repent the wrongs And disrespect they gave thee contrary Unto the lawes of Nations doe they not Wish that they had surrender'd to our Crowne Those lands we justly challeng'd for our owne Sysim I thinke they doe and curse their arrogance That hath brought home the warres unto their dores It cannot choose but vex their very soules To see so fruitfull and so faire a soyle Their native Country over-runne and spoyl'd By the incursions of a hostile army Hydasp T is fit they suffer for their usurpation But where lurkes Oroondates since his flight In our last battaile no newes yet of him Sysim Fame gives it out he is within this towne Of Syene with the remnant of his army Hydasp Will not the Towne yet come to composition Will it hold out yet longer notwithstanding Our water-workes to drowne them Sysim Royall sir As soone as we had cut the banks of Nile And let the river in upon the towne Th' inhabitants began to see and feele Their misery for suddenly the water Encompassed faire Syene round about That it became an Iland and by sinking Into the earth below the walls foundation The weight above begin to shake as if It would have â—allen downe in every place Then suddenly arose a piteous cry Amongst the people of the towne imploring The gods assistance and the Deputy It seemes by this extreamity constrained First camed letters â—yed to a stone As messengers to be shot to our campe Out oâ— a sling and archers from their bowes Sent their swift winged arrows to speak for them But both fell short and perish'd in the water At last when we by signes perceiv'd their mindes As holding up their hands in token of Submission and sometimes behinde their backes In token they were reâ—ly to receive Bandes â—o they might finde me â—ie we sent out Some bootes to talke with them who brought us word They would surrender to your royall hands The towne of Syene if you would be pleas'd To grant some poore conditions Hydasp What are they Sysim First Oroondates makes request that he And all his souldier without interruption May march forth as best sinteth their profession With all their martiall habiliments And armes about them next to be convoy'd to Elyphantina with you royall guard Else he would rather die then live to be Condemned as a traitor to his king For yielding up the City and betraying The armie and besides be put to death With rackes and tortures Hydasp What a foole is he To make his owne conditions or to argue Of such a matter doth he not conceive He is not in his owne power but in ours To live or die why what a madnes is it For conquered men to argue of conditions But t is not noble to destroy a number For one mans folly goe Sysimethres Take heere our seale and signe their articles For pitty workes upon a noble spirit Exit Sysimethres Hydasp If I could entertaine ambitious sparkes Within my royall breast or never enter Into examination with my selfe Of right or wrong as many politicians And proud usurpers doe not what should let me From adding this large kingdome to my owne Stretching my Empire to the mouth of Nile But iustice sets downe limits to my thoughts Boundes my ambition in so that I dare not Advance one foote beyond it sacred goddesse Divine Astrea though all kings rebell And pay no reverence to thy deitie Hydaspes shall adore thee and his might shall never be more potent then his right Exit Actus quinti Scena secunda Enter the Persian magistrates as judges with Arsace then enters Caricles with Aura bound they sit 1 Magist Is this faire maid the prisoner Arsa Faire without but foule within 2 Magist T is pitty vice should beare A semblance of faire vertue or be mask'd Under so sweet a vaile Sure by her lookes 3 Magist I should not judge her guiltie Arsa That 's a rule Deceives us for the choicest fruites of all Ofttimes have rotten cores and underneath The fairest flowers lurke most the foulest snakes That cannot hold Bring forth the prisoners You are accus'd for poysoning Cibile How doe you answer this Caric. Who 's my accuser Arsa My selfe and these my servants who were present When the old woman dy'd and heard her name Thee and that other guilty of her death Canst thou deny the fact Caric. I le answer thee Proud dame if my Theagines live yet I say I am not guilty of this murther But if by thy most damnable attempts His purer soule hath left the earthly prison Of his faire body I declare my selfe Guilty of this and whatsoever else Thy malice can invent I was the woman That poison'd then thy nurse who train'd thee up To all those goodly vertues of thy mind I doe desire to suffer kill me straight That I may meet my lover who so stoutly Resisted thy soule lust and lewd enticements Choosing to die rather then condescend Arsa Base queane how durst thou take unto thy selfe Such liberty of speech judicious sirs And magistrates of Persia understand That this she saith is false touching my honour I take the gods to witnesse that when first This woman and her friend came to the Palace I entertain'd them as became the state Of greater persons and so long continued My favours to them till by open proofe I found they came as spies to 〈◊〉 sent From King Hydaspes army then indeed I did begin to draw backe my affection Many more things