resolutely demanded the Restoration of the Jewes however being denyed his just and charitable request by the proud Tyrant after many miracles shewed in confirmation of his absolute Commission from God Almighty he invited and perswaded the people to follow him into a land of freedom though their jelousies and feares a long space resisted his intentions to his no small vexation and grief for whose safeties in prosecution of the intended journey and promised prosperity he divided the Red-Sea to make their passage But neverthelesse this stubborn and perverse people were so little grateful to him for his wise conduct and most painful endeavour enduring now and then some penury in the Desarts that they never forbore murmuring against his actions as upbraibing him that for his own ambition he had brought them from the flesh pots of Egypt to endure hunger and thirst in the wildernesse which affronts and contumelies he alwayes bore with so admirable a patience that instead of punishing them for their wild and preposterous disobedience he comforted and incouraged them with mild language and good principles praying to God upon all occasions for their forgivenesse and prosperity insomuch as his two hands were sometimes underpropped by others to strengthen them towards the continuance of his supplication he being altogether weary and tired by those devout exercises which his heart willingly could never let him give over for his peoples benefit and when their impious Idolatry and peevish impatiency had notwithstanding inflamed the wrath of God against their wicked proceedings insomuch as he seemed to put on an absolute resolution to destroy them the charity of Moses was so great and his love so intire to that ungrateful multitude that desired God Almighty also to blot him out of the book of life that he might perish together with his Country-men if he would not be pleased to change his determination O admirable constancy and goodnesse beyond the capacity of humane nature to apprehend and the rather for that it may be conceived the chief cause of his affection had reference to Gods honour in that he supposed those people were ordained to establish his more real and formal worship in the Land of Promise Again if we look at his unwearied justice from morning till night in hearing Law suits between party and party we shall finde such an unparalell'd fortitude as cannot be imagined wherein notwithstanding his humility was so great that he submitted himself to the Counsel of his Father in Law a plain man who told him he did unwisely to over burthen his strength and ability with multitudes of intricated businesses and to that purpose wished him to chuse able and inferiour judges to take off from his care some part of the trouble concerning those causes depending before him referring the most weightiest onely to his own judgement and censure whereas until then he sat alone upon the Tribunal both for morality belonging to his subjects more civil conversation towards the Government of their persons and goods and also to judge those more divine things that belonged particularly to the service of Almighty God according to those Revelations and precepts he had immediately received from Heaven whose infallible Oracle he seemed dayly to consult and with such a wonderful fervour and diligence that as he never attempted matter of consequence without seeking and knowing first the will pleasure of God so did he never return from those extraordinary extasies but with fear horrour and trembling both to himself and people But as I shall not need here to number more of his excellencies since they are so largely recorded in holy Scripture so may it also be considered that most of those admirable books were written by his own hand that treated of the Jewes actions in the beginning for example to the stupid world to learn what they ought to do according to their capacities in endeavouring the service of God from the bottom of their hearts since certainly he cannot be pleased with lukewarm affection much lesse for people onely to comply with their own affections as if for no other end they had been created specially when his best servants could not by what hath been said expect that priviledge and liberty The wonderful magnanimity of Jephthe and his daughter BUt now we will come to Iephthe that valiant righteous and just judge of Almighty God in Israel whose story in short is onely thus He was a bastard born though highly legitimated by grace and the favour of his Creator for although he was cast out from having any share amongst his brethren in his fathers possessions which made him for a while enter into the company of thieves for his subsistence yet being presently for his personal valour chosen their Prince and Governour he managed his Authority with so much successe tending to the service of God and his Country that when Israel was fallen into most desperate necessity by the prevailing power of their inveterate enemies he not only freed them from those dangers by his own courage and his subjects assistance but afterward when he was Judge of the Country recovered them by his many victories their Ancient honour however as it is written one time amongst the rest returning with extraordinary joy and Triumph to his own house having won a most signal battail against the Ammonites after he had pleaded with them the right and justice of his Countries cause wherein they would not be satisfied he vowed in gratitude to God Almighty to sacrifice the first thing he should encounter which proved unfortunately to be his onely daughter a young and most beautiful virgin having no more children in all the world who out of duty and gladnesse came out with hast before others to salute her victorious father by which means suddenly these Triumphs were turned into mournings for presently Iephthe tore his garments instead of more joyful congratulations beginning to repent himself of his over rash vow since either as he thought he must displease God or absolutely confound all his felicity and hopes in destroying of her that was deerer to him then every earthly happinesse But the pious Virgin perceiving her fathers perplexity by reason of his Oath onely with a lovely and obedient countenance told him since he had sworn to God it was most convenient he should perform his vow and therefore wished him that the consideration of her life might neither hinder his intention nor trouble his thoughts and withal desired two months time accompanied with other Virgins of her acquaintance to go privately into the mountains there the better to bewail her virginity it being the custome of the Jewes so to do by reason of their expectance of the Messias which being accordingly performed she returned into the City and her sad father in prosecution of his promise and resolution acted this unwilling and lamentable part both to the grief and astonishment of all Israel Now having related this story I shal wish any man but to consider how
