it in Mount Sion but feared then to doe it because the Lord in wrath had killed Vzzah for staying the arke with his hand when the oxen shooke it And when after he had heard from many that God blessed the house of Obed-Edom where for three moneths after the death of Vzzah the arke remained he charged the cheife fathers of the Leuites whose office it was and none others to carry the arke of God to sanctifie themselues and their brethren for the Lord had made a breach amongst them because they were not there at the first and because then they sought not God after a due order who beeing sanctified and hauing on them linnen garments like as had all the singers yea and Dauid the king they together with the Elders of Israel and captaines of thousands brought the arke of the couenant with shooting melodie great ioy and the sound of trumpets and placed it in the middest of the tabernacle which Dauid in Mount Sion had caused to be pitched for it And although euen then Michol Dauids wife did therefore despise him because so arraied he daunced before the arke saying O how glorious was the king of Israel which was vncouered to day in the eies of his maid seruants as a foole yet he did not onely approoue his fact by reproouing her but glad to see that after a thousand yeares the Lord had accomplished his promise that the arke of his strength was come into his rest that the Lord had chosen Sion and loued to dwell in it saying this is my rest for euer here wil I dwell Ioying also at the heart to see the readie obedience of the Elders Worthies and people in seconding the command of God and furthering him in his godly desires he maketh this congratulatorie psalme of praise and thanksgiuing saying I was glad when they said vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lord and after in this psalme speaking to the priests that attended on the arke to the people that by their tribes were to come to Hierusalē there to offer before the Lord and to the Elders which on the seates of iudgement gaue sentence there to them all he saith O pray for the peace of Hierusalem let them prosper that loue thee This was the occasion that moued Dauid to deliuer this speech Now let vs in the second place consider to whome he spake it euen to the priests people and rulers To the priests for since the arke was now placed in Hierusalem there to continue his aboad vpon which it was their office to attend not onely there to offer the daily sacrifice but there also to make attonement vnto God for the sinnes of the people It behoued them greatly to pray for the welfare of that holy citie yea and aboue the common maner of the vulgar people to sanctifie themselues least for their sakes God should abhorre the sacrifices which he himselfe ordained as in the daies of Helie or make a breach with his people as in the late slaughter of Vzza And yet not to them onely doth the Prophet Dauid here speake but to the people also for when God had appointed them that thrice euery yeare on their solemne feasts they should appeare before the Lord Iehouah in that place which the Lord shall choose to put his name there and accordingly they did the feast of vnleauened bread at the feast of weekes and at the feast of tabernacles to which Dauid in this psalme giueth witnesse thither the tribes euen the tribes of the Lord goe vp a testimony vnto Israel to giue thankes vnto the name of the Lord. Theirs it was also as wel as the priests in their godly desires to wish for the peace of Hierusalem and in their holy obedience to procure that God might still continue fauourable vnto her And because the welfare of Hierusalem consisted not onely in the praiers of the priests obediēce of the people but in the wel-ruling of the cheife gouernours to them as to the third and cheife estate of this bodie politique Dauid here speaketh that they should carefully seeke for those things which should make for Hierusalems peace for although in their seuerall cities the tribes of Israel had their rulers and such which heard the causes of the people yet in Hierusalem was placed the cheife seate of iustice there was the Senadrim the counsell of the seauentie Elders vnto whome were referred all causes of weight both in matters concerning God and his worshippe as the state ciuill of the kingdome the which Dauid in the verse before sheweth where be faith there is ordained the seate for iudgement euen the seates of the house of Dauid Therefore called the seates of Dauid because he was then their king and from him had they power to command Thus much for the persons priests people and rulers to whome he addressed his speech Now thirdly let vs speake of the speech it selfe of that which he requireth of them Of the Priests that they should pray of the people that they should desire of the rulers that in the best of their indeauours they should seeke for those things that should make for the inward and outward peace of Hierusalem that should make Hierusalem at peace with God and at peace with the world Not onely for her outward peace and happinesse that shee may be freed from violence and liue in securitie without all feare of forraine enemie as Chrysostome speaketh but that her children as the twinnes of Rebecca doe not struggle within her for that cannot be