inciting me to doe it Which I forbeare to speake of but in briefe Although I lov'd this maid so as to make her My bosom-friend and my most deare companion She hath repaid me as you see and poison'd My trusty woman is 't not to be doubted Her purpose stretch'd yet further even to me Caric. I doe confesse yet once againe I poison'd Thy nurse and would have done so much to thee Had I not beene prevented Aura O Cariclea Unhappy maid why dost thou wrongfully Accuse thy selfe and draw on death upon thee Heare me right grave and most impartiall Judges There is no fault in her I onely I Gave Cibile the poison by mistake Which was prepared for this vertuous mayd By that old beldame this is true or else Ye gods hurle downe your thunder on my head 2 Magi. But how came this mistake make it more plaine Aura Old Cibile my mistris did prepare This cup for faire Cariclea I was forc'd To have a hand in 't too when I should give The poison'd cup unto Cariclea And Cibile the other I know not Whither being troubled with so strange a deed Or hastily cal'd on by Cibile I chang'd the cups and poison'd the old woman Arsa This is a forg'd devise believe it not This woman is a traitor and conspires With them in all their plots as privie to them 3. If she that cals herselfe Cariclea Be guiltlesse of this businesse what should make her To cast herselfe into the jawes of death By her so free confession
not part with them This is Gods mind towards the soules of his favourites Saul acknowledgeth that his soule was precious in Davids eyes because he did not take it away when he had opportunity Surely then their soules must needs be precious to God who doth not only not take them away when he may but also preserve them when they are in great hazard of death On the contrary when S. Paul esteemed not his life in comparison of the Gospell but was rather prodigall therof he saith I count not my life precious or deare to my selfe This phrase in the sight word for word in the eyes of the Lord is used by way of resemblance to shew that God taketh notice of our life and death and is watchfull over the same as men take notice of the things which are before them and by fixing their eyes on things doe manifest a watchfulnesse or otherwise it may indefinitely be used as a note of application onely and so in the sight of the Lord imports no more but to the Lord as if it had been thus said Precious to the LORD is the death of his favourites In this verse is set out Gods esteeme of men More particularly here is noted 1 What these men be His favourites 2 Wherein that esteeme consisteth Their death is precious in his sight These two parts give evidence of these two points I. God hath favourites II. God is tender of his favourites death §. 96. Of Gods favourites I. GOD hath favourites Without all question they were his favourites that had these testimonies following The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering Enoch was translated that he should not see death for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Abraham was called the friend of God The Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend The Lord said to Ioshuah I wil be with thee I will not faile thee nor forsake thee And to David I have found David a man after mine owne heart Salomon was called Iedidiah because of the Lord the Lord loved him Daniel a man greatly beloved Zerubbabel as a signet Iohn the disciple whom Iesus loved The rest of the Disciples he called friends And Paul a chosen vessell Yea to the whole communion of Saints these titles are given A peculiar treasure above all people A chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation the apple of Gods eye dearely or onely beloved children first borne heires of God joynt-heires with Christ Begotten againe to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven If they that are made partakers of such prerogatives be not compassed about and followed with mercies if they be not favourites and that in regard of the favour of the great Lord and King of heaven and earth surely there can be no favourites at all These and other like to these being chosen in Christ are given of the Father to him and by him are redeemed reconciled sanctified cleansed made holy and without blemish and made accepted The beloved one of God hath taken these for his wife and made them members of his body by vertue of which mysticall and reall union God loveth them with that love he beareth unto Christ and so maketh them his favourites The very word of this text is primarily attributed to Christ and in and thorow him to others Good and great ground of comfort have Saints by reason of this prerogative that they are the favourites of the great King What needfull thing doe they want that they may not confidently expect from this their Liege What hurtfull thing need they feare Is not the King who favours them able to supply all their necessities Is he not able to protect them from all enmities If he be what doubt can be made of the one or of the other Consider what mortall Monarchs do for their favourites They invent they consult how to doe them honour Though it oft fall out that they have unworthy favourites instance Haman yet a King