This is my dear Matth. iii. and well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed. Where note three divers and diftinct Perfons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; which all notwithstanding are not three Gods, but one God. Likewife, when Chrift did firft inftitute and ordain the Sacrament of Baptifm, he fent his Difciples into the whole world, willing Mat. xxviii. them to baptize all nations, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And in another place he faith, I will pray unto my Father, and he shall give you another Comforter. Again, When the Comforter fball come, whom I will fend from my Father, &c. Thefe and fuch other places of the New Teftament do fo plainly and evidently confirm the diftinction of the Holy Ghoft from the other Perfons in the Trinity, that no man poffibly can doubt thereof, unlefs he will blafpheme the everlasting truth of God's Word. As for his proper nature and fubftance, it is altogether one with God the Father, and God the Son, that is to fay, fpiritual, eternal, uncreated, incomprehenfible, almighty; to be fhort, he is even God and Lord everlafting. Therefore he is called the Spirit of the Father, therefore he is faid to proceed from the Father and the Son, and therefore he was equally joined with them in the commiffion that the Apoftles had to baptize all na tions. But that this may appear more fenfibly to the eyes of all men, it fhall be requifite to come to the other part, namely, to the wonderful and heavenly works of the Holy Ghoft, which plainly declare unto the world his mighty and divine power. First, it is evident that he did wonderfully govern and direct the hearts of the Patriarchs and Prophets in old time, illuminating their minds with the knowledge of the true Meffias, and giving them utterance to prophefy of things that should come to pafs

long

long time after. For, as St. Peter witneffeth, the pro- 2 Pet. i. phecy came not in old time by the will of man; but the holy men of God fpake as they were moved inwardly by the Holy Ghost. And of Zachary the high Prieft it is faid in the Golpel, that he being full of the Holy Ghost, prophesied and Luke i. praifed God. So did alfo Simeon, Anna, Mary, and divers other, to the great wonder and admiration of all men. Moreover, was not the Holy Ghost a mighty worker in the conception and the nativity of Chrift our Saviour? St. Matthew faith, that the bleffed Virgin Matth. i. was found with child of the Holy Ghoft, before Jofeph and the came together. And the angel Gabriel did exprefsly tell her, that it should come to pafs, faying, The Luke i. Holy Ghoft fball come upon thee, and the power of the most High ball overshadow thee. A marvellous matter, that a woman fhould conceive and bear a child without the knowledge of man. But where the Holy Ghoft worketh, there nothing is impoffible, as may further alfo appear by the inward regeneration and fanctification of mankind. When Chrift laid to Nicodemus, Unless a man be born John iii. anew, of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, he was greatly amazed in his mind, and began to reafon with Chrift, demanding bow a man might be born which was old? Can be enter, faith be, into his mother's womb again, and fo be born anew? Behold a lively pattern of a fleshly and carnal man. He had little or no intelligence of the Holy Ghoft, and therefore he goeth bluntly to work, and afketh how this thing were poffible to be true: whereas otherwife if he had known the great power of the Holy Ghoft in this behalf, that it is he which inwardly worketh the regeneration and new birth of mankind, he would never have marvelled at Chrift's words, but would rather take occafion thereby to praise and glorify God. For as there are three feveral and fundry perfons in the Deity; fo have they three feveral and fundry offices proper unto each of them.

For

The Father to create, the Son to redeem, the Holy Ghoft to fanctify and regenerate. Whereof the laft, the more it is hid from our understanding, the more it ought to move all men to wonder at the fecret and mighty working of God's holy Spirit, which is within us. it is the Holy Ghoft, and no other thing, that doth quicken the minds of men, ftirring up good and godly motions in their hearts, which are agreeable to the will and commandment of God, fuch as otherwife of their own crooked and perverfe nature they fhould never have.

John v.

That which is born of the Spirit is fpirit. As who should fay, man of his own nature is fleshly and carnal, corrupt and naught, finful and difobedient to God, without any fpark of goodnefs in him, without any virtuous or godly motion, only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds. As for the works of the Spirit, the fruits of faith, charitable and godly motions, if he have any at all in him, they proceed only of the Holy Ghoft, who is the only worker of our fanétification, and maketh us new men in Chrift Jefus. Did not God's holy Spirit miracu1 Sam.xvii. loufly work in the child David, when of a poor fhepherd he became a princely prophet? Did not God's holy Spirit Matth. ix. miraculously work in Matthew, fitting at the receipt of

Rom. viii.

cuftom, when of a proud publican he became an humble and lowly Evangelift? And who can choose but marvel to confider, that Peter fhould become of a fimple fisher a chief and mighty Apoftle? Paul of a cruel and bloody perfecutor, a faithful difciple of Chrift, to teach the Gentiles? Such is the power of the Holy Ghoft to regenerate men, and as it were to bring them forth anew, so that they fhall be nothing like the men that they were before. Neither doth he think it fufficient inwardly to work the fpiritual and new birth of man, unless he do alfo dwell 1 Cor. iii. and abide in him. Know ye not, faith St. Paul, that ye are the temple of God, and that his Spirit dwelleth in you? Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, which is within you? Again he faith, You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. For why? The Spirit of God divelleth in you. To this agreeth the doctrine of St. John, writing on this wife: The anointing which ye have received (he meaneth the Holy Ghoft) dwelleth in you. And the doctrine of Peter faith the fame, who hath these words: The Spirit of glory and of God refteth upon you. O what comfort is this to the heart of a true Chriftian, to think that the Holy Ghoft dwelleth within him! If God be with us, as the Apoftle faith, who can be against us? O but how fhall I know that the Holy Ghoft is within me? fome man perchance will fay. Forfooth, as the tree is known by bis fruit, fo is alfo the Holy Ghost. The fruits of the Holy Ghost (according to the mind of St. Paul) are thefe love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentlenefs, goodnefs, faithfulness, meeknefs, temperance, &c. Contrariwife, the deeds of the fleth are thefe: adultery, fornication, uncleannefs, wantonnefs, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulation, wrath, contention, fedition, herefy, envy, murder, drunkennefs, gluttony, and fuch like.

1 John ii.

1. Pet. iv.

Rom. v.

Gal. v.

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