but with her great paine and greater griefe nay abode all that shee may be at peace with her God The which all Caluin fitly expresseth saying he exhorteth all the Christians worshippers of God that they make their praiers for the happy estat of that holy citie for since as Beza truely obserued the safetie of Prince Priest and People seemed to consist in the preseruation of that citie let all sorts pray for Hierusalem and for the safetie and wel-fare of all them that loue and fauour her As if he had spoken first to the Priests O ye Priests which should be peace-makers and seeke to reconcile the people to their god by whose holy praiers as by the prayer of Moses not onely Israel preuaileth and Amalech is put vnto the worst but by whose holy life and louely conuersation the people of God are mightily perswaded to honestie of life and a brotherly vnitie seeke ye the peace of Hierusalem and doe not yee either by your variance trouble and make muddle her pure and siluer waters or cause by your ill liues and dishonest conuersations the people to abhorre the sacrifices of the Lord and therefore to be abhorred of the Lord. As Moyses to Aaron what did this people to you that you should bring so great a sinne vpon them And to you O yee people
of God seeke yee the peace of Hierusalem doe not yee by your vnconsiderate zeale your vnholied hāds seeke to staye the tottering arke of Gods troubled Church lay to your hearts the death of Vzza Your good intents must haue warrant from the Lord goe vp to Hierusalem there cōsult with the mouth of the Lord for flesh and blood are ill aduisers in matters concerning God As the Lord spake to Israel so to you if so be you will preuaile with him heare O Ismael and hold thy peace rest content with his good pleasure and say with Samuel speake Lord thy seruant heareth And to you the Gouernours of the people which sit on the seates of iustice to judge for God in the cause of right the peace of Hierusalem must be the scope of your iudgements the forth and end of your desires Let the feare of the Lord bee alwaies with you and since you are the eies of the kingdome prouidently foresee the armes of authoritie powerfully procure the peace of Hierusalem it is not inough for you with the Priests to pray or people to desire but you must in the best of your indeauours seeke and seeking finde and finding worke forth the peace of the Church and kingdome which you gouerne for you execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord. Therefore thus shall ye doe in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart In this manner Dauid aduiseth Priests People and Rulers to seeke the peace of Hierusalem Thus much for the exhortation now let vs speake of the reason why Priest People and Gouernours should seeke the peace of Hierusalem The reason is twofold which is gathered out of the words that followe They that loue her shall prosper First if they seeke her peace it will be an euident argument that they loue her Secondly they shall not leese the fruite of their labour God shall make them to prosper as if he would haue said seeke the peace of Hierusalem thereby shew forth your loue vnto her and cause the God of blessing for the peace you procure her to poure down his blessings vpon you and yours they that loue her shall prosper Otherwise knowe that as there were many in the daies of Dauid which for all their faire shewes as Chrysostome speaketh had euill will at Sion yea and that as Musculus obserueth who in hearts were ioyned with the professed enemies of Hierusalems peace and vnder hand fought to trouble and vnquiet her estate so certainely although for a while they were not seene nor discerned of men but were honoured of many as men of a deepe reach and politique carriage yet were they then despised of the Lord and in the appointed time God shall cause them to be taken in their owne wiles and will preserue his Hierusalem from harme This is that which Isaiah after prophecied of the Church Behold the enemie shall gather himselfe but without me saith the Lord whosoeuer shall gather himselfe in thee against thee shall fall Behold I haue created the smith that bloweth the coales in the fire and him that bringeth forth an instrument for his worke I haue created the destroyer to destroy but al the weapons that are made against thee shall not prosper and euery tongue that shall rise against thee in iudgement thou shalt condemne Pray for therefore and seeke the peace of Hierusalē in so doing you shall shewe that you doe loue her for this your loue in seeking her peace God shall make you prosper Thus much for the opening of this text now let vs seeke to fitte it to these times This Hierusalem is a figure of our Church this Dauid a figure of our king the placing of the arke on Moūt Sion which before wandred here and there through the tribes of Israel and had no setled and abiding place a figure of the Gospel of Christ Iesus which although it hath had long aboad in this land as the arke in Israel yet it seemed to many of vs to haue no sure ground of a continuall abode till the Lord God in loue to our nation and fauour to his Church setled as the arke on Mount Sion the imperiall diadem of this kingdome vpon the person of our renowmed Soueraigne and of his most