From the holy day of Easter are counted fifty days to this day, and this
day is called Pentecost, that is, the fiftieth day of Easter-tide. This day
was in the old law appointed and hallowed. God commanded Moses in Egypt,
that he and all the people of Israel should offer, for every household, a
lamb of one year to God, and mark with the blood the sign of the cross on
their door-posts and lintels, as on that night God's angel went and slew in
every house of the Egyptian folk the firstborn child and the dearest. And
the people of {313} Israel went on the same night from the nation, and God
led them over the Red sea with dry feet. Pharaoh then hastened after them
with a great army. When he came into the middle of the sea, the people of
God were gone up, and God then sank Pharaoh and all his host. God then
commanded Moses and the people that they should keep that tide with great
reverence in the circuit of every year. The tide was then appointed to the
people for Easter-tide, because God had saved them from their foes, and
destroyed their persecutors. Then fifty days after this God appointed a law
for the people, and the glory of God was seen on a hill which is called
Sinai. There came a great light, and an awful sound, and blowing trumpets.
Then God called Moses to him, and he was with God forty days, and wrote
down the old law by God's direction. Then was the day called PENTECOST in
the Old Testament.
The offered lamb betokened the slaying of Christ, who innocent was offered
to his Father for our redemption. Now is his passion and his resurrection
our Easter-tide, because he redeemed us from the thraldom of the devil, and
our persecutors are sunk by the holy baptism, as Pharaoh was with his
people in the Red sea. These fifty days from the day of Easter are all
hallowed to one celebration, and this present day is our Pentecost, that
is, the fiftieth day from Easter-day. On the old Pentecost God appointed a
law to the people of Israel, and on this day the Holy Ghost came in
semblance of fire to God's company; for as the lamb betokened the passion
of Christ, so also the old law betokened the preaching of the gospel under
the grace of God. There are three periods in this world: one is that which
was without law; the second is that which was under the law; the third is
now after the advent of Christ. This period is called 'under God's grace.'
We are not without law, nor may we hold bodily the law of Moses, but God's
grace directs us to his will, if we be mindful of Christ's commandments and
of the precepts of the apostles.
{315} It is related in this epistolary lesson, how the Holy Ghost on this
day came to the faithful company of Christ's followers. Luke the Evangelist
wrote in the book 'The Acts of the Apostles,' that "the holy company was
living unanimously in prayers on an upper floor, after Christ's ascension,
awaiting his behest; when, on this day, which is called Pentecost, there
came suddenly a great sound from heaven, and filled all the upper flooring
with fire, and there appeared above each of them as it were fiery tongues,
and they were then all filled with the Holy Ghost, and begun to speak with
divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost taught them. Then there were
gathered within the city of Jerusalem pious men of every nation dwelling
under heaven; and the apostles spake to the gathering of people, and every
of them recognized his own tongue."
"Then was the multitude greatly amazed, and with wonder said, Lo, are not
these which here speak Galileans? And each of us hath heard how they speak
in our tongues, in which we were born! We have heard them declare the
glories of God in our tongues. Lo, what should this be? Then said the Jews
in mockery, These men are drunken with new wine. But Peter answered, It is
the third hour; how might we at this time be drunken? But the saying of the
prophet Joel is now fulfilled. God spake through the prophet's mouth, that
he would send his spirit over human flesh, and the children of men shall
prophesy, and I will give my foretokens from heaven above, and my signs on
earth beneath. For know ye that Christ arose from death, and in our sight
ascended to heaven, and sitteth on his Father's right, as David had
prophesied concerning him, thus saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit on
my right until I lay thy foes under thy footstool. When the people heard
this they were stimulated, and said to the apostles, Alas! what have we to
do? Then Peter answered, Repent of your sins, and receive baptism in the
name of Christ, and your sins shall be blotted out, and ye {317} shall
receive the Holy Ghost. They then received his doctrine, and there
submitted to baptism on that day three thousand men. And they were all in
unity with the apostles, and sold their possessions, and delivered the
money to the apostles, and they distributed to each according to his need."
"Again, at another preaching, five thousand men believed in Christ, and all
the believing multitude was as unanimous as if they all had one heart and
one soul; not one of them had separate possessions, but their things were
common to them all, nor was there any poor person among them. Those who had
land-property sold it, and brought the worth to the feet of the apostles:
they then distributed it to each according to his need."
"Then God wrought many signs among the people by the hands of the apostles,
so that they placed the sick along the street where Peter passed, and as
his shadow touched them, they were healed of all sicknesses. Then ran a
great multitude from the neighbouring towns, and brought their sick and
those possessed with devils, and they were all healed at the hands of the
apostles. They set their hands on believing men, and they received the Holy
Ghost."
