Scaffold as on the Throne and as Philo goes on Jam jam assumendus in ipsis stans carceribus unde ad coelestem metam erat evolaturus tunc quoque afflatus Divinitus vivens adhuc Prophetavit He being yet alive blessed all the tribes of Israel and prophesied of their future prosperity Deut. 33. Being now to go up into Mount Nebo and die he went as from his Prison to a Throne and from a glimpse of that earthly Canaan which he was deni'd to enter to possess that heavenly Canaan which was open to receive him Which brings us to the last part of our Parallel Our Royal Martyr was like Moses in his death also for so died Moses the servant of the Lord in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord. He began to die as a King when Aaron the Saint of the Lord his chief Minister about the Tabernacle and the things belonging to the Worship of God was violently pluckt from him not for consenting to but for his endeavour to suppress those golden Calves which the people had made and set up to themselves as their Gods not to go before them towards Canaaa but to lead them back to Egypt whither they were returning He died on Mount Hor the Tower-hill Jethro also his great Counsellor was taken from him by the same bloudy hands And the circumstance of the place where Moses died is very considerable in our Parallel for he must go up from the plains of Moab the land of his inheritance for so Moab signifieth de Patre the Land which descended to him from his Fathers to Mount Abarim where stood the Metropolis of Moab and where the greatest concourse of people was for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies transitus Near Abarim stood the Hill Nebo where was the Royal Palace and adjoyning to that was the Vertix Pisgah the Banqueting-house where he had a prospect of the Land of Canaan which God had promised to give him as an Inheritance yet here die he must not so much for his own sins as for the sins of the people who now had cast off all fear of God and what then should a King do among them Hosea 10.3 But our Moses must die say the Rebel-people according to the word of the Lord. Certainly there was no word of the Lord Jehovah that the people should put their King to death it must be some enthusiastick dream of an infatuated spirit from the God of this world that inspired them with such a Revelation The word which God spake concerning Moses Deut. 32.49 was onely this Ascende morere Go up and die He had an ascention even before his dissolution An ascention I call it because God had promised Exod. 33.14 to go up with him and to give him rest to gather him to his fathers and hide him in the clifts of the rock until the storm was over Exod. 33.22 So that though God had told him that it was a terrible thing that God would do with him Exod. 34.10 yet having the presence of an All-sufficient God with whom he might converse as a man talketh with his friend face to face Exod. 33.11 and having seen all the goodness of the Lord pass before him and proclaiming the Lord God to be gracious and merciful long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that would by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.6 7. this made the face of our Moses to shine even when that black vail was laid over it And now he gives instruction to his Successor Joshua concerning the Church and People of God not doubting but that God under his conduct would bring that stiffnecked people into Canaan And then with an undaunted courage addresseth himself to his last Combat being assured of victory over all his Enemies and more like an Orator from his Desk than a dying man on the Scaffold he thus exhorteth the People as it is recorded by Josephus I thought it requisite lest I should fail of my duty to lay open the way that leadeth to your happiness Obey God and keep his Laws which I have given you not innovating any thing in Religion Hearken to the counsel of Eleazar the Priest and Joshua my successor with the Senate Be not stiff-necked and think it not your liberty to mutiny against the commandments of your Prince God forbid you should be so exasperated against them as against me for I have been more often in hazard of my life by your means than by my enemies I speak not this to upbraid you but to admonish you and make you wiser for the time to come in obeying the Laws of your Country in abhorring the Gods of the Nations and adhering to the Religion in which I die God having prefixed the day and place of my departure I give him thanks and submit And thus after mutual embraces between him and Eleazar the Priest blessing the People praying for himself and his enemies he laid down his earthly Tabernacle his Crown of Thorns and distracted Kingdoms to receive an immarcescible Crown of Glory and a Kingdom that cannot be moved eternal in the Heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Super Os Domini And thus he died as the Rabbins interpret the Text with a kiss of