and such sinners otherwise incorrigible then by taking them in the blade and so cutting them timely off Is it not more then time to preuent such desperate onsets by iust seuerty rather then to giue way through impunity to farther mischiefe And shall the Traitor thinke he hath wrong done vnto him hereby where thought of the least sinne deserues eternall vengeance if he be met withal by temporall iustice for the determinate purpose of a capital crime which may also be a meanes for the sauing of his soule And what though he faile in the execution of his mischiefe shall the Magistrate therefore faile in the execution of iustice seeing there was no good will wanting sufficient to discouer the daungerousnesse of the person and so in wisedome to haue him cut off And may not the purpose of such euils proue very hurtfull to gouerment may it not breed Iealousie therein and imputation of some bad desart may it not worke desperatenesse in loose gouernors and boldnesse in the like sinnes Let this be a lesson for preuenting of such purposes and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things Thus are these rebellious seruants iustly met withal Obs 155. God vsually meeteth with treasons in this life And shall disobedient seruants scape vnpunished had Zimri peace which slew his maister did the seruants of Ammon carry their treason clearely Surely the Lord is righteous and admirable in his iustice though some sinnes especially are reserued to the eternall vengeance yet hee will punish this sinne of Treason euen in this life because it so nerely toucheth his Maiesty and chalengeth his prouidence Vse And therefore let not Traytors hope to go vnpunished 1 Rex 2. though they scape at one time Obser 156. God punisheth euill seruants yet their sinne will find them out in the end 2 Reg. 11. and Ioab shal be taken when his iniquity is at y e full And are not disobedient seruants here also iustly met withall yea surely Iehezi shall haue aleprosie and these rebellious seruants do meet with a halter Vse 1. Which as it may lesson Maisters to watch ouer their seruants least by disobedience they fall into these trobles for which they are like to giue an account though in the meane time the seruant smart for it so let seruants here learne to performe obedience for conscience sake that so looking for their reward from God and not form man they may not be driuen to such desperate courses And as they must looke for such measure if they breake out into such presumptious sins So on the contrary let good seruants be assured that the diligent shall stand before Princes they shall not want euen plentifull recompence Thus the traitors are executed and Ahashuerosh is preserued for the good of the Church Obs 155. Gods Children not vnthankfull for such kindnes as they receiue and who made the instrument thereof but poore Mordecai and gratious Hester two seruants of the most high God do this good seruice to their Prince And so is Ahashuerosh aboundantly recompenced for all his loue to Hester he hath his life giuen him for a prey so do the wicked fare the better for the elects sake so do the Children of God recompence plentifully the good that is done vnto them Ebedmelech the Black-a-moore shal haue his life giuen him for a prey and the Sunamite shall receiue her sonne to life for receiuing the Prophet and Obea Edoms house shall prosper while the Arke remaines there Godlinesse is neuer vnthankefull to the embracers thereof her enemies fare the better for her and shal not much more her friends she hath the promise of all blessings and shall she not make them good he preuailes with God and shall she not preuaile with men she brings peace wheresoeuer she comes and in her pleasure is life ritches and honor bee at her right hand yea durable ritches and righteousnesse Why are then the children of God counted such trouble-houses could the world indure were it not for them are not the wicked preserued because of them Oh let vs make much theÌ„ of such profitable guests let vs learn to be thankefull of them in this point lette vs take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew and resolue to go with him because the Lord is with him Well the King is preserued and his life renued What must this benefit be forgotten shall Mordecaies seruice be buried in forgetfulnesse No Behold the prouidence of God in prouiding for his seruant Marke the care of the Prince that his deliuerance should be remembred It followeth And this was written in the booke of daies before the King That is this admirable deliuerance was committed to perpetuall record in the Chronicles of the Kingdome Behold here the faithfulnesse of God which forgetteth not the indeauors of his children Obs 157. The Lord taketh notice of the righteousnesse of his seruants and causeth the same to bee commended to posterity he hath a bottle to put their teares in and a book of remembrance for them that feare the Lord Hee makes inquisition for blood and so remembreth it he causeth the fact of his seruant