royall and euer blessed issue The which as it hath of all sorts of people beene most gladly acknowledged so the better to remember vs of this and other our loyall duties let me speake vnto you as sometime did Dauid vnto his people O pray for the peace of our Hierusalem the Church of England let them prosper O Lord that loue her In which my discourse that I may the more distinctly proceede obserue with me first the cause of this my exhortation secondly the exhortation it selfe first to you my brethren of the ministrie as Dauid to the Priests secondly to you of the people as Dauid to the tribes of Israel thirdly to our Gouernours as Dauid to them that sate on the seates of iustice Thirdly the reason why all estates should receiue this exhortation because they that loue Hierusalem and seeke her peace they shall prosper Concerning the cause of this my speech since this Hierusalem resembleth the Church whereof we are mēbers which as Ierom speaketh is not fully builded but is daily a building wherein not dead but liuely stones are laid on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Iesus being the head corner stone And wheras during this our building many the aduersaries of Iudah and Beniamin of God and of his trueth haue come to our Zerubabell and cheife fathers and sayed vnto them we will build with you for we seeke the Lord your God as ye doe But purpose indeede to discourage the people and trouble this building Nay since we cannot say of our Church and builders as Dauid there of that Hierusalem that it is a citie which is builded at vnitie in it selfe but we may euery where heare men complaining of and taxing our many iarrings idle disagreements Let no man aske the reason why I take vnto me these words of exhortation O pray for the peace of Hierusalem let them prosper that loue her Whē many in our Church walke after the flesh not after the spirit seeking to serue their owne phansies and worldly respects and not the trueth of Christ Iesu in the singlenesse of their hearts When many as we may see stumble at strawes and leape ouer blockes straine at gnats and swallow camels tithe minte and commyn leaue the greater matters of the lawe neglected Nay when many in stead o◠a good zeale for Gods glorie and for his truth bring strange fire such which neuer burnt on Gods altar but was fetched from the fire of hell it selfe as though without it Gods truth could not stand nor we be known to be the seruants of God except we weare the cognizance of the deuill When the words and deeds
of many are full of malice hatred and bitter speakings Let no man maruell that I plead the cause of our common mother I mean the Church of England which is racked nay torne with our dissentions yet which carefully seekes the quiet of her children but they will not be quieted And yet without offence let me speake vnto thy motherly affection O mother Church which canst not abide to haue thy life-child devided nor canst brooke in patience the cries and skreeches of thy naturall children Although thou lullest them in the lappe of thy motherly compassion danliest them in thy armes of ioy although thou feedest their eies with goodly shewes and their cares with pleasing sounds nay although thou giuest them to sucke of the teates of thy breast yet thou shalt not still their cries nor asswage their sorrowes except by thy diligent inquiry thou seekest and seeking findest and finding pluckest out the pinnes that sticke in and are so grieue some to the flesh Arise O Lord and come vnto thy rest thou and the arke of thy sanctuarie let thy Priests he cloathed with righteousnesse and let thy Saints reioyce For so long as Ionah be suffered to sleep in his sinne to goe to Tharsus when he should be at Niniueh there to doe the worke that he hath vowed the Lord hath inioyned him So long as many congregations are as sheepe without a shepheard and doe neither heare at home not may well beare abroad their Chhristian duties the things that make for their peace So long as many of our brethren haue put themselues to silence or are silenced by other leauing to preach nay to instruct their flocke in the first elements and principles of Christianitie So long as those monthly sermons imposed by Canons are not performed and those wonted Lectures in the head townes of this 〈◊〉 where the congregations are great and the preaching seldom are wholly neglected Insomuch that with vs it is nowe come to passe that we haue lesse preaching but no more praying Howe can we but complaine our selues vnto our mother Church and shewe vnto her that the Iesuites seedmen of sedition and brochers of impietie by this our silence doe make their aduantage and that the enuious man whilest we thus sleep soweth amongst vs the tares of prophanenesse and wickednesse of life by which the peace of our Hierusalem is in likelihood greatly to be impeached and the shippe of this Church and kingdome to be troubled Maruel not then why to you I vse these words of exhortation O pray for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue her In a word since the recusants halfe recusants are multiplied in this land make mention with ioy of the fall of our brethren and euen towards vs men otherwise conformable but impugners of their errours by their false suggestions