God's mouth or according to the Word of the Lord. And now exeunt Tyranni His Murtherers having killed the Heir they go and take possession but the Land spewed them out one after another till Shiloh came to whom it did belong But as soon as the People had time to consider their great loss and the Books of the Law written by Moses and left as a Legacy to the People and were made sensible of the Rapine and Oppression of his Murtherers they wept extremely saith Josephus the men rent their clothes the women beat their breasts and sadness covered all faces his very Enemies being ashamed of that Horrid Parricide It was pity said some his Concessions had not been better considered Had he not been a King said others of them he might have lived longer And even those who had betrayed and murthered him would like Judas and Pilate have washt their hands from his bloud if it had been possible The Actors in this Tragedy would still keep themselves as unknown as the Executioner It was not we say the Presbyterians nor we say the Independents nor did the one destroy him as a King and the other as a man but both were Regicides and both lift up their hands against the Lords Anointed The London-Ministers endeavoured but in vain to wash their hands from that bloud but their Vindication carrieth a Confutation with it for they say The woful Miscarriages of the King himself which we cannot but acknowledge to be many and very great in his Government that have cost the three Kingdoms so dear and cast him down from his Excellency into a horrid Pit of Misery almost beyond example Was this a more likely means to
was nothing at all given to Luxury but extreme sober in his Food and Apparel He would argue logically and frame his Argument artificially c. The like we have from another though bitter Enemy of his and a Sollicitor against him at his Tryal Cooke in his Apologie for their proceedings against him p. 35. He was well known saith he to be a hard Student in his younger days He had more learning and dexterity in State-affairs undoubtedly than all the Kings in Christendom and for his Parts if they had been sanctified said that unsanctified wretch he was another Solomon This Testimony being true how sharply were they to be rebuked that persecuted him to death But we must search farther to find out the Excellencies of Moses Diodorus Siculus notes that he was bred up in Pharoah's Court Vt urbanitatem Elegantiam Liberalitatem aliasque virtutes Regias quasi Rector populi futurus addisceret And though our Moses were a Nonsuch in all these yet all these were nothing in respect of that Wisdom which he was taught of God Though his whole life was no more than what Moses spent in his retirement yet he attained to a proportionable measure of all useful knowledge For as he marked many good Authors throughout with his own hand so he transcribed their choice Precepts into his heart So studious and reserved he was that Prince Henry took the Archbishops Cap and put it on his head saying If I live Charles I 'll make thee Archbishop of Canterbury Being at the age of thirteen years on Easter-Munday 1613. he was strictly examined in order to his Confirmation by the Archbishop and the Bishop of Bath and Wells as Dr. Hackwel his Tutor who was present and heard his Answers which gave great satisfaction to them all relateth On which occasion the Doctor wrote his Treatise of Confirmation When his Father King James sent him to Spain he charged his Attendants not to begin Disputes concerning Religion But if you be engaged let George saith the King hold the Conclusion and Charles will maintain the Premises for I dare venture him against the best studied Divine of them all Nor was his Learning confined to one part but he digested all the Wisdom of his Age. His Pen was incomparably the most Princely and best polished in his time In the Camp none discoursed more like a Souldier in the Council none so like a Senator among the Lawyers as an Oracle among the Bishops as another Constantine He always triumphed over his Enemies as Spartianus says of the Emperour Trajan in Imagine overthrowing them by his Arguments whom he could not reach by his Arms. His Pen did what his Sword could not do for that like Jonathan's Arrows was never employed in vain In his Deliberations with his Council he led them by Argument not by Authority and though he left them to the liberty of their own Determinations yet were they never so successful as when his Majesties advice was followed insomuch as they all said If he had been a Counsellor to any other Prince he had been esteemed as an Oracle When his Secretaries had drawn up publick Dispatches for foreign Princes he would often take the Pen in hand and saying pleasantly I am a pretty good Cobler would make such advantageous alterations both in words and matter as were approved by them all So that even his Enemies would say If he had not been born to be a King no man deserved it better than he which Sir H. Martin testified of him in that House where the Question was proposed in favour of Cromwel Whether they should have a King or no King If we must have a King saith he I had rather have him than any Gentleman in the Nation So that it seems he had no other fault than that he was born to be a King and God had anointed him above his fellows Which brings me to the second part of the Parallel How like our Royal Martyr was to Moses in his publick and political Capacity as he was the servant of the Lord for so is the King call'd Rom. 13.