"Then was a thane, called Ananias, and his wife Sapphira: they said between
themselves, that they would incline to the fellowship of the apostles. They
then resolved, that it would be safer to withhold a portion of the worth of
their land, in case aught befell them. The thane then came with the money
to the apostles. Then said Peter, Ananias, the devil hath cheated thy
heart, and thou hast lied to the Holy Ghost. Why wouldst thou deceive in
thine own? Thou hast not lied to men, but to God. When he had heard these
words, he fell down and departed. When he was buried, his wife Sapphira
came, and knew not how it had befallen her husband. Then Peter said, Tell
me, sold ye thus much land? She answered, Yes, sir, so much. Again said
Peter, Why have ye so done, that ye durst tempt God? She {319} straightways
fell down and departed, and they buried her by her husband. Then there was
great fear in God's church, and on all those who heard of it."
The apostles afterwards, before they separated, set James, who was called
Righteous, on the seat of Christ, according to God's instruction. He sat on
that seat thirty years, and after him Simeon, the kinsman of Jesus. From
that example monastic life arose with abstinence, so that they live in a
monastery, according to the direction of their principal, in chastity, and
their possessions are common to them all, as the apostles established it.
Ye heard a little before, in this lesson, that the Holy Ghost came over the
apostles as fiery tongues, and gave them knowledge of all languages; for
the humble company merited of God that which long of yore the proud host
had lost. It happened after Noah's flood, that giants would raise up a
city, and a tower so high, that its roof should ascend to heaven. There was
then one language among all mankind, and the work was begun against the
will of God. God therefore scattered them, so that he gave to each of the
workmen an unknown language, and not one of them could understand another's
speech. They then ceased from the building, and went divers ways over all
the world; and there were afterwards as many languages as there were
workmen. Now again, on this day, through the advent of the Holy Ghost, all
languages became united and concordant; for all the holy company of
Christ's followers were speaking in all languages; and also, what was more
wonderful, when one of them preached in one tongue, it seemed to everyone
who heard the preaching as though he spake in his language, whether they
were Hebrews, or Greeks, or Romans, or Egyptians, or of whatsoever nation
they might be who heard that doctrine. In this fellowship their humility
gained them this power, and the pride of the giants gained shame.
The Holy Ghost appeared over the apostles in semblance {321} of fire, and
over Christ, at his baptism, in likeness of a dove. Why over Christ in
semblance of a dove? Why over the followers of Christ in likeness of fire?
In books it is read concerning that kind of birds that its nature is very
meek, and innocent, and peaceful. The Saviour is the Judge of all mankind,
but he came not to judge mankind, as he himself said, but to save. If he
then would have judged mankind, when he first came on earth, who would have
been saved? But he would not by his advent condemn the sinful, but would
gather them to his kingdom. He would first with gentleness direct us, that
he might afterwards preserve us at his judgement. Therefore was the Holy
Ghost seen in likeness of a dove above Christ, because he was living in
this world in meekness, and innocence, and peacefulness. He cried not out,
nor was he inclined to bitterness, nor did he stir up strife, but endured
man's wickedness through his meekness. But he who at his first advent
mitigated, for the conversion of the sinful, will deem stern doom to the
reckless at his second advent.
The Holy Ghost was seen as fiery tongues above the apostles; for he
effected that they were burning in God's will, and preaching of God's
kingdom. They had fiery tongues when with love they preached the greatness
of God, that the hearts of the heathen men, which were cold through
infidelity and fleshly desires, might be kindled to the heavenly commands.
If the Holy Ghost teach not a man's mind within, in vain will be the words
of the preacher proclaimed without. It is the nature of fire to consume
whatsoever is near to it: so shall the teacher do, who is inspired by the
Holy Ghost, first extinguish every sin in himself, and afterwards in those
under his care.
In likeness of a dove and in semblance of fire was the Spirit of God
manifested; for he causes those to be meek in innocence, and burning in the
will of God, whom he fills with his grace. Meekness is not pleasing to God
without wisdom, {323} nor wisdom without meekness; as it is said by the
blessed Job, that he was meek and righteous. What is righteousness without
meekness? Or what is meekness without righteousness? But the Holy Ghost,
who teaches both righteousness and meekness, should be manifested both as
fire and as a dove, for he causes the hearts of those men whom he
enlightens with his grace to be meek through innocence, and kindled by love
and wisdom. God is, as Paul said, a consuming fire. He is a fire
unspeakable and invisible. Concerning that fire Jesus said, "I come because
I would send fire on earth, and I will that it burn." He sent the Holy
Ghost on earth, and he by his inspiration kindled the hearts of earthly
men. Then burns the earth, when the earthly man's heart is kindled to love
of God, which before was cold through fleshly lusts.