CERTAINE CONCEPTIONS OR CONSIDERATIONS OF Sir PERCY HERBERT UPON THE Strange change of Peoples Dispositions and Actions in these latter times Directed to his Sonne Deus primum bonos proximé LONDON Printed by E.G. and are to be sold by Richard Tomlins at the Sun and Bible neer Piecorner 1650. FOR MY SONNE Mr. WILLIAM HERBERT HAving compiled this small Treatise chiefly for the entertainment of my selfe and private family consisting of morall and divine principles collected according to my severall conceptions answerable to the distractions of these times that neither gave me conveniency of books or liberty for conversation I thought it most proper to direct the reading of these Writings more particularly to your selfe then to any other not onely in regard you are the appearing person that probably must give continuance and succession to our house which I heartily wish may be in vertue or not at all but also for that part of the booke was written whilst my imagination was imployed in doubts and fears concerning your late dangerous sicknesse which I must confesse did not a little heighten my troubled apprehension with the consideration of all humane uncertainties resolving then your losse should have buried my principall felicities in a retired obscurity that now for your good I am partly determined shall be further enlarged according to conveniency and occasion to which purpose upon the same score of consideration I must conjure you to reflect often upon the extraordinary mercies of Almighty God shewed in your behalfe not onely in raising you unexpectedly from so hazzardable and desperate a condition of weaknesse to a competent if not a perfect degree of health and strength of body but also that he hath been pleased to afford you many other plentifull favours in some kinds beyond the ordinary sort of men Wherefore as you appear by discourse sensible of these blessings I must advise you to carry alwaies about with you those very thoughts you were enspired with all according to your own relation in the greatest extremity of your sickness as being freest from earthly passions and those vaine ambitions that use to corrupt the manners if not the very understandings of most people However I would have you believe that I goe not about by these expressions to entangle muchlesse to compell you to a monasticall severity of life but onely I endeavour by my writings and directions to perswade and confirm you in such a religious morality in your conversation and affairs necessary to all Christians that may the better secure your condition both in this life and the next And although I am confident that these generall admonitions might serve for sufficient instructions to your youth in regard I have been so wel acquainted with your nature and education yet for that I may be thought something large in my writings concerning the extravagancies and vices of this age I wil not let you passe in this Epistle without some distinct advertisments directed unto your selfe however do not thinke I point personally at you in any of these particulars onely my intention and aimes are by setting before your consideration the inconveniencies of these passions and absurdities you may become the more distasted with the practises of them in others since most pittifull examples of all sorts are daily presented to your eares or eyes especially of childrens disobedience to their parents Truly Will if I should have any just occasion given me to suspect your intentionall duty or filiall love I should have cause sufficient not onely to esteem my endeavours most unfortunate but exceedingly to doubt of your discretion as wel as to blame your ingratitude since as you cannot but know how much your mother and my selfe have strived in your behalfe to the uttermost of our powers so is it unpossible in that regard you can finde more confiding persons then our selves whereon to place your chiefe trust and confidence either in difficulties or inconveniencies If at all God Almighty had not added a temporall curse to that Commandement and to no other which obligeth the duty of children to their parents besides many other fearful testimonies I could bring to shew a necessity of performing with all honour and respect those filialties of nature which I onely tell you because many young people as I said before in these dayes are grown so extravagantly preposterous in their courses that scarce is there family but hath some cause to complain in this nature with more then ordinary grief whereas in times past children thought it not onely a reputation to their own persons to bear a respectful honour to their parents but even with a certain kinde of admiring duty were most careful and diligent to imitate their very actions as well as to receive their instructions Next I must minde you of that dangerous and swelling disease of vain-glory that useth to intoxicate in this age so much the brains of young people that as they become altogether void of any good nature at all so not seldom being transported with this vanity they appeare in some sort deprived of their wits however I am perswaded that you have contracted such an experience by your being abroad and having conversed without flattery that if at any time by accident you fall into the like errours you will be soon able to put a bridle to the humour by some temper and diseretion But as this inclination floweth from too great an indulgency of nature wanting a competent judgement to discern so is it the occasion often times not onely of unnecessary and distastful contentions but also of most desperate quarrels proceeding from dispositions too furious which in this place I shall example by one short story not to be questioned for the truth thereof Two entirely loving brothers upon occasion of recreation walking one evening within the Precints of their ordinary dwelling and beholding the skie bespotted all over with stars one of them of a sudden wished as many fat Oxen of his own as there appeared little lights in the Firmament the other again not to be behind hand with his brother as he thought in invention also desired Pastorage as large as the whole Element and then demanded how his Cattel would be fed the first apprehending belike indiscreetly some intention of affront to his vain glorious conceits in heat and choler told his brother that they should feed in his pasture whether he would or no wherefore the other being also moved with passion at this seeming intention of compulsion hastily replyed that as by right he could not claim any interest in his Field or Medow so was he fully resolved to debar him from all benefit and commodity therein But in conclusion from words they went to blowes until at last both drawing out their weapons which they had unfortunately about them they soon became each others murtherer before any of the house could come to their rescue notwithstanding there wanted not good store of company in that noble family Which in my