to bee committed to perpetual record Vse 1. Shall wee then doubt of the acceptance of our workes shall wee not expect a plentifull reward thereof Will not the Lord auenge the blood of his Saints Wil he not wipe all the teares from our eyes Oh that we could beleeue How should wee be increased that we would consider wisely how God records our wel-doings what a spurre would this bee to prouoke vs to go forward What a comfort against the hard measure of the world what peace of comscience VVhat euidence of weldoing Seeing the Lord makes our enemies to record the same yea to promote vs thereby to a seasonable recompence But what should moue this prophane Monarch to haue Mordecaies faithfulnesse and his preseruation thus recorded to posterity Is this intended as a part of Mordecai his recompene Or doth he vse this as a meanes to put him in mind therof That so in conuenient time hee might accoÌ„plish the same Surely though it be not likely this proud Monarch had any such intent because al is counted but due thankfulness here is a rare bird yet no doubt but he had some respect to him-selfe Namely y â— recording so great a deliuerance of his owne person he might both prouoke his subiects to take notice thereof and so to preuent the like mischiefes as also confirme him-selfe the better in the hope of future good successe and so recreate him-selfe at his leysure with the remembrance therof The light of nature leades him thus far and policy cryes aime therto that memorable acts should bee recorded to posterity And may wee not profitably learne hence to helpe our memories with such faithfull registers Obser 158. Records and outward moâ—aments necessary for the memorial vse of Gods blesings and so not only to blesse God for the Act
Psal 6. 12. Psal 9. 16. Then I wil vp saith the Lord to auenge the poore then shall the Lord be knowne by exempting of iudgements the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God Isay 28. 15. Yea when the wicked haue made a couenant with hell and so in their security do blesse their soules as if they had Gods children so sure that none could deliuer them as if their happinesse were so sure 1 Thess 5. 3. that none could remoue them Then shall a sodaine destruction come vpon them and they shal not be able to auoid it Then shall the destruction of the wicked bee the deliuerance of the Church Thus euen from our enemyes wee may heare good newes of deliuerance their owne mouthes will tell vs their practises cannot hid eit A second probabilitie of Hesters aduancement is that shee is of the seed of the righteous Psal 111. which shall be mighty on the earth Obs 103. Gods children in this life aduanced to highest dignity she is say they The daughter of Abihail the Vncle of Mordecai i. She is a Iew to whom belongeth the birth-right whose priuiledge it was to rule the Nations to whom Esau and all his posterity should bow and do homage So faithfull is the LORD in keeping couenant for euer So truly is Godlinesse profitable for this life so all are ours both by right and possession so are Gods children best able to vse prosperity so is eternall happines hereby sealed vp vnto them So would the Lord hereby teach vs that these temporal blessings are not euil because he bestowes them in greatest measure vppon them The vses hereof see Obs 79. Onely wee may not here forget what the holy Ghost vouchsafes vs againe to remember Namely that Hester was taken by Mordecai for his daughter Thus the Lord thinks it fit againe to make honourable mention of this charitable worke of Mordecai The good deeds of Gods children are not forgotten of the Lord. As wherin he was glorified and did delight therin to confounde the practize of the wicked that seeke to obliterat the same and to approue to his children the acceptaunce of the same as also to assure them hereby of the reward to come and withall to prouoke the Saints to the imitation thereof Oh how vainely then doth the wicked hope to put out their names from vnder Heauen whose names as they are written in the booke of life so their workes also are registred in the eternall word of God how wickedly do they depraue and obscure those gratious deeds which the Lord of glory makes glorious by his remembrance how weake are the Saints to doubt of their well doing seeing the God of truth giues euidence thereto What comfort may we haue in the acceptance of our labours seeing the righteous Lord takes such delight in them how may we be established against the reproches of the world how little need we esteeme to be iudged of men 1. Cor. 44. seeing it is God that approueth who can condemne with what confidence may we prepare our selues to stand before that righteous Iudge Reue. 3. who allready presents our prayers in the golden censor of his righteousnesse and doth not onely make mention of vs but mediation for vs at the throne of glory that wee might not bee confounded in the day of refreshing A third likelyhood here set downe of Hesters aduancement is her confidence in God and relying