can deny his favourite nothing Let a favourite aske Honours Mannours Offices Immunities for himselfe or for his friends he soone obtaineth what he asketh In the light of the kings countenance is life and his favour is as a cloud of the later raine and as the dew upon the grasse He is therefore counted an happy man that may come to be a Kings favourite Such an one scorneth the envy the disdaine the backbiting and all that the vulgar can doe against him As for all his enemies he puffeth at them If it be thought an happinesse to be a mortall Kings favourite what is it then to be a favourite of the King of Kings Kings on earth are not alwayes able to do what they will Their favourites may desire and they may be willing to grant more then they can They have not alwayes understanding to know what is best for their favourites Their favourites may beg and they give that which is pernicious They doe not alwaies retaine the same mind Their favour may be cleane alienated from their old favourites and cast upon new They do not alwayes live They may die before their favourites and their favourites then be the worse dealt withall even for that favour sake which by the deceased King was shewed unto them Most of these may be exemplified in Ahashucrosh and his favourite Haman But the Lord our God is subject to none of these He is able to doe what he will and what his favourites can justly aske He knoweth what is good what not good to be granted to his favourites He is alwais of the same mind His favor is stable and perpetuall He ever liveth It never did it never shall it cannot repent any to have beene this Kings favourite As Christ himselfe that high and chiefe favourite said so may every one that is in him accepted for a favourite say The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage If thou wilt acknowledge the truth God is thy delight thy rest thy health thy joy thy happinesse thy refreshing thy glory and whatsoever thy soule may piously desire God wil be all that to thee Boldly and safely may we also on this ground encourage our selves against all the envy malice ill language and evill intreating of the men of this world What if the world account us forsaken desolate so long as God saith to us Hephzibam my delight in them Isa 62. 4. That we may the more soundly and safely comfort and encourage our selves in this great prerogative of being Gods favourites let us distinctly note what
evidences of Gods favour towards his favourites the Holy Ghost doth expresly set downe and that in one booke the booke of Psalmes 1 The Lord sets apart him that is a favourite to himselfe Psal 4. 3. 2 Every favourite shall pray unto God in a time when he may be found Psal 32. 6. 3 Gods praise is in the congregation of favourites Psal 149. 1. They are incited to sing to the Lord and to blesse him Psal 30. 4. 145. 10. 4 The Lord will speake peace to his favourites Psal 85. 8. 5 He preserveth the soules of his favourites Psal 97. 10. 6 He exalteth the praise of his favourites Psal 148. 14. 7 Favourites shall shout aloud for joy Psal 132. 16. 8 This honour have all his favourites Psal 149. 9. That we be not puffed up with this prerogative but rather provoked to walke worthy of the Lord worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called our care must be 1 To understand his will Eph. 5. 17. 2 To love him with all our soule Deut. 6. 5. Psal 31. 23. 3 To cleave to him â—os 23 8. 4 To give thanks to him Psal 30. 4. 5 To do that which is well pleasing in his sight Heb. 13. 21. 6 To be followers of his ancient favourites Heb. 6. 12. God hath beene pleased to choose us in their roome they being translated hee beares such a mind to us as he did to them Is it not then most just and equall that the same mind should be in us that was in them towards God that the faith of Abel conversation of Enoch uprightnesse of Noah obedience of Abraham meeknesse of Moses courage of Ioshuah devotion of David repentance of Salomon constancy of Daniel love of Iohn such readinesse to follow Christ as was in the Disciples and other like properties in other favourites of God may be in us that so it may never repent the Lord that he hath cast his favor upon us and made us his favourites God still remaines the same the same in his essence the same in his mind affection to such as are so minded and affected towards him as his ancient favourites were Wherefore though Abel Henoch Noah Abraham and other favourites be dead and gone yet let their spirit appeare to live in us that while we live God may not want favourites on earth but that we for the present may shew that we have so set before us the life of our predecessors as we become examples and patternes to our successors §. 