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Minster or Servant by way of eminence and immediate relation the man of God 1 Chron. 23.14 The man of Gods right hand Now the Regalia which both adorn and support the Throne are Mercy and Truth which preserve the King Prov. 20.28 Prov. 29.14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor his throne shall be established for ever And first of his Mercy and Clemency which as the holy Oyl kept his Crown fresh and fragrant and added a beauty to all the other Jewels that adorned it In all the former Vertues he excelled others in this he exceeded himself Like the Oyntment on the head of Moses it ran down to the skirts of his Garment to the meanest of his Subjects and the most malicious of his Enemies If it be possible that any Vertue can be in excess this of Clemency was so in him I thank God saith he I never found but my Pity was above my Anger nor have my Passions ever so prevailed against me as to exclude my compassionate Prayers for them whom devout errors more than their own malice have betrayed to a Religious Rebellion Here is Charity indeed that could cover such a multitude of sins His usual Prayer for them was That Repentance might be their greatest punishment Being asked by Colonel Hammond his Jaylor what regret his Spirit had against his Enemies he answered I can forgive them Colonel with as good an appetite as ever I eat my meat after hunting and that I 'll assure you was no small one Moses in his charity did not onely wish that all the people were Prophets but that God would blot him out of the book of life i. e. Legislaturae or vitae temporalis so the people might be spared To procure a Calm says the Royal Martyr I could be content to be the Jonas thrown over board Next to his Wife and Children he profest to love his Enemies dearest and so far was he from seeking to destroy the living that he wisht he could revive them that were dead He gave so long till his Enemies left him nothing more for them to ask or him to grant he gave not onely to the one half but the whole of his Kingdom He forgave and pardoned those who were self-condemned and had never charity enough to pardon themselves but like Cain and Judas thought their Murthers and Treasons greater than could be forgiven He pardoned those whom God himself hath said he will never pardon such as continued obstinately to offend out of malicious wickedness Yet did the Charity of Moses not onely pordon that stiff-necked people himself but kept wrestling with God to pardon them also Let me alone that I may destroy them and I will make of thee a great Nation Yet still Moses prayed and prevailed Exod. 32.10 c. It is said of Archbishop Cranmer that the way to make him a friend
of praying twice a day which he scarce ever did in all the time of War consecrating some place as a Chappel in the open Field so tender was his Spirit that he exacted it of himself at anothor time As Philo observes of Moses Si quando ab officio defuisset severè à se paenas exigebat He had that tenderness of Conscience which was onely talked of by others for as soon as the wrath of God was gone out against the Land like Moses he ran and stood in the gap and humbled himself with Fasting and Supplications to divert the wrath of God And for his secret Meditations and Vows he hath raised such a Monument to himself and given such an Example to the World as all men may admire but few or none can imitate King Francis the First said that of all Books in the World next to that of the Gospel he would have that of Moses his Pentateuch to be preserved And indeed those Books are as Philo says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the onely Records of the Creation and miraculous providence of God wherein also the fundamentals of all Laws are preserved And next to Holy Writ and the Records of the Church there is no Book savours so much of Divine Rhetorick and the Primitive Spirit of Christian Devotion as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth I have seen his Majesties Picture drawn in the Text of David's Psalms a fit shadow for the Devotion of his Soul but this which was drawn by his own unimitable Pen will be a more lasting Monument and give him a better Immortality than all the Regal Memoirs of the best-deserving Princes by this as Sampson he conquered more at his death than he had done in all his