on his immediate prouidence specified in this that it is said She desired nothing but what Hege the Kings Eunuch the keeper of the women said Wherein the spirit of God would giue vs to vnderstand that though the other maydens standing vpon there preferment vsed all art to set out there beauty as the meanes thereof and therefore spared not to demaund of the Eunuch such meanes of painting c. as might further the same yet this gratious virgin contenting her selfe with y â— image which God had set on her and resting on the diuine prouidence that had enclinde the heart of the Eunuch towards her she doth not impudently presse him further then God should moue his heart but humbly takes what Hege directs her to who no doubt being enclined of the LORD to shew her extraordinary fauour was also restrained of the LORD that hee should not offer her otherwise then was fit for her profession The LORD as it is likely giuing her a like fauour in the eyes of this Eunuch as he gaue vnto Daniel with the other that she was not defiled with this vaine and superfluous preparation but as she was willing to leaue the Eunuch to his liberty so the Eunuch also might leaue her to hers how-so-euer though in other things she might happily submit her selfe to the present necessity as to take that which the Eunuch offers her Obse 105. Gods childrens preferment is in faith and so might discouer her weakenesse and want of courage yet in this doth her faith appeare not obscurely that she doth not ambitiously seeke by corrupt meanes to aduance her selfe but soberlie entertaines the meanes that are cast vpon her resting on GODS prouidence for the good successe thereof Sect. 1. 3 Notes of faith And surely as I take it wee may here obserue diuers notes of liuelie faith One is that she presseth not impudently to insinuate into the fauour of this wicked Eunuch though by the Kings avthority shee might haue occasion thereto lest shee should seeme to depend vpon him and giue him some aduantage ouer her pretious liberty To receiue what is offered by him especially moued thereto by the LORD herein shee shewes her faith which knowing all was hers doth herein take her right and shewes her power therein in that shee refuseth not her owne though tendred by the wicked Shee knew the prophanesse of the Eunuch could not make GODS blessing ineffectuall to his children And therefore shee receiues them aright though from an vniust possessor And lastly in that she vseth such ordinary meanes as were offered not seeking to aduance her-selfe by adulterating or prophaning of nature herein also in the third place she sheweth her faith which as it refuseth not meanes so it is not curious of meanes but takes what are offered reiects such as are not warrantable Whereby we may learne that the aduancement to Gods children is warrantable and for their good seeing it is in faith and hereby to try our selues whether we be in the faith or no. A fourth token of her aduancement is this which followeth Note of Hesters aduancement And Hester found fauor in the sight of all them that looked vpon her Thus did the Lord make her gratious in the eyes of all men that her aduancement might be with more power and lesse enuy both for her owne and the good of others that shee both to the wicked might be a great terror as being conuinced with the brightnesse of maiesty appearing gloriously in her
THE CHVRCHES DELIVERANCE Contayning Meditations and short notes vppon The booke of HESTER In remembrance of the wonderfull deliuerance from the Gunpoulder-Treason BY THOMAS COOPER AT LONDON Imprinted by G. Eld for T. Adams and are to be sold at the white Lyon in Paules Church-yard 1609. ⧠To the right worshipfull and truly religious Ladies the mother and the daughter The Lady Katherine Rotheram and the Lady Elizabeth Wakerings my very good Aunt and Cousine Beloued in the LORD grace and peace in GOD the Father through IESVS CHRIST our common Sauiour RIght Christian Ladies whome I loue in the truth till IESVS CHRIST be perfited in you It hath pleased the LORD of glory by a long yet mild and fatherly visitation of late to summon me his vnprofitable seruant to make ready my Account In the casting vp whereof finding my selfe indebted vnto your Ladyships for many christian and extraordinary kindnesses conferred vpon me a dispised braÌ„ch and out-cast in the world I haue indeauoured in these my poore laboures to make acknowledgement of my debt not with any purpose to clear the score for how should true meÌ„bers of Christs body not be euer bound to each other but rather with intent to prouoke to a further debt because the debt of loue as it ought alwaies to be payd so it must alwaies be due and the more it is paid the more the debt is increased Til it be at length perfited and so fully recompenced in heauen Whether seeing it pleaseth my god very mercifully to hasten me by keeping me through many tedious and linggring infirmities in an earnest hungring and fainting after my deliuerance therfore haue I rather hastened