the vanities of this life As for example how could it be imagined that men would be so extreamly senselesse as for the onely enjoying and delight of a little meat and drinke with other sensualities of this world for a very few yeeres should violently cast away those eternall and abundantly satisfactory happinesses of Heaven unlesse there were some stupid defect in their beliefe concerning either the certainty of their being or in the waies and means whereby they were to be compassed In like manner what person would be so sottish in his resolution as not rather to undergoe all the austerities could be undergone during this life then hazzard the danger of those terrible torments so often mentioned as I must say to be endured to all eternity if he were absolutely convinced in his thoughts and apprehension that they particularly belonged to his condition in each circumstance since it is more then evident that we forbeare no paines or scarce omit any care in this world either to obtaine humane honours or prevent eminent though earthly inconveniencies though we know they are but to endure for a moment in comparison of eternity when as perhaps a farre lesse industry and travell would assure us in the other condition of a perpetuall happinesse and yet we see it so supinely neglected by most as if it were not at all worth any manner of consideration Wherefore I must conclude that mans miseries and insensibilitie for the most part proceed from this defect in this onely particular for that he hath not purchased a competency of grace sufficient to enlighten his understanding whereby he becommeth overwhelmed as it were with nothing but grosse sensualities and tickling imaginations that make him wholy uncapable to converse in a higher Region which by consequence renders him altogether unwilling to resigne himselfe entirely into the hands of Almighty God as blessed Tobias did in all his actions and adversities For that holy mans stedfast and undoubted beliefe of all the principles of Religion made him most confident of the promises thereupon depending which is unpossible to be effectually compassed or put in execution but by the same means he used in the whole course of his life whereby as I say he obtained such a proportion of supernaturall grace as not onely comforted him in all his extraordinary difficulties but infused so much love into his happy soule as he was able to contend against every temptation of the Divell the world and the flesh and by that means got such a victory over all his passions that he onely delighted in every thing that was Gods will and of the contrary never seemed distasted with any crosse that was sent him As for example it may be supposed when he at any time found an inclination in his fraile nature to rebell against this determination he used the power of Prayers Fasting and Almes-deeds to beat down and conquer all his humane appetites in so much as God Almighty not onely gaue him assurance of a heavenly reward but crowned his latter daies with all the prosperity could be imagined of earthly happinesse as appeared by the sequell of the story though as it may be conceived not more for the acts of mercy which he had used upon all occasions to his distressed brethren then for the absolute resignation of his own will to Gods onely pleasure and direction in which he enjoyed no doubt a wonderfull felicity in his thoughts notwithstanding his desperate afflictions Which agrees very well with the sayings of divine Thomas a Kempis who affirmeth in his booke of the imitation of Christ that it is unpossible to purchase any manner of reall freedom either humane or spirituall without an absolute negation of a mans own selfe So that when a body hath brought his resolutions into this quiet state and condition he may truly be said to be happy and never before being thereby freed from all occasions of temptation that use to swell mens minds into a thousand storms and perplexities like as streames that goe along with the wind passe smoothly without any perturbation so of the contrary others that strive by a naturall current with those blasts have much difficulty to keep their course being alwaies tossed thwarted and interrupted in their passage Besides we see the greatest Monarchs of the world are oftentimes so wearied with their own wils and command that notwithstanding they seem exceedingly to affect glory and ambition are perswaded in the interim not onely to put the whole government of their Dominions sometimes into the hands and power of their favourites and Subjects but also not seldome will contradict their own very wils to give their intrusted Officers more absolute jurisdiction as conceiving therein a satisfactory content to themselves being thereby freed as they suppose of many contentions and troublesome thoughts that else would happen to their more disquiet Wherefore I say it may be esteemed a most preposterous inconsideration in us not to be willing to abandon our own wils to him that we are most certaine shall alwaies be not onely constant and true to us in all our affaires but at last can and will infinitely reward us for that voluntary resignation And this no doubt will be the easier effected if we seriously adde this apprehension to our judgements That let us doe what we can and possesse what we may either in ambition of sensuality as we shall never be free from contention and trouble in our minds if not in our persons so in the end of necessity we must yield to death the common plunderer of all these things which taking us unprovided will force us to interchange all our past and so much esteemed prerogatives into a miserable and confused damnation to all eternity And although it should take us a little more in order and in something a better posture yet at the best our gone and ended delights which we enjoyed according to our opinions with so much felicity will be so farre from benefitting our present condition that the very remembrance of those enticements shall render us more sorrowfull and unwilling to quit the world however there be an absolute necessity of this separation and at the worst they leave us burthened and almost distracted with many terrible feares what accompt may be required of us towards a full satisfaction in regard of the severe justice of Almighty God who placed us not here to have the fruition of so many pleasures we once enjoyed above other men notwithstanding all the delight and benefit will appeare then vanished into smoke and ayre Insomuch as we may say what hath it availed us to have possessed the whole world and foolishly to have neglected the saving of our own soules when we had the means and opportunity to have effected it Wherefore to summe up this discourse in a word That man that will be wise must first purpose well then prosecute his resolution with constancy diligence which without doubt will procure him grace and that