and slaunders doe shewe their enmitie seeking by the disgrace of our persons to worke a dislike of the truth we teach Since there are many Michols sooffing at our Dauids because they are arried in white linnen garments many Vzzaes of the lay people which in a blinde deuotion thrust themselues too farre in Cleargie causes many oxen which in quiet should beare the arke the Church of Christ Iesu which through their boysterous and troublesome carriage doe cause it euen to shake and totter Let no man farther seeke and inquire why as Dauid then so I now to the priests people and rulers should say O pray and seeke for the peace of Hierusalem 〈◊〉 them prosper that loue thee Thus much for the causes of this exhortation now let vs speake of the exhortation it selfe First to you my brethren which do refuse to yeild vnto conformitie remember you are the masons which haue in your hands these liuing stones which are to be laid in the house of your God for your brethrens sake the loue you haue vnto the house of your God neglect not your calling you knowe that the enemies of our Church are many that your silence giues way to their proceedings why should this be spoken of you in Gath and Askalon that you will no more labour in the vineyard of the Lord Why should you withdraw your blessed helpe and defraud the people of your charge of that sweet comfort which by your ministry they once receiued Should a crosse and a surplesse thrust you from your needfull labo◠and make you forget what Paul said Wee is me if I preach not the Gospel should a crosse and a surplesse cause you to rend the seamelesse coate of Christ Iesu not to regard the peace of our Hierusalem What is a linnen garment for let me first speake of one when with one breath I cannot speake of both is it simply sinnefull thou doest not so thinke For then God would not haue commanded it vnto the Leuites neither would Dauid beeing no Leuite in bringing the arke vnto Mount Sion of his own proper motion without any speciall warrant from God haue worne it Feare not Michols scoffe although shee therefore repute thee a vayne man yet was Dauid therfore approoued of the Lord. It is true the Leuiticall lawe together with her rites and ceremonies are abolished neither hath Christ or his Apostles expresly commanded the vse of a white linnen garment vnto vs what then should nothing be vsed or receiued in the Church which is not warranted by the expresse letter of the word where then as Austin speaketh doest thou read in the scripture that good friday the feasts of Christs Natiuitie resurrection ascension and comming of the holy Ghost are to be celebrated which yet of all Churches are kept obserued Where that thou shouldest receiue the sacrament of Christs body in the morning and not after supper where that it should be ministred to women where that children should be baptized where that they should be baptized in the Church where that water sprinkled on their faces should serue for baptisme where that there should be some which at their baptisme should witnes for them all which and many of the like qualitie are not expressely set downe in the plaine letter of the word yet are they and from all ages haue bene continually vsed in the Church of God In regard wherof although the vse of this linnen garment be not disertly mentioned and so warranted in the expresse letter of the word yet since god commanded it to the Iewes and the foure and twentie Elders a figure of the Church triumphant were arraied all in white since it serueth to decency and order which are alwaies commendable in the house of God since the minister by his white garment is remembred to bring a white heart when he is to offer the prayers of the people vnto God and that a small sin in him as a small spot in his garment is soone discerned the fathers in the Primitiue Church might well command and so put in vse the weare of the surplesse or some
the fall of your deceiued brethrē neither let your egar tongues be ouer-fretting in their smarring soares as Christ to his disciples so let me to you If at any time you suffer in you the affections of men remember of what spirit you are as it is good that your zeale should be guided with knowledge so much better if it be moderated with loue let your fire come from heauē not from the earth And when you haue to deale with any either of your charge or appertaining to the stocke of Christ Iesu whose mindes are distasted with these newe conceits instruct them with the spirit of 〈◊〉 and although at the first they admit no counsell yet let your words of wisdome as the sweet dewes of heauen still shewer vpon them till God by your ministie open their hearts and they with you seeke for Hierusalems peace Yea and since the Lords vineyard hath lost many painefull labourers whose mouthes spake for God against the corruptions of the world and for his truth against the errours and superstitions of Poperie stirre vp the grace of God that is in you double your diligence enlarge your zeale that their wants by your labours may be supplied for if which God forbid this our Church of England be ouergrowne with the corruptions of sinne or poysoned with the superstitions of deceiuing poperie Hierusalem will neuer be at peace And to you also let me speake which