to performe this duty vnto your Ladyships as to whom in regard of your places such mementos from a withered branche cannot be vnseasonable and most seasonable on his part to bee preformed who while hee hath tyme and can doe no other good yet hath obtained mercy of the LORD to puâ— his seruants in mind of his wonderfull mercies towards them that the memoriall thereof may hold them in due thankefulnesse vnto so gratious a father that so their happinesse in this life may be a pledge vnto them of that glorious crowne which remaines for the Saintes in that blessed Kingdome These are my heartes desire vnto our gratious GOD for you And that you may be happily furthered therto and haue a true and liuely glasse to behold the bounty of our GOD I haue bin bold to committe to your remembraÌ„ce that wonderful deliuerance of our Church and State from that horrible plot of poulder-Treason Wherin euery true hearted Christian and Subiect may take a full view of al GODS former mercies towards him and if he do beleeue may see in the same a ful assurance of whatsoeuer blessings of GOD are yet laid vp in store for him The greatnesse whereof howsoeuer I haue heretofore endeauored once and againe to measure and so commend my scantling therof to the due consideration of a thankeful heart yet seeing the measure of that blessing is like the waters of the sanctuary which the more they were measured the more vnmeasurable they did appeare till at length they became a deepe that could not be passed ouer Therfore I haue bin glad to take this oportunity of my dayes yet lengthned out once againe to measure this great deepe And by an history of a like wonderful deliuerance to reuiue the dead memory therof in the cares of a secure and vnthankefull world That so I might both pay my vowes vnto my GOD for my life of late renued me as a prey and as neere as I may haue my conuersation in heauen imploying the small residue of my wretched life in meditations of GODS wonderful mercies which is the onely seruice that the saints performe in heauen Oh what a glorious thing it is to be thankfull when by dooing this duty we come nearest to the Saints in glory And how wil this wonderful deliuerance teach vs to be thankefull How is this deliuerance of the Iewes from Hamans malice a most liuely glasse to behold our deliuerance from the bloody Papists And may not the LORD lengthen out my threed vntill I haâ—e finished this story This that I now tender you is but onely the gate into the cittie if it please GOD that I may go through the Citty as Ionas did who knoweth whether by that time Niniue may repent and turne and so the LORD may repent him of the euil and reuiue the good that is ready to dye The patient abiding of the righteous is ioy and he that beleeueth maketh not haste yet If we beleeue we shall see greater thinges then these and blessed are wee if we see a farre off A lesson which for a farewell I do heartily commend vnto your Ladyships not onely to see into the present but to behold a farre off to looke vp to Moses to the recompence of the reward and not to esteeme to be accounted the sonne of Pharoahs daughter if we see not the present blessings how can we see a farre off And yet we may so doate on the present as not to desire to see a far off and if we desire not is not the Lord iust to giue vs our present desire and send leanesse into our soules Behold therefore your present happinesse in that wonderfull deliuerance yet looke vp with Moses and see therein also your future happinesse And so I heartily commend your Ladyships to the view of this glasse and therein also to the mercy of the almighty who giue you wisdome to redeeme the time by seeing your faces often herein and hauing viewed not to forget what Iacob did gratiously remembr Genes 32 Luke 17. 12. and what our Sauiour wished to be remembred of his Disciples So shall you preuaile with GOD and find fauour with men your age shall bee a crowne of glory and your posterity shall be blessed They shal be of you which shal build the old waste places shal be called the repairers of the breach the stoÌ„es of the field shal be in league with you the beasts of the field shal be at peace with you you shal laugh at destruction death and shal not be affraid of the beasts of the earth GOD hath and shall deliuer you from all aduersity and you shall see the felicity of the chosen these blessings the LORD of glory increase vpon your Ladyships to your full perfection in IESVS CHRIST To whose blessed protection I most heartily commend both you and yours From my house at Couentry Ianuary 1609. Your poore kinsman most bounden in the Lord Iesus THOMAS COOPER To the Christian and discerning Reader wisdome to see the plague and grace to hide himselfe WHen great blessings breed security and prophanesse wee must looke for sodaine iudgements These are begun and haue increased in the land so much the more fearefull because they are especially spiritual and the rather dangerous because they are lesse discerned or discerned onely