97. Of Gods account of Saints death II. GOD is tender of his favourites death Their bloud he accounts precious If he have a bottle for their teares what hath he for their bloud Christ doth forcibly inferre his Fathers care of the life and death of his favourites by arguments from the lesse as first from one of the meanest of creatures thus One sparrow shall not fall on the ground without your father Then from the meanest accident that is inherent in man his haires which are no forcible then death Assuredly their name estate liberty and every thing els is precious to him to whom their life and death is precious 2 Admirable is the comfort which on the fore-named ground Gods favourites have or may have in their death Naturall men account death the most terrible thing that can befall a man because they conceive it to be the period of a mans happinesse But they whose death is precious in Gods sight cannot conceive it to be so terrible much lesse such a period For then would God keepe them from death In that their death is precious Blessed are they that die in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. When they die there is good cause they should die The wise God will not let go a precious thing without cause Yea he will not let it go without advantage Their death is advantageable to God to themselves to others This may surviving friends apply to the death of such as are taken away be they Magistrates Ministers Husband Wife Parent Child Neighbour Kinsman or any other especially if they have left any evidence of Gods favour towards them Such are but gone before us not cleane gone away from us Missed they may be they may not be lamented as lost Occasion is not to be given to Pagans of just reproof in that we lament those as perished lost whom we avouch to live with God so by 〈◊〉 expression of our inward affection disanull that faith which by word we professe 3 This high account which God maketh of his favourites death is a forceable motive to stir us up to give all diligence to be of the number of these favourites that so our teares may be kept in Gods bottle our complaints in his bosome our cries in his eares our bodies within the guard even in the hands of his angels our soules bound in the bundle of life our life and death in the treasure of his jewels as a precious thing For Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his favourites Yea the soule of one Saint is more precious to him then infinite multitudes of sinners Let us covet therefore and with our utmost power endeavour to be of this blessed Society of Saints and not consorts of sinners §. 98. Of the exposition and resolution of part of the sixteenth Verse PSAL. CXVI XVI O LORD truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine hand-maid THe third reason whereby the Prophet was the rather induced to render solemne praise to God is here laid downe And it is taken from the constant favour of God towards him God of old had taken him even from his mothers wombe to be his servant and still continued that grace to him Therefore he would praise him The argument may be brought to this briefe forme Godsancient servants must praise him But I am Gods ancient servant Therefore I must praise him I deny not but that this acknowledgement of Gods ancient kindnesse to himselfe in particular may be referred to the argument indefinitely set down in the former verse and here added as an application thereof For having indefinitely noted how the death of Gods favourites was precious in his sight here he giveth instance thereof in himselfe and saith I am Gods servant and my death was precious to him for he loosed my bands This reference is not impertinent But I take this for another distinct argument rather then for an application or confirmation of the former There is in the originall a word premised which is diversly expounded because in Scripture it is diversly used namely as a note of attention or obsecration or demonstration or asseveration and translated Behold Truly I beseech thee But in all the acceptions thereof it hath an emphasis and here questionlesse it is used for emphasis sake as every of the other clauses are For first here is an apostrophe
possessions Many people are eased of their heavy burdens and grievances There hath also hereupon followed a great abatement of the greatnesse of the house of Austria and such a diminution of the power thereof as that they who have beene the chiefe pillars of the Church of Rome are by these late victories got against them disabled as we hope from helping forward the Popes designe of reducing the Christian world to an absolute obedience unto his chaire yea and from further promoting their owne ambitions desires of the Monarchy of Europe By the fore-named successe there is also procured much addition and great strength to the Protestant parties by digesting all Germany into their body and a great means effected for facilitating the unions betwixt those that to the great scandall of the Profession and dishonour of those worthy lights of the Church Luther and Calvin have beene distinguished by these factious titles Lutherans and Calvinists Great security is hereby further brought to the reformed Churches in France who could never be reduced to the termes wherein they now are so long as the Protestant Princes in Germany retained freedome and power in their owne dominions A way is also hereby opened to the very gates of Rome whereby the threatnings against the seven-headed beast may in the Lords appointed time be accomplished Finally there is great hope given of establishing much peace and security to all the true Churches of God and many other blessings are expected which the Lord grant to his people §. 