haue the roomes of Gods messengers but cannot carrie his message vnto his people which in your blacke liues do not answer the whitenes of your garments and who although you vse the crosse yet are a crosse vnto the Church of God and a scandall of your calling seeke for the peace of Hierusalem enlarge not you your mouthes against the afflicted their falls wil not iustifie yours and if you will needs be medling with the motes in their eies forget not the beams that are in yours least you heare from some like spirited to my selfe as Iehoram did of Iehu when he asked whether it were peace what peace whilst the whoredomes of thy mother Iesabel and her witchcrafts are in great number what peace can you procure for your selues and for your people when by your ignorance ill ensample and neglect of dutie you lead and confirme them in your sinne Awake therefore with Ionah out of the sleepe of your sinne and although it be somewhat to your losse with him seeke a calme for our shippe a peace for our Hierusalem in which you liue Thus much to you my brethrē of the ministrie seeke the peace of Hierusalem Nowe let me speake to you of the people as Dauid did to the tribes of Israel which are beholders and hearers of the troubles of our Church seeke for the peace of Hierusalem and whē you come into the house of god to talke of matters belonging to god and to his Church take heed to your feete as the Preacher speaketh and be more readie to heare then to offer vp the sacrifice of fooles for they knowe not that they doe euill Remember what the Lord speaketh by his seruant Malachie the Priests lippes should preserue knowledge and men should seeke the lawe at his mouth if at our mouths ye will seeke it then heare O ye people the things in question the crosse and surplesse are meerely indifferent such which may yea and should be vsed when authoritie commands and againe may be disused if authoritie forbids if any herein despise authoritie and will not obey the decreed orders of our Church he is not wholly fit to be a guide and leader vnto other he procureth trouble to our Hierusalem and to himselfe But as for you my brethren walke in the light that hath beene shewed you and shewe your holy obedience vnto the Lord remember the times not long since past when God tooke from vs our late blessed Soueraigne how gladly then you would haue beene contented if so be there had beene any that could haue assured you to haue enioyed the religion now professed although it had beene with the purchase of much money and with many inconueniences from which you are now freed and shal we now as though we had forgotten those times shewe our vnthankfulnesse to God disloyaltie to our Prince so waywardly impugne his princely proceedings in the crosse and surplesse as though all our religion were corrupted by these the Lord giue vs better mindes yea be hath giuen and therefore as yee haue begun still seeke you for the peace of Hierusalem in which we liue The peace of Hierusalem you doe then truely seeke when you submit your selues to them which haue the ouersight ouer you in the Lord and suffer the good word of God not onely plentifully to dwell but to fructifie amongest you for as when they of Iudah and Ieruselem mocked the messengers of God despised his wordes and misused his Prophets the wrath of the Lord arose against his people insomuch that he gaue Hierusalem to be spoyled by the Chaldees his temples to be burnt his people to be slaine or carried away captiue So whē they hearkened to the Prophets and set their hearts to seeke the God of their forefathers then God made their enemies tributaries to them themselues to prosper in all things that they tooke in hand Hearken therfore vnto God speaking vnto you by the mouth of his seruants for this is to seeke the peace of Hierusalem and to make her prosper But whereas it cannot be that in our congregations all should be obedient vnto the heauenly voyce but that there should be some which by their lewde liues and crosse behauiours shall disturbe and trouble the peace of Hierusalem Yours it is which are the guerdiōs of the church and Sidemen chosen to second them in that office diligently to see faithfully to present whatsoeuer crime and offensiue disorder for as the sinne of some fewe causeth the Lord to be angrie with many so doeth the punishment of the wicked reconcile the Lord vnto his people againe Seeke therefore the peace of Hierusalem in making presentment of the notorious offendours Many good lawes both lately and long since hath beene made for the suppressing of sinne yet when you which are the eies of the Iudge will not see the disorders nay when you which are sworne to detect will not present them how can sinne be suppressed and in the suppressing of sinne how can the peace of Hierusalem be procured When Iehosaphat was much commended for his forward zeale in the cause of the lord yet it was said that in his daies the high places were not taken away and the cause is shewed for the people had not yet prepared their hearts vnto the God of their fathers euen so if we aske why in the daies of our Iehosaphat these crying and offensiue sinnes goe vncontrolled are not punished but soothed vp continue as before one cause is in you the churchwardens and sidemen you doe