life-time Vota dabant quae bella negarunt his Pen obtained what his Sword could not As none but Caesar was fit to write his own Comment so the King did it in such a stile as will perpetuate his Fame to the end of the World And for my part I shall like it the better for that which that scurrilous Milton said to defame it viz. that his Party admired it and were stricken with such blindness as next to the darkness of Egypt happened not to any people more gross or misleading For which saying perhaps it was that he himself was smitten with blindness long before his death I conclude this point of the truth and fidelity of our Moses with that which Philo says of his Qualis erat Oratio talis erat vita ut in instrumento musico nil discrepavit mentem actis exprimens facta dictis accommodans I shall not presume to extend my Parallel between Moses and the Royal Martyr for working of Miracles though God gave him such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gift of healing as was very wonderful and highly beneficial to the Nation in the curing of thousands that were otherwise incurable But that which causeth me to mention this was that Cure which Moses wrought upon Miriam who was troubled with a kind of Kings Evil being smitten with a Leprosie somewhat like it for her murmuring against Moses but was cured by his Prayer Numb 12.13 Moses cryed to the Lord saying Heal her now O God I beseech thee And when the rude Souldiers that guarded his Majesty denied a poor afflicted woman that was very importunate to have access to him deriding her as a superstitious woman the Royal Martyr observing and pitying her condition told her Though he could not touch her he would pray to God to heal her and she went to her home and was healed But to return But these Supporters of the Royal Throne his Kingdoms were preserved in Peace and Prosperity for near seventeen years together there was no decay of Trade no leading into Captivity no Wars nor rumors of Wars among us The King himself was the greatest sufferer being left in some straights and engaged in expensive affairs by his Father which his Adversaries taking notice of instead of easing him by timely supplies they adde to it by murmurings and reviving the old Quarrel between the Kings Prerogative and the Priviledges of the People For the decision of which our Moses summons an Assembly of the Princes and Heads of the People hoping that they would take part of the burden of the Government from his shoulders which was too heavy for him to bear alone as Moses complained to God Numb 11. v. 14. wherefore by Gods decree he calls the Elders of the people to stand with him v. 16. but v. 26. we hear of Eldad and Medad two Field-Chaplains that separated from the Tabernacle and prophesied in the Camp against Moses Miriam also ch 12. 1. a zealous woman spake against Moses because of an Ethiopian woman whom Moses had married whom God reproved v. 7. testifying of Moses that he was faithful in all his house and v. 8. saying How were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses And this Leven though but a little at first fermented the whole lump for ch 16. 1. Corah Dathan and Abiram with 250 Princes of the Assembly famous in the Congregation men of renown began to make set Speeches against Moses and Aaron and so incensed the people that as Josephus says they came with a confused tumult to apprehend and stone Moses and with noise and uproar they came to the very door of the Tabernacle where Moses was crying out that the Tyrant was to be cut off and the people delivered from thraldom having great burdens laid on them Dathan and Abiram come also with their armed Servants to resist Moses in case of force And now Corah a man of popular Eloquence talks aloud That Moses had lifted up himself without any Commission above the People thinking to exercise an Arbitrary power over them who were all holy and to whom as Saints the power of Dominion did belong and accused them as men of bloud v. 41. Ye have slain the people of the Lord though as yet neither Moses nor Aaron had used any other weapons but their Prayers and Tears to appease the rage of the people and to turn away the wrath of God from them But from this time began the Affliction of Moses whom God seemed to have raised up to this very end that he might shew in him the power of his grace how able he is to support a weak vessel amidst an ocean of troubles for as Philo says of Moses Tota vita Mosis Martyrium Deo reddidit his whole life was but a Martyrdom from the time that he was drawn out of the Bulrushes of Tweed where he was exposed in a languishing condition till he died on Mount Abarim before his Royal Palace his Enemies made him to pass through fire and water more than seven times that he might be as tryed Gold the more precious and splendid for though as Moses Bush he was still burning yet was he not consumed but they made him in a better sence than ever they intended a