128. Of praising God for the fore-said mercies TO make a briefe recapitulation and to gather up the Summe of all for the better application of the maine point intended The Lord having secured our Peace and removed from us his judgements of Plague and Famine The Lord having restored to the reformed Churches in France a gracious liberty for exercising their Religion The Lord having with more then ordinary successe prospered the affaires of our nearest Neighbours the States generall of the united Provinces in the Netherlands The Lord having succoured his oppressed Churches in Germany and given to their Deliverer victories beyond expectation unto admiration The Lord having given very many cleare evidences of his fatherly care over his Churches every where and of his gracious providence towards them even now in these our daies Should not our soules be affected with all and every of these mercies Should they not be incensed with an ardent zeale of setting forth the honour of his name We and others of the same profession of the same religion enjoy the comfort and benefit of the fore-mentioned mercies and of many other mercies flowing from the divine Providence and shall not the Lord who so ordereth his Providence for our good have the praise and glory thereof Who can give suâ—â—icient thanks Nay whose soule can be satisfied in rendring praises to so good and gracious a God for so many and so great blessings so seasonably and so freely conferred on his Churches Should not all Ministers of the Gospell make their Churches to ring againe with sounding forth Gods praises Should not publishers of bookes make mention of these mighty works of the Lord to the further publishing of his name Should not the wits of all divine Poets bee set on worke to indite due formes of praises for the better magnifying of his name who hath done so glorious things for us Should not every Christian soule in the best manner that it can adde something to the magnifying of Gods name as every one brought something to the building of the Tabernacle Did we not while the Lord was time after time shooting out against us and others his three deadly arrowes of plague famine and sword humble our soules before him and call upon him instantly continually to spare his people to remove his wrath to take away his judgements Should we not now the Lord having gratiously heard our prayers for our selves and others be hearty and zealous instant and constant in rendring all possible praise and thankes unto him It hath beene before declared how true gratefulnesse hath especiall relation to God and ascribeth the glory of all deliverances to him and that Praise is the best gift that can be given him and that thereupon Saints are never satisfied in setting forth Gods praises They content not themselves with an inward affection of praising God in their owne soules or secretly betwixt God and themselves but they must needs breake forth into praises of God and manifest their inward gratitude by outward gratulation and that publikely boldly among much people in the middest of great assemblies exhorting and inciting others to praise God with thee and themselves conscionably practising what they incite others unto Now we have so great and just grounds at this time to praise God let us take the occasions of stirring up our owne and others spirits to do it heartily and zealously that God finding his blessings conferred on a gratefull people may never repent any kindnesse done but may go on to adde victory to victory successe to successe blessing to blessing till he have finished the good worke done for his Churches and accomplished the promises which he hath made for destroying the kingdome of Antichrist calling the Iewes bringing in the fulnesse of the Gentiles and consummating all things by his last and most glorious comming Wherefore Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and giue praise Awake vp my glory I my selfe will awake early My tongue shall speake of thy righteousnesse and of thy praise all the day long Behold blesse ye the Lord all yee seruants of the Lord. Giue vnto the Lord glory and strength giue vnto the Lord the glory due to his name O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for euer Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom hee hath redeemed from the hand of the enemie Let them that were exiled say so whom he hath brought to the place of their habitation Let them that were oppressed say so whom hee hath eased of their heauie burdens Let them that are freed from the infectious plague and from pinching famine say so So let them say who are restored to a free exercise of their religion Praise yee the Lord who quietly sit on your thrones of iudgement to execute righteous iustice and Chance See Fortune 31. Children to bee dedicated to God betimes 220. Children so soone as capable attend to instruction 221. Childrens honour to have pious parents 222. Church See House of God Confidence whence it ariseth 217 Confidence which Saints have of their interest in God makes them bold to presse it 217. Confidence manifested by earnestnesse 218. Counsell how one may himself 97. Courts of Gods house 253. D DAnger See Distresse Death