The Holy Ghost is not in his nature existing as he was seen, for he is
invisible; but for the sign, as we before said, he appeared as a dove and
as fire. He is called in the Greek tongue [Greek: Parakletos], that is,
Comforting Spirit, because he comforts the sad, who repent of their sins,
and gives them hope of forgiveness, and alleviates their sorrowful minds.
He forgives sins, and he is the way to forgiveness of all sins. He gives
his grace to whom he will. To one man he gives wisdom and eloquence, to one
good knowledge, to one great faith, to one power to heal the sick, to one
prophetic power, to one discrimination of good and evil spirits; to one he
gives divers tongues, to one interpretation of divers sayings. The Holy
Ghost does all these things, distributing to everyone as to him seems good;
for he is the Almighty Worker, and as soon as he enlightens the mind of a
man, he turns it from evil to good. He enlightened the heart of David, when
in youth he loved the harp, and made him to be a psalmist. There was a
cow-herd called Amos, whom the Holy Ghost turned to a great prophet. Peter
was a fisher, whom the {325} same Spirit of God turned to an apostle. Paul
persecuted christian men, whom he chose for instructer of all nations.
Matthew was a toll-gatherer, whom he turned to an evangelist. The apostles
durst not preach the true faith, for fear of the Jewish folk; but after
that they were fired by the Holy Ghost, they despised all bodily tortures,
and fearlessly preached the greatness of God.
The dignity of this day is to be celebrated, because Almighty God, that is
the Holy Ghost, himself vouchsafed to visit the children of men at this
time. At the birth of Christ the Almighty Son of God became human man, and
on this day believing men became gods, as Christ said; "I said, Ye are
gods, and ye are all children of the Highest." The chosen are children of
God, and also gods, not naturally, but through grace of the Holy Ghost. One
God is naturally in three persons, the Father, and his Son, that is, his
Wisdom, and the Holy Ghost, who is the Love and Will of them both. Their
nature is indivisible, ever existing in one Godhead. The same has,
nevertheless, said of his chosen, "Ye are gods." Through Christ's humanity
men were redeemed from the thraldom of the devil, and through the coming of
the Holy Ghost human men were made gods. Christ received human nature at
his advent, and men received God through visitation of the Holy Ghost. The
man who has not in him the Spirit of God is not God's. Every man's works
show what spirit directs him. The Spirit of God ever directs to holiness
and goodness; the spirit of the devil directs to sins and deeds of
wickedness.
The Holy Ghost came twice over the apostles. Christ blew the Holy Ghost on
the apostles before his resurrection, thus saying, "Receive the Holy
Ghost." Again, on this day, the Almighty Father and the Son sent the Spirit
of both to the faithful company dwelling in this world. Jesus blew his
Spirit on his disciples for a sign that they and all christian {327} men
should love their neighbours as themselves. He sent afterwards, as he had
before promised, the Holy Ghost from heaven, to the end that we should love
God above all other things. The Holy Ghost is one, though he came twice
over the apostles. So also there is one love and two commandments, That we
should love God and men. But we should learn by men how we may come to the
love of God, as John the apostle said, "He who loveth not his brother, whom
he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not bodily?"
We celebrate the advent of the Holy Ghost with hymns for seven days,
because he stimulates our mind with a sevenfold gift, that is, with wisdom
and understanding, with counsel and strength, with knowledge and piety, and
he fills us with awe of God. He who through good deserts attains to these
sevenfold gifts of the Holy Ghost will have all honour. But he who will
attain to this honour shall believe in the Holy Trinity, and in True Unity,
that the Father, and his Son, and the Spirit of them both are three in
persons, and one God indivisible, existing in one Godhead. This faith was
betokened by the three thousand who first inclined to belief, after the
advent of the Holy Ghost. As those three thousand were one company, so is
the Holy Trinity one God. And that company was as unanimous as though they
all had one heart and one soul; for of the Holy Trinity there is one
Godhead, and one nature, and one will, and one work inseparable.
The faithful brought their money, and laid it at the feet of the apostles.
By this is manifested that christian men should not set their delight in
worldly treasure, but in God alone. The covetous who sets his delight in
his gold-hoard, is, as the apostle said, "like unto him who practiseth
idolatry."
They held the gold as worthless, because covetousness had no place in their
hearts: they made their goods in common, {329} that they might be in true
peace without covetousness. They set their hands over believing men, and
the Holy Ghost came to them through their bishoping. Bishops are of the
same order in God's church, and hold that institution in their bishoping,
so that they set their hands over baptized men, and pray the Almighty Ruler
to send them the sevenfold gift of his Spirit, who liveth and reigneth ever
without end. Amen.
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